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Young Prince Philip

Philip Eade

7.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

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Married for more than sixty years to the most famous woman in the world, Prince Philip is the...

Mike Wilder (20 KP) rated The Descent (2005) in Movies

May 30, 2018

There are some great British films but would this be one of them?

Contains spoilers, click to show

I watched this with my girlfriend Kelly not knowing what to expect. We knew it was a horror, but it was also a British film. There are some great British films but would this be one of them? The film is about a group of women who get together to explore a set of remote caves. During the expedition they encounter strange creatures and end up having to fight for their lives. Staring Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder, MyAnna Buring & Nora-Jane No one. All are great in the roles of the six friends, however Natalie Mendoza stands out for me as Juno. There are undertones of something more with her character and her performance is eerie and mysterious. This film is one of the best modern horror films I have seen. While many modern horror films fall under the category of torture porn like Saw and Hostile, this film doesn't rely on gore and gross out moments to shock you. It manages it in traditional ways using subtle camera effects, building tension and good acting. The director is a genius in his ability to scare you. He builds the tension to a point where you feel you will burst. There are no cheesy moments just good old fashioned scares. And what scares they are. There are moments that truly scare and surprise you. This is one of the best horror movies and a very well made film. The intro is just long enough to give you a good background to the friends and then all hell breaks loose! If you like classic horror movies check this one out. Keep the lights on and if you are watching with your girlfriend, watch out for your hands. Kelly was so scared I thought she would break mine when she squeezed it really hard when she jumped!

Kudos

Hazel (1853 KP) rated Havana Sleeping in Books

Dec 17, 2018

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Havana Sleeping is a historical mystery novel by British author Martin Davies, which is based on real events that occurred in Cuba during the 1850s. Although the Slave Trade had been abolished in England, there were still people in America and Cuba who would be happy for slavery to remain legal. George Backhouse was posted to Havana, Cuba as a British Judge to take a stand against the illegal slave trading.

Backhouse ends up getting involved in a lot of complicated situations that could potentially spark a devastating war. His path also becomes tied up with the other main character, Leandra Leigh. Whilst most of the characters are real historical figures, Leandra appears to be fictional. A dear friend of hers, a watchman, was murdered during a supposed robbery and although the matter has been closed for a couple of years Leandra is determined to find out the truth – something of limited value in Havana. To begin with Backhouse and Leandra’s investigations seem unrelated, but a connection begins to build up as the story goes on.

In all honesty, the novel was very difficult to get into. There is nothing wrong with the actual writing as such, it is in fact written well and grammatically correct, however there was a lack of excitement in the narrative. It was also difficult to keep track of the characters – admittedly that may have been the point in the case of a couple of people, but as a result it was impossible to connect story. There were a few attempts of showing emotion, mostly surrounding Leandra’s character, yet this failed to arouse much interest.

From a historical point of view, those interested in Cuban and British history of this time period may be interested in reading Havana Sleeping and the author also includes some factual notes at the end of the book, but anyone hoping to get a story of some kind is bound to be disappointed.

Kudos

BackToTheMovies (56 KP) rated For Love or Money (2019) in Movies

Jul 2, 2019

Featuring a wonderful British cast including Samantha Barks, Robert Kazinsky, Tony Way and Anna Chancellor we have the utterly hilarious For Love Or Money.
Our film follows Mark, a man set to inherit £20m on a secret business deal. Little does he know that Connie, a girl he was in love with for many years in high school also knows. A gold digger who hatches a plan to marry Mark to inherit half of his fortune. What Connie doesn’t know however is that quite early on Mark realises what is going on and puts a plan into action.

Labelled as an unromantic comedy this couldn’t ring truer. We have this gold digger hellbent on getting Mark’s fortune. On the flip side, we have Mark who is putting Connie through hell as punishment for her awful actions. The movie never takes itself too seriously and it’s hilarious watching Mark prank Connie at every turn. Every single member of this cast is on point throughout. The plot smoothly flows by with British cheeky charm and whilst sometimes pushes boundaries, it never gets too carried away.

Whilst the whole film does revolve around the pranks and the revenge plot there is another arc. A more subtle and emotional arc that takes place as the film draws to an end. Not the best film to watch for me personally, freshly out of a recent relationship but the film hits home in the more sensitive departments. How far someone would go for money Vs how far someone would go for love. This constant battle between the two contrasting beliefs is endearing to watch.

I can see For Love Or Money being a surprise comedy instalment for 2019. It’s sneaking under the radar. It’s shot beautifully and has a charm that has been rarely replicated in British comedies for many years. One minute you’re laughing, the next you’re welling up. It’s a rollercoaster ride that’s well worth the watch!