Smashbomb

I'll start it off: Here's my quickest thoughts on each of the best picture nominees thus far:

1917: This is the best picture I've seen this year, and it's not close. This one will be one I hope to see multiple times, unlike most of the rest of this list. I would be proud to own this one.

Once upon a time in Hollywood: Slow, Meandering, Lovingly crafted and worth a watch, but lacks the story to fill the entire time. Not enough happens. QT is the kind of movie maker we need though, a true voice for better or worse. Every movie is an event.

Parasite: Exquisite craftsmanship and I love celebrating foreign films, but this is a horrible and ugly story with beautiful wrappings. I'm not better off for having seen it. I wish I hadn't seen it.

The Marriage Story: No one needs to see this film, The story is simultaneously boring and universally common. the acting is superb, and if you like being depressed, enjoy. I also wish I hadn't seen this one.

Joker: Even trying to brace myself emotionally to endure this film it left me disturbed. I was not happy afterwards for two days. Very well made, and Acting is amazing. It took the gritty Christopher Nolan batman and cranked the dial up to make it ugly beautiful. I wish I had skipped this one as well

Jojo Rabbit: Most unexpected, and completely miss marketed. It's not a comedy. It has comedic moments, but it doe it an injustice if you go into it expecting funny. I really liked it once I got over my expectations.

The Irishman: Terrible title, I heard you paint houses is a MUCH better title. It's actually a Bio-Pic dressed up for gangster fans. It's way too long without adequate reason. I kept waiting for interesting to happen, and found that even though the craftsmanship is superb, was this story worthy of the effort? my answer is No. Joe Pesci's best role ever! Glad I saw it, but not in the theater, this one should be seen at home on Netflix.

The others I hope to see soon. Ok, so what are your quick thoughts?

Kudos

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Other Mrs. in Books

Mar 19, 2020

The Other Mrs.

Mary Kubica | 2020 | Thriller

9.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

Sadie and her husband inherit a house in Maine after the death of Will's sister, Alice. So they move their two sons from Chicago to chilly Maine, hoping for a fresh start. Moving to Maine means living with Alice's broody sixteen-year-old daughter, Imogen. Will is convinced she's just grieving the loss of her mother, but Sadie isn't so sure. Then their neighbor, Morgan Baines, is found murdered--a death that rocks their small community. Sadie no longer feels safe in her own home, so she starts looking into Morgan's death. But soon she realizes that suspicion is pointed at her own family and that the more she discovers about Morgan's death, the more she has to lose.

This was a great twisty thriller from Kubica. It started off a little confusing, but once it got going, it was completely mesmerizing. It's told from three points of view, and each has you riveted, wondering how they all fit together and what on earth is going on in this small Maine town. Who murdered Morgan Baines--and why?

The gloom of Maine and the creepiness of Sadie's new house comes across quite clear; the book can be downright spooky at times. You're never quite sure who to trust or what to believe, either. I found myself frantically flipping the pages, wanting to find out what was happening. There are a lot of pieces to fit together--angry Imogen, unreliable Sadie, supposedly perfect Will, angsty Otto (Sadie's eldest son), and the Baines and their marriage. I loved trying to piece everything together.

There are a ton of twists and turns and while some seem a little crazy, it made for a wild ride. I guessed a few and gasped at others, so that was fun. I must note, though, that there is a suicide trigger (not a spoiler, as it's Alice's death). There's a lot of detail about her death and as someone who lost someone in that same manner, I found it very hard to read about. So just keep that in mind. However, overall, this was a really captivating and dark thriller. 4 stars.