My big fat Greek Wedding, 2023

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is a 2023 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Nia Vardalos. The third installment in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise, the film stars Vardalos, John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, Lainie Kazan, and Andrea Martin. It is the first entry not to star Michael Constantine (who died in 2021) and Bess Meisler. Filming took place in Athens, Greece, from June through August 2022.

The film was released in the United States on September 8, 2023, by Focus Features. 

Amiable and sunny if often unamusing, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 repeats much of what audiences loved the first time. 

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PLOT

The film follows the Portokalos family as they journey to Greece for a sort of family with his three friends reunion after the death of Gus which was still quite raw within the family.

Toula Portokalos - Miller is still happily married to her husband Ian who has recently retired from teaching, of course their daughter Paris is just a typical college student trying to find her way through the world while being pursued by the handsome Aristotle via a setup by the ever present Aunt Voula.

Maria is part of the story but behind the scenes as she is now battling Dementia and is being cared for by Athena and Yianni as well as Nick as he has moved back into the family home after his separation.

So once the family receives the invitation from the mayor of Vrisi (Gus’ village) they all head off for the voyage of discovery which brings them back to their homeland.

On Arrival they meet Victory, she is the mayor of the village who is a distant relative and then on the way through Athens they see all the beautiful sights then stop off to have a ceremonial swim as they have made it to the homeland.

During this process they discover new relatives that they did not know existed like Gus’ illegitimate son (Peter) and grandson via his old flame Alexandra (the grumpiest woman in the village).

Also Gus had a parting wish that when the family returned home to Greece they would take his journal with them to give to his childhood friends.

And there is a wedding after all it’s in the title - but it’s not who you might want it to be.

And this is where Paris and Aristotle affirm their commitment and agree to take the relationship slowly.

So once the party is over they all head back to America and bring Peter with them to meet Maria and welcome him into the family.

CAST

Nia Vardalos as Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos

John Corbett as Ian Miller

Louis Mandylor as Nick Portokalos

Elena Kampouris as Paris Miller

Lainie Kazan as Maria Portokalos

Andrea Martin as Theia Voula

Gia Carides as Cousin Nikki

Joey Fatone as Cousin Angelo

Maria Vacratsis as Theia Freida

Elias Kacavas as Aristotle

Melina Kotselou as Victory

Alexis Georgoulis as Peter

Stephanie Nur as Qamar

Gerry Mendicino as Uncle Taki

Stavroula Logothettis as Athena

Peter Tharos as Yianni

Kathryn Haggis as Marianthi

Jayne Eastwood as Mrs. White

Kathryn Greenwood as Marge

Tannis Burnett as Edie

Rating: 10 Stars

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny 2023

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny 2023 is a 2023 American action adventure film directed by James Mangold, who co-wrote it with Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and David Koepp. It is the sequel to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), as well as the fifth and final installment in the Indiana Jones film series. Featuring Harrison Ford, John Rhys-Davies, and Karen Allen reprising their roles as Indiana Jones, Sallah, and Marion Ravenwood, respectively, new cast members include Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, and Mads Mikkelsen. Set in 1969, the film follows Indy and his estranged goddaughter, Helena, who are trying to locate a powerful artifact before Jürgen Voller, a Nazi-turned-NASA scientist who plans to use it to alter the outcome of World War II.

Dial of Destiny is the only film in the series that is neither directed by Steven Spielberg nor conceived by George Lucas, with both serving as executive producers instead.

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PLOT 

In 1944, Nazis capture Indiana Jones and Oxford archeologist Basil Shaw as they attempt to retrieve the Lance of Longinus from a castle in the French Alps. Astrophysicist Jürgen Voller informs his superiors the Lance is fake, but he has found half of Archimedes' Dial, an Antikythera mechanism built by the ancient Syracusan mathematician Archimedes which reveals time fissures, thereby allowing for possible time travel. 

