Entertainment
FEBRUARY 2020
1917: THE LATEST WW1 EPIC FEBRUARY
29
FAVOURITES
Jack Hawes | Part 2 Politics & International Relations
Jack Hawes | Part 2 Politics & International Relations
Photo by Aleks Dorohovich on Unsplash
February isn’t great. Christmas is behind us, the weathers foul and deadlines make their unwelcome comeback. It sucks. Photo by: IMDB/Universal Pictures/Dreamworks Pictures.
Two hours, two soldiers, one take. Sam Mendes’ new First World War epic is an unrelenting gut-punch that keeps you on edge from the first moment you land in the trenches. Remarkably, Mendes was able to present the film as if it had been filmed in one take. It’s fair to say that camera wizard Roger Deakins deserves a hell of a lot of praise for managing to make the shot transitions appear
so seamless. Crucially, this highlights the brutality and the coldness of WW1 and its inescapable touchon everyone’s lives. Praise has to be given to the leading actors, George MacKay and DeanCharles Chapman, as for a majority of the run time, the film solely focuses on the pair of them. Despite this pressure, these warm characters are found to be both engaging and relatable every moment they are on screen. Watching them boldly embark on a
journey across no man’s land with a message to call off an attack is both thrilling and intense, as it will inevitably end in slaughter. Along the way, they encounter danger after danger, leaving the on-screen actors and us as an audience on the edge of our seats. The heightened and life-threatening nature of this film equally leaves you hanging on every word, emotion and moment. Undoubtedly, a must-see epic for your 2020 movie bucket lists.
However, it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. Things will get better but until then, here are a few heart-warming favourites that may be a good method of escape from the second month blues. James Acaster: Perfect Sound, Whatever Not only a brilliant comedian, but a fantastic author too. James Acaster not only creates a list of incredible albums, but also details the hard times he went through and how music helped. It’s an always needed reminder that things do get better.
Morgan Neville: Won’t You Be My Neighbour A 2018 documentary that detail the life of Fred Rogers, a children’s TV presenter whose sole goal in life was to spread joy. To him every person is special and deserves to be cared for and loved. Like a hug, the film gives you a warm fuzzy feeling filled with love. Brian Fallon: You Have Stolen My Heart The year started with the former Gaslight Anthem lead singer releasing, what only can be described as, an absolute lovely tune. A tale of love that is enhanced by Brian being on his best form, both lyrically and vocally, that lifts the spirits whenever that may be needed.
Sex Education is Back: And it’s Better and Dirtier than ever. Elsie Stuart | Part 2 English Literature & Film Starting the New Year off with a bang (mind the pun) season two of Netflix’s ‘Sex Education’ hit our small screens on the 17th of January – and it’s even dirtier, cringe worthy, and heart-warming than the first. On the surface, it’s a school comedy about the hilarity of puberty. Set in a strange American-looking high school, it manages to create a deeply emotive story about struggling teenagers who are deprived of understanding and awareness. Most of all, they are just desperate for the inclusion and acknowledgment that they deserve. The characters we know and love from season one are back: Asa Butterfield’s protagonist Otis continues being the same awkward – virginal - pining boy as before, with a little more romantic tension coming his
way than previously. He sets off the show with a very revealing montage – acting at its finest. Eric and Maeve return with the same individualism and ferocity, as well as the personal struggles of class and sexuality that continue to trouble them both. Their performances are still so well-rounded and full of life that we can’t help but continue to fall in love with them both. Several new cast members join the ensemble, with disability representation pushing forward with the inclusion of wheelchair-user Isaac portrayed by George Robinson - who unlike Kevin McHale from ‘Glee’ is actually in a chair! Topics of mental health issues, trauma and asexuality are all addressed and handled with care, furthering the show’s careful and inclusive representation of our generation, and the tribulations which come along with it
“On the surface, it’s a school comedy about the hilarity of puberty. Set in a strange Americanlooking high school, it manages to create a deeply emotive story about struggling teenagers who are deprived of understanding and awareness...” within our current climate. Laugh out loud moments occur throughout: with awkward sexual encounters to phallic school musicals, this is not just entertaining and joyous, but relatable and educational. Plus, Gillian Anderson is back and wearing more pantsuits than ever, what more could you want?
Photo by: IMDB/Netflix
