Rating: 4/5 To the Bone (2017) is a Netflix feature written and directed by Marti Noxon, with Lily Collins in the role of Ellen, a 20-year-old suffering from anorexia nervosa. It has been met with mixed feelings and reviews since Netflix released the official trailer in June this year. There is concern that the film may trigger people with a history of disordered eating or still fighting an eating disorder. However, the purpose of the story is to initiate a conversation about EDs, as the director claims in one of her interviews, not to provide a one-for-all guide to recovery, so it seems unfair to attack the film for doing exactly what it was planned for. If we want to tackle sensitive issues, then it's time we accepted we won't like doing so. To the Bone aims to illustrate various manifestations of eating disorders, so it's inevitable it might be triggering or even misinterpreted as "thinspirational". It's not glamourising anorexia; it's pointing its finger at those who do, sharing pictures of underweight Ellen with the tag #LifeGoals. But it's also more than an accusation: it's a good-willed attempt to give hope that recovery is possible. Though fortunately a long way away from representing an inaccurate archetype, Ellen's multi-faceted character rings a whole bell tower for a vast number of "rexies". For example, she has become (in)famous on Tumblr, a treasure trove of blogs on anorexia and other EDs; she uses wit and sarcasm to push others away and pretends she can do well on her own, even when her sunken eyes and jutting hipbones tell a different story; and, of course, she knows all the most effective tricks and trips to lose weight, like chewing and spitting food back on the plate, or running up and down the stairs. However, she is past the "Tumblr Golden Age", when your average anorexic blogger gets all excited and starry-eyed about the increasing support she receives, which only precipitates her deeper into the eating disorder. After a girl killed herself, taking inspiration from Ellen's artwork, Ellen hates being associated with her blog. She "can't stop," as she candidly admits to Dr. William Beckham (Keanu Reeves), but she doesn't like having an eating disorder anymore. Ellen lives with an absentee father, his new partner Susan (Carrie Preston), and her daughter Kelly (Liana Liberato), though she longs to be reunited with her mother Judy (Lili Taylor), who moved to Phoenix, Arizona with new girlfriend Olive (Brooke Smith). This extraordinary scenario constitutes a misguiding narrative element, as it seems to suggest that only profound issues, like a messed up family, generate eating disorders. In fact, anyone can have an ED, even if they don't have a complicated family history. One of To the Bone's commendable achievements is the representation of different characters struggling with disordered eating. When Ellen joins Dr. Beckham's allegedly unorthodox inpatient program, she doesn't meet only skinny white girls who are obsessed with exercise. Other patients include a big black girl caught in a cycle of binges and purges, a pregnant woman, and an anorexic young man with an optimistic attitude towards recovery, Luke (Alex Sharp). We don't see girls who don't eat; we see people with different weights and body types who eat, only sometimes not enough or forcing themselves to throw up afterwards. Norton's work is an important milestone in the history of eating disorders in the media, as it brings to the surface the idea that EDs affect one's mind, and the result isn't always reflected in worsened physical conditions. Ellen's journey reaches its climax with an oneiric sequence of great visual impact. Ellen and Luke sit together on a tree branch; she looks strong and healthy, although we have just seen her pass out from starvation and exhaustion. This is Ellen's dream; this is how Ellen sees herself – beautiful, toned, perfect. It's a powerful, goosebumps-inducing message: a lot of anorexics are oblivious to how ugly the illness makes them. The dream also shows Ellen another, more realistic version of herself: an unconscious pile of bones. It's a literal wake-up call, inducing her to acknowledge she needs to heal. To the Bone isn't an easy film to watch, whether you have an ED or not. If you do, I recommend watching it with someone who knows about it and cares for you. If you don't think it's safe for you, then choose something else. With its blood-curdling images of a body on the way to self-destruction, it's difficult to digest, but it's the kind of difficult we need if we want those who suffer to receive more recognition and support.
