#there’s *parts* that I really like? like... cinematography-wise? or theme wise? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

annebonnydyke · 2 years

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So you’ve had fun Goncharov posting and now you actually want it to be real

(Disclaimer that this is my own opinion based on the vibes I get from Goncharov and you might not necessarily agree with me. Also blanket content warning most of these work deal heavily with domestic abuse, violence, racism, and sexual assualt)

1. The Godfather Part 1 and 2- as far as I can tell this is where most of the Goncharov gifsets come from. This is one of those movies people constantly tell you is amazing and when you finally sit down and watch you get upset bc they were right. They’re regarded as some of the best and most important movies in the film canon for a reason. Mafia movies about the corruption of the soul, inescapable cycles, being doomed by The Narrative™ and of course young hot and sexy Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.

2. House of Leaves- for people who enjoy the interpretation of a nonexistent work part of Goncharov, House of Leaves is partly a horror story about a house that bigger on the inside, partly an academic analysis of the nonexistent record of that horror, partly the story of a man’s psychological unraveling, partly a critique of cold academic analysis, and partly a love story. If your favorite part of Goncharov was the metanalysis of a work that doesn’t exist and trying to fit all the pieces together this ones for you.

3. The Handmaiden- for all the people who love Katya and Sofia, two women stuck in their place in the world, who love each other but end up betraying each other. The Handmaiden is psychological thriller about a Korean pickpocket who is sent to con a Japanese noblewoman out of her fortune. Deals heavily with themes of deceit, betrayal, queer love, imperialism, and a woman’s place in a world controlled by men. My favorite movie of all time, highly recommend.

4. Black Sails- truthfully only tangentially similar vibe-wise to Goncharov but as a black sails blog the mutuals would have my head if I didn’t include it on this list and trust me the Goncharov to Black Sails pipeline is very real. Fans of clock symbolism and being being trapped by The Narrative™ will greatly enjoy this one. also that Katya/Sofia and Eleanor/Max/Anne parallels are real and I can prove it and don’t get me started on the Silver and Andrey parallels.

5. Bound (1996)- another one for the Katya/Sofia girlies out there. Two women hatch a plot to steal millions from the mafia, but will they make it out alive? Great style and cinematography and much more punchy and action heavy than the the rest of these. Its a very good modern film noir and the first feature film directed by the Wachowski sisters. Also a much shorter movie (1 hour and 48 minutes) if longer runtimes aren’t your thing.

Honorable Mentions

1. Goodfellas- I personally haven’t seen Goodfellas yet so can’t really give my opinion on it however if you actually want a mafia movie directed by Martin Scorsese starring Robert De Niro here’s one you can actually watch. My friend Angel says this ones really good and I trust their opinion

2. War and Peace 1966-67- again I haven’t seen this one but my friend Bianca really liked this one and tells me whenever she pictures Goncharov she imagines this. From what I gather people who are interested in how soviet history affected the art of the time and enjoy complicated relationship drama will enjoy this one. Also if you’re into very long media this one is split into 4 parts and clocks in at a crisp 7 hours.

If anyone has other suggestions let me know! I love getting recommendations :)

#goncharov #goncharov 1973 #the godfather #house of leaves #goodfellas #the handmaiden #black sails #bound 1996 #war and peace #film

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telomeke · 10 months

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BE MY FAVORITE EPISODE 5 – A PADAWAN IN THE TEMPLE OF ENLIGHTENMENT (AND A NOD AT MARRIAGE EQUALITY)

I consider myself quite visually-oriented, but oddly I've not applied that so much to the dramas I watch, preferring to focus on the text and narrative as though they were a book come to life.

But this scene in Be My Favorite (beginning at Ep.5 [3I4] 1.55, when Pisaeng goes to see Max in the café) is so chock-full of meaningful visual details whacking you in the eyeballs that I've simply got to write about it.

It's not a secret that Max is portrayed as the wise queer elder in BMF. The narrative clearly shows him inhabiting that role, with his queer activism (Ep.8 [3I4] 5.43, Ep.10 [2/4] 2.58) and him doling out advice to Kawi (e.g., Ep.4 [1I4] 3.03, Ep.5 [2/4] 10.07, Ep.6 [1I4] 16.11, Ep.8 [3I4] 4.35) and tough love to Pisaeng (Ep.5 [3I4] 2.53) as they grow into their (queer) identities.

The visuals in the scene at Ep.5 [3I4] 1.55 really reinforce this purposeful portrayal as well.

First of all, the camera angle is pitched low, so that Max towers above all others in the scene, amplifying his physical stature (and drawing attention to his intellectual one as well).

He is also dressed in shades of yellow and rust, which call to mind the robes (that range in hue from saffron to cinnamon) worn by the greatly respected and influential Buddhist monks of Thailand. With this chromatic and cultural context, the colors of Max's wardrobe are meant to signal his seasoned wisdom and authority as he sternly counsels inexperienced babygay Pisaeng. (GMMTV has also used these colors to denote similar higher-thinking preoccupations and orientations in Moonlight Chicken and Bad Buddy as well – see this write-up linked here.)

Now the colors that we see in the café interior are also significant – the abundance of white with yellow and gold/metallic accents is a color scheme that is also used very often in the Buddhist temple architecture of Thailand. You can see this too in the scene where Pisaeng comforts Kawi after the funeral of the latter's dad (Ep.8 [2/4] 4.42):

(above) Be My Favorite Ep.8 [2/4] 4.42 – Pisaeng and Kawi talk on the steps of a Thai temple, most probably after the funeral of Kawi's dad (note the white, yellow and metallic accents)

A Google Image Search for "Thai Temple Architecture" will also bring up many examples; Wat Benchamabophit is a sumptuously typical one. The similar colors in the café are thus playing their part to emphasize the monastic theme and Max's role as the sacerdotal senior in these hallowed grounds.

Among all the pops and pings of yellow in the café décor is a prominent disk (likely a representation of the sun) that can be seen on the noren of the doorway behind the servery.

(above) Be My Favorite Ep.5 [3I4] 2.32 – Max and his halo while talking to Pisaeng

The cinematography has some shots carefully positioned so that the disk appears to encircle (in turns) Max and then Pisaeng like a golden halo – Max at Ep.5 [3I4] 2.32 and Pisaeng at Ep.5 [3I4] 2.47.

(above) Be My Favorite Ep.5 [3I4] 2.47 – Pisaeng and his halo while talking to Max

Significantly, the halo in Buddhist iconography is also used (as it is in Western art) to evoke holiness and/or enlightenment. In this BMF scene we see it first around Max, and then around Pisaeng, which suggests that the (queer) wisdom being imparted is moving in the direction from the former to the latter.

But the brightest splash of yellow must surely be the large sunflowers on display behind Max.

(above) Be My Favorite Ep.5 [3I4] 2.54

Aside from the higher-minded connotations associated with the yellow color, the choice of bloom is significant in a number of other ways. Sunflowers turn to face the sun's illumination as it moves across the sky, and this parallels how Pisaeng has come to the café to seek out Max, the haloed source of his enlightenment.

In addition, various Thai websites (including the Pantip forum, linked here) point out that in Thailand the sunflower is symbolic of steadfastness, which to me aligns well with Max's unwavering confidence in his LGBTQ+ identity and dedication to the cause.

And finally, the Thai words for sunflower (ทานตะวัน, pronounced something like taan dtawan) can be roughly translated as "to resist/oppose the sun", which also fits really well with Max's leanings toward LGBTQ+ activism and the peaceful protesting for equal rights in the face of searing opposition.

All of this fingerpointing to wisdom and high-mindedness is given an additional boost when we look at the prominent Thai lettering on the wall behind Max (that spells out the café's name "เจ-ดีย์", pronounced something like che-di).

More often spelt without a hyphen, เจดีย์ refers to the Thai chedi or stupa, which is also a Buddhist religious building in Thailand (usually bell-shaped and functioning as a holy reliquary and/or a place of meditation) within a temple complex. You can see a painting of a chedi on the café wall next to Pisaeng at Ep.6 [1I4] 6.27:

(above) Be My Favorite Ep.6 [1I4] 6.34 – Max and Pisaeng chat on the café terrace next to a painting of a chedi

The idea that Pisaeng has entered a hall of greater erudition is further underlined by the name of the café on the wall. However, in real life when using Roman letters the café spells its name Jedi, not Chedi (you can see this on their Facebook linked here, and also at Ep.3 [2/4] 6.17 and Ep.6 [1I4] 12.35).

(above left) Be My Favorite Ep.3 [2/4] 6.17; (above right) Ep.6 [1I4] 12.35

And although it's not a Star Wars-themed café, they do have a drink called the Yoda, drawing attention to the café's name as a pun on the noble knights of the film series as well (see this link here).

Remembering that the Jedi in Star Wars canon are a line of monastic, wise, peace-loving elder fighters (Yoda being a prime example), the café name behind Max also calls out to his senior queer activist role in Be My Favorite.

(above) Be My Favorite Ep.5 [3I4] 2.30

Coming back to the colors, it's impossible not to notice the streaks of pink in Max's hair:

(above) Be My Favorite Ep.5 [3I4] 2.49

In Thailand the head is considered the seat of knowledge and wisdom (leading to much unnecessary handwringing on foreign websites around touching a Thai person's head; see this link here that sheds more sensible light on the matter). As for the color pink, it's historically been symbolic of the LGBTQ+ community.

With his distinctive coiffure, it's not difficult to see that Max is being presented as radiating pink knowledge and wisdom. (Also worth noting is that the streaks in his hair fade to a somber gray in other timelines when he is not the sagely elder and/or the narrative has taken a darker turn, e.g., at Ep.7 [2/4] 3.10 when his standing is downgraded to popstar Kawi's put-upon assistant, and at Ep.11 [4/4] 1.45 when Kawi is in the ICU.)

