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marlequinncos · 4 months ago

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Now that HOTD Season 2 is over, I have a lot of thoughts about what has transpired. Full disclosure: I basically wrote an essay, so long post ahoy! I have read the book, meaning there are a couple book spoilers in here along with show spoilers. Also: there are all my personal opinions, so you may agree or disagree.

The Good

The show is beautifully shot and the cinematography is excellent. We've gotten some really gorgeous shots this season.

The dragons look great, they're animated well, and I like how we can really see their different personalities and their relationships with their riders.

The acting is solid pretty much across the board. Folks like Emma D'Arcy, Matt Smith, and Olivia Cooke are excellent as usual. The standout for me this season, though, is Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon. He's thoroughly fleshed out his character and given him some really interesting shading and depth and I really enjoy watching him on-screen.

Some excellent new additions to the cast! Ser Simon Strong is a national treasure, Gwayne Hightower is a mood, Alys Rivers is who I aspire to be in life, and the Hull brothers are both interesting (especially their dichotomy) and they better show more with them as per the book.

Rook's Rest gave us our first real dragon battle of the show, and I thought it was really well done. I was concerned that it would be the kind of fight that's hard to follow visually, but it was clean and worked nicely. I also love that they made Aemond torching Aegon a conscious choice.

The costumes are, once again, beautiful.

The embroidery title sequence kicks a lot of ass, and I like how they're adding to it with major events.

I do really like how they've made Helaena a dreamer (which they started in season 1) and how she's a tragic Cassandra figure. However, I do have some issues with her that I'll talk about later.

The Red Sowing was done well. I was hoping we were going to see some people get incinerated to really underscore how dangerous claiming a dragon can be, and that did not disappoint.

Little Oscar Tully verbally suplexing Daemon through an announcer's table was everything I've ever wanted.

I really like the relationship between Rhaenyra and Alicent. That said, I think there are some real issues with the writing that I'll discuss below.

Big fan of them putting Tyland Lannister in Situations.

Aemond committing war crimes and serving cunt as ye olde Sephiroth. 10/10 no notes.

While I do think the tripping balls in Harrenhall arc went on for far too long, I like how the show is leaning into the magic of the world with the weirwoods and insane visions of the past, present, and future.

Women kissing

The Bad

The pacing. Listen, I like a slowburn (one of my favorite horror movies is The Witch which many people find boring), but the slow pacing has to build to something, and this entire season felt like it was just build-up with no payoff. Last season ended with a consequential event (death of Luke), and this season began with another (Blood and Cheese), yet I don't feel like those events have managed to push the plot forward. Even Rook's Rest, which seemed like we were finally getting the ramp up to all-out war that's been teased for one and a half seasons due to Aegon being burned and Rhaenys dying, didn't really ramp up the stakes. We're still waiting for the war, and it feels like Season 2 was just a giant teaser for Season 3 rather than a stepping stone of the whole story. Think of it this way: season 1 ended with a build-up to the war and yet somehow this season also ended as a build-up to the war. It doesn't feel like progress was made; we're essentially in the same spot. The season should have ended with either the taking of King's Landing or the Battle of the Gullet.

Blood and Cheese. There is a reason this event lives in infamy for book readers. It's essentially the Red Wedding of the Dance of Dragons, because of how truly heinous and horrifying of an event it is. But the show toned it down a lot, and I think that was a mistake. Not to mention the fact that the death of Aegon's heir, who was a literal child, only seemed to be an issue for about an episode, and then everyone kind of forgot about it. Frankly, I don't like how the deaths of Luke, Jaehaerys, and Rhaenys were somewhat glossed over other than an episode of some characters being sad. Those deaths should have reverberated with long-ranging consequences and I don't feel like that's the case.

The writing. It's just not as good this season. Yes, I know the writer's strike probably affected it, but still. The conversations are nowhere near as engaging or interesting as they were in season 1, and I'm someone who loves dialogue scenes of political intrigue. I also think some of the character decisions they've made don't work. The biggest issue I have in that regard is with Rhaenyra. I don't actually hate the scene in the Sept (even though I think it is kind of silly how Rhaenyra managed to sneak into KL without being detected), because I like how they establish that Alicent knows that was wrong in her assumption about Aegon and yet she doubles down and they both realize that war is now inevitable even if it all began because of a misunderstanding. But book Rhaenyra is both far more active and ruthless than her show counterpart. There's a reason they call her "Maegor with teats". I thought we were getting some of that "warrior queen Visenya" Rhaenyra during the Red Sowing episode, but the fact is that she's spent most of the season trying to decide on a course of action and trying to do everything peacefully. She should have thrown that out the window after her conversation with Alicent in the Sept. It's especially weird considering she ended season 1 out for blood for the death of Luke. I feel like the writers are afraid that having her sometimes make nasty decisions will make her unlikeable to the general audience. But by doing that, they've also reduced this fascinating woman into a shell of who she should be. Look at Dany and Cersei from GOT; both of them were women in positions of power who did not hesitate to make (sometimes bad) decisions and/or commit horrible acts to further their goals and guess what: for the most part, the audience liked them! Give me "blood and fire" Rhaenyra! Support women's wrongs! Make characters morally grey! LET WOMEN BE AWFUL!!

I also think that the writing is doing Alicent a disservice. They really don't know what to do with her, and its a shame because Olivia Cooke is great. She just feels rudderless to me.

It really looks like the show is cutting Nettles entirely and giving her plot to Rhaena and I don't like this choice. Nettles is an amazing character in her own right, and her relationship with Daemon is key for him to start changing his Targaryen supremacist worldview and for his arc as a whole. Plus, this takes away the significance of Rhaena and Morning at the conclusion of the Dance.

While I like Helaena being a dreamer, they need to give her more screen time and dialogue. Girl had almost nothing to do this season.

I wish we had seen more of Jace and Cregan in the North and the Pact of Ice and Fire. Not saying we need 20 minutes of that, but 5 would have been nice.

I like the idea of that big vision of the future in the finale, but knowing how GOT ended does soften the impact quite a bit. And I don't love that Daemon and Aemond kind of already know their fates?? That's definitely going to hurt their arcs going forward.

The season should have been 10 episodes. Having it be only 8 really messes with the pacing of the story. Not loving the 2 year breaks between seasons either.

The "Let's Wait and See"

Aegon said that Sunfyre is dead. I really hope he's wrong about that because boy howdy that will have major plot implications if Sunfyre really is dead.

DAERON REAL. It would have been nice if he had been mentioned in season 1 and actually seen in season 2, but at least we know he exists and isn't a cryptid. Hopefully we finally get to see him in action in season 3 because poor dude has just been implied for two whole seasons.

I hope we see more of the book's excellent side characters like Black Alys, Benjicot Blackwood, and Sabitha Frey (who we did technically see briefly, but if you're a book reader, you know what I'm talking about). I'd also like to see more Cregan.

Overall, I think the season was a mixed bag. I hope season 3 fixes some of the issues with pacing and writing, because they have a great cast and a show that looks beautiful.

#house of the dragon #hotd #hotd spoilers #chatterbox #long post

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agentnico · 3 days ago

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The Count of Monte-Cristo (2024) review

Je suis Batman!!

Plot: Edmond Dantes becomes the target of a sinister plot and is arrested on his wedding day for a crime he did not commit. After 14 years in the island prison of Château d'If, he manages a daring escape. Now rich beyond his dreams, he assumes the identity of the Count of Monte-Cristo and exacts his revenge on the three men who betrayed him.

I’ve been really enjoying this recent wave of French blockbuster cinema creating these lavish big-budget adaptions of their nation’s classic literature, with the recent highly enjoyable duology romp of The Three Musketeers (D’Artagnan and Milady respectively) and now taking on The Count of Monte-Cristo. I was a major admirer of Alexander Dumas’ novels when I was a kid, and by admirer I mean my father used to force me to read those books which at the time I hated him for, as I much rather would have spent hours on end on my GameCube, but now am forever grateful that I have the knowledge of storytelling which I gained from reading those pieces of literature. So I’m eagerly hoping that now with these expensive modern movie takes we will also get some of Dumas’ other great works get the contemporary cinematic treatment, such as La Dame de Monsoreau and The Black Tulip (though the latter may be difficult as there is already an older film version starring Alain Delon, and would be hard to recast Delon, let’s not kid ourselves!). As for Monte-Cristo, I’m not even going to sugar-coat it - this is a fantastic modern adaptation of a classic!

