Review: The Bridge Series 2, Episodes 1 & 2

The new pick of the Scandi-noirs has Callum Burroughs intrigued.

Image credit: BBC

At a depressing time where various high level security organisations are able to monitor your every move, where the weather appears to have been designed by mocking, sadistic children and where, for many the grey month of January is synonymous with grey days and exams, it is important to think of positives.

Evidently this scenario is perfect for the latest instalment of every young, liberal, euro-loving tv hipster’s favourite genre. Scandinavian drama.

Yes, since the arrival of The Killing and Borgen to our screens from our former Viking cousins, we have become accustomed to dark and often chilling scenes of Nordic crime and death live in our homes. It is not however all doom and gloom, as The Bridge returns for a second series on BBC 4.

The Bridge’s first series was met with interest, the next in the stellar line of Norse television and it didn’t disappoint. Despite the arguments that these excellent TV dramas should be scheduled at better times on BBC 1 or 2 to gain new audiences, the show continues on BBC 4.

The Danish/Swedish production was smooth and compelling, combining two different natural psyches in our two protagonists Martin Rhode (Kim Bodnia) and Saga Noren (Sofia Helin), the Danish and Swedish (respectively) police officers charged with investigating the confounding case of one body, with one person’s torso and another’s legs found on the Oresund bridge which connects Copenhagen and Malmo.

Striking attention to detail, inherent political symbolism and intent as well as various degrees of social commentary, The Bridge was seen as an adaptation of the apparently decided differences between Danes and Swedes. This has recently been replicated plot and all for British audiences with Sky’s The Tunnel, which features Britain and France as the key countries involved.

Troubled teens – Julia Ragnarsson as Laura. Image credit: BBC

This second series starts, rather surprisingly with a boat, or as Saga is at pains to point out a ship due to its size and length etc, thank you Saga. As many people’s hearts were palpitating, the director thought it wise to have the ship begin to sail toward the bridge, despite calls from the harbour master to avert its course. Why didn’t it change course?! Ah: there’s no crew, cue intense music and the beginnings of another series full of mystery.

This second offering was as expected full of the same intrigue as the first episode, though we feel much stronger interest in some of the new characters, whilst sympathising with the plight of the old.

The exposition of some of the key emotional issues in daily life, love and loss are keenly explored throughout the relationships on screen and as the plot remains as gripping as ever, while the idea of having what appears to be a cell of domestically based and driven murderers is chilling, and their cause is of course one of interest, knowingly or not to everyone on the planet.

The Bridge is at pains not to take strong sides over the environmental issue, especially as Scandinavia is one of the few places with a strong ecological record over the last few decades and are constantly moving to improve their emissions and pollution statistics.

Having said this, the view given of the environmental movement and especially of activists is relatively bleak and if anything a bit dismissive.

Evidently some of the more startling aspects will begin to take shape as part of an overarching investigation that crime dramas tend to specialise in. As the series begins to flower, we’ll no doubt be treated to some of the best that Scandinavia has to offer.

Callum Burroughs, Online Music Editor

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Do You Feel Safe In The Dark?

As the nights draw in and we now have to watch Pointless in the dark, Screen Editor Megan Furborough tells you not to worry too much about the recent crimes in Exeter as if you’re sensible, it’s still safe to walk the streets at night.

In light of the recent stabbing on Sidwell Street and rumours of a flasher on Pennsylvania Road, talk of student safety in Exeter is on everyone’s lips again. Whilst these incidents are worrying, particularly because of their serious nature, I strongly feel that they are largely isolated. Exeter, on the whole, is a safe city to live in – much, much more so than the West London town I come from.

“I have never felt at risk when walking around Exeter, even if it’s at night and I’m by myself.”
Photo Credit: katiecooperx via Compfight cc

I have never felt at risk when walking around Exeter, even if it’s at night and I’m by myself. The nature of my role at Exeposé and as a member of the University’s canoe club means that there are often times when I am running across town to get to the office or to pool sessions and socials – and the ever-earlier nights mean that anything that happens in the winter evenings guarantees a walk in the dark.

Obviously there are times when you are more vulnerable – namely when you’re drunk and wandering back from town to the far-flung reaches of Mount Pleasant. Whilst it is always better to walk back in a group, if I do walk back by myself I always make sure I tell someone when I leave and text my housemates to tell them that I’m coming home. More than anything, I just tend to keep my wits about me and try to be sensible; including keeping my phone in my bag away from sight and walking with purpose (which, seeing as I tend to stride everywhere anyway, is pretty easy!).

