Search
Search results
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated After the End in Books
Jun 25, 2019
Max and Pip have a deep, untenable bond and a strong marriage that they feel is sealed by fate. But when their nearly three-year-old son, Dylan, gets sick, everything they know changes. Dylan has a brain tumor, and now Pip spends her days in the PICU, while Max tries to juggle work and being strong for his wife and child. Then, the couple receives the worst of all news: the chemo isn't helping Dylan's tumor, and the doctors feel Dylan's condition is terminal. Suddenly, Max and Pip find themselves on opposite sides--each wanting different medical treatment for their beloved boy.
Clare Mackintosh offers us a beautiful, poignant, and heartbreaking book based on her life experiences, having lost her own son. Knowing this makes the book even more tender and real, as each word is based on a kernel of truth. Reading this book isn't always easy--as a parent, my heart digested these words and put myself in the shoes of Max and Pip. This book makes you think, and it makes you so incredibly grateful for your own life, wanting to snuggle your own children and hold them dear.
"How can my son be a breath away from death, when evidence of his life is all around me? When I feel him in my heart, as surely as when I carried him in my womb?"
The story is one of loss, yes, but it's also a love story: Max and Pip, Dylan and his family, and more. We are introduced to Dylan's family and also to Dylan's doctor, Leila, whom I really liked. Leila has her own struggles. Her mom, Habibeh, is visiting, but won't leave the house, preferring to watch QVC and cook endlessly for her daughter. (Habibeh is a trip; she's awesome.) The decision of Dylan's fate falls on Leila's shoulders first: a lot for a young doctor to bear. We get the story through her eyes and then each of Dylan's parents. As a mom, I felt drawn to Pip, but I liked how we got both Pip and Max's perspectives. Each only wants what is best for their son--and, at first, each feels they are doing the right thing.
"However long you spend with someone, however well you think you know them, they can still be a stranger to you."
Mackintosh is best known for her thrillers, and, this book is just as well-written as those. And, interestingly enough, she throws in a bit of a twist here, too. I won't spoil it, per se, but will tell you that this book is a fascinating exploration of choices, allowing you to think about life and the various paths that everyone can take. It's a sad book, yes, but lovely too--a tribute to parents, medical professionals, and to the children we love so much. It's a reminder to cherish those we hold dear and that life can be short but beautiful, no matter which way it may turn out.
Overall, even though I found this difficult to read at times, I'm really glad I did. I was reminded, yet again, what a good writer Clare Mackintosh is. I'm so incredibly sorry she lost her son, and I'm in such awe that she could turn that loss into such a lovely book. I highly recommend this--it's a beautiful exploration of life's different paths and what fate can bring us.
Clare Mackintosh offers us a beautiful, poignant, and heartbreaking book based on her life experiences, having lost her own son. Knowing this makes the book even more tender and real, as each word is based on a kernel of truth. Reading this book isn't always easy--as a parent, my heart digested these words and put myself in the shoes of Max and Pip. This book makes you think, and it makes you so incredibly grateful for your own life, wanting to snuggle your own children and hold them dear.
"How can my son be a breath away from death, when evidence of his life is all around me? When I feel him in my heart, as surely as when I carried him in my womb?"
The story is one of loss, yes, but it's also a love story: Max and Pip, Dylan and his family, and more. We are introduced to Dylan's family and also to Dylan's doctor, Leila, whom I really liked. Leila has her own struggles. Her mom, Habibeh, is visiting, but won't leave the house, preferring to watch QVC and cook endlessly for her daughter. (Habibeh is a trip; she's awesome.) The decision of Dylan's fate falls on Leila's shoulders first: a lot for a young doctor to bear. We get the story through her eyes and then each of Dylan's parents. As a mom, I felt drawn to Pip, but I liked how we got both Pip and Max's perspectives. Each only wants what is best for their son--and, at first, each feels they are doing the right thing.
"However long you spend with someone, however well you think you know them, they can still be a stranger to you."
Mackintosh is best known for her thrillers, and, this book is just as well-written as those. And, interestingly enough, she throws in a bit of a twist here, too. I won't spoil it, per se, but will tell you that this book is a fascinating exploration of choices, allowing you to think about life and the various paths that everyone can take. It's a sad book, yes, but lovely too--a tribute to parents, medical professionals, and to the children we love so much. It's a reminder to cherish those we hold dear and that life can be short but beautiful, no matter which way it may turn out.