The sets are great and really invoke the post-Napoleon era of France; the costumes are gorgeous; the music score is grandiose and epic, really engrossing you in this decade spanning saga of revenge; the classic story is reinterpreted so well with the themes and the emotion, and the acting across the board is superb. Oh and the cinematography is to die for - wonderful long shot landscape sequences, great use of lighting, gorgeous shots of interior palaces - you can tell this film has been given all the money in the world, only unlike Amazon’s Rings of Power TV series that looks expensive but lacks any narrative depth, this film is both great to look at but also has a great story with awesome performance. Look, I really really liked this movie, let me rave about it!! Of course if you’re not French, you have to deal with subtitles, however don’t let that sway you, as this move manages to tell so much using its visuals and powerful music score that at times you don’t even need to read the subtitles to understand the emotion the characters on screen are going through.

Pierre Niney is honestly superb as the titular Count. From how he showcases him in his younger years as the excited young sailor wanting to prove himself to years later being this highly intelligent and driven yet calm presence, as well as taking on the various alter-ego’s of the Count using his different masks (very reminiscent of Fantomas) such as the dastardly Lord Halifax - Niney does such a stellar job here. What I also loved is how this adaptation takes the “superhero origin” approach to Dumas’ classic, with the Count being showcased as this cool dark vigilante like Batman/Bruce Wayne or Zorro, and even his dark menacing suit (which is dapper as f*** by the way!!) emphasising that. All the props to Niney, he adds so many layers and nuance to his performance, that even when he is super reserved as the Count, you can tell in his eyes the disdain and pure hatred he has for the ones that wronged him, but at the same time being able to showcase his guard dropping slightly when he is in the presence of his beloved lost love Mercédès (played gracefully by Anaïs Demoustier).

As for negatives, as even though I absolutely adored this movie, the inner critic within me still can’t help himself. This is a 3-hour long movie, and granted that is a result of the weight of the original book, however you do feel the length of this thing, but at the same time certain parts feel a tad rushed (due to the writers attempting to cram so much story and character development into the 3-hour frame) that certain side-plots and narrative build ups aren’t given their proper space to breath. One does wonder if this would have worked better as a mini-series, however on the other hand they probably would not have had the budget to make this thing look as good as it does. Secondly, certain details/plot-holes frustrated me which I won’t spoil, but one example is when Edmond and Abbé Faria are digging the escape hole from their prison chambers all those years, where the hell did they keep getting all those candles from to light their workspace?? I highly doubt in mid-1800s France prisons had little kiosk shops to offer inmates various groceries and household items. Happy to be corrected here, but honestly seeing those candles reminded me of Deadpool proclaiming “that’s just lazy writing”. And final complaint (before we can get back to raving about how awesome this movie is) is the ageing, or lack of it more. The tale of Monte-Cristo spans from 1815 and ends in 1844, yet the movie makes zero effort in making the actors look older the further down the timeline we go. The Count does look aged but that is due to the mask he wears, so when that’s off he looks like his younger 20-something self again. One of the main baddies Prosecutor de Villefort (played in true dick-fashion by Laurent Lafitte) looks exactly the same at the beginning of the movie and then right to the end. You’re telling me the make-up artists and hairstylists couldn’t give him a single grey hair or a wrinkle?

Again though, that was me with my critical thinking hat on. With that off, I want to reiterate how I truly enjoyed this new version of a classic tale that has been done so many times before, however this one may be one of my favourites. Truly engaging and epic in scale, with a ridiculously cool Pierre Niney in the titular role. He is… the French Batman!

Overall score: 8/10

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noraigo · 4 months ago

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since i'm still overdosed on aouboom cocaine, i wanted to ask a question: if gmmtv2025 announces our desired aouboom series, who would you like to be the director?

in all honesty, i have a couple of directors in my mind which can guide them to a suitable series:

>backaof: out of all directors in gmmtv, i think he’s my favourite albeit his flaws, as any director has. my most beloved bl series of all time is a tale of thousand stars, but i’ve also watched plenty of series that were under his hand that i enjoyed equally, being last twilight the last one. his works mostly highlight unique storytellings which aren’t always settled in cliché colleges. that leads to different kinds of relationships, with slow romance but great character development. cinematography and intimacy are his forte, in my point of view. if he happens to pick them for his next project in 2025, you must get ready for the angst, though. there are times his characters don’t know what happiness is for some time.

>jojo: similarly, i’ve enjoyed his works and his way of directing is quite different from p’aof. his stories mostly focus on different queer experiences, since he bases them on real life situations or is inspired by old-school series/films. personally, he’s a bit darker and much more explicit when it comes to storytelling and his characters hold a depth and complexity that sometimes fall into the grey category. i wholeheartedly believe that aou and boom can portray this description, we only have to take a look at their acting as jeng and pok in hidden agenda, whose relationship was the most complicated out of all their romances they’ve acted in yet still managed to give us a bittersweet story, even with their reduced screentime. what kind of love story would be like? different social status? forbidden romance?

>xiseks: director of vice versa, he led aou and boom to be “shipped” thanks to their characters aou (note: this is so funny to me) and fuse, who had an implied romantic interest at the very end of the series. his style of directing is pleasing, but not to everyone’s taste. xiseks stands out for making small references for his series, like theory of love and classic romance movies and vice versa and the use of classic bl references — and, of course, the use of colors as symbolism. my experience with his series is enjoyable, he manages to capture the peak of a love story and transmit it to the viewers. also, i think he knows aou and boom enough to work with them, as he has worked with them previously like i mentioned before.

i think we can agree that aou and boom deserve their own spotlight in a well-told story, with characters that can easily win our hearts and make their love palpable. considering we are is officially their breakthrough series, many new fans gathered to ask for a series starring them, but it also gathered mixed opinions on whether them being main characters would make them lose their spark or not deliver enough emotion. i 100% believe that their acting and overflowing chemistry are more than enough to keep us hooked. also, they can’t be the secondary couple forever! regardless if gmmtv makes them an official fixed pairing or not, the actors themselves asked for a series with the two of them.

on a positive note, i wasn’t the only one to notice that gmm is doing reruns with series in which aou and boom have appeared before (the eclipse with aou, then vice versa and enchanté with the two of them). though it might be a mere coincidence, i think it’s not delusional to have some hope for the upcoming lineup.

for once, i want to trust very, very little in gmmtv. i just hope it doesn't completely disappoint me.

#aou thanaboon #boom tharatorn #aouboom #i really wanted to say all of this #i usually don't mind lineups that much #but this time is special #if i were rich i'd personally hire them in my own series #look i've been watching them since vice versa era #that was TWO years ago #they have waited enough!#and so have i #elkie.txt

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fastlikealambo · 2 years ago

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So I went to see The Little Mermaid today and I loved it. Here’s a dissertation no one asked for

The cinematography was absolutely gorgeous, I saw people were complaining prior to the movie’s release that the lighting was too dark, it was perfect, a lot of films and tv do not know how to light people of color correctly and they hit it out of the park every single shot.

The singing was ON POINT. The live action films have tended to not cast real singers but every single song was on point, they were SANGIN

People have been absolutely disgusting towards Halle Bailey and they are about to cry harder because when I say she is The Ariel, I mean that. Not only was her singing like a crystal champagne flute, her acting was phenomenal. She was so ANIMATED, and got every single emotion and attribute of Ariel that was in the 1989 version and elevated it. She is elevation, hope, and curiosity and you can’t help but fall in love with her every time she was on screen. While I do love the actresses in other disney live actions, you can tell with their acting that they are acting like they put on the smile and the costume and go to set. Halle is Ariel, it would have been so easy for her to do a cutesy imitation for 2 hours and collect a check ( and I wouldn’t mind it one bit if she had did that get that bag sis) but Halle was in complete control of the character instead of drowning in it. There is no one else who could have played Ariel and she will go down in history for this performance.

