Asphalt City (2023) directed by Jean Stephane Sauvaire is a raw and not afraid at all to describe the lives of paramedics in New York City, I have to say this is one of those from 0 to 100 real quick scenarios, the movie stars Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan as Gene Rutkovsky and Ollie Ross, two paramedics navigating the harsh realities of their profession, the movie is an adaptation from the 2008 novel Black Flies by Shannon Burke, it was initially to have the same name although latter on was change, the movie tries to show the audience the darkness and often brutal world of emergency medical services in one of the world's most challenging urban environments.

The movie opens with a high stakes emergency intervention setting the tone for the relentless pace and intensity that follows, one scenario after the other setting the bar higher. Ollie Ross a fresh faced newcomer from Colorado is thrown into the lions den as he partners with the grizzled veteran Gene Rutkovsky who has seen it all during his shifts and basically tired of it. The story tells how their relationship started to evolve and the moral and ethical dilemmas they face daily, the story is not just about the physical challenges of the job but most of the time about the psychological toll it takes on those who choose this line of work.

Sauvaire's direction combined with the screenplay by Ryan King and Ben Mac Brown creates very harsh experience for the audience since not everyone has the stomach to take it and at the same time immerses the audience in the chaotic and often violent world of NYC paramedics the movie is not shy from graphic depictions of the emergencies they encounter and sometimes uncomfortable watch, it is this very rawness that gives the film its power providing a window into a world that is rarely seen in such detail.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9663896/

• Platform: Amazon

The Characters and Performances

Gene Rutkovsky play The Seasoned Veteran

Sean Penn delivers a compelling performance as Gene Rutkovsky a 15 year veteran of the New York City MED Department, he is a complicated character who really demonstrate how careless and cynic a man can turn during the job this comes with years of exposure to the city's darkest corners. Penn's role is marked by a sense of predicting things after seen a lot happen during his shifts and a deep understanding of the character's internal struggles between everything going on at work and with his daughter and ex lover, been not just a paramedic he is a man fighting with his own demons including a problematic long relationship with his ex wife and the emotional weight of his job.

Ollie Ross Does a Naive Rookie

Tye Sheridan plays Ollie Ross a young man from Colorado who moves to New York City with dreams of becoming a doctor. Sheridan's performance captures how rookies who get into the job start so naive and idealism of a newcomer, put side by side against the harsh realities he faces on the job. Ollie starts to grow as he goes, not only been partner with Gene but latter on had to deal with Lafontaine who makes his life a living hell from the moment they met and is who tells him straight up to his face what he thinks from the patients they pick up either based on the color of their skin or social status, such experience is what really makes him become a more realistic and center man about his job.

The Supporting Cast

The supporting cast includes a range of characters between them we got Kali Reis plays Nia, a drug addicted pregnant woman who turn on to be one of the most brutal cases reason why I mention her first, while Katherine Waterston portrays Nancy, Rutkovsky's ex lover, on setting the bar between disturbing and awkward moments during the movie she is up there. Michael Pitt is LaFontaine, an argumentative co worker, who basically makes Ollie work environment a living hell and Mike Tyson appears as Chief Burroughs the tough boss of the paramedic house, Gbenga Akinnagbe plays Verdis one of the more compassionate paramedics you could find.

Themes and Elements of Asphalt City

Moral and Ethical Dilemmas

One of the central themes of the film is the moral and ethical dilemmas faced by paramedics for both Rutkovsky and Ross are constantly confronted with situations that test their principles and force them to make difficult decisions, on one hand we have Gene who is bombarded with problems out side of work and probably loosing hope in humans, on the other hand we have Ollie who has every single breath of him wanting to help everyone who gets into his ambulance to the point that is traumatic when he loose a patient on his way to the hospital. The movie explores the idea of a moral code, one that may not align with some of now days society norms but is necessary for survival in their line of work, often the movie is very related to a quote from Verdis one of the paramedics "We all live in the darkness, we don’t have to let it inside."

Psychological Wear and Tear

The psychological wear and tear of their body, brain and soul that comes with the job is another key theme, the movie goes deep into the mental and emotional strain experienced by paramedics as it shows how they start to break down or have broken down in the past by their life stile, highlighting the impact of constant exposure to trauma and violence. Rutkovsky's character in particular tries to maintain his sanity and sense of purpose trying to cope with the chaos but at the end is fully consume by it to the point of taking his own life.

Direction and Cinematography

Jean Stephane Sauvaire's direction is marked by a harsh realism that enhances the movie impact towards the audience with the use of handheld cameras and close up shots creates a sense of immersion or pov, drawing the audience into the chaotic world of the paramedics. The work of the director of photography David Ungaro supports Sauvaire’s direction focus on describing the dark and suffocating environment of the city, Lighting and color enhance the movie’s tension at night specially, many sequences take place in bright, artificial light that gives the impression of an imminent threat with visual elements of the movie such as the repeated images of the subway tracks above the characters also enhance the feeling of tension during their shifts at night.

Asphalt City is a very slow movie that at times felt to drawn you into Ollie and Gene problems, I might focus on different aspects of content but as long as it generates some sort of feeling or reaction from me it turns interesting. The movie really shows the powerful commitment of paramedics and the strength need to work in such demanding field where you have the experience to look at everyone under the same conditions, they all closer to death and you are the only one who can make a difference for them, as very often refer during the movie "I'm GOD".

The movies was brutally score on multiple online websites like IMDB or RottenTomatoes but once you go and read the reviews often you will find that the acting of Sean Penn was very good some describing it as above average but its the pace and the harsh reality of problems they deal with during the movie that might turn it boring for some people, its a drama, not action movie or comedy, I would totally recommend this movie despite its average online score.

