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Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Spy (2015) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Comedic Gold
From the brilliant Paul Feig, director of the ridiculously funny Bridesmaids and Sandra Bullock’s laugh-a-minute The Heat comes the latest in the secret agent comedy film, Spy. But does this film, fronted by the ever-popular Melissa McCarthy have what it takes to play with the big boys in the genre?
Spy follows the story of McCarthy’s Susan Cooper, a lonely CIA analyst suddenly thrust into the limelight as a secret agent tasked with tracking the whereabouts of a nuclear weapon after the rest of the agency’s operatives have their identities compromised.
After the success of Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service, released earlier this year, expectations of another spy comedy hit for 2015 were low to say the least, especially after the critical disaster that was Reese Witherspoon’s cop comedy Hot Pursuit.
However, Feig once again strikes gold with an exciting story, an all-star cast and some breath-taking scenery and action pieces. There’s no wonder he’s been tasked with directing the Ghostbusters reboot.
Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart and Jude Law take their places in a film that not only has you on the edge of your seat more times than the majority of full-blown action movies, but also will have you laughing your head off.
The gags are relentless and on the whole, very funny with McCarthy continuing to be a dynamic presence like she has shown throughout the majority of her previous work. However, the surprising stand-out is Jason Statham as super spy Rick Ford.
We’ve all seen Statham play the tough action guy and his role in Spy is certainly no different. The difference comes with his ridiculously dry sense of humour – he is genuinely funny with his serious delivery and provides the film with its best moments.
Jude Law’s charismatic agent Fine, oblivious to McCarthy’s affections for him fails to make as much of an impact as Statham’s truly brilliant characterisation.
The film’s biggest weakness is in Miranda Hart however, who channels the same character that anyone familiar with her BBC One show will know all too well. Yes, she’s funny, but only because the script allows her to be – almost masking her well-worn persona somewhat.
Elsewhere, the locations are beautiful. From Paris to Budapest, Spy takes you on a tour of Europe and is unashamed of showing these tourist hot-spots in all their glory. Feig juxtaposes sweeping shots of Paris with intimate scenes in Budapest and the film’s occasional tonal shift also utilises this filming tactic well.
Moreover, the numerous action sequences are excellently choreographed. Feig has a real love for the spy genre and it shows. From the super slow-mo used so the audience knows what is going on, to the Shirley Bassey like theme song, nowhere is untouched in creating a viable spy movie, albeit a funny one.
Overall, so far, every film Paul Feig has touched has turned to gold. The Heat wasn’t as impressive as Bridesmaids but that is simply because of how fantastic the latter is. However, with Spy there is no denying that he is back on solid ground.
Melissa McCarthy is the perfect comedy actress to front a film like this and Jason Statham’s surprising comedic turn is absolutely marvellous. Despite a less than stellar performance from Miranda Hart, Spy is fun from beginning to end with numerous twists and turns along the way.
Settle down for the ride with some popcorn and you’ll have a fantastic time.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/06/07/comedic-gold-spy-review/
Spy follows the story of McCarthy’s Susan Cooper, a lonely CIA analyst suddenly thrust into the limelight as a secret agent tasked with tracking the whereabouts of a nuclear weapon after the rest of the agency’s operatives have their identities compromised.
After the success of Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service, released earlier this year, expectations of another spy comedy hit for 2015 were low to say the least, especially after the critical disaster that was Reese Witherspoon’s cop comedy Hot Pursuit.
However, Feig once again strikes gold with an exciting story, an all-star cast and some breath-taking scenery and action pieces. There’s no wonder he’s been tasked with directing the Ghostbusters reboot.
Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart and Jude Law take their places in a film that not only has you on the edge of your seat more times than the majority of full-blown action movies, but also will have you laughing your head off.
The gags are relentless and on the whole, very funny with McCarthy continuing to be a dynamic presence like she has shown throughout the majority of her previous work. However, the surprising stand-out is Jason Statham as super spy Rick Ford.
We’ve all seen Statham play the tough action guy and his role in Spy is certainly no different. The difference comes with his ridiculously dry sense of humour – he is genuinely funny with his serious delivery and provides the film with its best moments.
Jude Law’s charismatic agent Fine, oblivious to McCarthy’s affections for him fails to make as much of an impact as Statham’s truly brilliant characterisation.
The film’s biggest weakness is in Miranda Hart however, who channels the same character that anyone familiar with her BBC One show will know all too well. Yes, she’s funny, but only because the script allows her to be – almost masking her well-worn persona somewhat.
Elsewhere, the locations are beautiful. From Paris to Budapest, Spy takes you on a tour of Europe and is unashamed of showing these tourist hot-spots in all their glory. Feig juxtaposes sweeping shots of Paris with intimate scenes in Budapest and the film’s occasional tonal shift also utilises this filming tactic well.
Moreover, the numerous action sequences are excellently choreographed. Feig has a real love for the spy genre and it shows. From the super slow-mo used so the audience knows what is going on, to the Shirley Bassey like theme song, nowhere is untouched in creating a viable spy movie, albeit a funny one.
Overall, so far, every film Paul Feig has touched has turned to gold. The Heat wasn’t as impressive as Bridesmaids but that is simply because of how fantastic the latter is. However, with Spy there is no denying that he is back on solid ground.
Melissa McCarthy is the perfect comedy actress to front a film like this and Jason Statham’s surprising comedic turn is absolutely marvellous. Despite a less than stellar performance from Miranda Hart, Spy is fun from beginning to end with numerous twists and turns along the way.
