The Rise of the Warrior Princess: My Review of Wonder Woman

When was the last time you saw a film that is led by a superheroine? Probably in 2005 since it is the year when Elektra, the last female-led superhero film, was released. Now, after nearly two decades, we're finally getting another superheroine movie. This time, our heroine is not just another comic book character. In fact, she is probably the most popular female superhero ever. Yup, she is Princess Diana of Themyscira aka the wonderful Wonder Woman.

After being introduced to the audience in Batman vs Superman, Wonder Woman is finally getting her own movie. This movie features Diana's origin story, which has never been explored in other films before. Set in the era of World War I, Princess Diana lives peacefully with her people (who are all women) in an uncharted island that is hidden from mankind. Young Diana grows into a warrior who has the desire to use her powers to help and save the world. When a man named Steve Trevor accidentally lands on her island and tells her about the terrible war that is going on outside her island, Diana can't resist her desire and decides to go to the war and fulfill her destiny.

Wonder Woman and her gang
Source: www.imdb.com

Wonder Woman is directed by Patty Jenkins with (the insanely beautiful and gorgeous) Gal Gadot playing the titular role. Chris Pine plays Diana's love interest Steve Trevor. Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright and David Thewlis also have supporting roles in this film.

Before I start elaborating my thoughts about this movie, I would like to let you know that this review contains spoiler. There are some important revelations in the film that majorly affect my opinions about it so I just have to talk about them.

Before I saw Wonder Woman, I expected the film to be so focused on the fact that its lead is a woman. I thought seeing this movie would make me want to go back to my Muay Thai sessions and kick some ass. However, things turned out to be a little different. Wonder Woman doesn't emphasize on the fact that Diana is a female hero. Instead, it focuses more on the fact that she is a human being who has such a pure, innocent heart. Just like Patty Jenkins said, this film is a about a hero trying to be a hero. I adore this because it shows that women are just human beings who, just like men, have their own journey, can be strong, experience loss, are able to love, can be consumed by anger, etc. She is such a universal character that can make everyone, whether they are men or women, feel related to her. Her story shows that, no matter who you are, a man or a woman, you can be heroes as long as you have it in you. If you're strong, then you're strong and your gender shouldn't affect that fact. I think this is a great and important message to deliver because, based on my experience, people still tend to see other human beings based on their gender. For example, when a man has a successful career, he will be seen as someone who is admirable and desirable, especially by women. In contrast, when the one who has a successful career is a woman, she will be seen as an intimidating figure by men. I think that needs to change, and this film helps bring that change.

One of the most badass moments from the movie
Source: www.inverse.com

I spoke to some of my friends about the movie and they think it takes too much time telling Diana's backstory, which makes them feel a bit bored when watching the film. I agree that this film really takes its time to build the characters, but I disagree that it makes the film feel boring. In fact I'm happy with that. I'm glad that the story isn't rushed and that they didn't give Diana the costume and make her Wonder Woman right at the beginning of the film. Her backstory allowed me to understand her and made her debut as Wonder Woman feel monumental because, at that moment, I felt like I've known her and had a connection with her. It's also great that they don't put too many references from other superhero films in the DC Extended Universe here, like many other superhero films these days. It's her movie, so yeah, let her shine! Bruce Wayne and his gang from Justice League can wait until their movie comes out.

Playing such an iconic character is not an easy task, but Gal Gadot did that phenomenally in Wonder Woman. She is the perfect person to play Diana. As her co-stars state, she is a combination of beauty, tenderness, intelligence and strength, just like Diana herself. Those qualities that she possesses shine through her performance in the movie, which makes the character even more lovable. Chris Pine, who plays Steve Trevor, also wins my heart. I was truly devastated to see his character (SPOILER ALERT) gets killed at the end. I know his death gives depth to his relationship with Diana, but seeing Chris Pine die was just painful hahaha. Gal and Chris have great chemistry as well. Seeing them learn from each other is just really sweet. However, the best thing about their relationship for me is the way Steve supports Diana embrace her powers. He surely always tries to be a gentleman, but he also lets her stop a bullet for him, go attacking their enemies before he does and save the world because he knows she is capable of doing all of that. He doesn't get intimidated by Diana's awesomeness but adores her for that instead. I just wish there are more men like Steve in real life hahaha.

