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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Booksmart (2019) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
Due to terrible scheduling I managed to miss the Booksmart Unlimited Screening. (Who puts them on a bank holiday?!) Thankfully it appeared again in the listings and I pootled off out to see it!
Amy and Molly are about to graduate and do amazing things with their lives. They've worked hard, studying was their lives, but what soon becomes evident is that even those students that partied are going on to ivy league schools and getting their dream jobs. Have they wasted their high school lives thinking they couldn't have it all? More importantly, can they turn it around and see out their school career with the ultimate 180?
It's safe to say that the internet is obsessed with Booksmart. Olivia Wilde is making her film directorial debut, the cast is chock-full of talented actors and the subject matter is a continually popular one, so really that fact the internet has gone wild is a bit of a no brainer.
Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever play our leads, Molly and Amy. Both of them are particularly good and their chemistry is incredible. There was no point where I didn't believe they were best friends trying to deal with their situations. Even though Amy is the "back seat" friend in her relationship with Molly she thankfully gets a lot of screen time. Dever is probably my favourite bit of this film, she's very funny and creates a surprisingly laid back Amy despite all the drama.
The support cast is strong and I only had a couple of quibbles which was more to do with the characters than the acting. Jessica Williams as Miss Fie was a stand out for me, and I love the idea that she's that close with her students. Her part in the ending of the film was particularly amusing.
Going into Booksmart I was expecting funny, but I really wasn't prepared for the emotion. The party is a climax for a lot of the story points and we see Molly and Amy going for their own high school wins. As you'd expect, this leads to a bit of conflict. The way this is handled is thoughtful and stops the final scene from this sequence being over the top with the script.
Booksmart captures the larger than life high school experience and the only thing that might be a little too much is the fact that the character traits are all knocked up a couple of notches, they go get a little close to the line.
While I liked a lot of things about Booksmart I was surprised at how the beginning took so long to really get going. It wasn't until their scheme was underway that I started to enjoy it a bit more. It's an entertaining comedy with some surprise emotion thrown in but something didn't quick click and I'm not sure if it's the slow start or the sudden dose of reality at the end that's done that.
I kept thinking of other things to mention but I could have gone on for ages so I'll just add a couple of out of context comments: Barbies, pizza guy and "motherf***ing homework".
What you should do
Definitely one to watch, it's amusing and slightly awkward so perhaps choose your cinema buddy wisely.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I would like Gigi's clearly superhero powers.
Amy and Molly are about to graduate and do amazing things with their lives. They've worked hard, studying was their lives, but what soon becomes evident is that even those students that partied are going on to ivy league schools and getting their dream jobs. Have they wasted their high school lives thinking they couldn't have it all? More importantly, can they turn it around and see out their school career with the ultimate 180?
It's safe to say that the internet is obsessed with Booksmart. Olivia Wilde is making her film directorial debut, the cast is chock-full of talented actors and the subject matter is a continually popular one, so really that fact the internet has gone wild is a bit of a no brainer.
Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever play our leads, Molly and Amy. Both of them are particularly good and their chemistry is incredible. There was no point where I didn't believe they were best friends trying to deal with their situations. Even though Amy is the "back seat" friend in her relationship with Molly she thankfully gets a lot of screen time. Dever is probably my favourite bit of this film, she's very funny and creates a surprisingly laid back Amy despite all the drama.
The support cast is strong and I only had a couple of quibbles which was more to do with the characters than the acting. Jessica Williams as Miss Fie was a stand out for me, and I love the idea that she's that close with her students. Her part in the ending of the film was particularly amusing.
Going into Booksmart I was expecting funny, but I really wasn't prepared for the emotion. The party is a climax for a lot of the story points and we see Molly and Amy going for their own high school wins. As you'd expect, this leads to a bit of conflict. The way this is handled is thoughtful and stops the final scene from this sequence being over the top with the script.
Booksmart captures the larger than life high school experience and the only thing that might be a little too much is the fact that the character traits are all knocked up a couple of notches, they go get a little close to the line.
While I liked a lot of things about Booksmart I was surprised at how the beginning took so long to really get going. It wasn't until their scheme was underway that I started to enjoy it a bit more. It's an entertaining comedy with some surprise emotion thrown in but something didn't quick click and I'm not sure if it's the slow start or the sudden dose of reality at the end that's done that.
I kept thinking of other things to mention but I could have gone on for ages so I'll just add a couple of out of context comments: Barbies, pizza guy and "motherf***ing homework".
What you should do
Definitely one to watch, it's amusing and slightly awkward so perhaps choose your cinema buddy wisely.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I would like Gigi's clearly superhero powers.
Debbiereadsbook (1454 KP) rated Nothing Serious in Books
Jul 15, 2019
really kinda cute!
Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted the AUDIO file of this book.
Mark finally admits to himself and his partner of 9 years, that he is gay. While Rachel is devastated, she knows things have not been right between them for a long time. Mark moving out of their home seems the best thing to do, but they will remain friends. On moving day, Jamie shows up with his brother, and Mark feels an immediate attraction to the younger man. When Jamie drops a box contains some. . .personal items, Mark is mortified but Jamie finds the blush on Mark’s face adorable, and all kinds of sexy. But neither man is looking for anything serious right now, so they can just help each other out, right?
This book, right here, landed in my queue just when I needed it to, cos its far too stinking cute for its own good!
It’s a wonderfully well written tale of a newly out of the closet man, finding himself and all about his sexuality, with a willing young man who wants to help. Jamie finds Mark attractive, but he doesn’t want anything serious, last time he ran away when *serious* was talked about, so helping Mark explore all the joys of sex with a man, seems a good way to get close to Mark, while keeping his distance.
Mark has an immediate attraction to Jamie, and when Jamie suggests a friends with benefits type arrangement, Mark is keen to get to know Jamie.
What neither man expected, or wanted, was their emotions to get involved, and when they both realise this is what was happening, Mark and Jamie struggle with ways to talk to each other about it!
It’s not overly explicit, but it is all kinds of sexy! There is no real drama, save the guys finally admitting to themselves, at least, what they feel for each other.
It really is one of those books you just fall into and lose a few hours. It’s only short, some 154 pages, but it packs a hefty punch of cuteness! I listened to this, it’s just over 4 hours.
Michael Pauley narrates.
I have, in the past, found Pauley a bit hit and miss, for me, personally. Here, however, he really nails it!
Pauley’s voices for Mark and Jamie are different enough to be easily identifiable when they are talking, for all the characters, actually. His reading voice is clear and even, and I had no trouble keeping up. There were no dips in the sound to put me off, which has happened with Pauley before. It’s just where he lowers his voice, for thinking or musing, really but here, there is no dipping.
I loved how Pauley gets all the things running around in Mark and Jamie’s heads across, you genuinely sort of fall in love with them, as they fall in love with each other!
I’ve shelved it on my *kinda creeps up on ya* shelf, simply because, that’s what happens!
Love creeps up on Mark and Jamie and it was a pleasure listening to that happen.
4 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration
4.5 stars overall.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Mark finally admits to himself and his partner of 9 years, that he is gay. While Rachel is devastated, she knows things have not been right between them for a long time. Mark moving out of their home seems the best thing to do, but they will remain friends. On moving day, Jamie shows up with his brother, and Mark feels an immediate attraction to the younger man. When Jamie drops a box contains some. . .personal items, Mark is mortified but Jamie finds the blush on Mark’s face adorable, and all kinds of sexy. But neither man is looking for anything serious right now, so they can just help each other out, right?
This book, right here, landed in my queue just when I needed it to, cos its far too stinking cute for its own good!
It’s a wonderfully well written tale of a newly out of the closet man, finding himself and all about his sexuality, with a willing young man who wants to help. Jamie finds Mark attractive, but he doesn’t want anything serious, last time he ran away when *serious* was talked about, so helping Mark explore all the joys of sex with a man, seems a good way to get close to Mark, while keeping his distance.
Mark has an immediate attraction to Jamie, and when Jamie suggests a friends with benefits type arrangement, Mark is keen to get to know Jamie.
What neither man expected, or wanted, was their emotions to get involved, and when they both realise this is what was happening, Mark and Jamie struggle with ways to talk to each other about it!
It’s not overly explicit, but it is all kinds of sexy! There is no real drama, save the guys finally admitting to themselves, at least, what they feel for each other.
It really is one of those books you just fall into and lose a few hours. It’s only short, some 154 pages, but it packs a hefty punch of cuteness! I listened to this, it’s just over 4 hours.
Michael Pauley narrates.
I have, in the past, found Pauley a bit hit and miss, for me, personally. Here, however, he really nails it!
Pauley’s voices for Mark and Jamie are different enough to be easily identifiable when they are talking, for all the characters, actually. His reading voice is clear and even, and I had no trouble keeping up. There were no dips in the sound to put me off, which has happened with Pauley before. It’s just where he lowers his voice, for thinking or musing, really but here, there is no dipping.
I loved how Pauley gets all the things running around in Mark and Jamie’s heads across, you genuinely sort of fall in love with them, as they fall in love with each other!
I’ve shelved it on my *kinda creeps up on ya* shelf, simply because, that’s what happens!
Love creeps up on Mark and Jamie and it was a pleasure listening to that happen.
4 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration
4.5 stars overall.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Sex and the City 2 (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
So what happens after you finally marry Mr. Right (or in this case, Mr. Big)? Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Big (Chris Noth) have been married for almost 2 years now and are in danger of falling into a tired routine. After eschewing the latest fashions for classic furnishings to make their new flat a home, Carrie no longer laments over her singlehood. Instead she bemoans becoming part of an old, married couple. She bristles at the idea of staying home and eating takeout while her husband just wants to put his feet up on the couch.
Charlotte (Kristin Davis) remains the picture-perfect mother and wife, adding a new baby to her home. One that cries constantly and forces her to hire a nanny. A buxom, Irish nanny named Erin who quickly earns the fitting nickname “Erin Go Bra-less” from Charlotte’s best friends. Watch Charlotte’s cheery smile become brittle and harder to keep in place as the demands of motherhood and doubts the ability of her husband Harry (Evan Handler) to resist temptation become too much to handle.
Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is reconciled with Steve (David Eigenberg), and is finally a partner at her law firm but it hasn’t brought her the satisfaction she thought it would. She’s stressed and aggravated by a senior partner who demeans her and she starts to question whether being an attorney is worth it anymore.
Samantha (Kim Cattrall) is very much the same bawdy temptress, minus her boy-toy, plus a lot of vitamins to stave off menopausal symptoms. This time around, no major drama sends the ladies off on an exotic trip, just Samantha working her public relations charm on a shiekh with a palatial hotel. Apparently, sometimes girls just need to getaway to Abu-Dhabi. The movie soon becomes an indulgent showcase of excess from a flight in a plane equipped with individual suites, a bar & lounge, to a Maybach and a personal butler for each of the ladies.
Anyone watching SATC2 without the background of the series and the first film will think they entered an alien world of shallow, whiny women who like to wear clashing colors and ridiculous hats. Fans of the series will probably forgive the tired puns and trite storylines to embrace the familiar: four friends in fabulous, outrageous, fashion and comical situations, with an extravagant, lush backdrop.
Screened in a theater where women outnumbered men 3 to 1, many of the laughs were tinged with almost as much horror as delight. I usually enjoy musical numbers in movies, but I fought the urge to cover my eyes when Liza Minelli performed Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” at a wedding early in the movie. The girlfriends’ karaoke rendition of “I Am Woman” was also an uncomfortable moment for all its corniness. But amidst the splashy abundance, there were moments of honest friendship that resonated, unfortunately they’re overshadowed by annoying antics and reckless decisions.
