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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Castaways in Books
Oct 3, 2021
An intriguing and enjoyable mystery about one sister's quest for survival and the other's hunt for answers.
Lori and Erin are close having lost their parents at an early age. Things are not going too well for either of them but Lori in particular, so she books a holiday of a lifetime for them both to a Fijian island. Unfortunately, things don't go to plan and Lori finds herself on the plane without her sister. Disaster then ensues when the plan goes missing. Two years later, the pilot turns up - he has been working under an alias in Fiji.
What the heck happened? Why wasn't Erin on the plane? Where are the rest of the passengers? Did anyone else survive and why did the pilot go into hiding? So many questions!
Written in two distinct voices and time lines - Lori in the then and Erin in the now - the story follows Erin's search for the truth about what happened to her sister and the rest of the passengers and Lori's experience from the moment she realised something was going terribly wrong with the plane.
Lucy Clarke's writing is captivating and puts you right at the heart of the story; the two main characters are really well developed and you absolutely get a sense of the strong bond between the two sisters. The pacing is pretty good - the beginning is riveting, it dips a bit in the middle but then ramps up again towards the end. The plot is expertly weaved throughout with twists jumping from nowhere, just when you think you've worked it out, and with an ending that is quite satisfactory.
Overall, I enjoyed this book from an author I've never read anything from before and I would recommend to those who enjoy a bit of escapism albeit one with a few twists and hair-raising moments.
Thank you to HarperCollinsUK / HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Lori and Erin are close having lost their parents at an early age. Things are not going too well for either of them but Lori in particular, so she books a holiday of a lifetime for them both to a Fijian island. Unfortunately, things don't go to plan and Lori finds herself on the plane without her sister. Disaster then ensues when the plan goes missing. Two years later, the pilot turns up - he has been working under an alias in Fiji.
What the heck happened? Why wasn't Erin on the plane? Where are the rest of the passengers? Did anyone else survive and why did the pilot go into hiding? So many questions!
Written in two distinct voices and time lines - Lori in the then and Erin in the now - the story follows Erin's search for the truth about what happened to her sister and the rest of the passengers and Lori's experience from the moment she realised something was going terribly wrong with the plane.
Lucy Clarke's writing is captivating and puts you right at the heart of the story; the two main characters are really well developed and you absolutely get a sense of the strong bond between the two sisters. The pacing is pretty good - the beginning is riveting, it dips a bit in the middle but then ramps up again towards the end. The plot is expertly weaved throughout with twists jumping from nowhere, just when you think you've worked it out, and with an ending that is quite satisfactory.
Overall, I enjoyed this book from an author I've never read anything from before and I would recommend to those who enjoy a bit of escapism albeit one with a few twists and hair-raising moments.
Thank you to HarperCollinsUK / HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Death on the Nile (2022) in Movies
Feb 15, 2022
To start with, there's only so much you can hate on an Agatha Christie adaption. The film could be torrid tripe, but there's still a particular brand of intrigue which always comes with one of her whodunits. This latest re-telling of Death on the Nile just about scrapes by, mainly thanks to its second half, and that aforementioned Christie narrative, but sadly, not much else.
There's glimpses of something good there. Kenneth Branagh can be hit or miss as far as I'm concerned. For every Belfast (soaringly wonderful) there's an Artemis Fowl (what I imagine a lobotomy feels like). This is somewhere in the middle. There are moments of promise sprinkled here and there, but they struggle to break through all the bloated hot air that is draped over everything.
All of the characters are ridiculous. I get that's part of it, but it just falls flat here. It's hard to enjoy comic relief when everyone is comic relief. Gal Gadot seems like she is half-arsing every line. Russell Brand feels jarringly out of place. I traditionally enjoy French & Saunders but they also feel alien in every scene they're in. I know this shouldn't really impact my view, but Armie Hammer look like he just wants to eat everyone he talks to. Even the usually reliable Annette Benning comes across completely disinterested. There's no chemistry anywhere, and it all just feels a bit odd. Branagh is pretty great as Poirot to his credit. He just about holds proceedings together along with Sophie Okonedo, and they both manage to inject some charisma when things become arduous, which is farily regularly.
A bit of a misfire then, but not a complete disaster. I can firmly file Death on the Nile under "films I don't really like, but would probably watch again if it was on TV, or maybe on Christmas day at my Mums house".