Settle down for the ride with some popcorn and you’ll have a fantastic time.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/06/07/comedic-gold-spy-review/
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated It (2017) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Make sure you take a pillow
Horror buffs and Stephen King fans everywhere have been waiting for this moment since 2009. It is of course, a modern adaptation of the author’s novel, IT.
Plagued with production problems from the get-go, I see a pattern emerging here, IT has been in the hands of multiple directors with numerous actors in the running to play that iconic clown. I am of course, talking about Pennywise.
Fast forward to 2017, and with Mama Andy Muschietti taking over directorial duties and Bill Skarsgård hopping into that tight-fitting suit we finally have a finished product. But what is it like?Seven young outcasts in Derry, Maine, are about to face their worst nightmare — an ancient, shape-shifting evil that emerges from the sewer every 27 years to prey on the town’s children. Banding together over the course of one horrifying summer, the friends must overcome their own personal fears to battle the murderous, bloodthirsty clown known as Pennywise.
Let’s start off by saying this is much, much better than last month’s The Dark Tower. Stephen King adaptations can go one of two ways and it was feared that IT would follow in the aforementioned film’s footsteps. Thankfully, this isn’t the case.
IT is frankly, an incredible interpretation of King’s iconic novel filled with exceptional performances, stunning cinematography and an emotional heart not normally seen in the genre. It’s unlike anything you will have seen before.
Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room, Pennywise. Tim Curry played the hell out of that character in the 1990 miniseries and it would be senseless for 27-year-old Bill Skarsgård to follow too closely in his footsteps. At 6ft 3”, Skarsgård is certainly an imposing presence and his Pennywise is much more menacing than Curry’s, but to compare them too much would be unfair to each.
Elsewhere, all the members of the Losers’ Club are brilliant. I have never seen this calibre of acting from such a young group. Jaeden Lieberher as Bill in particular is astonishing. The scenes in which they all work together without the threat of Pennywise are a treat and give the film an uncharacteristically poignant style.
Moreover, the shot choices that Muschietti uses are striking. He rightly stays away from confining the horror to dimly lit corridors and alleyways and whilst this does feature more towards the finale, Derry makes a fine location bathed for the most part in gorgeous sunlight.
Whilst not being completely faithful to King’s novel, Muschietti’s film features all of the iconic scenes that you would expect. The opening sequence from the book in which little Georgie is confronted by Pennywise in the storm drain is shockingly brutal and sets up the tone for the rest of the picture.
This is a truly frightening film, speckled with just enough gore to keep it realistic and whilst it’s true there are one-too-many jump scares, the brilliant source material stops them from feeling too cheap. In the back of your mind, you’re well aware that this is very similar to the book indeed.
Overall, IT is better than anyone could have hoped. It’s scary, deeply emotional, funny and beautifully filmed with an exquisite score by Benjamin Wallfisch. If you’re a horror fan you must watch. If you’re a film fan, you must watch – just take a pillow with you, for protection purposes of course.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/09/09/it-review-make-sure-you-take-a-pillow/
Plagued with production problems from the get-go, I see a pattern emerging here, IT has been in the hands of multiple directors with numerous actors in the running to play that iconic clown. I am of course, talking about Pennywise.
Fast forward to 2017, and with Mama Andy Muschietti taking over directorial duties and Bill Skarsgård hopping into that tight-fitting suit we finally have a finished product. But what is it like?Seven young outcasts in Derry, Maine, are about to face their worst nightmare — an ancient, shape-shifting evil that emerges from the sewer every 27 years to prey on the town’s children. Banding together over the course of one horrifying summer, the friends must overcome their own personal fears to battle the murderous, bloodthirsty clown known as Pennywise.
Let’s start off by saying this is much, much better than last month’s The Dark Tower. Stephen King adaptations can go one of two ways and it was feared that IT would follow in the aforementioned film’s footsteps. Thankfully, this isn’t the case.
IT is frankly, an incredible interpretation of King’s iconic novel filled with exceptional performances, stunning cinematography and an emotional heart not normally seen in the genre. It’s unlike anything you will have seen before.
Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room, Pennywise. Tim Curry played the hell out of that character in the 1990 miniseries and it would be senseless for 27-year-old Bill Skarsgård to follow too closely in his footsteps. At 6ft 3”, Skarsgård is certainly an imposing presence and his Pennywise is much more menacing than Curry’s, but to compare them too much would be unfair to each.
Elsewhere, all the members of the Losers’ Club are brilliant. I have never seen this calibre of acting from such a young group. Jaeden Lieberher as Bill in particular is astonishing. The scenes in which they all work together without the threat of Pennywise are a treat and give the film an uncharacteristically poignant style.
Moreover, the shot choices that Muschietti uses are striking. He rightly stays away from confining the horror to dimly lit corridors and alleyways and whilst this does feature more towards the finale, Derry makes a fine location bathed for the most part in gorgeous sunlight.
Whilst not being completely faithful to King’s novel, Muschietti’s film features all of the iconic scenes that you would expect. The opening sequence from the book in which little Georgie is confronted by Pennywise in the storm drain is shockingly brutal and sets up the tone for the rest of the picture.
This is a truly frightening film, speckled with just enough gore to keep it realistic and whilst it’s true there are one-too-many jump scares, the brilliant source material stops them from feeling too cheap. In the back of your mind, you’re well aware that this is very similar to the book indeed.
Overall, IT is better than anyone could have hoped. It’s scary, deeply emotional, funny and beautifully filmed with an exquisite score by Benjamin Wallfisch. If you’re a horror fan you must watch. If you’re a film fan, you must watch – just take a pillow with you, for protection purposes of course.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/09/09/it-review-make-sure-you-take-a-pillow/
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Chappie (2015) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
A little rough around the edges
District 9 was a tough act to follow for first-time director Neill Blomkamp. His follow up to 2009’s sci-fi sleeper hit was the mediocre Elysium that whilst having a gargantuan budget and the likes of Jodie Foster and Matt Damon, failed on the most basic of levels – storytelling.
