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Sarah (7798 KP) rated Line of Duty - Season 1 in TV
Apr 22, 2019 (Updated Apr 22, 2019)
Deserving of the hype
Over the past few months, one of the shows that I kept getting told to watch is Line of Duty. Nearly everyone I know is raving about this, and despite the fact that they’re all on series 5, I decided to give this a go from the very first series. And for the most part, this is fairly deserving of the hype.
Police dramas have inundated our screens over the past few years, and it’s unusual to find ones that rise above average - Luther is one, and now I think Line of Duty is another. This has at least found a new angle on the police instead of the usual murder mystery, focusing on the Anti Corruption unit. Whilst I’m pretty sure AC isn’t anywhere nearly as interesting in real life (and indeed the real life name of Professional Standards used for the unit by most actual police forces isn’t as catchy either), Line of Duty at least makes this highly entertaining and intriguing. Corruption sounds boring, but in this it really isn’t and is full of twists and turns and reveals throughout the series. It has a great cast too that really helps and isn’t afraid to show a bit of blood and violence. As sad as I am, I also enjoyed the little nods to real police - the modern glass plated buildings and the police lanyards etc - these made this a lot more relatable.
This isn’t perfect though. I sometimes found some of the jumps in storyline confusing and I don’t feel like everything was wrapped up at the end of the series. I also found that the three main AC12 character weren’t very well developed and there could have been more done to show their backgrounds or personal lives. I don’t doubt that this will be expanded in later series, but it would’ve been nice to see it here! I am however very much looking forward to seeing the next few series.
Police dramas have inundated our screens over the past few years, and it’s unusual to find ones that rise above average - Luther is one, and now I think Line of Duty is another. This has at least found a new angle on the police instead of the usual murder mystery, focusing on the Anti Corruption unit. Whilst I’m pretty sure AC isn’t anywhere nearly as interesting in real life (and indeed the real life name of Professional Standards used for the unit by most actual police forces isn’t as catchy either), Line of Duty at least makes this highly entertaining and intriguing. Corruption sounds boring, but in this it really isn’t and is full of twists and turns and reveals throughout the series. It has a great cast too that really helps and isn’t afraid to show a bit of blood and violence. As sad as I am, I also enjoyed the little nods to real police - the modern glass plated buildings and the police lanyards etc - these made this a lot more relatable.
This isn’t perfect though. I sometimes found some of the jumps in storyline confusing and I don’t feel like everything was wrapped up at the end of the series. I also found that the three main AC12 character weren’t very well developed and there could have been more done to show their backgrounds or personal lives. I don’t doubt that this will be expanded in later series, but it would’ve been nice to see it here! I am however very much looking forward to seeing the next few series.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The Festival (2018) in Movies
May 14, 2019
Mud spelt backwards
#thefestival #thefestivalmovie is overlong, overstuffed, unfunny, repetitive and out dated dribble. After enjoying all 3 seasons of #theInbetweeners I found by the time the films were released the formula was starting to become tiresome and predictable. So now along comes The #Festival and I'm sad to say nothing has changed at all. Within the first ten minutes I found myself exhausted by its relentless #humour and its need to shock, its all just far to simple/predictable and tries nothing new at all going for cheap #laughs over quality every time. Acting is also at times borderline atrocious with most scenes feeling far too scripted and forced. I found none of the characters likable and even during the standard ups and downs of the story you can see things coming from a mile off so I just couldnt sympathise or warm to any of them. Considering they are at a festival #music is not integrated well here, there's #famous hits blasted out over montages but very rarely are we treated to artists blaring from stages or shown bands on stage. This is #teenage humour at its most garish with no jokes hitting their mark/done better in other films and most out stay their welcome. Not many people were laughing in my screening either except one teen who was roaring from start to finish. I appreciate I may not be the target audience for this type of film any more but I cant help but feel with this kind of film now days once you've seen one you've seen them all. Overall it does nail the shit side of attending a festival extremely well but it lacks so much in atmosphere that its almost impossible to enjoy the cliched barebones story or care for its dull characters. A complete waste of my time and I just cant recommend it to anyone accept giggly #teens. #odeon #odeonlimitless #funny #silly #sex #camping #dj #joethomas #drunk #jermaineclement #noelfielding
#filmreview #filmbuff #filmcritic #inbetweeners #uk #british #joke #party #drinking
#filmreview #filmbuff #filmcritic #inbetweeners #uk #british #joke #party #drinking
ArecRain (8 KP) rated The Master and the Muses in Books
Jan 18, 2018
After first reading <i> Tortured</i>, I was then taken in by <i>The Master and the Muse</i>. I was immediately interested in <i>The Master and the Muse</i> because it was a historical novel about an artist back when painting was still profitable career (for some). It goes through three different women he uses for models and his relationship with them. While <i> Tortured</i> was more about the plot line than the erotica, there was no want for erotic scenes in this book. McIntyre threw me for a loop with how detailed they were, too. Here, I wasn't expecting any heat and instead, I received full on fire.
