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Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023)
A Depiction of Selfless Love
A wonderful depiction of selfless love.
*Warning* the first couple of episodes can be a bit too lust-filled, but it gradually shows us how as a couple's honeymoon phase fades just how hard choosing love in a relationship is. The show is talented at showing how love equals dedication and lots of healthy compromise in favor of a higher goal (love). This depiction of relationship I find is much more realistic (especially as arranged marriage to lovers trope) than the previous seasons of Bridgerton. The last scene between Queen Charlotte and George made me cry like a baby, and I haven't been as touched by a Bridgerton love story.
Long story short: Queen Charlotte has a love story with depth, and not just intense sexual chemistry.
Purple Hearts (2022)
Cute but Too Much Idealization of "Struggle" Type Romance
I barely could watch the whole movie, but somehow made it to the end.
The characters are very cringe-y, and the romance is very "enemies to lovers" Rom-Com cliche.
I mentioned it was cute, because the actors made it look cute for a romance, but the background of the characters and the trauma bond created between them, having to endure so much struggle to be together, I fear, promotes idealization of these types of "we must struggle" romances, which are a little toxic.
This promotes so many misleading ideas that we must struggle in relationships to achieve the true love depicted in the ending. Not saying that relationships should be easy, but you CAN choose to be with an easy, stable person (financially and emotionally) to find more joy and calm in the relationship!
Maybe that was the characters' love story, which I respect, but it just shows that unprocessed trauma attracts unprocessed trauma and can also create love stories, but it doesn't have to be the case for healthy stable people who want create a better life for themselves and their partner.
Please Stand By (2017)
Empowering movie for "Different" People
Whether you've been diagnosed with a physical or mental disorder when you were young or whether you felt you were always different than the other normal people, this movie is an empowering message to YOU.
The main character challenges the system by being brave enough to follow her heart and her dream to submit a manuscript despite being "different". Even if she encountered some discouragement like being robbed or getting into a car accident. This girl really is guided by her passion. There is NOTHING like being passionate about your dream and being fueled by determination.
The best part is? Wendy never victimized herself for ANYTHING! Wow. A character truly guided by her spirit and accepting all the Universe's trials in getting to her goal/dream.
Thank you & much love to the creators behind this movie.
Avatar (2009)
Rewatching Avatar - still amazing
I watched this movie when I was still in high school and now after rewatching I understand the basic premise, the point of all of this. Still as breathtaking as when I first watched it. The same feeling of awe and wonder when entering Pandora is incredible.
The Na'vi represent human beings in their pure, innocent forms untainted by industrialism and the like. Yes, the story is a bit repetitive to other storylines, but all great action/sci-fi movies have bad guy vs. good guy themes. The genius in Avatar is not just the bioluminescent world of Pandora, but also the idea that humans can link themselves to extraterrestrial beings, which I find is a metaphor for human beings elevating into a higher consciousness. And so, Na'vi is a metaphor for entering into high human consciousness (the 5D consciousness). And so, Jake elevates his consciousness by becoming Na'vi and protecting Pandora - the secret planet of light - our true "home". Just like Na'vi, human beings are also energetic beings and highly connected to nature, the earth and animals. So, really we are running our own energetic neural network.
Never Have I Ever (2020)
Incredibly Heartwarming Comedy
I loved this series and finished it within two days. Reminds us to check in with our own demons because the way we behave is largely influenced by them. I love how both the mother and the daughter had to reflect to come together. I wish there were more genuine light-hearted shows like this that combine both comedy and important issues such as anxiety and turbulent adolescence.
A Star Is Born (2018)
Bright and Hopeful at first - but Disappointing as a whole
I've read many cruel reviews, along with many overpraising reviews. Both calling the movie "a waste of time" or "absolutely wonderful" is an exaggeration on my part. But, it sure is hard to give this movie a full review.
The start of the movie is great especially when Jack first meets Ally singing a beautiful rendition of "La Vie en Rose". I loved the way he fell for her and the chemistry was booming at that point in the movie, along with the scene of "Shallow", which was the best scene of the movie for me. Despite the beautiful "coming out" moment of Ally, there were still some holes in the plot of the love story, and to be quite honest, it was not very believable. After he meets her, Jack takes Ally to another bar where a random man walks up to Jack, tells him he "doesn't look like his girlfriend's ex", tries to take a picture of Jack, when Ally suddenly hits him (and gets hit back). This scene in and of itself was too fast for the viewers to understand what the motive behind what the random guy said to Jack was and why Ally suddenly had the urge to hit him. To ease her bruise, Jack then takes Ally to a supermarket and buys her some peas to put on her swollen hand. They sit in the parking lot and talk, and then out of nowhere, Ally bursts into (her) song, despite already introducing her as a shy character and despite meeting Jack for just a few hours. There was just no buildup to Jack and Ally's relationship, despite the endearing Shallow performance. There was also no chemistry or solid backstory that we could hear about Jack Maine.
Even though the movie was lacking in many ways, the way Bradley directed the live performances of the movie is absolutely breathtaking (Jackson playing the guitar, damn!). it also touched upon a few important subjects in life, especially the rise of fame and how fake the whole process is for artists who want to be true to their art. Jackson hints to Ally about this after she won a Grammy, when he meant to tell her your music is not you, he tells her he felt something was wrong with her winning the grammy, unlike the feeling of success & euphoria she reached when she was on tour with Jackson. There is something empty in the process of Ally's rising to fame, since she was not being true to her art or herself; a process most artists go through. And, of course, it shows us the ugly reality of addiction & how alcohol & drugs is always a dangerous combination.
