Did we make you wrong? “Lola” (“Lola vers la mer”, 2019)

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directed by Laurent Micheli
© 2019 Les Films du Losange. All Rights Reserved.

What would you do if your child told you they want to change their gender? I know a lot of people who say it’s just a phase or that it’s ridiculous and such children need help. There are also those who say that it’s absolutely okay for people to be transgender as long as those aren’t their own children. I’m not sure what’s worse – hating or ignoring. However, if you find it difficult to accept trans people, I recommend you to see this film. It tells the story of Lola (Mya Bollaers), who’s 18 and transgender. She’s not living with her parents since her father couldn’t tolerate his own son wishing to be a woman. One day, Lola’s mother dies and the girl and her father Philippe (Benoît Magimel) have a chance to see each other at her funeral. The man still cannot accept Lola’s decision and those two can’t communicate, even now. Catherine, the mother, had one last wish – she wanted her ashes to be dispersed to the North Sea. Both Philippe and Lola want to fulfil the wish, but at the same time they can’t stand each other. However, since they’re both horribly stubborn, they finally go together in a car full of hate, contempt and anger. First of all, I think both actors did a really good job and I was surprised that it was Mya’s debut on the big screen. Very promising! Second of all, I like productions where we have a chance to learn about both sides of the conflict. It’s not a film saying “you should all go and change your gender and people who don’t accept that are assholes”. Not at all. It shows how difficult it is for both the child and the parent. For the child, it’s a way to feel good in their body, to finally discover themselves. For the parent, it may feel like some kind of defeat, that they failed raising them or made some mistake. Both are scared and unsure about the situation, so the point is to communicate and make sure there’s mutual support. If you want to change your gender, obviously, it’s your choice and your body, but it’ll affect your loved ones, so don’t push them away from this process. If your child makes such decision, discuss with them as much as possible to make sure you both feel well. This film is a big bowl of food for thought and I hope a lot of you will decide to see it.

My rating: 6/10
S.

Some people are born just so they can be buried. “The Devil All the Time” (2020)

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directed by Antonio Campos
© 2020 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

I know that this film is based on the novel and I’ve been told that the book is much better. Well, it’s quite popular to say so about almost every film based on a book. So just so you know, I haven’t read the novel, but I’ve seen the film and I believe it’s very good. Perhaps I saw something different in it than the ones who’ve read the book and seen the film, but I was surprisingly satisfied, so I can’t complain. I wouldn’t like to tell you much about the plot, because I think you should discover everything yourselves, without even small spoilers. Everything takes place about 60-80 years ago in the USA where we follow several people and learn about their reality, life, family etc. It looks like a soap opera, where we have a narrator showing different people and telling us about them. From the very beginning you may feel uncomfortable, because even though the characters are acting natural, nothing seems to be normal. The atmosphere in this film is incredibly tense even if the action could be described as boring, I swear. I don’t know how they managed to do it, but they did and I’m totally thrilled. Anyway, at some point we understand that the protagonist is Arvin (Tom Holland), a man who has gone through hell when he was little and wants to make sure that nobody will ever hurt him or his loved ones. Unfortunately, despite being big-hearted, Arvin has to accept that in order to protect ourselves and live peacefully, we cannot always be good. The rest is for you to see. However, I have to tell you that this is probably the best production made in 2020 when it comes to acting. Absolutely marvellous performance done by Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson (that accent!), Bill Skarsgård – you may find compliments towards them very often, but there’s one actor who totally stole my heart and he’s Harry Melling. What that man did in this film is unbelievable. I had chills, so clap-clap-clap and please I want more such quality acting! And about the film… well… perhaps it will open some people’s eyes and make them realise that everything “good” we might believe in is actually the reason we all constantly fight with each other. And it’s up to you how you’ll understand my post and this film. 

My rating: 8/10
S.

I don’t wanna hide anymore. “Freaks” (2018)

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directed by Adam Stein & Zach Lipovsky
© 2018 Well Go USA Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

This is should be continued – that was my first thought after finishing “Freaks”. And I bet that if they decide to make a sequel, it’ll be even better than the first part. But first things first, the plot. The main character is little Chloe (Lexy Kolker), who’s 7 and living with her father Henry (Emile Hirsch). From the beginning you may feel that there’s something not right. They live in a devastated house with their windows covered. Soon we find out that Chloe is not allowed to go outside because, as her father says, bad people will kill her. But as you can imagine, the girl is very much curious about the outside world so she tries to find out as much as it’s possible about what’s happening on the other side of the door. Besides, she’s also having some visions, she sees ghosts and other disturbing things. Which means you, as a viewer, have to focus very much to understand what’s going on. Anyway, despite her father’s orders, Chloe decides to get out and… have ice cream. See? Sugar will kill you! But jokes aside, this film may seem too strange and you might want to turn it off after 30 minutes. I know, because I felt so. But then, everything changes and the story begins to make sense. *SMALL SPOILER* For those who’ve seen it, I can tell you that I was sure the girl has some mysterious illness, or she’s got some disorder etc. and what we’re watching is her way of perceiving the world. I guess the beginning was a little bit too complicated and that’s why I started having such thoughts. *END OF SPOILER* Still, the film gets much better at the end and I feel like they should continue it because that may become a quite decent sci-fi series, in my opinion.

