sistermarysnow Reviews

Cats (2019)

A film for people with creative backgrounds and perspectives

[8/10 · 11 October 2020]

This film was excellent. If you understand theater, stories, and musicals, you're able to look beyond what other people see. The actors did a phenomenal job portraying their characters. I watched the film on HBO Max and had the subtitles to read the lyrics to help me understand the lessons taught. They helped me follow along and see past what others have said. The story is about cats who have a competition, along with other sub plots. At the end, Judy Dench's character picks the winner. Another story line was of a cat who needed to learn vet culture. There's a lot of Symbolic themes in this film. I was drawn to Victoria's story line, among many others. To my understanding, she was captured and forced into a group of cats that already understood what it meant to be a cat. She learned various life lessons from various cats with different experiences. I like the bond she develops with Jennifer Hudson's character. Hudson's character needed a fellow cat to bring her back from..."isolation" (or whatever her experience was). To me, the lesson of the movie was that we have to learn to accept people from all walks of life, and see past what others think of us. Also, it's never ok to cut corners to get what you want. If we put ourselves in others shoes, we are empathetic to their situation. Rebel Wilson adds a nice comedic touch to the film. As do other characters. I'm biased because I love her comedy. The songs were amazing and showed the story. The only thing I would change about this film is to add more dialogue. There were a lot of songs, which for the general audience would be hard to follow without subtitles and the effort of concentrating on what they were singing. I loved the dancing, the CGI, the costumes, and the setting. I'm really I glad I took the time to analyze this film for what it was. Andrew Loyd Webber's original songs made the film come alive. More dialogue, as opposed to singing, to push the story along would help the audience understand what's going on without the subtitles. Kudos to all the people who worked on this film.

Dickinson (2019–2021)

Past and Present Collide

[10/10 · 3 November 2019]

Dickinson is a cleverly written work of art that pays tribute to Emily Dickinson's life and poetry, which is very present within the show. The show takes us on a journey with the poet as her creativity comes to being mixed with contemporary music to highlight important events.

Dickinson's family powerfully portrays the history of the patriarchal society in Western culture. Her mother is on a constant quest to find an available suitor for her, her father is against women in literacy, and the women upkeep the household.

The acting is impactful! Hailee Steinfeld's portrayal of Emily Dickinson is memorable, heartfelt, and what I imagined her to be. The chemistry and bond between Emily and Sue are strong. You can feel the love they share. Ella Hunt, as Sue, does a beautiful job with her body language and facial expressions, which are powerful and equally reciprocate Emily's character. She does not have to say anything but look at you and you know what she's feeling.

The writing, cinematography, editing, and effects surpassed my expectations. I was surprised to see all the special effects in a historical literary-based show. I loved it! I honestly did not know what to expect when I watched the trailer. My mind is blown.

Thank you for bringing my favorite poet to life and allowing the audience to feel connected. I wanted to keep watching. Why are there only ten episodes? Why are they so short? I'm excited to see what happens next.

Dickinson: Because I Could Not Stop (2019) Season 1, Episode 1

The Past and Present Collide

[10/10 · 2 November 2019]

Dickinson is a cleverly written work of art that pays tribute to Emily Dickinson's life and poetry, which is very present within the show. The show takes us on a journey with the poet and her creativity literally comes to life mixed with contemporary music to highlight important events.

The history of the patriarchal society in Western culture is powerfully portrayed by Dickinson's family. Her mother is on a constant quest to find an available suitor for her, her father is against women in literacy, and the women upkeep the household.

The acting is impactful! Hailee Steinfeld's portrayal of Emily Dickinson is memorable, heartfelt, and what I imagined her to be. The cinematography, editing, and effects surpassed my expectations. I was surprised to see all the effects in a historical literary-based show and I loved it! I honestly did not know what to expect when I watched the trailer. My mind is blown.

Thank you for bringing my favorite poet to life and allowing the audience to feel connected.

Carnival Row: Kingdoms of the Moon (2019) Season 1, Episode 3

Context

[10/10 · 31 August 2019]

This episode provides the context needed for the first two episodes. The audience is introduced to the backstory of how Vignette and Philo met and explains some questions from the first two episodes. Beautifully scripted, directed, choreographed, and the acting incredible. If it were up to me, I would have taken scenes from this episode and put in the pilot to hook the audience. Happy I continued to watch the story unfold as I was sure an explanation was on its way. Cara Delevingne and Orlando Bloom's performance convinced me of their convictions for the characters.

400 Days (2015)

Thinking outside the box

[6/10 · 24 July 2019]

I love that this movie goes against the traditional Hollywood structure. The story makes you think outside the movie and makes you think to possibly fill in the gaps like the characters. I do wish the ending had a bit more considering what the audience went through.

Tom and Grant (2018)

Surprisingly Awesome

[10/10 · 27 February 2019]

Tom & Grant is brilliant! I wasn't sure what to expect when I watched the trailer. For a short film, I felt it the characterization between Tom and Grant was easily identifiable within minutes. The actors were believable. The plot follows Tom & Grant as they stake out a bank (as seen in the trailer) I'd like to write more but you'll have to see what Tim Cavanagh has created for yourself because its definitely worth watching. Though a comedy, it has deeper themes. It has beautifully shot scenes. One of my favorite scenes had some jump cuts that followed the dialogue between the two in just the right places.

Bird Box (2018)

Sandra Bullock is Amazing

[8/10 · 23 December 2018]

This movie was really awesome! Sandra Bullock's performance is uncanny and the supporting cast sucks you into the story. Really well done script, acting, and performances!

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Wow

[10/10 · 19 December 2018]

One of the best Marvel movies I have seen in a long time! Worth the watch and felt like I was in the comic. Great graphics and shout out to all the animators that worked on this film. The script was pretty awesome as well! :)

Supergirl (2015–2021)

Read between the lines

[10/10 · 4 December 2017]

At first I was skeptical about this show. I gave it a shot. Then getting to know the characters through the dialogue, mannerisms, and paying attention to the story line is what sold me. The writers know how to reach people, the actors know how to make you feel what they're going through. Is this show perfect? No. What show is? Watch this show without any expectations. This show will surprise you, annoy you, move you, and will want you to keep coming back for more. I love Melissa Benoist as Supergirl and Chyler Leigh as Alex. They're bond and sometimes their awkwardness makes me believe in their characters. Instead of ripping it apart, give it a chance. If you don't like it, you don't like it. If you do great! :)