Author: Nellie Shih

Nellie is an architecture student with a love of film, visual art, and waiting for the next season of Succession.

REVIEW: I’m Thinking of Ending Things

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I’m Thinking of Ending Things is Charlie Kaufman’s first psychological thriller as both writer and director. I watched two films he has written in preparation: Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. After this week, I can say with absolute certainty that Kaufman is a brilliant writer. Do I always understand what’s going on in his mind, though? Nope.

 

It’s difficult to talk about the film without spoiling everything – I’ve been mulling over the ending of the film for the past three hours and am just now beginning to piece the narrative together, to find meaning in the events leading up to the conclusion, and to solidify my interpretation of the film in its entirety. But, that’s what I love about this film – it makes you think.

 

Before I delve into more specific details, I should mention that the film is about an unnamed young woman who joins her boyfriend on a trip to visit his parents, but she doesn’t foresee their relationship lasting much longer. The film begins with the couple’s drive to the family farm. From the get-go, you understand why the young woman is thinking of ending things. The two are both well-educated – the boyfriend, Jake, is able to keep up with his girlfriend’s explanation of her research and the paper she has to write. They both like poetry. However, they have differing interpretations of poems and clashing opinions on philosophical debates, but they are unable to articulate their thoughts and hold a progressive conversation without being afraid of offending each other. The couple will then fall into complete silence, and when Jake asks what his girlfriend is thinking about, she tells him she’s thinking about vague, in her head stuff, while she tells the audience she doesn’t think she wants to a continue a relationship where she can’t even tell the other person what’s on her mind.

 

From the moment the couple starts their road trip, it’s clear there’s a sense of unease between the two. I think that this shows just how good of a writer Kaufman is. The dialogue isn’t clunky – although it can be confusing, he portrays realistic conversations between two intelligent individuals who are falling out of love. And what I find most impressive is how Kaufman is able to write all kinds of couples, from a shallow and almost manipulative attraction in Being John Malkovich, to Eternal Sunshine, which depicts the initial euphoria of meeting someone devolving into irritability and volatility, and ultimately a breakup. Furthermore, Jake and his girlfriend’s relationship in I’m Thinking of Ending Things is different from Clementine and Joel in Eternal Sunshine – we only get the young woman’s point of view, and we never see them connect on the level that Clementine and Joel do.

 

I have many more thoughts about the film, but they all fall into spoiler territory. So I’ll leave with the fact that there is very little music, which makes the musical moments stand out. The use of sound really sets the uneasy tone of the film – you just always feel like something’s off. Whether it’s complete silence punctuated by uncomfortable dialogue, the rhythmic thud of windshield wipers, the jingling of a dog’s collar, the minimal score, or a song from Oklahoma!, you find yourself wondering what it all means and why you feel uncomfortable. Of course, this is aided by the performances of Toni Collette and David Thewlis, and Kaufman’s messing with the concept of time, as introduced in the trailer for the film.

 

Overall, I highly recommend this film. You might hate it, but it’s just so interesting and there’s just so much to unpack. If anyone wants to talk about spoilers please leave a comment! I need to talk about this film!

PREVIEW: I’m Thinking of Ending Things

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PREVIEW: I’m Thinking of Ending Things

 

I’m Thinking of Ending Things is an upcoming Netflix film written and directed by Charlie Kaufman. Kaufman is most known for writing and/or directing Being John Malkovich; Synecdoche, New York; and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The three films are of the comedy/drama/romance genre, whereas his newest film is described as a psychological horror film. I’m Thinking of Ending Things is based on the Ian Reid novel of the same name, which follows a young woman who joins her boyfriend to visit his parents.

 

The premise of the film is reminiscent of Get Out, but the trailer proves it will be a very different movie. It currently holds an 85% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and depending on how I’m Thinking of Ending Things continues to perform, it could be an indicator to other distribution companies that their films could also perform well on streaming services, and ultimately encourage more new films to be released on streaming platforms

 

The film stars Chernobyl’s Jessie Buckley, Jesse Plemons whom I can never separate from Todd in Breaking Bad, Toni Colette of Hereditary and Knives Out, and Professor Remus Lupin himself, David Thewlis. I’m Thinking of Ending Things premieres on September 4 on Netflix, and the trailer is available now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDTg62vsV4U

REVIEW: Avatar the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra

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Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra both explore a world created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko in which some individuals possess the ability to “bend” one of four elements: water, earth, fire, or air. The two animated series follow Aang and Korra, two incarnations of the Avatar, whose duty is to maintain balance in the world and act as a bridge between the human and spirit worlds. The Avatar has the ability to bend all four elements, and is reincarnated into a new body each time they die.

 

Avatar was added to Netflix in May, and despite it being a kids’ show that aired from 2005-2008, it quickly made its way into Netflix’s top 10 list where it stayed for 61 days, breaking the record previously held by Ozark (57 days). I didn’t watch Avatar when it first aired, but when I watched it this summer, I loved it. I think what makes Avatar so successful is that even though it’s intended for a younger audience, it doesn’t shy away from serious topics, which expands the target audience. The show addresses themes from gender discrimination to war, imperialism, and genocide. Another way the show is successful is in how it’s structured: it’s episodic, so the episodes can stand alone, but they all contribute to the overall plot. This makes the show more exciting, as each episode tells its own story.

