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Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge: Mini Games
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HEAPS OF FUN! The ultimate iPhone & iPad rugby experience! Tru Blu Entertainment and Wicked Witch...
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Play mini games with Miss Hollywood and her pet friends and become a superstar! Budge Studios™...
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CVC Words are a FUN and interactive way to help students build, read and write simple CVC words!...
A Furever Home: A Friends of Gaynor Beach Animal Rescue Romance
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A Furever Home Arthur When I was squeezing seven rescue dogs and a horde of cats in my small...
Contemporary MM Romance
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Harriet (2019) in Movies
Nov 4, 2019
Collapses under the weight of it's own earnestness
The filmmakers behind the true story of HARRIET, the film based on the remarkable actions of Harriet Tubman (the former slave who helped free others slaves via the Underground Railroad) were surprised to find that there had been no accurate film portrayal of this remarkable woman, so they set out to make one.
And the result, was a film that is very deep in accuracy and very slight everywhere else.
Starring Cynthia Erivo (WIDOWS), HARRIET tells the tale of Harriet Tubman from her time as a slave, through her escape to freedom and her return (many, many times) via the "Underground Railroad" to free many other slaves. Her story is astonishing, filled with heroes, villains, visions, successes and failures and should have lent itself to a film befitting of the great heights this woman achieved.
Unfortunately, Writer Director Kasi Lemmons (EVE'S BAYOU) spends a great deal of the film showing the actual, accurate events of Tubman's tale, so much so that it suffers one of the most deadly of sins in filmdom - it drags into boredom under the weight of it's own earnestness. Lemmons, obviously, has great respect for Tubman and shows her in a reverential light throughout this film, showing few (if any) warts and giving us a one-note character that is laser-focused on her purpose, and not much else. While this might have been true-to-life, it does not lend itself to an interesting film.
The same goes for the lead performance from Erivo. I have liked her previous work in films like WIDOWS and BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE, so was excited to see her take the lead in an important film like this. But...her portrayal is one-note and slight and does not plumb the depths of a character that I am sure has many, many more layers than is portrayed on this screen.
The supporting cast (including Leslie Odom, Jr, Vondie Curtis-Hall and Clarke Peters) are also earnest and slight and don't really add anything to the proceedings. Only Janelle Monae, as a fictional free black woman who becomes a mentor of sorts to Tubman, seems to rise above this weak script.
Usually, in films about slavery, the evil (or conflicted) slave owners have a tendency to shine out because of their wickedness (or their confliction) - but in this film, and with this script, Joe Alwyn as Gideon Brodess (the fictional owner of Tubman who is obsessed with bringing her back to slavery) and Jennifer Nettles (as his mother) are...you guessed it...slight and underwritten and don't really bring anything to the proceedings.
What this film did do - and did do well - was make me want to find out more about this hero...and that is a good thing. So, if that is all this film does, then I applaud the attempt, I just wished it would have landed as a film in a much stronger way.
Letter Grade B-
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
And the result, was a film that is very deep in accuracy and very slight everywhere else.
Starring Cynthia Erivo (WIDOWS), HARRIET tells the tale of Harriet Tubman from her time as a slave, through her escape to freedom and her return (many, many times) via the "Underground Railroad" to free many other slaves. Her story is astonishing, filled with heroes, villains, visions, successes and failures and should have lent itself to a film befitting of the great heights this woman achieved.
Unfortunately, Writer Director Kasi Lemmons (EVE'S BAYOU) spends a great deal of the film showing the actual, accurate events of Tubman's tale, so much so that it suffers one of the most deadly of sins in filmdom - it drags into boredom under the weight of it's own earnestness. Lemmons, obviously, has great respect for Tubman and shows her in a reverential light throughout this film, showing few (if any) warts and giving us a one-note character that is laser-focused on her purpose, and not much else. While this might have been true-to-life, it does not lend itself to an interesting film.
The same goes for the lead performance from Erivo. I have liked her previous work in films like WIDOWS and BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE, so was excited to see her take the lead in an important film like this. But...her portrayal is one-note and slight and does not plumb the depths of a character that I am sure has many, many more layers than is portrayed on this screen.
