Author: Daniela

I was really looking forward to watching Rebecca because thrillers are my jam and I even dubbed the whole month of October as spooky season for basically everything I ingested into my system. Also Lily James is in it! Despite the movie not entirely living up to my expectations, there were still quite a few aspects that I loved which made it worth while for me.

When a young lady’s maid (Lily James) meets the incredibly handsome and well off Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer), she is swept up in a holiday romance she only ever dreamed about. It is no dream, however, when Maxim asks for her hand in marriage and whisks her away back to his family’s estate on the English coast.

But the house holds a secret – a secret about the former Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca, who passed away the year before. And as the new Mrs. de Winter attempts to settle into her new life, she learns that the elusive Rebecca’s legacy still lives on and she will never be able to take her place.

The main problem I had with the movie was it’s pacing. I understand for purposes of the story that the newlywed couple had to get married rather quickly, but I couldn’t get over how unrealistic it was as they had only known each other for a weekend! In addition, I felt like everything else in comparison happened rather slowly. There was so much build up and it took ages for something to actually happen. Because of that, I felt it was difficult to concentrate.

Despite this and the fact that the events that transpired were slightly predictable, I did want to keep watching. I had become invested even in the slow burn of it all and I needed to find out what was going to happen. I guess that means they did something right.

I also need to commend the fabulous cast, in particular, Lily James, Armie Hammer and Kristin Scott Thomas who portrays creepy housekeeper Mrs. Danvers. All three worked amazingly with each other and I enjoyed each scene that they were in. Chemistry is very important and they had it by the bundle.

So, if you are a fan of thrillers, give Rebecca a try. It did get mixed reviews, but don’t let that deter you!

Rating: ♥♥♥

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know much about American history or politics even though I studied them briefly in middle school. So when I heard about The Trial of the Chicago 7, I was apprehensive, but curious. It did look interesting and I knew a lot of the cast members. Despite not understanding everything, I thought the film was very well done and it definitely left an impression on me.

The story follows seven people who all share the same goals and beliefs are put on trial during the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp), Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen), Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong), David Dellinger (John Caroll Lynch), John Froines (Danny Flaherty) and Lee Weiner’s (Noah Robbins) lives are intertwined forever and will never be the same again.

One of the things that really stood out to me was the writing. It was sharp and witty when it needed to be, heartbreaking and somber during other moments. I enjoyed the small quips that were integrated to lighten the mood and found that the overall pacing flowed properly.

I already mentioned that a selling point of this movie for me was it’s cast. I cannot stress enough just how perfect everyone was in their roles. Particular stand outs included Sacha Baron Cohen who is incredibly diverse in everything he does, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II whose portrayal of Bobby Seale left me breathless and Mark Rylance as the seven’s lawyer helped hold everything together flawlessly. And who could forget Eddie Redmayne himself who shines every single time – that American accent was quite something, I have to say!

Overall, I learned a lot while watching as well. I like when movies are educational because it adds something extra to the entire experience. In addition to history and politics, the themes of race and police brutality were also brought to the forefront which I found to be very topical, especially with everything we have been experiencing in the world today. Sometimes it seems as if history is repeating itself and we can only hope to learn from our mistakes going forward.

I highly recommend The Trial of the Chicago 7 for anyone who wants to open their minds and immerse themselves into something new. I guarantee that you won’t be sorry!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Maybe I should stop watching movies because a celebrity I like is in it. It doesn’t usually end well. I wouldn’t have even known about Sightless if it weren’t for Madelaine Petsch posting about it on her social media. And we all know that because I am Riverdale trash, she is my favorite and I wanted to see her in a different role than Cheryl Blossom. Unfortunately, this was just not good. It left me with a lot of feelings in the end – the main one being confusion. I was hoping for so much more.

When Ellen Ashland (Madelaine Petsch) survives an attack that leaves her blind, she decides to go away for awhile to recover. Under the care of Clayton (Alexander Koch), a man who her brother has hired to check in on her daily, Ellen’s paranoia begins to spark. Soon enough, she struggles to find the line between reality and fabrication and truly believes that her attacker is back. The only problem? Nobody believes her.

I actually liked the idea of this a lot. It seemed interesting and had the potential to be really cool. I love thrillers, but this one fell short and didn’t grab my attention at all. It was incredibly predictable and the way it ended left a lot to be desired. I just kind of sat there and thought to myself that’s it?

The acting wasn’t that great either. Aside from Madelaine who I believe has quite the career ahead of her, everyone else seemed like they were trying too hard. I didn’t think there was any chemistry between the characters and the villain wasn’t menacing in the slightest. I was pretty annoyed with everyone by the time the credits started rolling to be honest.

I wish I had more to say about Sightless but I really don’t. It took me some time after seeing it to process everything because it was just so strange and not in a good way. In fact, I don’t even feel like I should recommend this to anyone. It isn’t worth it.

