MOVIE: Past Lives (2023)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Past LivesYear: 2023Rating: PG-13Length: 105 minutes / 1.75 hours With the varied and expansive amount of films that have been made, it’s a little bizarre that one as simple as Past Lives (2023) hasn’t been made before. Sure, there are plenty of star-crossed lover stories out there, but none as realistic as the one presented here. Usually, there’s some amount of “destiny brings them together” that provides hope to the audience. Much like the endings of Broadcast News (1987) or La La Land (2016), the fairy tale expectation doesn’t align with the reality that many people experience. For all its simplicity, Past Lives does a good job of showing the stages of a long-term and long-distance friendship. Each section gave the genuine impression of being filmed at the time it was meant to occur (without relying on the same level of dedication as Boyhood (2014)). The filmmakers expertly brought the characters' authentic feelings to the screen. And maybe the emotions were slightly...
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VIDEO GAME: Florence (2018)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Florence Year: 2018 Rating: T Time Played: ~30 minutes Video games as a medium are changing. Technology has advanced to the point where storytelling isn't just confined to books, movies, and televisions shows. Sure, there are "cinematic" triple-A titles that have exciting gameplay and dramatic twists. Then there are the indie titles like Florence that make a heartfelt story interactive through video games. It's a cute game that doesn't have much replay value but is worth checking out at least once if you have a little time to kill. It's odd how such a simple game can pack an emotional punch with such a short story, but that's where Florence succeeds. The player is engaged in portions of the story through a series of minigames that don't necessarily change the plot in any significant way (which might have been an interesting way to increase its replayability). However, these little interactive bits are great at expressing the wordless emotions of the characters as they try and...
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MOVIE: (500) Days of Summer (2009)

by benmweilertNo Comments
(500) Days of Summer Year: 2009 Rating: PG-13 Length: 95 minutes / 1.58 hours I’ll be the first to admit that I’m biased when it comes to this film. In 2009, I experienced my first ever relationship. I also experienced a breakup from said relationship in the same year. Consequently, I can relate to the main character, Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and his rise and fall brought about by Summer (Zooey Deschanel). Like Tom, I too held the romantic belief of “the one,” based mostly on the movies, books, TV shows, and music that touted this magical someone who would fill the hole in our souls. What (500) Days of Summer emphasizes is certainly closer to reality: not every story has a happy ending. As for the way the movie is presented, I must applaud the ingenious and artful direction of Marc Webb, this being his directorial debut after years of working on music videos. His previous experience certainly comes through in the music chosen for...
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