Search
Search results
156Reviews (7 KP) rated Dark Waters (2019) in Movies
May 1, 2020
Films are important.
Films are important to us all for many different reasons, they show what we are, what we can be, what we aspire to be, of who we are. Sometimes that comes in the form of escapism, of dreaming that we can be better, Mark Ruffalo is no stranger to the genre I'm referring to, sometimes shows us our darkest fears and that we can overcome them, and sometimes, it shows us just how low, we as people can get, and never offer any kind of redemption. Dark Waters manages to be all of these things. A small intro before the film began had me franticly signing up to numerous petitions the second the film ended, joining a cause I didn't even know existed before I sat down to watch. This is why film is important, and why you should watch Dark Waters as soon as you can. So why the 3 out of 5 rating? Surely a film that EVERYONE should watch should get top marks, right? Unfortunately not.
The film begins with Rob Bilott (Mark Ruffalo), a corporate defence attorney, whose office is visited by a farmer from his home town, trying to raise a legal case against DuPont, a multi-billion dollar business, the towns biggest employer, and a chemical company at the heart of potentially poisoning the towns water supply. As Billot investigates the scale of the issue, and its inevitable cover up, it all becomes alarmingly clear. Thousands of people are being poisoned, they're health will likely deteriorate and life threatening illnesses are now a high probability. To take a line from the recent movie Bombshell “somebody has to stand up, somebody has to get mad.”
That anger that should be felt, but for all the terrifying facts about the poisoning these people received on a daily basis, it never comes, the rage should be palpable. Instead it opts for giving us all the information, teaching about regulation and government intervention, or lack thereof, and the only temper in the film shows comes as a heated exchange in a board room that blows over as soon as it comes, and protesters outside courtrooms for fleeting moments throughout the movie. It should be seething instead of showing, giving us the knowledge we need through gritted teeth, not clinical, scientific and impersonal.
Dark Waters is off the mark with its tone, Mark Ruffalo's high-priced lawyer is too uncertain, a little too every-man, never really portrayed a hot-shot or an underdog, and the supporting cast fall into “Good Guy” or “Bad Guy” far too easily with no exploration into any depth of character. One scene has a DuPont representative, shown in great detail, every undisputable, despicable thing that his company has done to these people, and listens attentively, never upset or defiant but instead seeming slightly bored, before getting up and leaving. Every scene feels like it should be emotionally hard-hitting but never raises above a tap on the shoulder.
As the lesson goes on, the complete lack of morals DuPont has, becomes shockingly clear as they drag the case on for as long as they can, making sure Billot's firm spend more money and time than they are willing to pay. Bilot's home life becomes strained, which distracts from the main thread more than adds to it plot, he becomes distant from his wife, a woefully underused Anne Hathaway, and his health deteriorates under the weight of fighting, and in the end, the conclusion is murkier than the water supply. But he still fights, and in real life, Rob Billot is still fighting to this day to help the West Virginia community, and to change the way the corporations are regulated worldwide.
This film is important, and everyone should see it because it's message, just don't see it for its entertainment value, because that's few and far between.
Films are important to us all for many different reasons, they show what we are, what we can be, what we aspire to be, of who we are. Sometimes that comes in the form of escapism, of dreaming that we can be better, Mark Ruffalo is no stranger to the genre I'm referring to, sometimes shows us our darkest fears and that we can overcome them, and sometimes, it shows us just how low, we as people can get, and never offer any kind of redemption. Dark Waters manages to be all of these things. A small intro before the film began had me franticly signing up to numerous petitions the second the film ended, joining a cause I didn't even know existed before I sat down to watch. This is why film is important, and why you should watch Dark Waters as soon as you can. So why the 3 out of 5 rating? Surely a film that EVERYONE should watch should get top marks, right? Unfortunately not.
The film begins with Rob Bilott (Mark Ruffalo), a corporate defence attorney, whose office is visited by a farmer from his home town, trying to raise a legal case against DuPont, a multi-billion dollar business, the towns biggest employer, and a chemical company at the heart of potentially poisoning the towns water supply. As Billot investigates the scale of the issue, and its inevitable cover up, it all becomes alarmingly clear. Thousands of people are being poisoned, they're health will likely deteriorate and life threatening illnesses are now a high probability. To take a line from the recent movie Bombshell “somebody has to stand up, somebody has to get mad.”
