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Debbiereadsbook (1413 KP) rated The Problem (Single Dad Support Group #1) in Books
May 30, 2020
bloody LOVED this!
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted the audio version of this book.
I'm turning this review on it's head, writing about the narrator first, cos, you know, I can, it's my review :-)
Michael Ferraiuolo has been a bit of an enigma for me, I either love his work, or hate it, I won't lie. But THIS time? I freaking LOVED it!
Alex has synesthesia, which means he sees his emotions in colour. The whole book, Alex was seeing how Laurence was affecting him, and he wasn't sure what it meant. The best bits of this book were when Alex was describing his colours/emotions, to Laurence, to himself. I have no doubt I would not have been so moved by those scenes, had I READ this book. Ferraiuolo nails it, he really does. Moved me to tears in places!
Laurence is solid, a good man, with his 16 year old son, Matthew. I liked how, very quicky, he was wanting more from Alex, not just for the sex(but PHEW!) no. But MORE. He has lived his life for his son, and in one meeting, Alex makes him see that he still has life to live, that he does not have to been locked away. Matthew is growing, making *quite literally* a life for himself. Laurence needs Alex, and rapidly, Alex sees that he needs Laurence too.
I loved the voices given to all the characters, but I especially enjoyed the voices given to the Support Group when they were chatting. It annoyed me a little bit at first, I will admit, but once I got used to the way the group chats were delivered, I loved them.
When the reason Alex behaved the way he did, before Laurence, becomes clear, I was out walking. And I stopped in the middle of the street, and cried. And cried to whole way through that bit. THEN, when other things happen?? I stopped in the middle of the street, and NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO came out my mouth, so loud, the woman across the road shouted to see if I was okay! I did NOT see that coming at me, no way, never in a million years!
So, yeah, loved the book, and loved the narration.
And now I'm left with a bit of a pickle! This is the only one of the series that is available in AUDIO, the books are out, all 6, but I don't like to flip from listening to reading in a series (or vice versa) So my pickle is, do I READ the next one? Or do I wait (im)patiently for the next one in audio? ARGH! Such decisions!
5 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration
5 stars overall
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I'm turning this review on it's head, writing about the narrator first, cos, you know, I can, it's my review :-)
Michael Ferraiuolo has been a bit of an enigma for me, I either love his work, or hate it, I won't lie. But THIS time? I freaking LOVED it!
Alex has synesthesia, which means he sees his emotions in colour. The whole book, Alex was seeing how Laurence was affecting him, and he wasn't sure what it meant. The best bits of this book were when Alex was describing his colours/emotions, to Laurence, to himself. I have no doubt I would not have been so moved by those scenes, had I READ this book. Ferraiuolo nails it, he really does. Moved me to tears in places!
Laurence is solid, a good man, with his 16 year old son, Matthew. I liked how, very quicky, he was wanting more from Alex, not just for the sex(but PHEW!) no. But MORE. He has lived his life for his son, and in one meeting, Alex makes him see that he still has life to live, that he does not have to been locked away. Matthew is growing, making *quite literally* a life for himself. Laurence needs Alex, and rapidly, Alex sees that he needs Laurence too.
I loved the voices given to all the characters, but I especially enjoyed the voices given to the Support Group when they were chatting. It annoyed me a little bit at first, I will admit, but once I got used to the way the group chats were delivered, I loved them.
When the reason Alex behaved the way he did, before Laurence, becomes clear, I was out walking. And I stopped in the middle of the street, and cried. And cried to whole way through that bit. THEN, when other things happen?? I stopped in the middle of the street, and NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO came out my mouth, so loud, the woman across the road shouted to see if I was okay! I did NOT see that coming at me, no way, never in a million years!
So, yeah, loved the book, and loved the narration.
And now I'm left with a bit of a pickle! This is the only one of the series that is available in AUDIO, the books are out, all 6, but I don't like to flip from listening to reading in a series (or vice versa) So my pickle is, do I READ the next one? Or do I wait (im)patiently for the next one in audio? ARGH! Such decisions!
