vee-vee Reviews

Flower of Evil (2020)

Best series I've ever watched... korean or otherwise.

[10/10 · 18 January 2021]

I am new to the kdrama world... I've seen about 15 of them in the last months (and it's true what they say... once you start, anything non-korean becomes pale in comparison)

But THIS series was... something else. It was tragic, creepy, romantic, stressful, exciting, beautiful, moving, cruel, horrible... all at once. And it's absolutely NOT predictable. Every time you think you know, you realize you don't. And everything comes together in the most perfect of ways. I cried, I screamed... I went through SO many emotions!

(Also... Lee Joon Gi is a master at his craft. He's hands down the best actor out there if you ask me!)

It Chapter Two (2019)

Love conquers all!

[7/10 · 17 September 2019]

As a horror movie, it fails. Utterly. The CGI is cartoonish, over the top, and ends up looking like a anime version of Salvador Dali's paintings. It makes some scenes feel like a modern version of Roger Rabbits using cartoons and live action. It looks ridiculous.

BUT. I cried like a baby. I really did. The friendship between the protagonists totally pulled on my heart strings. I don't care how cheesy or predictable it was. I love the characters so much, I laughed at every single one of their jokes. Eddy is my favorite character ever and his adult counterpart lived up to my expectations. The casting is just... perfection.

So.

As a horror movie: 3/10 As a coming of age movie: 8.5/10

Normal Adolescent Behavior (2007)

Billie is the best thing in this movie.

[7/10 · 15 September 2019]

I don't want to get into how this movie portrays misogyny and the objectification of women like a natural part of adolescence. It does. And it's sickening and unfair to women... but like I said... I don't want to get into it.

I just want to praise Kelli Garner for being the best thing in this movie. Her facial expressions, her witty retorts, her sarcastic yet genuine way of dealing with anything thrown at her. I can't get enough of it. She's just awesome.

Get Over It (2001)

My favorite teen comedy. Ever.

[10/10 · 14 February 2019]

I'm embarrassed to say how many times I've watched this movie. I literally know it by heart. It's funny, the characters are compelling, the music is fun, there's a one shot sequence at the beginning that must have taken forever to shoot, the actors and actresses are great and I love the chemistry between Burke and his two best-friends.

What can I say. It's been my go-to feel-good movie for the last 18 years.

Dance Academy: The Movie (2017)

Everything it needed to be.

[10/10 · 30 August 2017]

Finally! After more than a year, I finally get to see this! Let me give you a little bit of context. I'm 33. I'm french-Canadian. I live in Montreal. I'm a graduate student. And I'm the only one I know that cares about this.

I think any review made by anyone who hasn't watched the show is missing something important. This is not a movie that stands on its own. It's the culmination of 3 years' worth of time following the incredibly relatable and lovable bunch that were in the original Dance Academy series.

I remember stumbling upon the first episode back in 2011. I was immediately hooked. I cannot count the number of times I cried, just because I was seeing the characters strive and overcome.

Watching this movie was like seeing my own little sister grow out of her awkward stage and try finding her way into the world. It was beautiful. So many "sequel" movies are botched and end up making things worse ("Veronica Mars", anyone?). But not this. This was everything it needed to be. I cannot thank the creators and producers enough for making this happen. You gave me the closure I needed. And I remembered something important: sometimes, your dreams change. And it doesn't mean you wasted your time believing in them.

So… don't spoil the fun by watching this movie if you haven't seen the 3 wonderful seasons of Dance Academy that precede it. Starting this journey at the very beginning is necessary! Scout's honour!

Greek (2007–2011)

It just doesn't get old!

[10/10 · 6 May 2017]

I just finished watching all 4 seasons of Greek for the... what is it now? The 10th time? Maybe more? It usually hits me every 15 or 16 months... like, I get this insane craving and then I binge on every episode from beginning till end.

As a radical feminist, a lot of things make me cringe but it's the ONE show where I'm willing to overlook those things... I still laugh at every single joke ("The Anker? Where does that name come from?" "Well, I come from a long line of seamen..." LOLOLOL And... "There's a reason we don't try, Spitter! Because when we try... SNAKES DIE!" LOLOLOLOL...oh my god. LOL.) and I cry every time Rebecca and Casey share a moment, or when Cappie gives Casey her valentine present... or like... the last episode during which I literally bawl my eyes out...

