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Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Horribly sexist movie
I really wanted to like this movie. Even though I'm not Asian, I'm fully aware of how badly Asian people have been stereotyped in Hollywood movies. Especially Asian women, who were often portrayed as soft-spoken, submissive, and subservient.
Unfortunately, the people who made this movie have substituted one set of old stereotypes for another set. The Chinese women in this movie aren't subservient; they're mean, selfish, and "catty." (I especially hated the scene where Nick's old girlfriend harasses his current girlfriend.)The awful stereotypes that Hollywood has far too often imposed on white actresses are now being applied to Chinese actresses.
Is this really progress for Chinese actresses?!
It's NOT. This movie is dehumanizing and UNFAIR to Asian women. I had hoped that this movie--made by Asians!--would have portrayed Chinese women in a more enlightened light. I was hoping to see intelligent female Chinese characters who had solid friendships with each other. Not here. What a shame!
Go Fly a Kit (1957)
Good cartoon ruined by mean-spirited ending
There's a lot to like about this cartoon. For starters, it has an original and very imaginative story: a cat who's taught to fly by a maternal eagle. I also loved the sweet relationship between the two cats, which was unusual for a cartoon from this period. The animation was well-drawn, and the colours were rich and beautiful. The musical score was lovely and well-suited to the action.
But one thing ruined this cartoon for me: the ending. Although the bulldog was the villain in this short, his fate--stuck on top of a very high building with no way to get down again and nobody to help him (and how would anyone even SEE him up there?)--was far too cruel and mean-spirited. It really ruined this cartoon for me.
I wish I could reach through the screen and rescue that poor bulldog! No villain deserves this!
80 for Brady (2023)
A fun movie!
What a fun movie this is! A delicious romp featuring four gifted actresses over 75 (which is something of a rarity). An upbeat movie about the friendships these four women share. And the four actresses in this movie--Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno--look marvellous, not "just for their age" but for any age. The well-written script is another plus; it's full of quirky, entertaining plot twists that prevent the movie from becoming dull and unpredictable. I especially loved the scene where Sally Field's character won the hot wing eating contest (beating out a bunch of big and tough young men). The supporting actors were great, too. Highly recommended.
I wish there were more upbeat, positive movies featuring mature actresses like this one!
Queen Bees (2021)
Ugly stereotypes about older women
What a shame that some very talented older actresses whom I respect, especially Ellen Burstyn, Ann-Margaret, and Jane Curtin, ended up in this dreadful film. There's nothing more sexist than the "mean girl" stereotype (thanks for nothing, Tina Fey!) on parade in this film. (Men are also mean to each other, but there's never been a film or TV show about "mean men.") Above all, this film is very insulting to women, especially to older women, who are, unfortunately, very disrespected in our youth-obsessed society. They're the most stereotyped group of all; in most movies and TV shows, they're either invisible or mean (and ugly) old hags.
And the mean old hag stereotype on view here is hardly new: just watch a horror movie from the 1960's with Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, or Olivia DeHavilland, and you'll see what I mean. Maybe our society's treatment of older women hasn't improved much in the last 60 years!
Okay, I do understand that, given their ages, these actresses aren't being offered decent movie and TV roles (and they're usually not offered roles of any kind). So that's probably why they agreed to appear in this movie. But they actually deserve far better roles in far better movies!
My suggestion: Watch "80 for Brady" instead. It's a terrific movie about older women's friendship. And it proves that, contrary to the existence of films like this one, it really is possible to make a good movie with talented older actresses (Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Rita Moreno, and Lily Tomlin).
Bell Book and Candle (1958)
Dull and mean-spirited
The main problem with this movie is the woman-hating script. The mean-spirted witch (Kim Novak) uses (or, perhaps, misuses) her powers to hurt another woman, Merle (Janice Rule) by taking away her fiancee (Jimmy Stewart) just to spite her over some old, trivial incident that took place when the women attended college together. The fact that the witch CAN succeed only because she has these special powers and Merle lacks them only makes this situation even more unfair, as Merle cannot fight back. So a selfish woman--the witch--WINS BY BEING MEAN! Kim Novak's poor acting makes things worse; her cold personality makes her unsympathetic. And the far more talented Janice Rule, with her warmth and vulnerability, is much more appealing; I kept hoping that she would win Jimmy back! Jimmy Stewart is horribly miscast; he's too far old for both women, and he does nothing but yell and look miserable. Oh well, at least the technicolor photography was lovely.
The Honduras Hurricane (1938)
Sick and senselessly violent
I have to disagree with the other commenters here. Yes, the quality of the animation is good. The characters and settings are well drawn and the action is fluid. The pacing is fast and doesn't drag. The intervention by the boys is a nice twist.
However, the plot is predictable; the outcome is obvious at the beginning of the cartoon. And there's not much humour in this short; I didn't laugh even once
But what really bothered me was the cruel and senseless violence, which made this cartoon painful to watch. The outcome of the losing bird--dead, his body now reduced to meat in a can--was really, really sick. That character deserved to lose, but the animators could have handled the outcome in a more humane manner.
And Just Like That... (2021)
Excellent! Don't miss it!
