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Craig David recommended track Say My Name by Destiny's Child in Writing's on the Wall by Destiny's Child in Music (curated)
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Enola Holmes (2020) in Movies
Sep 28, 2020
Not very mysterious
It could arguably be said that we don't need yet another incarnation of Sherlock Holmes and his family. And in the case of Enola Holmes, I'd have to agree.
Millie Bobby Brown is wonderfully endearing and enigmatic as Enola, and even Henry Cavill as Sherlock wasn't half bad (I actually wish there could have been more of him in this). The problem is the story and whole premise of this film. It's trying to say something about female empowerment but then contradicts itself constantly by Enola spending her entire time trying to outwit her brother and chasing around after a boy. It's also a little lacking in actually mystery - the story it puts forwards is rather dull and not particularly mysterious. This film seems to be aimed at a younger audience, and for adults is just an average kids film. Indeed this is probably a film best suited for young/teenage girls and not one I'd recommend if you're not a teenager!
Millie Bobby Brown is wonderfully endearing and enigmatic as Enola, and even Henry Cavill as Sherlock wasn't half bad (I actually wish there could have been more of him in this). The problem is the story and whole premise of this film. It's trying to say something about female empowerment but then contradicts itself constantly by Enola spending her entire time trying to outwit her brother and chasing around after a boy. It's also a little lacking in actually mystery - the story it puts forwards is rather dull and not particularly mysterious. This film seems to be aimed at a younger audience, and for adults is just an average kids film. Indeed this is probably a film best suited for young/teenage girls and not one I'd recommend if you're not a teenager!
Andrea D (21 KP) rated Sawkill Girls in Books
Jan 10, 2019
Female empowerment (1 more)
LGBTQA representation
Beautifully written and full of girl power.
You are mighty. You are one, and one, and one.
You are fragile. You can move mountains.
You are breakable. You will never break.
This power is mine. And now it is yours, too.
I love a good feminist fantasy novel.
This did not disappoint.
The horror aspect is there but it feels like a background to the character development of the 3 main female characters.
There's Zoey who is angry and it's good that she's angry, we'll celebrate her anger and fume along with her.
There's Val who is a victim of a controlling abusive force (or two) and always has been and we will grow and rebel and learn to love with her.
Then there's Marion who's always been the carer always carrying over peoples troubles on her shoulders, always the one to fix things and we will learn to let go with her, learn to be selfish if just for a few quiet moments in a stable with horses and a girl who needs to be loved.
The Asexual rep is excellent, the story is brilliant but it's secondary to these girls who through each chapter we fall a bit deeper in love with even when we think they're unforgivable Claire Legrand shows us how not everything is black and white.
Expect the tears to flow in those last few pages and your heart to leap with joy but always remember beware of the woods and the dark, dank deep.
You are fragile. You can move mountains.
You are breakable. You will never break.
This power is mine. And now it is yours, too.
I love a good feminist fantasy novel.
This did not disappoint.
The horror aspect is there but it feels like a background to the character development of the 3 main female characters.
There's Zoey who is angry and it's good that she's angry, we'll celebrate her anger and fume along with her.
There's Val who is a victim of a controlling abusive force (or two) and always has been and we will grow and rebel and learn to love with her.
Then there's Marion who's always been the carer always carrying over peoples troubles on her shoulders, always the one to fix things and we will learn to let go with her, learn to be selfish if just for a few quiet moments in a stable with horses and a girl who needs to be loved.
The Asexual rep is excellent, the story is brilliant but it's secondary to these girls who through each chapter we fall a bit deeper in love with even when we think they're unforgivable Claire Legrand shows us how not everything is black and white.
Expect the tears to flow in those last few pages and your heart to leap with joy but always remember beware of the woods and the dark, dank deep.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated A Vigilante (2018) in Movies
Aug 11, 2019
and the trucks won't stop coming...
