#hes a brilliant character and plays him beautifully and heartbreakingly

[weirdwasteland]

I really enjoyed Three Thousand Years of Longing but HOO BUDDY there are some, uh, glaring... uh, issues 👀💦 I will say it feels like a movie that came out in the late 90s, so that's definitely neat. And it was really fun to pick out who I recognized from Fury Road and Furiosa. I also had no idea it was a book originally?

I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts if you've seen it.

[meadowlarkx]

End of Year Fic Recs! 🔮

Tagged by @swanmaids! I like this format a lot, thank you 💕 There were so many amazing Silm fics this year that it's nearly impossible to pick out just a few, but I did my best.

Recommend up to 5 series or multi-chapter fics from 2023 that everyone should read (multi-year WIPs count, if the last update was in 2023).

Recommend up to 5 single chapter fics/one-shots (long or short) from 2023 that everyone should read.

Recommend up to 5 fics NOT from 2023 that everyone should read (oldies but goodies).

Recommend up to 5 of your own fics (completed or WIP) from 2023 that everyone should read.

Multi-chapter fics

Strange Currencies by @jouissants (in-progress, Maedhros/Maglor accidental LaCE marriage, M) - this fic is one of my absolute favorite things to come out of 2023, lavishly and heartbreakingly imagined post-canon reembodied/returned Exiles and brilliant maemags falling together in late Beleriand. invest now!!!

here we go again by @i-am-a-lonely-visitor (completed, Orodreth/Celebrimbor & Gil-galad Mamma Mia AU, T) - the most summer fun ever with one of my favorite Celebrimbors, delights me to think about and I think about it often!!

Such a Marriage by DifferentSong (in-progress, fem!Maedhros/Maglor set between Doriath and Sirion, M) - I feel personally blessed by the ability to list multiple maemags longfics on this list. This one is so tender, with incredible characterization for both these two and Tolkien Elves (old & young, sad & gay) in general; leader fem!Maedhros owns my heart.

What the Water Gave Me by @imakemywings (completed, Finduilas/Nienor canon divergence AU, M) - beautifully described and cozily, realistically lived-in development of a relationship between these two in a universe where Nienor survives her suicidal leap; this bandaged the wounds left by CoH for me!

In Twain by @jouissants (completed, gothic and gendery Maedhros/Elrond and Maedhros/Maglor, E) - cinematic reading experience and deliciously winding tale of Elrond's coming to better know Maedhros, Maglor, and himself; so many lines from this--and the ending--just grip me and won't let me go.

Single-chapter fics

Wondrously Wrought by @searchingforserendipity25 (Maedhros & Maglor in a universe where Noldor craft their children's personalities, G) - this beautifully written fic has me in a chokehold months & months later, I simply love it so much--the Fate of it all and the dynamic between them, and how thick the tension and emotion hangs even in these few moments.

and some of us returned by @i-am-a-lonely-visitor (Maedhros/Maglor, past Maglor/Glaurung assault at the fall of Maglor's Gap, M) - fulfilled my wildest dreams of Glaurung angst played straight, eerie and gorgeously written psychological horror told through Maedhros' eyes and his own possessive love for Maglor.

As You Wish by @imakemywings (Maglor/Thranduil battle couple devotion and hurt/comfort, T) - so many great single-chapters this year but this one is SO dear to me; I love eerie attack dog Maglor who simultaneously cares overmuch and I think this ship is so thematically chef's kiss as an alternate ending for him; wry Thranduil is fantastic here too.

one of your girls by @swanmaids (Celegorm/Oromë, Celegorm & Maglor; femininity and internalized homophobia in Valinor, E) - masterful weird mythical Ainur devotional customs surrounding Oromë and his hunt, and a really touching exploration of Celegorm's character in a time when he still has yet to choose his fate. Celegorm's tension with Maglor is great here too.

Played by @disastrousexpense (Maedhros/Maglor, Maedhros/Fingon where Maglor seduces Maedhros through the guise of "teaching" him for Fingon's benefit, E) - one of my favorite Maglors this year, so theatrical and affected and alluring and (in this Valinor period) quite selfish, yet expressive and deeply, deeply feeling. a rollicking story that made me laugh and then made me cry!

Oldies but goodies

Elvish Letters by @ladygavroche (Caranthir & Finrod, Celebrimbor & Fëanor, Maedhros & brothers, epistolary humor, in progress, G) - this is a favorite of mine, along with the Caranthir fic earlier in the same series. Incredible and hilarious epistolary that just sings!!

The Silver Queen by @i-am-a-lonely-visitor (AU where Gil-Galad is Celebrían, trans!Celebrían/Elrond, completed, M) - such a lovingly written fic for a brilliant concept. Multiple scenes of Celebrían's arc in this had me weeping earlier this year.

The High King of the Noldor and His Faithful Hound by shatteredGlasses (Hrunting_License) (Celegorm/Maglor, assault and tensions during Maglor's kingship, completed, E) - During Maedhros' captivity, Celegorm thinks the worst of Maglor, and Maglor uses Celegorm for self-harm. Genuinely disturbing, excellent angst, and very formative for me!

Through the Smoke I See You by Dragonstorm (Maedhros & Maglor, Maglor's Gap and Dagor Bragollach, single-chapter, T) - one of my favorite explorations of Maglor's devotion and guilt towards Maedhros, and the immense risk of trying to hold the Gap! I love it so.

Thistle Whistling on the Wind-Blown Field by happythoughhuman, Torpi (Finrod & Edrahil, Finrod & Avari, culture, environment, storytelling, completed, M) - I've been meaning to revisit this strange gem of a TRSB fic for a while. One of the most vivid explorations of Melkor's impact on the environment in Middle-earth, of serious Elven cultural differences and the notion of Finrod as a kinslayer (while a very Finrod-loving story; he shines in this, making connections as is his wont). Also, won my heart for putting mangroves in Valinor.

My own fics

bite thy wings and let thee crawl (Melkor/Maglor, noncon macro/micro horror porn inspired by this art by @aquaregiaart and Lay of Leithian, E) - the Big Melkor fic, set during Maedhros' captivity. In my head this is my best work of 2023 and probably ever. Come closer... give him a click.... he can't hurt you....

Less Wise (sapphic Maglor/Thranduil, canon divergence, E) - pining with a happy ending in an AU where kinslayer fem!Maglor has come to serve Mirkwood's king fem!Thranduil. This was my attempt to write the sort of comforting and cathartic fic I so enjoy reading.

elvenkings (here on tumblr as well) (moments ft. Orodreth, Thranduil, Elwing, Elrond, G) - my drabbles fic for Sindar Week 2023 about the long-lasting echoes of Menegroth and Iathrim heritage. I'm really happy this brief story resonated!

pursuit (Tulkas/Nessa and Oromë/Nessa, genderfluid Nessa, M) - Nessa and Tulkas wed. Smut and mythical vibes ft. confident and changing Nessa, the dancer and the god of prey. I love that weird Ainur shit.

yes many and beautiful things (Maedhros/Maglor during the War of Wrath, M, now with art by @aquaregiaart!) - After their final argument about stealing the Silmarils, Maedhros and Maglor share themselves with each other wholeheartedly one last time before the end; sort of a "what if they loved each other and that was worse."

[dreamsofthescreen]

How Godard Broke Our Hearts in Le Mepris - Analysis & Review

The 1963 classic French-Italian drama serves as a masterclass in impactful filmmaking

Brigitte Bardot & Michel Piccoli in ‘Le Mepris’

Expert director Jean Luc Godard’s films are considered pieces of art for convincing reasons, and 1963 classic ‘Le Mepris’ (Contempt) is a masterful example of this. It’s stylistic choices reflect the sombre, but beautiful & hard hitting story of a marriage turned bitter. It is the cinematography, writing & somewhat clean-cut, French directing style that livens the plot. With reference to cinema & the connection with life that it shares, the emotional bluntness of the New Wave story makes it all the more impacting. 1960s stars’ Brigitte Bardot, Michael Piccoli & Jack Palace all add to the heart of the Eurocentric film, their sourness becoming a point of interest in the plot. Colour, light and contrast all are significant points in this perfectly painted film.

