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Collection: Natalie de Koning
Photography: Melody Lieftink

Girl, Interrupted

''Have you ever confused a dream with life? Or stolen something when you have the cash? Have you ever been blue? Or thought your train was moving while sitting still? Maybe I was just crazy. Maybe it was the '60's. Or maybe I was just a girl... interrupted.''

The other night I saw 'Girl, Interrupted', a penetrating but passionate film, that really moved me, and almost made me cry (and that's quite an achievement!). Influenced by the renowned cast, including Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Whoopi Goldberg and Vanessa Redgrave, of whom I've seen only few films. 'Girl, Interrupted' has a great story (based on Susanna Kaysen's memoir), brilliant actors and sharp dialogues. 

I'll keep my description of the film short this time, so I can focus on everything that was brilliant about this film. 'Girl, Interrupted' is the story of Susanna Kaysen, who is 18-year old in 1967 and suffers from psychological problems. She is taken into a mental institution after taking an overdose of aspirine. She denies the accusation of trying to commit suicide and wants to continue living to become a writer. 

In Claymoore Hospital, she meets all kinds of people. Nice nurses, severe nurses (Whoopi Goldberg is both), weird psychiatrists, extremely talented psychiatrists and many, many crazy girls. Among them are Polly (Elisabeth Moss, knowns as Peggy on Mad Men), Georgina (Clea DuVall), Daisy (Britanny Murphy) and Janet (Angela Bettis). They all have different diseases, from anorexia to being a pathological liar. But Lisa (Angelina Jolie) is the most outstanding of them all. She's been in the hospital for 8 years already and is a sociopath. She's manipulative, being extremely nice one time and a direct, coldhearted bitch the other time. 

Susanna is mostly integrated by Lisa. Though they have a troubled beginning (Susanna has taken the place of Lisa's best friend, who recently killed herself), they become friends soon. Lisa influences Susanna to rebel against therapy, by trading her medicins with other patients and not taking the ones she need. Susanna is diagnosed borderline by the way, just as having a sexual problem, since she had sex with the husband of a friend of her mother's, her boyfriend and a male nurse in the hospital. 

A lot of considerable things happen, but one of the most important ones is when Susanna and Lisa escape the hospital and take a visit to Daisy, who has been released from the hospital a couple of weeks before. She was a bulimic, having a sexual relationship with her father. Though it seems she lives the perfect life, in a civil house, with flowers everywhere. Lisa confronts her with her real problems and eventually Daisy kills herself. Lisa runs but Susanna is devastated and returns to the hospital. She confirms herself to the system and wants to leave as soon as possible. Things go well, until Lisa returns. That's when reality shows itself, learning us not only a lot about the troubled women, but also about life, the principles of freedom, the expectations of society and confrontation with your own mind. 

Firstly, I'd like to comment on the actors. I'd never seen Winona Ryder in action, but she's perfect for this role. She's fragile, vulnerable yet strong and intelligent. Whoopi Goldberg is heartbreaking as the authoritarian yet caring nurse. The other girls from the group do a good job as well. It's not easy playing lunatics but they are constantly believable. Most credits go to Angelina Jolie, though. I'd only seen her in 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' and was never a big fan of her (for stealing Brad Pitt from Jennifer Aniston!) but what a performance. In the beginning she played the villain, speaking directly and to the point but winning over everyone at the hospital. The most touching parts are where she's vulnerable though. In the end, we see her real face, her insecurities and her troubles. This touched my very soul, dare I say! :) Furthermore, Lisa is extremely skinny, has dry blonde hair and scars and bruises everywhere. And I'm not even mentioning the times when she screams and acts like a lunatic. But Angelina Jolie is always beautiful, even when you take this in consideration.

I haven't read the book yet, but most of the time books are better than movie adaptations, so this book must be amazing, since the film already has a great story with sharp dialogues and interesting turns. Even if you're not really interested in psychological issues (may sound weird to say that I am, but I do think it is very interesting, how the mind works), 'Girl, Interrupted' is a great film. It's never long-winded, boring or cliché. No, it's heartbreaking, fascinating and entertaining the entire time. 

