Search
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Something Borrowed (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
“Sometimes good people do bad things!”
Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a successful New York City lawyer, the ever-loyal and perpetual good girl, who, on the night of her surprise 30th birthday party, sleeps with Dex, her old study buddy and secret crush from law school. Unfortunately, Dex happens to be the fiancé of Rachel’s egotistical best friend Darcy’s (Kate Hudson). Throughout the movie you find Rachel conflicted with the thought of hurting her best friend because she has just realized she is in love with Dex (Colin Egglesfield). Dex feels equally guilty for having fallen for Rachel but would rather do what everyone expects him to do, as opposed to following his heart.
As Rachel tries to assist the self-absorbed party girl Darcy plan her wedding, she finds it difficult to to hide her feelings for Dex. Rachel and Darcy’s childhood friend Ethan (John Krasinski) figures out that Rachel and Dex are more than just friends. He lends a shoulder for Rachel to lean on as well as some very harsh criticisms to help her realize that she does deserve to be happy.
Based on the novel written by Emily Giffin, Something Borrowed is a romantic comedy that explores the true meaning of friendship, love and ethics. Always a fan of Ginnifer Goodwin, she does a decent job at playing our heroine/doormat, Rachel White. Kate Hudson was spot-on with the role of self-centered, always-gets-her-way Darcy. And let’s not forget the Tom Cruise look-alike, Colin Egglesfield, who for some reason didn’t impress me much as Dex. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there was definitely something missing there. Plug in some weekend getaways to the Hamptons, some awkward drinking and partying moments, some flashback moments of Darcy and Rachel’s childhood as well as flashbacks to Rachel’s law school days when she was swooning over Dex and voila! A mediocre, very predictable movie. I’d have to say if it wasn’t for the sarcastic comedic stylings of John Krasinski as Ethan, this movie would have been a major flop.
This film is definitely a twist on My Best Friend’s Wedding, but not in the best way. If nothing else, it’s worth seeing as a “girls night out” kind of movie!
Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a successful New York City lawyer, the ever-loyal and perpetual good girl, who, on the night of her surprise 30th birthday party, sleeps with Dex, her old study buddy and secret crush from law school. Unfortunately, Dex happens to be the fiancé of Rachel’s egotistical best friend Darcy’s (Kate Hudson). Throughout the movie you find Rachel conflicted with the thought of hurting her best friend because she has just realized she is in love with Dex (Colin Egglesfield). Dex feels equally guilty for having fallen for Rachel but would rather do what everyone expects him to do, as opposed to following his heart.
As Rachel tries to assist the self-absorbed party girl Darcy plan her wedding, she finds it difficult to to hide her feelings for Dex. Rachel and Darcy’s childhood friend Ethan (John Krasinski) figures out that Rachel and Dex are more than just friends. He lends a shoulder for Rachel to lean on as well as some very harsh criticisms to help her realize that she does deserve to be happy.
Based on the novel written by Emily Giffin, Something Borrowed is a romantic comedy that explores the true meaning of friendship, love and ethics. Always a fan of Ginnifer Goodwin, she does a decent job at playing our heroine/doormat, Rachel White. Kate Hudson was spot-on with the role of self-centered, always-gets-her-way Darcy. And let’s not forget the Tom Cruise look-alike, Colin Egglesfield, who for some reason didn’t impress me much as Dex. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there was definitely something missing there. Plug in some weekend getaways to the Hamptons, some awkward drinking and partying moments, some flashback moments of Darcy and Rachel’s childhood as well as flashbacks to Rachel’s law school days when she was swooning over Dex and voila! A mediocre, very predictable movie. I’d have to say if it wasn’t for the sarcastic comedic stylings of John Krasinski as Ethan, this movie would have been a major flop.
This film is definitely a twist on My Best Friend’s Wedding, but not in the best way. If nothing else, it’s worth seeing as a “girls night out” kind of movie!
ClareR (5779 KP) rated The Bass Rock in Books
May 29, 2020 (Updated May 29, 2020)
The Bass Rock is based around three different women: Sarah, Ruth and Viviane - and of course, the Bass Rock seems to be a constant. It really exists, I've googled it, and it's off the coast of North Berwick in Scotland. This is where the story is set.
The novel looks at a lot of themes over the years: the role of women, both their expected role and what they actually want to do; relationships between men and women, and those relationships between women as well; cruelty and abuse; and mental health is an important theme, and indeed is central to a great many of the characters.
