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I don't know why, but for some reason I've never really taken to Stephen King's novels all that much.
I don't know whether that's because he's best known as a horror writer (with that being my least favourite genre), or whether because as a UK native I don't have quite the same cultural touchstones as King himself (or other American readers/writers), but there you have it.
(And, as an aside, I find that date format of 11.22.63 to be very disconcerting - I'm more used to dd/mm/yy i.e. 22/11/63 instead of 11.22.63)
Anyway, with all that said, I decided to give this a chance after it was recommended to me by a friend as 'a bit like Quantum Leap. I would have thought it was right up your street' (and I'm paraphrasing there somewhat).
I can see where he was coming from - this is a time travel novel, after all, here dealing with the JFK assassination - with the hero of the piece out to stop that assassination after finding a 'wormhole' back in time to the late 1950s.
Now that I've read it, I can say that it is definitely immersive with some solid world building, but boy does the middle section draaagggg: I was tempted, at one point, to just skip forward a good chunk (I didn't) to see if anything of note would happen ...
In short? Enjoyable enough, yes, but not enough to make me want to change my outlook on other King novels.
I don't know whether that's because he's best known as a horror writer (with that being my least favourite genre), or whether because as a UK native I don't have quite the same cultural touchstones as King himself (or other American readers/writers), but there you have it.
(And, as an aside, I find that date format of 11.22.63 to be very disconcerting - I'm more used to dd/mm/yy i.e. 22/11/63 instead of 11.22.63)
Anyway, with all that said, I decided to give this a chance after it was recommended to me by a friend as 'a bit like Quantum Leap. I would have thought it was right up your street' (and I'm paraphrasing there somewhat).
I can see where he was coming from - this is a time travel novel, after all, here dealing with the JFK assassination - with the hero of the piece out to stop that assassination after finding a 'wormhole' back in time to the late 1950s.
Now that I've read it, I can say that it is definitely immersive with some solid world building, but boy does the middle section draaagggg: I was tempted, at one point, to just skip forward a good chunk (I didn't) to see if anything of note would happen ...
In short? Enjoyable enough, yes, but not enough to make me want to change my outlook on other King novels.
ClareR (5577 KP) rated Unclean Spirits (Gods and Monsters #1) in Books
Feb 20, 2018 (Updated Feb 20, 2018)
Low down and dirty Mythology!!
Carson Cole escapes his life of servitude when a bomb destroys his boss, Mr E. Rose. Yes, if you say it quickly it sounds like Eros, and that’s because it IS Eros. Carson learns that he is embroiled in the world of the Gods from every pantheon. They have all been cast out of the heavens by ‘The Usurper’ and are having to scratch out a life on Earth. Not many of them actually like it.
Carson had lost his life five years previously to Eros’ whims, and his wife and son hate him. He goes on a journey with Frank (who is frankly, a horrific character) to find out why this is. It’s a ‘100mph’ book: non-stop action pretty much, and if you like Gods (and monsters!) you’ll like this. It has a very dark, menacing atmosphere: dirty, unclean, violent. I enjoyed it! There was a bit (a huge!) twist at the end.
I also enjoyed the short story at the end by Pat Kelleher (Drag Hunt) featuring Coyote. This story isn’t set completely in the US, but does start there and ends in London and it’s environs. Coyote has lost a rather important part of himself, and is determined to find it. A very enjoyable story, again, with a great selection of Norse, Celtic, Egyptian and other Gods that I have probably forgotten in it! I find myself very much enjoying these stories with Coyote in. He’s very much the Loki of the North American native people. Got to love a trickster!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book!
Carson had lost his life five years previously to Eros’ whims, and his wife and son hate him. He goes on a journey with Frank (who is frankly, a horrific character) to find out why this is. It’s a ‘100mph’ book: non-stop action pretty much, and if you like Gods (and monsters!) you’ll like this. It has a very dark, menacing atmosphere: dirty, unclean, violent. I enjoyed it! There was a bit (a huge!) twist at the end.