Here, Blomkamp returns a little wiser and much richer with Chappie. But does it hark back to the brilliance of District 9?
Chappie follows the story of the titular robot, created by Deon Wilson (Dev Patel), as he grows up in the violent city of Johannesburg. Due to the increasing crime rates, Wilson has created a force of robotic police officers, known as Scouts.
Despite the gritty nature of the film, the cityscapes are stunning with the sweeping shots of the South African metropolis perfectly blended with claustrophobic ruins and towering skyscrapers.
Hugh Jackman stars as ex-soldier Vincent Moore, a man hell bent on proving the capabilities of his own robot, The Moose, even if that means going against the protocols of his employers Tetravaal. Sigourney Weaver also stars as the CEO of the aforementioned corporation.
Unfortunately, side-lining Jackman and to a greater extent Weaver hurts the film. We see Chappie grow from a young child-like robot through to a young adult but Jackman and Weaver only show their faces for very brief moments at a time, though they manage to show their prowess in each scene.
Instead, we are lumbered with real-life pop group Die Antwoord in two roles as Chappie’s ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’, and despite their decent acting skills and intriguing screen presence, they fail to make as much of an impression as the big names.
Chappie hits home hard and often on just how violent a species we are and the fact that the titular robot doesn’t understand why we can be so cruel only deepens the emotional connection forged for him.
Sharlto Copley, a Blomkamp staple, must be given high praise for crafting such a brilliant cast-member in the motion-captured Chappie. The robot rivals Caesar from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes for sheer realism, and credit must be given to the entire crew for making us feel for a character that has very few human characteristics.
Nevertheless, there is a real issue with the film’s narrative. There are moments of comedic brilliance that are hastily juxtaposed with ones of
sadness and gore, and despite Blomkamp’s best efforts to merge them together, it fails and this becomes increasingly evident in the film’s admittedly exciting finale.
Pacing, a blight that plagued Elysium, is again a problem here. The first 40 minutes of the film drag to such an extent that it feels much longer than its 2 hour running time. This is a huge shame as once it gets going, Chappie rarely lets up until the end credits roll.
Overall, despite not reaching the dizzying heights of the brilliant District 9, director Neill Blomkamp is back on the right track and has crafted a beautifully shot, richly detailed and hugely emotional film – despite his insistence on pushing the most intriguing human characters into the background.
Like the titular character himself, Chappie is charming, if a little rough around the edges and has a lack of story definition, but if you’re a fan of Blomkamp’s work, there’s no reason why you’d be disappointed with what’s on offer.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/03/08/a-little-rough-around-the-edges-chappie-review/
Here, Blomkamp returns a little wiser and much richer with Chappie. But does it hark back to the brilliance of District 9?
Chappie follows the story of the titular robot, created by Deon Wilson (Dev Patel), as he grows up in the violent city of Johannesburg. Due to the increasing crime rates, Wilson has created a force of robotic police officers, known as Scouts.
Despite the gritty nature of the film, the cityscapes are stunning with the sweeping shots of the South African metropolis perfectly blended with claustrophobic ruins and towering skyscrapers.
Hugh Jackman stars as ex-soldier Vincent Moore, a man hell bent on proving the capabilities of his own robot, The Moose, even if that means going against the protocols of his employers Tetravaal. Sigourney Weaver also stars as the CEO of the aforementioned corporation.
Unfortunately, side-lining Jackman and to a greater extent Weaver hurts the film. We see Chappie grow from a young child-like robot through to a young adult but Jackman and Weaver only show their faces for very brief moments at a time, though they manage to show their prowess in each scene.
Instead, we are lumbered with real-life pop group Die Antwoord in two roles as Chappie’s ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’, and despite their decent acting skills and intriguing screen presence, they fail to make as much of an impression as the big names.
Chappie hits home hard and often on just how violent a species we are and the fact that the titular robot doesn’t understand why we can be so cruel only deepens the emotional connection forged for him.
Sharlto Copley, a Blomkamp staple, must be given high praise for crafting such a brilliant cast-member in the motion-captured Chappie. The robot rivals Caesar from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes for sheer realism, and credit must be given to the entire crew for making us feel for a character that has very few human characteristics.
Nevertheless, there is a real issue with the film’s narrative. There are moments of comedic brilliance that are hastily juxtaposed with ones of
sadness and gore, and despite Blomkamp’s best efforts to merge them together, it fails and this becomes increasingly evident in the film’s admittedly exciting finale.
Pacing, a blight that plagued Elysium, is again a problem here. The first 40 minutes of the film drag to such an extent that it feels much longer than its 2 hour running time. This is a huge shame as once it gets going, Chappie rarely lets up until the end credits roll.
Overall, despite not reaching the dizzying heights of the brilliant District 9, director Neill Blomkamp is back on the right track and has crafted a beautifully shot, richly detailed and hugely emotional film – despite his insistence on pushing the most intriguing human characters into the background.
Like the titular character himself, Chappie is charming, if a little rough around the edges and has a lack of story definition, but if you’re a fan of Blomkamp’s work, there’s no reason why you’d be disappointed with what’s on offer.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/03/08/a-little-rough-around-the-edges-chappie-review/
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated The Devil Wears Prada (2006) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
I was watching The Devil Wears Prada the other day on ITV2 and forgot just how brilliant a film it is, it really did exceed expectations back then in 2006 and even now in 2011. Here’s the review I wrote all those years ago. Enjoy!
