muchmovieverygeek-blog

[muchmovieverygeek-blog]

| I ’ m  n o t  f i n e |

Many things are going through my mind right now, tangled and all messed up. And I’m lost.

(Just a random shot in my office while there was a blackout. My laptop battery’s dead so I couldn’t do anything during the time.

Quote: Adam, 50/50

Music: www.bensound.com)

[muchmovieverygeek-blog]

Thor: Ragnarok

Let me start with a flashback.

Cue the weird ass light leaks and sfx!

10/04/2017

Don’t mind me. I’m just being a lump of sad, lost gummy bear (my nickname). Finals and college entrance exams are approaching like a flock of seagull god damn diving for some unlucky tourist’s sandwich, and I – the unlucky tourist – just so happens to be very incompetent at the moment, surfing stressfully through Facebook.

Wait, is that…?

Holy shit Thor: Ragnarok trailer OMG OMG OMG!!!

*SQUEALS*

*MAKES INHUMAN SOUNDS*

*LAUGHS MANIACALLY*

Ok, I’m good, I’m good.

Just like that, I was pumped. However, I had certain doubts on this one, the seriousness of the movie, for instance. Ragnarok, in Marvel comics, Ragnarok is the name of a supervillain created by Tony Stark (oh boy) along with Henry Pym and Mister Fantastic. It is also known an eternal cycle of death and rebirth for the Asgardians; while in Norse mythology, it is not only the doom of man but also the end of gods and goddess. So, I don’t know, it’s pretty damn serious? Watching the trailer, all I see was over the top comedy with excessive, some-what childish color grading and music. Despite this, I had high hopes for this movie.

And it proved me right. It’s fresh, it’s entertaining. It has flaws here and there. But props to Taika Waititi for the great execution of his first big budget film. The movie revolves around our mighty Thor and his effort to escape the bizarre planet of Sakaar and race against time to stop the wicked Hela from destroying Asgard.  

Dynamic shots, creative and interesting angles together with new, inventive CGI technology, Thor: Ragnarok truly wowed the audience, with the scene of Valkyrie’s flashback being the highlight. In this scene, the Valkyries were engaged in a battle up against the menacing Hela. Using the new capture technology involving light moving around the actor and high-speed imaging delivering an intense yet epic slow-motion scene. The signature vibrant Marvel color grading was there alright, but I still felt overwhelming at times. Nevertheless, the technical aspects of the movie were executed carefully, effectively contributed to the deliverance of emotion.

Chris Hemsworth returns as the God of Thunder. This time, unfortunately, without his trusty hammer. By doing this, having him becoming an unwilling gladiator and to have an unlikely alliance with Loki, they are pushing him out of his comfort zone, and Hemsworth nailed it, conveying the god we all know and love.

As for Tom Hiddleston’s Loki.

*ahem* *fangirl mode on*

I am a BIG TIME Hiddlestoner and I was elated to see his return. I mean, look at his knife throwing in the trailer (excuse me while I go change my panties). Hiddleston nailed the cunning trickster as always, this time also displayed a kind, sentimental brother. Though just a trick up his sleeves, it was persuasive. And they just had to cut the knife throwing scene argh.

Hela, eh… Cate Blanchett was a perfect fit, don’t get me wrong. Her sleek appearance and edgy attitude with intimidating gestures really highlighted the character. It was the plot the diminished Blanchett’s acting and it’s a major letdown in my opinion. And don’t get me started on the weird Enchantress walk. What’s up with that?

Thor: Ragnarok introduces a fierce, badass new character: a Valkyrie. In the movie, Valkyrie is portrayed as a group of female warriors who fought against the wrath of Hela. This warrior, being the only survivor of the event, ended up in Sakaar to become a bounty hunter. Tessa Thompson killed it y’all. Tough but sentimental, plus the fact that she was shown as someone who just wants to mind her own business, rather than a heroine who’s trying to outdo the guys. Yet again, she was quite sexualized with that *cringes* Enchantress. Walk.

