Author Archives: mr879

The Queen’s Gambit: Ep6 & Ep7

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The sixth of episode of The Queen’s Gambit was interesting to say the very least. Beth’s addiction keeps getting worse as the show continues and it looks like she has no intention to get help. I also really dislike Mr. Wheatley. The man adopted her, said she can live in the house, and then wants it back?? The audacity. I think Beth settled the problem nicely, but I wish she could have defended herself better.

 

The seventh episode was spectacular. We get to see a glimpse of Beth’s past and see how her past is feeding her addiction. Beth is able to break free from her demons and quit her addiction. We also see her going back to the orphanage, which is a touching tribute to the beginning of the season. I really liked that Beth was able to reconnect with Jolene. It’s what I wanted to see when Beth got adopted. I hope we get to see more of Jolene and Beth in the future (if Netflix continues the series). In Moscow, she finally defeats Borgov (which is huge for America). However, I really liked how Borgov treated Beth. Both players were orphans who struggled with addiction. When Beth defeated Borgov, he was happy that she was able to be her best and leave all her demons behind. This was a great series, and I highly recommend it to everyone!

The Pruitt-Igoe Myth

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The Pruitt-Igoe Myth dealt with the misconceptions regarding a peculiar, niche incident. The film is about the Pruitt–Igoe public housing complex in St.Louis, Missouri. A once modern building (designed by the architect of the World Trade center0, the building now remains in ruins, waiting to be destroyed. The film dives deep into why it failed when the best of the best were recruited to make this housing complex. The film addresses popular misconceptions like how the moral decline of the tenants led to its demise. Instead, it focused on how societal conventions and restrictions prevented these tenants from living a better life and moving up the social ladder. It’s a great film about poverty and society, and it definitely broadened my perspective and exposure about public housing.

The Queen’s Gambit Ep. 5

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The fifth episode of The Queen’s Gambit is an interesting connection between the past and the contemporary. In the past, Beth was an excellent chess player: she was able to defeat anyone who she played with. Now, Beth is struggling to beat Borgov. The parallel between the past and the contemporary set up a stark contrast, which shows the viewer how much Beth has changed. I felt like this was more of a filler episode: Harry comes back (and they have a brief fling?) and Beth plays a bunch of chess. Definitely not the most interesting episode but still pretty good.

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Kiki’s Delivery Service

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I really enjoyed this film! I thought the character interaction between Kiki and Jiji was super adorable. Though the episode seems childlike, it brings to light many challenges associated with growing up: for example, finding a job, balancing passions and responsibilities, and understanding that things do not always go your way.  The most heartbreaking part was realizing that Kiki could no longer speak with Jiji. Coupled with self-doubt, Kiki had a long journey to face in order to get her powers back. It’s a great story (a little bit cliche), but I would definitely recommend it!

The Queen’s Gambit Ep4

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In this episode, Beth plays a grandmaster in chess. It’s clear that her skills are good, but not grandmaster level good. When her mother doesn’t show, it’s clear that Beth is playing Borgov and not the game. Her irritation with herself and her mother gets the best of her and Borgov wins with a few simple moves. This moment is the starting point of her downward spiral: she starts to become more angry at herself, starts to drink more, and takes more tranquilizers. After her mom’s death, the viewer sees how low she’s actually gotten. One thing I actually notice is that the episode is noticeably more brighter than the previous episodes, which is a great way to show plot progression. This episode felt more like a plot episode than a character development episode, but it was an excellent way to move the plot forward.

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The Queen’s Gambit E3

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The name of this third episode is really interesting. In chess, doubled pawns happen when two pawns occupy the same file. Essentially, these two pawns have a harder time trying to make a smart move because their relative positions to each other pose a severe weakness. Throughout this episode, I was keen to see the development of the relationship between Beth and her mother. As Beth’s career becomes more prolific, Beth and her mom start to live a better life. It’s interesting because they’re both using each other: Beth is using her mom to have a steady home life and her mom is using Beth to make money off her prodigal skills.  It’s clear that the relationship between the two is based on mutual benefits and not based on mutual love for each other. I’m eager to see how this relationship plays out in the future: is it a self-destructive bond or one that deepens over their mutual loneliness?

 

 

Queen’s Gambit pt.2

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I absolutely adored this episode of Queen’s Gambit. At the second episode, the plot starts to pick up with Beth being adopted. I really hated that the writers split up Beth and Jolene because they had such a deep relationship. I hope they keep in contact with each other in the future. The rest of the episode is based on Beth’s focus in a local chess match. This was such a nail-bitting moment because towards the last match you could see how much her competitor was angering her.  I’m so glad that she won the match because it really showed a turning point in her chess career.

Faubourg Treme

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This was one of the most interesting documentaries I have ever seen. To start, the film is about the culture of Treme, which is a city in Louisiana. The documentary starts off with the historic troubles of the city: from the end of the reconstruction era to the modern civil rights movement, the town has gone through a lot of hardship for the African-American community. However, through this hardship, jazz was born. It is so fascinating to see how centuries of pain and hardship was transformed into a method of expression and sanity-keeping. Though the bonds of community are strong, they are still tested. With Hurricane Katrina (and the new pandemic), Treme faces a new obstacle of keeping its roots intact.

The Queen’s Gambit

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I really liked the viewing of the first episode of the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit: the story of an orphaned chess prodigy. Although cliché at times, it is heartwarming to see Beth overcome the obstacles in her path. Though she is quite young, she is able to best many chess players double her age. The way she can find flaws in other people’s chess plays is flawless. She knows what she is doing and she’s confident in her moves, which is a stark contrast to her home life where she is tranquilized. My favorite part of the movie is when she says that she never really won anything before because it reveals how much she understands at such a young age. She lost her parents, her freedom, and her childhood– but at least she’s good at chess. The first episode is beautifully done: the music, the dark filter, the props. I hope the next episodes follow in a similar manner!

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A Surprising Link Between Community and Skating

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A hidden aspect of African-American culture is brought to light by the documentary “United Skates”: a film that spectacles the importance of skating in the Black community in a country where skating rinks are rapidly shutting down. The film’s emphasis is on black owned skating rinks and the effect on the corresponding community. Prior to the film, I was unaware of the link between roller skating and racial discrimination. When members of the African-American community faced discrimination in their cultural endeavors, many turned to skating rinks to follow their pursuits. Notably, hip hop, albeit culturally popularized in the modern music industry, was initially stigmatized and stereotyped. These artists found support and a safe haven in black owned rinks where they were able to hold their performances. The film has emotional parallels between the present and the past and the old and the young. Then the emphasis switches to resilience as a connection between then and now: with a father holding his son and saying to get back up when you fall (on the rink but regardless). Black owned rinks are disappearing all across the nation, and the financial strain is starting to trickle into the current rinks. A brief montage shows all the rinks that have been shut down nationwide. The film ends cautiously optimistic: a cultural stronghold existing but on the whim of extinction.