If you've ever been to college, with or without a Greek system... this show is for you. It will make you laugh, love, cry, and relive those glory years with all the drama, and the friendships, and the relationships, and the mistakes, and the angst... and every incredible life lesson that came with it. It's a wonderful thing. I don't know what I'd do without my yearly dose of Greek.

Greek is my safe-space. My security blanket. My all-time favorite show that has become even more important to me than Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and that is saying something.)

So, I heard a reunion movie was becoming a reality? YES, PLEASE!

There is no such thing as too much Greek!

Raze (2013)

Could have been great.

[5/10 · 2 August 2013]

When I read the synopsis in the Fantasia Film Festival program, I was intrigued. Even though the premise was about abducted women, it did not seem like your typical movie about helpless women tortured under the hand of men. It also did not seem like a cliché women on women violence type of movie. It also used words like "empowered" and "different".

And so I went in expecting just that. Something different. I especially went in expecting this movie to make some kind of statement about the way this society views women in general. I actually thought that the organization that abducts the women was a metaphor for the patriarchal system and that the "empowered" women portrayed would eventually break free from that system.

And so when the movie ended, I felt let down. Like somehow, the filmmaker was telling us that no matter how hard we fought, we could not defeat the system.

I was lucky enough to attend a screening after which the director of the movie as well as the principal actress were both there to answer questions from the audience. And so when I pointed that out, the filmmaker became defensive and explained that he did not want to make any kind of political statement whatsoever and that he just wanted to give us an "enjoyable fun movie to watch with lots of fighting." He also made a point to tell me that if it had been men fighting, I wouldn't have made the comment I made.

Exactly. But this movie was about women, strong women, who were imprisoned by a cruel system forcing them to fight one another. It had everything in place to make a strong statement, give us something to reflect upon and do what a good movie should always do: teach us something.

And yet, this movie has no depth and isn't different from any other action movie with fights. To be "different", this movie needed a message beyond "look, chicks fighting and it looks real!".

In the end, the plot of "Raze" falls into the typical normalization of helpless women forced to behave a certain way by an oppressive system passed on from father to son. To me, this is the precise opposite of "empowered".

I'm awfully disappointed.

The Conjuring (2013)

Over the top

[4/10 · 19 July 2013]

I watched it last night at the Fantasia Festival in Montreal… I honestly don't know what people find scary about this movie other than the fact that it has blood and people's faces getting somewhat deformed when possessed… it felt very cliché and over the top and as a result, just not scary at all.

I mean, come on. If you need to paint your ghost's faces with white and circle their eyes with black eyeliner to let us know what they are, I'm just going to frown. What an OBVIOUS and boring choice.

Maybe it's just me… I like scary movies that leave things to my imagination and it is the anticipation of something terrible and the buildup it creates that makes me jump out of my seat.

This movie lacks everything in that department and tries to make up for it with lots and lots of bloody possession scenes.

Yawn.

The only reason I am giving it a 4 is because the actresses playing the little girls were fun and their sisterly bond felt very genuine. Also, I learned a new variation of the game "hide and seek".

And I kind of liked Annabelle and wished the movie had been centered around her instead. lol.

Dead Sushi (2012)

Most fun I EVER had watching a movie!

[10/10 · 22 July 2012]

Astounding is hardly a strong enough word to describe just how truly sublime DEAD SUSHI was...

This was perhaps the most tremendously fun cinematographic experience of my life! I cannot remember laughing as much while pulling my hair and jumping up and down my seat squealing every five seconds to a point where trying to restrain my reactions became impossible! I also never imagined ever feeling so incredibly hungry, sitting on the edge of my seat, holding my breath and literally drooling with my fists both against my chin while looking at a hundred flying zombie sushi famished for something human.

And yes. If you see me walking around, speaking softly to a small omelette sushi safely tucked on my shoulder, fear not! Omelette sushi are the most adorable creatures and they save lives. Yes. They do. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Megan Is Missing (2011)

Hard but necessary.

