That is question that goes through your mind as you walk through Brain Activity, the exhibition by British artist, David Shrigley.

What is the appropriate reaction to seeing a taxidermy Jack Russell terrier holding a sign displaying the words ‘I’m Dead’?

For most people the answer seemed to be ‘not to laugh.’ Instead, a look of polite bemusement, followed by a wry smile and a shake of the head. Myself included.

First Major UK Exhibition

In his first major survey exhibition in the United Kingdom, Shrigley displays a variety of his artwork including drawings, photography, sculpture, animation and paintings.

His work is a mixture of the crude, the bizarre and the surprisingly funny. Talking about his exhibition, Shirgley has said that he hopes people’s responses are ones of “laughter, intrigued confusion and disquiet.”

Housed in the Howard Gallery, at the Southbank Centre, the exhibition itself starts in the lift. As you rise to the main galleries you are surrounded by a voice talking passively about monkeys. You heard correctly, monkeys.

The Exhibition Itself 

The main part of the exhibition is made up of nine sections: death, everyday life, headlessnes, Do not Linger at the Gate, sleep, drawing, relationships, misshapen things and insects.

Particularly interesting was the ‘insects’ section. Hundreds of creepy crawlies, of various sizes, constructed from painted steel and fiberplast, fill a quarter of one of the rooms.

Some are oddly hand-like, with their fingers pointing at you. It’s strangely captivating, but probably not best for those with arachnophobia.

While the exhibition may not be to everyone’s taste, is at least deserving of a look in. At £6 for students, it’s money, and an hour, well spent.

‘Brain Activity’ is on until May 13 at the Southbank Centre. Nearest tube: Waterloo or Embankment.

NB: originally posted on The Bowler Hat.

Part of the Big Egg Hunt

Today I was reminded why I love London.

Walking with a friend around Carnaby, Soho, Oxford Street and later near Embankment, I was struck, once again, with the randomness and wonderfulness that London has to offer.

I’ve had a few friends come over to this big cit from the small isle of New Zealand and say that it’s too big. That they never know what’s going on and therefore never know what to do.

To be honest, that is exactly what I love about London!

Half the time I have no idea what’s happening in this city and I love the fact that on any given day I could stumble across some event or piece or art. Often, it’s those little things that make my day.

So, here are the three things today that made me fall in love with London all over again:

The Big Egg Hunt

'My Generation' by Vincent McEvoy

There are eggs ‘hidden’ all over London in aid of the charities Elephant Family and Action for Children.

I first heard about this in yesterday’s London Evening Standard and was extremely excited to come across some of them today.

'Sad Happy Frog Egg' by Gary Card

'Sad Happy Frog Egg' by Gary Card

The eggs are designed by many famous people, including Dame Maggie Smith, Sir Ridley Scott (did anyone else know that he was knighted?) and even a ‘humpty dumpty’ egg signed by Prince Charles and Camilla.

By texting in a certain code you’ll donate £3 to the charities as well as entering the chance to win a £100,000 prize.

The eggs will be waiting to be found from today (Shrove Tuesday) until April 3.

So with 209 eggs to be discovered, you better get cracking (excuse the pun) and find them!

Selfridges

Fortune-telling roller-coaster @ Selfridges

And it wasn’t because of the clothes.

Walking past the famous department store with Sophie the two of us stopped in our tracks to see a 14 foot wooden roller-coaster in the window dispelling (wait for it)…. fortune balls!

My first fortune: 'Welcome to the EXTREME new you'

The initiative is part a corroboration between It’s Nice That and Stewdio, celebrating the (sometimes frustrating) English language as part of the Words, Words, Words idea.

With no more effort than opening the door to the store and pulling a lever you can have your fortune. Or two if you’re me. Four if you’re Sophie.

It’ll be in the window for seven weeks. So, head down to Oxford Street and find out what 2012 has in store for you.

Random Sketchers

One of the sketchers

Walking across the Hungerford Bridge (known to me and you as the Charing Cross bridge) I noticed a number of people standing around with sketch books and other artsy things.

Now, the journalist in me should have thought why, which I did, but I should also have asked these people why.

But sometimes I think it’s nicer to have a bit of mystery in the world. To not always know what is going on.