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The movie named as Longing (2024) is a good mixture of comedy and drama genres and tells the story of a successful businessman named Daniel Bloch who meets his small town girlfriend after so long not seen here, we are talking years, this particular twist is a most interesting one, especially when Daniel learns that they have a child together, an experience that makes him undergo a life changing transformation as he spend more time trying to learn and discover what happen with his son that he never met and sadly is now gone.

The story line is crafted from an award winning feature film of a foreign language and the existing complicated Daniel’s business life alongside the emotional stress he experiences once he comes to know about his child are brought out very well. You have an intelligent, well dressed man who has grown up in the big city and then there is his rural background and his new role as a father but there is so much he can't do about it, he lost a huge experience, the tension is fantastic.

The main characters played by the actors Richard Gere who portrays Daniel Bloch and Diane Kruger as his former girlfriend, it is quite impossible not to acknowledge the chemistry as professional acting they had in this movie and the reuniting of their characters is touching, specially once she starts getting him up to date with the recent events. Jessica Clement, Marnie McPhail, and Tomas Sanelli all assist in the overall plot and provide a variety of characters and feelings for the story.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8442220/

• Platform: Limited (Internet)

• Release: June 10, 2024

Exploring The Movie Themes

Responsibility and Accountability

In terms of its themes, it is perhaps one of the most compelling and thought provoking works that deals with concepts like responsibility, personal identity and the role of human relationships. From a narcissistic millionaire to a man facing the consequences of his actions, the story is both believable and interesting, this is a classic story we have in today's society every single day, not that is hard for the mother and son but also for the father when sadly certain events come up that affect them all with not much to be done but could certain situations could have been prevented. The story also could leave the audience with quite a lot of questions as a big part of it would be left to the imagination of how Daniel son and the events that unfold really happen as he has to find out the truth of his son's life by himself and verify what others tell him, I'm sure at first everything is not what it seems, the impact of one’s actions and the subsequent accountability that has to be faced.

The importance of relationships in our lives

Another theme that has a lot of impact on the story is the transformative aspect of how relationships can change our lives and define who we are and what we want, we can even compare the two scenes in the movie where Daniel embraces his ex girlfriend and then his son on a similar way was deeply affected by how often relations influence our lives beyond our expectations, both men sooner or latter shape up by the relationships they had on their life with their once lovers.

Identity and Self Discovery

Another significant aspect of the movie relates to the idea of identity, its development and changes due to interactions and personality transformations, the experience of the Daniel from a bachelor to a man who has to face the consequences of his past is an interesting look at how the concept of a person’s identity evolves.

The Talented Cast

Richard Gere as Daniel Bloch a successful business man, role played by Richard Gere, who is an experienced actor with numerous great films in his portfolio, has all the authority and confidence that are necessary for the main character, Daniel Bloch. These aspects of his performance are impressive because they describes very well the internal struggle of a selfish man who cannot escape his sins.

They casted a fairly accurate actress for the character, Diane Kruger as the Former Girlfriend, Diane Kruger, an actress who is not typecast and can adapt to different roles easily, pulls off the character of Daniel’s former girlfriend rather well, some of the reasons why she stands out in the film is due to her ability to act out various feelings and emotions and cannot be overlooked that she is a beautiful actress.

Critical Reception and Audience Response

When I was looking up for information or reviews about this movie I could find online that there has been more negative than positive opinions about the movie although is nothing new to have the "critics and experts" opinion one sided while the audience express something different towards the opposite. It has been noted that some of the limitations the story had is focusing on the characters development stops the flow of the story basically to figure out what really happen with Daniel's son although I think this is the kind of drama where the audience will be more focus on how his parents, teachers, girlfriend and friends fell about Allen now that he is gone rather to what happen with him, this is not a murder case investigation movie, its a touching drama about a father that just find out his son, he never met is dead.

I think that Longing (2024) is a movie that shows the life aspect very well because it has a good combination of humor and tragedy, at least from what I could see from the trailer, given its known talented cast with exciting developed plot and the film’s themes of grief and self discovery, it will appeal to a certain audience who want to see a great film with an engaging story and moving performances, its not a movie for everyone after all drama movies are not for everyone.

Overall, it tackles the themes of responsibility, identity and the potential of change within family relationships to be profound and comprehensible, specially through the character transformation of Daniel from a selfish tycoon to a man who is overwhelmed by guilt, is a profound statement about the processes that take place in a man’s life when mistakes are made and yous just can't go back in time to get them fix.

In conclusion I believe this is a movie that has a good part of the story be left to the audience imagination, in my case I like that from a movie and at the same time hope it has some closure to both sides of the story how did Daniel's son died, if he had a good life and how the story that Daniel uncovers will affect him, I expect very few characters and probably a plot twist to the story.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #captivating, #comedydrama, #reunion, #mogul, #smalltown, #girlfriend, #child, #revelation, #selfdiscovery, #introspection, #awardwinning, #foreignlanguage, #narrative, #complexity, #business, #emotional, #turmoil, #polished, #urban, #humble, #roots, #tension, #fatherhood, #sophisticated, #nuance, #movie, #officialtrailer, #trailer

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Fresh Kills (2023) is a strongly argued drama that brings a new perspective to the genre of the mob story that has long been associated with the male, it is a film directed and written by Jennifer Esposito, a story based on the Larusso family who move from Brooklyn to Staten Island in the late 1980’s in order to build a better life for themselves. However, their mob connections do not disappear with the start of the movie and are especially felt by Francine (Esposito), the main heroine and her daughters, Rose (Emily Bader) and Connie (Odessa A’zion). The film is seen from Rose’s persceptive, the second daughter who is describe as more subdued and contemplative as she struggles to come to terms with being raised in a criminal organization, we can say she had a more moral conscience.

