This show feels like a bit of a throwback because, throughout its five seasons, it never feels “bigger”. Nowadays, even sitcoms have this phenomenon, as they get more seasons, they usually get more money, and with a bigger budget, they can go “out” and shoot on more locations, bring more guest stars, and things of that nature. This never happened for Kim’s Convenience; I guess because it has never gotten “too big”, but weirdly, that contributed to the unique charm and charisma this show has set from the beginning, and it upheld it until the premature end.

But it’s that simplicity, that fact this show always stayed grounded and never felt too big/polished, that worked for me the most. Kim’s Convenience is a simple story done right. Husband and wife, who emigrated from Korea to Canada, opened a convenience store. They have two kids and raised them as well as they can whilst having their business. The show starts with their son (played by Simu Liu) not being part of the family as he got in with bad people and has been through some stuff. That’s the basic premise of this comedic show with some dramatic elements; they tackle everything from racism and integration into different cultures to their children’s experience as first-generation Canadians, and all issues are viewed through a sense of humour that’s oddly relatable.

The best thing this show has is the perfect casting of the family unit. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee plays Mr. Kim (also known as Appa), and he portrays him so brilliantly. He knows when to lean into the stereotypical “stern dad” and when to take a step back and goes through some character growth throughout the show. Jean Yoon portrays Mrs. Kim (also known as Umma), and she compliments her on-screen husband beautifully; it’s hard to believe they aren’t together in real life. Her character isn’t just “his wife” or “his opposite”; she is a force to be reckoned with and has some funny moments and (later on) some truly touching real-life moments. Andrea Bang portrays Janet, their daughter, who has been dealing with a lot ever since her brother left home, and her parents fixated on her being perfect. That results in her often trying to overcompensate or overachieve in many areas. The already mentioned Simu Liu plays Jung, the son who is now back on the “right track”, but because of unresolved issues from their past, he can’t find his way back into the family.

Those four create the cornerstone of this show and complement/play off each other so well that it’s easy to like them from the first episode. Kim’s Convenience is such an easy watch because every problem this family goes through feels real. I am not a Korean emigrant, but I recognise many things from my family, and it’s through these shows we can see that there is more that unites us than divides us and how many things are universal and many people deal with the same things, no matter where they are from. And when most of those issues are viewed via this comedic lens, this show quickly becomes something you can watch five or six episodes in a row and not get bored. There are always a few great jokes in each episode or something that feels relatable and familiar that you quickly feel like you know this family.

What I appreciated is how, throughout the show, all main characters go through some character growth without losing their “id“. Without going into spoilers, Mr. Kim stays the same on the surface, but you can see him trying to be more understanding/forgiving of his children while examining his childhood. The same applies to Mrs. Kim, although her character goes through something more, but I won’t spoil that. Both Janet and Jung grow from young adults to full-blown adults, and they understand that it is time for them to start building their lives.

The only real issue is the cancellation of this show throughout season five. From what I understand, the creators thought they would have at least one more season, and they got cancelled halfway through shooting the fifth season, so they tried their best to give us some ending. However, it not only feels rushed (which I can’t blame them), there are many loose ends with three out of our four main characters as they all go through significant changes. I won’t even mention who, but honestly, I wish we would have gotten at least one more season, where Ins Choi and Kevin White (the creators of this show) would know from the start that this would be it, and they could plan everything around it. I don’t want everything tied up with a nice bow, far from it. But when we left Kim’s family, things were happening and I wished they would explore them further.

Also, I don’t think this is a spoiler; I wanted to see Jung interacting more with his family and spending more “quality time” together. One big theme of this show seems to revolve around forgiveness, and that gets explored mainly with Jung’s relationship with his dad and how those two want to talk to each other, but they both hurt each other in the past so much, there is so much “residue” they don’t know where to start reconnecting and how to do it. And towards the end, there was finally some progress, and I just wished we would have seen more of that because those scenes always felt special. As I said, the entire family had incredible chemistry, and it was easy to root for them.

