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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Molly's Game (2017) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
Perfectionism, pressure, drive, success – “Molly’s Game” tells the story of a woman pushed to achieve these qualities by her father (Kevin Costner) throughout her childhood and adolescence. The pressure to become perfect went far with Molly (Jessica Chastain), who grows up to become an Olympic-class skier and scores astronomically on the law school entrance exam.
But Molly doesn’t go to law school, and she doesn’t win the gold medal. She comes in fourth and slides into the seedy world of high stakes gambling, where her clever mind and charming appearance take her far. She becomes a leader of an underground world, filled with money, greed, and glamour.
Her gambling ring included players that were famous, wealthy, and in some cases criminal. She became the target of an FBI investigation, that revealed how little she was actually in the know about her own game.
Chastain does a great job in her role as Molly. Her striking features and strong demeanor exude a woman in charge. Particularly enjoyable is the performance by Michael Cera as Player X, a celebrity poker player who always plays in the big leagues. Cera, does a great job of making you wonder which celebrity Player X was, and why he was so heavily involved in the high stakes gaming world. It is a nice switch u for Cera into a more serious kind of role.
The consequences of Molly’s choices unfold rapidly. Making it fast paced and suspenseful, without a dull moment.
The style of the film paints a pretty picture of an ugly scene, with each shot appearing beautifully smooth and gliding transitions that grab a viewer’s focus.
“Molly’s Game” is a must see for anyone who loves a good crime-thriller, especially one based on a tell all of a real human experience in a wild reality.
But Molly doesn’t go to law school, and she doesn’t win the gold medal. She comes in fourth and slides into the seedy world of high stakes gambling, where her clever mind and charming appearance take her far. She becomes a leader of an underground world, filled with money, greed, and glamour.
Her gambling ring included players that were famous, wealthy, and in some cases criminal. She became the target of an FBI investigation, that revealed how little she was actually in the know about her own game.
Chastain does a great job in her role as Molly. Her striking features and strong demeanor exude a woman in charge. Particularly enjoyable is the performance by Michael Cera as Player X, a celebrity poker player who always plays in the big leagues. Cera, does a great job of making you wonder which celebrity Player X was, and why he was so heavily involved in the high stakes gaming world. It is a nice switch u for Cera into a more serious kind of role.
The consequences of Molly’s choices unfold rapidly. Making it fast paced and suspenseful, without a dull moment.
The style of the film paints a pretty picture of an ugly scene, with each shot appearing beautifully smooth and gliding transitions that grab a viewer’s focus.
“Molly’s Game” is a must see for anyone who loves a good crime-thriller, especially one based on a tell all of a real human experience in a wild reality.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Mother May I in Books
Apr 15, 2021
A riveting and addictive thriller about the power of motherhood
Bree Cabbat wakes up in the middle night, convinced a witch was peering into her bedroom window. Surely it was just a dream, she thinks, trying to get over the bad feeling the dream leaves behind. But the next day she sees the witch again--a haggard old woman--at the private school her daughters attend. Minutes later, Bree's infant son, Robert, vanishes, stolen from his car seat while she watches her oldest daughter rehearse. There's a note left behind, and Bree is told she cannot go to the police or fail to the follow instructions whatsoever. A woman contacts Bree, and Bree learns the old woman is a mother herself. She has a task for Bree; Bree agrees to do it, for she would do anything to get her son back. But completing that request sets off a series of events that Bree could have never foreseen, unleashing buried secrets and disastrous consequences. And in the end, it comes down to this: how far will two mothers go to protect their children?
"I felt more than I thought, Something bad is coming for us."
Wow, MOTHER MAY I was an excellent thriller! I was sucked in from the beginning, and this riveting page-turner never let me go. It was surprisingly captivating and so suspenseful--Bree's son Robert is taken nearly immediately, and the rest of the book revolves around her frantically trying to get him back. As she does, she learns more about the woman who stole him. The relationship the two form over the phone is fascinating. Bree is one tough cookie, as is her friend from college, Marshall, a PI at her husband's law firm.