5 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration
5 stars overall
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Wife (2017) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021 (Updated Sep 28, 2021)
Glenn Close … #robbed.
I missed “The Wife” when it came out in September, but finally caught it a few weeks ago. (Been a busy time at work so have a bit of a backlog of reviews!).
The Plot.
Joan Castleman (Glenn Close) is the doting wife of internationally renowned writer Joe Castleman (Jonathan Pryce). As we start the film, Joe has just received a call from Stockholm. No, it’s not an “amusing story about a goat” (for any MM2 fans out there). It’s notification that he is to receive the Nobel prize for literature. As Joan listens to the news on the extension, there is something in her eyes that betrays mixed emotions.
They travel to Sweden (on Concorde, obviously) with their son Max (Max Irons) – a writer at the start of his career. Max and Joe have a strained relationship.
Also in Stockholm is Nathanial Bone (Christian Slater) – the bane of Joe’s life, since he seems insistent on writing the biography of the great man. As Nathanial picks through the history of the couple, things start to unravel in unexpected ways.
What a performance!
The heart of this film, and the main reason for watching what is really a bit of a pot-boiler, is the performance by Glenn Close. It’s a remarkable demonstration of the acting craft and 110% Oscar worthy.
Don’t get me wrong…. as I watched the Oscars live in the wee-hours of Monday morning I let out a WHOOP of joy when our own national treasure Olivia Colman picked up the award. But I have to say that I think Glenn Close was rather robbed. Close can act brilliantly without saying a single word. In fact most of her best scenes are reaction shots to what she is listening to.
In comparison I found Jonathan Pryce to be a soupçon over-the-top as the feted writer, and I didn’t find the portrayal of Bone by Slater to be terribly convincing. So it’s a very mixed acting bag in my view.
Utterly gorgeous in a way that only Swedish women can be is Karin Franz Körlof as the personal photographer Linnea. She can also act!
A perfectly pleasant movie
Directed by Swedish director Björn Runge and with a screenplay by Jane Anderson, it’s a perfectly pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. The story is intriguing enough to keep your interest, although it plays its hand so early that the simmering suspense element ebbs out of the film. A final “Sixth Sense” style of reveal might have been much more effective.
But this is above all a film to relish the performance of Close: the facial acting during the speech at the awards ceremony is something that should be studied at acting schools for years to come.
The Plot.
Joan Castleman (Glenn Close) is the doting wife of internationally renowned writer Joe Castleman (Jonathan Pryce). As we start the film, Joe has just received a call from Stockholm. No, it’s not an “amusing story about a goat” (for any MM2 fans out there). It’s notification that he is to receive the Nobel prize for literature. As Joan listens to the news on the extension, there is something in her eyes that betrays mixed emotions.
They travel to Sweden (on Concorde, obviously) with their son Max (Max Irons) – a writer at the start of his career. Max and Joe have a strained relationship.
Also in Stockholm is Nathanial Bone (Christian Slater) – the bane of Joe’s life, since he seems insistent on writing the biography of the great man. As Nathanial picks through the history of the couple, things start to unravel in unexpected ways.
What a performance!
The heart of this film, and the main reason for watching what is really a bit of a pot-boiler, is the performance by Glenn Close. It’s a remarkable demonstration of the acting craft and 110% Oscar worthy.
Don’t get me wrong…. as I watched the Oscars live in the wee-hours of Monday morning I let out a WHOOP of joy when our own national treasure Olivia Colman picked up the award. But I have to say that I think Glenn Close was rather robbed. Close can act brilliantly without saying a single word. In fact most of her best scenes are reaction shots to what she is listening to.
In comparison I found Jonathan Pryce to be a soupçon over-the-top as the feted writer, and I didn’t find the portrayal of Bone by Slater to be terribly convincing. So it’s a very mixed acting bag in my view.
Utterly gorgeous in a way that only Swedish women can be is Karin Franz Körlof as the personal photographer Linnea. She can also act!
