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cassini7
Reviews
Sayen (2023)
Visually beautiful; action movie tropes differently presented
The film is a visual treat. I did not know Chile was so beautiful. The story has some of the usual tropes of the underdog fighting the system, but it's presented differently. The protagonist is a strong tribal woman; not once does the movie somehow contrive to get her to take off her clothes to give fan service. She stays in character throughout as an intense yet sensitive woman bent on gaining justice for herself and her people.
The cast is fairly small, but does the job well. For me (who has never been to South America or the Western Hemisphere), it was interesting to see the tribal celebrations and the very colourful people and culture.
The screenplay could be slightly more polished, or maybe it makes some assumptions about cultural knowledge. But it was still a good action movie with a different kind of protagonist.
If it were a regular Hollywood movie, I would give it something like 7.5 stars. But the visual beauty and exposure to a new culture and film industry adds a little more novelty to it for me.
Immortal Egypt (2016)
Fascinating
Found this a riveting series. The presenter is engaging and knowledgeable, and along with great camerawork and sound, brings the subject to life. Like most people, I had a vague idea of ancient Egypt, of Pyramids, mummies and Pharaohs, but realized after watching this how rich and nuanced the 3000+ year historical span is, with multiple invasions, reconstructions, and assimilations. Highly recommended.
(In response to another comment: Professor Fletcher is dressed to look appropriate in the local culture, you can see that other female researchers she meets are similarly fully covered.)