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Ah yes, Cyrano de Bergerac, a timeless tale that was probably thrusted upon many of my readers, like myself during our high school English class days. Those 5 paragraph essays in full swing and then watching the black and white version from the 50’s on a projection screen for the next few classes. I remember seeing quite a few film adaptations too, the most fond one of Cyrano being played by the comedic genius himself, Steve Martin in the film titled, Roxanne.
Rolling into 2021, still in the heart of the pandemic, a musical version came out of Cyrano. This time, instead of revolving around a facial feature (his prominent nose), this film directed by Joe Wright, re-imagines the epic character Cyrano dealing with dwarfism, played by the impressive Peter Dinklage, who falls madly in love with Roxanne, played by Haley Bennett.
Knowing how devastating unrequited love can be, we ache for Cyrano, probably far more than ever before because of Dinklage’s performance. Do we care about his size? No. Do we care about his heart? Oh yes we do! There is a longing for human connection, yet the deep self-loathing of the harsh realities of the world at the same time, which can be extremely relatable. The costume designs were gorgeous, not to mention many of the picturesque scenes throughout.
The main highlight of the film is of course the soundtrack. I don’t think there could be enough tears shed after listening to Overcome for the first time, followed by Wherever I Fall.
You’re invested in the story and the characters, even though there is no swaying away from the ultimate fate of what love can do to us. Unrequited love can be the most torturous. Roxanne and Cyrano together on-screen though are quite magical as you’re catapulted into their hearts indefinitely as the credits roll.
The End of Us is a quirky indie-style comedy film by Steven Kanter and Henry Loevner that I think is quite relatable for many going through the pandemic and have questioned their partnerships! Dealing with each other’s “ism’s” might not seem so bad when you’re able to get out into the world, but as the world shuts down, it’s a reminder of a relationship going to hell in a handbasket for the characters, Nick played by Ben Coleman and Leah played by Ali Vingiano.
Leah is an interesting character. She reminded me a bit of Sarah Silverman with her sarcastic wit. So she’s adulting, has a stressful job, takes care of all the finances and makes sure Nick moisturizes his awfully dry skin. Nick on the other-hand is slacking in all departments, unmotivated and still working on a book that never seems to go anywhere, but reaping all the benefits of the relationship, or is he?
Making the tough decision to end a long-term relationship is never easy but we can see that the passive-aggressiveness and toxic behaviours are a cry for help. Leah gets up the courage to tell Nick to leave when the pandemic rears its ugly head and mask-wearing begins, as well as the spiral of job losses, isolation and more.
We can see how each of these characters deal with change and uncertainties of life. I liked the style and pace of the movie. There is no shortage of emotions as both of them try to navigate how to live with someone who you are not in love with anymore. They still desperately hold onto memories that feel so long gone, along with the gratuitous sex mistakes that shouldn’t have happened, but they do because it feels almost like the norm in movies.
Overall, the movie was enjoyable, it had a lot of introspective moments, humour, quite a bit of vulgarity (warning if that’s not your thing) and without spoiling the ending, you want the best for both Nick and Leah, you really want them to succeed in their dreams, whether they are together or apart.
Welcome to Woop Woop is From the makers of Priscilla Queen of the Desert...” so how could I NOT want to see what this movie had to offer? Priscilla is one of my favourite movies of all time for its beauty, elaborate costumes, humour, bravery and homage to Abba, of course.
Directed by Stephan Elliott, this Australian tale is pretty basic really and then starts going off the rails. Teddy played by Johnathon Schaech, is a New York bird smuggler and after a deal goes wrong, he takes off to Australia to replace a bunch of birds that escaped. Along the way, he ends up rendezvousing with a free-spirited woman named Angie, played by Susie Porter.
After being knocked out by Angie, Teddy finds himself married, and stranded as a prisoner in Woop Woop, a forgotten place where they dine on canned pineapple, boat loads of tobacco and dog food (made from road-killed kangaroos). The only entertainment available to the residents is old Rodgers & Hammerstein films and soundtracks. Of course, you can't get married without meeting the whole Aussie family, including the alpha-male dictator father Daddy-O, played by Rod Taylor.
Make sure to watch out for one character, the oddball Blind Wally, played by Barry Humphries, who you might also recall as the colourful and spunky Dame Edna!
I will say that this movie will definitely leave a lasting impression, what kind of impression is very subjective. You’ll be randomly quoting specific movie lines spontaneously though (ones that are just a bit too vulgar to mention here) and maybe even re-thinking life choices.
Despite the craziness, offensiveness that some may feel watching this one, grotesque animal scenes (NO animals were actually hurt according to the disclaimer put out!) there is a beauty towards the end that you don’t see coming. It throws you for a loop and is a bit overwhelmed with emotion, but it works. You’ll Never Walk Alone serenades us in a tearful scene, followed by the oddly amazing Junior Vasquez remix of Climb Every Mountain, from none other, The Sound of Music.
Although deemed as one of the worst Australian films, it’s raging on as a cult classic and rightfully so.
Before you watch BlackFish, watch Free Willy, or re-watch it if you remember the film from the 90’s. The whale, Keiko was used in the movie and became the poster-whale for a desperate plea to end orcas in captivity.
Although meant to be a light family movie with a feel-good vibe of reckless boy meets whale, whale saves kid (or kid saves whale too?) and ultimately defeats the evil amusement park owners, a darker and sinister story actually is underneath. The connection is beautiful in the movie in the innocence of a child, but still a far cry from what reality looks like for many of these intelligent creatures.
A huge highlight comes from its soundtrack. After seeing this movie in the theatre back in the 90’s, I rushed out to get the cassette tape and played “Will You Be There?" by Michael Jackson continuously. I felt a spiritual connection to the song without religious context.
20+ years later, after hearing it again, the song resonates with me completely different due to seeing the next film I will talk about entitled BlackFish.
Causing a lot of waves, the documentary BlackFish came out in 2013. A very compelling documentary about marine mammal captivity, highlighting Tilikum, an orca that was held by SeaWorld and the devastating consequences that unfolded.
There is a lot of controversy in this film but there is no doubt that the motivating factor was the all-mighty dollar, not the well-being of the orcas at all. The trainers I felt had really good intentions yet were greatly misled in many ways by being employed at SeaWorld.
Filled with so many ethical dilemmas to ponder, it was still quite heart-breaking to see what kind of treatment orcas did receive and how their psychological health, not to mention physical health, greatly deteriorated.
SeaWorld has claimed to have changed their focus and use the orcas for "educational" purposes instead of entertainment and no longer have a breeding program. They have a new show called the Orca Encounter, which is currently $100/ticket. Still, you surely won't be seeing me there anytime soon.
It all feels like smoke and mirrors to the real issues surrounding orcas that are still to this day not being addressed properly. It is understood that sometimes sending them back into the wild is not always an option, which makes things even more complicated, but they deserve a better life than being spectacles at money-hungry theme parks. These beautiful creatures were never meant to be caged, only to be free.
💜Have you seen any of these films? What were your thoughts? Drop me a note in the comments, or send me an email using my webform on the side and also let me know what you've been watching!
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