Author: colourfulgranny

Week in Review (Jan 2 – 8, 2022)

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What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

Movies

West Side Story (2021)

I had given up hope of this film being released where I live, but then it finally did, and I went and watched it at the first chance. I always love modern re-tellings of classic stories, and when the original Broadway play of this came out in the 50’s it was about about as modern a version of Romeo and Juliet as it could get. Almost 75 years later, West Side Story has become a classic in its own right, with iconic characters, memorable music and quotable scenes.

Steven Spielberg’s adaptation feels like it was taken directly off the stage, with the kind of scoring that’s reminiscent of live orchestras, and camera placements that give wider shots, letting the viewer make up their mind about where to look, much like a stage play would. Add to that the heightened drama of the story and the minimalist set design, and you find yourself immersed in the world of the story in a way that only theater usually allows.

I was always a bit skeptical about the choice to cast Ansel Elgort, and he was perhaps the most disappointing of the cast members in the film, lacking the depth and emotional range to truly make me believe that Maria (Rachel Zegler) would fall for him in the space of a day. Conversely, I found that two of the strongest cast members were Ariana DeBose and Mike Faist, both of whom, unsurprisingly, are seasoned Broadways actors. There were layers and nuance to their characters that made them compelling on screen and made me want more, more, more.

Despite its 2-and-a-half hour running time, I thoroughly enjoyed the film and felt that it absolutely flew by. The pacing was perfect, and despite my issues with how quickly and easily Tony and Maria fall for one another, I also know that this is part of the conceit of the story, the idea of love at first site, burning passion that transcends logic and reason, and of course the ultimate downfall that occurs when you rise too far, too fast.

Week in Review (Dec 26, 2021 – Jan 1, 2022)

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New year, new TV show and movies to watch, new books to read and new reviews to write. I’m hoping to still keep fresh insight coming with my reviews and keep it interesting. Thanks for sticking around for another year, readers! Happy new year!

What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

Movies

The King’s Man (2021)

I have been waiting for The King’s Man for an age, and it’s finally here!

I have a particular love for Matthew Vaughn’s crazy style of storytelling and have watched a large body of his work, including the two previous installments in this series (loved the first, hated the second). There were several factors of this film that I was looking forward to. The World War I setting, Matthew Goode starring (despite him not being in any of the promotional material, which was rather annoying) and getting to see the origin of the organization.

While the film had several predictable beats in terms of the plot, it was visually appealing and Vaughn went all out with his camera movement and directing his actors. His fight sequences looked like choreographed dances, and at least the duel between Orlando Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) and Rasputin (Rhys Ifans) was more ballet than battle.

However, there were parts where it felt like directing choices were made more for shock value than actually serving the story. Rasputin “fixing” Oxford’s leg and Conrad’s (Harris Dickinson) death are two that come to mind. Vaughn has always had a strange sense of humor where violence is concerned, and seeing the way he handled some of the stylistic choices of what was the genocide of young men during one of the most grueling wars in history felt distasteful.

Going off that same ideology, I had a similar issue with this film that I did with the original Kingsman: while I don’t condone their methods, I actually agree with the so-called villains’ ideologies. In this film, Morton was perfectly justified in feeling resentment towards the English for what is generational oppression and mistreatment of the Scottish people. The film really glossed over Morton’s motivation, but I suspect that if the film had gone into more detail on his reasoning, a lot more viewers would feel similarly to me. And while I was glad that Goode is finally getting more big name projects, it did feel a bit wrong to have an Englishman play a Scot who despises the English.

Overall, The King’s Man felt tonally inconsistent, and while not a piece of high cinema, I enjoyed it nonetheless for what it was: a fun, crazy and sometimes heartfelt movie. And I don’t think it really set out to be more than that.

Books

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas – Ch 19-69

Wow, did this book take a turn from where I last left off!

