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David McK (3372 KP) rated The Dark Knight Rises (2012) in Movies
Jun 30, 2019 (Updated Aug 2, 2024)
The final part of Christopher Nolan's Christian Bale starring Batman trilogy (after both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight) that takes a large part of its inspiration from the 1990s Knightfall series of graphic novels in introducing the character of Bane: the man who (quote unquote) 'Breaks the Bat'.
As portrayed by Tom Hardy, this version of the character is nothing at all like you might remember from the Batman and Robin abomination: there's no mention of venom (the drug) in this movie, nor is it overstuffed with villains like that earlier movie/portrayal of the character was.
Instead, we have Bane as the primary antagonist throughout, although - in the tradition of Batman Begins - he is later revealed to be but a pawn, with deliberate call-backs to that first movie. While Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow does make a return (in what largely amounts as a camoe) alongside Ra's Al-Ghul (again, largely as a cameo in flashbacks), there's no Joker this time round - probably as a result of the real-world death of Heath Ledger (although I might have preferred even a throw-away line saying why the character wasn't in this!)
We also have Anne Hathaway's take on Catwoman/Selina Kyle, here portrayed more as a cat burglar than the Michelle Pfeiffer version from Batman Returns, and the 'passing on' of the mantle of Gotham's protector to another very-familiar character (who doesn't use his given name until the very end).
As portrayed by Tom Hardy, this version of the character is nothing at all like you might remember from the Batman and Robin abomination: there's no mention of venom (the drug) in this movie, nor is it overstuffed with villains like that earlier movie/portrayal of the character was.
Instead, we have Bane as the primary antagonist throughout, although - in the tradition of Batman Begins - he is later revealed to be but a pawn, with deliberate call-backs to that first movie. While Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow does make a return (in what largely amounts as a camoe) alongside Ra's Al-Ghul (again, largely as a cameo in flashbacks), there's no Joker this time round - probably as a result of the real-world death of Heath Ledger (although I might have preferred even a throw-away line saying why the character wasn't in this!)
We also have Anne Hathaway's take on Catwoman/Selina Kyle, here portrayed more as a cat burglar than the Michelle Pfeiffer version from Batman Returns, and the 'passing on' of the mantle of Gotham's protector to another very-familiar character (who doesn't use his given name until the very end).
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Forgotten Child (A Riley Thomas Mystery #1) in Books
Oct 3, 2018
Well Written Characters (1 more)
Spooky Scenes
Pointless Sex Scenes (1 more)
Cheesy Dialogue at Times
A Spooky Read
The synopsis for The Forgotten Child by Melissa Erin Jackson really drew me in. It was one of those books that I knew I had to read. I even pre-ordered the book. Luckily, I won it on a Goodreads giveaway, so I had the chance to read it before it was released.
I found the pacing to be fairly consistent for The Forgotten Child. For the most part, it was a fast paced read which I thoroughly enjoyed! There were a few times that the pacing slowed down a bit, and I was wishing for it to speed up again. However, those moments weren't very often.
The plot for The Forgotten Child has been done before, but Ms. Jackson made the story line interesting enough for me to enjoy the story. Riley, the main character, gets roped in to going to a house that has been featured on a popular ghost hunting show and known to be very haunted. It was also the site of some very brutal murders. Riley is reluctant to go due to her ability to see and interact with ghosts and because of something that happened when she was 10 years old involving a spirit. While there, she interacts with the ghost of a little boy as well as the infamous serial killer who used to live there. After getting completely freaked out by a ghostly encounter with the serial killer's ghost, she leaves early to go back home. However, the ghost boy has followed her home. She feels sorry for the little boy and vows to find out what happened to him. Finding out what happened to him won't be easy, and it will put her in grave danger. While trying to uncover the mystery of the little boy, she also is juggling her love life with her new boyfriend. I felt like there were no plot twists, but there were plenty of spooky moments! There was one point in the story where I was really regretting my decision to read The Forgotten Child late at night due to a very spooky scene! Even though this book is part of a series, there were no cliffhangers. All of my questions were answered by the end of the book which I was thankful for. I wish this focused more on Riley's abilities and on the ghostly aspect instead of Riley's relationship with Michael, but that's just a personal preference. I also could have done without the sex scenes between Riley and Michael as I felt like they didn't really fit the tone of the book. Perhaps that's just a me thing though.