I also enjoyed the short story at the end by Pat Kelleher (Drag Hunt) featuring Coyote. This story isn’t set completely in the US, but does start there and ends in London and it’s environs. Coyote has lost a rather important part of himself, and is determined to find it. A very enjoyable story, again, with a great selection of Norse, Celtic, Egyptian and other Gods that I have probably forgotten in it! I find myself very much enjoying these stories with Coyote in. He’s very much the Loki of the North American native people. Got to love a trickster!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book!
Lindsay (1693 KP) rated Eye of the Eagle in Books
Jan 19, 2019
Well when you first open this book, you think oh another romance like every other one that happens in the office. The author put us in for a what would be typical but it nothing like a typical romance book. I really do like that this not all romance. There is action involved and even some power in followed.
You seem to get not only spiritual powers and some Native American culture but you get a story or plot full of government talents and bring in someone new and really cute looking. Then there a budding romance before they leave the office.
This got all kinds of powers involved. The hero and Heroine become a team. What you do if someone could eagle shifter? He looks human and act all human? What does a little ugly man doing? We seem to have it all.
It starts out with a child missing and no other then Bert's family member. He does not want his boss to come. She intents on want to go with him. She determine to help. Things start to happen as soon as they get here at the hotel. She has secrets as well has Bret Blackfeather? What are Phoebes and her mother secrets? Seems not all now about his secret other then family possibly.
The characters are created and developed quite well. I love that we learn more each character though out the story. We do not get all them until the end of the book. We got not only the bad guys but also the good guys in full development.
Is Bert family in danger and why? Seem the US Senator daughter get caught up with someone from Bert past and with an enemy of the US. The Monster as Phoebe calls him see to be into human tracking and other crimes.
You seem to get not only spiritual powers and some Native American culture but you get a story or plot full of government talents and bring in someone new and really cute looking. Then there a budding romance before they leave the office.
This got all kinds of powers involved. The hero and Heroine become a team. What you do if someone could eagle shifter? He looks human and act all human? What does a little ugly man doing? We seem to have it all.
It starts out with a child missing and no other then Bert's family member. He does not want his boss to come. She intents on want to go with him. She determine to help. Things start to happen as soon as they get here at the hotel. She has secrets as well has Bret Blackfeather? What are Phoebes and her mother secrets? Seems not all now about his secret other then family possibly.
The characters are created and developed quite well. I love that we learn more each character though out the story. We do not get all them until the end of the book. We got not only the bad guys but also the good guys in full development.
Is Bert family in danger and why? Seem the US Senator daughter get caught up with someone from Bert past and with an enemy of the US. The Monster as Phoebe calls him see to be into human tracking and other crimes.
ClareR (5577 KP) rated A Thousand Moons in Books
Apr 10, 2020
A Thousand Moons is set after the American Civil War in 1870’s Tennessee. This book follows on from Days Without End, and whilst I haven’t read it (yet! It’s on my bookshelf!), it didn’t affect my enjoyment at all.
Winona is a Lakota orphan who has been adopted by former soldiers Thomas McNulty and John Cole. She lives on their farm with them and Lige Magan, and two ex-slaves, Rosalee and Tennyson. Racism is still rife: Native Americans are seen as little more than animals, and black people are still hanged in the streets without trial for minor infractions.
Despite this, Winona has an admirer who wants to marry her: a white man. He’s persistent, and she doesn’t seem sure as to whether she really wants to marry him. And then something terrible happens. Winona is brought home: she is battered, raped and she doesn’t remember what happened or who did it.
This is such an emotional book. Winona’s reaction after her attack, coupled with the fact that she will never have any protection under the law, is heartbreaking.
Things that happen to other characters just seems to show starkly the injustices in the USA at this time. But it is all told in the most beautiful way. The writing really is exquisite: the descriptions of Winona’s inner thoughts, the descriptions of the landscape, and the way that life is shown, all really drew me in to this story. I loved reading it every day on The Pigeonhole. I will certainly be getting the first book in this series down off the shelf to read.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book, and to Sebastian Barry for joining in.
Winona is a Lakota orphan who has been adopted by former soldiers Thomas McNulty and John Cole. She lives on their farm with them and Lige Magan, and two ex-slaves, Rosalee and Tennyson. Racism is still rife: Native Americans are seen as little more than animals, and black people are still hanged in the streets without trial for minor infractions.
