Anastasia Pentias

Critics are, understandably, not enthusiastic: they get a harsh dose of reality regarding their own contribution to the arts, hence the low ratings. Meh, who cares what they think anyway. For us, the audience, it's a powerful, achingly beautiful film. The direction is masterful indeed, but it's the two stars that knock this out of the park. I can't tell who was best; they're so generous with each other that the whole thing blends seamlessly. I enjoyed this so much. Movie-making at its very best.

*Had a white creator 'reimagined' 19th century society in an African country to portray white men as kings of tribes, he would not only have been canceled for cultural appropriation (and pushing white supremacy), he would very probably have been driven off the planet entirely. When the woke stop doing what they accuse others of, then maybe one could start taking them more seriously* Now, for the essential part. In the alternate universe where wokeness was not king (sorry Queen, of course- how patriarchical of me), this would simply be regarded as an enjoyable historical/fantasy romance, aimed at people who enjoyed Gossip Girl in their younger years. Frivolous, cheeky, fun.