This month I spent less time watching movies, as I really focused on working from home, so this recap won’t be long. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t watch the good ones. Thankfully, I selected some movies that worth mentioned, that I decided to review it fully. Europe on Screen, the European movie festival happened also this month, but I only managed to watch one movie (what?? I still can’t believe this). Apparently, I’m a busy woman. But I’m happy with what I saw this month.
Let’s recap what I watched for the first time this May :
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The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
The Broken Circle Breakdown (2014)
Age of Adaline (2015)
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Milo (2012) – Europe on Screen 2015
I’m glad Milo happened to be a good choice as it’s the only movie I saw in Europe on Screen 2015. It’s about a kid named Milo with skin abnormality and his frustration among the procedures and medications. He also feel his father’s embarrassment towards him. The only thing he really wants is joining his school camp with his close friend, a girl but his parents feels it has too much risk for him and his skin. Milo never know what his skin abnormality is, so it remain a mystery and horror for him.
Then Milo escaped in the morning to go to the camp, but he missed the school’s bus. So he goes alone. Lost, then he is founded by an old but eccentric woman who ended up caring him like her own son. The woman happens to be a life partner of a bank robber. There, Milo feels his freedom and acceptance by them. But not long his skin abnormality starts showing, as he leave his medication at home. The drama was good though nothing quite new. The build up to what his skin’s abnormality was good, but the actual abnormality isn’t as horrific as I thought it should be. Score : 7
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Grace of Monaco (2014)
Though Nicole Kidman might have similar on/off screen beauty glow like Grace Kelly, there was something missing for her to play the icon. Perhaps casting someone less big as Kidman could do, but it’s hard to get that inner-diva. Perhaps the real story was indeed unpleasant; the sacrifice of a big Hollywood actress have to give her ‘throne’ away once she’s married, and she just discovered the reality after she did got married. The real princess story turned out to be not-so-happily-ever-after. In fact, she was all alone. But, somehow it felt plain and flat. Score : 6
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The Pretty One (2013)
Ever since Ruby Sparks, I’ve always wanted (and Paul Dano) to see what Zoe Kazan do in her latest movies. Not too fond with What If, but the premise in The Pretty One sounds interesting. Zoe plays twins, Audrey and Laurel. While Laurel stayed at home taking care of her father in a small town, Audrey is living her life as a real estate worker in the city. Laurel clearly never think for herself, while Audrey is the ‘it’ girl. Audrey meant to take Laurel to live with her in her place, when they got a car accident. Audrey passed away, while Laurel survived. Because of her new haircut who looked like Audrey, Laurel is mistaken by her. But she never correct everyone’s assumption and go live Audrey’s life instead. She met Basel (Jake M. Johnson) who owns the place and live next to her and Charles (Ron Livingston) who had an affair with her but is a married man. By living Audrey’s life, Laurel finds her own true self.
Copycat or duplicating is a form of a compliment, and sometimes an early state of finding your own identity. The Pretty One has a classic ugly duckling turned to princess element, and those pretty/popular vs unpopular/nerdy stories. Only both are twin sisters and they actually get along with each other. One have no problem on confidence and setting goals, while other need more push. The insecure Laurel might be adorable for not knowing her own greatness, but sometimes her insecurity felt tacky. I do think Zoe Kazan is more exciting as the together-confident-it girl. So being Laurel is not the best role she played. She didn’t have the best chemistry with Jake M. Johnson as her real love interest. Johnson still is plays the laid back underachiever character he got in New Girl series. The ending was predictable. Score : 6
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Ex Machina (2015)
I can’t quite settle on how I feel with Ex Machina (2015), but I can be sure that I was not comfortable watching it. I love Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac before in their own movies. Alicia Vikander was brilliant as Ava the artificial intelligence creature. The set was gorgeous and breathtaking, nature combined with minimalistic futuristic architecture. Not to mention the visual effects on Ava’s body. Somewhere somehow this movie has creepy elements on objectifying a woman. It does had to do with one of the antagonist character in the movie who got a bit psychotic issue. Because Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) was selected to do a test to Nathan’s (Oscar Isaac) invention, Ava (Alicia Vikander), the whole movie felt like a mind game; is Nathan a good/bad person? Was everything happened in the place already set? The test turned out to be more than just a test.
It feels like watching a first edition of a kick ass sci-fi action series, we’re watching the born of a dangerous/amazing robotic creature. I was impressed on Vikander’s portrayal of Ava, every gestures of her blended with her look created an amazing manifestation of a beautiful yet mysterious AI. Oscar Isaak was a natural antagonist, but Domhnall Gleeson was too much a protagonist and I think he should looked a bit more pervert-ish as Caleb. I thought Ex Machina would be very cool if all the cast was Japanese as all the elements of it was cold. There should be a sequel and I am interested to see it. Score : 6,5
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Re-watching : Begin Again (2014)
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Other posts this month :
- Fine Visual : Frances Ha (2013)
- Soundtrack Pick : Aloha (2015)
- The Curse of Falling in Love : The Broken Circle Breakdown (2014)
- Age of Adaline (2015) : The Irony of Forever Young
- Blind Spot ’15 : The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
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There you go. What’s the best movie you saw in May?