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Rating: 2/5 When I watched Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014, I thought it was a poor spoof of The Avengers that took place in space. Nonetheless, I found it different from any other MCU film and I appreciated its jokes. Sadly, I can't say the same of James Gunn's second instalment. It's clear from the start that Volume II is trying to ride the wave of success of its predecessor. Accompanying the opening credits, Baby Groot dances to Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra, while the Guardians are busy fighting an alien octopus in the background. This sequence reveals the abysmal difference between the two films. The Guardians seem tired; their initial jokes, which should be a warming up session before the real fun kicks in, will turn out to be the only jokes, repeated over and over; and the debatable quality of the visual effects makes the battle painful to watch, if not to fight. However, it can't be said that the beginning doesn't do its job, as it effectively sets the tone for the entire film: '80s music, pointless action, and forced humour. The story progresses with the introduction of the Sovereign, a race of golden-skinned nerds whose greatest achievement is any gamer's wet dream: a spaceship full of gaming stations to pilot remotely controlled spaceships. One would expect the Sovereign and their golden empress Ayesha to be a subplot, but in the end they play the same role as wallpaper in a rather messy room. No one really sees them. At last, the Guardians encounter Ego, an all-powerful being who announces he's Quill's father. Quill decides to follow him on a quest to discover his origins, causing the team to split and therefore establishing the underlying theme: the separation and reunion of a family. Then we have to sit through more than an hour of Quill, Gamora, Drax, and their new friend Mantis sitting around and chatting. Like a sitcom, but with less action. In the meantime, Baby Groot, Rocket, and Yondu have to escape Yondu's former pirate crew in order to save their fellow team members from Ego's megalomaniac tendencies. Of the two storylines, the latter is at least eventful, whereas the former just drags on, filled with expositional dialogue and the same one-liners about Rocket's rodent nature, Quill's inadequacy, and Mantis's alleged lack of visual appeal. When the much anticipated Heroes versus Villains final showdown takes place, it's difficult to enjoy it: too many characters compete for our attention, already exhausted by a cocktail of CGI evoking sad memories of Suicide Squad. Even the Sovereign make a comeback, which is just as absurd as their introduction and ends when their video game platforms break down. If anything, Gunn nailed the emotional impact of that particular scene on an audience of geeks. Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy - Vol. II has a simplistic plot that stretches out for two hours and a half for no better reason than "we really like to make these characters talk to each other." Except the Guardians seem to have left their humour and bite back in Vol. I. Rating: 5/5 Director James Mangold's and writer Scott Frank's new Wolverine story packs a clawed punch. Logan is the clever answer to a difficult question: how to make a Wolverine solo film without affecting the other X-Men titles? Well, you set the story in the future – or a future, courtesy of the Marvel multiverse. The year is 2029, and mutants are extinct. Or nearly so. Logan (Hugh Jackman) is still around, with some grey in his hair (and beard) and considerably diminished powers. He doesn't heal too well and has trouble with his claws. He works as a chauffeur to pay for the drugs 90-year-old Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) needs to ward off brain seizures that seem to alter time and endanger people's lives. World's most wanted, with Xavier's brain listed as a weapon of mass destruction, the two of them live in relative peace in an abandoned building in Mexico with mutant-tracking Caliban (Stephen Merchant). That is, until Gabriela (Elizabeth Rodriguez) comes begging for a ride to North Dakota for herself and her "daughter" Laura (Dafne Keen). When Gabriela is killed, Laura hides in Logan's car to escape Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook). Pierce and his men are on the hunt for all the mutant children escaped from a clinic where they are created using mutant DNA. Now Wolverine has to decide whether to leave his quiet haven for a potentially suicidal trip to save the life of a girl he doesn't even know. Once he finds out she has claws to rival his own and she is more to him than he imagines, it's hard to say no. His choice marks the beginning of a journey across Mexico and the States to reach Eden, a safe place for these young new mutants. Yet the journey isn't only physical; the emotional tension stays high for nearly three hours of run time as Logan and Laura slowly build a touching relationship, with a climax that will break even a heart of adamantium. Mangold and Frank blend feelings and butt-kicking together skilfully, alternating slow, character-driven sequences with fast-paced fights featuring plenty of guns, blood, and mutilations. Entertaining as the massacres are, it's in the slower scenes that we unravel the core of the story: for instance, when Logan, Xavier, and Laura accept to have dinner with a family they helped on the way to Eden, Xavier encourages Logan to savour this moment. The episode reveals Logan's longing for a family, a desire unbeknownst to him until it is personified by our heroes' hosts. Admittedly, the road trip and the emotional journey eclipse the Transigen threat. Pierce and Zander Rice (Richard E. Grant), head doctor of Transigen, have very little screen time and personality; moreover, the final battle is way too quick and anticlimatic. Regardless, this doesn't impact too negatively on the overall cinematic experience. There will come a time when an X-Men film will feature a truly fearsome enemy, but Logan isn't that time. Nonetheless, you won't regret the ticket, whether you're missing some good ol' violence à la Weapon X or you're waiting for the denouement to Logan's eternal struggle between beast and human. Rating: 4.5/5