My rating: 6/10
S.

My dear sister… “The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão” (“A Vida Invisível”, 2019)

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directed by Karim Aïnouz
© 2019 Sony Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Today, I’ve got a very surprising production for you. Before watching, I just read it’s about two sisters that get separated, which didn’t seem that exciting, to be honest. But from the moment I pressed “play”, my full attention was given to this story. Indeed, we follow two sisters, Guida (Julia Stockler) and Eurídice (Carol Duarte). Guida is the older sister who wishes to fall in love and live “happily ever after”. Her younger sister, however, is passionate about playing the piano and hopes to become a professional pianist. Despite their deep connection, at some point they get separated. Shortly speaking, the women’s father made them believe that one is living in Europe. The thing is that they are not that far away from each other because… both Guida and Eurídice are in Brazil. Yet, not knowing about it, they need to learn to live without the second one. I have to tell you that this story really touched my heart. It’s interesting because I don’t have siblings, so I’ll never know how it is to have such an important connection with my sister or brother. Still, I could really feel that watching the film. Not sure if it’s because of the way they wrote the characters or because both actresses did a marvellous job, but I was honestly moved. It’s a difficult story about the power of love towards our family. And no matter what happens in the future, our family members are still the ones we’ll keep in mind. Besides, Guida and Eurídice show how women support each other and how important it is for them to have a female friend, which is even more developed later in the film, but you’ll see, no spoilers! And of course the topic of patriarchy and how destructive it can be for the family life. All that in the 50s in Rio de Janeiro. I was honestly surprised how much this film hit me and how long I was reflecting on it after watching, so if you need an emotional rollercoaster with a very good script, wonderful actresses and a lot of food for thought, this one’s for you.

My rating: 8/10
S.

Who are you Amy? “Cuties” (“Mignonnes”, 2020)

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directed by Maïmouna Doucouré
© 2020 BAC Films. All Rights Reserved.

I’m aware of the fact that this film is incredibly controversial and a lot of you may not agree with what I’ll write in this post, but I hope you will stay open-minded and try to understand how I see this production. So, I think this film is actually very good. And before I try to defend it, I’d like to share a few words about the plot for those who haven’t heard of it. The main character is an eleven-year-old girl named Amy (Fathia Youssouf). She’s originally from Senegal, but she’s emigrated to Paris together with her mother and two brothers. Soon, her father is going to join them together with his second wife (in Senegal it’s acceptable for a man to have more than one wife). Amy’s family is very religious and the girl is trying to understand the world from their perspective. However, the life of a teenage girl living in Paris seems to be a lot different. Amy gets to know her female peers who’re addicted to their phones, social apps and following their idols, who may not be the best example for children. Amy begins living in two worlds – with a very conservative family and way too liberal friends. And now the drama… a lot of people have found this film disgusting, outrageous, way too sexual and made for pedophiles only. I’m afraid it’s not really like that. I agree that seeing such small girls acting like adult erotic dancers is disturbing and I didn’t feel comfortable watching it either. However, you must be living in a very nice place if you think that what’s presented in the film is not true. We’re living in the world were we expect such small girls to be either conservative adults following something they don’t fully understand or we let them be on their own so they get manipulated by everything that’s on the Internet. I believe this is not a film for pedophiles, it’s not a film for degenerates. It’s a film for us all to open our eyes and let children be children. But they can’t stay children without our support, because we’re constantly surrounded by incredibly influential stuff. Play a random music video or go to a random celebrity Instagram – we like being overly sexual in our times. And as long as it may not be harmful (although it sometimes is, but it’s another topic) for adults, children are watching that and trying to adapt. So instead of hating this production, go with your child, your grandchild, your sister/brother or some other child in your family and just show them how to be that child. I know you’re frustrated about what’s in this production, but I hope you’ll be equally frustrated about the reality as well. Congrats Madame Doucouré, you made a very controversial, yet good point.

My rating: 7/10
S.

