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Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Night (The Night Trilogy #1) in Books
Jul 10, 2018
My heart broke while listening to this novel. I cannot even imagine what this experience was like to live. Just reading this book made me thankful for the life that I have lived. I can only hope that we will never again let anyone experience these atrocious acts again.
I bought this audiobook from audible during one of the 2 for 1 sales. I knew I needed to read it, I just never truly wanted to. There are some books that demand to be read even when the reader is reluctant. It is important to read books that will challenge you, and hopefully encourage you to view the world a little differently. This is one of those books.
Night is a memoir by Elie Wiesel and it is beautifully written. It will break your heart to read it, it will challenge you, it will change you. I wish I would have read this book before I toured a concentration camp in 2007. I wish I would have known this personal account when I saw the cells, the tombstones, and the utter lack of humanity. We are taught about the concentration camps, we are told of the horrors, we are shown pictures but nothing has affected me as much as this novel.
I know that we wish to forget the past, but we cannot let this fade. We cannot stand aside as our world becomes a reflection of the past. We must move forward.
If you're on the fence about reading this novel, do it. It is a hard one to read due to the subject matter but it is worth every tear you shed.
"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." - Elie Wiesel
I bought this audiobook from audible during one of the 2 for 1 sales. I knew I needed to read it, I just never truly wanted to. There are some books that demand to be read even when the reader is reluctant. It is important to read books that will challenge you, and hopefully encourage you to view the world a little differently. This is one of those books.
Night is a memoir by Elie Wiesel and it is beautifully written. It will break your heart to read it, it will challenge you, it will change you. I wish I would have read this book before I toured a concentration camp in 2007. I wish I would have known this personal account when I saw the cells, the tombstones, and the utter lack of humanity. We are taught about the concentration camps, we are told of the horrors, we are shown pictures but nothing has affected me as much as this novel.
I know that we wish to forget the past, but we cannot let this fade. We cannot stand aside as our world becomes a reflection of the past. We must move forward.
If you're on the fence about reading this novel, do it. It is a hard one to read due to the subject matter but it is worth every tear you shed.
"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." - Elie Wiesel
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2589 KP) rated Murder at the Taffy Shop in Books
Apr 2, 2020
Bad Neighbors Become Murder Victims
When Mac Almeida is visiting her parents, who live just down the street in her town of Westham on Cape Cod, she encounters Beverly Ruchart, their neighbor. Beverly is always complaining about something, be it the local soup kitchen or Mac’s parents’ puppy. Two mornings later, Mac finds her friend Gin crouched over Beverly’s dead body. When the police begin to suspect that Gin had something to do with the death, the Mac and the rest of the Cozy Capers, a book group that reads nothing but cozy mysteries, jump into action to clear one of their own. But can Mac piece together the clues everyone is finding?
I enjoyed the first in the series, so I was anxious to get back to visit Mac and her friends again. We do get a lot of characters, but the important characters stand out, and the rest are subtly reintroduced when they appear on the page again, so it is easy to track them. I have to give a special shout out to Mac pet, an African Gray parrot who gave me a couple good laughs. I did have a harder time tracking all the suspects early on, and especially their connections to each other. I suspect that might have been me being distracted by real life, and as I read, I was able to sort everything out. The plot gives us plenty of twists to keep us engaged. The ending was a little abrupt but logical. I enjoy the nods to other cozy series we get here, and as a bonus, we get five recipes at the end of this book for a variety of treats. Cozy lovers will enjoy solving a case along with a cast of characters who love cozies as much as they do.
I enjoyed the first in the series, so I was anxious to get back to visit Mac and her friends again. We do get a lot of characters, but the important characters stand out, and the rest are subtly reintroduced when they appear on the page again, so it is easy to track them. I have to give a special shout out to Mac pet, an African Gray parrot who gave me a couple good laughs. I did have a harder time tracking all the suspects early on, and especially their connections to each other. I suspect that might have been me being distracted by real life, and as I read, I was able to sort everything out. The plot gives us plenty of twists to keep us engaged. The ending was a little abrupt but logical. I enjoy the nods to other cozy series we get here, and as a bonus, we get five recipes at the end of this book for a variety of treats. Cozy lovers will enjoy solving a case along with a cast of characters who love cozies as much as they do.
Issac Holman recommended track I'm Hurting by Thee Headcoats in In Tweed We Trust by Thee Headcoats in Music (curated)
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Twisted in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This book is a first stand-alone novel, written by Steve Cavanagh, following Maria, Paul, and Daryl in finding out who is the true LeBeau, a mysterious author, who writes amazing thrillers, but nobody ever saw him, and no one knows who that man really is. The book is told from multiple perspectives, and I really enjoyed the ability to read all the character’s thoughts. The characters chosen for this book were not very likeable and quite flawed as well, but the author manipulated them perfectly.
The plot of this book was absolutely insane. (In a good way!) It did not allow my mind to settle even for a moment. When I thought I knew what was going on, the author threw in gigantic twists, which changed EVERYTHING! This book was the twistiest book I ever read! The plot changes constantly and I really didn’t know what to believe anymore! 😀 I really liked, that the writer writes about a writer’s life. It is interesting to see, how much of the reality goes into the books. 🙂
Steve Cavanagh proved multiple times that he is amazing at what he does, and his writing style is absolutely absorbing. The chapters have a very decent length and didn’t leave me bored whatsoever. The book is set in a very peaceful environment, but it is not peaceful at all. The ending was an absolute jaw-dropper and I loved it!
To conclude, it is hard to review it without spoilers because this novel is a mirage, incredibly twisted, suspenseful, and you can not believe a single word you read. 😀 I absolutely loved this book, it left me shook and book hungover for at least a few days! Just get it and read it, I am pretty sure you won’t regret it.
The plot of this book was absolutely insane. (In a good way!) It did not allow my mind to settle even for a moment. When I thought I knew what was going on, the author threw in gigantic twists, which changed EVERYTHING! This book was the twistiest book I ever read! The plot changes constantly and I really didn’t know what to believe anymore! 😀 I really liked, that the writer writes about a writer’s life. It is interesting to see, how much of the reality goes into the books. 🙂
Steve Cavanagh proved multiple times that he is amazing at what he does, and his writing style is absolutely absorbing. The chapters have a very decent length and didn’t leave me bored whatsoever. The book is set in a very peaceful environment, but it is not peaceful at all. The ending was an absolute jaw-dropper and I loved it!
To conclude, it is hard to review it without spoilers because this novel is a mirage, incredibly twisted, suspenseful, and you can not believe a single word you read. 😀 I absolutely loved this book, it left me shook and book hungover for at least a few days! Just get it and read it, I am pretty sure you won’t regret it.
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Hallowed Ones (The Hallowed Ones, #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
When I read the synopsis of The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle, I knew I had to read this book!! I've always been intrigued by the Amish lifestyle. I ended up buying it as the urge to read it was much too strong. When I found out it was a book that featured vampires, I was a bit put off by it as I hate vampire books, but this one turned out to be alright.
Katie and her best friend Elijah only have a few more weeks to wait until they will be able to go on Rumpsringa. However, when the a helicopter crashes in an Amish field, and no one from the Outside comes to check it out, Katie begins to worry. Eventually, Katie discovers that vampires have taken over the Outside. How will she survive? How can she make sure her friends and family are safe?
The Hallowed Ones is a great description of the Amish, and I can see why the author chose this as the title of her book. It fits in with the plot of the story, so I think it was an excellent choice.
How foreboding does the cover look!?! It looks a bit creepy to me which also made me want to read the book even more. Yes, I know the saying "never judge a book by its cover" but this one definitely had me intrigued. The cover is good, but it's just a picture of an Amish girl and some ravens. Whilst ravens are mentioned in the book, I just wish the cover would've given more away about the book. It would've been much better had it featured a vampire on the cover!! Well, that's my personal opinion anyway.
The setting was great! It takes place all on Amish land. I don't know enough about the Amish to say how correct the author was when it came to recreating the world of the Amish, but from what I do know, everything seemed to fit.
