Dany23 Reviews

Imagine Me & You (2005)

Cliched and underbaked

[1/10 · 26 November 2022]

Wow this has a lot of positive reviews for a movie with tired tropes and very little chemistry or actual sexiness.

Lena Headey herself does an ok job, but her "what straight people think a lesbian is like" character made me laugh. I felt sorry for Heck, who was the most sympathetic character - he has the patience of a saint putting up with Rachel's awful behaviour and cheating!

If you're looking for a movie about women in love, please consider Happiest Season (2020) or Saving Face (2004), stories about queer women told by queer women, or for an excellent period piece check out Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019).

Andor (2022– )

Tense and gripping political thriller

[10/10 · 26 November 2022]

Top quality acting, cinematography and pacing. Politics interwoven seamlessly with action and extremely gorgeous shots.

My favourite element was Mon Mothma's slow descent into the guts of the rebellion and the sacrifices it demands - not quite a corruption arc, but perhaps a reality arc.

It's made more fascinating in parallel with Vel/Cinta's relationship: Vel has a fancy home she can run back to, and actually seems much more comfortable there; Cinta seemingly doesn't and is in her element in subterfuge and battle. (Showrunners, please don't kill off Cinta to radicalise Vel! It's way too cliché to fridge a person of colour for the 'development' of their white partner. Cinta, and the show, are too badass for that.)

Unafraid to explore the 'dark' side of what rebellion really means, the complexity of intra-rebellion conflict (every scene with Luthen and Saw crackles with intensity, as it should!), yet hopeful for the idealism that freedom represents. Andor balances each element in a way that feels grounded and real.

Other thoughts, in no particular order:

• Cassian is low-key, competent and full of resolve (but also unsure where his resolve belongs). Like Mando, he's a refreshing lead in a franchise full of cavalier and charismatic protagonists.

• the Empire has never felt so oppressive.

• Commentary on the prison industrial complex was cleverly handled.

• In a cast of incredible actors, Andy Serkis still stands out.

Minor comment: where are all the aliens?

Highly recommend. It's well worth your time.

The Departed (2006)

Please watch Infernal Affairs instead

[2/10 · 4 November 2022]

The Departed is based on Infernal Affairs (2002), a far better film with top-rate acting and a tense, gripping and taut storyline.

Infernal Affairs is 1h 41 mins long (vs The Departed's 2h 31min), so save yourself 50 mins of bloated storytelling and check out the much better original instead. The best scenes in The Departed (eg. The one in the cinema where they follow each other in a cat-and-mouse chase) are lifted straight out of Infernal Affairs anyway.

Watching Infernal Affairs, I was on the edge of my seat even though I was reading subtitles (which usually takes away suspense for me); watching The Departed, I didn't need subtitles but struggled to get through the movie.

With the additional 50 mins screen time, The Departed has added an unnecessary love triangle and a range of unfathomable complications that stretch believability. Sometimes less really is more.

Aliens (1986)

What a classic!

[10/10 · 4 November 2022]

I only watched this film recently, and it's really weathered the test of time brilliantly. Was on the edge of my seat biting my nails, the tension was electric, the aliens are scary (the practical effects are great! Better than some CGI I've seen recently). Last but certainly not least, Sigourney Weaver is fantastic. I wish I'd watched this sooner.

Ripley is a true masterclass in a good female character: capable, caring, tough as nails, and smart as hell.

(Minor aside: I particularly loved Ripley's practical shoes and hair, a gripe I have watching action movies is the female action hero with loose flowing locks wearing sky-high heels while in close combat. It's ridiculous. Somehow it keeps happening, even in 2022!)

Happiest Season (2020)

A decent drama but not exactly lighthearted Christmas fare

[6/10 · 4 November 2022]

Watched this with my girlfriend, we were both expecting a feel-good Christmas movie... instead found this to be quite dramatic and more intense than the trailers/advertising suggested. We're both cis gay women and watching Abby being forced to sneak around at Christmas while Harper hides in the closet (for reasons the movie never really explains apart from "general fear of parental response"?) was not really "fun" or "festive" for us. I was actually pretty bummed out and disappointed after the movie ended.

