#like i love both of them but something happens when i watch any christopher nolan film

[brightyearning]

why did no one tell me Arrival is a better movie than Interstellar?

[wheredemdokis]

[tastebreaker review] Law School (no spoilers)

Sometimes, I wish I could have a shrine for all the cerebral media that I consumed, because it definitely is my favourite archetype. Death Note was a masterpiece that I hungrily binged in one day - similarly with Psycho Pass (though I haven't watched the second season due to most of the reviews I have read). This extend well into non-anime media for me - State of Play (with Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams) remains one of my favourite movies, Inception and, well, honestly anything by Christopher Nolan, and I have recently began watching The Matrix as well.

And so, the thirst for real mystery and brain games was quenched when I started watching Law School, with Kim Myung-min, Kim Beom and Ryu Hye-young, directed by Kim Suk-yoon. Needless to say, throughout the whole trip, I was hooked, counting down days until the next episode came... but towards the end - an unpopular opinion - I was actually quite disappointed.

And so, before you start your cross-examination, allow me to present my findings first.

- How did I start watching this?

My friend and I were looking around for something to binge on Netflix and forget about COVID-19. This series popped up, and the moment I read the title, my sapiosexual senses were tingled.

- And how was it?

Very good!... until the ending came. ;w;

- Genres & overarching themes?

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Psychological

Overarching themes: murder mystery, law vs justice, intelligence (as in, the characters are all really smart hahah)

- Plot: 4/5

It could have been a high four, near five if it wasn't for the ending, frankly. The first episode started out with Professor Seo Byung-ju of Hankuk Law School dead, and the spotlight shines on Professor Yang Jong-hoon (the man in the poster above), the first suspect. But was it really him? From then, the mystery unfolds as our favourite study group (who shall be very well elaborated on later in this review) launches itself into investigation for true justice.

The series started out extremely strong in my opinion, with its first few episodes filled with twists and sub-plots that were waiting to get wrapped up. Every episode just leaves you gripping on the sides of your seat in suspense. It really makes you doubt every single person that appeared on-screen and watch out for anything that happens - the show uses the Chekhov's Gun trope really well. As the knots become unravelled, we gain more depth into the characters. However, as we near the end - about two-three episodes for me - the show started to lose its thrust, falling into a comfortable stereotype that made things rather frustrating.

One of the major advantages of Law School, in my opinion, is its ability to twist and turn everything. It prompts the viewers to realize that when the case is really examined in a whole different angle, with more and more evidence coming to light, everything changes. The use of different suspects' stories being told in each episode is a pleasure to watch - the viewers feel like an omniscient judge, overseeing the motives and evidence to draw out a conclusion for themselves on who might be the murderer. The series prompts the viewers to think, which is a trend I really like. It's also interesting to question why characters do certain things they do. Professor Yang Jong-hoon (my favourite character!), for example, is a very... chaotic (haha) character, who keeps on surprising people with his actions - yet, his actions are all elaborate executions of his strategy, a whole plan that he has concocted which accounted for multiple steps ahead, thanks to his extremely sharp vision of what could happen. Thus, it is extremely satisfying when everything falls into place as Yangcrates (a nickname he earned due to his Socratic teaching) explains everything that led up to a particular tense moment where the truth was unveiled.

Yet... this very trope had its downfall near the end. The murderer was so heavily shadowed on in the beginning that the viewers would have expected the murderer to be someone else completely unexpected, a mastermind that pulled the strings behind all the proceedings. Yet, the murderer and the mastermind behind the murder were someone so... I dare say, unimpressive. I mean, this particular 'mastermind' behind the murder fell into so many traps! The murderer was definitely my major disappointment - the villain was a weak character, an unsatisfying antagonist that the intelligent heroes, once having figured who he/she is, didn't even break a sweat to bring to light. The last, final twist that was supposed to be the most glamorous of them all, completely knocking the viewers off their feet, fell completely flat.

Secondly, whilst having a lot of sub-plots still remains a favourite trope of mine as I'd expect everything to wrap up nicely near the end... well, it didn't. Whilst most sub-plots were hastily answered, there was one particular sub-plot which was just left completely unaddressed (for those who have watched it, it's about J****s), and unless they're hinting at a second season where this would be further elaborated on, this was a dead-end sub-plot, a plot with no elaboration or continuation whatsoever.

Overall, the plot was breathtaking in the beginning. It lost momentum very near the end, and wrapped everything up with an anticlimactic last episode.

- Characters: 4.7/5

Definitely the strongest set of characters I've seen in a Korean drama, frankly. All characters were so well utilised, each having their own quirks and flaws which were delightful to watch. Everyone was so, so intelligent, that they honestly were the main fuel to the series, our main stars.

Allow me to first start off with my favourite character, Professor Yang Jong-hoon. Stoic, yet with an extremely savage side that he does not hesitate to show to anyone of any ranks or social standings, Yangcrates carefully plots everything, always thinks, questions, and then thinks even more. Intelligence-wise, this man is most definitely the smartest on-screen persona I've seen in the Korean drama franchise - able to see miles ahead and figure out all the answers down to their root, he is someone that definitely earns all the respect he has, from both his students and viewers alike. Personality-wise, this man is equally interesting as he is smart. With a cold exterior, Yangcrates does not take any bullshit (cue a particularly funny water spitting scene), and does not hold back harsh words to point it out. Yet, underneath this cold exterior is a burning desire to find the absolute truth, which would in turn bring justice to ones who have been wronged (refer to a particular lecture-like speech he made in episode 10), and a passion for teaching his students. He secretly cares for his students a lot, and expresses it in his own way.

Next, our favourite study group - a group of capable, enticing individuals. Firstly, we have Han Joon-hwi, a complex character that always pursues justice and fairness. His intelligence shines through with the way he, firstly, is able to take advantage of his sharp understanding of law into the case, and his careful processing of the evidence he gathers during investigation. Whilst he always keeps a cold head when needed, he has an equally warm heart, genuinely caring for wronged and innocent people. His expressions were all extremely raw and did not feel fake at all - really, props to his actor. More on this later.

Then, we have the two girls - Kang Sol A and Kang Sol B. Don't be fooled by their names - they are very much polar opposites. Whilst Kang Sol A is excitable and wears her heart on her sleeve (sometimes a bit too much), Kang Sol B always keeps a cool head, sometimes taking it to the extreme. I do admit that if I had to pick out of the two, though I love both of them very, very much, I'd probably lean a bit more towards Kang Sol A - even though she definitely gets on my nerves sometimes because of her overload of emotions that could be disruptive, she has her frequent bouts of creativity and "a-ha!" moments that display her underrated intelligence (I'm always soft for underdogs that are underestimated by everyone, only to turn the table on them later). She is also an extremely loyal friend and a very generous individual that isn't afraid to place herself in danger just to help others - overall, a very warm person. Kang Sol B, on the other hand - perhaps due to her family environment - does not really taking other people's emotions into consideration, though I really, really admire her for her intelligence, her ability to always keep a calm head (making her the blue counterpart to Kang Sol A's red), as well as her straightforwardness which has proven many times to be necessary to push the case forward. She does have a soft spot, though - a very adorable one at that. These two make an extremely adorable pair of friends.

My favourite student of the study group must be Seo Ji-ho. I'd say he's a less intimidating version of Kang Sol B hahah - cool and composed, Ji-ho is a reliable member who always pursues logic and reason first. He is also driven to achieve his goal and, like Joon-hwi, utilizes his deep understanding about law very well to solve his own case, his sub-plot. Though his sub-plot eventually was wrapped up as an open ending, it was a nice sub-plot to watch. Not to mention his dynamic with Joon-hwi is very adorable as well - the two really balance each other out.

Other students also have their own quirks and flaws, but for the sake of this review's length, I won't elaborate them as much - but I will say they are all a delight to watch, adding their own personal elements to the overall study group. I will definitely miss this set of characters so, so much. ;-;

- Acting: 4.4/5

Frankly, perhaps because of some K-drama series I have watched, I had a problem with acting in some K-drama series - the actors and actresses did not feel genuine, and they either overacted, pushing their expressions to the extreme, or underacted, simply being way too... stiff (some of my personal favourite actors and actresses so far are Kim Seon-ho, whose theatrical experiences probably really helped with his very natural acting, Jo Jung-seok, and Kim Hye-yoon, an actress who impressed me with both of her most popular series - hope to see her versatility shine through with more diverse roles though). This series, however, is a definite favourite of mine in terms of acting. Firstly, Kim Myung-min is a veteran actor that deserves so much respect - he basically morphed into Yangcrates. I absolutely loved the way he delivered his dialogues - very long ones! - without even so much as taking a breath in between - it was smooth and the flow was excellent.

Kim Beom also became one of my favourite actors after this series - the way he handled his role was so good, his expressions, actions, everything. I noticed that he's very good with his eyes, if that's the right way to put it - he is very good at displaying emotions with them, all emotions ranging from sadness to adoration (towards a particular someone *wink*). It's a top-notch skill, really, and I'm glad to have seen him on-screen. Similarly, Ryu Hye-young impressed me so, so much that I shall add her to my list of favourite actresses as well - I can't spoil, but she is really able at... altering her vibes, yes. She seems to have studied her character really carefully too, being able to bring all Sol A's quirks to real life. Other actors and actresses were amazing, but for me, these three definitely shone.

- Doki moments?

Ah. Definitely some between Sol A and Joon-hwi, as a lot of other people have commented. From the way they tease each other to the way he cares about her every little thing, the way he stares at her, the way his whole demeanor just changes around her and the way she unknowingly influences him so much - they do balance each other out really well, Joonhwi being the cool to Sol A's warm. I do find myself thinking Sol B and Ji-ho would be rather compatible as well (also, them being study rivals in high school? My rivals-to-lovers side is ready).

- Enjoyment: 4/5

Again, could have been higher if it wasn't for the ending! But yes, overall, a whole trip worth embarking on.

- Overall: 4.2/5

Really, could have been higher... but yes, still an excellent show. I just hope they could have had more episodes to really wrap everything up nicely and maybe throw us one final, absolutely ground-breaking twist.

- Watch it or neh?

Yes, please do watch it! And let me know how it goes, too. ;3

[oscopelabs]

Christopher Nolan: The Man Who Wasn’t There by Daniel Carlson

1.

So, we’ll start with the fact that all movies are make-believe. It’s a bunch of actors on a set, wearing costumes and standing with props picked out by hordes of people you’ll never see, under the guidance of a director, saying things that have been written down for them while doing their best to say these things so that it sounds like they’re just now thinking of them. We all know this—saying it feels incredibly stupid, like pointing out that water is wet—but it’s still worth noting. There is, for example, no such person as Luke Skywalker. Never has been, never will be. He was invented by a baby boomer from Modesto. He is not real.

And we know this, and that’s part of the fun. We know that Luke Skywalker isn’t real but is being portrayed by an actor (another boomer from the Bay Area, come to think of it), and that none of the things we’re seeing are real. But we give ourselves over to the collective fiction for the greater experience of becoming involved in a story. This is one of the most amazing things that we do as humans. We know—deep down, in our bones, without-a-doubt know—that the thing we’re watching is fiction, but we enter a state of suspended reality where we imagine the story to be real, and we allow ourselves to be moved by it. We’ve been doing this since we developed language. The people telling these stories know this and bring the same level of commitment and imagination and assurance that we do as viewers, too. The storyteller knows that the story isn’t real, but for lack of a better way to get a handle on it, it feels real. So, to continue with the example, we’re excited when Luke Skywalker blows up the Death Star because he helped the good guys win. For us viewers, in this state of mutually reinforced agreement, that “happened.” It’s not real, but it’s “real”—that is, it’s real within the established boundaries of the invented world that we’ve all agreed to sit and look at for a couple of hours. Every viewer knows this, and every filmmaker acts on it, too. Except:

Christopher Nolan does not do this.

2.

There’s no one single owner or maker of any movie, and anyone who tells you different has their hand in your pocket. But there’s an argument to be made that when somebody both writes and directs the movie, it’s a bit easier to locate a sense of personhood in the final product. (This is all really rough math, too, and should not be used in court.) Christopher Nolan has directed 11 films to date, and while his style can be found in all of them, his self is more present in the ones where he had a hand in the shaping of the story—and crucially, not just that, but in the construction of the fictional world. Take away the superhero trilogy, the remake of a Norwegian thriller, the adaptation of a novel, and the historical drama, and Nolan’s directed five films that can reasonably be attributed to his own creative universe: Following (1998), Memento (2000), Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), and Tenet (2020). These movies all involve themes that Nolan seems to enjoy working with no matter the source material, including identity, memory, and how easily reality can be called into question when two people refuse to concede that they had very different experiences of the same event. Basically, he makes movies about how perception shapes existence. How he does this, though, is unlike pretty much everybody else.

Take Inception. After a decade spent going from hotshot new talent to household name (thanks to directing the two highest-grossing Batman movies ever made, as well as the first superhero movie to earn an Oscar for acting), he had the credit line to make something big and flashy that was also weird and personal. So we got an action movie that, when first announced in the Hollywood trades, was described as being set within “the architecture of the mind.” Although this at first seemed to be a phrase that only a publicist could love, it turned out to be the best way to describe the film. This is a film, after all, about a group of elite agents who use special technology to enter someone’s subconscious dream-state and then manipulate that person’s memories and emotions. The second half of the film sees team leader Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and the rest of the squad actually descend through multiple nested subconsciouses to achieve their goal, even as they’re chased every step of the way by representations of Mal (Marion Cotillard), Dom’s late wife, who committed suicide after spending too much time in another’s subconscious and lost the ability to discern whether she was really alive or still in the dream-world.

I say “representations” because that’s what they are: Mal is long dead, but Dom still feels enormous guilt over his complicity in her actions, and that guilt shows up looking like Mal, whose villainous actions (the representation’s actions, that is) are just more signs of Dom not being able to come to grips with his own past. It’s his own brain making these things up and attacking itself, and it chases his entire crew down three successive layers of dream worlds. You get caught up in the movie’s world as a viewer, and you go along because Nolan is pretty good at making exciting movies that feel like theme-park rides. You accept that Dom and everybody else refer to Mal as Mal and not, say, Dom. Dom even addresses her (“her”) when her projection shows up, speaking to her as if she’s a separate being with her own will and desires and not a puppet that he’s pretending not to know he’s controlling. It’s only later that you realize that the movie is in some ways just a big-budget rendition of what it would look like to really, really want to avoid therapy.

Which is what makes Nolan different from other filmmakers:

None of this is actually happening.

Again, yes, it’s happening in the sense that we see things on screen—explosions, chases, a fight scene in a rotating hallway that’s still some of the best practical-effects work in modern action movies—but within the universe of the film, none of what’s going on is taking place in the real world. It’s all unfolding in the subconsciouses of Dom’s teammates. In the movie’s real world, they’re all asleep on a luxury jet. They’re “doing” things that have an outcome on the plot, but Nolan sets more than half the movie inside dreams. It’s a movie about reality where we spend less time in reality than in fantasy. Half the movie is pretend.

For Nolan, filmmaking is about using a dazzling array of techniques to create a visual spectacle that distracts the viewer from the fact that the real and true story is happening somewhere else: in the fringes we can’t quite see, in the things we forget to remember, or even in the realm of pure speculation.

3.

Memento arrived like (and with) a gunshot. It seemed to come out of nowhere and leave people struggling to describe it, and they usually wound up saying something like “it goes backward, but also forward at the same time, except some parts are actually really backward, like in reverse, so it’s maybe a circle?” Written by Christopher Nolan from an idea originally shared with him by his brother, Jonathan (who eventually turned it into a very different short story titled “Memento Mori”), the film follows a man named Leonard (Guy Pearce) who has anterograde amnesia and can’t form new memories, so every few minutes he sort of just resets and has to figure out where he is, what he’s doing there, and so on. He’s on the hunt for the man who attacked him and his wife, leaving his wife dead and Leonard in his present condition, which you can imagine does not make the gathering and synthesis of clues easy.

What’s more, Nolan puts the viewer in Leonard’s shoes by breaking the film’s linear timeline into two halves—call them A and B—and then alternating between them, with the added disorientation coming from the fact that one of those timeline halves plays out backward, with each successive scene showing what happened before the one you previously saw. So, if you numbered all the scenes in each timeline in chronological order, they’d look something like this when arranged in the final film: Scene A1, Scene B22, Scene A2, Scene B21, Scene A3, Scene B20, etc. You get why it messed with people’s heads.

As a result, we spend most of the movie pretty confused, just like Leonard, whose suppositions about what might or might not take place next begin to substitute for our own understanding of the film. It’s not until the end that we find out the shoe already dropped, and that Leonard killed the original attacker some time ago and has since been led on a series of goose chases by his cop friend, Teddy (Joe Pantoliano), who’s planting fake clues to get Leonard to take out other criminals. In other words, we realize that the story we thought was happening was pretend, and the real story was happening all around us, in the margins, memories, and imaginations of the characters. The most honest moment in the movie is the scene where Leonard hires a sex worker to wait several minutes in the bathroom while he gets in bed, then make a noise with the door to wake him, at which point his amnesia has kicked in again and he briefly thinks that the noise is being made by his wife. He’s wrong, of course, but this is the only time in the movie that we actually know he’s wrong. It’s the only time we truly know what’s real and what isn’t.

