Hardship and Happiness: Inspirational Tales.

 Everybody needs inspiration. I use film as my inspiration, but some films themselves tell inspirational stories too.

Film can convey a story or convey facts about inspirational events, people, and situations that we can all relate too, and in this sense, cinema reflects well on us when it tells an inspirational tale.

I went to see A Star is Born last year. The film is more a re-imagining of the earlier ‘A Star is Born’ films, and tells a much grittier modern story, which also works as a cautionary tale surrounding the music industry too.

Lady Gaga has successfully transferred from off-beat pop-star to big-screen stage starlet with grace, and she deserves an academy award for her performance.

A Star is Born is also an inspirational film as its central character Ally Maine (portrayed by Lady Gaga) is going through a tough time, and has yet to find her moment in the spotlight; she also doubts herself, her abilities, and her physical attractiveness: such things are all aspects that are prominent hurdles in the music industry, and to top that the film features a romance that plays out in a way that is relatable to many, which sets it apart from so many Hollywood romances where everything works out perfectly.

So together with ‘A Star is Born’ I shall be sharing some inspirational cinematic tales I think are worth a look.

THE ELEPHANT MAN (1980)

The Elephant Man tells the tragic, yet inspirational tale of Joseph Merrick (called John in the film) who was born with a debilitating and ultimately fatal condition, the nature of which remains uncertain to this day. 

This tragic true story  takes places in Victorian London around the latter part of the 19^th century, a period he shared with the infamous so called Jack the Ripper. 

In director David Lynch’s film, John Merrick (John Hurt) finds himself part of a circus freak show where he is cruelly bullied, exploited, and abused by Freakshow owner Mr Bytes (Freddie Jones).

Fortunately, John Merrick crosses paths with doctor Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins), who confronts Mr Bytes and, indeed, many elements in Victorian London who won't except him, and discovers to his surprise that John is extremely intelligent and kind, as he introduces him to high society, if only for a short moment in time.

The resulting film 'The Elephant Man' would become one of American director David Lynch's signature films, if not his best work, and certainly his most mature.

Joseph Merrick, despite all he had working against him, managed to defy the odds, and fight back against the cruel society that had cast him out.

Joseph Merrick's birth was far from perfect, yet he appeared to be a perfect soul. In other-words, we tend to gauge society by its ability to fit a certain idealistic mould, and judge a given birth based on this mould. A human pregnancy is never guaranteed to be successful, nor is it a perfect process, yet our media culture and news reflect on all the so-called perfect pregnancies and celebrate them on the news.

We tend to view the world idealistically, or expect ideals, and society is geared this way all over the world, a geared sense of divinity concerning conception, and the human form, the moon and the stars, and the layout of the universe. In essence, this is just a blanket of the conceit to keep the cogs turning a certain way, but I've never viewed this planet idealistically.

A memorable and very profound scene occurs in the latter part of the film where John is admiring a model of a Cathedral he has built out of paper. The camera glides around this man-made structure focusing on its roof and symmetry, clearly contrasting itself with John's extreme disfigurement, which is at odds with symmetry by nature. We are suggesting the ideal is a facade and Merrick's severe disfigurement is close to reality, a human reality. The structure of the church is man made and the concept of divine beauty or divine child birth in and of itself are purely fictional. We know beauty and idealism is born of only the human mind and it would be nothing short of disappointing if any kind of higher power was truly grounded in such trivialities and embarrassing; it is a organic flaw and something humanity thrives on or is hinged upon - idealism and the human form.

The human death rate as a direct result of genetic abnormalities and cellular abnormalities is still ongoing; there is nothing idealised about creation or human creation. It is flawed and vulnerable...weak in both concept and implementation. Religion and idealisation are the metaphorical safety net, nothing more. Not unlike the way organised sport such as football gives working class society a sense of group or unification or belonging, but ultimately means absolutely nothing. It is a societal safety net. There are many safety nets in society, but they are easily removed.

 Incidentally, the subject of Joseph Merrick's skeleton being held at the medical school is a controversial one, as he technically hasn't received a Christian burial. I personally feel medical science has studied his skeleton enough, and it is due time, he was laid to rest.

One of the greatest flaws of humanity is that as a race it can never just be. It has to pick apart any given subject to discover a cause. This is directly connected to Christianity, even if the scientists are atheists, because it is in humanities idealistic drive to have an explanation for everything or in the case of religion, an idealistic rationale.

Religion successfully reflects humanities insecurities in this sense.

The reality is that so called abnormal genetic anomalies are just natures way of drawing the short straw, and there is fundamentally no right or wrong in that and never will be.

It is in this sense that I draw a conflict with so-called scientific facts. Science is the pursuit of idealism in practically every conceivable way, so it is only ever a fact as far as it is a solution.