The last thing I want to mention is that I liked how this show presented everybody as people. I just mentioned how easy it is to root for the entire family, but they still have issues. No character in this show is without their flaw(s), whether it is stubbornness, short temper, being overachiever, etc. But, it’s because of these flaws, not despite them; I rooted for this family even harder because I believe that’s the “secret” of their relatability. Think of it this way – you love your parents, grandparents, aunties, and uncles. But despite them being related to you, now, when you are an adult, can you say they have no flaws? They do, we all do, because that is what being human is. Some have minor flaws, and others might have bigger flaws, but we try to give them a break because they are family. I think that aspect is what Kim’s Convenience nailed the best, having characters going through character growth without making them into perfect human beings.

Overall, Kim’s Convenience is an easy, funny, and occasionally touching show, and I would recommend it highly. The “core four” performers are great, and their chemistry is wonderful. Even the side characters (Andrew Phung as Kimchee or Nicole Power as Shannon) are fun and get their time to shine as the show progresses. The only caveat I would have to give is if you want to watch this show, get ready for the ending that feels incomplete because it is. I can still hope that we might eventually get one more season, but I know it’s unlikely now (mainly due to Simu and Paul finding success with Star Wars and MCU), but one can always dream. Anyway, if you are looking for a great, chill show to watch, look no further.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

When I first watched a trailer for this movie, I thought I knew what I was in for. We have a boy, we have a heron, and it’s all going to be about this boy’s journey to deal with his mom’s death (I don’t think that’s a spoiler, given all the trailers and even the synopsis on IMDb mention that). And if I tried to be reductive, I would pat myself on the back and say that’s precisely what this movie is. The truth is, The Boy and the Heron is that, but it is so much more, and it goes into more complex stuff about life and death; I truly appreciate and respect this movie.

I am slowly going through Studio Ghibli movies, specifically anything by Hayao Miyazaki, who is, without a shadow of a doubt, a master of his craft and one of the key reasons many people love animated movies, as his ones deal with more complex issues. And they deal with adult issues by not spilling everything out. Instead, you have to go on a journey with each film and try to understand many tiny things so you can get the overall picture. It was this nuanced way of storytelling I had issues with when I watched some of Miyazaki’s movies during my teenage days, as I was not used to this unique way of telling stories. I am so happy that I watched this movie now when I “understand” and, more importantly, appreciate these movies much more, as this is your “stereotypical” Miyazaki. Many things happen, and at the same time, we get introduced to a plethora of quirky characters; it’s easy to get overwhelmed or try to understand this in a literal sense. But that’s not how you have to go about these movies, and my experience with The Boy and the Heron made it clear that I need to watch more Ghibli/Miyazaki movies, but most importantly, go back to the ones I had already seen and give them a second chance.

This movie is the perfect encapsulation of when you watch something, almost love it, and still need a second watch due to its complexity. The Boy and the Heron is visually a stunning, flawless movie. Every frame looks vivid and has a nice warmth to it. It’s also one of those “every frame a painting” films. You could pause this movie at any point, take a screenshot, print it out, frame it and hang it on your wall, and it would not be weird, as you would have stunning art on your wall.

It’s with its narrative I had a bit of an issue, despite understanding that I can’t “read” it literally. What I mean by that is I understood its themes and the main message about dealing with/processing the death of a loved one is needed and painful, but ultimately, you have to let go. This film gets much deeper into that aspect and how it’s unhealthy to live and cling to the past, and I loved that. We often see films dealing with the loss of someone, and our main protagonist is dealing with the “expected” things. But it’s only recently that movies and TV shows started to show this side of the grieving process and how crucial this aspect is too.

