The Script Weekend!

Helloo!
So I have been told, (even though I was going to do one myself at some point!) to do a post about the weekend that has just gone! I went with one of my best friends, as part of her Christmas present, to see The Script! - I thank you Els for asking me! ;)
Now I'm a fan of The Script,.. but to contradict myself, I don't know all the words, nor would I die for them, but I like their music and they seem like decent guys from any interviews that I've seen! I do wish that I had listened to the songs more and got to know the words - cos I let myself down by going to an amazing concert and not being able to sing along to every song; however I did woop and clap A LOT! (So It somehow makes up for the lack of lyric knowledge, yeah?)

I love the atmosphere of going to a concert, how everyone is sitting there waiting for it to start, chatting about what it's going to be like and feeling the general excitement in the air! I don't know if that comes with being deaf, being more aware of your surroundings? Feeling the anticipation all around you? It's amazing. It's like being part of a group, I mean it just doesn't matter about anything while you're there, when you're in the moment singing along and being too excited! No-one judges you whilst you sing, clap or woop - everyone is there to enjoy themselves, whether you're Deaf, Autistic, Black, White or have a fetish for feet! It simply doesn't matter, we all enjoy the music together, and for a while that's all that matters.
I  was also quite surprised at how well I understood the lads! They did some talking and telling tales between songs.. and I thought that I'd find it difficult hearing and understanding what they were saying, especially in their Irish accent, and also knowing that microphones gives feedback and can make voices sound muffled - but It was completely the opposite! (I'm guessing this is the most amazing technology they use at the Arena?) It was almost like they were in front of me just chatting to me, just normally, I have to say it was a massive relief especially as I did worry that I would miss it and it'd ruin the experience by looking like 'huh? what?' So I was glad that my worries weren't met :)
However having low blood sugars, and drinking coke at 11.45pm, ending in only 3 hours sleep was pretty much the only down thing there! But completely was weighed out by the fact I spent the weekend in amazing company and really enjoyed my time in London & travelling! :D (It's so relaxing!!) But after such a successful trip I'd be more than happy to go again for a show, knowing that I'd be able to hear the person talking on stage!

Not knowing - Eleanor

 I went to see The Script at the o2 this weekend just gone and it was amazing. I've always liked The Script, even though I've not heard much of their latest album (well I've had it playing several times in my car but I can only learn the words by reading them from somewhere, I can't literally listen to a song once and know the lyrics instantly).

 I find gigs a mixed ball of emotions. On one hand I love going to them because its all about the atmosphere, tons of people crammed into a room and blasted with music from their favourite bands. On the other hand, the minute it starts I remember just how deaf I am.

Picture the scene, you've spent most the day waiting and preparing for the gig, packing, travelling, finding the hotel, working your way around the tube station and finally you're sat at THE o2 with the hundred other fans filling out the room, making excited noises. You wait, with anticipation for the band to finally come on, the endless songs playing over the tannoy just can't seem to satisfy you any longer, the lights go dark and the show begins.
You can see the pre-show introduction on the massive screen and the constant interchanging lights of the stage fill the room, the audience suddenly silent eager to see the first glimpse of the band and listening intensely... you prick your ears and engage your eyes ready to concentrate... but its all muffed, mumbled and confusing.

You wait, for what seems minutes but is only seconds for the introductions, hoping its just a minor blip and it will all become clear. Or maybe your eyes will suddenly show subtitles, interpreting every move so you don't have to work quite so hard.

You find some consolation when the band members start to appear on stage, you remember that's why you're there and right infront of your very own eyes they are performing this magical combination of instruments and voices to create a masterpiece. They begin to play your favourite song and you can just about sing all the lyrics to it. Your heart flutters, its all worth it.
 Because they've played your favourites you forget the bad moments, the bits where you couldn't even tell the noises of the guitars from the drums to the bass or even the singer. The songs you've not learnt the lyrics too yet everybody else in the room is singing along or so it seems.
 You forget about the bits inbetween songs when the band members talk to the audience but you don't know what they're saying. The awkward pestering your friend to find out what they've said and being 10 seconds behind everyone else. This is the band you've travelled all day to see, to hear, to love. And you miss out.

 The hardest part is the first few seconds when reality hits in, that life doesn't have subtitles that you can turn on and off when you need them, that even when you're trying your absolute hardest, you still can't interpret what is being said. The worse part of it all, is knowing that you've missed it.

