A Long Way Down

movie review

A Long Way Down

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Imogen Poots, and Aaron Paul
Director: Pascal Chaumeil
Tagline: Life is looking up.

It’s hard to resist Nick Hornby’s compelling blend of bleak drama and quirky humour. His dark comedies about broken people and unconventional relationships usually render themselves into interesting movies, as evident by the success of High Fidelity (2000), About a Boy (2002), Fever Pitch (1997), and its American remake The Perfect Pitch (2005). That is precisely why it is so confusingly disappointing that A Long Way Down is such an irredeemable mess.

The latest adaptation of Hornby’s work, A Long Way Down is based on his 2005 novel of the same name. Johnny Depp famously acquired the rights to the book before it was even published, although the project has since changed hands, with the writer’s wife Amanda Posey now serving as a co-producer.

The film tells the story of four strangers - Martin (Pierce Brosnan), a disgraced television presenter; Maureen (Toni Collette), a timid, struggling single mother; Jess (Imogen Poots), a troubled young woman; and J.J. (Aaron Paul), a pizza delivery guy - who find themselves at the same place at the same time with the same intention: jumping off a tall building in London on New Year’s Eve. After their suicide attempts are interrupted by each other’s presence, the group forms a pact, vowing to postpone their plans till at least Valentine’s Day, which happens to be the next popular date on the calendar. Thereon, the Toppers’ House Four form an impromptu support group and eventually end up stringing the media along after the press gets wind of their story.

The plot didn’t seem as tacky in the novel (which admittedly wasn’t Hornby’s finest piece of work), but it has completely unravelled by the time it hits the screen. The fault primarily lies with the film’s British writer Jack Thorne and French director Pascal Chaumeil, who never find the right balance between dark and amusing, nor pick the right tone for the project. Instead of using this premise as an opportunity to offer a deep, affecting look at a difficult subject, the filmmakers seem to be under the impression that they should paint the narrative with romantic comedy sensibilities. The result is a cloying mess that trivializes its subject matter in order to serve us some corny and misguidedly cutesy fluff.

Ready to jump off a skyscraper one instant and trading witty barbs the next, the characters remain bereft of believability and originality, and are never developed beyond their stereotypical frameworks. By revolving around protagonists that are paper thin clichés, the film doesn’t give its actors any solid material to work with and fails to make use of the skills of its talented cast. Pierce Brosnan’s Martin never succeeds in generating sympathy; Toni Collette overplays Maureen’s coyness; Imogen Poots tries a little too hard to stand out, but her manic Jess never seems real and serves only to grate; and after being inert for most of the film, Aaron Paul’s J.J. is eventually given a chance to add some weight to the narrative, but it’s a development that comes too late and isn’t as impactful as it should be.

On the whole, A Long Way Down is a supposed dark comedy that is ultimately neither dark nor funny. Its contrived premise rings false; the story struggles to draw you in; the characters fail to charm or make a connection with the viewers or even seem real; and its trivialized take on its underlying subject doesn’t handle its nuances properly and with the depth and insight it deserves. In the hands of better filmmakers who were fluent in this genre and knew how to give this story a more suitable tone, the project could have potentially been much more impressive.

- S.A.

Us Magazine, The News - 23rd January, 2015 *

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Imogen Poots, and Aaron Paul
Director: Pascal Chaumeil
Tagline: Life is looking up.

It’s hard to resist Nick Hornby’s compelling blend of bleak drama and quirky humour. His dark comedies about broken people and unconventional relationships usually render themselves into interesting movies, as evident by the success of High Fidelity (2000), About a Boy (2002), Fever Pitch (1997), and its American remake The Perfect Pitch (2005). That is precisely why it is so confusingly disappointing that A Long Way Down is such an irredeemable mess.

The latest adaptation of Hornby’s work, A Long Way Down is based on his 2005 novel of the same name. Johnny Depp famously acquired the rights to the book before it was even published, although the project has since changed hands, with the writer’s wife Amanda Posey now serving as a co-producer.

The film tells the story of four strangers - Martin (Pierce Brosnan), a disgraced television presenter; Maureen (Toni Collette), a timid, struggling single mother; Jess (Imogen Poots), a troubled young woman; and J.J. (Aaron Paul), a pizza delivery guy - who find themselves at the same place at the same time with the same intention: jumping off a tall building in London on New Year’s Eve. After their suicide attempts are interrupted by each other’s presence, the group forms a pact, vowing to postpone their plans till at least Valentine’s Day, which happens to be the next popular date on the calendar. Thereon, the Toppers’ House Four form an impromptu support group and eventually end up stringing the media along after the press gets wind of their story.

The plot didn’t seem as tacky in the novel (which admittedly wasn’t Hornby’s finest piece of work), but it has completely unravelled by the time it hits the screen. The fault primarily lies with the film’s British writer Jack Thorne and French director Pascal Chaumeil, who never find the right balance between dark and amusing, nor pick the right tone for the project. Instead of using this premise as an opportunity to offer a deep, affecting look at a difficult subject, the filmmakers seem to be under the impression that they should paint the narrative with romantic comedy sensibilities. The result is a cloying mess that trivializes its subject matter in order to serve us some corny and misguidedly cutesy fluff.

Ready to jump off a skyscraper one instant and trading witty barbs the next, the characters remain bereft of believability and originality, and are never developed beyond their stereotypical frameworks. By revolving around protagonists that are paper thin clichés, the film doesn’t give its actors any solid material to work with and fails to make use of the skills of its talented cast. Pierce Brosnan’s Martin never succeeds in generating sympathy; Toni Collette overplays Maureen’s coyness; Imogen Poots tries a little too hard to stand out, but her manic Jess never seems real and serves only to grate; and after being inert for most of the film, Aaron Paul’s J.J. is eventually given a chance to add some weight to the narrative, but it’s a development that comes too late and isn’t as impactful as it should be.

On the whole, A Long Way Down is a supposed dark comedy that is ultimately neither dark nor funny. Its contrived premise rings false; the story struggles to draw you in; the characters fail to charm or make a connection with the viewers or even seem real; and its trivialized take on its underlying subject doesn’t handle its nuances properly and with the depth and insight it deserves. In the hands of better filmmakers who were fluent in this genre and knew how to give this story a more suitable tone, the project could have potentially been much more impressive.

-SA

- See more at: http://magazine.thenews.com.pk/mag/detail_article.asp?id=10008&magId=9#sthash.odPk4LUr.dpuf

Gray Mountain - Grisham misses the mark

book review

Book: Gray Mountain
Author: John Grisham

Donovan Gray is on a mission: fighting a one-man battle against Big Coal, and nothing neither the inherent dangers of the undertaking, nor the strain it has had on his now-failing marriage is going to force him to back off. A 30-something lawyer pursuing big cases in the small town of Brady, Virginia, he bends rules, dodges threats, carries a gun, and flies his own plane, all while crusading against the nasty Appalachian coal companies, one of which destroyed his family when he was a child. He is fearless, almost reckless, and is probably the most interesting character in John Grisham's new novel, Gray Mountain. He, however, is not the book's protagonist.

