Zayn Malik shares his thoughts and feelings in slim autobiography

book review

The 24-year-old singer writes about his time with One Direction, anxiety issues and the influence of Pakistani musician, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
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Book: Zayn

Author: Zayn Malik

The last six years of Zayn Malik’s life have been nothing short of extraordinary. While competing on The X Factor in 2010, the “mixed-race, Muslim musician from Bradford” rose to instant global fame after he was chosen as a member of what would become the world’s biggest boy band. But he eventually left the group to pursue a solo career in 2015. His departure from One Direction brought him even more fame, and he has managed to channel that attention into a successful solo career. Now the 24-year-old singer has shared some memories from his journey so far in his book Zayn, a collection of thoughts and photographs that shed light on his music and life.

The former 1D vocalist writes about his time with the band, and cites musical differences, lack of control, and exhaustion as his reasons for leaving the group. Zayn says that he wasn’t into 1D’s brand of pop music, and towards the end of his time with the outfit, he felt “more and more desperate to express [his] own style and write lyrics about stuff that [he] really believed in, rather than the melodies and beats that were being made for [the group]”. He sought creative freedom by parting ways with the boys in order to establish himself as a “credible artist in his own right”. The singer discusses the making of his debut solo album, Mind of Mine, the process of recording the music with xyz, MYKL, and Malay, and the inspirations behind the songs.

On a more personal front, there are also snippets about his family, his thoughts on “morphing from a teenager to a young man in the public eye”, dealing with fame, and living the life of a recording artist in LA. Zayn also talks about being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as a kid, having an eating disorder while he was in 1D, and struggling with anxiety attacks, an issue that led to him pulling out of a performance at Wembley Stadium.

The British artist seems proud of his multi-ethnic background. It is particularly nice to see him acknowledge the influence of Pakistani musician Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s music – which his British Pakistani father used to play in his home – on his track ‘Intermission: Flower’ which is sung in Urdu. The singer also says that he hopes he can one day perform with the late legend’s nephew.

Zayn shares some of his thoughts and feelings in this book, but on the whole, the slim volume leaves you with the sense that the singer is holding back. There aren’t any significant revelations here, and even though this is a short read, it still feels like the writer is using a lot of words to say very little. The book doesn’t really give us an uninhibited look at its subject’s life, nor does it answer the many questions that people may have about its writer. The singer doesn’t talk about the individual 1D members or his feelings towards them. There is also no mention of why things soured between him and Naughty Boy, no details of his breakup with fiancé Perrie Edwards, and absolutely no mention of his current girlfriend, Gigi Hadid.

Of course there are some interesting things in this memoir. It is very compelling, for instance, when he talks about his anxiety issues, plus his experience of going “out in the forest, in the middle of nowhere for two weeks” and working on music there is quite fascinating. But on the whole, the writer doesn’t seem very candid here and omits topics that would interest many readers. His discussions generally remain surface level and don’t quite give you the chance to get to know the real Zayn.

The focus of these pages is primarily on his record, which is why the volume often starts to make you feel like you are reading overlong album liner notes. It makes more sense to look at this project as a companion to Mind of Mine instead of as a standalone autobiography or memoir.

The content is repetitive, and at times comes off as pretentious, especially when Zayn repeatedly mentions that he wants to be “authentic” or when he says how important the idea of his legacy is to him and how seriously he takes his craft. The text is accompanied by lots of (seemingly random) photos of the singer that his ardent fans will admire but that will mean little to everyone else, a critique that also applies to the book as a whole – this project basically targets his fans and will perhaps only be of significant interest to them. Zayn reads like it’s written for teenagers (but it also looks like it’s written by a teenager who thinks swearing is cool and insists on describing everything as “sick”).

On the whole, this short volume paints the portrait of a young artist who is trying to reclaim the control he feels he lost during his five years with One Direction but isn’t willing to openly talk about all his experiences. His admirers will appreciate the chance to read about his feelings, and those who are interested in finding out how his debut album took shape are also likely to enjoy the memoir, but there isn’t enough substance in the book to interest anyone else.

- Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 30th April, 2017 *

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo - trying to be funny

book review

Confessions that appear to have been undertaken for form’s sake

Book: The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo

Author: Amy Schumer

Amy Schumer is one of the most talked-about comedians of recent years. The 35-year-old shot to massive fame with the release of her film Trainwreck — the publicity blitz surrounding this big-screen venture made it impossible for anyone to avoid the actor. She also released an HBO stand-up special, performed as an opening act for Madonna, and landed a book deal for a reported eight million dollars.

However, the actor hasn’t been able to maintain the momentum since her meteoric rise. Schumer has been over-promoted to the point of audience fatigue, hounded by plagiarism accusations, criticised for some of her more controversial statements, and has put her television show on an extended hiatus amidst falling ratings.

After her jump from newfound fame to overexposure, she published The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, a collection of candid essays about everything from her family to her relationships.

Schumer begins by saying the book — the title of which is a play on Stieg Larsson’s bestseller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo — is not an autobiography, acknowledging that she has “a long way to go until [she] is memoir-worthy.” Instead, she describes it as a set of stories from her life as a “daughter, sister, friend, comedian, actor, girlfriend, one-night stand, employee, employer, lover, fighter, hater, pasta eater, and wine drinker.”

As expected, there are anecdotes about dating athletes and a musician (whose identities are not revealed), and listicles about things that make her happy and things that make her “insanely furious,” but she doesn’t shy away from delving into heavier topics either.

Born into a well-to-do family, several twists of fate changed the course of Schumer’s life. Her parents lost their wealth when she was a child, her father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and her mother subsequently had an affair with Schumer’s best friend’s father, which led to her parents’ divorce. She also shares the harrowing experiences of being in a physically and psychologically abusive relationship and being sexually assaulted by a boyfriend. Also discussed is the tragic shooting in a theatre at a showing of Trainwreck which claimed the lives of two young women, an incident that has since led her to advocate for gun safety.

In several chapters Schumer talks about difficult personal and social issues, broaching topics that many wouldn’t be comfortable discussing openly. Readers are likely to be impressed by her boldness and strength, and find her body-positive attitude inspirational. Also, it is obvious that she cares deeply about her sister and brother and her love for them is endearing. Perhaps that is why her words are at their most powerful when she writes about her family.

It is hard to deny, however, that the book constantly gives an impression of being formulaic. Over the last few years, many American comedians — including Tina Fey, Chelsea Handler, Sarah Silverman, Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling and Lena Dunham — have published collections of confessional essays. Everyone has been jumping on the female memoir — or “femoir”, as it has been dubbed — bandwagon, and this is what Schumer is doing too.

In a note to readers at the very start of the book, Schumer says she has no wisdom or advice to offer, but then she spends much of the book trying to do just that. Even though the empowerment angle and “love yourself” message have become fairly routine at this point, the comedian continues to emulate this inspirational tone in trying to spin every flaw and failure into a positive while asserting self-worth, straining to find wisdom at every turn, and often falling short.

The humour, as you would expect if you’re familiar with Schumer’s work, is generally crude, but her inability to finish a thought without making it about sex gets tiring quickly. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo’s worst offence, however, is that the book simply isn’t that funny. Of course, humour is subjective and some might find more amusement here than others, but the book just doesn’t deliver the level of mirth you’d expect from a collection written by a comedian. It certainly isn’t devoid of wit — there are several amusing observations buried in the text — but the jokes don’t always work.

Perhaps something is lost in the transition from stage to page; what might have been funny as part of her act just falls flat here. Obviously, if someone is good at stand-up comedy, that doesn’t automatically mean they are also a good writer. Performance and prose are two very different mediums; a style that works for one doesn’t necessarily work for the other. In the case of The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, the author’s casual tone seems too conversational and rambling. Instead of coherent and clear essays, the pieces come off as a jumbled mess of thoughts, more akin to overlong, meandering blog posts than book chapters. Schumer jumps from topic to topic in no particular order which gives the book a disorganised feel, and random subjects, such as her stuffed toys and her preferred funeral arrangements, won’t fascinate anyone except her most ardent admirers.

