SHORT REVIEWS: THE MOTHER (2023), ALONE TOGETHER (2022), STROMBOLI (2022), FOOD AND ROMANCE (TISDAGSKLUBBEN) (2022)

THE MOTHER (2023) ALONE TOGETHER (2022) STROMBOLI (2022) FOOD AND ROMANCE (TISDAGSKLUBBEN) (2022) THE MOTHER (2023) Hold up. Hold up. So Jennifer Lopez is supposed to be some kind of super-duper over-the-top elite killing machine soldier who got into a black-market arms deal with two shady guys Álvarez (Gael García Bernal) and Lovell (Joseph Fiennes), but … Continue reading SHORT REVIEWS: THE MOTHER (2023), ALONE TOGETHER (2022), STROMBOLI (2022), FOOD AND ROMANCE (TISDAGSKLUBBEN) (2022)

Amanda and Sinh siting on a ledge with paper lanterns around them. They are holding a red paper lantern together as they look into each other's faces. The title to the movie is above their heads.

A TOURIST’S GUIDE TO LOVE (2023): Where Vietnam Steals the Show

A Tourist's Guide to Love (2023) is not, as I initially thought, a cutesy documentary or a reality TV show, but is instead a middling destination rom-com where the location just might end up being your favorite character. While this is a (blessedly) misogyny-free movie that aims to highlight the beauty of Vietnamese culture and … Continue reading A TOURIST’S GUIDE TO LOVE (2023): Where Vietnam Steals the Show

Against an orange background the title is in white letters with the stars names above in darker orange font and Searchlight Pictures in the same font. At the Bottom of the frame are Dom and Yas. Dom is looking at Yas out of the corner of his ye with a half smile and Yas is looking at the camera without smiling.

RYE LANE (2023): A Glorious Rom-Com with Some Frenetic Editing

These two things are true: I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed the romantic comedy Rye Lane (2023), but the somewhat frenetic editing, especially at the beginning, put me off to such a degree that I almost stopped watching. Just like one person’s tired clichés can be another's comforting throughlines, one person's edifying artistic interjections can be another's … Continue reading RYE LANE (2023): A Glorious Rom-Com with Some Frenetic Editing

Zeynep wearing a red dress riding a bike, caught in profile against the backdrop of the Croatian seaside. At the top is the title in red and the N from Netlix.

FARAWAY (2023): A Rom-Com That Says, Hell Yes Women Get Better With Age

The trailer makes Faraway (2023) look like it's going to be your standard Netflix assembly-line rom-com, written with the help of a random cliché generator, but it is, in fact, a much  more unique, nuanced, and tender story about a middle-aged woman finding happiness, and yes, a second chance at love in the process. Please … Continue reading FARAWAY (2023): A Rom-Com That Says, Hell Yes Women Get Better With Age

Short Reviews: MAJA MA (2022), SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW (2023), I’M TOTALLY FINE (2023)

MAJA MA (2022) SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW (2023) I'M TOTALLY FINE (2022) MAJA MA (2022) I enjoyed this bittersweet and intimate look at sexuality, bias, and cultural expectations through the lens of a devoted, dedicated, and diligent wife and mother.  Tejas Patel (Ritwik Bhowmik) is very excited to get engaged to his Indian-American girlfriend … Continue reading Short Reviews: MAJA MA (2022), SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW (2023), I’M TOTALLY FINE (2023)