The supporting cast (including Leslie Odom, Jr, Vondie Curtis-Hall and Clarke Peters) are also earnest and slight and don't really add anything to the proceedings. Only Janelle Monae, as a fictional free black woman who becomes a mentor of sorts to Tubman, seems to rise above this weak script.
Usually, in films about slavery, the evil (or conflicted) slave owners have a tendency to shine out because of their wickedness (or their confliction) - but in this film, and with this script, Joe Alwyn as Gideon Brodess (the fictional owner of Tubman who is obsessed with bringing her back to slavery) and Jennifer Nettles (as his mother) are...you guessed it...slight and underwritten and don't really bring anything to the proceedings.
What this film did do - and did do well - was make me want to find out more about this hero...and that is a good thing. So, if that is all this film does, then I applaud the attempt, I just wished it would have landed as a film in a much stronger way.
Letter Grade B-
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Snowpiercer (2013) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Korean director Joon-ho Bong takes us on a Science fiction ride with Snowpiercer. Based on the graphic novel Le Transperceneige, Snowpiercer is a story set on a train which acts as a human Noah’s Ark as it is the only place to survive after an attempt to stop global warming caused the planet to over freeze and become inhabitable. Not only is the train humanity’s last salvation, but it also mirrors human society as each portion of the train represents a different class structure. The poor and underprivileged are kept imprisoned in the back of the train, while the first class passengers are living in privilege in the front of the train. When the back of the train has finally had enough, they revolt and attempt to take control of the train and improve their place.
This is the film that Chris Evans chose to do in-between filming The Avengers and Captain America: Winter Soldier. In my opinion, he made a great choice. To me, Evans has always been just blah and one-dimensional. While he does not stray too far from how we have seen him act in the past, this film gives him a chance to show some depth and grit of character that we have not truly seen from him. Everyone looks at him as being the leader and you can see why. He embodies that character. I was impressed by his performance.
Along with Evans, Tilda Swinton helps carry this film from basic Sci-Fi ride to better than average film. She is fantastic in this film. She plays Mason, the governance of the train that helps keep things in order. She is the one that comes down from the front of the train and explains how and why the people in the back should keep their place. She steals the show with her presence every time she is on screen and gives a fantastic performance that causes us to both spite her, but also understand she is doing what is best for the train.
Without revealing too much about the story, the pacing of the film is great. It is not in a rush to get you from point A to point B, but rather takes the time to intertwine character development into story. The first half of the film is the revolt film where we see the dregs of life and the fight for freedom. The second half of the film is the reveal of wonderment where we see how the other side lives. In true Sci-Fi fashion, the story is a social commentary on our current place in society with regards to the richest 1% in the world. The revolt changes to a question of control which in turn changes to a question of true freedom, but at what cost?
I would recommend this film to any Sci-Fi fans or anyone looking for a thoughtful film and change of pace from the big summer blockbuster.
For a more in-depth discussion about the film, be sure to check out our podcast review.
This is the film that Chris Evans chose to do in-between filming The Avengers and Captain America: Winter Soldier. In my opinion, he made a great choice. To me, Evans has always been just blah and one-dimensional. While he does not stray too far from how we have seen him act in the past, this film gives him a chance to show some depth and grit of character that we have not truly seen from him. Everyone looks at him as being the leader and you can see why. He embodies that character. I was impressed by his performance.
Along with Evans, Tilda Swinton helps carry this film from basic Sci-Fi ride to better than average film. She is fantastic in this film. She plays Mason, the governance of the train that helps keep things in order. She is the one that comes down from the front of the train and explains how and why the people in the back should keep their place. She steals the show with her presence every time she is on screen and gives a fantastic performance that causes us to both spite her, but also understand she is doing what is best for the train.
Without revealing too much about the story, the pacing of the film is great. It is not in a rush to get you from point A to point B, but rather takes the time to intertwine character development into story. The first half of the film is the revolt film where we see the dregs of life and the fight for freedom. The second half of the film is the reveal of wonderment where we see how the other side lives. In true Sci-Fi fashion, the story is a social commentary on our current place in society with regards to the richest 1% in the world. The revolt changes to a question of control which in turn changes to a question of true freedom, but at what cost?
