#i have never ever ever in my LIFE seen poetic justice played out so beautifully like it is at the very end

[licorishh]

Replayed Modern Warfare 3 2011 on Veteran tonight and goooooooood night. Blood Brothers never gets any easier to watch no matter how many times you've done it and the ending really never misses huh

I apologize for the amount of yapping in the tags I reread it all on mobile and started giggling because it went on for so long but eh. Blessed are those who won't shut the freak up and all that

[ladymatt]

🙌 Fic Rec Bingo 🙌

Created by @lightveils on Twitter, this sounded like a fun challenge to do - and I’ve managed to fill the whole card with #Malec fics! *In truth, I could’ve used a card for a number of individual writers on their own, but the fics I finally settled on are under the cut! ❤ Enjoy! And show the writers some love! :-))  

👇LINKS  TO THE 25 FIC RECS BELOW THE CUT 👇

*A FIC YOU LOVE WITHOUT KNOWING THE SOURCE MATERIAL*

✨ Beyond The Sea by @lemonoclefox ✨

Never played BioShock but the underwater city of Rapture was brought to life so vividly here, that it didn’t matter!   

*A FIC WITH A PREMISE THAT SHOULDN’T WORK BUT DOES*

✨ How Rare and Beautiful by @glorious-spoon ✨

Having 'our' Malec appear to TWI's Magnus worked wonderfully, thanks to some very clever writing!  

* A FIC YOU’VE RE-READ SEVERAL TIMES*

✨ Best Laid Plans by  @superficialpeasant  ✨

I'll always come back to this DEEPLY satisfying story of intrigue, authority, prejudice, support - and my favourite depiction of bad-ass, hot-as-hell Malec!

*A FIC YOU STILL REMEMBER YEARS LATER*  

✨ Home by @otppurefuckingmagic ✨

I read this gem three years ago now, but I still remember the chills I got when the emotional build-up led to a twist that blind-sided me - in the best of ways!

*A COMFORT FIC*

✨ Higher Than The Big Trees by  @carmenlire ✨

Getting updates for this lengthy tale, knowing it was only ever going to hit new heights of happiness each time, makes this a real heart-warmer!

*A CATHARTIC FIC*

✨Good Intentions by @alittlebriton ✨

There was only ever one contender for this - an alternative take on what happens after Malec's 3x18 break-up - because chapter 4 had me punching the air over both of them venting their shit!

*A FIC YOU’D PRINT AND PUT ON YOUR BOOKSHELF*

✨ Of Splendour In The Grass by @lecrit ✨

Prejudice, poetry, pining and period Malec, was captured so beautifully here that it deserves to be bound and displayed in pride of place imo!

*A FIC YOU ASSOCIATE WITH A SONG*

✨ Appassionato by @chonideno ✨

Thanks to this fic, I can't hear Liszt's Liebestrume No. 3 in A flat without thinking of Alec hitting all the right notes with his music-loving neighbour!

*A FIC THAT INSPIRES YOU*

✨Thousands Upon Thousands Made An Ocean by @ohlafraise✨

This emotional fic was a lesson in how to have a story pack a punch into less than 800 well-chosen words! Still hurts, even now!

*A FIC THAT BROUGHT YOU ON BOARD A NEW SHIP*

✨Lasă-mă să stau (Let Me Stay) by @superficialpeasant ✨

An absorbing one-shot relating to the writer’s Best Laid Plans fic, this unexpectedly charming love story between Underhill and Hawkstorm (HawkHill) is the canon I will cling to!

*A FIC YOU WISH COULD BE A MOVIE*

✨ A Dream Of Peace by @ketzwrites ✨

There are some fics too epic in scale and splendour for mere imagination to do them justice, and this historical tale of kingdoms and knights deserves to be watched in technicolor glory!

*A FIC THAT LED TO YOU MAKING FRIENDS WITH THE AUTHOR*

✨ Brooklyn Magic by @the-burning-tiger ✨

I've met so many through their work, but I'm singling out the brilliant,Tigs, here because of our ridiculous descent into poetical exchanges in the latter chapters of this fic - one of my earliest Malec reads! Sending cwtches, T! X

*FREE SPACE - A FIC THAT’S WORTH WAITING FOREVER FOR TO GET AN UPDATE - IT’S THAT GOOD!*

✨Working Hard/Hardly Working by @irisadler (on AO3) & @stupidnephilimlove ✨

I'm currently re-reading this sexually-charged getting-to-REALLY-know-you fic which includes relatable temptation, brilliant humour & a soft, sweet centre - believe it or not! Perfect title, btw!

*A FIC YOU’VE GUSHED ABOUT IN REAL LIFE*

✨Your Name For A Capital by @the-prophet-lemonade✨

This time-travelling tale of repeated love and loss was both rich in detail about Magnus' past and devastatingly bittersweet about what lay ahead in Magnus' future! His heartache made me cry!

*A FIC YOU ASSOCIATE WITH A PLACE*

✨Two Halves Of The End Of The World by @la-muerta✨

Batavia was finally brought to life for me, thanks to @tethysea's enviable talent for world-building, with all the scenic detail and historical references that help enrich the story itself!

*A FIC THAT MADE YOU GASP OUT LOUD*

✨The Right Kind Of Love by @onyxmoon (on AO3)✨

I thought the 'betrayal' at the beginning of this fic was hard to take, but Magnus dealing with the aftermath and his own insecurities was even tougher! Malec learning to communicate is always a balm though!

*A FIC YOU FOUND AT THE RIGHT TIME*

✨Free Of Charge by @lorenzobane✨

Magnus being appreciated and protected by his dedicated and devoted Shadowhunter in this short but seriously sweet fic was precisely what I needed after S1!

*A FIC THAT YOU WOULD READ FIC OF*

✨Lead The Way by @clockworkswans✨

Like a black hole, this Doctor/Companion AU sucked me in, and just like the Tenth Doctor, I didn't want to leave! Such a moving and fantastical journey - I'd love to hear more of their adventures!

*A FIC THAT MADE YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD*

✨Don’t You Wanna Stay by @AlxSteele (on AO3)✨

Enemies to Lovers is a fave trope of mine, and when the stubborn denial and seething dislike is burned away with sexy humour and telling gestures, as in this gem, it's great fun to read!

*A FIC WITH A LINE OR TWO YOU’VE MEMORISED BY HEART*

✨You Who Have Come From My Old Country by @poemsfromthealley✨

"Even so, Magnus loved him, loved him, loved him" - very few writers could persuade me to endure a Malec fic that tells of unbearable loss and suffering - but the touching celebration of their legacy is what I take away from this!

*A FIC THAT GAVE YOU BUTTERFLIES*

✨Body Of Memory by @glorious-spoon✨

This memorable fic about amnesia effectively had S1 Alec being confronted with S3 Alec's reality - and I STILL feel Magnus' fear and Alec's confusion in my bones!

*A FIC THAT EMBODIES SOMETHING YOU VALUE IN LIFE*

✨ Magnus Bane’s School For Young Warlocks by @Miasunrise (on AO3)✨

Alec doing whatever it takes to protect his children is definitely something I can relate to, and this cleverly-crafted fic of finding new family gives depth and character to Max and Raphael!

*A FAVOURITE AU*

✨Walkers Of The Winding Path by @poemsfromthealley​

The bewitching combination of mythical monsters, supernatural hunters and  this writer’s distinctive way with words means I'm completely under this story's spell! I'll walk this path many times, I think!

*A FIC YOU STAYED UP TOO LATE TO FINISH READING*

✨My Body Is A Cage by @unrestrainedlyexcessive​✨

This was me dipping my toe into an AU I wasn't convinced I'd enjoy, but thanks to this writer’s compellingly-quirky storytelling, I couldn't rest before knowing what befell these fated lovers!

*A FIC THAT MADE YOU FEEL SEEN*

✨Beautiful Distraction by @unending-happiness​✨

Who better to colour my bespoke fic with every shade of me there is, than my parabatai, Brit! Welcome to my favourite pairing - Malec & Pandemonium! LY, B! ❤😘

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[vanessakirbyfans]

With two films premiering at the Venice film festival, Vanessa Kirby’s star rises still higher this year. Since her Emmy-nominated, BAFTA-winning turn as Princess Margaret in Netflix’s The Crown, Kirby has continued to carve out a career that ranges from the stages of the National Theatre, the Royal Court Theatre and Off Broadway, to action blockbuster Mission: Impossible – Fallout, in which she plays The White Widow opposite Tom Cruise—a role she is about to reprise.

