lady vengeance (2005)
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now THIS is a movie!!! spent the entire time enraptured by every aspect of the plot and set/costume design— i seriously think it entered my top10 favourites just from a single watch
the choice to start off comedic and absurdist despite the premise, only to get more and more serious the further into the protagonists plan we delve... going from colour to noir then back to colour following the severity and morbidity of characters actions... and!! the pacing is stellar for a 2hr movie, nothing feels too slow nor too rushed its so lovely ♡
10/10 using the original korean poster because its simply so gorgeous ♡
and then we danced (2019)
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my first ever georgian movie! and about georgian dance! also about gay people struggling and having a damn tough time
didn't end up loving this as much as i wanted to in the beginning, but i don't dislike it by any means; i just don't think its a movie that's for me, yknow? plus the anti-armenian lines sprinkled through did make me wince (though, to be fair, the comments weren't portrayed as good things so its not a knock against the story)
5/10 nothing but respect for the eddsworld graffiti that is seen multiple times on the wall outside of the dance studio it made me laugh so many times
rafiki (2018)
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despite some of the choppy editing and weird adr moments (some scenes are just voiceover on top of the actors not speaking or obviously not-the-same speech) i did like the almost romeo and juilet-esque romance between two kenyan girls falling in love despite their fathers running against eachother in the local election
very naturalistic acting and great setting/ambience + attention to how colour is used, as well as the wardrobe differences between the leads and the lives they endure
5/10 i read the short story its loosely based on and enjoyed it more so the movie rating got knocked down a fair bit
farewell my concubine (1993)
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i feel a little bit bad because i know how revered this movie is but i feel ultimately rather neutral on it? there's nothing wrong i could directly point out but i do think the 3hr runtime did just ended up dragging it out past my limits
i can say that i did really enjoy the character arcs and exploration of their relationships through time!!! juxian did make me emotional and deiyi's arc specifically was very engaging
5/10 fruitlessly spent 20min midway through trying to figure out if the apprentice deiyi takes on is the same guy who plays a cunty gossip in winter begonia (a show abt peking opera) only to find out he wasnt...
pan's labyrinth (2006)
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im so sure i watched this around age 12 without subtitles (why? idk) so it really felt like a first watch than a rewatch lmao
absolutely insane and incredible sound design and soundtrack, really made me think about how long people have been using certain instruments/arrangments to feel suspenseful and whimsically fae-like at the same time AND made me marvel at the sheer amount of gorgeous practical effect work and effort that i would've definitely missed as a kid
9.5/10 knocking off .5 because im a wee squeamish coward who got grossed out by the toad scene
le paradis (2013)
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oopsies i spent nearly all of this movie crying my eyes out over troubled teenagers finding solace in eachother despite it all and getting into shit just to stick together
also a pretty good portrayal on how the juvie system fails its kids and expects them to do better without allowing them the room necessary to meaningfully grow
8/10 i dont really have any comments but maybe try watching it if you have the time!
jenny's wedding (2015)
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hits like suuuch a specific type of cheesy that can really make people (me) emotional in the right circumstances... aka i did cry during it despite its very 2015 liberal progessivity
but its also so cheesy that i spent 80% of the movie giggling— the dad straight up goes on a Contemplative Beach Walk halfway through during a montage sequence
5/10 same love by macklemore plays multiple times way louder than any of the dialogue and it made me cackle every single time i couldn't help myself
elephant (2022)
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apparently the one genre i frequently return to is sad, gay farmboys living in the countryside with strained parental relationships finding a guy to love and (if he's so lucky) have a good time while it lasts
this one had a hopeful ending too! stole a neglected dog and left his claustrophobic hometown to find his boyfie and live life no longer contained in a sardine-can of expectations!
7/10 i won't lie... i spent a lot of this movie distracted by how pretty the protagonist was 
maurice (1987)
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a little bit bonkers that this movie is 2hrs20min given the fact i spent the second half of the movie baffled as to why two characters shack up with very little conversation or hinting between eachother??? i wondered so many times if i somehow missed or skipped a scene but nope! it's just very oddly paced in the second act
other than that it did do a pretty good job showing edwardian era homophobia in britain and entrapment methods used to arrest and persecute gay men of the time
4/10 shout out to the hypnotist who was like Duuude just move to italy or something you're clearly not gonna become straight anytime soon
professor layton and the curious village (2007)
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going to be sooo honest and admit i kinda lost the plot of this game so early on that everything was simultaneously a twist and also obvious???
compared to the first game the art/sprites/minigames were much better and more fun, but the plot still felt incredibly messy. sometimes things that are fundamentally rooted in reality and have to have a logical, grounded explaination for the plot are worse... what i'm trying to say is that vampires should have been real 
6/10 better than the first but ultimately not by too much. oh well, apparently the next game is the best of the og trilogy!
