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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Revenge (2018) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Doin it for the kill
#revengemovie is without question the best looking movie of #2018, its so slick & #stylish I'd go as far as saying its this years #drive. #Revenge has a standard #rape/revenge plot we've all seen a million times before but you'd be greatly mistaken by passing up on this one believe me. Part #horror part drama Revenge has one of the most amazing visual styles ive seen in a while. Colours are blinding at times almost to the point of over saturation giving the film heat & vibrancy. This mixed with some insanely #beautiful cinematography had me literally sat with my mouth open in amazement. Every scene seems meticulously shot with such purpose & precision that its hard to not feel like your watching a piece of #art. Top that with a #comicbook/#80s feel & tone & what you have here is film that feels so fresh you forget that this genre hasnt been done to death already. #Soundtrack wise its pure perfection too with synth music pulsing throughout its intoxicating & keeps the films momentum flowing well. Metaphors are absolutely everywhere but the main one i picked up on is #femaleempowerment. At the start of the film #male character are chauvinistic & dominant treating her as a possession rather than a person but once she gets impaled by a tree roles seem to reverse & we see her become the man in a kind of #twisted rebirth (the tree implement scene i also see as a metaphor for the pain they put her through & even while walking around she has severed tree branch sticking out of her stomach almost like it represents that she's the man now with the tree branch representing male genitalia). Even the tagline suggests themes of fighting domestic abuse too. Acting is superb with #matildaannaingridlutz literally dominating the #film not only with her acting but with her incredible #beauty too. Right from the start i was sucked right in by its beauty, unnerved by its atmosphere & repulsed by its gore but theres not a second of it i didnt #love. Half #french subtitled half #english dialog Revenge is a #violent, unnerving, grisly & down right #gorgeous piece of #cinema that i cant recommend enough. Perfection. #odeon #odeonlimitless #filmbuff #filmcritic #fridayfeeling #gore
Andy K (10821 KP) rated The Matrix Reloaded (2003) in Movies
Jun 2, 2019
The car chase scene saved it
I remember when the Matrix Reloaded was released in 2003. The hype train could not have been going any faster and full throttle. The fact that both parts 2 and 3 were filmed back to back and released the same year meant Warner Brothers was betting the farm that the movies would be huge successes and may continue to build a historic franchise for them.
The story continues kind of where the first truly exceptional groundbreaking first film leaves off; however, the tone is much different. I didn't think very much interesting exposition even occurs. The heroes and villains are pretty much the same as the first film. There is some strange Zion dance sequence where you get to see too many nipples and the story is kind of confusing and hard to follow.
When they started talking about the keymaster and gatekeeper, I started thinking of Ghostbusters and kind of laughed about it. They meet some French guy, his girlfriend some some weird twins with white dreadlocks who turn to ghosts whenever they are threatened.
And then comes the highway chase scene...
One of the great film car chases, the sequence goes on forever it seems (like over 30 minutes) and took months to film I had read. Having not seen the film in a while, I was drawn to the edge of my seat as some of the nuances were fresh to me as some of the details faded over time.
I had always thought one of the most the interesting parts of the original film, other than the groundbreaking special effects, was more cerebral meaning we are all sitting in these globules hooked up to the master machine looking like some sort of Borg creature powering the enemy Matrix while drowning in our dreams.
This movie takes a different direction and becomes more of an interesting sci fi drama with one killer car chase scene. The Smith battle at the end I felt was too forced and processed to be epic or interesting.
To be continued... in the Matrix Revolutions
The story continues kind of where the first truly exceptional groundbreaking first film leaves off; however, the tone is much different. I didn't think very much interesting exposition even occurs. The heroes and villains are pretty much the same as the first film. There is some strange Zion dance sequence where you get to see too many nipples and the story is kind of confusing and hard to follow.
When they started talking about the keymaster and gatekeeper, I started thinking of Ghostbusters and kind of laughed about it. They meet some French guy, his girlfriend some some weird twins with white dreadlocks who turn to ghosts whenever they are threatened.
And then comes the highway chase scene...
