Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Review: Uncontrollably Fond

Okay, unfortunately... this wasn't a drama I could finish watching. So this review is going to go over exactly why I couldn't finish, and what I got from the few episodes I did watch. After all, with the length of dramas, not every drama is worth watching, even if it is a tearjerker.

To be perfectly honest - this drama should be renamed Uncomfortably Fond. The story started off in a somewhat refreshing way (though, really, is any archetype that refreshing these days? We find out, episode 1, that Kim Woo Bin's character Shin Joon Young, is diagnosed with cancer and won't live for very long. Very heartbreaking, especially when you toss in his relationship with his mother, whom he doesn't tell about the illness (he was so frustrating and pitiful... Woo Bin did such a good job with this. If only it wasn't poorly written).

Suzy... now she's a renowned actress, and I did enjoy her portrayal of her character, No Eul- sassy, bold. But since this is the only work I've seen her in, I'm not so impressed. 😓 The real problem, then, might have been her character. Erratic and ridiculous at time, she was a representation of a broken human who hides her feelings with a "lol I'm a bad person" persona. Did it make sense? Not really, no. (At least not till she develops and becomes her true self, which does not come in for a while- and for me, was not worth the wait). Did I like it? Not really, no.

The other principle characters were also a little ridiculous and shocking, and nobody in the show was a stereotypical "good-guy", which I enjoyed. Everybody was forced to face the consequences of their actions, which is not necessarily how real life works. But this is a drama, so to balance the story, of course that's how it works (thank goodness).

She's so pretty though... wow

The story, long-winded and a little sudden, does not really pull the audience in enough in the beginning for us to watch it all, and the conflict seems stale. Regardless, it weaves in a plethora of pitiful characters with flaws and grudges (though we aren't sure how they all tie in for a bit). And when we are aware of how these grudges tie in, and how people have wronged each other, we're... bored. But also it all just seems like such an unresolved mess that I just didn't have the heart to watch it all play out, not to mention the multitude of factors that complicated and confused the story a little. Simplicity might have done the story some good.

Character development does indeed take place, especially Woo Bin and his, um, kin. But the stereotypical conflicts still exist in the sphere - and the relationships between family members are as complicated as they are expected. Not much of an element of surprise in the show, mainly because of its slow pace. But I am glad that the characters weren't completely fake and unbelievably good or bad. It set the tone for the drama rather well, since it does deal with a more serious atmosphere that doesn't have a traditional love story and magical happenings.

If there's another element that's so often used in a way I don't like (except Secret Garden. They did phenomenal), it would be the god damn ties to the past. The show trailers advertised a pair of classmates who meet after growing up. Great. But their past love story was just a little forced. I think the way they did finally get separated, and the way they meet again was super fresh. I really liked it. But, their sudden reawakening of love, and this undying love that has been festering for years? So random. There are flashbacks to the past in other parts of the drama that I think were well executed, as well as our main character's regression in memory (spoiler? But well done).

The point of the story? Of course, since it's got the terminal illness trope, it's got to do with appreciating life. Our main character decides to set into motion his "bucket list" before he dies so that he can do what he always wanted to do (confess to his old love, make up with his mother, etc.). But at the end he appreciates what he had done in his life, and ended on a peaceful and happy note. It's kind of heartbreaking. But the story does delve into much more than that - which redeems to the extent that at least our characters and their connections were thought out. The drama explores how different characters deal with consequences to their actions, and whether or not people can be truly good or bad. We see themes of family develop, and how small actions can ruin everything. There is a call to a moral being inside us all to do what is right.

So why didn't I like it? Well... it was boring and slow. Not to mention, the plot seemed all over the place, and while the ideas that were brought out in the drama were deep and fresh, their execution was poor. I could not form a bond with No Eul despite her sad backstory, mainly because of how strangely she was portrayed. Perhaps it was on purpose, to show her as a broken creature. But how this love story persisted despite all that? That's what made me stop. If you can overlook the improbability of their feelings and actions in any situation in the drama, you probably won't dislike the show as much as I did.

Regardless of whether or not the show pained you (I mean mentally and emotionally - this was one sad show), the soundtrack is worth listening to. If there's one song I fell in love with, it would be A Little Braver by New Empire. Sweet, and well-timed within the drama. Would recommend it.

So in conclusion, watch it if you're desperate for a slow story and a good cry with little catharsis. Or, don't watch it. Appreciate your life and love freely regardless. Be grateful and show it to those around you, and oh, always do what you believe in your heart to be right. Be happy. Haha 😊

Monday, July 24, 2017

Review: Dunkirk

War movies... never get old?

Well, I can't account for that; however, at least this movie had a fresh take and did not aim for total emotional breakdown of the audience. In fact, very little was explored regarding the principle characters' backstories. It was war. Everybody had someone to get back to. We know that.

In that sense, it was very in-the-moment and edge-of-the-seat.

Christopher Nolan of course had a great soundtrack to go with that had the audience excited, and we got close enough to the characters to care a little, despite the low dialogue and little we knew of the characters besides what their actions spoke.

The cast performed well, and all consist of British actors you've probably seen before, and confirmed the theory that there are only around 30 British actors in the world. I was completely not expecting to see friendly neighborhood Harry Styles, and it caught me completely off guard, which perhaps raises the theory that there are only about 50 British people in the world total? Perhaps? Tom Hardy, though - I didn't even know he was British. Honestly my favorite guy in the movie.

