These are my April reviews, possibly the last in a while as it's off to uni I go, once again. I'm back for a flying visit in about three weeks but there may not be time then. Anyway, on with the show for all two of you who are likely to read this! I really should advertise more. I suppose I should actually do something decent with the site first;)
It's quite hard to know what to say about this one. I am a huge Alanis fan, I have all her other stuff, but I wasn't as excited about this one. I don't know if that's because it's less good or just because I'm too old now to get excited about such things! To be truthful I think it's because the subject matter is less interesting to me. Most of the tracks are forms of love songs, even a ballad or two which, admittedly in a unique form just like her first one, Head Over Feet, are just not as entertaining for me as her angsty, 'I hate the world today' kind of stuff. But that aside, it's still Alanis and therefore miles better than most of the crap in the charts these days. The thing I like about her is her honesty, her work comes across as autobiographical, and in a very frank, open manner, unlike the cliched forms used by other writers in order to sell well. She is wordy (for example "Do you have a big intellectual capacity but know that it alone does not equate wisdom?" !), which puts some people off, but I find it refreshing. This is very good, I don't have the same emotional connection with it, but regardless it is high quality writing and has been all I've been listening to lately. It gets a firm 8 out of 10.
I've seen a few films lately; Christine, Stepmom, and many more, but nothing to really write home about (although Stepmom would have rated better if I hadn't been struggling to keep my eyes open!), so I thought I'd go with an oldie but goldie. Dances With Wolves, what can say? I don't like Kevin Costner, but his directing and acting here is flawless. Enhanced my John Barry's famous score, this film is so powerful and yet so understated. That is what I like most, I think. It contains such power, dealing with emotive subjects, yet unlike a lot of Hollywood films it is not overly sentimental. Our sympathies for the characters are evoked subtley, and in fact we are shown the brutality that exists on both sides, so that neither can be claimed to be stereotypical good guys or bad guys. It is refreshing compared to the many cowboy versus Indian films churned out over the years. Despite the drama, I find this film quite relaxing to watch for the most part. It has such gentle scenes, such as those with Two-Socks, the wolf, that I can just watch it over and over without getting bored. The only thing that surprised me when I watched this recently for the first time in ages was the abrupt ending. I didn't remember it being so inconclusive, but that is part of the success of this film, not giving you the traditional Hollywood conclusion, and thus being in keeping with the subject matter which has never been fully resolved for some people. I give this an excellent 9 out of 10.
This is an unusual choice, as it isn't a fictional story. Instead it is an amusing, but also enraging, account of the many ways in which women have been suppressed throughout history. Unfortunately I did not have time to read it all before giving it back to the library, but I am determined to finish it as I found it intriguing. I like Russ's style, this is not written in the rather complex, almost elitist manner of the other text books on my English course, but in a very readable way and with plenty of humour. Behind that though are very serious points about the depth of oppression women have suffered throughout the years, and the rather disturbing fact that the world hasn't moved on as far as we may convince ourselves it has. She cites examples of more recent chauvinist behaviour which are shocking. This book helped me to really admire those who in the past have stepped out of their dictated roles in order to follow their hearts and consequently further the cause for the rest of us. Some women may feel there are unfair obstacles to be faced in today's society, but that is nothing compared to what these women were prepared to go through for the sake of their work, which makes them far stronger people than me. I think that all people, male or female, would find this an enjoyable book to read, and most would feel similarly angered by it (although I know one or two chauvinists who could be cited in this book as examples!) An entertaining read for anyone thinking we have moved on from inequality, or curious to discover how we reached this point. 6 out of 10.
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