Search
Search results
Kyera (8 KP) rated Batman: Nightwalker - DC Icons Book 2 in Books
Jan 31, 2018
Batman: Nightwalker gives us an origin story for the Caped Crusader that we didn't know we needed - even if it doesn't feel like the dark, gritty Batman we know from the Dark Knight or the comics. Bruce is an eighteen-year-old boy who is still trying to figure out who he is in a world where his parents were murdered when he was a child and he has just come into their vast fortune. He struggles to figure out how to live up to his parents' legacy and finds himself in a dangerous situation.
If you go into this book expecting Batman, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. This is a teenaged boy who is realizing that he wants to do more for his city and is coming to the conclusion that Bruce Wayne might not be enough. This book is his real origin story and Marie Lu brings his transformation back to its roots. We meet the boy who will one day become Batman, not the man we are familiar with as the Dark Knight.
I really enjoyed getting to know young Bruce in this story, although Alfred certainly stole the show. You could feel the bond that they had with one another, which translated so much more authentically than some of the other relationships in the story. I felt that Diane and Harvey were a little underdeveloped in the story, so I never really formed a connection with them. I really enjoyed the little cameos from characters we're familiar with and the characterization of people that we know are much more important in the Batman mythology in later years.
Superhero books are definitely difficult to write because they're so action heavy and as a result, visual, but I feel that Lu managed to capture the kinesthetic nature of the book well. She definitely delved more into Batman's detective nature, which was really nice because we don't see that as often as his fighting bad guys schtick. If you're interested in seeing the detective Batman dig into mysteries and try to foil a criminal organization than you should enjoy this book - just don't expect giant action-packed fight scenes.
I have really enjoyed the DC Icons series thus far because it brings the characters we've grown familiar with back to their roots. They're teenagers who are still figuring out who they are in the world, regardless of their future superhero journey. They are fragile and unsure, yet with a thirst for justice that one day will allow them to grow into the superheroes we know and love.
If you go into this book expecting Batman, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. This is a teenaged boy who is realizing that he wants to do more for his city and is coming to the conclusion that Bruce Wayne might not be enough. This book is his real origin story and Marie Lu brings his transformation back to its roots. We meet the boy who will one day become Batman, not the man we are familiar with as the Dark Knight.
I really enjoyed getting to know young Bruce in this story, although Alfred certainly stole the show. You could feel the bond that they had with one another, which translated so much more authentically than some of the other relationships in the story. I felt that Diane and Harvey were a little underdeveloped in the story, so I never really formed a connection with them. I really enjoyed the little cameos from characters we're familiar with and the characterization of people that we know are much more important in the Batman mythology in later years.
Superhero books are definitely difficult to write because they're so action heavy and as a result, visual, but I feel that Lu managed to capture the kinesthetic nature of the book well. She definitely delved more into Batman's detective nature, which was really nice because we don't see that as often as his fighting bad guys schtick. If you're interested in seeing the detective Batman dig into mysteries and try to foil a criminal organization than you should enjoy this book - just don't expect giant action-packed fight scenes.
I have really enjoyed the DC Icons series thus far because it brings the characters we've grown familiar with back to their roots. They're teenagers who are still figuring out who they are in the world, regardless of their future superhero journey. They are fragile and unsure, yet with a thirst for justice that one day will allow them to grow into the superheroes we know and love.
Maddi Zoe (6 KP) rated Wonder (2017) in Movies
Feb 8, 2018
acting (2 more)
storyline
underlying message
Cute messages tugging at your heart strings
Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, Wonder, directed by Stephen Chbosky, is a wonderfully endearing and uplifting story about a boy, Auggie Pullman (Jacob Tremblay), who was born with Treacher Collins syndrome and has had several surgeries leaving him with facial deformities.
The movie starts as he is entering into fifth-grade, and actually going to school for the first time as he has previously been home schooled by his mother (Julia Roberts). He is understandably scared about not making friends, or being ridiculed by his classmates, but with the help of his Mum and Dad (Owen Wilson) he braves going to school and meets new people.
There are many moments of sadness, as you would expect, but there are also moments of great joy. I found myself crying from start to finish, riding on a rollercoaster of emotions.
There are a few mini storylines about other characters that get given the spotlight at different times as well, which is a nice change to when some films focus on just the one person, because we get to see other characters backgrounds, and why they act how they do.
