Sethtro

Personal Rating: 7/10

I want to keep this review brief, unlike the movie. I tease... though it does have a runtime of 2hr 50mins. However, that time passes by quickly, filled by a series of "mini" movies contributing to the overarching storyline of this film. But that's all beside the point.

I went into this movie having not seen much Bollywood before, and thinking this was a twist on the 3 stooges. Boy was I in for a rollercoaster. I could tackle this movie as I usually do, dialogue, cinematography, set design, acting, and quality. If I did that, however, this movie would have a much lower rating. If I based my score off of how many people peed on a wall though... I want to acknowledge that this movie is old, many of the cuts and transitions are cheesy to the western world, most storylines were just there for the surprise, and some of the dialogue... "not it chief."

But,

that's not this movie. If you go in expecting Christopher Nolan you will surely leave disappointed. What makes this movie worth watching in my opinion, are the heavy topics, themes, that it covers in a comedic yet straightforward, not pulling punches, way. I don't want to give any spoilers but to name a view of the themes, the robotic flawed nature of the educational system, the issue of suicide caused by stress, parents pushing their dreams on their children, and pursuing things that make you happy. Just by that alone, Woah, this movie is gold. And the comedy, it's fun, keeps it a very enjoyable watch!

Major props to the Indian filmmaking culture for making this gem.

"All is well!"

Personal Rating: 10/10 (Outstanding)

I still remember just how impactful this movie was on me when I saw it as a child. The visuals, storytelling, how it made you think. And 12 years later it still stands as one of the best movies Pixar has ever made, and truly a hallmark of animated films.

The start of this movie. I could watch on an indefinite loop. The emotions you feel, the bond that grows between you and a robot in the introductory minutes, is storytelling at it's finest. No words have to be spoken and yet this movie world builds better than most 2-hour-long fantasy movies where the characters don't shut up.

The visuals. The visuals in this movie are stunning, the way they direct the eye, immerse you in the world, make you laugh and make you cry, a huge credit to the artists who worked on this film. And also interestingly enough, to Roger Deakins, who contributed to the first 20 minutes of the film and to the animating team, as he consulted on how to light scenes, he's quoted saying "the natural world that we live in just isn't as well-lit as your typical animated world." So by darkening scenes, adding shadow and cutting the number of lights used, they added a huge layer of realism to WALL-E.

The story, how you learn and feel about the characters (who the majority of are robots), the music, it's all superbly done. I can't think of anything I would change. But all this alone isn't what earns it the 10/10 rating, it's the themes, the tones, the way this "for children" movie makes you think, that earns my full respect.

For the most part, humans choose what's convenient, sacrificing privacy, health, well being, relationships and the like for that. WALL-E showed that exact point like never before. It takes effort to overcome the norm, to work towards a goal, even when it's not rainbows and peaches when one is determined they can do amazing things. Which is why the ending of this movie isn't bleak, it's inspiring. (spoilers) Humans come back to earth because of one lonesome plant. But it's enough to give them hope, and determination, to work on transforming the planet. And that was just one of the themes explored beautifully. I already know I'll be watching this movie again, and again.

Thanks for reading my review.

"I didn't know we had a pool!"

Personal Rating: 7/10 (worth watching)

Looking at the other reviews for this film I feel like I need to address something right off the bat, this is not a romantic movie. If you came here looking to watch a relationship blossom between an older gentleman and young girl... this is certainly not it. A note of finality on this subject, the movie is categorized as "Crime, Drama" and that's exactly what it is.

Now that we've got that out of the way, onto the actual review. This movie is engaging from the get-go, barely giving you enough time to breathe before the inciting accident takes place, starting the whirlwind that is this movie. For a movie that's 2hr and 9mins long, the pacing was quite nice with some areas a little waning but always holding enough action to keep you hooked. It utilized the long runtime well with all the main characters being fleshed out nicely and having very fulfilling character arcs! The wrap-up at the end of this movie was one of the nicest I'd seen in quite some time.

But the reason I would implore you to watch this movie isn't the actors, story arcs, music nor cinematography. It's the journey you go on with the main character, Soon-ho. This is a movie about overcoming prejudice, prejudice you might not even be aware you have. Yet it gives you so many miny victories throughout, signs of progress and deeper understanding that you never feel so guilty you have to turn the movie off. In the end, it leaves you with much to think about yet real-world advice to help. As someone who has a few family members on the autism spectrum, I think this film handled the delicate subject tastefully and politely.

This is the first Korean film I've ever watched and it set the bar quite high. The casting and acting were fantastic. The music was tasteful and yet not too bold, really complimenting whatever was on screen; there were a few abrupt cuts of the music but that can be chalked up to the editors' fault, or perhaps, style. I did watch the movie with English subtitles and was honestly quite disappointed in the translation. There were many moments where you could tell the actor or actress meant so much more than the English translation, also there were instances where because of the basic translation a few of the emotional beats weren't as impactful as I wish they would've been, again not blaming the performances but instead the subtitles and my complete lack of speaking Korean.

If you're still sitting on the fence, watch this movie. Soon-ho's father alone makes it worth it.