Ron: Welcome to a new Stereo Geeks Special. I'm Ron.
Mon: And I'm Mon.
Ron: Today we'll be sharing some super special film recommendations. Why are we doing this? Well, it was a request from our mum. She wanted a few film recommendations because she doesn't get that much time to watch all the TV shows we talk about. So here we are. We’ve got six recommendations today. We've divided them up into three categories: Netflix dramas, heist films, and sports dramas.
Let's kick it off with one of our Netflix dramas, The Forty-Year-Old Version. Please note this is not The Forty-Year-Old Virgin. That is a different film. We are talking about Radha Blank’s The Forty-Year-Old Version. This came out in 2020. It was written, directed and is starring Radha Blank, who plays a playwright in New York who hasn't broken into the big time by the time she's 40. Her students don't respect her. She's struggling with the loss of her mom, and then she rediscovers her love for rap and her world starts to change.
I’d heard so much about this film, but I thought that it was one of those really serious movies so I was like, during the pandemic, I can't do it. But I ended up watching it, and it was great! And it wasn’t serious. Yes, there are some dramatic moments, but there's a lot of levity, as well. There are some extremely cringy moments where you're like, oh no, the poor protagonist! But you kind of understand where it came from. It was just a really, really good movie.
Mon: This film was on my list for a long time and I'm really glad I eventually watched it. It's quite aspirational, it's a feel good film, as well. I think, you know, we're at that age where we’ve realized that you don't peak at high school, or at the age of 20. You can still discover, rediscover, and achieve things way beyond 40, 50, 60. That's what I like about this film a lot. She is somebody who thought she had really achieved success, and now she is in a bit of a rut, but she still follows her dreams, and more than that, she realizes that it's okay when your dreams change, and it's okay to still reach for those dreams, whether they are different or not.
Ron: Yeah. I really like that aspect of this film that you don’t have to be one thing just because you've been doing it for a while. And it's okay to have a day job. That's one of the things that we've really struggled with. Everybody says, you know, do what you love. Unfortunately, doing what you love doesn't pay the bills. And this film really captures that. Because Radha is a playwright, but she's not getting those gigs. She has to go to some extreme lengths to actually get her play approved, and even when that happens… those scenes during the rehearsals, you could see yourself in them. And you could see why she couldn't change anything. There were so many wonderful little beats throughout the film that made you realize what is going through her mind. Even though she's not saying anything.
Mon: That's what I really liked about this film, that there are some really powerful messages in the film, but they're not told to you. You feel them, you think about it, it's very thought-provoking.
Ron: There are also a couple of little love stories that happen during the film. One of them is between her students, and it's kind of foreshadowed right from the beginning. And you're thinking, why are these kids like this and then you realize, oh, okay, now I understand. But I also like the fact that Radha also kind of gets a love story of her own, and it's very unexpected, but it's a lot of fun, and it adds nuance to her character.
What I like about how they incorporated it in this film is that the romance doesn't take away from Radha. I’ve often noticed that with female characters, the moment romance comes into it, everything about their story becomes about that. Radha in The Forty-Year-Old Version is so much more than just a playwright, just a new rapper, just a teacher, more than just a person who's lost her mom, or being a friend, or somebody who's falling in love. There are so many aspects to this character and I'm just like, how do we not have more films with a 40-year-old woman of color in the lead, who has so many aspects to them? This is just a great movie.
Mon: Absolutely, I really enjoyed it. I'm glad it's out there. So, the next movie on our list is also from Netflix. It's called Moxie. It came out in 2021 and is based on a book by Jennifer Mathieu. It's a film directed by Amy Poehler. So, in Moxie, teenager Vivian fights back against the sexism in her school by creating a zine, and eventually attracting more of her fellow students who enact real change at her school.
I was honestly surprised by this film, and it shocks me that Moxie did not get the kind of promotion and hype that Booksmart did. Because it really does call to mind everything that Booksmart did. It's a different story, very different characters. Admittedly, it's not as tightly edited or as well-written, but it is the kind of film that I think the young generation of today will really take a lot away from. I wish that there were more of these films, because they’re trying to tell you to break the mold, to not just go with the flow because that's how it's always been. And I really found that with Vivian because as a protagonist, she's really a blank slate. She's quiet and cowed. She doesn't have much going for her, but suddenly this new character, Lucy, she comes into the school, and she starts questioning everything. And that makes Vivian wake up and realize that she should be questioning things too. And the funny thing is that she finds inspiration from her mom, which again is great, because I don't think moms get enough credit.
Ron: Especially in films about teenagers, the moms are so often the bad guys in these films, whereas, for a lot of us, our moms are really quite inspirational.
