Movie Review - A Tale of Love and Darkness

This cold and dreary Sunday was a perfect day for a Netflix binge.  I found a movie I was really a fan of. A Tale of Love and Darkness which was the first movie for writer and director Natalie Portman.  The movie is based on the memories of Amos Oz who grew up in Jerusalem before the Israeli statehood Arieh.  The family moves to Palestine to escape persecution.  His mother, Fania, has a hard time adjusting to normal life after running from the terror of war.  To entertain herself and her son Amos, she would tell stories of adventure to lift both of their spirits.

Overall I thought this movie was really good,  but it is in Hebrew so subtitles are a must.  This definitely doesn't take away from the story telling.  The flashback style story telling really makes you feel for Amos and understand the story on a deeper level.   This movie is an adaptation of the international best seller written Amos Oz about his childhood in Palestine. I really enjoyed Natalie Portman as the mother and it was interesting to know this was her first written and directed work.

I was really impressed by the message she was able to convey about the impact Fania had on Amos and really showing their relationship.  I would give this movie an 8/10, overall I really enjoyed the story and how it was adapted.



A Tale of Love and Darkness 1hr 35mins

Movie Review - Kubo and the Two Strings

We're back after a bit of a break with a review of another animated movie: Kubo and the Two Strings! This movie was recently added to Netflix, so I figured I would check it out after missing it in theaters last year. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed.

Kubo stands out from other animated films because it is a stop-motion animation, meaning every frame is actually an individual photograph, with hundreds of thousands of these placed one after the other to give the illusion of motion as they move models on a set. This unique style of animation really helps this film stand out from others, especially in a world where computer graphics are becoming incredibly lifelike.

Another thing that I loved about Kubo is that not only does it have great imagery, it has a great story. While the story's twists are admittedly predictable at times, the film is still an emotional one which manages to keep my attention until the very end. Which feels like quite the accomplishment considering this is the longest stop-motion film ever released at 1 hour and 41 minutes long.

I highly recommend Kubo and the Two Strings for anyone who is looking for a heartwarming, yet emotional break from their work as we near the end of the semester. This movie certainly has a lot to offer.

Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) 1 hr and 41 mins long

Guest TV Show Review - 13 Reasons Why (Alexis Cruz)

Hi there everybody! Hope you don’t miss Cody and Bridget too much, but today I’m taking over to tell you all about the new Netflix original series, 13 Reasons Why. 13 Reasons Why was adapted from the beloved young adult novel by Jay Asher. The original story is about protagonist, Clay Jensen, who receives a box of tapes explaining the thirteen reasons why his classmate and friend, Hannah Baker, committed suicide. The series holds true to the original story while delving even deeper to explore how a suicide and situation like this affects a number of people in different ways.

As someone who read and loved the original book, I was very nervous to watch this show. With such a serious subject matter (plus being the only book I’ve ever reread on multiple occasions by my own free will) the pressure was on. Thankfully, the show did not disappoint and I finished the series feeling a number of emotions, none of which were disappointment.

While I may have a bias from already loving the book so much, I think it’s fair to say that this show will enthrall anyone who watches whether they are familiar with the book or not. The writers created an additional plot of a lawsuit against Hannah Baker’s school adding in extra tensions and giving the characters new motivations to show their true colors. While none of this was included in the original book, I think that it opens up the world and gives people the chance to see multiple characters as more than just monsters who led a girl to kill herself, but as real human beings with flaws and feelings.

The show touches on a number of very important issues such as sexual assault, mental illness, and suicide. While a lot of shows may shy away from portraying these subjects, 13 Reasons Why takes a raw and honest approach confronting each issue. Because of this, the show can be very tough to watch at times, but certainly gets its point across.

I could write so much more about how I loved the underlying meanings I interpreted from the coloring of the show, or how Clay was exactly how I pictured he would be. Rather than bore you, I’ll just recommend you go on over to Netflix and watch 13 Reasons Why for yourself!

xoxo Gossip Girl (Alexis Cruz)

13 Reasons Why (2017) 13 episodes about an hour long each

Movie Review - The Most Hated Woman in America

Welcome back everyone! I hope that this week is treating you well! This week I watched The Most Hated Woman in America, a Netflix original movie which gives an intriguing look into the true story of the life of Madalyn Murray O'Hair, infamous activist who became the head of American Atheist.

