Sienna

Watched this weird film on the flight to Lomé. The plot made me very uncomfy. It was like watching a mosh pit of people desperate for connection and equipped with nothing short of a misguided understanding of how to find it which left me feeling dull. However, there might be something to say about that — especially given the main character is in the midst of deep grief. AND to be fair, I do think some of the references likely flew over my head… so there’s a good chance I may have missed some good opportunities to enjoy the charm & humor of this movie… all that being said, at the end of the day this one just wasn’t a hit for me.

A cheesy rom com moment! I think I’m feeling fatigued by generational / inter-generational stereotypes, which this was full of… with the exception that I did find the one producer’s role as an “employee-turned-personal-assistant” LOL-spot-on and uncomfortably relatable to my own roles over the years and Will dropping the real definition of gaslighting was iconic. This has— as it should— a mostly unbelievable plot, which felt almost out of the 2000s minus the exceptionally current event mentions… and I did enjoy the *mother-daughter healing generational cycles* moment and the honesty of shifting significance in the lives of another that were experienced and shared by Will and Reese. However, their chemistry beyond a friendship is just not believable to me and I think it did their character devlopment a disservice to go there in the end... I’m glad I didn’t pay $ to go see this someplace (thanks streaming!) BUT if you’re looking for an easy, mindless watch that actually stands a chance at making you laugh, this should do the trick!

Darling tuesday night world/life-palate-cleanser. I can’t recall my experience viewing the first two films, so forgoing a comparison… I thought this movie was a nice balance between outrageous/silly plot holes; warm, humanful character development; and a whole lot of tenderness (read: yes, I cried). I love the message of knowing where you come from & choosing your family— and that both serve us in the knowing of ‘self.’ Also I have to add I quite enjoyed the creative cinematography and visual effects in this movie— from the tiny detailed, living dollhouse in one scene, to the paintings coming alive, to the *beary* heavenly visuals of El Dorodo. This one felt a little ‘Wes Anderson’ in a way I throughly enjoyed. If you want a feel-good movie that doesn’t leave you feeling like you wasted your evening on something mindless or crude, I’d definitely recommend. :)

I found myself lamenting to a friend last week how I just wanted to watch something that didn’t leave me in a state of deeper despair, but that still felt thought-provoking and substantive. Well. Here we are! Delightful. A cinematic marvel (I have never seen hummingbirds like this before!). A story of compassion and transforming one’s own trauma into empathy, kindness, and positive regard for another sentient being’s life. The delicate, subtle yearning of humans to watch life continue on even after hurt; even if a miracle is required. Witnessing people feeling in ways they (we) may not express towards all, or towards our fellow humans, but that feels impossible— cruel even— not to extend towards creatures so tiny and magical as these. While this film went on perhaps just a little too long, I found myself cheering its characters on, tearing up, giggling along at the personalities of these little beings, and walking away with such deep gratitude for our world’s caretakers. We would all be better humans if we embodied the spirit and teachings of this film.