Mimi's Thoughts

Just like old times

My Review of Voicemails for Isabelle

Last night I spent my evening watching Voicemails for Isabelle, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it.

I shared here immediately how I couldn’t shake the feeling that it reminded me of a book I had read before.

What surprised me most was how quickly the movie pulled me in.

About fifteen minutes into the movie, I actually checked the time because I couldn’t believe how much had already happened. So many emotions were already coming up for me, and the movie had barely started. It felt packed in the best possible way.

By the time I was an hour in, I was getting those old-school rom-com vibes. Some months ago, I wrote about how much I missed movies like You’ve Got Mail and those romance stories that make you smile, hope, and feel all warm inside. This movie gave me that feeling.

The story was solid. The characters were engaging. The emotions felt real. It was just a wonderful watch.

I could easily have given it a 10 out of 10, but I’m not going to.

As a romance reader and a lover of rom-coms, there’s always that moment I look forward to. That point where the character truly realizes they were wrong, owns it, grows from it, and you can feel the weight of that realization. I wanted a little more of that here.

The reunion was good, but I wanted more emotion. I wanted to see the pain in the eyes, the regret, the vulnerability, the growth. I wanted that moment to hit a little harder than it did.

Still, that’s a small complaint in what was otherwise a beautiful movie.

This isn’t just a romance. It’s also about family, love, grief, healing, sisterhood, and connection. It makes you feel more than one thing, and I appreciate movies that can do that.

So my final rating is 9 out of 10.

It’s beautiful. It’s heartfelt. And if you’re someone who loves stories that make you feel, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

Have I Read This Movie?

I started watching Voicemails for Isabelle on Netflix this evening. I was in need of a calm romcom and a few hours of entertainment. What I didn’t expect was the nagging feeling that I had somehow read this story before.

A few scenes into the movie, I found myself mentally flipping through the shelves of books I’ve read over the years. I kept asking myself, “Where have I read this before?”
I didn’t have to go too far. The book sat in my recent reads.

Wrong Number, Right Guy by Elle Casey.

Now, to be clear, Voicemails for Isabelle is not an adaptation of Wrong Number, Right Guy. The plots are different. The characters are different… But the emotional experience of the two stories feels remarkably similar.

Both stories revolve around a connection that begins indirectly. In Wrong Number, Right Guy, a mistaken text message opens the door to an unexpected relationship. In Voicemails for Isabelle, voicemails become a bridge between two people. In both cases, words create intimacy before life catches up.

There is something uniquely romantic about getting to know someone’s thoughts before fully knowing the person. Messages strip away appearances, distractions, and first impressions. They allow vulnerability to arrive first.

That is what I recognized.

Both stories capture the anticipation of waiting for the next message. The curiosity of wondering who is on the other side. The comfort that comes from being understood by someone you haven’t fully met. The emotional connection develops through conversations, not circumstances.

As readers and viewers, we’ve seen versions of this trope many times, but when it’s done well, it still works. There is something timeless about two people finding each other through words.

The more I watched Voicemails for Isabelle, the more I realized that what felt familiar wasn’t the storyline itself. It was the emotional rhythm. The same rhythm that made Wrong Number, Right Guy so engaging.

The movie wasn’t a book I’d already read. It simply reminded me why I love reading them.

Have you ever watched a movie that felt so familiar you were convinced you’d already read the book?

Office Romance: What Exactly Did I Just Watch?

I just watched the new Jennifer Lopez movie Office Romance, and I’m honestly not sure what I watched. I asked myself, was it a comedy? Was it a romantic comedy? Was it… something else? I just didn’t get the vibe.

The movie stars Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein, and on paper, this should have worked. The love interest was a solid man, a solid 9 out of 10 for me, and she too is a solid 10 out of 10. The ingredients were there. Attractive leads. Workplace tension. Secret romance. A big-budget Netflix release. Yet somehow, for me, the whole thing felt cheesy… Not charmingly cheesy. Just… cheesy.

What’s interesting is that my reaction isn’t entirely unique.

When you juxtapose my feelings with many of the reviews coming out after the film’s release, a pattern starts to emerge.

Several critics described the movie as struggling to find its tone. Some felt it couldn’t decide whether it wanted to be a classic Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy, a modern workplace satire, or an edgy R-rated comedy. Others complained that the humor felt forced and that the emotional connection between the characters never quite landed. Critics from major publications called it formulaic, awkward, and surprisingly lacking in warmth despite having two charismatic leads.

