arts // no. § A stylishly snotty story > ‘Snotgirl: Volume Two’ comic review Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor Sees rl is a comic that follows the highs and lows of glitzy fashion blogger Lottie Person. Volume one of this series has a plot centring mainly on introducing Lottie to the world, alongside all her quirks and larger-than-life personality. The second half of the first volume, however, begins to take a hellish slope into bleaker subject matter. Snotgirl volume two continues the ominous storyline as it delves deeper into the darker side of this fictious world. Snotgirl is scripted by Bryan Lee O’Malley—writer and artist of the graphic novel series Scott Pilgrim vs. the World— with artwork by Leslie Hung. Snotgirl volume two, containing Issues 6 to 10, was published on May 23, 2018. The artwork alone is good enough to buy the comic. The features are representational of traditional comic art, but the anatomy and expressions are realistic. The colours done by Rachael Cohen are also vivid and beautiful. I think one of the main reasons I love Snofgirl is because of the mystical quality of the art. It looks like a more beautiful version of our world, but one still within reach—as though if we only had long, shiny green hair, we could have the deific demeanor of Lottie too. Another interesting aspect is how some characters are drawn and coloured without makeup, then in other illustrations they are wearing different makeup on different days, capturing how people are in real life. Seeing as Lottie and her friends are bloggers, with Lottie being a fashion blogger, there had to be a focus on fashion in the art—and there is. Every page models Lottie and her friends in gorgeous fashion- Promotional image for ‘Snotgirl Volume 2' forward outfits. Whether she’s wearing a short, metallic blue dress with a heart cut out above her bust and matching, thigh- high platform heels, ora fluffy pink tube top, Lottie’s trendiness is always cut with a specific edge (possibly her bright green hair). Lottie is a magnetic personality. She is the centre of attention in the readers’ eyes as much as in the perspectives of other characters around her. Every guy wants Unfocused entertainment > ‘Vice’ film review Roshni Riar Staff Writer dam McKay's 2018 Vice is a wild ride. It follows the political path of Dick Cheney, who has largely been considered the most powerful and influential vice president of the United States ever. Christian Bale is unrecognizable as Cheney, former vice president of the United States under the George W. Bush administration. Comparing photos of Bale during filming and Cheney himself, it’s hard to distinguish who is who. From the way Cheney’s mouth moves when he speaks, to his body language, Bale is fully committed to playing Cheney so accurately that I often forgot I wasn’t watching the real Cheney. Overall, the cast is impressively stacked. The main supporting cast is an interesting mix of talent, with Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney, Sam Rockwell as former POTUS George W. Bush, and Steve Carrell as former United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The makeup and prosthetics in the film are astounding, striking me as incredibly natural-looking. They help complete all of the cast’s transformations over the 4o0-plus years the film spans. The film is more entertaining than I anticipated it to be, considering that half of it deals heavily with Dick Cheney’s influence and decision-making surrounding the War on Terror. I went in expecting a factual, in-depth biopic about Cheney’s rise in politics and later the White House—but that isn’t at all what I got. Surprisingly, at times it’s downright hilarious. The moments of hilarity come from constant meta , self-aware jokes, fourth wall breaks, and red herrings. A fake credit roll in the middle of the film tells the audience that the Cheney family retired from politics for good to breed golden retrievers during the Clinton administration—signalling the end of the film—only to throw us back into the story with George W. Bush asking Cheney to be his vice president. This particular moment had the audience howling during the screening I saw. It’s unexpected, much like a lot of the out-of-left-field humour that peppers the story. The film is narrated by a fictitious Afghanistan and Iraq war veteran and Promotional image for 'Vice' theotherpress.ca to be with her (and every girl, too), yet she blatantly dismisses them. Somehow, though, it doesn’t seem rude because it’s just a Lottie thing. The characters around her have posters of her above their beds, pictures of her on their walls, an obsession with her blog, and even purchase the clothes she sells just to be like her. Reading Snotgirl makes you feel like really, you’re the centre of attention, which just adds to the fun. What keeps Lottie grounded (and the reader from hating her) is that she’s not so perfect. She has a major secret—allergies— hence the comic’s name. She keeps her embarrassing, mucus-y truth from all her friends (except for one who figures it out and nicknames her Snottie). Lottie’s witty humour shows up in just about every conversation she has, down to the nicknames she has for everyone she knows: Misty (Cutegirl), Meg (Normgirl), Caroline (Coolgirl), et cetera. Her friends are just as entertaining, as Lottie and her two best friends hold a “haters’ brunch” every month just to hate on things. Besides her runny nose situation, and despite seeming like she’s got it all, the poor girl can’t seem to catch a break. Lottie explores murder mysteries, romance, insecurities, and all things fashion fame brings in Snotgirl volume two. honestly, it doesn’t need to be. The narrator spends much of the movie covering missing chunks in time or explaining actions that could have just been shown with equal if not more effectiveness. The fact that the narrator is a veteran of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars—a conflict that Cheney had a hand in—isn't lost, it just doesn’t hit the mark emotionally the way I think it was intended. The film’s composition echoes McKay’s 2015 film The Big Short ina number of ways. A story is told—an intense, shocking story—with the help of off-the-cuff humour and both historical and modern video clips spliced in between scenes. The use of random clips altered the viewing experience for me, at times taking me out of the film. It seems too aware of itself and its intention, almost feeling like a bizarre YouTube video at times. | understand that the clips are all placed into the movie for a reason—all relating to the American way of life or wars with American involvement—but there are a lot of cutaways that don't feel particularly necessary to the story, ultimately making it feel scattered. Intended to be a biopic on Dick Cheney’s life, the film is more amusing than informative. I walked in witha preconceived notion of who Dick Cheney is and I don't feel like that notion was challenged or fleshed out at all. I still don’t know who he truly is, but perhaps that’s the point of the film. No one knows, which is scary to ponder considering how powerful he once was.