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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Last Letter from Your Lover (2021) in Movies
Aug 9, 2021
Engaging love story (at least, the one in the 60's) (2 more)
Lush production values, especially production design and cinematography
Great cast - especially Shailene Woodley and Ben Cross
A proper old-fashioned love story that older viewers will appreciate.
Is "chick flick" a phrase that you can use these days? I guess not, since it infers that a movie is only of interest to a particular gender. Perhaps "Sunday afternoon film" is a better phrase. And "The Last Letter From Your Lover" is a real SAF.
Positives:
- "They don't make them like this any more" the saying goes. This is a love story cum melodrama that is well told by director Augustine Frizzell, in only her second feature. The film zips backwards and forwards between different time periods, trusting the audience to keep up with where we are. The dialogue is suitably soupy for a film of this type, based on a Jojo Moyes book (who wrote "Me Before You", also well-filmed). I've seen a critic review in "The Times" where they mocked the sentimentality of the love letters: but part of me would love to say "OK - let's hear what you would have written"!
- The story ticks all the boxes to keep you engaged. Although never moved to tears, a scene towards the end of the movie certainly generated a lump in the throat.
- All the leads are great. Shailene Woodley has been a personal favourite actress since her amazing turn in "The Descendants". And she certainly doesn't disappoint here.
- The production design is lush, particularly with the 60's scenes of London and the Riviera (reminiscent for me of the recent remake of "Rebecca"). This is nicely brought out by the cinematography (by George Steel), with some of the scenes being 'hang on the wall' beautiful to look at.
- It's wonderful to see the late Ben Cross in the movie, and he gives an excellent and touching performance. Cross died of cancer in August 2020 at the age of just 72. This is probably not his last movie, since he was in another - "The Devil's Light" - currently in post-production. Such a sad loss to the industry.
Negatives:
- The movie tries to construct a love story in the 60's and one in the present day 2020's, contrasting the different rules and values at play. The 60's one works; the 20's one really didn't for me. Ellie comes across as a very unlikeable person. The contrast between the lack of communications in the 60's (waiting at a station, not sure if someone will turn up or not) and today's chat/SMS rich 'always on' world could perhaps have been brought out more. With my Dr Bob directorial hat on, I would have ditched the present-day love story entirely and focused in on two professional detectives uncovering the past together: not everything needs to involve love and sex.
- The film has a couple of rain sequences that are highly unconvincing. One Riviera in-car scene particularly made me chuckle. "TURN FIRE HOSE ON!" You can almost see the blue sky and people cavorting on the beach behind them!
Summary Thoughts on "The Last Letter from Your Lover": There are actually few films around these days that feature love stories outside the teenage years. This is an 'old-fashioned' film that will appeal to an older age group, looking for style, romance and escapism. It reminded me in turns of movies like "The Two Faces of January" and "The Age of Adeline" in its mood and presentation. I'm probably not the target audience for this movie and I really enjoyed it. But the illustrious Mrs Movie Man probably is. And she declared that she absolutely loved it!
Ignore the sniffy newspaper and ex-newspaper critics. I'd declare this to be a "recommended".
(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies on the web, Facebook or Tiktok. Thanks.)
Positives:
- "They don't make them like this any more" the saying goes. This is a love story cum melodrama that is well told by director Augustine Frizzell, in only her second feature. The film zips backwards and forwards between different time periods, trusting the audience to keep up with where we are. The dialogue is suitably soupy for a film of this type, based on a Jojo Moyes book (who wrote "Me Before You", also well-filmed). I've seen a critic review in "The Times" where they mocked the sentimentality of the love letters: but part of me would love to say "OK - let's hear what you would have written"!
- The story ticks all the boxes to keep you engaged. Although never moved to tears, a scene towards the end of the movie certainly generated a lump in the throat.
- All the leads are great. Shailene Woodley has been a personal favourite actress since her amazing turn in "The Descendants". And she certainly doesn't disappoint here.
- The production design is lush, particularly with the 60's scenes of London and the Riviera (reminiscent for me of the recent remake of "Rebecca"). This is nicely brought out by the cinematography (by George Steel), with some of the scenes being 'hang on the wall' beautiful to look at.
