The Saint's Four Favourites

Every year in St Andrews, there’s a tangible shift in the air post-reading week. Gone are the carefree days of outdoor academic weddings or lounging on St Mary’s lawn, and optimistic suggestions of “Pub?” are more frequently met with the downcast response of “Library.” 

Students are left with a dilemma: how best to fill the void between Halloween and Christmas that is the miserable month of November? Look no further than The Saint’s Four Favourites. 

Popularised by Letterboxd, the ‘four favourites’ format asks celebrities to name their favourite films, simultaneously offering audiences a glimpse into their personalities and fresh viewing recommendations. 

But why wait for Letterboxd to interview their next A-lister when you could hear from sources much closer to home? And why limit ourselves to film when you could discover a new album for your morning walk, or a new book to replace your readings? The four Editors and Deputy Editors-in-Chief of The Saint are here with their personal media recommendations to see you through this dark and dreary winter period!

Favourite book

Arnaz: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

Quite simply, it’s the book which first made me fall in love with reading and literature. A sweeping and panoramic novel with every character so fleshed out, and absolutely beautiful descriptions [on] every page. Reading it was a little similar to falling in love, I think. 

Alden: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Few pieces of media have left such an indelible mark on my creative consciousness. Half-journalism, half-novel, Capote blurs the lines between the objective and subjective, and hazards aestheticising American violence. Two years on, I have yet to find any that compares to what he does with language, form, and the humble comma. Altogether, In Cold Blood is arrestingly treacherous in how it yields the reader to its non-fiction narrative.

Maria: Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

Alderton strikes the perfect balance between being painfully relatable and utterly unrelatable. Her observations and comical anecdotes about girlhood and dating are particularly entertaining. As an only child, she’s something of the older sister I never had.

Sam: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

No book has grown alongside me like this one has — my mind has an eternal yellow brick road running through it. Part fable, part myth, and part novel, the bricolage of this story becomes as complex and political as you’d like it to be. I’ve even been known to mention Oz in an IR essay or two. 

Favourite film

Arnaz: The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

I love Wes Anderson because I think he’s brilliant at understanding distinct cultures and places. I think this film captured India (where I’m from) very beautifully, and also explored the often complicated dynamics of family life in a moving and rather amusing way. 

Alden: The Master (2012)

I abhorred this film on my first watch. Nostalgic, hyper-psychological, sexual, and altogether dissonant, in The Master Paul Thomas Anderson wrenches on filmic conventions in a manner that is unsettling as it is intriguing. Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman likewise deliver the best performances of their careers.

Maria: The Intouchables (2011)

This French comedy-drama — inspired by a true story of a wealthy quadriplegic man and his live-in carer — effortlessly balances the brutal realities of illness, disability, race, and poverty with sharp dark humour and compassion. It’s equally hilarious and heartbreaking, and is refreshingly honest without ever becoming overly sentimental. No film has left a more lasting impression on me than this.

Sam: Marie Antoinette (2005)

In my opinion, this is Sophia Coppola’s best movie. It’s so wonderfully anachronistic that it almost appears to accuse history of being a flawed concept. Don’t expect the story of Antoinette’s life as it happened, but a strikingly accurate portrayal of Marie Antoinette as a figment of our collective imagination. 

Favourite album

Arnaz: Masterpiece by Big Thief

I love almost every song on it, and a close runner-up would likely be Adrianne Lenker’s Hours Were the Birds. I think she writes just the loveliest, most touching songs. 

Alden: London Calling by The Clash

The Clash have a particular gift for injecting into their music what I can only describe as ‘instantaneous verve.’ London Calling most so. It’s political, it’s humorous, and it never fails to spike my heart rate. 

Maria: You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love by Olivia Rodrigo

I know I sound beyond basic, but every song on this album is angelic. Listening to it feels like drinking a silky lavender London Fog. It’s dreamy, comforting, and just the right amount of dramatic.

Sam: ABBA Gold by ABBA

Not reinventing the wheel here —  it’s ABBA. I can press shuffle on this without ever having to screech “Absolutely not!” before promptly skipping, which is my experience with just about everything else. 

Favourite TV show

Arnaz: Sex and the City (1998-2004)

I don’t really watch much TV, but need I say more? It’s my favourite guilty pleasure watch, and I love each character’s wardrobe. 

Alden: Better Call Saul (2015-2022)

Legend has it that Vince Gilligan initially wrote the show as a comedy, though his penchant for character-driven drama gradually evolved Better Call Saul into a quasi-tragedy. It’s humorous, grim, idiosyncratic, and pulls you deeper and deeper into its depravity the longer you watch.

Maria: Prison Break (2005-2017)

This show completely consumed my life during lockdown. Wentworth Miller is a marvel, and I’d argue that practically every episode is worthy of a Golden Globe — managing to keep you hooked and emotionally invested throughout. Ironically, once you start watching, there really is no escaping it.

Sam: Fleabag (2016-2019) 

Fleabag, to me, is perfect. It’s razor-sharp while remaining deeply emotional. It’s also subversive and shocking; while plenty of media loudly declares aims towards something similar, I can only remember Fleabag sticking the landing. It seems to get more impactful each time I rewatch it, and remains wholly unique and original. 

Favourite artwork

Arnaz: ‘The Gates of Hell’ by Auguste Rodin

It's an absolutely breathtaking sculpture — I read about it first in another book I love, The Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt, where it was described in painstaking detail. I saw it in person at the Musée Rodin in Paris, and it really truly is something you can spend hours marvelling at. It’s enigmatic, if anything, and I doubt my words do it justice, so I implore you to look it up. 

Alden: ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ by Hieronymus Bosch

When it comes to art, I’m a sucker for anything medieval, even better if it’s surreal. In person, it is something to behold; the triptych’s colours, vibrant as its lush edenic gardens, and ever-detailed, ever-unfolding scenes positively bewitched me for the 30 minutes I first stood before it. 

Maria: ‘Cádiz Garden’ by Richard Harpum

I was given a replica of this painting for my birthday during my year abroad in Cádiz, as an ode to my favourite little sanctuary. I adore the flowers’ vibrant yet understated colours and its idiosyncratic brushwork. 

Sam: ‘Lee Miller in Hitler’s bathtub, Hitler’s apartment’ by Lee Miller with David E. Schermann

I love Lee Miller’s war photography, and if I had to pick a favourite, it’d be this. Slow and peaceful, yet so obviously littered with proof of unimaginable pain and destruction, it captures the contradictions of a world in the wake of conflict. 

Favourite spot in St Andrews

Arnaz: St Mary’s Quad

*On a sunny day! Since I spend most of my time in the King James Library, it’s my go-to for study breaks and catching up with friends. 

Alden: St James’ Garden

Perhaps St Andrews’ only seaside sanctuary, I often return to St James’ for relief from revision or with friends for a moment’s solitude. If you seem Catholic enough — or at least deep in contemplation — I don’t think anyone should give you a bother for being there.

Maria: Saints Sizzle

The best burger of your life (no exaggeration), accompanied [by] the most picturesque coastal views. Despite serving such incredible food, this eatery is wonderfully humble and welcoming. Whether celebrating with friends or wallowing after a terrible day, there’s nowhere I’d rather be.

Sam: East Sands

East Sands is the comfortable middle-ground between the rocky cliffs of Castle Sands and the endless strip of West Sands. I go there almost every morning to sit on the pier. East Sands is also, felicitously, the preferred stomping ground of plenty [of] adorable dogs.

Image courtesy of Arnaz Mallick