My only tiny criticism of the narrative aspect is that a few times, it felt like the ends justified the means. What I mean by that is there were several scenes where we jumped to the next one, and suddenly, we found ourselves entirely elsewhere. And that made the story a bit challenging to follow on an occasion or two. I am writing this fully aware that these films should not be taken literally, but you still need a certain narrative structure. But even that is just a tiny complaint, and I wouldn’t be shocked if it disappeared on repeat viewings.

Because that is ultimately the thing with The Boy and the Heron, I was so close to fully giving in and loving it. And the more films I see, the more I understand the importance of repeat viewings, especially with movies that feel like they are stacked with rich and complex themes. It won’t be a chore to watch this movie again (read, add this to my physical 4K collection, as I need to own this stunning movie in the best resolution we have right now), and I honestly can’t wait to rewatch it to sort out my thoughts about it. After only one screening in the cinema, I was close to loving it; I can’t wait to see how the second watch will go, knowing the main beats of this story.

Overall, The Boy and the Heron is a visually stunning movie with complex themes that will capture you and won’t let go. The movie was in the making since 2016, and you can tell how each little detail was made with care and love and that was something that translated into my cinema experience. And despite my tiny issue with some narrative choices, I can’t wait to rewatch it at some point and would strongly recommend it. If this movie wins the Best Animated Feature instead of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023, my review here), I wouldn’t be that shocked or even sad, to be honest, and I am writing that as someone who adores that movie to bits.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Like many, I had no idea this movie existed and was coming out in late 2023. But when a few moviegoers (online and some at my work) started to talk about how great this movie was, I knew I had to see it in the cinema for myself. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed, as Godzilla Minus One is by far the best Godzilla I have seen. This movie is smart; it looks realistic, pays homage to the original film from 1954 and makes us care about humans! I can just write this review about these points, not even talking about Godzilla; that is how you know this movie rocks.

The number one reason Godzilla Minus One works is the human element. We get this unique look at a failed kamikaze pilot who feels like his war isn’t over because he didn’t go through with his suicidal mission and “failed” at the last minute. And that was the fascinating part, how his life after the war is still defined by what he did (or specifically didn’t) do during it. Maybe the most surprising fact about Godzilla Minus One is that this film is one of the best and most honest war/post-war movies we have gotten in ages. Many movies have talked about this “phenomenon”, how if you fought in the war, the war is not over for you when “the last shot is fired”, and the baggage many have come back from the war with. Godzilla Minus One did this in a way I have never seen before. The themes of guilt and feeling like you shouldn’t have been the one to survive (especially if your job was literally to die for your country) are some of the strongest I have seen in ages.

Another thing I appreciated about this movie is how we get the sense of togetherness and people having to rely on each other rather than the government. In this movie, we see the government being not efficient enough due to them recovering from World War II. But also, even when somebody listens and sends ships to help out against Godzilla, they are nothing but another thing for Godzilla to break. There was this aspect of the “common men” having to make a stand, even though it might have felt pointless to fight back against something as big and deadly as Godzilla, the ultimate “David vs Goliath” story.

And that brings me back to the “main star”, Godzilla… herself? Itself? Himself? Anyway, this Godzilla is lethal. Where the US versions lost their edge with this character was to make it more “buddy” like; for us to believe it could ever be on our side, just give it a chance, man! But this one feels like this evil God-like creature that is only interested in destruction. Every time Godzilla is on the screen, you feel a sense of dread, urgency and almost horror at times due to this monster being… well, monster-like. Godzilla faces little to no challenges, and that makes it terrifying.

What brings that element to life properly is, of course, the CGI. And here is where I will bring nothing new to the discussion, but I will just point out the obvious – the CGI here is awesome. This Godzilla doesn’t look smooth; it feels scaly, real and humongous. And whilst you can tell the people behind this movie are paying homage to the original film (Godzilla looks a bit rubbery at times), it never bothered me! I could forgive the occasional scene here and there because everything else felt so real that I didn’t care. Not only that, I loved that decision, alongside this movie utilising the same Godzilla sound effect! And to top it all off? This movie’s estimated budget is $15 million! Not $100, not $150 million…! This is what I and many others have been screaming about for ages now; there is no excuse for piss-poor CGI. Especially if your movie’s budget is around $150 – $200 million (looking at you, Disney!), give those poor CGI artists more time and money and let them do what they do best. Godzilla Minus One is a prime example of how we could get more movies like this.

