Incredibles 2 Review

Incredibles 2 is finally here, after 14 years of waiting. In those years a lot might have changed in the real world, but for the Parr family, only a few seconds have passed. Our world might have changed, but theirs is very much the same.

In this film, Helen (aka. Elastigirl) takes centre stage as the crime-fighting hero, while Bob (aka. Mr Incredible) stays home to look after the children. The gender roles have flipped completely from the first film, and this is is not an easy transition for Bob.

In the film The Incredibles, we see that Bob is not very attentive to his children and doesn’t enjoy domestic life. This could be translated further into the sequel, with Bob becoming the bumbling father figure we see in characters like Homer Simpson. But instead we see that Bob is competent, he just has a lot to learn. He also has three children with superpowers, which definitely adds to the chaos.

“The film walks a beautifully fine line—it gives us plenty of comedy as [Bob] works to figure out his new role as primary parent, but it never shades into portraying him as an incompetent buffoon.” – Becca Burnett

The film has faced some backlash for making stay-at-home dads look incapable of raising a family, but what is worth keeping in mind is that The Incredibles is set in 1962. This was the era when second-wave feminism was just beginning and women were just beginning to fight for their rights in the workplace. So it made sense to me for Bob to struggle with this new concept and highlights just how these stereotypes are holding us back. There are only 235,000 stay-at-home fathers in the UK, compared with 1.7 million mothers.

Helen has also been an advocate for women’s rights, something she makes clear at the beginning of the first film. 

But we also see that Helen struggles in her new role too.

“We see her navigate a realistic and difficult choice: She wants to return to the career she finds so fulfilling, but she also wants to be there with her kids, for the trials and the joys of growing up.” – Becca Burnett

The parallel between family life and superhero business is what makes these films so engaging. The characters feel so relatable whilst being so extraordinary. The Incredibles are the most human superheroes and, in my opinion, this is one sequel that Disney got right.

The Incredibles is out in the UK now.

Why you need to watch The Silent Child

Have you got 20 minutes to spare? Fancy watching something? I would recommend logging into BBC iPlayer and putting on the Oscar winning short film The Silent Child.

The film follows Libby, a young, deaf girl who is about to start school for the first time. Her parents hire a social worker, Joanne, to help Libby with her lip reading, however, Joanne begins teaching her British Sign Language instead. Libby no longer lives a life of silence but tensions arise as a result.

The Silent Child doesn’t shy away from making its point known, the statistics that show before the credits make that quite clear. However, like the director (Chris Overton) and writer (Rachel Shenton) both say, deafness is an invisible disability, so it can often go unnoticed. By setting the story in rural, middle class England, the film shows how easily in everyday life barriers can be created for deaf children before they even begin education. This did make me then question just how many children with disabilities in schools around the U.K are not getting the support they need.

While a film is not going to fix these problems, it at least gives an insight into the world of a neglected deaf child. I would be excited to see how much more it could do if it were to become a feature length film.

If you don’t fancy watching the film or you simply don’t have time right now, I would recommend watching the creator of the film, Rachel Shenton, sign her acceptance speech at the Oscars earlier this year below. You can watch The Silent Child here.

Why the Oscar for Best Director 2018 Could Change Everything

The Academy Awards are about to celebrate their 90th annual show, and the Best Director category is looking a lot more diverse than usual.

Greta Gerwig and Jordan Peele are both up for their films, Lady Bird and Get Out. Making it the fifth nomination for a female director and a fifth one for a black director as well.

 

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 21: Actor Jordan Peele attends the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 21, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. 27522_011 (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Turner Image)

Credit: Business Insider and Huffington Post

Only one female has received the title (Katherine Bigelow for The Hurt Locker) and no black director has ever won that category. Just to put that in perspective, one director, William Wyler, has been nominated 12 times. One white man has been nominated for Best Director more times than any of the female and black directors combined.

This means that a win for Peele or Gerwig will not just be a celebration of the work they have done, but it will have a much wider impact on the world of film around them.

Silver screened ceiling

2017 was a significant year for feminism in Hollywood with the rise of #MeToo and #Time’sUp. Now the award season is here and women are standing up and saying “Time is up”. They are walking the red carpet dressed in black or holding white roses and my favourite moment was when Natalie Portman presented The Golden Globe for Best Director to the five men nominated.