(This review can also be found on my blog at <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
The pacing does start out a bit slow at the beginning, but it subtly speeds up. I did find myself bored for awhile whilst reading this book, but I was soon enthralled. I couldn't tell you when I actually started enjoying it as it just kind of creeped up on me.
A lot of the dialogue in this book is about Katie's inner turmoil about her religion. I hate when books seem to slag off God, but I tried to read this from an unbiased viewpoint. I just thought I'd throw that out there for those who might be put off because of that fact. Other than that, the dialogue is great! I enjoyed the Amish words that were used in it as well.
As for the characters, I thought Katie was great. I loved how she challenged everything and wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in. She's very outspoken which I very much admired. I started out liking Elijah, but after how he treats Katie, I started disliking him. I thought the character of Alex was great as well. I don't want to say too much about him due to spoilers. Overall, all the characters were very well-developed which I was happy about.
This book helped me learn a bit more about the Amish which I was thankful for. Even though it featured vampires, it wasn't overly focused on them like most books are.
I'd recommend this book to everyone over the age of 16. It's a good little read! I kind of just wish that I'd have borrowed it from the library than buying it.
Katie and her best friend Elijah only have a few more weeks to wait until they will be able to go on Rumpsringa. However, when the a helicopter crashes in an Amish field, and no one from the Outside comes to check it out, Katie begins to worry. Eventually, Katie discovers that vampires have taken over the Outside. How will she survive? How can she make sure her friends and family are safe?
The Hallowed Ones is a great description of the Amish, and I can see why the author chose this as the title of her book. It fits in with the plot of the story, so I think it was an excellent choice.
How foreboding does the cover look!?! It looks a bit creepy to me which also made me want to read the book even more. Yes, I know the saying "never judge a book by its cover" but this one definitely had me intrigued. The cover is good, but it's just a picture of an Amish girl and some ravens. Whilst ravens are mentioned in the book, I just wish the cover would've given more away about the book. It would've been much better had it featured a vampire on the cover!! Well, that's my personal opinion anyway.
The setting was great! It takes place all on Amish land. I don't know enough about the Amish to say how correct the author was when it came to recreating the world of the Amish, but from what I do know, everything seemed to fit.
(This review can also be found on my blog at <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
The pacing does start out a bit slow at the beginning, but it subtly speeds up. I did find myself bored for awhile whilst reading this book, but I was soon enthralled. I couldn't tell you when I actually started enjoying it as it just kind of creeped up on me.
A lot of the dialogue in this book is about Katie's inner turmoil about her religion. I hate when books seem to slag off God, but I tried to read this from an unbiased viewpoint. I just thought I'd throw that out there for those who might be put off because of that fact. Other than that, the dialogue is great! I enjoyed the Amish words that were used in it as well.
As for the characters, I thought Katie was great. I loved how she challenged everything and wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in. She's very outspoken which I very much admired. I started out liking Elijah, but after how he treats Katie, I started disliking him. I thought the character of Alex was great as well. I don't want to say too much about him due to spoilers. Overall, all the characters were very well-developed which I was happy about.
This book helped me learn a bit more about the Amish which I was thankful for. Even though it featured vampires, it wasn't overly focused on them like most books are.
I'd recommend this book to everyone over the age of 16. It's a good little read! I kind of just wish that I'd have borrowed it from the library than buying it.
Kaz (232 KP) rated The Passage in Books
May 15, 2019
A really enjoyable read
Contains spoilers, click to show
I initially read this book in about 2000, so when I decided to re-read it, I couldn't remember much about it. I'm glad I had left it for so long before I read it again, as I was surprised how good this was.
The writing is very good, it reminded me very much of 'The Stand' by Stephen King, because of the dark writing, the way in which it builds up in suspense and also the plot's subject matter. However, I wouldn't say that this was a copy of 'The Stand', it has it's own identity too.