A perfectly pleasant movie
Directed by Swedish director Björn Runge and with a screenplay by Jane Anderson, it’s a perfectly pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. The story is intriguing enough to keep your interest, although it plays its hand so early that the simmering suspense element ebbs out of the film. A final “Sixth Sense” style of reveal might have been much more effective.
But this is above all a film to relish the performance of Close: the facial acting during the speech at the awards ceremony is something that should be studied at acting schools for years to come.
Debbiereadsbook (1413 KP) rated Sticky For You (The Rhubarb Effect #1) in Books
Sep 20, 2024
Tim is a live wire and he likes to sing!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Did you ever read a book, and think "What the ever loving heck did I just read??" (only, you know, more sweary words than some review sites will allow!) Well, this is such a book!
Max moves to Valentine Growville with his odd little pride and immediately feels at home. Meeting Tim, his mate, knocked him for six. I mean, Max is an Alpha lion and Tim is. . .well . .Tim is rhubarb. A rhubarb omega. Can they make this work?
It's so much fun, it really is and I laughed a lot, A LOT reading this book and I rarely react out loud when reading, (listening is a whole 'nother matter, though!)
Max is an Alpha of a pride of lions, bulls, llamas and other things that I forget already but they all have a love of rhubarb. Moving to Growville was a necessity, since they got hounded out their last pride. Tim is.. . . excitable! He really is a bit of a live-wire and he likes to sing. Especially once he realises he is Max' mate and Max can hear him in his head. Singing becomes the easiest way to woo Max and I have to admit, I found myself singing along with those songs that Tim sang, but changed some words for to make it fit better for him and Max.
It's steamy . . but in a kinda weird way. The way rhubarb mate is a little offputting, I will admit, but now I know what to expect, I'll be better prepared.
It is a lot of fun, it really is, right up to the point where things go wrong for Tim, but if he had just talked to Max, it could all have been avoided.
And also the point where the real monsters come to town. But that was not explained, and you have to piece the clues already thrown at you to figure out who they are. I'm fairly certain, but with Sayle at the helm, one can never be too sure!
I loved the references to fingerlings!
I love Sayle, you know I do, and I've read some Brown before, with 4 and 5 star reads from her on my shelves. How they came up with this idea, I have no clue, but it really was a fun read! The setting is set nicely for book two, and I see now whay the whole of Max' pride love rhubarb!
Will it win any literary awards? Nope, but I don't care cos I thoruoghly enjoyed it!
4 very funny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Did you ever read a book, and think "What the ever loving heck did I just read??" (only, you know, more sweary words than some review sites will allow!) Well, this is such a book!
Max moves to Valentine Growville with his odd little pride and immediately feels at home. Meeting Tim, his mate, knocked him for six. I mean, Max is an Alpha lion and Tim is. . .well . .Tim is rhubarb. A rhubarb omega. Can they make this work?
It's so much fun, it really is and I laughed a lot, A LOT reading this book and I rarely react out loud when reading, (listening is a whole 'nother matter, though!)
Max is an Alpha of a pride of lions, bulls, llamas and other things that I forget already but they all have a love of rhubarb. Moving to Growville was a necessity, since they got hounded out their last pride. Tim is.. . . excitable! He really is a bit of a live-wire and he likes to sing. Especially once he realises he is Max' mate and Max can hear him in his head. Singing becomes the easiest way to woo Max and I have to admit, I found myself singing along with those songs that Tim sang, but changed some words for to make it fit better for him and Max.
It's steamy . . but in a kinda weird way. The way rhubarb mate is a little offputting, I will admit, but now I know what to expect, I'll be better prepared.
It is a lot of fun, it really is, right up to the point where things go wrong for Tim, but if he had just talked to Max, it could all have been avoided.
And also the point where the real monsters come to town. But that was not explained, and you have to piece the clues already thrown at you to figure out who they are. I'm fairly certain, but with Sayle at the helm, one can never be too sure!
I loved the references to fingerlings!
