By Ellie K. Jessica Markowski is beautiful, well accomplished and talented. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York she started acting as a young teenager. Since landing her first acting gig in Gossip Girl, she has since been featured in Royal Pains, Deadly Sins and Thorns for Flowers.
In addition to acting, Jessica works as a fashion model and has modelled in major campaigns for companies such as Dove, Clariol and Macy’s. She ventured into this career at the age of 18 when she signed to her first modelling agency.
Not only is she a talented model and actress but she is also a fashion blogger with an impressive Instagram following of over 180,000 followers. When it is New York Fashion Week, she is a regular face on the front row. Having sat front row at shows such as Dennis Basso, Sherri Hill and Rosa Cha, she is known as one of the members of the fashion’s elite. We speak to her today about acting, modelling and all her latest projects.
BRWC: New York Fashion week is coming up in February! Do you have plans for this upcoming NYFW?
I will probably attend a few shows and events like I do most years! It’s always a hectic but very fun time of the year!
BRWC: What do you prefer, modelling or acting?
I love the creativity that is involved in acting but I love the glamour of modelling. I can’t really say which one I prefer as I enjoy both equally!
BRWC: What has been best experience with modelling or acting so far?
I loved shooting my campaign for Clariol. The team was so friendly to work with and when the campaign finally came out it was really rewarding to see the work I’ve done in stores!
BRWC: What can we look forward to seeing you in next?
I am a on screen host of BNDR live where I interview some of the biggest artists in the music industry. It is a live streaming app that you can download and watch interviews with all your favourite artists. So download the app and you can check out some of the interviews I have done!
By Ellie K. Louisa Warwick is beautiful, talented and ambitious. Born and raised in the UK, she attended the prestigious boarding school Marlborough College before moving to New York to study Sports Management at New York University. Upon moving to New York, in addition to attending NYU, she signed to Wilhelmina Models where she started her career as a fashion model.
Now as an established model she has worked for companies such as Guess, Victorias Secret and Shiseido. She also has walked in countless New York Fashion Week shows and has been featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, British Vogue, Elle and TMZ.
Not only is Warwick a supermodel but she has now run the New York City Marathon twice. In her first time attempting it she ran it in 3 hours 33 minutes. The second time she completed the race, she ran it in 3 hours 23 minutes. We speak to her today about nutrition, fitness and marathon training.
BRWC: Congratulations on your Marathon Time. How did you get into running?
When I was younger I used to compete in cross-country races. I ran competitively for England and Great Britain which is how I got into distance running. After moving to New York, I took a break from running for a few years until in 2018 I decided to run my first marathon!
BRWC: How many miles a week do you train?
In 2018 I was training 40 miles a week but 6 weeks before the race I tore my lower back muscle whilst training in Central Park & had a trapped nerve. Due to the pain and severity of the injury I was in the hospital and couldn’t walk properly up until 3 days before the race. So, the 2018 marathon was my first exercise/ run in 6 weeks.
I managed to do the race in 3 hours 33 minutes which I was pleased with. For the 2019 marathon I reduced my weekly mileage to a maximum of 25 miles a week and ran it in 3 hours 23 minutes which I was happy with. I find if I go over 30 miles a week, I tend to get injured so having the right balance is key.
BRWC: What does your diet look like?
I try to stay as Keto as possible (limit carbs). I also take multi-vitamin supplements (for overall health), probiotics (for gut health) and Nutrafol (for my hair/skin/nails) every day. I don’t really drink alcohol, I’m not against it I just rarely drink and I tend to drink tea instead of coffee.
BRWC: Do you do any other workouts other than running?
Yes of course! I am a member of Fithouse where I like to do Barre classes!
BRWC: Are you running in the New York City Marathon this year? If so what time are you aiming for?
I haven’t decided yet but if I do I am going to aim for 3.13 which will keep my times very consistent!
Over the last decade, feminist comedians have stepped over the idea that women “can’t be funny” and showed the comedy world that women are the funniest in the room. Whether performing stand-up, hosting podcasts, writing books, acting in television shows, or directing big-budget Hollywood films, feminist comedians have risen to the top of the entertainment industry and have no plans of backing down. Here are some of the best feminist comedians working today and what makes them so great.
Aparna Nancherla
While Aparna Nancherla’s demeanor might appear shy, her comedy is anything but. With jokes that delve into sensitive topics like mental health, depression, anxiety, and what it’s like to grow up in America as the child of immigrant parents, Nancherla certainly doesn’t shy away from important conversations.
Much of Aparna Nancherla’s comedy is deeply rooted in the human experience which makes her jokes relatable to just about everyone. Aparna Nancherla isn’t just a star of the stage but has also branched out considerably, voicing Hollyhock in the often sardonic BoJack Horseman on top of writing for a number of late-night talk shows.
