Search

Search only in certain items:

Green Book (2018)
Green Book (2018)
2018 | Drama
One of the best of 2018
When the dust is settled on 2018, you can be rest assured that GREEN BOOK will be listed as one of my top films of the year.

Yes, it's that good.

"Based on a true story", GREEN BOOK stars Viggo Mortenson (Aragon in the LOTR films) as "Tony Lip" a bouncer at the Copacabana in the early 1960's who is tapped by African American concert pianist Dr. Don Shirley (Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali) to be his driver/escort/security on a tour of a very prejudicial Southern part of the United States in the early 1960's. Both Tony and Dr. Don look down their noses at the other one, but during the course of this film, the two develop mutual respect and a friendship that lasted until the both passed away in 2013.

That is, in essence, the entire plot of this film. But it is not the destination, but rather, the journey that is the core of this film - and what a journey it is.

We, the audience, probably spend 70% of the film in a car with the 2 stars of this film, so they better be interesting to look at and listen to (for nothing much else happens) and both characters - and both actors- are up to the task.

Ali won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his brief turn in Barry Jenkins MOONLIGHT - and he is even better here as Dr. Don Shirley, an elitist virtuoso piano player, with strong pride and hidden secrets of his own. Ali brings a humanity and vulnerability to this character that acts as a softening of the hard shell of this character that allows us, the audience, a glimpse into this character's heart. This person could easily have been a one-note caricature, but in Ali's hands, it is much, much more.

The biggest surprise to me is two-time Oscar Nominee Mortenson as "Tony Lip". While the character starts as a typical early 1960's Italian-mob type, Mortenson brings humor, humanity and (yes) heart to a matter-of-fact character and continues to evolve the rough edges of Tony as Tony, himself, develops throughout the course of the film. I have always "liked but not loved" Mortenson, but, I LOVE HIM in this film and will be rooting for him come Oscars time.

The other big surprise of this film is the strong, subtle and human way that Director Peter Farrelly brings events to the screen. Prior to this, Farrelly (along with his brother Bobby) Directed such over-the-top comedies as THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY and KINGPIN, so I was a bit concerned that the Direction would be over-the-top. But...it wasn't...and I wouldn't be surprised if Farelly's name is called when Oscar nominations are announced.

I was charmed and moved by these characters - and this story - and was glad to spend 2 hours with them.

Letter Grade: A

9 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
  
Knives Out (2019)
Knives Out (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Due to its ensemble cast, gorgeous aesthetics and whodunit storyline, it’s safe to say that I had high expectations for Knives Out.

I’m pleased to report that it surpassed each and every one of them.

Rian Johnson’s tale of mystery follows the death of renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), which took place after his 85th birthday. Presumed to be a murder, his eccentric and very large family are soon under investigation by Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) and his team.

Straight away, Daniel Craig steals the show with his hilarious performance of Detective Blanc. From his deep Southern American drawl to his quirky mannerisms, this is so far removed from what you’d expect from a Craig performance. I’ve never seen him have this much fun in a role before.


He’s tasked with getting to the bottom of what happened, which involves a delightful series of interviews in which the family are sitting in front of several display knives, just one of the many eccentricities of the Thrombey manor house. In terms of set design it’s just glorious to look at, and even one of the characters compares it to a Cluedo board.

Even the characters themselves are quirky enough to be boxed up inside the classic board game, and could give the likes of Miss Scarlet and Colonel Mustard a run for their money.

Characters include Thrombey’s daughter and real estate mogul Linda Drysdale (Jamie Lee Curtis), her husband Richard (Don Johnson), and outcast trust fund son Ransom (Chris Evans), who form quite the dysfunctional family even when you remove them from the bigger picture.

Then there’s the rather insufferable, yet hugely entertaining, lifestyle guru Joni Thrombey (Toni Collette) and her daughter and social activist Meg (Katherine Langford). These two characters are parodies of popular blogging culture and ‘social justice warriors’, and they’re hilarious.

Each character has been wonderfully crafted by Rian Johnson, who both wrote and directed Knives Out. They’re essentially caricatures, but the result of this is a thoroughly entertaining cinema experience. What a brilliant use of such a talented cast.

The only seemingly normal person wrapped up in all this is caretaker Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), who acted as both a friend and nurse to Harlan prior to his death. Even against a backdrop of such bold characters, de Armas’ performance shines just as brightly.