One of the great film car chases, the sequence goes on forever it seems (like over 30 minutes) and took months to film I had read. Having not seen the film in a while, I was drawn to the edge of my seat as some of the nuances were fresh to me as some of the details faded over time.
I had always thought one of the most the interesting parts of the original film, other than the groundbreaking special effects, was more cerebral meaning we are all sitting in these globules hooked up to the master machine looking like some sort of Borg creature powering the enemy Matrix while drowning in our dreams.
This movie takes a different direction and becomes more of an interesting sci fi drama with one killer car chase scene. The Smith battle at the end I felt was too forced and processed to be epic or interesting.
To be continued... in the Matrix Revolutions
Kyera (8 KP) rated Everything, Everything in Books
Jan 31, 2018
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon is such a powerful story, especially for her debut novel. It tackles the tough topic of living your life with a disease that affects absolutely everything. Maddy has SCID, a disease that essentially makes her allergic to the world. She doesn’t know what all of her triggers are, but she knows that if she is exposed to other people, spicy food or even nature outside – she could become severely ill and even die.
Her life has gone by, day by day, with no change. Her nurse Carla takes care of her, checks her temperature and blood pressure and she eats exactly three meals and two snacks a day. Every Friday, she has a special French food night with her mom but her meals are less than authentic with her allergies. But despite all that, she never gives up. She takes classes, reads books and is happy, despite the huge thing looming over her life and unlikelihood that she would ever be allowed outside in the real world.
But everything changes when a new family moves into the house near hers. Normally, she would just let the sound wash over her, ignore the beeping of the moving truck, but not today. For some reason, she goes to the window and her entire world changes. She makes a new friend, one she won’t allow to pity her, and his name is Olly. He opens up her world and before long, they’re messaging one another long into the night.
Their story together was so precious, that you couldn’t help but fall in love with each of them. The strength that Maddy had to live, cheerfully, day by day and the heart that Olly had to love and want to protect his family no matter what. The tale was heartbreaking and lovely, and to my surprise, it was not predictable.
I would highly recommend this book to young adult/teen readers who enjoy character-driven plots and unique contemporary book. This novel really delves into Maddy’s head and gives you a glimpse into her thoughts through a variety of mediums.
Her life has gone by, day by day, with no change. Her nurse Carla takes care of her, checks her temperature and blood pressure and she eats exactly three meals and two snacks a day. Every Friday, she has a special French food night with her mom but her meals are less than authentic with her allergies. But despite all that, she never gives up. She takes classes, reads books and is happy, despite the huge thing looming over her life and unlikelihood that she would ever be allowed outside in the real world.
But everything changes when a new family moves into the house near hers. Normally, she would just let the sound wash over her, ignore the beeping of the moving truck, but not today. For some reason, she goes to the window and her entire world changes. She makes a new friend, one she won’t allow to pity her, and his name is Olly. He opens up her world and before long, they’re messaging one another long into the night.
Their story together was so precious, that you couldn’t help but fall in love with each of them. The strength that Maddy had to live, cheerfully, day by day and the heart that Olly had to love and want to protect his family no matter what. The tale was heartbreaking and lovely, and to my surprise, it was not predictable.
I would highly recommend this book to young adult/teen readers who enjoy character-driven plots and unique contemporary book. This novel really delves into Maddy’s head and gives you a glimpse into her thoughts through a variety of mediums.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Anna and the French Kiss in Books
Feb 1, 2018
What happens when your nouveau-riche father decides that his daughter needs to be more cultures? Your entire world is flipped upside-down as you're sent to a boarding school in a country where you don't speak the language. That's exactly what happens to Anna when she's sent to the School of America, in Paris. She now must make new friends, try to stay in touch with her old ones and the most terrifying ordeal of all? Ordering her meals in French. She might want some nice fresh <i>pain</i> (bread) but ends up saying <i>paon</i> (peacock). Yum, <i>paon</i> and <i>fromage</i> for breakfast.
It may seem strange, but I enjoy the use of language in this book. I think accents, like St. Clair's are written very authentically. Bridge's love of words is a great way to introduce readers to new worlds. (And seriously inspires me to see if I can find a set of Oxford English Dictionaries for my personal library.) The use of foreign languages in books can be tricky to do well, but I think the author struck a balance brilliantly.