(above left) Be My Favorite Ep.7 [2/4] 3.22; (above right) Ep.11 [4/4] 1.54

‌I never knew that all of this visual signaling in film actually had a technical name, but it does. This is called visual rhetoric, when details in the setting, props and wardrobe echo and amplify the same message being conveyed by the dialogue and drama on screen, and I learnt this from the wise and always-spicy @respectthepetty's posts on Reading the Visual Rainbow (linked here and here). RTP's posts have greatly enriched my understanding and enjoyment of the dramas that I watch, especially Thai BL, and I highly, highly recommend reading them. 👍💖

Anyway, if Max in this scene is the venerated elder imparting wisdom to his rapt congregation (and that includes the viewing audience too; it's not just Pisaeng), what is his message here? I think that there are at least two messages being conveyed.

At the level of the text, an exasperated Max is admonishing acolyte Pisaeng (beginning at Ep.5 [3I4] 2.53) for all of his bumbling around coming to terms with his queer identity:

"Listen. There are wars going on around the world. Our politics are crap. People get locked up because they voice their opinions. Ice is melting at the poles. People are killing people because of race or religion. Who are you? Are you that important? Why do you even think other people would care where you go or what you do?"

But Max's tone and choice of words are maybe a touch harsher than they need to be? Especially in Thailand, where jai yen (ใจเย็น, meaning coolness of heart; see this link here for more explanation) is so important in polite social interaction, his diatribe seems far out of proportion compared to Pisaeng's clumsiness, insensitive as it might have been.

I think this is because it's not actually Pisaeng that is the intended recipient of this rant – the message is actually meant for the larger viewing audience. In Thailand where queer people face considerably less risk to personal safety than in other countries but are nonetheless still subject to discrimination, Max's questions ("Who are you? Are you that important? Why do you even think other people would care where you go or what you do?") are not just telling Pisaeng that he should be worrying less about how others might perceive him, but are also highlighting that no one should even have to worry about been seen as different (and treated differently for it) in the first place.

Because – following the mention of wars, dirty politics, arbitrary detention, restricted speech, global warming and ethnic cleansing – idealist Max's questions can be directed to broader society as well, if you re-phrase them a little differently to encompass all queer people and not just Pisaeng, like this:

"Who are we (to you)? Are we that important (in the larger scheme of things)? Why should other people care where we go or what we do (if it's just us living our lives as private members of society)?"

Max is declaiming that on a grander scale, the fixation that conservatives have on denying queer people equal rights based on fictional, imagined reasons is farcically illogical and wholly unwarranted compared to the actual problems being faced by the planet. At its plainest, the message is: stop objecting to equal treatment for LGBTQ+ people, because surely it must be a non-issue that equality should apply to all, since it harms no one.

And all of this ties in to the second message of the scene, that is trumpeted loudly by the visuals – and it's about marriage equality.

I learnt about the most important part of a Thai wedding ceremony called รดน้ำสังข์ (pronounced something like rot naam sang; have also seen this reversed as sang rot naam) when I looked up a scene in Not Me The Series, in order to reblog a post by @wen-kexing-apologist referencing marriage equality in that BL:

During the rot naam sang, elders in attendance pour water from a ceremonial conch shell (nowadays replaced by a symbolic, cone-shaped vessel) onto the hands of the bridal couple, and this marks the moment when the pair are formally married. During that particular scene in Not Me, various elements onscreen came together (in another example of visual rhetoric) to form an unspoken comment regarding the issue of marriage for all in Thailand (more info in the post linked here).

Since then, anytime something shaped like a cone or funnel appears in a Thai drama, especially in the presence of water, I can't help but wonder if they're referencing a wedding somehow (remembering @respectthepetty's post on reading the visuals, and the scene in Not Me).

And this scene in Be My Favorite (starting at Ep.5 [3I4] 1.55) is absolutely doing just that, especially in the light of Max's little sermon on equality and Thai BL's years-long march in support of queer marriage in general.

When queer elder Max pours water into one of the cone-shaped coffee filters at Ep.5 [3I4] 1.55, the scene has been set up as an explicit visual reference to the rot naam sang, with the filters standing in for the symbolic conch.

There are two funnels in front of Max, but only one gets the water. Both pour-over coffee sets are identical in form, function and capacity (with only a superficial difference in the appearance – one has a metallic frame and trim while the other doesn't). But the funnel on Max's left (despite being the equal of the other) receives no water at all, emphasizing how only cishet couples in Thailand are allowed to get married, while everyone else outside that definition is denied. (The two funnels are actually separate filtration sets placed side-by-side just for this scene.) And then Be My Favorite unequivocally draws a line through this to show how wrong it all is, by having Max's arm physically cross out the visual of the two symbolic sangs or matrimonial conches (one filled, one empty) at Ep.5 [3I4] 2.24.

This is not the only time BMF shows up with drums beating for marriage equality – we see this on the activist signage display at Ep.11 [1I4] 11.27 and also when the doctor sidelines Pisaeng (at Ep.11 [4/4] 0.36) when discussing Kawi's health because he's not a blood relation or a legal spouse.

(top) The activist signage display at Ep.11 [1I4] 11.27; (bottom) the doctor asks if there are family members he might contact regarding Kawi's health, when Pisaeng is right there in front of him (Ep.11 [4/4] 0.36)

Given all of Be My Favorite's focus on this matrimonial LGBTQ+ cause, my hope for the finale of the series is that Pisaeng and Kawi end up in a timeline where marriage equality does become a reality for them (not a prediction though, just wishful thinking). And it's not just their own wedding that I would like to see. 😍

In different timelines, Pear ends up with nothing but heartache for choosing the wrong guy – e.g., Pisaeng absconding before their wedding vows in order to kiss Kawi in a drunken declaration of love (Ep.2 [4/4] 5.46), her relationship with Kawi souring because Pisaeng (apparently) came between them (Ep.7 [2/4] 11.28), and settling for a prison sentence with slimeball Not as her jailer because she's pregnant and doesn't want to wait any longer for marriage (Ep.7 [3I4] 4.00).

(above) Be My Favorite Ep.7 [3I4] 3.50 – a tearful Pear explains to Kawi why she's marrying Not

My hope is for the finale to bestow a Happily Ever After on long-suffering Pear for once. And with all the discourse around marriage equality in Be My Favorite – wouldn't it be a nice touch if her soon-to-be spouse James (whose name pops up on the wedding invitation at Ep.11 [3I4] 0.27) turns out to be somewhat different from the usual boring supermarket box-cake variety?

(above) Be My Favorite Ep.11 [3I4] 0.27

Whether it's trans, lesbian, nonbinary or another option, so many possibilities abound. As long as they make her happy... I can only hope. 💖

‌

#be my favorite #be my favorite episode 5 #visual rhetoric #marriage equality

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theultimatenonbinarynerd · 2 months

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New Who Kid Watches Classic Who: Genesis Of The Daleks

Introduction

Classic Who is something I owe a lot too even though I have never seen it. Without Classic Who my Grandma never would have gotten my Mum into Doctor Who and without my Mum getting into Doctor Who I never would have become obsessed with New Who. Its a generational cycle in my family that only my brother has broken.

With all of Classic Who being put on BBC I Player well most of it. (I'm gutted about an unearthly child) I decided it was time to get into the era that thrived my Grandma (Rip) and Mum's love for scifi. But before I started from the beginning there were three episodes I knew I needed to check out, let's say they were for lore curiosities sake. The TV Movie, Genesis Of The Daleks and The Five Doctor's. I'll share my thoughts on The TV Movie and The Five Doctor's in separate blogs, for now I gotta talk about Genesis Of The Daleks. It's gonna take me a white to get use to the 6 part stories and dramatic cliffhangers but I'm willing to give it a chance.

Okay I will say as a disabled person I see what Russell T Davies means but he needs to rewatch this episode as The Disabled Villian trope becomes worse if the character is motivated by their disability Davros isn't. I completely understand the thoughts though I just hope that skit was non cannon or an alternate universe and they treat him with respect. He was a manipulative menace in this episode and its pretty ironic that in the end he got out manipulated. I hope his other appearances are just as good and they explain his survival well.

What I Liked

There's a lot I loved throughout this six parter it was very tense and climatic. I also thought our tardis team of The Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry Sullivan worked together masterfully. Whilst The Ponds reminded me of A Married Couple Babysitting their goofy Son, These three reminded me of Two Siblings trying to keep up with their Older Wise But Mad Sibling. It's the first time I've seen Sarah with a Doctor other than 10 and 11 and they work together beautifully.

Firstly I have to praise the incredible cinematography. Man the shots despite this episode being filmed so long ago are absolutely beautiful even on a wide screen TV. The angled shadowy shots of the Daleks are really menacing and it adds to the dark tone of the story as it is. All the settings including the clean white aesthetic of the karld labs create a deeply unsettling feeling in your stomach. I also think the cuts to Davros make you very uneasy as well, his introduction and reveal was absolutely magnificent.

Secondly I have to praise the incredible themes and philosophy incoperated into this story. Toxic Fans like to scream and yell at Moden Doctor Who calling it woke when it always has been. Terry Nation crafted a really good story about the ethics of war and genocide even if you know that the very think you plan to stop might become an earth shattering unempathetic killer. It was very heartbreaking but seeing all the karld scientists wiped out by the Daleks was so important to include as it shows the deep juxtaposition between Davros and The Doctor which makes them brilliant rivals. Despite all the Daleks will do The Doctor can't bare to initiate a genocide of them in their earliest form, a mistakes that will haunt The Doctor's character for many years to come. Whilst Davros would happily kill his own men and play a Palpatine chess like game between The Karld's and The Tharls just for the survival of his creation. Its a story with very important messages and themes that the audience need to evolve. Its also a bold one as we finally get to see the orgins of The Daleks and why they are so Heartless. My mum pointed out but I already knew that the Daleks are definitely a metaphor for a certain group in World War 2. The Cybermen too you could argue.

Finally I have to praise the high stakes and thrills. My mum stared at my gasps and started laughing when I said that Classic Who seems to be more of a blood bath than the New Series. I know Bad Wolf and Parting Of The Ways was brutal but this story is just on a whole other level. As well as laughing with me she did hold my hand too I was absolutely heartbroken at some of the deaths and was routing for The Doctor, Harry And Sarah to survive and over come everything. Not to mention the cliffhangers showing this deep danger are characters were in. I was glued to my seat anticipating what might happen next. Nobody was safe and I definitely felt for all the characters that fell to The Daleks peril. This story is definitely worth it for The High Stakes alone.