Sure to spark lively debates on friendship, relationships, careers, and questionable fashion, this is still an entertaining film that, if nothing else, would make a great date night movie with your girlfriends. Especially those whose friendships have spanned decades and who can recognize a little bit of themselves in these women. Note to men: if you want to know where the women may be this weekend, the theaters would be a good bet.
Charlotte (Kristin Davis) remains the picture-perfect mother and wife, adding a new baby to her home. One that cries constantly and forces her to hire a nanny. A buxom, Irish nanny named Erin who quickly earns the fitting nickname “Erin Go Bra-less” from Charlotte’s best friends. Watch Charlotte’s cheery smile become brittle and harder to keep in place as the demands of motherhood and doubts the ability of her husband Harry (Evan Handler) to resist temptation become too much to handle.
Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is reconciled with Steve (David Eigenberg), and is finally a partner at her law firm but it hasn’t brought her the satisfaction she thought it would. She’s stressed and aggravated by a senior partner who demeans her and she starts to question whether being an attorney is worth it anymore.
Samantha (Kim Cattrall) is very much the same bawdy temptress, minus her boy-toy, plus a lot of vitamins to stave off menopausal symptoms. This time around, no major drama sends the ladies off on an exotic trip, just Samantha working her public relations charm on a shiekh with a palatial hotel. Apparently, sometimes girls just need to getaway to Abu-Dhabi. The movie soon becomes an indulgent showcase of excess from a flight in a plane equipped with individual suites, a bar & lounge, to a Maybach and a personal butler for each of the ladies.
Anyone watching SATC2 without the background of the series and the first film will think they entered an alien world of shallow, whiny women who like to wear clashing colors and ridiculous hats. Fans of the series will probably forgive the tired puns and trite storylines to embrace the familiar: four friends in fabulous, outrageous, fashion and comical situations, with an extravagant, lush backdrop.
Screened in a theater where women outnumbered men 3 to 1, many of the laughs were tinged with almost as much horror as delight. I usually enjoy musical numbers in movies, but I fought the urge to cover my eyes when Liza Minelli performed Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” at a wedding early in the movie. The girlfriends’ karaoke rendition of “I Am Woman” was also an uncomfortable moment for all its corniness. But amidst the splashy abundance, there were moments of honest friendship that resonated, unfortunately they’re overshadowed by annoying antics and reckless decisions.
Sure to spark lively debates on friendship, relationships, careers, and questionable fashion, this is still an entertaining film that, if nothing else, would make a great date night movie with your girlfriends. Especially those whose friendships have spanned decades and who can recognize a little bit of themselves in these women. Note to men: if you want to know where the women may be this weekend, the theaters would be a good bet.
Sass Perilla (36 KP) rated Frankenstein in Books
Aug 9, 2019
The plot and major themes. (1 more)
Further work it inspired.
Readable, but disjointed and repetitive in parts.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Fundamentally, the problem with this book is the narrator, Victor. He is thoroughly detestable. A selfish, cowardly, irresponsible, excuse ridden, narcissistic d****e-bag of the highest order. And unfortunately, it is Victor Frankenstein’s POV that we are forced into for the majority of the novel.
My hatred for and frustration with the self-pitying, feckless behaviour of the (pseudo)
protagonist made this an irritating read for me- and to an extent I think this was Shelley’s intention. Victor isn’t designed to be the likable, affable, morally “good” man fallen from grace he believes himself to be, and the horrific events that befall those around him are of his making.
However, this doesn’t make him any less grating! The "monster" (to me reminiscent of Caliban with his lyrical speech and enforced isolation, being neither man nor not man) is eloquent and persuasive when he asks his creator to account for his misdoings. So, you’ve got to ask yourself, if an infanticidal, demonic, bag of sew together corpses is actually more engaging than the main storyteller, is that storyteller really the
right character to be telling the story?
Now, with all that said, it is an important book. A work by a female author with strong female characters (albeit background characters) who was only nineteen when she wrote the initial draft. Very impressive. But, for me her youth is evident. When we teach secondary school pupils to write creatively, we often give them the ambiguous instruction “show don’t tell”, and for me the book is more of a list of horrible and horrific events told in a Chinese puzzle box style story within a story, rather than an engaging and “complete” narrative. It feels like she chooses to place focus on the wrong “bits”- for example the whole of chapter nineteen where Victor travels the British Isles, comments briefly on the local architecture of each town and city and
then repetitively reminds us that he couldn’t enjoy the surroundings because of his angst.
And I would have at least like to have seen some of the courtroom drama when Victor is tried for the death of Clerval...
So, I hate to be “that” gal, who poo-poos these fantastic works of fiction (we know they’re great because some clever-britches told us they were) but in all honesty, the novel ain’t that good, and I’ll maintain that stance no matter how clever the britches of the opposing schools of thought.
I think the continuing appeal is in it’s universal themes: parenting, nature versus
nurture; morality and scientific advancement- and the whole idea of stitching a creature out of
corpse-parts and electrocuting it to life is pretty darn cool. And there are some really effective
horror scenes, such as the vignette of Victor ripping apart project lady-monster (I kind wish she had a name- a working title- but given he can’t even be bothered to name monster number one I guess this was all too much to hope for).
It’s readable, but it’s value, for me at any rate, lies in the offshoots and creativity it has spawned, rather than the work itself.
My hatred for and frustration with the self-pitying, feckless behaviour of the (pseudo)
protagonist made this an irritating read for me- and to an extent I think this was Shelley’s intention. Victor isn’t designed to be the likable, affable, morally “good” man fallen from grace he believes himself to be, and the horrific events that befall those around him are of his making.