Jeff Gray is Donovan's younger brother. He shares his sibling's tragic history and passion (as well as his good looks), and even though he isn't a lawyer, he is still determined to help Donovan bring down the bad guys. He, too, is not the story's lead character.

Mattie Wyatt is Donovan and Jeff's aunt, and helped raise the former after their mother's death. Her family was also a victim of the mining companies' pursuit of profit at the expense of human lives, and she now heads Brady's Mountain Legal Aid Clinic, providing free legal help to the downtrodden who come to her with their heartbreaking problems. No, she isn't the novel's central character either.

Marshall Kofer is a former lawyer, disbarred and disgraced for a 'rather clumsy attempt at corruption'. After being convicted and sent to prison for three years, he has reimagined himself as a consultant in Alexandria, advising other plaintif fs'lawyers on mass tort cases. But he is always vague with the details and leaves you with the impression that something shady might be going on behind the scenes. And no, this book isn't about him.

Can you imagine how exciting and / or involving the story would be if Donovan, Jeff, Mattie, or Marshall were in charge of the narrative? Because John Grisham sure can't.

Instead, he builds the story around a character so bland that even vanilla is too strong a flavour to describe her.

Our protagonist is Samantha, a privileged New Yorker who, until recently (before the re cession hit and made her redundant) worked in commercial real estate at the world's biggest law firm as a paper pusher. She is Marshall Kofer's daughter, and Mattie Wyatt's reluctant new intern, volunteering at the Clinic as part of a furlough deal wherein she has to work without pay at a non-profit for one year, after which she might get her old job back.

Out of place and out of her depth, at the Clinic Samantha is confronted with real people who have real problems. She gets to know Donovan and then Jeff, and learns about the havoc that surface mining is wrecking across the region, how the land and its people are suffering because of it, and how coal companies are profiteering while dodging their responsibilities.

In the middle of a potentially interesting premise, Samantha, a detached observer, goes around with her thoughts firmly concerned with her own benefit (and shows no signs of being competent or even vaguely intelligent, even though the book repeatedly tells us otherwise). Her concerns are primarily self-centred, and her preoccupation with her own situation makes her anything but a sympathetic character. Shallow and insipid, she has little substance and adds little to the proceedings. Take her out of the narrative, and we wouldn't lose anything; instead, the story would just pick up pace. Shift the focus to Donovan, Jeff, or Mattie, and you would get a far more compelling book while highlighting the same issues.

Gray Mountain's stance as an 'issue novel' would have been more powerful with someone more involved in the concerns guiding us through the tale. As it stands, the book (very strongly, and without even a hint of subtlety) manages to convey the desolation strip mining leaves in its wake, but that does not make up for the fact that it is a very dull read.

There isn't a solid plot in the middle of the various proceedings (and things get even worse after a sudden, ill-conceived development a little over halfway through the novel that is meant to shock but instead just drains the story of all its energy). We see a number of cases, but don't have a central element or lawsuit that gets explored in detail. And then, after we read the last sentence, we are left with a big mystery: where is the ending? The book just sort of fizzles out, calling it quits without giving a proper resolution to most of its arcs.

In the nearly 25 years that he has been active as a novelist, Grisham has the whole 'underdog battles big, evil corporation' formula down pat, and even though he hasn't been coming up with masterpieces of late, he usually succeeds in delivering at least an entertaining story. Sadly, nothing about Gray Mountain suggests that it was written by one of the most popular and successful authors in the world; instead, it makes you wonder whether this manuscript would have gone to print if it had been submitted by an unknown writer.

Gray Mountain doesn't read so much like a thriller as a scant docu-drama focused on a clueless, entitled protagonist who is surrounded by characters far more exciting than her, and far more worthy of having their stories told; you wait for her character to develop and her strength to show, but that never really happens, and in the end the novel just leaves you wondering how its many threads will ultimately resolve. The tome puts its issues centre stage and then belabours them for most of the text, and in doing so, it loses its creativity and spark. Its prose and style are mostly affable, but the plot falls flat. Gray Mountain will school you on the dangers of surface mining, but if you want a powerful legal 'thriller' (or even a mildly entertaining story), then you'd be wise to look elsewhere.

- By Sameen Amer

Books & Authors, Dawn - 18th January, 2015 *

2014 - what we read

bookshelf

A look at the books that captured the world’s attention this year

Fiction

Gray Mountain by John Grisham
Another year, another John Grisham legal thriller. This time the novelist took us to Appalachia and told us about the havocs of mountaintop strip mining in Gray Mountain, the story of third-year associate Samantha Kofer (his first female protagonist in over 20 years) who loses her job amidst the financial crisis and has to become an intern at a legal clinic in Virginia’s coal mining country. The fact that this was not even close to being one of his best efforts didn’t stop the novel from becoming a number one bestseller. (And the author also got into hot water for some of his unrelated comments, which probably got even more attention than his book did.)

Mr. Mercedes and Revival by Stephen King

Not one but two successful Stephen King novels came out in 2014. The first, Mr. Mercedes, was the story of Bill Hodges, a retired police detective who tries to chase down a killer. This was the writer’s “first hard-boiled detective book,” and it functioned as the first volume of a projected trilogy; it is set to be followed by the second installment, Finders Keepers, in 2015. Stephen King also released Revival, a return to the horror genre that he is best known for, which revolved around a disturbing relationship between a disgraced clergyman and a junkie.

Adultery by Paulo Coelho

Brazil’s most famous literary export, Paulo Coelho returned with his sixteenth major book, telling the tale of a privileged Swiss woman with an exemplary husband and perfect existence, who tries to fill the boredom in her life by hooking up with her high school ex. Adultery found itself on the bestseller list because of the author’s massive popularity and repute, even though the result this time was more stodgy and insipid than deep and inspiring.

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
Another example of an author selling bucket loads of books on the back of their massive popularity is J.K. Rowling, who made a second outing under her penname Robert Galbraith this year with a novel that could have used a thorough edit. This time round, investigator Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott tried to solve the mystery behind the death of a reviled author whose grotesque demise mirrors the final scene of his last manuscript. On the bright side, you could totally tell that Rowling really, really loves to write. If only it was fun to read her drones on and on about this street and that building in an overly graphic, underwhelming murder mystery, then The Silkworm would have been a riot.