David Frankel, a rather unknown television director makes his debut on the silver screen in this stunning adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’s not so stunning novel, The Devil Wears Prada.
Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep join a mesmerising cast in this surprisingly brilliant rom-com. The premise is simple and kept that way to ensure all detail is carried across in depth without missing any major points from the novel. Weisberger should be astounded that Frankel managed to turn her rather lacklustre book into a first-rate movie.
Anne Hathaway plays ‘Andy Sax’, an unknown journalist with no eye for fashion who wants to get her foot on the bottom ladder of the media industry. Her character simply leaps off the screen, from her dopey, lovable personality to her cheap, second rate clothing; she is truly a joy to watch. Emily Blunt plays the fashion conscious assistant who would do anything and everything to get as high as possible in the clothing industry; again, her character is played with a love/hate finesse that few actresses of 2006 can match.
However, by far the best performance is given by Meryl Streep as ‘Miranda Priestly’, editor and chief of ‘Runway’ magazine. Sly, career obsessed with a dash of emotionality added in, she is exceptional in her role and should be seriously considered for an Oscar at this years awards. Her dialogue is spoken with a heartless brilliance that no other actress could even hold a candle to, she is perfectly cast in this role.
Stanley Tucci plays a somewhat flat member of the team, possibly due to his little screen time, but he is by no means dull, with personality abound.
The soundtrack is genius, and perfectly matched to the film, from the outset right up until the closing credits, each song is flawlessly integrated into the feature. Camera-work is also on par with the best of this year and really helps the characters stand out in their roles.
Where most rom-coms use cheap gags to gain laughs from the audience, Prada expects you to think a little more about what you’re laughing at, a deep message about ones self discovery is incorporated, but well hidden in the film. Of course there are a few laughs of the cheap kind, but unusually, they are actually funny. Comedy really doesn’t get much better than right here.
Some scenes in the film have been directed so well, that the more emotional among us may be reaching for the tissues. The transition from comedy to seriousness is exceptionally watertight, you’ll be laughing one minute and on the edge of your seat the next.
The ending of the film is perhaps of a slight anti-climax, but it portrays a wonderfully deep message about inner emotion, leaving a huge smile on your face as the credits role.
To put it simply, The Devil Wears Prada is a practically faultless movie which should appeal to a huge and diverse range of people. The acting, direction and soundtrack are all absolutely perfect and I think we may have a found a future classic character in ‘Miranda Priestly.’ It’s a joy to watch. Be a devil and go see it.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2011/01/19/a-blast-from-the-past-the-devil-wears-prada-2006/
David Frankel, a rather unknown television director makes his debut on the silver screen in this stunning adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’s not so stunning novel, The Devil Wears Prada.
Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep join a mesmerising cast in this surprisingly brilliant rom-com. The premise is simple and kept that way to ensure all detail is carried across in depth without missing any major points from the novel. Weisberger should be astounded that Frankel managed to turn her rather lacklustre book into a first-rate movie.
Anne Hathaway plays ‘Andy Sax’, an unknown journalist with no eye for fashion who wants to get her foot on the bottom ladder of the media industry. Her character simply leaps off the screen, from her dopey, lovable personality to her cheap, second rate clothing; she is truly a joy to watch. Emily Blunt plays the fashion conscious assistant who would do anything and everything to get as high as possible in the clothing industry; again, her character is played with a love/hate finesse that few actresses of 2006 can match.
However, by far the best performance is given by Meryl Streep as ‘Miranda Priestly’, editor and chief of ‘Runway’ magazine. Sly, career obsessed with a dash of emotionality added in, she is exceptional in her role and should be seriously considered for an Oscar at this years awards. Her dialogue is spoken with a heartless brilliance that no other actress could even hold a candle to, she is perfectly cast in this role.
Stanley Tucci plays a somewhat flat member of the team, possibly due to his little screen time, but he is by no means dull, with personality abound.
The soundtrack is genius, and perfectly matched to the film, from the outset right up until the closing credits, each song is flawlessly integrated into the feature. Camera-work is also on par with the best of this year and really helps the characters stand out in their roles.
Where most rom-coms use cheap gags to gain laughs from the audience, Prada expects you to think a little more about what you’re laughing at, a deep message about ones self discovery is incorporated, but well hidden in the film. Of course there are a few laughs of the cheap kind, but unusually, they are actually funny. Comedy really doesn’t get much better than right here.
Some scenes in the film have been directed so well, that the more emotional among us may be reaching for the tissues. The transition from comedy to seriousness is exceptionally watertight, you’ll be laughing one minute and on the edge of your seat the next.
The ending of the film is perhaps of a slight anti-climax, but it portrays a wonderfully deep message about inner emotion, leaving a huge smile on your face as the credits role.
To put it simply, The Devil Wears Prada is a practically faultless movie which should appeal to a huge and diverse range of people. The acting, direction and soundtrack are all absolutely perfect and I think we may have a found a future classic character in ‘Miranda Priestly.’ It’s a joy to watch. Be a devil and go see it.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2011/01/19/a-blast-from-the-past-the-devil-wears-prada-2006/
Alice (12 KP) rated The Silver Tide (The Copper Cat, #3) in Books
Jul 3, 2018
My 200th book of the year was the final installment in Jen Williams’ The Copper Cat trilogy The Silver Tide and was it a doozie! The Copper Cat trilogy has got to be the best series I’ve read this year, so much so that I devoured it easily. It was without a doubt the best book of the trilogy with characters we’d only heard passing mentions of in the previous ones coming full circle and smacking us in the face. Devinia the Red? FTW!
