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A-1 Headline (2004)

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Movie

Ling is a fashion columnist whose ex-boyfriend died in a car accident. Debt collectors Fei and Ma...

Phone (2002)

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Movie

Investigative reporter Ji-won begins to receive a series of menacing calls. To escape the terrifying...

White Settlers (2014)

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Movie

It's Ed and Sarah's first night in their new home, a perfect farmhouse in the country. A new...

The Blackcoat's Daughter (February) (2015)

5.8 (6 Ratings) Rate It

Movie Watch

During the dead of winter, a troubled young woman (Emma Roberts) embarks on a mysterious journey to...

Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Family Upstairs in Books

Jan 13, 2020

The Family Upstairs

Lisa Jewell | 2019 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller

8.6

(9 Ratings)

Book Rating

‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Although I marked several of Lisa Jewell's works "want to read", I never got around to picking up one of her books. I was excited to be given the opportunity to review her latest, "The Family Upstairs".

As of 12/3/19, it has a 4.05 out of 5 with almost 14,000 ratings. Maybe it was due to my wanting to read her books for years or the high rating but to say I was disappointed would be an understatement.

It is billed as a mystery/thriller. I may have enjoyed it if I had just considered it as a work of fiction, without the mystery/thriller label. I did not connect with the characters or with the story. I think this is mostly because I kept waiting for the mystery/thriller to begin.

The book itself was a quick read. Some reviewers had difficulty keeping track of the characters and the timeline. I did not and thought was easy to keep track.

I know most of this review is not exactly positive but I still plan to read another book by Lisa Jewell. I hope it was just this book I did not connect with and not the author.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 1/12/20.

Kudos

BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Red Sparrow (2018) in Movies

Mar 3, 2018

Red Sparrow (2018)

2018 | Mystery, Thriller

6.8

(52 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

A Sexy spy thriller that would have been better without the SEXY

The new Jennifer Lawrence spy thriller RED SPARROW is being advertised as a "sexy" thriller, and if you watch the trailers for it, you would think it was a Jason Bourne/Mission Impossible-type of action thriller - with "sexy" action - and you would be misled and disappointed.

For, RED SPARROW, is a sexy, intelligent, inner-workings, "out-smart-the-other-guy" type of spy thriller in more of the mode of a John LeCarre novel (like TINKER, TAILOR, SOLIDER, SPY). It does have some action and some GRAPHIC torture scenes, but I would not classify it as an action film, so those looking for that will be bored.

RED SPARROW follows the tale of Bolshoi Ballet Prima Ballerina, Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence) who, after an accident ends her ballet career, is drawn into the deadly world of International Intelligence by her Uncle and must her her body as well as her mind to survive.

This is billed - and shot - as a "sexy" thriller with "SEXY" being the primary driving force - and that is too bad, for I found the sex and nudity to be gratuitous and didn't really drive the narrative forward. When the film stopped focusing on this aspect and focused on the mystery - and misdirection - at hand and Dominika's ability to outsmart and outhink those around her, that the film really catches it's footing and is quite good.

Unfortunately, you have to sit through the first 1/2 of this film - the training portion - and that is filled with gratuitous sex and sexual conquest and using your sex to disarm the enemy. It's an unfortunate choice that almost took me out of the movie, so when the (really) good second half of the film came about, I was surprised by it.

But if you can get through that, you'll be rewarded by a pretty good, pretty smart, pretty INTELLIGENT thriller.

Letter Grade: B (C for the 1st half, A for the 2nd half)

7 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)

Kudos

Elli H Burton (1288 KP) rated Killing Eve - Season 1 in TV

Aug 9, 2019

It's such a mystery!! (0 more)

Wait, What?!

If a thriller, murder mystery type thing is what you like then this is for you. It's absolutely mental and I love it. Jodie Comer is bloody fantastic!! I've seen her in my mad fat diary and I liked her in that but this just shows how awesome she is at what she does. I have never seen Sandra Oh in anything before but her performance has encouraged me to seek out more of her work.
DEFO WATCH.

Kudos

Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Day of Secrets in Books

Feb 21, 2018

Day of Secrets

Daryl Wood Gerber | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Chase Day grew up believing that his mother was dead. When he is surprised by a call from her one evening, he rushes to meet her only to find that she has been shot. As if all of that werent enough of a shock, his mother asks him to find the father who he has never known. Following along with Chase as he searches for his father and tries to figure out why his family is being targeted was a non-stop adventure. I ran through this fast-paced story in one sitting, and Im already looking forward to the next thriller from Daryl Wood Gerber.

Daryl Wood Gerber also writes the Cookbook Nook Mystery series and as Avery Aames, the Cheeseshop Mystery series - this is her second stand-alone thriller.

NOTE: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.