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Maddi Zoe (6 KP) rated The Greatest Showman (2017) in Movies
Feb 8, 2018
Soundtrack (phenomenal) (3 more)
Casting/Acting
Choreography
Cinematography
Best original musical in recent days
Michael Gracey’s slick new musical, The Greatest Showman, brings to life the imagination of P.T. Barnum and his creation of the first circus.
Inspired by the legend of P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman), The Greatest Showman follows Barnum in a pursuit to piece together a dream-like show.
The film follows the businessman as he desperately tries to support his wife (Michelle Williams), and daughters. However, the urge to make the shower better and better ultimately gets in the way of both his personal and family life.
Barnum knows exactly what he is looking for. He scouts several individuals who he believes are perfect for the show. Each and everyone of them, a spark or magic that completes the circus. His show includes; bearded lady, Lettie (Keala Settle), and ‘the shortest man in the world’, Tom Thumb (Sam Humphrey). Also, a partner in need (or to help his succeed)Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron).
The performers are part of a close family and stick together despite being ridiculed by the public. They are frequently humiliated and often labelled as 'freaks'. This brings a lot of emotion to the film. It encourages a lot of positivity in that it helps promote individuality and equality.
As a musical, The Greatest Showman comes packed with musical numbers. It features a number of brilliant vocal performers including the likes of Jackman, Settle, Efron and Zendaya (who plays a trapeze artist and pretty much most of the cast). The songs themselves are very moving, through joy or sadness. Many of the songs will also have your feet tapping to the beat! At points, you'll find yourself wanting to join in with the group!
Music is a powerful instrument which can often be emotive. The composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who also worked on the music for La La Land, and Trolls, hit the mark. The songs were outstanding and often bought a tear to the eye.
From the beautiful ballroom-esque dances of Jackman and Williams to the group dances by the circus family, the film was not short of magical moments. The camera angles were also spot on - from the beautifully shot symmetrical aerial shots to the moving steady cam shots.
Already nominated for three Golden Globes, The Greatest Showman is sure to be a hit with everyone. It is almost certain that it'll leave you feeling emotionally drained. On the more positive side, it may even inspire people to spread a little Christmas joy and happiness!
Inspired by the legend of P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman), The Greatest Showman follows Barnum in a pursuit to piece together a dream-like show.
The film follows the businessman as he desperately tries to support his wife (Michelle Williams), and daughters. However, the urge to make the shower better and better ultimately gets in the way of both his personal and family life.
Barnum knows exactly what he is looking for. He scouts several individuals who he believes are perfect for the show. Each and everyone of them, a spark or magic that completes the circus. His show includes; bearded lady, Lettie (Keala Settle), and ‘the shortest man in the world’, Tom Thumb (Sam Humphrey). Also, a partner in need (or to help his succeed)Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron).
The performers are part of a close family and stick together despite being ridiculed by the public. They are frequently humiliated and often labelled as 'freaks'. This brings a lot of emotion to the film. It encourages a lot of positivity in that it helps promote individuality and equality.
As a musical, The Greatest Showman comes packed with musical numbers. It features a number of brilliant vocal performers including the likes of Jackman, Settle, Efron and Zendaya (who plays a trapeze artist and pretty much most of the cast). The songs themselves are very moving, through joy or sadness. Many of the songs will also have your feet tapping to the beat! At points, you'll find yourself wanting to join in with the group!
Music is a powerful instrument which can often be emotive. The composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who also worked on the music for La La Land, and Trolls, hit the mark. The songs were outstanding and often bought a tear to the eye.
From the beautiful ballroom-esque dances of Jackman and Williams to the group dances by the circus family, the film was not short of magical moments. The camera angles were also spot on - from the beautifully shot symmetrical aerial shots to the moving steady cam shots.
Already nominated for three Golden Globes, The Greatest Showman is sure to be a hit with everyone. It is almost certain that it'll leave you feeling emotionally drained. On the more positive side, it may even inspire people to spread a little Christmas joy and happiness!
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Premonition (2007) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
Linda Hanson (Sandra Bullock), Is a woman whose comfortable life is about to to turned upside down when her husband (Julian Mc Mahon) is killed in a tragic car accident while away on a business trip. Suddenly a windowed mother of two young girls Linda is grief stricken and falls asleep wondering what she will do to handle her loss.