The Silver Tide brought several running story arcs to a close nicely with just the right amount of action, drama and hate. Now I use the term hate lightly because it wasn’t hate from me but hate of some of the characters who originally I thought were good people – boy was I wrong.
The Silver Tide was the best title and I waited until right near the end to find out what the relevance of that was. Oh it was so good! I tweeted Jen Williams just before I got there grumbling because Sebastian was being abused in the book as a character and then I read the ending and my decision changed entirely.
This book had the same easy flow of dialogue and prose with character descriptions and world building in abundance – by world building, I don’t mean the standard Ede but a new “world” called Euriale where all sorts of weird and wonderful beasties and plants to die for – literally. This new world had some wonderful if slightly psychotic characters in it and there were pirates everywhere, several of those were psychotic as well.
The storyline for this book was based around Euriale and involved time travel, long dead gods and characters who have died and been reborn; Estenn a character who is half-mad at the beginning of the book and completely mad by the time Wydrin kicked her psycho butt is a new one, she’s entirely consumed by the Twins – Res’ni and Res’na – and believes herself to the their Emissary and it is because of Estenn that things happen in this book: good and innocent people die for her cause and Y’Gria followed by Y’Ruen, Res’ni and Res’na aid her in slaughtering the mages in a time gone by.
The ending, although sad because it ended, was brilliant. It was lovely seeing Sebastian finally get his happily ever after especially after the few disastrous attempts he made in the first two books – Oster and Sebastian I ship it. Dragon with dragon-kin oh yes! There was also a major overabundance of dragons and dragon-kin in this book and some pretty sweet new magical powers for Frith which was super.
Wydrin had her moments as always and this book was fantastically British in a lot of ways; including copious use of the words “fuck” and “mum” which I liked. I really can’t fault Wydrin Threefellows character in any way, shape or form and she went through some particularly freaky things in this book (when comparing the other books to this one, definitely freaky-deaky).
In all, this series was brilliant, it was a fantastic read all round and I’ve already got two people I know wanting to steal the series from me so they can read it on their own.
The Silver Tide brought several running story arcs to a close nicely with just the right amount of action, drama and hate. Now I use the term hate lightly because it wasn’t hate from me but hate of some of the characters who originally I thought were good people – boy was I wrong.
The Silver Tide was the best title and I waited until right near the end to find out what the relevance of that was. Oh it was so good! I tweeted Jen Williams just before I got there grumbling because Sebastian was being abused in the book as a character and then I read the ending and my decision changed entirely.
This book had the same easy flow of dialogue and prose with character descriptions and world building in abundance – by world building, I don’t mean the standard Ede but a new “world” called Euriale where all sorts of weird and wonderful beasties and plants to die for – literally. This new world had some wonderful if slightly psychotic characters in it and there were pirates everywhere, several of those were psychotic as well.
The storyline for this book was based around Euriale and involved time travel, long dead gods and characters who have died and been reborn; Estenn a character who is half-mad at the beginning of the book and completely mad by the time Wydrin kicked her psycho butt is a new one, she’s entirely consumed by the Twins – Res’ni and Res’na – and believes herself to the their Emissary and it is because of Estenn that things happen in this book: good and innocent people die for her cause and Y’Gria followed by Y’Ruen, Res’ni and Res’na aid her in slaughtering the mages in a time gone by.
The ending, although sad because it ended, was brilliant. It was lovely seeing Sebastian finally get his happily ever after especially after the few disastrous attempts he made in the first two books – Oster and Sebastian I ship it. Dragon with dragon-kin oh yes! There was also a major overabundance of dragons and dragon-kin in this book and some pretty sweet new magical powers for Frith which was super.
Wydrin had her moments as always and this book was fantastically British in a lot of ways; including copious use of the words “fuck” and “mum” which I liked. I really can’t fault Wydrin Threefellows character in any way, shape or form and she went through some particularly freaky things in this book (when comparing the other books to this one, definitely freaky-deaky).
In all, this series was brilliant, it was a fantastic read all round and I’ve already got two people I know wanting to steal the series from me so they can read it on their own.
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated A Pound of Flesh (A Pound of Flesh, #1) in Books
Nov 5, 2018
A story of love, that all consuming kind that never runs smooth, Pound of Flesh is a book that everyone needs on their bookshelf. Carter and Kat seem to be polar opposites, him a convicted felon, her a woman from the posh part of town, but when fate intervenes there's no stopping the force of their love.
Let me just start by saying this: WOW. I could just leave this review there, because that is just what I feel about this book. I've sat for a long time trying to figure out how to put into words just how amazing this reading experience was. That's not even me gushing, this is me, honest to goodness, being totally speechless at how amazing this tale was.
I'll start with the characters - Carter and Kat, and of course, the extended family and friends of theirs. Kat is a teacher, a woman with a sad past, but it's made her such a strong individual. She's captivating to read, you just want to find out what makes her tick, heal her pain and help her find her purpose. Carter, well, let's just say him and I have had a few snuggles together! He's a diamond in the rough as my Grandad would say, a gentleman who has just been dealt some very rough cards to play and did the best he could. He's an absolute pleasure to try and unravel, capturing your whole attention when he's in the scene and just so darned awesome. He has firmly secured his place in my top Book Boyfriends list. Joking aside, the characters are all brilliant. They weave together into a cohesive little bunch that are all developed, well thought out and interesting to read.
