Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (238)

Content

Kristina (502 KP) rated Thirteen Reasons Why in Books

Dec 7, 2020

Thirteen Reasons Why

Jay Asher | 2009 | Children

8.4

(49 Ratings)

Book Rating

It hurts. I hurt - my heart, most of all. Thirteen Reasons Why spoke to me on a deep and personal level, one I try to ignore more often than not. Listening to Hannah Baker explain, in great detail, the stories, events, and people, that lead to her decision to commit suicide, was jarring. The way she chose to reveal her past, to expose the cause, was more effective than if she had just walked through the story in real time. Reading the discoveries through Clay's point of view made things more interesting. From Hanna's first official kiss, to the rumors that spread afterward (and who can honestly say they've never had a single rumor said about them?), to out of control parties and signs of depression ignored, we're lead through a sort of "treasure hunt". Each moment builds and builds as her tolerance withers away, crumbling under thoughts of not being wanted or cared about. This book, Hannah's story, is something that should open every eye to who we are as people, how we act, what we believe without verification, and how we treat others. Some events in Thirteen Reasons Why are textbook examples of bullying, while others are moments where, if they had happened separately from all the other moments, probably wouldn't have amounted to much. It should make you realize how every little thing can effect someone. Your words have an effect; your actions have an effect; your behavior has an effect. If you don't stop to think to how you've treated people throughout your life, or even wondered if something you have said or done has ever meant more to another person than they did to you, then perhaps you need to reevaluate your life. Thirteen Reasons Why is a breath of truth, if not a breath of fresh air. Nothing has slapped me in the face as serious or as hard as this book. Please, if you feel like you didn't feel the same reaction, reread this book and try to look at it through a different mindset. Because each word is important and the moral of this particular story is life changing.

Kudos

pdf-notes for iPad

Productivity and Business

(0 Ratings) Rate It

App

Utilize pdf-notes to manage all the pdf files on your iPad. Fast display, quick page-turning even a...

Map My Fitness

Health & Fitness

8.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

App Watch

Track and map every workout with MapMyFitness. For every mile you go, you’ll get feedback and...

health and fitness

Roof Jumping: Stunt Driver Sim

Games

(0 Ratings) Rate It

App

Become a pro stunt driver and take your skills to a completely new level! Choose from the most...

ShutterSnitch

Photo & Video and Productivity

(0 Ratings) Rate It

App

See more videos at shuttersnitch.com/videos Wirelessly transfer images to your iPad from your...

Facetune for iPad

Photo & Video and Lifestyle

(0 Ratings) Rate It

App

• Limited time sale! Download now and achieve magazine-level photos today! • Facetune is a fun...

Anova Culinary

Food & Drink and Lifestyle

(0 Ratings) Rate It

App

Browse Recipes and Start Cooking directly from the Anova app! The Anova app is the companion app...

BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Barbie (2023) in Movies

Jul 21, 2023

Barbie (2023)

2023 | Animation, Romance

7.4

(7 Ratings)

Movie Rating

More Than Meets The Eye

The Margot Robbie/Ryan Gosling curiosity BARBIE is a subversive film. This Greta Gerwig directed move lures you in by presenting a farcical/satirical look at the pastel colored “Barbieland” and the myriad of outfits and “golly-gosh” goodness of the world of this iconic Mattel doll (and her boyfriend, Ken). Once you are comfortably settled into this world, you are transformed to the “real world” and the much deeper themes of a women’s place in a patriarchal world.

As another toy’s slogan puts it, “there’s more than meets the eye” to this film.

And one should have expected something more than just a “surfacey-fun” film from the Writer/Director of such fare as LADYBIRD and FRANCES HA. Gerwing uses the stereotypes of Barbie and Ken to take a look at our society and the inherent hierarchy of the sexes while peeling back the layers of the key players to make them more than the plastic dolls they portray.

And…it works surprisingly well for adults - not so much for kids.

Margot Robbie, of course, is perfectly cast as the titular Barbie. She has the looks and the vacuous devil-may-care attitude of “Stereotype Barbie” and is a comfortable, pleasing entity to share this adventure with. But, with Gerwig’s direction, Robbie’s performance reveals, subtly, layer after layer until - at the end - we end up with a full fledged character and not just a living doll.

Ryan Gosling is just as strong as Barbie’s counterpart, Ken. He morphs from a Barbie worshipping boyfriend to something else once he encounters the real, male-dominated world. The BankofMarquis wondered why Gosling would agree to do a film that, on it’s surface, appears to be a one-note joke-fest, but once the film really drives to it’s point, one can see why Gosling agreed to be in this.

Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Michael Cerra, Helen Mirren (as the narrator) and America Ferrara all spark - at times - during this film while it was good to see Rhea Perlman (Carla on CHEERS) have a role that she could sink her teeth into.

Only Will Ferrell - as the money hungry CEO of Mattel - falls short of interesting. His character - one of the only “real world” characters in this film - stays stereotypical throughout the movie. He is the only complete caricature in this film…and perhaps that is on purpose.

Credit for the surprising depth of this film goes to Gerwig who brings her sensibilities to this film to make a comment on our society. It’s a bold move by Gerwig and works well…unless you are a Mom that is bringing your 5 or 6 year old child to this film.

And, that is the caution to this movie. It’s not, necessarily, made for the youngsters that play with Barbies. The kids will love the early going of this film, but the more adult themes in the middle of the movie will probably make a good deal of them squirm in their seats, since these moments of depth will go over their heads.

A surprisingly fun…and deeper than it appears to be….film, this Barbie is a multi-level dreamhouse.

Letter Grade: A-

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the BankofMarquis