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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Atomic Blonde (2017) in Movies
Dec 16, 2017 (Updated Dec 16, 2017)
Great soundtrack (1 more)
Fabulous action
Charlize Theron makes this movie
This is definitely one of those marmite movies, in which you either love or hate it. At times, the female protagonist Lorraine, played by Charlize Theron, echoed Uma Thurman's character in Kill Bill - stylized sequences, strong female lead, a great 1980's soundtrack and cinematography - made for a good watch.
Where it fell short was the plot. It dragged in the middle of the film, where there seemed to be mindless violence for no apparent reason. The story follows Lorraine Broughton, who is sent to Berlin to find and deliver some priceless information back to MI6. She meets the local station chief David Percival and they get caught up in the normal Iron Curtain spy business you'd expect with people getting killed left right and centre.
The only problem with this is that if Theron’s character Lorraine Broughton had been a man, it wouldn't have changed a single frame of the film. I'd like to see an action film where the female lead isn't trying to be a man replacement or scantily-clad for the male gaze, I'd love to see a female lead being female.
Despite the incredible cast - Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman - the acting was adequate for the kind of film this was, but it could have been so much better.
Where it fell short was the plot. It dragged in the middle of the film, where there seemed to be mindless violence for no apparent reason. The story follows Lorraine Broughton, who is sent to Berlin to find and deliver some priceless information back to MI6. She meets the local station chief David Percival and they get caught up in the normal Iron Curtain spy business you'd expect with people getting killed left right and centre.
The only problem with this is that if Theron’s character Lorraine Broughton had been a man, it wouldn't have changed a single frame of the film. I'd like to see an action film where the female lead isn't trying to be a man replacement or scantily-clad for the male gaze, I'd love to see a female lead being female.
Despite the incredible cast - Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman - the acting was adequate for the kind of film this was, but it could have been so much better.
ClareR (5996 KP) rated The Confession in Books
Jun 13, 2021
The Confession centres around three women in different times: it’s the 1980’s, and Elise meets writer Constance. So begins an intense relationship between the two women. When Constance’s new book is bought by a studio and they start to film, Constance takes Elise and goes over to watch her novel become a film. It’s a very different life to Hampstead, and Elise struggles.
We meet our third protagonist, Rosie Simmons, in 2017. She lives in London with her boyfriend, and she’s starting to question their relationship. She seems very discontented with her life in general, and this is perhaps partly because she never knew her mother. Her father, Matt, never talks about her. However, during a visit to France where her father lives, he tells her about the woman that her mother had once lived with: Constance Holden.
When Rosie returns to London, she decides to find out more about Constance. And through a set of strange circumstances, Rosie becomes Constance’s assistant - under another name.
I did wonder how Rosie was eventually going to explain her way out of the situation she had got herself in to, and the resolution didn’t disappoint me. I was completely enthralled by this book: the complicated relationships, the love of both parents and lovers, and the strong women, all made this a really satisfying read for me. A recommended read!
We meet our third protagonist, Rosie Simmons, in 2017. She lives in London with her boyfriend, and she’s starting to question their relationship. She seems very discontented with her life in general, and this is perhaps partly because she never knew her mother. Her father, Matt, never talks about her. However, during a visit to France where her father lives, he tells her about the woman that her mother had once lived with: Constance Holden.
When Rosie returns to London, she decides to find out more about Constance. And through a set of strange circumstances, Rosie becomes Constance’s assistant - under another name.
I did wonder how Rosie was eventually going to explain her way out of the situation she had got herself in to, and the resolution didn’t disappoint me. I was completely enthralled by this book: the complicated relationships, the love of both parents and lovers, and the strong women, all made this a really satisfying read for me. A recommended read!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated The Ghostway in Books
Oct 30, 2025
A Hunt That Takes Chee to Los Angeles
It all starts with a confrontation in the parking lot of a laundromat. By the time it is over, one of the men is dead, and the other flees further into the reservation injured. While Chee is tasked with helping find the injured man, he isn’t the lead on the case. The FBI is handling it since they say it ties into a case back in Los Angeles. But then a teenager goes missing, and Chee follows a lead to L.A. hoping to find her. Can he figure out what is happening?
This is another complex mystery. I figured a couple of things out, but I was still mostly in the dark when we reached the satisfying climax. We also got to know Chee a bit better, especially thanks to a sub-plot that ties back to the fourth book. The book came out in the 1980’s, and it’s amazing to realize just how much things have changed since then. I did find a missed the reservation when the action moved to Los Angeles, but it wasn’t too bad. My biggest complaint is an issue that would get into spoiler territory, but even that is minor overall. This is an entertaining final solo entry for Jim Chee.
