#I absolutely have to say the cinematography in this film is stunning

[lupinsmoons]

I’m watching 1917 for the first time and I know the ending is probably going to destroy me

#send all your love and prayers to me please #as someone who wants to be a cinematographer #I absolutely have to say the cinematography in this film is stunning #evan talks films

[waitmyturtles]

I finished The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House this weekend, and I feel like I’m still laid out flat by what I watched. I’ve been so consumed with QLs lately, that jumping into a wholly different world of filmmaking was a touch of a shock. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING, and I have to wholeheartedly RECOMMEND IT as a must-watch for 2023. LONG post!

First off: Koreeda Hirokazu. A MASTER director and screenwriter. His taking on the canon manga, Kiyo in Kyoto, had fans in anticipation for The Makanai to premiere on Netflix. My two favorite films of his are After Life (1998) and Like Father, Like Son (2013). He doesn’t shy away particularly from difficult stories about families and complicated relationships, and tends to cast familiar faces, especially Lily Franky. His latest film, Broker, has been on the awards circuit this season.

A couple of quick definitions and explanations before I move forward. This is a show about what us in the West called “geisha” culture in Kyoto. A maiko is an apprentice geisha, and geiko is the word for geisha in Kyoto’s dialect. A makanai means a person who cooks staff meals, say, at a restaurant or another kind of business where staffers get fed. 

Kiyo in Kyoto is about the teenage protagonist, Kiyo, becoming the makanai of a maiko lodging residence in Kyoto, after she follows her best friend, Sumire (later known as Momohana), to Kyoto to apprentice as maiko. Sumire has a natural talent for this work, while Kiyo is a carefree, unburdened soul who isn’t committed to much in her young life. Kiyo is expelled from her maiko apprenticeship, but asks to become the makanai of the lodging house, and is able to stay in Kyoto, and close to Sumire, as Kiyo had promised to remain by Sumire’s side during their journey into apprenticeships. Both Kiyo and Sumire are from the same town in Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost prefecture on Honshu island, just south of Hokkaido. In Aomori, Kiyo lived with her grandmother, a local doting soul, and her grandmother’s kitchen is where Kiyo first found her passion for food and cooking. Finally, Sumire is in love with their mutual friend, Kenta, who is a high school baseball star in Aomori. It’s not clarified directly, but it’s apparent that Sumire’s love is unrequited, and indeed, it’s indirectly indicated that Kenta might be more inclined towards Kiyo. Kenta is shown sitting with Kiyo’s grandmother for many meals, including holiday meals, without explanation as to his own family.

So that’s already A LOT to manage, and still, Koreeda takes on more -- he takes on the unbelievable setting that is Kyoto and the Gion district, as well as flashbacks to winter-strewn Aomori; he takes on rivalries, regrets, sisterhood, and more among the women of geiko and maiko culture; he takes on the breathtaking theme of unrequited and resistant love, and he takes on the theme of complicated -- very complicated -- friendship, leveraging Kiyo as an unburdened foil and mirror to reflect on the complicated natures of the people around her.

First off, if you are at all inclined to be taken away simply by cinematography, you MUST WATCH THIS SHOW. I haven’t watched anything more beautiful in a VERY long time. This brings up for me the wonderful conversation that took place last month regarding the sense of space in QLs; in regards to the sense of space and how ma (that very intricate concept of place, time, and space) is incorporated into doramas -- I haven’t seen a show that does it better than The Makanai at the moment. 

The way Koreeda captured seasons. The way he incorporated fashion -- what geikos and maikos wear during performances, on their off-time, during celebrations -- my GOD. The way he used COLOR. The way he used quiet, and sound, to lift up conversations outside in spectacular settings. The way he held shots. SUMPTUOUS. I was totally taken away.

Two shots that moved me: Kiyo in a sento bathhouse, humming to herself. (She’s later teased, without her knowing, by some of the maiko, for being like an old man, scrubbing and humming in the sento.) 

Kiyo, Kenta, and Sumire, a flashback to Aomori, Kiyo and Kenta shoveling snow while Sumire built a snowman. And an immediate cut to Sumire watching Kiyo shovel snow in Kyoto. The quietness and the beauty gave me physical chills. 

Kiyo as a free soul, moved by her passion for cooking and not much else, is leveraged so beautifully as a means of a young woman being in a place at a particular time, without carrying the emotional burden of existence that many of us place on our shoulders. She’s not the person who asks why something is happening in her life. She’s the one who’s feeding the people who are doing that asking unto themselves, and suffering either because of that inquiry, or suffering simply because of an inability to transcend what they’re going through. Kiyo is clearly a Zen-like foil -- even though she’s treated often as someone “with a screw loose,” as the geiko Momoko says to Sumire in the last episode. But I think Kiyo is far more in touch with the world than anyone else that surrounds her in the show. She’s the human embodiment of ma.

So, speaking of cooking: the reason why I picked up this show is because friends of mine recommended it to me as a cooking dorama, and certainly, a lot of news coverage in the West focuses much on the food of the show. Many of the Western articles, I think, miss many points about the show, and I think it’s in part for a lack of understanding about how food and cooking are so emotionally interwoven in unspoken aspects of Asian cultures. (A lot of commentary I’m reading just focuses on the dishes -- and the dishes are incredibly important, especially in how Kiyo interprets them from her Aomori taste, adjusting seasonings and techniques for the group of maiko she’s serving who hail from across Japan. But the dishes are not the only, or the most important, aspects to this show.)

Kiyo is often asked if she’s okay with being the makanai. She kept her promise to her friend, Sumire, Sumi-chan, to stay by Sumire’s side. Sumire would ideally like to keep Kiyo by her side -- if Kenta likes Kiyo, it’s better to keep Kiyo in Kyoto. But also: Sumire is primed to be the next best maiko and geiko in Gion, as Momoko predicts (Momoko is the star geiko of Gion), and Sumire will need an ally. Kiyo is Sumire’s ally -- and we’re not sure if Sumire has Kiyo’s best interests at hand.

