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Post by Mr Dedlock on Feb 17, 2024 15:38:56 GMT
Episode 5 was just amazing! The best one so far! Only One more episode to go, right? Yep. The series is over before its overstayed its welcome, I'm completely clueless what we'll get in the finale.
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Post by Mr Dedlock on Feb 17, 2024 15:39:37 GMT
Epiosde 5 just reinforced my suspicions of where lulu was going with the series, it was framed about expatriates in Hong-Kong but it was more about what Hong Kong represented these people. I now understand why she was so determined to film there, and how did she get a way with filming all of this in Hong Kong is an achievement in itself. Essie's scenes were very strong in this episode and I loved her sit-down with Margaret later on. I hope she chooses to leave them but Margaret basically emotionally black mailed her. Then hillary using puri as her doll to play with when she's upset was also quite effective. hillary was drowning in self pit to be genuine in anything, and when puri felt comfortable enough to speak about mercy I knew she would pay for it. Overall, I'm looking forward to the series finale and so far I haven't been let down by any episode so far each of them have been distinctive and noteworthy. I'm a big fan of lulu wang, I feel like this show is a reflection of her unresolved feelings of confusion of her ancestral past, present and future. There is this restlessness and I don't think she's discovered an antidote for it Anyways love the show and ill wait for the finale to rank it in Kidman's mini series list. also Essie and Puri are perfectly montaged with normal HKers (the cleaning lady and her son & ex-GF) and the sucking-Commie-China-up-establishments (the leaking roof mistress). for Essie & Margaret and the common HKers, they know the city and themselves are no longer the same, they needa face the reality, take a action, make a change. for Hillarry at facing Puri, and the local establishments, it was just another hurricane, they can pretend nothing happened and sugar-coating everything to keep the "old glory days." and if we're talking about how to deal with the loveless marriages, then Hillary became the one who didn't escape from life, but the separated rich mistress is still out of touch, jaja, good for her. Oh yes the perspective of normal HKrs are very important because we don't see that through the eyes of the expatriates, the expatriates are feeding on a carcass. Lulu effectively communicated how Hong Kong has slowly been dying and the people have resigned to their fate and the youth being left to fend for themselves before its too late. One of the best scenes is when they had the protest on TV and the mom just shut it off. Hong Kong has been the star of this show from the start.
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Post by guyinthevalley on Feb 17, 2024 19:28:44 GMT
Epiosde 5 just reinforced my suspicions of where lulu was going with the series, it was framed about expatriates in Hong-Kong but it was more about what Hong Kong represented these people. I now understand why she was so determined to film there, and how did she get a way with filming all of this in Hong Kong is an achievement in itself. Essie's scenes were very strong in this episode and I loved her sit-down with Margaret later on. I hope she chooses to leave them but Margaret basically emotionally black mailed her. Then hillary using puri as her doll to play with when she's upset was also quite effective. hillary was drowning in self pit to be genuine in anything, and when puri felt comfortable enough to speak about mercy I knew she would pay for it. Overall, I'm looking forward to the series finale and so far I haven't been let down by any episode so far each of them have been distinctive and noteworthy. I'm a big fan of lulu wang, I feel like this show is a reflection of her unresolved feelings of confusion of her ancestral past, present and future. There is this restlessness and I don't think she's discovered an antidote for it Anyways love the show and ill wait for the finale to rank it in Kidman's mini series list. also Essie and Puri are perfectly montaged with normal HKers (the cleaning lady and her son & ex-GF) and the sucking-Commie-China-up-establishments (the leaking roof mistress). for Essie & Margaret and the common HKers, they know the city and themselves are no longer the same, they needa face the reality, take a action, make a change. for Hillarry at facing Puri, and the local establishments, it was just another hurricane, they can pretend nothing happened and sugar-coating everything to keep the "old glory days." and if we're talking about how to deal with the loveless marriages, then Hillary became the one who didn't escape from life, but the separated rich mistress is still out of touch, jaja, good for her. OMG! Episode 5 was transcended! Love everything about it! It created a perfect balance, like in other shows, Downton Abbey for example, we have to see the lives of the helpers, their dreams and hopes, their desillutions... I still believe Essie have something to do with Gus disappearance. hope I'm wrong!
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Post by raneto on Feb 18, 2024 0:39:51 GMT
Very good episode, I'm curious to see how the last one will close everything. I don't think they will find gus or whatever, it seems that its really not about that, whodunit or why, but just the sensations, tactile feelings about losses and all.
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Post by curdey on Feb 18, 2024 9:06:53 GMT
Expats for me is, so far, on par with the perfection of BLL S1. It's a completely different tone and story, but equally memorable in its own way. Episode 5 was so, so impactful, and I just wish I was able to watch it on the big screen!
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Post by bada on Feb 19, 2024 11:47:05 GMT
I find the show incredibly well-directed but poorly written. It could have been a God-tier show with a better script.
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Post by Mr Dedlock on Feb 19, 2024 16:42:52 GMT
I find the show incredibly well-directed but poorly written. It could have been a God-tier show with a better script. I feel like the stilted dialogue and almost dubbed delivery ads to its charm, it reminds me of those Korean and Japanese serials that I watch dubbed.