The film seems to be at least partly autobiographical from Clea DuVall (who I enjoyed in But I'm a cheerleader), and as a drama it works well, I just wish the advertising had reflected that. If I knew what I was getting into, I'd give it a solid 7.5/10 - the acting is decent and the story is pretty relatable. Dan Levy is great, I wish he'd had a bit more time on screen (he was the only comedic element!), and Kristen Stewart handles the dramatic elements with ease. I really felt for Abby.

On a happier note, as part of a broader representation of LBGTQ+ community, I'm glad this movie did well - looking forward to more queer stories.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Absolutely worth the hype!

[10/10 · 30 October 2022]

Profound, heartfelt, surreal, absurd, and hilarious. Acting is top-notch. Absolutely worth the hype.

A beautiful look at relationships between people: the complexity of mother/daughter relationships, the wonderful love story between Evelyn and Waymond, the fraught father/daughter relationship Evelyn has with her own father. Waymond (in his many forms) was a standout character in a film full of standout characters - he's an important re-definition of both Asian male masculinity and what a good life partner really looks like.

EEAAO captures the immigrant experience perfectly (there were multiple times where I felt "yep, that's exactly it!" while falling off my chair laughing), interweaving universal themes of regret, nihilism and love (both familial and romantic). Its central thesis is that 'life' is less about the destination than it is about the journey and the relationships we build on that journey - a point the film underscores in its constantly self-reflexive arcs.

Standout scene: Waymond with the bum bag and the chapstick. I can't say more, it'll ruin the scene.

Every actor is phenomenal - Ke Huy Quan as Waymond zips through different Waymonds without a hitch, carrying the heart and the strength of the character in every iteration of Waymond. I read that Quan went into production as he struggled to find acting roles for Asian men in US cinema - given his performance in EEAAO, it's truly our loss that we've missed his talent on our screens for a few decades. Michelle Yeoh, of course, carries the weight of Evelyn's story with sincerity, ease and gravitas, while also being incredibly funny ("very busy today!" will never not be hilarious). And Stephanie Hsu as Joy really makes you want to cheer her on: balanced against the depths of her despair is a chaotic exuberance and a wild hope that really builds depth of character.

I enjoyed the casual queer relationship and how it both mattered (eg. In terms of Joy coming out to her grandfather, in Joy and Evelyn's interactions) and didn't matter (Joy and Becky's relationship is one of the few solid and unchanging parts of the story). Yeoh and Hsu, as Evelyn and Joy, completely sell their complicated love for each other - alongside the powerful medium of classic Asian mother nagging, of course.

This film, its actors, filmmakers/directors, and VFX artists deserve an Oscar nomination - both for the importance of the story they're telling, and the powerful and entertaining way in which they've pulled this off. Can't recommend this more.

Front Cover (2015)

Funny, resonant and beautifully told - highly recommend!

[10/10 · 30 October 2022]

I wasn't going to write a review because plenty of other reviewers have already said what I want to say - justinlaem in particular. I decided to write this because, after watching a lot of indie LGBTQ+ films recently, I've realised very few of those films have touched me the way this one has. And with such heart and style too!

This is an emotionally resonant film about coming to terms with East Asian masculinity - both as an immigrant and a gay person. The film handles intersections of these identities with nuance and sensitivity, with both Ryan and Ning reckoning with and accepting their identities through their relationship with each other, their loved ones, and themselves.

The film balances lighthearted and lightly comedic elements (Ryan and Ning's initial meeting had me laughing from awkwardness!) with real emotional stakes. The two leads carried the film for me - they have very believable chemistry, and their perspectives and dreams for the future feel distinct and well-realised. The scene with Ryan's Cantonese parents (astonished and delighted that he's finally dating someone who is ethnically Chinese) was fantastic and hilarious and very relatable - my parents have probably thought something similar.

Through their relationship, both characters come to important realisations about themselves, their decisions, and their journeys. The film brings these elements together beautifully, with humour and grace. 10/10, please watch it.

