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Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Bad Magic and the Big Top (Blackwood Bay Witches Paranormal Cozy Mystery) in Books
Mar 16, 2019
What a great story!
Welcome to Blackwood Bay, where magic and murder have come out to play...Life for fledgling new witch Dru Rathmore Davis has been a whirlwind since moving to the charming seaside town of Blackwood Bay over a month ago . Seeing spirits, talking to animals, living with three cranky roommates, and totally not crushing on her new Guardian …But when Dru wakes one morning to find the body of a circus clown slouched dead against her doorstep and her bookshop broken into overnight, one of her worst fears may come to pass.She may be haunted by a clown... Together, Dru and her Guardian—incredibly handsome police sergeant Wolf Harper who’s absolutely just a friend —take their investigation to the most marvelous show on earth: the traveling Braun Bros Circus. It’s evident that there’s a far more sinister performance going on behind the scenes, and this traveling circus may have more skeletons buried in their closet than the Rathmore family. But when your suspects are a tight-knight troupe of acrobats, fortune tellers, magicians , and clowns, everyone has something to hide—and secrets they’d do anything to protect…
This is the second book in the Blackwood Bay Witches series. For those of you who like story lines with witches, ghosts, talking animals, wizards and covens, then this book is for you!
In this story Dru is starting to get used to being a witch, seeing ghosts and talking to animals and running the bookshop.
Just when Dru thinks her life is really starting to settle in Blackwood Bay, she opens her door and finds a dead clown on her doorstep.
The circus is in town and murder is afoot.
Come get to know this lovely set of characters. They are wisecracking and lovely bunch; well developed and will make you smile.
This has a good plot, twists abound to make you guess. Loaded with the humor and wise cracks. There are no cliff hangers just really good writing.
I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down! I can't wait for more!!!!
Highly recommend reading!
I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.
This is the second book in the Blackwood Bay Witches series. For those of you who like story lines with witches, ghosts, talking animals, wizards and covens, then this book is for you!
In this story Dru is starting to get used to being a witch, seeing ghosts and talking to animals and running the bookshop.
Just when Dru thinks her life is really starting to settle in Blackwood Bay, she opens her door and finds a dead clown on her doorstep.
The circus is in town and murder is afoot.
Come get to know this lovely set of characters. They are wisecracking and lovely bunch; well developed and will make you smile.
This has a good plot, twists abound to make you guess. Loaded with the humor and wise cracks. There are no cliff hangers just really good writing.
I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down! I can't wait for more!!!!
Highly recommend reading!
I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.
Midge (525 KP) rated Chocolate a la Murder in Books
Mar 25, 2019
A Delightful Paranormal Mystery!
I jumped at the chance to read this delightful little mystery as I have come to adore cozy novels in recent months. This is the fourth book in the ‘A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum’ series by Kirsten Weiss, the first book being ‘The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum,’ followed by ‘Pressed to Death’ and ‘Deja Moo.’
The setting for the story is a town called San Benedetto in the California wine country. In “Chocolate a la Murder,” owner, Maddie Kosloski, of the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, is preparing for The Wine and Chocolate Days Festival in San Benedetto. Maddie has sweet dreams about her new Magic of Chocolate exhibit. Her latest attraction is a haunted Mexican whisk called a molinillo that rattles if someone lies.
When Maddie visits the town's new boutique chocolate shop, she finds one of the owners dead and covered in melted cocoa. Maddie's determined to catch the killer, and she soon uncovers deadly dealings in the world of artisan chocolate. But the deception surrounding those dealings are enough to make the molinillo rattle all night. Will Maddie have to temper her passion for sleuthing before a killer makes her their next target?
Although I haven’t any read of the first three books of the series, Kirsten Weiss, provides plenty of back-stories, so “Chocolate a la Murder” works well as a stand-alone novel. Written in the first person, the characters in this novel were a real laugh and I especially liked Maddie’s feistiness. I even found myself asking the same questions and thinking along the same lines as Maddie when trying to work out the identity of the perpetrator. I really enjoyed the easy-to-read writing style, the plot and the pace of the book. The paranormal element helped to add intrigue to the tale, whilst making it a little different to some of the other books in the genre.
All in all, “Chocolate a la Murder” is a lighthearted, lovely read, that combines mystery, thrills and murder and mayhem and I'm looking forward to reading the first three books of the series.
[Thanks to #NetGalley and Midnight Ink Publishing for the free ARC of #ChocolateAlaMurder in exchange for an honest review.]
