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TV Reviews

Bad-Ass Women Hunt Each Other Down in “Killing Eve”- and I’m Obsessed

I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t have high expectations for ‘Killing Eve’ when I lazily clicked into it on Hulu one night after entering the “show hole” yet again when I finished a different television series. There was just so much hype surrounding it and I don’t usually indulge in shows that EVERYONE likes, because shows like ‘The Bachelor’ and ‘Big Bang Theory’ are among the most popular on television and well… you know… they’re not the most quality programs you could be wasting your time on. So forgive me for being a little skeptical of a show I’ve heard nothing but good things about. All of this to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it, even if I’m not one to enjoy “espionage” or action shows- there was so much about this show that broke it out of the norm that it kept me watching (I finished the 10- episode first season in about three days).

jodie comer sandra oh killing eve assassin action espionage tv show
Jodie Comer’s assassin character Villanelle gleefully demands dinner from Sandra Oh’s Eve, knife in hand.

The first thing I could go on and on about is the fact that the main cast of the show is almost entirely women. Just let that sink in. In a society where most forms of media are about men, this in and of itself was a reason the show intrigued me in the first place. And the show wasn’t in-your-face about it, and didn’t try too hard to make it a statement. The characters were just women, and that was that. No fanfare required, even if they were powerful, intelligent badasses that deserve the attention.

My boyfriend Jaden, who I easily convinced to join me in watching the show (he enjoys a good cat and mouse storyline) had a similar opinion.

” I’m not one who usually cares about the demographic breakdown of characters in media, and often find myself rolling my eyes at the so-often shoehorned female characters in action movies, but ‘Killing Eve’ actually does it right. This show does a great job of not being in your face about the fact that strong women make up most of the main cast, and actually treats them as regular characters in a thriller, only mentioning their sex when it would realistically be necessary,” he said.

Eve, played by a magnificent Sandra Oh, and Villanelle, an equally magnificent Jodie Comer, have such a great dynamic, that I was never bored with the plotline. Villanelle is a ruthless, psychopathic assassin obsessed with Eve, and Eve is a British intelligence officer equally obsessed with Villanelle, a relationship that culminates in an entirely surprising, yet strangely satisfying interaction in the season finale- one that leaves me eagerly awaiting the next installment.

killing eve jodie comer sandra oh queer representation tv show review
The show weaves an interesting and complicated dynamic between Eve, an intelligence officer and Villanelle, a psychopathic assassin with a penchant for curly-haired women.

A few other points that make the show so damn irresistible are that many of the characters are queer (Villanelle is openly bisexual), something we don’t see a lot of, and the action sequences are actually realistic (wait so there aren’t chase scenes where people easily scale buildings and blow up cars by merely shooting at them? Is it even an action show??).

“… the action is never over the top or unrealistic. The attention to realism in the action, as well as the development of the main characters, gives me hope for the future of female actors portraying more traditionally masculine roles,” Jaden remarked on the action in the show.

jodie comer villanelle killing eve suit fashion style tv show review
Villanelle in a sharp suit, one of my favorite looks she wore during the season.

And the fashion, you guys. Villanelle is such a flamboyant dresser, and I enjoyed all of the looks she created. I could write an entire article about the outfits in this show and how they communicate the emotional state of the characters at the time, or even just a reflection on how good the wardrobe in this show really was, but this is something that has already been written about at length (like in this article, and this one). But the scene where she wears the oversized, bright pink Molly Goddard dress is definitely iconic and is going into my ever-growing pool of potential Halloween costume ideas.

Needless to say, I am highly anticipating the next season, and can’t wait to see where Eve and Villanelle’s life and death game of cat and mouse will take them next. In Jaden’s words:

” At the end of the day, ‘Killing Eve’ is an excellent show, and anyone with an affinity for spy/assassin thrillers with characters that are actually down to Earth and fun to watch should check it out. I’m eagerly awaiting season two.”

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Movie Reviews

Walking the Line with “Bad Times at the El Royal”

“Bad Times at the El Royale” is a newly-released mystery thriller written and directed by Drew Goddard (who also wrote and directed “Cabin in the Woods,” and wrote the screenplay for “The Martian”). This noir-esque film takes place in the late 1960s at a peculiar and once-bustling hotel, called the El Royale, that is affixed directly on the California-Nevada border. We are introduced immediately to the five protagonists of the film: a priest, a vacuum salesman, a singer, a bellboy (who is simultaneously the head of hospitality, the bartender, and every other job in the hotel), and a young angry woman. After their introduction the story unfolds in a classic “several strangers meet at a mysterious place and their stories slowly intertwine” kind of tale, which some may find trope-y, but I personally almost always find charming.

