Month: October 2026

Love of Your Life

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Maya (Margaret Qualley) is a dedicated nurse who has never thought about much beyond her career. When she meets Charlie (Gabriel Basso), she is swept off her feet into a whirlwind romance. But then heartbreak hits and Maya’s life comes crashing down around her. She flees her home and cuts contact with her friends and family to travel the world and avoid what she left behind. She soon discovers that she can only outrun her past for so long.

The only thing I knew about this film going into it was that it was going to be sad. I had no clue just what I was getting myself into. The whole way through I was on the verge of tears. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, something came along and completely changed its trajectory. I’ll admit I almost switched it off at the beginning because of the big ‘reveal’, but I am glad that I stuck with it.

Undoubtedly the anchor throughout, Qualley delivered an outstanding performance as our protagonist. The way in which she was able to portray the various stages of grief through her tears, expressions and moments of silence were not only genuine, they were extremely relatable. While she made some questionable choices along the way, I could understand each and every one of them. We all deal with loss differently so the depiction was spot on.

I’ve not watched The Night Agent, but I had watched this with my husband who is a fan, and he said it was refreshing to see Basso in a completely opposite type of role. He was the perfect leading man full of charm and good looks. It truly was like he could do no wrong. Aaron Pierre starred as Felix, a fellow traveler who Maya meets while in Portugal. The two hit it off instantly. There was no way we could compare Felix to Charlie because they both had such different personalities and they both came in at different points in Maya’s life. The same could be said for Patrick Schwarzenegger who portrayed Maya’s best friend Jason. He was always in love with her, but he never overstepped that line. He was also able to stand on his own amongst the rest and for that I was appreciative. Also, I very much enjoyed Catherine Keener’s performance as Charlie’s mother Ruth. It was raw and cutthroat, yet incredibly realistic. I wish we’d had more of her on screen.

For those of us who have lost someone, the story will hit you like a ton of bricks. There’s a quote in the film that says grief is never done. I can’t tell you how much I felt that. No matter how long it’s been, or how recent, the way in which we deal with it just evolves over time. And just because someone we love might no longer be with us doesn’t mean that that love we had for them is done either.

Poignant, heartbreaking and beautiful, Love of Your Life is worth watching. I just recommend you have some tissues handy.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

The Social Reckoning

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Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison) is a young Facebook engineer who loves her job, but even she can’t look away from the effects it’s had on society. Enlisting the help of Jeff Horwtiz (Jeremy Allen White), a Wall Street Journal reporter, the two band together to expose the truth about Meta.

When The Social Network came out in 2010, it received praise left, right and centre. Some argue it is one of the best films to ever grace the screen. I’ll admit I just found it to be okay, but I still appreciate the importance it had on our generation. A lot has changed in social media over the years. A follow up was inevitable; while these platforms have had so much positive impact, they have also been the cause of much detriment. Regardless of how much they decided to depict on screen, it was bound to be an interesting ride.

Madison, coming off of her Oscar win for Anora, delivers a spectacular performance as Frances Haugen. In a much quieter role, she was able to pull in and captivate the audience. The uncertainty of wanting to come forward despite loving her job was portrayed brilliantly. White was solid as the journalist with a lot to prove. He didn’t shine quite as bright as Madison, but I did enjoy their scenes together. Their budding friendship added some lighter tones to the story. Taking over the role of Mark Zuckerberg from Jesse Eisenberg was Jeremy Strong. I’ve read that some weren’t convinced by his take on the character, but I have to disagree. Not only did Strong look like Zuckerberg, I felt like he had his mannerisms down as well. Although he wasn’t as prominently featured as the other two, I do believe he made the most of his screen time.

Facebook started as a way for people to connect with one another. It was groundbreaking and it forever changed the way in which we communicate with each other. Over time, however, the way in which the company tried to engage with more users took a turn. Clicking on something once altered the algorithm and gave audiences things they thought they wanted to see instead of what it was they were actually interested in. This could then easily influence people to alter their beliefs or partake in activities they wouldn’t normally and therefore potentially causing harm to themselves and others.

I actually didn’t know about The Facebook Files and because of that I found the film to be educational. Some of the technical jargon went over my head, but the main idea was there at least. Aaron Sorkin, who wrote the first film, was back in the writer’s seat and this time around also added directing to his title. There’s a lot that can be said for the topic and I’m sure he had a lot of ground he wanted to cover. As the film was just under two hours long, some sequences felt rushed and others were tied up too quickly. Once the story gets going, it really grasped my attention and I could have sat through a little bit more.

While I cannot say that The Social Reckoning is better or worse than The Social Network, I can say that it is an important piece of cinema with a lot to say. With fabulous performances and an intriguing ongoing investigation, it was quite something for me to see the last few years unfolding on screen in front of me. Had it been just a smidge longer, it would have been even better.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Sense and Sensibility

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When the Dashwoods are forced to move out of their family estate, they find solace in a humble cottage in the country. Three sisters Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones), Marianne (Esmee Creed-Miles) and Margaret (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) embark on a journey of love, heartbreak and self discovery while in their new surroundings.

