Studio Ghibli always does a phenomenal job with its films and Kiki’s Delivery Service was brilliant. This film follows a thirteen-year-old who leaves her home with her talking cat for witch training. There were many wholesome and tear-jerking moments as Kiki, the protagonist learns about herself and grows as a person. After leaving home, she arrives at a town where starts her own flying delivery service. She struggles to run the business but continues to try her best. However, at one point, she falls into a cycle of self-doubt and insecurities, causing her to lose her magical abilities. Through this experience, Kiki learns that she must know her purpose and why she wants to have her abilities. In a moment of great urgency, Kiki regains her powers to save her friend. She realizes that she never lost her abilities; they were just within her the entire time. This film was so beautiful, as are all Ghibli films. It was really enjoyable and the animation was stunning. It was a bit slow, but I think it’s worth it to watch it. I definitely plan on watching more Ghibli movies.
Author Archives: sno25
Pick of the Litter
The movie, Pick of the Litter was heartwarming and followed a litter of puppies on their journey to train to become guide dogs. I never considered the training it must take to have dogs ready to be guide dogs and this film really opened my eyes. The training is very intensive and can be harsh at times. It was sad to see dogs get cut from the program or be taken from their owners. However, it warms my heart knowing that these dogs are helping people. The film was so adorable, aside from the occasional sad parts, and I learned a lot about the process and how dogs are able to assist blind people. Overall, it was a very nice movie!
The Pruitt-Igoe Myth
The Pruitt-Igoe Myth was a heartbreaking documentary that illustrated the harsh realities of living at Pruitt-Igoe. I learned so much from this film and how structural racism affects so many aspects of life. This documentary showed the perspectives of the residents, as opposed to sticking with the dominant narrative, which blamed the residents or architecture. In reality, racism and the economy played a great role. Housing was often used to segregate neighborhoods and isolate black and poor people. The problem of Pruitt-Igoe lies in structural racism, the declining St. Louis economy, and the lack of funding from the government. It was really sad to see how hopeful residents were only to have all of their hopes crushed as the living conditions slowly started to deteriorate. As the economy declined, there were fewer jobs and the community was greatly impacted. The government denied its responsibilities and did not properly fund the project. Pruitt-Igoe was no longer maintained and conditions grew worse: there was an overflow of garbage, pipes and plumbing were failing, and the building itself was falling apart. It was heartbreaking to see how everything fell apart. It is important to learn about these historical events and understand how they have lasting effects. I highly recommend that people watch this and learn more about Pruitt-Igoe.
The Queen’s Gambit Episode 5
This episode of the Queen’s Gambit focused on Beth reacting to Alma’s death. It was really sad watching her come home to an empty house. She felt so lonely that she invited Beltik, who was very rude and dismissive when they first met, over to her home. She even asked him to stay for a while. Their relationship was really awkward in my opinion. There was no chemistry and I don’t think Beth really liked him. I think she just wanted to fill the emptiness. The relationship fell apart really quickly when Beltik realizes that Beth will always prioritize chess. However, his little speel when they broke up was uncalled for in my opinion. He could have encouraged her to get help, but he basically told her that she was doomed. I did not like Beltik at all; he was always very condescending. The episode got better when Beth is reunited with Benny at a tournament. It was really funny to see Benny challenge Beth to a series of rounds and beat her, making her run out of money. However, ultimately, Beth beats Benny in the championship and becomes the U.S. champion. The episode ends with the two of them talking and Benny noticing how much Beth drinks. I’m glad someone noticed and showed concern. He then offers to then train her for the big tournament and she agrees. I am so excited to see their relationship develop and to see Beth grow as a chess player.
The Queen’s Gambit Episode 4
Episode 4 of the Queen’s Gambit was a rollercoaster of emotions. The episode begins by further highlighting Alma’s shortcomings as a mother. It is definitely important to allow your children to have some freedom and flexibility, but Alma did not set a single boundary and allowed Beth, who is a minor, to party with college students. Not only that, Alma saw how much Beth drank and was still clueless about Beth’s growing addiction to drugs and alcohol. It was really sad to see. Not only that, but when Beth goes to a tournament in New Mexico, Alma spends the entirety of the tournament with her lover. She constantly missed Beth’s competitions and showed very little support. The interesting part of the episode was when Beth competed against the child prodigy. It was also really cool to see Beth finally meet Borgov, who she was afraid of. I expected her to lose, which she did, but I think this loss was important for her in the long run. What made it worse was that after losing, Beth finds Alma dead. This was somewhat expected since Alma drank a lot, but I did not expect it to happen so soon. Although I am very critical of Alma, she did seem to love Beth and Beth loved her. It was so sad to see Beth lose another person. The emotions and sadness she must have felt are inconceivable. Near the end of the episode, I got really angry though because of how indifferent and cruel the father was. He not only abandoned them but didn’t even respect Alma enough to give her a proper burial. And so, Beth who was still very young was forced to take upon so much responsibility. I feel really bad for her and I hope she finds happiness.