- Sameen Amer

Books & Authors, Dawn - 30th April, 2017 *

The Princess Diarist - the lingering shadow of Princess Leia

book review 

Book: The Princess Diarist
Author: Carrie Fisher

She was born into Hollywood royalty, then soared to massive fame nearly two decades later after portraying an intergalactic princess in an epic space opera, only to remain inextricably linked to that iconic role for the rest of her life. For better or worse, Carrie Fisher could never escape the shadow of Princess Leia Organa, the bold and snarky heroine of the original Star Wars trilogy. Even at the time of her sudden death in December last year, the actress was in the middle of promoting a memoir primarily about the first Star Wars film, a book that, like most of her writing, sees her using her acerbic wit to discuss issues with darker undertones, and feels even more poignant in the wake of her untimely demise.

Published just a month before she passed away, The Princess Diarist finds the author reminiscing about events that happened four decades ago while she was working on the film that would propel her to international stardom as well as the impact this success ended up having on her life.

Fisher looks back at how she got her start in show business, despite not wanting to adopt this “fickle occupation” after watching her parents’ – screen legend Debbie Reynolds and crooner Eddie Fisher (who famously caused a scandal by leaving Reynolds to marry her close friend, Elizabeth Taylor) – fame diminish over the course of their lifetimes. She talks about getting cast in Star Wars, dropping out of drama college in order to star in this “little low-budget” space fantasy, and working on the movie in London in 1976 at the tender age of 19.

She discusses several experiences and topics directly and indirectly related to the franchise that would become one of the most successful film series in history, like her famous “cinnamon buns” hairstyle and what it meant to forever be Princess Leia, as well as later developments, like attending sci-fi conventions and signing autographs for money.

But the main focus of the book – and what seems like its raison d'être – is the revelation that the then-teenage actress had an affair with her “fourteen-years-older married co-star” Harrison Ford during the making of the first Star Wars film.

After attending a party celebrating director George Lucas’s thirty second birthday, Ford rescued an inebriated Fisher from the clutches of a group of boisterous crew members with dubious intentions, telling them that “the lady doesn’t seem to be very aware of what she wants” ... and then proceeded to make out with her in the back of a car. It’s an account more disturbing that romantic (even though Fisher seemingly attempts to downplay the many troubling elements of the story with her jovial style), and it marked the beginning of a three month tryst between the two actors, one of whom was significantly more invested in the relationship than the other – she was emotionally involved; he was distant, quiet, stoic, unavailable.

Fisher also shares passages from the diaries she kept while filming the movie which she recently rediscovered while expanding her bedroom at her house, and which seem to have prompted the writing of this book. The entries, which are mostly about Ford, reveal a vulnerable, insecure young woman struggling with her “sense of isolation and worthlessness”. Her words are heartfelt, but almost uncomfortable to read, perhaps too personal to be shared with the world. “If anyone reads this when I have passed to the big bad beyond,” young Fisher writes at one point in her journal (one of several times she mentions death and dying in the book), “I shall be posthumorously embarrassed. I shall spend my entire afterlife blushing.” And you can almost imagine her 19-year-old self chiding her older version for making these private thoughts public.

Then again, Fisher was always known for her candidness, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that she doesn’t shy away from revealing the vulnerability she felt in her late teens. But while The Princess Diarist is intimate, the author still doesn’t share any explicit details from her affair. She also doesn’t really share any significant stories from the actual making of Star Wars, so if you’re looking for interesting anecdotes from the set or experiences from working with Lucas and co. then this isn’t the book for you.

The Princess Diarist primarily focuses on Fisher’s thoughts and feelings, a considerable chunk of which are about “Carrison”. Her voice is consistently charming, despite the occasional oddly phrased sentence and her general tendency to ramble. The book is, however, too short and light on content, and could have been significantly more interesting to a wider audience if it had included some of her experiences from the set of the “cool little off-the-radar movie directed by a bearded guy from Modesto”.

