PINK RIBBONS, INC. Ever wonder what happens to the millions of dollars we donate to “breast cancer research”? PINK RIBBONS, INC. reveals the downside of pink-washing and how it is harming instead of helping the cause, reducing breast cancer into some sort of outsider/terrorist that we can beat. Women diagnosed with breast cancer from all stages tell distressing, heart-breaking stories about their diagnoses going unnoticed until the fourth, final and deadliest stage of the disease. We see clips of breast cancer rallies, parties, pink-lit buildings and huge fundraisers that shut down cities contrasted with very realistic, intelligent and critical reviews of such girly celebrations. And for what cure? Researchers do not even know what the cause is of breast cancer (it is different for each woman). Therefore, finding a cure is impossible.
The most hilarious breast cancer research endorsement came from Kentucky Fried Chicken. I was shocked to see Avon as a major US sponsor, too, considering that many of their products contain ingredients likely to cause cancer. It is shocking to see how many millions of dollars people raise and how many products are emblazoned with pink ribbons, yet such a small percentage goes to researching cancer prevention and environmental factors. Don’t you just love to point out when corporations contradict themselves? This film wins points for being one of the most relevant documentaries of the year.
WUTHERING HEIGHTS I have never read Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights” but I have seen Andrea Arnold’s films (Fish Tank, Red Road) and I was super excited about her latest movie, WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Set in the nineteenth century moors of Yorkshire, a biracial boy named Heathcliff is curiously embraced by Catherine, a young girl who intimately tries to adopt him as a friend. Set within the dark English countryside, the film has some clumsy and comedic break-thoughs, though I didn't twitch once during the screening.
Years later, a teenage Catherine (played by Kaya Scodelario from Skins!) marries her neighbour Edgar with hesitation. Did I mention that she's stunning? The film goes from ratty to elegant to straight up EMO here. Themes of youth, nature and female desire are courageously used, almost uncomfortably, to create a picture of perpetual longing between Heathcliff and Catherine, who loved each other all along. Peace out, Edgar. My only beef with WUTHERING HEIGHTS was that it felt pretentious, and that I was disturbed by the number of dead animal close-ups in the film. The cinematic experience was breathtaking, the texture and sound was rich, and the quality was gripping.
A FUNNY MAN
I started at this festival with a Swedish film and ended with a Danish one. How typical. My final film of TIFF was seen at 9:30am at the Isabel Bader theatre in Yorkville. Nearby parking costs and arm and a leg, but it was worth every penny to see A FUNNY MAN, which follows the life of Danish comedian Dirch Passer and all of the doubts he carried throughout his career in the 1950s. After his stage partner, Kjeld, becomes jealous of his rising career, Dirch’s life begins to plummet. He tries to branch out into other forms of comedy, overworking himself into failure. In typical Danish fashion, we are exposed to dysfunctional families, alcoholism, death and renewal all in two hours injected with black humour. You don’t need to know who Dirch Passer is to care about this movie. Simply recognize its greatness and move on. The acting is beyond excellent and the film is produced exceedingly well. What a great, rewarding way to end off the festival.
P.S. I loved those Cadillac commercials; “from zero to drama in 0.39 seconds”. The typefaces were impeccable.
Thanks for a great year, TIFF! See part one of my TIFF reviews.
PLAY My first film of the festival was PLAY. It was for 2pm on a Friday and there was no rush line. I felt silly, like, was this film going to be worth it? Well, it totally was and the theatre was packed. PLAY is a Swedish film directed by Ruben Östlund. It feels like the entire film takes place in long-shot. Sitting in third row, I was engrossed by the pace, poeticism and beauty of the film. I appreciated every detail, perhaps because I am constantly feeling nostalgic about Sweden and Denmark.
The film was very typical in Scandinavian style with loads of dark humour, almost reminding me of Songs from the Second Floor but more jubilant and youthful. The film undoubtedly questions race relations in Sweden, centering on a group of black kids living in Goteborg who terrorize three neighbourhood boys ages 10-14. Steve Gravestock, Associate Director of Canadian (and Scandinavian) Programming at TIFF, said it was one of the most disturbing films he has seen in years, especially the ending, which was so subjective I wasn’t sure what to think. This film creates a poignant picture of race and immigration in Europe.