Credit: Giphy

The reason why the conversation about inequality and sexual harassment in Hollywood is being had and heard is because it is an issue in every workplace. Women are not given as many opportunities to gain leadership roles, mostly because employees think women are well represented. This then becomes especially hard for women of colour as companies take a “one-size-fits-all approach to advancing women”.

The women who have been successful in Hollywood are in a position of privilege and so are using this to address this issue. The film industry is a notoriously hard business to get into, but when you look at the statistics it becomes clear how much more difficult it is for women over men.

The Celluloid Ceiling report revealed how many of the top grossing films of 2017 had women working behind the scenes. This was their result.

• 88% had no women directors
• 83% had no women writers
• 45% had no women exec. producers
• 28% had no women producers
• 80% had no women editors
• 96% had no women cinematographers

After considering these numbers, the fact that Greta Gerwig has managed to direct and write a film and then become one out of five nominated for best director is no mean feat. However, even just having her name in the lineup is already having an impact. Gerwig spoke to The Guardian about how previous nominations for women inspired her.

“I remember very well when Sofia Coppola was nominated for best director and won best screenplay [for Lost in Translation in 2004] and what that meant to me, and I remember when Kathryn Bigelow won for best director and how it seemed as if possibilities were expanded because of it. I genuinely hope that what this means to women of all ages – young women, women who are well into their careers – is that they look at this and they think, ‘I want to go make my movie.’” – Gerwig

This shows that representing and awarding women can inspire more women to pursue the same career. Gerwig has been given an opportunity to influence hundreds of young girls around the world to follow in her path. Perhaps in a few years, we can say that women are directing 50% of the world’s top films.

Hollywood so white?

In 2015 The Academy Awards was overshadowed by a boycott and the hashtag #oscarsowhite. This was to protest all 20 acting nominations being given to white actors and the Oscar voters being 94% White, 76% Men, and an Average of 63 Years Old.

This protest gave way to a new way of looking at the awards show and how diverse the nominations and winners were. There has seemed to be a long-held belief in Hollywood that people do not want to see diverse films. This notion has been challenged for years, but Get Out and Black Panther have been two films that, leading up the Oscars have again proved this theory wrong.

Credit: The Atlantic

Credit: Marvel

The data speaks for itself. Get Out made $253.8 million gross sales, or 50.8 times its $5 million production budget, and Black Panther had the fifth biggest opening weekend at the box office in the U.S.

Credit: Statista

While these are two remarkable films both with black directors, we cannot ignore the issues that people of colour still have in the industry. In a report done by MDSC at USC’s Annenberg, they revealed the race/ethnicity of 407 directors of films and television series/shows in 2014. Out of all these directors, 87% were White, 13% were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups and only two of the directors were Black women.

Although it might appear that little progress is being made for people of colour, there are still reasons to be hopeful. Black Panther and Get Out have had a tremendous success and Jordon Peele talked in an interview with postPerspective about the change being made.

“I think change should have come a long time ago, but at least now we see some real progress, with such directors as Ryan Coogler, Ava DuVernay, Gary Gray, Barry Jenkins and Dee Rees. It’s this new class of amazing black directors, and people have worked very hard to get to this point, and it’s thanks to all the work of previous filmmakers. What’s blossoming in the industry now is very beautiful, so I’m very hopeful for the future.”-Peele

Previous filmmakers have paved the way for all minorities in film and Peele is already making change that will help future generations in Hollywood. Awarding him and his film Get Out will make a statement, and will show Hollywood and western society that embracing diversity should be celebrated and not shunned.

And the award goes to…

A win for Gerwig or Peele could have a massive impact in Hollywood. People who are so often underrepresented in media could see that it is possible to succeed in the film industry. At the very least it might interest people to watch their films and to see a story centered around a young woman or a black man.

But whatever the result, whether one of them wins or not, I think it’s about time we think about the wider impact one small statue can have.

You should watch – Bojack Horseman

The show Bojack Horseman has been around for four years now, and yet I hardly hear anyone talking about it. I believe that it is one of the most relevant shows currently available, mental health issues, dementia, abortion and addiction, are just some of the issues explored in this show. The last series parodied the 2016 election as an inept celebrity ran for mayor and gained a huge following.

