Lee (2222 KP) rated The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018) in Movies
Nov 12, 2018
First things first, this movie is just beautiful to look at. Such attention to detail, with vibrant sets and costumes throughout. Mackenzie Foy is wonderful as Clara, dealing with grief while coming to terms with trying to live up to her mothers legacy. Keira Knightley is good, if a little annoying at times, and Helen Mirren is also reliably interesting. And Morgan Freeman is just.... Morgan Freeman!
It's all very Alice in Wonderland or The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe. Despite their faults though, the Narnia movies always seemed to explore the vast world introduced to us, taking the time to meet many of it's inhabitants. While this movie introduces us briefly to the realms as part of a wonderful ballet sequence, only to not show any of it again for the rest of the movie. Instead, the plot all seems very contained and all over far too quickly. I liked what I saw, it just didn't really leave much of a lasting impression at all. Nor did it leave me feeling very magical or festive.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Back-up Plan (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
The film stars and generally centers around Lopez as the wacky yet likeable Zoe, a character who is not unlike those we have seen in J.Lo’s past. Her co-star, Alex O’Loughlin plays the male lead of Stan, a handsome cheese-maker. Other notable cast members include Micheala Watkins, as the jaded New York mother, Mona, and Melissa McCarthy as Carol the leader of a group of proud single mothers.
The most amusing scenes in “The Back-Up Plan” occurs during moments of the true-to-life internal dialogue by the problem riddled Zoe. Unfortunately the remaining seventy percent of the film is spent bouncing awkwardly between the less than steamy romance and the failed attempts at comedy.
There are a couple of good scenes but are they reason enough to endure the rest of the film? Not unless you have a deep desire to see farmers’ markets in New York and a poorly acted cameo by the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan. Still, fans of Lopez’s quirky romantic comedy style will enjoy her, just not as much as her previous roles because of the gnawingly awkward plot that defines this movie.
Too goofy to be romantic and too sappy to be funny, “The Back-Up Plan” continually fails to reach either goal accurately. It almost goes without saying that this film is, excuse the pun, simply too much of a stretch.
ClareR (5991 KP) rated How It Was in Books
Nov 18, 2019
The 1970s were a time of change for some women, but not the women in this story. Marion is the mother of two children: Sarah, 14 and Eddie, 7. She is unhappy in her life, and has been for many years. We look at her life through a series of flashbacks (and flashbacks through her daughters eyes at the same time) as she sits at the hospital bedside of her dying husband. We learn of the affairs, the terrible relationship with her daughter, and the catastrophic accident that cost the family far more than just a child (although this was quite traumatic enough).
I found it very difficult to empathise with Marion, she’s not a likeable character. She seems self absorbed, I didn’t like how she felt about her daughter (it’s as though she feels repulsed by her), and how she speaks to everyone is simply rude. To me, it seemed to be a mixture of boredom, depression, selfishness and desperation that drove Marion’s actions. Michael, her husband, is endlessly patient, perhaps scared that she will leave him. He puts up with some terrible behaviour from Marion. I really wanted him to stand up for himself.
It doesn’t sound like it, I know, but I really liked this book. It’s a book with a thoroughly unpleasant main character (in fact she’s not on her own on that score - watch out for Adrian!) and they do make for interesting story lines!
This is the first book I’ve read by Janet Ellis, and I will be looking for more.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Two Roads for my copy of this book.
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