This is Esposito’s directorial debut and it is a very personal movie as much of it is based on Esposito’s own life as a young girl growing up in Staten Island. This was a point she had been working on the idea of the script since she was sixteen years and the close relation with the culture and interaction patterns of the community she is try to bring to live through this movie. The production of the film was interrupted with some unique difficulties, especially in the understanding of financing for the project. Esposito experienced some challenges especially in the department of male lead actors which is always a challenge especially when many industries, especially Hollywood, are inclined towards providing more male oriented stories. However she overcame this obstacle through an innovative approach: This made the film the first feature that was financed and marketed by fans around the world through an IPO on Upstream, the world’s first blockchain-based global digital stock market that operates on the Ethereum platform, when I read this actually blew my mind but I guess back then I was not really into crypto.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15782954/

• Platform: Theaters

• Release: June 14, 2024

Plot Overview

The plot of the Fresh Kills focuses on the life of the Larusso family with an emphasis on women, the family has moved to a new house and it becomes evident that Francine is an abusive wife to her husband Joe played by Domenick Lombardozzi, Joe’s criminal acts are still a part of the family’s daily life, although they do not always manifest themselves in a blatant manner. The story describes Rose’s struggle to find her path towards freedom in a life that she is expected to live, she wants to be free of her family and a life of crime which is represented best by her desire to be a guest on the Sally Jessy Raphael show.

Concerning the main characters Connie is the total opposite of Rose, she is aggressive and hot headed just like the original mob mentality that is portrayed in most older movies. This is because she is fiercely loyal to the family and comes across as quite aggressive, making the tension clear when interacting with Rose. Connie represents the sort of character seen in a number of movies such as The Godfather where James Caan plays the role of a young man who becomes a liability and a source of constant trouble to his family or in Mean Streets where Robert De Niro portrays the character of a reckless wild young man who poses a threat to the family’s stability, this is the first impression given by the character of Connie, true hard core mob mentality but very unstable.

Production Challenges

Despite the challenges, such as finding funding for the film, Jennifer Esposito, who directed the film for the first time, encountered numerous difficulties as a first time director, Esposito inevitably faced the challenge of how to secure the funds for her movie a problem that has plagued the film industry, especially regarding women in director’s chairs. It is quite surprising that even though Esposito was financially limited, she was still able to come up with ways of making the film better by using real locations such as basements, garages and parking lots to make the film real and grounded.

COVID-19 also became an issue for the production process along with the general challenges of creating an animated film. Working during the COVID-19 pandemic meant that everyone had to remain safe, which was a challenge as shooting had to be completed in the 22 day shooting period. Esposito, who also acted in the film had to work in both the capacities for some time, this was a double responsibility given to her during shooting which sometimes saw her holding a hand monitor to assess the scenes before going back to acting with several challenges were experienced due to the pandemic protocols that required a lot of flexibility and hard work from the whole team of actors and crew members.

Fresh Kills is a movie set in the late 1980s to the late 1990s meaning that aside from the actors’ performances, costumes hair, and makeup designers had to pay extra attention to the historical accuracy of the props and clothing worn by the characters. Esposito employed these aspects not merely for aesthetic purposes to give a retro feel to the movie, but to add depth to the action and make the viewer feel the emotions of the characters. This created another layer of work during production because acquiring and placing details that are fitting for the era of the movie required time and diligence.

Cast and Performances

The movie has a number of great actors including those who have previous experience with acting in movies and who have previously starred in great performances, this time leading the pack is Jennifer Esposito who in addition to directing and writing the movie, acts as Francine Larusso. Esposito is a talented actress who has been in the industry for quite some time, she featured in Crash (2004), where she play the character of Ria as well as in Summer of Sam (1999) which was directed by Spike Lee along with some of the TV shows she has acted in are Blue Bloods where she portrays Detective Jackie Curatola and NCIS where she plays the character of Special Agent Alexandra Quinn.

Next to Esposito there is Annabella Sciorra who portrays the character of Christine, Francine’s sister. Sciorra rose to fame with her first film in True Love (1989) and then contributed to Jungle Fever (1991) and The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (1992) to give some of the productions she has been part of in the past, she is well known for the role of Gloria Trillo for which she got nominated for the Emmy award and got popularity from the series The Sopranos (2001-2004).

Other essential members of the cast include Odessa A’zion, who acts as Connie, Francine's oldest dauthger. A’zion is not new to the screens, she has appeared in the CBS sitcom Fam (2019) and the Netflix drama Grand Army (2020), among the movies she featured in are Hellraiser (2022) and The Inhabitant (2022), A’zion proved to be very perceptive and passionate in portraying her characters which made her a standout performer in Fresh Kills.

Emily Bader, who plays Rose, Connie's young sister, is known for her lead role in Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin (2021), television shows appearances of Badr include Charmed and My Lady Jane. The performance of Rose in Fresh Kills gives the film an emotional appeal as she plays the role of a young woman raised in a crime family.

Joe Larusso is played by Domenick Lombardozzi, who previously has been famous for his character of Herc in the television series The Wire which remain on air from 2002 to 2008, Lombardozzi accomplished a lot and he starred in A Bronx Tale (1993), The Irishman (2019), and Tulsa King, Joe is played quite realistically by Lombardozzi.

Critical Reception

Fresh Kills has received a range of positive reviews and interest from both critics and the audience since many find the movie take on the mob genre fresh and engaging, with some of the criticisms made are that Esposito took a daring move in focusing the story on the women of an organized crime family a change from the usual themes seen in this genre that are mainly surrounded by men, praised for adding depth and realism to characters that are normally only portrayed as part of the ensemble in mob dramas.

The review from Variety praises Esposito for her good drama that focuses on the wives and daughters and noting that the realistic aspect of the movie is enhanced by outstanding performances of the casts notably Odessa A’zion and Emily Bader. The sharp and loyal nature of Connie portrayed by A’zion can be compared to James Caan in the Godfather or Robert De Niros in Mean Streets because of her explosive character. While Bader’s Rose is a way more passive character who finds herself a victim of her family’s criminal activities and embarks on a journey to break free from her lineage and find herself.

