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Turning Red (2022)
Amazing!
Can't fault it whatsoever. Wonderful soft animation with anime influences for expressions. Touched on really important subjects in a smart way. Depicts what an uplifting and suporting friendship looks like and how perfectionistic parenting affects the child. Also how heartbreaking is parents wanting their child to hide parts of themselves.
I could relate to so much of it. And yay for periods being destigmatised.
The only dissapointing thing is that men watching this, instead of being interested in being gifted an open door of girls' experience of puberty are 'I can't relate! It sucks!' Funny how had no trouble relating with animated Pixar cars, monsters, ants and robots. Girls are more unnatural and otherworldly than all of those things I guess.
Hamilton (2020)
Groundbreaking
I heard about Hamilton over the years but never felt compelled to investigate further.
Than I watched Encanto and got hooked on a soundtrack. At some point I wanted to hear more of Miranda's writing and turned on Hamilton soundtrack while doing a repetitive task at work.
I felt like a little kid being told an unbelievably riveting story by a most engaging storyteller. I listened it again the next day. And the day after that. I had one or other of the songs on loop in my had for weeks. Every charcter gets it's own music style so it's a mish-mash of styles, but damn does it work.
I finally watched the movie and visuals and brilliant acting only enriched the experience.
Also, I generally hate rap but I love Lin's approach to rap. Yorktown song never fails to get me moving.
This play is a masterpiece. Lin's songwriting + amazing actors + gorgeous staging + story pacing + history humanized + wonder that was A. Ham's life - a perfect storm of brilliance on all levels.
The 355 (2022)
A good watch with great cast
Movie is a solid 8/10. Entertaining story, well acted with well developped characters. There is no agenda or pandering to male gaze.
My only complaint is occasional shaky camera and odd spinny camera.
I rated it a 10/10 to counter all the low marks given by man-babies who feel like their fragile masculinity is threathened by any action movie with mostly female cast.
Encanto (2021)
Rushed story that could have been great
I left the cinema dissapointed. To me it feels like there is a at least 20 min of story missing just before the end. There is conflict. And resolution of conflict unrealistically follows 2 min later with no explanation how the person did a sudden and inexplicable 180 and immediately saw the error of their ways.
Underwhelming conclusion to an important premise of how both golden children and scapegoats of the family have it just as hard in family systems where appearence is everything. Also, there's too many charcters who were given very little time or space to be anything but be a brief comic relief or to make a plot make a turn.
Mothering Sunday (2021)
A portrait of a naked servant in a library
Leaving the cinema felt like leaving a tour of a beautiful gallery or museum. Satisfying but with very little feeling for people I saw in portraits.
Cinematography reminds me somewhat of Atonement. There are continued close ups of faces and body parts interjected by brief shots of words written on paper (as oposed to typewriter).
However, here it seems like the same shot is being recycled repetedly due to lack of ideas. Take a shot anytime a character inhales from their cigarette and see yourself get wasted before the middle of the movie. Another favorite angle is actressess' right cheek and breast jiggle.
I can't help thinking the whole story was built around the idea of filming a beautiful nude women walking around an old stately home while her lover burns in a car crash.
The relationship between the two main character showes lust and tenderness but not much else. Between rounds of sex he keeps telling her about his childhood, as she observes and ocassionaly shows off her storytelling gift. That's it. That's their relationship. Him reminiscing and her observing. So when she learns of his death, I as a viewer, felt like a a curious and despassionate observer of her reaction.
The story failed (or did not attempt) to make me feel more about the couple. In a way it gives her character a more satisfying ending than watching him marry another.
Spencer (2021)
Pleasently surprised
I wasn't expecting much due to multiple negative reviews bashing the script and Diana's portrayal.
After a slow start and a few dragging parts I was pleasantly surprised. They played it a lot less safe with her kids than The Crown did. She is shown both as a loving playful Mum but also an unpredictable one and potentially a source of trauma for her kids as she is trying to cope with her own sense of being controlled and caged and unloved.
My heart really went out to William in that one scene around the middle.