Pretending that crimes couldn’t possibly happen in a city in Devon is silly, but agonising over the possibility of what could happen won’t do any favours for your confidence either.  A benefit of the size of Exeter means that you’re never really more than 20 minutes away from your destination and you probably know someone on every street – so try not to worry!

Megan Furborough

Do you feel safe when walking the streets of Exeter at night? Is the fear of crime larger than the likelyhood of it actually happening? Leave a comment below or write to the Comment team at the Exeposé Comment Facebook Group or on Twitter @CommentExepose.

Woman stabbed in Exeter

Bartholomew cemetry. Image credit: Rachael89

A man has been charged with attempted murder after stabbing his neighbour several times in an Exeter cemetery.

Joseph Willis, 49, will remain in custody until appearing before a judge next month. Last week, magistrates heard how he dragged Helen Pearson, 34, into the cemetery before stabbing her three times with a pair of scissors.

Ms Pearson’s wounds were not life-threatening, and she is currently recovering at home following hospital treatment.

St Bartholomew’s Cemetery, on Bonhay Road and where the attack took place, is close to both the city centre and student accommodation at Point Exe and in the St David’s area.

The attack took place on Monday 21 October. Police were informed of the attack around 10.55am, and managed to arrest the suspect shortly afterwards with the aid of a police helicopter. There are believed to have been a number of witnesses, who aided the victim following the attack.

Acting Exeter Sector Inspector Julian Pezzani told the Express and Echo: “We are grateful to everyone who has come forward already and we urge anyone else who may have seen what happened to get in touch with police.

“We would also like to thank the members of the public who helped the woman after she was attacked”.

A third year student who lives near the scene of the crime commented: “This kind of thing rarely happens in Exeter, and it’s upsetting to hear about the incident in what is generally such a peaceful city. The rapid response of the police and emergency services is reassuring though”.

Chris Rootkin, VP Welfare and Community, commented “I am shocked to hear of this incident and wish the victim a speedy recovery. I am in regular contact with the police and community partners to make sure Exeter remains as safe as possible for our students. If anyone has any worries about their safety in or around the city I would ask them to contact me or speak to the Students’ Guild Advice Unit so that we can work to address these concerns”.

For more information about staying safe in Exeter visit Sense Exeter, see this resource provided by the Students’ Guild.

Jon Jenner, Editor

Follow @ExeposeNews on Twitter and like us here on Facebook.

 

Review: The Bling Ring

 Lifestyles of the rich and famous? Katherine Perrington lives vicariously and reviews The Bling Ring, a glitzy and seductive tale about when crime and consumerism meet celebrity.

A superbly entertaining yarn, The Bling Ring is Sofia Coppola’s take on the true story of a group of teens who robbed famous Hollywood houses in 2008-09. It’s fast-paced, focusing at first on Marc Hall (Israel Broussard) and Rebecca Ahn (Katie Chang) as they roam around neighbourhoods stealing from cars and houses as if it’s the done thing to do after school instead of hanging out at the mall.

Image Credit: Business Insider

Soon ‘The Bling Ring’ is formed, with these fashion conscious and morally ambiguous kids targeting celebrities solely for their style (and likelihood of leaving doors unlocked). Though the film appears on the surface as somewhat vacuous, with ample shots of the teens fawning over Chanel and Louis Vutton, its sparkling satire gives us a small glimpse into the celebrity life that many secretly crave but few actually resort to crime to achieve.

That being said, one of my favourite lines has to be from Nicki Moore (Emma Watson) as she ransacks Paris Hilton’s vast clothing collection, exclaiming in a whiny drawl, “Oh my God… it’s Hervé Léger!”.

Paris Hilton’s real house was used for filming allowing us to truly visualise these teens’ fantasy of running around stealing staggeringly expensive goods. More startling is the fact that Paris Hilton did not realise she had been robbed until two  million dollars worth of jewellery had been stolen (how much stuff can one person own?!)

Image Credit: NY Daily News

The film is shot to highlight the superficial and partying nature of the celebrity lifestyle with a hip-hop and dance-heavy soundtrack, alongside shots of the thieving teens dancing in designer gear and taking obnoxious selfies whilst grasping handfuls of stolen cash.

Whilst it is satisfying to watch their comeuppance later in the film, part of me wished for more of the plundering to be shown just so that I could gawp at all the expensive things (and secretly imagine myself with all that gold jewellery). These arrogant kids see the houses they invade as their own personal shopping malls with none of them really aware of the danger until LAPD comes knocking at their doors.

