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Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated I Still Believe (2020) in Movies
Apr 25, 2020 (Updated Apr 25, 2020)
rip my heart out why don't you
Contains spoilers, click to show
Hear me out. The thing about this film is that if you know anything about Jeremy Camp and his story, you know that Melissa dies. Spoiler alert - but I don't think that's news to anyone. I think what makes this film so good is that it's about a love story but it's almost four different love stories. It's about Melissa's blind, unwavering, awe-inspiring love for God. It's about Jeremy's renewal in that faith and in his belief and his love of God after Melissa dies. It's about Melissa and Jeremy's incredible love story - to walk through the fire together, until the end, to put it the way his dad does in the film. But it's also about God's love. And this is coming from a girl who is unsure about what to believe in the slightest. I'm not the preaching, church-going, praying person. I'm not even sure if there is a God, but I believe that people believe it and I respect them for it. Maybe I'll find it one day, maybe I won't. Regardless, this film is beautiful.
What annoys me about the critics that watched this film and their reviews is that they're almost surprised that she dies and that it's a Christian film. Like, do you know anything about Jeremy Camp and who he is? He's literally a Christian singer - for a living. I think this is one of those films where the audience is way more insightful than critics. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I feel like it's so easy for critics to critique and not just escape in the film. But I digress.
K.J. Apa and Britt Robinson are forces in this film. I think that they already have long, successful careers in front of them, without a doubt, but when they work together, they make some serious magic. This is their second film together and I could watch them in a million more. Shania Twain was a nice plug. I think sometimes when you put big country stars in films - Trace Adkins, Shania, etc. - it can be kind of overpowering (depending on the film), but she's very understated but memorable. The standout though, to me, other than the leads was Gary Sinise as Jeremy's dad. There's a moment towards the end of the film where he's just overcome and he leans against the wall and there's a picture of K.J. (meant to be Jeremy) under him and it just hits you. I feel like that was his strongest moment and one of the best moments of the film.
Overall, I think this film is really beautiful. I'm sure I'll come back to it a million times more. I definitely recommend watching it, just have tissues.
What annoys me about the critics that watched this film and their reviews is that they're almost surprised that she dies and that it's a Christian film. Like, do you know anything about Jeremy Camp and who he is? He's literally a Christian singer - for a living. I think this is one of those films where the audience is way more insightful than critics. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I feel like it's so easy for critics to critique and not just escape in the film. But I digress.
K.J. Apa and Britt Robinson are forces in this film. I think that they already have long, successful careers in front of them, without a doubt, but when they work together, they make some serious magic. This is their second film together and I could watch them in a million more. Shania Twain was a nice plug. I think sometimes when you put big country stars in films - Trace Adkins, Shania, etc. - it can be kind of overpowering (depending on the film), but she's very understated but memorable. The standout though, to me, other than the leads was Gary Sinise as Jeremy's dad. There's a moment towards the end of the film where he's just overcome and he leans against the wall and there's a picture of K.J. (meant to be Jeremy) under him and it just hits you. I feel like that was his strongest moment and one of the best moments of the film.
Overall, I think this film is really beautiful. I'm sure I'll come back to it a million times more. I definitely recommend watching it, just have tissues.
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Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Angelfire (Angelfire, #1) in Books
Jan 6, 2021
3.5 stars
So Angelfire took me a bit to get into. I started it at the end of August and well... It didnât draw me in for quite a few chapters and even then I wasnât too fussed about reading it any chance I got. It was probably about a third of the way in (and it's pretty long) that I finally realised what the story was about that I started to gel with it.
The probable romance between Ellie and Will certainly helped things along. I knew there was something between them previously, or at least a friendly companionship. It was just in the way Will behaved around her.
As for the more normal aspect of the story: friends and parties, I have to admit that I wasnât too interested in that. I also figured that Landon had feelings for Ellie early on, though she was entirely blind to that until it was pointed out to her by many of her friends.
Family wise, I would love to know what's going on with Ellie's dad. Why has he gone all psycho suddenly?
I guess I'm interested enough in the plot to continue the series at some point but not right now.
So Angelfire took me a bit to get into. I started it at the end of August and well... It didnât draw me in for quite a few chapters and even then I wasnât too fussed about reading it any chance I got. It was probably about a third of the way in (and it's pretty long) that I finally realised what the story was about that I started to gel with it.
The probable romance between Ellie and Will certainly helped things along. I knew there was something between them previously, or at least a friendly companionship. It was just in the way Will behaved around her.
As for the more normal aspect of the story: friends and parties, I have to admit that I wasnât too interested in that. I also figured that Landon had feelings for Ellie early on, though she was entirely blind to that until it was pointed out to her by many of her friends.
Family wise, I would love to know what's going on with Ellie's dad. Why has he gone all psycho suddenly?
I guess I'm interested enough in the plot to continue the series at some point but not right now.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Ready or Not (2019) in Movies
Oct 3, 2019
Wonderfully dark fun
I went into this film not even having seen the trailer, instead going in blind based on having read some favourable reviews. And I can say that I was very pleasantly surprised.
This is a rather wonderful and fun horror, with a lot of laughs, a bit of gore and some marvellous dark comedy. This really doesnât take itself too seriously and itâs all the better for it, some of the best scenes in this are of the family bickering between each other. Thatâs not to say the darker and more thrilling scenes in the film arenât good, because they are. Itâs rather tense watching Grace try and escape and her encounters with the deranged family members, and Samara Weaving plays her perfectly. I love the strong heroine aspect of this film, and that they havenât gone down the stereotypical female needing to be rescued plot. I do think the scary and horror aspects of the film could have been increased and made more of, but itâs still a rather surprisingly good and bonkers film. The ending, whilst parts of it were potentially predictable, was absolutely genius and hilarious and such a fantastic way to end the film.
This is a rather wonderful and fun horror, with a lot of laughs, a bit of gore and some marvellous dark comedy. This really doesnât take itself too seriously and itâs all the better for it, some of the best scenes in this are of the family bickering between each other. Thatâs not to say the darker and more thrilling scenes in the film arenât good, because they are. Itâs rather tense watching Grace try and escape and her encounters with the deranged family members, and Samara Weaving plays her perfectly. I love the strong heroine aspect of this film, and that they havenât gone down the stereotypical female needing to be rescued plot. I do think the scary and horror aspects of the film could have been increased and made more of, but itâs still a rather surprisingly good and bonkers film. The ending, whilst parts of it were potentially predictable, was absolutely genius and hilarious and such a fantastic way to end the film.
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