The setting for the story is a town called San Benedetto in the California wine country. In “Chocolate a la Murder,” owner, Maddie Kosloski, of the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, is preparing for The Wine and Chocolate Days Festival in San Benedetto. Maddie has sweet dreams about her new Magic of Chocolate exhibit. Her latest attraction is a haunted Mexican whisk called a molinillo that rattles if someone lies.
When Maddie visits the town's new boutique chocolate shop, she finds one of the owners dead and covered in melted cocoa. Maddie's determined to catch the killer, and she soon uncovers deadly dealings in the world of artisan chocolate. But the deception surrounding those dealings are enough to make the molinillo rattle all night. Will Maddie have to temper her passion for sleuthing before a killer makes her their next target?
Although I haven’t any read of the first three books of the series, Kirsten Weiss, provides plenty of back-stories, so “Chocolate a la Murder” works well as a stand-alone novel. Written in the first person, the characters in this novel were a real laugh and I especially liked Maddie’s feistiness. I even found myself asking the same questions and thinking along the same lines as Maddie when trying to work out the identity of the perpetrator. I really enjoyed the easy-to-read writing style, the plot and the pace of the book. The paranormal element helped to add intrigue to the tale, whilst making it a little different to some of the other books in the genre.
All in all, “Chocolate a la Murder” is a lighthearted, lovely read, that combines mystery, thrills and murder and mayhem and I'm looking forward to reading the first three books of the series.
[Thanks to #NetGalley and Midnight Ink Publishing for the free ARC of #ChocolateAlaMurder in exchange for an honest review.]
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Mandy (2018) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Oh Mandy
#Mandymovie is an intoxicating & nauseating experience that left my head spinning & my body warm/tingly sunk into my seat. From the second #mandy starts i was simply hooked, #nostalgia running through my body & its #perfect visuals glistening off my eye balls. I felt almost in a #trance with its soothing/#hypnotic #soundtrack & its cinematography bathed in colour Mandy is simply #gorgeous right to its core. Atmosphere begins #beautifully creating so much intrigue, a sence of wonder/#mystery & a massive sense of love/commitment however its not long until this flips to deeply #unerving, #unsettling & down right skin crawling fast. So many scenes are Dialog sparce but with so much depth in the visuals & sound its really not missed or needed at all. An example of this is Cages love for mandy is shown as complete devotion, #passion/commitment like he sees her almost as a godess/his reason to live (shown using glowing light and warm fire acompanied by soft slow dialog) yet other peoples love for her is the complete oposite more as an #obsession, an object or a #desire (shown using pulsing red light, slow zooms and freeze frames and frantic pitch changing broken dialog). Its a masterful way of telling us about the characters & story making us feel/experiance there #emotions rather than wait for dialog to develop them for us. Acting is also stellar with this being #nicolascage best role in a very long time. His character is a #haunted & troubled man & his #pain can be felt deeply whenever he is on screen. Infunces/homages are everywhere here from #darioargento to #fridaythe13th & other #80s #horror movies. Infact mandy could easily be mistaken for a film released decades ago its that well made & its also destined to become a #cultclassic its self. Mandy is an absolute rare gem, every scene its drenched in such style, care & mesmerising #beauty youll be pushed to find another film like it now days. Im being vauge here on purpouse because to watching this film in the dark, on a big screen, turned up loud trully is one of the best experiences ive had watching a film this year. Insanely good & the perfect #arthouse #horror movie. #odeon #odeonlimitless #filmbuff #filmcritic
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The Secret of Marrowbone (2018) in Movies
May 14, 2019
Keep a secret
#marrowbone #marrowbonemovie is enchanting, tense & bleak psychological drama with a slow pace that ensures you feel the emotion its packed full of. To start with I feel this #film has been marketed completely wrong, its not a horror movie & more of a drama with slight horror elements (these being mainly psychological). This isnt a bad thing at all but for those of you expecting the like of #thenun you may want to avoid this one. Its also a tough movie to review for me as while i loved acts 1 & 2 so incredibly much that once the twist his in act 3 I felt a tad let down & cheated. Thats not saying act 3 is bad it just felt sub par to the rest of the film, rushed, tacked on & far too hand holding for my liking. Shot really creative & with a #gorgeous eye for cinematography at first marrowbone feels almost dreamlike with a sence of mysterious #fairytale edge to it. This doesnt last long however as what follows is an anxiety riddled downward spiral of a tale about the destruction of a family as it slowly falls apart because of its abusive