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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated One Night in Miami (2020) in Movies
Apr 15, 2021
Keeps the audience at arms length
The issue when adapting a stage play to the screen is that, often times, the subject matter and style of the script does not lend itself to being “opened up”, what is powerful when sitting in a theater with the actors performing the piece in front of you can often times be seen as “flat” when it jumps to the screen.
Such is the case with ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI the Major Motion Picture Directorial debut of Oscar Winning Actress Regina King and based on the stage play by Kemp Powers. This film/play fictionalizes the true story of 4 powerful African American legends that meet up in a hotel room, one night in Miami.
And…this film feels like 4 people sitting in a hotel room talking - and that’s the problem with it. What should be powerful dialogue (and, I’m sure, IS powerful when seen live on stage) just doesn’t translate well enough on the screen, so the film just sits there demanding we pay attention, while not inviting us in to do so.
Since this is a story about 4 people sitting around talking, the acting needs to take center stage and hold our attention and, quite frankly, it just does not. Eli Goree as Cassius Clay, Aldis Hodge as Jim Brown and Leslie Odom, Jr. as Sam Cook are all “fine” in their roles, but they don’t rise above the script and direction. Odom gets an Oscar nod for his turn in this film, but I have to think that, maybe, it is as much for his turn in HAMILTON as it is in this film.
Only Kingsley Ben-Adir as Malcolm X shows a spark and draws an emotional response in this film and that might not be fair to the other actors for he has the flashier role with the most speeches.
The Direction by King and the Script by Kemp Powers (based on his stage play) has some moments, but never draws the audience in. It keeps everyone at arms length and doesn’t touch the soul.
The subject matter in this film is an important one, and depicts a pivotal time in American History, but other films do a better job of driving that point home by inviting the audience into the conversation.
Letter Grade: B-
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Such is the case with ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI the Major Motion Picture Directorial debut of Oscar Winning Actress Regina King and based on the stage play by Kemp Powers. This film/play fictionalizes the true story of 4 powerful African American legends that meet up in a hotel room, one night in Miami.
And…this film feels like 4 people sitting in a hotel room talking - and that’s the problem with it. What should be powerful dialogue (and, I’m sure, IS powerful when seen live on stage) just doesn’t translate well enough on the screen, so the film just sits there demanding we pay attention, while not inviting us in to do so.
Since this is a story about 4 people sitting around talking, the acting needs to take center stage and hold our attention and, quite frankly, it just does not. Eli Goree as Cassius Clay, Aldis Hodge as Jim Brown and Leslie Odom, Jr. as Sam Cook are all “fine” in their roles, but they don’t rise above the script and direction. Odom gets an Oscar nod for his turn in this film, but I have to think that, maybe, it is as much for his turn in HAMILTON as it is in this film.
Only Kingsley Ben-Adir as Malcolm X shows a spark and draws an emotional response in this film and that might not be fair to the other actors for he has the flashier role with the most speeches.
The Direction by King and the Script by Kemp Powers (based on his stage play) has some moments, but never draws the audience in. It keeps everyone at arms length and doesn’t touch the soul.
The subject matter in this film is an important one, and depicts a pivotal time in American History, but other films do a better job of driving that point home by inviting the audience into the conversation.
Letter Grade: B-
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Table 19 (2017) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
Mean spirited and atrocious.
I really hated this film. There. BOOM. Got it off my chest.
It all starts so promisingly, with a scene of Anna Kendrick (“The Accountant“, who can be a very good actress) rejecting a wedding invitation; then accepting it; then burning it; then blowing it out; then posting it. I laughed. This was a rarity. There are about five more smile-worthy moments in the movie, most of which are delivered by Stephen Merchant.
Anna plays Eloise who was SUPPOSED to be maid-of-honour at her best friend’s wedding, but then broke up – messily – with her brother (the best man). She stubbornly attends the wedding in a posh hotel and finds herself on “Table 19” – a socially unfavourable location, full of a bunch of misfits that everyone expected to say “no” but didn’t; a molly-coddled and awkward teen (Tony Revolori, “Spider-man: Homecoming“) with the single goal of getting laid; “The Kepps” – a bickering married couple (Lisa Kudrow (“The Girl on the Train“, “Friends”) and Craig Robinson (“Hot Tub Time Machine”)); a convicted fraudster serving his sentence in an open prison ( Stephen Merchant, “Logan“) and a druggie former nanny of the bride (June Squibb, “In and Out”).