I was content just to walk past, ipod ringing in my ears, and try to get a sneaky-peek at what they were doing.

So, today, for me, those sketchers remain a mystery.

And I’m more than happy about that.

(image property of oleole.com)

In their Six Nations clash this weekend England won 19-15 against Italy. But boy, it wasn’t easy.

Set Piece Domination:  

The game itself almost didn’t get get under way with snow blanketing the ground before kick-off.

For much of the first half the game was one for ‘the purists’ with set-piece play and tactical kicking dominating.

Coming from the Southern Hemisphere where running with the ball and try-scoring prevails I got bored with the teams kicking away their possession more often than not.

As the BBC commentator pointed out, it was “not pretty to watch.”

The First Points:

Half-way through the first 40 minutes England  got their first scoring opportunity when they were awarded a penalty when one of their players was tripped up.

In just his second test, No.12 Owen Farrell, cooly slotted his kick over the goal posts  to put England 3-0.

A second penalty on their scrum brought England to 6-0 and it seemed as though Italy would once again be outclassed.

Change of Fortunes:

However, with just three minutes left in the first half the Azzuri’s fortunes changed when winger Giovanbattista Vendetti scored in  the corner after a pick-up. No.10 Kristopher Burton pulled the conversion wide, putting them just one point behind.

Right on half-time the Italian centre, Tommaso Benvenuti, intercepted a failed England pass, to score and take the lead 12-6.

Back and Forth:  

Early on in the second half England came out firing, stringing phases together in the Italian half.

However, it was Italy who drew first blood, after their No.8, was nudged by an English player, resulting in a penalty, taking them to 15-6.

The tides turned once again on the 50 minute  mark with English 1st five (No.10), Charlie Hodgson, scoring a try from a turnover, taking the scores to 15-13 and putting England within two.

Turning the match around: 

When Farrell scored another easy penalty  from out in front of the posts, taking England to a 16-15 lead, England finally started to “turn this match around” (BBC commentator Jeremy Guscott).

England, with over 70% possession and territory, started putting real pressure on the Azzuri.

With another penalty at scrum-time, Farrell once again showed his class by kicking another  three bringing the English to a 19-15 lead, causing the English fans to sing ‘Swing Low Sweet Charity.’

The End: 

And that’s how the score would remain until the final whistle. In spite of Italian captain Sergio Parisse being named ‘man of the match’ and a gusty effort, once again the Azzuri came up short.

Like  their win against Scotland in the first round, England showed that even though they have an inexperienced team, with a new coach, they are capable of winning.

(photo courtesy of Jordan Claire Weber)

With her blonde hair, blue eyes and bubbly personality, it would be easy to mistake Jordan Claire Weber, 22, for being the quintessential American cheerleader.

But that’s where you’d be wrong. Jordan didn’t cheer on the athletes. She was one.

“I always got mistaken for a cheerleader – it made me so mad,” she says, laughing.

The truth is, this Florida native, born and raised “in the place where old people go to die”, in other words, St. Petersburg, was a diver for seven years from ages 14 to 20. Competing at collegiate level, Jordan did both one metre and three metre springboard diving.

As a Floridian, Jordan says that taking up water sports was a natural step. A swimmer for four years, Jordan did not think about diving until her high-school swimming coach pointed out that she was, “so short that he did not believe swimming was the sport I should be in.”

So Jordan segwayed into diving and was immediately hooked, even giving up 12 years of gymnastics to pursue the sport:

“Once I gave diving a try, I instantly fell in love with it. I even up and quit gymnastics to pursue this new and exciting sport. And what do you know – I loved it and did pretty well,” she says with a smile.

Doing ‘pretty well’ included coming first in the district and regional competitions during her final year of high school, despite diving with two broken big toes.

Her talent on the boards led to her studying a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall University, West Virginia, on a full diving scholarship.

As with all athletes though, Jordan’s diving career had to end. Sadly for her, retirement came all too soon when she was injured three years ago in 2009.

During a partner stretching exercise, which went wrong, Jordan was left in “agonising pain” with a torn rotator cuff (that’s the left shoulder for you and me).

While some athletes, upon being forced out of the sport they love, sit and reminisce about their glory days, Jordan did no such thing.

Instead, when she was presented with the opportunity to become the head diving coach for Lakewood High School and share her passion with others, she leapt at it.