Despite this, Winona has an admirer who wants to marry her: a white man. He’s persistent, and she doesn’t seem sure as to whether she really wants to marry him. And then something terrible happens. Winona is brought home: she is battered, raped and she doesn’t remember what happened or who did it.
This is such an emotional book. Winona’s reaction after her attack, coupled with the fact that she will never have any protection under the law, is heartbreaking.
Things that happen to other characters just seems to show starkly the injustices in the USA at this time. But it is all told in the most beautiful way. The writing really is exquisite: the descriptions of Winona’s inner thoughts, the descriptions of the landscape, and the way that life is shown, all really drew me in to this story. I loved reading it every day on The Pigeonhole. I will certainly be getting the first book in this series down off the shelf to read.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book, and to Sebastian Barry for joining in.
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 4 in Books
Nov 30, 2020
This was a hella good tine, re-reading issues I have not read since they first came out in the 70s! As I immersed myself, it was actually thrilling me to remember how good the team of [Chris] Claremont, [John] Byrne and [Terry] Austin were together. Each subsequent showed the art team developing it's own style, becoming more comfortable with the characters, each set of pencils and inks that much tighter!
One thing I definitely noticed, and did not think about altogether until my wife and I started rewatching FIREFLY, was how Wolverine/Logan was like the Jayne Cobb of the X-Men. Serious similarities! Even down to how both characters would have barbs toward their respective leaders (Jayne/Mal; Wolverine/Cry-clops), but when it came down to it, both were pretty good at fighting/backing up the team.
One other observation.. I did not realize how "politically incorrect" some of the early characters were. For example, a member of Alpha Force, "the Canadian X-Men, was Michael Twoyoungmen (codename: Shaman). That is probably the WORST Native American name EVER! I am surprised they have not tried to retcon his real name! Then again, now that I think about it, I can't recall the last time any of the Alpha Flight team members were mentioned in last 10 years, other than Northstar! I wonder if that had anything to do with it.
Overall. it's good run of X-Men stories. Yeah, many times the dialogue will seem corny AF, but the overall story is what really matters, and at the end, that will really be what matters! Check it out, or miss it, but I think you will be sorry if you overlook it...
One thing I definitely noticed, and did not think about altogether until my wife and I started rewatching FIREFLY, was how Wolverine/Logan was like the Jayne Cobb of the X-Men. Serious similarities! Even down to how both characters would have barbs toward their respective leaders (Jayne/Mal; Wolverine/Cry-clops), but when it came down to it, both were pretty good at fighting/backing up the team.
One other observation.. I did not realize how "politically incorrect" some of the early characters were. For example, a member of Alpha Force, "the Canadian X-Men, was Michael Twoyoungmen (codename: Shaman). That is probably the WORST Native American name EVER! I am surprised they have not tried to retcon his real name! Then again, now that I think about it, I can't recall the last time any of the Alpha Flight team members were mentioned in last 10 years, other than Northstar! I wonder if that had anything to do with it.
Overall. it's good run of X-Men stories. Yeah, many times the dialogue will seem corny AF, but the overall story is what really matters, and at the end, that will really be what matters! Check it out, or miss it, but I think you will be sorry if you overlook it...