The show focuses on the character Bojack, a washed-up sitcom star who is drinking and partying his life away. To desperately hold onto some relevance in Hollywood (or as its come to known, Hollywoo), Bojack has various ventures back into stardom, beginning with writing an autobiography in series one. Surrounding Bojack are Todd, his roommate, Princess Caroline his manager, Diane his ghostwriter, and Mr Peanutbutter, his rival.

But there’s one more thing, and I imagine this is what puts most people off watching the show in the first place. Bojack is a horse, Princess Caroline is a cat and Mr Peanutbutter is a dog. In this show, animals and humans live side by side and there is never any explanation. While this may seem bizarre it actually adds a humour to the show. Small details are added in scenes or characters have certain aspects added to their personalities.

A rooster runs past Bojack’s house. Credit: Netflix

Mr Peanutbutter’s car is full of tennis balls. Credit: Netflix

As Bojack Horseman is a commentary on Hollywood there are many celebrities cameos that often go unnoticed. Here are some of the most notable.

Credit: Reddit

There have been four series so far, with season five confirmed. Here is an episode from each series that I think represent this shows brilliance.

Season 1 Episode 8 – The Telescope

Bojack finds out his old friend is ill and desperately wants to make amends before it’s too late. This is one of the first insights we have into how Bojack became such a star, and to what cost.

Credit: Netflix

Season 2 Episode 7 – Hank after Dark

Diane calls out tv personality Hank Hippopopalous on allegations made against him in regards to sexual harassment. This episode aired in 2015, two years before the #metoo movement and so feels especially relevant today.

Credit: Netflix

Season 3 Episode 4 – Fish Out Of Water

Bojack attends a film festival that takes place in a city underwater and finds himself on a quest to return a baby seahorse to its father. The episode has less than three minutes of dialogue and so plays out like a silent film, quite a risk for what is normally a very fast-paced show. The creator of Bojack Horseman, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, explains that he wanted to tell a “different kind of story” with this episode.

“Both the underwater aspect and the dialogue-free aspect felt like a fun challenge to pursue”-Raphael Bob-Waksberg

Credit: Netflix

Season 4 Episode 2- The Old Sugarman Place

Bojack spends time at his mother’s old summer home and makes it his mission to repair the house with the help of a neighbour. Alongside this narrative, we see flashbacks to Bojack’s mother’s childhood in this home with his grandmother. Throughout the whole of the show, this is the episode that has stuck with me the most. If you think you will only ever watch one episode, then make it this one. If I could only watch one episode of one show for the rest of my life, it would be this one. I encourage you all to give it a go, I doubt you will be disappointed.

Credit: Netflix

I hope I’ve at least encouraged some of you to watch at least one episode of Bojack Horseman. Please let me know if you have and if you enjoyed it, it is driving me crazy not being able to gush over this show with someone! I expect this won’t be the last time I write about it on here either, it feels like this show was made for me.

(Also if you do enjoy the show then I highly recommend following Bojack on Twitter)

Coco- A Review

Spoilers ahead.

This time of year sucks in the U.K., the sun always looks like it’s lost when it eventually shows it’s face. So escaping to warm, colourful Mexico seemed like the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

I had been aware that Pixar was making a film based on Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) for a while. I am always a big fan of Pixar movies so I knew there was no question of whether or not I would see the film. I avoided reading too much into the film beforehand, and fortunately, the trailer didn’t give too much away about the plot. I was happy to go in somewhat blind and too just drink it all in.

Credit: Pixar

This film is telling a universal story. The main character wants to pursue his dream and is being held back by those who love him. Then after a problem arises and is solved the characters come back together and accept each other for who they are. What I love about Coco though, is that the logistics of this particular story could not take place anywhere else. The setting of Mexico and Día de Muertos is so essential to the plot and atmosphere and gives a chance for others to experience this culture for a couple of hours.

Credit: Disney

What is interesting about the film is how Coco’s and Miguel’s narratives tie together. We begin by thinking this is a story about Miguel and his desire of being a musician. However, once we understand who Hèctor really is, the plot changes. This becomes a story about helping Coco remember her past. While this is essential in helping Hèctor remain in the afterlife, this also has a wider importance for the whole family.

