Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - 2024 Edition

Framed as a story told by a witch (Julie Walters), The Legend of Mor'du tells the story of four brothers inheriting control of the kingdom of their deceased father. But like the above quote hints, the eldest son became greedy, thus leading the brothers to fight against each other.

It is just now that I realized that this short is tied to Brave, a film I haven't seen. Regardless of that tie-in, I thought it worked marvelously well on its own. Putting aside the comical bookends with the witch (which I suppose might work better within the context of the feature), I found the legend interesting and I really liked its dark tones.

Aside from that, the minimalistic animation was great. Considering the way it's all part of a story, that visual style and the narration make it feel as if we're reading it from a book. Morever, the tone and vibe make it reminds us that this can be something that's being passed on and on by generations.

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Set during the events of Up, George and A.J. follows the two retirement home nurses that come to pick up Carl Fredricksen. As they witness the old man's house rise up tied to hundreds of balloons, the two are left dumbfounded. But just as they're about to go back to work, they have to deal with other elderly people trying to imitate Carl's escapade.

This is yet another fairly simple short. The animation is fairly crude which might be a bit distracting; especially when you see characters talking while their lips are not moving. But that's a minor nitpick. The short does have several effective comedic beats in its first minute, and it is fun to see the creative ways that the other elderly people use to "escape". Who knows; maybe it'll be the craziest thing you've ever seen.

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That is part of the rationalization and subtle warning that Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) throws at his girlfriend Veronica (Geena Davis) as his transformation into a fly begins. You see, Brundle has been working on teleportation. Until one night, a fly got into the transmitter pod when he was testing it himself for the first time and, in his own words, "the computer got confused... and it decided to splice us together. It mated us, me and the fly".

The Fly starts as a bit of an eccentric, steamy romance as Seth and Veronica meet and fall in love. But then it all quickly devolves as he tests the teleportation device himself in a night of drunken jealousy. At first, this results in superhuman agility and stamina, but then it turns into physical deformation and aggressiveness. Hence, the "subtle warning" above. Seth is recognizing that there is "more insect" in him than there is "human".

This is a film I've seen a bunch of times, but I revisited it in preparation for a podcast guest appearance. It's amazing what time does to our perspective on a film. Whereas I used to see this as an icky, goop-fest when I was a teen, now I see it more as a tragic drama about change and death. Sure, there's gore, but there's also a lot of subtext here on how a terminal illness can affect and consume a person, and by consequence his/her loved ones.

All this tragedy is successfully carried by the performances of Goldblum and Davis. Although the relationship does feel a bit rushed in the beginning, they do have a lot of chemistry, and Davis in particular, carries a lot of the emotional weight of the film. She is perfect at transmitting the suffering that a person might feel by seeing a loved one slowly decay in front of you.

There is also the role of Stathis Borans (John Getz), Davis' boss and jealous ex-boyfriend. This is an interesting character, more because of how the writers didn't seem to know what to do with him than for anything else. Borans is a creep and a sleazy douchebag that somehow ends up as a bit of an anti-hero in the last act. However, that shift is not that well executed. I would've appreciated it if the writers had polished the character a bit.

Regardless of that, it is Goldblum and Davis the ones that make this work; along with Cronenberg's direction and Chris Walas' amazing special effects. Despite my issues with Stathis' character and a bit of a shaky second act, the film successfully walks that line between solid thrills, shocking gore, and emotional drama. Unlike Brundle's machine, which decided to favor the fly over the human, Cronenberg does maintain that healthy balance.

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That's the question that Little John (Phil Harris) asks his best friend, Robin (Brian Bedford) regarding their modus operandi, which is the basis of the popular character of Robin Hood adapted here by Disney. This version follows the titular character as he and his merry band fight against the tyranny of Prince John (Peter Ustinov) and the Sheriff of Nottingham (Pat Buttram).

This was a pretty fun watch. The film takes a very comedic approach to the story with Robin Hood's character design and attitude being cool and slick, without feeling arrogant. However, most of the humor falls on Prince John, which is understandable cause he's a really colorful and funny character. It's also worth noting that I saw it with my kids, so I went for the dubbed version.

The whole film is very light and slapsticky, and there really isn't much to it in terms of story. Also, everything feels abridged to a certain extent, and the animation is spotty at some points. But like I said, it's an enjoyable watch. The kids surely had fun with it, especially the physical humor of it.