The characters are very believable and complex. I really liked the fact that the characters weren't simply 'Bad' or 'Good'. All of the characters had different sides to them, which made them all the more believable. One criticism I would make, would be that I did find that the more central characters, were better developed than the secondary ones. Actually, in the second section of the novel, I felt that there were too many characters to keep track of. However, as the novel progressed, it became clear which characters I should be paying more attention to.
I was also happy that the 'vampires' were not your stereotypical blood sucking beings allergic to garlic, that could be killed by stakes and crosses. I was also really glad that they were not the romantic, shiny vampires either. I really liked the fact Justin Cronin hadn't written them as just 'bad' either. There was a sensitivity, which made you as a reader, actually feel sorry for these beings.
The pace of the the novel was generally good. I found the first section of the book to be gripping. In fact, I found it very difficult to put the book down. During the second section of the book however, it kind of ground to a halt and I didn't enjoy reading that part as much as the others. However on reflection, I think that the slow build in tension, to the next exciting bit. was very clever. This was because I don't think I would have been able to cope with a fast paced book of 900 plus pages!
Being 900 pages I thought that by the time I got to the end of this book,I would have been desperate to finish and start something new.. However, I was actually sad when I had finished 'The Passage' . Even though this is a long book, I didn't notice how chunky it was and I was able to really get into the world that Justin Cronin had created.
I really liked this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment!
My Rating **** 1/2
The writing is very good, it reminded me very much of 'The Stand' by Stephen King, because of the dark writing, the way in which it builds up in suspense and also the plot's subject matter. However, I wouldn't say that this was a copy of 'The Stand', it has it's own identity too.
The characters are very believable and complex. I really liked the fact that the characters weren't simply 'Bad' or 'Good'. All of the characters had different sides to them, which made them all the more believable. One criticism I would make, would be that I did find that the more central characters, were better developed than the secondary ones. Actually, in the second section of the novel, I felt that there were too many characters to keep track of. However, as the novel progressed, it became clear which characters I should be paying more attention to.
I was also happy that the 'vampires' were not your stereotypical blood sucking beings allergic to garlic, that could be killed by stakes and crosses. I was also really glad that they were not the romantic, shiny vampires either. I really liked the fact Justin Cronin hadn't written them as just 'bad' either. There was a sensitivity, which made you as a reader, actually feel sorry for these beings.
The pace of the the novel was generally good. I found the first section of the book to be gripping. In fact, I found it very difficult to put the book down. During the second section of the book however, it kind of ground to a halt and I didn't enjoy reading that part as much as the others. However on reflection, I think that the slow build in tension, to the next exciting bit. was very clever. This was because I don't think I would have been able to cope with a fast paced book of 900 plus pages!
Being 900 pages I thought that by the time I got to the end of this book,I would have been desperate to finish and start something new.. However, I was actually sad when I had finished 'The Passage' . Even though this is a long book, I didn't notice how chunky it was and I was able to really get into the world that Justin Cronin had created.
I really liked this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment!
My Rating **** 1/2
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Lion King (2019) in Movies
Jun 20, 2020
It's difficult to know where to begin. I have strong feelings about Disney remakes in general, I was open to the idea until I saw some. I can understand remaking some that stand a chance of being mainly actual live-action like Cinderella and Beauty & The Beast, and I'm looking forward to Mulan despite its lack of Mushu... but... remaking something as "live-action" with realism when you have to include things that aren't realistic (talking animals) it seems pointless to me.
As the film started I was taken aback by the beautiful scenery shots, animation studios really have nailed realistic water. As the animals started to appear I was encouraged for the most part. The zebras and antelope looked wonderful and the movements were spot on, but the larger animals didn't quite have the same elegance. Watching it all was fine though until you noticed something, then it was difficult not to spot something else.
I really disliked the animation of Scar, I know he's supposed to look like the typical alpha male of the pride, but his look in the original and now has never been very in keeping to me.
The best piece of animation in the whole thing was Timon. That little meerkat was spot on through the whole thing for me, edgy and darting, it was perfect. The only drawback was the voiceover by Billy Eichner, he doesn't encapsulate the personality of Timon, but then he did have some big boots to fill.