If you're concerned about the religious aspects of this movie, there's really no need. The film is mostly focused on the implications of nonconformist activism and rising to fame and fortune by being hated.

While I've found in the past that biopics tend to be dull, slow, or simply uninteresting, The Most Hated Woman in America was none of these. The movie had a truly interesting story, kept it's pace, and never lost my attention. It provided a really interesting look into Madalyn's life and moments in U.S. history that I had never considered before. One thing that impressed me with this movie is that even though it was a biopic, it didn't feel like it took huge creative liberties like so many others do.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who is looking for an opportunity to explore the life of someone they may have never heard of, but had a rather significant impact on our everyday lives. Madalyn's entire adult life was broadcast to the masses, and yet this film is a rare opportunity for us to observe what lead to her demise, somehow so out of the public's attention.

The Most Hated Woman in America (2017) 1 hour 31 mins long

Movie Review - The Invasion

Hope everyone had a wonderful break! Welcome back tigers and happy humpday to everyone else! This week I am reviewing The Invasion, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  There’s a lot of zombie and ghost themed thrillers going around right now and I thought this movie was a good way to break it up.  It’s in the category of Sci-Fi Thriller but i thought it was a nice break from the typical thrillers coming out.  

The movie is about a psychiatrist and her young son in the middle of an alien invasion of sorts.  Instead of a typical alien takeover it is incorporated as an unidentifiable virus that takes over a person and relinquishes power of the person over to the alien control.  So there is no true alien coming down but it is kind of a freaky way to bring in the zombie/alien side. The interesting part is that it doesn’t change the appearance of the person, it just takes over their mind so it blends into crowd until it is too late. The aliens also have no emotions or feelings, they only work to achieve their agenda, which is to take over the human race.  The movie follows her journey as a psychiatrist slowly realizes what's happening to people and her ex-husband, the head of the CDC, is behind infecting millions of people because he is one of the first people infected.  

I would give this movie a 9/10 because I think it broke away from the mold and did a really good job tell a different story.  It was fast paced and kept me guessing, which for me is key.  The actors did a great job portraying their characters, especially when they had to become the aliens because the whole idea of the aliens were that they had no emotion or feelings.  

The Invasion (2007) 1 hr 39 mins long  

Movie Review - The Woman in Gold

This week I took a look at The Woman in Gold and fell in love, with both the painting and the movie.  If you are a history buff you will probably really enjoy this retelling of an amazing true story. If you are really interested look up the story of the painting before watching and it will give you some good insight on the characters.

The Woman in Gold shows a beautiful and emotional story of an Austrian woman working to get back her families property that was stolen by Nazis during the holocaust.  Maria Altman's family was persecuted by the Nazis in Austria which caused Maria to flee to America during the holocaust.  The movie does a great job really showing the emotions and memories of Altman as she challenges the Austrian government to get back the painting of her aunt Adele, which was painted by a very famous Austrian artist of the period.  The movie is a retelling of the fight for restitution for this woman and her family to reclaim what was stolen so many years ago.  

Overall I really enjoyed the movie and did a little research after I watched it to see what the painting looked like and see if the details matched up.  I would give this movie a 8/10 only because of the slow pace. The actors did a great job really portraying the emotions of these characters and the flash backs of Altman's memories were perfectly placed so you could slowly piece together the whole picture. This movie is a little long but it is great to watch in pieces, so its perfect to break up studying (which is what I did), its slower pace makes it great to use for a study break.

The Woman in Gold (2015) 1 hour 49 mins long 

Movie Review - The White Helmets

I’m coming at you for a second time this week to tell you about a movie that won the Oscar for Best Documentary, Short Subject this Sunday! The White Helmets gives us a look into the efforts of a group of first responders in Syria who work to save the lives of their fellow civilians as repeated airstrikes hit their nation. These first responder’s aptly call themselves The White Helmets for their identifying headgear.

The White Helmets are responsible for saving the lives of tens of thousands of Syrians caught in the conflict, and have been nominated for the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts. At only about 40 minutes long, the documentary isn’t going to be too demanding on your busy college schedule. The White Helmets offers a good opportunity to see into the Syrian conflict in a short period of time.

Given the content of the documentary and the sensitivity of the subject, I am choosing to not give this movie a rating, but simply say that I encourage you to take the time to watch. If you are interested in becoming more informed on The White Helmets beyond the film, I encourage you to check out their website, www.whitehelmets.org/en.

The White Helmets (2016) 41 min long