Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon

This movie is about vibes. Wow. An authentic trip, not without flaws, but always with a lot of personality and originality, with no fear of referencing past decades and even using some camp in a ridiculous way.

It's the 3rd movie I've seen with Jeon Jong-seo and there's little doubt to me that she's a star, capable of filling the screen and dominating every scene she is in. In this film, she is once again mesmerizing (ok, ok...) and manages to captivate us with her aura of mystery combined with her innocence.

I have to see The Bad Batch - some reviews have made me postpone this experience - but this is another film that demonstrates how unique Ana Lily Amirpour is, without fear of doing something different and taking risks. The soundtrack of this film is something sensational and all the editing options taken make it seem like we are on an authentic trip. The cinematography is fantastic and is always pleasant to look to the screen full of colours and life.

The script is not as strong as it would be desirable and many questions remain unanswered, but this is a commendable experience, full of style, attitude, and striking scenes that deserve to be much more talked about than it has been.

In slick, original drama-thriller "Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon" Jeon Jong-seo escapes a mental asylum to New Orleans' seedy, steamy side where she's taken in by the 'colourful' likes of street-punk Ed Skrein, skanky exotic dancer Kate Hudson, & Hudson's kid Evan Whitten... as tired beat cop Craig Robinson hunts her down. Writer / director Ana Lily Amirpour's screenplay is unexpected, fresh & with terrific characters (tho some MAY bemoan the non-traditional plot) and she elicits superb performances (esp the understatedly outstanding Jong-seo) against a richly stylish backdrop (inc pulsating soundtrack). Excellent film-making from an upcoming potential master.

Although almost completely void of any special effects, this movie is saturated with auditory and visual aesthetics, which are mostly centered around night life, and viewed through the realistic perspective of a wide angle lens, that isn't shy of getting too close and personal.

Plot is original, enjoyable and entirely basic, with emphasis given to "enjoyable", there are no points of high tension, just different music tracks the characters seem to 'swim' through as if guiding the scene. In a very chill fashion, almost dream-like.

The character performance is incredibly realistic, bold, and does a great job in making you view the daily happenings of their extraordinary lives in their original points of view.

Overall, a very entertaining watch. And listen.

Monalisa's day out in New Orleans is a fantasy trip of light sound and music. There is not much story, as the journey is the plot.

The opening scenes in the Mental Hospital set the stage immediately and raised expectations beyond what was delivered, however watch Monalisa for the experience. For the visual show with accompanying beat and the awakening of an unknown force on a Blood Moon in the south.

There was potential for so much more, Bourbon St never looked so clean and the characters so normal. I assume budget and Covid took their toll.

Great supporting roles from Kate Hudson and son and some other quirky characters.

Not a masterpiece but a koool adventure.

Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon is pretty cool and original movie. I love the premise and the setup. It has a distinct visual style and some interesting music to further differentiate itself.

I enjoyed all of the characters, even the bad ones. It has a good cast giving good performances. Kate Hudson is nearly unrecognizable. And the child actor does a great job playing endearing. I'm normally annoyed by child characters, but he made me root for him.

The reason I didn't rate this higher is because it doesn't seem like it has anywhere to go past the premise and setup. I liked the conclusion but it doesn't feel like it escalates enough through the middle part.

But I think I would watch this a second time and would definitely be interested in a sequel.

(1 viewing, 7/16/2024)