msbecca00 Reviews

Stormskerry Maja (2024)

Moving story and beautiful film

[10/10 · 21 January 2024]

I have seen the tv-series from the 70's when I was little, so I was familiar with the story but I don't remember enough to be able to compare it to the film.

Therefore I went to the cinema with fairly fresh eyes and an open mind. And I was not disappointed! Amanda Jansson does a beautiful portrayal of Maja. She's raw, free, strong and Jansson's talent truly shines through in her interpretation of Maja. Jansson is the heart of this beautiful movie.

The love story is gripping and even though the run time of this movie is quite long at almost 3 hours, I kept my eyes glued to the screen at the beautiful scenery from the Åland islands and the captivating story. It's simply charming and I was very moved by this film. It paints a gripping picture of the harshness of life in the archipelago in the 1800's, letting us follow the lovable Maja, her husband Janne and their family.

The story and editing was a bit choppy in the beginning but once Maja and Janne start their life together, the movie finds its pace. I was moved to tears at multiple parts of the film and I almost didn't want it to end. Looking forward to rewatching it soon.

Barbie (I) (2023)

Not as clever as it thinks it is

[6/10 · 30 July 2023]

I went into the film having high expectations, the marketing for Barbie has been really effective, I have to give them that. I had also heard good things about the movie from friends and co-workers. So I went to the cinema with my friend, dressed in pink.

I was expecting a funny, girly movie with some clever commentary on patriarchy and existentialism. Instead, I found it to be campy and over the top. Campy can be fun, and there were one or two chuckle-worthy moments. But I wouldn't describe it as a funny comedy. Maybe it's because we're from Northern Europe, but the audience certainly wasn't laughing at many moments. I recall Ryan Gosling causing a few chuckles here and there though, he's got great comedic timing.

The social commentary wasn't very subtle, the message was overly clear. It was so exaggerated that I found myself cringing at the lines and scenes. It could've been done much more elegantly, but it's clear that they didn't have high expectations of their audiences' intelligence.

But there were some highlights too, of course: Barbieland looked amazing and I loved the costume design. Ryan Gosling was lovable and funny, even as a loser Ken. Margot Robbie was convincing as Barbie. The music fit well.

Lastly, I wish I had gone into the movie without any expectations. I probably would've enjoyed it more then. It was relatively entertaining but I don't think that I'll be rewatching it. As a feminist I was disappointed in how on the nose the social commentary was. It could've been done with so much more grace and respect for the audience's intelligence. I also didn't like the way the dialogue was written over all, it was very "wannabe-intellectual" which I didn't find to be very funny at all. Maybe it's just the American humor that doesn't suit me.

Baby (2018–2020)

Interesting watch but it has its flaws

[7/10 · 13 December 2018]

I was intrigued by Baby at first. The fact that it was based on a true story was what drew me to it. Also because I'm learning Italian and was pleasantly surprised when it popped up on Netflix. Now, I'll start with the positives. The storyline and plot is, like I said, intriguing. It reminds me a little bit of Élite. I liked the way it slowly unraveled. I've read some other reviews which critised it, but I'm European so I'm used to the kind of "slow" pace. I'm also a teenager so I like these kinds of silly teen dramas. Now, to the negatives. I didn't like Ludo, one of the main characters. I don't want to be mean but she really annoyed me. The actress who played her wasn't very good, compared to the other actors on the show. I also had a problem with the way it sort of glamourised prostitution. The characters barely doubted getting into it, and after their first "jobs" they were celebrating and encouraging each other. Next, one of the most annoying things in this series was how they used social media. I found it highly unrealistic and cringe-worthy. As a teen myself, I feel like no one my age actually uses social media the way that they did in the series? And lastly, even though I compared it to Élite, it's just not as good. I watched Élite before Baby, so I had high expectations for Baby. But it just wasn't as good. Maybe not as realistic? Not as touching? I can't really put my finger on it. However, if you like teen dramas then I do recommend this for you. But don't expect to get more than that.

The Hookup Plan (2018–2022)

Fun and entertaining!

[8/10 · 13 December 2018]

This was a fun, heartfelt and cute story about friendship, trust and unconventional love. One thing I appreciated was that the side characters weren't just empty shells, whose only purpose is for the main characters to have someone to rant to. No, they had their own smaller plots, with their own problems and quirks. Honestly, my biggest problems with it were the tropes and the clichés, but hey it's a rom-com series so what else can you expect? Also, the main character Elsa is a little bit annoying but it doesn't matter really because the writing, acting and storyline is very good. It kept me hooked all the way through! I'm not a person who binge-watches shows (because I have a very short attention span) but I finished Plan Coeur in 1 day! I definitely recommend it, it's a very cute, entertaining and fun show.

