Stranger things is indeed a strange TV show. Yet, it is extremely interesting. It is the type of show that you can geek out on: it has all the elements: monsters, an alternate universe, a secret laboratory tied to the government, and missing children.
The acting (especially Winona Ryder) if delivered in a lighter plot would be almost comedic, but it works well for the setting and dynamics of the show which is suspenseful and a bit dark.
It does have some whimsy to it though, and that comes with the group of main children characters: Mike, Lucas and Dustin. When their beloved friend Will, disappears in Mirkwood, a woodsy dark area, they try to re-trace his steps and wind upon a strange, and interesting young girl named Eleven. El takes a temporary abode in Mike's basement, and speaks in single words. Soon enough, the boys realize that El has supernatural powers. She can teleport objects with her mind, and perform telekinesis to channel sound waves to hear Will who it turns out, is in another dimension.
Mike's sister, Nancy gets involved when her friend disappears into this dimension in a similar manner, and Will's brother Jonathan, won't stand to give up the search for his younger brother. Nancy and Jonathan form an alliance, and so do Jody, Will's mom (Wynona Ryder) and the Chief Town Police officer (Jim) after Jim shows much empathy remembering the loss of his own daughter a few years earlier.
I won't give away how they try to access this alternate dimension and deal with what awaits them, but if you have read the second sentence of this review and were curious, then yes. There are monsters.
What ironically sets Stranger Things apart from your typical bunch of sci-fi dramas, is the way you grow to care for the main characters, within the very first episode. It's as though you know them, and you can feel their pain and loss. Will feels like your very own brother.
My major conclusion though is if you enjoyed E.T., Signs, and Arrival, then you will most certainly enjoy Stranger Things. It's sci-fi, drama and adventure all packed into one.
Sunday, December 10, 2017
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Joy Luck Club
The Joy Luck Club is a powerful film. As an Indian immigrant to the country, I related a lot to the struggle all main characters had with reconciling their Asian identity/traditions with their Western ideals. Having the movie focus on the main characters relationships with their mothers, and then showing not only their own but their mothers' perspectives and their backstories is what sets this movie apart.
It's one thing to say, this is how I feel about some of the strange beliefs, paranoias and desires that my mom has, but another thing to then show how your mom came upon those traditions.
The movie spans three strong Asian American parents and how they ended up in US, and the hopes and dreams they carried with them. Their daughters have at some point struggled to relate to their parents' perspective. One daughter Waverly, always performed well in chess, but is turned off by how her mom shows off her ability to all her friends. She gets into an argument with her mom, and says that she never wants to play chess again. Her mom does not budge from her stance, and lets her make the independent decision. When Waverly decides she wants to play again, her mom remarks that it is not so easy to play once practice is lost. Waverly loses confidence from that point, and her mom's intentions, although always good, really hold a high regard in decisions she makes for better or worse. Her mom's back story *** SPOILER ALERT *** is that she built that toughness through being in an unfortunate situation in her youth where she was arranged to marry a pre-pubescent boy. She used superstitions and dramatics to convince her mother in law that the match was cursed and it would be fatal for her husband to get out of the situation. From that point she left China to build a better life for herself and her future child. When hearing that, you can admit that there is a reason she is tough on her daughter to understand how lucky she is to have the opportunity to practice such an art.
This is an example of the type of stories that the movie covers. It's an intriguing film that examines that there is often a why before a how, and how the lives of your parents can often affect your own.
Friday, October 20, 2017
Indian Movie
I have somewhat of an issue with the premise of this movie.
SPOILERS BELOW.
It seems to me that the assaulter in this movie is ironically more of the victim, and the people at fault had gotten away with a crime that nobody feels happy about (including them).
Long story short, the movie is about a man whose daughter gets harassed by one of her classmates, who threatens to post a video of her changing on youtube. What will it take to stop him, her having intercourse with him.
He leads her to a point where she is vulnerable, and she tells her mom about the situation. Her mom's reaction is where the movie becomes over-dramatic. The mom, instead of calling the cops, or even his parents, proceeds to sob and is almost close to yielding to his desire. Meanwhile the daughter finds a club, and in an attempt to smash his phone with the video, ends up clubbing his head instead. The kid dies, and now the family has to cover up this murder scene.
The father steps in, covers all tracks and creates a story that implies the family was traveling during the time of the murder. They are still suspects in the eyes of a couple of cops. The first is one who literally sees the father drive the boy's yellow sports car and the second is the mom of the boy, who is also the head of Police of the state. The family is abused to speak the truth, but no one lets up.
When the youngest girl of the family agrees to show the buried body, they find a dog's instead. The father really covers up the tracks.
The hindi movie element here is that the father learns all of these murder tracking skills through watching movies.
At the end, the father intelligently calls upon the media during unveiling of the dead dog's body to reveal the family's unwarranted abuse by the police department. The Police of the state is suspended, and the cops are all fired.
Eventually the father meets with the ex-Police of state and her husband to not so indiscreetly admit that his family did commit the murder. There could have been a recording there! But alas, this is a Hindi movie.