Weaving excellent characters isn't the only thing Jackson is good at doing. The plot and pace of this novel was extraordinary. There were so many twists and turns, ups and downs that you really did feel like you had been on an emotional rollercoaster. I laughed, cried, winced at stupid choices, gasped at revelations and a whole host of other emotions as well. I got hot under the collar during the brilliantly written sex scenes (Carter is a man who knows what he's doing!) and still I felt the tenderness of the moment. Everything in this book was balanced just the way I like it, it was, quite simply, perfect for me.
And that said, I shall cease waxing lyrical about this brilliant book. Jackson has made a stunning addition to the Indie community and I am sure she will continue to flourish in her craft. This book could not come with any higher recommendation from me, in fact, I was telling friends to buy it when I hadn't even reached the half way mark, I just knew it was that good. Just one word of warning readers, make sure your schedule is clear and you have tissues ready, because once you start you really cannot put this book down. A stellar novel, and one I am certain I will read again before too long, all that is left to say is congratulations Sophie Jackson, you wrote a bloody good book and should be very proud of yourself! Thank you for sharing Kat and Carter, and I am waiting on tenterhooks for more from this fabulous lady!
*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
Let me just start by saying this: WOW. I could just leave this review there, because that is just what I feel about this book. I've sat for a long time trying to figure out how to put into words just how amazing this reading experience was. That's not even me gushing, this is me, honest to goodness, being totally speechless at how amazing this tale was.
I'll start with the characters - Carter and Kat, and of course, the extended family and friends of theirs. Kat is a teacher, a woman with a sad past, but it's made her such a strong individual. She's captivating to read, you just want to find out what makes her tick, heal her pain and help her find her purpose. Carter, well, let's just say him and I have had a few snuggles together! He's a diamond in the rough as my Grandad would say, a gentleman who has just been dealt some very rough cards to play and did the best he could. He's an absolute pleasure to try and unravel, capturing your whole attention when he's in the scene and just so darned awesome. He has firmly secured his place in my top Book Boyfriends list. Joking aside, the characters are all brilliant. They weave together into a cohesive little bunch that are all developed, well thought out and interesting to read.
Weaving excellent characters isn't the only thing Jackson is good at doing. The plot and pace of this novel was extraordinary. There were so many twists and turns, ups and downs that you really did feel like you had been on an emotional rollercoaster. I laughed, cried, winced at stupid choices, gasped at revelations and a whole host of other emotions as well. I got hot under the collar during the brilliantly written sex scenes (Carter is a man who knows what he's doing!) and still I felt the tenderness of the moment. Everything in this book was balanced just the way I like it, it was, quite simply, perfect for me.
And that said, I shall cease waxing lyrical about this brilliant book. Jackson has made a stunning addition to the Indie community and I am sure she will continue to flourish in her craft. This book could not come with any higher recommendation from me, in fact, I was telling friends to buy it when I hadn't even reached the half way mark, I just knew it was that good. Just one word of warning readers, make sure your schedule is clear and you have tissues ready, because once you start you really cannot put this book down. A stellar novel, and one I am certain I will read again before too long, all that is left to say is congratulations Sophie Jackson, you wrote a bloody good book and should be very proud of yourself! Thank you for sharing Kat and Carter, and I am waiting on tenterhooks for more from this fabulous lady!
*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
Darren (1599 KP) rated All Is Lost (2013) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: All is Lost starts 1700 Nautical Miles from The Sumatra Straits on the 13th July as Our Man (Redford) believes that all is lost. The film starts out with a bang when sleeping lone sailor is awoken be cargo shipping container floating in the ocean smashing into the side of his ship leaving a massive hole in the side. The breach in the ship leaves our man with no connections for help even if his boat isn’t going down yet. Staying calm our man fixes the hole before fixing the radio knowing he can survive for a time but just how long is the question, mother nature decides to test our man by throwing storms at him but his years of experience are keeping him a float.
All is Lost is such a very simple story of one man trying survive against mother nature. We have to say this is a courage story that shows our hero never panic and use all the tricks he can to make sure he survives as long as he can always hoping for help. We are left guessing whether he will survive or not as we learn tricks that could help us one day, but in the end I do think this is an incredible story but is very slow, I can easily see the casual film fan giving up on this one. There is pretty much no dialogue in the film because our character has no one to talk to or need to explain who he is. I can honestly I would rather watch the fantasy Life of Pi over this because of the extra elements involved. (8/10)
Actor Review
Robert Redford: Our Man is our lone character in the whole film, we learn little about him over than he likes to boat, we know he keeps calm during the panic and knows how to survive and we also get to see his determination to survive. Robert gives a great performance without having to say too much that his action bring us in. (9/10)man
Director Review: J.C. Chandor – J.C gives us a very good drama about surviving that will get the praise from the critics but might not get enough attention from the casual fans. (8/10)
Action: All is Lost has the action scenes when our hero has t take on mother nature, each scene is heart stopping and realistic. (9/10)
Drama: All is Lost brings us a brilliant story about surviving against the odds. (9/10)
Settings: All is Lost can’t be faulted one bit for the settings because the whole film is set in the middle of the ocean giving our hero little to no chance of surviving. (10/10)
Suggestion: All is Lost is one to watch even if it does come off slow in places. (Watch)
Best Part: Redford is brilliant.
Worst Part: Slow in places.
Action Scene Of The Film: Storm turning the boat upside and back up again.
Believability: Events like this happen a lot and while this story is fictional it takes ideas from other stories. (8/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: Life of Pi
Oscar Chances: Nominated for Best Achievement in Sound Editing.
Box Office: $6.25 Million
Budget: $9 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 46 Minutes
Tagline: Never Give Up
Overall: All is Lost is a very good story about survival that keeps everything looking very realistic.
