In the name of Art

You might be sensing a pattern by now... Sorry Schäzte, second year is proving a hell of a lot more hectic than expected! First semester climaxed with an extremely stressful bout of exams, and second semester has launched us straight into the winding vortex of deadlines and presentations. Take no prisoners though, right? Yeah, I'm not sure about that one either.
But there is good news... After scuffling and scampering around, desperately trying to pull together plans for my Year Abroad, I received a superbly uplifting email a few weeks ago. So what are les nouvelles? Well...

So panic over (for first semester at least)! Come September, I'll be jet setting off to la Ville Lumière to study at the Sorbonne! Can you hear the excited squeals? All excitement aside, I'm starting to get unbearably anxious about the workload I'm going to face - not only will all teaching and exams be in French, but at one of the world's most prestigious Universities, it would be plain foolish not to expect a heavy workload. I suppose now's the time to start getting my language up to scratch (God help me). What's more, the search for a job in Germany or Austria for the second semester continues. 
In the mean time, I've been busy with an old hobby of mine. You first saw it in the summer, and it has surfaced again over Christmas and through this painfully cold winter: the solace of watercolours. Admittedly, I've been painting a lot more than I should. Something about an impending deadline just makes me want to paint, what can I say? Here's a look at a couple:

A 10-minute watercolour inspired by a film poster for Blue Velvet

One of my ultimate mantras

Ok, so I'm not so creative with my concepts.

Attention! | Focus Review

Thanks to Cineworld Unlimited, I got to see Focus a week before it hit the big screens across the UK. With Will Smith in the main role, Margot Robbie as his wingwoman, and a plot unlike anything we've seen before, expectations were high. And the result? Well, it turns out that to understand Focus, you don't have to follow the instructions on the tin.

First things first, the premise of the film - hustlers hustling - is enough to draw a viewer in without further ado. Much like the TV Series The Hustle and the ever-growing list of films about card-counting, there's something thrilling about watching people get tricked. Within the first half hour, we see Margot Robbie glide around a carnival and lift thousands of dollars worth of belongings right from under the noses of her marks. Part of the fun is how effortless she makes it look. No premeditation, no planning, but flawless execution. And it helps that she looks stunning the entire time too. 
Will Smith reaches a hand out to the ladies in the audience as the husky boss of the team of conmen, with a background worthy of The Godfather and a screen presence not to be forgotten. Decked out in the most perfectly tailored suits, sauve sunglasses and that trimmed-to-a-tee beard, he's the perfect lead for a picture about the high-end hustle.

Put this pair together, and magic happens. Never mind that Smith is twice Robbie's senior, the pair have an undeniable on-screen chemistry. They're both unbelievably cool, laid back and talented. Whereas Robbie has only just made her debut on the silver screen thanks to The Wolf of Wall Street, which put her in line at the Oscars last year, Will Smith has had a life long (and I mean long) career as an actor. You might say they're the Yin and Yang of screen exposure. In a film whose characters require absolute synchronisation, the two are in perfect harmony, a match made in heaven. 
With the help of Apollo Robbins, a real-life, self-proclaimed "gentleman thief", we see hundreds of so called "slight-of-hand" sequences. Essentially, it's a modern day, adult version of Oliver Twist... with rich people. Aside from the impressively slick pick-pocketing scenes, the majority of the film was shot in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and so has a beautiful everlasting-summer atmosphere (apparently a thief only steals in the summer). But is that all the film has to offer?
David Palmer picked up on this, saying that "two likable leads and some colorful locations do not make a great movie, but they certainly help to elevate an otherwise average one". He's not wrong. After the recent trend set out by Scorsese in Shutter Island and Nolan in Inception, we are seeing more and more films end with a completely mind-boggling twist, one that throws audience into debate once they leave the screen; the sort that is discussed on endless online forums. It seems like Focus makes a similar attempt. Obviously, they don't attempt the "unanswerable twist", but their twist - once explained - could be understood by any layman. There's no need to rewatch, no need to discuss. Is the film thrilling? Yes. Is it beautiful? Yes. Is it challenging? Not nearly.

