2 Films That I Can’t Stop Thinking About
No, this is not about Sinners, buuut I did watch so many films over the past couple of weeks! *mini spoilers*
Summering (2022): An Introspective Outlook On The Transitions to Teenagehood Through The Eyes of the “Younger” Gen Z.
Reason: I saw the theatrical poster floating around while looking for something to watch, and I just decided, "Why not?" The film is about four best friends, Lola (Sanai Victoria), Dina (Madalen Mills), Mari (Eden Grace Redfield), and Daisy (Lia Barnett), who go on an emotional/mental/spiritual journey to discover themselves + the meaning of friendship on their last weekend of summer vacation after finding a dead body at their favorite spot. This coming-of-age story takes a strong approach to how social media, film, and the average true-crime television shows have impacted the childhood of "younger" Gen-Z and Alpha kids.
Their distinctive upbringings are immediately heightened through their personalities once they find the dead body. Dina (a two-parent household, yet her mother is apprehensive about how all media forms affect her daughter's mental health) is the first to take charge and find clues about who the person is (well... was). While hesitant, Lola (who has an artistic/carefree, spiritual mother) eventually caved in and even decided to do a seance to learn more about him. Daisy (separated parents, though her mother is a nonchalant and distant cop) was naturally agreeable for the most part, and Mari (her mother is overprotective and, one could say, is a "helicopter parent") wanted no part of this mission. However, after Dina threw her phone onto the street (there's context for this, I promise), she had almost no choice but to join the girls.
They use tactics they've seen on true crime shows and the infamous Law and Order: SVU series (I genuinely think almost everyone my age and under has a special relationship with SVU or even Criminal Minds), and are acting like real detectives for their young age. Everything they've grasped from these shows works, and they discover who the person was at the film's end. Yet, underneath this murder mystery, the girls have many in-depth conversations about growing up and transitioning to middle school as teenagers. For them, this is where life starts, getting older and separating from the friends they've grown up with, as childhood and teenagehood feel different. Neither of the girls wants to be separated from the group; they find comfort in each other and don't want to start over. As different as these girls come across throughout the film, their shared fear brings them closer. As I watched this, I wondered how different life has become for these girls. My last weekend of summer vacation before middle school was in 2013 (wow, it's already been over a decade), and I mainly spent time with family.
Still, I was moving to a different county for middle school and wouldn't see my friends anymore. I didn't create an Instagram account until 2014, my second semester of 6th grade, and even then, I didn't find most of my elementary school peers until my sophomore year of high school (2018). Even after having every form of access to technology to stay connected to friends through social media (with FaceTime and iMessage included), these girls still feared change. The relationships we build due to proximity, no matter what generation and technological advancements we have/had, impact our lives. These young girls have built the emotional capacity and vulnerability to be honest about what's coming, tackling temporary discomfort for long-term relief— something I find admirable about my generation. I love indie films like this.
Mississippi Masala (1991): A Beautifully Shot Film That’s More Than Just Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury in An Interracial Relationship.
Reason: I watched Mississippi Masala sometime in late March and wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. The film is about Mina (Sarita Choudhury) and her family having to be forcefully removed from their home in Uganda by dictator Idi Amin. They relocate to Mississippi to start a new life in America, which becomes a challenging journey for our main character. As Mina takes this time to find herself and avoid any arranged marriage opportunities, she meets Demetrius (Denzel Washington), a young carpet cleaner—the two fall in love despite their families' protests over racial and cultural differences. At first, the secret love affair between Mina and Demetrius is simple. Mina finds Demetrius charming as they continue to learn about each other. The chemistry between the two is undeniable, from the late-night phone calls, walks on the beach, meeting Demetrius' family for his grandfather's birthday, and their romantic getaway at Biloxi. Demetrius and Mina were living in pure bliss, as one should when they meet a compatible lover.
That is, until the feud between the two families and their communities constantly pressured their romance, with Demetrius losing clients for his business after getting arrested for beating up Anil (the owner of the hotel where Mina and her family work) when they got caught at the beach. Jay, Mina's father, has had difficulty assimilating into American culture as he misses his home in Uganda. His lawsuit with the Ugandan government is his focal point in the film, as the political divide has cost Jay his home and his peace (which unfortunately leads him to not trusting Black people (or just the fact that Jay (and the people he knows) is racist for like 50% of this film… we can call a spade a spade here)). After having a heated debate about race in America with Jay, Demetrius ends the romance with Mina.
His father reminds Demetrius that he has a business and a community to care about, alluding that Mina is a distraction. In Demetrius's eyes, for him to fall in love with an Indian woman makes him an outcast, and the social acceptance he yearns for (just a little bit) is important to him. Mina is not worried about her family and community's opinions about this relationship because she is already an outcast. However, the love Mina and Demetrius have for one another is greater than any fear they hold, and they decide to flee Mississippi to start their life together. Mina and Demetrius confront their parents about their decision through separate phone calls, and the families respect their wishes.
The film's best parts were the acting, color grading, locations, and pacing. While interesting at times (given that this is the early 90s), the dialogue wasn't too bad. It scratched the surface with the political commentary, and the writing could've been stronger. They could've challenged the dynamics between Black people and solidarity within other marginalized groups in America (as that seems to be a prominent theme throughout this film). Yet maybe the writers only wanted to dip their toes in the pool vs. going whole body in. Perhaps I was expecting (and maybe even yearning) the writers to go deeper when it comes to solidarity between marginalized communities, especially between Black Americans and other POC. I may do a more extensive analysis of this film for a different time – short and simple for now! My favorite scene is the sunset walk on the beach with Mina and Demetrius.
Now I did have another film about Sex And The City: The Movie (2008), buuuuut I’m going to save that for my separate project on the franchise and its connection to 3 other related series — so stay tuned :)!
Where To Watch:
Summering (2022): Hulu
Mississippi Masala (1991): max (though I still say HBO, because I’m not saying “mAx” all the time. We all know it’s HBO Max! The lowercase doesn’t make any sense to me either.)
Coming Soon:
How Janet Jackson’s 20 Y.O. Album Helped Me See The Start of 23 Differently
3 Shows That Were Canceled Too Soon
Why Moonlight Is Still My Favorite Movie of All Time
Where To Find Me: