Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 15/01/2021
WandaVision, PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN and PRETEND IT'S A CITY
What a weird week, right? A coup attempt, disinformation everywhere, and I’m back to lockdown life. Anyway, at least we have films and TV shows to escape this bleak reality. This week I will talk about PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN which was one of my favorite films of 2020. The new Marvel miniseries, WandaVision, and the Netflix’ docu-series PRETEND IT'S A CITY. Plus 5 songs I couldn’t stop listening to.
FILM
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN is a black comedy thriller film directed, written, and produced by Emerald Fennell, in her feature directorial debut. The film stars Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Clancy Brown, Jennifer Coolidge, Laverne Cox, and Connie Britton, and follows a woman who takes revenge against men who have wronged her.
Fennell's debut feature tackles a devastating topic, sexual assault, and the psychological effects caused by this horrible act. But PYW is much more than just a revenge film. It is a never predictable thriller and a fresh perspective for the #MeToo Era. Very bold and super provocative at times. And an on-point statement on sexual misconduct.
The film has a good balance between style and substance. It is very well written and every line of dialogue has intentions. Carey Mulligan’s performance is outstanding and she deserves a second Academy Award nomination. Bo Burnham is also really good in the film. And shares interesting chemistry with Mulligan.
PYW is definitely one of the best movies I saw in 2020 and it is going to generate a lot of discourse and hopefully, awards recognition too.
TV
PRETEND IT’S A CITY
PRETEND IT'S A CITY is a Netflix seven-part documentary series directed by Martin Scorsese featuring interviews and conversations between Scorsese and Fran Lebowitz. They weigh in on New York City tourists, money, subways, the arts, and the not-so-simple act of walking in Times Square.
I can't get enough Fran Lebowitz observations. She has a brilliant way of describing NYC. And I loved how she captured the feeling of the city from the 70s to the present perfectly.
I didn't know much about her before watching this but she's hilarious. So sharp and so entertaining to watch.
I lived in London for 13 years and a lot of what Fran said about NYC reminded me of my time in the English capital. And it was good to know that I’m not alone in my neuroses and complaints.
If you like this, check out her documentary, PUBLIC SPEAKING also direct by Scorsese. Or this 2 hours and 30 minutes YouTube video of Fran being interviewed by David Letterman between 1980-2010.
Anyway, I could listen to Miss Lebowitz all day.
WandaVision
This is the highly expected Disney+ miniseries based on the Marvel Comics characters Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Vision. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise.
Since I’m not cool enough for getting advance screeners of the show (thanks, Disney) I had to be up until the wee hours of the night (well, technically morning) to watch the first 2 episodes of WandaVision. But hey, it was worth it.
Of all the Marvel Disney+ shows announced, this was the only one that really intrigued me. And I really liked how weird these 2 episodes were. it was a breath of fresh air for the MCU. I enjoyed the re-creation of classic TV shows and the slow-burn pacing which is very different from what Marvel movies normally do. The bizarre narrative of the show was a bold choice from Marvel/Disney and I loved it. Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen give great performances but Kathryn Hahn really shines as the “nosy-neighbor”. Not a surprise. Hahn is outstanding in everything she does.
Overall, I liked what I've seen of WandaVision so far. It is fun and experimental. And I’m looking forward to seeing if the experiment will pay off.
Top 5 songs
These were the 5 songs on my heavy rotation this week. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube
1 - MOD SUN Feat. Avril Lavigne - Flames
2 - Maggie Lindemann - Loner
3 - POORSTACY (Prod. Travis Barker) - Hills Have Eyes
4 - Gwen Stefani - Let Me Reintroduce Myself
5 - Paris Hilton - Stars Are Blind
I can’t believe I’m listening to Avril in 2021. But her collab with MOD SUN is great, I really enjoyed the song. Maggie Lindemann has a beautiful voice and I like the lyrics of Loner. POORSTACY and Travis Barker got together and created a banger! This Gwen Stefani tune reminds me of 90s No Doubt and that is great in my book. And yeah, you read it right, that’s a Paris Hilton song LOL. Honestly, I didn’t even know Paris was a ‘musician’ but this song is part of the PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN soundtrack, and I actually liked it. It is super catch and fits perfectly in the film.