At Venice, Kirby stars in Kornél Mundruczó’s Pieces of a Woman, opposite Shia LaBeouf. Written by Mundruczó’s White God collaborator Katá Weber, and executive produced by Martin Scorsese, the film tells the story of a couple whose home birth goes devastatingly wrong, resulting in the loss of their daughter. Then there’s Mona Fastvold’s The World to Come. Set on the mid-19th century East Coast frontier, Kirby is Tallie, a woman who finds a deep love with her neighbor Abigail (Katherine Waterston). Casey Affleck produces and co-stars with Christopher Abbott.

Here, Kirby discusses going deep undercover with LaBeouf at a New York birthing class, the great honor of telling a story of motherhood and grief, and her ongoing fascination with bold, but suppressed female characters like Tally.

DEADLINE: What was it about Pieces of a Woman that first attracted you?

VANESSA KIRBY: I hadn’t found a character since Princess Margaret in The Crown, really, that I truly wanted to go really deep into. And so, they sent me the script for it, and then I met Kornél, the director, and I just was in love with it. It’s an exploration of grief, and how everyone experiences grief differently. I hadn’t seen a film about this sort of subject before, really. When I met Kornél, we had the best afternoon together, and I just knew that it was something I really wanted to do, so I felt incredibly lucky. Shia was already attached to it, and I had always admired him so much as an actor. Then we started the journey, and it required a lot, really. I had to go very deep into it.

DEADLINE: How did you and Shia go there together?

KIRBY: It was really tough, to be honest. It required so much from both of us, and it required a great trust and respect between us, because we knew that we were essentially creating something in the movie that then had to be completely dismantled and destroyed. A bit like they do in Blue Valentine. We were such good friends because I think we really did it together and created a really safe container to do that and to work in. And I was actually really scared to watch it. I was really daunted to watch it because doing some of those scenes was so painful. Feeling that level of grief. I found that really difficult to watch.

DEADLINE: There’s an extraordinary scene with Ellen Burstyn, who plays your mother, where she wants you to fight through your grief, and compares it to her own terrible childhood experiences. It’s so tense, it’s hard to watch.  

KIRBY: Well, it really evolved. God, it was such a privilege to go up against her, she’s just a titan, and we’d got really close and it really deeply explores the mother-daughter relationship.

I stayed overnight at her house a few times in New York when we were in production. We really got to know each other, so there was a deep love there, but also, we just thought it was so fun to play such similar and yet antagonistic characters. This movie is essentially a poem on grief, but it’s also specific to Martha as a person, as a character. It’s almost a character study on grief. How this person reacts to this kind of trauma, because of the generations of trauma and unresolved grief that’s been passed down. It was so important to have that between mother and daughter. It’s so unspoken, and I just can’t imagine if you’ve spent your whole life feeling not good enough, then you fail at the one thing your body is supposed not to. There’s a shame in that, I think. The familial shame, the shame that her mother passed down to her daughter in that she’s taught her daughter that, at any cost, you have to stand up, and you have to fight and you have to be strong and you do not share how you feel and you have to keep going, instead of really sitting with it and processing it.

I remember Ellen and I, we’d been really, really working on the scene together in the days leading up to it in her apartment. And then, on the day, I was just like, “You know what? I’m just going to shout it. I’m just going to shout at her.” And so, I screamed at her, and I just thought, “Oh my god, Ellen.” And it was so incredible, because in the first take, as I screamed at her, she just stood up and she just hit it straight back. It was just such an amazing day of shooting, because we just truly went head-to-head.

DEADLINE: Tell me about shooting the birthing scene. You’ve said it was a single long take?

KIRBY: Well, right from the beginning, Kornél wanted to shoot it as a one-take, and Shia and I were so excited by it, because it’s like a dream, really, to do that as an actor. Also, it was really important, we really wanted, right from the beginning, to open a bit like Saving Private Ryan because Shia and I talked a lot about, if you don’t have the backup, if you’re not with them during this loss, and you’re not with them in that experience, then the after effects—which is most of the movie—you’re not with them in that.

So it was so essential that we got it really right, and it was really complicated as well, because how on earth, over the course of 30 minutes, do you make it seem like the birth is happening before your eyes in real time? I’ve never given birth myself. I thought, I can’t do women a disservice by aiming to do this one continuous take and not make it like as authentic as possible because, you know, half the population are probably watching it, being like, “Well, I’ve done that. That doesn’t feel true.” I felt so nervous. I felt such a duty to it, so I was so lucky in that I found an amazing obstetrician, called Claire Mellon in London, and she allowed me to come and shadow her on the labor ward. I was there with all the midwives, and they were teaching me so much, and taking me through moment to moment. Then I was so lucky that an incredible woman let me watch her give birth, and that, to me, was just a miracle, actually. Honestly, I look back and I couldn’t have acted that. I would have been pretending if I hadn’t really seen someone go through it for five or six hours, which she did. It was the most generous thing anyone’s ever done for me, allowing me to watch. Then also, we were so lucky, we found other incredible woman, our birth consultant, Elan McAllister. Shia and I called her our Samurai, because she just helped us so much.

It’s a total honor the film got into Venice, and there are very special things about that film to me, that it’s extremely personal. For Kata and Kornél, it’s their personal story, and it was just really meaningful, very special, for me, that movie. It was so important it was to do justice to the women I had spent time with who had told me their stories, whether it be still birth, miscarriage or neonatal death, who felt that it’s still a really difficult thing for people and society to talk about in general, which was one of the most important things about the film. And that relates to Katá too.

DEADLINE: With The World To Come, what initially spoke to you about the role of Tallie?  

KIRBY: I ignorantly didn’t know that life was like that in some parts of America in the 1800s. It isn’t that long ago when things were just so tied in. You were literally owned by your household, by the man that you happened to be married to. I just found it so moving, and it touched me so deeply, and the thought that you can’t choose who you love and you can’t even choose to do what you like, to love who you want. I also love the title The World To Come, because it was from those foundations that we’re still coming out of, really. And I found it beautifully poetic.

I liked Tally because she’s such a life force. She’s pushing against… it’s just in her nature. There are so many women like that, who are this dynamic life force that didn’t want to be confined. They were told they had to have no expectations, and to quell or crush their desires, and diminish who they really are. I just loved her because she was such a bright light, really, that then gets sort of extinguished. I just thought it was a really important story to be told.

DEADLINE: On screen you make her such a big presence. Obviously, there are aspects of the costume and the hair that really enhance that, but it felt like something that came from within.

KIRBY: I mean the wig helped. But yeah, I was like, “Look, I just want this person to be someone who was born in the wrong era, that has so much potential.” I’ve always been really interested in women like that. I don’t know why I gravitate towards playing them, like on stage where I started, my favorite characters are Masha in Three Sisters and Yelena in Uncle Vanya. Those women that can do so much with their lives that have so many restrictions on them. They’re strangled by the things that they’re born into, the places that they’re born into, but also the psychological limitations that they put on themselves. And Margaret in The Crown is exactly that. I loved playing that part because it really is someone who is the biggest personality, that’s caged in this institution, that so wants to express who she really is, but is so inextricably linked with the four walls of that institution. I love exploring those people. So it was a real gift to play Tally and also to do her just before Pieces of a Woman. I left Romania and I went straight to New York to go straight into pre-birthing classes with Shia. We met in character through a birthing class. So funny!

DEADLINE: Wow. Did people recognize you guys? Any funny looks?

KIRBY: I think we might’ve pulled it off, actually. They definitely didn’t recognize me, but maybe they recognized him. I think we just about got away with it. I had a wig for The Crown so much, I don’t often get recognized. And we had to do all the exercises, we couldn’t pretend. We did lots of stuff like that.

In The World to Come, we were living in a little valley in Transylvania in Romania together, all in one hotel in the middle of nowhere, the whole cast and crew. So, we’d cook dinners in the evenings, and we just sat all night, but you really felt like you were in the middle of nowhere, and I think it’s so important to be as truthful as possible.

DEADLINE: And now you’re about to get back to Mission Impossible, right? What else is next?