My only tiny issue is with the very ending, and I am talking about the very last minute. I won’t go into spoilers, but let me just say there is a character that shouldn’t be alive. Now, was my tiny heart happy that this character was there? Sure. But my brain took over and managed to pull me out just a bit, so I understood that this specific character shouldn’t be there. But that’s a tiny complaint; I can see myself rewatching this movie and not caring about this detail as much. Because even though it doesn’t fit “logically”, it kind of fits thematically. This will be a fascinating rewatch, and I have a feeling it will bother me less, if at all.

Overall, Godzilla Minus One is a surprise that came out of nowhere and managed to do several things right. In an age where we have seen many war movies, here’s one war movie with a different look at the “survivor’s guilt”. In an age of CGI-fest movies that cost way too much and look… not great, here’s one that costs less than one A-lister’s salary and looks cool, exciting and feels real. But most importantly, in an age where we have seen several US Godzilla movies, we get Godzilla Minus One, and it shows us how it’s done and how to get us to care about the human characters whilst delivering kick-ass action and emotional moments. If you can, watch this movie in the cinema, on the biggest screen possible.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Movies like May December are one of the main reasons I fell in love with films. It is through this medium we can see and almost inspect different, uncomfortable topics with some distance whilst clearly seeing how damaging it can be for the people involved. And how that damage that pain can go months or even years without being felt until something happens and reminds you that what you went through isn’t “normal” or “fine”.

I rarely do this, but I need to include a plot summary, as I don’t think this movie is talked about enough and given its subject matter, the rest of my review would be as clear as mud if I didn’t, so:

Middle aged Gracie lives a happy, well settled life with her husband. Some years ago she was involved in an unsavory scandal but for her it is all in the past. Movie actress Elizabeth is on a visit to this home and she is on a mission. This visit is a part of her preparation to play the role of Gracie in a movie being made. As she goes about talking to the family members Gracie wonders whether Elizabeth will uncover some secrets from her past and will some skeletons be revealed.

Official plot summary, source IMDb.com

Reading through the summary now, it still keeps it vague, but I don’t think it’s a spoiler to write that the “unsavoury scandal” was a statutory rape. Gracie (portrayed by Julianne Moore) seduced her now husband (played by Charles Melton), who was 13 at the time. And if that “wasn’t enough”, she became pregnant with his child and gave birth to it (the first kid out of three). As it happens, this became a media sensation at the time, and now, 20+ years later, a high-profile actress (portrayed by Natalie Portman) comes to stay and spend some time with the family, as she is making a movie about that. And it quickly becomes apparent how everything is… just “a bit” off.

This is where May December started to slowly win me over as we explored this fucked up situation from multiple angles. From the “obvious” one as to how someone’s life looks like when they were raped by someone much older than him, why would someone stay with that person, to less obvious things like our (society’s) involvement by making this “couple” into almost stars? Portman’s character serves as this reminder of how you might have gone into something with good (?) intentions or the “it’s just another job” mindset, but it really is not. Her involvement and then the transformation into Gracie is unsettling. Both she and Julianne Moore were outstanding in this movie, but it is Charles Melton who stole this film from them.

