Flat Life (Boy Edition)

Living in a flat in uni halls with seven other people could be a difficult situation to struggle through, depending on that group of people. Fortunately, the super cool awesome amazing lot I live with are super cool, awesome and amazing, so we get on famously. Even in a small space with seven girls and one boy.

Some might take pity on our honorary big brother, but seriously, he gets dinner cooked for him, cleaned up after in the kitchen and he can actually tell his mates that he lives with seven (AH-MAZING!) girls... Yeah, he loves it ;) And despite the fact that he enters the kitchen saying "relax, females, I am here" (as he literally just did as I wrote this sentence) and takes pride in the fact that he set the whole block's fire alarm off making toast, we do kinda like our Jake.

I'll start with the cons of living with a boy, though. Number one, top of the list, is that they are so so sooooo annoying. Again, literally as I wrote these here words, he stole my slipper, made fun of my height (I'm really tiny) and sat on me so that I couldn't type (biting my hair simultaneously). They can also be pretty disgusting at times, for example showing you his mushed up food in his mouth, burping loudly and telling questionable stories, the most recent (about twenty minutes ago) being one about peeing and smoking at the same time. Lovely. 
One that might be unique to our boy is his cockiness, and I mean pushing the arrogant boundaries cocky. Another is his loudness in terms of his speakers and phone ringtone, which can be heard over the TV and on occasion, have been known to wake some of us up. Actually, the speakers wouldn't be that awful during the day if the music blasting from them wasn't so terrible. Some of it isn't too bad (the Kooks, for example), but honestly, the majority is just noise. This bad choice doesn't stop at music, however. Oh no. Movie selections in our flat take anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour or more because of those, shall we say, conflicts in opinion (let's be honest, who likes the Green Lantern but not the Dark Knight?)

Despite all these 'quirks', Jake does have good qualities, too. His big TV, for example, so that we can watch his awful choice in films with him almost every night. He's also pretty good at fixing computers and other tech, like the new iPad I bought today (he helped me find Snapchat on the App Store. Thanks love!) 
Because of his annoying and cocky traits, he can actually make us laugh quite a lot, particularly when bigging himself up or asking us kitchen questions (silly ones). He also dances like Miley Cyrus or an Inbetweener sometimes. That's always hilarious. 
But the best things about living with a boy, and just one rather that multiple boys, is that you get a lovely big brother who looks after you when you need it, helps you carry heavy things (sometimes :P), gives you really good hugs and teases you like there's no tomorrow. I'm told that's what a big brother is supposed to do, and Jake is certainly fulfilling that role. It's just one of the many things that makes our uni flat feel like home. 

Why Leo should have won that Oscar

OK, I think I’ve made it pretty clear that I adore Leonardo DiCaprio. I tend to do the same in real life, too, so much so that when I recommend a Leo movie to people, many say “you only like it ‘cause Leo’s in it”. And yeah, that’s probably true with a couple, but it can be easily argued that an actor can make or break a film. The reason that I love Leo so much (other than that beautiful face and gentlemanly charm) is because you can guarantee that he will give a standout performance whatever you see him in.

That is why he really deserved the Oscar that he missed out on last night. Matthew McConaughey, clearly brilliant in Dallas Buyers Club and also worthy of the best actor award, has given fine performances during his career. But, it has to be said, many were in rom-coms and chick flicks. Matthew might have deserved the win for his accomplishment this year, but Leo has deserved it for the majority of his time (almost a quarter of a century) in Hollywood.

Leo and Robert DeNiro in This Boy's Life

His first major role in a drama film was at the tender age of 16 in This Boy’s Life, starring opposite Robert DeNiro. Leo plays Tobias Wolff in the biographical film depicting an abusive relationship with his stepfather. Leo won the part after wowing Mr DeNiro himself at an audition, and followed through with his powerful newcomer performance in the film. DeNiro even told director Martin Scorsese to look out for “this kid” around a decade before their first collaboration.

Leo’s next role was as Arnie in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, the mentally disabled younger brother of Johnny Depp. If you haven’t seen this film, then do it purely for Leo’s performance. It is just incredible, and even earned him his first Oscar nomination for supporting actor at the age of 18. In fact, his performance was so realistic that people were shocked to discover that he did not actually have a mental disability when he arrived on the red carpet.