GIRL MODEL The second film I saw that day was called GIRL MODEL, a film about young amateur Russian models that are sent to Japan to obtain “work” with modeling agencies. The film shows a seedy, unregulated side to the modeling business, an industry where hundreds of 13-14 year old girls believe they will make enough money to support their families back home in remote parts of Eastern Europe such as Siberia.
The documentary follows model scout Ashley and her quest to find the "perfect" girl for the Japanese market. The perfect girl cannot be too tall and must be almost childlike with wide eyes and high cheekbones. We find out that Ashley herself was once an international model and she "hated" it. In fact, she hates scouting, despite being able to travel around the world in search of Japan's next top underage model. We end up learning more about Ashley's problems than expected. At the premiere Q&A, one audience member asked, "Is Ashley really that crazy in person?" Dra-ma! GIRL MODEL is a must-watch for anyone interested in the fashion industry.
SURVIVING PROGRESS
Produced by Mark Achbar (The Corporation) with Martin Scorcese as an executive producer (!), this film is based on the book "A Short History of Progress" by Ronald Wright. The book is life-changing, indeed, and the movie lives up to the same expectation. David Suzuki, Stephen Hawking, Jane Goodall and Margaret Atwood deliver outstanding interviews in the film with insight that will haunt audiences everywhere. Over-consumption comes with a consequence, innovation comes at a cost, and our civilization – bound by progress traps – is destined to fail much like the Romans, Incas and Mayas once did. This film is engrossing; it is a must watch for every person living on planet earth. I would have cut out a couple of scenes, making it shorter and tighter, but fuck it, at the end of the day, you need to see this film. Even if you are apathetic, at least acknowledge what is happening around the world right now by watching SURVIVING PROGRESS. It will make its way into your workplace, your classroom, your Netflix account, your theatre, and your university, just like The Corporation did.
File under: The Corporation, Manufactured Landscapes, An Inconvenient Truth, Inside Job.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA I seemed to have been aiming to view artsy, slow, pretentious films this year. After much hype from Cannes, I finally got around to seeing Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s latest Turkish flick, ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA. I expected it to be something along the lines of Fatih Akin’s films (In July, The Edge of Heaven, Head-On) but it was closer to No Country for Old Men, clocking in at just under three hours. The first 90 minutes of the film were ridiculous. Literally, nothing happens; a bunch of dudes and cops look for a body in the countryside during night time, bantering back and forth. I became impatient as the person fell asleep next to me, nodding his bobblehead from left to right.
Finally, the plot changes. Guy’s head is still sleepily bobbling, distracting and slightly offending me. Finally, it becomes daylight in the film and new characters are introduced. FINALLY, we start to discover why these men were looking for a body in the first place. The film unravels like a chess game; quietly suspenseful, packed with ulterior motives. I cannot reveal the plot; it has plenty of twists and turns to surprisingly keep you awake. Is it worth the three hours? If you’re a cinephile/film snob, then yes. Sleeper hit of 2011!
Here is a list of films I would like to see at TIFF. Films marked with an asterisk are those I'm most excited about seeing. Come hang out at the festival avec moi.
A Funny Man A Letter to Momo Albert Nobbs The Artist* Avalon Brooklyn Brothers Chicken with Plums Damsels in Distress Flying Machine Future Lasts Forever Girl Model* The Hunter House of Tolerance I am a good person / I am a bad person* I’m yours The Invader Kotoko Le Havre Machine Gun Preacher Martha Marcy May Marlene Melancholia* Michael Play* Pink Ribbons, Inc. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia* Sons of Norway Superclasico Surviving Progress The Skin I Live in Sleeping Beauty* Take Shelter Take this Waltz Urbanized* Violet and Daisy* Volcano Where do we go now? Wuthering Heights*
There are a couple more but I'll wait for their wide releases. If you dig Scandinavian film, be sure to check out Steve Gravestock's programming.
I am writing this while my computer tries to de-stress from its recent virus. Seems like it hasn't fully removed its memories and toxicity of the virus, nor will it ever truly detox...