Before Coco is just a character in the background, sometimes literally. She is widely ignored by the family and as a result, we don’t pay much attention to her either. The most we hear from her are cries of “Papa” when she sees his photo. But when Miguel sings to Coco he gives her a breath of life. She remembers who her family around her are and reveals stories and letters from her past. By simply listening to his ancestors, Miguel has brought his family closer together and the film ends beautifully with all the dead and living dancing to Miguel’s music.

Credit: Pixar

I believe everyone can take a valuable lesson from this film, which is simply to practice respect. Respect your elders/ancestors and also those around you. Respect the decisions they make even if you don’t agree with them. But also respect the conversations people want to have, and give them a chance to have a voice.

Next time you see a picture of one of your ancestors, perhaps ask a relative about them, maybe even put their picture up on your wall, who knows what could happen.

The Post – A Review

Spoilers Ahead.

I didn’t think much of The Post when I first heard about it, I wasn’t even aware that Speilberg directed the film. For me, the only real appeal was that Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks both starred. Anyway, an opportunity arose to go to the cinema and, as the film is nominated for some Oscar’s, I assumed it would be worth seeing.

It definitely was.

Credit: Fox Movies

I went into the film pretty clueless about the plot. When it was revealed to be about the Pentagon papers, I still had no idea that this coverup ever existed (American history is not my strong point). So the exposè was revealed to me right alongside the characters.

The film begins with the characters aiming for quite a boring goal, to for The Washington Post to be more than a local paper. Editor in chief Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) is trying to get ahead of a story for The New York Times, whilst the owner of the paper, Katherine Graham (Meryl Streep), is preparing for her IPO. Typical corporate goals.

However, by the end of the film, the whole newspaper business itself is fighting a bigger battle. The press wants the right to be able to expose the truth about their country in order to support ‘the governed, not the governors’. But they could risk everything by doing so.

The character that had the most at risk for the film is Katherine. She could lose her friends, her reputation and the company itself by publishing the papers. If they fail, then all she will do is prove those who doubted her ability right.

Credit: Fox Movies

This was the element of the story that resonated with me most. During the film, we see the work Katherine is doing to put The Washington Post on the public market. This work involves her attending meetings that are full of men and trying to become one of the team. We become aware that Katherine has had no education in business so, in these meetings, she often shies from speaking and instead lets her colleague Fritz take over. In other scenes shes being interrupted, ignored and, at one point, pushed back into her chair.

Whenever moments like this happened, I was waiting for Meryl to put these men in their place with a sassy remark or two. She was the killer boss Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada after all. But these moments never came. Instead, we see her shaking and tearful; she doubts herself and constantly needs reassurance. Katherine isn’t this uber-confident, sexy businesswoman, she is weak and struggling but is just trying to get by to keep this company afloat. This weakness in this character was the most compelling part of this film for me.

Credit: Fox Movies

What we see towards the end is that Katherine finds her voice, because she is finally able to make her own decision. While Ben does seem to be influencing her by coming to her home and attempting to guilt trip her into releasing the papers, Katherine reveals to have her own reasons for wanting justice. The men around her are all telling her what she should do, but ultimately it is her choice. Then once the papers are out Katherine removes herself from the company of the men in the boardrooms and returns to the office where she can be heard.

“The days we lied, those days have to be over.” – Ben Bradlee, The Post

This quote from the film has stuck with me since watching it last night. Those days are far from over, but, they are different. I am sure there are many secrets and cover-ups we are unaware of, but there are many more cases of the press exposing those in power, think of the many allegations that have come out this year. With the rise of #fakenews we don’t know what is real and what is not, the truth is harder to find. What we can hope though, is that there are still those in the press with the same integrity as shown by Katherine, Ben and their team.

So it begins

I have decided it is about time for a hobby. I have recently graduated and have been fortunate enough to find a job I love relatively quickly. I’ve been working my 9-5 for three months now and, as much as I am grateful to be in that position, I feel a need to do something creative outside of work. Art and music have never been strong points for me, but I have found a passion for writing and a passion for film so I thought I would have a go at writing about films on this here blog.

Wish me luck! Let’s see how long I can keep this up.