Mini-Reviews: Summerland, Ladies in Black, Mary, Queen of Scots

Accidentally, this set of mini-reviews has a period drama theme. What can I say, a girl likes what she likes!

variety.com

Summerland

Words can barely describe how perfect this film is. Honestly, it was just beautiful. I've been a fan of several of Gemma Arterton's works for quite a while now, and so I was excited to see this one even though I didn't know too much about it to start. Actually, I don't even believe I had watched the trailer for it! But after seeing it, I was moved by it in so many ways. It was a lovely story, beautifully filmed and acted, and it has stuck with me for months after. I would absolutely recommend it many times over.

netflix.com

Ladies in Black

This movie was...fine. I really loved Angourie Rice in Every Day, and I can't fault her on her performance here, nor that of Rachael Taylor. Overall though, I just didn't really attach to it much. If it's on, I wouldn't be against watching it again, but I wouldn't actively seek it out to view it.

theguardian.com

Mary, Queen of Scots

You might know that I'm a huge Tudor history lover, so I watched this rather cautiously. A lot of the films and shows that come out regarding this time period I avoid like the plague because I can get very hung-up on the lack of historical accuracy, and I instead prefer documentaries (if you know Lucy Worsley, know that I adore her). You know the saying "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"? Let's just say that the music is gorgeous, and Saoirse Ronan does a decent job. Does that tell you enough? Shockingly I finished it...I must have been very strong that day.

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Have you seen any of these? What do you think? Are you a stickler for details in historical pieces, or are you fine with some creative license?

TMST: Pandemic-Born Hobbies

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly feature started by the lovely Rainy Day Ramblings, and now hosted by a team of bloggers, Roberta @ Offbeat YA, Karen @ For What It's Worth, Berls @ Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life, Jen @ That's What I'm Talking About, and Linda @ Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell.

Have you kept any hobbies that you started during the pandemic?

Yes and no. The two main hobbies I picked up during the pandemic were gardening and working with polymer clay. Now, prior to this I had done some gardening before, but during the years of the pandemic I really brought this into overdrive. I have to admit that I have not only not calmed down, I have actually sort of gotten worse. My house is being taken over by plants haha.

With polymer clay, I used to use air dry clay, and always loved working with it. I finally decided to try polymer clay (you need to bake it in the oven to cure it, rather than the air dry variety), which I had been interested in for years but had been intimidated by it. I made a sort of palm stone/emblem to help a friend going through a really tough time and learned how the medium worked. Then my clay obsession transferred to this new style, and I haven't looked back. Now I mostly make magnets and figurines for my friends, and have tried a few pairs of earrings.

So although those two hobbies were definitely kicked into hyperdrive during the pandemic, they were activities I enjoyed in some form or another prior to.

What are some hobbies you picked up during the pandemic? Did you continue doing them afterwards?

Mini-Reviews: Daisy Jones and the Six, Bewilderment

Working through my huge backlog of books, movies, and TV shows from the past year or so, so I'm focusing on some mini-reviews. If you've read any of these, I'd love to chat more about them!

goodreads.com

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins-Reid

I listened to this one on audiobook and thought that was the perfect format for it! Switching between multiple characters, the audio version had different actors for each voice. This made it easy to follow and engaging, allowing me to connect with it in a way that I don't think I would have in print. I haven't read any other books by Taylor Jenkins-Reid, or watched the series that was based on this book, but this was an enjoyable introduction to her work. I'd recommend it if you're a fan of the era, but I don't think the interview format this book is written in is going to work for everyone.

goodreads.com

Bewilderment by Richard Powers

This book was a ride. At first I had very little idea of what was going on (and honestly, even after finishing it, I know I didn't get everything), but I was instantly intrigued. The relationship between Theo and his son Robin was both sweet and heartbreaking at different moments, and Robin's experiences with neurofeedback training constantly made me wish I could be inside his head to learn more. That is the brilliance of the book though. Even if you know where it's going, the journey was still such an important one.

TMST: Mid-Year Check-In

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly feature started by the lovely Rainy Day Ramblings, and now hosted by a team of bloggers, Roberta @ Offbeat YA, Karen @ For What It's Worth, Berls @ Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life, Jen @ That's What I'm Talking About, and Linda @ Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell.

Mid-Year Check-In: What books have you loved so far in 2024?

Hello! Excuse me while I get my bearings blogging again! Unfortunately my blogging and reading life have often had to take some hiatuses these past few years, but I've recently been able to push through and set aside some time for both.

I think the only book that I would say I thoroughly enjoyed so far this year was Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice. I've read a couple of  other things that were decent, but this has definitely been the standout for me. This is technically a sequel, but I didn't have any difficulty reading it without having read the first novel. The worldbuilding was wonderful and it was inspirational, informative, heartbreaking, and character-driven all at the same time. I would definitely recommend it!