Once more, I found myself ensnared by McIntyre's expert story telling. The world and characters she created were so vivid and realistic that I found myself falling in love with the novel. With each new muse, I found myself caught up in their stories, their lives, and their emotions. I felt my heart breaking with theirs and smiling with each success. My heart was always with Grace, who I felt for the most. I would have felt more sympathetic for Helen if she wasn't so pathetic, and I couldn't even begin to like Sara who just a brat. I would feel sorry for Edward, but he was so in love with Sara, he couldn't see what a snot she was.
But Grace. How could Thomas see how perfect she was? I literally wanted to punch him for being such a chauvinistic snob that he was. In all honestly, he didnt deserve her love for how he abandoned her the way he did. And yet, I wanted them to succeed so much that I felt his love for her was apology enough. This novel brought out the romantic in me despite how dark and depressing it really was. Every happily ever after was worth the suffering of getting there.
Definitely a must read in my opinion.
Once more, I found myself ensnared by McIntyre's expert story telling. The world and characters she created were so vivid and realistic that I found myself falling in love with the novel. With each new muse, I found myself caught up in their stories, their lives, and their emotions. I felt my heart breaking with theirs and smiling with each success. My heart was always with Grace, who I felt for the most. I would have felt more sympathetic for Helen if she wasn't so pathetic, and I couldn't even begin to like Sara who just a brat. I would feel sorry for Edward, but he was so in love with Sara, he couldn't see what a snot she was.
But Grace. How could Thomas see how perfect she was? I literally wanted to punch him for being such a chauvinistic snob that he was. In all honestly, he didnt deserve her love for how he abandoned her the way he did. And yet, I wanted them to succeed so much that I felt his love for her was apology enough. This novel brought out the romantic in me despite how dark and depressing it really was. Every happily ever after was worth the suffering of getting there.
Definitely a must read in my opinion.
Evie is a listless teenager in California, drifting through life, when she spots a group of girls in the park one day. Evie is immediately captivated, especially by Suzanne, an older girl with long black hair. She soon becomes ensnared by the girls and drawn back to their ranch, where she meets their leader, Russell, a would-be musician who has an entire group under his thrall. While the ranch is decrepit, and its inhabitants often hungry, Evie finds it a welcome alternative to life at home with her mother, or her boring best friend friend. She also finds herself more and more enthralled with Suzanne. But as Evie gets drawn into the group, it's hard for her to see the darkness surrounding her new friends--and what it may lead to.
I tend to either read "It" books immediately, or shy away from them. I was hesitant to read this one for a while, but finally caved while on vacation. While I found it an interesting read, it didn't live up to the incredible hype that swirled around the novel. I found Evie a lackluster character--and while part of that is the point, and what allows her to be drawn into Russell and Suzanne's web, I just found myself lacking any empathy for her whatsoever. The story itself goes seemingly nowhere for a good 2/3 of the book, only picking up near the end (yet, Evie isn't really involved in the novel's major plot impetus - it's very strange).
The juxtaposition of Evie looking back on her life, telling the story of her teenage years is an interesting one, but we don't get much further development about her present life. Overall, I enjoyed Cline's writing style and pieces of the book, but was disappointed in the novel as a whole. I didn't care about the characters or much of the plot, nor did I find the story as captivating as I'd hoped, based on all the raving reviews. Still, it was a fairly quick and interesting read.