Talking about her coaching experience, Jordan describes it as one of the most frustrating but rewarding things she has ever done, likening it to being a parent:

“You will have nights with no sleep. You will stress out so much about your kids that you will not be able to eat. You only want the best for them and you see their potential and try to have them see it too.”

However, coaching a unisex team, most of whom were not much younger than herself, put Jordan in some very awkward and non-parental situations.

“The boys on the team constantly hit on me. And I had one ask me to homecoming and one asked me to prom. I said no to both – of course,” she says laughing.

When I ask if she would ever consider taking the sport back up again, at a competitive level, Jordan doesn’t hesitate to say ‘yes.’

However, she points out that the realities of life mean that returning to diving is not a possibility at the moment.

Currently studying a Masters in International Journalism at the University of Westminster, passing her course and finding a job are what top her list of priorities.

So what does the future hold for Jordan?

“I will let you know when I figure it out. Lots of things can change, I could get a job. I could get into law school, I could find myself meeting someone and hitting it off. Who knows?”

“Everything’s magical when it snows. Everything looks pretty.” Or so says Lorelai Gilmore in the episode ‘Love and War and Snow‘. 

And personally, I’m inclined to agree with this statement. I am one of those people who cannot help but love the snow.

So, when flakes started falling, for the first time in London this winter, over the weekend I was extremely happy – I had been waiting three months for this to happen!

I had a goofy grin on my face and kept running out onto my friend’s balcony to take it all in.

Fun in the snow

About 11.30PM when the snow was really started to fall heavily, myself and three friends put on our gloves, hats, scarves, and jackets and went out into the snow.

And out amongst the wonderful falling flakes we acted like little kids. We made snow angels, had a (brief) snowball fight, and attempted to make a snowman.

All the while we were grinning from ear to ear.

My friend with a snowman - not ours.

Snow, it’s still foreign to me

I can’t really explain why I have this fascination for snow. I know that it isn’t always just white and pretty.

In the cities it turns to slush quickly and looses its charm. It causes accidents and huge travel delays – I’ve been caught up in them myself, and at those moments snow and I are not friends.

Nonetheless, in the past three winters I have experienced in London, when that first snow falls I have been giddily excited.

I think partly my feelings towards snow can be put down to the fact that where I grew up, Wellington, New Zealand, it never snows.

Well, practically never. Last winter back home it did snow. For the first time in 80 years!

I think that is why I have this fascination with the white stuff – on some level it’s still foreign too me.

My best snow experience 

Ice-skating in the snow, 2010

The best snow experience I have ever happened in 2010 – my second London winter.

A friend and I booked ourselves tickets at the ice-skating rink at the Natural History Museum. It’s a wonderful place to go ice-skating – with the beautiful building behind you.

That in itself, would have been an amazing experience. What took it over the top, was the fact that as we were skating it started to snow. Now that is a magical experience.

If you want to see some great shots of the snow this year, check out this link to the Guardian

]]> http://akiwiinlondon.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/snow-in-london/feed/ 0 akiwiinlondon DSC05039 DSC05043 DSC05042 74682_481690709748_593649748_5601106_1430111_n http://akiwiinlondon.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/climbing-mt-kilimanjaro-fundraising-2/ http://akiwiinlondon.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/climbing-mt-kilimanjaro-fundraising-2/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:53:52 +0000 akiwiinlondon http://akiwiinlondon.wordpress.com/?p=368 ]]>

(photo credited to Mailliw - flickr)

As some of you may remember, a little while ago I posted a blog about how I’ve decided to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Kenya, this coming August. 

Two months later I am still determined as ever to accomplish this task, all in the name of charity (and, well, to tick one item off my ‘bucket list’).

Climbing for Dig Deep

While yes, I am doing this for myself, I am first and foremost doing it for charity. I, along with the other crazy members of the expedition group – Westminster IDs Climb Kili-  are climbing Kili for a charity called Dig Deep.

So, perhaps you are all wondering what does Dig Deep actually do?

Well, Dig Deep helps provide sustainable solutions to problems faced by communities in Kenya, such as helping to provide clean water.

The charity works with local communities and governments, as well as with other charities to accomplish their goals.