Leo in Total Eclipse

The Basketball Diaries was released in 1995, and was arguable Leo’s first leading actor role. He plays Jim Carroll, a young drug addict and writer living in nineties New York. The movie is shocking in terms of the explicit and honest nature of the scenes, which is down to Leo as he gives a poetic portrayal of an extremely troubled boy, and yet, doesn’t glamorise it in the slightest. The same year, Leo starred in the relatively unknown, low-budget European film Total Eclipse, which tells the tragic story of poets Rimbaud and Verlaine (played by David Thewlis) in 19^th century France. Leo is vile as Arthur Rimbaud, giving an arrogant performance which somehow retains a kind of love/hate charm that makes you feel sympathetic for the character.

The Titanic flying scene

Leo in Romeo + Juliet

It wasn’t until 1996 that Leo’s first big breakthrough came in the form of Romeo + Juliet as one half of the most famous literary couples the world has seen. He gives a beautifully heartfelt performance opposite Claire Danes, who said that she couldn’t help welling up whilst filming the final death scene because of Leo’s moving speech. A year later, however, brought the blockbuster that essentially made his name: Titanic. His performance as Jack Dawson isn’t often put with his best, but a character who is so open and passionate must be more difficult to give depth, and Leo does this brilliantly.

After 1997, he could pretty much do anything he wanted. However, Leo chose to appear in meaningful and carefully crafted pieces of work. The first was The Man in the Iron Mask, where he plays twins Louis XIV and Phillipe, two characters who couldn’t be more opposite: Louis is selfish and egotistical, while Phillipe is the poster boy for innocence and sensitivity. This film is unique in that it evidently displays Leo’s versatility and shows that you can love and hate him simultaneously.

Leo in The Beach

Next came a film that didn’t meet with much critical acclaim, but Leo said himself that he chose it because of the subject matter of isolation; he could relate due to the world’s hugely positive reaction to him after Titanic. The Beach is a dystopia-like tale of a group of people living in secret in a tropical paradise. Leo portrays traveller Richard, whose mental states takes a delicate decline, surprising the audience when the obvious breakdown begins. Ultimately, though, that breakdown is believably inevitable.

Leo and Daniel Day-Lewis in Gangs of New York

Leo and air hostesses in Catch Me If You Can

The turn of the millennium brought new, tougher roles to Leo’s repertoire. Gangs of New York was released in 2002 and marked his first work with legendary director Martin Scorsese. Leo’s character was Amsterdam Vallon, an Irish man leading his people into battle against Daniel Day-Lewis’s Bill the Butcher in 19^th century New York. This was Leo’s introduction into proper blood and gore fighting, and remains one of, if not his most, gruesome films. The year after, Leo starred in Catch Me If You Can as Frank Abagnale Jr, who posed as an airline pilot, a doctor and a lawyer as well as forging millions in bank cheques before his 19^th birthday. It is an impressive story, and an incredible feat for Leo to successfully play a 16 year old at the age of 28, giving a sad and sympathetic light to a charming criminal.

The Aviator. Anyone who has seen and knows this film just can’t argue that Leo is one of his generation’s best actors. He plays the infamous Howard Hughes, a pioneer of film and aviation who spent his life suffering from severe obsessive compulsive disorder, and this gave Leo his second Oscar nomination and his first for best leading actor. His dedication to the project meant that his portrayal was poignant and tender, gifting the late Hughes with an understanding tribute by altering society’s negative conception of him. He also shocks; by the ending of the film, Hughes is pathetic and decrepit, a huge distinction from the earlier image of a youthful and ambitious man. Leo became so inherently fascinated with playing this character that obsessive compulsive traits from his childhood returned, often making him late to set due to having to count chewing gum stains on his way. The Aviator, in my opinion is Leo’s best performance to date, and one that will be tough to beat.

Leo and Jack Nicholson in The Departed

Leo in Blood Diamond

Leo’s third film with Scorsese was The Departed in 2006, a story set in Boston depicting the complicated and violent relationship between police and gangs within organised crime. Billy Costigan, Leo’s character, is an undercover state policeman operating in Jack Nicholson’s gang. He is constantly conflicted and stressed, Leo playing this confidently. The same year brought Blood Diamond, a serious film about the trade of conflict diamonds in Sierra Leone. Leo plays Danny Archer, a cynical trader who helps a trapped fisherman find his family. Not only does he speak with a convincing South African accent, but he gives Archer a dark past that the audience can easily understand as the reason for his hard exterior during the film.