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/06/30/all-is-lost-2013/
All is Lost is such a very simple story of one man trying survive against mother nature. We have to say this is a courage story that shows our hero never panic and use all the tricks he can to make sure he survives as long as he can always hoping for help. We are left guessing whether he will survive or not as we learn tricks that could help us one day, but in the end I do think this is an incredible story but is very slow, I can easily see the casual film fan giving up on this one. There is pretty much no dialogue in the film because our character has no one to talk to or need to explain who he is. I can honestly I would rather watch the fantasy Life of Pi over this because of the extra elements involved. (8/10)
Actor Review
Robert Redford: Our Man is our lone character in the whole film, we learn little about him over than he likes to boat, we know he keeps calm during the panic and knows how to survive and we also get to see his determination to survive. Robert gives a great performance without having to say too much that his action bring us in. (9/10)man
Director Review: J.C. Chandor – J.C gives us a very good drama about surviving that will get the praise from the critics but might not get enough attention from the casual fans. (8/10)
Action: All is Lost has the action scenes when our hero has t take on mother nature, each scene is heart stopping and realistic. (9/10)
Drama: All is Lost brings us a brilliant story about surviving against the odds. (9/10)
Settings: All is Lost can’t be faulted one bit for the settings because the whole film is set in the middle of the ocean giving our hero little to no chance of surviving. (10/10)
Suggestion: All is Lost is one to watch even if it does come off slow in places. (Watch)
Best Part: Redford is brilliant.
Worst Part: Slow in places.
Action Scene Of The Film: Storm turning the boat upside and back up again.
Believability: Events like this happen a lot and while this story is fictional it takes ideas from other stories. (8/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: Life of Pi
Oscar Chances: Nominated for Best Achievement in Sound Editing.
Box Office: $6.25 Million
Budget: $9 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 46 Minutes
Tagline: Never Give Up
Overall: All is Lost is a very good story about survival that keeps everything looking very realistic.
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/06/30/all-is-lost-2013/
Lee (2222 KP) rated The Front Runner (2018) in Movies
Jan 8, 2019
Hugh Jackman (1 more)
J.K. Simmons
Enjoyable, great performances from all
I don't really follow, or know very much about American politics. Trying to cope with whatever Brexit nonsense is happening here in the UK on a daily basis is more than enough for me, so aside from face palming at whatever rubbish Donald Trump is currently spewing on Twitter, I'm fairly oblivious to it all. Back in 1988, I would have more likely been playing Super Mario World, than taking interest in former Colorado senator Gary Hart, who became the front runner for the Democratic presidential nomination. So why then would I be interested in watching a movie about him and the scandal he became involved in so close to achieving his dream of presidency? Well, when the movie stars versatile man of the moment Hugh Jackman as Gary Hart, along with another two of my favourite actors (Vera Farmiga and J.K. Simmons), then I'm more than happy to give it a shot!
The movie opens with Hart currently riding high, with only three weeks to go until the nomination. He's a very charismatic man, intelligent, and clearly striking a chord with the voters. His path to the White House seems clear and certain. But, as the opening on-screen titles remind us, a lot can happen in three weeks...
Those three weeks, for the most part, run pretty smoothly, giving us a chance to get to know Hart and the vast number of supporting characters as the campaign progresses through its final stages. J.K. Simmons is campaign manager Bill Dixon, brilliant and often hilarious in every scene he's in. Vera Farmiga plays Harts wife Lee, slightly underused in the role of supportive wife placed in a difficult position. Elsewhere, there are plenty of strong supporting characters, both throughout the campaign team and within the news teams that are tasked with following Hart around the country. One of those reporters eventually gets wind of a potential story, although he initially doesn't believe the young nervous girl phoning his office one night, telling him about her friend who is due to go and meet with Hart at the weekend. A last minute change in Harts schedule for the weekend leads the reporter to suspect there may be some truth to the phone call and he follows up on the lead, staking out Harts townhouse in a bid to get some dirt on him.
When the dirt does start to come out, Hart attempts to brush it aside. We've already seen what a private man he is, baffled as to why anyone would want to see him posing for photos with his family in People magazine. He believes that his policies and the politician that he is are all that matters, and that the public aren't interested in his private life at all, so all of this will just blow over. His staff rally round to try and contain the story and work out what to do with the woman involved in the scandal, while Harts wife and daughter deal with the fallout back home. All the while, the reporters and TV are having a field day. Every part of the story is interesting, and the characters involved are all superb. What always helps a movie like this though is when it is based on true events and what helps it even more is the fantastic cast, who all do a brilliant job at making this a very enjoyable movie.
The movie opens with Hart currently riding high, with only three weeks to go until the nomination. He's a very charismatic man, intelligent, and clearly striking a chord with the voters. His path to the White House seems clear and certain. But, as the opening on-screen titles remind us, a lot can happen in three weeks...
Those three weeks, for the most part, run pretty smoothly, giving us a chance to get to know Hart and the vast number of supporting characters as the campaign progresses through its final stages. J.K. Simmons is campaign manager Bill Dixon, brilliant and often hilarious in every scene he's in. Vera Farmiga plays Harts wife Lee, slightly underused in the role of supportive wife placed in a difficult position. Elsewhere, there are plenty of strong supporting characters, both throughout the campaign team and within the news teams that are tasked with following Hart around the country. One of those reporters eventually gets wind of a potential story, although he initially doesn't believe the young nervous girl phoning his office one night, telling him about her friend who is due to go and meet with Hart at the weekend. A last minute change in Harts schedule for the weekend leads the reporter to suspect there may be some truth to the phone call and he follows up on the lead, staking out Harts townhouse in a bid to get some dirt on him.
