Hide and Seek

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2000's, Amy Irving, Dakota Fanning, Dylan Baker, Elisabeth Shue, Famke Janssen, Hide and Seek, John Polson, Melissa Leo, Psychological Thriller, Robert De Niro, Robert John Burke

A very contrived psychological thriller that could have used a bit of work on it, Hide and Seek at least generates some jolts of terror and has two great central performances from Robert De Niro and a young Dakota Fanning.

David Callaway (Robert De Niro ) is a renowned and talented psychologist in New York City with a glamorous wife Alison( Amy Irving)and adorable 9 year old daughter Emily (Dakota Fanning). One night, David awakes in the middle of the night to find that Alison has committed suicide by slitting her wrists in the bath. Emily sadly sees her mother dead and withdraws into herself from that very moment. In an attempt to get Emily away from the trauma of her mother’s passing, David uproots her to Upstate New York . This is against the advice of fellow psychologist and and family friend Katherine(Famke Janssen), who doesn’t think it is a wise idea to just move Emily without letting her deal with what has happened. Emily is traumatised, morose and distant towards David, though he attempts to get her to open up to him. Moving Upstate to a large house with only a few neighbours ( who are all depicted as rather creepy and too curious) , David hopes that a fresh start will help both him and Emily work through both shock and grief . He strikes up a conversation and attempted friendship with sexy divorcee Elizabeth( Elisabeth Shue) but this is met with aversion and awkwardness from Emily. One day, Emily tells her father she has a new friend called Charlie. As no one has seen Charlie, David deduces that Charlie is imaginary. He is at least happy that Emily seems to be doing a little better than before , but things begin to change for the worse. Emily plays games with Charlie , their favourite being hide and seek. All seems innocent enough at first before a string of horrifying events begin to manifest. Soon the so called games between Charlie and Emily escalate to vicious scenes and overt hostility towards David, resulting in danger and death. A twisted game is afoot as David attempts to uncover who Charlie really is before it gets too late. Is Charlie simply a figment of Emily’s traumatised imagination? Or has Emily herself got something to do with it? Or is Charlie truly a flesh and blood person who is intent on mayhem and evil? You’ll have to watch to find out.

John Polson is not a bad director, he just goes down the rather obvious route here. This makes it seem like he’s simply ticking a box to make it a thriller, but not adding too much difference along the way.  That being said, he at least manages to scare up some rather unnerving moments throughout. It’s just a shame it couldn’t coalesce better with the full picture The problem with Hide and Seek is that it feels tired and derivative, plus it tries to be overly serious but winds up looking anything but. I don’t mind predictable when it’s done well, sadly Hide and Seek has its fair share of problems. The big twist is effective enough but it feels a bit too telegraphed if you watch close enough. Once things are revealed, events do get more intense and harrowing it has to be said, with Emily put through the emotional mill. Yet it can feel a too little too late eventually as what’s come before has been impactful enough I guess, but then descends into standard psycho horror territory . There are many cases of misdirection involving the neighbours which don’t go anywhere or ring true, resulting in numerous plot holes . The bad thing is that the movie thinks it’s being clever by throwing in many red herrings; but it ends up coming off. The music and atmosphere are things that kept me watching , even if the film is largely illogical. The score from John Ottman has a ghostly feeling too it, with choral voices and foreboding ambience elevating the material. The autumnal setting and muted colour scheme brings a certain chilliness to feel proceedings. So while, certain elements do manage to keep you watching in Hide and Seek, it doesn’t add up to a cohesive whole. 

Robert De Niro is one of my favourite actors and I find even in films that aren’t quite worthy of his talents , he still delivers. Such is the case here with his quiet and often contained performances as a caring father trying to understand the horror around him, but occasionally not realising that he’s treating his daughter and not another patient. It’s not one of his best performances , but it’s still good and one of the better parts of Hide and Seek. It’s Dakota Fanning, who at the time was movie kid royalty and with good reason, who really delivers the goods and provides one of the most effective parts of the routine movie. Using her saucer like eyes to unnerving and devastating effect, a dark haired Fanning taps into the mystery of her character who is by turns traumatised and creepy. Fanning is compelling at displaying emotions far beyond her young years and especially in the latter half of the film, she pulls you in and holds her own against Robert De Niro with a haunting performance. Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning are the people who hold Hide and Seek somewhat together. Famke Janssen has some good moments as the supportive family who is protective of Emily, but the rest of the talented cast are wasted. You have the likes of Elisabeth Shue, Melissa Leo, Dylan Baker, Robert John Burke and Amy Irving here. And they are all given barely anything to work with

So it’s a pretty standard psychological thriller that is rather pedestrian in parts and mixed, but Hide and Seek gains points from the main cast and some good atmosphere crafted.  It still doesn’t come up to scratch, but it’s not completely unwatchable.

