2022 in Movies #7: rom-coms and 2022 releases

There might be another post tomorrow, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to finish it on time, so I’m going to take this opportunity to say: Happy new year! I hope 2023 is filled with wonderful things for all of you and that your goals and dreams come true.

Now, this is my final post talking about the movies I watched in 2022. I’m really glad that I managed to review every single one of the 50 movies I watched this year on the blog: 2022 in movies #1, #2, #3,#4, #5, and #6. And I’m happy to share my thoughts on the last batch of movies:

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (4.5 stars): This is my first Almodóvar film and I’ll be watching more. This movie is chaotic but in the best way, because it’s captivating. It tells the story of a group of women that feel powerless and overwhelmed, in one way or another, because of men and it’s about them having breakdowns, being messy, and reacting a little bit outlandishly to the situations they are put in. In terms of color palette and aesthetics, every choice in this movie feels so intentional, everything looks so beautiful and it’s a style that works so well with the story its telling. Overall, a great movie.

Enola Holmes 2 (4 stars): This was just as fun as the first one. Millie Bobby Brown does a great job as Enola Holmes in this sequel, I really liked that we got to see more Sherlock and more of Enola’s relationship with her brother, and also the little bit of romance in this was really cute. I think the way this is told, breaking the fourth wall adds to how fun this is to watch and in terms of the mystery, I really appreciated how it highlighted a real historical figure that did so much for working women.

Something from Tiffany’s (3.5 stars): I was expecting a bit more from this after hearing so many good things about it. But overall, it was entertaining and cute and it had a cast that did a great job. My issues with this are that the connection between the two main characters at the beginning felt a bit forced and that I wish there was less back-and-forth and confusion about the ring, and a lot more romance between the main characters.

Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me (3.5 stars): Everyone seems to love this and I’m unfortunately not one of those people. I think it’s an ok documentary, but I have issues with it. There are some heavy reveals in this documentary and Selena doesn’t shy away from showing the good and the bad. I think this does a good job of showing her struggle with mental illness and bringing awareness to this subject, which is really important. And also it’s honest enough to leave in a few moments where (to me) Selena comes off a little bit as a diva and out of touch with reality, which I guess is normal since she is being a celebrity most of her life. 

My problem with this is that spans such a long period of time and with the time jumps, it feels a bit disjointed at times like there’s no rhyme or reason as to why certain parts were included. Also, it feels like it gave too much protagonist to some of the people around Selena and it felt very intentional, but it didn’t always make sense.

Smile (3 stars): I went into this expecting it to be bad and it was not. It was nothing extraordinary or unique but it was entertaining. The acting was really good, there were a lot of tension-filled, anxiety-inducing moments and it kept me captivated the entire time. The one main thing that didn’t work so well is that it tried to address trauma but it ended up being too heavy-handed.

Falling for Christmas (2.5 stars): The way people are talking about this movie created the wrong expectations for me. Don’t get me wrong, this is a perfectly fine Christmas movie, it’s good to pass time and there are some cute moments between the two main characters. But most of the characters are two-dimensional, a couple of them are even caricatures, the plot is so unrealistic (and I’m not even talking about the amnesia), and while the characters have a couple of cute moments, at first the romance feels like it comes out of nowhere.

FILM CLUB

I watch 4 romantic comedies as part of the latest cycle of the film club I participate in:

When Harry Met Sally (5 stars): I rewatched this movie with my movie club and it’s as good as I remembered. The dialogue is so clever and the actors do a good job delivering the lines, the acting, in general, is excellent, and the character development of the two main characters, but especially Harry, is phenomenal. I have to admit that there are about 15 minutes of the movie, from the point when something finally happens between Harry and Sally to just before the ending, that are not as strong as the rest of the movie. But it was still good and the rest of the movie is so incredible that it still gets 5 stars.

Nothing Hill (2 stars): I watched this movie a long time ago but I remember almost nothing about it and unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it at all. Julia Robert’s character is awful, she treats this guy so poorly, she doesn’t tell him she has a boyfriend, he is there for her and she ends up accusing him of things and yelling at him, she leaves him and breaks his heart more than once throughout the movie, and after a half-assed apology, he ends up apologizing as well for not accepting her apology immediately. She walked all over him and he let her. So definitely not a fan of the romance in this. 

