TWILIGHT Review

Bad Romance, Good Film

This film is hilarious, campy, surprising and honest about a teenager’s yearnings and is a deeply misunderstood film. This film is not about a romance. It is about a teenager’s thoughts, feelings, experience of romance.

Bella is treated as an object of desire in the first half of the film. As soon as she enters the school, she is leered at, looked over and hunted by the boys of the school like she is an object to be won. It makes Bella uncomfortable and we empathise with her discomfort. 

When she has her first real encounter with Edward, she is the one that is making HIM uncomfortable. Edward is uncontrollably aroused, so much that he disappears from her, keeps telling her that they can’t be together. 

Edward is an impossible romantic partner because he’s a male heterosexual character who is physically powerfully, well read, never sleeps, follows his crush to make sure she is safe from sexual assault, has a large, beautiful home with a large family who cares for him and expresses how he is worried he could lose control around Bella at any moment because “Your scent is like a drug to me like my own personal brand of heroin.”

He is NOT meant to be a realistic model for men. He is a romantic projection written by a heterosexual woman. Bella gains agency in choosing the impossible over the attainable. She is the Pygmalion figure, loving her inhuman statue and wanting it to be human. That desire for the impossible is so human and honest. 

I think the film and the book get a lot of flack from certain male audiences because it scares them when a woman wants the impossible over them. We are so used to films gearing towards male fantasies that they just can’t deal with the content and have to dismiss it as trash.

Twilight is knowing, aware of its absurdities and doesn’t care if everybody gets it - it connects to enough audiences that you know it reflects something real and honest. 

Currently on Netflix in Hong Kong

REACHER TV Series Review

Beast Mode

Reacher is an American male power fantasy that miraculously is self aware enough about the pleasure it brings to audiences. The character Reacher is Sherlock spliced with Rambo and there is something iconic about the character that makes it more powerful and fun than a run of the mill action thriller.

The series Reacher choreographs the violence viscerally - Bones and necks crunch in a satisfying way. Actor Alan Ritchson fills the frame as the massive, ex-military hobo. What is equally exciting is the inhuman deduction and detective work that Reacher is able to pull off. There is a thrill to the way Reacher prepares for an assault or figures out the labyrinth plot.

The creators of Reacher the series also makes sure they take care of the supporting cast, giving them compelling scenes and interactions so that it is not just about a one man assault. Roscoe Conklin and Oscar Finlay performed by Willa Fitzgerald and Malcolm Goodwin are almost as compelling as Reacher and they have good chemistry on screen.

It has been a while since there was a good action thriller and Reacher fills that void. 

On Amazon Prime Video in Hong Kong

Reacher TV Trailer

WEST SIDE STORY (2021) Review

Shame about the romance

When I think about Steven Spielberg’s version of West Side Story, I get irritated. It was so close to greatness. The opening sequence was brilliant, bold. The sense of a community cracking under pressure, young men and women with passions and desires and hormones ricocheting around as their world decays around them - that desperation was palpable and vivid in a way that made this film adaption feel necessary. 

The source of my irritation is Tony. Ansel Elgort LOOKS like he should be the ideal Tony. Tall, a bit dopey. Somehow though there was no sense of breathless urgency and need between Tony and Maria. 

The meeting between Tony and Maria was shot beautifully yet somehow I didn’t believe Ansel Elgort’s Tony being starstruck. I believed Rachel Zegler’s Maria because there’s an innocence and exuberance and curiosity. Elgort’s Tony looked blandly interested. 

There was no vulnerability, no goofiness, no purity in this Tony. He just wasn’t giving the level of energy, vibrancy and passion that the other characters had. To quote a friend, “he seems like he doesn’t have the life experience of loving another person.”

And that hobbles this version of West Side Story for me. I wanted to love it so much but as the story continued, I was just getting less and less invested. When Mike Faist’s tragic yet driven Riff and David Alvarez’s protective and angry Bernado died, so did a lot of my investment in the story. When Ariana Debose’s charismatic, powerful Anita got assaulted and appalled, I wanted to leave the film with her. Rachel Zegler managed to end the film strongly but I could not summon the empathy to care over the lifeless performance of Ansel Elgort. 

On Disney+ 

A Review of On A Sunbeam

ON A SUNBEAM 

Written and Drawn by Tillie Walden

This is a dense, beautifully illustrated and crafted story that invites you in and luxuriate in the mood and the melancholy and passions of its characters. It is like a space epic directed by Wong Kar Wai.

The first half of the book offers absolutely no clear backstory and instead it throws you into the story. All you need to know is that there are two timelines - one timeline with a crew restoring ancient buildings in space and another timeline in a space Hogwarts.

I'm throwing in pop culture references to ground your understanding of the book because I don't know how to talk about it otherwise in terms of plot. So I'll stop talking about plot.