But Kiyo insists that she’s okay, that she wants to be the makanai. Even at 16, she says, this may be the job I was intended to have. Kiyo radiates simplicity in a fantastic, uplifting way. I think Western critics are missing this. Western food media tends to absolutely glorify, many times in horrific and ignorant ways, dishes without the cultural context of the cooking, preparation, or history of those dishes. In other words, Western media erases the stories behind the cooking.

The Makanai is ALL ABOUT THE STORIES BEHIND THE COOKING. Kiyo is a makanai, and to Kiyo, that’s just fine. She doesn’t find it demeaning because she is not demeaned. She even seems surprised when she’s asked by a lodge okkasan if she’s okay with this job. 

Food brings comfort, memories. It satisfies hunger, needs. Comfort, memories, hunger, needs -- these are HUGE, huge. Kiyo does that? That’s massive emotional work. She knows exactly what she’s doing.

So, what all does this show have? Absolutely EXQUISITE cinematography, and an unwinding, mature story focused on the journeys of two teenagers, with ambition, rivalry, regret, love (requited, unrequited, unresolved), and beyond unbelievable acting. 

It’s an absolute CRIME that I can’t take screenshots (eff you, Netflix), but here’s two. Hashimoto Ai, as Momoko, is on the right of the first shot. Imagine her kimono as brilliant sky blue. The fashion choices and colors in this show were mindblowing. Hashimoto Ai, by the way -- I STAN. What a CONCRETE performance.

The reason why I chose the second shot, of Sumire in her daily lessons, is because the light from the windows reminds me of when I first started to learn how to meditate years and years ago. The Makanai is one of the most meditative shows that I’ve seen in years, and I CANNOT recommend it highly enough. Utterly breathtaking.

#the makanai cooking for the maiko house #mori nana #natsuki deguchi #hashimoto ai #tokiwa takako #hirokazu koreeda #after life #like father like son #broker #netflix #netflix japanese dramas

[queenofpurgatoryq]

KURAK GÜNLER / BURNİNG DAYS

TD;lr: Turkish goverment is trying to mess up a movie with a queer storyline, its a great movie and you should watch it to support it.

9/10

Besides the stunning cinematography and excellent acting by all of the leads (especially Selahattin Paşalı), this movie is a setting stone for Turkish cinema for a political reason, too.

TURKISH GOVERMENT AND QUEER SUBTEXT

Without giving the plot away, I want to note that while I would not consider this movie as 'queer cinema' it has a storyline revolving around its two male leads, their chemistry is undeniable and one of the main drivers of the story.

The spoiler free version is that, there is a queer relationship and even while it does not have explicit scenes, it has been getting a lot of attention from right wing media from the moment it aired in festivals. After negative press about "homosexual propoganda" the ministry of culture decised to "get their funding back, with interest."

This is the most pathatic thing I've ever heard tbh. The movie's first draft apparently did not include a queer aspect to the two leads' relationship and the ministery approved to support it. (Its an art house film that was suppose to attend many festivals world wide and it is currently doing so.) Then they revised the script and sent it to do the ministery as well, 20 months ago. And now they want their money back because homophobes are mad.

I believe anyone who lives in a country with corruption (I guess most of the world, sadly) will relate heavily to this story and share the frustration of living in an unjust world.

A QUICK SUMMARY WITHOUT SPOILERS

Hopefully you are as pissed as I'm and would like to watch this movie to say 'fuck you' to bigots, you should be able to find it many cities in Turkey and Europe.

The movie revolves around a young prosecutor named Emre and it starts with him moving to a small town. The elections are close and the town has a plotically divided atmosphere and Emre finds himself in the middle of an open case that revolves around the town's water source.

The movie highlights the injustices of a currupt town and a goverment and the helpless feeling of trying to fight this injustices but struggle at every turn. Along side a rape case of a young girl, the town's main focus shifts to a rumor of the nature of two men. This highlights the irony- nobody cares about a Romani girl getting raped, but everybody talks about these men. Its frustrating, the movie set in a setting without water, everybody is thirsty, its hot and its suffocating. The setting creates a helpless feeling in Emre and the viewer.

It is an absolute thriller that had me at the edge of my seat. At Emre's every moment where he stood his ground, I was holding my breath.

QUEER "SUBTEXT"

If you read this far and want to now more and do not care about SPOILERS, go ahead.

The queer relationship revolves around the prosecutor Emre and the town's journalist Murat. Their relationship was definietly beyond subtext, eventhough it was open to intrepretation to how far they have gone with each other, it was clear they were drawn to each other one way or another.

The relationship is beyond subtext because for starters, Murat is introduced as an outcast of the town, a journalist with a sharp tongue and from the start people tell Emre of his 'unorthodox ways'. Murat's sexual oriantation is a talk of the town and its clear that he had been bullied and harrased for a long time. As they get close, both the nature of their relationship is questioned as well as their their stand against town's traditions.

The lack of clear water in town was portrayed stunningly. Especially for Emre's and Murat's relationship. Everytime they were around each other, it was near a lake or a shower and even then they were not able to relax due to external pressure of the events around them.

All in all, Selahhatin Paşalı's portrayel was amazing, his feelings were more subtle and open to intrepretation yet much more powerful in my opinion. I liked that even in very intimiate moment they were calling each other Mr. And called each other with the formal 'you' until the very end.

The main focus of the movie is not their love story yet their dynamic elevates the rest of the story and brings attention to very important topics. I hope it will get the attention it deserves, from outside of Turkey, too.

#kurak günler #burning days #selahattin paşalı #ekin koç #movies #turkish cinema #queer cinema

[avida-heidia-5]

I Just Watched: Society of the Snow (2023)

I don’t think I’ll ever be boarding on an aeroplane again after watching this!!! 😰

This was the most stressful and the most terrifying film I have ever seen. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through! I spent a good chunk of the runtime hugging my legs close to my body in absolute terror! I’m not joking! 😧

The film is based on the harrowing true story of when Flight 571, while flying from Uruguay to Chile, crashed in the heart of the Andes Mountains, and the people who survived the accident work together to survive while trying to navigate their way home.

