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julievanrijsewijk
Reviews
Wonka (2023)
Deliciously Ridiculous
This movie is very enjoyable if you go into it with the right mindset. Just turn off your brain and enjoy the magic. The movie is very estethically pleasing: Every frame is a picture. It's full of lovely little gimmicks and over-the top dancing and singing. The humor works surprisingly well, the plot points are ridiculously fun. The backstory is overly soppy, but I will admit that I shed a tear at some point.
We need this kind of escapism in today's world. The future is very unsure for all of us, with political instability and war constantly looming over. I need me some of this singy-songy nonsense.
The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
Abysmal, stiff acting
I know what to expect and want from a movie like this. I can accept the absolutely ludicrous and predictable plot. Ignore the historical inaccuracies.
But the acting was simply abysmal. There was zero chemistry between the main leads.
He's All That (2021)
Worth the watch if you want something fun and sweet
This movie does not deserve the terrible reviews.
If you watch it expecting a masterpiece, sure, you're bound to be dissapointed. The target group for this movie are teens who just want to take it easy in front of a fun, easy, old-fashioned high-school romance. They repackaged a succesful formula to fit today's teens. The exposition dialogue is awkward, the heartfelt moments can feel a bit cringe and disingenuous, but it is altogether entertaining enough.
Worth a watch if you just want to relax and watch something classic and predictable.
Lady Bird (2017)
You only know what home means to you when you leave it
Greta Gerwig made an incredibly relatable coming of age story full of faulty people in less than ideal situations. Christine's homesickness at the end and her appreciation of her upbringing felt deeply personal. In the end, Christine and her mother were finally brought together. It is clear that they are not too different and that their love for each other rises over their incurable temperaments.
Center Stage (2000)
Watch it for the dancing
The plot was not very groundbreaking, the characters were not incredibly dynamic, some actors were not very believable and the romantic leads lacked chemistry.
However, the story was entertaining enough, and the dancing was absolutely wonderful if somewhat over the top. As a dance movie, it successfully serves its purpose. You get what you can expect, nothing more, nothing less.
Little Women (2019)
Beautiful setting, great actors. A feel-good costume drama.
It is buzzing of life, love and energy. It is incredibly well-shot. The story isn't linear, but the director uses plenty of clues to show the audience in what time we are, like the lighting to convey mood. The actors are amazing, full of force and true emotion. Especially Joe and Teddy have a great chemistry.
It is worth a watch, but you have to enjoy the genre. It gets a bit soppy at the end, the exposition feels a bit forced, the feminist message can feel bit shoe-horned.
Although I like the point the main-protagonist made, that chasing her norm-defying dreams meant she was forced to be lonely. It comes right after her speech of women's ability, and the depressing conclusion was not seen in the trailer. She did solve that issue in a way that happened to work out perfectly.
An absolutely gorgeous movie worth a watch.
Mary Queen of Scots (2018)
Amazing visuals, great acting
To give give this movie only a few stars due to its historical inaccuracy would not do it justice.
Amazing camera work, fantastic costumes, formidable landscapes: The visual appeal of Mary, Queen of Scots should not be disregarded. Sure, the movie proposes some post-modernistic version of history, but if you're not too annoyed by historical inaccuracy, the colourful cast and powerful female protagonists are actually an enjoyable change. The protagonists are formidable actresses and rounded, well-written characters with strong, flawed personalities and questionable motives.
The dialogue was a bit slow and unnatural, although theatrical dialogue is a common main ingredient in costume dramas. Usually, I am not a fan of non-linear story telling, but I can admit that it worked in this case, since the plot was already known beforehand.
In short, I would definitely suggest watching this movie if you don't intend to watch it as a historic retelling but enjoy amazingly detailed costumes, mighty landscapes and fantastic acting.