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RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Downfall (Der Untergang) (2004) in Movies
Feb 19, 2019
The true story of the last days of NAZI Germany, focusing on Hitler and his cohorts as they sought refuge on his Berlin Bunker and is chronicled here with such honesty.
Told in a straight forward manner, we are given a portrait of not only Adolf Hitler himself, played perfectly by Bruno Ganz, who manages to humanize him without ever apologising for his heinous acts, but also those close to him. Shown through the young eyes of his final secretary, Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara), we are given a picture of what The Third Reich was to those who believed in it as well as what it had become for those who would suffer at it bloody hands.
Directed by Hirschbiegel to put us, the audience in the anterooms with these monsters, we are placed into a complex environment, edgy, atmospheric and most of all, real, as we witness noble acts of patriotism, conscience and pure, despicable horror, none less so that Magda Geobells, with the full consent of her husband, Joseph, first drugging, then murdering their six children as they slept, rather than “let them live in a world without national socialism.”
The only redeeming factors were their eventual suicides and in terms of the film, their first rate performances throughout this harrowing scene. Corinna Harfouch, who portrays Magda manages to portray this evil woman yet convey the emotion which was subdued deep beneath the surface. No small feat to allow such a fleeting glimpse of humanity during such and inhuman act.
But the same must be said Bruno Ganz, who manages to portray Hitler with such humanity; whilst showing us the true nature of his monstrosities, highlighting that the REAL monsters live among us and can seduce us at any time, any where, especially when we are vulnerable.
During one of the film’s early scenes, Hitler and Albert Speer (Heino Ferch), his Armaments Minister, discussing his vision for The Third Reich as he looks over a model of the new Germany which would be built after he won the war, a Germany without department stores, instead focusing on art, literature and culture.
Surely a noble goal, but as we all know, this cultural hub would have been built at an unacceptable cost, mainly with the blood of those who Hitler and his cohorts deemed to be inferior.
This is one of many clever methods used to convey a fair portrait of Hitler and The Third Reich. To demonstrate how bad they were, you first have to show impartiality, pointing out the good in what they do, play devil’s advocate as it were. Because whether we like it or not, evil motives are often built upon decent goals.
But as this film demonstrates, as Hitler shows his destine for anyone, even his own people, who will not give their lives for HIS vision of Germany, his Third Reich was being eaten away by a cancer of his own making, a Germany rotting from the very top.
Downfall is without a doubt one of the best World War 2 films which I have ever seen, delivering a compelling and immersive look behind the scenes of one of the most important defeats in modern history.
But being British and having to follow this with subtitles, which was great as watching this in its native German only adds to the experience, it can be a bit difficult to keep up with every plot machination, as we spend two and half hours reading about troop deployments, tactics and the philosophy of the Third Reich as we are presented with such atmospheric work, but if you can keep up with but the text and visuals, this is one hell of an education for those who do not know and an immersive masterpiece for those who follow WW2 history.
Told in a straight forward manner, we are given a portrait of not only Adolf Hitler himself, played perfectly by Bruno Ganz, who manages to humanize him without ever apologising for his heinous acts, but also those close to him. Shown through the young eyes of his final secretary, Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara), we are given a picture of what The Third Reich was to those who believed in it as well as what it had become for those who would suffer at it bloody hands.
Directed by Hirschbiegel to put us, the audience in the anterooms with these monsters, we are placed into a complex environment, edgy, atmospheric and most of all, real, as we witness noble acts of patriotism, conscience and pure, despicable horror, none less so that Magda Geobells, with the full consent of her husband, Joseph, first drugging, then murdering their six children as they slept, rather than “let them live in a world without national socialism.”
The only redeeming factors were their eventual suicides and in terms of the film, their first rate performances throughout this harrowing scene. Corinna Harfouch, who portrays Magda manages to portray this evil woman yet convey the emotion which was subdued deep beneath the surface. No small feat to allow such a fleeting glimpse of humanity during such and inhuman act.
