Nowhere Boy - Review

My rating: 10/10

As this is my first film review, I decided to stick with something I know and love. Nowhere Boy, released in 2009, is one of my favourite films. Not only for the obvious reason that it depicts the adolescence of John Lennon - one of my favourite musicians - it is also a beautifully crafted, poignant production. For those who have never watched it, here is the trailer:

The wild essence of John Lennon is one which is incredibly hard to capture, but Aaron Johnson makes it look easy - scrap that, he makes it look natural. Of course the intricately designed Teddy Boy costumes and hairstyles play a role in this (particularly in the scene during The Quarry Men's first gig in which John's character wears a replica of the shirt he wore in real life), but his thick scouse accent and rebellious attitude are vitally and wonderfully authentic. Despite the more serious subplot, the film as a whole is very comical. John's antics are hilarious to watch; even trivial moments like when he smashes the washboard over Pete's head had me laughing. However, underneath this 'tough-lad' exterior, Johnson maintains the constant lurking of emotional disturbance that shook John Lennon's childhood and youth, which is exposed during tragic scenes of revelation and loss. 

Nowhere Boy compared to a real photograph

Thomas Brodie-Sangster also performs excellently in his role as Paul McCartney (my all time favourite - sorry John). Despite the real Paul McCartney's comments about his height - which was apparently too short for his liking in comparison to John - I believe Brodie-Sangster made an excellent Paul. His polite, moral and level-headed way of thinking is conveyed in a way that intertwines with the wildness of John to create a harmonic balance, giving an accurate portrayal of their friendship.

Of course, beyond the infamous story of the creation of The Beatles, there is far more depth to John's life and character in the film. The women in his life - Aunt Mimi and his mother Julia - play equally important roles through their influence. Kristin Scott Thomas plays Aunt Mimi, with whom John grew up from the age of five. She accurately captures the strict nature of Mimi through severe facial expressions and a stern voice, whilst still making it clear that she loves John unconditionally. Much like John, underneath this she has inner emotional turmoil, brought to light when she declares the truth about how she came to take care of John. Her loss of emotional control combines with that of John in an overwhelming scene which literally brings me to tears. I challenge you to watch this film and not cry. I dare you.

As a huge ('huge' being a huge understatement...) Beatles fan, I naturally was very eager to analyse the historical accuracy of Nowhere Boy. I have to say - it's pretty damn good. Paul McCartney and others closely related to the Lennon family have argued otherwise, pointing out minor details that didn't actually happen. For instance, Paul McCartney has been said to question the scene in which John punches Paul. I'm fully aware that the film isn't 100% accurate, but I don't see this as such a dense issue. It is a film, not a documentary, and provides a more than sufficient amount of detail in my opinion to satisfy Beatles fans and create a great quality plot. Yes, those closest to him might disagree, but I would argue that the film isn't for those who witnessed the true events; it is for those who long to have been there and seen the magic happen, even just a glimpse of it.

Nowhere Boy is a without-a-doubt must watch for all Beatles fans, and non-Beatles fans for that matter. Around a year ago my friends came over to my house and I convinced them to watch it with me and they loved it, despite not being Beatles fans. If you haven't already, then I really urge you to watch it, and witness the making of music history.

'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury - Review

My rating: 10/10

In continuing my ever-growing love for dystopian novels, I finally got around to reading this modern classic that I was bought last Christmas. Yeah, 2013, a long time ago now, but with all of the A level reading and the two foot high stack of unread books I have, it kind of got pushed back along with everything else. I wish I'd read this sooner though, because it is brilliant.

The first thing that made love this book is, unsurprisingly, the fact that it's about books. A book about books but also about so much more than just books. That's the dream, and it's so impeccably fulfilled. Bradbury's language is so poetic and articulate, it is a pleasure to read. He creates a plot that provides enough background information about the futuristic American society in which books are outlawed, without revealing too much that would eradicate the unsettled mystery of the novel. A prime example of such mystery lies in the horror that is the Mechanical Hound: an eight-legged, dog-like robot that helps the firemen as they burn all books that are found. Eight-legged dog-like robot? What a perfect creation for a dystopian, and one which I still can't quite fathom or visualise precisely in my mind. My image of the Hound changed a lot throughout the novel as I learnt more about it, which was actually quite beneficial to me. I often find that creating and altering images of characters (if the Hound can be called a character?) in my mind improves my own creative writing skills. It reminds me to consider how the reader will visualise the characters which I create. In some cases, I like characters to be described perfectly so that I can picture them, but sometimes the vague mystery just works, and this is one of those cases. What's more, the Hound is seriously terrifying. It's so scary that the unrealistic basis of it becomes void because I'm too busy hiding under my quilt to realise that no such creature could actually be real. Well played, Bradbury.