Author Jane Austen has had her work adapted for the screen time and time again. Sense and Sensibility, on its own, has been made into three television series and two feature films! Sometimes these updated versions are unnecessary, but because I am a big Austen fan, I was curious to see director Georgia Oakley’s take on the classic.

I know I read the book, but this was a while ago now and I cannot remember much. It’s not one of the ones that I am overly familiar with and as a result I went into the film with a fresh pair of eyes. I felt like this was the best way to do it as well because I was able to fully immerse myself in this version of the film. I was worried it wouldn’t grip me or that I would find it difficult to follow though that wasn’t the case at all.

A good romance is supposed to make you feel absolutely everything. Butterflies in your stomach, sweaty palms and above all the hope that the characters you are rooting for will end up together. At the centre of the story is the relationship between Elinor and Edward Ferrars (George MacKay). The will they won’t they was enough to make me want to rip my hair out because I honestly did not know how they were going to end up. There’s just something so innocent about love during this time period that hits differently. Marianne, on the other hand, captured the heart of two suitors – Colonel Brandon (Herbert Nordrum) and Willoughby (Frank Dillane). Her journey was the opposite of her older sister’s and it really made me feel sorry for her.

At the core of it all, however, is the depiction of sisterhood. While the film focuses more on the experiences of Elinor and Marianne, Margaret is still very much apart of the events that occur. Their bond is unlike any other and while they may disagree at times, they are always there for one another and really help build the other up in their time of need. I enjoyed the simpler scenes when Elinor and Marianne would be chatting in their bed chambers or when Elinor would spend time with Margaret in the fields close to their home.

Up until now, the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley was my favorite of Austen’s adaptions. I think that Sense and Sensibility has come very close to that. It really was beautifully done from its phenomenal casting choices (I mustn’t forget to mention Fiona Shaw’s scene stealing performance as Mrs. Jennings), to the breathtaking landscapes of the countryside and the sweeping score that really helped set the tone of the film. I know I was a bit late to the party with this one, but I am so glad I made time for it.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Verity

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When Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson) is hired to finishing writing a series of books penned by illusive author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway), she has no idea what she’s in for. After learning from Verity’s husband Jeremy (Josh Hartnett) that Verity was in a life altering car accident, he invites her to stay at their house in Vermont so that she Lowen can get to work. But then Lowen uncovers what appears to be Verity’s autography and it has her struggling to differentiate reality from fiction.

Verity was the first book I ever read by Colleen Hoover. It’s stuck with me over the years because of its insane twist. I always wondered how that would work out if we ever got to see it live. Luckily for me, I got my wish. It wasn’t a surprise that Verity would get the big screen treatment. It is the fourth of Hoover’s novels that has and I think it is also the one that proved to be the most complicated. I’m not a Hoover fan by any means, but this is my favorite book of hers that I’ve read, and I wanted them to do it justice.

Let’s start with what they got right. The casting was a dream – Johnson, Hathaway and Hartnett in the lead roles is something I could have only ever hoped for. Lowen is an interesting character. She’s awkward and kind of dark. Johnson excelled in the awkwardness, but I would have loved the darker side to come out more. It would have better explained some choices that were made later on in the film. Hathaway, in her sixth film of the year, was having an absolute ball as Verity. No stranger to an unreliable character, she leaned into it all the way and was the highlight of the film for me. Hartnett had the heartthrob husband act done to a T. I’m glad he’s back and acting in more films again. Jeremy is yet another complex character and once again, this was not explored as much as it should have been.

Although I read the book a while ago now, I can’t help but feel like there was a lot they missed out on. This is a thriller and it never completely went to the places it needed to go. The book had so many moments that were unhinged; the film in comparison only scratched the surface. I would have preferred for it to be a little bit on the longer side so that fans of the book could see some pivotal moments come to life and for us to truly feel as though we were losing our minds right there along Lowen.

The pacing was off from the get go. I’m all for a slow burn, but this took it a step too far. They kept teasing us with these little moments of crazy and then wouldn’t give it the proper pay off. Because of this, I did not buy the flirtation between Lowen and Jeremy whatsoever. We were suddenly just supposed to believe that they had all this sexual tension when all we really were able to revert back to were two sharing a drink when everyone was asleep and Lowen’s birthday dinner at the Bavarian restaurant. The final act, which was super intense in the book and almost literally took my breath away, was rushed in the film and did not give me the same experience. It’s like they went from zero to one hundred without it feeling properly earned.

On its own, Verity is a solid enough film. The cast are great in their roles and the story will keep you entertained the whole way through. I went with my husband and he was on the edge of his seat. However, if you are a fan of the book, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were disappointed. I know I was.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5