That said, not everyone hated it.

A number of viewers actually loved the chemistry between Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein. Some fans described the pair as magnetic and said they would happily watch the movie again. Others appreciated that it wasn’t trying to reinvent the romantic comedy genre and simply wanted to entertain.

But even among viewers who enjoyed it, there was a recurring feeling that the film leaned heavily on familiar rom-com tropes. It often felt predictable, and many audience members found themselves seeing plot developments coming from miles away. And as a rom-com monger, I totally agree.

Maybe that’s why I kept waiting for something more.

I wasn’t asking for realism. We don’t watch rom-com for realism. Romantic comedies have never been documentaries. But I was looking for something that felt authentic. Something that made me root for the couple rather than simply acknowledge that they’re both attractive people on my screen.

Instead, I found myself wondering what kind of movie I was actually watching.

The strange thing about Office Romance is that it isn’t a complete disaster. Jennifer Lopez remains effortlessly watchable. I am a huge Lopez fan, I think I clapped enough for her in my post Jennifer Lopez from 20th May, 2023. Brett Goldstein has charm. The cast is talented. The production looks polished.

But good ingredients don’t always make a memorable meal.

In the end, Office Romance feels like a movie that knows exactly what it wants to be but never quite convinces the audience to come along for the ride.

Maybe that’s why, after the credits rolled, my biggest thought wasn’t whether I liked it or hated it.

It was simply:

“What exactly did I just watch?”

Lost and then Found

I lost my purse for a week.

I checked everywhere I had been, and one of the places was my mom’s room at home. I went there and asked her as well. We searched, and she was really worried.

I was actually worried and stressed because the purse had all my credit cards and my driver’s license, which I had just renewed for five years. The cards could have been canceled at the bank, but the driver’s license was my major issue.

Anyway, after a whole week, I found the purse under the driver’s seat of my car….one week of all the worries and stress.

My mom’s response was practical. She said that next time I should have my name on the purse so that if anybody sees it, they know it’s mine.

Now, I should explain something about myself: I am an extremist.

So I took her advice and ran with it.

The photo below is what I did.

But here’s the part that makes the story even better: I hid the purse myself. The culprit, the investigator, the victim, and the person who finally recovered the purse were all the same person.

Apparently, I had protected my purse so well that I successfully protected it from myself.

Sometimes we don’t lose things. Sometimes we just create a hiding place so effective that even we can’t find it again.

John Jim Jack

I first knew John Krasinski from The Office, and I liked him immediately. I liked how Jim just minded his business… You’d always see those memes like “This is Jim. Jim minds his business, be like Jim.”

I also loved him and Pam together. His patience, the softness, the waiting. Their relationship was so genuine.

So when John Krasinski became Jack Ryan, I noticed immediately… Yup.

The thing is, I’m actually not new to Tom Clancy’s world, I’ve read The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games, and I’ve seen some of the older Jack Ryan movies too where Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine did real good in that role… But because it was John Krasinski this time, I wanted to experience it differently. I kept telling myself I should properly sit down for the series and maybe even revisit the books again before starting. Then life happened, and I kept postponing it… For years.

At the beginning of 2026, though, I remember telling myself I was finally going to watch all four seasons of Jack Ryan… And then the 2026 movie debuted. Jack Ryan: Ghost War…

…And now I think I actually will.

There’s just something interesting about seeing someone you first knew as quiet, funny, observant Jim become a serious intelligence analyst thrown into so much global chaos.
So yeah. I think I’m finally ready for my John Krasinski Jack Ryan era.

I’m writing this at the end of season two…

Is Chilvary Dead?

I remember writing here in Lady about my wishes to be taken to a particular time. A time when Chivalry was popular. In medieval times, when there was honor, courage, loyalty, humility, protection of the vulnerable, honesty, and respectful behavior toward others.

Over time, Chivalry has evolved to mean different things to many people. Some people associate chivalry with simple acts of courtesy like opening doors, walking someone to their car, offering to share an umbrella when it’s raining, standing up when someone enters a room, or speaking with kindness and restraint… But historically, chivalry was much deeper than politeness. It was about character.

Chivalry was never about dramatic gestures. It was about disciplined humanity.