Indy escapes onto a Berlin-bound train filled with looted antiquities and frees Basil. He obtains the piece of the Dial, and the two escape the train just before Allied forces derail it. In 1969, Indy is retiring from Hunter College in New York City. Marion has recently left him and filed for legal separation due to Indy's depression after their son Mutt was killed in the Vietnam War.

Indy's goddaughter, archaeologist Helena Shaw, unexpectedly visits and wants to research the Dial. Indy warns that her late father, Basil, became obsessed with studying the Dial before relinquishing it to Indy to destroy, which he never did. As Indy and Helena retrieve the Dial half from the college archives, Voller's accomplices attack them. 

The CIA assists Voller, now working for NASA as "Dr. Schmidt". Helena, revealed as an antiquities smuggler, absconds with the Dial to put it up for auction on the black market. Indy is framed for two colleagues' murders, forcing him to escape through the Apollo 11 moon landing parade, then an anti-war protest. Indy seeks out his old friend Sallah, now a New York cab driver who helps him flee the country after surmising that Helena will likely sell the Dial in Tangier. 

At a Tangier hotel, Indy disrupts Helena's illegal private auction, but Voller and his henchmen arrive and steal the artifact. Indy, Helena, and her teen sidekick Teddy Kumar chase them through the streets in a tuk-tuk. The CIA intercepts Voller after the U.S. government disavows him for going rogue, but his cohorts murder the agents and steal their helicopter. Indy, Helena, and Teddy trail Voller to Greece and team up with Indy's old friend Renaldo, a professional diver. Guided by Basil's research, they dive to an ancient Aegean Sea shipwreck and retrieve a "graphikos" tablet containing directions to the Dial's other half. Voller arrives and murders Renaldo. Indy's group escapes and heads to Sicily, pursued by Voller. 

Inside the Ear of Dionysius cavern, Indy and Helena find Archimedes' tomb, the Dial's second half, and a 20th century wristwatch on Archimedes' skeletal arm. Voller appears and captures Indy, wounding him. Helena and Teddy escape and chase Voller. After reassembling the Dial, Voller reveals his plans to travel back to 1939 to assassinate Adolf Hitler and help lead Germany to victory in World War II. At an airfield, Voller activates the Dial and locates a time fissure in the sky. Indy is held captive on Voller's stolen plane while Helena stows away through its landing gear and Teddy follows them in another plane. 

Whilst approaching the fissure, Indy realizes that continental drift could have altered the timeline coordinates. Rather than 1939, the group instead arrives at the Siege of Syracuse in 212 BC. The warring armies shoot down Voller's plane, believing it to be a dragon. Indy and Helena parachute out just before the plane crashes, killing everyone else aboard, while Teddy lands safely. Archimedes finds Voller's body and wristwatch in the wreckage. 

He gives Indy the Dial but keeps the watch. Indy and Helena learn that Archimedes created the Dial to bring users from the future through fissures that lead only to 212 BC. As the fissure begins to collapse, Indy wants to remain behind, feeling he has nothing left to return to. Helena, fearing a time paradox and unwilling to give up on him, knocks Indy unconscious. Back in the present, a recovering Indy awakes in his apartment and reunites with Helena, Teddy, Sallah, and Marion. Marion and Indy reconcile.

Rating: 10 Stars

One piece 2023 - Pirate adventure I want to be the king of the Pirates - Luffy

 One Piece, 2023 (stylized in all caps) is a fantasy adventure television series developed by Matt Owens and Steven Maeda for Netflix. The series is a live action adaptation of the manga series of the same name by Eiichiro Oda, who served as a major creative consultant on the show. It is produced by Kaji Productions and Shueisha (who also publishes the manga). The series stars an ensemble cast including Iñaki Godoy, Emily Rudd, Mackenyu, Jacob Romero Gibson, and Taz Skylar as the members of the Straw Hat Pirates.