Chills, Chocolate and Another City | Winter Break

Happy New Year, Bonne Anné and Frohes Neues Jahr! To usher in the New Year I'm back at home, which has meant a lot of travelling, a lot of celebrating and a lot of revision.  While back in Manchester, I suffered a week of freak weather. I've been here a year and a half now, so thought it safe to assume that I was familiar with the cold and wet that Manchester is known for How wrong I was. We were hit by hail, sunshine, snow and rain in the space of a few days. I don't mind a chill, and I love some sun, but I wish Manchester would make up its mind!
To warm ourselves up a little and distract ourselves from a horrific influx of revision, me and a couple of friends piled into a local cafe, Home Sweet Home, in Manchester's Northern Quarter and got our hands on some of Manchester's finest hot chocolate. Not a bad decision, I must say.

Manchester's finest

From there, it was time to head home. One long car journey later, and I was pulling myself out of bed at 5:30 to go into University with my sister. Thankfully, I'm on holiday now, so no classes for me. I spent my day meandering round Clifton and enjoying the sunrise from the Boston Tea Party cafe.

Fingers crossed my exams go well!

The Formidable French | #3

Part three is famous for his beauty, and he knew it. The face that launched a thousand films, I present to you:
Alain Delon

Anyone who is even vaguely familiar with classical French cinema knows the movie poster for Plein Soleil. It was the film that finally focused the lens on the man's body, rather than the woman's. After nearly a century of objectification, the gaze turned to the man. There are things to be said about Delon not just being the subject of the gaze in Plein Soleil, but also the object, but that's another topic. We're just here for the actor. 
A 30's baby, Delon quickly became known as the James Dean of France (isn't it funny how French actors are all just considered doppelgängers of Americans?). He flaunted his chiseled cheekbones and bathed in the glory of being France's most adored face. He was even called the male Brigitte Bardot. Like most gorgeous French stars, he had a brief marriage with another beauty of the silver screen, Romy Schneider, and a picturesque couple they were.

Like a lot of his predecessors, Delon enjoyed success in Hollywood, and then moved his mind to policiers (much like Gabin) once he started to lose his angelic features.

The Last Straw (Hat) | Cocktails in the Clouds

For my dear friend Lily's 21st birthday, we shot up to the 23rd (?) floor of Beetham Tower for a cocktail masterclass. Given my horrific fear of heights, it's fair to say my knees were slightly weak in the elevator. But we got there in the end, and the cocktail making began.

Manchester from the 23d floor - by night of course, we're not day drinkers!

 By this point, it's probably worth mentioning that we were slightly inebriated, so the photo quality quickly deteriorated. The enjoyment, on the other hand, swiftly increased as we started to make our own cocktails. We all began with relatively girly, fruity looking cocktails, adorned with flowers and with varying gradients of colour. The waitress come teacher strongly advised that only whiskey drinkers should try The Last Straw Hat, so naturally, I did. It certainly wasn't your average cocktail.

The Last Straw (Hat), a fruity whiskey-cased cocktail served in a tin mug. 

My favourite thing about this cocktail (besides copious amounts of whiskey) was the tin mug. Looking over Manchester at night, drinking a whiskey cocktail from a tin mug. What could be more suitable in the world's first industrial city? 

It was a great night, a beautiful view and a lot of delicious cocktails. If only I were rich (or had a sugar daddy), I'd definitely return.

Blurry me with TLSH, taken by Lily (I think!)

Lily and I after a few of our experiment cocktails

The Formidable French | #2

Part two brings us a timeless beauty, a powerful and wonderful woman hailed as one of France's greatest actresses. Simone Signoret. 

Born in 1921, Signoret was another star of the French classic. After starring in Room at the Top, she became the first French person to win an Academy Award, and gained international fame. She's often been called the Marilyn Monroe of France, because of her striking features and blonde hair. In fact, Signoret and Monroe were close.

During her later years, Signoret received a lot of criticism for gaining weight and letter go of her looks (welcome to the Woman's world), but in reality she aged with impeccable grace.

A Different Kind of Film | Pentax

Well, Semester one is hectic, that much is true. When I've not been running between classes or zoning in on assignments, I've revisited an old hobby. Last time I went home, I decided to bring my old Pentax 35mm SLR back with me. I've been snapping here and here, so I thought I'd show you some of the results, along with a few oldies.