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Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Good continuation
I enjoyed the film overall. The action sequences was great but there were times in the second act that dragged on for a bit too long, in my opinion. Wes Ball did a terrific job of building this new world, years after the Caesar trilogy. The cinematography was excellent and some shots were downright beautiful.
The runtime could've been trimmed a little more but some scenes were there strictly to build on this world so that any future Apes film can have a story to build off this first film after Caesar. The ending especially shows that.
TLDR: first act was good, second act dragged a bit, and the third act was great.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
A Marvelous Exploration into the Spider-Verse!
First and foremost, 'Across the Spider-Verse' features animation that is nothing short of spectacular. It pushes the envelope by combining diverse artistic mediums and methods to provide a feast for the eyes. Each frame is a piece of art, with incredible attention to detail, vivid colors, and exciting action scenes. It is simply amazing to see the degree of imagination and skill on show. All the props to the animation team, you guys deserve the inevitable Oscars to coming your way!
The plot itself is extremely interesting how it explores new realities and introduces intriguing Spider-Man varieties while diving deeper into the multiverse theory that was previously established in the first film. It was exciting to see established heroes and newcomers, each with special abilities and personalities all come together. The dialogue is witty, and heartfelt, and shows a genuine understanding of what makes Spider-Man such a relatable character.
This sequel is a complete accomplishment that serves as a monument to the power of narrative and the virtually endless potential of animation. It's a movie that will speak to viewers of all ages and have a lasting impact. When the ending card appeared, I couldn't believe it had already been over two hours. I'm glad I didn't see spoilers to what the ending card revealed because I could've sat there for another two hours if possible.
The Little Mermaid (2023)
A Shallow Dive That Missed its Mark
This live action remake was a disappointing attempt to bring a beloved Disney classic to life. It falls flat in almost every aspect, leaving me feeling underwhelmed and disconnected, unlike the original.
Halle Bailey as Ariel was good and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula was passable but beside those two, all of the other characters felt virtually nonexistent with zero chemistry with one another.
Visually, the remake falls short in creating a believable underwater world. The CGI effects were uninspiring and more importantly, looked cheap.
What 'The Little Mermaid' suffered from the most was the god awful script. The pacing was uneven, scenes dragged on or failed to contribute to the overall narrative, and the characters felt shallow and lacked depth.
Overall, the 2023 remake was lackluster and forgettable. The uninspiring performances, poor visual effects, and terrible original songs left me disengaged and disappointed. Don't let the positive reviews the film has been receiving gaslight you into thinking that these awful cash grab live-action remakes that Disney has been producing are okay. The truth is the film fails to capture the magic and charm that made the original film so beloved, which is on par with all the other Disney remakes.
Evil Dead Rise (2023)
Captured the Essence of Evil Dead
One of the standout elements of the latest installment to the franchise is the setting which moves the action from the previous movie's remote cabin in the woods to an urban environment, giving story a distinctive and claustrophobic feel. With its cramped rooms, dark corridors, and small hallways, the high-rise structure made the ideal background for the horror to play out, as well as, keeping the tension high throughout final 2/3 of the movie.
Fans of the series will love the film's bloody, brutal, and graphic moments. The practical effects were excellent, with horrifying and imaginative gore that will even make horror aficionados squirm in their seats. Evil Dead Rise does not hold back when it comes to blood and guts, much to the expectations of what fans have grown to adore from Evil Dead movies.
There were a few minor drawbacks, in my opinion. There were instances in which the film slows down a bit, which detracts from the overall flow and could've been avoided with tighter pacing.
While there was less gore than the 2013 remake, it makes up for it with it's witty, comedic spots, something I felt was missing from the remake. Despite its minor pacing issue, Evil Dead Rise was a thrilling and entertaining trip that will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time.
