fall 2020 // film impressions

Every film in this post was something I watched during the fall of 2020. I talked about the first four in another post, but I pasted the reviews here anyway because I wanted to have a complete list of everything I watched and wrote about.

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Cinderella (2015) | re-watch

Oh my goodness this is such an amazing remake and it gets better every time I watch it. Sometimes in the midst of this crazy life one just needs a good fairytale. I think this version avoided The Perils of Adapting Fairytales In The 21st Century quite well: it fleshed out a simple story and gave it more of a world to belong to, but it didn't try to modernize it thematically to the point where it doesn't feel timeless anymore. (Also, I have now decided that Kenneth Branagh is an amazing filmmaker and I would love to work with him someday.) 

Dumbo (2019)

The production design was incredible. (It's set in 1919, right after WWI.) The story wasn't my favorite, to be honest, but I would recommend watching if only for the set and costume design.


Christopher Robin (2018) | re-watch

In my opinion, this is one of the most nostalgic movies ever. Not only does it make you feel nostalgic, it pretty much is about sentimentality itself. Included is a free helping of tears/laughter (there's so much dry humor) and it really does make me pause and think about my life (e.g. "doing nothing often leads to the very best something"). And Hayley Atwell is in it, so that's always a plus. :) 

Newsies (2017)

I can't even begin to describe how much of an impact watching this musical had on me. When I was thirteen, I remember we sang a medley of songs from Newsies in choir and I it had a big impact on me - especially "Something to Believe In." But seeing how the songs fit in with the story made it so much more meaningful. I'm so inspired by that performance - I really would love to perform on Broadway one day and live in stories as powerful as these.

Pride and Prejudice (2005)

Contrary to what I've heard, I actually didn't think this was a good adaptation of the book, and not because of the actors. A novel with this much scope and social interaction (and every single interaction makes a difference) simply is not suited for a two-hour film format. Limited series are perfect for most period dramas in my opinion (four to six episodes or so) because it allows for the story and characters to develop fully while still having a sense of closure. Although the film was true to the book, the time limit resulted in  the plot being crammed, rushed, and giving an overall shallow feel to it. With more time, Pride and Prejudice could have been an incredible screen adaptation, the deeper themes just need to show so it can be presented as more than a romance story.

(I feel like I may have just insulted a Jane Austen fan. In reality, I enjoyed reading Pride and Prejudice but didn't quite love it... so I apologize if I judged it too harshly for you.)

(as harshly as Lizzie first judged Darcy? maybe.)

Tolkien (2018) | re-watch

A masterpiece in my mind. It's not a biographical film in the sense that one would expect; the narrative is neither clear nor linear. It doesn't explain, it simply suggests. It's not about Tolkien's life, it's about Tolkien.  It's his world through his eyes. 

For a newcomer to his work, it may not be easy to follow. His creation of Middle-earth is almost never clearly mentioned, but constantly alluded in such a way that for someone who has done their research (like me) it's beautiful. You just know, and you're hanging on to each frame as you figure out the matching puzzle pieces to the knowledge you've already acquired. 

It also strikes such a chord with me as an artist. I've always related to what I knew about Tolkien's personality, but I felt somewhat connected to his three friends and Edith (his love interest and future wife) as well. So many feelings, so many longings of my heart expressed: the desire to change the world, to be known and remembered, to escape ordinary life, to try and "perfect" your work (and life), to love fiercely and deeply, and to feel pain just as deeply. 

Maleficent (2014)  + Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)

Although I watched both films, the one I really have thoughts about is the sequel (Mistress of Evil). Quite a few thoughts, actually. 

Every bit of scenery and costume and character design in both movies was amazing. So was the cinematography: especially in the flying scene in the Dark Fey's cave.  The Dark Fey in particular were my favorite part of the film. (for context, Dark Fey are a type of fairy, and Maleficent is supposedly one of them.) I'm so intrigued by this new fantasy element. I think there should be an entire fantasy movie about them, if only to flesh out their history, culture, and scenery. I'd definitely watch it.

But although I loved some of the fantasy elements, I felt the story was not good enough. Maleficent and Aurora had more character development by building on the first film, but the other main characters were significantly one-sided. There wasn't enough substance to them.

And there are unanswered plot questions for both films that are bothering me. Like if the very last remaining Dark Fey were living in that cave, how did Maleficent end up growing up in the Moors as a child? (her childhood was only shown in the first movie). And how was she more powerful than the rest of the fairies? What caused that? If Aurora became Queen of the Moors, who rules the kingdom where she was born? And what is the geography of the world like, since it seems like all the kingdoms are within walking/flying distance and border each other?

My final thought: these are enjoyable but confusing movies on many levels.

Black Beauty (2020)

DISCLAIMER: This is one of those stories that brings back specific childhood memories, so at some points I may cross the line from impartially analyzing to subtly ranting about my feelings. I really try to differentiate between the two when I give my opinion on something, because I know it's easy to become a little-over invested when a movie has a personal connection.  

You wouldn't know it from watching the trailer, but this Black Beauty remake was actually pretty faithful to the plot of the book. But there were a few changes that ruined the overall effect of the story.

For starters, both the main characters were switched from male to female: Black Beauty (now a filly instead of a colt), and Jo Green (now a girl instead of a boy -- his name was spelled Joe Greene). While not a bad idea, it makes the story feel lopsided, because although it may be called "Black Beauty" it really places its focus on the character of Jo -- the family grief she's dealing with and her growth. She even has a (rather bland) love interest. 

The horse's narration was also a little too... human? I can't lay my finger on why exactly it bothered me. I'm all for giving personality to animal characters, but maybe the humans were just not developed enough, and the horse had a slightly annoying habit of saying her feelings in the narration (e.g. "I was scared") when a fundamental rule of writing and acting is show how the character's feeling, don't tell.

And now, the setting has moved from 19th century England to 21st century America, which presents its own set of problems. Horses are not as much a part of everyday life now, in the U.S., as they were when the book was written -- and it was written to address animal cruelty of the time. Mistreatment of horses is still very real, but it comes in different forms now, and the story did not take time to make the message clear. Also unfortunately, because of the modern-day setting, a lot of those annoying, cliché tropes that are all too common in horse stories ended up in the movie (rich, snobby riding students who too high-and-mighty to associate with someone less rich is such a plot twist, you know? I mean, I never saw it coming.)

That being said, it wasn't a bad movie. I just don't feel that the remake was necessary or well-executed as well as it could have been.