11 Year Anniversary

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Blog Anniversary

I just realised that it’s my 11 year blog anniversary. I can’t believe I’ve reached this milestone. Thank you to everyone who has supported me on my journey. I know that over the past few months and year, I’ve not been prolific as I once was. But I believe I’m bouncing back slowly, just getting over covid here. I love all of you so much and it’s an honour to know all of you. I promise to be back on track soon guys, but here I send my love for all of you.

The Terminal

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2000's, Barry Shabaka Henry, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chi McBride, Comedy, Diego Luna, Drama, Kumar Pallana, Stanley Tucci, Steven Spielberg, The Terminal, Tom Hanks, Zoë Saldaña

A slightly whimsical comedy drama from Steven Spielberg about a man rendered without a country and stuck in JFK Airport, The Terminal benefits from a touching and terrific lead performance courtesy of Tom Hanks . It’s not of the director’s major works or up there as a masterpiece in his filmography, but it’s a quite lovely movie of hope, patience and belief that is in many moments rather affecting to watch.

Viktor Navorski(Tom Hanks) is from the Eastern European country of Krakozhia he arrives in JFK airport. The only hitch in his plans to visit New York is that while he was in the air, a military coup occurred in his country and the government was overthrown . With the U.S not recognising the new government and his passport taken, he is without a country and not permitted to step foot outside of the airport. Not knowing much English, Viktor initially panics about what he’s going to do about his circumstances. He begins sleeping and living for lack of a better word in one of the terminals. Over time, Viktor begins to show immense aptitude in adapt to this strange situation by learning English, finding inventive ways to have food and have some semblance of goodness in what it a truly fish out of water experience. He becomes friends with various airport staff, such as food deliverer Enrique(Diego Luna), cleaner Gupta(Kumar Pallana) and cargo handler Mulroy(Chi McBride) . Spending time with them, he forms good ties and he helps Enrique grow more confident in his attempts to woo the tough but beautiful Immigration Officer Torres( Zoë Saldaña ). He also comes up against an increasingly angry and frustrated Acting Field Commissioner Frank Dixon(Stanley Tucci), who wants to be someone else’s problem and feels that his chance of a promotion is going up in smoke because of Viktor. Dixon is watched by his second in command Thurman(Barry Shabaka Henry), who comes to like Viktor and is often quietly at odds with his superior. There’s maybe even a chance at love for Viktor with conflicted air hostess Amelia Warren(Catherine Zeta-Jones) .Over the months of time he spends living in the airport , Viktor changes the lives of those around him while trying to make sense of what’s going on and wondering if he’ll ever return to his home country or set foot in New York.

Steven Spielberg shoots The Terminal through with a hope and energy to it. The airport transforms from what seems like a confusing place and Spielberg beautifully gets across the difference . It can be said that it slips into sentimentality a little too often, but the heartfelt nature and occasional note of bittersweet experience is something that the veteran filmmaker knows how to do. Both the comedy ( of which there is quite a bit of thanks to the work of Tom Hanks and cast)and the drama hit good spots throughout . The Terminal is at once a big scale movie, largely due to the tremendous detail and scope of its setting, and also rather intimate as it takes place largely in one location. The gliding camerawork and long takes are beautifully done and the shimmering work of cinematographer Janusz Kamiński brings out the varying emotions through shadows, reflective surfaces and glass. Plus I can’t review the film without mentioning the production design, which is second to none in crafting this setting. All the production design deserves credit for the stellar work hereWhat The Terminal might have benefited from to put it higher up in terms of quality is some editing. I feel that The Terminal does overstay it’s welcome because it runs too long for it’s own good. Trimming down in some parts would have certainly improved the film, but it’s still an uplifting tale that is difficult to resist. If you can suspend disbelief in parts, like how quickly Viktor picks up English and somehow manages, you can enjoy The Terminal and what it has to offer. A sprightly score by Spielberg regular and maestro John Williams fizzes away throughout. Williams brings a bustling yet heartfelt core to the events both comedic and dramatic for us with what I think is a rather underrated score in his long and illustrious career. Whenever Spielberg and Williams collaborate, it’s often magical and The Terminal is no exception.