There's glimpses of something good there. Kenneth Branagh can be hit or miss as far as I'm concerned. For every Belfast (soaringly wonderful) there's an Artemis Fowl (what I imagine a lobotomy feels like). This is somewhere in the middle. There are moments of promise sprinkled here and there, but they struggle to break through all the bloated hot air that is draped over everything.
All of the characters are ridiculous. I get that's part of it, but it just falls flat here. It's hard to enjoy comic relief when everyone is comic relief. Gal Gadot seems like she is half-arsing every line. Russell Brand feels jarringly out of place. I traditionally enjoy French & Saunders but they also feel alien in every scene they're in. I know this shouldn't really impact my view, but Armie Hammer look like he just wants to eat everyone he talks to. Even the usually reliable Annette Benning comes across completely disinterested. There's no chemistry anywhere, and it all just feels a bit odd. Branagh is pretty great as Poirot to his credit. He just about holds proceedings together along with Sophie Okonedo, and they both manage to inject some charisma when things become arduous, which is farily regularly.
A bit of a misfire then, but not a complete disaster. I can firmly file Death on the Nile under "films I don't really like, but would probably watch again if it was on TV, or maybe on Christmas day at my Mums house".
Wants And Needs (Fan Service #7)
9.0
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Fate will take them down a path they never thought they’d walk. Liam Being Autistic, I'm an...
Contemporary MM Romance
Who Said Witness Protection Was Boring? (Mobster Mayhem #2)
J.F. Miev and Aria Clark
8.0
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MATTHEW It was supposed to be a quiet night of gaming. But then the power went out. No biggie—it...
Igniting His Flame (Redwood Bay Fire #1)
10.0
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Love makes us all brave DARIO After escaping my controlling ex-boyfriend and moving to...
Striking The Match (Redwood Bay #3)
10.0
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Love will save the day TEDDY Everybody has celebrity crushes, right? You just don’t expect...
Lee (2222 KP) rated Okja (2017) in Movies
Jul 14, 2017
Seo-Hyun Ahn (1 more)
Seamless, beautiful effects
Should have stuck at being a family movie (1 more)
Jake Gyllenhaal
Plays as though it should be a family movie, but it definitely isn't
Okja created a fair bit of buzz at Cannes recently, when it was revealed that it had been picked up by Netflix, resulting in boos from some of the snobby traditionalists that were present for its screening. Okja was written and directed by Bong Joon Ho, a Korean filmmaker who also wrote and directed one of my favourite movies of recent years, Snowpiercer. That movie failed to receive a UK release, despite starring Chris Evans in-between his Captain America/Avengers duties, so I’m more than happy if a movie that’s just a little bit different from the norm manages to find an audience through modern, ‘non-traditional’ routes.
And Okja certainly is a bit different. We’re first introduced to CEO of Mirando Corporation, Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) who has ‘bred’ superpigs, in an effort to help with world hunger. 26 of these superpigs are being sent to farmers at various locations around the world and in 10 years time a competition is planned to determine who has raised the largest superpig. Lucy is clearly a bit strange (the perfect role for Tilda Swinton), and her company spokesperson, TV zoologist Johnny Wilcox (Jake Gyllenhaal) is even stranger. They’re determined to put a friendly, happy gloss over the fact that these animals have been genetically modified for slaughter and profit. So, time for us to get to know, and fall in love with one of them…
It’s now 10 years later and we’re with Mija, a young girl living in the mountains of Korea with her grandfather and Okja, the large hippo-like superpig who has become her close friend. They spend their time together out in the forest, with Okja helping to catch fish for dinner, and proving to be a faithful companion for Mija. And when disaster strikes, Okja even demonstrates the intelligence required to work out how to save Mija’s life. Okja is beautifully rendered in CGI, interacting perfectly with the surroundings and actors and is thoroughly convincing. It’s an enchanting and beautiful half hour or so – but we know it’s not going to last.
A small team from the Miranda Corporation arrives, along with Johnny Wilcox, who is just hugely annoying. They’re here to check up on how Okja is doing and, unbeknown to Mija, take her back to New York as the winner of the superpig contest. While Mija is in the forest with her grandfather she discovers what they’re planning and heads off to rescue Okja. What follows is an entertaining and thrilling chase to get Okja before she heads onto a plane. Mija is fearless and determined, a strong young heroine and probably the best thing about this movie. Along the way she is joined by the Animal Liberation Front, a young team that includes Steven Yeun, Paul Dano and Lily Collins. They know where Okja is headed and what her fate will be and they plan to stop it, with the help of Mija.