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Hell or High Water (2016) in Movies
Aug 21, 2019
Classic Western in Modern Day
351. Hell or High Water. Have you ever wondered what a classic western style story would be like filmed today without much done to update the script? No, me either, until I realized that's exactly what I was watching... Story about two bank robbing brothers, Tanner and Toby Howard, raising enough cash to keep the bad bank man from taking the farm. Ya see, they struck oil on that land, not much, but enough to get by. Toby is the smart one, doing bad things for good reasons. Tanner is the wild card, doing bad things just to do bad things, but deep down, doing it for his brother! But coming up quick behind them is the law, Texas Ranger kinda law!! The old sheriff, Marcus Hamilton, just about to retire, and through pretty much intuition alone ends up in the right places at the right times, and with Marcus his Native American partner, Alberto, who is assaulted by the racist humor of the sheriff all day, but deep down, there's a bromance going on! And as Tanner and Toby continue their bank robbing ways, Tanner gets a little cocky takes on a bank full of people, shots fired, they barely escape with their lives, the townsfolk round up an armed posse to go after them chasing them up the road, but right around the corner is the sheriff, because deep down he knew where those pesky Howard boys were gonna strike next leading up to the ultimate showdown between the Texas Rangers and a couple of law breaking cowboys!! So this takes place in modern day, but it had the classic western set up. So if your looking for a modern day western, go for it, looking for Heat, or Point Break, i'd say probably not. Filmbufftim on FB
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murder and the Birth of the FBI in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<I>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</I>
It is well known that throughout history, facts have been omitted from history books. Written accounts of events ostensibly make important figures and countries appear to be in the right, whereas reality reveals otherwise. One such exclusion is the fate of the Native Americans inhabiting the southern states at the beginning of the 1900s. Children are brought up to believe the stories that “Red Indians” are bad and the cowboys are good, but this was unlikely the case. David Grann has researched into a particular period of Native American history that most people may never have heard of.<I> Killers of the Flower Moon</I> reveals the horrors innocent people faced at the hands of perfidious criminals.
The majority of the book is written as a third person narrative, recounting the lives of some of the members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma. White people, believing themselves to be superior, had forced the natives off their homelands and onto rocky, unwanted ground. What they did not anticipate, however, was the abundance of oil residing beneath the surface. The Osage went from being oppressed to being the wealthiest people in the state. Full of avarice, the whites were not going to let them get away with this fortune for long.
David Grann takes a particular interest in Mollie Burkhart, an Osage member with a white husband. Mollie had three sisters, but within a few short years they were all dead, and so was her mother. Believing they had been murdered, Mollie fears for her life. Other Osage members were also being killed, as well as those who tried to investigate the spreading slaughter. However, the case remained stubbornly unsolved.
Nevertheless, there was still hope for Mollie after the arrival of Tom White, an agent of the soon to be known as Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Determined to get to the bottom of the so-called Reign of Terror, Tom and his team carefully analyse the behaviours and motives of the disingenuous citizens, narrowing down the suspects until eventually finding their duplicitous killer.
Learning about this unknown period of history is eye opening and offers a completely new view on the relations between whites and Native Americans. It was a time of prejudice and racism, not unlike the attitude towards black people emphasised with the civil rights movement in the mid-1900s. Greed was a significant motivator, particularly where making money was involved. But, David Grann does not stop here.
The final section of <i>Killers of the Flower Moon</i> is written from the author’s perspective. As a staff writer at <i>The New Yorker</i>, the evidence of the Osage murders case intrigued David Grann, but he was concerned about some unresolved holes in the story. Determined to uncover the truth, Grann conducted his own research to discover the culprits behind the undocumented murders unrelated to Mollie Burkhart’s family. What he stumbles on highlights the severity of the dark fate the Osage Indians were threatened with.
Despite being written as a narrative, it is obvious that <i>Killers of the Flower Moon</i> is a work of non-fiction. It lacks emotion and character insight, however, since it is not meant to be a fabricated story, these elements are not required. Instead, it shocks and disturbs the reader with its unbelievable truths.
An extensive biography proves the authenticity of David Grann’s revelation. With the reinforcement of FBI files, jury testimonials, statements, court transcripts, letters, telegrams, diaries and confessions, Grann produces a strong historical record of events that should not be glossed over. Without authors and books such as <i>Killers of the Flower Moon</i>, people will blindly go around believing falsehoods. The truth needs to be discovered, and readers can start by reading this book.
It is well known that throughout history, facts have been omitted from history books. Written accounts of events ostensibly make important figures and countries appear to be in the right, whereas reality reveals otherwise. One such exclusion is the fate of the Native Americans inhabiting the southern states at the beginning of the 1900s. Children are brought up to believe the stories that “Red Indians” are bad and the cowboys are good, but this was unlikely the case. David Grann has researched into a particular period of Native American history that most people may never have heard of.<I> Killers of the Flower Moon</I> reveals the horrors innocent people faced at the hands of perfidious criminals.
