PIECES OF A WOMAN | SHADOW IN THE CLOUD | COBRA KAI - SEASON 3
Pop Culture Round-Up 08/01/2021
Hey Everyone. Hope you’re all well and healthy. Not much going on at the moment. January is a weird month for entertainment releases. But this week I’m writing about two good films that I had the chance to see back in September at TIFF. I also give my impressions of the third season of COBRA KAI.
FILMS
PIECES OF A WOMAN
When a young mother's home birth ends in heartbreaking, she begins a year-long odyssey of mourning that fractures relationships with loved ones in this deeply personal story of a woman learning to live alongside her loss.
The first act of PIECES OF A WOMAN is intense. But what follows it’s even more brutal. A married couple spiraling into depression and helplessness while dealing with grief. The performances of Vanessa Kirby and Ellen Burstyn are a force to be reckoned with and both should definitely be contenders for the Oscars.
On a lighter note, the scene between Shia LaBeouf and Benny Safdie talking about the 2000s indie rock bands was a funny one in an otherwise very sad film.
SHADOW IN THE CLOUD
Chloë Grace Moretz stars as a WWII pilot in a mission to transport some top-secret documents.
The first two acts of this film are full of anxiety and thrills. And the third act is completely bonkers. But bonkers in the best possible way. It is over the top but also really fun! Moretz is great, as always and director/writer Roseanne Liang delivers a very entertaining film.
I hope they work together again soon.
TV
COBRA KAI - SEASON 3
Well, by now I assume that everyone knows that this is a show based on THE KARATE KID film series created in the ’80s. Honestly, I wasn’t a big fan of the films and I’m not a big fan of the show either. But I have to say, season 3 had some good moments.
We got to see the origins of Cobra Kai, which was interesting. The Okinawa episodes were also really fun. Actually, I was pleased with how they used the returning characters from movies. The cameos were cool and brief. I liked the one-liners and all the fan service the show gave to us. However, my main problem with the season was once again the annoying kids.
I understand that it is important to have a new generation involved but all the teenage drama is so corny and cliché. And this season, things crossed into unrealistic territory. For instance, this kid Hawk (I can’t roll my eyes hard enough). He broke another kid’s arm, led multiple gang attacks, stole money that had been raised for charity, and didn’t face any consequences for these acts. And how about my girl, Tory? She was on probation and her sick mom was depending on her. So she should stay out of trouble, right? Nah, trouble is her middle name. She breaks into someone's house, destroys all their stuff, and then assaults another girl with a deadly weapon. Also, zero consequences for her.
Overall season 3 was ok, better than the last one which was awful. But I would prefer a season 4 taking primary focus on the adults and how their actions are affecting the kids around them.