All in all, Fisher’s third and, as it turned out, final memoir gives us a glimpse at the actress’s views on the sci-fi adventure that took the world by storm in the late 1970s and has remained massively popular ever since. Its main revelation is her only fling with a married man, an affair that happened even though she had seen the impact of infidelity in her childhood and never wanted to do to “some lovely, unsuspecting lady” what her father had done to her mother. The book benefits from Fisher’s sharp wit, and while it may not offer many details about the making of the film (as Star Wars fans would have hoped), the writer’s humorous, self-deprecating, frank style is still likely to charm its readers, even when what she’s writing about is ultimately quite heartbreaking.

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 16th April, 2017 *

Scrappy Little Nobody - Anna Kendrick's constant search for a punchline

book review 

Book: Scrappy Little Nobody
Author: Anna Kendrick

The recent popularity of the female memoir – or “femoir”, as it is colloquially being referred to – has resulted in a number of additions to the celebrity memoirs bookshelf. In the last few years, several female entertainers – including Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Chelsea Handler, Sarah Silverman, Lena Dunham, Mindy Kaling, and Amy Schumer – have penned witty autobiographical books reminiscing about their lives and careers. And even though the limitations of the genre have become increasingly apparent with each new release, it still remains popular with readers (and a source of millions of dollars for both its authors and publishers).

Following in the footsteps of the aforementioned comediennes, actress Anna Kendrick too has published a collection of humorous essays in the shape of her memoir Scrappy Little Nobody, a sarcasm-drenched look at her journey to stardom.

The book chronicles Kendrick’s life from her early years in Maine to her burgeoning success in Hollywood. The 31-year-old actress talks about her “hyperactive little weirdo” beginnings; underage substance use, “light shoplifting”, and “bare-minimum teenage rebellion”; subsequent “experiments in adulthood”; and how she continues to be “a bit of a man-child”. Topics that repeatedly come up include her size and petiteness, being prone to anxiety, and her awkwardness which makes her “terrible in every social situation”.

On the acting front, Kendrick discusses her start in the entertainment industry at a young age, and shares memories of her early auditions, the efforts of her family to make her showbiz career possible, and her (negative) feelings towards child stars (even though she was one herself). She goes on to write about working in theatre productions, making independent films, and finally making it big with roles in movies like the popular Twilight saga (2008 – 2011), her Academy Award-nominated performance in Up in the Air (2009), and the commercially successful Pitch Perfect series (2012 – present).

Driven by her sarcastic, self-deprecating style, Scrappy Little Nobody finds the author sharing stories from the various stages of her life in a candid manner. But the tone makes you feel like she is trying a little too hard to seem charming and relatable. While there are times that the actress’s humour really does shine through, there are also plenty of moments where the jibes just feel forced or simply fall flat. The writer’s constant search for a punch line also makes it hard for the reader to get an intimate look at the author who seems to be hiding behind a wall of sneer. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that Kendrick doesn’t let her words paint her portrait – she insists on constantly telling us about herself and her personality instead of letting us get to know her through her anecdotes and stories.

Also, there is not much substance in the book, and most of her discussions remain surface level. The fairly young entertainer seems to have lived a relatively regular, conflict-free life, so there don’t appear to be any particularly remarkable or unusual stories she can share with us.

To her credit, Kendrick never claims that her book has any depth, and states early on that she has “no advice” for readers. “I do have a truckload of opinions,” she adds, “which I will happily prattle on about to anyone who gives me an opening”, which is precisely what she does. The writer describes the contents of the book as being “for entertainment purposes only”, and if you’re a fan of her work and particularly her tweets, then it is likely that you will enjoy her sassy style and find the book entertaining. But it is hard to deny the fact that she could have made her essays a lot more interesting and compelling.

The Tony and Oscar nominated performer could have delved deeper into the topics she braces, or at least shared more stories from her acting gigs and interactions with other Hollywood stars. But even when she talks about working on her most well known projects, she generally doesn’t go into much detail; there are, however, times when she does choose to discuss something uninteresting at length and just comes off as dull. Kendrick mentions some of her co-stars – like George Clooney, Kristen Stewart, and Zac Efron – but you can’t discern much about them from her brief remarks. She discusses her love life in more detail than necessary though, and both her content and language often seem crude and unnecessarily profane.