Rising to prominence in the New Wave period, French-Swiss director Jean-Luc Godard is known for his colourful, sharp & artistic European projects, expertly executing any romance or drama in a beautiful way. ‘Le Mepris’ is an adaptation of Alberto Moravia’s 1954 novel, II disprezzo (A Ghost at Noon). The story goes as American producer Prokosch (Jack Palance) casts Paul (Michael Piccoli) to write a screenplay for Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’. This intake of work on film & challenging of his artistic values from Prokosch turns his marriage with Camille (Brigitte Bardot) on it’s head. Sticking to well-known themes in a drama such as tragedy, romance, infidelity and change, ‘Le Mepris’ breaks our hearts by touching on the beauty of a classic.

Godard’s distinctive style is prevalent in the significance of the story, as the way in which the film is both written & directed is in touch with each emotion & colour throughout. The rocky marriage between Camille & Paul on the backdrop of a film set actually reflects Godard’s personal demons - his struggling marriage and dissonant relationship with Hollywood at the time. Bold blues, reds, whites and yellows colour the film, which is something rather ironic, as emotion can be seen as something badly represented with such uplifting tones remaining in a heartbreaking scenario. Yet, this is all apart of Godard’s wonderful filmmaking. As a directer and writer, he brings realism to the table, where most romance pictures don’t. As the anguish of love decaying is on the forefront, Godard’s style still remains throughout, showing that although emotions change, the world around us really doesn’t. However, Godard also utilises these colours as a means of drama, the sultry opening scene with a naked Bardot & Piccoli soaked in an erotic red. Colour and costume is a hugely recognisable feature of the New Wave Era, as the 1960s began to explore aesthetics more freely. With Tanine Autré as the leading costume designer, the clean-cut & artistic costumes all sit well with each beautifully painted scene. Stripes and colour-blocking in the summer style are all reflective of the New Wave Movement. Even the 1960s interiors that Godard chooses reflect his storytelling style. Modern buildings, references to art and the human figure is relevant, as for a film about love, the male gaze is utterly, yet tastefully focused on French bombshell Brigitte Bardot. The visual spectacles are phenomenal, but still have meaning. As Godard focuses on realism, classism and a very Eurocentric story in ‘Le Mepris’, this can be seen as him even mocking Hollywood’s growing commercial and idealised storytelling at the time.  

By connecting cinema with life, striking reference is made to many emotions & creates space for a beautifully relevant drama. For a movie about movies, when art and love mix, disaster strikes. Scorsese quoted Contempt, saying ‘it’s one of the greatest films ever made about the actual process of filmmaking’ & named it as “brilliant, romantic and genuinely tragic”. Godard filmed a variety of scenes with tracking shots, in a natural light & near-real time. He too focuses on the beauty of Capri & the settings of the characters, rather than the characters themselves. The cinematography celebrates film itself, relevant to a storyline focusing on movie-making. With a painfully moving, stringed soundtrack and sweepingly romantic landscape wide shots, audiences can feel as though they are watching the film being made by Prokosch & Paul. Even the dialogue is reminiscent of the film, cleverly making connections between the project being made and the drama in Paul’s marriage. As Paul & Camille discuss ‘The Odyssey’, Paul states, “I agree with Prokosch’s theory. That Ulysses loves his wife, but she doesn’t love him”. Camille has no reaction to this comment, but we as audiences know that Godard is linking ‘The Odyssey’ with Paul & Camille’s fading love. Furthermore, Paul states that he is to “walk back with Mr. Lang (the director) to discuss the Odyssey.” This is followed by a comment by a crew member on set who comments, “I should have done a scene at the beginning, in which the Gods discuss the man’s fate, in general & the fate of Ulysses in particular”. It isn’t hard to see the comparison made between Paul and Ulysses’ romantic situations, one a Greek king & the other a script writer, yet still both are relevant & though contrast vastly, are mighty men. Both wonder about their fate. This is the great connection between the two storylines - the beauty and pain of cinema & how it all too often relates back to our own demons, so gracefully presented in ‘Le Mepris’.

Brigitte Bardot in ‘Le Mepris’

Godard’s clean-cut directing & blunt writing style, along with the impressive acting are all successful in presenting a widely emotional drama. Set in the outstandingly beautiful Capri, melancholy and mourning is mixed with the sunlight and dreamy landscape of the island. As Godard worked with cinematographer Raoul Coutard, he contrasts light and dark, showing the unexpected nature of life - where love can grow in a beautiful area, it can also be killed. We associate colour and light with positivity, yet the fact is that however life changes, the world around us does still remain the same. This is reflected in the writing of the film, as Godard’s straightforward dialogue hits hard. Rather than creating a falsely dramatic ‘movie magic’ script, there is no drama in the very real & blunt adult conversation that characters’ Camille & Paul have in establishing their feelings for one another. As Paul questions as to why Camille has been acting so distant, she simply replies with, ‘it’s true. I don’t love you anymore’. Paul asks, ‘you still loved me yesterday?’ & Camille replies with ‘yes, very much. Now it’s over’. With statements along the way from Camille like ‘that’s life’, there is melancholy reality, which is beautifully French in comparison to the excessive, long-winded scenes we see in todays writings. Yet the film seeps in elegance through it’s script, as when any words are spoken, each is valuable. As Camille reflects on the breakdown of her marriage, she metaphorically states, ‘We used to live in a cloud of unawareness, in delicious complicity. Things happened with sudden wild, enchanted recklessness’. Character Prokosch brings statements like ‘I don't believe in modesty. I believe in pride! I believe in the pride of making good films’. Furthermore to this, it, again, is the realism that breaks our hearts through the masterful filmmaking. The acting in ‘Le Mepris’ is very real, as Godard had the actors improvise lines in the moment. When asked about this, he stated, ‘I need them, just as I need the pulse and colours of real settings for atmosphere and creation’. Godard’s focus on realism is great as it is something so sincere and authentic. He also rather fitted the character of Camille to Bardot herself, rather than having Bardot act as Camille. This too made for an authentic script, as Bardot’s supposed acting ability shone through, bluntly delivering bold lines & somewhat rising above the typical sensual blonde that she was used to playing, as she had a voice. Godard’s writing brings in slices of poetry to inspire us & add to the artistic nature of the cinematic experience.

The Guardian’s description of it as ‘poetically sour’ encompasses the beauty of 1963 classic ‘Le Mepris’, as iconic director Jean-Luc Godard creates a heartbreakingly real tale of love lost. Through the recognisable New Wave style of the early 1960s that Godard helped define, the significance of ‘Le Mepris’ is made through it’s visuals and aesthetics, that we as an audience can recognise and appreciate. The beautifully artistic and European summer drama shines through with it’s ability to challenge everyday filmmaking. Godard hits the nail on the head with every emotion throughout, presented through not only dialogue, but the ravishing soundtrack, cinematography, set design and overall disposition. ‘Le Mepris’ remains a wonder that inspires and transports us to a world that, through it’s passion, seems all to familiar for some.

Stars Out of Five: 5/5

[nclkafilms]

When love is vulnerable and enduring

(Review of ‘Marriage Story’. Seen on Netflix on the 3rd of January 2020.)

Noah Baumbach is back at Netflix after 2017′s ‘The Meyerowitz Stories’ and he is one of several acclaimed director to join the streaming world and helm a film produced by Netflix. In recent years, this setup has provided memorable film achievements such as last year’s ‘Roma’ by Alfonso Cuaron and this year’s ‘The Irishman’ by Martin Scorsese. With ‘Marriage Story’ Baumbach secures himself a place next to Cuaron and Marty with a cinematic succes story for the major streaming service. ‘Marriage Story’ is a very different film in comparison, though. Not unlike ‘Roma’, ‘Marriage Story’ is deeply personal film, but that is where the comparison stops. Baumbach’s divorce drama is a delicate study of the mechnanisms of love and what happens when love is no longer enough.