I have to admit that the disney princes for the most part in the animated films with very few exceptions are the most milquetoast aspect of the story so I was fully expecting to kinda put Jonah to the side when the film started but he made me eat my words. He was excellent, he was such a breath of fresh air and gave Prince Eric such depth, he had me swooning and I was not prepared to swoon over Eric today.

I too had my doubts about Melissa McCarthy but just how good her singing was surprised me. She was so damn good and hit all the beats for Ursula with charm and humor. I’d like to see Melissa play more villains, she has the range.

I think the weakest part of the film was Javier Bardem. His acting was kinda all over the place, in some scenes he was perfect but in others he was phoning it in. That end scene though was his best scene and I did start crying and hugged my own father who I dragged to the movie with me.

The way twitter overhyped Vanessa is very telling. Jessica Alexander is gorgeous and had some great facial expressions but for the majority of her role she literally just a mouthpiece for Melissa McCarthy and Halle Bailey. I’m not sorry to say this but while stanning the villian is normal we all do it and she is great in her 2 and half minutes of screen time, but a lot of this is an attempt to decentralize the black lead in this film and that is rooted in racism. The fact that the actress has had to block multiple people who keep posting about her not to truly compliment her but to harm Halle says a lot about how even when the focus of a piece of media is a black woman there are always people willing to dismiss her in favor of championing whiteness. Jessica deserves her flowers but this behavior I see right now is not praise, it is erasure and neither Jessica nor Halle deserve that.

finally thoughts ( prepare for me to get sappy)

I saw this in a theater primarily filled with kids and parents and it was fun to hear kids’ reactions to certain scenes but there was one moment I need to talk about. While kids were laughing and screaming the whole time having fun, I looked over at one point and I saw a little black girl in the row across from mine just twirling to the music.

So often as black girls we are told to we are too fast, we need to be quiet, I remember seeing a post about Cardi B. and Offset’s children posing at the premiere of the little mermaid and how those two little girls needed to “ lose the attitude” when they were two little black girls in pretty gowns getting their picture taken.

To see a little black girl dance with abandon without having to humble herself or lose an attitude because she sees herself on screen, taking up space in this moment because she is safe to be herself made my prehistoric ass want to cry. You see this film wasn’t just a cash grab, or “ forced diversity”, this movie was for her, for all the little and not so little ones to unleash the wonder that is so often ripped from us before we have a chance to shape it.

Go see it and get a little bit of wonder for yourself.

#the little mermaid #the little mermaid 2023 #halle bailey #the little mermaid spoilers #also THAT cameo was so sweet

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movementsofmylife · 9 months ago

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truly anyone could tell i just finished oh no! here comes trouble by taking one look at my blog right now. but also!!! i just finished oh no! here comes trouble and omg what a fucking show!!!!!!

it truly has everything. romance, comedy, angst, mystery, beautiful fucking cinematography. the framing of shots in this show was art!

i mentioned recently that i wanted a show like i promised you the moon and the eighth sense and somehow this hit that spot. oh no! here comes trouble (what is the fucking short hand title for this show?? it is far too long, going to use on!hct for my purposes) definitely had a more lighthearted tone but it had depths so deep you could drown and was cinematic af and the relationships were so fucking excellent. and the fucking acting, truly phenomenal.

i love the investigation trio. i love that they filled in the gaps for each other. that intelligence wasn't overvalued. that there was a time for everything and people and their feelings were the center that the show revolved around and that's why yiyong was the core. i loved that yiyong didn't magically gain common sense or magical crime solving abilities. that he constantly asked for help and gave it and this whole show was about the red threads of fate that connect people to each other and it was so so good at showing those threads in literal and metaphorical ways.

this show simply felt so sincere and earnest and i'm literally crying because it was so fucking lovely to watch. every character in this show changed and grew and had feelings and struggled and the show was so fucking kind to them and their stories.

#ugh fuck #this show!!!#going to go to sleep and dream about it #and maybe write more about the incredible queer vibes #and chuying's entire story line #about insecurity and the desire to be a hero and how that obscures the people you're trying to save #this show just said #listen #every person is a whole person and there isn't helping or saving #just listening and doing what you can #the fact that all the obsessions in the end picked their own words #their own path forward #just #ugh #oh no! here comes trouble #i'll hopefully be more coherent about this tomorrow

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brokoala-soup · 1 year ago

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South Indian cinema: Part 1

I think we (I) don't talk enough about my obsession with the South Indian film industry. I'm less of a star or fame powered fangirl and most of my obsessions start from very niche observations and qualities. Both me and my mom are good cinema enthusiasts, that being said, we love not just watching movies but also analyze them and talk about them in great lengths and detail; and it isn't always just about the actors but also the scenes, the cinematography, the dialogues and so on. We enjoy a good story based cinema that's more about carrying the characters in place and action than about how much hype a movie gets. I enjoy old movies, including monochrome movies of the yesteryears and the faded coloured classics of the 70's and 80's.

Let me go from one obsession to other. First, comes my unexplainable obsession with actors who are also trained dancers. That's a sexy characteristic because it adds an edge to the actor's identity over being just a movie star and IMHO, it also refines the depth of character and acting skills (many talented actors who aren't dancers do exist, this is just my view). I have this captivation with dancers because something in them, be it the unseeable depth of efforts and practice and hurdles they cross before they set foot on the stage or be it the inordinate amount of beauty they express and portray in both costumes and jewelry or be it the grace with which they carry themselves or be it the way the fluidity, fragility and fierceness of dance entwines with their soul and body making it indistinguishable, obvious and redefines their identity and adds meaning to their character for the better. Irrespective of gender, classical dance forms in my opinion, have a profound effect on the individual and somehow makes them all the more charming to me because it's art that flows in their body and art has that unique fragrance to which you can never turn a blind eye to. It also anchors you down to your inner zen because gender conforms and norms are all broken (atleast in Indian classical dances) as both male and female dancers play either roles in dances and it's all the more about expression and emotion than the role per se. And that I think is a very liberating thing and I love Indian classical dances for it.

So here goes the list: Kamal Haasan is a trained Bharatanatyam and Kathak dancer; the best of which is seen in his performance in the movie Sagara Sangamam which is a majorly dance based movie. My most favorite scene is when he humbles Sailaja when she opposes his critique. Padmini, one of the famous Travancore sisters, was a trained Bharatanatyam dancer and in her retired days also opened a dance school and taught abroad. Shobana, one of my favorite actresses, who is also the niece of the Travancore sisters is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer; she also received a national award for her performance in the Malayalam movie Manichitrathazhu which was the original for the famous Chandramukhi, Bhool Bhulaiya, Nagavalli, Aatmamitra etc. I rate her acting top notch because her expressions and her eyes often speak way more than the dialogues. Revathi, is again a trained Bharatanatyam dancer and has delivered multiple box office hits and is also one of my favorite actresses. Bhanupriya, who's pretty famous in tamil and telugu cinema, is a trained Kuchipudi dancer and appeared in the film Sitaara which went on to win the National award for that year. Jayalalitha, apart from her successful political career was a leading film actress in the tamil industry. She was trained dancer of multiple forms like Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam, Kathak etc. Sukanya, who famously starred against Kamal Haasan in Indian, is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. Prabhu Deva, who we all know as the Michael Jackson of India, is a trained Bharatanatyam and Udupi dancer. Amala Akkineni, is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer and also has a degree bachelor degree for the same from Kalakshetra. Vineeth, who works mostly in tamil, telugu and malayalam films is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer; lesser known but he's Shobana's cousin and Padmini's nephew from her husband's side. Asin, who is well known for her role in Ghajini, is also a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. Jayam Ravi, now well known as the Ponniyin Selvan after the famous novel adaptation, is also a trained Bharatanatyam dancer.