How to Be Both by Ali Smith
“Who says stories reach everybody in the same order?
This novel can be read in two ways and this book provides you with both.
In half of all printed editions of the novel the narrative Eyes comes before Camera. In the other half of printed editions the narrative Camera precedes Eyes. The narratives are exactly the same in both versions, just in a different order.”
Intentionally printed in two different ways, Ali Smith’s How to Be Both showed us the modern world through the eyes of a Renaissance painter and also told us the story of a contemporary teenage girl’s struggle with her mother’s death, earning the author much critical acclaim in the process.

The Rogue Prince, or, a King’s Brother by George R. R. Martin

Over the last few years, The Game of Thrones has become a massive phenomenon. 2014 saw the author of the series release the novelette The Rogue Prince, or, a King’s Brother, which was part of the Rogues anthology and served as a prequel to 2013’s The Princess and the Queen, and is presented as the writing of Archmaester Gyldayn, who is also the (fictional) author of the previous installment.

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell 

Cloud Atlas (2004) scribe David Mitchell’s sixth novel The Bone Clocks impressed some readers and confused others. Built around the concept of mortality, the book tells the story of a teenage runaway, from adolescence to old age, by means of linked stories with fantastical elements, and also features characters from Mitchell’s other works.

Non-fiction

This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate by Naomi Klein

As the world tries to grapple with the nature, causes, and consequences of climate change, Canadian activist and analyst Naomi Klein came up with one of the most notable books of 2014 that happened to be on this topic. This Changes Everything is a treatise into the connection between capitalism and climate change, and suggests an environmental movement which argues that restructuring the global economy would be an important step in curbing this crisis. The author was lauded for her research and for blending politics and economics to come up with an informative and compelling book on a topic of great magnitude.

Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael Lewis

Known for his books like Liar’s Poker, The New New Thing, The Blind Side, and Moneyball, writer Michael Lewis took a look at high frequency trading in Flash Boys, his latest number one bestseller, exposing the inner workings of the stock market, a subject of increased interest since the recent financial crisis. The FBI’s subsequent decision to investigate HFT has been linked to this book by some commentators.

A Slip of the Keyboard by Terry Pratchett

Famous for his Discworld series, the delightful Terry Pratchett shared a collection of his non-fiction work in A Slip of the Keyboard, giving us a glimpse at his thoughts on a wide range of topics, from science fiction to hats. Witty and warm, this compilation of pieces that include essays, articles, speeches, and much more proved (if proof was still needed) that Pratchett isn’t just a master of fantasy fiction and showed us why he is one of the most popular authors of his generation.

41: A Portrait of My Father by George W. Bush

Countless books have been written about American presidents, but none of them has been as unique as 41: A Portrait of My Father, the biography of George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, penned by his son, George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the country. The book offers an intimate look at the life of Bush Sr. and it may not present any earthshaking revelations or offer the most objective take on the subject, but, by its very nature, 41 is a very interesting tome.

Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s “Learned” by Lena Dunham

Lena Dunham may or may not be the voice of her generation, but her voice sure is very divisive. Some hail her for her raw, daring work; others criticize her over-sharing and self-indulgence. So it was hardly surprising that the 28-year-old’s first book raised quite a bit of controversy. The project, a collection of autobiographical pieces, for which she was reportedly paid $3.7 million, was seen by many as a look at what happens when over-privilege meets over-exposure.

What I Know For Sure by Oprah

North America’s only African-American billionaire Oprah Winfrey has had quite a life and career. The “Queen of All Media” has been sharing her life lessons in the popular ‘What I Know For Sure’ column in O, The Oprah Magazine for over a decade. In 2014, these pieces were “revised, updated, and collected” in What I Know For Sure, a collection of inspirational and motivational nuggets along with some personal accounts and introspective moments that made for a compelling read for her many fans.

- S.A.

Us Magazine, The News - 9th January, 2015 *

Must See TV: most anticipated series of 2015

must see tv

Instep takes a look at some of the most promising new television series coming out this year

Daredevil

As enjoyable as their output has been so far, we are dangerously close to having a Marvel overdose. Along with the Marvel movies that are being released this summer (Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man), we are also getting a couple of television series from the same universe. Luckily, there is little reason to start complaining just yet – the upcoming projects really do seem quite promising.

Making its way to television (or the web to be precise, as it’s a Netflix series) this May is the small screen venture of the superhero Daredevil, a lawyer who fights crime at night using his senses that were heightened after he was blinded as a young boy. The series will supposedly be similar in tone to The Wire, and stars the (quite awesome) Charlie Cox as the masked vigilante.

Agent Carter

Joining Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the ABC line-up is Marvel’s Agent Carter, giving the Captain America spy Peggy Carter her own spinoff this January. We return to the 1940s, where we find Peggy (Hayley Atwell) trying to make a place for herself in a male-dominated world while grieving the apparent death of Steve Rogers. The early response to previews suggests that the show has learned from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s initial missteps, and could take us on some exciting adventures starting this week.

Better Call Saul

The delay in the release of Better Call Saul has made “coming soon” the two most exasperating words in the English language. Now, after much wait, the 10-episode first season of the Breaking Bad spinoff prequel is finally commencing this February. The series is set six years before lawyer Saul Goodman (the delightful Bob Odenkirk) got sucked into Walter White’s world. Even though we’ve known Saul (whose real name is Jimmy McGill) for years, we don’t really know much about his life. Better Call Saul is set to change that, and we can’t wait to find out more about our favourite shady lawyer. (The fact that AMC has already ordered a second season is a very promising sign.)

Battle Creek

There just aren’t enough cop dramas on television, said no one ever. But before you write off Battle Creek as just another police procedural, you might want to consider the fact that it was created by the men who also gave us Breaking Bad and House! The snarky series (which comes to CBS in March) is the brainchild of Vince Gilligan and David Shore, and stars Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters. The show will follow the story of a mismatched pair of detectives, as the police competes with the FBI in Battle Creek, Michigan. Ok, so the premise might not scream “promising!” but the fact that Vince Gilligan has something to do with its existence fills us with hope; just please don’t remind us that he also co-wrote Hancock.

Cobalt

What do you do when you have the most-watched drama series in the history of cable television? You make a spin-off, of course. AMC has announced that The Walking Dead is getting a companion series that will take place during the same zombie apocalypse but will be set in a different location and focus on a different set of characters. Details are scant, but rumour has it that the series is tentatively titled Cobalt (whether or not the title makes it past the development stage remains to be seen) and it may (or may not) premiere this year.