With Timon as the best of animation, it was only fitting that Pumbaa filled in the other side by being the best of the voice cast. Seth Rogen was born for this role, he's fantastic. I absolutely loved him. Perfect comedic timing, maybe not the best singing voice but once it mixed in with everything else you couldn't tell.
Dare I say that I wasn't a fan of the songs? I didn't like the modern take on them... I'm not sure if I'd really classify it as a modern take, everything just seemed to be taken much more seriously than before. I actually quite enjoyed Be Prepared, while it wasn't really sung it probably plays better to Chiwetel Ejiofor's strengths done this way. The really dubious addition was the song "Spirit" by Beyoncé. It was barely included and if it was in there more then it really didn't stick out. The only bit I noticed was "spirit, spirit" being bellowed randomly. I've watched the video and full song on YouTube since the film, I can only assume that it's an attempt at best original song awards but I don't think it has that goosebump impact that Disney epics should. Those high notes should probably be left to Mariah.
It's difficult to know just how much my enjoyment of the original affected my feelings about the new one. It's not one that I grew up with, I rewatched it recently for what may have been the first time. Lion King is very much one of the Disney classics you can be aware of even without seeing it, that's the power of Disney.
Remaking a film as "live-action" when there's no human cast seems like the wrong choice to me. The realistic CGI will only work up to a point when you're trying to make animals speak. The films itself is still spectacular, and there are some amazing pieces of animation to see (I do love baby Simba, he's so cute), but I'm of the opinion that if it ain't broke don't fix it. When you look at it overall the voice cast isn't any better than the original, neither are the songs, with it being so incredibly similar with only the animation style being the major twist I'm left underwhelmed by the final cut.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-lion-king-movie-review.html
As the film started I was taken aback by the beautiful scenery shots, animation studios really have nailed realistic water. As the animals started to appear I was encouraged for the most part. The zebras and antelope looked wonderful and the movements were spot on, but the larger animals didn't quite have the same elegance. Watching it all was fine though until you noticed something, then it was difficult not to spot something else.
I really disliked the animation of Scar, I know he's supposed to look like the typical alpha male of the pride, but his look in the original and now has never been very in keeping to me.
The best piece of animation in the whole thing was Timon. That little meerkat was spot on through the whole thing for me, edgy and darting, it was perfect. The only drawback was the voiceover by Billy Eichner, he doesn't encapsulate the personality of Timon, but then he did have some big boots to fill.
With Timon as the best of animation, it was only fitting that Pumbaa filled in the other side by being the best of the voice cast. Seth Rogen was born for this role, he's fantastic. I absolutely loved him. Perfect comedic timing, maybe not the best singing voice but once it mixed in with everything else you couldn't tell.
Dare I say that I wasn't a fan of the songs? I didn't like the modern take on them... I'm not sure if I'd really classify it as a modern take, everything just seemed to be taken much more seriously than before. I actually quite enjoyed Be Prepared, while it wasn't really sung it probably plays better to Chiwetel Ejiofor's strengths done this way. The really dubious addition was the song "Spirit" by Beyoncé. It was barely included and if it was in there more then it really didn't stick out. The only bit I noticed was "spirit, spirit" being bellowed randomly. I've watched the video and full song on YouTube since the film, I can only assume that it's an attempt at best original song awards but I don't think it has that goosebump impact that Disney epics should. Those high notes should probably be left to Mariah.
It's difficult to know just how much my enjoyment of the original affected my feelings about the new one. It's not one that I grew up with, I rewatched it recently for what may have been the first time. Lion King is very much one of the Disney classics you can be aware of even without seeing it, that's the power of Disney.
