I Am A Mosaic Of All The People Who Matter To Me; And Sometimes, Especially Of The Ones Who Don't. Or

I am a mosaic of all the people who matter to me; and sometimes, especially of the ones who don't. Or rather, shouldn't.

Past Lives (2023)

Of quiet tragedies developing into devastating losses, which break and build us all...

When reviewing the film a person put forth a critique, talking about how movies are supposed to deal with just one theme. Two at most. Three, if you are really pushing it. This served the basis of their argument regarding the limited magnitude of the whole for them. They thought that in trying to tackle the many strands of a person's identity, the movie lost its opportunity to be something great.

I feel it is this very quality, the film's genuine befuddlement of and the organic attempts to capture the manifold experiences which creates a person and makes them who they are, that resonates with me the most. The way every character is not just an archetype or reduced to being a mechanism for the plot. The people involved are separate entities. They are fully fleshed out, complex humans whose flaws give way to true maturity. Or at the very least, one's trails towards the same.

Every person has to undergo daily roadblocks, triumphs and failures which sculpt not only them but their outlook to the world at large. Such battle leads to facets of formation that construct instinctual responses and deeply entrenched insecurities.

People hold within them multitudes, and no two individuals will look at an experience in the same manner. Or carefully retain similar moments to think on later and feel emotions identical in fashion. Life altering revelations occur every day and it changes who we thought we knew.

And that is why the film is perhaps the most honest reflection of the everyday cataclysms of being. A different Nora, who never left and who didn't aspire to be a better artist, may have been Hae Sung's partner while Arthur never would have stood a chance. However, this is a Nora who does leave, who does have great ambitions, and who does not cry anymore over every little thing because no one cared enough to ask. But Arthur does. And it just makes Nora breaking down in his arms in the end so much more poignant.

Hae Sung may have been a past left behind. And of course she is allowed to be nostalgic about it. Grieve the loose ends and the could-have-beens and if-onlys. But Arthur is still there and trying and Nora can finally be not only the person the world made her into, but also the one she was... before society turned her more malleable yet rigid in the same breath.

Moaning a life which could have been. While living a life that actually is.

I love the poster in this post especially more in light of such a discourse.

Hae Sung is not only a person but a phantom of Nora's past. Of a time she is not sure what to make of anymore. It's gone, yet is also there still. Almost like a piece of her own self she forgot about in the attic, but couldn't let go of entirely.

Maybe it is an incomplete exploration. And maybe, in trying to embody the whole of one human's existence, its fragmentary treatment of themes and lack of closure produced an almost-masterpiece.

Isn't that everyday life though? A work of progress and a work of art. Simultaneously.

Sonder hurts my brain often, but it's also a wonderful thing. And...

I am in awe of this movie and the way it hints at how the many events which turn a person pliable occur almost every second. There are millions and billions of people on our Earth. Many of whom are tackling life-altering decisions right now and are being made into the person we might someday meet.

If you are reading this, then we have at least shared a few decades of In-Yun.

Fate. Providence. Destiny. Kismat.

Or just plain dumb luck.

Whatever it may be... Here's to hoping for more of the same!

This is such an ingenious idea and a great way of re-thinking old favourites and classics!

I am imagining Tangled (2010) in a live-action and holy...

Perhaps this is too niche, but I would adore Emma D'Arcy as Flynn Rider/Eugene. Olivia Cooke would also eat as Rapunzel and leave no crumbs behind, I am sure.

The two have amazing chemistry and I don't think I can ever let go of this now. Just imagine the roguishly handsome D'Arcy doing the smolder on your screen. And I would want Rapunzel to be a red-head in this rendition. Especially with wavy/curly hair. Just to reflect the diversity of colours and textures and perhaps be able to make a throwaway comment about her strands turning into a menace because of the humidity sometimes.

And D'Arcy's Flynn would be all, "It isn't already a menace?"

To which Cooke's Rapunzel could go, "Oh, you have seen nothing yet. I am sure I could sustain an entire eco-system up there if I just let it sit."

Flynn D'Arcy: "Whoa. And you aren't doing that now? How dare you deprive folks of a wonderful home like this? So very selfish."

Rapunzel Cooke: "Hah. Not everyone can be as good as you now, can they?"

Flynn D'Arcy: "Touché."

I want D'Arcy's Eugene to be non-conforming as well. Short haired, dressing up in "men's" clothes and being extremely privy to weapons and how to operate them. A frying pan would be the natural next step.

Kate Winslet will be Gothel. And since the Sun can bless the world with a magic flower, Pascal and Maximus can talk to Rapunzel. And she can understand them. Hence, Pascal will be voiced by Bella Ramsey. And Maximus will carry Peter Dinklage's baritone.

The bar's patrons with speaking roles can be played by Simon Beale, the concert pianist, and Pedro Pascal, the man who wants a love connection. While the ones not saying anything will be cameos from the rest of the cast of House of the Dragon. I really want the mime to be Ewan Mitchell. I don't know why, but something tells me he would be extremely good. Vladimir, the guy collecting ceramic unicorns, has to be Matt Smith. Rhys Efans, the cupid old man in a diaper.

The Stabbington brothers can be the Sprouse twins. Rapunzel's parents, Cate Blanchett and Keanu Reeves.

And you know what, I might just write a fanfic about this now. With the face claims and everything. 'Cause I want it too much and am pretty sure this will never come into being otherwise.

So I had a fascinating conversation with a friend on the train to and from PAX, and I thought it might be interesting to throw the premise of our conversation out there.

So my question to the lovely people of tumblr is:

If there had to be remake of your favourite nostalgic movie, what would be your ideal remake? Who would be your ideal cast, director, etc?

My friend and I ended up coming up with our ideal Labyrinth remake. Details below!

So our vision was a gender swapped version starring Tilda Swinton as Jareth and Timothee Chalamet as Sarah. Let Tilda channel David Bowie and fuck around with gender. Let Timothee be a waifish fantasy nerd who's also into going to the Ren Fair whenever he can.

Obviously there can be exciting new things to be done with the magic and effects, but ultimately there would still be a reliance on practical effects and puppets/muppets like in the original. Let Jim Henson's Creature Shop and Weta work together to create the creatures and effects.

The lines between wanting to support someone and inflicting upon them your own version of a better life is blurring with each passing day. Even those who genuinely want to help fall into the trap of knowing what's best for another. This is for them...

You will make mistakes. You will come off as overbearing and controlling and people may label you abusive. And sometimes, all of what they claim might even be true. However, don't let such instances take away from the heart of your attempts...

You really do want to help.

If they are willing enough to accept it, and you are capable enough to impart it in a healthy fashion for the both of you... Give it a go.

If not though, it's better to take a step back.

Knowing when to stop is as significant as providing people good advice and support.

the tradwife movement is the same as it has always been - back in the kitchen, back to breeding - it just has better branding.

when i was younger, i hated pink. i was not like other girls. this is now something i'm embarrassed of - this was not me being a "girl's girl."

but it was expressing something many of us felt at the time: i literally wasn't what girlhood was supposed to be. this is a hard thing to explain, but you know when you're not performing girlhood correctly. it isn't as easy as "i liked x when girls liked y" - because there were other girls that liked x, too - but i never figured out exactly the correct way to like x, or to be interested in y.

now there is the divine feminine. this is the same rhetoric it has always been: women are biologically driven to like pink and ribbons and submitting to our husbands.

the problem is that the patriarchy found a better PR team. because yes, actually, i want every woman to have the choice to be a homemaker. i also want her taken seriously for her legitimate home-making labor. i want her to be recognized as also having a job, just unpaid. i want men to have this opportunity, too.

but it is no longer "i made this choice and I love it." instead it is a sixteen-paragraph rant about how selfish it is that my generation isn't having kids. instead it's long videos about how if you feed your children processed foods, you're going to kill them. instead it is "this is what womanhood is supposed to be. i feel bad for any other choices you're making."

the shame spiral is just prettier. it is large houses devoid of personality. it is the implication: if you don't have this, you aren't happy. the solid, everlasting assurance: women are actually supposed to be submitting. this is the default. this is the natural state of things. all other attempts inflict suffering.

but you can no longer say i'm not like other girls. you can no longer reject this image completely. you cannot find it revolting, even if you know that the underbelly is toxic and festering. sure, it is the same repackaged patriarchy. but the internet does not have shades of grey. you should support and reward other women! your disgust is actually internalized misogyny. not because you are seeing a vision of yourself the way they're trying to train you to be. not because you feel her ghost pass within an inch of your earlobe. not because your father will eventually ask you - why can't you be like her?

because they figured out how to make it beautiful: women will sell other women on this idea, and we will find the singular loophole in feminism. sure, she's shaming you in most of her videos. sure, she implies that a different life is obscene. but she just wants you to be happy! you'd be happier if you were listening!

and the whole time you're sitting there thinking: i'd actually just be happier if i had that kind of money.

Maybe this is too far-fetched of a notion, but can Emma D'Arcy make an appearance in Heartstopper's season four?

Seeing Jonathan Bailey in the series was amazing and I think I would die if D'Arcy were to stop by as well... Then resurrect just to witness this holy miracle occur.