Films That Influenced Shygirl’s album ‘Swallow’

With the release of her second album Swallow!, out November 6th, Shygirl shares ten films that have influenced her work. Make sure to read the notes for each film to see her explanation for their influence. The Bourne Identity “Bourne was first on the mood-board when I was describing the energy and approach to the visuals for Swallow! I wanted something that felt high energy with an indie movie approach—there was always something that felt real about Bourne—his memory loss giving the facade of ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances and him rising to the occasion. And the camera work and colour grade always appealed to me. I love how European the film feels.” Layer Cake “A classic. There’s a comedic tone woven within the action here, the cynicism and irony that I identify with British films. The bad guys are both intimidating but also comic in their stereotypical roles. I also love the pursuit of self within this—everyone is out for their own survival and personal gains. I think that’s a common theme I can relate to within this kind of action film. I love the narration and journey of Daniel Craig’s character, as he has an almost metaphysical approach to his situation and the inevitability of everyone’s fate.” Run Lola Run “This film has such an iconic presence within imagery [that] I was aware of it long before actually watching it. It was the trailer that hooked me first and that is such a key thing for me. I love trailers and the ability to pick out key moments from the film in order to surmise the sentiment of the movie. I love the lack of context from the trailer and just the presentation of the main character and her energy.” The Great Beauty “It’s in the name, this film is stunning, a visceral visual masterpiece, high contrast and high definition in its intensity. I love cinema that offers me time to just escape into something beautiful. To live in and appreciate something I perhaps don’t get the time to be languid over in my day to day. La Grand Bellezza is like a painting to me and an example of what cinema can offer, it has a renaissance approach in its visual language that I love looking at and have used as inspiration again and again.” Good Time “There’s so much tension in this movie, I struggle with Safdie movies usually because of this but Good Time is one of my all time favourites. The brothers’ relationship and intimately the dependency both brothers have is gut-wrenching as we see how hard and capricious life can be with a series of reactionary decisions. Life is about survival for these characters and surviving is hard. I love how this film makes us feel for Robert Pattinson’s character—he’s not some one-dimensional fuck up, he’s a fuck up with some potential.” The Fifth Element “Fifth Element is a beautiful movie, I love how stylistic it is—the Galliano costume design, the character’s clothes cemented in Halloween costumes and cosplay for years to come—the soundtrack pushes the intensity and cinema around the action. Even as we’re lost in the fantasy of this dystopian space environment the human story of love and sacrifice as well as power and control cement this movie in my mind as an all time great. The drama the gowns and the sweat *chefs kiss*.” Bird “Bird is a film that I find quite unassuming in its approach. There’s a well worn feeling in how the story plays out slowly and how we get to know the characters within it. For me it feels real, the drama isn’t overdone and the nuance of the characters is subtle and relatable. Even as I’m not the same or within the same circumstances I can imagine feeling like a passenger within my own life , like the protagonist in Bird, looking for something to provoke change feeling trapped and finding beauty in places where there isn’t much to the untrained eye.” Fish Tank “Similar to Bird in my appreciation but I couldn’t not mention my first experience of Andrea Arnold’s work. I love a coming-of-age story, especially one where the character has a complicated relationship with a father figure. I love finding stories that explore being a girl within this world, and grappling with the ill-fitting constraints of that experience.” Prince of Broadway “I first watched this film when I wasn’t really in the mood to sit still and watch a film patiently but I was hooked very quickly by Sean Baker’s sensitivity and honesty in his storytelling. I haven’t stopped suggesting this film to people. I love how documentary it feels, how we sit in scenes longer than expected and watch emotion and action unravel at a human pace. Again, how an unexpected series of events unfold for a somewhat ordinary person living an atypical experience.” Closer “Closer is complicated. My reading of Closer is that it depicts love as an entangling thing, woven between multiple people. It’s selfish and cruel whilst being encompassing and out of reach. Love is displayed as a series of actions ultimately pushing our protagonists forward and apart, each person on their own solo journeys as they use each other. I adore this film and the pace of it, with some of my favourite actors at a perfect moment in their careers. I love this time capsule of a film, it’s nostalgic for me with the old buses in London and the tone of the grade. My comfort movie I feel like the tender moments of Swallow! would fit perfectly within, where even in the face of destruction as relationships change and breakdown—love is still a worthy pursuit.”