Mon: Yeah. I think what I like about Amy Poehler’s character, she plays Vivian’s mom, she's not in it much, but she has her own life. She's so busy, she has to get food on the table right? But it's what she's done in the past and how she talks to Vivian about all the things that she believes in, and she used to believe in and that really gets Vivian going even more. And I really like that Vivian starts this secret zine, it's very powerful, it's got a lot of people talking, but there are still different dynamics between all the characters. Some people are, yes, they’re for it, but they can’t take action. For example, her best friend, Claudia, isn't all that on board with the zine, and then we find out why. So, there's so many different layers to who these characters are and how they react. I love the character of Seth, who is essentially the love interest, the one male character in the movie who’s actually a good guy. But you really need a film like this to introduce a character like that, who is not in your face about what he's doing, but he's quietly doing the right thing. And he supports Vivian, but he is also a person in himself, so he does have those moments where it's like, can we talk about something else? Can we do something else?
Ron: Yeah.
Mon: And there's, of course, the music. Not as much as I would have liked probably, especially because Vivian’s mom was part of a band, so I would have liked more music. But it definitely has some really cool, cute moments, but it's very difficult to watch, right? I would say it's pretty difficult to watch. It's got some really heavy subject matter for a YA film. But then again, it's probably speaking to the audience in a very real fashion that I think a lot of rom-coms and teen comedies just haven't.
Ron: Yeah, absolutely. There are also a few characters of color around Vivian which makes it a little bit more accessible to larger audiences. There are also some really adorable queer characters which made me really happy because they have very sweet stories, as well. And I think, generally, despite how heavy some of the subject matter is, it's handled quite tactfully. So, yes, you feel it, but it's not enough to make you say, you know what, I can’t go on with this film. And I think the ending is very cathartic so that definitely keeps you going. I'm quite happy that young people are getting to watch films like this. I really wish we had stuff like this when we were kids. But anyway, at least somebody is getting it. But we need more.
Mon: Yeah.
Ron: So, moving on to our heist movies.
Mon: And now we're going like, way back in the past, huh?
Ron: Way back. In 1996. We've got Set It Off. Jada Pinkett-Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Blair Underwood, John C. McGinley, and Kimberly Elise. We've seen so many of these people. They have had amazing careers. But this was way back when, and they were kind of starting off. I have to say that I had not heard of this film, but a lot of people started talking about it last year on podcasts, and I can see why. It's basically a film about systemic racism costing some of these characters their jobs and their loved ones. So, these four best friends start robbing banks, all the while they're planning this huge heist.
The film is directed by F. Gary Gray, who has gone on to make loads of very important films, and it was written by Takashi Bufford and Kate Lanier. It is a really gripping film! When I was listening to the podcasts talking about this film, I was like, okay, it sounds fun. I like a good heist film. But even though I knew exactly what was going to happen, it did not prepare me for the actual events of the film.
Also, can I just say that a film set in 1996 is so painfully relevant today. The events happening in Set It Off, they’re happening right now.
Mon: Yeah, I have to say that I did not expect this movie to be so sad in so many instances. But at the same time, without those realistic, rather heartbreaking, moments I don't think the stakes would have been high enough.
Ron: When you have four ordinary women going to rob banks, something needs to have been the catalyst for that action. And, yeah, some really, really bad things happen. I love the pacing of the film. It has its own rhythm, and you can almost see where it's going. But then that end sequence happens and you're like, I did not expect that. And as I said, I already knew what was going to happen, and I still didn't expect it to happen!
Mon: Wow, that's amazing.
Ron: Yeah, some of the really hard-hitting final moments, I was just like, no, no, no, let it not happen and then I saw what actually transpired I was like, oh yeah, the podcasts said this was going to happen, and it was just like, no, why?
Mon: This was a fabulous film. I think the fact that it is quite tightly edited and quite pacey comes down to the fact that F. Gary Gray has a resume full of music videos.
Ron: Okay.
Mon: And it really comes across. There are some scenes which are edited and lit in a fashion that is very reminiscent of music videos, especially of the 90s. And, of course, he has gone on to make Fast and Furious films, at least one of them. So, there is that angle that comes in when you have the chase sequence. When you're watching a film like this, you can't disassociate the fact that you have four Black women who have so much at stake, from the fact that the system is grinding them down. And I think that it's actually a smart move to have that sense of realism in something which is a little bit fantastical. It reminded me a lot of Widows. When Widows came out, how come nobody talked about Set It Off?
