Siena Tan Yi

This film is such a gem! I adored the static cinematography, which did a wondeful job at carefully displaying the built environment of Singapore in a very imposing and authoritarian light. The editing was so careful and impactful, and the pacing of the dialogue and scene transitions was so realistic and entertaining. It became a little preachy in the end, and perhaps the writing needed just a tad bit more of a throughline, but emotionally it hit pretty close to the mark. I don't know how I can get any of my friends in the US to see this film, but it is well well well worth the time to seek out.

This was a blast, and I appreciated the filmmakers' acknowledgement of the fact that many of us were going to see this movie almost as a concert film instead of a biopic. In no way do I think this film actually avoids a lot of the problems of musician biopic, but I do think it's a pretty wonderful tribute to a great artist, and the performance talent on display is undeniable.

Wow this was...such stale bread. I liked watching Tom Holland flare bartend, but otherwise this is the first time I've had the urge to pull out my phone during a movie in years. I didn't really buy the growing brotherly relationship between Sully and Nate, and I didn't exactly care about any of the stakes either. The pirate ship climax was pretty cool visually and in concept, but I felt like it was wasted on a movie that was so meh everywhere else. I wanted more from Chloe's character, and I was disappointed at how she was relegated to the "female lead that betrays the main guys in a 'surprise' plot twist that you can see coming from a mile away because it's so formulaic." I think a huge problem for me was that I didn't care about any of these characters' relationships because none of them felt unique to me. I felt like they were recycled versions of classic action heroes with nothing new to add, and so despite all the fun action set pieces, which normally are enough to lock me in, I was drifting.

Ahhhh gosh this movie is soo sweet, it's one of the best fairy tale adaptations I've ever seen. It's maybe a bit too idealistic for my taste, something for which I can give it a pass because it is, after all, a fairy tale. The costume design is pretty unmatched, as we can all agree. Cate Blanchett also brings so many layers to the evil stepmother with her performance that I ADORE. I love that Ella actually stands up to her in the end, but I wish the writers had found a way to give her slightly more agency in getting Kit and the soldiers to notice her presence in the attic. Anyways, stacked cast, beautiful costumes, standout performances, well-paced. Love this movie.