The casting is brilliant, Tremblay plays Auggie excellently, bringing both emotion and sass to the character. He has been in a fair few things before, such as Before I Wake, but this role will definitely boost him into the spotlight.
Roberts and Wilson as the parents is also an excellent choice, Roberts gives an emotive performance, and it’s great to see Wilson in a serious role, whilst still bringing some light comic relief.
The cast has a lot of young actors, but there isn’t one that stands out as being stiff or unnatural, they are all brilliant and help to bring the feel of the movie together. The relationships between all the characters is brought to life really well by the actors.
The writing is brilliant, although it is based on a book so the story is there already, but the screenwriters, Chbosky, Steve Conrad and Jack Thorne, put it together for the screen really well.
There are some stand out quotes, that also come from the book, that make you stop and think, and the teacher, Mr Browne (Daveed Diggs), teaches the class about precepts such as ‘When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind’.
Overall, it’s a well-rounded family movie, that may change your outlook on some things in life. With such great casting, writing and direction, I’d be very surprised if it didn’t do well during awards season.
The movie starts as he is entering into fifth-grade, and actually going to school for the first time as he has previously been home schooled by his mother (Julia Roberts). He is understandably scared about not making friends, or being ridiculed by his classmates, but with the help of his Mum and Dad (Owen Wilson) he braves going to school and meets new people.
There are many moments of sadness, as you would expect, but there are also moments of great joy. I found myself crying from start to finish, riding on a rollercoaster of emotions.
There are a few mini storylines about other characters that get given the spotlight at different times as well, which is a nice change to when some films focus on just the one person, because we get to see other characters backgrounds, and why they act how they do.
The casting is brilliant, Tremblay plays Auggie excellently, bringing both emotion and sass to the character. He has been in a fair few things before, such as Before I Wake, but this role will definitely boost him into the spotlight.
Roberts and Wilson as the parents is also an excellent choice, Roberts gives an emotive performance, and it’s great to see Wilson in a serious role, whilst still bringing some light comic relief.
The cast has a lot of young actors, but there isn’t one that stands out as being stiff or unnatural, they are all brilliant and help to bring the feel of the movie together. The relationships between all the characters is brought to life really well by the actors.
The writing is brilliant, although it is based on a book so the story is there already, but the screenwriters, Chbosky, Steve Conrad and Jack Thorne, put it together for the screen really well.
There are some stand out quotes, that also come from the book, that make you stop and think, and the teacher, Mr Browne (Daveed Diggs), teaches the class about precepts such as ‘When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind’.
Overall, it’s a well-rounded family movie, that may change your outlook on some things in life. With such great casting, writing and direction, I’d be very surprised if it didn’t do well during awards season.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Unborn (Unborn, #1) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
I was incredibly and pleasantly (surprised) autopsied by this novel. Don't get me wrong, there are a number of things that leave the reader wanting more (and not in a good way), but overall it was well thought out.
There is a prevalent element of mythology in this novel. Aspects of Greek mythology like the Underworld, Hades, Ares, and other (demi-)godly players are rampant throughout the story. But, it's combined with the (fallen) angels and heaven of religious mythology and stories. It's a strange combination that doesn't lend itself to logical commingling, although it worked relatively well here. Perhaps I'm just biased because I adore the mythology in all cultures.
My highest praise for this novel is the writing quality, not the characters, world, or plot - just the simple allure of a book that's written in proper, intelligent English. A surprising rarity in Y.A. books. The author has a wonderful command of the English language and uses vocabulary that make a reader wonder, "What does that mean?" I love books that will chose to use words strode or sauntered, rather than another banal alternative when expressing how someone made their way down the street. You want them to reference a thesaurus to make their lexicon as diverse as possible. No one wants to hear, he said, she said, they said over and over. Perhaps they shouted, or she bit back her words? Anything to give the story real depth and reality.
The shortcomings? Character development and world building. Don't get me wrong, it was certainly there but not as well thought out as it should have been. Relationships were crafted much more quickly than reasonably could be expected and it created a sense of falseness. If more attention had been given to those two aspects, it would have been a strong 4-star rating (rather than my 3/4 rating.)
