Trios Coleurs: Bleu

This is a really beautiful French film about a woman who loses her daughter and husband in a car accident. She attempts to cut herself off from the previous world which she lived in, moving into a new apartment and cutting ties with people she once knew. Juliette Binoche is a really beautiful woman who I think plays the part well. She is totally believable and charming as Julie.

The film is part of a trilogy of colours, show in several scenes via the juxtaposition of the colours blue; the main colour of this film, white and red. Which are also the colours of the French flag. There are some beautiful uses of colour throughout the film, including the swimming pool scenes in which Julie, the protagonist, is seen swimming in a blue lit pool. The blue of her jewelled lamp shade is also particularly beautiful, especially when her exotic dancer neighbour holds them in her hands, almost giving the illusion that they are huge water droplets.

The use of the orchestral soundtrack makes the film even more romantic. But the lack of music in certain scenes makes the film seem even more realistic and believable, and gives the impression that Julie is detached from the world which she walks through, as though it is going on in the background without her.

The end credits of white text on a blue background also makes a colourful change from the norm.

Things I Love This Week

My New Boyfriend - Aaah so sweet, funny and good looking, blates onto a winner! :)

Cupcakes - Gorgeous, if not sickly sweet and all for £1.75 bargain! I'd eat them all day if I didn't think I'd be ill after attempting a second one!

French People - I love hearing beautiful French people speaking French. Its so gentle and feminine. Makes me wish I could speak it properly! Juliette Binoche is a prime example of this, shes so beautiful in Trois Coleurs: Bleu. This is how I imagine all French women to be like, but they're probably not all stunners in real life.

Shirts - Black or white with sleeves rolled up please. Yummy. Especially on one guy in particular.

Friends - I love it when a friend opens up about something they're worried about, I love feeling closer to that person. Its also awesome to feel that someone trusts you and respects your advice.

Christina Aguilera's By Night Perfume - Smells so nice and lasts suprisingly well since its a fairly subtle scent! I love the bottle too - nice and feminine without being over the top girly!

I Recommend...

...SillyCut!

I found SillyCut on Etsy whilst looking for random treats to buy myself on payday. I came across the beautiful necklace as shown in the photo below (Photography by FiFi Von Dynamite) in SillyCut's shop and adored it! After uploading a feedback photo of me wearing the necklace to Etsy I received a lovely message from the lady behind SillyCut and felt that I had not only a perfect shopping/purchasing experience, but also had found a piece of jewellery that will stand the test of time. So definitely I recommend SillyCut for the beautiful jewellery they sell!

SillyCut Blog
SillyCut Etsy Shop

Things I Love This Week

My Ralph Lauren Jumper – I actually can’t stop wearing my gorgeous Ralph Lauren Polo black jumper. It’s such good quality and looks really smart on. I’m currently loving the preppy look, which mostly consists of black and white check skirts, white shirts, knee high black socks, my Rocking Horse shoes and some lovely black and white braces I found on eBay for £2! All I need now are some sexy black glasses and I’ll feel like I’m actually uber smart ;)

Snogging Boys In Clubs – Aah it’s been a while since I spent all night kissing some random hot guy! Makes me feel like I'm 16 again, good times!

Birthday Cards – In particular the ones with cute messages on! Thanks people :)

The Queen (film) – Saw the trailer and thought it looked interesting since it was about the royals surrounding the time of Princess Diana’s death. I remember odd bits of news footage of the time but I was only 8(ish) so it was interesting to see real news/media footage mixed in with a dramatised version of events from behind the scenes. I think the film was enjoyable, and has given me a new outlook on Tony Blair in particular. I wonder if we’ll ever know what happened to poor Diana.

Nachtmahr – Not specific to this week since I completely bum them all year round!! But still! I can’t stop listening to El Chupacabra and Titanic, definitely two of my favourite Nachtmahr songs. Really can’t wait til they tour again <3

Lesley Roy – Just downloaded her ‘Unbeautiful’ album and every song on it is awesome! Current faves are ‘Dead but Breathing’ and ‘Unbeautiful’. If I could have anyone’s voice (bar Fiona Apple’s) it would definitely be hers! Also just discovered Poe and Kerli, who may also soon be some of my favourite singer-songwriters. I was impressed to find that Poe is the sister of the guy who wrote ‘House of Leaves’ which I'm currently reading! It’s a small world!

