'Fury' Review

This evening, my family and I took a trip to the cinema to see 'Fury', Brad Pitt's latest film, together. I knew it was about a group of American soldiers in WWII, and had seen the trailer when I saw 'Gone Girl' a few weeks ago, marking it as one to watch. But I hadn't been expecting anything like this.

The month before the 100 year anniversary of the beginning of WWI, any war film has a greater resonance than it would have in other years. However, 'Fury' went beyond this and far exceeded my expectations. It was a harrowing, yet beautifully shot piece which genuinely made me question my own beliefs and gorgeously documented the futility, tragedy and brutality of war, as well as the incredibly bravery and spirit of the men fighting on the front line, and how they refused to be defeated.

Brad Pitt portrayed the tough leader incredibly well, and his emotional connection to the war was felt very strongly. The poignant moment at the crossroads where Collier instructs his crew that he will hold the crossroad until the end, even as the hoards of SS soldiers come marching towards them, really struck a chord. It was also moving to see the veteran's softer side as he takes the rookie, Norman under his wing in the German town and protects him from some of the worse ribbing he receives from the rest of the crew.

I admit to being a big fan of Logan Lerman, and I was not disappointed. This is a role in a very different genre of film to any I've seen him in before, and he played it with an expertise and a vulnerability that was heartbreaking to watch. He exemplified the youth of many of the soldiers, and it was easy to imagine him as a brother or a son of anybody in the audience. Especially in some of the more emotional moments, his depth of character and skill as an actor really shone through. In every part he plays there is an honesty to the role; the viewer feels a strong connection and he is not afraid to bare his soul, and I think this is the reason I enjoy his work so much; there is such a strong genuinely to it. The character arc of the young soldier who was merely eight weeks into army life was amazing to watch, but also slightly unnerving as you watched his almost overnight maturity.  

Shia LaBeouf was unrecognisable (to me) as 'Bible', and his character showed the gentle nature that so many of the men had, and how this was forced into redundancy as they had to change in order to survive. The frequent religious references he made were also poignant and inspiring, without being preachy and irrelevant, and I felt they added a beauty to an often coarse and vulgar dialogue.

The relationships between the crew were fantastic; strong, like you would expect, but also realistic. Being cooped up with the same people hours on end would cause tension, and the writers recognised this and acted accordingly. The new love destroyed by war was shocking, but sadly reflected the realism of the piece and the reality of the world outside the fighting. All in all, it was a beautiful and cleverly constructed piece, with superb acting from every single member of the cast and incredible camera shots. I would thoroughly recommend that you catch it while you can!

Babysitting Essentials

Hi all!

When it gets to the winter months, I always seem to be inundated with babysitting requests, and I'm not particularly sure why. But out of an intense level of procrastination, I'm currently typing this on the first of three consecutive Saturdays of babysitting. Also slightly sleepy from an intense week of work experience followed by a seven hour shift today, hence a potential lack of coherency in the following post...yawn.

Anyway, I do feel very strongly that there are certain things that are super important whilst babysitting. If you're being paid to not sleep (difficult for me, as spending quality time in my bed is one of my favourite hobbies), then there are important things you need (want).

A cosy blanket is SUPER important. If I can't be in my bed by about ten o'clock, the next best thing is  a sofa and a fluffy blanket. I'm not joking. It also gets so cold late at night, especially if you don't know how to turn the central heating on! I also like to bring snacks with me too, as I always feel a tad awkward nicking food out of other people's fridge. Even if they've said I can. Tonight's are a bar of mint aero and some sweet and salt popcorn, which is my fave. Seeing as I get no service anywhere that I spend long periods of time (all of my three jobs, school, babysitting, my dad's house...), I am attached to my laptop for however long I am babysitting for. I do super important things like marathon watch tv series or Disney films, and mainly take advantage of the fact that everywhere in the world gets better wifi than my bedroom. Sob.

BUT, I do take some pretty dull stuff with me. Although I don't tend to do much (oops), I always bring books for school or any tests I've got, anything I have to read for English, a script that needs learning...you get the picture. My life is just one thrilling escapade after another, as you can probably tell.

