_{By: Amanda Guarragi}

When we think about soul mates, we believe there can only be one perfect person for us. But that’s not true. There are soul mates who teach us lessons and then walk out of our lives or those who stand the test of time whether platonic or romantically. If you’re lucky, you can make lifelong friendships with them. A strong friendship is the basis of any strong relationship, which makes The Swearing Jar such an emotional watch. Carey (Adelaide Clemens) and Simon (Patrick J. Adams) feel like the perfect pairing until obstacles and feelings get in the way. This film explores that life can’t always go the way you plan it to and that it’s okay to move on. 

The way this film is structured helps with understanding how Carey processes her relationships with two different men. The flashbacks show the person she was trying to be in one relationship and in the present day is who she indeed was. Carey was a songwriter and would express herself through lyrics, but once she got married that dream of hers slowly faded into the background. She took on this new role with her husband Simon; they never originally planned to have a child. But, as we all know, people tend to grow and think differently. The chemistry between Clemens and Adams was lovely. They were sweet and tender towards each other, they felt like best friends. 

Writer Kate Hewlett wanted to explore the complexities of relationships by separating Carey’s heart in two. She was with the man who made her feel safe and secure but fell for someone who shared the same passion for music as she did. Someone who didn’t feel stable, someone who was the opposite of the picture-perfect life she was leading. Carey made some questionable choices but she also followed her heart. Lindsay MacKay’s focus on Carey and how she navigated her feelings showed the balance between both relationships. It’s more of an internalized performance by Clemens but the pain she feels comes through her music and her reactions to everything around her. 

The Swearing Jar has strong writing and a unique story that has one woman exploring different forms of love. Carey goes through major life changes throughout this film. The songs helped structure her emotions at different stages in her life and they helped her pinpoint pivotal memories. It’s an intimate portrait of love, life and grief and how some moments can change someone forever. There are different ways to look at the issues Carey faces in this film and that’s why many people will be able to connect with her in whatever she may be feeling. Soulmates are hard to come by, so when you feel like you’ve met them, you will do whatever it takes to keep them in your life.

^{By: Amanda Guarragi}

Triangle of Sadness is one of the most unpredictable films this year and that is what makes it so fun to watch. From the beginning, you become locked in on the atmosphere and how director Ruben Östlund is making you feel. You are pulled into the fast-paced lifestyle of the modelling world and instantly understand the commentary on the fashion industry as a whole. That is the central focus in the first act but then grows into an overarching concept of privilege and how to survive in the world. When the two models Yaya (Charlbi Dean) and Carl (Harris Dickinson) go on a free cruise with other super-rich people it ends up sinking, leaving survivors trapped on an island.

What was so entertaining about this film is that the conversations about money and business were quite laughable. Everyone has their etiquette when it comes to spending money and working for it. What starts as a small dinner conversation about paying the bill turns into so much more as the film goes on. Yaya is an Instagram influencer and model who ends up getting everything paid for. She gets sent on holiday and brings her model friend Carl with her to take pictures of her. Together they develop a friendship (or more than one) and understand that it is more of a business transaction. Once they get on the cruise their relationship takes a backseat while Östlund shifts to the other characters on the cruise with them. They have all found success in different ways but the way they live their lives is somewhat questionable. 

The second act highlights the differences between the working class and the upper class in a humorous way. These privileged characters act a certain way on this yacht and the crew has to cater to their every need. But once the weather shifts on the ship, what transpires almost feels like karma for the way these characters were acting. It is truly one of the best sequences because it carries so much weight with the commentary on the upper class. Even though it’s a bit unsettling to watch, the conversations between The Captain (Woody Harrelson) and Dimitry (Zlatko Buric) play up the comedic moments while the madness is unfolding on the ship. Once certain characters get stranded on this island, the forced survival mode flips the power levels between the working class and the rich. Each act just adds to the determination to survive to be successful. 

Östlund crafted such a bold feature for Neon’s library because of how he combined the social commentary with three specific locations that would elevate it. The way it’s structured slowly builds into this grand finale that subtly shows the vicious cycle of trying to advance while privilege is not handed to you. It’s so engaging not only because of Östlund’s direction but because of how audiences can connect with the themes that are being explored. This cast worked together so well and each of them had such strong comedic timing to carry each act. Dean, Dickinson and Buric were standouts among the cast, but when Dolley De Leon stepped in as Abigail their world was flipped upside down. Östlund will leave you pleasantly surprised with his work and you will want to watch it again instantly. 

_{By: Amanda Guarragi}

Women have vastly different left experiences than men and they remember every little detail. Some women have suffered their trauma whether it be emotional or physical and those moments can give them a different perspective on life. Women become more intuned with their gut feeling and can see through anyone. In Moving On Claire (Jane Fonda), Evvie (Lily Tomlin), and Joyce were all great friends back in the 70s, until terrible things transpired, secrets were kept, and everyone drifted apart. Now Joyce has died and it’s time to set things straight. Only moments into meeting at the funeral, Claire informs Joyce’s husband, Howard (Malcolm McDowell), that she’s going to kill him. Evvie arrives late, upstaging Howard’s eulogy, and once she catches wind of the plan, decides to help Claire deep-six the old bastard.

Writer-director Paul Weitz structured the film quite well as each bit of information regarding Claire and Howard was slowly revealed. As a woman watching this you catch on early as to why Claire has a personal vendetta against her best friend’s husband. With each passing moment, Claire becomes more invested in her plan to kill Howard and she spirals. The only one who ever knew about that one horrible evening was Evvie. She understood the pain that she carried with her after so many years. They loved Joyce and to not ruin her happiness with her husband, they naturally drifted apart without her knowing the reason. What Weitz wanted to show in this film is that all of the emotional pain one can feel will manifest into something else. It’s hard to cope with a situation like that and to keep it in for years.

Naturally, Tomlin and Fonda are incredible together. They have this wonderful natural chemistry that made their relationship in the film believable. There are more secrets to be discovered between Claire and Evvie that are unexpected but make the connection to Joyce even better. Even though the film handles grief and trauma, Weitz found humour in some of it. There was this great balance between such raw emotional moments from Fonda to a quippy comeback from Tomlin that just worked so well. Weitz wanted to show audiences that no one just stops living because they’re older, these experiences stay with anyone and can still affect them at any age. It’s important to have films that highlight women reflecting on their past and trying to move on in their way. 

Moving On is a dark comedy that has two wonderful performances by Tomlin and Fonda. Claire and Evvie are two very fun characters that have plenty of life experiences to share with everyone. It’s the small moments between secondary characters that help shape the two leads. Fonda delivered on all fronts and showed her pain through anger as Claire did. Weitz made sure that her full story was heard at the opportune moment and it made an impact. It’s a heartbreaking scene because Fonda delivered it so well and it was subtlety built up for Claire to release that particular ghost from her past. Weitz made a strong feature to explore female friendships, trauma, and pushing forward. It’s a film that will make you connect with women of any age.