This is one of those rare times the stars align for us to experience an oeuvre of immense depth. Absolutely shattering. Connell and Marianne are extremely endearing characters, the realism of which transpire from Paul Mescal's and Daisy Edgar-Jones's every look, every move, every word. Their conversations convey certain emotions that cannot be reduced to the words uttered. The soundtrack is heartbreaking - keep your Shazam handy. This is a standard story that could have made a very average show or movie. Yet experiencing Normal People has been nothing short of extraordinary. It has taken me back to the vulnerability of the first love. The unconditional one that made us and then broke us. The one we have since either longed for or avoided at all cost.
Reviews
9 Reviews
Blue Jay
(I) (2016)
Beautiful overall
8 October 2023
The movie is inherently nostalgic and melancholic. It is beautiful nonetheless. A perfect illustration of the fact that there are no closures because nothing is ever really over.
The movie is heartfelt, and you can tell it's the product of Mark Duplass's personal experience, of what happened or maybe of what he wished had happened.
I will say, however, that the reasons why this movie is not on par with, say, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind, are twofold.
The first is the dialogues. Most of the time they are okay, but probably a bit lacking in depth or ingenuity.
The other is Marks Duplass's personal performance. It was not terrible but I feel like someone else could have done the job better. Something about him is not entirely convincing. My issue with his personae is somehow the same issue I had with the dialogues: it's in this grey area between the unsaid and the said too much.
Overall, this is a good movie, and you should watch it. It will make you think, and, perhaps more importantly, it will make you feel.
The movie is heartfelt, and you can tell it's the product of Mark Duplass's personal experience, of what happened or maybe of what he wished had happened.
I will say, however, that the reasons why this movie is not on par with, say, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind, are twofold.
The first is the dialogues. Most of the time they are okay, but probably a bit lacking in depth or ingenuity.
The other is Marks Duplass's personal performance. It was not terrible but I feel like someone else could have done the job better. Something about him is not entirely convincing. My issue with his personae is somehow the same issue I had with the dialogues: it's in this grey area between the unsaid and the said too much.
Overall, this is a good movie, and you should watch it. It will make you think, and, perhaps more importantly, it will make you feel.
Asteroid City
(2023)
Disappointed to say that it's disappointing
16 June 2023
I live in Paris and I accidentally ran into Wes Anderson on my way back from the office a few months ago. I am a devoted fan to the extent that I completely froze and could not utter a single word to him; I simply stood there, smiling at him stupidly.
You get the picture (pun unintended): I had been awaiting this movie for so long. Like many other fans, watching a good Wes Anderson movie feels like an out-of-body experience. For a couple of hours, you are not the person you are, you do not lead the normal life you lead. Instead, you're in the Wes Anderson Universe.
While most people consider the visual aspect of Wes Anderson's movie as the most quintessential, I consider that the general feeling his movies will leave you in is his most important trademark. The fans of The Royal Tenenbaums, Darjeeling Limited and Life Aquatic will know all too well what I am talking about. The movies are just so heartwarming; hardships, loss and betrayal happen, but people ultimately find a way to their loved ones. Even if it's not perfect. It's like real life, but better.
Alas, Wes Anderson did not deliver on this front with Asteroid City. Just as he did not with the French Dispatch. The movie is visually stunning, but I just expect something else from Wes Anderson. To take me away for one hour and forty-five minutes. That did not happen. The characters are not endearing; the soundtrack is subpar; and the storyline is mildly entertaining.
Maybe we rely too heavily on Wes. Maybe that is a responsibility he should not have to bear. Hopefully, I will run into him again. Only this time I will be able to strike a conversation and show him my "Accidentally Wes Anderson" photo collection.
You get the picture (pun unintended): I had been awaiting this movie for so long. Like many other fans, watching a good Wes Anderson movie feels like an out-of-body experience. For a couple of hours, you are not the person you are, you do not lead the normal life you lead. Instead, you're in the Wes Anderson Universe.
While most people consider the visual aspect of Wes Anderson's movie as the most quintessential, I consider that the general feeling his movies will leave you in is his most important trademark. The fans of The Royal Tenenbaums, Darjeeling Limited and Life Aquatic will know all too well what I am talking about. The movies are just so heartwarming; hardships, loss and betrayal happen, but people ultimately find a way to their loved ones. Even if it's not perfect. It's like real life, but better.