They make it seem so easy; agree on whose style they liked (target houses included Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Megan Fox) and them simply Google their addresses and when they’re out of town – the simplicity makes you wonder why more people don’t try it. Their own greed, carelessness and false bravado eventually lead to their capture proving that you can’t mimic the celebrity lifestyle forever without consequences.

Image Credit: Live For Film

The cynical side of my brain reasons that it can’t harm all of these designer labels to have their products splashed all over this film and on very glamorous looking actors (although I don’t imagine they’d want to inspire a crime spree).

Product placement aside, this film is an addictive viewing experience and worth more than one watch, with memorable scenes from Emma Watson and a praiseworthy performance from the rest of the cast. Overall it is a stunning film by the brilliant director, writer and producer Sofia Coppola leaving me wishing that The Bling Ring had robbed even more houses – purely so I could watch more of their antics on screen.

4/5

Katherine Perrington

What did you think of The Bling Ring? Tell us via Facebook, Twitter or by commenting below.

Police appeal for information after assault

Image credit: The Express & Echo

Exeter police are currently appealing to the general public for any information regarding an unprovoked assault in the city centre.

The police require the help of the public in identifying three unknown men who attacked an 18-year-old on Sunday 12 April. The identity of the victim has not been revealed.

At around 2:30am on Sunday morning, the teenager was waiting at a bus stop in South Street, Exeter. It was here where three unidentified males approached him from behind. The victim’s hoodie was then removed, and he was punched in the face. His attackers then threw the hoodie back before running from the scene.

The incident caused bruising to the victim’s face, resulting in swelling and a black eye. It seems that no further injuries were sustained.

CCTV has provided the police with four detailed pictures of the attackers. These pictures show them walking down both South Street and Fore Street during the night and can be found at the bottom of this page.

The three suspected perpetrators all appear to be young males with short hair. One of the attackers was wearing a distinctive chequered shirt on the night of 12 April.

If anyone recognises any of the three males, or remembers seeing them walking down Fore Street or South Street in the early hours of 12 April, police are asking that you contact PC 2013 Westlake, Exeter CID through the 101 non-emergency number, quoting the crime reference DE/13/3222.

Amy Young, News Team

Follow @ExeposeNews on Twitter and like us here on Facebook.

Image credit: The Express & Echo

Image credit: The Express & Echo

Image credit: The Express & Echo

 

Rape, sexual assault, misogyny: a weak legal system or the wrong values in society

Photo credits to Ell Brown

Last week it was announced that Clive Sharp, who murdered Irish vet Catherine Gowing, has already been jailed twice for rape and sexual assaults. His string of previous sexual offences, encapsulating a dark and twisted life, first began when he was only sixteen. Sharp allegedly held sexual fantasies regarding gagging, raping and murdering women, which he eventually did to the tragic Catherine Gowing, his girlfriend’s flatmate.

Today, Mr Justice Griffith Williams jailed him for life and decreed that he serve a minimum of 37 years in prison as punishment for his horrific crimes. The judge described this murder as ‘a horrific, cold hearted murder, carried out to gratify your perverted sexual desires’.

It emerged that Sharp, having raped and then murdered Gowing, cut up her body before disposing it in several places along the River Dee. Several hours before this despicable crime, he had actually tied another woman to a bed and left her there after she refused to gratify his desires. In 1994 Sharp choked and assaulted another woman, before being jailed for eight years for false imprisonment and wounding two years later.

As someone who studied Law for two years, I’ve had my fair share of disgusting cases involving sexual violence, murder, and dismemberment – and yet cases like these continue to shock not only me, but the general public as well.

What does this say about our legal system, when someone like Sharp, who was clearly not only a sexual predator but someone unspeakably dangerous to women (and possibly even men, one might add, if they got on his bad side), is jailed only for a short time before being released again to further threaten helpless citizens? Someone whose first offence occurred at the age that most teenagers are studying for their GCSEs, someone who has had a history of violence towards women practically his whole life?

I’m not saying that capital punishment is correct; four or five hundred years ago, Sharp would probably almost certainly have been hanged, drawn and quartered, or killed in some other way, and many people might argue that this would only serve him right. But in our democratic society, where we look askance at the death penalty, the best our courts can do is hand out a mandatory life sentence for crimes as sickening as these and, in most cases, let the offender out early, to further threaten innocents.

Catherine Gowing will never be brought back – Sharp saw to that. And yet, I honestly feel that whenever I read the paper, or go onto the Telegraph or BBC or whatever website, all I see is harrowing pictures of smiling women – occasionally men – who have been raped, tortured and/or murdered in the most disgusting and unimaginable ways possible. I sound very naive in asking just why do things like this happen and why can’t people respect one another in a peaceful world, but it does beg the question – why do people commit atrocities like this? Does our weak legal system encourage such abominations, or is there something clearly wrong with our society, where predators like this dwell amongst others?

