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Lesley (60 KP) rated A Steep Price in Books
Aug 10, 2018
Tracy Crosswhite never disappoints!
I LOVE Tracy Crosswhite and this newest entry into the series was no exception. I laughed, I cried, I gasped. This is the review that I posted on my blog.
Moving right along. My beloved Tracy Crosswhite is back for book #6, A Steep Price. Every time Robert Dugoni releases a new book in this series, I feel like I get to see old friends again. Kins, Vic, Faz, Dan, Dan's DOGS!, and of course Tracy herself. I love this series because it feels authentic, manages to remain heartwarming in the face of grim subject matters, and really makes you care about the characters.
This time around, Tracy and Kins are investigating the death of a young Indian woman whose best friend has reported her missing after delivering some life-changing news. Unfortunately, when she is found murdered in a shallow grave in the park, it creates more questions than answers. As they delve deeper into her life, they find a lot of ambition that was hampered by her familys societal expectations, her grim determination to raise money for medical school at any cost despite her parents wishes to return home and accept an arranged marriage, and the seedy underworld of "Sugar Dating", which has enough loopholes to escape being classified as prostitution, despite being dangerous and borderline sex work. Tracy is feeling threatened and on edge due to their newest team member, another female who seems to be snooping in private files and isn't honest about the circumstances of an officer-involved shooting in the case that Vic and Faz are tackling currently. A young activist woman who spoke out against gangs and the drug trade in her underprivileged area gets shot and killed. The guys think it's connected to a local gang leader whose father they put in prison years earlier. The hotter the trail gets, the more in danger they are. Little Jimmy blames them for putting his dad away, and for his subsequent death in prison when a rival gang member stabbed him. Just as things are reaching a boiling point, Tracy and Kins figure out exactly who their killer is and they're hot on the trail. The book, like the others in the series, was a fun, fast-paced read with heart and a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend starting this series!
Moving right along. My beloved Tracy Crosswhite is back for book #6, A Steep Price. Every time Robert Dugoni releases a new book in this series, I feel like I get to see old friends again. Kins, Vic, Faz, Dan, Dan's DOGS!, and of course Tracy herself. I love this series because it feels authentic, manages to remain heartwarming in the face of grim subject matters, and really makes you care about the characters.
This time around, Tracy and Kins are investigating the death of a young Indian woman whose best friend has reported her missing after delivering some life-changing news. Unfortunately, when she is found murdered in a shallow grave in the park, it creates more questions than answers. As they delve deeper into her life, they find a lot of ambition that was hampered by her familys societal expectations, her grim determination to raise money for medical school at any cost despite her parents wishes to return home and accept an arranged marriage, and the seedy underworld of "Sugar Dating", which has enough loopholes to escape being classified as prostitution, despite being dangerous and borderline sex work. Tracy is feeling threatened and on edge due to their newest team member, another female who seems to be snooping in private files and isn't honest about the circumstances of an officer-involved shooting in the case that Vic and Faz are tackling currently. A young activist woman who spoke out against gangs and the drug trade in her underprivileged area gets shot and killed. The guys think it's connected to a local gang leader whose father they put in prison years earlier. The hotter the trail gets, the more in danger they are. Little Jimmy blames them for putting his dad away, and for his subsequent death in prison when a rival gang member stabbed him. Just as things are reaching a boiling point, Tracy and Kins figure out exactly who their killer is and they're hot on the trail. The book, like the others in the series, was a fun, fast-paced read with heart and a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend starting this series!
Darren (1599 KP) rated 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: You may spend most of this film scratching you head trying to figure out what the hell is going on, but once you get the reveal you will see how good the story is. Giving the audience plenty of questions makes this something many of the new modern film fail to do with all the spoon feed answers. (10/10)
Actor Review: Keir Dullea – Doctor Dave Bowman who has to react to stop H.A.L taking over the space shuttle and fulfil the mission. Top performance on how to convince with expression and body language. (10/10)
david
Actor Review: Gary Lockwood – Doctor Frank Poole who goes on the spacewalk mission before starting to question the methods of the computer H.A.L. Great performance using more action than words to signify his motives. (9/10)
Director Review: Stanley Kubrick – Brilliant piece of directing from a man who redefined a generation of film makers. (10/10)
Sci-Fi: wonderful creation of a space like atmosphere. (10/10)
Special Effects: Stunning special effects that have hardly aged a day. (10/10)
Music: Excellent use of music. (10/10)
Cinematography: Amazing usage of cinematography throughout the film. (10/10)
Believability: Space is still a wife unknown so this is down to what you believe is out there or could happen out there. (5/10)
Chances of Tears: (0/10)
Settings: Set mostly in the middle of space, with nowhere to turn for help perfectly for the creation of the edge of your seat atmosphere created. (10/10)
Oscar Chances: Won one Oscar for Special effects.