P. S. Loved the opening title reveal.
Missing (2023)
What a wild ride
This was a very entertaining movie from start to finish. There were some twists that I saw coming but nonetheless, the twists that I didn't see coming kept me on the edge of my seat. There were so many layers that were built on misdirection. Those layers had me second, third, forth guessing myself whether someone was good or bad. I enjoyed hesitating along with June in putting my trust with anyone just in case they were devious.
I loved Searching and wasn't too sure if a standalone sequel was necessary because the genre was a bit too niche for most audiences. Boy, was I glad to be wrong. The story was very well written and the execution was excellent, especially in the first two act. The third act kind of lost me a bit but overall, I was thoroughly immersed in the film and had no problem with the runtime. It was fun watching another movie from a computer screen POV but with a few new wrinkles added to keep it original.
The Last of Us: When You're Lost in the Darkness (2023)
Staying True to the Source Material
First off, let this set the example for future show-runners on how to adapt from a video game (looking at you, Resident Evil). The bar has been set.
The pilot episode started off very strong. It was straightforward and never had a dull moment. There were many fine details included (e.g. "I sell hardcore drugs") that gave the gamer audience deja vu but there were also enough new twist to keep said audience engaged (e.g. The car crash). Personally, there were many moments that made me feel like I was watching a cutscene.
They did a great job with the cast and developing the characters back story so that the people who never played the game could still relate.
What a phenomenal adaptation by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for staying faithful to the game while adding a bit of world building. If this is just the first episode, I can't wait to see what is in store for us the rest of the season.
10/10 for keeping the original theme.
The Menu (2022)
Dark Satire at its Finest
First off, "can we get some actual bread now"?!
The pacing and tension throughout the film was impeccable. There wasn't a dull moment that I could think of. With every meal and every introduction, I constantly felt as if someone was gonna explode or something. The comedy was subtle but enough to give me a good laugh and allowed me to have a breather in-between all the tension. The menu, along with its description, that appears on the screen was a nice added touch. I thoroughly enjoyed reading each one.
The relationship between the critic and the chef falls along a sensitive line. People obsessing over an art while not being able to participate in said art can irks the artist in the wrong way. It's hard to take criticism while also knowing that the critic could never recreate your craft to the same degree. Critics have power over how successful an artist can become, which is the overall theme of the movie.
Overall, I really really enjoyed the film as it reminded me of what Ratatouille would look like if it was rated R. Chef Slowik's reaction to the cheeseburger was identical to Anton Ego's when he had his flashback.
On a final note, is that not the tastiest looking cheeseburger ever shown in a movie?!
M3GAN (2022)
Just Fine
Solid and, at times, actually entertaining. Like other reviewers have mentioned, this strikes me as another version of the 2019 Childs Play; a fun, doesn't-take-itself too-seriously movie. Nonetheless, it added its own spin to the horror/comedy genre with its intentional and unintentional comedy.
I went into M3GAN with little to no expectation given the only marketing material I could remember was the dance scene. I found that the film accomplished the message it set out on. Parents suck at raising children and having no parental figure could be deadly because they will get attached to anything that shows them affection.
As far as the quality of the film, there wasn't really anything surprising or new I could think of. Most of the elements were very predictable from the beginning. That's not always a bad thing because most people like the predictability and knowing where a film is headed.
Overall, not bad for an early January released PG-13 horror movie.
Glass Onion (2022)
Loved it as much as Knives Out
I thought it was very different from the first one but with the same style and structure. I am down for as many Rian Johnson murder mysteries as Netflix is willing to make.
This is one of the best scripts I could remember in a while. All of the characters back story and how they intertwine with each other then adding Blanc into the mix is so well written.
The direction alternating from telling you something to showing you something was executed to perfection. There are so many little details that are missed in the initial viewing that calls for an instant rewatch.
I love that we got more of Benoit Blanc. We got a small glimpse into his life and he was more involved in the case rather than reacting to the circumstances like in Knives Out.
The winner of the film for me is Janelle Monae. She was absolutely brilliant with her performance. Her character starts off slow and mysterious without giving the audience too much then about half way through she really takes off.
Overall, I honestly can't wait for the third Knives Out movie. It's so fun and engaging. I honestly did not notice the run time at all.
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Amazing Visuals with Passable Story
First off, shoutout to the whale subtitle.
Second, the story and dialogue was so-so but the visuals and world building was amazing. I get that the children are part human but did they really have to say "bro" every other sentence? I personally didn't really care for Jake Sully's kids. Besides the subpar dialogue, what kept me in my seat was how photorealistic the VFX were. Every time I thought I saw a beautiful shot, the next one would blow that out of the water (pun intended).
Two things James Cameron knows how to do right is pacing an action scene, like the final battle, and directing a sinking ship. I'm intrigued with the direction Cameron is going to go with the rest of the series. What's next, Avatar 3: The Drift of the Sand?!
I'm excited to see the rest of the other species and races Pandora has. To offer but could we possibly keep it a bit shorter? My eyes, back, and bladder really felt the full 3 hours towards the end there and that was pushing the limit for a runtime that most people can handle without a captivating story to keep us in our seats.
Smile (2022)
Nothing new but still effective nonetheless
First off, Sosie Bacon has earned herself a place in horror protagonist history with that stellar performance, much like Toni Collette in Hereditary. I will definitely be on the lookout for future films with her in it.
Compared to the trailer, this well exceeded my expectation. It was predictable at times and director Parker Finn didn't do anything new that we haven't seen before. Nonetheless all the tension and uneasiness that I felt throughout the film was effective. 10/10 on the creepiness scale.
As others have mentioned before, the story is very reminiscent of The Ring and It Follows but still unique enough to warrant its own viewing. The cinematography was top notch as with the score.
Overall, Smile was a pretty fun horror experience to watch with friends who don't normally frequent the genre. I could've done with a bit less jump scares and trust that the tension of the story can build on itself until its ultimate conclusion. The best scene was the birthday party and I wish they explored more with the nephew.
P. S. For those who haven't seen Smile yet, please avoid the trailers. The best jump scare was featured in one of the trailers.
The Gray Man (2022)
Action for the sake of action
The cast was great and performed well but the ultimate weak point of the film is, without a doubt, the story.
We just kept getting spawned from one place to the next without much info to why we are going there or how everyone conveniently knows where 6's exact location is. It's just action for the sake of action. In the case of The Gray Man, less is certainly more. I never felt any attachment or fear for 6 because we literally know nothing about him except that he's being hunted.
The book this movie is based off of goes deeper into each character and we should've had more of that and a lot less fighting. This 100% would've worked better with as a limited series or with a more competent director instead of the Marvel Brothers.
The Batman (2022)
From vengeance to hope.
Really enjoyed this film. I saw it in IMAX and the sound design, along with the visuals, were amazing. I was shaking in my seat from the vibration when the Batmobile was revealed.
The casting for The Batman was great all around. Everyone in the film was excellently casted and was amazing in their respective roles.
I've always wanted a detective focused Batman movie and boy did Matt Reeves deliver. I have been a fan of his since Cloverfield and more recently, the last 2 Apes film. The dark tone was immediate noted from the opening scene to the very last.
My only gripe about the movie is that some scenes seem to drag on for a beat or two too long. It would've had a better pace if it was trimmed down to about 2:30 - 2:45 hours. Also, do we really need another Joker? This would make it 3 different iterations in the past few years. The Batman IP is loaded with so many great villain's to choose from. It would be great to see Mr. Freeze or Poison Ivy on the big screens again in my opinion.
Overall, a very enjoyable Batman movie and I would love to see it in theaters again.
Dune: Part One (2021)
Impactedfull, emotional, futuristic and biblical
The greatest accomplishment of this film is how approachable it is to all audiences. Weather you read the book a hundred times or you're watching this for the first time, you feel like you know the characters and the setting without having to watch it multiple times.