The majority of the book is written as a third person narrative, recounting the lives of some of the members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma. White people, believing themselves to be superior, had forced the natives off their homelands and onto rocky, unwanted ground. What they did not anticipate, however, was the abundance of oil residing beneath the surface. The Osage went from being oppressed to being the wealthiest people in the state. Full of avarice, the whites were not going to let them get away with this fortune for long.
David Grann takes a particular interest in Mollie Burkhart, an Osage member with a white husband. Mollie had three sisters, but within a few short years they were all dead, and so was her mother. Believing they had been murdered, Mollie fears for her life. Other Osage members were also being killed, as well as those who tried to investigate the spreading slaughter. However, the case remained stubbornly unsolved.
Nevertheless, there was still hope for Mollie after the arrival of Tom White, an agent of the soon to be known as Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Determined to get to the bottom of the so-called Reign of Terror, Tom and his team carefully analyse the behaviours and motives of the disingenuous citizens, narrowing down the suspects until eventually finding their duplicitous killer.
Learning about this unknown period of history is eye opening and offers a completely new view on the relations between whites and Native Americans. It was a time of prejudice and racism, not unlike the attitude towards black people emphasised with the civil rights movement in the mid-1900s. Greed was a significant motivator, particularly where making money was involved. But, David Grann does not stop here.
The final section of <i>Killers of the Flower Moon</i> is written from the author’s perspective. As a staff writer at <i>The New Yorker</i>, the evidence of the Osage murders case intrigued David Grann, but he was concerned about some unresolved holes in the story. Determined to uncover the truth, Grann conducted his own research to discover the culprits behind the undocumented murders unrelated to Mollie Burkhart’s family. What he stumbles on highlights the severity of the dark fate the Osage Indians were threatened with.
Despite being written as a narrative, it is obvious that <i>Killers of the Flower Moon</i> is a work of non-fiction. It lacks emotion and character insight, however, since it is not meant to be a fabricated story, these elements are not required. Instead, it shocks and disturbs the reader with its unbelievable truths.
An extensive biography proves the authenticity of David Grann’s revelation. With the reinforcement of FBI files, jury testimonials, statements, court transcripts, letters, telegrams, diaries and confessions, Grann produces a strong historical record of events that should not be glossed over. Without authors and books such as <i>Killers of the Flower Moon</i>, people will blindly go around believing falsehoods. The truth needs to be discovered, and readers can start by reading this book.
Connor Sheffield (293 KP) rated Assassin's Creed: Forsaken in Books
May 15, 2017
The story of a Templar rather than the Assassin (3 more)
Set out like a journal, makes it intriguing
Good descriptive action
An insight to the history of the character
Some chapters are slow (1 more)
The journal format limits the experience to the view of only one character
Insight to a character we barely see
- MINOR SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED ASSASSINS CREED 3 -
The 5th book in the Oliver Bowden collection of Assassin's Creed novels, follows the life of Haytham Kenway, son of Pirate / Assassin, Edward Kenway and father of the Native American Assassin Connor Kenway, who you play as in the video game Assassin's Creed 3.
Haytham is a British Templar who is sent to America during the French and Indian and American Revolutionary Wars, to learn more about, and find an ancient cave that would help the Templar Order discover more about the first civilization, also known as 'Those who came before'. After centuries of the two factions, Assassins and Templar, fighting a never ending war in secret, over advanced technology known as the Pieces of Eden, created by the first civilization.
Though it is interesting to learn more about Haytham, since we only get to play a small part of his story in the video game, my only issue, though minor it may be, with the book is that the journal format limits our experience of the story to the view point of one man, and there are so many interesting characters within the plot that are sure to have their own interesting stories to be told, but sadly we are limited to one man's thoughts and opinions, and learn very little about other characters, besides their outspoken interactions with Haytham.
However this book is exciting and really does open up a whole new story within the franchise that we do not get to see. The descriptive writing ensures that the world that is described to us, is enough to clearly imagine, as the writer imagines it, in our minds, but enough for us to also have our own image of the areas, the surroundings and the sights, sounds and smells of such a place that our protagonist visits.
