Change Your Image
joebezko
Reviews
Beautifica 360 (2022)
2010 wants it's screensaver back...
The good: music was decent.
The bad: the music had no cohesion from one track to the next and no sense of overarching theme. The visuals looked dated and lacked a sense of purpose most of the time. (Not to mention incongruous to the "message" of "the beauty of life.") And on that note, what's with the narration? He just randomly throws out words of generic inspiration like "love." "joy." "kindness." "gratitude." If that was supposed to be meditative or uplifting, then yikes.
Overall, I was left underwhelmed, uninspired, and dare I say bored. There was no sense of harmony throughout the show and I would be hard pressed to see how the images even remotely complemented the "beautifica" theme that Hood was trying to convey. Hard pass.
J'ai perdu mon corps (2019)
Wasn't ready for that one.
Wow... okay, so I try and watch as many random movies on steaming as I can, and I came across "I Lost My Body" and honestly, it was one of the best, most provocative, intimate, carefully cared for movies I've seen in a really long time. The metaphors, the heart, the introspection. Touching on depression, loneliness, love, and fate, it doesn't pull cheap tricks. It just shows an honest character in an outstandingly emotional way. The filmmakers did such a good job at telling the story but leaving it open for you to interpret what you will. The score is gorgeous, and it a movie that will likely stick with you long afterwards. It's 100% not for everyone, but it's such an engaging and rewarding film. So simple. So raw. So perfect.
Class (2023)
Yo, I got some things to say...
I started this because I'm impatiently waiting for more Elite, and honestly the first episode, I'm sitting here like, you think this is worth recreating?! And THEN I kinda fell in love with the characters. Somehow, I actually like the pairing of couples in this more than Elite. And I get to see some truthful culture and pertinent stories shine brighter than they did in the original. First off, the cinematography is gorgeous. I saw a couple reviews knocking it, and as someone that sits on set all day (me), I was blown away! I felt like I learned so much about Delhi, and I got to see the "best" and "worst" places so much more than the original. I felt like I was in these places. And I really liked the actors, a lot. They did the assignment. And there are a couple love stories that broke my heart even though I knew it was going to happen. To some people, it may seem like a copycat. And in some ways, sure. But I actually enjoyed seeing a revision of the story from another culture's point of view. Was it perfect?... If I was a snob I'd say no, but for me right now, I really liked it. I really enjoyed watching this group of people present this story. And I'm sure there is some division about subjects presented (like the caste system and degradation of the youth), but as an outsider that is interested in Indian culture, I really loved the show and all the people that worked on it :)