The fundamental problem with the movie is that Jeffrey Blitz’s script (he also directs) is not only not very funny, but it is so fundamentally focused on the greedy and needy nature of the table’s American reprobates that at every turn it leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Their motives are all utterly selfish and there’s an “if we get away with it, then that’s fine” attitude that pervades the plot.
The nadir for me happens when – after trashing (albeit accidently) a key part of the wedding they are attending, they cover their selfish backsides by (deliberately) trashing the same key part of another wedding going on in the same hotel.
This is kind of positioned as a “revenge” sort of thing, but (in analysis) no wrong seems to have actually been done: its just another misunderstanding of the self-obsessed Eloise.
The Kepp’s story is also sad and selfish rather than comedic, and the resolution of this (and in fact all of the other sub-stories) for a nicely gift-wrapped ending is just saccharine and vomit-inducing.
This is a wedding present that should have come with a label in big red writing: “DO NOT OPEN“.
It all starts so promisingly, with a scene of Anna Kendrick (“The Accountant“, who can be a very good actress) rejecting a wedding invitation; then accepting it; then burning it; then blowing it out; then posting it. I laughed. This was a rarity. There are about five more smile-worthy moments in the movie, most of which are delivered by Stephen Merchant.
Anna plays Eloise who was SUPPOSED to be maid-of-honour at her best friend’s wedding, but then broke up – messily – with her brother (the best man). She stubbornly attends the wedding in a posh hotel and finds herself on “Table 19” – a socially unfavourable location, full of a bunch of misfits that everyone expected to say “no” but didn’t; a molly-coddled and awkward teen (Tony Revolori, “Spider-man: Homecoming“) with the single goal of getting laid; “The Kepps” – a bickering married couple (Lisa Kudrow (“The Girl on the Train“, “Friends”) and Craig Robinson (“Hot Tub Time Machine”)); a convicted fraudster serving his sentence in an open prison ( Stephen Merchant, “Logan“) and a druggie former nanny of the bride (June Squibb, “In and Out”).
The fundamental problem with the movie is that Jeffrey Blitz’s script (he also directs) is not only not very funny, but it is so fundamentally focused on the greedy and needy nature of the table’s American reprobates that at every turn it leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Their motives are all utterly selfish and there’s an “if we get away with it, then that’s fine” attitude that pervades the plot.
The nadir for me happens when – after trashing (albeit accidently) a key part of the wedding they are attending, they cover their selfish backsides by (deliberately) trashing the same key part of another wedding going on in the same hotel.
This is kind of positioned as a “revenge” sort of thing, but (in analysis) no wrong seems to have actually been done: its just another misunderstanding of the self-obsessed Eloise.
The Kepp’s story is also sad and selfish rather than comedic, and the resolution of this (and in fact all of the other sub-stories) for a nicely gift-wrapped ending is just saccharine and vomit-inducing.
This is a wedding present that should have come with a label in big red writing: “DO NOT OPEN“.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Hideaway ( Devils Night book 2) in Books
Feb 14, 2022
28 of 230
Kindle
Hideaway ( Devils Night book 2)
By Penelope Douglas
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
DEVIL'S NIGHT is returning! Hiding places, chases, and all the games are back...
BANKS
Buried in the shadows of the city, there’s a hotel called The Pope. Ailing, empty, and dark, it sits abandoned and surrounded by a forgotten mystery.
But you think it’s true, don’t you, Kai Mori? The story about the hidden twelfth floor. The mystery of the dark guest who never checked in and never checks out. You think I can help you find that secret hideaway and get to him, don’t you?
You and your friends can try to scare me. You can try to push me. Because even though I struggle to hide everything I feel when you look at me—and have ever since I was a girl—I think maybe what you seek is so much closer than you’ll ever realize.
I will never betray him.
So sit tight.
On Devil’s Night, the hunt will be coming to you.
KAI
You have no idea what I seek, Little One. You don’t know what I had to become to survive three years in prison for a crime I would gladly commit again.
No one can know what I’ve turned into.
I want that hotel, I want to find him, and I want this over.
I want my life back.
But the more I’m around you, the more I realize this new me is exactly who I was meant to be.
So come on, kid. Don’t chicken out. My house is on the hill. So many ways in, and good luck finding your way out.
I’ve seen your hideaway. Time to see mine.