Projects include digging boreholes and shallow wells to create clean water. This not only improves the quality of health, but also means that girls in the communities can be educated as they no longer have to travel long distances to get clean water.

All in all it’s a pretty good cause to be supporting. And because the charity is largely run by volunteers they need people, like me and the rest of the team, to help them help others.

Fundraising

Naturally in order to accomplish this task of climbing the highest mountain in Africa (the summit is a huge 5895m – that’s 19,340 feet for those who don’t use the metric system) we have to fundraise.

Individually I have to raise £1,305, and with the group I have to raise the same amount again. Altogether we are aiming to raise £30,000 for Dig Deep’s next project.

As a group we have some great ideas up our sleeves (I don’t want to give them away just yet, but as they come together, I’ll let you know), but at the moment it’s mostly been bake sales at our University (all the members of the group attend Westminster University).

Individually, I have been asking family members and friends, as well as appealing to the better nature of some local businesses. It has been slow going and my grand total (drum-roll please) is: £50!

Your Help?

As you can tell I have a long way to go. But I’m determined that I will make my target, climb Mt. Kili and help 100′s maybe even 1,000s of people in Kenya.

Now, I am going to shamelessly ask you, my readers, if you too would be willing to help me out.

I know it’s a big ask – especially given that most of I only know through the blog-sphere.

But, if you think that this is something worthwhile supporting, then words will not be able to express how appreciative I would be.

If you feel that sponsoring me is something you are able or willing to do, please, I have a Just Giving page and it goes like this: http://www.justgiving.com/Alyce-Gibson

If anyone has any questions about what I’m doing, please, leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Thanks,

Alyce.

At 1.30AM, after five hours and 53 minutes on court one man raised his arms, roared in triumph, and ripped off his shirt.

Novak Djokovic, the world’s undisputable number one men’s tennis player had won his third Australian Open. His third consecutive Grand Slam, his fifth overall.

On the other side of the court, his opponent, Rafael Nadal, once again was faced with the bitterness and sadness of defeat.

A Grand Slam winner on ten previous occasions, including at Melbourne Park, yesterday he came up short against the man who seems to be unbeatable.

Epic

It was an epic encounter. There are simply no other words fitting for this match. Many have said that the 2008 Wimbledon Final between Nadal and long-time rival Roger Federer was the best match in tennis history.

Today, that match has been given a run for its money.

As Nadal said, “I think we played a great tennis match. It was I think I very good show, my opinion. I enjoyed being part of this event and this match.”

Over five sets and nearly six hours, making it the longest match in Australian Open history, these two men fought for victory.

And long and hard did they fight. Neither of these men plays with the grace and elegance that belongs to Federer. Both these men scramble, running around the court, somehow returning balls that should not be gotten back over the net.

The match

It was a match, for both, in which it could have been won or lost, a fact not lost on Djokovic, “…really both of us could have won the match.  It could have gone either way.”

After coming out firing, playing aggressive and close to the baseline – unconventionally for him – Nadal took the first set 7-5.

In the second, Djokovic broke Nadal early on, racing to a 4-1 lead. And in spite off fighting back from 4-2 down, Nadal lost 6-4. The two were even, and the match would have no choice but to go to at least four sets.

Now I will admit, much of the third set I did not watch. While I admire Djokovic for his undeniable talent and his comedic nature, I am a Rafa fan through and through.

After seeing his level of play drop in the second set – with what seemed to be a drop-off in aggression and a return to his defensive way of playing – I found it easier to be distracted.

Seeing Djokovic win the third set, with relative ease at 6-2, was just a little too much to bear.

But in the fourth I forced myself to watch. I convinced myself that as a hard-core fan I at least could be loyal enough to see him fight it out. And that is what he did. Nadal, once again showed that he may be down, but rarely is he ever out.

At 3-4 Nadal found himself at love-40, presenting Djokovic with the chance not only to break but also to then serve for the championship. It seemed that the fat lady was singing out loud and clear.

But Nadal did not appear to hear her, and played three of his best consecutive points in the match to bring the game to deuce. He then held serve.

The fourth went to a tie-break, with Nadal initially getting a mini-break to go 3-2 up, only to have Djokovic fight and break back himself.

Djokovic then went to 5-3, but Nadal kept fighting the music. Finally, when a Djokovic forehand went long, Nadal won the fourth set.