Olivia Wilde is the main reason to watch this female empowerment/revenge film as her performance is visceral, raw, emotional and intense for sure.
Sadie is a young woman tormented by her family's history. She tried to cope with her uncontrollable emotions by attending a support group and by studying self defense. She has decided her course in life has become to defend the innocent women and children of domestic violence by being an Equalizer?Death Wish type "vigilante" on the batterers.
When her own past comes back to haunt her, she has to use all her newly acquired skills to escape and possible prevail.
While I don't obviously condone taking the law into your own hands, the audience is definitely with her as she exacts her raw justice on the domestic assailants.
I was disappointed in the 2nd half of the film which falls into a formula eroding the interesting character study which had been developing up to that point. Once the 3rd acts starts, it turns into a different film. I wish it would've stayed the plot line which showed her tortured soul more and showed her as the flawed heroine she is.
Sadie is a young woman tormented by her family's history. She tried to cope with her uncontrollable emotions by attending a support group and by studying self defense. She has decided her course in life has become to defend the innocent women and children of domestic violence by being an Equalizer?Death Wish type "vigilante" on the batterers.
When her own past comes back to haunt her, she has to use all her newly acquired skills to escape and possible prevail.
While I don't obviously condone taking the law into your own hands, the audience is definitely with her as she exacts her raw justice on the domestic assailants.
I was disappointed in the 2nd half of the film which falls into a formula eroding the interesting character study which had been developing up to that point. Once the 3rd acts starts, it turns into a different film. I wish it would've stayed the plot line which showed her tortured soul more and showed her as the flawed heroine she is.
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated No Expectations - Single by Jillian Steele in Music
Jun 26, 2019
Jillian Steele is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter from New York. Not too long ago, she released a lovely pop tune, entitled, “No Expectations”.
“Maybe I’m talking myself out of love. But I don’t believe that the stars just line up. When you know then you know but I don’t think I’ll ever know. When it’s right, is it right second guessing every time. Yeah, making sure I won’t ever let myself down.” – lyrics
‘No Expectations’ tells an interesting tale of a young woman who decides to let nature take its course instead of always trying to control things.
Apparently, she concludes that everything happens for a reason, and if she allows things to flow naturally, everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.
Later, she admits that it would be best if she became less controlling, stayed out of her own way, and let the pieces fall where they may.
‘No Expectations’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and warm acoustic guitar-driven instrumentation flavored with a modern-pop fragrance.
The likable tune was co-written by Michel Heyaca and James Shelley (American Authors) during a period of uncertainty and confusion.
“Life was happening around me and I was just in it without any control and through this song I gained insight that I do deserve things and I should have expectations of what I want.” – Julia Steele
Jillian Steele’s musical influences include Maggie Rogers, Sasha Sloan, Julia Michaels, and other strong female musicians.
She uses her music to emphasize the importance of self-love and empowerment. A running theme throughout her music is reflection and she hopes her use of thought-provoking lyrics will help others gain insight in times of need.
“Maybe I’m talking myself out of love. But I don’t believe that the stars just line up. When you know then you know but I don’t think I’ll ever know. When it’s right, is it right second guessing every time. Yeah, making sure I won’t ever let myself down.” – lyrics
‘No Expectations’ tells an interesting tale of a young woman who decides to let nature take its course instead of always trying to control things.
Apparently, she concludes that everything happens for a reason, and if she allows things to flow naturally, everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.
Later, she admits that it would be best if she became less controlling, stayed out of her own way, and let the pieces fall where they may.
‘No Expectations’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and warm acoustic guitar-driven instrumentation flavored with a modern-pop fragrance.
The likable tune was co-written by Michel Heyaca and James Shelley (American Authors) during a period of uncertainty and confusion.
“Life was happening around me and I was just in it without any control and through this song I gained insight that I do deserve things and I should have expectations of what I want.” – Julia Steele
Jillian Steele’s musical influences include Maggie Rogers, Sasha Sloan, Julia Michaels, and other strong female musicians.
