Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (1294)

Content

Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Girl You Left Behind in Books

Jun 6, 2018

The Girl You Left Behind

Jojo Moyes | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry

9.0

(4 Ratings)

Book Rating

This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>.

I won this book through the first reads Goodreads program. It's not normally the type of book that would catch my attention attention based on the synopsis, but I'm always willing to read something out of my comfort zone. I'm more than glad that I read this book as I loved it!!

Sophie is a French woman in German occupied France during World War I. She and the Kommandent become close only because Sophie will do whatever it takes to see her husband who has been sent to a German work camp. Fast forward almost a century later...Liv is a woman that has a portrait that was painted by Sophie's husband years ago. The relatives of Sophie's husband want that painting back simply because they know how much it's worth. However, for Liv, the painting means so much more. This is the story of a painting and how two women from different centuries are so much alike.

I loved the character of Sophie. She was definitely a strong and brave character. I felt what she was feeling a majority of the time. She went through so much to get what she loved. I also loved Liv, who, like Sophie was willing to lose it all to get what she loved. Mo was another one of my favourite characters. She brought in the comic timing. Her humour was fantastic, and it wasn't over the top. It was just right for the mood of the story. I loved Paul. He was such a sweetheart! I wish my husband was as kind and romantic as Paul! It was lovely to see him grow as a character.

The title definitely suits the book as The Girl You Left Behind is what they painting is called, and much of the story centres around this painting. I don't think there could've been a better title for this book.

The cover is very beautiful, and while it does relate to the story somewhat, I just wish the cover could've been the painting of Sophie that was talked about so much throughout the book. I would've loved to see what the painting actually looked like.

The setting and world building were fab as well! I loved how a lot of this book was set in a little hotel in a French city. The author made the hotel sound so warm and welcoming. It was obvious that the author did a lot of research about World War I when it came to the Germans occupy French cities. The descriptions of every place mentioned in the book were well written.

The pacing was absolutely fantastic! Each page kept me enthralled. I did not want to put down this book for anything!

I also loved the ending of the book. It was well written and didn't feel rushed like a lot of books do when they end. I thought it was a fantastic ending to a well written book.

I would definitely recommend this book to everyone 16 and over. It's a little gem of a book, and it really took me by surprise.

Kudos

Jay Wright (4 KP) rated Venom (2018) in Movies

May 13, 2019

Venom (2018)

2018 | Action, Sci-Fi

7.4

(150 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Tom Hardy as both Eddie Brock and Venom (2 more)

Carlton Drake

Humour

Side characters (0 more)

It was really good. It is unfair and REALLY unclear as to how it can possibly be compared to Catwoman and the 2015 Fantastic 4. It was so much better than the critics give it. I would say, though, it's not the best comic book movie. It's more on the Ant-Man level of quality. The way Tom Hardy showed the Eddie Brock/Venom relationship was really good. Michelle Williams' Anne Wenning, Eddie's ex girlfriend, was kind of bland but was still a good character. Riz Ahmed's Carlton Drake was a REALLY good villain. They really played up the you-must-hate-him vibe. Apart from those three, the other characters were meh at the most, and wasted in ways. The humour was good and well placed. I DEFINITELY recommend seeing this. Forget what the critics say.

Kudos

Andy K (10827 KP) rated Beverly Hills Cop (1984) in Movies

Jun 5, 2018

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

1984 | Action, Comedy, Mystery

8.0

(15 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Axel Foley

If you were to look up the phrase "fish out of water movie", this film would have to be one of the top movies on the list.

After a Detroit police's officer's friend is murdered, he relocates himself to Beverly Hills, California to investigate only to discover law enforcement operates under quite different principles out there.

Alhough Eddie Murphy had made both "48 Hours" & "Trading Places" before this film was released in 1984, this one was definitely his breakout hit.

His crass, foul demeanor juxtaposed against the prim and proper by-the-book procedureness of the CA cops lent itself to many hilarious and memorable moments. His partners Judge Reinhold and John Ashton worked extremely well with Murphy who had really come into his own as a leading man comic actor for this role.

Still one of my all-time favorite comedies.

Kudos

Andy R (6 KP) rated Shazam! (2019) in Movies

Oct 17, 2019

Shazam! (2019)

2019 | Action, Sci-Fi

7.4

(103 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Funny, I mean very funny the total premise of the film is amusing and it plays on it alot (2 more)

Story is quite good and characters go on quite an arc

Supporting characters are excellent and are probably what keeps the film going and make it enjoyable

Probably plays on the honour a bit too much which makes the action take a back seat. (1 more)

Film takes quite a while to get going

Good but not brilliant

In the past comic book movies could be deemed as being to serious(batman) but this has changed recently with films like deaspool. Shazam going down this approach with this film being basically a comedy the action takes a back seat. To me the film relays too much on the houmor but the supporting cast and good story make the film quite enjoyable although it does take a little while to get going