The Odd Couple

Matthew Perry hasn’t exactly been very lucky with his post-Friends television ventures. Maybe third time will be the charm for the actor as he makes what will be the third television series based on Neil Simon’s play The Odd Couple. Perry and Thomas Lennon portray the titular duo who end up having to share an apartment despite their differences. CBS seems to have more faith in the idea than we do, as the sitcom has been given a very coveted slot: it will premiere right after the series finale of Two and a Half Men, and will take its position for the remainder of the season. Let’s hope for Matthew Perry’s sake that this one makes it past the first season (although for our own sake, maybe it shouldn’t).

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Two words: Tina Fey. Or ok, that’s technically one name, but you know what we’re getting at. Tina Fey is all kinds of awesome, and we can’t help but get excited that the reigning queen of comedy is behind this Netflix sitcom. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt will star Ellie Kemper as “a woman who escapes from a doomsday cult and starts life over in New York”, and its first season will make its debut in March.

The Last Man on Earth

How exactly do you make a whole series based around the premise that the human race is down to one last survivor? We will find out this March when The Last Man on Earth kicks off. The single-camera comedy finds Phil Miller (Will Forte), the last human in the world after the entire population of Earth is wiped out, looking for signs of any other person alive on the planet. He, of course, won’t object if the fellow survivor turns out to be female. Created, written, and starring the lovely Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth has a very interesting premise, and we are eager to see how things will fare for humanity’s last hope.

The Comedians

Veteran comedian Billy Crystal pairs with younger comedian Josh Gad for a comedy series about a superstar veteran comedian who reluctantly pairs with a younger, edgier comedian for a late-night comedy sketch show. Totally meta, right? FX aims to start airing the series this spring.

iZombie

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Veronica Mars was a zombie? Of course you haven’t because that would be a very weird thing to think about, but you’ll still get the answer to that bizarre query when iZombie starts airing on The CW this May. Not to be outdone by the Marvel onslaught, DC is also bringing one of its comic book series to televisual life with this show, which revolves around a medical resident (Rose McIver) who is unexpectedly turned into a zombie, gaining the power to get the memories from the brains she eats which she then uses to help solve homicide mysteries. Expect witty banter amidst supernatural creepiness.

Also on our radar: the TV remake of the 1995 film 12 Monkeys; Backstrom, the adaptation of Leif G. W. Persson’s novels starring Rainn Wilson; the music business drama Empire; Cameron Crowe’s Roadies that revolves around the life of a band’s road crew; sci-fi thriller Westworld; the adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods; the new Ryan Murphy comedy horror series Scream Queens; the Duplass brothers’ sitcom Togetherness; the Heroes revival, Heroes: Reborn; and an Untitled HBO Rock ‘N’ Roll Project that is expected to air this year.

- By Sameen Amer

Instep Today, The News - 7th January, 2015 *

Movie mania: films worth waiting for in 2015

movie mania

Another year, another attack of the franchises! Instep rounds up the most anticipated movies of this year

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

We might as well start referring to 2015 as “the year we get a new Star Wars movie”, because from the looks of it, humanity seems to be collectively counting down the days till Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be released. The wait is going to be a long one though, as the J. J. Abrams film is still almost a whole year away; Episode VII is scheduled to be out in
December. The stars of the original trilogy (Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford) are reprising their roles, joining a number of franchise newcomers (including John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, and Andy Serkis) to set off on an adventure that takes place thirty years after the events of Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

The new Avengers movie is such a massive release that even its trailer has its own trailer! A guaranteed summer blockbuster, Marvel’s Age of Ultron sees Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) team up once again to save the world. This time the villain is Ultron (James Spader), an artificial intelligence programmed with elements of Tony Stark’s personality, who decides to eradicate humans from planet Earth. Who will win – a gaggle of superheroes or a self-aware artificial intelligence with a god complex? All will be revealed this May.

Ant-Man

The laws of Hollywood dictate that every superhero that has ever been created must have his own movie franchise. So now we get to meet Ant-Man, Marvel’s latest comic book export. The director is Peyton Reed, and the cast is led by Paul Rudd, who portrays Scott Lang, a petty criminal who acquires a substance that allows him to decrease in size but increase in strength; he then obviously sets out on a mission to save the world, because that is what superheroes do. Yes, we’d be sceptical of yet another superhero franchise, but luckily, Marvel truly is on a roll. That, coupled with our love for the very charming Paul Rudd, makes us very excited about this project.

Jurassic World

Good news for fans of giant reptiles: the dinosaurs are back! After being in development hell for over a decade, the fourth film in the popular series finally makes its way to cinemas this June, taking us back to Jurassic Park as a genetically modified hybrid dinosaur runs wild. The man of the moment Chris Pratt stars in the lead as a member of the park’s staff who will (we assume) be in charge of saving the day.

Mission: Impossible 5
If we could just stop getting distracted by Tom Cruise’s personal life, we’d have to admit that most of his recent projects have been quite enjoyable. We were particularly impressed by Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, which is why we’re excited about Mission: Impossible 5. Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, and Simon Pegg are reprising their roles, and while we don’t really know much about the plot yet, we are still looking forward to this Christopher McQuarrie offering.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part II
The Hunger Games film series, as well as the books it is based on, have been one of the biggest phenomenons of recent years. The epic tale now draws to a close with Francis Lawrence’s second and final instalment of Mockingjay, as Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) leads an all-out revolution against the Capitol. Will the rebels emerge victorious? We will find out in November … or we can just read the book and find out right now. Where’s the nearest bookstore?

Furious 7
It’s time to say goodbye to Brian O’Conner, as the late Paul Walker makes his final film appearance in Furious 7. The latest release in the Fast & Furious series finds the crew chasing a man who killed one of their own and is now trying to hunt the rest of them down. Furious 7 will be in cinemas this April.

The Fantastic Four
Oh Hollywood, are you really this short on ideas? They got their own series only a decade ago, and now Mr. Fantastic (Miles Teller), The Invisible Woman (Kate Mara), The Thing (Jamie Bell), and The Human Torch (Michael B. Jordan) are back with new faces for another potential series that commences in August with the Josh Trank-directed The Fantastic Four. There’s clearly talent involved in this reboot, but couldn’t a better, more original vehicle have been developed with these resources?

Spectre

Daniel Craig has had a great run as 007, and we couldn’t be more excited about his fourth outing as James Bond in November’s Spectre, the sequel to 2012’s Skyfall. In his latest adventure (which has been directed by Sam Mendes), everyone’s favourite secret agent is on a quest to reveal the truth behind a sinister organisation known as SPECTRE. Christoph Waltz plays the baddie, while Monica Bellucci and Léa Seydoux are the new bond girls.

Fifty Shades of Grey

Take a long, hard look at the world around you, then shake your head and lose faith in humanity, because it turns out that a significant portion of our species is obsessed with the upcoming Fifty Shades of Grey movie which will be out in time for Valentine’s Day this year. Admit it, you know the “plot” (we’re using that word very loosely), you know the main cast and characters, and you’ve seen the trailer (which was, distressingly, the most viewed trailer on YouTube in 2014). We don’t really get the appeal, so we’ll just file this one under the “to each his own” category and move on.