Paper planes to stimulate the pain

Another morning
Waking up with the sun shining in her face
All those lovers waiting for an embrace
She feels confident of her own glory and grace

Another noon
Her mood has transformed completely now
Everyone she sees receives a raised eyebrow
She wants to kill the guy and she already knows how

Another evening
Anger has changed into bitter sorrow and regret
All she wants is to let him go and above all forget
But it seems impossible and she bends her head

Another night
Sitting on the pavement in her abandoned street
Feeling like she's lost her home, like a 1960s beat
Wishing to feel coldness or even unbearable heat

But she felt nothing since that particular day
No love, no hate, no sorrow and not even rain
The sky wasn't coloured, neither black, it was only grey
And she wished she could feel just a little bit of pain

For numbness is the worst feeling of all
When emotions have left your body, it feels cold
Not even pain to feel when you jump and fall
Like a paper plane she did and let her wings unfold

I can't explain, but I'll find a song that can

BB King - The Thrill is Gone

The Wind Cries Summer

Candice Boucher photographed by Frauke Fischer for Fashion Gone Rogue

Gone with the wind: most classic of all classics

Warning before you read this: if you're one of those people who have to see a movie without pauses, you should think twice before watching 'Gone with the Wind', since it lasts 4 hours. Having said this, I can start my review about this film. And what a film it is. I'd never really thought about this film before, of course the name 'Scarlett O'Hara' sounded familiar and I knew it had something to do with the Civil War, but it was never really on top of my list of films to see.

But it should definitely be on top of your list of films to see. 'Gone with the Wind' is a heartbreaking story, with a few of the best actors the world has known and though it came out in 1939, the story can still relate to this time. Vivien Leigh is beautiful as the damned Scarlett O'Hara, one of the most inspiring film characters ever and Clark Gable is extremely charming as the manly Rhett Gable. 

'Gone with the Wind' is based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell, which she wrote in 1936. It takes place in the South of the US in the 19th-century. The entire story is about Scarlett O'Hara and her two loves. She really loves Ashley Wilkes, who is married to his cousin Melanie Hamilton, a thoroughly good woman. Scarlett O'Hara is a passionate woman but she can be quite outgoing and troublesome. Scarlett comes from a good family and lives on Tara, a cotton plantation in Georgia. The films begins with Scarlett learning that her great love Ashley is going to marry someone else.

She is desperate for his love and seeks attention from all men just to make him jealous. One man is admiring her: Rhett Butler, though he's not 'a marrying man'. Though Scarlett has only eye for Ashley, the tension between them is obvious. It is already clear that Scarlett and Rhett have a lot in common. They are both independent people, not always loved by everyone, by their controversial opinions and direct actions.

Meanwhile, the tide of the War turns. During the Battle of Gettysburg many men are killed. Scarlett and Melanie are deadly afraid something will happen to Ashley as well. He survives, but the hope of returning love from Ashley is still vain. The chance of winning the war becomes smaller and smaller, as the Yankees (the opposities) take over more ground and kill more people and houses in Scarlett's neighbourhoud. From this point on, things are beginning to get bad, real bad. It never rains but it pours.     Scarlett's mom dies, her father becomes a mad man, she has to deliver Melanie's baby, without help of her house servants. There's no money left, no food, nothing.

Eventually, as is always the case in films, things begin to get better again. Though many of Scarlett's friends and family have died, she climbs up again. This is visible in a scene when Scarlett stands at the remains of her cottage, in the wind, shouting: 'As God is my witness, I shall never be hungry again!' Though she's used that her servants (the wonderful fat Black lady called 'Mommy') do everything for her, she now takes care for herself and her family. She does this by beginning a company at the mill, with help of Ashley (whom she still hopes to marry one day). Despite (or maybe thanks to) threating her employees really badly (which of course was the case in those days, but it's still inexcusable), she has a lot of success.

Many more things happen, but I'll stick to the point. Scarlett loses two husbands (who she both didn't really love) and continues meeting Rhett from time to time. He proposes to her and Scarlett is mostly tempted by his money (though she obviously has a thing for him as well) so she says yes. They have a daughter and things seem to be okay for a while. Until their daughter dies in a horse ride. This is the lowest point in the film and Rhett and Scarlett are over as well.