Iliza Shlesinger
Iliza Shlesinger has made quite the splash on Netflix with five comedy specials on the platform, the most recent of which, Unveiled, was released this year. Shlesinger takes a sharp look at the life of the modern woman from the impracticality of Las Vegas trips with your girlfriends to ridiculous wedding traditions.
One thing Shlesinger pokes fun at, for example, is traditional bachelorette parties, of which there seems to be a shift happening in the culture of in general. Not every woman wants to go to a strip club or a bar anymore, after all — and her comedy touches on such topics that need stereotypes to be broken. Her comedy doesn’t shy away from other modern feminist topics, either. While her comedy isn’t particularly politically charged, she still subverts traditional token female traditions, evoking plenty of laughs along the way.
Rhea Butcher
Non-binary comedy darling Rhea Butcher has spent the better part of the decade taking the entertainment world by storm. From their hilarious stand-up on topics ranging from visits to the convenience store to confronting the whitest thing they’ve ever said, Butcher’s comedy elevates the mundane at every turn while still talking about important issues like gender, history, race, and culture.
The die-hard baseball fan also ran Put Your Hands Together, a weekly comedy showcase at the UCB theater with their ex-wife Cameron Esposito from early 2013 up until July of 2019. Butcher is a regular on too many podcasts to name and they elevate everything that they are a part of.
Jameela Jamil
Jameela Jamil started her career as a teacher, then went on to become a television host, eventually landing her iconic role as Tahani Al-Jamil on the incredibly funny show The Good Place. Jamil took to comedic performance like a duck to water and has more than held her own against seasoned actors like Ted Danson and Kristen Bell.
Jameela Jamil has not wasted a moment of her increased fame, going all out to condemn the toxic diet culture which pervades social media platforms that prey on young women and exacerbate body image issues. Jamil doesn’t do this just to promote body positivity, but also because she recognizes the dangers of so-called ‘miracle diets’ and the very real risk they pose to the health of those that buy into them.
Cameron Esposito
Cameron Esposito does not shy away from jokes discussing her sexuality and orientation, and it is a good thing that she doesn’t because it results in comedy gold. While many comedy fans were used to seeing Esposito perform with her ex-spouse, Rhea Butcher, Esposito’s solo stand-up is a unique and acerbic experience on its own.
Esposito turned heads last year with the release of her special “Rape Jokes” which sought to take a look at the format from the perspective of a survivor. Equal parts hilarious and deeply personal, “Rape Jokes” is a shining example of feminist comedy in the modern era.
Emma Arnold
Idaho comedian Emma Arnold is no stranger to the struggle women face in the industry. After writing a blog post detailing a sexual assault from another comedian, Arnold received dozens of vitriolic comments. The experience did not deter Emma Arnold in any way, shape, or form, however, as shortly after this event, she went on to voice concerns with a comedy booker about the dearth of female performers on the lineup at a festival.
When Arnold isn’t championing feminism in the comedy world, she is doing incredibly funny stand up across the country and appearing on podcasts like the Sklar brothers’ “Dumb People Town”. More and more Emma Arnold is exploring comedy driven by feminism, and this is especially apparent with her most recent recorded hour, Abortion. Abortion. Abortion.
Ali Wong
Though some women might have questions about what to do during pregnancy, Ali Wong decided to do two comedy specials without a second thought. Wong makes a point in her specials to point out the ridiculous difference between when a male comedian has a child versus when a female comedian, who actually does the child-having, does the same. Female comedians are basically expected to fade out of the spotlight once they become parents while male comedians approach it as an addition to their act.
Wong flips this idea on its head, leaning into it and using what was once considered a career-killer to launch herself to new heights in the comedy world. Pregnancy is already a common topic in comedic films, and Wong simply took something that we can all laugh about and used it in her own way.
Uncut Gems: The BRWC Review – We saw the film at London Film Festival, so we have reposted that review.
Fresh from the success of the terrific Heaven Knows What and the wonderfully absorbing Good Time, the Safdie Brothers’ latest film is a roller-coaster of thrills from start to finish, proving themselves once again to be true masters of suspense cinema, capable of unnerving any audience.
In Uncut Gems, Adam Sandler plays a jewellery dealer with a mountain of debts, facing a race against time for his life, in a New York-based crime thriller that carries a level of grit not seen in Hollywood for many years. It has a particularly authentic feel to it, thanks in large part to the raw and chaotic style that the Safdie Brothers have now perfected.
