With more than 2 months of summer holidays, I spent some time watching a couple of films with my family and also by myself. Today, I want to give my personal abstract review of the films I watched this summer!
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Teen comedy/Rom-com)
This is one of those easy-watching films when you just want to feel cosy. It’s about four best girlfriends staying connected whilst they go elsewhere with a pair of jeans that miraculously fit all four of them. When the girls want to feel strong or go somewhere special, they wear the jeans, believing they will bring some kind of magic. As a girl myself, there’s something really comforting about watching films like this, especially when the cast includes the iconic Alexis Bledel from Gilmore Girls and Blake Lively from Gossip Girl. Go watch it with your girlfriends!
Shutter Island (Psychological thriller)
Very different vibes from the previous film. Two US marshals are sent to a mental institution on an island called Shutter Island in order to investigate the disappearance of a patient. I can’t really tell you too much about the details, but you definitely have to watch it till the end!!! The ending was very unexpected, and the storyline caught my attention throughout the whole film. Not only is the story great, but the music in this film is also particularly good. This film will not disappoint you!!
Breathless original title: À bout de souffle (French, crime)
This was recommended to me by my grandparents, who are real film nerds. It is a black-and-white film by the director Godard, who made numerous notable films in the 60s. A car thief and a murderer of a police officer attempt to persuade an American journalist to run away with him to Italy. Unlike Shutter Island, the importance of this film is not solely in how it ends or how the story develops, but personally, I thought it was more about the cinematography, music, and how the characters and the scenery appeared in each scene. It was definitely a good experience for me to explore new kinds of films and pay more attention to how they were shot and what kind of atmosphere they were trying to create.Â
Toy Story 5 (Computer Animation)
This was genuinely the film I was most excited about this summer. Not only because I love Toy Story and have watched all sequels, but also because Taylor Swift was singing the main song in this film! I could probably write a whole article just about the song itself, but I’m just gonna say I loved it. Talking about the film, the topic was so modern-life related, which made it easier for the viewer to engage, but the moral story of this film wasn’t too optimistic or depressing, while keeping it realistic. Also, I think I never laughed this much while watching a film before, the humour is amazing. Toy Story really never disappoints!
Moonlight (Coming of age)
This film was on my watchlist since it won an Oscar for Best Picture in 2016. To me, this felt more like a documentary rather than a film, but I still enjoyed it very much. It is about a young African-American Man discovering his identity and sexuality while experiencing the struggle at home and in school during his childhood and beginning adulthood. The film is divided into three parts, each corresponding to his physical growth. The film doesn’t speak so much for itself, but it definitely captures a lot of the sensitive feelings a child holds and the reality of what it is like to be an “adult”. I also think this film can appear very differently depending on how you perceive it and what kind of perspective you have.Â
These were some of the films I watched this summer! While they are all different genres, I recommend you try watching all kinds of films outside your comfort zone and reflect on how you felt watching them! This also applies to books, art, etc! I hope you all have some time for yourself to interact with art sometimes.