However, this doesn’t make him any less grating! The "monster" (to me reminiscent of Caliban with his lyrical speech and enforced isolation, being neither man nor not man) is eloquent and persuasive when he asks his creator to account for his misdoings. So, you’ve got to ask yourself, if an infanticidal, demonic, bag of sew together corpses is actually more engaging than the main storyteller, is that storyteller really the
right character to be telling the story?
Now, with all that said, it is an important book. A work by a female author with strong female characters (albeit background characters) who was only nineteen when she wrote the initial draft. Very impressive. But, for me her youth is evident. When we teach secondary school pupils to write creatively, we often give them the ambiguous instruction “show don’t tell”, and for me the book is more of a list of horrible and horrific events told in a Chinese puzzle box style story within a story, rather than an engaging and “complete” narrative. It feels like she chooses to place focus on the wrong “bits”- for example the whole of chapter nineteen where Victor travels the British Isles, comments briefly on the local architecture of each town and city and
then repetitively reminds us that he couldn’t enjoy the surroundings because of his angst.
And I would have at least like to have seen some of the courtroom drama when Victor is tried for the death of Clerval...
So, I hate to be “that” gal, who poo-poos these fantastic works of fiction (we know they’re great because some clever-britches told us they were) but in all honesty, the novel ain’t that good, and I’ll maintain that stance no matter how clever the britches of the opposing schools of thought.
I think the continuing appeal is in it’s universal themes: parenting, nature versus
nurture; morality and scientific advancement- and the whole idea of stitching a creature out of
corpse-parts and electrocuting it to life is pretty darn cool. And there are some really effective
horror scenes, such as the vignette of Victor ripping apart project lady-monster (I kind wish she had a name- a working title- but given he can’t even be bothered to name monster number one I guess this was all too much to hope for).
It’s readable, but it’s value, for me at any rate, lies in the offshoots and creativity it has spawned, rather than the work itself.
Midge (525 KP) rated Shallow Water in Books
Jan 23, 2019 (Updated Jan 23, 2019)
Lots of suspense (1 more)
Great lead characters
Nail-biting Thriller!
"Shallow Water" is a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat story that has a bit of everything. From tension, fear, and panic to drama, romance and conflict, and joy and sorrow, there really is something for everyone. It is a suspenseful, psychological thriller fiction novel set in wonderfully scenic Pt. Redwood on California’s rural Mendocino coast.
What’s really likeable about it straight-away are the opening chapters that draw you into the main character, Clara Kendrick. She is a strong, feisty, sexy, confident, badass, journalist, but is living her life under the shadow of the past. She partially blames herself for the terrible unsolved murder of her best friend Ruthi eight years ago, memories of which continue to haunt her.
Clara receives a telephone call from a relative begging her to go and visit her sick mother who she hasn't seen since she fled from her home town all those years ago. She can't bear the thought of seeing her first-love and old flame Sean again. Relationships are put to the test when she does return and past issues are brought to the fore.
But not long into her return to Pt. Redwood, another teenage girl is found on the beach in similar circumstances to Ruthi. Clara and Sean find themselves at the centre of the investigation. Is there a serial killer at large, or is the second murder a coincidence?
I felt instantly on her side of the emotional and impulsive Clara, particularly in her initial dealings with Sean, her handsome, bad-boy first-love. You can immediately sense there is something still going on, and one of the highlights of the book is following how they deal with their emotional baggage. Sean is, at first, hard to work out but you gradually get to know him as the story unfolds and see that he has many surprising qualities. Both the plot and the character development are excellent, and the story-line is very believable. The story is both captivating and engaging. It held my interest from start to finish, and I found myself rooting for both Sean and Clara as they tried to deal with all of the accusations being made against them and the courage they showed in confronting their challenges.
"Shallow Water" was an interesting novel particularly for the interplay of the different characters - a distant and indifferent mother, a group of exceptionally bitchy grown-up teenagers and a judgemental, close-knit community. Plenty of twists and turns ups and downs along the way and plenty of surprises. I loved the authors writing style which I found very easy to read and the suspense at times had me scared and almost afraid to read on. I loved it!
I did figure out who was behind the murders but not until very near the climax of the book and I was very satisfied with the ending. I have been inspired to read more from Amanda J. Clay and I highly recommend this book. I suggest wholeheartedly that you add it to your reading list.
Thank you to LibraryThing and the author, Amanda J. Clay for a free ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.
What’s really likeable about it straight-away are the opening chapters that draw you into the main character, Clara Kendrick. She is a strong, feisty, sexy, confident, badass, journalist, but is living her life under the shadow of the past. She partially blames herself for the terrible unsolved murder of her best friend Ruthi eight years ago, memories of which continue to haunt her.
Clara receives a telephone call from a relative begging her to go and visit her sick mother who she hasn't seen since she fled from her home town all those years ago. She can't bear the thought of seeing her first-love and old flame Sean again. Relationships are put to the test when she does return and past issues are brought to the fore.
But not long into her return to Pt. Redwood, another teenage girl is found on the beach in similar circumstances to Ruthi. Clara and Sean find themselves at the centre of the investigation. Is there a serial killer at large, or is the second murder a coincidence?
I felt instantly on her side of the emotional and impulsive Clara, particularly in her initial dealings with Sean, her handsome, bad-boy first-love. You can immediately sense there is something still going on, and one of the highlights of the book is following how they deal with their emotional baggage. Sean is, at first, hard to work out but you gradually get to know him as the story unfolds and see that he has many surprising qualities. Both the plot and the character development are excellent, and the story-line is very believable. The story is both captivating and engaging. It held my interest from start to finish, and I found myself rooting for both Sean and Clara as they tried to deal with all of the accusations being made against them and the courage they showed in confronting their challenges.