Chances of Sequel: Nope
Suggestion: All film fans should watch this as it really is a masterpiece. The casual film fan will struggle to get into the film with the drawn out opening 25 minutes of no dialogue and strong use of music. If you were to look back and see where some of the best films come from this is where it is, this is a true history lesson in film watching this. (Watch)
Best Part: The mystery of what is going on.
Worst Part: May be hard to grab the attention of a casual film fan.
Trivia: There is 88minutes with no dialogue.
Overall: A masterpiece that stands the test of time
https://moviesreview101.com/2013/12/18/2001-a-space-odyssey-1968/
Actor Review: Keir Dullea – Doctor Dave Bowman who has to react to stop H.A.L taking over the space shuttle and fulfil the mission. Top performance on how to convince with expression and body language. (10/10)
david
Actor Review: Gary Lockwood – Doctor Frank Poole who goes on the spacewalk mission before starting to question the methods of the computer H.A.L. Great performance using more action than words to signify his motives. (9/10)
Director Review: Stanley Kubrick – Brilliant piece of directing from a man who redefined a generation of film makers. (10/10)
Sci-Fi: wonderful creation of a space like atmosphere. (10/10)
Special Effects: Stunning special effects that have hardly aged a day. (10/10)
Music: Excellent use of music. (10/10)
Cinematography: Amazing usage of cinematography throughout the film. (10/10)
Believability: Space is still a wife unknown so this is down to what you believe is out there or could happen out there. (5/10)
Chances of Tears: (0/10)
Settings: Set mostly in the middle of space, with nowhere to turn for help perfectly for the creation of the edge of your seat atmosphere created. (10/10)
Oscar Chances: Won one Oscar for Special effects.
Chances of Sequel: Nope
Suggestion: All film fans should watch this as it really is a masterpiece. The casual film fan will struggle to get into the film with the drawn out opening 25 minutes of no dialogue and strong use of music. If you were to look back and see where some of the best films come from this is where it is, this is a true history lesson in film watching this. (Watch)
Best Part: The mystery of what is going on.
Worst Part: May be hard to grab the attention of a casual film fan.
Trivia: There is 88minutes with no dialogue.
Overall: A masterpiece that stands the test of time
https://moviesreview101.com/2013/12/18/2001-a-space-odyssey-1968/
Natalie Swain (4 KP) rated Everless in Books
Jan 4, 2019
Everless by Sara Holland.
It tells the story of Jules, a 17 year old girl who is desperately trying to find a way to help her father pay his debts. A very common troupe in YA but in Everless there is a new and interesting system.
You pay with your life. You bleed onto an iron coin - lets say you give up a year of your life. Bleed it onto the coin and the person taking the coin eats/drinks it and they gain that year you gave up. So naturally the rich live long and the poor die early.
Jules gets the chance to work in Everless and after her father repeatedly telling her no and it's too dangerous - she still goes.
She reminds of Ariel who defies her father but at the same time - she's 16. He knows way more about life than you!
Jules sounds like a 12 year old girl. The way it was written made her sound very young and immature and my issue is, is that it was a lot of tell and not much show. There was a lot of info dump at the beginning of the book and I didn't really connect with Jules or feel sorry for her situation because I felt nothing towards her.
When a situation in Everless means that she should and could leave she refuses to.
Jules NEEDS to know the answers to the secrets surrounding her.
“Maybe I am a mystery— a secret— that needs unravelling...”
Her character moved forward on emotion and not using her intellect. So she often got herself in situations that she shouldn't be in.
Now the romance!
There is Roan and Liam Gerling two brothers who are are very different.
Roan is the typical sweet guy who is apparently kind to everyone.
And then there is Liam - the brooding secretive guy that Jules "hates," and everybody else "hates"
It becomes clear that both men are not what they seem but Jules ignores all the signs and only follows what her heart is telling her.
Things seem straightforward and the secrets seem obvious but there was genuine surprises.