What happened to failure? Or not having a solution. Isn't our planet often governed by the immeasurable or unexpected, and scientists act after the fact not before. You cannot harness the power of fate or infinite possibilities. Nobody can. Not even me.

A classically beautiful child can have internal toxicity that fundamentally cannot be measured. We cannot measure the unexpected. In other words, humanity, unlike non-human animals, is toxic and pointless by default. We were likely never supposed to exist and I believe we will rightly die out as a species altogether, but until that happens we will continue to romanticise child-birth, god, and morality in order to give our lives and roles some semblance of meaning and internal security.

There is and never will be any harm in the unexplained, and modern day scientists should take heed.

Deformity, ugliness, horror, passion and pain are perfectly natural, but who doesn't like beautiful? 

We undervalue ourselves, and become conceited when we disconnect from the horrendous or repulsive, and hide behind a cloak of idealism and man-made beauty, which is nothing remotely to do with the origins of this planet and humanity at all. 

The greatest lesson to learn about our planet, and the universe is that it is extremely flawed, and not so wondrous as we are led to believe. I respect the earth, but I question its significance in the grand scheme of things.

 The paper Cathedral Joseph Merrick is constructing is representative of human design after a human being has been born, a product of man or woman that meets aesthetic ideals. Joseph Merrick was the product of a natural human birth that unfortunately had some not completely understood genetic anomalies.

He wanted to connect with humanity and feel excepted, and one of the ways he attempted this was in his admiration for the Church. Ironically, despite his condition, he was representative of an idealistic human being, one that needs a justification for the human condition and life on earth.

Joseph Merrick's condition  represented a flaw in  human conception. His condition was a one-off, but there is obviously people all over the world with ailments that, in my opinion, are at odds with the idealistic nature of some religious beliefs.

There is a every reason scientific and theoretical that humanity should not exist and has no intrinsic value. I believe in part of that  very loosely, but people have value. All life has value...even bacteria.

But we may well not have supposed to have evolved or co-existed with our animal counterparts or this planet which we happen to be destroying by the day.

The slaughter or as I would put it murder of animals is done for one reason and one reason alone and that is because we can. The distinction here for me personally is the fact that an animal or non-human entity fundamentally has no malice or ability to understand their predicament in anyway shape or form. They instinctively understand fear and naturally respond to fight or flight, but cannot hold grudges or resent: they only fear. That is why it is unquestionably wrong to slaughter animals, in these instances for food and profit alone.

Humanity gives itself meaning, and in doing so justifies the suffering that goes on behind the scenes for the produce in the supermarket, which is in turn promoted in times of national crisis, such as now.

Society gives itself meaning, and we often idealise life though paradigm of religion or religious ideologies.

If evil itself can be embodied, then it must be rooted in the process of the consumption of animals, their treatment, and the overall nature of humanity being exploitative of the earths' natural resources. The turkey which is traditionally consumed at Christmas isn't a gift. It isn't in short supply. There is no need whatsoever to be thankful for it. It has had its throat cut and has been processed and bred on a farm for human consumption. This process however, factory farming, is worth sitting around the Christmas table and debating as it both an ethical conundrum and a philosophical one, and it must be the definition of evil to plead ignorance and focus on being thankful for the murder of this sentient being, without considering the nature of these animals not having any awareness that they are part of a socially ingrained human food chain and not an essential one, in anyway shape or form.

Something has gone wrong, and I believe distancing ourselves from these processes would lead to a healthier, more productive society.

Women in particular are governed by societal rules. They may marry because that is the 'thing to do' or they feel that this particular path will lead to prosperity, stability, and true happiness. However, most marriages fail as they are a societal construct. I can't stress that enough.

The Victorian society Joseph Merrick found himself in was too small minded, too insular, too obsessed with the idealism of the Church, and  man-made beauty, to except that which didn't meet such ideals rooted purely in the realm of fantasy.

Spirituality is a state of being or mind. It is not present in man made structures at all. It comes from inside, and is as natural as free-flowing water.

We can find sanctuary but such societal constructs will never embrace or except that which doesn't meet their high-powered ideals. Begging the question, who out there and what really represents a force for good, one which will except anyone with an open mind and heart, and see past our societal constructs that serve only to enslave, control, demonise, punish, frighten, and intimidate.

Overall, this is an exceptional work and very emotive and sobering. Its stood the quality test of time and has continued to do so. Director David Lynch would form one the pillars of what we call the foundations of cinema.  His work continues to influence, fascinate, and engage audiences and seems to just grow in stature as it ages.

The Elephant Man is being produced into a BBC 1 drama and will reach our screens this year.

 It is only time itself that holds any answers to right from wrong or good and bad. We are all governed by time, and time alone, nothing else. Everything else is just a facade to control others time.