I tend to either read "It" books immediately, or shy away from them. I was hesitant to read this one for a while, but finally caved while on vacation. While I found it an interesting read, it didn't live up to the incredible hype that swirled around the novel. I found Evie a lackluster character--and while part of that is the point, and what allows her to be drawn into Russell and Suzanne's web, I just found myself lacking any empathy for her whatsoever. The story itself goes seemingly nowhere for a good 2/3 of the book, only picking up near the end (yet, Evie isn't really involved in the novel's major plot impetus - it's very strange).
The juxtaposition of Evie looking back on her life, telling the story of her teenage years is an interesting one, but we don't get much further development about her present life. Overall, I enjoyed Cline's writing style and pieces of the book, but was disappointed in the novel as a whole. I didn't care about the characters or much of the plot, nor did I find the story as captivating as I'd hoped, based on all the raving reviews. Still, it was a fairly quick and interesting read.
Necole (36 KP) rated The Good Girl in Books
Aug 12, 2018 (Updated Aug 12, 2018)
I was really excited about reading this book. I have not read any books by Mary Kubica before so I wanted to start with her first published book. I love psychothriller and mystery books so the synopsis on the back of the book intrigued me.
Mia is kidnapped and held for ransom, however the it did not go as planned. Colin changed the plans and as the story unfolds, you get a better understanding of why. Mia is a daughter of a powerful judge and a stay at home mom. She is a teacher in an underprivileged high school and lives a life different from her rich upbringing and opposite of her older sister. As the story unfolds it is told in the perspectives of Mia's mom Eve, Gabe (the detective on the case) and Colin (the kidnapper) in a format of before Mia was found and after Mia was found. I actually really liked this writing style and found it kept me more intrigued in the story.
I kept reading and not wanting to put it down to see how each of the characters were involved, how these characters developed from the beginning to the end, how things were going to play out and how the few story lines would end and tie in together.
At the beginning of the book all the male characters seemed very machoistic, dominant and arrogant, but as the story unfolded you got a softer side of Colin and Gabe which helped the story develop into different plots and made you feel more compelled to them unlike in the beginning. Even feeling sorry for the kidnapper Colin at the end for reasons you will have to read the book to understand.
I gave this book 4 stars because I felt the ending could have been better, I wasn't as shocked as I thought I would be, and it felt a little rushed.
All in all is what a good book I would recommend and I will definitely read more of Mary Kubica.
Mia is kidnapped and held for ransom, however the it did not go as planned. Colin changed the plans and as the story unfolds, you get a better understanding of why. Mia is a daughter of a powerful judge and a stay at home mom. She is a teacher in an underprivileged high school and lives a life different from her rich upbringing and opposite of her older sister. As the story unfolds it is told in the perspectives of Mia's mom Eve, Gabe (the detective on the case) and Colin (the kidnapper) in a format of before Mia was found and after Mia was found. I actually really liked this writing style and found it kept me more intrigued in the story.
I kept reading and not wanting to put it down to see how each of the characters were involved, how these characters developed from the beginning to the end, how things were going to play out and how the few story lines would end and tie in together.
At the beginning of the book all the male characters seemed very machoistic, dominant and arrogant, but as the story unfolded you got a softer side of Colin and Gabe which helped the story develop into different plots and made you feel more compelled to them unlike in the beginning. Even feeling sorry for the kidnapper Colin at the end for reasons you will have to read the book to understand.
I gave this book 4 stars because I felt the ending could have been better, I wasn't as shocked as I thought I would be, and it felt a little rushed.
All in all is what a good book I would recommend and I will definitely read more of Mary Kubica.
Kelly (279 KP) rated Outlaw King (2018) in Movies
Dec 16, 2018
Clear passion to retell the story (1 more)
Excellent battle scene
Watchable
After seeing an advert for the Outlaw King, I was excited to watch the movie. Despite this I found that the film missed my expectations, and I found that it became almost boring in places.
