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mahaliapolk
Reviews
IF (2024)
Fun, friendly movie
IF is a fun and very family friendly movie. There was much more emotional depth than I had anticipated based on trailers I had seen. The visuals were fun and well done, it truly felt like being in the mind of a child just on the edge of being "too grown" for kiddy stuff. I love the lack of cynicism for the main character, it was nice to see a family friendly film that didn't have the main child character be so focused on "not being a kid". I had expected that to be the main storyline; a young girl discovering that you're never too old to have fun. Instead I was happy to find that the central message seemed to be; your belief in yourself is your greatest strength. A thoroughly enjoyable film.
Summer Camp (2024)
Cute but...
Very cute but also incredibly lacking. I generally love this genre of heartwarming film but Summer Camp was missing an anchor. The story was a bit uneven in pacing; some scenes seemed out of order, we could have flashed back to the younger campers a little more and I think it would have added to the emotional depth. The writing wasn't quite there and the acting also seemed flat for a large portion of the film. None of the emotion felt earned, it felt as though the audience was being told "this is an important moment" rather than feeling the important moments. There wasn't enough character development to really feel invested in the characters' journeys.
Fast Girls (2012)
Cute but lacking
Clearly a film that set out to be the track version of bend it like Beckham, and they were close to having all the right beats. It's hard to tell if the lacking was in the writing or the editing but it constantly felt like it was reliant on the viewer to know what the filmmakers were going for here. There's very little back story so it's hard to understand or buy into the character dynamics. The whole film pretty much boils down to "rich girl doesn't think about anyone but herself and poor girl doesn't know how to get along with others". It was great casting and makes me wish so much that there had been more there. Would have loved to get a little back story about the whole team.
May December (2023)
A masterpiece in uncomfortable acting
This film.... I wasn't sure if I was going to watch it given the subject matter but I'm so glad I did. The whole film exudes unease and discomfort.
From the first introduction to the characters the audience can sense the quiet desparation of the Atherton-Yoos to convince us that not only is there life quaint and good but also so normal. I loved the way every conversation Natalie Portman's character has with friends and extended family leaves you with the idea that they are all trying to convince themselves this is normal and fine. Everyone is avoiding the elephant in the room.
The slow breakdown of the facade and the obvious tensions between children and mother "May December" does an incredible job of showing rather than telling how each character perceives their own reality.
I'm not sure why so many feel like nothing happened or that the end was unsatisfactory; I feel that the film said everything it intended to. It leaves you with the knowledge that there is no way to justify the relationship and with the discomfort of seeing an entire community allow Gracie to get away with her actions with few consequences.
I'm certain several people will be winning awards for this film.
Get Over It (2001)
Nothing like teens taking on Shakespeare to lighten the mood of teen angst
This movie is nothing but fun, and the story lines are all cute! It flows well and avoids the all too common teen flick trope of being cringy just to get a laugh. Everytime you think it's gonna be a cringe worthy moment to fast forward through it turns out to be legitimatly funny or sweet.
The chemistry between the actors is great, a very fun film.
The songs are entertaining and bring a catchy element to the pacing of the film. There aren't any big miscommunication moments which makes the film all the more enjoyable since it focuses more on advancing the character growth.
You get to see some of the "rocking midsummer nights eve" and the only downside I can see to this movie is that we aren't treated to the entire play.