I wasn’t familiar with the story going into it. My parents have heard of it though, so I had to rely on them most of the time to know if what we were watching was accurate or not. I was also a little apprehensive upon reading the film’s synopsis because it sounded like your typical Hollywood blockbuster where they’re likely to glorify certain events and miscast actors who portrayed the real people involved in these events.

While watching the film however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it didn’t feel blockbuster-y to me at all! Everything felt incredibly intimate, as if you’re watching a documentary with the way it was shot and acted. It felt grounded in reality thanks to the stunning cinematography and wonderful acting from the cast. The casting was excellent and the acting phenomenal. So much so, that I grew to care about the characters they portrayed and the perils they faced. Everyone was fully committed to their roles and shone like stars in the sky. I was admittedly close to tears by the end. It was so beautiful, I loved it! 🥲

I found out after doing some research that a lot of what happened in the film was accurate to the source material, including the scenes that involved c******lism. Having that bit of information in the film made my jaw drop. That was a very bold move on the film’s part! It was very disturbing to witness, but I enjoyed it regardless. Maybe a couple of minor details here and there were a little inaccurate, but that didn’t bother me in the slightest.

I’ve just learned that J. A. Bayona directed this. It’s a name you might not be familiar with, but he was the one who directed one of my favourite disaster films The Impossible (2012), which starred Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, and a very young Tom Holland. Funnily enough, that film was also based on a horrifying true event. Instead of a plane in the Andes, it’s a tsunami in Thailand in 2004; an event my parents also remember reading and hearing about on the news. I can imagine Bayona researching the hell out of these events to make sure the stories he tells are as close to accurate as possible, and he delivers to an insane degree every single time.

On another note, Michael Giacchino composed the score for this film. It’s not quite as memorable as his other work for, say, Pixar for example, but it suited the tone of the film exceptionally well. So if you’re a fan of his music, I recommend giving it a listen.

Overall, an utterly compelling and terrifying film to sit through. It filled its 2 1/2 hr long runtime very well. I cannot recommend this film enough! Give it a watch if you have the time.

(Now I need to watch it again in the original Spanish language. We watched the English dub and it was actually pretty good. English dubbed versions of foreign languages are notoriously awful (at least, by Netflix’s standard), so I was surprised by that. I’ll need to see how it compares with the original Spanish version though.)

9/10

#Trying to make an effort to diversify my blog a bit #I could talk about films all day honestly. I’m surprised I haven’t talked about it enough here #See? I don’t *just* talk about F1! #I Just Watched… #society of the snow #la sociedad de la nieve #2023 #netflix #2024 #j. a. bayona #michael giacchino #spanish #films #movies #cinema #film review #letterboxd #andes #heidia gemstones

[hairtusk]

Which Brontë films (both novel adaptations and biographies) are your favourites? I must confess that I’ve never watched one, though I always wanted to know how they adapted their stories to screen.

I feel like my answers to this question might be slightly controversial! But I'll do my best to be as honest as possible.

My favourite biopic is To Walk Invisible - everything about it is absolutely stunning, from the costume design, to the cinematography, the plot, and the acting. It was directed by Sally Wainwright (of Gentleman Jack fame), who portrays the lives of the sisters beautifully. And, like me, she has an undying love for the landscape and history of West Yorkshire and the moors, which really shows in the way the film is shot. I particularly love the way that she doesn't try to crowbar in a love interest, or make the sisters inaccurately beautiful or charming - it's accurate, gorgeous and an absolute labour of love. I'd absolutely recommend to anyone who loves the Brontës, or Victoriana in general.

My favourite novel adaptation is, by far, Cary Joji Fukunaga's Jane Eyre. I feel like it's the most accurate Jane Eyre adaptation, both in terms of the plot and the overall vibes of the novel - it definitely has more gothic undertones than previous adaptations. The costuming and set design is beyond beautiful, as is the cinematography, and Mia Wasikowska will always be *my* Jane.

Now, I understand people have their own favourite Jane Eyre adaptions (the 2006 version seems to be particularly popular), but honestly, I hate every other version. They all feel inadequately gothic, much too "tea and bonnets period drama", and all of them cast the actress for Jane *far* too old (she's 19 in the novel). So, I'm sorry for everyone who doesn't agree, but I have my reasons.

And, if I being honest ... that's where my love of Brontë adaptations/biopics ends 😬 I'll do a quickfire round of my *least* favourites, and my reasoning:

Emily (2022):

• An absolute mess.

• WILDLY mischarcterises Emily by forcing a love interest into her story. There is absolutely no historical evidence for it.

• Emma Mackey seems lovely, but she's far too conventionally attractive to play Emily. Sorry 🤷‍♀️

• The costumes, and especially the HAIR are offensively inaccurate.

• Feels like a "feminist retelling" that girlboss-ifies Emily. We didn't want or need it. Frankly, I was offended that the Brontë Parsonage Museum endorsed it.

Wuthering Heights (2011):

• I'm aware that this will be controversial, but I HATE this film

• Andrea Arnold's tendency for stripped back social realism just doesn't work here in my opinion.

• She cast largely untrained actors (she does this frequently in her films, for said 'social realism') and it's painfully obvious. Some of the acting is cringe-inducing.

• Kaya Scodelario was a TERRIBLE choice for Cathy. It's actually hard to imagine a worse choice.

• The costumes, again, where almost offensively inaccurate. The hair was pretty bad, but not as bad as Emily 2022.

• I will give it credit for being fairly plot accurate, but even that isn't enough to stop me hating it.

Other than that, my opinions fall somewhere in the middle for most other Brontë adaptations. I don't mind the 1939 or 1992 WH adaptations, as they're both quite interesting in their own ways (and flawed in their own ways, too), though I would say that the 1992 is probably the best adaption of WH that we currently have. I haven't seen all that many others - the 1996 Tenant of Wildfell Hall adaptation is on my to-watch list, although my expectations aren't massively high.