It's just the kind of book that I enjoy reading, both in style and thematic content. Sometimes you just need a book that ticks along, one that's in no rush to get where it's going. If that makes you think that this is a boring book, it really isn't. There's a lot going on in these timelines, the characters have a lot of things to deal with in their relationships and lives in general, but I never felt rushed. It's a book that I wanted to last. In fact, I really do think that this has been an ideal book to read during this coronavirus lockdown. I think that it will also be a book that I gift to other people.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me my ebook copy.
The novel looks at a lot of themes over the years: the role of women, both their expected role and what they actually want to do; relationships between men and women, and those relationships between women as well; cruelty and abuse; and mental health is an important theme, and indeed is central to a great many of the characters.
It's just the kind of book that I enjoy reading, both in style and thematic content. Sometimes you just need a book that ticks along, one that's in no rush to get where it's going. If that makes you think that this is a boring book, it really isn't. There's a lot going on in these timelines, the characters have a lot of things to deal with in their relationships and lives in general, but I never felt rushed. It's a book that I wanted to last. In fact, I really do think that this has been an ideal book to read during this coronavirus lockdown. I think that it will also be a book that I gift to other people.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me my ebook copy.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Deadly Class in TV
Jul 3, 2020
Teenage Angst, Romance & The Deadly Arts - 8/10
Deadly Class is a tv series airing on SYFY based on the graphic novel created by Rick Remander and Wesley Craig and published by Image Comics. Developed by by Miles Orion Feldscott and produced by the Russo brothers, it's set in a much more macabre late 1980's San Francisco. For me this show has been addicting and is easy to get swept up in the chaos of the halls of Kong's Dominion.
Marcus (Benjamin Wadsworth) is a recently homeless orphan who is inducted into a boarding school of elite assassins called King's Dominion. Recruited off the streets by a gang of students, mainly Saya (Lana Condor), on orders by the headmaster Master Lin (Benedict Wong). He must learn the deadly arts while navigating the perilous halls and vicious social cliques in the free-for-all that is King's Dominion. The institution's a place where the world's top mob and crime families send their children to become better killers and it's graduates include serial killers and government assassins.
This show might not be for everyone but I have found it really enjoyable. It's very cliche at times and definitely has it's standard archetypes but the characters pop with personality especially when the show goes into these really awesome motion comic scenes when delving into their personal backgrounds. The action is definitely top class and keeps the show going but it's not able to always keep that tension when not in the halls or classrooms of the school where anything can happen. By the 1st or 2nd episode you'll know if it's for you. I particularly like how the main group is a bunch of misfits who come together and the progression of the main character. Like i said, I give it a 8/10.
Marcus (Benjamin Wadsworth) is a recently homeless orphan who is inducted into a boarding school of elite assassins called King's Dominion. Recruited off the streets by a gang of students, mainly Saya (Lana Condor), on orders by the headmaster Master Lin (Benedict Wong). He must learn the deadly arts while navigating the perilous halls and vicious social cliques in the free-for-all that is King's Dominion. The institution's a place where the world's top mob and crime families send their children to become better killers and it's graduates include serial killers and government assassins.
This show might not be for everyone but I have found it really enjoyable. It's very cliche at times and definitely has it's standard archetypes but the characters pop with personality especially when the show goes into these really awesome motion comic scenes when delving into their personal backgrounds. The action is definitely top class and keeps the show going but it's not able to always keep that tension when not in the halls or classrooms of the school where anything can happen. By the 1st or 2nd episode you'll know if it's for you. I particularly like how the main group is a bunch of misfits who come together and the progression of the main character. Like i said, I give it a 8/10.
Leigh J (71 KP) rated American Psycho (2000) in Movies
Nov 10, 2019
Hip to be square... and psychotic?!
Contains spoilers, click to show
Patrick Bateman has everything; a high rank Mergers and Acquisitions job at Pierce and Pierce, a gorgeous (expensive) Apartment, a beautiful Fiancee and an extremely active social life. But, he's psychotic, and, after a few cheeky murders of Co-Workers and complete strangers alike, is on the verge of snapping completely. This is his descent into madness...
