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isfjmel-phleg · 3 years

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Spoilers for The Mysterious Benedict Society Episode 5 below the cut! So much to analyze this time.

The fitting scene is brilliant. We haven’t heard classical music in this show yet, and the choice of Chopin’s Military Polonaise (I had to Google that) sets a different tone--Curtain has, for the moment, conquered, and the boys are entering a new world of ostensible grandeur and luxury, as further highlighted by the detailed shots of the fitting process and its paraphernalia.

(I learned what a half break is. It’s about a half-inch’s distance between where the trousers end and the shoe is visible. This break is supposed to be particularly flattering for short gentlemen, which makes it a reasonable choice for a couple of eleven-year-olds.)

Reynie observes that the uniform makes him feel “confident,” while Sticky’s adjective of choice is “important.” This reflects the different emphases Curtain’s manipulation has for each of them. He appeals to Reynie’s cleverness and leadership and makes him feel capable. In the post-Waiting Room conversation, Curtain made Sticky feel insignificant, but now that he needs to use him, he’s switched it around to build up Sticky’s sense of importance with tactics similar to what he’s used on Reynie. Being so flattered by the same person who tore his self-esteem down is clearly having an effect on Sticky--his “Thank you” is particularly heartfelt. When the boys are sashed, Curtain continues the individualized appeals by stressing “responsibilities” to Sticky but “privileges” to Reynie. It’s all very carefully thought out.

Is Curtain’s pointed comment about the boys coming to LIVE at the same time being “written in the stars” a callback to the Gemini message? And is it just me or does he seem to zone out a little at some point in this conversation?

The Waiting Room door is visible near the mirror while the boys are being fitted, like a threat, a reminder of what can happen to them if they mess up. It’s not in the boys’ line of sight so much--the honor and excitement of their new uniforms are distracting.

All the food in this show looks amazing. The children’s breakfasts are a thing of beauty.

Sticky’s remark, “I’m not going to apologize for knowing things,” is rather bold for his usual timid self. The new sense of importance is getting to him. (Not unlike his arrogant moment in Perilous Journey.)

“You should lean on me more,” says Constance, and she’ll go on to prove why. They seem to be giving her an arc of initially feeling frustrated at having her gifts overlooked by everyone.

The symbolism of the Messengers’ tables being on an upper level! And the boys don’t take their food when they move up? Oversight? Intention to return to the girls when possible? Sudden lack of appetite at the prospect of having to hang out with Martina?

Mr. Benedict makes his first appearance in this episode lying down. Just woken up?

I am baffled by the blue beret scene and dying to know where they’re going with this. Why does Curtain want a beret (beyond his usual devotion to appearances)? Why is he having Dr. Garrison (a scientist, not his PA) get it for him? Is it going to be put to Whisperer purposes? Why is the beret on Miss Perumal’s title card? Will she contrive to get on the island by delivering the hat? What’s with Curtain’s inscrutable expression after making this choice? Is he zoning out again?

In the book, all four children get into Curtain’s lair and find out about the Improvement plot. For this adaptation’s purposes, having just the girls do it makes sense. They need their own adventure while the boys are on Messenger duty.

Isolating Constance for the first time is an effective way to develop her character and slowly reveal her potential, which we haven’t seen much of previously. Her dismissal of the sculpture to Kate but being moved to tears by its beauty when alone says a lot about her.

Costuming/appearance is highlighted in this episode especially, and the contrast of the look of Mr. Benedict and his associates with the aesthetic of Curtain and the school is marked. A lot of warm earth tones and thick, practical fabrics and softer lines--utility over style.

I love the look on Mr. Benedict’s face as Miss Perumal is detailing her sleuthing process. He’s like “how soon can I hire this woman?”

The Whisperer does not look like how it’s described in the book (hair-dryer-like helmets, sitting back to back, handcuffed to the chair), but it makes sense in the show’s context. The redesign matches the mid-century sci-fi aesthetic, and letting the boys sit face-to-face with Curtain suggests a connecting experience--say, a therapy session--that fits with his life coach persona. Not sure how the absence of handcuffing is going to play with a certain scene toward the end, but we’ll see. The Whisperer comes across as Alexa going to the dark side an interested, empathetic, flattering listener, just as Curtain has portrayed himself. It’s quite disturbing.

Reynie reads Dickens! I checked his first scene to see if Bleak House is the “enjoyable” book he’s reading, but it was impossible to tell. It could be. It doesn’t seem likely that he’s had much time for leisure reading since leaving the orphanage.

“Thank you for that,” the Whisperer says as it pegs how best to manipulate you. The look on Curtain’s face as he knows he’s got Reynie is terrifying.

The implication that Constance has been there for hours stomping on that button foreshadows her role in the climax! And I liked that they included the iconic piggybacking the girls do through the books. There, it’s because Constance can’t physically keep up. Here, it’s to activate the entrance--clever way to make it a plot point.

Sticky’s strangely specific aptitude for Italian is beautiful.

Both boys show a reluctance to admit their actual worst fears. Reynie does so because he’s more suspicious of the Whisperer. But Sticky...probably isn’t used to being so emotionally honest. A fear of “not being understood” is safer, gives him a tragic misunderstood genius air that maybe he thinks will put him in a better light. Got to look good for the new mentor or he might not want you.

“Not being wanted. Not being wanted at all” is straight out of the book. The scene is told from Reynie’s POV, so he only hears what Sticky says aloud, not the Whisperer’s words, and the chapter cuts off right after the line. Cutting to Curtain’s reaction (an unwonted flash of sympathy and probably some realization that this is the kid who’s going to be particularly easy to use) adds a new layer of complexity to these characters, and I’m excited to see how this plays out. Giving Sticky and Curtain a connection mirrors Reynie’s connection with Benedict and heightens the danger with the threat of Sticky’s loyalty possibly becoming compromised. And it makes sense that Curtain might pick Sticky out as the one to prey on. Psychological/emotional abusers gravitate to people with low self-esteem and lots of insecurity--easier targets.

“I knew you had to be special in some way.” “Many, many ways!” Poor Constance.

The look of relief on Sticky’s face as he recites, “The missing aren’t missing, they’re only departed.” Someone rescue this child.

The meal Miss Perumal and Mr. Benedict share might be a parallel to the tableside salad in Curtain’s office. Benedict’s interactions with her are the opposite of manipulation, and despite his earnestness, she’s not taken in. He’s warm and emotional and ends up falling asleep in front of her (no attempt to hide it--and it’s good to see his narcolepsy come up again). The entire group is going out of their way to be sincerely kind to Miss Perumal, and she recognizes this, even though she distrusts them.

Curtain’s manipulation of Dr. Garrison (juxtaposed effectively with Mr. Benedict pleading with Miss Perumal to believe him) is, despite the topic at hand, an alarmingly realistic portrayal of how that works. The laughingly dismissive persona is just as creepy as if he were shouting.

(I still would like this Curtain to exclaim “Snakes and dogs!” at some point. And drink juice.)

Curtain’s turning his head as if to look for someone behind him and then asking her, “Who are you talking to?” and referring to her “invisible lawyer” is a mocking gesture, perhaps, or is it another diversion away from him zoning out in anger again for a moment?

“Sometimes it takes an outsider to let you see yourself.” A sign that Mr. Benedict is a good guy--he can humbly accept criticism and correct his actions.

Is Constance reading Sticky’s mind already, or is she just very perceptive about him?

Mrs. Perumal exists! Rescue her.

The haircut scene at the end bookends with the fitting. Curtain’s preoccupation with appearances is cemented.

We are not seeing nearly enough S.Q., but here’s further evidence that Curtain is a harshly critical father, disguising it as trying to get his son to avoid “conventional thinking.” This poor boy. We also learn that he’s not in on his father’s plot, which is the closest we’ve come to his cluelessness from the books. I hope we see more of this relationship in future episodes.

#The Mysterious Benedict Society #The Mysterious Benedict Society 2021

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discotreque · 4 years

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LwD 1.10, “No Small Parts”

Well, that was the most fun I've had watching Star Trek in literally a quarter of a century.

I had high hopes for this series. I love TAS, largely because of its wacky outsized concepts that could only have worked in animation—not that they all did work, but the potential was so apparent to me, even as a kid reading the Alan Dean Foster novelizations—and as an adult, there's something about the imagination of Lower Decks's FX setpieces that transcends even the glorious CGI bonanzas of Discovery.