But the same must be said Bruno Ganz, who manages to portray Hitler with such humanity; whilst showing us the true nature of his monstrosities, highlighting that the REAL monsters live among us and can seduce us at any time, any where, especially when we are vulnerable.
During one of the film’s early scenes, Hitler and Albert Speer (Heino Ferch), his Armaments Minister, discussing his vision for The Third Reich as he looks over a model of the new Germany which would be built after he won the war, a Germany without department stores, instead focusing on art, literature and culture.
Surely a noble goal, but as we all know, this cultural hub would have been built at an unacceptable cost, mainly with the blood of those who Hitler and his cohorts deemed to be inferior.
This is one of many clever methods used to convey a fair portrait of Hitler and The Third Reich. To demonstrate how bad they were, you first have to show impartiality, pointing out the good in what they do, play devil’s advocate as it were. Because whether we like it or not, evil motives are often built upon decent goals.
But as this film demonstrates, as Hitler shows his destine for anyone, even his own people, who will not give their lives for HIS vision of Germany, his Third Reich was being eaten away by a cancer of his own making, a Germany rotting from the very top.
Downfall is without a doubt one of the best World War 2 films which I have ever seen, delivering a compelling and immersive look behind the scenes of one of the most important defeats in modern history.
But being British and having to follow this with subtitles, which was great as watching this in its native German only adds to the experience, it can be a bit difficult to keep up with every plot machination, as we spend two and half hours reading about troop deployments, tactics and the philosophy of the Third Reich as we are presented with such atmospheric work, but if you can keep up with but the text and visuals, this is one hell of an education for those who do not know and an immersive masterpiece for those who follow WW2 history.
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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Suspiria (2018) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Does it cut it?
#suspiria #suspiria2018 is a #disturbing, uneasy & cold remake of the 1977 #cultclassic which instead of being a straight up copy refreshingly tells its own spellbinding tale of female identity both visually & metaphorically. #suspiria the #darioargento #original holds a special place in my heart not only is it intoxicating, visually magnificent & nerve shreddingly atmospheric its also clearly the main inspiration for my favourite movie of all time the #neondemon as well as proving #horror films can indeed be #artistic too. So here we have the #remake & i must say what a cracking piece of cinema it is too. Where as the original is visually striking the remake goes for a more cold, drab less saturated look but make no mistake about it its still all #gorgeous to take in & this new palette works in the films favour creating yet again such an unnerving sense of threat, dread & unknowingness lurking in every scene. Sound design is incredible too with dialog volume constantly ramped up & layered over silent scenes which lingers in your ears inducing spine tingling chills every time. Metaphor riddled the movie feels like one big jigsaw requiring multiple views to really delve into all of its subject matter. Running themes of the relationship between a #mother & her daughter are strong here & how a mother can influence, have a hold on, controller & manipulate her child for good or bad are unnerving & unsettling realistic portrayed. While objectification, favoritism, sexuality, desire & #feminisum also play a big parts here Suspiria isnt afraid to show the deceitful, manipulative, cold, calculating, unforgiving, sexually manipulative & selfish traits women/humans can portray too. A fantastic movie with exceptional performance from #dakotajohnson thats surly destined to become a #cult classic of its own some day. Suspiria is brutal, #wicked & #sinister & had me gripped, shocked & engaged the entire run time. A great achievement & proof remakes can be done well. #odeon #odeonlimitless #scary #creepy #empowerment #fiftyshadesofgrey #sex #dancing #italian #tildaswinton #german #callmebyyourname #friyay
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Husbands in Books
May 22, 2019
A BREATHTAKING CRIME THRILLER FULL OF SHOCKING TWISTS AND TURNS
He kills their wives. He destroys their families.
Then he comes after the husbands.
“Do you want to know who killed your wife?” he asks.
Kelly Roth, FBI profiler, returns home to Syracuse to stop a sadistic serial killer.
Three murders in three separate jurisdictions in central New York State have the same pattern: women killed by fatal head shots from a hunting rifle. Kelly Roth is sent from Virginia to help the local police.