 Sometimes, not knowing that you've missed it, would almost be easier.

Latitude for Deaf people

I’ve never really been a festival goer. I’ve been to the V Fest for the day, and I once went to Hyde Park to see Oasis (Kaisbian were one of the supporting groups and they were amazing!).  I even went to the KLFM concert one evening simply because it was cheap (not many tickets were getting sold so they were dirt cheap… quite a nice evening, especially as there were no queues in the bar.. because hardly anyone was there!!) but it was rather cold and full of debut acts.

 I’ve never camped anywhere further than my back garden. Partly because I’ve never needed too, but partly because the thought of not being able to hear people around the tent whilst I’m asleep kinda scares me!

One of my friends who works as a BSL interpreter told me about Latitude and how it’s one of the major festivals with deaf access. They actively promote Latitude to deaf people by offering cheaper ticket deals to ensure they can come, providing BSL interpreters for some of the goings on. It all sounds amazing but in the bottom of my heart I know that doesn’t really help me. I am deaf, with a hearing family, brought up orally and although I’ve learnt some BSL I’m definitely not confident enough to follow BSL 100%. I’m also not able to follow speech 100% of the time, I rely heavily on lip-reading which can involve several incidents/frustrations with accents, moustaches and generally lazy talkers!

For all you deaf readers, please consider Latitude, things can get even better if people show their support and enthusiasm for additional deaf access. Perhaps in the future we could get certain events captioned for those inbetweeners (not the film!!) like me. But things can only improve or become better if we communicate our needs and fight for equal access. Just because we happen to have some sort of hearing loss, doesn’t mean we don’t deserve to know what’s going on.

Immy's Review - The Descendants

The Descendants

Directed: Alexander Payne

Starring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Stars: 4/5

This was a film that was recommended to me by LoveFilm, so I added it to my list. I remember that everyone was desperate to go and see this film in the cinema - but after watching it, I don't really know why! Unless you have a massive crush on George Clooney - well then, it's the perfect film for you.

I sound very negative for the start of this review, but honestly it wasn't what I expected. For me, I like to get to the deep issues within a relationship in a film, I like to feel that I'm able to step into the shoes of the characters, but this filmed lacked all of that for me. Personally I feel the emotional distraught could have come out a lot more in the story - but it just didn't feel enough, maybe it was because I was expecting too much? Or maybe it was that it wasn't my type of film.

The film start with Matt (George Clooney) doing a voice over, where we understood that his wife Elizabeth was in a accident which has left her in a coma, for 23 days.. and counting. They both have two daughters together, Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) and Scottie (Amara Miller).

We see the difficulty in Matts' life as he tries to control all aspects, including the children. We hear that he hasn't looked after Scottie since she was 3, and now she was 10. So finding out how she has troubles at school with showing pictures of her mother in coma, the teachers look towards Matt for him to sort it out, but we notice he doesn't really know what to do. We get the image that he was away from the house more than he was in. So having to look after their daughter, with the added pressures of work and the family land that needs selling, we see how hard it is for him. He promises that everything will get better, but he knows deep down it's all left to him to deal with, and that it won't get better.

I liked how we see the reality of aftermath, but I think it would've been a lot better if we had seen a few snippets of Elizabeth and Matts' life together. Because we didn't get to see much of that, only what little information we got from Matt who was in denial about their life. It was only when Alexandra talked to her Dad that he understood it all fully.

Matt has a impossible conversation with his wife's Doctor, as the news on her brain scan wasn't good. She wouldn't be getting better and their life as they know it wasn't ever going to be the same. She was deteriorating and they were going to switch the machines off, then it was left for Elizabeth to go on her own. After hearing this bad news, he goes to the main land with Scottie to tell their daughter, Scottie's sister Alexandra about the Mother. When they got to Alexandra they found that she was drinking and behaving appallingly, so that was another issue he had to sort out - he honestly didn't realise how bad this has all become.

It was clear that the Mother and Alex had a bad relationship as the last time they saw each other they fought, and Matt never understood why they did and urged her to let go and make peace with her Mum before it's too late. She refused to at first due to her loyalty to her father, and told him the truth explaining that she was cheating on him with another man. After the bombshell, Matt fled to his friends house and demanded if they knew anything about the affair, they did. They knew that she had enough and was going to ask for a Divorce as she was in love with this other man.

