Woni Reviews

It's me, Wonnirae. Read along if you also love books, films, still images, music, and other stuff!

[wonnirae-reviews]

Glass Onion (Rian Johnson, 2022)

This one's good too. I saw a billboard ad for Glass Onion on my way home and thought, why not? (Although, if I may add, I liked the first one better.)

A little bit cliche—a millionaire with kiss-ass friends who needed his money and another friend who was scammed by the said millionaire. BUTTT, it made you turn your screws too, right? The method of murder and the other scenes of how it happened almost have the same effect. The anticipation. The anxiety of what's coming.

PS. I still find Benoit's accent a bit weird.

[wonnirae-reviews]

Knives Out (Rian Johnson, 2019)

Tbh, I first knew of Glass Onion and later found out that there's a first movie. It was a random watch during one of our staycations. Although I fell asleep while watching, I tried to watch it again, separately. (Turns out, I just don't like the graphics of the TV there.)

I'm not really a fan of detective movies except Sherlock Holmes. I liked this one, though. I just thought that Benoit kind of has a weird southern accent.

The movie is interesting as a whodunnit—I actually believed that it was Anna's character. It makes you think and somehow makes you feel like you're in a mental escape room. Some scenes were shocking.

All in all, because of this movie, I might try a few more detective/crime shows.

[wonnirae-reviews]

Hotel Ceiling by Rixton

I first heard this song when it was playing in my friend's car. It was a song that I made as a memory bookmark of that time.

Anyways, fun fact: I'm mostly first interested in songs with piano accompaniment or some percussion highlighted in the intro. I knew Rixton because of Me and My Broken Heart; I didn't know their whole discography, though. Apparently, this song was co-written by Ed Sheeran and Benny Blanco when Rixton wasn't Rixton yet.

I just want to summarize the whole listening experience to this: losing someone is a fucking nightmare. It leaves you with a hole with the weight of the earth. It's empty and heavy at the same time. Freaking nightmare.

[wonnirae-reviews]

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove (Lauren Kate, 2009)

Honestly, I expected more.

I expected a lot because I love the Fallen series. The plot was amazing, unlike this one. The ending seemed a bit rushed. The story was dragging. I thought it was promising up until the accidental murder part, but after that, it seemed like there was no end goal. It was like the writer lost motivation to think of a conflict or a plot twist.

If I were to suggest (wow, sorry) some scenes that I would've liked to see:

Natalie's BF is the true murderer and it's not accidental at all—maybe he figured out JB and Natalie's history; that's why he intentionally messed up his pills

Natalie's father witnessing the murder—he's now torn between his new life and keeping his estranged daughter's secret (will he be a better person?)

Natalie discovering that HB still has feelings for her right after the murder—I believe that this could be a good slap-in-the-face for Natalie if she thought that he was really an asshole from the rich side of town but in reality, after the detective gives her his things, there were a lot of pictures of her (just like in the actual book), and then she'll break down in regret

Then, after the regret, either:

She'll fall to her death just like what actually happened in the book

She'll ran away from her life and the police, leaving them a confession, then unalive herself and the school will continue with their sick ways like nothing happened

I also read some of the reviews of this book; they were majorly negative. It seems that the book was forcibly finished in a "publisher-kind-of-way." Again, the Fallen series was liked by the general public. Ms. Kate didn't deliver with this one.

I just hope that the next time I come across another book of hers, it will be as good as her good books.

[wonnirae-reviews]

Persuasion (Carrie Crackwell, 2022)

"I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone forever. I offer to you myself again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it eight and a half years ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant."

PERIODDDD. Cue the tears because I freaking bawled my eyes out. The quote was longer than that, but I get it, ok? You love Anne Elliot, Captain Frederick Wentworth. That never changed.