Another trait of a good story, be it in a book, movie, tv show, or something else is lack of predictability. If you can guess what it going to happen in the story from just the first 50 pages, than it seems less appealing to continue. On this account, the author both confirmed my suspicions and utterly surprised me. Not long into my reading, I was jotting down notes and thoughts as I felt a situation professing. I wanted to have quotes, events, and feelings to reference later - especially if my expectations were fufilled. The end of the book on the other hand - completely unexpected.
There is a prevalent element of mythology in this novel. Aspects of Greek mythology like the Underworld, Hades, Ares, and other (demi-)godly players are rampant throughout the story. But, it's combined with the (fallen) angels and heaven of religious mythology and stories. It's a strange combination that doesn't lend itself to logical commingling, although it worked relatively well here. Perhaps I'm just biased because I adore the mythology in all cultures.
My highest praise for this novel is the writing quality, not the characters, world, or plot - just the simple allure of a book that's written in proper, intelligent English. A surprising rarity in Y.A. books. The author has a wonderful command of the English language and uses vocabulary that make a reader wonder, "What does that mean?" I love books that will chose to use words strode or sauntered, rather than another banal alternative when expressing how someone made their way down the street. You want them to reference a thesaurus to make their lexicon as diverse as possible. No one wants to hear, he said, she said, they said over and over. Perhaps they shouted, or she bit back her words? Anything to give the story real depth and reality.
The shortcomings? Character development and world building. Don't get me wrong, it was certainly there but not as well thought out as it should have been. Relationships were crafted much more quickly than reasonably could be expected and it created a sense of falseness. If more attention had been given to those two aspects, it would have been a strong 4-star rating (rather than my 3/4 rating.)
Another trait of a good story, be it in a book, movie, tv show, or something else is lack of predictability. If you can guess what it going to happen in the story from just the first 50 pages, than it seems less appealing to continue. On this account, the author both confirmed my suspicions and utterly surprised me. Not long into my reading, I was jotting down notes and thoughts as I felt a situation professing. I wanted to have quotes, events, and feelings to reference later - especially if my expectations were fufilled. The end of the book on the other hand - completely unexpected.
b.Young (97 KP) rated The Hypnotist's Love Story in Books
May 26, 2018
Quick read (2 more)
The ending
Great writing
Contains spoilers, click to show
I read this book because it was picked by my Book Club for our June discussion. I typically do not read books in the romance genre and have never read a book by this author, Liane Moriarty.
The Hypnotist's Love Story was well written and the character development was excellent.
The book is told in two view-points, Ellen's in third person and Saskia's in first person. Suspense and mystery are woven throughout, albiet mildly, and it gives the book a less than romantic feel at some points
The story begins with Ellen, who is a rather sucessful hypnotherapis. She is in her late thrities and single. Although she is quite happy with her life, she longs to have a family of her own. Her past three long-term relationships were less than satisfying so she resorts to using a dating site on the internet to meet someone new.
Enter Patrick. A handsome land surveyor who owns his company and has an 8-year-old son, Jack. His past is much more complicated. He is a widower with an ex-girlfriend that has been stalking him for 3 years!
When Patrick tells Ellen about Saskia, his stalker, she is somewhat intrigued instead of frightened.
Even though Elln seems to be okay with the baggage of a dead wife and a stalker, Patrick and Ellen have a difficult time being a new couple falling in love and their relationship is strained from the get-go.
As Ellen and Patrick are mid-flight to a weekend getaway, Ellen realizes that she has allowed herself to divulge their location to Saskia unknowingly due to the fact that Saskia has been a client of Ellen's while using a false name.
When Ellen decides to reveal big news to Patrick, he does something completely unexpected and Saskia puts herself in the middle of it all.
As the stalking incidents escalate (they are never violent), Patrick's demeanor deteriorates and Ellen is put on edge.
Throughout the book, we learn the reasoning behind Saskia's stalking and by the end of the story, I felt almost sorry for her. Almost. Because through it all, she chose to do the things she did and threw out all other options to persue her failed relationship.
I am relieved to say that it does eventually end with a HEA. I only say that because although I was reading a romance novel and expected an HEA, the suspensful undertones of the book led me to think differently at times.
The Hypnotist's Love Story was well written and the character development was excellent.
The book is told in two view-points, Ellen's in third person and Saskia's in first person. Suspense and mystery are woven throughout, albiet mildly, and it gives the book a less than romantic feel at some points
The story begins with Ellen, who is a rather sucessful hypnotherapis. She is in her late thrities and single. Although she is quite happy with her life, she longs to have a family of her own. Her past three long-term relationships were less than satisfying so she resorts to using a dating site on the internet to meet someone new.
