critique, analysis and overview

"Jessica, only child, Illinois Chicago, Classmate Kim Jin-mo, He’s your cousin." Ki Jung, daughter of the Kim family from parasite is stated to be the only one who is most likely to make out of poverty yet she’s the one from the family who meets her bloody end. What is it about Ki-Jung that gives us the impression that she will make it up the social hierarchy when the rest of her family are not likely to do so? From the very beginning of the movie Ki-Jung is considered to be smart and skilled at what she does which includes even conning people. She is manipulative and has her way out with people by the way she speaks and asserts dominance, not to mention her skills in art forgery are also remarkable implying that she is set apart from the rest of her family members. It is no doubt that the Park family were also fond of Ki-Jung from the first time that they met her, she is charismatic yet assertive with what she wants, the son of the Park family who she ends up taking art ther...

 The Goat Life  Based on a true story, 'The Goat Life' is a Malayalam movie directed and co-produced by Blessy. The story follows Najeeb Muhammed, who, along with his friend Hakim travel to Saudi Arabia in search for a better life, however they find themselves stranded in a dessert deceived by the labor recruiter, where they are separated from each other and are forced into labor on a sheep and camel farm. The film portrays the struggles and the exploitation of working in Saudi Arabia as both Najeeb and Hakim are treated horribly, they struggle to even comprehend how long has it been there in the dessert. Eventually when they both meet each other again they try to figure a way out of the dessert with the help of a Somalian who has also been working there for quite a while and knows the way to the road. The movie is heartbreaking as it depicts the hardships of the laborers and how they are treated worse than animals. The gut-wrenching story is not the thing that makes 'The G...

 Memories of murder Desperation, Hopelessness and Ambiguity Memories of murder is a movie directed by Bong Joon Ho, a masterpiece in storytelling and cinematography this movie is perhaps Bong Joon Ho's most controversial movie: based on a true story, the movie generated an uproar in Korea when it was first released since the killer that the movie was based about was still yet to be found. After three decades of desperation, hopelessness and ambiguity the serial killer case of Hwasong that the movie was inspired off was finally solved in the year 2020. "What did he look like?" "Well....kind of plain" "In what way?" "Well....ordinary" In the end scene of the movie the desperation in the detective eyes is evident as he looks straight at the camera. The dialogue between the child and the detective reminds us about the cruel reality that the killer is still hiding in plain sight lurking around us. The final look at the camera by the detective conv...

 Parasite "She's nice because she's rich" What is a Parasite? Parasite is an organism that live in, on or with another organism (host) . They feed, grow or multiply in a way that harms their host. However, they need their host for their survival. For this reason, they rarely kill their host, but they often carry diseases that can be life-threatening. THE MOVIE Parasite is an award-winning Korean movie that is about a poor family trying to leech off the rich family. Just like an actual parasite the Kim family leeches on the rich family one by one until all the members are working for the rich family.  However, the movie Parasite is not just about portraying the poor and the rich family, but rather it is a satire on the ridiculous social class system that is prevalent in our society today. Bong Joon Ho's movies are a classic.  They are cinematically beautiful with exceptional storytelling; it is no doubt that Parasite too conveys the story of late capitalism and exp...

  Minari What is the American Dream?  The idea that success and prosperity can be achieved through hard work regardless of your background has been a cornerstone of American culture. However, throughout the years 'the American dream' has been associated with immigrants in America from lower economic background trying to prosper in America. What is Minari about? Minari is an American drama film written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung. Minari is all about a beautiful tragedy unfolding itself in order to stop other tragedies from happening. Minari is not about the characters, it is about the family that works together in order to fulfill their American dream. "Home is where our heart belongs", it's not just your family that make up your home but rather the people that you consider dear, the people that you can share your problems and fights with are the people that make up your home. Perhaps Minari is all about home. The conflicts that arise due to the long-neglecte...

 A Silent Voice  "Please God, give me just one more once of strength, starting tomorrow I won't escape from the challenges in my life" 'A Silent Voice' is a Japanese animated slice of life film. It is an adaptation of the comic series 'Koe No Katachi' which means shape of voice in Japanese.  " What goes around comes around " is a common saying, our actions have consequences thus we should treat people how we want to be treated but what happens when you are the only one remorseful for your negative actions? what happens when you are the only one faced with the consequences? what happens when you are the only one carrying the burden of the weight of your past? 'A Silent Voice' is a movie about a bully that goes through the process of redeeming himself and trying to be a better person to the one that he bullied in the past. The first part of the movie takes place in an elementary school, the protagonist Shoya Ishida bullies a new transfer st...