The series premiered on August 31, 2023, and received positive reviews from both critics and fans who praised the performances, writing, visual effects, and general fidelity to the source material. Several outlets have called it one of the best live-action adaptations of a manga or anime series, considering it a major improvement over Netflix's previous attempts, such as Death Note and Cowboy Bebop, both which were met with mostly negative reception from critics and audiences. Two weeks after its premiere, Netflix renewed the series for a second season, which is in active development.

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The series follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as they explore the dangerous oceans, lands, and beyond in search of the "One Piece", a fabled treasure that will make their captain, Monkey D. Luffy, "King of the Pirates". But the Marines are on their ship's tail, and they are not the only crew searching for the One Piece. Armed with skills and an unbreakable friendship, the Straw Hats are ready for the journey and even more ready to fight for their dreams together.

PLOT 

Following the execution of famed pirate captain Gold Roger, pirates take to the sea to search for his hidden treasure, the "One Piece." Twenty-two years later, novice pirate Monkey D. Luffy is among those searching for the treasure. He winds up on the pirate ship of the cruel Alvida. Using his elasticity powers inherited from accidentally eating a Devil Fruit, he defeats Alvida and escapes with her mistreated cabin boy, Koby. The two head to a Marine base to obtain a map to the Grand Line, a treacherous sea route where the One Piece is rumored to be located. Luffy frees notorious pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro, who was punished after fighting Helmeppo, son of corrupt Marine captain Morgan. Nami, a cat burglar, helps Luffy steal Morgan's safe containing the map, and Zoro helps them defeat Morgan. The trio escape on a ship together with the safe; Koby remains behind to enlist with the Marines.

Luffy, Zoro, and Nami are captured by Buggy the Clown, a pirate who has imprisoned the people of Orange Town in his personal circus. Luffy swallows the map before capture, and learns of Buggy's ties to his childhood idol, Shanks, from whom Luffy received his straw hat as part of a promise to become king of the pirates. Buggy attempts to drown Luffy in a tank of seawater, but Zoro and Nami escape and rescue Luffy, inspired by his optimism. Buggy, whose Chop-Chop Fruit powers allow him to split himself apart, has his body parts locked in boxes, and Luffy launches him away, freeing the town. Meanwhile, Koby meets with Garp, who deduces that he was with pirates prior to joining the Marines. Garp allows Koby to stay due to his honesty, and punishes Morgan for lying about the attack on the base. While sailing away, Nami contacts someone about having the map in her possession. Throughout the episode, various flashbacks are shown of Luffy's childhood such as his time with Shanks and his pirate crew, eating the "Gum-Gum" Devil Fruit, and Shanks saving him from a sea creature using a mysterious power at the cost of his left arm.

In need of a new boat, the newly dubbed Straw Hat Crew stop by the Gecko Islands in Syrup Village to see if they can acquire a larger vessel. A rowdy young man named Usopp, who has a habit of declaring that pirates are coming on a daily basis, works at the ship yard and learns of Luffy and his crew's need for a boat. Knowing the owner, a sickly rich girl named Kaya, he takes them to see her about possibly selling a ship to them. Despite Usopp's wily ways, he and Kaya are good friends, though Zoro is suspicious of Kaya's butler, Klahadore. Elsewhere, Garp takes a liking to Koby and has him challenge himself and his loyalty to the Marines. They soon pick up word over Luffy's whereabouts and Garp asks that Koby lead the charge. At the same time, Buggy is captured and threatened by fishman Pirate Arlong, convincing him to go after Luffy instead. Luffy and Usopp bond over knowing the latter's father Yasopp, while Nami meets with Kaya and discuss their personal opinions about one another. Klahadore is revealed to be Kuro of the Black Cat pirates, and kills Kaya's, lawyer Merry. When confronted by Zoro and Usopp, Zoro is knocked out while Usopp runs away to get help. No one believes his cries except for Koby, who has arrived with the Marines.