The next scream you hear may be your own! “The Birds” (1963)

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directed by Alfred Hitchcock
© 1963 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Today, I’m taking you to the 60s to have a little chat with uncle Alfred. I have to admit that “The Birds” isn’t my favourite film by Hitchcock, but I definitely appreciate the effort and the amount of work they put into making it. Besides, films where animals show their dominance over people are simply satisfying for me, so I’m definitely going to recommend this one. The main character is Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), who walks into a pet store and gets mistaken for an employee. However, the man who asks her for help, Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), seems so charming that Melanie decides not to tell him the truth. Mitch is looking for a gift for his sister’s birthday and was considering buying lovebirds. In the end, he leaves with nothing, but Melanie do buy the birds and plans to deliver them to the man. She finds out that he’s left for his family’s farm in Bodega Bay, so there she goes. I’m not going to tell you exactly what happens next, but generally, everyone in that town becomes the victim of… birds. And no, not the lovebirds, all the possible wild birds you can imagine. If you think it’s ridiculous, well, it is. At least I perceive it this way. However, the whole film is a beautiful metaphor and a kick in our common human butt, I would say. I don’t want to say too much, because I think reading Hitchcock’s films can be quite tricky and entertaining, so try yourselves. Still, when you’ll be watching the film, try to pay attention to the special effects and the birds in particular. Some of them were made specially for this production, but you may not even notice that they aren’t real. Obviously, not all the birds were mechanical, so don’t be surprised to see actual living birds. And I’m sure that the special effects won’t be that exciting for some of you, yet try to remember it’s a film from the 60s. Making such a production then was like making another Marvel film in our times. Still, not to finish with too much sugar in this post, I think the screenplay was slightly dull, so that’s why it’s not one of my favourites. But since I’m a bit scared of birds, I can’t rate the film any lower, because I know they’re watching and I want to survive 2020. I recommend you to do the same.

My rating: 7/10
S.

I have another duty to my heart. “Mulan II” (2004)

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directed by Darrell Rooney & Lynne Southerland
© 2004 Walt Disney Home Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

Do you know that there’s a sequel to “Mulan”? But before you get too excited, it’s not as good as the first part. Yet still better than the 2020 version (I’m sorry, being honest). There will be some spoilers in the post, so if you haven’t seen “Mulan”, better watch it first. So SPOILERS begin. The second part is about what happened to Mulan after she saved China (how cool it sounds?). She’s engaged to Shang and those two are madly in love with each other. However, Mushu isn’t that thrilled about them getting married because if Mulan marries Shang, his ancestors will take care of her. Meaning that Mushu will lose his pedestal and get back to being a servant. Obviously, he doesn’t want that so his goal is to make Mulan and Shang break up. In the meantime, the Emperor asks the lovers to take his three daughters to Lord Qin, the ruler of Qui Gong kingdom. The Lord wants to begin a war with China and the only way to stop another battle is to connect those two families by marrying his sons to the Emperor’s daughters. And here the problem begins, because Shang wants to do the task and Mulan wants the Princesses to follow their hearts… Generally, there’s a bit more drama in this part, but it’s not such a horrible sequel. Mushu is still super funny, there are Yao, Ling and Chien-Po as well, Shang is still handsome and Mulan is still that brave and smart woman we all love. So if you haven’t seen it, I recommend you to check it out and spend some more time with those awesome characters. And I have two wishes: one – there won’t be a sequel to the 2020 version, and two – someone will remake the live-action adaptation, because Mulan deserves it. May Mushu and all the ancestors listen to my prayers!

My rating: 6/10
S.

When will my reflection show who I am inside? “Mulan” (1998)

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directed by Barry Cook & Tony Bancroft
© 1998 Buena Vista Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

I couldn’t stop myself from writing about the original “Mulan”, because I’m still incredibly frustrated about the newest adaptation. So no matter how old you are, you should definitely see this film. I remember I watched it several times when I was little, but in order to have a fresh and adult opinion, I rewatched it yesterday. And you know what? It’s an absolute masterpiece. In the animated version, Mulan is so adorably clumsy and awkward, yet she has a huge heart and loves her family more than anything. She cannot accept the fact that her father, as the only man in the family, has to go to war again, so she decides to take his armor and sword and take his place pretending to be a man. I mean, if that’s not a role model, I don’t know who is. And the most beautiful thing about it is that Mulan never gives up. No matter how hard all the trainings are, she keeps on going, because she feels responsible for her family and her country. I was and I still am moved by this story. Besides, the original “Mulan” was FUNNY. Yes, dear Disney producers in 2020, “Mulan” was FUNNY. And you took away her charm in the adaptation. Personally, I was laughing so hard and singing so loud watching the animation yesterday, that I bet my whole city heard me. The texts are marvellous in this one, especially those by Mushu and Grandma. I can’t imagine someone hating those two. Also, what’s important for me, “Mulan” was beautifully drawn and all the characters have something specific in their look which corresponds to their personality. Oh and Shang… Seriously, which little girl wasn’t in love with Shang? I guess only those who found Mulan more attractive. I don’t accept any other option. So to sum up, if you’re disappointed about the 2020 version, play the original animation and cheer up.

