Top actor Zheng Zhi (Shin) and Nina (Gillian Chung) are starring together in a movie about a poor man romancing a rich girl. Filming isn't going so smoothly, however, as director Mandy (Li Xiaoran) keeps picking apart Zheng Zhi's acting. It turns out that Mandy and Zheng Zhi are actually former lovers, and the movie's plot is their own story. Meanwhile, Chuan Zi (Yu Shaoqun) joined the production as an extra in hopes of reuniting with Nina, whom he believes is his childhood sweetheart. Nina, however, already has a rich and handsome boyfriend.
"THANK YOU, Zach Creggar!" Back in 2022, this now established star in the horror film genre gave us the quirkily creepy, unexpectedly funny (at times!) cinematic gem that was "Barbarian". It felt like a cool breeze just washed over us as, for ONCE, the much traversed roads these films tend to go with got an upgrade of uniqueness without sacrificing the ambiance of uneasiness you desire.
A wondrously imaginative, diverse, and spirited allegory of childhood and the arduousness of adulthood.
Moonlight is a film that will certainly be remembered for how it won Best Picture, but the movie itself should be known for its excellent representation of one of the most underrepresented groups in film: Black, gay men.
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.
‘Concerto’ is esoteric at best, meant to satisfy the non-melanted’s sense of nostalgia. It is revisionist at worst, cherry-picking images that defy the true tapestry of the human condition.