I would recommend this film to any Sci-Fi fans or anyone looking for a thoughtful film and change of pace from the big summer blockbuster.
For a more in-depth discussion about the film, be sure to check out our podcast review.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Unhinged (Splintered #2) in Books
Jun 24, 2019
Ah, the cliffhanger!
As you probably know, I am completely infatuated with anything Wonderland, hence my love for A.G. Howard's Splintered series. At first, I didn't know there were more books - I just thought Splintered was a lone novel. Imagine my joy when my dad bought the whole series!
So following Alyssa's adventure down the rabbit hole last summer, Unhinged follows the netherling queen through her day-to-day human life. As she vowed last summer, she hasn't used a single insect in her artwork - in fact, her mosaics are now being created out of her own blood. Thanks to her crown magic, these pieces feature images from the future, but Alyssa doesn't know their true importance quite yet.
I don't want to give too much of the story away, but Morpheus arrives in the human realm - and he isn't alone. As the queen of the Red court, Alyssa must save Wonderland - and defeat Red. It doesn't sound easy, and yet it still proves easier said than done.
Worst of all, it isn't just Wonderland that is now in danger. The whole of the human realm is now at risk, thanks to the netherlings that have left the rabbit hole. Alyssa's boyfriend goes missing, and her mother's secrets begin to emerge, giving a new depth to Alyssa's problems.
I really do love this series. The Wonderland vibe has really been captured, with all its great eccentricity intact. Every little twist on the classic novel is fantastic, and every character is so wonderfully unique.
Expanding on my point about the characters, I am even more in love with Morpheus than I was at the end of the first book. His mixed emotions continue throughout the book, but there are some lovely insights into his true feelings. There is such a great depth to Morpheus's character! Alyssa realises that too, and her own feelings begin to surface more after she is told of Ivory's vision.
Jeb is clearly very fond of Alyssa, but he's caught up in his own little situation with his artwork. This leads to a little bit of trouble... But once he has his memories of Wonderland back, Jeb is back to being overly protective of his girlfriend. He's as defensive in this sequel as he was in the first book.
And Alyssa. Ah, Alyssa... She's finally accepted her mad side. She's accepted herself for all that she is, and although she faces a few rough patches, this acceptance helps her through her battle. But as much magic as Alyssa uses, there's nothing she can do to change the fate of her friends and family...
The ending was superb. Like last time, I just want to read on! I wasn't expecting Alison, Morpheus and Jeb to all get taken away, and I was certainly not expecting Alyssa to end up in her mother's shoes - or rather, her straitjacket.
As expected, this book joins Splintered in my favourites list. It's wonderfully weird, even without Alyssa falling down the rabbit hole. The characters are fantastic, and each netherling is so unique and crazy and great. 5 stars for this, of course!
BookMarked
As you probably know, I am completely infatuated with anything Wonderland, hence my love for A.G. Howard's Splintered series. At first, I didn't know there were more books - I just thought Splintered was a lone novel. Imagine my joy when my dad bought the whole series!
So following Alyssa's adventure down the rabbit hole last summer, Unhinged follows the netherling queen through her day-to-day human life. As she vowed last summer, she hasn't used a single insect in her artwork - in fact, her mosaics are now being created out of her own blood. Thanks to her crown magic, these pieces feature images from the future, but Alyssa doesn't know their true importance quite yet.
I don't want to give too much of the story away, but Morpheus arrives in the human realm - and he isn't alone. As the queen of the Red court, Alyssa must save Wonderland - and defeat Red. It doesn't sound easy, and yet it still proves easier said than done.
Worst of all, it isn't just Wonderland that is now in danger. The whole of the human realm is now at risk, thanks to the netherlings that have left the rabbit hole. Alyssa's boyfriend goes missing, and her mother's secrets begin to emerge, giving a new depth to Alyssa's problems.
I really do love this series. The Wonderland vibe has really been captured, with all its great eccentricity intact. Every little twist on the classic novel is fantastic, and every character is so wonderfully unique.
Expanding on my point about the characters, I am even more in love with Morpheus than I was at the end of the first book. His mixed emotions continue throughout the book, but there are some lovely insights into his true feelings. There is such a great depth to Morpheus's character! Alyssa realises that too, and her own feelings begin to surface more after she is told of Ivory's vision.