That anger that should be felt, but for all the terrifying facts about the poisoning these people received on a daily basis, it never comes, the rage should be palpable. Instead it opts for giving us all the information, teaching about regulation and government intervention, or lack thereof, and the only temper in the film shows comes as a heated exchange in a board room that blows over as soon as it comes, and protesters outside courtrooms for fleeting moments throughout the movie. It should be seething instead of showing, giving us the knowledge we need through gritted teeth, not clinical, scientific and impersonal.
Dark Waters is off the mark with its tone, Mark Ruffalo's high-priced lawyer is too uncertain, a little too every-man, never really portrayed a hot-shot or an underdog, and the supporting cast fall into “Good Guy” or “Bad Guy” far too easily with no exploration into any depth of character. One scene has a DuPont representative, shown in great detail, every undisputable, despicable thing that his company has done to these people, and listens attentively, never upset or defiant but instead seeming slightly bored, before getting up and leaving. Every scene feels like it should be emotionally hard-hitting but never raises above a tap on the shoulder.
As the lesson goes on, the complete lack of morals DuPont has, becomes shockingly clear as they drag the case on for as long as they can, making sure Billot's firm spend more money and time than they are willing to pay. Bilot's home life becomes strained, which distracts from the main thread more than adds to it plot, he becomes distant from his wife, a woefully underused Anne Hathaway, and his health deteriorates under the weight of fighting, and in the end, the conclusion is murkier than the water supply. But he still fights, and in real life, Rob Billot is still fighting to this day to help the West Virginia community, and to change the way the corporations are regulated worldwide.
This film is important, and everyone should see it because it's message, just don't see it for its entertainment value, because that's few and far between.
Daily Connect for iPad (Child Care)
Lifestyle and Medical
App
Daily Connect allows parents and child care centers to easily communicate. It is the replacement to...
Daily Connect (Child Care)
Lifestyle and Medical
App
Daily Connect allows parents and child care centers to easily communicate. It is the replacement to...
Janeeny (200 KP) rated A Deadly Education: Lesson One of the Scholomance in Books
Jun 18, 2021
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It’s taken me three days to write this review, as I’ve tried to find something clever and witty to say about it when the simple truth is, I like this book and it’s hard to explain why without giving too much away.
It has all the elements you’d expect and enjoy from a fantasy novel, and even though most people I know who enjoy this genre feel it bridges the gap between YA and adult fiction, I should still probably say that the only thing that gives it away that this is a YA book is the teenage protagonist. Novik has gone with the canny technique of a YA voice and theme with an adult backdrop. (I know it’s school but I don’t think even Harry Potter had THIS many near-death experiences)
The protagonist is a girl called El who goes to a special school called The Scholomance. What makes this school so special is the fact that it’s for magically gifted children, it’s held between realities, there are no teachers, the school itself assesses your progress and provides your work accordingly. However, where there are magical beings there are beasties and there are some right nasty ones in this school. Luckily El is constantly rescued by resident hero Orion, which she is especially aggrieved by, considering that El herself is potentially the most dangerous thing in the school.
Oddly enough, one of my favourite aspects of this book was the one thing that most reviewers found annoying about it, and that’s what they’re calling the ‘info-dumping’. There’s a strong feeling amongst the reviews that there is constantly just too much information being thrown at you. In hindsight, I can see their point, and if you’re a fan of Novik and were expecting her usual standard this may be annoying. However, for me as my first foray into her style, I didn’t mind it. In fact, I think it contributed to her world-building and just made me even keener to read the next book. Maybe now that the base is established the next book won’t have so much of it, but it didn’t detract from the story at all for me. I can’t help it, I like information. Sure if a bunch of schoolroom chairs have just come to life and chased after our main characters I want to know how that turns out as quickly as possible, but I do also like to know why.
There is so much going on here, that not only is Novik giving you an entertaining story but it feels like she’s laying the groundwork for what could be (hopefully) an epic new series. El is at times annoying and frustrating, but refreshingly consistent. Orion is the reluctant hero, despite being provided with a bit of background for him he still feels a little 2 dimensional to me, but I hope he’ll be fleshed out a bit more in the next book. They are supported by a range of diverse characters, speaking of which . . .
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the controversy around the book regarding some racist claims. I am by no means qualified to comment on this point, but what I would say is that the issue is a sin of omission rather than intention, and has been addressed by the author. If this is an issue that has you reconsidering adding this to your TBR pile, please do read a broad selection of reviews before making up your mind. As it is a fantastic book and could potentially be my favourite new series
It’s taken me three days to write this review, as I’ve tried to find something clever and witty to say about it when the simple truth is, I like this book and it’s hard to explain why without giving too much away.