The world building for The Forgotten Child was written fairly well. There were some times where I was wondering about the dialogue in the book. Some of the choices of phrases used were a bit cheesy. I hadn't heard anyone use some of the phrases used in the book ever! However, the dialogue was still very believable for the most part. I loved the way some of The Forgotten Child was set a creepy ranch in a spooky house. I do wish more of the action took place here, but I still enjoyed the book.
I enjoyed the characters in The Forgotten Child. Melissa Erin Jackson did a fantastic job in making each character feel like a real person. Not one of the characters was lacking. I found each one to be interesting. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Riley and Michael. I enjoyed their banter a lot even if I wish the book would have focused less on their physical and romantic relationship. I also enjoyed reading about Jade and Riley's friendship. You could feel how strong their friendship was. I loved how Miss Jackson wrote about Orin and Hank. I could feel the evilness of both Orin and Hank oozing from the pages! Both of them made fantastic evil characters.
Trigger warnings include a lot of swearing, violence, a few graphic (but not too graphic) sex scenes including a non-graphic rape, murder including child murder, drinking, an evil spirit, and other scenes dealing with the occult.
All in all, The Forgotten Child was a good read. I loved how spooky it was as well as how great the characters were written. I would definitely recommend The Forgotten Child by Melissa Erin Jackson to those 18+ who love a good paranormal mystery. I will definitely be reading the next book in the Riley Thomas Mystery series.
I found the pacing to be fairly consistent for The Forgotten Child. For the most part, it was a fast paced read which I thoroughly enjoyed! There were a few times that the pacing slowed down a bit, and I was wishing for it to speed up again. However, those moments weren't very often.
The plot for The Forgotten Child has been done before, but Ms. Jackson made the story line interesting enough for me to enjoy the story. Riley, the main character, gets roped in to going to a house that has been featured on a popular ghost hunting show and known to be very haunted. It was also the site of some very brutal murders. Riley is reluctant to go due to her ability to see and interact with ghosts and because of something that happened when she was 10 years old involving a spirit. While there, she interacts with the ghost of a little boy as well as the infamous serial killer who used to live there. After getting completely freaked out by a ghostly encounter with the serial killer's ghost, she leaves early to go back home. However, the ghost boy has followed her home. She feels sorry for the little boy and vows to find out what happened to him. Finding out what happened to him won't be easy, and it will put her in grave danger. While trying to uncover the mystery of the little boy, she also is juggling her love life with her new boyfriend. I felt like there were no plot twists, but there were plenty of spooky moments! There was one point in the story where I was really regretting my decision to read The Forgotten Child late at night due to a very spooky scene! Even though this book is part of a series, there were no cliffhangers. All of my questions were answered by the end of the book which I was thankful for. I wish this focused more on Riley's abilities and on the ghostly aspect instead of Riley's relationship with Michael, but that's just a personal preference. I also could have done without the sex scenes between Riley and Michael as I felt like they didn't really fit the tone of the book. Perhaps that's just a me thing though.
The world building for The Forgotten Child was written fairly well. There were some times where I was wondering about the dialogue in the book. Some of the choices of phrases used were a bit cheesy. I hadn't heard anyone use some of the phrases used in the book ever! However, the dialogue was still very believable for the most part. I loved the way some of The Forgotten Child was set a creepy ranch in a spooky house. I do wish more of the action took place here, but I still enjoyed the book.