Rating: ♥.5

I will pretty much watch anything that Ryan Murphy touches and so The Boys in the Band seemed like something I would love. I mean, the cast is totally stacked and it takes place in New York City. What more could I want from a movie? I’m sorry to say that this one just didn’t cut it for me. Maybe I didn’t watch it at the right time or maybe I was too distracted – I wasn’t a fan at the end of the day.

The story takes place in 1968. Seven gay friends get together to celebrate a birthday. When an unexpected guest stops by, an otherwise tame and harmless evening is turned completely upside down. The group decide to play a game in which they must call their true love, whether past or present, to profess their feelings. Going forward, to say that nothing turns out as expected is an understatement.

As I already mentioned, the cast members were the saving grace throughout. I probably would have turned the whole thing off otherwise. Zachary Quinto, Jim Parsons, Matt Bomer, Brain Hutchinson, Michael Benjamin Washing and Tuc Watkins are the men who not only kept this movie going with their impressive acting chops and electric chemistry, but they made the film worth watching. I love how Ryan Murphy was able to get them all to come back after they starred together in the stage production of the same name.

Another thing that I appreciated was how it really did feel like I was watching a play. The way the story was staged and how the entire movie only took place in one location was perfectly executed. Sometimes I forgot I wasn’t watching this in a packed audience.

Unfortunately, I found the actual story itself to be a bit boring. It felt like nothing really started happening until the second half of the film by which point it was too little too late. In addition, up until that point, I didn’t even get the impression that these friends even liked each other and couldn’t understand why they were celebrating such a special day. They were bitching and bickering the entire time!

I do think that The Boys in the Band is still worth checking out if only for the performances. I don’t think I’ve seen acting like that in a long time to be honest and I mean that in the best possible way. I just didn’t vibe with it personally.

Rating: ♥♥♥

If you know me at all, then you are probably aware that I love everything and anything having to do with Sherlock Holmes. My father grew me up on the stories which meant they were imprinted in my brain at a very young age. So, you can probably imagine how stoked I was when I heard Netflix was doing a movie about Sherlock and Mycroft’s little sister Enola. I knew I had to see it immediately and I am happy to report that it did not disappoint.

For as long as she can remember, it was always Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) and her mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter) against the world. Learning everything imaginable from the woman who gave her life, Enola can’t think of things ever being any other way. When Eudoria goes missing, Enola knows that something is wrong. It’s not like her mother to just get up and leave without telling anyone where she was going. And so Enola sets off on a journey to find her and get some answers.

Having to dodge her two brothers (played by Henry Cavill and Sam Claflin respectively), one of which wants to ship her off to finishing school, the other actually believes that she is onto something. But Enola doesn’t want to take any chances. As she goes on her travels, she is swept up in a dangerous conspiracy involving a young lord by the name of Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) that she must tend to as well.

Millie Bobby Brown was phenomenal in this. It was like the role of young Enola Holmes was made for her. I loved the energy she brought and found her very relatable for a girl of only sixteen. In fact, the whole cast were amazing. The only gripe I have is that Henry Cavill’s Sherlock lacked passion and was rather dull. I’ve never been a huge fan of him in general though so I’m sure that doesn’t help matters.

The story itself was interesting and had many twists and turns along the way. I enjoyed the entwined cases and thought they complimented each other well. I have to admit that there was a bit of a dip about halfway through, but things definitely picked back up again.

Overall, Enola Holmes is a super fun movie that makes you forget about everything else if only for a couple of hours. It put the biggest smile on my face that lasted days later. And if the rumors are true that there will be a series of four more movies, I am so here for it.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

There was so much build up to Mulan’s release, especially considering it was supposed to come out in March and ended up being pushed back numerous times due to the pandemic. If you ask me, Disney should have just released it straight away instead of waiting. This is why I believe the reboot was just not good. It pains me to say that I really did not like it because the story was so well known and groundbreaking for it’s time, but there was too much here that didn’t work.

We all know the story. A young Chinese maiden named Mulan (Yifei Liu) has always been different from what society says a woman is supposed to be. When her father is called forward to serve in the war, Mulan can’t allow that to happen for he is too old and will surely die in battle. So she decides to disguise herself as a man to take his place.

Having a female warrior front and center was so unheard of when the animated feature film came out in 1998. Mulan was bad ass and seemingly fearless. That aspect still holds true in this new version and it’s wonderful that little girls have a strong female role model, but there was something missing from Liu’s portrayal. I don’t think that she did the role justice and felt that outside of the fighting scenes, there was no emotion or energy.

The only other thing I liked was the cinematography. Many of the views depicted were breathtaking and at times it really felt like I was actually there instead of just watching something on a screen. Disney has always been good at making their audience feel like part of the story and they did this one right.

