Final consideration on “Sense 8”

I’ve been hearing about this tv show for a long time back in 2017 .Everyone were literally obsessed with it and I remember the media hype when Netflix decided to cancel it.
As soon as I discovered that fans managed to get a finale through petitions I thought :” It should be good …”.

Finally while I was in Erasmus in France (back to 2018) one day I decided to start it (instead of going party omg) and I finished only yesterday …

“Sense 8” was an “up and down” of emotions : I remembered watching the pilot and being frustrated for its duration ! (yes I’m more of a 30 minute ep kind of gal) .. At the same time I was intrigued by the connections between this heterogenous group of seven .

Slowly I kept watching and finally the “click” happened with that “iconic scene” brilliantly featuring “What’s Up” !
This song has been one of my favourite for ages and seeing all of them being present and distant at the same time , singing along this masterpiece was unexplainable !
Rethinking about the series I watched this is surely one of the most brilliant “musical scene” I’ve ever watched alongside with “Wild World” for the finale of Skins season one .

Cannot lie , there are some points I didn’t understand as the role of Jonas and others sensates but that was probably because sometimes I kept watching even If I was a little bit distracted …

But what I realized after finishing the 2 hour and a half finale is that I grew deep and sincere attachment to every character ; I started feeling part of the group …

Probably is this period of uncertainty we’re living in but watching “Sense 8” in the midst of the pandemic gave me a sense of relief : it was like travelling for real ; getting to know a bit about Sun’s Korea or Kala’s India and so on …

Anyway in my opinion when a novel or movie deals with so many characters I think it’s quite challenging to give every one the fair amount of screen time ; the same applies to the several themes approached by screenwriters : sometimes I had the feeling that they tried too much to squeeze all the possible evils of the society but at the same time never really get an insight of each of them .

This doesn’t change the love I feel for the series : Sense 8 is about inclusivity and strong connection overcoming physical boundaries it was a blast and forever be a great comfort serie for me .

One of my fav scene was when Sun had her period and each Sensate got to experience in his/her own way this discomfort : that was an epic sequence that I will never forget!

ps: kinda wrote this review in a rush , it took me sometime because I started during my exam session and I had to study so… don’t take it too seriously

Mind-blowing movies #1 Nocturnal Animals

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During the lockdown and postlockdown period I’ve watched maybe five movies in total and after a long time I feel the need to put my thoughts in order to get a whole understanding of how actually I got of the movie .
“Nocturnal Animals” is a breath-taking thriller movie which relies on two storylines : the main one and the “novel” received by the protagonist from her ex-husband who dedicates it to “her” calling Nocturnal Animal .
Personally I found this device brilliant : actually at first I thought that the whole car trip was Susan’s flashback and Tony was her dad…. god I was so wrong , this is why after finishing it I drowned myself in articles of possible explanations of the ending .
Where shall I start ? Like with “Parasite” this movie left me with a feeling of bewilderment and daze , I asked myself :” What the heck did I just watch (in a positive way of course) , what was Tom Ford purpose ?

First I cannot help but praise the acting of the main cast : this movie had been on my “watchlist” for a long time … *ehm ehm* I have to admit mainly for Jake Gyllenhaal (who I love since Donnie Darko) but also for Amy Adams … Anyway Aaron Johnson and Michael Shannon delivered such a great performance with their respective characters.

Nocturnal Animals has a mesmerizing storytelling which relies on multiple strengths : on one side the viewer is initially introduced in the present time where Susan lives her material existence surrounded by meaningless art and a less significant relationship with his husband or daughter.
The story itself is set off by a novel received from her estranged ex-husband in which she drowns herself eagerly : the reading awakens her past relationship with Edward from the blossom of their romance to their abrupt separation .
On the other side Edward’s novel has also a relevant role if not maybe the most crucial one in the story : the harshness ,the violence and the hatred which characterized it are nothing but the manifestation of Tony’s feelings for being humiliated and deprived of its daughter/son .
Revenge is the key word : through flashbacks the general feeling of disillusionment unravels while Susan slowly becomes aware of what has lost , finally Edward’s revenge takes a concrete form .
I was strongly fascinated by how the revenge theme was developed : in the novel Edward manages to find a solid partner who helps him seeking the murderers even going against the law . But the subtle revenge that Edward causes to Susan …. that was poetic cinema !! The final scene where she waits in a luxurious restaurant hoping to repair their relationship hit me hard : as time passes and the glass gets empty she realizes that Tony is not “weak” anymore and has finally moved forward . Her expression of placid disillusionment puts an end to a great visual and emotional masterpiece, Amy Adams ‘s bitter smile turns into a wide awareness of what has lost and her mask of “fake merriness” breaks a little as her eyes wink for a second .
The more I keep writing this sort-of review (which it isn’t because I’m not good at it ) the more I have more topics to discuss about !