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (3 stars): I had never watched this film but I had always wanted to. The main couple has so much chemistry, they are good together, it’s a good romance. Also, I loved how greek culture was such a big part of the movie. Nonetheless, I feel like this movie was too fast-paced. it rushed through their dating, then it rushed through their engagement, and finally their wedding. It’s like a race from beginning to end. Also, I was a bit frustrated seeing how the main character wouldn’t stand up to her family. She learned to accept them as they are but they didn’t leave room for her or him, it was their wedding but it wasn’t and I was so annoyed.

Harold and Maude (4 stars): I really liked this movie, the dark humor is great, the soundtrack is fantastic and the message of loving who you are and the power of finding kinship was beautiful. Nonetheless, I have my one issue with this, the romance was unnecessary, I don’t think it strengthens the message and I think taking it out wouldn’t have affected the movie in any significant way. I would have loved this movie so much more if it wasn’t for the 20-year-old falling in love with the 80-year-old lady, who was a teacher figure and who he admired so much.

What was the best movie you watched recently? Have you watched any of the movies I mentioned?

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2022 in Movies #6: Nope, Moonlight, Midsommar, Purple Hearts and more

I haven’t posted one of these posts in a while because I was so behind writing movie reviews on Letterboxd, but now that I’m finally starting to catch up, I’m excited to share my thoughts on some of the movies I have watched recently.

FILM CLUB

I watched three horror movies with my film club, one of them was Hereditary which I discussed in a previous 2022 in movies post, and The VVitch and Midsommar. Then we watched four movies as part of a cycle where we watched movies by Black directors.

The Witch (4.5 stars): This is a historical film with horror elements, there are no jump scares instead the film is unsettling and atmospheric. There are some disturbing scenes that make the film uncomfortable to watch at times. The slow pace of the film serves to build the tension and the mix between religious fervor and folklore works really well to give the story a dark tone. Lastly, the performances of the main cast are fantastic.

Midsommar (5 stars): This was really good. Thematically, the way it shows grief and the fact that you can’t run from it but also the way it takes the idea of shared pain being more manageable and makes it such a fundamental part of this cult’s beliefs, gives this film so much more depth. I think the cult, their customs, and beliefs add interesting elements and while it’s fairly obvious where the movie is going, the journey there and learning more about the cult, as well as the tension and the feeling that the film is building toward something keeps you engage. 

This has a very unconventional color pallet for a horror film but I think it adds to the weirdness of the entire film. More than scary, this is very unsettling and disturbing. The performances, especially Florence Pugh’s performance, were all outstanding.

Moonlight (4 stars): This is my second time watching this movie and I still think that it’s visually stunning, the performances are great and the way it explores black masculinity is nuanced and captivating. The reason this doesn’t get 5 stars from me is that the characterization of Chiron was lacking, we know almost nothing about him, we just see him suffer for most of the movie, and, because of that, I wasn’t as invested as I wish I was.

Do the Right Things (4 stars): This movie has a humorous tone and is full of bright colors, but underneath that, you can feel the tension mounting throughout it. Because of that, I was expecting things to come to a head, but not in the way and with the magnitude they did. The ending was explosive, sadly realistic, and absolutely devastating. It’s unfortunate that this movie is still relevant 30 years later.

Nope (3.5 stars): I found the first half of this movie so slow and boring, I was watching with my film club and we were all confused about how a Jordan Peele movie could be that bad. Nonetheless, the second half picks up, the concept gets revealed more clearly and it is actually really cool, the mystery starts to unravel and the characters get more interesting (especially one of them even feels like a completely different character). Overall, I think so much of the first half should have been cut to make the movie better. 

One of the most interesting parts of the movie, the monkey storyline, was absolutely disconnected from the rest of the plot. Also, I feel like this movie could have been so much better if it focused on Steven Yeun’s character, his backstory, and the whole performance that he was putting together with his family.

