Director: Julie Benasra
Starring: Stacy Ferguson, Kelly Rowland and Dita Von Teese
**
As someone who mistakenly thought the brand Jimmy Choo was known as "Jimmy Shoes" for years and who owns a grand total of eight pairs of shoes, I'm obviously not the target audience for Julie Benasra's reverential look at the stiletto.
Nevertheless, I'm fully aware that many members of the fairer gender don't share my frugal approach to footwear, and are afflicted with a rapacious desire to own as many designer-labelled high heels as their gold card will allow them.
God Save My Shoes is a light-hearted exploration into the causes of what can become an all-consuming obsession for many ladies. And so we meet a string of celebrity shoeaholics, including the likes of Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas and Dita Von Teese, and listen to them effuse over their footwear, then get a glimpse of their oversized wardrobes and the rows upon rows of multicoloured high heels therein.
We also learn about how high-heel running races are becoming a popular event in Europe, in which women sprint in their stilettos to compete to win prizes of, you guessed it, vouchers for shoes. Then we sit down with shoemakers such as Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik to hear their take on why the sight of their handiwork in a shop window can transform otherwise intelligent women into slavering idiots. Finally, we hear anthropological evidence into the erotic power of footwear, including the conclusions of one scientist that will mean you'll never be able to slip your toes into your stiletto in the same way again.
The parade of finely crafted, sleek footwear on screen will surely cause many viewers' pupils to dilate with pure desire, but aesthetically gratifying as it was, I felt the documentary had a number of major flaws.
Firstly, we get no idea into whether obsession with shoes is a historical phenomenon. The director claims that it began with Carrie Bradshaw and her Sex and the City cohorts, but whereas she may have popularised the affliction, surely some women had a mania for footwear before the advent of the TV series? Were there Native Americans with tepees full of moccasins or Russian ballerinas who were enslaved to purchasing pointes? I'll never know.
Also, the movie completely ignores the negative aspects of addiction. Of course, if you're a mega-famous celebrity, you'll have the means to afford a wardrobe full of Louis Vuittons and Jimmy Choos. Yet, there must be hordes of average wage slaves out there whose lives have been ruined by their insatiable lust for buying designer footwear. And surely many more must have brought crippling injuries upon themselves by trying to jam their foot into an ill-fitting pair? A better documentarist would have given us these stories, rather than just filling the screen time with trite observations and pretty footage.
But maybe I'm missing the point. As I've said, this movie wasn't made with me in mind, and shoe-fanatics may well find immense pleasure in this heady exaltation of their favourite item of clothing. As they say, if the shoe fits...
There is a standby-only screening of God Save My Shoes for women only tonight at 7.15pm at Vox 4, and on Thursday at 2pm for a mixed audience also at Vox 4.
On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Fixtures
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Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now