[16 August 2011]

At first, I was upset. I mean, this movie was NOT what I expected. I thought I was watching a drama feature, something about the consequences of a situation in which a child gets involved with a stranger online… the consequences on the family, the friends… but no. Instead, I get a movie that shows me the direct consequences of such events on the children themselves. And the images I saw were gruesome and scary and so upsetting that I had to stop the movie 10 minutes before the end. And then I couldn't sleep. And I was angry! Because I felt cheated by the filmmaker for putting his movie under "drama" and I kept thinking that If I had known the extent of the horrors he was about to show me, I would have NEVER watched his movie. Never.

But I couldn't stop thinking about it. And so I did a little research and ended on the filmmaker's website in which he explains what he meant to say. And I read that letter written to him by the father of a child that was murdered by a sexual predator… and somehow it all started to make sense. Then throughout the day I told my dad and two of my friends about the movie. Telling them what I saw and how it made me feel, but also telling them about the filmmaker's statement and from this ensued three long conversations about the dangers of the numerous information and communication technologies that we use and take for granted and how they changed the way children (and people) relate to one another. We spoke about how scary it was to realize that your child isn't safe even if he's in the comfort of his own home. And it made me realize the importance of having only one computer (as the filmmaker suggests) in the common room of the house as opposed to having one in each bedroom.

My mom has been thinking of getting my 14 years old stepsister her own computer and I think I'm going to tell her about the movie. About what it made me think about. And why I would advise her against it.

It's funny because it makes me think of one of my favourite movies, Shion Sono's "Suicide Club" that sort of exposes the dangers and effects of information and communication technologies but in a much more "metaphorical" way. "Megan Is Missing" is not like "Suicide Club". It's brutal and painful and crude and completely uncensored. But maybe it is EXACTLY what we needed in order to wake up and do something before it becomes too late.

And for this, I truly thank the filmmaker.

Suicide Club (2001)

Are you connected to yourself?

[10/10 · 23 July 2011]

A movie that starts with a sequence you'll probably never forget: 54 high-school girls holding hands that jump in front of a train while some happy sounding song plays in the background. As more and more suicides seem to follow those of the girls, a group of detectives who believe that the deaths are anything but random investigate in order to find a link connecting them together… Behind the gory exaggerated and surreal images of filmmaker Shion Sono is a very accurate critique of the kind of world we live in today. A world in which the dense variety of communication outlets have isolated men to a point where the only connections we maintain are the ones that link us to the internet and where we try to relate with mainstream public figures more than we try relating with each other

Kyle XY (2006–2009)

To see the world through Kyle's eyes...

[8/10 · 22 June 2011]

Let me get this straight. I enjoy shows like 24, Battlestar Galactica, Prison Break and Supernatural. I'm not really sure why but I got curious about Kyle XY. And somehow, I got sucked into it. Granted, it's kind of cheesy and silly at times, dealing with issues closer to the ones I had 10 years ago (I'm 27) but still. It's strangely sweet and moving. Seeing the world from Kyle's point of view is like perceiving the world through the eyes of a newborn but with the intelligence and reasoning capacities of a genius. He gives us a genuine portrait of things we tend to take for granted and reminds us of their beauty and importance in the simplest but most effective way. Seriously. The times he gets emotional about little things like, how much he loves his family or because he just discovered something new about the world, I can't help but get emotional myself.

The show is kind of a mixture between Roswell and Smallville but for a younger audience… (if you have a 14 year old sister in need of a reality check, I DO suggest buying her the DVDs…)

American Dreams (2002–2005)

I could watch this over and over and over again....

[10/10 · 13 April 2011]

No show has made me cry more over little things… the death of Kennedy, all the times Meg says that "she's doing it for JJ", the many scenes with the whole Pryor family worrying about JJ even though you know he's okay… even a hug between father and daughter, or two friends reuniting after being in a fight have made me cry… why? Because the characters don't just overcome things, they push the boundaries and make the world a better place one day at a time. They set the path for what would be the world I live in today: and as a child of the 2000 era (I was born in 1983), it shows me that this world – our world - is a better place because of the fight that was led on by the courageous minds of the 60's and 70's. Honestly, I could watch this show over and over again, because it gives me hope that what we do makes a difference… maybe not on the short run but on the long run, absolutely. It keeps me from becoming jaded. I too want to keep pushing the boundaries, so that 40 years from now, our children can look back and see the work we've done… and the work that's left to do.