*Hideaway is a romantic suspense suitable for ages 18+. While the romance is a stand-alone, the plot is a continuation of events that began in CORRUPT (Devil's Night, #1). It is strongly recommended that you have read Corrupt prior to reading this.
So I definitely enjoyed this more than book 1. I’m still not Adam of Michael but the rest I’m warming up to! I really liked Banks and I loved to see her finally be loved. Definitely recommend if you like some spice but some of it can be a bit close to the edge. Looking forward to reading more.
Kindle
Hideaway ( Devils Night book 2)
By Penelope Douglas
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
DEVIL'S NIGHT is returning! Hiding places, chases, and all the games are back...
BANKS
Buried in the shadows of the city, there’s a hotel called The Pope. Ailing, empty, and dark, it sits abandoned and surrounded by a forgotten mystery.
But you think it’s true, don’t you, Kai Mori? The story about the hidden twelfth floor. The mystery of the dark guest who never checked in and never checks out. You think I can help you find that secret hideaway and get to him, don’t you?
You and your friends can try to scare me. You can try to push me. Because even though I struggle to hide everything I feel when you look at me—and have ever since I was a girl—I think maybe what you seek is so much closer than you’ll ever realize.
I will never betray him.
So sit tight.
On Devil’s Night, the hunt will be coming to you.
KAI
You have no idea what I seek, Little One. You don’t know what I had to become to survive three years in prison for a crime I would gladly commit again.
No one can know what I’ve turned into.
I want that hotel, I want to find him, and I want this over.
I want my life back.
But the more I’m around you, the more I realize this new me is exactly who I was meant to be.
So come on, kid. Don’t chicken out. My house is on the hill. So many ways in, and good luck finding your way out.
I’ve seen your hideaway. Time to see mine.
*Hideaway is a romantic suspense suitable for ages 18+. While the romance is a stand-alone, the plot is a continuation of events that began in CORRUPT (Devil's Night, #1). It is strongly recommended that you have read Corrupt prior to reading this.
So I definitely enjoyed this more than book 1. I’m still not Adam of Michael but the rest I’m warming up to! I really liked Banks and I loved to see her finally be loved. Definitely recommend if you like some spice but some of it can be a bit close to the edge. Looking forward to reading more.
Nick Friesen (96 KP) rated John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) in Movies
Jul 14, 2017
The Boogeyman is back! (3 more)
Beautiful locales
The Continental Hotel
New Dog!
"He Killed Three Men...with a Pencil!"
John Wick: Chapter 2 lets you stop and breathe for only the few moments it gives the main character a reprieve from a relentless onslaught of international assassins. It's intense, and the action is as cleanly shot as ever. The fight choreography and cinematography is just as commendable as the first film, and there's even more action to show this time around. The problem with this installment is simply that it isn't as good as the first. While John Wick's story was never going to win any awards, this second chapter gets a little muddled. There's so much of this fascinating, shadowy universe of assassins that Chad Stahelski and Derek Kolstad want to show, but precious little time to really stop and show it. Perhaps Chapter 3 will tie it all up nicely, but the ending of Chapter 2 seems to suggest that things are only going to get crazier. I'm going to enjoy the wild ride either way, and I'm not-so-secretly hoping they name Chapter 3 "John Wick vs. the World."
Andy K (10823 KP) rated The Lobster (2015) in Movies
Apr 15, 2018 (Updated Apr 15, 2018)
Rather like a trip to the dentist!
The title may suggest I didn't like the film, but that's not correct. I guess I just meant watching a film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos makes you uneasy, awkward and you are not sure what is about to happen. In the case of this film, though, I found it very interesting, surreal, deadpan and funny all at the same time.
The unusual premise involves people checking into a hotel where they 45 days to find love or must become an animal. Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz navigate their way through this extremely unusual film not for most tastes I would imagine. After recently watching The Killing of a Sacred Deer, i was curious to check this one out and I wasn't disappointed.
The actors must have had a hard time showing little emotion and not cracking up when they sputter the awkward, contrite but witty dialogue and some of the very bizarre situations they find themselves in.
Still, with myriads of films under my belt at this stage in my life, I'll gladly take something original over Fast & Furious 27.
The unusual premise involves people checking into a hotel where they 45 days to find love or must become an animal. Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz navigate their way through this extremely unusual film not for most tastes I would imagine. After recently watching The Killing of a Sacred Deer, i was curious to check this one out and I wasn't disappointed.
