#2: ##5: Monster University

This is a movie I watched a couple of days ago and started watching at 12 am at night because I was really wanting to watch something nice and then fall asleep. I am happy I watched this movie.

This is a simple and a predictable story however some twists were a little unexpected - especially the one right at the end but I am happy it was that way instead of a conventional ending. This story is about a monster who does not seem scary but wants to be the scariest monster out there. The movie showcases how he goes against his persona to prove everyone wrong and later realizes how he was wrong but still does not give up. Mike, the friendly monster does end up being the most scary monster.

This movie also shows how Sullivan, another giant monster from a famous family is his direct competitor and has a edge simply because of the way he is. The competition eventually turns into a profound friendship.

Usually these movies show how hard work pays off in a final competition. But this movie shows that Mike wins this "final competition" because his friend Sullivan cheats in the competition due to his lack of confidence in Mike. This is a very unconventional twist for a feel-good movie to show how the main character is flawed in his belief. However, for it to be called a feel-good movie, it does end on a good and desirable note, the means of achieving his goals are not conventional. This makes the movie slightly special for me.

Let's talk about the characters.

Mike:

The friendly monster is a realistic character who dreams about things difficult for him to achieve and has a deviant self-image. Although it is because of this misconception that he achieves what he really yearns for else he would have been bogged down by the impossibilities long before he could try. The rest of the qualities of being a good cheerful leader and a "never-say-die" person are really predictable.

Sulley:
On the other hand, I like Sullivan's character because he is more adorable - but predictable. He has his own attitude problems in the start which he eventually learns to let go off. There is a mathematical character arc during the movie which is evident the moment you see the character for the first time but what he does to protect his friend is really sweet. He not only cheats but later confesses his crime which beats the whole purpose of cheating just out of guilt. He is a monster with a clear conscience and a friend to die for inside his giant and scary

#2: ##4: Frances Ha

I could personally relate to this story because the protagonist is just as crazy as I am, in a way. It's how a not-so-gifted dancer makes a series of bad decisions and then find a way to redeem herself but not leave dancing. I could feel the character, it's so real - the way she embarrasses herself, opens up to people and genuinely loves people she loves. She might not be my role model but has definitely something to teach me with her child like innocence and her natural optimism.



Plot:
It's genre is comedy but I don't know how. I found this more like drama but that could be just me. It's about how Frances is looking for a place to stay and experiences living with different people. She moves out of her first apartment she shares with her best friend as the best friend is moving in with her boyfriend. Then she lives with two guys, one of whom loves her truly and they act like old married couples as Frances says "We talk and we don't have sex." But because the rent is too high for her to pay and she loses an important employment opportunity at a dance company, she decides to move into another apartment with a girl who is very different from her. She moves out from there too eventually. While she is still broke, she makes a trip to Paris and turns down a decent day job only because its not about dance. She goes back to her college to find employment where she lives in a small room and works as a waiter as she is not allowed to work as a teaching assistant for dance classes. With an interesting incident, she decides to move back to NY city and take up the day job she had turned down, manages to teach dance to a few children and organize her dance show successfully and finally moves into a small apartment she rents for herself.

Here are some images that stuck with me after the movie.

I won't do the character portrayal for Frances. I urge you to experience it!

#2: ##3 The Lady Vanishes

A good thriller. As the name suggests a lady vanishes from a moving train. It is a simple story. The plot is conventional with its high points and low points. The way the mystery is built is quite engaging. All in all, a fun movie to watch if you can sit through the first 30 minutes of the movie.

Plot:
There is a young lady, Iris, travelling on a train back to Britain from another country. She get accidentally injured just before she enters the train and an old English lady offers to help her. The old lady is called Ms. Froy. She decides to be with Iris until she feels better. They are spotted together and have brief interactions with a couple of people on the train. Suddenly she disappears from the train. Iris is sure that Ms. Froy existed but not a single other person seems to recollect it.

 The story goes from the point where people are suspecting Iris to have suffered brain injury to her convincing one person who helps her eventually find Ms. Froy. In this process, they end up creating trouble for the entire train as there are a whole lot of people involved and it is a matter of international importance. They eventually help is saving Ms. Froy and also the people on the train.

For those, who love the details, here's the wiki link.

Alternate plot:
Since this story has a clear purpose, suggesting an alternate plot won't help. Although, it is possible that the movie could get to the inciting incident (when Iris realises that Froy is missing) much faster.

Characters
Iris:

She is young, beautiful and confident. She is shown to bribe the hotel manager to throw someone out of the hotel because she can't sleep because of the amount of noise the person was making. This is contrary to her behavior in the train where she goes to a great extent to make sure a stranger who helped her in safe. She can stand by what she believes in, even if she has no one by her side.

Gilbert:

He is a young musician and a teacher who is very smart. He knows how to deal with people who can hurt him. He believes what he sees and is quick to judge the situation. Although he is a smart man, he is also very kind and helpful and morally upright.