G.B.F. (2014) Review

The Gay Best Friend or G.B.F. is the ultimate accessory for any girl. But at what cost?
This teen flick definitely has a great message to its views and uses a comedic element to do so. The story centres around Tanner, a closeted gay alongside his best fiend Brent. Together they roam the hallways of high school determined to go unnoticed to avoid being the next school's punching bag. When word of the hottest accessory reaches the three most popular girls at school, Fawcett, 'Shely, and Caprice, they are determined to find North Gateway High's first gay.

Brent is a prima donna who enjoys all things theatrical, is determined to come out of the closet "fabulously" to have the three Queen-Bees to battle it out for his attention. However, when a last minute cold-feet leaves Tanner to take the fall, it not only hurts Tanner's "loser" status as well as his friendship with Brent. Having no desire to be outed or to be a G.BF., Tanner is furious with Brent and decides to take revenge by embracing his new status and living the life Brent had wanted.

Topher and 'Shley, Caprice, Tanner, and Fawcett

make their grand entrance at school

Tanner embraces his new found status as G.B.F. and is no longer a nobody. Spending time together and individually with the three queens of school, Tanner makes a connection to each of them, but especially Fawcett. 'Shley, short for Ashely, reigns over the religious side of NGH being an in-your-face Mormon who proudly preaches her faith to her fellow students. She represents all that is good and pure but is ironically the worst Mormon ever. Her friendship with Tanner makes her come to understand that homosexuals are not evil nor do they want to "steal her father and brothers". The stereotype of gays that 'Shley has been taught from her faith has changed for the better.

Tanner spending time with the Queens of NGH

Caprice on the other hand is a force to be reckoned with. Her sassy demeanour pairs well with her colourful personality and works to her favour in the Drama Department. Caprice is the leader of the minorities and artistic students of school. Spending time together, Tanner understands that Caprice's ambition is to break the stereotypes for not any gays, but for all minorities alike and to give them a greater voice at school. 'Shley's comedic aspect comes from her naivety whereas Caprice is straight up sassy and aggressive.

As quoted in the movie "But neither could hold a candle to Fawcett Brooks." - and it was true. Fawcett was the Empress of the rich and beautiful, your classic requirements to be popular at any high school. Fawcett had the best of the best when it came to fashion, accessories, and status. Throughout the movie, Fawcett genuinely starts to enjoy her friendship with Tanner, unlike her minions who only worship her to gain popularity points. She was the only one who stood up for Tanner's rights when he was denied prom tickets because his date was male. This lead the pair to retaliate and planned to host their anti-prom prom. This starts to cause trouble amongst the three queens of NGH, as Tanner has indirectly sponsored Fawcett for Prom Queen.

Tanner and Fawcett confiding in each other

Tension starts building as prom is around the corner, furious at Tanner and Fawcett, Brent and Caprice join forces to sabotage their crowning at prom. Pulling a card out of Mean Girls, Tanner goes "full Lohan" and delivers a heart felt speech. He expresses the consequences of using labels at school, how everyone is worth much and should embrace the best qualities of ourselves that cannot be defined in a word. It is this speech, that reconciles Brent and Tanner's friendship and that of Caprice, 'Shley, and Fawcett.

G.B.F. was an funny and enjoyable movie with a great lesson to learn, especially for today's youth. The characters are all unique and different which are portrayed well by the actors. I especially enjoyed the dynamics of the three rulers of NGH and their friendship with Tanner. Overall, it was a good movie but screams "teenagers" - so steer clear if these movies are not up your alley.


Rating:
3/5


Trailer:

Amadea Auwrangzeb

Slumdog Millionaire/ Q & A Book Review

Slumdog Millionaire, a Vikas Swarup’s novel; is the story of Ram Mohammed Thomas, a nineteen year old orphan from the slums of India. Written in 2005, under the name Q & A, the novel rapidly became popular, and in 2009 was made into a movie and became a big blockbuster hit in the box office. Not only did it become a commercial success but went on to win accolades from the critics by winning numerous awards at the BAFTA and Oscars.