Ultimately, Scrappy Little Nobody is a light, mildly enjoyable read, but it simply isn’t as delightful as you’d hope based on how charming Anna Kendrick seems on screen. Her uninhibited, rambling style does make you feel like you’re hanging out with an overly chatty friend, albeit a friend who doesn’t have anything particularly substantial to say. The book reads like a formulaic femoir, but fans will still enjoy the stories she shares from her personal life as well as from award shows and film sets. Everyone else, however, will probably be better off giving this one a pass. The actress needs to get more life experience and develop more maturity as a writer. Towards the end of the volume, she says she’ll “write another book when [she’s] seventy”. Maybe that one will actually be worth reading.

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 9th April, 2017 *

The Boss Baby - predictable and forgettable

movie review

The Boss Baby 

Starring: Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, Miles Bakshi, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, Tobey Maguire
Directed by: Tom McGrath
Tagline: Born leader.

The addition of a tiny new member to a family is bound to change the dynamics of a household. A newborn demands a lot of adjustment from everyone, and this change can often be particularly hard on the firstborn who goes from being an only child to an elder sibling who is no longer the centre of his parents’ world.

That’s the predicament that befalls Tim Templeton (voiced by Miles Christopher Bakshi), a 7-year-old with an overactive imagination, whose life changes with the arrival of his baby brother.

The titular Boss Baby (Alec Baldwin) shows up at the Templeton house and immediately takes up all of his parents’ (Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow) love, time, and attention, leaving Tim feeling ignored. The newcomer instantly has his parents “wrapped around his chubby little finger”, much to the chagrin of his older brother. The peculiar baby wears a suit, carries a briefcase, and, as Tim soon realizes, can talk like an adult.

It turns out that the bossy toddler is actually a middle management employee at Baby Corp, and has been sent to the world on a mission to stop rival Puppy Co. from launching their newest puppy, as the adorable little canines have been stealing the babies’ share of love.

With each preposterous plot development, The Boss Baby moves away from its sibling rivalry premise and instead focuses more on its babies-versus-puppies mission storyline. And that’s precisely how the movie ends up losing its way. The film wanders from its relatable basic premise and ventures into a bizarre universe that it jumps through hoops to make sense of. The result is more tiresome and predictable than amusing or exciting.

The Boss Baby draws its core inspiration from author and illustrator Marla Frazee’s 2010 picture book of the same name, but then struggles to sustain its charm. Director Tom McGrath (who has previously co-helmed the Madagascar series) has created an animated adventure that tries to please its younger audience with silly slapstick while it makes the effort to amuse grownups with corporate management humour and pop culture references. But its convoluted story is just too weak to capture the interest of anyone but small children.

The voice cast, though competent, doesn’t bring anything memorable to this mediocre animated comedy. Baldwin is the only one who really stands out; both his style and character remind you of his 30 Rock, Jack Donaghy days. Bakshi is charming as the Boss Baby’s older brother. But Kimmel and Kudrow give unexceptional performances here (although that might be because the material they have to work with is unexceptional to begin with). Also on hand is Tobey Maguire, who provides the voice for adult Tim and is amicable but bland as the narrator of the tale. Even the generally remarkable Steve Buscemi is forgettable here as the Puppy Co. CEO antagonist.

Ultimately, this DreamWorks feature doesn’t have the magic of Disney or the emotional resonance of Pixar, but it will keep younger viewers occupied with its colourful animation and silly fun for 90 odd minutes while giving their parents the occasional chuckle on its way to its predictable conclusion.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blogs - 4th April, 2017 *

Life - a waste of space

movie review

Life

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, Olga Dihovichnaya
Directed by: Daniel Espinosa
Tagline: We were better off alone.

The possibility of life on Mars has been a source of endless fascination for us Earthlings. The existence of extraterrestrial beings along with its worst case implications form the basis of the thriller Life, a sci-fi horror vehicle that pairs a talented cast with a routine plot to yield mediocre results.