After getting tossed down a well by Kuro's subordinates Sham and Buchi, Zoro thinks back to his childhood and the death of his friend Kuina, who inspired him to be a swordsman. Usopp brings Koby and the Marines to the house for help, but Kuro manages to dissuade them while also giving them an unconscious Luffy, who had eaten poisoned soup meant for Kaya. Usopp and Nami rush to Kaya's aid, who has trouble believing that Merry is dead and that Klahadore is really Kuro, until Kuro starts attacking her so that he can inherit her shipyards. Zoro rescues Luffy from the Marines and the two head back to the house, with Zoro battling Sham and Buchi, and Luffy taking on Kuro. The Straw Hats are victorious as Kuro flees the island, and Kaya rewards them with a recently built ship that Luffy dubs the Going Merry. Usopp is invited to join the crew while also admitting his feelings to Kaya, who now wishes to be a doctor. Despite Koby's failure to capture Luffy, Garp tells him that he managed to draw them out. As the Straw Hats continue their adventure, Garp begins attacking their ship, and Luffy reveals that Garp is his grandfather.

Luffy manages to deter the Marines by bouncing one of their cannon balls back at their mast as the Straw Hats escape through a fog. As the crew question Luffy's family connection to Garp, they end up at a floating restaurant called Baratie, and meet chef and waiter Sanji, who has a strong love for cooking. When Luffy is incapable of paying the bill, the owner Zeff puts him to work as a dishwasher to pay off his meals. Garp hires Warlord Dracule Mihawk to bring Luffy in alive. Koby overhears and Helmeppo informs him about the Seven Warlords of the Sea, who have hidden ties to the government when they need to get their hands dirty. Luffy sticks up for Sanji when Zeff refuses to have him cook. Mihawk arrives to take Luffy in, but Zoro challenges him to a sword duel to prove he is the greatest. Nami considers running away, but changes her mind to support her friend. Zoro viciously loses against Mihawk, who decides not to kill him, and leaves Luffy alone when he sees their determination. Zoro falls unconscious after the fight.

Luffy has Zeff treat Zoro's wounds, but he is unsure if he will live. Nami is convinced to speak to him in an effort to keep him tethered to life, and admits to pushing friends away. Sanji tells Luffy and Usopp his history with Zeff, and his dream to find All Blue, an area of ocean where all fish exist. Koby learns about Garp and Luffy's connection via Mihawk, and while he convinces Garp that Luffy will never change, he decides to lead the Marines into capturing him regardless. Arlong suddenly appears at Baratie with his crewmates Chew and Kuroobi in search of Luffy, having taken Buggy's head hostage to find him (he hid his ear in Luffy's hat). Luffy is severely beaten, and Nami reveals that she is a member of Arlong's crew, handing the Grand Line map to him before she leaves. Luffy believes he has failed as a captain until Zoro regains consciousness, and convinces them to go after Nami. Zeff convinces Sanji to leave, and Sanji officially joins the Straw Hats. As Zoro and Usopp question how to find Arlong, Luffy reveals that he stole Buggy's head.

Luffy and his crew arrive at Conomi Island and learn that Coco Village is under constant rule by Arlong and his pirates. They locate Nojiko, Nami's adoptive sister, who reveals that the two of them lost their adoptive mother to Arlong. Meanwhile, Garp arrives at Baratie and demands answers from Zeff over Luffy's whereabouts, admitting that he does not want to lose his grandson the same way as Gold Roger. Koby comes clean to Helmeppo about Garp's relation to Luffy, and a bartender informs them where Luffy is. Arlong is revealed to be paying off Marine Captain Nezumi to keep quiet about their actions, and vows his intent to destroy all humans. Nami is revealed to have accumulated 100 million berries to pay off Arlong and save Coco Village. However, Arlong orders Nezumi to confiscate the money, much to Nami's horror. Angered and at the end of her rope, Nami asks Luffy for help, and he affirms that he will help her. Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji notice that Arlong is now attacking Coco Village.

