Life according to C

The Voice UK - why is it floundering?

2013-06-08T19:25:00.003+01:00

It's not for the lack of talent, but why can't The Voice be accepted by the public?

The Voice UK has found it hard to make its mark on an over saturated market that is reality television.

The series has had a lot of downs when it has come to the ratings this year, the latest due to the sudden switch to Friday to avoid a clash with the Britain's Got Talent final tonight. It will be back to Saturday but for the fans the chopping and changing is a bit of a bum note from the BBC.

The show has tried its best to avoid the sensationalism that Simon Cowell has injected into the X Factor and Britain's Got Talent but for a viewer, we want to be privy to the back story of the contestants rather than just spectators of their amazing vocals.

Where The Voice excels at finding talent and not making a mockery, there is very little fireworks when it comes to the dynamic between the audience and contestants. Reality TV has in the past struggled to find the balance between the sob stories and creating a dialogue between the contestants, often labeling them as 'The Talent' 'The Gimmick' or 'The Bad Guy'.

The format itself is very limiting because it restricts the audience. Losing one member from each team every week makes the show lose its appeal because they may not be the worst singer in the show, whereas with The X Factor a judge could be out in the first three weeks, it presents the chance of equality which is not how the music business works.

It also gives the coaches who may have the 'poorer' selection of the crop to knock out stronger contestants. The addition of the steal was a nice touch and allowed a potential winner to be salvage from the slaughter but in the live rounds the audience should have more choice over who stays and who goes.

We as the audience have waited long enough for our moment and it is being taken away from us.

The Voice has already been commissioned for a third series but it needs another shake up, if it is to continue. Firstly the coaches work as individuals but there is still not a easy flow between them when it comes to their comments, on The Voice US they have seen several changes in the panel and it has worked to great effect.

The UK should do the same but they need to consider the ingredients which makes up a great coaching panel. They need the experience (Sir Tom Jones) the emerging talent (Jessie J) a wacky genius of a producer (Will.i.am) and he may be considered eye candy but Danny has had to work hard to get where he is, so I class him the journeyman. Adding another or deducting one of these components completely could really ruin the dynamic.

I enjoy The Voice and find it refreshing from the other reality shows that I have grown up around but it is missing it's voice to bring in a demanding public who want quality on their screens.

Luis Suarez does it again. How many more apologies?

2013-04-21T23:12:00.001+01:00

“I apologise also to my manager, playing colleagues and everyone at Liverpool for letting them down.”

It would be easy to say Luis Suarez has bitten off more than he can chew with his latest antics on the pitch.

The Uruguayan is currently the top scorer in the Premiership with 23 goals after scoring in the last minute to secure Liverpool with a draw. However his ability is once again overlooked after he took a bite at defender Branislav Ivanovic.

Had the referee seen this, Suarez would have been off and the score line would have remained 2-1 to Chelsea. He was guilty of handball which led to Chelsea converting the penalty to go 2-1 ahead, but the events of the 66^th minute has made Suarez football enemy number one.

The footballing community has made their minds up and now it is up to the FA to issue a relevant punishment. One I hope will make him think about what he does before he ruins his career.

His disciplinary record does not speak well for him. When he was captain at Ajax he was banned for seven games over a similar incident, it seems to indicate that Suarez doesn’t learn from his mistakes.

Suarez has racked up in total a 15 match ban and a £40,000 fine for racially abusing Manchester United Patrick Evra. As a Liverpool fan, it saddens me that someone with so much potential is bringing the club into disrepute.

This apology may get Suarez a slightly lighter ban but it will not eradicate the fact he has the potential to flip from brilliant to a PR nightmare within the space of 90 minutes.

However Suarez is not the only player to fall into this camp. Mario Balotelli and Joey Barton are examples of what happens when you push the club too far.

Balotelli was handed a three match ban for disrespecting an official at the start of this month. Joey Barton recently just avoided punishment over his Twitter comments about Dieter Hamman and Thiago Silva, the latter he called a ‘lady-boy’.

Both of these players have ended up being pushed from club to club in their careers. Balotelli is only 22 and has been to four clubs in seven years. His time at Manchester City was sealed after the practise pitch brawl with Roberto Mancini.

Why is it that these footballing ‘bad-boys’ cannot reign it in?

Furthermore why can’t the clubs discipline them enough to make sure they do not do again?

One player cannot make a football team, they can play a major part in the team’s season but the best teams do not win trophies on the back of one person.

John Terry seems to be the best example of a ‘reformed player’ he hasn’t been in trouble since his court case for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, but then he has not been part of Rafa Benitez’s team in the last few games.

Suarez will receive a major smack on the wrist from the FA, but for some the ban will not be enough because he was quick to apologise. Therefore he is likely to knock a couple of games off because he recognised what he did was wrong, until the next time.

Suarez’s biggest problem now is that any chance of winning Player of the Year is firmly out of the window.

Even if Liverpool took the brave step and threw him out to save their reputation, there would be another club willing to risk theirs just for his brilliance.

The Voice UK is back

2013-03-31T00:44:00.001+00:00

Last year I frequently blogged about The Voice and now it's back I am going to do it again.

Warning that these posts will contain SPOILERS

Will.i.am, Sir Tom, Jessie J and Danny have returned for what is going to be a big year for The Voice, there was much criticism for the first year and that the format lost its way after the blind auditions.

The process was over quickly, but as an audience we weren't to sure about the people we were meant to be voting for and that has been something the BBC have been quick to address at the start of this series.

What the programme has avoided in the opening episode is to much melodrama, they have told the stories as it is and as an audience you start to take an interest from the start of these potential superstars.

So how are the teams looking?

Jessie was button happy and that could come back to haunt her in later weeks as she claimed three acts tonight.

Ash Morgan was an excellent opening act with a voice both delicate and powerful, Jessie throwing herself to his feet secured the Welshman from current Voice coach of the year Tom Jones.

Ash is in my opinion the strongest of Jessie's acts, but I especially feel Danny Country will grow with confidence, the jury is still out on Katie Benbow.

Will.i.am was bringing his dope to the table and some other marvelous phrases including "spinny willy?" He probably should have thought about that one.

He claimed two acts tonight, including his reincarnation James Henry who could be a dark horse in the competition, he didn't belt out his performance but showed great craft with the lyrics.

Leanne Jarvis could be the Leanne Mitchell of the show, not to memorable out of everyone who was selected tonight but has the potential to blow everyone away if they're not careful.

Sir Tom was very quite tonight and quite reserved when pitching to the contestants. He did secure the surprise voice of the night in Mancunian Mike Ward.

Mike from his VT sounded very Plan B come Eminem if you weren't paying attention, but his mature voice contradicted the tracksuit he was wearing. Sir Tom will be well suited to helping him craft an image that suits him.

Pick of the night.

Danny 'pumping the air and making monkey sounds' O'Donoghue made several good pleas tonight. It was also nice to see him making the first move instead of waiting for the other coaches to make their move.

He was won over by the voice of Andrea Begley, who has lost 90 percent of her sight.

