Michelle Wruck

I found the film very enjoyable. It had a Wes Anderson feel to it in the sense that dialogue was clipped and direct, there were lots of close-ups at odd moments, not much emotion shown throughout the film, it had an absurdist kind of humor, and was very aware of itself as performative. I didn’t mind, though. The aesthetic wasn’t as heavy-handed as Anderson’s. It just ended up feeling very a bit theatrical. The film is not trying to be an accurate historical account or a modernist, traditional film. It’s using plot devices, aesthetics, narrative techniques, and variety of other things to make sure we remember during the whole show that it is a performance - a story. It’s meta-modern in that sense and in the sense that it leaves you with a sense of hope for a satisfying and meaningful life found through personal connection and through living according to one’s own moral compass. The historical story that acts as the “plot” of the film is interesting and I think it’s told well. It’s a national scheme in which three friends find themselves unintentionally caught. The film immerses you in the middle of the action, jumps to a beautiful little back-story, and then rejoins the main narrative. Relatively simple and straight-forward. What I enjoyed most about the film was the philosophical reflection the creators brought to the story. This story could have been a heavy, modernist retelling of a historical event. Instead, it’s a self-aware story about friendship, the cyclic nature of reality, and the importance of love in the midst of all the financial and political concerns that seek to distract us from finding real connection and satisfaction in our lives. How fun to use a true, and quite frightening historical event to highlight these themes. Most of the acting was good. The three main characters had great chemistry, Michael Meyers was almost unrecognizable. I don’t think Zoe Saldana or Rami Malek gave particularly compelling performances but Saldana’s character wasn’t very well fleshed out and Malek’s was perhaps just supposed to be odd.

“ Past Lives is a mature love story that feels powerfully real. ” I read this description on Rotten Tomatoes and I can’t improve on it.

Terrible. Acting: Diane Lane is the worst. Cusak is cast as an older Lloyd Dobbler (which I don’t mind because who doesn’t love Lloyd Dobbler) but he’s not in the show enough to make it worthwhile. Other performances are fine but nothing that really stands out. Script: Boring, except 1 excellent poem by Yeats. Plot, cinematography, and score: Imagine the most stereotypical rom com you can imagine that starts with 2 divorcees who end up together. Oh, and Lloyd Dobbler builds wooden boats that he can’t sell. No need to watch the film, you already know what happens. If you’re looking to kill some time, it’s not the worst movie you could watch but don’t expect much.

I can’t write anything that hasn’t already been said. One of the best films I’ve seen this year.

This is an incredibly important docuseries that explores the contributions African Americans have made not just to American cuisine but also to American culture in a broader way. I was shocked to learn that the first cowboys were black, that the term ‘cowboy’ was what slave boys who managed cows were called. This is just one of the many contributions the docuseries explores that grew from African American cuisine and lifestyle. The series is a celebration of ancestors and history as well as of the contemporary African Americans who are keeping these traditions alive today. I’m dreaming of a foodie road trip to visit all of these awesome restaurants!

My college writing professor used to say, “Show me, don’t tell me.” Someone needed to say this to the writers of this film. I felt like the characters were telling me who they were and telling me about their relationships instead of allowing me to see who they were and what their relationships were. There also wasn’t much chemistry between the two main characters and the plot could not have been more predictable. The acting was good but the script was so expository and predictable that it was hard to notice. I watched the film because Tig Notaro was in. She was great and a couple of the scenes with her and Kutcher are pretty good but she’s not in it enough to make up for the weakness of the script.

A rare treat.

Wow. I was expecting this to be far less intimate and personal than it was. The acting was incredible. The intimate scenes between the two main characters were nuanced and electric. They were able to communicate and stir up in the viewer all those feelings of falling in love - not just the physical and sexual desire but all the confusion, love, sensitivity, and care that you can feel for someone you don't know as well as you think you'd like to. Another surprise was how much I enjoyed the plot. It was genuinely surprising and allowed the character's values to surface in ways that kept me thinking and feeling about their decisions for days. Like an ancient Greek play, I found myself wondering, what else could they really have done, given who they are, what they believe, and what situation they were in... or What would I have done in that situation? It's genuinely rare that a television series ignites this kind of reflection in me. I'm curious to see what direction they take things in season 2. I worry that Wilhelm may try to rebel against his family, which will be hard to believe. I hope they can keep the focus on the intimacy between Wilhelm and Simon, since that is where the show really shines.

This show is uplifting and positive. It leaves you feeling good. It doesn’t have a lot of diversity. Every recurring character is white, heterosexual, cis-gendered, able-bodied, middle-class, etc. There are a number of black characters who come and go and in season 7 one of the recurring female characters dates another woman, so that’s something. Seasons 1-5 are great. Season 6 starts to feel like a soap opera and ends with a cliff hanger, which I always find disappointing and Season 7 is really different. It doesn’t start with Halloween, as all the other seasons do, it has a lot more stress involved in it. It’s still entertaining and still mostly uplifting but there’s more “drama” that is really just stress. What I liked about the show is that it offered entertainment without stress, which is healthier for our brains and immune systems but I’m very sensitive. Most people wouldn’t notice. I also appreciate the way that the writers take on real issues - like people jumping into commitment before they know each other well enough and people realizing they need to know themselves well before they can be with someone else. The show also does a good job of keeping track of it’s own canon. One challenge they had was keeping actors and explaining why characters disappear. A number of recurring characters disappear between seasons or even mid-season and are never heard from again with no explanation, including Cassie’s stepkids. It’s just sort of odd but of course, it can be challenging to keep up with everyone’s acting schedule. The script is very cheesy, which is what keeps it sweet. The acting is, well, it’s hard to deliver a script that’s so sweet and really pull it off. There are a few really rough performances but for the most part the acting doesn’t get in the way. One actor who really stands out is Catherine Disher. Her character is a bit annoying but her acting is quite good as evidenced by her ability to pull of a “cousin” from out of town while also playing her normal character at the same time. Definitely a feel-good flick but with just enough depth to keep you watching.