Drew Johnston

This was one of the most beautiful and ugly films I have ever seen. In its representation, the film conveyed the lowest depths of human depravity with the highest heights of human nobility. Films like this are important. It represented the gruesome nature of the Sino-Japanese war and it did not pull punches… it did not filter what these women went through. If there is any subtext to this, I would even consider this to be one of the most empowering films for women I have seen. The strength that the women of Nanking had to endure the ultimate violation of a human life was as devastating as it was incredible. As for everything else, the cinematography and the score were just as beautiful as the writing. I can’t believe this film isn’t more renowned. My only regret is that I didn’t read the novel first.

I saw the deadpool trailer and decided to catch up on the marvel films. I gave up on Marvel a while ago and the marvels reminded me why I did. I could not finish this film, the writing was terrible, the acting was abysmal. I cannot understand why people keep forcing this “Ms. Marvel is so cute” rhetoric. She is a terrible actress and every voice, line and facial expression is so unnaturally forced I can’t watch a scene with her in it without thinking “I really hope they kill her character soon”. The humour in this film - if you can call it that - was so childish, cringeworthy, unnecessary and forced that I don’t see the point of trying to make a film fun if the directors/writers are incapable of producing it. As for Zawe Ashton, I’ve loved her in Fresh Meat, Misfits, the handmaid’s tale, etc. But I really hope that she chooses her next role wisely as she crashed and burned in this. Clearly, playing the villain is not for her.