Why Manchester By the Sea is the film to watch ahead of the Oscar's

Ahead of this year's Oscar's, to be held on Sunday 26 February, one is spoiled for choice when it comes to the nominated best pictures. Among the exceptional films this year are La La Land, Moonlight, Lion, Fences, and my personal favourite, which I recommend unreservedly, Manchester by the Sea.

Based purely on its plot summary, Manchester by the Sea does not appear compelling. A handyman returns to his hometown to take care of his late brother's son. So what? On this basis, one might rather enjoy the warm hearted musical that has Ryan Gosling's and Emma Stone's characters explore love and a passion for the arts in sunny Los Angeles.

The beauty of Manchester by the Sea lies in something else. It is painfully raw and heartbreaking. Watching the film is as close as one can get to witnessing, if not truly empathising with, a real life tragedy in front of the big screen. Those tragedies are what we hope to never experience. But in fact the experiences teach us about the difficulties and complexities of life, and Manchester by the Sea encourages us to open our eyes to them.

A brief description of the story is in order.  Lee, Casey Affleck's character, reluctantly returns to his hometown in Manchester by the Sea to assume the role of guardian for his nephew, Patrick. In doing so, Lee faces, not only the challenges in assuaging an emotionally unstable teenager, but also tackling with the traumatic incident that he thought was locked away forever when he left the Sea. The details of the incident should remain undisclosed. Consider it fair to say that once the tragedy is revealed, Lee's outlook on life becomes clearer to the viewer.

Make no mistake, Manchester by the Sea is a heavy film. Nevertheless, it hardly feels melodramatic or overly sentimental. The main character internalises the return of his unresolved feelings and heartbreak, whereas his former partner yields to the drive to tear up and break down emotionally at the slightest reminder of the incident.

This gives the movie authenticity: it tells us that there is no right way to respond to a tragedy, whether in its immediate aftermath or many years after.

Lastly, Manchester by the Sea is a film to see because it uncovers what one may not expect to see in a film. Indeed, many motion pictures provide glimpses of a story, piece by piece, that a viewer can ably connect together to paint a complete picture. By contrast, Manchester by the Sea resists tidy answers and simple resolutions. It presents life as it is: complicated, heartbreaking, and full of words unsaid.

The Inspiring Message within Family Motion Pictures

Browsing through the selection on Netflix or Sky Movies, a young adult has much to choose from: crime, action, comedy, thrillers, and even erotic thrillers (think of the classics such as Basic Instinct rather than that mediocre film based on a best selling book).

It may come as a surprise, then, that the family or children's category could offer a slate of enjoyable and entertaining films to watch, and perhaps ponder upon, on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Be cautious, though, because this is not a quality shared by every great family movie, and for the purposes of this article, I will focus exclusively on three: Ratatouille, the Lego Movie and Zootopia.


These three films are distinct from other family pictures and films in other genres. Through the magic of animation, the voices of comedians (Patton Oswalt as Remy, Chris Pratt as Emmet and Jason Bateman as Nick) and adventurous plots, they portray both a meaningful message and plenty of giggles.

Judged solely in terms of providing entertainment, the films perform well. Without using either violence, foul language or nudity, these motion pictures keep adults and children on the verge of hysterics. Among countless pause-worthy moments, a few stand out: the sloth scene in Zootopia and Vitruvius' repeated failure in pronouncing 'Dumbledore' as 'Doubledoor' in the Lego Movie (if these examples don't ring a bell, search them on YouTube).

Beyond the laughs and unexpected joy, however, lies a thoughtful message.

That anyone can become anything he or she wishes to become, 

but not all at once and only with the help of companions

Indeed, Emmet's journey to becoming a master builder in the Lego Movie was supported by subtle encouragement from Wyldstyle, Alfredo's low self-esteem in Ratatouille was reversed through his unusual yet unbreakable bond with Remy, and Judy's friendship with Nick, a con artist, in Zootopia enabled her to navigate the streets to solve a missing-persons case. 

Woe to anyone who tries to draw up a direct action plan in real life based on fictitious animation films. The world is much too complicated and imperfect to allow anyone to closely mirror the journeys of our friendly cartoon characters.

