Mini-Reviews: Only Yesterday, Only Lovers Left Alive, To The Bone

TW: To The Bone - mental health, eating disorders, self-harm

northamptonfilmfestival.com

Only Yesterday

One of Studio Ghibli's "quieter" movies, as I like to call them. They are not fantastical like Howl's Moving Castle or Spirited Away, but they are beautiful snapshots of life and feelings. I liked the premise of this movie when I looked it up a year or two ago, but wasn't sure how interested in it I would be since I was more familiar with the aforementioned films' styles. But wow did I ever love this one. It's sad and nostalgic, and also hopeful and lovely. It was the right time for me to watch it, for sure. Definitely would recommend giving it a watch.

thefilmstage.com

Only Lovers Left Alive

This is a favourite of one of my friends, so I decided to watch it. Although overall I'm a fan of Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton and I are a bit hit or miss, so I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this one. Overall, it was fine but nothing to write home about. It just felt like it was missing something. It is slow paced, and mostly about the characters than an overarching plot, but...I wanted there to be more. More character development, or something. I would watch it again in order to see if there was more to it that I missed, but so far it hasn't grabbed me.

hypable.com

To The Bone

(See Trigger Warning above).

I cannot speak to the accuracy of the portrayal of this movie, and only to its effectiveness and enjoyment level as a movie, as well as the feelings of someone who understands compulsions. That being said, I found this movie to be enjoyable and impactful. I needed a movie to kick me in the butt a little to get me out of a wallowing state, and this did it. It talks about reaching your lowest and learning how to fight through it, and for me, that was inspirational. Whether or not it represents eating disorders well, I unfortunately do not know, although I have heard whispers of it being problematic in nature. Although I do not feel that it glorifies eating disorders, I recognize that I might not be the best person to judge that. Regardless though, I think the character dynamics worked, and think it is definitely worth a watch. Not too glossy, but not too rough either.