Another of Leo’s more underrated performances was as Frank Wheeler in Revolutionary Road. Opposite his Titanic co-star and real-life best friend, Kate Winslet, he plays one half of a suburban American couple in the fifties. However, this couple feel trapped within their family lives, and the film portrays their slow marital decline. Kate was utterly fantastic in this film, thoroughly deserving of her Oscar recognition for her incredibly successful year, but I think this slightly overshadowed Leo’s fantastic performance and made him forgotten by the Academy. Kate, in her Golden Globe speech, summed his work up perfectly: “your performance in this film is nothing short of spectacular”.

Leo in Shutter Island

2010’s releases began with Shutter Island, a psychological horror film set in a fifties mental asylum. Leo is US Marshal Teddy Daniels, a determined man haunted by the ghost of his wife and the mystery surrounding an escaped patient. The flashback scene in the lake, though, is the one which really impresses. Those cries are full of emotion and is simply heartbreaking. The second release was the hugely popular sci-fi hit Inception, in which Leo plays Don Cobb, a professional thief who steals secrets from his victims in their dreams. Again, the standout scene for me is Mal’s suicide, where you can see his desperation growing as she threatens to jump.

Leo in Inception

Leo in J Edgar

J Edgar is a film often forgotten as one of Leo’s most recent. He portrays J Edgar Hoover, the notorious FBI director who is alleged to be a closeted homosexual. Leo is heart-rending in the scene after his mother (played by Judi Dench) has died, dressing in her clothes and jewellery in utter despair and impulse. And later, in full aging makeup, he still manages to keep his face miserably expressive.

A part that I am still shocked that Leo didn’t get an Oscar nomination for is the evil Calvin Candie in Tarantino’s Django Unchained. His first film in years in which he does not play the lead, Leo is despicable and disgusting as the Southern plantation owner, making the audience genuinely hate the sickening character. It is also his first (obvious) role as the villain, and he settles into it incredibly well despite his onset concerns about using that word to describe his co-stars such as Jamie Foxx.

Leo in The Great Gatsby

Returning to Baz Lurhmann’s glamorous directing world for The Great Gatsby in 2013, Leo plays another of the world’s most famous literary characters. Jay Gatsby is one that has been played and analysed hundreds of times over, yet Leo still manages to bring his own unique charm to the role. He is clumsy and romantic, making us swoon and fall for him all over again as he introduces himself as Gatsby during one of the massive party scenes. He makes us want to be his only love, married Daisy Buchanan (played by Carey Mulligan) just because of the way he looks at her, and turns the tables on her character’s reputation frequently.

Finally, the one that he just lost out on. The Wolf of Wall Street is controversial, ambitious and shameless, something that the Academy doesn’t like. Leo, though, gives another of his best performances as Jordan Belfort, and again, in a film that he has been incredibly passionate about making for years. In the film, we see another side of Leo that we don’t usually get – his comedic performance is hilarious, especially during the Quaalude sequence (you’ll know it if you’ve seen it). He is also disturbingly inspirational as he gives his loud and profound speeches. Despite its reputation, The Wolf of Wall Street was one of the best films of the year.

Clearly, throughout his career Leonardo DiCaprio has given some incredible performances which have either been ignored or just not recognised by those award panels. He has definitely deserved more than he’s had recognition for. Who knows? One day, maybe he’ll deliver a performance so stunning that the Academy just won’t be able to deny him that gold statuette, and the internet will implode (note: don’t go near Tumblr when that day comes). 

Oscars 2014: My Reaction

The Academy Awards 2014 was a good show. Not the best they’ve ever had, but still, there were poignant, powerful and absolutely fricking hilarious moments, none of which happened with Alex Zane in his UK studio. Seriously, we could have done without so much cutting back and forth. It was distracting from the dresses!

