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American Sniper: In-depth analysis from an insider!
BY AMINE BENEMBAREK American Sniper: Media and politics aside, let’s talk about the film! American Sniper is a drama film adaptation based on American Navy Seal Sniper Chris Kyle’s autobiographical book, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S Military History. It tells of his experience as a Navy Seal after ten years of service and multiple combat tours. The film adaptation is directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle and Sienna Miller as Chris Kyle’s wife, Taya. We watch Kyle’s pinpoint accuracy as a sniper in battle, allowing him to save countless lives and earning him the title of a legend and American…
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Best Picture Reviews: The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game
And here come the Brits… The Theory of Everything BY NIKKI TURNER The Theory of Everything follows the story of renowned scientist, Stephen Hawking. The film starts with Hawking’s early days at Cambridge, and goes on till his meeting with the queen for the first time. Eddie Redmayne portrays Stephen Hawking and Felicity Jones his first wife, Jane. Redmayne and Jones hold together a somewhat confusing timeline with their stunningly emotional—and in Redmayne’s case—physical performances. Against the backdrop of Hawking’s scientific accomplishments, the film hones in on the relationship between Stephen and Jane. The film is emotional and truly shows the difficulty the pair faced in living with Hawking’s early…
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Best Picture Reviews: American Sniper, Selma, Birdman
American Sniper BY NADIRA CHAND Following the U.S. Embassy bombings in 1998, Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) is motivated to enroll as a Navy Seal. Calling upon his hunting instincts, Kyle quickly establishes himself as a notorious sniper, referred to as a “legend” amongst his peers. Although he is hesitant to kill, he pushes forward under the pretext of protecting his country. Four tours later, Kyle has become estranged from his wife and his children. A hero in his own right, Kyle struggles with separating reality from the traumatic incidents of the war. Based on the memoir American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History by…
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Sports Rivalries
BY KARA STEYN There is no room for rationale. Pride is on the line every single time. Their histories are embedded in tradition, an observance passed down from generation to generation. Their scales vary from countries to individuals, but the fervour never decreases. They are deal-breakers, debate-starters, blood-boilers. They incite an unparalleled passion in people. They are sports rivalries. Every four years the curtains open on the world stage of winter sports. Athletes who have been working their entire lives have a few moments to show off their talents. All this pressure has led to some incredible and intense match-ups. As soon as the Canadian hockey players touch down in…
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Super Bowl XLIX: Battle of Epic Proportions
BY KARA STEYN Glendale, Arizona will play host to thousands of football fans this Sunday, February 1, for Super Bowl XLIX. The Seattle Seahawks will battle the New England Patriots for the NFL’s highest honour. The Seahawks are defending champions, having beat the Broncos last year. However, the Patriots are looking for a post-season comeback as they have been without a Super Bowl victory since 2005. Be sure to mark this one down in the history books, folks. Both teams have had similar seasons. The Patriots faced a lot of criticism for their lacklustre start, especially quarterback Tom Brady. They fought their way back and became AFC champions (winning 45-7…
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Best Picture Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel
BY LISA BASNETT Fans of quirky, deft director Wes Anderson will delight in his ever-distinctive style of direction and writing in The Grand Budapest Hotel. Anderson’s film begins in a grand hotel in 1932 and traipses through mountainous personal and geological territory. Featuring an effete Casanova/concierge played by Ralph Fiennes, newcomer Tony Revolori disarmingly as a hotel lobby boy and Saoirse Ronan as his beguiling love thing, the film is acted as gloriously as it’s staged. A wonderful turn by Adrien Brody (at his greasiest) and Willem Defoe (at his most frightening) provide the film’s truly creepy antagonists. The lushly detailed visuals are equaled by the simultaneous whimsy and depth…
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Last Minute New Year’s Eve Ideas
BY SHRUTI JAMADAGNI December is one of the busiest times of the year socially— Christmas, Hanukkah, work parties, family parties; it all adds up to a whirlwind of activities. It’s not surprising that by the time New Year’s Eve rolls around, many of us are caught unawares. If you’re one of the many who’re scrambling to find New Year’s Eve plans, we’ve got you covered. Here are 4 New Year’s Eve celebration ideas that you can do without too much pre-planning: New Year’s Eve at Nathan Phillips Square (free) – An annual tradition, this year Nathan Phillips Square will again be hosting a variety of shows and exhibits starting at…
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4 CanLit Books for your Reading List
BY SHRUTI J If you’re a fan of Canadian literature, you have likely heard of Bear by Marian Engel. First published in 1976 by McClelland and Stewart, the Governor General’s Literary Prize winning novel has recently been in the news because of a reissue. The book has also gained popularity worldwide as a result of an Imgur post expressing shock at the risqué story of a young woman’s love (both physical and emotional) for, you guessed it, an actual bear. Regardless of whether you view Bear as an iconic piece of Canadian literature or merely a tale of an unusual fetish, it has undoubtedly made its mark upon the field.…
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Why Can’t You be Happy for Me?
Why my friends stopped finding me interesting after I fell in love: BY LAURA MCREYNOLDS “Do you fight often?” was the first question my friend asked me about my boyfriend. It was the first time I had seen her in years, and we were meeting for coffee. I felt a familiar panic— lie or tell the truth. I find myself telling her about an irrelevant spat we had, making the story angrier and more dramatic than it truly was. I did this because I didn’t want to face the familiar glazed expression, the feigned enthusiasm followed by silence that follows when I tell the truth— I am happy with my…
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Skyrim— A Revolutionary RPG
BY LAURA MCREYNOLDS Skyrim is a revolutionary open-world Role-Playing Game (RPG). Released in late 2011, it is the fifth instalment of the Elder Scrolls series, developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The graphics of Skyrim far surpass that of its most recent predecessor, Oblivion, released in 2006. Notably, Skyrim provides a more fluid gaming experience than the previous Elder Scrolls games because it no longer requires the player choose a character class when setting up their character, which made the gameplay too rigid from an early point in the game. As with previous Elder Scrolls games, Skyrim is based in the fictional continent of Tamriel, with…
