Hello, my dear readers, welcome back to this series! Another month has passed, so quickly that I feel like I just inhaled August and exhaled September. Where does the time go? Anyways, let's cut to the chase, shall we? This is what I watched in September 2021.
SERIES
Grey's Anatomy (4.5/5)
I picked up what I left off in May at season 6 so it's easy to finish the rest of the series in only one month. I meant to give this series a stand-alone tribute but I was too busy and too afraid to cry too much. I have so many things I want to talk about in this series. First, we can see the storyline soon go downhill after the staff writers take Shonda Rhimes's place. I mean they are still good but not as good and as concrete as the ones written by Shonda. I still love the series though. Secondly, I love so many characters in this series because I feel relatable to them, especially the title character, Meredith Grey, and her suicidal pattern and incredible strength. Or Cristina Yang and her ambition, ruthlessness, and resilience throughout. I also love Jackson Avery who does not play off as some spoiled child born into a wealthy family with a powerful name but so much more underneath that pretty face. So much tragedy, so much laughter, so much pain, and suffering. And I love it.
Squid Games (3.5/5)
Has anyone out there not watched Squid Games yet? I want an award dedicated to your name, and it's not a sarcastic comment. I was so bored one evening so I decided to binge the most popular show on Earth which is not something I usually do, you know I don't like trendy things if you have read my blog for so long. What can I say? The flashback of the first The Hunger Games came back and it gave me literal chills. My best friend once said, "I believe we are all born evil then we all learn to be kind." Yeah, human at their worst is when their lives are at stake and there is money involved. Squid Games has both of them. I like how they portrait each character's development journey and how each of them ended up at the same at beginning of the circle. The use of music is haunting as well that now some of the soundtracks are still stuck in my head for days.
FEATURE FILMS
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) (3/5)
I finally made up my mind to watch a movie in which was the foundation for Brad and Angelina's love. I must say I was so disappointed because both Brad and Angie seemed to pose instead of acting in every frame they are in and that means the whole movie. I personally find the movie is very cringy and not up for the hype. 3 is a generous score.
All the money in the world (2017) (4/5)
This movie is a "true story of the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother to convince his billionaire grandfather Jean Paul Getty to pay the ransom." - IMDB (2017). The movie is a glimpse into a privileged world where money has no limits but means everything. Michelle Williams is also outstanding at the heart of the film. The color of the film gives us a very dense and suffocating atmosphere in a world where money controls everything and anything. That's all I can say about it, recommend though it's a bit slow for many people.
The game (1997) (2.5/5)
I have never thought I would say this but this movie may be the first movie of David Fincher that I dislike. So much that I can barely remember what happened in it. According to IMDB (1997), the movie is about "a wealthy San Francisco banker is given an opportunity to participate in a mysterious game, his life is turned upside down as he begins to question if it might really be a concealed conspiracy to destroy him." The movie contains numerous story flaws and necessitates an almost superhuman level of suspension of disbelief. So no, I don't like it.
Burnt (2015) (4/5)
Bradley Cooper in a kitchen, how hot is that!!! According to IMDB (2015), the movie is about "Adam Jones, a chef who destroyed his career with drugs and diva behavior. He cleans up and returns to London, determined to redeem himself by spearheading a top restaurant that can gain three Michelin stars." A somewhat engaging, lavishly photographed, and well-written comedy with sinister undertones about culinary addiction that can only be described as "delicious." Just when you think you know where Burnt is heading, something unexpected happens about halfway through. A very entertaining movie!
Hamilton (2020) (5/5)
I think this movie needed no introduction but well it's about "the real life of one of America's foremost founding fathers and first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Captured live on Broadway from the Richard Rodgers Theater with the original Broadway cast." - IMDB (2020). Firstly, Lin-Manuel Miranda is an absolute genius, hands out and that's all I should say about the man before it evolves into some disturbance. I have never had the chance to see Hamilton on Broadway so this production is everything I can dream for now. In a way that theatergoers can't see, Kail's camera captures performers' personal faces during important moments and adds crowd reaction to produce an electrifying video rendition. This is theatre at its finest, performed by a cast without a weak link. It is entertaining, lively, and dependably sharp.
On the rocks (2020) (4/5)
Finally, Sofia Coppola is back. According to IMDB (2020), the movie is about "a young mother reconnects with her larger-than-life playboy father on an adventure through New York." On the Rocks is a two-hander about a father and daughter — delicate and personal, humorous, and perfectly acted by Jones and Murray. Its easy touch demonstrates Coppola's ability to cross genres and continue to broaden her horizons.
Monsoon (2019) (3/5)
When you see your country and Henry Golding together, it's a must-see. It's about "Kit, a British man of Vietnamese heritage, returns to Saigon for the first time in over 30 years after leaving the country with his parents, when he was six years old, at the end of the Vietnam War." - IMDB (2019). It's about a homecoming that isn't quite a homecoming, a confrontation with something that isn't quite there, and an attempt at reconciliation with people and places that can't really be negotiated with. That's how I wrap my feelings around the movie after watching it. Moreover, I really don't like how they choose an American to play a Hanoian with her terrible Vietnamese while there are so many of us who can speak English and Vietnamese perfectly out there. It's a bit disrespectful to me. The beauty of Saigon and the country of Vietnam are also beautifully captured.
To all the boys: Always and Forever (2021) (3/5)
The last movie of the trilogy. Like The Kissing Booth, I have to see To all the boys part III for closure no matter how good I may see in it. Surprisingly, To All the Boys: Always and Forever is the most mature and, as a result, the most entertaining of the three films since it focuses on Lara Jean's personal decisions rather than those she makes about other people. The great payoff of this film, incidentally, isn't what happens to Lara Jean and Peter, but seeing the supporting characters grow up around her. I really think Lana Condor can do much better after this trilogy and I can't wait to see how far she'll go.
Free Guy (2021)
I finally get to see Ryan Reynolds' latest movie, Free Guy. It's about "a bank teller discovers that he's actually an NPC inside a brutal, open-world video game." - IMDB (2021) This huge, family-friendly adventure, which is one of the year's funniest films, doesn't have to be as fantastic as "The Truman Show" or "Wreck-it Ralph" to be amusing. It only needs to feel emotionally genuine, as genuine as Guy considers himself to be. In this aspect, "Free Guy" comes out on top. That's my take on the movie.
DROP THE MIC.
PEACE OUT AND THANK YOU, EVERYONE.
SEE YOU NEXT MONTH!
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