The film centres around Adam Driver’s dedicated theatre director, Charlie, and Scarlett Johansson’s dreaming actress, Nicole. They share everything together; they live in a Brooklyn apartment, has established and developed a theatre group on the brink of its Broadway breakthrough, and - most importantly - they have their son, Henry. On the surface everything is great and as we are shown in a beautifully composed set of first scenes, Charlie and Nicole love and admire each other. But is that enough? Are they truly happy? Living their dreams? The rug is pulled from under us as the initial scenes of love and admiration are quickly revealed to be part of a couple’s counselling setup helped to aid them through an imminent seperation and ultimately divorce. From here on, Baumbach treats us to a deeply personal, essentially human and heart-wrenching tale of two people facing the despairs of love that’s fading.

This succeeds so brilliantly thanks to - among other things - two stellar performances from the two leads. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver have arguably never been better as they fully embody their characters making them feel real, vulnerable and recognisable despite the often so obvious issue with films like this: that reality never is as strictly written or composed as a film script. Johansson shines as the dreaming actress and mother, who’s caught in between her own dreams, her need to ‘have a voice’ and her desires for her son. She is simply brilliant and heart-breaking and in several scenes she really shows what she is capable of. One of many scenes highlighting this is in her first meeting with her divorce lawyer, Nora (Laura Dern); here, Nicole goes through all possible feelings within a matter of minutes, and Johansson makes every fibre of these emotions crystal clear to us in the audience without uttering more than a few words.

Opposite her, as the driven Charlie, Adam Driver shows his character’s journey through such complicated feelings as compassion, frustration, hopelessness and regret. Charlie is a relatable and flawed character and, just like Johansson, Driver embodies every aspect of his character’s emotions. The last part of the film includes one of the most hard-hitting and explosive argument scenes in modern cinematic history, and having been calm, composed and compassionate almost all the time up until that scene, Driver’s slow but brutal verbal eruption in this scene will not only be tear inducing but also heartbreakingly recognisable for anyone, who’s been in a row and lost their temper with someone they loved. The acting from both him and Johansson in this scene, as they realise what they have allowed themselves to become during the argument, is simply among the finest acting, I’ve seen in years.

‘Marriage Story’ is without a doubt Driver and Johansson’s film, but they are aptly supported by especially Laura Dern, Ray Liotta and Alan Alda as three L.A. divorce lawyers. Dern is perfectly annoying as Nicole’s laywer, Nora, who does not listen to Nicole’s story but acts through her own agenda picking up every little snippet of information spilled by Nicole in order to use it against Charlie. Liotta is just as annoying as Jay, Charlie’s aggressive and merciless lawyer, who applies all the same questionable strategies as Nora and as such they do not just stand as each other’s perfect opponents but also in sharp contrast to Charlie and Nicole. The dynamic between the four of them is electric when they face each other in court. As a - somewhat - voice of reason in the otherwise brutally cold and procedural world of law, is Alan Alda’s Bert Spitz, who is Carlie’s initial choice of lawyer. He delivers a fine performance as a man who tries to see the reality behind the conflict before he is ultimately weighed and found wanting as the ante is upped.

The stunning acting performances are accompanied by an equally stunning score by Randy Newman. Newman’s compositions seem like the perfect fit for this story as they are filled with the similar bittersweet melancholy as the reality of the story it backs. Not unlike some of his Toy Story pieces, Newman’s score is fine, delicate and utterly beautiful. Listening to it afterwards will take you through all the mixed emotions of the film, and that is the perfect proof of the central role, Newman’s tunes play in the film.

The cinematography by Robbie Ryan is naturalistic and yet it still produces some memorable and unforgettable scenes. For instance when a Halloween night feels hauntingly lonely or when a fence door becomes a simple, yet powerful symbol of division.

It is a difficult feat to convey the many aspects of love and despair that fills in a break-up situation. Often it might become overly sentimental or unequally portrayed with one clear villain in the relationship. Baumbach manages to steer free of any of these potential pitfalls thanks to a brilliant mix of heart-warming laughs and heart-breaking reality. That is a sentiment not only to the actors involved but to the beautiful and personal script by Baumbach and equally brilliant directing in which he allows his actors to breath life in to their characters and, thus, free themselves for the inevitable feeling of “constructed reality” that often haunts a “talkie” as this film (they talk - A LOT). Thanks to this, the film alternately made me laugh, regret, love, acknowledge and hope. In short, it made me feel.  

4,5/5

[kiev4am]

My scheduled yelling about HBO’s Chernobyl.  Spoilers for episodes 1-3.

Holy crap, I thought I was ready but nope.  The slowness, the tension, the incredibly observant and effective camerawork, the ACTING dear god, the painfully realistic depiction of stark fear versus career anxiety versus political performance in the unfolding disaster (talk about the banality of evil!), the beautifully downbeat interior shots and lighting, the horror.  Oh god, the horror.

I don’t want to reach too hard for Terror parallels because there are so many ways these two historical retellings and their source stories don’t compare at all, and the actor Venn diagram shouldn’t be allowed to influence things, but on a purely personal level the last time I felt so wholly immersed and emotionally blindsided by a TV series was watching The Terror, and in many ways the appeal comes from the same things.  It’s in the details, the writing, the phenomenal cast, the emphasis on atmospherics and the unsaid, even some themes - the cost of hubris, the grace and variety of human responses to horror and the unknown.  And also in the sound editing, which (like The Terror) is absolutely masterful.  So many of the scenes that I found most profoundly disturbing were made so not by anything visual, but by the musical effects - part knife-edged modern horror film tropes, part creepingly ominous real-world noises like the crackle of the Geiger counter/dosimeter.  Hideously, softly brilliant nightmare fuel.

It goes without saying that Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgard and Emily Watson are mesmerising throughout but (again like The Terror, sorry) it’s an ensemble cast thing with excellent character acting everywhere.  And oh god, Adam Nagaitis and Jessie Buckley are so good, so heartbreakingly good.  I don’t think I’m ever getting over how sweet and true and quietly in love they are together in every scene... it was such a beautiful relationship, all the way through to the end *cries*

Other random casting appreciation:

Aww yeah Robert Emms!  Team BBC Atlantis represent.  (Yep, still bitter about that cancellation).  I’m so glad he played a sympathetic character, I love him.

When you need a dignified old geezer to bristle with malevolent authority, Donald Sumpter is your man.  I’m wondering just how many times he’s played a stone-cold bureaucratic goblin in a suit, because it feels like it’s been a lot.

I greatly relished the fact that the actor who played Gorbachev (David Dencik) was Toby Esterhase in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.  There’s some kind of an arc in there.

Evil Trevor from EastEnders as a heroically cynical and tired mine crew chief.  Absolutely zero fucks given, a negative reading of fucks.  Dicks yes, fucks no.

I don’t want to say ‘highlights’ exactly, but... moments:

The entire first episode.  I have rarely felt such absolute cringing dread while watching people walking down corridors, through rubble, or onto roofs.  The music was a huge part of that, the balance of the awful haunting tones and the relative ‘nothing’ that was happening... it really nailed the horror being mostly in the minds of the characters; nobody knew what had happened but they knew it was beyond imagining, and they still had to follow orders to stare into the mouth of hell.

Jared Harris.  That is all.  Everybody else as well, but... Jared Harris.

“Now you look like the minister for coal.”  EPIC.  And the guy’s little smile at the end.  He knew it was fair.

