Joma West
@jomawest.bsky.social
Author | Wild, Face, Twice Lived | (she/they/other) | Sometime actor | https://linktr.ee/jomawest
I love stories where each new perspective unpeels everything you thought you knew and Hirokazu Kore-eda's Monster does that masterfully. Such an achingly beautiful film that treats its characters with immense sensitivity.
March 18, 2025 at 6:09 PM
I love stories where each new perspective unpeels everything you thought you knew and Hirokazu Kore-eda's Monster does that masterfully. Such an achingly beautiful film that treats its characters with immense sensitivity.
Watched Nickel Boys at the weekend. It really took my breath away, this is the kind of art that sets me off, beautiful, moving, so damn smart, every second on screen has a thought behind it, nothing is extraneous it's just pure art on every level.
March 11, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Watched Nickel Boys at the weekend. It really took my breath away, this is the kind of art that sets me off, beautiful, moving, so damn smart, every second on screen has a thought behind it, nothing is extraneous it's just pure art on every level.
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop was a bittersweet joy to read. I felt like I could be reading about myself and my friends, the concerns haunting the characters were all too familiar. I wish I had this bookshop in my neighbourhood, seems like a rad place to hang out.
March 3, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop was a bittersweet joy to read. I felt like I could be reading about myself and my friends, the concerns haunting the characters were all too familiar. I wish I had this bookshop in my neighbourhood, seems like a rad place to hang out.
Long overdue, I saw Pather Panchali. What a film! Poetic and intimate. This is the start of Apu's story but it's a film about women. The old woman, the mother, the maid, their small joys are so sweet, but mostly they broke my heart. Such a sensitive portrait of having dreams that feel out of reach.
February 23, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Long overdue, I saw Pather Panchali. What a film! Poetic and intimate. This is the start of Apu's story but it's a film about women. The old woman, the mother, the maid, their small joys are so sweet, but mostly they broke my heart. Such a sensitive portrait of having dreams that feel out of reach.
I've seen it a few times now and every time Jigarthanda DoubleX just makes me happy. It's such a dense, dynamic, explosion of a film, heaving with villains and bad intentions. A wild ride. (Shout out to my lady Malaiarasi - she's a badass with not enough screen time.)
February 21, 2025 at 11:20 AM
I've seen it a few times now and every time Jigarthanda DoubleX just makes me happy. It's such a dense, dynamic, explosion of a film, heaving with villains and bad intentions. A wild ride. (Shout out to my lady Malaiarasi - she's a badass with not enough screen time.)
Finished The Three-Body Problem today and it was proper mind warping stuff that was so elegantly explained. Had a great time with it.
February 16, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Finished The Three-Body Problem today and it was proper mind warping stuff that was so elegantly explained. Had a great time with it.
Robot Dreams is really brutal for a film that's so romantic and life-affirming. Made me feel a lot of feelings.
February 15, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Robot Dreams is really brutal for a film that's so romantic and life-affirming. Made me feel a lot of feelings.
The Chaser (2008) is fucking brutal. It's also fucking good. Right from the off you know you're in a safe pair of hands, lots of smart choices, and the acting is phenomenal.
January 31, 2025 at 1:04 PM
The Chaser (2008) is fucking brutal. It's also fucking good. Right from the off you know you're in a safe pair of hands, lots of smart choices, and the acting is phenomenal.
This is the kind of film to watch in times like these, when you need a bit of hope, when you need reminding that action makes a difference, even when it seems small or ridiculous. The buggers are counting on us to psyche ourselves out. Unionise.
January 23, 2025 at 10:20 AM
This is the kind of film to watch in times like these, when you need a bit of hope, when you need reminding that action makes a difference, even when it seems small or ridiculous. The buggers are counting on us to psyche ourselves out. Unionise.
Rewatched Smiley Face the other night. This film lives in my heart. It's so funny, and so poignant. Anna Faris is so fucking funny. Gregg Araki is so fucking funny.
January 21, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Rewatched Smiley Face the other night. This film lives in my heart. It's so funny, and so poignant. Anna Faris is so fucking funny. Gregg Araki is so fucking funny.
Just finished this excellent book by @neuvel.net. A deft blend of fact and fiction, Neuvel has a gift for making even the smallest characters feel fully realised, all while keeping the prose lean and propulsive. And then just dropping in moment after moment of pure wonder. And that end 🖤
January 20, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Just finished this excellent book by @neuvel.net. A deft blend of fact and fiction, Neuvel has a gift for making even the smallest characters feel fully realised, all while keeping the prose lean and propulsive. And then just dropping in moment after moment of pure wonder. And that end 🖤
Finally watched Tár. I think it's one of the most perfectly timed films I've seen. Everything about it is flawless. And what an ending!