Overall, even though I found this difficult to read at times, I'm really glad I did. I was reminded, yet again, what a good writer Clare Mackintosh is. I'm so incredibly sorry she lost her son, and I'm in such awe that she could turn that loss into such a lovely book. I highly recommend this--it's a beautiful exploration of life's different paths and what fate can bring us.
Darren (1599 KP) rated You're Not You (2014) in Movies
Jun 25, 2019
Story: Youâre Not You starts on Kateâs (Swank) 35th birthday, a classic pianist that notice something isnât right with her body, 18 months later Kate is in need of care, even with her husband Evan (Duhamel) needing to work, while finding a new carer to help with ALS care.
That new carer is college student Bec (Rossum) who parties every night and doesnât come with an off switch. Bec is the only person Kate want to care for her as she is the only one that treats her like a person not a patient and after Kate learns Evan has been having an affair, it leaves Kate and Bec together to handle the caring and living the remaining time with the disease.
Thoughts on Youâre Not You
Characters â Kate was a successful pianist, happily married and wonderful party host, she soon starts to get the first symptoms of ALS which comes on strong, she now needs constant caring, but is tired of the nurses that treat her like a patient, she chooses Bec who offers her friendship, while also offering Bec life advice in a time where she could be going with no direction. Bec is a directionless brash college student who gets given a chance to care of Kate, she becomes the biggest challenge of her life, teaching her responsibility and helping guide her in the right direction. Evan is the husband of Kate, he has tried to care for her the best he can, but canât give up his job which has put a distance between the two, causing him to have had an affair.
Performances â Hilary Swank has two Oscars to her name, this performance here shows the talent she has once again, she is fantastic as the victim of the ALS disease. Emmy Rossum has made a name for herself on television, but here you feel she should have broken out because her performance is great to. Josh Duhamel is good as the character we want to hate through the film.
Story â The story throws the spotlight on ALS, we follow one person suffering from the disease who knows the sacrifices people will have to make to care for her, we see how people who are sick do want to be treated like people rather than just patients and giving them, this treatment will make their remaining time worthwhile. We do have a story about how the older (but not old) woman helps give the lost student a direction for her life. This is a story about the battle against a disease which is taking people everyday, how the people around them need there for them to make the remain time in their lives positive.
Settings â The settings in this film show the different lives both Kate and Bec have come from, how they are joined together in the same battle to support each other. I feel the settings help us understand the disease making made by the characters in the film.
Scene of the Movie â Enjoying a drink or two together.
That Moment That Annoyed Me â The only thing I feel we would have liked more of would be the medical side of what could have been done to try and help as we have plenty of talks about experimental treatments.
Final Thoughts â This is a very good drama, we get to see how one personâs suffering could impact many people and how helpless they will feel while fighting it.
Overall: Powerful, heart-breaking and inspiring.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/06/21/youre-not-you-2014/
That new carer is college student Bec (Rossum) who parties every night and doesnât come with an off switch. Bec is the only person Kate want to care for her as she is the only one that treats her like a person not a patient and after Kate learns Evan has been having an affair, it leaves Kate and Bec together to handle the caring and living the remaining time with the disease.
Thoughts on Youâre Not You
Characters â Kate was a successful pianist, happily married and wonderful party host, she soon starts to get the first symptoms of ALS which comes on strong, she now needs constant caring, but is tired of the nurses that treat her like a patient, she chooses Bec who offers her friendship, while also offering Bec life advice in a time where she could be going with no direction. Bec is a directionless brash college student who gets given a chance to care of Kate, she becomes the biggest challenge of her life, teaching her responsibility and helping guide her in the right direction. Evan is the husband of Kate, he has tried to care for her the best he can, but canât give up his job which has put a distance between the two, causing him to have had an affair.
Performances â Hilary Swank has two Oscars to her name, this performance here shows the talent she has once again, she is fantastic as the victim of the ALS disease. Emmy Rossum has made a name for herself on television, but here you feel she should have broken out because her performance is great to. Josh Duhamel is good as the character we want to hate through the film.
Story â The story throws the spotlight on ALS, we follow one person suffering from the disease who knows the sacrifices people will have to make to care for her, we see how people who are sick do want to be treated like people rather than just patients and giving them, this treatment will make their remaining time worthwhile. We do have a story about how the older (but not old) woman helps give the lost student a direction for her life. This is a story about the battle against a disease which is taking people everyday, how the people around them need there for them to make the remain time in their lives positive.
