Strobelighting

(WARNING: This will contain spoilers.) "Maybe it's time to let the old ways die." NOTE: I have not seen the other versions of the film. I suspect watching them would change some of my thoughts on this one, and will get to them at some point, but keep in mind that as I am writing this, this version is the only Star is Born I have seen. As I sat down to watch A Star Is Born , I really wanted to like it. I had heard so much about Gaga's performance and the soundtrack and just wanted to know what this was all about. 2 hours and 15 minutes later, I understood why these two elements were the only things I had truly heard about. Everything else not only felt empty, but kept trying to convince me that it wasn't. It is a common opinion that the first act is the best one. Nothing about it really blew me away, but at the very least, it showed hints of identity. Ally's character in particular showed some personality traits that could have easily been expand...

(WARNING: This review will contain spoilers. I also am bound to like any film with Blake Lively wearing multiple suits, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.) "You don't want to be friends with me. Trust me." - Emily A Simple Favor is a weird one. It was marketed as a straightforward thriller, it could be that. It could also be a dark comedy. Or maybe even a parody. But if I were to be fully honest, I'd say that I don't know what the fuck it is, which is probably the best thing it could be. I've never seen anything like it. Except... If I really think about it, I kind of have. Have you guys ever watched these "true crime reconstitution" shows that only get broadcasted at 3am on channels no one really watches in the first place? The story makes no sense, no attempt to say it's a true story could make it sound realistic, and yet you find yourself strangely attracted by everything you're seeing. A Simple Favor is kind of like that...

(WARNING: This contains spoilers for the entire film.) "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." - Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice Nick Young has more than a good fortune. He's rich (maybe even... crazy rich?) and he's already found the woman made to fit the role of the wife in Rachel Chu, who's not that rich, and is also somehow not aware that she's dating the son of the richest family in Singapore. Oh well, we don't watch romantic comedies for their realism. The problem is that there's very little to get lost into. These people are rich, and they sure are Asians, but the narrative and the underlying themes are as conventional as can be. I don't think conventions are bad per se, all narratives are built on them. It is however disappointing to see a film whose primary appeal is its diversity do so little to challenge the ideas it shows us. You might have ...