Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D

Starring: Katy Perry and others

Star rating: ****

When i first heard that Katy Perry  was going to be producing her own concert movie, i thought great. It will be just like the Justin Bieber films where it would be all about how she became famous and then she would talk about how fantastic her life is and how normal she is. To be fair, Katy has also done a lot of publicity for this film and has talked extensively about how she feels as though she is really opening herself up to the audience. I was still sceptical, all stars say that. However, when i did go to see the film, i was surprised.

The films follows Katy Perry's life and all the struggles of trying to reach stardom. What strikes me about this is that she is not scared to talk about her family's opinion of her and the fact that she really didn't have a great time making it big. The film is shot over the course of a year, 2011, two months after Katy has married her 'soulmate' Russell Brand in India and is now embarking on her very first world tour. While she would rather be enjoying her newly wedded bliss, Katy instead is having to put on show after show, night after night and ensure that her fans are getting everything that they have paid for. We are taken on a journey to explore her highs and lows and really discover what makes Katy into the brand that is Katy Perry.

 What strikes me most about this film is how brutally honest it is about Katy's life. She is under huge amounts of pressure to maintain her kooky fun persona when behind the smile, she really is battling constant exhaustion and sheer emotional turmoil towards the end. Her entourage really are her strength and whilst for many stars they are wowed by the 'star factor', Katy's are like her family protecting her and taking of her through one of the most important times of her life. Her sister is elemental is making sure that Katy eats and is motivated to keep going.

Her marriage to Russell Brand is the main factor in the film. He turns up in the early scenes grinning like a Cheshire cat, trying to support his extremely successful wife. Katy struggles throughout the tour to keep her marriage alive and flies half way across the world to make sure she is there for him. A romantic at heart, Katy literally begs for time off to 'rescue her marriage' whilst her manager says "She flew from all over the world to meet him, she did everything she could." It is clear from her entourage that they disapprove of Russell and in fact he does seem to drain her energy, talking about having kids while Katy is struggling to keep going everyday. When they do divorce, Katy's heartbreak is stark and it is painful to watch as she sobs moments before going on stage, completely distraught but knowing her duty to her Brazilian fans.

I think this is a film for anyone who wants to see the reality of stardom. You come out of this film respecting Katy for her dedication and also with an important message ringing in your ears. With success comes sacrifice and life isn't always a fairytale.



Ek Tha Tiger - Mashallah

Check out Salman Khan's latest offering from Ek Tha Tiger. The song seems promising but no sure about the video.  Time shall tell! 

The Dark Knight Rises featurette

Edinburgh Zoo

I am a big fan of zoos, it's safe to say that if i could live in one, i would go there in a heartbeat. Surrounded by animals, i feel at home wanting to adopt each and every single one of them. When i heard that i was headed to the land of Edinburgh to visit the pandas at Edinburgh Zoo, i jumped at the chance! The zoo is a lovely place with some welcoming guides and people to hand to help you find your way. Having walked miles from the centre of Edinburgh to the zoo (it is further than it looks!), we hopped aboard the zoo trailer to give our feet a rest and get a good view of the zoo from on top of the hill that it is set on. There are lots of trails that you can follow to get around the area but do make sure it is a sunny day so you can discover every nook and cranny of the zoo.

The best part of the zoo for me was the panda enclosure. Having watched the BBC documentary, i was very very excited to discover that i would be able to see them in the flesh. My other half had booked a session beforehand, we were able to get into the panda exposure earlier than we were meant to. We were accompanied by a guide who talked us through the panda's journey to the UK and their behaviours. Surprisingly, the male panda randomly came inside and started eating his bamboo. He was so cute and got grumpy when he realised there were people watching him and taking photos. The female panda, Tian Tian, was too busy snoozing outside in the sunshine to be seen by us.

I had a fabulous time at the zoo and really enjoyed every moment of it. I got to see some wonderful animals and got to see one of my favourite animals, PANDAS!!

Kazan Restaurant, Victoria

Interior of the restaurant

Star rating: ****

93-94 Wilton Road, London SW1V 1DW

I am not a big foodie, hence why you don't see me blogging about many restaurants. In fact, there are not many that impress me and i do find it hard to find tasty vegetarian food at restaurants. A lot of the time, it is a neglected part of the menu, along with the side orders and to be frank, salads or fries are pretty much my option every time. As part of a birthday surprise, i was treated to Turkish cuisine at Kazan Restaurant in Victoria.