Steve' reaction when Diana asks him to stay back
Source: CandyMag.com

The only thing about this film that I don't like is what they do to end the Ares story. (SPOILER ALERT) When Diana gets startled by the fact that the war doesn't stop even though she has killed Ludendorff, the man she assumed is Ares, the moment is perfect. It really sends the message that Steve also tries to tell Diana; that Ares doesn't really exist and lives in the dark parts of people's hearts instead. I think it's a really deep message. However, the embodiment of Ares suddenly appears in the form of David Thewlis after that. I love David Thewlis but I think his character really ruins the message. The great thing about the climax is that they separate Diana's battle against Ares and Steve and his gang's battle against the Germans. So Diana fights in her own battle of the Gods while Steve saves the day from human-made deadly gas.

The blog post is getting too long, so I think I'll stop here haha. The conclusion is, I think Wonder Woman is great. Maybe it's not for everyone, as some people find it boring and weird, but I still think it's great.

Rating : 4/5

Through the Eyes of Criminals: Thoughts on The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter by Malcolm MacKay

Earlier this month, I went to the annual Big Bad Wolf Indonesia event in BSD City, Tangerang. In case you don't know, it is an annual book bazaar in Indonesia where books are sold with insanely low prices. This year's event was the second time the event was held. I went there with my friend Nofi on the first day of May. Unlike last year, I was really prepared for the book hunt this year haha. I prepared enough cash in my wallet (they only accept payment using cards issued by certain banks and my card isn't from any of those banks...) and made a list of books that I would want to buy.

As I haven't been in the mood for romantic stories, I thought it might be good for me to buy some crime or mystery books. So I did a research and came up with some titles and went on a book hunt. I ended up buying five books that day, and all of them involve murders and deaths hahaha.

My new books!

One of the books that I bought at BBW is The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter, written by Malcolm MacKay. The book is the first installment in the Glasgow trilogy. The story takes place in Glasgow and takes its readers to the criminal world of the city. A huge criminal organization hires a freelance hitman named Calum MacLean to kill a drug dealer named Lewis Winter, who is believed to be a potential threat for the organization. While reading this book, readers will be able to see what happens before, during and after the murder through the eyes of the people involved in it, who mostly are in the criminal world.

The most surprising thing about the book that I found is how it could make murder feel so... casual. The main character of the story, Calum, is a hitman who sees killing as nothing but his job. In fact, he even sees it as a career path. He repeatedly admits that it still makes him feel nervous, but he doesn't feel guilty about it at all. It is just strange to see it that way because I personally see nothing justifiable about killing people. However, I find this interesting at the same time. It got me thinking, what if your talent, the thing that you were born to do, is killing other people like Calum?

Besides Calum, the book also takes readers into the lives of criminals and police officers. From this story, I learned how unsettling their lives are. The criminals like Jamieson, Young and Calum constantly feel worried about their safety because they might get caught by the police, be betrayed by their partners or get shot by a hitman sent by their rivals at anytime. Life is also frustrating for the police because it turns out to be so difficult to reveal the truth behind a crime as people can be quite manipulative. Again, I find this surprising and interesting. I feel like I went to a different life through this book.

Among the male characters that dominate this book, there is one female character that stole my attention: Zara Cope. Zara is definitely not a lovable woman. She is manipulative and opportunistic, but also beautiful, smart and fragile. She only thinks about herself; she even abandons her own daughter. She lies and constantly hides the truth to protect herself. However, she admits that she cares about Winter while nobody else does. It is also crazy to see how she gets through the brutal police investigation all by herself with no one to trust, which shows how strong she is. She is just complicated. If she returns in the next two books in the trilogy, I bet her journey would even more intriguing to follow.

So, I'm definitely going to buy the sequels of Lewis Winter. This book seems like the opening of a much bigger story, so I definitely must check out the rest of the series.