Pause for a confession. I've long pushed back against criticism of serialization in new Trek. That's just how TV is now, okay? Might as well complain about it being in widescreen. But I'm backing down a little, because I've realized there is something about Star Trek that's inextricable from at least a partially-episodic format. And while Picard was telling a different kind of story, I can't deny that my favourite episodes of Disco have been the ones with a mostly self-contained A-plot. After 10 delightfully episodic instalments of LwD, its focus on long-term development of characters instead of a season-spanning puzzle-plot (okay, mostly just Mariner, but we only have 10 × 22 minutes and she is the star) has been downright refreshing.

So here we are, at the end of the most consistent and well-executed Season 1 of a Star Trek series since, arguably, Those Old Scientists. And sure, if they'd had to produce another... yikes, 42 episodes? Then sure, they probably would have dropped a clunker or two—but they didn't, and winning on a technicality is still winning. I'm practically vibrating with excitement for Disco to come back next week, but damn, I'm going to miss this little show while it's on hiatus.

Spoilers below:

Something I've been keeping track of finally paid off this week! (Which never happens to me, lol.) The destruction of the USS Solvang marked the first present-day death(s) of any Starfleet officer on Lower Decks, the only other on-screen killing at all being a flashback in "Cupid's Errant Arrow". Which makes sense, being (a) a comedy, and (b) about typically "expendable" characters: it hasn't been afraid to flirt with a little darkness here and there, but killing people off at Star Trek's usual pace wouldn't just be wrong for the tone, it would be downright bizarre.

But... people die on Star Trek. That's one of the core themes of the show, really: space is full of knowledge and beauty, but also danger and terror, and believing that the former is worth the risk of the latter is (according to Trek) one of humanity's most noble traits. I'm the least bloodthirsty TV watcher I know, but the longer we went with a body count of nil—ships completely evacuated before they were destroyed, main characters hilariously maimed without permanent consequences, etc.—well, I didn't mind per se, but the absence of truly deadly stakes was definitely getting conspicuous.

Turns out they were saving it up for maximum impact. And holy fuck, I've never felt such a pit in my stomach watching a ship get destroyed that wasn't named Enterprise. It felt grim and brutal and somehow both much too quick and dreadfully inevitable—and yeah, it looked extremely fucking cool—and I'd like every other Star Trek property for the rest of time to take notes under a large bold heading labeled RESTRAINT.

Comedy doesn't need to do this, but my favourite comedy does, and in a way that few other art forms can even approach: lower my emotional defences by making me laugh, endear character(s) to me with goofy-but-relatable antics—then BAM, sucker-punch me in the motherfucking feels. M*A*S*H is probably the classic example on TV, Futurama was notorious for it, and even Archer has pulled it off a few times; it's also a staple of some of my favourite standup. I wasn't sure if Lower Decks was going to go there in Season 1—and wasn't sure if they'd earn it—but I knew if they did, that they'd nail it, and damn. Feels good to be right.

Last batch of notes for the season!!! I rambled enough already, so let's do it liveblog-style:

I fucking KNEW they were going to use "archive" visuals from TAS at some point, I KNEW IT :D

"THOSE OLD SCIENTISTS" ahahahahahahahahahahahaha

I like chill and confident Boimler a lot? You can really see—

oh bRADWARD NOOOOO

That opening shot of the Solvang tracking down to the red giant was extremely Discovery-esque... minus the motion sickness, that is

A lady captain AND a lady first officer? That's—oh hey, it's Captain Dayton's brand-new ship. Hahaha, that means they're totally fucked, right?.

Yep! They sure a—umm, wh—shit, okay, but—oh no—no, you can't—wait DON'T

...fuck

FUCK.

Narrator: "And then Amy needed a five-hour break."

[live-action Star Trek showrunner voice] "Gee, Mike! Why does CBS let you have two cold opens?"

Okay, yes, the bit with Rutherford cycling through all the different attitudes in his implant was transparently an excuse for Eugene Cardero to vamp while waiting for something to do in the story, but as far as I'm concerned they can contrive a reason for him to do a bunch of different silly Rutherfords in a row any time they damn well want, because that was classic!!!

EXOCOMP EXOCOMP EXOCOMP EXOCOMP

AND THE EXOCOMP IS PAINTED LIKE THE EXOCOMP IS WEARING A LITTLE EXOCOMP-SIZED STARFLEET UNIFORM

EXOCOMP!!!!!

The slow burn and now the payoff of the Mariner-is-Freeman's-secret-daughter plot has been executed so well. I'm beyond impressed with this writer's room, y'all—they are threading a hell of a needle here

"Wolf 359 was an inside job" would have been a spit-take if I'd had anything in my mouth

...how many memos do you think Starfleet Command has had to issue asking people to stop calling the USS Sacramento "the Sac"?

CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW THEY'VE DECORATED THE SHUTTLECRAFT SEQUOIA THOUGH

Is, uh, is it weird if I'm starting to ship Tendi and Peanut Hamper a little? It is weird, isn't it. I knew it was weird...

Coital barbs??? I take back everything I said about wanting to know more about Shaxs/T'Ana.

The "good officer" version of Mariner is... kind of hot, tbh! But Tawny Newsome has done such a great job of building this character all season that her voice getting uncharacteristically clipped and martial and "sir! yes, sir!" is also deeply, deeply weird

Ah, so this is literally exactly like when TNG (and DS9) would bring in, and then blow up, a never-before-seen Galaxy-class ship, just to underscore that we're facing a real threat this week, baby. And hey, it fucking worked—my heart was in my throat, omg, for the reveal of the—

PAKLEDS?????????

The fucking PAKLEDS have been gluing weapons to their ships for the last 15 years. GREAT.

(We interrupt the SHIP BEING SLICED INTO SCRAP for an interesting bit of world-building: on Earth, the traditional First Contact Day meal is salmon!)

"I need a dangerous, half-baked solution that breaks Starfleet codes and totally pisses me off! That's an order." I'm starting to think Captain Freeman might actually be overqualified for the Cerritos, y'all—she's REALLY awesome

OH SHIT IT'S BADGEY, this is a TERRIBLE IDEA

"How much contraband have you hidden on my ship?" "I don't know! A lot!"

Awwww, Boims!!!

AHAHAHAHAHAHA, FUCK THIS, PEANUT HAMPER OUT

BADGEY NOOOOO

AUGHHHHH WHAT THE CHRIST DID HE JUST—BUT—RUTHERFORD'S IMPLANT????

RUTHERFORD!!!!!!!!!!

SHAXS!!!!!!

F U C K ! ! ! ! !

ahaIOPugdfhagntpgjrq90e5mgu90qe5;oigoqgw4ouegrw5SP;IAEHURVa IT’S THE TITAN???????????

IT'S CAPTAIN WILLIAM T. RIKER ON THE MOTHERFUCKING TITAN??????????

i'm screaming I'M SCREAMINGGGGGGTGGGTGQER;LBHAOIBVNV;OAPBIJNVagr;h;oagruipuwtnaetbaetgq35ghqet

I'M SO GLAD THIS WASN'T SPOILED FOR ME WTF

I AM WEEPING LIKE A CHILD

...

(Just a brief 20-minute pause this time)

And oh wow, seeing Will and Deanna hits different after Picard too, in a few different ways, which I may even get into later now that my heartrate is back to normal, lmao

Oh, I am always here for some jokes at the expense of the Sovereign class. The Enterprise-E sucked. They should have built a new bigger model of the D and new Galaxy-class interiors for the TNG movies, and I will die on that hill

OKAY, FINE, YOU GOT ME, RUTHERFORD × TENDI WOULD BE ADORABLE AND THIS IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY GOOD SETUP FOR IT

Awwww, Shaxs though :( Congrats on the single most badass death in Star Trek history, dude. The Prophets would—well, the actual Prophets would probably be slightly confused about most of it, but Kira Nerys would be proud of you and I feel like that probably counts for more. RIP, Papa Bear

I am here all damn DAY for the Mariner–Riker parallels, ahahahahaha

Pausing it to record my prediction that Boimler's commitment to not caring about rank anymore is going to last 3... 2...

Yep.

Bradward, how DARE YOU.

"Those guys had a long road, getting from there to here." OH FOR THE LOVE OF—

What a brilliant way to resolve and renew the various character arcs and relationships moving into Season 2! The writers could easily have brought everything back to status quo—chaotic Mariner fighting with her mom and being a bad influence on Boimler, etc.—and done another 10 just like these, but I suspect that wouldn't have been ambitious enough for these writers. What a blast. I cannot wait for more.