Yet you can’t talk about Memento without talking about Following, Nolan’s first feature. Although the film’s production was so extremely low-budget you’d think they were lying—the cast and crew all had day jobs and could only film on the weekends, so the thing took a year to make—Nolan’s willingness to dwell completely in a make-believe world that the viewer never knows about is already evident. It’s about a bored young writer who starts following strangers through the city for kicks, only for one of those strangers to catch him in the act and confront him. The stranger introduces himself as Cobb—I kindly submit here that it is not a coincidence that this is also Leonardo DiCaprio’s character’s name in Inception, but you already knew that—and reveals himself to be a burglar, spooked by the tail but willing to take on an apprentice. Cobb trains the writer to be a burglar, only for the situation to ultimately wind up implicating the writer himself in a complex blackmail plot. You see, the writer didn’t latch onto Cobb in a crowd; Cobb lured him in. The whole movie has been Cobb’s story all along, with the writer as a patsy who doesn’t understand the truth until the final frame. None of what we saw mattered, and everything that actually happened happened off-screen just before or just after we came in on a given scene. It’s like realizing the movie you’re watching turned out to be just deleted scenes from something else. You can’t say Nolan didn’t show his hand from the start.

4.

That same general concept—that the movie we’re watching is actually the knock-on effect of a movie we’ll only glimpse, or maybe never even see—underpins Nolan’s latest movies, Interstellar and Tenet, too. Interstellar has some concepts that are iffy even for Nolan (it makes total sense for someone to do something for another out of love, but somewhat less sense that that love somehow reshapes the physical universe), but it’s still a big, bold approach to exploring how time and perception shape our actions. As the film follows its core group of astronauts while they search for potentially habitable new worlds, they encounter strange visions and experiences that turn out to be their handiwork from the future reflected back at them. Sure, it raises the paradoxical question of whether they had a first mission before this that failed, so now their future selves are intervening to make the second one (which feels like the first one to the astronauts the whole time) successful, and all sorts of other stuff that your sophomore-year roommate would like to talk with you about in great detail. But so much of what we see isn’t the stuff that happens, or that winds up being important. There’s the great scene where the astronauts land on a planet near a black hole, which is wreaking havoc on how time passes on the planet. A minor disaster delays their departure for the main ship still in orbit, but when the landing team returns, they find that more than 20 years have “passed” since they left, with the one remaining team member on the ship having spent more than two decades waiting for them to return. It’s a moment of genuine horror, and it underscores the fact that what we thought was the one true reality was just the perspective of a handful of characters we happened to follow for a few minutes. There were whole things happening that changed the plot and story and direction of everything that would follow, and we never saw them; we didn’t even know we’d missed them.

Tenet is, of course, the latest and most recursive exploration yet of Nolan’s obsession with showing us a story that turns out to be mostly fake. It is almost perversely hard to even begin to explain the film (Google “Tenet timeline infographic” and have fun). One way to think about it is to imagine if the two timeline halves from Memento somehow existed at the same time, with people moving both forward and backward through time while inhabiting the same location. Basically, some scientists figured out how to “invert” the basic entropy of objects, so that they exist backward: you hold out your hand and the ball on the ground leaps up into it, because you’ve dropped it in the future, so now you can pick it up, etc. … Look, it doesn’t get easier to understand.

The upshot is, though, that we spend the film following the Protagonist (that’s his name), a CIA agent played by John David Washington, as he’s tasked with tracking down the source of the inverted stuff to figure out what’s unfolding in the future and why it’s suddenly started to make itself known in the present. He gets marginally closer to understanding the truth by the end of the film, but because this is a Nolan film that is maybe more expressly about the nature of reality than anything he’s ever done, his journey doesn’t so much take him forward as it does in a large circle. Because, and stop me if you’ve heard this, the true story of Tenet is taking place outside the Protagonist’s actions and knowledge, alongside him but invisible, often steered by people who themselves are moving “backward” through time and thus have already met the Protagonist in the future and are old friends with him by the time he meets them in his youth. Even more brain-liquefying, some of these people have been working under the orders of the Protagonist himself—the future version, that is—because his past self has already achieved the victories that allowed him to send the future people backward through time to meet his younger self so they’d achieve the victories that allow him to etc., etc., etc.

With Tenet, Nolan didn’t just make a movie that challenged perception, like Memento, or that dwelt in fiction, like Inception. He made a movie that can only be understood (to whatever degree true understanding is possible) by rewatching the movie itself, over and over, as the multiple timelines and harrowingly complex bits of cause and effect come into some kind of focus. The whole movie itself isn’t happening, in a sense, but is just the ramifications of something else, the echoes of a shout whose origin we’re straining to pinpoint. It both is and isn’t.

5.

Christopher Nolan is a talented director of action-driven suspense thrillers. He’s canny at controlling the audience’s emotions, and he knows how to put on a dazzling show. Plus he’s fantastic at picking when to deploy non-computer-generated effects for maximum impact. But you could say that about a lot of other directors, too. What sets Nolan apart from the rest, and what makes him a director to keep watching and returning to, is the teasing way his movies wind up being just deceptive enough to fool you into thinking that you know what’s going on, then just harsh enough to disabuse you of that notion. Looking at what seems to drive him, I don’t think Tenet is his best movie-movie, but it’s his most-Nolan movie. It’s almost a culmination of his continuing efforts to tell stories where what you see and what actually happens are two different things. It’s not that he makes puzzles to solve. There is no solving these movies. Rather, it’s that he sculpts these delicate artifacts that only let you see two dimensions at a time, never all three, no matter how you twist your head. Craning back and forth, you can almost see the whole thing, but not quite. Some part of it will always have to exist in your memory. And that’s where Christopher Nolan likes to be.

[slickbackdani]

Batman Movie Villains Ranked from Worst to Best

Recently, a YouTuber I follow by the name of Mr. Rogues released a list of Batman villains ranked from worst to best. I have nothing but the utmost of respect for Mr. Rogues as a content creator, but I took issue with his list because his long-standing biases were often the deciding factor in many of his rankings. So, I decided to do a list of my own.

I’ll be going over every Batman villain to appear in the movies, briefly analyzing their portrayals and ranking them on a scale of 1 to 5. To prevent the list from being too cluttered, I’ll be separating the villains by which movie series they’re part of. Here we go!

Burton/Schumacher Tetralogy

Bane: Perhaps the only villain in this series I’d call “bad.” The calculating tactician of the comics is nowhere to be found here; instead, he’s reduced to a monosyllabic, brain-dead stooge for the other villains. Overall, he does nothing that couldn’t be done by a random henchman. 1/5

Two-Face: A deeply layered villain in the comics, Two-Face sadly gets upstaged by the other major rogue in the movie, but that’s not to say he doesn’t leave an impression. Tommy Lee Jones gives him a manic and mercurial demeanor that, combined with his colorful design, wouldn’t be out of place in the Adam West series. The size and scope of his criminal organization make him a genuine threat, and there’s something darkly fitting about Batman’s former ally being responsible for the creation of Robin. 3/5

Poison Ivy: Mr. Rogues for some reason ranked her as the worst Batman movie villain of all time, and frankly, I don’t see why. Like Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face, Uma Thurman gives this character a delightfully over-the-top demeanor that combines with a colorful, comic-booky ensemble to make for another great “what-if-this-character-appeared-in-the-Adam-West-series” take. She does a good job juggling the differing facets of Ivy’s character: she’s the put-upon cynic, the craven opportunist, the radical eco-terrorist, and the suave seductress all in one package. 3.5/5

The Penguin: Fuck the Razzies. Danny DeVito made this role his own and set the stage for the character for years to come. He’s a bit of a departure, but a welcome one: far from the refined gentleman of crime Burgess Meredith portrayed, this Penguin is an animalistic thug warped by a lifetime of anger and hatred of the society who rejected him due to his deformities. His signature wardrobe, trick umbrellas, and Penguin gimmick are all there, but DeVito sells the role by showing amazing versatility: he can go from a comical and pitiable weirdo to a terrifying sociopath at the drop of a stovepipe hat. 4/5

Mr. Freeze: I honestly can’t say much about this character that my mutual @wonderfulworldofmichaelford hasn’t already. Arnold Schwarzenegger perfectly encapsulates both popular versions of this character: the flamboyant, pun-loving criminal genius from the Adam West series and the Animated Series’ traumatized scientist desperate to cure his loving wife of her terminal illness. Sure, the puns and hammy one-liners are what this version character is known for, but Ahnold definitely knows when to apply the brakes and give a greatly emotional performance as he tries desperately to cure his wife. 4.5/5

Max Shreck: Probably the only time you’ll see a movie-exclusive character on this list, and deservedly so. Corrupt businessmen are dime-a-dozen in Batman stories, and most of them have little personality outside of being greedy scumbags who either get defeated by the hero or betrayed by the other villains. Shreck, however, is different. Not only does he have an eye-catching fashion sense on par with any of Batman’s famous rogues, but Christopher Walken brings his signature manic intensity to the role, creating a character that’s as wicked and sinister as he is cool and stylish. You totally buy that the general public sees him as the good guy. His warm relationship with his son is also a delight to watch. 4.5/5

Catwoman: Michelle Pfeiffer does a lot to really make the character her own. She gets a lot of genuinely badass moments, but underneath all of her coolness lies the undercurrent that she’s a broken, traumatized character lashing out at the people who abused her and took her for granted. Even when she takes these ideals to unreasonable extremes, you never stop feeling like the retribution she brings on her enemies is at least a little warranted. Also, she has amazing romantic chemistry with Batman and her costume is fucking metal. 5/5

The Ridder: It’s Jim Carrey. 5/5

The Joker: This role is perhaps the one that set the standard for future Jokers to follow: Jack Nicholson’s humorous yet unnerving performance signaled to audiences early on that this would not be the goofy trickster of the Silver Age, but a different beast entirely. This Joker is a film noir gangster on crack: a disfigured mob hitman who quickly takes the entire criminal underworld by storm and unleashes his special brand of chaos and destruction across Gotham. He’s an artist, a showman, a charismatic leader, and the man responsible for ruining Bruce Wayne’s life. 5/5

Christopher Nolan Trilogy

Talia al Ghul: You know that recent trend in Disney movies where a side character we thought was harmless and inconsequential turned out to have been the villain all along in a twist with no buildup or foreshadowing with the reveal happening too late in the movie for this character to really do anything cool or impressive before being unceremoniously defeated? That’s Talia. DKR is the weakest of the three Nolan films, and I feel like it would’ve been much better received without this twist villain contrivedly shoehorned in. Also, while I could kinda forgive the trilogy’s whitewashing of other villains like Ra’s al Ghul and Bane due to the talent their actors display, Marion Cotillard doesn’t get a pass because she just doesn’t have the charisma or screen presence needed to pull it off. 1/5

Victor Zsasz: While the idea of redefining Zsasz as an over enthusiastic mob hitman instead of a serial killer is very interesting, it’s ruined by the fact that he barely even appears in the movie and doesn’t really do or say much of anything despite the buildup he gets. 1.5/5

Two-Face: Aaron Eckhart portrays Harvey Dent as a character of tragedy in a slightly different way than other tragic villains in superhero movies: he’s lashing out at a society he feels wronged him, but instead of being a lifelong outcast or put-upon loser, he was a handsome, successful crusader for the common good who lost everything he once held dear all in one fell swoop. You really feel for him even as he does horrible things. If I had to nitpick, though, I am slightly bothered by the fact that he plays some comic book movie cliches straight (i.e. they never call him by his alias and he dies at the end,) but it’s a solid performance overall. 3/5

Scarecrow: I’ll be upfront and admit that I’m more than a little annoyed that certain facets of the character had been changed in the name of “realism” — once again, they never call him by his villain name and he never wears a comic-accurate costume — but other than that, I can’t complain. Cillian Murphy plays the character with a smarmy, eerie charm that really makes his scenes stand out, his willingness to ally himself with other villains suits his character well, and the fact that he appears in three consecutive films with a different evil scheme in each really helps tie the movies together. 3.5/5

Catwoman: Much like other secondary villains in this trilogy, she really doesn’t get a chance to shine compared to the main antagonist — and, once again, it pisses me off a little that they do the whole “never refer to her as Catwoman but vaguely hint at it” thing — but she’s everything a modern Catwoman should be. She’s sly, manipulative, really holds her own in a fight, has great chemistry with Bruce Wayne... it’s all there. It’s also great to see Anne Hathaway break away from her usual type casting to play a role this dynamic. 4/5

Ra’s al Ghul: He’s a character that was in desperate need of mainstream exposure, and by God that’s what he got. Making him Bruce Wayne’s mentor adds a layer of personal tragedy to the climax where our hero has to stop the man who made him who he is from destroying Gotham with his admittedly brilliant plan. Add in a strong, captivating performance from Liam Neeson before we found out he was a racist asshole, and we’ve got one hell of an overarching villain. 4.5/5

The Joker: Everybody’s already discussed this version of the character to hell and back and likely will for years to come, so I’ll keep it very brief. He’s funny, he’s badass, he’s terrifying, he has great dialogue, it sucks that Heath Ledger didn’t live to see his performance reach the audience it got, and he basically makes the entire film. 5/5

Bane: Mr. Rogues actually ranked Bane higher than Joker on his list, and keeping it 100, I actually agree with him here. Finally, after decades of being dumbed down and misrepresented outside of comics, Bane is finally portrayed as the tactical genius from the comics. Tom Hardy plays Bane to perfection, being very believable as the peak of human physical and mental achievement, the man who broke Batman physically and emotionally. His design is iconic, his every line is quotable, his voice is weirdly fitting, and the memes are funny. 5/5

DC Extended Universe

KGBeast: Another point where I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Rogues. He is absolutely wasted in BVS, being nothing but a generic henchman for Lex Luthor. He doesn’t wear his costume from the comics, he’s never referred to by his alias, he doesn’t have his signature cybernetic enhancements, and he never does or says anything noteworthy. 1/5

The Joker: Ugh. I don’t know what’s worst: the tacky clothes, the stupid tattoos, the weird Richard Nixon impression that passes as his voice, the fact that promotional material hyped him up as a “beautiful tragedy” of a character even though he’s only in the movie for like 10 minutes and barely does anything, Jared Leto’s toxic edgelord behavior on set done with the flimsy pretense of “getting into character,” or the fact that he’s just trying to copy Heath Ledger instead of making the role his own. 1/5

Victor Zsasz: Chris Messina proves undoubtedly that Zsasz CAN work as a secondary villain in a Batman movie. He’s once again a mob assassin who enjoys his job a little too much, but unlike Batman Begins, he really gets time to shine. He’s just as sadistic and depraved as in the comics, but he also has this disarming, casual demeanor about him like he’s just indulging a hobby instead of slicing innocent people’s faces off. His close friendship with his boss Black Mask adds some depth to the character as well. 3/5

Killer Croc: Sadly, he doesn’t get much time in the spotlight, but he’s pretty cool nonetheless. The makeup and prosthetics used to create him look amazing, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s deep voice and imposing body language make him really stand out as an intimidating presence. He’s often in the background, which fits his role as an outcast by choice and a man of few words, but whenever he does get focus, he has everyone’s attention. It really would be a shame if this character’s only appearance was in a mediocre schlock action movie, but he makes the most of what he has. 3.5/5

Deadshot: Another highlight of what would otherwise be a forgettable film, Deadshot is just as cool and competent as he’s always been in other media, but this portrayal stands out for one simple reason. Will Smith was a very odd choice to play the role, but it worked out for the best here because you get the sense he truly understands the characters. He’s ruthless and pragmatic, but has just as enough charm and depth to make him likable. 4/5

Black Mask: I, like many, was skeptical when I saw early trailers depicting Roman Sionis as a foppish weirdo who doesn’t wear his signature mask, but upon seeing the final movie, I really feel like he has the high ground over other DCEU villains. Ewan McGregor is endlessly captivating in the role, portraying him as a swaggering dandy who is nevertheless dangerous due to his boundless narcissism and explosive temper. Sure, those who deal in absolutes would be put off from the differences with his comic counterpart — who is far more cold and humorless — but from a certain point of view, this flamboyant take on the character isn’t so much a departure as it is an addition to make him stand out while keeping his role the same. Black Mask has always been a middleman between the traditional mobsters of yesteryear and the colorful rogues that plague Gotham today, and this portrayal perfectly encapsulates that. He works in the shadows, but isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty; he flies off the handle and gets reckless at times, but there’s no question that the whole operation was his idea. 5/5

Harley Quinn: Margot Robbie owns this role. She’s unbelievably dazzling as a badass, funny, sexy antihero who deals greatly with tragedy and proves that there’s always been more to her than her initial role as the Joker’s sidekick. Again, not much to say, but she’s almost perfect. 5/5

[scottymcgeesterwrites]

Final Fantasy XIII Review

Year: 2009

Original Platform: PlayStation 3

Also available on: Xbox 360, PC, Android, iOS

Version I Played: PlayStation 3

Synopsis:

On the planet Cocoon, those who come into contact with anything from the planet Pulse are purged to that planet. Pulse is a feared planet full of monsters and strange creatures. Both planets are ruled by fal’Cie, mechanical godlike beings who sometimes brand humans as their servants for specific tasks, called a focus. Those who fulfill their focus are turned into crystals and obtain eternal life. Those who do not fulfill their focus turn into mindless monsters. Lightning is a former soldier whose sister, Serah, is branded by a fal’Cie and taken to be purged. Lightning sets off to rescue her.

Gameplay:

Going to say this now – the worst gameplay in the entire Final Fantasy series.