The non-finite nature of the planet itself should validate the substance of whatever it is we're judged by in the present or spiritual or religious ideologies.

Question everything in life, beyond life, and in death. Never, ever, take one answer to any given question or situation. Unless it is a particularly reasonable evaluation of film...other than that...anything goes.

A MONSTER CALLS (2015)

When tragedy and tangible cruel realities like cancer are conveyed in drama, they can be tough to watch.  

A Monster Calls is no exception, but the film is particularly brave, and despite containing elements of cancer in the narrative, at its heart, the film is about a withdrawn young boy, Conor (Lewis MacDougall), who is torn between the love of his mother Lizzie (Felicity Jones) and wanting her battle with the disease to be over. This tragic situation serves as a catalyst for the films conceit which involves a gigantic yew tree-like monster appearing to come to life after Conor draws it in his bedroom. 

The monster calls in on the boy, and from here-on-in the monster tells him three moralistic tales which ultimately serve as a sort of psychological safety net (by Conor's own creation) for when his mother finally passes away.

 These tales are told via beautiful abstract animation. A fourth final tale, which will be Conor's final truth to the monster, appears at the film’s conclusion.

Conor’s plight is complex. He is bullied by some particularly cruel schoolyard bullies because

the situation with his mother serves as a visual symbol of fear/anxiety to the school yard children, as his mother is in the later stages of the disease visually, and unable to deal with it they refer to her mockingly.

To make matters worse, he’s juggling his emotions surrounding his father (Toby Kebbell) who is now separated from Conor's mother, yet he still has a strong bond with his son.

Strip away all the subjects present in A Monster Calls, including the plight of the mother, and you find the character of Conor really does just love his mother, and the situation he’s found himself  only compounds this love, the subject of which is the core of the film.

 This mother & son have an unusually strong bond, and share characteristics and qualities: this is expressed in a love of drawing and fantasy, which allows them to express their feelings.

The monster’s final tale (or the boy’s final truth) is tough, with a bitter-sweet finality. However, the film doesn’t leave without an element of fantasy or ambiguity.

Overall, A Monster Calls is a complex, multifaceted, inspirational and beautifully realised drama, which doesn’t shy away from tough subjects whilst adding an element of the surreal to the mix.

CYBERBULLY (2015)

The British namesake of Cyberbully (there is an American version) works as both a raw look into the effects of online bullying and peer pressure. It’s also a showcase for the talents of Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams in the role of typical teen Casey Jacobs. Maisie Williams  anchors this film together practically by herself and a computer.

The film tells the story of Casey Jacobs (Maisie Williams) as she falls prey to a particularly unpleasant Cyberbully, but the Cyberbully has a few home-truths for Casey Jacobs too, concerning her own bullying actions.

Maisie Williams brings the online threat to life by her own reactions to it, effortlessly switching between a kaleidoscope of expressive emotions. Such acting craft proves you don’t need to leave the physical confines of a room to provide drama or layered & emotive film-making as your imagination fills in the gaps.

A films story can transverse time and location or fantasy or reality, but if the drama isn’t effectively conveyed or engaging, then the location is meaningless.

Cyberbully is inspirational because it conveys a contemporary issue (online bullying) and the film tells its story maturely and with a positive and relatable ending, one which will inspire others.

Overall, an effective independent film which is anchored by a strong lead performance from actress Maisie Williams.

IS SOCIAL MEDIA SAFE?

I think the themes covered in Cyberbully are accurate and presented well. But from my perspective, it’s not so much the damaging effects of online bullying that present the most damaging problem; rather, I think it’s the loss of anonymity that youth used to have during their school years.

Social media has changed the dynamics of that period in a person’s life, perhaps for the worst. Many of us have become part of a sort of social media soup which doesn’t taste of anything, but a lot of us are making up the ingredients.

 There has been a change in our societies since the creation of social media: our youth are more cautious as they’ve been hard-wired into embracing a network governed by certain rules and where, for the most part, their movements are monitored by friends by way of pictures and videos, encouraging peer pressure concerning self-image and the immaterial or superficial. Consequently, this mind-set has been transferred to life outside of social media by way of a superficial interpretation of the world around them. People eat their breakfasts and suddenly think ‘photo opportunity’ and post it online: that is how ingrained this multi-billion-dollar enterprise has become and it’s one that’s flourishing.

Social media is used to report deaths, condolences, and statements relating to unpleasant illnesses, but their is this over-arching sense that it is rooted in self promotion, even if the given individual is not aware this is the case.

Interesting article here concerning the dangers of phone apps: https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/burton/apps-look-out-your-kids-3189266

My personal experiences with social media such as Facebook have been dreadful. As an observant human being, I can't help but notice things or read what I see visually. If I see something and have a so-called Facebook connection, I'm going to attempt to build on it. But I'll never break the age-old British ideal of others small minded perception or outside male influences. Such things have been the bane of my existence since childhood.