When Linda awakens the next morning, she is shocked to discover her husband alive and well downstairs. This bizzare occurence sets a chain of events into motion where each day she awakens, finds that her husband is either alive or dead. What is even more bizzare is that some days she awakens days in the future after her husbands accident to learn that other events have transpired while other days she awakens before the accident and wonders about her sanity.
Eventually Linda decides to map out the days she has visited and learns that she is covering the days leading up to and following the accident, and sets a plan into motion to answer the questions she has about why she is suddenly moving back and forth through time each day, as well as the events surrounding her visions of the future.
While the premise of the film is good, it looses momentum very quickly and soon becomes a myriad of plot holes and worn scenarios that ultimately leads to a very silly, and wholly unsatisfying ending, that does little to resolve the premise and mystery of the setup.
What further frustrated me about the film is the utter lack of chemistry between Bullock and Mc Mahon, who come across very stiffly during their scenes with one another, and seem almost to be taken an Acting 101 seminar rather than convincing us they are a married couple.
Mc Mahon’s part is also so lacking in substance I was suprised that an actor of his status would accept such a shallow part, as there is very little for him to do in this film as he is reduced at best to a moving prop and a plot device for much of the film.
This ultimately dooms the film as we feel very little for the characters as Bullock is very bland and by the numbers in her performance, which really strains the audeince to care for the chacters and their outcomes which is essential in a film of this type.
As it stands, Premonition is a good idea that goes nowhere fast, which is what I think will ultimately become of this film after its opening week at the box office.
When Linda awakens the next morning, she is shocked to discover her husband alive and well downstairs. This bizzare occurence sets a chain of events into motion where each day she awakens, finds that her husband is either alive or dead. What is even more bizzare is that some days she awakens days in the future after her husbands accident to learn that other events have transpired while other days she awakens before the accident and wonders about her sanity.
Eventually Linda decides to map out the days she has visited and learns that she is covering the days leading up to and following the accident, and sets a plan into motion to answer the questions she has about why she is suddenly moving back and forth through time each day, as well as the events surrounding her visions of the future.
While the premise of the film is good, it looses momentum very quickly and soon becomes a myriad of plot holes and worn scenarios that ultimately leads to a very silly, and wholly unsatisfying ending, that does little to resolve the premise and mystery of the setup.
What further frustrated me about the film is the utter lack of chemistry between Bullock and Mc Mahon, who come across very stiffly during their scenes with one another, and seem almost to be taken an Acting 101 seminar rather than convincing us they are a married couple.
Mc Mahon’s part is also so lacking in substance I was suprised that an actor of his status would accept such a shallow part, as there is very little for him to do in this film as he is reduced at best to a moving prop and a plot device for much of the film.
This ultimately dooms the film as we feel very little for the characters as Bullock is very bland and by the numbers in her performance, which really strains the audeince to care for the chacters and their outcomes which is essential in a film of this type.
As it stands, Premonition is a good idea that goes nowhere fast, which is what I think will ultimately become of this film after its opening week at the box office.
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Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Dog Days (2018) in Movies
May 15, 2021
Cheesy but Solid
Dog Days revolves around a number of moving parts stories that shows the strength of relationships between people and man’s best friend.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 5
Typically with stories like these that have a number of different characters sharing screen time, it really can be a challenge to get the film off to a hot start as you introduce everyone. Ten minutes in, I wasn’t completely sold on the film, but it was enough for me to say, “What the hell? I’ll give it a shot.” Not bad, but not great.
Characters: 8
Again, moving parts stories introduce a lot of characters and it’s hard to try and get people to care about everyone. While I wasn’t invested in everyone all of the time, there were plenty of moments where I cared about the character’s outcome. There were certain characters I cared about a lot more than others like the coffee shop girl and the shelter owner.
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
Conflict: 6
This is a family film, very much meant to be light-hearted. While Disney has somehow found a way of perfecting having conflict while keeping things light, Dog Days suffered a bit more in that respect. Maybe it’s the fact that you know everything is going to work itself out in the end. Then again, you kind of know that for most movies, but it’s that drive of conflict that really makes things seem dire and leave you wondering for a bit. Not the case with Dog Days.
