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Awix (3310 KP) rated Hampstead (2017) in Movies
May 8, 2019
Soul-eatingly horrible late-life rom-com. Recently widowed clearly well-off American woman living in (duh) Hampstead meets human womble living rough nearby, there is chemistry, despite the fact her friends disapprove and he is about to be evicted by the council. Various life lessons are just waiting to be learnt.
A calculated new take on the classic Richard Curtis formula, although it is even more obvious and predictable than most examples of the form, and has virtually no good jokes to make you not care about this. The soft-focus depiction of homelessness and the social divisions in London is simply objectionable. Gleeson and Keaton are too good not to find their moments even in a film like this, but they are glitter on a dungheap. Hollow and mechanical, unsurprising, unfunny, unemotional and manipulative.
A calculated new take on the classic Richard Curtis formula, although it is even more obvious and predictable than most examples of the form, and has virtually no good jokes to make you not care about this. The soft-focus depiction of homelessness and the social divisions in London is simply objectionable. Gleeson and Keaton are too good not to find their moments even in a film like this, but they are glitter on a dungheap. Hollow and mechanical, unsurprising, unfunny, unemotional and manipulative.
Dean (6927 KP) rated Attack the Block (2011) in Movies
Feb 11, 2018
Original
A great little low budget, English comedy horror! This has a good B movie feel to it, featuring a young, largely unknown cast it has a good balance of laughs at the silliness of it all, followed by moments of danger. I also like these type of films when they are grounded in a real setting, this being an every day council estate in South London. Also unexpected for this type of film is how well shot it is, good use of light and cinematography is plain to see in most scenes. The creature design while simple is pretty good. The only downer for me was some of the over use, of so much slang, but again there are teenagers who do talk like that! An enjoyable small budget film that will put a big smile on your face!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2474 KP) rated Cloche and Dagger (Hat Shop Mystery, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Scarlett Parker's life is falling apart between loosing her job and a breakup gone viral, so she moves to London to help run the hat shop she and her cousin inherited from their grandmother. However, when she arrives, her cousin is missing. Her bad feeling about everything only grows with one of their customers is murdered.
The book is very engaging with delightful characters who feel fully formed from the moment they step on to the page. In fact, it took me a little while to realize the plot was moving rather slowly. That's my only complaint with the book, however, and I'm certainly looking forward to the next book when it comes out in May.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/01/book-review-cloche-and-dagger-by-jenn.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
The book is very engaging with delightful characters who feel fully formed from the moment they step on to the page. In fact, it took me a little while to realize the plot was moving rather slowly. That's my only complaint with the book, however, and I'm certainly looking forward to the next book when it comes out in May.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/01/book-review-cloche-and-dagger-by-jenn.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Milleen (47 KP) rated How to Stop Time in Books
Nov 14, 2018
Matt Haig has written a variety of books for children and adults as well as a memoir that topped the bestseller list for almost a year. Now he has delved back into adult fiction and delivered a delightful novel that will leave you pondering. Tom Hazard may look like an ordinary 41-year-old, but owing to a rare condition, he's been aging slowly over centuries. From Elizabethan England to 1920s Paris and further afield, Tom is forced to change his identity to stay alive. He is forced to abide by one rule, to not fall in love. Tom finally gets the ‘ordinary’ life he craves and finds work as a history teacher in a modern London comprehensive but how much longer can he keep this secret? ‘How to Stop Time’ is a bittersweet story about life, loss and change.
Sonofdel (6291 KP) rated The Crafty Cokney in Books
Jan 24, 2019
Wonderful insight into the world of Darts
Well this is certainly an interesting read if you grew up watching darts in the eighties. Eric Bristow was by far the best darts player on the BDO circuit and his world titles alone speak volumes. This book examines both sides of him, the ruthless darts player and the subtler and calmer family man. He lifts the lid on some of the other players quirks and habits and a lot of the time this book got me smiling. There are also sad moments where he reflects on the mistakes he made in his life and his family losses. From growing up in London to living in Stoke this book is a wonderful insight into Eric Bristow and the legend that was, is and always will be The Crafty Cockney. :)
Awix (3310 KP) rated Interlude (1968) in Movies
Apr 22, 2020 (Updated Apr 22, 2020)
Low-octane drama set in (barely) swinging London. A young reporter becomes the mistress of a temperamental conductor (orchestra, not bus) - she knows it's a bad idea, he knows it's a bad idea, but hey, hormones, I guess. Sure enough, everyone ends up unhappy.
Good-looking but vacuous, a sort of Hampstead novel of a movie, with the personal issues of affluent Londoners raised to a level of towering significance. The whole thing is in such lethal good taste it sucks any potential life out of the story (on the other hand you can have fun playing guess-the-body-part during the slightly baffling sex scenes). Passes the time but very predictable; very early appearances by John Cleese and Derek Jacobi pique the interest. The music and theme song are considerably better than the rest of the film deserves.
Good-looking but vacuous, a sort of Hampstead novel of a movie, with the personal issues of affluent Londoners raised to a level of towering significance. The whole thing is in such lethal good taste it sucks any potential life out of the story (on the other hand you can have fun playing guess-the-body-part during the slightly baffling sex scenes). Passes the time but very predictable; very early appearances by John Cleese and Derek Jacobi pique the interest. The music and theme song are considerably better than the rest of the film deserves.
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