"Shallow Water" was an interesting novel particularly for the interplay of the different characters - a distant and indifferent mother, a group of exceptionally bitchy grown-up teenagers and a judgemental, close-knit community. Plenty of twists and turns ups and downs along the way and plenty of surprises. I loved the authors writing style which I found very easy to read and the suspense at times had me scared and almost afraid to read on. I loved it!
I did figure out who was behind the murders but not until very near the climax of the book and I was very satisfied with the ending. I have been inspired to read more from Amanda J. Clay and I highly recommend this book. I suggest wholeheartedly that you add it to your reading list.
Thank you to LibraryThing and the author, Amanda J. Clay for a free ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Front Runner (2018) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
At the end of the 1984 Democratic Primaries a relative unknown Senator from Colorado, Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman), concedes victory to Walter Mondale. But being the runner up to the Democratic Party Presidential nominee catapults Hart to the national stage. Fast forward to 1988 and Hart is the overwhelming front runner to be not only the Democratic nominee but most likely the next President of the United States. He is a progressive and has a knack for explaining politics so that everyone can understand. He’s well spoken, has popular policies, a clear message for the future and is a handsome man to boot. It seems like nothing can stand in his way. That is until three weeks into the primary elections reporters from the Miami Herald, Tom Fiedler (Steve Zissis) and Pete Murphy (Bill Burr), get wind of a story of Hart and a young woman from Miami spending time together at yacht party. Since Hart is very much married to his wife, Lee Hart (Vera Farmiga), they decide to investigate. They find out that the two may be meeting in Washington D.C. at Hart’s townhouse. They follow the young woman, Donna Rice (Sara Paxton), from Miami to D.C. There they take photos of the two together and print a story. The media blitz is on and the story explodes. Hart now faces one of the first personal political scandals. He must try and navigate a new media age to not see his political career slip away.
Even though this is a true story and some of you may already know the facts I will put the disclaimer of spoilers ahead. This is the story of Senator Hart and his fall from grace as a sure fire Presidential Nominee to out of politics in the blink of an eye, in one of the first “tabloid” political scandals. The Jason Reitman (Up in the Air, Thank you for Smoking) directed film focuses heavily on the interaction between politicians and reporters. It shows, and touches on, how this relationship evolves/devolves so quickly. There are plenty of moments that you can tie into today’s media and how maybe this instance influenced how the media reported on the private lives of politicians.
Overall I thought the film was good. I thought that telling the story from the side of the media and the people on the campaign was really interesting. I just thought that it was not overly compelling. You can’t feel bad for Hart because it was his actions and how he handled the situation that led to the eventual result. Also yeah the media maybe went too far at some point but also you could see how the reporters were just trying to do their jobs. The film has a large ensemble cast. J.K Simmons, Molly Ephraim, Chris Coy, Alfred Molina, Kevin Pollak, Mamoudou Athie and the list goes on. They all do okay but really this is all about Jackman. His performance is outstanding. The story did drag a little at points but for a political drama it was not overboard. I think it could have been a little shorter.
To use a real story that had such a media spotlight on it was ambitious and I give the filmmakers credit for that. But you can see some of the limitation on screen. Not really a theater must see but definitely if this is a story you are not familiar with it is worth the watch. Again it draws a lot of parallels and makes a lot of nods to today’s media and political climate.
Even though this is a true story and some of you may already know the facts I will put the disclaimer of spoilers ahead. This is the story of Senator Hart and his fall from grace as a sure fire Presidential Nominee to out of politics in the blink of an eye, in one of the first “tabloid” political scandals. The Jason Reitman (Up in the Air, Thank you for Smoking) directed film focuses heavily on the interaction between politicians and reporters. It shows, and touches on, how this relationship evolves/devolves so quickly. There are plenty of moments that you can tie into today’s media and how maybe this instance influenced how the media reported on the private lives of politicians.
Overall I thought the film was good. I thought that telling the story from the side of the media and the people on the campaign was really interesting. I just thought that it was not overly compelling. You can’t feel bad for Hart because it was his actions and how he handled the situation that led to the eventual result. Also yeah the media maybe went too far at some point but also you could see how the reporters were just trying to do their jobs. The film has a large ensemble cast. J.K Simmons, Molly Ephraim, Chris Coy, Alfred Molina, Kevin Pollak, Mamoudou Athie and the list goes on. They all do okay but really this is all about Jackman. His performance is outstanding. The story did drag a little at points but for a political drama it was not overboard. I think it could have been a little shorter.
To use a real story that had such a media spotlight on it was ambitious and I give the filmmakers credit for that. But you can see some of the limitation on screen. Not really a theater must see but definitely if this is a story you are not familiar with it is worth the watch. Again it draws a lot of parallels and makes a lot of nods to today’s media and political climate.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Morning Glory (2010) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019
Story: Morning Glory starts as we follow Becky (McAdams) a new producer dreaming of one day going to the next level, when she believes she is about to get the senior producer role she finds herself losing her job instead. Not one to give up on her dreams to searches endlessly for a new job in the business and it is Jerry Barnes (Goldblum) that gives her a chance to work on saving the fourth best morning news station Daybreak.
Wanting to make an impact Becky fires the demoralising anchor, Becky must find a new anchor and her choice is going after News Icon Mike Pomperoy (Ford) who is under contract but doesn’t want to work. Becky must find a way for Mike to work with her current anchor Colleen Peck (Keaton) while making new friends with fellow producer Adam Bennett (Wilson) offering up a potential love interest.
Thoughts on Morning Glory
Characters/Performance – Becky is an ambitious young woman desperate to make a career in producing the news. She gets her chance working on the lowest rated show and must use all of her good spirit and ideas to make the show climb the ratings, all while dealing with her own personal life that she has given up making her career important. This is a brilliant character because it shows how people can put their career before their own lives which is why this is something we have seen before but always good to go back too.
