DesertTalkies Film Reviews!

  La La Land [2016] Starring: Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling Writing and Direction by Damien Chazelle, Music by Justin Hurwitz Language: English ' City of stars, are you shining just for me? City of stars, there's so much that I can't see. Who knows? Is this the start of something wonderful and new?' 'Someone in the crowd could be the one you need to know, the one to finally lift you off the ground.' 'Climb these hills, I'm reaching for the heights, and chasing all the lights that shine! And when they let you down, get up off the ground, the morning rolls around and it's another day of sun!' Who wasn't shocked when the Oscar was given to Moonlight instead of La La Land? I thought that finally the Academy had recognised the masterpiece of a musical this was, but my musical-loving self was left clinging to the hope that there had been another mistake, and that La La Land had really won. I was young when I first saw this movie in the theatre, and I ha...

Jackie [2016] Starring: Natalie Portman, Greta Gerwig, Peter Sarsgaard Direction by Pablo Larrain Language: English It was such a vivid portrayal of a woman ripped apart, not only by her own mentality, but by her those around her so prominent in the public eye. Plain and simple, this movie was so raw. Moving, haunting, and thrilling in a sometimes subtle way, it was such a brilliant watch.  The idea of grief is portrayed in such an interesting way in this movie: grief, as it appears in this work, is almost an empowerment. Loss has allowed the protagonist, Jackie, to cut herself free from the expectations required of her, and really take charge of her own life, as well as the lives of those around her. And whilst downfall is a significant theme in this movie, it is the theme of empowerment that really takes centre stage. This movie was stitched: the plotline connects a single interview post the death of John F. Kennedy, and the events that happened previously. To see the protagonist...

In The Mood For Love [2000] Starring: Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Ping Lam Siu, Rebecca Pan Direction by Wong Kar-wai Language: Mandarin, Cantonese  The vibrance and elegance of Hong Kong in the 1960s comes to full view in this stunning movie. I was born in Hong Kong, so I've always been interested in understanding more about the place I lived for the first few years of my life. I have often heard my parents talk about 'In the Mood for Love' and how it was one of the standout movies they can recall seeing. And whilst I don't have as strong an infatuation with this movie as my parents do, I can say that this was pretty impressive. The main accomplishment of this movie was the narrative: the film was a selection of artistic scenes, stitched together in a sometimes painstakingly slow yet intensely moving way. If you know me, you will know that I tend to loathe movies that do not have a clear plot: a story that is, for the most part, easily digestible. However, it w...

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone [2001] Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint Direction by Chris Columbus, Original story by J.K. Rowling Language: English Let me just call a spade a spade: you have not had a childhood if you have not watched Harry Potter. And whilst I grew up reading the books and subsequently watching the movies, I recently decided to rewatch the movies, and all the fuzzy memories of youth came rushing back. This was the case especially in the first installment: Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone: the nostalgia of seeing all the lead actors so young and innocent made me feel so warm.  Whilst I do love the Harry Potter series, this will be the first and last Harry Potter movie I will review: you can basically say the same thing about every one of the movies, and I would prefer to watch and review movies with a little more diversity.  The most positive aspect of this movie was how true it stayed to the original novels. The other m...