BY MATTHEW ROBB

For instance, let’s say you want to be a rapper but you are born and raised in Portrush. It’s hardly the poverty stricken ghettos of Los Angeles. Yet ‘Pure Fresh’ followed that dream, rapping to a crowd of YouTube users who love Buckfast, hate the sight of rollercoasters all year round, and need someone to champion that cause. On YouTube they have almost 200,000 views total, playing venues such as QUB’s own Mandela Hall.

What if you dream of writing a great novel? Stuart Neville from Northern Ireland posted a short story to his blog, where James Ellroy’s agent happened to stumble upon it. Within a few weeks Neville had been offered a two-book contract by a US publisher. He has now published his first novel ‘The Twelve’ to great critical acclaim worldwide.

Yet success need not by measured by the amount of contracts you are offered. The webseries ‘I Am Fighter’ about a character named Barry ‘the Blender’ Henderson has been sweeping across Facebook and YouTube, gathering over half a million views. Featuring the sort of comedy that would make even Ricky Gervais cringe, you have to see it, just so you don’t look bewildered when it inevitably comes up in a conversation with the local internet junkie.

When you get your big idea, there is no point in this web-laden age of even talking to the big studios and producers. You don’t even need to leave the house. Order all the equipment off eBay, print off the script, and make your masterpiece from the comforting glow of your computer screen. Even if it is complete rubbish it will find an audience on the internet, somehow and somewhere. Fame will be yours, even if your fans are a handful of people scattered throughout the world.

The mystery guest to DJ in Mandela Hall this Thursday night is Cool FM star Sonya Mac, it has been revealed.

For days the Union has been encouraging students to guess who will be taking over the reigns from Declan Gallen on Thursday’s ‘Twisted’ club night.

Sonya Mac is scheduled to play ‘Twisted’ Thurdays for a period of four weeks.

Who would you prefer to listen to: Sonya Mac or DJ Deci?

BY SARAH WRIGHT

It is not unusual for this 1st year student to get up early, spend ninety minutes trying to find a space (when there are loads free in the staff car park), miss a lecture and then have to pay a £30 ticket from “over-zealous” traffic wardens, or give up and drive home. Is this what my £3,000+ a year is getting me from Queen’s?

The University of Ulster generously provides its students with access to a secure car park to encourage car sharing, and offers options to pay hourly with a 24 hour ticket for £3, or for 6 or 9 month permits which are £40 and £75 respectively, with various payment methods available. As an added bonus, if you are parking for less than 30 minutes, it’s free. Perfect for those times when you simply need to leave a library book back, pick up a module guide or hand in an assignment. Obviously, the University of Ulster recognises and, above all, respects its students need and desire to travel by car. Queen’s, however, does not. The only parking available to students is when the barrier at the library is lifted after 5pm and these spaces are limited.

The introduction of paid parking will undoubtedly exploit students who are already in vulnerable financial situations rather than working with student bodies to address the issue and seek an appropriate solution. Promoting and rewarding students for car sharing would be one viable option. If you are fed up with tutorial latecomers complaining about parking, have suffered problems with parking yourself and have an opinion on the introduction of paid parking around QUB, then please join the Facebook group – Students against paid parking.

To enable our voice to be heard by Queen’s University, I have started a petition and I urge all students to sign!

http://petition.co.uk/paid_parking_qub

RAG and GAA go head to head tonight in a battle for student cash, causing another split in SU Exec opinion.

BY BRENDAN HUGHES

As part of RAG Week, students are encouraged to take part in their pub crawl tonight in aide of RAG-supported charities. The pub crawl is expected to reach its final destination in the Students’ Union. Meanwhile, Queen’s GAA have been heavily publicising their “Pre-St. Paddy’s Maddness” fundraising party, which will be held in SU’s rival venue, the Bot.

With falling revenue from SU bars in recent months, the event clash has caused some tension over where student Executive allegiances  should lie.

VP Lilly’s Facebook status yesterday urged students to take advantage of having no classes on RAG day (Wednesday) by spending the night in the Bot. This update has since been removed in favour of the GAA’s generic message:

“Tomorrow Night – QUEEN’S GAA PRE-PADDY’S MADNESS – the perfect way to warm-up to the real thing!!”

VP Barry Duffy was spotted yesterday afternoon away from SU and behind the GAA stall in the PFC promoting the event.

It is expected that the other Sabbatical officers will be attending the RAG event.

Last week the Students’ Union slashed the working hours of part-time bars staff as the result of a significant downturn in profits. At a previous EMC meeting last semester, VPs were encouraged to refrain from socialising in rival student clubs and pubs.

Duffy maintains that the GAA’s event was planned “ages ago”, but refused to be drawn on which event students should support. Paul Lilly refused to comment.

Illustration by Niall Mooney (click to view)

I love New York City. I love walking in a group of hundreds of people, like we’re one great pack of sheep. I love the lights, the ambulances, yes, even the ‘New York Minute’ mentality. So why did I come here to Belfast? I wanted a change of scene. I’m someone who definitely likes being in their comfort zone, but I also think it’s really important to get out sometimes and live a little.

BY CLARISSA LONG

The first thing I noticed upon arriving here at Queen’s about a month ago was the size. In New York, I go to Sarah Lawrence College, which is a small liberal arts college that only has about 1,200 undergraduate students. I believe that here at Queen’s there is something like 22,000 students? While for many of the other American students here that doesn’t seem so big, it’s a whole new world for me.
When I walked into the Students’ Union one of the first days of this semester, heard the DJ playing and saw students wandering around and looking at tables with goodies from all over the world presented by the International Student Society, I thought I might have mistaken the Students’ Union for a shopping mall. At Sarah Lawrence, we’re so small that we don’t even have a student centre. Our equivalent would probably be ‘The Pub’. Unfortunately, since the US hasn’t caught on to the fact that having a drinking age of 21 actually INCREASES dumb drunk behavior (such as car accidents), it is really just a café/sandwich place. Everyone congregates there and it’s in the centre of our tiny campus, which you can cross in about 10 minutes.
I was told before I came here that a lot of Irish students don’t like to appear like they are studying when they actually are and that they don’t like participating in class. Hearing this, not only was I not sure whether or not that was true (can’t believe everything you hear!), it was also really hard for me to imagine. In the US we are taught from a very early age to participate freely in discussion in general (we tend to be pretty vocal people). At my school anyway, we actually like talking in class. I’m not so sure if it’s true or just that the set up is different here. For example, I hear that Irish students, before university, aren’t as encouraged to participate in class like we are in the states. Therefore, it would make sense to me that their speaking in tutorial or lecture wouldn’t be as comfortable. I do have to say, though, I still am not used to so much quiet. Sure, we don’t always participate right away, but after a certain point, the impatience takes over.
Besides academics, I have found that the people of Belfast are generally very friendly, yet stick closely to their friends. While this might make it more difficult for international students to break into social circles, I think it also really helps them because it is as if the community is telling them they need to reach out in order to become part of this city.
For the rest of the semester, I intend to do just that and to relax, sit back and enjoy some Belfast hours, instead of New York minutes. I’m finding it’s not as easy as it looks, to take on a different place and a different way of life. There are some universal similarities and differences, but it’s beyond that. What one really finds when they are living abroad is that you are the one who is the same or different. Belfast may be different from New York, but they’re both cities. I’m the one who will change the most, not the place.

His optimism, however, is questionable considering Northern Ireland’s recent run of bad form.