Most singers show their vulnerability when they know the coaches are not spinning around, but to be left until the moment they talk to you completely unaware must be frightening.

The chat between the coaches and Andrea was very moving and because it wasn't scripted, it shows a real interest in her as a person and the direction the show will be taking to make the contestants more dimensional.

Holly and Reggie were filling out more in their roles as hosts but their test really comes at the live shows, which are still a while a way.

That's show one of the blind auditions, I'll be away next week hopefully abroad getting a tan, so you'll receive a double dose of the blog in two weeks time.

10 of the Best... Female TV Characters (5-1)

2013-03-17T17:21:00.001+00:00

Here we conclude my top five ladies on our television screens.

A quick update of 10-6 which included Elena from The Vampire Diaries, Amy from the Big Bang Theory and Watson from Elementary.

As with the female characters I am about to mention their respective shows dynamic would be altered dramatically if these characters were not a part of the fold.

5. Clara Oswald (Jenna Louise Coleman) Dr Who

She's appeared twice, died twice, so what is it about Clara Oswald? The new series of Dr Who is around the corner and the Doctor is determined to solve this mystery.

Coleman has been brilliant in both episodes, not only as a match for the Doctor but she is playful and charismatic and even as her identity becomes clearer I think she could be one of the best assistant the Doctor has ever had.

4. Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) Game of Thrones

As another show that everyone is waiting for, the end of March couldn't come around quicker for Game of Thrones fans. In the episodes I have seen, I have always liked Daenerys, as she has to learn quickly how to lead but at the same time has always been underestimated by the men of the story.

She is power hungry but in a good way, she wants what is hers but has yet to sink to the lows of some of the other characters to get her way.

Game of Thrones overall has many female characters that could fit on this list, Cersei for her cunning and coldness, Arya Stark for her courage at a young age and Catelyn Stark for her motherly instinct wanting to protect her children and her people.

3. Gloria (Sofia Vergara) Modern Family

Just the rattle of her Colombian tongue sends you into stitches. This show has stayed successful because the cast work as an ensemble and as their separate families.

Sofia Vergara has a commanding presence in her household, despite Jay being the head of the family. Even when she is ranting, it is never annoying and the writers have developed the character to be more than just a pretty face.

2. Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) Scandal

The story of a fixer, someone who makes scandals and problems go away. There is only one problem you are in loved with the married President of the United States.

This slick political-drama is sharp as well as it is quick. Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn are dynamic as the star-crossed lovers who are trying to navigate all the minefields of politics and scandal.

The fact that you are rooting for the 'mistress' in this drama is just one reason why you should watch it!

If you haven't seen the drama it shows on More4 in the UK.

1. Donna Paulsen (Sarah Rafferty) Suits

My favourite character on TV has to be Donna. She is witty, smart and caring. Yet the biggest crime is that she doesn't get enough scenes.

She can take Harvey and Louis down a peg when they are stepping out of line or help Mike and Rachel understand that they can still be friends when a working relationship becomes a romantic one.

Instead of making Donna a secretary who sleeps with her boss, it makes her relationship with Harvey more meaningful. It also earns her respect with the other characters and the viewers.

Losing her would be more or less the end of Harvey.

The mystery of their relationship is one of the most gripping arcs on TV and when season three returns, will they explore it more. I hope so.

10 of the Best.... Female TV characters (10-6)

2013-03-17T16:23:00.001+00:00

Apologies that Life according to C has been dormant. The combination of work and watching more TV than I probably should do may be the reason.

Yet as I sat procrastinating yesterday looking at potential TV shows I might want to get on box-set, I couldn't help noticing that there is a number of sassy and head strong female characters dominating our screens.

It's only a TV show, but the reason you connect with characters is due to a trait that you have seen in someone you know or passed in the street.

The rating wars in Britain and the US makes or breaks a show, even the best shows get cancelled. Characters who can make people

So as a first blog back, I thought I would tell you who I think are the best female characters on our televisions screens at the moment.

The countdown begins with 10-6

10. Bel Rowley (Romala Garai) - The Hour

Bel makes the list because of 1) the sad news The Hour was cancelled by the BBC and 2) I lose my throwback to the old days and my love of the clothes. Romala Garai was feminine but did not let that interfere with her job as producer.

She may of had an affair with Hector (Dominic West) but she was always focused on her job, equally Anna Chancellor was just as excellent as Lix Storm rivaling Ben Whisaw's Freddie in the journalism department.

The cancellation of The Hour not only leaves us with the unanswered question of what happened to Freddie, but the latest crisis to hit the show which is when Bel is at her best.

9. Dr Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) Elementary

Sherlock Holmes has had many interpretations, the latest with Lucy Liu playing Dr Watson. Despite the arguments, you can like Cumberbatch and Freeman as well as Miller and Liu because both shows have the sparkling partnership that Arthur Conan Doyle was so famous for.

Despite the potential that Watson and Holmes could turn romantic, the producers have yet to cross that line. Watson has to act mother-like to Holmes and remind him of his place and he respects her for it.

8. The cast of Call The Midwife

Rather than selecting one female, number eight is the collective appeal of the Call The Midwife cast. Chummy, Jenny, Trixie, Cynthia and the Sisters and the realistic situations for women in the 1950s and 60s.

The second series contained many dark moments that made this show more than just a 'nice' Sunday night drama. My top moments include Sister Bernadette's inner turmoil and Cynthia becoming more assertive.

7. Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) - The Big Bang Theory

My first comedy heroine and the show has benefited from Mayim's excellent sense of timing and her part in Sheldon's development as a character.

Amy is confident around Sheldon as she can rival his intellect and is more in tune with feelings, which he is beginning to reciprocate more openly.

Amy, alongside Penny and Bernadette are role models as they are always themselves and are not there to date the other male protagonists. They are funny and smart which is why the show is still funny six series in.

6. Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) The Vampire Diaries

Take to YouTube and you will see the constant debate over which pairing should work Team Stelana (Stefan) or Delena (Damon)? The fact Nina Dobrev has kept this love triangle going for four series shows not only an impressive actress but that Elena is still captivating the creatures of Mystic Falls.

Nina has also juggled two roles with vampire doppelganger Katherine. She has a wide spectrum of emotions to choose from but each one represents the character she plays and if episode 15 of series 14 is anything to go by Elena is a force to be reckoned with.

See my next blog for the top five.

Christmas TV - Hooked on the BBC

2012-12-23T22:04:00.001+00:00

Christmas is a time of festivities, family and great television.

Most of the broadcasters bring the best of British drama to the box for us to marvel at while we eat our many dinners.

The soaps are dramatic, there is comedy galore and films that suit every member of the family.

But nothing has grabbed me more than the ensemble the BBC has put forward for the holiday period.

From the friendly Mr Stink to the emotional Loving Miss Hato, the best actors step forward and deliver so many emotions that you may burst, and not from eating all the turkey.

My picks for the Christmas holiday:

Merlin

Series five of the magical fantasy concludes Christmas Eve, and if you saw the episode on Saturday you will be chomping at the bit for tomorrow to arrive.