 

Not only does Avatar have a great plot, it also has unique and lovable characters. Even the side characters have their own personalities and motivations. Since Avatar is a kids’ show, the creators did not show any onscreen deaths, and they were able to work this as a character trait into the main protagonist, Aang. Aang is a monk and also twelve years old, and refuses to kill the man who was responsible for the genocide of his people. This man, Fire Lord Ozai, is the main antagonist of the show, and when he and Aang finally face each other, the conclusion is unexpected but original, and overall very satisfying. One very popular character is the son of the Fire Lord, Prince Zuko. I believe that I can reasonably claim most people that watch the show love Zuko. He’s essentially Kylo Ren and Jaime Lannister, but actually written well, and with motivations that actually make sense.

 

Recently, there have been plans to develop Avatar into a live-action series on Netflix. However, the original creators of the show, DiMartino and Konietzko, both announced they would be leaving the show. They stated that Netflix had a vision to make the show more mature, but they still wanted the show to be for kids. I initially was 100% on the creators’ side, but after watching Korra, I’m intrigued by what a more mature Avatar show would look like.

 

The Legend of Korra is intended for a more mature audience – for the kids who watched Avatar and then grew up. The show’s villains essentially represent communism, theocracy, anarchy, and facism – and it gets pretty dark. In season 4, Korra has PTSD and spends a good part of the season in recovery, and her character isn’t the same as season 1. It’s quite sad that Korra started off as a cocky and fun-loving young woman, but in order to be humbled she had to process a great deal of trauma. The creators of the show have proved that a more mature story can successfully take place in the world of Avatar and Korra, and it’d be interesting to see Netflix’s spin on an already iconic story. However, if Netflix is going on the Riverdale-maturity route, then I completely understand why the creators chose to leave. I also understand the creators’ frustration with a lack of creative freedom, as there are reports that Nickelodeon gave the creators a really difficult time during the production of Korra – not only because she is a female Avatar, but also because she is a woman of color. The ending of season 1 is a little rushed, and the beginning of season 2 is rather slow, but Nickelodeon initially only gave the creators one season, and greenlit season 2 halfway through the airing of season 1. Then, seasons 3 and 4 – the strongest seasons of the show – weren’t aired at all and were uploaded to Nickelodeon’s online streaming service instead.

 

Overall, Korra gets a lot of hate, but I think you can be understanding of the circumstances surrounding seasons 1 and 2. Both seasons are still very good, and season 3 is on the same level as Avatar. I’m interested in seeing what’ll become of the live action show as the creators did say some individuals they hired themselves have stayed on the show. But for the time being, watch Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra on Netflix!

REVIEW: Bon Appetit Test Kitchen Variety Show

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Many of us are spending quarantine making sourdough starters and baking cinnamon rolls, but the chefs at Bon Appetit have been doing it for ages, and continue to do so despite cooking at home. For those of you unfamiliar with the test kitchen, Bon Appetit is the YouTube channel for a food magazine based in New York. The YouTube Channel currently has 5.85 million subscribers, featuring shows such as Gourmet Makes where pastry chef Claire Saffitz attempts to recreate snack foods in the test kitchen; It’s Alive with Brad Leone, microbial food culture enthusiast; Reverse Engineering with Chris Morocco who attempts to recreate recipes through scent, taste, touch, but no sight; and Back-to-Back Chef with Carla Lalli-Music who guides a celebrity through a recipe – while they stand back-to-back.

 

Since the switch to the various chefs’ home kitchens, the new recipes the chefs have filmed have been incorporating more common ingredients. Some of the recent home kitchen videos have included 13 Kinds of Pantry Pasta, Sour Cream and Onion Biscuits, 3 Kinds of Homemade Pasta, and 9 Kinds of Pantry Sandwiches. The chefs are all very charismatic and personable and have, as a result, built a massive fan base (Saffitz is said to have developed a cult following for Gourmet Makes) on social media. Since cooking from home, there’s been an increase in guest appearances by kids and pets – what more could you want?

 

On May 1, the Test Kitchen staff hosted a live fundraiser on YouTube to raise money for the World Central Kitchen. Over the course of an almost two-and-a-half-hour show, BA raised a total of $185,616. The WCK is currently working to distribute packaged, fresh meals to communities in need due to the coronavirus outbreak. The BA staff hosted a Variety Show on Friday night, featuring segments such as a whipped cream speed challenge, a feature on the staff members’ pets, an interview with Ina Garten, a Q&A, and several pre-prepared montages such as a cursing montage, a cutting onions montage, and a best of Brad Leone montage.