This is a bit of a random post as you can probably tell, due to the fact that I'm slightly low on ideas at the moment, due to the lack of excitement and general events in my life. I will try and get something more interesting up during this week for anyone who wants to read it, although not sure what that would entail!

Until next time,

Helena

Monday Funday: Life Update

I've now had all four of my medical schools confirm that they received my application, so I've just got to sit tight for the time being. I'm operating on the 'no news is good news' policy - I know, I know, it's only been a week! Even so, it's scary stuff.

Today I started some work experience in the corneoplastics unit of a hospital and even had the opportunity to sit in on some eye surgery - wearing scrubs! It was definitely exciting and nerve wracking at the same time, and I'm looking forward to the rest of my week.

Another thing that's been taking up some time recently is our school play - Coram Boy. It's getting slicker now and I'm so excited to open mid-November! My character is an aristocratic mother and she's a lot of fun to play. 

Recently I've also been thinking about the people in my life, and I've realised how lucky I am to have such a loving and supportive family, and such great friends. It does sound cliche, but honestly my family mean the world to me and I love them to pieces. 

Something I'm feeling a little bit nervous about at the moment however, is my grade 6. It's my first music exam that isn't a theory, and I'm nervous about the idea of performing four different characters and discussing all my choices. I don't know when it is yet, but it's definitely within the next couple of months!! 

I guess that's all from me today - just a quick post to comment on what I've been up to & what's coming next.


Anything fun happened to you lately? 

Autumn Favourites

Autumn is finally in the air, which excites me greatly as it's my favourite season! I love the layering of clothes and snuggling up inside with a good book under my duvet, so to celebrate I thought I would do a few autumn favourites.

My first favourite is a TV show that has been around for a while, but I've finally started watching it and I am hooked! I'm on season 3 after watching it avidly for less than a month... oops. It is of course Pretty Little Liars, and I am loving the drama and romance (as well as the outfits!). Plus I definitely have a thing for Keegan Allen, who plays Toby Cavanaugh. What a babe.

Of course when you're watching a TV show, you need a good hot drink. And some snacks. My go to drink is the Pukka liquorice and cinnamon tea - so cosy and it gives you such a warming feeling in the back of your throat after each mouthful!

My snack of choice tends to be my homemade popcorn: a few kernels in a pan with some warm oil and you're good to go! It's super easy to make and so much healthier (and cheaper) than the pre-popped/microwaveable popcorn you get in the shops! I also like it cause it's plain, although sometimes I add my own sugar and salt, depending on my mood.

My favourite fashion choice (or fashion faux pas, to be quite honest) is my new Primark leggings - with fur inside them. They're insanely cosy and are perfect for a sofa day, or homework in the evenings when it's dark. Paired with my leavers hoodie, I am pretty much living in them at the moment!

I'm absolutely loving listening to one particular song at the moment, and it's always on repeat. Although I'm usually a musicals gal (good male harmonies are pretty much the best things on earth), there are a few songs recently that have slipped through that Broadway net. My current fave is 'All About That Bass' by Meghan Trainor! I originally heard an awesome cover of it by Disney's Ryan McCartan and Dove Cameron (don't judge me), and it's such a feel good, body positive song!.

In the autumn, it's also great to curl up with a book, and whilst nothing can beat the feel of an actual paperback, I've gotten back into using my kindle recently. My mum and I share an account and she's got tons of books on there that I've not read so I'm attempting to catch up! During term time I don't read that much, cause although I love it, I don't get much time and I'm normally quite tired in my free time, so I prefer to watch a film or some tv. But I'm doing my best to get back into it as it's been a huge passion of mine since I was three or four. I'm currently reading a fab book called 'Ties That Bind' by Catherine Deveney. It's similar to The Wife That Ran Away and has a good mix of emotional parts and sweeter, more cheerful bits.

My final favourite is also new - my L'Oreal primer. It comes in a little pearly bottle with a pump, and it's great. It keeps my makeup on all day and the slight shine it has means that it's also great as a highlighter!

What are your favourites at the moment? Anything to recommend?