ACOMAF is insane, in that it took the work that was done in its predecessor and undid all of it. From the very beginning, Maas set up Tamlin as this shining beacon that Feyre could turn to when she had lost all hope, but once she’s pulled into Rhys’s world she doesn’t even look twice at him. While I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with an organic change in relationship where two people naturally outgrow one another, Maas seems to be focusing more on erasure; worse than that, she puts Tamlin down in order to big up Rhysand, which bothers me to no end.

What bothered me even more, though is that Feyre doesn’t seem to realize that she is in fact just repeating the same patterns that she is condemning: placing blind trust in a man that she knows little about; only having the illusion of agency in a situation while having every decision ultimately made for her; being subtly guided and manipulated into following others’ agenda.

That being said, I absolutely flew through this book. Curiosity at what madness Maas would bring me next had me going through at breakneck speed, and it was a fascinating read. With Feyre now having infiltrated the Spring Court, war with Hybern imminent and Rhys and Feyre having confirmed their mating bond (ew), the next book promises to be a crazy ride.

Week in Review (Dec 19 – 25, 2021)

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What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

Succession (2018) – Season 3 Ep 9

After a busy week out in the wilderness, I’ve finally returned to see the season finale of Succession; and what an episode it was! After several long months of being poked, prodded, goaded and generally mistreated by Logan (Brian Cox), the Roy siblings finally put up a united front and stood up against him.

In what was my favorite scene this season, Kendall (Jeremy Strong) has a breakdown after his near drowning (which he insists wasn’t an attempt at suicide) and admits to what happened at Shiv’s (Sarah Snook) wedding with the waiter. His siblings comfort him in whatever way they know how, Shiv saying it isn’t his fault and Roman (Kieran Culkin) resorting to his usual dark humor. The framing, the writing and the performances – especially Strong’s – were flawlessly executed, and this moment felt like a long time coming.

It’s unfortunate that they hardly have any time to process before they have to gather their wits for their most difficult challenge yet: stopping Logan from letting GoJo take over Waystar. They make every effort they can think of from trying to get information from Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron) on Logan to finding the ideal company structure in a post-Logan era, with Shiv pushing for Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) front and center.

The one thing that really bothered me is how much they exclude Connor (Alan Ruck) from their group. He finally expressed his opinion on how ignored he feels by his younger siblings, the first real interest or emotion he’s shown in family affairs.While he ultimately has the be the bigger person and let it go, I was glad to see him take a stand. Despite this, they still don’t consult with him in the slightest with regard to the takeover.

However, in the end it probably wouldn’t have made any difference. The dark horse turned out to be Tom, who tipped Logan off, and even recruited his favourite lackey Greg (Nicholas Braun) in the process. Though it is unsurprising that Tom would turn against Shiv, since he has been becoming more and more disillusioned by her over the course of the season, it still hurt to see him side with Logan of all people.

The repercussions of this promise to be severe, and Season 4 should be rife territory for the Roy clan’s civil war to continue, albeit with a few of the players moved around and loyalties changed. The show continues to be as strong as ever, in the writing, performances and directing and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for them to come.

Movies

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is back, however it seems that the world is rather divided on whether he’s friend or foe in this third installment of the series. After Quentin Beck’s “confession” at the end of the last film, and Peter’s (Tom Holland) identity being revealed, he and his inner circle have been having a tough time living their lives normally.

Rather than deal with things within the confines of his reality, he turns instead to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and magic to fix his problems. Except that magic is very complicated and Peter wants a bunch of caveats added in, and somehow he even manages to fracture the spell that Strange is casting.

This results in a number of villains from other universes to bleed through to Peter’s world, these universes of course being those of the previous two Spider-Man film franchises. Peter encounters the likes of Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) and Electro (Jamie Foxx). However, rather than fight them as instinct initially tells him to, he follows his Aunt May’s (Marisa Tomei) advice to instead help them be better. Through technology, they find ways to to stop whatever causes their mental imbalances, but that also largely means removing their abilities for a number of them, which doesn’t sit well with Electro especially.