Similar to these views, IndieWire highlights the fact that the movie is about observing the complex and multifaceted female characters and their interactions through ordinary events, mch attention has been paid to the female characters as emotional anchors of the show and their choices as well are presented , normally attributed to male crime lords, thanks to Esposito’s direction.

As a first time director Jennifer Esposito has not only been able to endure the difficulties, trials and tribulations of her first movie as director on top have having Hollywoods eyes on her back but also grow and even transition from actress to director. In conclusion we can appreciate the tenacity and the creativity that Jennifer Esposito has demonstrate in Fresh Kills, she successfully transformed her personal experience into a compelling story as well as implemented unique ideas in financing and producing the movie to obtain a film that is quite unique in the given genre. The movie not only helped Esposito to get the new level of success and recognition in her career but also became one of the examples of the female-oriented films in the cinematography. I'm very excited about this movie, from the trailer it does look as the classic violent mob story but this time from the perspective of women within the family and some of them like Connie not loosing an inch of the mob style and aggression.

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Yorgos Lanthimos the Greek director who mostly employs surreal and controversial concepts in his films is back with Kinds of Kindness (2024), this movie can be described as a collection of three different but somewhat interconnected stories that reveal various aspects of people’s actions. Lanthimos continues to explore the concepts of control, identity, and social conformity, all of this being still in the vein of absurdist, if not satirical, dark comedy that was so characteristic of his previous work with his writing partner Efthimis Filippou.

All the segments are performed by the cast that includes Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons and Willem Dafoe who appear in several roles throughout the film, this format enables these actors to demonstrate their versatility in portraying the character compatibility of tone in this film that is quite often uncomfortable, why is it that here is when some actors explode and bright. The plot takes place in New Orleans but the setting is rather ordinary and nondescript which contributes to the atmosphere of the movie.

The movie has been met with a mixed reception from the movie’s target market and critics, this is expected based on how extremist on certain topics like violence mix with sexuality the movie can be, and while some people think it is one of the most creative and thought provoking films ever made, others consider some issues in it confusing and too surreal.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22408160/

• Platform: Select Theaters

• Release: June 21, 2024

Plot Overview

Fist episode title The Death of R. M. F. describes the life of Robert (Jesse Plemons), a plain employee suffering from his boss’s tyranny, Raymond (Willem Dafoe). Raymond has authority over Robert not only professionally but also in personal areas including food choices, dressing code and even love life. This situation escalates to the boiling point when Raymond asks for something that makes Robert act against his will, is this part of the movie that dive into themes of liberty and fighting the oppressors, giving the movie a very gloomy mood.

In the second episode, called R. M. F. is Flying, Plemons turns into Daniel, a police officer whose wife name Liz portrayed by Emma Stone comes back to life after being considered to be dead after at some point he had disappeared at sea, the trailer is somewhat descieving or not really showing what the movie is about, its more theatrical and tries to generate emotions and euphoria instead of giving hints of what the movie is about. The idea that Liz might be an imposter makes Daniel doubt her love and commit one cruel act after another to see if she cares, the storyline of this movie deals with issues of personal identity and trust in the framework of a couple this is the case of Daniel and Liz.

The last part of the movie is called “R. M. F. Eats a Sandwich”, but it moves to Emily (Emma Stone) who is a follower of a cult of the mysterious Omi (Dafoe), with the emotions of dependence and the attempt to find a spiritual and sexual liberation within the cult’s framework show that the story is about these aspects of human life. The cult’s rituals, such as drinking unclean liquids or receiving tantric favors, parody both the fanaticism of the religion and spirituality, hot topic for many who watch the movie, obscene bodies, contamination and Emily’s adventure in her glamorous Dodge Challenger are just for layer of absurdity that the movie will show through this last act.

Themes and Style

Control and Autonomy

Discussing the motifs of the movie we must admit that Lanthimos pays much attention to the notion of control in its different manifestations, “The Death of R. M. F. ,” there is the representation of authoritarian control through Raymond, the character who brings Robert’s life decisions into his own hands to then be discussed in more detail in “R. M. F. is Flying”, where the desire for controlling the appearance of reality is presented in the character of Daniel through his mania, while the last one, “R. M. F. Eats a Sandwich” addresses the issue of mind control in cults and total dependency.

Identity and Perception

Lack of identity and the aspect of perception are the key concerns in “R. M. F. is Flying. ” When faced with the loss of his wife, Liz to a boating accident Daniel starts to perceive things that are not there and the audience might be left to wonder if he is really seeing an imposter, this theme is also evident in the other segments in which characters are torn between their ‘I’ and the environment that surrounds them.

Societal Norms and Rebellion

Many scenes in the movie showcase Lanthimos’ fascination with the society norms and standard, not sure if even an obsession. In “The Death of R. M. F. ,” the rebellion of Robert against his boss can be regarded as the rebelliousness against societies and the desire of an individual to be free, the last scene, “R. M. F. Eats a Sandwich” ironically and humorously presents the modern tendencies towards spirituality and the desire for strict order in society.

Behind the Scenes

Cast and Performances

The cast of the film is very strong; the main actors are Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Willem Dafoe. All the actors are working in the different segments, which proves their ability to perform in various characters and styles followed by Lanthimos, however the cast’s approach to preparing for their characters and scenes was unorthodox, as they relied on the use of gestures and the creation of scenes through the practice rather than extensive discussions and analysis of the script, this approach provided the actors with the opportunity to really get into the skin of their characters and into the world of Lanthimos.

Critical Reception & Audience Reactions

The responses received from viewers have also been as follows; People who have seen Lanthimos’ previous films, namely Dogtooth and The Killing of a Sacred Deer will possibly enjoy the film due to its shift to the more bizarre mode. This reflects societal issues of dominance, mastery and the general conduct of people even if it appeal to any group of individuals who consider themselves fans of deep movies. Emma Stone will be identify as one of the main attractions, while many fans are eager to see Lanthimos continue his work with Stone after The Favourite and Poor Things, this alone will get a good part of the audience hooked.

