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A Pornographic Affair (Une Liaison Pornographique) (1999)
A Pornographic Affair (Une Liaison Pornographique) (1999)
1999 | Drama, Romance
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Rounding out my list would be a love story, and it’s a French film called An Affair of Love. That has always gotten me. It’s funny, I only know it on VHS; I got it years ago on VHS. I don’t remember if it was to study, you know, as a sprouting actor, and learning my craft, or if I just grabbed it. I had a friend at the time who was a struggling actor — you know, I don’t think God’s call for him was acting — but he worked at Blockbuster while we were all trying to make ends meet. I think he was doing inventory, if I’m not wrong. It was before Blockbuster was going to close, and I think I grabbed it one night, late at Blockbuster, trying to help him do inventory. But it’s An Affair of Love and it’s just incredible. Two lovers who basically, in France, to and from their respective jobs, on the train, to a room, but we never really see them in the room where they’re going, to have this affair. They start to fall for each other, then the cameras come in the room. Otherwise, we just see their physical persons walking down the hall, and then exiting, and then, sort of with their own friends or co-workers, trying to figure out what this is that’s happening to them. You finally get what they feel, by the cameras coming into the room, once they start to fall, and of course, when they fall in love, then the affair’s over. They can’t take it. It’s just brilliant. It’s called An Affair of Love. It’s a great film."

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The Devil All the Time (2020)
The Devil All the Time (2020)
2020 | Drama
A dark slow burner
I knew nothing about this film other than the synopsis, but after watching Tenet again recently I felt in the mood to give another Robert Pattinson a go. And overall this is a pretty good film.

Right from the start, the narration draws you in and I loved this aspect of the film. I actually wish there had been more narration throughout. The story itself is rather dark and sordid, it's definitely not a happy story and how things work out for some characters is often an unpleasant surprise. It's definitely a slow burner of a film and this really is the major negative. It's drawn out well over 2 hours and this may be a little too long. I feel like it could've been cut down to inder 2 hours will little detrimental impact to the story.

The best thing about this film though is by far the acting, from everyone involved. The parts for the majority of the actors are small due to the nature of the story, but every single one of them excels with what they're given. Although the highlights are by far Bill Skarsgard, Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson. I couldn't take my eyes off any of them when they were on screen, and this just goes to show how brilliant acting can really make a film so much better.

Watching this felt rather familiar, like I've seen something similar in the past that's as good, but I really can't remember what it could be (any suggestions welcome). But overall this is a good story elevated by some fantastic acting.
  
Possessor (2020)
Possessor (2020)
2020 | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
9
7.4 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
From the mind of Brandon Cronenberg comes his second feature length, Possessor, and the best way I could sum it up is that it's a subtle assault on the senses. Although it occasionally throws unsettling imagery at the screen now and again, these moments are seldom and fleeting. The main assault comes from the constant sense of dread that is present from it's visually striking and bloody opening, straight through to it's pretty insane climax. I just felt on edge consistently, thanks to the minimal but forboding score, top notch editing on display, and some quite brilliant performances.

Andrea Riseborough is great, as she was in Mandy, and her presence in modern horror is a welcome one. Her character is the overarching glue that holds all the emotional strains of the plot together with a cold core.
Christopher Abbott is wonderful, as he essentially plays two seperate characters, and sells his descent into madness perfectly.
The supporting cast include the likes of Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tuppence Middleton, and Sean Bean, and it's honestly just a pretty solid cast all around.

The plot is intriguing in a dystopian sci-fi kind of way, and has enough horror elements to really get under the skin. The scene that the already recognisable poster image is taken from is one of the most recoil inducing and uncomfortable scenes I've seen in a while. This premise played out with a decent screenplay, accompanied by sudden bursts of extreme violence, give Possessor an identity of it's own, and make it a modern horror entry that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the big boys.

One of the films of the year for me!
  
1917 (2020)
1917 (2020)
2020 | Drama, War
Full Ride of Intensity
Set during WWI, two British soldiers are tasked with getting an important message across enemy territory. 1917 is a wall-to-wall thrill ride done in a one-shot fashion that is amazingly unforgettable.

Acting: 10
George Mackay is brilliant as Lance Corporal Schofield. He takes you through the entirety of this journey as a man reluctant to accept the fate that’s befallen him. His showcase of fear in the face of danger is really what drives the intensity of this movie.

Beginning: 9
Not the best first ten minutes of action, but a decent setup nonetheless. I was immediately drawn into this wartorn world and was curious to see what would happen next. Not perfect, but it’s definitely full speed ahead from here.

Characters: 10

Cinematography/Visuals: 10

Conflict: 10

Entertainment Value: 10

Memorability: 10

Pace: 10
There is such a quiet intensity here that drives the pace of the story. Even when shots aren’t being fired, I couldn’t help but be on the edge of my seat. With danger around every single turn, the pace is phenomenal.

Plot: 10
The story is straightforward with a clear objective. Where the plot wins is with a few unexpected turns that throw you off course. Not to mention to be able to do all of this in a set of one shots is remarkable.

Resolution: 10

Overall: 99
1917 touts beautiful imagery seeped in a mountain of dread. There is a scene where the protagonists are wading through heaps of dead bodies that really sets the stage for how harrowing the film is throughout. As war movies go, this one is definitely the most unique.
  