However that being said, it's a great mystery and there's still so much more intrigue and I am excited to be reading the next book very soon!
Natalie xoxo
It tells the story of Jules, a 17 year old girl who is desperately trying to find a way to help her father pay his debts. A very common troupe in YA but in Everless there is a new and interesting system.
You pay with your life. You bleed onto an iron coin - lets say you give up a year of your life. Bleed it onto the coin and the person taking the coin eats/drinks it and they gain that year you gave up. So naturally the rich live long and the poor die early.
Jules gets the chance to work in Everless and after her father repeatedly telling her no and it's too dangerous - she still goes.
She reminds of Ariel who defies her father but at the same time - she's 16. He knows way more about life than you!
Jules sounds like a 12 year old girl. The way it was written made her sound very young and immature and my issue is, is that it was a lot of tell and not much show. There was a lot of info dump at the beginning of the book and I didn't really connect with Jules or feel sorry for her situation because I felt nothing towards her.
When a situation in Everless means that she should and could leave she refuses to.
Jules NEEDS to know the answers to the secrets surrounding her.
“Maybe I am a mystery— a secret— that needs unravelling...”
Her character moved forward on emotion and not using her intellect. So she often got herself in situations that she shouldn't be in.
Now the romance!
There is Roan and Liam Gerling two brothers who are are very different.
Roan is the typical sweet guy who is apparently kind to everyone.
And then there is Liam - the brooding secretive guy that Jules "hates," and everybody else "hates"
It becomes clear that both men are not what they seem but Jules ignores all the signs and only follows what her heart is telling her.
Things seem straightforward and the secrets seem obvious but there was genuine surprises.
However that being said, it's a great mystery and there's still so much more intrigue and I am excited to be reading the next book very soon!
Natalie xoxo
Hazel (1853 KP) rated These Shallow Graves in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
Known for her young adult series about mermaids, Jennifer Donnelly also proves she is an excellent writer of historical murder mysteries. <i>These Shallow Graves</i> is set in the USA during the late 1800s where Josephine Montfort, a headstrong seventeen-year-old from a respectable family, is expected to marry well and produce a male heir. However, Jo’s innocent lifestyle is disrupted after her father’s mysterious death. With her passion for writing at the forefront of her mind, Jo rejects social etiquette and begins searching for answers.
Jo meets Eddie, a young, ambitious newspaper reporter who agrees to assist with her enquiries. However it is not as straightforward as Jo expects it to be. As the pair begin to uncover dangerous secrets, Jo is also witness to the injustices in the world. Life for the rich was a whole different world from that of the poor, but as Jo learns, that does not make anyone less worthy of being treated as a person.
<i>These Shallow Graves</i> is an exciting story that is gripping from beginning to end. Not only is there a crime to solve, Jo also ends up in a forbidden relationship that crosses the boundaries of her social status. From an historical point of view it is refreshing to read of a female challenging her position in society rather than being the naïve protagonist that many novels written during this time period contain. In some ways she is comparable to Jo March in <i>Little Women</i>, and not only because of their shared name.
Having read the first two books in the <i>Waterfire</i> saga, and been slightly disappointed with the writing style, I was a little apprehensive when beginning to read <i>These Shallow Graves</i>. I presumed I would get bored part way through, or find the narrative dreary, however I was pleasantly surprised. Donnelly is significantly better at historical fiction. The book was greatly researched thus the setting and dialogue were perfectly in keeping with the time period.
As with most murder mysteries the murderer is only revealed at the very end of the story. I guessed who it was fairly early on, however that is all it was, a guess. Most readers will be left hanging until the final chapters – will you work out who it was before then?
Known for her young adult series about mermaids, Jennifer Donnelly also proves she is an excellent writer of historical murder mysteries. <i>These Shallow Graves</i> is set in the USA during the late 1800s where Josephine Montfort, a headstrong seventeen-year-old from a respectable family, is expected to marry well and produce a male heir. However, Jo’s innocent lifestyle is disrupted after her father’s mysterious death. With her passion for writing at the forefront of her mind, Jo rejects social etiquette and begins searching for answers.
Jo meets Eddie, a young, ambitious newspaper reporter who agrees to assist with her enquiries. However it is not as straightforward as Jo expects it to be. As the pair begin to uncover dangerous secrets, Jo is also witness to the injustices in the world. Life for the rich was a whole different world from that of the poor, but as Jo learns, that does not make anyone less worthy of being treated as a person.
