BOOK REVIEW: Life Moves Pretty Fast - Hadley Freeman

There are certain films which leave an indelible impression on the memory after you watch them for the first time. Back in the days when Sky+ boxes were a thing of the future and the only way to record things on the TV was to wind up the VHS Player, I set a shiny new blank tape up to record a film. That film was Wing Commander because I was very much going through a Freddie Prinze Jr phase (shush).

The brilliance of the VHS recording system, something that has since been lost with the more precise recording equipment of this century, was that sometimes you ended up with whatever came after your initial choice too. In this case, it was The Breakfast Club. I got to the end of another enjoyable viewing of Wing Commander (shush again, I like it and revel in its naffness) and, hearing the nice BBC announcer say that The Breakfast Club was due next, I settled back down for a film that sounded like it might involve pancakes. And I like pancakes. 

Instead, what I got was the John Hughes masterpiece that didn't involve pancakes, but sushi, Barry Manilow's wardrobe and a collection of misfits who I adore to this day. It was one of the first films I'd seen in my awkward teenage years that actually spoke to me about the difficulties of trying to be cool and 15 at the same time. I fell in love with Bender because who doesn't love a brash yet sensitive burnout who wears plaid and a grotesque amount of demin? I empathised with Bryan and the comments about his deeply uncool desire to get good grades because I too was an insufferable swot. And then there's Allison who remains to this day the kind of social outcast I always wanted to be, but was never quite cool or confident enough to become. 

These were my people. Those characters coupled with an endlessly quotable script saw the film enter my favourites list immediately, even with the lack of actual pancakes. John Hughes would also go on to become one of my favourite directors. 

When I cracked open Hadley Freeman's ode to 80s cinema, Life Moves Pretty Fast, I knew immediately that I was in the company of a kindred spirit and settled down to read what turned out to be a pleasant surprise of a book. The subtitle, "The lessons we learned from eighties movies (and why we don't learn from the movies anymore)" may create an initial trepidation regarding rose-tinted nostalgia, but the result is that the book is a fairly well-balanced mix of that nostalgic fondness mixed with genuine insight and interesting analyses. 

It does of course help that a fair few of my favourite movies are featured within the book. Dedicating a chapter to The Princess Bride is always a swift way to get me on side (because it's obviously the best film ever made - unlike many films, I don't remember seeing it for the first time because I'm fairly certain I've been watching it since birth), not to mention another on When Harry Met Sally (because it's obviously the second best film ever made). 

Yet it's not just the content, but the way it is written that makes Life Moves Pretty Fast such an entertaining read. Freeman's easygoing prose feels more like you're having a conversation over a pint with a friend rather than burying yourself in some weighty tome, especially the fun Top 10 lists at the end of each chapter. I found myself nodding gleefully at several parts in the book, not least of which the moment in which young Dan Aykroyd is declared to be sexy (he was Elwood Blues; of course he's sexy). Given that the best place to have highly enthusiastic, all-gesticulation conversations about film is in the pub, this is definitely to the book's advantage. It's pretty much a film geek's dream.

Freeman is also not afraid to tackle some more weighty issues in her analyses either. The feminist focus of the book arrives at a particularly interesting time when it comes to representation of female characters on screen, given the recent debates surrounding Avengers: Age of Ultron (oddly enough, Freeman's analysis of modern superhero blockbusters is the one section I don't really agree with). Whilst there are examples of bigger blockbusters getting better, it's not hard to disagree that we have gone backwards since Sally had her deli moment or Andie refused to change one iota to get Blane to continue dating her. 

The book allows us to celebrate those characters, many of them now iconic in popular culture. Freeman's analysis of Dirty Dancing as a surreptitiously major feminist work in cotton candy clothing and her conversations with the film's screenwriter, the great Eleanor Bergstein, are a particular highlight, demonstrating the power of letting women tell their own stories behind the scenes. The feminist focus may run through the book, but a wide variety of topics are tackled also from the way in which race is represented on screen, the decline of mid-budget films and issues of masculinity in cinema. There's even a list of 80s films that Freeman regretted not mentioning. My heart soared at the albeit too brief inclusion of St. Elmo's Fire.