This is weird, given Portman and Moore are two Oscar winners and would probably make TOP 10 of the best actresses we currently have working. But it’s Charles’s tender performance, full of nuance and heartbreaking moments, giving this movie its gravitas and showing you how damaging something like this would have been. Unfortunately, you still see this stereotype when things like this happen in real life; many don’t consider what happens to the boy, especially if the woman is considered “hot”. But if we swap genders, suddenly, everyone takes it more seriously. I am not saying it’s standard, but I think we all have seen the defence of: “Well, the boy might have been a bit young, but hey, she’s good-looking, so he probably didn’t protest too much.” And that’s so not the point. That is where this movie won me over because when it starts, you feel all kinds of icky. But the more you watch and spend time with his character, the more you understand his complexity. How he has this bottled-up anger and sadness, and there are moments when it seems like he wants to get away from Gracie, but her grip on him is just too powerful. What an outstanding performance by all, but mainly Charles Melton.

I also couldn’t help but think about Funny Games (1997) while I watched this movie. If you are not familiar, Funny Games is a very uncomfortable movie about home invasion. And something happens halfway through that movie that kind of shifts the blame onto us, the audience. Maybe I am reading too much into this, but I felt like May December does the same thing, albeit it doesn’t break the fourth wall; it does more indirectly. When you start this film, you will probably ask yourself: “Why does this movie exist?” And as you watch it, the movie almost tells you it’s because of us. When stuff like this happens in the real world, we track it, buy tabloids about it and follow the story as if it were just another soap opera. What we often forget is that there are real people behind those articles, and one of them didn’t consent to anything as they couldn’t because they were underage. It would be easy to say that it’s all the media’s fault and those pesky actors who choose to act in these movies (and this film definitely says that), but there wouldn’t be any movie if the general audience didn’t care enough about the story. It’s all kinda twisted, icky thing, and if I were to rewatch it again, I would appreciate it even more.

Overall, May December is a movie that starts a bit slowly, but once you understand everything and get into the story, you are hooked. It’s a performance piece for three actors; it’s a complex movie about an uncomfortable topic, and I think and hope it’s a conversation starter. The film asks us very unpleasant questions, such as whether we should scandalize cases like these and (some) should really reconsider the “Well, a boy has to learn and was lucky she was good-looking.” defence that was never appropriate. This movie has a lot to say and will stay with you; I would 100% recommend it to everyone, despite its icky subject.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

I believe Air was the first “big” movie to have come out directly to a streaming platform in 2023, and I remember hearing great things about it. But since I don’t follow the NBA, neither have I own Air Nike, I wasn’t in a big rush to see this movie until now. As every movie lover knows, the end of a year is when you try to cram and see as much as possible to make your list, gather your thoughts and get some potential Oscar candidates watched, so I finally got around to watching the “shoe movie”. Not surprisingly, it’s much more than that.

This movie is a biopic through and through, so there isn’t much to be surprised by at this point, since we have had so many and keep getting more each year. The only real surprise for me was just how much I enjoyed it, as Air made me invested and almost worried whether or not Nike made it. It’s one of those rare biopics where literally everyone who watches it knows what happens; it’s impossible to find someone who has never heard of Nike or Michal Jordan. Even I, who isn’t into basketball and again never owned Nike shoes, have known about this combination and how successful they have been. But Air takes you back to the 80s so well that you are willing to forget about the juggernaut Nike had become since and gladly watch Nike, the almost underdog, trailing both to Converse and Adidas.

I think the main reason is Ben Affleck (one of the stars and director of Air) not only lived through the 80s, but for him, it was the formative decade, as he was born in 1972, so he matured throughout that decade and succeeded where other “nostalgia trip” movies didn’t. He didn’t try to emulate the 80s; he recreated the 80s. And not just with the constant music, hair, wardrobe etc. It was mainly the feel, the vibe of the 80s he managed to recreate that decade as he remembered it, and that helped massively.

Another thing that I wasn’t ready for was just how funny this movie is. Here is the thing; when you make a movie about how a shoe company signed a future megastar, it’s not as thrilling because we know how it ends. But if you take us back and make it funny without overdoing it, now you have something on your hands. There are many funny moments in this movie, but my favourite ones must be the phone conversations between Matt Damon and Chris Messina as they are not only hilarious but from the first phone call, you get their entire love-hate relationship.

