Mockingbird In A Blizzard
By Nadia Ranaputri

Source: Screen Rant
Creator: Noah Hawley
Cast: Dan Stevens, Rachel Keller, Aubrey Plaza, Jean Smart, Jeremie Harris, Bill Irwin, Katie Aselton.

Simplicity is overrated. Explanations of the unexplainable are no longer required. This is what Marvel’s X-Men series Legion is all about. Show the unexplainable without the explanation.

Legion, loosely based on the comic book with the mutant of the same name, tells the story of David Haller, a supposed schizophrenic who’s stuck in a mental hospital for most of his adult life. Plagued with hallucinations and unexplained nightmares, David’s life is turned upside down (literally) when a mysterious female patient (played by Rachel Keller) comes around the corner. As David’s relationship with the patient blooms in the midst of confusion and madness, he becomes aware of his true abilities as he comes to terms with understanding his powers, and that he’s not that crazy after all. 

Source: IGN

Dan Stevens as David Haller is truly the cherry on top of a very bizarrely puzzling story, convincing himself that he is getting better just when his abilities start to waver. David’s mind is a very complicated maze, and it’s only beginning to open up. His powers can be uncontrollable, and David knows it. He can’t control himself at times, even when he desperately needs himself to. And it’s not just him whose abilities are questionable. Rachel Keller’s mysterious female patient who also has abilities of her own shines alongside Stevens’ David, providing aid and connection to our lead protagonist. 

In Legion, we are introduced to several other mutants whose powers may cause a stir of confusion, but the bigger stir of baffle lies within the story. Legion is the kind of show that dials the tone of confusion to the point of no return. Even if David is diagnosed as “schizophrenic” by others, David’s mind is practically complicated. The more we unravel David’s perplexing maze of a mind, the more confused we get. To top it off, even David can be baffled by his own mind and abilities, causing even more puzzles to arrive before even one can be solved. However, the show is ever brilliant in presenting something so spectacularly baffling, it actually makes us more intrigued. The story, like David’s mind, is a captivating maze of its own. Even in midst of confusion, we are solely interested in what we’re seeing on screen. 
 
Source: publimetro.co

Legion is a mystery box that keeps revealing deeper mysteries than the first, asking questions than giving answers, before tying them all together in the final box. The story and script aren’t the only ones in the role of telling the story; the visuals are also worth applauding. Legion gives us unusual scopes and lenses that give an outlook on David and the world from his perception. Completing the wondrous scopes are the equally wondrous coloring. Legion likes to dip deep in their color pallet and paint wonders into their screen. Nightmares and moments of terror or fear are big scopes of red that is like a sign of alarm, bright saturated filters show wonder and hope, while the less saturated color the darkness of David's past.

Other than the baffling aspects, Legion also amps it up with moments of irrational humor that gives sense of both hilarity and uneasiness. The characters do have their share of fun, and that includes dancing. There are a couple of moments where characters suddenly dance out of nowhere, which really doesn't make sense at times, truth be told; but it's nevertheless very fun to watch. 

Legion isn’t afraid to experiment its potential on screen. It is weird and confusing, but it’s also very intriguing due to its superb writing throughout each episode. Like its mutant characters in the show, Legion embraces its oddness and unique tones. When you've got the brilliance between all the madness and peculiarity, how far down are you willing to go to create a season's worth of complicated mind maze? For Legion, there are no limits for creative bursts of madness, and it's possible that we've only scratched the surface of something even stranger than the dose of weirdness that we've been given.

Stars: 4.5/5
By Nadia Ranaputri
Source: fanpop
Director: Bill Condon
Cast: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Kline, Ian McKellen, Audra McDonald, Emma Thompson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Stanley Tucci.

Disney is at it again with turning their beloved animated films into live-action galore. After hitting success with 2015’s Cinderella and 2016’s The Jungle Book (a personal favorite Disney live action film of mine so far), Disney is aiming slate at the tale that is as old as time.

Beauty and the Beast is a similar story to its original 1991 film. Bookworm Belle lives a provincial life with her inventive father Maurice. As Maurice is on leave, he encounters an obstacle that forces him to take the unusual path to a mysterious castle. When Maurice suddenly goes missing, Belle sets out on a journey to find him, only to take his place as prisoner in the castle ruled by a beast-cursed Prince.

