So I've mentioned one of my new favorite podcasts before. Its called Blacklist Table Reads. They do readings of the best screenplays that still have not been made into movies. I loved their first read, Balls Out, it was a really great comedy. This one is a drama. I'm not super into dramas, but this one is an interesting subject that is pretty cool. It isn't necessarily something I would have watched myself had it been made into a regular movie. Like, not something I would have chosen to go to the theater and see or take the time to watch on tv... but thats what I like about this podcast. It forces you to step out of your comfort zone and listen to different movies.
This movie is about the difference between Hasidic Jewish community in Brooklyn and the Hipster community in Brooklyn. The writer of this script (they do very interesting interviews with the writers every movie) mentioned that she used to live in Israel for 2 years, and then she moved to Williamsburg Brooklyn where there was pretty much one intersection where you could see both ends of the spectrum and it was really interesting. Anyway, this story is a coming of age tale of a young man from the Hasidic side of the community "falling in love" with a girl from the hipster side of the community... that is kind of how they describe it on the Blacklist's website and there is definitely a romantic element to the story... but I feel like its more about Darren Criss's character trying to break away from the Hasidic Community because of a tragedy in his family more or less. Now that he's older he sees the way that things really are and he realizes that his family and friends are ignoring a lot of issues and a lot of bad things that are happening basically... which is when he starts to break away.
So I did really enjoy this movie, it was well written... but there were some things that kind of lost me on this table read and also if this did get made into a movie... I think they would need to rework some parts. I guess that happened with Balls Out too. Some parts were a little slow in that looking back, and then the end felt a little rushed. I thought that this movie was paced well... some things at the end I thought were kind of "out of left field" and some things I thought "ohh that end was a little rushed." I liked the way that it ended though and I thought it was kind of beautiful and... there is no way this was going to have a happy ending... and it kind of didn't and it kind of did. In some ways I think they could have gone wayyy darker and it'd be brilliant or they could go a little lighter and it would also be brilliant. I guess there was no real wrong way to end this movie... but I felt no closure by the ending in this read. Again, that isn't necessarily how the movie would have ended if it had been made, they probably would have reworked some things and done things a little differently... but for the sake of this review, I wanted a bit more closure from the end. I don't really want to give anything away because I really think you should check out this podcast but the end was quite abrupt. And it did focus mostly on the romantic element of the film... but there were so many characters I was more concerned about that didn't get the closure that I wanted... it was a little heartbreaking to say the least.
The performances were really good... I wasn't the hugest fan of Darren Criss in his role at first... and I'm a big fan of Darren Criss. I think he's awesome and really talented and I want to see him as Hedwig... but idk something about him in this role at first had me thinking it wasn't his greatest performance... but I still ended up liking it in the end and I don't know anyone that would have necessarily been better. I really do think he gave it his all and its probably a really difficult character to play. Especially since he Just got done playing a Gay Singer that was still kind of a Leading-Man type in Glee and now he's playing Hedwig on Broadway... which he started pretty much right after the table read he had his flight. Those are two very different characters than his character in The Other Side... so thats something to think about.
At first I also don't think I was crazy about Hannah, The love interest's performance... but as the show went on I ended up really liking her. I think it was more the character I didn't think was the most interesting at first... but I think she had some really cool arcs in the story, and I think if they did a movie and even expanded her situation a bit more, I'd really like it. And the person that played Hannah was actually the author of the script... so that's pretty cool. I liked that a lot.
And...yeah. Don't think this is a movie I would have picked to go see... unless Darren Criss really was in it... as I said I'm a fan lol... but I ended up thinking it was really interesting and really unique. It was interesting and the big message of it was to not ignore problems. If there is something going on in your community that isn't okay, don't ignore it. Definitely say something and hopefully there will be some form of justice... more so than in the end of this movie (slight spoiler).
So yeah! I hope you guys check this podcast out because I like it and its pretty eye opening. Next month they are doing a comedy... so my review will probably be more specific and less dark and grim.