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It's the middle of a heat wave in South Florida, which in the words of Det. Oscar Grace, leads people down a twisted path where "old rules" don't apply. "People dress different, feel different, sweat more, wake up cranky and they never recover", which is precisely the path where his friend has gone down. Can he recover?

Body Heat follows that friend, Ned Racine (William Hurt), who has just started an affair with Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner). As he learns about her husband's wealth, Ned agrees to murder him – figure no one'll care – so she can inherit his money. Emergency time. Time out. Of course, things are more than a little askew, as Ned will eventually discover.

This is one of those frequent mentions when the topic of 80s films come up that I hadn't seen, but what a pleasant watch it was. First, the atmosphere is so well transmitted that you can feel the humidity and the heat through the screen. But most of that falls also on Hurt and Turner's steamy and effective performances. Not only do they have an undeniable sexual chemistry, but they are pretty darn good in their roles.

Much like its characters, the film does veer dangerously into absurdism, especially in the last act. However, it doesn't fall but rather manages to hold on and deliver quite a few interesting twists in the end. After all, it's a film where everything is just a little askew and old rules aren't in effect, and it's all so wickedly fun.

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That is what Inspector Mattei (André Bourvil) tells night club owner and reluctant informer Santi as he questions him about the whereabouts of a fugitive. Even though he'd like to pretend he's above "snitching" and beyond his past life, it is in his nature. The same can be said about our two lead criminals: Corey (Alain Delon) and Vogel (Gian Maria Volonté), both of which can't change their course.

Le Cercle Rouge opens with a made-up Buddhist saying that references fate and how certain people will undoubtedly meet in "the red circle", regardless of the path they take. That is the case with both Corey and Vogel, as well as the other characters that circle around them as they prepare to carry out a heist; from the drunken but skilled marksman they chose as their third partner, to the shifty fence they expect will help them sell the goods after, or even the persistent Mattei.

The film starts with a bang, as we see Vogel escape Mattei, while Corey is released from prison only to go back to his usual doings. They still haven't met each other, but they're both proving from the get go that "nothing can change a man's basic nature". They meet through a spectacular case of luck and chance – you know, that "red circle" – and immediately learn to respect each other as they set out to commit this heist.

After that first act, it does take its time to set everything up for the heist. I do feel this part could've been trimmed a bit. There is an effective atmosphere built through the character's interactions, but I think some parts could've been abbreviated. The heist, which has echoes of Rififi all over, does succeed in building up tension as we see our three main characters carry it out in silence for almost half an hour.

I also had some issues with the ending, which felt a bit rushed and anticlimatic. Regardless of that, Le Cercle Rouge manages to create an atmospheric and tense heist film about a bunch of characters that just can't change their basic nature, and just can't escape the fate that awaits them in "the red circle".

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"Lying big, and gettin' the whole damn world to play along with you." That's what powerful Senator Roark (Powers Boothe) assures to Det. John Hartigan (Bruce Willis). At the end of the day, it's who can make everybody else believe the lie; something that seems to be at the core of this unique anthology film from Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez.

Sin City is split into four different stories, two of which are split into two, resulting in six parts. The main stories follow the man with the badge, Hartigan, and a man with a gun, Marv (Mickey Rourke). The former is trying to stop a serial child rapist, while the latter is a hulking beast of a man determined to find the murderer of a prostitute he fell in love with.

But sadly, power doesn't come from Hartigan's badge or Marv's gun. Even though their stories are separate, they both find themselves fighting against increasingly insurmountable odds controlled by men with power perched atop both government and religious structures. Men that have managed to get "the whole damn world to play along" with them.

Two things stand out from Sin City. First, it has a hell of a cast that, in addition of the already mentioned, includes Benicio del Toro, Clive Owen, Rutger Hauer, Jessica Alba, Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, Rosario Dawson, Michael Madsen, and many others. The second thing is its peculiar visuals in black-and-white, with select colorization, all of which help make this look and feel like its taken out of the comic book.

But it's not all in the cast and looks. The stories are all engaging and thrilling, and most of the characters are interesting, adding layers to characters that might have felt two-dimensional. I do think that one of the stories, "The Big Fat Kill", which follows Dwight McCarthy (Owen) chasing the abusive ex-boyfriend (del Toro) of his new girlfriend, feels like an extra that doesn't really add much to the overall story arc. But nonetheless, it is well made.

