Search

Search only in certain items:

40x40

Hazel (2934 KP) rated Taken in Books

Oct 18, 2020  
Taken
Taken
Lisa Stone | 2020 | Crime, Thriller
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Having previously read and enjoyed "Stalker" by Lisa Stone, I certainly wasn't going to pass the opportunity to read this one and I wasn't disappointed.

What we have in "Taken" is a complex and gripping story of the abduction of 8 year Leila whose life is far from perfect being the daughter of a mother (Kelsey) prostituting herself and fighting addiction who has already had her older children taken from her.

Told from multiple points of view, we get a real insight into all the main characters which is not as confusing as it sounds believe me ... it works really well and, I believe, it makes the characters more believable and memorable.

The pace is perfect, the plot is absorbing, despite it being a little unrealistic in parts, and I did get the twist fairly early on but it was such that I continued to question myself until it was revealed.

Overall, a thought-provoking and enjoyable read which deals with some difficult subjects that, sadly, are prevalent within today's society but without the usual gratuitous violence which made a refreshing change.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK / HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased review.
  
40x40

Dean (6927 KP) rated Dune (2021) in Movies

Nov 11, 2021 (Updated Nov 11, 2021)  
Dune (2021)
Dune (2021)
2021 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Great visuals (1 more)
Very good ensemble cast
Very long (0 more)
Space Opera
I'm totally new to Dune, I know nothing of the book or the previous film. So I have nothing to compare it to it that sense.
It's visually stunning and on a grand scale, with many wide angle shots to to get a good effect of scale. The design, look and feel of the film, along with Zimmer's score are all quality.
Then to the story which feels like a mix of The Matrix, meets Game of Thrones with a Star Wars setting. For new comers like myself it might be difficult keeping track of who is in alliance with who, as a lot of various faction names appear. The political side of things doesn't get too bogged down though. I did expect bigger and longer action scenes for a film of this scale. What action you do see is very good and the SFX are great.

So to those who are new to Dune it might be a bit of a mixed bag but there is no doubting the quality overall. Roll on part 2.
  
40x40

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2352 KP) rated Once Upon a Wardrobe in Books

Nov 13, 2024 (Updated Nov 13, 2024)  
Once Upon a Wardrobe
Once Upon a Wardrobe
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Mixed Journey of Self-Discovery
Megs’s younger brother George has a heart defect that keeps him in bed reading. It’s 1950, and he’s just discovered The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and he wants to know where Narnia came from. Since Megs is at Oxford, she goes to ask the author himself. But will C.S. Lewis’s answer help Megs and George?

I’ve been a Narnia fan since I first read the books in 3rd grade, so the premise of this book intrigued. However, it didn’t work for me. It felt too scattered, with too many storylines. It’s part biography of C.S. Lewis with vignettes about his life. It’s part coming of age story for Megs. I see where the author was trying to combine them thematically, but it didn’t quite work for me. I needed a bit more focus on something. Plus, some events in the story really strained what I could believe. But I did enjoy the characters, and I found myself tearing up a time or two. If the premise really intrigues you, check it out. Otherwise, give this one a pass.
  
    TVOut Genie!

    TVOut Genie!

    Business and Utilities

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    ** Top 100 charts in many countries ** All-in-one app for mirroring your device to TV/LCD/VGA, using...

tick, tick...Boom! (2021)
tick, tick...Boom! (2021)
2021 | Drama, Musical
8
8.8 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
A Love Letter
If you ever worked on a live theater performance, whether as a performer, tech crew, make-up, costumes, box office, etc…the Netflix Original film tick, tick…BOOM is for you.

If you are a theater lover, the Netflix Original film tick, tick…BOOM is for you.

If you are not interested in live theater at all..then, perhaps, tick, tick…BOOM might be a little too “inside baseball” for you.

Based on the one man concert/show/performance by the late Jonathan Larson, the writer of the the Pulitzer Prize winning musical RENT, tick, tick…BOOM expands this performance piece and turns it into a biopic of the artist who passed as his hit musical was just about ready to debut.

As written by Steven Levenson and Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, tick, tick…BOOM is a love letter to Broadway, to artists struggling to make it in the Great White Way, to the community of disaffected peoples in 1990 and, mostly, to Jonathan Larson himself.

Andrew Garfield is transcendent in his portrayal of Larson. He embodies this character with love, ambition, focus, flaws and a surprisingly strong singing voice. It is an Oscar-nomination worthy performance.

He is joined, lovingly, by a strong supporting cast starting with Alexandra Shipp (as Larson’s girlfriend), Robin de Jesus (as his best friend) and Vanessa Hudgens (as a performer in the show, called Superbia, that he is trying to get up on the boards). These young performers are joined by a couple of wily veterans including Judith Light (as his Agent) and Bradley Whitford (as the late Stephen Sondheim). They bring energy, star power and…yes…love…to the screen.

And that is what this film ultimately is, a love letter to all of the artists (both on-stage and off) that try, despite immeasurable odds, to get a show on it’s feet. Director Miranda infuses this film with homages to theater - and theater people - and sprinkles in some very good songs that drives this point home.

None of the numbers hit home as hard as the “Diner” song - a song that features many, many Broadway performers, both new and old, that were either inspirations to Larson - or were inspired by him (including Miranda himself).

Come for the musical, stay for the outstanding performance of Garfield, and immerse yourself into the world of struggling artists in NYC in the 1990’s. You’ll be glad you did.

Letter Grade: A-

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