The writers of the outlaw king had a clear passion to retell the story of Robert Bruce and his fight to regain the Scottish crown from the English in the early Plantagenet period. To the best of my knowledge, the story was told as accurately as possible, however this did mean that there were a lot of scenes centred around the politics of Roberts plight. The slower scenes were unbalanced with the battle scenes which meant that the pace of the story dipped many times during the film - I have to confess it took me three attempts to watch it in full as a result of this.
As the writers tried to cram too much into such a short film, I found that the movie had a bit of an identity crisis - was this an action, romance or political film? Had the writers focused on just one area, I believe the movie would have been a lot more watchable, instead the movie felt overloaded.
The acting in general was okay, and reasonably well cast, except for the relationship between Robert Bruce and his wife. I struggled to believe the romance between the two actors. Although this is ultimately my opinion, I struggled to believe that what was ultimately an arranged marriage between the two, could rest in the two characters falling for each other as quickly as the film portrayed.
In general, the film is watchable, although it is not one I would go to as a first choice. There are some good parts of the film, for example the relationship between Robert and his men, and the final battle scene. The film also teaches us about part of Scottish history that tends to be overlooked by many schools during history lessons.
The writers of the outlaw king had a clear passion to retell the story of Robert Bruce and his fight to regain the Scottish crown from the English in the early Plantagenet period. To the best of my knowledge, the story was told as accurately as possible, however this did mean that there were a lot of scenes centred around the politics of Roberts plight. The slower scenes were unbalanced with the battle scenes which meant that the pace of the story dipped many times during the film - I have to confess it took me three attempts to watch it in full as a result of this.
As the writers tried to cram too much into such a short film, I found that the movie had a bit of an identity crisis - was this an action, romance or political film? Had the writers focused on just one area, I believe the movie would have been a lot more watchable, instead the movie felt overloaded.
The acting in general was okay, and reasonably well cast, except for the relationship between Robert Bruce and his wife. I struggled to believe the romance between the two actors. Although this is ultimately my opinion, I struggled to believe that what was ultimately an arranged marriage between the two, could rest in the two characters falling for each other as quickly as the film portrayed.
In general, the film is watchable, although it is not one I would go to as a first choice. There are some good parts of the film, for example the relationship between Robert and his men, and the final battle scene. The film also teaches us about part of Scottish history that tends to be overlooked by many schools during history lessons.
An enjoyable Victorian mystery
Julia McAllister is a female photographer in 1895 who works for herself - which is a struggle in England at this time, as she would have had no legal rights. She pretends to her clients that she is working for a male photographer, but in reality he left her the business when he died. So, in order to make ends meet she finds work taking ‘French Style’ photos. These were risqué pornographic photos. Julia makes sure her models are comfortable with what they’re doing and that they’re well paid. She feels responsible for these young women.
When three of them are found murdered, and Julia is visited by an Inspector Collingwood asking questions because her stamp is on the back of the photos found with these women, Julia is devastated. Devastated that she is in the frame, and devastated that she has lost women who she considers to be friends. So Julia sets out to find the killer herself, because she has secrets that she doesn’t want anyone finding out.
This book is pretty jam packed with dead bodies, if I’m honest. The dead models and two unconnected men. Julia is involved with finding the perpetrators of these deaths too. So if you don’t like dead bodies, you’re going to struggle with this one! Although it’s not graphic in any way. It’s not a salacious book - the photos aren’t really described in any great detail: the making of them is just a part of the story.
I liked Julia. She is a caring character who looks after her models, her neighbours, and she even gives a home to a street urchin. I found the photography descriptions (taking photos and developing them) really interesting, and I thought the setting was really well described: the sights and sounds of a busy urban Victorian England especially. This is a very enjoyable book, and one for those who enjoy an easy reading mystery.
Many thanks to Sapere Books for sending me my copy to read and honestly review.
When three of them are found murdered, and Julia is visited by an Inspector Collingwood asking questions because her stamp is on the back of the photos found with these women, Julia is devastated. Devastated that she is in the frame, and devastated that she has lost women who she considers to be friends. So Julia sets out to find the killer herself, because she has secrets that she doesn’t want anyone finding out.
