The Theory of Everything

This film has been very highly acclaimed from the very beginning, and so when going to see it, it's natural that anyone would have high expectations. I can safely say that The Theory of Everything surpassed all expectations, even with all the hype.

I went expecting a biopic about Stephen Hawking, and was sort of wrong. The film focuses on Stephen and Jane's relationship but of course also shows Hawking's life, theories and the development of his Motor Neurone Disease. But I wouldn't say that was a disappointment at all. It works incredibly well, even for people who don't like the "love story" side of cinema so much (me).

Eddie Redmayne, after having irritated me in "Les Miserables", gave an exceptional performance. And I really mean that. I could even say that it is the best performance by anyone that I have ever seen in any film. I know. Bold statement. But seriously. He grasps Hawking's personality so perfectly as well as not only understanding the stages of the disease intricately but how they affected Hawking specifically. He absolutely nails it, giving an emotional, clever and Oscar worthy performance.

But it wasn't just about him. Felicity Jones was also exceptional for all the same reasons. Together with incredible scripting which brought all of the relevant themes forward at all the right times as well as showing the lives of Stephen and Jane in a gripping, heart-warming way, the humanity of the film is created. The direction was beautifully done, with a simple yet effective soundtrack to add to the reality of the film as well as to its poetic nature.

The Theory of Everything has to be one of the best films I've ever seen for so many reasons. Quick, go and see it before its run ends!

10/10

The Crash of Hennington

Patrick Ness' debut novel is hefty like the rhinos which feature within it. That was my very first impression. And my next impression was "gosh, this typeface along with the slightly yellow pages in this brand new book make it seem really old." And then "Gosh, this is a bit inappropriate". And then "What's actually supposed to be happening here?". And eventually "wow."

It turns out that it wasn't just the typeface and the pages that made this story seem old. The whole thing was strangely allegorical of something. It was an odd set up. A subversive society (much like our own) where rhinos walk the streets because they always have done. And that's literally all that starts this story. The rest just happens at a natural pace. A frighteningly realistic pace, actually. That's the thing about this book. Despite the rhinos and the brothel golf clubs and the strange drug habits and traditions, Hennington is all too familiar. And it's quite powerful.

As the novel begins, we see the lives of a whole host of different characters. Some are connected, some aren't. And then the novel quite honestly snowballs. One things leads to the next, and everything gradually comes together, speeds up and gets all the more powerful. The characters are so perfectly realised and the ideas are truly imaginative.

By the end, you realise that there's plenty that could be analysed. One thing I'm still working on is why no speech marks are used. That was a bit annoying. But perhaps there's a reason. Maybe it shows how people's external voices just seem like a list (hence the dashes before people speak) of internal voices all happening at the same time. That might be the case, and you do get into it after a while. It does make some sections quite hard to read, though.

That said, this novel was so different to Ness' other books, but equally as inventive, thought provoking and gripping. There's so much going on to keep your attention through the multitude of pages, with realistic, hateable and likeable characters. It's basically like the original "The Casual Vacancy" but better. And with rhinos.

9/10

Thanks to Agent Leo for the book as a birthday present. I will soon be reading "Topics About Which I Know Nothing", the only Patrick Ness book I haven't read so far.

Heather's November Favourites

I have realised that I am very late with this, but oh well.

Book
Again, my favourite book this month was also the only one I read this month. Oooooops. The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer really is a wonderful novel, and you can read my review on it to find out more.


Film
Easily my favourite film of November was The Imitation Game. I didn't really know anything about Alan Turing before seeing the film, and after watching it, I was angry that I had never been taught about his heroic story. The film is beautifully made, and Benedict Cumberbatch gives an absolutely stunning performance as Turing. This film is basically just important. Everyone should see it and learn about Turing.


Song
Blank Space by Taylor Swift has definitely been my song of the month. Love it, love it, love it. The video is a fab accompaniment to the song, but my favourite thing about this song is the video that Taylor made with Greg James. It basically shows them miming Blank Space whilst driving through London, and it's hilarious.


TV Show
The Apprentice is back!! I absolutely adore this show. It is hilarious. Lord Sugar's criticisms and insults are always really witty, and I love to watch all the entrepreneurs bitching about each other behind their backs. My favourites are Roisin and Bianca, and sometimes Solomon. And I HATE Mark.


Album
My favourite album this month is 1989 by Taylor Swift. The whole album is full of songs that could easily be top ten hits, and I think her fusion into pop music has worked really well. Basically I am in love with this woman, and you should be, too.


Whatever
This month I went to two gigs, and so obviously I have to mention both. I saw The Kooks at Sheffield's O2 Academy and Lady Gaga at the Motorpoint Arena, also in Sheffield. If I had to choose, then Gaga's concert was better (obviously) but The Kooks were also 100% awesome. Basically both nights were awesome.


Heather out.

8. Nativity!

(sorry for being shit at this, I completely forgot about it!)

Nativity! is one of my favourite Chesitmas films (along with Elf) and for me, Christmas hasn't started until I've watched it. My family and I watched it this evening and we still laugh out loud, even though we've seen it roughly seven million times. It's hilarious and also lovely, and I always tear up.

7. Atlantis

Ok, so it's a little trashy, but it's always good fun to watch. And actually, this series has got quite a lot better so far. Atlantis is the story of Jason and his friends doing cool stuff. It's basically Merlin but about ancient Greeks.

5. The Piano Guys

As a cellist myself (who, by the time this reaches you, will have taken their grade 8 :O ) I can't recommend these guys to you enough. They take well known songs and arrange them in a very clever and enjoyable way, normally for cello and piano. They've done all sorts, but I've posted a Christmassy example below. It's pretty darn funky. Word.

They have incredible skill and are always very impressive. They also have a number of albums out and their own YouTube channel, which you should definitely subscribe to.

The Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmKurapML4BF9Bjtj4RbvXw

3. Ello

Did you know that social networking is simply a means for advertisers to buy our details? We are worth millions as individuals in advertising, and in return we get to talk to each other on the likes of Facebook and Twitter. Have you ever noticed that you might be talking to someone on "private" messenger about something you want, and then suddenly on a completely different website, you see an advert for it? Yeah. Something's up.

Well, Ello is the new social network which promises never to use us as a way to make money through advertising. Our details will never be sold and it will never cost us anything, either. What's also good about it is that it is simple but very effective. I hope that one day I will be using it more than facebook.

It's currently in beta, meaning it is still short on features, but a features list on the page will show you what they are planning on building, and it looks very exciting indeed. Also, because it is still being built, you can only join via invitation at the moment. However, anyone can request an invitation on their home page - or if you know me, ask me and I will send you an invitation.

Once you're on, you can add me if you like. I'm @Benjaminj1996. I hope to see you on there!

www.ello.co/