Hi everyone! Sadly summer has come to an end and so I've stored away my flip-flops in lieu of cozy fuzzy socks once again.
With all the crazy things happening around the globe, it's okay to take a breather and shut down social media and close up the news apps. Speaking of, I scaled down my social media platforms, being incredibly mindful of what and who I follow. I find the less time I am 'connected' online, outside of the work spectrum, the healthier I tend to feel. Finding that balance has been tough, but I feel like I am making progress. Anyhow, that's perhaps another blog to write for another day.
Looking at the calendar, October is almost done. I just bought my new planner for 2024. Soon I'll be watching shameless Hallmark holiday movies. Anyhow, I wanted to share some movie reviews of films that I have watched recently that you might want to check out.
Jules is a must-see film directed by Marc Turtletaub and written by Gavin Steckle.
Milton (Ben Kingsley) is not taken seriously as many of the town members think he’s losing his mind, bringing up the same issues time and time again at every meeting. Then one day, a surprising arrival of a spaceship crashes in his backyard, and an alien-life form appears.
From there, a beautiful story takes place that is emotionally touching for anyone who has experienced loss. Affectionately naming the non-verbal creature “Jules”, Milton not only develops a bond with Jules, but unlikely friendships with two neighbours, Sandy (Harriet Samson Harris) and Joyce (Jane Curtin). Having very distinct personalities, they promise not to disclose about this mysterious alien that they’ve now encountered to anyone.
A lot of of important themes are discussed and hold great self-reflection to many who are entering their wiser years, or even take on the role as caregivers. It shows different perspectives of how we deal with grief and loss, but also shines a light on the joys that life can bring. Jules (Jade Quon) brings such warmth to this non-verbal role and while compared to the iconic ET character, still offers a dynamic performance.
It is slower paced but the tenderness makes up for it in so many scenes. There are some humourous moments to break up some of the intensity of the film. By the end, we see how transformative life can be when you open your heart and let the right people in.
Haunted Mansion is a supernatural horror comedy film directed by Justin Simien.
Disney is at it again trying to bring back the spookiness of ghosts and spirits in this remake of Haunted Mansion.
LaKeith Stanfield who played Ben, an astrophysicist skeptic turned paranormal believer, was a memorable character and his grief journey and social anxiety really held a lot of depth to his development in many of the scenes. I also loved Owen “wow” Wilson as the priest. His jokes were so corny but he just had such a fun-loving presence on screen that it worked.
Sadly though, Disney really let me down with its script that threw in so many ridiculous product placements that it was off-putting and aggravating. I was ready to turn it off but decided to solider on and see if it got better. Also, despite a good casting, they didn’t seem to have much chemistry together on-screen, so the synergy lacked which was yet another disappointment. It didn’t feel like they were all battling the pesky ghosts together, more so just apart.
Exorcise caution if you’re going to see this one. ;)
Equalizer 3 is directed by Antoine Fuqua. After vaguely remembering the other two movies, Equalizer 3 takes Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) on another journey, this time to beautiful Southern Italy. We watch Denzel’s calm and collected demeanour take on some of the most heinous criminals, always being many steps ahead of them.
The pace of the movie starts slow, but it is symbolic in a way of showing the progression of time and the slower paced and peaceful life that McCall yearns for. There’s plenty of brutal graphic scenes and Denzel’s character takes them on with as much brilliance as expected. He is charismatic and always full of surprises, and even with the injuries he endures that might take longer to heal now, he convinces us that he’s committed to his role and we’re all here for the wild ride.
A Million Miles Away is directed by Alejandra Marquez and a biopic of real life astronaut José Hernandez, who was the first migrant farm worker to reach for the stars and get recruited to NASA and go into space.
Michael Peña plays José in the film and delivers a spectacular performance. There are great transitions from each decade that make the audience feel like they are transported into that era from the fashion to music and just overall aesthetic. Jose’s growth and the deep family connections are the heart of this film.
There are beautiful moments in the film showing José’s turbulent but triumphant journey that is inspiring for anyone who has hit road blocks in their own life. José's recollection centres around his younger years with key lessons he had learned from his father, all the way up to becoming a father of 5 himself.
For the romantics, there is also a sweet love story. José and wife, Adela (Rosa Salazar) are a quirky match made in heaven. She is a strong woman with ambitions of her own aside from motherhood, but is willing to make the ultimate sacrifices so José can fulfill his life long dream of becoming an astronaut.
💜~That's it for now. See you again soon for another blog.
Blissful Muse~
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