Alas, Wes Anderson did not deliver on this front with Asteroid City. Just as he did not with the French Dispatch. The movie is visually stunning, but I just expect something else from Wes Anderson. To take me away for one hour and forty-five minutes. That did not happen. The characters are not endearing; the soundtrack is subpar; and the storyline is mildly entertaining.
Maybe we rely too heavily on Wes. Maybe that is a responsibility he should not have to bear. Hopefully, I will run into him again. Only this time I will be able to strike a conversation and show him my "Accidentally Wes Anderson" photo collection.
All Your Faces
(2023)
Touching. Worth the watch.
4 June 2023
Je verrai toujours vos visages is part of a recent wave of French cinema that sheds light on the public institutions' efforts to heal woes in society and help the vulnerable. Basically, the "Fraternité" in the French Republic motto "Liberté - Egalité - Fraternité."
So, if you have enjoyed watching Hors Normes, or Pupille, this movie should be a positive experience for you.
You may have read the plot. You may be concerned that the movie is too emotionally heavy. That life is already painful and you are not in the mood for a movie tackling an issue so serious. Rest assured: the movie is not all suffering. Go for it. You will learn something or two, including the value of compassion.
One element of disappointment for me is the packaging of the stories together into a movie. The movie switches between two different stories, and I was personally not convinced that there is any real synergy between them. It feels like each story was not enough for one movie, so they glued the two together. Or that the creators were keen on showing different missions undertaken by the Restorative Justice system. Likewise, the movie delves randomly and somewhat superficially at the personal lives of the public agents. We get sneak peaks every now and then that we could have done without. Too much and at the same time not enough.
In short, good story but the salt and pepper of the movie could have been better seasoned.
So, if you have enjoyed watching Hors Normes, or Pupille, this movie should be a positive experience for you.
You may have read the plot. You may be concerned that the movie is too emotionally heavy. That life is already painful and you are not in the mood for a movie tackling an issue so serious. Rest assured: the movie is not all suffering. Go for it. You will learn something or two, including the value of compassion.
One element of disappointment for me is the packaging of the stories together into a movie. The movie switches between two different stories, and I was personally not convinced that there is any real synergy between them. It feels like each story was not enough for one movie, so they glued the two together. Or that the creators were keen on showing different missions undertaken by the Restorative Justice system. Likewise, the movie delves randomly and somewhat superficially at the personal lives of the public agents. We get sneak peaks every now and then that we could have done without. Too much and at the same time not enough.
In short, good story but the salt and pepper of the movie could have been better seasoned.
Babylon
(I) (2022)
Homage to Hollywood, Homage to Life
22 January 2023
Shame this movie is not nominated for the Academy Award's Best Picture.
And for good reason. The movie is admittedly incredible. On all fronts.
Beautiful esthetically, albeit in a chaotic fashion. Basically Wes Anderson's nightmare, if you will.
3 hours and 8 minutes long, but not once have I peeked at my phone. The movie is just magnificently entertaining.
Babylon is breaking rules and it does not care: Margot Robbie is dressed anachronistically - Brad Pitt is not speaking like it's the 20s. But this is precisely how Damien Chazelle avoids the cliché trap.
But cinematography aside, the movie is profound, meaningful and thought-provoking. This is what sets it apart from, say Academy Award winning The Artist. Babylon - as the name suggests - speaks of rise and fall. Love and loss. In short, it speaks of Life, fleeting as it is. The Big Picture, literally and figuratively.
And for good reason. The movie is admittedly incredible. On all fronts.
Beautiful esthetically, albeit in a chaotic fashion. Basically Wes Anderson's nightmare, if you will.
3 hours and 8 minutes long, but not once have I peeked at my phone. The movie is just magnificently entertaining.
Babylon is breaking rules and it does not care: Margot Robbie is dressed anachronistically - Brad Pitt is not speaking like it's the 20s. But this is precisely how Damien Chazelle avoids the cliché trap.