I Am Not Your Negro (4 stars): I watched this for the second time and I still believe this has a powerful message, I love James Baldwin’s writing which it’s used to guide this documentary and I also love the use of videos from tv appearances and speeches from Baldwin. Nonetheless, I didn’t love this as much as the first time I watched it. Sometimes it felt like the documentary jumped around too much from one topic to another, and the images that were used to represent the narration didn’t always work.

OTHER MOVIES

I watched Purple Hearts with some friends one afternoon after work when we wanted to watch a movie but we didn’t want to think too hard about anything.

Purple Hearts (3 stars): I wasn’t expecting to like this and I don’t know if the fact that I went into this with really low expectations made me like it more. There are obvious problems with this, I didn’t like the pro-military sentiments, and I definitely think that while they have chemistry, there’s no way the main couple is going to last, their social and political views are opposite, they don’t agree on anything, and they can’t talk about those things without arguing. Still, they do have great chemistry, the way the movie shows how they fall in love feels realistic, there were some funny moments, and the songs were good.

What was the best movie you watched recently? Have you watched any of the movies I mentioned?

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2022 in Movies #5: Persuasion, Hereditary, Doctor Strange and more

It’s time to talk about the movies I have watched recently, 2 of the movies I’m going to talk about I watched as part of the film club I participate in: Hereditary and What Dreams May Come, and the other 3 are 2022 popular releases.

Hereditary: I really enjoyed most of this movie, the story is captivating, it had me at the edge of my seat, it went places I wasn’t expecting, Toni Collette’s performance was outstanding and the visuals are incredible. My only issue with this is that it builds and builds and then the ending came and it wasn’t satisfying enough for me, I was waiting for more.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness: I found the whole plot of this revolving around the multiverse really interesting. I really loved the introduction of America Chaves into the MCU, the multiple Doctor Strange were cool, and the storyline with Wanda keeps getting more complex and fascinating the more we see her in different movies and her tv show. I appreciated that there were some horror elements in this, which gives it a different vibe from other Marvel movies. Also, the visual effects in this one were really good. This is a solid superhero movie.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Persuasion: I understand why people dislike this movie, but honestly, it wasn’t that bad. I’ll admit that the romance in this wasn’t good, the performance of the actor playing Captain Wentworth was so underwhelming and he had zero chemistry with Dakota Johnson, so the angst and passion of the book weren’t there. Still, the reason this wasn’t such a big deal to me is that he didn’t feel like the main character, it was almost like Anne’s story and he was a small side character. 

Moreover, I loved Dakota Johnson’s performance as Anne, I loved how cheeky and funny this was, I enjoyed the fact that the main character broke the fourth wall, and overall, I had a lot of fun watching this.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Jurassic World Dominion: This wasn’t that bad. The whole clone storyline that they decided to include in the new trilogy was really bizarre and unnecessary. But getting over that, the movie is entertaining, there’s a nostalgic element with the return of characters from the old movies and there are dinosaurs. I wasn’t expecting much more than that.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

What Dreams May Come: I re-watched this movie after around 15 years with my film club and the only parts that I remember- which were the different worlds people can create in the afterlife and the depiction of hell- were still there and they were interesting. But beyond that, this was a mess. I hated the way they discussed suicide and people who committed suicide, and the way there were supposed to be punished for eternity. Also, the fact that the kids of the main characters transformed themselves into people of color in the afterlife was a weird choice.

Rating: 1 out of 5.

What was the best movie you watched recently? Have you watched any of the movies I mentioned?

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2022 in Movies #3: The Handmaiden, Morbius and more

Hi everyone! I hope you all have been doing great lately. I decided that I’m going to stop apologizing for not posting consistently, feeling bad about it, and saying I’ll start doing it to then not actually do it. Instead I’ll post when I have the time, energy, and motivation to do it. With that in mind, I finally have my next 2022 in movies post ready, so let’s talk about the movies I watched recently.

Morbius (3 stars): I heard so many bad things about this movie that I went in with really low expectations and I don’t know if it’s because of that, but I didn’t think this was terrible. It was not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination but it was entertaining and the two lead performances by Jared Leto and Matt Smith were actually decent. My main complaints are that it felt like the female lead was nothing more than a love interest and that the ending was really abrupt, there wasn’t that much tension in the final confrontation and it was over rather quickly and easily.

