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RayZ

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From Spotlight to Symbol: The Burden of the Halo

The 2025 Oscar nominations have just been announced. Expectedly, “Emilia Perez” led with 13 nominations, including Best Leading Actress for Karla Sofia Gascon and Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldana. When I first saw this French-made Mexico-set dark musical with two big Hollywood stars, my impression was that Zoe Saldana was the lead. Imagine my shock when I found her in the supporting category for the Golden Globes and other awards. It took me a minute to realize that Karla Sofia Gascon was

Ishika Banerjee: Very cool article! The Squid Game one is so aggravating sometimes because I think it’s really cool of South Korea to even attempt to portray a trans character, especially given their political climate. People were mad that the trans character wasn’t played by an actual trans person, and I just want to tell them: go find a real trans person in Korea who wouldn’t have their entire career ruined for playing this role. They did the best they could, and I’m so glad they did.

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From Spotlight to Symbol: The Burden of the Halo

The Mystery of the “3 Body Problem” Home Reception

It is hard to assess the complexity of a sci-fi world. One way to help is by making it accessible. But for those already inside, the efforts could seem humiliating, especially when it involves cross-cultural interactions. When “The Three-Body Problem” was first published early this century, it gained a cult following, but not big enough for its author to ponder the commercial value of this property. As a result, he sold the movie/television rights for a fixed, paltry sum. When Netflix launched t

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The Mystery of the “3 Body Problem” Home Reception

When the Oscar Looks Both Inward and Outward

The 96th Academy Awards will be known for different things by different people. For me, its importance lies in its return to the traditional positioning that balances art and money. Unlike the kudos doled out by prestigious film festivals, the Oscars come from peers, now at a staggering 10,000-person size. As such, it represents something that a dozen discerning jurors cannot possibly amass – a consensus or even a trend. For one, an Oscar sticker can noticeably move the box office upward and let

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When the Oscar Looks Both Inward and Outward

Flirting, Frowning and Film

Movies, especially influential ones, often serve to normalize behaviors. When outliers are presented in context and without a rush of judgement, people are made aware of things that would make them think twice. That is also representation, which applies not just to race, but to all things human. I tend to get on the alert whenever I see a woman portrayed as a villain on the big screen - especially when it’s not one of those dominatrices who wear their badness on the sleeve. You may not call Grac

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Feminism Mellows to Full Flavors: A Retrospective of Some 2023 Movies

The year-end top-ten lists for movies are trickling out. And “Barbie” is not on any one of them. At least, not on the dozen lists that have come into my view. In a way, it is understandable. “Barbie” is a toy promotional gimmick turned into a blockbuster. It does not contain sufficient amounts of artsy elements to warrant a “Best of” label, that is, other than “best-selling”. However, it takes some guts to recognize that the year’s highest-grossing movie, at US$1.44 billion worldwide, could also

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Feminism Mellows to Full Flavors: A Retrospective of Some 2023 Movies

Joaquin Phoenix: A Psyche Prober and Instinctual Agent of Inner Torments

Joaquin Phoenix is somewhat of an outlier in the constellation of Hollywood movie stars. To use a better-sounding phrase, Joaquin Phoenix is in a league of his own. He won an Oscar for his leading role in Joker, in a genre that does not usually garner Oscar attention. It’s funny that three of the four Academy Awards nominations bestowed on him so far – Gladiator (2000), Walk the Line (2005), The Master (2012) and Joker (2019) - are in commercially successful movies, which is unusual to say the l

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Joaquin Phoenix: A Psyche Prober and Instinctual Agent of Inner Torments

What Disney Means to Me, or People Like Me

Hollywood loves a rags-to-riches story. Little do we know – they may not be fully aware of it either – that their biggest success fits into this conventional narrative mold. The Walt Disney Company, which was founded on October 16, 1923 and is now celebrating its centenarian glory, was for a long time an underdog in the business. A cute one maybe, but never a juggernaut and a media conglomerate that would go on to rank number 53 on the 2022 Fortune 500 US companies by revenue. You may find it ha

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What Disney Means to Me, or People Like Me

Totem: A Mexican girl facing impending tragedy but buoyed by family love

If I’m not mistaken, the word “family”, or “la familia” in Spanish, never appears in Lila Aviles’ “Totem”. Yet, it is a heart-warming and heart-breaking probe into this most basic of human societal units. Sure, the title is a big hint. I don’t know about other languages, but in China, where the Mexican movie was shown at both international film festivals in Beijing and Shanghai and won the Best Director Award at the former, it suggests an ancient object or representation for clan gathering or wo

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Totem: A Mexican girl facing impending tragedy but buoyed by family love

If You Cannot Find Anything to Love About ‘Barbie’

As a film critic, I’m ready to share my take on any film, with anyone. It’s a great way to make friends from all over the world. But I hesitate when people ask me about ‘Barbie’, the new Mattel-produced, Warner Bros-distributed film that’s being released in many countries. The reason: it could be so polarizing. What’s more complicated: it may not go neatly along the gender line. I’ve seen many men embracing this movie, and I’ve also witnessed a few women denouncing it as another attempt to pigeo

Amel Hurtado: single analysis.

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If You Cannot Find Anything to Love About ‘Barbie’

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About me

Freelance

Graduated from UC Berkeley, now a bilingual writer, cultural critic, and film critic with 20 published works. Passionate about film, theater, and travel!

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RayZ

From Spotlight to Symbol: The Burden of the Halo

Farewell My Concubine

Oscars2025

Conclave

EmiliaPérez

RayZ

The Mystery of the “3 Body Problem” Home Reception

Les Misérables

Historical film

Sci-fi

Drama

RayZ

When the Oscar Looks Both Inward and Outward

Barbie

Western

Documentary

Drama

RayZ

Flirting, Frowning and Film

May December

Drama

Metoo

Awards Season 2024

RayZ

Feminism Mellows to Full Flavors: A Retrospective of Some 2023 Movies

Barbie

Romance

Classical

Western

RayZ

Joaquin Phoenix: A Psyche Prober and Instinctual Agent of Inner Torments

Walk the Line

Others

Drama

Action

RayZ

What Disney Means to Me, or People Like Me

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Disney

Romance

Adventure

RayZ

Totem: A Mexican girl facing impending tragedy but buoyed by family love

Totem

Family

Drama

71st San Sebastian International Film Festival

RayZ

If You Cannot Find Anything to Love About ‘Barbie’

Barbie

Comedy

Feminism

patriarchy