This is an absolute masterclass in tense, pulse-racing cinema, designed to discomfort the viewer in the best way imaginable. It’s genuinely edge-of-your-seat stuff, and the erratic nature of it all is at once unsafe, unnerving and unpredictable.
In amongst the thrills are plenty of legitimate laughs, in what could only be considered a black comedy in the strongest possible sense. It’s certainly not for everyone, carrying with it the potential of being either your favourite film of the year or your least favourite, but those who find themselves wrapped up in it will find it impossible to forget.
Of course, the main talking point with this film is that of the terrific central performance from Adam Sandler, who proves once again that, when given strong material, he is an extremely capable dramatic actor. Much like Punch-Drunk Love and The Meyerowitz Stories, the range in his performance is admirable, and much credit must go to the Safdie Brothers for their work with actors, as we saw with Robert Pattinson’s career-defining turn in Good Time.
Adam Sandler is a difficult man for film lovers to like. In many ways, the films he makes and the way he conducts those productions represents the very worst of Hollywood and just how shallow mainstream cinema has become, but its testament to his performance that these preconceived opinions are largely forgotten after about three minutes, with films like Grown Ups and Jack and Jill a distant memory. He is outstanding in this film, in a role that utilises both his dramatic and comedic talents, and that’s really all that matters.
Uncut Gems is utterly relentless from start to finish; a true force of nature that is excruciating to sit through yet impossible to look away from. Its provocative style will prove no doubt to be divisive, but those who engage with it will be rewarded with one of the most high-pressure, adrenaline-fueled American films in years.
UNCUT GEMS is in select cinemas from January 10th and on Netflix from January 31st
By Naseem Ally. ‘A Serial Killer’s Guide To Life’ is the 2020 film written and directed by Staten Cousins Roe, that centres around ‘Lou’, a self-help addict who later finds herself caught up in a killing spree with her new ‘off the wall’ life coach, Val. The film opens with a tape recording from a self-proclaimed guru ‘Chuck Noah’ who gives a self-help schpiel to his listeners; ‘you wanna be like me, you gotta think like me’.
It cuts to the title card and then proceeds to the main protagonist of the film, Lou, walking down a hill towards the beach where she’s wearing her headphones listening to Chuck Noah’s self-help audio recording.
As she’s contemplating her life and looking out on to the coast, taking in the message of ‘visualise the future you want’, this dreamy atmosphere quickly comes to a halt. She bumps into someone passing by, who bluntly tells her ‘watch where you’re fu**ing going!’ – ‘sorry’ is the only thing Lou can mutter, and she is abruptly brought back to reality. One thing I can praise about this film is that it sets up the world for the audience straight away and you get hooked into the main character’s dilemma, and you immediately feel invested.
Firstly, the theme is very relatable to most audiences as I’m sure at one point or another in your life, consciously or subconsciously you have made attempts to ‘improve’ your life, be it watching ‘motivational’ YouTube videos or signing up to the gym, only to end up arguing with them over the phone wanting to cancel your direct debit after a couple of months.
You know it’s true – new year resolutions anyone?
Lou is somewhat down on her luck. She’s a small-town lass living at home with her mother, working at an ice cream parlour and doesn’t seem to be doing anything groundbreaking with her life anytime soon. However, we can clearly see she wants a lot more out of life.
Katie Brayben does a brilliant job of playing Lou. Lou is a socially awkward outcast, that is essentially trying to find her feet in the world, but her mother doesn’t seem to have the patience.
From not receiving any letters in the post, and with no career prospects on the horizon, she definitely feels a sense of pressure to deliver the goods so to speak. Lou’s mother Maureen, played by Sarah Ball, compares Lou to her friend Betty, who is now a high flying lawyer.
With Lou not being able to divert from the topic discussed at the dinner table, there is a looming feeling of tension. This is even more evident, with Maureen visibly angry as she sticks her fork into her food.
Thankfully, we are removed from that very tense scenario and we see Lou making her first attempts at ‘improving’ her life. She attends a self-help seminar and there she meets Val, a shadowy figure standing at the back of the hall, who advises Lou to think twice about following down their pathway. Val pitched in with some hit and miss one-liners, but her character added some quirkiness to the film which I liked. The best way I could describe the character of Val is a sadistic ‘Morpheous’ from The Matrix.
A great job was done on the casting, as the majority of the actors fitted within their roles. There was a solid dynamic between Lou and Val. In terms of the cinematography, it’s simple, but it works. There are some superb shots of the English countryside as Lou and Val go on their ‘self-discovery’ journey, as well as the opening shots of Lou walking down the beach.
The locations used in the film made for beautiful backdrops, and I think the timing of shooting the film worked in their favour. It seems to have been filmed around Spring or early Summer and if it was the case, it’s paid off.
