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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated A Christmas Carol (2009) in Movies
Aug 9, 2019
The timeless classic A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens has been one of the most beloved and adapted stories in history. There have been numerous movies, plays, radio, and television shows that have told the story for several generations as well as adapted films such as “Scrooged” and “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” which were inspired by the timeless tale of redemption.
The latest version of the film was created by Director Robert Zemeckis (who also wrote the screenplay for the film.) and presents it with stunning 3D effects.
The clever use of animation based on motion capture of the actors brings a new and unique look and style to the film that makes it contemporary yet does not diminish the Victorian England setting of the story.
In case you are one of the few that are not familiar with the tale, the story centers on a miserly curmudgeon, named Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey), who is so tight with a penny that he keeps the coal in his office locked up, forcing his employee Bob Crachit (Gary Oldman), to make do with one tiny piece a day during the cold of winter.
Scrooge has no love for anyone or anything aside from his work, and he spends his life in working and dispensing venom for all those that dare come into his world.
When he is invited to Christmas dinner by his nephew Fred (Colin Firth), Scrooge declines the offer abruptly and berates his nephew about the pointless nature of Christmas and how it serves no purpose. As if he was just getting warmed up, Scrooge then unleashes his fury on a local charity and informs them that if the needy were to die, then perhaps there would be less surplus population in the world.
Alone in his home on Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his old associate Jacob Marley, (Gary Oldman), who passed away seven years earlier. Marley is bound by the long chains he created in his life, and warns Scrooge not to make the mistakes he did and that there is still time for him to find redemption.
Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future who take Scrooge on a journey through his life, and show him the folly of his ways, and offer him a second chance to lead a better life with caring and compassion to all.
The solid cast really shines and many play multiple roles in the film. Carrey gives a strong performance and manages to reign in his over the top energy during the more dramatic parts of the film, and lets it out where appropriate. He subtly infuses comedy into the story without it ever taking the focus from the story.
The 3D effects were a real treat and it truly seemed like it was snowing in the theater and the numerous shots of London were truly amazing. While some may see it as a more modern adaptation, I found the film to be very true to the story, and was not only very entertaining, but a version that even Scrooge himself would enjoy as this is a new holiday classic that sets the bar for future adaptations of the story to aspire to.
The latest version of the film was created by Director Robert Zemeckis (who also wrote the screenplay for the film.) and presents it with stunning 3D effects.
The clever use of animation based on motion capture of the actors brings a new and unique look and style to the film that makes it contemporary yet does not diminish the Victorian England setting of the story.
In case you are one of the few that are not familiar with the tale, the story centers on a miserly curmudgeon, named Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey), who is so tight with a penny that he keeps the coal in his office locked up, forcing his employee Bob Crachit (Gary Oldman), to make do with one tiny piece a day during the cold of winter.
Scrooge has no love for anyone or anything aside from his work, and he spends his life in working and dispensing venom for all those that dare come into his world.
When he is invited to Christmas dinner by his nephew Fred (Colin Firth), Scrooge declines the offer abruptly and berates his nephew about the pointless nature of Christmas and how it serves no purpose. As if he was just getting warmed up, Scrooge then unleashes his fury on a local charity and informs them that if the needy were to die, then perhaps there would be less surplus population in the world.
Alone in his home on Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his old associate Jacob Marley, (Gary Oldman), who passed away seven years earlier. Marley is bound by the long chains he created in his life, and warns Scrooge not to make the mistakes he did and that there is still time for him to find redemption.
Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future who take Scrooge on a journey through his life, and show him the folly of his ways, and offer him a second chance to lead a better life with caring and compassion to all.
The solid cast really shines and many play multiple roles in the film. Carrey gives a strong performance and manages to reign in his over the top energy during the more dramatic parts of the film, and lets it out where appropriate. He subtly infuses comedy into the story without it ever taking the focus from the story.
The 3D effects were a real treat and it truly seemed like it was snowing in the theater and the numerous shots of London were truly amazing. While some may see it as a more modern adaptation, I found the film to be very true to the story, and was not only very entertaining, but a version that even Scrooge himself would enjoy as this is a new holiday classic that sets the bar for future adaptations of the story to aspire to.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Queen's Choice (Heirs of Chrior, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<i>The Queen's Choice</i> may not be my favorite faery book (it's far from being my favorite, but I didn't actually hate it), but it's definitely about time someone wrote about fairies in an entirely different way other than the usual summer and winter fairies.
Kluver has all the good things to write a fantastic book the world building is interesting, the characters are complex (for the most part), and her writing style is interesting enough that it somehow managed to keep my attention with the whopping 500 pages it has (for the most part).