Emma Watson’s ever-loving bookworm is a charm in the lead. Her feistiness and femininity maintained, with a little more depth to the character in this version. Watson’s vocals in the songs don’t always come through, but her portrayal is nevertheless satisfying.
Source: Teen Vogue
Dan Steven’s cursed Prince is a delightful mystery that the film managed to unwrap by giving more backstory to create more understanding of the Prince that came to be the beast. Even if covered in CGI as his beast form, Stevens is still able to convey his anger, confusion, and his compassion.

We mustn’t forget the supporting charms that are the human-turned antiques who manage the castle. Ewan McGregor’s Lumière is just as entertaining and amusing as its original portrayal, reining the screen and relishing audiences in the classic Be Our Guest number that’s nothing but nostalgic fun. His fellow patriots such as Sir Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, Audra McDonald’s Madame de Garderobe, Emma Thompson’s Mrs. Potts, Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s Plumette, and Stanley Tucci’s Maestro Cadenza; all complete the set as these beloved antiques that capture our hearts.

Out of all though, the standouts were the fine performances of our antagonist Gaston (played by Luke Evans) and his sidekick LeFou (played by Josh Gad). From the moment they came on screen during the opening number for Belle, to bringing full attention in the ever iconic Gaston number (which as of today, is still my favorite song from the original film as well as this one); they were the most memorable of the bunch. 
Source: fashionfave.com
As storytelling goes, it is essentially the same story as the original film, with additions that finely adds layers and depth to not only the characters, but the story itself. Missing voids that audiences might have wondered about from the original film are filled through dialogue and song. There are two new additional songs that give further backstory and depth to two characters, which was a nice addition to the wider story.

Because the story has the beast and his loyal servants turned antiques, they all require CGI. Most of the time, the CGI is brilliantly incorporated with the live-action aspects of the film. The set pieces that go along with the characters are also outstanding, recreating the rooms of the castle that audiences have come to know from the original. The songs as well, are brilliantly recreated through live-action, and some of the lyrics are altered to fill voids and give more story.

Overall, Beauty and the Beast falls victim to having the same storyline as the original 1991 predecessor, but it does not mean that it prevented me from enjoying the film as a whole. The portrayals were charming and the new additions given in the story were nice little touches to improve upon the original. Newer audiences of the story will enjoy it for all the charm and magic, while fans of the original film (like me) will also enjoy it for all its nostalgic and additional aspects. It is after all, a tale as old as time.

Stars: 4/5
By Nadia Ranaputri
Source: Apple Trailers

Director: James Mangold
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Richard E. Grant.

One last time, my fellow mutants. It is here at last. Hugh Jackman’s final outing as everyone’s favorite claw-slashing mutant Logan, as well as Patrick Stewart’s final outing as Charles Xavier.

Logan is the latest (and final for Jackman and Stewart) installment in Fox’s X-Men franchise. Taking place somewhere in the future that’s neither dark like the future that we saw in the beginning of X-Men: Days of Future Past, nor is it bright and full of wonder; mutants have supposedly gone extinct and even forgotten, as one character in the film listens to a radio host saying “It’s 2029, why are we still talking about mutants?”  Logan and Charles, the only few mutants left on Earth and both with deteriorating health despite their mutant abilities; are left to fend for themselves by hiding in the Mexican border. As Logan takes a job to provide for Charles and himself, he encounters a girl with similar abilities, leading to trouble and endless chases aplenty.

For a last outing, Jackman certainly makes clear of the fact, but it’s also certain that there is no other actor in the world who could bring Logan to life as memorable as Jackman; not after this film. Logan’s life is full of faded hopes and drowned sorrows, and this film digs them out a few feet under, exposing what little hope he actually has left. He goes around earning money to care for Charles whilst giving little attention to himself, despite his deterioration, and rejects help given by others. He’s angry, he’s tired, and he’s given up. 

Patrick Stewart also completes the odd duo and though it’s been a while since we’ve seen happier moments between the two, this film takes a hold of them as a warning and as a reminder that they’re not the way the once were. Though Stewart’s Charles remains as a small pinnacle of hope to Logan, he too has deteriorating abilities that wavers like a time bomb. 

Source: Esquire

But it’s Dafne Keen’s Laura that manages to catch much of the attention as Jackman and Stewart. Bringing in some of the film’s claws, Keen gives us something to really care about her, mixing in wonder and plenty of fierceness.