However, there may be people who can feel the movie content is too shocking or the plot construction is too fragmented been that the actors play so many roles and the movie is split into acts. The movie is 2 hours and 43 minutes long and the major plot is divided into three stories that are related but not entirely, which can throw off viewers who like movies with a single and clear narrative, due to some very savage scenes there are reviews who have described the movie as hateful and nasty but I would say most who say this do not accept the cruel reality of the world today.

Kinds of Kindness (2024) is a movie that is invaded with the director’s sensibility, presenting viewers with humor, total absurd scenes and some weighty philosophical concepts, for sure a movie that it is not a movie people have to watch, many wont like it because of how extremist it can be, it is one that many will not soon forget, given the twisted plots and disturbing themes.

Some of the themes present on the movie are control, identity and society norms; mostly to violate the, serve as an effective starting point for critical reflection for the audience, there are other topics I could think of as sexuality and violence also contribute to the movie’s controversy, it is a movie that will generate controversy so people will talk about mostly trying to figure out whats wrong with the characters.

To make things shorter I would say that regardless of the perspective one takes whether the movie is an examination of the social system or a psychological drama Kinds of Kindness (2024) is one movie that defines its genre. That it is capable of sparking discussion is a part of what makes Lanthimos such a captivating filmmaker and a figure so invested in forging a new path for modern cinema.

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Review | Reseña

☢️ Rated - Clasificación: PG-13 
🎭 Genre - Género: Documental 
😜 Original language - Idioma original: English
🎥 Director: Henry Roosevelt

📅 Release date - Fecha de estreno: 2023
🎬 Running time - Duración: 103 min.
✍️ My score -  Mi puntaje: 10 to 10

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Today, I’m going into Episode 2 of the TV series Star Wars: The Acolyte, this episode with the title “Revenge/Justice” for the most part refers to what is Mae mission, we finally get to know why she is doing all after killing Master Indara, the episode does give some context to the story on all sides from the twin sisters to all the Jedi involve on the day their family was wipe out by the fire. The story goes on with May, who is on a quest to kill four Jedi whom she believes are behind the fire that burnt down her coven of witches and her sister Osha without knowning that in fact Osha is alive and wants justice for the fire because she thinks it was Mae, makes me think if someone setup Mae to cover up some dirt under their rug?. This creates a rather intricate plot where both sisters act based on their own definitions of right and wrong but most important from the story that they were told, they both have things confuse and who cause all this confusion? not only fight scenes and action are ramping up but the drama is also getting more interesting.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13820376/

• Platform: Disney+

Key Characters and Their Motivations

Mae and Osha

Mae is on a mission of vengeance for what she believe happens during the fire, at this point since I don't know whats what I have to take this position of doubt although I'm starting to believe there is some truth behind Mae motives since the Jedi are not too clear on this. Mae visits Master Torbin who she try to fight but the Jedi Master has been silent meditating for the past 10 years, at first she tries to attack him but his force is too strong and she had to take another approach, give him an option, "the acoylite kills without weapon..." I'm starting to believe that The Acolyte makes reference to a demon or a trickster like Loki in the MCU, fucks with your mind just as she did with Indara distracting her and now did with Master Torbin.

Osha, however different than her sister Mae, is a character who is motivated by justice, she thinks that May caused the fire and is the only responsible for all the deaths but most important despite that happen when they were very little so far she had not come to peace with this thought and is reminded by her previous master, Master Sol, one of the reasons why she drop Jedi. Her goal is to prevent May from killing anyone else, at least that was the goal at the beginning of the episode. The relationship between the sisters also gives the story an emotional aspect as both are tortured by their past and their perceptions of what the other has done.

Master Torbin

Master Torbin is hands down guilty, at least is the only Jedi so far that tells straight up to Mae's face that he was sorry for what happens when Mae visits him for a second time and instead of attacking him she gives him a poison from her home planet that he willingly takes and dies. His decision to remain silent and leave the community shows that he feels guilty for the disaster, his conversation with May is crucial, as it suggests that the Jedi who were involved in the fire may not be as pure as they seem. Torbin’s suicide shows his regret and the severity of the circumstances, he was lost right the moment after the fire and was probably waiting for this moment to face Mae. This is what tells me that there is some truth on Mae version, Jedi is about finding peace but based on the Sith this peace they talk about is an illusion.

Qimir

Qimir character played by Manny Jacinto, is a smuggler who has a dark past a connection to Mae and who at first hand gives me the impression he knows more than he is telling. He seems to be helping both May and her Sith Master, which indicates that he has some connection to the main Sith plan, it is intriguing to me how he pretend to know Mae for some time and her Sith Master this tell me he has been with both in the past, has some connection to them but so far the impression that I have from Mae and the Sith relationship is that its distant and private how and why a guy like Qimir just a "smuggler" would know all this, right away this throw some red flags telling me that he might be the Sith Master himself who is using the Force to cover up Sith Aura, Jedi can detect when there is a Sith Master around, Qimir is the one I was mainly referring as Loki, the trickster because that's how he looks like, with his constant smile on his face, looking all silly but then also looking so innocent when Jedi Masters interrogate him on his "shop" about his connection with Mae.

Key Scenes and Drama Unfold

Mae’s Infiltration

The episode began with Mae who sneak into a Jedi Temple where her next target is, she manage to walk among the others in the temple without been notice indicating she is using the Force to cover up her Sith Aura, this is classic Sith tactics but they do find out there is an intruder because the caught the girl who help Mae distract the guard droid, probably doing something silly but she is not suppose to be inside neither who inmediatly talks when been interrogated. Mae intention on getting into the temple is to find Master Torbin and kill him but he is just too strong for her and no matter how much she tries to attack she cant get an inch close to him because of his Force field. She goes back to a local shop where Qimir is, he just took over this shop from a guy and is just acting the fool, the episode implies Mae ask him to make her a poison but the method on how to use it was suggested by Qimir, instead of trying to attack him give him an option.