KIRBY: Yes, we’re starting in September, so that’ll be nice, because I really liked that character. I just like how weird she is and unusual and she’s really fun to play, so I’m really looking forward to that. And what’s next? I don’t know yet. I’m just waiting for the right thing. With these two films, I just so loved them, and I think my aim really is just to play as many different characters as possible. Ideally as different as I can.

[bbclesmis]

David Oyelowo (‘Les Miserables’) on bringing ‘real context to Javert’ [Complete Interview Transcript] 

David Oyleowo is the latest actor to bring his interpretation to the villainous Javert in PBS’s new limited series of “Les Miserables.” Oyleowo is a previous Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor for his performances in projects like “Nightingale” and “Selma.”

Oyelowo recently chatted with Gold Derby contributing editor Rob Licuria about taking on such an iconic literary role as Javert, the most difficult scenes in this iteration of “Les Miserables” and one time he embarrassed himself in front of Meryl Streep. Watch the exclusive video interview above and read the complete transcript below.

Gold Derby: David, this series sets itself apart from previous adaptations because there’s no music. It’s not a musical. Did that attract you to taking on this role?

David Oyelowo: Actually, what attracted me more was the fact that unlike the musical, it was an opportunity to spend more time with what Victor Hugo had actually written. Victor Hugo’s book, as people may know, is a 1,500-page tome of a novel and the musical beautifully distills that down to what amounts to about two and a bit hours. But in having three times that amount of time in terms of a six-hour limited series, we had the opportunity to really dive into these fascinating characters. So for me, a character like Javert, who in the musical can, you could argue, come off as one-dimensional, very easily dismissible as the villain of the piece, I just found in reading Victor Hugo’s book and then Andrew Davies’ scripts that there was so much more going on. Of course, as an actor, that was an opportunity I really relished. I love the songs in “Les Mis” but what I loved even more was the opportunity to bring real context to Javert.

GD: He’s often seen as a villain. He’s iconic for being a villain but he absolutely is so much more than that. Anyone who’s read the book would know that. He believes in the rule of law and justice and punishment but because it’s to such an extreme degree, he can’t see through that and see reason and feel empathy. That’s my take on him. What’s, ultimately, your take on him? You obviously needed to form a view so that you could embody him.

DO: The amazing thing about Victor Hugo’s book is that he gives you all the clues you need. Where I arrived is that Javert suffers from an acute case of self-loathing. He is born to criminal parents. He grew up in prison. He hates that part of his own upbringing and the minute he makes the choice that he is not gonna be like his parents, he basically has set himself in opposition to the part of himself that he hates and he transposes that onto Jean Valjean because in some way he recognizes something in Jean Valjean that is reminiscent of himself. My theory is that he is trying to kill himself, and what I mean by that is the self in him that he loathes that he has transposed onto Jean Valjean and when he realizes that he has made a mistake in doing that, when he realizes that this is a man who is worthy of redemption, who is someone who is additive to society, who is impossible to purely dismiss as a criminal, he realizes that his pursuit has been futile and so, therefore, the foundation on which he’s built his life has been wrong. If he’s not going to destroy this other human being, the only option he has, as he sees it, is to turn that judgment that he harbors on himself. Victor Hugo describes Javert as the cub in a litter of wolves that the mother would never leave alone with his siblings. That is because he is intent upon destruction of anything that he sees coming in the way of what he deems to be justice and as you say, the rule of law.

GD: All of that culminates. It’s so poetic, really. Javert spends his whole life on this relentless cat and mouse chase and then for a lot of it, directs it towards his nemesis, so to speak, Valjean. Eventually, as you say, when he realizes the futility, he turns and throws himself into the Seine. That is so iconic in literature and obviously in all the other adaptations. I was so looking forward to seeing how this was going to be done in this series and I thought it was probably one of your absolute highlights. Take us back to shooting that scene.

DO: Whenever you do a piece of work that feels weighty, what makes it feel weighty is these moments, these moments where you know if we don’t stick the landing on that moment or these handful of moments, the structure will not hold. The audience will not feel satisfied. We will have not done justice to the story. In my opinion, in other iterations of this story that have less time to spend with the characters and the narrative, that moment of Javert destroying himself can kind of come out of nowhere. “Why did he do that? Why does he pursue this man obsessively? Why does he kill himself?” It never really lands emotionally. It just gets dismissed as, “Oh, well, he’s that weird guy and so he did something weird to himself,” whereas the challenge for us and the challenge for me was, “Can we earn that ending? Can we bring enough context that when we get to that moment, the audience may even be able to have a degree of empathy?” They may even be able to attribute a degree of humanity to Javert as opposed to, “Okay, well, quite right.” I don’t know think anyone who does that to themselves is someone who should be very easily dismissed when it comes to the complexity of the emotional life that led to that choice. When we were doing that scene on that day, and as you know, these things are often shot out of order, I always knew that whether it was coming early in the shoot, in the middle or at the end, the important thing was the buildup to that moment. It has its own power, that scene, but really, it was about whether we could earn that scene.

GD: Yeah, absolutely. It is so effective because I found myself quite shocked at how I felt for him and I empathized with the mustache-twirling Javert that we’re accustomed to seeing. So that’s wonderful. I wanna go back to the beginning. How did this role come about for you?

DO: The fairly orthodox way. I was approached through my reps. I was quite surprised to see that another version of “Les Mis” was being done but very quickly after reading the script I could absolutely see why this was different to what had come before and a great opportunity for me. Also, growing up in the U.K. on period dramas that I loved but never got to see someone who looks like me in them, I was taken aback by the fact that I was approached to play Javert. That really grabbed my attention and then it became the thing that I always look for in roles I play, which is I didn’t immediately see how I was gonna play him. It wasn’t obvious to me. It was clearly going to be a challenge and that’s what I always look for. The combination of all those things, I just felt very fortunate that I was approached.

GD: It’s funny that you say that. When I saw “Les Mis” is out again and this is something that I’m gonna watch, it’s my assignment as a journalist, I’m gonna watch this, I thought, “Do I really wanna go there again? I’ve seen it so many times.” It is such a different spin. It’s its own piece of work which is really refreshing. I wondered, for people who are playing these roles, did it ever weigh on you to not revisit previous versions of Javert so you could bring your own spin to him?

DO: I’ve been very fortunate to play a number of Shakespearean roles also, to play real-life historical figures. In both of those situations you’re always dealing with a preconceived idea of how those characters should be played, who they were, who played them best in the past, so I’ve dealt with it before and come to the point where you realize that if you are fortunate enough to be cast, you just have to get on with the job of bringing your interpretation, your level of hard work and just knowing you’re never gonna please everyone but hopefully you’ll please a lot more than you displease by virtue of the truthfulness of your portrayal. So for all of us, because it was very clear that we were trying to do something different and trying to do something that really speaks to the now, you see that in the casting. You see that in the very gritty, raw, sweaty, smelly, chewy way we do it. There’s nothing chocolate box about this production. We really lean into those elements that are very evocative of what you’re seeing in the news right now whether it’s to do to with socioeconomic disparity, whether it’s to do with the class struggle, whether it’s to do with a revolution and protest and marches against the status quo, along political lines, socioeconomic lines. One of the reasons I came onboard this project as a producer was I was very vocal about the fact that I’m not gonna be a token in this as a person of color. I truly believe that Victor Hugo set out to speak to a broad audience and the audience now looks like you and me and everything in between. That should be reflected not only in the show but also it should reflect what actually was the reality in Europe at the time. We’ve done a very bad job of really being honest about how much people of color factored into European life. The opportunity to do all of these things in this piece that is so beloved but we knew we were gonna be defying expectation just made it a no-brainer, really.

GD: That is so spot-on. “Les Miserables” is so relevant to today and this particular production really brought that to the fore for me. There’s a lot of takeaways you can take from this work. For me, in particular, it’s about redemption. That’s what I most appreciate about it and I could talk about it forever and I won’t bore you to death. I’m just wondering, what is your ultimate takeaway apart from what you’ve already so kindly explained? What do you think is the takeaway from Victor Hugo’s novel about this epic, sweeping story about poverty and class?