If you're a fan of the franchise then I highly recommend any of these novels to you, because they open up so much more to the characters and the stories that we do not get within the games. This is what makes the books such an exciting read, because we get to delve deep inside the minds of the characters, from start to finish.
The 5th book in the Oliver Bowden collection of Assassin's Creed novels, follows the life of Haytham Kenway, son of Pirate / Assassin, Edward Kenway and father of the Native American Assassin Connor Kenway, who you play as in the video game Assassin's Creed 3.
Haytham is a British Templar who is sent to America during the French and Indian and American Revolutionary Wars, to learn more about, and find an ancient cave that would help the Templar Order discover more about the first civilization, also known as 'Those who came before'. After centuries of the two factions, Assassins and Templar, fighting a never ending war in secret, over advanced technology known as the Pieces of Eden, created by the first civilization.
Though it is interesting to learn more about Haytham, since we only get to play a small part of his story in the video game, my only issue, though minor it may be, with the book is that the journal format limits our experience of the story to the view point of one man, and there are so many interesting characters within the plot that are sure to have their own interesting stories to be told, but sadly we are limited to one man's thoughts and opinions, and learn very little about other characters, besides their outspoken interactions with Haytham.
However this book is exciting and really does open up a whole new story within the franchise that we do not get to see. The descriptive writing ensures that the world that is described to us, is enough to clearly imagine, as the writer imagines it, in our minds, but enough for us to also have our own image of the areas, the surroundings and the sights, sounds and smells of such a place that our protagonist visits.
If you're a fan of the franchise then I highly recommend any of these novels to you, because they open up so much more to the characters and the stories that we do not get within the games. This is what makes the books such an exciting read, because we get to delve deep inside the minds of the characters, from start to finish.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Cold Pursuit (2019) in Movies
Mar 1, 2019
Doesn't Quite Succeed In What It Was Attempting To Do
Liam Neeson has stated that COLD PURSUIT is going to be his last action film. And, if that is the case, he certainly picked an interesting one to go out on.
Based on the Norwegian film KRAFTIDIOTEN and Directed by the same person (Hans Peter Moland), COLD PURSUIT follows snowplow driver Nels Coxman (Neeson) who's son dies of a drug overdose. It's not long before Coxman uses his "certain set of skills" to settle the score.
And that is how this movie was marketed (taking advantage of Neeson's past 10 years of action hero status) and that is too bad for those who are going into this film expecting a "standard Neeson kick butt revenge action flick) are going to be disappointed, for Cold Pursuit has parts of that, but it also has an element to it that is going to take some getting used to - it's "Norwegian sense of humor".
To say this film is a "Dark Comedy" does not do it justice, for the comedy in this film (and there IS comedy) is so rooted in the violence and action of the proceedings that, at first, the audience does not know how to react to it. By the end, it is clear that this is a comedy - and I wished that it would have worn it's comedic elements just a little more on it's sleeve. But then, I guess, I would be missing the point of what makes up the "Norwegian sense of humor" - oddity and subtlety. And this film IS odd from the setting (a remote ski resort village outside of Denver) to the warring drug gangs (city thugs vs. Native Americans) to the lazy Sherriff and laid back townspeople to Coxman's hippy, drug addled wife (Laura Dern). It is an odd assortment of people and circumstances, but not quite as add as...say...Twin Peaks.
And that's what hurts it. It IS a subtle film with subtle humor and subtle quirks, but (at times) is TOO subtle for an American audience that is used to being hit over the head with themes and quirks and violence.
One who is NOT subtle in this film is Neeson as Coxman. He brings the rugged, dependable man of action that one has come to expect during his action-hero phase. Also not subtle (not by a long-shot) is Tom Bateman as the main bad guy, Viking (they all have nicknames) who telegraphs that he is a bad guy by being over-the-top, doing everything but kicking a puppy and twirling his mustache.