The novel opens with Ram as a millionaire, having won the prize money in a game show, and he is also shown in jail, because the producers charged him with fraud. They do not understand how a poor uneducated boy knows the answers to all the game shows general knowledge questions. As a lawyer comes to the orphan’s assistance, Swarup unfolds Ram’s tale in first person, told in short stories. As a plot device, this works very well. The chapters are not in chronological order and the first-person narrative weaves back and forth, as each chapter unfolds. Ram explains how various these events in his life, provide a key to the shows twelve questions.

Through these recounts, Swarup cleverly shows the reader snapshots of the extreme poverty which exists in India’s society. This is shown through this quote by Ram, “the sight of all this opulence makes me uneasy…seeing rich college boys spending money like paper…the contrast with my own imperfect life pinches me with the force of physical hurt.” I believe this quote shows the way we take our lives for granted, compared to the poverty Ram is dealing with. For me, this meaning gives the book a three-dimensional aspect, making it feel more realistic.

The story also depicts the child labour endemic which exists in third world countries. It is extremely moving to see young kids with a lot of dreams not able to fulfil them because of poverty and made to work for to put food on the table for the whole family. These children do not go to school to be educated get into the vicious circle of poverty and are drawn towards crime to survive.

With memories unfolded of rape, murder and robberies, this boy’s story becomes quite an emotional one.

The themes presented in the book are corruption, perseverance, courage, violence, and the ability to achieve anything no matter where you come from. Mostly the book is about the troubled life Ram Mohammed Thomas lived and how he comes to where he is in the present.

Vikas also entwines Romance into the story between Ram and Lalita, the heroine of the novel. The love story is an interesting sub plot that gives Slumdog Millionaire another dimension.

Over all, the entire book is about the fight between good conquering evil. Perfect for any age, Vikas Swarup takes the reader on a picaresque ride through the underbelly of urban India where evil hides in the most ordinary places.

Rating:
3.5/5

Trailer:

Slumdog Millionaire Movie Trailer:

Although different from the novel, it can give an idea of the rough story line of the original book. 

Swatika Suresh

Reign (Season 1) Review

Regin is a period drama centred around Queen Mary of Scotland and her betrothed, the Daphne of France, Francis. Unlike your regular period drama about the monarchy, Reign is actually targeted for young adults rather than just adults alone. The CW Network achieves this by setting Reign during Mary and Francis late teen years and their struggles to rule over two countries. The TV series follows the couple and the threats they are faced with, by those who have the most to gain with their downfall as rulers.

Mary has been crowned as Queen of Scotland since she was a baby due to her father's untimely death, with only Mary has his next heir to the throne. The show starts with Mary's arrival into French court after many years of hiding in a convent for her protection. It is here where she is reunited with her betrothed since childhood, Prince Francis. Mary arrives to court with four ladies in waiting, Lola, Greer, Kenna, and Aylee, who all have their separate story lines. Reign explores Mary's struggles to find her place, being the Queen of Scotland at French court. The political drama that surrounds Mary's reign, is the threat of an invasion by England, who has wanted to her crown since her birth. It is only through the impending marriage to France's next heir that will secure Scotland's future.

Lola, Aylee, Kenna, Greer, and Mary arrive at French court

Francis at first is a reckless character who does as he pleases, much like his father. His careless nature is fuelled by his inevitable succession to the throne and the amount of responsibility that is attached. Francis plans to enjoy the little amount of freedom he has before he is king. This is why he is at first, hesitant to marry Mary, as it one step closer to the future everyone expects of him. Over the few episodes, there is a clear attraction between the pair, however, Francis is persistent in keeping his distance but eventually is futile as Mary and Francis fall in love.