Consider reformatting the beast. Stress out for a while as you reinstall your life, your bookmarks, your electronic soul. Get over the fact that you paid $65 to get it fixed and it still isn't budging. What is this, a lemon?
While my computer was acquiring a virus and sitting in a tech shop, I had the time to watch Kaboom, a 2010 release by cult filmmaker Gregg Araki, distributed by eOne Entertainment in Canada. I haven't watched one of his films in years, I'm talkin' years. The Doom Generation, released in 1995 and described as a sex-and-violence-filled tour across America, was the last film of his I invested in. Things I remember about this film include:
- Darkness - Cosmic neon lighting - Anxiety-inducing, swirling scenery - Social commentary about "our generation"; degeneration - Rose McGowan's bangs - Stripes, checkers, and possibly polka dots - Trippin' balls - James Duval (Hey! That guy from Donnie Darko)
I belong to The Doom Generation
According to hardcore Araki fans, Kaboom is a throwback to his 90s style of filmmaking. The film is vaguely described as a sci-fi story based around the sexual awakening of a group of college students. Based on my viewing, I would like to list the ingredients of Kaboom and hopefully you will somehow understand the twists and turns of its story:
- 1 kg of pop culture - 4 kg of sex scenes/dreams/relations - 2 kgs of this must be experimental or sexually undeclared - 10 kg of sci-fi mixed with horror - 2 kg of weird dreams involving a red-head woman - 2 kg of real life involving a red-head woman - 1 kg of masked assassins - 7 kg of annoying, "quirky", inauthentic, overly sarcastic characters - 3 kg of pure, organic kitsch - 1 kg of horny, awkward, crude language - 4.5 kg of hallucinogenic drugs - One cultish twist - choose your own measurement
If you don't feel dirty, dingy, and polyester after watching this film, then you fucked up the recipe. Sorry! Next time, consider having a darker, more experimental, hazy trip. I think Tom Long of Detroit News said it best: "What's going on? Who cares?"
Araki will always be part of my essential high school viewing with The Doom Generation, but I think it's best that our relationship end. If you're curious and you love youthful sci-fi and horror, then I recommend you watch this film.
Kaboom was recently released on DVD and is distributed by Entertainment One in Canada.
I had been absent from the internet since scoring a contract box office position with Hot Docs International Documentary Festival in Toronto. From April 28 to May 8, I busted out as much customer service as possible working 11-hour days with lovely co-workers and docu-fying myself with 48 documentaries viewings in total. I repeated myself too often, answering the same questions multiple times a day. But I dealt with it, because the stipend and the unlimited documentaries and the unlimited access to all sorts of great people made everything kinda worth it.
I tweeted less, I communicated more. Handsome dogs visited the box office in Yorkville on a weekly basis. William Shatner's publicist called us, and we loved it so much we decided to make t-shirts. We ate too much vegan food from Fresh during the festival. On our last day, we celebrated with a stomach-destroying "McDonalds Party" consisting of large bowls filled with nuggets and fries. We said our hellos to POM Cocktails and our goodbyes to each other. We met this guy who appreciates grandmas so much. We almost published a list of "people you will find at Hot Docs", some of which include intellects, Russians, hoards of seniors, confused students, sub-types of industry, and then some.
With all that said and done, the films at this year's festival keep my passion going. Here is a list of my top six films at Hot Docs this year. They are the ones to watch for cinematic wide releases.
Position Among the Stars
Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles
If a Tree Falls: The Story of Earth Liberation Front
Joe Wright’s Hanna is a film about a girl raised in a remote forest of Finland whose father is an assassin. After spending her formative years in the forest, she decides she wants to see the world. But she cannot leave Finland without consequence; if she leaves, she will be followed by intelligence agents who want to kill her. Will she stay in hiding forever living with her dad, or will she choose to experience life, and possibly, death?