Thanks for following along, friends! Stay tuned for my (similarly patchy and amateur) coverage of Discovery, starting next week!

#star trek #star trek lower decks #lwd spoilers #lower decks spoilers #lower decks #amy's episode notes

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mediaevalmusereads · 3 years

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The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics. By Olivia Waite. New York: Avon Impulse, 2019.

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Genre: historical romance, wlw romance

Part of a Series? Yes, Feminine Pursuits #1

Summary: As Lucy Muchelney watches her ex-lover’s sham of a wedding, she wishes herself anywhere else. It isn’t until she finds a letter from the Countess of Moth, looking for someone to translate a groundbreaking French astronomy text, that she knows where to go. Showing up at the Countess’ London home, she hoped to find a challenge, not a woman who takes her breath away.

Catherine St Day looks forward to a quiet widowhood once her late husband’s scientific legacy is fulfilled. She expected to hand off the translation and wash her hands of the project—instead, she is intrigued by the young woman who turns up at her door, begging to be allowed to do the work, and she agrees to let Lucy stay. But as Catherine finds herself longing for Lucy, everything she believes about herself and her life is tested.

While Lucy spends her days interpreting the complicated French text, she spends her nights falling in love with the alluring Catherine. But sabotage and old wounds threaten to sever the threads that bind them. Can Lucy and Catherine find the strength to stay together or are they doomed to be star-crossed lovers?

***Full review under the cut.***

Content Warnings: sexism, allusions to homophobia

Overview: I feel like I’m in the minority of not loving this book as much as I wanted to. Based on content alone, it should have been a perfect storm for me: a historical sapphic romance, a lady scientist, debates about the value of art and women’s contributions... but while the romance genre doesn’t have nearly enough wlw stories, representation alone wasn’t enough to sustain my interest in this novel. It had the threads of a good story - something along the lines of The Countess Conspiracy or The Suffragette Scandal - but in my opinion, too much of the focus was on needless interpersonal drama, which left the plot dragging for the bulk of the story. So though the representation is great, and there are a number of feminist themes that I think are valuable, I didn’t enjoy this book enough to give it more than 2 or 3 stars.

Writing: Waite’s prose is about what you’d expect from the romance genre. It’s simple and straightforward, getting to the point without leaving the reader wondering what’s going on. My main criticism would perhaps be that Waite sometimes does a little head-hopping in the middle of a chapter without a section break. One minute, we’ll be seeing things from Lucy’s POV, and the next, we’ll get something from Catherine, then back to Lucy. It was a little jarring, but not too distracting - I could still immerse myself in the story ok.

Plot: The Lady’s Guide follows Lucy Muchelney as she translates, expands, and publishes M. Oleron’s Mechanique celeste (an astronomy text) under the patronage of Lady Catherine St. Day, Countess of Moth. After being rebuffed by the male members of the Polite Science Society, Lucy endeavors to render her own translation in hopes of educating readers who are interested in astronomy, but may not have had access to the range of texts needed to understand Oleron’s work. Catherine, for her part, funds the printing of Lucy’s work, while also discovering her own value as an embroiderer.

On the surface, this plot had all the things I love: women in science, valuing women’s art, a social commentary on patriarchy. But despite the interesting threads, I didn’t feel as if Waite used them to the greatest advantage. Aside from a few scenes, there wasn’t a lot of external pressure from the Polite Society; any drama that arose from their sexism was easily dismissed or avoided with a trip to the country, and I felt as if sexism in this book was more of a nuisance than a threat. This isn’t to say I wanted the characters to be constantly suffering or be miserable from an onslaught of male meddling, but I would like to have seen more of a sustained plotline where the Polite Society attempts to thwart Lucy’s efforts, thereby creating more suspense and giving Lucy and Catherine some external challenges to face together.

I also think the subplots could have been strengthened so that they enhanced the main conflict. The plot involving Eliza, the maid with a talent for sketching, was a good parallel to Catherine’s arc, which involved finding and rewarding women’s talents in art, but Eliza wasn’t a compelling character on her own, nor did I think Catherine reflect enough on the paradox of how she encouraged Eliza but not herself. I also think more could have been done with Lucy’s brother, Stephen, so that his meddling in Lucy’s career paralleled the Polite Society’s - just in a more subtle way, thereby showing different forms of sexism. Granted, there is a little of that, but like the Polite Society, Stephen pops up at convenient times before disappearing a page or two later.

Characters: I hate to say it, but I didn’t feel as if I could connect to the characters. Lucy, one of our heroines, is a mathematician and astronomer who inspires Catherine to see herself as an artist... and that’s mostly it. I guess she’s also bold and headstrong, but honestly, she felt more like an archetype than a fully-fledged character.

Catherine, for her part, is meek on account of being mistreated by her husband, but has brilliant skills as an embroiderer and is generous with her financial support. I did like the depth that Catherine had with regards to her insecurity over whether or not she could call herself an artist, and I liked that she respected Lucy’s feelings and didn’t allow her desires to be too selfish. But I also felt like she had no ambition or desires of her own until maybe 75% of the way through the book, and she mainly existed to support Lucy.

Side characters were hit or miss. I liked the idea of Eliza, the maid who gets to put her drawing skills to use as an engraver, but she wasn’t a fully-fleshed out character and didn’t hold my interest on her own. Stephen, Lucy’s brother, had the potential to be interesting, as he is an artist and acts as a foil to Lucy in many ways, but he flits in and out of the story as needed. Even Lucy’s ex, Pricilla, seems only to exist to make petty drama; there was no pining, no angst, and I didn’t see why Lucy had once loved her. There wasn’t even any commentary on how both Pris and Catherine were blond women who were skilled at embroidery.

Polite Society members had the potential to be good antagonists, but because their appearances were so contained, I don’t think they were used to their full potential. They provided some nice commentary, but I would have liked to see them meddle more often in Lucy’s translation process.

Romance: This is personal preference: I don’t like it when the love interests get together too early in the story. It usually means the rest of the romance is going to revolve around petty drama, and I think that’s what I got here. Lucy and Catherine become a couple some 25% of the way through the book, and for the life of me, I couldn’t see why they wanted to be together other than they were interested in women and happened to be sharing a house. Over time, their reasons for loving one another became a little more clear: Lucy loves that Catherine believes in her and lets her forge her own path, whereas Catherine loves that Lucy values her skills and lifts her up, rather than dismissing her (as Catherine’s deceased husband did). While these are certainly nice, I wanted there to be a little more to their romance. Because they got together so quickly, there was very little pining, very little growth in their affections.

I also think all the angst and relationship drama that happened after they got together was a little tedious. Lucy spends some time pining for her ex, which causes Catherine to be jealous. Catherine also sees the relationship as being incompatible at one point because Lucy likes science and she likes art, so of course that means they’re on different paths that can’t be reconciled. Most of the barriers to the relationship could have been overcome by either talking it out or getting to know one another a little better, so rather than good tension (in the form of suspense), I felt like there was pointless tension. I would have much rather seen Waite dive into the very real concerns, such as the economic inequality between them or the lack of permanence that comes with not being able to marry - I think those are real, life-altering concerns that could have tied in well with the non-romance plot, but unfortunately, those concerns seemed to be resolved a little too neatly.

TL;DR: Despite having some much-needed wlw representation and a number of feminist themes, The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics does little to cultivate a compelling plot and relies on misunderstandings to drive the romantic tension.

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better-angels-tempered-sins · 4 years

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Hacy Ramblings

Even though Macy and Harry’s relationship (friendship and otherwise) has spiraled this season (and I hate to see it), the more I think about it, the more it makes sense to me.

Harry and Macy have so much in common but they’re at different parts in their lives. Macy, though a bad-ass scientist with a brilliant mind, her accomplishments in academia, her career, her role as the eldest Charmed One, doesn’t mean that she has everything figured out when it comes to love.

This is someone who didn’t have a real relationship until she was in her late twenties; someone, who for most of her life, felt extremely lonely and doesn’t do well when the people she loves leaves her, either through their own volition or through death.

The show would’ve benefited a great deal by delving deeper into Macy’s life before she met Mel and Maggie but, even without knowing a lot about where she comes from, everything that has happened to her throughout the first season, especially, gives us insight into why she isn’t opening up to Harry about the way she feels.

For one, her relationship with Galvin was a disaster. Not only did he tell her that he was afraid of her and wasn’t the most patient with her (because, as we know, Macy is the type of person who thinks before she leaps), but he made the decision to sacrifice himself for the greater good. A noble thing to do on his part but in Macy’s mind, Galvin became yet another person in her life willing to leave her.