This is in my list (can't think more, brain fried) do feel free to add more. Tagging @sister-of-satan @voidsteffy and @bipdf because I think y'all will enjoy reading this

Do reblog and tag people who'd enjoy reading this

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ewanmitchellcrumbs · 1 year ago

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This is possibly an unpopular opinion, and maybe it's just my GoT trauma resurfacing, but somehow, I'm less excited about season 2 than before watching the teaser.

I love Olivia Cooke and her performance in HotD, I do, but HBO seems to have something of an obsession with Alicent's character. The events of season 1 were based on The Princess and The Queen, which primarily focuses on the events leading up to the Dance. Hence, it makes sense that she was a main character then. But it's a Targaryen civil war. Rhaenyra and her half-brother are fighting for the throne, not Rhaenyra and Alicent, so where is the Aegon content? Why didn't we get his poster instead?

The apparent scrapping of Daeron is concerning because he plays an important role in the war, and I’m unsure how/with whom they will supplant his character.

And lastly, if that was Laenor on the beach, then he still needs to die for Addam of Hull to claim Seasmoke. But how, when and where is that supposed to happen? Besides, if the greens discover he's still alive, wouldn't it give them further ammunition against Rhaenyra since they, heavily influenced by the Faith of the Seven, which generally doesn't approve of polygamy, would likely view her marriage to Daemon as invalid? If so, that would be quite the deviation from Fire & Blood since at least her youngest two sons' legitimacy was never questioned in the book.

(on a more positive note, the costume department seems to have stepped up their game, probably owed to a higher budget)

I think this may be slightly above my pay grade - bear with me!

I can understand the upset around Game of Thrones - the story was already there and even before they ran out of source material, the writers still deviated enormously from the established plot. It was unrecognisable by the end. The shit show it ended up becoming is part of the reason I was so hesitant to watch House of the Dragon in the first place (we were well into November last year before I watched the first episode)

With Fire and Blood, it’s not written like a traditional book, so it’s very much open to interpretation, beyond established events such as successions and battles, etc.

I think the writers have interpreted the story in a manner that HBO finds easy to market - Rhaenicent is a popular ship and it adds depth to the story to present it as this long standing lost love/lingering childhood resentment. Up to this point, Aegon has very much been presented as a character that does not want the crown, so it would be a complete 180 flip for him to suddenly go in guns blazing and ready to defend it. I actually think they’re going to spin Aegon’s actions during Rook’s Rest as him dealing with his grief and anger over his son’s death. He didn’t ask for this, and yet he’s suffering the consequences anyway. It’s incredibly tragic, but not enough to go on a poster (I expect he will get one though, all the main characters will)

I’m not really sure why the decision was made to scrap Daeron’s character, I guess we will have to wait and see how that plays out. Likewise for how they deal with Laenor’s story. I know it’s hard to have faith, as we’ve been burned before, but I am bowled over by Matt, Emma and Ewan’s performances so far, so if nothing else we’ll get some incredible acting and some stunning cinematography.

#asked and answered

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poochiray · 3 months ago

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The Trainee and my final thoughts

Although the acting and cinematography was beautiful within this show, the writing and directing choices truly let me down. This show had so much potential. It was shaping up to be my favorite OffGun show. And then that drastically changed as OffGun were pushed aside in their own show.

I think the writers forgot who was supposed to be the main character within their own story. This wasn't called "The Trainees" it was "The Trainee." Ryan was the central focus since the very beginning, and I expected that throughout its entirety. There is nothing more frustrating than getting attached to a character and their story and then being starved of it in the second half of the series. I was just hoping and praying the next episode will have more of him.

And the story they decided to focus on instead? Garbage.

Yes, I get it. That could be someone's real life experience right there. Exploring queerness and only ever knowing your high school sweetheart. But we didn't need all that alongside Ryan and Jane's story. Or if we did need to show it, their romance could have been more off screen. Maybe Ryan could have heard about Judy and Bahmee going out for noodles and getting cozy.

But instead, Ryan's romance goes offscreen. Ryan and Jane were on the phone for over an hour? Um hello? Where was that? Jane asking Ryan to dinner again? What I would give to see another date scene for them! Or even more of an in depth conversation about Ryan and this being his first love. Or hell, even more of the Nine flashback. Those two were exes? Where was the romance? It wasn't there, but you know what was there? That fucking love triangle that did nothing but frustrate me.

Bahmee and Tae are not likeable characters. I honestly did not care any more about them. They are horrible and deserve each other. Let's move the fuck on.

Writers: a tip. Don't lose focus on your main character and waste so much time on other characters that aren't even liked. If their story can be cut, it should. Trim that fat and go back to your main character. I'm begging.

Things I would have changed:

Bahmee and Tae not getting back together. Stay single. Grow the hell up. Learn to be independent adults first.

Jane and the ghosting? What the actual fuck. This coming from the man who always told Ryan to "talk to him and tell him what's wrong"? Nah. I don't believe it. Don't ruin a character all for the sake of a dramatic 5 year reunion at the end.

Brave Ryan. This was my favorite thing about Ryan. He confessed his feelings for his superior. We could have seen more of that bravery. I would have loved to see Ryan push it further and actually pursue his mentor. Making Jane pull back and scold him for flirting with him at work! This back and forth would have been amazing!

A more proper goodbye. If that kiss in the car was their goodbye kiss, I wanted it more explicitly stated that they were breaking up. That they couldn't do long distance. Just more communication! And yeah...if they wanted to take things back to Jane's place because that was his last night there, I would not have complained at all. Jane is a fully grown man ffs. I don't believe for a second they didn't fuck that night.

A domestic slice of life ending. They went house hunting? Why the hell didn't we see it?

Honestly, why the hell was so much of this romance off screen? I came here for OffGun, and I feel like all I got was bare minimum. Sigh. Maybe their next show will be better than this. All I can do is hope.

#offgun #boys love #off jumpol #gun atthaphan #the trainee series #bl drama #bl series #show review

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dekaydk · 2 years ago

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Oh No! Here Comes Trouble ep 12

Completely satisfied with this show and definitely expect to watch it again.

Okay, spoilers for the series follow so don't read if you haven't watched the whole thing.

The good

Script, story, characters, acting, comedy, direction, cinematography. Basically everything.

Unclear/didn't understand

I didn't get the bit with the security guard and his accuser. I thought it was setting up another obsession but it just happened, then they went back to it with a repeat of the action. Will rewatch to see if I missed something (was interrupted several times (grumble) so this very well could just be me).

Could've been better

CGI was pretty good in general though the closeup paper bits landing were a little, oh, procedural vs. natural. The big plane crash (the full scene) wasn't quite as convincing as I would have liked but I get that budget isn't infinite and this kind of work is expensive. (Heck, big budget movies often have less convincing CGI than this series.)

Subtitles often were a bit fleeting (the English ones) especially when there was a short line. Dear subtitle team: love your work but please remember that we are switching between watching the action and reading so we have to spend time on both; it's not the same as listening to dialog and watching simultaneously. I had to rewind quite a few times because I wasnn't sure what had been said because I took my eyes off the titles for a moment and missed something.

Things I loved

The writing was terrific. Not one of the obsessions played out like you might have expected. Twists every time!

Every. single. one. of the actors were good. Every one of the minor roles was done well. The actor playing the OLD WOMAN was brilliant, made more effective by a great costume, hair, the smoking (lighting a wet butt was a genius touch). Traffic boulder man was perfectly menacing.

Guang Yan's reaction to being pulled away from Yi Yong by Li Song was devastating and perfect; Cian You nailed it.

The scene where Yi Yong and Bao Sheng are talking in the hospital after Yi Yong wakes up was economically written and acted. Scenes like this are often overloaded with exposition or overdone by the actors/directors. They didn't even say that Ren Xiu had died; the acting did it all. Cheryl Yang seemed effortless in all her parts, whether doing comedy or badassery.

Another example of beautiful spareness in writing and directing was when Yi Yong went to the (graveyard? mausoleum?). We don't know where he's going in the taxi, the taxi driver just gets out (sensitive!) and Yi Yong's sobbing is perhaps all the more heartbreaking because it was shot from outside the taxi.

