Les Miserables review

Jean Valjean is a convict on parole who changes his name in an attempt to become an honest man, all the while evading capture by Inspector, Javert. Meanwhile Fantine, a working girl loses her job for having an illegitimate child, Cosette. The child is looked after by a family of innkeepers who treat her poorly. Fantine resorts to prostitution in order to pay for her daughter’s keep at the inn but later dies without ever seeing her daughter again. Valjean vows to look after Cosette and chooses to leave a simple life to protect her and keep away from Javert who has found out who Valjean really is. Cosette falls in love with Marius, a young man who is part of those fighting the state in the June Revolution.

I almost don’t want to call this a film; it is more a filming of an incredibly elaborate stage show. Performed almost entirely in song, this was an extremely powerful piece. It evoked such deep emotions of hope, fear and loss it drove many in the audience to tears on quite a few occasions, including myself.

For those who don’t know of his past as a stage actor, Hugh Jackman will surprise many with his talents which are pretty fantastic, especially in ‘Who Am I?’ His talents are seemingly unending.

In fact, the entire cast have incredible voices (with the possible exception of Amanda Seyfried, who was patchy in places like in Mamma Mia, but each to their own) especially Anne Hathaway’s ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ which was truly magical. The scene where Fantine sells her hair is particularly emotive as those are real tears as her hair was hacked off with a blade during filming.

I won't give details of the deaths but I would advise you to take a tissue or two. Everything you expect not to happen in this film happens, and will make you gasp at what just happened in front of your eyes.

Character-wise, the audience connects with every single one on such a level its heart-breaking when something happens, good or bad. Young Cosette is so innocent and fragile with a beautiful voice. Even Javert who is always on Valjean’s tail, you connect to him in a way that one never does with the villains of a film.

The entire film is pure musical incredible-ness and leaves you speechless when the credits roll. Or that may be just from crying so much.

Having not seen the stage performance, I don’t know how it compares but as its own film it’s just amazing and even if you’re not a fan of song I would recommend it

It has begun!

"Go to a university sports game and be avid, raving fans"

Rosie, one of my housemates, plays for the CCCU women’s basketball team. So one Sunday off we all went, a banner with “R O S I E” on it and we sat and screamed every time she had possession of the ball. You should have seen us when she scored. Only downside was we were the only spectators apart from the rest of the team. Rosie has banned us from appearing at a game ever again but the others liked it – I think it improved their morale when they lost sorely to the ‘Folkestone Flames’.

I'm not sure which one we plan on doing next but in the meantime, here's the snowman we made:

New List

I've decided to write this challenge as a feature for my uni course portfolio and after talking to my tutor I've had to cut it down to a Top Ten - a uni bucket list.
Our new list looks like this:

1. drive to a beach and swim
2. make your own booze
3. go to a uni sports game and be avid raving fans
4. sit in on a random lecture
5. do something silly for charity
6. play ranks on your unsuspecting friends
7. go to a 9AM lecture in your pyjamas
8. make an 80's cleaning montage
9. wrap someone in paper/toilet roll
10. learn a new sport/activity

As we've had to cut so much out it might not be as fun trying to fit it all in the time scale but it will make a good article, and I'll still keep you up to date with how the challenges go.

Heck, we might even do some of the others for the hell of it

Like I really want to make a kite and fly it, singing that song from Mary Poppins...

50 Things to do at Uni

As a university student there are many things you simply have to do – fall in love, skip classes and have wild parties.

So my housemates and I have compiled a list of “50 Things To Do Before You Finish Uni”. Normally you would have three years to complete the list.

We’re going to try and do them all in three months.

Our list includes things such as:

• Feed the campus wildlife
• Busk on campus – even if you’re terrible
• Drive to the nearest beach and swim
• Make your own booze
• Have an elaborate picnic on campus
• Sit in on a lecture unrelated to your subject
• Go to lecture in your pyjamas
• Swim in a fountain
• Have your own ‘Come Dine With Me’
• Do something silly for charity
• Win a pub quiz – whatever it takes
• Make a kite and fly it
• Wrap someone in wrapping paper
• Make your own movie
• Have an '80's themed cleaning session with appropriate dress and music

These are only some of the crazy things on our list – and some we've achieved already such as ‘join a society’ or ‘spend your whole student loan in the first term’ (oops) but we will try our hardest to get them all done on time. Wish us luck!

Resolutions anybody?