The battles are Active Time Battles but instead of you inputting individual commands, there are what’s called paradigms. Paradigms are somewhat like Job Classes from the old Final Fantasy games, except less fun and more automated. You can switch to a Medic paradigm in battle and every time you press “Auto-Battle” your character automatically performs a series of necessary cure and restore spells, based on what’s going on in the battle. The Sentinel paradigm specializes in keeping the enemy at bay. The Ravager paradigm uses magic. The Commando paradigm uses physical attacks. You get the picture.

As a result, the gameplay could be best described as:

With occasional switching of paradigms whenever you see fit. You can set up a number of combinations across the characters. Two Commandos and one Sentinel. One Sentinel and one Ravager and One Commando, etc.

The party automatically heals after each battle – you can even press start during a battle and restart the battle.

I probably only used an item once or twice. I honestly don’t see why they bothered putting any items if you hardly ever use them.

You can upgrade your weapons with pieces and junk you find after battles. You find so many of them that you hardly ever think about what you’re upgrading so long as whatever you make upgrades your stats. Is this better? No? What about this? Okay, good. Moving on.

Like Final Fantasy X, the game is linear. Much more linear. You follow a long hallway for about 30 hours of the game before you can do sidequests. The sidequests involve completing other people’s focus. That’s about it. There are no towns, no inns, no villages. You are entirely on the road, constantly in battle (Okay, there’s like one time where Sazh and Vanille are in a casino or something but that’s about it).

I wrote a blog piece a while back about what exactly was wrong with Final Fantasy XIII, and it’s not that it’s linear. We play really great linear games all the time. It’s the automation – the feeling that you’re not really doing anything.

There isn’t an ounce of customization. Leveling up is similar to the Sphere Grid of Final Fantasy X. It’s called the Crystarium but it follows a strict path. You can’t actually stray anywhere or customize anything. If that’s the case, why bother making you open the menu to level up through the Crystarium? Why not just automatically do it? I guess they want to give you some ounce (more like a milligram) of control over the game.

Basically – you’re watching a long movie and occasionally get to move the people around. That’s how I see it.

Graphics:

PLAYSTATION 3 HD GRAPHICS HOMG DO YOU HAVEA BONER YET? LOOK AT THIS. FIRST FINAL FANTASY GAME IN GLORIOUS HD.

Everything is pretty in this game. Everything. There is nothing wrong with this at all.

Story:

The characters appear to reference those in Final Fantasy VII. Director Motomu Toriyama wanted Lightning to essentially be a female Cloud Strife. She’s a no-nonsense, athletic female lead. While Cloud and Squall were introspective and antisocial, Lightning is slightly different by actively ordering people around. She comes off as a dick to everyone, and that’s due to her ex-soldier background. Think of your stereotypical ex-cop/ex-CIA/ex-military action movie hero, like Liam Neeson (Bryan Mills in Taken) or Bruce Willis (John McClane in Die Hard). That’s basically Lightning.

Can we go on a short tangent for a moment to talk about how weird it is that Lightning was also used as a model for advertising in Japan?

Here she is driving a Nissan.

And wearing Louis Vitton.

Cool? I guess? Unless you start to realize that Toriyama wanted to design his own personal waifu, and that he’s completely obsessed with her. That gets really weird. And sad? A little? Anyway.

Vanille has some reminiscent of Yuffie from Final Fantasy VII, although with more character via her inner monologues and narration. Fang is vaguely like Vincent Valentine. Sazh takes the place of Barrett as the token black dude, except instead of being aggressive he’s more like the comic relief and wants nothing to do with anything. Every time you control him, jazz music plays, because black people I guess. Hope doesn’t appear to be reminiscent of anyone – he’s just this boy who yells and complains a lot with Lightning. Snow meanwhile is a ripoff of Zell from Final Fantasy VIII, except somehow even more annoying.

(Every time I see his picture I think about your typical dude bro at a frat.)

The story starts of a bit choppy as you follow almost each character separately, then they run into each other, then separate again, then join again. The first 30 hours or so gives flashbacks of 13 days prior- BECAUSE IT’S FINAL FANTASY XIII GET IT? Vanille actually narrates some events but it’s not exactly clear why or from when – but that’s a spoiler. Along the way, I got really confused because I didn’t know why some people were fighting each other when they were on the same side a moment ago. The concept of the “focus” is really weird and sometimes confusing. People with a focus simply have visions or a general idea of what they’re supposed to do, but they don’t actually know for sure unless they actively seek it. If the gods granted them a focus, wouldn’t it make more sense if the gods just told them what to do? Seemed to work in Final Fantasy XII. 

In short, the narrative weaves around a lot. If you stop playing in the middle and pick up the game again months later, you’re bound to forget what’s going on. I know I did.

The characters didn’t annoy me as much as you would think they would on paper. They all have character development and that’s good. The only character that effectively got on my nerves was Snow. Snow is Serah’s fiancé, and Lightning hates him because of course you need some family drama. I don’t blame Lightning though. Snow shouts cheesy lines left and right, like “Heroes never die!”. He shouts Serah’s name the same way Christian Bale shouts Rachel’s name in the Christopher Nolan Batman films. Snow is quite possibly the most irritating character of all the Final Fantasy games. He will not shut the fuck up about what it means to be a hero.

The rest of the cast works well in that their motives and desires clash with each other. But I’m still sore about the wasted potential for a great character in Jihl Nabaat. Sazh wants his son Dejh back, who was taken to be purged by the sinister and extremely hot Jihl Nabaat.

 Goddaaayyyum. Seriously, look at her.

Too bad, because she’s only featured in a handful of scenes and then dies. Her death isn’t a major spoiler, at least one that I consider, because she hardly does anything except get in the way for a moment. You don’t even fight her. How lame is that?

Then you have this annoying bastard – Primarch Dysley.

When I think of him, I think of Mitch McConnell.

Old. Disagreeable. Been in power for too long. Always in the way of progress.

Primarch Dysley happens to be as annoying as Seymour from Final Fantasy X, so expect to be overjoyed every time you run into him.

Overall, the story isn’t as bad as you’d think. You just have to pay close attention. The gameplay is far worse than the story. I could easily slip into a coma while playing this game and still make it pretty far.

Music:

Final Fantasy XII saw the departure of Nobuo Uematsu (well with the exception of the pop song “Kiss Me Goodbye”). Final Fantasy XIII continues to head into the unknown without the beloved longtime composer. This game’s score is composed entirely by Masashi Hamauzu, who if you haven’t been paying attention, already partly worked on Final Fantasy X.  I immediately saw how “Saber’s Edge”, the boss theme, is similar in nature to the boss theme of Final Fantasy X.

Final Fantasy XIII made the most radical changes to the score. There are no signature themes from the series. No “Prelude” theme, no “Main Theme”, no “Victory Fanfare” theme. Instead, we get a theme called “Fabula Nova Crystallis”.  It plays frequently throughout the game, and almost acts as Serah and Snow’s love theme. In some portions of the game, some woman is singing along. Yes – this is the first time where you roam around a world in a Final Fantasy game with actual pop music playing in the background – “Sunleth Waterscape” to be exact. Final Fantasy XIII’s music gets pretty poppy.

Not saying it’s a bad idea.

Just.

You got pop music playing in the background now.

“Lightning’s Theme” is pretty sick. Her theme plays during the battles in a rendition called “Blinded by Light” – HA GET IT BECAUSE SHE’S LIGHTNING. SO CLEVER.

But Hamauzu was a good choice – the entire score holds up well and sounds like a movie score, with varying motifs running across. It can be a bit more subdued but that’s how contemporary instrumental music is nowadays, especially with film composers like Hans Zimmer.

 Notable Theme:

“Blinded by Light”

Really epic, unique song. I always scat along to it as it plays.

Verdict:

Uff. 

Look, if you just search on YouTube for all the cutscenes, there you go. That’s the game. And it’s entertaining to watch. But it has the worst gameplay that doesn’t feel like you’re even doing anything. No sense of customization or originality.

Direct Sequel?

Yes, two.

Final Fantasy XIII-2.

I started it around the time it first came out, but I’m still in the middle of playing it and I have no idea what’s going on in the story. NO idea. NONE at all. They use time travel but none of it makes sense. Apparently changing things in the future can change the past. I don’t know how. I only understand a vague semblance of a plot with the bad guy Caius. While it doesn’t tarnish the dignity of the original like Final Fantasy X-2 did, it’s still offbeat with its metal (yes, metal) music and utterly confounding story. It’s infamous for this metal rendition of the sweet and innocent Chocobo theme.

Then there’s the third game, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

I plan on playing it after I finish Final Fantasy XIII-2, if I don’t already die from an aneurysm by then. It’s supposed to be better than Final Fantasy XIII-2 but lacking in graphics.

[agentnico]

Top 20 Best Movies of the Decade (2010′s)

Now that we have entered the 2020s, it’s time to look back on a decade of movie magic. To emphasise the importance of each year, I’ll balance things out by including two films from each year for my Top 20 list. I’ve tried to pick films that both defined this decade as well as appealed to me personally, so my list will of course, as always, be different from yours, but hopefully, I won’t totally irritate you with my humble choice, which I deem worthy to post online for the public eye to witness.

2010:

INCEPTION - “You’re waiting for a train...” Christopher Nolan unarguably is the most exciting and original directors working today. Each time he releases a movie, its an event. A literal must-see at the cinema. Which is why this isn’t the only film of his you will find on this list. With Inception, Nolan gives us a movie that is both enjoyable and imaginative, rewarding the audience for the attention that it demands. Filled with so much detail that if you miss certain shots, you will completely get lost in confusion of the narrative (as confusing as it already is). It’s intense and complex, with great performances from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, this movie will leave you lingering for more even after that mysterious ending.

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD -  “You cocky cock! You'll pay for your crimes against humanity!” Once again, another exciting director on this list (oh there are so so many!). Ever since Edgar Wright emerged from the British isles, he’s given us some of the funniest films of the past decade and onwards. His Cornetto Trilogy is a blast, Baby Driver is a blast, Ant-Man was going to be even more of a blast if Marvel allowed Wright to do his magical shenanigans his way, and the upcoming Last Night in Soho will surely be a blast also. With Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Wright creates a meta-clever universe taking inspiration from comic books and video games and filled to the brink with wink-wink-nudge-nudge humour, this is an exciting and very sarcastic over the top endeavor. Also, Brie Larson in this movie.....phew!! And unsurprisingly, its all a blast!

2011:

DRIVE - “I just wanted you to know, just getting to be around you, that was the best thing that ever happened to me.” Drive is more of an elegant exercise in style, and its emotions may be hidden but they run deep. A shamelessly disreputable, stylish, stoic, ultra-violent thriller with amazing stunt work, one of the best opening sequences of any movie this decade and a neon-pumped soundtrack that’s a must-own for all vinyl users, if you still haven’t seen Drive, there’s only one thing you can do. Clue: it’s to go watch Drive.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL - “Your mission, should you choose to accept it...” Tom Cruise’s deal with the devil allows him to do some literally impossible stuff, and though I don’t condone his Scientology ways, the man’s stunt work and efforts in his area of expertise are worth all the praise and respect. To be honest, I’m commemorating all three of the Mission Impossible flicks that graced our screen this year (Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation and Fallout). This franchise is like a game of dodgeball, except that Tom Cruise is the dodgeBALL, being thrown and thrust left and right like nobody cares. Also, with me being Russian, the fact that a movie manages to destroy the Kremlin and then have me not hate the film in the aftermath shows that this film is way too fun to hate.

2012:

DJANGO UNCHAINED - “Gentlemen, you had my curiosity, but now you have my attention.” Quentin Tarantino is one of my favourite directors working today. And Django Unchained happens to be my favourite film of his. The writing for this film is orgasmic (I went there!). The way the actors deliver the lines and the lines of dialogue themselves sound almost poetic to my ears. I can quote so many lines from this darn thing. The cinematography is immaculate. The soundtrack choice is great. The performances, my goodness, the PERFORMANCES!! Jamie Foxx does arguably his career-best work here, but also we have Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio both chewing up the scenery, and I’m sure everyone has heard the story involving DiCaprio and the broken glass. Django Unchained is an easy choice on this list for me, and possibly in my Top 10 of all time.

LES MISERABLES - “Do you hear the people sing?” The film that is based on a musical that is based on a book that is based on certain true events. Tom Hooper did an interesting choice of having actors sing live in front of the camera during filming rather than pre-record their voices, and it works to grand effect, though Russell Crowe should have probably been given more singing lessons. The movie is one hell of a way to adapt such a popular stage musical. With an opening shot that emphasises the scale of this picture with a zoom-in towards this big ship during a storm being pulled by these poor prisoners, we are plunged into the despair and conflicts of various characters with adroit narrative thrust so that not a moment feels wasted or redundant. You’d think that a film with hardly any dialogue and an overall reliance on singing wouldn’t be so emotional. Yet, somehow, it works. Also props to Anne Hathaway for winning an Academy Award for being in a film for only 5 MINUTES!!

2013:

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET - “Sell me this pen.” Martin Scorsese’s mad look into Wall Street life is a bombastic caper and running at nearly 3 hours, Scorsese and his editing team manage to keep an astoundingly intoxicating pace that keeps you enthralled and engaged throughout. This one is definitely not for the families, as this R-rated fest is filled with drugs, money, sex and everything you can possibly imagine and paints quite the picture of the rich folks of Wall Street. And the middle of it all a bravura performance from Leonardo DiCaprio. Someone needs to give DiCaprio’s agent a raise, this is Leo’s third appearance on this list and we’re only in 2013!

THE WAY WAY BACK - “I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You're having way too much fun, it's making everyone uncomfortable.” Sometimes a little indie flick is enough to lift a human spirit. Real, fun, uplifting and innocent, The Way Way Back dedicated to anyone who felt awkward or out of place at some point in their life, which, let’s be honest, counts all of us. I’m not afraid to admit that. So stop being a b*** and reveal your sensitive side too! Yes, you, the person reading this. Who else could I possibly be talking to? Myself? Maybe. The Way Way Back though is one of the best feel-good indie films of this decade, with the loveable Steve Carell acting very unloveable and Sam Rockwell Rockwelling himself to charm city! If you’ve missed this one, treat yo’self and check it out.

2014:

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL - “And?? Where is it? What's it all about dammit don't keep us in suspense this has been a complete f***ing nightmare! Just tell us what the f*** is going on!!!” Easily Wes Anderson’s best in my opinion (I have a friend who would argue Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums has the better hand but I think my opinion is more valid because it's me), this movie is a glossy, colorful, whimsical deadpan affair with an energetic turn from Ralph Fiennes as the hotel concierge M. Gustave H. as he and his lobby boy run into various Wes Anderson regulars and deal with murderers, stolen paintings, love affairs, prison breaks, and all kinds of crazy shindigs, but all shown in such a casual Wes Anderson way. This movie is like a slice of cherry pie - damn fine!

INTERSTELLAR - “Murphy’s Law doesn’t mean that something bad will happen. It means that whatever can happen, will happen.” As promised, Christopher Nolan makes another appearance on this list, now with his space time-traveling epic Interstellar, where he takes inspiration from the likes of Kubrick and Tarkovsky to give us, as always, a tad bit confusing adventure with great visuals and an interesting narrative (though it does sometimes get lost in its own way), however, the key thing holding this piece together is the father-daughter relationship with Matthew McConaughey and Mackenzie Foy (and Jessica Chastain) managing to bring so much raw emotion to their respective roles that you can’t help but want to shed a tear. I mean, I haven’t cried for over 14 years, but I remember when I first watched this film, the audience around me was sobbing quite a few times during the duration of this movie. Give it to Nolan to give us the emotional moments!

2015:

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD - “Oh what a day! What a lovely day!!” Easily the best action movie of this decade. Sorry John Wick, neither you or Tom Cruise could defeat this beast. The sheer, limitless invention behind this movie's exhilarating, preposterous chase scenes highlights action filmmaking at its finest. With big monster trucks and a random guitarist rocking-it in the middle of all the action, it’s like a nihilistic version of a Cirque du Soleil show! And it makes Tom Hardy the calmest person on-screen; no idea how it managed that.

STEVE JOBS - “I sat in a garage and invented the future because artists lead and hacks ask for show of hands.” If there is anyone who can make formulaic, mathematical or technological sound fun and exciting, its Aaron Sorkin. The man has a talent for writing screenplays about difficult and complicated topics yet turning them approachable for the casual moviegoer. Pair him with director Danny Boyle, and the result is Steve Jobs, a look at the man behind the phone. Narratively set during three important product launches of Jobs’, we get to see the behind-the-scenes of his relationships with his colleagues and family members, and this character study is one that could have easily fallen into generic biopic tropes, but it holds it’s own right till the credits roll. Also props for showing that Seth Rogen can actually do a serious role. Who would’ve thought that pot-smoking fella had dramatic chops in him?

2016:

NOCTURNAL ANIMALS - “Susan, enjoy the absurdity of our world. It’s a lot less painful. Believe me, our world is a lot less painful than the real world.” Fashion designer Tom Ford does sew his suits well. Apparently, he can also make great films too, with 2009′s A Single Man and with said Nocturnal Animals. This movie is truly incredible and I remember it taking me and my friend by surprise when we first watched it at the cinema. It’s shocking. Horrifying. Depressing. Upsetting. Altogether exhilarating. Being of a fashion background, Tom Ford directs the hell out of this movie, with gorgeous shots and great use of colour as well as managing to masterfully create tension and suspense when necessary. Honestly, I know Tom Ford is probably busy at a department store somewhere, but the guy needs to make another movie. The man has a talent.