She uses her music to emphasize the importance of self-love and empowerment. A running theme throughout her music is reflection and she hopes her use of thought-provoking lyrics will help others gain insight in times of need.
Amy (7 KP) rated Goddess of Troy in Books
Jan 17, 2018 (Updated Jan 17, 2018)
Terrible. Total destruction.
Contains spoilers, click to show
The premise is one that P.C. Cast recycles throughout her work which is of taking modern women and dropping them into the worlds of myth and magic.
A brilliant idea, occasionally well done in her other novels...not unfortunately for this one.
The problem begins with the plot the goddesses send the women back to end the war...okay, but why not do it themselves? The flimsy excuses just don't hold up. The plot is weakly manipulated and transparently executed to make the neccessity of the modern women going back possible.
Problem 2-is the blatant racism of making the indipendant modern black woman into a white slave girl.
Problem 3- problematic sex scenes which read as thinly disguised rape scenes. A male character is hypnotises and the main female character has sex with him....this is made okay by him giving her consent afterwards. Which is not how consent works. This book being intended for young women just becoming sexual is at best concerning and at most incredibly damaging whilst promoting male rape under the guise of female empowerment.
The dialogue when more old fashioned from the warriors is charming and engaging...from the modern women we are forced to deal with censored cringy curse words, way too much teenage level gossip, and not a smidge of maturity in sight...from grown ass women.
For thirty plus successful women the character profiles should have engaged and fascinated, unfortunately those profiles were ignored during in-story application and replaced with twittering, childish teens who giggle over the word penis and lose their minds over the most vacuous and senseless things.
The plot centres around a boring, romance, and changes the original relationship of Achilles and Patroclus from its canonical implied romance to one of cousins...this at best is a misguided deviation from the canonical Iliad relationship they had.
It could easily be read as a blatant attack and hideous misuse of the original content, that could given the sheer overwhelming heteronormaty we are forced to endure be at its worst an erasure of rare LGBT representation from historical content.
The relationships are forced, and their happy endings so saccharine it hurts to read.
The siege of Troy is horrifically rewritten to make the main female lead the deciding factor that ensured victory and removed nearly all canonical battle events.
Throughout the novel not much happens, and by time something does you just want the novel over with.
It doesn't read as mythology inspired, the myths and characters are used as cheap prop and staging whilst removing the deep themes, and messages that ensured their endurance throughout time.
The vocabulary is below pre-teen level, the grammar is sub-par, and the pacing and plotting absolutely abysmal.
How this book ever made it to print in this state is a large and curious mystery for me.
I cannot urge you to skip this book enough, Margaret George's 'Helen of Troy' is a far more valuable use of your time if you are in want of mythology inspired fantasy...and does so without annihilating the entire original stories.
A brilliant idea, occasionally well done in her other novels...not unfortunately for this one.
The problem begins with the plot the goddesses send the women back to end the war...okay, but why not do it themselves? The flimsy excuses just don't hold up. The plot is weakly manipulated and transparently executed to make the neccessity of the modern women going back possible.
Problem 2-is the blatant racism of making the indipendant modern black woman into a white slave girl.
Problem 3- problematic sex scenes which read as thinly disguised rape scenes. A male character is hypnotises and the main female character has sex with him....this is made okay by him giving her consent afterwards. Which is not how consent works. This book being intended for young women just becoming sexual is at best concerning and at most incredibly damaging whilst promoting male rape under the guise of female empowerment.
The dialogue when more old fashioned from the warriors is charming and engaging...from the modern women we are forced to deal with censored cringy curse words, way too much teenage level gossip, and not a smidge of maturity in sight...from grown ass women.
For thirty plus successful women the character profiles should have engaged and fascinated, unfortunately those profiles were ignored during in-story application and replaced with twittering, childish teens who giggle over the word penis and lose their minds over the most vacuous and senseless things.