BY JULIE MCCULLAGH

They have failed to score in their last three matches, their latest result being a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Group C opponents Serbia in November 2009. At club level, Northern Ireland players have been in fine form this season. Jonny Evans has become a regular fixture in the Manchester United back four. While Niall McGinn is on the verge at Celtic, Aaron Hughes and Chris Baird are Fulham regulars. Steven Davis is having the best season of his career with Rangers, and was recently named player of the SPL Player of the Month for January. David Healy’s recent loan move to Ipswich means that he too could soon be back playing first team football. Hopefully Healy can regain the form he displayed in his record-breaking 2008 European Qualifying campaign in time for September

The Republic of Ireland were given a kinder draw than that of Worthington’s men. Their group consists of Russia, Slovakia, FYR Macedonia, Armenia and Andorra; Slovakia being the only team that have qualified for this year’s World Cup. Trapattoni’s men will be looking for a more successful campaign than the World Cup qualifiers following the cruel way in which they were knocked out in the play-offs by France. Slovakia showed their strength in that campaign by finishing ahead of group favourites Poland and the Czech Republic, and will no doubt again prove to be difficult to overcome. Top seeded Russia’s Coach Guus Hiddink, who led them to the semi-finals of the Euros in 2008, announced that he will step down when his contract expires in June. This will give the other teams in Group B a psychological lift going into the qualifiers in September. Captain Robbie Keane’s recent loan to Celtic should see him secure first-team football once again following an indifferent start to the season with Tottenham. If the Republic replicates the form they showed during the World Cup qualifiers they surely stand a great chance of progressing from the group stages.

The football associations in each group have until 9^th March to decide the order of the fixtures.

One user says: “Cocaine might be dangerous in the way that your average ‘Daily Mail’ reader thinks, but it’s really not that bad.”

What do you think?

Have you ever been offered cocaine, or any other drug, on the student social scene in Belfast?

Some fine examples of this constructive behaviour can be seen at:-
(*streets in Holylands)

I would like to suggest that BCC save some money by having permanent litter wardens and environmental health enforcement officers and on-street alcohol abuse enforcement teams in the area until 17.30pm Monday to Thursdays (then the official Wardens can hopefully take up the reins). Any fixed penalties should help to fund the additional cleansing required to clean the area even more than it already is.

Approx 02.00 – (*descriptions of anti-social behaviour)

From approx 02.00 – (*anti-social behaviour, particularly shouting)

This mornings all night parties (all went on until well after 05.00am), were at:-

(*addresses in Holylands)
Shouting from the first floor windows at most passers-by, especially females, drinking, shouting and urinating outside the house. PSNI gave advice at least once.
Shouting inside and outside the property, blaring music and open windows on first floor. Reported to Noise Control.

It would be interesting to see the universities begin to educate some of these young adults.

I appreciate any action that can be taken to cease this behaviour before the autumn…

Thank you,

Dfarrell

*We have edited this letter so that specific details such as addresses and physical descriptions have been withheld.

Little Moscow (Mala Moskwa) is the opening film of the QFT’s current Polish film festival – Kinoteka On Tour 4. Directed by Waldemar Krzystek, it’s the story of marital infidelity and troubled occupation in Legnica, the Soviet headquarters in Poland between 1945 and 1990, known as ‘Little Moscow’. Wiera (Svetlana Khodchenkova), the beautiful wife of Russian commander Jura (Dmitri Ulyanov), isn’t in Legnica long before she is wooed by Polish officer Michal (Leslaw Zurek). The affair has unfortunate consequences, flying in the face of the awkward Russian-Polish relations, which emphasize acceptance but not fraternization.

BY MATTHEW MCKERNAN

www.queensfilmtheatre.org.uk

The film has a lot of potential. Alongside Andrzej Wajda’s ‘Katyn’, ‘Little Moscow’ was one of Poland’s biggest productions in recent years. Visually, it looks great with period costumes, settings and technology. The script exhibits some clever writing and the score is fantastic, albeit better suited for a thriller. The performances are all very good. Even the opening credits promise something exciting and entertaining, looking like a throwback to the big and loud credits of 1970s thrillers. The problem is that none of these elements come together.

The pace is kept to a minimum and things go on for too long. A speedy 90-minuter might have been a great film, but Krzystek seems to think slow and long-winded is the best way to tug at our heartstrings. Having taken a leaf out of The Reader’s book, he has delivered something emotionally confusing, rather than powerful. We are certain that we should be worried about the mess that the characters get themselves into, but we don’t. There is also a very typical modern-day storyline in which the ‘survivors’ exchange troubled looks and talk about ‘what happened that day.’ This common feature of period dramas has always confused me. We can’t emphasise as we haven’t been told what happened that day yet. It feels like an attempt at extra resonance but really it’s a means to lengthen the film, and advertise how powerful the ending will be. And, in the case of ‘Little Moscow’, it isn’t.

The film also brings back some memories that makes the film appear comical. The older Jura looks like a scrubbed up Groucho Marx, and the film as a whole brings to mind barmy and fun ‘Glorious 39′, a recent period drama that was rich and entertaining in the vein of Hitchcock’s spy thrillers. ‘Glorious 39′ was hampered by a similarly unnecessary modern-day storyline and the ridiculous endings, both of which ‘Little Moscow’ recalls.

Sadly, the film hints at the end of art house European cinema. It looks, sounds and plays like a Hollywood drama, when what you came to see was something more challenging and thought-provoking.

The Polish film festival at the QFT continues until Thursday 11 March and promises several interesting films, including the fantastic Rosemary’s Baby on Monday 8 March.

BY MATTHEW MCKERNAN

The funny beginning promises something entertaining and fresh, however this bleak tale of a town’s vicious containment by gas-masked soldiers after the spread of a virus that makes people go murderously crazy leaves no cliché behind. The film offers no surprises and the violence isn’t entertaining or effective as its all left unseen in the vein of your typical 15-rated horror film. It isn’t a terrible film. In fact it’s the best Romero remake. The problem is that there is absolutely nothing that you haven’t seen before.

Jun Ichikawa’s stunning film launched the QFT Girls on Film festival last night.  The festival is a touring programme by the Japan Foundation that promotes contemporary Japanese cinema and sometimes by women in the foreground.  The unique collection is only showing in five cinemas during February and March, so it’s a real cinematic treat that the QFT are offering.  With more than a modest Filmography in both directing and writing, Jun Ichikawa seems the perfect choice to open with, and the film is one of the most interesting studies of society I’ve seen in a long time.

BY LAURA SHEARER

www.queensfilmtheatre.com

It’s a skilfully crafted film that completely immerses you in the narrative, although not a on the edge of my seat gripping plot, the intense mode of realism and the relatable here makes Ichikawa’s work a very enjoyable watch.  Taking the little looked at topic of school, we follow the story of two girls as they find their places, both in social positioning and within family expectations.  This is a captivating tale that is presented clearly and effectively, making it very easy for anyone watching to recall those awkward teenage feelings about finding your true self and your place in society.

The feelings of the protagonist, Juri, are masterfully portrayed with the aid of a voice-over narration, but on a deeper level, the characters almost melancholy state is shown through the impressive cinematography.  Slow motion shots of leaves and branches swaying in the in the wind offers a refreshing alternative to the dear diary answer of the mainstream cinema, whilst sweeping tracking shots of the suburban surroundings position the narrative in the ordinary and entrapping everyday environment that Juri begins to struggle with.  A wonderfully inventive use of split screens during dialogue shows the distance between the characters.  An intuitive use of smaller screens within the big screen we view from show events happening from several points of view at the same time, whilst placed within a changing full screen backdrop of suburban scenery, or in some cases a simple black screen to emphasise the characters emotions.