The Queen’s Gambit Episode 3
This episode of the Queen’s Gambit was really good, but I felt really bad for Beth. Throughout the episode, Alma is seen signing Beth up for countless tournaments, causing her to skip school. Beth probably believed this was Alma’s way of showing her love and encouraging her passion, but in reality, it showed Alma’s greediness and lack of responsibility. The only reason Alma showed interest in Beth’s passions was because of the profit and she was unable to set boundaries and be a proper mother to Beth. Additionally, Beth’s scene with Townes was incredibly uncomfortable. Beth was still a child and Townes was a college student. The fact that he would put her in such a situation was really gross to me. The best part of the episode was probably meeting Benny. Many of my friends told me that they love his character and I am very excited to see more of him. I will say the ending was very surprising since Beth lost for the first time. But losses are just as important as wins. I wonder how Beth will develop from this.
The Queen’s Gambit Episode 2
This episode of the Queen’s Gambit was really intriguing. It was interesting to see how Beth became accustomed to her new family and new school. It was sad to see her return to using tranquilizers and it really scares me because she’s very young. However, the progression of the tournament Beth entered was really fun to watch. I loved seeing her prove everyone wrong, especially in that final match against Beltik. He made me so angry with how dismissive he was, so I’m glad Beth crushed him. I will say the progression in terms of her family life was completely unexpected. I had initially thought it wouldn’t be the best, but I did not expect the father to abandon the mom and Beth. What was even more surprising was that the father was the one who thought to adopt Beth. The mother was a very interesting character in my opinion. She seemed neglectful and discouraged Beth’s interest in chess until she saw how much money Beth could make. I don’t really like how she showed immediate interest because of profit. I really hope that she doesn’t exploit and take advantage of Beth. Overall, this was a really good episode! I’m excited to see how the show progresses.
The Queen’s Gambit Episode 1
The critically acclaimed and highly popular show, The Queen’s Gambit has been on my to-watch list for a long time. I was very intrigued by everyone’s reviews but was always too busy to watch. I’m really glad I got the chance to watch it! The first episode was really good and reeled me in. The main character, Beth Harmon interested me and I wanted to know more about her character. At first, I was a bit wary because I knew the main focus of the show was chess and I wasn’t really sure how they would incorporate the game without it being boring, but I was pleasantly surprised. The visuals and the way we watched Beth learn and advance in the game were really cool to see. Admittedly, I spent most of the episode really anxious for Beth and her addiction to tranquilizers, so the cliffhanger at the end of the episode makes me want to continue to watch. I’m very excited to learn more about her character and see how the writers use chess to help us do so. Overall, the episode was very entertaining and enjoyable!
The Untold Story of Black New Orleans
The documentary, The Untold Story of Black New Orleans was very intriguing and informative. The rich, black history of America is often sidelined or unlearned by academia. It was very interesting to learn about New Orleans’ black history from the perspective of people who lived and grew up there. The usage of recordings and interviews was really cool and I loved hearing people recount memories and experiences. There were also clips of events, children playing, and aspects of culture in the neighborhoods of New Orleans. It was very beautiful to see. At the same time, it was very sad and disheartening to hear about the struggles of black Americans and the comparisons of how people were ignored by the government pre-Civil Rights Era and even in contemporary times with Hurricane Katrina. Nonetheless, the history and culture of the people of New Orleans persevered. I learned many new things from this documentary and recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about black history!
United Skates
The film United Skates shows the importance of roller rinks in the African American community. The documentary followed various families all across the country as they explained what skating meant to them. Before this movie, I was unaware of the rich, beautiful history behind skating. I learned so much from watching it. For example, I learned that since hip hop and black culture was often pushed away, many artists performed in rinks. A powerful and strong sense of community was cultivated in rinks. It was beautiful to see how much skating meant to people. It was mesmerizing to see everyone move in synch to the rhythms of the music. At the same time, it was heartbreaking to see so many black skaters face discrimination. The documentary showed how rinks would segregate white and black skaters. And even as segregation became outlawed, rinks were subjected to searches and were heavily surveilled. It made me so angry to see that racial injustice is pervasive even in places that are considered safe spaces. Additionally, it was really sad to see how many rinks were closed down to rising rents and other issues. Even with the heartbreaking aspects of the film, the documentary ended on a positive note, showing that no matter the challenges that may appear, skating will be everlasting and passed down for generations because of the unity and love of the community. I loved watching this film. I really hope rinks are able to open again and that people are able to express and enjoy themselves without facing bias and discrimination.