How will Merlin reveal his true identity to Arthur? Will the prophecy be fufilled and Modred wins for Morgana and ends Camalot.

From the build up the episode will not disappoint its fans. How will the series end?

See tomorrow at 8.15pm

If magic isn't your thing then catch The Snowman and the Snowdog on Channel Four starting at 8pm. 30 years after Aled Jones sang 'Walking In The Air' the classic tale is back for its latest installment and I'll be on channel 4+1 or 40D to catch up on a childhood favourite.

Outnumbered

If any show can resemble what happens in any household it's Outnumbered. The children are growing up but they are also getting wiser and in terms of the ad-libbed script this could make for comedy gold.

Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner will be on hand to shake their head and yell at their three troublesome children with amusement.

Christmas Eve 9.35pm

Dr Who

Jenna Louise Colman makes her 'debut' once again in the latest Christmas instalment. It's rather fortunate it isn't snowing this year or else the new villians, the snowmen would scare a few younger viewers.

Matt Smith returns as the doctor, but will he be different after the loss of Amy and Rory?

The trailer suggests a companion who will more than hold her own against the Doctor. Though by the end I know I will be wishing for the next series to come round, sharpish.

Christmas Day 5.15pm

The Girl

The British take on Alfred Hitchcock with the superb Toby Jones playing the legendary film-maker.

Having never watched a Hitchock movie some of the references may be lost on me.

I do know that he set live birds on Tippi Hedren (Sienna Miller) but I never knew of the consequences that it would have on them both.

You will be able to slice the tension with a knife after watching the trailer and knowing without doubt it probably will be unpredicatable. It has been recognised across the globe so make time if you can on Boxing Day.

Boxing Day 9pm

There are so many good programmes, from the Christmas specials of Downton Abbey and Call The Midwife to the entertaining Strictly Come Dancing and Superstars.

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year!

The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

2012-12-19T21:56:00.003+00:00

The Lovely Bones sends chills throughout your body as you become Susie Salmon, the 14 year old brutally murdered and left to watch her family live.

The brutal crime is mentally scarring and Susie never dwells on it but seeks closure not only for herself, but for her family.

The book deals with the concept of death with as much sensitivity as it can, it brings up the issues of tip-toeing around the subject, shock and suspision as each member of the family grows up.

Susie is set on telling the story as it is, she is removed and it makes it emotional to read as she watches her younger siblings age and do everything that she was robbed of.

The dynamics of the book is great, you are gripped as you want to know if Susie's killer is brought to justice. You may react witha slight sense of smugness as you reach the end.

Whatever your reaction Alice Sebold maintains your attention until the very end.

The characters you can relate to as their emotions jump off the page and engulf you. You feel the grief, the desire to escape, the plea to find Susie's body.

If you want a happy ending, it isn't quite what you expect. but a well worthy read

Legacy or limiting dreams?

2012-12-19T21:31:00.001+00:00

The London Olympics, the jewel of 2012 has crowned it's sporting stars with the ultimate bonus of £374million.

The new generation of Olympians and Paralympians have four years to prepare for the staggering expectation of more medals. Those in boxing, cycling and rowing are the winners, leaving the lesser known sports in even more obscurity than before.

Will this ruin Lord Coe's proposed legacy?

The teams that suffered included: wrestling, handball and table tennis being reduced to nothing.
It leaves the athletes looking for other ways to pay for their training facilities and to find someone to believe that they are worth the money.

It worked for Peter Wilson, the golden shooter who trained with a Sheikh after his funding was cut. It was a dream story when he crashed to the floor and cried, it was the triumph over adversity.

However this fairytale will not be the same in team sports, they will not be able to recover now this funding is gone. The Hockey teams have only managed to bring themselves back from the brink after their funding was cut last Olympics.

It is also ruins the chance for Team GB to win more medals in sports they have not yet excelled at. We will never reach the levels of the USA or China but we must increase our abilities across all disciplines, not just the sitting down sports.

Yet legacy means preserving what we have. Therefore one argument is that the disciplines that achieved large medal counts deserve their massive boosts.

Boxing's funding increased the most by 44% meaning Anthony Joshua and Nicola Adams can lead the new charges to retain and win titles in Rio.

Rowing receives £32.6million and is still the higest funded sport, atheltics also increased along with cycling and taekwondo.

This is a rational thought as many accomplished athletes are hanging up their medals and retiring, therefore it is about finding their replacement. To retain our titles in cycling, sailing and rowing we need to find the next Ben Ainsley, Chris Hoy or Steve Redgrave.

How easy does that sound, replacing the greats? It's much more simple if you have the money.

Rio 2016 may seem four years away but for these athletes the outcome will define their future for the next Olympics, it will define their legacy.

Read David Bond's article on BBC Sport for his view.

Breaking Dawn Part 2 - a fitting end to Twilight

2012-11-20T23:32:00.000+00:00

Breaking Dawn Part Two is finally on our horizons. But how does it end another teen saga?

For anyone who has not seen the film this post may contain spoilers.

For anyone who read my review about Breaking Dawn Part one I was very scathing of the whole film, the acting, production and story telling. Not to mention that pregnancy scene which questioned what we allow children aged 12 to watch.

The final instalment had critics and even liberal minded entertainment sites writing that this film is a lowly two stars. Compared to the hype of Harry Potter, it did not instil confidence in me. As a fan of the books, taker or leaver of the films I thought they would have tried to end the series on a high note.

For a start the cinema was packed, me and my friend Chloe were pressed in the middle of Row B at the front and in a predominantly female audience.

The film began and the biggest thing I noticed throughout the film is the thought process that has gone into the colour scheme. From the front your eyes are challenged to sharp contrasts of light and dark as you are altering with Bella as she becomes a new born vampire.

The ironic thing is Bella becomes more alive as a vampire, Kristen Stewart is animated and not weepy and miserable as we have seen throughout the other four films. This then alters the dynamic with Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson.

Now Edward and Jacob are no longer Bella's protectors, they, like the Cullen's watch Bella easily grasp the swing of being a vampire. Not even when she meets Renesmee and Charlie do you ever feel threatened she will lose control and the script doesn't try to challenge that thought, Bella impresses everyone.

Bella's best line: "You nicknamed my daughter after the Loch Ness Monster!" I think it was mentioned in New Moon or Eclipse but it's a quick revisit of the werewolf tradition of imprinting. It's Jacob's first awkward moment as he has to admit he's going to part of Bella's life for a bit longer, in a son in law way.

Yet nothing would be complete without some Lautner guns and abs, only it's Charlie who gets the show. Whether it was meant to be a serious moment as Jacob reveals humans are not alone, the audience was in fits, either way many women were very happy.

So Bella and Edward are playing happy families, enjoying incredible vampire sex. I will add from the front row this is very disconcerting, as you feel you are in the bed. The shots are again a little bit voyeur for a 12A but thankfully no Pattinson thrusting this time around.

However while the Cullens think they are about to live happily ever after, danger is on the horizon. The Volturi think Renesmee is an immortal child and must be destroyed along with the Cullens.