The moment when Shcherbina turned on the two plant chiefs with the information he’d got from Legasov and pretended not to appreciate (”I saw graphite on the roof”) made me want to stand up and cheer.  (And then Bryukhanov heel-turning immediately on his co-worker like “yes, tell us, WHY” - such a peak weasel move I couldn’t help laughing).  I love seeing the exact second where interpersonal conflict machinery just flips over into cooperation (thinking also of the “wrecking ball” bit with Ed and Bud in LA Confidential), it’s always a beautifully satisfying YEAH moment and I think that was it.

The coded phone conversation between Ulana and the other female scientist.  GOALS.  You have to assume they’d had that system set up for years.  The assumption of surveillance by almost everyone in the show was striking and, I’m guessing, realistic.

Dear god, episode 3 held some of the most difficult stuff I’ve ever sat through. Massive props to the makeup team.  I can generally handle gore, but gore and pathos together kills me - I can’t stop thinking about it, the brutal transformation, the dreadful speed of it, the mens’ agonised puzzlement and helplessness, the industrial indignity of the burial.  They captured it all so viscerally.  Just so hard to watch.

The moment when the men ask if they’ll be looked after, afterwards, and Shcherbina says, “I don’t know.”  The look of utter shock on Legasov’s face, because it’s the first time that Shcherbina has ever publicly strayed from the party line.

tl;dr - I love a show.

[hiddlesgirl]

SH 311: Lost Souls

After a torturously long 9 month hiatus, Shadowhunters is finally back! I am so excited. This was a great mid-season premiere: packed with action, heartbreak and tender moments. Now it was slightly choppy, jumping from scene to scene and almost ending certain scenes too abruptly, but that’s understandable because we have eight main characters to catch up with in a short amount of time. That being said it was still an amazing episode that made me cry, laugh and smile.

The episode opens with Alec, Izzy and Jace on a mission together; even though it was a short scene I really liked it because I love seeing these three siblings on missions together, and it’s a little reminiscent of Season 1. Plus, they haven’t really been on a routine mission together (that hasn’t involved life threatening situations for at least one of them) for quite a while.

It is abundantly clear that Jace is spoiling for a fight; his moves are more aggressive and uncoordinated than usual; even though he is up against what appears to be a Seelie Knight he is bested much faster and easier than usual. His emotions are getting in the way and interfering with his concentration.

With no hesitation he runs head on into the Seelie’s spear with the clear intention to injure himself even despite Alec and Izzy’s presence, he is in complete self destruct mode. Before walking away he tells Izzy that if it wasn’t for him Clary would still be alive. We all knew that he was going to take her ‘death’ extremely hard, especially with the actions of the Owl hanging over his head. He feels that her death is his fault and is determined to punish himself for it in whatever way he deems fit right now.

I would like to touch on the fact that we seemed to have completely glossed over Alec’s injury at the end of 310, for it being such a big emotional thing in the last half of the episode it is slightly disappointing that we didn’t get to see the direct aftermath. I understand a small time jump but I also don’t like Alec being hurt simply for the sake of an emotional scene and then not seeing the moments after. But it seems like whenever a Shadowhunters gets injured lately an Iratze completely erases it a moment later (e.g Clary landing on the car and now Jace getting run through with a spear).

Also, it also bugs me a little the inconsistency with the Parabatai bond; such as in Season 2 Alec felt Jace cut his hand but in this scene Alec doesn’t even flinch at Jace being stabbed. It just is a bit annoying that they keep placing this huge emotional weight in the bond (especially from Alec’s side) and then being inconsistent with the details of it. At the end of the day it’s something I can put to one side to enjoy the show, but it’s still a little annoying.

The next scene is an absolutely heartbreakingly beautiful montage of Simon, Magnus and Jace thinking about Clary. It’s so beautifully put together from the editing of the flashbacks, to the amazing acting, to the breathtaking song that they use (Lost Without You by Freya Ridings). It hasn’t failed to make me cry yet and I’ve already watched it five times.

Firstly, Simon’s absolutely devastated and swimming in guilt; he believes that he killed Clary, that the mark on his head killed her. You can clearly see how much it is weighing on him and his desperation to be rid of it is clear when he takes a carpenters knife to his forehead. I also think the music was timed brilliantly because as the mark glows the lyrics ‘to have no control’ are sung and that completely encapsulates how Simon is feeling right now.

It completely breaks me to see Simon like this; he is in so much pain with losing Clary and his mother within hours of each other. Once again I am in awe of Alberto, he is so amazing at emotionally charged scenes and whenever Simon cries I cry too.

Magnus has covered his balcony in candles in tribute to Clary, all lit by hand, and his pain at losing her is clear. She was like a little sister to him, he watched her grow from child into the woman she became. We all know that Clary is one of those that he took under his wing (like Raphael, Simon and so many others). I hope that we get some Magnus and Simon interaction in the upcoming episode because I love their dynamic plus I think that they would be a really great support for each other right now.

Seeing Jace cry really hits me because he presents himself a such a stoic character that anytime he breaks down I break down a little too. You can see how much he loves Clary and how much he misses her, plus he feels like he can’t properly grieve because of his guilt. Again, the song timing is brilliant because during his scene the lyrics ‘I’ve been strong for so long I never thought how much I needed you’ are sung, and that is so true for Jace.

Clary is alive! (But we knew that already). She is definitely not happy that Lilith’s plan to resurrect Jonathan has succeeded, he may be her brother but after everything he has done and all the hurt he has caused she is not welcoming him with open arms. Jonathan on the other hand seems to be very eager to please, with multiple offers of breakfast; referring to her as his little sister, his family, more than once. He is trying to endear himself to her by using words that evoke positive feelings in her, he knows how strongly she feels about people she calls family so he is hoping that by driving home their blood connection she will come around to seeing him as such.

When Clary returns his sentiment of them being the only family they each have left you can see the micro-expression of hope of his face, Luke Baines is definitely very good at expressing without much facial movement and I am looking forward to his portrayal of Jonathan. I also noticed that Clary and Jonathan have the Iratze rune in the same place, the right side of the neck, just flipped; I think that this is a very interesting little detail, I wonder if it is something from the books or was a choice made with the makeup team? If anyone knows please let me know.

First Malec scene of 3B! Who else is screaming? Just me ... okay. Although it is only a few seconds long it is a beautiful little moment, we are getting our first look at how much Magnus life has changed now that he is without his magic. Alec reassuring him that he doesn’t need to go to the trouble of applying makeup because he is beautiful the way he is, is everything I needed; I love that Alec is reaffirming that he finds Magnus beautiful. Also that cheek kiss is adorable and long overdue in my opinion (we have waited so long for a sweet cheek kiss).

I also like that when Magnus explains, in a roundabout way, that having eyeliner makes him feel more like himself Alec accepts that. He knows that with everything that has happened Magnus needs some semblance of normalcy, even if that means taking an eternity to apply eyeliner.

It is clear that Simon is absolutely drowning in his guilt over Clary and believes that her death is his fault, Maia is trying to reassure and help him but it seems that she may be struggling with knowing how to help him best. She has never seen him in the state before, and didn’t live through these events with him, so is a little lost about how to help. For Simon, while he understands why she left and need space, really needed support and the person he was dating wasn’t there; he isn’t accusing her or trying to make her feel guilty, just expressing his feelings of needing her.

For Maia, she definitely needed that time to process and I don’t blame her for that at all, the situation with Jordan is messed up and she needed to do what was best for her at that time. But I think that she also understand that she wasn’t there when Simon needed her which has caused a bit of a rift. While they are sitting near each other the scene lacks intimacy and there definitely feels like there’s a slight disconnect.

This is a difficult situation because Maia did what she needed to do and in that time Simon went through some terrible things during which he need support from those he cares about. There is no one to blame, life just happened and it’s no one’s fault.

We know that the escaped prisoners play a big part in 3B especially for Izzy and I think that this is going to be a very interesting storyline; Izzy has always rebelled against the Clave’s view of Downworlders and is very steadfast in her beliefs about justice. I am looking forward to her investigating these allegations of torture at the Gard, it will be great to see her get a complex and important storyline that will impact the Shadow World greatly.