In Dune, you could see pieces of Villeneuve's other work like Bladerunner 2049, Arrival, and Sicario. It felt as if every character was at risk (minus Paul).
I love how The Baron turned out, very Apocalypse Now Brando vibe (confirmed by Villeneuve). I wish he had more screen time.
My standout performances are from Rebecca Ferguson and Jason Mamoa.
This is an epic to say the least. If you're a fan of Game of Thrones, than this is for you. If anyone could've pulled this off it's Denis Villeneuve.
Mulan (2020)
Not worth the price of admission
I knew going into this that nothing would ever compare to the original cartoon musical, but this was just plain B-A-D; bad. It felt like I was watching an early 2000s' Chinese martial arts drama but without the story.
I'm going to compare this version to the original a lot but bare with me. In the original, Mulan take her fathers place to go to war in order to save him and show that she is stronger and more determined than any man; but in the live action, she has....powers? This totally cheapens the story and contradicts the fact that they got rid of Mushu to make the story more "realistic". Also, there's a witch with the power to turn into a bird and a human but she chooses to be a side kick to Khan. Just why? In the original, Mulan cuts her hair and drops her voice real low to make her seem like a man. In this one, she just ties up her hair and drops her voice like 1 octave. She looks AND sounds exactly like a woman!
No disrespect but the actress was so mis-casted. She showed virtually no emotion and sounds like she was reading off of a cue card.
Honestly if the witch wasn't in the movie, I don't think anything would've changed. She really didn't bring much to the table and sacrificed herself for no reason.
All in all, this movie was a huge let down and is by far the worst of the Disney remakes. If they did a Lion's King shot for shot, it would've made this 100 times more enjoyable.
Tenet (2020)
Good but could've been great
The concept of going forward and backwards was really interesting and I throughly enjoyed how they made it happen on screen. The plane crash, to me, was very underwhelming from when I originally heard that Nolan wanted to crash (another) a plane. But then it went backwards and I was amazed for what I just saw. The whole fight scene from the Protagonist the first time was really cool but the second time in reverse was even better considering that he knew the moves he used the first time and was countering everything. 10/10 cinematography.
The plot, on the other hand, was kinda boring but I guess it could have something to do with me not being able to hear what the characters were saying a lot of the time; I think Christopher Nolan may be going deaf.
The score by Ludwig Goransonn was off the charts. That opening scene in the opera was so intense and the score really set the mood and tempo for what was about to take place.
If there's one thing that you can expect in cinema, it's that Nolan will always give you a kick ass intro.
Overall, the movie was more on of the side on interesting and visually stunning than good. I would 100% watch it again with subtitles.
Tenki no ko (2019)
I enjoyed it more than Your Name
I thoroughly enjoyed this film more than 'Your Name' and I really liked 'Your Name'.
First off, the animation was incredibly done. The lighting and the water was very realistic and beautiful. The ocean in the sky was unique and aesthetically pleasing.
I read somewhere that the director, Makoto Shinkai, mentioned that this film is about climate change and how it effects Tokyo. I can see that but, I'm not sure what other deeper meaning he was going for? Was he also underlining that this was terrorist caused? In a few scenes we see on the LED board that there are terror attacks but I'm uncertain if it was cut for time. There could be an directors cut version that's a lot darker but who knows.
I had a feeling that 'Weathering with You' was gonna be in the same universe as 'Your Name' and that question got answered pretty early on in the movie because we get a cameo of the two main characters from 'Your Name'.
My favorite scene was when they were in the hotel. They seemed so relieve to have a place to stay for the night because they had previously been on the streets in the pouring and freezing rain. They seem so happy eating and singing karaoke together; it was cute.
Overall, I enjoyed this a little better than 'Your Name' but I feel like this will get unfairly compared to it's predecessor. If this had come out before 'Your Name', I think that it would've been better received.
Also, that is the most perfect and deliciously looking Big Mac I have ever seen.