The plot centres around a boring, romance, and changes the original relationship of Achilles and Patroclus from its canonical implied romance to one of cousins...this at best is a misguided deviation from the canonical Iliad relationship they had.
It could easily be read as a blatant attack and hideous misuse of the original content, that could given the sheer overwhelming heteronormaty we are forced to endure be at its worst an erasure of rare LGBT representation from historical content.
The relationships are forced, and their happy endings so saccharine it hurts to read.
The siege of Troy is horrifically rewritten to make the main female lead the deciding factor that ensured victory and removed nearly all canonical battle events.
Throughout the novel not much happens, and by time something does you just want the novel over with.
It doesn't read as mythology inspired, the myths and characters are used as cheap prop and staging whilst removing the deep themes, and messages that ensured their endurance throughout time.
The vocabulary is below pre-teen level, the grammar is sub-par, and the pacing and plotting absolutely abysmal.
How this book ever made it to print in this state is a large and curious mystery for me.
I cannot urge you to skip this book enough, Margaret George's 'Helen of Troy' is a far more valuable use of your time if you are in want of mythology inspired fantasy...and does so without annihilating the entire original stories.
Better than Suicide Squad
Did you catch the 2016 DCEU disappointment SUICIDE SQUAD with Will Smith as Deadshot and Jared Leto as the Joker? Many people (myself included) thought that that film was "just fine, nothing special" but were impressed with the way Margot Robbie handled the Harley Quinn character and wished for a standalone film that featured the Harley Quinn character.
Be careful what you wish for.
BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN) is the answer to that wish and while it is slightly better than SUICIDE SQUAD, it still isn't all that....well...Fantabulous... of a film.
BIRDS OF PREY (which I hear is now being relabeled HARLEY QUINN: BIRDS OF PREY) is produced by Margot Robbie's production company and features an all female lead cast (the villain is a male) and a female Writer and a female Director. Consequently, this is a "female empowerment" film where the self-described "tough chicks" band together to defeat the male villain.
I applaud the effort and the idea behind the movie, but as a film, this one didn't quite work for me.
I start with the main focus of this film - Harley Quinn. This is just not a character, I discovered, that I want to spend an entire film with. She is, at it turns out, a very good SUPPORTING character, but not one that is interesting enough (at least for me) to carry a whole movie. I will give Margot Robbie credit...her interpretation of the character is interesting and that performance kept me focused throughout.
The other Birds of Prey are just as interesting. For the first time in I can't tell you, Rosie Perez did not annoy me in her role. She played earnest, frustrated Police Officer Renee Montoya and I found myself rooting for her when she was on the screen. Same goes for Jurnee Smollett-Bell's interpretation of Black Canary a character I knew very little about and was intrigued (though her "Super Power" was suddenly sprung on the audience with very little foreshadowing - foreshadowing that could have helped). And, finally, Mary Elizabeth Winstead almost steals the film as the revenge-seeking Huntress, a character I really enjoyed and hope I see again (though, I'm learning my lesson - let it be as a supporting character in another film and not her own, standalone film).
So, this film has 4 interesting characters at the top, but the issue is that they don't come together as a team until VERY late in the film (in a finale showdown that was the highlight of the film for me), so I really couldn't tell if there was any chemistry between these characters/actresses. I think there MIGHT have been, but no real sample size to tell.
Fairing less well as a character was Ewan McGregor's one-note take on super-narcissistic Roman Sionis/Black Mask. The character was pretty much in front of you at the start of the film and was still the same one-note character at the end. Also not "doing it for me" was Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain, the street kid that becomes the focal point of the bad guys in the film (and the character the Birds of Prey must band together to save). I didn't much care for this character - or the performance - so I had no real emotional investment in whether or not the Birds of Prey could save her.
The Direction by Cathy Yan is professional and competent and the final showdown does show signs of originality and brilliance. I'll give her credit, she caught my attention with the last 1/2 hour of this film - much more so than she did with the first 79 minutes.