This book is pretty jam packed with dead bodies, if I’m honest. The dead models and two unconnected men. Julia is involved with finding the perpetrators of these deaths too. So if you don’t like dead bodies, you’re going to struggle with this one! Although it’s not graphic in any way. It’s not a salacious book - the photos aren’t really described in any great detail: the making of them is just a part of the story.
I liked Julia. She is a caring character who looks after her models, her neighbours, and she even gives a home to a street urchin. I found the photography descriptions (taking photos and developing them) really interesting, and I thought the setting was really well described: the sights and sounds of a busy urban Victorian England especially. This is a very enjoyable book, and one for those who enjoy an easy reading mystery.
Many thanks to Sapere Books for sending me my copy to read and honestly review.
ClareR (5674 KP) rated The Flower Girls in Books
Jan 17, 2019
A chilling psychological thriller
A child goes missing on New Years Eve from a hotel, and when the police are called in, it is discovered that one of the guests is one of the notorious Flower Girls. The Flower Girls were involved in the murder and mutilation of a toddler in 1997, when they themselves were only 10 and 6 years old. The 10 year old, Laurel, remains in prison nearly 20 years later. Rosie was found not to have participated in the murder and couldn't remember anything that happened at that time, such was her trauma. She and her remaining family were given new identities and relocated. Her rediscovery provokes a media frenzy. The missing child (Georgie) is found alive and hypothermic, but Rosie's new identity as Hazel is now known to everyone.
We see what happened 20 years ago in short flashbacks, which can have some disturbing moments (not gory, not of the original murder - at least not at the start), and we meet the aunt of Kirstie Swann (the toddler who was murdered), who has campaigned tirelessly to keep Laurel behind bars. We are also kept in the loop of the police investigation of Georgie's disappearance. There are a lot of characters to contend with in this book, but I think it was done well, and I didn't have any problem remembering who they were. I really enjoyed this, despite the rather macabre subject matter. The pace was just right, there was a good amount of skin-crawling moments, and an unresolved ending which really suited the rest of the story - and an unresolved ending? Well, that has to be one of my favourite things!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for the chance to read this book, and to Alice Clark-Platts for reading along and commenting on the story with the readers! If you haven't tried The Pigeonhole, it's well worth a go. I've found some really good books on this platform.
We see what happened 20 years ago in short flashbacks, which can have some disturbing moments (not gory, not of the original murder - at least not at the start), and we meet the aunt of Kirstie Swann (the toddler who was murdered), who has campaigned tirelessly to keep Laurel behind bars. We are also kept in the loop of the police investigation of Georgie's disappearance. There are a lot of characters to contend with in this book, but I think it was done well, and I didn't have any problem remembering who they were. I really enjoyed this, despite the rather macabre subject matter. The pace was just right, there was a good amount of skin-crawling moments, and an unresolved ending which really suited the rest of the story - and an unresolved ending? Well, that has to be one of my favourite things!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for the chance to read this book, and to Alice Clark-Platts for reading along and commenting on the story with the readers! If you haven't tried The Pigeonhole, it's well worth a go. I've found some really good books on this platform.
Deborah (162 KP) rated The Madwoman Upstairs in Books
Dec 21, 2018
I thought this sounded a really interesting idea, modern day woman, descended from the Bronte family uncovers secrets from the history of her family. While I didn't dislike it, I didn't really love it either. For about the first half of the book I found it a bit of a struggle as I found the protagonist, Samantha Whipple, rather hard to like. I'm not even sure I liked her that much by the end of the book to be honest.
Samantha has had rather an odd upbringing, which would account for some of her strangeness. We see her early on arriving at a fictional Oxford college to study English Literature although she seems to hate practically all writers and seems incapable of constructing a reasonable critical argument! She is rather like a spoilt child, and as such I found her hard to like. I'm also pretty good at suspending my disbelief but it takes some stretch of the imagination to accept that someone like Samantha would have been able to gain a place on an English Literature course at an Oxford college! Or that she would be housed on the fifth floor of a tower with no windows in her room and apparently there is only a bathroom on the ground floor. Must have been a bit of an issue when she sprained her ankle, but this is glossed over.
