Sophie Yapp

Once a film has been critically tarnished, it’s hard to come back from that. As soon as the negative reviews start to drop, public perceptions are formed and the box office is often affected accordingly. Yet it’s fairly common for a film to be met with critical apathy upon its initial release, only to assume the mantle of overlooked gem later on. Fourteen years after its disappointing theatrical run in 2002, Danny DeVito’s absurd black comedy, Death to Smoochy, exists as one such film.

Emma Stone is ace as Olive Penderghast, the sharp-witted, sassy and grounded teenager who is as mocking of herself as she is of her credulous peers. When rumours about her sex life spread like wildfire around college, she agrees to lie about sleeping with people in order to increase their social standing. Harlot, tramp, temptress, tart, floozy, trollop… Olive ticks every box. Stone plays a relatable protagonist who, unlike many coming-of-age films, does not conform to a specific stereotypic high school role. Instead, she finds a balance between confidence and self-deprecation, always unable to prevent herself from verbally declaring her after-thoughts.

In the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowksi, Julianne Moore’s performance as Maude Lebowski adds a much-needed dose of deadpan wit. She’s excellent as a snooty feminist artist, whose exceedingly dry conduction of speech is hysterical in itself. In one scene she describes her art as being commended as “strongly vaginal,” further explaining how the word itself makes some men feel uncomfortable, before proceeding to say “vagina” in such a mordant manner that it’s impossible not to laugh.

To think, if Bette Midler hadn’t turned down this role, Whoopi Goldberg might never have played the part that was destined for her. She even asked for her character’s name to be changed to Deloris, simply because she’d always wanted to play someone with that name. It’s this attitude that makes Goldberg’s Deloris Van Cartier, a lounge singer placed under protective custody in a convent after witnessing a murder, so fitting and in turn, so funny. In becoming a nun, or a “penguin” as she puts it, Deloris loses the afro, the glittery clothes and the makeup, but her feisty femininity remains, which causes constant entertaining conflict between her and Maggie Smith’s Reverend Mother.

A man sticks a knife into the eye of a police officer. He repeatedly stabs it, then proceeds to lick the blood from the blade, relishing in the taste of his latest victim. This is Baskin, the latest from Turkish genre director Can Evrenol. His film pivots around five police officers summoned to an abandoned building in Inceagac, a town preceded by its unsettling reputation. There, they descend stairs down to what can only be described as Hell. Not for the faint hearted, Baskin makes for a truly gruesome, masochistic study of the thin line between heroes and anti-heroes.

We all remember those awkward teenage years. That blurry haze of adolescent experiences – sometimes exceptionally hard to endure, others better left forgotten, but on a whole, compensated by formative events that evoke amusement and enjoyment. The same could be said of Indian director Q’s Brahman Naman. Set in Bangalore in the ’80s, the film follows a trio of sharp-witted, sexually-frustrated Indian teenage boys, whose primary interests concern excessive drinking, competing in college quiz challenges and trying desperately (rather, failing miserably) to lose their virginities.

Rémi Chayé’s Long Way North is an animated adventure set in 1882, where Sasha, a young Russian princess, embarks on an expedition from Saint Petersburg to the North Pole in order to solve the mystery regarding the disappearance of her grandfather, a renowned explorer. This tale of personal discovery reveals much more than just facts, but is ultimately about a woman consolidating her identity.

Ever since setting up a children’s acting agency with her brother and sister at a tender age, Bebe Cave has been steadfast in her determination to make it in the film industry. In 2012 she starred in Mike Newell’s Great Expectations, and has since performed on-stage alongside Helen Mirren in between appearing in various television series. Now she’s followed that up with a meatier role in Matteo Garrone’s otherworldly Tale of Tales, which hits cinemas this week. In it Cave plays Violet, a young princess thrown into a testing situation where, contrary to most fairy tales concerning princesses, she has to save herself.

Generally speaking, when faced with the word ‘dystopia’, it’s within our tendencies to imagine a bleak, desolate society some years from now, often in the name of disaster. Such disasters are usually at the hands of a corrupt government or some form of global virus. You wouldn’t be wrong in thinking that, but there’s much more to dystopian films than visually decrepit landscapes and a colossal amount of misery imparted on the human race, although, fundamentally, that is largely what they entail. While most dystopian films derive from common themes such as inefficient living standards, class dichotomy or government surveillance, they can be dystopian on a much greater level, insinuating problems brushed aside in our society, or portraying the potential consequences of such through the media of film.

