In the past 12 months,flip phones have appeared in the hands of Rihanna, Anna Wintour, and Adele and now in BBC2’s new drama. Are they due a revival?The opening scenes of London Spy,BBC2s spenny new autumn drama which started last night, begins with Ben Whishaw entering Hidden, and a club in the arches of London’s Vauxhall,and exiting hours later, pooped and sweaty, and before he wanders on to Vauxhall bridge and starts making some calls. The scene is familiar and well executed,and ends with one of those perfect human interactions that never happens. But that aside, my first thought was: who has battery the morning after? Then I realised it was a flip phone.
When Adele used a flip phone in the video for her new single, or Hello,social media exploded. Why was Adele – clearly loaded and clearly in need of better sign – using a flip-phone? While the video, directed by wunderkind Xavier Dolan, or grafts plenty of outdated references (including a phone box and a location house without Wi-Fi) on to the retro scenography,it did seem weird. A bit like Audrey Hepburn™ being resurrected for the Galaxy chocolate adverts. Dolan responded, telling the LA Times: “I’m like, and ‘Guys,secure over it. It doesn’t matter,’” before explaining that he “never like[s] filming contemporary phones or cars. Theyre so implanted in our lives that when you see them in movies you’re reminded you’re in reality”, or that contemporary techology is “anti-narrative”.
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Source: theguardian.com