 

I was personally a fan of the whipping cream challenge (Chris Morocco took first place by whipping cream in 30 seconds to the point where he could hold the bowl over his head and nothing fell out), Carla’s son being her arms in Front-to-Back, and the pre-edited montages. There was a little bit of inevitable awkwardness throughout the course of the show with internet delays, but various members of the staff got tipsier and tipsier throughout the show, which really added character to what could’ve been a very bland show. There was a live comments feed from viewers around the world that was so active that the BA tech staff had to comment and ask everyone to slow down as they couldn’t keep up with all of the messages.

 

Overall, the show was very entertaining, although a little long as I ultimately decided to join the Lionsgate La La Land livestream instead of watching the last 45 minutes of the show. However, it was clear the staff and the viewers were all having a good time, and, of course, it was all for a great cause. I highly recommend Bon Appetit – they have an endless supply of videos on their channel, and they continue to post multiple times a week. The videos will no doubt make you very hungry, but they’ll inspire you to head to your kitchen and become a pro chef yourself. And you might as well use this time to get into cooking!

 

The donation link for the World Central Kitchen is still up on the livestream recording, and I’ve included it here.

 

Also, here is a photo of my Bon Appetit cinnamon rolls. I’m quite proud of them. I followed this recipe but didn’t have any dates, so I used the filling from this recipe.

REVIEW: The Plot Against America

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The Plot Against America is a new HBO limited series based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Philip Roth. The series is an alternate history following a working-class Jewish family living in New Jersey as Charles Lindbergh wins the Presidency over FDR. Lindbergh is most known for completing the first solo transatlantic flight, his belief in eugenics, as well as his Nazi-reminiscent views on race and religion.

 

The series will consist of six episodes, the first having premiered on Monday. Critics and viewers have already drawn parallels to the current political climate, with celebrities-turned-politicians and America being taken over by hatred. As the source material was initially interpreted as a commentary on the second Bush administration, it’s interesting that the text is still relevant 16 years later. However, the series almost tries too hard to remind viewers that many individuals today can relate to this anxiety and grief. For example, the father of the family says “But we’re American,” in response to a radio broadcast of one of Lindbergh’s speeches. This rhetoric is very on-the-nose, as well as a very present-day thing to say. The line was evidently added in to jump out at viewers, but it comes across as too jarring and trying too hard. Critic Ani Bundel who has seen the series in its entirety has said the show would be more poignant if it were more subtle: “HBO’s refusal to respect the audience’s intelligence to make the connections themselves erodes the impact the series might have had otherwise.”

 

Ultimately, this isn’t to say the series doesn’t have any potential. Although there is a stereotypical tough guy character, many of the other characters provide varying insights and opinions on their situation. For example, the older son of the family, sees Lindbergh as a pilot and hero. His parents provide an interesting dynamic: the mother grew up as a member of the only Jewish family in her area whereas his father had never felt uncomfortable about being Jewish, and denies the rise of fascism in the US.

 

We will see whether the show picks up in the next few episodes, how it will conclude, and if its message gets lost along the way. The Plot Against America airs on HBO every Monday at 9PM.

 

Sources:

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/03/plot-against-america-hbos-alternate-history-series-is-too-stuck-on-the-present/

https://www.jns.org/opinion/mining-for-hate-in-the-plot-against-america/

 

REVIEW: Yayoi Kusama’s Fireflies on the Water

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A 9 x 12 x 12 room. The walls and ceiling are mirrors, the ground water. You, the subject, are reflected over and over again against a backdrop of hanging lights: blues, reds, oranges. You are allotted 60 seconds in the room. Yayoi Kusama’s Fireflies on the Water transports you to another reality where it feels like you are at the center of that surreal universe.

Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese artist. When she was ten years old, Kusama began to experience vivid hallucinations in which she saw bright lights and endless fields of spots, which has heavily influenced her artwork throughout her life. She first became known to the public sphere as an active member of the hippie counterculture movement in the late sixties. She staged several performances, or “happenings,” in which naked participants were covered in polka dots.

I had previously seen another one of Kusama’s installations at The Broad in Los Angeles. The room was structured in a similar fashion, thought the lights were larger and more spherical. Infinity Mirrored Room – The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away had a more blue-green hue, whereas Fireflies on the Water had a warmer tone. Although both rooms are very similar, I found the two experiences to be independent of each other. The room in LA was exciting; I felt like a child, giddy, desperately taking photos in an attempt to capture the experience. This time around the experience felt more self-reflective. I was more aware of the tranquility of the scene, which was largely attributed to the fact the museum workers ask those waiting outside the room to remain silent. Inside the room, it feels like you are alone in this alternate dimension, but the experience is more soothing than frightening.

Naturally, I took an abundance of photos, but I almost felt that shattered the illusion. I wish I could return to the room and just sit on the platform surrounded by water for as long as I wanted. The logistics of allowing each visitor to stay in the room for 60 seconds makes sense, but it leaves the viewer yearning for more. Right when you enter a daze of seeing an endless number of lights and your reflection again and again, the door swings open, distorting your vision, and you find yourself back in the dingy lighting of the museum.

Still, Kusama’s installations are a very unique and unforgettable experience that I highly recommend seeing. Fireflies on the Water is currently on display at the Toledo Museum of Art and will be open until April 26.