Ichikawa’s use of the jump cut (a single rapid edit from one image to the other) is almost revolutionary.  Usually used to speed up the pace of a sequence, constant jump cuts to close-ups of the characters and mid-shots of leisurely actions provide a completely new use for the editing style.  There’s something melodic about how Ichikawa uses editing to her advantage, giving an overall sense of calm when viewing the final product, which is so well put together its style is definitely effortless.  Perfect delivery is key to the workings of Ichikawa’s film, so it’s only fair to say that this remarkable tale plays out like a haiku poem: Pleasant and satisfying.

(Click to view all the events)

GAA-law election canvassers sent text messages to students asking for Queen’s Online password details in order to fraudulently register SU election votes, The Gown has learned.

BY BEN FINCH

Single ‘Cross My Heart and Hope to Fly’ stagnates half way through, but is followed straight away by the second release ‘You Overdid It Doll’ which is the epic song that they are clearly looking for.  ‘Falcon’ could have been a rollicking trip through the city of Manchester but ends up a pleasant and boring night in The Rover’s Return.

BY HANNAH GOODALL

The album in its entirety jolts the system into a newly founded enthusiasm for music, as no two tracks sound the same. Key moments of music indulgence and eloquence exist in ‘Girls’, ‘Oh No’ and title track ‘Family Jewels’, which is the most perfect way to close an album.

This album is a must buy and the epitome to an impressive back catalogue of single releases. One thing is for sure, with such a roaring start to her musical career, Marina and her Diamonds are destined to go far.

BY LAURA SHEARER

The first half of the film pays attention to its source, but the screenplay is bland and the intimate sophistication of Sebold’s narrative is lost. On a more positive note, this film exhibits what Jackson is as a director, a visionary and a genius, exuding his talent to take that which seems almost impossible to imagine onto film. It’s a must see for Sebold fans and anyone who’s the least bit curious. The ideas that remain fixed in your mind after viewing are the possibilities that both the novel and film explore.

Cormac Neeson grins as he recalls playing in Madison Square Gardens, the legendary stage that has been graced by Led Zeppelin in the past. The Answer’s frontman has reason to smile as for the past couple of years they have been living out every rocker’s dream, supporting AC/DC during the Black Ice World Tour in Europe and USA. After initially expecting to get only a few support slots, they stepped out of the huge 14 month tour to concentrate on their 15-date UK tour.

BY RUTH MAGENNIS

The meteoric success of the foursome from County Down is legendary in the local music scene. The band broke out with the aptly named album ‘Rise’ in 2005, which sold 100,000 copies, with rave reviews from Kerrang! and Classic Rock. Rock veteran Jimmy Page is among their fans, which is unsurprising as the band’s blistering riffs and Neeson’s vocal acrobatics owe more than a nod in the direction of Led Zeppelin.

Their next album ‘Everyday Demons’ was released around the start of AC/DC tour and was heard by around a million and a half Americans. They plan to return before the year is out to do a tour of their own. As Neeson says, “I definitely think the kind of music we play is well suited to the American audience…the big challenge of conquering a country that size is playing as much as you should.”

However, we aren’t going to lose the band to foreign audiences any time soon. “It’s a very unique atmosphere, our homecoming gigs…the Northern Irish audience are a lively bunch and obviously this is where it all began for us, so the people that we are playing in front of are our oldest fans…the great success we’ve had along the way has had as much to do with those guys as with us.”

Not ones to sit idle, the band is writing new material to road-test during gigs in Spain and Australia next month. Cormac is looking forward to returning to Spain in particular. “They are really diehard, loyal supporters of the band….We first played there about three years ago…[we] had no idea that anyone knew who we were and they were completely mental.”

A past Queen’s student, Neeson enrolled in a course in ethnomusicology soon after their guitarist, Paul Mahon contacted him about forming a band. “I had kind of forgotten they had been in contact…it wasn’t until I walked into the first morning of ethnomusicology and sat down beside this dude…turned out it was Paul! If I hadn’t met him I would probably be some crazy, ethnomusicology website director or something.”

So would Cormac give any advice to aspiring musicians at Queen’s? “Just believe in what you’re doing and work hard at it…Whenever we first came onto the scene we were criticised and ridiculed for playing rock n’ roll music…but we knew what we were doing was important and we loved it, we would never play any other style of music. You’ve got to do it for yourself and no one else.”

BY JASON CONLON

As expected, the A-Level students we spoke to were reading a variety of subjects, including a lot of ‘non-traditional’ subjects. When asked if they felt there were too many ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees today – an argument put forth by the government and wider media – leading to a surplus of students, some of the people interviewed were surprisingly candid. Sinead Gorman from Dungannon said: “It annoys me a lot when you get the likes of people dropping out after fifth year, bumming around in tech for a bit then announcing ‘I’m heading to University!’ ”  When we put forth to Sinead that everyone is surely entitled to the right of third level education, her friend Aine McSorely diplomatically replied: “Oh yes, we’re not against that. It’s just the way the system allows them to get there in the first place that seems kind of wrong, you know. I mean, if they were to be encouraged to stay on at school and do the hard graft, A-Levels and then be granted a place, it would be like they earned it.”

Gavin Teague from Armagh seemed overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the prospect of Queen’s in September. He was honest enough though, in the reasons for his unbridled joy. “Yeah, I mean I’ve studied hard for the last 7 years of my life and my family will hopefully be proud of me, going to Queen’s and all. But you hear about the craic up in Belfast and the wreckin’ through the Holylands and you just want to go and experience it for yourself.”

Most people were indifferent to any prospect of departmental funding cuts and how it may affect them, even at Queen’s. But Julie-Ann Edwards, a sixth form Methodist College student, expressed concern for the long term. “I’d say that not a lot of people would notice it or think of it to be ‘real’, because it’s just in the papers and not directly affecting anyone. But my brother just graduated recently and only just managed to get himself on a post-graduate course. I’d worry that in a few years only the students with the very, very top grades will get in, leaving lots of us disappointed. Then what do we do?”

Whilst a higher all round academic standard may sound great for society, and potentially weed out Sinead and Aine’s ‘Mickey Mouse slackers’, what the rest of the people left on the scrap heap would do is hard to imagine. But that is all purely hypothetical at this stage of course. Northern Ireland’s general student body seem to have the confidence to handle anything that life will throw at them. The likes of Gerard Rafferty form Downpatrick certainly won’t be phased anyway, because “We’ll plough on ahead up and keep her lit”.

BY CATHAL MCGUIGAN

At Queen’s, new clubs do not receive funding in their first year and they have many expenses, from equipment to advertising, to travel and event costs. This first year can really make or break a club. Recruiting and keeping members on a low budget, as well as creating fresh, appealing ideas for fundraising requires innovation and dedication. As a result, some clubs have found new ways to fund their sports. The Lacrosse Club have arranged an informal sponsorship with Rockie’s bar in the Odyssey. The Boxing club creators have invested their own money into designing T-shirts in a bid to raise cash. Clearly, it can be difficult for a new club to raise funds for themselves as fundraising events cost money too, with the purchase of prizes and so on. The leaders of these new clubs felt that there was little help available to them concerning the financial side of organising a club. For example, the Softball Club discovered that the Queen’s Annual Fund might have helped them. However, the club discovered this initiative only after the deadline had passed. Perhaps a more comprehensive source of information and guidance for new clubs, on financial matters and so forth, would be helpful. If clubs cannot find sufficient information on the Student’s Unions’ website, they are advised to email VP Clubs and Societies.