I feel a lot of sympathy for Jace because not only is he grieving for his grandmother (who he only knew for a few short weeks) and the woman he is in love with but he is also trying to process all the memories from the Owl. He knows that they weren’t his actions but he has to deal with the memories inside his head and the knowledge that his body was used to hurt people. He is a whirlwind of pain, anger, grief, guilt and is at a loss at how to deal with it all; especially because in the past he has repressed emotions.

I love his moment with Izzy, she misses Clary too; she was her friend, her sister. She knows that Jace needs comfort and someone to share his grief with, but she also knows that she can’t understand the full extent of his grief. I think that her expressing these emotions with help Jace a lot, that someone is acknowledging his pain and effectively saying that everything he’s feeling is okay. The little kiss Jace bestows on her hand is so adorable, and I love seeing their bond more because we have had some wonderful moments between Alec and Jace or Izzy and Alec, but not so much between Izzy and Jace; so I really look forward to seeing more scenes between them and their sibling bond.

I absolutely love the scene between Magnus, Alec and Madzie; it is so cute, Alec reading to her and Magnus watching fondly. I also love that Madzie has come so far out of her shell since we first met her in 205, she has become much more outgoing with the support of Catarina, Magnus and Alec.

I feel for Magnus when he cannot create a nightlight, you can feel not only his sense of loss for not being able to perform magic but also at not being able to do it for Madzie. But he is so proud of her when she creates her own, you can see his love for her and their goodnight exchange is so sweet. My whole heart is bursting at the adorableness of this scene.

Alec is once again expressing his support for Magnus adjusting to his new reality, validating his feelings and making sure Magnus knows that he is there to support him. I giggled so much at Alec’s expression when Magnus refuses to kiss him because of Madzie, he is so put out at not being able to kiss his boyfriend. It really shows how far he has come in that he feels so comfortable using the word boyfriend and that he hates being denied kisses; when in Season 1 he couldn’t comfortably occupy the same space or the same sofa with Magnus.

Then I outright laughed at Magnus’ line ‘Oh, you know how we get.’ Implying that they easily get carried away when kissing, it’s so funny (as is Alec’s reaction) but also hints at the passion they have for each other which I love.

Unfortunately, Iris interrupts their cosy night in plans by trying to take Madzie; what I really like is that despite the fact that Iris had raised Madzie she does not want to leave with her, telling her ‘Nana, no’. This shows that Madzie is happy with Catarina (plus Magnus and Alec) and that given the choice she would choose her new guardian; she has this new support system of people who love and support her whereas before she really only had Iris.

My heart clenches when Magnus throws out his hand and nothing happens, you can see the confusion change into disbelief, realisation and then defeat at not being able to defend Madzie. She runs straight to him, clearly feeling safe with him powers or no powers, but Magnus is clearly devastated at feeling helpless and failing in protecting her.

In planning to find Iris Alec wants Magnus to stay behind, he has just seen the reality of Magnus losing his powers; him not being able to defend himself. Alec is afraid of Magnus getting hurt, especially because they know how ruthless Iris is and that she will do anything to get Madzie back. But Magnus refuses to stay behind; he is not willing to stay on the sidelines and is prepared to do whatever it takes to protect Madzie. Alec relents because he knows that if he was in Magnus’ position he wouldn’t stay behind either, they are so similar in that respect; when it comes to protecting the people they love they will do whatever it takes no matter the risk to themselves.

I like that Alec makes the point of telling Jace that he is acting irresponsibly; so many people made sacrifices to save him from Lilith, Magnus lost his magic, Luke and Simon risked their lives (not to mention Izzy and Alec risking their lives, and Alec the Parabatai bond, in 308). It would be disrespectful to them to throw away his life after everything; plus Clary would not want him to do this to himself and using his grief for as an excuse to hurt himself is a disgrace to her memory.

I know that some people didn’t like how Alec handled this scene and that he should have been easier on him; but I think that Alec handled it perfectly. Jace needed someone to tell him the truth, not to sugar coat it, he needed a firm hand to snap him out of his rut. In addition, Alec cannot just act as a brother but also as a leader, as the Head of the Institute, he cannot allow an emotional and reckless person into the field especially when they are showing self harming tendencies. He knows that for his health Jace needs to take a break to process.

Plus, Izzy has already reached out with comfort and I don’t think Jace would have responded to it from Alec at that point. I like that the two scenes also sort of reflect Izzy and Alec’s relationships with Clary. For Izzy, she was always there to comfort, support and love Clary; they had a very close friendship. But with Alec, his relationship with Clary was more reluctant siblings; but their bond was always based on honesty, even if it was brutal.

Izzy tells Maia about what happened with Heidi, it is understandable that Maia didn’t know about this because it’s not something Simon would have felt comfortable talking about, especially so soon after. Again, this was a scene that divided opinions for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, I don’t think Izzy was accusing her when she commented on Maia not being here; I think that she was simply stating that she could not have known the entire situation because she wasn’t there to witness and live through it. This situation was always going to be difficult and awkward because I think that they understand that Maia needed space to be by herself and process her own things but she didn’t live through what happened.

Secondly, the slight contradiction of Izzy saying she has needed to be alone but that she is the sort of person who needs to be around other people, like Simon. I know that some people felt that it was more about further pushing Simon and Izzy together by giving them things in common rather than it being true for Izzy. However, while it is a little contradicting I think that Izzy does and has felt both.

When she was going through her addiction she needed that space for herself in the beginning but she began dealing with her recovery with Alec, she was able to recover better when she was surrounded by people she loved. Just because she has felt the need to be alone, and has sometimes acted on those feelings, doesn’t mean that when things get difficult she deals with it best when surrounded by people she cares about.

I need more Izzy, Alec and Magnus going on missions together; I just need more Izzy and Magnus scenes full stop. They always have such wonderful little interactions that I really want them to have a more in depth scene together. I love Magnus with a sword, and the holster he is wearing is gorgeous; I love how he deflected Iris’ attacks with it.

Jonathan and Clary have a conversation about how being raised influences who you become; Clary, raised by Jocelyn, has a strong moral compass and is generally a well balanced person; Jace, raised by Valentine, is a good person but he has some difficulty with emotion and the prejudices he was raised with (those Valentine instilled about Downworlders, I’m referring to Season 2 when under trail of the Soul Sword he said ‘yes and no’ when asked about believing in Valentine’s quest to eradicate the Downworld); Jonathan, raised by Valentine and Lilith, is emotionally stunted and has a very skewed moral compass.

When you look at how he was raised and what he has been through you can understand why he has difficultly showing emotion appropriately, issues with anger and a desperate yearning for love but not really knowing how to get it. I read that Luke actually worked with a profiler to help construct a profile for a real person who would have experienced the kind of traumas Jonathan went though. I think that this is brilliant because it helps you get a better understanding of a person and gives real world context; it also shows his dedication to portraying him authentically.

Luke is breaking my heart, his desperation and hope is clear in his wall of clues, his demeanour and his stuttering when rushing around to show Jace his work. He seems to be in complete denial over Clary’s death, has been working for three days straight to put together all these little clues on the small hope that his daughter is still alive. He loves her so entirely and he is not ready to let her go easily especially so soon after losing Jocelyn.

I’m a little sad to learn that we won’t be seeing Ollie and Sam again as they have been relocated, but it is understandable character wise. But Luke being so separate from the pack, and later leaving to find Clary, is going to cause a real strain on his relationship with the pack and is going to put his status as Alpha under threat.

We get a small glimpse into Magnus’ past when Iris infiltrates his memories; there is so much pain in them that it breaks your heart, moments from his childhood with blood on his hands are interesting because did they happen while he was with Asmodeus? I love that when he thinks of Alec and the Omamori charm it effectively kicks Iris out of his head, Alec said it would protect him and it did. I really hope that we continue to explore Magnus past.

