#this is so thrilling its like watching a telenovela with all these twists and turns | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tilbageidanmark · 3 years

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Movies I watched this week / 11

Ship of Theseus, The awesome Discovery of the Week:

A philosophical 2012 Indian art-house masterpiece, based on the Heraclitus thought experiment that asks, if an object that has had all of its components replaced remains the same object.

It tells 3 separate stories that are seemingly unrelated. The first introduces a young Egyptian photographer who is blind and creates her street art based on sounds she hears. The second is about a dying Jain monk, fighting to ban animal testing in India. The third is about a poor bricklayer whose stolen kidney was sold illegally to an unsuspecting Swedish man. The uniting finale is a moving reflection on Plato’s allegory of the cave.

It may not sound appealing, but the film is absolutely beautiful, surprising, compelling and original.

Also found on YouTube in 720p BluRay Quality. Good reviews by Nona Prince and an essay: Visual Metaphors in the film (Please read only after seeing the film itself)

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First watch: Laura - 1944 absurd film noir mystery directed by Otto Preminger. “I shall never forget the weekend Laura died.”...

Style over substance. 8/10.

Also, I didn’t know that Vincent Price was so tall.

Theme from film.

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Steven Soderbergh‘s The Girlfriend Experience. Real life mega porn star Sasha Grey in her first cross over role. She plays a high-end escort who is paid to act as her clients' emotional companion.

I loved it as a first act, but the story was missing act two.

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The fantastic history of R. "Bob" Dobbs and The Church of the SubGenius! Better than wikipedia!

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I haven’t seen any Louis de Funès films for over 50 years. Surprisingly, Jo, The Gazebo, a typical 1971 screwball comedy, stayed relatively funny and fresh with all the mimicry and jokes I remember from my childhood. 5+

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The Night of the Iguana, John Huston’s classic drama. Richard Burton is a disgraced minister at the end of his rope who is ready "to take the long swim to China". Tennessee Williams in Puerto Vallarta.

“What is important is that one is never alone...”

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2 X Alfonso Cuarón:

* Road to Roma - Interview with Cuarón, deconstructing the ‘making of’ his wonderful 2018 movie. Seeing the colorful process Behind the Scenes, in comparison to the Black and White canvas, is breathtaking. 10/10.

* His previous film - Gravity: A mainstream movie with only 2 actors. Exciting, too thrilling for me.

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First watch: Russian Ark, an experimental story and a technical tour de force. It was recorded in a single, unedited take of 96 minutes at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, on 23 December 2001, with a cast of over 2000 costumed actors. It follows 300 years of Russian history, guided by a 19th-century French diplomat.

✴️ Lost in America - “This is just like ‘Easy Rider.’ Except, now it's our turn. I mean, we can drop out and we can still have our nest egg!”

Loved it then, loved it now.

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Another, similar film from the same time (1991) and atmosphere, Steve Martin’s LA Story - Adored it then, loved it now.

“Some of these buildings are over TWENTY years old!”

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Of Alan J. Pakula‘s “Paranoia Trilogy”, I always preferred “The Parallax View” and “All the President's Men”. Maybe because even Pakula had a hard time describing an affair between a call girl and a client without resorting to tired old cliches. But watching Klute for the first time in many years, all but the predictable ending is actually first rate.

He should have called it Bree, though.

Appreciation of composer Michael Small, who scored Klute as well as eight more of Pakula’s movies.

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Butter - a nearly-wonderful comedy about a little orphaned black girl who competes at a butter sculpture contest at the Iowa State Fair.

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Hitchcock's favorite plot, “Innocent Person Wrongly Accused”, in North by Northwest, with opening-credits sequence by Saul Bass, and still effective crop dusting attack.

Most of it is ridiculously dated (55 year old accidental hero Cary Grant who has to get his mother’s approval, and the final shot of the Freudian train speeding into the tunnel). It’s still a fun ride.

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My first Almodóvar, All About My Mother. A melodramatic Telenovela world of junkies, transsexuals, AIDS, prostitution and the theater. It’s only during the second half that the film clicked for me.

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The Visual Effects of Psychedelics, from Effectindex. Must be watched in full screen. Real life example.

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I spent 4 long hours entangled with Woody Allen’s sexual abuse in the new disgusting documentary Allen v. Farrow.

Technically, the worst part of this are the unbearable, constant layers of background music that drowns every scene with emotional guidelines. I wish they would stop doing it once and for all.