Sexual violence and murder, of course, is nothing new – in my research of Queen Katherine Howard, the supposedly notorious fifth queen consort of Henry VIII who many believe was a bit too free with her favours before losing her head aged eighteen, I’ve uncovered some evidence which actually suggests that this supposed ‘tart’ suffered what we would classify as sexual violence stimulated by aggressive male behaviour from aged at least thirteen or fourteen. It’s not something related solely to females, I’m not suggesting that. But does the British legal system mean that murderers and rapists commit their crimes without fear of the legal consequences? With defences such as loss of control (which includes the so-called ‘anger trigger’), diminished responsibility and even intoxication, many murderers can use these to play down their offences, even though they’ve raped and/or killed someone who is never coming back.

I’m certainly not the first to suggest the legal system may need reforming. And there is clearly an issue with values held in society – but perhaps this is an unfair comment to make when the vast majority of us are appalled by such offences. But surely something must happen in order to prevent innocent people like Catherine Gowing losing their lives so unfairly and brutally.

Conor Byrne

Girl, assaulted.

Girl, Assaulted.
– On how sexual violence is never consensual.

Photo credits to Swamibu

 

I am too nice.

Or rather, I am not too nice in a general sense but instead too nice to one particular sex, because apparently social, or should I say sexual, etiquette now requires that the pleasantries of daily life be applied only to members of one’s own gender. Well, cheers for the warning…

Yes it is true, whilst quietly ambling my smiley way along the path of life I appear to have unwittingly stumbled across the final frontier of sexual politics. Allow me to rewind: the year 2012 has seen me land myself in some rather sticky situations – and not the kind I (granted, optimistically) anticipated or desired. Contrary to my usual lot in love, i.e I’m planning the wedding and they still haven’t accepted my friend request, I have recently been on the receiving end of unrequited feelings; and pretty it ain’t.

So how did this terrible tragedy worthy of Ancient Greek theatrics come to pass? Well I happened to make myself some rather wonderful male friends. Sounds great so far, doesn’t it? We exchanged many a joyful smile, a happy tale, feelings of mutual understanding cemented over a pint here, or a cup of tea there. All appeared to be good with the world, until BAM, it all came falling down in epic catastrophe when they went and spoiled it all by saying something stupid like ‘I love you’ (relating me and them to the beautiful Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman is a bit of a stretch but roll with it). Now, of course I totally understand that feelings cannot be controlled and I for one have always advocated honesty in all situations, however I was then made to feel guilty when such emotions were not reciprocated. Oh yes, I was charged with the most depraved crime of all: leading someone on. I, my friends, was a bitch. Ouch.

Photo credits to Marsmet451

Now, forgive me if I’m missing something here, but this is surely less an issue of a ‘naïvely’ friendly girl like I and more the problem of some hitherto uncharacterised breed of man which appears to be platonically inept. A smile is not an invitation; a cup of tea is not a contract. If I were to interact in the same way with a woman not a question would be asked. A penis changes nothing.

In layman’s terms: I don’t want to sleep with you. I don’t want to marry you. I’m just being nice.

Jeez.

But, this is where things get serious… because such stories do not always end there, and as I have learnt the hard way these seemingly harmless situations can take a turn for the sinister. I was sexually assaulted just over a month ago, and the most ridiculous thing about it all is that it has taken me a month to convince myself that someone putting their hand down my leggings and ripping off my underwear constituted a sexual assault. Such is the peril of accepting casual sexism as ‘a part of life’. All I knew is that walking home that night I felt so ashamed; not ashamed of what had happened but ashamed of myself: that I was someone who invoked such behaviour, that I was she who was deemed the type of girl who would accept such infringement of my bodily agency.

Dazed and confused I couldn’t speak of what had happened to me, but I knew that I had to confide in someone. Alas, naïve little utopian me could never in a million centuries have foretold the response I would get:

‘You should have seen it coming, you’re just too friendly’

And so I shut up and boxed up, racked with self-doubt and even guilt, determined to never talk about it again. But I couldn’t forget, and suddenly in the abyss of the grey area I was awakened by the black and white that had been screaming at me all along. This act was NOT consensual.

‘You should have seen it coming, you’re just too friendly’.
‘She was wearing a short skirt, so she deserved to get raped’.

