I watched two movies today and they are wildly different from one another, for many, many reasons.

Strange World

I hated this movie. It was three hero's journeys plots mixed up with an incredibly forced Fathers And Sons™ "plot" which completely did not work at any point. It was so boring that I mostly got furious at it wasting my time. (This was even a free screener copy which makes this reaction even funnier.) At certain points I was literally narrating aloud which character was about to come on screen and what they would say.

I was looking forward to this since I'm eager to see what Qui Nguyen makes. He's small-time famous for his weird and genre-rific plays off broadway (I've worked on a production of She Kills Monsters in the past). His scripts have never been my favorite, but I love that he's making weird things that are being produced. I want more of that in the world. Sadly, this movie sucked!!! There was no soul to any character or plot or the world or... anything. It's like the fingerprints got scrubbed off, burnt off, and then soaked in bleach for good measure. Dear god, make sure no one can tell human beings made this movie!!

I hated the acting especially. Like the script did no favors as the characters sucked, but the acting didn't help either. (Sidenote time: I have been loving Wednesday on Netflix and have even started rewatching it after finishing it. I almost never rewatch shows, and yet... The scripts were not my favorite, particularly structurally, but that show is incredibly well acted. Jenna Ortega is the standout, obviously, but everyone onscreen is doing some incredible work. Worth watching just to see their nuanced choices. Sidenote over!) I don't know if this was specifically because the cast was not voice actors but rather famous actors. They just don't know how to convey what voice actors do, and usually I can work with it but I loathed the flat as heck acting in this. Secondly, I don't like the physical acting in most of the recent Disney movies, and this was no exception. It's one note, unsubtle, uncreative, annoying, and - worst of all - boring. The jokes are badly told and badly paced. I have already forgotten most of the details (I had to look up the title again to write it on this post) and I do not recommend this movie to anyone.

You may have a good time with the art book. This movie plays like a very long sequence of pretty concept art. That front door design? *mwah* Too bad the movie is dogshit!

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

um holy shit?

So this movie has been an infamous sapphic spectre looming over me for years now. I knew I needed to watch it, but I was never in the mood and didn't get around to it. I guess I just wanted a palette cleanser after gestures at above all that.

It was weird how much of this movie I had seen or had seen referenced before and it's notable what I had not: the mom, people being in water, and that whole entire onscreen abortion process.

"gonna go paint a portrait with my gf of her giving her maid an abortion #justgirlythings"

I suppose I see why that didn't get to the top of the trending charts.

Jokes aside, this was a very quiet, patient movie. Those two are so dang horny; the internet made me think it was all yearning but nope, they are actively having lots of sex for nearly half the movie. The final section with the painter watching Héloïse sob at the music was such a measured and controlled finale to a carefully orchastrated movie... I was expecting this to be my new favorite movie, but it fell in a way I wasn't expecting, and I think that is partially from over-exposure. Of course I had seen the book page before, but I didn't have any context and that sort of deflated the experience. That being said, the context I have now brought such a specific and heartbreaking light to that image that I appreciate it more now. I will absolutely be thinking of their performances for some time. What a great experience.

Migraines

I wanted to be sure to mention what's been up with me, because it's taking most of my time and concentration. I have been having chronic migraines for months, and around the end of last month, I had a particularly bad one start. It went on full force for over 9 days. I'm now in the in and out waves, and it is miserable. Finally, I got to see a neurologist yesterday. I read her my list, condensed here:

She told me that my symptoms were "like reading out of a textbook." I am going to start the pill she prescribed tonight, and I am praying and hoping that textbook symptoms means textbook treatment.

Wish me luck!

PS

I cannot figure out why this page is not correctly displaying the post date and/or title, so it may be updated later. Oop! Looks like it fixed itself! Hooray!

Anyway, do you like the new background? I've joined cohost and it's gotten me excited about trying out new things with style, so I'm planning on doing more visual updates soon.