Da 5 Bloods (2020)
What an appropriate movie for this political climate
Spike Lee could not have released this film at a more appropriate time given the protest that's currently happening.
If the Oscars were happening this year I would put my money on Delroy Lindo winning the best actor award. He was amazing in this and his acting and Spike Lee's direction was so good. Especially the scene when he goes off on his own in the jungle and was talking to himself.
What a rollercoaster this was. From the beginning they are all hugging and having fun at the club but it gets more and more grim from there.
My favorite scene was when they were on the boat going past all the shops and Paul gets offered a chicken. The tension was insane and the series of emotions that Paul and the seller goes through was intense. Paul went from simply saying "no" to saying racial slur to crying and admitting that he's been seeing ghost to getting everyone together.
I didn't really like how predictable some of the scenes were. When they introduced Hedy, I knew that the land mines were going to come up later down the road. Speaking of that, Eddies death was so expected; when they showed a wide shot to Eddie walking backwards away from the group, I 100% knew he was going to blow up. At the same time, I didn't expect Spike to show us the aftermath of the land mine explosion.
I love the fact that Spike Lee didn't use deaging in the flash back scenes. I feel that having the present day Blood in the flash back was a great use of how memory works; you always picture you current self in old memories. Also, because Norman died, they all never got to see him grow old so he is always young to them.
The scene that got me feeling emotional was when Paul sees Stormin' Norman's ghost one last time and Norman tells Paul that his death was an accident, it wasn't Paul's fault and he forgives him.
All in all, another great film by Spike Lee and the timing could not be more perfect for it's release. The ending with the gold being donated to great causes like children disabilities and Black Lives Matter was very sweet.
Hotel Artemis (2018)
Had potential but fell flat on its face
Hotel Artemis had an interesting premise but was very poorly executed. The characters made the dumbest choice, not used correctly and the script was downright awful; such a disappointment.
The only character backstory we got was of Jodie Foster's character and I wouldn't even call that a backstory given how we only got a few flashbacks and god were they annoying. Just every once and a while a flashback of a kid running or a teenager laying face down on the beach is basically all we got.
The action scenes were okay and there wasn't a lot of it. I think that if you want to really watch a cyber punk/dystopian movie you should check out Upgrade; that is how to make an action cyber punk film.
Overall, if I were to describe this movie in one word, I would say frustrating. From beginning to end, this movie left a lot on the table for each scene and dialogue.
Snowpiercer (2013)
Very entertaining from start to finish
This film has been on my list to watch for years now and for some reason it kept getting pushed down further and further for other films. I'm very glad that I finally got to watch it because it was very entertaining from the opening shot to the final shot. I know that this is a film by Bong Joon Ho (Parasite), and you can see a lot of characteristics from him throughout this film.
This film has basically two halves; the first is the back on the train where all the lower class lives and the second, where the lower class attempts to take over the rest of the train. I really enjoyed the first half but the second half felt so rushed and scattered. Like, every time they break into the next train it gets more and more ridiculous (in a bad way). I though bullets were scarce but apparently all the guards are just shooting like they have an unlimited magazine. The most ridiculous part is when the main henchmen is shooting Chris Evans character from across the train through the windows. First off, that's not how bullets work and second, if the air outside is unbearably cold, why is he creating so many unnecessary holes in the train? I'm usually not one to nit pick things and I know that this movie is set in a dystopian future but I can't help but wonder how they are getting all this material and how they can even afford to keep this train moving. Who is maintaining the tracks? If theres huge chunks of ice covering the tracks and the engine collides with it going full speed, something is going to have to give.
The ending was kind of a let down and was the shot of the polar bear an indication that those kids were eaten alive? Polar bears are the top human predators.
Overall, it was a very entertaining movie but I can't help but wonder how the train runs. It's an important detail that is unfortunately left out.
Bone Tomahawk (2015)
A lot gorier than I expected
I heard about his film from someone and decided to watch it without any prior knowledge of the plot.