I loved the contrast of colours used in between Lou and Val’s individual scenes. Lou’s had more of a light-hearted, playful feel whilst Val’s was a lot more dark and gritty, perhaps as a reflection to the audience as to what’s in store for the both of them. In the first half of ‘A Serial Killer’s Guide To Life’, there is a very laid back ambience and as mentioned before, it helps to really put the audience into Lou’s world. The sound department for this film has done a solid job.
During Lou’s strolls on the beach, there are some subtle harmonic, even angelic sounds, and from listening intently it appears to be the strums from a harp. It’s simple but works effectively well for these scenes.
In general, I thought the pacing of the film was okay. There were a few filler scenes that left me scratching my head, as it didn’t help in moving the story forward at all. It seemed like they were trying to fit in as many witty one-liners as possible, just for the sake of doing so. The first eight to fifteen minutes are the strongest parts of the film, without a shadow of a doubt. There’s no fuss, it goes straight into the story and the characters, and you’re immersed in their world.
Having a compelling and relatable story also helps, but this journey of self-discovery that Lou and Val take completely throws this film off the rails.
A Serial Killer’s Guide To Life
It’s a shame because, honestly, the story was going so well only for it to then turn out like a ‘spin-off’ of ‘The Inbetweeners Movie’. Only this time, without Simon’s yellow Fiat. I felt this film greatly underused Lou’s mother Maureen. To be honest, I would have loved to see how Lou’s interaction with her would have changed over the course of her wanting to improve herself, and to me at least, this film didn’t attempt to do that.
It turned out to be a ‘horror-stoner’, ‘buddy-trip’ movie…or something along those lines. I can see the approach the team behind the film were going for, but it just doesn’t work in this case. Again, considering the first fifteen minutes of this film where it was right on the money, for it to then swerve into so many different directions, takes away from what otherwise would have been a superb film.
I would be interested to know if there was perhaps another writer brought in as a replacement or as a co-writer, which could possibly explain this ‘horrific’ turn of events. As I mentioned before, it would’ve been great to see more of Maureen, played by Sarah Ball, who did a fantastic job playing Lou’s mother. There’s one scene, in particular, to look out for, involving Maureen and Lou that is the centrepiece for this film.
For a comedic film, that scene really brings any laughs to an immediate stop. Watching that scene with Maureen, took me back to the time I first saw Fences, with that powerful scene from Viola Davis. Sarah Ball was the standout performer in this film and it’s a shame to not see her get as much screen time in this film, as her fellow castmates.
There was a good amount of one-liners sprinkled throughout this film, but some of them felt a little ‘corny’. But, there was one that stood out in regards to the mispronunciation of a certain country starting with the letter S. For me, there was too much inconsistency with this film, not so much with the comedic side, although that is one aspect, but with the story as a whole. In recent times, I haven’t seen any British ‘comedic’ films that have hit the mark.
Even with shows that later turn into movies like ‘The Inbetweeners Movie’ and ‘David Brent: Life On The Road’, it just turns to be really…flat. I know that ‘A Serial Killer’s Guide To Life’ is an original film, but it appears like they’ve followed the same route. ‘People Just Do Nothing’ is having it’s very own film, set in Japan nonetheless, but I’m not even sure if that will be worth the wait.
The last great British comedic film I’ve watched has got to be Four Lions. It’s got a structure that works and that film has stood the test of time. Four Lions wasn’t just filled with ‘laugh out loud’ moments, but, there was actually a story behind it. I think that’s what’s being lost nowadays, not just in British comedic films, but in films as a whole. Is it due to us having shorter attention spans because of technology overload? – maybe so.
Four Lions was made in 2010. It’s 2019 going on to 2020, where technology is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. Is this perhaps a reflection of the current state of cinema where films are just pumped out, to eventually end up on streaming platforms? ‘A Serial Killer’s Guide To Life’ veers off from what was initially a very good story, which makes it even more frustrating because I want to like this film.
No, scratch that – I like this film, but I want to LOVE this film.
In an alternate universe, if this film was rebooted I’d be up for putting myself forward for writing the film, and building on the great story it already had from the first fifteen minutes. Overall, this film shines a light on a topic that will be ever more prevalent with the new year of 2020 around the corner, where everyone and their dog will be looking to improve themselves.
It reminds me of the time I went to the infamous ‘Landmark‘ forum over the summer to have a ‘breakthrough’. Thinking back on it now, it was absolutely boll*cks. If only I had seen this first, I would’ve saved myself so much time. I think we could all do with Val giving us a reality check on ‘self-help’.
‘A Serial Killer’s Guide To Life’ is released on 13th January and can be pre-ordered now on iTunes https://apple.co/2RGlh4g
