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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Hope Gap (2020) in Movies
Mar 8, 2020
When picking things to watch at the London Film Festival the criteria was simple... read the synopsis and choose from that. If I got bogged down in anything more I was going to miss things that could have been "hidden gems", my list would also have been never-ending... but when you spot Annette Bening and Bill Nighy in a film together you can't say no really.
Edward and Grace have been married for 29 years but the humdrum living has become too monotonous, for Edward at least. He's felt like his life needs something different for a while, knowing that Grace will react badly he invites their son to aid in his plan to leave, but he too is in the dark about what on the cards for his visit.
I was keen to enjoy this one but I think sadly the film doesn't hit all the right notes. The set up of Edward (Nighy) and Grace (Bening) in the house together perfectly reflects their relationship. Everything is together and yet they're separate. They work in different rooms, their backs to each other and while they acknowledge each other and interact it's more habit than anything else.
I'm not the best at picking up subtle things when watching films the first time around, but I noted down a couple of times that there seemed to be a lot of colour coordination. Both main characters seemed to match with parts of the house and yet those colours never seemed to cross together at any time... one of the perils od not being able to rewind a film to check is that I'm left wondering if I actually saw something or not. Perhaps I imagined it! The similarities also extended to their son Jamie and his room... according to my unverifiable notes.
I thought that Josh O'Connor and Bill Nighy had a great dynamic together, their characters share many "inherited" traits together and that played out well on screen. Annette Bening's performance was strong at times and you could definitely see the progression clearly in Grace... but...
With those good touches came a lethargic pace. The laid back sense of the whole film with just Grace as the energetic feature was a struggle to watch. I can see that it could be exactly how it would happen in reality but that doesn't mean it will work on film when you aren't invested in the parties involved.
Hope Gap touches on some strong points but never seems to address them very directly. I'm not sure I can see another way that this would have jumped off the screen, in my head it feels more suited for the intimate setting of a theatre.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/03/hope-gap-movie-review.html
Edward and Grace have been married for 29 years but the humdrum living has become too monotonous, for Edward at least. He's felt like his life needs something different for a while, knowing that Grace will react badly he invites their son to aid in his plan to leave, but he too is in the dark about what on the cards for his visit.
I was keen to enjoy this one but I think sadly the film doesn't hit all the right notes. The set up of Edward (Nighy) and Grace (Bening) in the house together perfectly reflects their relationship. Everything is together and yet they're separate. They work in different rooms, their backs to each other and while they acknowledge each other and interact it's more habit than anything else.
I'm not the best at picking up subtle things when watching films the first time around, but I noted down a couple of times that there seemed to be a lot of colour coordination. Both main characters seemed to match with parts of the house and yet those colours never seemed to cross together at any time... one of the perils od not being able to rewind a film to check is that I'm left wondering if I actually saw something or not. Perhaps I imagined it! The similarities also extended to their son Jamie and his room... according to my unverifiable notes.
I thought that Josh O'Connor and Bill Nighy had a great dynamic together, their characters share many "inherited" traits together and that played out well on screen. Annette Bening's performance was strong at times and you could definitely see the progression clearly in Grace... but...
With those good touches came a lethargic pace. The laid back sense of the whole film with just Grace as the energetic feature was a struggle to watch. I can see that it could be exactly how it would happen in reality but that doesn't mean it will work on film when you aren't invested in the parties involved.
Hope Gap touches on some strong points but never seems to address them very directly. I'm not sure I can see another way that this would have jumped off the screen, in my head it feels more suited for the intimate setting of a theatre.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/03/hope-gap-movie-review.html
Nikki Allegretti (6 KP) rated Empire of Storms in Books
Oct 13, 2017
Where is my wife?
Rowan and Aelin are beautiful together. Too many things happen in this novel and it was amazing.
Each time I start Maas's books I forget how emotionally invested I get. She is amazing and her books are amazing. This novel is dark and beautiful. I cried and had to explain to my mom what she got into by starting Throne of Glass.
Each time I start Maas's books I forget how emotionally invested I get. She is amazing and her books are amazing. This novel is dark and beautiful. I cried and had to explain to my mom what she got into by starting Throne of Glass.
GameCritics (290 KP) rated The Witness in Video Games
Oct 20, 2017
Solve enough puzzles in each area and you’ll get confirmation that you’re closer to the end, a climax that brings together everything you’ve learned. Those disappointed by a reward of further tasks ought to look at other video games
Critic- Jordan Erica Webber
Original Score: 5 out of 5
Read Review: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/26/the-witness-review-an-incredibly-impressive-collection-of-puzzles
Original Score: 5 out of 5
Read Review: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/26/the-witness-review-an-incredibly-impressive-collection-of-puzzles
MusicCritics (472 KP) rated Between The Earth & Sky by Lankum in Music
Nov 2, 2017
There is folk that wants to whisper in your ear, and then there is the music of Lankum: urgent, desperate and detonating, full of lyrics and sounds smacking together like waves shattering stones in a storm.
Critic- Jude Rogers
Original Score: 5 out of 5
Read Review: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/oct/26/lankum-between-the-earth-and-sky-review-brilliant-raw-detonating-folk
Original Score: 5 out of 5
Read Review: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/oct/26/lankum-between-the-earth-and-sky-review-brilliant-raw-detonating-folk
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated And the Mountains Echoed in Books
Jul 24, 2017
Beautiful poignant storytelling across generations
Khaled Hosseini is one of the most amazing storytellers. His descriptions are moving and stunning told with such delicacy and subtlety, I shed many a tear reading it. Spanning across generations, the group of people all tied together experience both wonder and loss. The different narrators were great, understanding the importance of the culture through the language. Highly recommended.
Indigobunting (92 KP) rated Midnight, Texas in TV
Aug 16, 2017
Interesting plot (3 more)
Good characters
Acting
Writing
I was pleasantly surprised when I started watching this! The storyline is interesting, as long as it doesn't get too sucked into the "monster of the week" trope. I think they brought together a great cast, and I'll be interested to see where this leads. Hopefully it doesn't get too bogged down like she did with True Blood.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Soddit: Or, Let's Cash in Again in Books
Apr 27, 2018
This was a fast funny read. I've read The Hobbit and seen the movie (the old animated one!) and I love the story... and the silliness of The Soddit was delightful.
The reader was fabulous, though a bit abrasive, and at times I couldn't quite understand what words were being said because of a thick accent or voice, but it was all together enjoyable.
The reader was fabulous, though a bit abrasive, and at times I couldn't quite understand what words were being said because of a thick accent or voice, but it was all together enjoyable.
Erika (17789 KP) rated Lost Stars (Star Wars) in Books
Apr 21, 2018
I was wary reading a book by Claudia Gray, as the only book I'd read by her, I absolutely couldn't stand. This book made me change my opinion of the author.
The novel features two friends that grew up together, joined the Imperial Academy, then one became a rebel. It was a quick read, and the book went right up to the Battle of Jakku.
The novel features two friends that grew up together, joined the Imperial Academy, then one became a rebel. It was a quick read, and the book went right up to the Battle of Jakku.
I love these two! They are humorous, loving, and very much together in wanting to share their personal and professional experiences with anti-aging treatments. This book is entertaining (love that they can poke fun of themselves) and extremely informative. While I don't believe in plastic surgery, I love that they give you a great deal of options to make yourself looking and feeling younger.