I love Sayle, you know I do, and I've read some Brown before, with 4 and 5 star reads from her on my shelves. How they came up with this idea, I have no clue, but it really was a fun read! The setting is set nicely for book two, and I see now whay the whole of Max' pride love rhubarb!
Will it win any literary awards? Nope, but I don't care cos I thoruoghly enjoyed it!
4 very funny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Lee (2222 KP) rated Knock Knock (2015) in Movies
Nov 2, 2017
The acting is just terrible (1 more)
The whole premise is just ridiculous
What the hell was Keanu thinking?
I came across this on Netflix last night and remembered seeing the trailer for it in the cinema at some point in the past. I vaguely remembered wanting to see it if I ever got the chance. What I definitely didn't remember is that the reason I probably never saw it was down to the sheer number of awful reviews it managed to receive. So, here's another one to add to them.
Keanu Reeves is an architect, living in an amazing house with a beautiful wife and two perfect kids. The movie opens by slowly panning through the house, showing us that on literally every single piece of available wall space there's a photo of the happy family. They just look so perfect and content together. Keanu wakes up in bed with his wife and the kids burst in to bring Keanu a father's day chocolate cake. They have some fun and he chases them away, pretending to be monster. Wow, they really are determined to drum home the fact that Keanu has this perfect family life, something he'd be pretty stupid to mess up! Already though, the acting is just awful - the whole setup feels forced, none of it feels natural at all. A crucial plot point that we do discover here though - Keanus character has not had much action in the sack recently...
His wife and kids head off to the beach for the weekend leaving Keanu to try and get on top of his workload, designing some buildings, listening to loud music and 3D printing his work. That is, until he's interrupted late at night by a couple of young girls knocking at his front door. It's raining hard and they claim that their taxi dropped them off for a party, but they think that they're in completely the wrong area. Keanu lets them in to check the party location on his iPad (their phones are soaking wet) while he calls them an Uber. They begin flirting with him, but he resists. He ends up putting their clothes in the tumble dryer, the flirting continues, he continues to resist. Until eventually.... well, lets just say that he more than makes up for the action in the sack he's been missing out on recently.
All I'll say is that things get more intense and more ridiculous after that as the girls stick around and make his life a living hell, despite his attempts to try and get rid of them. It's all really over the top and just plain stupid, but I just had to watch it right to the end to see what happens. One thing it definitely proved though - Keanu Reeves really should stick to just being John Wick. Or Ted "Theodore" Logan.
Keanu Reeves is an architect, living in an amazing house with a beautiful wife and two perfect kids. The movie opens by slowly panning through the house, showing us that on literally every single piece of available wall space there's a photo of the happy family. They just look so perfect and content together. Keanu wakes up in bed with his wife and the kids burst in to bring Keanu a father's day chocolate cake. They have some fun and he chases them away, pretending to be monster. Wow, they really are determined to drum home the fact that Keanu has this perfect family life, something he'd be pretty stupid to mess up! Already though, the acting is just awful - the whole setup feels forced, none of it feels natural at all. A crucial plot point that we do discover here though - Keanus character has not had much action in the sack recently...
His wife and kids head off to the beach for the weekend leaving Keanu to try and get on top of his workload, designing some buildings, listening to loud music and 3D printing his work. That is, until he's interrupted late at night by a couple of young girls knocking at his front door. It's raining hard and they claim that their taxi dropped them off for a party, but they think that they're in completely the wrong area. Keanu lets them in to check the party location on his iPad (their phones are soaking wet) while he calls them an Uber. They begin flirting with him, but he resists. He ends up putting their clothes in the tumble dryer, the flirting continues, he continues to resist. Until eventually.... well, lets just say that he more than makes up for the action in the sack he's been missing out on recently.
All I'll say is that things get more intense and more ridiculous after that as the girls stick around and make his life a living hell, despite his attempts to try and get rid of them. It's all really over the top and just plain stupid, but I just had to watch it right to the end to see what happens. One thing it definitely proved though - Keanu Reeves really should stick to just being John Wick. Or Ted "Theodore" Logan.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Coldest Girl in Coldtown in Books
May 16, 2018
Actual rating: 3.5. Rounded to 4.
