This week has been somewhat crazy. My birthday celebrations were a lot of fun, and I got to spend time with people I really should see more often than I actually do, which is always good. Yesterday was 5 months since Tom and I got together, celebrated with a lovely Mexican meal and a lot of junk food. And today...well, I'm supposed to be putting in lots of effort to do my uni work for this week. So far, not so much. But I'm going to now. Promise.

21 and invincible

Well, very nearly.
First week back at uni this week. I do feel like I have a lot to do to get the first I've promised myself, but if I knuckle down just a little bit more I'm sure it's achievable. I think. I hope. Oh I don't know anymore.
I'm home for the weekend. Mum seems to be trying to overcompensate for general family rubbishness, which is sweet but a tad uncomfortable. Shopping and a meal tomorrow, then back to London on Sunday. Monday sees the big 2-1, and a night with the majority of my favourite people. A week of partying, and celebrating 5 whole months with the boy, will fill out the rest of the next 10 days. I can see my grades slipping already....but hey, work hard and play hard.

Film reviews, 1-4th January

Twilight
Yes, I went to see it. It's awesome. I really didn't expect to enjoy it quite so much, but it surprised me. The acting is good, the story is a classic, the effects are cringey at times, but it's still fantastic. 8/10

The Spirit
Visually, this film doesn't disappoint. It looks almost as good as Sin City. Almost. However, the story is bland, the acting barely covers the lack of a strong plot, and the real appeal is seeing the variety of beautiful women in various states of undress. It had so much potential, but it just doesn't hit the mark. 5/10

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
Guillermo del Toro's labour of love, and it shows. The level of detail in crowd scenes, the individual monsters, the story and the visual splendour are reminiscent of the first film, only slightly better. The humour is perfectly placed, nothing feels forced, and the 'monster' characters somehow feel more real than the humans. 7/10

Eastern Promises
I expected this to have a definite cringe-factor - non-Russians playing Russian parts could easily have backfired. Viggo Mortensen is a revelation, tough but with a clear moral centre. The violence is not excessive, and the story is believable. The characters are well-played and easy to connect with - the villains seem the more villainous for their obvious human flaws. Interesting and well-made, but not entirely my thing. 6/10