Domenick Lombardozzi as Mustang (one of Vikings' henchmen) and Tom Jackson as White Bull (leader of the Native American clan) find the right line between subtlety and over-acting and ground this film (for the most part). The rest of the cast (including John Doman and Emmy Rossum as the town Sheriffs) flit through this film, uneventfully and uninterestingly, neither adding nor detracting from the events. Only William Forsythe, as Neeson's shady brother and Elizabeth Thais (as his wife Anne) manage to rise above things in the limited amount of screen time they are given. And, finally, Laura Dern is wasted in an underwritten - and under-performed - role of Neeson's wife.
I can hear Director Moland screaming to his cast "Less, less...give me less...no more...More...MORE!!!" and the result is an uneven film that is underplayed too much in some ways and overplayed WAY too much in others. And this is too bad, for he had an interesting concept going, he just didn't execute it (at least not with this group of performers) very well. I'll be interested in seeing the original Norwegian film, KRAFTIDIOTEN, to see if it worked there.
Letter Grade: B- (for I applaud what it was trying to do)
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Based on the Norwegian film KRAFTIDIOTEN and Directed by the same person (Hans Peter Moland), COLD PURSUIT follows snowplow driver Nels Coxman (Neeson) who's son dies of a drug overdose. It's not long before Coxman uses his "certain set of skills" to settle the score.
And that is how this movie was marketed (taking advantage of Neeson's past 10 years of action hero status) and that is too bad for those who are going into this film expecting a "standard Neeson kick butt revenge action flick) are going to be disappointed, for Cold Pursuit has parts of that, but it also has an element to it that is going to take some getting used to - it's "Norwegian sense of humor".
To say this film is a "Dark Comedy" does not do it justice, for the comedy in this film (and there IS comedy) is so rooted in the violence and action of the proceedings that, at first, the audience does not know how to react to it. By the end, it is clear that this is a comedy - and I wished that it would have worn it's comedic elements just a little more on it's sleeve. But then, I guess, I would be missing the point of what makes up the "Norwegian sense of humor" - oddity and subtlety. And this film IS odd from the setting (a remote ski resort village outside of Denver) to the warring drug gangs (city thugs vs. Native Americans) to the lazy Sherriff and laid back townspeople to Coxman's hippy, drug addled wife (Laura Dern). It is an odd assortment of people and circumstances, but not quite as add as...say...Twin Peaks.
And that's what hurts it. It IS a subtle film with subtle humor and subtle quirks, but (at times) is TOO subtle for an American audience that is used to being hit over the head with themes and quirks and violence.
One who is NOT subtle in this film is Neeson as Coxman. He brings the rugged, dependable man of action that one has come to expect during his action-hero phase. Also not subtle (not by a long-shot) is Tom Bateman as the main bad guy, Viking (they all have nicknames) who telegraphs that he is a bad guy by being over-the-top, doing everything but kicking a puppy and twirling his mustache.
Domenick Lombardozzi as Mustang (one of Vikings' henchmen) and Tom Jackson as White Bull (leader of the Native American clan) find the right line between subtlety and over-acting and ground this film (for the most part). The rest of the cast (including John Doman and Emmy Rossum as the town Sheriffs) flit through this film, uneventfully and uninterestingly, neither adding nor detracting from the events. Only William Forsythe, as Neeson's shady brother and Elizabeth Thais (as his wife Anne) manage to rise above things in the limited amount of screen time they are given. And, finally, Laura Dern is wasted in an underwritten - and under-performed - role of Neeson's wife.
I can hear Director Moland screaming to his cast "Less, less...give me less...no more...More...MORE!!!" and the result is an uneven film that is underplayed too much in some ways and overplayed WAY too much in others. And this is too bad, for he had an interesting concept going, he just didn't execute it (at least not with this group of performers) very well. I'll be interested in seeing the original Norwegian film, KRAFTIDIOTEN, to see if it worked there.
Letter Grade: B- (for I applaud what it was trying to do)
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Wind River (2017) in Movies
Mar 14, 2018
Thoughtful, provocative murder mystery
The back 1/2 of August has traditionally been a dumping ground for bad motion pictures. One exception to this was last year when the deserved Oscar nominated film HELL OR HIGH WATER was released (if you still haven't caught up with this, I highly recommend you do). So when I saw that the writer of HHW, Taylor Sheridan, was coming out with another modern sheriff murder mystery, I was intrigued to say the least.
