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.