In the Students’ Union elections result, the GAA-law team of candidates dramatically failed to gain student support, winning only one seat.

BY BRENDAN HUGHES

Of the seven positions on offer, the Critchlow ticket swept the board by capturing six of the seven places on the SU executive team. However, Presidential candidate Daniel Critchlow lost out to the law-GAA bloc’s Gareth McGreevy.

The results were announced last night in the Speakeasy Bar to a packed crowd of campaigners, supporters and onlookers. In a record turnout, 4525 students voted in the elections; an 18.9% increase on last year.

Fiona Kidd defeated Stephen Connolly on the first count to win the VP Campaigns and Communications Sabbatical position. The clearly shocked and emotional Kidd thanked her team in her speech.

The VP Education post was won by Nathan Anderson, beating Fionnuala McKenna by around 100 votes.

Adam McGibbon finally won the VP Welfare post, after losing to the resigning Susan Kearney in last year’s election. Greg McLarnon came third, with Aine Ní Cheara placing second.

“I didn’t expect to get this. Thanks so much to all my running mates. Anyone who knows me will tell you I’m a pessimistic person. Congratulations to everybody!” McGibbon said.

It was also second-time-success for Jay Downs, who beat Alex Redpath to win VP Community. Earlier in the year, Redpath won the role of Speaker over Downs in a student council vote. An ecstatic Downs repeatedly punched the air, thanking his team.

A strong Sinn Féin campaign for VP Equality and Diversity candidate Grace Lynch failed to slay competitor Samantha Tan, who became the second ever international student to win an Executive post.

Many were surprised by Niall Bole’s victory in the VP Clubs and Societies category, narrowly winning the post over Niamh McKernan through second and third preference votes. Candidates looked stunned at the final result, with McKernan visibly showing frustration from the stage. Niall ‘Riggs’ McDermot came third.

“Oh dear God! I wasn’t expecting this. Thanks to Sam my girlfriend, I’ve been invisible for the last week. Thanks to everyone and all who voted!” Bole said in his speech.

After the storming success of Critchlow’s team, the Speakeasy crowd gasped as Critchlow himself failed to win the President post and complete the set. Winning candidate and current VP Campaigns Gareth McGreevy was absent from the election result due to commitments at the Waterfront Hall. A visibly intoxicated VP Barry Duffy took to the stage to offer words of thanks on McGreevy’s behalf.

The total number of students who voted was 4525

As of 2.30pm today the record turn out of 3806 votes was beaten -

Will team McGreevy triumph over the Critchlow crew? Is pantsless Redpath set for victory, or will Downs make him see red? Maybe it’s finally R.O.N.’s turn to shine? Share your views with us by leaving a comment.

7.30pm – The Speakeasy bar is filling up with candidates, supporters, Gown reporters and onlookers.

The results will be announced in the following order -

VP Campaigns and Communications

VP Education

VP Welfare

VP Community

VP Equality and Diversity

VP Clubs and Societies

President

7.39  Returning officer Dominic Doherty takes to the stage.

Doherty thanks Brian Heading, Lorraine Meneilly, Andrew Gordon, Casper Love, the candidates,.

He says, “This was an election that was run in a very good spirit. At the end of tonight we will have a very good sabbatical team.”

“There was a record turnout of 4525 votes. That puts us in the top percentage of Students’ Unions.”

Result of VP Campaigns and Communications -

Stephen and Fiona arrive hand on hand to the stage. 4525 voted.  18.9% rise on last year.

Winner on first count – FIONA KIDD with 1973 votes. (Stephen Connolly on 1452 votes, 96 votes for re-open nominations)

Fiona – “Thanks very much to Stephen. I never thought I’d be standing up here. Thanks to the team I ran with. I want to thank everybody!”

Result of VP Education -

Winner by approximately 100 votes – NATHAN ANDERSON (Fionnuala McKenna on 1638 votes, 101 votes for re-open nominations)

Nathan – “I would like to thank Fiona for being so full of integrity. I want to give her a round of applause. I want to thank Dominic and Brian…and lots more!”

Result of VP Welfare -

3454 votes cast.

3rd place – Greg McLarnon with 294 votes

2nd place – Aine Ní Cheara with 1308 votes

Winner – ADAM MCGIBBON with 1765 votes

Adam – “I didn’t expect to get this. Thanks so much to all my running mates. Anyone who knows me will tell you I’m a pessimistic person. Congratulations to everybody!”

Result of VP Community -

3509 votes cast.

Winner – JAY DOWNS with 1788 votes

Alex Redpath on 1569 votes.

Jay – “I want to thank the raggies, those from Guthrie house. Thanks everyone so much. I can’t believe it!”

Result of VP Equality and Diversity -

3516 votes cast

Winner – SAMANTHA TAN with 2032 votes

Grace Lynch on 1383 votes.

Samantha – “I can’t wait to work for everyone. Thank you!”

Result of  VP Clubs and Societies -

3561 votes cast.

3rd place – Niall McDermott

2nd place – Niamh McKernan with 1571 votes

Winner – NIALL BOLE with 1781 votes

Niall – “Oh dear God! I wasn’t expecting this. Thanks to Sam my girlfriend, I’ve been invisible for the last week. Thanks to everyone and all who voted!”

Result of President -

3961 votes cast.

winner – GARETH MCGREEVY with 2037 votes (absent due to committments at the Waterfront Hall)

Daniel Critchlow with 1786 votes.

McGreevy has asked Barry Duffy to said a few words of thanks.

Posters belonging to candidates Niall McDermott (VPCS), Niamh McKernan (VPCS), and Fionnuala McKenna (VP Education), caused concern for residents in the Holylands today as cars were targeted in their canvassing campaign resulting in unsightly littering.

BY CATHERINE WYLIE AND BRIAN QUINN

Three separate posters, outlining the candidates’ main manifesto points, were placed on windscreens of parked vehicles. This resulted in what Community Affairs Officer, Gordon Douglas, refferred to as “a complete mess”. Staff members were dispatched to pick up the litter as soon as this was brought to their attention. Speaking to The Gown, Niall McDermott said, “Once we were made aware of this, we collected them all.” Both Gordon Douglas and Dominic Doherty rubbished rumours that the BBC became involved.

As of 5.00pm today -

The total number of students who voted was 2199

Allegations of cheating have been made by McGreevy’s camp after a number of students received ‘All student’ emails from their school encouraging them to vote for Anderson, Critchlow, Downs, Kidd, McGibbon, and Tan.  It is believed that schools forwarded this email without realising the intricacies of SU Election protocol. Student, Chris Andrews, who sent the email to the schools, told The Gown that he wouldn’t be able to comment until after the election.

BY CATHERINE WYLIE AND BRIAN QUINN

We can confirm that the email was sent by the School of English and the School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy, while a number of other schools didn’t forward it to students.

“This may or may not be a breach of rules. It’s not a ruling that I can make at the moment. I have arranged for another ‘all-student’ email to be sent which gives the name of all candidates involved in the election,” Doherty said.