Enter Patrick. A handsome land surveyor who owns his company and has an 8-year-old son, Jack. His past is much more complicated. He is a widower with an ex-girlfriend that has been stalking him for 3 years!
When Patrick tells Ellen about Saskia, his stalker, she is somewhat intrigued instead of frightened.
Even though Elln seems to be okay with the baggage of a dead wife and a stalker, Patrick and Ellen have a difficult time being a new couple falling in love and their relationship is strained from the get-go.
As Ellen and Patrick are mid-flight to a weekend getaway, Ellen realizes that she has allowed herself to divulge their location to Saskia unknowingly due to the fact that Saskia has been a client of Ellen's while using a false name.
When Ellen decides to reveal big news to Patrick, he does something completely unexpected and Saskia puts herself in the middle of it all.
As the stalking incidents escalate (they are never violent), Patrick's demeanor deteriorates and Ellen is put on edge.
Throughout the book, we learn the reasoning behind Saskia's stalking and by the end of the story, I felt almost sorry for her. Almost. Because through it all, she chose to do the things she did and threw out all other options to persue her failed relationship.
I am relieved to say that it does eventually end with a HEA. I only say that because although I was reading a romance novel and expected an HEA, the suspensful undertones of the book led me to think differently at times.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Red Clocks in Books
Jul 31, 2018
Red Clocks first caught my attention because it's set in a small fishing town in Oregon, my home state. After that, learning that it's a dystopia where abortion and in vitro fertilization have both been banned outright meant I HAD to read it. Of course, I got it from the library some weeks ago and had so many other books to read that I didn't get to it until the day it was due back to the library! Luckily, I read fast!
I think the cover description oversells the book a little. I wouldn't call Gin's trial "frenzied" nor the drama exactly "riveting" but it did keep my attention throughout the book. I really enjoyed the relationships between the characters, and the point that none of them really know what is going on in each other's personal lives. One moment I particularly liked is slightly spoilery, but I loved how Ro was able to put her personal feelings aside to help Mattie, her student. That was really, really hard for her, but she recognized how much damage it would do to Mattie to not help her.
I think I found Gin the most interesting - given all the reading I've been doing lately about autism, her entire personality screams autism to me, but she was never labeled as autistic. So I'm marking her as a possibly autistic character. (I'd love if any of my autistic readers could weigh in on that, if you've read the book!) Between preferring to live in the woods with animals and NOT around people, specifically, and the way she reacts to the textures and smells in the jail when she's arrested (shoving the bleach-scented blankets as far away in the cell as possible, and refusing to eat the food), and how she stumbles over her answers in the courtroom when she's interrogated - it seems likely.
My only actual complaint about this book had nothing to do with the writing or plot! But it refers to the ghost pepper as "the hottest pepper known to man" which the Carolina Reaper growing in my backyard would have an issue with!
Other than that very minor quibble, I thought this dystopia was pretty good. I'm always interested in Reproductive Rights-related dystopias. This isn't as good as The Handmaid's Tale, but it's MILES better than Future Home of the Living God. It's good at showing the lengths women will go to, to ensure their own reproductive freedom. Outlawing abortion doesn't eliminate abortion. It just makes it less safe.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
I think the cover description oversells the book a little. I wouldn't call Gin's trial "frenzied" nor the drama exactly "riveting" but it did keep my attention throughout the book. I really enjoyed the relationships between the characters, and the point that none of them really know what is going on in each other's personal lives. One moment I particularly liked is slightly spoilery, but I loved how Ro was able to put her personal feelings aside to help Mattie, her student. That was really, really hard for her, but she recognized how much damage it would do to Mattie to not help her.
I think I found Gin the most interesting - given all the reading I've been doing lately about autism, her entire personality screams autism to me, but she was never labeled as autistic. So I'm marking her as a possibly autistic character. (I'd love if any of my autistic readers could weigh in on that, if you've read the book!) Between preferring to live in the woods with animals and NOT around people, specifically, and the way she reacts to the textures and smells in the jail when she's arrested (shoving the bleach-scented blankets as far away in the cell as possible, and refusing to eat the food), and how she stumbles over her answers in the courtroom when she's interrogated - it seems likely.