What I Disliked

Okay so it might be because it's early days of me watching but I didn't like the cliffhangers as they felt disruptive to the flow of the story and very repetitive as half of the cliffhangers were are tardis team in peril or being kidnapped. My mum saids its just the fever of being a new who baby and that it was exciting at the time but for me it was a bit frustrating.

Secondly I feel like Sarah who was beautifully written in New Who didn't get much too do at all. It feels like she was running around for the sake of it and I would have loved her to play an even bigger role then she did. Whilst Harry got to help The Doctor rescue Sarah I felt like Sarah only got to hang around with other characters for the sake of it. I loved Elizabeth Sladen and will forever miss her so I want to see more awesome moments with a younger Sarah.

Conclusion

So those are my first thoughts after watching Genesis Of The Daleks. It was a really good story arc to the point I can tell why it haunted The Doctor so much even in The Time War. Poor Eight especially was haunted by it. I think it still holds up well despite the effects. My mum's right I just gotta lose myself in the story considering it's media that came out during her time. Very invested though. I can see why so many people like Four but like how everyone loves Ten he's probably not gonna be fav Classic Doctor as I tend to route for the underdogs.

Davros is so menacing and I generally can't wait to see his other appearances in Classic Who apart from the one where he's a floating head as I do think that's problematic and it makes me uncomfortable. I seriously admire the boldness of the stories and can see how they've shaped New Who. I hope New Who can make the Daleks as scary as they were in this episode. I miss when the Daleks weren't just a running gag.

I'm gonna definitely be excited when I get back to this Tardis Team. Sarah and Harry are companions that beautifully compliment the 4th Doctor. I really am excited for this journey though as a whole.

This has been Mel with a classic who review over and out.

-Melody-

They/Them

#doctor who #classic who #new who #4th doctor #tom baker #sarah jane smith #harry sullivan #fourth doctor #davros #the daleks #genesis of the daleks

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kurisus · 2 years

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Finally sat down to watch Goncharov after reading the books back in college (we read part of it in my postmodernism class and I found it so interesting I sought out the rest) and I gotta say, the cinematography, acting, and score are all amazing but story-wise they really rushed things compared to the trilogy's ending. And maybe you don't feel this way if you haven't read them, but it really stuck out to me.

We all know Goncharov dies in the film as a result of his hubris. But I felt like it undersells the tragedy of it all? In the books, the facts of the ending are more or less the same--he's left dead on the side of the road like just another drunk, and those who loved him have long since abandoned him before dying themselves--but they come with three novels' worth of the lies building and building before they all collapse in on themselves like the house of cards in the casino scene.

Katya's attempt to break free of her marriage is also a lot more fleshed out. It's clear she's holding on to hope she can repair things with Goncharov at least at the start, but as he's pulled more and more into the insidious world of the Italian mafia, she and Andrey eventually both give up on getting the Goncharov they knew back. I don't really want to spoil anything in case you read it for yourself, but there's so much more to her character and we even get some POVs of her later on.

Katya and Andrey become good friends in the books too! You can read their relationship as romantic, but I personally saw it as platonic mostly because I felt their respective tensions with Sofia and Goncharov were more interesting. And speaking of, Sofia gets a whole arc in the novels! I know we all wanted more backstory and girlboss moments in the film, so definitely check out the books if you want to see that.

Overall though, the film was great and I don't regret watching it. I'll have the main theme stuck in my head for ages. 8/10.

#goncharov #unreality #live update #this is fun lol

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ellanainthetardis · 2 years

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"Like Mockingjay (never start me talking about Mockingjay)."

Now you have to talking more about Mockingjay. What's your problem with MJ? 😎

@curiousnonny

@curiousnonny I feel like my poor followers are tired of my opinion on mj lmao. There must be a ton of posts somewhere under my meta tag but I will sum it up for you. Baring in mind it's been ages since I've reread or seen the movies so my opinion might have chanced in the meantime I guess if I saw it again.

Book wise: I do like the book alright in the sense that I like the themes and the messages and I think it wraps the series up perfectly. However, I also consider Mockingjay to be very poor writing because it's the book when suzanne discovered how limited a first person pov was and it shooooows. We're trapped in Katniss' head when, clearly, we needed more info so we get a scene like Finnick's death - a scene I still consider to be one of the worst writing example of all times by the way - where Katniss suddenly develops telepathy and reads his thoughts. lol. Let's not forget the random and weird decision to substitute Effie for Fulvia and only remember about Effie halfway down the book with a vague mention of "we don't know what happened to her", well okay then. Outside of that, Mockingjay was a strong instalment and I have no other problem with it (at least I don't think).

Now. The movies. *take deep breath. Beg someone to hold me back*

Okay for the positive, thanks to the movie more omniscient perspective, it corrects that whole "first person" problem and we get to see more of the war, we get more context which is great. The cinematography was also very pretty which doesn't hurt. Strictly on an aesthetic point of view the two movies are great - that dam scene will never ever not give me chills.

HOWEVER, they made decisions to change some stuff that still irk me.

Personally, I would rather have Effie rescued with the victors than there from the start because they made her comic relief when she could have been so much more and it annoyed me. Elizabeth's performance is awesome and it's not her fault but we were promised a fish out of water for months and we didn't get that. I love her but we didn't get that.

Strictly linked to Effie's situation we have Thirteen. Thirteen in the books is a military district that borders on police state to rival the Capitol. There are lots of rules and harsh punishment for disobeying those rules, it's a military place where everyone is considered a soldier (and I actually really much liked that part in the books). We see most of that aspect of Thirteen through its interactions with Capitols - in the books the prep team, but also Fulvia when she tosses away a piece of paper and in a lesser impact Plutarch. The key scene to me that clue to Thirteen's true harsh nature is the one with the prep team where Katniss finds them imprisoned in a cell that hints at torture happening behind those door (not to the prep team necessarily but generally: the chains, the drain on the floor etc). It's clear from that scene on that in Thirteen, you follow rules or you get hurt. Now back to the movie: Effie struts around in a modified uniform (how funny haha), doesn't generally follow the rules ("I won't get out of my compartment" how do you eat then? Because they're sure as hell not giving you trays of food), and is very much running her own show. That doesn't keep with book!Thirteen and that annoys me to death.

Now, again, it wasn't difficult to make Effie a fish out of water. You just had to give her the right uniform and make her wear it. The scene with the prep team could have been included with Effie in their place. It would have gone a long way into making Thirteen more book!canon.

Linked to Thirteen is movie!Coin. Look, it was a choice. They made her give Katniss so many pep talks. She was great at the distant evil vibes but she wasn't as frightening as book!Coin and I do love to hate book!Coin. They also changed the final voting on Games scene with her saying she doesn't want a bloodbath and lol. That's exactly what she wanted. So... I guess they tried to make her more human with Snow being the big bad villain and the reveal that she was also not a great person doesn't hit like in the books.

Regarding the pep talks that Coin gives to Katniss all the time. Here's my question: where the fuck was woody when they were filming? Was he high? Was he not on set? How do we go from Haymitch being Katniss' prime caretaker in book!MJ to Haymitch barely talking to her at all in the movies? I love those scenes in MJ where Haymitch's love for her shows, okay. I love that even though they have their tension and Katniss is angry with him because of Peeta, it shows that they care about each other. Haymitch is with her, in her corner, there's no question. In the movies Haymitch is hardly there to be found and he's pretty much comic relief half the time. That's the big reason for my annoyance with the movies I guess. I love Haymitch and we didn't get enough. All his canons scenes were replaced either by Coin or Effie.

Another scene that absolutely guts me in the book is the Finnick's reveal scene. It's just such a twist in the books, such an important reveal and in the movies they made the *stupid* choice of CUTTING IT SO KATNISS CAN HAVE A SKYPE SESSION WITH SNOW. A SKYPE SESSION. WITH SNOW. Nothing more to say about that.

Speaking of Katniss, like I mentioned in the last act, JLaw's performance in those movies is... a choice. Her face is blank all the time, she gives as much emotion as a plank of wood... I don't know I just didn't buy it. But more importantly, she is wolverine. Take a bomb in the face? No problem, she bounces back in five seconds without scars or any physical trauma. Easy peasy.

I also hate the erasure of any sort of trauma. I get it was probably for rating reasons and it's not like it was the first time. Haymitch's alcoholism is pretty much absent (yes we see him drinking in the previous movies, yes it's acknowledged he drinks to excess but we never see any hint of withdrawals and he stops drinking without apparent difficulties outside of a cold, he also stays sober in the last stretch of mj and possibly afterwards as well which is a whole different discussion I already had a few times and that only highlights the differences between book!H and movie!H) and in the same veine, we don't see Katniss getting addicted to morphling, we don't see her becoming suicidal and we don't see her finding herself back through singing - which is very sad actually because there is this whole thread of Katniss and singing woven through all 3 books and we loses a very impactful moment here. Instead we get Katniss shipped back to 12 under one day because why not?

Book!MJ has that for itself that it doesn't shy away from trauma, it shows the bad and the ugly and it also shows the good because there's rebirth. Movie!MJ... Well, we get bad wigs.

I probably forgot some stuff but here it is in a nutshell XD I told you you shouldn't have started me on that topic lmao.