Overall, Sin City succeeds in bringing these classic noir shades into modern settings, with its thrilling direction and unique visual style. However, it is thanks to its colorful characters (no pun intended) and engaging storytelling that it ultimately sticks the landing.

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That's part of the conversation between J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) and professor Chevalier during the opening act of this film. An illustration of the kind of force that would serve as inspiration for the development of nuclear weapons, but perhaps also a metaphor of Oppenheimer's own life. From the world's biggest scientific "star" to a somewhat "violent demise".

This film follows the rise and fall of Oppenheimer from his early studies and his subsequent work on the Manhattan Project, to his 1954 security hearing and the 1959 Senate confirmation hearing of Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey, Jr.) All of the story is anchored in the development, use, proliferation, and criticism of nuclear weapons, and Oppenheimer's involvement in all of those phases.

I've had my reserves about Nolan's latest big budget, blockbuster ventures, but this was an example of filmmaking at its best. Technically speaking, the direction, editing, and cinematography were great. In terms of writing, the way the story unfolded and the pace at which it is told was engaging. In terms of acting, pretty much every performance was top notch, especially Murphy, Downey Jr., and Emily Blunt as Oppenheimer's wife, Kitty.

At a little over 3 hours, the film moves at an unbelievable pace. For a film that's mostly about scientists and government officials talking and talking, it's incredibly breezy and engaging. Nolan manages to inject thrill and tension to pretty much every turn, but without losing the nuances and layers of all the characters involved. Murphy is great transmitting all the hidden insecurities of Oppenheimer, while Downey shines in the last act as he realizes what will be his "demise".

Generally speaking, I wasn't "blown away" (no pun intended?) by the film, but I was thoroughly impressed by it in pretty much every aspect. Although I did like the non-linear approach, there were some times where I felt a bit lost as to where certain events fit within the story. But regardless of that, I think the film succeeded in presenting the complexity of not only Oppenheimer, both the man and the "star"; but also of the situations and positions that he found himself in.

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Set in the fantasy world of Barbieland, Barbie follows the titular doll (Margot Robbie), a part of a female-led society that's somehow tethered to the real-life world where real people play with them. When Barbie starts to have unexpected feelings about death, she decides to travel to the real world with Ken (Ryan Gosling), accidentally causing a clash between the establishment in Barbieland and a rising patriarchy.

If that synopsis sounds wild for a film inspired by a fashion doll, well, it's because it is. I might've groaned a bit when they announced the development of this film years ago, but then Greta Gerwig jumped in and things shifted. Because how can Gerwig, a notably progressive female filmmaker, turn this into something more akin to her sensibilities and not the stereotypical Barbie "vanilla flavor"?

Surprisingly, she succeeded in turning it into a mish-mash of fantasy, comedy, and drama that manages to be a commentary on society, feminism, and gender roles while also being touching and very funny. She is also helped by some wonderful performances from Robbie and Gosling, both of which nail all the spectrum of tones needed for their roles.

I do think that the subplot with Gloria (America Ferrara) and her daughter, although necessary to propel the story, felt underserved. Ferrara is good, and nails a couple of key monologues, but the way her relationship with her daughter fixes itself felt too convenient and formulaic. I'm also still trying to figure out how I felt about the ending for Barbie's character.

But despite those issues, Barbie was a very pleasant watch that works both as a whimsical fantasy about a world full of dolls, a funny comedy about "fishes out of water", and a thought-provoking satire about people finding their place in the world, and the trends of gender roles in modern society.

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This quote from writer and poet Melody Lee is just one of many highlighting that constant struggle between our heart and mind. Something that is figurative, but that Disney illustrates in a more literal way in this fun short film.

Inner Workings follows a typical day in the life of Paul, starting when he wakes up and continuing as he goes to work. The interesting thing is that we experience most of these events from the perspective of Paul's inner organs; most notably his Brain, Heart, and Stomach.

Paul's Brain pushes him to go to what seems to be a dead-end job, while his Heart wants to have fun at the beach and spend time with a pretty vendor. This "internal struggle" is portrayed in a very creative and fun way. At least that's what my Brain thought.