If candidates or students aren’t happy with tomorrow’s result, the SU Constitution outlines mechanisms with which this can be addressed.  See below.

Any Student who has reason to believe that there was any irregularity of any kind regarding the conduct of an Election or Referendum or Plebiscite shall have the right to lodge an Election Petition with the Returning Officer within 72 hours of the alleged irregularity or within 72 hours of the alleged irregularity becoming known. (Section 11, rule 1)

An Election (or Referendum or Plebiscite) Petition shall contain all details regarding the alleged irregularity and shall be signed by at least one person who is willing to substantiate the statements therein. (Section 11, rule 2)

As of 1.10pm today –

If you are interested in a responsible role on The Gown editorial team of next year, then email

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Start the process of finding out by sending us a simple email.

I’ve since moved on to a place where nobody will find me, under the desk in the now-vacant office of the VP Welfare. From Wednesday I shall move to the Gown office and take up comfortable residence there as the Gown Team are suspended by Union management. The Press Complaints Commision is on my back over the supposedly infamous ”rubdown” comments – caught under the Kearney desk might mean a 6 month stretch in Maghaberry. Regardless, it’s not easy casting a sceptical sideways glance in a sub-desk office exile (unless you want me to tell you the craic about Barry Duffy’s lower half), though The Gown team’s clever cup and string contraption gave me a pleasant muffled way into today’s hustings.

I’m not the only one amused at some of Possible Prizzle McGrizzle’s alliances this election-tide, but his constant references to ”having the Continuity behind him?” If he keeps up his “over-committed” approach, he might even garner some Real support. Opponent Dan Critchlow might have cringe-inducingly compared himself to the Dark Knight (brooding, swooping guardian of the fees cap, Baterang-ing Gregson out of his ivory tower of evil?) but Griz is no Joker for sure. Lucky, really. Those making a bid for comedy died on their arses magnificently. Greg McLarnon’s joking heckle of a statement from the absent Grace Lynch? Redpath’s smiling confession to a post-lunch crowd (candidates, lackeys and Gownies, really, not a crowd) that he was going commando? Not half as funny as Fionnuala McKenna pretending to know anything about what a VP Education actually does.

Did anyone else notice Stephen Connolly’s attempts to derail Fiona Kidd’s policies? First he snidely retorts by telling us he wouldn’t endorse any student being on Facebook when they were supposed to be working on an essay. Then in his closing statement he mentions how he noticed the popularity of the “Queen’s Library Situation is a joke” Facebook group, which I know peaked in popularity during exam time. Adam McGibbon needn’t install a flip-flop machine in the Union; it already has one in the marketing department.

The man with the initials W.A.R seemed to be walking the Redpath alone as his diverse support drifted off, with round seven of the hustings seeing the pantsless speaker battling Jay Downs for the community post. Perhaps the Conservative/Unionist running on a GAA ticket with a Red-plastered poster had finally managed to alienate just about everyone. And the slogan, “The future’s bright, the future’s Redpath?” Yikes. I suppose the fact the trademark for that gem rests with Orange counts as a subliminal ploy to win back drifting Unionist support.

I’ve all but made up my mind which candidates will be getting my number ones. Others will be getting my number twos, directly through their letterboxes.

As an aside, assembled Gownies made sure to goad the almost universally detested News Editor Lorcan, noting how comfortable he looked in a seat just vacated by Shane Brogan…

And finally, Hood would like to give a birthday shout out to Chuckle Brother Paul Lilly, who turns 12 today. Partner Barry is almost surely planning a suitably slapstick scheme to mark the occasion.

The questioning of all election candidates took place today from 1.10pm in the Speakeasy bar. The event was chaired by deputy general manager Dominic Doherty. The event was very poorly attended, with many students in for lunch then leaving during the questions. When the final candidates were called on to the stage, there was merely a scattering of a few candidates’ friends and student journalists.

BY GOWN TEAM

First up were the candidates running for President – Gareth McGreevy and Daniel Critchlow. McGreevy stressed his local roots and deemed his commitment, or “over-commitment”, to be one of his weaknesses/strengths. Continuity was a big issue for McGreevy, and he asked the question, “Why leave business unfinished?” He says that his year as VP Campaigns and Communications means that he “has continuity behind him”. Speaking about sales being down in the Union bars, he lay blame with the aggressive marketing campaigns of rivals such as Rain at the beginning of the year. He claims that a review of services, a business plan and more advertising are all needed. McGreevy was keen to point out the importance of accountability and refuted Critchlow’s claim that those running on his ticket are not a team, but are instead a collection of individuals. McGreevy says that he won’t be working for the university, but will work with them.

Daniel Critchlow stressed the experience he has acquired in the last four years at QUB, with working in the Union bars, involvement in clubs and societies, and sitting on Management Board. He believes that the Union needs a “strong president”, a president that will “take the bull by the horns and be aggressive”. He voiced his hope that he would encourage a seven day university week, and that clubs and societies would meet at weekends. Critchlow, who compared the role of President to the Dark Knight, was keen to point out that current President, Shane Brogan, nominated him and so thinks that he is the candidate to succeed in the presidential race. Critchlow believes that his strength is his ability to make big decisions, on issues like PRP for example, and not sit on the fence. He is adamant that whoever wins this election that next year’s executive needs to be unified, unlike the split executive that we currently have. He says that the executive shouldn’t appease the University, but they shouldn’t encourage “crazy socialism” either. Critchlow says, “When I say I’m going to do something, I’ll do it”.

The presidential candidates were followed by Stephen Connolly and Fiona Kidd, candidates for the Campaigns and Communications post. Connolly reaffirmed his manifesto commitments to establish a central timetable for events and interests, which is simultaneously “central” and “tailored to individual student needs.” He was keen to highlight the absence of media in Kidd’s manifesto, and pointed out his past experience in graphic design, film making, and events organising and promotion. Connolly, who is currently working as a marketing assistant in the Union, promises to create a sense of community that will entice people back to the Union. Kidd has worked as a security guard in the Union and helped at Welcome Week two years in a row. She promises to extend email space and bring Freshers’ Week back under Union control. She cites her ability to talk and her 3 years of professional working experience among her strengths, and was keen to stress how well she knows the Union. Regarding the lack of any mention of media in her manifesto, Kidd said, “I didn’t want to lie in my manifesto. “Design”isn’t the post, it is VP Campaigns and Communications. Word of mouth can be quicker than media.” Both candidates showed their support for The Gown, with Kidd saying, “It is a disgrace that the removal of The Gown from the Union is an issue. I would ensure The Gown would remain in the Union.”

The standard of debate and answers by the Welfare candidates was to a low standard, with McGibbon the only exception. McGibbon was the only candidate who showed any substantive policies or any evidence of meaningful research. He reiterated points made in his manifesto and cited problems in the wider South Belfast area as one of the biggest challenges faced by the VP Welfare in the next academic year. Greg McLarnon stressed that his six years spent at QUB, due to various issues such as ill-health, would make him a good candidate that is able to help people going through similar issues. Aine Ní Cheara’s most plausible idea was to introduce ice cards.