Teenage Dirtbag (2009)

Beautiful and mesmerizing

[10/10 · 28 June 2010]

"Teenage Dirtbag" is a love story between two teenagers who seem different but in reality are very similar.

The chemistry between Thayer and Amber is mesmerizing. And it doesn't seem to matter how the characters relate to one another – whether they are fighting or hanging out – their scenes together just leak with sexual tension. And the way everything unfolds is not so much in the words they say but in those silent moments they share: moments that can easily be overlooked if one is not careful.

What also makes their chemistry so effective is the awareness Thayer and Amber have of each other. As the attraction between them matures, they always seem to know where the other is without realizing it. For instance, when she's in the football field and he's looking at her from afar, hiding in his black sweatshirt. The way she looks up because she feels him looking at her is an undeniable example of that chemistry. Or when she's eating her orange and feels bad because she know that he's looking at it. By bringing him one the next day, she's acknowledging the fact that she heard the silent way he wanted the orange. Even more so, she's acknowledging the fact that she hears his words unspoken and thus, this orange marks the beginning of a short yet beautiful friendship. The next few scenes are my favourite. When she sees the peeled orange in the snow and the paper he left on her car. The paper doesn't say much, he just writes her name all over it and instead of finding it weird and ignoring it, it inspires her to write a poem that she reads in class the next day. As she reads it, the silent connection between them becomes stronger...

After that, Thayer comes out as the more aware partner in the sense that he consciously opens up to her. He lets her see the real him as if he is trying to show her that he sees and trusts the real her. It is not him who has trouble being vulnerable, it is her. She's afraid to let someone in and that is what comes in the way of them being together. Maybe he moves a little too fast for her and that is what makes her uncomfortable. She's not denying the feelings that she has for him but she's just not ready to explore them at this point and while he is attentive to everything, he somewhat neglects to see that. It's sad because he really puts himself out there when he asks her to come to the party with him. But the thing is even though he is ready, she's not. Maybe if he had waited a little bit more, she could have prepared herself for whatever was to happen between them.

The awareness between the two is also the reason why both of them know almost intuitively what would hurt the other person the most. Thus, Thayer knew exactly how much he was hurting Amber when he exposed her need for love in his poem and she was very aware of what she was doing when she exposed him by showing everyone the notebook. It's not so much the fact that everyone knew how he felt: that, I think he could deal with. It was the fact that her gesture said loud and clear that she didn't take anything that they shared seriously. And sadly, that could be a little true. It's like she never really realized how badly he needed her to love him. What's even sadder (to me anyways) is that the character of Amber ends up going through life without ever fully realizing how her love could change someone else's life.

It's also sad because he ends up believing that she hates him and everything goes downhill after that. Neither one of them is to blame. He made her out to be his Savior and it's a role she didn't ask to take on (of course, in life, the only person who can save yourself is yourself but that's a lesson that most of us don't learn at the age of 17…).

Nevertheless, this is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen in my life. Granted, it isn't flawless: I had to watch it more than once to actually grasp everything. But it is SO sincere. I forgot to say how much I love the scene when they are eating chips and listening to metal music… the very loud "crunch" sounds and the giggles made me feel like I was right there with them. I love how close I felt to the characters.

This being Regina Crosby's first attempt at writing and directing makes this movie even more amazing. Big time filmmakers have failed where she has succeeded. She managed to draw me in so far that I forgot everything else but what was going on in front of me. Even after the movie was finished, I was left in a weird emotional state that tasted a bit like love, a bit like nostalgia.

The things I wish were different: Even though we spend the most time with Amber, we have very little insight on what goes on with her family. We guess by her behaviour that she feels ignored by her parents but it would have helped to see a little more of that.

