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Baxter Dury recommended Histoire de Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg in Music (curated)
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Jean De Florette (1986) in Movies
Feb 4, 2021
The second in the series of films you would recommend to a visiting alien species in order to explain humanity. This is an effort to try and engage followers of The Wasteland a little more, both via WordPress on the actual page and through the instagram account thewasteland.art.blog
If you have an idea which film or films you would choose to explain the complex emotions and motivations of humanity then just leave a comment below. If I like your suggestion enough I will include it in the series. We are thinking big, complex storytelling with tons of heart, passion and soul. No need to explain it, let the film stand for itself!
No. 2 Jean de Florette – Claude Berri, (1986) – Switzerland, France, Italy
If you have an idea which film or films you would choose to explain the complex emotions and motivations of humanity then just leave a comment below. If I like your suggestion enough I will include it in the series. We are thinking big, complex storytelling with tons of heart, passion and soul. No need to explain it, let the film stand for itself!
No. 2 Jean de Florette – Claude Berri, (1986) – Switzerland, France, Italy
Steve Gunn recommended Vive le Tour (1962) in Movies (curated)
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated Five Quarters Of The Orange in Books
Oct 5, 2020
This is the story of Framboise – no, not a bottle of raspberry liqueur (thank heavens), but rather the woman by that name from a farm on the river Loire in the French village of Les Laveuses. This is partially the story of Framboise’s troubled childhood with her brother (named Casis), sister (Reine-Claude) and especially her unwell and widowed mother (who was, of course, an amazing cook) during the years of WWII and Nazi occupied France. It is also the story of her no less troubling old age – accounted from the time she returns to the village in her ‘retirement’, in order to open a creperie. You can read the rest of my review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2015/02/22/the-last-squeeze-is-the-sweetest/
David McK (3219 KP) rated The Bourne Identity (2002) in Movies
Sep 30, 2020
The first Jason Bourne film, in which Matt Damon plays the titular character who is discovered floating in the sea off France, with no memory of how he came to be there or of his previous life, but with a very particular set of skills (to steal a phrase from another actioner).
As he struggles to regain his identity, he finds himself pursued by shadowy government operatives, who believe that he has gone rogue from his post as an elite government agent.
The film is full of some bruising action and car chases; it's just a pity that it is also full of 'shaky cam' work that led to certain members of my family feeling car sick watching it!
(The sequels even more so!)
As he struggles to regain his identity, he finds himself pursued by shadowy government operatives, who believe that he has gone rogue from his post as an elite government agent.
The film is full of some bruising action and car chases; it's just a pity that it is also full of 'shaky cam' work that led to certain members of my family feeling car sick watching it!
(The sequels even more so!)
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Apr 3, 2022
Merissa (11731 KP) rated French Kiss (Flying into Love #1) by C.F. White in Books
Jun 1, 2022 (Updated Jun 13, 2023)
FRENCH KISS is the first book in the Flying Into Love series and, as the title suggests, the first country we land in is France. We have a tale of opposites as our two main characters try to figure out how to move forward.
It really is an opposites attract book! You have city vs. country, England vs. France, city slicker vs. lumberjack, and even easy-to-like vs. hard-to-like. Valentin saved this book for me as Dale was a little too contrary for me. He held onto his secret past for reasons, although explained, that still doesn't make 100% sense to me. He was completely self-centred and quick to jump to conclusions. Valentin, however, was a hardworking drifter with a strong work and personal ethic who wanted nothing more than to put down some roots. He managed to do that for a while caring for Dale's dad but that is in question with Dale wanting to sell the place.
The pacing was smooth, the story was sweet, and the bedroom scenes were steamy! The best bit for me was the descriptions of the cottage, plus the storm. It does make me laugh though as everyone in the city wants to 'escape to the country' and those who live there, usually want out.
An enjoyable read and I look forward to more stories in this series. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 28, 2022
It really is an opposites attract book! You have city vs. country, England vs. France, city slicker vs. lumberjack, and even easy-to-like vs. hard-to-like. Valentin saved this book for me as Dale was a little too contrary for me. He held onto his secret past for reasons, although explained, that still doesn't make 100% sense to me. He was completely self-centred and quick to jump to conclusions. Valentin, however, was a hardworking drifter with a strong work and personal ethic who wanted nothing more than to put down some roots. He managed to do that for a while caring for Dale's dad but that is in question with Dale wanting to sell the place.
The pacing was smooth, the story was sweet, and the bedroom scenes were steamy! The best bit for me was the descriptions of the cottage, plus the storm. It does make me laugh though as everyone in the city wants to 'escape to the country' and those who live there, usually want out.
An enjoyable read and I look forward to more stories in this series. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 28, 2022
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Five Quarters Of The Orange in Books
Jan 15, 2018
I am always fascinated with any novel, fiction or otherwise, that is set in the time of World War II. This book took me a bit longer to get in to than is typical of a book set in this time period. But the end made it well worth the wait.
At times it is hard to follow because it bounces back & forth between Boise's life currently & her childhood spent in a small village in France during WWII. The story itself didn't form fully for me until it ended...all the loose ends were tied up & the events up to that point finally made sense. The 1 thing that frustrated me was Mirabelle, the mother. I was left not being quite sure whether or not she was really crazy.
At times it is hard to follow because it bounces back & forth between Boise's life currently & her childhood spent in a small village in France during WWII. The story itself didn't form fully for me until it ended...all the loose ends were tied up & the events up to that point finally made sense. The 1 thing that frustrated me was Mirabelle, the mother. I was left not being quite sure whether or not she was really crazy.
Domonique (0 KP) rated The Nightingale in Books
May 12, 2018
This book was so good. It made me laugh, cry, and remember how strong human beings can be. I can't imagine what it could have been like to grow up in France during Hitler's reign, to lose loved ones that way and to have to...survive being scared that someone was going to take your children or worse, your life. Both Isabelle and Vivian were such strong women, willing to do the right things even when they could get them killed. I enjoyed both of their stories and they both touched me in different ways, I can't even say how much.
Books like this remind me that while human beings can be fragile creatures, we are also resilient, strong and most importantly, survivors. Great story, I could read it again tomorrow!
Books like this remind me that while human beings can be fragile creatures, we are also resilient, strong and most importantly, survivors. Great story, I could read it again tomorrow!