LA LA LAND - “Here’s to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem. Here’s to the hearts that ache; here’s to the mess we make.” Oh, La La Land. Damien Chazelle’s follow-up to the also excellent Whiplash. People who know me well know how much I love this movie. An old-school tour-de-force musical that’s a love letter to jazz and the golden age of Hollywood. The city of stars never looked so good. Featuring catchy original songs, excellent dance choreography (the sequence to the song “Lovely Night” is especially memorable) and a romance tale ten times better than the forsaken The Notebook, La La Land is one special movie. I know many are put off by the film’s not so happy ending, however for me it was the only way this narrative could have ended. 

2017:

BLADE RUNNER 2049 - “We’re all just looking out for something real.” Similarly to Nolan, Denis Villeneuve is proving to be one of the most exciting directors working today. He’s the man behind such films as *deep breath* Prisoners, Enemy, Sicario, Arrival and Blade Runner 2049. And those have all been done within the last decade. The man constantly makes quality movies of various genres, though lately, he has been leaning more towards science fiction, which is a-okay in my books, since as Blade Runner 2049 proves, he can turn science into fiction like butter on bread. A sequel made 30 years after Ridley Scott’s classic, this visually breathtaking piece is arguably even better than its predecessor with many moments giving you the “wow wow wow wow wow WOW!” factor, and when Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford are both on-screen they are dynamite. Forget the new Star Wars film (that’s right, I'm throwing shade there), Blade Runner is where it’s at!

PHANTOM THREAD - “The tea is going out. The interruption is staying right here with me.” The supposed last Daniel Day-Lewis film, as he has now apparently retired from acting, but let’s be honest, nothing stops him from simply unretiring at any point. Exhibit A - Joe Pesci. However, like Pesci, if he comes back I’ll only be happy. He’s one of acting greats of our time, and his collaborations will director Paul Thomas Anderson bring out some of his best roles. Phantom Thread is a marvel of a movie. No, I don’t mean that’s its part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I mean as in it can fill one with wonder and astonishment. Phantom Thread is PTA’s Gothic dark fairy-tale romance film, which expertly planned shots and scenes where every word of the dialogue counts. There is no wasted moment. And as the film transpires to its dark and unsettling climax, one begins to realize that this, THIS, is what filmmaking is about. Telling an engrossing story in an interesting way with crisp-clear shots and off-the-chart acting at play, with great costume design on display, although the latter is unsurprising due to a major aspect of the movie revolving around fashion.

2018:

MANDY -  “You ripped ma shirt!! You ripped maaa shiirrt!!” An acquired taste for sure, however, Mandy is indeed something truly special. From first glance, this film might seem like nothing out of the ordinary, especially from the point of view of the plot. Its the usual revenge flick. However director Panos Cosmatos’ vision and how he presents it is so much more unique. And what’s not love in this film? There’s something for everyone! It’s artsy and slow enough for the critics, hip and metal for the nonchalant, gory and violent for the hardcore genre fanatics and of course the Nic-Cage-rage factor is present for the fans of the actor. Alright, it may not be a family film, but this one is worth a watch. The whole thing is bound together by this psychedelic otherworldly environment, with the whole movie conceived in this dark, unsettlingly beautiful yet horror-filled aura that might stray people away, as it might be just too different for them, however, if you are looking for something different to watch, take mandy. I mean, watch Mandy!

A STAR IS BORN - “Music is essentially 12 notes between any octave. Twelve notes and the octave repeats. It’s the same story told over and over. All the artist can offer the world is how they see those 12 notes.” The film that began all the rumours surrounding Bradley Cooper’s and Lady Gaga’s affair. People, heads up, they are actors! They were putting on a performance! Jeez. That being said, I totally ship them. Nuff’ said. The film though? Yes, it’s good. Some country-style music, romance blooming, Gaga can apparently act, people sing about shallows for some reason...all together works for a pretty decent motion picture. Also, the fact that Bradley Cooper wrote, directed, produced and starred in this gives me so much respect for the guy. He poured his heart and soul into this. And Lady Gaga absolutely shines!

2019:

PAIN & GLORY -  “Writing is like drawing but with letters.” Director Pedro Almodovar semi-autobiographical film takes a close look at how one deals with acceptance, being forgotten, symptoms of depression and generally all fairly negative attributes, but delivered in such an honest and profound way that there is a strange lightness that emerges from it all. Antonio Banderas is uncannily vulnerable in the lead role, delivering such an earnest performance that shows a man that is filled with melancholic regret who seeks his own form of redemption. This movie is a thing of beauty.

PARASITE - “You know what kind of plan never fails? No plan at all. If you make a plan, life never works out that way.” Parasite is easily the most original and surprising films of 2019, and possibly the decade, managing to subvert expectations and blend together so many different genres so naturally. To spoil any narrative element of this movie would be a sin, like this one in particular works best when not knowing anything about it. This movie comes to us from Bong Joon-Ho, a South Korean director behind such films as The Host, Memories of Murder, Okja, and Snowpiercer. It’s nice to see the awards ceremonies giving him the proper recognition finally. He deserves it.

That sums up my Top 20 Best Movies of the Decade list. Of course, there are so many other great films that came out in these 10 years, such as Whiplash, When Marnie Was There, Paterson, Silence, Kubo and the Two Strings, The Nice Guys...I can go on forever. Cinema is a constant ever-growing medium, and it is fascinating to see how it changes through the years, in some ways improving and in some parts not so much. In any case, I look forward towards a new decade of, hopefully, great movies, however, let’s be honest, for all these great films there’s always a Norm of the North, a Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse or frickin’ Cats. But let’s hope those will be kept to a minimum. In any case, bring on the 2020s!

[padfootagain]

Girl Crush (V)

Chapter 5: A Touch Of Hibiscus

 Here we go again!! New chapter! Cuteness, cuteness, so much cuteness I am melting myself, this is disgustingly sweet!! But then, you're reading the Queen of Fluff, so you should have known better ;)

I hope you like this new chapter! Please, tell me what you think about it!

Word Count: 3648

Jamaica.

Of all the places in the word, Harry had decided to go to Jamaica to write his new album.

It meant that once again, he was away, and you still missed having your best friend around.

Best friend. It sounded strange to some extent, the title was newly found, but it was true though. You knew everything about him, he knew everything about you. And it felt so nice to trust someone so completely, it felt new too. It was comforting, to have someone like Harry by your side, even if he was thousandth of miles away most of the time.

But him working in Jamaica had a few good sides too. Namely, the fact that by sleeping in the house where he was staying, you could plan a trip to Jamaica, where you would have probably never travelled to if it wasn't for him.

Harry was ecstatic at the idea of seeing you. He went to pick you up at the airport, and gave you the biggest hug you had ever received.

You spent some time with his band, with his 'dream team' as you liked to call them. It was all a lot of fun, and for the five days you stayed there, you had the time of your life.

You barely slept, there was no time to lose for that. Between parties, and watching rom coms with Harry, lazily lie down in the sun on the beach, swimming across coral reefs and surfing, there wasn't enough time to spend resting.

But the best part of these vacations, you found out, wasn't even the scenery or the amazing activities you had been sporting for the past few days. It was the fact that you were doing all these with Harry. You had missed spending so much time with him, and it was never more obvious than now that you had him by your side again.

You found everything more endearing because he was there. Your cheeks hurt because of how much you were smiling. It seemed that a laugh was always there, like a tingling in your belly, ready to pass your lips to bloom.

You loved getting tipsy with Harry, until he was drunk enough to be all sleepy and cuddly when he would rest his head upon your shoulder and close his eyes.

You loved watching TV with him, in your pyjamas and under warm blankets while eating your favourite cookies – that Harry had all the time, you noticed, and couldn't help but figure that he had bought them for you and made a point to replenish his stock after every quiet evening you spent together eating them.

You loved lying on the warm sand by his side, talking for hours or simply lying in silence, listening to the waves.

Swimming across coral reefs had always been a dream of yours, and you had to admit that doing it with Harry had made it all only better, because you were watching all these colours, all this life, with him.

And you loved the way he tried to push you off your board as you surfed together, and how you floated together in the ocean waiting for a wave.

Maybe you enjoyed it a little too much. These days the thought kept on crossing your mind. Sometimes you wondered if you were crossing a line.

Harry was your best friend, but the line between friendship and romance was less clear than you had thought.

Sometimes your heart beat a little too fast, you laughed too hard, you missed him too much, you dreamt about him too often. You couldn't really face whatever it was that you were feeling though.

Several reasons kept you from facing the truth: because Harry was just getting back to his feet after his break-up. Because your lives were so different and often happening with so much distance between them. Because you were terrified at the idea of feeling this way for your best friend. Because you didn't think that he would ever see you that way.

Even now, as you listened to Mitch and Jeff singing to Nirvana with Harry making margaritas, you pushed the thought away. It was karaoke night in the mansion Harry and his friends had rented, and you were having quite a laugh so far. Mainly because you had dodged the performing part till then.

It was nothing, you had just missed your best friend too much, that was all. You were reading too much into your own feelings, right?

The music waned, and all of you cheered for the singers, while Harry was bringing the drinks.

He was a little tipsy already, which only made him smile more. His hair was starting to grow a little more from his work for Christopher Nolan, and he was sporting a Hawaiian shirt and some large shorts. You loved this relaxed, casual style on him. He looked happy.

"Thank God I'm the singer around here, Jeffrey!" Harry laughed at his friend, who answered by making a face, but laughed anyway.

"Well, if you're so bloody good, then it's your turn!" his manager replied, accepting one of Harry's drinks.

"Sure! But only if Y/N joins me."

"Oh no, no, no, no!" you shook your head. "I pass on that one, karaoke is not for me."

"What?! Who doesn't like Karaoke?!" Harry asked back, stunned and a frowning mess.

"I don't dislike Karaoke," you defended yourself. "But as Jeff here pointed out, you're a bloody professional at this! And I can't sing!"

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Don't be so bloody dramatic! We're just having a laugh. Don't worry about it. We're just having some fun. Come on, sing with me."

He grabbed your hand and pulled you out of the sofa.

"Please," he pouted, and you hated him for it. How on Earth could you say no to him when he was pouting like that? "You can choose the song, I'll sing whatever you like!"

"I hate you."

"We both know that ain't true though, darling."

You huffed in response, trying to ignore the fact that he had just called you darling, in that terribly adorable accent of his, and stood behind the mic despite your sudden discomfort.

"What's your favourite song?" Harry asked. "We'll sing your favourite song."

"Girl Crush."

"What?"

"Girl Crush. My favourite song is Girl Crush."

"It's country, I think. Or something like that," Mitch indicated, and Harry seemed to remember then.

"It's a slow song, right?" he seemed to think hard, taking a sip at his cocktail.

"Yeah. But it's still my favourite song… At the moment, at least. Not good enough for a karaoke with you?"

He rolled his eyes.

"I told you we'd sing your favourite song, and we will!"

He looked for the song through the karaoke machine, and was all proud of himself when the first strings of guitar echoed through the room and the lyrics appeared on the screen.

And you realized then that you had never really heard him sing.

You had joked around imitating silly voices in his car before. You had heard him sing on his records. But you had never actually heard him sing seriously before.

And your poor little heart was not ready to take it.

You merely stared at him, with a dreamy smile on your face.

It was soft and reassuring, his voice like a balm you could place on your heart to heal all the cracks it had suffered from. And for the first verses, you even forgot that you were supposed to sing with him, or that it was a karaoke for the matter. You were aware only of Harry singing a song you loved, the rest of the room, of the world even, had vanished. You were grinning like an idiot, and you didn't even notice.

It was only when Harry turned to you with a questioning look on his face that you tore yourself out of your reverie, and realized that you were supposed to be singing too, so you joined him for the chorus.

I want to taste her lips

Yeah, 'cause they taste like you

I want to drown myself

In a bottle of her perfume

You had been a terrible liar and he would tease you for it. Your voice was lovely. Perhaps not as powerful as his, but it made him smile and he didn't really know why. Your eyes locked and you both giggled over the next verse, but none of you really cared.

I want her long blonde hair

I want her magic touch

Yeah, 'cause maybe then

You'd want me just as much

You were surprised when Harry dropped the microphone in his hand to reach for you instead, and you could only giggle when he made you twirl.

I don't get no sleep

I don't get no peace

You abandoned your mic as well, both of you laughing and grinning and missing some of the lyrics as you weren't looking at the screen anymore, but none of you cared. The rest of your friends were clapping to the rhythm and laughing too, singing along at some bits, but you didn't notice any of it. You were staring at Harry's eyes instead, and he was smiling so brightly because of you, his cheeks were almost sore.

Thinking about her

Under your bed sheets

The way that she's whispering

The way that she's pulling you in

You danced together across the room, and if Harry left a respectful distance between your two bodies, it didn't mean that you weren't inches from each other, with one of his arms on your back and spinning across the living room hand in hand. When he made you twirl again, he caught you perfectly, and your hand naturally found back its rightful place on his shoulder, as if it was meant to rest there.

As you stared into Harry's green gaze you knew that Girl Crush would always remain your favourite song from now on, you had no doubt about that.

Lord knows I've tried,

I can't get her off my mind

He made a dramatic face that made you double with laughter and miss the beginning of the chorus, and you shook your head at him in the most adorable way. He was such a goofball…

You quenched the butterflies in your stomach and forced your racing heart to slow down.

It didn't mean a thing, it was just… your best friend, standing in front of you and being silly to make you laugh, and dancing with you…

I want to taste her lips

Yeah, 'cause they taste like you

It was just Harry, just your best friend holding you and making you dance across the room, and singing so lovingly whenever his eyes met yours, as if then he meant to really speak the words to you…

I want to drown myself

In a bottle of her perfume

… But then he was a singer, he was good at that, right? He was even an actor now. It was just part of performing, the professional singer transpiring through your friend. It didn't mean a thing…

I want her long blonde hair

I want her magic touch

…It would never mean a thing and you'd better get that in your silly head as soon as possible, if you didn't want to make the same mistake as Icarus. It was never good to fly too close to a sun. You always ended up falling before you could even reach it.

It didn't mean a thing. It was just your best friend.

Yeah, 'cause maybe then

You'd want me just as much

Just your best friend…

The stars were bright above the ocean, a sea of shimmering glows trapped across a velvety canvas. There was a soft breeze blowing, making ripples on the calm waves, and clearing your head from Harry's margaritas.

You shivered, rubbing your naked arms but had no intentions in going back in just yet.

One song had turned into five songs and by now your throat was sore, you had no regret though. By the end of the evening, everybody was screaming at the same songs, at one point Harry had found himself jumping on the couch while Jeffrey and Mitch were laughing too much to breathe and you tried to make Harry fall on the cushions… you smiled at the memory, it encapsulated the spirit of the whole evening quite well.

You were startled at the feeling of soft fabric on your arms and shoulders, but relaxed as soon as you recognized Harry's scent captured in the jacket he was placing on your shivering frame.

"You alright?" Harry asked, joining you on the large balcony, leaning against the bannister by your side.

"Sure. Just needed a bit of fresh air."

"Well, I could see you shaking from the living room, I do think the air is fresh enough for you."

You playfully nudged his arm, laughing. Silence settled between the two of you, and for a while you thought that this moment was going to be one of the quiet ones, the ones where seconds and minutes flew by and you didn't say anything to each other, simply enjoying whatever was around you and being together to witness it. But Harry tore the cloth silence had wrapped around the two of you with a question he didn't want to ask, and that you dreaded as well.

"When is your flight tomorrow?"

Your hands tightened around your own skin.

"4 pm."

He nodded, taking a deep breath before speaking again.

"Thank you for coming this week. It was great. I needed a break from spending my days and nights in the studio."

"Thank you for inviting me here. It was amazing."

"We've barely spoken about your work…"

"It's fine. I don't want to talk about it, to be honest. Tonight is… it's nice."

"Yeah… uhm… it is nice."

"We haven't talked about your break-up either."

He shrugged.

"I'm feeling better. Thinking less about her. Missing her less."

"But?"

He was about to fight back with a 'there's no but', and he would have with anyone else. With you, however, he knew it was useless to pretend that everything was fine. You had a special talent to read through him as if he were an open book displayed for the sole purpose of revealing all its deepest secrets to your eyes.

He had quit fighting a long time ago.

"I'm… not so confident about everything else," he let out in an unsteady whisper, the words mumbled more than spoken.

"What do you mean? About the album?"

He nodded.

"Maybe I can't do it on my own."

"Don't say that. That's not true."

He shrugged.

"We haven't written anything good in two weeks."

"Well, I've been wasting all your time for a week, so that's not as bad as it sounds."

He rolled his eyes, but a smile was tugging at his lips again.

"I miss the boys," he admitted, resting his forearms on the metal of the bannister, his body half-turned towards you and towards the dark ocean ahead. "I miss having them around. I miss having more people to help me write. I miss the whole craziness of it. I miss… I miss asking for help. And I guess… Before that I could always push a part of the blame on a 'collegial decision' if things went ill. I can't do that anymore. Because I'm the one taking all the wrong decisions, and I write all the songs, and if something is shit, it's because I made something shitty. I… craved for it. I craved for finding my own voice, and for writing on my own, and for not having my entire life decided as a vote. But I lack the backbone to do it, I think. I lack the… the training for it. Ever since I was 16, when I moved out of my mom's place, every decision I've made was taken as part of a group, and I've found out… I'm not sure I know how to take decisions on my own now."