Tom Hanks provides a lot of the heart and depth to The Terminal and is one of the best parts of this movie . Combining a natural bemusement with a hidden sense of resourcefulness(plus a very different voice than you think of for Hanks), he is also adept at all the comedy too; capturing the awkward mannerisms of a man completely in an extreme fish out of water scenario. Hanks makes the audience immediately sympathetic to the Everyman character who we see is not as bumbling as people think in the beginning. The blending of heart and comic timing is a winning combination that makes this a fine performance from Tom Hanks. Although not in the most well written or defined part, Catherine Zeta-Jones brings warmth and a quiet sense of uncertainty as a woman caught in a situation she seems destined to repeat. Through her interactions and developing feelings for Viktor, Zeta-Jones provides a vulnerable and lovely presence alongside Hanks . Though I must say as good as she is in the part, I feel the role needed to provide more for her as the character is rather patchy in terms of writing. Catherine Zeta-Jones makes the part watchable but I think more could have been done with her character in the long run. it would have been nice to see Zeta-Jones really have a part to sink her teeth into. Maybe bits of the romance between the two leads don’t add up or feel like they could have been explored better. But at least there’s a tentative chemistry between both stars that’s rather lovely to see as is their connection over the course of the picture. Stanley Tucci is having a ball as the who becomes gradually more frustrated with Viktor who he sees as a major thorn in his side. His character is working hard and doing his job. This has ultimately lead to him not realising that his humanity and sympathy has been skewered because of his adherence to rules. As antagonistic as Dixon is in parts , Tucci never lets him descend into full ok villainy. He instead lets us see a man who is too good at his job and irritable if his authority feels threatened . An entertaining supporting cast rounds out the characters, who become largely something akin to a family unit. Barry Shabaka Henry as second in command provides a quiet sense of comedy as he reacts to his boss with bewilderment and eye rolling .Kumar Pallana provides the comic relief as the jokey janitor amusing himself with the hapless events of the airport, while impressive performances by Diego Luna and Zoë Saldaña as lovesick food deliverer and brusque immigration officer show the star quality both have. Chi McBride rounds out the main group of Viktor’s friends as the wisecracking baggage handler. 

A touching comedy drama with both an underlying message of humanity and occasionally pangs of melancholy, The Terminal provides a heartwarming movie experience. Enlivened by colourful characters, directing and gorgeous visuals, The Terminal might be minor Spielberg, but it’s still rather effective and moving.

Paranormal Activity

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2000's, Horror, Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Oren Peli, Paranormal Activity, Supernatural Horror

Using a simple premise of a supernatural threat targeting a young couple captured with a camera, Paranormal Activity builds a creepy atmosphere throughout as the threat gets real. You’ll want to sleep with the lights on after watching this creepy chiller.

Young couple Micah and Katie ( Micah Sloat and Katie Featherston )have been experiencing strange and unexplained phenomena in their San Diego home . The often immature Micah has decided to set up a video camera in an attempt to capture proof of a paranormal entity, though Katie is not enthused by this idea. Katie reveals that she’s had strange events akin to a haunting throughout her life when a psychic comes to visit. The psychic warns the couple not to aggravate the entity that has latched onto them and particularly. It’s not a matter of the house being haunted, it is Katie herself . With his camera and technology, Micah finds the whole idea of a haunting fun and cool. Katie , who really doesn’t see it as something thrilling, becomes increasingly more terrified as the haunting continues. To start, various household objects are misplaced and creaking doors are the extent of paranormal energy. It then becomes a lot more sinister at the days go on. The clashing of viewpoints in terms of how Micah and Katie view the strange events that befall them escalates, as Micah becomes even more interesting in finding out what is haunting them and Katie begins to fall apart emotionally. Following Micah’s blatant disregard for not bothering the haunting presence, the entity ups the ante leaving in a desperate fight to survive this malevolent intrusion. All the while, the seemingly unending threat is being captured on film by camera, often in moments the protagonists don’t see until later.

