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Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles, #1) in Books
Jan 7, 2021
*Reading as part of the Innkeeper Chronicles Anthology, #1-3*
This is a pretty short start to the series, introducing us to Dina. She's a fairly new Innkeeper - a person with magic, who offers sanctuary to those from other planets as they pass through Earth - though her parents used to run one when she was little.
Something is killing dogs in her neighbourhood and she approaches the local werewolf, Sean Evans, to ask him if he will deal with it and he acts clueless so she decides to take matters into her own hands. Lets just say Dina gets more than she bargained for.
I enjoyed this. It was an interesting start with good introductions to the Innkeeper life and most of the characters included in this.
I was willing Dina and Sean on as they tried to take down the person behind the dogs deaths, and also for that spark of romance between them.
On to book 2
This is a pretty short start to the series, introducing us to Dina. She's a fairly new Innkeeper - a person with magic, who offers sanctuary to those from other planets as they pass through Earth - though her parents used to run one when she was little.
Something is killing dogs in her neighbourhood and she approaches the local werewolf, Sean Evans, to ask him if he will deal with it and he acts clueless so she decides to take matters into her own hands. Lets just say Dina gets more than she bargained for.
I enjoyed this. It was an interesting start with good introductions to the Innkeeper life and most of the characters included in this.
I was willing Dina and Sean on as they tried to take down the person behind the dogs deaths, and also for that spark of romance between them.
On to book 2
JT (287 KP) rated Metro Manila (2013) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
British directors getting behind the camera and undertaking foreign film seems to be paying off in multitude. Just take a look at what Gareth Evans did with The Raid and its sequel. He took his central character and put him through hell while at the same time painting a graphic picture of the film’s surroundings.
Sean Ellis does very similar with Oscar Ramirez (Jake Macapagal), a farmer looking for a better way of life for himself and his family. Their journey takes them from the quiet and panoramic rice fields of northern Philippines, where Oscar struggles to make ends meet, and moves them to the impoverished surroundings of Manila.
Entering the slums and criminal back streets Oscar learns the hard way that his friendly personality will be taken advantage of. With everyone desperate to survive he has to stand on his own two feet for the sake of himself and his family.
The film paints a desperate picture of a big city bathed in crime and poverty and desperate people will do desperate things, especially when they are pushed into a corner as Oscar explains to his friend Ong after taking a job as a security guard driving an armoured truck.
As Ong and Oscar become close Ong explains the job and then his ulterior motives. With the second half of the film playing out as a tense well organised heist, encompassing a twist that is shocking yet wholly satisfying. It can be hard to watch at times and it is emotionally sapping, particularly when Oscar’s wife Mai has to take matters into her own hands by getting a job working in a hostess bar in order to earn enough to feed her children.
The film screams out that having faith is a clear necessity when you’re down. All around them there are signs that God is with them willing them to succeed. Oscar’s story about how he lost his job in the silk mill is a running subplot that connects with the story on almost every level.
The scenes are well shot and Ellis captures the trauma and euphoria that the family experience at different times. One cross over scene sees Mai being degraded while at the same time Oscar drinks with his new buddies, only to break down in the toilet in tears.
It’s a slow churning thriller that is expertly pieced together, building strong characters and story all the way through to the pulsating climax.
Sean Ellis does very similar with Oscar Ramirez (Jake Macapagal), a farmer looking for a better way of life for himself and his family. Their journey takes them from the quiet and panoramic rice fields of northern Philippines, where Oscar struggles to make ends meet, and moves them to the impoverished surroundings of Manila.
Entering the slums and criminal back streets Oscar learns the hard way that his friendly personality will be taken advantage of. With everyone desperate to survive he has to stand on his own two feet for the sake of himself and his family.
The film paints a desperate picture of a big city bathed in crime and poverty and desperate people will do desperate things, especially when they are pushed into a corner as Oscar explains to his friend Ong after taking a job as a security guard driving an armoured truck.
As Ong and Oscar become close Ong explains the job and then his ulterior motives. With the second half of the film playing out as a tense well organised heist, encompassing a twist that is shocking yet wholly satisfying. It can be hard to watch at times and it is emotionally sapping, particularly when Oscar’s wife Mai has to take matters into her own hands by getting a job working in a hostess bar in order to earn enough to feed her children.
The film screams out that having faith is a clear necessity when you’re down. All around them there are signs that God is with them willing them to succeed. Oscar’s story about how he lost his job in the silk mill is a running subplot that connects with the story on almost every level.
The scenes are well shot and Ellis captures the trauma and euphoria that the family experience at different times. One cross over scene sees Mai being degraded while at the same time Oscar drinks with his new buddies, only to break down in the toilet in tears.
It’s a slow churning thriller that is expertly pieced together, building strong characters and story all the way through to the pulsating climax.