He fell silent, and you weren't sure if it was because his voice had broken our because he had said all he meant to say.

And at first you didn't know what to say. How were you supposed to comfort him now? He seemed fragile, lost, aching, and all you wanted to do was wrap your arms around him and tell him that things would be alright.

So, you did just that.

He didn't seem to be expected the gesture either, but he reciprocated the hug as soon as your arms closed around him.

"It's gonna be okay, Harry," you breathed your words of reassurance in his ear, voice so soothing and soft that it made him close his eyes at the sound. "You're gonna be okay. Everything is gonna be okay."

He buried his face in your hair, breathing the scent of your shampoo until his senses were numb.

"You're so talented, Harry," you went on. "It's scary to be on your own, I get that. But you're going to make an amazing album. As long as you make the music that you want to hear, the music that feels right for you to sing, then you're gonna be alright. And you're not alone, you have a team with you. You have friends and a family who support you. You have me."

He tightened his hold on you then, and you were almost certain that he was crying.

"Maybe it's scary, but perhaps it's a good kind of scary too. And that feeling you had of not taking the decisions, or to have more responsibilities… I reckon that everyone goes through that at one point. It's part of growing up. It doesn't mean that you have to face everything on your own though. It only means that you get to do what you want to do, instead of what everyone else wants to do. That doesn't sound so bad, does it?"

He shook his head, but didn't answer.

"As long as you make the music that you feel proud of, and that you feel passionate about… as long as you make music that you love, then no one can say that you're making bad music. If you put out there something that comes earnestly from the bottom of your heart, then you're going to make some great songs. And no one can tell you otherwise. Okay? It's your first album on your own, it's gonna be tough, because it's the first page of a new chapter. But a new chapter just means that it's new, not that you ought to compare it to the rest of the book. And you have plenty of chapters left to write about music, so don't give up on it now, okay? You've come so far already. Music is what you love the most, and you're so good at it, it'll be just fine. Okay?"

He let out a long sigh, and his body grew numb as you ran your hand through his hair to soothe him. He hadn't felt so peaceful in weeks. Was it because of your words or just because you were holding him like this? You seemed to be shielding him from the entire world, and he felt safer in your arms than in any place he had visited. He reckoned that besides his mother's embrace, he had never felt so thoroughly himself anywhere but in your arms. He felt like he belonged right there, engulfed in you, pressed to your chest, his forehead seemed to fit so perfectly in the crook of your neck… It felt like… what was the word he was looking for? It was hard to describe the feeling, it was like…

Home.

"Are you feeling better, little spoon?" you asked, humour back in your voice, and Harry chuckled, but didn't move away from you yet.

"Yeah, a little better. Sorry, was just…"

"Overwhelmed a little?"

"Yeah. Too much stress."

You pulled away just enough to hold his face in your hands.

"You're not alone, Harry. Okay? You're not alone, and you'll never be. I can't help you writing songs, but I'll always be here for you."

"Promise?"

"Promise." You nodded, giving him the softest of smiles.

"You know, I've been so unproductive in writing these past few weeks, you could help!"

You laughed, drying his cheeks with your thumbs.

"You've just heard me sing, you can assess the damage I would make if I helped!"

"Don't say that," he frowned. "Your voice is lovely."

"It isn't."

"It is! Since when do I lie to you?"

You merely chuckled in response, and took a step back, but Harry stopped you before you could walk back inside the house.

"Thank you. For coming here, for being here for me, for… everything, really. Thank you, Y/N. I don't think that I could do this without you. It's… it feels like you… always pull me back on tracks, like you… you always bring me home."

You weren't sure what to answer to such a statement, so you merely smiled instead, hoping that words weren't necessary this time. You were right, he offered you back a smile, and seemed to understand what you couldn't say.

You disappeared inside the house again, but Harry stayed there for a little longer. There were words stuck in his hed he couldn't shake off, he could almost hear them being sang…

It was 3 am when you were woken up by the sound of guitar echoing through the hallway, coming from Harry's bedroom.

You couldn't decipher the words he was humming thanks to you though, only the whisper of the slow craft of a tune being born on metal cords.

Sweet creature, sweet creature,

Wherever I go

You bring me home.

******************************

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[angerissue]

Anonymous asked… What is your take on Bruce Banner's love interest? Whether we’re mutuals or not, feel free to ask me about Bruce!

Oh, this is a good question, and something I haven’t discussed in months. Thanks for asking it!

This version of Bruce is hopelessly in love with Betty Ross. He’ll always love her, even if they’re miles apart, and both of them have moved on and dismissed the hopes of seeing each other again. Even if Bruce were to meet someone else, his feelings for her would remain in perpetuity.

I’ve written some headcanons with someone (she's no longer on tumblr, sadly) where Bruce and Betty met in a library during their university years, and the whole dynamic was very much a friends-to-romance one. Their earlier interactions were essentially the "study buddies" kind, and I imagine it was the combination of their shared work and interests, and the comfortability in talking about that stuff, that snowballed into other conversations and ultimately, a romantic relationship. And it continued up until Bruce's accident.

This pairing has always been very special to me because, unlike the others, Betty was the first person to see a far more vulnerable side of Bruce. Bruce has always been an extremely closed-off and reticent person; he hates revealing too much about himself because he feels this information could be abused somehow; that somebody would take issue with what he was telling them, just like how Brian would react vehemently whenever he watched educational children’s television shows, or played with certain toys. Betty was the first person that Bruce felt comfortable enough to open up to, in multiple manners. Not only would he discuss Brian with her (granted, sometimes he didn’t say much, but even dropping a few tiny mentions of Brian was huge for him), but he also felt like he could simply be himself around her. He didn’t need to keep his guard up around Betty like he did around other people. He was still sky, awkward, and nerdy around Betty, but he could voice his opinions more confidently in her presence. And the adaptation I've been writing with; she’s a slightly more modern version of the character — soft and gentle, but she has a temper of her own and a tangible boldness in certain situations, and it can be a subtle juxtaposition to Bruce’s own personality at times. It’s quite lovely.  

There are other aspects of the relationship, here and there, that I also love. In "The Incredible Hulk" (2008), Betty could swear that she saw some aspect of Bruce in the Hulk, and Bruce refused to accept such a possibility at first, because he believed the Hulk was a sentient and autonomous being — a belief that had grown over the years, predominantly because of his immense guilt and an unconscious desire to reduce his sense of culpability. If the Hulk somehow wasn’t him, its destructive actions were no longer entirely his fault. But after the Chitauri invasion, at which point he was able to remember his actions as the Hulk, and self-assess his behaviour in that state, Bruce realized she was correct about everything. If it wasn’t for Betty and the statement she made, he may not have fully accepted the Hulk as a part of himself — as himself, and he would’ve been stuck in denial for years. Lots of his development can be attributed to Betty, even if they aren’t in touch anymore.

Not only this, but Bruce met Betty during a time where he hadn’t experienced all his hardships with Ross. He was nowhere near as world-weary, and while he didn’t trust people much back then, either, it was better than his tendencies nowadays. In that sense, Betty is one of his last few connections to the past, and a time when he was more hopeful and innocent.

But while Bruce can control his condition now, he hasn’t reconnected with Betty. She's been in the dark ever since the Harlem incident, save for glimpses of him on the news here and there.

Bruce does want to see Betty again. He would love to see her. But he’s made some personal discoveries related to his condition that convinced him he’s not a good fit for her, or anyone in general. He doesn’t see himself as completely human anymore, which has become even more of a tangible sentiment ever since his transformations became a typical and even daily occurrence. As a result, there are some philosophical quandaries that prevent him from resuming a romantic relationship with her, or with anyone else. Given his current development trajectory, he would be the Hulk almost constantly in later verses. It’s not an ideal scenario to create a potential relationship from — especially with Betty, because he’s unable to meet some of her needs when he's the Hulk. Additionally, he cannot guarantee Betty’s safety with Ross still around, because he doesn’t know if Ross is still looking for a way to capture him. He suspects there were times in the past when Ross backed off temporarily, like after the Chitauri invasion, because capturing the Hulk at that time would have caused a huge public outcry, but nowadays, he’s unsure where Ross’ intentions lie. He's unwilling to take the risk.

All this being said, Bruce doesn’t expect Betty to remain loyal to him, or vice versa, because he understands the necessity of moving on and not dwelling on the past. It would be melancholic if Bruce discovered that Betty had met someone new, yes (this was certainly the case with Leonard Samson), but ultimately, he would be happy for her, and he’d tell himself that his own feelings don’t matter if it means she’s content and safe. Of course, there is always the possibility that Banner could reach out with letters, or another kind of communication channel. And it's possible that if Ross was gone and the world was more settled, he would meet her in-person, even if he didn't intend to restart a romantic relationship. At that point, there’s nothing stopping them from sharing their work and collaborating professionally, too. This kind of interaction could eventually become the norm. But I don’t really see their relationship shifting to a romantic one again.

So I suppose in the end, I don’t see their relationship as having a cliché happy ending, in the sense that they end up together, are happily married, and are living in their own little cottage somewhere. I see it as a mature progression from young love, to a failed effort to make things work in a terrible situation, and then an acceptance of knowing, while their situation has improved, it’s still not going to work out. And they both have the courage to run with things and make the best of it. Betty would be understanding of Bruce’s situation, as she’s always been, and in concurrence, Bruce would be happy as well, because he knows Betty can have a romantic relationship with someone who completely presents as human. They can still work together too, which is a callback to how their relationship first began in the library. And it continues to build on all the trust and confidence they initially showed each other, and continued to show each other, over the years.

So it’s very bittersweet.

I’m also going to mention the pairing of Bruce and Natasha, because I need to assert that I do enjoy this ship! As a matter of fact, it’s something I’ve enjoyed for years and years. I was one of the wierdos who was shipping them soon after the release of The Avengers, earlier than most to the point where the tag was completely blank. I guess for me, there was something unique about their dynamic in The Avengers that stood out from Bruce’s other interactions. Natasha was ordered to approach the doctor in Kolkata, and at that point, she had seen the Hulk's capabilities in-person during her involvement in the Culver University incident. Her distrust of Bruce and his alter ego was justified, especially given her personal experiences with everything, and while it may (or may not) have lessened over the course of the film, Natasha clearly came to respect Bruce at the very least, and she understood the benefits of not only putting his intellect to good use, but the Hulk itself. During the final battle, Bruce had come on his own volition and was fully prepared to transform, but she still made the active effort to tell him the Hulk was valuable. Given her past experiences with the Hulk, this meant a lot coming from her. And it's clear this wasn't just a "tactical" choice on her part; if she didn't say anything, the outcome wouldn't have been any different. This was a nice way to end the film and create a foundation for their future development between them. If their relationship continued to open up, I could certainly see them developing feelings for each other.

But the next film... Eugh. I was gravely disappointed by the sudden schoolgirl-crush syndrome that Natasha was demonstrating, which was unrealistic in itself (I'll explain my reasoning in a bit), and the total handwaving of everything that led up to it, which ultimately did nothing but break Natasha’s character and make it difficult for most of the audience to accept what was happening. Because... What initially made Natasha go from having a reluctant admiration for him, to downright falling for him? We did not see the process, or the catalysts. They had jumped from Point A to Point Y, and we saw nothing of the points in between. So the whole thing immediately fell apart for me.

A common argument I see in defense of Natasha’s behaviour is, simply put, she’s in love, so it’s natural for her to act a little kooky. However, love doesn’t have the effect of completely negating deeply-ingrained character aspects, especially fundamental traits. And Natasha has many traits that are the complete antithesis of how she was behaving in that movie. It’s the same as seeing Christopher Nolan's Bruce Wayne, a normally close-mouthed and subtle character, gushing, nudging up to, and grinning like a little boy around Rachel Dawes. It doesn’t make sense... So why is it suddenly acceptable for Natasha?

In that sense, I could also presume that Natasha’s behaviour was Joss Whedon’s misogynistic projection of how he, himself, believes a woman in love should behave. There’s a real possibility, given how Natasha was characterized in earlier MCU films, versus how she was acting in this movie, that Whedon threw out her characterization in favour of playing out a fantasy; a stereotype. And unluckily for him, that stereotype (as the word itself implies) does not fit all people or characters. So it was noticeable, and not in a good way.

And honestly... I’m disappointed that this disaster has caused so many people to discount the ship as a whole, even though that film was simply one poor adaptation of it. People also tend to dismiss the pairing because they believe Bruce and Natasha are too different. But they both have trust issues. They both have experiences where they’ve been used for other peoples’ goals. Natasha has seen a very vulnerable and intimate side of Bruce that most people never have (that look he gave her before he transformed on the helicarrier, honestly, was completely unlike the self-composure he obsessively tried to convey in all their prior interactions)... And frankly, I'm sick of hearing about the “age gap” between them, because my aunt and uncle were twelve years apart, and they were happily married for decades. Not to mention, Bruce and Natasha have been through countless hardships, and they probably have a lot more common ground than many people with an “age gap”.

So if things were properly written? That would have been phenomenal, I think. The potential was certainly there in the first movie; it’s just a shame those foundations were ignored and not directly built on.

But that’s enough salt from me!

As for this Bruce in particular... I can see him having a relationship with Natasha in the earlier part of his timeline, before the Sokovia incident occurred. There would've been a lot of opportunities for their relationship to develop, especially because Bruce wasn't just working with the Avengers; he joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and was working on the same helicarrier as Natasha for around a year, too. He would've avoided her a lot, but I can easily see Natasha approaching him eventually, or them running into each other and trying to reconcile. Especially once Bruce remembers everything that happened during the helicarrier incident, and how scared Natasha was. He had offered Natasha a brief apology during the Chitauri invasion, but after those memories were dredged up, it would suddenly become insufficient.

But during or after the Sokovia incident, I doubt they would start a relationship with each other. This is simply because Natasha caused Bruce a lot of turmoil around this time, and afterwards. She betrayed his trust during the Sokovia battle by forcing him to transform, which also worsened an issue that Bruce was currently having with his condition. Her support of the Sokovia Accords didn't help either, because Bruce was vehemently against them from the very beginning, having seen Ross’ wish to exploit the Hulk’s abilities, and he feared this would continue on a much greater scale if the Accords were ratified, with hundreds (if not thousands) of identified superhumans now vulnerable. I hesitate to say Bruce will never trust Natasha again, but while he could probably reach a tentative comfortability around her, a romantic relationship might be asking too much. There’s simply too much negative history between them, a lot of which entails broken trust. And once Bruce’s trust in someone is broken, well, it’s monumentally difficult to restore.

[mcat720]

TENET review: warning ⚠️ **SPOILERS AHEAD**

Im going to tell you now, that this movie demands a repeat viewing! There is so much to unpack and so much that I am not fully intellectually equipped enough to be able to analyze as eloquently as someone way smarter than me. I am breaking this down on a purely emotional and entertainment level.. the first time I watched it, I was blown away and pretty confused about my own response because I had no words to describe my first reaction. It was just like “okay, yes.. I know I just watched something no one is ever seen before”... and no outward response more than i knew I liked it but I don’t know what it is. Now that I have seen it again it was actually easier to pick up on the full story the second time around. The first time I felt like we were pushing to get to the climax and figure it all out that I wasn’t really paying attention to the film and just wanted an answer, ANY answer. Watching it again I could appreciate the bigger picture and pick out the little details that were most fascinating now that we knew the end was just part of the beginning. The pre-destined nature of the film and its notions of time and our ability to change anything is on a scale close to none. It’s such a high concept that only a meticulous and unbelievably intelligent filmmaker can pull off without leaving such blaring plot holes or “don’t give a shit attitude” about the mechanics that lesser directors would fall back on just to make a cool looking movie. Christopher Nolan thought of EVERYTHING for this particular story and it’s so obvious because he doesn’t tell you all the answers but you just know that they are there. The world is fleshed out, and dangerous, and unstable but we connect to it for its familiarity even though it keeps its distance in a way. The future that they are hurling towards and it’s destruction of human kinds own making is not so out of our current situation that we cannot conceive of this type of ability of time inversion to be true.

