The Lady in Red posted: " Today we are breaking down MoonKnight! Spoilers Ahead! I despised Oscar Isaac's British accent. It's like he is trying to make a mockery out of Britishers. One time I saw Chris Pratt's impersonation of British accent on Graham Norton show. It "
I despised Oscar Isaac's British accent. It's like he is trying to make a mockery out of Britishers. One time I saw Chris Pratt's impersonation of British accent on Graham Norton show. It was hilarious but he was mimicking the reality (scripted) shows fancy accents.
Not everyone speaks that way so it was hard to digest listening to it.
Now that I am done criticising, Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada did an Oscar winning performance. I was getting goosebumps of how he was switching from Marc to Steven. First two episodes are mind boggling. Its like he is taking us on a journey to how painful his life is.
Story
Steven Grant works at a museum, has more than ordinary days and has a weird British accent. Its annoying and funny. He struggles with blackouts which makes him forget whatever he is doing and when he wakes up. He awakens somewhere else, it becomes more and more confusing as when he wakes up he is either covered in blood or around dead bodies. He has no recollection of what he did or what was happening.
Steven soon questions his own mental health as he hallucinates this.
Steven suddenly skips days and constantly calls his mother who checks up on him. He uses chains and locks to keep him locked to his bed to not escape.
Honestly I felt overwhelmed watching him get stood up only to realise he has skipped days. I feel that in past I have not stressed enough on seeking help for mental health.
If you feel like you or someone, is deviating from a routine. Unable to sleep, eat or do regular things it is time to understand that one is struggling internally, mentally. One shouldn't be too embarrassed or scared to ask for help. The better your mind is, the better you will function.
Steven Grant constantly skips from being himself to his persona whom he can communicate through mirror.
As bizarre it feels to be in that position, the director has taken us into that feeling where all we feel is confusion. When Steven accidentally wakes up somewhere far away. He is immediately panicking as well as keeps hearing a voice in his head which tells him what he should be doing. When he reaches near by village where he witnesses a cult performing a ritual where he measures a person's being good or evil by the balance in the hand which show cases if they are good or will commit a crime. Those who do, their soul is taken away. I think, I am not sure.
Arthur Harrow
Our main villain slash former avatar of Konshu. Arthur played by Ethan Hawke!!! I never ever thought to see Mr. Hawke in MCU. Its very surprising. Arthur believes that world is in chaos, he wants to release Ammit, the god that takes away the criminals before the crime has taken place. He follows Steven as he blurts out where he works. He later tries to balance his hands but realises that he is troubled. His cult constantly keeps tabs on him. And he is eventually sacked because a part of museum is destroyed. With Cctv footage showing just Steven. Thinking he has lost it he goes back home when he finds Marc.
Balancing scale.
His alter ego is Marc Spector who is very bad ass and tries to protect Steven for all these years. But something happened which makes him lose control and constantly switch from Grant to Spector. Unlike Steven, Marc not only fights supernatural beings which a human can't see or maybe they erased the footage. He can also turn into a mummy like costume. He has a wife, Layla who helps out on his adventures.
Ammit vs Konshu, Konshu is like an outcast god whom no other god believes in for some reason. Konshu warns the others that Ammit will be released, Ammit being trapped in a stone. And having no evidence other gods tell Konshu and Steven that if they do anything reckless they will also keep Konshu in a stone statue.
Steven is constantly fighting Marc because he doesn't want to murder or be part of any of it. He just wants to live his life. Marc tells his story that he was helped by Konshu who is like a mentor. Who gave him life to serve him punish those who are criminals. Steven is very annoyed, infuriated and constantly panicking while Marc does what he is supposed to do.
A scareb is taken away from Marc after a fight. Harrow and his followers follow the direction and find Ammit. He releases it and the most chaotic and interesting episode begins.
Steven is shot which and falls into water. And wakes up in a psychiatry facility where he is taken to the psychiatrist incharge by the Harrow followers. The psychiatrist being none other than Harrow. Everything Steven ever knows is right there in the room suggesting he has imagined all of it.
When Steven keep jumping and tries to escape by opening several rooms. In one of the room he finds Marc in a different body. When they run they meet a Hippo.
Steven was sedated when he was attacking Harrow and thats why he dreamed of going to rooms and meeting a Hippo goddess. The goddess tells him that he is in the afterlife and is likely dead. She takes him through sand via a ship to a place where Marc and Steven must learn to balance the scale present in the room. Steven and Marc must come and tell the truth about everything to each other so that the scales will be balanced and they can go to what seems like heaven.
Marc is hesitant as they go through all the dead he has encountered or killed. Steven sees a little boy to which Marc stays resistant not to go after him. Steven follows the boy and realises that he has a little brother. Steven keeps running after the boy from one room to another to find out the horrors of his life.
Marc was resistant for a reason. Steven had a brother who had gone playing with him but never returned. He died, for which his mother blamed him and resented him. He is neglected and abandoned by her while her father tries his best to be there for his young child.
