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ClareR (5681 KP) rated Best of Friends in Books

Jan 12, 2023  
Best of Friends
Best of Friends
Kamila Shamsie | 2022 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I enjoyed this novel about two friends from Karachi, both from wealthy families. It’s 1988, and a time of great change in Pakistan. The dictatorship is over, and Benazir Bhutto is set to become Prime Minister.

Maryam and Zahra make a poor decision after a party that has consequences for many years.

Thirty years later both women live in London. They both have the best educations that money can buy, and a Oxbridge degree each. They’re both hugely successful in their chosen professions, and regularly see the seedier side of their professions (mainly corrupt politicians).

But when someone from their past reappears, questionable decisions are made once again. I was mentally shouting at the character involved for her utter stupidity, and I was really surprised that Maryam and Zehra’s friendship survived this at all - I don’t know as I would be as forgiving. There was a point where I wasn’t so sure that the friendship would survive though.

I liked this, and I’m aware from reading other reviews that it’s very much a marmite book. Love it or hate it: I loved it.
  
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Eternal Code (2019)
Eternal Code (2019)
2019 |
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Characters – Corey is a homeless suicidal war veteran, he keeps to himself and when he gets given money, he spends the money on helping the fellow homeless, being friendly with lonely older men in the park and helping somebody in danger. He will get a chance to use his skills once again to help a teenage girl who is being hunted down by criminals, his skills will help make him deadly to anyone who crosses his path. Oliver is the leader of the project, he wants to continue using it for his own good, which means he will go to the extremes to make sure it gets done. Charlie is one of the criminals that has taken the family members, she along with her team are solely in this for the money. Mark is the husband of Bridget, he tries to advice, even though he will only support her decision. Bridget is the woman that has invented a revolutionary idea, which she doesn’t want used for the wrong thing, her pulling the plug has set about the events including her kidnapping.

Performances – This is a movie that does try to use the biggest names to sale the movie, Scout Taylor-Compton being the biggest name in the film, even though she is mostly just a criminal thug, she doesn’t give us a bad performance, just she isn’t really a main character. Damien Chinappi would be one of the leads in the film as the he does bring us a performance that does fit the action side of the film, where we do feel sympathy for his character. Richard Tyson will always make for a great villain and this is no different. When we look at the rest of the cast, we see solid performances across the board.

Story – The story here follows the events of a kidnapping which takes a turn, when a war veteran looks to help the helpless, while a corrupt businessman looks to complete a project which will change everything as we know it in the world. When it comes to the idea of the kidnapping side of the story, we do get a nice spin on how everything unfolds, making it truly unpredictable with what will happen next. While that is a good thing, it can mean we do meet a couple of too many characters, which doesn’t let other get flushed out enough. We are left with seeing just how dealing with inventions will see people looking for greed, while seeing a war veteran getting another shot to prove himself in combat is nice to see.

Action – The action is restricted, but it does show how the conflicts are meant to be edgy and more in the shadows which is better to watch for the tone.

Settings – The film is set in and around one city which shows how the minds in it would operate, we see how the project would be secretly locked away from the world and see how the criminals will act in the shadows of abandoned locations.

Scene of the Movie – Corey military trained scenes.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does feel like we have a few too many characters at time.

Final Thoughts – This is an action thriller that does have a lot of direction you wouldn’t normally see, it does keep us guessing despite having a couple of characters we don’t need to have.

Overall: Action film that goes down different paves.
  
Lucy (2014)
Lucy (2014)
2014 | Action
Luc Besson’s latest film will leave you impressed, and possibly a little confused.

Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman, comes out this Friday and is Besson’s (Fifth Element, The Professional) most recent stab at something a little bit different.

The film opens with Johansson’s character, Lucy, having an argument with her boyfriend about dropping off a case with unknown contents. After a lot of arguing (and having it handcuffed to her), Lucy is forced into going inside to make the delivery.

As she does, the director takes us on an interesting visual representation of her feelings using scenes similar to what most people recognize from National Geographic, complete with a cheetah hunting a gazelle. The scenes are punctuated by her cheetah-print jacket.

As the story continues, an Asian drug lord uses her as a mule for the substance inside the case. The bag breaks and the chemical starts changing Lucy, evolving her into something… different.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen cinematography of this unique nature, where scenes were spliced in to express the character’s feelings. It’s unusual for a serious film (but still often done in a humorous way). Besson has done a masterful job of integrating serious moments, compelling action, and humor in a Fifth-Element-style to make a fluid, dynamic film. That said, it can feel slightly awkward at times.

I found myself laughing at the humor and engaged by the action, but most of all I was confused as to what I was watching.

This film seems very much akin to an episode of Cosmos. It’s interlaced with a story and some action, but purposefully meant to make a statement about human evolution.

Overall, I’d say this is a film well worth seeing. The acting was great, the cinematography was fantastic, and the direction was beautifully done. The main reason I feel it’s worth spending your money to see on the big screen is because of the gorgeous special effects, which were integrated in a captivating manner.
  
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