A better effort at this type of anti-hero comic book adventure (certainly better than SUICIDE SQUAD) but the DCEU still has not stuck the landing on this.
I encourage them to keep trying.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Be careful what you wish for.
BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN) is the answer to that wish and while it is slightly better than SUICIDE SQUAD, it still isn't all that....well...Fantabulous... of a film.
BIRDS OF PREY (which I hear is now being relabeled HARLEY QUINN: BIRDS OF PREY) is produced by Margot Robbie's production company and features an all female lead cast (the villain is a male) and a female Writer and a female Director. Consequently, this is a "female empowerment" film where the self-described "tough chicks" band together to defeat the male villain.
I applaud the effort and the idea behind the movie, but as a film, this one didn't quite work for me.
I start with the main focus of this film - Harley Quinn. This is just not a character, I discovered, that I want to spend an entire film with. She is, at it turns out, a very good SUPPORTING character, but not one that is interesting enough (at least for me) to carry a whole movie. I will give Margot Robbie credit...her interpretation of the character is interesting and that performance kept me focused throughout.
The other Birds of Prey are just as interesting. For the first time in I can't tell you, Rosie Perez did not annoy me in her role. She played earnest, frustrated Police Officer Renee Montoya and I found myself rooting for her when she was on the screen. Same goes for Jurnee Smollett-Bell's interpretation of Black Canary a character I knew very little about and was intrigued (though her "Super Power" was suddenly sprung on the audience with very little foreshadowing - foreshadowing that could have helped). And, finally, Mary Elizabeth Winstead almost steals the film as the revenge-seeking Huntress, a character I really enjoyed and hope I see again (though, I'm learning my lesson - let it be as a supporting character in another film and not her own, standalone film).
So, this film has 4 interesting characters at the top, but the issue is that they don't come together as a team until VERY late in the film (in a finale showdown that was the highlight of the film for me), so I really couldn't tell if there was any chemistry between these characters/actresses. I think there MIGHT have been, but no real sample size to tell.
Fairing less well as a character was Ewan McGregor's one-note take on super-narcissistic Roman Sionis/Black Mask. The character was pretty much in front of you at the start of the film and was still the same one-note character at the end. Also not "doing it for me" was Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain, the street kid that becomes the focal point of the bad guys in the film (and the character the Birds of Prey must band together to save). I didn't much care for this character - or the performance - so I had no real emotional investment in whether or not the Birds of Prey could save her.
The Direction by Cathy Yan is professional and competent and the final showdown does show signs of originality and brilliance. I'll give her credit, she caught my attention with the last 1/2 hour of this film - much more so than she did with the first 79 minutes.
A better effort at this type of anti-hero comic book adventure (certainly better than SUICIDE SQUAD) but the DCEU still has not stuck the landing on this.
I encourage them to keep trying.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Suspiria (2018) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Does it cut it?