Anne Hathaway

Sally Hawkins

The worst dressed this year, in my opinion, was Anne Hathaway. Her gown was pretty much the same s last year, just in a different darker colour with jewels added. Anne was closely followed by Sally Hawkins, nominated in the best supporting actress category for Blue Jasmine. The high neck and long sleeves would have been lovely if the sparkling pattern (also fine had it been on a short-sleeved dress) wasn’t so… sparkly. And for me, that’s a big thing to say (I like sparkly things). The three best dressed gals were Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock and Kristen Bell. I don’t usually like Cate’s choices, but this year she had just the right amount of glitter on a beautiful coloured dress. Sandra always looks amazing, and 2014 was no different with her dark blue gown. And finally, Kristen Bell as an unusual choice. I’m not sure exactly why I like her light grey dress, but I know that I really really do.

Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Kristen Bell

The boys often get overlooked in terms of their tux choices, but I’m going to choose the best and worst for them, too. Pharrell Williams’ red carpet suit shorts are the obvious for worst (I know you’re in LA, but come on). The other one is Matthew McConaughey for his cream jacket on top of black – it just looked weird. The best dressed guys is a tougher choice, and I couldn’t narrow it down to less than these five: Jared Leto, working the light suit a lot better than his Dallas Buyers Club co-star, and rocking the red bow tie; Leonardo DiCaprio, just ‘cos he always looks good; Benedict Cumberbatch, for the same reason; Jim Carrey, who looked rather chiselled in his shiny blue tux; and finally, Jason Sudeikis, also looking handsome in a deep blue suit.

Pharrell Williams, Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Leonardo DiCaprio, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jim Carrey, Jason Sudeikis

It wasn’t only the outfits we were looking at on the red carpet, though. There were a couple of, shall we say, mishaps, number one being J-Law falling over (again). Apparently, she tripped over a cone whilst waving to fans. Gotta love her <3

The Cumberbomb

The second was Benedict’s U2 photobomb that can’t be described as anything other than spectacular. And it’s got to be said, it’s impressive that a British guy who didn’t really have too much to do with the Oscars has Cumbersnatched (get it?) the limelight by doing something that wasn’t even on TV… you did good, Cumberbum *massive well-deserved round of applause*.

Ellen's tweet

Another brilliantly famous photo taken last night was Ellen’s Hollywood star selfie, which has broken records by achieving 2.5 million retweets as it currently stands (1.50pm GMT 03/03/14). The picture was taken during the ceremony as Ellen invited the likes of Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Lupita Nyong’o, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Channing Tatum, Jared Leto and Kevin Spacey to join in. And it is one cool selfie.

Speaking of our 2014 Oscar host, how brilliant was Ellen DeGeneres? She was just as I expected: natural, funny, down-to-earth, and miles ahead of Seth MacFarlane’s awkward performance last year. In fact, the ceremony might have been pretty boring if it weren’t for her selfie ^^ or ordering pizza. A well-selected host, and one I hope the Academy chooses again. Congratulations, Ellen!

The song performances were pretty good this year, too. Pharrell Williams (once changed out of his shorts) gave a fun and uplifting opening to the ceremony with ‘Happy’ from Despicable Me 2. U2 were just as you’d expect U2 to perform their track ‘Ordinary Love’ from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Idina Menzel was wonderful, despite the one bum note, in the song ‘Let It Go’ from Frozen (I wish I could sing like her). Finally, the surprise performance of the night had to be from Pink during a tribute to 1939’s classic The Wizard of Oz. She was simply stunning.

Cate Blanchett's Oscar win

Matthew McConaughey's speech

Finally, at 4.30am GMT the big awards began: Best Actress, Best Actor and Best Film. It wasn’t a surprise that Cate Blanchett won after her triumph at both the Globes and the BAFTAs, and honestly, the Best Actress category this year wasn’t overly impressive (it was missing Emma Thompson). Best Actor, however, I was much more interested in. In my opinion, it was a three-horse race between Leo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey and Chiwetel Ejifor after each of their individual wins at the Globes and the BAFTAs, and I so so so so so wanted it to be Leo’s night. So much. So so so much. However, deep down in my heart I kind of knew it was going to be Matthew’s. And he did deserve it, but come on, Academy. LEO!!! (More on this in a later blog, mark my words…)

Steve McQueen's celebration with Lupita Nyong'o and good old Ben

Best Film was not quite as obvious as it has been in recent years. Nine of 2013’s movies were nominated, and the frontrunners were 12 Years a Slave and Gravity. As much as I wanted the Academy to throw us a massive curveball and get Will Smith to read: “And the Oscar for best film goes to… The Wolf of Wall Street!” I knew that was never going to happen. So, I’m quite content that 12 Years a Slave pipped the overly-glorified Gravity to the post.

