After his wife passes away, the ailing Akbar marries Tina, a widow. Akbar’s illness makes him lose his job so Tina has to work in a garment factory. Akbar’s effort to find a job is fruitless and he passes away shortly after. His three children Mimi, Memet, and Ayu cannot stand their stepmother’s fickleness. They leave quietly to find the family of their biological mother. This is not easy since they don’t have her address. They work at any job to survive - housemaid, shoe shiner, parking boy etc. One day they meet John who buys and sells used newspapers. Mimi and Memet are given a small business of selling ice and pastries. Then Memed accidently takes the wrong train but fortunately, a rich man adopts him. However, Memed returns home as he misses his younger siblings. The reunion is short since Ayu passes away.
As Andrew’s life begins to change, his passion for drumming soon becomes a spiraling obsession in the pursuit of perfection. Through the use of disturbing and abusive training methods, Fletcher puts Andrew through emotional and physical agony.
This is a film that is going to leave some people bored, and some people thrilled.
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.
The film didn’t have to be as long as it is. It just dragged on and on with scenes that had no substance. Every so often we get an action scene, and even those isn’t that fun.
Though often underwhelming as a whole, Nevertheless is worth the watch because of the relationship between Sol and Jiwan. It is a stunning, refreshing take on the friends to lovers trope that LGBTQ media has been missing.
Upon first watch, Buddy feels like it should have been aired on Adult Swim at four in the morning.