It has all the elements you’d expect and enjoy from a fantasy novel, and even though most people I know who enjoy this genre feel it bridges the gap between YA and adult fiction, I should still probably say that the only thing that gives it away that this is a YA book is the teenage protagonist. Novik has gone with the canny technique of a YA voice and theme with an adult backdrop. (I know it’s school but I don’t think even Harry Potter had THIS many near-death experiences)
The protagonist is a girl called El who goes to a special school called The Scholomance. What makes this school so special is the fact that it’s for magically gifted children, it’s held between realities, there are no teachers, the school itself assesses your progress and provides your work accordingly. However, where there are magical beings there are beasties and there are some right nasty ones in this school. Luckily El is constantly rescued by resident hero Orion, which she is especially aggrieved by, considering that El herself is potentially the most dangerous thing in the school.
Oddly enough, one of my favourite aspects of this book was the one thing that most reviewers found annoying about it, and that’s what they’re calling the ‘info-dumping’. There’s a strong feeling amongst the reviews that there is constantly just too much information being thrown at you. In hindsight, I can see their point, and if you’re a fan of Novik and were expecting her usual standard this may be annoying. However, for me as my first foray into her style, I didn’t mind it. In fact, I think it contributed to her world-building and just made me even keener to read the next book. Maybe now that the base is established the next book won’t have so much of it, but it didn’t detract from the story at all for me. I can’t help it, I like information. Sure if a bunch of schoolroom chairs have just come to life and chased after our main characters I want to know how that turns out as quickly as possible, but I do also like to know why.
There is so much going on here, that not only is Novik giving you an entertaining story but it feels like she’s laying the groundwork for what could be (hopefully) an epic new series. El is at times annoying and frustrating, but refreshingly consistent. Orion is the reluctant hero, despite being provided with a bit of background for him he still feels a little 2 dimensional to me, but I hope he’ll be fleshed out a bit more in the next book. They are supported by a range of diverse characters, speaking of which . . .
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the controversy around the book regarding some racist claims. I am by no means qualified to comment on this point, but what I would say is that the issue is a sin of omission rather than intention, and has been addressed by the author. If this is an issue that has you reconsidering adding this to your TBR pile, please do read a broad selection of reviews before making up your mind. As it is a fantastic book and could potentially be my favourite new series
Notability
Productivity and Education
App
Welcome to Notability: powerful, yet wonderfully simple note-taking and PDF annotation. Apple...
Master Fear of Flying
Travel and Medical
App
Discover your flying fear type with our questionnaire at masterfearofflying.com The interactive...
Paint FX : Photo Effects Editor
Photo & Video and Entertainment
App
-- Apply filters, effects, colors, enhancements, adjustments or edit your photos any way, anywhere...
Noteflow+ Digital Notebook
Business and Lifestyle
App
Noteflow is designed to replace pen and paper. It is a modern digital notebook that lets you get the...
PopcornPaul (3 KP) rated Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) in Movies
Jul 15, 2017
Returning cast, soundtrack is great, special effects and action, cameos (1 more)
Baby Groot
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Writer/director James Gunn takes us back to Knowhere to join Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, Rocket and Baby Groot in the follow-up to the unexpected smash Guardians of the Galaxy.
Taking up where we left off from the last movie, albeit a few years later, the Guardians are in the groove now and start the movie with a spectacular set piece with the super popular Baby Groot showing off some dance moves while the rest of them fight a gigantic intergalactic beast.
All the original cast return and have settled into the characters so the movie cracks straight on with the story. As rumours had it, this film is all about family and charts the discovery of Star-Lord’s father’s origin and how this relates to Star-Lord. Without giving too much away, Star-Lord meets his father (Kurt Russell) and has to choose between his dysfunctional family or his birth father. Another character arc of interest is in a returning character Yondu who also faces another dilemma over family.
Family pervades the movie in Gamora’s case too as Nebula (Karen Gillen) returns to provide a reluctant support to the Guardians while trying to fight them. Some impressive cameos including Sylvester Stallone and, get this, David Hasselhoff!!!
Guardian’s 2 is a fantastic (if not even better) than the first instalment and Gunn has already said he is on board for film 3. The quirkiness, the humour and the action from the first is ramped up in this one and doesn’t let you down.
There’s a shock and no less than 5 after credits scenes, so be sure to stay until the end of the movie to get your money’s worth.