Why I loved Hanna:
Because this thriller is far from boring and cliché, and features more content than action
Because the Chemical Brothers created the soundtrack and it is amazing
Because Cate Blanchett plays a fabulous bitch in green Prada heels
Because 16-year-old Saoirse Ronan (Hanna) is a gorgeous, talented actress who fits the role of badass teen and sheltered ambiguous European living in a cave
Because Hanna is a fucking badass female protagonists who beats the shit out of everyone
Because if I was a pre-teen/teenager, I would have loved this film and wanted to be like Hanna
Because Hanna’s resilience comes from somewhere beyond her father’s trainings, and the truth is shocking
Because the film is not stationary in Finland – it takes place around Europe and thus ignites a mini-travel flame inside of me
Because the costumes for the Finnish parts of the movie are noteworthy
Because scenic tundra is exciting and rare in such large Hollywood productions; yay for the Arctic circle!
Because there is a British family in the film that provides the greatest of comic relief
Because, dude, I need to find out where they shot the scenes with the abandoned theme parks so I can go there
Because thrillers with female protagonists are just much more interesting and refreshing. More films with female protagonists that rule: Kill Bill (Uma Thurman), Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Noomi Rapace), Kick-Ass (Chloe Moretz), Alien (Sigourney Weaver)
See the trailer for yourself:
The only thing missing was Alexander Skarsgard. I just felt like he should have been in this film.
I'm not the hugest fan of crime comedies unless they involve Audrey Hepburn, but I thought UK film Wild Target was kind of cute, and I'm certain it had something to do with costume designer Sheena Napier.
Synopsis: Victor Maynard (Bill Nighy) is an assassin whose professional killing routine is interrupted when he becomes drawn to his intended victim, Rose (Emily Blunt). He unexpectedly picks up Tony (Rupert Grint of, yes, the Harry Potter series) on the way, sparing Rose's life humourously. With two new companions by his side, Victor attempts to hinder the murderous attentions of his client.
For a crime comedy, Wild Target stands out for its very English styling of Rose, an airy, convincing, sassy character with manipulation, seduction, and clumsiness up her sleeves. Her style is edgy, mixed up, loud, and bright. Her clothing communicates something about her character, making the movie more interesting by default. And she is never without at least three accessories.
Red coat by Yumi, Blue fringe dress by Kate Moss for TopShop
What is English fashion, anyway? London Fashion Week, occurring this week, might tell you. Caroline Cox's "The Englishness of English Dress" will definitely tell you. TopShop might give some hints on styling, and E4's Skins will inspire you to dress like an experimental teenager again. Taking cues from all these sources, Rose's style strikes me as contemporary English because it is not afraid to take chances. Young women will be taking some inspiration from her.
Wild Target was released on DVD on February 8, 2011 and is distributed by eOne Entertainment in Canada.
1. It is a clear rip-off/reinterpretation of Gaspar Noe's film Enter the Void, a trippy seizure-inducing, pill-popping, sex-having journey through Tokyo.
2. If you didn't watch Enter the Void, you can just watch this video instead and ignore such happy moments like bloody car crashes, abortions, long and gruesome sex scenes, and more!
3. So many fucking fonts in 6 minutes. Love it.
4. Rihanna's outfit.
5. The beginning of the video is beautifully shot in black and white. It reminds me of Chicago? I automatically like it.
6. Kanye is steppin' on some next cop lights. I almost want to go to a dance party with cop light-inspired light-up floors. Or maybe I should get some L.A. Gears.
7. Kid Cudi's awkwardness and strange faces.
8. For a pop video, I got mad respect. Mostly because of the Gaspar Noe reference. And because it's Hype Williams.
Let's face it, 2010 was a pretty shitty year. It was the year I graduated university, and it was the year I traveled least. I did not make a lot of money doing what I loved; it was the year of odd jobs until I scored a few internships in Toronto's film industry - both of which were great, filling me with hope for this quarter-life crisis, post-grad life. Many successes and commitments were achieved - some on my behalf, some not - mostly by Kanye West. I can only hope that 2011 will be filled with tons of surprises for the better.
2010 was the year of ridiculous noteworthy news: the g20 in Toronto this summer caused a lot of suffering; the oil spill was the most depressing, suicide-inflicting news I had heard in a long time; Rob Ford was elected Mayor of Toronto, forever threatening efficient public transport in the city; Paul the Octopus died; MTV canceled the City; tuition fees rose in England from £3,290 to £9,000, and so much more.