- It's wonderful to see the late Ben Cross in the movie, and he gives an excellent and touching performance. Cross died of cancer in August 2020 at the age of just 72. This is probably not his last movie, since he was in another - "The Devil's Light" - currently in post-production. Such a sad loss to the industry.
Negatives:
- The movie tries to construct a love story in the 60's and one in the present day 2020's, contrasting the different rules and values at play. The 60's one works; the 20's one really didn't for me. Ellie comes across as a very unlikeable person. The contrast between the lack of communications in the 60's (waiting at a station, not sure if someone will turn up or not) and today's chat/SMS rich 'always on' world could perhaps have been brought out more. With my Dr Bob directorial hat on, I would have ditched the present-day love story entirely and focused in on two professional detectives uncovering the past together: not everything needs to involve love and sex.
- The film has a couple of rain sequences that are highly unconvincing. One Riviera in-car scene particularly made me chuckle. "TURN FIRE HOSE ON!" You can almost see the blue sky and people cavorting on the beach behind them!
Summary Thoughts on "The Last Letter from Your Lover": There are actually few films around these days that feature love stories outside the teenage years. This is an 'old-fashioned' film that will appeal to an older age group, looking for style, romance and escapism. It reminded me in turns of movies like "The Two Faces of January" and "The Age of Adeline" in its mood and presentation. I'm probably not the target audience for this movie and I really enjoyed it. But the illustrious Mrs Movie Man probably is. And she declared that she absolutely loved it!
Ignore the sniffy newspaper and ex-newspaper critics. I'd declare this to be a "recommended".
(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies on the web, Facebook or Tiktok. Thanks.)
Lee (2222 KP) rated The Haunting of Hill House in TV
Oct 20, 2018
Outstanding
I'm not familiar with the book that this Netflix show is based on, but then from what I understand this is meant to be more a 'remix' of the book anyway. All I can say though is, faithful to the book or not, this is without a doubt one of the most incredibly brilliant shows I have seen in a very long time.
The Haunting of Hill House is all about the Crain family, flitting between then, now, yesterday and varying points in their lives. From their early years of living in a haunted house and having to leave quickly one night following their mothers suicide, to adulthood and trying to keep it all together in order to live some kind of normal life. The show takes a little while to settle in and to get comfortable with who is the adult version of which child (there are 5 children in total) and where they're all currently at in their lives, but after that the show just goes from strength to strength. Taking a few episodes to cover each child's story, all the while carefully taking the time occasionally to go back to their childhood life in the house, piecing things together for us. Continuing to add layers to each character and highlighting key points in those early years that subsequently affect their behaviour towards other family members as grown ups. It's like a much darker version of 'This is Us', with added horror and jump scares!
Whenever I read any positive reviews for the movie Hereditary, everything they describe about what made it great for them is totally what I got out of this show. It's the complete opposite to what I got from Hereditary, and I came away from that just feeling angry, frustrated and hugely disappointed. With The Haunting of Hill House though, every episode gripped me, sticking with me for a long time after. Episodes featuring beautifully elaborate long takes draw you into the drama, camera weaving between and around the characters and scenery, creating opportunities for some fantastic effects, especially within the house at night. Perfectly paced storytelling, effective without overly used scares, and some truly heartbreaking sadness at times. I loved it all, from start to finish.
The Haunting of Hill House is all about the Crain family, flitting between then, now, yesterday and varying points in their lives. From their early years of living in a haunted house and having to leave quickly one night following their mothers suicide, to adulthood and trying to keep it all together in order to live some kind of normal life. The show takes a little while to settle in and to get comfortable with who is the adult version of which child (there are 5 children in total) and where they're all currently at in their lives, but after that the show just goes from strength to strength. Taking a few episodes to cover each child's story, all the while carefully taking the time occasionally to go back to their childhood life in the house, piecing things together for us. Continuing to add layers to each character and highlighting key points in those early years that subsequently affect their behaviour towards other family members as grown ups. It's like a much darker version of 'This is Us', with added horror and jump scares!
