The precarious representations in One Battle After Another
A bumpy journey about revolution and family makes us feel fear, disgust, humor, and satisfaction.

Turkish arabesque, with its bitter, fatalistic, and reproachful lyrics, first emerged as the rebellion music of the slums during the industrialisation era following the establishment of the republic. With the cultural destruction of the 1980 coup, it became a music genre for the masses. The film features pioneers of the genre, such as Orhan Gencebay, Ali Tekinture, Muhtesem Candan, and Burhan Bayar, who explain the birth of this cultural-musical phenomenon, while its evolution is interpreted by Ezel Akay, Kadir Copdemir, Haluk Cobanoglu, and Serhat Koksal. The soundtrack was selected from a wide range of venues, from beer houses to high-end restaurants, from amateurs to well-known producers.
A bumpy journey about revolution and family makes us feel fear, disgust, humor, and satisfaction.
What seems like such a simple story of survival is so much more than that—it’s a story of family, and of war, and of destruction. It’s painful to watch, but not in a bad way. It makes its audience reflect on their own actions, and in how they are complicit in the sufferings of others as the adults in this film are. Grave of the Fireflies does not hold back from being heartbreaking, and it shouldn’t. It tells a message that needs to be heard decades after the war, and a story that cannot be forgotten by history.
Throughout Brendan Fraser’s career, he has played a plethora of unique, layered characters who explore the importance of not being afraid to display your emotions, something that is often seen to not be a masculine trait. This idea of regulating emotion and what traits men are able to possess creates a toxic atmosphere for men who are often told they should not cry or represent their emotions in any physical way. These characters represent that men can be joyful, emotionally conscious, and sensitive, while also representing their masculine identity instead of painting those qualities as fighting against their masculinity.
The idea of Rosemary's baby but with lesbian partners drew me in, and I was anticipating what the film had in store with its reimagining. Unfortunately, it all felt a little too vague to leave an impact.
This Comedy-Drama set in Nazi Germany, shows a young boy, Jojo who wants to be Hitler's personal guard and even conjures up Hitler to be his imaginary friend. His nationalism and prejudices of Jews change when he discovers a Jewish girl hiding in his attic.
Despite its glaring flaws, First Girl I Loved is not entirely undeserving of a watch. For people who can handle the more difficult aspects of the story and graphic scenes, it is worth looking into. It’s not a film worthy of rewatch, but it may still resonate somewhat with those who need a story like this. It is a genuine, if flimsy attempt at a coming-of-age tale. Were the film to be directed by someone with experiences more similar to Anne, it would likely be more powerful--as it is, it feels like a man’s perspective of what it means to come to terms with your identity as a lesbian.