Enough about me and the real world, let's look at the media's top moments.
1. BEST FILMS
Black Swan Natalie Portman is chosen to play the Swan Queen in Swan Lake, and the only way she can become a truly fantastic performer is to lose complete control. Her dark side emerges as the bad guy in this striking, stunning and engulfing film.
Waste Land Brazilian artist Vik Muniz documents the largest landfill in Rio de Janeiro where he finds a group of very characteristic recycling pickers. Muniz encourages the pickers to make their own large-scale portraits out of recyclable items from the landfill. The portraits end up in London for an auction at Phillips de Pury, and the recycling community uses the money to change their lives forever. An underrated film that makes us realize how much garbage can say about our identities.
Catfish Ariel Schulman receives paintings of his photographs from a young girl. After communicating with her through email for some time, he falls for her older sister Megan. He decides to visit Megan in her hometown Michigan, despite his suspicions about her. The viewers are in for a shock that is totally out of left field, with blatant commentary on how one can control his/her identity through the internet. Fake or not, a huge lesson is to be learned through this film.
Les Amours Imaginaires 21-year-old Montreal filmmaker Xavier Dolan surprises the hell out of us with his second feature film that follows two hipster friends and their jealous relationship with beckoning newcomer Nico. Beautifully shot and reminiscent of French New Wave and the director Tom Ford, Dolan will make his mark on Canadian film. Plus, the soundtrack features The Knife and Fever Ray. How else can I convince you to see this?
2. BEST MOMENTS IN FASHION
Clean and classic Influenced by Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant and French fashion designer Celine, the year has seen a palette of clean, simple and well-designed clothing, ranging from classic camel-coloured pea coats to flattering straight leg pants and comfortable, well-combed cardigans. Men have started to dress better thanks to stores like Banana Republic and people like John Hamm. Women have started embracing their curves in a-line dresses cinched at the waist, and their lips with deep red lipstick. Thanks Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton and Christina Hendricks!
Urban Outfitters' AROUND THE WORLD collection This year, Urban Outfitters brought some lesser known designers mainly from Europe to their online store. Designers ranging from Madras by A.P.C., Le Mont St. Michel, and Stolen Girlfriends Club highlighted a new era for Urban Outfitters, with lower-end designer prices and unique looks in cashmere, merino, silk and angora. Scandinavia influenced the collection with designers such as Stine Goya, House of Dagmar, Minimarket, and Wood Wood. It was easy for these designers to stumble and confuse you into using your credit card, because you knew that the quality would be impeccable.
Rag and Bone pre-fall 2011 Aside from Proenza Schouler and Vera Wang, Rag and Bone blew me away with their effortless combination of structure and drape. David Neville and Marcus Wainwright were quoted as saying, "When in doubt, use leather," which is a philosophy that worked extremely well with this lightweight, adaptable collection. A collection for "real girls" in the city, they say.
3. BEST ALBUMS
Caribou - Swim I saw Caribou live this year in Toronto. Two weeks later, I saw him again in Houston. I don't care to see live bands in such a short amount of time, or even twice in their lifespan, but Caribou had converted me with this surreal album that sounded like nothing I had ever heard before. I continue to listen to this album on repeat, having difficulty choosing which track is my favourite.
M.I.A. - MAYA I unexpectedly fell in love with M.I.A.'s latest album. It is annoying as fuck, but not more than her past albums, and that's why I like it. It's the only M.I.A. album on my iPod with all the tracks on it. I want to freak out to this album over and over again. Beat someone up to one song, maybe dance to another, run as fast as I can to the next, and enter a hazy smoke-filled room afterward. Fantastic.
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Honestly, I don't need to talk about why this album is the greatest thing ever. I am blown out of the water, track after track, except for "Blame Game", my least favourite song. Honourable mentions: "Dark Fantasy" (for its haunted muppet-like chorus), "All of the Lights" (because Rihanna is amazing), "Monster" (mainly for Nicki Minaj's verse), and "Lost in the World" (featuring Gil Scott-Heron, need I say more?).