This modern take on Jane Austen's book is actually just the third motion picture with a breaking-the-fourth-wall style that I liked (the first being Fleabag and the second being Wandavision). No cringe at all. Maybe because the protagonist's inner monologues were better understood that way—letting the viewers see and feel from the protagonist herself. It also helped that Dakota Johnson has a natural weepy/crying voice that added to the feels. (There's something about uttering words in the midst of breaking down, to the point of your voice breaking as well. TT TT)

I think the modernized adaptation helped share awareness of Jane Austen, especially for those who have no interest in the seriousness of the Regency era. Personally, it makes me sleepy, unless it's the medieval times. All in all, I liked the film because I enjoyed it as it is and was not being strict about the inaccuracies and nitpicking everything. Leave the critical remarks to Pride and Prejudice. Hehe.

[wonnirae-reviews]

Slam Dunk (Nobutaka Nishizawa, 1993)

Watching something when you were young and then rewatching it when you're already an adult is one of the best experiences in human life ever.

So, I rewatched Slam Dunk after so many years and finished all episodes in one sitting. My takeaway: it never crossed my young mind that it was not finished!!! (Fact: I went down the rabbit hole and found out that the production team ran out of budget.) But, after knowing what happened next based on the manga, I thought, "Yeah, it's better off not animated." I can't see Sakuragi get a spinal injury in color! I can't see Shohoku lose the nationals in color! (Maybe this acceptance. Kidding.) I wanted to see Ryonan in the nationals along with Kainan and Shohoku. So much potential. Tsk. Plus, I finally understood why my sister was in love with Sendoh when we were young.

Some of my favorite scenes:

Mitsui breaking down in front of Coach Anzai—It was upsetting to see the bottled-up frustration from Mitchi when he couldn't play basketball. The scene where he was lashing out because of the pain.

The backstory of Sakuragi and his dad—it was like the trauma was repeated, but this time, with Coach Anzai. But of course, the pain was greater when he was looking for help, but his former behavior bit him in the ass, cutting his time.

Fun fact: while I was writing this, apparently, the mangaka was trying to push animating the remaining episodes. What the hell, let's go. I'd still watch it.

[wonnirae-reviews]

Awakenings (Penny Marshall, 1990)

I thought that this was going to be a happy ending. I really thought.

But then, I was reminded that this true-to-life story happened in the past, when science had not yet evolved. It makes me somehow motivated to contribute (wow).

Can I just say, Robin Williams' character as an introvert doctor is so unnerving? When he was anxious to see the patients, I felt anxious too. His disappointment in the pitfalls of his research made me disappointed, too. The joy from his breakthroughs—I was cheering, too. That's how you know that you're watching a good actor.

Another character, Robert De Niro—the man, the myth, the legend. Watching him act as a young star was satisfying. Goofy, adorable smirk even when paralyzed with moments of awareness. It was freaking sad, especially the scene where the drug was washing off his system. He was struggling to move but still was unyielding, because he already fell for someone and doesn't want to go back to being dead while alive. Even the scene where the girl visits him after he goes back to a paralyzed state? Heartbreaking.

This movie left a puzzle in my mind, and I still don't know the answer: if you were in a state of physical/mental pause and suddenly became awake, would you endure it? Would you be able to live with the fact that everybody moved on with their lives and you still have to restart yours?

[wonnirae-reviews]

Miss Misery by Elliot Smith

Fun fact: this was written for the movie Good Will Hunting.

I like to believe that the lyrics resonate with Will’s life and the speaker is actually talking to misery itself. On some of the lines, it could be a person, too. I’m leaning towards both. Seeing Will barely content with his life, throwing it away to fighting, drinking, and having shallow relationships—it’s the main theme of the song. It really is Good Will Hunting in song form. Hearing it during Matt and Robin’s scene is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

[wonnirae-reviews]

Eyes Closed by Ed Sheeran

The first thing I thought after listening to the music and reading the lyrics is that it is a song that should be discussed. Haha. I imagine Ed writing this song for the people he/we lost during the pandemic. Personally, I feel like it’s more than that. More than the people but the sum of it all. The sad moments—the tragic ones, the death. You thought 2020-2022 already ended and it would get better next year, but there you are, in 2023. Grief-stricken, still abiding by stringent protocols.