Gravity was the clear winner for most Oscars this year, and as much as many of the technical awards were well-deserved, I don’t think it was worthy of quite as many as it received. Share them out a bit, Academy! Where were The Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle’s awards? Surely they both justify more than nominations? And one that definitely required more than the nods it received was Saving Mr Banks. However, I am very happy that The Great Gatsby won both the Oscars it was nominated for. Well and truly deserved. Those sets and costumes were incredible.

Overall, the Academy Awards 2014 were entertaining and full of surprises. Ellen DeGeneres was a wonderful host, (most of) the awards were deserved and the performances were brilliant. Just let Leo have his turn next time, OK?

Oscars 2014

Oscar fever has hit Flat 19.

A couple of my super awesome flatmates and me are doing the whole night, from 11.30pm on Sunday to 4 in the morning on Monday. Red carpet to ceremony finale, complete with Oscar Bingo cards that our lovely Charlotte found. J

I’ve watched the glamorous ceremony every year since 2010, but it’s always been the day after once I’d recorded it (what would we do without Sky+?) This year, though, I’m living on my own, and that means I can stay up watching live until the sun comes up. And, by wonderfully amazing coincidence, I’m living with a couple of brilliant-minded gals who watch it, too. Let the crazy dazzling Gatsby-style Oscars party begin!

OK. Perhaps not.

But we will be getting in some yummy take away and sitting in suspenseful anticipation as J-Law opens that envelope and says: “And the Academy Award for Best Actor goes to… Leonardo DiCaprio!” (At least that’s what I’ve desperately got my fingers crossed for…)

What I’m really looking forward to this year (other than Leo getting that damn gold statuette that he’s deserved for many many years) is Ellen DeGeneres hosting again! She’ll be just as good as Billy Crystal and definitely better than Seth MacFarlane last year (we won’t mention 2011’s disastrous attempt… *cough* Anne Hathaway *cough* James Franco *cough*)

The awards, though, are the most exciting part of the whole night. This year looks to be one of the most ambiguous due to there being no clear frontrunners like there have been recently (i.e. The King’s Speech/Colin Firth in 2011, The Artist in 2012 and J-Law just a year ago). However, I do think there have been several snubs… Tom Hanks being the most obvious. Captain Phillips, although I haven’t seen it, has been well-received, and he was incredible in Saving Mr Banks. Walt Disney is a man who would be difficult to play correctly given his inexplicable range of reputations, and Mr Hanks has given him a sympathetic and warm portrayal that hasn’t been recognised by any award panels that I know of. Emma Thompson, also in Saving Mr Banks, was brilliant as P.L. Travers, too. Finally, in my opinion The Great Gatsby should have been at least nominated for more. But then again, the award season always seems to forget those movies released earlier in the year (others include Monsters University for best animated film and Benedict Cumberbatch for… well, just ‘cos. It’s Benedict.)

Without further ado, if I were the only judge on the panel, the Academy Awards go to:

Best Picture – The Wolf of Wall Street (*12 Years a Slave)

Actor in a Leading Role – Leonardo DiCaprio (*Matthew McConaughey)

Actress in a Leading Role – Sandra Bullock (*Cate Blanchett)

Actor in a Supporting Role – Jonah Hill/Michael Fassbender (*Jared Leto)

Actress in a Supporting Role – Jennifer Lawrence (*Jennifer Lawrence)

Animated Feature Film – Frozen (*Frozen)

Costume Design – The Great Gatsby (*American Hustle)

Directing – Martin Scorsese/Alfonso Cuarón (*Steve McQueen)

Music (Original Score) – Thomas Newman, Saving Mr Banks (*Steven Price, Gravity)

Music (Original Song) – Happy, Despicable Me 2 (*Let It Go, Frozen)

Writing (Adapted Screenplay) – The Wolf of Wall Street (*12 Years a Slave)

Writing (Original Screenplay) – American Hustle (*Dallas Buyers Club)

 

(*) depicts my actual prediction on what will actually happen on the actual night J