Angeliena

This movie touched my heart so much. Everyone out there must see this to realise to never give up on their dreams. Who cares about your circumstances - keep on believing! Anything is possible and Angeliena showed us that with so much laughter, tears and love in this movie. South Africans can be proud to say this was produced here!!!

Even as a poorly developed script, and the lightweightedness of the entire film, it is still worth watching for the underlying message of 'make your dreams big, and your actions even bigger!'

It needed another rewrite and deeper characters. It had the makings of a tug at your heart Dear Frankie, without the talent and skill of Shona Auerbach. Instead it went for and achieved a shallow version of a 70's sitcom when it could have been so much more.

However, that said, the skill of Euodia Samson, the lead, is nothing to shake a stick at! She transformed herself into the character with the skill of Charlize Theron in Monster or Jamie Foxx in Ray, or Judi Dench in The Shipping News or just about anything that Cate Blanchett does! Bravo to her. Wish she had a better vehicle. She is pretty much carrying my 7 rating on her back.

From south africa. Angeliena (euodia samson) doesn't have much, but she does have spirit. And the love of her many friends. She's a parking lot attendant, and we know she has some unspoken illness. Angeliena loses her job, and she's having a hard time getting into a medical trial for treatment. So when a good friend passes away, she books a trip around the world. And that's when the troubles really begin! Can her friends come together to get her through all this? It's a cute little film. Nothing big and grand, but an interesting story. Written and directed by uga carlini. Sadly, kuli roberts, who plays tina, died shortly after this was released. It's mostly fun to watch... some tragedy and loss. And i think they added cgi effects that weren't necessary. I liked the energy that the characters all show and the natural colors of the flowers. The ending felt a bit rushed, but it was still interesting to watch. And there's a fun running gag of how she pays for things. Showing on the netflix.

This movie has quite a sad story to it, however Angeliena's bright and colourful world adds so much more to it. This movie really showcases why people need to live their dreams, before its too late. And also why it is so important to be unabashedly yourself. And because Angeliena is such a light in everybody's lives, it is touching to see how they look out for her in return. The main antagonist is very annoying which means he did alright. I also liked the diversity of the characters as well.

However, I must deduct points because at time the script of the movie fell a bit flat, and because the dynamics between the characters weren't engaging enough for me. Also I wish I could've learnt more about the characters and seen Angeliena's journey!

Even though ANGELIENA isn't written to be about the current pandemic and socio-economic and health crisis we're living in right now, the themes of hope supporting one another are so universal, that I felt it was exactly what I needed to be reminded of the beautiful, colorful experiences life has to offer! The movie itself is cinematically so gorgeous, it makes my heart flutter and eyes twinkle!

The storytelling was complex and nuanced, yet didn't feel like it weighed me down, instead, it took a look at people going through tough times, and inspired me to pay more attention to the magic in the world around us, like Angeliena and her supporting characters do. Absolutely beautifully done, in my opinion, this will eventually become an art piece with a cult-like following!