Each victim was found murdered in a remote area or in a quiet park. The media call him “The Park Killer.” But Kelly doesn’t think the killer lurks in the bushes. She thinks he hunts his victims somewhere else.
Is he really contacting the bereaved husbands or is this just someone playing a sick game?
Kelly will risk her own life in a heart-stopping race against time to stop more murders and find out the truth.
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO DISCOVER WHO KILLED YOUR WIFE?
Kelly is a terrific character and I enjoyed how the author weaved her backstory into today's killings. There are plenty of suspects with a story premise that keeps you guessing until the very end.
I love the fact that it is the males left trying to cope with being left behind instead of it being the females.
This is very well written; very atmospheric and chilling.
What I really liked about this novel was that there is no clue to what the outcome was going to be and no real idea where the investigation was leading, making this compulsive reading.
I could not put this book down. As for the ending; WOW; that just blew me away. Another explosive read from this author and so highly recommended.
Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
He kills their wives. He destroys their families.
Then he comes after the husbands.
“Do you want to know who killed your wife?” he asks.
Kelly Roth, FBI profiler, returns home to Syracuse to stop a sadistic serial killer.
Three murders in three separate jurisdictions in central New York State have the same pattern: women killed by fatal head shots from a hunting rifle. Kelly Roth is sent from Virginia to help the local police.
Each victim was found murdered in a remote area or in a quiet park. The media call him “The Park Killer.” But Kelly doesn’t think the killer lurks in the bushes. She thinks he hunts his victims somewhere else.
Is he really contacting the bereaved husbands or is this just someone playing a sick game?
Kelly will risk her own life in a heart-stopping race against time to stop more murders and find out the truth.
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO DISCOVER WHO KILLED YOUR WIFE?
Kelly is a terrific character and I enjoyed how the author weaved her backstory into today's killings. There are plenty of suspects with a story premise that keeps you guessing until the very end.
I love the fact that it is the males left trying to cope with being left behind instead of it being the females.
This is very well written; very atmospheric and chilling.
What I really liked about this novel was that there is no clue to what the outcome was going to be and no real idea where the investigation was leading, making this compulsive reading.
I could not put this book down. As for the ending; WOW; that just blew me away. Another explosive read from this author and so highly recommended.
Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Perfect Stranger in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Oh the dreaded second book! I know Miranda has written more than 2 books, but this is her second adult mystery novel, and while it wasn’t perfect (pun intended) it wasn’t bad and I think some people are giving this a bit of a harsh time!
I can understand where people are coming from, in terms of not connecting with the characters. I wasn’t particularly a fan of Leah myself, but I had enough empathy towards her to be interested in her story. Kyle, I had mixed feelings about, I didn’t like the romance element that Miranda fit in with him and Leah and I thought he was trying to play-it-cool too much while still being really clingy.
I’ve seen some people complain about the motives behind Leah’s move and “new life”, saying it was lack lustre and unworthy of all the dramatics, but I thought it was a pretty good, and quite unique, twist to the story and helped explain Leah’s reservedness well. As for the main twist – what happened to Emmy? – I half saw it coming and half didn’t. There was certainly an element of surprise there for me so I was happy with the way the plot went, for the most part. In fact, I was more surprised by this novel than I was with All the Missing Girls, which I guessed the ending of, part way through.
At times, I found my thoughts getting a little bit muddled with all the names and how everyone fit in, but when it’s all “resolved” at the end, things became clearer.
The writing in this is, as always, superbly atmospheric and descriptive. Miranda certainly knows how to write!
Overall, I actually really enjoyed this book, reading it and finishing it in the early hours of the morning. I will definitely keep my eyes open for more of Miranda’s work, clearly, she is a woman of many genres!
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
I can understand where people are coming from, in terms of not connecting with the characters. I wasn’t particularly a fan of Leah myself, but I had enough empathy towards her to be interested in her story. Kyle, I had mixed feelings about, I didn’t like the romance element that Miranda fit in with him and Leah and I thought he was trying to play-it-cool too much while still being really clingy.
