Change Your Image
LeRissika
Reviews
Finding Michael (2023)
Nimsdai and his team are the real story
First let me say: Spencer and his family are not likely to win over too many people what with their apparent lack of any real emotion. They really do come across as privileged rich folk who are doing this more for fame than money. BUT if you watch this as a documentary about Everest rather than about this family, it really is quite an incredible story. It is incredibly sad that Michael lost his life climbing Mt Everest, and anyone would understand the desire to recover his body. They obviously have the means to fund an unbelievably expensive and dangerous needle in a haystack search, so they did! Good for them.
That's what this story is about. Simply put, this is documentary about an incredible search-and-recovery attempt undertaken by the world's greatest climbers.
All the reviews claiming this film is purely about a privileged English dude putting Sherpas' lives at risk are really doing a disservice to the amazing team of climbers that Nimsdai leads. To paint this team as just an under-privileged group of Nepalese locals who are being taken advantage of is incredibly reductive and insulting! They are undermining the unbelievable skill and strength of Nims and his team. Not only are they elite climbers who completely understand (and are well-equipped to take on) the danger and difficulty of the task, Nims has also made a huge name for himself and this is great exposure for him and his company! If you pay attention his branding is absolutely everywhere: the helicopter, the whole camp, all their clothes, even the mug that Spencer is drinking from! Nimsdai and his company and his team are not just some poor locals with no choice but to climb for white people. They're incredible athletes with a strong connection to the mountain that deserve respect and deserve recognition.
People who watch this with that in mind will truly be blown away.
Strange World (2022)
Avatar meets Indiana Jones - cheesy but entertaining
Entertaining and cute, and just what you'd expect from a Disney film in 2023.
The visuals are so creative and throughly impressive. It's like Avatar meets Indiana Jones in an animated film. I don't understand the low ratings...if this came out when I was a kid I would have loved it! As an adult, I'm still really appreciating the visuals, storyline and family dynamics.
Love that the kid is gay, and when he mentions his male crush to the ultra masculine grandpa, he doesn't miss a beat. I love that for the new generation and I really enjoyed seeing the family embrace him for exactly what he is without any question about that side of him. As with all Disney films, this is a story of people discovering who they really are. It's refreshing to see a film that features a gay kid but that the self-discovery has nothing to do with that.
I also love the three legged dog! All in all, I really liked this film.