What I will tell you is that it is about friendships - bonds forged through mundane circumstances set in an extraordinary setting. Small, relatable human moments are played against the backdrop of Tillie Walden's depiction of space.

Rather than a black void of nothingness, it is something like a world from one of Miyazaki's films. It's space that has storms, a show of bizarre beauty that often helps to express the potent emotions of the characters.

Tillie Walden is a graphic novelist of renown and this is my first time reading one of her books. It did not disappoint. This is a book that demands attention and care and love. There are details in the art and little references that make this a joy to read.

It's a thick tome - 533 pages and well worth pouring into again and again.

The only criticism I have is that I get confused by some of the characters and wish there was a little more differentiation but the entire feel and approach of the art makes it a deliberate choice and I can easily shrug this off. I'm not here to focus on an A to Z point by point action space adventure. I'm here to pay attention to the gorgeous art and the human relationships within.

Recommended if you read books with a heavy sense of ennui, Kazuo Ishiguro books and gorgeous art. 

A Little Bit of Sunshine: The Good Place

The Good Place

USA 2016 - 2020

This is one of the best stories told in recent years about mortality, morality and humanity and it was funny as hell.

The Good Place is a story that frequently pulled the rug from under you and made you think about moral choices and your relationships with other people and it did it with an Arizona dirtbag, a Floridian idiot, a British dilettante and the world's most indecisive philosopher.

The premise: a woman wakes up and is welcomed to The Good Place after her death. She adjusts to life after death and is partnered with her soulmate. Things get weird after that.

That's all you need to know. 

That's all you should know.

It recently ended a 4 season run of 51 episodes and it is one of the strongest series ever from start to finish. It never caught on with a big audience but it's going to be one of those shows that will be remembered fondly.

Like Freaks and Geeks. Like Firefly. 

It found a bigger audience than both of those shows but those who saw it and love it, love it deeply. 

If you're searching for something that takes a little more engagement, demands a little more attention and is hilarious, this is your next option. 

LITTLE WOMEN

Greta Gerwig's adaptation of Little Women contains multitudes.

It is a romance that doesn't focus on the romance so much as the ambitions and desires of the women, beyond finding the right partner.

It is a family film about how messy yet loving family can be.

It contains the perfect cast with not a weak link amongst them.

It features some of the best romanticisation / horrible truth about writing on film.

The actors transform on screen from teenagers to adults that is believable, simple yet astonishing. Especially Amy.

It features authentic conversations about women, their desires and frustrations and realities in that time period that still resonates now.

THE COSTUMES. So gorgeous.

THAT unbuttoning the apron moment. Jeez.

The sets. I want to live in the March house.

The wholesome, empowering and surprising relationships and moments between the adults and the young adults. Laurie's grandfather and Beth. Jo and her mother.

It somehow romanticises and unveils the truth about writing.

Can I say again, the aesthetics of this film is my jam.

Even though they didn't end as a couple, Jo and Laurie or rather Saoirse Ronan and Timothy Chalamet's chemistry on screen is SO GOOD.

The gorgeous shots, making me want to protect nature more.

I can go on and on. I might add more later. If you have anything to add, write it below.

AVENGERS ENDGAME - Spoiler Talk

INTRODUCTION

Only read this if you’ve seen the film. Don’t ruin other people’s experience and your own. I’m writing this here as I want to express myself, that’s all. 

Not doing a proper review, just divided into 3 sections. Highlights, Questions and Nitpicks. 

For those of you who saw the film, holy hell. 

For those of you haven’t seen it, stop and go watch it first. Seriously, even if you’re a casual fan only. 

HIGHLIGHTS

Hawkeye’s Family

Succinctly captures the devastation one would feel about the loss of family. Brutal. 

Thanos’s Death in first act

Holy shit that was the first major surprise of the film. The Avengers actually defeated Thanos. And yet - it was a hollow victory. This helps reestablish the stakes at the start. Brilliant. 

Chill Hulk & Plus Size Thor

Both of these characters go through major changes and both were played for laughs but it also went deeper than that. Both reacted in different ways. Bruce accepted what happened and moved on. Thor couldn’t.  Fantastic demonstration of how trauma impacted different characters, these two at their most extreme. 

Back to the Future is BS

The whole discussion about time travel is fantastic. They used film shorthand to make sure we won’t be arguing too much about how this works. And yet... (see below for Time Travel questions)

Surprising Past Character Appearances

Frigga, Jane, Hank Pym, Howard Stark, The Ancient One, Jarvis, Peggy Carter... these were unexpected and while they seem inconsequential or small, having them appear gave the universe and history a richness and vastness on screen. Frigga’s appearance alone makes me want to rewatch Thor The Dark World, one of the lesser Marvel films!

Rocket slapping Thor

HAH!

Community cameos

Anyone notice Chang and Shirley? And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, the Russo Brothers produced a beloved sitcom called Community. It added to my enjoyment and they were small enough to not distract. 