A better takeaway involves considering the subtle messages within these family motion pictures as gentle whispers, serving to remind us that how others view our decisions and aspirations in no way, shape or form affects the realisation of those aspirations and dreams. It is within our power to choose and design our journeys in life and to rally with the kind of people who will accept our differences and support us unequivocally.  

So, can a rat really become a chef, or a bunny a police officer? Of course not. The point is to inspire the younger generations to be unbounded, foolish and genuine in expressing their hopes and emotions and to defy the expectations of challengers, whether they be the 'haters' or one's own parents. 

Who is to say that adults would not also benefit from doing so? 

Leonardo DiCaprio and the Academy Award

As is the case with many movie fanatics, Leo is one of my heroes. Since his remarkable performance in Titanic, DiCaprio has established a respectable and lasting reputation in Hollywood, starring in a diverse set of movies ranging from thrillers (Inception) to comedies (The Wolf of Wall Street).

Leo is also one of very few actors to have developed unique, trusting relationships with film directors, particularly with Martin Scorsese and most recently with Alejandro Iñárritu.

Perhaps it is a surprise, if not an outrage, that DiCaprio has yet to win an Academy Award, though 2016 might be his year for doing so. Having neatly swept both a Golden Globe and a BAFTA award in the new year, both for Best Actor, it seems reasonable to think that DiCaprio will win the Oscar too, on February 28th, for his performance in The Revenant.

An interesting question is whether winning the Oscar, or in fact not winning it this year (or ever), should affect his legacy. And should Leo be bothered about it?

Well, he isn't and he's absolutely right.

"I am really moved by all the people on the internet demanding that I win an Oscar. But, to be honest, I only do this job because I love it, not to win prizes." Leonardo DiCaprio 

Whether an actor wins an Academy Award is completely beyond his or her control. Winning the award signifies the fact that leading figures in Academy express their commendation for an actor's performance and hard work in a given year.

Winning an Oscar will no doubt be a delight for DiCaprio, but it is unlikely that it will be a defining moment for his career or that he will think about acting differently after winning.

Like most successful people, DiCaprio is in his line of business for the enjoyment and enriching experience. He loves acting and he's damn good at it. If he were to think incessantly about winning an award, no matter how prestigious, his performance may crumble and discredit his reputation.

He sets an example that all of us should follow:

To pursue our passion relentlessly, without any ambition for attention, prizes, or fame, 

and to be of service to society 

What is less commonly known is that DiCaprio is an ardent environmentalist. Last month, in January 2016, he was invited to appear at the World Economic Forum to receive an award commending the measures taken by his foundation to enhance environmental awareness across the globe. Through his foundation, DiCaprio is doing his bit to make the world a safer and better place, and doing so clearly makes his happy, otherwise he would not bother wasting his time and money on this cause. 

For the sake of our own health and well being, it is important that we learn from Leo and his outlook on life. He realises that obsessing about winning awards is a risky move. Not only can doing so lead to bitter disappointment, but the mental exertion results in a waste of valuable talent, talent that Leo better utilises towards producing world class movies and addressing environmental problems. 

Oscar or no Oscar, DiCaprio, like everyone else, will pass away at some point. And in his final moments, I bet that his thoughts will be on his family, his experiences working on set with actors, directors, and producers, and his philanthropic service to society. 

My money is on Leo winning the Academy Award. But in the instance that he does not, he will share a smile with himself, praise the winner, and continue enjoying his life as a game-changing actor. 

Social Media: It's Basically All Highlights

As we go through the exciting holidays, there is no shortage of photos, snapchats, and videos about the festive season. Friends and family are united wonderfully to celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, and for some, Kwanzaa. Bright lights, ice-skating, and delicious food appear endlessly on our newsfeed.

Alas, a close friend of mine was not in such high spirits. He said:

'My Facebook feed is filled with pictures of people going ice skating. I constantly watch stories on snapchat of friends walking through London in awe of its extraordinary decorations. I wish I could spend more time doing such lively activities.'

Of course, my friend had simply chosen to devote less of time to getting into the festive spirit. He later posted photos of the Christmas tree he had decorated with his family and updated his snapchat story when he went to Winter Wonderland. Problem solved. 