And Then There Were None (2015)

A truly amazing adaptation of the classic Christie novel

[9/10 · 10 December 2018]

With a talented cast, great directing and the amazing story by Agatha Christie, this is the perfect whodunit. It will keep you on the edge the entire time. The characters' back stories are an essential part and as you find out more about them, the plot thickens even more. The love and admiration I have for this mini series is hard to express, you just have to see it for yourselves. You will not be disappointed. The dramatic storyline will keep you interested the whole time and the actors' performances will blow you away.

Sierra Burgess Is a Loser (2018)

Very disappointing with a bad message

[5/10 · 10 December 2018]

For some reason I had quite high expectations for this movie. The hype around To All the Boys I've Loved Before definitely contributed to my excitement. TATBILB was a very cute and fun teenage rom-com, which is what I expected from Sierra Burgess as well. The fact that Noah Centineo from TATBILB was appearing made me expect a similar and well-made movie, but boy was I wrong. It started out alright, and I kept thinking that maybe it would get better eventually. It didn't. It just got progressively worse.

Firstly, it was filled with cringy and silly stereotypes. The mean girl is unrealistically petty, Sierra is so quirky and different because she's "ugly" (which she isn't!) and the jock is... well, a jock. But wow, he has a heart too!

Now, on to the worst part of the whole movie. The whole plot is centered around Sierra catfishing Jamey. It would be an interesting concept if the movie didn't glamourise it! The whole time Sierra is made out to be the victim, when she really is the villain in this movie. We're supposed to sympathise with her, but ultimately the viewer will end up supporting the former bully, Veronica, and the victim of Sierra's catfishing, Jamey. Sierra just isn't a good person which makes her a very unlikable character. I don't think that was the intention that the movie's creators had.

In the end, the ending isn't satisfying. It's very unrealistic and disappointing. The only reason this movie gets a 5 from me is because of the actors' performances, which I really liked. Nothing wrong there. The fault is in the writing.

Solsidan (2010– )

Swedish comedy at its finest

[9/10 · 9 December 2018]

In Solsidan we follow the lives of various characters living in the posh neighbourhood with the same name. We have the stereotypical rich people, Mickan and Fredde, the kooky weirdos Ove and Annette and the "hippies" Anna and Alex. Throughout the show we get to see the hilarious interactions the characters have with each other and other people. Alex is hilariously awkward and anxious, which constantly gets him into trouble. Together with his slightly hippie wife Anna they are the misfits in the fancy neighbourhood. Mickan, however, fits right in. She doesn't work, wears designer clothes and is obsessed with seeming perfect, especially in front of her "friends" who are constantly competing about who seems to have the most perfect life. Fredde is impulsive and obsessed with having all the newest gadgets. Ove is the annoying neighbour that you always try to avoid, but somehow always run into at the worst times. This mix of people, combined with the setting and the social commentary results in a great comedy series, appreciated all over Sweden. You don't have to be Swedish to get into it though, because it brings up topics and jokes that can be appreciated universally. A guaranteed laugh!

Twin Peaks (2017)

Sadly not Lynch's best work.

[6/10 · 9 December 2018]

Although I am a massive fan of David Lynch, this season of Twin Peaks (my favourite show of all time) did not sit well with me. I understand why fans love it, but I don't personally like it. I'm a big fan of the original 2 seasons. The characters are what made the show so incredible. I was immediately drawn into it after watching the pilot. I can recall each episode clearly. However, if you'd ask me to explain the third season, I don't know what I would answer with. It was even weirder than the first two seasons, and not in a good way. Don't get me wrong, I went into it with an open mind. I really tried to like it. But the weirdness that made the original Twin Peaks so charming and fun, didn't appear in season 3. Instead it was incredibly slow-paced, boring and odd. The focus shifted from the characters which resulted in them being very shallow. Diane was annoying, Wally was unnecessary and Dougie was so boring to watch. It was painful, and I found myself skipping forward a lot. A lot of people explain how artistic and beautiful season 3 is, but I just don't see it. I'm sorry, but I will only return to the first two seasons.

Riverdale (2017–2023)

Entertaining and stupid at the same time.