DO: I agree with you. I think it is the most incredible redemption story, not least because you have a character like Javert who is incredibly legalistic, who is very Old Testament, but you also have Jean Valjean who similarly sees himself as a criminal, similarly sees himself as not worthy of redemption and you watch this amazing arc of transformation which begins through the Bishop of Digne, as played so beautifully by Derek Jacobi in this iteration, whereby his eyes are opened to the potential of redemption in a society that has had to be fairly black and white because of all the sociopolitical unrest. They’re just coming out of a huge revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, the schism between the haves and the have-nots. It is a time of black and white. There is no gray. You are either on one side of the aisle or the other, not unlike we’re seeing a lot in the political climate now. So for this man in that climate to be able to evolve to the place where he’s not only able to embrace his own redemption but is truly additive to society, he is someone who finds the ability to love, to give, to raise this other child as his own and to show a level of kindness to Marius towards the end that is something that shocks Javert. He has never seen anything like it, which is why it has such a profound effect on Javert. Showing kindness to someone whose goal is to do something detrimental to you, which is how Jean Valjean saw Marius and how Javert understood the dynamic between Marius and Jean Valjean and yet, you are going to save this man’s life. That is just mind-blowing. That is the byproduct of redemption is that redeemed people redeem people in the same way abused people abuse people. To me, that is the beauty of the narrative even though you have this massive backdrop of the politics and the wars and all of that stuff. At the end of the day, it’s about this man’s journey towards redemption, which I believe is something we can all relate to.

GD: Speaking about the production, we’ve discussed the Seine jumping scene. Are there any scenes in particular that come to mind that went against your expectations or that you were most concerned about or you thought were the most challenging?

DO: Hugo’s book relies a lot on coincidence. Jean Valjean and Javert find themselves in the same town several years after their initial interaction on the prison hulks. Not only do they find themselves in the same town, they find themselves in a dynamic that is the reverse of what was the case earlier on in their relationship. The setup for drama is perfect but when you are seeing it visually as opposed to in a novel, it’s less forgiving, in a sense. A lot of my conversation with both Dominic West, who plays Jean Valjean, Tom Shankland, our director, was, “How do we overcome the fact that the audience may also think, ‘Well, how on earth can they interact several miles away from Paris, several years later on in the same place, these two people?’” You could argue it’s fate but what we ended up landing on is that rather than exactly what Hugo did in the novel, there’s a real cat and mouse within the scenes. So they are kind of acknowledging the shock of being together again while pretending they don’t know who the other person is and judiciously having moments where we the audience and between the characters might be letting each other know, “I know who you are but I’m gonna pretend I don’t know who you are, because the dynamic has changed and I’m not gonna show my cards fully until I have a full sense of where this is gonna go.” That became an amazing thing to play with Dominic because it was three layers deep. It’s what was actually happening, the subtext of what was happening and the element that we were hiding from each other. Those were the scenes I was most nervous about but ended up having the most fun playing.

GD: If you don’t mind, we’re gonna get slightly superficial because here at Gold Derby we just can’t help ourselves and talk about awards all the time. You’ve been nominated at the Globes twice, you’ve actually been nominated and received all kinds of different awards but in the U.S., the Globes are very high-profile. I always wonder what it’s like to be in that ballroom with all those ridiculous celebrities that you probably admire yourself. What was it like those two times, for “Nightingale” and for “Selma”?

DO: Oh, gosh. One of the times I was nominated it was for “Selma” and I was in that ridiculous room, as you describe it, and it’s apt, and ridiculous because it is a who’s who. At the end of the day, what we do, I like to think, isn’t for that but it’s fun. I was in that room and Meryl Streep of all people saw me and made a beeline for me and I just couldn’t understand what was happening. She had seen “Selma,” she told me that, “I bought a ticket. I went to see it in a movie theater,” she was very complimentary about my performance and I am almost certain I said a bunch of stuff that was really incoherent, not very cool and had her furrowing her brow going, “Oh, bless him. He really doesn’t know how to handle his moment.” I would say she was probably right. I didn’t know how to handle it. This is one of the greatest living actors, arguably the greatest actor of all time, so the fact that she had seen work of mine let alone was complimentary about it was insane. I will handle it better if I’m in that room again but that was definitely a moment.

GD: So exciting. David, thank you so much for your time. Thank you for your performance in “Les Miserables.”

DO: Thank you.

x

[dfroza]

Today’s reading from the ancient book of Proverbs and book of Psalms

for August 31 of 2021 with Proverbs 31 and Psalm 31, accompanied by Psalm 73 for the 73rd day of Astronomical Summer and Psalm 93 for day 243 of the year (now with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 2nd revolution this year)

[Proverbs 31]

[Inspired Word]

King Lemuel’s royal words of wisdom:

These are the inspired words my mother taught me.

Listen, my dear son, son of my womb.

You are the answer to my prayers, my son.

So keep yourself sexually pure

from the promiscuous, wayward woman.

Don’t waste the strength of your anointing

on those who ruin kings—

you’ll live to regret it!

For you are a king, Lemuel,

and it’s never fitting for a king to be drunk on wine

or for rulers to crave alcohol.

For when they drink they forget justice

and ignore the rights of those in need,

those who depend on them for leadership.

Strong drink is given to the terminally ill,

who are suffering at the brink of death.

Wine is for those in depression

in order to drown their sorrows.

Let them drink and forget their poverty and misery.

But you are to be a king who speaks up on behalf

of the disenfranchised

and pleads for the legal rights of the defenseless

and those who are dying.

Be a righteous king, judging on behalf of the poor

and interceding for those most in need.

[The Radiant Bride]

Who could ever find a wife like this one—

she is a woman of strength and mighty valor!

She’s full of wealth and wisdom.

The price paid for her was greater than many jewels.

Her husband has entrusted his heart to her,

for she brings him the rich spoils of victory.

All throughout her life she brings him what is good and not evil.

She searches out continually to possess

that which is pure and righteous.

She delights in the work of her hands.

She gives out revelation-truth to feed others.

She is like a trading ship bringing divine supplies

from the merchant.

Even in the night season she arises and sets food on the table

for hungry ones in her house and for others.

She sets her heart upon a field and takes it as her own.

She labors there to plant the living vines.

She wraps herself in strength, might, and power in all her works.

She tastes and experiences a better substance,

and her shining light will not be extinguished,

no matter how dark the night.

She stretches out her hands to help the needy

and she lays hold of the wheels of government.

She is known by her extravagant generosity to the poor,

for she always reaches out her hands to those in need.

She is not afraid of tribulation,

for all her household is covered in the dual garments

of righteousness and grace.

Her clothing is beautifully knit together—

a purple gown of exquisite linen.

Her husband is famous and admired by all,

sitting as the venerable judge of his people.

Even her works of righteousness

she does for the benefit of her enemies.

Bold power and glorious majesty are wrapped around her

as she laughs with joy over the latter days.

Her teachings are filled with wisdom and kindness

as loving instruction pours from her lips.

She watches over the ways of her household

and meets every need they have.

Her sons and daughters arise in one accord to extol her virtues,

and her husband arises to speak of her in glowing terms.

“There are many valiant and noble ones,

but you have ascended above them all!”

Charm can be misleading,

and beauty is vain and so quickly fades,

but this virtuous woman lives in the wonder, awe,

and fear of the Lord.

She will be praised throughout eternity.

So go ahead and give her the credit that is due,

for she has become a radiant woman,

and all her loving works of righteousness deserve to be admired

at the gateways of every city!

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 31 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 31]

How Great Is Your Goodness

For the Pure and Shining One

A song of poetic praise by King David

I trust you, Lord, to be my hiding place.

Don’t let me down.

Don’t let my enemies bring me to shame.

Come and rescue me, for you are the only God

who always does what is right.

Rescue me quickly when I cry out to you.

At the sound of my prayer may your ear be turned to me.

Be my strong shelter and hiding place on high.

Pull me into victory and breakthrough.

For you are my high fortress, where I’m kept safe.

You are to me a stronghold of salvation.

When you deliver me out of this peril,

it will bring glory to your name.

As you guide me forth I’ll be kept safe

from the hidden snares of the enemy—

the secret traps that lie before me—

for you have become my rock of strength.

Into your hands I now entrust my spirit.

O Lord, the God of faithfulness,

you have rescued and redeemed me.

I despise these deceptive illusions,

all this pretense and nonsense,

for I worship only you.

In mercy you have seen my troubles, and you have cared for me;

even during this crisis in my soul I will be radiant with joy,

filled with praise for your love and mercy.