My only actual complaint about this book had nothing to do with the writing or plot! But it refers to the ghost pepper as "the hottest pepper known to man" which the Carolina Reaper growing in my backyard would have an issue with!
Other than that very minor quibble, I thought this dystopia was pretty good. I'm always interested in Reproductive Rights-related dystopias. This isn't as good as The Handmaid's Tale, but it's MILES better than Future Home of the Living God. It's good at showing the lengths women will go to, to ensure their own reproductive freedom. Outlawing abortion doesn't eliminate abortion. It just makes it less safe.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Always Never Yours in Books
Aug 13, 2018
This is the fifth book from my summer TBR - I'm slowly working through them! I mused on the TBR list that this might remind me of high school, and so it did. Megan is much bolder than I ever was, and dated a lot more, but her underlying feelings of being passed over for other girls - oh, I felt those. I wasn't very socially adept in high school, unlike Megan.
The premise of the story is that every guy Megan dates falls madly in love with the girl he dates after Megan. This has happened enough that she's come to expect it, so when her last boyfriend broke up with her to date her best friend, she wasn't even very upset with them. She understood. That's what her boyfriends DO. Which means she approaches relationships as temporary, and doesn't bother to fight for them when they end.
The book is really about learning what's worth fighting for. A family that seems to be moving on without her? A role in a play that her understudy fills better than she does? A boy who will go on to find his true love after her? A best friend who stole her boyfriend? Megan struggles with feeling imminently replaceable and misunderstood, and her vulnerability grabbed my heartstrings and yanked. I wasn't expecting to, but I LOVED this book.
Megan's worries are so very real, and her friends are such quintessential high schoolers. Every look, every word, every relationship has so much more intense meaning at that age because EVERYTHING is so important and felt so deeply. I loved how supportive Megan is of her friends, even if she doesn't always realize that she comes across a little strong. I liked the side plot of Megan's gay friend Anthony, and the closeted boy he has a crush on.
As a Shakespeare lover, I enjoyed that each chapter started with a line from Romeo and Juliet, the play that Megan's school Drama department is performing her senior year. I also enjoyed seeing the comparisons between Megan and Rosaline, and characters in the book saying how interesting Rosaline is as a character, even though we don't actually see her in the play! It reminded me of Bright Smoke, Cold Fire, which is a VERY different book, but another one that delves further into the character of Rosaline. And now I'm wondering if there are any other books that do the same....
I loved this book. It made me cry but then laugh through my sniffles. Books that can do that are special things.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
The premise of the story is that every guy Megan dates falls madly in love with the girl he dates after Megan. This has happened enough that she's come to expect it, so when her last boyfriend broke up with her to date her best friend, she wasn't even very upset with them. She understood. That's what her boyfriends DO. Which means she approaches relationships as temporary, and doesn't bother to fight for them when they end.
The book is really about learning what's worth fighting for. A family that seems to be moving on without her? A role in a play that her understudy fills better than she does? A boy who will go on to find his true love after her? A best friend who stole her boyfriend? Megan struggles with feeling imminently replaceable and misunderstood, and her vulnerability grabbed my heartstrings and yanked. I wasn't expecting to, but I LOVED this book.
Megan's worries are so very real, and her friends are such quintessential high schoolers. Every look, every word, every relationship has so much more intense meaning at that age because EVERYTHING is so important and felt so deeply. I loved how supportive Megan is of her friends, even if she doesn't always realize that she comes across a little strong. I liked the side plot of Megan's gay friend Anthony, and the closeted boy he has a crush on.
As a Shakespeare lover, I enjoyed that each chapter started with a line from Romeo and Juliet, the play that Megan's school Drama department is performing her senior year. I also enjoyed seeing the comparisons between Megan and Rosaline, and characters in the book saying how interesting Rosaline is as a character, even though we don't actually see her in the play! It reminded me of Bright Smoke, Cold Fire, which is a VERY different book, but another one that delves further into the character of Rosaline. And now I'm wondering if there are any other books that do the same....
