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Kevin Phillipson (9955 KP) rated Nightcrawler (2014) in Movies
Aug 7, 2018
Jake gyllenhaal (1 more)
Riz ahmed
This movie is not for everyones taste due to the subject matter jake gyllenhall is at his most creepyest in this film some of the incidents are distressing at times. The rest of the cast are good including bill paxton and rene russo and riz ahmed thumbs up
Ian Parr (9 KP) rated Nightcrawler (2014) in Movies
Nov 15, 2019
"Jake Gyllenhaal takes creepiness to a whole new level here in Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler is a well made and executed story of one man's obsession to get the very best video shots at accident/crime scenes just after (and while) they happen. Possibly Gyllenhaal's best performance to date, with great support from Riz Ahmed. Although I found the ending slightly disappointing, this really is a must see movie!"
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Nightcrawler (2014) in Movies
Aug 3, 2017
Extremely grim world of night crawling
This shows the basest nature of humankind. Wrapped up in greed and death, Jake Gyllenhaal's character is almost sociopathic in trying to get ahead by being first at crimes and accidents, and selling it to the media. At times you want to look away at the sheer horror of it all, but just like an audience or consumer you keep watching the train wreck.
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated Love, Hate, and Other Filters in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Love Hate & Other Filters is a book that I was really looking forward to read, it got great hype and the fact that Ahmed is a debut author was just the icing on the cake for me. I loved the premise of the story and learning more about Indian culture through the characters in this book. Ahmed definitely delivered in that area. Her writing was descriptive and her exploration of feelings was on point. It was a quick moving story that left me turning the pages well into the night. I fell in love with Maya and Phil. I especially loved Violet, she has some real MC potential but Ahmed did a great job of not letting her take over the story. I’d love to see a companion book with Violet as the MC, I digress.
The story of Maya and Phil was a cute love story centered in the midst of something so much greater. Their story is derailed by a terrorist attack that hits close to home for Maya and as a result everything she wanted for herself, for her life is flipped upside down. See, the supposed terrorist shares her last name, and as a result Maya and her family have to deal with the insecurities and the intolerance of the people in their community. Islamophobia is a growing problem in our world, and this book is just the tip of the iceberg. The story was haunting and emotional. I personally can’t believe that people treat other people the way they do in this book. It makes me weep for humanity.
I had two problems with this book, which is why I only gave it a 4 star rating… I know Maya is 17 and she would have been just a baby when September 11th happened; however, I would have thought that Islamophobia would have been part of her life from the word go. I’m not saying that it should be that way or that I wish that on anyone because I would never do that. But, I think it’s something that has been so prevalent in our society since September 11th that I find it hard to swallow that she doesn’t mention encountering Islamophobia prior to the terrorist attack when she’s 17. Not only that but her parents don’t mention it either, which I find hard to believe.
The other problem I have with this book is the ending… To be honest it felt rushed to me. I would have loved to see the way it played out in more detail. I would also have preferred the epilogue to flash a little farther into the future. But, that’s just my opinion.
Overall, Ahmed has a great ability to manipulate the written word and weave together a story that will embed itself in your heart. I highly recommend this book, it’s a quick read that is both eye opening and a reminder of what people in this country and world are dealing with. I will gladly pick up any book that Ahmed writes in the future, and I encourage you to pick up this one.
The story of Maya and Phil was a cute love story centered in the midst of something so much greater. Their story is derailed by a terrorist attack that hits close to home for Maya and as a result everything she wanted for herself, for her life is flipped upside down. See, the supposed terrorist shares her last name, and as a result Maya and her family have to deal with the insecurities and the intolerance of the people in their community. Islamophobia is a growing problem in our world, and this book is just the tip of the iceberg. The story was haunting and emotional. I personally can’t believe that people treat other people the way they do in this book. It makes me weep for humanity.
