ronne

“…and through goes hamilton!” this is just brad pitt’s self-insert brocedes fic and you can’t convince me otherwise. as a racing fan who followed the 2023 & 2024 F1 seasons—and, coincidentally, the production of this film (since they shot during actual grands prix)—i’ve been putting off watching this for the longest time knowing i’d be in for disappointment. lo and behold, i was by the cinema with a bunch of free time, so i finally gave in with low expectations. it’s clear that the intent was to appeal to the masses and replicate the success of drive to survive, which has been a major factor in F1’s recent rise in popularity. and at that, it succeeds, despite taking a self-indulgent approach. so congrats on that, at the very least! however, this isn’t exactly representative of the sport. it felt like a lousy concoction of the most sensationalized personalities and moments in F1 (e.g. joshua’s crash reminiscent of grosjean’s in bahrain 2020, the reporter who infamously drags out his interviews… i could go on and on) so much so that i found myself counting references more than focusing on the rather bland narrative itself. even ayrton senna’s passing was written into sonny’s traumatic backstory, which felt INCREDIBLY disrespectful (hoping they at least got permission for that). don’t even get me started on the shameful portrayal of women in motorsport. the first female technical director is reduced to a love interest who crosses professional boundaries. the girl mechanic is shown to be so anxious that it disrupts team strategy. i know actress simone ashley was cut out from the film for some reason, but honestly, if they had shifted the focus to the WAGs, that would’ve been my last straw.  anyway, maybe i am being too nitpicky! how can you expect a film to properly represent a marginalized sector when it doesn’t even accurately depict F1—the one thing it’s about—anyway? an old-timer with insufficient superlicense points somehow sneaks his way from backmarker to the top step of formula one. unfortunately, a couple heart-racing scenes, absolutely banging sound design, and a star-studded soundtrack weren’t enough to redeem this film for me.

finally an adaptation that does justice to a grimm’s fairy tale without watering it down for the masses. when i first learned how dark the source material was as a kid, i wondered why they cut parts out when it had so much potential. i’m glad to finally see it in all its raw glory. what sets this film apart is that it’s unafraid to be real. blichfeldt reframes an old tale for a society that’s so used to vilifying women. the ugly stepsister, albeit privileged with money, is constantly put down for her looks. she’s not just some jealous, spoiled brat—she is a young girl whose emotions are put aside to conform. cinderella, with her natural beauty, is left to fend for herself following her father’s death. it’s interesting how the prince assumes her purity by the end, whilst many, like the dressmaker, are quick to call her a whore and punish her for rightfully exercising bodily autonomy. the movie does a great job at humanizing these characters, all while depicting the lengths people will go to out of sheer desperation. at the end of the day, all women fall victim to the patriarchy and the vapid constructs it puts in place. the use of light, color, and visuals all come together to produce sequences straight out of a dream (i dreamt of something eerily similar to the tapeworm scene prior to watching this, and it’s so cool to see it come to life). i have no notes, just really great execution overall. if i had any regrets, it’d probably be watching this with my dad… despite all the gore, the only time i visibly recoiled was when they zoomed in on the stable boy’s schlong….. like was that necessary……?

“marriage is a living organism, it can grow or die. there’s only one thing that can kill it: lack of dialogue. if that goes on, the only thing that's left is a dialogue with the dead. meaning, an autopsy.” psycho therapy is a clever play on words, blurring the lines between death and intimacy. the story follows a retired serial killer brought in to resuscitate a dying marriage. i enjoyed every single thing about this film—the opening in medias res, its unorthodox premise, and the way it doesn’t take itself too seriously. the soundtrack, visuals, and cast were incredible !! so fun and satisfying. what a hidden gem.