Much of Okja plays as though it should be a family movie and I wish that’s how they’d made it. With a large, friendly creature companion that needs to be rescued from the bad guys, much of this reminded me of the 2016 live action remake of Pete’s Dragon, which I enjoyed a lot. However, the final hour or so turns distinctly dark as we venture into the slaughterhouse and that, along with regular use of bad language, has given this movie a 15 certificate. It’s a strange variation of styles that just didn’t sit right with me overall. As mentioned before, Gyllenhaals character is seriously annoying and would have been much better suited as the wacky comic relief if this were a family movie. Tilda Swinton soon becomes boring too and it’s left to Mija and Okja to save the movie from becoming a total disaster.
Entertaining and enjoyable at times, but the wild variation of styles and characters just made the latter half of the movie drag.
And Okja certainly is a bit different. We’re first introduced to CEO of Mirando Corporation, Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) who has ‘bred’ superpigs, in an effort to help with world hunger. 26 of these superpigs are being sent to farmers at various locations around the world and in 10 years time a competition is planned to determine who has raised the largest superpig. Lucy is clearly a bit strange (the perfect role for Tilda Swinton), and her company spokesperson, TV zoologist Johnny Wilcox (Jake Gyllenhaal) is even stranger. They’re determined to put a friendly, happy gloss over the fact that these animals have been genetically modified for slaughter and profit. So, time for us to get to know, and fall in love with one of them…
It’s now 10 years later and we’re with Mija, a young girl living in the mountains of Korea with her grandfather and Okja, the large hippo-like superpig who has become her close friend. They spend their time together out in the forest, with Okja helping to catch fish for dinner, and proving to be a faithful companion for Mija. And when disaster strikes, Okja even demonstrates the intelligence required to work out how to save Mija’s life. Okja is beautifully rendered in CGI, interacting perfectly with the surroundings and actors and is thoroughly convincing. It’s an enchanting and beautiful half hour or so – but we know it’s not going to last.
A small team from the Miranda Corporation arrives, along with Johnny Wilcox, who is just hugely annoying. They’re here to check up on how Okja is doing and, unbeknown to Mija, take her back to New York as the winner of the superpig contest. While Mija is in the forest with her grandfather she discovers what they’re planning and heads off to rescue Okja. What follows is an entertaining and thrilling chase to get Okja before she heads onto a plane. Mija is fearless and determined, a strong young heroine and probably the best thing about this movie. Along the way she is joined by the Animal Liberation Front, a young team that includes Steven Yeun, Paul Dano and Lily Collins. They know where Okja is headed and what her fate will be and they plan to stop it, with the help of Mija.
Much of Okja plays as though it should be a family movie and I wish that’s how they’d made it. With a large, friendly creature companion that needs to be rescued from the bad guys, much of this reminded me of the 2016 live action remake of Pete’s Dragon, which I enjoyed a lot. However, the final hour or so turns distinctly dark as we venture into the slaughterhouse and that, along with regular use of bad language, has given this movie a 15 certificate. It’s a strange variation of styles that just didn’t sit right with me overall. As mentioned before, Gyllenhaals character is seriously annoying and would have been much better suited as the wacky comic relief if this were a family movie. Tilda Swinton soon becomes boring too and it’s left to Mija and Okja to save the movie from becoming a total disaster.
Entertaining and enjoyable at times, but the wild variation of styles and characters just made the latter half of the movie drag.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Godzilla (2014) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Simply Stunning
The king of the Kaiju, Godzilla, has had a very chequered cinematic history. From the classic original Japanese films to Roland Emmerich’s 1998 disaster, the famous beast hasn’t always been given the respect deserved of such an iconic monster.
Now, 16 years after Emmerich’s critical flop, Monsters director Gareth Edwards resurrects the gargantuan reptile in this year’s reboot, simply titled Godzilla, but is it a return to form?
Yes, is the short answer. From an engaging story to a stellar cast, Edwards recreates the fan favourite with the utmost care and attention, and comes out smelling of roses.