Mike is the difficult anchor to work with, he used to be a draw in the news reporting world but isn’t interested in working on anything he doesn’t think is news worth, he makes the job as difficult as possible for Becky by doing the bare minimum. Colleen is the seasoned anchor that is happy to take a chance on the wild stories that can bring in the ratings. Adam is the love interest for Becky as well as being involved with Mike before so he can give Becky advice when it comes to handling him.
Performance wise, McAdams is great in the leading role, not playing it overly funny which is how you can judge the whole cast, Ford does enjoy this role because it is different to the rest of his normal action material.
Story – The story following a career driven woman following her dream putting everything she has into making it happen against all the odds if something that is fantastic to watch because we all like to enjoy watching someone reach that goal. Sure, most of this film does go around in the cycle you would expect but if it isn’t broken don’t fix it.
Romantic/Comedy – The romantic side is on the main story which I think works because it isn’t the most important part of the film, the comedy comes when needed without being a constant attempt at laughter.
Settings – The settings for this film are mostly inside the news studio which shows how close everyone must be to work together. This helps us see how the tension looks between the characters.
Final Thoughts – I wasn’t expecting too much from this film going in, mostly because of the genres but in the end, I found myself enjoying everything as it was unfolding.
Overall: This is a good comedy drama that is worth watching.
Wanting to make an impact Becky fires the demoralising anchor, Becky must find a new anchor and her choice is going after News Icon Mike Pomperoy (Ford) who is under contract but doesn’t want to work. Becky must find a way for Mike to work with her current anchor Colleen Peck (Keaton) while making new friends with fellow producer Adam Bennett (Wilson) offering up a potential love interest.
Thoughts on Morning Glory
Characters/Performance – Becky is an ambitious young woman desperate to make a career in producing the news. She gets her chance working on the lowest rated show and must use all of her good spirit and ideas to make the show climb the ratings, all while dealing with her own personal life that she has given up making her career important. This is a brilliant character because it shows how people can put their career before their own lives which is why this is something we have seen before but always good to go back too.
Mike is the difficult anchor to work with, he used to be a draw in the news reporting world but isn’t interested in working on anything he doesn’t think is news worth, he makes the job as difficult as possible for Becky by doing the bare minimum. Colleen is the seasoned anchor that is happy to take a chance on the wild stories that can bring in the ratings. Adam is the love interest for Becky as well as being involved with Mike before so he can give Becky advice when it comes to handling him.
Performance wise, McAdams is great in the leading role, not playing it overly funny which is how you can judge the whole cast, Ford does enjoy this role because it is different to the rest of his normal action material.
Story – The story following a career driven woman following her dream putting everything she has into making it happen against all the odds if something that is fantastic to watch because we all like to enjoy watching someone reach that goal. Sure, most of this film does go around in the cycle you would expect but if it isn’t broken don’t fix it.
Romantic/Comedy – The romantic side is on the main story which I think works because it isn’t the most important part of the film, the comedy comes when needed without being a constant attempt at laughter.
Settings – The settings for this film are mostly inside the news studio which shows how close everyone must be to work together. This helps us see how the tension looks between the characters.
Final Thoughts – I wasn’t expecting too much from this film going in, mostly because of the genres but in the end, I found myself enjoying everything as it was unfolding.
Overall: This is a good comedy drama that is worth watching.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Equalizer 2 (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
Ex-government assassin Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) takes it upon himself to right the wrongs of those who have been exploited. He spends his days driving a Lyft around making chance encounters with people. When one of those people is in need he will go to any length to dispense justice. His brand of justice is brutal and swift but he always give the oppressors the chance to redeem themselves. He does this for people passing though his life but when his best friend, and one of the only former colleges to know his alive, Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo) is killed while on an investigation he sets out to dispatch vengeance rather than justice. He will stop at nothing to find out why his friend was murdered and eliminate those responsible. Robert must first reveal that he is still alive to his former partner Dave York (Pedro Pascal) so he can have access to the investigation. Once he has access the pair will try and find the killers and exact revenge. That is before the killers find them.
This film is the follow up to 2014’s The Equalizer. It returns both Washington and Leo as well as Director Antoine Fuqua (Shooter, South Paw) and Writer Richard Wenk (Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, 16 Blocks) and Bill Pullman, as Brian Plummer. The action scenes in the beginning of the film are really well done. Maybe a spoiler here so caution, the climatic fight scene at the end is less well done and because it is set in a hurricane a lot of it is blurry and hard to follow. It puts you in the setting of the weather but because the action is hand to hand you can really miss a lot of what is going on. It didn’t really work for me personally. The story started out really how I expected and followed the first films story of McCall helping out those who had no other options. This part felt very much like the first film but not redundant. However, it really slowed down when it got into the main story of the film. This part really seemed overly predictable and unoriginal. You, or rather I, could see how the entire movie was laid out and the inevitable conclusion with very few plot twist. This made pace of the film is tough for me. Really action packed at the beginning and then really slow drawn out drama in the middle.
On its own this film is an okay movie. One of many action/crime/mystery films that are made each year. It didn’t really do a good job of distinguishing itself from the rest of the genre. But fans of this type of movie can enjoy how it is heartfelt and warm at times and bloody and action packed at others. The end I discussed above I was not a fan of. Also there is the issue of when you compare it to the original film it really is lacking some key things that the made the first film a success. The villain in this film really leaves something to be desired while the first film had a pretty good antagonist. The pace of the first film was much better and the story flowed more naturally. Sometimes it is really hard to recreate something and I think this film falls way short.