A quick trip round the world (because Vampires move very quickly) summons other vampires to prove they are innocent.

The introduction of so many new vampires bring some entertaining moments, but you never really get to know who they are. The Russian guys turn up out the blue, speak in the accent I might attempt when I think I am a dab hand at accents, and it might make you cringe.

Speed forward and is a fight going to happen, the tension is building, the two (small) armies face off on the crisp snow. Who will triumph? who will die?

What happens will burst many bubbles, have you screaming out NO!

You may also feel short-changed, whatever you feel this moment is the talking point of the movie.

So I can honestly say that this is probably the best of the five films, it is the first one to evoke so many reactions from me at the same time.

Amazement, praise, anger, shock all rolled into one.

My friend Chloe had to watch as I tried to explain all of them at the same time as the end titles rolled. I think for true Twi-hards it is fitting and the music has been chosen to manipulate you into tears. For people like me you are satisfied you have seen it through, it was hard going but it was worth it.

Will Stephanie Meyer's next book/film The Host become a mega hit?

Rating 3/5

The Police Crime Commissioner's 'real' debate

2012-10-26T08:33:00.002+01:00

A time away from the blog has seen many things happen, the most impending is an election.

From Left: Piers Wauchope, Dai Liyanage, Craig MacKinlay, Bob Bound (Chair), CAB spokesperson, Ann Barnes, Harriet Yeo and Steve Uncles.

It seems also an election no one knows, or cares about.

The Home Office Website gives a little detail and after watching a debate among the six Kent candidates. It seems students like myself will probably, one not be registered and two not care about casting their vote.

It is a feared by the government all around the country with predictions of a 10 percent turnout throughout.

The candidates for Kent, Craig Mackinlay (Conservative), Steve Uncles (English Democrats), Harriet Yeo (Labour), Ann Barnes (Independent), Dayatha Liyanage (Independent) and Piers Wauchope (UKIP) appealed to voters through live debates on Monday and Tuesday evening.

Breakdown of the evening:

The candidates voiced their manifestos and answered questions from the floor at MidKent College with many vowing to fight the “War on Drugs”.

Craig Mackinlay stated that £600million worth of damage is caused a year through criminal damage, stolen property and the rise in insurance.

The candidates discussed the impact of drugs on young people and in school, one candidate caused controversy with his thoughts.

Dai Liyanage said: “Families begin with their children, I want to get more people bring up their children.”

The position for the Police Crime Commissioner is a first throughout the country with 41 elections taking place. The winner will take their post on November 22nd and will control the police plan and budget, they will hold the police and chief constable to account and if necessary dismiss the chief constable.

The candidate elected for Kent will be on an £85,000 salary, which is decided by the size of the area they run.

The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) organised the debates, one at the Keynes Theatre on the Canterbury campus and MidKent College.

From today it is 21 days until you can vote in the election on Thursday 15th November.

How I saw the candidates:

On the night the sofas were the most comfortable thing the candidates faced. The questions were gruelling and often hostile, one member of the audience had been blocked by Mrs Barnes and Mr Mackinlay after facing a ‘tirade of abuse’.

Here is a breakdown of the candidates performance:

Piers Wauchope

The UKIP man was the most charismatic on the night, probably due to his Barrister background and never waded in without thinking about the consequences. He often seemed aloof of the action as he remained relaxed and in control. Even if you do not agree with his politics on his performance he was a strong contender.

Dai Liyanage

The independent candidate, though a former Liberal Democrat was vocal throughout the night. However this may have cost him especially with the family value comment which caused outrage in the audience. He says he will not take the full £85,000 salary but just under half £40,000 and dedicate the rest to technology for the police.

Craig Mackinlay

The Conservative candidate was very vocal throughout in particular to the ‘war on drugs’ where he said “drugs are my thing.” His policies are linked with his current role in the magistrate and as a councillor. He suggested “Track My Crime” to push through cases quicker, when asked about his policies for Victim Support.

Harriet Yeo

The Labour candidate was holding her head among her fellow competition. She was able to joke with the audience while stating policies which earned a warm reception, particularly police being integrated into the community through visiting shopping centres.

Ann Barnes

Mrs Barnes was often on the backfoot as she was challenged over her ‘independent’ standing and was branded a closet Liberal Democrat. She often brought party politics into the race, which didn’t seem to stand as the police commissioner role asks candidates to swear an oath of impartiality.

Steve Uncles

The English Democrat representative seems in contention for last place, he wasn’t able to win over the crowd and was often heckled. His policy for a roadblock on the M2 earned laughter. He also seemed very uncomfortable to be there.

Leon McCarron, The Cycling and Walking Adventurer

2012-10-04T09:20:00.001+01:00

The Open Lectures at The University of Kent provided an insight in to one former students adventures.

“You never feel more alive than when you’re about to fall off a cliff in China.” said ‘cycling reporter’ Leon McCarron, who, in the last two years has travelled 17,000 miles, by bicycle and by foot.

After being held at gunpoint, cycling through a tornado and being arrested up to 16 times on his travels. McCarron has documented his journeys through filming for National Geographic and in writing for The Sunday Times and The Guardian.

His audience tonight (Wednesday 3^rdOctober) was at the first Open Lecture at the University of Kent, where he is an alumnus.

He told the auditorium: “I did not grow up wanting to be an adventurer” but said that it grew organically after completing his film degree in 2008 at the Canterbury campus.

He remembered how he began planning a trip of the UK with friends at the age of 15 from Northern Ireland but it did not succeed. Then at 16, he travelled around Europe.

After university he then flew across the pond to cycle through the US. Starting in New York he travelled with a lot of baggage and $5 a day to spend, where he soon learnt the reality of his ‘Big Adventure’.

McCarron said: “I wanted to give up and just go home, but I kept on going.”

The 25 year old added: “I thought things couldn’t get any worse.”

His journey continued and he experienced tough weather conditions, a bear visiting his tent and the Testicle Festival of Montana.

He completed his tour of the US and was given a free plane ticket to New Zealand by the tourism board. He then progressed through the outback of Australia and Thailand before finally finished in Hong Kong.

Altogether he achieved 14,500 miles and 100 punctures on the way.

In less than six months his next project was underway as he and a friend decided to walk 3000 miles from Sainshand in Mongolia to Hong Kong.

He had initial reservations for the trek but spoke about opportunities coming in different shapes and forms.

He concluded he should, ‘embrace opportunity and embrace change’ and accepted the challenge.

It received the backing of National Geographic, which brought new pressures as they had to capture 'quality broadcast footage'.

McCarron summed up the length of the journey with this analogy on the plane trip to Mongolia.

For every three minutes on the plane it equalled one day of walking.

The six month walk threw up many challenges; from the language barriers to the dipping temperatures from -20 degrees in the daytime to -30 degrees in snow blizzards.

At Christmas time and halfway into the journey McCarron was informed that his footage was blurry due to a camera default.

He said: “We had messed it all up and we didn’t have a TV show.”