I find Anna very relatable - it doesn't hurt that she's a fellow lefty. But I also feel like she reads older than she is. Throughout the novel, I feel like she is at University (aged 19-20) rather than still in high school. Her desire to be a film ritic is how I feel about books and reviewing. She says, "I just like... expressing my opinion. That possiblity of turning someone on to something really great." Reading is my passion and I wan to share that with people. If I can introduce them to a book I've fallen in love with and it touches them in some way - I'm happy.
When I read the novel, I can feel myself walking along the Seine or admiring Notre Dame. Paris is a beautiful setting adn the author represents it wonderfully. It is one of those novels that gives you wanderlust and an undeniable urge to visit the places that Anna does.
It may seem strange, but I enjoy the use of language in this book. I think accents, like St. Clair's are written very authentically. Bridge's love of words is a great way to introduce readers to new worlds. (And seriously inspires me to see if I can find a set of Oxford English Dictionaries for my personal library.) The use of foreign languages in books can be tricky to do well, but I think the author struck a balance brilliantly.
I find Anna very relatable - it doesn't hurt that she's a fellow lefty. But I also feel like she reads older than she is. Throughout the novel, I feel like she is at University (aged 19-20) rather than still in high school. Her desire to be a film ritic is how I feel about books and reviewing. She says, "I just like... expressing my opinion. That possiblity of turning someone on to something really great." Reading is my passion and I wan to share that with people. If I can introduce them to a book I've fallen in love with and it touches them in some way - I'm happy.
When I read the novel, I can feel myself walking along the Seine or admiring Notre Dame. Paris is a beautiful setting adn the author represents it wonderfully. It is one of those novels that gives you wanderlust and an undeniable urge to visit the places that Anna does.
Dana (24 KP) rated Sabriel (Abhorsen, #1) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
This was an interesting read for me. I would not say it was my favorite high fantasy novel in the world. That't mainly because this is one of my favorite genres to read, so I have read quite a few as of late.
This book took me a while to get into. There was a lot going on in the beginning, and it being a relatively short beginning of a story, it was hard to follow along. I am not saying I didn't like it, not by a long shot. Overall, it was a generally interesting and fun read. It just took a little longer than I had hoped to get into.
This book has been on my to be read list for over two years now, ever since a classmate of mine told me about it after our French class one day. I thought I would finally give it a read.
I do like Sabriel. She is pretty cool. I think I started liking her more in the second half of the book because she was growing into her role of the Abhorsen. She didn't shy away from her duties or try and get rid of them as she had more in the first half of the book. I like that she started taking charge of the situation.
Touchstone is interesting because I don't know how I feel about him. Honestly, I have no opinion of him at all, which is weird. We spend almost three hundred pages with him, and I can't find a connection with him. I do love the cat though. He's a demon, in cat form. So, a cat. (Don't get me wrong, cats are one of my favorite animals.) I am just not sure about Touchstone.
I still don't quite know what happened at the end of the book. It felt like it was wrapped up really fast and I didn't have time to process it.
I hope that if I get the next book, I will have a better understanding of how I feel about the characters and the story than I do right now.
This book took me a while to get into. There was a lot going on in the beginning, and it being a relatively short beginning of a story, it was hard to follow along. I am not saying I didn't like it, not by a long shot. Overall, it was a generally interesting and fun read. It just took a little longer than I had hoped to get into.
This book has been on my to be read list for over two years now, ever since a classmate of mine told me about it after our French class one day. I thought I would finally give it a read.
I do like Sabriel. She is pretty cool. I think I started liking her more in the second half of the book because she was growing into her role of the Abhorsen. She didn't shy away from her duties or try and get rid of them as she had more in the first half of the book. I like that she started taking charge of the situation.
Touchstone is interesting because I don't know how I feel about him. Honestly, I have no opinion of him at all, which is weird. We spend almost three hundred pages with him, and I can't find a connection with him. I do love the cat though. He's a demon, in cat form. So, a cat. (Don't get me wrong, cats are one of my favorite animals.) I am just not sure about Touchstone.