Speaking of actors, I thought Damon did a great job; Affleck was clever to give himself a role where his character stood out but didn’t have many scenes. The two performers who stood out above the rest for me were Chris Tucker and Viola Davis. Writing “another great performance by Viola Davis” seems redundant at this point, as she is on the same level as Meryl Streep, in my eyes. No matter what she does, she is always the standout in pretty much every movie and has been for a while now. In Air, she plays Jordan’s mom (personally picked by Jordan himself!), and she plays her so well, you know from the first minute what she is about, but mainly, she is the mom everyone would want to have in their corner. It’s been almost a decade since Tucker was in anything, but damn, I missed him. I don’t think I have ever seen him as great as he was in this movie, but that might be because I usually think of him as the “funny, goofy guy”. Well, this Chris Tucker is more than that, and I am here for this part of his career.

I also liked the decision that we, the audience, never see Michael Jordan. Respectively, we never see his face. I know the official reason (Ben Affleck saying nobody could play Michael but Michael because he is that famous, so he didn’t want to cast anybody younger so we would not have to suspend our disbelief), but I would like to think it also fits thematically. The movie is about him, but in a way, it’s not. It’s about Nike and their rise and his family (mainly his mom) making the decision(s) for him because he wasn’t “the Michael Jordan”. He was still a young player like thousands before him, hoping to be the “next big thing”. So I liked how us not seeing his face works on that level, as he isn’t fully in control of his life yet, and he has got everything in front of him.

The only bad thing I can say against Air is that the ending lost a bit of steam. There were a few scenes where I thought the movie was about to end, and it kept going. I understand going against the biopic expectations and not ending your film on the “win”, which in this case is closing the deal (spoiler, but not really). But there is a reason movies and mainly biopics tend to end on that note, as everything that happens after, no matter how meaningful, is not as impactful. But that’s only a tiny criticism; I can’t say that the ending was bad or it spoiled my enjoyment of this movie; all I am saying is, maybe if it lingered less and managed to cut out about ten minutes, you would have a perfect biopic on your hands.

Overall, Air is a great movie that manages the impossible. It makes you care whether or not a shoe company signs a future superstar. And not just any shoe company and not any superstar. Air puts you back in time before Nike was the giant it is, and Michael Jordan’s career was about to begin and, therefore, blow up. And when you make an almost two-hour movie out of that, and it manages to make you laugh, care and hold your attention for the majority of its runtime, something is right. Air is definitely worth watching.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

One of the most fascinating things for me is when a movie gets only one Oscar nomination. And it’s not as rare as one might think, as a quick Google search gives me at least 40+ different films (and they range from Grease (1978), Full Metal Jacket (1987), and The Mummy (1999)) to this movie. My silly and unachievable goal is to watch every film ever made. But my second, much more achievable goal is to watch every Oscar-nominated movie for every feature-length category. And Pieces of a Woman earned its only Oscar nomination for Vanessa Kirby. After watching this film, I concur and will say that the 2021 Oscars was a packed year (Frances McDormand got her third Oscar, but Carey Mulligan, Andra Day and Viola Davis were all nominated alongside Vanessa). I still haven’t seen Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020), but it’s on my list, so I can’t judge it properly, but honestly… I am not sure whether I would choose Frances over Vanessa or Carey.

And that’s not to say that Pieces of a Woman only relies on Vanessa. There are many different aspects and performers that make this movie unforgettable, but… Vanessa Kirby is exquisite in this movie. Her character and performance hover over everyone in this film, and that is saying something. Her character is complex and, at times, can feel detached, but Vanessa makes these tiny decisions and has such expressive eyes that you can see the pain, the heartbreak, the way she hasn’t processed her grief properly… Pieces of a Woman is not a cheery film, but I will recommend it, if for nothing else, than for you to see Vanessa’s performance.