I don’t really tend to read a lot of vampire books anymore, especially when they’ve been labeled young adult. Holly Black’s The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is definitely an exception to that habit. I needed a break from flipping pages and wanted to get in a little bit of time gaming. When I saw The Coldest Girl in Coldtown available for an immediate audio book borrow from OverDrive, I decided to give it a shot. I’d heard of Holly Black, even if I hadn’t read any of her work.
Black’s novel takes vampirism and spreads it in the same manner that most post-apocalyptic novels spread the infectious diseases that create zombies. Vampires are romanticized, as they often are, especially in young adult books, and in this case, they no longer live in the shadows; rather, they have taken up residence in government organized areas known as Coldtowns. Those that have been infected with the vampire virus are also holed up within the walls of this cities, and there’s no shortage of food, because people are dying to get in.
Waking up after passing out at a party, the main character, a young woman named Tana, finds herself amidst a massacre: people she knows have been slaughtered by vampires. The only survivors are her, an ex-boyfriend, and a strange boy. Her ex is infected, and the boy is a vampire. Deciding to turn him in for a bounty, and worried that her ex will become a vampire himself, the trio travel to Coldtown. It isn’t long before Tana finds herself caught up in what could loosely be described as vampire politics. Amongst betrayal, she must persevere in order to guarantee her own survival.
The majority of the story is told from Tana’s perspective, with a few chapters written in Gavriel, the vampire’s, and another one, maybe two, from her younger sister’s, Pearl’s, point-of-view. These changes exist solely to expound on certain events that have led the characters to where they are, such as Gavriel’s past — which is, undoubtedly, one of my favorite parts of the book. Each chapter also begins with an excerpt, usually from a poem that deals with death, the undead, or vampires.
Voices make a huge impact on listening to audio books, especially for me. If I can’t stand the voice, I will not finish the book more than likely. In the case of The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, the narrator, Christine Lakin, is absolutely amazing. Her voice is pleasant to listen to, and there is a clear difference between the way each of the characters speak.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown isn’t among my favorite reads, perhaps because I prefer the more traditional approaches to vampires, but it is, undoubtedly, an fun journey. If you like your vampires a bit on the softer side of the spectrum, this one is definitely worth picking up.
I don’t really tend to read a lot of vampire books anymore, especially when they’ve been labeled young adult. Holly Black’s The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is definitely an exception to that habit. I needed a break from flipping pages and wanted to get in a little bit of time gaming. When I saw The Coldest Girl in Coldtown available for an immediate audio book borrow from OverDrive, I decided to give it a shot. I’d heard of Holly Black, even if I hadn’t read any of her work.
Black’s novel takes vampirism and spreads it in the same manner that most post-apocalyptic novels spread the infectious diseases that create zombies. Vampires are romanticized, as they often are, especially in young adult books, and in this case, they no longer live in the shadows; rather, they have taken up residence in government organized areas known as Coldtowns. Those that have been infected with the vampire virus are also holed up within the walls of this cities, and there’s no shortage of food, because people are dying to get in.
Waking up after passing out at a party, the main character, a young woman named Tana, finds herself amidst a massacre: people she knows have been slaughtered by vampires. The only survivors are her, an ex-boyfriend, and a strange boy. Her ex is infected, and the boy is a vampire. Deciding to turn him in for a bounty, and worried that her ex will become a vampire himself, the trio travel to Coldtown. It isn’t long before Tana finds herself caught up in what could loosely be described as vampire politics. Amongst betrayal, she must persevere in order to guarantee her own survival.
The majority of the story is told from Tana’s perspective, with a few chapters written in Gavriel, the vampire’s, and another one, maybe two, from her younger sister’s, Pearl’s, point-of-view. These changes exist solely to expound on certain events that have led the characters to where they are, such as Gavriel’s past — which is, undoubtedly, one of my favorite parts of the book. Each chapter also begins with an excerpt, usually from a poem that deals with death, the undead, or vampires.