past. Symbolism & metaphors are cleverly inserted everywhere from broken mirrors representing the cracks in family & a stain on the ceiling representing guilt that keeps seeping in. Watching as this #family gradually falls apart is upsetting & uncomfortable with themes of mental instability, deceit, abuse, loss & jealousy really hitting home constantly. Music is awesome too as well as the use of silence yo great pin sharp tension & dread. #anyataylorjoy steals the show here as always not only with her acting but with her beauty too. Over all its a great little film that could of been fantastic if it wasnt for its messy end chapter but its still a very well made deep, smart & well acted piece of work that id encourage film #fans to see at least once. Think #Split meets #itcomesatnight. #odeon #odeonlimitless #screamunseen #drama #horror #jumpy #scary #witch #metalillness #thesecretofmarrowbone #filmbuff #filmcritic #review #haunted #love #murder #gore #blood #mondaymotivation
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Hereditary (2018) in Movies
May 14, 2019
Its all in the family
#Hereditary is a strange/uncomfortable visual bombardment & for a directorial debut its almost stunningly perfect too.For those of you looking for jump scares, a scary #nun or a haunted doll you may want to avoid Hereditary as this is a different kind of horror film & its all the better for it. Sitting comfortably in between #thewitch & #itcomesatnight this is a multi layered film about loss, grieving, mental heath & loneliness & how they slowly bring about the destruction of a #family. Shot flawlessly the film sinks its teeth into your nerves instantly with #beautiful slow camera pans & rotations mixed with eerie lingering shots & overlapping scene fades. It really is a work of #art visually & every location feels like a character its self. Sound design is perfect too with great use of silence to build dread/tension, a fantastic & beautifuly somber score & great use of clicking, chopping, cracking & snapping sounds that constantly keep you feeling #anxious & on edge. Acting is also flawless with #ToniCollette absolutely knocking it out of the park as Annie a character Toni plays so well you cant help but get lost in the intricacy of her personality. While containing horror elements Hereditary plays out more along the lines of a #psychological drama with a plot so multi layered, intricate & intelligent multiple viewings will be necessary to fully understand all of what its truly about & what it really has to say (that's not to say its an easy watch however, at times the film created a tension & atmosphere so unpleasant & unnerving this accompanied by some startling & #dark imagery I found myself feeling very uncomfortable at times). My only gripe stopping it being a 10 is the strange comedy surrounding some scenes which I found immersion breaking (this may be intentional but for me it didnt work). Hereditary really is something special/unique & although not for everyone its certainly destined to win an award or become a #cultclassic. With a fresh take on its subject matter & truly #disturbing imagery this is a must for film #fans. #odeon #odeonlimitless #horror #scary #gore #terror #anxiety #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #filmcritic #filmbuff #filmreview
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Burning House in Books
May 22, 2019
It was a victimless crime...
Estate Agent Clara is struggling to make a sale. With her abusive ex-husband on the brink of finding where she's hiding, she needs to make a commission soon or lose her chance to escape.
Boleskine House on the shores of Loch Ness has remained unsold for years, and Clara is sure that an 'innocent' fire will force the price down. But the perfect crime soon turns into the perfect nightmare: there was a witness, a stranger in the village, and he's not going to let Clara get away with it that easily...
This is a very creepy read indeed, which features old secrets, black magic and also a story line which deals with domestic violence, and stalking, set very much in the real world. This combination of crimes we can understand, and empathize with, alongside the supernatural, works very well.
I didn't realize until the end that he had taken the story of the real Boleskin House and weaved the story around it. Boleskin sounds an absolutely fascinating place, owned by Alistair Crowley and Jimmy Page and reputedly incredibly haunted and the site of some odd rituals and occurrences. Spring explains in a footnote that a mysterious fire did really happen, do unfortunately you can't exactly visit the real place.
It is hard to write too much about this novel, without giving away the plot and I have no wish to do that.
This was a tense and chilling read that was!! From the start you are thrown into quite a chain of shocking events and the consequences of these are felt throughout the book, and leads to some very dark places for some of the characters!
Great plot that will grip you and not let you go at all. The characters were well written and some are very unsavory and that adds to the dark story line. The action never seems to let up and I found myself holding my breath in anticipation.
Definitely a superb psychological thriller with a twist and I thought it was brilliant.
Highly recommend reading!!!