No matter how much a man argues that a woman was smiling at him, batting her eyelids or wearing revealing clothing this will never afford him the right to treat her body as his own, or to assume her desire for sexual contact. Our society’s craving for hurly-burly macho men has for too long been complicit in the validation of sexual violence; a sexual violence that is all too often concealed under the mask of ‘joking around’.

And herein lies the age-old conundrum: how can a woman stand against an issue that is so often dismissed as simply an – if slightly pervy – act of fooling around? How is a woman supposed to lambaste an institution which makes jokes of wolf-whistling, bra un-doing, arse groping and breast ogling and which defends itself against its discontents with a rather (un)colourful vocabulary of “frigid”, “slut”, “cock tease” and all those in between? Can such women really be blamed for their hesitation in seeking justice when a line so visible and logical is so frequently blurred on a patriarchal whim?

But we know that these men cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. We must hold them accountable for their actions if we are to hold any hope of pursuing a society where all are free, and where violence does not equal power.

So what to do of this problem? … Off with his balls? Hang him from the nearest bridge? Put him in a wheelchair for the rest of his days?
But somehow I feel uncomfortable with this course of action; I know that this brutality cannot be forgotten but I’m at a loss as to how I can regain peace of mind after such a violation of my sense of self.

And so instead I pick up my pen. It may not be the perfect solution, but it’s a start. One woman slapping a man round the face, however satisfying that may be, will only serve to scrape the surface of an issue which runs deep into the make-up of our society; a society which consistently opts to blame the female in order to deny the crimes of the male. I don’t have all the answers, I wish I did, but I do know that two wrongs can never make a right and that instead we must find a way together to confront this mentality which on a daily basis endorses the defilement of women in the name of the oldest alibi in the book: ‘banter’.
The wise and beautiful Kimya Dawson once sang:
‘I want to bash your head in with a crowbar, but the cycle of violence has to end somewhere’.

Charlotte Sefton

Photo credits to Beth Olson

Reverb dig up Devon's shady past

Exeter Graduate Theatre Company Reverb dig up Devon’s own shady past with “Agent”: an immersive debut about the malefic effect of unearthing secrets, delivered with an inherent warning that the past is never really dead.

Photo credits to Joshua Irwandi

Set in the early murmurs of WWII, the Bike Shed Theatre bar resurrected Fore Street’s Star Stores public house of 1939. Welcomed by the retro tones of a wartime record player, 1930s attire, and the glorious Devonshire burr, it was difficult not to be wholly transported into the charismatic underground local.

The play’s first section really allowed the audience to have some fun in the role of detectives invited to enquire (not always so subtly) into the characters’ personal lives, under the casual employment of placid PC George (Jeff Sleeman). The cast truly showed off their abilities here by not only demonstrating their finely tuned skills of improvisation but by manipulating conversations so a delectable handful of intrique was created and sustained.

It was highly enjoyable to hear each character’s story and personally experience the development of the characters and their relationships with one another. Funnyman Billy West’s (Michael Terry) friendship with simpleton Jimmy Walker (Luke Theobold), and saucy Pearl Davey (Janet Hookway) were highlights, although my favourite with her understated laid-back presence by the bar had to be Catherine Mundy (Amy Harris). Although it was challenging at times to catch every conversation or slight conflict, it was an innovative introduction to a delightful variety of characters.

The relationship between Molly Smith (Lois Baldry – superb fake-crying!), her partner William Thomas (Thomas Gilbert) and her sister Tabby Smith (Jade Berks) and their initial attempts to protect Molly from Paul’s antics, added a really endearing, sincere side to the play, probably the sub-plot I felt most attached to.

The powerful head-turning entrance of crook Paul Parker (Clive Linthorne) gave the scene a kick away from previous frivolities, prepping the audience for the intense climax which took place in the theatre itself. The economic set did well to fit the cast and was enough to create the scene without interfering with characters interactions. It was gripping to experience the script really come alive and take a stronger stance in the play’s latter format, although this was at times let down by occasional uncertainty of line delivery and unmaintained character physicalisation. Nonetheless the suspension of disbelief was extremely well sustained by the overall reactions of the characters on the outskirts of the scene, most notably Rosie Dickens (Anya Williams).

Built up from the first section, the second was full of raw tension and rigidity, with the revelation of Jimmy Walker’s true character as a pleasing twist in the plot. Yet, whether it was the short-lived duration of play or the desire for a greater plot twist, I coudln’t help feel a slight element of bathos at the end. Nonetheless, this took very little from a play charged with such intensity and creativity.

With a humbling mix of students and local actors (arguably some of the best in the South West), “Agent” was a solid debut for Reverb and should stir much excitement for their current project “You With Me”.