Rating: 4/5

My New Favorite Show: The CW's Riverdale

Although a lot of people at work still call me "Miss Teenager" because I do look like a kid from high school and I am one of the youngest people at work, I'm technically not a teenager anymore. I'm turning 25 in a few weeks, which means I'm totally an adult. However, I just can't stop watching teen TV shows! Hahahaha. Now that my favorite teen shows are on hiatus, I'm desperate to find a new one to binge-watch. I've been hearing a lot about Netflix's 13 Reasons Why and The CW's Riverdale. Since I am in the mood for some murder mysteries and feel like I've been watching (and involved in hahaha) too much drama lately, I decided to watch the latter one first.

Source: imdb.com

Riverdale is an American drama series that starts its first season earlier this year. It airs a new episode every Thursday (USA time, Friday in Indonesia) on The CW. The characters in this show are based on characters from Archie Comics. The story takes place in a small town called Riverdale and begins when the town gets startled by the mysterious death of its golden boy, Jason Blossom. After the news are spread, the main characters come back from their summer holiday with their own secrets and somehow get connected to Jason's death, which turns out to be a murder. The murder mystery is not the only thing that keeps the story going as some teen issues are also featured in it. So, as the creator describes it, this show is basically a mix of Gossip Girl and Twin Peaks.

So, I've seen the first two episodes of Riverdale and I am OBSESSED. The premise of the show is not new at all, (I personally think it's very similar to Freeform's Pretty Little Liars) but it is always fun to play detectives and try to find out who's the killer, right? Another aspect that makes Riverdale so addicting to me is the characters. The characters have strong personalities that are different from one another, which make each character very memorable and iconic. So, because I love the characters so much, I'm going to introduce you to my favorite ones.

1. Archie Andrews

Source: Heavy.com

Archibald "Archie" Andrews is a sophomore at Riverdale High School. At the beginning of the first season, he just comes back from his summer holiday, which is filled with construction work that he does for his dad's company. He comes back to his small town as a different person as he brings some secrets with him. The secrets include his affair with his music teacher, Miss Grundy, and some crucial information about Jason's death that he can't reveal without endangering himself. Archie is a long-time best friend of Betty Cooper, who is secretly in love with him. He also has complicated friendships with Jughead Jones and the new girl, Veronica Lodge. Archie is portrayed by KJ Apa.

Archie's status as a member of the school's football team and his physical appearance (Veronica once describes him as "the red-haired Ansel Elgort") will make you think he's the popular boy type, but based on what I've seen so far, he's so much more than that. He seems like a guy who always wants to do the right thing. I also like the fact that he struggles to express his real passion for music to other people because people don't expect that from someone like him, which makes him such a complex character. He's definitely relatable and likeable, and kind of cute as well hahaha. I feel a bit guilty for having a crush on Archie because he must be around sixteen right now and  KJ, the actor, is only nineteen years old at the moment. So young! I feel old...

2. Betty Cooper

Source: riverdale.wikia.com

Elizabeth "Betty" Cooper is also a sophomore at Riverdale High School. She has been friends with Archie for a long time and secretly loves him. She is also friends with Kevin Keller, Veronica and, later this season, has a romantic relationship with Jughead. Betty has a sister named Polly, who is Jason Blossom's ex-girlfriend and currently lives in a group home due to a mental breakdown that she experiences after a toxic relationship with Jason. With Polly staying at the group home, Betty becomes the only child in her home. Betty's mother really pushes her to be perfect at every aspect in her life, which gets Betty frustrated sometimes. Based on what I've seen in the first two episodes, Betty seems to have problems with controlling her emotions as well. Betty is played by Lili Reinhart.

When I first saw Betty, I felt instantly connected to her. I can see a bit of myself in her. A girl who always tries to please everybody and be perfect at everything? Man, that is totally me, although I fail so many times hahaha. I can totally relate to what happens with Betty and Archie's friendship as well haha. Her controlling emotions issues are quite interesting. I have a feeling that, one day, she might explode and turn evil because she has kept all her feelings for herself for too long. Let's just see...