I was honestly impressed by how realistic the violence was. Props to the makeup and visual effects department.
I love how this movie is a genre clash; it's not listed as a horror but in a way there were a lot of horror elements incorporated. At first I was like, "oh this looks like it's going to be a western/crime-thriller", then BAM, it goes full SAW.
I honestly didn't realize Brooder was played by Matthew Fox until the end credit. And was this Kurt Russell's first "horror" movie since The Thing?
In summary, I enjoyed the film from start to finish and was recommended other works from the director. Rest assure I will be looking into more of his films.
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Errie
I watched this classic for the first time the other day and I have to say that this movie still holds up. It's eerie and creepy from the opening shot; the dreams were David Lynch/ Twin Peaks-like. The whole entire film was a slow burn to the end.
The ending is so good, the reveal that her son is a demon is everything and more; everyone yelling "hail satan" is too funny.
The chase sequence was so intense and suspenseful. When Rosemary locks the door and goes to use the phone and two gentleman walk pass the doorway, I felt so helpless for her. The fact that her husband, doctor, and everyone around her has been gas lighting her felt so horrifying.
Overall, I really enjoyed the film and I really thought that I wouldn't have. The music was good and the character development was very good. I'm curious about how people from around that time reacted to the satanism. There's a lot of things from Rosemary's Baby that remind me of Hereditary.
P.S. HAIL SATAN!
Underwater (2020)
Lame
I went into this movie only knowing that it was filmed in 2017 and finally being released in 2020. I know it's not the producers fault (studio changed licensing) but the fact that the movie took its sweet ole time to be released is a telltale sign that it's not going to be that good.
Anyways, on to the movie. First off, what's with the random lame slow motion? Just every once and a while they felt the need to include a slow mo shot. Second, the script was kinda meh. It didn't really flow too well, I know, I know, it's just a crew trying to get from one station to the next, how much dialogue could there possibly be? Well, if I was trapped underwater with little to no visibility, I would be communicating what I see, what's ahead, if everyone was alright, what's the plan etc etc. A lot of people are complaining about the color grading and I didn't really have too much of a problem with it. It's just a greenish hue, which kinda fits the deep underwater theme. Also, the guy who died at the beginning when his helmet cracked, why didn't he say something so they can organize another plan? I mean clearly the scientist chic was scared of going outside the station so she could've easily stayed behind and wait for the others to bring help back. I'm also curious to how much the pods can carry? Certainly two 110 lb girls can fit into one pod right? I'm sure they have plenty of workers down there that are bigger than both those girls combined. I get it, there has to be a big final sacrifice so we can have a hero.
With all that being said, I do have a few good things to say about Underwater. First off, when KStew was being eaten by that hydro predator thing, that was pretty cool how she was able to escape with the flare. I also like when she shot up the flare out into the abyss and we get a reveal of the Cthulhu. That was mega dope.
Overall, a somewhat okay film with okay action. I wouldn't recommend for people to really sit and watch but it's a good film to watch and it's airing on TNT and there's nothing else to do. Even with that, I'd still try to find something else to do.
Hereditary (2018)
What is there left to be said
So Hereditary. I've seen this film a handful of times by now and each time I seem to be finding more and more detail throughout the background. The name Ari Aster speaks for itself and he is one fine up and coming film maker.
As a horror movie enthusiast, trails seem to be the death of a movie for me. If i am interested in a film I tend to watch the trailers over and over again to the point where I could theoretically map out the entire movie. But with Hereditary, each chapter offers something way off from what I though was about to happen. Each scene offers something for the audience to grasp at and boy did it deliver.