#suspiria #suspiria2018 is a #disturbing, uneasy & cold remake of the 1977 #cultclassic which instead of being a straight up copy refreshingly tells its own spellbinding tale of female identity both visually & metaphorically. #suspiria the #darioargento #original holds a special place in my heart not only is it intoxicating, visually magnificent & nerve shreddingly atmospheric its also clearly the main inspiration for my favourite movie of all time the #neondemon as well as proving #horror films can indeed be #artistic too. So here we have the #remake & i must say what a cracking piece of cinema it is too. Where as the original is visually striking the remake goes for a more cold, drab less saturated look but make no mistake about it its still all #gorgeous to take in & this new palette works in the films favour creating yet again such an unnerving sense of threat, dread & unknowingness lurking in every scene. Sound design is incredible too with dialog volume constantly ramped up & layered over silent scenes which lingers in your ears inducing spine tingling chills every time. Metaphor riddled the movie feels like one big jigsaw requiring multiple views to really delve into all of its subject matter. Running themes of the relationship between a #mother & her daughter are strong here & how a mother can influence, have a hold on, controller & manipulate her child for good or bad are unnerving & unsettling realistic portrayed. While objectification, favoritism, sexuality, desire & #feminisum also play a big parts here Suspiria isnt afraid to show the deceitful, manipulative, cold, calculating, unforgiving, sexually manipulative & selfish traits women/humans can portray too. A fantastic movie with exceptional performance from #dakotajohnson thats surly destined to become a #cult classic of its own some day. Suspiria is brutal, #wicked & #sinister & had me gripped, shocked & engaged the entire run time. A great achievement & proof remakes can be done well. #odeon #odeonlimitless #scary #creepy #empowerment #fiftyshadesofgrey #sex #dancing #italian #tildaswinton #german #callmebyyourname #friyay
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Hypocritical - Single by NOA in Music
Jun 17, 2019
NOA is a 22-year-old singer-songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. Not too long ago, she released a music video for her lovely electro-pop tune, entitled, “Hypocritical”.
“As an artist and songwriter, I want to give others a voice through my writing. With my new single, I want people to know that they’re not alone and we’re only human. ‘Hypocritical’ was inspired by my own breakup aftermath. The realization that everything I didn’t want my ex to be doing, I was doing myself. also, in a post-breakup state, it’s so easy to get hung up on wanting your ex back, or at least not wanting him to move on. But in reality, whether you recognize it or not, you’re likely already moving on.” – NOA
‘Hypocritical’ tells a post-breakup tale of a young woman who struggles to let go of her ex-boyfriend.
Apparently, she has moved on with her personal life, but still wants to be with him, even though he no longer belongs to her.
Also, she doesn’t want to see him with another woman, even though she’s romantically involved with another guy.
‘Hypocritical’ is the first single of a series of songs that NOA will be releasing this year.
The likable tune contains a relatable storyline and ear-welcoming vocals. Also, the song possesses playful instrumentation scented with a dancy indie-pop aroma.
“Seeing my ex’s Instagram stories and Snapchats really highlighted these ‘Hypocritical’ feelings for me. Sometimes it’s okay to go through the motions and have these thoughts. But at the end of the day, we have to face ourselves in the mirror and continue to grow from the ups and downs.” – NOA
NOA’s fans have followed her to sold-out shows from Toronto’s Drake Hotel to Los Angeles’s Hotel Cafe.
Her music contains emo-themes from relationships to female empowerment and self-realization.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/noa-hypocritical/
“As an artist and songwriter, I want to give others a voice through my writing. With my new single, I want people to know that they’re not alone and we’re only human. ‘Hypocritical’ was inspired by my own breakup aftermath. The realization that everything I didn’t want my ex to be doing, I was doing myself. also, in a post-breakup state, it’s so easy to get hung up on wanting your ex back, or at least not wanting him to move on. But in reality, whether you recognize it or not, you’re likely already moving on.” – NOA
‘Hypocritical’ tells a post-breakup tale of a young woman who struggles to let go of her ex-boyfriend.
Apparently, she has moved on with her personal life, but still wants to be with him, even though he no longer belongs to her.
Also, she doesn’t want to see him with another woman, even though she’s romantically involved with another guy.
‘Hypocritical’ is the first single of a series of songs that NOA will be releasing this year.
The likable tune contains a relatable storyline and ear-welcoming vocals. Also, the song possesses playful instrumentation scented with a dancy indie-pop aroma.
“Seeing my ex’s Instagram stories and Snapchats really highlighted these ‘Hypocritical’ feelings for me. Sometimes it’s okay to go through the motions and have these thoughts. But at the end of the day, we have to face ourselves in the mirror and continue to grow from the ups and downs.” – NOA
NOA’s fans have followed her to sold-out shows from Toronto’s Drake Hotel to Los Angeles’s Hotel Cafe.