I loved this book. It made me cry but then laugh through my sniffles. Books that can do that are special things.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated Detroit: Become Human in Video Games
Nov 9, 2018
Best story of the year (3 more)
Incredible voice acting
So many different possibilities
Amazing replayability
An almost perfect game let down by 1 or 2 slow parts
Wow what a game. I have to say straight away that game of the year this year shouldn't be a thing. There are so many incredible games out this year. Red dead redemption 2 and God of war are incredible games and 1 of them to me will end up being game of the year but if it was based on story alone then this would win easy.
The concept has always intrigued me. The whole idea of there being androids then they develop a consciousness and gaining free will. I can see our world going there and this showed that world perfectly. Throughout the world you can find magazines and I found myself reading these and being in awe at how accurate they are. They all felt they could each be a plot to an episode of black mirror. Everything from there being less babies born because people are having sex with androids more to music concerts not being a thing due to VR. There were a lot of political, racism, slavery and abuse messages throughout the game which felt very relevant.
The gameplay was great. It felt like an interactive movie with quick time events that actually mattered. There was genuine fear for these characters since any could die. There was a certain mission that was extremely slow paced and I got bored a little but luckily that was the only part. I fell in love with the characters and their relationships towards humans and other androids. The choices given to me felt like I was making my own personal story. Acting was incredible and it was graphically beautiful. The expressions were incredible.
The flowchart at the end of each mission a welcome addition. You are able to see all the many paths you could take without seeing what they actually were. You could see the complex mind of David cage behind this chart and it looked incredible. This got me very excited to go back in the future to try out the different paths and see what happens.
This is another incredible exclusive for ps4 and it should not be missed. A beautiful score and complex writing make this a game that leaves you thinking weeks after finishing and I look forward to another playthrough and maybe even another game in this world.
The concept has always intrigued me. The whole idea of there being androids then they develop a consciousness and gaining free will. I can see our world going there and this showed that world perfectly. Throughout the world you can find magazines and I found myself reading these and being in awe at how accurate they are. They all felt they could each be a plot to an episode of black mirror. Everything from there being less babies born because people are having sex with androids more to music concerts not being a thing due to VR. There were a lot of political, racism, slavery and abuse messages throughout the game which felt very relevant.
The gameplay was great. It felt like an interactive movie with quick time events that actually mattered. There was genuine fear for these characters since any could die. There was a certain mission that was extremely slow paced and I got bored a little but luckily that was the only part. I fell in love with the characters and their relationships towards humans and other androids. The choices given to me felt like I was making my own personal story. Acting was incredible and it was graphically beautiful. The expressions were incredible.
The flowchart at the end of each mission a welcome addition. You are able to see all the many paths you could take without seeing what they actually were. You could see the complex mind of David cage behind this chart and it looked incredible. This got me very excited to go back in the future to try out the different paths and see what happens.
This is another incredible exclusive for ps4 and it should not be missed. A beautiful score and complex writing make this a game that leaves you thinking weeks after finishing and I look forward to another playthrough and maybe even another game in this world.
Carma (21 KP) rated Beauty and the Greek Billionaire in Books
Jun 17, 2019
Marianna is crossing things off her bucket list and one of those things is to lose her virginity finally. While in Greece with her brother she thinks now is the perfect time to explore the possibility. She makes up a fake name and goes in search of a one night stand. Never would she imagine her ideal man would be a purse snatcher (of sorts).
Nico has his eye on the beautiful sister of the man trying to lure him into investing in his company. She was leaving the café with her brother when a purse thief grabbed at her bag. Nico leaned in to help and got a nose full of her fist, in the scuffle she realized she had struck the wrong man and invited him for drinks. Introducing herself in a different name than hed known her by he wondered what her game was. Did her brother send her in to spy on him?
Marianna has no idea Nico knows exactly who she is but she sleeps with him all the same. When he kicks her out of his house at the end of a beautiful day she is more confused than ever. She goes back to Australia broken but not beaten until about 2 months later when she fails a test.
Nico doesnt let anyone in, not into his life, heart or house and yet somehow Marianna got into all 3 quickly. He feels bad for sending her away and when she returns he thinks it is a sign to try and make it work for the sake of parenting anyway. He is a jerk, cold, stubborn and rude but he takes care of what he feels he should without question.
Marianna and Nico struggle through getting to know one another while trying to make their brief relationship look lengthy. Nico does not bend to the give and take relationships take however and fights every step forward Marianna tries to take. In the end she leaves him because he doesnt trust her. Nico has to make the ultimate choice of what means more to him, Marianna and his future or the past and their mistakes.