A lot of people’s complaints about the writing this season in regards to Macy’s character it doesn’t portray her as the strong person that she is and...while I am all for strong female characters, I do believe that it is important to not put women in a box. Strong women are not strong all the time. This doesn’t mean that they are weak every other time but...it does mean that they don’t always have to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders.

And it seems that, even before Macy found out she was a witch, a Charmed One, an older sister, she has always felt like she had to be the one to save the world. I mean, come on? Who becomes a scientist, if not someone who thinks that they find the Next Big Thing that will help or advance humankind in some way? Macy has not gotten a chance to exist outside of that narrative, so to see her be vulnerable in her own way, and experience romance and heartbreak, is important.

As frustrating as the romance and heartbreak is, I like that Macy is getting a chance to have experiences that she didn’t get to have when she was younger.

This leads me to my next thought...

Macy is pushing 30 years old, so a lot of people are saying that she’s an adult and should be more open about her feelings and let me just say...that age does not dictate when someone is ready to be honest with themselves and other people about what’s in their heart. I’m almost 26 and I would rather run away from a guy than talk to him about how I feel. Call it immature but so many people are afraid to put their hearts on the line, regardless of age.

That said, Macy has gone through a lot. She found out that she died at birth, the true reason her mother had to give her up, found out that she had demon blood in her, and lost Galvin because of it. Macy has had to make so many decisions in such a short period of time about the person she wants to be, and a lot of that decision-making centered around what it means to be good and evil, a witch and a demon.

No one knew what she was going through and just like everything else, she had to deal with the changes alone. While she has reconciled both the light and dark parts of herself, the people that she loves and are closest to her, have not.

At least that’s part of what’s going through her head when she’s the Source. For a long time I couldn’t understand why all of the realities Macy made did not star Galvin. She didn’t even interact with him after she brought him back to life. And then it clicked.

Macy cared about Galvin. She didn’t want him to die saving the world and she didn’t want him to leave her BUT as the Source, love wasn’t enough to placate her. Because love, in her experience, eventually leaves. And she hates being abandoned. So I think the true motivation behind her bringing him back was because she didn’t want him to be able to make the decision to leave her.

The Source is just raw power. It’s not rational. It’s all instinct and impulse, all things that Macy isn’t. Source Macy wanted Galvin alive simply because she had the power to make it happen. I think, more than anything, her time as the Source made Macy realize what love is and isn’t. Love is being able to accept all of who someone is without question and Maggie and Mel, even if her relationship with Macy was rocky, do.

The writers could’ve given Galvin a better send off but...I understand the purpose he served in Macy’s life. He taught her that she deserved to be desired, respected, and understood by the person she chooses to be in a relationship with. When Macy didn’t make a move or kept brushing him off, Galvin’s first instinct was to get in a relationship with someone else. He didn’t push Macy or pursue her. And I think, deep down, that’s what she wants.

This is a woman who has spent her entire life making decisions and thinking long and hard before she leaps. For once, she just wants someone else to take the wheels, so to speak. And be open to pursuing her (which is why I think she was drawn to Jimmy and Julian, but more on this later).

It feels wrong to use Galvin as a plot device but how many people can honestly say that their first relationship didn’t teach them anything about who they are and what they want?

Speaking of wants and desires...Macy is the type of person who still keeps a journal. This means that she is a private person, not just with other people, but with herself. She is not used to voicing what she wants and the one time she went after what she wanted as the Source (i.e. her mom), everything blew up in her face.

Macy is still learning how to talk to people about how she feels and though at the end of season one she told her sisters that she would try to be more open with them, that is easier said than done.

Every time Macy wants something, something goes wrong and just as the Source. She wanted to use her demon powers for good, but that resulted in her hurting Mel. In the first episode of Season 2, she wanted Harry to come back to her, which resulted in her knocking her defenses down and leaving her even more vulnerable to Jimmy’s mind invasion. In the episode where Abigael was introduced, Macy was so excited about meeting someone like her (half-demon, half-witch) that she didn’t realize the snake she let slither into the command center.

There are other instances big or small that we can think of where things didn’t go right for Macy. Needless to say, I get why she doesn’t just go to Harry and tell her how she feels about him. The first time she meets Jimmy, she thinks it is Harry. Full disclaimer, I do not ship Jimmy/Macy (that’s a post for another day) and I don’t understand why people think Macy likes Jimmy for who he is as a person. For one, Macy doesn’t know who or what Jimmy is. Like I said, she thinks he’s Harry. The “you seem different, Harry” scene, is Macy thinking that she’s seeing another side of her Whitelighter and liking it. She likes the idea of Harry being bold and seductive with her.

She wants him to desire her and Jimmy gives her access to the part of Harry that she wants. Even the scene where Harry asks Macy if she had feelings for his Darklighter, Macy admits that she did because Jimmy was apart of him. But of course Harry is too distracted by not feeling whole to think about what Macy was saying.

Macy is very smart but I could imagine trying to reconcile the fact that Jimmy is a different person and yet apart of Harry has to be mind-boggling. Macy is a scientist. She likes being able to understand things and even if she can’t at first, she works at it, until she has a breakthrough. Whitelighters and Darklighters are things she can’t explain. Though Jimmy looks like Harry, she knows it’s not him, and yet, there is something about him that reminds her of Harry (which is why I think it was easy for him to kidnap her in the first place even with the safe word).

Macy loves shows like Heaven’s Vice. She spent years thinking of ways she wanted the show to end which leads me to believe that Macy is no stranger to fan fiction. Regardless of whether she writes or reads it, Macy loves having something to escape in, a forum to express the way she wants things to play out. Having dinner and dancing with Jimmy allowed her to play out her fantasies. Because, let’s be honest, Macy could’ve come up with another excuse to get out that didn’t involve changing into a red dress.

She could’ve tried going out the patio doors. She could’ve climbed out a window. She could’ve went to her room and tried escaping without changing her clothes. But part of her...wanted to stay and live out her fantasies. The rational part of her wouldn’t let her do that.

People complain about how Charmed doesn’t revolve around the sisters as much as it should and I would argue that even with scenes where they’re not all together, this show is always going to be about their love for each other. Macy put what she wanted on hold, to get back to her family.

Seducing Jimmy was the only way she could gain his trust and get her powers back. But...Macy isn’t a spy. She might be good at it, but that doesn’t mean she leaves her heart in the door at the process. Imagine trying to seduce the twin of the guy you like who doesn’t give you the time of day. That could get really confusing, don’t you agree?

Macy does not want Jimmy. She wants what he represents. When she admitted that she was drawing him, she said she was intrigued by him. Intrigued means to be curious or fascinated by something or someone. That doesn’t sound like romance does it?

No, this sounds like Macy recognizes Jimmy for what he is: a piece of Harry. And she’s fascinated about this side of Harry that she doesn’t get to see. But not enough to risk it all to be with him, because if that were the case she would’ve stopped Harry from killing him.

Jimmy is not whole in Macy’s eyes but Harry is. She doesn’t know how to express that to him though but I am sure, in her mind, she thinks that she is. And Harry is having this internal struggle, thinking that he’s not whole, and that he’ll never be enough for Macy, when really, he is.

These two are so afraid of how the other will react to each other’s feelings it is literally keeping them apart and making them run into the arms of people that say all the right things, but are all wrong for them.

I don’t have anything against Julian and recognize that he makes Macy smile and they’re able to talk about science and other things that Macy is interested in BUT...he was ready to drop his aunt to be with her. Sure his aunt was rude to Macy and that is unacceptable but that woman raised him. Macy would never let a guy get in-between her and her family. It’s why she was able to drop Julian in a heartbeat.

Macy doesn’t realize what Julian just did because she’s never had anyone pursue her the way Julian has/is and right now it’s what she wants. It might not be from the man she wants but she’ll take it from anywhere she can get it. And Harry is the same way with Abigael.

And another thing...Harry telling Macy that she knows how he feels about her isn’t enough. Galvin told her he loved her and still left her, still couldn’t accept all of her. Macy’s mom loved her but still left her (and yeah she knows the reasons why but it still hurts). Harry told her in so many words that he loved her and then he walked away. So, as I much as it frustrates me, I can see why she went to Aspen. And why Hacy is in the mess that they’re currently in.

This long post really could’ve been condensed to this one line: Harry and Macy are not together right now because they are still hurting from their pasts, have sucky communication skills, and are afraid of taking a leap without knowing where they are going to land first.