Oren Peli, who as well as being writer and director , also edited the movie,  does a superb job crafting a horror movie that’s simple but shrewdly done . It’s pretty hard to believe this was his directorial debut because of how assured his touch for suspense is What Peli gets right is the tone and gradual suspense of Paranormal Activity. He knows to to build tension without the film dragging on( it comes in at under 90 minutes) making one chilling efficient exercise in terror. Paranormal Activity deal with the presence of ghosts and haunting , yet the direction and execution of it add a veneer of reality to proceedings which in turn heightens the fear and scares it goes on to generate. And it’s also nice to see a horror movie that relied on mood and atmosphere as opposed to excessive gore. Not that I mind gore in my horror movies, I just often find myself being more disturbed by the psychological approach of dread and anticipation Although a found footage movie, Paranormal Activity has a certain level of sophistication as it doesn’t often feature spinning handheld camera. Yes there are parts of handheld camerawork, but it’s largely the times when the camera is still that the chills occur. As sets the camera up in the bedroom , we begin to observe strange events slowly but surely mainly of the nocturnal variety. We are forced to concentrate intensely to see if something subtle has occurred and whether our minds are playing tricks on us. It’s an effective trick as we get invested in the haunting and it keeps us creeped out along with the protagonists . Often we don’t see anything but the sounds and sense of dread make our minds run wild which is employed with impact in Paranormal Activity.

Special credit must go the sound design here who craft a feeling of escalating dread with every bang or loud noise. This , coupled with periods of almost unbearable silence and it’s a nerve wracking experience that awaits you. The best usage of this is one of the nocturnal sequences when we witness Katie in a seeming trance get up out of bed and stares at her sleeping boyfriend . What’s most alarming is that the camera timer shows she has been doing it for a number of hours without moving. The silence and whole atmosphere of this scene gets under your skin and is one of many that’ll have you spooked. The budget may have been low, but the chills are high in Paranormal Activity.  It’s not really original, but it’s for my money one of the better found footage movies and a downright creepy film in general.

As the two main players in the film, Micah Sloat and Katie Featherston are believable and very authentic as the couple under attack. Both feel like real people who you could know and this goes a long way in this movie. Sloat strikes the right mout of geeky curiosity and immaturity as his over eager antics make the situation at hand a lot worse than he expected. It’s Featherston who is the heart of the film; convincingly displays the deep rooted fears of a young woman seemingly haunted since she can remember. Her increasing desperation and slip into instability at the events around her is one of the driving forces of Paranormal Activity as most of it links directly to her. There are other actors in the film, but the lions share is taken up by the duo of Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat and they certainly deliver throughout.

A terrifying horror that favours psychological chills over excess gore, Paranormal Activity shows his the found footage genre can be to elicit a ruthless and efficient horror movie. Be sure to watch with someone else as terror is best in movies when shared

An Update

Hello everyone. I wanted to check in and give you all an update. I’ve been seeking help for my anxiety which I’m glad I’ve done. I’m taking small steps to help me get back to myself again. Always know you guys are the best. And I’ll be back on form as soon as I can.

An Early Christmas Greeting and Message

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Christmas

Hello guys. I know it’s been a while, but I’ve had a lot on recently. I had a wisdom tooth extracted and am still recovering from that. Plus, I’m getting ready for Christmas. I apologise for not being around a lot, but I promise when the new year comes, I’m going to make an effort to blog more. I really love all of you guys so much. So I say have a lovely Christmas and I’ll see you all hopefully in the new year.

Christina Aguilera- Stripped Album Review

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Christina Aguilera, Music, Stripped

I’m going to do something a little different with this post. While I have reviewed music on this site in the past, I’ve never quite been as personal or introspective in my writing about it on here. That’s changing with this take on Christina Aguilera’s second album Stripped. This will be a personal post about why this album means a lot to me and it’s impact on me.

I don’t remember exactly when I got this album, but if my timing is correct it was probably in 2003 when I was 8 years old. The album was from the year prior and I can remember there being a bit of an uproar that the young Christina Aguilera had changed her image up from good girl to something more raunchy. Being of a young age, I definitely had a crush for Aguilera. And yet apart from this, I mainly focused on her music once I heard this album as it was definitely something different for me. Yes she had switched her image up, but I already knew she had a powerhouse of a voice that was freakishly good and knew how to be soulful too.