Entertainment Value: 10
Not going to lie, this movie really had me invested from beginning to end. It’s funny, endearing, and you get to see a bunch of cute dogs. Not going to win any academy awards, but it’s a fun movie I would recommend for any family. I didn’t leave the theater thinking I had wasted my time. It was more of a, “Wow, that was surprisingly fun.”
Memorability: 9
Pace: 10
The 113-minute runtime definitely doesn’t feel like it. Sometimes having a number of storylines can confuse the audience, but I managed to follow along at an easy pace. There are no bumps, it’s pretty smooth sailing from beginning to end.
Plot: 5
Resolution: 9
Overall: 79
I can think of countless family movies that would be a better use of your two hours than Dog Days. However, for what it is, the movie does the trick. It’s undeniably cute and pretty darn entertaining. Even better if you’re a dog lover. For all of it’s cheesiness, it’s pretty solid overall.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 5
Typically with stories like these that have a number of different characters sharing screen time, it really can be a challenge to get the film off to a hot start as you introduce everyone. Ten minutes in, I wasn’t completely sold on the film, but it was enough for me to say, “What the hell? I’ll give it a shot.” Not bad, but not great.
Characters: 8
Again, moving parts stories introduce a lot of characters and it’s hard to try and get people to care about everyone. While I wasn’t invested in everyone all of the time, there were plenty of moments where I cared about the character’s outcome. There were certain characters I cared about a lot more than others like the coffee shop girl and the shelter owner.
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
Conflict: 6
This is a family film, very much meant to be light-hearted. While Disney has somehow found a way of perfecting having conflict while keeping things light, Dog Days suffered a bit more in that respect. Maybe it’s the fact that you know everything is going to work itself out in the end. Then again, you kind of know that for most movies, but it’s that drive of conflict that really makes things seem dire and leave you wondering for a bit. Not the case with Dog Days.
Entertainment Value: 10
Not going to lie, this movie really had me invested from beginning to end. It’s funny, endearing, and you get to see a bunch of cute dogs. Not going to win any academy awards, but it’s a fun movie I would recommend for any family. I didn’t leave the theater thinking I had wasted my time. It was more of a, “Wow, that was surprisingly fun.”
Memorability: 9
Pace: 10
The 113-minute runtime definitely doesn’t feel like it. Sometimes having a number of storylines can confuse the audience, but I managed to follow along at an easy pace. There are no bumps, it’s pretty smooth sailing from beginning to end.
Plot: 5
Resolution: 9
Overall: 79
I can think of countless family movies that would be a better use of your two hours than Dog Days. However, for what it is, the movie does the trick. It’s undeniably cute and pretty darn entertaining. Even better if you’re a dog lover. For all of it’s cheesiness, it’s pretty solid overall.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Abominable (2019) in Movies
Oct 2, 2019
Abominable is a new animated film that is co-produced between Dreamworks Studio and Pearl studio (out of China).
The main character is called Yi, voiced by Chloe Bennett.
Yi is a bit lost, and sad due to the death of her father. We are introduced to her in the film working working working and barely slowing down enough to eat, and never spending and family time with her mother (voiced by Michelle Wong) and grandmother (Tsai Chin).
I could tell there was more to Yi’s reluctance to spend time with her family than just ‘work’, and the movie, from an adult perspective, showed that Yi didn’t feel like she really HAD a family anymore, because of the loss of her dad.
We find out that she is working so hard to earn money to travel to all the spots she was supposed to travel with her father to.
Discovering a Yeti on the roof of her apartment building puts a monkey wrench in her plans, however.
Yi discovers that the Yeti needs to find his way home to HIS family, and that his home is Mount Everest. She promptly tags the Yeti with the name ‘Everest’.
Her best friend Peng (voiced by Albert Tsai) and Pengs cousin Jin (voiced by Tenzing Norgay Trainor – who is actually the grandson of Tenzing Norgay, one of the first men to reach the summit of Everest), get roped into the adventure.
The group must avoid being captured by a man intent on collecting novel and new animals, named Burnish (Eddie Izzard) and his assistant Dr. Zara (Sarah Paulson) who is not what she seems, who Everest had escaped from.
The movie moves along quickly and kept even my 3 year old who never-stops-moving pretty engaged for at least the first hour.
My 11 year old son was entranced the whole way through.
