This weekend had a lot of new movies to offer me!
Maddie’s Secret – I’d heard about this movie when I was parusing TIFF’s program last fall, but sadly I couldn’t make it out. It did sound like this strong satire was going to get a release though, so I was willing to wait. The release at my local indie theater did sneak up on me, though! In any case, I was able to squeeze in a screening at the start of the weekend. Maddie, played by versatile comedian, John Early, is an aspiring chef at some content company. Once she finds a little bit of success, the stress causes her to relapse to her past struggles with bulimia. For me, yes, there were silly and funny moments, but I was not prepared for the serious subject matter that was tackled. I think the film did a good job of balancing those genres without truly making fun of it.
The Odyssey – Sigh, another Christopher Nolan epic, this time covering Homer’s literary classic. Having not actually read the work myself, I have no clue how faithful the script is to the original text, but audiences and critics so far seem pleased by the results. King Odysseus has been absent from his thrown for nearly 20 years after heading out to defeat Troy. While he was successful in his quest, the journey home, viewed through a series of flashbacks, is much more troublesome and deadly. Meanwhile, back home his faithful wife has managed to thwart new suitors, but tensions are wearing thin as rumors of threats to their kingdom become more frequent. Her son tries his best to keep things at bay, but the masses threaten to smother them both. The casting is superb, but my hot tip is to bring some ear plugs with you.
Heartstopper Forever – It’s a dirty, dirty shame that Heartstopper couldn’t be granted one more season to finish telling its story, but I suppose I’m at least thankful that Netflix decided to give it a movie to tie things up in the end. All in all, I think Nick and Charlie’s relationship got to have all of its big moments – including a dreaded break-up that was driven more from fear than any actual problems. Of course, I have to remind myself that they are teens dealing with some big problems and not necessarily all of the right tools to help them work through them. I think another season could have been really nice for all of the supporting characters to get the attention their stories deserved, but they at least got a little spotlight and resolution. Just like these characters nervous for the future, I am equal parts sad that this story is done, but at least it was done beautifully.