Voices make a huge impact on listening to audio books, especially for me. If I can’t stand the voice, I will not finish the book more than likely. In the case of The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, the narrator, Christine Lakin, is absolutely amazing. Her voice is pleasant to listen to, and there is a clear difference between the way each of the characters speak.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown isn’t among my favorite reads, perhaps because I prefer the more traditional approaches to vampires, but it is, undoubtedly, an fun journey. If you like your vampires a bit on the softer side of the spectrum, this one is definitely worth picking up.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Burying the Honeysuckle Girls in Books
Jun 21, 2019
Althea Bell returns home after (another) stint in rehab to find her father further stricken by Alzheimer's and her older brother--who is running for political office--fully entrenched in the seat of power in the family. Wynn doesn't want Althea and her sketchy past to ruin his chances at political fame and fortune. Even worse, Althea is shocked when she learns that the women in her family have a history of mental illness, which seems to come on around age 30--and Althea is just a few weeks away from her own birthday. Althea's mother passed away at that age, and Althea is determined to discover what happened to her. But doing so will dredge up family secrets that it seems Wynn wants hidden--and he'll do anything to keep Althea from shaming the family name
This won't be a very long review, because I listened to this book on audiobook (technically the audio that comes with my Kindle Unlimited subscription), and I couldn't take any notes or do any highlighting as I listened, as I was in the car. But I do want to point out that this is the *first ever* audiobook that I've ever listened to from start to finish! I'm not very good with verbal listening--even in college lectures, I had to take copious notes to retain the information, and I could just never keep up with audiobooks: my brain always wandered off. But I was commuting a lot for work and gave this one a try. It stuck!
This book felt a little slow in places, but now I'll never know if it was because it was an audiobook or what. I felt bad for Althea, who really seems to have received a bum rap: mother dies when she's a kid, a pretty awful brother, drug addiction, and more. She's a rather compelling narrator, and her family's backstory is interesting. The whole "I'm going to go crazy when I'm 30" thing seemed a little overblown and histrionic at times--seriously, you can't truly think the moment you turn 30, everything changes. But, I still found myself caught up in Althea's story, and I really loved hearing about her grandmother and her own struggles in the '30s. There were pieces of this book that were really touching and heartbreaking and the last half, especially, really got to me.
Overall, it was fun to explore an audiobook. It sure made my two-hour (each way) commute more palatable, and I found myself fascinated that one-person could do the voices of so many people. I found this story pretty compelling and liked the fact that it spanned several generations. The points it made about mental illness--especially the way women were treated in the past (and even now, really)--were very illuminating and well-done. 3.5 stars.
This won't be a very long review, because I listened to this book on audiobook (technically the audio that comes with my Kindle Unlimited subscription), and I couldn't take any notes or do any highlighting as I listened, as I was in the car. But I do want to point out that this is the *first ever* audiobook that I've ever listened to from start to finish! I'm not very good with verbal listening--even in college lectures, I had to take copious notes to retain the information, and I could just never keep up with audiobooks: my brain always wandered off. But I was commuting a lot for work and gave this one a try. It stuck!
This book felt a little slow in places, but now I'll never know if it was because it was an audiobook or what. I felt bad for Althea, who really seems to have received a bum rap: mother dies when she's a kid, a pretty awful brother, drug addiction, and more. She's a rather compelling narrator, and her family's backstory is interesting. The whole "I'm going to go crazy when I'm 30" thing seemed a little overblown and histrionic at times--seriously, you can't truly think the moment you turn 30, everything changes. But, I still found myself caught up in Althea's story, and I really loved hearing about her grandmother and her own struggles in the '30s. There were pieces of this book that were really touching and heartbreaking and the last half, especially, really got to me.