Heartless (The Privileged of Pembroke High #1)
Heartless (The Privileged of Pembroke High #1)
Ivy Ash | 2020 | Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
210
Kindle
Heartless (The Privileged of Pembroke High book 1)
By Ivy Fox

Review will be completed on Smashbomb once finished link will be placed in comments

 
I had their love once.

They saw me for the girl I am and the person I yearn to become one day—a woman who thrives in her freedom and dances away in her rightfully earned independence.

They saw all the strong, unafraid parts of me, and coaxed each one of them out, daring me to dream bigger, climb higher.

They never once saw the girl I had been groomed to see in the mirror.

The abandoned daughter of a dead man.

The unwanted child of a woman who despised her.

The broken body formed wrong and built on a shaky foundation, threatening to fall apart and shatter.

They made all the ugliness disappear and left only wonder and promise. The love we shared for each other was probably the only miracle I would be granted in this life, and I knew they felt the same.

Or so I thought.

Everything I held dear has been robbed from me, and I’ve been a victim of theft too many times to mention.

I will not have them steal my pride.

They can keep my heart, for all I care.

The day they became my stepbrothers, it stopped working anyway.


Well that was so much better than I thought it was going to be! I do love Ivy’s books. This was brilliant I didn’t put it down. So much has happened and we haven’t hit the school yet! The epilogue was sooo good!
  
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MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated Yesterday (2019) in Movies

Sep 23, 2019 (Updated Sep 23, 2019)  
Yesterday (2019)
Yesterday (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Fantasy, Music
Better than I thought it would be.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Failing musician gets hit by a car during a mysterious worldwide 12-second blackout, and wakes up to a world in which The Beatles never existed (also never existed: Coca-Cola, cigarettes (?), and Harry Potter). Musician claims the songs as his own and becomes an overnight sensation.

(There are also the rom-com elements: failing musician is oblivious to the feelings of his friend-slash-manager until he's uber-famous and it's almost too late, friend-slash-manager starts seeing someone else, etc.)

Evidently, there are two other people in the world who also remember The Beatles, and though the movie attempts to make you think there may be something sinister happening there (*gasp* are they going to expose him??), there isn't. These two people aren't even mad that the musician is claiming he wrote the songs; they're just happy to hear the songs again.

There's a pretty great sequence in which our main character looks up John Lennon (played by Robert Carlyle) and goes to visit him, because hey, if The Beatles never existed, then it follows that John must still be alive, right? I didn't even think of that until he showed up on screen, but it seemed like a quietly brilliant piece of the movie.

So what caused the mysterious 12-second blackout and the disappearance of The Beatles (and Coca-Cola, cigarettes, Harry Potter)? I HAVE NO IDEA BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T TELL US. Anybody who knows me will tell you I always need to know the "why" of things, so this mostly happily-ever-after ending left me super frustrated.
  
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Xanderath (690 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Final Fantasy X-X2 HD in Video Games

Aug 25, 2019  
Final Fantasy X-X2 HD
Final Fantasy X-X2 HD
Role-Playing
Final Fantasy X (0 more)
X-2 (0 more)
Kimahri try too.
Contains spoilers, click to show
This updated version of Final Fantasy X and X-2 is a great addition to any playstation game library. X is a brilliant journey of a man trying to make his own story. Propelled into a world much different to his own where there is magic and fiends! Tidus, Yuna, Auron and co. make for a great narrative with lots of interesting dialogue and story. The characters develop as you journey through the world constantly ravaged by a giant evil creature known as Sin. There are interesting theological debates raised by the game in terms of the indoctrinated Yevonites and their hate of the Al Bhed for following a different set of beliefs. I would recommend this game to anyone who has some time to put into learning all about Spira the world in which blitzball( a great minigame) is the only major sport, a world which is overrun by fiends of all shapes and sizes, a world which you can explore to the fullest and find all the hidden treasures and games. X-2 took and entirely different turn, after the events of X Yuna, Rikku and a new character Paine are looking for Tidus. The way the game plays is rather different and to be honest i wasn't a fan. I didnt enjoy the way the game battled and levelled. Everything had to do with clothing which i felt was somewhat off for a final fantasy game. One day i hope to return and give it the time its predecessor earned it. Overall 9/10 because X was so good.
  
Omega Stolen (Northern Lodge Pack #1)
Omega Stolen (Northern Lodge Pack #1)
Susi Hawke | 2017 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Omega Stolen is the first book in the Northern Lodge Pack series, and we get a fine introduction into just who they are, and why this pack was formed and living where it is. Kai doesn't have the best of starts (to say the least) and it says a lot when his life actually takes a turn for the better when he is sold by his father! Although he will be forced to have sex and possibly a pup, and then forced into giving up said pup, that hasn't actually happened yet. For the first time, he is fed and has friends. Luckily for him, Jenny is there and her brother is looking for her. Jake is determined to find his sister, and once he finds out she has others she won't leave behind, they're all on their way.

This was a fast-paced book, with no excess of words or scenes. It is very sweet, with the huge BOOM of instant mates. However, for a quick, sassy read, it was absolutely brilliant, and just what I needed. I don't know if I have read an updated version, but there were no editing, spelling, or grammar mistakes that disrupted my reading. Each chapter was titled with who was speaking so there was no confusion there.

A quick, hot, MM Shifter Mpreg book that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
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