Eventually Peter gets overpowered by the multitude of villains, which results in the unfortunate death of his aunt, and sends him spiraling into grief and murderous rage. Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya) are at a loss on how to even find him let alone help him, but with his newfound magic and Strange’s ring Ned manages to find two people who might be able to help them out: the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield Spider-Men.

After a lot of meta jokes and banter, the team work together to help the villains out, and send them back home, but in order for it to happen, Peter tells Doctor Strange to cast a spell that will make the world forget who he is, or that he’s Spider-Man. Naturally, this does not sit well with Ned and MJ, but they agree, telling him to find them when this is all over.

He does, but at the last minute, decides not to introduce himself when he realizes that they may be better off without him. The film end with Peter adjusting to life after visiting May’s grave, the world having forgotten him and with no one to really lean on for support.

I absolutely loved the film, the cameos (especially Charlie Cox‘s Daredevil) and the nostalgia that the film drew on to give us a larger universe. However, I couldn’t help feeling a sense of sadness for Peter, seeing him alone in the world, his friends moving on to bigger and better, while he takes the brunt of the punishment. I do hope we revisit Peter in a future film where he is thriving and living life much more happily than how we left him here.

Week in Review (Dec 12 – 18, 2021)

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What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

Succession (2018) – Season 3 Ep 3-8

With only one episode remaining to watch this season, the journey so far has been a fascinating and intense one.

Kendall (Jeremy Strong) has been the most intriguing person this season, adding layers of nuance to his character that only Strong can infuse into the former heir apparent. For a man who was so dependent on his father to be separated from Logan (Brian Cox), and then going up against the Goliath in an effort to protect the morals he believes in has been a massive struggle for him.

However, Logan brought up the one point that has been bothering me all season: does Kendall really believe that he has the moral high ground after he killed a man? Sadly, I don’t think he’s allowed himself the time to process all his misdeeds since Logan has always swept them under the rug for him, but he’s really been pushed to his breaking point time and time again this season, which will hopefully help him realise what he wants to do with his life when he’s outside his father’s shadow, and more importantly get the help he needs. 

There are several other threads of the storyline that have been of various degrees of interest to me. Kendall’s departure means a massive hole in the company that everyone is hoping they can fill. Shiv (Sarah Snook) and Roman (Keiran Culkin) have been competing nonstop to be daddy’s favourite while a bunch of outsiders try to oust the Roy family or are vying for a chunk of Waystar Royco.

On a more personal front, Tom (Matthew McFadyen) is really starting to notice a strain on his relationship with Shiv, and he seems to be even more insecure than ever. Her complete disinterest in him potentially going to jail upsets him, and his baby fever doesn’t seem to align with her interests until she’s goaded into it by her mother. Him being largely ignored by her is also a large part of why he relies so heavily on Greg (Nicholas Braun), who, just like him, despite being family isn’t part of the inner circle. It also gave me some of my favourite scenes of the season where Tom passive-aggressively threatens and bullies Greg while also showing him how much he cares for him (which,  of course creeps Greg out to no end). 

The final episode promises to pack a few punches, and will hopefully tie up some loose ends. I’m so invested in these characters that I just want them to make better choices, despite the fact that it’s those poor choices that makes the show so interesting to watch. Let’s see how things pan out for the Roys in this final episode of the season. 

Week in Review (Dec 5 – 11, 2021)

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What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

Books

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas – Ch 1-18

The follow-up to Sarah J. Maas’s excellent first book is off to an interesting start. The book picks up a little while after the events of Thorns and Roses, and Feyre is preparing for her impending wedding to Tamlin. As the future wife of a High Lord, she is receiving training on court etiquette and what will be expected of her in this role. However, it is clear that she would much rather receive training on how to use her new Fae body and the powers it seems to slowly exhibit. Tamlin and the members of his court, on the other hand, are strongly against it, saying that it sends the wrong message to the other courts. And therein lies the crux of their main conflict. 