Despite the controversy raised by her switch in image( I mean it definitely was a departure from the sweet bubblegum pop image she first appeared on the scene with), I remember being entranced when I saw her being interviewed about it on television, explains how she had started to have more control of this record and had a hand in writing most of the songs on it. Various points she made about sexuality didn’t particularly register with me( leading to one of those classic asking of parents and getting the answer you’ll understand when you’re older moments). But I liked seeing her passion and dedication to her art and how she was in essence shedding her old image that she had said really wasn’t her. Here was a young woman who was choosing to take creative control of her image and sound. Over the course of the era, Christina changed her image even more. She dyed her blonde hair jet black, got various body piercings that were showcased in various photoshoots and pushed the envelope with her style of revealing dress. Plus, she adopted the alter ego Xtina. Though obviously notable and eye catching, it was always her immense talent, stellar vocal range and the fact she had something to say that registered the most with young me.

I remember the first time I saw the album cover of Stripped. There was Christina Aguilera, eyes closed, hands raised with tousled two-tone braids strategically covering her breasts, complimented by a tight pair of pants all in black and white. It sure as hell packed an impact on my young mind. I asked my parents if I could buy the CD. After an initial pause looking at the cover, they let me buy it. Stripped was one of the first times I properly listened to the lyrics of songs and with the booklet containing the lyrics, I committed most of them to memory. The album was the equivalent of a comfort blanket in tough times and it continues to be. I was inspired to right this  piece when I purchased the album again recently and listened once more to its varied content. The album is a watershed moment for Christina Aguilera and one where she announced she wasn’t going to be an artist you could put in just one box.

So now onto the crux of this post which is the review and why it’s so personal to me. For anyone who doesn’t know, I have autism and have done battle with anxiety and depression for a long time. For a very long time during my years in education, bullying was a rather regular occurrence. It was over various things through this time; from my lanky frame as I got older, my difficulty making friends stemming from my autism. There was also teasing about the tone of my voice, alongside various jibes at what people thought my sexual orientation was. Let’s just say school was rather hard for me and while not all bad,  a lot of the memories are not ones I cherish. But with support of family and growth from myself, not to mention my family and music, I made it through the best I could. And here I am now, baring my soul and thoughts for everyone.

So we begin with an intro entitled Stripped , in which we find Christina on defiant form . Here she’s revealing everything to the listener and beckoning them to see her for who she is. We segue into the hip hop beat of the confrontational Can’t Hold Us Down, featuring rapper Lil Kim . Here she tackles the societal double standards of men and women by urging women to have a voice . Even though the song tackles feminism and hitting out and the unfairness of gender roles, I think it’s a relatable song for anyone really. A running theme throughout Stripped is asserting yourself and being authentic and I think therein lay the appeal for me as a kid and even now. Christina gets vulnerable on the soulful groove that is Walk Away about being stuck in a relationship you can’t get out off. Here her vocals really knock the content out the park and her honesty is bared. The theme of breaking free is brought up many times in Stripped, much in the way I wanted to break free of my situation and  eventually did.

A heavy rock influence colours the sensational Fighter . This was a song I revisited a lot during many difficult moments in my life for its grit and message of overcoming the harshness of being ill treated. Christina’s voice soars and roars as she thanks someone for how they treated them, because she wouldn’t have known how strong she was without it. While I wish I hadn’t been though such rough times as a child at the hands of others, thinking of this song has resonance because I never knew I could be stronger after all of the suffering. While I still have moments when my mind goes back to the bullying I endured , I think I’m largely getting over it now and coming to terms with it being in the past. Fighter will always hold a special place in my heart for its anthem like qualities and how out of struggling can come release and unknown power. Plus the metamorphosis themed video which featured Christina as a caged moth that emerged into a striking butterfly beautifully backed up the theme of the song in a visually striking way.

Two interludes are around the Latin influenced and flamenco infused Infatuation. A highly danceable and intoxicatingly sultry number about desire that pays homage to Aguilera’s Latin roots, Infatuation is a sexy little number for sure. The soulful and funky Loving Me 4 Me speaks of someone who truly understands and appreciates you no matter what . I’m a hopeless romantic who believes that one day that special person will come along so naturally it appeals to me. Break ups and relationship ups and downs cover both Impossible and Underappreciated , which further showcase her range and eclectic influences.