I enjoyed the characters in The Forgotten Child. Melissa Erin Jackson did a fantastic job in making each character feel like a real person. Not one of the characters was lacking. I found each one to be interesting. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Riley and Michael. I enjoyed their banter a lot even if I wish the book would have focused less on their physical and romantic relationship. I also enjoyed reading about Jade and Riley's friendship. You could feel how strong their friendship was. I loved how Miss Jackson wrote about Orin and Hank. I could feel the evilness of both Orin and Hank oozing from the pages! Both of them made fantastic evil characters.
Trigger warnings include a lot of swearing, violence, a few graphic (but not too graphic) sex scenes including a non-graphic rape, murder including child murder, drinking, an evil spirit, and other scenes dealing with the occult.
All in all, The Forgotten Child was a good read. I loved how spooky it was as well as how great the characters were written. I would definitely recommend The Forgotten Child by Melissa Erin Jackson to those 18+ who love a good paranormal mystery. I will definitely be reading the next book in the Riley Thomas Mystery series.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated You May Now Kill the Bride (Return to Fear Street #1) in Books
Oct 9, 2018
The Plot (3 more)
The Characters
The Pacing
The World Building
R.L.Stine Does It Again!
I was a huge R.L. Stine fan back when I was in school. I was constantly reading every book I could read by R.L. Stine. I credit him with my love of horror books. Anyway, when I heard R.L. Stine was writing new Fear Street books, I had to read them! The first in this series is You May Now Kill the Bride. I absolutely loved it!
The pacing for You May Now Kill the Bride is fantastic! This book really was a page turner. I found myself not wanting to put it down. Each page had me hungry for me.
I really enjoyed the plot of You May Now Kill the Bride. Part of this story takes places in 1924 where we learn about the Fear/Goode curse. A Fear wedding takes place, but it really doesn't good as planned and tragedy ensues. The other part of the story takes place in present day. Another Fear wedding is about to take place, but it doesn't happen because the bride has gone missing. Will this Fear wedding end in tragedy as well? There were a few plot twists which I really enjoyed even if a couple of the plot twists were somewhat predictable. Even though You May Now Kill the Bride is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. There were no cliffhangers at the end of the book, and all of my questions were answered.
R.L. Stine did an amazing job with the world building like always. I always felt like I was part of the story. Even though this is a work of fiction, everything felt real. I found myself even holding my breath at the most climactic parts of You May Now Kill the Bride.
I felt that all the characters in You May Now Kill the Bride were fleshed out very well. I enjoyed all the characters very much. My favorite character was Ruth-Ann. It was hard not to like her as I could really relate to her on a personal level. However, all the characters were interesting to read about even the minor characters. Most of the story is told in first person from Harmony's point of view. While I did find Harmony annoying right at first, I quickly ended up liking her.
Trigger warnings for You May Now Kill the Bride include magic, the occult, murder/death, and minor violence. There's also one scene where a character hurts their hand which isn't overly graphic, but those who are a bit squeamish may not like it too much. There's also another scene about a body being found after being found at the bottom of a cliff. The description isn't very graphic, but some may find it unsettling.
Overall, You May Now Kill the Bride was such a really good and quick read. The plot is fantastic, and the characters are written very well. Fans of R.L. Stine will truly love this story especially those that loved the original Fear Street series. I would definitely recommend You May Now Kill the Bride by R.L. Stine to everyone aged 15+. It was so good!
The pacing for You May Now Kill the Bride is fantastic! This book really was a page turner. I found myself not wanting to put it down. Each page had me hungry for me.
I really enjoyed the plot of You May Now Kill the Bride. Part of this story takes places in 1924 where we learn about the Fear/Goode curse. A Fear wedding takes place, but it really doesn't good as planned and tragedy ensues. The other part of the story takes place in present day. Another Fear wedding is about to take place, but it doesn't happen because the bride has gone missing. Will this Fear wedding end in tragedy as well? There were a few plot twists which I really enjoyed even if a couple of the plot twists were somewhat predictable. Even though You May Now Kill the Bride is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. There were no cliffhangers at the end of the book, and all of my questions were answered.