But cinematography aside, the movie is profound, meaningful and thought-provoking. This is what sets it apart from, say Academy Award winning The Artist. Babylon - as the name suggests - speaks of rise and fall. Love and loss. In short, it speaks of Life, fleeting as it is. The Big Picture, literally and figuratively.
Mid90s
(2018)
Hymn to boyhood
17 December 2022
You know how they say that certain smells or tastes can bring back memories buried so deep that we had no idea they were even there?
I experienced that watching this movie, and if you were a typical nice 90's kid with a somewhat rebellious adolescence, chances are you will too. Saying that the movie is relatable does not do it justice. Jonah Hill manages to capture and release a certain essence of the 90's teenage life, and I am still not exactly sure how.
Watching this movie, one can feel himself dig in to find that little fun and reckless boy that we buried deep beneath layers and layers of social constructs.
This is a great picture. Quite frankly, I am surprised it did not get more attention. You can tell everything about it was heartfelt and draws from Jonah Hill's own boyhood. Speaking of which, did you know that the word boyhood does not exist in French?
I experienced that watching this movie, and if you were a typical nice 90's kid with a somewhat rebellious adolescence, chances are you will too. Saying that the movie is relatable does not do it justice. Jonah Hill manages to capture and release a certain essence of the 90's teenage life, and I am still not exactly sure how.
Watching this movie, one can feel himself dig in to find that little fun and reckless boy that we buried deep beneath layers and layers of social constructs.
This is a great picture. Quite frankly, I am surprised it did not get more attention. You can tell everything about it was heartfelt and draws from Jonah Hill's own boyhood. Speaking of which, did you know that the word boyhood does not exist in French?
Rather disappointing adaptation of a grand novel
31 October 2022
This recent Netflix production is an adaptation of German Erich Maria Remarque's notorious novel that goes by the same name.
I had been patiently waiting for its release and watched it on the first hours it became available.
Unfortunately, Netflix's adaptation is rather bland, especially for the viewers who would have read the novel. The movie is unable to capture the depths of the Erich Maria Remarque's piece.
Instead, the picture relies on the typical war movie baggage, with an overly obvious inspiration from Saving Private Ryan. Several scenes seem to have been "copy pasted" from Spielberg's masterpiece.
If you are looking for a powerful movie depicting the horrors of WWI, I would recommend Sam Mendes' 1917, which was released in 2019.
Lastly, whether or not you are an avid reader, you should give Erich Maria Remarque's novel (which is quite short) a try before hitting the thumbs down button on this review.
I had been patiently waiting for its release and watched it on the first hours it became available.
Unfortunately, Netflix's adaptation is rather bland, especially for the viewers who would have read the novel. The movie is unable to capture the depths of the Erich Maria Remarque's piece.
Instead, the picture relies on the typical war movie baggage, with an overly obvious inspiration from Saving Private Ryan. Several scenes seem to have been "copy pasted" from Spielberg's masterpiece.
If you are looking for a powerful movie depicting the horrors of WWI, I would recommend Sam Mendes' 1917, which was released in 2019.
Lastly, whether or not you are an avid reader, you should give Erich Maria Remarque's novel (which is quite short) a try before hitting the thumbs down button on this review.
Cairo Conspiracy
(2022)
Poignant topic, poor execution
30 October 2022
Tarik Saleh put his hand on a timeless aspect of Egyptian politics: the power interplay between the political leaders (the military) and the religious figures (Al Azhar). Never has this sensitive issue been addressed before. Which is ironically the very reason why this movie fails.
The reason why this issue was not addressed by Egyptian cinema (or "Hollywood-sur-Nil" as some used to call it back in its glamorous days) is simple: censorship. Egyptian moviemakers and actors would not be allowed to talk about this taboo. Indeed, this movie will not be played in Egyptian cinemas.
The direct consequence is that only foreign moviemakers can get away with making a movie that tackles this sensitive issue. And this is where things go wrong.
The movie - understandably - fails to capture any Egyptian essence. Dialogues are unnatural. Characters and attitudes are artificial. Add to this the fact that the cast is virtually Egyptian-free (for the reasons described above). They are therefore incapable of smoothing the dialogues into something that feels more natural.
While Tarik Saleh is from Egyptian descent, it is obvious from this movie that his relation to Egypt is, alas, too tenuous to make a movie that delves so deep into Egyptian social, political and religious realities.