Remaking a film as "live-action" when there's no human cast seems like the wrong choice to me. The realistic CGI will only work up to a point when you're trying to make animals speak. The films itself is still spectacular, and there are some amazing pieces of animation to see (I do love baby Simba, he's so cute), but I'm of the opinion that if it ain't broke don't fix it. When you look at it overall the voice cast isn't any better than the original, neither are the songs, with it being so incredibly similar with only the animation style being the major twist I'm left underwhelmed by the final cut.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-lion-king-movie-review.html
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Manchester by the Sea (2016) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
Wow! I’d heard all about the Oscar hype surrounding this film but to be honest, while I thought I would be seeing a solid and well-made indie film, I went into it without great expectations of having an ‘enjoyable’ time: the trailer had “angst” written all over it. And – sure – it is emotional and harrowing in places. However, I was completely knocked out by the depth, the intelligence and the humour of this masterpiece.
‘Family troubles’ is a common trope for the movies, and I was strongly reminded at times in watching this movie of a multi-Oscar winning classic of my youth: Robert Redford’s “Ordinary People” back in 1980. In that film the relationship between parents (Mary Tyler-Moore and Donald Sutherland) and their teenage son (Timothy Hutton) is rocked by the accidental death of another family member. Similarly, in “Manchester by the Sea” a drifting handyman Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck, “Triple 9“, “Interstellar“) gets the shocking news that his only brother Joe (Kyle Chandler, “The Wolf of Wall Street“) has suddenly passed away, leaving behind a mid-teens son Patrick (Lucas Hedges) with no-one to look after him.
With the other option being an unstable and ex-alcoholic mother Elise (Gretchen Mol) – now divorced and living in a strictly pious household with new husband Jeffrey (Matthew Broderick) – Joe has legally plumped for naming Lee as the boy’s guardian. This is much to Lee’s surprise and annoyance. For Lee is a man-adrift: an antisocial loner with a very short fuse. Having any sort of responsibility is not in his game plan.
With the ground too frozen to bury his brother, Lee is forced to remain in Manchester-by-the-Sea for a few weeks: a town he can’t stand and a town that, for some reason, can’t stand him. Can Lee’s attitude be softened by his lively and over-sexed nephew? Or will he just continue his emotional and social decline towards a gutter and a brown-bag?
Where this film surprises – with a strong kick to the gut – is that while I have described the high-level story in the paragraphs above that the trailer depicts, there is a whole other dimension to the tale that is hidden and truly astonishing. No spoilers, but if you are not shocked and moved by it, then you need your humanity chip reset.
Casey Affleck is Oscar-nominated now for Best Actor and I would love to see him win for this. I had a real go at his brother, Ben, for a lack of facial variation in his performance in “Live By Night“. Here, while Casey has a similar dour and pretty rigid demeanour, his performance is chalk-and-cheese compared to Ben. He channels a shut-down rage in his eyes that is both haunting and disturbing in equal measure.
Young Lucas Hedges – overlooked by the BAFTAs (he is in the “Rising Star” category) but yesterday nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar – is equally strong, burying his teenage grief in guitars, sex and smart phones in a highly believable way.
Supporting roles are equally strong, with Michelle Williams – albeit only having limited screen time – delivering truly memorable scenes, notably the street encounter with Lee (as featured on the poster) which is electrifying. She is also Oscar nominated for the role.
What really makes these performances shine is the elegant directing by Kenneth Lonergan, better known for his screenplays on films like “Analyze This” and “Gangs of New York”. He gives the actors time… lots of time. A typical example is when young Patrick walks into Lee’s bedroom and stares at some photos on his bedside table before walking on. It must be a good 20 to 30 seconds used, but time really well spent. The film spectacularly uses flash-backs to great effect, with the only visual notification that you are in a different time-zone being the living and breathing appearance of Joe in the shot.
Lonergan also writes the screenplay, and I mentioned in my introduction the humour used. There are some outright belly laughs in this film, which feels incongruous with the morbid subject matter but which also feels guiltily appropriate (we’ve all surely had an experience where a tense funeral mood is lightened by an uncle loudly farting at the back of the church, or similar!).
Manchester-by-the-Sea is a picturesque place in Massachusetts, and the camera work by Jody Lee Lipes (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”, “Trainwreck”) lovingly makes use of that. There is incredibly crisp focus, with the opening boat scene looks like it is hyper-HD.
This is a truly stunning film, and one that will live with me for many years to come. For that reason it receives my highest accolade together with my best wishes for success at the forthcoming Oscars. If you haven’t yet, go see it.