In a world where cynicism reigns supreme, particularly in the film world when snark is seemingly more regularly dealt out than praise, Freeman's book storms in like a breath of gleefully positive air. It's hard not to get swept up in the sheer amount of love within these pages, but it's grounded in carefully thought out analysis that keeps it both conscientious and relevant. I can pretty much guarantee that the first thing you'll want to do upon finishing Life Moves Pretty Fast is finally get round to seeing or rewatching the films mentioned. As for me, I've got a glorious Reiner/Hughes marathon planned. 

And for anyone else with fond memories of VHS days, I really do recommend picking up the paperback edition rather than the ebook (see above). It's gorgeous.

- Becky

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FEATURE: Valentine's Day Special

As the majority of you have probably noticed due to the sudden influx of flowers, chocolates and general heart-shaped paraphernalia, it's Valentine's Day. Instead of providing you with the usual list of ideal Valentine's Day films, we're going to put in a little twist this year; Jen will provide you with three films for all you loved-up couples while Becky suggests another three for those people who lack a date this time around. So, if you're preparing to cuddle up to your Valentine tomorrow or nursing a certain amount of hatred towards the most couple-y day of the year, we've got a list of ideal films to choose from.

For the Singleton:

I've noticed a certain trend amongst single people coming up to Valentine's Day and it conveniently splits into three specific groups. First of all, you've got your angry/hate-the-world types who don't really want to ignore Valentine's Day, they want to grab it by the throat and punch it in the face. Secondly, you've got your solidarity bunch, a group of people who band together to ignore the fact that none of them have a date. And finally, you've got your hopeless romantics, convinced that this time next year, they'll be dining on an M&S Meal for Two and gazing adoringly into the eyes of their other half. With that in mind, I've got a film for each category, matching up the emotional state with a silver-screen counterpart.

1). Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarentino's debut feature is one long round of swearing and violence from start to finish. A heist movie that doesn't feature an actual heist, it has entered the popular culture consciousness for the iconic walking (spoofed brilliantly in Coupling) and characters like Mr Blue, Mr White and Mr Pink. Thanks in large part to Michael Madsen's Mr Blonde, the film can be quite gruesome, particularly the infamous ear scene, and the fact that Tim Roth's Mr Orange is slowly bleeding to death in the background for the entire film. Also it does not feature a romantic sub-plot in any way and allows the viewer to work out their aggression through all the shooting, hitting and ear-hacking that goes on. This makes it the perfect film for those angry types who wish to revile Valentine's Day and ignore their own lack of romantic sub-plot.

2). The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

This is a case of pick one or watch them all if you really want to miss the entire day. For all you out there craving solidarity in your singledom, this is an entire film of people of all kinds coming together to defeat an unstoppable evil. So you could see this an allegory of your attempts to combine your forces to collectively ignore one of the commercial events of the year. Well... if you really wanted to. Either way, the undeniable quality of the trilogy will mean you get lost in the realm of Middle Earth, caught up in Frodo and Sam's struggle to Mordor or the thrill of the Battle of Helm's Deep. Whilst there is the odd adoring gaze, the film is pretty light on romance but with arrows swooshing through the air and oliphaunts stomping the Pelennor Fields, you won't have time to think about it.

3. When Harry Met Sally

You may think it unusual for me to put this on the Singleton section but there is method in my madness I assure you. For all the hopeless romantics out there, this film represents the light at the end of the tunnel. Harry and Sally meet several times over the course of a few years, starting off hating each other, becoming friends and then falling in love. There's many false starts, an unforgettable scene in a diner, some dodgy karaoke and one of the best 'I'm in love with you' speeches that cinema has to offer. So for those lamenting their lack-of-relationship and wanting to live vicariously in the romantic moment, this film will offer that little ray of hope. One day, you too might meet your Harry or your Sally, depending on preference, and you'll share a lovely coconut wedding cake with chocolate sauce on the side. And if that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, see Choice 1.