Acting was superb. Casting too. I left the theatre happy I've seen it. I thought the script was inspired. Sure, they took generous creative liberties, but that created multiple surprising and very daring scenes.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Brilliant last 20 min
First time I watched this in cinema it was without having seen Black Panther or Spiderman or Dr Strange, so there were plenty of characters I didn't know. I was irritated and bored by the movie for the most part as there were plenty of characters there I did not know, and for obvious reasons this movie wasn't a place for exposition. The only part I loved was last 20 min which I found really poignant.
Today, after having caught up on entire MCU catalogue and hoping to appreciate this movie more, I oddly came with a very similar result.
The only bit of movie I love is last 20 minutes. Strangely enough, the only character given a character ark and enough breathing room to make me care is Thanos.
Don't get me wrong, I love Dr Strange, IronMan and Spiderman from their own movies and previous Avengers, but this movie used them as little more than action dolls. Very few experienced any kind of storyline that made me feel more for them than I did. I prefer Endgame for that reason. Less characters, everyone got an arc.
Also the pace of this movie is grueling. With no time for breathers, it was a visceous, anxiety inducing action scene after action scene. Unenjoyable frenzy where none of tragedies along the way had time to be digested or felt. Not for me.
Bridgerton (2020)
I really wanted to like it but...
I wanted to like this. I really did. I watched 3 and half episodes trying to convince myself it was working. But nothing is really grabbing me. I got used to dark skinned nobility easily enough. But everything else - the story, the dialogue, the characters... it's just not engaging my heart in any way. There is no depth anywhere. Actors are fine. Some of them are really good. But they are given nothing to work with.
I want to care but I find nothing to care about here.
Emma. (2020)
Well done Emma
I read a few reviews before heading to see the movies, so I prepared myself for a flawed shallow movie. I was pleasently surprised. This version of Emma kept me engaged throughout. I found it easy to empathise with this Emma, as misguided as she was. Even her words to Miss Bates made a lot of sense to me given how often we see her trapped by social curteousy to listen to her talk on and on about Jane. Her tears felt very real and raw after Mr Knightly scolding. I loved the costumes, interiors and cast. The scene where Mr Knightly and Emma feel attraction for each other the first time was expertly done. Even though I do not particulary like the casting choice for Mr Knightly, I could see the attraction between the two. Would happily rewatch.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
Great Tom Hanks and not much else
I have to say I expected a lot more. Tom Hanks was wonderful as usual, and the parts with him held my attention. Rest of the movie, not so much. The turning point for the main journalist character is confusing to me. I don't think movie ever gives us a reason for the switch and how it involves Mr Rodgers. He just suddenly bacame a forgiving son and loving father because... Mr Rodgers goodness rubbed off on him? Just by his presence? The only explanation given for the change of heart is the dream sequence with his mother. Mr Rodgers doesn't say anything all that profound to Lloyd. I left the theatre feeling vaguely puzzled. Other reviewers keep mentioning the message of the movie. Which is? Key smash your anger away? There is hard work involved in being good, but it's managable? Forgive your parents? Mr Rodgers was human too? And is it really that hard to forgive the father who became a repenting and loving figure in his later years? The plot just doesn't hold for me. In my cinema people were chatting and audibly yawning during his father 'touching' 4am speech. That alone say a lot.
After leaving the theatre I have a vague interest to look up real Mr Rodgers. I still very much want to watch Tom Hanks in other roles. But I have next to no interest in watching anything with the same director, script writer or main actor/actress.
The Holiday (2006)
A cozy well written and well acted romantic comedy with a twist
One of the best romantic comedies in last few years. It's extremely well written and avoids becoming a cliché in most scenes. Acting is excellent for the most part, and characters well rounded and likable - that is except for Mr. Black who doesn't feel believable for a second. Casting him made a movie unnecessarily unbalanced. On one side you have sparkles flying sky high (Diaz and Law) and on the other side you get Winslet trying to make up for the poor choice of Black by developing chemistry with sweet old screenplay writer played Wallach. If I get this on DVD - I'll be sure to fast forward most of the parts with Black/Winslet.