We then move onto the heartfelt Beautiful , which is a song that means a lot to me. It was a song that made me believe that I did have a place in the world, despite the adversity I was facing. Opening with Christina saying “Don’t look at me” , this haunting ballad has her at some of her most vulnerable and open. Penned by the highly talented Linda Perry, Beautiful builds to a powerful and cathartic release and celebration of all that is different with people. For someone like me, who often felt on the outside of things, it was a anthem of depth and held positivity for me. Featuring the impressive vocals of Christina, which go from quiet and soft to massive and full of grit, crossed with honesty and power, truly holds up as an inspirational piece of music for anyone unsure of themselves . It’s safe to say that this somg was played a lot by me during difficult times. This reaffirmed my belief that music, along with my other great love of film, was indeed a healing force that could be useful to me and indeed help. That isn’t to say that I didn’t get help or support from others ( I come from a very loving and supportive family who were there for me), just sometimes music can be rather cathartic and a way of letting out feelings without even realising it. The music video also made an impression on my mind; showcasing people in life who feel disenfranchised and disconnected and bringing them together in a positive message of self acceptance. It was a video for those who don’t feel seen and it emboldened me to feel better in ways I never expected.  The next song Make Over is possibly my least favourite track of the album as it feels a bit much. But it’s a rare misstep in a game changer of an album that oozes influence and strong messages. Cruz and Soar more than make up for the last song with their messages of moving to acceptance that resonate deeply. Much in the fashion of my journey to the person I am today.

We get into sexy and strutting form with the fabulously raunchy yet playfully assertive Get Mine, Get Yours . It’s probably the main song that I think of that describes the FWB situation, marking the song out as somewhat ahead of its time. Plus, it’s near impossible not to shake your hips to the rather funky groove percolating throughout this track. Naturally as a young kid, I didn’t quite understand the meaning of the song but nonetheless loved listening to it’s often slinky groove and her voice. When most people think of this album, their minds often quickly go the rather controversial Dirrty. I mean most people remember it for the music video that features Christina in many revealing outfits, frolicking and dancing at an underground nightclub surrounded by various fetish gear and unusual events. Many at the time were outraged by both the lyrical content and the video. I have a distinct memory of overhearing people in shops when the song came on saying it was awful and shouldn’t be allowed to be heard or seen by children. This intrigued me as a kid because while I gathered it had caused some sort of bother, I think even then I could see that it wasn’t just an attempt to be shocking. Rather it was a female embracing her image and expressing it in whatever way she wanted to. I may have not quite grasped all of that at the time, but as the years went on, I began to see how Christina had bravely cultivated an image that was her own and one she was in control of . And I for one have respected her for this ever since . At a young age, I could see she was doing her own thing but didn’t quite know how to say it. Thank goodness I know how to now. Anyway, back to the infamous . A dance song with a driving and pumping beat, it’s a song you have to shake your hips to. And don’t worry dear viewer, I won’t be following in Christina’s footsteps and donning some leather chaps as only she can pull them off convincingly. If you take away the eye opening video, it’s still an incessantly catchy that showed Christina was all grown up and a woman. Once more she’s on defiant form with the second Stripped interlude, further proclaiming herself her own person.

Christina can adapt to any music genre as is evidenced in this record, but for me it is her ballads that really show what she’s truly made of and her mettle. This is highly evident in the aforementioned and the simply stirring The Voice Within . Beginning quietly with piano before unleashing a soulfully gospel influenced finale, Christina gets personal with a message of self assurance to people. The lyrics are deeply personal and ones I can most certainly relate to. The first time I heard it , truly moved me with its message and I felt seen and it was I believe a step towards me getting a little more confident. By far the most open and devastating song on the album is I’m OK; which details the abuse Christina and her mother suffered at the hands of her father. It’s a raw, deeply emotional song where it sounds as if she’s crying during parts of it. Baring her soul in such a manner had me in tears the first time I heard it as it felt so truly personal. I never thankfully suffered any abuse from family growing up, but I knew people who did and this song made me think about them. I admire when someone uses their platform to raise awareness of an issue and Christina did it beautifully with I’m OK. Finishing the album is the immensely soulful and gospel flavoured, which has you with your fist in the air with triumph and joy . Stripped ends on an inspiring note with Keep on Singin My Song its uplifting lyrics and defiant energy, twinning Christina’s growth with mine as I gradually emerged as a slowly better version of myself.