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That is how animator and filmmaker Sanjay Patel described his relationship with his father, when he was a child. One of enduring without understanding, or even without interest. Which makes more interesting how that very same thing is what he used as inspiration for his Academy Award nominated short film Sanjay's Super Team.

The short film presents the contrast of young Sanjay and his father each absorbed into their respective daily "rituals" in front of a "box". Sanjay spends his time watching his favorite superhero TV show while drawing superheroes in his notebook while his father performs a daily Hindu ritual in front of a wooden shrine. Each of them annoyed and dismissive of the other.

It is as Sanjay is forced to participate in his father's ritual that he finds himself imagining a fight between an evil demon and three Hindu deities, something that makes him reevaluate the way he perceives his father and his beliefs, but that also challenges his father to look at what his son does in a different light.

I think this was a pretty charming short. It feels very personal and heartfelt, but it's also told in a colorful and visually impressive way. The animation from Sanjay's imagination was really cool, but moreover, there's this honesty that flows through the story that holds it all together.

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That's what the love interest of Thelonius "Monk" Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) tells him in regards to her job as a defense attorney. But it is also something that resonates through the lives of all the characters in this Oscar nominated film; whether the "worst deed" are the affairs of Monk's deceased father, the recently-discovered homosexuality of his brother Cliff (Sterling K. Brown), or Monk's own "misguided" efforts to send a message about representation through his recent book; something that backfires in ways he didn't imagine. But the point remains the same; we are more than just some "slice" of our lives.

American Fiction follows that "slice of life" from Monk, a professor that finds himself frustrated with his academic work, his career as a writer, as well as the way he sees African-Americans are portrayed and/or perceived by students, potential readers, and everyone around them. To counteract, he decides to use a pseudonym to jokingly write a book full of stereotypical "black" tropes in an effort to send a message. But to his dismay, the book is critically acclaimed and well received by audiences, putting him in the position to either continue with the deceit or own it.

The first thing that came to my mind when I read the synopsis was that it sounded a bit like Spike Lee's Bamboozled, a film I have a lot of appreciation for. That comparison is not meant as a slight on either film, because both use different methods for perhaps somewhat similar goals. While Lee's focus is more on the macro of that portrayal and perception of African-Americans in media, director and writer Cord Jefferson goes for a more personal and small-scale approach as he contrasts Monk's academic life with his personal one, as he struggles with several family tragedies and situations.

It is in those "slices" of personal life that we can see the reflection of the above quote. Every character in the film is quick to judge others for that *one* deed, especially Monk himself. The most notable examples are his resentments against Cliff for walking away from their family and living a more "carefree" life as well as his prejudices against fellow writer Sintara Golden (Issa Rae), who is enjoying success for writing a book that Monk considers is embracing the same stereotypes he was satirizing in his own book.

American Fiction has a strong message to send, in terms of how we perceive and judge others, whether it is based on our own prejudices and stereotypes, and sometimes without looking at ourselves. But the truth is that the story lacks a certain edge; some of what is hinted at a couple of clever fourth-wall breaking moments that I wished had been used more. Where the film excels is in the excellent performances from everybody in the cast, especially Wright and Brown, both of which elevate the seemingly formulaic family drama making the film feel like *more* than what it could've/should've been in lesser hands.

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In 2002, singer Jennifer Lopez started a highly scrutinized relationship with actor/director Ben Affleck, inspiring her to write her third album, This Is Me... Then. One breakup, two marriages, and 20 years later, they reunited and got married in 2022, inspiring her to write a new album which basically tells us "who she is... now". In an interesting move, she's accompanied the album with a musical film, which is what we'll be talking about... now.

Inspired by the lyrics of the album, This Is Me... Now follows a fictionalized story based on Lopez and Affleck's relationship. In it, the artist is trying to recover from a past accident through therapy, while also going through several other relationships, something that her close friends criticize and worry about. Spliced through the story are several music videos that sorta tie the story together.

I like to think of myself as a fairly open music listener; I listen to almost any genre. That said, R&B – or Lopez herself – are not genres or artists I actively seek that much. So, even though I found most of the songs to be solid, I'd like to focus more on the cinematic aspect of this. Even the narrative is very loose, with the story weaving in and out from realism to fantasy, but the visual aspect is what stood out for me.

