Reel Talk (For Real)

This episode was recorded earlier this year in March. As we both have been going through major life transitions, we had put recording and editing on hold for a few months. We realize that these consistent delays in releasing our episodes have been too frequent and prolonged that it's no longer funny to jest about this in our episode description (or maybe it still is a little funny...) but trust us, we are now back (for real). We have a real conversation about Yorgos Lanthimos' vibrant and outlandish 2023 feature Poor Things, starring Emma Stone, Ramy Youssef, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo and Christopher Abbott. We discuss the wonderfully eccentric humor of the screenplay and the controversial creative decisions that came along with it. We also, rather enthusiastically, defend a more dignified and dare we say more accurate feminist reading of the film against the less generous critics and detractors. As with the movie itself, this recording was clearly a fun time: you're never too old to laugh at juvenile quips and observations.

We're really bad at getting these episodes out in a timely manner huh... but better late than never! We have a real conversation about Celine Song's 2023 indie hit Past Lives, featuring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro. How fateful it is that the both of us are situated in New York and Korea - just like the protagonist Nora and her childhood sweetheart, Haesung. Unlike them, however, we don't struggle with the interpersonal tensions of an ill-fated, cosmically destined romantic relationship that is never to be. We discuss the intricacies of the premise and touch on the nuances of how language is used in the film, as well as some of Eun Sol's gripe with Greta Lee's Korean. Will you be rooting for it at The Oscars this Sunday? We reveal our thoughts and impressions about the film, and our takes on whether or not it is deserving of the Academy Award.

We have a real conversation about an underrated gem from 2022: Joyland, by Pakistani screenwriter and director Saim Sadiq. We discuss the writer-director's deft filmmaking in realizing the tensions and misfortunes of a patriarchal society. We also point out the jarring developments in the story, admonishing the infuriating decisions of all the repressed male characters. When we go on tangents in our conversation, we celebrate Salina's purchase of her first car. *This episode was recorded on August 6, 2023.

Three years since his last feature film release, David Fincher returns with a technically impressive and highly entertaining installment to his "broken-and-disturbed-characters-searching-for-meaning" series of movies with The Killer, featuring Michael Fassbender, Charles Parnell and Tilda Swinton. We brazenly discuss the appeal of Fassbender's hypnotic voice as the narrator and briefly delve into an exchange about what makes a film art. There will, of course, be critical comparisons with John Wick and what distinguishes Fincher's craft from more mind-numbing and high production action movies, but don't let that deter you from listening to our conversation if you are, by chance, a John Wick fan.

We have a real conversation about Martin Scorsese's highly anticipated 2023 film, Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons. We discuss the film's narrative depiction of a highly charged historical moment in American history, recalling details and images of scenes from the movie that left a lasting impression on us. We also consider the "love story" that is the underlying beat of the movie, reproaching Marty for his classic sleight of hand of subverting viewer expectations with the slow evolution of his morally grey and corrupt characters.

We revisit and have a real conversation about a movie that we are both deeply fond of: After Yang by Kogonada, starring Colin Farrell, Justin H. Min, Haley Lu Richardson and Jodie Turner-Smith. We gush over Colin's performance, explore the fragility of memory, and discuss the difference between feeling and thinking about a film. Just as with experiencing the film, it's a little challenging to describe our discussion using written words... you'll just have to hear it for yourself.

We took two weeks to edit this episode just to cut down on one additional hour of audio and we think it was worth it… perhaps Christopher Nolan can take notes for his next movie with the runtime? We have a real conversation about Nolan's much anticipated biopic of the year, Oppenheimer, starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr. and a host of other familiar faces from Hollywood. We discuss the film as an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning biography "American Prometheus" and praise the compelling performances of the cast, speculating on Cillian's possible Oscar nomination… but when was the last time the protagonist of a Nolan movie has ever been nominated for the Academy Awards? 

The long-awaited episode on Barbenheimer is here! Except… it's just Barbie, for now. We have a real conversation about Greta Gerwig's Beloved, Banging, Blockbuster Box office hit of the summer, Barbie. With inspired observations about the Barbenheimer phenomenon in New York City and strong grievances about annoying teenagers at a Korean theater, we uncover how one's cinema-going experience can truly make-or-break the overall viewing experience of a film. But really, this episode is Salina convincing Eun Sol that Barbie is a film worth adoring… and it's fair to say she succeeds. Huh. Did we just refer to ourselves in the third person?

We have a real conversation about Kelly Reichardt's 2022 film: Showing Up, starring Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, John Magaro and Andre 3000. Reminiscing about pottery we've made in primary school and relating to the trials and tribulations of walking the path of an artist, we share our impressions about this quiet little film that has flown under the radar for most mainstream movie-goers since its release.

Hello world! We're just two cross-continental childhood friends who find joy in watching and talking about film. Join us as we document our spontaneous but sometimes stimulating thoughts as we have real conversations about the most recent movies we've watched. FYI -- we're making this entirely possible with amateur recording equipments (ahem, our iPhones as microphones and good ol' GarageBand for putting this together).