Is It 5?

Three big constants in my life are films, books and music. I generally use films for direct influence, books for imagination and music as mood-setting inspiration. I'm quite flexible in my 'favourites' as I like always finding new things to outdate old ones, but I thought I'd construct a 'Top 5" list. This list will probably be out of date in the next few weeks but I'll try to keep it updated or add in anything I have found really amazing.

Film

(1)

As mentioned many many times, Amelie is my all time favourite film. I secretly aspire to be her, on a regular basis, and unrelentlessly wish my world was red and green. Luckily I can actually understand French reasonably well so am able to watch without subtitles, definitely an idea if you really want to appreciate the visuals. In general, you could watch and understand without the titles, however you would miss out on some of the subtle humour and quirky habitudes of some of the characters. My advice would be to watch the film so many times that you learn the script... 

(2)

Also mentioned a few times in Jacques Tati's Mon Oncle. Watch this for a unspoilt, idealistic view of 1950's France woven in with the physical genius that is Tati and an incredibly visually stimulating dig at the French government. The film does address real underlying issues from recent French history using its simple plot and endearing characters to make the viewer sympathize with the cause. My favourite scene involves Hulot, the main character, breaking the machinery at a pipe factory, producing misshapen piping resembling enormous strings of red sausages which get dragged around the town.

(3)

This film is a 'must see' for so many reasons. Lemmon and Curtis are absolutely fantastic, dressing up as women to escape being killed as being witnesses to a murder by gangsters.  It has a similar feel to it that 'The Ladykillers" does; simple and inoffensive despite its slightly sinister plot. Obviously the story gets more and more ridiculous as one of the men (acting as a woman) ends up falling for Marilyn Munroe, causing absolute chaos. A really inspired film for a cosy night in.

(4)

I do like my animation. I generally love most things by Dreamworks and Disney Pixar and Ice Age is definitely one of my favourites. I guess I love the real human element given to the characters within the film. This story is a real must for when you need cheering up. Scrat (pictured above) is everyone's favourite character, and he reminds of a pet rat I used to have, called Mabel, who had a similar nervous twitch. I also particularly love the Dodo's who, in this story, bring about their own demise through their own stupidity. I think Wall-e is worth a mention too. The real over-cute human elements in the film are fantastic, guaranteed to make you smile.

(5)

Continuing with the animation theme, Aardman are also right up in my list of classics. The obvious Wallace and Gromit, who everyone knows and loves, down to the lesser known Creature Comforts. I never thought that plastercine animals discussing their holiday disasters or doing impressions of Julia Roberts could be so unbelievably heart-warming. I also happen to think that being a model maker must be one of the most amazing jobs to have.

Books

(1)

This trilogy is my all-time favourite story. I originally read these books in school, probably when I was about 14, and re read them a few months ago. I got so involved in my re reading, that I finished all three books in under two weeks. I love to believe that the story is real while I am reading it, something I don't often do when absorbing stories. It would be a truly bizarre occurrence if anything much was true about Daemons, parallel universes and The Authority, however it inspires such vivid images that you cant help wishing it was. 

(2)

There is something so unbelievably honest and normal about these books. They allow uninterrupted access into the mind of a teenage boy whose daily issues revolve around Pandora (the love of his life), writing letters to Tony Blair and measuring his 'thing' every day to check how much it's grown. It may be slightly more fascinating from the perspective of a girl, however, I remain unconvinced that there is someone out there who is completely resistant to it's charm.

(3)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a fantastic and eye-opening book. The story revolves around a boy with autism who has various habits and reasonings in his daily life. For example, he hates the colour brown but loves the colour red. If he sees a lot of red cars in the morning, it means he will have a good day, whereas, if he sees brown or yellow cars (yellow is also a bad colour) he will have a bad day. Although dominated by these small habits and routines, the story is actually about his discovery that his mother, who he believed was dead, was actually alive and well, having run off with the man next door. To ordinary children this is a shocking discovery but to a boy with autism, who relies on an exact daily routine, it is truly catastrophic. Although, most of his worries revolve around whether his mother knows how to cook his curry properly or not.

(4)

Haruki Murakami's books are not generally recommended for their stories. This sounds like an odd thing to say about a book but once you have read one it makes more sense. The stories are good but their main purpose is the carry the language he uses. He talks at great length about insignificant things, such as making toast in the morning, but makes it sound like making toast is all you have ever wanted to do. Norwegian Wood is known as his 'normal' book as it is, essentially, a love story (though the main character sleeps with virtually every woman in the book). I am gradually working my way through all of Murakami's books and Kafka on the Shore is next in line. I would thoroughly recommend trying one of his books, however, people tend to have a love hate relationship with them.

(5)

Perfume is one of the most fascinating books I've ever read. It is the story of a serial killer, who kills young women so he can make their smell into perfume. The main character is portrayed as sinister and an outcast from the very beginning. In a very strange way, you end up feeling sorry for him when he is eventually caught and tried for his crimes. The main reason I would give for reading this book is it's unlevelled descriptions of smells and scents in the novel. It is so well written that you know EXACTLY what something smells like as he sniffs it. This is definitely a good book for someone who likes an unusual story.

Music

I was originally going to do top five for music as well but this is proving a lot more difficult than I thought. I have realised I like far too much music to construct a top 5, so I have decided to write a list of bands that everyone should have at least listened to, in my opinion. 

"So do as I say and listen to these bands!"

The Album Leaf

Ambulance Ltd

The American Analogue Set

The Appleseed Cast

The Arcade Fire

Architecture in Helsinki

The Beach Boys

Bloc Party

Blonde Redhead

Blur

Boards of Canada

Booka Shade

Camera Obscura

Caribou

Cherry Ghost

The Cinematic Orchestra

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Coco Rosie

Counting Crows

The Cure

Daft Punk

David Bowie

Death Cab for Cutie

The Decemberists

Feist

Fourtet

Fridge

Hot Chip

Husky Rescue

Jeff Buckley

Kent

The Knife

Maps

Massive Attack

Mew

Minus the Bear

Moby 

Modest Mouse

Mum

Of Montreal

Owen

Pixies

Portishead

Radiohead

Regina Spektor

The Sea and Cake

The Shins

Smashing Pumpkins

Snow Patrol

Stars

The Strokes

Tom Waits

Trellis

We Are Scientists

Zero 7

"So off you go and do your homework!"