Master Torbin’s Death

Mae had two encounters with Master Torbin and this is probably the best part of the episode, at first she try to attack him directly but then came in offering him an option, a man full of guilt is giving the option to accept his crime and take the honorable path and die been responsible, all she had to do was talk to him, Torbin immediately drop his Force field and took the poison that Mae gave him without questioning. This act by Torbing a very well respected Jedi within the community shows possibly how much the four Jedi involve on the incident are some what guilty, two down and two left to go. Mae quest is to kill four Jedi to satisfy her master and continue her quest, this are most likely the four Jedi involve on the fire incident, not sure if to call it an incident at this point, the four masters are Indara, Torbin, Sol and Kelnecca.

The Wookie Jedi Master

After everything is set and done, Master Sol, Yord and Jecki arrive Olega with Osha, they are after Mae who have been seen there. They came up with a plan after getting a hold to Qimir who without a doubt throw Mae under the bus telling the Jedi only "what he knows" but Mae manage to escape them too, she is very well trained, this shows how killing Indara was not pure luck because most would say her two kills were just too easy but we need to give her credit too for what she has accomplish so far. The last Jedi I mention was Kelnacca, a Wookie Jedi who also decided to go into exile suggesting that this master also has to do with the fire, Qimir has locate the Jedi for Mae and they now on their way to kill their next target. On the trailer there were some scenes of Mae and her Sith Master on the forest so I guess on the next episode we will see them together after or before attacking Kenacca.

Episode 1 was not much to be honest although episode 2 is starting to turn it up for the series and this is what I was expecting, with the lies and cover up from some of the Jedi. I remember when Yord finds out about Osha twin sister Master Sol intermediately told him about her death and how he was so sure about this, that HE saw her but this was a lie or he did not try hard enough to really find out if she was dead, so was it really guilt or incompetence from the four Jedi master involve on this story? are they really guilty for the fire or they just assume nothing could be done and let them die at that point? the Covenant Witches are not well seen by the Jedi from what I have been able to find online, they also use the Force but from what I could find they are in a grey area between Sith and Jedi, probably causing some Jedi to think if they are not on the same path then they are not worth saving? The appearance and reveal of who is Mae Sith Master is a big part of the drama that is just starting to unfold same goes for the difference in point of views from the twin sisters of who really cause the fire, on episode two when they finally see each other Osha had a blaster and intentionally miss her show and let Mae go, when Mae sees Osha she calls her Oshy, cute nickname that only a sister for of love for the other would still use.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #starwars, #acolyte, #episode2, #breakdown, #revenge, #justice, #may, #osha, #jedi, #sith, #torbin, #qimir, #eastereggs, #plot, #characters, #philosophy, #balance, #force, #lightsaber, #kyber, #flashback, #mystery, #redemption, #secrets, #twist

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Posted Using InLeo Alpha

Con todo este nuevo revuelo causado por el sorpresivo estreno de "Godzilla Minus One" en Netflix, se me ocurrió que era hora no solo de ver esa última producción japonesa, sino ver otros dos filmes protagonizados por el gran rey de los Kaiju; decidí empezar está tríada de reseñas con el film que es el último de esta franquicia americana llamada "Monsterverse" el cual no solo está liderada por Godzilla, sino está acompañado por el gran Kong (sin ser todavía Rey), siendo esta la segunda película que reúne a estos titanes.

With all this new hype caused by the surprise release of "Godzilla Minus One" on Netflix, it occurred to me that it was time not only to see this latest Japanese production, but to see two other films starring the great king of the Kaiju; I decided to start this triad of reviews with the film that is the latest in this American franchise called "Monsterverse" which is not only led by Godzilla, but is accompanied by the great Kong (not yet King), this being the second film that brings together these titans.

"Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire", quinto film de la franquicia del Monsterverse, estrenado en el pasado mes de marzo y que contra todo pronóstico se convirtió en un éxito en taquilla, siendo el segundo film de la franquicia que recauda buena cantidad de dinero. "GxK" relata los sucesos que ocurren tres años después del enfrentamiento de ambos Titanes contra Mechagodzilla, lo cual hace que Kong se dirija a la llamada "Hollow Earth" y Godzilla se proclame como el defensor del mundo superficial; justamente Kong en su nuevo y basto reino, se mantiene netamente solitario, pero existe una gran revelación y es que dentro de ese mundo hueco existe otro reino en donde Kong podrá conseguir lo que tanto quiere, pero también encontrará a un poderoso enemigo que busca el control de todo el mundo, eso hará que enemigos se vuelvan aliados y así contrarrestar a esta nueva amenaza.

"Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire", the fifth film in the Monsterverse franchise, released last March and which against all odds became a box office success, being the second film in the franchise to gross a good amount of money. "GxK" recounts the events that occur three years after the confrontation of both Titans against Mechagodzilla, which causes Kong to head to the so-called "Hollow Earth" and Godzilla to proclaim himself as the defender of the surface world; Just Kong in his new and vast kingdom, remains purely solitary, but there is a great revelation and is that within that hollow world there is another kingdom where Kong can get what he wants so much, but also find a powerful enemy seeking control of the whole world, that will make enemies become allies and thus counteract this new threat.

No hay duda que en esta franquicia, así como suceden en otras, muchas personas quieren ver lo que en realidad se tratan cada historia, cosas que se ha ido perdiendo y que pocas mantienen, por ejemplo en "Fast & Furious" cada vez es menos lo referente a la carrera de autos, eso también sucede en "Transformers" en donde los personajes humanos tienen más escenas y protagonismo que los aliens con aspecto robótico y justamente ese mismo problema se presenta en esta franquicia de monstruos en dónde los humanos tenían mas relevancia que las gigantescas criaturas, algo que notoriamente cambia en este film en dónde se repite la relevancia a Kong el cual es el personaje que tiene más desarrollo y obviando en gran parte a Godzilla que tiene mayor representación en el acto final del film.

