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Reviews
Triangle of Sadness (2022)
Great at first, but lacks real message
First off; great filming. Felt very cold and depressing even with a beautiful ocean backdrop. Good actors, loved seeing new faces.
The first two parts of this movie are very captivating. First we get a look into exploitation and objectification through the parallel of models, then a look at the class system in a nutshell shown through a yacht (a rather overused symbolism in my opinion). I liked the socialism vs capitalism commentary and THE scene was very cathartic and entertaining (once you watch it you will know what I'm talking about).
The third part lost me however. Not only is it a bit boring and uneventful, but it implodes on itself a bit.
The film tried to say a lot in terms of "what do we actually each contribute to society?" Highlighting the resourcefulness of the lower classes and the uselessness of the upper. And it does that ok, but then takes on a rather problematic stance with Abigail's character. As mentioned in a few articles, and a great essay by Ahmed D Dardir; Abigail nor the plot do any justice or commentary on true exploitation of the lower classes. The plot does not touch well on the extent of the damage and psychological manipulation of exploitation. It focuses only how miserable the rich are and how corrupted they have become. MOST importantly to note, the plot assumes that every society and group will jump at the chance to exploit others. This is a very black and white, un-nuanced view of humanity, and does little to factor in that those who fall victim to exploitation, have empathy for other victims and often DO try to break the cycle of abuse.
Plain and simple, this film lacks nuance and could have had a very strong last part if it focused on more commentary regarding humanity and empathy and apathy, rather than putting on this unhelpful and fear mongering Lord-of-the-Flies-esque viewpoint that says "well if we don't do it to them they will do it to us". Because really, isn't that idea and saying the entire problem?
Saltburn (2023)
Great movie for film nerds
My only negative; A little predictable, but that's not always a bad thing. I think with so many movies out now it's hard to be 100% original. And I will say this, if you are looking for a heart racing thriller, this is not the one. Reads like a dark comedy with a dash of a thriller.
This was a great film that clearly a lot of thought went into. The references and symbolism were fun to see play out and it didn't hurt that this was beautifully shot, and the set was absolutely breathtaking. Great actors, very convincing and heart wrenching (especially Alison Oliver). I think it gets a bad rep for some weird scenes, but as someone who is disturbed quite easily it wasn't too bad. I thought it was appropriately restrained, and all off-putting parts were symbolic and relevant to the overall storytelling.
I think if you love film analysis you will really love this. If not, definitely still worth a watch and is entertaining, just be prepared for a bit of a slow burn.
Love Has Won (2023)
Insightful
I think this documentary is well done in the sense it seems pretty unbiased and just presents the story as it went. Doesn't add too much unnecessary shock value, good production quality, and keeps your attention. Worth a watch if you heard about this story in the news and are curious. I'm glad some of their families came on to speak about her, it gave an insightful and humanizing view.
It's really easy to see why people write off the members as dumb addicts, but I think it's very important to keep in mind that in the right scenario and struggle, anyone can be indoctrinated into a cult. This documentary was really able to show the community aspect of the group, and how that in itself was such a breeding ground for substance abuse, shared delusion, and toxic relationship hierarchies.
My takeaway: I highly encourage people (and wish the education system would teach), to be careful of conspiracy theories, learn about the BITE model, and really read the physiological effects of every drug on the brain before you partake. Spiritual psychosis is very real and studied.