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Sarah (7800 KP) rated This Is Where I Leave You (2014) in Movies

Jul 25, 2020

Heartwarming

This is a film that has flown under my radar since it was released - I don’t recall ever having seen it advertised until it recently popped up on Netflix, and I really wish I’d discovered it sooner.

Starting with the obvious, this film has an absolutely stellar cast. The number of fantastic actors in this is truly impressive and they’re partly the reason why I enjoyed this so much, as every single person performs wonderfully in their role, whether main (I cannot fault any of the main family) or side (Timothy Olyphant is particularly memorable). They’re helped by a great script which flits between incredibly heartwarming and darkly humorous with such ease. The plot itself is nothing new and this is where this film falls down a little as it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. However this film just goes to show that it’s the journey and not the destination that matters as this is so well executed that the unoriginal plot is only a minor issue.

The only other problem with this film is that it’s pretty much made me an emotional wreck. I haven’t laughed and cried so much in the space of 2 hours before. This might not be the most original film you’ll ever see, but it’s so lovely and heartwarming that I dare you not to feel anything by the end.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Echo Park (Harry Bosch, #12; Harry Bosch Universe, #15) in Books

Aug 2, 2020

Does the Confession Solve the Cold Case?

Since Harry Bosch joined the open unsolved squad of the LAPD, he has been actively working on one of his own unsolved cases, that of a young woman who vanished thirteen years earlier. He has a suspect, but it is just based on gut feeling. Then he gets a surprising call. A man who was recently arrested with dead bodies in his car has reached a plea deal to avoid the death penalty. He’s going to confess to several other crimes, including Bosch’s cold case. Is the confession credible?

I had missed Harry Bosch, so I was thrilled to be back in his presence when I picked up this book. He’s a fantastic character, and he comes to life once again in these pages. FBI agent Rachel Walling is also present, and I enjoyed their interactions. The rest of the characters, returning and new, are just as vivid. I knew to expect twists, but they still caught me off guard when I reached them. Yet each one was logical. This series has more sex, language, and violence than my normal cozies, but they are never gratuitously put into the book but used to tell the story. I definitely count myself among Michael Connelly’s fans, and I can’t wait until I find the time to visit Harry Bosch again.

Kudos

LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Moana (2016) in Movies

May 12, 2020

Moana (2016)

2016 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy

8.5

(214 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Ive said it before and I'll say it again - I'm not a fan of musicals, and Moana isn't a film that's going to change my mind on that. However, as it's goes with Disney more often or not, there's plenty of good stuff here that make it an enjoyable adventure.

It has a decent and easy to follow plot, and a strong female lead for a start. The titular character is easy to like and root for, as are all the characters come to think of it. Dwayne Johnson's character Maui starts off as a douche but he's not so bad by the end.
The whole film looks incredible. The animation is bursting with colour, the water in particular looks great. There are some great set pieces that take full advantage of this - especially the neon drenched scene with Tamatoa, and the films climax looks fantastic as well.

The musical numbers just didn't do anything for me. I didn't hate any of the songs (the 'I AM MOANAAA' bit was pretty badass), but it's mostly just little too cheesy for my taste, much like Frozen was.

Overall though, Moana is a pretty good time, with a nice Disney approved moral heart, and I'm sure it will stand up alongside the many other Disney classics for years to come.