The Art Desk’s weekly picks for music, movies and more
By SARAH HAN — arts@theaggie.org
Song: “Little Bit More” by Suriel Hess (2022)
Suriel Hess is a rising artist whose songs are characterized by sounds of acoustic piano and guitar that create a calm atmosphere. One of his biggest hits is “Little Bit More,” which describes the process of falling in love. The song opens with strums of the guitar, soon followed by Hess’s calming voice. In my opinion, the repetition of the words “little bit more” creates a catchy melody to the chorus and makes it the best part of the piece. The rest of the track’s vocals do not fluctuate too much as Hess continues to sing in a relaxed voice. Whenever I listen to this song, I am reminded of laying on the grass in spring. Its overall ethereal vibe can be very soothing. If you are looking for a new song to listen to, I recommend checking this out.
Book: “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak (2005)
“The Book Thief” is by far one of the most interesting yet touching books I have ever read. Zusak’s storytelling is incredibly unique. Narrated by Death, the readers follow Liesel Meminger as she grows up in Nazi Germany. Due to both the tragic passing of her brother and her mother’s inability to take care of her, Liesel’s life unfolds in an unexpected direction as she is taken in by the Hubermanns. The book touches on themes of familial love, cruelty, injustice and other poignant topics. Without spoiling too much more, I can say that “The Book Thief” is truly a moving piece of literature.
Movie: “The Hunger Games” film series dir. by Francis Lawrence and Gary Ross (2012-2015)
Although the first movie was released over ten years ago, I never get tired of watching “The Hunger Games.” Each part of the series complements the whole and perfectly tells the story of the main character, Katniss Everdeen. What I like about this film series is that the themes seamlessly apply to real life despite its setting in a dystopian reality. For example, themes of love between Katniss and her family, friends and allies can connect many of the viewers’ own experiences. Apart from Jennifer Lawrence’s fantastic acting, I have to give a shoutout to Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson — their acting was so natural that even in an interview, I only saw them as Caesar Flickerman, Effie Trinket and Haymitch Abernathy, respectively. Whether you want to revisit a childhood classic or have never seen the film series before, “The Hunger Games” movies are worth a watch.
TV Show: “The Glory” dir. by Ahn Gil-ho (2022)
“The Glory” is a South Korean drama about Moon Dong-eun (played by Song Hye-kyo), a woman who seeks revenge on her former high school bullies. The first episode centers around Dong-eun’s traumatic experience with the main ringleader being Park Yeon-Jin. After contemplating dropping out, Dong-eun eventually graduates high school; however, she still has plans to seek revenge on Park Yeon-Jin. The following episodes detail Dong-eun’s revenge plot, and I have to say, Son Hye-kyo’s acting is quite impressive. I definitely recommend this series if you are on the lookout for a new thriller.
Written by: Sarah Han — arts@theaggie.org