Ron: Yeah, I have to agree with that because everyone was talking about Widows like it was something unique and, Widows is a great film, but Set It Off did happen, and this is a really, really well-made movie. I don't know why it just disappeared.
Mon: I'm quite surprised because there is definitely one scene in this film that Widows kind of copied, or at least was inspired by.
Ron: Ooookay.
Mon: Let's be honest, when you see it, you will know. These characters were so, so good. Each one has their own personality, they sort of steal the scene in unimaginable ways. Queen Latifah. She is such a baby in this film. I mean, she hasn't changed much in all these years. But, you know, the gravitas and the credibility that comes with her performances now, as opposed to this vivacious, larger-than-life character that she is in Set It Off, it's quite different. But she is so magnetic. I absolutely love character.
Ron: Yeah.
Mon: The one person who really surprised me was Kimberly Elise. I don't think I've actually seen her in much else. And this was her first film, it says ‘introducing’. She was so good.
Ron: She was.
Mon: She was so innocent, so sweet, and she really came alive in that one scene, you can call it The Godfather scene, you'll understand the significance of that when you see it. That scene for me was the clincher. It's still so rare to see female characters really enjoy pop culture, really enjoy being something else, having fun. And the reason why Kimberly Elise really stole the scene was because she is so naturally uncomfortable with what she's doing but she's having fun. You have to have those kinds of characters to play the foil to these other more confident characters. This is such a great film. I'm shocked I hadn't even heard of it before.
Ron: Yeah, I mean, what was happening in 1996 that we didn't even see this on our televisions? Like I'm just thinking to myself, I had the biggest crush on Queen Latifah when I was growing up. Had I seen this film, it would have blown my mind. I am so upset. But honestly, like, queer rep back in the 90s? I can't believe it. I'm just like, why didn't we get this movie?
Mon: Yeah, well, it's no longer forgotten. All of us podcast hosts are talking about it.
Ron: Yes, totally. And definitely watch it. It is such a great thing film from start to finish, it's so good.
Mon: Okay, so there's a moment at the end of Set It Off that really made me think of another film, and that was 1991’s Point Break. Everybody has probably seen this film, everybody's probably seen this film a lot more after 2012’s The Avengers. But I watched it for the first time recently, and you know what, I was blown away! First of all, this film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, and if anybody ever says, again, that women can't direct action, they should be stopped. This is in 1991, and she is known for The Hurt Locker? She has a very short resume? I don't understand.
This is such a thrilling movie. Look at the cast. Keanu Reeves. Lori Petty. Patrick Swayze. Gary Busey. Are you kidding me? Oh yes, and John C. McGinley, who is also in Set It Off playing a very similar character.
Ron: Oh my gosh, that's insane.
Mon: That dude was typecast during the 90s. I didn't even realize both our heist films had John C. McGinley. And that was completely by accident. I forgot he was in it. Okay, so anybody who doesn't know what Point Break is about, a quick primer. So, Johnny Utah is a young FBI agent and he has to go undercover to track down a gang of surfers who could be behind these serial heists. So, these heists have been undertaken by a group called The Ex-Presidents, and they're known as that because they wear the masks of several ex-presidents. Now the problem with Johnny getting in with this gang of surfers is that he suddenly starts seeing them more as friends rather than targets. So, what happens when his two worlds collide?
I have to say, the action is so good in this film. And I think it's because a lot of the stunts were done by the actors themselves, so you don't have these choppy cuts, which take away from the impact of those scenes. There's a chase sequence, there's an amazing skydiving sequence. I love those.
Ron: That skydiving sequence was so good! I could really feel it.
Mon: Yeah, and you can feel the joy. You can feel the horror. It’s really good. And the fact that there's a lot of ups and downs, twists and turns, and it has a lot of everything that people love in films, It has heists, it has romance, it has betrayals. Everything's in it. It’s really tightly-edited, which I really enjoyed. And okay, you know what, the movie stars Keanu Reeves. I think that is the main selling point.
Ron: He's really quite sweet in this movie.
Mon: You know, the thing about Keanu Reeves, even now, I would say, now that he's synonymous with John Wick more than his other characters, he has a versatility in his ability to act, that really helps him play different kinds of characters, and even different kinds of characters in the same film. So, for example in this one, he is a dogged and determined FBI agent, he's trying to prove himself because this is his first case, but he's also like this innocent, newbie surfer, he doesn't know anything about the surf culture, he doesn't know what he's getting into, and he's also you know, puppy love, and everything. So, he can play all those and you really believe him, and he doesn't have to emote too much. That's what I’ve always liked about him. He doesn’t go all hammy and stuff. So, I have to say that he is a huge draw for this film. As if anybody needs an excuse.