"If you ever want to see your baby again, GO HOME"
Bree was once a poor kid, raised by a fearful mother in rural Georgia, but she's now a wealthy wife and mother, having married an attorney with family money and connections. She's worked hard to push off her mom's fears and wariness and feels like that her picture perfect life has proved her right. But with Robert's kidnapping, she starts to wonder if her mom was justified all along. The novel deftly explores the theme of class. It offers some wonderful messages on the power of motherhood--no matter how wealthy you may be. It certainly makes you think: what would you do in Bree's situation? And the old woman's?
Perhaps not everything in this tale is plausible, but I could have cared less. I was here for all of it! It was incredibly suspenseful and twisty, with information oozing out and surprising you at every turn. I truly couldn't put it down. This is definitely a winning thriller in my book! 4.5 stars.
"I felt more than I thought, Something bad is coming for us."
Wow, MOTHER MAY I was an excellent thriller! I was sucked in from the beginning, and this riveting page-turner never let me go. It was surprisingly captivating and so suspenseful--Bree's son Robert is taken nearly immediately, and the rest of the book revolves around her frantically trying to get him back. As she does, she learns more about the woman who stole him. The relationship the two form over the phone is fascinating. Bree is one tough cookie, as is her friend from college, Marshall, a PI at her husband's law firm.
"If you ever want to see your baby again, GO HOME"
Bree was once a poor kid, raised by a fearful mother in rural Georgia, but she's now a wealthy wife and mother, having married an attorney with family money and connections. She's worked hard to push off her mom's fears and wariness and feels like that her picture perfect life has proved her right. But with Robert's kidnapping, she starts to wonder if her mom was justified all along. The novel deftly explores the theme of class. It offers some wonderful messages on the power of motherhood--no matter how wealthy you may be. It certainly makes you think: what would you do in Bree's situation? And the old woman's?
Perhaps not everything in this tale is plausible, but I could have cared less. I was here for all of it! It was incredibly suspenseful and twisty, with information oozing out and surprising you at every turn. I truly couldn't put it down. This is definitely a winning thriller in my book! 4.5 stars.
The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life
Book
Are You Being Gaslighted? Check for these telltale signs: 1. You constantly second-guess...
The Fixer Upper (Echo Springs #1)
Book
Abby Callier is more in love with Shakespearean heroes than any real man, and she’s beginning to...
Adult Contemporary Romance
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated In the Shadow of Croft Towers in Books
Mar 5, 2019
From debut author Abigail Wilson comes a mysterious Regency tale of secrets and spies, love and treachery. Orphaned Sybil Delafield jumps at the opportunity for a position at the mysterious Croft Towers. She believes she was hired to act as companion to a dying woman, but a highway robbery and a hostile welcome from the Chalcroft family cause her to wonder if she was actually hired to help someone spy for France. An unsolved murder adds intrigue to this already secretive family, and Sybil recognizes Mrs. Chalcroft’s handsome grandson as one of the infamous highwaymen who robbed her. Sybil must determine if this man’s charming smile and earnest eyes speak the truth or if he is simply using her like others in the house. Everyone seems to have something to hide, and Sybil must decide who to trust while also coming to terms with the truth about her own past.
My Thoughts: Abigail Wilson has written a wondrous novel full of mystery and intrigue. This story-line keeps the reader entertained throughout the novel; there is no lagging in the action. The characters are very entertaining and believable.
This is a story full of mystery, secrets and murder! Readers will truly enjoy this debut novel. I look forward to reading more from Abigail Wilson.
My Thoughts: Abigail Wilson has written a wondrous novel full of mystery and intrigue. This story-line keeps the reader entertained throughout the novel; there is no lagging in the action. The characters are very entertaining and believable.
This is a story full of mystery, secrets and murder! Readers will truly enjoy this debut novel. I look forward to reading more from Abigail Wilson.
Justin (2 KP) rated Justice League (2017) in Movies
Feb 2, 2018 (Updated Feb 2, 2018)
The second recent dcu movie i didnt regret sitting through
Im plesantly supprised by justice league. Comming off the back of the ok and not too bad but could have been better wonder woman. DC have actually done what i was starting to think might have been impossible for them. They created a pretty enjoyable movie that actually holds its head in the good catagory rather than turds or just above average they have been making the past few years. Plenty of comic moments as well that wouldnt seem out of place in a marvel flick. Star of the show has to go to the flash and im preparing myself to regret looking forward to the stand flash movie as Ezra Miller does a great job at changing my mind on wishing they had cast the series flash in the role. The only reason i wont put spoilers in is as like all other dcu i can hardly remember anything of merit plot wise that was worth taking in lol. Although its enjoyably action orientated from start to finish and a good waste of a couple of spare hours
David McK (3425 KP) rated Superman: Red Son in Books
Jan 28, 2019
"For Truth, Justice ... and the Soviet Way"
I must admit, this has an intriguing premise: what if the spacecraft carrying the infant Kal-L crash-landed in Russia, instead of in rural USA?