I guess we can all imagine how finding out a partner has cheated, would feel so, to find that his friends also knew was heartbreaking. He lashed out and told them the truth about her not surviving.

Matt vows with his Daughter Alex to find the man she cheated on him with, with only the name 'Brain Speeder'. He didn't know what he was going to do when he met up with him or saw him, but he had to know what he was like. 

They set out to find Brain with Alex's friend Sid (Nick Krause) who at first appeared to be cocky and arrogant (but we find out that's just an act!). It takes a long time for them to finally set eyes on them, I think it was constant turmoil about what they were going to do, how they'd handle it.. how much it's affecting their memories of their mother and wife. 

I like how well handled the scenes were with the finally meeting Brian, as Matt wasn't reacting to it violently, or even that emotionally - It did seem he was just so tired of the who business but he loved his wife enough to give her lover the chance to say goodbye. I don't know if it was the whole 'men don't cry' type thing going on with Matt throughout this film? Or if it was just me expecting everyone to fall apart. But it does make you see how differently you'd maybe react in his position. We also realised that Brains wife was lovely, and had no idea just like him, and I think him knowing what his wife did, he didn't want to inflict the same pain onto Brains wife. Which was incredibly selfless and we do see how he emotionally change throughout the film with the daughters, from being a workaholic to a family man. This was the nicest part of the film for me.

I gave this film a 4 stars as I think the story line could have been deeper at the beginning, knowing what the relationships are like in the family.. the reasons behind all the distance and anger. But I think as the film progressed we did see these areas get filled with reasons, to a degree. 

But it was a decent film and I'm glad I've caught up with the talk about it! I would watch it again, it seems like a film you'd probably get more out of each time you watched it..

El review: The Vow

 The Vow

Year: 2012
Runtime: 104 mins
Director: Michael Sucsy
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum, Jessica Lange.
Genre: Drama, Romance

 Looking around on LoveFilm for a DVD, this one jumped out at me because it starred Rachel McAdams, one of my favourite actresses. I absolutely adored her in Sherlock Holmes as the love interest, The Time Travellers wife and also The Notebook. I believe McAdams has an ability to relate to the characters she plays, but also her beautiful natural appearance enables her to pull off the ‘sweet girl next door’ look that most guys fall for and girls love to hate.

When looking around on Wiki, I read that she actually dated Ryan Gosling for 2 years (after The Notebook was filmed) even though during filming they didn’t get on ‘in any way’. At one point Gosling asked the director to “bring somebody else in for my off-camera shot” because he felt McAdams was being uncooperative. Perhaps an early sign of the chemistry between them!

Anyway, enough about my obsession with McAdams. The Vow is inspired by a true story, and sees (Channing Tatum) Leo, a husband who is devastated when his new bride (Rachel McAdams) who is involved in a car accident, lose 5 years of her memory. Inconveniently the couple met about 4 years ago which puts a giant stopper on that marriage!
 From the very beginning of this film, it’s clear it’s going to be a cheesy version of a horrible, horrible situation. For me, probably only two moments at the most were emotionally distressing, when Leo finally lashes out (if it were me, I’d be constantly lashing out, so respect to the guy!).

For me I enjoyed the film massively because I love seeing McAdams acting. I do like the odd cheesy film, and certain moments made me cringe with the ‘cute relationship stuff’. For example when Leo is taking Paige out for a ‘1^st date’, Rachel said that she had to be back by 10 in the morning. Leo grinned and said that he ‘felt a little scandalised’ resulting in an awkward moment of ‘I-want-her-to-stay-but-now-I’ve-said-something-dumb-need-to-look-a-little-less-clingy-and-a-bit-more-cool’.

The film was a little lacking in the plot and because it was all from the guys eyes, it felt a little bare. For me, I’d find it more interesting from the girl’s side because how do you cope with a giant hole in your life? I understood the pain and frustration from the guy’s eyes but, think a bit more of a mix would have only been a good thing. However I’m sure I wasn’t the only one that smirked a little when Leo finally hit Jeremy. J

Of course, with most cheesy romantic love stories, it does work out in the end (although how Leo stayed single for 6/7 months is beyond me, did you SEE that body??).

I think I will mark this film 4/5 stars because it was just what I wanted, a cheesy rom com but felt the storyline could have done with a little more oomph and perspective on brain trauma and memory loss, enabling me to feel like I’ve also learnt something in the 104 minutes.

****