Feyre is written as a pretty standard heroine, self-deprecating but incredibly skilled; however, now with the added abilities I do find it heartbreaking that she would put herself down so much and consider herself unworthy of being Tamlin’s wife. She is going through some intense PTSD following the events of ACOTAR and having to kill two Fae in cold blood, and it seems that not a single soul in the Spring Court seems to know or care (outside of perhaps Lucien). Add to that wedding stress and a strained relationship with Tam and it’s no wonder that Rhysand is so shocked at the toll it’s taken on her, and takes her away to the Night Court when she eventually breaks down.

I find it incredibly intriguing that Rhysand has taken such an interest in Feyre. I don’t think his intentions are as noble as we are being led to believe, but I do like that Feyre is still getting more of an education than she might have done at the Spring Court. I find it quite shocking that she also does allude to the possibility that she only fell in love with Tamlin becuase he was the first person who showed interest in her, but it seems that she may be repeating that pattern with Rhys (even though I do find Rhys fascinating as a character, I don’t really ship them).

One thing that I do wish we had in the book was other points of view. I would love to have seen Tam’s reaction to Feyre being taken, or Rhys’s take on the Bone Carver. Now that we are getting more into the history and political landscape of Prythian, Feyre sometimes feels limited in her viewpoint as an outsider of their world.

I am looking forward to the upcoming war, and seeing Feyre take steps towards her recovery. I’m also looking forward to seeing the consequences of Feyre moving to the Night Court, and how she’ll impact the impending war.

Week in Review (Nov 28 – Dec 4, 2021)

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What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

Movies

House of Gucci (2021)

Ridley Scott is having an eventful year, having directed two historical films based on real-life events, The Last Duel released in October and now House of Gucci (2021). He also seems to have gained an affinity for Adam Driver, who has been featured in both. I have most definitely been anticipating this film more, not just for its cast but also for its story and the world it’s set in.

Taking us on a journey of the rise – and eventual fall – of Patrizia (Lady Gaga) and Maurizio Gucci, House of Gucci tells the intricate tale of the inner workings of the illustrious fashion house. The family-owned company was largely controlled by Maurizio’s uncle Aldo (Al Pacino), since his absentee father wanted nothing to do with the running of the business. Even when Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons) did get involved, it was largely to limit them, whether that meant stopping his brother from spreading the business too far and wide or to keep his incompetent nephew, Paolo (Jared Leto) in check. When Patrizia finally gets her hooks in the business, however, there’s no stopping her from getting what she wants, egging her husband on in taking an interest in the business.

More often than not, we see her plotting to oust Aldo and Paolo when she isn’t being paranoid about those around the business or getting tarot card readings from her psychic. While we get very clear insight into her line of thinking, we don’t however get much into Maurizio’s. It is unclear whether he truly wanted control of the business in his later years, if he cared for his wife in their time together, if he regretted the turn his company and his life ended up taking after he drove his family out.

While I did largely enjoy the film, it definitely had some glaring issues. The pacing was off, with the first half moving at a snail’s pace, and the second leaving a lot of gaps in the story. The performances were overall good; however, the accents seemed to go in and out as the actors pleased. The only person who seemed to commit to the Italian-ness of his character was Leto, and he came off as cartoonish and extremely stereotypical.

However, even though the film wasn’t perfect, I definitely learned a lot about the Italian fashion house, and it has inspired me to do some research of my own on the people behind the eccentric characters. I felt genuinely upset to learn about Maurizio’s untimely demise at his ex-wife’s hands, and wanted to know more about the structure of the company and its shareholders today.

Week in Review (Nov 21 – 27, 2021)

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What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

Books

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas – Ch 28-46

After about 16 month, I finally returned to this book, and I understand a little bit why I left off where I did when I last put the book down. The second half of ACOTAR isn’t nearly as intriguing as the first, and I was rather disappointed at all the convenient coincidences that aligned into place for Feyre. Not only does she get a long expositional speech and a shortcut to Under the Mountain from Alis, the only remaining person at the Spring Court, she is also given not one, but two ways to free Tamlin and in turn his people and the entirety of Prythian as a result. To top it all off, she manages to get turned into one of the High Fae so she can live happily ever after (in theory) with Tamlin.