3. Veronica Lodge

Veronica is a new girl in town when we first meet her. She has just moved from New York to Riverdale with her mom after her rich father gets arrested for being a fraud. When she first arrives at Riverdale High School, she becomes friends with Betty, Archie and Kevin. Her relationship with Betty and Archie soon becomes complicated as Veronica and Archie seem to be attracted to one another, making Betty jealous. However, Veronica tries really hard to keep her new friendship with Betty. She tells Betty that she wants to be someone who is better than a rich bitch she used to be. Another interesting fact about Veronica is that her mom used to date Archie's dad, Fred, before she decided to "choose the rich kid", who is Veronica's dad. Camila Mendes plays Veronica in Riverdale.

"You wanted fire? Sorry, Cheryl Bombshell, my speciality is ice."
Source: Tumblr

Veronica seems like a very cool, badass girl. You can see how savage she is from the GIF above. That makes me like her a lot. It would be interesting to see more about her past, when she was the icy rich bitch like Cheryl Blossom (Jason's twin sister, we'll get to her soon). She is very stylish as well. She likes to wear fancy dresses, high heels and carry cute bags. Her black hair and eyebrows and her red lips make her stand out. Sometimes she reminds me of Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl.

4. Jughead Jones

His real name is Forsythe Pendleton Jones III but his nickname is simply Jughead. Like all the main characters of the series, he goes to Riverdale High School as a sophomore. Jughead acts as the narrator of the series as he is also writing a novel about Jason's murder mystery. Jughead has been friends with Archie for a long time but, at the beginning of the series, their friendship seems like it's not in a good place. Probably because Archie has grown to be more like the popular boy type while Jughead is more like the loner, outsider type. I haven't seen the episode yet, but Jughead describes himself as a weirdo who doesn't fit in and doesn't want to fit in in one episode. Jughead is portrayed by Cole Sprouse. Yes, Cole Sprouse aka Cody from Disney's The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

Source: www.hercampus.com

Jughead is probably the most talked about character from Riverdale. I've been hearing and seeing a lot of articles about him lately. Jughead reminds me of Stiles Stilinski from Teen Wolf. Like Stiles, Jughead is not the popular boy type, sarcastic and has a unique nickname. Jughead is a bit darker and weirder than Stiles, though. His weirdness and darkness might make it easy for people to have suspicion on him. We haven't seen a lot from him in the first two episodes, but, judging from his popularity among the fans, there will be more from Jughead in the next episodes.

5. Cheryl Blossom

Source: id.pinterest.com

Cheryl Blossom is the mean girl of the series. She's beautiful, stylish, rich, the captain of the cheerleader squad and, as Blair Waldorf used to say in Gossip Girl, the bitch around here in Riverdale. Cheryl is also the twin sister of Jason, the murder victim. Cheryl claims that, on the 4th of July, the day Jason went missing, they both went to the Sweetwater River for a boat ride. Before the Boy Scouts found her alone on the river's edge, Cheryl states that her glove fell into the water and Jason tried to take it back for her, but fell and drowned. Her story about her brother's tragedy makes Cheryl even more popular than before, and she, weirdly, seems to be enjoying it. Cheryl has a complicated relationship with Betty and her family, as their families have a dark history. Cheryl is played by Madelaine Petsch.

When I first saw Cheryl with Jason (who, I just realized, looks like a young Eddie Redmayne hahaha) in the first scene, I immediately screamed "Lydia!" because she looks a lot like Lydia Martin from Teen Wolf. I instantly hated her because she is just so mean and manipulative, but characters like this are always interesting to watch, eh? To me, Cheryl is the most suspicious character. I think she might be the one who killed Jason.

So, are you already a fan of Riverdale? Or maybe you're interested to start watching it now? Make sure you don't miss its new episode every Thursday (or, in my case, Friday)!

Reliving the Tale as Old as Time: Thoughts on Beauty and the Beast

Two years ago, Disney released its first live-action version of its own classic princess film, Cinderella, and received great success. The film, directed by Kenneth Brannagh, is critically acclaimed and brought a lot of profit to the company. I personally love the film as well because I think it really is lovely, beautiful and somehow refreshing and traditional at the same time. My favorite part of it is the adorable chemistry between the two lead actors, Lily James and Richard Madden. It's just so amazing. So, just like every Disney princess fan in the world, I was really excited about Disney's second live-action princess movie, Beauty and the Beast. I had such high expectations.