In the section for the Education candidates, Nathan Anderson, who has so far impressed with his knowledge, appeared nervous and got lost in a rambling story in his opening speech. Despite this, he appeared to be confident that his experience and his endorsed policies make him a good candidate for the job. When asked what the biggest challenge would be for VP Education, Anderson said that there would be a number of challenges, such as fees, teaching and minority subjects. He promises to meet with people and hold “surgeries” with various schools. In terms of what he thinks of the current executive, Anderson says he would stand up for PRP and The Gown. Fionnuala McKenna reiterated a lot of what Anderson said, adding, “I would like to be able to come up with lots of ideas and policies”. McKenna thinks the current executive has done “pretty well”.

The GAA-endorsed candidates for the post of VP Clubs and Societies, Niamh McKernan and Niall McDermott, spoke in populist terms about decreasing PEC fees and increasing student involvement. McKernan currently works in the PEC and stressed her links with those who are connected with it, whilst McDermott promises to “make the PEC our PEC”. McKernan highlighted the enjoyment that comes with clubs and societies, while McDermott went further and said that too many people come to QUB and leave with just a degree. Bole, a long-time Union employee, has detailed proposals for financial reform in the running of clubs and societies, promising simplified procedures and more effective training for committee members. Boles’ supporters have highlighted the GAA’s stranglehold on the position, with GAA or GAA-approved candidates occupying the clubs and societies post for the past 14 years.

Grace Lynch was absent from the event today due to having to attend a funeral. However, she sent through a statement which reaffirmed the major points made in her manifesto. Samantha Tan faced questions alone, and as an international student who is passionate about minority groups, she feels she is a good candidate for the job. Having no previous experience of council, Tan argues that this is an advantage as she would be coming to the post with no past grievances and will take a fresh outlook on things.

In the Community hustings, GAA/Law Society/Conservatives and Unionists/Independent candidate Alex Redpath spoke in some detail over his plans for better parking facilities and continuity in Laura Hawthorne’s work in response to the “St. Patrick’s Day riots”. He proposes larger cross-campus events, and measures to increase neighbourliness in the Holylands. In response, Jay Downs cited his wealth of experience in various worthy QUB causes, including RAG and NUS-USI, promising steps towards an SU estate agents, lobbying for a safe tenancy deposit scheme backed by the government, and a newly purchased bus to continue the work of the temporary night bus scheme.

February 1996 was the last time that a “non GAA endorsed” candidate (Siva Thirumalai) won the VPCS election.
This year, three candidates are running for the post, two of which are GAA endorsed.

Niall Bole, currently employed by the Students’ Union where he helps to manage room bookings and setups for societies, is confident that his established working relationship with all levels of SU staff puts him on inpressive footing to be considered as a good candidate for the post. He hopes to encourage more participation in clubs and societies, and to ensure that students have the best possible experience during their time at Queen’s. He also endeavours to provide training for members and to ensure that members of clubs and societies receive recognition through the Degree Plus programme. For more on Niall’s proposed plans see his manifesto.

Niamh McKernan, a footballer for Queen’s Ladies’ GAA team, makes general points in her manifesto regarding PEC fees, relationships between student societies and relevant acadmic schools, funding, and keeping students informed about the ongoing developments at the Dub.

Niall McDermott, a QUB hurler, outlines similar ideas, with an emphasis on publicising QUB clubs and societies through various communication outlets, improving the way in which finances etc are organised within clubs and societies, and to reduce PEC fees and increase funding.

Deputy General Manager Dominic Doherty has defended his decision to screen questions before today’s Hustings debate.

BY BRENDAN HUGHES

‘Hustings’, the annual SU event in which Sabbatical election candidates participate in a ‘Question Time’ style debate,  will take place today (Monday) at 1.10pm in the Speakeasy bar. The panel discussion previously accepted spontaneous questions from the floor. This year however, Doherty will choose questions submitted prior to the event.

Doherty is concerned with preventing prospective Exec members from being verbally attacked at the event.

“Questions from the floor may encourage aggression- it’s not a firing squad,” he said.

Last year, current VP Barry Duffy was bombarded with questions as the student audience realised his  lack of knowledge on the SU post.

Doherty also highlighted how the event is voluntarily attended by the election candidates, thus wanting to encourage candidates’ continued attendance in future years.

Gareth McGreevy, the current VP Campaigns and potential SU President,  has voiced his support for permitting questions from the floor.

“I feel candidates  should be able to answer questions on the spot, and students should have every right to ask us questions. It’s the sort of thing that the new SU Exec will have to do every day in office,” he said.

Stephen Connolly, running for VP Campaigns, asserted the benefit of open questions in “exposing the flaws in some candidates’ policies”.

Issue 10

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She will be delivering a talk on Thursday 4^th March at 5pm in the Enterprise Unit in the Students’ Union closely followed by a Question and Answer session. Refreshments including Fairtrade Tea and Coffee will be provided.

FOR ALL THE INFO ON CANDIDATES, SEE TODAY’S EDITION OF THE GOWN.

Feedback. Can you afford to ignore it? Well, apparently my tutors can afford to ignore it. And ignore me.

One of my tutors told me that requesting an individual feedback session was a “non-starter” and then ignored an e-mail I sent her when I informed her I couldn’t attend her designated feedback time. Another one of my tutors completely ignored my request to be slotted (temporarily) into a new tutorial session because I had an appointment in Derry.
As far as feedback itself is concerned, most of the people I’ve been in contact with when I was looking into this problem have said they feel it’s completely pointless, and that all they’re receiving from their tutors are generic statements and bland pleasantries. And since so many of us feel this way about feedback, and its supposed benefits, who exactly is there to contact about it? Not the Students’ Union, that’s for sure. A more haphazard and imbecilic group of “representatives” I’ve yet to find. They’re clearly aiming for something along the lines of the Stormont Executive: promise a lot, give very little. Take a lot away, and complain about not getting even more. So much for the democratic process at work in QUBSU.
I’m contacting the Gown with this because I’d like to know if you’re aware of any other students having these kinds of problems. I know that tutors are overworked, especially in the face of VC Gregson’s “let’s be the best university in the world” drive, but if I was a tutor, I don’t think I’d be able to reconcile my duties as an educator with not being willing to meet my students face to face. In fact, so far in my first year experience at Queen’s, it’s become pretty clear to me that to many lecturers, they’re researchers first and teachers second. Is this what I’ve paid my fees for? And how on earth do they expect student performances to go up if they aren’t willing to meet with students? Or is asking questions like these a non-starter too?
From my angle as an inexperienced fresher, it seems that QUB staff are too willing to either ignore, or not respond to student grievances. And that includes staff in the SU and in the Elms Village, as well as the Student Guidance Centre.
Queen’s prides itself on giving us a “student experience”. Well, if it’s experiencing dissatisfaction and feeling completely irrelevant, then they’ve succeded.

Best wishes,

!st Year Student

Food Inc. is the latest documentary/expose of corporate finagling within the food industry. By buying a ticket, you are paying for a dose of depression and guilt, both of which you get in spades, but you also get a multi-layered and valuable insight into a very real and unmonitored problem. Oddly enough, what gives the film special credence is Eric Schlosser’s (author of  ‘Fast Food Nation’) unabashed claim that his favourite meal is still a hamburger and chips. Obviously, this isn’t some vegan polemic, as all foods get the same treatment.

BY MATTHEW MCKERNAN

www.queensfilmtheatre.com

Harrowing images of the mass-killing of chickens, pigs and cows abound, but what is interesting about this film is that everyone is seen to do it. The nasty corporate “food factories”, the near-utopian free-range pastures or the farms of an average American are all sites for animal slaughter. Whether an animal wanders into an abattoir of its own accord or is pushed is not the real issue. Morals, refreshingly, are left to one side. What the film tackles is the political and economic side of the food industry.