Pitch Perfect 2

We’re looking forward to seeing the Barden Bellas again and finding out how things fare in Elizabeth Banks’ feature directorial debut when Pitch Perfect returns for a second outing this May. The main cast (Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, and Skylar Astin) is back, as the girls enter an international acapella competition. The film will hopefully deliver some laughs, just like its surprisingly enjoyable predecessor did.

Entourage

We’re embarrassed by how much we used to enjoy this television series, and now its cast will be seen in a feature film set to hit the big screen this June. Creator Doug Ellin reunites Vince (Adrian Grenier), E (Kevin Connolly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), and Drama (Kevin Dillon), as Ari (Jeremy Piven), who is now a movie producer, bankroll’s Vince’s directorial debut. Crazy hijinks ensure (we hope). Be on the lookout for a lot of celebrity cameos!

The Good Dinosaur

After being a no-show in 2014, Pixar is returning with not one but two films this year. The one we are more curious about is The Good Dinosaur, the animated movie that was supposed to be the studio’s offering last summer but was delayed after it ran into some story trouble resulting in director Bob Peterson’s removal from the project. The reimagined version makes its way to cinemas in November. Set in a world without prehistoric extinction, the film tells the story of a dinosaur named Arlo (voiced by Lucas Neff) who sets out on a quest to restore peace in the land, befriending a young human boy along the way. (Pixar’s second movie, Inside Out, will be out in June.)

Minions

Remember those small yellow creatures from Despicable Me? They’re getting their very own feature this summer! In this spin-off prequel, minions Stuart, Kevin, and Bob (all voiced by director Pierre Coffin) arrive at a villain convention in search of a new despicable master, and compete to become the henchmen for Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock) who wants to be the world’s first female super-villain. If the teasers are anything to go by, then Minions is likely to be fun for the whole family and will especially please the young ones.

The Peanuts Movie

We love Charles Schulz’s Peanuts so much that we are anticipating The Peanuts Movie with a certain level of dread. Steve Martino is in charge of the project, which will be the first feature film based on the characters in 35 years (fifth film overall). Charlie Brown (Noah Schnapp) is being sent on an epic quest, leaving us to hope and pray that the filmmaker doesn’t ruin a cherished part of our childhood. Seriously Hollywood, we would really appreciate it if you don’t stuff this one up!

Also on our radar: Brad Bird’s sci-fi mystery Tomorrowland starring George Clooney and Hugh Laurie; the fourth Mad Max film Fury Road; the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator: Genisys; the Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks Cold War thriller St. James Place; Quentin Tarantino’s Civil War Western The Hateful Eight; Ridley Scott’s Matt Damon-starring The Martian; Disney’s live-action Cinderella with Lily James; Trainwreck, the new Judd Apatow comedy; Seth McFarlane’s Ted 2; the new Tina Fey and Amy Poehler vehicle Sisters; and David O. Russell’s drama Joy, which reunites Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro.

- By Sameen Amer

Instep Today, The News - 6th January, 2015 *

Adultery - a disappointing read

book review

Book: Adultery
Author: Paulo Coelho

Reading the translation of a novel doesn't quite feel the same as reading the tome in its original language, if only because it's hard to shake off the concern that some of the author's voice might have been lost in translation. In the case of Paulo Coelho's new novel Adultery, which was originally written in the author's native Portuguese, one can only hope that this really is what happened.

The story revolves around Linda, a 30-something wife of one of the richest men in Switzerland. Her main problem, it seems, is that she doesn't have any problems. She is the mother of two children, works as a journalist, and is such an epitome of awesomeness that she "arouse(s) desire in men and envy in women". Her husband adores her and she is practically living the ideal life.

But she still hates pretty much every aspect of her existence and finds herself struggling with boredom due to a "lack of passion and adventure".

To eliminate the predictability of her comfortable routine, Linda decides to replace her "missing joy with something more concrete a man". A man who isn't her beloved husband, of course. The object of her desire is a former high school boyfriend Jacob, now a prominent politician running for office.

Their paths cross when she has to interview him for the newspaper. Nostalgia hits, lust takes hold, and Linda sets out on a road that might have life-altering consequences.

You might think it's these consequences that frame the narrative, but the book never delivers the kind of repercussions that would seem realistic or create the necessary tension to keep the story interesting. Nor does it explain why the reader is supposed to give a hoot about its central character, a woman who comes off as repulsively self-absorbed and shallow.

Linda's introspection and soul-searching read more like narcissistic ramblings as she tries to justify her actions, meandering through the topics of love, depression, joy, self-fulfillment and life in Geneva, while making contrived references to (better) works of literature.

Perhaps Linda's actions and choices would have made more sense if we were given a chance to get acquainted with some of the people around her, but that doesn't really happen. We find out the bare minimum about her (seemingly passive and unbelievably understanding) husband, and next to nothing about her children. The only supporting character who is fleshed out is Jacob, the man Linda obsessively pursues, but he comes off even worse than she does. A womaniser who has apparently had a string of affairs despite being married to the "complete woman" (who Linda wants to "destroy pitilessly"), he just seems like a person who doesn't have a meaningful connection with anyone.

Why is Linda attracted to Jacob? What exactly is she feeling? And what is she actually going through? She herself isn't sure, and keeps questioning her own thoughts, troubles, and motives for the entirety of the novel. Meanwhile, there isn't enough character development or even a strong, convincing arc that would make her a compel-ling individual. For most of the novel, as the events limply unfold, the protagonist doesn't seem to come out any wiser, and neither does the reader. When her eventual moment of epiphany does arrive, it feels tedious and hackneyed.

As with every Paulo Coelho novel, Adultery tries to dispense some wisdom, although it's often hard to tell what these lessons really are. Perhaps it is precisely because this novel was written by such a celebrated author who generates higher expectations that the result is so underwhelming. Beloved to a global fan base that venerates him for stories laced with optimism and insight, Coelho is not only the best selling Portuguese language author of all time but also one of the most successful writers in the world. The Brazilian author's 1988 allegorical novel The Alchemist is a phenomenon, a magical fable that blends spirituality and philosophy to inspire its readers. That spark, sadly, is missing in Adultery.

Sure there are moments that do resonate, such as the sentiment that people can be "afraid of things changing, but at the same time dying to experience something different," and of course the overall themes of searching for meaning, love, and happiness are unlikely to be foreign to anyone reading this book. But we don't get a meaningful discourse on any of these topics and are instead left with a superficial take on love and depression by way of a protagonist that is a walking cliché.