Perhaps the most interesting part of “Bad Times…” is the way that it transforms every single character. We are introduced to five not-so-interesting people at the beginning, and as the true nature of the El Royale is revealed, so too are the true natures of our main characters until we are left with five completely different people (with the addition of a couple more, but I’m going to avoid spoilers in this review) by the end. Everyone’s backstory is fleshed out just enough so that you think you have a good idea as to what type of people they are, save the singer, which leads me to my first gripe about this film: the singers’ story is criminally underdeveloped, and her evolution as a whole throughout the film is lackluster.

bad times at the el royal neo noir film movie
In the beginning, we meet a singer, a priest and a southern vacuum salesman who are all vying for a room at the El Royal.

The theme of the entire film is that of “choosing a side” in the moral landscape. Everyone in the film deals with challenges that push them to one side or the other, with a few landing right in the middle. I urge anyone planning to see this movie to watch for “choose a side or walk the line between good and evil” symbolism that the film is laden with. Even the hotel, evenly split by a literal state border, represents this theme well, just watch how every character interacts with this line drawn on the ground, and you will have an entirely new appreciation for the attention to detail that Goddard has. The way this theme is expressed, to me, is the best thing about this film. Even one character’s means of selecting a song at a jukebox hint at this theme. Goddard’s subtle hints at this throughout are nothing short of genius, and he has created a universe that truly has no mercy on those who choose “good” or “evil” too early on. The viewers’ perception of every character shifts wildly throughout this movie, and it really feeds into the air of mystery surrounding everything.

Overall, “Bad Times at the El Royale” is a fun film that really makes you care about five strangers meeting in a dusty desert hotel, and blows you away with how easily it can manipulate your perception of said strangers. My only complaint, as I’ve previously stated, is the underdevelopment of one of the protagonists. Aside from this, I would recommend this film to anyone who loves a good mystery/thriller/noir/sorryidontknowwhatgenrethisfilmreallyisandneitherwillyou. My numerical rating for the film, as well as my reasoning is provided below.

dakota johnson bad times at the el toyal emily shotgun movie film neo noir thriller
Dakota Johnson’s character faces some tough times at the seedy El Royal motel.

Setting: 10/10

The setting portrays the theme of the film excellently. And who doesn’t love a good noir set in the dusty 1960/70s American West?

Plot: 8/10

The plot is simple, but not really the point of the movie. It’s more like five plots that become one, and it’s really well done.

Characters: 8/10

Two points for every character, save one singer, who is unfortunately not very well developed.

Theme: 10/10

Read my second-to-last paragraph. The theme is great, one that is very difficult to execute properly, and Goddard nailed it.

Ending: 9/10

I won’t go into detail here to avoid spoilers, but I almost cried when we had to say goodbye to the character I was initially least interested in, so it’s got that going for it.

Soundtrack: 10/10

From the singer’s performances to the music played from the jukebox, the songs really immerse the viewer in the setting, and work perfectly within the film.

Overall: 9/10

Great acting supports some very well-written characters in an intriguing story in Goddard’s newest film. Excellent film, go see it and support original screenplays. Hollywood desperately needs them.

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The Gut-Wrenching & Emotional Journey of Love and Fame in “A Star Is Born”

I was an “A Star Is Born” virgin, meaning I had never seen any of the previous three versions of the film that have been circulating through our culture since the 1930s. While this means I got to experience the film with fresh perspective, it also means I was entirely unprepared for the emotional warfare that this movie thrusts you right into the middle of. It was fantastic. It was ugly. It was incredible. It was despicable. And the music was pretty good, too. This is a review of the Bradly Cooper-directed “A Star Is Born.”

If you live under a rock, and have no idea what this movie is about, it is essentially the story of how a famous musician, whose career is on the outs, meets and falls in love with a nobody that was gifted vocal cords from the gods. He takes her on tour and her talent gets her noticed, launching her into a music career of her own. As she gains popularity, his continues to wane and he spirals into destructive habits, putting a lot of strain on their budding relationship. Now that you know what it’s all about, let me tell you what I think.

lady gaga as ally in a star is born 2018
Lady Gaga lends her incredible musical talent to the film, contributing to a dynamite soundtrack.