A recommended movie if you like sci-fi, action or just a good exciting adventure story. It’s out now at all good cinemas.
(From @paulandpopcorn - https://popcornpaul.blogspot.co.uk/)
Taking up where we left off from the last movie, albeit a few years later, the Guardians are in the groove now and start the movie with a spectacular set piece with the super popular Baby Groot showing off some dance moves while the rest of them fight a gigantic intergalactic beast.
All the original cast return and have settled into the characters so the movie cracks straight on with the story. As rumours had it, this film is all about family and charts the discovery of Star-Lord’s father’s origin and how this relates to Star-Lord. Without giving too much away, Star-Lord meets his father (Kurt Russell) and has to choose between his dysfunctional family or his birth father. Another character arc of interest is in a returning character Yondu who also faces another dilemma over family.
Family pervades the movie in Gamora’s case too as Nebula (Karen Gillen) returns to provide a reluctant support to the Guardians while trying to fight them. Some impressive cameos including Sylvester Stallone and, get this, David Hasselhoff!!!
Guardian’s 2 is a fantastic (if not even better) than the first instalment and Gunn has already said he is on board for film 3. The quirkiness, the humour and the action from the first is ramped up in this one and doesn’t let you down.
There’s a shock and no less than 5 after credits scenes, so be sure to stay until the end of the movie to get your money’s worth.
A recommended movie if you like sci-fi, action or just a good exciting adventure story. It’s out now at all good cinemas.
(From @paulandpopcorn - https://popcornpaul.blogspot.co.uk/)
Ross (3284 KP) rated Dogs of War in Books
Sep 19, 2017
Disclosure: I received a free advance copy of this novel from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This near-future science fiction story surrounds the use of genetically modified, cyborg animals in security and warfare and the humane concerns around that.
Having read the author's fantasy series, Shadows of the Apt, I was already familiar with Tchaikovsky's style, and his liking for warfare and technology (that series including the development of a number of new technologies which are eventually used as weapons).
What I was not quite prepared for was how he would write if in the PoV of a cyborg dog (how can you prepare yourself for that?!). This took a little getting used to, but not too much (a little like Flowers for Algernon, the language starts off simplistic but develops). Rex's vocabulary is like that of a small child, but one that has learned certain military phrases. Rex just wants his master to acknowledge him with a "good dog" now and then.
The story develops through a government-backed incursion into rebel-held Mexico, then into the courtroom and beyond into the brave new world for suddenly free man-made creatures.
There are a number of topical issues dealt with here, using not-people to do unpleasant jobs, the burden of responsibility in warfare and also the dangers of cyber-linked machines/people.
I really enjoyed the book and how the different PoVs come across and also how the setting and the message keeps changing throughout so there are different concerns to be dealt with or discussed (without being preachy!).
I also enjoyed Tchaikovsky's descriptions of conflict and battle scenes: giving enough of a picture of the whole battle while focussing on key moments and events.
Overall, something of a departure from my usual book, but very much enjoyable. This wouldn't have looked out of place with Richard Bachman's name on it.
This near-future science fiction story surrounds the use of genetically modified, cyborg animals in security and warfare and the humane concerns around that.
Having read the author's fantasy series, Shadows of the Apt, I was already familiar with Tchaikovsky's style, and his liking for warfare and technology (that series including the development of a number of new technologies which are eventually used as weapons).
What I was not quite prepared for was how he would write if in the PoV of a cyborg dog (how can you prepare yourself for that?!). This took a little getting used to, but not too much (a little like Flowers for Algernon, the language starts off simplistic but develops). Rex's vocabulary is like that of a small child, but one that has learned certain military phrases. Rex just wants his master to acknowledge him with a "good dog" now and then.
The story develops through a government-backed incursion into rebel-held Mexico, then into the courtroom and beyond into the brave new world for suddenly free man-made creatures.
There are a number of topical issues dealt with here, using not-people to do unpleasant jobs, the burden of responsibility in warfare and also the dangers of cyber-linked machines/people.
I really enjoyed the book and how the different PoVs come across and also how the setting and the message keeps changing throughout so there are different concerns to be dealt with or discussed (without being preachy!).
I also enjoyed Tchaikovsky's descriptions of conflict and battle scenes: giving enough of a picture of the whole battle while focussing on key moments and events.
Overall, something of a departure from my usual book, but very much enjoyable. This wouldn't have looked out of place with Richard Bachman's name on it.