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Reviews
My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)
Excellent on the whole, except a few elements
On the whole, I really enjoyed this movie. It was romantic, sad, and suspenseful all at once, everything one looks for in a romantic comedy. This movie is excellent except for a few elements which I really did not like and felt took away from my enjoyment of this movie and prevented me from being able to take it seriously.
I was impressed by the amazing chemistry Julia Roberts and Dermot Mulroney had on screen. In fact, their chemistry was so undeniable that I find myself rooting for them to be together every time I watch this, even though I know that a soon-to-be-wed couple should not be separated by the sneaky best friend of the groom. It does not matter to me when it comes to this fictional couple. I felt true love between the characters, and I felt their history too, I could almost imagine their memories and travels together and feel it all flooding back.
On the other hand, I did not enjoy the presence of the character Kim, played by Cameron Diaz. I thought her character was absolutely insufferable, and I still do not truly understand if the writer and director intended for her to be this way. The character's behaviour throughout this movie is not only annoying, it is literally lunatic. From driving ridiculously badly at an insanely fast speed, to ambushing Julianne in the elevator, to all of her insanely hyper and aggressively excitable outbursts, as a viewer I genuinely dreaded her appearance on the screen and felt that the character's presence ruined all the nuance and emotion created by the other actors with her ridiculousness. That is not to say that Diaz performed badly- in fact, if her indications were to act as insufferably as she did, she did an excellent job in portraying perhaps the most impossibly irritating character I have seen on screen. As for the ending- I believe this movie missed a chance for possibly the most satisfying plot twist imaginable.
Overall, this movie is a great romantic comedy that checks all the boxes and is full of great acting, however one of the characters spoiled the ambience in my opinion.
Maudie (2016)
An incredibly perceptive and intimate drama that captures real life love and emotion.
I absolutely adored this movie. It is a masterpiece composed of excellent acting, exceptionally detailed production and beautiful scenery and musical score.
Sally's performance as Maud Lewis was beyond stunning. Maudie is an amateur folk artist struggling with debilitating arthritis while still capturing her unique, beautiful, and almost innocent way of seeing the world through her paintings. I was struck by how realistic and natural Sally managed to make her movements, perfectly emulating the difficulty of movement that the real life Maud's arthritis caused her. Not only this, but Maud's quirky and endearingly odd personality was perfectly captured by Sally, who managed to bring Maud to life authentically and purely.
As for Hawke's performance, I was impressed beyond measurement. He managed to play Everett, a character that is so difficult to bring to life on screen- the humble, quiet, emotionally shut off fisherman living a life based on work and the bare minimum. The character development that Hawke managed to portray was immaculate- we as the audience perceive the slightest changes in Everett's behaviour towards Maud and his attitude to life itself through Hawke's incredibly perceptive and thoughtful performance.
The production is remarkable, with the house being an exact replica of Maud's real home in Nova Scotia, with great attention paid to intricate details. Scenery and music wise, this movie was spot-on and managed to convey the beauty of their simple, minimalist lifestyle and the passing of time, their home not changing much in its look (apart from the colourful paintings that Maud added to the walls) but the change from a house to a loving home.
The casting was immaculate, the acting ingenious, and the overall production simply a marvel. This movie is a gem not to be missed by viewers who value artistry and beauty. How this movie has not garnered Oscars, I will never quite understand.
Buying Beverly Hills (2022)
Absolutely perfect entertainment
I loved this Netflix series from start to finish.
Buying Beverly Hills is a fabulously entertaining real estate series. I feel it has the perfect balance between real estate TV and reality TV. During this series, some of Los Angeles' most beautiful luxury properties are shown in their entirety, with many scenes allowing the audience to get to know the owners and developers, which adds a real personal touch to the gorgeous properties. On top of that, there is plenty of gossip and drama along the way from the real estate agents which keeps it light and entertaining. This gossip actually adds a lot of personality and depth to the series, as the audience gets to form a personal connection with the characters, creating continuity from episode to episode and really creating that familiar, comforting feeling- I feel that I already know the Umansky family and all of the agents through all the funny goofs and gossipy moments.
