Room: A Poignant Picture

Last Thursday, me and my boyfriend took a trip to the cinema to watch Room. There will be spoilers, if you do not want spoilers, please turn away, and head to the cinema to watch the aforementioned film, then come back! 

It is the latest offering from Irish director Lenny Abrahamson; the director of Frank starring Michael Fassbender that came out in 2014. The film has earned quite a few nominations this awards season, most notably Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actress, Oscar nods. And let me tell you this... it thoroughly deserves each and every nomination it gets. 

Room is based on the novel of the same name by Emma Donoghue. It's about a mother (Brie Larson) and her young son Jack (Jacob Tremblay), who live in a enclosed space, simply referred to as Room. As the film unravels, Abrahamson slowly and surely builds up the incredibly close relationship between mother and son. He also builds up the atmosphere, the tension inside such a small space, the frayed emotions of both characters. The film starts slow, it eases you into their abnormal life, you learn harrowing truths of how they got there, and truly understand the bond between them. The palpable tension in the room is obvious, the raw emotions from both characters always on edge and apparent but never shoved in your face.
The amount of different emotions I went through whilst watching this film is outrageous and I left the film feeling a bit drained myself. I was fully engrossed from the get go. I felt sadness, rage, happiness – basically, I felt like I was being controlled by the characters from Inside Out, only they keep taking over from each other every 10 minutes. The euphoria when Jack escaped to the despair when Joy is fighting her demons from the room. It is an emotional roller-coaster. 

The acting from Brie Larson is outstanding, it is an understated, real performance. She doesn't overplay the situation, she is believable in every sense that you truly find yourself invested in Joy Newsome. The character is honest and trying her hardest to maintain a sense of routine and normality for her son, and you can see how it drains her. You can see every emotion that Joy goes through, and you go through it with her. You cannot help but root for this character to make it through, make it through her time in the room, make it through her adjustment to freedom, make it through to have as normal a life she can with Jack. I cannot praise Larson enough for her performance. She fully deserves every accolade for this heart-wrenching portrayal. 

Another incredibly worthwhile mention goes to Jacob Tremblay. What an outstanding display from the 9 year old. I will admit right now, I cannot ever usually stand child actors, I tend to find them irritating. The kid from The Babadook? Made me want to turn off the film. Anyway, Tremblay was also ridiculously good and I cannot applaud him enough for how well he did this. 

This film is bittersweet, it is honest and heart-breaking. You probably won't leave the cinema feeling light; it's a heavy subject matter. But you will leave absolute in the fact that you just saw a masterpiece of a film. I may have only seen 5 films so far in 2016 but I am guaranteeing you right now, that this will make my top 5 of the year. It is that good.

Creed: A Rocky Revival

Directed by Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station), starring Michael B. Jordan (also Fruitvale Station and that AWFUL Fantastic 4 reboot, we shall not talk about that) and Sylvester Stallone (of Rocky fame...). 

Creed is the story of how Adonis Johnson – son of Rocky’s friend and opponent Apollo Creed, goes to Philly to ask boxing legend Rocky Balboa to train him. 

Creed is essentially a sixth Rocky film, but it is so much more than just another Rocky film. It’s an emotional and physical journey of Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) becoming a man and accepting his past, accepting the name Creed after years of denial and pain; denial that he has a father - let alone that his father is a boxing legend. The pain of never knowing what it would be like to have a father.
It’s also the journey of Rocky allowing someone back into his life after the deaths of so many loved ones; his wife, his trainer and his friend – aforementioned Apollo Creed. He feels truly alone when we reach him at the beginning of Creed. Sylvester Stallone puts in a stellar performance of man who is basically waiting for death, so he can join them. It is the best performance I have seen from Stallone in years, perhaps since Rocky IV.
The bond that forms between these two characters is honest; yes, it may be your typical father/son bond that happens a lot in these types of films, but the performances from both of these actors make it believable. You are invested in this bond, you want them to make it through their emotional barriers and being abel to have the other - as a foundation, an anchor in this world.

It is shot magnificently – with Adonis’ first professional fight, being shot in just one shot – it truly captures the intensity of the moment, captures the effort and skill of each punch thrown or blocked. The shots of Philly are both a throwback to the glorious days of Rocky, but also they bring it to the now – with the kids riding out on their bikes and quads, the music scene showing how times and style have changed – it brings the Rocky franchise to the kids of our generation, encourages them to enjoy and love it and their fathers did with the original series.

Creed is so much more than your typical sports film. It is more than your typical underdog story. YEs, it is both of these things, but it is also a thrilling, emotional journey, a spectacle - just like the sport it is about. 

5 TV shows you need to buckle down and watch.

Right, make yourself a cuppa, grab a nice blanket/duvet/snugly jumper, or all of them, that’s what I’d do! Get down and cozy on your sofa or in your bed, and ready for a 5 show binge watch, coming to you courtesy of Katy. 

I’ve been a couch potato for long while now, I've been avidly watching television shows since I was 12 (most of it American trash TV but let’s move on from that…) and now I'm going to share with you, the top five that have stuck with me ever since, and ones that you should watch, like right now. Right. Now.

1 - One Tree Hill

A classic American trash TV show. I grew up with this show. This show was my life. ‘Leyton’ 4eva. 

But no, it tackled some real issues; and in my humble little opinion, it tackled them well. 

I remember Peyton being the first real character I related to in a t.v show. I mean granted, she was still beautiful and perfect and I was a chubby 13 year old, BUT, personality-wise. Peyton was everything. She was moody and she was honest and she just went against the typical female archetype of the time and I loved that. Then I grew up, and Brooke's development was so astronomically defining that I nearly questioned myself as Peyton's number one fan. 