Based on the Novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis; American Psycho is a very chic, bloodsplattered love letter to the '80s. I love the New Wave Soundtrack which complements the film perfectly; especially when paired with Music fan Bateman's own two cents about certain Bands and tracks. The Cast are absolutely amazing; I love how connected they are to each other yet also hopelessly disconnected because of their jobs and knowing so many people (for example, when Patrick says the name Ed Gein, one of his "friends" says "The maitre 'd at Canal Bar?") that Bateman can get away with murder because they swear he was having Dinner with them the night of the murder! One thing that really does stick out to me about American Psycho (and still bothers me to this very day) is the HUGE ambiguity, which will make some people scratch their heads and question everything. I like ambiguity and I think American Psycho makes it work, and definitely sparks a conversation, but some people hate the Movie for those moments. It doesn't detract from how wonderful the Movie is though, and American Psycho is a cinematic beauty that should be watched by everyone. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to return some Videotapes...
Based on the Novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis; American Psycho is a very chic, bloodsplattered love letter to the '80s. I love the New Wave Soundtrack which complements the film perfectly; especially when paired with Music fan Bateman's own two cents about certain Bands and tracks. The Cast are absolutely amazing; I love how connected they are to each other yet also hopelessly disconnected because of their jobs and knowing so many people (for example, when Patrick says the name Ed Gein, one of his "friends" says "The maitre 'd at Canal Bar?") that Bateman can get away with murder because they swear he was having Dinner with them the night of the murder! One thing that really does stick out to me about American Psycho (and still bothers me to this very day) is the HUGE ambiguity, which will make some people scratch their heads and question everything. I like ambiguity and I think American Psycho makes it work, and definitely sparks a conversation, but some people hate the Movie for those moments. It doesn't detract from how wonderful the Movie is though, and American Psycho is a cinematic beauty that should be watched by everyone. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to return some Videotapes...
Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet
William Meyers, Robert Thurman and Michael Burbank
Book
Since the age of 15, the Dalai Lama has defended the Tibetan people against one of the last great...
Healing Springs
10.0
Rate It
Book
Falling out of love is one thing, but purposefully forgetting it is another. Selene McAlister is...
Lesbian Romance Self Discovery
A Wise Use of Time
Games and Book
App
With the power to freeze time, you can ransack a casino, rescue a celebrity, or cheat death itself! ...
Lee (2222 KP) rated Greyhound (2020) in Movies
Sep 2, 2020
Snore...
Based on a C.S. Forester novel The Good Shepherd, and a screenplay by Mr Tom Hanks himself, Greyhound is the latest movie to feature Hanks in the role of brave Captain, returning once more to World War II territory. Any hopes that this might be a return to the grand heights of Saving Private Ryan though are soon laid to rest.
Set in 1942, Hanks plays Captain Ernest Krause, responsible for one of only a handful of warships as they escort and protect an even larger number of merchant vessels making the journey across the Atlantic Ocean with vital supplies for England. They will be entering what’s known as ‘the black pit’ – a stretch of Ocean too far out at sea for any aerial cover to be provided by the countries on either side. For a few days, they will be on their own, and at the mercy of any German U-boats they may encounter.
Greyhound wastes no time in landing us right in the thick of it all, joining the crew as they enter the black pit, and sticking with them while they attempt to make it to relative safety on the other side. Obviously, it’s not long before a number of U-boats target the fleet of vessels and begin trying to pick them off in a tense game of cat and mouse at sea.
There is a LOT of nautical jargon in Greyhound and twenty minutes in, I was already feeling exhausted just trying to follow it all and gain any kind of enjoyment out of the movie. Despite throwing the occasion title up on screen to tell us which vessel we’re looking at out on the gloomy CGI seas, it’s also not always clear which ship is which, or who’s firing at who either. That attention to detailed dialogue really doesn’t let up one bit either, making what is only a 91 minute movie feel so much longer.
By throwing us straight into the action, we’re also given no time to learn or even care about any of the characters. Krause is only given a couple of brief flashback scenes, showing us with his partner two months earlier, played by Elizabeth Shue. Other than knowing this is his first Atlantic crossing, and that he is fully committed to the job in hand, refusing to eat any of the hot meals regularly brought to him by the ship’s cook, we’re provided very little information about our Captain.
The crew are also there just to fire off updates to their Captain and respond to his commands, providing no character development whatsoever for them either and giving us nothing to feel invested in, other than a desire for them all to make it safely to England.
With the focus of the movie entirely on the crew and setting of the Greyhound, we only hear from other characters via radio – calls for support from the other vessels, or psychological jaunts from the Germans on the U-boat. Again, by not giving us the viewpoint of any other side or vessel, it all makes for a very one dimensional and dull ride. Definitely not one of Tom Hanks finest.