The action takes place on board the International Space Station, where a six member crew – portrayed by actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, and Olga Dihovichnaya – capture a capsule returning from Mars. Upon studying the Red Planet’s soil samples, the astronauts find a dormant organism that they manage to revive. But their excitement at the discovery of the “first incontrovertible proof of life beyond Earth” soon dampens as the initially single-celled being quickly grows and evolves into a vicious predator, escapes its containment, and starts feasting on the crew.

Stranded in space and hunted by the mutated monster, the astronauts struggle for survival as the creature chases them all over the orbital station.

It’s a claustrophobic setting tossed into the infinite vastness of space, and the result is both tense and stale. At its core, Life is basically a generic monster flick that doesn’t try to be inventive with its plot and sticks to a well-worn path. Like an amalgam of Alien and Gravity, Life keeps revisiting familiar territories, but Daniel Espinosa’s space adventure does offer some suspense and manages to avoid several clichés along the way.

The characters aren’t particularly well-developed or interesting, but the multinational cast that plays them is impressive, and to be fair, the order in which the individuals get picked off isn’t as predictable as it often is in such movies. But the entire project suffers from an overall lack of originality, and its inability to bring anything new to the genre makes the film feel redundant.

Ultimately, there is nothing special about the story or script of Life. The movie is well cast and visually impressive, but too derivative. You will probably enjoy the film if you don’t expect too much from this sci-fi horror flick and are content with a routine thriller.

Rating: 3 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blogs - 5th April, 2017 *

Miss Sloane - talented cast, unconvincing drama

movie review

Miss Sloane

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alison Pill, Jake Lacy, John Lithgow, and Sam Waterston
Directed by: John Madden
Tagline: Make sure you surprise them.

With commanding performances in movies like Take Shelter (2011), The Help (2011), The Tree of Life (2011), Zero Dark Thirty (2012), and A Most Violent Year (2014), actress Jessica Chastain has established herself as one of the most impressive leading ladies in Hollywood. Her acting talents are the main asset of the film Miss Sloane, a political thriller that benefits from Chastain’s ability to captivate the audience but, despite her best efforts, still isn’t quite as compelling as one would have hoped.

The movie explores the events surrounding the senate hearing of Elizabeth Sloane (Chastain), a high-power, workaholic lobbyist who she isn’t afraid of playing dirty to achieve her goals.

Driven, ambitious, ruthless, and very successful, Sloane’s entire life revolves around her work. But when she finds herself being forced to lobby for the firearm industry, she quits her job and joins a rival firm which is working in favour of a universal background checks bill. She squares off against her now-former employer, with both parties working on the opposite side of the issue and trying to one up each other in order to sway the vote in their direction.

It’s an interesting premise built around a polarizing topic, but how events unfold and the extent to which each party transgresses doesn’t quite ring true. The way Sloane treats people and the rate at which she burns bridges, for instance, makes it hard to believe her level of success.

Director John Madden has crafted a sleek and stylish drama but hasn’t imbued it with the depth that could have made the film more intriguing. The problem primarily lies with the script. It seems as if writer Jonathan Perera is constantly trying to emulate Aaron Sorkin – an impression made all the more apparent by the casting of The Newsroom’s Alison Pill and Sam Waterston in prominent roles – and consistently falling short.

Better writing could have made Elizabeth Sloane’s character more convincing. Instead, Chastain often has to rely on her considerable charm to make the protagonist more compelling, and even though she does rise to the challenge, her performance feels a little monochromatic because the filmmakers simply don’t give her the chance to exhibit her range and employ the subtlety that she excels at.

Chastain is supported by a very accomplished group of actors – which includes Mark Strong, Michael Stuhlbarg, John Lithgow, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw who in particular stands out in the role of Sloane’s colleague and a school shooting survivor – but even the efforts of a terrific cast can’t hide the shortcomings of the film. Ultimately Miss Sloane is just an uneven political drama that takes itself too seriously and doesn’t make the most of its fascinating setting and interesting plot.

Rating: 3 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blogs - 1st April, 2017 *