Not necessary me, but Why I Will Never Watch a New Woody Allen Film Again.

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Another short Haring bio - How Keith Haring Injected Childlike Joy Into His Art.

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The 2020 Invisible Man, Peggy Olson version: Somehow-interesting horror premise, but not my cup of tea. Points for the plot twist at the end. 2/10.

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Throw-back to the art project:

Annie Hall Adora.

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(My complete list is here)

#movies

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truthbeetoldmedia · 5 years

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Jane the Virgin 5x01 “Chapter Eighty-Two” Review

The Season 4 finale of Jane the Virgin ended on quite a cliffhanger: Michael, Jane’s ex-husband who died four years ago, was revealed to actually be alive. (My not-so-generous thoughts on this particular plot twist can be read here.)

Over the lengthy, nearly year-long hiatus since the Season 4 finale aired, questions and theories about Michael’s return abounded: how could he possibly be alive? What would his return mean for Jane and Rafael’s relationship? Was it even really Michael?

For me, my interest in watching the show’s final season hinged on how it answered these questions. (To be honest, I have absolutely no interest in watching Jane leave Rafael again to be with Michael, whom I was never fond of in the first place.)

Within minutes, most of fan’s questions had been addressed, for the most part satisfactorily:

Yes, Michael is indeed Michael (Rafael had a DNA test done before telling Jane about him, just to be sure), except he goes by Jason now (after Jason Bourne), he has a dog and also amnesia, and he remembers nothing about Jane or their past life together.

It turns out Rose orchestrated his entire death, from giving him drugs that would slow down his heart to the point of it having appeared to stop, to having him carted out of the examination hall by EMTs who were under her command. (I’m still a little skeptical of this explanation, but I’ll let it slide for now. Also — are you telling me at no point Jane would have asked or been able to see Michael’s body?) She then induced his amnesia by giving him electroshock therapy centred on the hippocampus and temporal lobe and dropped him off in Montana, where he’s spent the last four years.

Okay, so Michael was essentially tortured into forgetting everything about his life. Even I, a staunch Michael non-supporter, feel bad for him.

One thing that’s not clear yet: what was Rose’s motivation behind doing this? The one person who can possibly help answer that question is Luisa; she and Rafael are in contact again after he gave up her location to Rose in order to learn where Michael was, and she seems determined to help her brother find out what Rose’s game is, even though Raf is unwilling to ask that of her.

And how’s Jane doing after finding out that her dead ex-husband is no longer dead and is also possibly no longer her ex-husband? She’s doing fine! (The episode features a 7-minute long monologue by Jane — which Gina Rodriguez absolutely kills — where she works through her emotions in a way that strongly reminded me of the Friends episode “The One Where Ross is Fine.”)

Honestly though, Jane is doing pretty well. Sure, she passes out upon first seeing Michael, but after that she handles everything like a champ, from the realization that she might be married again, to attending Michael’s neurologist appointment along with his mother, to taking Michael to places they used to visit all the time in an effort to spark his memory. What’s less painful than reliving a bunch of memories with a man you once loved but who no longer recognizes you, and whom you no longer recognize in return?

Because not only is Michael amnesiatic, he’s also no longer the Michael we spent two and a half seasons getting to know. Once an avid cat lover, he’s now a dog person who doesn’t like cats at all; he speaks in a slow drawl and calls Jane “ma’am” (he’s older than her!); he hates cubanos; he’s attracted to Petra; and the light-hearted, kind, funny aspects of Michael that Jane — and everyone — loved seem to have been stripped away completely.

Listen, I’ve stated before, and I’ll state again, and I’ll probably state many times throughout this season: I’ve never been a fan of Michael. But man, this episode, with its sparing use of flashbacks and video, made me miss him. And if that’s how I felt, I can only imagine how it made fans of Michael feel. Including his in-world fans: obviously Jane is a mess, and Rogelio, who considered Michael his best friend, is absolutely heartbroken when Michael doesn’t remember him. Alba and Xo, who considered Michael part of their family, and of course Mateo who once saw him as a father figure, now hardly remembers him, and hasn’t yet been told that he’s alive.

Then Rafael, whose own world has been rocked but mostly stands as a supportive background figure in this episode, giving Jane the room she needs, deciding to put off the move until things settle down, looking after all three of his children, and being a shoulder for Rogelio to cry on. As proud as I was of Rafael in this episode (he has grown so much since the show’s early seasons) I was also worried: we all know Rafael tends to withdraw inside himself when he’s overwhelmed, and those bottled-up feelings usually burst out of him in a negative way.