While I did have issues with the pacing of the book, the overall world-building was very impressive. A lot of the faeries who occupied Prythian clearly had roots in mythological creatures, and the story itself followed quite closely to Beauty and the Beast, ACOTAR’s original inspiration. However, there is a newness to the way that it is presented, and the way that elements are combined to create something fresh and fascinating.

Going forward, I’m sure the books will be much more story-driven now that Maas has an established universe for her characters to run wild in and I’m interested to see how Feyre is going to navigate the challenges that are bound to come from her new body and status. I’m also hoping to see more of the other courts and its people, especially the mystical Rhysand since he seems to have more insight into Feyre than she seems to have of herself at the moment. I’m also intrigued to see what improvements Maas makes as a writer, and hope that some of the pacing issues will be ironed out going forward.

Week in Review (Nov 14 – 20, 2021)

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What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

Cowboy Bebop (1998) – Ep 1-3

In anticipation of the live action show recently released on Netflix, I decided to watch the original anime of Cowboy Bebop. I’m not usually fond of anime, due to the exaggerated emotions and style, but I wanted to get a sense of the world that inspired the 2021 show.

To say that it is a strange show is an understatement. It gets off to a rather strong start, with a noir look and a vibrant jazz soundtrack. However, it is intriguing enough to keep me watching. The cast of characters is only slowly starting to come together, and as of right now the bounty hunting crew consists only of Spike (Kōichi Yamadera), Jet (Unshō Ishizuka) and the dog Ein that they have reluctantly picked up. My first immpression of the show is that it reminds me greatly of the 2002 Firefly which has a similar ragtag crew of space cowboys.

It’s very easy to see why animation works so well as a medium for the show, considering the massive set pieces, and the animation and effects. So I’m very much looking forward to seeing how the show progresses, since there is already a clear overarching story despite the episodic nature so far. I’m also looking forward to seeing how the world will be adapted for the live action version, considering the style and nature of the show.

Week in Review (Nov 7 – 13, 2021)

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What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

The Red Sleeve Cuff (2021) – Ep 1-2

He’s baaaack!!! I’ve missed seeing Lee Junho play assholish characters (see: Good Manager, Just Between Lovers), and his portrayal of Yi San is nothing short of punchable in that department (not that I would dare hurt that face). The show is off to a great – if slightly typical for a sageuk – start with the first episode focused largely on the younger versions of our main characters, and the second one delves immediately into life at the palace for the young prince and his court ladies. Lee Se-young is killing it as the smart and rebellious court lady Seong Deok-im. Lee has one of the most expressive faces I’ve ever seen, and when she isn’t cracking me up with her scowls at the prince, she’s making me fall for her with her beatific smiles.

I love that Deok-im is so wholly uninterested in palace life, and is just there to read some good books and collect her pay (girl, I can relate). When Yi San, who’s identity she is completely unaware of, comes by to annoy her on a daily basis in the library, she’s practically ready to murder him, but slowly forms a bond with him over her continued distress at the prince’s hand. Said prince, who is of course the same man, but who she’s only seen behind a screen, makes her write apology letter after apology letter for a minor incident because she can never quite get it up to his standards. While it is wearing on her soul, unfortunately she can only really stare daggers at the floor in front of him. I like that there is currently not even a hint of romance on the horizon (obviously I know it will eventually come) and that they are getting to know each other’s personalities before they have any other advancement to their relationships.

I’m surprised that the show is considerably more lighthearted and camp than I originally expected. I like that there is such a strong emphasis on building the characters rather than introducing 15 political subplots all at once as sageuks are wont to do (The King’s Affection, below, is guilty of this); although, I hope this won’t mean they’ll cram it all into the end. Overall, I’m liking the tone that the show has set up, subverting my expectations largely and making me want to come back for more.