Little Forest (3.5 stars): This was a character-driven story where not a lot happens, nonetheless, it managed to keep me engaged the entire time. It’s a contemplative movie that shows the main character going back home, leaving behind the things she thought she wanted (a job, relationship, and urban life), and finding the things that actually bring her peace and joy (old friends, hobbies, and rural living). Farming, harvesting, and cooking played an important role in the main character’s journey and are depicted with love and care. The performances of the entire cast, but particularly the protagonist Kim Tae-ri, were remarkable.

FILM CLUB PICKS

As I mentioned in my last post of 2022 in movies, I started a film club with my friends from college and it has become my favorite part of the week. We decided that we would have different cycles of 4 movies each and now we are in cycle 2 which is movies made in Asian countries by Asian filmmakers. So far, we watched a Korean film and a Thai film. Here are my thoughts on them:

The Handmaiden (5 stars): This is a masterpiece. I was absolutely captivated while watching it, the acting is impeccable, the plot riveting, and visually is a beautiful film. This is erotic, clever, disturbing, hopeful and so much more. The twists and turns of the story kept me engaging and at the edge of my seat, but I love that there are enough clues to figure out that something else is going on behind the deception that, as watchers, we are in on. And the reveals at the end are brilliant and satisfying. Also, the sapphic love story at the center of this film is one of the most wonderful and complex relationships I have seen depicted on screen.

The Scent of Green Papaya (3.5 stars): Not a lot happens in this film and not a lot is said, and by that I mean, there’s so much silence throughout the film. I finished watching this and I was a little confused, I didn’t really understand what this film was trying to do or say. It was a warm, tranquil film, with beautiful cinematography, but beyond that, I didn’t get it and my friends in the film club felt the same way. But once we started discussing it and theorizing, we found the main character’s way of looking at everything around her, her attention to detail, how caring she was of everything, her positive outlook on life, her humility, and the fact she felt equal to everything and everyone, her unity of self and world, were the central part of the story. By the end, we arrived at the conclusion that it is a film about everyday spirituality from an Eastern perspective, which is why it felt so different and it was hard for us to understand at first.

What was the best movie you watched recently? Have you watched any of the movies I mentioned?

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2022 in Movies #2: CODA, Lady Bird, The Batman, Spencer, The Farewell and more

Hi everyone! After a month of not watching any movies in February, I’m really excited to talk about some recent developments (aka I joined a film club) and about the 10 movies, I have watched recently: 9 in March and 1 in April, which I included because I wanted to have all the movies that we watched for the first cycle of the film club in one post.

FILM CLUB PICKS

I started a film club with my friends from college and it has become my favorite part of the week. We decided that we would have cycles of 4 movies each and the first cycle is movies directed by women. We have watched movies directed by a French director, an American director, a Chinese-American director and a Peruvian director. Here are my thoughts on them:

The Farewell (5 stars): This movie was fantastic. It was emotional and hard-hitting while having a very particular brand of humor and some very comedic moments. The performances were outstanding and the cinematography was incredible too. I loved getting to see more of China and its culture, and I loved the discussion about the dichotomy between Western individualism and Eastern collectivism and how nuanced the exploration of that subject was. Also, the portrait of the immigrant experience, the way it marks people but also the experience of those who stay behind and how that marks them was really interesting.

Portrait of a Lady in Fire (4.5 stars): This was a very slow, character-driven story. The two main actresses have so much chemistry and the way they portrayed the tension and attraction between their characters was incredible. The cinematography was striking, every image looked like a painting. For most of the film, the only characters on the screen were women and it was easy to feel the difference from other movies. The solidarity, support and trust, the horizontality of the relationships between them were so wonderful to see.

The attention to detail of the director is impressive, even the smallest things in this film say so much. The way it parallels the myth of Orpheus and Euridice, the focus of the female gaze and the way abortion was shown. This movie was thought-provoking and there was a lot about it to discuss. While the ending wasn’t happy, I didn’t find it to be tragic either. It was very profound and powerful. 

