All Forms of Art

  Accepted (2006) follows Bartleby Gaines (Justin Long), a high school graduate who gets rejected by every college he applies to. To avoid disappointing his parents, he invents a fake university with the help of his friend Sherman (Jonah Hill, from Don't Look Up ) and pretends he has been accepted.  Things quickly spiral out of control when other rejected students join him, turning the lie into an improvised alternative college experience. What starts as a simple teen comedy slowly becomes something more reflective—without ever losing its light and playful tone. Easy Entertainment for a Sunday Afternoon This is a movie made for a relaxed Sunday watch. It doesn’t demand your full attention or emotional investment. There’s a bit of romance, a bit of laughter, and occasionally a bit of annoyance due to exaggerated characters and predictable jokes.  Still, its charm lies in its simplicity. It knows what it is and doesn’t try to be more serious than necessary. A Gentl...

Sex Education is a show about 16-year-olds and their lives in high school and at home. Most importantly, it is about their sexual development and all the doubts and awkwardness that come with it.   Otis and his sex therapist mother Otis (Asa Butterfield) is the only child of a sex therapist, played by a brilliant Gillian Anderson ( The Crown ). Otis is shy and can't deal with his mother's evident lack of boundaries.  Most teenagers' parents would never approach some topics the light way Otis' mum can. Despite his discomfort, Otis has more information about sexuality than most of his colleagues. With Maeve's (Emma Mackey) help, he becomes some sort of unofficial sex therapist for his classmates. Throughout his appointments, we get familiar with the school community. Many different topics around sexuality are explored in a funny, light, and open way.  You can spot a couple of not-so-accurate details throughout the show, but the goal...

From the very first episode, I found myself very fond of the characters in this show .  Autism is represented in a simple, general way. Nonetheless, with deep, meaningful relationships and without ignoring that, people on the spectrum have more in their lives than just a diagnosis.  [Spoilers ahead] Sam is a grown-up - what’s Elsa’s role now? Sam (Keir Gilchrist) has come of age, and it is time to go to college. A different environment, with different people and, most importantly, diverse and, perhaps, bigger challenges. Emancipation is hard, but he is ready. Elsa (Jennifer Jason Leigh), however… Sam’s mother is in a hard place about her marriage and her life. Sam doesn’t need her so much anymore, and she starts to feel lost. It’s quite common for parents, especially stay-at-home mothers, to start questioning the meaning of their lives and even the value of their efforts as soon as the kids stop being so dependent. It’s not difficult to imagine...

Atypical was a great surprise for me, a quite positive one at that.  The way they show and present autism, and a person on the spectrum with their own struggles, but also with every bit of usual teenage problems, just like everyone else, was for me a big step in moving forward.  It makes its contribution toward creating a more tolerant society and more informed people when it comes to autism. Family The whole story has a good structure. The way that this family, especially the mother ( Jennifer Jason Leigh), has her life revolve around her son’s problem is quite realistic. However, this is not just a show about disabilities. It’s a show about a family that happens to have a person on the spectrum in it. And most importantly, it shows us a realistic yet optimistic point of view, full of hope for many families out there. What does it feel like? By watching this show, you can have a closer idea of what a person on the spectrum might feel and think, an...

I watched this movie very recently. I hadn’t read the book, but I tend to trust Netflix ; it has some pretty good originals, and the trailer seemed cute, with a very sweet story.  Recently, most teen movies and shows have focused on their cruelty and how badly they can hurt each other. This one, however, is a beautiful, romantic movie about falling in love, and I enjoyed watching it. Emotions All Over While you watch the movie, you may feel emotional. It has a good script, focused on feelings and emotions. And it leads you to empathize with the characters and feel fully absorbed in their reality. Love is probably the first word that comes to mind after you watch it, but not only romantic love; the relationships within Lara Jean’s ( Lana Condor ) family are interesting and remarkably intense. You'll also be delighted by the work of Noah Centineo ( Sierra Burger is a Loser ) and Janel Parrish. It Didn't Disappoint I’m very curious to read the book , but ...