I’m still not a huge fan of the heavy reliance on humor as it’s too obvious and comes out as obnoxious. Apparently, it works. “Thor: Ragnarok is a glorious carnival of nonsense” (Alex Godfrey, GQ), but it works. Besides having a plain, formulaic storyline, I find the plot disconnected at times. The movie is basically two different stories of Thor stranded on a galactic dump run by the eccentric Grandmaster and Hela fucking up Asgard. Perhaps they spent too much time revolving around Thor and his escape from Sakaar along with the unlikely group of friends called “Revengers” including Loki, Hulk and the Valkyrie, and not focusing on the actual conflict with Hela, making her a bland, boring villain who occasionally impales a few guards and civilians with her swords to establish her dominance. The story, however, was amped up with some enjoyable twists. But most of the time, I just felt like they were trying too hard to squish a lot of details into the movie.

All and all, I really appreciate Waititi’s effort in giving us a fun and light production and I’m looking forward to seeing more movies from him. 

[muchmovieverygeek-blog]

Umm… Hi?

Hello wonderful people of Tumblr!

*whispers to myself* umm what do I write…

To be frank I wasn’t so sure about this whole blogging thing at first. I just have a thing for movies.

Alright! How about I tell you guys about my favorite movie? Yeah, that would do.

(I gotta tell you, I love this movie so much, I’ve set my heart on getting a tattoo dedicated to the brilliant men & women behind it)

Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind.

Perplexing, mind-bending yet stirring and tender, this gem is a perfect fusion of romance and sci-fi. Now imagine taking a sip of coffee. The bitter coffee rushes down your throat, then leaves a hint of sweetness on the tip of the tongue. Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman has conveyed the maddening and messy side of love, sophisticatedly weaved with the theme of the tricky human mind and wrapped it up with a satisfying, warm ending.

Love is like a summer night with a clear sky full of stars. Yet when it all seems over, the vulnerable, impulsive Clementine Kruczynski took matters into her own hands and put an end to her relationship with Joel Barish by undergoing a procedure to erase him from her mind. Shattered by the discovery, Joel pleaded the company to execute the same procedure on him. The process works backwards in time, meaning the most recent memories would be wiped away first. As it goes, Joel realized his love for Clem and tried to fight the process.

ESOTSM displays the characters’ deepest thoughts in such intimate and personal way, it almost feels like you’re the electric current penetrating Joel’s mind or you’re going through the procedure yourself, seeing the memories flashing before you. Every shot with seamless yet hurried execution was pieced together to match perfectly with the story without redundancy. You will have to watch and observe the movie carefully, but I promise it’s worth it. The vibrant and sophisticated color also effectively conveys emotions.

One of the highlights of this movie is the character profile. He’s quiet, she’s free-spirited. He’s dummy, she’s witty. In the beginning, we see a tired, lost Joel. He became acquainted with the quirky, bold Clementine. Only when we observe them through the movie would we realize. “Oh! Turns out he’s mature and she’s insecure.” It was the contrast that gives the vibrant characters and leaves the viewers with a long-lasting impression of the character.

Why did I choose this movie for my first entry? Simply because I relate to it. I love someone who doesn’t love me back. In fact, I feel like Joel and Clem represent me and this person. Through many quarrels we’ve had, though I’ve been advised, some gently, some went ballistic, I know he’s the one. Because what we’ve been through is far greater than those silly fights and if anyone asks me why him, I’d always reply: “Because he’s worth it, at his best or worst.” Yes, I’m crazy. By erasing the memories backwards, we see Joel and Clem’s intense arguments, we reckon: “Damn, this is a hopeless case.” But in the end, they were willing to put them aside. The reverse chronology method was utilized by Kaufman to emphasize this point, then closes with a satisfying ending, making us sit down and think, is all the hate worth it? All the door slams, all the crying, the silence. Are you willing to be with them, for better or worse? I know I do. We’ve heard of compensation and being firm or yielding in a relationship. This story is the perfect illustration of these philosophies. It’s not about perfection. It’s about choosing the one you want to overcome struggles with.

Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind is the kind of movie that I would avoid like a plague, because it would bring me inconsolable feels and I can’t help but cry every time. But I’d watch it every once in a while, just to have the feels slapped and slathered all over me, simply to remind me why I held on.

“We’re a mess, and I love that about us. And I don’t want to be perfect. I want to be us.” – Ethan, The One I Love