[crediblebombthreat]

Emesis Blue Review (Spoiler Free)

Finished it a few nights ago instead of sleeping.

I've been watching Source Filmmaker animations for a very very very long time now. I enjoy their variety. Narrative-driven short films have been a staple of SFM animation for a long time now. As are ones where the medic's face has three polygons, and he says some garbled mixture of voicelines that makes the demoman scream and explode. I enjoy both types -- in different ways.

There's something charming and human about a good SFM animation! At all skill levels, there's always something that cues you in to the personality of the person (or people) who made it. SFM has a certain "digital spirit" that you don't really see anymore. An open-source tool that invites creativity, playfulness, and collaboration. In that way, it's the closest thing we'll ever get to Team Fortress 3.

Emesis Blue -- underneath all of the horrors, terrors, viscera, and such -- is deeply informed by this digital spirit. It makes a point to be fun. It's very earnest. It's fanfiction. Everything it does, it does unflinchingly. The utter lack of apprehension towards what's considered cringe or gauche can be off-putting![1] But it's attached to such undeniable skill and craftsmanship (craftsmannship?) that even the most self-conscious and critical people should be able to get over it without much trouble.

There are plenty of valid complaints, of course. Are there parts of the screenplay that feel a bit off? Sure. Is the voice acting perfect? No. Could the camera have held a few shots for just a little bit longer? Oh yeah. Did Blutrarch and Redmond's models make me want to punch my computer monitor? Absolutely. But all of these are eclipsed in totality by the cinematography.

Some of Emesis's shots are unlike anything I've seen in an SFM before. Beautiful, striking, stunning. My heart almost crawled out of my mouth when I realized that there are people in the fandom born after 2005 -- and that this might be the first time they've seen competent lighting, framing, and shot direction. Of course, this is in comparison to more contemporary movie making. Emesis frequently gestures[2] towards classic avant-garde horror masterpieces, and, despite how presumptuous that may be, pull it off almost every time.

There's a whole lot to like, and if you're one of the three people who haven't seen it yet, I really encourage you to check it out -- even if you're not into TF2 (which you will be, very soon).

[1] If you're not a regular tumblr user, anyway. Everyone here lives for the cringe and the gauche.

[2] The gesture is more of a beckon than a point, mind. Fortress Films actually understand what made these movies look good.

Spoilers Below

When medic peeled back the medicine label and it was a secret medicine that was different I laughed out loud. Same thing with the spy turning into jerky. That shit had my dying. The scene where soldier shot Blutrarch was shot well, but I couldn't get over how goofy the soldier looked.

I greatly appreciated how they never bothered to explain who the plague doctor was, or what was in the suit case, or what was/wasn't real. It was ambiance. It primed you for certain emotions and sensations, and when it was no longer useful they moved on to something cooler.

Despite the narrative restraint, some shots REALLY could have used some more time. Like the medic accepting a cigarette in the elevator. Just half a second more to pause. Let it breathe.

#emesis blue #tf2 #reallygreatposts #review

[helenprins]

//CIVIL WAR spoilers

i mean, okay, sure, i guess, on a first viewing, the film's refusal to both take a stance and expand on what happened in the us could be read as cowardice and this is what i didn't love about it. everything, especially war journalism and photojournalism, is political. so i would have liked if the film talked more about that and even was more critical

but i also think, if you look at it as a Journalism Film, the film *is* better. because, again, there is no such thing as photojournalism, war journalism, or just journalism in general tbh that is apolitical. just by pointing your camera in *a* direction, you're making a political statement. i think the film is more about how journalists react in these situations and what they’d for The Scoop than how divided the us has become. i just wish the statements made were more political/critical rather than vague because like this is feels a bit cowardly, but a part of me also thinks this might work in its favour in a weird way. by pointing the camera on the journalists, it gives them the treatment they give to their subjects. tbh the movie seems to be both critical and appreciative of journalists, which i appreciate

but i really *love* everything else about it. absolutely everything else

the quartet of actors - kirsten, cailee, wagner, and stephen - is incredible; everybody is giving a career-best performance. so many movements, line deliveries, looks, whatever are haunting me. it's an acting feast (for some reason even tho kirsten dunst gave my fave performance in the film, i've thought more of wagner moura's performance. joel mourning sammy and his final line jolt me every ten minutes or so tbh). i'm in awe

and then, on a technical level, this is a stunning horror/action film. the cinematography - the forest on fire scene is stunning and it's not even the best scene in the movie -, the score, THE SOUND EDITING AND MIXING - good god, man. haven't been this impressed since THE ZONE OF INTEREST -, the editing, everything works so well. and then the third act happens and it's magnificent. it made me so happy that i watched it in the cinema because it's electric. i'm pretty sure god showed himself, but i was too busy looking at the screen to notice him. i guess i understand why people would hate the ending - if they do -, but for me it Works So Well. it's bold and it's the exact ending a Journalism Film should have had. the last lines are So Good. i won't spoil them, but i can't stop thinking of them. i think they're the keys to unlock this film as a Journalism Film instead of the ~~political~~ film it was labeled as

basically. CIVIL WAR slaps so fucking hard, it's incredible. it's definitely not going to work for everybody and i am curious to see what i'll make of it on a rewatch - i hope knowing that i should look at it as a Journalism Film will help and i say this as someone who is raving about it, so i'm guessing i hope i'll give it more than the four stars i gave it. need to see it again immediately

#text #personal #i am very totally sober btw #i feel like i could come up w smth more coherent when sober and after a rewatch

[savpumpkinhead]

oh my gosh okay. so I saw barbenhiemer a few days ago and i habe just been sitting in my thoughts and I have so many things to say. THIS HAS SPOILERS FOR BOTH!!!

i saw Oppenheimer first so:

the cinematography was gorgeous. this movie was absolutely stunning. not only were the colors and shots beautiful, but I adored the black-and-white shots used for Strauss' perspective (which reminded me of asteroids city's use of b&w for perspective/setting changes!!!).