I recently embarked on a MsC in Economic and International Management focusing on Luxury Goods,Made in Italy and Emerging Markets and one of the compulsory courses is called “Luxury and fashion management” : I ‘ve been introduced to many interesting themes which make me constantly reflect one of these are “hedonism” and “aesthetics” .
Returning to the movie the cinematography and the visual were absolutely mesmerizing : Tom Ford’s use of close ups to show the character’s gaze and the long shots of the scenery weren’t just aesthetically driven but they had a symbolic function.
Despite having the privilege to work in a art gallery Susan seems to not see the privilege she has , to not see the beauty within . In the sequence set in the art gallery Tom Ford actually provides a major spoiler (which I didn’t notice ahah) showing a big installation with a writing saying “REVENGE” … I mean … I was blind wtf!
Susan passes by observing the piece of art but without showing any considerable reaction … personally I found Amy Adams expressiveness
stunning : if we focus for a moment on her gaze in the flashback scenes her eyes are glowing , her look is passionate and cheerful while in the present scenes her look is kind of disconnected and absent as if her eyes are lacking of vitality , to me in the final sequence she finally realizes that she has been living in a fake bubble and finally take off her mask made of shallowness and appearances .
The final two topics I would like to discuss are related to the captivating soundtrack and why I truly enjoyed this little masterpiece : the score of the motion picture was just breathless , for some reason It reminded me of “Melancholia’s” soundtrack with Wagners leit motive occuring every once in a while :Abel Korneziowski translated into music the pain , the struggle ,the anxiety characterizing the movie, If I close my eyes I can clearly see the endless road trip narrated in Tony’s novel !
If there’s anyone who actually managed to get to the end of this post you made it !
Last remark : I haven’t felt that anxious for a while , few movies made me feel uncomfortable like “Psycho” or the more recent “Midsommar” but while I was watching the road trip … Lord I had a feeling of what was about to happen and I thought even if there’s a brilliant cast I will never watch “Nocturnal Animals” agains . Now I would watch it over and over again even if means going through that “long scene” .
I was disappointed of the humble box-office results …. this movie depicts the aftermath of a relationship with an original device delivering great acting performance with stunning photography , soundtrack and the perfect amount of suspence .

Thanks for the time (now I go back studying Economics :’). )

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A glimpse at “Six Feet Under” #3

After saying goodbye to “Lost” I decided to pick up another series from my list and I choose “Six Feet Under” . The main reason was that fine actor called Michael C. Hall who played a wonderful psycho in “Dexter” , but now that I watched the pilot I can say that the premise was very appealing and I’ll def keep watching .
First impression? This past decade family drama is brilliantly filled with black humour and great performances by the main cast.
From the pilot I had the feeling that every member of the Fisher family will have an interesting storyline and development and I appreciated how the screenwriters gave to all of them the same amount of “importance” .
The narration manages to entertain the viewer in a clever way: as a car crash sets
off a series of complex dynamics within the Fisher family we witness some “fancy”
advertisements : the mourning is kind of softened by commercials of funeral services
which  have a sort of grotesque contrast but at the same time foresee what the Fisher brothers will have to deal with .Maybe I’m a little biased by Michael C. Hall but I coudn’t help finding funny his character. His expression , his inner dialogues were precious!  ahah I look forward to see him in a completely different role from Dexter!
Anyway what actually won my heart was the ending scene : the pilot ends with a symbolic sequence featuring a song by “The Devlins” called “Waiting” .
I never thought that a song could suit so perfectly a tv series , but maybe it was a combo of elements : the older brother seeing is father and subsequently “accepting” his departure ; the metaphore of the bus station ; the lyrics of the song . You cannot feel it if you haven’t seen it. And suddenly he sees the world with a brand new eye .
For now it’s all .

“And if you ever change your mind,
You know I’m hard to find,
And if you ever need someone
I’ll still be waiting”.

 

A first glimpse “Westworld “ #2

Beeing Done with one of the six exams I have to do this semester so I decided to give myself a little treat and tick off a tv series from my watchlist.

Westworld Pilot

This is truly a little gem . And you can guess it from the opening , where you’re beamed in a strange dimension in the making of an android.
This pilot starts in media-res as a narrating voice interviews or brainwashes a “girl” , apparently a common girl living in the Far West. So what is the bond between the Far East and androids ?
That her life ,her family , her beliefs are fictional , that she is  programmed to entertain visitors who want to have a virtual experience in the Far East.
Theoretically androids shouldn’t have any remembrance of their past lives because they have to deliver their lines without any improvising and this is the aim of the “upper” levels. An huge system which constantly controls that androids are doing their tasks , that stranger have a good experience .