<i>These Shallow Graves</i> is an exciting story that is gripping from beginning to end. Not only is there a crime to solve, Jo also ends up in a forbidden relationship that crosses the boundaries of her social status. From an historical point of view it is refreshing to read of a female challenging her position in society rather than being the naïve protagonist that many novels written during this time period contain. In some ways she is comparable to Jo March in <i>Little Women</i>, and not only because of their shared name.
Having read the first two books in the <i>Waterfire</i> saga, and been slightly disappointed with the writing style, I was a little apprehensive when beginning to read <i>These Shallow Graves</i>. I presumed I would get bored part way through, or find the narrative dreary, however I was pleasantly surprised. Donnelly is significantly better at historical fiction. The book was greatly researched thus the setting and dialogue were perfectly in keeping with the time period.
As with most murder mysteries the murderer is only revealed at the very end of the story. I guessed who it was fairly early on, however that is all it was, a guess. Most readers will be left hanging until the final chapters – will you work out who it was before then?
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Rear Window (1954) in Movies
Dec 24, 2018
Great Mystery
A photojournalist is wheelchair-ridden, watching people in his apartment complex from his window for hours. He’s thrown for a loop when he witnesses what he thinks is a murder. He wants to get to the bottom of it or die trying.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
I’ll start with Stella (Thelma Ritter) who is easily my favorite character in the entire movie. She is an in-home nurse who is taking care of main character L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart). Out of all the characters in the story, she has the brightest sense of humor. I also loved that she takes zero guff from L.B., sometimes even making it seem like he works for her. She was stern and went beyond the parameters of her job doing everything from offering love advice to helping L.B. dive into the murder.
Of course I appreciated a number of the other characters as well, including the creepy Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr). He is the object of L.B.’s accusation. Lars does a great job of making you think L.B. could be right. At other times, Lars seems like just a normal guy going about his daily routine. He takes strange to new heights. Each of the characters, the important ones anyway, help to frame the story and keep you intrigued.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 8
Genre: 5
Memorability: 10
Pace: 9
Plot: 10
Rear Window succeeds with a script that’s extremely crisp and engaging. Mystery and tension abound as you try and figure out what’s going to happen next. The story is simple, yet is peeled back in layers. Very well done.
Resolution: 10
I won’t dive in too much here but I will say that the ending is perfect to the point that it answers all the right questions. It doesn’t overdo things and try and unnecessarily put a bow on things. We find out what we need to know and that’s that.
Overall: 92
Alfred Hitchcock puts together stories like a boxer puts together a fight. He hits you with little jabs that wake you up. Eventually he goes in for the kill with harder punches that you’re not ready for. He is definitely one of the greats and Rear Window is yet another one of his classics to show for it.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
I’ll start with Stella (Thelma Ritter) who is easily my favorite character in the entire movie. She is an in-home nurse who is taking care of main character L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart). Out of all the characters in the story, she has the brightest sense of humor. I also loved that she takes zero guff from L.B., sometimes even making it seem like he works for her. She was stern and went beyond the parameters of her job doing everything from offering love advice to helping L.B. dive into the murder.
Of course I appreciated a number of the other characters as well, including the creepy Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr). He is the object of L.B.’s accusation. Lars does a great job of making you think L.B. could be right. At other times, Lars seems like just a normal guy going about his daily routine. He takes strange to new heights. Each of the characters, the important ones anyway, help to frame the story and keep you intrigued.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 8
Genre: 5
Memorability: 10
Pace: 9
Plot: 10
Rear Window succeeds with a script that’s extremely crisp and engaging. Mystery and tension abound as you try and figure out what’s going to happen next. The story is simple, yet is peeled back in layers. Very well done.
Resolution: 10
I won’t dive in too much here but I will say that the ending is perfect to the point that it answers all the right questions. It doesn’t overdo things and try and unnecessarily put a bow on things. We find out what we need to know and that’s that.
Overall: 92
Alfred Hitchcock puts together stories like a boxer puts together a fight. He hits you with little jabs that wake you up. Eventually he goes in for the kill with harder punches that you’re not ready for. He is definitely one of the greats and Rear Window is yet another one of his classics to show for it.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Out of the Shadows (2017) in Movies
Oct 24, 2019
Story: Out of the Shadows starts as we follow a paranormal investigation team looking to recruit the only known survivor Carter (Kellogg) to join them as they search the answers about what happened on his famous activity tape.