#ask #anon #curiousnonny #meta #I know I know #I'm beating on a dead horse #which is a HORRIBLE expression by the way

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defiantdreemurrs · 2 years

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bussyween, part two: halloween ii (1981)

im writing this about a week or so after actually watching it because i had attempted to start writing and didnt get more than half a paragraph in. ill follow it up with part three shortly since i watched the next one today. for now, heres part two of bussyween, covering halloween ii (1981), directed by rick rosenthal.

for starters im greatly impressed by the cinematography on several fronts. dean cundey outdid himself with a lot of the shots, and the hospital setting that most of the movie takes place in is shot with a beautifully claustrophobic feel. somehow they managed to make a tiny little hospital in the late 70s (more on that later) look good.

the other main reason im impressed with the cinematography is that while this was definitely shot and released three years after the original, it takes place literally on the exact same halloween night as the original. it picks up exactly where halloween leaves off and almost feels like more of a part two rather than just a sequel, and honestly aside from the obvious wig jamie lee curtis wears, it looks like it takes place on the exact same night. were it not for the wig and the drastically sonically different score i feel like you could edit these films together into one giant, 2.5 hour long cut, and someone who wasnt intimately familiar with these movies would probably be fooled into thinking it was one film.

speaking of the score, it leaves me with very mixed feelings. there arent a lot of particularly new compositions, most of it is comprised of newly recorded, much more synth heavy arrangements of the same themes composed for the original film. conceptually this doesnt bother me in the slightest but in terms of execution i think it could have been handled better. the classic theme sounds kinda goofy now that the piano has been replaced with a weirdly brassy sounding synth. its a sound design decision i dont really understand but if thats what carpenter and newcomer to the halloween series alan howarth (carpenters musical partner in the studio for most of the 80s) really wanted then good for them. the main exception is "the shape stalks again", which is a rearrangement of the stalking cue from the original, that is far more tense than its predecessor.

a notable difference between this film and the previous is that of the level of violence and gore featured. whereas the original is paced more like a thriller and uses that to its advantage instead of relying on extremely gory deaths, carpenter decided to reshoot some of the kills in this movie to make them more violent to compete with all of the clones that were popping up in the emerging slasher genre, most notably 1980s friday the 13th. i dont think this really detracts that much from the film, i think for the most part it ratchets up the tension nicely compared to the original. that said, i think some of them are somewhat unnecessary solely because of pacing reasons.

ive saved my thoughts on the films pacing and narrative for last because i wanted to get my more positive feelings out of the way up front. where i think this movie falls apart is in its pacing. scenes are drawn out far beyond where they need to be length wise and the whole film feels padded to hell. it isnt really until the last act that everything starts to flow really really well. the first act feels alright and sets things up well enough, even if i feel like the way they repeatedly have characters talk about how "that kid who killed his parents 15 years ago? yeah i heard he escaped" kinda cheapens things and just generally feels unnecessary.

the first act also sets up probably the least interesting part of the film: its new characters. mostly the trio of nurses who clearly only exist to pad out the films kill count. jimmy, the shy boy who develops a crush on laurie, is the only one with any real importance to the plot, and even he ends up being mostly irrelevant. the other two literally only exist to be killed off in admittedly a somewhat interesting and gruesome way.

the second act is easily the low point of the film, however. pointless scene after pointless scene attempting to flesh out characters that just arent anywhere near as interesting as the original films side cast. not to mention an arguably useless dr loomis, one of the standouts of the original, now reduced to wandering around town like an idiot looking for michael and giving exposition that leads to the eventual twist reveal in act three.

skip this paragraph if you dont want to be spoiled for a 40 year old movie, but this films main contribution to the series is the reveal that laurie is michaels long lost sister. i have to spoil this here because almost the entire rest of the series until the 2018 sequel is built off of this revelation, but i can imagine if youre reading this and have an interest in these movies already then you probably already know this. it is a central plot feature in seven other films including the two rob zombie-directed remake/reboot films, and is referenced extensively in those films, and it all started with this film when a bored john carpenter struggling with writers block decided "what if michael and laurie were siblings?"

aside from all these issues the last 40 or so minutes of the film improve drastically on the weaker middle, and from the moment laurie gets out of bed and starts running it is tense as fuck and i feel it almost outdoes the finale of the first film. the final few scenes are incredibly shot, and the last shot of the film in particular is such an effective shot to end a film on.

overall halloween ii is a good 60 minute part two to the original halloween, stretched out a bit too far to a 90 minute feature film. it clearly has almost as big a legacy as the original does, considering the only continuity in the series that does not acknowledge it in some way is the 2018 reboot timeline. were it tightened up just a bit i honestly think i might prefer it to the original as a standalone film, but as it stands i think the two work better together, as its sequel nature makes the less interesting parts marginally more tolerable.

join me next time on bussyween for a look at the franchises first and only attempt at branching out from the story of michael myers, halloween iii: season of the witch.

#halloween #michael myers #bussyween #john carpenter #rick rosenthal #jamie lee curtis #alan howarth

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moviewarfare · 3 years

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A Review of “Jungle Cruise (2021)”

Jungle Cruise (2021) is another attempt at making a movie franchise based on one of their rides at their theme parks. The only real success so far has been Pirates of the Caribbean. Most of the time it is Tomorrowland (2015) or The Haunted Mansion (2003). The premise is "Dr Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) enlists the aid of wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson) to take her down the Amazon in his ramshackle boat. Together, they search for an ancient tree that holds the power to heal -- a discovery that will change the future of medicine". So is this more close to Pirates of the Caribbean or Tomorrowland?

Firstly, Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt truly carry this film. Dwayne's scoundrel and charismatic performance surprisingly works well with Emily's posh and outgoing performance. Both have great chemistry together and when they are both bantering with one another, it is enjoyable to watch. The majority of the movie is about the characters on the boat which is what the ride is about. So I do appreciate the fact that they did attempt to keep it faithful to the ride it was inspired by.

Jungle Cruise feels like a 90s movie but that is not quite a bad thing in this case. It is advertised as a fun family adventure movie and I do believe it succeeds in that aspect. There are some silly but fun jokes that mostly land and there are over the top action sequences that are fun to watch. We get the 90s comic relief guy and even over the top villains as well. For the most part, it does feel old fashioned but it works and I can definitely see families enjoying Jungle Cruise. There are also some really nice twists and revelations that genuinely surprised me as well.

However, the plot is a bit messy in its execution. For example, it takes quite a while for the Jungle Cruise to actually start and even when it has finally started, there is a lot of downtimes that don't advance the plot. The film's length is over 2 hours and it feels way too long. The movie could have easily cut 15-20 minutes of runtime and made it a better film, pacing wise. Dwayne's character, Frank Wolff, is the cliche cynical and shrewd character who is initially unlikeable but gets better later. Jungle Cruise takes almost over halfway in the movie before he actually becomes likeable which was way too long in my opinion. Jungle Cruise also has a villain problem as there are two villains in this film. Aguirre, the cursed Spanish conquistador, who wanted the tree's power to save his daughter but is now immortal and Prince Joachim who is some german guy. Both are chasing the protagonist but Prince Joachim himself feels like a giant waste of screen time even though he appears more than Aguirre. You could cut Prince Joachim and the plot is still the same, that is how irrelevant his character is.

Jungle Cruise (2021) has an abundant amount of CGI. It feels like CGI was the first solution to everything by the director and it shows. It wouldn't be as jarring if the CGI itself was good. Unfortunately, this is not the case as the CGI is very noticeable and not great by 2021 standards. The shots, editing and cinematography are also disappointing average and never feel like it tries to do more with it despite it being a big blockbuster. However, the music score by James Newton Howard has got to be the most disappointing aspect of Jungle Cruise. James has done scores for many great films such as King Kong (2005), Unbreakable (2000), Fantastic Beast franchise etc. For some reason, James gives a very weak score for Jungle Cruise (2021). There is no soundtrack here that sticks in my mind and it has no iconic theme like Pirates of the Caribbean.

Overall, Jungle Cruise is a fun action and adventure film that is reminiscent of classic 90s films such as The Mummy (1999) but never as good. Thanks to the chemistry of Dwayne and Emily, the Jungle Cruise manages to stay afloat to keep you engaged but it certainly ends up being a very generic and forgettable movie. Nevertheless, it is better than a lot of Disney's previous outings that were based on theme park rides. Not as good as Pirates of the Caribbean but better than Tomorrowland which is a huge step forward.

For more reviews like this visit:

https://moviewarfarereviews.blogspot.com/

#movies #Movie Reviews #film #Film Review #Disney #disney plus #jungle cruise #dwayne johnson #emily blunt #pirates of the caribbean #the mummy #brendan fraser

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faroreswinds · 3 years

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I finally found it. Someone was able to put my feelings about Skyward Sword into the exact words I failed to figure out. This is by a user named Malaroo on Reddit, and his post read thus:

The story is by far my least favorite part of SS. I wouldn't call it great by any means, because it's essentially your standard shounen anime rundown, with all the same old tired plot mechanics along with the same old abused tropes, scenes and characters.

Zelda's in-game story presentation has never been that good, except in specific instances in certain games. Majora's Mask and Wind Waker (edit: and LA) are the only two three that really manage to drive home any sort of meaningful themes or narratives that go beyond "hero saved the world/princess".

What the series excels at story-wise is interesting underlying lore, and most Zelda games make use of this with just the right amounts of detail, subtlety and finesse. Skyward Sword rubs your nose in it up-front, and does an average/generic job at what it touts so loudly. Prior unknown lore and mystery is revealed as "it all started as a generic anime." A highschool kid chasing his childhood crush, competing against your classic white-haired bishounen creeper pawn and the source of all evil.

That's a terrible answer. That's the description of every 2-star anime on Amazon. It certainly shows/does more than most Zelda stories, but that doesn't inherently make it great by any means.

And that's not even diving into the hilariously dry and overtly standard cinematography. No prominent cinema/narrative critic would praise the things that make up Skyward Sword's deeply average story and its presentation. You see praise for it from Zelda fans because the Zelda fandom meshes with anime fandom, and while anime can be fantastic like the rightfully renowned original Ghost in The Shell, Skyward Sword's story presentation is more along the lines of Inuyasha and other adolescent demographic anime.

#Skyward Sword #it completely ruins the lore and the finesse of it #and BotW is showing that they are going to run with it and abandon the old stuff #they even are ignoring SS by forgetting Fi shouldnt ever be able to speak to anyone again but eeeeehhhh

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smallfrost · 4 years

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Motherland: Fort Salem. Musical analysis for Raelle and Scylla

It is no secret (unless you did not know that the Original Score for MFS exists and if you didn’t, it does and you should go listen immediately) that there is a track named Raelle & Scylla on the score. If you didn’t know that, then this is more interesting. More below the cut - in case you don’t care or don’t want to be spoiled.

The track “Raelle & Scylla” is the music that plays when Raelle and Scylla take Salva for the first time in the Pilot.

Still not over the cinematography here

In the majority of the Raelle and Scylla scenes that follow (typically ones that are Scylla emotionally conveying a message) this musical theme always plays. It is not exactly the same as the first time, but very clearly the same notes are played.

