LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Dancer in the Dark (2000) in Movies
Sep 20, 2020
"๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฆ?"
Easily the best musical which features a song number smack-dab in the middle of a murder trial. I really wish the last 40 or so minutes (minus the jaw-dropping ending) didn't veer so hard into - truthfully - pretty manipulative and rudimentary melodrama because the rest of this is one of very greatest musical experiences I've ever seen. A hallucinatory crossroads between visionary musical theater and downright grim drama. The behind-the-scenes hell that took place all aside, the entrancing performance that Bjรถrk gives in this is one of the most seminal of the entire millennium. So full of traumatizing characterizations, haunting and experimental musical numbers (not a single bad song to be found), largely genius storytelling, and a mercilessly abusive milieu that it had me shaking and out of breath before the first hour even passed. The way my heart pounded during this is unreal, one of those films where you just *know* something horrible is going to happen just around the corner but you never know when it'll hit - but when it does it's like a ton of bricks being dropped, rinse and repeat. Raw, innovating filmmaking at some of its most unforgettable.
Erika (17788 KP) rated Yellow Rose (2019) in Movies
Oct 18, 2020 (Updated Oct 18, 2020)
My initial interest in the film stemmed from it being filmed in Austin, where I live. The story is about a teenage, Filipino girl and her mother, both of whom are undocumented. When customs and immigration pick up Rose's mother, she escapes to Austin from Bastrop (EW). Rose dreams of being a country singer, and ends up making music with Dale Watson, who's a well known Texas Country artist.
That's basically the story, and yes, perfectible, it ends the exact way you imagine it to end. The music is good, and Eva Noblezada, the actress that plays Rose, has an amazing singing voice.
To answer the question as to what the title means - yes, it's racist, and a nickname Rose got when she initially sang at school. BTW, the myth of the 'Yellow Rose' is one from history, supposedly, a woman was sent in as a spy by the Texas army during the revolution, and she... distracted Santa Anna, the general of the Mexican army. There's no actual evidence, but it's incredibly believable.
Anyway, this was a great movie, with good music, and a tight running time.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated The Nun (2018) in Movies
Oct 26, 2020
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Murder on Union Square in Books
Jun 13, 2022
It's always a pleasure to pop back in on Sarah and Frank in 1899 New York City, and this book was no exception. I love the characters. As is often the case these days, we get parts of the story from four different points of view, and it is always easy to tell when we switch from one to the other. I did feel the plot wasnโt quite as good as usual for this series. There are a few twists and a strong climax, but it got bogged down in the middle. Still, fans will be happy to spend time with these characters we love. I know I did.