Smart Hulk Politely Smashes

Hilarious best. In fact, the whole New York section was probably the most fun and lighthearted section. 

Cap hails Hydra

The elevator ride 2.0. The audience roared when we saw what happened and roared again at Cap’s brilliant exit line. SO. SMART. 

Cap vs Cap

This scene was just a perfect cherry. Cap deflating his iconic line was perfect. And yes, that’s America’s ass. 

Hawkeye VS Black Widow

DAMNIT! Was expecting them to somehow solve that, you know, Solomon’s wisdom, the fact that they were saving each other to show how self sacrificing they are. DAMNIT! Ultimate friendship goals. 

Cap holds Mjolner

HELL YES! This elicited the biggest cheer cuz GODDAMN! Cap wields Mjolner like a pro. Which leads to...

Cap vs Thanos’s Army

That moment was like a painting. One man against an army. Perfect. Until we get...

You Want More?!?

EPIC. Everybody was there except SHIELD and seriously no need. Because we know SO many players on the field, this was like a LOTR battle except more stakes and emotion as we empathize with so many of them. 

The Future is Female

THAT shot of the heroines, ready to fight. In perfect contrast to the all male hero line up at Black Widow’s wake. Don’t tease though, let’s actually see a similar line up in a future Avengers film Feige!!!

Peter Quill kicked in Nuts

Can we all forgive Quill now? He just got kicked in the nuts by someone he loves. Oh “it was either him or a tree.” PERFECT. 

Captain Marvel

Juuuuust right. Argue Deus Ex Machina all you want, her return is like Gandalf returning in the Two Towers. And Thanos hitting head of Captain Marvel and her not flinching was brilliant. 

And... I... am Iron Man

I didn’t note too many highlights with Iron Man yet his death is the most devastating ones. It’s Tony Stark’s journey that is the most human. Cap can have all the awesome moments, Iron Man has my heart and tears. “I love you 3000.” That’s going to be quoted so much now. Robert Downey Jr left an awesome legacy. 

Old Cap

Was that Chris Evans? This wasn’t a Harry Potter Deathly Hallows situation, the moment worked well. 

LOOSE THREADS / QUESTIONS

Time Travel

My understanding is that time travel doesn’t impact the present/future. Plucking the infinity stones from the timeline will make alternate timelines but if they’re put back, it’s fine and will revert to just 1 timeline. Still...

Loki Escapes

Loki has the tesseract. Does this mean that Loki created an alternate timeline from there as he has an infinity stone? Also will the upcoming miniseries be based on this Loki or another past Loki?

Dead Thanos 2014

Did Tony kill Thanos 2014 or put him back where he belonged to not mess with the timeline? That’s a big change. 

My theory: even if Iron Man killed Thanos, the infinity stones bring back will put the timeline threads back. So dead Thanos 2014, Loki with Tesseract, Hydra knowing Cap knowing about Hydra, all fine. 

Gamora 2014 

Was she wiped from existence too or did Tony discard her? That was left a tantalizing mystery. I’m assuming Gamora 2014 is still alive and on a view screen at the end with Starlord, he has “Searching for Gamora” visible. Is he hiding this? And did Nebula not tell anyone?

Cap’s Time Travel Film

This is a gift for the imagination. Caps adventures as he returns each infinity stone. Imagine him facing off with the Red Skull once more. Imagine Cap in space. Imagine Cap dealing with HYDRA before they were found out. Brilliant. 

Cap’s Passing of the Shield

So Sam is now Cap. And it’s fitting. But is that shield new? Or the original plucked from the past? Also Bucky not getting it, from the mannerism of Bucky, it feels like Old Cap filled Bucky in on the details before, like Bucky remembering with new memories.

Spider-Man and 5 years

Also left to ponder. Spider-Man returns to school and half of his classmates will have graduated. The other half are still his age. Hope this is addressed in the next film. 

The MCU

This is now a VASTLY different world, now everybody knows about aliens and superheroes. There’s been trauma and new technologies.

Signature of Cast at Credits

Having the signature of the cast seemed an odd choice at first but then these 6 have been in there the longest and for at least 3 of them, it will be their final film. If they undo it, would be very disappointing. 

No End Credits Scene

I liked this choice. Gives the film a sense of finality. The film was exhausting in a good way. Didn’t need a morsel for the future. 

NITPICKS & MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

Gamora and Nebula Face Thanos

Wish we had them face Thanos as he dies. Closure is important. 

Time

Do aliens have the same sense of time as earth? I wish the henchman guy just said “future timestamp” and left it vague and not said “years.”

Thanos 

Not a nitpick but something I can sense others may complain about. This wasn’t Thanos’s film. He’s “just a bad guy” but for me this works as this film is about the heroes fighting and figuring the impossible. Don’t care about Thanos, I just wanted the Avengers to defeat him and bring everybody back.