That's the story. Think what you will, but it is decent in terms of suspense and flawed in terms of premise.
That's my verdict.
SPOILERS BELOW.
It seems to me that the assaulter in this movie is ironically more of the victim, and the people at fault had gotten away with a crime that nobody feels happy about (including them).
Long story short, the movie is about a man whose daughter gets harassed by one of her classmates, who threatens to post a video of her changing on youtube. What will it take to stop him, her having intercourse with him.
He leads her to a point where she is vulnerable, and she tells her mom about the situation. Her mom's reaction is where the movie becomes over-dramatic. The mom, instead of calling the cops, or even his parents, proceeds to sob and is almost close to yielding to his desire. Meanwhile the daughter finds a club, and in an attempt to smash his phone with the video, ends up clubbing his head instead. The kid dies, and now the family has to cover up this murder scene.
The father steps in, covers all tracks and creates a story that implies the family was traveling during the time of the murder. They are still suspects in the eyes of a couple of cops. The first is one who literally sees the father drive the boy's yellow sports car and the second is the mom of the boy, who is also the head of Police of the state. The family is abused to speak the truth, but no one lets up.
When the youngest girl of the family agrees to show the buried body, they find a dog's instead. The father really covers up the tracks.
The hindi movie element here is that the father learns all of these murder tracking skills through watching movies.
At the end, the father intelligently calls upon the media during unveiling of the dead dog's body to reveal the family's unwarranted abuse by the police department. The Police of the state is suspended, and the cops are all fired.
Eventually the father meets with the ex-Police of state and her husband to not so indiscreetly admit that his family did commit the murder. There could have been a recording there! But alas, this is a Hindi movie.
That's the story. Think what you will, but it is decent in terms of suspense and flawed in terms of premise.
That's my verdict.
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Wonder Woman (2017)
Wonder woman blew me away. It was amazing. Every single part of it was crafted to perfection. From the main character, to the story, to the complexity, to pretty much every single detail.
The story takes place during World War II. But when the movie opens, we are introduced to the Amazonian people, all of whom are women warriors. Diana, who is the Warrior Queen's daughter has an appetite for fighting from a young age, and although her mother tries to protect her from it, Diana relents. The Queen's sister sees this, and trains Diana to be strong.
I wouldn't exactly say the story is unpredictable or that it does not have the checklist which a typical action movie would have: action, explosions and some serious kicking butt, but what sets this movie apart is its heart, and the pure goodness of Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman can be seen as a symbol of our time, with women rights being in the forefront of today's top social issues. Also, the fact that she fights better than all the men. She raises the beacon of hope and shines, gaining the support of the truly good around her.
She also brings out the best in CIA agent Steve, who falls in love with her and becomes inspired to be even more proactive in the war.
Here is an amazing story: inspiring, entertaining and maybe with a social/political message?
You can gain respect from those around you, and you can make a difference even if you're an outlier or minority. Only question is: can you be as strong as wonder woman?
The story takes place during World War II. But when the movie opens, we are introduced to the Amazonian people, all of whom are women warriors. Diana, who is the Warrior Queen's daughter has an appetite for fighting from a young age, and although her mother tries to protect her from it, Diana relents. The Queen's sister sees this, and trains Diana to be strong.
I wouldn't exactly say the story is unpredictable or that it does not have the checklist which a typical action movie would have: action, explosions and some serious kicking butt, but what sets this movie apart is its heart, and the pure goodness of Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman can be seen as a symbol of our time, with women rights being in the forefront of today's top social issues. Also, the fact that she fights better than all the men. She raises the beacon of hope and shines, gaining the support of the truly good around her.
She also brings out the best in CIA agent Steve, who falls in love with her and becomes inspired to be even more proactive in the war.
Here is an amazing story: inspiring, entertaining and maybe with a social/political message?
You can gain respect from those around you, and you can make a difference even if you're an outlier or minority. Only question is: can you be as strong as wonder woman?
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Spartacus
Spartacus is extremely graphic -- blood, and intercourse throughout the entire series. It is entertaining, but more so has a sense of underlying themes:
1. Men going to full lengths to protect their women (and seek vengeance for them).
2. Roman empire feasting on power, with every senator acting to further his own ambitions and not doing what is best for the republic
3. Spartacus's one notable comment, "every man, woman and a child has a right to freedom" -- a concept way beyond his time, yet that which makes his character not just a visceral vengeance-seeking gladiator, but a visionary for his time and people.
The characters in Spartacus are pretty flat, but there is plenty of political intrigue and war depicted to make up for that. The best part of the series is quite literally the cool references to roman culture and mythology. Also the code of ethics for battle, and maybe a glimpse into the sad but clamored lifestyle of a gladiator.
If you thoroughly enjoyed 300 and Troy, Spartacus might be worth a watch.
It could definitely be better television - with dynamic characters, and more emphasis on the plot than gore and violence, but it can definitely satisfy guilty pleasure needs.