Power Plates – Vibrating goodness! Only tried it for the first time this week. I think they’re just for toning and stretching, but they're hella fun! Even though they make your ears funny and your voice vibrate when you talk!!

Alexander Wang Dress – This was my birthday outfit for my 22nd birthday. It’s beautiful; I love the cut and think it’s really flattering. It does have a tendency to make my boobs look smaller though, but I still love it! So worth the money!

Låt Den Rätte Komma In (Let The Right One In)

Låt Den Rätte Komma In is a Swedish film produced in 2008. The film is about a bullied child, called Oskar and sees him forming a friendship with young vampire Eli, and illustrates the development of their friendship.

The film, although technically a horror due to the vampire lead character, is beautifully sweet and romantic. The innocent relationship between the two characters is charming, realistic (minus the vampire element) and heart-warming. Both the lead child actors far outshine any of their adult supports, both playing perfectly believable 12 year olds. The young actress who plays the part of Eli, Lina Leandersson, plays the part well making the vampire elements of her character flow naturally, rather than over dramatising the part in a way many vampires do (ie too much dark makeup, snarling noises, ‘evil’ traits etc).

The film, set in winter in the 1980s, is full of beautiful snowy locations, which contrast well with the growing warmth of the relationship between Oskar and Eli, adding to the realistic style of the film. The deaths of various characters are also believable as the scenes do not focus on the gore aspect, the lack of extreme build up in tension before the on screen deaths allows viewers to focus more on the reasons behind their deaths than be distracted by gore or a cheap scare. The genuine feel and believability are factors that make the film so touching to watch.

My personal highlight of the film, other than the sweet nature of Eli and Oskar's friendship, was a scene in which one character, after being incarcerated in a mental institution after being attacked by a feeding Eli, bursts into flame when her husband opens the curtains, not realising that she has been infected with Eli’s vampire blood. The flames themselves are a spectacular sight, completely engulfing the woman in a blast of heat.

I’d rate this film 4.5 out of 5.

Cotillard, Dressmaking & Parrots

First off, just seen this video:



The video features Marion Cotillard singing (with Franz Ferdinand) 'Eyes Of Mars', which is a new music video for Dior's Lady Rouge campaign. I'm a big fan of Marion Cotillard as I think shes a classically beautiful French woman, I really wish I had her mouth! It's so pretty! I think Dior and Cotillard work well together and she always looks beautiful in their campaigns, in particular my favourite photo below: 

In other news, it was the last of my dress making classes last night *tear* and my dress is still not finished! However I am signed up for the next set of classes that starts later in the month, so its all good. I never really realised how hard making clothes to a good standard was. Not saying that I thought it was going to be a breeze, but I definately have a new found respect for designers! I'm really happy with the way that my dress it taking shap though, I've finished the front half and am half way through sewing together the back and the full skirt sections, I'm just praying it fits!! I'm thinking of making a waistcoat for the next set of classes, so hopefully that will turn out well! I'm really enjoying it, and hopefully will make a good few pieces of clothing over the coming months so I can develop my skills further. I'll get some photos up of the dress as soon as its finished.

Lastly, I found the most awesome necklace and holder from Tithi Kutchamuch which can be found here http://www.tithi.info/new/main.htm under 'Companion Parrot'. I love taxidermy and taxidermy accessories and to me this is reminiscent of that practise. The necklace itself is a long chain with the parrots head, heart, stomach and intestines featured as charms. When not being worn the necklace can be kept in the parrots body, just like the real organs!! But its very cute nonetheless!

Burberry A/W Fashion Show

So today (well technically it was yesterday, since I'm posting in the middle of the night!) I managed to get home in time to watch the live streaming of the Burberry fashion show for London Fashion Week. I've recent become a fan of the brand since they ditched their now chav-tastic signature print and since they started using Harry Potter actress Emma Watson to front their S/S 2010 campaign. I never would have had her down as the 'model type' from seeing her in the aforementioned films, yet she comes across as being so beautiful and fresh. Plus I adore this trench coat, not my typical colour choice, but I love the fit around the waist and the puffy shoulders!

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Welcome to my new blog of inspiring things and random bits I find interesting :)