The people of Coco Village decide to unite as the Straw Hat Crew face off against Arlong and his Fishmen Pirates at Arlong Park. The battle rages, with the Straw Hats successfully taking out several fishmen as Luffy confronts Arlong in his tower. When the battle seems to falter, Luffy realizes that the tower contains much of Nami's work, which is vital to Arlong. Luffy brings the whole tower down on the fishman, defeating him. The Straw Hats celebrate their victory just as Garp and the Marines arrive. Garp plans to bring the Straw Hats in, but Luffy refuses to yield. Garp and Luffy fight with the former, dominating the battle. Despite this, Luffy refuses to give up on his dream and Garp finally relents, ordering his Marines to hunt down the rest of Arlong's crew. As revenge for his humiliation, Nezumi finally puts a wanted poster out for Luffy with a 30 million berry bounty, something he always wanted. Luffy and Koby say goodbye to one another. Later, Garp informs Koby and Helmeppo that he will personally train them to be better soldiers. As Luffy's wanted poster is seen by many of their past acquaintances, Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji declare their future goals as the Straw Hat Pirates. Elsewhere, a smokey Marine captain sees Luffy's wanted poster and burns it with his cigars.

Rating: 10 Stars

Overboard, 2018 American Comedy super fun!

 Overboard is a 2018 American romantic comedy film directed by Rob Greenberg, who wrote the screenplay with Bob Fisher and Leslie Dixon. A characteristically-reversed remake of the original 1987 film (also scripted by Dixon), the film stars Eugenio Derbez (in the Goldie Hawn role), Anna Faris (in Kurt Russell's), Eva Longoria, and John Hannah. It follows a struggling, working-class single mother who convinces a rich playboy with amnesia that they are married.

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PLOT

Kate Sullivan is a widowed single mother of three daughters who works two jobs while studying to be a nurse. Assigned to clean carpets on a yacht owned by spoiled, arrogant playboy Leonardo 'Leo' Montenegro, he makes rude remarks to her, firing her without pay when she refuses to bring him food. When Kate calls out his behaviour, he pushes her off the boat with the cleaning equipment.

Meanwhile, in Mexico, Leo's younger sisters Magdalena and Sofia are tending their ailing father, who announces Leo as his successor to run their company. That night, Leo slips off the yacht and falls into the ocean unnoticed. Waking up on a beach with amnesia and no recollection of his identity, he wanders through town and is eventually brought to the hospital. 

Magdalena finds him, but leaves him there unclaimed after learning of his amnesia. She returns home with an urn filled with ashes from a campsite grill and falsely reports Leo was killed by a shark, as she intends to take over the family company herself.

Kate and her friend Theresa see a news report on Leo's amnesia. To compensate her for his earlier misdeeds, taking advantage of his amnesia, they make him believe he's married to Kate. They go to the hospital and convince Leo of the ruse when Kate correctly identifies a tattoo of Speedy Gonzales on his rear, a detail she had seen on the yacht. Kate takes him home and introduces him to her girls, making up details about their alleged life together. She sets him up with an exhausting construction job, for Theresa's husband Bobby.

Leo eventually bonds with the girls. Kate begins to feel guilty and considers telling him the truth, but changes her mind after seeing how much the girls enjoy having him around. Instead, they spend the evening celebrating Kate's new revelation: it's their anniversary. The next day, Leo discovers condoms. Assuming the worst, he confronts her, Theresa takes the blame, stating she was having an affair. Leo and Kate decide to renew their vows.

Meanwhile, Leo's family is having a memorial service for him when a photo of him at the beach turns up. Realizing Magdalena lied, Mr. Montenegro goes to find Leo. When he reaches Kate's, Leo's memory returns upon seeing him and he realizes what happened. Hurt and angry, Leo returns to his yacht. The girls tearfully run after him and plead for him to stay, but are unsuccessful.