With the team in place the teams sets up the cameras around the asylum with team member Cynthia (Morrison) getting the first does of activity in a communication from her father, whom went missing in asylum with Carter’s team. Using her as bait the team record her time inside the asylum as they look to explain the unexplainable.
Thoughts on Out of the Shadows
Characters – Carter is the lone survivor from a previous encounter inside the asylum, he goes back but could have his own motivation for this. Cynthia is searching for her father who went missing but the rest of the characters are just another mix of the crew you would expect on a paranormal investigation team.
Performances – The performances across the board are not the best, the crew does feel like it could be a real documentary crew at times but then other times its just a group of actors trying to overreact to everything going on.
Story – The story does have a good twist, which is the only interesting part of the story, it is nearly 90 minutes investigating the shadows with too many characters to follow, it gets difficult to follow the characters in the dark for the most part and as for the reasoning behind everything well, it doesn’t seem to have one.
Horror – The horror is a lot of jumping at the camera or activity happening behind the camera, it isn’t scary but will give you a forced jump.
Settings – The film could easily have only had one setting, the asylum but going back to the motel makes it feel like the evil could escape which does try to make it stand out from just a haunted asylum movie.
Special Effects – The effects are what you would expect for a found footage film, they work without being ground breaking.
Scene of the Movie – Welcome to the Devil’s Toy Box.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The scares were too random.
Final Thoughts –This is a disappointing and mostly dull horror movie, the jumps are too random, the characters don’t make smart decisions and found footage only works in places.
Overall: Horror film to skip by the end.
With the team in place the teams sets up the cameras around the asylum with team member Cynthia (Morrison) getting the first does of activity in a communication from her father, whom went missing in asylum with Carter’s team. Using her as bait the team record her time inside the asylum as they look to explain the unexplainable.
Thoughts on Out of the Shadows
Characters – Carter is the lone survivor from a previous encounter inside the asylum, he goes back but could have his own motivation for this. Cynthia is searching for her father who went missing but the rest of the characters are just another mix of the crew you would expect on a paranormal investigation team.
Performances – The performances across the board are not the best, the crew does feel like it could be a real documentary crew at times but then other times its just a group of actors trying to overreact to everything going on.
Story – The story does have a good twist, which is the only interesting part of the story, it is nearly 90 minutes investigating the shadows with too many characters to follow, it gets difficult to follow the characters in the dark for the most part and as for the reasoning behind everything well, it doesn’t seem to have one.
Horror – The horror is a lot of jumping at the camera or activity happening behind the camera, it isn’t scary but will give you a forced jump.
Settings – The film could easily have only had one setting, the asylum but going back to the motel makes it feel like the evil could escape which does try to make it stand out from just a haunted asylum movie.
Special Effects – The effects are what you would expect for a found footage film, they work without being ground breaking.
Scene of the Movie – Welcome to the Devil’s Toy Box.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The scares were too random.
Final Thoughts –This is a disappointing and mostly dull horror movie, the jumps are too random, the characters don’t make smart decisions and found footage only works in places.
Overall: Horror film to skip by the end.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes, #2) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
I don't know what to say about this one. (Aside from the fact the author is just another evil writing spawn...)
Anyways. Let's get this up and out of the way: I enjoyed <i><a title="Snow Like Ashes review" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/2015/04/review-snow-like-ashes-by-sara-raasch.html"; target="_blank" rel="noopener tag">Snow Like Ashes</a></i> much much better than <i>Ice Like Fire</i>. In fact, it would have been <i>great</i> as a stand alone novel as well, aside from the fact it would be an open-ended ending that would probably just demand a series in the end.
<i>Ice Like Fire</i> is basically a reconstruction phrase for the Winterians, who are recovering from the harsh conditions of their work camps in Spring (or maybe another kingdom). Under Cordell's orders (and because Winter is in debt to the kingdom for their assistance in getting rid of Angra), the Winterians are mining and searching for the origins of the conduits, and the source of powerful magic. When they find the magic chasm, everyone has different viewpoints: Theron wants to open the chasm and unite the world, Meira wants to keep the chasm closed and answers, and Mather just wants the Winterians to be free.
And to hopefully accomplish all of that and gain allies, Meira and Theron set off on a journey to the other kingdoms, primarily Summer, Yakim, and Ventralli. If you ask me, nothing terribly action packed is going on in this sequel unless visiting kingdoms and seeing their traditions in action is considered "action."