Yes, it got better, policies progressed, and health got better, but everything that happened is still in your memories. I, for one, still remember that first March, thinking about the last day before the borders closed. There were people I regretted not talking to and things I regretted not doing. The line where it goes, “I pictured this year a little bit different than it did in February,” makes me think of the people I miss and the people I lost. The pandemic really took a lot from the world.

In another lens, the song, in my opinion, also speaks for the situations we thought we overcame, but the universe still has the humor to f*ck you over. You’re still in that zone. You thought. You really thought. You really thought you were past that, but there’s still a big rock lodged in your throat and a bigger one constantly punching your heart, and all you want to know is when will it get better?

[wonnirae-reviews]

23 by Jimmy Eat World

7 minutes, 23 seconds. Key of D major with a freaking dark intro, progressing into an outburst of emotion. I searched for this song mainly because it was used in a novel I love (scene: Rocky performed this song in a Battle of the Bands for Wesley as a vague answer to his feelings).

At first, I associated this with a person, but when I researched about the song, the lyrics and the meaning behind them made me realize that it was very relatable at the time. It was initially directed to the person you think of, but in the end, in the greater scheme of things, it was directed to yourself.

When I listen to it, it kind of gives me a sad sense of hope that yes, you made mistakes, you did stupid shit, but there will be a time that you’ll attain a life without your baggage holding you back. You’re not always a 23-year-old who feels like he has the world on his shoulders. “I won’t always live in my regrets.” Your what-ifs and what-could’ve-beens will slowly fade away because you’ll be happy and content in the future.

The song is very consoling. I play it on repeat when I feel like going off the rails. A Reddit user said that the song was written with the idea that “there will be a time when we’ll lose that endless guilt of not doing everything we can in life.” Accurate or not, I thought that was a beautiful way to explain it.

[wonnirae-reviews]

Good Will Hunting (Gus Van Sant, 1998)

What. A. Tear. Jerker.

It took me years to actually watch this film. I feel like crying everytime I watch a Robin Williams film. He's such a good actor, and it's sad that we can no longer watch his genius ever since he left.

We all wished for a freaking supporter like Ben's character in the film. And not to mention Matt and Robin's scene, "It's not your fault." Fuck the tears, go flow.

Meanwhile, Matt's character is so complex. A genius who didn't want anything to do with it because that's what trauma does to you. The professor had seen him. Really seen him. He stayed with him. Unlike the other professors who only saw him as a tool for glory, this professor understood him. Because what he needs first is someone to relate to him.

And the revelation on the professor's cancer-stricken wife??? His career? The abuse? The movie hit me like a gut punch; I was bawling.

The screenplay was worth the awards, I must say. Rookies Ben Affleck and Matt Damon really did a good job with it. No wonder it's called a classic.

[wonnirae-reviews]

The Adam Project (Shawn Levy, 2022)

This is a rewatch from my RRRHWITHWH (Ryan Reynolds Rabbit Hole When I Still Thought He Was Hilarious).

The Physics was defo 10/10 and it was one of the first things I liked about it. Time travel? Yes, please!

What stood out to me was the ML's relationship with his mom. They both had their husband/dad gone. It was heart-wrenching to see the mother handle grief while taking care of his son; the kid was obviously taking it out on the mom and it evokes guilt to the viewers. We all had that immature moment when we thought it's okay to take it out on our moms when in fact, we are hurting them. The mother-son scenes were like looking into our realities, seeing how the mother felt at that moment. At one point, we had a young Adam Reed moment.

The old Adam Reed was right. When I'm older, I'll be gutted as to what a big bitch I was to my mother.

[wonnirae-reviews]

The Hitman's Bodyguard (Patrick Hughes, 2017)

I went down the Ryan Reynolds rabbit hole back then, when I still thought that he was hilarious. In this movie, the two of the most pottymouthed actors teamed up, I've never heard "fuck" uttered in a movie that many times. Reynold's sarcasm plus the sharp but funny words of Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek's latina temper added so much spice to the film.