More on the movie. I LOVE the Kubrick like use of the camera and the style in which we follow the characters from one room to the next; it's very satisfying to watch. The use of darkness really helps seal in the dread of this family as one by one they are being "sacrificed". The scene with Charlie (you know the one) was unexpected, like I kept thinking to myself "no she's going to be alright, theres no way THAT just happened", and then two shots later we see the aftermath; brilliant. The scariest scene to me was when Annie (the mom) was chasing Peter (the son) up the stairs and into the attic. First of all, Annie came out of nowhere from the shadows of the living room (which might i add, was surrounded by naked people) and started running down Peter. He somehow evades her and closes the attic door behind him. And here's the scariest part, we heard something banging over and over and it cuts to Annie banging her head on the attic door like an 90's metal guitarist. On top of that a few scenes later, we hear some sort of crunching/slushing noise. The camera pans up from Peter and it's Annie floating from the ceiling and working on beheading herself with a piano wire. She starts off slow and works the wire back and forth faster and faster (meanwhile Peter jumps out of the window lol) until her head completely falls off and we hear a thud. That final 10-15 minutes are some of the most intense and horrifyingly graphic piece of cinema I have ever witness and I watch a lot of horror movies.
I cannot rave about this movie enough and I wish horror was more mainstream and appeal to a wider audience.
With that being said, it's a damn shame and a travesty that Toni Collette did not get an Oscar nomination from her terrific acting in this. Her screaming, "I JUST WANT TO DIE", hit real deep in me. This is one of the greatest horror achievement this decade and I would even spread it out to this century.
Overall, this is a must see film regardless of genre and has a ton of rewatchable factors. There is so much detail that you miss the first time (or first several times) you see it and it doesn't get old.
Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (2019)
Page 28
I want to start off by saying that the final 10 minutes of the film is one of the best I've seen all year and 2019 had a lot of good ones. Heloise portrait with her kid and her finger on page 28 got me feeling some type of way. And then the emotions that Heloise was displaying while she was watching/listening to the orchestra was devastating. I'm not sure if she knew that Marianne was there or not, but for sure she remembers her old friend/lover. She doesn't regret the pain she's feeling about losing her lover but she remembers the first time Marianne played that piece for her on the piano (harpsichord?). The way Heloise looks at Marianne while she was playing was when, I believe, was the first time she wanted to kiss Marianne.
The ending scene was my favorite but a close second would have to be the bonfire scene; the cinematography was so good here. We follow the three characters and Heloise slowly falls behind the flames of the bonfire and now we are left with Marianne and Sophie. We see other girls paired off talking to each other, Sophie acknowledges one of them. Sophie and Marianne get to the nurse(?) and receives the news that she is still pregnant. Sophie follows this by downing a bottle of wine; I love the comedic relief that has for this tense sequence. Out of no where we hear a tension filled humming that sounds like a string was about to snap. This is the second time all movie that we hear music (there's only 3, I think). Heloise mentions earlier that she doesn't get to hear a lot of music at this place; I'm guessing the director wanted music to be sparse so that the audience could relate to Heloise when hearing music. Anyways, the humming gets louder and louder (right now my heart is racing) then two of the girls start singing, followed by two more, then three more. We finally see Heloise again on the opposite side of the flames and she locks eyes with Marianne; her dress catches on fire but she doesn't seem to care/notice. Fire is the universal symbol for love/passion and they both realize that they are in love with each other. The dress on fire implies that Heloise knows that she's in love but doesn't care about the consequences (she's to be married in a few days) and how their love is inappropriate and that this can only end one way, pain.
The Orpheus/Eurydice is the call back for the film's story. After Marianne hugs Heloise for their final goodbye, she immediately makes the poet's choice and runs out to keep her lovers memory pure. Before Marianne could make it out of the door, Heloise calls for Marianne from the steps above. Marianne is forced to turn around and make the lover's choice and see's Heloise in her wedding dress; throughout the film we see Heloise in her wedding dress but every time Marianne turns around, Heloise would disappear, she finally see that their relationship is over and Heloise is really going to get married.
I'm disappointed that France did not put this film up for nomination in the Best International film category for the Oscars.