Category: Movie
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Brothers: Reflections on Family, Trauma, and Redemption
Read more: Brothers: Reflections on Family, Trauma, and RedemptionToday marks my brother’s birthday—a day that reminds me of the unique bond we share, shaped by family complexities and moments of love, resilience, and reconciliation. Five years my senior, my brother was not only a guide but a model I often followed in childhood. Our family faced its share of challenges, particularly due to…
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Dreams in the Snow: A Reflection on Noi the Albino by Dagur Kári
Read more: Dreams in the Snow: A Reflection on Noi the Albino by Dagur KáriI watched Noi the Albino on ARTE, a unique French-German channel known for broadcasting lesser-known films and documentaries. This film, set in Iceland, tells the story of Noi, a 17-year-old teenager living in a small, remote fishing village. Noi’s appearance, marked by alopecia totalis (a complete absence of hair), sets him apart visually, but it’s…
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Uncovering Truth and Responsibility: Reflections on Spotlight and Societal Change
Read more: Uncovering Truth and Responsibility: Reflections on Spotlight and Societal ChangeThe 2015 film Spotlight, directed by Tom McCarthy, chronicles the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” team, the longest-running investigative journalism unit in the U.S., as it exposes a decades-long cover-up of systemic child abuse by priests within the Boston Roman Catholic Archdiocese. I became interested in the movie after watching an interview with actor Mark Ruffalo, who…
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Life, Identity, and Euthanasia in Me Before You
Read more: Life, Identity, and Euthanasia in Me Before YouMe Before You, directed by Thea Sharrock, delves into the transformative relationship between Louisa “Lou” Clark (played by Emilia Clarke) and Will Traynor, a once-successful banker and adventurer who, after a tragic accident, is left as a tetraplegic. Though the film falls into the typical tropes of a romantic drama, it raises relevant issues of…
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“Departures” and Life’s Hidden Lessons: Reflections on Work, Death, and Family
Read more: “Departures” and Life’s Hidden Lessons: Reflections on Work, Death, and FamilyDepartures by Yōjirō Takita, originally titled Okuribito (“one who sends off”), follows a cellist who loses his job and returns to his hometown with his wife. He unexpectedly finds work “assisting departures,” which he assumes is in travel. Instead, he prepares bodies for cremation ceremonies. This thought-provoking film examines themes of prejudice, our relationship with…
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Rediscovering Life’s Purpose: Reflections on Living by Oliver Hermanus
Read more: Rediscovering Life’s Purpose: Reflections on Living by Oliver HermanusIn Living, directed by Oliver Hermanus and adapted from Akira Kurosawa’s Ikiru, Bill Nighy portrays a bureaucrat in a public works office who, upon learning of his terminal illness, confronts the monotony that has defined his life. Once called a “Zombie” by a former colleague—a woman he admires for her lively spirit—he realizes he’s lost…
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The Shining: Alcoholism and Society through the Lens of Horror
Read more: The Shining: Alcoholism and Society through the Lens of HorrorStanley Kubrick’s The Shining, based on Stephen King’s acclaimed novel, has earned its place as one of the most iconic horror films of all time. The story follows the Torrance family—Jack, a writer played by Jack Nicholson, his wife Wendy, and their son Danny—who take on the role of winter caretakers for an isolated hotel.…
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Embracing Change and Time: Lessons from Groundhog Day
Read more: Embracing Change and Time: Lessons from Groundhog DayGroundhog Day is a film from my childhood that has always stood out to me. The story follows a self-centered weatherman, played by Bill Murray, who is sent to a small town to cover the annual Groundhog Day event. What he doesn’t expect is to become trapped in an infinite time loop, reliving the same…
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Awakenings: A Reflection on Consciousness and Society
Read more: Awakenings: A Reflection on Consciousness and SocietyAwakenings, directed by Penny Marshall and based on a true story, centers around a doctor who, as one of many researchers, struggles with social interactions and prefers the solitude of his laboratory. He takes a position at a psychiatric hospital where he encounters catatonic patients—individuals who have been unresponsive for years. The doctor begins experimenting…
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The Power of Awareness: Reflections on It’s a Wonderful Life by Frank Capra
Read more: The Power of Awareness: Reflections on It’s a Wonderful Life by Frank CapraFrank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life is often compared to A Christmas Carol, as both stories focus on personal transformation and the discovery of life’s true meaning. The film’s protagonist, George Bailey, faces a series of external challenges that push him into a state of despair. Gradually, he starts blaming others for his misfortunes, which…