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Film reviews

The Boy and the Heron Review

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The mind of director and writer Hayao Miyazaki gives his movies verisimilitude. He brings his audience into a world of wonders with strong bonds to a fascinating reality. The Boy and the Heron is a new world of wonders that left me breathless. A tale where something is lost but has a chance to be regained by taking a chance and adventuring into the unknown. With Miyazaki skillfully adding depth and emphasis to his animations, The Boy and The Heron soars with faith and ambition. The magical imagery in The Boy and the Heron is an experience that is hard to forget.

The film is set in a fantasy post-war era. The story focuses on the character Mahito (voiced by Luca Padovan). Mahito’s mother has died, and he moves to his family’s estate with his father Shoichi (voiced by Christian Bale) and his stepmother Natsuko (voiced by Emma Chan). Mahito struggles with the grief of losing his mother. Repeatedly, in his head he hears his mother calling him for help. Mahito is visited by a Grey Heron that always shows up unexpectedly and he takes this as a sign. This leads Mahito to follow the bird (voiced by Robert Pattinson). After he is told that his mother may still be alive, Mahito is in for an adventure that he will never forget. It takes him into a world of the living and the dead. Death is an end, yet there is a new start from where life leaves off. Mahito and the Grey Heron embark on an adventure where Mahito may be able to find the missing aspect in his life…his mother.

The Boy and the Heron is a journey into the unknown with an added layer of faithful significance—Mahito’s name means sincere one. Mahito is the meaning of everything that happens around him as he embarks on his adventure with the Grey Heron. A sense of disconnect surrounds Mahito as a more revealing and empathetic atmosphere gradually increases throughout the film. His experience opens up a world of possibilities. The writing of the film fulfills that aspect of despair finding hope. It does so in its fantasy elements as Mahito goes deeper in his journey.

To an extent, this is one of the most authentic animations I have seen in ages. Its presentation flows like a classic novel through vast narrations in key moments of the film. A new door is unlocked around every corner of The Boy and the Heron.

Will Mahito find his mother? Will Mahito find a new direction in life through his adventures with the Grey Heron? There are a few moments in this film that may not make sense at first, however they are where the empathy builds. It is an experience where humanistic aspects will truly touch audiences in afantastic display through the mind of Miyazaki. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for The Boy and the Heron.

Film reviews

Monster Review

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In Monster, the audience will feel a sense of concern due to thetension that boils from the beginning of the film. An outburst evolves into surreal aspects in Director Kore-eda Hirokazu’s Monster. The movie offers an experience in which a portrait of behavior leads the audience into unknown directions on a worried search for answers. The film’s opening scene of a building on fire and children running is an illusion of what the film’s actual problem is. Hirokazu’s direction is based on his audience putting together pieces of the puzzle.

With a vast landscape offered in the surprising introduction, the plot starts with a smooth approach. The film takes place in Japan and introduces us to a mother Saori (played by Sakura Ando) and her son Minato (played by Soya Kurokawa). Minato starts acting in bizarre ways. He cuts his hair shorter, has outbursts at home and at school which causes a concerning and detrimental journey for Saori as a mother. It comes to her attention that his teacher, Mr. Hori (played by Eita Nagayama) may have assaulted him. Saori goes to school and talks with the hierarchy which is not of much use due to strict rules and confidentiality. Slowly, however, the turmoil of Saori, Minato, and Hori begins to go awry.

The film is well paced. It jumps to the conflicts that have occurred and then reverses. It is an experience where it is not easy to put together the pieces of an unfortunate event, but solving the puzzle causes a continued fight for boundaries. Mr. Hori consistently fails to respect people’s wishes and tends to act out. Based upon Saori’s concerns, Mr. Hori’s career starts to be problematic due to his erratic behavior. Minato’s behavior is also a problem. The clashing of personalities in Monster gets to point where hardship is inevitable.

Honesty lies in the depths of Monster. The writing of the film provides context for the set of rules which the teacher follows. Mr. Hori’s personality is impatient and bizarre, and he displays an abusive tone. With frustrations rising for Mr. Hori, the writing continues to be vivid regarding the realistic consequences given the matters which are non-negotiable. Monster offers an unforgettable portrait of the reality of matters that are irreparable.

The film is a poetic experience involving the sensitivities in life. Saori has conflicts with Minato, and Mr. Hori is in a bind due to his behavior The portrait of Minato and what is happening in his mind is visually captivating. With his changing behaviors, the audience is left to worry about everyone associated. There is evidence to explain what is happening, but is it true? Did Mr. Hori hurt Minato? Is Minato dealing with grief after the passing of his father? With the events happening and then reversing, there is a deeper context which is a “monster” in all the characters in the film. The spellbinding writing in Monster creates a monumental maze of questions, realizations, meaning, symbolism, friendship, and disconnect. Three out of four stars.

Film reviews

All of Us Strangers Review

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The major vibe is distress on a journey of loneliness in this film. All of Us Strangers takes a deep dive into the core of finding where to fulfill disconnect. It is a portrait of sadness and finding light while dealing with the harsh reality of life as a screenwriter. The film is about the creative process of a screenwriter and is also process for its audience. It causes viewers to think about personal challenges, issues of acceptance, and how others view them. Written and directed by Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers is a film about the ups and downs in the life of a screenwriter who is stuck with both heartache and desolation.

The film opens with the screenwriter named Adam (played by Andrew Scott). Adam lives his life of mental suffrage in anapartment in London but has a secret. He is a closeted gay. Adam meets his neighbor Harry (played by Paul Mescal) who helps Adam change how he sees himself. Harry is also gay, and they begin to form a loving relationship. Closeness is what both Adam and Harry have been most deprived of. Adam searches for answers in different places and struggles with writer’s block. Harry’s mum is played by Claire Foy and his dad is played by Jamie Bell. Given Adam’s life of secrecy about his sexuality, his harsh memories frequently come to mind when spending time with Adam and his parents. The search for acceptance while navigating life’s challenges is the focus of the artistic journey in All of Us Strangers.

The relationship between Adam and Paul is where the film excels in displaying the impact of love. Mescal and Scott are brilliant in terms of their chemistry as they fight despair and find hope. Adam struggles to accept his true feelings for Paul and himself because he questions how his parents will feel about it. Adam’s parents find themselves confused and distraught about trying to accept their son’s sexuality. Their delayed acceptance causes Adam to revisit his haunting childhood. In fact, he feels like reality is against him throughout the story and the way the film presents his feelings is mesmerizing.

All of Us Strangers is a set in a society where being gay is questioned. The love between Adam and Harry is deep and their endearing love story is about finding what it takes to be fulfilled. The experience portrayed through the film’s writing and lighting is both hard and real. The harshness of Adam’s parents withtheir ridiculous expectations is why he struggles to have faith in himself. Harry is the only one that helps him have faith. There is more positive energy in Adam’s life when he is in Harry’s company and their relationship is their wonderland. Adam’s escape from Harry leads to choices that are harmful at times, but that’s because of the strength of their bond. Can Adam live a life of happiness without Harry?

The brilliance of All of Us Strangers lies in its presentation of Adam’s life of turmoil. The reality of Adam’s closeted secret is his nightmare. The audience gets to experience what’s on the mind of this screenwriter with an unexpected story. During the film, I felt the pain in Adam’s eyes as he faced regret and neglect. The continued frustration with his parents impacts his ability to enjoy his life with Harry. Why do Adam’s parents struggle to accept that their son is gay? Adam cannot help butwhat his heart wants. Nothing is more powerful than knowing there are people who care. The experience of disconnection and love in this film created a daring experience that left me in tears. Four out of four stars for All of Us Strangers.