Kate Olivares
The Half of It showcases marginalized perspectives and conveys the tragedy and joy of relationships
June 8, 2020By: Kate Olivares, Peak Associate Time and time again, we are shown that coming-of-age movies have so much more to offer beyond love triangles between straight white teenagers (looking at you, John Hughes). There is so much space for other stories to be told within this genre, from different perspectives on class, race, gender, or sexuality. In The Half of It, Netflix’s latest coming of age comedy-drama, we are treated to a sweet and refreshing take on friendship, love, and expectation. Paul Munsky, a sweet jock, approaches Ellie Chiu, an introverted straight-A student, to help him write a love letter…
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Look beyond the memes and revel in Marriage Story’s vulnerability, craft, and fragmented joy
January 7, 2020By Kate Olivares, Peak Associate Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story is joining the ranks of Roma and Mudbound as Netflix’s newest awards contender. The premise is simple: Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) and Charlie (Adam Driver) have fallen out of love and have decided…
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If our leaders won’t call racism what it is, how are we expected to fight it?
July 29, 2019By: Kate Olivares, Peak Associate In the latest addition to his racist repertoire, Donald Trump recently told four U.S. congresswomen of colour to go back to their country. It’s nauseating and despicable, but I want to address the strange hesitation…
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The Labour of Love Throughout Merata: How Mum Decolonized the Screen
May 20, 2019By: Kate Olivares, Peak Associate Merata: How Mum Decolonized the Screen is directed by Heperi Mita, and it chronicles his journey of archiving and learning more about the life, art, and activism of his distinguished mother, Merata Mita. This was the…
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An ardent defense of the Academy Awards from a frustrated film fan
March 9, 2019By: Kate Olivares, Peak Associate So here’s the thing: the Academy Awards are a mess. The weeks leading up to it were a PR nightmare, and its confused identity leaves it unable to catch up to the lightning-fast pace…
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Sexy, thrilling, and hilarious, The Favourite is a one-of-a-kind period drama
February 18, 2019By: Kate Olivares Warning: this review contains mild spoilers for the film! In true Yorgos Lanthimos style, The Favourite is batshit crazy. As he also directed The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer — two films…
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Eighth Grade is a brutal yet loving confrontation on adolescent misery
September 17, 2018By: Kate Olivares, Peak Associate This review contains no spoilers! It’s perhaps the biggest cliché to say grade eight sucks. But unlike so few works of art, Bo Burnham’s breakout film not only chooses to not only deconstruct its unique…
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True to his name, Karemaker weaves empathy throughout Feast of Fields
July 15, 2018Written by: Kate Olivares At the most basic level, Feast of Fields is graphic novelist Sean Karemaker’s love letter to the protagonist’s mother, Hanne. After a bad day at school, timid and lonely Sean finds comfort in listening to his…
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Director’s Spotlight: Lynne Ramsay
July 5, 2018Written by: Kate Olivares I know what you’re probably thinking: who? With her most recent feature You Were Never Really Here (2017) opening in limited theatres, conversation on writer-director Lynne Ramsay’s impressive filmography remains woefully meager. Amidst the…
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