Signature Move

     I was really reluctant to give my honest opinion on this movie at first, but after hearing everyone else's thoughts from today's class, I'm glad I can now say that I really disliked the movie and would never watch it again 😁.

    The acting was cringey, the two main characters weren't that likable, the storyline was not believeable, the way Zaynab and Alma met at the bar was weird, it wasn't funny, and overall, I just had a hard time paying attention throughout the film. The scene where Zaynab and Alma got into an argument about Zaynab not being out to her mother yet, it seemed like the that scene was suppose to be really heartfelt and moving but for some reason, I didn't feel anything from it. I'm not sure if it's the script or just the acting but nothing about their chemistry felt genuine. 

    Someone from class raised the question of why the film was percieved so poorly by us and I've been thinking about that but I still don't seem to have an answer. Is it really the acting or the poorly written script? Is it the differing culture dynamic? Or is the film not intending to follow the typical romance story like those of heterosexual rom coms? But in a way it does? Since there is a happy ending? Are we just thrown off by specific aspects of the film that aren't normally seen in heterosexual, white, romance films? I'm referring to the female wrestling, the Hispanic and Muslim relationship, the character of the mother, and how the protagonist is the caretaker of a first-generation immigrant. These are typically things we wouldn't see, so if we were to take out those aspects, would the film have been more enjoyable?

    I feel like I've touched on all the things I didn't like about the film but here are a few things I did like about it:

- an inside look at both a Hispanic and a Pakistani Muslim household

- the character development of the mother (she reminded me of my parents who are also immigrants)

- the contrast of one household who is accepting of their daughter's queer identity and another who is avoidant of it

- overall feel good vibes of the film (it was a different vibe from Alike's story from Pariah), the comedy aspect of the film kind of worked to make the film light-hearted almost even though it wasn't funny

- the ending was nice, the mother showing up to the wrestling match wasn't very believable for me but it was still nice to see