The relationship between the gambler A-hai and his wife Jia-yun is tumultuous. Jia-yun runs a stall in the market and often meets Mei and other housewives at a nearby shrine, where they make desserts and discuss Taoism’s promise of eternal life for women. However, Jia-yun cannot stay away for too long, fearing A-hai’s anger. One day, A-hai accidentally beats Jia-yun to death. To A-hai’s surprise, Jia-yun comes back to life soon after and resumes her daily routine. However, her body begins to decay rapidly, causing A-hai to spiral into a state of panic.
Spiral could easily spawn new sequels and will most likely churn a decent profit. Is it a good Saw film? Absolutely. Could it have been revolutionary though? Also yes.
Mulan had to struggle to feel like herself and see herself properly. Some of us have to strive to have our reflection mimic what’s inside. We have to crawl. We have to fight.
Our protagonists perform as the opposite gender while still preserving the parts of their personalities that makes themselves who they are.
Adapted from a 2014 novel by Atticus Lish, Preparation for the Next Life is the feature film debut of documentary filmmaker Bing Liu. With the help of screenwriter Martyna Majok, he paints a realistic and somber portrayal of Aishe, a Uyghur immigrant, as she struggles to make a living while undocumented in the United States.
Juneteenth is a day to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States on June 19th, 1865. We did it! Everyone is free! Everyone is equal! End of story, right?
As a huge fan of Sean Baker’s Tangerine, The Florida Project, and Red Rocket, I’ve wanted to watch Anora since before it even was released. But life got in the way, my watchlist grew, and honestly, the fact that it was marketed as a romantic comedy put me off. Even with all the critical praise and the five Academy Awards it won last year, I just kept postponing it indefinitely.