The pair was undeterred and for 195 days they walked consecutively and reached Hong Kong, on the 26^th May this year.

McCarron called the moment ‘overwhelming’ but announced that he has plans for another trip, from Oman to Dubai, a 1000 mile trip, in six weeks.

He concluded his talk by answering questions from the floor.

His film, entitled ‘Walking Home From Mongolia’ will be shown on National Geographic at Christmas.

*Apologies for the time away from blogging, it was due to illness, working, Freshers Week and going back to university. More posts will be on the way!

Education- Gove's gone to far

2012-09-17T12:24:00.000+01:00

A step back in my opinion.

As a keen student who works hard preparing for every exam or piece of coursework, it angers me that pupils have to suffer for doing well.

Michael Gove, the education minister plans to do this with the GCSEs. After the summer fiasco of grades dropping and the results of that outcry, he wants to revisit the old system of O Levels to make it 'tougher'.

After reading the BBC News page this morning, it angered me that Mr Gove and Mr Clegg believe GCSE's have no worth. They wish to make it all about 'confidence' in parents and pupils.

It is not fair, or to the pupils benefit to have to earn their grades. As a student you know when you put in the work because it should hopefully pay off.

Yet everyone is prone to an off day, I had one at AS Level, achieving an E in my English Literature exam when I thought the exam went well. I resat it the following January, I left the room crying because I thought it went terribly and had to blink when there was the letter A on the paper.

The government wants to eradicate the competition between exam boards and 'easy' marking. I agree with the idea of one board per subject as it makes a fairer playing field. However do not eradicate competition because you want to restrict the amount of A* and A grades are achieved.

If that happens, what are the chances that the A Levels will follow suit?

Reverting back to an old system rarely work, my parents have told me about the O Level exam, the one massive exam sat at the end of two years. It's tough to remember everything you were taught the week before let alone in two years.

The plan suggests students will take the exams at different times depending on their ability. I fear that it will instil a hidden layer of elitism, which is not the point of education, everyone should have the same fighting chance.

Students do not ask for 'easy' exams, they take in what they are taught and have to perform when they have the paper in front of them.

It's disrespectful to a bright generation to suggest that they haven't earned their grades and Mr Gove should be ashamed.

Day Three- A day of firsts

2012-08-27T20:53:00.000+01:00

After an initial trip to the beach I went for a little walk round Antibes.

Day three began with my proudest moment all holiday, I spoke French and the answer wasn't in English! All of the household took a trip to Carrefour supermarket to buy breakfast and items for dinner.

I was sent to find the milk and the conversation played out like this:

Me: Pardon-moi ou est le lait si vous plait?

Shop Assistant: speaks in French*

Me: Merci beaucoup

* I can't remember exactly what she said but the milk was near the yoghurt and I did hear 'yaourt'

Later at the beach, I fell asleep on and off for an hour (I think). I blame this on the humidity at night which made it difficult to sleep.

In the end I literally slept with my fan to try and cool the room down.

At the beach I only had to go and have a dip in the sea before retiring to my towel to snooze. Fortunately the boys and Alec kept an eye on me to make sure I didn't fall victim to sun stroke.

Later my auntie came with her friend and her children who were also in France to enjoy the rest of the day. Soon after we sat and ate lunch and I entered the sea to try and burn some energy.

In that time while watching the children I sighed at the fact I couldn't understand a five year old French girl, who I think, wanted me to be her friend.

She smiled when I kept giving her rocks from the bottom of the sea. Funny how AS Level French comes in handy.

From there I then went back to the house to have a shower before wandering around Antibes.

The market had been packed away ready for the evening, so I wandered around the shops and looked at the architecture.

For anyone who knows me and that I lack any sense of direction, Antibes is a small place and I kept turning into places I had already been.

The first place I did walk into was a wine shop, which does sound a little alcoholic, but I left empty handed as I did wonder how heavy it would make my suitcase which was 14.8kg on the way in!

I did however find a few home comforts, two Irish pubs and somewhere called Geoffrey's of London, which are on the junction to walk into the main town centre. I decided I had been out for a while and should head back for dinner.

The plan for the evening involved my first stint of babysitting. Four children were under my control while the adults went out for a few hours. Now I thought babysitting wouldn't be to hard as long as you keep the children in tact by not overfeeding them on sugar or electronics.

I didn't have any problems with behaviour but it was hard to find things to do. We sat and watched Mirror Mirror (staring Julia Roberts) before indulging in Sleeping Lions, Hide and Seek, Musical Statues and Clarissa Says.

About 10 o clock I had run out of ideas and my Ipod wasn't going down very well (that says alot) and the Ipads came out, within half an hour the adults came back and we all settled into bed.

I crashed into my pillow and that concluded my day of being Clarissa the Explorer, the babysitter and the sleeper.

Day Two - Checking out the beaches

2012-08-26T21:11:00.001+01:00

Day two saw the arrival of Uncle Alec and the most tiring activity of all, lying on the beach.

At the end of day one I had given the boys permission that if I slept past 11, they may come in and jump on me to act as an alarm clock.

A dangerous statement I admit, so when I woke up at 9.30 I thought I'd better move it, or else;

1) I wouldn't get the most out of my day
2) I may have two small boys jumping on me in 90 minutes time.

I went downstairs and found that Auntie Mary and the boys had already been to the market and bought le petit dejeuner of croissants, orange juice, baguette and cheese.

Once filled to the brim, I went upstairs to see if I had finally connected to WiFi after my phone decided it wouldn't send any texts and technology decided I couldn't use my computer either.

When it connected I received a message that Uncle Alec was 'at the Picasso museum.' Telling the boys there was a surprise for them outside, we rushed to greet the 'surprise'. Once reconciled we decided it was a day at the beach.

Antibes beach is sandy and very fine, the sea is cool but past a certain point becomes rocky. The view is picturesque and if you look to the right of the beach you can see where the very rich live.

Even Roman Abramovich lives somewhere in the south of France, with a very big boat!

We spent most of the day at the beach and I enjoyed some light reading of Essential Law for Journalists, I think I retained it somewhere between the seawater and my ears.

During the day, one of the boys made a new friend, the other went swimming for fish and I bought a round of ice-creams.

In the evening we showered and changed and visited the harbour. It was almost the game of; my boat is bigger than your boat.

The largest boat belonged to a Saudi prince who not only had one massive boat but at least, three jet skis, two smaller boats and last of all a helicopter.

The heat from the beach took its toll so we grabbed some very nice pizzas for dinner and headed back for an early night.

When in France - Day one of my holiday diaries

2012-08-25T20:30:00.002+01:00

Last Saturday it was Au Revoir England and Bonjour France.

Antibes to be precise.

I have never been to the south of France, I've wandered around Rouen, Paris, Cherbourg, Caen (not Cannes as I once thought). I have enjoyed all of these places for their historic past and their beauty in the form of architecture.

So when the opportunity arose through my Auntie Mary and Uncle Alec to go to the south of France, I thought why not.

I had heard from many people that the south of France is a beautiful place, I can now confirm this through the hundreds of photos that I have taken and each one shows how photogenic it is.