Kate decides to go after Leo, and she and the girls rush to the pizza place to borrow Bobby's boat to chase after the yacht. Meanwhile, Leo has become aware of how selfish and pretentious his life was before meeting Kate and the girls. He realizes he wants to be with them and has the captain turn the boat around. Mr. Montenegro attempts to stop him, but Leo jumps into the water. Kate does the same as they swim to each other and share a kiss. Leo dismisses threats from his father, who in the process decides to name Sofia as his new successor as he is furious at both Leo (for choosing to be with Kate) and Magdalena (for lying to him).

Leo returns to a life with Kate and the girls. Leo's former employee Colin arrives to offer his service as a nanny. After telling him they can't afford him, he mentions that Sofia sent him to remind Leo that he still legally owns the yacht, worth $60 million. Kate and Leo marry aboard it. Friends and family toast the newlyweds during the end credits. In the meantime, Magdalena tries to get herself back in good graces by claiming to have started an education initiative for children in the Philippines, though none of the children like her.

Rating: 10 Stars

I used to be famous, 2022 Netflix

 I Used to Be Famous is a 2022 British drama about a singer out of career that struggling make a friend film made by Forty Foot Pictures for Netflix. Directed by Eddie Sternberg in his feature length debut, and starring Ed Skrein, Eleanor Matsuura and Leo Long. The film debuted on Netflix on 16 September 2022.

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PLOT

Vince Denham used to be famous as "Vinnie D", one of five members of the boyband Stereo Dream. 20 years later, he lives unemployed in Peckham, London. Desperate to recapture his former success, he struggles to write a first solo album. One day he starts practicing on his keyboard in the middle of a market when 18-year-old Stevie starts drumming along. The crowd is captivated, but the show ends abruptly when Stevie's worried mother Amber pulls him away.

A video of the performance goes viral, and after some scouting Vince finds a local pub manager who agrees to let them perform at an upcoming music night. Vince searches for Stevie, and stumbles across him and Amber again when he overhears and joins a drumming circle at a church. He invites Stevie to perform, but Amber immediately refuses. She explains that Stevie is autistic: he is unable to handle crowds or unusual situations, and she does not trust that Vince can handle his meltdowns. However, she changes her mind when Vince is able to calm Stevie down with a drumming exercise they learned at the church.

Dubbed "The Tin Men", the gig starts well, but after Vince punches a man for heckling Stevie the landlord kicks them out. Amber breaks off contact between the two. Vince spirals into depression, remembering how he chose going on tour with Stereo Dream over visiting his terminally ill brother Ted, missing his death and causing an estrangement with his mother. Meanwhile, Stevie lashes out at Amber, accusing her of secretly resenting him for forcing her to quit her dancing career to care for him, and insisting that Vince meant well. He begins visiting local pubs and secures another gig for The Tin Men, then sets Vince up with an opportunity to apologise to Amber. Vince and Stevie begin practicing and writing new songs again.

Former Stereo Dream member Austin Roberts see a video of The Tin Men and offers Vince the chance to be the opening act on his final tour. Their old manager also offers him a recording contract, but dismisses Stevie as "a special needs kid"—he demands that Vince performs as a solo act, and only uses label-approved studio musicians instead of Stevie. Vince is appalled, but also unable to resist the opportunity—he accepts. He tries to let Stevie down gently by spinning it as an opportunity for him to pursue his own dream of enrolling at a music school. Stevie is distraught, but does as Vince suggests, and he manages to win a place at the Royal College of Music.

Amber visits Vince secretly and thanks him for making her realise Stevie's potential, but also demands that Vince cut off contact entirely, worried that Stevie now has an unrealistic expectation of achieving the success Vince promised. Vince agrees, but later in the studio is alienated by his label-assigned producers' choices, including removing Stevie's drumming for a more "contemporary" electronic beat. On Stevie's birthday, he decides to set up one final surprise Tin Men gig at the market where they first performed together. As Amber and Stevie arrive, he invites Stevie onto the stage. A huge crowd gathers and cheers for Stevie, and Amber, unable to resist, joins in.