What if, in other words, Clark Kent had been brought up in a Communist society instead on in a Democratic one?
Reading that, you might think that Mark Millar would go down the route of making Superman and out-and-out villain, but that's not the route he chose. Instead, we still have a Superman who is doing what he believes to be the 'right thing': the only difference is in his view of just what that is.
You also might think that the story might concentrate on his upbringing. That, however, is barely touched upon with the story starting roughly 30 years after his arrival just as he comes onto the world scene. It also has Superman and other major characters interacting with actual historical characters such as Stalin or J.F.K., alongside showing his (Superman's) own-going battles with Lex Luthor, and also brings in other comic-book characters such as Wonder Woman, Batman, Brainiac and Hal Jordan.
I have to say, also, that I didn't see *that* link at the very end coming ...
I must admit, this has an intriguing premise: what if the spacecraft carrying the infant Kal-L crash-landed in Russia, instead of in rural USA?
What if, in other words, Clark Kent had been brought up in a Communist society instead on in a Democratic one?
Reading that, you might think that Mark Millar would go down the route of making Superman and out-and-out villain, but that's not the route he chose. Instead, we still have a Superman who is doing what he believes to be the 'right thing': the only difference is in his view of just what that is.
You also might think that the story might concentrate on his upbringing. That, however, is barely touched upon with the story starting roughly 30 years after his arrival just as he comes onto the world scene. It also has Superman and other major characters interacting with actual historical characters such as Stalin or J.F.K., alongside showing his (Superman's) own-going battles with Lex Luthor, and also brings in other comic-book characters such as Wonder Woman, Batman, Brainiac and Hal Jordan.
I have to say, also, that I didn't see *that* link at the very end coming ...
Red One
Rachel Dodson, X. Dorison and Terry Dodson
Book
* What if happens when America's Greatest Hero...is actually a Russian Spy? It's 1977, the height of...
In Defense of the Princess: How Plastic Tiaras and Fairytale Dreams Can Inspire Smart, Strong Women
4.0
Rate It
Book
It's no secret that most girls, at some point, love all things princess: the poofy dresses, the...
Erika (17788 KP) rated Twelve Nights at Rotter House in Books
Oct 31, 2020
This book has stuck with me. I read Ocker's non-fiction book @Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items, the other day, so I decided to try out his novel.
In the first chapter, we find out that the original title of the book was 13 nights, rather than 12. So, obviously, something happened. The main character is a travel writer (like the author), and a skeptic (like the author), who decides to spend 13 nights in a supposedly haunted house.
There were hints, dropped throughout, as to what is actually happening, various movie and book references. Crimson Peak was the most obvious one.
After one night spent alone, the author's best friend comes to visit. There's some unspoken thing that happened a year ago, that's not all that hard to figure out. When things begin to happen, screams, apparitions, etc, the author explains them away. He is a skeptic after all.
The woman character/ghost, has a head that's split down the middle... wonder what that symbolizes.
Towards the end, the author gradually unravels. The end, with the twist... Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it. That's why I just rated this as ok. It was entertaining, and haunted me for about three days,
In the first chapter, we find out that the original title of the book was 13 nights, rather than 12. So, obviously, something happened. The main character is a travel writer (like the author), and a skeptic (like the author), who decides to spend 13 nights in a supposedly haunted house.
There were hints, dropped throughout, as to what is actually happening, various movie and book references. Crimson Peak was the most obvious one.
After one night spent alone, the author's best friend comes to visit. There's some unspoken thing that happened a year ago, that's not all that hard to figure out. When things begin to happen, screams, apparitions, etc, the author explains them away. He is a skeptic after all.
The woman character/ghost, has a head that's split down the middle... wonder what that symbolizes.
Towards the end, the author gradually unravels. The end, with the twist... Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it. That's why I just rated this as ok. It was entertaining, and haunted me for about three days,