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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Fandom of the Operator in Books
Nov 13, 2019
I like Rankin's work a lot. Some of his works are just amazingly inventive, incredibly humorous and reliably off-the-wall.
Unfortunately this really isn't quite up to his normal standards, although the plot has all his usual hallmarks - essentially someone discovers it is possible to phone the dead, which ends up with potentially terrible consequences for the living.
This sounds like quite a slight premise to hang a whole book of of, and I think that is the heart of the problem here. Some of the writing and twists are amongst the very best. We follow the main character through his life and although we know he's pretty unpleasant, the shock when he is asked how many people he has murdered, and is response, is pure Rankin cleverness.
Unfortunately such moments are too few and the plot too slow moving for this to be counted as a good Rankin novel. One for the completists but certainly not one that demonstrates his true ability.
Unfortunately this really isn't quite up to his normal standards, although the plot has all his usual hallmarks - essentially someone discovers it is possible to phone the dead, which ends up with potentially terrible consequences for the living.
This sounds like quite a slight premise to hang a whole book of of, and I think that is the heart of the problem here. Some of the writing and twists are amongst the very best. We follow the main character through his life and although we know he's pretty unpleasant, the shock when he is asked how many people he has murdered, and is response, is pure Rankin cleverness.
Unfortunately such moments are too few and the plot too slow moving for this to be counted as a good Rankin novel. One for the completists but certainly not one that demonstrates his true ability.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Ordinary Love (2019) in Movies
Dec 12, 2019
Rare sighting of the species Liamneesonus Seriousactorii, which has become increasingly elusive in recent years due to excessive Bessoning of its habitat. Here Neeson plays Tom, husband of Joan (Manville): they are a quietly devoted couple of many years' standing, whose world is understandably rocked when she is diagnosed with breast cancer.
Not quite your typical movie on this topic, for it concerns the impact of the follow-up treatment as much as the disease itself. The question is what new can be brought to this genre, or indeed this subject, by a new film - everyone's experience of cancer is necessarily personal, after all, and the more general the statement, the greater the danger of saying something fatuous or inane. The film mostly gets away with it, thanks to strong performances, but one subplot in particular does threaten to overegg the pudding and turn an affecting movie into melodrama. But overall a strong and moving film.
Not quite your typical movie on this topic, for it concerns the impact of the follow-up treatment as much as the disease itself. The question is what new can be brought to this genre, or indeed this subject, by a new film - everyone's experience of cancer is necessarily personal, after all, and the more general the statement, the greater the danger of saying something fatuous or inane. The film mostly gets away with it, thanks to strong performances, but one subplot in particular does threaten to overegg the pudding and turn an affecting movie into melodrama. But overall a strong and moving film.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Goblins Wear Suits (The Magical Beings' Rehabilitations Center #2) in Books
Feb 6, 2020
Morgan thought the most difficult decision of her life was deciding to become an official employee of the MBRC. But now, a senior in high school, she’s realizing it only gets worse.
With a certain Goblin mob boss urging her to stay within commuting distance of Chicago, and a flirtatious Pooka pushing her to study overseas, Morgan has a hard enough time trying to sort through her college choices the way it is. Planning out her future is made even more difficult when terrorist threats are issued by an anti-human, anti-rehabilitation, magic-based organization. Does Morgan want to continue working at the MBRC when it puts her life in danger?
It has rounded off book one nicely but I think I got a little bored towards the end. I'm glad that she chose her pooka in the end. I do like K.M. Shea and I'm moving on to her next series!
With a certain Goblin mob boss urging her to stay within commuting distance of Chicago, and a flirtatious Pooka pushing her to study overseas, Morgan has a hard enough time trying to sort through her college choices the way it is. Planning out her future is made even more difficult when terrorist threats are issued by an anti-human, anti-rehabilitation, magic-based organization. Does Morgan want to continue working at the MBRC when it puts her life in danger?
It has rounded off book one nicely but I think I got a little bored towards the end. I'm glad that she chose her pooka in the end. I do like K.M. Shea and I'm moving on to her next series!
Awix (3310 KP) rated Queen & Slim (2019) in Movies
Feb 6, 2020
Another powerful film about racial tensions in America; this one is unusually subtle and sophisticated, too. A young couple are forced to kill a racist cop and go on the run from the authorities, falling in love as they go. The subtext - that the bias in the system inevitable ends up criminalising decent young folk - is obvious, but the film finds nuance as well. There are decent white people and corrupt black people, while the protagonists have no interest in bigger political issues - but find themselves being claimed as symbols or representatives of some dubious political movements.
The film seems to be suggesting that in a conflicted and corrupt world, the best thing is to find joy where you can, and the developing romance between the two leads is as memorable as any of the political or dramatic content. Possibly a bit overlong at two and a quarter hours, but an engaging, intelligent and moving film from the first moment to the last.
The film seems to be suggesting that in a conflicted and corrupt world, the best thing is to find joy where you can, and the developing romance between the two leads is as memorable as any of the political or dramatic content. Possibly a bit overlong at two and a quarter hours, but an engaging, intelligent and moving film from the first moment to the last.
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Miller's Crossing (1990) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020 (Updated Aug 6, 2020)
In a word: Style. Note, in the picture, how Gabriel Byrne’s posture in the chair reflects that of Micheal Corleone in The Godfather! Knowing Joel and Ethan Coen, that is not a mistake. This is a movie designed to the millimetre. The clothes, the furniture, the guns, the cars, everything is meticulously chosen, creating nothing less than a moving work of art. Even the language is poetry, using a vocabulary, largely invented, to highlight the rhythm of the wiseguy era that is entirely romanticized, but so perfectly consistent we wish it was history. It steals knowingly from the best in the genre at every turn, weaving a tale so nuanced and detailed that it demands several watches to truly mine every multi-layered meaning. In every way, a rich feast, about loyalty, weakness and humanity. The film on this list I am mostly likely to keep watching at the drop of… a hat!
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