January 7, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Finally watched Tár. I think it's one of the most perfectly timed films I've seen. Everything about it is flawless. And what an ending!
My first read of 2025. What a book. Ai Jiang is such a sensitive and observant writer, crazy skilled, this gave me chills. And I was so happy to find 2 bonus stories at the end so I could marvel at Jiang's world for a bit longer.
January 4, 2025 at 3:10 PM
My first read of 2025. What a book. Ai Jiang is such a sensitive and observant writer, crazy skilled, this gave me chills. And I was so happy to find 2 bonus stories at the end so I could marvel at Jiang's world for a bit longer.
The pacing of Leonor Will Never Die didn't quite work for me, but the imagination and themes are so rich. It's a gem.
January 4, 2025 at 3:05 PM
The pacing of Leonor Will Never Die didn't quite work for me, but the imagination and themes are so rich. It's a gem.
Every year, around midwinter (got it dead on this time) Gray, the dog, and I watch the greatest Christmas film of all time - Tokyo Godfathers. Satoshi Kon's work is so fine, each and every piece, so incredibly beautiful, touching, and deep.
December 21, 2024 at 8:09 PM
Every year, around midwinter (got it dead on this time) Gray, the dog, and I watch the greatest Christmas film of all time - Tokyo Godfathers. Satoshi Kon's work is so fine, each and every piece, so incredibly beautiful, touching, and deep.
Eating wotsits while watching The Taste of Things felt a bit sacrilegious but it's all I had. If you like lush pastoral scenes and hard-core gastronomy this film rocks. I must now eat an omelette with a spoon to see if it makes all the difference.
December 15, 2024 at 5:00 PM
Eating wotsits while watching The Taste of Things felt a bit sacrilegious but it's all I had. If you like lush pastoral scenes and hard-core gastronomy this film rocks. I must now eat an omelette with a spoon to see if it makes all the difference.
My 2nd book Twice Lived is about two girls who share a body across two worlds. As they get older their identities begin to blur until it's clear only one can keep the body and the life they've built. linktr.ee/jomawest
December 13, 2024 at 10:13 AM
My 2nd book Twice Lived is about two girls who share a body across two worlds. As they get older their identities begin to blur until it's clear only one can keep the body and the life they've built. linktr.ee/jomawest
I'm biased but I thought Twice Lived was a pretty good book Reactor published this year. Please buy my book 🙏🏽
December 11, 2024 at 3:19 PM
I'm biased but I thought Twice Lived was a pretty good book Reactor published this year. Please buy my book 🙏🏽
I watched La Chimera last night. A really elegant indictment of capitalism, a celebration of art made without material gain in mind, and a poetic meditation on grief. And lots of other stuff. But it never felt crowded. There was a scene at the halfway mark that gave me chills.
December 11, 2024 at 1:46 PM
I watched La Chimera last night. A really elegant indictment of capitalism, a celebration of art made without material gain in mind, and a poetic meditation on grief. And lots of other stuff. But it never felt crowded. There was a scene at the halfway mark that gave me chills.
Just rewatched A Matter of Life and Death and every time, the images just blow me away. Wonderous and comforting.
December 8, 2024 at 2:07 PM
Just rewatched A Matter of Life and Death and every time, the images just blow me away. Wonderous and comforting.
Finished this last night. A really great one-sitting book, the structure and clean writing makes it compulsive. Braithwaite walks such a fine line with the characterisation of Korede. She's complex and moving.
December 8, 2024 at 10:57 AM
Finished this last night. A really great one-sitting book, the structure and clean writing makes it compulsive. Braithwaite walks such a fine line with the characterisation of Korede. She's complex and moving.
The First Slam Dunk is a perfect film.
December 6, 2024 at 10:44 PM
The First Slam Dunk is a perfect film.
My book of the year, Jack Hilton's Caliban Shrieks feels so singular to me. Published in 1935, swiftly out of print, the story of its rediscovery and republication is moving. The book itself is electrifying. Its final chapter is one I have read and re-read. I will be talking about this book forever.
December 2, 2024 at 3:57 PM
My book of the year, Jack Hilton's Caliban Shrieks feels so singular to me. Published in 1935, swiftly out of print, the story of its rediscovery and republication is moving. The book itself is electrifying. Its final chapter is one I have read and re-read. I will be talking about this book forever.