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs An album came out this year, and it was all about my life, my upbringing, my hopes, my dreams, my youth. Lyric after lyric described how I grew up in a boring, bustling suburb. This album is the anthem for all of those kids affected by poor urban planning and malls. Each haunting song reads like a story, making mundane landscapes seem interesting and full of character. The Arcade Fire has perfected pure innocence for that reason.
4. BEST YOUTUBE GEM
Antoine Dodson: Bed Intruder Song
I sang this song way too much this year. I know all of the lyrics, and would be pleased to hear it on New Years Eve. Thanks.
Insane Clown Posse - Miracles
Possibly funnier and more amusing than Antoine Dodson, because it's outwardly and militantly clueless about science. Adults who don't understand how magnets and rainbows work do exist in this world, and they shockingly extend beyond ICP. A true gem in the world of comedy, without trying to be funny at all.
5. BEST REASON TO GET A TWITTER ACCOUNT
whitegrlproblem This mysterious twitter account finally explains the world of people like Kim Kardashian, Lauren Conrad and Miley Cyrus without saying it outright. Oh, and maybe it explains my irrational thoughts a little bit, too. A hilarious read that will make you feel better about yourself.
conanobrien Conan and I are meant to be, and this twitter account illustrates every reason why I could love such a gangly, tall, self-deprecating ginger. Did I mention he's an Aries?
680newstraffic This is the most useful twitter account ever for commuters. Like seriously, this is what twitter is meant for, not #MTV, or #Kraft Dinner. This is twitter put to work, with #real, #hard-ass #information in #small doses. For 2011, #nobodycareswhatyou'redoing, unless you're 680 News.
6. BEST WEBSITES
Tonematrix Make your own music with dots. JUST TRY IT! So much fun!
Variations on Normal A highly creative blog by Dominic Wilcox and all the stuff he creates out of more stuff, without wasting other stuff.
Refinery 29 Refinery 29 is the fashion blog I have been following the most this year, and it's because they have awesome coverage, good style advice and ideas, and lots of fun pictures of fashion collections and street stylish babes. The best part? It's not even boring. Somehow, R29 makes it all seem original and fresh. Plus, they kinda make me wanna do my hair and buy lots of things from Sephora. Writing for 29 = Dream job!
Ignant I can't understand a damn word on this website (it's in German), but it has lots of pretty pictures that I want to emulate. Ignant is totally an inspiration blog for us creative people with so many ideas and not enough time or connections. The clean layout is a major plus.
7. BEST ARTICLES
The End of Men An extremely relevant article written about the rising power of women in the workforce with a clear emphasis on money and the middle class. The article chronicles the (unfortunate) fall of men as well, and how middle class men are unable to keep up with the trend. Women are slowly becoming the main breadwinner in many new families, and this article illustrates the pros and cons of this emerging trend. A well written expose without being pro-feminist or anti-men.
Straight Outta Comp 101 A writer who has never listened to hip hop primarily discovers the genre through reading "The Anthology of Rap" printed by Yale University Press. Fascinating, adorable, and an easy sell to culture junkies (like me).
Interns: Experience or Exploitation? As many new graduates enter this shady workforce, many are encouraged to partake in internships that pay very little or nothing at all, all under the name of "experience". The fact is that many "assistant" full-time jobs are being canceled to accommodate the rise of internships. How much is too much? When will companies that make millions of dollars be legally penalized for hiring on interns, and not even paying for their Metropasses? This Toronto Star article says it all, including legal dilemmas, and perspectives from students who want more from their internship besides filing papers and entering data.
How to Dress for Parties without Freezing Dress Code, my favourite column on Jezebel.com, hit the nail on the head with this article. Time after time, I am disgusted to see fellow women without stockings while peep toe shoes in the dead of winter. Have you no respect for yourself? You can look just as sexy wearing a lot of cashmere, sweater dresses, or boots. Or perhaps fleece-lined tights? Promise they won't make you look bulky!
8. BEST PERSON
James FrancoNew York Magazine recently wrote an 8-page article about enigmatic James Franco. This is why I love him: he is an actor, he has a B.A. from UCLA, he is enrolled in 4 graduate programs (NYU for film, Columbia for writing, Brooklyn for writing, Warren Wilson for poetry), he will have a p.h.D in English from Yale, he takes design courses at Rhode Island, and he is a published author whose work has been featured in an art show in NYC. Basically, James Franco is the dream version of myself in man form. Begin the process of finding out why he is so amazing, and check out the NY Mag article here.