1. Men going to full lengths to protect their women (and seek vengeance for them).
2. Roman empire feasting on power, with every senator acting to further his own ambitions and not doing what is best for the republic
3. Spartacus's one notable comment, "every man, woman and a child has a right to freedom" -- a concept way beyond his time, yet that which makes his character not just a visceral vengeance-seeking gladiator, but a visionary for his time and people.
The characters in Spartacus are pretty flat, but there is plenty of political intrigue and war depicted to make up for that. The best part of the series is quite literally the cool references to roman culture and mythology. Also the code of ethics for battle, and maybe a glimpse into the sad but clamored lifestyle of a gladiator.
If you thoroughly enjoyed 300 and Troy, Spartacus might be worth a watch.
It could definitely be better television - with dynamic characters, and more emphasis on the plot than gore and violence, but it can definitely satisfy guilty pleasure needs.
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Moonlight (2016)
Moonlight is a profound film.
It is a real work of art. It is the only movie I have seen so far in which the main character could be a metaphor to your own self, and your journey.
Little is a gay black kid growing up in Florida a few decades ago. The crack scene is high, even his mother has caught on to it. The one inspiration he looks up to is the neighborhood crack dealer (played by Marsharsha Ali) who takes the kid as his own and looks after him.
It is hard to personify Little, other than to say, he could be all of us in hard situations. He is extremely self-withdrawn and unconfident.
The situation doesn't improve as his mom's addiction becomes a lifestyle, and he is more and more bullied at school. He finds comfort in talking to his friend, Kevin, who is more outgoing.
Kevin offers Little, now Black his first sexual experience in high school, and although in a better life, this is too young and a bad decision, Black finds true happiness in discovering who he really is in that scene.
As an adult, Black evolves into a drug dealer, and decides to face his past, to remedy his present and future...
This movie is really a character study. It is worthy to note a couple of things:
1. The character's real name is not what he is often referred to, showing the transition of identity, but the difficulty in pealing layers to reveal one's true nature.
2. It is hard to kick bad habits, but easy to lose the ones we love.
It is a real work of art. It is the only movie I have seen so far in which the main character could be a metaphor to your own self, and your journey.
Little is a gay black kid growing up in Florida a few decades ago. The crack scene is high, even his mother has caught on to it. The one inspiration he looks up to is the neighborhood crack dealer (played by Marsharsha Ali) who takes the kid as his own and looks after him.
It is hard to personify Little, other than to say, he could be all of us in hard situations. He is extremely self-withdrawn and unconfident.
The situation doesn't improve as his mom's addiction becomes a lifestyle, and he is more and more bullied at school. He finds comfort in talking to his friend, Kevin, who is more outgoing.
Kevin offers Little, now Black his first sexual experience in high school, and although in a better life, this is too young and a bad decision, Black finds true happiness in discovering who he really is in that scene.
As an adult, Black evolves into a drug dealer, and decides to face his past, to remedy his present and future...
This movie is really a character study. It is worthy to note a couple of things:
1. The character's real name is not what he is often referred to, showing the transition of identity, but the difficulty in pealing layers to reveal one's true nature.
2. It is hard to kick bad habits, but easy to lose the ones we love.
Lion (2016)
Here is a beautiful movie about self-identity and the struggle to address your past.
The main character Sar-oo (as he is called in the beginning) is a young boy living in the slums of Calcutta. He is close to his family, and one day gets lost. He finds himself, through a myriad of situations, eventually being adopted by an Australian couple and growing up there, having glimmers and nostalgia regarding his past.
His past is heavy and wrought with emotional sadness, but the one comfort Saroo finds is in the love he feels from his birth brother and mother during his childhood.
Nicole Kidman plays his adoptive mother, with a sense of real compassion and caring, sometimes so much so that it could destroy her.
Dev Patel plays the 25 year old Saroo beautifully, as a strong, empathetic person who feels it is right to connect with his birth mother and brother to let them know he is okay.
Rooney Mara plays his supportive girlfriend.
Overall this movie will make you cry. It won't leave you empty though.
It is a beautiful journey of a young man growing to find himself through reaching within to the depth of his past, and willing to face it in the future.
The main character Sar-oo (as he is called in the beginning) is a young boy living in the slums of Calcutta. He is close to his family, and one day gets lost. He finds himself, through a myriad of situations, eventually being adopted by an Australian couple and growing up there, having glimmers and nostalgia regarding his past.
His past is heavy and wrought with emotional sadness, but the one comfort Saroo finds is in the love he feels from his birth brother and mother during his childhood.
Nicole Kidman plays his adoptive mother, with a sense of real compassion and caring, sometimes so much so that it could destroy her.
Dev Patel plays the 25 year old Saroo beautifully, as a strong, empathetic person who feels it is right to connect with his birth mother and brother to let them know he is okay.
Rooney Mara plays his supportive girlfriend.
Overall this movie will make you cry. It won't leave you empty though.
It is a beautiful journey of a young man growing to find himself through reaching within to the depth of his past, and willing to face it in the future.
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