The questions that arise when we talk about chilvary would be; How do you treat people when there is nothing to gain?… How do you handle power?… Do you protect… or do you exploit?… Are you honorable when nobody is watching?

So… Is Chivalry Lost?

This question comes to my mind often because I feel the world has become colder, harsher, and more self-focused. We scroll through stories of betrayal, disrespect, manipulation, and cruelty so often that gentleness can begin to feel rare. People interrupt more quickly… The art of listening is lost. Relationships feel more disposable… Sadly. Pride often speaks louder than humility. Kindness is sometimes mistaken for weakness… Yes.

One reason I think chivalry is dying is because modern culture sometimes reduces it to aesthetics instead of values. For instance, a man opening a door means little if he is emotionally careless or grand romantic gestures are empty if respect disappears during conflict in relationships.

The truth is this, chivalry was never supposed to be a performance. It is consistency.
A truly chivalrous person will respect people who cannot benefit them, they’ll speak honestly, control their temper, protect rather than humiliate, they will listen and keep promises.

To some extent, chilvary might have had a little more hope today, but I fear that social media also changed how we see human worth.
Life has become fast and public… Outrage spreads faster than gentleness and sadly cruelty has become entertainment. People are rewarded for being mean and untouchable. On social media vulnerability, patience, and courtesy can seem “uncool.”

I once saw an argument that said “The Problem Is Not That Chivalry Died”.
It argued that people were tired and that tired people were defensive and that hurt people became guarded. The argument continued to say that when enough people stop expecting goodness, they stop practicing it too. It’s so sad how true this sounds.

I have been thinking about this for weeks now and after much thought and consideration, I think every generation believes kindness is disappearing. Yet somehow, every generation still produces deeply honorable people. Quiet people. Gentle people. People who help others without needing applause. They simply do not trend online as often.

I’ve convinced myself, maybe chivalry looks different now. Maybe it’s more modern, not like knights and horses. Maybe it’s just; honest communication, respecting boundaries, a friend checking in during hard times, a person refusing to embarrass someone publicly, someone choosing integrity even when dishonesty would be easier just like I wrote in The Better Victory.

I will sleep better as I tell myself that chivalry is probably not completely lost… it’s just no longer automatic.

Fire and Water

I got a movie recommendation from my sister last month. It was an animation titled Elemental. I usually don’t dive into animations. The few I’ve seen have always been on movie nights with SonTer.

…but this one… she assured me it was worth it.

So I saw it.

It was a soft, colorful animated movie. It focused on the use of the elements earth, wind, fire and water as personalities… with emphasis on water and fire. Somewhere between the glowing streets, emotional family conversations and all… it became something much heavier…how can fire truly love water?

Water can put out fire. Fire can boil water away. Their very existence together feels unstable and even almost dangerous. The story gave me something to think about.

When the movie began, the question was: Can two completely different beings survive each other?
And then slowly, it changed into something deeper: Can people learn how to love each other without destroying who the other person is?

Wade never stops being water. Ember never stops being fire. Neither one changes into something easier or safer. Instead, they learn gentleness. Boundaries. Patience. Space.
…that is what love is… Sometimes.
We don’t become identical and we don’t erase our differences.
We also do not pretend incompatibility does not exist. We learn the other person’s nature carefully enough that neither of you burns out.
Ember feared that she was “too much.” Too intense, too dangerous, too difficult to be loved comfortably. Wade was the first person who saw her fully and did not treat her like something that needed to be controlled.

Underneath the bright animation and funny moments, Elemental asks a question some people secretly ask themselves:
What if who I naturally am hurts the people I love?

The movie answers:
Love may simply be learning how not to destroy each other.

But sometimes, you ask, is it worth the risk?

Elemental is such a good movie for conversation and discussion because beneath the colorful animation and humor, it also explores deep human themes like love, compatibility, cultural expectations, prejudice, emotional differences, and the fear of being misunderstood.
The use of elements makes the emotions symbolic and relatable. Fire feels intense and passionate, water feels soft and emotional, earth feels grounded, and air feels free and light.

Good Intentions

I shared here weeks ago how I was Stepping Into Wuthering Heights.

That book stayed with me… Still on my mind. It won’t let me be.

While I was reading I couldn’t stop thinking about one moment, that small moment when Mr. Earnshaw brings Heathcliff home. Just like that. He didn’t even give an explanation. Just… “this child has no one, so now he’s mine.”

And look at what that one decision turned into.