Settings â The settings in this film show the different lives both Kate and Bec have come from, how they are joined together in the same battle to support each other. I feel the settings help us understand the disease making made by the characters in the film.
Scene of the Movie â Enjoying a drink or two together.
That Moment That Annoyed Me â The only thing I feel we would have liked more of would be the medical side of what could have been done to try and help as we have plenty of talks about experimental treatments.
Final Thoughts â This is a very good drama, we get to see how one personâs suffering could impact many people and how helpless they will feel while fighting it.
Overall: Powerful, heart-breaking and inspiring.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/06/21/youre-not-you-2014/
TimeStamps - Time Recording with Ease
Productivity and Business
App
TimeStamps makes it easier to have a look at your working hours and overtime. No more guessing when...
WhatsCall - Phone Call Global
Utilities and Social Networking
App
WhatsCall is a FREE global calling app, even the recipient doesn't have the App nor internet...
TimeTracker - Time Sheet, Reporting & Invoicing
Business and Finance
App
Track time spent on the job with this powerful, customizable and easy to use app. TimeTracker is...
Cyberline Racing
Games and Entertainment
App
Cyberline Racing is the triumph of the death racing genre! This game combines action packed shooting...
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Stuber (2019) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
An action comedy that takes you for a ride.
Kumail Nanjiani hits my funny bone⌠again.
Like no other genre, comedy is highly personal and one personâs comedy gold is another personâs comedy nightmare (âMrs Brownâs Boysâ anyone?). Similarly there are some comedians that I really engage with and others that really irritate. For me, stand-up comedian Kumail Nanjiani falls into the former category. Although having had bit-part roles in many films over the last ten years, it was his starring role playing⌠well⌠basically, himself in âThe Big Sickâ that first caught my attention. Here he repeats that starring role and delivers a deft performance as the shy and âscaredy-catâ driver making a pick-up he wonât forget in a hurry.
Heâs paired here, in an unusual âbuddy copâ/ânot buddy copâ manner, with âSpectreâ bad-guy Dave Bautista, a giant of a man who displays a knack for comic delivery (albeit as the straight man) that I was not expecting.
The seeing-eye Uber man.
Bautista plays cop Vic Manning who is in an obsessive pursuit of bad-guy Oka Tedjo (Iko Uwais). Suffering from increasingly bad eyesight, Manning undergoes laser eye surgery on the very day that the âbig tip-offâ comes through. Being almost blind, Manning hires (read kidnaps) Stu to be his unwilling partner in a battle that puts Stu as well as Manningâs attractive artist daughter (Natalie Morales) in harmâs way.
Thereâs comedy to be mined in the blind cop set-upâŚ. itâs similar in some ways to the Gene Wilder/Richard Pryor comedy âSee No Evil, Hear No Evilâ.
Surprisingly visceral action.
We all know that Bautista can do a good fight scene. That fight onboard a train in âSpectreâ, with Daniel Craigâs Bond, was almost on a par with the famous Connery/Shaw fight in âFrom Russia With Loveâ. Here, Bautista gets to brawl with gusto in a few scenes.
In general, the âactionâ in this âaction-comedyâ is pretty full-on and entertaining. The opening scenes in particular, with Manning and officer Sara Morris (the ever-watchable Karen Gillan) taking on Tedjo in an upper floor of a high-rise building are exciting and dramatic. This is due in no small part to the acrobatic capabilities of Iko Uwais. (Uwais is an Indonesian champion at the martial art Silat⌠and it shows).
Slick writing that delivers some great lines.
The script is by Tripper Clancy, with this being his first US film after penning two previous German films. And it really made me laugh a lot, both in terms of some of the set up scenes (one in an animal hospital is particularly funny) and in some of the dialogue. As an example, when pushed to the limit of his stress, Stu wails âSo Iâm gonna have to get cheap student therapists who quote white guys with Indian names and tell me that I should meditate. IâŚDOâŚMEDITATE!!!!â.
Also top-notch is the use of music in the film. A use of the Hollies classic âAir that I breatheâ during the above mentioned Animal Hospital scene was brilliant.
Summary
Comedies need to make me laugh. This one did. Repeatedly. It even made the illustrious Mrs Movie Man laugh too. Repeatedly. As such âStuberâ comes with a ârecommendedâ from me.
