Bittersweet momentsmovie

Avery Wong

The 2018 film, Crazy Rich Asians, was groundbreaking for several reasons, including the representation of Asian actors in Hollywood. The moment that truly steals the show is Colin Khoo and Araminta Lee’s $40 million wedding. The scene is filled with mixed emotions–the heartwarming feeling of witnessing the characters’ next step in life while also realizing the troubles that Rachel Chu will have to go through just to gain Nick Young’s mother’s respect. Finally, the short clip of Astrid Leong crying while clapping for the happy couple after confronting her husband about his affair made this one of the most emotion-impacted parts.

As soon as it hit the theaters in 2018, Black Panther became a global phenomenon and one of the most popular Marvel movies in history. The story is more complex than the protagonist fighting the antagonist because Erik Killmonger, the antagonist, is motivated by liberating minority groups of the world who have previously been oppressed. In the final fight scene, T’Challa takes Killmonger to see the sunset one last time, and before he dies, Killmonger says, “Just bury me in the ocean, with my ancestors that jumped from the ships, 'cause they knew death was better than bondage,” making a reference to the Middle Passage, where millions of African people were transported to be a part of the slavery system. The touch of history makes the Black Panther series arguably one of the most emotional superhero franchises.

One of the most iconic romance films, The Notebook, gave watchers all the feels when it first came out in 2004. The story flips back and forth between the past and present to portray the compelling love story between Allie Hamilton and Noah Calhoun. It foreshadows the challenges of Allie’s Alzheimer’s disease where she is unable to recognize her loved ones. It is a heartbreaking movie that portrays how much one’s life can change and how precious youth is. As the two characters lie dying, it is unclear whether Allie passes with her memories or without them, making the scene bittersweet and the movie even more riveting.