Hence, it is a system I fundamentally cannot break or use or enjoy.

People or humanity in general is afraid. They are sensitive. They are small minded. They are both endearing and sickening at the same time.

They would sooner live their lives like a ball rolling down a hill instead of stopping off half-way and taking a different path or trying something completely new. Even if it feels wrong or uncomfortable..or not enjoyable.

TEENAGE FEAR AND ANXIETY

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3431482/Talented-student-17-excelled-studies-jumped-footbridge-path-lorry-travelling-busy-road-stressed-college.html

 Has time really moved that fast that that my memories of 1997 are now null and void?

The culture of the time dictated that it wasn't to be taken seriously and the faculty were scumbags through and through, and this was sincerely true.

I was an extreme example and had nothing but contempt for going to school in a way that seems to have gone with the dinosaurs in 2020. 

Precisely because I think their is an evil or a wrong rooted in 'farming' children and have them literally processed and churned out again. It felt wrong in 1997. It felt even wronger in 2002, and I still hate school's and elements of the established rules.

Thick people, usually former or current school teachers, just come at me with all knives blazing saying I reject education. That could not be further from the truth. Keep learning your whole life and never, ever, stop, and take whatever resources that come your way and grab them with both hands. What I'm suggesting is the whole structure and concept of the school system: the forms, the uniforms, the subjects, the whole toxic aesthetic of the institution is geared to create something other than you. The system wants to change you in some way shape or form.

Is it a bad change? I really do think it is.

What are we suggesting here that if you follow suite, tick all the boxes, and follow the doctrine, you'll have a steady and more dull, conformist pathway to your coffin?

Because that is what we commonly come to associate with the school types: these sort of cold, dull, dishwatery type people who can't take a joke, or live walking on politically correct egg-shells until they are ready for the wooden box.

Never late. Never question anything. Never fall a sleep in the lunch room. Just complete corporate zombies who park their cars at precisely the same god damn place every single day of their lives. 

There is not or never will be a true established way living this life correctly.  We all just going through the motions thinking we're getting it right. What greater sadness than to a live a life that doesn't meet your ideals but matches those that are set out for you by greater society.

I wasn't so much the nature of learning, but the ugly societal dynamics your are suddenly locked into.

Much of today's youth are afraid and under great pressure: they should be. It is a scary and competitive world out there, but it is not worth backing yourself into a psychological corner over. It is a period of time which will pass and life will give you more chances or give you the opportunity to create your own.

I read a story in a Staffordshire based newspaper online concerning a young school pupil, whom ended her life, in part due to stress and academic pressure at school. However, I feel from reading the article that the school principle or vice principle whom was the last person to see the girl before she ended her life, was in-directly responsible. Basically, the vice-principle greeted the pupil with a one-size-fits-all tick all the boxes mind set, and this university educated cement minded way of thinking backed the student into a psychological corner (she could not see any hope on the horizon academically, or otherwise).

All young people have dreams and this particular pupil, Helena, was interested in a career in theatre, but her all important A-Level results had not met the criteria for her to attend the University of her choice or, as the vice principle thinks or was implying, her dream career.

The issue here is two fold: one the teacher had a responsibility to ensure 100% that a clearly emotionally unstable child was given a lift home from school or at the very least have had a responsible adult to walk home with. The second issue is the teacher's misunderstanding of the nature of drama and theatre. Many of the most successful actors and actresses from all over the world have not attended prestigious drama schools, nor have they attended drama schools at all.You can't teach somebody to fit a role on film. If you have the face, the charm, and can work behind a camera, you will do like a duck to water. They will find you, and not vice-versa. Unless you're overwhelmingly emotionally shallow, human beings are all actors. We convey emotions and take on roles everyday. All cinema hopes is that the suspension of disbelief works, and as film-makers we cast our films accordingly. You can't teach somebody to look cinematic or look like an audience would find them believable.

Anyway, regardless of the world of cinema and theatre, we all know life is never black and white, and no corner, not even academic ones, can be perfectly planned out. On this day in time, Helena's path was changed, but it was still an open road.

This school, possibly our own toxic culture surrounding academia, and this particular vice principle, in her handling of the situation, closed it shut, and drove in the final nail.

This individual is deceased. She is not on holiday or taking time out. She is gone forever. And the school, the meeting itself, and the state education system are directly responsible. Nevertheless, her death, and hundreds, if not thousands more, will be swept under the carpet and the institutions will be sugar coated by the local media.

