D E R I V A 

'Jaded' is a film that focuses on the decisions that can derail our lives. Zanna's story takes you through a wide range of emotions.

“Nobody 2” is the kind of sequel you expect to roll your eyes at—and then end up grinning through the whole thing. Bob Odenkirk proves once again that an ordinary-looking guy can be the most entertaining action hero alive, battling cartels with harpoons, deep fryers, and pure chaos. Toss in Sharon Stone as a delightfully over-the-top villain, and you’ve got 89 minutes of wild, joyful mayhem that reminds you why going to the movies is just plain fun.

My review’s title is a nod to Shakespeare and is entirely deliberate. The original movie portrayed the high-end fashion world as a brutal arena of plotting, backstabbing, and betrayal, and most Shakespeare’s plays depend on these plot devices. The Devil Wears Prada 2 uses the same formula, and is, plot-wise, almost identical. Once again, we plunge into the cutthroat world of Runway, where to get and stay at the top, you must let go of your principles and moral sense. The only thing different is that due to the digital era, Runway is not a print magazine anymore, but one that is running online.

The social issues The Half of it takes on are handled well, between the antagonization brought on to Ellie for her race and the conflict that arises from her being gay. Both aspects of her character are built up over the course of the film and don’t seem abrupt or rushed. The film shows racism towards Ellie and her and father in varying levels, from having her schoolmates specifically address her as "Chinese girl” to the fore mentioned way her Dad is treated due to language barriers. The same can be said about Ellie being a lesbian. While she never truly “comes out” in the narrative, that does not undermine her journey of self-discovery from being meaningful. These ideas aren’t thrust upon the viewer in a preachy manor, the scenarios that occur feel believable given the rural setting. The film presents watchers with problems whom those like Ellie may face, and leaves us to sit with them and reflect.

John Fawcett’s "Ginger Snaps" intertwines the lore of the werewolf to the hellish experience of a young girl going through puberty.

Tran Quoc Bao succeeds in telling us a story about martial arts, human decay, and friendship. The originality shown by his filmmaking is admirable and brings fresh air to the classic Chinese martial arts genre.