Every year we make the same new year resolutions: Lose weight, eat better, drink less but most of us never stick to them for more than two months, if that.
So this year I have decided to make realistic resolutions that are easy to stick to in an attempt to make myself a better person. For this year, 2012, I have three, realistically achievable resolutions:

1) Not interrupt people when they are talking. 
I never wait for someone to finish talking before I cut them off to give my opinion or start a new topic. I must wait for them to finish and then say my thing. If it never gets said then it can't have been that important

2) Do more regular exercise.
Now I know this is a cliché resolution, but I honestly do need to do some form of regular exercise. I don't really do much except the 20 minute walk to and from uni so I always feel tired and lethargic. When I have done some physical activity I feel much more vibrant and awake. So more exercise please! I've decided to join the gym, because as I'm paying for it I'm more likely to use it not wanting to waste my money.

3) Manage my money better.
I have a tendency to spend a lot more money than I actually have, especially in my first term at uni. I had a limit of £50 a week to buy food and anything else I need, including socialising. I was spending almost double that some weeks so I really need to get that under control otherwise I'll be in a bit of a pickle.

These are my resolutions so in a year I shall review them and see if I've stuck to them
I wish you luck if you've made any this year, even if it's a little thing

Hobbit Review

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

‘Stop! Stop! I haven’t got a handkerchief!’

Hobbits are strange creatures; about three feet tall with pointy ears and very large hairy feet, they like the warm comfort of their hobbit-holes.
And they most certainly don’t like their hobbit-holes being invaded by big hairy dwarves at supper time.

Embarking upon a great quest, Bilbo Baggins leaves his cosy hole behind in exchange for a wild adventure with dwarves.

He, along with Gandalf (McKellen) and thirteen (unruly by Bilbo’s standards) dwarves set off in search of the Lonely Mountain and the great dragon Smaug, who years before drove out the dwarves who called the mountain their home.

Therein still dwells the dragon, who sleeps upon heaps of gold and treasures, including the Heart of the Mountain…

Led by Thorin Oakenshield, Bilbo Baggins (Freeman) and the dwarves face many perils on their journey, including trolls who want to roast them alive, goblins, orcs and other foe. But their resilience and friendship has got them through. Well, this far at least.

The story itself is much more light-hearted than Jackson’s ever-successful series, surrounding the adventure of Frodo Baggins and the One Ring. Set 60 years previously, much more needs to be explained. There is a whole new set of characters plus some returning faces.

There is action and laughs abound especially in the Riddle scene between Bilbo and the creature Gollum.

The thirteen dwarves

The skill of the writers to include so much of the book, almost word-for-word is an incredible feat. An adaptation such as this is not often seen, and extra parts are not usually well-received. However, as in the recent adaptation of The Hunger Games books, additions (such as the Seneca Crane character and Gamesmaker scenes) can benefit a film and they most certainly do here in the Hobbit. I will say they add much more depth to the film, another layer of mystery and ingenious links to connect this series of films to The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I shall leave them for you to find for I wouldn’t want to ruin the film should you decide to see it.

Agreed, this is slow to get moving, but so was the Fellowship of the Ring. There is so much background to tell, so much to explain and explore in the first film, it’s almost like a prologue. The second and third films are where the real adventure begins.

‘Out of the frying pan and into the fire’ is an understatement for what lies ahead for this rag-tag group.

A must-see for all Lord of the Rings and Peter Jackson fans; this packs a punch and leaves one wanting more - if you can wait a year.

Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins

I have a job!

I realise I haven't been writing as much lately, I don't know if that bothers you but I simply haven't had the time. Life has been so hectic and so full of STUFF I barely have time to think of a blog post let alone write one.

Apart from going to uni and doing uni stuff I haven't been up to much, expect finally starting work of course.
I work at Sports Direct, a big sportswear store on the edge of town and it's alright. The hours are weird and the pay is less than average - it's the minimum so I don't know if I'll be able to save much, but we'll see.
So far I've only been in the stock room, a delightfully chilly room full of stock which we have to sort out, hang and security tag. Such fun. Hopefully next time I'll be out on the shop floor doing something more interesting.
The uniform is a delightful cherry-red polo shirt with tracksuit bottoms and trainers (which we had to buy from sports direct) and it's not the best in my opinion but hey, it's a job.

We've also been busting a gut trying to find a house to live in for our second and third years of uni. Why is it so hard to find a 6-bed student house with 1 car parking that isn't ridiculously expensive. Everytime we find a place we ring up to view and it's gone already. ARGH!

So apart from the massive stress of finding a house and fitting work around my studies life is going pretty well.

Looking forward to Christmas!!