In America, the food industry is a very secretive organisation with the food itself separated from its origins by what the film terms as The Veil (in one of it’s tackier moments, the film notes how the word ‘veil’ is an anagram of ‘evil’), in which the government and the media turn a blind eye. Particularly stirring is the fact that the food companies were able to replace an independent food safety monitoring board with a self-policing system. This resulting lapse in food safety has lead to widespread poisonings and product recalls across America. The food companies all refused to be involved in the film. As a result, the film is very much of one voice, though this helps the film in some ways. No justification given, after all, suggests no justification to give.

The film does have a sentimental streak, however, with a few human interest story sequences that scream, “Staged!” An odd preachy tone develops at the end. Instructions are listed before the end credits can begin, detailing what to do now that you’ve seen the film. Though that may be a good thing. A documentary of this sort is inevitably going to be preachy by nature. Food Inc. becomes a sermon only at its epilogue. Nevertheless, this sentimental streak is detrimental, giving you the feeling that you are being cleverly manipulated. This realisation deadens some of the films effect.

The best way to assess the film’s impact is probably to look at my own actions immediately following the screening. I went straight home and had a frozen pizza (with meat) for dinner, but I did read the label.

DANIEL HENDRY delves into the world of celebrity infidelity and deception.

Well, here we go again, another fortnight has passed and yet another celebrity scandal for me to get my teeth into.
The focus of the media at the moment is the break-up between X Factor judge and Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole (26) and Chelsea and England footballer Ashley Cole (29). The couple who married in 2006 had miraculously made it into the new decade despite numerous indiscretions from the bad boy of English football. Well, maybe not THE bad boy, but he can join the illustrious list which includes Wayne ‘grab a granny’ Rooney and Steven ‘I swear it was self-defence’ Gerrard’.
Ashley has allegedly engaged in a number of affairs despite being the husband of one of the most desired women in the world. What is wrong with him? His decision making is that bad he’ll be dating Susan Boyle next. Or he’ll record a duet with John Terry with the Tom Jones classic ‘Sex bomb’. Maybe Ashley will do a mobile phone commercial with Vernon Kay. One of the England star’s affairs is said to have happened when he brought a woman back to his hotel room on a Chelsea tour of the US. Even the most innocent amongst us know that he was hardly playing tiddlywinks with her. Also, naked pictures of the Chelsea player were sent from his phone to another woman. His excuse was that a friend gave a phone to another friend, who then sent the picture. Oh that old chestnut Ashley, not the most convincing excuse and I have heard some crackers.
Cheryl has seen the light and dumped the England star, so she is on the market now which has brought hope to men across the world. Who will be Cheryl’s next love? Wayne Bridge would be a fine choice, a left-back like Ashley and he will be free this summer. We will have to wait and see on that one, but for now the arrogant Ashley Cole has got what he deserves and it was not time for Cheryl to ‘fight for this love’.

BY LAURA SHEARER

Protagonist Tiana is the embodiment of the childish Disney spirit with her wide-eyed joy, a heart full of hope and her belief in fairytale stories. The essence of New Orleans’ culture has been magically brought to life on the silver screen.  All aspects of New Orleans are addressed, from the famous jazz scene to mardi gras carnival celebrations, to the dark underlying superstitions of voodoo and magic practise and a natural gravitation towards the typical Disney narrative influence of self-belief and love.  The sense of community within its inhabitants is strongly emphasised through a wide variety of characters that are quickly and effectively introduced, without overcrowding the plot. Each character is the brain child of typical and pure Disney genius, keeping the film fast paced but simple to follow and perfect for holding the attention of younger viewers. Music, as with every Disney Classic is at the heart of this film. The songs are as catchy as expected, but with a heavy soul vibe and relatively relatable topics. The most exciting element is the stereotypical villain, so the slimy and scheming Voodoo practitioner, Dr, Facilier, ticks all the boxes. Unbeknownst to the innocent and open hearted prince, his magic is misinterpreted for good doings, but to the understanding audience the ‘Shadow Man’ is deviant and is the threat of the film.  The artistic team that created Disney’s Aladdin are the geniuses behind this new release, that much is evident from the watching of the film alone, with ‘The Shadow Man’ stylistically and characteristically mirroring the much loved and loathed Jafa of Aladdin fame.  As a contrast the magnificent Madame Odi, the fairy Godmother figure, offers us a different perspective on voodoo and magic, allowing Disney to remain non-bias on the superstitions issue.  This is something Disney does well, delivering interesting ideology but not taking a deliberate stance. This postmodern take on a well-known fairytale integrates good morals, with Tiana the hard working dreamer and the rich leisurely living Prince Naveen displaying polar opposites. The typical evil which, always pays and the happy ending tradition of Disney is accompanied by the always resourceful Disney love plot. The magic and sparkle of Disney is evident throughout and is the main reason why The Princess and the Frog is so watchable. As far as the typical Disney animation stretches, this just simply demonstrates how impressive hand-drawn films are and how digital animation techniques just don’t compare.

It is with a heavy heart that I feel the need to put pen to paper and respond to the character bashing that went on in last week’s ‘The Gown’ in relation to myself and a few others. The true mark of journalistic excellence and integrity is to approach all sides in order to get a rounded view, or a true reflection. Unfortunately this is key tenet of journalism was forgotten, maybe even avoided.

SEE THE LETTER IN FULL IN NEXT MONDAY’S EDITION OF THE GOWN

The Gown’s news editor, Lorcan Mullen, had a report published in today’s Education Guardian. This report stemmed from The Guardian’s interest in the front story of The Gown’s last issue (‘Leaked Government report: freeze fees, raise grants’).

To read The Guardian’s report online click on the link below.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/feb/23/university-tuition-fees-cap-northern-ireland

With the Oscars less than a fortnight away, audiences must exercise caution when choosing a film to go and see. Oscar dramas are a tricky class of film. Taking as an example last year’s Oscar race, for every ‘Gran Torino’ and ‘Frost/ Nixon’ there was a ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ or ‘The Reader’. If you’re lucky, you could get something moving and riveting. If unlucky, however, you might end up with a dull movie with terrible Oscar clips (the scenes in which venerable actors give loud and annoying bravura performances), which merely serve to startle you back into lucidity. The Last Station, oddly enough, falls between these two stools.

BY MATTHEW McKERNAN

www.queensfilmtheatre.com

The story closely resembles your typical Oscar drama. Set over the last days of Leo Tolstoy’s (Christopher Plummer) life, it centres on Valentin (James McAvoy) a young disciple of Tolstoy’s writings, who becomes embroiled in a feud between Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren), Tolstoy’s devoted wife of 48 years and the oily Chertkov (Paul Giamatti). Chertkov seems to have convinced Tolstoy to write a new will, which Sofya fears might disinherit her. Valentin is swayed one way then another, whilst struggling with the celibacy aspect of Tolstoy’s doctrine.

Whilst it does sound like the perfect framework for some high-pitched melodramatic acting and Oscar-friendly period settings, the film is surprisingly entertaining for the most part. What helps it get by is its sense of humour which allows for several funny scenes. The sense of humour does remain strong for the first half of the film, with even a sting on the tail of one particular Oscar Clip. During this period, the film even retains a light comedy score.