The movie opens with a disastrous home birth, and that opening scene lasts 20 minutes. It is seemingly shot with no cuts, putting you directly into the “action”. And as everything starts to get uncomfortable, the movie never lets go, making you part of it, so from the very beginning, you are in it. You feel uncomfortable and probably shook a bit, but that scene is a masterpiece. I strongly suspect that 10/15 years from now, it will be shown in film schools, as it’s a great example of how to establish everything – the story, stakes, characters… Everything is set from that scene and is done masterfully.

The rest of the movie is a fascinating story about how losing a baby (if you didn’t get it by my “disastrous home birth sentence” sentence) can and will shake up everything and everyone. This film felt authentic by showing us how different people deal with loss. Some want to blame somebody else (like Ellen Burstyn‘s character), others try to process it but don’t know how (Shia LaBeouf‘s character) and then there are people like Vanessa, who needs her time and space and shuts down. And by doing this, alienating everyone. And again, if you decide to watch this movie, brace yourself for characters who can be really hard to root for. But here is why that opening scene had to be shot like that, for maximum impact – to make you part of the story, for you to feel like this just happened to you. The movie effectively forces you to ponder this uncomfortable question: “How would I react if this was me? Would I want to sue? Would I rage?” Pieces of a Woman is a movie that’s not afraid to “go there”, and I respect that.

Since I have already mentioned them, it’s worth noting that both Ellen Burstyn and Shia give superb performances. I will repeat what I wrote in my review for The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019, my review here) – it’s a shame that Shia, by all accounts, isn’t the “best person”, to put it mildly, because he’s got the talent. He goes toe-to-toe in this movie with Vanessa and is probably the closest person who can match her incredible performance. In another reality, he would have been one of the most sought-after actors with at least one or two Oscars to his name. It’s a shame that, in this reality, he seems to have temper and ego issues, and I hope he can change.

The film itself loses just a bit of steam in the middle. Maybe it’s the fact that the opening scene is such a strong one the rest of the movie fades, albeit only a tiny bit, in comparison, but the moment we found ourselves in the court, that is where this film cemented itself for me. And that was where Vanessa underlined her performance, where she is forced, under oath, to come to terms with everything… It’s a heartbreaking scene. And the “apple” reveal (without spoiling anything) will crush you. Surprisingly though, the movie ends on a hopeful note, and the metaphor comes a full circle, but that doesn’t negate the fact that Pieces of a Woman will be one of those films you might never want to rewatch again.

Overall, Pieces of a Woman is a near-perfect drama with one exquisite performance by Vanessa Kirby. If you (like me) know her mainly from the Mission: Impossible franchise, do yourself a favour and watch this film to see just how talented she is and why she should be one of the busiest actresses around. The rest of the movie is this almost quiet meditation about grief and different (un)healthy ways of dealing with it, whilst the movie asks you what you would have done. And that’s a question nobody wants to answer, let alone think about. If you like challenging, draining movies, this one is for you.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

As Martin Scorsese gets older, he gets better, and his understanding of life, cinema and things around him seems to reach new heights. Throughout his unbelievably long and successful career, he was always fascinated with morality and bad people, showing them to us so uniquely that many (to this day) believe that he somehow glamorises gangsters and crooks. That couldn’t be far from the truth, and Killers of the Flower Moon is another jewel in that specific jewellery box full of flawed characters, corruption, and murders, but underneath all that, humanity.

This film was something extra from the first minutes; Scorsese’s affinity for old cinema shines through as he mixes the visuals of the days past (4:3 aspect ratio along with title cards instead of dialogue for a few scenes) and then swiftly goes “modern”, showing us stunning visuals, many of which you could frame and put on your wall. But he understands (and it seems like he almost feels) that he has a duty to tell this story “right”. This true story of Native Americans getting rich only to be screwed by white people is as old as America. But, in this story, we have this unique element. The focus is on the marriage of two characters from different worlds, Ernest (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mollie (Lily Gladstone). He is an older white man who came back from the war; she is a Native American woman who is suspicious of him at first, but eventually, they fall in love and marry each other. And despite his character plotting behind her back to kill her and her entire family, he… loves her? Talk about murky waters.