#charmed reboot #hacy #ramblings #macy vaughn #harry greenwood

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juki227 · 3 years

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{||~1080p-HD~ ]] Regarder C'est la vie film complet [[2020]] en Franacais

29 avril 2020 / 1h 43min / Comédie De Julien Rambaldi Avec Josiane Balasko, Léa Drucker, Alice Pol Nationalités Français, Belge 29 avril 2020 / 1h 43min / Comédie De Julien Rambaldi Avec Josiane Balasko, Léa Drucker, Alice Pol Nationalités Français, Belge

PLAY==> http://ver.yess-movie.com/movie/tt9162090/c-est-la-vie.html

Its somewhat ironic that a movie about time travel can’t be reviewed properly until your future self rewatches the movie. It’s bold of Nolan to make such a thoroughly dense blockbuster. He assumes people will actually want to see C’est la vie more than once so they can understand it properly, which some may not. This movie makes the chronology of Inception look as simplistic as tic-tac-toe. Ergo, it’s hard for me to give an accurate rating, without having seen it twice, as I’m still trying to figure out whether everything does indeed make sense. If it does, this movie is easily a 9 or 10. If it doesn’t, it’s a 6. It’s further not helped by the fact that the dialogue in the first 15 minutes of the movie is painfully hard to understand / hear. Either they were behind masks; they were practically mumbling; the sound effects were too loud; or all of the above. The exposition scenes are also waayyy too brief for something this complex — a problem also shared with Interstellar actually. (Interstellar had this minimalist exposition problem explaining Blight, where if you weren’t careful, you’d miss this one sentence / scene in the entire movie explaining that Blight was a viral bacteria: “Earth’s atmosphere is 80% nitrogen, we don’t even breathe nitrogen. Blight does, and as it thrives, our air gets less and less oxygen”). I guess it’s a Nolan quirk. Hopefully, a revision of the film audio sorts the sound mixing out. I do like the soundtrack, but it’s too loud initially. I liked all the actors. You think John Washington can’t act at first, but he can, and he grows on you as the film progresses. And Pattinson is his usual charming self. Elizabeth is a surprise treat. And so on. Its worth a watch either way. See it with subtitles if you can. And definitely don’t expect to fully understand whats going on the first time around. Its one hell of a complicated film. It will be very hard for an average viewer to gather all the information provided by this movie at the first watch. But the more you watch it, more hidden elements will come to light. And when you are able to put these hidden elements together. You will realize that this movie is just a “masterpiece” which takes the legacy of Christopher Nolan Forward If I talk about acting, Then I have to say that Robert Pattinson has really proved himself as a very good actor in these recent years. And I am sure his acting skills will increase with time. His performance is charming and very smooth. Whenever he is on the camera, he steals the focus John David Washington is also fantastic in this movie. His performance is electrifying, I hope to see more from him in the future. Other characters such as Kenneth Branagh, Elizabeth, Himesh Patel, Dimple Kapadia, Clémence Poésy have also done quite well. And I dont think there is a need to talk about Michael Caine Talking about Music, its awesome. I dont think you will miss Hans Zimmer’s score. Ludwig has done a sufficient job. There is no lack of good score in the movie Gotta love the editing and post production which has been put into this movie. I think its fair to say this Nolan film has focused more in its post production. The main problem in the movie is the sound mixing. Plot is already complex and some dialogues are very soft due to the high music score. It makes it harder to realize what is going on in the movie. Other Nolan movies had loud BGM too. But Audio and dialogues weren’t a problem My humble request to everyone is to please let the movie sink in your thoughts. Let your mind grasp all the elements of this movie. I am sure more people will find it better. Even those who think they got the plot. I can bet they are wrong. C’est la vie is the long awaited new movie from Christopher Nolan. The movie that’s set to reboot the multiplexes post-Covid. It’s a manic, extremely loud, extremely baffling sci-fi cum spy rollercoaster that will please a lot of Nolan fan-boys but which left me with very mixed views. John David Washington (Denzel’s lad) plays “The Protagonist” — a crack-CIA field operative who is an unstoppable one-man army in the style of Hobbs or Shaw. Recruited into an even more shadowy organisation, he’s on the trail of an international arms dealer, Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh in full villain mode). Sator is bullying his estranged wife Kat (Elizabeth Debicki) over custody of their son (and the film unusually has a BBFC warning about “Domestic Abuse”). Our hero jets the world to try to prevent a very particular kind of Armageddon while also keeping the vulnerable and attractive Kat alive. This is cinema at its biggest and boldest. Nolan has taken a cinema ‘splurge’ gun, filled it with money, set it on rapid fire, removed the safety and let rip at the screen. Given that Nolan is famous for doing all of his ‘effects’ for real and ‘in camera’, some of what you see performed is almost unbelievable. You thought crashing a train through rush-hour traffic in “Inception” was crazy? You ain’t seen nothing yet with the airport scene! And for lovers of Chinooks (I must admit I am one and rush out of the house to see one if I hear it coming!) there is positively Chinook-p*rn on offer in the film’s ridiculously huge finale. The ‘inversion’ aspects of the story also lends itself to some fight scenes — one in particular in an airport ‘freeport’ — which are both bizarre to watch and, I imagine, technically extremely challenging to pull off. In this regard John David Washington is an acrobatic and talented stunt performer in his own right, and must have trained for months for this role. Nolan’s crew also certainly racked up their air miles pre-lockdown, since the locations range far and wide across the world. The locations encompassed Denmark, Estonia, India, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom, and United States. Hoyte Van Hoytema’s cinematography is lush in introducing these, especially the beautiful Italian coast scenes. Although I did miss the David Arnold strings that would typically introduce these in a Bond movie: it felt like that was missing. The ‘timey-wimey’ aspects of the plot are also intriguing and very cleverly done. There are numerous points at which you think “Oh, that’s a sloppy continuity error” or “Shame the production design team missed that cracked wing mirror”. Then later in the movie, you get at least a dozen “Aha!” moments. Some of them (no spoilers) are jaw-droppingly spectacular. Perhaps the best twist is hidden in the final line of the movie. I only processed it on the way home. And so to the first of my significant gripes with C’est la vie. The sound mix in the movie is all over the place. I’d go stronger than that… it’s truly awful (expletive deleted)! Nolan often implements Shakespeare’s trick of having characters in the play provide exposition of the plot to aid comprehension. But unfortunately, all of this exposition dialogue was largely incomprehensible. This was due to: the ear-splitting volume of the sound: 2020 movie audiences are going to be suffering from ‘C’est la vieis’! (LOL); the dialogue is poorly mixed with the thumping music by Ludwig Göransson (Wot? No Hans Zimmer?); a large proportion of the dialogue was through masks of varying description (#covid-appropriate). Aaron Taylor-Johnson was particularly unintelligible to my ears. Overall, watching this with subtitles at a special showing might be advisable! OK, so I only have a PhD in Physics… but at times I was completely lost as to the intricacies of the plot. It made “Inception” look like “The Tiger Who Came to Tea”. There was an obvious ‘McGuffin’ in “Inception” — — (“These ‘dream levels’… how exactly are they architected??”…. “Don’t worry… they’ll never notice”. And we didn’t!) In “C’est la vie” there are McGuffins nested in McGuffins. So much of this is casually waved C’est la vie as “future stuff… you’re not qualified” that it feels vaguely condescending to the audience. At one point Sator says to Kat “You don’t know what’s going on, do you?” and she shakes her head blankly. We’re right with you there luv! There are also gaps in the storyline that jar. The word “C’est la vie”? What does it mean. Is it just a password? I’m none the wiser. The manic pace of C’est la vie and the constant din means that the movie gallops along like a series of disconnected (albeit brilliant) action set pieces. For me, it has none of the emotional heart of the Cobb’s marriage problems from “Inception” or the father/daughter separation of “Interstellar”. In fact, you barely care for anyone in the movie, perhaps with the exception of Kat. It’s a talented cast. As mentioned above, John David Washington is muscular and athletic in the role. It’s a big load for the actor to carry in such a tent-pole movie, given his only significant starring role before was in the excellent BlacKkKlansman. But he carries it off well. A worthy successor to Gerard Butler and Jason Statham for action roles in the next 10 years. This is also a great performance by Robert Pattinson, in his most high-profile film in a long time, playing the vaguely alcoholic and Carré-esque support guy. Pattinson’s Potter co-star Clemence Poésy also pops up — rather more un-glam that usual — as the scientist plot-expositor early in the movie. Nolan’s regular Michael Caine also pops up. although the 87-year old legend is starting to show his age: His speech was obviously affected at the time of filming (though nice try Mr Nolan in trying to disguise that with a mouth full of food!). But in my book, any amount of Caine in a movie is a plus. He also gets to deliver the best killer line in the film about snobbery! However, it’s Kenneth Branagh and Elizabeth Debicki that really stand out. They were both fabulous, especially when they were bouncing off each other in their marital battle royale. So, given this was my most anticipated movie of the year, it’s a bit of a curate’s egg for me. A mixture of being awe-struck at times and slightly disappointed at others. It’s a movie which needs a second watch, so I’m heading back today to give my ear drums another bashing! And this is one where I reserve the right to revisit my rating after that second watch… it’s not likely to go down… but it might go up. (For the full graphical review, check out One Mann’s Movies on t’interweb and Facebook. Thanks.) As this will be non-spoiler, I can’t say too much about the story. However, what I can is this: C’est la vie’s story is quite dynamic in the sense that you won’t understand it till it wants you to. So, for the first half, your brain is fighting for hints and pieces to puzzle together the story. It isn’t until halfway through the movie that C’est la vie invites you to the fantastic storytelling by Christopher Nolan. Acting is beyond phenomenal, and I’d be genuinely surprised if neither Robert Pattinson nor John David Washington doesn’t receive an Oscar nomination for best actor. It’s also hard not to mention how good Elizabeth Debicki and Aaron Johnson both are. All around, great acting, and the dialogue amps up the quality of the movie. The idea of this movie is damn fascinating, and while there are films that explore time-travelling, there’s never been anything quite like this. It has such a beautiful charm and for the most part, explains everything thoroughly. It feels so much more complex than any form of time-travelling we’ve seen, and no less could’ve been expected from Nolan. Oh my lord, the score for this film fits so perfectly. Every scene that’s meant to feel intense was amped by a hundred because of how good the score was. Let me just say though, none of them will be found iconic, but they fit the story and scenes so well. In the end, I walked out, feeling very satisfied. Nevertheless, I do have issues with the film that I cannot really express without spoiling bits of the story. There are definitely little inconsistencies that I found myself uncovering as the story progressed. However, I only had one issue that I found impacted my enjoyment. That issue was understanding some of the dialogue. No, not in the sense that the movie is too complicated, but more that it was hard to make out was being said at times. It felt like the movie required subtitles, but that probably was because, at a time in the film, there was far too much exposition. Nevertheless, I loved this film, I’ll be watching it at least two more times, and I think most of you in this group will enjoy it. I definitely suggest watching it in theatres if possible, just so you can get that excitement. (4/5) & (8.5/10) for those that care about number scores. At first, I want to ask Christopher Nolan one question, HOW THE HELL YOU DID THIS? Seriously I want to have an answer, How did he write such as this masterpiece! How did he get this complicated, fabulous and creative idea? What is going on in his mind? The story is written and directed perfectly, the narration style was absolutely unique. I have no idea how can anyone direct such as this story, that was a huge challenge, and as usual Nolan gave us a masterpiece that we’ll put beside (Memento), (Inception) and (Interstellar) The movie is so fast-paced in a good way, there was no boring moment. The chemistry between John David Washington and Robert Pattinson was great and funny and both of their performance was really good. Elizabeth Debicki performance was the best in the movie because she had the chance to show her acting abilities and she cached up that chance and showed us an A level acting. The music wasn’t unique and distinct as the music of Interstellar for example and I think this movie needed the touch of Hans Zimmer, I’m not saying that Ludwig Göransson failed but Hans Zimmer in another level. If there was something I’d say that I didn’t like it in the movie would it be that Nolan discarded any set up or characters backgrounds except Elizabeth Debicki dramatic story but it wasn’t that bad for me, I didn’t care about that, the exciting story didn’t give me the chance to focus on it. But the actual problem was the third act, it was really complicated and I got lost and I convinced myself to discard the questions that were in my head and enjoy the well-made action sequences and Elizabeth Debicki performance. I think this kind of movie that gets better with a second and third watch. I honestly don’t quite know where to begin with C’est la vie. I love Christopher Nolan’s work but I have never seen a more complicated film (and I understood Memento). After nearly three hours, I came C’est la vie from C’est la vie not knowing myself, my mind reduced to nothing more than piles of ash. Was there time travel involved? Hmm, there was definitely something about time inversion. I mean, does Nolan even understand what he wrote? Look, I give credit to the director because he’s one of the few directors left who knows how to create a compelling and intelligent blockbuster. C’est la vie is full of Nolan trademarks — the gratuitous Michael Caine cameo, a loud, really loud score, complete with stunning cinematography and slickly inventive action set-pieces. This time around however, Nolan has finally managed to ‘out-Nolan’ himself: the palindromic plot, whilst creatively ambitious, is simply far too complicated for its own good. C’est la vie is overlong, overstuffed, pretentious and too exhausting to comprehend in its entirety — it makes Inception and Interstellar look like Peppa Pig by comparison. I’m aware of the technical wizardry and creative mastery in this film and lord knows I’ll have to watch this again. For those who want a puzzle, C’est la vie at least provides a unique cinematic experience. But to actually enjoy solving it Nolan wants you to work

