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Film: The Drama

Couldn't finish. I am not a millennial and struggle to relate to their worldview. The big first act "twist" was such a boner killer. No, I don't buy that her character did what she said she did. And even if she had...maybe so what? I don't know. Millennials want to give Mao and Stalin and communism a big "pass" for murdering millions of people, but this one character "plans" a school shooting, doesn't even do it, and this is some sort of unforgivable transgression? Then the filmmaking takes a turn with flashbacks, unclear POV, and inserting the actor at a different age playing Zendaya alongside the wedding planning. Nah. Sorry, just not into this at all...

So I watched The Last Samurai instead...

Film: The Last Samurai

Man, I miss these mid tier historical melodramas...not great movies or cinematic masterpieces, but just the scale and commitment and attention to certain values and representation at the movies - there's a quality to these kind of films absent today. On some level, it's a more satisfying and impressive "movie" than even The Odyssey. Easier to watch, following, take something from, and even maybe learn something about the world (dare I say). And here's the thing: it's not even that good. But it's competent. And the older I get, the. more I can appreciate it.

PS - Tom Cruise here getting some reps for his Top Gun Maverick role