I still don't quite know what happened at the end of the book. It felt like it was wrapped up really fast and I didn't have time to process it.
I hope that if I get the next book, I will have a better understanding of how I feel about the characters and the story than I do right now.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated The Sisters Brothers (2018) in Movies
Jan 7, 2019 (Updated Jan 7, 2019)
Cast all give brilliant performances (1 more)
Quirky filming techniques
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
I was dying to see this movie as soon as I saw the first trailer for it, but even though it dropped in the states months ago, it's not coming to UK cinemas until April 2019! However, if you mess around with the location settings on your on-demand website of choice, it is possible to legally watch this movie in Britain without having to wait another 4 months for it to release.
We seem to be at a point cinematically where traditional westerns that follow a gunslinger duelling his way across the west have all been done to death. Instead, it seems like modern westerns have to take a different, more unorthodox approach to the stories that they decide to tell. Take The Hateful Eight for example, as much as I loved that film, it was closer to the Clue movie than it was any of Sergio Leonne's Spaghetti Westerns. Or there is the very recent Ballad Of Buster Scruggs, which I personally enjoyed, but even within that movie, the tone and feel varied wildly throughout and none of it was what I would call a traditional western.
The Sisters Brothers follows this trajectory of oddity. It follows the titular brothers (played by John C. Reilly and Joaquin Pheonix,) who are essentially hitmen working for a Commodore (played by Rutger Hauer,) who have been sent to kill a chemist/gold prospector (played by Riz Ahmed,) with the help of a scout also working for the commodore, (played by Jake Gyllenhall.)
This movie is strange. It was directed by Jacques Audiard and there is a strange tone to the whole thing which feels distinctly French. There are an abundance of odd yet aesthetically pleasing shots that contribute to the film's odd tone and there are some comedic elements thrown in also. The whole thing is a mixing pot of different elements, yet it all strangely works.
Overall, I enjoyed The Sisters Brothers even if it was unconventional and not exactly the movie that I had expected going in and the performances all around are sublime.
We seem to be at a point cinematically where traditional westerns that follow a gunslinger duelling his way across the west have all been done to death. Instead, it seems like modern westerns have to take a different, more unorthodox approach to the stories that they decide to tell. Take The Hateful Eight for example, as much as I loved that film, it was closer to the Clue movie than it was any of Sergio Leonne's Spaghetti Westerns. Or there is the very recent Ballad Of Buster Scruggs, which I personally enjoyed, but even within that movie, the tone and feel varied wildly throughout and none of it was what I would call a traditional western.
The Sisters Brothers follows this trajectory of oddity. It follows the titular brothers (played by John C. Reilly and Joaquin Pheonix,) who are essentially hitmen working for a Commodore (played by Rutger Hauer,) who have been sent to kill a chemist/gold prospector (played by Riz Ahmed,) with the help of a scout also working for the commodore, (played by Jake Gyllenhall.)
This movie is strange. It was directed by Jacques Audiard and there is a strange tone to the whole thing which feels distinctly French. There are an abundance of odd yet aesthetically pleasing shots that contribute to the film's odd tone and there are some comedic elements thrown in also. The whole thing is a mixing pot of different elements, yet it all strangely works.
Overall, I enjoyed The Sisters Brothers even if it was unconventional and not exactly the movie that I had expected going in and the performances all around are sublime.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Upside (2019) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
After a bit of a bleak start to January I was looking forward to something with a little humour and The Upside did not disappoint.
Kevin Hart is always one of those actors that strikes me as an acquired taste. I enjoy lots of his roles but they do have a tendency to grate a little. Dell made a wonderful change though, it really suited him. This is probably the most serious role I've seen him in and I'm hoping that this is going to lead to more things along this line.
The other actors make good work of their parts. Kidman's role is rather small and a little predictable but entertaining nevertheless. I'd be hard pushed to tell you what I've ever seen Cranston in apart from Malcolm In The Middle, I can't say I was as impressed with him as I was Hart but he made for a good partner in crime.
