WeView

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This is a Norwegian movie about a woman in her late 20s trying to figure out what she wants when it comes to her career, her relationships and I suppose life in general. However, she's indecisive and pretty impulsive so it leads to doing some damaging things. This movie is super indie, if that word still works to describe things. It's very plain life stuff, following mostly normal people doing mostly normal stuff. While the main character is crappy at times, we've definitely all met a bunch of people just like her. It's good! I don't have that many thoughts. It's was mostly a fun, sometimes funny movie to start. It was poignant and thoughtful in the end and I really appreciated that. There are no happy bows to wrap anything up, but it was interesting to live in her shoes for a few hours. Mostly this movie made me happy with my own life. I think that review undersells it, so I'll add that it feels smart and artful and i...

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This is a historical-action movie that follows a group of women warriors who help liberate their kingdom in Western Africa from an oppressive, evil empire. White Europeans also factor in this as bad guys, and they have to overcome them as well. I have conflicting thoughts about this one. It is similar to movies I like such as Gladiator and Braveheart (okay I don't actually like Braveheart) and Viola Davis is without a doubt the highlight. She is phenomenal and makes as good an action hero as Crowe or Mel Gibson. How much did she work out for this role?? She looks like a Greek god. Anyways, the action sequences are solid (about as violent as Lord of the Rings, which is a nice middle-ground). There is some nice character drama, a few nice twists. The setting is really amazing (I really love non-western period stuff), the costumes are great, the African tribal music adds a lot, and then the accents all just make this an authentic-feeling African...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) After this book sat on my to-read shelf for nearly an entire year, I impulsively looked it up on audiobook and listened to it in a single day. It's a fascinating concept--from the point of view of whales, who hunt humans because humans hunt them. In this book whales are highly intelligent and even quite developed, with tools and cities and language. The story revolves around a hunting party of whales coming across a shipwreck, finding a human, and going on a journey to face the "devil," Toby Wick. It's a short book, illustrated, which makes it feel like a children's book, but it's also quite bloody and dark. I found it really interesting--a look at the demons we create, the way we rationalize killing and war, and the utter vastness of the ocean. Especially considering we do know that whales are highly intelligent animals, and yet we don't factor that into our killing of them at all (though granted the whale killing ...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) What's that? A high fantasy murder mystery about a sad, lonely gay elf? Say no more!! Seriously though, in many ways this book was tailor made for me. It's the sequel to The Goblin Emperor, which I really enjoyed last year, and I think I liked this one even more. I'm incredibly fond of the main character, and I want things to go well for him SO BADLY. It has the same (maybe unavoidable?) downsides as the first book, mainly that it's quite dense sometimes and there are so many characters that I just can't keep track of, but it's much shorter and therefore didn't feel so intimidating. I loved the world building and character development, and I loved the theme, like in the first book, of finding your place and finding people who love and appreciate you, and finding warmth and happiness in your life when you thought it wasn't possible. I'm very excited to read the next book and am looking forward to spending more ...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) The Winds of Winter may never come, but this book was a salve during the wait, a chance to get back to Westeros and remember why these book are so beloved. This is 3 shorts stories following Dunk, a hedge knight who was forced into knighthood when the old knight he squired for died, and his squire Egg, a bald confident little boy with some connections to the wider world. It was such a pleasant read, and honestly so different from ASOIAF. That book is basically all crappy people, with a couple characters getting redeemed that you can root for but for the most part bad things happening to all the good people. Dunk is a gentle giant, a sweetheart in a 7-foot frame, trying to figure out loyalty and honour and pass it on to Egg. The first 2 stories were great, with some classic short story conundrums that reminded me of The Witcher in a lot of ways. Dunk is just so loveable, honest to a fault and always thinking he is stupid for doing the right thin...