R.L. Stine did an amazing job with the world building like always. I always felt like I was part of the story. Even though this is a work of fiction, everything felt real. I found myself even holding my breath at the most climactic parts of You May Now Kill the Bride.
I felt that all the characters in You May Now Kill the Bride were fleshed out very well. I enjoyed all the characters very much. My favorite character was Ruth-Ann. It was hard not to like her as I could really relate to her on a personal level. However, all the characters were interesting to read about even the minor characters. Most of the story is told in first person from Harmony's point of view. While I did find Harmony annoying right at first, I quickly ended up liking her.
Trigger warnings for You May Now Kill the Bride include magic, the occult, murder/death, and minor violence. There's also one scene where a character hurts their hand which isn't overly graphic, but those who are a bit squeamish may not like it too much. There's also another scene about a body being found after being found at the bottom of a cliff. The description isn't very graphic, but some may find it unsettling.
Overall, You May Now Kill the Bride was such a really good and quick read. The plot is fantastic, and the characters are written very well. Fans of R.L. Stine will truly love this story especially those that loved the original Fear Street series. I would definitely recommend You May Now Kill the Bride by R.L. Stine to everyone aged 15+. It was so good!
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated Wanted (2009) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
Wesley Gibson (James Mc Avoy) is a man with issues. He toils away in his office cubicle taking countless amounts of grief from his boss and lamenting the fact that he has gone nowhere with his life. As if this was not bad enough, his best friend is having an affair with his girlfriend, and he has a standing order for anti anxiety medication to deal with his frequent flare ups.
One day while waiting in line for his prescription, Wesley encounters a very attractive lady, and before long, is in a world gone mad as a violent gunfight has erupted all around him. As he attempts to flee the scene, the mysterious woman comes to his aid and whisks him away in dramatic style only to thrust Wesley into a frantic chase through the city streets as they attempt to escape from their mysterious attacker.
Eventually Wesley learns that the woman is named Fox (Angelina Jolie), and that he has been recruited to join a secret society known as The Fraternity.
At first awash in disbelief, Wesley is told that the man who tried to kill him also killed his father. Wesley had thought that his father had abandoned him at childhood and despite initial reservations, joins the group.
Under the leadership of Sloan (Morgan Freeman), Wesley begins to train and learns that he is part of an elite assassin’s guild and has abilities that go beyond the powers of normal men. As the training progresses, Wesley changes from the docile offer drone to an efficient and deadly adversary who is capable of killing with a variety of weapons.
Wesley will soon have to use all of his training and abilities to the fullest extent as the action switches into overdrive leaving a path of death and destruction as this bloody tale of revenge unfolds.
In the new movie “Wanted” Director Timur Bekmambetov, the guiding power behind the highly successful Russian Vampire “Day Watch” trilogy, has crafted a sleek action film that pulls no punches. From edge of your seat action and stunts to graphic violence, the film is a ballet of bullets and blood that mixes in equal amounts of humor with solid FX in a winning formula.
The leads work well with one another, and the story and characters are a cut above the standard genre staples. While the film does drag in the final third, it recovers nicely to conclude with an action filled finale as well as a few unexpected twists.
Angelina Jolie does well with a very physical role as does McAvoy who shows that he is a talent to be watched. The film is based on a graphic novel and as such has a distinctive style that mixes the real world with the unknown to help illustrate the transformation of Wesley from doormat to deadly weapon. The FX is solid, though at times the bullet time may seem a bit repetitive after you see it a few times. That being said, “Wanted” is a solid action film that is not afraid to take chances and step outside the box.
One day while waiting in line for his prescription, Wesley encounters a very attractive lady, and before long, is in a world gone mad as a violent gunfight has erupted all around him. As he attempts to flee the scene, the mysterious woman comes to his aid and whisks him away in dramatic style only to thrust Wesley into a frantic chase through the city streets as they attempt to escape from their mysterious attacker.
