lady bird (2017)

I feel a lot of pressure writing this review, given that this movie has been touted somehow as the most highly reviewed movie on Rotten Tomatoes to date, but I tried not to read any reviews before writing this so as not to be swayed by the masses. On the whole, if you like quirky, fast-paced dialogue, the aesthetics of teenage rebellion, and moving scenes between a daughter and her mother who are both products of trauma suffered by their own mothers, you're sure to appreciate this film!

One of the most moving scenes for me was when Ladybird's mother finds out that she had applied to a school in New York behind her mother's back, and Ladybird is trying desperately to convince her mother that it'll be financially manageable while begging for her forgiveness, while her mother silently washes the dishes. It’s like one of those nightmares in which you’re desperately screaming at your parents because they won't listen and they don't hear you or react at all. I had one of these dreams the night before I watched this movie, which is why this scene really got to me! Being ignored by a parent who otherwise micromanages you is so traumatizing, and I think the scene captured that feeling so well.

prom dress shopping, literally the worst!!!

I also wanted to think a little more about the name Ladybird, which the main character gives herself and prefers to the name Christine, given to her by her mother. First of all, apparently British people call ladybugs ladybirds! Who knew?? Also, the image above of Ladybird in a flaming red-orange dress, with her feathery hair and faded red highlights, immediately brought to my mind the Firebird from Slavic folklore, whose feathers glow a fiery red and brings both great fortune and doom to its captor. I presume this mythical creature was popularized in Western culture by Stravinsky's Firebird Suite in Disney's Fantasia 2000 (a guess idk), in which a powerful bird spirit is awakened and consumes the surrounding forest and land in flames. This combination of awe-inspiring greatness and destruction fits nicely within a coming of age story, as we all know growing up comes with not only the beauty of new experiences and forming one's identity, but also inevitably fucking up a LOT during that process. For our movie protagonist, "Ladybird" is a self-made identity to wear and grow into, a way to hide from her mother in the only way she can. It's an identity is boldly claimed and that can be, depending on her audience, alienating or inviting in its irreverence. (Shout out to this great line: "If you took up-close shots of my vagina when I'm on my period, it'd look pretty disturbing, but that doesn't make it wrong.")

There were a lot of interesting character stories going on in this movie beyond Ladybird and her mother - her father is depressed but doesn't ever show it, her first boyfriend is gay and afraid to tell anyone, her best friend has anxiety about her weight that Ladybird is oblivious and insensitive to, her brother is clearly adopted given she and her parents are white af and his girlfriend lives with them because she got kicked out of her own family. There is so much to explore in these characters' lives and I was left wanting more of their story through their interactions with Ladybird. I admit, it would have been ambitious to flesh out all of these characters, but it would have been nice. It also might have made up for the fact that only non-white people in the movie serve as caricatures onto which Ladybird deploys her irreverence (e.g. copying answers off of an Asian girl in math class, having her brother and his gf portrayed as social weirdos who will "never get jobs" because of their facial piercings). Yeah, this movie was super white which is disappointing and made it hard to relate to. I definitely think it's about time that there's a well-received live-action coming of age story with a female protagonist (directed by a woman nonetheless), but America u still so white. Who run the 21st century? White feminists!!!

I also wish the movie had a slower pace to it, or perhaps had a little more quietness infused into it. The heavily stylized dialogue was funny but felt superficial at times, and I felt myself wanting more silences. So to sum it up, far from perfect IMO but I enjoyed it and appreciate the film for what it is. Perhaps the fact that it gave me a lot of different feelings is testament enough!

coco (2017)

Coco is a heartwarming story about love for family and following your dreams all wrapped up in one delightful story set in Mexico, featuring an all-Latinx cast. Am I dreaming? No, this is real life and it's amazing!!! It's incredibly uplifting to see major film companies like Pixar and Disney diversifying their movies, and it's no surprise that they tend to be my favorites. It was only starting a few years ago that these major movie companies began telling stories about ~strong female characters~ (I promise this is relevant), and for years I would burst into tears when I saw them on screen because it was just felt so new and unbelievable. I felt my heart aching in a similar way during this movie, as I watched people of color being celebrated so lovingly on the big screen.

QTpie wants to be a musician so precious

Beautiful visuals with an ambitious storyline that was pulled off quite nicely. I cried like a baby and it felt great. Would watch again because I want to see it in 3D!

right now, wrong then (2015)

To watch Right Now, Wrong Then is to dive into and swim around in its quiet realism. Long, still shots in which the camera barely moves render you a voyeur, invisibly and patiently observing the incidental meeting of two strangers. The acting is superb, which is what makes it so fascinating to watch the characters gradually open up right in front of you. I was already Kim Minhee's biggest fan (she was in The Handmaiden my favorite movie!!), but to see such a skilled performance from her made me fall in love with her all over again.

awkward turtles

I can't talk about this film without talking about the trick it employs halfway through - it rewinds to the beginning and the characters make different decisions as they go through the same plot points. Namely, in the second half Director Ham approaches Heejung in a way that is more honest and transparent, which allows her the space to be more of herself in return. Their short relationship is tweaked in subtle ways that build upon each other, culminating in an ending in which nothing has changed -- they still go their separate ways -- except for the way they feel about each other. 

I can think of so many productions that employ this rewind-and-go-again format (Tatami Galaxy, the play Constellations, Groundhog Day...) and it's easy to see what is so compelling. The format allows us to live out the alternative universes in which all but the factor you choose are held constant. It's like conducting a science experiment. What went wrong the first time? What could have been? A fantasy, observed from a safe distance. 

Of course, though the second version of the story gives us the sense of wish fulfillment for both characters, the encounter isn't perfect. It's nice that Director Ham is honest about the fact that he is married, but given that the current story is happening I would surmise his marriage has some serious issues! He also criticizes Heejung's painting and upsets her, and repeatedly tells her she is pretty without even invitation. Despite being overall more likeable in the second half, he is masculine and patronizing in the way he talks to her, unable to shake the arrogance that plagues him as a famous movie director and as a man. To see the "better" half of the story fall far from perfect is perhaps a comfort to those of us who are regretful or hung up on the past, or a warning to those who think that life is anything but messy. (To make matters worse, the director of the actual movie had an affair with Kim Minhee what the fuck!!? Was this whole project just a way for him to live out his own fantasy of taking advantage of a young beautiful actress with whom he would have no chance with without the power differential this project provides him??? Was the whole plot to like psychologically prime her to fall in love with him?? I am as always highly skeptical of powerful men's motivations but idk though I don't want to deny Kim Minhee any agency. Also I just google'd this and apparently they are in love. Omg. Ugh ok let's make a futile attempt to separate the art from the artist starting..... now... ... .. . )

Overall, this movie is a lovely meditation on human interaction and all of the beauty and shared connection and pain and disgust that comes with it. Looking forward to watching the director's new movie coming out this month, On the Beach at Night Alone, ALSO starring Kim Minhee, ALSO about her falling in love with a movie director. *facepalm*