Philippa's blog

Rocks is an original coming of age film that reeks of authenticity. The film, released in 2019 and directed by Sarah Gavron (director of Suffragette, 2015) surrounds the story of Olushola Omotoso (Bukky Bakray), known as Rocks. Rocks is a black British teenage girl whose mother abandons her and her younger brother, Emmanuel (D’angelou Osei Kissiedu), leaving Rocks to take care of herself and her brother alone, all while juggling schoolwork and friendships. One of the most endearing part of the film is the cast. With a majority teenaged ensemble cast, the performances are all impressive with not one poor performance. Bukky Bakray as Rocks stands out with her raw, authentic performance and the dynamics that she portrays between Rocks and her brother, Emmanuel (D’angelou Osei Kissiedu) and best friend, Sumaya (Kosar Ali). A film with such a real, raw, and heartbreaking storyline that is the reality for many people, runs the risk of seeming exploitive, but the film is completely authenti...

Captain Marvel is the first female led marvel origin story, and it wears the title well. Brie Larson brings Captain Marvel to life on screen as a fun, unperfect, and relatable warrior, which along with the action, humour, developing origin story and of course, 90s nostalgia, creates an enjoyable film that has something for everyone. Brie Larson is Vers, a warrior from the Kree, who finds herself in the middle of an intergalactic battle between her people and Skrulls. On Earth, she finds herself having recurring memories of her past human life as U.S Airforce Pilot Carol Danvers. With the help of Nick Fury, she uncovers her past all while helping end the war between the two alien races. The film was somewhat simple but still effective, enjoyable and as engrossing as any other marvel original movie. One unique factor about Captain Marvel, was the fact that it was not just a Captain Marvel origin story, but also an Avengers origin story, making it even more relevant for th...

A few months ago (I am behind…) I went to see Happy Death Day 2U. Here is my review: Happy Death Day 2U is the sequel to the 2017 horror Happy Death Day. The first installment saw Tree (Jessica Rothe) repeat the same day over and over, the day repeatedly ending in her murder.The loop will only end when she discovered her masked murderer. Set after these events, Happy Death Day 2U sees Tree stuck, this time in a parallel universe, and once again finding herself a target of the masked killer. The film is carried, much like the first one, by Jessica Rothe (Tree). She was given more opportunities in this film to show a wide range of emotions while still demonstrating her perfect comedic timing which was perfect for this film, which was comedic but also heartwarming and bittersweet at other times. Rothe is supported by a strong cast, some characters returning from the first film with more screentime, and some new faces. It was a treat to see secondary characters from the first...

The Hate U Give is a teen movie. Teen movies are usually underestimated, but THUG is an important and sophisticated teen film that engages real life issues and experiences that black teenagers have to deal with and worry about. Such experiences are rarely acknowledged by media, which makes THUG an important film not only for teenagers, but also for a wider audience. The film follows Starr (Amandla Stenberg), who witnesses the shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil (Algee Smith), at the hands of a police officer. Khalil’s death quickly becomes major news and while dealing with her own grief, Starr finds herself caught up in the media frenzy and outrage. The film not only explores wider conversation but the personal experiences of the victim’s family and friends after his death.   The film is an adaptation of Angie Thomas’ debut young adult novel by the same name (The Hate U Give), which was inspired by the phrase made popular in the 90s by Tupac ‘The Hate U Gi...

Molly Ringwald tweeted that Eighth Grade was the best film about adolescence that she’d seen in a long time. And I must agree. Eighth Grade, written and directed by Bo Burnham, is a beautifully candid and relatable telling of adolescence. The film is about Eighth Grade, but you don’t need to be an eighth grader to relate. The film centers Kayla (Elsie Fisher), a shy, introverted teen who presents herself online as confident, motivational and outgoing, while in reality, is awkward and unconfident. The film is lead by Elsie Fisher (Kayla), who steals the screen with her natural performance as she portrays her current generation, who are so focused on social media. We see Kayla use YouTube to do her make up in the morning, post her own motivational videos to her own channel and lurk on the popular girls’ Instagram pages. Fisher plays the role so naturally that it’s easy to feel what she does. The audience feels her pain, happiness, awkwardness and anxiety. Anxiety and in...

In 2017 I had the opportunity to write for York St John's Media and Culture Magazine, Neutral. In 2017 I wrote about celebrity culture. That article can be read here . In 2018, I was given the opportunity to write again for Neutral. This year I opted to write a film review, about my favourite film of the year, The Florida Project. The article can be read here on Neutral's website, or below.  A colourful, honest tale about poverty and childhood wonder. Childhood innocence and wonder takes the front stage of Sean Baker's story that homes in on the hidden homeless population of Florida, just a stone's throw away from Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom. The combination of an unforgettable narrative, phenomenal performances, stunning cinematography, impeccable direction and a striking use of colour make it a must-see film that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. The Florida Project  revolves around six-year old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince), a rambunctious child, ...