Musings

So, my UCAS application is finally sent off and dusted, and now all that's left to do is wait (well, and take my BMAT).

I've applied to Sheffield, Manchester, Brighton & Sussex and Bristol- a mix of UKCAT, BMAT and neither, and all the ones that I've chosen are integrated. They balance lectures with smaller tutorials and research based learning, which sounds perfect for me.

I suppose that now I've just got to play the waiting game. Going to be honest, it's pretty nerve-wracking to think about it. My future can be changed just like that, and it's scary to be detached from the process as an applicant. However, having such a definitive career in mind does give me a lot of motivation for my studies. It's what keeps me going when I turn off my phone and study, or redo homework questions that I didn't get right. The knowledge that I am capable of achieving these grades encourages me to work harder; it is down to me how well I do.

However, I know that a large proportion of my application is also NOT down to my academic performance. They look at everything I submit, and as such, rejection is going to be hard on me. Medicine is such a competitive course, and with so many capable applicants, it's important to pick those that they think will be right for their course, not just a career as a doctor. As such, it will be hard not to take a rejection due to my personal statement personally - it is such a personal and individual piece that it can feel as though it's a direct criticism of you.

With all that said, I'm going to do my best not to be disheartened by a 'no'. Medicine is my dream and I won't give up easily on the only thing I want to do for the rest of my life. I'm praying for offers, but I know that if I don't get them, it won't be a direct reflection on me. 47 lines can never sum up the intricacies of your personality: how you can make even strangers smile with a joke, or how your bouncy personality fills any room. It doesn't show how you're the first person people come to in a crisis, or that you keep a level head even when everyone around you is having a melt down. In short, it does not define you. Of course, it does to some extent, and at the end of the day, it's what they have to realistically use to assess your suitability. But it does not show how wonderfully unique and infinitely lovely YOU are! So, like me, pray for those offers and interviews. But take comfort from the fact that it does not make you a bad candidate, and it does not mean you won't get accepted from somewhere else, or next year.

I'm aware that saying this is a lot easier than putting it into practice. But at the end of the day, until I get rejections/interviews, saying it is all I can do.

So remember, chin up and fingers crossed!

Student Discount Spending!

Ok, I'll be the first to admit it. I LOVE online shopping. There's just something so exciting about receiving a parcel in the post, tearing open the plastic and finally seeing your latest purchase - it can't just be me!

I especially loved shopping this month as I was invited to a multitude of discounts thanks to my account on Unidays. It's this awesome website where students can access loads of reduced prices on popular stores - think Topshop, Jack Wills, ASOS and loads more! Naturally, as soon as I got my pay check (my first since starting my new job!), I had to have a cheeky look, and somehow, things just fell into my basket...

The first thing I picked up was this super cute Cath Kidston travel mug. Autumn has definitely arrived and the chilly early morning sixth form starts mean I cling to my cup of tea for as long as possible. This is perfect - it's such a handy size and I just pop it in my locker when I'm not using it. It's really well insulated - my hands never burn and my drink is never cold, and I love being able to sit in my frees doing work safely with my tea!

Ok, these two were probably a bit extravagant, but my reasoning is that I need to 'build up a winter wardrobe' - that's totally a thing, right? But 20% off Topshop - who can resist? These jeans are great, such a lovely colour for winter and are super high waisted, which suit my hourglass shape without being too bulky and making my stomach look bigger than necessary! The stretch is also amazing - finally a pair that are small enough for my ankles but big enough for my hips! I'm also in love with this jumper - the colour is so autumnal and reminds me of October leaves, and the knit is so cosy and soft. I think it will look great with brown boots, a parker and scarf on colder days, or maybe a cream/white shirt buttoned up underneath with a statement necklace for a smarter look.

Mummy was very lovely and offered to buy me some new winter shoes, and I'd had my eye on some Chelsea boots for a while! I just think they're so versatile and can be dressed up or down, with trousers or with some skirts. These were also leather, which were slightly pricier, but I am hoping that they will stay in better condition so won't need to be replaced!

So that's my shopping pretty much done for the month (unless I go out at the weekend...)! Is there anything you've seen recently that you're waiting for your next pay check to buy?!