Animation and mythology are two of my favourite things, so, when I went to see MOANA, I had good reasons to think I would like it. Disney didn't disappoint. The most original aspect of this feature is the structure of the narrative. It's a journey in every sense, starting with Moana questioning her role in the world, wondering if she can aspire to something more than spending the rest of her life on her island. Then she takes this abstract journey to a new physical level when she decides to sail beyond the riff and find her purpose. Moana is a powerful character, an active heroine rather than a passive princess; in case it isn't clear enough, she repeats this mantra a few times, which is what I like the least about her. The first time it seems a cute and witty way to make fun of the Disney princess stereotype, admirable for Disney's display of self-awareness and irony, but the second and third times are just overkill. Maui reminds me of the Norse god Loki and the African spider-god Anansi. It's fascinating to see through this film how similar myths can be, no matter the geographical and chronological distance between the people that create them. I really appreciate the taste of Polynesian mythology that MOANA offers, with references that are both interesting and thoroughly explained without being excessive. The main core of the film is indeed the human race and the journey of men to find their own identity. A character that I didn't expect to like so much is certainly Tomatoa, the giant crab Maui has to fight in order to retrieve his hook. Tomatoa's song, "Shiny," shows us the crab's character arc as a minor villain in less than three minutes: he humiliates Maui, toys with his prey, and nearly kills both the demi-god and Moana. He is a much more effective villain than the major opponent in the story! I highly recommend this story to fans of myths and adventure! Rating: 2/5 A more accurate title would be Batman v Superman: Property Damage. Zack Snyder’s latest superheroic stunt, released in the UK on March 25th, is a monument to epic, jaw-dropping, and utterly unnecessary destruction. The two cities where the story unfolds, Gotham and Metropolis, seem to take turns in being levelled to the ground by heroes and monsters. It’s the true competition between the main characters: whose city will be annihilated first? At least that would be a clear plot, because Snyder’s storyline is anything but easy to follow. The focus alternates between Superman, who is unjustly accused of murder and tries to regain the world’s trust, and Batman, who beats up some questionable people because he’s Batman–– I mean, to find a lump of kryptonite to protect the world from Superman, who Bruce fears is uncontrollable. Throw in a young and haired version of Lex Luthor, Diana Prince, better known as Wonder Woman, and random computer files about other metahumans, hinting at a future Justice League’s film à la Avengers. Add several tons of gratuitous violence and just a pinch of clichéd dialogue. Seriously, they share more punches than words. Batman v Superman has fascinating premises, such as the endless fight between mortal and divine, “God against man,” quoting Luthor. However, due to an abysmal lack of character development and a messy structure, the outcome is confusing and unsatisfying. It’s a patchwork of “already seen,” like Martha and Thomas Wayne’s deaths, and fancy digital effects. It leaves DC fans arching eyebrows and the odd cinema-goer wondering what the hell is going on. The editing doesn’t help, either. In fact, the abrupt cuts make the scenes even more disconnected, giving us a hard time trying to decipher, for instance, whether we are watching a nightmare of Batman’s or part of the actual film. Nonetheless, Jesse Eisenberg’s performance as Lex Luthor is a success: he masters his character’s stammer, tics, and madness in a creepy and entertaining way. Thumbs-up for the comic reliefs of both sides – Jeremy Irons’s Alfred Pennyworth, Batman’s butler, and Laurence Fishburne’s Perry White, the Daily Planet editor-in-chief – who have the best lines of the whole film. Overall, Batman v Superman leaves a bitter aftertaste of “too much.” Instead of packing so many events in a single instalment, Snyder should have focused on the rivalry between the two superheroes made obvious by the title. Just the one, well thought-out theme would have been much better than a muddy mishmash of battles and one-liners. Besides, why call it “Batman versus Superman” when the conflict between the two is resolved in a grand total of ten minutes, thanks to a plot twist whose solidity is debatable at best? As it is, the hardest blow this film delivers is to our head, giving us a splitting migraine on our unsuccessful quest to piece together Snyder’s enigmatic hints at a substantial storyline that just doesn’t exist. |
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October 2017
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