Samantha's tutor is a young, handsome (naturally!) Englishman with the unlikely name of Dr James Timothy Orville III. For most of the book he is referred to simply as 'Orville'. If you are of my generation you might understand why this seemed a bit off-putting and why I've had 'I Wish I Could Fly....' in my head for the past few days!
In conclusion, it wasn't a bad book, the writing was OK (a few Americanisms slipping into the mouths of supposedly British characters....) but it just didn't work for me - there were too many things that were rather improbable and the protagonist was, at times, idiotic.
Samantha has had rather an odd upbringing, which would account for some of her strangeness. We see her early on arriving at a fictional Oxford college to study English Literature although she seems to hate practically all writers and seems incapable of constructing a reasonable critical argument! She is rather like a spoilt child, and as such I found her hard to like. I'm also pretty good at suspending my disbelief but it takes some stretch of the imagination to accept that someone like Samantha would have been able to gain a place on an English Literature course at an Oxford college! Or that she would be housed on the fifth floor of a tower with no windows in her room and apparently there is only a bathroom on the ground floor. Must have been a bit of an issue when she sprained her ankle, but this is glossed over.
Samantha's tutor is a young, handsome (naturally!) Englishman with the unlikely name of Dr James Timothy Orville III. For most of the book he is referred to simply as 'Orville'. If you are of my generation you might understand why this seemed a bit off-putting and why I've had 'I Wish I Could Fly....' in my head for the past few days!
In conclusion, it wasn't a bad book, the writing was OK (a few Americanisms slipping into the mouths of supposedly British characters....) but it just didn't work for me - there were too many things that were rather improbable and the protagonist was, at times, idiotic.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Invisible Man (2020) in Movies
Mar 18, 2020
Terrifying
Don't you just love it when you go and see a film you know little to nothing about, and end up being pleasantly surprised at how good it is? Yesterday was my last chance to catch a film due to closure because of the coronavirus, and I'm very glad I chose to watch The Invisible Man.
Right from the opening scene, the first half of this film i found absolutely terrifying. The score really helps to build up a lot of tension and I found myself on the edge of my seat. I'm known for being quite hardened when it comes to scary films, but there was something about this film that had me wanting to hide my head in my hands. It may just be the idea of an invisible enemy or jump scares that you obviously can't see coming, but I havent been this creeped out in a long time.
The second half of the film is a little less scary and ends up being more like a thriller, which was probably a good thing as I dont think I could've handled that level of terror for the entire film! The acting is great, especially from Elizabeth Moss and really had me questioning her character's sanity. She carries the entire film and she puts in a brilliant performance. The technology and science behind this is maybe a little lacking and questionable at times, but as they dont focus too much on the detail of this and the backstory of Adrian it's rather easy to ignore some of the slightly dodgy science and just enjoy the ride. There are a lot of twists and turns in this film that I hadn't been expecting, and I found the ending to be especially satisfying.
Overall this is a unexpected yet hugely enjoyable thriller that had me cowering in my seat for a good hour. Not many films can do that.
Right from the opening scene, the first half of this film i found absolutely terrifying. The score really helps to build up a lot of tension and I found myself on the edge of my seat. I'm known for being quite hardened when it comes to scary films, but there was something about this film that had me wanting to hide my head in my hands. It may just be the idea of an invisible enemy or jump scares that you obviously can't see coming, but I havent been this creeped out in a long time.
The second half of the film is a little less scary and ends up being more like a thriller, which was probably a good thing as I dont think I could've handled that level of terror for the entire film! The acting is great, especially from Elizabeth Moss and really had me questioning her character's sanity. She carries the entire film and she puts in a brilliant performance. The technology and science behind this is maybe a little lacking and questionable at times, but as they dont focus too much on the detail of this and the backstory of Adrian it's rather easy to ignore some of the slightly dodgy science and just enjoy the ride. There are a lot of twists and turns in this film that I hadn't been expecting, and I found the ending to be especially satisfying.
Overall this is a unexpected yet hugely enjoyable thriller that had me cowering in my seat for a good hour. Not many films can do that.