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Estate Agent Clara is struggling to make a sale. With her abusive ex-husband on the brink of finding where she's hiding, she needs to make a commission soon or lose her chance to escape.
Boleskine House on the shores of Loch Ness has remained unsold for years, and Clara is sure that an 'innocent' fire will force the price down. But the perfect crime soon turns into the perfect nightmare: there was a witness, a stranger in the village, and he's not going to let Clara get away with it that easily...
This is a very creepy read indeed, which features old secrets, black magic and also a story line which deals with domestic violence, and stalking, set very much in the real world. This combination of crimes we can understand, and empathize with, alongside the supernatural, works very well.
I didn't realize until the end that he had taken the story of the real Boleskin House and weaved the story around it. Boleskin sounds an absolutely fascinating place, owned by Alistair Crowley and Jimmy Page and reputedly incredibly haunted and the site of some odd rituals and occurrences. Spring explains in a footnote that a mysterious fire did really happen, do unfortunately you can't exactly visit the real place.
It is hard to write too much about this novel, without giving away the plot and I have no wish to do that.
This was a tense and chilling read that was!! From the start you are thrown into quite a chain of shocking events and the consequences of these are felt throughout the book, and leads to some very dark places for some of the characters!
Great plot that will grip you and not let you go at all. The characters were well written and some are very unsavory and that adds to the dark story line. The action never seems to let up and I found myself holding my breath in anticipation.
Definitely a superb psychological thriller with a twist and I thought it was brilliant.
Highly recommend reading!!!
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Haunted on Bourbon Street (Jade Calhoun, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I downloaded this novel free from Amazon because I was looking for a lighthearted paranormal romance to distract me. I assumed it was along the same vein as other paranormal romances I have made like Karen Chances Cassandra Palmer Series or Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series. I wasnt too far off.
My favorite part of this book had to be the diversity of characters. Each character had their own personality, that it felt like you were reading about real people instead of caricatures. It seemed to come naturally too. There were no page long paragraphs tediously describing each character. You picked up bits and pieces along the way.
The world and story that Chase created were also pretty interesting. I am partial to ghost stories, which is what drew me to the book in the first place, so that whole aspect and how they dealt with the ghost was fantastic. The rest of the Chases mythology, however, is what was really interesting. After looking at future novels in the series, however, I feel that the series will become way to complicated and in depth for me. I also dont enjoy reading about angels v. demons.
The novel has a couple twists. The one concerning the ghost didnt feel like a twist to me. I figured it out much earlier in the novel so when it was confirmed I really didnt even notice. The secret surrounding Kane, however, was pretty surprising. I wasnt expecting it even though I knew he had a secret.
All in all, Haunted on Bourbon Street is a well-rounded novel with engaging characters, an interesting world, and plot that keeps you reading til the very end. I cannot think of a single thing I didnt like about the novel. I am not sure I will read the rest of the series, however, after reading the synopsizes and seeing where the story is headed.
If you are looking for an enjoyable quick read, I highly recommend downloading it, especially since its currently free!
My favorite part of this book had to be the diversity of characters. Each character had their own personality, that it felt like you were reading about real people instead of caricatures. It seemed to come naturally too. There were no page long paragraphs tediously describing each character. You picked up bits and pieces along the way.
The world and story that Chase created were also pretty interesting. I am partial to ghost stories, which is what drew me to the book in the first place, so that whole aspect and how they dealt with the ghost was fantastic. The rest of the Chases mythology, however, is what was really interesting. After looking at future novels in the series, however, I feel that the series will become way to complicated and in depth for me. I also dont enjoy reading about angels v. demons.
The novel has a couple twists. The one concerning the ghost didnt feel like a twist to me. I figured it out much earlier in the novel so when it was confirmed I really didnt even notice. The secret surrounding Kane, however, was pretty surprising. I wasnt expecting it even though I knew he had a secret.
All in all, Haunted on Bourbon Street is a well-rounded novel with engaging characters, an interesting world, and plot that keeps you reading til the very end. I cannot think of a single thing I didnt like about the novel. I am not sure I will read the rest of the series, however, after reading the synopsizes and seeing where the story is headed.
If you are looking for an enjoyable quick read, I highly recommend downloading it, especially since its currently free!
Lee (2222 KP) rated The Haunting of Hill House in TV
Oct 20, 2018
Outstanding
I'm not familiar with the book that this Netflix show is based on, but then from what I understand this is meant to be more a 'remix' of the book anyway. All I can say though is, faithful to the book or not, this is without a doubt one of the most incredibly brilliant shows I have seen in a very long time.