⭐ 6.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) This is a Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movie, similar to You've Got Mail and other 90s rom-coms. It was not good and I have no idea how any could like this movie. First of all, the leads spend basically no time together. Tom is a widowed dad who is depressed and Meg Ryan is a spunky lady with a great fiance but isn't feeling the "magic" she keeps hearing about. She stalks Tom after hearing him on the radio, and he is resistent to his son's attempts of finding love for him. There was one scene I thought was funny, but other than that I wouldn't call this a comedy, and the romance all happens in the finale scene and I just thought it was so stupid. I have the same gripe about You've Got Mail. The girl has a great partner and basically cheats on him emotionally, pursuing another guy from afar. And in both movies eventually she admits it, the other guy is totally cool with it and is like, ya, maybe you are right. What!? It's ...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Let me tell ya, this game has had a hold on me since the new year. I have transformed into Kratos, always trying to lift things around the house and yelling while I do it (and also signing God of War, may your hammer be mighty). The thing this game gets so right is that it is immensely satisfying to be in control of a Greek god for fifty hours. It somehow feels good every time you lift a giant boulder or pull a tree out of the ground. I don't know what kind of alchemy was performed on this game to make Kratos feel so tangible, but if it's simply controller vibrations and camera work, kudos to them. The first God of War game in this series came out in 2018 and was praised for its narrative and gameplay. I really liked that game, but to get the negative out of the way in this review, I'll just say the narrative didn't work for me then, and totally does not work for me now. To be certain, the acting performances are great, especially...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This show is classic HBO. It takes a premise I have no business caring about, and through sheer filmmaking brilliance has you on the edge of your seat. Essentially, you are just following a few rich people as they vacation at a Hawaiian resort. In the beginning, there is a flash-forward where you see a dead body, so there is a bit of mystery there, but otherwise you just follow people as they do mostly normal vacation things as the dead body doesn't really factor into the main plot. Usually I say the only thing I want in a tv show is a good guy who wants something. This doesn't have that. Almost all the characters are bad, or at least incredibly annoying. There is a humor factor for sure, with great portrayals of like, the super liberal white girl or the douchey finance bro. But mostly it's just incredible acting to make you interested in weird people. Jennifer Coolidge was incredible (and got awards I think) and Murray Bartlett was m...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Stefan is a journalist who decides to spend about three years diving into the world of competitive Scrabble playing. This book is about his journey to reaching the expert level in Scrabble, while he also talks about different aspects of Scrabble, like the history of the game and its rise in popularity. A big portion of the book is focused on several big names on the American Scrabble scene, and while Fatsis admits he tended to choose to write about some of the more interesting and colourful characters of Scrabble, he didn't have to try very hard to find interesting people. Scrabble people are WEIRD. There are a few parts of the book I kind of skimmed when he was talking an aspect of the game or tournaments I wasn't interested in, but the world of Scrabble is a pretty fascinating place. I barely even play or care about Scrabble, but I am interested in obsessive and weird people who devote themselves to niche things, so overall I really ...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) I haven’t felt this way about a new artist and album in quite some time. I first heard the title track on TikTok and loved it but only downloaded that song until my friends told me to check out the whole album. There is a song here for every emotion and different things you’re feeling. It is hopeful and depressing and fun and loud and dancey and just perfect. I feel like this music perfectly captures the PNW in a great way. I think there is a song or two on here for everyone and he could make a fan out of all of you. I have a different favourite song every week but I think the standouts are Stick Season, Halloween, and The View Between Villages.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) This is book 2 in the Broken Earth trilogy. It’s definitely way slower going than the first, as one of our main characters stays in one spot the whole time. But we have a new POV from her daughter and it’s so intriguing. The connection they have is incredible to read about as both mother and daughter get stronger. There was a moment in the book when the character describes their abilities as magic and it sent a chill down my spine. I can’t explain it but it was so good and captivating. This book is pretty depressing but incredible at the same time. As I was telling joe, I don’t have to defend these books to anyone, they speak for themselves.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I watched this show a decade or so ago and thought it was hilarious so I convinced Jess to watch it with me. The moment the first song came on was a true "I promise it gets better" moment. This show is funny, but it sure is weird, and although the songs stick in your head, they are awkward as hell to watch with another person. And yet? The songs are the parts that stick out the most. Not a day has gone by where I haven't found myself singing "if you're into it," or "Doggy Bounce." Otherwise, the deadpan humor is always great. Murray is a clear mvp for me, and any band meeting in his office is A+ stuff. Truly Kiwis can say anything and it will always be funny with their accent. Jess hates Mel, but she kills me every time she's on screen. So yeah, I still love this show, but there are definitely a lot more misses than I originally thought. I still really liked it, but I think season 2 is a bit more consiste...