So that was my highly personal tribute and review of Christina Aguilera’s Stripped, which for me will always be a personal record of triumphs and talent for the immensely gifted Aguilera. Apologies for the long winded nature of it, but I felt so inspired to write this that the words just came out of me. I’m likely never to meet Aguilera, but if I did I would thank her for this album and how much it helped me begin to accept myself for being me. I applaud Stripped for being open, honest, sultry, emotional and a deceleration of independence. I must say it feels good to get these thoughts and memories out of my head. I feel almost lighter and have a sense of relief writing this piece. Whoever reads this, know that I am very grateful for your time and reading .

Rec

Tags

2000's, Foreign Language Film, Horror, Jaume Balagueró, Manuela Velasco, Pablo Rosso, Paco Plaza, Rec

A brutally effective horror movie that zips along at a quick and ferocious pace and proves that found footage can still be impressive, Rec makes for a disturbingly intense experience.

Ángela Vidal( Manuela Velasco) is a peppy young reporter who along with her unseen cameraman Pablo(Pablo Rosso) is filming a documentary on the emergency services. One night while filming at the fire station when nothing seems to be happening, the firemen get a call about a lady trapped  in her apartment. Ángela naturally jumps at the chance of a story and so she and Pablo tag along to the apartment block. Once inside, the firemen along with encounter the woman is distress. The woman then becomes crazed like a zombie and bites one of the firemen, throwing everyone into terror. Once removing themselves from the room and locking the woman in, the group head to the lobby. The other residents have assembled , wanting answers for what is going on. Everyone starts to panic as the military shut off the building, leaving everyone trapped inside. They hear that a virus has spread between people through saliva, explaining the crazed and feral woman. The results of the virus are rabid viciousness and the instinct to attack and bite. But as the tension mounts and panic sets in, the body count rises as people become infected by the virus and chaos reigns.  Ángela and Pablo keep recording as the horror unravels, attempting to avoid being infected and savagely attacked in the now claustrophobic apartment block. One thing is for sure, it’s going to be a fight for survival as Ángela and Pablo attempt to make it through, determined that what transpires in the apartment block will be discovered even if they aren’t .

Directors and writers Jaume Balagueró  and Paco Plaza make sure Rec lulls you into a false sense of security before unloading ultimate terror. They succeed on this score and also on making it feel realistic and like you are right in there. Once the zombie horror hits, Rec doesn’t let up with the tension and gruesome action as the kinetic point of view camera plunges us straight into the heart of the terror of this apartment block under siege. As a rule, I sometimes find that found footage movies give me a throbbing headache with the way they are shot. While Rec does include many scenes of shaky camerawork, it feels a lot smoother than most which makes it more intense and easier to follow. It’s a simple premise from  Balagueró  and Plaza that is shrewdly and economically directed , making for a lean and mean horror movie of vicious intent and brutal, nail-biting content. The script also allows viewers to discover things at the same time as the characters , increasing the shocks as we experience them and our guesses are stripped away by jolts of terror. The claustrophobic and hellish atmosphere is further heightened by the absence of a score. This makes everything feel realistic and lets the audience listen out for anything sudden about to happen or not. Credit too must be given to the zombie effects that look terrifying yet also in the realms of possibility as all hell breaks loose.

The main members of the cast are . Manuela Velasco, who is almost always onscreen is an appealing presence. She nails the determined and go getter persona within the part of Ángela which gives way to fighting for survival of the most terrifying sort. Velasco’s likeable charm , fight and sense of breathless terror at what she encounters are all on full display as the heroine of this story and make an impact. Though it’s only his voice that we hear, Pablo Rosso convinces as the much harangued cameraman Pablo, who is charged with capturing the horror right in front of him. The supporting cast are all convincing and seem so realistic in what they are doing. Which is totally in fitting with the almost documentary approach that Rec is going for.

Ruthlessly impressive and terrifyingly claustrophobic , Rec is a triumph of horror film making that leaves your heart pounding in fright. Even if the found footage genre of horror doesn’t often appeal to you, I highly suggest Rec as it might just change your mind.

My Apologies

I wanted to speak with everyone on here who follows me and tell you something. I haven’t been ignoring you for the past few months. I’ve just not had the best time with my mental health. I’m taking steps to feel better and make progress. I feel that I’ve been slacking because of this, both in terms of writing and conversing with you all. For that, I extend my apologies as I’m working on getting back to usual service. It just might take some time. So I hope you all understand and know that I love you all.