Overall, I would recommend this movie just for the first part of the movie.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Wonderful Homage to Queen and focus on unique Freddie - Mary relationship
All in all, a movie that pays a great homage to Queen, the band, and all their terrific and timeless songs that will never lose their catchiness and spark. I especially loved all the heart-warming and humorous moments between the band, who truly were family to each other. Freddie was an exceptional human-being with one of the most unique vocal ranges.
I really think the movie focused on Freddie's (sexual) identity crisis and how he juggled it with his immense success. It all started when Mary outed him as "gay" instead of bisexual (which I believe she said this because of her own misconception of herself as always being the 'second choice' for someone ["I love you, but"] ). I believe that is when he started going downhill, and started having multiple lovers and living according to his label. I don't want to assume since I don't know much about AIDS as a disease, but his promiscuous sexual "all over the place" lifestyle could have increased his probability of contracting AIDS. If, however, him and Mary would have fully embraced each other despite the affirmation of Freddie's bisexuality, I truly believe Freddie could have had a much more stable and happy life with Mary and himself (because clearly they couldn't live without each other). It's interesting to note how "bisexuality" wasn't really a label at the time, but more so you were either "gay" or "straight", which I think causes confusion amongst people who can't settle for just one. Overall, labels in general are damaging and I really don't think we should be defined by them.
As for the few shortcomings of the film, some scenes were not flowing between each other and it felt rushed at times. The film was a bit too long and sometimes they didn't have to focus on the performances as much as there was need to focus on the songwriting process behind some of their greatest work (with the exception of "bohemian rhapsody"). However, all that was super exceeded by the wonderful musicality of the film and Rami Malek's undeniably brilliant portrayal of Freddie.
La La Land (2016)
Melancholic yet hopeful movie about love, dreams, and success with alot of jazz!
First of all, let me just say! This movie deserved every ounce of the Oscar award for best picture! It is a full-package in music, cinematography, story, and production. Hands down, best movie of the 21st century. I doubt any movie or musical can come close to this one in terms of its connection to our human emotions.
Even though Mia and Seb did not end up together, they are still happily successful in their lives, so I do think it is a happy ending in a way. Despite the melancholic epilogue scene, Seb and Mia are both happy living in harmony with career and family (She might not have the "true love" she had with Seb with her husband, but she seems very much in love with her husband). If they restore the relationship they once had, their lives would become disorderly once more. Somehow, everything fits at the end and that's how life is. It's all about the timing.
I will keep watching this movie from time to time to remind me how much having a dream is important and how the "flame" really can save your life.
Kimi no na wa. (2016)
Metaphorical Nostalgia
Warning: A very warm movie with a scent of contagious nostalgia.
Like other notable Studio Ghibli movies, the director Makoto Shinkai widely uses realism to touch the minds and hearts of his audience. From the beginning, the breathe-taking and very realistic imagery pushes you to keep watching the movie. Immediately, we are introduced to the two main character's backgrounds: high school student Taki who lives in Tokyo and is distracted by his studies and part-time job, and Mitsuha, a young girl who lives in an isolated town and daydreams of going to Tokyo. One day, Mitsuha wishes with all her heart to have a life in Tokyo and somehow awakens the ancient Japanese Gods who allow her to switch lives and bodies with Taki.(Freaky Friday, much?) However, what is most interesting in this case, is the theme of being unsatisfied with the present, and longing to be in another area or period of time, even.
Though we are focused on Mitsuha, the turning point in the movie is focused on Taki's realization that Mitsuha has been writing his diary entries for him. Taki is really the main character who has to juggle with the much harsher repercussions of realizing that someone has been swapping lives with him and how they're effecting his job and daily life. At this point, Taki is bewildered but infinitely curious about who this person is. Then, he decides to call Mitsuha with the phone number she has provided. Yet, he can't reach her phone, which we realize is because she does not exist, not in his world, at least. So, Mitsuha is imaginary in Taki's world, and Taki is imaginary in hers. On both ends of the spectrum, Mitsuha and Taki are different periods of time, one where (Mitsuha's) country (or town) still exists and one where it doesn't. Connection to nature, in this case, Mitsuha, is nonexistent in Taki's world. In fact, the loss of connection to spirit and nature is quite a conventional theme of films directed by Japanese animation directors such as Miyazaki and Shinkai (just to name a few). This theme is not coincidentally used in the majority of Japanese-produced (animation) films (see: metaphors in Spirited Away), but reflects the conflict of many, if not, the majority of working Japanese middle-class, who convey a large percentage of Japan's population. Many of these people are completely immersed into their work, thus gradually missing a spiritual connection to their "religion" and home. (Notice: the shrine is an important symbol for home) A great amount of Japanese people leave their hometown "the countryside" to move to a bigger, more "successful" city, in this case, Tokyo. It can be suggested, then, that the movie has attracted the majority who face this conflict daily, which could explain how it became a box office hit in Japanese theaters. This leaves me to presume that Taki and Mitsuha are moving metaphors of City versus Country, of Modernity versus Tradition. Both of these metaphors are moving towards each other. City yearns for the country, while modernity yearns for tradition. This reflects the sad state of Japanese society (and other societies as well): the feeling of artificiality in the materialism of city life. The feeling of "something missing" or emptiness in the working nonstop 24/7 life. Indeed, the most beautiful moment in the movie is in its final scene, when Taki and Mitsuha reunite after 8 years and realize who they are and what they mean to each other. After all those years, Mitsuha (and Taki) realizes that Taki still needs his "country". "Country," or more specifically, home, will always come back to remind you where you came from. Absolutely loved this movie and 10/10 recommend.