But underlying his frustration is an important realisation, worthy of our consideration:

That social media basically consists of highlights

The mistake that we (myself included) so often make when scrolling through our newsfeed is that we view its contents as accurately portraying the lives of our friends and family. This is simply false. 

Since the vast majority, if not all, of the content is filled with exciting and astonishing activities, such as visits abroad, parties, and notable feats, we are fooled into thinking that most people are enjoying a happy, first class experience, almost all the time. 

This often means that some of us, such as my friend, feel worse about their own experiences relative to those of others.

There is no reason to feel this way

The content on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and even LinkedIn mostly describes the highlights or pinnacle points in someone's life. This also explains the popularity of these platforms; they provide a medium through which we can communicate our high points. 

We are driven to share our successes and achievements. I certainly do so: for example, after devoting myself to a rigorous body training and diet regime over the summer, I shared pictures from my photoshoot. 

Moreover, we are justified in doing so, both for personal gratification and for wishing to share our travels, cuisines, and achievements with our peers.

However, as participants in the rollercoaster ride that so deeply exemplifies the social media experience, we must recognise that the pictures and videos we see are only part of the picture. These reveal only a glimpse into someone's life. 

Consider Emily Skye, a famous fitness model, who constantly uploads beautiful pictures of herself and also openly speaks about her struggles and encourages others to do the same:
https://www.facebook.com/emilyskyemodel/photos/a.635817043116523.1073741825.147170835314482/840282596003299/?type=1&theater

In reality, we all experience some degree of suffering, disappointment, and unhappiness from time to time. This is what makes our special moments that much more memorable and important to us. 

While we might feel less compelled to publicly share our darker days, it is in our interests to tackle such challenging times with energy, hope, and a smile, knowing that they are only temporary.

More importantly, whenever social media serves to further strengthen the apparent contrast between our current difficult stage and the upbeat experience of others, we must realise that matters are not as bad as they seem, for precisely the reasons mentioned. 

Remember, social media is basically all highlights; it does NOT provide the complete picture. 

How an Economics degree can be useful for Investment Banking

Economics and finance are not one and the same. So there is no way in which economics and investment banking are one and the same. While this point is mostly clear, many people choose to study economics because they are convinced that doing so will help them adequately prepare for a career in finance or banking.

Of course, there is merit in this argument, although not because of a commonly popularised reason, which is that an economics degree covers content that is useful for finance and banking, such as macroeconomics and financial economics.

The reason why an economics degree can be useful for investment banking is that the former helps students develop certain skills that prove invaluable for the junior banking role.

For example, economics is all about constrained optimisation. A certain individual has a budget and seeks to maximise her satisfaction or utility based on the constraints imposed by her budget.

Companies face the same problem. For instance, a retail company seeks to maximise its growth within a sluggish economy subject to the capital at its disposal - this capital may be used either for internal investment or for acquisitions.

Moreover, when raising debt in the capital markets, companies seek to raise as much capital subject to two main constraints:

First, the actual cost of that debt capital, which is mostly cheap at the moment. And second, their credit rating, which typically shares an inverse relationship with the amount of debt raised.

Judged by these terms, economics is important for better understanding how to make wise choices when faced with few resources. In fact, the best banking advisors are those who are able help companies to either acquire targets at the lowest cost, all else being equal, or raise capital at the lowest cost, again all else being equal.

So having the Lagrange method at the back of one's head when running a financial model on excel should help one think: 'Okay, I am able to get X return using Y resources, but can I achieve the same return with fewer resources?'

By thinking like an economist (or micro-economist, to be more precise), the junior banker not only helps generate solutions for the client, but also seeks to update, improve, and enhance those solutions wherever possible.

This point is incredibly important in business, since companies always try to squeeze every ounce of profit or return out of their assets. On the other hand, students, such as myself, are less concerned with such an idea, probably because we are not yet accountable to anyone other than ourselves.

In ending this post, I wish to clarify that studying for an economics degree is not the only way in which one can become successful in finance or banking. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Financial services companies strive to attract people from all stripes, and they should continue to do so.

However, for those of you, like myself, who study economics and aspire to pursue a banking career, it might prove helpful if we think about our degree less superficially and more in the manner outlined in this post.