Mary and Francis at their wedding

To call Reign, loosely based on historical facts would be an understatement as a majority of the cast are fictional people. This includes Sebastian (Bash), Francis bastard brother who is on the other end of the love triangle for Mary's affections. Bash in Reign, is King Henry II's eldest and most favoured son. His mother is the king's mistress, Diane de Poitiers, who also holds the king's affection over his wife, Queen Catherine de' Medici. Being bastard-born, Sebastian can hold no titles or responsibility and is often envied over by Francis, who is constantly reminded that be must one day rule France and be a successful king. Mary's four ladies in waiting are also fictional characters, created by the writers for additional story lines and to up-the-anticipation.

Bash and Mary

The political drama in Reign is the main attraction for the show, because I personally don't care for love triangles. If I had to choose between Bash and Francis however, I would choose Francis - and it just so happens that Mary does in the end, marry Francis (YAY!). The costuming in Reign is worth a mention because it is absolutely to die for! Again, saying this is a historical period drama is a very loose statement with the costume department taking pieces from Alexander McQueen, Oscar de la Renta and many other high end names. Using the big names in the fashion industry really adds to the atmosphere of luxury and wealth of the royals, even though the pieces are not historically correct.
Overall, Reign is definitely a show worth checking out, but you won't be missing out on much if you forgo it.


Rating:
3.5/5


Trailer:

Amadea Auwrangzeb

Divergent (2013) Review

Divergent is a book to movie adaption, the trilogy- Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant- was written by Veronica Roth. Divergent, the author’s debut novel was released in 2011 and hit massive success. It was voted favourite book of 2011 in Goodreads Choice Awards, as well as winning the Sakura medal contest. I started reading the series back in 2011, and have been a loyal fan until the final instalment last year. In my opinion the first novel was by far the best, and Roth’s world building is to be commended. However as the series continued I was disappointed by the turn of events. (Any of you who have read the Allegiant will know why) I haven’t read the first novel in four years, so I was left with a bitter taste from the final books and forgot why I loved the first one. As a result I was extremely hesitant to watch the movie, I was certain it was going to be disappointed. Even after I saw the trailer I was not impressed and entered with low expectations.

 But let me tell you I was wrong. As soon as the opening credits started I completely discarded of my prenotions and fully immersed myself the world director Neil Burger was creating.

Roth's Trilogy

Divergent occurs in a dystopian world where society has been split into five factions that each pride themselves in a certain trait:

Amity: Peaceful

Erudite: Intelligent

Candor: Honest

Abnegation: Selfless

Dauntless: Brave

The different factions symbols and what they mean

In this world everyone fits into these categories and those that don’t are Factionless and a left to live homeless.

The plot revolves around sixteen year old Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) who has grown up in Abnegation but has never felt as if she belonged. Each sixteen year old undergo an aptitude test that determines which fraction they are suited to and can make their final decision at the Choosing Ceremony. However Beatrice’s results are inclusive, meaning that she is Divergent. A divergent in this world is hunted and killed as they can think independently and are considered threats to the social order.

After Beatrice now shorten to “Tris”, chooses Daughtless, the film follows her struggles in Dauntless training and the obstacles that face her due to her divergence when Erudites leader Jeanine (Kate Kinslet) launches a plan to take over the government. During her tests she meets Four (Theo James) who plays a crucial role in the characters development.

I haven’t seen a movie as long as Divergent in quite some time, and at 140 minutes I was sure to get bored at some point, right? Wrong. The movie was so fast paced that despite the length of the movie, in my opinion each scene was important in the overall story line. I actually think that if the movie was any shorter it wouldn’t of done the novel justice. As I read the book so long ago, each scene was was visually spectacular and took me back to Roth’s description and it truly felt as if my imagination was coming to life.

I also think Burger did an excellent job in condensing the world in the opening scene, usually when this is done for book to movie adaptations it comes across annoying and unnatural. But in Divergent I didn’t mind it.

Choosing Ceremony

One of the factors that made this movie extraordinary for me was its soundtrack. I loved the way each fraction had their own ‘vibe’ that was matched perfectly by the music. Many movies soundtracks can seem forced and overpower actors and the story line, but Divergent was spot on. My favourite scene was definitely when Tris was zip lining, it just brought back so many emotions (**Four going down the same zip-line in the epilogue of Allegiant**) from the books. The scene was matched with the song “I Need You” by M83, and now every time I hear that song it brings me back to that moment which is when you know the director has done an excellent job.