With his knees to the ground, the cry of ‘vamos’ and his arms pumping, one would have thought he’d won the championship. Instead, the sold-out crowd at Rod Laver Arena were in for another set.

The fifth and deciding

Once again playing aggressive tennis, serving first for the first time in the match, Nadal went out to an early lead, breaking Djokovic to race to 4-2.

At 30-15 up on his own serve, Nadal missed a backhand down the line. As the BBC2 commentator said he had enough room to “drive a bus down there.”

It seemed this point, whether true or not, was the turning point in the fifth set. Djokovic broke Nadal and then held his own serve to level it out at 4-4.

Whether nerves by Nadal or simply superior playing by Djokovic, the latter then went on to break Nadal again, and on his own serve bring up championship point.

He would only need the one, winning 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5.

Beyond endurance

What will stand out about this match – at least for me – is the endurance of these players.

After almost six hours on court – albeit with a brief rain delay, and the closing of the roof during the fourth set– these two warriors were playing games that lasted five or ten minutes, engaging in rallies that went to 20 or 30 shots, and still hitting clean winners.

They went beyond the normal human capacities of endurance and provided a superhuman display of mental and physical strength.

This is more or less what Djokovic said in his press conference:

“And to be able to mentally hang in there and physically, you know  I mean, it was obvious on the court for everybody who has watched the match that both of us, physically, we took the last drop of energy that we had from our bodies.”

And with grudging respect I take my hat off to Djokovic. A mere 40 hours before the final began he had ended another 5-set match with his semi-final win over Andy Murray – one that also went over five hours.

How he continued to stand, let alone hit stunning winners, I do not know. Any other human being (with perhaps the exception of Nadal – he did achieve the same feat in 2009 at the Australian Open) would have given in to exhaustion.

In his head?

Without even having to read the papers, without listening to the radio or watching the television, I can say almost without a doubt, that I know what all sports journalists will be saying about this match.

Not only that it was epic. Or that Djokovic is once again deserving of the praise that will be lauded upon him. But that once more he seems to have gotten into Nadal’s head.

Just as Nadal has (or appears to have) a mental edge over Federer, Djokovic appears to have a mental edge over Nadal. In the last seven finals that they have played in – including three Grand Slams – the man from Majorca has lost to the Serb.

As sentimental as it may sound (remember, I am a Rafa fan), I hope that this loss – one that involved an incredible fight back – does not dishearten Nadal too deeply.

Yes, it was a tough loss. But there are also positives that he can take away. For one he made it to the finals, without injury, for the first time in three years.

For another, he played an aggressive style of tennis, which is mildly foreign to a man used to playing defensively, from deep behind the base line.

This point it seems is not lost on Nadal, who said in his press conference: “I played more aggressive.  I played with more winners than ever.  My serve worked well.  The mentality and the passion was there another time better than probably never another time.”

And, in my extremely humble opinion, this is one of the keys to getting the better of Djokovic.

And I am sure that sooner or later (but please let it be sooner) that will be the case.

Final thoughts

As I sat watching, palms sweating, heart racing, unable to keep still, I was struck with the thought that those of us watching tennis today are privileged.

We are getting to see some of the best men’s tennis players that have ever played the game. However, they are the ones living the experience. We are just witnesses to their greatness.

I for one cannot wait for the rest of the season and for more greatness to come.

In a cinematic age of superheroes, sequels and 3-D, ‘The Artist’ refreshingly harks back to the days of the silent movie.

French director, Michel Hazanavicius’s, Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe winning film, is a wonderful black and white, silent masterpiece.

Set in the late 1920’s and early 30’s, the film tells the story of silent movie star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), who fears for his career as the ‘talkies’ take Hollywood, and the world, by storm.

As George wonders about his career, he meets up and coming dancer, Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), who is determined to make it in the world of movies. The spark between the two is instant

Music takes centre stage

In the absence of vocal dialogue, the score of the film is left to be the voice of the movie. And it does so superbly.

Throughout the film the music takes the audience through a range of emotions from humour to despair, drama, sadness and desperation.

So powerful is the score that it feels as if you are listening to an opera.

One particularly powerful piece of music occurs in the scene, where, in a fit of rage and self-pity, George sets about destroying all the reels of his movies.