I enjoyed the traveling porcelain cat and what it symbolized. I received a copy without expectation for review, any and all opinions expressed are my own. While this didn't grab me fully, I still enjoyed the bones of the story. 3 3/4 stars for this read.
Nico has his eye on the beautiful sister of the man trying to lure him into investing in his company. She was leaving the café with her brother when a purse thief grabbed at her bag. Nico leaned in to help and got a nose full of her fist, in the scuffle she realized she had struck the wrong man and invited him for drinks. Introducing herself in a different name than hed known her by he wondered what her game was. Did her brother send her in to spy on him?
Marianna has no idea Nico knows exactly who she is but she sleeps with him all the same. When he kicks her out of his house at the end of a beautiful day she is more confused than ever. She goes back to Australia broken but not beaten until about 2 months later when she fails a test.
Nico doesnt let anyone in, not into his life, heart or house and yet somehow Marianna got into all 3 quickly. He feels bad for sending her away and when she returns he thinks it is a sign to try and make it work for the sake of parenting anyway. He is a jerk, cold, stubborn and rude but he takes care of what he feels he should without question.
Marianna and Nico struggle through getting to know one another while trying to make their brief relationship look lengthy. Nico does not bend to the give and take relationships take however and fights every step forward Marianna tries to take. In the end she leaves him because he doesnt trust her. Nico has to make the ultimate choice of what means more to him, Marianna and his future or the past and their mistakes.
I enjoyed the traveling porcelain cat and what it symbolized. I received a copy without expectation for review, any and all opinions expressed are my own. While this didn't grab me fully, I still enjoyed the bones of the story. 3 3/4 stars for this read.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Luce (2019) in Movies
Oct 26, 2019
Luce was an interesting film to watch, it shows a lot of different relationships and as such it's a very wordy sort of film. I'm not averse to wordy films but they can be a little dry to watch, luckily in this case the main cast are engaging and keep you interested.
Had we not been blessed with such a great performance from Kelvin Harrison Jr as Luce I think this would have failed to make it out of the blocks. Luce becomes something very serious in his hands and the swing in the character left me with an uneasy feeling as I watched. The one frustrating thing I found was that I could sense the insincerity in all of his responses so I was frustrated that it was only really Miss Wilson that picked up on it. I understand that it's a necessary part of the story... but still.
Octavia Spencer didn't disappoint as Harriet Wilson. She got to give a good range as she devolves after going head to head with Luce. I think she probably managed to cover every emotion and handles either end of the spectrum very well.
Tim Roth and Naomi Watts play Luce's adoptive parents. Roth is someone I love on screen but Watts is an unknown entity for me as I've only seen her in 2005's King Kong. There's obviously a certain amount of tension/conflict between the couple but even taking that into consideration I didn't feel there was much of a rapport between them. Even when you take into account the conflict in the film I couldn't quite find it in me to feel anything for the couple, good or bad. Roth as Peter was good and brought across the slightly bitter side of the character well but Watt's Amy didn't seem to have enough emotion behind her. I'd have said that Amy in particular could have stood to be a little grittier, at least a small part of her did need to be a bit of a pushover but combined with her activities in the film the character didn't feel entirely believable.
Luce was enjoyable to watch but looking back I'm less enthusiastic despite the good performances at the front of it. The good sadly didn't outway the average for me and at times it became a little confusing, but it's still a solid film.
From the full review previously posted on: http://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/10/luce-movie-review.html
Had we not been blessed with such a great performance from Kelvin Harrison Jr as Luce I think this would have failed to make it out of the blocks. Luce becomes something very serious in his hands and the swing in the character left me with an uneasy feeling as I watched. The one frustrating thing I found was that I could sense the insincerity in all of his responses so I was frustrated that it was only really Miss Wilson that picked up on it. I understand that it's a necessary part of the story... but still.
Octavia Spencer didn't disappoint as Harriet Wilson. She got to give a good range as she devolves after going head to head with Luce. I think she probably managed to cover every emotion and handles either end of the spectrum very well.