When the dirt does start to come out, Hart attempts to brush it aside. We've already seen what a private man he is, baffled as to why anyone would want to see him posing for photos with his family in People magazine. He believes that his policies and the politician that he is are all that matters, and that the public aren't interested in his private life at all, so all of this will just blow over. His staff rally round to try and contain the story and work out what to do with the woman involved in the scandal, while Harts wife and daughter deal with the fallout back home. All the while, the reporters and TV are having a field day. Every part of the story is interesting, and the characters involved are all superb. What always helps a movie like this though is when it is based on true events and what helps it even more is the fantastic cast, who all do a brilliant job at making this a very enjoyable movie.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Hide and Seek (2005) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
The mind is a deep a complex organ that science still struggles to fully comprehend, despite the countless hours of research and study that have been expended in unlocking the mysteries contained within.
In the new thriller Hide and Seek, audiences are introduced to Dr. David Callaway (Robert De Niro), a Psychologist who is struggling to help his daughter Emile (Dakota Fanning) after the suicide of her mother. David believes that the best option is to move from New York City to a quite area upstate where he can focus on being a father to his daughter, who has become withdrawn despite intense counseling.
Despite opposition from Emily’s therapist and family friend Katherine (Famke Janssen), David and Emily relocate to a scenic and quite location and hour from the city.
At first everything seems to be going well with the move and David meets an attractive young lady named Elizabeth (Elisabeth Shue), who watches over a little girl for another member of her family. Thinking that a friend will snap Emily from her state, David encourages Elizabeth to come to the house.
David is convinced the addition of a friend will encourage Emily to stop talking about an imaginary friend named Charlie who seems to have preoccupied the little girls time. David is convinced that Charlie is a creation of Emily’s psyche that will fade over time especially as she makes friends and copes with the loss of her mother.
Emily instead withdraws even further from people and a series of bizarre and violent events ensue with Emily insisting that Charlie is the reason behind all of them. As David struggles to deal with the ever increasing tension caused by Charlie, he soon becomes caught up in a situation beyond his control.
The setup for the film is good as your mind races with a myriad of possibilities and outcome. Sadly many of my scenarios, and I suspect most of the audience were better and more satisfying then the conclusion of the film. The film quickly degrades into an abundance of absurdities and situations that seem lifted from the Drama 101 textbook as well as a dozen other and better films in the genre.
While the cast does good work with what they have, it is unsatisfying to see talent like Shue and Janssen reduced to minor supporting characters when they could have brought so much more to the film. Worse yet is De Niro seems to be going through the motions as this brilliant and gifted actor is not given any material that will challenge him and let his brilliant method acting shine.
For the first half of the film it is a mostly enjoyable and intriguing film that does hold your attention. However once the so called surprises of the film are revealed and the film moves towards it’s conclusion, you cant help but think that you have been cheated and deserved a much better payoff for sitting through the first hour of the film. Days after seeing it, I am still stunned at how badly the film ended and how such a good premise and talented cast were horribly wasted on a film that had surprisingly no scares or tension as the audience at my press screening sat largely in silence throughout the film.
My advice, save this for a rental as it is at best, a movie of the week quality film.
In the new thriller Hide and Seek, audiences are introduced to Dr. David Callaway (Robert De Niro), a Psychologist who is struggling to help his daughter Emile (Dakota Fanning) after the suicide of her mother. David believes that the best option is to move from New York City to a quite area upstate where he can focus on being a father to his daughter, who has become withdrawn despite intense counseling.
Despite opposition from Emily’s therapist and family friend Katherine (Famke Janssen), David and Emily relocate to a scenic and quite location and hour from the city.
At first everything seems to be going well with the move and David meets an attractive young lady named Elizabeth (Elisabeth Shue), who watches over a little girl for another member of her family. Thinking that a friend will snap Emily from her state, David encourages Elizabeth to come to the house.
David is convinced the addition of a friend will encourage Emily to stop talking about an imaginary friend named Charlie who seems to have preoccupied the little girls time. David is convinced that Charlie is a creation of Emily’s psyche that will fade over time especially as she makes friends and copes with the loss of her mother.
Emily instead withdraws even further from people and a series of bizarre and violent events ensue with Emily insisting that Charlie is the reason behind all of them. As David struggles to deal with the ever increasing tension caused by Charlie, he soon becomes caught up in a situation beyond his control.
The setup for the film is good as your mind races with a myriad of possibilities and outcome. Sadly many of my scenarios, and I suspect most of the audience were better and more satisfying then the conclusion of the film. The film quickly degrades into an abundance of absurdities and situations that seem lifted from the Drama 101 textbook as well as a dozen other and better films in the genre.
While the cast does good work with what they have, it is unsatisfying to see talent like Shue and Janssen reduced to minor supporting characters when they could have brought so much more to the film. Worse yet is De Niro seems to be going through the motions as this brilliant and gifted actor is not given any material that will challenge him and let his brilliant method acting shine.
For the first half of the film it is a mostly enjoyable and intriguing film that does hold your attention. However once the so called surprises of the film are revealed and the film moves towards it’s conclusion, you cant help but think that you have been cheated and deserved a much better payoff for sitting through the first hour of the film. Days after seeing it, I am still stunned at how badly the film ended and how such a good premise and talented cast were horribly wasted on a film that had surprisingly no scares or tension as the audience at my press screening sat largely in silence throughout the film.
My advice, save this for a rental as it is at best, a movie of the week quality film.
Clarity: Clear Mind, Better Performance, Bigger Results
Book
LEARN TO CLEAR YOUR MIND AND THINK LIKE A WINNER We all have so much going on. A million different...