Florence pugh. oh my goodness. she was BEAUTIFUL I kept turning to my friend and saying oh my god she's gorgeous. I loved her acting, she embodied her character spectacularly. (also she so me for flirting with Cillian a bit during an interview)

CILLIAN MURPHY !!!! i adore him and I went into this very excited because I adore the dark knight and he was spectacular in that. anyways I loved his acting and how he delivered his lines, he added so much to the story. for such a long movie I loved his whole performance, and im super excited to watch it again (can u tell I love cillian murphy)

I understand it was a biopic so they were focusing more on the man himself and not the situation, but my friend who i went with actually googled the movie while we went to dinner- and found that the bomb test they showed had actually hit both Mexican and Indigenous people that were living in/near Los Alamos (mostly with radiation and fallout), which if we can find in one google search, is kinda weird we didn't see it in the movie at all. anyways I went to piss in the middle of the movie (Ik i should have peed before but WHATEVER anyways) when i got back they had already bombed both cities?? i was so surprised i had missed it, they didn't cover it much after that until around the end when the moral quandary is brought up more. anyways im seeing it again so ill definitely pay attention to these details!!

COSTUMING!!!! the costumes were beautiful, I adore the fashion of this era so it makes lots of sense but it was spectacular. my friend and I who both do makeup for theatre were caught off guard by the aging at the end as well, spectacular!!!

some of the dialogue was hard to follow and some moments definitely got a little complicated for me, but I definitely enjoyed the movie overall. Im going to go see it again soon at a theatre near me which is showing it with actual film!!! im very excited

I have a friend in film whod probably look at me like I was crazy for these reviews but that's okay cause I <3 him and I might get to see it with him soon :3

BARBIE:

god i adored this movie. ive seen twice and I've cried very much in that goddamn theatre. its a wonderful message about womanhood and girlhood and also just being human.

did you know all of kens clothes fit him.....

the movie itself was wonderful, the cinematography was nice and I saw some really beautifully framed shots!! the color scheme was spectacular aswell, I adore greta girwig for sure. not to mention the costuming, makeup, set design, the whole movie's tech was just spectacular I have no complaints for real.

this movie is very "first I laughed, then I serioused", the beginning was lots of giggles for me, I love the characters and all the references, it felt very nostalgic to see all the things I loved as a kid come up on the screen.

the feminist takes were very refreshing to see! I've seen many people comment on them being very broad and vague, and I agree some things like fatphobia and racism could have gone a bit deeper, but for what it was I was so happy. i felt my girlhood was really seen and I felt like I had a weight of my chest a lot of the time. thought its hard to separate many social movements from each other, this was a pretty good job

speaking of fatphobia I do wish that there was more fat representation, there was one main plus size Barbie and maybe one or two chubbier ones, but it would have been cool to see more of a body type range. its hard to ask for more because there already is SO MUCH diversity but I noticed a lot that the bigger ken was paired with the bigger barbie and that kinda thing, so I just wanted to mention that. i really do appreciate it though, and I love what Gerwig has given us.

did you know that all of kens clothes fit him.

allen is definitely non binary coded, I lack the words to properly explain this but I've seen many people bring it up!! there's also some more trans allegory I connected too throughout the movie, and I really enjoyed the healthy masculinity that came from some of the movie :3

everyone's gay and ND!!!!!!!!! margot robbies barbie is definitely aroace lesbian and maybe autistic and allen is nonbinary and queer and ken is probably transgender and adhd and he's just like me fr so on so fourth they are all queer. thank you :)

#barbie #barbenheimer #greta gerwig barbie #margot robbie #ryan gosling #barbie 2023 #oppenheimer #christopher nolan #cillian murphy #michael cera #barbie movie #lgbtq #feminism #movie reviews #kinda #not really #this is mostly silly #they are all gay your honor #barbie spoilers

[barrowsteeth]

opinions on ripley? i've seen some mixed reviews in the press and i'm scarred to watch

i love it so far! i've watched the first three episodes and my first thought is that the cinematography is absolutely stunning. i adore black and white and think the decision to film in b&w was a master stroke. not only does it set the mood for the series right off the bat but the play on light and shadow is impeccable.

andrew is amazing (no surprise ofc) and communicates so much with just the tiniest change in a look or facial expression even when there is a lengthy break in the dialogue. without giving anything away, i'll just say that i'm eager to see more interaction between tom and marge. and i haven't stopped thinking about episode three since i watched it several hours ago.

i'm eager to watch more, but have no desire to rush it. quite the opposite in fact. i want to sink into each episode and spend some time soaking in the atmosphere and events as the unfold on-screen alongside the characters.

as for reviews, the vast majority i've seen have been overwhelmingly positive, so don't be scared!

#anon ask #ripley netflix #ripley spoilers #asked and answered

[unnursvanablog]

when you are one episode in to Queen of Tears, the new highly anticipated and very promising new kdrama and it pulls on of your least fav tropes on you at the end of the episode aka her being terminally ill and only has about three months t live (him being prepared with the divorce papers right at that minute is very amusing tho) but that's on me… because I did kinda go into this drama blind. I do that with quite a few dramas these days.

And while I do hate hate HATE that trope I do also know that there are always exceptions to the trope and in the right hands it can turn out fantastic. And I am just going to have faith in Queen of Tears and let it take me on this ride and hope for the best. I have seen two or three dramas where another least fav kdrama trope (memory loss) was done so so so well. Miracles do happen!

This drama is a soapy tale of crazy rich people being kinda crazy and over the top. And that can be ether super interesting and fun to watch or very very grating and too much. So far it's the former. It's very much used to frame the story and the humor of the show but it I almost wish it was used a bit more sparingly because it did feel a tad heavy handed at times, there are a lot of key players that were introduced and I can just tell how much filler we are going to get with some of these characters and their crazy antics.

