Hello! This is a good newsletter, and you remain an excellent writer.
That being said,
[SPOILERS BELOW FOR NOT OKAY AND FOR EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE]
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I do have to disagree with the assertion that Not Okay is toothless, primarily because it doesn't allow for forgiveness for Danni for what she did to Rowan, which I felt makes it a lot gutsier than Everything Everywhere All At Once, which has been praised for its bravery in some circles, but which refuses to commit to Joy walking away from Evelyn and Waymond, and in the process puts the burden of forgiveness wholly on her by Evelyn basically cajoling Joy into staying even when she wants to walk away for her own mental health.
I really enjoyed that Not Okay emphatically did not give Danni that forgiveness, explicitly had Rowan basically tell her "there is no healing this relationship or taking it back to a good place ever again". Between EEAAO, Encanto, and to a lesser degree Turning Red and A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood (though in the case of the latter two, I understand the storytelling choices made there) I do wish more movies did, in fact, have the guts to go "the damage you have done is irreparable." Sympathy without forgiveness is a line barely any movies seem brave enough to try walking, and I very much appreciated Not Okay being willing to thread that needle, and, in my opinion, pulling it off.
Hello! This is a good newsletter, and you remain an excellent writer.
That being said,
[SPOILERS BELOW FOR NOT OKAY AND FOR EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE]
.
.
.
.
.
.
I do have to disagree with the assertion that Not Okay is toothless, primarily because it doesn't allow for forgiveness for Danni for what she did to Rowan, which I felt makes it a lot gutsier than Everything Everywhere All At Once, which has been praised for its bravery in some circles, but which refuses to commit to Joy walking away from Evelyn and Waymond, and in the process puts the burden of forgiveness wholly on her by Evelyn basically cajoling Joy into staying even when she wants to walk away for her own mental health.
I really enjoyed that Not Okay emphatically did not give Danni that forgiveness, explicitly had Rowan basically tell her "there is no healing this relationship or taking it back to a good place ever again". Between EEAAO, Encanto, and to a lesser degree Turning Red and A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood (though in the case of the latter two, I understand the storytelling choices made there) I do wish more movies did, in fact, have the guts to go "the damage you have done is irreparable." Sympathy without forgiveness is a line barely any movies seem brave enough to try walking, and I very much appreciated Not Okay being willing to thread that needle, and, in my opinion, pulling it off.