There's one thing that confused me though was the very opening of the film. The first scene shows you events from further down the timeline but there doesn't seem to be any reason for it. I've been contemplating possibilities, potentially to show that the main character of the film isn't just Dell, but that becomes evident on it's own. I'm really shrugging my shoulders about its inclusion, it's quickly forgotten and doesn't really have any impact there and probably detracted from its inclusion later on.
The Upside is a remake of the French film Untouchable (original title Intouchables) which in turn was inspired by the real life story of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and Abdel Sellou. It's a charming story, delightfully amusing, and quite incredible to discover is inspired by true events. It certainly gives you something to stop and think about, and the fact that there are stories out there like this does give you back a little faith in humanity.
What you should do
It's well worth a watch, I think I'm even going to say that the money on a cinema ticket would not feel like a waste.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
A collection of sports cars would be quite nice, and the money to keep myself insured on them!
Kevin Hart is always one of those actors that strikes me as an acquired taste. I enjoy lots of his roles but they do have a tendency to grate a little. Dell made a wonderful change though, it really suited him. This is probably the most serious role I've seen him in and I'm hoping that this is going to lead to more things along this line.
The other actors make good work of their parts. Kidman's role is rather small and a little predictable but entertaining nevertheless. I'd be hard pushed to tell you what I've ever seen Cranston in apart from Malcolm In The Middle, I can't say I was as impressed with him as I was Hart but he made for a good partner in crime.
There's one thing that confused me though was the very opening of the film. The first scene shows you events from further down the timeline but there doesn't seem to be any reason for it. I've been contemplating possibilities, potentially to show that the main character of the film isn't just Dell, but that becomes evident on it's own. I'm really shrugging my shoulders about its inclusion, it's quickly forgotten and doesn't really have any impact there and probably detracted from its inclusion later on.
The Upside is a remake of the French film Untouchable (original title Intouchables) which in turn was inspired by the real life story of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and Abdel Sellou. It's a charming story, delightfully amusing, and quite incredible to discover is inspired by true events. It certainly gives you something to stop and think about, and the fact that there are stories out there like this does give you back a little faith in humanity.
What you should do
It's well worth a watch, I think I'm even going to say that the money on a cinema ticket would not feel like a waste.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
A collection of sports cars would be quite nice, and the money to keep myself insured on them!
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated Colette (2018) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Directed by Wash Westmoreland, “Colette” is a biographical drama based on Colette, the French novelist. This is a film that is truly worth watching at least once in a lifetime.
Movie goers may start off with an impression that this film will only attempt to lavish them with grandiosity and a dash of drama that may or may not really be all that thrilling. A pleasant surprise – it goes much deeper than visual decadence and a bit of tear jerking.
Keira Knightley’s performance as Gabrielle Colette is one that shares with audiences a riveting evolution of a repressed young woman and her transformation into a controversial force to be reckoned with in a rapidly transforming entertainment industry.
Knightley’s performance is perhaps her best yet, with captivating depictions of raw human emotion in all its complexities.
Dominic West plays the role of Henry Gauthier-Villars, Colette’s husband. Gauthier-Villars is portrayed as an opportunist who puts greed before the value of others. He employs ghost writers to make him fortunes while he engages in debauchery. His life is filled with great possessions, parties, and beautiful women.
The intertwining of his path with Colette’s demonstrates the ways that a woman can be ravaged by love, giving everything they are only to find out it may never be enough.
Themes of gender and sexuality play a strong role in this story. Denise Gough is captivating in her role as Colette’s lady lover, Mathilde de Morny. In a time when women could not even wear pants, these characters began to write new rules by rejecting the repression of high society.
‘Colette’ shows us that our journeys are never so simple. A person who may seem close to destruction or repressed domestication has the ability to rise like a phoenix above the ashes, into something new and more ravishing than before.
The film has a magical feel with cinematography that puts the viewer right in the moment. It draws the audience in with subtle detail and continues to develop into a real experience of a complex and winding story.
Movie goers may start off with an impression that this film will only attempt to lavish them with grandiosity and a dash of drama that may or may not really be all that thrilling. A pleasant surprise – it goes much deeper than visual decadence and a bit of tear jerking.
Keira Knightley’s performance as Gabrielle Colette is one that shares with audiences a riveting evolution of a repressed young woman and her transformation into a controversial force to be reckoned with in a rapidly transforming entertainment industry.