From an action standpoint, Logan is brutal, and it is heavy. Logan does not hold back on the violence, which makes it all the more great. We’ve come to see a more savage Logan in the previous films, especially in X-Men: Apocalypse, but here it is dialed up to the point of no return. Heads are decapitated, limbs are cut, and hearts are stabbed. This is the most violent of the other X-Men films, and the most brutal that I’ve seen from a Wolverine film.

But between it all is the shadow of a broken world, where all hope is derived and none of the damns are given. Hope is nothing but a myth too far to be proven true. The film gives a somber and rugged tone that almost feels like a Western at times, and a family drama at some point. The action brings out the brutality, but gives us time to warm up to old and familiar characters as well as the new. Within these scenes, most of the pacing is perfect, though it may tether over to the edge of almost lagging at some.

Source: comingsoon.net

When it comes to the Wolverine standalone films, it’s mostly Hugh Jackman that brings out the best out of them, even if the story doesn’t. Logan is the film that brings the best out of most of the aspects, from tone, pacing, action, performance, and all the way to the story. As for how it all wraps up, it was the perfect send-off for both Jackman and Stewart, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. In the brink of Jackman and Stewart’s last outings as Logan and Charles, they sure made the most of their final time. As Stewart leaves his place, it’s Jackman that places his legacy firmly like a foot would right above his own; ensuring that this is in fact, the character that will always be his.

Stars: 4.6/5
By Nadia Ranaputri

Source: Yahoo
Director: Damien Chazelle 
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt

Damien Chazelle has a passion for everything music. It shows through his previous success in Whiplash. Now, he returns with a musical in which style balances well with its substance.

La La Land is the tale of two star-crossed dreamers who aspire to reach their goals and dream: Mia an aspiring actress, while Sebastian an aspiring jazz pianist. They meet in what was the beginning of their journey towards their dreams, leading to romance and obstacles aplenty.

Ryan Gosling is as always, charming as Sebastian. Sebastian is passionate yet aggressive, especially towards his love for jazz. One scene I really liked in particular, was where Sebastian pours his heart out on the fact that jazz is more than just 'elevator music'. "It's dying. The world says let it die, it had its time. Well, not on my watch", he tells Emma Stone's Mia in the scene. 

Emma Stone completes the duo as Mia, a barista who is also an aspiring actress booking and auditioning roles in her spare time. Emma shines in her performance and she wonderfully portrays Mia's passion for making it big in the acting business as well as her struggle of doing so.

Source: Yahoo


The film itself is style mixed with substance. Its cinematography is luscious and the coloring made me think of the settings of a classic musical, specifically Hollywood's Golden Age. La La Land brims with touches of vintage and retro vibes, so it's fair to say that I forgot that this film is set in modern day, as La La Land for me was a modern film disguised as a classic. Somehow, La La Land's polished setting reminisces those of Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, with all its creative use of colors, as well as the Golden Age setting like the 2011 film The Artist if it had technicolor and audible dialogue.

For the first half of the film, it lives up to what it is: a musical. La La Land does not falter in delivering their original songs and dance numbers and you can't help but wish you were dancing and singing along with them. La La Land's numbers derives the norm of the usual modern musicals and pays homage to the classic musical numbers back in the day. My favorite number from the lot was the opening sequence that takes place in the LA traffic. The music behind it was also spectacular, from jazz to a little swing, the music creates a unique atmosphere. 

Source: PopSugar
The second half in which our two protagonists hit their speedbumps was where it briefly falters. For all its passion, it does feel realistic as not everything will go the way they wanted to, but this was also where La La Land somehow forgets that it's a musical; focusing more on the dialogue-centric scenes than dance numbers. It doesn't mean that it's a bad thing. La La Land does poke fun at the tropes of its genre, but it also shows the realistic side of things, where dreams can go sideways and cause relationships to go haywire. As La La Land starts with brimming optimism, it also faces realism in which aspirations are questioned once they're reached. It poses the question of "what would you do?" and what you would sacrifice to maintain your aspiration in a way. Still, it doesn't drag the film down, rather it draws in a lot more of the film's passion for dreamers and artists alike.
 
In all, La La Land is another strong entry from Damien Chazelle. As with Whiplash, Chazelle brings out his love for music, especially jazz, as well as the dreamers; the fools who dream. It pays homage to the classic musicals through the dance numbers and cinematography, which made the experience ever the more cherished. La La Land may have some style over substance aspects, but for the most part, it is style mixed with a passionate dose of substance.

Stars: 4.5/5 


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