It also doesn't help that a couple of times the book turns into "50 Shades of Adultery", taking unnecessarily descriptive and gratuitously graphic interludes; the effect is jarring and does not go well with the author's overall style.

Adultery never quite succeeds in making a connection or generating empathy, and ultimately leaves us with more questions than answers. The book is a fairly quick read and its plain prose, slight plot, and trite characters offer only a few moments of inspiration towards the end which do not make up for the dull journey that gets us there.

The novel's central themes have been tackled much more interestingly in various other works, and we would certainly have expected someone of Paulo Coelho's calibre to present a more original and affecting take on these subjects.

- By Sameen Amer

Books & Authors, Dawn - 4th January, 2015 *

Looking into the future: most anticipated albums of 2015

music mix

Instep rounds up the most anticipated albums of 2015

The music industry may be more fragmented than ever before, but there are still a number of artists that enjoy massive global popularity. Here are some of the performers whose upcoming releases are among the most anticipated albums of 2015:

Adele
“Bye bye 25... See you again later in the year,” Adele tweeted on her 26th birthday in May last year, and you can hardly blame us for collectively jumping to the conclusion that her new album was going to be called 25 and would be released in 2014; after all, her previous albums, 19 and 21, were both named after her age when she worked on the respective records. But 2014 has now bid us farewell and there’s still no sign of the singer’s elusive follow-up to her massively successful sophomore disc. Speculation has it that 2015 will finally see the release of 25, if that is indeed the album’s title, and we can hardly wait.

Madonna
Whether you see the Rebel Heart leaks as a malicious breach or as a PR stunt, the fact remains that the episode has generated a lot of publicity for Madonna’s record and has garnered it even more attention than it already had. The actual, finished version of the album is now slated to be released in March this year. Until then, we’ll try our best not to judge the album by its demos.

Rihanna
Rihanna released a record almost every year from 2005 to 2012, with 2008 being the only exception. The wait for her eighth album has, however, been longer than usual. RiRi has been teasing the release of her upcoming disc with the “R8” hashtag and is expected to unveil the set soon.

Coldplay
Their fans can’t wait for them to release their next album. Their detractors can’t wait for them to release their final album. The interests of both these camps might collide when A Head Full of Dreams comes out this year. This will be Coldplay’s seventh record, and Chris Martin has suggested that it might be the group’s last release. Nothing is set in stone though. For now, you can look forward to another set of Coldplay songs making its way to your ears sometime later this year.

David Gilmour
We’re still recovering from the fact that there will never be another Pink Floyd album ever again, with 2014’s The Endless River serving as their final release together. We are, however, hoping for some solo releases from former members to help us cope with our pain, like David Gilmour’s fourth solo record that is likely to come out this year. Yes, we’ll take what we can get!

Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber was in the news for all the wrong reasons last year. Is a musical comeback on the cards for 2015? It sure looks like it, much to our disappointment. A joint album with Cody Simpson is reportedly in the works, and Beliebers can’t contain their excitement. For the rest of us … now would be a good time to order a pair of earplugs.

One Direction
Here’s what the One Direction discography looks like so far:
- Up All Night (November 2011)
- Take Me Home (November 2012)
- Midnight Memories (November 2013)
- Four (November 2014)
Will the world’s biggest pop group release their fifth record this November? Place your bets now, and feel free to book a vacation on the most distant inhabitable planet accordingly.

Mark Ronson
Thanks to the runaway success of ‘Uptown Funk’, not only have we been reminded of the fact that Mark Ronson still exists, but his new album Uptown Special has also had a major boost in interest. The disc will be out later this month, and features artists including Stevie Wonder, Andrew Wyatt, Mystikal, and Jeff Bhasker, as well as Bruno Mars who lends his vocals to the aforementioned single.

Muse
While we still haven’t quite forgiven Muse for their association with Twilight, we can’t help but be excited about their seventh album, as long as they promise they won’t have anything to do with 50 Shades of Grey. Their new record is currently in the works, and while there is no title or scheduled date yet, a 2015 release is considered likely.

Metallica
Exit light, enter night! There’s a good chance a new Metallica record is on its way. The group has confirmed they’re working on their new album, which will be their first release since 2008’s Death Magnetic – presuming you’re not including Lulu (the album they did with Lou Reed), which you shouldn’t; in fact, let us make a pact to never bring that album up again. Deal?

Def Leppard
Because, you know, nostalgia. The new album is set to be unveiled this year, although no details have been made available yet.

U2
U2 will be eager to chalk the Songs of Innocence release fiasco down to experience and move on from the debacle, and what better way can there be to redeem themselves than to release an album that the world won’t want to delete? The group has planned their Innocence + Experience Tour for 2015, which suggests that Innocence’s companion album Songs of Experience could be on its way to our music libraries soon; hopefully this time we won’t have to spend hours trying to figure out how to get rid of it!

Kanye West
Rumour has it that a new Kanye West album is imminent, and the release of his collaboration with Paul McCartney just a few days ago has only added more credence to the claim. At this point the return of focus to his music will be a much welcomed change in pace after the incessant tabloid coverage of him and his Mrs.

Laura Marling
The “master hunter” has been hard at work on the follow-up to 2013’s critically acclaimed Once I Was an Eagle. In just a few short months, we will have our hands on her new album Short Movie, which is slated for a March release, and that makes us very excited.

Bob Dylan
The folk legend has scheduled his thirty-sixth album Shadows in the Night for February 2015! The covers album will feature ten songs popularized by Frank Sinatra, including ‘I’m a Fool to Want You’, ‘Some Enchanted Evening’, and ‘Full Moon and Empty Arms’.

Limp Bizkit
Ok, so we’re looking forward to a new Limp Bizkit record just as much as we’re looking forward to increased load shedding during the summer, but it’s almost impossible to not have at least some sort of morbid curiosity about an album that is titled Stampede of the Disco Elephants. Admittedly, the title is hardly a shock coming from a band whose most successful album was called Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, but what does an album that announces itself as a stampede of disco elephants even sound like? We’re waiting to find out … and dreading the reveal.

Loretta Lynn
We blame Jack White for making us fall in love with Loretta Lynn all over again, but it has been ten years since the celebrated country singer released the terrific Van Lear Rose (2004) and we haven’t had a new record from her ever since. Now it finally looks like the First Lady of Country Music is going to give us her first album in a decade. The record that is being helmed by Patsy Lynn Russell (her daughter) and John Carter Cash (Johnny Cash’s son) is likely to include new songs as well as updated versions of her classics.

Also on our radar: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Chemical Brothers, Fall Out Boy, Imagine Dragons, Kid Rock, Iron Maiden, Kelly Clarkson, Marina and the Diamonds, Hilary Duff, Victoria Justice, Fleetwood Mac, Frank Turner, Rita Ora, Ellie Goulding.