#Regarder C'est la vie

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har-rison-s · 5 years

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CAPTAIN MARVEL

I basically just got home from the movie theater and I am so thrilled for this movie, still pumped and excited.

WARNING: There may be spoilers for the movie ahead, so read at your own risk. There'll be bold exclamation marks when possible spoilers are ahead.

So, let's start with the simple fact—this movie was as good as it was anticipated to be. They didn't invest so much on the marketing, and that's a good thing, since we all know how it goes for DC movies. MARVEL didn't tell too much about the script, and yes, at first, I was worried that it might be a flop, but the movie kept me watching through the two plus hours without ever getting bored or slipping away from the story and dialogue.

THE VERY BEGINNING!! THAT MONTAGE OF STAN LEE! OH MY GOD. They've done such a great job at paying tribute to him. Spoiler - he was in the movie. I loved the introduction, so lovely and heart-warming.

Carol Denvers doesn't change the way she behaves, as most characters do in a situation where they've been a completely different person from what they are now and have memory loss of their past life. She's the same courageous, persistent, funny and loving person on Kree as she was on Earth. I like that aspect, even though it's such a small thing that barely anyone notices, it makes the movie even better.

The storyline and plots were very well planned, every dot seemed to connect and every hole was filled. They didn't make it too hurried or too slow, it was perfect.

Character development—OH MY! That's something to talk about. Very much mistrust and disloyalty, but yielding and warming up with time are the best words to describe this movie. The relationship between Fury and the Skrulls, Carol's and Maria's lost friendship, Carol's friendship with Monica, I could go on. Very lovely.

Dialogue was amazing. Never too much movie-tized, if you know what I mean, perfect lines for each character so the audience can see them from every aspect and know them better, no banality in the way the sentences and dialogues were built. Some jokes here and there, honesty, sincerity, understanding.

Music—wouldn't say it was the best soundtrack (not speaking about the soundtrack written for the movie, speaking about the songs of the 90ties). BUT I liked that they didn't put in the hit-hits, you know, the songs that everybody knows, including the wannabe-cool teenagers and my peers. I knew most of the songs, and I like that they added the songs that people who truly grew up with 90ties music or in the 90ties knew, not the banal radio hits from the 1990s.

! The one thing that keeps me wondering is the Tesseract. They (Carol, Skrulls and S.H.I.E.L.D) found it in a ship outside earth in 1995, and yet they found laying in the ocean with Captain America in 2011. It just doesn't add up to me, but if anyone here is smarter than me in this, please let me know how this plothole can be filled and I'll thank you very much.

Feminism. God, it's strong here. Women = scientists! Women = pilots! Women = warriors! Women = HEROES!! This is what I've been waiting for. I don't consider this movie as made for feminism and its followers, but it definitely has its features in the movie. I also love that Carol has this “No Man Can Stop Me” attitude by nature, it's what I grew up with and how I look at myself from my childhood, actually. Of course, I've had my doubts and self-hate moments, bringing myself down, but I'm human, and so is she, so it's only natural. It doesn't even need to be said.

When Carol agreed to Highest Intelligence “You're right. I am human.” and her younger selves stood up one by one—I actually felt that in my heart and teared up. It's so beautiful. It's exactly like saying “Yes, I'm human, and yes, I fall down. But I get right back up because I'm not a quitter.” Probably my favourite moment in the whole movie.