Like no other genre, comedy is highly personal and one personâs comedy gold is another personâs comedy nightmare (âMrs Brownâs Boysâ anyone?). Similarly there are some comedians that I really engage with and others that really irritate. For me, stand-up comedian Kumail Nanjiani falls into the former category. Although having had bit-part roles in many films over the last ten years, it was his starring role playing⌠well⌠basically, himself in âThe Big Sickâ that first caught my attention. Here he repeats that starring role and delivers a deft performance as the shy and âscaredy-catâ driver making a pick-up he wonât forget in a hurry.
Heâs paired here, in an unusual âbuddy copâ/ânot buddy copâ manner, with âSpectreâ bad-guy Dave Bautista, a giant of a man who displays a knack for comic delivery (albeit as the straight man) that I was not expecting.
The seeing-eye Uber man.
Bautista plays cop Vic Manning who is in an obsessive pursuit of bad-guy Oka Tedjo (Iko Uwais). Suffering from increasingly bad eyesight, Manning undergoes laser eye surgery on the very day that the âbig tip-offâ comes through. Being almost blind, Manning hires (read kidnaps) Stu to be his unwilling partner in a battle that puts Stu as well as Manningâs attractive artist daughter (Natalie Morales) in harmâs way.
Thereâs comedy to be mined in the blind cop set-upâŚ. itâs similar in some ways to the Gene Wilder/Richard Pryor comedy âSee No Evil, Hear No Evilâ.
Surprisingly visceral action.
We all know that Bautista can do a good fight scene. That fight onboard a train in âSpectreâ, with Daniel Craigâs Bond, was almost on a par with the famous Connery/Shaw fight in âFrom Russia With Loveâ. Here, Bautista gets to brawl with gusto in a few scenes.
In general, the âactionâ in this âaction-comedyâ is pretty full-on and entertaining. The opening scenes in particular, with Manning and officer Sara Morris (the ever-watchable Karen Gillan) taking on Tedjo in an upper floor of a high-rise building are exciting and dramatic. This is due in no small part to the acrobatic capabilities of Iko Uwais. (Uwais is an Indonesian champion at the martial art Silat⌠and it shows).
Slick writing that delivers some great lines.
The script is by Tripper Clancy, with this being his first US film after penning two previous German films. And it really made me laugh a lot, both in terms of some of the set up scenes (one in an animal hospital is particularly funny) and in some of the dialogue. As an example, when pushed to the limit of his stress, Stu wails âSo Iâm gonna have to get cheap student therapists who quote white guys with Indian names and tell me that I should meditate. IâŚDOâŚMEDITATE!!!!â.
Also top-notch is the use of music in the film. A use of the Hollies classic âAir that I breatheâ during the above mentioned Animal Hospital scene was brilliant.
Summary
Comedies need to make me laugh. This one did. Repeatedly. It even made the illustrious Mrs Movie Man laugh too. Repeatedly. As such âStuberâ comes with a ârecommendedâ from me.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Circle (2017) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
Social Media involvement in political manipulation? Donât be ridiculous!
Set in the near future âThe Circleâ tells a horror story of the social media age involving an omnipotent American corporate, pitched somewhere between being Facebook-like and Google-like (note, lawyers, I just said âlikeâ!) Emma Watson (âBeauty and the Beastâ) plays young intern Mae who, partly through the aid of family friend Annie (Karen Gillan, âGuardians of the Galaxyâ, âDoctor Whoâ) but mostly through her own aptitude, lands a foothold job in customer services for the company. With the lush corporate campus fast becoming home, Mae is quickly singled out as having âexecutive potentialâ by the charismatic CEO Bailey (Tom Hanks, âBridge of Spiesâ) and his more taciturn sidekick Stenton (US comedian Patton Oswalt).
Progressively brainwashed into believing the companyâs intrusive snooping (a favourite motto is âSecrets are Liesâ) is all for âthe greater goodâ, Mae champions the cause until a tragedy rocks her world and her company beliefs to the core.
Whenever I watch a film I tend to form my own opinion first before checking out what the âgeneral publicâ on IMDB think. In this case, I must confess to being a bit surprised at our divergence of views: a lot of people clearly hated this movie whereas I confess that I found it very entertaining. Certainly with the alleged role of Russia in influencing elections around the world via social media, the film is most certainly topical! Many reviewers seemed quite upset that Watsonâs character is such a âdoormatâ, in that her views are so easily manipulated by the corporate machine. But not every woman â as indeed every man â can or should be a Joan of Arc style role model in every film: why should they be?