But let's talk about this love triangle established from <i>Snow Like Ashes</i> and continuing with <i>Ice Like Fire</i>. Mather is compassionate and loyal and quotable, and Theron makes fantastic comments and has big dreams for the kingdoms. Both with good intentions and not exactly considered annoying thus far. I haven't actually made any progress with this love triangle – not when it comes to going with one side or another.
Ultimately, though, stay away from <i>Ice Like Fire</i>. The first book is more enjoyable, but the second book will leave readers wanting closure that won't actually happen until later on this year.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/chibi-views-touch-jennifer-snyder-ice-like-fire-sara-raasch/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Anyways. Let's get this up and out of the way: I enjoyed <i><a title="Snow Like Ashes review" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/2015/04/review-snow-like-ashes-by-sara-raasch.html"; target="_blank" rel="noopener tag">Snow Like Ashes</a></i> much much better than <i>Ice Like Fire</i>. In fact, it would have been <i>great</i> as a stand alone novel as well, aside from the fact it would be an open-ended ending that would probably just demand a series in the end.
<i>Ice Like Fire</i> is basically a reconstruction phrase for the Winterians, who are recovering from the harsh conditions of their work camps in Spring (or maybe another kingdom). Under Cordell's orders (and because Winter is in debt to the kingdom for their assistance in getting rid of Angra), the Winterians are mining and searching for the origins of the conduits, and the source of powerful magic. When they find the magic chasm, everyone has different viewpoints: Theron wants to open the chasm and unite the world, Meira wants to keep the chasm closed and answers, and Mather just wants the Winterians to be free.
And to hopefully accomplish all of that and gain allies, Meira and Theron set off on a journey to the other kingdoms, primarily Summer, Yakim, and Ventralli. If you ask me, nothing terribly action packed is going on in this sequel unless visiting kingdoms and seeing their traditions in action is considered "action."
But let's talk about this love triangle established from <i>Snow Like Ashes</i> and continuing with <i>Ice Like Fire</i>. Mather is compassionate and loyal and quotable, and Theron makes fantastic comments and has big dreams for the kingdoms. Both with good intentions and not exactly considered annoying thus far. I haven't actually made any progress with this love triangle – not when it comes to going with one side or another.
Ultimately, though, stay away from <i>Ice Like Fire</i>. The first book is more enjoyable, but the second book will leave readers wanting closure that won't actually happen until later on this year.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/chibi-views-touch-jennifer-snyder-ice-like-fire-sara-raasch/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Judge (2014) in Movies
Jan 14, 2020
Suprisingly Not As Good As I Thought
A lawyer leaves his small town to make it in the big city only to have to come back to face his past and defend his father in a murder trial. The Judge could have definitely been worse, but it struck enough cords for me to never want to see it again.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 2
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
The film is shot in different color tones representing the mood of the scene. When Robert Downey Jr. is just palling around the city, you see more lighter tones. However, during most of the court scenes, it’s shot in a darker and grainier light. It works for the most part, but is uneven in certain spots. I did appreciate overall what it was trying to do.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 7
At one point, I wrote in my notes: “I’m not bored, but there are definitely some glaring holes I can’t overlook.” At times, this movie seemed to fight with its own self, never really deciding who or what it wanted to be. While there were quite a few scenes I really enjoyed, there were some things lacking overall.
Memorability: 4
Pace: 5
This movie is easily thirty minutes longer than it needed to be. In some spots, they are trying too hard to force these characters down your throat that they don’t focus on moving the actual story along. It drags its feet in way too many places.
Plot: 6
Decent concept that arrived DOA due to the lack of willingness to fix simple holes. I never could settle in and just enjoy the movie because there were just so many unanswered questions from the left to the right. Overall, it made sense, but it’s very easy to pick apart.
Resolution: 7
A touching finish, although, again, would have appreciated more finite answers. More often than not, the movie seemed to take the lazy way out and the ending was no exception. Based on the number of plot holes, can’t say I was that surprised.
