Past Lives

Past Lives (Celine Song, 2024)

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Rating: Q=7, P=6 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Romance, Complex Relationships

What if I had chosen a different route home? What if that friend had stayed in the USA? What if I had not gone on that trip? What if I didn't take that class? etc. The concept of In-Yun is one I've thought about a lot since watching Past Lives. The interconnectedness of events and the concept that everything happens for a reason is one I've always subscribed to. I found the story of Past Lives incredibly emotional. Not special or captivating, not particularly interesting even. But it was absorbing because it was real. And it made me cry and think because it is so human. Circumstances do create destiny and change the course of our lives. It's impossible not to think about that boy you used to like and what might have happened if you hadn't immigrated/moved away. A truly beautiful film..

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The Holdovers

The Holdovers (2023)

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Rating: Q=7, P=7 / Obsession

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=4

Drama, Coming of Age, Grief, Complex Relationships

The best films I've seen all have an atmosphere that fits the story and meanings so well that the place essentially becomes a character of the film. And this makes the film stick into your memory--you can't shake that effect. It is palpable and immersive. The Holdovers does this for me. The setting of an almost empty prep school with snowy weather and dreary skies contains equally empty, snowy, and dreary people who are stuck...it is so much more than a story about misery loving company or unlikely friendships. This is a story about grief and loss and the very real need for human beings to help each other in their struggles. It is a story of humans who are stuck and need help getting out. Marvelous script and performances.

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Oscars 2024: The Results

And the winner is... Oppenheimer! It was another year of long-time actors and directors finally being validated for their work!

Dune: Part 2

Dune: Part 2 (Denis Villeneuve, 2024)

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Rating: Q=8, P=8 / Obsession

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=4

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Based on Book, Adventure

WOW. I left the cinema speechless...again. Just as I expected, Dune: Part 2 far exceeded my expectations. It was more than mesmerizing. This is a masterful second part to an epic set of films. Just like in the first part, the audience is instantly drawn into the world of Arrakis to a shocking degree--I still can't believe how immersive this film is. I felt the thumping, the heart beats, the sand and spice swirling around the characters, the fear and tension. The contrasting aesthetics of the Harkonnens and the Fremen is so striking. And watch a chilling and creepy performance by Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha, one of the most disturbing characters ever created. 

Somehow, this second part is even more tense and exhilarating than the first. This is some of the best cinematography (maybe the best?) and art direction I've ever seen. Well done Greig Fraser! And Hans Zimmer's score is phenomenal. I could rant and rave about this film forever, but instead you should just go see it. But I do recommend watching (or re-watching) the first part right before. 

Read what I thought of Dune Part 1.

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