You have kept me from being conquered by my enemy;

you broke open the way to bring me to freedom,

into a beautiful, broad place.

O Lord, help me again! Keep showing me such mercy.

For I am in anguish, always in tears,

and I’m worn out with weeping.

I’m becoming old because of grief; my health is broken.

I’m exhausted! My life is spent with sorrow,

my years with sighing and sadness.

Because of all these troubles, I have no more strength.

My inner being is so weak and frail.

My enemies say, “You are nothing!”

Even my friends and neighbors hold me in contempt!

They dread seeing me,

and they look the other way when I pass by.

I am totally forgotten, buried away like a dead man,

discarded like a broken dish thrown in the trash.

I overheard their whispered threats, the slander of my enemies.

I’m terrified as they plot and scheme to take my life.

I’m desperate, Lord! I throw myself upon you,

for you alone are my God!

My life, my every moment, my destiny—it’s all in your hands.

So I know you can deliver me

from those who persecute me relentlessly.

Smile on me, your servant.

Let your undying love and glorious grace

save me from all this gloom.

As I call upon you, let my shame and disgrace

be replaced by your favor once again.

But let shame and disgrace fall instead upon the wicked—

those going to their own doom,

drifting down in silence to the dust of death.

At last their lying lips will be muted in their graves.

For they are arrogant, filled with contempt and conceit

as they speak against the godly.

Lord, how wonderful you are!

You have stored up so many good things for us,

like a treasure chest heaped up and spilling over with blessings—

all for those who honor and worship you!

Everybody knows what you can do

for those who turn and hide themselves in you.

So hide all your beloved ones

in the sheltered, secret place before your face.

Overshadow them with your glory-presence.

Keep them from these accusations, the brutal insults of evil men.

Tuck them safely away in the tabernacle where you dwell.

The name of the Lord is blessed and lifted high!

For his marvelous miracle of mercy protected me

when I was overwhelmed by my enemies.

I spoke hastily when I said, “The Lord has deserted me.”

For in truth, you did hear my prayer and came to rescue me.

Listen to me, all you godly ones: Love the Lord with passion!

The Lord protects and preserves all those who are loyal to him.

But he pays back in full all those who reject him in their pride.

So cheer up! Take courage, all you who love him.

Wait for him to break through for you, all who trust in him!

The Book of Psalms, Poem 31 (The Passion Translation)

[Book 3]

The Leviticus Psalms

Psalms of worship and God’s house

[Psalm 73]

God’s Justice

Asaph’s psalm

No one can deny it—God is really good to Israel

and to all those with pure hearts.

But I nearly missed seeing it for myself.

Here’s my story: I narrowly missed losing it all.

I was stumbling over what I saw the wicked doing.

For when I saw the boasters with such wealth and prosperity,

I became jealous over their smug security.

Indulging in whatever they wanted, going where they wanted,

doing what they wanted, and with no care in the world,

no pain, no problems—they seemed to have it made.

They lived as though life would never end.

They didn’t even try to hide their pride and opulence.

Cruelty and violence are parts of their lifestyle.

Pampered and pompous, vice oozes from their souls;

they overflow with vanity.

They’re such snobs—looking down their noses.

They even scoff at God!

They are nothing but bullies threatening God’s people.

They are loudmouths with no fear of God, pretending to know it all—

windbags full of hot air, impressing only themselves.

Yet the people keep coming back to listen

to more of their nonsense.

They tell their cohorts, “God will never know.

See, he has no clue of what we’re doing.”

These are the wicked ones I’m talking about!

They never have to lift a finger,

living a life of ease while their riches multiply.

Have I been foolish to play by the rules and keep my life pure?

Here I am suffering under your discipline day after day.

I feel like I’m being punished all day long.

If I had given in to my pain and spoken of what I was really feeling,

it would have sounded like unfaithfulness to the next generation.

When I tried to understand it all, I just couldn’t.

It was too puzzling—too much of a riddle to me.

But then one day I was brought into the sanctuaries of God,

and in the light of glory, my distorted perspective vanished.

Then I understood that the destiny of the wicked was near!

They’re the ones who are on the slippery path,

and God will suddenly let them slide off into destruction

to be consumed with terrors forever!

It will be an instant end to all their life of ease;

a blink of the eye and they’re swept away by sudden calamity!

They’re all nothing more than momentary monarchs—

soon to disappear like a dream when one awakes.

When the rooster crows,

Lord God, you’ll despise their life of fantasies.

When I saw all of this, what turmoil filled my heart,

piercing my opinions with your truth.

I was so stupid. I was senseless and ignorant,

acting like a brute beast before you, Lord.

Yet, in spite of all this, I still belong to you;

you hold me by my right hand.

You lead me with your secret wisdom.

And following you brings me into your brightness and glory!

Whom have I in heaven but you? You’re all I want!

No one on earth means as much to me as you.

Lord, so many times I fail; I fall into disgrace.

But when I trust in you, I have a strong and glorious presence

protecting and anointing me. Forever you’re all I need!

Those who abandon the worship of God will perish.

The false and unfaithful will be silenced, never heard from again.

But I’ll keep coming closer and closer to you, Lord Yahweh,

for your name is good to me. I’ll keep telling the world of

your awesome works, my faithful and glorious God!

The Book of Psalms, Poem 73 (The Passion Translation)

[filmista]

Big Little Lies

“I read a quote once that said...friendships are the masterpieces of nature.”

I normally don’t review shows, but I enjoyed this so much and it touched me in a way that demanded that I speak about it, It doesn’t often happen that as a woman I’m touched by a show almost solely about women (and in this case what’s classically seen as their “ female issues”, in fact, I don’t think there has been a show like that ever), because as I’m sure someone somewhere in the golden state might have said: “Who would want to see that boring shit?”

Because every so often I end up finding the characters too shallow but now that it did happen, I had to talk about it. I figure there’s a first time for everything, so here it goes, these are my thoughts on Big Little Lies: (please be kind, since I’ve just lost my tv show reviewing virginity) ;)

Big Little Lies’s trailer doesn’t do it justice: it’s visually pleasing, tempting snippets, set to a pleasant beat, it looks stunning, but does it makes sense? For me, it didn’t really give me much of an idea of what the show is about.

Still, after I had heard good things about the show, I wanted to watch it. The first episode disappointed me a little bit initially, it looked simply like a spin on Desperate Housewives, but with murder. Women and their perhaps potentially lethal catfights and backstabbing, someone in the show even goes as far as to say: “I believe women are chemically incapable of forgiveness” and it is often said that women remember everything, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned right?…

But by the end of the show I was glad to see that it had gone beyond that and didn’t limit itself to dishy catfights over hot, muscular men and mommy wars, at the end of that first episode we see the three main women bond and you see a strong friendship form, but I was distrustful, beautiful female friendship doesn’t last long in tv land does it?

Surely a big crisis and meltdown of their friendship would come and nasty catfights would follow, fortunately, this does not arrive and the friendship becomes even tighter.

I found it incredibly satisfying to see three so different women, accept their differences, there’s not even an argument made about how different they are, they bond, get to know each other, they offer each other unwavering emotional support.

There are fun times to be had Our trio: part time working mom Madeline (Reese Witherspoon), stay at home mom Celeste (Nicole Kidman) and single mom Jane (Shailene Woodley) goes out for cosy cups of coffee in trendy beach bars, but they are also there in more difficult and trying times, It’s simply unconditional love between women and I honestly freaking adored it! Because you don’t very often get to see it, It’s rare that a show has as It’s driving force three women; their friendship and their individual lives, how they perceive themselves and how the world around them perceives them.

There have been shows that have female friendships in them, but they are rarely It’s driving force. It’s also quite rare to see a show with such well written female characters, all initially respond to a type, to a cliche, they are all classified as a certain kind of woman.

Yet while they may to some degree respond to these stereotypes, they accept that they do, but we also get to know each woman as more than a stereotype, they become fully realised persons, each has conflicts, things from their past that come back to haunt them and that have shaped them as a person.