Alec feels guilty about Magnus being taken because he didn’t insist on Magnus staying behind, what he feared has happened. He is scared because he knows how ruthless Iris is and that she is probably hurting Magnus right now but there is nothing he can do.

We find out that Raphael has taken up residence in Detroit and he seems to be genuinely remorseful for not only his direct actions but Heidi’s actions too; he feels responsible for all the hurt she has caused because he is the one was made sure she turned. I in no way excuse what he did, it was terrible and cruel, but he does appear to want to make any amends that he can to start to repair all the hurt he has caused. I would really like to see him apologise to Magnus for lying to him because we know that have an extremely close bond and we all felt betrayed when he lied to him, especially involving his sister.

Is it just me that finds it a little hilarious that the oldest vampire in New York, possibly the world, lives in the sewers? I get the need to hide away from other but surely there’s a more comfortable place? I guess we’ll find out in 312.

The second round of Magnus’ memories really hurts because they are all about his losing people he loved; the necklace he gave Camille, George, Alec in 2B and his mother. I also find the order of the memories interesting, are they in the order that hurt the most? I wonder if this was intentional or if they were just randomly put together.

This time he uses the memory of defeating Iris in 208 to kick her out of his head; I admire him so much in this scene because despite how much pain he is in he refuses to give up and is determined to keep Madzie safe. When Iris gets the note from Catarina he does appear genuinely worried but I think that he doesn’t completely realise it’s a trap because he is confused and in pain from what Iris was doing to him; if he was thinking straight I think that he would have know right away, but you can’t blame him for being disorientated. Plus being faced with the possibility of Madzie going back to Iris, which he has endured so much pain to prevent, would feel devastating.

Of course it’s a trap, Izzy being a complete badass rescuing her brother in law. While I did find it a little out of character for Magnus to seem to go after Iris after she’s been restrained I think that it was because he was in pain, angry and feeling humiliated; all that emotion was directed at Iris and he wanted to lash out.

Alec holds him back and they have a sweet little reunion moment; Magnus’ desperation to make Alec understand that he did everything he could to protect Madzie is heart breaking because he feels the need stress that he tried to protect her. Alec is just relieved he is back and knows that Magnus would have done everything in his power to prevent Iris finding Madzie, that was never in question.

Iris is taken back to the Gard, now I do feel that this storyline was a little rushed but I also understand why. There is going to be a lot happening in the coming episodes so they really needed to get this out of the way beforehand; if they hadn’t have gotten Iris out of the way now we would have questioned where she was and why she hadn’t come for Madzie in later episodes.

I am so happy that Consul Penhallow pardons Clary of her crimes and you can see the relief from Alec, it is going to mean so much to everyone that her memory isn’t burdened by those charges. However, she is not a fan of Alec’s which is slightly understandable but not justified; which is clearly felt in Alicante. When Izzy brings up the torture of prisoners the Consul denies it, but there is a hesitation and definitely something off about her demeanour; this storyline is definitely going to be very interesting.

We see the Seelie that they captured being restrained by unknown individuals, he remarks that it isn’t the Gard; it makes you wonder if they have taken him somewhere separate because of what he told Izzy and they are worried. But what the fuck are they doing to him? I have no idea what they are injecting him with but the way his body reacts reminds me of Luke from the Freeform trailer, he also had glowing veins and eyes which makes me extremely scared.

The speculations of Luke becoming a Shadowhunters again did make me wonder if the Clave are testing way of purifying demon blood as a way of getting rid of Downworlders? Instead of killing them, they turn them into mundanes? This may be completely wrong but it was just a thought that I had when connecting the Seelie with Luke and those rumours.

Alec is so proud of Magnus for being able to withstand Iris and keep Madzie safe; he knows that it must have been so difficult for Magnus to partially relive those memories (parallel to 212 anyone? Ouch). But Magnus feels ashamed that he wasn’t able to stop her directly and got injured because he wasn’t able to defend himself against her attack. He isn’t used to being physically vulnerable; it is frustrating and makes him feel more vulnerable than he has in long time.

Alec doesn’t allow Magnus to avoid the conversation and follows him around the room, he won’t let Magnus shut him out or believe that he is useless; he knows that Magnus is so full of inner strength and power, he needs to make Magnus understands and sees that as Alec does. You can see that Magnus is grateful and touched that Alec sees him that way and that kiss is wonderful, plus we finally get to see it in a wide shot; we see them embracing each other, Magnus’ hand on Alec’s waist and them moving into each other. It’s such wonderful soft intimacy that I just wish they had better lighting, it is very annoying that time and again their kisses are ruined because we can’t see them properly. Get an extra lamp in there for angels’ sake.

When Magnus pulls away you can see Alec’s face fall, he wants to be able to comfort Magnus and is trying everything he can; from verbal comfort to physical comfort. He keeps questioning Magnus to get to the route of Magnus’ emotions, he wants him to open up and stop bottling up his emotions. He knows that getting them out in the open will make him feel better, plus Alec may be able to understand better and even help.

Magnus feels humiliated because he is so used to being the caretaker that it is a complete reversal to have people take care of him; he has always been so self sufficient that it is an alien feeling to rely on others so heavily. He doesn’t want to feel like a burden to anyone. I adore Alec, ‘You’ve been taking care of others your whole life. Sometimes it’s okay to let others take care of you’. He understands that feeling because he also used to refuse to let people help him but he knows that it’s better to take help when you need it and to let people be there for you. Again, this shows how much Alec has grown that not only does he allow other people to help him and rely on them, but he is advising Magnus to do the same and wants to be the one he leans on.

Magnus is determined to hone his fighting skills so that he can protect himself better because while he can fight he is so used to relying on his magic that he needs to retrain his body to defend himself without it. Alec, of course, offers and I love the flirty way he says it and the flirty vibe they both move into; plus I love Alec’s little accent slip ‘So, what d’ya say I help ya out’, definitely more New York than his usual voice. I am so excited for the training scene next week, we’re not going to survive.

While Simon and Izzy try to find the vampire in the sewers Maia is going to check in with the pack; she knows that Luke is going to be struggling right now and after being away for about a week she wants to see how they are. The whole scene feels a little awkward and stilted, like they don’t know how to be around each other. Even though they reassure each other they will always be there for the other there definitely seems to be a disconnect. Apart from their initial hug they haven’t really touched each other, even casually; you can see that a rift has definitely formed in their romantic relationship.

Clary, in a bid to escape, stabs Jonathan in the jaw; unfortunately she inherits the wound. This is the absolutely confirmation that when Jonathan is injured Clary will get the same injury, it is yet to be seen if the reverse is true; if Clary is injured will Jonathan inherit it? You can see the horror on her face when realising that they are so intrinsically connected, that it is not going to be as easy to get rid of him this time around.

I have a lot of questions about steles though, when I first saw the scene I presumed he was using Clary’s stele but it actually looks like Alec’s. Is that the generic stele style? Are there a few different styles and all Shadowhunters just have one of the few designs? Because Alec, Izzy, Clary and Jace’s stele’s all look different.

Plus, where did he get it? Did Lilith acquire it? Did the Owl steal it? Where is Clary’s stele? Does Jonathan have it (I presume he does)?

So, to sum up, yes the episode was a little rushed but that it completely understandable with the amount of characters we had to catch up with in such a short amount of time. I think it was a great episode, with emotional scenes but also some very sweet moments. Definitely a fantastic start to 3B.

In 312, Morgenstern siblings in Paris, Clace reunite (hopefully Luke and Clary too), Sizzy on a mission and the long awaited (a whole freaking year) Malec training scene. I am screaming!

[imekasf]

5 Things (+5)

Five Things I Am Obsessed With (plus 5 honorable mentions) that I think you should check out.