We hear it in Episode 2, when they are walking in the graveyard

You sexy weirdos

Episode 3 in Memorial Hall, when Scylla tells Raelle about her parents (for real)

Just hug her already, Raelle

Twice in Episode 4. First after Raelle leaves the infirmary and Scylla is relieved she is okay.

Fuck fuck fuck I fucked up = Scylla in this moment

Second after Beltane when Scylla admits she has feelings for Raelle.

They’re the same height but let’s just play smol and tol here for a sec

And in Episode 5, when Scylla gives Raelle her gift

Sexy Weird Palm DMs are the new snapchat

That’s this season SO FAR. But there’s more:

While everyone has probably guessed that next week during Salva training Raelle is going to be filled with grief over Scylla being missing, we can confirm this by turning to the Original Score. The track “Missing Salva” starts with this same thematic music, so for sure we will hear this theme at least once in Episode 6 and it will represent the heartbreak Raelle is feeling from Scylla [potentially] having been “killed”. When I first listened to the score after episode 1, this gave me chills that they so seamlessly conveyed this message with music.

Also in the score (MAJOR SPOILER) is a track called Scylla Revealed. While we probably all guessed this would happen eventually and the majority of this track is the sound of the Spree, the last few seconds are… Raelle & Scylla’s musical theme. Again, I got actual chills when I first heard this 4 weeks ago, knowing nothing about what was going to happen. Because of this, I’m guessing Raelle will witness either Scylla revealing herself with fire or her carrying out some sort of Spree order (I would love the former) as opposed to being told by Tally or Anacostia.

I’m so excited about the depth of this show and the little details they put in. I’m going to keep track of every scene where I hear this theme and I’m guessing it will reveal some foreshadowing in hindsight after the end of the season.

---

EDIT: An update following Episode 6, Up is Down

As predicted we were gifted with the beauty of “Missing Salva” this episode but this was not the only time we heard Raelle and Scylla’s Musical theme this week. In fact, we heard it three times - what appears to be a record for number of appearances in an episode.

The first time we hear it is during Salva training on base. This is actually the original Raelle & Scylla track from the original score but slightly more raw towards the beginning

*Sings* So you think you can flyyyyy

The second is extremely subtle but the theme plays when Scylla contacts Raelle, interlaced with music that conveys hope

The only time giving your S.O. a rash is sexy and appreciated

And finally, the third time is our “Missing Salva” track. Beautiful, heartbreaking, chill giving. But also; drugs are never the answer, kids. Remember, you are important, you are beautiful, don’t push away the ones who love you. They will be your wings to help you soar.

Yep, right there. That’s the spot

Until next week...

EDIT: An update following Episode 7, Mother Mycelium

Is everyone okay after this episode? I’m pretty sure I’m still dead (no captions for these, they all caused to much pain). Another beautiful and heart breaking week - let’s go over our theme moments. This week brought us the next big track containing the theme: Scylla Revealed. Like last week, we get to hear the Theme three times even though our girls are apart; further solidifying their connection.

The first time the tune graces our ears is when Raelle is looking up at Scylla’s room. Everywhere she looks she sees (and hears) Scylla. This version is slow and depressing and makes it seem like Raelle is really starting to believe Scylla might actually be dead.

The second is during their reunion in the dungeon when Raelle finally says, “I love you”

And the third, as expected, comprised the ending of Scylla Revealed

Seeing Raelle made Scylla’s mind vulnerable and cracked her open (like an egg). All Scylla can think about now is Raelle, even after she has just been forced to reveal her most terrible secrets about herself. This pain we see here is not that Scylla’s mind betrayed the Spree, it’s that she lost Raelle in the process.

This is the last score track that contains Raylla’s theme. Perhaps we will hear Scylla Revealed again when Raelle discovers the truth? But I can guarantee this isn’t the last time we’ll hear our tune.

EDIT - An update following Episode 8, Citydrop

Raelle is reeling after discovering both that Scylla is alive but also may be a member of the Spree and it shows in their music this episode. After rewatching, I only detected their theme once, and barely. When Raelle is remembering their reunion, the theme is ever so subtly hinted at. In fact, I would argue it doesn’t even get the chance to be fully realized.

I really think this is the only time we even remotely hear it in this episode. And even here it is not obvious at all, and I think is indicating the emergence of Raelle’s doubts about how much she truly knows about Scylla. We know by the end of the episode Raelle is really beginning to question what is real and what isn’t. But we will definitely get it again in Episode 9 as more truths and feelings are revealed.

EDIT: An update following Episode 9, Coup

The pain is real this episode and we hear Raelle and Scylla’s theme three times, though technically two of these three are in the same scene. Specifically, when Raelle goes to see Scylla one last time in the dungeon, their theme book-ends their reunion but in two different tones.

At first, it is soft but laced with sadness. Reflecting the pain of Raelle and the sadness of Scylla for realizing Raelle may be lost to her.

But at the end, it becomes harsher and more dissonant as Scylla pleads for Raelle to know her love is real. That she chose her over everything else. They are both raw, just like their music.

And the third time is by their tree, when Raelle admits that she is still in love with Scylla. Here is it deeper and resonates. And it lifts up just as Anacostia tells Raelle Scylla’s love is real. Just a bit at the end but just like in the first scene when their feet leave the ground after taking Salva. It’s laced with hope and Anacostia’s words fill Raelle’s heart with hope.

One more episode left....

EDIT: An update following Episode 10, Witchbomb

HOLY. SHIT. Well that was an epic finale. So much happened. With Raelle and the unit being immediately deployed, and Scylla still in the Dungeon, there was no time for goodbyes for our Necro and Healer. To be honest, I was really nervous that Raelle & Scylla’s theme was completely absent from the finale. But our faith can be renewed because Raylla’s theme does indeed make a small appearance making it 10/10 episode wise this season.

Now when Raelle pleads with Anacostia to have the military go easy on Scylla, that she’s not all bad - I listened to that scene so many times, side by side with others and I can’t confidently say that the Raylla theme was used in any capacity. That being said, I also can’t say that it isn’t there in the bare minimum. I’m pretty sure most of the music in the scene with Anacostia, Raelle, and Tally is more closely related to the Blue Rose Friendship theme but it is possible the Raylla theme is interlaced ever so slightly while Raelle is talking to Anacostia about Scylla... but I’m not calling it completely due to lack of confidence.

Where I am more confident in the appearance of the theme is when Anacostia sets Scylla free and tells her to hold on to the part of her that’s good. The music is bare bones minimal and only during this exact moment. It’s just the core notes that drive the theme home but they are stripped and bare and it makes complete sense because Scylla has lost so much, perhaps even lost Raelle, but what she does have left is the goodness that Raelle instilled in her. And she still has her love for Raelle.

So Raelle and Scylla may be in limbo relationship wise, but the love is real and the part of Scylla that’s good is Raelle. otp: No matter what happens.

Until next season...

#motherland: fort salem #motherland fort salem #motherland #raelle x scylla #raelle collar #scylla ramshorn #scylla x raelle #raylla #mfs theories #When scientists can't science we nerd #mfs research institute

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rmsblog17 · 2 years

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Film Genre - Critical Reflection

I thought for the most part, the feedback we received was quite fair and constructive. The whole worry about ambiguity being too present in our piece wasn’t very necessary as it worked quite well as a whole. When writing a script, I always thought ambiguity is your friend, like an almost get out jail free card, and I’ve used it a lot but in the context of James’ script I thought it worked. Zoe mentioned during our rough cut showing that we could do with a slight bit of exposition in regard to their situation which is why we brought the radio announcer in and it fit really well just to ease the audience in. David mentioned how we could have had a few more cut backs to the ashes while they’re reminiscing about their dead friend. I thought it could have worked but I really enjoyed how the camera remains on them throughout the entire conversation, it’s intimate and keeps the audience engaged with what they’re saying. At the beginning, we had established the dimensions of the car in regard to certain points the audience must see, one of them being the bag of ashes on the dashboard and there were moments where the characters look at the bag during the conversation and I preferred how we stay on them and not cut away.

I think Zoe mentioned how there was a drastic shift in tone from the conversation to the morning where we go from a calm and endearing conversation between two people to a thriller. I enjoyed this sudden tonal shift as it feels very unexpected and unpredictable. That said, the pacing did feel quite fast and rushed, perhaps elongating the conversation could have remedied this to a degree. One comment was that it felt a lot like an extended trailer which I could understand given the crescendo towards the end and then title card. However, it left people wanting more from it and personally, I really enjoy it when something leaves me wanting more or leaves me asking questions because it demonstrates my engagement with the film. There were, however, certain moments that didn’t quite make sense continuity wise such as the fact that no one turns off the radio but it falls silent anyway and that “Frank” had no reason to climb over and go out the driver’s side. There was also my little cameo in the reflection that became more infuriating the more I watched it because without it, the shot is really nice. All of these were very fair points.

In terms of roles, we decided early on that we would divide the roles between technical and visual sides. James and I took on the visual approach while Rowen and Peer dealt with the technical side, that being, sound and cinematography. This divide worked quite well in retrospect although we all had a hand in deciding certain visual elements in the end. For example, Rowen, James and myself formulated the shot list that ultimately served as the basis for our interpretation. Moreover, Peer made many creative choices in regard to sound during post production which worked really well. The switch from night to morning was loosely inspired from the series ‘Dark’, the premise of the show revolves around time and it is very common to hear a ticking sound whenever there is a scene change. I personally felt that my role in post-production was a little too minimal compared to Rowen, Peer and James. My unfamiliarity with Avid and Pro tools made me a little reticent to try it and Rowen and James seemed to know their way around Avid quite well. That said, I did try my hand at colour grading on Da Vinci which I roughly got the hang of after watching Rowen do his thing. I think I’ve said it before but I really do just need to dive head first into it, whether it’s sound or editing or cinematography, it’s becoming a bit of a recurring theme for me to shy away from the things I’m most unfamiliar with. Compared to last year though, there have been instances this year where I have just gone for it so I’ll cut myself a little slack.

All in all, this has been probably the best experience I’ve had working in a group so far on the course. Everyone pulled their weight and despite the mishaps we faced along the way we got there in the end. It was also just so fun to work with these guys and it feels a bit pointless if you’re not having fun along the way. It was a pleasure working with you, RoRo, Peerbear and of course The Fantastic Mr Fox.

