VanessaKirby – Credits Rolling

With its third outing this year alone, Marvel is officially kicking off Phase 6 with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), the first Marvel family, returned from a space mission with superhuman powers. Now they about to face their biggest test yet when a god named Galactus (Ralph Ineson) threatens more than just Earth.

There have been a couple iterations of Fantastic Four before. I’ve not seen them, but I heard that they left a lot to be desired. Since I cannot make a comparison, I am only able to go off this one. Overall there was much to like. However I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing.

Casting always has a huge impact and this time around was no exception. The core four perfectly embodied their characters. Not only that, they really did feel like a family. The simple scenes of them at the dinner table or when they discovered that Sue was pregnant really helped ground them and made them more authentic. I also appreciated how we didn’t have a full on backstory and instead were brought up to speed in a way that felt fresh.

The look and feel of the film was such a vibe. Set in the future, but with a sixties flair, it definitely set itself apart from other installments we have seen. From the color palette and fashion, to the robot sidekick and the flying car, I felt like I was watching an episode of The Jetsons.

Unfortunately the pacing seems off to me. Some scenes felt disjointed and this resulted in some slower moments that took me out of the story. I also wasn’t particularly sold on the villains. Galactus was threatening enough though I felt like he just came out of nowhere all of a sudden. Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), on the other hand, had more promise, but again we weren’t given too much information about her until almost the end of the film.

Overall, The Fantastic Four: First Steps was a solid entry for the MCU. I’m glad that they seem to be finding their footing once again. Something was just missing for me and I’m not entirely sure what. Maybe my expectations were too high. I did enjoy it, but I didn’t love it like I was hoping to.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

My first review of the new year and I feel like I chose the right movie to kick things off! Pieces of a Woman has been getting a lot of praise since its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival back in September. Despite the heavier nature, I was curious to see what all the fuss was about. I am pleased to say that it really did live up to the hype.

Martha (Vanessa Kirby) and Sean (Shia LaBeouf) are expecting their first child. They couldn’t be more excited and have been waiting for this day for ages. Unfortunately, during the home birth, complications arise and it all ends in an unthinkable tragedy.

What follows is a year of Martha attempting to deal with the aftermath of her loss. Not only will her relationships change, but she must learn how to live with what happened to her so that she can move on.

Though the story was hard to watch at times, I do think it was eye opening. The first half hour alone was heartbreaking and I was holding my breath throughout. I hadn’t seen anything like it before! The performance by Vanessa Kirby was outstanding. I understand why so many are saying that she’ll be nominated for all the awards.

Similarly, Shia LaBeouf as Sean was a pleasant surprise. It had been awhile since I had seen him act in anything, but I do think that he is talented. The side characters including Martha’s mother Elizabeth (Ellen Burstyn), her sister Anita (Iliza Shlesinger), brother in law Chris (Benny Safdie) and cousin Suzanne (Sarah Snook) only helped enrich the story. And who could forget the midwife Eva (Molly Parker) who tried her best to save the baby’s life?

Pieces of a Woman is a raw story of loss, but it is also about finding yourself in the wake of it. I highly recommend the movie!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