euro_xo

To start off, it's nice to see the differences in characters of the family via these highlighter episodes, moving away from just Ramy himself. It gives more depth to all the different struggles portrayed, which is appreciated.

Focusing on Maysa here, we're faced with an immigrant mother who speaks her mind perhaps a bit too freely - to the point it can get uncomfortable for those on the receiving end. This episode stood out to me due to my own experiences with my family... The writing just perfectly encapsulated the experience of being around a person like this.

Nonetheless, it's isn't about Maysa's inappropriate comments that gets me, it's the way that her character is written so unapologetically - Maysa is who she is, with all her faults and misunderstandings. There's an authenticity to her not being portrayed as a hero who finds enlightenment through, say, the LGBTQI+ community. It's great that the nonbinary topic was brought to light in the episode, but it would have been disingenuous to have Maysa all of a sudden be a textbook-definition "ally".

That authenticity, more broadly, is what I think is so refreshing about the show overall.

It's a little weird to (re-)watch this film in 2025, where AI is becoming more and more relevant and places like r/myboyfriendisAI exist. The acting is great - Phoenix, Adams, and ScarJo in the background.. no notes. As for the substance of the film? It deals with artificial intelligence from such a human point of view. This isn't a negative or positive thing - the film showcases the humanity behind the AI, and that's the point. At what point do we draw the line for relationships with other beings, human or otherwise? Is it a matter of emotional or physical connection? Nevertheless, "Her" is a well-made, ahead-of-its-time film, with a great cast and a well-founded story. As an audience we discover why we're lonely, how we reconnect, and what makes us human, after all.

I genuinely mean it when I say that Mo Amer brought a gem of a story to the screen. Following the life of a Palestinian-American in Houston, Amer brings a lot of his own real life biography to his titular character. The dialogue is sharp and witty, the acting is sincere, the writing is great. The show brings to the forefront a lot of plights that immigrants or refugees have to face - think bureaucratic nightmares and the harsh reality of deportation and ICE. I especially appreciated season 2, even if a little heartbroken by the end. All throughout the show I was laughing one moment and crying the next - in the best way possible. There is so much authenticity, empathy, and humour surrounding the show, honestly it's just beautifully done.