This film is the follow up to 2014’s The Equalizer. It returns both Washington and Leo as well as Director Antoine Fuqua (Shooter, South Paw) and Writer Richard Wenk (Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, 16 Blocks) and Bill Pullman, as Brian Plummer. The action scenes in the beginning of the film are really well done. Maybe a spoiler here so caution, the climatic fight scene at the end is less well done and because it is set in a hurricane a lot of it is blurry and hard to follow. It puts you in the setting of the weather but because the action is hand to hand you can really miss a lot of what is going on. It didn’t really work for me personally. The story started out really how I expected and followed the first films story of McCall helping out those who had no other options. This part felt very much like the first film but not redundant. However, it really slowed down when it got into the main story of the film. This part really seemed overly predictable and unoriginal. You, or rather I, could see how the entire movie was laid out and the inevitable conclusion with very few plot twist. This made pace of the film is tough for me. Really action packed at the beginning and then really slow drawn out drama in the middle.
On its own this film is an okay movie. One of many action/crime/mystery films that are made each year. It didn’t really do a good job of distinguishing itself from the rest of the genre. But fans of this type of movie can enjoy how it is heartfelt and warm at times and bloody and action packed at others. The end I discussed above I was not a fan of. Also there is the issue of when you compare it to the original film it really is lacking some key things that the made the first film a success. The villain in this film really leaves something to be desired while the first film had a pretty good antagonist. The pace of the first film was much better and the story flowed more naturally. Sometimes it is really hard to recreate something and I think this film falls way short.
Darren (1599 KP) rated This Is England (2007) in Movies
Dec 2, 2019
Verdict: Gritty, Hard Hitting Reality Check
Story: This is England starts as young boy Shaun (Turgoose) is struggling with the death of his father in conflict in 1983, he gets picked on at school, he doesn’t fit in, until a group of skinheads led by Woody (Gilgun) welcoming him into their circle of friends for an afternoon of trouble, while his mother Cynth (Hartley) isn’t completely happy with this group, she does see him being happy for the first time in years.
When the other leader of the group Combo (Graham) gets out of prisons, he brings a more aggressive nature to what the gang wants to be, despite Woody, just wanting it to be friends hanging out.
Thoughts on This is England
Characters – Shaun is a 12-year-old boy that has suffered with the loss of his own father’s death in the Falklands, he gets bullied by the other school kids and has always just been left feeling alone in the world. The only people that let him in are Woody and the gang of skin heads who just want to hang out and soon gets drawn into a darker side by the more aggressive leaders of the gang. Combo is the older leader of the gang that doesn’t hold back with his hatred to other races in his country, he will fight anybody who goes again his gang too, being a horrendous role model for Shaun. Cynth is the mother of Shaun, she wants to see her son enjoying his life more but is getting worried about his own life choices. Woody is the member of the skin head gang that invites Shaun into the gang, he wants to help him fight back against the bullies, by offering somebody to hang out with.
Performances – Thomas Turgoose in the leading role is fantastic as we see just how he is dealing with his own grief in all the wrong places. Stephen Graham steals the show with his hyper aggressive character, while the rest of the cast do make us feel like we are watching mates hanging out.
Story – The story here follows a 12-year-old boy that ends up joining a skinhead gang after he struggles to find a way to deal with the grief in his life from his father’s death. The story does tackle just how difficult grief could be for the children of the victims of war, with Shaun having his school friends pick on him because of his father’s death, which in todays, not the 80s wouldn’t be acceptable in anyway, with everybody being more supportive. The idea of joining the gang and just how the gang soon starts to consume his life, effecting his behaviour shows how being given the wrong lines to follow will not make life any easier. We do see how the world has changed since the 80s and how the skinhead culture should never be forced onto anybody.
Crime – The crime world we get placed into here it, involves the violent behaviour of the skinhead gangs to anybody that doesn’t fit into their profile.
Settings – The film is set in the midlands of the UK which does show the neighbours that would have been struggling in the 1980s.
Scene of the Movie – The first day out with the gang.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – 12-year-old dating an 18-year-old seems weird.
Final Thoughts – This film does show the violence being pushed onto people if they can’t deal with grief when they have nobody else in their lives.
Overall: Violent Drama.
Story: This is England starts as young boy Shaun (Turgoose) is struggling with the death of his father in conflict in 1983, he gets picked on at school, he doesn’t fit in, until a group of skinheads led by Woody (Gilgun) welcoming him into their circle of friends for an afternoon of trouble, while his mother Cynth (Hartley) isn’t completely happy with this group, she does see him being happy for the first time in years.
When the other leader of the group Combo (Graham) gets out of prisons, he brings a more aggressive nature to what the gang wants to be, despite Woody, just wanting it to be friends hanging out.
Thoughts on This is England
Characters – Shaun is a 12-year-old boy that has suffered with the loss of his own father’s death in the Falklands, he gets bullied by the other school kids and has always just been left feeling alone in the world. The only people that let him in are Woody and the gang of skin heads who just want to hang out and soon gets drawn into a darker side by the more aggressive leaders of the gang. Combo is the older leader of the gang that doesn’t hold back with his hatred to other races in his country, he will fight anybody who goes again his gang too, being a horrendous role model for Shaun. Cynth is the mother of Shaun, she wants to see her son enjoying his life more but is getting worried about his own life choices. Woody is the member of the skin head gang that invites Shaun into the gang, he wants to help him fight back against the bullies, by offering somebody to hang out with.
Performances – Thomas Turgoose in the leading role is fantastic as we see just how he is dealing with his own grief in all the wrong places. Stephen Graham steals the show with his hyper aggressive character, while the rest of the cast do make us feel like we are watching mates hanging out.
Story – The story here follows a 12-year-old boy that ends up joining a skinhead gang after he struggles to find a way to deal with the grief in his life from his father’s death. The story does tackle just how difficult grief could be for the children of the victims of war, with Shaun having his school friends pick on him because of his father’s death, which in todays, not the 80s wouldn’t be acceptable in anyway, with everybody being more supportive. The idea of joining the gang and just how the gang soon starts to consume his life, effecting his behaviour shows how being given the wrong lines to follow will not make life any easier. We do see how the world has changed since the 80s and how the skinhead culture should never be forced onto anybody.