Now I like a good action movie as much as your average guns-a-blazing loving Joe, but what gets me to enjoy a movie beyond that is good characters. John David Washington as “the protagonist” is a mystery but convinces you of his morals and always do the right thing actions. He has been in this life of duty and serving for a long time but has only scratched the surface of his potential. He had a greater destiny and everyone around him seems to know that except him... but only because of the current timeline we follow him in. The way time is played with is so interesting but if you sat here and asked how it exactly works, I really couldn’t tell you. It’s shown that we can go backwards and then forward on your own current progression of time but even with moving back it’s the same amount of time as when you had to move forward in the first place to catch up.. as Neil says to the protagonist, “your head hurt yet?”. We follow our hero on his journey to figure out his part in all this and get swept up in saving a woman and her child from the over the top Russian villain who is somehow communicating with the future to insure its distruction before the worst of endings happens so they don’t have to suffer through their mistakes and it will be as if it never got to that point. Elizabeth Debicki’s Kat is the emotional center for the film and you see her change from meek victim of a domineering husband to a woman who takes control of her own fate. It’s very satisfying to watch her take her freedom back and not apologize for it. Kenneth branaugh as Sator, the most slimy of Bond villains is great at being a very cold and an all around despicable man. He is like one big metaphor for power and delusion. He is willing to kill everyone and everything because, as he puts it “If I can’t have you, no one can”. It’s the kind of alpha male bullshit a sociopath tells himself just to watch the world burn and knows he caused it. The power he has is his most prized possession and when that’s stripped away, he is nothing but a fallible man who is taken down by the “weak” woman he once controlled. The movie itself is very serious in tone and actions, but I gotta say the one bright light for this film was definitely Robert Pattinson’s Neil. Now I know I am biased as HELL when it comes to rob, but I think when you watch the movie everyone will agree he is the one you like the most coming out it. I’ve seen him play dark, brooding, angsty crazy characters and he can play the shit out of those types... but ima tell ya it is a whole other thing when he lays on the charm! Neil is layered and mysterious but boy is he is down to ride for his partner no matter what! He oozes likability and style while swaggering around like a swave James Bond type with a manic undercurrent that keeps you glued to his every movement. His relationship to the protagonist is the most interesting part for me, and their chemistry is just perfect. We come to find out that Neil has know the protagonist the whole time and was actually recruited by him in the future. They have gone on many missions together and have obviously created a tight bond. We don’t get the full answers of this revelation but just the understanding of it makes you so emotional and invested in their relationship that in the last few moments you are both elated at the infrormation and then completely devastated by what you now know of his ultimate fate. His devotion to the protagonist and their mission is the driving force that saves the world. To me, Neil ends up being the hero of this particular story and the protagonist will go on to be the important person he is because of him. The last shot of him realizing what will happen and what Neil has done for them but unable to change any of it with tears in his eyes that don’t fall is crushing, and John David Washington really sells it there for me. The parting words of “see you at the beginning friend” as Rob walks away with a smile is beautiful. That damn red string will haunt me! 😭

The movie is not without flaws and it’s over obsession with the sound mixing can be hard to get around, but I think this is a movie where even as important as the dialogue is, it wants you to feel something rather than explain things to you. It’s heart pounding and fist clenching to the very end. It feels like there is so much more to explore in this world and follow these characters that may or may not be who they seem. It’s brilliant and bold and very very unique. It is worth watching even if you end up hating it. We need more things like this that take a risk and wants to take you for a ride...even if you don’t really know where your going to end up. 👏🏼🎥

[the-working-class-guide-to-films]

Mank

Can you believe it has been six years since David Fincher last released a movie? Gone Girl was a fantastic film, and like most of his films, Fight Club, Se7en, Benjamin Button and one of my all-time favourite films The Social Network, they’ve all been of solid work. You’d think that Mank, about Herman Mankiewicz, the co-writer of Citizen Kane, would also be up there when it comes to Fincher movies. It’s not. It’s 130 minutes of absolute boredom. 

Gary Oldman is Mank, an alcoholic writer currently bed-ridden after being involved in a car crash. Orson Welles visits and wants him to write the story for his next film. He has sixty days. Through a series of flashbacks we see how, (I think) Mank came to the film that is revered as the ‘greatest film of all time’. Just like the character in the film says of Mank’s script; it is too confusing, all the flashbacks don’t make sense. I don’t know if this film was too on the nose, or if it just ended up being too confusing.

It wasn’t all terrible. The production values were spot on. The clothing, the cars, the sets. It all looked straight from the 1930/40′s. It did look gorgeous. The cinematography was fine but from a director like Fincher it’s the least that should be expected, well worked out shots. The script was quite witty, especially the dialogue for Mank who was a decent enough character played well by Oldman. I enjoyed the performances from Amanda Seyfried and Charles Dance. I’ve heard a lot of people praise Seyfried’s role, and yes, it is good, but I started to think that perhaps it is good because the rest of the movie is so dull and she is the one slightly exciting thing about this.

I didn’t go in with any expectation, so I can’t say it is my own fault. I think the cause of the problem is that it doesn’t quite know what it is. It’s not a film about Citizen Kane, but it tries to do that. It isn’t a film about Herman Mankiewicz’s life, although it tries to do that too. It seems to be a mix of the two without hitting either one. You’d probably have to be a big Citizen Kane to understand any of the references which I don’t think is a good way to start a film if it is, or isn’t trying to be THAT film. Two films that go down that route to great effect are Ed Wood, about director Ed Wood and the film Plan 9 From Outer Space; and The Disaster Artist about The Room and Tommy Wiseau. And yes maybe these films are easier to do because they have both been panned as ‘the worst films ever made’, but the films about them have been brilliant, giving us clarity for both the film and the director. Mank didn’t achieve one. Maybe I’ve completely missed the point of what the film set out to be, that’s fair, I’m dumb.

My other issue, and I’ve found it quite commonplace within Hollywood these days, is that nothing actually happens. Nothing exciting at least. It fails my pizza theory (head back to my Roma review in case you need a refresh). It honestly is over two hours of Hollywood appreciating Hollywood, no doubt the Oscar nominations will come flooding in for it. I know SOME people aren’t fans of Christopher Nolan, that’s fair, film is subjective, but at least Nolan (with the exception of Insomnia, a remake of the Norwegian 1997 film) makes original, expansive and exciting films. What other director makes films like him? They’re all different and new. Who has seen a film like Inception before, or like Tenet? Maybe there has been, I haven’t seen every film but you get my point. It’s something different rather than two hours of chatting at a party, chatting in an office or chatting in a field. It’s tedious. It is boring. I say film is subjective, but one person rated Mank higher than Gone Girl AND The Social Network. I wish I could have punched them through the screen. Fuck subjectivity. I am right. 

2/5 Of course, Film Twitter will tell you Mank is one of the best movies ever made, certainly some of the reviews I read beforehand will make you think that. But for the average film fan, or even someone like me who loves film, you will not enjoy this. Yes the production values are high and in places the dialogue is good with ok performances from the cast. That isn’t enough to not make this a dreary watch. 

[popwasabi]

What “The Dark Knight” says about our bad politics

Waaay back in the summer of 2008, me and my dad drove up to Northern California to attend San Jose State University’s freshman orientation.

It was a long drawn out process where first-year students basically were told and shown a bunch of things they would forget and relearn by their first day anyways and culminated with all of us spending one night in the campus dorms so we could all get a taste of the “campus life” experience.

I wanted it to end badly for a couple reasons. Being an introvert, I was not comfortable sharing a room with anyone, let alone a stranger, for a night but more importantly, I was being kept from the biggest movie premiere of the year that day: “The Dark Knight.”

As soon as I woke up the next morning, I rushed my dad to find the nearest theater and purchased tickets immediately for a late-night screening. I was already a huge fan of “Batman Begins” but every trailer to Christopher Nolan’s epic follow-up indicated we were in for an even bigger blockbuster than before and I was beyond pumped.

(Me getting the fuck off campus to watch “The Dark Knight” that day.)

Two and a half hours later I left the theater blown away by the experience. “The Dark Knight” was everything, at the time, I was hoping for in a comic book movie; angsty, dark, edgy (all things I thought I was as a teen), cinematically sharp, thrilling, a fantastic score once again by the legendary Hans Zimmer, and fulfilled just about every fanboy wet dream I had at the time for a perfect Batman movie.

To this day it remains the most satisfying theatrical experience I’ve ever had seeing a movie, not that it’s my favorite movie of all-time anymore, mind you, but that I have never gone into a movie with such high expectations and had them blown away quite like that since.

(Conversely, this^ was my most disappointing experience...)

I’m a different person now, of course. If you were to wipe my memory of the film and had to watch it again today I doubt I would have the same fanboygasm I had then as the cynical 30-year-old I am now but I’ll argue that “The Dark knight” still remains a high mark, if not the standard, for comic book movies today.

That said, parts of this film have definitely not aged well. Visually the film still holds up, the action is still exciting, the performances are all stellar (though Bale’s Batman voice is still bad) but what hasn’t aged well, for me, are the movie’s politics.

“The Dark Knight” is, of course, a post 9/11 movie, in fact, it’s arguably the definitive one as its pop-cultural footprint dwarfs pretty much all within its sub-genre. This Nolan sequel deals heavily in themes of terrorism with its iconic villain The Joker, played maniacally by the late great Heath ledger, wreaking havoc across Gotham with various explosive devices. Though the Clown Prince is more an anarchist than someone with an ideology, like those in Al Qaeda or the Taliban, the results of his beliefs/non-beliefs are more or less the same; cause pandemonium and fear in the masses. Batman, representing the power of justice and order, does battle with this in a war to save Gotham’s soul and again this is still a damn entertaining and thrilling story.

(Seriously, it’s still a rock solid entry in the comic book movie genre.)

But where the film’s 9/11 politics become problematic is toward the end of the film when the Joker begins his final act to plunge Gotham into unstoppable chaos. Batman becomes desperate; The Joker has eluded him at every turn, always two steps ahead of him, escaping justice no matter what Bruce Wayne does so he concocts a plan to finally to locate and stop the Joker for good.

He creates an elaborate sonar system using every cell phone in Gotham, effectively creating a massive surveillance state to spy on its citizens in order to locate the Joker.

(And it’s the only time we have ever got the real Batman eyes on screen, damn it!)

Lucius Fox, played by Morgan Freeman, appropriately calls this out telling him he’s wrong and that he cannot support this but Batman insists that it’s the only way. Fox reluctantly agrees and tells him he’ll resign once this is over as he can’t morally support such a system. The sonar, of course, works and Batman is able to stop the Clown Prince once and for all and upon Fox entering his name into the sonar computer the program dissolves and is deleted presumably for good.

This is of course to wash Batman’s hands of this deed to the audience. Our protagonist knows this is wrong, the audience is told it is wrong but by ending the surveillance he shows he would never abuse such a program, that sometimes good men have to do terrible things to defeat evil and that makes it ok.

For years, as a bleeding heart liberal (at the time) who grew up in the Bush years but loved the hell out of this movie, I tried to reconcile with this part of the story because Batman was the hero. I thought maybe this kind of action is ok because if the “good guy” is in charge bad stuff is fine because he/she won’t abuse such power. That’s real justice, right?

The problem is in the real world, at the top, there really aren’t any good guys and they are counting on you to believe that they are when they get a hold of such power because that’s how we are programmed.

The Patriot Act, which was the signature Bush-era reform post 9/11, created our current surveillance state. In the interest of national security and ensuring those “dern turrists don’t go killing lil’ Timmy riding his tricycle out in Des Moines, Iowa” our elected leaders, both republican and democratic (make no mistake), effectively signed away our constitutional rights to “ensure our safety” by spying on us basically without warrants. The proponents proudly claimed its necessity in fighting the “War on Terrorism” and those naysayers either shouldn’t worry “if you have nothing to hide” or worse were un-American Taliban sympathizers.

For progressives, of course, this was an evil violation of our civil liberties but for many conservatives, this wasn’t a big deal. They are just trying to keep us safe after all. 

But conveniently ignored by many on the left still today is the complicity they had in bringing about this era in warrantless surveillance. Yes, this policy started under Bush, of course, but it continued to be re-upped through the Obama administration and the Trump administration, not to mention revolving majorities in the House and Senate, showing no matter who was in charge they all liked the idea of keeping an eye on all of us with or without reason.

Considering the Patriot Act was made to win the “War on Terrorism” our leaders were never going to relinquish this power anyways because you can’t win a war on terrorism. Terrorism is not a country or a people, it’s an ideology behind many different ideologies. The US, no matter how you see it, be it as liberators or oppressors, will always have enemies and that’s all the reason they need to keep this power it seems.

Having the data on our lives mined like oil can easily be used against us in a variety of ways regardless of if any of us have terroristic or even criminal intentions. But for many in this country, it was only a problem if the wrong guy wielded that power. As soon as their “good guy” got in though, suddenly it was no big deal. I wonder why...

“The Dark Knight” puts forth a problematic view on who can and should wield supreme power, that even terrible choices can be made as long as the “right” person is the one making them.

Liberals are notorious for justifying them when it’s one of them who does it.

It’s a lie. A lie that both parties use to their advantage because they want you believe everything they do can be justified because you happen to be a part of their party; the “good guys” once again. But there is something extra cynical about the way liberals wield it as they parade themselves around as paragons and moral pillars against the Jokers of the Republican party.

For all the platitudes liberals give, that would make some superhero speeches seem benign, they wear masks about as well as the vigilantes do but not for the same reasons. When confronted by this blatant hypocrisy, liberal voters justify all kinds of horrible things as long as the other “bad guy” isn’t the one doing it. For all the shit Bush gets, and rightfully so, for plunging us into a military, financial, and humanitarian quagmire in the Middle East, Obama gets almost zero real pushback by liberals for effectively drone bombing the hell out of the same people. During these past three years Trump has more or less allowed ICE to run rampant on immigrant communities sure and liberals have been critical, again as they should, but who made the cages they were thrown into and who deported more of them during his first three years in office than Trump did?

(And once again, and I can’t emphasize this enough, Andrew Cuomo is NOT your fucking friend...)

Liberals often like to present themselves as the moral purveyors of good in the face of conservative opposition and they use it to their advantage to more or less do many of the same foul things those with R’s next to their name do. Sure, not all their actions are equally as evil but even then, we rarely truly hold either of our leaders feet to the fire because we believe their actions are somehow better because they have a “D” next to their name.

These horrific policies and actions will never see justice as long as we keep justifying them because the “right” person is behind them.

No, this is not an all sides are equally bad take. That discussion requires more nuance and for a different time, but I will say both sides are varying degrees of bad that should be taken seriously instead of not at all and can’t be pushed aside again and again and again because “the other guys are worse.” 

We are running into the same situation today as our presidential election features a credibly accused rapist, sexual predator, who supports Bush-era tax cuts, who takes money from major corporate lobbyists, who is against Medicare for All, has open disdain for millenials, and not only supports but openly bragged about the aforementioned The Patriot Act.

Hmmm, sounds an awful lot like someone we know, huh?

You could argue that one of these two men mitigates, or even vastly mitigates, harm if in office and I’m not here to necessarily scold you for making what you feel is morally the least awful choice but the point still remains; we are justifying evil again because our “good guy” is in charge.

Being liberal, just on its own, does not vastly minimize the problematic nature of a bad person.

Regardless of how you feel about this election and what choice you plan to make this November (and again, I’m not here to tell you what to do), bad things and bad policies will be continued to be enacted by bad people because that’s what choices we’ve been given. There isn’t a good one and the most vulnerable will be hurt the most by it regardless of who wins. There is a reason so many are disillusioned with voting and it’s not just voter suppression laws.

I can already hear some of you screaming “OH MER GERD pURiTy TeStS,” but this is far more cynical a standard we have than simply choosing a less than perfect candidate. Many are already making rather tone-deaf comments about people being “privileged” for choosing not to compromise their morals anymore. What’s “privileged” is voting for the guy who will do less harm for you but ultimately still disproportionately harm more people of color no matter who is in office.  

(The country and the world can really begin to truly heal when a Democrat is in charge of one of these Freedom Machines once again!)

Yes, I might agree that one is probably a net positive for the world at this point but to act like someone choosing to not participate anymore in what is effectively a never-ending cycle I can’t say I blame them either. At some point, our society has to draw a real line in the sand on these things with our leaders and force a more moral standard for our government instead of the status quo.

We can’t go on this endless “pragmatic” path picking “the lesser of two evils” until we gradually just become evil. You can make the argument that maybe the time isn’t now, and you might be right but when? These folks at the top are COUNTING on us accepting circumstances and justifying terrible beliefs and actions over and over again because of the state of our politics.

“The Dark Knight” believes that sometimes bad things must be done to defeat evil but the real world can be so much less cynical if we stopped compromising on our beliefs. It’s not entirely too late for us to do the right thing. We can’t go on forever letting bad behavior go because the “good guy” will be the one doing it instead of the other one.

Taking money from corrupt billionaires is wrong. Extra-judicially drone bombing the Middle East endlessly is wrong. Throwing migrants in cages like fucking animals is wrong. Rape and sexual assault are wrong. Mass warrantless surveillance is wrong. Doesn’t matter if its Batman or fucking Superman doing any of these things; immoral behavior cannot and should not be ever justified.

Otherwise, we really will live long enough to see ourselves become the villain...

Looking forward to the comments on this one...

[weekendwarriorblog]

TENET Technical Review

So, guess what? You’re getting ANOTHER review of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, how’s them apples? As it states in the title, this is more about the technical aspects of the movie: cinematography, sound, production design and things like that, and if you’re interested in that stuff, you should definitely be checking out what I’m doing over on the other site that I’ve mentioned a few times... 

If you’ve read my other review, then you also already know that John David Washington plays “The Protagonist,” an agent of an enigmatic secret organization sent on intricate and complex heist-like missions, his latest one to discover the source of a mysterious radioactive metal that can travel backwards through time. His regular colleague Neil (Robert Pattinson) seems to have his own agenda as their prime target is a ruthless arms dealer (Kenneth Branagh) whose beautiful wife Katherine (Elizabeth Debicki) may be the best way to find out what he knows.

Since this really began as a review specifically about the amazing crafts people that Nolan seems to be able to pull together for his movies, I do want to begin by drawing attention to the work of DP Hoyt van Hoytema, who was nominated for an Oscar for Dunkirk, but also the work by Jennifer Lame (Midsommar), who makes her Nolan-editing debut with Tenet. None of the action sequences and few of the slower exposition scenes, of which there are many, would have worked without what these two amazing creatives bring to the table. That doesn’t mean that either is perfect, and my biggest issue with the overall look of the film is that it feels rather cold and grey and lacking the emotional content that many have seen and loved in films like Inception andThe Dark Knight.