As George’s rage increases the music builds to an intense crescendo, pulling the audience along with it.

When you say nothing at all

However, the music is not the only way in which emotion is conveyed.

As with all silent films, the actors use the power of facial expression and body language to demonstrate how they are feeling. The results are over-the-top, but wonderfully so.

One of the most moving scenes in the film, for me, is when George and Peppy have a confrontation.

Without dialogue or even a score, in complete silence the two use their faces to emote what they are feeling.

The intensity is only broken by the comedic antics of George’s dog who has won audiences over with his role in the film.

A hit with industry and audiences alike

With ten Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, it would seem that the film industry is enamoured with The Artist.

But it’s not just the industry who is conducting a love affair with the film. Audiences worldwide are lapping up the story, costumes and acting.

“Big hearted and full of warmth, I would defy anyone not to be completely charmed by it.”

“It’s a beautiful charmer, I had a smile on my face the whole way through it.”

These are just two of the comments left on the Guardian’s online review of the film.

Full of glamour and romance, tap-dancing,  comedy and drama The Artist is definitely a movie not to be missed. If you haven’t seen it already, do. Now.

Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Brought from the stage to the screen, Steven Spielberg’s War Horse is the touching tale of the unbreakable friendship between a boy and his horse.

Set during WWI, the film takes us from Devon to the battlefields of France, telling the story of the bond between Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine) and Joey, his remarkable horse.

After being sold to the British cavalry by Albert’s father, Ted (Peter Mullan), we follow Joey’s journey through the battlefields of Europe.

Cinematically there is much going for this film. Visually, it displays the gorgeous landscapes of the Devon countryside, and there is a surprising hauntingly beautiful shot of the battlefields ‘no mans land’.

The score, nominated for a Golden Globe, works perfectly with the emotion of the film, lifting and pulling you down, as the film moves through its moments of triumph and despair.

However, it is the bonds of friendship that exist between man and beast, and between the war horses themselves, that captures the audience.

This is epitomised in the scene where Joey is sold to Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston). Upon realising he has no chance of saving his horse from the war, Albert promises to Joey, “Where-ever you are, I will find you. I will bring you home.”

As we see tears falling down Albert’s face it is impossible for the audience not to share his emotion. I for one was unable to escape the lump in my throat or wetness around my eyes.

If there is one critique of this film it is that it drags a little in the middle. In a section where neither Joey nor Albert predominates the film slows.

Regardless, the desire to discover whether Albert and Joey make it through the war, and are reunited, pulls the audience through to the very end.

‘War Horse’ is currently screening in cinemas.

Originally published on The Bowler  Hat.

Elton John’s Candle in the Wind about Marilyn Monroe goes: “your candle burned out long before your legend ever will.”

Simon Curtis’ latest movie, My Week with Marilyn, about the screen goddess proves just that. Nearly 50 years after her death, we are still intrigued by Miss Monroe.

The film centres around the production of Laurence Olivier’s (Kenneth Branagh) movie The Prince and the Showgirl in which Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams) stars.

It depicts the tension between the British theatre legend and the American blonde bombshell.

However, the main focus of the film is the relationship between Monroe and young aspiring filmmaker, Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), who is the film’s third assistant director.

While escorting Monroe around, Colin, like many before and many after, falls for the actress.

Williams superbly shows the two sides of Marilyn Monroe: her outgoing public persona and private insecure self.

In front of a crowd Monroe is what she is expected to be – charming and flirty – blowing kisses and wiggling her hips.

In private, she is extremely vulnerable, desires love and constantly seeks reassurance that she is a great actress. In her desire to find someone to protect her she comes to rely on Colin.

The tension between Olivier and Monroe is perfectly highlighted in the scene where Olivier yells and swears at Monroe for turning up to set two hours late:

“Marilyn, my darling, you are an angel and I kiss the hem of your garment but why can’t you get here on time for the love of FUCK?”

As the movie progresses, Monroe’s vulnerability, insecure nature and infectious laugh, captivate and win both Colin, and the audience over.

It seems that even after 50 years, you cannot help but fall in love with Marilyn Monroe.

‘My Week with Marilyn’ is currently screening at cinemas.

NB: originally posted on The Bowler Hat.