In case you don't know, BATB is led by everyone's favorite girl Emma Watson. She, of course, plays Belle, the Beauty. She is joined by Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Emma Thompson and so many other famous actors who play the iconic characters from the original animated film. Bill Condon, whose previous projects include the final installments of The Twilight Saga, is the director of the film.

Source: http://artlover67.deviantart.com

I don't mean to compare BATB with Cinderella but I have to say that I love the latter one more. However, that doesn't mean BATB is a bad movie. 

BATB really stays true to the original movie, the animated one. The costumes are very similar to the ones in the 1991 film. They also use the songs that are featured in the original film. They even keep the original storyline for this film too. This is great, especially if you are one of those people who demand adaptations to stay true to the original versions, because the original story is really good. However, it makes the movie too familiar and predictable. I was hoping for something that can make the story still faithful to the original one, but deeper. Maybe they should show more interactions between Belle and the Beast, or maybe more glimpses of the Beast's life before he gets cursed. Unfortunately we didn't get that.

Some other things in the movie that annoy me are the scene where Belle takes her father's place in the Beast's castle and the Be Our Guest sequence. I find the first scene that I mentioned quite strange. It might work in the animated film but it doesn't really make sense when you put it in a live-action film. Meanwhile, the second scene is a bit too long and cartoonish for me. I know it's such an iconic song but that's just how I felt when I was watching.

Now let's move on to the good side!

Emma Watson is crazy beautiful as Belle in this film. From the moment she first appears on the screen until the end of the film, she always manages to stun with her beauty. Her singing voice is suprisingly good as well. Her version of Belle makes me feel related to her in the same way that Belle in the animated film did. Belle loves books, wants more that other people have got planned and can't help but adoring men who love books haha. Emma really is the perfect Belle.

I really wish I could see more of Dan Stevens in his human form in the future. He seems like a talented actor but I couldn't really "see" him here. Maybe I should start watching his new TV show Legion. Luke Evans successfully brings Gaston to life in this film. His Gaston is just so nasty and makes me hate that character so much (this is a compliment). Josh Gad's Lefou is hilarious and the way he acts reminds me of Olaf in Frozen hahaha. Maybe because Josh is the man behind those two characters.

Just like all Disney princess films, BATB makes me so mushy. The ballroom dance sequence makes me smile like an idiot hahaha. It just awakens every girl's fantasy to be a princess and wear a pretty gown and dance with a prince. As I grow older, I've started to become so pessimistic about love and relationships, but films like BATB and Cinderella make me believe in the beauty of love again.

I just love seeing this dreamy photo of Belle and the Beast
Source: http://www.digitalspy.com

Last but not least, the songs. The song whose title is also used as the film's title is currently stuck in my head. I was surprised when I realized that I still remember the lyrics! Among the new songs that are especially written for the live-action version, my favorite is How Does a Moment Last Forever? Parts of it are sung in the film by the actors while Celine Dion sings the one played during the (stunning) end credit. The song is just so beautiful.

So, BATB is not a great, Oscar-worthy movie, but it is quite fun to watch. It will make you forget all your problems and frustration for a while, smile and sing the iconic songs over and over.

The next live-action princess films that are in the works are Mulan and Aladdin. The latter is one of my favorite Disney animated films, so I'm very excited to see it. I'll happily wait for it while playing the songs from BATB until the replay button breaks haha.

Rating: 3/5

Following The Lion's Long Way Home: Thoughts on Lion

Lion is the fourth film from this year's Best Picture nominee list that I've seen. The great thing about these Oscar-nominated films is that they're all very good and won't disappoint you, but they will also turn your little hearts into a mess with their greatness. Lion is no different. 

One of the moving scenes in Lion, featuring Dev Patel and Priyanka Bose
(Source: imdb.com)

Lion is based on an extraordinary true story of Saroo Brierley. When Saroo was just a little boy in India (played by the very cute and talented Sunny Pawar), he got separated from his family after accidentally taken by a train to a place that was far away from his home. The boy had to stay alive alone for a pretty long time before he got adopted by an Australian couple (played by Nicole Kidman and David Wenham). Years later, adult Saroo (Dev Patel), who had built a new life with his adoptive family, began to remember the life he had forgotten and intended to find his way home.