‘Family troubles’ is a common trope for the movies, and I was strongly reminded at times in watching this movie of a multi-Oscar winning classic of my youth: Robert Redford’s “Ordinary People” back in 1980. In that film the relationship between parents (Mary Tyler-Moore and Donald Sutherland) and their teenage son (Timothy Hutton) is rocked by the accidental death of another family member. Similarly, in “Manchester by the Sea” a drifting handyman Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck, “Triple 9“, “Interstellar“) gets the shocking news that his only brother Joe (Kyle Chandler, “The Wolf of Wall Street“) has suddenly passed away, leaving behind a mid-teens son Patrick (Lucas Hedges) with no-one to look after him.
With the other option being an unstable and ex-alcoholic mother Elise (Gretchen Mol) – now divorced and living in a strictly pious household with new husband Jeffrey (Matthew Broderick) – Joe has legally plumped for naming Lee as the boy’s guardian. This is much to Lee’s surprise and annoyance. For Lee is a man-adrift: an antisocial loner with a very short fuse. Having any sort of responsibility is not in his game plan.
With the ground too frozen to bury his brother, Lee is forced to remain in Manchester-by-the-Sea for a few weeks: a town he can’t stand and a town that, for some reason, can’t stand him. Can Lee’s attitude be softened by his lively and over-sexed nephew? Or will he just continue his emotional and social decline towards a gutter and a brown-bag?
Where this film surprises – with a strong kick to the gut – is that while I have described the high-level story in the paragraphs above that the trailer depicts, there is a whole other dimension to the tale that is hidden and truly astonishing. No spoilers, but if you are not shocked and moved by it, then you need your humanity chip reset.
Casey Affleck is Oscar-nominated now for Best Actor and I would love to see him win for this. I had a real go at his brother, Ben, for a lack of facial variation in his performance in “Live By Night“. Here, while Casey has a similar dour and pretty rigid demeanour, his performance is chalk-and-cheese compared to Ben. He channels a shut-down rage in his eyes that is both haunting and disturbing in equal measure.
Young Lucas Hedges – overlooked by the BAFTAs (he is in the “Rising Star” category) but yesterday nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar – is equally strong, burying his teenage grief in guitars, sex and smart phones in a highly believable way.
Supporting roles are equally strong, with Michelle Williams – albeit only having limited screen time – delivering truly memorable scenes, notably the street encounter with Lee (as featured on the poster) which is electrifying. She is also Oscar nominated for the role.
What really makes these performances shine is the elegant directing by Kenneth Lonergan, better known for his screenplays on films like “Analyze This” and “Gangs of New York”. He gives the actors time… lots of time. A typical example is when young Patrick walks into Lee’s bedroom and stares at some photos on his bedside table before walking on. It must be a good 20 to 30 seconds used, but time really well spent. The film spectacularly uses flash-backs to great effect, with the only visual notification that you are in a different time-zone being the living and breathing appearance of Joe in the shot.
Lonergan also writes the screenplay, and I mentioned in my introduction the humour used. There are some outright belly laughs in this film, which feels incongruous with the morbid subject matter but which also feels guiltily appropriate (we’ve all surely had an experience where a tense funeral mood is lightened by an uncle loudly farting at the back of the church, or similar!).
Manchester-by-the-Sea is a picturesque place in Massachusetts, and the camera work by Jody Lee Lipes (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”, “Trainwreck”) lovingly makes use of that. There is incredibly crisp focus, with the opening boat scene looks like it is hyper-HD.
This is a truly stunning film, and one that will live with me for many years to come. For that reason it receives my highest accolade together with my best wishes for success at the forthcoming Oscars. If you haven’t yet, go see it.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Jekel Loves Hyde in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey
Genre: Young Adult
ISBN:9780152063900
Rating: 4
Using their last names –and a mysterious box of notes in her dad's office—to their advantage, Jill Jekel and Tristen Hyde attempt to recreate the formula from the classic novel for a science competition. Tristen is becoming lost inside his other half, and knows that the formula is the only way to save himself… and Jill, since the beast wants to kill her. We've all heard about the kiss that alters your soul, but when Jill accidently consumes a little bit of a formula, things… change.