Eventually Wesley learns that the woman is named Fox (Angelina Jolie), and that he has been recruited to join a secret society known as The Fraternity.
At first awash in disbelief, Wesley is told that the man who tried to kill him also killed his father. Wesley had thought that his father had abandoned him at childhood and despite initial reservations, joins the group.
Under the leadership of Sloan (Morgan Freeman), Wesley begins to train and learns that he is part of an elite assassin’s guild and has abilities that go beyond the powers of normal men. As the training progresses, Wesley changes from the docile offer drone to an efficient and deadly adversary who is capable of killing with a variety of weapons.
Wesley will soon have to use all of his training and abilities to the fullest extent as the action switches into overdrive leaving a path of death and destruction as this bloody tale of revenge unfolds.
In the new movie “Wanted” Director Timur Bekmambetov, the guiding power behind the highly successful Russian Vampire “Day Watch” trilogy, has crafted a sleek action film that pulls no punches. From edge of your seat action and stunts to graphic violence, the film is a ballet of bullets and blood that mixes in equal amounts of humor with solid FX in a winning formula.
The leads work well with one another, and the story and characters are a cut above the standard genre staples. While the film does drag in the final third, it recovers nicely to conclude with an action filled finale as well as a few unexpected twists.
Angelina Jolie does well with a very physical role as does McAvoy who shows that he is a talent to be watched. The film is based on a graphic novel and as such has a distinctive style that mixes the real world with the unknown to help illustrate the transformation of Wesley from doormat to deadly weapon. The FX is solid, though at times the bullet time may seem a bit repetitive after you see it a few times. That being said, “Wanted” is a solid action film that is not afraid to take chances and step outside the box.
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BookInspector (124 KP) rated Feel Me Fall in Books
Sep 24, 2020
More reviews at https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com
Sometimes I wonder, why great books like this one don’t get published, and you hardly will find it in the book stores, and other, average books, get published and sold everywhere… It is my little mystery, to which I do not have an answer
Three boys and three girls, magically survive a plane crash. Their main goal is to survive, to survive in Amazon, where danger is behind every tree. They need to work as a team to get back to civilisation, find food, shelter and overcome the past which follows them even in a middle of a jungle. Eventually, only Emily Duran is saved, so what happened to the rest of her friends? That was the question, which kept me glued to this book.
I absolutely loved the characters of this book, they all are teenagers who went to same school and are sharing some difficult relationships. I really enjoyed the different personalities of each and every character. All characters are incredibly complex, charismatic, realistic and very interesting personas. Everyone will have a great variety to choose from as their favourite. I really couldn’t pick one as my favourite, because they all had some great qualities, which left me baffled.
The narrative of this novel is told by moving between past and present. Emily is telling the story of what happened in Amazon, and she comes back to the present, to share how all this influenced her present life and relationships. I really enjoyed how Morris manipulated readers mind in this novel. When I started believing in some course of action, author threw in a turn or twist which changed everything, and left me guessing again. This book is not long, that’s why the action and pace had to keep happening in every chapter, and I am thankful that there was no unnecessary writing.
The writing style of this book is very pleasant, it is easy to read this novel, and it is very skillfully written. It is a survival novel, and people died in this book, and to be honest, it is quite graphic, so if you are sensitive and don’t like graphic death scenes, you might want to avoid this book. The chapters of this book were pleasantly designed, dividing the chapters into smaller sub-chapters, which didn’t leave me uninterested, and kept the suspense going. I was absolutely amused and shocked by the ending of this novel and I give nothing but applause to the author for it. I think that ending was absolutely fantastic!
I could carry on praising this book, but the only thing anyone could do, is read it. It is not a typical survival novel, it has fresh approach to it, it is very nicely written, gripping, twisty and very enjoyable to read. Not to forget, it discusses some very important issues, which teenagers are facing, and how it can change in a matter of minutes. So, yes, I do strongly recommend this book and I really hope that publishers will notice this great work, and one day people will be able to buy it everywhere.