The Boy and The Heron (2023)

 

imdb.com

Hayao Miyazaki just doesn't want to truly retire...and honestly, I am so glad. What would I have done without this movie? Being all at once dark, cute, quirky, and beautiful, t's not going to be for everyone (something I feel like I've been saying a lot about my movie choices lately), but if you are a fan of Studio Ghibli films, I really think this one is an amazing addition to their collection.

What's this film about? I almost don't want to tell you! In some ways, I don't know if I even could do it justice. I walked into it after seeing a trailer for it, but didn't really know much, honestly. And I really feel like that was a perfect way to experience it. Twist after twist, laugh after laugh, and constantly waffling between awe and bewilderment, it was an incredibly fun cinema experience. There are some dark moments (particularly at the beginning), so be aware that this isn't a young child-friendly film.

I watched this one in Japanese with English subtitles. I was happy to watch it either way, and would love to watch it again in the future with the English dubbing. I feel like both methods have their merits, and often different experiences, so I would say to watch it in whichever way works best for you. I know that for some it can be difficult to focus on anything other than the subtitles in a piece, and this movie is so visually stunning that I would make sure you watch whichever method allows you to see that to its full extent.

Here's what I feel I can say about it:
It's fantastical
The animation is beautiful
There are multiple twists that I don't think you'll see coming
The music is gorgeous
You might honestly question what kind of fever dream you walked into multiple times

So, without telling you too much other than this, I would absolutely recommend it!

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Do you enjoy animation? Have you seen any Studio Ghibli films before? If so, what are your favourites?

Copenhagen (2014)

This post contains some information that may, although mildly, spoil portions of the plot. If you would like to avoid any chance of spoilers, please come back to this post after watching the film!

imdb.com

Copenhagen is a 2014 film by Mark Raso, starring Gethin Anthony and Frederikke Dahl Hansen. 

The tagline for this one really says is all - "When the girl of your dreams is half your age, it's time to grow up". William, travelling to Copenhagen to deliver a letter to his unknown grandfather, meets Effy who is interning at his hotel. Upon asking for help, William and Effy are now tied together (for better or for worse) through William's journey to learn about his family.

This movie is absolutely not for everyone. Based on today's sensibilities, there are a lot of people who are going to feel highly bothered, offended, or creeped out by this movie, and I completely get it - but it didn't feel that way to me while watching it. Perhaps its all of the French movies I used to watch, or how I separate things in my head, but I was both fine with it as well as recognizing its problematic nature.

At its core, it's a film about a man with some serious emotional parent-related trauma, and a girl he meets, who is in that phase between girl and woman and learning what that means. These two form a relationship, all at once necessary and healing, yet unhealthy and rash. Their age difference is significant - Effy, is 14, just on the cusp of turning 15 - the age of consent in Denmark, and William is 28. Although Effy doesn't know William's exact age at the start, she has a better idea of the difference than he does - William is fully ignorant of it. And when he does know, he is both horrified and cautious.

Perhaps this is where all of their knowledge of each other should have ended, but it doesn't. If it progressed any further than it does in the movie, I would be highly bothered by it. However the director and writer, Mark Raso, handles it in a way that I think is tasteful, beautiful, and an experience of growth for both characters, rather than a terrifying cautionary tale.

It's a movie that ends peacefully, even if not exactly happily. You wonder what the future holds, but also don't feel like you need to know that in order to sit with it.

There are a lot of things to dislike in this movie, not just limited to inappropriate relationships: underage drinking, bad friendships, creepy interactions with a parent's partner, theft, breaking and entering. I would advise most watchers to be aware of their own feelings about viewing these things before they start. Although so many movies and shows portray these things now, and many may be numb to them, they can be jarring to others, especially when you realize how young the characters are.

Overall this is one that I enjoyed and would be happy watching again in the future.

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Have you seen this movie before? What did you think? How do you feel about problematic themes in film - do you find them fascinating? - do you avoid them?

TMST: Favourite Supernatural Creature

 Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly feature started by the lovely Rainy Day Ramblings, and now hosted by a team of bloggers, Roberta @ Offbeat YA, Karen @ For What It's Worth, Berls @ Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life, Jen @ That's What I'm Talking About, and Linda @ Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell.

What is your favorite supernatural creature?

As a lifelong fan of fantasy and mythology, I think it's pretty safe to say that I can instantly think of a dozen supernatural creatures that I love. Picking a favourite is kind of like picking a favourite flower in a garden that you lovingly cultivated. And yet, there is always one creature that stands out for me in a different way than the rest...

The Phoenix.

I have always loved them. From their beautiful flame coloured feathers, to their sleek appearance, to their symbolism of rebirth - they have always fascinated and charmed me. So, if absolutely forced to choose favourites here, I feel very little torment at listing them as mine.

I feel that I would be remiss without mentioning a few others that fight for dominance here:

Gryphon
Manticore
Cŵn Annwn
Ouroboros
Cockatrice

There are so many incredible ones from different mythologies and cultures around the world, and I am constantly fascinated to hear more. Do you have any favourites? Tell me about them!