His mother grows mentally disturbed that she beats up Marc everyday. Steven stares at the poster near by, watch Steven Grant on the poster realising all this time Marc is the real person and Steven is his imagination to help cope with pain.
His mother bullied and beat him from childhood until he grew weary and left his house leaving his father and mother behind.
Steven is overwhelmed by all of it. When he is taken out of the house, Marc tells him that all she did was beat him because she thought he purposely killed him. He was just a boy and Steven helped him get through grief. Marc never felt pain, whenever he felt panic or grief Steven would stand up and take all of it.
Marc tells him that he went out in war to serve and was near to death when he found Konshu, who gave him life in return to serve him punish the criminals. When Marc returns home, near the present day since Marc and Steven came face to face it is because he went through worst of it. As he had to deal with his mothers death.
He would feel tremendous pain and just at that moment Steven would come and forget everything and get a call from Mom asking how he has been. This is the moment I really loved Moon Knight. The chaos he feels is because he was battered. It has left him with so much pain and grief that he created alternate personality.
I think as children we always grow watching such shows or movies that we always want someone who would protect us from evil. Who would protect us from pain. And many look upto their parents. In Marc's case he was beaten when his father was away. There is always a point of no return for us human beings. If life takes us through horrible situations one cannot pretend to act as if everything is okay. Its not okay and the problem is we are never taught any coping mechanisms thats why we choose something worse over worse. And when we are alone I guess the safest person we feel around is ourselves.
I really felt that something was wrong. Why would any parent leave their child to deal with blackouts alone? And when he speaks we never really hear her voice.
When they return to Hippo we see that the scales are nearly to being balanced. When they are traveling on the ship. Everyone from his past come to take him out on the sand, Hippo warns if they stay there they will turn like them.
Steven knowing everything about Marc feels compassion for him. All the resentment and sadness he felt by Marc was gone and turned into unconditional love. When the dead are trying to hold Marc and take him. Steven jumps in to rescue him and falls off the ship. Marc begs to take them back to Steven. As he watches Steven run and slowly turn into a statue.
When Steven is gone, the scales automatically balances sending Marc to a place where he always wanted peace and calm. Marc who feels it but just can't abandon the one being that cared for him when everything was going wrong. He turns back, Hippo warns him to think it through but he returns to the sands reaching out to Steven with same love he was giving. Sacrificing his own life to not abandon his saviour. He holds onto Steven to tell him he loves him.
Is this self love? I was so teary eyed when Steven turned to stone or statue. It felt as though he didnt really do anything wrong. As a child he was never malicious though his brother accidentally dies. He never really commits it. Blaming himself all these years unable to live with it. They both show love and compassion for one other. Its like having a brother within him.
I feel this judgement is upon them. We live in a world that is ready to judge us in black and white. We are so much more, more than what meets the eye. In the eyes of Ammit, if she was ruling. Marc wouldnt exist. I feel that lack of pain makes us something we are not. As horrible as it sounds. Every individual feels pain or hits rock bottom and changes into their best or worst self. Obviously its on their choice. So believing that someone will be committing crimes in future so killing them prior.
Infinity WarDeadpool
Its actually worst to say but horrible deeds or situations turns us into who we are. To some extent I would love Ammit and Konshu working in balance. Taking out only those who commit worst of the crimes rather than for every trivial thing.
Moon Knight is splendid in terms of addressing Mental Health. It puts us in Steven's shoes and makes us understand that everything he suffered isn't to be judged.
I believe last episode of Moon Knight was Amazing!!! Especially the mid credit scene.
The things I didnt mention and should mention.
Layla
Layla played by May Calamawy is just amazing! She can fight unnatural beings as well as those who are hurting Marc. She is no doubt a wife that has his back. She shows right amount emotions every time, she gets angry that Marc has left out his struggles away from her. He never shows his vulnerable side to her but Steven does. She loves him without a doubt, despite him struggling with dual personalities she sticks around. She doesn't give up. She previously doesn't buy Steven's confusing new information but soon understands that.
Both Marc and Steven fall for her because she is loving, kind and protective of him. She supports him in his worst and pretty much is ready to face death for him. If thats not love what is?
I believe she is smarter than Marc, when he is gone. She releases Konshu but when he offers her to work for him she denies him.
Speaking of Konshu I feel he is very manipulative. He uses the vulnerability of an individual to do his work for him. Giving a wish to serve the worst.
I feel Ammit, Konshu are of the same side. They both are extremes, they never balance out. In balance there is some wisdom there but thats not happening. Konshu's methods leads Arthur his ex protogé turns to dark side, doesn't that say enough.
Marc suffers from a lot of trauma and Konshu can see all of it. He uses his troubles for his own. I believe that says a lot about him. No wonder Harrow leaves him.
The whole locations are not as they seem according to Oscar, it is surprising how they never stepped in London yet it looks like London. Everyone was top notch on their acting, the locations served the purpose of bringing us Moon Knight into an effect. The cinematography vs the cuts just go well together. I know nothing of directing but it was amazing!!
Go watch Moon Knight. I will be getting ready to watch Doctor Strange, Multiverse of Madness! I am so excited.
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