But what happens if you believe that controlling technology is given for granted ? What is the consequence of a little crack in the hardware ? What if the  androids are not merely mechanically creatures but are capable of understanding how they ‘re beeing exploited ?  So these are the questions arised in my mind after watching this pilot .

As you watch Dolores day rewinds as one of  those older tapes you get the feeling that she is slowly realizing what she can do ,that she’s living in a bubble .
Anyway the contrast between Western location and the ultra-modern labs is great , it kinda reflect that androids are supposed to be manipulated by the smarter ones: the human race but actually is not like that. As the creators find out that something is not working in the theme park they start resetting the androids programme especially Dolores’s one …

In this pilote I appreciated the subtle symbolism : on Dolores and Teddy’s face we often see a mosquito , howeverthey don’t seem to care about it , in the final sequence  as Dolores wakes up she smiles innocently and then kills a mosquito on her face showing that she actually could harm someone .Definitely can’t wait to see what comes next!
What appealed to me other than the soundtrack (loved the distorted version of “Black Hole Sun”) was the terrific acting ! Couldn’t have asked more than finding actors from my favourite movies (“Ed Harris” from “The Hours” and “Truman Show” ; a villain from Walking Dead whom name I don’t remember ) , but the most remarkable performances goes to Rachel Wood end the actor who plays her father : I mean they do look like androids with those mind-absent expressions .

vote 5/5

 

Light hearted movies #1 “Magic In The Moonlight”

Take a good-looking naïve trickster and a rational british man ,  take a location such as South France : those are enough elements to create the perfect light-hearted ,apparently silly comedy brought by Woody Allen!
Surely Woody Allen is not my favourite director especially when it comes out with long and twisted monologues  but I infinitely enjoyed “Midnight in Paris” and “Matchpoint”  !
This is a comedy with philosophic  implications : on one side we have Sophie Baker , apparently  a fortuneteller claimed by everyone , and on the other side we have the strict and rational character portrayed by Colin Firth who tries to expose her scams ! As the action takes place they get to know each other and he starts to question his “material” beliefs that everything is as it seems and tha supernatural doesn’t exist .
Maybe it’s because of Colin Firth superbe acting skills but I loved his character : he was so serious that was almost funny !
I though that Emma Stone was perfect for her role , and her outfit were just adorable ! The thing I loved the most was how the lighting was used to give that magical atmosphere , I mean everyone looked angels , and the pastel colors that prevailed in the movie reminded me of Wes Anderson’s masterpieces!
Suggested if you want to relax but do not want to watch any American stupid comedies!

“This is us” review

Today I watched the last episode of the family drama “this is us” and I’d love to share my impression about what I consider the tv show of the year .
I’m not really keen on family dramas : the only ones I’ve ever watched are “Gilmore Girls” and “Everwood” (both of them part of my childhood) but this one really impressed me .
I have to admit I first started it just because I have a huge crush for Milo Ventimiglia but I ended loving every character and every SINGLE episode.
This show is great in many ways : because it deals with themes to which everyone can easily relate ,the cast is amazing (from the young actors performing the young “big trees” to Milo,Mandy Moore and Justin Hartley.. I loved him since Smallville when he portrayed Oliver Queen!)and the soundtrack includes tracks from the ‘90s and some indie-folk songs that perfectly fits with the tv show (I might include a playlist below) .
There are no lacks in “This is us” , no “filling characters” every single scene is the product or simply the reflection of the past : each episode usually starts with a fragment of the past and then shifts to the present showing how Rebecca and Jack’s teaching shaped “the Big Three” ‘s lives.
My favourite character is definitely Randall ! He’s a well-developed character with his humour but also weaknesses : I relate to him a lot especially about the anxiety he feels regarding other people’s expectations and his own that makes him pushing harder and overcome his physical and psychological limits .
Anyone reading I strongly recommend This is Us . Why? It’s the living proof that a tv show doesn’t need special effects or to deal with supernatural themes to be interesting ,the authenticity of this modern drama ,how joy but also anger is portrayed hits everyone from the bottom of our soul awakening something hidden .
This is us playlist

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Death with dignity – Sufjans Stevens
-this song was featured in the very first scene with the parallel past and present when the viewer gets familiar with the characters and in the one of the last episode when Jack half drunk decides to drive where Rebecca is singing … “but every road leads to an end”..  I love this song because it kinda sums the fact that Jack is going to die so that “we all know how this will end” but we cannot avoid watching the show lol

-Time After Time (originally by Cindy Lauper but covered by Chrissy Metz)

-Blues Run The Game  – Jackson C. Frank
-this song was featured in the scene where William’s youth is revealed , where we find out about how he met Randall’s mother

-We Can Always Come Back To This – Bryan Tyree