Jeb is clearly very fond of Alyssa, but he's caught up in his own little situation with his artwork. This leads to a little bit of trouble... But once he has his memories of Wonderland back, Jeb is back to being overly protective of his girlfriend. He's as defensive in this sequel as he was in the first book.
And Alyssa. Ah, Alyssa... She's finally accepted her mad side. She's accepted herself for all that she is, and although she faces a few rough patches, this acceptance helps her through her battle. But as much magic as Alyssa uses, there's nothing she can do to change the fate of her friends and family...
The ending was superb. Like last time, I just want to read on! I wasn't expecting Alison, Morpheus and Jeb to all get taken away, and I was certainly not expecting Alyssa to end up in her mother's shoes - or rather, her straitjacket.
As expected, this book joins Splintered in my favourites list. It's wonderfully weird, even without Alyssa falling down the rabbit hole. The characters are fantastic, and each netherling is so unique and crazy and great. 5 stars for this, of course!
BookMarked
Darren (1599 KP) rated Kill List (2012) in Movies
Sep 13, 2019
Characters – Jay is the former hitmen that is trying to move away from the job, one year after his final job he is talked into one more job which will give him enough money to cover the financial problems his family is going through. The job starts simple enough only for it to turn him into a paranoid angry man who is taking everything personally. Shel is Jay’s wife, she is frustrated with the fact he has spent most of their money forcing him to return to the work he was meant to leave behind, always arguing with him even though it is clear the love between the two is strong. Sam is the innocent young child of the two. Gal is the partner and best friend of Jay, he is the one that tries to keep his head on his shoulders, he sees his friend losing his mind and puts him back on track for the most part.
Performances – Neil Maskell in the leading role is great because we see how he makes us feel as unsettled as his character is meant to be through the film. Michael Smiley as the main supporting character and he helps us understand how things needed to become calm through the bad times. MyAnna Buring as the wife is good without getting that moment that standout.
Story – The story follows two hitmen that must take one job which seems simple only to take a dramatic twist along the way. This is a story which starts out on a path which you know the two hitmen are not the nice guys and soon things just get weird with every encounter things start to play out like they have never dealt with before which only grabs the audience to want to know what will happen next to the characters. this gives us an unsettling feeling from start to finish with a conclusion that will leave you jaw-dropped in true surprise with how everything ended up. This is from director Ben Wheatley who has always managed to give his stories a unique feel, this is why people will rave over this director for years.
Crime/Horror – This movie takes us into the crime world in which Jay and Gal operate in as hitmen, we get to see how they go about this job, conduct kills, clean ups and get on with life. The horror comes from early hints in the film before showing us the true nature to everything going on which will become horrifying,
Settings – The film shows us the settings used by the hitmen to be everyday locations where the predators they believe they are killing operate without anyone knowing. This helps us understand the dangers of not knowing everything about our neighbours.
Scene of the Movie – That ending.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Jay isn’t the most likeable character.
Final Thoughts – This is easily one of the most shocking and unsettling films you will see, it has suspense throughout and an ending you will NEVER forget.
Overall: Suspenseful treat.
Performances – Neil Maskell in the leading role is great because we see how he makes us feel as unsettled as his character is meant to be through the film. Michael Smiley as the main supporting character and he helps us understand how things needed to become calm through the bad times. MyAnna Buring as the wife is good without getting that moment that standout.
Story – The story follows two hitmen that must take one job which seems simple only to take a dramatic twist along the way. This is a story which starts out on a path which you know the two hitmen are not the nice guys and soon things just get weird with every encounter things start to play out like they have never dealt with before which only grabs the audience to want to know what will happen next to the characters. this gives us an unsettling feeling from start to finish with a conclusion that will leave you jaw-dropped in true surprise with how everything ended up. This is from director Ben Wheatley who has always managed to give his stories a unique feel, this is why people will rave over this director for years.
