Month: August 2019

Lizzie–Quiet Desperation

Written by diana on August 26, 2019. Posted in movie reviews. 2 Comments on Lizzie–Quiet Desperation

Lizzie— a psychological thriller– is a reinterpretation of the story of Lizzie Borden, the accused murderer of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts in 1892. Starring and produced by Chloe Sevigny and premiering at Sundance Film Festival last year, the viewer sees the highly restrictive circumstances of women in a patriarchal society and what happens to them when they actively fight against a lifetime of subjugation. Lizzie Borden, a thirty-two year old single woman, has very few options other than residing with...

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood–A Lackluster Fairy Tale

Written by diana on August 19, 2019. Posted in movie reviews. 6 Comments on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood–A Lackluster Fairy Tale

Quentin Tarantino is no stranger to movie buffs. And Once Upon a Time in Hollywood continues to feature the themes Tarantino cherishes. With a fully-loaded cast of A-list actors, especially Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, what we witness is more a “buddy film” than the advertised “tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s Golden Age”. But for the audience who does not know the story of Charles Manson and his grasp on the American collective psyche, the film needs more backstory to fill in plot holes. On the plus side, Tarantino...

Wild Rose–Mothers and Daughters with Impossible Choices

Written by diana on August 12, 2019. Posted in movie reviews. 2 Comments on Wild Rose–Mothers and Daughters with Impossible Choices

Wild Rose centers on a young single mother and ex-con who dreams of moving from Scotland to Nashville to become a country singer. This indie is currently in theaters. Rose-Lynn Harlan (newcomer Jessie Buckley) dreams of becoming a country music star, while grappling with the regaining the trust of her two school-age children who have been cared for by her mother (the always remarkable Julie Walters) during her incarceration for drug dealing. Why should she give up something she knows she is so good at? On the other hand, is success worth sacrificing her relationship with her children? ...

The Farewell–Family Matters

Written by diana on August 5, 2019. Posted in movie reviews, Uncategorized, Unhealed Wound. 1 Comment on The Farewell–Family Matters

In the opening scene of The Farewell, taking place in a local hospital in China, the winsome and irrepressible grandmother, Nai Nai, has a complete physical, but has no idea of what it portends. Her sister and doctor tell Nai Nai everything is fine, she need not worry. She has stage 4 lung cancer. Determined to spare Nai Nai bad news, her adult children, under the pretext of planning a wedding for one of the grandsons, gather the family for what is to be presented as a family reunion. The granddaughter, Billi, a young millennial living in New York City (played by...

Month: August 2019

Lizzie–Quiet Desperation

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood–A Lackluster Fairy Tale

Wild Rose–Mothers and Daughters with Impossible Choices

The Farewell–Family Matters

Subscribe to my Newsletter