Hello world! Welcome back to another blog. Today I will be talking about 3 films I saw in 2023, where all of them are based off of true stories off of real life figures and pioneers. I hope you enjoy this read, and just as a disclaimer, as always with stage and screen productions, this is just my personal opinion as everyone is different.
Oppenheimer:
My first film I saw on 1st September 2023 was Oppenheimer, starring Cillian Murphy as the historian who created the first atomic nuclear bomb.
What I liked about this film was that yes it’s a long one, but with all true life films, you capture everything and anything with it. But also some characters and scenes were fictional to give it that acting element to it. I wasn’t sure which was real and which wasn’t, but that shows just how good the work is.
Cillian as the titular role was outstanding. His accent was on point baring in mind he’s natively Irish, and how he matures throughout the film from a young Oppenheimer to his older self is perfection. And his chemistry’s with Emily Blunt who played Oppenheimer's wife Kitty, was beautiful to see. And I wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of her.
There was alot to take in with that film due to the length and also the fact that I wasn’t in a great mindset due to a personal issue that weekend, but there was one moment that stood out to me. This was going back in time to how he ended up in the situation he was in. This gave you a clear idea and that you get into the story with him. There were also moments where some of it was in black and white. Was it pointing to the future? Was it the past but just before that hearing? I’m not sure. Either way I was hooked on that time lapse.
Overall I would give this film a 3.5. Even though I didn’t really fully understand the full story I’m glad I gave it a good watch. And those of you that know me know I love Cillian Murphy so I’m glad I watched him in something other than Tommy Shelby.
Emily:
My next recommendation from 2023 is Emily, which I watched on 20th October 2023. This film talks about English author Emily Brontë, taking through her early life which led to her writing "Wuthering Heights" before she died too soon at the age of 30, taking us from when she died, right to the beginning (which was a nice way for the audience to foreshadow what would happen).
Emma Mackey, who plays the titular role, was spectacular. Not only was she able to play this part well, but her fluent French was also incredible. Now I don’t know if she’s part French or just simply trained really well at it, but everything was on point and there wasn’t a faulted in sight. I also admired how she was able to bring a creepy side to the character, as there was a moment where she put on a mask, and suddenly her mum appeared and gales of wind suddenly blow (which maybe resembles the grief she held). This made me wonder if the death of Emily’s mum is why she is the way she is, and why she likes and tells stories, as then it gives her the role of a release.
During the film I also wonder if there were traits of autism in her. As she separates herself from her family into an abandoned shed where she closes herself in (which looks like a really cool and relaxing place). But not only that she sometimes does look down especially when it came to the launch of Wuthering heights. I also wondered why she destroyed the poems she made. Maybe they were rough drafts of her now well known novel Wuthering Heights, or maybe she wanted to keep them for her specifically. Who knows. But the tremors and gales of wind when the poems were read could may well be again to shadow the insecurities she has to deal with.
Other actors in that film stood out to me. These included Fionn Whitehead who played Emily’s brother Branwell. Her bond with her brother and the chemistry was lovely to see, and you could tell how heartbroken she was when he was sent away. I feel that he did it so she can have a good life, and if that’s not true love then I don’t know what is. But it wasn’t just Branwell Brontë. Alexandra Dowling (who played Emily's sister Charlotte Brontë), Oliver Jackson Cohen (who played Emily's love interest William Weightman) and Adrian Dunbar (who played Emily's father Patrick Brontë) also played their roles in sync and also add to Emily’s story, where they all supported her in their own way when it came to writing "Wuthering Heights".
Overall I would give this film a 4. Emma played a brilliant part in the film, the cast and the setting was beautiful (particularly at the end leading to the credits, and that’s all if an say) and I could definitely see some similarities in her and in Maeve in Sex Education. And the setting and where Emily would go for her safe space was stunning to see.
Lion:
My final film in 2023 was Lion, which I saw to celebrate New Years Eve 2023. This stars Dev Patel and Sunny Pawar as Saroo Brierley, the young boy who at a young age was accidentally separated from his family, and then 25 years later he reunites with them.
This was a long one again, but it told every bit of Saroo's life, from when he was young to a grown up and what triggered the search. I won’t go into specifics what happened, but there were some moments that were hard to watch. But to sense it at a young age just goes to show that yes he’s young but he’s not stupid either. And the dates of what happened when was very powerful. But the most moving part was when he was grown up and eventually finds his family, and there was a bittersweet moment at the end but all in all it got me the most chocked up.
The other actors in the film really brought the whole story together. Nicole Kidman and David Wenham who played Saroo's adoptive parents Sue and John Brierley on point. To take on a role where helping a lost child feel welcome was beautiful to see, and the fact that sue sacrificed something in her life to take on a huge responsibility like this is quite possibly one of the selfless things you could do. And Rooney Mara who played Saroo's romantic interest Lucy was beautiful to see. You could tell how much of the search affected their relationship, but the way she supported him when he tells her he’s found them was so emotional. I did wonder if she was one of the people he met or if she was a fictional character, because I could not tell it she was.
I think my only downside of the film is the horrific events young Saroo had to go through when he went missing. Mind you, knowing when something is not right at such a young age is a skill to have, and it shows that no matter what age you are, if something is not right, you act upon it. I also was gutted when Saroo never got to reunite with one of the young people at the orphanage, as that would also be an emotional reunion to add to the film. But then again maybe the young person in question was fictionalised for the purposes of this film as well.
Overall I would give the film a 5. It was emotional the story was beautiful and both Dev and Sunny played the role of Saroo roles brilliantly. And if you look watch until the end you will be able to see why the film is called Lion.
And those were the films I saw in 2023. I hope you enjoyed this read and please be sure to let me know what you thought of them if you have or will see them.
See you soon for another blog. Until next time...
This is The Autistic Actress Signing off :)
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