Crime/Horror – This movie takes us into the crime world in which Jay and Gal operate in as hitmen, we get to see how they go about this job, conduct kills, clean ups and get on with life. The horror comes from early hints in the film before showing us the true nature to everything going on which will become horrifying,
Settings – The film shows us the settings used by the hitmen to be everyday locations where the predators they believe they are killing operate without anyone knowing. This helps us understand the dangers of not knowing everything about our neighbours.
Scene of the Movie – That ending.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Jay isn’t the most likeable character.
Final Thoughts – This is easily one of the most shocking and unsettling films you will see, it has suspense throughout and an ending you will NEVER forget.
Overall: Suspenseful treat.
Darren (1599 KP) rated El Dorado (1967) in Movies
Sep 13, 2019
Characters – Jay is the former hitmen that is trying to move away from the job, one year after his final job he is talked into one more job which will give him enough money to cover the financial problems his family is going through. The job starts simple enough only for it to turn him into a paranoid angry man who is taking everything personally. Shel is Jay’s wife, she is frustrated with the fact he has spent most of their money forcing him to return to the work he was meant to leave behind, always arguing with him even though it is clear the love between the two is strong. Sam is the innocent young child of the two. Gal is the partner and best friend of Jay, he is the one that tries to keep his head on his shoulders, he sees his friend losing his mind and puts him back on track for the most part.
Performances – Neil Maskell in the leading role is great because we see how he makes us feel as unsettled as his character is meant to be through the film. Michael Smiley as the main supporting character and he helps us understand how things needed to become calm through the bad times. MyAnna Buring as the wife is good without getting that moment that standout.
Story – The story follows two hitmen that must take one job which seems simple only to take a dramatic twist along the way. This is a story which starts out on a path which you know the two hitmen are not the nice guys and soon things just get weird with every encounter things start to play out like they have never dealt with before which only grabs the audience to want to know what will happen next to the characters. this gives us an unsettling feeling from start to finish with a conclusion that will leave you jaw-dropped in true surprise with how everything ended up. This is from director Ben Wheatley who has always managed to give his stories a unique feel, this is why people will rave over this director for years.
Crime/Horror – This movie takes us into the crime world in which Jay and Gal operate in as hitmen, we get to see how they go about this job, conduct kills, clean ups and get on with life. The horror comes from early hints in the film before showing us the true nature to everything going on which will become horrifying,
Settings – The film shows us the settings used by the hitmen to be everyday locations where the predators they believe they are killing operate without anyone knowing. This helps us understand the dangers of not knowing everything about our neighbours.
Scene of the Movie – That ending.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Jay isn’t the most likeable character.
Final Thoughts – This is easily one of the most shocking and unsettling films you will see, it has suspense throughout and an ending you will NEVER forget.
Overall: Suspenseful treat.
Performances – Neil Maskell in the leading role is great because we see how he makes us feel as unsettled as his character is meant to be through the film. Michael Smiley as the main supporting character and he helps us understand how things needed to become calm through the bad times. MyAnna Buring as the wife is good without getting that moment that standout.
Story – The story follows two hitmen that must take one job which seems simple only to take a dramatic twist along the way. This is a story which starts out on a path which you know the two hitmen are not the nice guys and soon things just get weird with every encounter things start to play out like they have never dealt with before which only grabs the audience to want to know what will happen next to the characters. this gives us an unsettling feeling from start to finish with a conclusion that will leave you jaw-dropped in true surprise with how everything ended up. This is from director Ben Wheatley who has always managed to give his stories a unique feel, this is why people will rave over this director for years.
Crime/Horror – This movie takes us into the crime world in which Jay and Gal operate in as hitmen, we get to see how they go about this job, conduct kills, clean ups and get on with life. The horror comes from early hints in the film before showing us the true nature to everything going on which will become horrifying,
Settings – The film shows us the settings used by the hitmen to be everyday locations where the predators they believe they are killing operate without anyone knowing. This helps us understand the dangers of not knowing everything about our neighbours.
Scene of the Movie – That ending.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Jay isn’t the most likeable character.
Final Thoughts – This is easily one of the most shocking and unsettling films you will see, it has suspense throughout and an ending you will NEVER forget.
Overall: Suspenseful treat.
Dream League Soccer - Classic
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Soccer as we know it has changed! Dream League Soccer is YOUR chance to build THE best team on the...