The scenes where young Carol is told that she can't do this, can't do that is so understandable, but honestly, ever since I heard that women are and have been oppressed and discriminated simply because of their gender, I was very bewildered and confused. It just seems... normal just perfectly understandable to treat everyone equally, no matter their gender, sexuality, ethnicity or anything else! It stills shocks me, although I've experienced it as well.

! When Jude Law's character (I forgot his name) told Carol that he'd made her the best version of herself that she can be, I laughed out loud. Like, really? No offense, Jude, I love you, but for a man to say that he's made a woman—listen, man, that ain't it. That ain't right. Also, when he said that he'll be pleased when she beats him down without her powers and Carol didn't prove that to him was a major power move. Finally a movie without cliché feminism!

! I saw this movie in 3D and the special effects and just everything was so beautiful and detailed and epic and just... WOW! For example, the scene where the engine explodes and the power morphs itself into Carol's body—that scene right there is the most beautiful scenery in the movie, in my mind.

Carol's costume is so well-made and powerful. Through out the whole movie, all I could think was “I have to draw her”. Larson's features are basically made by the gods, and seeing her in Captain Marvel costume makes my small self feel like a goddess and she looks like such a muse. I will definitely draw her as soon as I get the chance.

! The skrulls - very interesting turn of events and characteristics for them. At the start of the movie, I already suspected something about them wasn't entirely evil. Poor them, honestly. I like that they had a sense of humor. And really, when Talos says to Carol that he's got his hands dirty in this war as well as she has—that is what you call a character showing all his colours and being close to human, with regrets and feelings and sadness and longing.

In conclusion, I give this movie a 9/10. It was well made, well edited, actors = BRILLIANT (I'm glad they didn't choose too many stars for this movie), outfits = splendid, everything else = MAGNIFICENT. I don't want to say this too soon, but this might be one of my favourite MARVEL movies. I saw exactly what I wanted on the big screen after months and months of waiting for this epic movie, and I'm still biast of MARVEL making the best comic book movies ever.

!! ALSO!! The after-credits scene!!! Since I was already emotional tonight, a tear slipped down my cheek when I saw Steve. It's been too long without seeing him, and I've missed my favourite characters - Cap, Loki, Bucky, T'Challa, Natasha... all of them, really. I'm probably going to have a small marathon of my favourite MARVEL movies later this week. I can't work out how they got Fury's communication device yet, but it'll probably be all over youtube in a couple of days. Nat's almost crying AND SO AM I. I cannot wait for Endgame. !!

That's all I have for today, folks. Have a safe night and go watch Captain Marvel as soon as you can. If you have any questions or want to share your opinion on the movie or my review, don't hesitate to pop into my messages and tell me all about it :)) I'll be waiting. Hope you enjoyed my review.

#marvel #captain marvel #captain #brie larson #brie larson as captain marvel #stan lee #captain america #marvel movies #avengers #avengers: endgame #nick fury #jude law #samuel lee jackson #nicholas fury

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auidobooks-blog1 · 6 years

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BEST AUDIO BOOKS FOR RUNNERS

Whether you’re a beginner looking to distract yourself, or an expert looking to mix things up, listening to audio books while you run can be a great addition to your routine and an excellent way to kill two birds with one stone. From thrilling crime fiction and mythical fantasy, to learning more about the real world with some fascinating non-fiction, a good audio book can motivate you to go that little bit further. Here’s our list of the best audio books for runners…

CRIME FICTION

Title: Sherlock Holmes (70 hrs and 56 mins)

Summary: For those that have never read the original stories, national treasure Stephen Fry narrates the complete Sherlock collection lasting over 70hours!

For runners: With 56 short stories and 4 novels to choose from, you can stop and start at your own pace. London runners might even spot some familiar landmarks.

Title: Sometimes I Lie (9 hrs and 28 mins)

Summary: “My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me. I’m in a coma. My husband doesn’t love me anymore. Sometimes I lie.”

For Runners: Unnerving, twisted and utterly compelling, you won’t be able to pause this new thriller. Perfect for the runner that just keeps pushing.

Title: Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be (7 hrs and 4 mins)

Summary: With wry wit and hard-earned wisdom, popular online personality and founder of TheChicSite.com founder Rachel Hollis helps readers break free from the lies keeping them from the joy-filled and exuberant life they are meant to have.

For Runners: This was the most amazing motivating book ever! She is so inspirational! This is a must read! She is just so real and makes it so easy to relate to her stories!!

Title: After the Plague (13 hrs and 30 mins)

Summary: Few authors in America write with such sheer love of story, language, and imagination as T.C. Boyle, and nowhere is that passion more evident than in his inventive, wickedly funny, and widely praised short stories. In After the Plague, Boyle speaks of contemporary social issues in a range of emotional keys. The sixteen stories gathered here address everything from air rage to abortion doctors to first love and its consequences. The collection ends with the brilliant title story, a whimsical and imaginative vision of a disease-ravaged Earth. Presented with characteristic wit and intelligence, these stories will delight readers in search of the latest news of the chaotic, disturbing, and achingly beautiful world in which we live.

For runners: Who want a different story for every run.

FANTASY

Title: Fantastic Beasts (1 hr and 40 mins)

Narrated by Eddie Redmayne, this is the first audio book edition of Scamander’s textbook ever to be released. Having starred as Newt Scamander himself in the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, who better to narrate this Hogwarts Library book from one of the wizarding world’s most famous Magizoologists? Dip in to discover the curious habits of magical beasts across five continents….

Alien: Out Of The Shadows (4 hrs and 31 mins)

With the new Alien film released in May, runners can immerse themselves in the fantasy world with this exclusive audio production. Set in deep space, a land of darkness and isolation where evil hibernates awaiting for suitable prey, hell takes on a new meaning. Quickly the characters discover that their only hope lies with the unlikeliest of saviors….

Ready Player One (15 hrs and 40 mins)

Narrated by actor Will Wheaton, this thrilling story is a fast-paced adventure that pits thousands of desperate members of humanity against each other in the ultimate race for the winning prize.

It’s the year 2044, and the real world has become an ugly place. We’re out of oil. We’ve wrecked the climate. Famine, poverty, and disease are widespread. Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes this depressing reality by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia where you can be anything you want to be, where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. And, like most of humanity, Wade is obsessed by the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this alternate reality: OASIS founder James Halliday, who died with no heir, ha promised that control of the OASIS – and his massive fortune – will go to the person who can solve the riddles he has left scattered throughout his creation.

Title: Zombies Run (1 hr and 50 mins)

Set in the universe of the worldwide best-selling app Zombies, Run!, this is a murder mystery like no other. Why would anyone still want to kill a fellow human, even after the zombie apocalypse? And having started, how can they be stopped? The desire for vengeance, after all, is the way of all flesh.

Nothing will make you run faster than the imminent threat of Zombies.

Tite: Extracted (12 hrs and 40 mins)

A young scientist invents a time machine to fix a tragedy in his past. But his good intentions turn catastrophic when an early test reveals something unexpected: the end of the world. For runners who can achieve the extraordinary – this fantasy set in 2061 follows three ordinary humans set to change the future. Can these three heroes, extracted from their timelines at the point of death, save the world?

NON-FICTION

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (15 hrs and 18 mins)

Everyone’s been talking about this Sunday Times Bestseller, so what better way to catch up than on a run? Opening up a controversial topic with spirit and thoroughness, Sapiens will challenge your preconceptions, provoke discussion and, most importantly, push you to think for yourself.

Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it. Us.

We are the most advanced and most destructive animals ever to have lived. What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us sapiens?

In this bold and provocative audiobook, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here, and where we’re going.

The Elephant in the Room (1 hr and 48 mins)

In The Elephant in the Room, Jon Ronson, the New York Times best-selling author of The Psychopath Test, Them and So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, reunites with an old acquaintance – the influential provocateur and conspiracy talk-show host Alex Jones – to explore one of the most bizarre presidential campaigns in American history. From conspiracy theorists and fearmongers, to a chance encounter with notorious political operative Roger Stone, Ronson’s picaresque journey into Donald Trump’s world. Whimsical, hilarious and often downright terrifying, The Elephant in the Room captures a defining moment in our time as only Jon Ronson could see it.

Wild (12 hrs and 59 mins)

Experience true escapism with this heartbreaking true story of a young woman who experiences intense grief and a life undone, only to rediscover herself as she forges ahead on a seemingly impossible solo journey across the American wilderness. An unforgettable journey of self-discovery, Wild is written by international best-selling author Cheryl Strayed and is a complete and unabridged audiobook memoir with a powerful narration by talented voice-artist Laurel Lefkow. Now also a hugely successful film starring Reece Witherspoon. Audible listeners follow the. This is a story that will stay with you long after the final word.