Ron: So, moving on to our sports category. Now, we use the term ‘sports’ very loosely here. Our first film in this category, Love and Basketball from 2000, does have a lot of sports in it. Basketball plays a huge role, along with love.
So we've got Sanaa Lathan, who plays Monica and Omar Epps who plays Q. The film is written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood - this was her first film - and she would later go on to make Netflix's very big hit, The Old Guard.
Mon: I cannot believe that this was her first film and she wrote and directed it.
Ron: I know.
So, Monica and Q are neighbors, they’re friends, and they love basketball. They have an on-again-off-again romance throughout their life. Basketball brings them together, but it also tears them apart. And that's pretty much what the movie’s about.
I was, again, hearing a lot about this film. A lot of people were talking about it, and I thought, finally, let's watch it. And, it’s a really good movie. I was like, you know, romance is not our genre, but you know what, this is not really that much of a romance film. It’s definitely not a rom-com; and people do love rom coms, the two of us just never have got into the genre. There's a lot of drama in this film. And I think that's why it works. In the hands of anybody else, they might have tried to play around with certain elements and make it a bit more comedic - make it a bit more accessible - to certain groups of audiences, but the way Gina Prince-Bythewood has done it, completely different. It’s a very linear storyline, but I love the fact that it's structured as the four quarters of a basketball game. And that actually tells you a little bit about what you can expect. I also was surprised at how believable the love story is. When they come together and when they grow apart, you understand why it's happening. And you're always rooting for them.
The thing about when I'm watching, especially heterosexual romances on screen, most of the time it’s so forced. Like you're being told that these two people need to be together. In this movie, it doesn't feel like that, because you see them with other people, and you're like, you know, this other person is really nice but they don't quite get Monica and Q the way that Monica and Q get each other. And that's what really makes this such a fun film to watch because you know what you want from it, and the film kind of gives it to you.
Also, the ending. Why do we not get more films that end like that. Are you telling me in 2000 we had a film that ended like that, and somehow all movies after that haven't been following suit? What's going on?
Mon: Yeah, that subversive ending was shocking to me. And the reason it was shocking was because, why aren't more people talking about this film? Why does Gina Prince-Bythewood have to create a Netflix film based on a comic book for people to remember her debut. And this film is just so good. It's so fun. There are so many amazing character dynamics, there's so much catharsis. And it's not just about the romance, it's also about these two characters trying to figure out how they fit into achieving their own careers, how they fit into their own families, how they fit in with each other.
And there's the dichotomy between the men's basketball game as opposed to the women's basketball game.
Ron: Yeah,
Mon: There's just so much in this. And it’s still, at the end of the day, a romance. But for anybody who is wondering why this director ended up making a comic book film from all things, there is one scene on the basketball court, that is just phenomenally done. When I saw that scene, I was like, ‘Maybe we should have had the entire movie like this.’ It is so cool. Let's just say POV shots need to be done like that one. This was a revelation.
Ron: Yeah, I wish we had got us to see it earlier, because it was a really really enjoyable film. It was very very unexpected. There were certain moments throughout when I was like, I really did not think that this film was gonna have them and yeah it was a surprise throughout. Really enjoyable.
So, as we said, sports is a loose description for this category, but that's where our next entry fits in.
Mon: Right! So look, this was a surprise for me because I was unsure about watching it, but Mortal Kombat, 2021 is a lot of fun.
Ron: [Laughs]
Mon: It is entertainment from beginning to end. Yes, it's a bit gory, yes, it's silly and stupid and it's a video game and who cares, but if you want two hours of genuine fun, tune into Mortal Kombat. I have not played the games…
Ron: We never got the games.
Mon: Also true. In our defense.
But this is a nice little introduction into the world that we've heard so much about. Lewis Tan plays Cole Young, and he is basically our audience stand-in. He doesn’t know anything about this world that he is suddenly dragged into, but he has to figure it out. Cole Young is down on his luck fighter who finds himself embroiled in the Mortal Kombat, which is an intergalactic battle. But if he's to participate, he needs to get his powers, but what are they and how does he find them? Well, he gets a lot of beat downs and bruises on his way to achieving his powers.
Okay, this is a fantastic cast, and I really like that there are a lot of Asian cast members in here. Chin Han is in this movie, what is he doing here? There’s also Tadanobu Asano and Hiroyuki Sanada. These are like veterans!
Ron: Yes.
Mon: And we have seen them everywhere. For them to come and join Mortal Kombat, and to really play up their roles - fabulous.