Source: www.gramunion.com

When I first read the synopsis of this film, I wondered why it was entitled Lion. Now, after seeing it, I think the title is perfect for the story. It turns out that Saroo had mispelled his own name. His name is Sheru, not Saroo, and the meaning of the name is lion. Before seeing the film, I also thought that it would focus on Saroo's search for his biological family, but it turns out that it is about Saroo, the lion, himself. It is about the traumatic experience that he has had, the way it haunts him, his longing for his family, his mother... So, this film really is about a lion, and Saroo is the lion. 

Lion feels like two different movies merged into one. The first half of the film centers on little Saroo and his long struggle to stay alive after being separated from his family while the second half follows adult Saroo and his search for home. I think it's great that they make it that way because that must be how the real Saroo feels about his life too. His childhood, his life with his family must feel like something that is separated from his new life to Saroo. 

As beautifully said by Park in the novel Eleanor and Park, a piece of art can make you feel something. Lion makes me feel like a mother. Seeing little Saroo alone in unknown, and sometimes dangerous, places, feeling hungry, scared, missing his mother and brother is just unbearable. All I want to do is taking care of him, making sure he's okay and safe, like a mother. When Sue, Nicole Kidman's character, helps him clean himself in the bathroom and tells him lovingly that she will always listen to him, my heart feels warm. I think that scene really captures a mother's love for her children. I'm not a mother but the depiction of a mother's love in this film really touches me. Maybe it's because I work with children every day haha. After seeing this film, I've been thinking a lot about being a mother. I've never been sure about getting married, but now I know that I want to be a mother. And when I do, I really hope I could be a great one. Oh yeah, that's how deep this film touches me.

Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman got nominated in the Best Supporting Actor and Actress categories in so many award shows this year, and I think they both truly deserve it. Everyone knows that Nicole is a brilliant actress, so it's not a surprise. For Dev, I think it's time for him to be recognized more because he's such a fantastic actor. The scene-stealer in this film is definitely Sunny Pawar. He's just super cute and lovable and amazing. I think I could just watch him do anything all day because he's just so adorable. Rooney Mara also delivers a great performance here. She doesn't have much screen time but there's something about her character that makes me want to know more about her life, her story. She seems like a smart and interesting person. If there is a movie about Rooney's character, I would definitely watch it. Another unforgettable character is Guddu, Saroo's big brother. I feel really sorry about what has happened to him. I really wish Saroo could reunite with him.

Rooney Mara's character is not based on a real person, but her scenes with Dev Patel's Saroo are always captivating
(Source: AZCentral.com)

Lastly, the film is visually stunning. It features some beautiful landscapes that can be found in India and Australia, filmed from the sky. If you like to travel or see beautiful views, I'm sure you'll enjoy the views featured in this film.

So, the Oscars will be held tomorrow. I don't think Lion would dominate the award show, but its roar will always be heard in my heart. May the best ones win the Oscars tomorrow!

Rating: 4,5/5

A War Hero and His Faith in God: Thoughts on Hacksaw Ridge

Today I have a day off because it's the election day in some cities in Indonesia, including Jakarta. If you live in Indonesia, I'm sure you're aware that the election and the candidates for the governor of Jakarta have been hot topics these days. I've tried to follow the news and conversations about the election and the candidates just to, you know, keep myself informed and updated, but I find it quite hard to do that. I'm the kind of person who avoids arguments and confrontations, while talks about the election mostly take the form of heated arguments that involve sensitive issues like religion and race. I always cringe whenever I read or see news about the election.

Last week, when people were anticipating the final debate of the candidates, I chose to watch Hacksaw Ridge, not the debate. I know it may seem like there is no relation between the film and the election at all, but after seeing it, I feel like this movie has a story that is very important and needs to be heard by those people who are involved in those heated arguments and fights.

Hacksaw Ridge is based on a true story of Desmond Doss, played by my favorite actor who is now an Oscar nominee, Andrew Garfield. As a religious man who, as his father says, needs to sit down, think and pray before doing anything, Desmond joins the army to serve his nation. However, he refuses to use any weapon and kill his enemies as his religion teaches him not to kill. This gives Desmond a rough time during his training and an even more brutal experience on the battlefield as he insists to save lives instead of taking them.

