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Julianne Moore recommended Raveling in Books (curated)

 
Raveling
Raveling
Peter Moore Smith | 2001 | Fiction & Poetry, Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences, Thriller
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"My brother wrote this book — I had to put it on my list. It's a thriller, but it's also about the disintegration of a family and the ways in which our desire to protect one another can be destructive. I always thought writers were the bravest people, because they seemed to reveal so much of themselves in their work. My brother gave me an understanding of the process. He can take his experience and turn it 190 degrees, and it becomes something else, which is what I do with acting. He's made the art of writing not as foreign to me. I'm still so impressed by people who can create certain feelings on a page, but it was a revelation to see that what my brother and I do is, in a way, not so different."

Source
  
The Killing Kind
The Killing Kind
Jane Casey | 2021 | Crime, Thriller
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Killing Kind is a gripping psychological thriller packed full of suspense. I didn’t know who to trust - even the main character, a barrister, is pretty unreliable. It’s hard to put a finger on who the bad guys are: it’s not black and white, but shades of grey. So this is a book that will keep you guessing from start to finish.

It’s always interesting when the character you’re not supposed to like (in this case it’s John Webster, a stalker amongst other things) is more likeable than Ingrid, the main character. And the police don’t seem to be much better.

I really enjoyed this - it’s the second Jane Casey book I’ve read, and I doubt it’ll be the last. If you like psychological thrillers, you’ll love this!

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this 😊
  
The Yards (2000)
The Yards (2000)
2000 | Drama
5
5.7 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
For Family
The Yards- is a decent crime drama thriller with a good cast. I think the cast is good, just needed a bit more crime and thrills. Needed that action. Thats this movies down-side that it doesnt have enough of crime, thrills and action. Its also slow and takes it time.

The plot: After serving time in prison for taking the fall for a group of his friends, Leo just wants to get his life back on track. So he goes to the one place he thinks will be safe -- home. There he takes a new job with his highly connected and influential uncle. But in the yards, where his uncle now pulls the strings, safe is not how they do business. Unwittingly, he's drawn into a world of sabotage, high stakes payoffs and even murder.

Its okay.
  
All the President's Men (1976)
All the President's Men (1976)
1976 | Classics, Drama, History
Superior movie that still sets the gold standard for recent-fact-based-drama and heroic-journalists-investigate-corruption movies. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein are assigned to what looks like just a weird break-in at the Watergate offices of the Democratic party, but discover a trail that ultimately incriminates some very big names indeed.

Proof that you can make a gripping thriller without actually including a single car chase or fist-fight; much of the film is people on the telephone making notes, but it's still a captivating story. Solid performances, decent structure, perhaps lacks a big climax, but you can see its influence on many other acclaimed films since (The Post and Spotlight are cut from the same cloth, and in the former case features some of the same figures). And yet Rocky still won the Oscar. Conspiracy!!!
  
The Untouchables (1987)
The Untouchables (1987)
1987 | Action, Drama
Top-notch gangster drama from Brian de Palma. Idealistic government agent Eliot Ness (Costner) sets out to bring gangster Al Capone (de Niro) to justice, but is he prepared to do what it takes? Veteran street cop Malone (Connery) isn't so sure.

Glossy studio film-making at its most accomplished, with a smart script, strong performances, stylish direction, great action sequences and a fabulous Morricone soundtrack that effortlessly draws you in and leads you through the movie. One is tempted to knock a point off for Connery's attempt at an Irish accent, but this is one of his best performances, and deservedly got him his Oscar - but Costner is very nearly as good in a less showy role. Point added anyway for being a Hollywood action thriller that includes an homage to Sergei Eisenstein. Great stuff.
  
The Family Upstairs
The Family Upstairs
Lisa Jewell | 2019 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
8
8.6 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
A compelling, creepy and riveting read from start to finish.

When Libby hits her 25th birthday, she inherits a house in Chelsea with a very dark past. Gradually, you begin to learn of that past with the use of different time periods and different character viewpoints. I admit that at first this took a while to get my head around but it does fall into place and works extremely well.

The story is gripping and dark; the characters are well developed, interesting and authentically flawed; the writing is easy to read and set at a good pace and the mystery elements are perfectly formed.

I would most definitely recommend this to people who love a good psychological thriller and want to thank Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated Wild Card (2015) in Movies

Jul 30, 2020  
Wild Card (2015)
Wild Card (2015)
2015 | Action, Drama
7
6.0 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Better-than-you'd-expect crime drama built around the closest thing to an actual acting performance Jason Statham has ever given. Statham plays the usual honourable but dangerous leg-breaker, but on this occasion the focus is more on who he is and why he does what he does than the incidentals of the plot.

That said, the script is sympathetically written (Statham doesn't have to cry or emote too much) and he's well-supported by a bunch of other people. There aren't as many action sequences as usual, but when they do come along they are top bracket. In the end it's an interesting combination of character study and violent thriller; my fondness for J-Stat may factor into why I found it fairly agreeable, though. An interesting change of pace for Mr S if nothing else.