Overall, it was fun to explore an audiobook. It sure made my two-hour (each way) commute more palatable, and I found myself fascinated that one-person could do the voices of so many people. I found this story pretty compelling and liked the fact that it spanned several generations. The points it made about mental illness--especially the way women were treated in the past (and even now, really)--were very illuminating and well-done. 3.5 stars.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Rocketman (2019) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
Is it a musical? Is it a biopic? Does anyone actually know? I think one of the descriptions I saw called it a fantasy, and that is true for a couple of moments but it's a bit of a push. I had a good time watching this and there are definitely things about it that work well, I do however feel that this was rather confused. You've got the story parts mixed with the songs, but only occasionally are those songs what I'd call proper musical numbers. The occasional fantasy moments are a little
The costumes design was wonderful, as you'd expect when you're dressing "Elton". Everything looked just right, all the outfits were inspired by originals that he wore on stage. Just one was almost a direct copy, the baseball uniform that Elton wore was made of sequins and the Rocketman version was made of Swarovski crystals. I also loved the way they adapted the devil costume as the story progressed, very imaginative.
There are a few scenes with fantasy elements in them, one didn't feel like it fit into the whole movie, but I liked the way it landed. I did however love the scene where young Reggie conducts an orchestra, it was a beautiful scene that blended in seamlessly with the regular action.
Good on Taron Egerton for doing the singing for Rocketman, it's no small challenge, but it didn't do it for me. Listening to Elton songs gives me a buzz, there's a vibrancy to his voice and I just didn't feel that in the songs.
Overall, in fact, there were only two points where I really felt moved by what was going on. The first was a moment we actually see in the trailer where Eton and his audience take to the air. When that scene happens in the film it gave me goosebumps, it was perfectly timed and... uplifting... sorry. The second scene was during the conclusion which I won't go into because of spoilers.
While the acting was fine in Rocketman I was drawn much more to it artistically. The costumes, the sets, how the elements all flowed well together, absolutely stunning.
I think if I'd connected better with the songs I could have forgiven the fact that they were haphazardly combining genres, but as it was I felt it didn't fully deliver. As an addition to the recent trend of movies based on music I'm not completely sold, but it does take a bold step in portraying gay relationships, and abusive ones, on the screen which I think should be applauded.
What you should do
It's definitely sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll, so if those things aren't for you then I'd try something different, but for the sheer spectacle, it was worth watching.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
My own costume designer? But someone with a little less dramatic flare.
The costumes design was wonderful, as you'd expect when you're dressing "Elton". Everything looked just right, all the outfits were inspired by originals that he wore on stage. Just one was almost a direct copy, the baseball uniform that Elton wore was made of sequins and the Rocketman version was made of Swarovski crystals. I also loved the way they adapted the devil costume as the story progressed, very imaginative.
There are a few scenes with fantasy elements in them, one didn't feel like it fit into the whole movie, but I liked the way it landed. I did however love the scene where young Reggie conducts an orchestra, it was a beautiful scene that blended in seamlessly with the regular action.
Good on Taron Egerton for doing the singing for Rocketman, it's no small challenge, but it didn't do it for me. Listening to Elton songs gives me a buzz, there's a vibrancy to his voice and I just didn't feel that in the songs.
Overall, in fact, there were only two points where I really felt moved by what was going on. The first was a moment we actually see in the trailer where Eton and his audience take to the air. When that scene happens in the film it gave me goosebumps, it was perfectly timed and... uplifting... sorry. The second scene was during the conclusion which I won't go into because of spoilers.
While the acting was fine in Rocketman I was drawn much more to it artistically. The costumes, the sets, how the elements all flowed well together, absolutely stunning.
I think if I'd connected better with the songs I could have forgiven the fact that they were haphazardly combining genres, but as it was I felt it didn't fully deliver. As an addition to the recent trend of movies based on music I'm not completely sold, but it does take a bold step in portraying gay relationships, and abusive ones, on the screen which I think should be applauded.
What you should do
It's definitely sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll, so if those things aren't for you then I'd try something different, but for the sheer spectacle, it was worth watching.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
My own costume designer? But someone with a little less dramatic flare.