The Invisible Man

Tags

2020’s, Aldis Hodge, Elisabeth Moss, Harriet Dyer, Horror, Leigh Whannell, Michael Dorman, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Storm Reid, The Invisible Man, Thriller

An update and reimagining of an old idea , The Invisible Man successfully crafts tension and scares, while lacing the story with topical awareness  and psychological chills.

We open with Cecilia Kass( Elisabeth Moss)escaping from her boyfriend Adrian Griffin(Oliver Jackson-Cohen) who she lives with in his high tech house. She is aided in her escape by her sister Emily(Harriet Dyer) and following this she goes to live secretly with childhood friend/ cop James (Aldis Hodge) and his daughter Sydney( Storm Reid).  After this we learn that Adrian had been controlling every aspect of their relationship and would regularly abuse Cecilia to the point that she thought she was losing her mind. Then Cecelia hears that Adrian has supposedly committed suicide.  Cecelia is shocked by this because Adrian was so in control of everything, including her and enjoyed the feeling of owning something. But nonetheless with his apparent demise, she attempts to recover from the abuse she suffered and start a new life. Unfortunately, a lingering presence won’t let that happen for Cecelia . What first appears to just be her being paranoid because of strange coincidences soon becomes clear that something is stalking her, though everyone thinks it is just the trauma talking. With events turning dangerous and her friends questioning her sanity, Cecelia starts to feel cut off from everything with no one believing her that Adrian is doing this somehow. Desperate and isolated by this point, Cecelia must muster all her strength in order to avoid going insane and figuring out just how Adrian is still able to torment her despite being apparently dead.

Right from the opening, in which we see Cecelia escape from Adrian’s grasp , Leigh Whannell places us right in the middle of tension and keeps it ticking away like a time bomb. Once Cecelia escapes, the tension and uneasiness is never far away as it bubbles away before steadily ratcheting things up notch by notch. Whannell is a skilled director and writer  who truly brings this creepy story to life and knows how to make an impact on the audience by pushing the right buttons and also throwing in some unexpected moments too .The themes of oppression of women and particularly abuse inflicted by toxic masculinity echo the real life events across the entertainment industry the past few years. The Invisible Man understands just how suffocating and damaging dealing with abuse like gaslighting can be and what it can do to your head. For that reason, it really stuck in my mind and I’m sure it will do the same to others who see it. One tiny niggle is that the film loses a bit of steam in the midsection and a little editing could have been a tad more efficient. But this is a minor gripe in one chilling and suspenseful horror thriller. Visually, the cold colours of The Invisible Man are hauntingly rendered and the usage of wide shots to test the audience into noticing whether something has moved is alarmingly effective . I mean the way the camera lingers with tension is so assured that you feel genuinely unnerved by it . And it’s put to amazing use during a particularly brutal sequence that is one continuous moving shot that has to be seen to be appreciated . The low hum of the score further exemplifies an unearthly presence that won’t stop until it is satisfied.

What gives The Invisible Man a lot of its power is the central turn from the always talented and watchable Elisabeth Moss. Exploring the desperation, isolation and eventual strength of her character, Moss doesn’t miss a beat as the abused woman slowly piecing things together. We buy into her anger, sadness and confusion, as well as the burning resilience waiting to burst through. And it’s all down to Elisabeth Moss, who has the ability to make us feel often without speaking a word( her expressive face does that to stunning effect.) For the time he’s on screen, Oliver Jackson-Cohen makes Cecelia’s abusive ex suitably slippery and chilling; you really buy into the fact that he could manipulate you anyway he wanted to. Harriet Dyer convinces as the sarcastic but caring sister , while the supportive and strong duo of Aldis Hodge and Storm Reid adds to moments of levity for Cecilia as she attempts to rebuild her life, little realising the nightmare has only just begun . Michael Dorman excels as Adrian’s mysterious brother who you are on the fence about and can’t help but question which side he is on given his familial ties. Not to take anything away from any of the other cast, but The Invisible Man belongs to Elisabeth Moss

Scary, unnerving and above all well acted(particularly by Moss), The Invisible Man is a horror/thriller that manages to get under your skin from the very beginning. Trust me, you’ll be checking over your shoulder when this movie finishes