The first balcony scene with Ren Xiu and Yi Yong was another example of terrific writing. We got introduced to Ren Xiu's character and the real nature of his relationship with his son in such a short time, yet you learned enough to care about him. The second balcony scene was beautifully acted by both men, and the necessary tonal shifts were slow and delicate enough to keep the viewer in the moment.

Loved the ending. Wake up, hear yet another plea for help, roll eyes, roll credits. That said, Yi Yong losing another couple of years to a coma? UNFAIR.

Side notes

Jing Hua actually spent time to learn calligraphy in more depth. I assume (as someone who doesn't read it) that he had to be convincing enough to make Chinese viewers believe in his expertise. Role reversal: in one of the behind the scenes videos, Cian You gives Jing Hua a cartoon of him that he said that he had drawn.

Conclusion: 🎖️ Absolutely recommended. Run, do not walk to your preferred IQIYI access.

Going to re-watch and think about this some more.

#oh no! here comes trouble #不良執念清除師 #taiwanese drama #twdrama #lin kuan hui #tseng jing hua #vivian sung #peng cian you #cheryl yang

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moviewarfare · 3 months ago

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A Review of “Trap (2024)”

M. Night Shyamalan has been on another recent surge of just disappointing movies. Glass (2019) was a disappointing sequel, Old (2021) had some of the worst written dialogue ever and Knock at the Cabin (2023) was incredibly bland. All of them had extremely great concepts but was pulled down by the story. Trap (2024) is another great concept with a serial killer trying to escape a concert surrounded by cops. Is this finally a hit or another to add in his disappointing entries?

Firstly, Josh Harnett is phenomenal as the main lead. He manages to convey layers of depth to his character from his performance alone. Josh is absolutely convincing as a serial killer but also a loving man who cares about his family. Not only that, but he can deliver the expected poorly written lines from Shyamalan with such charisma that it actually feels natural. This actor alone was carrying the movie!

I would also say the first half of this movie was very engaging. The cat and mouse games as he plans ways of escaping was such of the most enjoyable moments. There were some very tension-filled scenes that definitely kept me on the edge of my seat as you felt like he was on the verge of getting caught. Shyamalan also continues to give great cinematic shots with some terrific cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom with his use of lighting in the concert.

However, the second half of this movie takes a huge nosedive in quality. The movie starts to lose a lot of its charm and starts to become insanely stupid. Characters start doing things that no humans would ever do. Things start happening that would make no sense when you think about it logically. All the tension-filled and fun is just completely gone in the second half and the movie just isn't enjoyable anymore.

I was also annoyed by the blatant nepotism from the director. His daughter, Saleka Night Shyamalan, plays the singer in this film and she is given way too much screen time. There are so many scenes where it is just her singing for 2 minutes straight and just padding the movie for no reason. This would be mildly acceptable but then he starts giving her a bigger role in the second half and she just isn't a great actress. The movie has some pacing issues with scenes dragging too long and it definitely overstays its welcome in the final act. Could easily cut this movie by 10 minutes.

Overall, it is an improvement over his previous film Knock at the Cabin (2023) but again, not by much. I still appreciate him as one of the few directors who still deliver original and unique movies. However, he needs to execute these better because Trap (2024) continues to be another dud from him.

For more reviews like this visit:

https://moviewarfarereviews.blogspot.com/

#movies #films #movie reviews #film review #m night shyamalan #trap #trap 2024 #josh hartnett #oppenheimer #penny dreadful #black mirror #the bear

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lonelywriter2710 · 3 months ago

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Better Things - A Deep Dive into the Life of Sam Fox

Better Things is not just a show; it's an intimate exploration of life’s messiness through the lens of Sam Fox, a single mother juggling her career while raising three daughters.

Context: Created by Pamela Adlon and Louis C.K., Better Things premiered on FX and ran for five seasons from 2016 to 2022. The show, starring Adlon, is semi-autobiographical, drawing from her own experiences as a mother and actress.

Expectations: As someone who’s 18/19 years old, I was specifically looking for a show with a primarily female cast that I hadn't watched before. The premise of a single mother raising three daughters intrigued me even more. Being close in age to Max, Frankie, and Duke made it easier for me to relate to their experiences, and I was curious to see how the show would depict the complexities of growing up and the dynamics of a mother-daughter relationship.

Plot Summary (Without Spoilers)

Overview: Better Things centres around Sam Fox, an actress and single mother, as she navigates the ups and downs of life in Los Angeles. The plot is less about a linear story and more about the everyday experiences of Sam and her daughters, each at different stages of growing up.

Setting & Premise: Set in LA, the series captures the chaotic yet loving environment of Sam’s home life, her professional struggles, and her relationship with her eccentric mother, Phil.

Key Characters:

Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon): A fiercely independent woman balancing motherhood and acting.

Max, Frankie, and Duke: Her three daughters, each with their own quirks and challenges.

Phil (Celia Imrie): Sam’s free-spirited British mother, who lives next door.

Analysis

Storytelling & Script: The narrative structure of Better Things is unconventional, often feeling more like a series of vignettes than a traditional plot-driven story. This approach perfectly mirrors the unpredictability of real life. The dialogue is sharp, witty, and deeply authentic, capturing the nuances of family dynamics.

Direction: Pamela Adlon, who also directs many episodes, brings a personal touch to the show. Her direction is intimate and often unfiltered, allowing moments to unfold naturally. Adlon’s ability to capture the mundane yet meaningful aspects of life is where Better Things truly shines.

Performances: Adlon’s portrayal of Sam is nothing short of remarkable. She embodies the role with a blend of toughness and vulnerability that feels incredibly real. The supporting cast, particularly Celia Imrie as Phil and the young actresses playing her daughters, delivers strong performances that add depth and texture to the show.

Cinematography & Visuals: The visual style of Better Things is understated yet effective. The camera work often feels close and personal, which complements the show's intimate tone. The use of natural lighting and real-life settings enhances the authenticity of the series.

Sound & Music: The soundtrack is eclectic, featuring a mix of contemporary and classic tracks that perfectly match the tone of each episode. The use of music is subtle but impactful, often amplifying the emotional weight of a scene.

Themes & Messages (Spoilers)

Supernatural Elements

A unique and recurring theme in Better Things is the presence of the supernatural, magic, and superstition. The show integrates these elements in a way that adds depth to the characters and their experiences:

Beanie Boy Statue: At the top of their staircase, the Beanie Boy statue serves as a ritualistic object that each character touches before going upstairs or downstairs. This statue, which symbolises a connection to the supernatural, is smashed in Season 5 but is replaced by a new one in the finale, underscoring its continued significance.

Ghosts & Illusions: Duke, in particular, has a connection to the supernatural. She frequently sees ghosts, including the spirit of her deceased grandfather, whom she never met. This supernatural thread is further emphasised by Sam, who also experiences illusions of her father talking to her. The show portrays these experiences with a blend of reverence and casual acceptance, reflecting the family's belief in the supernatural.

Tarot Readings: Duke uses tarot readings as a means of communicating with spirits, adding another layer to the show's exploration of magic and superstition. This practice is portrayed as an integral part of her character and her relationship with the unseen world.

Family Beliefs: All the key female characters in Better Things share a belief in the supernatural, which influences their actions and interactions. This collective belief in the mystical and magical aspects of life adds an intriguing layer to their personal and familial dynamics.

Motherhood & Identity

At its core, Better Things is a meditation on motherhood and the struggle to maintain a sense of self while caring for others. It tackles themes like ageing, the pressure of societal expectations, and the joys and frustrations of raising children.

Artistic Expression

One of the aspects I thoroughly enjoyed about Better Things is its artistic implementation. The creative nature of Sam, who is not only an actress but also skilled in playing the piano and singing, permeates through to her daughters. Max excels in photography and dabbles in ceramics, ballet, and piano. Frankie explores singing, piano, and some emotive acting, while Duke delves into ballet, piano, and shows promise in writing and poetry. The artistic inclinations of each daughter are clearly influenced by Sam, highlighting how her passion for the arts is an integral part of their upbringing. This artistic thread running through the family adds a rich layer to their characters and emphasises the role of creativity in self-expression and coping with life’s challenges.