Academy Award nominee Andrew Garfield as Desmond Doss
(Source: www.thecoli.com)

If you want to watch this film, you must know that this film contains very disturbing images that involve blood and body parts. Did I once say that Rogue One capture the harshness of wars? Well Hacksaw is on a higher level. The battle scenes are long and brutal. Luckily my friend Lia warned me about this before I saw this film, so I had the chance to prepare my heart and stomach first haha.

I know that some people think this films is a bit too dramatic, but I have to admit it really touches my heart. This film made me cry so much. I started crying five minutes into the film, I guess haha. There is a scene at the beginning, where deep regret slowly fills young Desmond's heart after he realizes that he almost kills his brother with a brick, that made me feel so connected to him. I could really feel him in that scene.

When Andrew Garfield takes over as adult Desmond, the connection that I felt didn't vanish. He has incredible scenes where he dramatically saves his wounded friends (75 of them) from a battlefield full of his nation's enemies alone. However, the scenes that really touched my heart are those where Desmond has these small talks with the people around him. The scene where he and Jack (Sam Worthington) talk as they're resting enables me to see Desmond from Jack's point of view. It made me think that Desmond is totally crazy and weird, but at the same time I realized that those qualities are the ones that make him different from others and admirable. The same thing happened whenever Desmond has scenes with his lady Dorothy (Teresa Palmer). Desmond's complex relationship with his dad (Hugo Weaving) is another emotional roller coaster. I couldn't hold my tears when Desmond tells the story of him holding a gun before his dad's head. He doesn't kill him but he says that he does kill him in his heart and swears that he will never use a rifle anymore after that. I cried with Hugo Weaving as he slides down the wall in front of his son in that scene. And then there is this scene where Desmond fails to save his friend Smitty (Luke Bracey) and has a breakdown. Smitty's last words ("I'm scared!") and Desmond's breakdown just gave me goosebumps. It's cool how Andrew is able to have such a strong chemistry with all his castmates. He is just amazing, like the amazing Spiderman (sorry I just can't help but adding this pathetic line hahaha).

After seeing this film, I spent some time thinking about it and realized that it is pretty relevant to the situation in my country right now. These days, a lot of people hate, fight and argue with each other when they try to defend their beliefs. There are people who hate those whose religions are different from theirs, and there are others who glorify their leader and see those who don't do the same as their enemies. It's just saddening, sickening and exhausting to see people hate and insult each other on a daily basis like that. When I saw Desmond in this film, I was stunned by how he could stay true to what he believes in without being aggresive at all. He shows me that we can fight with kindness and compassion as our weapons. He shows that strength and bravery that grow from kindness, compassion and faith in God are the greatest kinds of them. Desmond's story is a reminder that all religions teach kindness, not malice.

"While everyone else is going to be taking life, I'm going to be saving it." - Desmond Doss
(Source: MovieNewsPlus.com)

Besides that, I think this story also speaks to those who have been bullied by other people. I think all of us have experienced being laughed at because we do things a bit differently, being labeled as a weirdo, being told that we are ugly, wrong, pathetic, not good enough... Desmond has to face all of them too but he doesn't let that bring him down. I know it's not easy at all but, if you get bullied for being who you are, you should stay strong like Desmond because, as Desmond says, how are you going to live with yourself if you don't stay true to what you believe in?

So, Hacksaw Ridge feels like a very religious film for me. However, I think the message that it carries is universal and can be applied by anyone no matter what their religions or races are.

Rating :4,5/5

Learn The Power of Language in Arrival

So many great movies these days, eh? I gave 5-out-of-5 ratings in my last three film reviews and now I'm about to give the fourth one to this critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated film, Arrival.

Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner in Arrival
Source: wegotthiscovered.com

To read the synopsis of this film and some information about it, please read my older post here. As I wrote in that post, Amy Adams leads the cast as Louise Banks, a language expert who is hired to translate the visiting aliens' language. Jeremy Renner plays Ian Donnelly, a science expert who works alongside Louise while Forest Whitaker plays a military guy who is tasked to figure out the aliens' intentions.