I had two problems with this book, which is why I only gave it a 4 star rating… I know Maya is 17 and she would have been just a baby when September 11th happened; however, I would have thought that Islamophobia would have been part of her life from the word go. I’m not saying that it should be that way or that I wish that on anyone because I would never do that. But, I think it’s something that has been so prevalent in our society since September 11th that I find it hard to swallow that she doesn’t mention encountering Islamophobia prior to the terrorist attack when she’s 17. Not only that but her parents don’t mention it either, which I find hard to believe.
The other problem I have with this book is the ending… To be honest it felt rushed to me. I would have loved to see the way it played out in more detail. I would also have preferred the epilogue to flash a little farther into the future. But, that’s just my opinion.
Overall, Ahmed has a great ability to manipulate the written word and weave together a story that will embed itself in your heart. I highly recommend this book, it’s a quick read that is both eye opening and a reminder of what people in this country and world are dealing with. I will gladly pick up any book that Ahmed writes in the future, and I encourage you to pick up this one.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Rooftops of Tehran in Books
Jun 18, 2018
<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
I received, Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji, for free in exchange for a review. The synopsis of the book immediately caught my attention. From the beginning I was excited to read this novel. The story takes place in Iran. The story shows how American involvement affects everyone and not always in a good way. The characters are well developed. The story has twists, that I never expected but kept the story going.
Pasha, Ahmed, Zari and Faheemah are the main characters. Pasha and Ahmed spend many hours on his rooftop talking, joking, dreaming of the love of their lives and contemplating life. Pasha fantasized being with Zari but she was to married off to a childhood friend. While Ahmed wanted to be with Faheemah and ended up dating with the approval of her parents. Pasha and his friends live in Iran in the 1970's where they are skeptical of religion, arrange marriage and the government of their country. The US is viewed as a place of opportunity but as a place that causes problems.
By reading this book I was able to gain insight to middle class life in Iran during the 1970's until the rule of the Shah. This is a coming of age book that appears simple in the beginning but as the story progresses life gets complicated due to arranged marriage customs, and modern ideas from western culture. School is a place that is run by petty tyrants and when rules are not obeyed punishment is what follows. At the core, is the fundamentalism of Iran's future.
The SAVAK is present everywhere and people of all ages feel their impact. SAVAK have an impact on Iranian culture and not in a good way. They cause confusion, heartbreak and even death.
This story is written in a fast paced narrative perspective. The author has developed the characters well. At the end of the story I felt like I was sitting on the rooftop with Pasha experiencing his life, the twists, the secrets and all that effected his life with him.
I received, Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji, for free in exchange for a review. The synopsis of the book immediately caught my attention. From the beginning I was excited to read this novel. The story takes place in Iran. The story shows how American involvement affects everyone and not always in a good way. The characters are well developed. The story has twists, that I never expected but kept the story going.
Pasha, Ahmed, Zari and Faheemah are the main characters. Pasha and Ahmed spend many hours on his rooftop talking, joking, dreaming of the love of their lives and contemplating life. Pasha fantasized being with Zari but she was to married off to a childhood friend. While Ahmed wanted to be with Faheemah and ended up dating with the approval of her parents. Pasha and his friends live in Iran in the 1970's where they are skeptical of religion, arrange marriage and the government of their country. The US is viewed as a place of opportunity but as a place that causes problems.
By reading this book I was able to gain insight to middle class life in Iran during the 1970's until the rule of the Shah. This is a coming of age book that appears simple in the beginning but as the story progresses life gets complicated due to arranged marriage customs, and modern ideas from western culture. School is a place that is run by petty tyrants and when rules are not obeyed punishment is what follows. At the core, is the fundamentalism of Iran's future.
The SAVAK is present everywhere and people of all ages feel their impact. SAVAK have an impact on Iranian culture and not in a good way. They cause confusion, heartbreak and even death.
This story is written in a fast paced narrative perspective. The author has developed the characters well. At the end of the story I felt like I was sitting on the rooftop with Pasha experiencing his life, the twists, the secrets and all that effected his life with him.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated The Good Immigrant in Books
Sep 14, 2017
An important read for modern Britain
Nikesh Shukla has done a phenomenal job in compiling various essays to highlight the voices of marginalised Britain.
