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TacoDave (3886 KP) rated Parasite (2019) in Movies

Nov 14, 2019

Parasite (2019)

2019 | Drama

8.6

(40 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Story (3 more)

Acting

Humor

Unexpected twists

It's long? (0 more)

This Parasite gets under your skin...

I will try not to spoil anything, because I really enjoyed watching this movie unfold. It's the kind of film where you can't really guess where it is going, because where it is going is so strange...

Based on the director, I expected sci-fi or horror. This movie isn't either of those genres: it is basically a human-level character study, but in a universe with slightly-cartoonish logic.

I know that doesn't make much sense, but if you watch the movie you might agree.

The main family is broke. They have no money for food and their neighbor recently put a password on their wifi, so they don't even have phones that work. When the son gets the chance to become a tutor to a rich girl, even though he isn't qualified, he jumps at the chance. And, slowly but surely, he and his family plan ways to get all four of them hired on at the rich owners' house.

That's all I will say, because discovery is important for this movie to work. There is a lot of drama and real-life class struggle, but the movie is often punctuated by humor that takes a second to register. It might be a physical sight gag; it might be a turn of phrase; it might be a facial expression; but I found myself laughing out loud, even as uncomfortable things were happening.

If you don't mind subtitles, I strongly recommend Parasite. It is as good as the reviews say.

Kudos

ClareR (5950 KP) rated This Lovely City in Books

May 1, 2020

This Lovely City

Louise Hare | 2020 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

The beginnings of the Windrush generation.

The only thing I didn’t like about This Lovely City by Louise Hare, were the attitudes of a lot of the (predominantly) white, male Londoners. And there’s not a thing that the author could do about that.

In 1948 answering a call from the Homeland, Lawrie and hundreds of mainly young men like him, arrived in London, fresh off the Empire Windrush from Jamaica. They were there to help rebuild England after the Blitz and the end of the Second World War. We see this story mainly from Lawrie’s point of view, so we see the racism, the way he was turned away from jobs because the other men wouldn’t want to work with ‘his type’. It was a shock to see the use of the ‘n’ word so often, and the blatant hostility towards Lawrie and his friends.

This story isn’t just about that though. There’s a bit of a love story and a mystery to solve as well. Lawrie makes an upsetting discovery, and rather than being thanked for it, he is immediately under suspicion. Again, solely down to the colour of his skin.

I loved this book. It gave me an insight into the lives of the Windrush generation as they began their lives here. Lawrie and his girlfriend Evie were great characters to read about - I WANTED all to be well for them, as I did for the other Jamaican characters, if I’m honest.

If this is Louise Hare’s first book, I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for my copy of this wonderful book.