
Sixties. A group of kids are in their last year of high school. Renato, a young student, is in love with the beautiful Manuela but she does not reciprocate her feelings. One day Renato, on the occasion of his parents' departure, decides to hold a party at his house to which he invites Manuela and two other companions, but a few days later he ends up being suspended from school after having peeked into the girls' gym. So the protagonist plans to leave for Sweden in search of easy conquests but on the train he meets a beautiful lady who intends to betray her husband. Renato is unaware that she is the wife of one of her professors and the situation gets complicated.
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.
Netflix takes some liberties in its portrayal of Madame CJ Walker, a trailblazing Black entrepreneur.
Director Dana Ziyasheva made her directorial debut, 'Defenders of Life' which focuses on the Ngäbe community, and the hardships Ngäbe girls faced in Costa Rica.
Based on Bethany's autobiography "Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board," this heartwarming film tracks the struggle to pursue normalcy and ambition after a major injury.