February Wrap-Up: Han Kang's new book, too many Nordic dramas, The Whale + more

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Hi, welcome to my longest video for the shortest month of the year! Because that makes sense somehow.

I read some fantastic books in February, including a mysterious horror, a hilarious Medieval Icelandic Saga where everyone is called Thor and Han Kang's latest book to be translated, just to name a few.

I watched quite a few movies, and it was a rollercoaster ride of emotions from the heartbreaking The Whale and a devastating Holocaust drama to Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Cédric Klapisch's latest film En Corps (Rise) and Netflix's Troll!

TV shows were pretty much all Nordic dramas because I recently subscribed to Viaplay - so I watched Exit, which is about 4 bankers in Norway who are despicable, Furia a drama about Fascist extremism in Europe, Jordskott a Nordic Noir meets dark Brother's Grimmesque, fairytale and Valkyrien a medical drama with a dark twist.

Essay: Sworn Sisterhood? On the (Near-) Absence of Female Friendship from the Íslendingasǫgur: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/...

Film Review: Darren Aronofsky's The Whale

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The Whale is directed by Darren Aronofsky and stars Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink and Hong Chou. The film follows morbidly obese English Teacher Charlie as he reconnects with his estranged daughter. It is based on the play of the same name written by Samuel D. Hunter, who also wrote the screenplay.

It goes without saying that The Whale is led by a tour de force performance from Brendan Fraser. He inhabits the role of Charlie completely, and through him, we see so much sorrow and tenderness that the film just becomes so emotionally overwhelming. There are scenes nearly impossible to watch, namely the binge eating scenes, which is triggering for anyone who has suffered from not only binge eating but any sort of addiction.

It’s also heartbreaking to watch him interact with his daughter and the defensive cruelty that comes with each interaction and then the deep love his friend and nurse Liz has for him, which is bogged down by shared past trauma and the very one-sided nature of their relationship. These complex performances from Sadie Sink and Hong Chou add a whole other dramatic texture to the film and also add to the agony of Charlie’s spiralling despair.

I need to know that I have done one right thing with my life!

The choice to use a 4:3 ratio powerfully reflects the claustrophobia of the setting and the protagonist's psyche; in essence, Charlie is trapped in his apartment and in his body. Furthermore, the use of such a dark and gloomy colour palette only heightens this oppressive framing to make the film both thematically and visually heavy.

French Cinema: Mon Roi (My King) film review

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Mon Roi directed by Maïwenn, tells the story of Marie-Antoinette “Tony” and her passionate yet tumultuous relationship with Georgio.

Emmanuelle Bercot and Vincent Cassel are brilliant in their roles as Tony and Georgio; Bercot proved this by winning best actress at Cannes for her performance. The raw realism in their elation, passion and despair is extraordinary, and it is the driving force behind what makes this film so compelling. Louis Garrel also delivers a fantastic performance as Tony’s brother, who brings much-needed humour and familial support. But the beauty in this film very much lies in the complexity of the relationship between Tony and Georgio,

I love how Maïwenn uses Tony’s rehabilitation from a skiing injury as a framing device for the film, as it is a time for slowing down and reflection. Naturally, she starts to delve into her past during this downtime. In fact, it’s almost as if the treatment of a physical injury allows her the time to heal the mental one too. The injury Tony has is also very symbolic, which the physiotherapist points out a the beginning of the film. Le genou (knee) is the only joint that can bend backwards.

Thematically there is a lot to unpack in this film. You have the changeability of relationships, discussions of mental health and gender roles. At the beginning of their relationship Tony and Georgio seem perfect for each other; they share a sense of humour and have an electric chemistry, but as time passes, Tony and thus the audience finds Georgio’s behaviour increasingly problematic.

“You leave people for the same reason that attracted you in the first place.”

He abandons his pregnant wife to live alone, spends more time looking after his ex, and parties without consideration for Tony, who has clearly suffered a deterioration in mental health due to postpartum depression and Georgio’s behaviour. Mental Health is also weaved throughout the narrative of the film via the characters of Tony and Georgio’s ex Agnès who attempted to commit suicide upon hearing that Tony was pregnant with Georgio’s baby.

And finally, gender roles are examined through the idea of how men and women and thus mothers and fathers, are supposed to be in the eyes of society. Georgio mentions that as a husband and a father, he is supposed to always be strong and in control. But, he often finds himself taking drugs and sleeping with random women because he falters, and he tries to hide this to protect Tony’s image of him as a model man. Toxic!

December wrap up: Brandon Sanderson, Dragonflight, The Secret History and more

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It's the final wrap-up of the year! I read two rather chunky but great books in December, played too much (or just enough) World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, watched the worst movie of the year and revisited an old favourite TV Show...among other things.