Artistic Spaces & Costuming

The show beautifully showcases the importance of artistic expression through the design of the family’s living spaces. Each daughter’s room is surrounded by art and colour, reflecting their unique personalities and artistic interests. The rest of the house is vibrant and full of creative energy, allowing each female character to express herself freely. The costuming of the daughters also plays a significant role in defining their characters. Max’s outfits are more revealing, reflecting her teenage rebellion and exploration of identity. Frankie’s wardrobe is nerdy and conservative, aligning with her introspective and thoughtful nature. Duke’s clothing is childish yet stylish, capturing her youthful exuberance and emerging sense of self. I found myself taking inspiration from the varied and realistic costume choices, as they add depth to each character and ground them in the realities of growing up.

Sam's costuming sharply contrasts with that of the other characters in the show, particularly her family, who tend to dress in flamboyant, vibrant outfits. In contrast, Sam adopts a practical, understated style typical of a busy mom, often favouring toned-down or muted colours. However, she accessorises with boho-style rings, necklaces, and boots, which add a personal touch to her look. The idea behind Sam's less attention-grabbing clothing could be her desire to avoid being recognized in public. Although she rose to fame at a young age, her career has since declined, but she still occasionally receives attention from strangers. By maintaining a more subdued style, she makes herself less recognizable. She often wears sunglasses, further enhancing her anonymity

Puberty & Growing Up

The show intricately explores the theme of growing up, particularly through the lens of Sam’s daughters:

Seasons 1-3: Focus on Max's development into adulthood, capturing the turbulent journey from adolescence to early adulthood.

Seasons 2-4: Highlight Frankie's evolution as they start to care more about those around them, learning to respect and appreciate others more.

Seasons 4-5: Center on Duke, at the cusp of 13, where the onset of puberty brings mood swings and behaviours that echo the earlier experiences of Max and Frankie.

The show portrays the challenges and changes that come with each daughter's growth, reflecting the cyclical nature of parenting through different stages.

Family Dynamics

Sam has a unique parenting style with each of her daughters.

Max: the eldest daughter, is moody, dramatic, and rebellious, often clashing with Sam over various issues. These include Sam’s permissive attitude towards smoking marijuana, allowing a keg of beer at Max’s graduation party when she was only 17 or 18, and the financial burdens Sam faces, such as supporting her family and paying alimony to Xander. While Sam does scold and argue with Max, she ultimately understands that Max is a teenager finding her way. Sam doesn’t get overly angry when Max defies her, recognizing that this rebellion is part of Max’s journey towards independence. When Max leaves for college in Chicago, their relationship reaches a high point as Max begins to mature. However, this period of harmony is short-lived. After just one semester, Max moves back home, choosing to pursue her passion for photography while working a part-time job and living rent-free at Sam’s house. As Max starts working, she begins to see eye-to-eye with Sam on many things, finally understanding the importance of earning money and the challenges her mother faces. This newfound appreciation deepens after Max’s father abandons her before graduation, making her realise that Sam is the only parental figure she truly needs. In the final season, their relationship gains a new layer of complexity when Max has an abortion. Max hides this from Sam for much of the season while taking on more adult responsibilities, such as trying to rent an apartment and guiding Duke through her mood swings and bad behaviour. When Max tells Sam that she’s staying in London, it signifies to Sam that Max has finally grown into an adult capable of making her own decisions, though Sam will always worry about her. Sam never imposes the stereotypical expectations of being the eldest daughter onto Max. Instead, she allows Max to be authentically herself, without the pressure to care for her younger siblings or serve as a role model.

Frankie: Sam’s relationship with Frankie, her middle child, is far more complex. Frankie is strong-willed, rude, and unfiltered, often overwhelming Sam with her bluntness. As the genius of the family, Frankie skipped grades and graduated two years early—an achievement Sam finds endearing, though Frankie sees it as no big deal. Frankie often educates Sam on social, cultural, and political matters, which can sometimes overwhelm or even offend her mother. While Sam usually refrains from scolding Frankie for speaking her mind, others—like Phil, Sam’s friends, and even some strangers—suggest that Frankie should be more considerate when addressing her mother. This external criticism adds to Frankie’s insecurities. At the end of Season 3, Frankie runs away from home without any apparent reason, leaving Sam worried sick. Despite her concern, Sam chooses to give Frankie the freedom to make her own choices, understanding that pushing her too hard might drive her away even further. Frankie partially realises that her actions were wrong, but she often struggles with apologising for her behaviour. As Frankie matures, she begins to defend Sam against critics, including Max and Duke. She also starts guiding Duke, as their closer age gap allows for a stronger bond than she shares with Max. Among the three daughters, Frankie is the one who tries the hardest to connect with their father, possibly due to her strained relationship with Max or her naturally rebellious nature. Although she often forgives her dad for his mistakes, she always sides with her mom. After graduation, Frankie finds herself unsure of her next steps, symbolising her development from a stern 13-year-old who seemed sure of her path to a confused 16-year-old who is learning that it’s okay not to have all the answers.

Duke: Sam’s relationship with Duke, her youngest daughter, is the most positive among the three, largely because Duke hasn’t yet reached puberty. Sam often refers to Duke as the “favourite child” due to her kind, caring, and open nature—not just towards Sam, but to everyone she meets. While Duke occasionally argues with her sisters, particularly Frankie, Sam usually sides with her, likely due to Duke’s age, which sometimes causes Frankie to feel jealous. Duke shares Sam’s passion for animals and is often seen with their pets more than her sisters. She also believes in spirits and claims to see the ghost of her grandfather, whom she never met, mirroring Sam’s own experiences with illusions of her father. However, Duke has a hidden rude side, often cursing and insulting others while maintaining a perfect image in front of her mom. Duke’s transition into puberty, which begins in Season 5, is brief but dramatic. She starts to resemble a younger Max, yet Duke struggles with bad mental health and self-image issues. She develops a vaping habit, which others frequently scold her for, and her once cheerful demeanour becomes more negative and depressive, leading to further isolation. This stark contrast from the Duke of previous seasons reflects the turmoil she’s experiencing. In the final season, Sam and Duke’s relationship is less prominently featured, partly due to the earlier focus on it and Duke’s growing desire for independence. However, in the last two episodes, Duke begins to regain some clarity and direction during their time in London, reconnecting with her past interests and appreciating the world more than she did before.`

Empowerment

Sam’s journey is one of empowerment, as she learns to navigate the challenges of life on her own terms.

LGBTQ+ Identity

The show also touches on themes of LGBTQ+ identity, particularly through characters and subplots that explore sexual orientation and gender identity. This exploration adds depth to the narrative, reflecting broader societal conversations about identity and acceptance.

Sexual and Racial Identity

Better Things addresses issues of sexual and racial identity, using its characters and storylines to delve into the complexities of these themes. The portrayal of these aspects is nuanced and contributes to the show’s exploration of personal and social identity.

Culture and Mental Health

The show provides a candid look at mental health, incorporating it into the everyday struggles of its characters. Cultural influences also play a role, enriching the narrative with diverse perspectives and experiences.

Character Analysis: Phil Fox

Phil's Charm and Complexity

Phil Fox, Sam's eccentric mother, is a deeply loved character due to her charm, humor, and talkative persona. Despite her endearing qualities, she embodies the type of mother that many daughters would find challenging, as illustrated by her complex relationship with Sam. Over the seasons, as Phil’s health declines, Sam’s role shifts to becoming her primary caregiver, which complicates their dynamic but also leads to a deeper mutual respect.

Phil's Background and Relationships

Phil's relationship with Sam's late father, who was a comedian and influenced Sam’s acting career, adds depth to her character. Phil married Sam’s father for his humour, and while it's suggested that she may have had affairs during their marriage, these details remain ambiguous. Phil seldom reminisces about her husband unless prompted, often criticising his family, likely due to her estrangement from her own Liverpool-based family after marrying a Jewish man in America. This background contributes to her unconscious bias against her late husband's Jewish side of the family and a greater respect for her British roots.

