![40x40](/uploads/profile_image/6ed/62fdc927-bb07-4c5f-b081-880691be96ed.jpg?m=1600877165)
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Gallowstree Lane (Collins and Griffiths #3) in Books
Sep 24, 2020
So, a little about the characters, Lizzie is a single mother, who got pregnant after the affair with a fellow detective, who was married. Lizzie is trying her best to do her job like everybody else, but she is struggling. I really liked that the author analyzed childcare issues in this book, and how difficult is to be a mother, who wants to work and take care of her baby by her self. On the other hand, I have very strong negative emotions about her involvement with a married man in the first place, and that is what made her and Kieran (the married detective) my least favourite characters in this book.
Sarah Collins is a very determined detective, who knows how to get the stuff done. I really liked her as a character, it is visible that she loves the job and is very good at it. Kate London chose the characters very well for this novel. They are diverse, believable and very intriguing. I was very curious to read Ryan’s thoughts, he is a fifteen-year-old drug dealer, who’s friend gets stabbed. I am curious, how much actual truth was in Ryan’s thoughts compared to real life youth who act like “wannabe gangsters”. I can see that the author used her experience at the police very well, the procedures, places, the criminal mind looks very realistically portrayed in this book.
I think this book is more character orientated, the plot is intriguing, but the character’s thoughts and their lives are more absorbing than the plot itself. The plot is quite fast-paced and filled with a lot of findings, and I really enjoyed the whole investigation experience. The author analyses very important topics in this book, such as teenage criminals, knife crime, gangs and their war for territory, prostitution, drug addictions, childcare issues for working single mothers etc.
I really liked the writing style of this book, the whole book feels gloomy and intense, but at the same time, it is a very pleasant read. The setting continuously changes, depending on the character. The chapters have a very decent length and didn’t leave me bored. The ending was quite unexpected but rounded up this book quite well. So, to conclude, this is a very realistic and believable novel about teenage criminals and police work, filled with very amusing characters, and twisty plot. I learned a lot of interesting information and thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially the topics discussed in this novel. I strongly recommend this book to all, but especially to anyone living in London, I hope you will like it as much as I did.
![40x40](/uploads/profile_image/03e/fbefead5-def3-4cb7-aa08-36f6275e603e.jpg?m=1563191974)
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) in Movies
Oct 6, 2020
In my review of Cloverfield I stated that it wasn't necessarily the film for Kaiju fans, especially if you want monster vs monster action and this is even more true for 10 Cloverfield Lane. This is not a monster film it's more a phycological thriller.
After leaving her home Michelle is in a car crash and wakes up in a bunker belonging to survivalist Howard. The only other person in the bunker is Howards neighbour, Emmett.
10 Cloverfield Lane is a slow burn, Howard tells Michelle that there has been an attack and that she can't leave because the air is probably contaminated, Michelle is not sure if this is true. And this is where the film is clever, if you know about the connection to the first Cloverfield film then you know that there could be something out there but that it may not be contamination, if you don't know about the connection then the attack could be possible. It's John Goodman's acting as Howard that really pulls the film along, sometimes he seems believable whilst other times he seems crazy never quite revealing just how much he actually knows, right down to his last line where he tells Michelle that she can't out run what is out there, hinting that he knows what is really going on.
It's the end of the film that (kind of) links 10 Cloverfield Lane to Cloverfield but still possibly not the part you'd think. When Michelle finally gets out of the bunker she is attacked by monsters but nothing we've seen before, there is a four legged dog type thing that is not one of the parasites from the first film and what at first looks like a space ship (an idea that is further enhanced by something Howard had said earlier) but we later see that it is a creature with a mechanical looking shell, this creature also has two tentacles similar to those on Clover. The biggest link to the first film is actually after these creatures, there are radio announcements that 'we have taken back the coast' referring to the fact that we the army have defeated Clover, showing us how much time has past.
As I said, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a good thriller, if you take it for what it is (not a monster film) then it is tense and enjoyable but, if you don't know about the link then the monsters at the end would be just odd as, if it was a stand alone film, it would work better as an invasion, even if it was an alien invasion where as these monsters do just seem to be there.
As an attempt to create a larger world and to show how the events in the first film affect other places it's a good start but there needs to more. Of course there is a third film but more about that next time.