The Haunting of Hill House is all about the Crain family, flitting between then, now, yesterday and varying points in their lives. From their early years of living in a haunted house and having to leave quickly one night following their mothers suicide, to adulthood and trying to keep it all together in order to live some kind of normal life. The show takes a little while to settle in and to get comfortable with who is the adult version of which child (there are 5 children in total) and where they're all currently at in their lives, but after that the show just goes from strength to strength. Taking a few episodes to cover each child's story, all the while carefully taking the time occasionally to go back to their childhood life in the house, piecing things together for us. Continuing to add layers to each character and highlighting key points in those early years that subsequently affect their behaviour towards other family members as grown ups. It's like a much darker version of 'This is Us', with added horror and jump scares!
Whenever I read any positive reviews for the movie Hereditary, everything they describe about what made it great for them is totally what I got out of this show. It's the complete opposite to what I got from Hereditary, and I came away from that just feeling angry, frustrated and hugely disappointed. With The Haunting of Hill House though, every episode gripped me, sticking with me for a long time after. Episodes featuring beautifully elaborate long takes draw you into the drama, camera weaving between and around the characters and scenery, creating opportunities for some fantastic effects, especially within the house at night. Perfectly paced storytelling, effective without overly used scares, and some truly heartbreaking sadness at times. I loved it all, from start to finish.
The Haunting of Hill House is all about the Crain family, flitting between then, now, yesterday and varying points in their lives. From their early years of living in a haunted house and having to leave quickly one night following their mothers suicide, to adulthood and trying to keep it all together in order to live some kind of normal life. The show takes a little while to settle in and to get comfortable with who is the adult version of which child (there are 5 children in total) and where they're all currently at in their lives, but after that the show just goes from strength to strength. Taking a few episodes to cover each child's story, all the while carefully taking the time occasionally to go back to their childhood life in the house, piecing things together for us. Continuing to add layers to each character and highlighting key points in those early years that subsequently affect their behaviour towards other family members as grown ups. It's like a much darker version of 'This is Us', with added horror and jump scares!
Whenever I read any positive reviews for the movie Hereditary, everything they describe about what made it great for them is totally what I got out of this show. It's the complete opposite to what I got from Hereditary, and I came away from that just feeling angry, frustrated and hugely disappointed. With The Haunting of Hill House though, every episode gripped me, sticking with me for a long time after. Episodes featuring beautifully elaborate long takes draw you into the drama, camera weaving between and around the characters and scenery, creating opportunities for some fantastic effects, especially within the house at night. Perfectly paced storytelling, effective without overly used scares, and some truly heartbreaking sadness at times. I loved it all, from start to finish.
Carma (21 KP) rated Leather and Lace (Lonesome Point, Texas, #1) in Books
Jun 17, 2019
Through a free book of day web page I stumbled upon a new to me author named Jessie Evans. Leather and Lace (Lonesome Point Texas) was the first book I’ve ever read by Jessie and can I just say, I will now be reading the rest of the books in her repertoire.
Leather and Lace is book #1 in the Lonesome Point Texas series. The main characters are Mia Sherman and Sawyer Kane. Mia’s family is one of prominence in the community and she recently returned home after a relationship turned bad and failed. Sawyer Kane was new to town coming for work opportunities, having ended a bad relationship recently. Neither was looking to start a new relationship until when they literally run into each other changes that.
Mia’s family has established themselves as solid settlers of Lonesome Point Texas. Mia’s grandmother runs the historic society old town, trying to keep the sightseers coming back to enjoy the history and ghost stories it provides. Mia runs her own lingerie store trying to shed the old stigma of being the town prankster but failing miserably. She just got out of a failed relationship and is just looking to have a little fun with her friends and family. After a night out with friends she decided to have a little fun with the items from her store and panty up the town. She “decorated” her cousin’s yard and while trying to escape detection, ran full force into Sawyer Kane. With a family curse and haunted house in her life this was not what she was looking for.
Sawyer Kane headed to Lonesome Point in place of his uncle who wanted him to check out a possible refurbish project. Trying to find a place to eat one night let him smack dab into Mia Sherman. He wasn’t looking for a new relationship but after their run in he can’t get her out of his mind. Can he convince her to give a relationship a chance, curse be damned.
