"Waves" Goes the Wrong Direction in Racial Depiction, Despite Its Intent and Beauty
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Living in Mexico City, Guillermo and Mechi, in Buenos Aires, are separated by over 4,000 miles and their marriages, both having structured family lives. Working for the same multinational food manufacturer they meet by chance at a corporate offsite. The attraction between them proves immediate and irresistible. The sudden spark makes them face their own desires and changes them in deeper ways than they thought possible.
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We chat with Penelope Lawson about her short film, The Dinner Party, her experience founding her own production company, and fun cinema.
If you enjoy the bizarre, silly and entertaining world of the horror B-movies and want a break from the nuanced and poignant big budget horror releases, I have a list of gore-fests from the last ten years to enjoy this October.
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.
"A Drowning Man" (2017) explores the unseen aspects of the Refugee Crisis. In, 15 far-too-short minutes, viewers are given a detailed snapshot of what it's like for a refugee to drown in the waters of poverty and otherness while trying to navigate a land whose promise has worn off, and only 'strange' remains.
Netflix's Afterlife of the Party might fall into the rom-com genre, but it's much more about grief, strong female friendships, and platonic love than it is about romance.