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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2524 KP) rated Buried to the Brim in Books

Jan 29, 2020

Brimming with Fun, Doggone It!

Cousins Scarlett and Viv have an unusual new client for their hat shop. Betty Wentworth, Scarlett’s fiancé Harrison’s aunt, is about to enter a dog show with her dog, Freddy, and she is hoping that a top hat will launch him from second place to first place this year. At first Viv, who designs the hats, is reluctant, but soon she is on board, and everyone is delighted with the results. However, the contest weekend gets off to a rocky start during the cocktail party that kicks things off when Betty gets into an argument with Gerry Swendson, the owner of the dog food company that sponsors the show. The next morning, Freddy is the one to find Gerry’s very dead body. With the police looking at Betty, Scarlett begins digging in, trying to figure out who else had motive. It quickly becomes apparent that this dog show is far from cute. But who committed murder?

It’s been a couple of years since the last book in this series came out, and it was wonderful to catch up with these old friends. Some time has passed for them as well, but the relationships were as great as ever. We saw plenty of the supporting characters and I loved every minute of it. The mystery was just as strong, with plenty of suspects and a fantastic ending. I did find one thing near the climax pushed me out of the book and I didn’t remember a few instances of very mild swearing in earlier books, but both are worth noting only in passing. The running gags involving puns were always one of my favorite things in the series, and it is as delightful as ever here. And the dogs! There are some very cute moments with the dogs here. Fans of the series will be delighted to get to revisit these characters.

Kudos

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Lucy (2014) in Movies

Aug 6, 2019

Lucy (2014)

2014 | Action

7.5

(30 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Luc Besson’s latest film will leave you impressed, and possibly a little confused.

Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman, comes out this Friday and is Besson’s (Fifth Element, The Professional) most recent stab at something a little bit different.

The film opens with Johansson’s character, Lucy, having an argument with her boyfriend about dropping off a case with unknown contents. After a lot of arguing (and having it handcuffed to her), Lucy is forced into going inside to make the delivery.

As she does, the director takes us on an interesting visual representation of her feelings using scenes similar to what most people recognize from National Geographic, complete with a cheetah hunting a gazelle. The scenes are punctuated by her cheetah-print jacket.

As the story continues, an Asian drug lord uses her as a mule for the substance inside the case. The bag breaks and the chemical starts changing Lucy, evolving her into something… different.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen cinematography of this unique nature, where scenes were spliced in to express the character’s feelings. It’s unusual for a serious film (but still often done in a humorous way). Besson has done a masterful job of integrating serious moments, compelling action, and humor in a Fifth-Element-style to make a fluid, dynamic film. That said, it can feel slightly awkward at times.

I found myself laughing at the humor and engaged by the action, but most of all I was confused as to what I was watching.

This film seems very much akin to an episode of Cosmos. It’s interlaced with a story and some action, but purposefully meant to make a statement about human evolution.

Overall, I’d say this is a film well worth seeing. The acting was great, the cinematography was fantastic, and the direction was beautifully done. The main reason I feel it’s worth spending your money to see on the big screen is because of the gorgeous special effects, which were integrated in a captivating manner.