Maybe I was worried for no reason though, because Rafael does allow himself to break down in front of Xo, admitting to her how scared he is at the possibility of losing Jane. As Jane brings up several times during the episode — so does Rogelio, upon finding the ring — Rafael and Jane were supposed to get engaged, they were in the process of moving in together, and now their whole life has been put on hold.

What does the future hold for this couple? The episode ends on a positive note for them, as Jane shows up at Rafael’s new workplace (wearing a yellow dress and paralleling the pilot, when she visited Michael at work to propose to him) to tell him that she loves him and that she’s still planning on moving in with him. They kiss, but the narrator makes it clear that perhaps things won’t go for them as planned.

Not that I would expect them to, this being the first episode of the season for a telenovela, but I’m not too thrilled at the prospect of more relationship drama just when things were starting to calm down. Remember, in Season 1, Jane ends up leaving Michael for Rafael not too long after they got engaged, so if the parallel continues there’s a good chance we can expect the inverse to happen here.

But take heart, #Jafael fans: remember also that Jane ultimately chose Michael over Rafael. I still believe that in this second iteration, she’ll eventually choose Rafael over Michael.

There was another big question left unanswered in the Season 4 finale, although to be honest I completely forgot about it until this episode aired: JR shot somebody in order to save Petra’s life. Who?

Remember Milos? Petra’s acid-throwing, stalking, arms-dealing ex-husband? He’s back!

For a short time, at least.

Milos’ motivation in trying to frame Petra was apparently nothing more than to put her in jail, in return for her putting him in jail. And he never wanted to kill her just...maim her, I guess.

After being shot in the arm by JR, Milos attempts to strike a bargain with Petra in order to stop her from calling the police; he once again has majority ownership of the hotel (after being behind the charity that Luisa donated her shares to) and he will give them back to her, if only she lets him go.

Petra hesitates, which is the last straw for JR, who’s still angry at Petra for lying to her about murdering her sister (man, there are some sentences I type out that make me realize just how bonkers this show is). Even though Petra insists that she wasn’t really considering Milos offer, she was just caught off guard, JR doesn’t believe her — and while they’re arguing, Milos disappears.

Eventually, Milos is found by Petra, hiding inside a giant teddy bear in Anna and Elsa’s room. The wound in his arm is now infected and he once again attempts to bargain with Petra: he’ll give her his shares to the hotel, if she gets him some antibiotics.

Will Petra be tempted to make the deal, now that JR isn’t there to stop her? Or has she truly changed?

The audience — and Milos — is led to believe that it’s the former, as Petra even makes Milos write out his promise by hand (a bloodstained note that the Narrator is uncertain would hold up in court). But it turns out that Petra was only playing for time while she was waiting for the police to turn up; they quickly arrest Milos and lead him away.

(As an aside, Petra’s line to Milos of “By the way, I’m bisexual. It’s you” was such a power move. I was so scared they were going to let Milos’ offhand and derisive lesbian comment from earlier stand.)

Petra has changed for the better, and as she promises JR she’ll continue to change — but, for now at least, JR is unwilling to wait for that to happen. Just as Petra can’t forget the things in her past that forced her to become who she is today, JR can’t forget the things Petra did that caused them to break up in the first place. So for now, the two go their separate ways, but I have hope for them reuniting at some point in the future.

What about Milos? Is his role in this story truly done? I wouldn’t be so sure; it seems that almost no character on this show disappears forever.

Even ones that have been dead and buried for four years.

Jane the Virgin airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on the CW.

Sam’s episode rating: 🐝🐝🐝.5

#Jane the Virgin #Chapter Eighty-Two #Michael Cordero

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richmegavideo · 5 years

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‘Jane the Virgin’ Review: That 7-Minute Epic Monologue Is Everything That’s Great About the Series

[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers from “Jane the Virgin” Season 5 premiere episode, “Chapter Eighty-Two.”]

“Jane the Virgin” returned in top form Wednesday night for the premiere of its final season and resolved two cliffhangers: Who JR (Rosario Dawson) shot and the apparent return of Jane’s husband Michael (Brett Dier) from the dead after four years. Both of these sensationalized stories stay true to the show’s telenovela roots, but the latter is this season’s pièce de résistance, through which the show explores how Jane (Gina Rodriguez) has grown and the ways that one forms a sense of self.