The problem with The Last Station is that it loses its way during the second half. Here, the comedy is replaced by wallowing with everyone giving everyone else significant and serious looks. The comedy score gives way to the more typical Oscar Score, all over-bearing instruments and droning chords. Before you know it, The Last Station has become just another dull Oscar Drama. What is particularly frustrating about the film is that the first half shows you what it could have been had the film-makers tried harder while the second half shows you what its going to be because they can’t be bothered.

The performances are the same. In the first half, the four leads are all fun and likable (even Giamatti whose excellent performance as someone you really don’t know whether to like or dislike is the best in the film). However, by the end, their company isn’t all that enjoyable. Even plot and character motivations, initially so clear, become muddied and confusing.

Initially a good film with great potential, it’s a pity that the film opts for by-the-numbers melodrama midway through.

BRIAN SWANN

Of all the plays, we were eager to discover what it was about ‘The Donahue Sisters’ that was so attractive.

 “The Donahue Sisters is a very dark play with many different aspects such as success, the Irish family, physiological, physical and sexual abuse that can all be played around with. The three adult women had so clearly been affected by the ghosts of their childhood, I wanted to look into this and see how I could develop this more,” McGuigan said.

With the subject decided upon, and whittled down to a pure state of perfection, the next thing to be considered is setting. In theatre, setting is everything; it can make or break a performance and to make ‘The Donahue Sisters” site-specific seemed inextricably important to an honest portrayal of the play.

 “On my initial reading of the script I could see the piece being performed in no other venue than the Donahue family home. The claustrophobic conditions of the playroom in the family’s attic lent itself perfectly to the setting of the play,” she explained.

Working in the realm of site-specific theatre can be tricky, working with a limited number of plays it can be hit or miss, but when it’s a hit it has its rewards.

“Site specific work was a challenge, the team pulled together in the most professional manner. The rewards definitely outweighed the challenges,” McGuigan gushed.

The audience have been promised “a challenging, emotive piece of theatre”, and Ciara McGuigan assured The Gown, “The performance space will be transformed into the childhood playroom of the girls. Each room in the house was furnished and lived in, reminding the audience that they were not going to the theatre to see a show, instead they were intruding on the family who lived in the house. The experience of walking through the family home added depth to the performance.”

With such a uniquely moving play brought to new life in the hands of an ambitious and visionary first time director, ‘The Donahue Sisters’ is truly moving.

“As a director, a clear vision is paramount and I am privileged to have worked with a great team who went above and beyond their jurisdiction to make ‘The Donahue Sisters’ something I am very proud to have directed,” she said.

‘Adoration’ is the new film by Canadian-Armenian auteur Atom Egoyan, a director held in high regard by the art house crowd. His latest is a puzzle box of a movie that looks at terrorism with a complex and thought-provoking approach. It tells the story of Simon, a student, raising a kerfuffle when he presents the tale of a botched act of terrorism as the work of his own father. Egged on by Sabine, his French teacher, he develops the story, which spreads across the internet. Opinions get more and more reactionary and the situation soon spirals out of control.

BY MATTHEW MCKERNAN

www.queensfilmtheatre.com

Along with Egoyan’s pedigree and the production company’s name-Ego Art Films- the opening scenes of the film suggest that we’re in for something challenging. And, initially, that is what we get. The ever-present chat room becomes a verbal battleground in which a variety of people express their opinions on the subjects of terrorism, martyrdom and the importance of “The Cause”. Tension increases along with the heat of the debate, which culminates in a scary neo-Nazi voicing some vitriolic opinions. And then…the whole matter disappears and Egoyan begins what could be an entirely different film.

The problems with ‘Adoration’ are manifold. First of all, the achronological narrative raises the question, “If this film was shown with the events in chronological order, would it make it much less interesting?” The opinions are powerfully put forward but, despite the contradictory messages, they all sound like one voice: Egoyan’s. The film could easily be a comprehensive lecture on the different insights into terrorism with Egoyan a schizophrenic preacher. The problems multiply with the film’s gear shift.

Now, a second and third film emerges from the first. A drama about the prejudices within multi-racial Canada takes centre stage briefly. It’s speedily dispatched by Film #3, an ‘unhappy families’ melodrama. A diner scene brings to light some unlikely twists (the scene itself interrupted by a discrepancy over taxi fare for a reason that completely escapes me) which opens up some new aspects in the story. The terrorism theme is lost amid the shiny new exploration into the nature of truth and of remembering the dead. Guilt appears briefly too, in order to give one actor a chance to stare significantly into the middle distance before that too disappears completely.

Then, the film ceases even to be an art film (by which I mean a film of ideas and subtlety) evolving into a saccharine melodrama of the cheesiest Hollywood standard. A frankly hilarious romance scene in which the neck of a violin becomes a phallic symbol marks this shift, and the film becomes more and more ridiculous, ending on a note so squirm-inducingly corny that you eye the available exits waiting for that fade out and firs end credit with mouth-watering anticipation.

After an opening that promises some intriguing cinema, it soon becomes clear that Egoyan wrote several scripts and shuffled them all together. An odd experiment that I hope he never repeats. An unfocused and disappointing film.

The new film from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, of ‘Delicatessen’ and ‘Amelie’ fame, features quirky comedy, a plethora of weird characters and a political message. Through its comedic story, we are introduced to the homeless Bazil (Dany Boon), who takes revenge against two warring arms traders, both inadvertently responsible for his troubled existence. One produced the mine that killed his father; the other produced the bullet now lodged in Bazil’s brain. Assisting him in his seemingly futile mission is a diverse group of seven second-hand dealers, the “Micmacs”, each with a unique talent.

BY MATTHEW McKERNAN

www.queensfilmtheatre.com

The strange plot could have made for a heavy-handed and annoying film, but Jeunet draws on all the right influences. Within the film, there is a very distinct feeling of the silent comedy, particularly the works of geniuses Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. The plot and some of the score recalls the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone. An early scene in which Bazil stands between the two monolithic buildings of the arms dealers brings to mind ‘A Fistful of Dollars’. Most tangible, however, is the film’s link with 1940s American crime masterpiece ‘The Big Sleep’, both in its seemingly convoluted plot line and in its score (which borrows liberally from the earlier film). This is not to say that the film is a jumble of stolen ideas as Jeunet makes the film his own with his rich and unique style.

There is a real visual beauty in ‘Micmacs’, from the range of colours within each scene to the setting itself (a Paris that is far removed from the usual clichés). A visual treat, the film also displays some genuine wit, not just in the visual panache of its nods to silent film but also in its wordplay. The scrap-heap inventions that litter the home of the Micmacs are brilliantly realized and the quirky comedy that sees a security camera do a double take and an elderly couple argue about as dog raise some real laughs.

The characters are great fun, from the elderly yet Herculean Tiny Pete (Michel Cremades) to the evil arms dealers (brilliantly played by Andre Dussollier and Nicolas Marie) who vent their rage in increasingly hilarious ways without ever becoming caricatures. Bazil himself is a fantastic comedy invention with an unlimited range of gags. His schemes are all rich with ideas, particularly in an airport scene in which all the abilities of the Micmacs are utilized. His animated flights of fancy/ coping strategies are also great fun.

All in all, the film is a pleasant surprise with a resounding beauty and wit that makes it a rarity. It should secure a loyal following and is a film that will easily please a mass audience. It may make light of a serious issue, but it is much better than the turgid Nicolas Cage “expose” ‘Lord of War’ and much more entertaining. See it and enjoy.