Maybe one of the reasons that some people have the dismissed the show, is that it is perhaps a bit too stylish for its own good: it is filled with beautiful sceneries, shots that are hyper aware of their own attractiveness, we’ve got architectural porn: beach houses with their beautiful terrace roofs and the ever so beautiful ocean views that come with them, and then the ever so hot, rich white people (all Hollywood A-listers, which admittedly is kind of what initially drew me in, I’m not above being lured in sometimes) 

And It’s all set to a soundtrack with immaculately good music, it simply seemed a little too good to be true, usually, when I see a film filled with Hollywood’s most wanted, I become wary surely something should be up, maybe it has a despicable script? But in this case, I’m glad that I set my previous prejudice aside and gave it a chance.

Shows and movies about rich people and their perfect world, that’s seemingly only designed to make you jealous aren’t usually my thing. But Big Little Lies embraces this cliche in a very interesting way: It says look at all the pretty houses and their pretty people, don’t you want to live in one of those houses?

But then it shows us what’s going on with the people in the houses and one thing becomes painfully clear, if you’re miserable, if you’re an asshole, then a pretty house is not going to cure you're being miserable or of you’re having a shitty character.  

But returning to what I had previously said, while I was initially a bit dissatisfied with the first episode, I stayed and became hooked because of the promise of a budding friendship between these women and the fact that all of them seemed to be written so well and I simply wanted more of it.

You discover the character of each and the dynamics of their at home situation in the very first episode, they are almost immediately well rounded and shaped, by the end of the first and second episode, you feel like you know each of them.

Big Little Lies has an extensive female cast and all of them extensively collaborated on it as well, which was for some people a red flag, signalling that It’s only a show about women and their “lady issues”.

All these women, are women that exist, and their problems aren’t discussed in ways that are glossed over, it brings them in entertaining, fascinating also scary ways, they offer a scarily realistic, sometimes shocking of the sometimes harrowing reality that being female entails.

The show is not so much a murder mystery, yes the ultimate goal of the show was revealing who got killed, but It’s really merely an excuse to explore It’s character’s interpersonal relationships, the relationships of the women, between them, their family and ultimately some types of relationships between women and men, and the dynamics between the two in a relationship, in some cases healthy, in some cases downright toxic.

The men in the show are mostly cliches, but they are all incredibly well acted, and that’s what gives depth. We have the asshole who abuses his wife, we have the guy who is permanently chill next to his stressed out career driven wife, then we have the husband who is simply a nice guy to his wife, always there for her, yet while he is a genuinely nice guy, there is also some bottled up anger, he doesn’t feel appreciated enough at all times, he feels as though his wife takes him for granted.

So they all do respond to cliches, but the show wasn’t out to demonise them, some people could interpret the show as too overly feminist, as something that immediately makes men the bad guy, but that’s not entirely true in my view, while it is openly feminist, it does it from a very positive angle it merely wants to illustrate some of the issues women deal with, and it shows them in depth.

But the female characters are not victims in a way, we are not supposed to pity them or find them miserable, and while we can admire their strength, It also doesn’t feel like It’s saying look at these badass, strong women!

They are brought to us as multisided human beings, that you can feel for, relate. Their real strength and the strength of the show is their bond, their union, the fact that they protect each other, it shows that the world is easier for women when they are not pitting against each other, but rather helping each other navigate stormy waters.

Instead of wishing the other would fall into the water or push each other into the water and help each other take down personal demons, which in this case results in one of the most beautiful, riveting and most satisfying, and downright wild tv finales ever, let’s just say that a misogynistic asshole gets taken down by a group of angry ladies, (the always cool Zoë Kravitz) has something to do with it as well and it’s pure poetic justice and It’s fuckin’ beautiful!

The show’s strength lies in It’s writing and It’s acting, while the writing in some episodes seems a bit weaker, it always results in an enjoyable episode, due to the strong acting. Each actress and actor is allowed to demonstrate their chops to the full range, all the actors and actresses are usually not actors that do tv work (but they’ve all beautifully adapted to it), and the director of the show (Jean-Marc Vallée) usually directs films, not tv series, and that to some degree shows, the show has a highly cinematic quality, and aesthetically It’s as beautiful as some of Vallées films.

The acting unlike in some tv series does not seem overly scripted and staged, maybe to some extent because most of the actors in the show usually stick to film, they all take their roles seriously and give it their best, and the result is some of the best performances out of their career for the actors.

Reese Witherspoon plays what she has played before, a woman who defends everything she believes in, a woman with a big, foul mouthing mouth (I will never forget the wonderful: “I’m a lady and I’ve never said this to anybody in my life, but I’m gonna say it to you, you can go fuck yourself on the head”) seen by some  because of her never bow down attitude as a controlling, backstabbing bitch. 

Reese Witherspoon has played the woman who never gives up on anything before but who is also extremely sensitive and vulnerable, but here she is given such witty, emotional and sometimes dialogue that’s so sharp it could cut, that she just once again could give a fine showcasing of her talent and reminded me of why she is one of my favourite actresses.

A performance that has been dismissed, I think undeservedly so is Shailene Woodley’s as Jane Chapman, Jane is the single mum with a haunted past that arrives at the town, is quickly singled out as different and becomes the target of a witch hunt. As we discover Jane suffers from PTSD, she was raped and her son is the result of that sexual assault, her character goes jogging by the ocean, always with her headphones on, by means of therapy, it seems, during these sequences we get to see flashes of her past.

That kind of filming technique and a character running off frustration and pain is nothing new, but Shailene Woodley has an understated calmness and elegance here, that conflicts with the stormy battles she is fighting within herself, and Woodley conveys it all to us with an admirable naturalness and transparency, one look suffices to let us in on how she’s feeling.

I think she handled the role of the single young mum beautifully, she showed real love for her son and tries her hardest to give him a good life, all the more admirable when considered that her son was the result of a sexual assault. It’s a difficult role no doubt about it.

And some people claim that Woodley is still too young and inexperienced an actress to handle it, I found it refreshing to see her as something other than a teen with cancer or battling in dystopian worlds and I think she handled it with ease and grace.

And the greatest thing about her character for me was that she ends up in a way being the one that unites the women, at the beginning of the show Jane goes jogging alone after she has confided to one of the women what happened in her past, we no longer see her go jogging alone.

She now goes with her friends, who run off their own frustrations and who offer their own silent support, not a word is spoken and it is not necessary, simply being there is sometimes the greatest sign of friendship.

Nicole Kidman is also a force to be reckoned with here, I hadn’t seen her do much lately that impressed me that much, but this was truly a pleasant reminder of her talent. She has perhaps the most emotionally draining role, playing the victim of domestic abuse.

But she handles it with her trademark calmness, elegance and subtlety, Kidman is the sort of actress whose performances if you don’t watch her carefully, might seem like she’s not acting at all because she’s barely moving.

However, if you watch carefully she speaks incredibly loudly and clearly, just through her body, she does it here again and the result is simply magnetic, as she perfectly captures what must be going through her character’s mind.

Kidman and Skarsgard (who plays her pig of a husband), have a downright scary and harrowing chemistry, the scenes in which she suffers physical violence at his hands and in which she fights back, have an intensity and volatility to them that make you at the same time want to look away because it makes you sick and downright angry.

But Kidman and Skarsgard (who’s downright scary) are so disturbingly good together, that you look anyway. There are scenes here that verge into the not often explored area of marital rape, Celeste appears to be consenting, she doesn’t say no at least not with her voice, but seemingly only because she can’t recognise to herself that if she said no, her husband would not listen.

So in her mind no resistance and letting it happen is easiest, these sequences are filmed in an almost horror like way, they’re meant to unsettle, show the suffering of Celeste, in no way are they meant to be sexy or enticing, and frankly I think that anyone that thinks they are is a bit of a troubled individual…

There are other good performances, especially the child actors do an amazing job, but the three leading ladies are the ones that impressed me the most. I finished Big Little Lies in literally 2 days, which is a record for me even with miniseries, but I was hooked on this.

It’s got everything you could possibly want in a show: Excellent writing, beautiful camera work (the colours and the lighting in this, are the wet dream of anyone that loves to take screenshots), strong performances, smart sound design, a fantastic soundtrack and well-rounded female characters, Big Little Lies will perhaps become to tv what Thelma and Louise is to film and that’s a wonderful thing to see, if one thing I hope that it sparks many more shows that don’t have women stabbing each other in the back, but as friends.