We have lost someone that could have been more than an embittered institutionalised University educated corporate zombie drifting through day to day comforted in the fact that they made the grade and are therefore intrinsically superior in every-way to every man, woman and child that works this earth. So much so they've forked out for a gold plated toilet bowl, just to galvanise that superiority against working class men such as myself. These newspapers brown nose the state, and the status quo by avoiding the facts. They gloss over real life in Britain and undermine their own quickly declining readership with patronising bollocks in the form of the most tedious articles on the face of earth.

Anyway, Helena, was a victim of the state. She was a victim of life in Britain. She was let down by a cruel and unjust system, and I don't mind  being honest about that.Even if a young school age individual is having a particularly bad day, or even bad year, there is not, nor will there ever be, anything wrong with that. These stressful life events may lead to a whole year of academic failure or emotional, physical, and psychological stress and as mature, intelligent, sensible, and rational adult human beings, it is of paramount importance that we recognise that the system is just that a system and we can't gauge human life by a one-size-fits-all idealist capital driven slime pit.

Just being honest about the inequalities of this country itself allows for a distressed young person to

feel a  weight has been lifted off their shoulders when they are facing suicidal thoughts; we do in effect purge ourselves of the toxicity and pain that was placed on our shoulders in the first place. If you go the opposite way, which was the case here, with the young Stafford-shire girl, you compound the problem. You back that person into a psychological corner they fundamentally cannot get out of, and it is that cut throat attitude that is driving these young people to suicide. It is this cowardly, selfish, vicious blood-soaked dog-eat-dog mentality that is being sugar-coated by every school and business in this country, be it through the teachings of Jesus Christ or fake compassion, self-righteous or self serving hype driven protest and charity.

They are all and always will be in it for themselves, and once you take that onboard, you should feel happier, healthier and less stressed out.😊

These incidents of teenage high-school suicide are a real shame, but certainly not a unique occurrence. They evoke notions of a toxic area of our society that is covered up and rose-tinted: the real cost of being a student, peer pressure, and just plain being young.

 I think sadly we've become detached as a society from letting young people just be young and care free for just that fleeting time they get. Young people are being harvested to become pillars of the system at such a young age that they are becoming detached from reality, which is the world is never black and white.

It isn't a crime to make mistakes or to be foolish. It isn't a wrong or something to be ashamed about. It isn't a mistake to fail your exam paper. It is just human life. You are not a box or a number...you are human and  humanity itself is founded on mistakes, many of them made by people who do tick all societal boxes and the academic ones too.

Life is never more frightening than when you're a teenager. Once you get over this hurdle of being excessively young, life will get slightly easier, and the choices will gradually become a choice of your own making, but the key lesson here is there is no-road map to success: life will hold you over a bucket and slit your throat if you let it, and the world around you is as dangerous, toxic, and cruel as imaginable, but taking it on the chin, and excepting the bad amongst the good, will sail you through and that is all we are all doing.

Never idealise anything, no matter what. This is fatal and it will get you killed. Never take a day for granted. You can do as you wish with your day, but don' t take it for granted.

Some of us like to pretend we're flying first class through this life, but planes will often crash harder than the  ships that we sail, on stormy oceans, on course to for-fill our dreams and get some answers for this darkly humorous mistake of God we call human life.

Many, if not all of societies ills are directly caused by our own toxic self-perpetuating ideals which are by definition unbalanced. The very nature of inequality and the growing divide between rich and poor, together with a so-called hereditary monarchy in Britain, make a healthy society null and void. We try to change the cycle via charity, but it never works. The solution would require equality, not just in day to day life, but in day to day thinking, and as long as society views it as a fantasy or something that will never happen, it fundamentally will never change.

Our self-perpetuating toxic society is motivated by our own hatred of that which is different or doesn't fit our ideals. This mind set is directly connected to Christianity and teachings of Christ and an idealistic hereditary monarchy. In the sense, by having a family, with copious amounts of wealth presiding over the country and in turn speaking chapter and verse from the Bible, we undermine any chance of true equality for all.

 Criminality, though frustrating, and harmful is on many occasions our fault. As a society we feel the need to put so-called mug-shots in the newspapers and try to distinguish varying human beings from economically deprived backgrounds as different, whilst celebrating those that earn copious amounts of money and have beautiful families under the eyes of God, as photographed during family Christenings, when we are in fact all the same.

SOCIAL MEDIA DISGUISES

You see the nature of social media is it presents an idea of a person, and not necessarily the real person. We only speak of the positive on Facebook, and sell ourselves, but we don’t speak about that which reflects on us badly. Hence, it’s orchestrated and artificial.

It’s in this sense youth may interpret the social media spider-web as a source of peer pressure, which may not really exist in the way they perceive it, and subsequently, this compounds a naturally occurring issue for youth in the form of peer pressure.