Kanye West might be a self-absorbed auto-tuned-out douche at times, but the 34-minute music video for “Runaway” directed by the man himself is a stunning and beautiful investment worthy of your time.
Kanye is not a man of tightly fastened words, rather he is known for his honesty and bluntness which often gets him in trouble. With the lyrics, “Let’s have a toast for the douche bags”, he is really illustrating his frustration with the music industry including heavy critiques of his turn-on, auto-tune-in, post-college-drop-out album 808 and Heartbreak. This time – judging purely from his new music video – Kanye has taken a step towards positive growth regardless of his blatant bravado.
The reason why I value this music video is because of Kanye’s unpredictability. If nothing else, appreciate the creativity and artistic value of the video, which is unabashedly beautiful and simply stunning. With costumes designed by fashion god Philip Lim (drool) and noted theatre costume designer Martin Izquierdo, we get a taste of Kanye’s high life. Damn, those new loafers must have hurt his pocket, too; wearing brands such as Lanvin in the music video show us that Kanye is putting effort into his image. But he looks better, faster, stronger and sharper than ever in his various get-ups.
Let’s not fail to mention Selita Ebanks, the fallen phoenix (literally) and love interest of Kanye in the video – and the love interest of many men as a former Victoria Secret Angel. Exotic, indeed; as Kanye brings her to his all-black-bourgeois dinner, her “otherness” surprises the guests clad in starch white clothing. She comes from another world free of discrimination and Kanye can't help but fall in love with her wide-eyed fragility and feathers. She watches Kanye perform at the dining hall as ballerinas jut and creep with elegance. This is one of the most original scenes I have seen in a music video in a long time.
Add the colonial references and some nice unpredictable cutie-pie animals like sheep, rabbits and deer, and you have the re-emergence of the importance of music video. Subtract the occasional mindless, hollow dialogue (written by Hype Williams) for a better music video recipe, though.
Taken at face value, the video is an aesthetically beautiful and surreal piece. But given Kanye West’s negative publicity and “the way he rolls”, some of us can’t help but feel this is a vanity project. Maybe he is pulling a Bansky-esque trick on us all? If Kanye truly has taken his career to another level, then sign me up for the new album and a ticket to his next concert, please.
Thinking about spending three days in one city is not exactly a fun thought. I mean, only three days? That's torture. European capitals are often victim of the three-day method of travel and Paris is no exception. A lot of people end up hating Paris. If we had all the time, money and visas in the world, maybe Paris would feel like a better city. Maybe we'd spend longer amounts of time there to erase the bitter taste in our mouth.
If you had three days in Paris, what would you do? Here's only the beginning of my must-do list, which excludes a lot of boutiques, dance clubs, and mouth-watering savoury French food.
Find Amelie. Amelie has been one of my favourite films since I was a youngster, so it only makes sense to track down the beautiful Parisian scenery in the film which is largely based in the neighbourhood of Montmartre. Could such a whimsical Amelie-esque moment in Paris be available elsewhere in the city?
Visit the Sweatshop. More than just a cafe, the Sweatshop is a creative concept situated near St. Martin. The space is equipped with ten Singer sewing machines and a communal table with rotating workshops. You pay by the hour if you want to use the machines, kind of like a stitch-and-bitch except not free. Sounds heavenly and productive. The couture counterculture begins here.
Admire Patisserie Pain de Sucre, because you can't visit France and avoid the bakeries, cafes, baguettes and wine even if you are gluten-free, child. This bakery was featured in Wallpaper Magazine and evidently dozens of bloggers have featured it as the go-to pastry shop, the most tempting, old-world and luminous of them all.
Go to Colette. A trip to Paris is incomplete without ogling over designer wears from Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Comme des Garcons, Lanvin, Chloe, and more. That's why I'd window shop at Colette, a boutique carrying lustful items mentioned by the fashion gods themselves. All those thousands of Euros. It hurts so good.