I am excited for the next season, as this series really shows the glamorous side to real estate agent's jobs and inspires me to get started in this field.
Remember Me (2010)
So close to my heart
This movie is so, unexpectedly, close to my heart.
I discovered it years ago in my early teens when I was going through a typical teenage girl's Robert Pattinson obsession phase after watching Twilight. I loved it and thought it had a great plot and acting. However, rewatching it in my late teens some years later, this movie struck a chord in me that perhaps no other movie ever has. Perhaps this movie affected me so greatly in my late teens, in college, because the main characters are in the same situation. There are many movies that are special to me and close to my heart, all reaching a different part of me, but this one is unique to me and I will always treasure it.
It is impossible to describe in words what is so special to me about this movie. The movie captures a deep sense of hope and optimism. We watch these two young yet somewhat troubled and mature individuals fall in love, just like young people do, and yet their connection and chemistry seems so authentic and genuine, like they are two parts of the same whole. The main character, Tyler Hawkins, has a quietness and tranquility to him that sets him apart from other youths. He is artistic, funny, loving. He is real and doesn't feel like a character, but a real person.
The ending is almost impossible to believe.
Marriage Story (2019)
Authentic and raw
I absolutely loved this Netflix Original.
Marriage Story piqued my interest from the moment I read its clean and simple title. This is the story of an American couple, Charlie and Nicole, who are going through a divorce while trying to keep their young son, Henry, uninvolved, a life experience that many couples face today. This movie is a combination of hilarious and heartbreaking moments, taking the viewer on an emotional rollercoaster.
I adored the opening, of Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson's characters, reading love letters about the other. I really liked getting to know the characters and their individual quirks from the very first minute of the movie, allowing me to watch it from a familiar perspective and feeling more connected to the characters and their lives.
The humorous parts of this movie are what made it such a gem in my eyes. Sophisticated jokes are thrown around the entire movie and the scene where the inspector comes to watch Charlie and Henry eat dinner, and Charlie accidentally-on-purpose cuts himself, was particularly hilarious, and the awkwardness of the scene was palpable.
The more difficult, emotional parts are what made it sophisticated and memorable, though. The fight scene was gruelling to watch and yet felt cathartic.
Overall this was a great watch and is definitely repeatable.
Windfall (2022)
Excellent
This is an excellent movie which I highly enjoyed.
It has a very interesting and darkly humorous tone in the first half, almost giving the viewer hope that everything will turn out fine. In fact, this movie keeps dosing out hope throughout the whole hour and a half of it's running time, making it seem like the trouble is all over, only for the situation to spiral further out of control. This was very effective in creating tension.
The last part of the movie is where things got intense. I enjoyed the symbolic foreshadowing to the ending, and the suddenness of it all. This is a great movie to watch for a cosy night in.
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022)
A cinematic masterpiece
This movie is simply sublime. Never have I seen such a stunningly raw portrayal of a topic as delicate as sexuality, especially among older women, a societal group who are continuously presented in movies as asexual beings, the innocent "grandmother", almost childlike in her lack of sexuality. This is the very realistic story of an older woman who has never experienced true sexual pleasure throughout her long marriage to her late husband, and has decided that life is too short to deny herself what she truly desires. The part of the movie that moved me most was the beautiful performance by Daryl McCormack. He brought to life perhaps the most wonderfully kind, mature, and understanding character that I have seen on screen in my life. He treated the character of Nancy Stokes with such respect and compassion and my eyes were opened to the pure side of sex work that we seldom see. I thank the director for making such an honest and sensitive portrayal of what is a reality for many women, a reality that is taboo in society.
Sobreviviendo Mis XV (2023)
Funny and highly entertaining
I watched this movie in the cinema here in Mexico and was surprised by how gripping the story was. It is very funny and it definitely made me laugh out loud as well as many others in the cinema with its well-crafted jokes. For anyone who lived their teen years in Mexico like me, this movie is highly relatable and authentically Mexican. It is a great portrayal of a teenage girl's typical problems such as high school, family, making new friends, and keeping old friends happy all at the same time. Overall, I really enjoyed it because it gave a realistic and comedic portrayal of such a significant time in every Mexican girl's life- her XV.