And the core family is fun and the cast is very likeable. I am constantly going… on this one! whenever I see an actor pop up. I do suspect that Kwak Dong Yeon playing another dumb but loveable younger brother in an over the top rich family is going to be the death of me again. They can give me some good filler scenes with him just being adorable and I would not complain (too much).

Also the serial killer boss from Psychopaths' Diary is the second lead? ooooh, this is going to get crazy.

I worry about how much they are going to streatch this story and they know they can do that, add in tone of product placement and filler scenes because the two leads are very good and popular and will bring in ratings and viewers. So they are going to make every episode unessiarily long just for the sake of it almost.

I ran into the same problem with Kim Soo Hyun's last drama where I just felt like the theme, the characters and the love story and all that was there but it just felt done to death or drawn out way too much, way to thin towards the end of it and every episode was so long that I just got very very bored with it. It didn't add any extra depth to the characters or the story. It was just dragging on for the sake of keeping the viewers for longer.

I worry about the focus of the story towards the end tbh. I enjoyed the first two episodes a lot, but I felt like it was way too long and probably could have been cut down a bit and keep to the core of the story (and then after that has been established you expand a bit) and I just didn't have the attention span to watch the whole thing in one go. I put the drama on pause in a middle of an episode and then came back once I was ready to finish it.

You can also get a sense of that through how the drama is filmed. It's more just stylish, but I wouldn't really say that it's that focused on stunning scenery or cinematography. I guess we could say style over substance.

BECAUSE KDRAMA EPISODES OR ANY EPISODE OF ANY TV SHOW EVER SHOULD NOT BE OVER AN HOUR LONG unless you absolutely have to. Like if it's a final episode or whatever. It just makes the story not flow as well. It often makes the pacing a bit weird.

Him wanting out of the marriage, but not wanting to get a divorce in this over-the-top crazy family and rather just wait until his terminally ill wife dies, her thinking that he is finally showing her some kindness and warmth after closing his heart on her (probably because she is too busy thinking about keeping up apperances for the sake of her family and duties to them) and them slowly falling in love again over the course of the show is a very nice hook to a story.

And the story sets up both leads up well enough that you feel and root for both of them.

Like you are rooting for him to get out of there, because this life is making him (but also both of them) miserable, but you know he is ultimately going to fail in some way because they are going to end up together in the end. But it's about that journey and not the destination. Unless the drama decides to be very very bold and just kill her off at the end and make is suffer a whole lot. But it also makes you root for her, because she does need that love and support and we see her caring oh so much, in her own subdued way (probably because she sees the crazy in the family and want to sort of be that anchor that's keeping it all together), sort of behind his back. You do want them to sort of just take a breather from it all and slowly come together again.

I do kinda hope and wish that this show picks up the pace a bit and also just truly embraces the crazy and the soap opera aspects of the show and just goes all out. I want to enjoy some over the top nonsense that just makes you laugh and cheer because of how absurd it is. As long as they manage to ground the drama in it's own reality it's going to be fine.

Queen of Tears, please just be fun. I want to not be in a kdrama slump and have something that excites me every damn week.

#first impressions #queen of tears

[pocketfullofpearlies]

MOVIE REVIEW: SALTBURN

Genres: dark comedy; psychological thriller; drama.

Director: Emerald Fennell

Starring: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Acrhie Madekwe, Alison Oliver, Carey Mulligan, Richard E. Grant.

 

*Wow. Just wow.

* I loved how everything I thought I knew about the movie got debunked. Sure, I was aware of the characters and the general premise, but the eventual occurrences caught me completely off guard.

*It was perfectly paced from start to finish; not too slow that it seems stagnant and not too fast that it’s impossible to keep up. Everything unfolds and flows together seamlessly.

*Although I mentioned the genres this movie falls into, in reality it surpasses genre allocation because of how quickly things switch up and occur; and that’s part of what makes it so special.

*The casting was absolute perfection. Everyone executed their roles perfectly and so naturally it seemed hauntingly real. I’ll never look at Barry Keoghan the same way again, that’s for sure, and Archie Madekwe, who I previously only knew from Midsommar is a new favorite of mine. Jacob Elordi and Rosamund Pike were also utterly amazing.

*The set design, costuming and cinematography were incredibly immersive. It is rare to see modern films with timelines set in the early 2000s, so this was rather refreshing, and I was blown away by the representation it gave the year 2006. There were also several stunning scenes worthy of at least a Best Cinematography nomination.

*The foreshadowing and imagery in the movie were pure brilliance. For example, in the scene where Venetia talks about doppelgangers, Felix’s own doppelganger passes by the window, foreshadowing his unfortunate death. Also, Oliver is playfully described as a 'vampire’ and his actions in the movie prove this to be metaphorically true.

*This movie might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it does bring several topics to light, including those of obsession, privilege politics, desire, family dynamics, manipulation, etc. The lesson I personally drew from it is not everyone is to be trusted.

*Emerald Fennell really delivered a complex, gutsy masterpiece with this one. This is the sort of film people will talk about for years to come; either for its unabashed, almost controversial nature or its brilliant and compelling storyline, or even both. Needless to say, Saltburn is one movie you won’t soon forget.

Overall rating: 8/10

Have you seen Saltburn?

#saltburn #saltburn movie #jacob elordi #rosamund pike #barry keoghan #archie madekwe #felix catton #elspeth catton #oliver quick #farleigh start #venetia catton #movie review #movie recommendation #film review #relatable #emerald fennell

[harryfeatgaga]

Don't Worry Darling Review!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

OKAY SO right off the bat, amazing cinematography and the score and soundtrack are incredible like seriously two of the best parts of the movie hands down. The visuals and aesthetic were just fucking stunning I'm obsessed and Palm Springs was truly the perfect place to have filmed it in.

The fucking costumes!!!!!!! Oh my god it deserves awards honestly they were so good and just added to the whole aesthetic and vibe of the movie 10/10. Harry in suits will always be sexy I fear.