This is another complex mystery. I figured a couple of things out, but I was still mostly in the dark when we reached the satisfying climax. We also got to know Chee a bit better, especially thanks to a sub-plot that ties back to the fourth book. The book came out in the 1980’s, and it’s amazing to realize just how much things have changed since then. I did find a missed the reservation when the action moved to Los Angeles, but it wasn’t too bad. My biggest complaint is an issue that would get into spoiler territory, but even that is minor overall. This is an entertaining final solo entry for Jim Chee.
London Tales (Short Stories #2)
8.0
Rate It
Book
This collection of eleven tales offers dramatic pinpricks in the rich tapestry of London’s...
Short Stories Historical Fiction
Here and Now!: The Autobiography of Pat Martino
Pat Martino and Bill Milkowski
Book
By age 16, Pat Martino was already working as a member of R and B star Lloyd Price's touring musical...
TA
Type: A Visual History of Typefaces and Graphic Styles
Cees W De Jong, Alston W Purvis and Jan Tholenaar
Book
Know your type: A history of fonts and graphic styles from 1628 to 1938This compact yet...
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Doom Patrol, Vol. 1: Crawling from the Wreckage in Books
Nov 30, 2020
In a fandom littered with reboot after reboot, with the current ones no better than the previous 4-5 before it, I took it upon myself to finally read Morrison's much-praised mid-1980's reboot of the Doom Patrol. I did not read it when it came out originally, but I remember seeing it. At the time, I was very much about the "flashy" superhero books of 80's: the X-Men (which I will still argue were better than ANYTHING that is currently being written about them!), Wildstorm's 'Gen13' and 'WildC.A.T.s', etc. Mind you, I was also very much into 'Sandman' and "Shade the Changing Man', both of which were part of the still-in-its-infancy stage Vertigo imprint from DC Comics. Weird, right, that I skipped over 'Doom Patrol'. Not sure why I did, but I did.
Now, to the present..
Having read the first volume, which is out-of-print (like so much of DC's pre-"New 52" stuff!), I can safely say I understand all the love that the series has earned! This is mind-blowing stuff, and it's only the first 6 issues!
The book boasts a dark, moody theme at times, but it is more part of the story than about trying to "be something" like many books today try to be. The characters are well-rounded, each having a uniquely interesting personality. There are returning characters, like Robotman, and the team's leader Niles Caulder, but there are also some real creative gems like Crazy Jane, with her 64 personalities and so much more going on in her!
The cool thing about 'Doom Patrol' is it can be recommended to anyone who says they don't like comics because of the costumes, etc. DP is not about costumes, superheroes or anything like that. If it were to be compared to anyting, I would say I got a 'Fringe' (the FOX/J.J. Abrams TV series) feeling when I was reading it.
There are 5 more volumes to tackle, but I shall savor each one, as if it were a fine wine!
Now, to the present..
Having read the first volume, which is out-of-print (like so much of DC's pre-"New 52" stuff!), I can safely say I understand all the love that the series has earned! This is mind-blowing stuff, and it's only the first 6 issues!
The book boasts a dark, moody theme at times, but it is more part of the story than about trying to "be something" like many books today try to be. The characters are well-rounded, each having a uniquely interesting personality. There are returning characters, like Robotman, and the team's leader Niles Caulder, but there are also some real creative gems like Crazy Jane, with her 64 personalities and so much more going on in her!
The cool thing about 'Doom Patrol' is it can be recommended to anyone who says they don't like comics because of the costumes, etc. DP is not about costumes, superheroes or anything like that. If it were to be compared to anyting, I would say I got a 'Fringe' (the FOX/J.J. Abrams TV series) feeling when I was reading it.
There are 5 more volumes to tackle, but I shall savor each one, as if it were a fine wine!
Rainer Buchmann: Innovation-Design-Emotion
Book
Car modifier b+b Auto, founded 1973 in Frankfurt by Rainer Buchmann and his brother Dieter, caused a...
Chance Encounters: Tales from a Varied Life
Book
"I met Frank Sinatra through Robert Maxwell. That's if you can be said to have met someone who was...
In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences
8.3
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Book
The chilling true crime 'non-fiction novel' that made Truman Capote's name, In Cold Blood is a...