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letteredlettered · 3 years

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hi! ive been following your writing for a few years now and i drop by periodically to check if you have anything new posted, and im really surprised that you seem to be enjoying the untamed? im curious what you think about the show - its story and characters, the acting, the production, etc. idk if you know, but the untamed is the most successful example of a current trend in chinese entertainment, where popular online novels centered around a gay romance is adapted into a 'safe' drama.

continued:

due to the many explicit and implicit restrictions imposed on creative media in china, many crucial plot points have to be changed (often badly) or removed, including the nature of the relationship between the main characters. the untamed is considered the most loyal adaptation so far, but like all other works in the genre, it received criticism for weak acting and queerbaiting. that's why im really curious about what you think of the show as it is, as itself, free from its context.

if you're interested, you could also check out guardian! it features much better performance and chemistry by the leads imo, but the story was heavily botched bc the original incorporates and reinvents a lot of classic chinese folklore beautifully and stuff like that is considered disrespectful and not-pc. i think it's really sad how so many great pieces of writing with complex world-building and plotlines are simplified into... idek what to call them, but just, less than what they are.

im sorry this turned into a rant. as a mainland chinese person with oh so many frustrations about our current society, it's hard to comprehensively describe my feelings about the untamed's popularity. it's the first mainland chinese show/movie to gain this much organic interest abroad so i should be glad? but, but. anyway, yes, im sorry.

There’s no need to apologize for ranting, but I admit to some confusion as to whether you want your question addressed or the rant. Because I’m me and tend to be thorough, I’ll address everything, in reverse order.

First of all, I’m sorry that this show is sad to you. I’m sorry that the popularity of it is difficult. I’m also deeply sympathetic to your frustrations about your society, as I too am deeply frustrated by my own.

Secondly, yes, I’m aware of the context of The Untamed. I’m aware that the book it’s based on is a BL novel, and that, in order to align with Chinese politics, overt queerness was erased from the adaptation. I’m aware of the censure laws of gay media in China. I’m also aware that some aspects of necromancy and morality were adjusted to make the show more palatable for general audiences, but I’m fuzzier on those details. Lastly, I’m aware that the popularity of the show calls attention to certain things, such as fanfic, and that attention results in more censorship,

The fact of this erasure and this censure provokes a lot of questions: by consuming this product, which contains erasure and censure, do we engage in the erasure and censure? By posting gifs and writing fanfic and talking about this product, do we increase its popularity, thereby encouraging additional erasure and censure? By increasing the popularity of this product, do we diminish the popularity of the original gay morally gray canon, thereby decreasing representation? Do we discourage other authors in China from writing explicitly gay morally gray material? In short, are we allowed to enjoy this media?

I don’t know the answer to these questions. However, I do know that boycott is a very effective tool when it can inflict economic pain on the producer, or when it can exert pressure on an entity to change. That said, I feel like a lot of the calls to boycott certain media these days are a lot like telling people to stop driving their cars to stop climate change: it’s suggesting that individuals can solve the problem, which presupposes individuals are the problem, and therefore fails to address the scope of the problem, or present the possibility of a real solution. Not watching The Untamed isn’t going to change laws about portrayals of homosexuality onscreen in China, partly because the laws in China are a much bigger problem.

The other part of it is that The Untamed is coded queer, so if you run a successful boycott against it, you end up with . . . less queer TV. I know a whole lot less about China than I do about the Hays Code, but if you had told gay people during the Golden Age of Hollywood that they couldn’t enjoy movies that were coded queer because they weren’t explicitly queer, they’d have said you were crazy. In fact, many people will tell you that media that was coded queer was a big reason we got more explicit queer stuff later. And as I’m sure you’re aware, the US is still fighting that battle . . . partly because it wants to sell movies to China.

So then there’s a question about whether me, an American in the US, liking something coded queer from China but not explicitly queer--does that encourage Chinese censorship? Should I only support texts that are explicitly queer? But the answer is the same--it’s not addressing the scope of the problem, and by supporting texts that are coded queer, you could be paving the way in the future for something brighter.

But you weren’t talking about boycott! You were talking about your discomfort with the popularity with this show, which I accept. I understand feeling uncomfortable. I can only hope it makes you a bit more comfortable to know that plenty of fans are deeply aware of the context and do wrestle with the question of what liking this show means in the context of a society that would never allow aspects of the original to be portrayed onscreen.

Thirdly, I’m not against trying Guardian at some point, but by comparing the acting and chemistry of the leads to The Untamed, I feel like you prove our tastes are very different in these regards. I love the acting of the leads in The Untamed; I found their chemistry off the charts. It’s okay you don’t feel the same.

Lastly, you asked my opinion of The Untamed: its story and characters, the acting, the production, sans context of the canon upon which its based and censorship laws in China.

a. I love the overall story, but the plot has deep plot holes. Quite a few segments do not actually make sense to me, because the plot is so haywire. However, I’ve never cared that much about plot, except when it gets in the way of characters and themes, and for the most part, this plot serves its characters and themes, except when the parts they leave out are so confusing that I cannot follow the story. As for the story, it feels like it’s built for me, because ultimately it’s about moral decisions and how to make them; it’s about guilt and paying for mistakes; it’s about learning, changing your mind, and remaking yourself. Really, I’m not sure there are many stories I love more--except they killed my favorite character, and I almost quit. So, that certainly put a damper on things.

b. I love the characters most of all, although the villains are really two-dimensional. However, large parts of the plot are not Hero vs Villain, they’re Hero vs Society, and then some Hero vs Himself in a way that suggests the Hero is no longer a hero. I could talk about the characters forever, but suffice it to say I think they’re really strong. Also, the relationships are really exquisite, particularly when it comes to family dynamics. Unfortunately, they killed my favorite character off. Also unfortunately, there are six women in this show, only two of them are main characters, and every single one of them dies. It disgusts me.

c. I think the two leads are exceptional, in particular Xiao Zhan . . . when he’s not being too broad, which he is quite a bit. However, I do wonder how much of this is direction and production style, because in many instances, he’s quite subtle, and the choices he makes are astounding. Then there are times where it’s like they needed more footage, or wanted to drive home a point, and he turns on the extra, and it’s awful. It could just be him, but I actually feel it’s the case with most of the actors, which does make me think it’s a directing issue. Meng Ziyi never really has that problem though, because she is the most perfect of all. But then take He Peng, who I actually thought could be incredible, but every scene was just SO BROAD that I began to feel sorry for the poor dude having to act that part. But there is nothing to be said for Wang Zhuo Cheng, who really is just terrible, which is sad, because it’s a great part.

d. Production-wise, it’s really hit and miss. So much of the locations are truly beautiful. A lot of the costumes are too, unless the shot is too close. I actually don’t mind the wigs; I love the long hair. The CGI is terrible. And then while a lot of the shots are beautiful, some of them are awkward, and the pacing is really difficult, imo. It really seems like they wanted to drag it out, and there are so, so many scenes where I’m sort of embarrassed that we’re in the same scene or that we’re still looking at someone’s face, or that everyone is just standing there waiting for the shot to finally end.

I will say that film is a language that does differ from culture to culture. It could be that both the broadness of the acting and the awkwardness of the editing are my cultural lens based on American and a lot of western film. When I watched older Hollywood films, the acting is a lot more broad and maybe a little less “true” feeling, but I understand that it’s not the case everyone in the past was a bad actor. It was just a different style, so I’m not sure I’m equipped with the cultural knowledge of Chinese acting, cinematography, and editing to be able to really judge the value of these things.

I do know how I feel, which is that the editing is the biggest hurdle for me while watching the show. However, I feel that the beauty of it makes up for a lot, and the strength of the characters and themes really carries it.

I hope I addressed your points adequately, and I wish you well.

#Anonymous #the untamed #china

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starwarsnonsense · 4 years

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Top 10 films of 2019

Here’s my very belated top 10 films of 2019! Note that this is a list of films that were released in the UK theatrically in 2019, meaning it includes certain releases that would be considered to belong to 2018 by others.

Honourable mentions: Joker, Hustlers, Booksmart, A Private War, Fighting With My Family

(And don’t worry - Little Women, 1917 and Uncut Gems are all already on my list for 2020.)

Look out for my most anticipated films of 2020 list, coming soon!

With that out of the way, here’s my list (in ascending order)! Do share your picks in the comments!

10. The Irishman (dir. Martin Scorsese)

This is clearly the work of a master filmmaker with much on his mind. In telling the story of Frank Sheeran, Scorsese is telling the story of a man who makes his trade in violence. Instead of elevating Frank as a hero or a figure of glamour, he’s consistently shown to be rather pathetic. He stumbles into the role of hitman for various factions of the criminal underworld, and sticks to it seemingly because it’s what comes most easily to him. The violence enacted by Sheeran is inane and routine, with no thought given to the personal cost until it is far too late. The final 15 minutes of this film show a life petering out with a whimper, laying bare the indignities of old age and the cold, empty horror of enduring it with no company besides your own regrets. The Irishman is a portrait of a life lived badly, and in the hands of anyone besides Scorsese it could have been dry and tedious. Instead, the filmmaking is incredibly assured and the editing is whip-sharp (in Thelma Schoonmaker we trust), making it a pleasure to watch even with the lengthy runtime.

9. The Farewell (dir. Lulu Wang)

The Farewell is a personal story about a young Asian-American woman (Awkwafina) struggling to reconcile her heritage with her current situation and values - specifically, she is tested when her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer and the wider family make the decision to hide the truth from her. The Farewell does a fantastic job of generating empathy for all the different perspectives and positions in play, but it’s truly anchored by Awkwafina’s amazingly nuanced and tender performance - basically, anyone who’s ever loved a grandparent should leave this feeling incredibly moved and inspired. The themes of The Farewell are both specific to the Asian-American experience and general to anyone who has struggled with maintaining bonds over a vast distance, whether physical or cultural. Lulu Wang is an exciting new voice in cinema, and I will watch her career with great interest.