Whenever I read any positive reviews for the movie Hereditary, everything they describe about what made it great for them is totally what I got out of this show. It's the complete opposite to what I got from Hereditary, and I came away from that just feeling angry, frustrated and hugely disappointed. With The Haunting of Hill House though, every episode gripped me, sticking with me for a long time after. Episodes featuring beautifully elaborate long takes draw you into the drama, camera weaving between and around the characters and scenery, creating opportunities for some fantastic effects, especially within the house at night. Perfectly paced storytelling, effective without overly used scares, and some truly heartbreaking sadness at times. I loved it all, from start to finish.
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated A Promise Forged (Ohio Brides #3) in Books
Mar 5, 2019
Kat transformed in front of him. Her chin came up, her fingers stopped twitching with the fabric of her gown, and a real sparkle bubbled in her eyes. It was like watching Snow White come to life when the prince kissed her. A heartwarming WWII historical from award-winning author Cara Putman: Kat Miller has dreamed of playing baseball her entire life. When she earns a spot on a team in the All-American Girls Professional Softball League, she finds that things aren’t as glamorous as she imagined. She struggles with long road trips, grueling practices, and older teammates who are jealous of her success. And to top it all off, an irritating reporter is constantly getting under Kat’s skin. Events in Jack Raymond’s career have left him cynical and distanced from God. He never wanted to write at a small paper, and he certainly didn’t want to be assigned to something as inconsequential as a women’s softball team. Then Kat walks into his life. The fiery, young softball player somehow climbs the walls around his heart and makes him want to hope again. When lies fly and the league appears to fail, will Kat and Jack’s new love survive?
My Thoughts: Every girl has a dream, and this time it's Kat's turn to have hers come true! A chance to play professional baseball. Cara Putman has weaved history and fiction in an entertaining storyline; s based the all women's league that was formed during the second world war.
Kat is the youngest member on the team and as I read the book, I wanted to take her under my wing and protect her from her jealous teammates. Kat had to suffer being away from her family, the jealousy of some of her teammates, traveling, grueling schedules and falling in love for the first time.
This was a very entertaining novel. I truly enjoyed it and it was a pleasure to read. One of the things I enjoyed about the book, was that Kat wanted to make a difference. She wanted to be a light for the Lord where ever she went. Her actions actually made Jack turn back to the Lord.
Even though I hadn't read the first two books, this was easy to follow on its own. I would love to read more from Cara Putman.
My Thoughts: Every girl has a dream, and this time it's Kat's turn to have hers come true! A chance to play professional baseball. Cara Putman has weaved history and fiction in an entertaining storyline; s based the all women's league that was formed during the second world war.
Kat is the youngest member on the team and as I read the book, I wanted to take her under my wing and protect her from her jealous teammates. Kat had to suffer being away from her family, the jealousy of some of her teammates, traveling, grueling schedules and falling in love for the first time.
This was a very entertaining novel. I truly enjoyed it and it was a pleasure to read. One of the things I enjoyed about the book, was that Kat wanted to make a difference. She wanted to be a light for the Lord where ever she went. Her actions actually made Jack turn back to the Lord.
Even though I hadn't read the first two books, this was easy to follow on its own. I would love to read more from Cara Putman.
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Movies Are Prayers in Books
Jun 18, 2017
An Interesting Perspective
This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Subtitled How Films Voice Our Deepest Longings, film critic and committed Christian, Josh Larsen, writes Movies Are Prayers to explain his perspective that films are one of our ways of communicating with God. Films, or movies as they are oftentimes referred to in this book, can be many things from a form of escapism to historical information and artistic expression, but as Larsen maintains, they can also be prayers.
“Movies are our way of telling God what we think about this world and our place in it.” Apart from those based on Biblical characters or Christian messages, films are not usually a deliberate attempt at speaking to God. What Larsen is suggesting is that God can be found in places you would not expect – the cinema, for instance. Prayer is a human instinct, even for those who have no religious ties. We are forever asking “why am I here?” or “why me?” alongside feelings of gratitude and love for our positive experiences in life.
Josh Larsen explores several expressions of prayer, including the tenets of the Lord’s Prayer, to examine numerous films from popular classics to contemporary Disney. Beginning with wonder at the natural world (Avatar, Into The Wild), positive forms of prayer are identified in well-known cinematography, such as reconciliation (Where the Wild Things Are), meditation (Bambi), joy (Top Hat, and most musicals) and confession (Toy Story, Trainwreck). But Larsen does not stop there, he goes on to use examples of emotions that many may not consider forms of prayer: anger (Fight Club, The Piano) and lament (12 Years a Slave, Godzilla).