The Milk of Sorrow (4 stars): This movie was really powerful and hard to watch. The entire movie was filled with metaphors, that were a bit on the nose but also incredibly effective and impactful. The performances were outstanding and the cinematography too. This explored generational trauma and the ways it expresses itself, especially the impacts of rape on women and how there’s a fear that gets passed down intentionally from those experiences as a way to protect other women in their families. This showed a main character that has to learn to let go of that inherited trauma (at least partially) to be able to live. This also had indigenous Peruvian main characters, it showed their culture and their language and the way they use singing to process their traumas, and that added so much beauty and depth to the story. 

The main character is, justifiably so, mistrustful and a bit paranoid around men and it conveys that feeling so well that it’s impossible to feel at ease when a man is on screen. But also it depicts the way white women take advantage of vulnerable indigenous women and the biggest mistreatment of the main character in this movie ended up being at the hands of a white woman. Overall, there’s so much to say when it comes to this movie because it’s so profound and thought-provoking.

Lady Bird (4 stars): This is a good coming-of-age movie that addresses themes that may be common in this type of movie but it does it in a more nuanced way. These themes go from the complicated relationship between a judgemental and harsh mother and an impulse and self-centered teenage daughter (both characters are much more complex than that), to preoccupations around social class and money, and the exploration of sexuality. This movie feels like an authentic portrayal of teenage years, especially the cringy and awkward moments. 

The performances are outstanding, the way the movie is edited to move quickly from one scene and moment to the next is well-executed and the characters are complex and captivating. Still, the main character is so frustrating at times (which I believe is intentional) that it affected my overall enjoyment of the movie.

OTHER MOVIES

Beyond the movies I watched for the film club, I also watched a few Korean movies, a couple Oscar nominees and The Batman.

CODA (4.5 stars): This is a wholesome and heartfelt movie, that may be have been a little too predictable if it wasn’t because it portrays an experience that’s not often front and center in media. I loved the complicated but loving family dynamics, the way it shows the struggles of all of the family members, and how different deaf characters chose to engage and establish relationships with hearing people. The performances were great and the way this balances drama and comedy was well-achieved.

Tune in for Love (4.5 stars): This movie was adorable. Even if it has lots of emotional and angsty moments because of the main characters’ pasts, their missed encounters, and missed opportunities, Still, it’s just a sweet romance that expands a decade from 1994 to 2005. A really cool thing about this movie is the way they used technology to show what year it was and the passage of time. I couldn’t help but think about the way the evolution of technology has changed the way we establish relationships with others.

Space Sweepers (4 stars): This was fun and entertaining. The found family in this was so endearing, the characters were compelling, complex and also easy to root for, and the plot revolving around this group of dysfunctional people taking care of this little girl was sweet and engaging. While the ending felt a little like they cheated, it fits the tone of the movie well.

Spencer (4 stars): While psychological thrillers about paranoid characters are not usually my type of movie, I have to admit this is a good movie with an outstanding performance by Kristen Stewart. The way it explores the effect on Diana of being at the mercy of other people’s interests and expectations without one moment of privacy or solitude is fantastic. A feeling of dread and paranoia is palpable throughout the film and it’s reinforced by the editing, cinematography, music, and performances.

The Batman (3.5 star): This was way longer than it needed to be and that’s my main complaint. This would have been a lot better if it was shorter because it felt slow and it dragged at certain points. Also, I didn’t love the way Bruce Wayne was depicted like this reclused, uncharismatic guy. I would have liked it if there were more differences between Batman and Bruce. Nonetheless, I really liked that it didn’t feel like a superhero movie, it felt more like a crime film full of mobsters and corruption. And overall, I liked the plot progression and the way the movie ended.

Love and Leashes (3 stars): This was funny, unique and strangely educational about BDSM. I wish we got to see the characters connect a little more outside of their time as dom and sub, but overall, I enjoyed watching their relationship as dom and sub develop. I didn’t love the way it ended, it felt like a cliche ending for a movie that was not, and the big speech at the end by the male lead was a bit cringy. But it was still a fun, interesting movie to watch.