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Post by WizLemon on Feb 23, 2024 3:21:39 GMT
Loved some parts of episode 6. The monologues were so witty. But not sure how I feel about the closure/story arcs. The dialogues were a tad bit choppy.
All in all, beautiful beautiful show.
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Post by curdey on Feb 23, 2024 11:10:07 GMT
Just watched the final episode. Those final scenes of Margaret's had me sobbing. A truly phenomenal show - what I've wanted from Nicole since Destroyer. Nicole, as well as Sarayu Blue, deserve their flowers for this.
Yes, the piece-to-camera part in the final ep was jarring at first, but I got used to it, as I eventually just felt like it was me in their conversation. The only other part I didn't love was the small scene of Mercy listening to her headphones? That was weird, but ignoring that minuscule moment, I adored and loved this so, so, SO much. THANK YOU, NICOLE! THANK YOU, LULU!
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Post by river on Feb 23, 2024 13:08:25 GMT
I wish the final episode had been the first. Don't get me wrong, I understand the writers' research into characters, loneliness, cultural divide, etc. But it's as if the series ultimately left me with nothing on a personal level. The quality of the directing and writing is one place below the first season of Big Little Lies and above any of the recent series Nicole has done, but her performance never develops. Maybe I would have preferred that episodes 1 and 2 had been a single episode and then directly to 5 and 6 and then had a more interesting narrative development. I understand the mood, it's not a thriller or crime series, it's rather an anthropological drama. But personally it didn't win me over and rather bored me summarily. And I would have liked more from Nicole, I don't know if it was worth giving up other projects to shoot this for a whole year, rather than just producing.
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Post by WizLemon on Feb 23, 2024 23:04:14 GMT
I wish the final episode had been the first. Don't get me wrong, I understand the writers' research into characters, loneliness, cultural divide, etc. But it's as if the series ultimately left me with nothing on a personal level. The quality of the directing and writing is one place below the first season of Big Little Lies and above any of the recent series Nicole has done, but her performance never develops. Maybe I would have preferred that episodes 1 and 2 had been a single episode and then directly to 5 and 6 and then had a more interesting narrative development. I understand the mood, it's not a thriller or crime series, it's rather an anthropological drama. But personally it didn't win me over and rather bored me summarily. And I would have liked more from Nicole, I don't know if it was worth giving up other projects to shoot this for a whole year, rather than just producing. This resonates with me. Margaret needed a little something more to bring it all together. While I absolutely appreciate the auteur touches. And the restrained beauty. I really wish there was something more to her arc.
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Post by Mr Dedlock on Feb 24, 2024 17:28:32 GMT
Final episode was rather somber, there was a key phrase that Kidman mentions that resonates with me, she said who are we to think we are immune to tragedy. I remeber thinking the same a couple years back when I was going through something really difficult, it's something that I felt at a time where I didn't think I could get through a moment.
I also found the triple monologue to the camera annoying, and I felt like lulu didn't really know how to end the show. But more importantly I dont think a suitable conclusion can be brought to this kind of pain.
We're left cold alone with these feelings just like anybody going through a tragedy.
Performances, surprisingly all were rather muted.
I wanted more fire from hillary with her father but it was rather tame and anticlimactic. Her get together in the car with Jack also seemed forced.
Mercy non challant attitude was annoying so there was no growth and her release with her mother didn't register.
I felt Margaret would have had a better conclusion if she had a bigger melt down scene in the apartment holding Gus clothes.
However, Kidman did great in the airport I was feeling her seering pain as she dragged herself behind her family in the airport and as they came to the gate my heart sort of tore. The pain was heartfelt real! But then the final backpacking scene in Hong Kong seemed rather silly, id much rather we left her character in the airport.
Overall though, despite a tepid finale i think this show was a great choice and probably the second best in her mini series anthology behind BLL season 1, its also a strong release from blossom.
The show is a meditative exploration of pain, grief, tragedy and guilt. Set in a city thats been vibrantly captured on the cusp of losing its identity.. this show is memorable.
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Post by Derrick on Feb 25, 2024 13:54:47 GMT
EP6 The scene at the airport is so heartbreaking.
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Post by situ on Feb 25, 2024 20:34:22 GMT
Not much time this days, just wanted to say I absolutely loved this, I’ll rewatch it many times, I know… for me its the best thing Kidman has been in a looong time… this is art… and her performance is absolutelly brilliant…. Lulu is for sure a director to follow…. Great cinematic experience… and love that she created caracters that arent the tipical stereotip and far away to love them… trully realistic ponit of view…. Great in every aspect..
Hope to write more properly soon…
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Post by Mr Dedlock on Feb 25, 2024 21:23:21 GMT
I know that airport scene was next level emoting/empathy Kidman, when my heart cracked as she reached the gate, I just breathed out a heavy sigh of despair. really great scene, margaret was far gone.
I also really appreciate that the characters on this show are not really very likable, it reminded me of Margot at the wedding a little.
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