Throw in a back story of drama, bad relationships and psychotic exes leads them toward each other and questioning getting involved again. I can’t wait to get further into Lonesome Point and its fun loving residents.
Leather and Lace is book #1 in the Lonesome Point Texas series. The main characters are Mia Sherman and Sawyer Kane. Mia’s family is one of prominence in the community and she recently returned home after a relationship turned bad and failed. Sawyer Kane was new to town coming for work opportunities, having ended a bad relationship recently. Neither was looking to start a new relationship until when they literally run into each other changes that.
Mia’s family has established themselves as solid settlers of Lonesome Point Texas. Mia’s grandmother runs the historic society old town, trying to keep the sightseers coming back to enjoy the history and ghost stories it provides. Mia runs her own lingerie store trying to shed the old stigma of being the town prankster but failing miserably. She just got out of a failed relationship and is just looking to have a little fun with her friends and family. After a night out with friends she decided to have a little fun with the items from her store and panty up the town. She “decorated” her cousin’s yard and while trying to escape detection, ran full force into Sawyer Kane. With a family curse and haunted house in her life this was not what she was looking for.
Sawyer Kane headed to Lonesome Point in place of his uncle who wanted him to check out a possible refurbish project. Trying to find a place to eat one night let him smack dab into Mia Sherman. He wasn’t looking for a new relationship but after their run in he can’t get her out of his mind. Can he convince her to give a relationship a chance, curse be damned.
Throw in a back story of drama, bad relationships and psychotic exes leads them toward each other and questioning getting involved again. I can’t wait to get further into Lonesome Point and its fun loving residents.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Inception (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
Inception is a stunningly good movie. Written and rewritten over the course of the last 10 years, this has been Christopher Nolan’s pet project since before he worked on either of the Batman movies. Finally getting the support to afford a big-budget movie of his own creation, he does not disappoint, as Inception is by far one of the best films of the last several years.
The plot is the strongest feature of Inception. In a way, it mirrors the labyrinthine twists of the subconscious, but Nolan is adept at keeping all his proverbial ducks in a row. Luckily, the plot isn’t exactly the same as dreaming, because that would make an insane, disjointed experience. The only negative I could find regarding the flow of the plot was during the first 15 minutes. Nolan doesn’t hold back on twisting your brain, and expects you to figure out when he’s showing reality and when he’s showing you a dream. The plot generally follows the heist genre, but because many elements take place during dream sequences, you never really know what’s going to come next until the film finally ends.
The cast does an excellent job, with much of the interaction spinning around the hub that is Leonardo DiCaprio. Nolan has said that the emotional life of this character is the “guiding thread of the story” and DiCaprio gives a great performance as the dream security expert who is haunted by his own dreams. The supporting cast, that includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine and Cillian Murphy, truly has no weak points; they round out the story well, and in some cases provide some needed comic relief in heavier moments.
Inception is a surprise blockbuster. For a heist movie with tinges of sci-fi, it’s a thinker of a movie that will reward extra viewings with extra insight into the motivations of the characters. The action isn’t overly heavy, the special effects work for the story and not the other way around, and it has one of the most clever plots I’ve seen in a very long time. Do not miss this movie.
The plot is the strongest feature of Inception. In a way, it mirrors the labyrinthine twists of the subconscious, but Nolan is adept at keeping all his proverbial ducks in a row. Luckily, the plot isn’t exactly the same as dreaming, because that would make an insane, disjointed experience. The only negative I could find regarding the flow of the plot was during the first 15 minutes. Nolan doesn’t hold back on twisting your brain, and expects you to figure out when he’s showing reality and when he’s showing you a dream. The plot generally follows the heist genre, but because many elements take place during dream sequences, you never really know what’s going to come next until the film finally ends.
The cast does an excellent job, with much of the interaction spinning around the hub that is Leonardo DiCaprio. Nolan has said that the emotional life of this character is the “guiding thread of the story” and DiCaprio gives a great performance as the dream security expert who is haunted by his own dreams. The supporting cast, that includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine and Cillian Murphy, truly has no weak points; they round out the story well, and in some cases provide some needed comic relief in heavier moments.
Inception is a surprise blockbuster. For a heist movie with tinges of sci-fi, it’s a thinker of a movie that will reward extra viewings with extra insight into the motivations of the characters. The action isn’t overly heavy, the special effects work for the story and not the other way around, and it has one of the most clever plots I’ve seen in a very long time. Do not miss this movie.