So my journey began at the dark hour of 6am when I was travelling from Essex to Luton airport.

My original route wanted me to go; Chelmsford, London Liverpool Street, catch the tube to Farringdon, then go to St Pancras and travel to London Luton Parkway before catching the bus to the airport.

I think I saved myself an hour and avoided central London altogether by stopping at Stratford and using the high speed from Stratford International, I was at St Pancras in under 10 minutes.

I arrived early and had to wait for my check in time, so I sat and waited wandering how heavy my case would be.

You would think one person couldn't bring the whole house with them on holiday, yet I managed it... and I still left the shampoo and toothpaste at home just to make sure it wouldn't tip the scales.

Fortunately my case weighed 14.8kg and was under the Easy Jet limit of 20kg, but it didn't leave me much for the journey home when I wanted to buy things.

The gate to enter Antibes

I passed passport control with ease and I left Britain at 13.25 in the afternoon. There was a mild concern that a baby had been left behind before the flight took off, but it was resolved and every child was accounted for.

The biggest highlight of the journey was that soapstar Michelle Collins was aboard the plane. Currently staring in Coronation Street she obviously wanted to jet set away from the cobbles, I sat behind her initially before giving up my seat for a family who needed a row.

I slept for most of the flight but as we touched into Nice airport I could feel the heat and excitement beginning to build.

The view from the top floor

When I met up with Auntie Mary, Charlie and Hugo we arrived at the house we were renting and picked our rooms (I was given the top floor). We unpacked, showered and went out look at Antibes.

Antibes is a pretty market town in the Provence Cote d'Azur and is surrounded by the sea.

It has a market selling fruit and other food type merchandise in the morning, before it transforms into an artist's paradise with a variety of work in all different mediums.

The shops are mainly boutique and sell unique and hand crafted pieces, there are plenty of ice cream stalls to.

We went to a restaurant as all the shops were closed and we couldn't pick up anything for dinner. I chose Gnocchi covered in Roquefort cheese after I had eaten a sandwich only a few hours earlier at the airport.

Outside where I am staying

Charlie who is nine, stunned me with his quite advanced taste pallet and ate a seafood risotto and still had room to eat a tarte tatin with cinnamon ice cream.

It was an incredible meal for day one and rounded off what had been a long day.

It was a good start to my one week off from working, and provides plenty of moments catching up with family I haven't seen in a long time.

What more could you ask for?

The Olympic Games - Wearing my badge with pride

2012-08-15T00:01:00.000+01:00

Not planning on moving any time soon...

The closing ceremony has been and gone but yet I am still about in the Olympic Park despite everyone packing up and going home.

I may not be a classified Games Maker due to the fact I am being paid but I will be working both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The memories which I gain will not only be ones I spout out one to many times to friends and family and to my grandchildren in the distant future, but in a more solid form, and they currently sit round my neck.

I can only be talking about pin badges.

You may have seen them on the television but the pin badges have caused a storm in the park as haggling and swapping commences. Sometimes I feel fights may ensure, like at primary school with the Pokemon cards, just because someone wouldn't swap Charizard for a shiny Mew.

Things could turn ugly, considering how much some people are willing to pay to own the most limited editions.

I have currently 14 to my name, mostly because I tried hard just to get them rather than trade them. But each badge has a story and ones that have contributed to my Olympic experience in the sense of the people I have met and in the scenario where I have received them.

So here is a picture gallery to showcase my current badges (and hopefully more to come!)

Everyone loves a good sponsor badge?

Definitely counting this as a badge to my future profession.

Given to me by a Canadian Athlete at the Opening ceremony.

The athlete being the guy in the middle!

One of my two Commonwealth badges.

The other is preparing for another big event.

USA Today gave me a badge for working on my birthday

I even managed to scoop a Sky Sports badge!

I adopted Porta Rica as a new country.

And added a cool Australian 9 badge to the collection

The nicer of my OBS badges I owned, I gave the other away

Easily my coolest badge!

I will wear this to an interview if I get anywhere near the BBC!

Once I have experienced all four ceremonies, over fifty events will I be able to give you a definitive guide to working at the Games, I've already survived 12 hour shifts, an interesting first week and met more legends from television and newspaper than my hands can count.

You can't say that about everyday can you?

London 2012- The Golden Touch

2012-08-09T16:13:00.000+01:00

This Olympics will go down in the record books as our most modern achievement to date.

Every fact of all 30 Olympics are at my disposal.

London 2012 will finish our second highest total ever, only eclipsed by the 1908 London Games where we won 56 medals, and one of them was in the Tug of War.

However apart from the athletes ability to rise to the big occasion, there is one massive contributor to the games, the crowd.

Every time I sit and watch the games online it is the crowd I notice; and it isn't the big names of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge or David Cameron, it is the public who spent hours trying to buy tickets and have come to show their team their support.

In the end no matter which British athlete is taking part the roar is beyond fortissimo and always brings a boost to the team's performance, showing the world we still have guts when it comes to gritting our teeth and trying.

Most notably was Christine Ohuruogu in the the 400m final, she started in lane seven and though she only claimed a silver, she came from the middle of the pack to almost clinch gold once more.

She wasn't the favourite but then again she wasn't in Beijing, she brought her best and the crowd approved.

But she won a medal on her home soil, something most of us will never see or experience again.

One thing these Olympics will also be is historic.

My piece of history, holding the Olympic Torch.

Even when Britain doesn't achieve a medal, we are proud and do not have a 'they're no good mentality'.

We may not have developed winners in Handball or Basketball but the crowd cheer our teams anyway to put in the best game that they can against better opposition.

Why is the crowd important? I found a quote in my new book which sums it up perfectly.

"There can be distractions. But if you're isolated from the heart of the Games, the Olympics become just another competition."

Mary Lou Renton, 1984, Los Angeles

If there was no joy in the Olympics it would not be the 'greatest show on earth' the mood would never reach the level it has now, or ever will in this country again.

As the stadium roars with electricity the athletes use the moment to claim that moment of glory. Whether it is retaining their golds, smashing Olympic, World or British world records everyone has demonstrated the Olympic motto:

"Citius, Altius, Fortius"

Baron Pierre De Coubertin , 1894,

(Faster, Higher, Stronger)

And in every medal celebration, despite it's colour it has been brilliant to watch. Also for those athletes who have triumphed they will be remembered as a stamp or through the gold coloured post box in their home town.

Us Brits know how to celebrate our achievers.

With four days to go there will be more highlights and not just for Team GB, from dubbed 'Super Saturday' to our antics in the Velodrome, we are on course for over 50 medals and a top three finish at our home Olympics.

Now that is one thing most of us won't be forgetting in a hurry.

My Olympic Training - Working a 12 hour shift

2012-08-04T23:11:00.000+01:00

I may not be Usian Bolt, but working at the Olympics comes with it's own challenges.

Due to work, my blog has sadly been lacking any posts recently (probably best for anyone on my Twitter or Facebook feeds) yet here is the reason why. 12 hour shifts.