Hellimi cheese with roasted vegetables

I was pleased to find that the food was tasty and the setting was so lovely, that i was inclined to relax and chat away whilst enjoying some lovely food. As starters, we had hot meze which was some spinach and feta cheese samosa shaped parcels with some falafels dipped in yoghurt sauce. Both were hugely delicious and were a great light starter to the main course. As a main, i had the Hellimi cheese with roasted vegetables and bulgar. It was the perfect main for people like me who appreciate light lunches, with crispy salad complimenting it. My friend had the grilled chicken with rice which she enjoyed. 

Grilled Chicken with Chickpeas and rice

Customer Service was pleasant and non-intrusive which was perfect for two girls who were desperate to catch up. In fact, the waiter coerced me to finish my food which i was initially taken aback by, but wasn't offended by it either. Price-wise, it is expensive and great for special occasions. Please do take a visit if you are treating someone as it is perfect for a lovely meal out in the evening. 

For more info visit: http://kazan-restaurant.com/index.php

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

Watched at the Threesixty Theatre in Kensington Gardens

Closing 9th September

For more info see: http://web.lionwitchtheshow.com/

There are not many stage shows i get wowed by. I usually find that children's shows are often a tad too patronising for an adult audience at times. I have to say that C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is one of my all time favourite childhood books and to say i was dubious about how a stage production would capture the magic of Narnia, is an understatement. However, one of my dear friends surprised me with tickets for the show.

Armed with some fond childhood memories of the book (I refused to watch the film), i headed to see the play at Kensington Gardens with some apprehension.The theatre itself is rather impressive with it's 360 degree stage which means the entire audience gets a good view of the actors. I was seated next to the doors where the actors entered and it was fascinating to see how the actors were in character from the moment they stepped through them. The format of the venue means that all the characters can interact with the audience, from the creepy staring tree i was treated to, to the rather scary wolf growling fiercely. 

Rupert Goold's adaptation of the book is rather enchanting from the word go, however and does pull in the audience from the word go. This play does edge towards being a musical and for the most part, succeeds, however i am hard pressed to remember the songs.  Seated in a round theatre meant that we were treated to movement throughout, with the cast constantly moving around and portraying the tale with a lot of energy.

My favourite was the characterisation of Aslan, the true king, who is voiced by David Suchet and has a rather regal presence on stage. The lion is well designed and has some great movements, you can't help but be fascinated by him. 

A great show but be aware that some kids of nervous temperament would find this scary as the second half is dark and is not for the faint-hearted!

The Amazing Spider-man

Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone

Star rating: ****

This Spiderman film has to be one of the most anticipated films of the year. Using twitter, the film's PR team have been promoting the film and created a real buzz around it as a result. The unusual choice of Andrew Garfield had split fans' opinions, some saying he wasn't dynamic enough to take on the role but he sure has proved his critics wrong.

Taking the story back to the beginning, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is geeky high school mathlete who gets picked by the flash school bully and doesn't have a clue how to talk to girls. Peter is the the orphan to troubled scientist Richard Parker (Campbell Scott) who mysteriously died in a plane crash with Peter's mother, whilst working on  project on inter-species DNA splicing. Richard's work is now carried on by Dr Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), a man with just one arm, who is hopelessly working on trying to manipulate lizard DNA to regrow his missing limb. Peter is hopelessly in love with classmate Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) and is being looked after by his uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and aunt May (Sally Field). In order to investigate his  father's research, he pretends to be an intern at Connor's organisation Oscorp and sneaks into a room where spiders are being experimented on. After one spider bite, the rest is history.

The one thing this film has done really right is the casting. Andrew Garfield is perfect as the socially awkward Peter Parker and plays his role to the tee. He looks clever, physically thin but also a bit of a rebel with his skateboarding antics. Emma Stone is great as the young but mature girlfriend, however you can't help but feel that more could have been done with her role. 

Visually this film is brilliant, with some great transformation sequences for both Spider-Man and the Lizard. Peter's struggle to face that he has developed superhero is humorously portrayed with teen arrogance which would inevitably come with the freedom to be invincible. Ifans transformation into Lizard is cleverly done with some great scenes of him trying to grow an extra limb and all the side effects he experiences. The sheer exhilaration of Spider-Man flying through the streets of New York is fantastic with some great first person shots of the New York skyline. This film is a must see for this summer, even if you are not a big comic book fan. It is very well shot and directed and really does keep the Spider-Man franchise alive for years to come.