My rating: 9/10
S.

Where is everybody?! “Mulan” (2020)

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directed by Niki Caro
© 2020 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

This post will be full of pain, frustration and spoilers, so if you haven’t seen the new “Mulan”, I… don’t know what to tell you. I mean, I seriously wouldn’t like to recommend seeing it, because it’s simply a very bad adaptation, but on the other hand, I don’t want you to only read about it. So choose whatever is best for you. Okay, well… this was a nightmare for me. The only thing I found interesting is cinematography, because indeed, it looks amazing. But hey, Disney has money, great people and equipment, so no surprise. But the rest is literally a mistake, so here we go: uno – Mulan. In the animation, she was such a positive, energetic, bit sarcastic yet incredibly strong and proud woman. An absolute female role model. Here she’s got no personality and her funny way of being is gone. I’m not judging the actress, I’m judging the horrible character. Dos – Grandma, Mushu and Shang. What can I say? They are gone. Instead of grandma, Mulan has a sister, who does literally nothing. Instead of Mushu there’s a phoenix, which also does nothing. And instead of Shang there’s… nobody. Tres – Yao, Ling and Chien-Po. Do you remember those three adorable soldieries that were supporting Mulan? Well, there are some characters that should resemble them, but shortly speaking, they are gone as well. Mulan is absolutely alone. However, instead of all those wonderful characters, we get a witch. What for? No idea, except the fact that we’re living in the 21st century where people want to be overly politically correct so we have to have more women on the screen even if they absolutely don’t fit there. “Mulan” is about a woman surrounded by thousands of men and yet she’s the bravest and the smartest of them all. Isn’t that a wonderful story about the power of women? Naaaaah, let’s add a witch, who’s bad, then good, then dies and voilà, bye bye witch. Pointless! Okay, where was I… ah, cuatro – Mulan’s parents. They were the sweetest people ever in the animation and the father was incredibly crushed by his daughter’s getaway. In the adaptation, he’s like “oh she’s gone, but if we do something about it, she’ll be screwed even more, so yeah, whatever”. Horrible. Cinco (btw I’m counting in Spanish, so enjoy this free lesson with me) – almost no music from the original film. I watched “Mulan” (1998) as a child and I still remember the soundtrack, and I really hoped to hear it in the adaptation. Nope, not happened. I guess I could count with you till 10 or even more, but I guess those 5 points are the most frustrating for me, so I’ll stop. Anyway, I really wanted this film to be good, because I grew up watching animated “Mulan” and she’s my fictional role model, I swear. But instead, I got an emotionless story that is nothing like what I remember from my childhood. If you’ve seen it and you liked it, well, different tastes I guess. If you didn’t like it, let’s give each other a virtual hug. And if you haven’t seen it yet, better think twice. Mulan was born in 1998 and it should have stayed this way.

My rating: 2/10
S.

Better to be kind for a night than schmuck for a lifetime. “The King of Comedy” (1982)

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directed by Martin Scorsese
© 1982 20th Century Fox. All Rights Reserved.

You know that every director has his favourite actor to work with? Like, you can see that one person in almost every (or literally every) film made by them. One of those “couples” are Scorsese and De Niro. And you know what? It’s probably one of the best “celebrity couples” you can follow. Today, I’m recommending you a very specific comedy, which made me feel a lot of pity towards the protagonist, so if you’re highly emphatic, feel warned. Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) is a man in his 30s, who wishes to become a stand-up comedian. He’s absolutely convinced about his talent and predisposition to do this job. One day, he manages to meet Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis), a famous talk-show host and comedian. Even though Jerry is clearly trying to get rid of his psycho-fan, Rupert believes that the star wants to give him a chance. He keeps calling and visiting his office, but nothing seems to be working and Rupert doesn’t want to let go. What happens next is for you to see. But as I said, it is a comedy, but I felt so sorry for Rupert. I know, he’s a grown-up, he’s delusional, he thinks that everything comes easy, but there are people like that and I know they have their limits. At some point, they’ll open their eyes and get hurt a lot. Maybe I’m too emotional and empathic, as I said before, but this is how I felt watching this film. For me it’s an uncomfortable drama (which is good in this case) and I’d say it’s the grandfather of “Joker” (2019). Very similar story, different film style, yet same feelings. Perhaps my pity was intensified while watching “Joker”, but I guess it’s because Todd Philips had a different goal to reach with his production than Scorsese. Anyway, fun fact: when De Niro was preparing for his role, he decided to meet with one of his most annoying fans. He simply wanted to learn what it’s like from their perspective, which must have been really useful for the role. Imagine, you’re trying to catch your idol just to shake their hand or take a selfie and instead they ask you out for dinner to talk about another role. Some people are way too lucky in life.

My rating: 7/10
S.