It shows something that I and a lot of other women probably already knew: women can and should help and stand up for other women when they are suffering injustice or unfairness, (heck every human being should) and if they’re not, then there’s no reason they should make each other’s lives more difficult. My ultimate verdict: A  21st-century feminist masterpiece that keeps women and men alike on the edge of their seat! 

My favorite character, even though, It’s not a fan favorite is probably Shailene Woodley’s Jane. She offers such an understated and quietly moving performance. I wanted to include this article because I agree so much: http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/news/a54268/shailene-woodley-big-little-lies/

“It’s like I’m on the outside looking in. Or, like, I see this life and this moment and it’s so wonderful, but it doesn’t quite belong to me.”

[easkyrah]

I went through your history of science and other observations, and a question came upon me. You read both classics, essays, and YA novels from historical figures to mythological ones (or so I assume?). Anyways, what's one part of modern writing that you don't like today?

Rant time!

The Decline of the English Language

I immediately thought of George Orwell’s Politics and the English Language. It’s an informal, beautiful essay of the English language’s deterioration. (On another note, thank you for noticing that I don’t prefer a specific type of literature. Too many adults assume that because I love the YA genre also means that I cannot immerse myself in other works. Oh you read Harry Potter? Bet you’ve never picked up the Grapes of Wrath. False!)

Too many writers write to appease what their readers believe and want to hear, rather than what they feel and agree with. Sure, a writer says she’ll write angst even though her readers won’t like it, but she’ll write the angst in a way that the details appeases her audience. 

Too many writers today, based on my observations, revert to old language filled with “sentimental archaism”. For example, the “dimly-lit candles dripping with hot, thick wax” take preference over “the electric light glared over the droning of the air conditioner’s roar”. Writers prefer the “rustling carriage” over the “aeroplane”, the “beautiful, ruby-red mouth” to the “chapped, peeling lips”. We allow our originality in words to be swept away into a dump along with others. 

It’s not just our descriptions that decay, but aspects of literature long ingrained, as noted by Orwell:

“Dying Metaphors”: a metaphor that no longer evokes a visual image and seen as ordinary word(s); in other cases, the true meaning dissipates, utilized inaccurately in commonplaces; “incompatible metaphors are frequently mixed, a sure sign that the writer is not interested in what he is saying” 

eg: “Achilles’ heel”, “hotbed”, “stand shoulder to shoulder with”, “axe to grind”, “play into the hands of”

take the fourth example: most imagine an axe and a grinder, the wrong imagery this metaphor is supposed to elicit. When a writing includes the sentence “he had an axe to grind”, we do not think of the personal vendetta or the associations of vengeance with it. 

eg: “the hammer and the anvil” metaphor is used with the “implication that the anvil gets the worst of it [when] in real life it always the anvil breaks the hammer, never the other way around”

“Operators or Verbal False Limbs”: apt verbs and nouns are padded with “extra syllables [to] give an appearance of symmetry; a verb or noun becomes a phrase; the passive voice is used over the active; gerunds are used instead of “noun constructions” 

eg: in essays, pollutions in words occur such as “exhibit a tendency to” instead of “show” or “on the hypothesis that” instead of “because”

eg: say a person looked up to the sky and recounts the sight today—most writers would have something along the lines of “a cluster of clouds filled with the crushed hope of many desires, raining down the soured, reflective tears” (aka something I would write, and wrote) instead of “darkened clouds ran parallel with his crumbling dreams”; yes, the first one sounds more pleasing, but finds itself unnecessary and without true purpose

phrases that are full of murkiness, such as, “deserving of serious consideration”, are often used in court cases and in daily life as euphemisms; these unclear words offer respite to the person who deserved the “consideration” and offer the person’s ambiguity rather than decisiveness; if you want the murderer of your wife sentenced to jail, then state it— don’t meander around poetic words of “my heart has been shattered by the fatal blow against my true love’s own beating heart; since hers has ceased, so has my will to live unless justice can be wrought” (yes that was an exaggeration, but do you see my point?)

rather than use the words that first conjure up in most minds, which the audience can most connect with, most search for alternatives of words that have the same definition, but different shaped word (this flaw strips away the uniqueness of what you created originally, for starters)

too many shape their writing into the how the syllables sound rather than focusing on the meaning behind the words; this often has the words scrapped together to form jargon

“Pretentious diction”: words dressed up from their simple statements to “give an air of scientific impartiality to biased judgements” (already, a paradox forms); foreign words are utilized “to give n air of culture and elegance”

if there’s one thing I most notice within fanfiction writing, it is that there’s a clash of simple diction with the few spurts of eloquent, high-level words, or those simply used in the past, which also contrasts with the time frame

“except for the useful abbreviations i.e., e.g., and etc., there is no real need for any of the hundreds of foreign phrases no current in English”

“bad writers, and especially scientific, political, and sociological writers, are nearly haunted by the notion that Latin or Greek words are grander than Saxon ones…”

usually, I don’t pay attention to grammar or spelling when reading fanfics, because those can be easily fixed. I pay attention to how writers describe scenes. 

a hyperbole: “the kiss struck her like a thousand bolts of lightening so that she could have soared across the starry sky”. Seriously, if she were struck by a thousand bolts of lightning, I’m pretty sure she would have died and the male would have ran off screaming his head. We tend to exaggerate scenes to draw attention. Instead of “her first kiss was slow, but simple”, writers feel the need to mention every type of burning emotion. When most are first kissed, I’m not sure if they focus on how they’re feeling over the act occurring. 

Of course, there are those few moments that are pivotal in a story, and the beautifully written description is needed. However—

“adjectives like epoch-making, epic, historic, unforgettable, triumphant, ages-old, inevitable, inexorable, veritable, are used to dignify the sordid processes of international politics, while writing that aims at glorifying war takes on an archai color, its characteristic words being: realm, throne, chariot, mailed fist, trident, sword, buckler, banner, jackboot, clarion.”

Meaningless Words: aka when you come across a long passage with distorted images and blurred meanings that makes you want to bash your head against a wall while thinking to yourself: just get to the point already!

“words like romantic, plastic, values, human, dead, sentimental, natural, vitality, as used in art criticism, are strictly meaningless, in the sense that they no only do not point to any discoverable object, but are hardly ever expected to do so by the reader”

eg: the word “fascism” merely means the opposite of democracy and “something undesirable” in today’s society

This decline appears not simply because of bad influence or the individual writer’s style, according to Orwell. The main reasons arises from the rise of politics, a prevalent facet in US society. But that’s another story I won’t delve into. 

The fads of hollywood and models become the society’s obsession: What dress did she wear (how dare she reveal her political opinion within that dress!) Who broke up with who (no way he used her for the business!)…so on and so forth. TV shows display college life with sororities, fraternities, drinking, gambling, breakups, and athletics, rather than stressed out college students living off of coffee past midnight, scouring for internships and jobs to attempt to pay off loans and bolster their application, and research based projects outlined with groundbreaking technologies.

Society becomes doused with fantasies, lined with unrealistic expectations.  Writing becomes “ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.” It’s a two-way street, one we seemed to be locked in without the thought of desiring to escape. In other words, we do not rely on our instincts when we write. We prefer other’s examples and replicate them. We like how other words sound and choose archaism over simplicity. We don’t chose our own writing. 

[dfroza]

Today’s reading from the ancient book of Proverbs and book of Psalms

for may 31 of 2021 with Proverbs 31 and Psalm 31, accompanied by Psalm 73 for the 73rd day of Spring and Psalm 1 for day 151 of the year (now with the consummate book of 150 Psalms beginning its 2nd revolution this year)

[Proverbs 31]

[Inspired Word]

King Lemuel’s royal words of wisdom:

These are the inspired words my mother taught me.

Listen, my dear son, son of my womb.

You are the answer to my prayers, my son.

So keep yourself sexually pure

from the promiscuous, wayward woman.

Don’t waste the strength of your anointing

on those who ruin kings—

you’ll live to regret it!

For you are a king, Lemuel,

and it’s never fitting for a king to be drunk on wine

or for rulers to crave alcohol.

For when they drink they forget justice

and ignore the rights of those in need,

those who depend on them for leadership.

Strong drink is given to the terminally ill,

who are suffering at the brink of death.

Wine is for those in depression

in order to drown their sorrows.

Let them drink and forget their poverty and misery.

But you are to be a king who speaks up on behalf

of the disenfranchised

and pleads for the legal rights of the defenseless

and those who are dying.

