Change Your Image
jehwinter
Reviews
Poor Things (2023)
Powerful women scare people
Bella was in control of her own destiny, and that's confronting for some people to see. Just as women taking control of their own lives can be unsettling. I loved Bella Baxter and all she embodied. This was a creative flick that pushed the boundaries and was the polar opposite of all the mundane formulaic Hollywood action adventure/rom com/ superhero sludge. Let it entice your brain and think outside the box for 5 minutes. You might find you like the freedom. I loved it. Did it need full frontal nudity? Maybe not. Nor the graphic surgical scenes. But once you're past that, you get a fresh walk into the world of Bella Baxter and its magnificent.
Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
Gotta love an empowering and uplifting movie
Solid performances! I thought all the lead roles did a great job of telling the story about how hard it was in the 1950's for women; to be faced with unpopular choices, to sometimes feel like they had no choice, to be forced to make someone else's choice. I got flashes of Mad Men and Ruth Bader Ginsberg's biography, and it reminded me of how far we've come. I can't imagine thinking college was merely a stepping stone to marriage, or that using birth control was taboo and made you a tramp (instead of responsible!) I really enjoyed it and thought the message was powerful and valuable. Not a bad watch to give some historical perspective to our societal journey as women.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
Oh my Goodness what's not to love?
A love story, with adventures along the way, the scariest child catcher of all time, great songs and Dick Van Dyke in the lead role? If you criticized this movie, you're missing the point!
West Side Story (2021)
A perfect remake
Wow! I've been putting it off because the original was my favourite for so long. But the remake is true to the story with added touches that make it wonderful to watch! Tony is just gorgeous, and his Maria is just as innocent and lovely as she is meant to be. It's a believable, indulgent Romeo and Juliet.
Atypical (2017)
Loved the whole dynamic
Working with kids on the autism spectrum makes you really appreciate and adore them and all their funny, unexpected (but expected!), quirky, challenging, amazing and loveable ways. I really thought this series showed all the highs and lows of both kids' challenges growing into young adults in a realistic and beautiful fashion. It also didn't try to sugarcoat the parents' struggles in navigating sometimes really rough waters. It was heartwarming and well written and acted. Highly recommend.
Embrace (2016)
A diversified perspective for people of all ages
This is one of the most profound movies we've seen in a long time. It is well-filmed, written and told. It shows the challenges that people face in attempting to attain society's standard of beauty. These challenges include a myriad of factors such as: childbirth, the influence of social media, physical deformations, hormonal imbalances, the explosion of the plastic surgery industry, accidents, psychological barriers and other social pressures. It chronicles battles such as anorexia, scars from burns, a hormonal condition, a brain tumour and the day to day challenge most of us face: simply feeling inadequate with our body image.
Statistics are revealed like children as young as 7 say they feel fat, and women who look "normal" saying they would describe their bodies as disgusting. The honesty is gut wrenching. It compels the viewer to think about the conventional wisdom as respects beauty. What about the beauty we hold inside? What about how we treat people? What about health? I loved when they showed the film maker (in her self-professed normal and healthy body) finishing a marathon. She posed the necessary question of when does a socially defined version of "beauty" overtake the importance of health? Is health a physical measure only? What if it means one's emotional state is in turmoil struggling to maintain that standard?
The discourse that Embrace ignites is deep, meaningful, and SHOULD be life changing. I walked away from it deeply saddened, but equally moved to reassess my own value system...and that which I seek to help embed in my children and students.