Set in 1942, Hanks plays Captain Ernest Krause, responsible for one of only a handful of warships as they escort and protect an even larger number of merchant vessels making the journey across the Atlantic Ocean with vital supplies for England. They will be entering what’s known as ‘the black pit’ – a stretch of Ocean too far out at sea for any aerial cover to be provided by the countries on either side. For a few days, they will be on their own, and at the mercy of any German U-boats they may encounter.
Greyhound wastes no time in landing us right in the thick of it all, joining the crew as they enter the black pit, and sticking with them while they attempt to make it to relative safety on the other side. Obviously, it’s not long before a number of U-boats target the fleet of vessels and begin trying to pick them off in a tense game of cat and mouse at sea.
There is a LOT of nautical jargon in Greyhound and twenty minutes in, I was already feeling exhausted just trying to follow it all and gain any kind of enjoyment out of the movie. Despite throwing the occasion title up on screen to tell us which vessel we’re looking at out on the gloomy CGI seas, it’s also not always clear which ship is which, or who’s firing at who either. That attention to detailed dialogue really doesn’t let up one bit either, making what is only a 91 minute movie feel so much longer.
By throwing us straight into the action, we’re also given no time to learn or even care about any of the characters. Krause is only given a couple of brief flashback scenes, showing us with his partner two months earlier, played by Elizabeth Shue. Other than knowing this is his first Atlantic crossing, and that he is fully committed to the job in hand, refusing to eat any of the hot meals regularly brought to him by the ship’s cook, we’re provided very little information about our Captain.
The crew are also there just to fire off updates to their Captain and respond to his commands, providing no character development whatsoever for them either and giving us nothing to feel invested in, other than a desire for them all to make it safely to England.
With the focus of the movie entirely on the crew and setting of the Greyhound, we only hear from other characters via radio – calls for support from the other vessels, or psychological jaunts from the Germans on the U-boat. Again, by not giving us the viewpoint of any other side or vessel, it all makes for a very one dimensional and dull ride. Definitely not one of Tom Hanks finest.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Little Stranger (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
I can't say that this is a horror. It's a little bit creepy. It's also somehow engaging, despite it not having that horror aspect you're expecting.
Domhnall Gleeson is an interesting leading actor. He plays the roll well and it feels fitting for the period. But for me Will Poulter really was the best performance. Entirely believable and quite possibly the best thing I've seen him do. I can't say that I was particularly excited about anyone else in this.
The music, or the lack thereof, is very atmospheric. It's really noticable and brings that creepy sense just when it's needed. The visuals get the atmosphere just right too. There's a fantastic slightly out of focus (lets call it squiggly feeling) shot that was used when the supernatural was in the air and it worked intriguingly well.
At the time of writing this I have been out of the screening for six hours... and for six hours I've been annoyed with how the film ended. I've been scouring the internet for a full synopsis of the novel, and while the whole thing seems to match up well, the ending does have a slightly different spin... or it is just handled really weirdly in the film... I really don't know but what I can say is that I came out feeling incredibly unsatisfied.
Based on the book The Little Stranger by Sarah Walters.
What should you do?
I'm tempted to say read the book instead of going to see this one.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Can I take home Will Poulter?
Domhnall Gleeson is an interesting leading actor. He plays the roll well and it feels fitting for the period. But for me Will Poulter really was the best performance. Entirely believable and quite possibly the best thing I've seen him do. I can't say that I was particularly excited about anyone else in this.
The music, or the lack thereof, is very atmospheric. It's really noticable and brings that creepy sense just when it's needed. The visuals get the atmosphere just right too. There's a fantastic slightly out of focus (lets call it squiggly feeling) shot that was used when the supernatural was in the air and it worked intriguingly well.
At the time of writing this I have been out of the screening for six hours... and for six hours I've been annoyed with how the film ended. I've been scouring the internet for a full synopsis of the novel, and while the whole thing seems to match up well, the ending does have a slightly different spin... or it is just handled really weirdly in the film... I really don't know but what I can say is that I came out feeling incredibly unsatisfied.
Based on the book The Little Stranger by Sarah Walters.
What should you do?
I'm tempted to say read the book instead of going to see this one.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Can I take home Will Poulter?
The Science of Discworld
Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen
8.5
Rate It
Book
This is the fantastic first book in the Sunday Times bestselling Science of Discworld series. When a...