Michelangelo's David, A Short Analysis

The picture before you is one of a Renaissance sculpture masterpiece, designed by the artist Michelangelo.

Located inside the Accademia in Florence, Italy, Michelangelo's David not only boasts an ideal figure of man, but also tells a powerful narrative.

The inspiration behind David stems from an Old Testament story, one which is familiar to most of us.

At at time when most men in his villages were afraid and frightened, David represents a young man who bravely chose to take on the terrible monster Goliath with no armour and nothing more than a rock and a slingshot.

The slingshot can be seen in David's left hand and the rock in his right hand.

However, David's right hand resembles something more. Looking closely, we can see that the right hand is slightly enlarged. The increase in size is perhaps a representation of the 'Hand of God', for David was able to defeat Goliath with the help of God.

Another interesting feature of David is of his bodily structure, which reveals two key points.

The first is that we can see David's head is tilted to his left, as he concentrates on his target, Goliath. But as David does so, he remains incredibly relaxed and calm; there is very little tension in his body.

The thoughtful and reassuring impression that David embodies is a sign of hope and faith for the Florentines. David serves as a reminder that Florentines, too, have the potential to gather strength and resilience to tackle their own Goliaths.

The second inference from David's body is of how well sculpted it is. Indeed, now in the 21st Century, we take our understanding of anatomy for granted.

In contrast to our understanding today, the understanding of anatomy in the Renaissance was at best rudimentary. In fact, Michelangelo had dissected several bodies to enhance his own knowledge of anatomy before sculpting David.

Thankfully for Michelangelo, his efforts paid off astonishingly well, for David remains a masterpiece of Humanism, the art of emphasising the value of human beings, and continues to attract attention to this day.

A final point worth consideration is how Michelangelo and David compare with other artists and artworks of their era.

The two other artists that, together with Michelangelo, form the triumvirate of the High Renaissance are Leonardo Da Vinci and Raphael, both of whom are credited with masterpieces like David. These include the 'Last Supper' and the 'Mona Lisa' for former and the 'School of Athens' for the latter.

Judged by these terms, David is just as beautiful and admirable as other masterpieces, or perhaps, even more so. The people of Florence would certainly agree.

How to Shine in Internship Interviews

As the application season kicks off, several of my peers have approached me asking for advice on how to do well in their upcoming interviews.

Because of this, I have chosen to write a blog post, in which I will do my best to share what has proved useful for me and what I have learned about the interview process.

Please take my advice with a pinch of salt, for I am still very young and my experience applying for jobs is somewhat limited, given that I am only an undergraduate. Balancing my advice with those of others is the best way to develop your own understanding of the process.

With that cleared, let us get started.

Be Yourself

The first step is to gather the courage to be yourself in the interview. For those for whom this comes unnaturally, a good solution is to frequently practice articulating yourself in front of friends and family until you are able to speak without even thinking!

I cannot stress enough the importance of being genuine in the interview. Firms are looking to hire people from as wide a variety of backgrounds as possible. There is truly no 'ideal' person for the job.

Let us suppose that you are not yourself in the interview, and even suppose that you secure an internship. When the internship begins, you cannot help but being yourself, and this will show clearly to your supervisor, who will recognise the discrepancy. This will only work against you.

Once one is prepared to act genuinely in the interview, the advice in this post should serve to be of immense value. Before reading on, please take a moment to appreciate the need to just be yourself in the interview.

What Interviewers Look For

Having established the absolute need to be genuine in the interview, one must make a conscious effort to understand what interviewers are actually looking for in a candidate.

Those who overlook this simple, yet highly important, point often fail to perform at their very best in their interviews.

To understand what interviewers are looking for, one should do research online, and complement this research with questions directed at HR or representatives of the firm to which one is apply, either in person or via email.

In my view, interviewers are looking for four things, three of which I will explore in greater depth.

1. Clear Motivation

2. Demonstrated Interest

3. Personality and Broader Interests

4. Ability to Do the Job Well

I will not examine the fourth part, simply because the ability to do the job well will only reveal itself over a long period of time, namely on the internship itself. There is no way that the interviewer can ascertain whether a candidate can deliver solid work results in 30 minutes or less.

