Reviews

Album Review: Selena Gomez "Rare"

By Stephanie Renoj Lopez

After five years since the release of her last album Revival, Selena Gomez has finally dropped a new album titled Rare. The album was officially released on 10th January 2020 and consisted of thirteen track songs. On The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, he read out some reviews that critics had given as a response towards the album. Fallon stated, “It’s a great album. Rolling Stone loves it, Billboard calls you triumphant, Variety said Rare is one of the best pop albums to be released in recent memory, Times says Rare is a pop gift.” All evidence that the overall review of the album has been nothing but positive. The reason behind why so many people have taken the album so well to the point that it has broken records is obviously thanks to the fans and due to the valuable meaning behind the album. In the making of the album, Selena Gomez made sure to convey the emotions she was feeling at certain points of her life through her songs. On The Tonight Show, Selena Gomez stated “it was a way of me hoping that I could just be a voice for people who are in the same situation I’m in, whether it’s something mentally that people struggle with, or relationships, friendships. I wanted to be as honest as I could.” In the song titled “Lose You to Love Me”, the lyrics include “I saw the signs and I ignored it, rose-colored glasses all distorted, you set fire to my purpose, and I let it burn, you got off in the hurting, when it wasn’t yours, yeah, we’d always go into it blindly, I needed to lose you to find me, this dancing was killing me softly, I needed to hate you to love me.” In an interview with Zane Lowe and Apple Music, Selena Gomez mentioned how much pain she suffered around 8-10 years ago and how she managed to incorporate the agony, the confusion and the self-doubt she experienced into this song of hers. Selena Gomez feels as if she “went through that for something like this, for other people.” Zane Lowe also commented that the album is “a complete human experience from start to finish” which appears to be the main reason as to why many people find it possible to relate to her album and actually be touched by it. In another song of hers titled “Rare”, the lyrics include “It feels like you don’t care, Why don’t you recognize I’m so rare?, Always there, you don’t do the same for me that’s not fair, I don’t have it all, I’m not claiming to, but I know that I’m special.” Selena Gomez has recently spoken out on the reasoning behind why she chose to title her album Rare and wrote a song with that song title. Gomez emphasized on the significance of the word and how much value it truly holds. Furthermore, she boldly states, “I’m just saying that there are some girls who are hurting because they feel like they don’t fit in. But this word is eliminating that because you weren’t meant to look like everyone else.You’re meant to be who you are and that’s unique, and that’s rare.” So with that being said, everyone should take the opportunity to stream her new album which is now available everywhere.

Posted on 03/15/2020

Movie Review- Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey

By Nicole Chen

Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey is a chaotic, funny and empowering movie. The movie is action-packed and well choreographed which displays the time and effort that was put into the film. The movie displays various strong female characters, each with different goals and views on Gotham City. Though pains and struggles, Harley Quinn’s character remained unpredictable. A new side of Harley can be seen, throughout the film, audiences see small glimpses of her besides her crazy persona which added depth to the already enjoyable movie. The movie's soundtrack sets the mood throughout the film, which made various scenes more memorable and heart-wrenching. The movie also shows a deeper view of Gotham City with brilliant aesthetics and characters. This movie was incredible, and in my opinion I believe it is the best female-led action movie. I would highly recommend it to people who enjoy strong female protagonists, action and a good amount of jokes. However this movie is not recommended to people who dislike violence and gore.

Posted on 03/15/2020

Movie Review - Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Review

By May Lin

The classic Disney animated movie, Sleeping Beauty (1959), was revived in 2014 with a different storyline. Instead of the old-fashioned, “the prince saves the princess” tale, we dive into a tale of the villain, Maleficent, portrayed extraordinarily by Angelina Jolie, an acclaimed Hollywood actress. This film was well-received with a box office of $758.8 million USD.

Due to the film’s popularity, a sequel was confirmed in 2019, bringing a new storyline and new characters, such as Queen Ingrith played by Michelle Pfeiffer. The film’s visual storytelling is exceptional from the cinematography to the costumes and set design. The theme of female empowerment is formed by three very different, but strong women: Maleficent, the most powerful fairy, who has become a mother figure to Aurora; Aurora, whose strength comes from her kindness and her heart; and Queen Ingrith, a fighter and leader of her kingdom. Strength is not necessarily physical but it comes from one’s heart, love, or pride.

Was a sequel to Maleficent necessary? Sequels rarely live up to the popularity and potential of the original. Sometimes sequels do not have to be a direct continuation of the movie, but a way to experience a new chapter of the story. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is not better or worse than the original, but is on par with its predecessor. Nonetheless, the film’s intense action sequences and heartfelt moments will activate waterfalls and bring you into this magical world.

Posted 02/02/2020

Movie Review - The Joker

By Daniyal Atiq and Lawrence Liu

The Joker has been a mysterious character ever since his introduction in the comic book and television worlds. However, the Joker was never truly given an actual background until now. “The Joker”, directed by Todd Philps, depicted an interesting backstory of the Harlequin of Hate. This depiction of Joker describes the life of Arthur Fleck, a failed comedian who is suffering from a mental disorder that makes him laugh at inappropriate times, and depends on special medications to control the outbursts. Fleck is rejected by society and he seeks acceptance throughout the movie. His rejection and failure fuel him to turn to madness and inevitably take on the role as the notorious Joker.

Fleck’s transformation into Joker begins when he is fired from his job because of an incident at a children's hospital where his gun fell out of his pocket in the middle of a performance. He takes the train home, still dressed up and in his makeup. In the train, he is bullied by three Wayne Enterprise employees and in self-defense, he shoots two of them and guns down the last one. These deaths are denounced by billionaire mayoral candidate, Thomas Wayne. Wayne calls the people that committed the crime “nothing but clowns, who are envious of the success of others.” Following this incident, Fleck is invited to Murray Franklin’s show, “Live! With Murray Franklin”, where Fleck is humiliated and criticized for his mental disorder of laughing uncontrollably.

Adding on to this humiliation, Fleck found out he was an adopted child and his mother had an “affair” with Thomas Wayne. All of these incidents and his lifetime trauma pile on and he finally reaches his breaking point. Fleck kills his mother who was recovering from a seizure, a work colleague who bullied him, and Murray Franklin on live TV. Fleck’s actions initiated a movement in which his followers wore clown masks and started wreaking havoc on Gotham City. The transformation from a hopeful and struggling human being into a soulless monster, truly depicts the impact society places on the body and mind.

Arthur Fleck’s life is a disaster. From the start of the film, he has been rejected by society, being bullied and facing harsh criticism in life. Fleck started out as a hopeful individual, but as he was subjected to the harsh realities of society, his entire attitude changed. Fleck did not have the best childhood either. He did not know who his real father and was abused by his mother’s boyfriend as a child. And as a result of the trauma he suffered, he has been mentally unstable ever since a young age. Fleck said “I used to think my life was a tragedy, but now I realize it's a comedy,'' a testament of how constant rejection, failure, and heartbreak lead Fleck to accept his role as a “no one.”

Posted 02/02/2020