That is the main crux of this film. Killers of the Flower Moon shows us this naïve, one could almost say stupid, character portrayed by Leonardo and how he is nothing else but a pawn in this game of death chess controlled by his uncle, played by Robert De Niro. Both put on one of the best performances of their careers, especially in De Niro’s case; I don’t think I have seen him at this level for over a decade. He is truly a menacing driving force behind everything that happens in this film, and the way he manipulates every one around him and pretends to be “the best friend” of Native Americans in this movie is chilling. Leonardo also delivers a great performance, but he, by default, needs to shine slightly less, as it’s not his usual larger-than-life performance piece. It’s more nuanced, where you see in this man throughout this movie that deep down, he loves his wife and knows what he is doing to her family is wrong. But he is too weak to stop, to stand up to his uncle and do what he thinks is best. You need Leo firing at all cylinders for this film to hit you because he might be one of the most complex characters ever, as he needs to convince you how someone can claim to love his wife whilst doing everything he’s told against her and her family. I thought Leo nailed it because, in the end, I had no doubts that he wasn’t a great person (the real-life Ernest). But also, I had no doubts about him loving his wife and how his simple mind helped him separate these two things.

But, the main star of this movie and the person you will remember the most is Lily Gladstone. Famously, she was applying for an IT job, as she thought there would never be any big break in her career when she got the email to read for Martin Scorsese via Zoom. Lily puts everything she has and then some into this film and leaves a piece of herself in this movie. Her performance was stellar, from the beginning, where we see her lower her defences to Leo’s charm, throughout her “sickness” scenes where she transformed to the bitter end. Her character had so many memorable and powerful scenes that you will remember her, and I am sure she will be a front-runner for the Oscars next year. And deservedly so. I am happy she finally got her big break and hope to see her in many more movies to come, even though an IT career is nothing to be ashamed of (as someone who works within that sector ;-)).

I also loved the ending, better said, the last two minutes or so. And even though I wouldn’t consider it a spoiler per se, I will not reveal what I am talking about because I wasn’t expecting how this movie finished, so I want you to have the same “surprise”. Looking back at it now, it makes so much sense, given how the movie started and how Marty took everything about this film seriously. There is a fine line between being a “white saviour” and giving voice to the voiceless. I thought this movie (and therefore, Martin Scorsese) never crossed it, and it fulfilled the purpose of this film, highlighting how much this community suffered. And the way he does it throughout the movie is excellent, but the last two minutes just underline it and make it more meaningful.

The only reason I am holding off on the highest rating is simple. I don’t know whether it was the runtime or something else, but something didn’t click with me fully. This movie is so dense I will have to rewatch it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if, during my rewatch, I would appreciate it much more. Killers of the Flower Moon is definitely one of those you can’t “digest” all in one sitting, as the movie is complex, and I think it’s almost mandatory to go back and immerse yourself in this world again to appreciate it fully. Therefore, I wouldn’t even consider this as a critique; this was me possibly missing something, and I know I will rewatch it to formulate my thoughts better. But I already know how much I have enjoyed it, so there is little to no doubt this will go up higher in my rankings upon multiple rewatches.

Overall, Killers of the Flower Moon is one of the most fascinating, raw and beautifully haunting movies Martin Scorsese has ever made. It takes its time to establish everything; it isn’t afraid to show you complex characters whilst relying on your understanding that this movie never justifies anything these people did to the Native Americans. There is a difference between glamorizing and showing you how a person thinks, and Scorsese proved yet again why he is the master of these complex, dark characters. I wish he has many more years left and he gets to make movies he wants to make.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke