Teen Spirit (2018)

I decided to do something a little different for today so unfortunately for those of you out there that enjoy it, there will be no Sunday At The Classics this week. Every where you look on Television, there is a singing reality show on almost all the channels from The Voice to American Idol to even niche competitions from Country to rock and rap opes too over the years. The film I chose for today kind of explores this subject matter in 2018's Teen Spirit which was written and directed by Max Minghella (The Social Network). The film stars Elle Fanning (The Neon Demon) as Violet, a shy girl from a small town who dreams of escaping the town by becoming a singer. With the help of an unorthodox mentor (Zlatko Buric) she will enter a singing competition that tests all of your skills as a performer in this new age spin on the old Cinderella story. The film also stars Agnieszka Grochowska (Child 44) as Marla, Archie Madekwe (Midsommar) as Luke, Millie Brady (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) as Anastasia, Vivian Oparah (I May Destroy You) as Kelli, Ria Zmitrowicz (On The Edge) as Hayley, Olive Gray (Home From Home) as Lisa, Rebecca Hall (Professor Marston & The Wonder Women) as Jules, and Daisy Lowe (Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie) as Teen Spirit Host.

I thought the film had a lot of potential to take the story in so many places, but you have to give Max Minghella a lot of credit for at least trying because he was a true auteur where he wrote and directed the film. That means if anything goes wrong with the film then you are full on the person to blame for all of the films failures. There were a lot of subplots in this film that were thrown in and some were just never full explored which was a shame because it would have made the film a little bit better. I definitely thought the film was very well shot and I loved the overall glossy look of it, but going into this I thought it was going to be a different film. I definitely wanted to see more of a grittier or maybe grimier side of the entertainment business and I thought they could have explored more of that angle then just a straight on singing competition combined with teenage stupidity and teen angst. I think that would have taken the film over the top, but maybe next time. I liked the combo of Fanning and Buric because it sort of made them the odd couple where you have this guy who was a famous composer in his time coaching a girl to be a pop singer. That scenario definitely made the film a little bit interesting and I say these things, but I want you to know that I did enjoy it. Would I watch the film again? To be perfectly honest, I probably would not venture into this again because it's a one and done in my opinion. That is why I am going to give the film an B- for a final grade.

Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017)

Back in 2017, Wonder Woman was not only the first female led superhero film in the world, but she was also the film that changed the game for the DCEU forever as it saved the comic book company from obscurity. The question going in today is have you ever wondered the true origins of Wonder Woman as in who created her and why did they create her? All of those questions are answered in 2017's Professor Marston & The Wonder Women which was written and directed by Angela Robinson (Herbie Fully Loaded). The film stars Luke Evans (Beauty & The Beast) as William Moulton Marston, a psychology professor for Harvard, who along with his wife Elizabeth Marston (Rebecca Hall) conduct an experiment at the college that leads to them having a polyamorous relationship with one of the students which in turn creates the character of Wonder Woman. The film also stars Bella Heathcote (Pride And Prejudice And Zombies) as Olive Byrne, Connie Britton (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World) as Josette Frank, Monica Giordano (Help Me Dream) as Mary, Oliver Platt (Lake Placid) as M.C. Gaines, Chris Conroy (Mr. Robot) as Brant Gregory, JJ Feild (Captain America: The First Avenger) as Charles Guyette, and Maggie Castle (Todd and the Book of Pure Evil) as Dorothy Roubicek.

It's crazy to think that Wonder Woman was created out of something that was so Taboo back in the 1930's, but what they didn't realize is that Professor Marston was actually way ahead of his time. He believed that while there are noticeable differences between man and woman, he believed in the feminist movement and that women were more than just secretaries and housewives. That is why he created Wonder Woman because he saw so much in those two women that he combined them into one. Olive was sweet and kind and everything that humanity would want while Elizabeth was strong and aggressive as she fought for what was right. Is that starting to sound familiar to you? I however had no idea that Professor Marston was fighting for his life both physically and for the rights of Wonder Woman. That is what the basis of the film was as you saw the battle he went through as he told the story of how Wonder Woman was created. I admired the fact that he wasn't ashamed of what he had done or how Wonder Woman was portrayed in some peoples eyes because a dominant woman was a very scary thing for men in the early to mid 1900's. It's the very reason why I love the Wonder Woman character because I would want someone my daughter could look up to and find strength in. The film is very interesting and it keeps you intrigued despite all of the sexual content which can also keep you intrigued as well. The cinematography was excellent and the costumes were amazing as well. You can see in the film what inspired Wonder Woman's costume as well. I definitely think this is one film to check out, but I do not recommend it for kids under 17. I am going to go ahead and give the film an A- for a final grade.