I’ve seen some people complain about the motives behind Leah’s move and “new life”, saying it was lack lustre and unworthy of all the dramatics, but I thought it was a pretty good, and quite unique, twist to the story and helped explain Leah’s reservedness well. As for the main twist – what happened to Emmy? – I half saw it coming and half didn’t. There was certainly an element of surprise there for me so I was happy with the way the plot went, for the most part. In fact, I was more surprised by this novel than I was with All the Missing Girls, which I guessed the ending of, part way through.
At times, I found my thoughts getting a little bit muddled with all the names and how everyone fit in, but when it’s all “resolved” at the end, things became clearer.
The writing in this is, as always, superbly atmospheric and descriptive. Miranda certainly knows how to write!
Overall, I actually really enjoyed this book, reading it and finishing it in the early hours of the morning. I will definitely keep my eyes open for more of Miranda’s work, clearly, she is a woman of many genres!
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Alien (1979) in Movies
Nov 16, 2019
A masterpiece through and through
Alien is simply put is on of the most perfect horror movies ever committed to film. Decades worth of sequels, prequels, and spin offs don't match it (although Aliens comes pretty damn close) and that is a true testament to the quality of Alien.
The plot is straightforward, and immediately gripping, as a merchant space vessel called The Nostromo, and it's crew, pick up an unidentified distress signal from a nearby moon.
Upon arrival, one of the Crue is attacked by an alien lifeform, and accidentally smuggles something back onto the ship with him, resulting in the infamous chest bursting scene, and a crew trapped floating through space, whilst being hunted one by one.
Said chest bursting scene is one of the single most disturbing scenes in horror, with genuine reactions of surprise by the cast, and horrific practical effects.
Once the plot kicks in, we're presented with a master class of tension. The shadowy setting hides the Xenomorph alien for most of the runtime, offering fleeting glimpses, and occasional bursts of violence.
H. R. Gigers design of the creature is of course iconic, abrasive, and terrifying.
Sigourney Weaver offers a strong female lead in Ellen Ripley, a character that remains a highlight, even throughout the later underwhelming sequels.
Even though Ripley is thrown front and centre in the aftermath of Alien, during this film, she is part of a crew that don't boast any heroes. Everyone aboard feels like real people, way out of their depth in what they're dealing with, and it just adds to the already unsettled surroundings.
Ridley Scott's directing and camera work in Alien manages to be claustrophobic, atmospheric and isolating all at, combining uneasy sound cues with amazing visuals to create a sci-fi horror like no other.
Alien is a film I never tire of watching. As far as this genre goes, it's near perfect.
The plot is straightforward, and immediately gripping, as a merchant space vessel called The Nostromo, and it's crew, pick up an unidentified distress signal from a nearby moon.
Upon arrival, one of the Crue is attacked by an alien lifeform, and accidentally smuggles something back onto the ship with him, resulting in the infamous chest bursting scene, and a crew trapped floating through space, whilst being hunted one by one.
Said chest bursting scene is one of the single most disturbing scenes in horror, with genuine reactions of surprise by the cast, and horrific practical effects.
Once the plot kicks in, we're presented with a master class of tension. The shadowy setting hides the Xenomorph alien for most of the runtime, offering fleeting glimpses, and occasional bursts of violence.
H. R. Gigers design of the creature is of course iconic, abrasive, and terrifying.
Sigourney Weaver offers a strong female lead in Ellen Ripley, a character that remains a highlight, even throughout the later underwhelming sequels.
Even though Ripley is thrown front and centre in the aftermath of Alien, during this film, she is part of a crew that don't boast any heroes. Everyone aboard feels like real people, way out of their depth in what they're dealing with, and it just adds to the already unsettled surroundings.
Ridley Scott's directing and camera work in Alien manages to be claustrophobic, atmospheric and isolating all at, combining uneasy sound cues with amazing visuals to create a sci-fi horror like no other.
Alien is a film I never tire of watching. As far as this genre goes, it's near perfect.
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