- By Sameen Amer

Instep Today, The News - 3rd January, 2015 *

MMXIV

cover story

At least it was better than 1914 - that is probably the best thing that can be said about 2014, yet another year that did not paint a very pretty picture of our species. Our interest in birds may have gone from Angry to Flappy, but not much changed about our selfie-obsessed existence and terror-ridden world. As always, there was one thing that manifested itself again and again: humanity still has a long way to go.

January
- Terror attacks: The year began with the remarkable Aitizaz Hassan single-handedly thwarting a terrorist attack on his school in Hangu at the expense of his own life (January); it ended with the death of more than 150 people, most of them children, when Taliban gunmen stormed a school in Peshawar (December). In between were numerous tales of loss and heartache. Various incidents - like the bombings in Jos (May), the attack on Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport (which prompted the start of Operation Zarb-e-Azb in June), the hostage situation at the Sydney cafe (December), and even attacks on individuals, including journalists like Hamid Mir (April) - left us wondering why it’s so hard for some people to just live and let live.

February
- Ebola epidemic: As if the world didn’t have enough to worry about already, Ebola decided to make things worse. The deadly virus spread in Western Africa, infecting over 18,000 people and claiming nearly 7,000 lives. Also, the spread of polio in some Asian and African countries caused concern (May).
- Olympics: The Winter Olympics were here in Sochi, Russia, with athletes participating in 98 events in 15 sports. The biggest winners were host nation Russia (13 gold, 11 silver, 9 bronze), Norway (11 gold, 5 silver, 10 bronze), and Canada (10 gold, 10 silver, 5 bronze), while Pakistan continued to be little more than a footnote in world sports, finishing with a grand tally of 0 medals. Our sole athlete, Muhammad Karim, participated in the giant slalom event, finishing in the 71st position.
- Ukrainian crisis: Unrest in Ukraine, the impeachment of the President, Russian intervention, and skirmishes with separatists made 2014 a tumultuous year for the European nation. Other regions that saw unrest during the year included Burkina Faso and Hong Kong.
- WhatsApp acquisition: Social networking giant Facebook acquired the WhatsApp messaging service for $19 billion (yes, BILLION), in a very reasonable, sensible deal that totally wasn’t overinflated at all, and ... what do you mean “tech bubble”??

March
- Airplane crash: It wasn’t a very good year for air travel, and it was particularly not a good year for Malaysia Airlines. First, their Flight 370 disappeared while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people onboard. Then a few months later (July), their Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine killing all 298 people on the plane. Just weeks before the latter, Air Algérie also suffered a loss, when Flight 5017 crashed in Mali, resulting in 116 fatalities.
- Frozen success: The most dominant pop culture fixture of the year, 2013’s Frozen became the highest grossing animated movie of all time, with the mere mention of ‘Let It Go’ sending parents of young kids into a sudden spiral of derangement, making them want to inflict pain on whoever wrote that damn song. (If it helps, the director is sorry.)

April
- Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapping: Our faith in mankind sunk to a new low when an estimated 276 female students were abducted by jihadist group Boko Haram. Despite attempted negotiations, more than 200 of the girls still remain missing.
- ICC World Twenty20: No, we didn’t even come close to winning. Moving on...

May
- Turkey mine accident: More than 300 workers lost their lives after an explosion in a coal mine in Soma, the worst mining accident in the country’s history.
- Kanye West and Kim Kardashian wedding: Two people - the two who were the very least deserving of our attention, yet somehow still the “world’s most talked about couple” due to some sort of karmic retribution for our sins - did something that almost everyone in the world does; it naturally became headline news. Later in the year, the world went crazy when Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt finally exchanged vows (August). And then the planet went into celebrity-gossip-meltdown mode when George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin also tied the knot (September).

June
- The rise of ISIS: The Islamic State extremist organization proclaimed a worldwide caliphate, then tried (very successfully) to become the most reviled group in the world by beheading soldiers and foreigners and uploading the footage online, while making the unidentified Jihadi John one of the most wanted men in the world and leading to airstrikes in Syria.
- Transformers 4 released: Transformers: Age of Extinction opened to scathing reviews and was deemed one of the worst films of the year, so it obviously became the highest grossing movie of 2014 (making over $1,087 million) because that’s clearly logical. Marvel’s delightful superhero movie Guardians of the Galaxy finished second ($771 million), while the dire Maleficent, the Angelina Jolie starring retelling of Sleeping Beauty, ended up third ($757 million) in the global box office tally.
- FIFA World Cup: Brazil hosted the football World Cup, and Pakistan emerged victorious ... well, not in the sport, but in export. We might not have actually played the game, but we did supply the balls. Yes, we made the tournament possible. You’re welcome world.

July
- Eric Garner’s death: “Every time you see me, you want to mess with me. I’m tired of it. It stops today. ... Everyone standing here will tell you I didn’t do nothing. I did not sell nothing. Because every time you see me, you want to harass me. ... I’m minding my business, officer, I’m minding my business. Please just leave me alone. I told you the last time, please just leave me alone. Please, please, don’t touch me. Do not touch me. ... I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.” - Eric Garner left us with the year’s most powerful rallying cry: we can’t breathe. The police officers responsible for his death were acquitted of all wrongdoing, mirroring other similar incidents in the U.S., including the fatal shooting of a teenager by a police officer in August which resulted in a series of protests in Ferguson, Missouri.

August
- Pakistan unrest: “Dharna” became the most ubiquitous word in Pakistan after PAT and PTI decided to hold sit-ins in the capital till their demands of justice, accountability, and resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif were met. After we lost count of the number of times the countdown to the beginning of the end started and then withered, Tahir-ul-Qadri ended the dharna in October before the start of Muharram, while Imran Khan pulled the plug on the sit-in in December in the wake of the Peshawar school massacre.

September
- India-Pakistan floods: Floods caused by the monsoon rains claimed hundreds of lives in India and Pakistan. (Later in the year (October), Cyclone Nilofar threatened to cause havoc, but, thankfully, weakened and dissipated over the Arabian Sea.) While too much water was causing destruction in some parts, others suffered because of its lack. Paucity of water and food in the ongoing Tharparkar famine led to dozens of deaths.
- iPhone 6: A new iPhone, with a brand spanking new feature: it bends! Whether you want it to or not! Especially if you don’t!
- Songs of Innocence: Overestimating the popularity of U2 and underestimating the importance of consent, Apple added the band’s new album Songs of Innocence automatically to everyone’s iTunes music libraries for free. The “music as spam” tactic was condemned by users, and earned U2 the dubious honour of releasing the most deleted album of all time.