Everyone has heavily invested their time in London 2012, including the company I work for who run a 24 hour catering service to the world’s media.

This means twelve hour shifts, day or night.

When I started working in late June I was on eight hours from the early morning to the early evening. At the end of my shift I often left work emotionally drained and just wanting my bed as pain throbbed its way up my body.

So then the new roster came and I was moved up to eleven hours. The prospect was daunting but the thought I would be receiving more pay often kept me going.

That first day almost killed me but I knew then that in the next week I would need my body to hold on for an extra hour.

I have worked the graveyard night shift until 8am in the morning, where you fight your way through the commuters to go in the opposite direction. You change your sleep and eating pattern to accommodate this for two days (without any extra pay) before going back to more social hours and leaving work at night.

Half my day is now taken up by work and the other half by rest. I have now joined the never ending cycle where work takes over your life. While this might not be a full time job what I have learnt is you will come across many challenges, but once you have done a few twelve hour shifts, you can do anything.

Nothing will ever be this difficult as your body has been through a series of tests, from physically staying awake (slightly induced by sugar and coffee) to the mental test of keeping up good service. You will handle people who haven’t taken to the shift and may be grumpy and rude but it will brush off because you can handle it.

You will be emotional from the amount of standing and moving you have to do and once you stop, you collapse in a heap on your bed never to wake up until the next shift.

My treat on a night out, Banoffee Pie.

Your days off becomes a godsend and spending time with the people you love is appreciated so much more, as is the odd treat for dealing with all of this.

Working these shifts is maybe the equivalent of jumping from GCSE’s to AS Levels, it’s hard at first but once you get used to the style you do much better.

By the start of September I should have made enough to keep me afloat in my next year at university, I can say I worked at the Olympic Games on my CV and I have been put through tests most my age will not have done.

It might actually seem worth it in the end.

(This post is taken from thestudentjob.com a site I contribute to.)

The Olympic Opening Ceremony - one word, Wow.

2012-07-28T13:32:00.000+01:00

It had everything and we even poked fun at ourselves in the process.

The athletes walked past and I still had a decent view of the ceremony.

I watched the ceremony this morning after standing outside the stadium last night listening to what was happening. Listening was not enough as I watched I went through so many emotions from the hysterical to bordering on tears.

Danny Boyle is an utter genius, everyone sort of knew that, but it now has been declared in a furore of lights, costumes and amazing sequences.

I think like many he might be decorated for this. It isn't undeserving considering he has never made a bad film.

We salute you Mr Boyle!

There are to many stand out moments from the Queen and Rowan Atkinson to the amazing Industrial Revolution scene which showed the much darker side of Britain.

The way the rings rose from the ground was so dramatic I had to blink a couple of times, there seemed to be something in my eye.

Every moment was choreographed beautifully, expressive dancing was the perfect choice as it captured the characters of the periods. The NHS section was a example of this with the combination of children's literature.

Even Voldermort became a little scary.

It was the sheer scale of replicating everything Britain has ever achieved, but it was so layered, that all the stereotypes we have ever been known for were coated over.

The athletes were capturing the moment together.

My night consisted of seeing and chatting to some of the athletes as they waited to go into the ceremony.

I had my photo taken with a couple of the teams including the Djibouti and probably will appear in some of the athletes films as they walked with their cameras, documenting each great moment like the thousands of spectators.

My personal favourite was this! Being with inches of Tom Dayley!

It is simply the greatest experience of my life and proves doing a 12 hour shift does have some perks!

The Five Year Engagement - Engaging for all the right reasons

2012-07-16T10:34:00.003+01:00

On Friday evening I was invited to watch The Five Year Engagement and watch a couple's lives spiral out of control as they try to plan their big day.

What I liked about the film is that it had a stilted realism to it. The length of the film (124 minutes) was needed to make you care about all the characters and so you journeyed the length of the engagement right until the end.

Also the dialogue was spot on, Violet (Emily Blunt) always called Tom (Jason Sege) 'Babe' and though it can be an annoying term of affection for most people, it reflects how we talk nowadays.

Emily Blunt delivers all her lines to perfection, whether to make you laugh and later depressed at the current outcome of the movie.

Jason Segel, though he always plays similar parts; (a.k.a. the lost guy who loses a great thing and mopes for a while before being kicked into action) is brilliant for the role of Tom because he makes you genuinely like the character.

Tom's problem is that he cannot say how he feels and that he resents not becoming a head chef and instead moves with Violet to Michigan so she can pursue her dream in academia.

You can see why he does it because of the character's chemistry and interaction. It only makes the oncoming split tinged with sadness because you like them together.

The other thing about this film is that the supporting cast are equally as excellent. Chris Pratt and Alison Brie as Tom's best friend and Violet's sister often stole the scenes for me, which was needed as their characters had those characteristics and added to the laughs.

Rhys Ifans as the university professor Winton was the antagonist of the film, but he used his screen time well. He was charming!

The best lines often came from Violet's mum, with a bitter view on marriage due to being divorced for a younger woman.

The script was laced in sarcasm and irony and it put a smile on your face.

The film wasn't perfect but it's aim was to show that you cannot have the perfect life before you get married.

Rating 3/5

Fifty Shades Of Grey - the grey area of 'porn'

2012-07-13T10:43:00.002+01:00

It is a debate which has escalated since a small trilogy of books have become the best friend of most women in the world.

We had the year of the Wizard and the year of the Vampires and now it is the return of erotica fiction.

Everyone has heard in some kind of E L James work, whether through reading the book yourself or through friends who have read it.

Dubbed 'mummy porn' the book has raised issues about the way we consider erotic and sexual images and how grey these areas are.

For one, female magazines have had features on how men feel about their partners reading the series.

The key words were 'hard done by' 'emasculated' and 'unfair' and to a extent they have a point.

Men have always been frowned on for watching porn or buying the magazines which portray women as objects.

In the book Ana Steele basically becomes the play thing for Christian Grey who enjoys a much different sexual experience than most people.

Ana then spends the first book debating is it right or is it wrong?

Well is it?

Though we live in a pretty liberal society we cannot decide what side of the fence we stand on when it comes to these kind of images.

I didn't enjoy the book and won't be reading the series (see my review) yet I am extremely excited to go and watch Magic Mike, a film all about male strippers.

It seems it is all double standards and I can't seem to find an answer.

Fifty Shades of Grey has been a revelation not only to millions of women who can view 'porn' in a fictitious sense and happily read it on a train, yet it has men raging that they have had to hide their consumption in private for it being disgusting.

For now the answer seems to be before you judge someone it may be best to consider your own tastes.

Footloose (2011) Dancing into the 21st Century

2012-06-30T11:00:00.000+01:00

Another musical I could tap my foot along to.

If there is anything any film maker should think twice about before remaking, it is remaking a classic. Not only are they at risk of not living up to the original but the new material could be sacrilege to (former) fans.

So in steps the updated take of Kevin Bacon’s 1980s film. One I need to see before I decide if this remake is good or not.