To back up his theory, Josh Larsen relates film sequences with Bible passages, for example, the prayers of David and Job. He likens the ending of Children of Men with the Christmas story and identifies the worshipping of false gods with Wizard of Oz. Larsen also suggests the obedience of the main character in It’s a Wonderful Life reflects the experiences of Jonah.
As well as Biblical theory, Larsen refers to citations from other respected Christian writers on the matter of prayer, challenging preconceived notions of both the religious and the atheist. Despite the fact Movies Are Prayers is heavily steeped in religious connotations, it may appeal to film buffs who wish to delve deeper into the hidden meanings of films.
Although the examples in this book are mostly well-known titles, it is unlikely that readers will have watched all the films. Helpfully, Josh Larsen provides details and descriptions of the scenes he has chosen to focus on so that even if you are not familiar with the story, it is possible to understand the author’s perspective. Having said that, Movies Are Prayers contains a lot of spoilers.
Everyone has their own personal view on Christian theory and prayer, so Movies Are Prayers can only be treated as an idea rather than gospel. However, Josh Larsen has developed an interesting theory that makes you think more about the ways we can communicate with God, even when we may not have deliberately chosen to. Being easy to read and not overly long (200 pages), Movies Are Prayers is the ideal book for film-loving Christians.
Subtitled How Films Voice Our Deepest Longings, film critic and committed Christian, Josh Larsen, writes Movies Are Prayers to explain his perspective that films are one of our ways of communicating with God. Films, or movies as they are oftentimes referred to in this book, can be many things from a form of escapism to historical information and artistic expression, but as Larsen maintains, they can also be prayers.
“Movies are our way of telling God what we think about this world and our place in it.” Apart from those based on Biblical characters or Christian messages, films are not usually a deliberate attempt at speaking to God. What Larsen is suggesting is that God can be found in places you would not expect – the cinema, for instance. Prayer is a human instinct, even for those who have no religious ties. We are forever asking “why am I here?” or “why me?” alongside feelings of gratitude and love for our positive experiences in life.
Josh Larsen explores several expressions of prayer, including the tenets of the Lord’s Prayer, to examine numerous films from popular classics to contemporary Disney. Beginning with wonder at the natural world (Avatar, Into The Wild), positive forms of prayer are identified in well-known cinematography, such as reconciliation (Where the Wild Things Are), meditation (Bambi), joy (Top Hat, and most musicals) and confession (Toy Story, Trainwreck). But Larsen does not stop there, he goes on to use examples of emotions that many may not consider forms of prayer: anger (Fight Club, The Piano) and lament (12 Years a Slave, Godzilla).
To back up his theory, Josh Larsen relates film sequences with Bible passages, for example, the prayers of David and Job. He likens the ending of Children of Men with the Christmas story and identifies the worshipping of false gods with Wizard of Oz. Larsen also suggests the obedience of the main character in It’s a Wonderful Life reflects the experiences of Jonah.
As well as Biblical theory, Larsen refers to citations from other respected Christian writers on the matter of prayer, challenging preconceived notions of both the religious and the atheist. Despite the fact Movies Are Prayers is heavily steeped in religious connotations, it may appeal to film buffs who wish to delve deeper into the hidden meanings of films.
Although the examples in this book are mostly well-known titles, it is unlikely that readers will have watched all the films. Helpfully, Josh Larsen provides details and descriptions of the scenes he has chosen to focus on so that even if you are not familiar with the story, it is possible to understand the author’s perspective. Having said that, Movies Are Prayers contains a lot of spoilers.
Everyone has their own personal view on Christian theory and prayer, so Movies Are Prayers can only be treated as an idea rather than gospel. However, Josh Larsen has developed an interesting theory that makes you think more about the ways we can communicate with God, even when we may not have deliberately chosen to. Being easy to read and not overly long (200 pages), Movies Are Prayers is the ideal book for film-loving Christians.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Never Saw You Coming in Books
Sep 30, 2021
An insightful look at love and religion
Meg Hennessey grew up finding comfort in her faith. But her conservative parents also kept her sheltered based on their interpretation of the rules of the church. But at age eighteen, Meg learns her entire life was a lie. Instead of going to work at a church camp for a year, she heads to Marquette, Michigan to learn more about the family she never knew she had. There, she meets Micah Allen. Micah's dad is a former pastor who is now in prison. Micah adored and believed in his father, who let the church, his congregation, and his family down famously--the press still hounds Micah years later. With his father's probation hearing coming up, his mother wants him to forgive him, but Micah isn't sure he can. Meg and Micah meet and find themselves drawn to each other. But each struggle with what they've been taught about love, along with the pasts they may need to leave behind to move forward.
