American Hustle

American Hustle is one of those films one must watch with a notebook and a pen, stopping every so often to make notes and analyse the deeper meaning behind the onscreen activities. It is not the carefree, entertainment piece one ought to view on their one weekend out and it is most definitely not something you should watch in a cinema. Unfortunately for me, I did both of the above.

At some point during the disorientating jumble of onscreen activities my companion turned and thus conceded that this perhaps had been the wrong film selection. My response? It looks like it was written by a schizophrenic. The pure torture of remaining in my seat, resisting the urge to talk as a courtesy to others in the cinema was a worse affliction than gaseous flatulence when in the company of an attractive member of the opposite sex. The sense of blissful euphoria shrouding my person as I strode as fast as I could out of the cinema, dissatisfied and annoyed at such a pitiful lack of effort was astounding; I genuinely considered requesting a refund.

The movie itself definitely has the potential makings of a blockbuster chart topper, however the lack of engagement from the characters and a storyline that is sluggishly prolonged so as to consume as much of your precious time as possible, meant that I could not honestly enjoy the movie experience. 

Perhaps (based on the number of awards it has received and is expected to receive) the movie is a textbook perfect example of great cinematography maybe this is what one is taught in "film school" should such a thing exist. Whatever the case maybe, this tedious motion picture had me continuously reaching for my phone as I sought an escape from the prosaic work of David O.Russell . The worst thing was, up until the rolling credits, I still expected some show of genius; some unexpected twist that would leave me gagging for more, instead, all I got was the commonplace feature happy ending of disney films, where by the protagonist resolves everything, and with no explanation turns a bad situation into something "hunky-dory" while whoever happens to be the villain of the piece receives their just desserts. I would rather have saved myself £20 and stayed home to observe the grass outside my front porch grow an inch or two.I shan't lie, it was an epically shit film.

The merchant of venice (shylock and jessica) in comparison to Growing Up by Joyce Cary

*This is in no way the final draft of my merchant of venice essay, it is simply the beginning however, i did procure full marks 40/40 in the actual essay.

"The Merchant of Venice"- an ingenious play crafted by William Shakespeare in the early mediaeval period exhibits similar and comparable themes to Joyce Cary’s contemporary short narrative-“Growing up.”

Rites of passage are a key motif in both literary works. In “Growing up,” Robert Quick’s recognition of his daughters increasing independence is ultimately what salvages their fractured relationship. Shylock “Merchant” fails to recognise the changes in his daughter, subsequently leading to her elopement and escape from what she considers as “hell”. Quick’s laissez-faire parenting certainly seems to be a more enticing prospect in comparison to Shylock’s more domineering techniques, however, both parents eventually find themselves alienated from their offspring.

When it comes to their fathers, the children are self-absorbed to the point of emotional detachment from all else. During Kate and Jenny’s feral attack upon their father, he is only ever acknowledged as “the man”. Cary strips Quick of his title highlighting his decline into obscurity in the lives of his daughters. Jessica on the other hand, harbours no nostalgic feelings for “the man” who sired her; rather she is publicly scornful and contemptuous of not only his behaviour and mannerisms, but his beliefs as well. “I am not to his manners.” A bold declarative carrying the implication that Jessica is not only ashamed of her father, but that she believes her morals to be of a higher standard than his. Despite Shylock’s derisive comments in regards to “Christians”, Jessica still believes it to be a more palatable outcome than remaining Jewish. Though her anti-Semitic views are most probably fuelled by her environment, her feelings of disdain towards Shylock lead her to he rejection of the religion; she attempts to sever all links to her father who has been responsible for the ever present “strife” in her life. 