Nevertheless, I am aware that my issue with this movie will only be shared by the Egyptian public. Therefore, to the extent that Tarik Saleh considers Boy from Heaven to be a a picture about Egypt by foreign filmmakers to foreign viewers, I would cut him some slack.
Still, the movie is riddled with espionnage clichés. Whichever you can think of, you will find in Boy from Heaven. Egyptian classical music is played at unlikely places. Scene transitions are often abrupt, evidencing issues with the montage.
More than once, the movie did feel like an average film school student's graduation project.
The reason why this issue was not addressed by Egyptian cinema (or "Hollywood-sur-Nil" as some used to call it back in its glamorous days) is simple: censorship. Egyptian moviemakers and actors would not be allowed to talk about this taboo. Indeed, this movie will not be played in Egyptian cinemas.
The direct consequence is that only foreign moviemakers can get away with making a movie that tackles this sensitive issue. And this is where things go wrong.
The movie - understandably - fails to capture any Egyptian essence. Dialogues are unnatural. Characters and attitudes are artificial. Add to this the fact that the cast is virtually Egyptian-free (for the reasons described above). They are therefore incapable of smoothing the dialogues into something that feels more natural.
While Tarik Saleh is from Egyptian descent, it is obvious from this movie that his relation to Egypt is, alas, too tenuous to make a movie that delves so deep into Egyptian social, political and religious realities.
Nevertheless, I am aware that my issue with this movie will only be shared by the Egyptian public. Therefore, to the extent that Tarik Saleh considers Boy from Heaven to be a a picture about Egypt by foreign filmmakers to foreign viewers, I would cut him some slack.
Still, the movie is riddled with espionnage clichés. Whichever you can think of, you will find in Boy from Heaven. Egyptian classical music is played at unlikely places. Scene transitions are often abrupt, evidencing issues with the montage.
More than once, the movie did feel like an average film school student's graduation project.
This may not be the best movie ever made, but it is my favorite
2 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
It is still a mystery to me how Kaufman was able to capture and communicate emotions at such an unbelievable depth using basic ingredients: a camera, actors, a script and a soundtrack. Although not everything this movie has to say is said out loud - or even implied.
Without the slightest hint of kitsch, Eternal Sunshine speaks to us 'bygoers' going by. No purpose or place. Waiting, hoping that something, someone, would come along one day and make it all worthwhile, at last. Lonely. Lost. No particular trauma. Just quiet sadness and unfulfillment.
It has been widely debated whether Eternal Sunshine is a happy or sad movie. Our answer will surely depend on the circumstances in which we experience it. One thing is certain: it is bittersweet.
Eternal Sunshine is not a promise that love and happiness will come. Nor that our life will magically be sweeter and more enjoyable the day we find it. It seems to me that it does, however, suggest that love shall embark those who dare on a thrilling journey, which would make them experience happiness in a way that they never have before, while also causing them unprecedented suffering.
Ultimately, it is up to each of us to make the call: are those moments of bliss worth the pain that inevitably comes along? "The sweet is never as sweet without the sour."
I do think that Joel and Clem said yes. And I wish for myself and for you to do the same.
Without the slightest hint of kitsch, Eternal Sunshine speaks to us 'bygoers' going by. No purpose or place. Waiting, hoping that something, someone, would come along one day and make it all worthwhile, at last. Lonely. Lost. No particular trauma. Just quiet sadness and unfulfillment.
It has been widely debated whether Eternal Sunshine is a happy or sad movie. Our answer will surely depend on the circumstances in which we experience it. One thing is certain: it is bittersweet.
Eternal Sunshine is not a promise that love and happiness will come. Nor that our life will magically be sweeter and more enjoyable the day we find it. It seems to me that it does, however, suggest that love shall embark those who dare on a thrilling journey, which would make them experience happiness in a way that they never have before, while also causing them unprecedented suffering.
Ultimately, it is up to each of us to make the call: are those moments of bliss worth the pain that inevitably comes along? "The sweet is never as sweet without the sour."
I do think that Joel and Clem said yes. And I wish for myself and for you to do the same.
Tell Your Friends