For the Coupled Up:

For me, as a loved- up lady of the long term relationship, romantic films should be about re-affirming who you already are as a couple. Film nights for couples, romantic or otherwise, are about tucking in to the popcorn, pick and mix, and cheap pop, and enjoying your relationship for what it is, not necessarily some Hollywood image of what it could be.

So, after much pondering and a fairly hefty amount of pop psychology, I have come to the conclusion that, with this in mind, the sort of film you choose to watch with your better half when, say, in a more romantic frame of mind, probably has a lot to say about your relationship. Ergo, I have aimed my choice of three towards different types of couple, in an attempt to help relationship-ers everywhere choose the perfect film for that cosy night in tomorrow night.

That said, my boyfriend and I always watch horrors, so lord alone knows what that says about us.


1). The Notebook. For the Together Forever Types.


As with all the choices on my list, the message of The Notebook is that true love conquers all. Be it mental illness, long distances, and even other, lesser loves- your love for ‘the one’ will somehow find a way. The reason, then, that this film works for the cuddly, ‘I’ll love you always’ types, is that its whole ethos is not that of a simple ‘boy meets girl’ story. Our girl, Ally (Rachel McAdams) and boy, Noah (Ryan Gosling) do at some point meet, obviously, and it’s very sweet and cutesy and lovely and small town America. But then there are arguments. Huge, ferocious arguments. Girl then moves away, and meets someone else, believing that boy has rejected her. But after all of this, and despite being engaged to a trendy city type, Ally still chooses to go back out to the countryside to live with Noah. Her one true love. And that’s just one narrative arc. The other sees the older Noah and Ally, still together, with love this time overcoming both her mental illness and their ailing health. The message of this film, then, is that if your love is real, and true, that is all that matter. This film is perfect, then, for the ‘everything is rosy as long as we have each other, and no matter what happens we’ll be together forever’ types, as it will only serve to re-affirm how they already feel every time they look at each other.

2). Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, for the Arty We Love Each Other, But We’re Just Too Damn Cool For Romance type

Eternal Sunshine… in my opinion, is one of the brightest, and sharpest love stories ever made. Again, the main idea is that love overcomes all obstacles, memory in this case. However this is a far better choice, and in fact a far better film full stop, than say the similar themed 50 First Dates. This is simply because it drags itself, and its viewer, kicking and screaming out of the traditional love story mode and into something entirely new, quirky and clever. Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) do fall in love, true, as couples have in every other romantic film since rose petals were first sprinkled across a duvet. But this is such a disjointed, well woven and frankly odd story that this film can be appreciated in its own right, completely aside from the romance. You can ignore the mantra of enduring love central idea and enjoy it simply as a clever indie flick with a few stars thrown in. (Whilst still subtly and secretly rooting for the central couple, of course- you’re not totally heartless.) Watch it with your other half if you would like to bring just a smattering of romance, to this international day of love, but are about as likely to buy an ‘I love you’ soft toy as you are to head off into the garden and start eating worms.

3). Moulin Rouge. For the Epic, Look How Much We/They Are In Love But Everything Just Conspires Against Us/Them type.

Now don’t get me wrong, Moulin Rouge is a fantastically versatile film, and one which can be enjoyed on many levels- the gorgeous scenery, the dancers, the music, the great performances- the list really is endless. But when it comes to couple types, this one goes straight to the top of the list for the type in need of a bit of drama. The type which feels most in love when crying over their other half- be it with tears of sadness or happiness. Again, it’s safe to say that love overcomes all, in this plot. In fact, it’s hard to ignore. We are straight away hit with the powerful image of the words ‘The greatest thing you’ll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return’ appearing on a typewriter, as the heartbroken Christian (Ewan McGregor), still desperately in love with and grieving for the love of his life, Satine, (Nicole Kidman), begins to write their story. Thus adding enough drama and tragedy to suit any couple in need of a bit of a cuddle and a weep. And at the end of it, unlike the ill-starred lovers of Baz Luhrmann’s world, you’ll still have each other. Granted, the tears may not be ideal for Valentine’s Day, but the sentiment sure as hell is.


So there you have it- different films for different couples. Which, if I had my way, is exactly what Valentine’s Day itself would be like.

- Jen and Becky

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