Was given this book by author for honest review.
Sometimes I wonder, why great books like this one don’t get published, and you hardly will find it in the book stores, and other, average books, get published and sold everywhere… It is my little mystery, to which I do not have an answer
Three boys and three girls, magically survive a plane crash. Their main goal is to survive, to survive in Amazon, where danger is behind every tree. They need to work as a team to get back to civilisation, find food, shelter and overcome the past which follows them even in a middle of a jungle. Eventually, only Emily Duran is saved, so what happened to the rest of her friends? That was the question, which kept me glued to this book.
I absolutely loved the characters of this book, they all are teenagers who went to same school and are sharing some difficult relationships. I really enjoyed the different personalities of each and every character. All characters are incredibly complex, charismatic, realistic and very interesting personas. Everyone will have a great variety to choose from as their favourite. I really couldn’t pick one as my favourite, because they all had some great qualities, which left me baffled.
The narrative of this novel is told by moving between past and present. Emily is telling the story of what happened in Amazon, and she comes back to the present, to share how all this influenced her present life and relationships. I really enjoyed how Morris manipulated readers mind in this novel. When I started believing in some course of action, author threw in a turn or twist which changed everything, and left me guessing again. This book is not long, that’s why the action and pace had to keep happening in every chapter, and I am thankful that there was no unnecessary writing.
The writing style of this book is very pleasant, it is easy to read this novel, and it is very skillfully written. It is a survival novel, and people died in this book, and to be honest, it is quite graphic, so if you are sensitive and don’t like graphic death scenes, you might want to avoid this book. The chapters of this book were pleasantly designed, dividing the chapters into smaller sub-chapters, which didn’t leave me uninterested, and kept the suspense going. I was absolutely amused and shocked by the ending of this novel and I give nothing but applause to the author for it. I think that ending was absolutely fantastic!
I could carry on praising this book, but the only thing anyone could do, is read it. It is not a typical survival novel, it has fresh approach to it, it is very nicely written, gripping, twisty and very enjoyable to read. Not to forget, it discusses some very important issues, which teenagers are facing, and how it can change in a matter of minutes. So, yes, I do strongly recommend this book and I really hope that publishers will notice this great work, and one day people will be able to buy it everywhere.
Was given this book by author for honest review.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Limehouse Golem in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The blurb gives out all the necessary information about this book, leaving some mystery for the reader to figure out. The star of this novel is Lizzie Cree, an actress and a wife of well-known reporter John Cree. This novel is told from multiple perspectives: Lizzie’s life story, “Limehouse Golem’s” thoughts during the killings, and other character’s views and life stories. The most interesting to me was Lizzie’s life story, I think it was the most intriguing, complex part of this novel. I am really grateful that Peter Ackroyd added the murderer’s thoughts to this book. Even though they were really graphic, I always love to have an insight into what’s happening in a psychopath’s head. There is a wide variety of characters to choose from in this book, and I think that everybody can find their favourite. My pick would be Lizzie, she is such a well composed and intriguing character!
The narrative of this novel was very well written and researched. I did enjoy the story which author was sharing with the reader, however, there were many philosophical parts in this book, which I found boring and unnecessary. It reminded me of all the dull books I had to read while in school, so I just skim read those parts. 😦 I would like to throw in a disclaimer, that there are graphic violent parts in this book, and it is not suitable for sensitive readers. 😉
The writing style of this book is impeccable. Peter Ackroyd is a master of his craft and truly gifted writer. This novel was first published in 1994, but it feels like it was written in the 19th century. I could clearly see the author’s knowledge in this book because it was shining through the pages. The language used in this novel was very sophisticated but not very difficult to read, and the chapters where decent length, so it did not leave me bored. I really enjoyed the ending of this novel, I think it was well deserved and rounded up the story very nicely.
