Film reviews

Emelia Perez Review

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What genre speaks to audiences the most? Is it crime, comedy,musical, or a thriller? Emelia Perez is a quadruplet of each! Directed by Jacques Audiard, it is a film of a blend that I found to be instrumental. There is characterization of perfection and detail with the main characters. There is also a clarification of the film’s central plot. Emelia Perez deserves attention on the big screen over its streaming platform Netflix. The odyssey of depth is not the same without seeing it on the big screen.

As I have mentioned, it is one for cinemas, that is because its setup is theatrically inviting. The setting of Emelia Perez is Mexico. Its character of importance is a lawyer named Rita Moro Castro (played by Zoe Saldana). She is an over achievingattorney who is under employed in her career. She spends herdays working at a large firm, when she could have her own. This is where the film goes into a musical track of her elaborating on the curiosities to why she is working for nothing.

The film continues on the track of playing the musical card. The serious depths of the plot are continuously tackled by theatricsand moments for songs to begin. The flow of the film gets more serious when Rita receives a job offer. A cartel boss offers to help Rita get rich if she helps him get a sex change. The crime lord is Manitas Del Monte/Emilia Pérez-both played by Karla Sofia Gascon. Rita accepts this mission, and she goes on an adventure visiting doctors who perform this type of operation—a platform for the musical theatrics to combine the crime and comedy sides. Emilia Perez’s brilliance lies in unforeseen switching of gears.

The film though, finds its moments where legalities and family ties hit a plateau. Manitas Del Monte/Emilia Perez has a partner named Jessi—she is played by Selena Gomez. Emilia Perez has a clever eye for those who are trying to put a bad past behind them. Finding the truth is a mind-boggling puzzle, as themusical tracks and authentic continuity get drastic on a cinematic and surreal note of melancholy. It achieves this with championships of its combined genres.

The life of Rita and Manitas Del Monte/Emilia Perez is a journey of deceit meeting its maker in the setting of a culture that is vibrant, colorful, and extraordinary. A film where the viewer is moved by many of its fragments finding its paths via its theatrical and musical notions. The changes of gender open tochanges of many spiraling yet inviting factors. Emilia Perez is all about being blindsided. Blindsided by the notion that a new life could come easy. Emilia Perez fuels misdirection to the level of curiosity—there is always the thought of an artistic note along the way in the film’s journey toward a new life. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Emilia Perez.

Film reviews

Wicked Review

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The film’s introduction is enchanting and succeeds in preparing viewers for a musical adventure making its way to The Emerald City. By utilizing an opening logo like The Wizard of Oz and then topping it off with flying monkeys, Wicked gets off to a positive start. However, the foundation is not strong enough to sustain the entire film. Wicked is a Broadway musical adaptation that needs improvement. While the presentation of musical numbers abounds, there are not as many as audiences anticipate. The backstory is tolerable as is the scenery and settings that are visually stunning. The continuity is where Wicked tends to fall flat.

The story is about two witches, Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (played by Ariana Grande). Elphaba is green and that makes her a turn-off to the world. Glinda on the other hand is pink, cute, and glamorous. They are assigned to be roommates, and soon their friendship blossoms as they find connection in their fantasy environment at Shiz University. The witches’ experiences involving miracles, munchkins, and musical fun is where Wicked attempts to build upon the fundamentals of the storyline more than it does on finding musical connections.

The most interesting part of the story is the opportunity to meet the Wizard (played by Jeff Goldblum). This is definitely the most monumental segment of the film. The green train making its way to the Emerald City dazzles with amazement. The songs are joyful, but do not have frequent transitions the way they do in the musical version. This is why the chance to visit the Wizard offers audiences more to look forward to.

Because I have seen the Broadway musical, I felt the film fell off track more than it should have.  Some of the interconnectedness in the movie version simply does not make sense. Overall, the performances of Erivo and Grande are magnificent, but the pacing of the movie is lacking.  There is going to be a Part Two, so perhaps there will be several improvements made to this grand introduction before continuingwith the story. Despite all the frustration and shortcomings I’ve noted, the film still a gem-like quality which lead to feel-good moments for people of all ages, in particular, fans of the musical.  

My appreciation for Wicked remains tied to the theme of friendship. The performances of Erivo and Grande showcase their magical touch at displaying joyfulness in Wicked. With Erivo playing the witch who is trying to overcome her ugly side, and Grande thriving on her good looks, Wicked is like a duo between beauties trying to compare their best elements. The era before Dorothy still has a positive connection before all the events in The Wizard of Oz. Unfortunately, the backstory of Wicked struggles to portray these positive connections. Given that there is a second film in the making, I still have faith in thechance for a continuation with some much-neededimprovements. Despite the film’s shortcomings, Wicked has that touch which is sure to enlighten many. Two-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Small Things Like These Review

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From director Tim Mielants and based on the book written by Claire Keegan, Small Things Like These is an adaptation with heart about a situation involving layers of uncertainty. The story is woven in a way that is thought-provoking. It weighs the choices a man must make when faced with secrets. The film is set in areas around County Wexford and County Wicklow in Ireland. The season of the film gives off a chilly feeling and thecinematography feels cold as well. There is a sense given the subject matter that there are complicated moving parts when it comes to choices that have serious consequences.

The film’s main character is Bill Furlong (played by Cillian Murphy). He is a father to many daughters with his wife, Eileen Furlong (played by Eileen Walsh). He works hard daily to feed his family. With a job as a coal merchant, Bill prioritizes his family. Even though he is presented as a family man, the dark era of his early days being raised by a single mother come back to him.

When part of holiday celebration doesn’t go as planned, and other eerie moments occur, Bill still behaves with a heart. He meets Sarah Redmond (played by Zara Devlin), a teenager whois pregnant. He finds her in a shed in drastic and cold temperatures, suffering in a way that Bill cannot accept. The place where this takes place happens to be a convent, run by Sister Mary (played by Emily Watson). This presents a portrait of what seems very inappropriate in the operations of the convent where the nuns belittle Sarah.

Small Things Like These creates a representation of a small town with very few places to hide. The writing and pacing are focused primarily on the intentions of Bill as he struggles with the harsh secrets and realizations regarding the convent. Small Things Like These transitions to scenes in Bill’s past, and then jumps back to the present. It shows him living life with his family and delves into his thought process about what he should be doing to help Keep Sarah safe. The artistic aspects of Small Things Like These illustrate the risks of doing a good deed, i.e., aiding Sarah in finding safety. Murphy’s performance is impressive as a character who demonstrates loyalty and respect in his efforts to break down barriers.

This film is a poetic force of a drama that is both dark and often unnerving. The drastic way lighting is used to illuminate specific moments of confusion and frustration experienced by lead character, Bill, is what especially dazzles during Small Things Like These. The past may not be able to be undone given the difficult reminders of prior hardship. Going forward, however,Bill’s dedication to being a father motivates him to do what is right. Using the small-town setting to help deliver a deeply emotional vibe, the film’s power lies in creating a nervous mentality that swerves vigorously. Three out of four stars for Small Things Like These.

Treating cinema in many forms of art!