 Silenced  "And just like that evil prevails because once again we have failed to listen to the voices of the children"  Screams and cries were heard from the bathroom in the hallway, yet he wasn't able to do anything about it because he was stopped before he could even approach it.  Children in general find it difficult to tell adults what's bothering them so how would children that are deaf and mute express that they have been assaulted? It's easy to judge kids of their mistakes and refer them as the problematic ones without listening to their voices.  Silenced is a south Korean movie directed by  Hwang Dong-Hyuk.  The movie is based on a true story, and it changed the very face of the judicial system in Korea. The movie consists of heavy themes such as child abuse and rape which can be extremely difficult for people to watch however, this movie does not just tell the story of the abused children, but it also tells ...

 Mucize  "As long as his heart isn't handicapped" 'Mucize' is a Turkish feel-good movie directed by Mahsun Kirmizigul, the movie is based on a true story, and it is sure to bring you to tears.  The movie starts off with two young girls strolling around the market as they buy bread and ice cream, when they reach home, they see their parents arguing. The cause of their argument is because the wife does not want to go to the village however the husband argues that it is his civic duty as a teacher to teach the kids in the village as well, thus, the wife and the children bid their father goodbye as he leaves for the village to fulfill his purpose.  The teacher finds out that the village is situated at the top of the mountain, so he ends up travelling by foot as well, as he reaches the village, the villagers bring out their guns as they are afraid of the stranger. The man replies that he is a teacher and was sent by the government to teach there, upon hearing this the ...

 I Saw the Devil "Revenge is a fools game"   but how would you act if your loved one is taken away by the devil himself. I saw the devil is a Korean film directed by Kim Jee Woon. It is a revenge film in which the protagonist goes on a rampage to search for the killer of his wife. Choi Min Sik who is the antagonist of the movie acts as a depraved and psychopathic serial killer having no remorse for any of the actions that he has committed.  The movie starts off with the protagonist wife, stuck in the middle of nowhere as her car gets broken down, the antagonist sees this as an opportunity to fulfill his sick desires. The protagonist's wife is raped and decapitated by the killer; her body parts is found near the river by a kid, which is then reported to the authorities. During the funeral the protagonist vows to find the killer of his wife, as he finds the killer he brutally beats him up to the point of killing him, however he decides not to kill him and instead places a t...

  Whiplash What happens when passion turns into obsession?  The obsession to become the greatest is not uncommon, often times we are consumed by the things that we want, overlooking the things that we need. Obsession kills passion slowly but surely; burnout strains the life out of you and leaves you disoriented.  Whiplash is a movie directed by Damien Chazelle. It is primarily about a young jazz drummer who spirals into the road of obsession by seeking the validation of his abusive mentor. The role of the abusive mentor drives the protagonist into madness. The descendent into madness creates a psychological strain on the mental health of the protagonist which is reflected at the end of the movie, during the protagonists' climax, his solo performance signified his ultimate sacrifice to his craft. His father who was a failed artist watches his son with a defeated look, witnessing the extent of his son's obsession.  Perfection is what the protagonist seeks in the movie ...

  The Wailing The wailing is a Korean horror movie directed by Na Hong Jin. The protagonist of the movie who is a policeman investigates a series of murders in his village, Goksung. The series of murders is usually caused within a family by a family member this indicates that there is a paranormal ailment affecting the village of Goksung causing people to become possessed resulting in the death of their families. The main suspect of the movie is an old Japanese man who is shown as an outcast and a loner. The Japanese man is outcasted by the villagers as they all think of him as the suspect for the mysterious murders that has taken place. Although it does not seem suspicious in the beginning, the presence of the old Japanese man radiates eeriness as he deliberately does things that makes the protagonist uncomfortable. The plot of the movie thickens when the daughter of the protagonist is possessed which is shown to be the doing of the Japanese man. However, as the movie progresses, ...

  The Beauty of "Kun Faya Kun" As human beings we often face the complexities of life, the complexities of life are a testament to how much we are willing to not give up despite the challenges. What do we do when we are burdened by problems and difficulties of life, do we ask God to fix it, or do we lose all faith in God, regardless of what religion we follow, we have experienced this. Kun Faya Kun is a song sung and composed by A.R Rahman, Javed Ali, and Mohit Chauhan. It is not just a song but rather it is a feeling; it is an experience that elevates your soul. This song is like a path that reconnects us to our faith and with the divine being. This song is about changing your internal self, reflecting our actions without worrying about what has already happened because what was meant to happen will happen according to God's wishes. Kun Faya Kun is taken directly from the Quran. The lyrics "jab kahin pe kuch nahi bhi nahi tha, wahi tha wahi tha" means that, whe...