Overall: 68
There is a scene in The Judge where the jurors are being picked for the trial. This one scene will tell you everything you need to know about the rest of the movie. These actors have done way better in their time.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 2
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
The film is shot in different color tones representing the mood of the scene. When Robert Downey Jr. is just palling around the city, you see more lighter tones. However, during most of the court scenes, it’s shot in a darker and grainier light. It works for the most part, but is uneven in certain spots. I did appreciate overall what it was trying to do.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 7
At one point, I wrote in my notes: “I’m not bored, but there are definitely some glaring holes I can’t overlook.” At times, this movie seemed to fight with its own self, never really deciding who or what it wanted to be. While there were quite a few scenes I really enjoyed, there were some things lacking overall.
Memorability: 4
Pace: 5
This movie is easily thirty minutes longer than it needed to be. In some spots, they are trying too hard to force these characters down your throat that they don’t focus on moving the actual story along. It drags its feet in way too many places.
Plot: 6
Decent concept that arrived DOA due to the lack of willingness to fix simple holes. I never could settle in and just enjoy the movie because there were just so many unanswered questions from the left to the right. Overall, it made sense, but it’s very easy to pick apart.
Resolution: 7
A touching finish, although, again, would have appreciated more finite answers. More often than not, the movie seemed to take the lazy way out and the ending was no exception. Based on the number of plot holes, can’t say I was that surprised.
Overall: 68
There is a scene in The Judge where the jurors are being picked for the trial. This one scene will tell you everything you need to know about the rest of the movie. These actors have done way better in their time.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Return in Books
Feb 19, 2020 (Updated Feb 21, 2020)
I had been looking forward to reading The Return by Rachel Harrison for awhile, so when I got the opportunity to review it, I jumped at the chance. Unfortunately, I was left feeling very disappointed.
The plot for The Return sounds promising. Elise's best friend Julie disappeared 2 years ago. No one had heard or seen her. Then one day, Julie showed up again claiming to have no memory of what happened. No one ever pressed her for answers. However, Julie isn't like she was before. She's acting much different, and the smell she gives off is terrible! What really happened to Julie during those two years she was missing?
The Return started out extremely slow. I kept reading thinking the pacing would pick up. However, it never did except for a tiny bit during the end where all the action happens, but even then, the pacing is still slow. This book really lacks any kind of action, in my opinion, and is instead more like watching three snobby and boring women on a vacation where they just stay in their hotel. I skimmed through a lot of this book waiting for something interesting to happen.
I couldn't connect to any of the characters. There is some backstory for each of the characters, but it feels forced and jagged and like it doesn't fit in very well with the book. The only semi-decent character is Elise. She's a tad bit relatable, but even she doesn't feel that realistic. She's too dependent on others especially when it comes to Julie. Putting her life in danger after finding out what really happened to Julie was just insane and didn't feel like something a real person would do. Mae and Molly were snobby rich women how seemed to not want to do much. Mae liked complaining all the time, and I don't really know what the point of Molly was.
Trigger warnings include profanity, drinking, violence, death, and murder.
Overall, The Return felt short of my expectations. The pacing was too slow, and the characters just felt too wooden. Unfortunately, I would not recommend The Return.
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A special thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eBook of The Return by Rachel Harrison in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
The plot for The Return sounds promising. Elise's best friend Julie disappeared 2 years ago. No one had heard or seen her. Then one day, Julie showed up again claiming to have no memory of what happened. No one ever pressed her for answers. However, Julie isn't like she was before. She's acting much different, and the smell she gives off is terrible! What really happened to Julie during those two years she was missing?
The Return started out extremely slow. I kept reading thinking the pacing would pick up. However, it never did except for a tiny bit during the end where all the action happens, but even then, the pacing is still slow. This book really lacks any kind of action, in my opinion, and is instead more like watching three snobby and boring women on a vacation where they just stay in their hotel. I skimmed through a lot of this book waiting for something interesting to happen.
I couldn't connect to any of the characters. There is some backstory for each of the characters, but it feels forced and jagged and like it doesn't fit in very well with the book. The only semi-decent character is Elise. She's a tad bit relatable, but even she doesn't feel that realistic. She's too dependent on others especially when it comes to Julie. Putting her life in danger after finding out what really happened to Julie was just insane and didn't feel like something a real person would do. Mae and Molly were snobby rich women how seemed to not want to do much. Mae liked complaining all the time, and I don't really know what the point of Molly was.
Trigger warnings include profanity, drinking, violence, death, and murder.
Overall, The Return felt short of my expectations. The pacing was too slow, and the characters just felt too wooden. Unfortunately, I would not recommend The Return.
--
A special thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eBook of The Return by Rachel Harrison in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
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