Tim Roth and Naomi Watts play Luce's adoptive parents. Roth is someone I love on screen but Watts is an unknown entity for me as I've only seen her in 2005's King Kong. There's obviously a certain amount of tension/conflict between the couple but even taking that into consideration I didn't feel there was much of a rapport between them. Even when you take into account the conflict in the film I couldn't quite find it in me to feel anything for the couple, good or bad. Roth as Peter was good and brought across the slightly bitter side of the character well but Watt's Amy didn't seem to have enough emotion behind her. I'd have said that Amy in particular could have stood to be a little grittier, at least a small part of her did need to be a bit of a pushover but combined with her activities in the film the character didn't feel entirely believable.
Luce was enjoyable to watch but looking back I'm less enthusiastic despite the good performances at the front of it. The good sadly didn't outway the average for me and at times it became a little confusing, but it's still a solid film.
From the full review previously posted on: http://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/10/luce-movie-review.html
Erika (17789 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) in Movies
Dec 22, 2019
A Sequel to Force Awakens
It's no secret, I hate the Last Jedi. Now, at this point it's completely null and void, and I am thrilled. Yes, I threw shade at Rose, because I thought that them pushing her into the background was hilarious, and the correct thing to do with the vanilla-boring character. No hate towards Kelly Marie Tran, you can't fault her for her character being lame AF.
I debated on whether to write a spoiler filled review, or a non-spoiler review. I decided upon a non-spoiler review.
The first half of the film did have a ton of planet-hopping and moved very quickly. I think it was this way to sort of show the main trio working together. You know, since TLJ did nothing to develop their relationships to one another.
It was a mistake to keep Carrie Fisher in the film. The scenes with her felt forced and fake. She did serve some sort of purpose, but I feel like it would have made more sense had she been dead.
Finally, what we'd all been waiting for happened, Rey's family was finally revealed. It was a little anti-climactic, and predictable. The entire film was fairly predictable, but was that a bad thing? In my book, no, I like being right about my theories. I liked the ending, and thought that certain characters endings made sense.
I didn't think the cameos were all that much fan service, they could have thrown in a lot more... Like, who was piloting the Ghost (see Star Wars Rebels)? Was it Hera or Jaden Syndulla? I loved, loved everyone they included in the very specific group cameo.
Overall, it was a satisfactory ending. I'm going to have to read more about the Knights of Ren when the collected volume comes out.
I saw articles b-tching about the additional force powers and force-sensitive people, this hasn't been a secret. Force-sensitive beings: Chirrut Îmwe (Rogue One), Finn (suggested in TFA and TROS trailers), Maz Katana, Bendu (Rebels). Beings with additional force powers: The Child from the Mandalorian (healing and suggested telekinesis), Ezra Bridger from Rebels (speaks and has strong connections to animals), and Karr from the Force Collector (sees the past from touching artefacts). I'm now ready to see more of the Star Wars universe, without the Skywalker family being the focus. Knights of the Old Republic plz.
I debated on whether to write a spoiler filled review, or a non-spoiler review. I decided upon a non-spoiler review.
The first half of the film did have a ton of planet-hopping and moved very quickly. I think it was this way to sort of show the main trio working together. You know, since TLJ did nothing to develop their relationships to one another.
It was a mistake to keep Carrie Fisher in the film. The scenes with her felt forced and fake. She did serve some sort of purpose, but I feel like it would have made more sense had she been dead.
Finally, what we'd all been waiting for happened, Rey's family was finally revealed. It was a little anti-climactic, and predictable. The entire film was fairly predictable, but was that a bad thing? In my book, no, I like being right about my theories. I liked the ending, and thought that certain characters endings made sense.
I didn't think the cameos were all that much fan service, they could have thrown in a lot more... Like, who was piloting the Ghost (see Star Wars Rebels)? Was it Hera or Jaden Syndulla? I loved, loved everyone they included in the very specific group cameo.
Overall, it was a satisfactory ending. I'm going to have to read more about the Knights of Ren when the collected volume comes out.
I saw articles b-tching about the additional force powers and force-sensitive people, this hasn't been a secret. Force-sensitive beings: Chirrut Îmwe (Rogue One), Finn (suggested in TFA and TROS trailers), Maz Katana, Bendu (Rebels). Beings with additional force powers: The Child from the Mandalorian (healing and suggested telekinesis), Ezra Bridger from Rebels (speaks and has strong connections to animals), and Karr from the Force Collector (sees the past from touching artefacts). I'm now ready to see more of the Star Wars universe, without the Skywalker family being the focus. Knights of the Old Republic plz.