Rating: 10 Stars

Easy A, is a 2010 American teen comedy film with Emma Stone

 “Easy A” is a 2010 American teen comedy film directed by Will Gluck and starring Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Penn Badgley, before become a psycho in YOU was a really good boy, and Dan Byrd. The plot follows Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone), a high school student who lies to her best friend about losing her virginity, and then spreads a rumor that she has lost it to other students. The film is loosely based on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel “The Scarlet Letter”.

TRAILER

Shot at Screen Gems studios and in Ojai, California, the film was released on September 17, 2010. The film received positive reviews with high praise for Stone's performance, and was a major financial success, grossing $75 million worldwide against a budget of $8 million. Stone received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical, while the movie won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Comedy.

The film is ranked as number 14 on Entertainment Weekly's 2021 list of the Best High School Movies.

PLOT

The story is narrated by Olive Penderghast, a seventeen-year-old high school girl living in Ojai, California, speaking into her webcam.

Olive lies to her best friend, Rhiannon Abernathy, about going on a date in order to get out of camping with Rhiannon's hippie parents. Instead, she hangs around the house all weekend listening to the Natasha Bedingfield song "Pocketful of Sunshine" from a musical greeting card her grandmother sent her. The following Monday, Rhiannon presses Olive until she lies about losing her virginity to a college boy. Marianne Bryant, a devout Christian whom Olive considers to be prudish, overhears her telling the lie and it soon spreads throughout the school. The school's church group, run by Marianne, decides to "save" Olive from her supposed promiscuity. Olive confides the truth to her friend Brandon, who is bullied by other students for being gay. Brandon asks Olive to pretend to have sex with him at a party so the other students will believe he is straight, to which she agrees.

After a fight with Rhiannon over her new reputation as a "dirty skank", Olive decides to counteract the harassment by embracing her new image as the school tramp, wearing more provocative clothing and stitching a red "A" onto her clothing, inspired by Hester Prynne from Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1850 novel The Scarlet Letter, which she was reading in her English class. Boys who have had no previous luck with girls beg Olive to increase their popularity by saying they have had sex with her, which she does in return for gift cards to various stores. Things get worse when Micah, Marianne's boyfriend, contracts chlamydia from sleeping with Mrs. Griffith, the school guidance counselor, and blames Olive. As Mrs. Griffith's husband, Mr. Griffith, is Olive's favorite teacher, she accepts the blame to spare their marriage.

The church youth group, which now includes Rhiannon, begins harassing Olive in an attempt to get her to drop out of school. Olive is asked out on a date by Anson, Rhiannon's crush, which ends badly when Anson tries to bribe Olive to actually have sex with him and not just pretend that she did. Olive later reconnects with Todd, her childhood crush and the school mascot, who tells her he does not believe the rumours because she lied for him when he was not ready for his first kiss years ago. Olive decides to ask everyone she lied for to help her by telling everyone the truth, but nobody is willing to relinquish their newfound popularity. When Mrs. Griffith also refuses to tell the truth, Olive threatens to expose her affair, but Mrs. Griffith says no one would believe her. Out of spite, Olive immediately tells Mr. Griffith, who subsequently separates from his wife.

After talking with her open-minded mother, Olive comes up with a plan – she performs a song-and-dance number at a school pep rally to draw people's attention and tells them to watch her webcast later that night, promising an online sex show with Todd when in reality, it is the webcast that has served as the narrative device for the film. As she is concluding her webcast, Todd comes by her house riding a lawn mower. She signs off by saying that she may lose her virginity to Todd sooner or later, but declares that "it is nobody's goddamn business." Olive texts Rhiannon and apologizes for lying to her. She goes outside to meet Todd and the two share a kiss before riding off on the lawn mower.