8. Pain & Glory (dir. Pedro Almodóvar)

Almodóvar is one of my favourite filmmakers, and one of the reasons I love his work so much is its wild diversity. My favourite from him is The Skin I Live In, a film that could not be more different than Pain & Glory. This is a small, very personal film telling the story of a middle-aged director (Banderas, clearly playing a version of Almodóvar himself) who’s struggling with his legacy as a filmmaker and the increasing privations attached to middle age. Suffering in the present, Salvador finds himself retreating into memories of his childhood - particularly of his mother (Penelope Cruz) and his first crush. The childhood sequences were where the film really sung for me, perfectly capturing the sun-dappled glow of reminiscences of childhood. And the ending, where Almodóvar truly shows his hand, is delightfully mischievous and the perfect cap on this very personal picture.

7. Once Upon a Time in ... Hollywood (dir. Quentin Tarantino)

This is a slice of life movie, but while that might call to mind ‘kitchen sink’ dramas, this is unabashedly a ‘slice of life’ movie about Hollywood and the mythology that has developed around it. It’s meandering and feels rather aimless for the bulk of its runtime, but that’s kind of the point. It’s exactly what the title promises in that it recaptures what life was like in a very specific time and in a very specific place - it’s an idealised, loving depiction of the Hollywood of the time, with the movie stars, flawed and fading as they are, cast as heroes menaced by the drugged-up hippies poised to dismantle the status quo. It ends in the fashion you’d expect from Tarantino, but here I found his revisionist approach to history remarkably poignant and effective. Film is a magic medium, with Hollywood serving as the ultimate dream factory - it feels completely right that Tarantino would attempt to use celluloid to right one of the great tragedies of Hollywood history.

6. One Cut of the Dead (dir. Shinichirou Ueda)

I went into this with no expectations whatsoever - and what a treat it was! One Cut of the Dead is easily one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in years, taking what initially seems like a trite concept (a crew is filming a zombie movie at a desolate location ... only to discover that the zombies are real!) and twisting it in a truly ingenious way. The comedy is very broad, but it is consistently delightful and always manages to avoid becoming crass - the movie even has some really sweet family dynamics at the centre of it, which gives it some real emotional heft. The success of this film is heavily reliant on a major twist that occurs part-way through, so the best advice I can give you is to stay as far away from spoilers for this one as possible - go in blind, and you will be amply rewarded for your faith.

5. Midsommar (dir. Ari Aster)

I went into this film with reservations, since I wasn’t a huge fan of Hereditary (by the same director), which I found to have extraordinary moments but iffy execution overall. This movie, however, wowed me. While marketed as a freaky/arty horror film, the director has described it as a fairy tale, which is the level on which is spoke to me. Midsommar follows Dani (an incredible Florence Pugh), a young woman who has suffered a terrible loss, as she travels with her boyfriend and his friends to a pagan festival in the Swedish countryside. Dani is painfully isolated, and her grief is hers to shoulder alone since her boyfriend is un-receptive and entirely unprepared to help her. Over the course of the film, destruction and creation are conflated in ways that are both beautiful and horrific - this film spoke to me on a profound level, and the way it ended gave me an incredible sense of catharsis. This won’t be for everyone, for I found it to be a deeply special film. Let’s all raise a toast to the imminent, and much welcome, reign of Florence Pugh.

4. Parasite (dir. Bong Joon-Ho)

Parasite is that rare film that more than lives up to the massive hype surrounding it (you don’t get more hyped than winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards!). It’s hard to write about this film without spoilers, since so much of the joy of Parasite lies in discovering what the hell is going on. This is an ‘upstairs downstairs’ movie for the 21st century, where the downstairs people have fierce designs on the lives and pleasures enjoyed by their social superiors. The rich people here are not vilified, though they are depicted as vapid and shallow, perpetually searching for new ways to fill their lives with meaning. Their struggling counterparts from the rough side of the city are struggling only to get by - their lives too hard to allow time for such indulgences. This is a film about the fantasy of social advancement, and the power that dreams have to hold us in thrall to hopeless ambitions. It’s masterfully directed, acted and designed, and it has been extremely gratifying to see it receive such widespread recognition.

3. Marriage Story (dir. Noah Baumbach)

I was always going to see this (hey Adam Driver!) but I was entirely unprepared for how great Marriage Story was. Easily Baumbach’s best film, Marriage Story is a masterclass in acting and character writing - it’s fiercely intelligent in how it constantly forces you to reassess what you’re seeing and where your sympathies lie. Does Charlie seem like an oblivious, navel-gazing asshole? Sure, but he’s also confused and vulnerable and thrown entirely off balance by his awakening consciousness of his wife’s dreams and ambitions. Nicole is self-effacing and self-denying, as so many women are, which makes her emerging confidence and newfound sense of direction incredibly satisfying to witness. In the second half of Marriage Story, Driver’s Charlie undoubtedly takes the spotlight - it’s clear to me that he becomes the focus largely because he continues to flounder as Nicole finds her footing. Baumbach, wisely I feel, is most interested in his characters when they’re lost, struggling to be better but barely understanding what that means. Even if you don’t sympathise with Charlie by the end of Marriage Story, I can promise you will come away with a thorough understanding of him thanks to Driver’s extraordinary performance. Superlative work, all round. (It’s also, just for the record, the only film of 2019 to make me cry.)

2. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (dir. Céline Sciamma)

This is the 2019 film I am most excited to see again (it’s coming out in a week in the UK - I’m so excited!). Sciamma’s film is an incredibly moving and deeply beautiful love story, depicting how a female artist in 18th century France falls in love with the woman she has been covertly employed to paint. Portrait is very much a film about the act of looking, and in many ways it’s the ultimate female gaze film - it’s all about women looking at women, as depicted by a female filmmaker. Gazes are political as much as they’re romantic - here, our two heroines drink each other, aware of exactly how dangerous and forbidden their mutual intoxication is. The woozy thrall of their relationship is exquisitely conveyed through the cinematography and direction, and the final shot - which I won’t spoil - is an all-timer that serves as an exquisite coda to the entire film. This is a truly superb film, and I’m still incensed that it received no substantial awards recognition. Let’s hope it goes down in film history as the masterpiece it is, yet another omission proving the limitations of the Oscars as a metric for great art.

1. The Favourite (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)

This completely wowed me, and against all the odds it stuck with me as the best film I saw in 2019 - it features a trio of magnificently compelling female characters (played by Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone) operating at the court of Queen Anne (Colman is Anne, Weisz and Stone are courtiers), and is laser-focused on the shifting sands of the power dynamics between them. The script is savage without sacrificing poignancy, witty without ceasing to be emotionally honest. And while I’ve seen some react to this film as a comedy (and it certainly has laughs, most of which are tightly packaged with shock), for me it was very clearly a drama about the inscrutable and complicated relationships that exist between women. Specifically, it is about how those relationships run the gamut from sincere affinity to ruthless manipulation. This is a spectacular movie, visually and thematically rich in every frame, and it also has the best use of an Elton John song in 2019 (sorry, Rocketman!).

Fly away, skyline pigeon fly, towards the things you’ve left so very, so very far, behind.

#the irishman #portrait of a lady on fire #the favourite #midsommar #adam driver #marriage story #florence pugh #the farewell #awkwafina #parasite #once upon a time in hollywood #film #cinema #best of the year #2019 #one cut of the dead #pain and glory

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365days365movies · 3 years

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January 28, 2021: The Fugitive (Epilogue)

So, I finally finished reading Lindy West’s essay, and I gotta say, she is LEAGUES funnier than I could ever dream of being, Jesus. But, that said, do I agree with her on this being the greatest movie ever made?

Let’s just jump right into the review, shall we?

Review

Cast and Acting

GODDAMN do I love Tommy Lee Jones in this movie. I live for these goddamn one-liners that he keeps spitting out, like he was BREATHING. It’s glorious, and I love every single one of them, holy SHIT. It’s like if the charming folksy parts of Texas concentrated itself in one man, and that man’s name is Tommy Lee goddamn Jones. God. I love him. There’s a reason why he won the only Academy Award given to this movie, for Best Supporting Actor, no less! Harrison Ford ain’t no slouch either! He might be playing a typical Ford role, but he’s still KILLING this role, no worries. And everybody else kind of doesn’t matter. Sorry, they’re all good, and I don’t want to denigrate any of them...but Ford and Jones SWALLOW this movie’s attention whole, with Jones taking the lion’s share of that attention. And so, I love love LOVE Jones here...but it’s an overall 9/10.

Plot and Writing

10/10, easy, because DAMN THIS FILM HAD ME GOIN’! From the engaging plot that turns into, well, a legit plot, to Tommy Lee Jones’ sweet, sweet speeches, this movie’s writers deserve a lot of credit here. So, David Twohy and Jeb Stuart, I top my goddamn hat to you!

Directing and Action

Yes. Just...yes. Cinematography for this movie is fantastic; thank you, Michael Chapman. And while Chapman’s work was nominated for an Oscar, he credits Chicago native director Andrew Davis for how it was shot, giving the film a “native’s eye,” as Chapman put it. And, yeah, this film is wonderfully shot and directed. David never got the nod, which is a shame! I think he deserves it.

And then there’s the action! Which is great, although this is a story more about plot and suspense than action. So, while it was awesome, with a lot of cool set pieces...action will not be a standout for me. But DESPITE this, it’s still getting a 9/10. Because, hell, it was still a great looking movie!

Production and Art Design

Chicago! Yeah, this movie has some great atmosphere, which is crazy because a LOT of it wasn’t filmed in Chicago, but in North Carolina! But, OK, outside of that, the movie looks great, and the costumes look great. Nothing to write home about, necessarily, but still good. Solid 9/10 for this one.

youtube

Music and Editing

James Newton Howard in the house, baby! The Dark Knight, Fantastic Beasts, The Sixth Sense, The Hunger Games movies, and, of course...Space Jam. WHO could forGET? Seriously, though, Howard is a pretty prolific film composer, and I’m surprised it took him this long to appear on this blog in some capacity. And his theme for The Fugitive, itself a riff off the original TV series’ theme, is fantastic! And it’s also something I’d but on soundtrack, real talk. Apparently, Howard was really stressed about it, and was shocked when it was rightfully nominated for an Academy Award! He was beat by Schindler’s List, which is going to be fun to watch. Yup. I haven’t seen it. Yaaaaaay.