1. Television: Fleabag (BBC/Amazon) The hype is real. Series one of this show is very good, but series two is actually perfect. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s writing, at times, literally took my breath away. There were moments that I out-loud sobbed for how brilliant her words were. And don’t even get me started on Hot Priest - sweet baby Jesus. (Incentive: Series two is the show’s last - making this very easy to binge in a weekend.)

Honorable mention: Schitt’s Creek (CBC/Netflix) You have to kind of push your way through the first season of this Canadian show (it’s not bad, per se, it’s just a bit rough compared to the subsequent four seasons) to really see what all the fuss is about. Daniel Levy is the heart and soul of this show - as writer, Executive Producer (with his on-screen and real-life dad, the legendary Eugene Levy) and star. Bonus: Catherine O’Hara is a goddamn gift, and her turn as family matriarch Moira Rose is perhaps her best role to date. Note: The upcoming sixth season will be the show’s last.

2. Music: Juice, Lizzo If you are not on the Lizzo train yet, I don’t even know what to say to you right now. This song is a mother f-ing JAM. While you’re here, please enjoy this clip of Lizzo playing the flute while twerking on a very confused-looking Jack Whitehall.

Honorable mention: Faraway Look, Yola This song is a throwback in the best way. Lush, melancholy, and absolutely stunning. Looking forward to more from Yola. What a gift.

3. Podcast: Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Earwolf Conan O’Brien is going through a bit of a career shift, it seems, as his late night show is down to only 30 minutes, while the majority of his content really resides online. If you haven’t yet seen his travel segments (Conan Without Borders is on Netflix, but much of the content is also on YouTube), I cannot recommend them enough. (Haiti is a particular highlight.) He recently started a podcast that allows him the opportunity to interview his show guests in a longer format (under the premise that he needs to make new friends). You can start from the beginning, or you can dive into one of my favorite episodes so far: Bob Newhart. 

Honorable mention: Friendly Fire, Maximum Fun Okay, this is going to sound weird, but I love this podcast that is just three dudes talking about war movies. Do I love war movies? No, not really. But this podcast is wildly entertaining, often funny, sometimes touching, and even a little informative. I found it because two of the hosts have another podcast I listen to called The Greatest Generation (NOT a war podcast - a Star Trek podcast). If this all seems wildly out of character for me, well, perhaps it is, but I highly encourage you to check this one out, if you are looking for a podcast that is not about all the ways in which the (offscreen) world is on fire. Start with one where they discuss a film you have seen - or if you want a rec, check out episode 59: Heaven and Earth.

4. Book: Less, Andrew Sean Greer I finally read this one while on a recent trip overseas and found it to be the perfect travel book. Beautifully written, this book about a gay man coming to terms with his age and legacy while traveling around the world is fantastic summer reading. I wanted to take a highlighter to some of the wonderful passages. (Alas, I was on an airplane sans highlighter, so did not deface the book).

Honorable mention: When the Emperor Was Divine, Julie Otsuka This short but powerful novel offers a unique look into the Japanese Internment Camps during WWII. An unfortunately timely book.

5. Film: Always Be My Maybe (Netflix) It is hard to articulate how totally fucking exciting it is to have faces that look like mine in mainstream American media. And while it is true that there is still no prominent Japanese American actor making waves, the idea that we have gone in just a few years from pretty egregious whitewashing to multiple Asian-led films is something to celebrate. Is this film cheesy and predictable? Yes. But it wouldn’t be a RomCom if it wasn’t those things. Ali Wong is phenomenal, and I am so, so happy that she is getting the due that she deserves. BONUS, the exteriors were (mostly) filmed on location in my hometown, San Francisco (the exterior Chinatown scenes were clearly filmed in Vancouver).

Honorable mention: The Last Black Man in San Francisco (In theaters) Speaking of films made in my hometown. This is a poignant and absolutely breathtaking film about family, and belonging in a city that is being rapidly and heartbreakingly gentrified. It also portrays San Francisco in all its unvarnished glory. Unlike the fairy tale version you get in most movies set here, including the above-mentioned Always Be My Maybe - this is a more familiar San Francisco that still manages to be stunningly beautiful.

[asdamagicbiscuits]

Death Takes A Holiday Review 13.2.2017

So having seen Death Takes A Holiday a few times I thought I should now sit down and discuss my thoughts on the show. I will try not to post spoilers for those who don’t know the story or who have yet to see the show.

Well firstly it’s a Maury Yeston musical directed by Thom Sunderland and produced by Danielle Tarento, I consider these three the magic trio for I have loved their previous work I’ve seen and anything they do is sure to be a hit with me. The score is completely stunning and the musical themes running through the show are so beautifully played by the orchestra, directed by Dean Austin. The company which Danielle has put together execute the show so well. The vocals on the hugely talented cast of 14 are outstanding and it creates a powerful wall of sound when they are all singing together. Thom’s direction is genius and with those three names attached to any show it makes it simply unmissable theatre.

One of the great things about the show is the pairings of people and their relationships with each other and the other characters. Evangelina and Dario, played by the brilliant Gay Soper, whose comic timing is faultlessly perfect, and Anthony Cable bring such a warmth to the stage; December Time is a gorgeous number and the story they portray in it is wonderful. Brilliant acting throughout from them both and Anthony does, what I like to call, a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ moment in the show. During Pavane Evangelina calls Dario Mario again and the spark in Anthony’s eyes dimmed a little and the small look of sadness there at having go back to how it was before that weekend was heartbreaking to watch. That was a genius touch, you can’t teach stuff like that.

Kathryn Akin and Mark Inscoe bounce off each other so well as Stephanie and Vittorio Lamberti. Adore watching them on stage, Kathryn’s solo is stunning, it really hits you that this family is still grieving for the loss of their son and no matter how much time passes a mother can never get over the death of a child. Mark’s reactions are top notch, so natural and believable. Loved his interaction with Ken throughout the show, thought they were well matched as the head of house and the head of the staff, shared some great looks between one another. Helen Turner who plays Alice Lamberti is a joy to watch. Her vocals are out of this world and I love watching her dance in Shimmy Like They Do In Paree and Life Is A Joy, she really catches your attention and you find yourself watching her perform with a smile on your face.

Zoe Doano as Grazia is quite possibly one of the best castings I have seen to date, if ever. What makes me say that? Well allow me to explain. Zoe has such an organic, natural quality about her acting. Nothing about her performance feels forced and all the acting decisions she makes have been well thought through and her interaction with the rest of the characters in the show is great. When I watched the More and More promo video I knew that Zoe’s beautiful soprano would be shown in the brightest of lights in the show. Songs such as How Will I Know, Who Is This Man and Alone Here With You, really allow Zoe to use a wide variety of her vocal range. I love how fiesty and strong Grazia is and the journey which she goes on is brilliantly portrayed by Zoe.

I wanted two things from James Gant as Death. A solid vocal and a load of energy in Alive! He delivered both, effortlessly! Like with Zoe, Yeston’s score showcases James’ range to the max and allows him to put that fabulous belt to full use. Alive, packed with energy, and I Thought I Could Live were strong and powerful. Loved the little vocal slide (glissando is the proper technical musical term but more people know it as a slide) during the first section of More and More. He has great on stage chemistry with Zoe and the acting flowed well, very natural. I also loved the slightly dangerous edge he had as well which he filtered into his tone at particular moments during the show, it very clearly said he was not a man to be messed with. Nicely done Mr Gant! However, this being me I found something I would have liked corrected. (Well he can’t be perfect on his first show, he’d have nowhere to go otherwise!! :P) His right thumb was sticking up when in hold during Life Is A Joy. Although, if that’s the only criticism I have, it says a lot about how much good was in his performance.

