pedrolupusmalus

Abbott Elementary is an absolute gem of a show. If you've ever set foot in a classroom, especially with young kids, you'll instantly relate to everything about it. I live in Brazil-different country, different culture-but somehow, every single moment still feels incredibly familiar.

The characters are so well-written that you can easily see yourself or your colleagues in them. Every school has a "Gregory," a "Janine," or a "Melissa." It's a mockumentary, but the writing is so sharp and authentic that you sometimes forget it's not a real documentary.

And Quinta Brunson-what a genius. The fact that this show came from her mind just proves her brilliance. Abbott Elementary is hilarious, smart, and refreshingly real. I can only hope it continues for many seasons because this fourth season, in particular, has been absolutely flawless.

Emilia Pérez has sparked significant controversy, and for good reason. From the outset, the lack of Mexican representation like a glaring oversight. The French director's admission that he didn't feel the need to research Mexico, paired with the casting director's claim that no talented Mexican actors could be found, only adds insult to injury. These choices reflect a tone-deaf and dismissive approach to authenticity.

What's even more baffling is how Emilia Pérez managed to garner so many Oscar nominations. While the Academy has a history of nominating films with problematic undertones (The Help, Green Book), those at least offered stories that entertained broad audiences. Emilia Pérez, however, doesn't even accomplish that. The story is dull and lifeless, so much so that out of three of us who watched it, two fell asleep, and the third decided to switch to another movie.

To make matters worse, Emilia Pérez is a musical - but not in a good way. The songs are forgettable at best and cringe-worthy at worst, and most of the cast can barely sing. The musical numbers, which should have been a highlight, drag the movie down even further.

That said, there are a couple of redeeming elements. Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón deliver strong performances and truly don't deserve the backlash tied to the film's broader issues. Their nominations are the only ones that feel genuinely earned. Unfortunately, the rest of the film is a mess.

Overall, Emilia Pérez is an underwhelming, uninspired production that fails to justify the attention it's received.

I had high hopes for this concert movie, especially with Olivia Rodrigo being such a promising young artist on her second album. Unfortunately, I found it to be quite disappointing, largely due to the sound mixing. It feels like the production was more focused on showcasing the hysteria of her fans than highlighting her performance.

Throughout the film, the audience's screams overpower the music. Her voice is mixed so low that it's almost impossible to enjoy her singing, even after trying every equalization setting available. This issue completely undermines the experience-after all, this is a concert movie, where the music should be the star. Instead, I found myself watching a visual spectacle with subpar audio.

What makes this even more frustrating is that Olivia can sing, and from the faint glimpses of her voice buried under the crowd noise, she sounds great. It's baffling that the sound design obscures her talent. If this were an attempt to mask a lack of vocal ability, it might make sense-but that's not the case here.

Ultimately, I don't know if I'll even make it through to the end. The audio quality is just that bad. For a project meant to celebrate a musical artist, this felt like a major missed opportunity.