Director Dave Meyers takes different approaches to each segment, from a very energetic opening at a factory in "Hearts and Flowers", or some lively sequences at a wedding or during a Love Addicts Anonymous therapy session, to more emotional and slow-moving pieces like "Hummingbird" or the title track. The glass house setting for "Rebound" was also fairly impressive.

The musical also features cameo appearances from numerous artists like Fat Joe, Jane Fonda, Trevor Noah, Sofia Vergara, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Post Malone, and many others. Their integration into the whole story could've been better, and the story feels kinda rushed towards the last act. However, taking it for what it is; a visual journey through these set of songs that are somewhat inspired in a relationship, or "love story", I'd say it was pretty cool.

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Imagine the house of your dreams; lovely cottage-style house, spacious, huge garden, a greenhouse, and a pool with a slide. That's the life that Hedwig Höss (Sandra Hüller) is not willing to let go, which she makes very clear to her husband Rudolf (Christian Freidel). They're living "beyond how [they] dreamed", so when Rudolf is set to be transferred to another town, she refuses to. After all, this is the home they've dreamed of for their family, right next to the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Set during World War II, The Zone of Interest follows the lives of the family of Rudolf, Nazi commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp. As the war rages on, he and his family are settled in a house right next to the camp; a house where they live their best lives, enjoy picnics, swims in the river, garden parties at the pool, all while next door, the most terrible atrocities are occurring. But director Jonathan Glazer makes the bold choice of not showing us *anything* that happens beyond the wall; all we get are the horrifying sounds.

The Zone of Interest is an impressively crafted film. The direction and cinematography are meticulous, and the ice cold performances are on point. However, I won't deny the fact that after it finished, I was left more puzzled than impressed. But then, it happened. As the days went on, the film slowly crept up inside of me to the point that I just couldn't stop thinking about it. Unlike this family, the constant sounds of machinery, the screams of anguish and horror, the ever-increasing gunshot sounds, they're all things you can't ignore.

You could transpose the basic premise of the family to any other setting: family adjusting to a new place, while the father has to deal with changes in his job, which presents new sacrifices to the whole family. But setting this seemingly mundane premise to World War II Auschwitz just puts a whole different spin to the word "sacrifice" which the family speaks of. For a moment there, we might see ourselves absorbed in the family drama, but the sounds are too much, the horrors are too many to ignore. So is this film.

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The After follows Dayo (David Oyelowo), an executive-turned-Uber-driver. The above quote is part of an unrelated conversation he overhears between two of his passengers, but it's a trigger for him. You see, Dayo is still trying to cope with life "after" tragedy has struck his family.

When you're grieving, anything can be a trigger. A song, a place, someone's face, a word. Dayo knows it too well as he has to listen to a father celebrating his son's achievements in a soccer game, two friends trying to handle a family emergency over the phone, or a bickering couple with a daughter that looks a lot like Dayo's.

Is it manipulative? Maybe, but then again, what film isn't? The strength of the short is in Oyelowo's committed performance and how he transmits that struggle from a grieving father and husband, and how that grief can sometimes knock you down. Do we stay down and miss the life we never gonna have, or do we stand up and keep on fighting for the one we do have?

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Back in 1991, the mummified remains of a man were discovered in the Ötzal Alps, with a fatal arrow injury on the shoulder as well as other wounds. The well-preserved state in which he was found as well as the nature of his injuries sparked much speculation about his life and death. Iceman is an example of that as it creates a story around the man and what could've led to his murder.

Set more than 5,300 years ago, in the Neolithic period, the film follows Kelab (Jürgen Vogel), the leader of a primitive clan. When a group of men attack their settlement killing everybody, Kelab sets out to get revenge at all cost. But there's a popular quote that says "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves". Will he be willing to pay that cost?"

I stumbled upon this film by chance, while looking for films "set in prehistoric times" and thought it was a pleasant surprise. It is really interesting to see a film borne out of such an intriguing finding, but to make it thrilling and engrossing really takes some skill. Iceman succeeds in doing that with few characters and no discernible dialogue.

The above is a rough translation of Kelab's prayer as he says one last farewell to his family. They're free now, while in a way, he's enslaved by anger which fuels his quest to find those that did him wrong. The aftermath of that quest might feel a bit anticlimactic, but there is a tragic yet poetic irony in it that just makes it work somehow. Kelab is not John Wick BC. He's only a man with nothing else to do but dig those two graves, or just fall into it.