Her music contains emo-themes from relationships to female empowerment and self-realization.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/noa-hypocritical/
5 Minute Movie Guy (379 KP) rated The Kitchen (2019) in Movies
Aug 24, 2019
Married into a life with the mob, three women living in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City in the late ‘70s find themselves trapped in their husband’s shadows in Andrea Berloff’s debut film, The Kitchen. Based on a 2014 DC Comics graphic novel by the same name, the film focuses on these three female friends facing the aftermath of their husband’s botched crime and subsequent imprisonment. Their Italian crime family promised to take care of them while their spouses are locked away, but their measly support simply isn’t enough when they’ve got mouths to feed and bills to pay. Tired of being weak and dependent, the ladies band together to take control of their situation by trying to take over the mob.
The Kitchen stars actresses Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, and Elisabeth Moss as the female trio who work to rise to the top of their crime family by carrying the dead weight of the lazy men who lead it. McCarthy plays Kathy Brennan, a housewife and mother of two, whose seemingly good-natured husband is clearly involved in the wrong crowd. In spite of that, she appears to have a pleasant life at home, but her heavy reliance on her husband puts her in peril once he’s locked away. On the other hand, Haddish and Moss play Ruby and Claire, who are both victimized and disrespected by their husbands, with Claire even being regularly abused. These characteristics help to define the women and their actions as they attempt to upend the male-dominated establishment.
However, despite The Kitchen’s strong set-up, the characters themselves don’t show much depth beyond this, and the film’s performances leave a lot to be desired. McCarthy felt like she was acting in an entirely different movie. I’ve never seen a more passive and unconvincing crime boss. She’s struggling with a balancing act that sees her going between being tough, funny, ruthless, submissive, and sweet. By comparison to the rest of the movie, her whole character feels off-key. Then there’s Haddish who gives the worst acting performance I’ve seen in quite some time. I’m not really a fan of her brand of humor, but I didn’t like her dramatic turn here either. She just delivers snarky lines with attitude and death glares before walking off-camera in practically every shot she’s in. It’s almost funny how cheesy and over-the-top it is. You can’t just go mean-mugging your way through a whole major motion picture and expect to be taken seriously.
On a more positive note, Moss was much more impressive as Claire, who is fed up with being beaten down and bullied, and is determined to learn how to defend herself. She partners up with Domhnall Gleeson’s hitman character Gabriel who teaches her how to kill. Their relationship ends up being perhaps the most interesting aspect of the whole movie, and it has something of a Bonnie and Clyde quality to it. I only wish we could have seen it fleshed out a bit more.
For all of its potential, especially in terms of portraying female empowerment, The Kitchen regrettably winds up being a generic, inconsistent, and lethargic affair. I personally love the premise of the film. It’s a bad ass statement to any man who has ever said that a woman’s place is in the kitchen. It sticks up a middle finger to sexism by taking the action to the criminal streets of Hell’s Kitchen where the women rise to power. Unfortunately, despite the kick-ass feminist concept, I found that the film’s attempt at empowerment never really manifests into anything meaningful.
Instead, The Kitchen feels messy and uninspired. There isn’t a single scene in the entire film that I would consider to be good. The story is thin, the suspense is absent, the setting is bland, the tone is confusing, and the characters are mostly uninspired. I hate to even say it, but while watching it, I couldn’t help but be reminded of last year’s train-wreck of a film, Gotti, starring John Travolta. I think both of these films had a lot of promise, but seriously failed to deliver. As someone who loves a good gangster movie, I feel really disappointed.