A little bit of Google-ing finds that there was a previous Dunkirk from 1958, which I have not and probably will not watch. Also a 2004 BBC TV series (gotta love BBC), which I also will not watch. So much for a comparison. The movie made reference to Churchill's "We shall fight on the beaches" speech, and brings up the point that this movie had a lot of British patriotism (shocking) which also means that it probably cannot be as fully appreciated unless you feel a connection to World War II from a British perspective. But this also means the rosy view of the events that actually happened, be it the surrender of the french soldiers or the Ken doll rescuing soldiers in a red sweater on a boat (who are you and how single are you).

The movie, in a word, was artsy. Not everybody's cup of tea, but I definitely like it and think it's worth a watch. I did not watch it in IMAX 3D but the camerawork was great, and it was exciting, well-made. An iconic scene that represents what I mean is this somewhat long but nerve-wracking sequence a little after the movie starts as two principle characters attempt to catch a boat to cross the channel and leave Dunkirk (spoiler: it doesn't really work right off the bat. Kind of the point of the movie). There are several principle characters, and the plot shifts between timelines and points of view that all culminate to the climax of the film and paint a fuller picture of our Allied soldiers' story and the evacuation of Dunkirk.

While the majority of the film is just one hurdle after the other, and paints a grim picture following any glint of hope that appears, the movie ends clearly and definitely on a hopeful note. Sure (spoiler), a certain character probably got captured and killed as a POW despite doing such a great job saving the others - damn did I root for him, but his scene on the beach was heartwarming and full of hope. What an actor.

I don't want to say that World War movies are overdone, because it honestly wasn't that long ago, even if most of us are detached from it. But the emotion was still there.

Now, for what I didn't like. The characters. Perhaps Nolan got caught up in great cinematic effects (never a bad thing), and neglected the connection the audience felt to the characters. I cared enough that the characters' actions and fates had me rooting for them, but the deaths (not a spoiler, it's a war movie) and getaways did not elicit more of a reaction than the occasional "lucky bastard" at Tommy. The movie, while it was a great one-time watch, did not draw a deep enough connection, enough for me to call it... well, forgettable.

I wouldn't watch it again if I didn't have to. Mainly because there wasn't enough that I felt for it. And the attempts that were made to build our connections with characters sometimes felt forced, and involved more dialogue than perhaps necessary (nobody talked for most of the time; I think Harry Styles honestly had the most lines - for no real reason), and the sweetest moments involved us understanding and inferring their character through their actions.

Regardless, I enjoyed it. I think the movie is worth watching, especially if impressive camerawork excites you. Sure, this is no Interstellar, but I recommend it for at least one watch, even if only for the hype. If you adjust your expectations a little, it won't disappoint you (isn't that true for everything? Haha).

- Ritika RC -

Friday, July 21, 2017

Featured Poem: Birches

Introduction

Robert Frost, oh my gosh. Love his poems. They're very "my style"... I don't quite know how to describe the feeling, but it has to do with feeling a oneness with nature that manifests when just serenely pondering the wonderings in my head. I sound like a juvenile critic, partially because (of course) I am, and I've loved his poetry since I was a child. If I ever do decide to post my poetry on here, you'd see the influence of nature that transcends yet reflects society. A form of art that Frost had skillfully mastered. Without further rambling, here is this poem, roughly about growing up, and sweet within my memory, Birches:

Birches

BY ROBERT FROST

When I see birches bend to left and right

Across the lines of straighter darker trees,

I like to think some boy's been swinging them.

But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay

As ice-storms do. Often you must have seen them

Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning

After a rain. They click upon themselves

As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored

As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel.

Soon the sun's warmth makes them shed crystal shells

Shattering and avalanching on the snow-crust—

Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away

You'd think the inner dome of heaven had fallen.

They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load,

And they seem not to break; though once they are bowed

So low for long, they never right themselves:

You may see their trunks arching in the woods

Years afterwards, trailing their leaves on the ground

Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair

Before them over their heads to dry in the sun.

But I was going to say when Truth broke in

With all her matter-of-fact about the ice-storm

I should prefer to have some boy bend them

As he went out and in to fetch the cows—

Some boy too far from town to learn baseball,

Whose only play was what he found himself,

Summer or winter, and could play alone.

One by one he subdued his father's trees

By riding them down over and over again

Until he took the stiffness out of them,

And not one but hung limp, not one was left

For him to conquer. He learned all there was

To learn about not launching out too soon

And so not carrying the tree away

Clear to the ground. He always kept his poise

To the top branches, climbing carefully

With the same pains you use to fill a cup

Up to the brim, and even above the brim.

Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish,

Kicking his way down through the air to the ground.

So was I once myself a swinger of birches.

And so I dream of going back to be.

It's when I'm weary of considerations,

And life is too much like a pathless wood

Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs

Broken across it, and one eye is weeping

From a twig's having lashed across it open.

I'd like to get away from earth awhile

And then come back to it and begin over.

May no fate willfully misunderstand me

And half grant what I wish and snatch me away

Not to return. Earth's the right place for love:

I don't know where it's likely to go better.

I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree,

And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk

Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,

But dipped its top and set me down again.

That would be good both going and coming back.

One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Featured Music: heyahe, Gettin' By - ONE

Hey friends,

With all the anticipation surrounding YG's newest solo male artist, ONE, I feel like binge-watching SMTM 6. All I gotta say is, he did well this debut 😊 - looking forward to future songs.