The film actually surprised me, it had a completely different approach to the whole story and told it through Inspector Kildare’s perspective. In the book, the whole police investigation was very vague, so it was a real surprise to see this approach, and I didn’t really mind it. The acting was marvellous and Mr D. Booth (Dan Leno) was absolutely amazing. He had the charisma and the skill to be a star of this movie. The whole movie was not a full representation of the book, they used some parts from the book and amended it to fit their story, but I liked it nevertheless. This movie is not suitable for children under 15, as it has some really gross scenes in there.
So to conclude, this book is very well written and amusing read, with well rounded and charismatic characters, and the narrative is twisty and always changing, keeping the reader interested. I do recommend to experience Lizzie’s journey and to watch the film afterwards. They do compliment each other, offering different perspectives and different interpretations, so give it a try and I hope you will enjoy it 🙂
The narrative of this novel was very well written and researched. I did enjoy the story which author was sharing with the reader, however, there were many philosophical parts in this book, which I found boring and unnecessary. It reminded me of all the dull books I had to read while in school, so I just skim read those parts. 😦 I would like to throw in a disclaimer, that there are graphic violent parts in this book, and it is not suitable for sensitive readers. 😉
The writing style of this book is impeccable. Peter Ackroyd is a master of his craft and truly gifted writer. This novel was first published in 1994, but it feels like it was written in the 19th century. I could clearly see the author’s knowledge in this book because it was shining through the pages. The language used in this novel was very sophisticated but not very difficult to read, and the chapters where decent length, so it did not leave me bored. I really enjoyed the ending of this novel, I think it was well deserved and rounded up the story very nicely.
The film actually surprised me, it had a completely different approach to the whole story and told it through Inspector Kildare’s perspective. In the book, the whole police investigation was very vague, so it was a real surprise to see this approach, and I didn’t really mind it. The acting was marvellous and Mr D. Booth (Dan Leno) was absolutely amazing. He had the charisma and the skill to be a star of this movie. The whole movie was not a full representation of the book, they used some parts from the book and amended it to fit their story, but I liked it nevertheless. This movie is not suitable for children under 15, as it has some really gross scenes in there.
So to conclude, this book is very well written and amusing read, with well rounded and charismatic characters, and the narrative is twisty and always changing, keeping the reader interested. I do recommend to experience Lizzie’s journey and to watch the film afterwards. They do compliment each other, offering different perspectives and different interpretations, so give it a try and I hope you will enjoy it 🙂
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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Beautiful Boy (2018) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
Trying to climb a slippery pole.
As John Lennon’s lyrics go:
“‘Cause it’s a long way to go,
A hard row to hoe
Yes, it’s a long way to go“
And so it proves for young Nic Sheff (Timothée Chalamet). For – based on a true story – Nic has progressively worked through the encyclopaedia of drugs until he has arrived at “C for Crystal Meth” where he is working through a recurring nightmare of addiction and attempted rehab.
What’s harder… being the victim of drugs or being the caring onlookers desperately hoping that this attempt to climb the slippery pole to recovery will be a successful one? This is reflected as a key aspect of the film, and as a parent it makes for a very hard watch. The ‘caring onlookers’ in this case are Nic’s father David (Steve Carell), his girlfriend Karen Barbour (Maura Tierney), the couple’s natural children Jasper (Christian Convery) and Daisy (Oakley Bull), and David’s ex-wife and Nic’s mother Vicki (Amy Ryan).
Flashbacks
This is only the 2nd English-language film from director Felix van Groeningen (after 2012’s ” The Broken Circle Breakdown”) and the film has its fair share of impressive directorial flourishes such that Felix might need to get added to that elusive list of “famous Belgians”! Not least among them is the use of flashbacks. The film starts with a 12 month flashback, but then throughout the story David flashes back to scenes of his boy’s childhood. Many of these reflect the regret in perhaps failing to identify ways he could have done things differently to avoid the current crisis.