Nuevamente, Kong es el protagonista de esta historia y en gran parte está relatada desde su punto de vista y de quienes están más unidos a él, me refiero entre aliados y quienes consideraba un enemigo; está historia sigue al gran gorila terminar de formar un hogar en dónde se sigue sintiendo solo y en dónde acontecimientos que están alejados de ser algo creado por casualidades, al final provee no solo parte de la historia de la especie de Kong, sino la guerra contra su gran rival, en eso es creo que el relato es correcto porque se toma las vivencias de Kong en un nuevo mundo, junto con la breve participación acertada de los personajes humanos; creo que en eso se hizo un buen trabajo porque hay hasta una buena conexión entre personajes humanos y los Kaiju, algo que no veía desde el primer film de la franquicia.

There is no doubt that in this franchise, as in others, many people want to see what each story is really about, things that have been lost and that few keep, for example in "Fast & Furious" is less and less about the car race, That also happens in "Transformers" where the human characters have more scenes and prominence than the aliens with robotic appearance and just that same problem is presented in this franchise of monsters where humans had more relevance than the giant creatures, something that notoriously changes in this film where the relevance is repeated to Kong which is the character that has more development and largely obviating Godzilla who has greater representation in the final act of the film.

Again, Kong is the protagonist of this story and is largely told from his point of view and those who are closest to him, I mean between allies and those who considered an enemy; this story follows the great gorilla finish forming a home where he still feels alone and where events that are far from being something created by chance, in the end provides not only part of the history of the species of Kong, but the war against his great rival, in that is I think the story is correct because it takes the experiences of Kong in a new world, along with the brief participation of human characters; I think that in that was done a good job because there is even a good connection between human characters and the Kaiju, something I did not see since the first film of the franchise.

Una de los motivos que me impulsó al ver la película fue el mayor tiempo en escena por parte de los Kaiju y que la decisión era dar más protagonismo a Kong, me pareció acertado, aunque al final la gran estrella es el destructor de Japón en muchas ocasiones, pero así como anteriormente dije, Kong ha tomado el liderazgo de la franquicia y es el personaje mejor desarrollado y en esta oportunidad seguir la unión con el personaje de "Jia" interpretado por Kaylee Hottle quien tiene un rol importante y lo que más me gusta por parte de los personajes humanos; recordemos que ella representa a una tribu que adora a Kong y justamente en el segundo film, se supo que el mismo Godzilla tenía quien lo adoraba como un Dios y eso se repite en este film lo cual me sigue pensando qué bueno sería ver un film basado en una historia muy antigua en dónde estás criaturas caminen en la tierra y relaten la causa de su desaparición, ojalá algún día.

One of the reasons that prompted me to see the film was the greater time on stage by the Kaiju and that the decision was to give more prominence to Kong, I thought it was right, although in the end the big star is the destroyer of Japan on many occasions, but as I said before, Kong has taken the lead of the franchise and is the best developed character and this time follow the union with the character of "Jia" played by Kaylee Hottle who has an important role and what I like most on the part of the human characters; remember that she represents a tribe that worships Kong and just in the second film, it was known that the same Godzilla had who worshiped him as a God and that is repeated in this film which keeps me thinking how good it would be to see a film based on a very old story where these creatures walk on earth and tell the cause of his disappearance, hopefully someday.

A pesar de que Godzilla x Kong ofrece algo no visto en films anteriores de esta franquicia con respecto al tiempo en escena de los monstruos, creo que hay cosas que siguen fallando y es todavía en el desarrollo de los personajes humanos, que tienen poco tiempo, pero sigue siendo lo peor, ya que tanto las actuaciones y ños diálogos son malos, en especial el trabajo de Brian Tyree Henry coo "Bernie", el peor personaje de la franquicia, no es cómico y no aporta nada, ahora como dije, lo mejor y lo que me ha gustado es los monstruos, varias de las batallas son buenas, entretenidas y divertidas, creo que es lo que todos quieren ver y el film lo ofrece; con esto digo que el film cumple con su propósito, pero no lo encontré tan bueno como las anteriores entregas, creo que el diseño de los titanes no son tan buenos y es que el CGI tampoco es el mejor y es por eso que esta quinta película es regular, un 50/50, otro caso de "Pudo ser mejor".

Although Godzilla x Kong offers something not seen in previous films of this franchise with respect to the time in scene of the monsters, I think there are things that are still failing and it is still in the development of the human characters, who have little time, but it is still the worst, since both the performances and the dialogues are bad, especially the work of Brian Tyree Henry as "Bernie", the worst character of the franchise, he is not funny and does not contribute anything, now as I said, the best and what I liked is the monsters, several of the battles are good, entertaining and fun, I think that's what everyone wants to see and the film offers it; with this I say that the film fulfills its purpose, but I did not find it as good as the previous installments, I think the design of the titans are not as good and the CGI is not the best either and that is why this fifth film is regular, a 50/50, another case of "It could be better".

Cover image edited in canva; the image was taken from the following source

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The first episode of "Star Wars: It is a prequel of an unknown series and the show is filled with interesting details and references that suggest a lot of potential for the actual series. This is a show set in the High Republic timeline, 100 years before the events of ‘The Phantom Menace’ and it gives a new angle to the Star Wars universe. The first episode might look a bit plain and simple to most, fight scenes ending may be too quick, but rather than a full action sequence episode is more about the backstory they went with on the first episode instead of spreading it through a few more.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13820376/

• Platform: Disney+

Setting the Pace

The episode opens with a cryptic statement: "The Jedi live in a dream. An acolyte kills the dream." This sets a dark tone right from the start. The High Republic era is described as a time of peace and prosperity for the Jedi and the Galactic Republic, but there are hints of tensions and threats behind scenes where no one is looking at the moment.

