Runaways

Currently, 326 pages, and 159, 293 words in book one of sci-fi trilogy, hopefully will finish it before the end of the year. So can start revising, and begin book two. Or just jump over to the other novel.

Finished watching Marvels: Runaways on Hulu. I agree that it is in some respects more enjoyable than The Gifted, mainly because I don't like the Struckers. Realized this recently while reading the comments to yourlibrarian's post on The Gifted. Runaways unlike the Gifted doesn't have any characters that irritate me. It's also less circular in structure and the plot seems to evolve and move forward, propelling the characters along with it. The Gifted often feels like it goes in a circle. I sort of wish, Runaways was on Fox and the Gifted was on Hulu, but oh well.

Runaways is very similar to Brian K. Vaughn's comic book version. It's about a bunch of teens who discover that their parents are super-villains. Except here, the parents sold their souls to the devil, but other than that seem to be decent human beings. They got caught up in a conspiracy with an alien who manipulated them into doing things in exchange for specific benefits. Now, they are sort of paying the price. Their kids, however, just think they are super-villains.

The first season or approximately six to eight episodes show their relationship with their parents, how they discovered it, and what they decided to do about it -- along with solving a murder.
The name of the series refers to the teens and the people their parents killed.

It's not a bad series, but I'm not certain it's worth subscribing to Hulu.

The Big Sick - film review

Just finished watching The Big Sick on Amazon Prime. This is a Judd Apatow rom-com based on the real-life courtship between Pakistani-American born comedian Nujiani and his wife Emily. The male lead is played by Nujiania, and Emily's parents are portrayed by Holly Hunter and Ray Ramona. It's surprisingly good, not at all that funny, although there were a few laugh-out loud moments. Does provide insight into the Pakistani/Muslim community.

One of the better films I've seen -- but like all Apatow produced rom-coms, it's sort of an anti-rom com. And told completely from the male perspective. On the plus side -- Emily is not portrayed as some super-model, nor are any of the characters. The film, again, much like most Apatow films goes for realism. People aren't pretty, the apartments aren't lovely, and life is frustrating.

I put it in the same category as LadyBird -- hyper-realism. While I think Ladybird is the better film from a visual and writing standpoint (funnier and made me cry), I think The Big Sick is a tad more innovative, takes bigger risks and has a lot more to say.

In some respects The Big Sick reminded me of the film "When You Were Sleeping" but it was far more realistic, and far less emotionally manipulative. (ie. Better done.)

It's about a Pakistani-American comedian who falls for a white woman, but can't quite be with her because his parents expect him to marry a Pakistani girl. He breaks up with Emily (the white woman), and tries to do as his parents expect. Continue to meet the women they set him up with. But, one night, just after his been selected for a big audition to get into the Montreal Comedy Finals, Emily is rushed into the hospital. And Nujania is called by her roommate to sit with her -- since no one else can go, and no one has her parents number. He ends having to sign the medical release to ensure she gets the care she needs...and has to contact her parents.

What a set-up. The film is more about his relationship with her parents and how he deals with her sickness...then it is about anything else. Hence the anti-rom com. We've got the romantic build-up and then, well...the hospital time.

It's also, as I said before, in the category of "hyper-realism", where the film-makers are attempting to recreate reality on film, as opposed to escaping from it or providing an impression of it. There's no real metaphors, it's quite literal.

I'm admittedly not a fan of "hyper-realism" -- because I don't always get the point. I see reality every day, why do I need to watch it in film or read it in a book for pleasure? That said, sometimes, as in the case of The Big Sick, it can be provide a glimpse into an point of view that is separate from one's own. And you can see the world from another angle, also laugh at it and ourselves.

At any rate, if you haven't seen it? Highly recommend. One of the better films that I've seen this year.