Rating: 10 Stars

Beyond the Universe, 2022

Beyond the Universe, 2022 is a film about a young and talented pianist named Nina who dreams of playing with the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra. However, her life takes a toll when she is diagnosed with lupus, a disease that attacks the body’s tissues and organs. Nina’s health deteriorates, and she needs a kidney transplant to survive. Amidst her struggles, she finds love and support from Gabriel, a young doctor. Gabriel helps Nina overcome her insecurities and fight for her dream. The film revolves around their romance and Nina’s journey to fulfill her musical aspirations. 

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PLOT

Talented pianist Nina Soares started playing at eight, and wanted to join the symphony orchestra from 13. At that age she collapses during an important recital, and is soon diagnosed with lupus.

Now a young adult, Nina discovers the lupus has damaged her kidneys so severely they are working at under 10%, so is put on a kidney donor list and must undergo four hours of dialysis three times a week. There are over 14,000 people before her on the list.

After a month, Nina is scheduled to start dialysis. That morning, she sees the São Paolo Symphony Orchestra is seeking a piano soloist. After teaching a lesson at the music conservatory, Nina is warily OK to practise after hours, but her work mustn't suffer.

Nina plays piano in the train station by the hospital, as Gabriel is passing through on his bike. Mesmerized, he crashes into the piano. Unimpressed, Nina stops, heading to the hospital.

Gabriel is a resident doctor at Nina's hospital. There, he is constantly brightening up patients' days. Gabriel and fellow resident Yuri compare notes on their crushes, one the chance encounter in the station and the other through an app.

The next day Nina finds Gabriel on her medical team, and is surprised by the strong connection they have. Initially she is very pessimistic, but he insists she keep fighting. Gabriel finds her a practise piano when the conservatory fires her, then rushes her across town to apply for the audition.

Hospital director Doctor Alberto summons Gabriel, who is also his son, reminding him of his Hippocratic oath, because of Nina. The young adults end up making a trade, he teaches her to cycle while she teaches him to play piano, afterwards they go dancing and kiss.

During her long dialysis sessions, Nina befriends Amanda, who's under the same treatment. An optimist, she attributes her attitude to her daughter. Observing the chemistry between Nina and Gabriel, she predicts her young friend's outlook might be improving.

Although the pain from the lupus makes her hands ache, Nina practises through the pain and gets to the first audition. Initially pausing after a shooting pain, she powers through and passes to the second round. Gabriel invites Nina to a celebratory dinner.

Yuri, also Gabriel's roommate, preps dinner. His love interest Tulio arrives before Nina, and he mildly irritates Gabriel, who gets them to leave so he can be alone with Nina. She spends the night, and in the morning he tells her about a hike he does annually to honor his mother, his inspiration who died of cancer when he was 13.

Alberto confronts Gabriel about secretly getting tested to donate his kidney to Nina, which Gabriel then shares with her the negative result. Although he'd planned to attend Nina's second audition, Gabriel unexpectedly has to do clinic hours. He crashes his bike hurrying to get there, just as she collapses at the piano.

Nina wakes three days later in the hospital, dejected. When she realizes Gabriel might lose his residency due to their inappropriate doctor-patient relationship, she gets discharged without telling him. Finding her at home, Nina pessimistally doesn't want to request an appeal with the orchestra or stay together. She suggests he apologize to the disciplinary hearing committee.

When Nina tells Amanda what happened, she calls her an idiot for not fighting for Gabriel. So, she goes to his hearing and convinces them to keep him on, taking full responsibility for their interaction. Gabriel then gets Nina to go to the hospital, allegedly for Amanda's birthday. The chapel is set up with a piano, so she performs for one of the orchestra's jurors, who offers her another audition.

Gabriel soon leaves for his annual hiking trip, but first gives Nina his mother's lucky necklace to protect her. On the top of the mountain, he suffers a great fall. Although rushed to the hospital, Gabriel contracts a subdermal hematoma and passes away in the operating room. Nina and Alberto bond over their grief for Gabriel. The director discovers he is compatible to donate his kidney to her.

One year later, on stage with the São Paulo orchestra, Nina dedicates a song she wrote in Gabriel's honour.

Rating: 10 Stars