My favourite character at first was Clarisse, then it became Faber, then Clarisse again, and now I've given up because they're both fantastic. Clarisse reminds me very much - and I hope the aged 30+ readers who deem Harry Potter not worthy of being classed as 'literature' will forgive me for this; I am one of the lucky generation who grew up around the series - of Luna Lovegood. Mystical, fascinating and endlessly thoughtful. This is the kind of person I aspire to be. The reason I love Faber is quite different. His character is so honest, so openly aware of his faults and determined to teach the lessons he has learnt from them to Guy. Then there is Guy himself, who I also love, but in a way that everyone loves the protagonist of a novel no matter what. His thoughts captivated me, observing his psychological change as he goes from being ignorantly content in his corrupt occupation, to inexplicably stirred by the wonder that is Clarisse McClellan and subsequently realises that he isn't happy.

Obviously I'm not going to talk about the ending of the novel, or even the middle, because I'm not that cruel and I understand that many people won't have read it. However I will say this: dystopian novels are some of the trickiest to end in a way that will satisfy the reader. I understand this, and so I always approach such endings with an open mind. Fahrenheit 451, I was pleased to discover, ends not without risk, but not without hope, and is played safely. Whilst I am more than happy with the way it ended, it is one of the few novels that I would have loved to read a sequel to. Without an inch of a doubt, I recommend this novel to anyone willing to trust my judgement (especially if you're a fellow avid fan of dystopian literature).

'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde - Review

My rating: 10/10

(Spoiler alert!)

Wow. I just finished reading Dorian Gray about an hour ago, so I'm still in that emotionally unstable phase that I get stuck in whenever I finish an amazing book; or as I like to call it, the 'what am I supposed to do with myself now?' phase.

Unfortunately, many online reviews of this masterpiece place extensive focus on the controversial reception of the book due to its implications of homo-eroticism. I for one am going to simply talk about the book itself and how it was written, not how it was read.

Before I get into the actual plot, I want to mention the way the book's style. Oscar Wilde's narrative is simply beautiful. Even in a very sinister, Gothic novel such as this one, it can't be denied that Wilde's writing is intelligent, articulate and enthralling. The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of those books in which, when you read it, you can tell that the author has put so much of themselves and their faith into it.

The key theme of the novel is unarguably aestheticism, through art and the human form intertwined. This is shown through the emphasis on the aesthetic philosophies embodied by Dorian and Lord Henry Wotton, as well as Wilde himself, creating parallels between Wilde and his characters. Throughout the novel, these two crucial characters exert their beliefs perfectly, through language, attitudes and downright snobbery. In fact, this is the entire basis of the novel, as Dorian is so entranced by his beauty in the eponymous portrait. However, Wilde arguably presents the excessive commitment to such a belief as ultimately destructive. He does this by showing how the over-indulgence in his beauty (and the exchange of his soul for eternal youth as a result) of it is the intrinsic cause of the corruption of Dorian's life.

Surprisingly, this is the first (or one of, if I've forgotten one) book that I've read in which I've detested the protagonist. Not because he is unrealistic, but because he's simply a cruel person; his outlandish egotistic nature is quite frankly repulsive. Nevertheless, I find his character quite fascinating, with his complex (to say the least!) thoughts and seeming desire for a corrupt lifestyle. Lord Henry Wotton has almost the exact same summary in my mind; I see him as starkly similar to Dorian, with the exception that he is older and even more shockingly opinionated. My favourite characters of the novel were Sibyl and James Vane. With my love for sibyl comes a twinge of anger - her future is so promising, her acting depicted as so remarkable, it is a tragedy that she is denied true potential. The way her character almost transforms entirely is painful to read, conveying highly destructive influences of patriarchal Victorian society. I have seen many people say that James Vane is not a believable character - I disagree. He's one of my favourites. Possibly this is because I have two older brothers myself, and so I know that level of protection as being a constant presence in my life. I took thrill in the constant lurking of James being somewhere, watching, searching, culminating his anger for the perfect moment. Frustratingly, he is another character who tragically does not fulfill his desires, much like Sibyl (although their desires are very different).

The violation of Sibyl and James is what makes the ending oh so satisfying. As I approached the final pages, I quite honestly had no clue as to what would happen. I knew what I wanted to happen, and what should rightfully happen in order to prevent me throwing the book out of the window in rage, but it wasn't happening, and the last page dawned upon me. However - and this is a big however: that last page... that will probably remain my favourite ever last page of a novel. The brewing and boiling of tension throughout the novel is finally released in a climax that blew my mind because, in my naivety, I hadn't worked out that this was coming. I got all that I wanted and more from the ending; satisfaction, closure and a shocked O shaped mouth.

Of course, I don't want to glorify the novel - or its ending - in any way, because it's far better to read a book with few expectations, but I can't help sharing that it really did blow my mind a bit. I'm also aware that I talked about the ending in this novel whereas I don't in other reviews, but this was vital because the ending is so fundamentally powerful to me that it couldn't go unmentioned. Seriously, get reading.