To start off this review, let me give you all a little context for my opinions. I am a HUGE Lady Gaga fan- and that’s an understatement. I recently dropped $330 on a ticket to see her at her upcoming residency in Las Vegas, and that doesn’t even include the cost of travel and living accommodations. So, in short, I was really excited to see this movie, if not to see Lady Gaga star in a major motion picture, then to at least hear her sing. I was impressed on both fronts.

Without spoiling any of the details of the plot, here is my brief review:

Wow! I was honestly blown away by how effective the storytelling was. Going into it, I thought it was going to be a super cliche storyline, one we’ve all seen before. Famous guy meets not famous girl, pulls him into his famous lifestyle and it turns out fame isn’t as great as everyone thinks and the couple ends up going their separate ways after drinking a lot and doing a lot of drugs. THAT IS NOT THIS STORY. I know I’m late to the party for this, so many of you probably already know how it goes, but I thought the story went somewhere totally unexpected. I honestly couldn’t stop thinking about it for the rest of the day, which I think is one of the true marks of a compelling story.

To speak on the acting: I was pleasantly surprised by Gaga. I know she can sing, and her soaring vocals were a pleasure to listen to, but I wasn’t sure how good she would be, despite the fact that she previously won a Golden Globe for her performance in American Horror Story. That being said, her acting paled in comparison to Bradley Cooper’s excellent performance, and there were a few scenes where I thought her performance lacked authenticity. Bradley Cooper was incredible. If he didn’t look like Bradley Cooper, I wouldn’t have even known it was him. His voice and mannerisms were completely transformed, which was refreshing, because I feel like he is often cast in similar roles. He also directed this film, which is a true testament to his passion and talent because it was a tumultuous journey that made an emotional impact. I really cared about Ally and Jackson, so much that they almost felt real.

bradley cooper as jackson maine in a star is born 2018
The moment Jackson meets (and falls for) the movie’s ingenue, Ally, as she sings “La Vie En Rose” at a drag bar.

To get into the nitty gritty (which means if you haven’t seen the movie- STOP READING NOW!), there are a few details of the story that I particularly appreciated that I feel differentiated this movie from a lot of others with similar storylines:

  1. Jackson Maine is an alcoholic. This often means there will be some kind of abuse or emotional neglect on his part, but that never happens in this film. Both of them continue to love each other through the depths of his illness, which is both heartwarming and unexpected.

  2. Ally still loves Jackson through it all. The main crux of this story is that while Ally continues to accumulate more fame and recognition, Jackson’s life falls apart. His drug problems get out of control and he becomes a washed-up nobody in a matter of months (or it seems that way- time progression in this film wasn’t too clear). Yet, despite the fact that Jackson makes a complete fool of Ally while she accepts her Grammy award, he was always her priority. She was even willing to cancel her tour to stay home and help him recover. 

  3. Fame isn’t glamorized. The story is told from a perspective that stays very close to the main characters, so we never really see how much fame and recognition Ally or Jackson really have, save for a few fan interactions with Jackson at the start of the film. This makes it so that we can continue to see the main characters in the same light, despite the fact that their fame fluctuates wildly throughout the plot. I even came away with the impression that Ally probably would have been happier if she had never been discovered, as her rise to fame and relationship with Jackson brought her a lot of strife and emotional pain.

  4. Ally’s story mirrors Gaga’s own rise to fame. When we meet Ally, she works as a waitress and performs at bars in her free time. Gaga began her career playing shows in bars all over New York City. We also see Ally abandon her more soulful, meaningful singing and songwriting for a career as a pop star with backup dancers and songs that talk about how good someone’s ass looks in their jeans. A producer even recommends that she bleach her hair for a more distinctive look. These are all things Gaga, too, had to do to begin her successful musical career, and now that she’s made it big, she can actually create the kind of art that she wants (hello Joanne). 

Overall, I LOVED this movie because of how unique and emotional the story was, how authentic the characters were, and how much passion everyone had for the project. You could really tell that Gaga and Bradley Cooper put so much love and energy into the film, which definitely translates on screen, and I think it deserves all of the praise that it’s getting. If you haven’t already seen this version of “A Star Is Born,” I would highly recommend it. The music alone makes it all worth it. 

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