My focus on the remaining three parts will be tailored to Investment Banking, since it is where my experience lies. The same principles can be applied to similar corporate professions.

1. Clear Motivation

To display clear motivation for Investment Banking, one must be able to clearly articulate what bankers actually do, at a fundamental level. This is quite tricky to figure out, but let me share my understanding of the topic.

Investment Banking Analysts perform due diligence on deals, value target companies and prepare pitch-books for meetings and presentations.

Managing Directors source new clients and develop relationships with existing ones. They are responsible for bringing in deal flow for the firm.

What links banking Analysts, MDs, and everyone in between, together, at a fundamental level, is that they are all advisors.

To be a great advisor, one must be able to understand the client and his or her needs. To do the latter, the advisor should be an outstanding listener.

To sum, in brief, clear motivation for banking is shown through:

A. An intrinsic desire to serve as an advisor - giving past examples of where you have understood the needs of your 'client' and given honest advice to the best of your ability will be useful.

B. An understanding of the characteristics of a great junior banker - you need not have all the skills of a junior banker, but it is important to know what they are and what you are getting yourself into!

For other professions, follow a similar procedure. For example, academics are researchers, PE professionals are investors (in companies), traders are, funnily enough, traders, and consultants are also advisors, though in a slightly different way from bankers.

2. Demonstrated Interest

Let us further segment demonstrated interest into its three parts, starting broad then narrowing down.

i.   The Industry
ii.  The Firm
iii. The Division

For the industry, the advice is obvious. Follow the news day in, day out and develop your own view.

Professionals in a client facing role get paid for having a differentiated view, one which usually helps clients make better decisions, whether that involves hedging FX risk or financing an acquisition.

Narrowing down a bit more leads us to demonstrated interest in the Firm.

Do NOT say that you wish to work at Firm X because of its unique culture. That answer is utter nonsense. One will only understand the culture of a workplace by actually working there.

It is better to elaborate on the people you have met from the firm, how well you get along with them, and other exposure you have had to the company.

Make sure that you explore the firm's website, read the profiles of its employees, comment on recent press releases and follow the firm on LinkedIn. There is no excuse to perform poorly on this account!

Finally, interest in the division. For Investment Banking, understand how the IBD is structured at your firm, because it varies from one to another.

At Goldman, for example, IBD is split into IBD Classic and the Financing Group. At Morgan Stanley, IBD is divided into M&A and Global Capital Markets. The two subdivisions perform EXACTLY the same functions, but knowing the specific names will impress the interviewer.

You may also wish to express an interest in a certain industry or product team. If so, be sure to have evidence to back up your interests.

3. Personality and Broader Interests

For professions that are team orientated and client facing, this aspect is where some exceptionally talented candidates fail to make their mark.

Whether you get the internship offer depends, above all else, on how far your interviewers are convinced that you will add value to your future team, and consequently, the firm for which you will work. To add value to the team, one must first be able to get along well with the team members.

To convince your interviewers that you are capable of doing so, it is important to be comfortable talking about yourself personally, as well as professionally.

The ability to confidently articulate your personal interests, what motivates you, and what is important to you in life, shows two things:

A. That you are able to devote yourself to something about which you are passionate, and excel at it. This is know as grit.

B. That you are someone other people enjoy spending time with, and therefore, someone a senior person is willing to mentor.

Let me reiterate that, when a firm hands out an internship offer, it is effectively making an investment. The firm will be using its time, people, and money to invest in YOU.

Your job in the interview is to portray yourself as a worthy investment. How you do that is not a question for me to answer, but rather one to which you should devote a lot of time. I certainly did.

Concluding Thoughts

Those who succeed in securing internships are those who are able to give strong responses on all the three areas covered, in each and every interview they attend.

I wish to end this post by sharing one final tip.

Think of the interview process as a privilege.

Few are privileged to receive an interview invitation, and even fewer are fortunate enough to receive an internship offer.

Seeing that one is likely to devote a tremendous amount of time and effort in securing an interview, it would be a great shame if one chooses not to approach the interview, a huge privilege, with great enthusiasm, confidence, and energy.

Seeing your interview as a privilege should help motivate you to prepare yourself as well as possible. Once you feel that you are prepared to the best of ability, the execution part is less of an issue.

Good luck!