That phone addiction

In the true spirit of "new year, new me," I have subjugated thyself to a complete rehabilitation and the restoration of my independence from the addictive hypnosis of 'The Smartphone.' In hindsight, I can not help but regret my impetuous decision. The brutality of  such a sudden separation is unmatched, and though one has never had the misfortune of being subject to a narcotics dependency, one would argue that the pain and complete helplessness of not having that communication portal close at hand must surely be the same. Smart phones are fast becoming the new method of escapism from the drudgery of reality. At the touch of a few buttons, one can manipulate their hand held device into doing almost anything. Despair does not readily describe my  woeful situation and I can not help but engage in euphoric daydreams of a day when I shall at long last be reunited with my Samsung galaxy s4 mini. It is not just a phone for me, but a way of life and though such an admission possibly makes me seem like an awkward social pariah, it is nevertheless entirely true. I find myself reaching for the none existent device as an impetuous reflex to an awkward social situation, or a sudden lull in conversation. It is only as my hand reaches the achingly empty mobile telephone capsule aka pocket, that I remember - I gave up my phone and I can not for the next five/six months seek solace in the intellectually challenging adventure world of Candy Crush. I blame my irrational decision on serve intoxication and a general malfunction in brain capabilities, I would love to claim that I was coerced into the decision, however, it seems to have been my own foolish decision that has lead to this regrettable turn of events.
Despite my general anguish at this estrangement from what has become almost an extension of my person, I recognise the positive effects the withdrawal has had. Not only do I now suddenly appear to have hours more of free time, but relationships with my siblings and my family as a whole have seen an improvement. No longer do I remain oblivious to their existence as I rapidly gossip to my companions, but instead I have been forced to endure through a myriad amount of family discussions and such like and most surprisingly, I have come to the realisation that the absence of my presence from social networking will not cause the Armageddon I had mistakenly believed.

An open letter to Rakhi Kumar

Rakhi Kumar addressed a letter to first lady Michelle Obama criticizing her choice of role model, In the letter, she openly expresses her contemptuous view of the RnB singer who I am sure could care less.She links Beyonce to the child trafficking problems of the US claiming that these children are coerced into the sordid lifestyle of debauchery and abuse because they are tantalized by the Beyonce lifestyle and therefore wish to emulate her actions. What Kumar conveniently forgets is that many children are sold into the sex trade and it is rarely a thing of choice, to suggest such a thing makes light of sordid illegal trade. After all Rakhi Kumar, if the they willing volunteer to be violated by men old enough to have sired their fathers, why should anyone bother to attempt to rescue them? The reality of the child sex trade is a harsher than what even Kumar believes; there is no choice. One does not just stumble upon thirteen year olds from stable homes opting to journey to a new and hostile environment simply because they envisage a opulent lifestyle much like Beyonces to be awaiting them.
As a sixteen year old, I would like to point out that it was only three years ago when I myself was thirteen (the age, according to Kumar, at which one is susceptibility to all manner of things) however, I must admit despite the allure of 'fame and fortune,' I was not stupid enough to foolishly believe that such luxuries could be granted via anything other than immense talent and hard work. Thirteen is not six, and one must always be weary of generalising what can and cant influence children- they are not all as innocent as you may like to believe. The age specified in the article is irrelevant, regardless of the age of the child, if as a parent you can not teach your own offspring to not be lead by what is supposedly a "bad example" what is to stop them being lead astray by other influences? Surely then, you have failed in your duty as a parent?
Can the first lady of an global superpower not publically appreciate a singer who has appeared at countless United Nations gatherings, the Mandela funeral and even performed at her husbands inauguration? Who then  should she be endorsing? Mozart? Well sorry to be the bearer of bad news but he is dead and given the fact that he lived back in the 18th century, he is rather too dated to be a role model for most. Is it not enough that the first lady chose to support one of the few well known female artists (in the public eye) who not only has some semblance of a stable family, but does not (unlike many) feature in the explicitly sordid recordings that are sex tapes. What more Rakhi Kumar do you want? Beyonce is the epitome of femininity entwined with a stage character that is sensual without being crass and a business woman to boot. What more could she be? I may not be a mother, but I know that if my child were to one day enter into the music industry, Beyonce is who I would tell her to emulate and do you know what? Im not even a Beyonce fan, but i recognise that her conduct though not beyond reproach, is commendable.