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) stars as Joe Brody, an American nuclear power officer living and working in Japan with his wife Sandra (Juliette Binoche) and their son Ford,bryan-cranston-fans-will-be-disappointed-with-godzilla just as a nuclear disaster begins. Fast-forward 15 years and a disheveled Joe is trying to find the truth about what happened at the nuclear plant, believing the authorities are trying to hide something from the general public. As his descent into madness continues, a fully grown Ford, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson decides to come to his aid.
What ensues is a great story of father bonding with son as they try to work out exactly what is going on together. Though what they find shocks the globe.
Within the first hour of Godzilla, the titular monster’s appearances are limited to shots of spines poking from the ocean, keeping the audience guessing as to how the creature has been designed by Edwards and his team.
This can become increasingly tiresome as we make do with the film’s primary antagonists MUTO, and as impressive as they are to look at, all we really want to see is Godzilla in all his glory. Though Edwards’ constant teasers are brilliantly varied.
Thankfully after numerous jaw-dropping set pieces ranging from a Japanese nuclear plant to a Hawaiian airport, Godzilla is finally revealed and the result is exceptional.
Gone is the T-Rex on steroids look that Emmerich shoved down our throats in the 1998 monstrosity and in its place is how the beast used to look in the original foreign classics – of course with revolutionary special effects to keep things looking tip-top.
The CGI, of which there is a huge amount, is breath-taking. Godzilla, the MUTO and all of the set pieces are of the highest quality, with no visible lapses whatsoever, and what Edwards does that so many other directors don’t is to keep the story going instead of letting the CGI take over, it never becomes overly loud and obnoxious.
One scene in particular, involving a group of paratroopers infiltrating a desolate San Francisco as Godzilla and the MUTO do battle is probably one of the most beautifully shot and eerily quiet action sequences in cinematic history with one section involving some perfectly positioned Chinese lanterns being the highlight.
A really enjoyable aspect of the film is spotting the homages to previous Godzilla films as well as other monster classics like Jurassic Park. There are many scattered throughout the film.
Moreover, the acting is generally very good. Cranston is sublime and shows what a brilliant actor he is. The character of Joe is the one you care about the most throughout the film. Taylor-Johnson is good, if a little staid as the generic armed forces stereotype.
Elizabeth Olsen, David Strathairn and Sally Hawkins also star. Unfortunately, a weak link is Ken Watanabe who plays Dr Ishiro Serizawa. His over-the-top and hammy performance begins to grate after an hour of seeing him on screen.
Thankfully though, Godzilla’s inevitable weak points are far outshone by the incredible special effects, interesting story and excellent acting. Bryan Cranston is a real highlight and the beast himself is a wonder to behold.
Gareth Edwards has not only created one of the best monster films ever with some of the most breath-taking shots ever seen on celluloid, he has also whet our appetites for Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World set to be released in June next year – that can only be a good thing.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2014/05/20/godzilla-review/
Now, 16 years after Emmerich’s critical flop, Monsters director Gareth Edwards resurrects the gargantuan reptile in this year’s reboot, simply titled Godzilla, but is it a return to form?
Yes, is the short answer. From an engaging story to a stellar cast, Edwards recreates the fan favourite with the utmost care and attention, and comes out smelling of roses.
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) stars as Joe Brody, an American nuclear power officer living and working in Japan with his wife Sandra (Juliette Binoche) and their son Ford,bryan-cranston-fans-will-be-disappointed-with-godzilla just as a nuclear disaster begins. Fast-forward 15 years and a disheveled Joe is trying to find the truth about what happened at the nuclear plant, believing the authorities are trying to hide something from the general public. As his descent into madness continues, a fully grown Ford, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson decides to come to his aid.
What ensues is a great story of father bonding with son as they try to work out exactly what is going on together. Though what they find shocks the globe.
Within the first hour of Godzilla, the titular monster’s appearances are limited to shots of spines poking from the ocean, keeping the audience guessing as to how the creature has been designed by Edwards and his team.
This can become increasingly tiresome as we make do with the film’s primary antagonists MUTO, and as impressive as they are to look at, all we really want to see is Godzilla in all his glory. Though Edwards’ constant teasers are brilliantly varied.
Thankfully after numerous jaw-dropping set pieces ranging from a Japanese nuclear plant to a Hawaiian airport, Godzilla is finally revealed and the result is exceptional.
Gone is the T-Rex on steroids look that Emmerich shoved down our throats in the 1998 monstrosity and in its place is how the beast used to look in the original foreign classics – of course with revolutionary special effects to keep things looking tip-top.