However, I don't think this pressure contributes to teenage suicide at all.  I think many problems occur for youth inside the home, and I don't think for a second that everything that goes on beyond closed doors is 'happy rose-tinted' idealistic living.

I think what really goes on we never get to see, and could be described as parental pressure or high achieving  idealism, which these youth quickly find isn't what this world is all about and buckle, or fall into depression, as a result.

The system scapegoats social media, the horrors of the internet, and horror movies, rather than tackling the core problem. It is both text-book and synthetically engineered displacement of societal woes, which in Freudian terms, is an unconscious defence mechanism taking one emotion (usually a guilty or angry emotion) from one situation and dropping it into another, shifting guilt or angst away from ourselves, and the person or thing causing the stress to an easy target of blame.

What could be more damaging than suggesting to youth that the horrific things they might find on the internet don't exist? 

It's not healthy to dwell on certain things on the internet or become obsessive, but this is a different psychological issue and nothing to do with the internet, horror films, or graphic imagery.

Seeing the world for what it is is never a bad thing. It's when we idealise a situation that we put the pressure on youth, and many of them find out, often far too late, that the world isn't an idealistic place, and see no way out as they've been raised to not see the outside the idealised box, if you will.

In recent years, there has been many high-profile incidents concerning social media, including teenage self-harm and suicide. Social media takes the heat from the parents, and the government follow suit and take aim at social media. They approach it, as always, from a  morally superior high-ground with  an apparent water-tight solution which involves censorship and regulation.

Human suicide and self-harm has existed since the dark ages. There is no correlation between imagery and self-harm,but there is a correlation between peer-pressure, and toxic family dynamics and youth subsequently feeling  that the world is a small place due to their superficial home and school environments being geared around one-size-fits-all standards, rules, etiquette.As far as the institution is concerned, it would be beside the point to point the finger of blame at society, and toxic family dynamics,so they just blame some silly device on the computer be it Instagram or Facebook.

The root of many of today's problems is the  imbalanced home-life in many of today's family homes, and a pressure vacuum that children must grow up to be lawyers, doctors, and politicians.

A substantial amount of the deaths in the media are female, so I can only assume that peer or family pressure/academic pressure is the root cause, because I just don't buy this nonsense that they've seen violent imagery or self-harm and harmed themselves as a result. They've harmed themselves because a parent won't except their child is not meeting their personal ideals academically or career wise or in any way shape or form.

The parent ravaged by guilt, and unable to digest what tragedy has  occurred calls every national newspaper in the country, and then they attempt to  bring in legislation to settle their conscience with no regard for anyone else's opinion, in a place where opinions are supposed to be encouraged and valued.

We are governed as a society by the insecurities, failings, and angst of  others, who place their subconscious guilt on to us for their own personal tragedies. I have empathy for these situations, but greater society is not to blame, only specific individuals.  

I only mention this because there appears to be a media and political agenda of sorts to scape-goat Facebook and Instagram for these societal and domestic woes, and despite not being a fan of either platform, I don't believe it is ethical or reflective of our basic civil rights to legislate on these personnel freedoms/choices at all.

The government never confronts the  parents as it doesn't want to harm the perfect idea of the nuclear family and so social media takes it in neck. I don't like social media companies, but I can see they are being scape-goated for what is clearly some toxic aspect of family life that is being concealed by the parents and the school itself. Mine is just one side of the debate and there are many others, but I believe these incidents are reflective of something within Western society that places families on some-kind of economic platform  of varying levels, not unlike the pillar of capitalism, a sort of socio-economic variant.

The reality is that in one way we are all on exactly the same platform...everybody, but we tend to not view life this way. We are all just human beings surviving. This is baser human instinct.

A toxic problem occurs when a given child is taught that they are different and or of a higher societal importance. Obviously, we all know these types of individuals in society, but I believe they are psychologically deluded and this is having a counter-productive  knock on effect on their offspring.

The most successful parents are those that recognise there is societal pillar, but recognise its superficiality, don't believe in it, and attempt to circumvent it where possible and engage with it where necessary, whilst never feeling they are influenced or controlled by it.This way a given family need not buckle under the weight of societal pressure, and their given child has breathing room should they feel they too are not part of this societal ladder.

Much of society does reflect the capital driven societal ladder; social media, television, schools, newspapers, the government, and the internet all follow suit, but a problem occurs when new generations get absorbed into it without taking a step out of it.For instance, a anti-bullying advert, which aired this year, features a young girl receiving abusive text-messages from school bullies on a smart phone, and it is not only depressing her, but she feels helpless too. This sums up exactly what I've been trying to convey. A capital driven by- product, in this instance a phone, has served as a gateway to anti-social behaviour, but the advert doesn't remotely consider this; rather, it focuses on the symptom, in this instance a bullied school girl, and how counselling therapy can help. What we have here is a crystal clear example of a generation governed by technology and social media, and it is this deluded sense that any of these inanimate objects mean anything which is causing the toxicity. If they didn't believe in them, then they fundamentally would not be hurt by them.But because the phone companies are raking in trillions the government and the status quo, in the form of advertising and other societal influences, not only promotes them, but it scapegoats them.