Be a righteous king, judging on behalf of the poor

and interceding for those most in need.

[The Radiant Bride]

Who could ever find a wife like this one—

she is a woman of strength and mighty valor!

She’s full of wealth and wisdom.

The price paid for her was greater than many jewels.

Her husband has entrusted his heart to her,

for she brings him the rich spoils of victory.

All throughout her life she brings him what is good and not evil.

She searches out continually to possess

that which is pure and righteous.

She delights in the work of her hands.

She gives out revelation-truth to feed others.

She is like a trading ship bringing divine supplies

from the merchant.

Even in the night season she arises and sets food on the table

for hungry ones in her house and for others.

She sets her heart upon a field and takes it as her own.

She labors there to plant the living vines.

She wraps herself in strength, might, and power in all her works.

She tastes and experiences a better substance,

and her shining light will not be extinguished,

no matter how dark the night.

She stretches out her hands to help the needy

and she lays hold of the wheels of government.

She is known by her extravagant generosity to the poor,

for she always reaches out her hands to those in need.

She is not afraid of tribulation,

for all her household is covered in the dual garments

of righteousness and grace.

Her clothing is beautifully knit together—

a purple gown of exquisite linen.

Her husband is famous and admired by all,

sitting as the venerable judge of his people.

Even her works of righteousness

she does for the benefit of her enemies.

Bold power and glorious majesty are wrapped around her

as she laughs with joy over the latter days.

Her teachings are filled with wisdom and kindness

as loving instruction pours from her lips.

She watches over the ways of her household

and meets every need they have.

Her sons and daughters arise in one accord to extol her virtues,

and her husband arises to speak of her in glowing terms.

“There are many valiant and noble ones,

but you have ascended above them all!”

Charm can be misleading,

and beauty is vain and so quickly fades,

but this virtuous woman lives in the wonder, awe,

and fear of the Lord.

She will be praised throughout eternity.

So go ahead and give her the credit that is due,

for she has become a radiant woman,

and all her loving works of righteousness deserve to be admired

at the gateways of every city!

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 31 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 31]

How Great Is Your Goodness

For the Pure and Shining One

A song of poetic praise by King David

I trust you, Lord, to be my hiding place.

Don’t let me down.

Don’t let my enemies bring me to shame.

Come and rescue me, for you are the only God

who always does what is right.

Rescue me quickly when I cry out to you.

At the sound of my prayer may your ear be turned to me.

Be my strong shelter and hiding place on high.

Pull me into victory and breakthrough.

For you are my high fortress, where I’m kept safe.

You are to me a stronghold of salvation.

When you deliver me out of this peril,

it will bring glory to your name.

As you guide me forth I’ll be kept safe

from the hidden snares of the enemy—

the secret traps that lie before me—

for you have become my rock of strength.

Into your hands I now entrust my spirit.

O Lord, the God of faithfulness,

you have rescued and redeemed me.

I despise these deceptive illusions,

all this pretense and nonsense,

for I worship only you.

In mercy you have seen my troubles, and you have cared for me;

even during this crisis in my soul I will be radiant with joy,

filled with praise for your love and mercy.

You have kept me from being conquered by my enemy;

you broke open the way to bring me to freedom,

into a beautiful, broad place.

O Lord, help me again! Keep showing me such mercy.

For I am in anguish, always in tears,

and I’m worn out with weeping.

I’m becoming old because of grief; my health is broken.

I’m exhausted! My life is spent with sorrow,

my years with sighing and sadness.

Because of all these troubles, I have no more strength.

My inner being is so weak and frail.

My enemies say, “You are nothing!”

Even my friends and neighbors hold me in contempt!

They dread seeing me,

and they look the other way when I pass by.

I am totally forgotten, buried away like a dead man,

discarded like a broken dish thrown in the trash.

I overheard their whispered threats, the slander of my enemies.

I’m terrified as they plot and scheme to take my life.

I’m desperate, Lord! I throw myself upon you,

for you alone are my God!

My life, my every moment, my destiny—it’s all in your hands.

So I know you can deliver me

from those who persecute me relentlessly.

Smile on me, your servant.

Let your undying love and glorious grace

save me from all this gloom.

As I call upon you, let my shame and disgrace

be replaced by your favor once again.

But let shame and disgrace fall instead upon the wicked—

those going to their own doom,

drifting down in silence to the dust of death.

At last their lying lips will be muted in their graves.

For they are arrogant, filled with contempt and conceit

as they speak against the godly.

Lord, how wonderful you are!

You have stored up so many good things for us,

like a treasure chest heaped up and spilling over with blessings—

all for those who honor and worship you!

Everybody knows what you can do

for those who turn and hide themselves in you.

So hide all your beloved ones

in the sheltered, secret place before your face.

Overshadow them with your glory-presence.

Keep them from these accusations, the brutal insults of evil men.

Tuck them safely away in the tabernacle where you dwell.

The name of the Lord is blessed and lifted high!

For his marvelous miracle of mercy protected me

when I was overwhelmed by my enemies.

I spoke hastily when I said, “The Lord has deserted me.”

For in truth, you did hear my prayer and came to rescue me.

Listen to me, all you godly ones: Love the Lord with passion!

The Lord protects and preserves all those who are loyal to him.

But he pays back in full all those who reject him in their pride.

So cheer up! Take courage, all you who love him.

Wait for him to break through for you, all who trust in him!

The Book of Psalms, Poem 31 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 73]

Book 3

The Leviticus Psalms

Psalms of worship and God’s house

God’s Justice

Asaph’s psalm

No one can deny it—God is really good to Israel

and to all those with pure hearts.

But I nearly missed seeing it for myself.

Here’s my story: I narrowly missed losing it all.

I was stumbling over what I saw the wicked doing.

For when I saw the boasters with such wealth and prosperity,

I became jealous over their smug security.

Indulging in whatever they wanted, going where they wanted,

doing what they wanted, and with no care in the world,

no pain, no problems—they seemed to have it made.

They lived as though life would never end.

They didn’t even try to hide their pride and opulence.

Cruelty and violence are parts of their lifestyle.

Pampered and pompous, vice oozes from their souls;

they overflow with vanity.

They’re such snobs—looking down their noses.

They even scoff at God!

They are nothing but bullies threatening God’s people.

They are loudmouths with no fear of God, pretending to know it all—

windbags full of hot air, impressing only themselves.

Yet the people keep coming back to listen

to more of their nonsense.

They tell their cohorts, “God will never know.

See, he has no clue of what we’re doing.”

These are the wicked ones I’m talking about!

They never have to lift a finger,

living a life of ease while their riches multiply.

Have I been foolish to play by the rules and keep my life pure?

Here I am suffering under your discipline day after day.

I feel like I’m being punished all day long.

If I had given in to my pain and spoken of what I was really feeling,

it would have sounded like unfaithfulness to the next generation.

When I tried to understand it all, I just couldn’t.

It was too puzzling—too much of a riddle to me.

But then one day I was brought into the sanctuaries of God,

and in the light of glory, my distorted perspective vanished.

Then I understood that the destiny of the wicked was near!

They’re the ones who are on the slippery path,

and God will suddenly let them slide off into destruction

to be consumed with terrors forever!

It will be an instant end to all their life of ease;

a blink of the eye and they’re swept away by sudden calamity!

They’re all nothing more than momentary monarchs—

soon to disappear like a dream when one awakes.

When the rooster crows,

Lord God, you’ll despise their life of fantasies.

When I saw all of this, what turmoil filled my heart,

piercing my opinions with your truth.

I was so stupid. I was senseless and ignorant,

acting like a brute beast before you, Lord.

Yet, in spite of all this, I still belong to you;

you hold me by my right hand.

You lead me with your secret wisdom.

And following you brings me into your brightness and glory!

Whom have I in heaven but you? You’re all I want!

No one on earth means as much to me as you.

Lord, so many times I fail; I fall into disgrace.

But when I trust in you, I have a strong and glorious presence

protecting and anointing me. Forever you’re all I need!

Those who abandon the worship of God will perish.

The false and unfaithful will be silenced, never heard from again.

But I’ll keep coming closer and closer to you, Lord Yahweh,

for your name is good to me. I’ll keep telling the world of

your awesome works, my faithful and glorious God!

The Book of Psalms, Poem 73 (The Passion Translation)