Monsoon (2019)

Beautiful cinematography, not much else

[5/10 · 30 October 2022]

Some really beautiful images of Vietnam. I'm confused about what the movie intended to do - is this about an immigrant's ambivalence to their homeland? The film itself seems pretty ambivalent to the topic.

I'm a gay Asian first-gen immigrant and was really looking forward to watching a film about wrestling with the immigrant experience. Sadly this film doesn't do that.

For a story with the in-built pathos of scattering a parent's ashes, there's a lot of time spent on the main character's sexual exploits. It might have been an intriguing concept: do cultural attitudes towards homosexuality play a role in the main character's feelings towards being in Vietnam? Even if imagined (eg. Kit imagines his sexuality would be frowned upon by his old friend Lee, but is proven wrong) this would have added some real-life texture to his general air of ambivalence/brooding.

Apart from some kissing scenes, Kit's sexuality has zero implications on the wider story. While I completely understand the importance of stories that normalise queer identities and lives, in this context it feels like a lost opportunity.

I liked Lewis as a character but felt his story distracted from rather than added to Kit's. If Lewis were a Vietnamese man, Kit falling for him might have been representative of Kit 'falling for' his culture and learning to love his origins - that would have felt more resonant, or at least pulled the film's ideas about the borders of immigrant experience together.

As it stands, I'm unclear on the significance of Kit falling for an expat in Vietnam... and an expat who owns a clothing business that exploits low local wages no less! Kit even points this out in the film! (And then seems to promptly forget?) Wouldn't it have been more impactful/less exploitative if Lewis was working in aid, helping people impacted by the war just like his father was impacted by the war? Isn't that the redemption he seems to be looking for? (Is fast fashion the answer to anything???)

To me the central question for the film is: is Kit any closer to his culture by the end? I can't say he is. I really would have hoped for some form of resolution or reckoning with his heritage. Even a small gesture would have worked - but apart from one beautiful scene regarding lotus tea preparations (again with Kit looking distant/brooding), we never see that he has gained in understanding.

Every one of the 5 stars is for the gorgeous visuals and cinematography, and David Tran, who plays Lee and outshone Golding in every scene Lee and Kit shared together.

Plan B (II) (2021)

Fresh, funny, full of feeling

[8/10 · 11 July 2022]

Fresh take on high school life, full of (occasionally dark) humour as well as sincerity of feeling between the two leads.

I liked how both their love interests were fully-formed characters, but the movie kept its focus on the friendship throughout.

Saving Face (2004)

This was a personal revelation for me

[10/10 · 1 December 2021]

Alice Wu's film changed my life when I watched it in 2019. Until I saw this movie, I'd never seen myself or my story represented on screen. I love that the director made this film for herself and her mother, and I love that her story resonates through the years.

The main couple's chemistry is believable and so is their conflict - there's no melodrama involving cheating or a man. Their interactions feel authentic and true to the characters. Wil's relationship with her mother is also delicate and well realised, and adds poignancy and depth and emotional stakes.

I would rate 12/10 if I could, the film had 10/10 from me already just for having a grounded lesbian romance.

I would highly recommend this film to everyone, and particularly if you're Asian / lesbian / a migrant (or all of the above, like me!) There's just something about seeing a story out in the world that feels so close to yours.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Highly recommended!

[10/10 · 1 December 2021]

Fun, solid blockbuster elevated by its sensitive treatment of culture and the migrant experience. The fight choreography was excellent, best I've seen in a while - dynamic, engaging, fresh. The soundtrack was also incredible.

The film takes care to depict the lives of millenial Asian migrants, including all the karaoke (!) (Source: I am an Asian millennial migrant)

Strongest point of the movie is the always-superb Tony Leung, who really brings the character of Wenwu to life. One of the best - honestly, the best, Marvel villain to date. My only wish was that Michelle Yeoh had a bit more to do on screen.

New Gold Mountain (2021)

Enjoyable!

[10/10 · 27 October 2021]

An intriguing story, very watchable and gripping. I liked the incorporation of Western and hardboiled crime mystery elements in a setting I'd never seen before. It's a fresh perspective and a nuanced look at a part of history that often gets brushed over. Gorgeous visuals too.