The CGI, of which there is a huge amount, is breath-taking. Godzilla, the MUTO and all of the set pieces are of the highest quality, with no visible lapses whatsoever, and what Edwards does that so many other directors don’t is to keep the story going instead of letting the CGI take over, it never becomes overly loud and obnoxious.
One scene in particular, involving a group of paratroopers infiltrating a desolate San Francisco as Godzilla and the MUTO do battle is probably one of the most beautifully shot and eerily quiet action sequences in cinematic history with one section involving some perfectly positioned Chinese lanterns being the highlight.
A really enjoyable aspect of the film is spotting the homages to previous Godzilla films as well as other monster classics like Jurassic Park. There are many scattered throughout the film.
Moreover, the acting is generally very good. Cranston is sublime and shows what a brilliant actor he is. The character of Joe is the one you care about the most throughout the film. Taylor-Johnson is good, if a little staid as the generic armed forces stereotype.
Elizabeth Olsen, David Strathairn and Sally Hawkins also star. Unfortunately, a weak link is Ken Watanabe who plays Dr Ishiro Serizawa. His over-the-top and hammy performance begins to grate after an hour of seeing him on screen.
Thankfully though, Godzilla’s inevitable weak points are far outshone by the incredible special effects, interesting story and excellent acting. Bryan Cranston is a real highlight and the beast himself is a wonder to behold.
Gareth Edwards has not only created one of the best monster films ever with some of the most breath-taking shots ever seen on celluloid, he has also whet our appetites for Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World set to be released in June next year – that can only be a good thing.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2014/05/20/godzilla-review/
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst in TV
Jun 27, 2018 (Updated Jun 27, 2018)
Mindblowing
Contains spoilers, click to show
I have been on a bit of a documentary kick lately and my most recent watch was the Jinx. I never watched this show back when it aired in 2015, or followed the story at the time, so I went into this show knowing very little about the tale it was telling. I'd say if you are in the same boat, then that is probably the best way to go into this doc. There are only six parts to the doc, so it can be binged over a few nights or in one day. Don't look up anything about it before watching and just go in blind, by the end your mind will be blown.
Please don't read on until you have seen the show in it's entirety as there are massive SPOILERS ahead. It feels weird to say that about a documentary, something that actually happened, but I promise you will not want this final revelation spoiled for you in any way.
Ok, so during the last interview, Andrew Jarecki confronts Robert Durst with two letters with the same address handwritten on each, one written by Durst years previous and the other was written by the killer and sent into a police station to notify them of the location of a body. Beverly Hills is spelt wrong in each, it is spelt BEVERLEY on each and the handwriting is exceptionally similar, especially the letter N. Durst initially appears pretty unphased by the accusation and brushes it off, until Jarecki asks him to look at a sheet that has the two versions of the address blown up and placed side by side and he asks him to tell him what one he wrote and what one he didn't and Durst is unable to tell the difference. He then begins burping uncontrollably as if trying to supress vomiting. The interview ends and Jarecki thanks Durst for his time. Durst then goes to the bathroom, unaware that he is still wearing a live microphone and says:
"There it is, you're caught.
You're right of course, but you can't imagine...
Arrest him.
I don't know what's in the house.
Oh, I want this.
What a disaster.
He was right, I was wrong.
And the burping?
I'm having difficulty understanding the question.
What the hell did I do?
Killed them all, of course."
Holy shit, these filmmakers just stumbled into getting an accidental confession from a guy who has dodged the law since 1982. Not only that, but what was recorded actually sounds like two different people having a conversation, almost like Gollum and Sméagol from Lord Of The Rings. The recording is creepy, but extremely important and provides an absolutely captivating ending to this already brilliant story. I think that what we hear in the bathroom is two sides of Durst arguing about what has just transpired. The way that each line is like a comment and then a response and the way that his tone of voice changes from line to line. I will type up my interpretation of the conversation below showing what side of Durst said what.
Good Bob: There it is, you're caught.
Bad Bob: You're right of course, but you can't imagine...
Good Bob: Arrest him.
Bad Bob: I don't know what's in the house.
Good Bob: Oh, I want this.
Bad Bob: What a disaster.
Good Bob:He was right, I was wrong.
Bad Bob: And the burping?