So, What is the Solution?

You can enjoy the benefits of modern technology and smart phones, but never see them as more than just  nice looking pieces of plastic. Don't buy into these messianic business  lectures that discuss the virtues of modern technology. They care only for one thing - capital and emptying your wallets.

Wasn't it reported in the media recently that one of the biggest phone company pioneers, has an old Nokia and still uses an old fax machine? They know it is all a joke, but the system in and of itself will try to make it seem more important than it actually is, because a subdued and superficial society is a restricted society, one which keeps the societal platforms consistent, and leaves bullied school kids with sleepless nights fearing nothing more than text-message and social-media abuse.

PHONE MARKETING, ADDICTION & YOUTH.

I'll take you back to around the year 2000, a time when a mobile phone was used to call people or text. The mobile phone was cheap to use, the layout of the phone models at the time was straightforward and they started up quickly. I can't use a phone today as I'd be inclined to club somebody to death with it in frustration.

Culturally, the phone was used to contact people at this time.

Flash forward to 2019 and the mobile phone has become a  mass produced, gimmick ridden

device that teenagers spend literally hours on. To make matters worse, the phone companies target youth with adverts promoting 40gb of data for 22 pounds, which is  encouraging using phones for more than just important conversations or worthwhile conversations. The phone has become a small pocket sized computer, and I'll admit that I'm surprised and impressed with the quality/speed of internet browsing on smart phones today, and I believe the phone is an important device.

However, I feel culturally we are encouraging burning data and money on phone plans that are questionable as to their merit. These plans will only increase in size to more gb of data in the coming years.

The various sales campaigns are targeting the demographic that cannot keep off their phones, and take them everywhere they go, and could be perceived as fanning the flames of phone addiction. Plus, phone addiction harms businesses as owners may regularly experience employees spending too much time viewing inappropriate content on their mobile phones, thus reducing productivity and harming the morale and culture of the business.

I'm a supporter and advocate of civil liberties of all kinds, and believe people should do as they please, but I'm a critic of capital, and the nature of businesses that are monetising aspects of culture for corporate gain. These individuals don't have phone plans as they are too busy drinking umbrella drinks on luxury beaches.

 JOY (2015)

Director David O Russell made a good impression with 1999's Three Kings, but it was his string of collaborations with actress Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle & Joy) which have cemented him as an important and prominent figure in the film industry.

 Self educated actress (she never completed high school nor a later GED equivalency) Jennifer Lawrence has proven herself to be amongst the most successful young actresses and business women of her generation, but it's in her work with director David O Russell that she really shines.

Set during the Winter, Joy tells the true story of Joy Mangano, a determined single mother, who despite great hardship in her personal life, went on to design the 'self-wringing' Miracle Mop and became household name in the world of television sales and a self-made millionaire.

The story of Joy Mangano is a very positive, inspirational, modern American fairy-tale and actress Jennifer Lawrence captures Joy's frustrated, yet determined persona perfectly. The central themes explored in Joy (determination, sincerity, and personal struggle against the odds) are relatable to many, and this film delivers on these themes.

Ultimately, Joy created something that makes life easier on us all; therefore, hers is a story that is worth telling.

WINTER’S BONE (2010)

Winter's Bone tells the story of poor teenager Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) who finds herself under threat of eviction, and therefore must find her missing father who has become embroiled with criminals in the rural Ozarks of Missouri.

Actress Jennifer Lawrence was new on the scene back in 2010, and it’s easy to see why she’s become such a huge success. The film was directed by acclaimed film-maker Debra Granik, whose 2018 film ‘Leave No Trace’ has garnered almost universal positive praise and attention from film-critics and is a notable missing film from the Oscars this year.

 Despite what appears to be a relatively small budget film, Winter’s Bone manages to create great scope with its use of the moody- woodland rural Missouri setting.

This film is not offbeat, like many of Jennifer Lawrence's movies, and is an entertaining straight forward gritty mystery drama film, but that doesn’t stop it injecting social commentary into mix surrounding poverty, and what people find themselves doing to make ends meet in what can be a self-perpetuating and unfair circle for many. Hence, the film is very inspirational for anyone whose lived through poverty or hardship in their lives .

The acting is outstanding, and it’s one of those films that need not stray too far from its setting in order to tell its tale. Overall, Winter’s Bone is a solidly made, engaging, and intelligent film, featuring a break-through performance from actress Jennifer Lawrence.