On the fabulous elaborations of "for the most part," Anya and her companion (Shea, for the most part) probably spent approximately 300+ pages walking, getting attacked, and avoiding the Constabularies of the Warckum Territory. Then the cycle pretty much repeats itself no particular pattern. Anya spent approximately 100+ pages being healed before all of that walking, attacking, and avoiding began perhaps I'll even call it WAA for the fun of it all does it sound appealing? Probably not.
But somehow, in some way, Kluver managed to keep my attention, despite the fact I don't really "connect" to her writing. Maybe it's the writing style (eh... not really), or perhaps the complexity of her minor characters (Illumina and Shea are certainly complex enough that they're not entirely predictable). Maybe it's just the entire idea behind the book in the first place, though that part is most likely not true.
And then there's Anya. Anya the main character, Anya the Royal Faery of Chrior, and maybe Anya the Hopeless. Anya seems a little stereotypical or perhaps, more accurately, Anya simply makes quite a few assumptions sometimes that may be hilarious to a little human like me. Certainly not as hilarious as <i>Of Mice and Men</i>, to which I make fun of the book the entire time I'm reading it just so I'm not bored. It's no wonder why I'm called the sarcastic one among my circle of friends.
<blockquote>"Now, how do I get on this thing?" she asked, taking the reins to her mount from me.
"You don't know?"
"Nope. Not the slightest idea."
"I thought all humans knew how to ride horses."</blockquote>
You know, for a nonhuman who seems to visit the human world as often as possible, you would sort of expect them to not assume all humans can ride horses. Really, I'm not terribly sure how one can be born with a talent like riding horses. Though, oddly enough, that's probably possible. The person would then have to nurture it. But really, humans are not centaurs. For one to be a centaur, we're missing a horse's ass. Pardon my language (and the grotesque image coming soon), but no horse and certainly no human would appreciate being cut in half and glued together to become a centaur.
Grotesque image and crude comments aside, Kluver puts us at a sort of a cliffhanger with something Anya discovers about Illumina in the last couple pages in the book. Much as I'm interested in the sequel, I'm not terribly sure I want to continue reading about Anya walking and traveling constantly (and avoiding and being attacked).
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-queens-choice-by-cayla-kluver/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Kluver has all the good things to write a fantastic book the world building is interesting, the characters are complex (for the most part), and her writing style is interesting enough that it somehow managed to keep my attention with the whopping 500 pages it has (for the most part).
On the fabulous elaborations of "for the most part," Anya and her companion (Shea, for the most part) probably spent approximately 300+ pages walking, getting attacked, and avoiding the Constabularies of the Warckum Territory. Then the cycle pretty much repeats itself no particular pattern. Anya spent approximately 100+ pages being healed before all of that walking, attacking, and avoiding began perhaps I'll even call it WAA for the fun of it all does it sound appealing? Probably not.
But somehow, in some way, Kluver managed to keep my attention, despite the fact I don't really "connect" to her writing. Maybe it's the writing style (eh... not really), or perhaps the complexity of her minor characters (Illumina and Shea are certainly complex enough that they're not entirely predictable). Maybe it's just the entire idea behind the book in the first place, though that part is most likely not true.
And then there's Anya. Anya the main character, Anya the Royal Faery of Chrior, and maybe Anya the Hopeless. Anya seems a little stereotypical or perhaps, more accurately, Anya simply makes quite a few assumptions sometimes that may be hilarious to a little human like me. Certainly not as hilarious as <i>Of Mice and Men</i>, to which I make fun of the book the entire time I'm reading it just so I'm not bored. It's no wonder why I'm called the sarcastic one among my circle of friends.
<blockquote>"Now, how do I get on this thing?" she asked, taking the reins to her mount from me.
"You don't know?"
"Nope. Not the slightest idea."
"I thought all humans knew how to ride horses."</blockquote>
You know, for a nonhuman who seems to visit the human world as often as possible, you would sort of expect them to not assume all humans can ride horses. Really, I'm not terribly sure how one can be born with a talent like riding horses. Though, oddly enough, that's probably possible. The person would then have to nurture it. But really, humans are not centaurs. For one to be a centaur, we're missing a horse's ass. Pardon my language (and the grotesque image coming soon), but no horse and certainly no human would appreciate being cut in half and glued together to become a centaur.
Grotesque image and crude comments aside, Kluver puts us at a sort of a cliffhanger with something Anya discovers about Illumina in the last couple pages in the book. Much as I'm interested in the sequel, I'm not terribly sure I want to continue reading about Anya walking and traveling constantly (and avoiding and being attacked).