I thought that the animation was great, the visuals (scenery) that the movie existed in were phenomenally done and the music was perfectly arranged to go with the story line.
The story itself was sweet, and a bit sad, but did evolve well and showed the possibilities of moving beyond deep sadness and the healing power of music and friends and helping others as well.
It’s a great family film, and I would go see it again for sure.
I would actually give this movie 5 out of 5 stars as a kids / family movie.
It’s a must see!
The main character is called Yi, voiced by Chloe Bennett.
Yi is a bit lost, and sad due to the death of her father. We are introduced to her in the film working working working and barely slowing down enough to eat, and never spending and family time with her mother (voiced by Michelle Wong) and grandmother (Tsai Chin).
I could tell there was more to Yi’s reluctance to spend time with her family than just ‘work’, and the movie, from an adult perspective, showed that Yi didn’t feel like she really HAD a family anymore, because of the loss of her dad.
We find out that she is working so hard to earn money to travel to all the spots she was supposed to travel with her father to.
Discovering a Yeti on the roof of her apartment building puts a monkey wrench in her plans, however.
Yi discovers that the Yeti needs to find his way home to HIS family, and that his home is Mount Everest. She promptly tags the Yeti with the name ‘Everest’.
Her best friend Peng (voiced by Albert Tsai) and Pengs cousin Jin (voiced by Tenzing Norgay Trainor – who is actually the grandson of Tenzing Norgay, one of the first men to reach the summit of Everest), get roped into the adventure.
The group must avoid being captured by a man intent on collecting novel and new animals, named Burnish (Eddie Izzard) and his assistant Dr. Zara (Sarah Paulson) who is not what she seems, who Everest had escaped from.
The movie moves along quickly and kept even my 3 year old who never-stops-moving pretty engaged for at least the first hour.
My 11 year old son was entranced the whole way through.
I thought that the animation was great, the visuals (scenery) that the movie existed in were phenomenally done and the music was perfectly arranged to go with the story line.
The story itself was sweet, and a bit sad, but did evolve well and showed the possibilities of moving beyond deep sadness and the healing power of music and friends and helping others as well.
It’s a great family film, and I would go see it again for sure.
I would actually give this movie 5 out of 5 stars as a kids / family movie.
It’s a must see!
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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Moonglow in Books
Nov 9, 2017
Beautifully written
This biography of Michael Chabon's 'grandfather' is a stunning piece of whimsy, the tale of a cranky, old genius that grips and surprises throughout. It is a long, meandering novel masquerading as a memoir, flitting around time and place so that the chapters don't follow consecutively and it's only gradually that we build up a picture of the narrator's family history via the stories told to him by his grandfather.
Despite the fragmented narrative and some aspects considered to be fictional truth, there's real heart and soul here which lifts this novel beyond merely the clever construction, giving it a haunting, poignant undertone.
For me the book is less about the grandfather, but the beautiful, damaged woman with whom he falls in love with. Profoundly affected by her experiences during the Second World War, the narrator's grandmother tells stories to shore up her own sense of self and to hold herself together in the wake of trauma.
While at times it can seem tedious, the author's writing carries it through, moving effortlessly from rambunctious humour to distressing scenes. It is a meditation on families and what constitutes a family when it's not based on blood, histories and accurate memories. A big-hearted and beautifully-written novel.
Despite the fragmented narrative and some aspects considered to be fictional truth, there's real heart and soul here which lifts this novel beyond merely the clever construction, giving it a haunting, poignant undertone.
For me the book is less about the grandfather, but the beautiful, damaged woman with whom he falls in love with. Profoundly affected by her experiences during the Second World War, the narrator's grandmother tells stories to shore up her own sense of self and to hold herself together in the wake of trauma.
While at times it can seem tedious, the author's writing carries it through, moving effortlessly from rambunctious humour to distressing scenes. It is a meditation on families and what constitutes a family when it's not based on blood, histories and accurate memories. A big-hearted and beautifully-written novel.
Morgan Sheppard (968 KP) rated Call Me Michigan in Books
Jan 9, 2018
This is a second chance novel - Mason and Tyler were best friends in their younger years, although both of them wanted more, neither of them said anything. When Tyler left home under difficult circumstances, Mason got blinding drunk before chasing after her and giving her a drunken kiss. Now, this is not guaranteed to win anyone over, so unsurprisingly, Tyler leaves anyway. Fast forward a few years, and Tyler returns to take care of her family. Of course, the first person she sees is Mason, although he doesn't recognise her. Things are about to change for the pair of them.