October
- Spaceship Two crash: The quest for space tourism suffered a setback when Virgin Galactic’s spaceplane Spaceship Two exploded and crashed in the Mojave Desert, killing one pilot and badly injuring the other. Virgin has been planning to launch the first commercial flight in 2015.
- Nobel Peace Prize: Indian children’s rights advocate Kailash Satyarthi and Pakistan’s female education activist Malala Yousafzai were announced as the joint recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize, making the latter the youngest-ever laureate of this often-controversial award.

November
- Philae comet landing: The European Space Agency succeeded in landing the Philae probe on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, proving that it is easier to land a small robot on a distant piece of moving rock millions of miles away from Earth than it is to convincing the inhabitants of Earth to just get along with each other.
- Sony hacks and threats: North Korea tried to appoint itself as the authority that decides which films the world can and can’t watch. The impending release of the satirical comedy The Interview (wherein two journalists (played by Seth Rogen and James Franco) are instructed to assassinate Kim Jong-un) led to Sony Picture Entertainment’s computer system being hacked by a group with suspected ties to the nation that does not have a sense of humour when it comes to their beloved Supreme Leader. The group that calls itself the Guardians of Peace then threatened terror attacks invoking 9/11 if The Interview was released; the irony of the situation wasn’t lost on anyone. The film was shelved days before its scheduled premiere, a decision that drew criticism from many (including U.S. President Barack Obama), before eventually being unveiled via online rental stores on Christmas Eve.

December
- I’ll ride with you: Soon after the Sydney cafe attack by an ISIS supporter, the “I’ll ride with you” campaign emerged, with Australians offering to travel with those wearing religious attire to counter fear of backlash, proving with one simple hashtag that the world is intelligent enough to not let one person’s actions reflect on a whole race or religion.
Come to think of it, maybe humanity has come a long way after all.

As we bid 2014 farewell, here’s hoping the year that replaces it brings better tidings for the world.
Happy New Year, everyone!

Farewell
- Ahmed Aqeel Rubi - Pakistani poet (75)
- Anatoly Berezovoy - Soviet cosmonaut (72)
- Ariel Sharon - 11th Prime Minister of Israel (85)
- Casey Kasem - American radio host and voice actor (82)
- Queen Fabiola of Belgium (Fabiola de Mora y Aragón) - wife of Baudouin, King of the Belgians (86)
- Gabriel García Márquez - Colombian writer (87)
- Ghayyur Akhtar - Pakistani actor (67)
- Habib Wali Mohammad - Pakistani singer (90)
- James Garner - American actor (86)
- Joan Rivers - American comedian (81)
- Laiq Ahmad - Pakistani educationist (80)
- Maqsood Hassan - Pakistani actor (67)
- Masood Hasan - Pakistani writer (72)
- Maya Angelou - American poet (86)
- Malcolm Glazer - American businessman, owner of Manchester United (85)
- Mickey Rooney - American actor (93)
- Oscar de la Renta - Dominican American fashion designer (82)
- Philip Seymour Hoffman - American actor (46)
- Phillip Hughes - Australian cricketer (25)
- Robin Williams - American actor (63)
- Tommy Ramone - Hungarian-American drummer (65)
- Zil-e-Huma - Pakistani singer (70)

- By Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News - 2nd January, 2015 *

Rerun: The year 2014 in television

year in review

From controversial endings to long-run sitcoms to brilliant new noir thrillers, television disappointed and thrilled us in equal measure during 2014. Instep rounds up the highs and lows of the year.

- Binge-watchers rejoiced as new seasons of Netflix’s terrific Orange is the New Black and House of Cards were released.

- Amazon Studios’ Transparent won acclaim.

- After being almost-cancelled every year, Community was actually cancelled this year by NBC ... and then resurrected by Yahoo! Screens, because clearly it has more lives than a cat.

- Hostages was so rivetingly bad that we forgot to stop watching it. Thankfully the network pulled the plug on the series after just one season and saved our intelligence from plummeting even further.

- The Comeback made a comeback.

- True Detective told us that time is a flat circle.

- Martin Freeman was suspiciously convincing as the bad guy on the deliciously sinister Fargo.

- Sherlock came back for a three-episode series, then left us with a Sherlock-shaped hole in our lives for another two years.

- The gods of cancellation made us wonder what sort of a cruel world we live in where The Neighbours gets canned after two seasons while Two and a Half Men runs for 12.

- Someone with very poor judgment cast Katherine Heigl to star in a TV show, resulting in a sorry State of Affairs.

- Bad Judge was really bad.

- The abysmal Homeland made us cringe.

- 24 lived another day.

- The Walking Dead still didn’t die.

- NCIS and its various spin-offs continued to be extremely popular.

- Someone decided to call a television drama “How to Get Away with Murder” because they couldn’t come up with a longer title.

- Here comes Honey Boo Boo? There goes Honey Boo Boo.

- The Newsroom was cancelled, which means Aaron Sorkin will now have to find another avenue to lecture us every week like we’re a bunch of dimwits.

- Cosmos wowed.

- The Affair met acclaim.

- Psych left us with fond memories that spring to mind every time we see a pineapple.

- Dads was cancelled 19 episodes after it should have been. It ran for 19 episodes.

- The Blacklist continued to be an overwhelmingly, preposterously, terribly stupid show that we continued to watch for some reason.

- I Wanna Marry “Harry” tried to vie for the Worst Show Ever Made title.

- Bill Cosby and Stephen Collins became everyone’s least favourite TV dads ever.

- President Obama sat Between Two Ferns.

- Jeremy Clarkson kept offending people.

- Ricky Gervais’ Derek bowed out.

- Miranda bid us farewell.

- Broadchurch’s brilliant ‘whodunnit’ was water cooler TV at its finest.

- The original, British version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? aired its last show, coming to an end after a 15 year run.

- Someone or the other won American Idol, leading us to the question “wait, is that show still on?”

- Game of Thrones continued to be the most pirated television series while continuing to have the most annoyingly obsessive fans.

- Downton Abbey remained the most popular show that we still haven’t seen.

- Better Call Saul was delayed until 2015 because the universe must torment us at every given opportunity.

- Twin Peaks was revived for a limited series, set to air nearly 25 years after it was cancelled.

- David Letterman announced his retirement.

- Stephen Colbert changed the world.

- The bafflingly terrible ending of How I Met Your Mother generated a torrent of expletives from everyone who suffered through 9 seasons (208 episodes!) of initially exciting, eventually disappointing television, only to be left with a load of twaddle in the end. The infinitely better alternative ending later emerged so that we could mentally replace the last scene of the finale with the new version in our heads and pretend that the other atrocity never happened.

- By Sameen Amer

Instep Today, The News - 1st January, 2015 *