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This is a movie where Owen Wilson is staying in Paris with his fiance as he works on his novel. He's a successful screenwriter, but wants to get into the finer arts and is in love with 1920s Parisian culture. I thought this movie was okay. The premise is pretty cool (there is a lot more to it than I said), but the romance was totally bland and uninteresting, especially because this is considered a romance movie. I thought there were some good laughs, especially with all the pretentious Parisians, and I also somehow came away with a better appreciation for that era. But otherwise this movie was a little forgettable for me. Great shots of the city tho.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This was our Valentine's pick this year. How could we go wrong? It's right in the name! And while I thought this was a pretty good movie - a great one at times - it is perhaps not the right one for Valentine's. This one features Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams as a couple, cycling through modern day where their marriage is falling apart, and the past when they first met and electricity is in the air. Both parts are super effective, the past being quite irresistible, and modern day being quite excruciating. It feels real, in a sense, though it made me thankful for my own marriage. So much could be avoided if they just talked to each other!! This movie is hard to recommend because it is quite sexual and uncomfortable. I think it's necessary to explore how sexuality factors into relationships, but it was hard to watch and we actually had to skip through parts. It also explores stuff like how kids effect things, how alcohol factors...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) After watching Three Pines, I was very interested in reading some of the Inspector Gamache books, starting with the first one, which wasn't covered in the show. I loved it! It was a very classic cop mystery, but really dove deep into the cast of characters, into human nature, etc, and I LOVED the setting, which is smalltown Quebec. It was really vivid and atmospheric, and I enjoyed the little local details and the look into French Canadian culture. Inspector Gamache was really likable himself and, I think, a great example of non-toxic masculinity. The cast was diverse without feeling forced, and the story hit on some really interesting topics outside of the main plot. I'm really looking forward to reading more!

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I read this because my friend Fredrik Backman recommended it as a great Swedish book recently translated into English, and I trust him. It revolves around a community of Sami people, who are an Indigenous tribe of reindeer herders in northern Scandinavia that face a lot of oppression. The main character is Elsa, a young Sami girl who witnesses her reindeer getting killed, and how it changes her life as she has to face the attitudes of others toward her people and the unfairness of how they're treated as their culture slowly disappears. I knew nothing about the Sami before this, so I learned a lot. It was fascinating to me that this tribe is facing discrimination for being Indigenous, even though they're white like other Swedes, but they have their own language, clothing, and culture. It was also frustrating to see how they're mistreated, and how others poaching their reindeer was brushed off like it was nothing. It's a beautifu...

⭐ 3.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Yeah this was not good, which was not surprising at all. Did anyone finish this because they liked it and not because it was fun to make fun of it? I'll probably never know.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This is a fascinating memoir with the subtitle "My Journey from Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman." And that's what it's about. Abby describes living amongst the ultra-orthodox Jewish community in New York, speaking only Yiddish and with absolutely no outside influence, but knowing all her life that she was a girl no matter what she looked like on the outside. The focus is on her childhood and mostly teenage years, when she was mostly at an all-boy's school where she was constantly getting into trouble for questioning what she was being taught. She draws clear lines between her doubts about God stemming from her doubts that God put her in the right body, and how that eventually lead her to question her faith and seek other knowledge and answers. It was so interesting to get a look into the life of ultra-orthodox Jews, and the life of someone who always knew they were trans even though they didn't have the word...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) Jess loved Big Hero 6 so much we instantly booted up one of the surprisingly many spin-off shows. This is six 10 minute episodes, each based around Baymax helping different people. A young girl getting her first period at an inconvenient time. A chef specializing in fish that develops an allergy. A lonely old woman with aches and pains. And then they all team up in the finale to help Baymax! Just a heartwarming mini series that had Jess melting with Baymax's tender and accurate care for real issues people have. We had it on while doing a puzzle and it was very wholesome.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) Um, does Disney make bad animated movies? I remember watching this in theatres and holding back tears, but as a more secure adult now the tears were flowing during this one. It is able to do the hero movie thing in a hero-saturated movie world, and still stands out. The setup is devastating, with family death like always, and Baymax as a surrogate brother whose design is to heal is so touching I feel like the writers were probably crying when the movie was pitched. I'll start with Baymax, because this is classic Disney and reminded me a ton of Wall-e on the rewatch. So little dialog, even less significant body language to show emotion, but he is completely loveable and instantly leapt in the ranks of memorable animated characters. Genius idea for a robot, in the physical design, voice, purpose, just everything. It reminded me of The Iron Giant as well, people trying to push him to be something he's not. So many great ideas in this mov...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) The quality of TV shows these days is out of this world. This show starts off as a divorced dad show, where his ex doesn't pick up the kids one day and it throws a wrench into his bachelor life as he tries to get over her. The first two episodes are basically this, with lots of sex and crazy decisions as his life spirals. Jesse Eisenberg is the lead, and it is a role he was born to play, believeable as a doctor moving up in New York City, but also resistant to the shallow friends and pursuits of his ex and her group of friends solely focused on money. Episode 3 is where this show elevates from a 7.5/10 to a 10/10. We flash back to their love story and it is beautiful, and tragic, and so believable (although both actors are clearly too old to look like university students). These characters are all so well written and performed, and when you start seeing things from both of their eyes you gain sympathy, but not completely. That comes later. This ...