[6/10 · 9 December 2018]

I went into this show, hopeful and excited. I had heard about the criticism about how they had taken the Archie comic and turned it into something very different, but since I haven't personally grown up with those comics I didn't really care about that aspect. Season 1 started off interesting. The vintage vibe and the murder mystery was very intriguing to my 16 year-old self. I was part of the target audience, and for a few months many people at my school were talking about the show. It was different and fresh, with an exciting storyline. Then season 2 came around and I was thoroughly disappointed. The show lost its charm, the characters became silly and the storyline became more ridiculous for each week that passed. I lost interest for a few months and stopped watching it. I did finish it eventually though, simply because it was still a little bit entertaining despite the stupidity. Now, as season 3 is progressing, I'm still tuning in each week to follow the drama but I'm no longer intrigued and excited. I watch it to laugh at the cringy lines and overdramatic plot. It's quite sad really, since the show truly had a lot of potential. The whole G&G game is so stupid and Veronica's and Jughead's lines are so ridiculous that it's entertaining for the wrong reasons. Hopefully the writers of this show will find their way back to their season 1 style. I do recommend season 1, but you can stop watching after that season's finale.

Fresh Meat (2011–2016)

Genuinely funny and entertaining gem of a show

[9/10 · 27 September 2017]

Although it's usually quite hard to find good things to watch on Netflix, I just so happened to stumble upon this show when I was ill one week and desperately needed something entertaining to pick me up. I was positively surprised. At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch it but when I saw the familiar faces of Jack Whitehall, Joe Thomas, Charlotte Ritchie and Kimberley Nixon I had to check it out. After the first episode, I was instantly hooked. It is set at the fictional Manchester Medlock University and follows a group of students who live together in a student house. The first character we get introduced to is Vod (Zawe Ashton) who is a straightforward, quite irresponsible person with intimacy issues but a good heart. Then we have JP (Whitehall), a posh, highly sexual person obsessed with seeming like an alpha male (but who is secretly insecure). We also get introduced to Kingsley (Thomas) whose mother is ill, and whom he's spent his pre-university time taking care of. He can be quite pretentious and selfish and is, in my opinion, the most annoying character of them all, but in a mild and tolerable way. Then we have Kingsley's love interest Josie (Nixon), a down-to-earth Welsh girl. Like Kingsley, she can be quite selfish at times but cares a lot about her friends. We also have Oregon (Ritchie) who is a bit posh like JP but tries to hide it a lot of the time. At times she can be a bit pretentious like Kingsley but is most of the time a nice and helpful friend. Last but not least we have Howard (Greg McHugh), who is probably the most unrealistic character but also one of the funniest. His bizarre actions and thoughts often made me laugh. Even though Fresh Meat is a comedy show it does have some drama too every now and then, but not too much like many American comedy shows do. It's just the right amount, which is one of the greatest things about it. Some of the moments really make the characters seem more human, and many of them made me like especially JP more. What I like about Jack Whitehall's performance as him is that he is able to make JP seem like both an extremely cocky, perverse person and a very endearing and sweet person. In fact, one of the best things about the show is the dynamic and friendship in the group. Even though they all have so many (funny) faults, you kind of wish you could be part of the group. It's hilarious to see the characters struggle with daily student life and a nice thing about the show is that even though there are sometimes story lines that continue for a longer period of time, there's usually always something new happening in each episode. The actors do a great job, even just the comedic timing of certain facial expressions is brilliant. The humour is often quite sexual but personally, I think it's funny and the show is about young students so I think it should be expected. The writing is great, and the jokes are absolutely hilarious. As for how realistically it depicts English uni life, I don't know as I'm still too young for uni and live in Finland, but the show kind of makes me want to go to uni in Britain. Even though they experience a lot of trouble they make it seem so fun and despite their setbacks, they always stay together like a family. It could be just me but I got quite attached to the characters and was admittedly sad when I finished watching the last episode. But, since it's now one of my favourite shows I will definitely re-watch it after a while. I definitely recommend this show!

About Time (I) (2013)

Warm, cute and funny perfect for a rainy Sunday

[10/10 · 12 April 2015]

About Time, the movie about Tim's life after he discovers that the men in his family can travel back in time. The concept of the movie is smart and interesting in my opinion, and I love it. I would've liked to give the movie 10 stars out of 10, but I gave it 9. Why? Why would I do that when I consider this part of my top ten favourite movies? Well, it took me several times of watching until I was able to finish it. The first time I got bored. I felt like nothing interesting was happening, and I didn't understand why it was about "that girl Caroline" when I'd seen that the movie was supposed to have Rachel McAdams in it. The second time I watched about half way through, but didn't have the time to finish it. And lastly, the third time I finally finished it and cried. *spoiler* I really liked Bill Nighy's character and him dying made me very sad. That was when I realised how good the movie was, and I have now watched it many times. The plots are good and the scene when after he's travelled in time and comes home and finds another child than his daughter Posy is scary but interesting at the same time because he realises that he can't travel in time all the time. It is a long movie, and it has it's boring bits. But it is worth watching, definitely.