Role as a Grandparent and Critic

Phil’s role as a grandmother includes moments where she scolds her grandchildren for their perceived lack of respect toward Sam. Her criticisms extend to her late husband, Xander, whom she derides as a "deadbeat" and blames Sam for staying with and having children with him. This critical perspective highlights Phil’s often conflicting attitudes towards family and relationships.

Character Development

In Season 2, Episode "Phil," Phil acknowledges Sam’s efforts by expressing her pride and gratitude, especially after Phil’s poor memory leads to an accident. This episode marks a poignant moment where Phil’s vulnerabilities are laid bare, and Sam’s care for her mother is underscored. Phil’s acknowledgment of Sam’s support and her subsequent accident, which leads her to seek comfort in a hospital, illustrate the complexity of their relationship and Phil’s need for security and validation.

Character Flaws & Hypocrisy

Sam's Affair

A significant and subtle flaw in Sam’s character is her ongoing affair with a married man, which runs from Season 1 to Season 3. This relationship starkly contrasts with her strong advocacy for her female friends to leave their unsatisfactory marriages. Her past marriage to Xander, which ended in failure and resulted in her becoming a single mother, informs her stance on marriage, yet her actions reveal a troubling hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy in Action

Despite being a vocal critic of unhappy marriages and advocating for women to leave their husbands, Sam's own behaviour contradicts this. She maintains an affair with a married man without regard for his wife, whom she does not know. This duplicity becomes more apparent when Sam meets the man's wife, Laney, in Season 4, Episode "New Orleans." The encounter is tense and showcases Laney’s suspicion about Sam and her husband’s relationship.

“New Orleans” Episode

During this episode, Sam and the man walk through the streets of New Orleans while discussing his departure from his wife. His justification—that she knew he didn’t want to be there—allows Sam to accept the situation without apparent guilt. The scene, in which they smoke cigarettes together, further symbolises Sam’s toxic behaviour and her failure to address her own moral inconsistencies.

Self-Reflection

Sam’s affair and her reactions to it underscore her inner conflict and hypocrisy. While she champions women’s independence and criticises flawed marriages, her involvement in a secretive and morally questionable relationship highlights a significant personal contradiction. This hypocrisy adds complexity to her character, making her a flawed yet deeply human protagonist.

Season 5: Episode "England"

Liverpool and London

In Season 5, Episode "England," the Fox family travels to Liverpool, where Phil grew up. Phil reconnects with her old friend Ben and begins working in his pub, suggesting a close but ambiguously defined relationship. The nature of their bond—whether romantic or platonic—is left unclear, but their deep connection is evident. Meanwhile, Max chooses to rent a spare room in her cousin's flat in London, symbolising her search for independence and a new start.

Max's Abortion and Transition

At the beginning of Season 5, Max undergoes an abortion, a decision that profoundly affects her sense of direction. Her move to London represents a physical and emotional escape from her past, reflecting her state of being lost and her desire to forge a new path.

Sam's Reaction

Sam is visibly shocked by Max and Phil's decisions. While she ultimately accepts their choices, she also warns them about the implications of their new paths. Sam’s acceptance of their decisions, despite her initial shock, underscores her evolving understanding of her daughters' needs and the complexities of their individual journeys.

Additional Topics

There are many other aspects of Better Things worth discussing, including Sam’s complex relationship with her brother, the differing treatment of Sam and her brother by Phil, Sam’s lingering sexual feelings towards women

Favourite Episodes

Season 1: My favourite episode from Season 1 is "Future Fever." This episode brilliantly captures the anxieties and uncertainties of looking forward to what the future holds, something I deeply relate to at my age.

Season 2: Season 2 is packed with standout episodes. "September," "Phil," "Eulogy," "Arnold Hall," "White Rock," and "Graduation" each left a significant impact on me, particularly with how they delve into family bonds, loss, and personal growth.

Season 3: "The Unknown" from Season 3 is a personal favourite. The way it explores the concept of the unknown in both literal and metaphorical senses is profound and moving.

Season 4: Season 4 offers several favourites: "She’s Fifty," "DNA," "New Orleans," "High Man Bye Man," "Fathers Day," and "Batcenera." Each episode in this season highlights crucial moments in Sam’s life and the lives of her daughters, making them incredibly memorable.

Season 5: The final season has gems like "Fuck Anatoly's Mom," "Ephemera," "The World is Mean Right Now," "England," and "We Are Not Alone." These episodes beautifully wrap up the series, with poignant reflections on life, legacy, and the ties that bind us.

Personal Reflection

Watching as an 18/19-Year-Old: Watching Better Things as an 18, nearly 19-year-old was a reflective experience. At the start of the series, Max (Mikey Madison) is 15, Frankie (Hannah Alligood) is 11, and Duke (Olivia Edward) is 8. Being older than each character in Season 1 allowed me to see my younger self in their struggles and growth. By the end of the show, each character has aged by five years, mirroring my own transition into adulthood. This passage of time made me more appreciative of the subtleties of growing up and the challenges of navigating relationships with family, especially in light of Sam’s complex and flawed character.

#better things #sam fox #max fox #frankie fox #duke fox #pamela adlon #mikey madison #hannah alligood #olivia edward #phil fox #celia imrie #better things review #tv show review

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mirageofadesert · 1 year ago

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C-Drama Review: My Journey to You

Broadcast: iQIYI, 2023, 24 Episodes Genre: Romance, Wuxia

My Rating 7/10

A beautiful show with a promising premise, ultimately disappointing with a poorly realized asynchronous story-telling and unsatisfactory ending.

Acting: 6/10 World-building: 7/10 Production: 9/10 Storytelling: 4/10 Pacing: 7/10 Re-watch Value: 6/10 Bonus: for Jolin Jin's and Tian Jiarui's characters. One of my favorite big sister and little brother!

Summary with minor spoilers: My Journey to You tells the story of two assassins, Yun Weishan (played by Yu Shuxin) and Shangguan Qian (played by Lu Yuxiao), who are sent to infiltrate an enemy sect territory, the Gong residence, disguised as potential brides. However, their respective objectives are in conflict with each other, and so are their targets. They encounter two very different young masters and their respective families. Young Master Gong Ziyu (played by Zhang Linghe) surprisingly attains the title of Sword Wielder of the Gong family, but faces accusations about the legitimacy of this status and title. Only by completing three challenges can he prove himself and take up his family's legacy. He falls in love with Yun Weishan early on, meanwhile Shangguan Qian future husband Gong Shang Jue (played by Cheng Lei) distrusts his new bride. In a balancing act, she must win his trust without revealing her true intentions. Thus begins a dangerous game, wherein the lines between friend and foe are blurred. The price? Freedom from the oppressing employers - and their own survival.

My review - spoilers ahead!

The show started out incredible promising: A captivating premise, a darker tone in both cinematography and theme, beautiful sets and costumes, decent special effects and a different voice for Esther Yu. And while the show had great moments, it overall failed to deliver what it promised. So what went wrong?

The short version is that the show suffered from the typical shortcoming: mediocre acting, misguided directing and bad writing.

Esther Yu and Zhang Ling He never stood out to me as particularly great actors, and this holds true in this show as well. However, I don't think the problem with My Journey to You can be blamed on their unconvincing acting, but is rather a product of the direction the writing took them.

The tension arcs get boring really fast: Again and again the female leads are in danger of being exposed (or better: exposing themselves), but by the third time it doesn't feel exciting anymore. The other major plot line is the conflict surrounding the succession of the sword wielder title, which I was never able to care about. I think a different story-line for the ML would have greatly benefited the drama. Trying to make the audience care about him by putting a lot of emphasis on his hard childhood early on in the show, didn't work, because it felt so irrelevant compared to the backstories of the other characters. It didn't give him depth, it actually took it away. Therefore, the dynamic between the main couple wasn't working either - she was too cold, he was too immature for them to create any interesting chemistry.

The second couple not only had the better written characters, their storyline had more suspense. I have seen mainly Esther Yu being criticized for this drama, so my potentially controversial opinion is, that it's actually the fault of the dull main storyline and the bland ML.

