Molly

It's funny how a silly romcom like this can draw in 2.8 million moviegoers and have little to no cultural relevance today. The only noteworthy aspect for me, beyond the occasionally idyllic summer imagery, is that my nanna has cited this as her favourite film. Safe to say that our tastes don't align much.

David Fincher is as meticulous in his filmmaking craft here as his main character is in his professional craft. A film, so thoroughly thought out and taken care of, I can’t help but marvel in its execution and attention to detail. Perhaps Finchers most meditative piece. In familiar form, yet slightly more reserved and introspective, Fincher delivers in his dark and gritty tendencies while carefully constructing a gripping character study, tackling the addictive nature of a personal vendetta as well as the mental sanity and emotional control needed to remain successful (and alive) in this line of work. The soundtrack perfectly encapsulates the gritty tone Fincher has created here adding to the hauntingly calm narration from a man who will so easy take a life, and the unpredictable and tense nature of this subject matter make for a very effective and nerve-racking experience.

Anime drama revolving around the Japanese culture of competitive classical music, this is a rollercoaster of emotion dealing with childhood trauma, abuse, guilt, romance, friendship, musical prodigies, anxiety and finding your way and direction in life. 22 episodes of heartbreaking drama.

The sex scenes are unserious, and it’s just trite. It’s giving 365 Days (and I’ve never even watched 365 Days, mind you). The needle drops are… eh. Cheating and sex here are portrayed like those low-quality bootleg reels that randomly pop up when you’re five swipes deep into doomscrolling. Sure, there’s commentary here somewhere in this goofy film (e.g., poverty can lead to a life of constant subjugation, leaving people powerless to escape, and rich men and their obsession with power, blah blah). I just don’t care to expand on it because this film doesn’t earn that kind of energy from me. And why are there like 50+ shots of the house? The film is straightforward and easy to follow, but I’d give it a 7/10 in terms of predictability. Like, we’re one minute into seeing the husband, and I deadass can already tell he’s up to something or that he somehow caused his wife’s behavior, just by the way he always has the upper hand. This film doesn’t deserve Amanda Seyfried’s greatness. Doesn’t deserve her presence, even. I don’t really care for Sydney Sweeney’s jeans. I’m not saying it’s the worst thing ever made; I’m just not fazed or enthusiastic about this. I admit there are some fun moments, but overall, it just doesn’t really have substance.