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Palestra Atenea
Sports and Utilities
App
Desde Palestra Atenena nos complace presentarles nuestra aplicación para smartphone. Una vez más,...
Padel Indoor Lleida
Sports and Utilities
App
Desde Padel Indoor Lleida nos complace presentarte la nueva aplicación de reserva de pistas para...
Last Swill and Testament: The Hilarious, Unexpurgated Memoirs of Paul 'Sailor' Vernon, Blues Fanatic, Rare Record Dealer, Ligger, Erstwhile Bon Viveur and Friend to the Stars
Book
Born to shell-shocked parents in shell-shocked London shortly after the end of World War II, Paul...
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Now You See Her in Books
May 10, 2018
Nina Bloom is a successful attorney in New York City. She has a beautiful daughter who has just turned 17 and is the most important thing in her life. But Nina has a past that no one knows about. Both of her parents are dead and she was an only child. During her senior year in college, she took a trip to Key West for Spring Break that changed her life forever. Now with a new case being presented to her, she has to face the demons from her past. Will she be able to get through this case and come out on the other end alive? Will she still be able to protect her daughter from the dangers that she has been hiding for so long?
James Patterson has long been one of my favorite authors. I love how quickly I can get through his books and how enthralling the story usually is. I plan on listening to all of JP's standalone books through audio this year. I've gotten caught up with all the Women's Murder Club books and hope to continue to stay on top of those.
What really struck me about this book was Nina's ability to keep the secret for so long. For 17 years no one knew about her past or that she was even hiding in the first place. Her firm decides to take on some pro bono work with other firms in the city in a effort to exonerate people on death row. The first case she is assigned is quite personal as she is quite sure that the person who is in jail for the crime should not be. I wondered the whole time if she would be able to get through the case without having to reveal her true identity or if the past she left behind was going to come back and haunt her and her daughter forever. I great listen for this James Patterson book.
Up next, [bc:Sundays at Tiffany's|2029177|Sundays at Tiffany's|James Patterson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1266475617s/2029177.jpg|3307932]
James Patterson has long been one of my favorite authors. I love how quickly I can get through his books and how enthralling the story usually is. I plan on listening to all of JP's standalone books through audio this year. I've gotten caught up with all the Women's Murder Club books and hope to continue to stay on top of those.
What really struck me about this book was Nina's ability to keep the secret for so long. For 17 years no one knew about her past or that she was even hiding in the first place. Her firm decides to take on some pro bono work with other firms in the city in a effort to exonerate people on death row. The first case she is assigned is quite personal as she is quite sure that the person who is in jail for the crime should not be. I wondered the whole time if she would be able to get through the case without having to reveal her true identity or if the past she left behind was going to come back and haunt her and her daughter forever. I great listen for this James Patterson book.
Up next, [bc:Sundays at Tiffany's|2029177|Sundays at Tiffany's|James Patterson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1266475617s/2029177.jpg|3307932]
Volunteer Engagement 2.0: Ideas and Insights Changing the World
Robert J. Rosenthal and Greg Baldwin
Book
VolunteerMatch taps expert knowledge from today's volunteerism professionals to help nonprofits take...
Hunting the Killer Idea
Book
Killer Ideas. They re out there. Wild, unpredictable and dangerous. So powerful they can stop a...
Yapı Kredi Mobil Şube
Finance
App
Yapı Kredi Mobil Bankacılık uygulaması, bankacılık deneyiminizi iPad’inizde bir adım daha...
Sportium Apuestas Deportivas
Sports and Games
App
Sportium.es es la Casa de Apuestas Oficial de la LFP (Liga de Fútbol Profesional). Sportium.es es...
Get Backed: Craft Your Story, Build the Perfect Pitch Deck, and Launch the Venture of Your Dreams
Book
"Anyone who comes to pitch on Shark Tank should read this book first!" --Barbara Corcoran, ABC's...
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Mauritanian (2021) in Movies
Apr 14, 2021
Great acting from all four leads, especially Tahar Rahim (2 more)
Great use of screen ratios for flashbacks
Very thought provoking
War crimes don't just happen on the battlefield
It’s 2001. Bush and Rumsfeld seek vengeance on the perpetrators of 9/11. Quite right too. But rounding up hundreds of suspects and incarcerating them for years, without charge, in Guantánamo Bay in Cuba was an appalling act for a supposedly first-world country.
“The Mauritanian” then is the true story of one such unfortunate – Mohamedou Ould Slahi, played by Tahar Rahim. We first join Slahi at a family wedding in Nouakchott (good “Pointless” answer for the capital of Mauritania people!). ‘Invited for questioning’ by the American authorities, we next see Slahi in the Cuban stronghold.
Pro-bono lawyer Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) becomes a pariah by picking up his defence. Supporting her is assistant Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley). Hollander is very formal and professionally aloof, not assuming his guilt or innocence. After meeting the man, and assuming his innocence, Duncan though is more emotionally involved. The man opposing them at trial is US Army prosecutor Stuart Couch (Benedict Cumberbatch). Couch, having lost one of his best friends aboard the South Tower plane, has an axe to grind.
As the pair battle unseen forces for access to documentation, they uncover more and more of the truth about life in Guantánamo Bay.
Positives:
- I've not read the book so I found the story gripping. As the related legal information is divulged, the movie drip-feeds flashbacks of Slahia's story, which is clever.