"Because the uncomfortable truth is, while the church loves sinners in their pews, they don't want them in front of a crowd. It's the difference between acceptance and tolerance, and it might catch on. God forbid."
This is a really lovely and moving story. While it includes a lot of religious themes and discussion, it never felt like too much--religion and forgiveness informs the story, rather than detracts from it. Meg is a side character in Hahn's excellent book, MORE THAN MAYBE, and we see glimpses of Vada and Luke from that tale (which is really fun). It's wonderful to see Meg fully explored here--Hahn writes her sections in a snappy and smart way, capturing Meg perfectly. She's so sweet, yet smart and tough. Her entire life has been upended, and Meg truly must rethink her whole faith and foundation. I think a weaker person would crumple at such a situation. Watching her grow is really fun; you cannot help but root for her.
And Micah is a great character, too. He too, has had his faith tested, as his father destroyed his church and Micah's belief in the church. Micah and Meg's romance is cute, honest, and real. Hahn's book explores how shamed these two feel by falling in love and how the church has conditioned them to feel that love, happiness, and romance can be wrong and even sinful. It tackles the pain of loving a Jesus/God who then censures you for loving. It's so adept at this and skilled at portraying their struggles. How can the love of these two sweet, earnest kids be wrong? And as they explore why bad things happen--especially as they believe so fully--the book makes you think and examine deeply. It deftly exposes the church's focus on female purity only, while often ignoring the males. Honestly, whether you're religious or not, this is a must-read, especially in these times, when so much of the control of a women's body seems not be our own.
Overall, I loved this book. It offers a charming romance, along with a timely look at religion and how it can affect young people as they make their way in the world. The side characters are excellent (I'm looking at you, Duke, and Cash the dog!). Hahn's writing is as excellent as ever. 4.5 stars. Please note the author's own note for a trigger warning for self-harm and suicide.
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
"Because the uncomfortable truth is, while the church loves sinners in their pews, they don't want them in front of a crowd. It's the difference between acceptance and tolerance, and it might catch on. God forbid."
This is a really lovely and moving story. While it includes a lot of religious themes and discussion, it never felt like too much--religion and forgiveness informs the story, rather than detracts from it. Meg is a side character in Hahn's excellent book, MORE THAN MAYBE, and we see glimpses of Vada and Luke from that tale (which is really fun). It's wonderful to see Meg fully explored here--Hahn writes her sections in a snappy and smart way, capturing Meg perfectly. She's so sweet, yet smart and tough. Her entire life has been upended, and Meg truly must rethink her whole faith and foundation. I think a weaker person would crumple at such a situation. Watching her grow is really fun; you cannot help but root for her.
And Micah is a great character, too. He too, has had his faith tested, as his father destroyed his church and Micah's belief in the church. Micah and Meg's romance is cute, honest, and real. Hahn's book explores how shamed these two feel by falling in love and how the church has conditioned them to feel that love, happiness, and romance can be wrong and even sinful. It tackles the pain of loving a Jesus/God who then censures you for loving. It's so adept at this and skilled at portraying their struggles. How can the love of these two sweet, earnest kids be wrong? And as they explore why bad things happen--especially as they believe so fully--the book makes you think and examine deeply. It deftly exposes the church's focus on female purity only, while often ignoring the males. Honestly, whether you're religious or not, this is a must-read, especially in these times, when so much of the control of a women's body seems not be our own.
Overall, I loved this book. It offers a charming romance, along with a timely look at religion and how it can affect young people as they make their way in the world. The side characters are excellent (I'm looking at you, Duke, and Cash the dog!). Hahn's writing is as excellent as ever. 4.5 stars. Please note the author's own note for a trigger warning for self-harm and suicide.
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.