Ohhh yeah, the other thing! I mentioned last week, its a little hard to pay attention to a podcast about a movie and do something else. Usually I like to clean my room and listen to podcasts and things like that... this movie I had no trouble. I was fully intently listening the entire time. It definitely kept my attention and I really liked it.
Byeee!
-Shannon
This movie is about the difference between Hasidic Jewish community in Brooklyn and the Hipster community in Brooklyn. The writer of this script (they do very interesting interviews with the writers every movie) mentioned that she used to live in Israel for 2 years, and then she moved to Williamsburg Brooklyn where there was pretty much one intersection where you could see both ends of the spectrum and it was really interesting. Anyway, this story is a coming of age tale of a young man from the Hasidic side of the community "falling in love" with a girl from the hipster side of the community... that is kind of how they describe it on the Blacklist's website and there is definitely a romantic element to the story... but I feel like its more about Darren Criss's character trying to break away from the Hasidic Community because of a tragedy in his family more or less. Now that he's older he sees the way that things really are and he realizes that his family and friends are ignoring a lot of issues and a lot of bad things that are happening basically... which is when he starts to break away.
So I did really enjoy this movie, it was well written... but there were some things that kind of lost me on this table read and also if this did get made into a movie... I think they would need to rework some parts. I guess that happened with Balls Out too. Some parts were a little slow in that looking back, and then the end felt a little rushed. I thought that this movie was paced well... some things at the end I thought were kind of "out of left field" and some things I thought "ohh that end was a little rushed." I liked the way that it ended though and I thought it was kind of beautiful and... there is no way this was going to have a happy ending... and it kind of didn't and it kind of did. In some ways I think they could have gone wayyy darker and it'd be brilliant or they could go a little lighter and it would also be brilliant. I guess there was no real wrong way to end this movie... but I felt no closure by the ending in this read. Again, that isn't necessarily how the movie would have ended if it had been made, they probably would have reworked some things and done things a little differently... but for the sake of this review, I wanted a bit more closure from the end. I don't really want to give anything away because I really think you should check out this podcast but the end was quite abrupt. And it did focus mostly on the romantic element of the film... but there were so many characters I was more concerned about that didn't get the closure that I wanted... it was a little heartbreaking to say the least.
The performances were really good... I wasn't the hugest fan of Darren Criss in his role at first... and I'm a big fan of Darren Criss. I think he's awesome and really talented and I want to see him as Hedwig... but idk something about him in this role at first had me thinking it wasn't his greatest performance... but I still ended up liking it in the end and I don't know anyone that would have necessarily been better. I really do think he gave it his all and its probably a really difficult character to play. Especially since he Just got done playing a Gay Singer that was still kind of a Leading-Man type in Glee and now he's playing Hedwig on Broadway... which he started pretty much right after the table read he had his flight. Those are two very different characters than his character in The Other Side... so thats something to think about.
At first I also don't think I was crazy about Hannah, The love interest's performance... but as the show went on I ended up really liking her. I think it was more the character I didn't think was the most interesting at first... but I think she had some really cool arcs in the story, and I think if they did a movie and even expanded her situation a bit more, I'd really like it. And the person that played Hannah was actually the author of the script... so that's pretty cool. I liked that a lot.
And...yeah. Don't think this is a movie I would have picked to go see... unless Darren Criss really was in it... as I said I'm a fan lol... but I ended up thinking it was really interesting and really unique. It was interesting and the big message of it was to not ignore problems. If there is something going on in your community that isn't okay, don't ignore it. Definitely say something and hopefully there will be some form of justice... more so than in the end of this movie (slight spoiler).
So yeah! I hope you guys check this podcast out because I like it and its pretty eye opening. Next month they are doing a comedy... so my review will probably be more specific and less dark and grim.
Ohhh yeah, the other thing! I mentioned last week, its a little hard to pay attention to a podcast about a movie and do something else. Usually I like to clean my room and listen to podcasts and things like that... this movie I had no trouble. I was fully intently listening the entire time. It definitely kept my attention and I really liked it.
Byeee!
-Shannon
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