The King’s Affection (2021) – Ep 1-10

I currently have not one, but two historical dramas on my plate, but the style of them seem so largely different that they seem like two different universes altogether. TKA largely fits in with most sageuks that have come out recently: scheming councilmen, murderous family members, hidden secrets, the list is long. The show is largely being carried on the charm of Park Eun-bin, and Dam-i is definitely the largest draw of the show for me.

Born as the female twin to her brother, her birth largely compromises her brother’s chances for becoming the future king since twins were seen as a bad omen. Rather than have the girl killed before she was discovered as she was advised, her mother has her snuck out of the palace and deposited at a monastery where she grows up as an orphan before eventually ending up as a palace maid. There she encounters the future king of Joseon, who happens to look exactly like her (I’m going to ignore that boy-girl twins cannot be identical, show!), and the two exchange places so that he can see the world outside of the palace. This is of course the worst thing that they could have possibly done, because when someone who knew of their existence see a girl with the princes face walking around, they end up killing the wrong child and Dam-i is forced to take her brother’s place and only a few trustworthy people are aware of her circumstances.

Naturally, Dam-i – or Lee Hwi – keeps people at arm’s length and becomes known as the Ice Prince. I love it when there are massive power dynamic shifts that favour women, and The King’s Affection is firing on all cylinders when it comes to our Crown Prince(ss). Dam-i is intelligent, mature and confident in her abilities, having grown up with the advantages of a palace education. However, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have fears and doubts as the future ruler, especially when there are so many discerning eyes on her waiting for her to fail.

Of her core group, Court Lady Kim (Baek Hyun-joo) is by far my favourite. Her advice and support is always well-intentioned, and you can tell that she tries to fit into the role of Dam-i’s mother as best she can when there’s nobody else for her to lean on. My heart was in my throat when she had her hair chopped off, and I will throw hands if she’s hurt in any way. Eunuch Hong (Go Gyu-pil) is similarly protective of Dam-i, but more so in a brotherly way, willing to tease her and scold her where he feels it necessary.

I suppose I should say something about Rowoon since he is the male lead of the show, but there really is a lot of flip-flopping when it comes to his character. My main observation is probably this: Has he gotten better at acting since I last saw him? He seems to have more of a naturalness in the comedic scenes, but there’s still a ways to go when it comes to being earnest. Jung Ji-un really is put in a difficult situation, where he has to serve in a position he never wanted, but finds that he actually really enjoys being a scholar and spending time with the crown prince. However, because he’s developed feelings for him, but doesn’t know that he is really a she who is also his first love from his childhood (who he believes to be dead), he’s choosing to leave the palace rather than suffer through unrequited feelings everyday. Phew, that’s a lot of stuff happening to one guy!

Honestly, I’m not really sure where the show is going at this point, but the separation feels like an excuse to set up more complications. The King’s Affection just reached its halfway point and it seems like there is going to be a tough road ahead for our crew. I hope there’s a bit more cohesiveness to the show moving forward, because I really am enjoying watching Park’s performance as our prince thaws out.

Movies

Eternals (2021)

I’ve been anticipating Eternals’s release for quite a while now, as it seemed so different from what Marvel usually do, and I was quite pleased with it. Could they have made some better choices in casting? Yes. Was the humor a bit strange? At times. But overall, I came away from the film having enjoyed it.

My main doubts about the film were in the casting of Richard Madden and Gemma Chan. Neither really has the gravitas to play such characters, and I’ve never been a fan of either. These doubts turned out to not be unfounded, since they were by far the weakest actors in the film. I thoroughly enjoyed all the other cast members. I particularly enjoyed the pairing between Druig (Barry Keoghan) and Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), as limited as their interactions were. I also appreciated that the cast mostly kept their accents and looked quite normal, especially in a universe where they could have so easily looked alien and exotic.

Eternals also feels different in that it has a contemplative, almost existential mood to it. The themes are much more grounded in morality and the nature of good and evil. The Eternals don’t forgive themselves for their behaviour, but they do actively strive to correct their mistakes even while mourning the loss of one choice as they make another.