But Nolan’s movies are just as much about the stunts and visual effects that make his films so amazing to watch, often showing us stuff we’ve never seen before and maybe won’t see again. There are certainly some decent close-quarter fight scenes and amazing set pieces – particularly the massive quarry battle sequences that makes up the finale – but there’s also something that feels kinda hoaky about them, especially the visual FX, since so much of them is trying to make the best of use of the “backwards” premise at Tenet’s core. Because of that, the movie will stand or fall based on whether or not you buy that premise, because all of Nolan’s crew are trying their best to fulfill his vision, and honestly, it’s not his best concept to date, especially when compared to Memento and Inception especially.  I mean, just the fact that the visual FX were masterminded by Mad Max: Fury Road’s Oscar-nominated Andrew Jackson makes it rather disappointing that there just isn’t the “wow” factor that we’ve come to expect from Nolan’s films.

The biggest problem, though, is the sound, and I never thought I’d say this because I’ve never had the issues that others have had with Nolan’s sound mixes, but yeah, the sound has issues. Sure, there’s the loud and bombastic score and sound effects that will shake up any theater in which the movie plays, but then there’s the important scenes where the characters are explaining what is going on, sometimes in heavy Russian accents, and when that dialogue is mixed too low within the music and sound effects, that’s a real problem. It really hurts one’s enjoyment of the movie, because once you’ve lost your wan in terms of what is happening, where the movie is going just doesn’t really matter so much anymore.

The score by Oscar-winning Black Panther composer Ludwig Göransson is generally good and quite powerful, but mostly in the action scenes and the movie’s last act. When it comes to the more emotional scenes involving Catherine and her child, it just doesn’t add very much.

Likewise, Production Designer Nathan Crowley may have won four Oscars working with Nolan on movies like Dunkirk and The Dark Knight, but a science fiction movie set in present day with only a few futuristic elements does not lead to a particularly impressive movie visually, particularly in terms of the costumes by Jeffrey Kurland, another Nolan alum.

Christopher Nolan’s Tenet has quite a few problems, both tonally and the way he approaches storytelling, neither of which have been major issues in most of his movies. There’s  just something that doesn’t work in terms of the emotions, maybe because it’s so difficult to comprehend what’s going and what people are saying, first of all, but anything good about the movie – the performances by Washington and Debicki, for instance – will just get lost in the audience’s frustration with the things that don’t work. Really, it’s just a bigger and louder movie than what we’ve been able to watch at home the last few months, and that might not be enough to warrant a trip to the movie theater… or the movie’s reported $200 million price tag.

[helloandwelcometomariasblog]

Review #57-61

Old Review #57: 500 Days of Summer Written 31/08/18

Directed by Marc Webb Written by Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber

I was really, really surprised. I honestly thought they’d showed us the ending at the very beginning, so even when Summer was getting married, I had the confidence that things would turn out well in the very end. But no. She actually did get married to someone else and they didn’t end up together. I LOVED THAT. It was heartbreaking but I LOVED IT. It’s so unique! So unconventional! Even the very last scene was unconventional, how Autumn declined when he first asked. It was both funny and unexpected. This entire movie was full of unexpected twists and turns and I absolutely loved that.

Now, about how I could relate to the film. I think I could really relate to Summer. Not in terms of attractiveness and all that, but the difficulty she had in commitment and how private she was. And it’s weird but Summer’s right, you can just tell. You know when you fall in love.

All in all, a great movie. I loved the twist in the end. I also loved the message. It made me kind of sad though. The message is true, but it made me a little sad. That there really isn’t something like fate and in the end, even the most painful breakup, even the most compatible relationship, even the most unforgettable person, can be replaced by someone new. Christians tend to believe that God has prepared someone special for them. But that’s probably not true.

Old Review #58: The Dark Knight Review Written 20/07/17

Directed by Christopher Nolan Written by Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan, David S. Goyer, Bob Kane

Just finished The Dark Knight, then had a brief squeal fest over the fact that Netflix had the sequel as well. I’d really wanted to rewatch it. I loved it so much when I first saw it. I still can’t forget that well scene. I personally think it’s one of the best I’ve seen in any Hollywood film.

As for The Dark Knight, amazing, amazing, amazing. THE AMOUNT OF SUSPENSE. Honestly, if anyone wants to learn how to write suspense, they should study this film page by page, beat by beat. I’m just going to jot down the amazing bits in bullet points cause I can’t think straight to write full paragraphs right now. But one thing – the Joker wasn’t as terrifying as I thought he’d be. Harvey Dent’s face was much more terrifying.

The amount of choices. CHOICES. CHOICES!!!!

The choices were always equally DIFFICULT. The balance was astounding. Rachel or Harvey? The wife or the boy? The ship full of civilians or prisoners?

The amount of TWISTS. You honestly never knew what was going to happen. I loved that so much. I absolutely loved the scene where that one prisoners gets up and throws the detonator out the window. He was a better man than the police officer. Those kinds of scenes. Where you think someone will be a certain way, and then they totally surprise you.

The Joker was smart. I loved that. I love a smart villain. When you don’t know what the villain is going to do and how, that’s when it gets amazing.

I also love how Harvey turned into a villain too. I also love how they used the two-face concept. That was great. Terrifying, therefore great.

I LOVE HOW THEY KILLED RACHEL. Look, it was great. It was one of the best things the film did. How many times in a superhero film does the hero save the damsel in distress? ALL THE TIME. It was refreshing seeing that NOT happen for once. It was new and positively shocking to see the death of an important person ACTUALLY happen. It was the best motivator, the best trigger for the story to be pushed forward. There was so much force now. The story, the characters, their motivations, became rich and meaningful. Rachel had to die. It was good that she died. (I’m talking about this all from the point of view of a screenwriting freak. Of course I didn’t ACTUALLY want her to die.)

I just love how the film presents choices, and then actually ACTS ON THOSE CHOICES. There are so many films where someone’s in danger, or something terrible is about to happen, and then the film saves it in the last moment. It’s kind of like a cheat. They build up the tension immensely, and then destroy it by making everything all well in the end. ‘Oh, were you scared? Hehe. It’s okay now!’ They’re teasing us.

But this film actually follows through, and that’s what makes it so terrifyingly good. With other superhero movies, whenever a threat is introduced, of course I’m scared at first, and tense, but after a while I’m like, “The hero’s going to save the day anyway.” And it happens.

But with this film, no. If time runs out, the hero doesn’t get to save the day. No deus ex machina. He can’t get there on time? She dies. It’s that simple. They don’t cheat the audience by suddenly presenting a miracle. Things go to plan. How come the good people always get a second chance? Keep things real.

The coin. Leaving it up to chance, Harvey’s coin was the most suspenseful token I’d seen in a film. AND AGAIN, HE FOLLOWED THROUGH. I really love that. That’s honestly what makes the film truly suspenseful. It follows through. So when the next decision making moment comes up, you KNOW they might actually die. The stakes are high and the stakes are fucking REAL. They actually will die. Decisions HAVE to be made, actions need to be taken.

I love that.

Review #59: Fight Club Written 18/07/17

Directed by David Fincher Written by Jim Uhls Based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk 

I want to, no, need to, talk about Fight Club.

It’s a fucking crazy movie. I really don’t like this movie. I can’t stop watching it, but I really, really don’t like it. I guess as a viewer, I could be told the same thing: Just stop caring and let go, and watch the fucking movie for what it fucking is.

But I CAN’T. I’m typing furiously right now because I just really can’t. I can’t bear to see all this crazy insane yoloness. I want it to stop. I want them to stop fighting and I want them to stop doing crazy shit and get their FUCKING LIVES TOGETHER.

I want the main character (do I even know his name?) to honestly get a grip and stop making a mess out of his life. He knows it’s wrong. But he’s so affected by Tyler’s words and his useless charisma all the time that he thinks it’s cool to be so crazy.

I think the movie is kind of glorifying Tyler, putting him up on the same level as a god. There was even a crucifixion moment. And the main character is trying really hard to look good to Tyler (like all his other 꼬봉s) and honestly it’s all a matter of self-esteem. Main character, you don’t need to do all that insane shit to feel like you’re worth it. So Tyler is a charismatic dude. So what. He’s not worth all that effort for you to feel accepted and appreciated. I just can’t with this film.

Review AFTER the film ended:

My mind… is blown away. Has been blown away. Not literally. Thank goodness not literally. I’m really amazed. I wasn’t really surprised at the split personality twist, for some reason. I was just sitting there going meh a little. It was a nice save, though, is what I thought. It was the right move to make in order for us to start understanding and liking the main character. A good move. A redemptive move.

The last 15 minutes? or so? were pretty amazing. Full of tension, and I had no idea what would happen. I loved it when the gun shifted from Tyler’s hand to… uh… Tyler’s. The movie turned out to be so much more different to what I thought it would be. At first I thought it was about fighting, and letting it go, and then it got way too much and I started feeling really uncomfortable, and then it turned out to have some fantasy aspects and got really good.

I’m kind of shaken right now, and I have to go home. But uh, let me talk briefly about what I think the message was.

Don’t FAKE IT. You are who you are. Even if you’re going through hard times. That’s who you are. Don’t hide yourself, don’t fake yourself. Don’t create a fake personality to slip into whenever you feel vulnerable. Let yourself be vulnerable. 강한 척… 하지 말자. I’m really shaken by the film right now. I can’t believe that gun shot didn’t blow his head off. Wtf.

Review #60: Catch Me If You Can Written: 13/07/17

Directed by Steven Spielberg Written by Jeff Nathanson Based on the book by Frank Abagnale Jr., Stan Redding

It’s a really good film. It made me think a lot, and I was never bored. I was always kept in suspense, and I was emotionally moved. I think that’s pretty much enough for it to be a great film. All around amazing in terms of action line and relationship line and character depth and development.

Frank was such a great character. He just felt so multi-dimensional and real. That’s the amazing thing about great characters. You never get the thought that they’ve been made up. You never get the thought that some writer sat at their desk for hours on end developing this “character”. I guess DiCaprio’s acting made it more realistic, but in general, Frank’s character was just really raw. I really loved him. He was interesting, dynamic, and had an intention behind everything. He was really active, he led the story. He was always making decisions. Argh. Amazing. He was always pushing the story on by making decision after decision. Even though he was the one being chased, he was the one making all the decisions and leading the story. Isn’t that amazing? You’d think that the person being chased would be the passive one, reacting to the fact that they’re being chased. Running away and escaping all the time. But no, even his escaping seemed like a feat, a beat, an extravagant decision.

And underneath all that, was his broken soul. That was the most amazing part about his character. He was doing all that because he was broken inside. All he wanted, was for his dreamy, perfect life to be put back into place. And he thought money could solve that. He thought if he tried hard enough, he could get his parents back together. He thought he could give them money, and the three of them could live as a happy family again. He always, always had fantasies of happy families – you see it so clearly and deeply in his eyes when he’s staring at his parents dancing, or when he sees Brenda’s parents washing the dishes together. That was his dream, deep deep inside. And he tried to achieve that and failed. He became disappointed with himself and his life, and came face to face with the fact that he couldn’t save anything – never could turn back time and put things right again – and made the decision that the real life wasn’t worth living. And so he began running away, living a lie. Remember what Carl says in the end. It’s easier living the lie (I think?).

I was so glad Frank came back in the end though. I’m glad he made that decision. See? Until the end, Frank is very much a strong, active character. HE makes the decisions.

I learned a lot. I think this just became one of my favourite films. (2020 me: Really?)

Review #61: Beauty and The Beast (2017) Written 18/03/17

Directed by Bill Condon Written by Stephen Chbosky, Evan Spiliotopoulos

The main problem I had with this film was some of the dialogue. It felt forced, cheesy, too economical. I know that each line of dialogue needs a purpose and you should only write what is needed, but I felt that it was a bit too much here (for example, the scene where Belle talks to her dad for the first time).

However, other than that, I was more than happy about what I saw on screen last night. It was truly enchanting. That is the perfect word for it. It reflected the animated film enough to feel joyfully and uncontrollably nostalgic, but also challenged several aspects of the original to create a more logical, credible, interesting story. It was a perfect adaptation.

When we see Belle for the first time in that small provincial town, in her blue and white dress, we are completely floored and can only watch mesmerized as she walks through the town, the townspeople singing one of the most famous Disney introduction songs.

Said simply, I gained immense pleasure from two things:

Recognizing things from the original film. Seeing how they made it into live action.

The things they did differently. They added bits and pieces to the story to make it perfect.

I'd love to watch it again just to jot the differences down. Also, I was holding my breath during the ballroom dancing scene. Perfect. And when she picked up the plate to drink from it. That was perfect. She didn't teach him to use the fork and spoon. It was like she got down to his level and tried to understand him while also showing him a better way to do things.

It had just the right amount of difference to make people wonder what might happen next. And that's amazing for an adaptation.

[mcrmadness]

I’ve been tagged a lot lately, which is awesome and I want to thank you all for that! :) To this one I was tagged by @charlotte-lancer.

Play time: List your five favourite movies and why, then tag some more players.

This is actually extremely hard question as I’m a massive movie freak. I watch so many movies and I pretty much watch anything that is not a) romantic movie b) romantic comedy or c) a horror movie. Thrillers are okay, but I don’t like movies that build up a certain tension. I have anxiety disorder of my own so I don’t need anything to add more fuel into it.

I also own so many dvds and blurays that I had to go and see my collection to remember what I even like and I still feel like there’s tens of movies that should make to the list but I don’t want to remove any of the existing ones because they should be on the list as well! But I will mention here 5 movies that mean something to me or that I have attached to for whatever reason, but I’d say only the first one in the list is actually the favouriteFAVOURITE movie, the rest are in just a random order. I’ll put this under the read more link as this is gonna be a veeeery long post!

Beetlejuice (1988) I am a fan of Tim Burton. I have seen his movies so many times and I love Danny Elfman’s scores especially in his movies. In fact, when I was a kid, Burton’s movies were always my fave ones but I was probably a teenager when I finally started to connect the dots and realized my favorites were always from the same man. And so were the scores too! This is also one of those movies from my childhood that I have seen so, so many times and I have called different Burton movies as my favourite movies but somehow I just always go back to Beetlejuice and then one day I just realized that hey, why do I even try to choose the one as this apparently IS the favourite one! So, this is my fave from Burton AND from all the movies I have seen.

And why? The humour is just perfect here, I live from dark humour and there’s so much of that in the movie! And I have also always been so fascinated by the idea of death not being permanent, makes my fear of death a lot easier. As you might know already, this movie is about a couple who die and become ghosts and try to survive with the family moving into their old house, trying to make them move out but failing. And I just LOVE how Burton has imagined what death is like! There is so much to see and I feel like I see something new every time I watch that movie and I just love it when movies or any media has so much details in it. And I have always been saying that if death is like the one in Beetlejuice (I said it for the third time now, whooooops), I’m really happy to die one day.

The Dark Knight (2008) This I just HAVE TO include into this list because of memories. I was 17 when this movie came out. I remember not being interested in the newer Batman movies at all but then one day I watched Batman Begins (2005) from tv and the last frame of that movie caused me to go crazy and I knew that the next movie would be even more interesting. Then it was confirmed that TDK will have the Joker in it and I’ve been a Batman fan since I was 7-8 years old and Joker has always been my fave villain from the Batman universe. I was watching the 60s tv show as a kid and I had seen Burton’s Batman (1989) many times before as well, and that movie also has the Joker in it.

A remember following the news of the movie so closely all the time and I remember the news about hem casting Heath Ledger, who was a new name for me but seemed very interesting for the role, but sadly passed away before the movie even came out. When the movie finally did come out, I was so blown away by Ledger’s work as the Joker that I still cannot decide who has been my favorite Joker of all times. But he’s at the very top of that list, for sure. And that whole movie was just the best thing the 17-years-old me had seen in a while that I actually did go to see it 3 times in the movies. I even drew kind of fan art of the movie and I had 2 TDK Posters on my walls, as well as 2 Joker posters on my walls and I still plan on hanging the Why so serious? poster to somewhere one day.

As a side note, I also like Christopher Nolan’s other movies a lot but TDK is definitely a favorite from them. I have seen almost all of his other movies and they all are really fascinating and interesting and I just love Hans Zimmer’s music and the combination is so perfect. I have to mention that my other favorites are definitely Interstellar (2014), The Prestige (2006) and Inception (2010).

Life of Brian (1979) I’m a Monty Python fan and this movie is yet again a part of my childhood. I have seen this movie millions of times and I never get bored with it and I never get over how funny the jokes are. I will laugh for the same jokes every time, no matter how many times I would watch this movie. My favorite scene is simply the one where Brian jumps into this pit and the man there starts jumping and finally notices the crowd and hides again. I cannot explain why, but I just find things like that way too funny :DDDDDDDDDD And it’s not even close as funny when I try to explain it, so look for yourself. I’m still losing it during that scene XD

And it’s not only funny, but it also has some really smart, hmmmm, perceptions of the world to it. I love that scene where Brian is trying to tell the people not to follow him because they don’t need to follow anyone and they’re individuals and should use their own brains, and these people just don’t understand a thing, they will just praise the ground under Brian’s feet no matter what he would say.

Breakfast on Pluto (2005) With this one I’m not exactly sure what happened with this one. I was just quitting my antidepressants when I saw this movie and I had just got all my emotions and ability to feel back so I don’t know if I fell in love with this movie because of my brain chemicals trying to get their shit together, or if I would have fallen in love with this movie anyway if I saw it some other time. But this one still gives me so strong reactions every time I watch it and especially the starting and ending music causes me so strong wave of happiness that I feel like exploding and I wanna cry from happiness. Oh and I watched that movie 3 times within one week back then. I feel like the antidepressant did have something to do with this.