From bloggers to actors such as Riz Ahmed, the writings show the experiences of growing up with dual cultures and how society continues to be colour blind instead of embracing these differences.
In Ahmed's story for example, he describes going to America because he was constantly typecasted in the UK film industry. As he headed to play a role in the new Star Wars movie, he was detained at the airport for the umpteenth time to be questioned. It shows no matter how much he strived, the prejudices remain.
And that's just one anecdote of many voices. It is riveting and engaging, finally giving the opportunity to hear about second generation, children of immigrants in Britain.
From bloggers to actors such as Riz Ahmed, the writings show the experiences of growing up with dual cultures and how society continues to be colour blind instead of embracing these differences.
In Ahmed's story for example, he describes going to America because he was constantly typecasted in the UK film industry. As he headed to play a role in the new Star Wars movie, he was detained at the airport for the umpteenth time to be questioned. It shows no matter how much he strived, the prejudices remain.
And that's just one anecdote of many voices. It is riveting and engaging, finally giving the opportunity to hear about second generation, children of immigrants in Britain.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Sisters Brothers (2018) in Movies
Apr 7, 2019 (Updated Apr 7, 2019)
Unorthodox black comedy western. Quarrelsome but proficient hired killers the Sisters brothers (Reilly and Phoenix) are sent to assist in the capture of a mild-mannered chemist with valuable knowledge (Ahmed), but everyone involved finds their priorities starting to shift...
Another one of them there revisionist westerns, probably, which basically means that no-one wears a white hat and everyone probably smells quite bad. This benefits a lot from some really good performances and a good script, for the first three quarters at least. The end is the kind of thing that proper critics tend to enjoy but audiences don't, which may be why this has not done well at the box office. Not sure about the start of the journey or the destination, but there is a lot of fun to be had along the way.
Another one of them there revisionist westerns, probably, which basically means that no-one wears a white hat and everyone probably smells quite bad. This benefits a lot from some really good performances and a good script, for the first three quarters at least. The end is the kind of thing that proper critics tend to enjoy but audiences don't, which may be why this has not done well at the box office. Not sure about the start of the journey or the destination, but there is a lot of fun to be had along the way.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Sound of Metal (2019) in Movies
Apr 13, 2021
There's not a lot I can add that hasn't already been said about Sound of Metal so I'll keep this one short.
Riz Ahmed rightly deserves his Oscar nomination for his performance. It sucks that Olivia Cooke was overlooked by The Academy for hers. The two of them together carve out a painfully real relationship and are nothing short of excellent.
The sound editing is absolutely top tier. It's method of forcing the viewer to experience a fair portion of the movie as if they were hearing impaired is hugely effective. It goes a long way in illustrating how terrifying Ruben's experience is. On the flip side, in characters such as Joe (Paul Raci), we are given another perspective, about how life still goes on, and paints a wonderfully positive picture of the deaf community. It results in a film that is both truly uplifting and absolutely devastating.
Sound of Metal is definitely a triumph that deserves all the praise it's getting.
Riz Ahmed rightly deserves his Oscar nomination for his performance. It sucks that Olivia Cooke was overlooked by The Academy for hers. The two of them together carve out a painfully real relationship and are nothing short of excellent.
The sound editing is absolutely top tier. It's method of forcing the viewer to experience a fair portion of the movie as if they were hearing impaired is hugely effective. It goes a long way in illustrating how terrifying Ruben's experience is. On the flip side, in characters such as Joe (Paul Raci), we are given another perspective, about how life still goes on, and paints a wonderfully positive picture of the deaf community. It results in a film that is both truly uplifting and absolutely devastating.
Sound of Metal is definitely a triumph that deserves all the praise it's getting.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Sound of Metal (2019) in Movies
Mar 22, 2021
Rooted in Humanity
SOUND OF METAL has a pretty simple “one-line summary”: Heavy Metal Drummer deals with going deaf. But is it the humanity at the center of this film that makes it worthwhile.