This is a well written, fast moving and smoothly paced contemporary romance, showing character growth and not just with the two main characters. With getting to know each other again, things don't go exactly smoothly. However, things eventually work out for them, which is good because the situation is about to get a whole more complicated.
This is a story guaranteed to give you the warm fuzzies, at the same time as you laugh and cry with the characters and the situations they find themselves in. Definitely recommended by me.
* I was given this book in return for a review which has in no way affected my opinion. *
This is a well written, fast moving and smoothly paced contemporary romance, showing character growth and not just with the two main characters. With getting to know each other again, things don't go exactly smoothly. However, things eventually work out for them, which is good because the situation is about to get a whole more complicated.
This is a story guaranteed to give you the warm fuzzies, at the same time as you laugh and cry with the characters and the situations they find themselves in. Definitely recommended by me.
* I was given this book in return for a review which has in no way affected my opinion. *
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated 12 Years a Slave (2013) in Movies
Sep 6, 2017
Cast and acting is spectacular (1 more)
Fantastic direction by Steve McQueen
Harrowing, disturbing beyond belief
It's taken me four years to watch this film out of fear I'd be seriously disturbed by the end of it. And no doubt it is disturbing.
The story of Solomon Northrup entails a free black man in America being kidnapped and then sold into slavery. He is gifted and educated, on top of having led a free life with his wife and children, hence in many ways it can be seen as even more traumatic knowing what is already out there.
What's interesting is the complicity of others involved, including other African Americans who have had to turn the other cheek in order to survive. The white men are despicable in this film, the brutality is truly horrifying.
It goes without saying Chiwetel Ejiofor is fantastic as Solomon, he's understated which makes his acting all the more moving. Michael Fassbender is particularly gratuitous in his role as a slave owner. Lupita Nyong'o is absolutely outstanding, playing a woman brutalized by the master for his own disgusting needs. The women go through a particular hell in this horrid period of history. You'll need a strong countenance to watch this.
The story of Solomon Northrup entails a free black man in America being kidnapped and then sold into slavery. He is gifted and educated, on top of having led a free life with his wife and children, hence in many ways it can be seen as even more traumatic knowing what is already out there.
What's interesting is the complicity of others involved, including other African Americans who have had to turn the other cheek in order to survive. The white men are despicable in this film, the brutality is truly horrifying.
It goes without saying Chiwetel Ejiofor is fantastic as Solomon, he's understated which makes his acting all the more moving. Michael Fassbender is particularly gratuitous in his role as a slave owner. Lupita Nyong'o is absolutely outstanding, playing a woman brutalized by the master for his own disgusting needs. The women go through a particular hell in this horrid period of history. You'll need a strong countenance to watch this.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Right Hand in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I started listening to The Right Hand with absolutely no idea what it was about, and within seconds I was entranced. Everything about this book was 5 stars or higher. The writing was right for the genre: descriptive and witty, but more focused on the point of the story than the writing itself. The pacing was perfect, the tone was awesome, and the characters were fabulous. I mean, a CIA spy who is so bad-ass and awesome at what he does that the organization doesn't even want to know how he gets his job done, only that he gets it done? How awesome is that? The plot never stopped moving, changing, turning. (And since I did listen to the audiobook, I will say, the reader did an excellent job!)
Sometimes I have long drawn out reviews and lots to say about books… and don't get me wrong, I have a lot to say about The Right Hand, but it all circles around one thing: If you like spy thrillers and adventure novels and don't mind a good murder or some bloodshed, go read this book now. This book is Exciting, entertaining, funny, emotional, and just downright awesomely cool.
Content/Recommendation: Mind language. Violence (not gruesome, but still bloody). Ages 16+
Sometimes I have long drawn out reviews and lots to say about books… and don't get me wrong, I have a lot to say about The Right Hand, but it all circles around one thing: If you like spy thrillers and adventure novels and don't mind a good murder or some bloodshed, go read this book now. This book is Exciting, entertaining, funny, emotional, and just downright awesomely cool.
Content/Recommendation: Mind language. Violence (not gruesome, but still bloody). Ages 16+