Amadeus (1984) / Se7en (1995) / Donnie Darko (2001) / A Beautiful Mind (2001) / Joker (2019) The last one is actually impossible to name now. There’s so many good movies out there and I’m already leaving out some of the best ones. Some are classics and some are just movies from my childhood that I grew up with and attached to. TV was pretty much my biggest friend when I was growing up! So here’s a bunch of movies that I wanted to mention as they also tell a little bit of the movie genres as well. Shortly:

Amadeus - Another one from my childhood and it’s a biography film over Mozart. I don’t know why I grew to attached to this film but I feel like ever since I’ve had this need to rewatch this every once in a while. Because of this movie I get chills every time some of the Mozart music pieces used in the movie play somewhere. I don’t know if I like the music or if they just remind me of this movie. And for some reason, after seeing the movie millions of times, at the age of 9 or so I suddenly was so upset after a character’s death.

Se7en - I was bit older when I saw this (thank gods) and this is a good example of the type of thrillers I like to watch. And this movie’s plot is insane and it has one of the best endings to a movie that I know. I won’t say what kind of feelings it wakes up, but some very strong feelings. And this reminds of the fact now that I forgot to mention The Green Mile, which is also one of the best movies I know. Gosh this post is failing so badly already :D

Donnie Darko; A Beautiful Mind - Both have a plot that is wrapped around a mental illness. I actually like to watch movies about mental illness a lot, “Girl, interrupted” is also one of those movies that I like a lot. These movies are nothing like each other but both basically do a portrayal of schizophrenia. Donnie Darko is of course a bit more scifi and A Beautiful Mind is a biographical movie. I actually saw Donnie Darko for the first time several years ago, I was to school and watched it from Netflix and wanted to rewatch it so badly but it got deleted from Netflix and finally I was able to find it on a blueray and now it’s in my shelf and I love that movie.

Joker - This is definitely the best movie of the 2019 imho. Again, pretty much a movie about mental illness. I was bit afraid first that it would make the treatment of mentally ill people take a turn back(?) and would make healthy people be afraid of us instead of make them open their eyes, but I’m happy it didn’t turn out that way. But I feel like the people who got upset after the movie are actually relating to the groups attacked in the movie as maybe they finally (subconsciously?) realized what COULD happen in the world if things keep going like they’ve been going so far. But as a mentally ill person, I just got so attached to this movie. Plus I’m still a Batman fan whose fave villain ever is Joker and this was another great version and even greater portrayal of the character.

And that’s it, no more text. No idea if anyone found this even slightly interesting but oh well, I don’t care, it was still fun writing all that. And I’m so tired after this now that I don’t really have energy for tagging anyone but I guess I could tag at least someone or some people... let’s see... okay, @hanhan156, I’m gonna tag you! :D I have no idea if you watch movies and how often/many if so, but do this if you want! (And you tagged me so many times today so here’s something back ::D)

[gucciwins]

Football Love

I can’t imagine Harry at a college football game but this is a reason why I created this story.

Harry enjoys football and Y/N bleeds red

Going to a football game is fun when you are rooting for your team but in this case USC and UCLA are not your teams.

You still are unsure what made you decide to move from Georgia and attend school in California. Maybe it was that you never got to enjoy California after moving from there at six months old.

Yeah, you wanted to get to know the state you were from but if you were being honest these teams had nothing on Georgia Bulldogs.

The Rose Bowl is a beautiful stadium and you have to give it up for them. You wonder what a concert would be like here. You know Coldpay had one in 2017 but you didn’t make it due to your friend Sam, fracturing her wrist and you were the one to take her to the hospital.

Sam was suppose to join you to this game but she decided to go see her boyfriend in Texas for the week instead. She always seems to not show up to things but she’s there when it matters. You liked that the seats around you were surprisingly empty in a packed stadium. It wasn’t till halftime that the two seats to your right got occupied. You paid them no attention.

You did not take your eyes of the game for a second because suddenly you got very into it, hey it may not be your team but football is football. You got a bit thirsty and reached for your water bottle and pouted when you saw it empty. You were thirsty, but there was a quarter left so you’d survive the thirst.

You sat back a little watching the game but pondering where you wanted to eat after. You could go for a shake with a burger. You thought best otherwise and had ultimately decided you would cook a pasta with chicken instead.

The guy next to you elbowed you and you slightly shifted so it wouldn’t happen again.

“I’m sorry, these seats just aren’t comfortable.” The british guy told you.

You freeze because was it British, or Australian. Was it rude to ask? You thought best otherwise and accepted his apology.

You looked him over quickly to see what team he was rooting for but his clothes said nothing. He was dressed a bit fancy for a football game. He had white flares on with a black shirt. You can’t deny he looked good. You looked down at your white converse and blue jeans matching it with a plain Nike hoodie. Wearing your USC hat to show your school spirit.

“Who you rooting you?” You ask extremely curious.

“UCLA.” He says looking at you.

You nod and turn back to the game.

He looks at you a bit worried. “Did I say the wrong one?”

You laugh because how cute is he. “No.”

You lean in closer to him. “I’ll let you in on a secret. I don’t root for either of them.” You laugh at his confused face.

“What’s the hat about?” He questions.

“I go to school there, my friends say I don’t have school spirit, or any spirit unless it’s about bulldogs.”

Now he’s even more confused. “Bulldogs?”

“Do you know nothing about college football?” He shakes his head no.

“Well, I’m Y/N and I’m Georgia raised. Where we are big fanatics of college football.” You tell the handsome fellow sticking your hand out.

You don’t let him respond when you start talking again. “Where you from exactly all I know about England is that the Brits, you” you say pointing to him “like tea and biscuits.”

Harry gives you a small smile but a loud laugh. “I’m Harry and I’m from Holmes Chapel.”

“Love the name, makes me want to go visit the village.”

You stop. “Is it a town or village?”

Harry nods. “You’re right it’s a village.”

You sigh in relief. “Great, you lot make everything so complicated or we do. I don’t know who does but we never seem to understand one another.”

“I like to think we’re doing well now.”

You can’t help but blush. “You’re cheeky, I like it.”

“Back to your hometown, just because of the name I want to visit. Is there a bakery?” You stop to think about a cupcake. “I’ve got a big sweet tooth.” You look at him with a big smile hoping the answer is yes.

“One of the best. I promise.” Harry giggles because he really wants to tell her he was once a baker.

“Great! I’m adding it to my bucket list.”

It’s the final minutes of the game and you could are not bummed at all that USC just lost a big game. You really wish you had water now because all that talking made your mouth dry. Interrupting your thoughts is Harry once again.

“Hey Y/N?” Harry says quietly.

You look at him and give him a nod to continue.

“Have you listened to my music?” He asks curious to see if she was just respecting his privacy or really did not know who he was.

“Are you one of those guys who uploads songs to soundcloud?”

He stares at you in disbelief. “M’ a singer, songwriter.”

He continues hoping to get some recognition for his ego. “I was in One Direction, acted in a Christopher Nolan film.”

“Cool, I’m Stevie Nicks, goddaughter.”

“No way!” Harry gasps. He’s a bit gullible.

“Of course not you doofus.” you’re laughing now. “I thought we were stating facts we wanted to be real.”

The person next to him looks over at us. “I’m his manager. He’s not lying.”

“Well thank you, manager. I really believe you now.”

Harry raises an eyebrow “Just like that.”

“There’s no reason to lie to each other unless you’re doing this to impress me.”

“No that’s not it.”

“Harry Styles, I’m sorry I don’t listen to your music. I think the most modern music I have listened to is Tom Walker and Niall Horan.” You stop to think. “Gosh, I got a thing for the british.”

Harry can’t help but stop you. “Niall’s Irish.”

“Dang, I guess it is true.” Harry and Jeff look at you to explain. “That you learn something new everyday.”

Just like that all the people around you begin to leave and you don’t bother standing up. You really don’t want to be stuck with all these people pushing to get out and go to our vehicles. It’s a few minutes of quiet talking from the two gentlemen from your side and decide it’s time for you to go.

“Well Harry, not to feed your already large ego. I will not google search you.” Harry blushes at your statement.

You grab your bag from the ground and place it on your shoulder. You give them both one last smile and begin walking away.

Harry on impulse grabs your wrist. “May I take you out to dinner.” He says so quickly you only catch the words out to dinner.

You stare at those beautiful green eyes in surprise.

“I don’t do dinner. I think that’s a good time for home cooked meals.” You say with a small smile. Harry nods accepting the rejecting of this beautiful girl that made him feel like Harry from Holmes Chapel not Harry the rockstar.

“You can take me out to breakfast.” You flash him a big smile before quickly looking away because this was a bold move.

Harry smiles so big that you get to see his charming dimples for the first time.

“Breakfast it is.”

**

6 months later

“Harry!” you say really excited. “they have a picture of you” you stop for a moment and frown for a quick second. “Why?”

“Did mum not tell you yet?” He hugs you from behind both of your admiring the picture of a young Harry in the bakery of his hometown.

“I was a baker here” You can hear the pride he has of saying that statement.

“He did not bake a thing. He’s a fraud.” Gemma decided to chime in.

“Gem, don’t be mean. I’m trying to impress my girl.”  Harry whines.

You can’t help but smile.

This trip was a long time coming but being here and getting to meet Harry’s family was amazing. He even said you’d get to try proper tea and biscuits because he said, ‘mum makes the best’.

Being here wrapped in a warm hug with your boyfriend’s family that welcomed you with open arms is a dream come true. It truly does not get better than this.

Harry could not be more right because true to his words.

“When you know you know.”

Born and raised in California but Georgia is a second home to me because of my family and the memories I have from visits. I know it’s not football season anymore but who cares

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this. Feedback is always welcomed. xx

[shauhank]

Christopher Nolan: A visionary director with beautiful combination of complexity and perception

·         What is complexity?

The state of quality or being intricate or complicated.

 ·         What is perception?

The way in which something is regarded, understood or interested.

  Complexity and perception are the two different and simultaneous phenomena occurring at any instance of life i.e. complexity can be occur with anyone, in any form and up to any extent and how you relate, understand or take interest to go through that with your perception that’s what defines you.

 So, basically these two objects are the strength of Hollywood’s London native director who is none other than Christopher Edward Nolan. He has directed some magnificent cinemas and gifted them to the world in which these two objects were his secret ingredients. He has revolutionized the concept of the cinema, film-making, character portrayal, filming techniques, story-telling and many other aspects revolving around a film.

 His notable work in the cinema is as mentioned below:

1)     Following (1998)

2)     Memento (2000)

3)     Insomnia (2002)

4)     The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012)

5)     The Prestige (2006)

6)     Inception (2010)

7)     Interstellar (2014)

8)     Dunkirk (2017)

 Let us discuss his beautiful cinema work one-by-one:

1)     Following (1998)

 Well, this was the first break-through of its kind in the era of late 90’s and early 2000’s. It was the first major film directed by Christopher Nolan and in addition to that, it was a neo-noir crime thriller (like “No Country for Old Man”) in black & white picturization in which a person follows some strangers around the streets of London and ultimately it drawn him into a criminal underworld when he fails to keep the distance.

 The important facts regarding to this movie are the film was decided to make in very limited budget. The unavailability of money was such that the scenes of the film were heavily rehearsed so that it requires only one or two takes to complete and this expense was bared by Nolan himself from his own salary. He mostly used available light as they were unable to afford professional lighting equipment. In addition to that, to reduce the manpower expense, Nolan contributed himself in writing, photographing, editing and production.

 After that, when the film was released it was greatly praised by critics, reviewers and audiences.

  2)     Memento (2000)

 Success of the film “Following” had driven Nolan to the great Hollywood where he directed his first Hollywood movie with big production company of Summit Entertainment.

 This was also neo-noir thriller but in psychological genre. This film featured “perception” object of the Nolan’s strong-holds. In the movie, the black & white event series is shown in forward direction whereas the color event series is shown in reverse chronology and both the series met at the end of the film. Therefore, this results at a point where same scene is shown from three to four perceptions and the way it bends your mind is phenomenal.

 Thus, this movie marked the first step forwarding into the Hollywood for Nolan.

 3)     Insomnia (2002)

It is the moment of success for Nolan that after making only two films, one of the biggest studios of Hollywood, the Warner Bros. collaborated with Nolan for the very first time and he directed his third film ‘Insomnia’.

 Also, it was his first film in which great actors like Al Pacino and Robin Williams played lead roles and delivered their wonderful performances and made the film memorable. It follows the story of two homicide detectives who were investing a murder. Note that, this was also neo-noir thriller in mystery genre. This is the only film of Nolan in which he was not credited in story writing for the film.

 It was the first commercial success of for the Nolan and critically it was well received also.

  4)     The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012)

There was a time when superhero movies were heavily backlashed by critics, audiences and reviewers because they were lacking heavily in the areas of story, character portrayal, flamboyant costumes, proper cast and above all a pinpoint direction of the film.

 It was the period where previous Batman movies were furiously rejected by public and reviewers because they have not portrayed the characters as they originally were and then Nolan helmed this very difficult task to direct superhero movie of Batman and his other characters. He nailed this job so much efficiently that this trilogy is now considered as the best superhero movies of all time.

 It contained magnificent music work of Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard with magnificent performances of all the actors like Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Morgan Fox, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Michale Caine, Cillain Murphy and many others. The movie ‘The Dark Knight’ so effortlessly pictured as it marks all-time, evergreen performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker and embarked him as the greatest super-villain performance of all time.

 This trilogy has proved that superhero movies can be made in depth, they too have proper story, character portrayal, engaging music and sound. It was the first time that Nolan’s film has crossed the mark of 1 billion USD which shows that how well it was received by the public and this trilogy also grabbed many awards too including Academy Award for Heath Ledger (as the Joker) for his magnificent performance.

 5)     The Prestige (2006)

 In the continuing flow of his work, he then directed his first science-fiction film in psychological thriller genre which followed the story of two rival magicians in the 19th century, who were obsessed with creating best stage illusion and engaging in competitive one-up man ship which ended in tragic results.

 This film is perfect mixture of complexity and perception as how magicians and their tricks plays with our minds and how to unfold them, are some highlighting features of this film.    

  6)     Inception (2010)

What happen when you come to know that a film can be made only on one part of your body and it can be linked with science with grand scale which leaves you in series of questions? If you want to know then watch ‘Inception’.

 A great film about mind, dreams and its strength to whatever decisions we are taking in the life and how it affects them. The story follows about how an idea can be inserted into someone’s mind through complex events and paradox loops of the mind and how the idea can be implemented to anyone which defines his rest of the life.

 This was the first film of Nolan who single-handedly won four Academy Awards and marked one of the finest creations of Nolan.

 P.S.: If you watch this movie, you will have a series of questions in your mind which no one can answer.

 7)     Interstellar (2014)

As there was a journey inside our mind in the film ‘Inception’, similarly ‘Interstellar’ movie has shown a beautiful ride in the inter-galactic space, higher dimensions and above all a great bonding between father and daughter which was strong enough to survive thorough the toughest time.

 It follows the story of a group of astronauts who travel through wormhole in search of a new home for humanity. After showing all the space concepts, mind-blowing visuals of black hole, higher dimensions which were not discovered till today and amazing cinematography at the ground level it was centered on the relation of a father with her daughter as he was in the quest for returning to his home and reuniting with his children in the entire film.

 There is one dialogue in the movie itself which summarizes the film:

“Love can transcend space and time.”

 Understand this sentence; you will understand the true message of the film automatically.

 This was the second film of Nolan, in which he did not contribute in the writing of the film and it was entirely done by his equal genius brother Jonathan Nolan with the help of physicist Dr. Kip Thorne.

  8)     Dunkirk (2017)

After directing many films in the genre of science-fiction and neo-noir with mixture of psychological, murder mystery and non-linear cinema, Nolan finally got his hands on the actual history incident and marked his first film based on any true story or incident.

 Dunkirk follows the story of the evacuation of the Allied forces from the beach of the Dunkirk town and how they faced difficult situations created by German Forces. Nolan successfully portrayed the entire scenario so flawlessly that even world war veterans got mesmerized after watching this film.

 One of the few points, which I observed that in any cinema direction, cinematography, sound mixing and recording, music, editing, screenplay are the essential and crucial elements besides performances of the actors. This film marked all the elements of film-making and every element was clearly identified amazingly. Also, this movie follows the same story-line convergence pattern of the typical Nolan style which was an additional feature to this movie.

 This movie grabbed three Academy Awards and many other awards with embarking itself as one of the most accurate world war movie with highest grossing world war movie achievement.

 In the end, the world is mesmerized by his films and he created his own fan following by his unique film-making style.

(P.S.: We are eagerly waiting for “Tenet”.)

 Interesting facts about Christopher Nolan:

 1)     He directed only 10 films (as of 2019) in his career.

2)     He contributed in story-writing of the all films he directed except Insomnia and Interstellar.

3)     He collaborated with musician Hans Zimmer in 6 of his films.

4)     He also collaborated with Sir Michael Caine in every movie since Batman Begins.

(P.S.: He had given only voice-role for the first time in the Dunkirk.)

5)     Though directing such wonderful films, Nolan has never received the Academy Award for Best Director category.

6)     All the 10 films directed by him till now is featured into Top 250 movies of all-time by IMDb.