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-queens-choice-by-cayla-kluver/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
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Sarah (7799 KP) rated Rebecca (2020) in Movies
Nov 1, 2020
A dull adaptation
Rebecca is an adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s 1938 novel of the same name, following a young woman’s whirlwind romance and her battle to rid her new marriage and home of the shadow of her husband’s first wife.
Rebecca as a novel is a classic and a book I very much enjoyed, and whilst I’ve never seen the Hitchcock adaptation, it’s often referred to as a fairly legendary classic too. However I’m afraid to say the same cannot be said about this new version. The basic plot and story is present, although rather frustratingly the ending has been extended unnecessarily, but it has not been executed very well.
The trailer made this look quite sinister and spooky, which is quite right when the original novel is a gothic horror with aspects of a ghost story thrown in. However this film turns out to be nothing of the sort. It’s more of a romantic drama with a hint of thriller thrown in – the gothic horror ghost story is nowhere to be seen and neither is any form of intrigue or suspense. In fact I’d be so bold as to say this is just outright dull, and even the campy over the top sinister vibes from Kristin Scott Thomas’s housekeeper Mrs Danvers are laughable at best. The most interesting part of this was the opening scene with it’s sinister score but this just didn’t carry through to the rest of the film.
Sadly the cast don’t fare very well in this either. Lily James is a great actor, but her version of the new wife is too mousy and timid and you wonder what on earth Maxim ever sees in her. The character herself is very frustrating and irksome as she’s far too naïve and sweet. And Armie Hammer is miscast as Maxim De Winter himself. He looks the part, dashing and handsome, but he’s lacking in the intrigue, charm and secrecy that you’d expect this character to have. He’s also missing the age gap that is rather notable in the book.
The cinematography in this is rather concerning. The scenes in Monte Carlo are far too colourful and garish and they just look out of place, even more so for something that is meant to be a gothic horror. I’m unsure of why this has been done, other than to show a striking difference between Monte Carlo and Maxim’s Cornish home of Manderley. In fact what is most concerning about this film is why Ben Wheatley wanted to direct it. By far the biggest shock of this film was finding out Wheatley, of Kill List and Sightseers fame, had directed it. Wheatley is known for psychological dark (and often funny) thrillers and there is nothing of his style to be seen in this film at all. Which is a shame, as I think a little more of his dark style would’ve propelled this film into more than just a sub-par drama.
Overall this a very disappointing and long winded adaptation of a classic novel. Whilst there are a few decent scenes and a good, if not out of character, performance from Lily James, these are nowhere near enough to save this from being a bit of a bore.
Rebecca as a novel is a classic and a book I very much enjoyed, and whilst I’ve never seen the Hitchcock adaptation, it’s often referred to as a fairly legendary classic too. However I’m afraid to say the same cannot be said about this new version. The basic plot and story is present, although rather frustratingly the ending has been extended unnecessarily, but it has not been executed very well.
The trailer made this look quite sinister and spooky, which is quite right when the original novel is a gothic horror with aspects of a ghost story thrown in. However this film turns out to be nothing of the sort. It’s more of a romantic drama with a hint of thriller thrown in – the gothic horror ghost story is nowhere to be seen and neither is any form of intrigue or suspense. In fact I’d be so bold as to say this is just outright dull, and even the campy over the top sinister vibes from Kristin Scott Thomas’s housekeeper Mrs Danvers are laughable at best. The most interesting part of this was the opening scene with it’s sinister score but this just didn’t carry through to the rest of the film.
Sadly the cast don’t fare very well in this either. Lily James is a great actor, but her version of the new wife is too mousy and timid and you wonder what on earth Maxim ever sees in her. The character herself is very frustrating and irksome as she’s far too naïve and sweet. And Armie Hammer is miscast as Maxim De Winter himself. He looks the part, dashing and handsome, but he’s lacking in the intrigue, charm and secrecy that you’d expect this character to have. He’s also missing the age gap that is rather notable in the book.
The cinematography in this is rather concerning. The scenes in Monte Carlo are far too colourful and garish and they just look out of place, even more so for something that is meant to be a gothic horror. I’m unsure of why this has been done, other than to show a striking difference between Monte Carlo and Maxim’s Cornish home of Manderley. In fact what is most concerning about this film is why Ben Wheatley wanted to direct it. By far the biggest shock of this film was finding out Wheatley, of Kill List and Sightseers fame, had directed it. Wheatley is known for psychological dark (and often funny) thrillers and there is nothing of his style to be seen in this film at all. Which is a shame, as I think a little more of his dark style would’ve propelled this film into more than just a sub-par drama.
Overall this a very disappointing and long winded adaptation of a classic novel. Whilst there are a few decent scenes and a good, if not out of character, performance from Lily James, these are nowhere near enough to save this from being a bit of a bore.