Knightley’s performance is perhaps her best yet, with captivating depictions of raw human emotion in all its complexities.
Dominic West plays the role of Henry Gauthier-Villars, Colette’s husband. Gauthier-Villars is portrayed as an opportunist who puts greed before the value of others. He employs ghost writers to make him fortunes while he engages in debauchery. His life is filled with great possessions, parties, and beautiful women.
The intertwining of his path with Colette’s demonstrates the ways that a woman can be ravaged by love, giving everything they are only to find out it may never be enough.
Themes of gender and sexuality play a strong role in this story. Denise Gough is captivating in her role as Colette’s lady lover, Mathilde de Morny. In a time when women could not even wear pants, these characters began to write new rules by rejecting the repression of high society.
‘Colette’ shows us that our journeys are never so simple. A person who may seem close to destruction or repressed domestication has the ability to rise like a phoenix above the ashes, into something new and more ravishing than before.
The film has a magical feel with cinematography that puts the viewer right in the moment. It draws the audience in with subtle detail and continues to develop into a real experience of a complex and winding story.
ClareR (5674 KP) rated The End of the Ocean in Books
Nov 6, 2019
The End of the Ocean by Maja Lunde is Climate Fiction (Cli-Fi) at its best and most stark. At its best, because everything that happens feels as though they are the reasonable consequences of what we are predicted now; most stark, because this is truly a terrible version of the future.
In the present day(2019), 69 year old environmental activist Signe discovers that her home town, and in particular her ex-boyfriend, is responsible for cutting up and shipping off ice from their glacier to sell to the rich, so that they can have glacial ice in their expensive cocktails. She decides to sabotage the shipment, and steals some of it - or what she can carry in her boat. She sails her ship through a terrible storm with the intention of taking it to the person responsible.
In 2041, David and his daughter Lou, arrive at a refugee camp after escaping from war and fire in their French home. There is little water and food, but David is hopeful that his wife and infant son (who they’ve been separated from) will be there or arrive soon.
The two stories are linked when David and Lou find Signe’s boat in the garden of one of the abandoned houses.
This is such a powerful book. It takes current scientific research and arrives at the extreme end of its prediction: drought, famine and war. I had to read it in short chunks, because I found the story so moving and intensely depressing, to be honest. It doesn’t feel exaggerated: I didn’t read it thinking “Well that would NEVER happen”. It’s all too plausible, in fact. I really liked how the two stories ran parallel to one another and joined up in the latter half of the book, with the boat as some sort of symbol of hope.
It’s not all depressing though. There is an element of hope, and we see the enduring strength of the human spirit. I have The History of Bees on my bookshelf, which I will read now - and I’ll definitely look out for the third in this quartet of books.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for my copy of this book.
In the present day(2019), 69 year old environmental activist Signe discovers that her home town, and in particular her ex-boyfriend, is responsible for cutting up and shipping off ice from their glacier to sell to the rich, so that they can have glacial ice in their expensive cocktails. She decides to sabotage the shipment, and steals some of it - or what she can carry in her boat. She sails her ship through a terrible storm with the intention of taking it to the person responsible.
In 2041, David and his daughter Lou, arrive at a refugee camp after escaping from war and fire in their French home. There is little water and food, but David is hopeful that his wife and infant son (who they’ve been separated from) will be there or arrive soon.
The two stories are linked when David and Lou find Signe’s boat in the garden of one of the abandoned houses.
This is such a powerful book. It takes current scientific research and arrives at the extreme end of its prediction: drought, famine and war. I had to read it in short chunks, because I found the story so moving and intensely depressing, to be honest. It doesn’t feel exaggerated: I didn’t read it thinking “Well that would NEVER happen”. It’s all too plausible, in fact. I really liked how the two stories ran parallel to one another and joined up in the latter half of the book, with the boat as some sort of symbol of hope.
It’s not all depressing though. There is an element of hope, and we see the enduring strength of the human spirit. I have The History of Bees on my bookshelf, which I will read now - and I’ll definitely look out for the third in this quartet of books.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for my copy of this book.
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