It honestly messed with me a bit.

Usually, we like to believe that if you do something kind, it will lead to something good. Right?… Simple. Clean. You help someone, things get better. But that’s not what happens here at all. That one act of compassion ends up stirring jealousy, resentment, and eventually so much damage it spills into the next generation.

And it made me think about real life.

I’ve had moments where I meant well… really well, but things didn’t turn out the way I imagined. Sometimes people misunderstood me. Sometimes what I gave created expectations I didn’t even know I was setting. Sometimes it just… complicated things.

This doesn’t mean I was wrong to be kind… I think people are just not simple.

Everyone is carrying something. Pride, insecurity, pain, history. So when you step in with “good intentions,” you’re not stepping into an empty space, you’re stepping into all of that.

That’s what happened with Heathcliff. The kindness was real, but the environment wasn’t healthy… And that changed everything.

I don’t think the lesson is “don’t be kind.” That feels too harsh and even too defensive.

If anything, it’s this: good intentions are not enough on their own…
…What happens after matters. How people receive what you give matters. The space you’re giving into matters…. And sometimes, even when you do everything from a good place, things can still go sideways.

It’s kind of uncomfortable to admit that, but it also feels honest.

So maybe I’m learning to hold my kindness with a bit more awareness… Not to stop giving, but to understand that it doesn’t give me control over the outcome… I guess that’s the hard part, isn’t it?

Take Your Happy

At the beginning of this year, sitting quietly on my TBR list, was The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros… And I was afraid of it. I was actually very afraid.

By the time I finally picked it up this past weekend, I had already spent months seeing reactions online. TikTok videos of people crying mid-review. Instagram captions, warning readers that the book would “destroy” them emotionally. Comments from people saying they had to pause while reading just to recover.

So I delayed it… And delayed it some more, until finally, this weekend, I summoned the courage to read it.

I finished it in two days.

And strangely enough, when I got to the end, my biggest feeling was not devastation.

It was perspective.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the book is emotional. There are losses that hurt. Endings that ache. Moments where life feels painfully unfair. It definitely did not tie everything up in a neat, perfect bow.

But maybe because I had spent so much time preparing for emotional destruction, I entered the story differently from many people who read it blindly. I wasn’t reading for shock anymore. I was reading carefully, almost cautiously, trying to understand what everyone else had experienced so intensely.

What I found wasn’t a book that ruined me. I found a book that quietly reminded me that life will always be both beautiful and painful at the same time.

There’s a line repeated in the book: “Take your happy.”

And somehow, that became the thing that stayed with me most… Not the tragedy. Not even the heartbreak.

That line… Take your happy.

Why?… Ljfe is unpredictable… Sometimes the future changes without permission… And waiting for a perfect life before allowing yourself to be happy is a dangerous thing.

I think that’s what the book really left with me. Not fear or emotional ruin… Just Acceptance… The understanding that life is not divided into clean categories of “good times” and “bad times.” Most of the time, they exist together. You can grieve and still laugh. You can carry fear and still love people deeply. You can know pain is possible and still choose happiness anyway.

And maybe that’s why the ending did not break me the way I expected it to.

I also realized something else while reading it…; social media sometimes shapes our emotional expectations before we even open a book.

People online prepared me for emotional devastation so thoroughly that I think I unconsciously built armor around myself before chapter one. I expected to be wrecked. I expected tears. I expected emotional collapse.

Instead, I found reflection.

And honestly, I think that is okay too. I told myself that the fact I don’t cry does not mean the story failed to touch me. Sometimes the stories that affect us most are the ones that settle quietly into our thoughts instead of exploding out of us emotionally.

I liked the book… In all the loss, pain and grief, it kept whispering something incredibly human: Take your happy while it’s here.

And maybe that is enough.

The next book I’m bracing myself for is A little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.

The last letter Aesthetics from Pinterest

Here and Not

My son left for the third and final term of grade 8 yesterday.

I woke up today and noticed a few things…

When he’s home;

I can’t find the TV remote control.

Dry noodle crumbs are all over the sofa and rug… He snacks on uncooked noodles.

Art supplies and markers are visible… They are everywhere.

There’s a frying pan in the sink every time… he’s the omelette master.

The dispenser bottle runs out quickly and there’s always a cup on the top.

My fancy throw pillows are scattered all over the place

…

When he’s not home;

I miss him