A History of Britain in 21 Women (8 hrs and 28 mins)

Feel empowered mentally as well as physically with this thought-provoking collection on the lives of 21 women that sheds light upon a variety of social, political, religious and cultural aspects of British history.

In lively prose Woman’s Hour Jenny Murray reinvigorates the stories behind the names we all know and reveals the fascinating tales behind those less familiar. From famous queens to forgotten visionaries and from great artists to our most influential political actors, A History of Britain in 21 Women is a veritable feast of history.

Find all these titles and thousands more at audiobooks.com

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rwise · 7 years

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“This isn’t a utopian revolution. This is business.”

Ten Key Takeaways from SXSW 2017

With his against-the-grain quip, Cyberpunk novelist and futurist Bruce Sterling best captured the spirit of this year’s SXSW Interactive. There was no cut-through announcement of a startling new social media platform. President “gets-it” Obama was the keynote speaker last year, so last year, and the raucous Trump era has begun in earnest. “As you walk around here today, you’re just at another trade show, really. And if you look with the eyes of historical insight then you realize that there isn’t such a big difference between Amazon and Sears & Roebuck.” Sterling was speaking as a social visionary but for those in the brand-building business, it’s a good reminder to not be so star-struck with digital innovation that we forget: it either contributes to building the business or it doesn’t. And if it doesn’t, then it’s a fascinating distraction at best.

“We are so clever, we have made ourselves obsolete.”

Bruce Sterling’s big point is that the future belongs to those who control the AI and the algorithms, making entire layers of the population increasingly unnecessary. In developed economies and the cultures that engendered them, there is a flagging of human purpose. It’s all been worked out for us and Guaranteed Basic Income might well be around the corner. Marriage rates and childbirth are in steep decline. Alcoholism, drug abuse and obesity are all on the rise - powerful indicators of a basic failure of existential conviction. Brands with a strong purpose can call us back to real human life with all its appetite and strife. Wasn’t that what made Apple’s “Think Different” so epochal? But even less grandiose brand ideals like Smirnoff’s purpose of making the world more inclusive can spur us to reconnect with our basic humanity as Diageo’s CMO Syl Saller pointed out.

Behind the brave and the bold is deep insecurity.

Brian Sullivan of Sabre Corporation (the travel booking distribution system) was talking about selling to the C-Suite. Many of us find this intimidating and by letting ourselves give in to fear, we forget how to be real and just make a good case for the high-stakes recommendation we are making. “Remember,” he said, “the bigger the ego, the bigger the insecurity.” In other words, they’re just as nervous as you are, even if they don’t look like it. Cory Booker, the insanely talented adventurer/photographer for National Geographic who climbed Mount Everest, live on SnapChat, without supplemental oxygen, said the same about himself: “What kept driving me was a deep personal insecurity.” Which is perhaps why a comedy series about a very cool black girl in LA is aptly entitled “Insecure.” Those of us on brands that appeal to the young and the cool need to remember this: even the bold among us are looking for confidence boosters as long as they’re not fake or stagey.

The never-ending power of stories.

Today’s neuroscience has taught us that story telling is inherently more attention getting than the presentation of facts and that it lights up more areas of the brain than almost any other form of engagement which means that it will not only get more attention, it will also be more memorable. As Nancy Harhut explained, “the story is the ultimate Trojan Horse for your marketing message.” Our activations that seek to place a product difference in the consumer’s mind will always benefit by putting them in a story form. Who came up with this? What were they seeking to do? What was the barrier to success? How did they overcome it? What’s the result? How do you know it has worked? What do other people experience? How do they describe it? This is always more involving and memorable than the simple product function and benefit.

Everything old is new again.

Content and digital marketing managers, average age 28.5, all listened with bated breath to Nancy Harhut, a brilliant behavioral scientist/creative director who did for them what John Caples did for David Ogilvy three generations ago: learn tested techniques of attention, recall and persuasion. Nuggets like these:

-The brain zeros in on the new, unusual, out of place: put an emoji in the subject line of your email and you can get a 30% lift in your open rate.

-Our emotions become 400% more vivid when triggered by a surprise.

-We are 68% more willing to complete a task if the reward is uncertain.

-Stories activate the Zeigarnik Effect – the nagging desire to know how it ends.

-Once we write something down, we feel compelled to live up to it- otherwise we get cognitive dissonance – so get people to tell what they eat when they drink Rioja and the next time they eat that thing they will drink Rioja.

-Significant Objects: with a story, a piece of junk that cost 59 cents at a yard sale becomes worth $60 on Ebay.

-Framing: describing something as “a small $5 fee” improves response by 25% vs “a $5 fee.”

A treasure trove of such insights and facts can be found on slideshare/nancy harhut.

Unfinished is the new real.

We visited an expensive and exclusive SXSW event featuring Aaron Franklin, founder of arguably the most famous BBQ restaurant in the world where people wait for hours in line and pay a fortune to have his brisket: it was by normal luxury standards a disaster. Chaotic, smoky, snarky…and supremely real, totally worth bragging about, unbelievably delicious. Production values are a huge part of the Airbnb success but Alex Schleifer from Airbnb reported that, while professionally produced videos do well for them and their brand, the obviously homemade video “here’s something that’s going on today at Airbnb, we just thought we’d capture it,” can outperform their professionally made content by up to 300%.

The new look of high tech is denim and plywood.

The near future isn’t cold, plastic and impersonal. Perhaps the coolest new device introduced this year was wearable computing from venerable Levi’s in a JV with Google. The $350 Commuter jacket will come out this Fall that gives you haptic signals and features a cool-looking button allowing you to play music and the like. It will look good paired with playful SnapChat spectacles which are doing for wearables what Google Glass failed to do: be fun and look cool. Perhaps the coolest live activation at SXSW ’17 was JAPAN FACTORY from Sony. Showcasing one amazing gaming and media technology after another, they were displayed in an environment built of plywood and decorated with graffiti. Curvy, shiny plastic is so 1999. Be transparent: this is a pop-up; don’t try to pretend it’s a museum. Perhaps the most advanced stuff doesn’t try too hard to look like it is.

Influencers are the new mass media.

As Neiman Marcus’s CMO Carrie Fisher reports, 26% of sales to Neiman Marcus via Instagram are driven by influencer content. And 82% of consumers reported they were likely to follow a recommendation made by a micro influencer.

For brands it’s all about building relationships that are true, deep and long-term. You’ll get the kind of results enjoyed by the Dollar Shave Club if you carefully research your influencers to make sure their brand values overlap your own and give them free reign to keep their communication on their own brand as they see it. To build credibility, the endorsement, even if paid, has to be on-brand for the influencer. You can see this truth even affecting the style of the Priceline commercial starring Kelly Cuocco. Most people recognize her as one of the stars of the hit TV show Big Bang Theory. But look how she talks and makes everything involving with a personal touch – much like an influencer would talk to their fans.

Our new heroes are heroines.

As Leo Burnett’s Yousef Tuqan reports, in 2011 the Arab Youth Survey showed 11% agreement with the statement, “Traditional values are out of date.” But by 2014 that number had jumped to 47%. (And, remember, 68% of the population of MENA is under 35.) Which accounts for the 14 million views of the hilarious spoof of the Saudi ban on female driving, “No Woman, No Drive.” (here) We’re at a tipping point here and Nike’s “What will they say about you” is pitch perfect in this respect (here). In the West, Millennial women now outpace men in education and professional career development. They’re being cheered on not just by themselves but by men as well. For brands that stand for individualism or progress, the opportunities are rife – see for example, Acura’s new commercial, “Drive Like a Boss.” (here) And Reckitt’s resurrection of Woolite with “Dress for Success.” (here)

And we’re all Hollywood now

People love stories. People want to relate. And they love videos more than ever. As Seraj Bharwani of Visible Measures reports, mobile video viewership is skyrocketing. 500 million video ads have been since 2007. Viewership is up 61%. Movies, series, live videos, videos with captions, Vines, it really doesn’t matter what the format is or how long the length, we’re eating it up in record numbers. So if you’re in the marketing business, you’re a filmmaker. Those videos you make to impress your board, where are the ones you made to move your fans? Maybe those should be the ones you show to your board. Make them real, not slick, make them tell human stories not corporate balderdash…but, above all, make them and make them discoverable.

#sxsw2017 #marketing #advertising #social media

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