The actors must have had a hard time showing little emotion and not cracking up when they sputter the awkward, contrite but witty dialogue and some of the very bizarre situations they find themselves in.
Still, with myriads of films under my belt at this stage in my life, I'll gladly take something original over Fast & Furious 27.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated A Deadly Éclair (A French Bistro Mystery, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Mimi Rousseau is just months into her new venture of a French bistro and hotel in the heart of Napa County. This weekend, she is hosting her first event, the wedding of Angelica Edmonton, noted TV talk show host and the niece of Bryan Baker, Mimi’s benefactor and mentor. However, when tension at the pre-wedding dinner on Friday night leads to a dead body on Saturday morning, Mimi finds herself looking into the murder. What is going on?
It’s fun to find a series set in Napa County that doesn’t focus on wine, although wine is certainly present. The French food will definitely leave your mouth watering as you work your way through this good first mystery. The initial chapter has a bit of a data dump in it, but once beyond that, the mystery picks up and the pace never slows down again. The characters are outstanding, and the relationships between the series regulars is already strong. I’m looking forward to seeing that grow as the series progresses.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/11/book-review-deadly-eclair-by-daryl-wood.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
It’s fun to find a series set in Napa County that doesn’t focus on wine, although wine is certainly present. The French food will definitely leave your mouth watering as you work your way through this good first mystery. The initial chapter has a bit of a data dump in it, but once beyond that, the mystery picks up and the pace never slows down again. The characters are outstanding, and the relationships between the series regulars is already strong. I’m looking forward to seeing that grow as the series progresses.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/11/book-review-deadly-eclair-by-daryl-wood.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated Whispers of Warning (A Change of Fortune Mystery, #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Between plans to open the new pier in Old Orchard, Maine, and suffragist Sophronia Foster Eldridge being in town, things are busy for Ruby Proulx. The Belden, the hotel her aunt owns, is completely booked. Then a guest is murdered. With the police focused on the pier opening, Sophronia finds herself trying to track down the killer. Can she do it?
Once again, I found myself caught up in turn of last century Maine. It’s a great look at life back then. The mystery took a little while to really take off, but the story did a good job of using that time to introduce us to the suspects. Once the murder happened, I was glued to the page. Ruby is a fascinating main character, and I also enjoy the scenes we get from police detective Yancey’s point of view. The supernatural element is prevalent but still mild. I’m not usually a fan, but here it works well.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/09/book-review-whispers-of-warning-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Once again, I found myself caught up in turn of last century Maine. It’s a great look at life back then. The mystery took a little while to really take off, but the story did a good job of using that time to introduce us to the suspects. Once the murder happened, I was glued to the page. Ruby is a fascinating main character, and I also enjoy the scenes we get from police detective Yancey’s point of view. The supernatural element is prevalent but still mild. I’m not usually a fan, but here it works well.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/09/book-review-whispers-of-warning-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
ClareR (5906 KP) rated An Unwanted Guest in Books
Aug 10, 2018
A complete and utter mystery to me!
A group of people who have no prior knowledge of one another, end up stranded in the middle of nowhere in a hotel when some extreme weather comes in (snow and ice) and cuts them off. It also cuts off the electricity and phone lines (most conveniently!). Then people start dying under suspicious circumstances.
I honestly had no idea whatsoever who the murderer was. The perpetrator covered their tracks really well (although not so well that the crime scene investigators couldn't work it out pretty quickly at the end). I really enjoyed the character descriptions: there were those that were easy to empathise with and those that I thoroughly disliked.
This was very 'Agatha Christie', even down to the part where everyone is gathered in the same room by request of the investigator so that they could go through who they thought had 'dunnit'!
Very entertaining and I had fun trying to work out who the killer was and their reasons why (with no success whatsoever!).
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the publisher and the author who read along and commented on our comments!
I honestly had no idea whatsoever who the murderer was. The perpetrator covered their tracks really well (although not so well that the crime scene investigators couldn't work it out pretty quickly at the end). I really enjoyed the character descriptions: there were those that were easy to empathise with and those that I thoroughly disliked.
This was very 'Agatha Christie', even down to the part where everyone is gathered in the same room by request of the investigator so that they could go through who they thought had 'dunnit'!
Very entertaining and I had fun trying to work out who the killer was and their reasons why (with no success whatsoever!).
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the publisher and the author who read along and commented on our comments!