Plotwise, I think it's good if you take it as it is. It's a simple plot, really. It was the actors' chemistry and their individual characters that bring out most of the delight.

[wonnirae-reviews]

Mission Impossible: Fallout (Christopher McQuarrie, 2018)

I actually planned to rewatch the whole series but Henry Cavill stopped me (kidding, mostly).

Contrary to the most trending impression that Henry's punch reload (bathroom scene) made this particular movie extra tasteful, I personally don't think so. I believe it was the scene where Ethan (Tom) met his ex-wife again. It was sad to look at the things they needed to give up for the greater good. Maybe, it adds that although Ethan met new girls along the series, there's still a continuity to him and his ex-wife's story. That there's always that one special person he gave up having by his side for the sake of her safety. In a way, it showed Ethan Hunt's most vulnerable side.

Also, the scenes after that, when they realized why they were there at the same time? Ooh, John Lark, I really hate you.

PS: The CIA disguise reveal still did it's thing for me!

[wonnirae-reviews]

Mr. Queen (Yoon Sung-Sik, 2020)

Straight-up, Episode 5. It was so damn funny; every banter was a highlight. I especially like the scenes in the rain, where the queen is dancing, and of course, “No touch!”. The first few episodes were freaking hilarious. (I’m still partial that the Chef caught feelings for the King. Heh!)

The contrast between the funny scenes and the heartbreaking ones was a trip, to be honest. Jo Hyun Ah’s Here I Am really suited the scene where the queen was having flashbacks of meeting the king for the first time. You can feel the queen's excitement back then and the sad realization that everyone around her failed her. Also, it has the same trope where the second ML is always ready to be the bad guy for the FL, like in Scarlet Heart Ryeo. And as a supporter of second leads, I believe in the chemistry between the queen and Byung-in.

[wonnirae-reviews]

John Wick (Chad Stahelski, 2014-2023)

What I love about this series is that it all started when John’s last hope—a dog who looked like my dog—died. No joke, it’s the dog. When you lose people and you hold onto things they left you with, you’ll hold onto them until your nerves die out. So f*ck it all; you’d be unhinged to know that even that has been taken away from you. What’s there to lose? Right? Right.

Another thing that I like is the technicalities of the stunts in the movies. As far as I’ve researched, Keanu practiced, or tried to master, the techniques really well. I also watched a featurette where they showed how they prepared; for his age to learn all those fighting styles and holding of different firearms—that’s admirable. The way he handled the guns was almost on a pro level. He checked the barrels, reloaded just right. Hand placements. Attack. Defense. Even the bone cracks all throughout the fighting scenes fascinated me. It’s like you can feel it. And 95% of the stunts were all him! What can I say? Keanu is man of focus, commitment, and sheer f*cking will

[wonnirae-reviews]

Ever After: A Cinderella Story (Andy Tennant, 1998)

You see, I always fall into the rabbit hole of European history. For some reason, I’m fascinated by their culture—how they dress, how they live—and what better way than to include my favorite renaissance version of Cinderella?

Drew Barrymore and Dougray Scott’s chemistry in this movie is arguably through the roof. Their acting, although quite lacking in their accents, is faithful to 17th-century France. Also, Da Vinci’s connections to the story added an “oomph” factor by the way his painting started the movie.

Why I love this version:

There’s no magic involved! No pumpkin. No mice. Just the circumstances of Danielle de Barbarac as a maid to her stepmother and her stepsisters.

Speaking of stepmothers, it’s Anjelica Houston!

You can never get tired of watching because you will notice new things every time. (For example, me realizing that Utopia was written by Sir Thomas More, who I always see in the documentaries I’ve watched on the said rabbit hole.)

Favorite Scenes:

Danielle pretending to be a courtier to free her father figure from being shipped to the Americas as a slave and quoting Utopia to the prince

Danielle’s late entrance as a sparkly butterfly in the royal family’s masque

Danielle and Henry wearing matching red clothes with their crowns while deciding Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent and Marguerite’s downfall