Take these posts as my foot prints.
I just finished Shonda Rhimes’ “Pitch & Write Stories for Film and TV” course on MasterClass. It’s very beginner-friendly, like most courses on the platform. Actually you don’t even have to be a writer to follow along; it offers a great peek into the story-breaking process and gives you a taste of the writer’s room experience if you’re interested.
Continue reading “My Experience of Shonda Rhimes Course on MasterClass”
Every project has its own time, and the journey of our beloved Adrian Monk and his creator, Andy Breckman, exemplifies this truth once again. Since the conclusion of the “Monk” TV series after 125 episodes in 2009, Breckman has harbored a dream of bringing the character to the big screen. Over the years, he developed various storylines, pitched them, and even penned two different scripts, but none of them seemed to materialize. That is, until the pandemic struck. Sometimes, out of adversity, opportunity arises.
Continue reading “Mr. Monk’s Last Case”
So, you might be wondering what Dominik Moll’s movie “The Night of the 12th” (La Nuit du 12) has to do with the British true crime series “The Long Shadow.” Let me break it down. Despite their apparent differences, both narratives, adapted from non-fiction books, shed light on a disturbing reality: the bias and prejudice faced by women who are perceived as having multiple partners. It’s almost as if these women are deemed deserving of their fate. Despite being set in Europe roughly half a century apart, the misogyny remains eerily consistent. It’s like that old saying, “There is nothing new on the Western front.”
Continue reading “The Long Shadow”
Once again, here we are in the realm of those wonderfully eccentric Argentinian filmmakers: Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat. They’ve captivated me before with their dark humor and expert characterizations in TV shows like “El Encargado” (The Boss) and “Nada” (Nothing). I simply fell in love with their work then, and now, after delving into their 2016 film, “El Cuidadano Ilustre” (The Distinguished Citizen), I’m happy to report that my admiration for them remains steadfast, if not grown stronger.
In “The Distinguished Citizen,” we’re taken on a journey following a Nobel Prize-winning Argentinian author returning to his small hometown after 40 years. As the sophisticated and enigmatic writer inevitably clashes with the narrow-minded locals, we’re given the opportunity to reflect on themes such as identity, origins, art, and fame. Ultimately, the film reinforces the age-old adage that “no one can be a prophet in their own land.”
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Sometimes, I happen to like the production story of a film more than the film itself, and that was the case with “The Great Escaper,” released in 2023. The film portrays an 89-year-old Second World War veteran’s escape from a care home in the UK to attend the 70th-anniversary commemorations of D-Day in France. Co-produced by the United Kingdom, France, and Sweden, the movie is directed by Oliver Parker and written by William Ivory. It drew inspiration from the real-life incident of Second World War Veteran Bernard Jordan, whose escapade from his East Sussex care home made headlines in 2014.
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What if an idealistic high school teacher’s recommendation of a film to her students resulted in a complaint to the school management? And what happens if that seemingly trivial incident gets out of control and turns into a witch hunt? Hungarian director Katalin Moldavai explores these questions in her feature debut, “Without Air,” offering timely messages about freedom of expression amidst themes of political oppression, cultural conservatism, and the erosion of the education system.
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I hadn’t planned on celebrating Martin Scorsese’s acceptance of the Honorary Golden Bear from the Berlin International Film Festival by watching his 1982 movie, The King of Comedy, but it was leaving MUBI soon, so here we are. 😊 In a way, it seemed fitting because the film holds a special place in Scorsese’s career. Despite being the opening film at the Cannes Film Festival in 1983, it was largely overlooked at the box office, earning the unfortunate title of “flop of the year” from Entertainment Tonight. It serves as a reminder that honorary awards aren’t solely reserved for those who experience constant success, but rather for those who endure the ups and downs and persist in their craft. It’s a badge of resilience more than anything else.
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I’ve been eagerly anticipating this one for some time, and now it’s finally streaming on BluTV. By sheer chance, I happened to watch it on one of the coldest nights here, which perhaps helped me immerse myself into this deeply atmospheric, dark fairy tale.
Continue reading “Snow and the Bear”
Do you ever wonder about meeting the right person at the wrong time? Or do you think that if they were truly the right ones, timing wouldn’t really matter, and you would find a way to be together no matter what? Do you think most of our connections with people happen by chance? And could that feeling of familiarity when our eyes meet really mean we know them from our past lives, just like it’s believed in Buddhism? Should we just feel lucky that our paths crossed in this life time with someone special, even if it’s just once? The 2023 movie “Past Lives” explores these questions in an elegant, tender, and yet powerful way.
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This film was quite the ride, I must say. While the more contemplative side of me understood the filmmaker’s choice to leave the ending open, the police procedural junkie inside was practically screaming, “Just give me the damn killer! You can’t leave me hanging like that,” when the credits rolled. 😊
Continue reading “The Night of the 12th”
A Screenwriter’s Journey 