The whole company delivers strong performances but two people who steal the show every time are Scarlett Courtney as Daisy and Sophie-May Feek as Sophia. Scarlett’s reactions and what she says in the show subtly links into her story so well which you see come to a head in the second act. Her duet with Ashley Stillburn is heartbreakingly beautiful and the end of the number the look in her eyes would break the hardest of hearts. Scarlett has a beautiful voice and her acting through song is exceptional. Even when she may not be the main focus of the scene Scarlett pulls attention and you find yourself drawn into her story. She has great comic timing. Sophie has a great stage presence about her and she plays the fun, flirty maid of house so well. Acting and comic timing is en-pointe and her dancing is brilliant. Sophie has excellent lines and a lovely elegant poise about her, when she dances, in Life Is A Joy at the end Sophie and Samuel Thomas share a lovely moment of togetherness. After they stop dancing everyone is standing watching the last part of the number and Sophie and Sam stayed in their own unique bubble they created which was a really sweet moment, then looked at each other, got a bit embarrassed and moved away. It was such a great touch to add and it was like they were the couple of the household staff. (I do now want to know the entire backstory of this so Sophie and Samuel be prepared for me to ask you about this! :P)

Sophie, Trudi Camilleri and Matthew McDonald play the household staff led by Ken Christiansen as Fidele. As a little team they all work together so well and in the moment in Pavane and the reprise of Life Is A Joy you get the sense they are a little unit and have a lot of fun together onstage. As a side note I love that Lorenzo goes from chauffeur to footman to gardener to mechanic and seems to be doing every job possible. I liked it a lot!

I have to mention Samuel and his solo, Roberto’s Eyes, which he sings as Major Eric Fenton. Wow. I’m so in awe. Everything about it is perfection from the acting through song to the vocal which he absolutely nails. I didn’t want the song to end, one of many highlights for me during the show!

In my opinion you’d be mad to miss Death Takes A Holiday. A musical like no other I’ve ever seen. It runs at the Charing Cross Theatre until 4th March.

Thanks for reading and until next time, Cheerio!

[blogging4myself]

October celeb movie review: Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy, Karan Johar fall in love with Varun Dhawan – Banita Sandhu – Shoojit Sircar’s film

Varun Dhawan and Banita Sandhu‘s October has hit the screens and looks like everyone is raving about the movie. From the critics to the audience, everyone has heaped praise on the Shoojit Sircar directorial. From the heartwarming storyline to the excellent execution and fantastic performances by Varun and Banita, everything has impressed one and all. But what do the celebrities have to say about the movie? Varun, Shoojit and team had organised a couple of screenings for their friends, families and several celebrities from Bollywood. Post the movie screening, several stars tweeted about the movie, gushing about how Varun, Banita and Shoojit have made them fall in love. From calling it Varun’s best performance to praising Banita’s class act to speaking about how October is beautiful and lovely, B-town celebs wrote a lot about the film. Check out what they had to say right here! (ALSO READ – October movie review: Varun Dhawan’s seasoned act brings alive Shoojit Sircar’s “flowery” vision on screen)

T 2772 – “OCTOBER” film, एक पुष्प ‘हरृंगार’ ( harshringaar ) का, gentle, soft, श्री Krishn called it ‘Paarijaat’, in Bengal ‘Shiuli’ unique tree, does not wait flowers to give fruits or seeds… blooms in moonlight… sheds the flowers before sunrise, like a weeping shower… pic.twitter.com/o0N8M3iX8D

— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) 12 April 2018

Octber a story thats all heart @Varun_dvn is an artist & proves he can pull any genre & make u fall in love with all the characters he plays @BanitaSandhu carries such a difficult role with such grace & makes it believable @ShoojitSircar the creator of it all. Shewli फूल

— Mouni Roy (@Roymouni) 12 April 2018

#October is absolutely beautiful… just beautiful….sucks you into its world and absorbs you completely…I felt like I was standing there with the characters and feeling their every beat and emotion….@ShoojitSircar and @writeonj are a genius team!

— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) 11 April 2018

@Varun_dvn as Dan is a character I have never met at the movies before! Flawed but so real and so intuitively hearful…..by the end of the film you root for him with a heavy heart….undoubtedly his best work to date…..

— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) 11 April 2018

@BanitaSandhu is so so lovely! Her stillness and silences speak volumes ! She has a striking and supremely heartening presence ! Welcome to the movies! Huge mention to Gitanjali Rao for her brilliant performance! #october

— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) 11 April 2018

Having watched #October only one word comes to my mind “Beautiful” and that’s the feeling it leaves behind @ShoojitSircar and @writeonj you are a kickass combo! @Varun_dvn I have never seen u so effortless on screen before! @BanitaSandhu welcome to movies 

— taapsee pannu (@taapsee) 13 April 2018

Subtlety in love is rare. And that too on the celluloid is the rarest form of cinema. #October celebrates true selfless love. @Varun_dvn’s innocence is so endearing. @BanitaSandhu is a great discovery. Thank you @ShoojitSircar da @writeonj @ronnielahiri da

— Ayushmann Khurrana (@ayushmannk) 12 April 2018

All heart, all feeling… where time stands still and you’re transported into another world #October… Cinema ✨@ShoojitSircar @writeonj @ronnielahiri… thank you for being you…

— Aditi Rao Hydari (@aditiraohydari) 13 April 2018

After a long time, a film that makes you feel so much by saying little.. but the right little! I have fallen in love with Dan’s love, just pure! @Varun_dvn you’ve made me cry with a smile on my face. @BanitaSandhu your powerful silence I’m gonna have to watch this film again!

— Nushrat Bharucha (@NushratBharucha) 13 April 2018

.@ShoojitSircar @writeonj thank u for telling stories that take us into a world so pure, so simple, so lovable! @ronnielahiri

— Nushrat Bharucha (@NushratBharucha) 13 April 2018

Congratulations @ShoojitSircar Sir @Varun_dvn @writeonj @BanitaSandhu and the entire team of #October for creating this gem! VD undoubtedly your best performance..you lived Dan effortlessly with that innocent carefree charm, so real and so endearing!

— Kiara Ane Nenu (@Advani_Kiara) 13 April 2018

Finding hard to put my experience of ‘ October ‘ in words ..rarely does a movie evoke such deep- rooted emotions.. thank you @ShoojitSircar Da for making us hold on to moments , something which is withering away today.. And @writeonj, your Dan & Shiuli are in our hearts forever

— Yami Gautam (@yamigautam) 12 April 2018

What a great movie With a different & emotional story #October . A big hug to my younger brother @Varun_dvn #Dan you did a great great job.. congratulations #Banatasandhu u were superb. Big salute to the very talented #SujitSarkar .. pic.twitter.com/Lm98xnl9cn

— King Mika Singh (@MikaSingh) 12 April 2018

@Varun_dvn as DAN is so pure and innocent ..beautifully performed…#October

— iamsanjeeda (@iamsanjeeda) 13 April 2018

Here’s wishing my brother from another mother @Varun_dvn only the best in life!

Can’t believe how mature you’ve become as an actor. With #October you, @shoojitsircar sir & @banitasandhu have changed the way people look at Bollywood.

Keep slaying, coz you’re the best! pic.twitter.com/gzRAsj6f4O

— ARMAAN MALIK (@ArmaanMalik22) 13 April 2018

Watched @ShoojitSircar sir’s #October. It’s Heartbreakingly Beautiful The Film Stays with you so does the characters of Dan & Shiuli. Loved it pic.twitter.com/DopAOYG5AM

— Soundarya Sharma (@soundarya_20) 12 April 2018

Dear @Varun_dvn #October is another proof of your brilliance. What a beautifully nuanced performance as DAN. It is so wonderful to watch you reinvent yourself as an actor constantly. It was nice to meet you after the Screening. Thank you for your warmth pic.twitter.com/Z3mwctmQf5

— Soundarya Sharma (@soundarya_20) 12 April 2018

If you have seen the movie, share with us your thoughts in the comments section below! Also stay tuned to BollywoodLife as we get you all the dope and updates about October right here.

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