Week in Review (Oct 31 – Nov 6, 2021)

~ colourfulgranny ~ 1 Comment

What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

Just Between Lovers (2017)

In anticipation of his newest series The Red Sleeve Cuff (which was pushed back a week to accommodate for baseball), I started a bit of a Lee Jun-ho binge. He’d caught my eye back when I watched Good Manager, and I was very curious about his other acting credits. Just Between Lovers kept showing up as the project to look out for in his repertoire, so that’s what I decided to begin with.

The plot of the show is very ripe for drama: a tragic accident at a mall leaves Kang-doo and Moon-soo (Won Jin-ah) as survivors where both lost family members. Kang-doo is left an orphan with a leg injury that prevents him from pursuing his dreams of becoming a football player, and is forced to work odd jobs to make ends meet and get his sister through school. Moon-soo lost her sister and her memories from the trauma, and her parents split up not long after, leaving her with her mother who drowns herself in drink rather than face her grief. 20 years later, the two meet again, on a construction project taking place at the site of the original accident, but only Kang-doo recognizes Moon-soo. The two are taken with each other, but both have scars that keep them from opening up to others.

While the story is very intense, the tone of the show is actually rather subdued. The colour palette mirrors the gloom of our pairs’ equally gloomy lives. The soundtrack is slow and thoughtful adding a fullness that lends hope to characters that desperately need it. And finally the cast deliver raw performances that make you empathize with their situations. I was blown away by Won, who has a quiet strength to the way she portrayed Moon-soo. The character is so weighed down by responsibilities, but she doesn’t feel like she has a right to speak up because she feels largely responsible for the situation their family is in.

Additionally, I also liked that the styling of both Won and Lee is very down-to-earth. There is an abundance of dramas that show people who live on the fringes of society but they always seem to have perfect hair, an inexplicably large wardrobe, and the latest phones for the sake of their sponsors. JBL doesn’t glamorize their lives in any way, showing characters with scruffy hair, reusing clothes, and in general living within their means.

While not perfect, the show is a strong contender for my Top 10 k-dramas. It wasn’t the easiest show to watch. but it was emotionally impactful and technically well-produced. The ending was a  little over-the-top and rushed, but it leaves you with a sense of happiness that these characters may finally get to live a better life than they have been allowed so far.

Succession (2018) – Season 3 Ep 1-2

The Roy family is back! And they’re just as dysfunctional as ever. I’ve only gotten to watch the first 2 episodes so far, but the season has gotten off to an incredible start and is just as good as I remember. The dialogue is whip-smart and the family dynamics are just as fun to watch.

The season premiere picks up where the last season left off, with Logan (Brian Cox) trying to do damage control after Kendall (Jeremy Strong) dropped a bomb in the middle of Waystar RoyCo. As everyone starts planning and choosing allegiances, the Roys deal with the shitshow that is slowly unfolding before them. As everyone try to throw their hat in the ring for the CEO position and vie for Logan’s favour, he plans strategy for how to protect himself and the company and uses all those around him to their maximum capacity.

The level of confidence that Kendall has is unparalleled, and I was shocked that he practically admitted to murder in the first episode with a smile on his face. However, we see that facade start to crack when faced with his siblings in the second episode. In a way that only siblings can, Shiv (Sarah Snook) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) get on his nerves with their snark and the final nail in the coffin was his ever-supportive brother Connor (Alan Ruck) not backing his cause.

The one relationship I wish I could see more of is that of Greg (Nicholas Braun) and Tom (Matthew Macfadyen). They are my favorite duo by far, but Greg has lost a lot of his credibility with the Roys, and will no doubt be shunned from here on out by them. He’s still clearly inept at navigating the family politics, but luckily he has his grandfather on his side, so he may survive this yet. Tom on the other hand has become Shiv’s eyes and ear to Logan, and has made himself very useful, even if he is still looked down on by the rest of the family.

I’m looking forward to see how things progress now that the Roy family has been divided into two factions and how loyalties will change as everyone starts looking out for themselves.