Written and Directed by Darius Marder (THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES), SOUND OF METAL tells the tale of Ruben, the drummer of the Heavy Metal Band BLACK GAMMON, who must come to terms with suddenly losing most of his hearing.
Starring Riz Ahmed - in an Oscar nominated turn - SOUND OF METAL follows Ruben’s journey as he comes to terms with the wrinkle that his life has thrown at him and the silence makes him study the non-stillness inside of him.
This all sounds like it could be corny, right? Well…under the guidance of Marder and with a central performance that is grounded and real by Ahmed, it is anything but. This film finds itself in it’s humanity and the very real, personal interactions.
Credit must start with the performance of Ahmed (heretofore known to me as Bodhi Rook in STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE), he is in almost every scene in the film and he must bring a vulnerability to the screen for the audience to care about him - and he accomplishes this in spades. Even when his character makes mistakes (and, trust me, he makes a TON of them), you end up rooting for him to succeed.
Paul Raci was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Joe, the head of the Deaf Community for Addicts that Ruben eventually goes to. His turn is also grounded in the reality - the reality of addicts who have yet another twist in their life thrown at them. Raci has a road-weary look to him and gives off an aura of someone who has seen - and heard - it all, so must take a “tough love” approach. This performance works very well.
Also strong in this film is Olivia Cooke (READY PLAYER ONE) as Lou, Ruben’s girlfriend/lead singer of the Metal Band they are in. She must make some tough decisions in the course of this film - and you end up emotionally engaged in her story as well. Both Ruben and Lou are good people at heart that must make hard choices, you root for both of them to succeed even though, through these choices, pain and suffering and separation must occur.
All of this sounds good, but there has been many a film that falters under the “good intentions” of it’s Director/Screenwriter, but SOUND OF METAL avoids most of the pitfalls of these types of films by not dwelling too much on the pain and suffering of the leads - it’s there, but (as Joe would say), deal with it. I’m a little surprised that Marder did not get a Best Director Oscar nod (the work is that good), but am glad that he did get an Original Screenplay nomination.
And…as you can imagine…a film about Deafness is reliant on the Sound Design to help bring that aspect of Ruben’s experience to the audience - and this film delivers the goods. The sound team was, rightfully, nominated for the Oscar for sound design - and they should easily win - for the sound is another character in this film and that is what, ultimately, makes this film works. The audience is put in Ruben’s shoes and, at times, are unable to hear what others on the screen are saying.
A very satisfying film experience - one that needs to be seen with no distractions (especially sound distractions), so find a quiet time, lower the shades and dive into the world of the SOUND OF METAL.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Written and Directed by Darius Marder (THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES), SOUND OF METAL tells the tale of Ruben, the drummer of the Heavy Metal Band BLACK GAMMON, who must come to terms with suddenly losing most of his hearing.
Starring Riz Ahmed - in an Oscar nominated turn - SOUND OF METAL follows Ruben’s journey as he comes to terms with the wrinkle that his life has thrown at him and the silence makes him study the non-stillness inside of him.
This all sounds like it could be corny, right? Well…under the guidance of Marder and with a central performance that is grounded and real by Ahmed, it is anything but. This film finds itself in it’s humanity and the very real, personal interactions.
Credit must start with the performance of Ahmed (heretofore known to me as Bodhi Rook in STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE), he is in almost every scene in the film and he must bring a vulnerability to the screen for the audience to care about him - and he accomplishes this in spades. Even when his character makes mistakes (and, trust me, he makes a TON of them), you end up rooting for him to succeed.
Paul Raci was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Joe, the head of the Deaf Community for Addicts that Ruben eventually goes to. His turn is also grounded in the reality - the reality of addicts who have yet another twist in their life thrown at them. Raci has a road-weary look to him and gives off an aura of someone who has seen - and heard - it all, so must take a “tough love” approach. This performance works very well.
Also strong in this film is Olivia Cooke (READY PLAYER ONE) as Lou, Ruben’s girlfriend/lead singer of the Metal Band they are in. She must make some tough decisions in the course of this film - and you end up emotionally engaged in her story as well. Both Ruben and Lou are good people at heart that must make hard choices, you root for both of them to succeed even though, through these choices, pain and suffering and separation must occur.
