During the peak of my mania last month, I started writing for you. It quickly grew to 3,000 words and it’s still not finished yet. But I climbed down to the awaited depression cycle and lost steam. Then I went to Seoul to see SHINee.
I still intend to finish that post, but let me catch you up on May first.
Film updates
I watched 12 films in May, and that already includes How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (Pat Boonnitipat, 2024) that I watched twice in the cinema. Other than Grandma, there are only two other movies I really want to talk about: The Idea of You (Michael Showalter, 2024) and IF: Imaginary Friends (John Krasinski, 2024).
Mild spoiler alert for all of them.
Grandma is a movie about a grandson insincerely taking care of his dying grandma for the sake of getting her inheritance. I got into the cinema only knowing the title. I thought it was going to be your standard Thai feel good comedy drama. My god this movie made me cry buckets instead.
With more than 3 million attendance, it’s become the biggest Thai movie box office in Indonesia. It only took me a couple of days before returning to the theatre to see it again. The second time watching, I was determined to find out anything not right about the movie because my first viewing was perfect.
This movie doesn’t scream. It doesn’t force you to cry either. It takes its time to tell its story. But most of all, the picture. Oh my god I know that neighborhood. I’ve seen those rail tracks. I have stood under that semrawut electricity cables. Each frame looks like an old picture from a family album. If you told me this was shot in Glodok, I would have believed you. The city heat is familiar. Yet, the shots look amazing, warm, and romantic. I’m so jealous. Why don’t our movies look like this?
Upon second viewing, I found two things I didn’t like about the movie: the first sequence is a bit too slow; and I disagree with some of their shot decisions to make the grandma character look weak and frail. But these are creative choices I can respect and let go. The rest of the movie is still amazing.
I hope I get to watch it for the third time before it leaves the cinema.
***
The day I watched Grandma, I also watched IF. I also didn’t know much about the movie other than the trailer. I knew there was Ryan Reynolds in it. So I thought I’d just watch it for some standard Hollywood kid movie fun: low stakes and silly laugh; and maybe learn a thing or two about writing a children movie.
I was surprised to find out it was directed by John Krasinski (Jim Halpert from The Office, in case you forgot), which was the guy who directed A Quiet Place. And I quickly realized, this movie was not going to be a mindless fun.
As it turns out IF is a movie about Bea, a motherless child who’s about to lose her remaining parent due to illness. She tries to be mature about it, while her father wants to preserve whatever childhood she has left. She refuses, until she meets Cal (Ryan Reynolds) who’s struggling with a unique job: finding new children for childless imaginary friends. Bea asked what happened to their original children. The answer’s simply they grew up.
Omg this movie broke my heart. I wish it existed when I was a child, lonely and desperately needing a friend who saw me. It would have felt like a hug.
Both Krasinski and Reynolds restrain themselves. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a heart-wrenching performance from Reynolds. He delivered an undertone of sadness that I could relate to. Krasinski created a wonderful world of imaginary friends that is colorful, limitless, and whimsical. When Cal dropped into the ocean and came out of a painting of a beach, I was in awe. And there is space for the adult characters to reconnect with their childhood dreams as well.
This movie offers so much. I can only imagine how parents must feel like watching it. But as a kid who was forced to grow too fast, I feel so much for the protagonist.
The feeling stayed for days.
I hope this movie helps a kid somewhere out there.
***
Lastly, let’s talk about The Idea of You. It’s about a 40 year old single mother who takes her daughter to see the kid’s favorite boyband and ends up starting a hot, sexual affair with the 24 year old boyband member.
👁
My reaction. Yeah.
Let’s talk about the book first, written by Robinne Lee in 2017. Upon hearing the premise, I thought it was taken straight out of Wattpad. Especially after I learned that the male love interest was inspired by Harry Styles (but Lee clarified it’s not a Harry Styles fanfic). Furthermore, this book is hailed as The Book in the smutty romance drama genre. Of course I jumped to read it.
As a long time boyband fan, I wanted to like the book, but I didn’t. I’m all for smut, but when it’s too much it stops being sexy. Lee also took an uncommon route for her ending. So for the most part, the book disappointed me.
When I heard of the movie adaptation, I wasn’t surprised, but I wasn’t that excited either. Until I heard it would be produced by and starred Anne Hathaway. As the cherry on top, the love interest was Nicholas Galitzine. Suddenly, I was waiting for it.
BOY OH BOY THE MOVIE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT.
First of all, I agree with ALL the changes they made in the movie. I think Anne Hathaway knows exactly what the audience expect from a classic Hollywood romance. She turned the cringe factor to the necessary minimum (it’s still an age gap romance between a single mother and a boyband member, guys). The story still highlights female pleasure and desire but she only gave the sexy part enough screen time so we can be giddy during all the lovey dovey will-they-won’t-they part. And the soundtrack. My god, the original soundtrack is just So Good.
I’ve seen Galitzine in Red, White, and Royal Blue (Matthew Lopez, 2023) before. Though I admit he’s cute, he wasn’t nyetrum. I had The Opposite reaction in Idea. Is it the boyband role?? Galitzine delivered the puppy eyed love-me-mommy role so well! The chemistry between him and Hathaway got me screaming. When their characters finally kissed I felt like throwing my laptop across the room.
Another best thing about this story and depiction of Hathaway’s character is, Solene is a composed and competent woman protagonist. I’m so tired of the bumbling klutzy stereotype, who’s also often put in undignified situations, embarrassing herself in front of prince charming. Solene is simply put together and knows what she wants. Yes, I can relate and aspire to this character.
Now back to the soundtrack. I couldn’t stop listening to it for weeks after I watched the movie. It’s a decently produced pop album that’s easy and catchy on the ears. You can sing along to them and pretend you’re an emotional crooner while you’re at it. And yes, Galitzine actually sang them all himself.
As soon as I was done with Idea, I went on a Galitzine spree. I watched the disastrous Cinderella (Kay Cannon, 2021) and unexpectedly bonkers and spectacular Bottoms (Emma Seligman, 2023) just for him.
In addition to having the OST album accompanying me throughout my daily activities, I realize that this is all I want from my entertainment. I want these sustained feelings that enthralled me for days. Movies rarely give me that kind of experience. Series do.
However, last month, all I could think about was Idea and Grandma. Good job. These are the kind of movies I’d like to watch more.
Other updates
May was a month of emotional and physical roller coaster. I started going to the gym! I’ve actually been running since April and I took it up a notch in May by getting a gym membership. I learned a lot about myself through all these exercises, which I plan to write about in my Q2 evaluation.
In the middle of the month, I got obsessed with Doh Kyungsoo’s “Popcorn” for being such a fun, easy, and relatable love song. The music video is just the best. I, too, ugly dance like this when I’m in love. The small, awkward dances are too relatable. And when he lays down on top of the popcorn and cruises around on his vacuum cleaner, I thought Kyungsoo must have been spying on me. This is exactly how I behave in the kitchen when I fall in love!
I also went to Seoul again for SHINee’s encore and final stage of their SHINee World Concert VI tour. If you remember, last year I attended their first and opening stage of the same tour. I didn’t plan to go this year, but Onew returned from his year-long hiatus, which finally gave us a complete formation of SHINee on stage. Off I flew to Korea.
I have a lot to write about SHINee, so that’s in the queue as well.
So yeah, I hope I get to meet my writing deadlines soon so I get to tell you stories from my life in this space.
Thank you for reading this! 💛 It makes me so happy connecting with you through my daily stories.