Like La La Land, this film's conclusion completely blows my mind. After seeing this film, I had to sit down for a long time in order to process the ending and recover from it. So this post contains spoilers because I just have to talk about the ending.

The one thing about Arrival that made me so eager to see this movie is the fact that this sci-fi film centers on a linguistics expert. I just have never seen a sci-fi movie that involves a linguistics expert. Films from this genre usually feature military guys, science experts and sometimes teenagers who are in the wrong place and the wrong time, not language experts. So I was so intrigued by the premise because I find it rare and unique. I really wanted to know how they would present a story of a language expert in a sci-fi world.

Arrival can be classified as a sci-fi movie, but if you expect to see an exhibition of CGI creatures and spaceship battles here, you will be disappointed because this film doesn't have any of that. Arrival does have aliens and spaceships, but it is the rare kind of sci-fi movies that drains not only your brain with its science elements, but also your heart with its intimate, deep story. It's kind of similar to Christopher Nolan's Interstellar.

As Amy Adams states in an interview, Arrival is basically a story of a mother who loves her daughter; a love letter from a mom to her daughter. Throughout the movie, we are made to believe that Louise is haunted by the memories of her deceased daughter, but at the end it is revealed that she doesn't know, or maybe I should say hasn't known, who that girl in her memories is. It is because the glimpses that she sees are from her future. Yes, Louise gets the ability to see her whole life, her past, present and future, because of the aliens' language that she learns during her mission. It turns out that the aliens' intention is to deliver a gift to the humans, which is their precious, unique language that gives anyone who has mastered it the ability to perceive time as something without beginnings and endings, like a loop. So, in the present time, Louise has already got the knowledge about what the aliens' purpose is, their language, how the problems that they are facing will be solved, that she and Ian will fall in love with each other, that they will have a daughter, that Ian will leave her and, the most heartbreaking one, that an incurable disease will kill her daughter at a young age. However, with all that knowledge, Louise chooses to cherish every moment in her life as if she didn't know the future. She still chooses to be with Ian and have and love her daughter with all her heart even though she knows she will lose them. This completely blows my mind and shatters my heart.

Source: https://bradscribe.wordpress.com/2016/11/16/arrival-the-bradscribe-review/

I think the revelation hits me so hard because it instantly changes the way I perceive the story, just like the language alters the way Louise sees her life. It connects every moment in the film, clears all the confusion, concludes the story beautifully and sends its deep, meaningful message right into my helpless heart. I almost can't contain the feeling that the revelation brings. Besides its greatness, it is also totally unexpected. I expected mind-boggling science theories but I get this emotional story that gives me all the feels. Films that can make you feel so much like this one are what we call art.

Some people say that a great movie is a movie that can make the audience feel related to its characters. Arrival makes me feel related to its main character, Louise Banks. Similar to Louise, language is my area as I have a degree in English literature, do translation jobs and teach English to children. I know that learning a language and teaching it to someone who is not familiar to that language at all are long processes that require patience. So I get really angry when I see how they push Louise to finish her work quickly. I can really feel her frustration in this film. I bet she is the kind of person who appreciates the process of everything, not only the final product. Louise also has scenes where she just stares at her work in front of her, thinking hard and deeply without saying a word, which looks exactly like I do right now as I am trying to find the right words to describe how I feel about this film haha. Her scenes with the aliens, Abbott and Costello, the way she takes off her suit as she says, "They need to see me," the way she touches the screen to connect with the creatures on the other side and the way she stays calm and quiet let me know that she also appreciates real interaction, intimacy and peace. Amy Adams's performance here really makes me feel close to her character. I think she deserves all the recognition she has been receiving and should be nominated for an Oscar for her role here. She has received many nominations this year but, suprisingly, is not nominated for an Oscar. Check the full list of nominees for this year's Oscars here.

Source: wegotthiscovered.com

Arrival might not lead the Oscars race this year, but I think it is one of the best, the most thought-provoking and mind-blowing films ever. Five stars for this movie!

Rating: 5/5