I don't understand the low ratings from other commenters. This is a first-class show. Honest (and brave!) writing, sensitive acting . . . And it's inclusive, too. People of all backgrounds and sexual orientations are represented here. The relationships between the three female leads is warm and inspiring; there aren't enough positive depictions of women's friendships in our culture. And it's also nice to see 50-something women on television, especially older women who still take some pride in their appearance and have a healthy interest in dating. Like most Sex and the City fans, I did miss Samantha, but the new characters were interesting enough to hold my attention. I hope that the producers are planning a second season.
Turning Red (2022)
Brilliant!
I don't understand the low ratings from some of the other commenters. This is a first-rate movie. It's light-hearted, but it also has something deep to say about girls' struggles to grow up and establish their own identities. The visuals are both gorgeous and funny (especially if you're from Toronto). Not to be missed!
The Hungry Wolf (1942)
Not to be missed!
A thoughtful, funny, and touching cartoon about a wolf who decides not to eat the rabbit who befriends him. The sweet story is a welcome change from the usual violent and predictable cartoons from this period. The characters are nicely drawn, and the voice work, especially from Mel Blanc, is excellent.
Bewitched (1964)
A very sexist show
A very sexist show. In far too many episodes, Samantha views other women only as threats, as competition for men, not as human beings, and she misuses her powers to hurt and humiliate them, ripping off their clothes and wigs, slapping them in the eye, etc. Of course, some of these women weren't the most positive characters, but Samantha could have fought them in a more humane and ethical way. It's also worth noting that Samantha had no female friends on the show.
Get a Horse! (2013)
Not Walt's Mickey
This short made interesting and imaginative use of technology. However, I didn't really enjoy it. The original Mickey Mouse was special because he had a warm, gentle, and bashful personality that made him easy to root for. But in this short, the animators made drastic changes to Mickey's personality, turning him into just another rough, brash, and--above all--mean spirited little mouse, like Jerry and Herman. I wish the animators had made this cartoon with a brasher character like Donald Duck instead of Mickey. This version of Mickey is nothing like the loveable little everyman character created by Walt Disney, and that's a shame.
Mickey's Good Deed (1932)
Not to be missed!
A marvellous short, beautifully written and animated, and proof that the early Mickey Mouse was NOT boring! Here, he is a truly loveable, empathetic character who's easy to cheer for. This cartoon captures the true meaning of Christmas better than any other holiday-themed cartoon I've ever viewed.
Honeyland (1935)
Cruel and unfunny cartoon
I really hate cartoons like this! Violence in a cartoon isn't funny; it's just cruel. And "cute" characters don't make up for it. Having been stung (without provocation) by bees, I actually felt sorry for the spider! Avoid this short. at all costs.
Pete 'n' Tillie (1972)
Poorly written movie with unsympathetic characters
This movie was a big disappointment. The writing was weak, and the script was neither funny nor touching. The acting of the leads was off, too. The relationship between Burnett and Matthau comes off as superficial; Matthau's character, in particular, displays no emotional depth, and his jokiness is annoying after the first few minutes. The two actors had no chemistry, and their onscreen pairing lacked warmth and sexiness. I'm a huge fan of Carol Burnett--and she tried hard here--but her character was weak. For most of the movie, she puts up with Matthau's philandering without confronting him, her anger buried under an overly prim exterior. Isn't this unrealistic? Burnett's character also comes off as selfish and mean; towards the end, she tries to embarrass her friend (played by the gifted actress Geraldine Page) when she attempts to force her to blurt out her age in public. There was no good reason for Burnett's character to do this to Page's character, and if she had been a REAL friend to her, she would have respected the other woman's decision to keep her real age a secret. I can't understand why other commenters found the "cat fight" between them funny; I found it violent, sexist ("proving" once again, that women can't be real friends to each other), and mean-spirited. I actually felt sorry for Page's character--who didn't do anything wrong; she insulted Burnett only after Burnett had tried to embarrass her--not Burnett's. And I really wanted to root for Carol Burnett! Martin Ritt also deserves some of the blame: he made lots of terrific dramas like "Norma Rae," but he was useless at directing drama-comedies like this one. Too bad this movie wasn't made by a master of the drama-comedy genre such as Billy Wilder ("The Apartnment") or Blake Edwards ("Breakfast at Tiffany's"). Both "The Apartment" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" have much better writing and acting, and both of them display the perfect balance between drama and comedy.
Alias St. Nick (1935)
Mean-spirited cartoon misses the true spirit of Christmas
This mean-spirited cartoon completely misses the true spirit of Christmas. Instead of following an obvious plot--a cat chases mice, the mice defeat the cat--this animators should have added some interesting (and warm) twists. For example, I kept hoping that the cat (dressed as Santa) would have been won over by the mice and turned into a real Santa Claus, and that the mouse who kept claiming that Santa didn't exist would be won over by the cat's change of heart. Alas, the makers of this cartoon went for lazy and violent gags at the expense of a good story. I couldn't sympathize with the dull and unlikeable mice, and I actually felt sorry for the cat, who was cruelly tortured at the end. If you want a real Christmas cartoon, avoid this one and seek out the warm and charming Mickey Mouse short, "Mickey's Good Deed," from 1932.