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Knight of Fortune follows Karl (Leif Andrée), a widower struggling to see his late wife at the morgue. It is there that he meets Torben (Jens Jørn Spottag), a fellow widower in a similar situation. Although hesitant at first, they end up opening to each other as they share stories about their respective wives.

The title of the short comes from a song, "Ridder Lykke", which was liked by both the wives of the two protagonists. But its lyrics of melancholy and ultimately hope can be seen as metaphors for the grief and the fears that the two are going through: "do you ride alone?... where are you?... the stars say I will reach you in the end."

The short does so with an effective dose of humor and some good performances by the two leads. Jesper Lohmann is also very good as the morgue attendant that greets them. You can say there is a twist there, but it's really not that hard to guess it; neither is where the story will end. But as long as you let the heartfelt performances from Andrée and Jørn take you, you won't be alone.

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In 2019, thousands or maybe millions of people – me included – were introduced to the events of the Tulsa race massacre via HBO's Watchmen. Around that time, I also found out what that 90's Rosewood film I never rented was about. In 2023, I found out about the Osage Indian murders as I was reading the synopsis to this film. Just everyday, common tragedies.

Set in the early 20th Century, Killers of the Flower Moon follows the events around those murders. Sparked by the discovery of oil in Osage Nation, the Natives had "wealth" but were still assigned white "guardians" to help them "administer" it because of their "incompetence". Notice all the quotations, because none of those were real to the Osage. They weren't incompetent, but they still didn't get their wealth, and there were certainly no guardians administering nothing, at least not in good will.

The story mostly revolves around Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), a war veteran that arrives in town only to find himself entangled with an Osage, Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone). What he's too incompetent to realize (or is he?) is that this is all a scheme from his powerful uncle, William Hale (Robert De Niro) to try to gain control of the Osage oil and wealth, through arranged marriages, theft, but also murder.

This is one of those films that's more enraging than it is pleasing. Certainly that's not a slight at its craft because most things from the film are top of the line. From the performances to the cinematography, from the score to the way it builds this relationship between Ernest and Mollie. But the enraging thing is not only that it's all for show, but that it really happened.

I'm from Puerto Rico, so maybe it's understandable that I wouldn't necessarily be exposed to these "common tragedies" before. But I consider myself fairly well read and educated, and yet it seems that every now and then, I lift up a rock and uncover another "everyday, common tragedy" like this inflicted upon the same groups; Emmett Till, Rock Springs, the 1871 Chinese massacre in Los Angeles. People shouldn't forget, but we also shouldn't need Martin Scorsese or a TV show to remind us and make us care.

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I've had a dozen of things going on these last few months, which has been hard on the podcast. I'm going through a rebirth trying to keep up so here is my first official 2024 episode, which also happens to be my 100th regular episode, called The Rebirth Loot. In this episode, I'm joined by Jason, host of the Binge Movies podcast as we talk about movies that deal with rebirth, change, metamorphosis, etc. We had a lot of fun talking about that, so check it out:

The Movie Loot 100: The Rebirth Loot (with Jason from Binge Movies)

Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and other streaming platforms.

Hope you like it!

Growing up, i.e. getting old, is an interesting thing. We can't stop it, we can't control it. We can only choose how to face it. For some, it becomes an endless source of regrets and complaints, while for others it becomes an inspiration to seize every day and make the most out of it. Whether it is by doing so-called great things, or just by being silly with your roommate, which is what the titular characters of this documentary have chosen.

Filmed by Sean Wang, Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó follows his two grandmothers, who live together, as they spend their time having fun and, by their own admission, being silly. The documentary was mostly filmed in 2021, during the peak of the pandemic, when most people didn't have many options to go out. It shows what seems to be the daily routine of the grandmothers, although they admit to Wang that "it's only because you're home that we're this silly".

It is a lot of fun to see two older women in their 80s dancing, playing, chugging whiskey, and yes, farting... and laughing about it. But it also takes some time to ponder about where they are and what they choose to do with their lives, which is when one of them share the above quote. It might not be the most groundbreaking documentary, but much like Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó, it's full of joy.

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