The film tells the story of Ren McCormack, a boy from Boston who comes to live in a small town where dancing and all things fun are banned.

The preacher’s daughter Ariel is trying her best to disobey her father who implemented the ban. In the updated film it is the race track of speedway racing where things can get dirty.

Ren is immediately at odds with the lifestyle. He wants to play his music loud, dance how he wants and just be a teenager.

His determination makes him friends with the other teenagers who want the same thing but need him to take charge and convince the elders of the village that the rules are unnecessary.

The old soundtrack is brought to 2011 with a few new additions including Black and Yellow. It’s also given a little reworking with more beats seen in today’s nightclubs, despite this being in Bomont which seems in the middle of nowhere.

The film is jilted in the modern setting, it doesn’t seem plausible that dancing and music could be banned or upheld as well as it has been.

Dennis Quaid as the preacher is facing a losing battle, he tries morally to do the right thing but it just doesn’t work.

The film showcased some amazing dancers and wasn’t your typical musical as the main cast didn’t sing. Chace Crawford and Zac Efron had been tipped for the lead role and either declined it or didn’t want it.

It left new boy Kenny Wormald trying to command the film without much of a profile. He could definitely dance but he didn't have the presence a big name but his chemistry with Julianne Hough did work well.

In the end the film limped to the end, considering the hype I know about the original, the remake just couldn't keep up the pace.

Rating 2/5

In Time - A Sci Fi Robin Hood

2012-06-29T11:00:00.000+01:00

What you need to do to stop time from running out.

The film has an excellent premise, everyone freezes at the age of 25 and then to survive they have to live on borrowed time.

The poorer you are the quicker you will die, while the rich border on immortal.

I watched this in a friend’s garden using my cardigan to form a tent as the sun was making it hard to see the screen. Also the sound wasn’t loud so we probably missed vital information or maybe some dodgy dialogue.

Either way I still enjoyed it.

Justin Timberlake stepped up to be action man Will Salas. His mother (Olivia Wilde) was seen dying in the trailer.

Her time is up leaving Will to navigate border 12 on his own where people are murdered for time every day.

Fortunately Matt Bomer (of White Collar) is on hand to give Will nearly a century as he cannot live with being nearly immortal and takes his own life.

By touching wrists time can be swapped, taken or given. Up until this point I wondered if you could actually die by accident.

Alex Pettyfer as the Minute Men gang leader cleared that up as he drives around with his mob murdering anyone with lots of time.

Will plays Robin Hood, robbing from the rich to give to the poor. He has constantly lived with just one day to live and enters the borders of area 1 to make the rich bankers pay.

In pursuit of Will is Cillian Murphy, a keeper of time who makes sure the rich keeps every minute. His character is the equivalent of the Sherriff of Nottingham as he dips into the time pool to keep himself enforcing the law, taking time from those who he thinks has stolen it.

The film is action packed and doesn’t slow too much in its two hours. Amanda Seyfried plays the leading bankers daughter, wide eyed and wishing for more than the privileged life she has led.

She gets her hands dirty in the action scenes and somehow manages to run constantly in heels and have perfectly formed hair and clothes which appear from somewhere.

There are always continuity errors when it comes to action films as they just want to get into the explosions and car chases. The characters are there but can be unravelled quickly due to these errors.

Rating 3/5

Rock of Ages - (Camp) Sex Drugs and Rock N Roll

2012-06-28T11:00:00.000+01:00

Let’s just say it Tom Cruise and singing was probably not the first thing that sprung to mind.

The three time Oscar nominated star played aging rocker Stacee Jaxx who returned to the Bourbon Club to help save it from closure.

Jaxx is drugged up, drinks A LOT of Jack Daniels (my type of man) and wears pretty much nothing for the whole film. When he sang Bon Jovi's Dead or Alive the eyebrows raised to Will.i.am level.

Tom Cruise singing? Can this really be happening? It was so believable that Tom Cruise can be a rocker. He must have watched all the classic videos to copy the movements.

Russell Brand and Alec Baldwin teamed up well to bring the comedy factor despite Brand’s dubious accents (yes plural). However I will never be able to listen to I Can’t Fight This Feeling anymore after watching how it transposes on screen, now Finn’s rendition in Glee has a WHOLE other meaning.

The main leads are reasonably unknown; Julianne Hough was last seen in the remake of Footloose, (another film I have watched recently) and Diego Boneta enter the screen with their dazzling good looks.

They do look out of place in the more ragged world of rock and roll but both can sing and will probably sell some classic 80s songs to a new generation.

Catherine Zeta Jones played the neurotic mayors wife pretty well. She was fierce in her performance of Pat Beneter’s Hit Me With Your Best Shot despite the fact her husband was playing away with the secretary and didn’t have anything else to do.

She ran the show from the antagonist point of view as she tried to close the Strip down. Malin Akerman won over Stacee’s heart with her journalistic wiles and Paul Giamatti was great as the slimy band manager.

The film is based on the smash Broadway musical yet Mary J Blidge’s character was sidelined. As the owner of the Venus Gentleman’s Club she has a big part to play with Sherrie (Hough) and was only around for a few numbers.

Whether that is a reflection of the acting, it did jilt the film I thought.

The musical made Don’t Stop Believing big for Journey before Glee ever did, but the song is sidelined probably to stop hardcore rock fans from throwing themselves out of the cinema door quicker than a rockstar temper tantrum.

Overall the songs are sung well and the film will appeal to a mass audience with classic songs. The movie might have dragged a little over 2 hours but you had a smile on your face whether you were meant to or not.

Rating 3/5

Friends With Benefits - Poking at conventions

2012-06-27T11:00:00.000+01:00

Next up is Friends With Benefits, how to have casual sex and no emotional ties... or not.

Justin Timberlake is a name I would not usually associate with an amazing film but I saw two of them in the last week.

Friends with Benefits had competition when it came out just after No Strings Attached, both films about the casualness of having sex with no emotional ties.

Both succeeded because of the chemistry between their leads. Up against the heavyweights of Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman, Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis match them in word play and physical connection.

The film pokes fun at every romantic comedy convention ever used but still reverts to them. It shows it doesn’t take itself too seriously and it gives the actions more meaning because the characters know why they are doing it.

It isn’t the script writers just ticking the conventions off the list.

There was some drama with (Timberlake) dad suffering from Alzheimer’s disease while Jamie’s (Kunis) mother was never around. Layers are always needed to add to the complication of the characters but these are not overplayed which suggests that it is with the characters themselves.

The dynamics are helped by a good script, the writing is believable with its dialogue and it is up to date. That is the key to the film’s success by using brands the audience recognise e.g. The Bible App on the Ipad, working at GQ magazine, there is an instant connection.

The use of music was also impressive and kept the mood bright and fresh. Then the editing also kept the pace going, you never felt a scene was too long.

The support cast add humour but undoubtedly the film is driven by the two leads. Kunis and Timberlake take charge and fiercely cross all the emotional boundaries from the Hollywood sign scene to the flash mob they smile through it and deliver an excellent comedy.

Rating: 5/5