Watch M83's "I Need You": 

                                                                                     

Although I was originally hesitant to see this film I am so glad I did.  It reminded me why I loved the novel so much and really put the series in a full circle for me. (It kind of gave me closure after what happened in the last book and allowed me to look back at the series and understand why Roth made the decisions she did)

Since I have already read the series I’m familiar with the world and its characters so I can’t comment on how confusing the plot may be for viewer who aren't familiar with the plot and I’m probably biased in my review.

I definitely recommend reading the book before watching the film, as even though in my opinion it was a successful book to movie adaption, nothing can compare to the detail in Roth’s novel.

Even though I loved Divergent I’m still nervous about the upcoming films to finish of the Trilogy, with Insurgent released in one years time, and Allegiant to be split in to two parts over the following years.

                                                                                                       

Rating:

4.5/5

Trailer:

Do this quiz to find out what faction you belong to best:

What did you get? Comment below :) 

Swatika Suresh

Australia (2008) Movie Poster Analysis

There are several ways to understand the Australia movie poster in terms of Australianness. Australia is a multi-cultural nation with the diverse culture and natural scenery (Craig, 2004). However, the story of Australia also is accompanied by cruel warfare and the competition. The aboriginal people were treated by British colonists unfair and contemptible during the long period of Australian history. This essay will initially analyze the Australia movie poster and illustrate the inequalities and exploitable implication in gender, class, historic event within the imagined community that the poster igneous. However, the limitation of this essay will also exist due to the length of the essay.

Gender is one important factor of this movie. Woman always are seen as the vulnerable group in modern society and also in Australia. The poster ultimately represents men as trying to protect the high class English lady. Although there is an atmosphere of desolation and sadness in the poster, the expression of media is well understood by audiences, women may found strong determination and aspiration to keep striving in the war. Bowles (2010, P51) state that because the image of the movie “could-and should-do a better job of representing social real, precisely because they have the capacity to affect the way people think and behave.”

Even though the imaginary culture of Australian egalitarianism regards different classes as equals, the social political and economic inequality of classes still occurs nowadays. Obviously, viewers could notice the status is different between the British noble lady and the average workman seen in the Australian movie poster. The British colonist and new migrants brought with the new opinions about how society should be controlled, since then the working class was treated unfairly (Elder, 2007, p54). However, the globalization of the culture and economy has changed labor conditions. Ultimately, Elder (Elder, 2007, p40) report that “Australian egalitarianism could be used to challenge inequality within the nation”.

The Australia movie poster described the story during World War II, meanwhile, the aboriginal people are treated very cruelly and they cannot hold their own rights. On the one hand, the poster represents the same meaning that the indigenous people are humble in Australian society, the aboriginal person stand under the white people and seems like so small in the whole poster. It is also approved that the “stolen generation” is not an essential part of Australia probably and audiences maybe not interested in this section of all the film (McKee, 2003). On the other hand, eventually, the aboriginal people also accept the federal governments’ apology recent years, the unification of the nation become more peaceful than before.

Furthermore, the poster demonstrates a important aspect of Australianness: nationalism. The meaning of nationalism belongs to imagined communities; Anderson (2006, p7) came up with this distinguished theory: “it is imagined as a community, because, regardless of the actual inequality and exploitation that may prevail in each, the nation is always conceived as a deep, horizontal comradeship”. The nationalism is a kind of cultural phenomenon. The main point of Australia poster illustrate the development of nation states help to unify people until now, the Australian citizens hang together and no matter what the color they are or what the faith they have, they fought to the finish.

To sum up, the Australia movie poster represents a romantic love story between the white upper class British lady and the working class drover during the time of war and various visual technique are used to tranced inequalities in gender, status, history and culture of nationalism.

Olivia Gao (43394043)