A STAR IS BORN (2018)

A Star is Born tells the story of Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper), a down on his luck alcoholic singer/songwriter, who meets struggling club singer Ally (Lady Gaga).

Jackson Maine meets Ally as she’s performing in a local drag nightclub, and sees she’s an extremely talented performer, who lacks confidence. The two form a romantic bond, and Ally progresses from singing in a sleazy nightclub  to performing on the stage with the help of her troubled, yet wise companion.

Actor Bradley Cooper made his directorial debut with ‘A Star is Born’ and it’s a strong debut. He’s a really confident film-maker. He knows exactly the type of story he wishes to tell, and doesn’t pander to any conventions: the film is dark, bleak, irreverent, stylish, and it goes at its own pace, giving the actors room to breathe. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga have perfect cinematic chemistry, and this is crucial not just for this romantic film, but for any film. I love to see on screen chemistry, as it can really bring a film to life.

Director Bradley Cooper is a relatively understated film-maker, and takes his time developing his characters on screen, before letting Lady Gaga  take to the stage to explore her vocal talents.

The film ultimately represents fantasy Americana, as a poetic love story, but it's good fantasy, and captures some genuinely accurate subtext surrounding the American music industry, and the cruel nature of society in general.

I think many film-makers would not have handled this material so maturely. I think it’s a real shame he's not been nominated this year as best director, as he shows great promise.

As for Lady Gaga, she has proven she has what it takes to make it in Hollywood, and was perfect for this role. 

She is in many ways playing a character similar to herself. In the sense, she’s long been associated with a certain type of stage persona that doesn’t entirely reflect her full range of talents. In A Star Is Born, she transforms from a dreamer with no confidence to a fully-fledged songstress eloquently, whilst showcasing her remarkable voice.

Lady Gaga’s acting talent really shines through throughout A Star is Born, especially  during the films more emotive moments, thus really proving her worth as an actress

A Star Is Born was my favourite film of 2018, and it should have swept the flaw the Oscars. I sincerely think the ceremony embarrassed itself in 2018, with some really dreary winners and indeed,  nominees. Even the most casual cinema-goer would recognise this was a clear winner and the competition was problematic at best.

FINAL THOUGHTS.

Film is all about aesthetics and smoke and mirrors, and it doesn't matter what the genre it is or how emotionally it connects with you, or doesn't as it's all orchestrated to do that by the hands of literally thousands of people, and a film’s screenplay often has multiple different writers and their thoughts and feelings are shaped into one idea.

Mainstream cinema feels the need to reflect contemporary themes and values as not to alienate a mass audience, but sometimes doing that that can alienate an audience in of itself, as not everyone likes contemporary themes or such like. Consequently, I've attempted to cater for an alternative market over the year on the blog, as we're all made up of different personalities and interests, not just one.

Different films mean different things to different people, especially where inspiration is concerned, but I’ve at least tried to share some films that I think have inspirational merit, and are worthy of your time regardless.

I could switch up many films, but I’ve tried to keep some films that share some similar themes, namely beating the odds and the strength of the human condition when faced with adversity, struggle, or hardship.

Not all the films have positive outcomes, but when does life always have a positive outcome?

Film should reflect aspects of real-life in the stories it tells as cinema requires a temporary suspension of disbelief in most cases.

Cinema is based on ideas, only ideas. These ideas know no boundaries; they don't have any rules. Cinema makes them.Cinema justifies itself and presents itself openly without fear of judgement or mistake. You take cinema as it stands, and if you take your time to appreciate it and respect it for the magnificent human creation it is, then you'll get something from it. Open your mind to all diverse genres of cinema:Horror, science-fiction, romance...embrace fictional immorality and blend  the lines between fact and fiction. Open your mind to change. Except the unorthodox or uncomfortable. Wake up and grab change with both arms, and never look back. Climb right out of the tin-can, and kick it right off the edge of a cliff, and open your mind and horizons to anything from world cinema to silent film.

Take comfort in the fact, that the best of cinema is never right or wrong; rather, it is open to interpretation, so it is limitless and unbound. No rules. No fear. No purpose. It just is.

In times of stress, look inwards and follow your own spiritual map. Only you know what is best for you, and to listen to anyone else is futile. No two people are the same. Organised religion and corporate employment of any kind, even British society, teaches or influences you to work in a team. There is no such thing as a true team: you are alone, and all your answers are inside.

The world will fear you. It isn't geared towards individuals.

Looking inside is tough and  takes time, often years,or sometimes a life-time itself, but if you start now, you might just meet yourself at the best of your ideals.

Your as important as much as value yourself for yourself, and nothing more. Be a king or be a queen of your own realm, fight your own battles, win your own wars, and empower yourself for yourself.

Overall, I hope these movies inspire, entertain, and enlighten in equal measure.