- Acting wise, "The Mauritanian" has top notch stuff. Tahir Rahim is excellent as Slahia. He portrays charismatic and confident businessman, brought down to earth with a bump. Not recognizing him with an Oscar nomination feels like a minor crime. He will have to make do with the BAFTA nomination. Also brilliant is Jodie Foster. As the illustrious Mrs Movie Man pointed out, it's so nice to see an actress acting her age with confidence. The ever-watchable Shailene Woodley is also great, especially in a dramatic 'dismissal' scene. She adds some much needed warmth to the legal team. The southern drawl from Cumberbatch is a bit of a surprise and takes some getting used to. But it's still a strong performance from him.
- After ranting on last time at Zack Snyder's use of 4:3 screen ratios in "Justice League", here is an intelligent use of the technique. The film is in 16:9 ratio, but then pivots to 4:3 for all of the Guantanamo flashback scenes, reflecting the claustrophobia of Slahia's position.
- Real-life footage over the closing titles is absolutely fascinating.
Negatives:
- I personally didn't find this a particular negative, but I went into the film knowing it to be a "legal drama". So there would be lots of scenes, as in "The Trial of the Chicago 7", with courtroom debate and gavel-banging, right? Actually, there is almost none of that. Most of the legal action is in terms of the preparation of the case and the paperwork involved. (If this makes the movie sound excruciatingly dull... think again!)
- The Guantanamo story ends quite abruptly (with the above-mentioned jolt), and left me wanting to see more of the intervening time. It's not often that I complain about a film running too short, but here is one where just a little of "the Snyder treatment" might have been welcomed!
Additional Note for the squeamish: For those worried about seeing distressing scenes of torture (e.g. Fingernail extraction, etc), these are - although disturbing - more of the "psychological torment" type. So those of a squeamish disposition can still watch this one.
Summary Thoughts:
The fact that "The Mauritanian" is a true story hammers home just what the US has been up to over the last 20 years. War crimes are not only committed on the battlefield.
Director Kevin Macdonald is no stranger to documentaries ("Touching the Void", "Whitney"). He's also proved adept at bringing gripping true stories to the screen (having previously given us "The Last King of Scotland"). Here, the emotional journeys of the key characters are well observed making the movie 'highly recommended'.
For the full One Mann's Movies review see here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2021/04/09/the-mauritanian-america-are-you-squirming-with-embarrassment/
“The Mauritanian” then is the true story of one such unfortunate – Mohamedou Ould Slahi, played by Tahar Rahim. We first join Slahi at a family wedding in Nouakchott (good “Pointless” answer for the capital of Mauritania people!). ‘Invited for questioning’ by the American authorities, we next see Slahi in the Cuban stronghold.
Pro-bono lawyer Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) becomes a pariah by picking up his defence. Supporting her is assistant Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley). Hollander is very formal and professionally aloof, not assuming his guilt or innocence. After meeting the man, and assuming his innocence, Duncan though is more emotionally involved. The man opposing them at trial is US Army prosecutor Stuart Couch (Benedict Cumberbatch). Couch, having lost one of his best friends aboard the South Tower plane, has an axe to grind.
As the pair battle unseen forces for access to documentation, they uncover more and more of the truth about life in Guantánamo Bay.
Positives:
- I've not read the book so I found the story gripping. As the related legal information is divulged, the movie drip-feeds flashbacks of Slahia's story, which is clever.
- Acting wise, "The Mauritanian" has top notch stuff. Tahir Rahim is excellent as Slahia. He portrays charismatic and confident businessman, brought down to earth with a bump. Not recognizing him with an Oscar nomination feels like a minor crime. He will have to make do with the BAFTA nomination. Also brilliant is Jodie Foster. As the illustrious Mrs Movie Man pointed out, it's so nice to see an actress acting her age with confidence. The ever-watchable Shailene Woodley is also great, especially in a dramatic 'dismissal' scene. She adds some much needed warmth to the legal team. The southern drawl from Cumberbatch is a bit of a surprise and takes some getting used to. But it's still a strong performance from him.
- After ranting on last time at Zack Snyder's use of 4:3 screen ratios in "Justice League", here is an intelligent use of the technique. The film is in 16:9 ratio, but then pivots to 4:3 for all of the Guantanamo flashback scenes, reflecting the claustrophobia of Slahia's position.
- Real-life footage over the closing titles is absolutely fascinating.
Negatives:
- I personally didn't find this a particular negative, but I went into the film knowing it to be a "legal drama". So there would be lots of scenes, as in "The Trial of the Chicago 7", with courtroom debate and gavel-banging, right? Actually, there is almost none of that. Most of the legal action is in terms of the preparation of the case and the paperwork involved. (If this makes the movie sound excruciatingly dull... think again!)
- The Guantanamo story ends quite abruptly (with the above-mentioned jolt), and left me wanting to see more of the intervening time. It's not often that I complain about a film running too short, but here is one where just a little of "the Snyder treatment" might have been welcomed!
Additional Note for the squeamish: For those worried about seeing distressing scenes of torture (e.g. Fingernail extraction, etc), these are - although disturbing - more of the "psychological torment" type. So those of a squeamish disposition can still watch this one.
Summary Thoughts:
The fact that "The Mauritanian" is a true story hammers home just what the US has been up to over the last 20 years. War crimes are not only committed on the battlefield.
Director Kevin Macdonald is no stranger to documentaries ("Touching the Void", "Whitney"). He's also proved adept at bringing gripping true stories to the screen (having previously given us "The Last King of Scotland"). Here, the emotional journeys of the key characters are well observed making the movie 'highly recommended'.
For the full One Mann's Movies review see here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2021/04/09/the-mauritanian-america-are-you-squirming-with-embarrassment/