All of this sounds good, but there has been many a film that falters under the “good intentions” of it’s Director/Screenwriter, but SOUND OF METAL avoids most of the pitfalls of these types of films by not dwelling too much on the pain and suffering of the leads - it’s there, but (as Joe would say), deal with it. I’m a little surprised that Marder did not get a Best Director Oscar nod (the work is that good), but am glad that he did get an Original Screenplay nomination.
And…as you can imagine…a film about Deafness is reliant on the Sound Design to help bring that aspect of Ruben’s experience to the audience - and this film delivers the goods. The sound team was, rightfully, nominated for the Oscar for sound design - and they should easily win - for the sound is another character in this film and that is what, ultimately, makes this film works. The audience is put in Ruben’s shoes and, at times, are unable to hear what others on the screen are saying.
A very satisfying film experience - one that needs to be seen with no distractions (especially sound distractions), so find a quiet time, lower the shades and dive into the world of the SOUND OF METAL.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Venom (2018) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
A film that leaves you in two minds.
After all the terrible reviews of this movie (“The Times” reviewer described it as “excreble” which is harsh indeed) I was steeling myself to reach for my 1* rating. I was happy to find that it wasn’t quite as bad as I was expecting it to be. Indeed parts of it were positively good fun.
The plot
Tom Hardy plays Eddie Brock, a San Franciscan investigative reporter who is engaged to hot-shot lawyer Anne Weying (Michelle WIlliams). Brock is a bit of a maverick and always tends to push things a bit far, both at work and at home. Brock targets for his latest investigation Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed): a billionaire space pioneer (I hope the producers got WELL lawyered up!) Drake is a Bond-style megalomaniac who is intend on saving mankind by merging humans with aliens to create a symbiotic organism. Not wishing to go through all the nampy-pamby clinical trials stuff, he is doing live research on vagrants and others who “won’t be missed”… with generally negative results. Infected accidently with the symbiont called Venom Brock’s future hangs in the balance: the meld will either kill him or else a new superhero will be born. (No guessing which!)
Review
For anyone with one foot already in the Spiderverse, Eddie Brock and his alter-ego Venom have appeared before, in the convoluted and pretty poor Tobey Maguire sequel “Spider-Man 3”. In that film Eddie (played by Topher Grace) was the boyfriend of Gwen Stacey (then played by Bryce Dallas-Howard) who was similarly infected by an alien symbiote and was transformed into Venom.
This new Venom incarnation is a Sony Pictures production “with” Marvel Studios, and although featuring a Stan Lee cameo it never quite feels like a Marvel picture. Posher critics have described it as “tonally inconsistent”…. which is posh-critic language for “it’s fecking all over the place”! And they are right. It veers suddenly from high drama and sci-fi action to plodding dialogue and Deadpool-style wisecracks with clutch-smoking rapidity. As such, the film never feels like it’s decided whether it wants to be at the po-faced Captain America end of the Marvel specturn or at the wise-cracking Deadpool/GotG end.
The Turns
Tom Hardy actually gets to spend a lot of this film without a mask over his face, which is certainly a novelty! And he gives it his all acting wise which will please his army of fans. But his pairing with the Oscar-winning Michelle Williams never feels comfortable: there seems little chemistry between the pair given that they are an “item”. None of this is helped by the grindingly turgid script which gives the pair, plus Reid Scott (“Dan” from “Veep”) as the third corner in the love triangle, some truly dire dialogue to spout at each other.
An act I did like in the film was Riz Ahmed as the “really bad guy” Drake. I found Ahmed extremely annoying in “Rogue One”, but here he slides into the smarmy evil role perfectly. A better script, like a future Bond film, would have benefitted from the turn!
Woody Harrelson also turns up in a mid-credit “monkey” as the supervillain Cletus Kasady, which meant nothing to me but certainly does to comic-book fans. (By the way, there is no “monkey” at the end of the film, but there is a 6 minute clip from the upcoming “Into the Spider Verse” cartoon feature tacked onto the end – at least of this Cineworld showing – which may or may not interest you).