Harry my beloved.........he acted his fucking ass offffff!!!! Like obviously I'm gonna think he's amazing no matter what but he truly did such an amazing job he played to extremes of his character and delivered what was needed every time. Like I was very aware for the first half that I was watching Harry Styles up there on the screen but the second half of that movie.....just wow.

Chris pine…..he was absolutely perfect for Frank. Everytime he spoke I got chills and was honestly so fascinated and interested to see what he was gonna say next like he was so believable I'd join a cult or something if he was the leader tbh. Him and Gemma together….wow stunning 10/10 Gemma was fucking incredible. I wish she had a bigger role but every scene and line she fucking DELIVEREDDDDD. And I was just in awe of her beauty everytime she was on screen.

Florence ate of course. The iconic frown/pout came out many times which always serves. She truly gave the performance of a lifetime (sorry syd stole your quote but it's true) like you felt so bad for her and was rooting for her the whole time and again especially the second half. Random but her hair looked incredible the whole time.

Like her or not but Olivia is a good actress and director. Her character was fucking hilarious and so good, and a lot of the times the comedic relief tbh, and the perfect counterpart to Alice .This movie isn't perfect as pretty much all aren't but it was so good it kept me on the edge of my seat and even though I had a general idea of what happened there was still so many parts I physically gasped out loud, covered my hand over my mouth and was just fucking shook.

Kiki was amazing wish she had been in it more she is so stunning I couldn't look away, she was incredible.

Nick Kroll im in love with you.......he was also hilarious him and the perfect husband to olivia's character and I wish he was in it more as well.

Asif also fucking hilarious and yet again wish he had been in it more but every scene he had was so funny lmfao this movie was way funnier than I thought it was gonna be. It was a good mix.

I'll put my closing statement here for those who don't want to scroll to the spoilers BUT overall I really fucking loved it. As a psychological thriller, horror and just movie fan this movie delivered exactly what I wanted and more. I knew I would like it either way but truly so relieved like I actually genuinely loved it and was so entertained and on edge the whole two hours.

AND HARRY WAS FUCKING RIGHT IT'S A MOVIE THAT FEELS LIKE A MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

***************************************************************

THIS PART CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT DO NOT READ!!!!!!!!!!!

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Harry.............he was literally a whole husband like i believe all the little things he did is shit he does irl and i want to DIEEEEEE

THE FUCKING FIRST CAR SCENE WITH HIM AND FLORENCE….HOLY FUCK!!!!!!!!!! THAT WAS THE MOST PAINFUL PART FOR ME BY FARRRRR HE WAS SOOOOO FUCKING CUTE AND SUCH A HUSBANDDDDD OH IM DEVASTATEDHFDJHJIK

The scene where alive and bunny are talking to frank and shelleys kids was so fucking funny like the okay bye bye! and the 'they probably sleep upside down' KILLED ME NFJBHUJDJK

The fucking......Bath scene……my fucking god the thoughts running through my head when he ever said 'lets have a baby, I want more of you, a little you' etc......I WAS SHAKINGGJNGJK!??!?!?!?

The party and tap scene was so fucking iconic like harry was tapping his ass off!!!! tap dancing king!!!

THE CAR SCENE WHEN HARRY'S SCREAMING BROKE MY FUCKING HEART HE ACTED SO WELL some people might think his sorrys and that weren't good but like he's acting like he's upset that shes getting taken away which im sure he is but also hes upset because of what this could mean for him and his job and life etc....the layers im just....I was so impressed with him.

Would love to just know more backstory especially around Jack and Alice like why did jack lose his job how did he get alice looking like that JNFGHUJCI and the song??? did he make that up as he was setting up the simulation or whatever or is that just a song of theirs they sang to each other like???? and also would love to know about bunnys back story especially the kids??? and how she knew the whole time that was crazy I did not see that coming at all!!!

The last like 30 mins of that movie are fucking insane like i was gasping out loud every few minutes i was SHOOK and like......that was not my harry I was blown away obviously he looked not himself at all those scenes were fucking crazy but even when he was jack in that last scene......holy fuck!!!!!! AND I DID NOT SEE WHAT ALICE TO HIM COMING AT ALLLLLLL LIKE OH MY GOD?!?!?!??!

#dont worry darling review #dont worry darling spoilers #dwd spoilers #dwd #spoilers

[caesarclowningaround]

6, 11, 15, 20

6. A horror movie you like. Where do I even start??? Just one???? I'll say The Autopsy of Jane Doe, just because that's a really good one that doesn't get enough attention.

11. A movie you wish you could un-watch. Drag Me to Hell. I did not enjoy a second of this movie and I really don't understand why it's so loved. Don't try to explain it to me, Raimi fans. I don't care. It was just an unpleasant watch and not in a good horror genre way :(((

15. A movie ruined by the ending. The Rental. This movie wanted to be a "high brow" slasher so bad, it forgot that the joy of watching a slasher is to have stupid fun and get to know the killer. But (spoiler) we never do learn who the killer is in an "ohhh it could be anyone!" dick move that was so fucking disappointing. This movie has some solid acting and a good start, and ofc Dan Stevens looks delicious, but it's not until the last 20 minutes that the tension really gets going and by then it doesn't feel earned. And, again, who the fuck is the killer?? I know plenty about the victims but who is behind the mask???? That's supposed to be part of the fun!!

20. A movie you think looks beautiful. Crimson Peak :D Absolutely stunning film to look at!! Forever in love with GDT's use of color, the costumes, the sets!!!! That cinematography!!!!!! *chef's kiss*

#lumiereandcogsworth #thank u!!