An adaptation from J.G. Ballard’s infamous 1975 novel, High-Rise is, at its best, a thought-provoking cinematic product of ingenuity and, at its worst, a begrudging reminder of how susceptible we are, as humans, to socially chaotic conformities and moral transgressions. 

Raw, gritty and realistic, Stephen Fingleton’s The Survivalist serves as a reprieve from the cinematic splurge of teen dystopian films as of late. Stripping it back down to basics in every sense of the word, Fingleton presents the aftermath of a depopulated society, reminding us that, whilst on some occasions welcomed, visual effects are not the be-all and end-all of dystopian film. 

In a cinematic explosion of adrenaline-fuelled, fast-paced car chasing across a scenic post-apocalyptic desert – comprising of more bodily harm and seat-gripping action than you can shake a stick at – George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road is undoubtedly a prime dystopian film that warrants repeated viewings. 

Few quotes could be more emblematic of England in the ‘90s than those uttered by focal character, Kelly, in This Is England ‘90, while staring hazily at the picturesque woodland scenery in a post-euphoric comedown, fuelled by prior ecstasy-induced highs. Whilst fictional – and steeped in irony following the felonious antics prior to such an utterance – this quote is also symbolic of director Shane Meadows’ own drawn ‘picture’ of England, as depicted in the film and TV Drama miniseries This Is England.

Back in 2002 when it was released, Steven Spielberg’s indication of what the future of technology holds in ‘Minority Report’ – including spiderbots, predictive policing and gesturial interface – may have seem farfetched, but fifteen years since the film was made – and only 39 years away from the idealized period of 2054 in which it is set – it’s already apparent that holographic advancements are well on their way to catching up, and potentially even surpassing these predictions.

A catwalk collection can only truly succeed in captivating the audience if it embodies an ethos that is intertwined so compellingly into the innovative designs that it surpasses itself to an entirely different level. Similarly, in film, costume designing can only truly transmit with the audience if it is visually reflective of the plot, themes and character portrayal present in the film, to the point where the boundaries between fiction and reality are merely more than a passing thought. Both Iris Van Herpen’s 3D printed designs and the costuming from ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise succeed in incorporating the ethos behind the garments into their visual aesthetics, channeling the very inspiration from which they are derived.

Nothing serves as a more painstaking reminder of loneliness than the mundane, sheer oppression of being single in a society which is adamant that life is much more plentiful when you have an other – or indeed, better – half to share it with. Yorgos Lanthimos’ ‘The Lobster’ portrays an absurdist dystopian world, where coupledom is obligatory or the consequences are animalistic, in both senses of the word. Singletons are escorted to a moderately lavish hotel for a dating retreat, where the pressures of finding a partner are heightened ever more by the knowledge that you will be transformed into an animal - of your choosing, if that's any consolation - should you not find a compatible partner within forty-five days.

The Young Creatives are not a tribe in terms of those within it dressing accordingly. Albeit, what they wear is a reflection of their relation to the tribe. All members have different styles, but are all worn in a manner that reflect their personalities and ambitions; indeed, as a result of their lifestyle, thus making them a tribe. They are not defined by their clothing; they define themselves through their lifestyles and channel this into their style.

Much can be said for the impact the weather can have upon our moods. Much less, however, for the effect it can have on our clothes. London-based designer, Robert Wun, demonstrates exactly this in his latest AW15 campaign film, ‘AURA’.By definition, ‘aura’ is an atmosphere generated and surrounded by either an object, setting or person, and in this two-minute film directed by 44, we get a distinct sense of this. Living up to its name, the film encapsulates an overt sense of aura through the clothing, which is entirely reflective of the scenery and weather in which it is accompanied by.

Few graduates are lucky – or indeed, noticed – enough amongst the masses of aspiring designers within a year of graduating. However, former Central St Martin’s graduate, Grace Wales Bonner, is the next in line of aspiring and innovating designers to have their collections showcased at the V&A’s Fashion in Motion. Taking place on 10th April, 2015, the South-London based menswear designer is set to showcase highlights of her collections in four free presentations, including her latest AW15 collection ‘Ebonics’.

My role as Art Director comprised of creating the design and layouts featured throughout, assistance with styling, and writing the following features: Cuisine Calendar, Edible Flowers, Prison Break? Piece Of Cake, The Nose Knows No Bounds, Culinary Couture and The Sweet Tooth.