![40x40](/uploads/profile_image/3bd/155d7350-44cd-4b62-b5bd-b51bc41463bd.jpg?m=1559689571)
James P. Sumner (65 KP) rated The Informer (2019) in Movies
Sep 10, 2019
Joel Kinnaman plays Pete Koslow, an ex-con that we soon discover is working undercover for the FBI to help take down a mob boss in New York City. Not much is known (or, frustratingly, revealed) about Koslow's backstory, but Kinnaman plays the part very well. It's not as in-depth as maybe it could've been, but his personal arc is a fresh and original spin on a tried-and-tested formula, and it is, at times, compelling to watch.
Needless to say, Koslow's arrangement with the FBI goes sour before too long, and he's left alone in prison with multiple groups of enemies with their own agendas trying to kill him. The second half of the film, where the twists and turns and clever plotting flows more freely, reminded me of Will Smith's "Enemy of the State" and Liam Neeson's "A Walk Among The Tombstones", in terms of the complex approach and execution to resolving a seemingly inescapable situation.
The story was told to great effect, with the gritty tone and the deliberate pacing perfectly suiting this competent thriller.
Ana de Armas is terrific as Koslow's long-suffering and admiringly-loyal partner, Sofia. She has a look of naivety and innocence throughout, with her perma-watering wide eyes and youthful good looks, yet she is as tough as they come and the perfect match for Kinnaman's lead.
Clive Owen also deserves a mention for another consistent performance, despite him being woefully underused here. He steals every scene he's in, playing a menacing background antagonist incredibly well.
For me, this movie was let down by two things. First, its ending, which felt sudden and rushed, as if it stopped mid-sentence. It's not the kind of film that warrants a sequel, nor was it, I imagine, made with the intention of one. So to leave so many questions unanswered serves little purpose and ultimately leaves you disappointed after what was otherwise a very, very clever film.
Secondly, Rosamund Pike's performance left a lot to be desired. Because of her outstanding lack of on-screen charisma, you never truly connect with her character, Agent Wilcox. Her handling of Koslow's operation felt hollow. She showed no emotional range whatsoever, and wore the same expression throughout the entire film. Consequently, the journey of her character and the impact her decisions have on both other people, and the movie's eventual outcome, felt empty and pointless.
Despite that, this is a real hidden gem. As I noted earlier, this wasn't what you would call a "big" release. It came out under the radar and, as a result, was the subject of very few expectations. But what you have here is an intelligent thriller that provides an original take on a typical storyline that delivers in almost every way it intended to.
This is the film you stream off Netflix on a Friday night while eating a takeaway after a hard week at work.
![Notes Writer+ Pro](/uploads/profile_image/0e4/4ed40a02-8d02-44d6-8e38-7363301f70e4.jpg?m=1522354095)
Notes Writer+ Pro
Productivity and Business
App
NEW UPDATE! +100 NEW FEATURES! Type, handwrite, annotate, draw, highlight, scan & record notes and...
![Notes Writer](/uploads/profile_image/a18/436061db-5ef6-492f-a13d-73b617dfda18.jpg?m=1522334248)
Notes Writer
Productivity and Education
App
NEW MAJOR UPDATE! +100 NEW FEATURES! Type, handwrite, annotate, draw, highlight, scan & record...
![PhotoBuddy](/uploads/profile_image/a48/3dccf5cf-290e-4840-9096-5e1f69240a48.jpg?m=1522359672)
PhotoBuddy
Photo & Video and Utilities
App
PhotoBuddy - your personal assistant in all photographic matters - was in your pocket from the very...
![Extreme Agenda](/uploads/profile_image/c49/c169e6f4-0028-46d0-b380-c3802194fc49.jpg?m=1522330355)
Extreme Agenda
Business and Productivity
App
NEW VERSION 5.0 • SEPTEMBER 2016! Premium class organization. Extreme Agenda is your planner...
![Book Keeper Accounting](/uploads/profile_image/d6b/b4795e2b-a835-44c7-92f0-d10e7ae0ed6b.jpg?m=1522323609)
Book Keeper Accounting
Business and Finance
App
Book Keeper Accounting is a financial/business accounting app for small and medium businesses....
![Simionic Simulator for Garmin G1000 (PFD)](/uploads/profile_image/5a8/d4872485-8c39-4114-aa9c-6df1bf2665a8.jpg?m=1522322986)
Simionic Simulator for Garmin G1000 (PFD)
Games and Education
App
Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xePnu3MsBQ IMPORTANT NOTICE: 1. This app...