'Animal Farm' by George Orwell - Review

My rating: 10/10

Animal Farm is quite frankly a brilliant read. It is concise yet doesn't lack any detail in depicting the evolution of reign at Manor Farm, or 'Animal Farm' as it later becomes. Orwell said that Animal Farm intended to reflect events preceding the Russian Revolution and the Stalin era in the Soviet Union, however as an allegorical novel it also discusses the effect of power on a much wider scale.

The novel describes life at Manor Farm under the reign of Mr Jones, and the difficult life of the animals. After an inspirational speech by the old boar Old Major in which he shares his dream of 'animalism',  the animals put rebellion to action and run Mr Jones out of the farm, claiming it for themselves. We then watch as the animals run the farms themselves under seven new commandments, the most important of which being "All animals are equal".

The main problem that Orwell had when writing Animal Farm was making it believable; no, animals can't talk and yes, there are many books out there with talking animals, but for this book to truly be considered an intellectual, classic novel, it had to be done perfectly - and that is exactly how it was done. The animals, with their array of whimsical and intriguing personalities, were thoroughly enjoyable to read about and truly believe in. I particularly liked Boxer; the loyal workhorse who is always determined to work harder and better, and refuses to stop working until he physically can't.

Although the animals themselves were entertaining to read about, that in itself is not the point of the novel. As a dystopian, it certainly carries out its objective in portraying the danger of excessive power placed in the hands of a single person or party. After Mr Jones abuses his power as the owner of the farm, the animals vow to eradicate this by creating seven commandments under which the farm is run by the animals as an equal whole. Whilst this would presumably provide a solution to all of their problems, issues of power and authority amongst the animals continue to increase. At the start of the novel the animals believe that humans, and their power, are the root of unhappiness in their lives, but they soon learn that such oppressive power is transferable amongst the species and it will take much more than a small rebellion to establish serenity and equality at the farm.

An intrinsic part of this power abuse is conveyed through the manipulation of language - music like in Nineteen Eighty-Four, but on a smaller scale. The animals who created the seven commandments are soon altering, editing and adding more onto them to justify selfish and self-empowering actions.

Animal Farm conveys a classic Orwell-style warning of the dangers that power and responsibility can bring, despite whatever good intentions you may have had in the beginning. Moreover, it is a truly thought-provoking novel in that it questions us readers on our treatment of animals both as an individual and as a race, by turning the tables and giving them a voice to be heard.

'On The Road' by Jack Kerouac - Review

My rating: 10/10

Before finally getting round to it, I'd been wanting to read On The Road for a while because I'd been told a lot of great things about it - most particularly by one of my music heroes, Bob Dylan, who said "It changed my life like it changed everyone else's," so thanks for that one Bob. I'd never read a book of this genre or style before so I was very eager to see if I'd like it (and as you can probably guess by the rating I gave it - I loved it).

Throughout the entire book, I was completely immersed in the energy and passion it holds. Sal and Dean's desire to find 'it' and the answers to questions larger than life maintained a constant narrative thrust that lasted in even times of gloom. Whilst the book is arguably about failed dreams and the inability to find those all important answers, the consistent passion to keep trying is one which I find truly admirable.

Beyond the actual content, another aspect of the novel that kept me hooked was Kerouac's unique prose style. The whole book feels like a mad rush to get to the next journey and the next destination, as a result of which I found it really difficult to put it down as I was constantly wanting to race off with it. Whilst some might consider it to be too rushed, I would disagree entirely - it is a fascinating prose style, encapsulating an oral story-telling style like passing on a legend. It is one of the many intriguing features which have allowed this novel to be deemed a classic, and which established Kerouac as the leading author of the Beat Movement. His writing also shows the great influence of 1940s American jazz music, not so much through its semantic content as through the grammatical and syntactical manipulation of prose. He frequently uses sentences that form entire paragraphs and paragraphs that last for well over a page, which allow for a fast-paced narrative resembling an endless jazz solo, in which full stops are nothing more than a quick breath, ready to continue blasting it out. 

As a roman à clef, I found it fascinating to read this 'fictional' tale whilst learning a lot about Kerouac's own life and his experiences with travelling across America, and his iconic involvement in the Beat Movement (to which he gave its name years earlier). His/Sal's life is one of great spontaneity and excitement, providing a sense of escapism which stretches beyond the fictional life of Sal Paradise and into the real world of Kerouac's own life, introducing the reader to the exhilarating lifestyle possessed by many in the late 1940s when the novel was written.

I was quite overwhelmed by the impact that On The Road had on me. Just days after finishing it I can already see the influence that it has had on me through my own writing. I've been revisiting my favourite parts to read back over and will undoubtedly soon be buying another Kerouac novel. I can tell that this will most likely be one of the most important books of my youth (or at least certainly of the next few years); one which I will definitely read again in the future for inspiration.

To finish this post, I thought I'd conclude with a quote from The New Yorker who, just after the novel was published, described it as:

"The most beautifully executed, the clearest and the most important utterance yet made by the generation Kerouac himself named years ago as 'beat,' and whose principal avatar he is."