[stuff-diary]

Pearl

Movies watched in 2023

Pearl (2022, USA)

Director: Ti West

Writers: Ti West & Mia Goth

Mini-review:

With Pearl, Ti West delivers yet another excellent horror movie. I've seen some people call this a 'slasher', but I feel like 'psychodrama' might be a much better term. Tbh, the movie is not scary, but the main character is absolutely fascinating. Seeing her development was one hell of a ride, thanks in great part to Mia Goth. Her performance is, to put it simply, sublime. Several scenes (like the "I'm a star!!!" line, her monologue at the end and the final shot) will undoubtly become iconic in the long term, if not already. It's a real shame that her work didn't get any awards recognition due to the industry's bias again genre films.

While X paid tribute to the classic slashers of the 70s and the 80s, Ti West took a much weirder turn here: this movie is clearly inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood. That might sound like an ill-fitting concept for a horror movie, but West makes it work perfectly. The cinematography is stunning, just like the sets, the costumes and the score, all of them paying homage to the aforementioned Golden Age. It's safe to say that with X and Pearl, West has created one of the most interesting and refreshing franchises we have seen recently in the industry. I'm definitely very excited to see how he will wrap things up with MaXXXine.

#pearl #pearl movie #pearl 2022 #pearl 2022 movie #pearl film #pearl 2022 film #ti west #mia goth #david corenswet #tandi wright #matthew sunderland #emma jenkins purro #alistair sewell #horror #tw horror #horror tw #violence #tw violence #violence tw #slasher movies #slasher #horror movies #gore #tw gore #gore tw #blood #blood tw #tw blood #movies watched in 2023

[possession1981]

what's your favorite horror movie visually?

okay i went to my letterboxd and filtered by horror to be able to answer this truthfully and i don't think i have ONE but i will give u a few that are really really faves that i could watch all the time just for the rich visuals. so i would say first of all possession ABSOLUTELY it's so soooo beautifully filmed in addition to being the most insane film of all time. a tale of two sisters also, i can't believe the layers in that film just in terms of set design and cinematography. nope is so fucking stunning it's unreal. both suspirias. ANNIHILATION (holy fucking shit am i glad my prof showed it to us in the cinema last year bc the difference between that and netflix..... unreal) and alien!!!!, a girl walks home alone at night i loveeeee the high contrast bw, helter skelter!, låt den rätte komma in, park chan wook's thirst, the cell by tarsem singh (COSTUMESSSSSS), coppola's dracula AND herzog's nosferatu are both sosoooooo beautiful (one has less value in other areas tho sdkgjbdskj)... and to finish with a real classic the cabinet of doctor caligari! i know u asked for one but i love the visuals of all of these for different reasons and i think it's important to give a range bc appealing visuals can come in so many different forms.

#asks #gabi🦒 #cinema #horror

[chenqing9]

Just watched Front Cover (Dir: Ray Yeung) and I have to say I really loved it. Basically this is me saying, "While the reviews would make you run... (Slant Magazine literally gave it half a star out of 5 and most sites treat it as a rom com - seriously?) this short film held a lot for me. So read my alternative review instead!"

I'm impressed that the director is creating a dual-cultural film geared towards both Asian (specifically Chinese-speaking countries) and American audiences. Obviously viewership is likely to be much more diverse than that, but that is a really impressive undertaking as it is. I thought his choices were really wise considering that, since while it is absolutely a gay film, it's also about the complexities of culture, trauma, and family dynamics that make us all who we are. This is a film that bridges massive gaps, and he's more aware of that than anyone, so before someone jumps on another "This film is all about stereotypes" bandwagon like Slant dude - Yeah, it is. Absolutely. It's about how we stereotype each other and ourselves and the cultures we come from, gay and otherwise.

My Rating:

Plot/Depth: **** (Gets better as it goes)

Acting: **** (Main actors are amazing, side actors ok)

Cinematography: **** (I'm really picky but I CAME BACK and updated this because actually there's so much stellar camera work but I felt some scenes could have been better shot.)

Daring: ***** (Read on)

Subtle spoilers below as I defend my point.

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The director's choice to bring Communism into the forefront from the very beginning was in my mind brilliant. It reminds viewers of the huge divide between Ning and Ryan's upbringings. The fact that Ning's father was on the military side at Tiananmen square and that Ning's famous role on Chinese film is that of a PLA fighter (who presumably dies with honor) adds a ton of complexity to the character and the background he is coming from.

The use of media as a threat to Chinese actors is a huge factor in the film. The double-standard of international demand for (especially Asian) gay content versus the discrimination towards actors/performers in their home countries is laid bare here. The media has Ning on a string because there's nothing protecting him if he is outed. The industry will drop him in a second. Ryan learning to see this is extremely important in the development of his character and of their relationship. (By the way, note that the actors in this film are not Chinese, but American.)

The sexual moments in this film, though very short, were stunning. (Ok, moment singular, maybe. But I'm including tension/buildup.) The little touches and eye contact when they haven't even acknowledged anything to each other, followed by a very hot "don't touch my man" moment and mad heat-rush follow-up, then the bittersweetness and humor of their interactions was just a massive "yes" for me.

Finally, the complexities of personal identity are so well explored in my mind that I can't believe this all happened in just an hour and a half. We get such a good sense of Ryan's identity (and its fragility) through the intimacy we are allowed- seeing his hookup chats (on basically old-school Grindr,) and his experiences of racism within the gay community and at work. I'm not going to spoil the ultimate Ryan victory scene since you're all going to watch this now but this is what I'm talking about - the moment he snaps gets 5 stars from me.

Ryan's relationship with his parents and his discomfort with Chinese language and cultural spaces make him incredibly relatable. He is proud to be gay but not proud to be Chinese American, while Ning is proud to be Chinese but cannot come out despite his clear self-knowledge of his sexuality. As far as Ning's character goes, we see both his real personality and his media personality, in a way that really hurts the heart but also shows his inner turmoil - He can have his dream or he can have love, but he can't at this point in history have both.

Ray Yeung is the chief of the Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, where this film was first screened. It has also been shown in Taiwan. It has been aired in China through US Embassy private screenings.

Interview with the director:

#front cover #Ray Yeung #queer cinema #queer film #gay movies #asian cinema #i rant