And, I am happy to report, that this film did not disappoint. While it is not at the level of HHW, it certainly is a thoughtful, provocative murder mystery that is a refreshing change from the normal SuperHero, GGI-fests that festoon the cineplex throughout the course of the summer months.
Written and Directed by Sheridan (the screenwriter of HHW and SICARIO), WIND RIVER tells the tale of a murder on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. Coming in to investigate is young, city girl, Florida native, Elizabeth Olsen who teams up with aTribal Police Captain (Graham Greene) and a veteran tracker (Jeremy Renner) to find out what happened.
This could have been a by-the-book murder mystery with the naive, "fish-out-of-water" Olsen learning to love and understand the world she is thrust into, but in the hands (and pen) of Sheridan, it is much, much more. Sheridan creates a mood throughout this film, one of slow, lingering dread and hopelessness - and how he accomplishes this was intriguing to me. He uses the setting of the Indian Reservation to show the "smallness" of the people living there, juxtaposing scenes of vast, wild, cold wilderness with scenes of squalor in the settlement of Native American people living there.
The acting is solid - Olsen is turning into a very good actress and her performance sets the right tone. Greene is, as always, a steady hand on the screen with a pragmatic approach to the inhabitants of the Reservation, but it is Jeremy Renner as the quiet, taciturn tracker who has a loss of his own that parallels the murder investigation, that shines. I've always liked Renner and was high on his potential after his breakout performance in THE HURT LOCKER in 2008. While his performances in the blockbusters that followed have been solid, but not spectacular - you saw glimpses of it in films like THE TOWN - but I've felt that he never quite lived up to that potential - until now. This is a very strong performance (falling just short of Oscar material) but one that anchors this film and mirrors the mood that Sheridan sets up through the location of WIND RIVER.
Not the fastest moving of films, but a thoughtful, intelligent mystery that left me grateful for a film with some meat on the bone after a summer of "Cotton Candy" action flicks
Letter Grade: B+
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
And, I am happy to report, that this film did not disappoint. While it is not at the level of HHW, it certainly is a thoughtful, provocative murder mystery that is a refreshing change from the normal SuperHero, GGI-fests that festoon the cineplex throughout the course of the summer months.
Written and Directed by Sheridan (the screenwriter of HHW and SICARIO), WIND RIVER tells the tale of a murder on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. Coming in to investigate is young, city girl, Florida native, Elizabeth Olsen who teams up with aTribal Police Captain (Graham Greene) and a veteran tracker (Jeremy Renner) to find out what happened.
This could have been a by-the-book murder mystery with the naive, "fish-out-of-water" Olsen learning to love and understand the world she is thrust into, but in the hands (and pen) of Sheridan, it is much, much more. Sheridan creates a mood throughout this film, one of slow, lingering dread and hopelessness - and how he accomplishes this was intriguing to me. He uses the setting of the Indian Reservation to show the "smallness" of the people living there, juxtaposing scenes of vast, wild, cold wilderness with scenes of squalor in the settlement of Native American people living there.
The acting is solid - Olsen is turning into a very good actress and her performance sets the right tone. Greene is, as always, a steady hand on the screen with a pragmatic approach to the inhabitants of the Reservation, but it is Jeremy Renner as the quiet, taciturn tracker who has a loss of his own that parallels the murder investigation, that shines. I've always liked Renner and was high on his potential after his breakout performance in THE HURT LOCKER in 2008. While his performances in the blockbusters that followed have been solid, but not spectacular - you saw glimpses of it in films like THE TOWN - but I've felt that he never quite lived up to that potential - until now. This is a very strong performance (falling just short of Oscar material) but one that anchors this film and mirrors the mood that Sheridan sets up through the location of WIND RIVER.
Not the fastest moving of films, but a thoughtful, intelligent mystery that left me grateful for a film with some meat on the bone after a summer of "Cotton Candy" action flicks
Letter Grade: B+
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)