Unfortunately nothing else worked. Too much was changed from the original and I couldn’t handle it. Mulan is known for classic songs like Reflection and I’ll Make A Man Out Of You, but none of these numbers were featured. The songs were scrapped all together which was a major mistake. Sure they had instrumental versions, but it wasn’t the same at all.

The story was completely changed as well. I understand wanting to take a more modern approach, but it wasn’t done properly at all. With these changes meant getting rid of the romantic lead, Mulan’s hilarious grandmother and the best ever sidekick in Mushu. In fact, because these characters were taken out, all the humor from the animated film was gone, taking the magic with it.

Overall, Mulan was a disappointment. Maybe I had high expectations, but wouldn’t you have had too? Don’t waste your thirty dollars on this.

Rating: ♥♥

Thanks to the Toronto Film Festival, I was able to preview Shadow in the Cloud. If I’m being honest, I probably wouldn’t have looked twice at it otherwise. And I have to say that the movie puzzled me. It was unlike anything I have ever watched before. My initial thoughts were that I didn’t enjoy it very much at all, but as I let what I just saw sink in, it dawned on me that it was actually quite good. I think I didn’t like it straight away because I was put out of my comfort zone though that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The story follows a World War II pilot named Maude Garret (Chloe Grace Moretz) who infiltrates a B-17 Flying Fortress for a mission. Whatever happens to her, she must guard the top secret documents that she has brought along on board. But Garrett soon realises that this is not going to be as easy as she expected. The rest of the crew aren’t trustworthy and on top of that, she encounters an evil presence that threatens to ruin everything she has worked so hard for.

Let me start with the positives. Chloe Grace Moretz led this movie amazingly. A lot of the scenes focused solely on her and I was very impressed with the direction in which she took her character. During the war, there weren’t many women in high rankings of power and if there were, it is rare that they were heard of. So seeing such an established and bad ass lady pilot who didn’t take shit from anybody was pretty fucking cool.

Something else I enjoyed was how this was filmed. While the dark greens and reds did tire me out, the fact that Chloe was trapped in such a small space throughout was unlike anything I had seen before and it really added an extra oomph to atmosphere. Similarly, the special effects were well executed and made me feel like I was there.

I also need to give props to the fact that this was directed by a woman. Having a woman’s touch and knowing how closely Roseanne Liang worked with her lead star really did allow for that girl power to shine through.

There were, however, some aspects I couldn’t wrap my head around no matter how hard I tried. First of all, the genre for this one is horror and that is something that I normally stay far away from. Luckily the supernatural nature wasn’t too bad for me to sit through in the end, but I did feel like it was out of place in the rest of the story. I understand that people believed in monsters during this time period, but I don’t think it really added anything.

If you are in the mood for something totally bonkers and outside of your comfort zone, then this is the movie for you. Allow yourself to be open minded for a change!

Rating: ♥♥♥

I really didn’t know anything about The Broken Hearts Gallery until very recently and even then I wasn’t sure what to make of it. But as we all know already, I am a big fan of romantic comedies so I knew I was going to watch it eventually. And guys…I was blown away. It was so unlike anything I was expecting in the best way possible. Even my husband liked it and that says everything.

Lucy (Geraldine Viswanathan) is no stranger to falling in love. Having dated multiple men throughout her life, she has also gotten used to the inevitable heart break that is sure to follow after a relationship ends. She seems to have found a pretty good way to move on though; taking a trinket from each beau so that she never forgets them. When her latest boyfriend Max (Utkarsh Ambudkar) unexpectedly ends things and she gets fired from her job all in the same evening, Lucy is devastated.

Thinking everything is all doom and gloom, her best friends Amanda (Molly Gordon) and Nadine (Philippa Soo) do what they can to help Lucy get back up on her feet. And then she comes up with a brilliant idea – Lucy will start her own Broken Hearts gallery where she and others can donate their past relationship memorabilia in hopes it will help them, and her, move on.

Nick’s (Dacre Montgomery) passion for the past few years has been building a boutique hotel. As his funds run out and he has to start letting his team go, he feels like he’s hit a wall. When a chance encounter throws Nick and Lucy together, Lucy knows that The Chloe is the perfect spot for the gallery to be located. Nick isn’t one for a soppy romance story, but he knows the extra exposure will help get his project up and running again.

Spending all their time together, Lucy and Nick learn a lot about each other, as well as themselves, but mainly that it’s okay to leave the past behind them.

First of all, this film was so freaking funny. The jokes were on point and I never got tired of them. It was exactly the type of humor one would expect for the story too and even though some of the jokes were crude, it still worked.