What was the best movie you watched in March? Have you watched any of the movies I mentioned?

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2022 in Movies #1: Encanto, The Hating Game, Little Women, Dune, Spider-man & More

Hi everyone! This is the start of a new feature where at the end of each month I’ll talk about the movies I watched. Last year I had a really bad year when it came to movies, I only watched 25 movies and only 5 of them got 4 stars or more. So this year I decided to try to watch at least 5 movies every month (not sure if that’s going to happen) and to watch movies that I actually think I’m gonna love and not just fun, silly, entertaining movies to pass the time, which is what I did last year. I’m obviously still going to watch some of those movies but I’ll try to watch other things as well.

So, here they are! The 8 movies I watch in January 2022:

Encanto (4.5 stars)

This was so delightful. It had loveable characters, a magical, whimsical setting, it looked beautiful, it was so emotional and the songs were fantastic (I watched the Spanish version). I was scared that it wasn’t going to be the case, but I was pleasantly surprised because it felt Colombian and the way it incorporated Colombian history with armed conflict was heartbreaking but well done. I really loved it.

The Hating Game (3.5 stars)

I was expecting this to be really bad and it…wasn’t. As someone who read the book, I couldn’t help but feel that the guy who played Josh was not Josh, but he didn’t suck as much as I thought he was going to. In the second half of the movie, he actually did a decent job. On the other hand, Lucy Hale was really good as Lucy. And surprisingly, they had chemistry so it was fun to watch them go from enemies to lovers on screen. Overall, an entertaining rom-com with some funny moments and then some sweet moments as well.

Tick, Tick …BOOM! (3 stars)

The acting, singing and in general all the performances in this movie were fantastic. I enjoyed the songs and the part of the movie that takes place on stage was captivating and powerful. My problem with this is that the part of the movie that takes place off stage, the biggest part of the movie, that deals with the day to day life of Jonathan was really hard to watch because he is portrayed as this self-absorbed, selfish guy (don’t know if he was or wasn’t like that) and I was so frustrated the entire time watching it. So it was not a pleasant watching experience, but there was a lot of good in there nonetheless.

Little Women (4.5 stars)

Overall, I really enjoyed this film. The performances were fantastic, the costumes and sets were really well done, it had compelling characters, and the relationship between the sisters was so interesting and it functioned well as the heart of the film. The alternating timelines were a bit confusing at first, but they made the movie feel more modern and engaging. My one issue with this is that the resolution of some of the plotlines revolving around the romantic relationships didn’t work for me.

Spider-man: No Way Home (4 stars)

This was fun and it made me feel nostalgic, I loved seeing all the familiar faces from previous Spider-Man movies. It was a more emotional and darker movie than the other two, and it’s because it’s reflecting Peter’s journey and his development as a character, by the end, he is more weary and mature and I can’t wait to see where his character goes from here. Overall a good movie, but it did drag a little bit for me around the mid-way point.

Dune (4 stars)

I didn’t know what to expect but this was actually good. I love how much they showed and explored this universe, the politics, the different sides, the belief systems. It’s such an intricate movie with so much packed into it, I’m in awe. It’s also beautiful to look at and the performances are really good. While it was never boring for me, it did feel slow and it did feel like an introduction to the actual story, but I didn’t mind because it was interesting and captivating.

Fever Dream (4 stars)

My feelings about this movie are definitely biased because I read and loved the book. This changes the story a little bit, but it keeps the eerie atmosphere and the feeling of mounting dread as the story progresses and that absolutely is what makes this movie. The message of the story is delivered with a lot less subtly than in the book but it’s also much clearer. The acting was fantastic and the way the movie looks works really well for the story.

Buffaloed (4.5 stars)

I’m a big fan of Zoey Deutch and I have been meaning to watch this since it came out and I’m glad I finally did. This deals with important subjects but in a very entertaining way and from a very unlikely perspective. It is fast-paced and fun to watch and Zoey Deutch does a magnificent job and carries this movie, she is incredibly captivating onscreen.

What was the best movie you watched in 2021 and was the best one you watched this month? Have you watched any of the movies I mentioned?

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