Mysteries are hard to get right, and being able to predict the ending is a bragging right for many cinephiles. Well unfortunately, this script absolutely floored me with how fantastic it was, and I was unable to predict anything that went down. Johnson has serious talent when it comes to crafting a murder-mystery.

Don’t even get me started on how gorgeous the wardrobe in this film is either. If anyone knows where I can get Jamie Lee Curtis’ striking red suit, you need to tell me immediately.

Watching Knives Out was the most fun I’ve had in the cinema this year, perhaps ever. I was fully engrossed from start to finish, and walked out with the biggest smile on my face.

If you see one film this autumn, make it this one. You won’t regret it.
  
40x40

Darren (1599 KP) rated The Abominable Snowman (1957) in Movies

Jul 8, 2019 (Updated Oct 24, 2019)  
The Abominable Snowman (1957)
The Abominable Snowman (1957)
1957 | Adventure, Sci-Fi
7
5.5 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Due to its ensemble cast, gorgeous aesthetics and whodunit storyline, it’s safe to say that I had high expectations for Knives Out.

I’m pleased to report that it surpassed each and every one of them.

Rian Johnson’s tale of mystery follows the death of renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), which took place after his 85th birthday. Presumed to be a murder, his eccentric and very large family are soon under investigation by Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) and his team.

Straight away, Daniel Craig steals the show with his hilarious performance of Detective Blanc. From his deep Southern American drawl to his quirky mannerisms, this is so far removed from what you’d expect from a Craig performance. I’ve never seen him have this much fun in a role before.


He’s tasked with getting to the bottom of what happened, which involves a delightful series of interviews in which the family are sitting in front of several display knives, just one of the many eccentricities of the Thrombey manor house. In terms of set design it’s just glorious to look at, and even one of the characters compares it to a Cluedo board.

Even the characters themselves are quirky enough to be boxed up inside the classic board game, and could give the likes of Miss Scarlet and Colonel Mustard a run for their money.

Characters include Thrombey’s daughter and real estate mogul Linda Drysdale (Jamie Lee Curtis), her husband Richard (Don Johnson), and outcast trust fund son Ransom (Chris Evans), who form quite the dysfunctional family even when you remove them from the bigger picture.

Then there’s the rather insufferable, yet hugely entertaining, lifestyle guru Joni Thrombey (Toni Collette) and her daughter and social activist Meg (Katherine Langford). These two characters are parodies of popular blogging culture and ‘social justice warriors’, and they’re hilarious.

Each character has been wonderfully crafted by Rian Johnson, who both wrote and directed Knives Out. They’re essentially caricatures, but the result of this is a thoroughly entertaining cinema experience. What a brilliant use of such a talented cast.

The only seemingly normal person wrapped up in all this is caretaker Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), who acted as both a friend and nurse to Harlan prior to his death. Even against a backdrop of such bold characters, de Armas’ performance shines just as brightly.

Mysteries are hard to get right, and being able to predict the ending is a bragging right for many cinephiles. Well unfortunately, this script absolutely floored me with how fantastic it was, and I was unable to predict anything that went down. Johnson has serious talent when it comes to crafting a murder-mystery.

Don’t even get me started on how gorgeous the wardrobe in this film is either. If anyone knows where I can get Jamie Lee Curtis’ striking red suit, you need to tell me immediately.

Watching Knives Out was the most fun I’ve had in the cinema this year, perhaps ever. I was fully engrossed from start to finish, and walked out with the biggest smile on my face.

If you see one film this autumn, make it this one. You won’t regret it.
  
Lincoln (2012)
Lincoln (2012)
2012 | Drama, History, War
The history of this country is steeped in mystery and intrigue, but it’s fuzzy on the details. We cling to heroes of the past because we are jaded by the present. Lincoln, a new film from Steven Spielberg, comes to us at a time when there seems to be even more political strife than usual. (Or perhaps that’s just me getting older and actually paying attention.) Either way, I think this movie’s arrival on the silver screen is very timely, given the recent election.

Daniel Day Lewis, a man revered for his choice of films and roles, as well as his ability to portray characters with so much emotion and conviction, has done it once again. As the title character for this film, Lewis portrays one of the U.S.A’s greatest leaders and pioneers in a way that few other men could. Surrounded by some of the best actors in Hollywood (including Tommy Lee Jones), this star-studded film has a laundry list of very recognizable faces from all corners of Hollywood. The red carpet was clearly rolled out for this film.