I also loved the cast. There were some familiar faces amongst the side characters such as Bernadette Peters who plays Lucy’s boss Eva, Philippa Soo of Hamilton fame and Utkarsh Ambudkar from Pitch Perfect. Stranger Things fans will recognise Dacre Montgomery who got his claim to fame as Billy on the hit show. It was refreshing to see him in something new and more contemporary. However, Geraldine Viswanathan was the breakout of them all. Her portrayal of Lucy was so organic and invigorating. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what she does next because I’m sure it will be great.

Additionally, the soundtrack was superb and the fact that the movie was partially filmed in Toronto was cool. It’s fun trying to see how much of my city I can notice upon first glance! Plus, if you are a Selena Gomez fan, you’ll be happy to know that she was one of the producers.

Overall, this was brilliant and a big mood booster. It’s the perfect pick me up if you’re feeling down and is super relatable too. I highly recommend it for a good time.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Unpregnant is officially one of my new all time favorites. Everything about it was exactly what I need in a movie. It’s funny, it’s topical, it’s relatable and there are friendship goals like I have never seen before. Sometimes a movie just clicks for a person. This was mine.

When Veronica (Haley Lu Richardson) discovers that she is pregnant, she freaks out. Having a baby at seventeen is not something she ever saw for herself. Despite her overeager boyfriend being totally okay with the news, if Veronica’s parents ever found out, they’d be so disappointed. The only thing she can do is get an abortion. The problem is that the closest clinic that will preform the procedure without parental consent is in Albuquerque. Luckily Veronica has some savings, but she is missing means of transportation.

Enter Bailey (Barbie Ferreira). Veronica and Bailey used to be best friends, but they drifted apart in middle school. Bailey happened to be in the very restroom when Veronica was taking the test and so there was no hiding the truth. Plus, she had a car.

So the two former friends set off on a fourteen hour journey. Many obstacles are thrown their way and nothing goes the way that either planned. Soon they are reminded of why they were so close to begin with and where they went wrong in the past.

I laughed out loud so many times during this movie. It was that funny. The chemistry between Haley Lu and Barbie was off the charts. I want a friendship like theirs. They are truly each others’ ride or dies and it radiated from the screen.

Ultimately though, I loved how the story really went above and beyond to push the envelope when it comes to abortion. Abortion is a taboo subject you are either in favour for or not. Regardless, it is something that makes people uncomfortable to talk about. I believe that this was a realistic depiction of teen pregnancy and one of the outcomes that can come from it. Veronica knew that she was in no way prepared to become a mother and so she made the best decision she could, not only for herself, but for her unborn baby too. Grappling with her decision, especially considering her strict Christian upbringing, Veronica sticks to her guns and doesn’t let anybody get in her way. I found that to be so inspiring.

I truly think that everyone should watch Unpregnant. It taught me more about a difficult topic and has paved the way for conversations to come.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥.5

The critics totally panned this and I couldn’t understand why. I know superhero movies can be hit or miss, but to say that The New Mutants is one of the worst movies ever isn’t exactly fair. I was interested in seeing it from the get go because it’s a new generation of X-Men. I definitely don’t think it deserves the hate that it has received, though it certainly wasn’t perfect by any means either.

Dani Moonstar (Blu Hunt) loses her family and her home in a freak accident. Finding herself in an institution after the horrific events of that night, she discovers that she is a mutant with special abilities. The only problem is that Dani doesn’t know what they are yet. Here, she comes into contact with four other mutants: Rahne (Maisie Williams), Illyana (Anya Taylor-Joy), Sam (Charlie Heaton) and Roberto (Henry Zaga). Together they are learning how their powers work under the help and supervision of Dr. Reyes (Alice Braga).

But as the days pass, Dani begins to realize that everything she has been told isn’t at all what is seems. Suddenly she is forced to question who she can and cannot trust in order to save herself.

There were some good points to this movie. I loved how there was diversity in the cast. Having a Native Indian young lady as the lead was very new and refreshing. Additionally, having a Latino male as another main character was equally exciting. I also felt that the teens in question worked well off of each other whether it was in their blooming friendships, their rivalry or their romantic relationships. I liked how there was some exploration of a LGBTQ couple and hope that in a potential sequel this will be expanded upon more.

I also enjoyed the special effects. They didn’t look too tacky or artificial which was more realistic. Similarly, the horror sub-genre wasn’t too hard for me to sit through. I usually stay away from scary movies, and despite me jumping a couple times here and there, I was entertained the whole way through.

In regards to what I didn’t like: the story was predictable at times and I felt like the big ending showdown was anti-climatic. The events transpired too quickly and the story could have been fleshed out a bit more. I also wasn’t convinced by some of the acting. Some lines were corny and I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes.

Overall, everyone should cut The New Mutants a break. If you like Marvel, X-Men, or superheroes, then you should definitely give this a chance. It really wasn’t as bad as everyone was making it out to be.

Rating: ♥♥♥