Good Bob: I'm having difficulty understanding the question.
What the hell did I do?
Bad Bob: Killed them all, of course.
This is obviously pure conjecture, but it's how I see the conversation going in Durst's head. Whether this is proof of disassociation or multiple personality disorder, I don't know as I'm not a psychiatrist, all that I know is that it is absolutely fascinating to hear this play out in a real world situation and makes for an absolutely brilliant piece of TV.
Please don't read on until you have seen the show in it's entirety as there are massive SPOILERS ahead. It feels weird to say that about a documentary, something that actually happened, but I promise you will not want this final revelation spoiled for you in any way.
Ok, so during the last interview, Andrew Jarecki confronts Robert Durst with two letters with the same address handwritten on each, one written by Durst years previous and the other was written by the killer and sent into a police station to notify them of the location of a body. Beverly Hills is spelt wrong in each, it is spelt BEVERLEY on each and the handwriting is exceptionally similar, especially the letter N. Durst initially appears pretty unphased by the accusation and brushes it off, until Jarecki asks him to look at a sheet that has the two versions of the address blown up and placed side by side and he asks him to tell him what one he wrote and what one he didn't and Durst is unable to tell the difference. He then begins burping uncontrollably as if trying to supress vomiting. The interview ends and Jarecki thanks Durst for his time. Durst then goes to the bathroom, unaware that he is still wearing a live microphone and says:
"There it is, you're caught.
You're right of course, but you can't imagine...
Arrest him.
I don't know what's in the house.
Oh, I want this.
What a disaster.
He was right, I was wrong.
And the burping?
I'm having difficulty understanding the question.
What the hell did I do?
Killed them all, of course."
Holy shit, these filmmakers just stumbled into getting an accidental confession from a guy who has dodged the law since 1982. Not only that, but what was recorded actually sounds like two different people having a conversation, almost like Gollum and Sméagol from Lord Of The Rings. The recording is creepy, but extremely important and provides an absolutely captivating ending to this already brilliant story. I think that what we hear in the bathroom is two sides of Durst arguing about what has just transpired. The way that each line is like a comment and then a response and the way that his tone of voice changes from line to line. I will type up my interpretation of the conversation below showing what side of Durst said what.
Good Bob: There it is, you're caught.
Bad Bob: You're right of course, but you can't imagine...
Good Bob: Arrest him.
Bad Bob: I don't know what's in the house.
Good Bob: Oh, I want this.
Bad Bob: What a disaster.
Good Bob:He was right, I was wrong.
Bad Bob: And the burping?
Good Bob: I'm having difficulty understanding the question.
What the hell did I do?
Bad Bob: Killed them all, of course.
This is obviously pure conjecture, but it's how I see the conversation going in Durst's head. Whether this is proof of disassociation or multiple personality disorder, I don't know as I'm not a psychiatrist, all that I know is that it is absolutely fascinating to hear this play out in a real world situation and makes for an absolutely brilliant piece of TV.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Chernobyl in TV
Oct 6, 2019
No words...
Every once in a while, a piece of cinema comes along so profound, epic, chilling, horrible, emotional, disgusting, jarring, magnificent and wondrous it completely takes my breathe away. When I was a child it was films like E.T., Return of the Jedi and Raiders of the lost Ark. Since becoming an adult, it has changed to movies like Schindler's List, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Requiem For A Dream and now Chernobyl.
This five part HBO series not only accounts for the immediate aftermath of the disaster, but shows the relatively unknown sagas of those people who were just doing their jobs not knowing their heroism and ultimate sacrifice probably saved millions of lives and maybe the entire planet Earth.
The men in the control room of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant did not know what just happened. They heard an explosion and then thought there was a fire on the roof of one of the buildings. Residents in the nearly town went out to see the spectacle taking their children and stood on a nearby bridge so they could see. Those men with the local fire department were called in the deal with the fire and quickly arrived to see the devastation they faced. Little did they know most of them were doomed with this assignment.
Soon after, nuclear experts are called in to formulate a plan to not only contain and extinguish the atomic blaze, but also to contain the radiation which the wind is carrying to neighboring countries. Proud Russian state officials also downplay the situation to the rest of the world and are wary to ask for outside assistance not wanting to show weakness.
After the plan to douse the flames in successful a new problem arises. Large water tanks which are supposed to be empty now contain water from the fireman's work which now could cause a nuclear megaton explosion killing millions and laying waste to an entire region of the Earth. A plan is also forged to deal with this new development.