Also: I desperately want to share this movie with my friends but since most of them are french, I can't do that. I bought the DVD but there are no subtitles and so, it puts a barrier in my attempt to let other people in on how good this movie is.

I would like to end this (very) long comment by saying that I can't wait to see what else Regina Crosby comes out with. She has definitely made it in my top 10 favourite filmmakers list!

Bandslam (2009)

It was GOOD. Really good.

[8/10 · 30 April 2010]

I am surprised of how much I enjoyed this movie.

It was clever. You know how teen movies – especially ones involving kids competing against each other in school related events – tend to be highly predictable? Well, this movie had real unpredictable moments… I mean real ones. Like when Will is upstage and everyone is chanting his name (this is not a spoiler, don't worry)… I didn't know what was going to happen until it happened. I know this might sound kind of lame, it's only a detail but the fact that they managed to surprise me with it was really something.

And, the mirror scene. How many people wish they had thought of this for show and tell? And the kissing scene! HAHAHAHAHAHA. With the hat and the hair…. God that was funny. I'm still laughing just thinking about it! The only reason I'm giving it a 9 is because one small detail bothered me. How in the world did they come up with the song at the end? It was a little far-fetched which kind of clashed with the rest of the movie because the rest made sense… if you've seen the movie, you'll know what I mean.

And I cried! Twice! One time because I was touched and the other time because I was sad...

So, this is a FAMILY movie that is CLEVER, FUNNY, SAD, TOUCHING. I highly recommend this if you're hanging out with your younger sibling or if you are babysitting a 12 year old (not younger than 12 though because they might not get all the jokes...) They will LOVE it and so will you!

Mother (1991)

A very realistic picture on the life of Armenians after the genocide

[10/10 · 1 November 2009]

I am Armenian. Well… my father is Armenian and he was born and raised in France. He then decided to move to Quebec (Canada) to study but ended up staying here and bringing his parents. My mom is French-Canadian. I went to Armenian school and so I speak, write and read it. My grand-mother was one of the survivors of the genocide. She passed away a few months ago at the age of 98.

What does this have to do with the movie you ask? Everything. It has everything to do.

This movie made a lot of sense to me. Yes, the parts about the genocide were heartbreaking but I'm also speaking about the alienation the family feels after moving to France and how they try to adjust their values with the ones from this country they now live in.

Being Armenian and French-Canadian has caused me many headaches. And though today I am very proud of both cultures, the major differences between them sometimes still leaves me in a place of no man's land.

And the love we feel between the family members in the movie is VERY realistic.

After the genocide, it is love that saved the survivors from a life full of resentment. Sticking together and loving each other with all of their hearts and souls was the only way to move on.

Not forget. We can never forget.

But in order to put those dark days behind us and be happy again, we needed this love.

The way the parents genuinely sacrifice themselves for the happiness of their son is something I am very familiar with. My father did the SAME thing for me and for my brother. Armenian parents are like that.

But with this great generosity and unconditional love comes great expectations.

Of how we should live our lives. About what we need in order to be truly happy. And they care SO much. They literally live and breathe through us in a way. If we succeed, they succeed. If we are happy, they are happy. If we are sick, they are sick.

I'm not saying that if we fail, they fail. They are very supportive and as long as you do your best, they are always proud of you. And trust me when I say that we love our parents with all our hearts and are grateful for all that they did and all that they still do.

I am so proud to be Armenian. I am so proud of the strength of my people who not only lost everything and had to build from scratch but did it in the best possible way to give the children of tomorrow the chance to hope for something better.

But being Armenian gives you a responsibility. In memory of those who died but mostly, of those that survived and made it possible for YOU to be alive today. We have a responsibility to never give up on ourselves and on those who brought us into this world. And this feel of responsibility will be passed on to our children and so on. And as a child of the third generation, I find it sometimes hard to know what part of me wants what it wants because I really want it or because I know that this is what my family wants for me.

It's not a bad thing... but it's a thing and at the age of 26, I'm not done trying to figure it out.

So I guess this movie helped me in a way... It helped me understand myself. Understand where I come from. And where I'm going...