Crime – The crime world we get placed into here it, involves the violent behaviour of the skinhead gangs to anybody that doesn’t fit into their profile.
Settings – The film is set in the midlands of the UK which does show the neighbours that would have been struggling in the 1980s.
Scene of the Movie – The first day out with the gang.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – 12-year-old dating an 18-year-old seems weird.
Final Thoughts – This film does show the violence being pushed onto people if they can’t deal with grief when they have nobody else in their lives.
Overall: Violent Drama.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Last Christmas (2019) in Movies
Dec 8, 2019
I ummed and erred about how to start this review, should I burst into song? Should I be writing it while adorned with fairy lights? None of that is needed though, and I'll tell you why in a moment.
Kate the Christmas elf has lost her Christmas spirit, life just hasn't felt the same recently and it's affecting her friends and family as well as everything in her life. Tensions run high as she takes advantage of her close friends and slowly burns almost all of her bridges.
Then she meets Tom, he's happy-go-lucky and all about something more to life. Where she's single-minded and oblivious he's caring and mindful of everyone, the pair couldn't be more different while still being the perfect match.
So... a Christmas film using the music of George Michael. Christmas probably appears in 95% of the shots and yet at no point did I feel very Christmassy. As for the music, if I hadn't been told they use his tracks in there I would have just said they just used Last Christmas because they thought they should match the title.
A fair bit of the film takes place at night which does allow for some beautiful illuminated shots of London. The settings are all very well suited for this, I always think that Covent Garden looks like the perfect place for a Christmas paradise when it's made up properly... and that Christmas shop! I died and went to heaven!
I've had no real previous experience with Emilia Clarke as an actress, I've never knowingly seen her in anything (yes, I've never watched Game Of Thrones), but I was impressed with her portrayal of Kate. It all felt very natural, there was a lot of sass but she also managed to keep it together during the serious moments. I don't think I'll be going back to watch GoT after this but I may well give some of her other films a go.
Henry Golding plays the perfect gentleman, that might be his niche. There's nothing to object to in his performance at all, I might have some issues with the way he's written in the script but Golding brought Tom to life perfectly on screen.
The best support performance for me was definitely Santa, played by Michelle Yeoh. Santa and Kate playing off against each other was wonderful to see, no matter whether it eas a dramatic moment or a comedy one they bounced back and forth incredibly well. Seeing Yeoh listed for this was a little dubious but it was delightful to see.
Emma Thompson's portrayal was enjoyable, though the accent did change the feel of the humour. I do question why Kate's family needed to be of Croatian descent. I'm not one to say "this was trying to make a statement" but there wasn't anything of any major consequence in the film that required it to be that way. It didn't feel like the film gained anything from this apart from an opportunity to shoehorn in Brexit.
Despite my quibbling, which you know I love to do, Last Christmas was a thoroughly enjoyable film. It is much more drama than it is Christmas film, Christmas honestly feels incidental even though Emilia Clarke is dressed as an elf most of the time. Sure its message might be a little "hidden agenda" and overly sweet but it's a great bit of entertainment. Just remember, don't be the arsehole who spoils it for someone.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/11/last-christmas-movie-review.html
Kate the Christmas elf has lost her Christmas spirit, life just hasn't felt the same recently and it's affecting her friends and family as well as everything in her life. Tensions run high as she takes advantage of her close friends and slowly burns almost all of her bridges.
Then she meets Tom, he's happy-go-lucky and all about something more to life. Where she's single-minded and oblivious he's caring and mindful of everyone, the pair couldn't be more different while still being the perfect match.
So... a Christmas film using the music of George Michael. Christmas probably appears in 95% of the shots and yet at no point did I feel very Christmassy. As for the music, if I hadn't been told they use his tracks in there I would have just said they just used Last Christmas because they thought they should match the title.
A fair bit of the film takes place at night which does allow for some beautiful illuminated shots of London. The settings are all very well suited for this, I always think that Covent Garden looks like the perfect place for a Christmas paradise when it's made up properly... and that Christmas shop! I died and went to heaven!
I've had no real previous experience with Emilia Clarke as an actress, I've never knowingly seen her in anything (yes, I've never watched Game Of Thrones), but I was impressed with her portrayal of Kate. It all felt very natural, there was a lot of sass but she also managed to keep it together during the serious moments. I don't think I'll be going back to watch GoT after this but I may well give some of her other films a go.
Henry Golding plays the perfect gentleman, that might be his niche. There's nothing to object to in his performance at all, I might have some issues with the way he's written in the script but Golding brought Tom to life perfectly on screen.
The best support performance for me was definitely Santa, played by Michelle Yeoh. Santa and Kate playing off against each other was wonderful to see, no matter whether it eas a dramatic moment or a comedy one they bounced back and forth incredibly well. Seeing Yeoh listed for this was a little dubious but it was delightful to see.
Emma Thompson's portrayal was enjoyable, though the accent did change the feel of the humour. I do question why Kate's family needed to be of Croatian descent. I'm not one to say "this was trying to make a statement" but there wasn't anything of any major consequence in the film that required it to be that way. It didn't feel like the film gained anything from this apart from an opportunity to shoehorn in Brexit.
Despite my quibbling, which you know I love to do, Last Christmas was a thoroughly enjoyable film. It is much more drama than it is Christmas film, Christmas honestly feels incidental even though Emilia Clarke is dressed as an elf most of the time. Sure its message might be a little "hidden agenda" and overly sweet but it's a great bit of entertainment. Just remember, don't be the arsehole who spoils it for someone.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/11/last-christmas-movie-review.html