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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Antebellum (2020) in Movies

Sep 21, 2020  
Antebellum (2020)
Antebellum (2020)
2020 | Thriller
8
6.1 (10 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
Janelle Monáe stars as Eden who at the start of the new film “Antebellum” is brought back to a Southern Plantation against her will by Union Soldiers. The consequences of her escape attempt are brutally taken out against two others as the rest of the plantation looks on in submissive silence.

Weeks later more slaves arrive and are given the rules by the brutal Overseer who demands silence and utter obedience at all times.

The slaves are made to work the fields and serve the plantation including the women being assigned to whichever soldier desires them.

Their plight grabs you from the start in its brutality as they have no rights, live in fear daily, and are subject to whatever whims those in charge desire and they are required to obey and suffer in silence.

One night after the General falls asleep after having his way with her; Eden awakens to a different reality. One set in the modern day where she is a wife, mother, and very successful author and activist. The film follows her life in the modern world before springing the twist which makes doing an in-depth review difficult without spoiling things. While I was able to predict the twist coming; it was still effective and chilling in how it was carried out.

The film does get a bit lax in the final act as it relies on too many Hollywood clichés which while highly entertaining for me undermined the messages of the film and the situation.

Gerard Bush and Christopher Rend both wrote and directed the film and there are some powerful and highly gripping moments to the film but it grabs you from the start and is compelling and deeply disturbing.

The cast is very strong and the film is unforgettable. My biggest issue with the film was the final act as I alluded to prior. The film tries to tie things up a bit too neatly yet fails to adequately explain key aspects of the story. The audience is given some information and forced to fill in the gaps for themselves which in many ways makes the film even more disturbing.

In the time of deep division in our country it is very upsetting to see how little has changed for many who do not see equality and justice applied equally and still live day to day with fear and uncertainty.

“Antebellum” is the rare film that entertains, informs, and makes you think and will remain with you after the movie ends.

4 stars out of 5
  
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Stork Mountain in Books

May 25, 2017  
Stork Mountain
Stork Mountain
Miroslav Penkov | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Captivating
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Bulgarian-born, short storywriter Miroslav Penkov has turned to full-length novels with this captivating book, Stork Mountain. Set in the Bulgarian Strandja Mountains on the border of Turkey, he explores religion, mythology, the past and the present in a society affected by long-term political unrest.

The narrator, a young man who remains nameless throughout, relocated to the United States of America as a child after the fall of Communism. Now he returns to his home country to find his grandfather, an elderly man he lost contact with three years ago. However his real motive is purely for self gain: to sell his section of the family land in order to pay off student loans and his rising debt.

Naturally, things do not go according to plan. The protagonist finds his grandfather hiding in the village of Klisura, a place divided between the Christians and the Muslims. He also discovers that there is no longer any land for him to sell, making his journey fairly pointless. Instead of returning to the Western world, he stays in his grandfather’s house and, very slowly, begins to learn the truth about his family’s past, the man his grandfather once was, and the superstitious pagan activities still affecting some of the village’s inhabitants today.

Stork Mountain is full of the history, folklore and mythology of a little known about European country. Although ultimately a contemporary novel, there is a lot to learn about events that led up to southern Bulgaria’s current condition. As well as being informative, Penkov plays with his readers’ hearts by including a Romeo and Juliet-esque relationship between the narrator and a Muslim girl, and also reveals a similar affair between a younger Grandfather and the girl of his dreams.

Books containing politics are often reserved for those with particular interest in the topic, however Stork Mountain is suitable for a much larger audience. The inclusion of Bulgarian folklore adds a dark fairytale-like quality to the story; and the romance, something for the reader to latch onto.

On reading the blurb I jumped to the conclusion that this book would be boring. I was wrong. Whereas stories with similar themes can be hard going, Stork Mountain was fast paced and easy to read. There were a few confusions about who was talking or whether the narrative was about the past or the future, but these issues may be something that is improved upon as the author finds his groove in full-length novels.

Even if, like me, you have prejudged this book to be boring, I urge you to give it a go. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised. Miroslav Penkov definitely has a future in the world of literature.