I actually found her indoctrination into âthe Circle wayâ as quite convincing, especially a creepy scene where two corporate lackies (Cho Smith and Amir Talai) say that theyâre not checking up on Maeâs social life, butâŚ. Watson enjoys extending her post-Potter repertoire well, but the talented John Boyega (âStar Wars: The Force Awakensâ) is completely wasted in his role as Ty; the Wozniak-like genious behind The Circleâs technology. The script gives him very little to do other than stand around and look grumpy.
A wasted John Boyega with Emma Watson.
The film is sad in being the last movie appearance of the great Bill Paxton (âApollo 13â) who plays Maeâs sick father and who died of complications following heart surgery two months before the filmâs release (the film is dedicated âFor Billâ). Tragically, Maeâs mother in the film, actress Glenn Headly (âDirty Rotten Scoundrelsâ) also died suddenly at the age of 62, also due to heart problems, a couple of months after the filmâs release. Itâs surprising the film doesnât have a âcurse of The Circleâ tag on it.
The film was directed by James Ponsoldt, who also wrote the screenplay with novel-writer Dave Eggers (âAway We Goâ). I particularly liked the on-screen use of captioning (posts) which was reminiscent to me of last yearâs âNerveâ, a B-movie film I rated highly that also had a string social media theme.
While the ending of the film is a bit twee â a movie definition of âbeing hoisted by your own petardâ â itâs overall a thought provoking piece sufficiently close to the truth as to where society is going to raise the hairs on your neck.
Progressively brainwashed into believing the companyâs intrusive snooping (a favourite motto is âSecrets are Liesâ) is all for âthe greater goodâ, Mae champions the cause until a tragedy rocks her world and her company beliefs to the core.
Whenever I watch a film I tend to form my own opinion first before checking out what the âgeneral publicâ on IMDB think. In this case, I must confess to being a bit surprised at our divergence of views: a lot of people clearly hated this movie whereas I confess that I found it very entertaining. Certainly with the alleged role of Russia in influencing elections around the world via social media, the film is most certainly topical! Many reviewers seemed quite upset that Watsonâs character is such a âdoormatâ, in that her views are so easily manipulated by the corporate machine. But not every woman â as indeed every man â can or should be a Joan of Arc style role model in every film: why should they be?
I actually found her indoctrination into âthe Circle wayâ as quite convincing, especially a creepy scene where two corporate lackies (Cho Smith and Amir Talai) say that theyâre not checking up on Maeâs social life, butâŚ. Watson enjoys extending her post-Potter repertoire well, but the talented John Boyega (âStar Wars: The Force Awakensâ) is completely wasted in his role as Ty; the Wozniak-like genious behind The Circleâs technology. The script gives him very little to do other than stand around and look grumpy.
A wasted John Boyega with Emma Watson.
The film is sad in being the last movie appearance of the great Bill Paxton (âApollo 13â) who plays Maeâs sick father and who died of complications following heart surgery two months before the filmâs release (the film is dedicated âFor Billâ). Tragically, Maeâs mother in the film, actress Glenn Headly (âDirty Rotten Scoundrelsâ) also died suddenly at the age of 62, also due to heart problems, a couple of months after the filmâs release. Itâs surprising the film doesnât have a âcurse of The Circleâ tag on it.
The film was directed by James Ponsoldt, who also wrote the screenplay with novel-writer Dave Eggers (âAway We Goâ). I particularly liked the on-screen use of captioning (posts) which was reminiscent to me of last yearâs âNerveâ, a B-movie film I rated highly that also had a string social media theme.
While the ending of the film is a bit twee â a movie definition of âbeing hoisted by your own petardâ â itâs overall a thought provoking piece sufficiently close to the truth as to where society is going to raise the hairs on your neck.
STRESSED OUT: 13 Powerful Methods to Stop Stress, Recognize Triggers, Curb Toxic Overthinking, and Manage Anxiety
10.0
Rate It
Book
Stress could be slowly killing you⌠Hereâs what you need to do to stop it: Do you get...
self-help
Kristy H (1252 KP) Jul 1, 2019
ClareR (5726 KP) Jul 1, 2019