The show is set approximately 100 years before "The Phantom Menace," placing it in a period where the Jedi are at peak of their power with probably thousands of them around the Galaxy. Yoda is the Grand Master of the Jedi Council and other familiar characters are also around. Since Ashoka I have been trying to understand more the sequence on how things happen despite I haven't seen all the animated series but this series look to explore the events leading up to the rise of the Sith and the eventual fall of the Jedi from my understanding been that they were at peak power while on other productions its backwards, example during the Mandalorian latest TV series, not many Jedi around.

Main Characters and Plot

The central characters in this episode are twin sisters, May and Osha. May was taken by the Jedi to train at the temple while Osha was left behind assuming she was dead, but was really the case because when Jord talks about her with Master Sol on the Ship, that does not seem to be the case, Master Sol look concern like they are about to uncover something he is hiding under the rug although Jedi are suppose to be pure, none the less the episode reveals that Mae is alive and Osha has a vision of them in a forest, just learning about her sister's survival.

May and Osha were born to a coven of Force witches, led by their biological mother, Mother Anasia, the sisters share a unique Force connection that can be described as a yin yang relationship with May leaning towards the dark side and Osha towards the light, that sets up an inevitable conflict between the two.

High Republic Context

The story is develop around the times of The High Republic era, some where between 500 and 100 years before "A New Hope" and this series takes place about 100 years before "The Phantom Menace", I had to look this up to make some sense to me like where is this series standing at??!! This time line is specially identify by the Jedi's peak political influence and power with thousands of Jedi active across the galaxy, however, political enemies and long term Sith plans are already in motion, aiming to bring about the Jedi's downfall, its not through brute force that Jedi become rare in the future rather than pure political power, not even Star Wars escape from its corruption.

Key Moments of First Episode

The Opening Title

The episode starts with an opening title that’s not quite a traditional Star Wars crawl but serves a similar purpose. It uses the standard blue Star Wars title contrasting with the Sith red used in the Ahsoka series, the title sets the stage for the series, highlighting the peace and prosperity of the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic while hinting at the return of the Sith.

The Fight Scene

One of the standout moments in the episode is the fight between Mae and Jedi Master Indara, played by Carrie Anne Moss, how could they kill her so fast and easy?. The fight is very Matrix like with intense hand to hand combat enhanced by the Force, keep in mind the Force runs over time, its not something they can use or keep using when ever they want, they also run out of it as become tired. Mae uses a bartender to distract Indara a very ship shot expected from a Sith type and kills her with a knife that I wonder if it was any special knife or could had some sort of poison since it didn't look going that deep and very small, so how Indara fall so fast after been stab?

Force Visions and Connections

Osha has Force visions of her sister and comes to the conclusion that her sister is alive and could be the only reason how someone looking just like her could have killed Indara and why now in front of Jedi Jord she is the murder they looking for. Knowing that Mae is alive and the fact that Osha is having this visions that connect them through time and space, because lets consider when Osha had the vision Mae was not inducing this images to her, there is certain connection that just came alive probably because of the situation Osha is going through. This kind of connection between the sisters make the story more interesting as we can now only start to imagine what could happen if they battle each other using the force? could they know their attacks or read each other mind?

Jedi Temple and The Force

We also get to visit Jedi Temple where we are introduced to Master Sol a character portrayed by Lee Jones. During the first scene he is training young seedlings and he talk about the eyes being deceiving, this could be in advance of what visions can do to a Jedi from trick his mind and take him through the wrong path, another detail that got my attention is how within the temple Jedi like Sol use the force to things like opening doors or deactivating cell doors, I wonder if this would be for pure security reasons or as a constant training for their powers, same as an athlete might use weights on his ankles to walk on his daily routine and become stronger, Jedi might use the force daily to stay strong?? the more I look a this details the more I wonder as I'm not someone who knows much about Star Wars and is full of questions.

The Sith at the ending

The final scene of the episode features a Sith master with a changed voice that for my understanding is new to the entire Star Wars plus I have never seen in the past, the short cape with the odd helmet shape, which leaves much room for interrogates. This character has a crucial role in the development of both Mae and the main Sith’s plan to defeat the Jedi throughout the series but my biggest question and also the most obvious one is that he/she is the Sith who train Mae and now she is hunting down Jedi to build her own red light saber although there is that quote again "Acolyte kills without a weapon" considering that in order to be consider armed you need to have a light saber while Mae only had her knifes, in the first place this is why Indora refuse to fight her "Jedi do not attack the unarmed".

"Star Wars: The Acolyte” Episode 1 sets the tone for the series and decided to go with a full backdrop history of what happen in the past, which gives the audience a hint into the High Republic period and the events that occurred prior to the emergence of the Sith. The episode has connections to the larger Star Wars universe from the Phantom Menace, reference of how Master Sol and Osha are very similar to Qui-Gon Jinn and ObiWan Kenobi relationship. Mae and Osha are two complex and interesting characters and their story will be undoubtedly at the focus of the series.

It is going to be interesting to observe how as the series progresses certain secrets start to emerge as it is just too curious and interesting that Mae was alive and nobody including Master Sol did not know about it, he even mention she saw her dead, all these aspects evolve and tie into the broader story that is ahead. I am not that impressed with the first episode since for the most part we got flashbacks and bit of context of what had happen between Osha and the court but I am anxious to see the next episodes of the show to see how it unfolds.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #starwars, #theacolyte, #highrepublic, #jedi, #sith, #may, #osha, #force, #twins, #episode1, #breakdown, #eastereggs, #timeline, #phantommenace, #yoda, #darkside, #lightside, #politics, #conflict, #vision, #fight, #temple, #master, #training, #revenge

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