I could go on about Peyton and Brooke for hours, so I’m going to move swiftly on… other than the actually well-rounded female characters, the men were more than pretty faces too, Lucas read poetry and quoted it often, Nathan had the equivalent character development to Brooke and ‘Naley' is and will forever be my first ‘OTP’ as they say. The one relationship I will root for, forever. 

They did the five year jump that has become ever popular in the American TV drama, and it worked. They were all actually acting their age, they had grown with these characters, and it just all clicked. The skipping of the college stage worked so well and this was the stage a multitude of shows failed in the jump to, so they skipped it altogether. 

I kept this as spoiler-free as possible and it was a struggle, so as a reward go watch One Tree Hill. Go. 

2 - Breaking Bad 

Obviously. I mean I don’t really have to write much about this because I'm sure everyone and their mother has told you to go and watch this show. My main question is, why haven't you yet? It's been on Netflix forever. If by some miracle you've managed to avoid spoilers up til now, I take my hat off to you. 

I knew a couple and it did not impact my viewing pleasure in the slightest. I was also late to this party, until I got with my boyfriend and he learned I’d only gotten to season 2 and never went back. Oh boy had I made a mistake, from mid season 2 onward it is instantly gripping. 

The characters, the Albuquerque setting, the subtle foreshadowing, the cinematography in some scenes is incredible. Walter White is such a villain but you still kind of root for him because of how damn well written this is. It’s absurd but it’s also real that you can put yourself in their shoes. You get so crazy invested in the characters that you just cannot stop watching it! 

Also, the fact that each series is 10 episodes long (the last season has a couple more so to round it off perfectly and not rush it) works so well in it’s favour. It doesn't drag out but it also doesn't feel rushed. It’s so beautifully done. 

3 - Game Of Thrones

You must must must read the books too if I had my way because it gives the character so much more depth but they are a marathon so it’s completely understandable. Also not everyone is a book person, also fair. BUT if you can, do it do it do it! 

Unless you've been living under a rock (yes, that old chestnut) you have probably heard of Game of Thrones, and it’s nudity and brutal murders. Yes, it does contain A LOT of that, it also contains sub plot after sub plot and twist after twist and SO MANY DEATHS. Do not, at any point have any sort of feeling for a character because you will just end up sad. 

I realize I'm not really selling it. GoT is so intricately wound, nothing is doing without some purpose that will come to fruition in a later episode, or even a later season. So every time a new season nears, you have to rematch it, just so you know you haven’t missed anything. The creators give you detail and past but also leave so many blank spaces that there are so many theories that I can’t even keep track of them all. There is so many possibilities and so much potential behind each character that you don’t actually know what role they’re going to play in the greater scheme and I love that it keeps you guessing, I love that it’s not entirely predictable like so many other shows.

Yes, Game of Thrones is now for being slightly controversial, it has strong women, but it also uses them for props and most of the time it is really infuriating, which is why I'm such an advocate for the books. 

But please, just try and watch the first season, it’s probably the most gripping so if that doesn't take you, you can just walk away. 

4 - The US Office

I was late to this party. I'm so upset it wasn't in my life before I discovered it on Netflix. I kind of brushed it aside because I wasn't a fan of the UK version, therefore, my brain dictated I wouldn't like this one either. I was so very, very wrong. The US Office is incredible and I love it so much. The characters are kooky and miss-matched and they work so well together. The comedy is usually spot on, and every now and then they throw in some serious topics, and handle them in a light-hearted sense, that is also serious so it doesn't leave you feeling too heavy. 

If you haven’t heard about the Jim and Pam story, it is reason enough to watch this show. It’s my second favourite fictional relationship and one that is so realistic you can’t help but be in love with their love. 

Also, two words. Well a name. Dwight Schrute. DWIGHT SCHRUTE. He is one of the favourite characters ever. Point blank. He is hilarious in so many ways, whereas Steve Carrell’s character is arguably the main character, Dwight steals every scene he is in. He is completely wacky and it works in a way it would only work for this character, for this actor. 

The way the relationships between each character in the office works and doesn’t work connects on such a real level. Sometimes you hate the person sitting next to you, sometimes you can stand them, sort of. Jim and Dwight are exceptional in almost every interaction they have. Oscar and everyone else in the office. Michael and Pam and their friendship that is so under-played. Just make me shut up and go watch it okay? 

5 - It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 

This show is ridiculous. It’s outrageous. It’s hilarious also. It’s pretty offensive in places too. But if it’s the kind of humour you can take, you will adore this show. 

It’s about a bunch of foul mouthed, moral-less friends who run a bar in Philly. The bar is a dump, the characters are all arseholes, and it’s not exactly swimming in nice moments. But that is why people, like me, love this show. 

I can be an arsehole, this show revels in the fact that its characters are such irrevocably bad humans, and you can live in that bubble for a minute in a place where it’s fine to be that way. It’s a bit of escapism.  You escape into a world where the characters say and do completely stupid things, things you wish you could. 

The cast is so well put together, they bounce of each other so freely and with such ease. That it is no surprise that this show is now in it’s eleventh season, which has just started. Whilst some of the gags and skits are still similar to those of earlier seasons, they have also grown with the age of the characters, meaning the comedy is always relevant. The jokes are also on-going, which kind of feels rewarding when you get it, they will reference something in season 8 that happened in season 3 (not completely factual but you get my drift) and you get it and therefore it is funnier to you. 

Now go join in the tomfoolery and utter ridiculousness.