There’s ultimately very little I liked about The Kitchen. The movie lacks a pulse, and the stakes never feel significant, not even as the body count piles up. The set design shows no strong sense of place or time period. Most of the settings outside seemed to be looking at nondescript sidewalks that could have been filmed anywhere. With the setting of Hell’s Kitchen, I can’t help but immediately think of The Godfather. Similarly, the use of The Rolling Stones in the trailer evokes thoughts of Scorsese and Goodfellas. Unfortunately, this movie clearly doesn’t even come close to comparing to either of those classics. This movie’s plot is weak, the betrayals are obvious, and the ending is uncomfortably idiotic. Despite it all, however, I find myself still interested in The Kitchen’s graphic novel at least, because I can’t imagine it being this bad.
The Kitchen stars actresses Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, and Elisabeth Moss as the female trio who work to rise to the top of their crime family by carrying the dead weight of the lazy men who lead it. McCarthy plays Kathy Brennan, a housewife and mother of two, whose seemingly good-natured husband is clearly involved in the wrong crowd. In spite of that, she appears to have a pleasant life at home, but her heavy reliance on her husband puts her in peril once he’s locked away. On the other hand, Haddish and Moss play Ruby and Claire, who are both victimized and disrespected by their husbands, with Claire even being regularly abused. These characteristics help to define the women and their actions as they attempt to upend the male-dominated establishment.
However, despite The Kitchen’s strong set-up, the characters themselves don’t show much depth beyond this, and the film’s performances leave a lot to be desired. McCarthy felt like she was acting in an entirely different movie. I’ve never seen a more passive and unconvincing crime boss. She’s struggling with a balancing act that sees her going between being tough, funny, ruthless, submissive, and sweet. By comparison to the rest of the movie, her whole character feels off-key. Then there’s Haddish who gives the worst acting performance I’ve seen in quite some time. I’m not really a fan of her brand of humor, but I didn’t like her dramatic turn here either. She just delivers snarky lines with attitude and death glares before walking off-camera in practically every shot she’s in. It’s almost funny how cheesy and over-the-top it is. You can’t just go mean-mugging your way through a whole major motion picture and expect to be taken seriously.
On a more positive note, Moss was much more impressive as Claire, who is fed up with being beaten down and bullied, and is determined to learn how to defend herself. She partners up with Domhnall Gleeson’s hitman character Gabriel who teaches her how to kill. Their relationship ends up being perhaps the most interesting aspect of the whole movie, and it has something of a Bonnie and Clyde quality to it. I only wish we could have seen it fleshed out a bit more.
For all of its potential, especially in terms of portraying female empowerment, The Kitchen regrettably winds up being a generic, inconsistent, and lethargic affair. I personally love the premise of the film. It’s a bad ass statement to any man who has ever said that a woman’s place is in the kitchen. It sticks up a middle finger to sexism by taking the action to the criminal streets of Hell’s Kitchen where the women rise to power. Unfortunately, despite the kick-ass feminist concept, I found that the film’s attempt at empowerment never really manifests into anything meaningful.
Instead, The Kitchen feels messy and uninspired. There isn’t a single scene in the entire film that I would consider to be good. The story is thin, the suspense is absent, the setting is bland, the tone is confusing, and the characters are mostly uninspired. I hate to even say it, but while watching it, I couldn’t help but be reminded of last year’s train-wreck of a film, Gotti, starring John Travolta. I think both of these films had a lot of promise, but seriously failed to deliver. As someone who loves a good gangster movie, I feel really disappointed.
There’s ultimately very little I liked about The Kitchen. The movie lacks a pulse, and the stakes never feel significant, not even as the body count piles up. The set design shows no strong sense of place or time period. Most of the settings outside seemed to be looking at nondescript sidewalks that could have been filmed anywhere. With the setting of Hell’s Kitchen, I can’t help but immediately think of The Godfather. Similarly, the use of The Rolling Stones in the trailer evokes thoughts of Scorsese and Goodfellas. Unfortunately, this movie clearly doesn’t even come close to comparing to either of those classics. This movie’s plot is weak, the betrayals are obvious, and the ending is uncomfortably idiotic. Despite it all, however, I find myself still interested in The Kitchen’s graphic novel at least, because I can’t imagine it being this bad.