While many of these flashbacks are sudden and unexpected, I didn’t find them confusing to follow although I can see how they might annoy some viewers who prefer a more ‘linear’ storytelling approach.
The turns
Above all, it is the acting performances that make this film, and the four key cast members all turn in memorable turns. It’s excruciating watching Carell’s parental anguish and then (like a blast of light) his realization of a truth he’d been avoiding for a long time. It’s Chalamet though who truly shines, delivering fully on the realization of the tortured and self-torturing Nic. Already nominated for a Golden Globe, I would have thought another Oscar nomination is assured for this.
ER’s Maura Tierney also excels in a quieter supporting role: something that generally seems to be her niche at the movies.
Part of the curriculum
This is most definitely a “Father Ted” film…. it’s a gruelling movie from beginning to end and as such it feels a lot longer than it’s 2 hour running time suggests. But it is well worth the effort. A drama that really delivers on its message: “just say no”.
It rather frustrates me that the film is a UK 15 certificate. Not that I’m criticising the BBFC here, since with graphic drug taking, a lot of choice language and one (not overly graphic) sex scene, the rating is appropriate. However this would seem to me to be required viewing by every 13 year old, since if Chalomet’s performance can’t drill the message home to not climb onto that pole in the first place, then noone can.
“‘Cause it’s a long way to go,
A hard row to hoe
Yes, it’s a long way to go“
And so it proves for young Nic Sheff (Timothée Chalamet). For – based on a true story – Nic has progressively worked through the encyclopaedia of drugs until he has arrived at “C for Crystal Meth” where he is working through a recurring nightmare of addiction and attempted rehab.
What’s harder… being the victim of drugs or being the caring onlookers desperately hoping that this attempt to climb the slippery pole to recovery will be a successful one? This is reflected as a key aspect of the film, and as a parent it makes for a very hard watch. The ‘caring onlookers’ in this case are Nic’s father David (Steve Carell), his girlfriend Karen Barbour (Maura Tierney), the couple’s natural children Jasper (Christian Convery) and Daisy (Oakley Bull), and David’s ex-wife and Nic’s mother Vicki (Amy Ryan).
Flashbacks
This is only the 2nd English-language film from director Felix van Groeningen (after 2012’s ” The Broken Circle Breakdown”) and the film has its fair share of impressive directorial flourishes such that Felix might need to get added to that elusive list of “famous Belgians”! Not least among them is the use of flashbacks. The film starts with a 12 month flashback, but then throughout the story David flashes back to scenes of his boy’s childhood. Many of these reflect the regret in perhaps failing to identify ways he could have done things differently to avoid the current crisis.
While many of these flashbacks are sudden and unexpected, I didn’t find them confusing to follow although I can see how they might annoy some viewers who prefer a more ‘linear’ storytelling approach.
The turns
Above all, it is the acting performances that make this film, and the four key cast members all turn in memorable turns. It’s excruciating watching Carell’s parental anguish and then (like a blast of light) his realization of a truth he’d been avoiding for a long time. It’s Chalamet though who truly shines, delivering fully on the realization of the tortured and self-torturing Nic. Already nominated for a Golden Globe, I would have thought another Oscar nomination is assured for this.
ER’s Maura Tierney also excels in a quieter supporting role: something that generally seems to be her niche at the movies.
Part of the curriculum
This is most definitely a “Father Ted” film…. it’s a gruelling movie from beginning to end and as such it feels a lot longer than it’s 2 hour running time suggests. But it is well worth the effort. A drama that really delivers on its message: “just say no”.
It rather frustrates me that the film is a UK 15 certificate. Not that I’m criticising the BBFC here, since with graphic drug taking, a lot of choice language and one (not overly graphic) sex scene, the rating is appropriate. However this would seem to me to be required viewing by every 13 year old, since if Chalomet’s performance can’t drill the message home to not climb onto that pole in the first place, then noone can.