professor layton and the curious village (2007)
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for the first installation of the layton series— to which i'll give a lot of grace— i am sad to say that i was ultimately, yet very gently, disappointed
the music and art is incredible, with tremendous amounts of personality oozing from every inch of the characters. but the gameplay itself? i couldn't help but feel that the plot itself was predictable and solved for the audience rather than with the audience... the ending too, when finding the treasures physical location, was lacklustre given other scenes that could have provided more intrigue
5/10 got my ass kicked by puzzles made for 10yr olds... ouch
disney fairies: tinker bell and the lost treasure (2009)
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once i got my 2ds i immediately went to play this (and got the 3rd game too) but lost interest so quickly
the story mode is a very condensed version of the movie with repetitive level design, and the fairy mode has really slippery controls and awkard-to-perform tasks that just felt bad to play. you're also only able to perform one task at a time rather than juggling multiple things which really flattens the player experience
2/10 perhaps i had too high of expectations for a kids game, or perhaps it's just a poorly made and more obvious shovelware sequel...
babel (2022)
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i, again, nabbed this from my brothers shelf since he called it "too dense" and not gripping enough for him to read... i could not disagree more. i absolutely adored every second of it and secretly want to keep it as my own ♡
speculative (and historical) fiction is just my taste, and babel ended up being so thoroughly researched, written, and edited that i spend an 8 hour period (11pm-6am) doing nothing but reading 308 pages in succession— which was completely and utterly worth it
10/10 i am not nearly as intelligent or as well-read as i wish to be in order to to talk about how incredible this book is, but suffice to say i think everyone should read it as soon as they get the chance!
the hobbit (1937)
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i read the hobbit for the first time in 8th grade and nabbed it from my brothers personal library to read once more just to see if it still held up, and i think this time around i liked it even more!
obvi this book was written in the 30's and has some themes/language carry from that time, but the narration overall is really pleasant to read through; it doesn't feel like a slog at all, more like a friend recounting a tale to you over a letter ♡
8/10 still incredibly silly that bilbo gets knocked upside the head and just completely misses the final battle, but also like... i'd end up the same way if i were him lmao
the memoirs of lady trent (2013-2017)
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finally finished reading the last book in this 5-part, victiorian-esque, dragon-filled series! i have complicated feelings— the time period unfortunately means there is some in-world racism and white saviourism that follows the protagonist— but an overall positive notion towards the books
to me, the personal recounting of dragon naturalism as a growing field of research is really magnetic, even if the protagonists tendancy to brush off political repurcussions did frustrate me a good bit
5.5/10 at the very least, i could always depend on the best character in the entire series, suhail ♡♡♡
disney fairies: tinker bell (2008)
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suddenly remembered i owned a copy of this game and how frequently i played it when i was a wee lad, and it stil holds up to this day
it's mostly just never-ending fetch quests with a side of making clothes and accessories, which is a great gameplay loop to waste time on if you're bored!
8.5/10 obviously not the most sophisticated game, but still manages to make grown adults (me) have fun ♡ also realllly made me want to download the other two ds games to experience even more customization options and fetch quests
troop beverly hills (1989)
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i admit, i am not immune to watching a movie solely because i knew beforehand that the costume design is stellar...but troop beverly hills is a pretty decent escapist movie, though it has a few glaring flaws (the father was a loser and i'm still mad the protag got back together with him)
not a huge fan of the antagonist being portrayed as "masculine" and ungraceful to push soft femininity as the ultimate and "correct" role for a woman to take up, nor the weirdbad stereotypical american indigenous costumes that show up midway though??? baffling...
4.5/10 i don't think i'd watch it again but i certainly won't be forgetting it anytime soon
9 to 5 (1980)
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not even getting into the wacky, million twists a minute plot— this movie has stunninggggg costume design! ann roth did an incredible job, i spend the entire time gawking at the costume (and set tbh) design!
parton, tomlin, and fonda do great playing between reality and their characters little power fantasies so it all felt very natural to watch even though the plot itself could get a little jarring
7/10 wish i could sit next to someone as they experience this movie for the first time ever
steel magnolias (1989)
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when i decided to watch this i did NOT expect that by the end i'd be nothing but a puddle of tears. haven't cried so hard over a movie in ages, it was tbh a little cathartic and worth the day-long headache i had afterwards.
8.5/10 did anyone else think that ouiser and clairee were lezzing out on the side? just me? certainly felt like they had a bond more close and romantic than any other characters
ghost trick (2010)
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genuinely just an incredible game ♡ great character designs, strong personalities and induvidual quirks, lovely musical score, and tight plot/pacing!!!
9/10 go play ghost trick now on any available platform without looking anything up in advance, it's sooo much better going in blind and getting your mind blown!!
buffy the vampire slayer (1992)
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kind of alike to "my best friend is a vampire (1987)," this is a movie about a vampire killing uncle-type finding a protege to mentor— and honestly, i eat it up every time!
huge movie if you're like me and like to recognize actors from the niche media they've been in. would've been like 60% better if pike wasn't so booorrriinnnggg
that aside, a pretty fun 90's romp with a healthy dash of cliche characters and gaudy fashion
8/10 somehow managed to recognize ben affleck from a 10 second clip where he has a single line???
