The extra week of winter break gave students and faculty time to prepare themselves for the spring semester.
But the additional week gave some the chance to catch up on some movies and shows that they might not have been able to watch during the fall semester.
Here are some movies that members of the Marquette community had the chance to look at over the winter break.
Death at a Funeral – Netflix
You know those movies and shows that you watched as a kid, where you never really understood some of the jokes until you watch it when you’re older? This movie was one of those for me.
“Death at a Funeral” features a plethora of comedic stars, including Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan and Kevin Hart. The 2010 movie is about a funeral orchestrated by Rock’s character, where things go awry very quickly, as a stranger (played by Peter Dinklage) comes to the funeral with a big secret that could tear the family apart.
The World – YouTube
Dinesh Sabu, a digital media professor in the College of Communication, saw the 2004 film over break.
“Set in a theme park in Beijing, the film follows the lives of the workers who live there. The film is a neorealist depiction of these workers lives, but as it progresses, it really turns into a heartbreaking meditation on globalization, loneliness, and desire during a period when China’s place in the world,” Sabu said in an email.
Sabu highlighted the film’s visuals and characters as the things that helped him enjoy “The World.”
“The film really balances individual characters’ desires and motivations with these larger themes and ideas (globalization, simulation, etc.), without being too heavy-handed or too conceptual. It’s also at times just beautifully shot,” Sabu said in an email.
Sabu, a filmmaker himself, said he believes that when it comes to determining if a film is worth watching, the filmmaker has to tell the story without being too obvious.
“A good movie or show is one in which the filmmaker is both fully using and also expanding this language, one that doesn’t necessarily spell things out or insult our intelligence as an audience,” Sabu said. “You can usually tell within the first five to ten minutes of a show or movie if the filmmaker has what it takes.”
BMF – Starz
Based on the real life events of the Black Mafia Family in Detroit, the series “BMF” explains the story of Demetrius and Terry Flenory, two brothers who became part of one the biggest drug syndicates the country has ever seen. In the show, we see the repercussions of their dangerous lifestyle and how it affects their friends and families.
Demetrius Flenory (known as Big Meech), is played by his actual son Demetrius Flenory Jr. (known as Lil Meech), which I thought was one of the coolest aspects of the series, considering how well he plays his father’s role.
The Unforgivable – Netflix
Joe D’Aloia, a senior in the College of Engineering, enjoyed the film, which starred Sandra Bullock, whose character tries to get her life together after a 20 year prison sentence.
“Bullock in the movie was just released from prison, and she becomes determined to find her little sister, who witnessed a murder that Bullock went to prison for,” D’Aloia said. “Just a heartwarming story.”
My Octopus Teacher – Netflix
Kristin Holodak, a digital media professor in the College of Communication, said it took a while for her to watch the show, but she enjoyed it when she gave it a chance. The documentary highlights a filmmaker who goes freediving and develops a relationship with the octopus in a South African bay.
“I was late to the party on that one because I had heard that it gets super sad at the end and I didn’t want that,” Holodak said in an email. “But it wasn’t really. Give it a try if you like natural history documentaries, you won’t be disappointed.”
This story was written by Rashad Alexander. He can be reached at [email protected].