It turns out that this man is indeed Michael, but through an elaborate scheme, someone faked his death and gave him amnesia with electroshock therapy. He now calls himself Jason — after Jason Bourne — and has built a life for himself in Montana. Jason isn’t anything like Michael; he lacks humor, speaks in a slow drawl, and — most distressingly — is no longer a cat person (sorry, Faith N. Whiskers III). He has no memory of Jane or any of the Villanueva clan, and even his palate and preferences have changed.

Read More:‘Jane the Virgin’ Final Season Will Be a ‘Pornography of Emotion’

As viewers, it’s disturbing to watch this man who looks like Michael treat his own wife like a stranger, and for Jane, it’s even harder to experience this firsthand. Michael’s personality reset makes her question her concept of what forms identity — not only for him, but herself as well. In an extended, seven-minute, one-take scene that screams “Emmy submission,” Rodriguez delivers a speech that reveals Jane’s inner turmoil. And while the show is known for its signature twists, colorful narration, and imaginative use of graphics, Jane’s monologue encapsulates why the show’s merits run deeper than those surface quirks.

Andrea Navedo and Gina Rodriguez, “Jane the Virgin”

The CW

The series has always been a master of tone: balancing the lighthearted, campier aspects with an unwavering heartfelt core. The monologue takes the viewers on an emotional ride as Jane confides in her mother Xo (Andrea Navedo) and grandmother Alba (Ivonne Coll) about her confusion and fears. It’s not an accident that her family is there in the scene, present and supportive as they’ve always been throughout the series. As Jane spins out, consumed with the implications of Michael’s return, she becomes absent-minded, forgetting to heat the kettle, rambling with her mouth full, and eventually just walking around without her pants. It’s these small, hilarious details that give the show its emotional authenticity, embracing sentiment without devolving into melodrama (at least when it comes to Jane’s journey). Expect to cry at least once per episode for this final run.

Read More:The CW Boss on ‘Jane the Virgin’ and ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ Emmy Snubs: ‘Never Got the Accolades They Deserved’

The monologue also showcases the series’ presentation of the Latinx-American cultural experience in an everyday, matter-of-fact way. Even though chunks of Alba’s Spanish-spoken dialogue are translated through subtitles, when Jane sprinkles in cognates such as “inhala, exhala,” it’s not accompanied with onscreen text. It simply exists for the viewer to accept. Similarly, when Jane pauses mid-ramble to ask her grandmother if she made arepas, no awkward explanation is given for what that food is. Instead, Jane is simply seen eating it. As with shows like “Fresh Off the Boat” and “Vida,” “Jane” aims to normalize, not Otherize these cultural aspects.

Most of all, the speech goes to the heart of what “Jane the Virgin” is all about: the growth of Jane and how she defines herself. She’s embraced being a widow and the grief that comes with it for so long, she has no clue what she’s supposed to feel now that Michael is alive. And yet, because he’s forgotten her, she doesn’t feel like a wife, but instead feels rejected, negated. This confusion is reflected in her comment to the cat, “Faith N. Whiskers, you remember that person who loved you so much because he was a cat person? Well, guess what? You’re out!”

In the same vein, Michael has stopped being a Jane person. Or has he? An ongoing line that viewers have latched onto throughout the seasons involves one of Michael’s comments about always believing that he and Jane belong together. The omniscient narrator once proclaimed that Michael would never stop loving Jane, “and for as long as Michael lived, until he drew his very last breath, he never did.” But if Michael is no longer Michael, what does this mean for his love for Jane?

Gina Rodriguez, “Jane the Virgin”

The CW

It’s an existential dilemma that Jane as a writer can’t help but trying to categorize or identify. “You tell all these stories about yourself and that’s who you are. That’s your identity,” she says. “And I’m a widow… I mean, that’s not all that I am. I’m a mother and a daughter and a published-freaking-author.”

In fact, from the outset, the show has tried to define Jane through its title. “Jane the Virgin” outlines the show’s premise, but post-virginity, the series has taken a creative approach to the title by crossing out or eliminating the word “Virgin” onscreen and replacing it with a new identifier. For this episode, she has been labeled “Jane the Forgotten.” Next week, she’ll have a new moniker. It’s thrilling to discover new aspects of this person week to week. She is all of those things, but in the end, no matter what the designation is, it’s enough that she is just Jane.

Grade: B+

��Jane the Virgin” airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW.

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#Hip Hop

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