The other big problem are the poorly build-up plot twists. Some of these plot twists themselves were great, like the switch of the medical document and the death of the little sister. While these were great plot points, the narrative build-up wasn't. In retrospect, it made sense we got so much information about the MLs unhappy childhood and complex relationship with his parents, because that build-up both to the medical record swap and the betrayal of the older brother, however... it was just done in such an annoying way, that it made the ML look unnecessary whiny and the storyline boring.

As the show progressed, they increasingly used the element of time-jumps and flashbacks to tell the story. There should have been a better way to deliver tension and twists, than constantly making jumps in order to catch the audience off guard. Part of the fun in mysteries like this is to make guesses while watching, but that only goes so far, when it is all in the editing and crucial information is simply being withheld. And what made this even worse, it that the final plot twist (e.g. the brother coming back) was so predictable, all the asynchronous story-telling wasn't even necessary!

Worst of all was the ending: A twin sister out of nowhere? A villain that was poorly build up? No resolution for the second couple? A cliffhanger for a next season that does not fit the tone of the first 23 episodes and is unlikely to ever happen? Frustrating.

It wasn't all bad: The supporting cast was great. Ryan Cheng, Jolin Jin and Tian Jiarui were amazing! The dynamics between all the other couples were engaging as well. Gong Zishang was my favorite comic relief in any cdrama, and she gave the whole show such a unique vibe! Tian Jiarui's character was right done my alley - I just love my twisted little psychopath in emotional turmoil!

Just one last thought ... please no more Chen Duling? She has been in most shows I have watched this summer and has failed to charm me every time. She is a decent actress, but the type casting of "sad, whiny girl" isn't doing her any favors.

Overall, I think this was a decent drama. I still would recommend you to watch this show, especially if you value intriguing characters over plot!

#my journey to you #cdrama #cdrama review

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tobeornottotc · 2 years ago

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#why is it always the bromance shows#the cinematography#chemistry#emotionalism#script and character work#the acting#it makes me get so conflicted

ngl in this regard it does bum me out. I really want more genre/sff based BL/GLs in the world. Kinnporsche (and others following it's footsteps or pre-date it like Trapped) so far was the closest we got since it falls under the crime/mafia genre that remained uncensored. The Untamed and Word of Honor def fall under that genre/sff range but they were unfortunately censored (I don't hold this against them it's just a shame).

But what I wouldn't give for something like Midnight Museum, with it's supernatural modernism mystery but actually including a queer romance at its center stage. I'll ship Khatha/Dome all damn day (and push for more fic to be made) but it does bum me out legit that genre fiction is still so reluctant to include queer romances in the mainstream.

Who knows, maybe Gmmtv will see the response and the way folks had been hoping for Khatha/Dome and next year or the following we'll see another genre show come along that will go there with the romance.

Yeh I mean this isn't the first time where I think GMMTV writers have used bromance in a very extra way that makes you go why didn't you just make it a bl? It would have been one of the best things to be seen as BL, from how we react to stories like Untamed I wish people would see fans are okay with more story telling and world building and two boys being in love with each other and getting together and being explicit about their love won't change the vibes or cheapen the story. I'm having a hard time with bromance used as a tool to remove the chance of directors making shows feel cheaper to them, there's this ideology in thailand because of the BL culture how BL works and how thats the only way it can be viewed, some people out right refuse to call their own deep show a BL (ITSAY) because it feels more than that to them, it really annoys me cause a bl can be just as great, and have a lot of depth to it and different worlds/narratives more than just that aspect. I'm more conflicted at the moment because Korea seems to want to take explicit bls and make them bromance, and that's been something as well as China which did it to censor and be homophobic, I know thailand isnt trying to do that well with this show, but i can't help but wonder, knowing GMMTV can bring something like this to life, why couldn't they have just made it explicitly romance and two lovers pining for each other, it wouldn't change any part of the script, it wouldn't change the way they interact so far in the show, it wouldn't take away from the plot it would have been the same thing and it would have been seen as a really great BL example to follow through with... I want more complicated stories, not just romance. But I will see MM as a bl even if its not because thats how I do shit, I did it with Gifted so meh, it would have just been so great to just get that confirmation that for once we got another GMMTV show that is both a BL and just so unique and different from how bl/queer shows is normally perceived

#thanks for answering me #i knew midnight museum would make me feel like this though #didn't expect so many scenes to be so romantic coded even more than other shows #just wanna enjoy it more and have it be something that could cause something greater #oh well #midnight museum

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sunset-meets-the-moon · 2 years ago

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My Top 5 BLs

Some of my favorite BL series and some small details on why I enjoyed them. I'm gonna try and remake one of these every few months to see what's changed after I watch some new series and finish the ones that I'm currently watching. *may contain spoilers*

Until We Meet Again (2019)

This was the first bl I ever watched, I went in with zero expectations and didn't read the synopsis before I watched it. I honestly fell in love with the characters instantly, especially Korn and In, every aspect of their relationship was so detailed and crafted perfectly. If you ever feel like shedding a few tears, this should be your first choice, whether you want to cry or not with this series you definitely will. Even on my first time watching it I felt a sense of nostalgia and it felt very familiar, I felt very comfortable and at home with this series.

The Untamed (2019)

If you'd consider this a bl then it should definitely be in everyone's top 5. Everything about this series is perfect from the characters to the cinematography. While watching this series I felt drawn in and like I, myself was inside the series, every time a character cried, I cried with them, shared a connection with them, and felt their pain. I've always loved the theme of soulmates and that's a very obvious theme in The Untamed, Lan Wangji loses the one closest to him and longs for him for 16 years, and upon Wei Wuxian coming back to life Wangji is one of the first people he thinks about. They never left each other's side, they always fought for each other and always chose each other first, that's the definition of soulmates and I can't think of a better example other than them. On my first time watching this I was so into it that I watched all 50 episodes in four days, small note when watching this prepare tissues.

KinnPorsche (2022)

Let me start this off by saying the acting in this series is absolutely amazing, it feels almost real. By the time my friend told me about this series, there were already nine episodes out and I sat there and binged them all, KinnPorsche kept me on the edge of my seat and never made me bored. They also did a fantastic job with the casting everyone was very skilled and extremely good-looking. This was only Be On Cloud's first series and after seeing how good this was I'm looking forward to their releases in the future. I loved the theme of Kinn and Porsche being "Ride or Die" and never turning their backs on each other, the story was executed perfectly and all the actors really brought the characters to life.

Word of Honor (2021)

Finished this within less than three days, directly after I finished The Untamed. This is another series involving the theme of soulmates on this list as soulmates may or may not be my favorite troupe. Wen Kexing's willingness to give his life and anything else for Zhou Zishu, them willingly giving up living amongst other humans to spend eternity together, is more than enough to consider this a bl. Although there are many heart-shattering moments, there are many moments spent happily and some humorous moments to lighten the mood a bit. I'm not sure if there'll ever be a season two but I'm hoping.

Love In The Air (2022)

I'd consider LITA to be top-five material not because of the plot, but because of the characters and their depth to them. Specifically, Prapai and Sky as they have so many sides to them and we get to see more into their personalities than what's on the surface. I liked this series because I felt it was balanced between funny and serious, it didn't have too much or not enough of either element and that's something I really enjoyed. The writers made it realistic and showed the issues that people may face in life and in relationships instead of making it all sunshine and rainbows, I applaud them for that. I don't just want a season two I NEED a season two, most of my posts so far have been about LITA and that'll give me plenty more material to write about so hopefully we'll get it and my writing career doesn't end right here.

Honorable Mention

3 Will Be Free (2019)

This isn't a bl but I just have to talk about it. One of my favorite things to see in the series is strong friend groups and that's what we see in this one. Three young people on the fringe of society still trying to find their way in the world and bonding through shared faults and mistakes. They may feel upset with one another at times but they still will come to each other's aid no matter the situation, this is without a doubt the trio we needed.

#bl series #thai bl #bl drama #uwma #love in the air #the untamed #word of honor #kinnporsche #3 will be free #asian drama #chinese drama #thai drama

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