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Ross (3284 KP) rated Resistance in Books

Sep 20, 2018  
Resistance
Resistance
Mikhaeyla Kopievsky | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
A dystopian sci-fi tale in which people ("elementals") are split into 4 classes (air - artistic types, water - scientific types, fire - law-enforcing types, and earth - working class grunts) with a strict set of rules and beliefs to be followed. Any attempt to betray these rules would result in swift punishment by the peacekeepers.
Anaiya, one such peacekeeper, is tasked with finding and infiltrating a group of rebels who have started painting the word "resistance" on walls. In order to infiltrate them, she has to undergo a new untested treatment that tries to change her class from fire to air. Thereafter the tale is a pretty standard one of intrigue, plotting and red herrings.
For me the ideas behind the world were interesting, but not very well explained or explored early on. I realise with a book like this any attempt to do so would jar with the atmosphere it is trying to get at, but there are ways to deliver the information needed.
The storyline was pretty much paper-thin and sacrificed in order to have some lengthy, overly descriptive poetic narrative (for example at least 6 pages of the book is devoted to blow by blow accounts of pool matches). The supposed revelation at the end was such an obvious anti-climax as to be ridiculous. I took it to be a symbol of how Anaiya's treatment warped her judgement of who the main suspect is, but it was delivered as a big revelation.
The use of technology in sci-fi always annoys me - new tech that is not described and overly used, with a ridiculous name (a wristplate that can immediately tell you what substances are in your blood as well as heart rate etc, and also be used to download music, play music, communicate, pay for things etc etc).
Similarly, the plot to reveal the head of the resistance hinged on the use of some new technology invented by a member of the resistance itself. This was so flimsy as to be laughable. Also, the fact that a heavy-handed police force like the peacekeepers would look for such tenuous proof of the leadership of the resistance before acting is just plain wrong. The first few chapters, and some of the conversations Anaiya has after her change, serve to show how heavy-handed they are, and any hint of someone's involvement in such treasonous activity would result in swift action.
Overall, the book is atmospheric and interesting but quite badly executed.
And the word "trajectory" is massively overused and at times wrongly used.
  
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Pat Healy recommended Army of Shadows (L'Armée des ombres) (1969) in Movies (curated)

 
Army of Shadows (L'Armée des ombres) (1969)
Army of Shadows (L'Armée des ombres) (1969)
1969 | International, Drama
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Jean Pierre-Melville was the undisputed master of the French crime drama. Here he turns his gaze on the French Resistance during World War II (of which he himself was a member) in an entirely unsentimental, unflinching portrait. It not only de-romanticizes the movement with its rigorous and austere account of the day-to-day operations in this gray world, it also indicts it. For all the good the Resistance did, its members were only human: prone to betrayal and petty revenge. The movie is so specific in its regard of the loneliness and fear of these operatives, whose everyday lives alternate between boredom and peril. Unreleased in this country for thirty-seven years, the film was an absolute revelation to me when I saw it upon its release in 2006. Already a major fan of Melville’s crime films, I loved how this one both expands and distills his unique technical skills and his ability to tap into his characters’ emotional states. What emerges is something both complex in design and deeply personal. Casablanca it is not. Melville shows us the inner workings of something so intricate and important while also asking us whether the ends truly justify the means."

Source
  
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Rhubarbio (27 KP) rated Coup in Tabletop Games

May 25, 2019  
Coup
Coup
2012 | Bluff, Card Game, Deduction, Party Game, Political
6
8.0 (21 Ratings)
Tabletop Game Rating
Fast game (0 more)
No longevity (1 more)
Boring if you can't think on your feet.
Coup, along with other bluffing games such as the Resistance, have been very popular games for groups, as they do not require much of an introduction and people can play a game pretty quickly. Whilst I appreciate people may love this game, it does have flaws. Unlike Resistance, each player plays the game solo and therefore cannot hide behind the logic of others. This game requires you to input at every step of the way and, if you're trying to bluff, you must always stay ahead and remember how other people have played, which can be uncomfortable and lead to player elimination. For those who are not too quick with their responses or have a poor poker face, this game is frustrating and will lead to elimination...which in turn is not great for the remaining players as this reduces the staying power of the game. Whilst I enjoyed playing this game a handful of times, none of my friends want to play it any more. We prefer the Resistance:Avalon for our bluffing fix.
  
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Stuart Cooper recommended Ashes and Diamonds (1958) in Movies (curated)

 
Ashes and Diamonds (1958)
Ashes and Diamonds (1958)
1958 | Drama, Romance, War
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Andrzej Wajda’s films had an enormous influence on me as I began writing and directing. I had lunch with him at the National Film Theatre in London, after he had just made Everything for Sale, a film I loved. It was Wajda’s tribute to Zbigniew Cybulski, his friend and the star of Ashes and Diamonds, who died young. In Ashes, Cybulski plays a resistance fighter stranded by a sellout peace. His broodiness and manner seemed to mourn James Dean."

Source