Meanwhile, hospitals overrun with casualties are now forced to deal with unimaginable human suffering from those who took the worst of the radiation. Their agony and torture is some of the worst human suffrage short of war time in the history of the Earth. At the same time, a scientist and nuclear expert speaks with the men near death to assume a timeline and details of what took place during those fateful minutes before the disaster.
The monumental feat this mini-series puts to task is truly astonishing. The technical and historical detail filmmakers took to ensure accuracy is among the most impressive I have ever seen. The European locations used for filming were authentic to the last detail and the style of film was harsh and unrelenting. I watched all 5 episodes straight through as I couldn't wait to get to the next installment. As each ended, I was left with my jaw on the floor is amazement wear tears in my eyes and streaming down my face. Creator/writer Craig Mazin should be commended for his screenplay which is based on quite a lot of first-hand accounts of the situation from people who witnessed it.
Lead actors Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson were all astonishing, especially Harris who portrayed Valery Legasov with such conviction, you as the audience were outraged and sympathetic to his role in this ordeal.
The human suffering portrayed onscreen through the use of remarkable make up effects were so real there were several points I had to stop the film just so I could catch my breath. I was so emotional while watching this masterpiece I feel now like a changed person after just having witnessed something as magic as this perfect piece of filmmaking.
I was so enamored with this production I watched all the making of material afterwards and a documentary about the real events including some of the real graphic patient images that I will never forget.
Hopefully, this will be shown in schools in the future and future generations will continue to learn about the Chernobyl catastrophe as a symbol of human arrogance so that it will never be repeated.
This five part HBO series not only accounts for the immediate aftermath of the disaster, but shows the relatively unknown sagas of those people who were just doing their jobs not knowing their heroism and ultimate sacrifice probably saved millions of lives and maybe the entire planet Earth.
The men in the control room of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant did not know what just happened. They heard an explosion and then thought there was a fire on the roof of one of the buildings. Residents in the nearly town went out to see the spectacle taking their children and stood on a nearby bridge so they could see. Those men with the local fire department were called in the deal with the fire and quickly arrived to see the devastation they faced. Little did they know most of them were doomed with this assignment.
Soon after, nuclear experts are called in to formulate a plan to not only contain and extinguish the atomic blaze, but also to contain the radiation which the wind is carrying to neighboring countries. Proud Russian state officials also downplay the situation to the rest of the world and are wary to ask for outside assistance not wanting to show weakness.
After the plan to douse the flames in successful a new problem arises. Large water tanks which are supposed to be empty now contain water from the fireman's work which now could cause a nuclear megaton explosion killing millions and laying waste to an entire region of the Earth. A plan is also forged to deal with this new development.
Meanwhile, hospitals overrun with casualties are now forced to deal with unimaginable human suffering from those who took the worst of the radiation. Their agony and torture is some of the worst human suffrage short of war time in the history of the Earth. At the same time, a scientist and nuclear expert speaks with the men near death to assume a timeline and details of what took place during those fateful minutes before the disaster.
The monumental feat this mini-series puts to task is truly astonishing. The technical and historical detail filmmakers took to ensure accuracy is among the most impressive I have ever seen. The European locations used for filming were authentic to the last detail and the style of film was harsh and unrelenting. I watched all 5 episodes straight through as I couldn't wait to get to the next installment. As each ended, I was left with my jaw on the floor is amazement wear tears in my eyes and streaming down my face. Creator/writer Craig Mazin should be commended for his screenplay which is based on quite a lot of first-hand accounts of the situation from people who witnessed it.
Lead actors Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson were all astonishing, especially Harris who portrayed Valery Legasov with such conviction, you as the audience were outraged and sympathetic to his role in this ordeal.
The human suffering portrayed onscreen through the use of remarkable make up effects were so real there were several points I had to stop the film just so I could catch my breath. I was so emotional while watching this masterpiece I feel now like a changed person after just having witnessed something as magic as this perfect piece of filmmaking.
I was so enamored with this production I watched all the making of material afterwards and a documentary about the real events including some of the real graphic patient images that I will never forget.
Hopefully, this will be shown in schools in the future and future generations will continue to learn about the Chernobyl catastrophe as a symbol of human arrogance so that it will never be repeated.