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) Not a huge improvement from Season 1, but the last couple episodes were great. Feels like the show is starting to hit its stride a bit, with tighter character dynamics and more interesting episodes. I do think its creative and well written, it just does that thing that I don't like in comedies (New Girl did it a ton), where someone is like, "this reminds me of that time we..." and then it flashes back for 3 seconds to some out of context thing that they think is funny, and it is actually never ever funny. Alec Baldwin has really started to own the character of Jack this season, and I found his arcs to be the funniest. Shout out to Jason Sudeikis, when he shows up the show hits another level.

⭐ 4.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) It was so bad :') Only my loyalty to National Treasure the movie compelled me to finish it. It's just bad. (But Riley Poole had a cameo!)

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) I watched this movie last year and really enjoyed it, and only really intended to read the book because I'd found it at a book sale for a dollar and it was sitting on my shelf. Today on a whim I downloaded the audiobook and listened to all 6 hours in one day. Maybe it's all the Edwardian non-fiction I've been reading recently, but this story got me in ways I REALLY did not expect. I know E.M. Forster was a gay man himself, and I felt like the portrayal of a gay man in Edwardian England was incredibly, heartbreakingly authentic. I have a lot of feelings about this story, but I'll just say that it made me weep a little bit, alone in my room, and leave it at that. “Did you ever dream you had a friend, Alec? Someone to last your whole life and you his. I suppose such a thing can’t really happen outside sleep." TEARS. (This story has a happy ending, by the way! Forster couldn't publish it until after his death because of it! ...

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) I thought this one was just fine. I think I was expecting more gut wrenching heart breaking stuff and I never really felt that deeply. There were definitely times of sadness but just never fully connected to the characters I think. Not bad, not great.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This is a rewatch of a movie I liked when it came out in 2016, but I think I didn't fully appreciate back then. It's a Denis Villeneuve movie and I think he has to be the best sci-fi filmmaker right now. This movie is amazing. The way it looks and sounds is up there with all the best. The way they build this up really got me. So much mystery and intrigue. The whole "offer weapon" thing is so chilling, though I guess that specific part never really gets paid off. In fact, there were a number of little plot holes that I had a few gripes with, like why she takes so long to ask them the question, and then of course the sci-fi element of knowing the future is a bit of a stretch. But altogether I really can't complain because how many amazing qualities this movie has. Aside from it's beauty, the movie smart and makes you feel smart, it has a great moral dilemma, great political intrigue, and a terrific sense of tension. Just a...

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Slop alert! This movie actually had some interesting qualities. Really cool costumes and music. There was also a moment where I thought they had a chance to do some unique things for Marvel, like have a cool exploration of revenge or explore some cool power dynamics. I liked the idea of the good guys being overmatched, and overcoming that, but not for good reasons. But who was I kidding? The insistence on safe storytelling won out and we got a very plain ending. Indeed, I thought this would be a cliche arc where two good guys fight, and then come together to overcome a growing threat. But instead, they just made up for no real reason, and that looming threat was just...forgotten about? Very weird. Anyways, this is too much analysis for a Marvel movie. It's fine. Fun watch, but glad I didn't spend money on it.

⭐ 6.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) Much like the only man in this movie, my job should be to sit and listen and not to give opinions. But this is WeView, so here comes the man who is like "woman talking is boring" and wants to tell you all the reasons why. So this one is about a Mennonite colony where the women are being raped by the men and they get together in a barn to decide whether they should stay and fight back, stay and seek forgiveness for their accusations so they can get into heaven, or flee. This is a great setup, and I was very optimistic that seeing this through the eyes of Mennonites would be provocative and moving, especially as a Mennonite. Well I hate to break it to you, but these women might as well be from any culture. The interesting parts of Mennonites being faced with this predicament, like their relationships with God and pacifism and a history of fleeing, are barely touched on. They look the part, and the setting was convincing, but hearing...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I forgot to review, but Becky said pretty much everything there is to say. This is a great twisty mystery without being gruesome, and a great follow-up to Searching.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Finally got around to watching this show after I saw it was on Disney+. It was everything I hoped for - funny, easy to watch, with likable characters. I had a great time watching and will definitely watch the next seasons.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) The real reason I read the last two books about the Nimrod Expedition were because I wanted to read THIS one, which bears the subtitle "Sketches of the homely side of polar life, by two of Shackleton's men." It's essentially a companion book to the official record of the expedition, centred around all the little stories and jokes and events that wouldn't make it into the official narrative, from two of the guys who lived at the hut on Antarctica but didn't join any of the major sledging trips to the poles. Murray was the biologist, and Marston the expedition artist. One of my main interests in polar exploration has always been the everyday daily life bits, which is why I voraciously consume diaries, and this was a PERFECT addition. Murray did most of the writing and is VERY funny, and Marston contributed a bunch of great illustrations. They go over the whole expedition, telling "yarns" and talking about life i...