Change Your Image
Claricedemedici
Reviews
Farha (2021)
A painful but realistic story
As someone whose knowledge of the Palestinian occupation was just limited to my college world history class, this movie brings adds a whole another layer to how I view the Nakba, the events of 1948, and the occupation that continues to this day.
While not told through a historical perspective, Farha is told through the eyes of 14 year old child, thus, we the viewers, see the catastrophe unfold before us, through Farha. We follow her from a spirited, stubborn child, with a zeal for education, and breaking with tradition, to her being reduced to a shell of her former self by the end. This story is the tragedy of not just Farha, or her father, or her best friend, Farida, or the family including the baby that is brutally murdered. Rather it is the tragedy of generations upon generations of Palestinians. Of millions of Farhas who watch their dreams crumble right along her entire village into ashes.
This is especially harrowing when you realize it is based on a true story.
Victoria (2016)
Best Period Drama I've seen in years
While I'm usually someone who sticks to historical period dramas around the Medieval and Renaissance eras, specifically the Plantagenet and Tudor eras if its English history we're talking about, I wasn't expecting a show about Queen Victoria to capture me so much, to have me invest so heavily in it that my phone cover is a poster of Jenna Coleman as Victoria. It captivated me more than the 'White Queen', 'The White Princess', 'The Tudors', 'The Borgias', 'Medici' and even that god awful atrocity called 'Reign', (guaranteed, none of these are Victorian or even Regency or Georgian era shows for that matter).
But oh god oh god do I love the politics of that time. From the Tories and the Whigs rivalry, to the lives of the domestic staff at Buckingham, to of course the royals themselves. Guaranteed the show is not full of exciting game of thrones-like plot twists, intrigue, suspense, betrayal or steamy love scenes, but perhaps to me that is what makes it so appealing. Its just so...serene and calm. Like a warm bed and blanket on a snowy night. Most of the supporting characters are pretty likeable, and not two-dimensional.
And of course I have to mention the the biggest draw for me personally towards this show- the romance. Normally, romances in historical period dramas are quite nihilistic, full of gender power imbalances, and overall tethering quite a bit towards adulterous. Which is why I shipped my heart out over Victoria and Albert. Its a classic, sweet and simple love story with no extra-marital affairs, sabotage, betrayals. My twenty year old single self can definitely imagine watching their proposal scene with tissues and chocolates on valentines day and sobbing/fangirling my heart out.
Game of Thrones: The Bells (2019)
I wish I could give this episode a 0 on 10
Worst.Episode.Of.Any.Show.Ever. a total catastrophe.