That's all I'm going to say for now, but the ending of the movie is phenomenal. Not that it is extremely surprising, but there's no happy ending, and I'm crazy about unhappy endings. Especially because it has to do with love, and of course I know love should be something that has to end happy, I have thins thing for crazy, passionate but impossible loves. The love between Rhett and Scarlett is exactly like this. You know they're meant to be, because the passion is enormous. But there's always something going wrong - Scarlett still having a crush on Ashley, their child dies, etc. You can almost scream: No! Guys! You belong together! Almost like Big & Carrie, Ross & Rachel or Chuck & Blair but 70 years ago.

Anyway, the story of this film is one that must be seen, read or heard. Though the film sometimes becomes a long-winded (what else do you except when it takes 4 hours?), there's enough action in it to remain captivating. Clark Gable has this thing, such a naughty smile, which is one of the most attractive things a man can have, in my opinion. Vivian Leigh is just beautiful, strong and I really admire her, which doesn't happen a lot. But she's powerful, direct and vulnerable at the same time. Together they're perfect. As actors, as characters, as team. If you love America, or if you just love great stories or great loves, see 'Gone with the Wind'. If it's not today, it can be tomorrow. That's also how Scarlett sees it when she realizes she does love Rhett in the end: ''I'll think of some way to get him back. After all... tomorrow is another day!''

Happy Birthday to my nr. 1 hero: Marvin Gaye!

Jane Birkin: the best of both worlds

Put a bit of English freshness and a whole lot of French 'je ne sais quoi' and mix it. What is it you get? Jane Birkin. An English actress and singer, living in France and the owner of an iconic face: a gap between her teeth that holds place for the eternal cigarette sticking in there. Jane Birkin was huge in the sixties and had a magnificent style: bohemian yet simple and chic. No wonder Hermès named a bag after her.

Jane Birkin was born in London in 1946 as the daughter of an actress and a Royal Navy lieutenant-commander and World War II spy. After the introduction of her career as a model and actress in London, she moved to France quite early in her life. In 1968 she had a casting for the French film 'Slogan'. Though she didn't even speak French, she got the part. This is where she met Serge Gainsbourg, who she would date for many, many years. A year later they released the world famous song 'Je t'aime... moi non plus', which was quite scandalous for its explicite sensuality.

Jane Birkin made many more songs, which are both French and English. My favourites are 'Yesterday, Yes a Day', 'Di Doo Dah' and 'Ex-Fan des Sixties', in which she names a lot of my heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Otis Redding, among other. Jane Birkin made a lot of films as well, though they aren't as well-known as many of her songs. Films she made are for example 'Don Juan, or if Don Juan were a Woman', in which she plays Brigitte Bardot's lover, 'Evil under the Sun' and 'La Belle Noiseuse'.

She was very famous for her easygoing and laid-back style, which looked really bohemian and hippy. A simple shirt and a pair of blue flares, or just a white wide dress, made her look sophisticated in a second. Mini skirts, turtle necks and golden jewelry were often seen on her as well. But what she's most famous for, is definitely the Birkin bag.

The story of the Birkin bag is a very remarkable one. In the early eighties, Jane Birkin was sitting next to the C.E. of Hermès on an international flight. She always had a straw basket with her and that was also the case this time. She tried to put the basket in the overhead compartment, but because it was too full, things fell out. This made her complain about finding a proper leather bag. The C.E. of Hermès responded in 1984 by  creating a black leather bag for her: the Birkin bag.

Later in her career Jane Birkin was very active for Amnesty International, she especially did a lot of work on immegrant welfare and AIDS issues.
Her children are all beautiful and succesful, as was to be expected. They come from different men, cause Jane Birkin dated among others John Barry (and they have a daughter Kate Barry, who is photographer), Serge Gainsbourg (with whom she had singer and actress Charlotte Gainsbourg) and Jacques Doillon (which is the father of Lou Doillon, a model, singer and actress, a true it-girl at the moment).

There's no denying that Jane Birkin is an icon. Still alive for a change, and still inspiring many people, I'm sure. She was nonchalant, had this typical 'je ne sais quoi'-thing, but was hard-working and a tough woman at the same time. Jane Birkin definitely is the best of both worlds.

Happy (White) Easter!

The Coldest Winter

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley looks splendid for Animale's Winter 2013 Campaign.