The story starts amid the death and destruction of the American Civil War, an event that is both a fixed point of the story and a constant backdrop. Seeing the fighting and killing made me wonder how gritty this movie would get, but as it turns out, they kept the level of gore pretty low.

The film goes on to set the stage for the final footsteps into the southern theater that was the Civil War. In tandem, it follows the highly controversial 13th amendment, which was barely passed at the time due to racism and the belief that one color of human should be slave to another color. The absurdity of this notion is highlighted, but it’s also familiar in the way it parallels issues we face today: legalizing pot, gay marriage, prostitution, the right to bear arms, etc. Perhaps our grandchildren will watch a film in the future about these struggles, and regard it as we do a film about the Civil War. As I sat and watched this movie, I was nearly in tears at the thought of how African-Americans were once regarded as lesser beings. Will our grandchildren cry at the ridiculousness of our beliefs?

The cinematography was amazingly crisp. Many of the characters are introduced in such a way that they have a grand entrance through the mystique created by camera angles. I have to truly applaud Spielberg for what might be his best film yet. The camera work was immensely effective, relying heavily on the contrast between shadow and light. Coupled with richly detailed sets, it made everything staggeringly realistic, and absolutely convincing.

I will say this for Lincoln: I haven’t been so moved and taken aback by a period film in my life. This is a must see for everyone.

The dialog is highly political, and sometimes goes along at quite a clip; be prepared to miss a few things the first time around. However, watching it a second time surely won’t be a sin. The humor alone merits a second viewing. There are many good laughs to be had.

Lincoln is a work of art.
  
    World Prayer Time

    World Prayer Time

    Reference and Travel

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    600,000+ downloads !!!!!! App Features ------------ - Imsak, Fajr, Sunrise, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib...

Tamarillo Tart (Southern Lights #2)
Tamarillo Tart (Southern Lights #2)
Jay Hogan | 2020 | LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
LOVED this book!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 2 in the Southern Lights series, but you don't NEED to have read book 1, Powder & Pavlova, before this one. Ethan and Tanner DO pop up, but their story is not necessary for this one to make sense. However, personally, I recommend you DO read it, if only because that was a great read, and you knwo, I said so!

Stefan is a city boy, through and through, but his friend booked this trip, so he was gonna enjoy a trip up the mountian to see some Lord of The Rings scenery. Then his friend pulled out, and Stefan is faced withthe trip on his own, he is here already, so why not? How hard can it be? Cass is the tour guide, and Stefan pushes all kinds of buttons he didn't know needed pushing. How can they keep their hands off each other, when the attraction is scorching hot?

Oh my days, I loved this book!

Loved the snark, the jokes, the witty comments that Stefan throws at Cass, knowing that he is using every single double entrendre he can think of. Stefan KNOWS he wants Cass, but it's at a level he never had before. Cass is, though, a country boy and Stefan a city boy. However being in the country? It does something to Stefan, and it makes him think. Getting Cass off the mountian, when he was injured, was just what Stefan needed to show he wasn't just a pretty boy, he was someone who can get it done. Stefan just needs Cass to see that they would be great together.

Cass is mostly in the closet, and he does, bless him, TRY to fight his attraction to Stefan but it isn't long before he cannot any longer. I mean the whole book takes place over couple days, so it really isn't long but once they give in? OOOOEEEEEE these boys burn HOT!

While that hotness is great, what I particularly loved about this book was the soul-searching that both Stefan and Cass do. Both men are stuck in their lives, and they are *mostly* happy, but they know something is missing. Stefan is more profound in his musings, I must admit, and he does break your heart a couple of times, he really does. I was very impressed with his outward portrayal of being in control when Cass was sick, and how he managed to keep it together till Cass was safe. THEN he lost it.

Loved that Ethan and Tanner (book 1) pop up, even if it was near the end just to kick Stefan out his stupor, but they are referenced a lot by Stefan throughout the book, as it is THEIR relationship, while not jealous, he wants what they have.

Loved Stefan's t-shirt slogans and why he got them in the first place.

I love this series, I especially love the covers that reflect where the book takes place.

5 full and shiny stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
    GoEuro Train Bus Flight

    GoEuro Train Bus Flight

    Travel and Lifestyle

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    Compare and book trains, buses and flight to anywhere in Europe with one simple search. Transparent...

    Barbecue Recipes HD

    Barbecue Recipes HD

    Food & Drink and Lifestyle

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    The trick to making your BBQ food tasting great is using flavors that you like as well as using good...