Ron: Anything with Hiroyuki Sanada is going to be fantastic. That's just… we’re just putting it out there.
Mon: Exactly. I completely agree with you. And he has a really nice, long, extended scene in the beginning of the film.
Ron: So good.
Mon: So good. Though, I have to say, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han/ Sub-Zero, he is very magnetic.
Ron: Very good.
Mon: So yeah, aside from that we also have Mehcad Brooks as Jax, who is kind of under done.
Ron: Yeah, a little bit. I feel like he could have had more to do here.
Mon: Yeah. Jessica McNamee plays Sonya Blade. Kind of a cool character. I really wish she’d had a few more action sequences here.
Ron: I see what they were doing with the character but yeah I feel like there was potential to have a bit more action for her.
Mon: Yeah, it's actually quite disappointing that Josh Lawson's Kano got way more screen time, and way more character arc than Ludi Lin’s Liu Kang and Max Huang’s Kung Lao. Because those two, they're cousins, they had amazing chemistry, I really enjoyed watching them sort of riff off each other and work with each other. I kind of really wanted to see more of them in battle.
Ron: Those two characters, they really brought the film alive to me, because they know this world, they're very familiar with what they're doing. They're basically the teachers, and we don't get enough time with them before things happen.
And Kano, I don’t know. Like he was okay but I felt like there was way too much of a focus on him, especially because they didn't really do anything that different with the character. His storyline was pretty much what you expected.
Mon: Yeah, I think if they’d cast maybe somebody with a bit more screen presence, or maybe who was just a little bit different, maybe we would have been drawn to the Kano character a little bit more. But I think this person was just too obvious.
Ron: Yeah.
Mon: I'll agree with a lot of people that a character like Mileena, who is probably the most famous character from the Mortal Kombat games, really didn't have much to do. And she was not on screen all that much, she wasn't as scary as she is in the games. So yeah, I was also a little bit disappointed. I kinda expected her to have this really big boss fight. Like, she's kind of like a big boss, even though she's not.
As people who didn't actually have much of a connection with this story and this game, we enjoyed this film for what it was.
Ron: Yeah.
Mon: Entertaining, diverse, very cool looking, and you know what, sometimes you just need something that’s diverting. And just mindlessly fun.
Ron: It was really funny how the entire timeline was split on how they felt about Mortal Kombat. There were some people who were like ‘This is the best thing I've seen. This is exactly what I need right now in the pandemic.’ And there were other people who were like, ‘This is rubbish.’ And I was just like, I don't know where I fall in this because we haven't seen anything. We haven't seen the previous movies, we haven't played the games, but when I watched it I was like, ‘this is fun’. I’m gripped. I want to see what's happening. And maybe it's because we have so little connection, so everything that we were watching was new to us. But I thought the characters were fun - they had great dynamics. The stakes felt high, and most of the time the action was really really good.
I have to say it is quite gory, and apparently the version that we saw is far less gory than what was actually shot, because some of the props of the used on-set were so gory that the poor actors used to feel ill. So, we get the tame version.
Mon: Which I am happy with.
Ron: But you know, the CGI gore and stuff, it doesn't bother me as much as it used to. I’m like, okay.
Mon: Yeah, I have to say, I feel the same way as you. Maybe because we are now used to the fact that it is CGI.
The only original character in this film was Cole Young. And I know a lot of people are a little bit upset because Liu Kang should have been the main character. And it would have been fun, I think, to have somebody who's in the world. But then again, the film may not have been as accessible for people like you and me, who don’t know anything about Mortal Kombat.
Also, Lewis Tan as Cole Young is a great character. He is so sweet, he has an adorable voice…
Ron: He has such a lovely voice. Like that, complete all-American voice that he has just brings you into the film.
Mon: Yeah. And also, I feel like you do sometimes need a character like that who is partly innocent but also very good at what he's supposed to be doing. And he has that hero's journey where he has to find something - he has to achieve a goal - and that made it more accessible to me. And a little bit more fun.
Ron: Yeah, and I love the fact that it's not just about Cole. He's part of this group, and they have to work together to actually make a difference. I love group dynamics, and we get really good ones here. So it was a really enjoyable film. Everybody has different opinions, but we had fun.
Mon: Yeah.
Ron: So, there you have it, our six film recommendations. Hope you enjoy them, mum. What have you been watching? Let us know.
Ron: You can find us on Twitter @Stereo_Geeks. Or send us an email [email protected]. We hope you enjoyed this episode. And see you next week!
Mon: The Stereo Geeks logo was created using Canva. The music for our podcast comes courtesy Audionautix.
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Transcription by Otter.ai, Ron, and Mon.