A technical shout-out should go to Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson (who’s previously done “Black Panther” and “Creed”): an unusual soundtrack with odd electronica, eerie electric-guitar riffs for Eddie’s theme interspersed with exciting fast-paced action beats.
Final Thoughts
I must admit that from starting with a cynical “don’t want to know” approach to the Marvel Universe, the damn thing is slowly wearing me down into being kind of intrigued with what they are going to do next. This is not a classic Marvel flick, but for me it wasn’t nearly as bad as some of the critical reviews have made it out to be. I saw this alone: and we were quite entertained.
The plot
Tom Hardy plays Eddie Brock, a San Franciscan investigative reporter who is engaged to hot-shot lawyer Anne Weying (Michelle WIlliams). Brock is a bit of a maverick and always tends to push things a bit far, both at work and at home. Brock targets for his latest investigation Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed): a billionaire space pioneer (I hope the producers got WELL lawyered up!) Drake is a Bond-style megalomaniac who is intend on saving mankind by merging humans with aliens to create a symbiotic organism. Not wishing to go through all the nampy-pamby clinical trials stuff, he is doing live research on vagrants and others who “won’t be missed”… with generally negative results. Infected accidently with the symbiont called Venom Brock’s future hangs in the balance: the meld will either kill him or else a new superhero will be born. (No guessing which!)
Review
For anyone with one foot already in the Spiderverse, Eddie Brock and his alter-ego Venom have appeared before, in the convoluted and pretty poor Tobey Maguire sequel “Spider-Man 3”. In that film Eddie (played by Topher Grace) was the boyfriend of Gwen Stacey (then played by Bryce Dallas-Howard) who was similarly infected by an alien symbiote and was transformed into Venom.
This new Venom incarnation is a Sony Pictures production “with” Marvel Studios, and although featuring a Stan Lee cameo it never quite feels like a Marvel picture. Posher critics have described it as “tonally inconsistent”…. which is posh-critic language for “it’s fecking all over the place”! And they are right. It veers suddenly from high drama and sci-fi action to plodding dialogue and Deadpool-style wisecracks with clutch-smoking rapidity. As such, the film never feels like it’s decided whether it wants to be at the po-faced Captain America end of the Marvel specturn or at the wise-cracking Deadpool/GotG end.
The Turns
Tom Hardy actually gets to spend a lot of this film without a mask over his face, which is certainly a novelty! And he gives it his all acting wise which will please his army of fans. But his pairing with the Oscar-winning Michelle Williams never feels comfortable: there seems little chemistry between the pair given that they are an “item”. None of this is helped by the grindingly turgid script which gives the pair, plus Reid Scott (“Dan” from “Veep”) as the third corner in the love triangle, some truly dire dialogue to spout at each other.
An act I did like in the film was Riz Ahmed as the “really bad guy” Drake. I found Ahmed extremely annoying in “Rogue One”, but here he slides into the smarmy evil role perfectly. A better script, like a future Bond film, would have benefitted from the turn!
Woody Harrelson also turns up in a mid-credit “monkey” as the supervillain Cletus Kasady, which meant nothing to me but certainly does to comic-book fans. (By the way, there is no “monkey” at the end of the film, but there is a 6 minute clip from the upcoming “Into the Spider Verse” cartoon feature tacked onto the end – at least of this Cineworld showing – which may or may not interest you).
A technical shout-out should go to Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson (who’s previously done “Black Panther” and “Creed”): an unusual soundtrack with odd electronica, eerie electric-guitar riffs for Eddie’s theme interspersed with exciting fast-paced action beats.
Final Thoughts
I must admit that from starting with a cynical “don’t want to know” approach to the Marvel Universe, the damn thing is slowly wearing me down into being kind of intrigued with what they are going to do next. This is not a classic Marvel flick, but for me it wasn’t nearly as bad as some of the critical reviews have made it out to be. I saw this alone: and we were quite entertained.