Anyway, this movie was nominated for both Best Original Score AND Best Film Editing AND Best Sound Editing! All of which, yes, are amazing. There are a about 6 major people to credit for that, and I’ll simply say thank you to Don, David, Dean, Dick, Dennis, and Dov. Yes. Really. OK, “Dick” prefers “Richard” BUT COME ON.

For both of these categories, that’s a 10/10.

94%. But GODDAMN, this movie’s basically perfect.

This movie is fantastic, and I understand why it’s so beloved. But did it dethrone any of my other favorites this month? Well...Crouching Tiger, man! Also, The Nice Guys. And hey, Drive is a heavy contender, too. BUT...I will say this: plot-wise, this movie has them all beat. And Tommy Lee Jones...GOD TOMMY LEE JONES. I’m really tempted to do a “best of” post; kind of an Oscars for the month, y’know? And if I do, I think we all know who’s winning Best Supporting Actor...again.

But OK, that’s it for the main list! But there are still three days left to the month, yeah? So, how am I finishing it off? Well, this month started with me crowning my favorite action movie: Mad Max Fury Road. What I left out is the fact that THAT...is the only Mad Max movie that I’d ever seen.

Let’s fix that.

January 29, 2021: Mad Max (1979)

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smylealong · 3 years

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That's it. At the end of episode 57, I have reached the end of my tether with The Rebel Princess. At this point, it is very evident that the writer is pantsing. Every male character, with the exception of Xiao Qi, is apparently bad. I won't be talking much about Xiao Qi and A'Wu. I want to talk about everyone else. Spoilers ahead.

Seriously? What is this even? Not one man can stay good, is it? Even characters that started out to be good seem to be going down the drain and that is just not okay.

Even though it made me mad to see Song Huai'en go down the path of corruption without any apparent motivation, I was still okay with it. I could even buy him falling for A'Wu given what the two went through. I can understand him getting scared of his own feelings and running to marry Yu Xiu, both as a punishment to himself and to make sure that he doesn't make a mistake. All of that, I can buy. But then, he is missing for large chunks of the series and then when he comes back, he is apparently evil incarnate (with a new mustache and beard to go with it.) And I am just... not buying it.

I read somewhere that even Wang Su becomes bad and I just cannot take it any more. I'm sure the later episodes provide answers, but I don't have the patience to wait for it anymore.

I also want to talk about Helan Zhen. When he came in initially, kidnapping A'Wu with the flying ninja, I was intrigued. During that arc, he proved himself to be a complex villain with deep character motivations and good back story. But then, in the later arcs, he just becomes a 2 dimensional villain with one motivation - A'Wu. And the entire tribe of Hulan is painted with one broad and rather insensitive stroke. Are you telling me there is no one, not one person in that entire tribe, that has a character that is not defined in three words?

Next comes Zitan. In the initial episodes, I actually liked him but then, he just went from bad to worse, flushing himself deeper and deeper into the turd pile. His pining and obsession with A'Wu was downright sickening. He was just blergh.

I must say that it's not like I don't like complex grey characters. I do. Some of my favorite characters include, Zuko, Azula, Nam Seon Ho, Li Chengze, Nie Huaisang. See a pattern? I like characters that are complex villains/morally grey (I know Zuko and Huaisang can't really be called villains, hence added the morally grey bit). But, I need to be able to see and understand their motives. Which was what was missing for me in here. In my mind, I love A'Wu but she loves her husband and therefore I will be bad is a boring plot point and I lost my interest soon. Which brings me to the villain I enjoyed.

I actually liked Ma Zilu's arc and it was presented very well. Props to Purba Rgyal for that brilliant portrayal. He started out as a master manipulator and went down the complete psycho route, creating pure chaos and I LOVED IT! He met with a tragic end, but the route he chose, that was the only possible outcome.

Wang Lin is a snake. Period. Nothing else to say.

As for the women, well, they fare better. In the sense that they are a little more complex. Since they are not the ones tripping over their shoelaces for A'Wu, they actually manage to develop some character. Other than A'Wu, there's Grand Elder Princess, Noble Consort Xie, Yu Xiu, Maidservant Xu, Hu Yao, A-Yue, and Gu Caiwei. Each of them is awesome and wonderful. Kudos to the writer for giving us good female characters.

But then there are the skanks. Empress Wang, Xie Wanru, Su Jin Er, Huan Mi and Wang Qian. With the sole exception of Huan Mi, who was forced into a marriage she didn't want and then resorted to adultery, every other one wanted to harm A'Wu. Like, seriously! This world bloody revolves around A'Wu, and that hurts my brain.

I do want to talk about Xie Wanru, though. Full credit to the writer for giving me a complex vamp with very understandable motives. I actually sympathized with her right up to the moment where she let the wet nurse take the fall for her and the nanny's mistakes. That said, the actress did a wonderful job in portraying a new mother's helpless frustration at the incessant wails of her newborn. I have been there. It is a terrible place to be in. You are recovering from giving birth, your body is changed in ways you are only now beginning to comprehend, your sleep cycle is shot, you feel like you're walking through a fog, your hormones are all over the place, your breasts hurt, you are experiencing hairloss like never before, and then you have an infant that just wouldn't stop crying! You love that little defenseless ball of tears, but you are just so tired. You just need a break. One night of peaceful sleep. That's what you are begging for, and you don't get it. It is a horrible place to be in. Not saying that what she did was right, but I felt it. I understood. Full marks to Zuo Xiao Qing for that portrayal. It was BRILLIANT.

Next I must talk about the use of rapes, attempted rapes and the complete disregard of bodily autonomy of a person. Three characters are raped and three are sexually assaulted. Xiao Qi and Maidservant Xu, both take decisions that would directly effect A'Wu's health and body, without talking to her even once. That part angered me so much, I went on a fullblown rant about it. But I will spare you all the details. In summation, it was just..

Credit where credit is due, though. Wonderful cinematography. The sweeping shots of beautiful locations, the gorgeous sets, beautiful colors and outstanding costumes. The drama looks beautiful. Also, I must add that the OST is very soothing and definitely enjoyable. The theme song does remind me of WuJi, but just the initial notes. Acting is mostly spot on, with some occasional minor lapses here and there, but that's no big deal. Performance wise, I have no complaints. In the first 30 or so episodes, this drama was truly one of the best things I have seen in C-Dramas. The story was taut, the presentation fresh and the fight scenes were bloody fantastic (I noticed the pun, yes.). Even the age issue became a non-issue for me at this point. The show began to falter from episode 32-33, where A'Wu has her miscarriage, but I have gone on and on about the problems I have with the show. Before the final closing paragraph, I must acknowledge the one thing that impressed me the most. Periods treated as a normal thing. That was just so heart warming. Full points to the makers for that.

In closing, this is definitely not the worst show I have seen, but this show got the longest rant from me. Why? Because I was truly invested and thus, feel very let down. I wish the show did not try to juggle so many plots, only to drop many of them and have them smash spectacularly. If you want to watch something complex, refreshing, beautiful and engaging, do yourself a favor and watch Joy of Life instead. Skip this one.

I give this a grudging 6 on 10.

#the rebel princess #my thoughts #it's a rant #long post #spoilers

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cinemasian · 3 years

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Hirozaku Kore-Eda & the art of capturing family’s dynamics

In this first article, i would like to discuss the filmography of beloved Canne's contender and prolific Japanese director, Hirozaku Kore- Eda. His cinema is vibrant, full of colors, and also a perfect example of how arthouse and sociology can blend together. In his movies, he depicts the social reality of Japan, going against the grain of the romanticized vision we often have of this country and its social structure.

Each one of his movies explore the idea of family or community, how we interact and build ourselves through our relationships. My first encounter with Kore Eda's cinema was with Like father, like son (2013),that was awarded the Jury Prize at the 66th Cannes Film Festival.

This movie takes place in Tokyo, where a successful businessman, Ryota Nonomiya, and his wife, are contacted by a hospital. Babies have been exchanged on the day their son was born. They are faced with the dilemma of accepting their family as it is, or raising their biological son. They meet the other family, and realise that they have an opposite view on life and education. While Ryota wants the best for his son, Keita, pressuring him to be the best, even though he just began school, Riusey is raised by a family less obsessed with social and material success. They sometimes struggle money wise and leave in a more free-spirited way, but they have created a loving and caring environment for their children. The movie is about how family doesn't solely rely about blood ties, but is the product of values, education and especially love and affection. I find this movie extremely moving, as it is an exploration of a Japanese society, caught between traditions and modernity, between thoroughness and tenderness. It also helps us understand how success has become defining in our modern society, overshadowing more important things in life. This movie was, to me, a perfect introduction to Kore Eda's themes of choice, as well as his delicate sense of images: the cinematography is always beautiful and useful to the story. Here, the two worlds contrast and collide, with Keita's family leaving in a very modern and cold building, while Riusey's family occupies a modest house in an ancient neighborhood.

Kore Eda's movies have been part of the international cinematographic landscape since the nineties and have been a field of exploration on the theme of family ever since. In another of his films i discovered, After the storm (2016),he questions divorce and what it means to be a family even though two people are no longer romantically involved with each other. In the magnificent Shoplifters (2018), for which he was awarded the ultimate distinction, Canne's Golden Palm, he questions how to really feel like family, when you pretend to be one for survival. This movie is particularly successful, because the subject is endearing as well as revolting. It is an emotional vehicle to criticize an economic system in which some individuals are trapped. It also evokes child abuse, and how they need to be protected. Family is more about safety and fullfillment than about genes, and the director manages to evoke this through a various range of topics and emotions. Kore Eda has himself constituted his own “cinema family”, as some of his actors are recurring throughout his filmography, portraying these dynamics with honesty: they often improvise, remaining in the line of his naturalistic approach and aesthetic.

I really encourage everyone to discover Kore Eda's cinema, because it offers a new take on themes often explored onscreen and that is very present in our life offscreen too. Whether we love our biological family, whether we have created a new one, these relationships are at the core of who we are as individuals. Therefore, family is a social construct that determine a lot in our lives and societies, and seen through the lens of this director, it becomes a more enlightening and complex subject. I would trust Kore Eda on this one: in twenty nine movies, he really got the hang of it.

#hirokazu koreeda #family

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