I read this book in one sitting. Even for a bookaholic like myself, I generally don't have that much patience.
There were a few things about Jekel Loves Hyde that really stuck out for me: One of them was happy-land syndrome. If you've never heard me refer to it before, it's where everything works out just perfect for the character's advantage, nobody argues, and everyone forgives each other. Jekel Loves Hyde did not have happy-land syndrome. The relationship was a rollercoaster, the plot was very complex, and things didn't always work out ideally. It made the story realistic and believable. I think if everything had worked out ideally it would have been to ridiculous to read.
Another thing was the plot. It was very twisted and complicated, and never ceased to surprise me. I had no idea what to expect from this book when I first started reading it, and that continued all through the book. From the very beginning, I knew the characters were keeping secrets from me, which compelled me to continue reading until 2 :00 AM (literally).
Some of the characters I thought I liked, but as the story went on I discovered what kind of people they really were, and I began to dislike them a lot. The main characters, Jill and Tristen, I liked. I can't say I "liked" their relationship though the story, because as I mentioned earlier, it wasn't always pretty. There were some pretty serious downfalls, but then again some pretty wonderful uprisings.
As far as the writing, it was decent but there were some fragments that were scattered throughout that were disappointing. Between the great plot, the characters, and the enjoyment, the mediocrity doesn't stand out too bad.
The end was great. It answered my questions, and gave a definite conclusion to their relationship—that I liked! Maybe it's the way I've been raised, but when the hero and the heroine's story ends with them only dating, I feel like the story can't be over. Ending with them engaged, her mother no longer off the deep end, and the "bad guy" gone forever, was pretty much perfect.
Content: sexual references, some language.
Recommendation: Ages 16+
Genre: Young Adult
ISBN:9780152063900
Rating: 4
Using their last names –and a mysterious box of notes in her dad's office—to their advantage, Jill Jekel and Tristen Hyde attempt to recreate the formula from the classic novel for a science competition. Tristen is becoming lost inside his other half, and knows that the formula is the only way to save himself… and Jill, since the beast wants to kill her. We've all heard about the kiss that alters your soul, but when Jill accidently consumes a little bit of a formula, things… change.
I read this book in one sitting. Even for a bookaholic like myself, I generally don't have that much patience.
There were a few things about Jekel Loves Hyde that really stuck out for me: One of them was happy-land syndrome. If you've never heard me refer to it before, it's where everything works out just perfect for the character's advantage, nobody argues, and everyone forgives each other. Jekel Loves Hyde did not have happy-land syndrome. The relationship was a rollercoaster, the plot was very complex, and things didn't always work out ideally. It made the story realistic and believable. I think if everything had worked out ideally it would have been to ridiculous to read.
Another thing was the plot. It was very twisted and complicated, and never ceased to surprise me. I had no idea what to expect from this book when I first started reading it, and that continued all through the book. From the very beginning, I knew the characters were keeping secrets from me, which compelled me to continue reading until 2 :00 AM (literally).
Some of the characters I thought I liked, but as the story went on I discovered what kind of people they really were, and I began to dislike them a lot. The main characters, Jill and Tristen, I liked. I can't say I "liked" their relationship though the story, because as I mentioned earlier, it wasn't always pretty. There were some pretty serious downfalls, but then again some pretty wonderful uprisings.
As far as the writing, it was decent but there were some fragments that were scattered throughout that were disappointing. Between the great plot, the characters, and the enjoyment, the mediocrity doesn't stand out too bad.
The end was great. It answered my questions, and gave a definite conclusion to their relationship—that I liked! Maybe it's the way I've been raised, but when the hero and the heroine's story ends with them only dating, I feel like the story can't be over. Ending with them engaged, her mother no longer off the deep end, and the "bad guy" gone forever, was pretty much perfect.
Content: sexual references, some language.
Recommendation: Ages 16+