AUGUST WATCH PARTY - Lee (2023), Kill Bill Volume 2 (2004), The Giver (2014)
"War correspondent Lee Miller travels to the front lines of World War II to embark on a mission to uncover the hidden truths of the Third Reich. But in the wake of betrayal, a reckoning will come over the truths of her own past."
- IMDB
There are so many movies out there covering WWII but I really enjoyed this one. We see the war through the perspective of a war photographer - bless them, that's a crazy job. I always love watching biopics that encourage me to do further research. Lee literally posed for a picture in Hitler's bathtub during the final days of the war. Bad👏ass👏 This was also a movie that made me deep dive the efforts it took to spread word about the Holocaust. The concept and imagery was truly disturbing and was considered unbelievable or too disgusting to share. But there were a dozen people, just like Lee Miller, that fought for that truth to reach everyone. The truth had to be known. All those Jews were taken away and never to be seen again. Nobody knew where they went.... then they did.
Just as a Kate Winslet bonus - I also watched the Reader. Another WWII movie that prompted me to research the fact that Nazis are STILL being investigated to this day. I think the last convicted Nazi was on trial in 2022. The last several or so Nazis never received jail time either because they were super young then or are just super old now. But still... That's crazy.
My Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆
"The Bride continues her quest of vengeance against her former boss and lover Bill, the reclusive bouncer Budd, and the treacherous, one-eyed Elle."
- IMDB
Sooooooo I admittedly watched volumes 1 and 2 a few months apart..... probably was a mistake. Why did I do this? Like who exactly was Bill again & what was his relationship with Uma Thurman. I know Uma killed a lot of people spectacularly out of vengeance for what happened at the chapel and I remember the big plot twist in the end was that her daughter was alive. But..... I don’t remember any of Bill's plot at all. Was he even in it?
I love the switches to black and white. In the modern day full of color, black and white has become such a nuanced style thing. Like the absence of color is a coloring choice that always has a purpose to the theme or the story. That is surely the case here as well.
That intense burial scene was very triggering to my claustrophobia and asphyxiophobia. I remember how Uma just seemed so unstoppable in the first film and she’s just taking a bunch of L’s in part II.
The training sessions made me realize that while the fights are epic...... they’re also a bit ridiculous lmao, but I suppose that’s the fun of the Kill Bill films. They’re supposed to be ridiculous. And also, at the end of all that.... she snatched that bitch’s eye. Like that was dope. Fr fr.
When she finally got to Bill and found him at his home with their daughter, they reunited and i was like "bro this bout to become a custody battle" like an actual battle. Lmao.
While volume 1 was an epic revenge story, volume 2 was an emotional character story about Uma Thurman. She did, in the end, kill👏Bill👏 and she rode off into the sunset with their daughter. It seemed like a happy ending, but that’s even uncertain if you remember Uma made that one girl an orphan. Uma gave her permission to seek revenge when she’s old enough, because even Uma knows revenge is a nasty infinite circle. But for now, Uma found peace.
This is why the Last of Us Part II irked me so much. I understand the toxic cycle of vengeance. But Uma got her revenge and had a happy ever after even with the possible comeuppance in the distant future. She still gets to raise her daughter. Sweeney Todd – his revenge came at a high cost and then he died, but he till got the judge in a very satisfying way. These are my favorite revenge stories. The ones that teach you the horrible cost of seeking revenge but at least gives you the satisfying revenge. If Ellie and/or Abby were dead at the end of the game, I might’ve like it more.
Tangent aside - I did enjoy Kill Bill, but in terms of Tarantino films, Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Basterds, and Once Upon a Time In Hollywood were more of my cup of tea. However, I’m excited to watch all of Tarantino's films and to have future marathons of his filmography - Kill Bill included.
My Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
"In a seemingly perfect community without war, pain, suffering, differences, or choices, a young boy is chosen to learn from an elderly man, the true pain and pleasure of the real world."
- IMDB
The Giver depicts a dystopia that seems like a utopia - economic stability, no concept of race or socioeconomic hierarchy, advanced technology, total peace. But there's no individuality. Strict rules condemning originality or the disorder that you may be call fun. No arts. No form of self expression. It's uniform. Everyone is the same. The use of color is just so reminiscent of Pleasantville. Citizens started seeing color as their minds began to open up to true human emotions & ideas. In The Giver, daily injections remove emotions from people, disconnecting them from what makes them human. Jonas is exposed to all of the life his community is deprived of.
If these sort of dystopian utopia stories are your thing, I think the Giver is solid. Lots of great topics & philosophy with a great cast.
My Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