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Darren (1599 KP) rated Warsaw 44 (2014) in Movies
Jun 25, 2019
Story: Warsaw 44 starts as we meet Stefan (Pawlowski) a young man living in Warsaw in 1944 during the war, he lives with his mother and younger brother bring the money back to the home, this changes when he meets a group of people similar to his age, they offer him a chance to go into the Polish army as they plan to fight back against the Germans.
As the Uprising starts to attack the Nazi’s Stefan learns the harsh reality of war up close and personal, with the love of his life Biedronka (Wichlacz) being the only one that will help him through the destruction.
Thoughts on Warsaw 44
Characters – Stefan is the honest hard working young man, he supports his family, protects his brother from the horrors of war, he is however led to join the Uprising in Warsaw against the Nazi’s, a move which will change his life, he will learn love and heartache as the war comes closer than he would imagine. Biedronka is the woman that Stefan falls for in the uprising, she fights alongside the men and will do everything to save lives. Kama is another woman in the uprising that shows love towards Stefan, we get plenty of characters in this film that are mostly following the ones in the uprising that will do anything to get their freedom back.
Performances – Jozef Pawlowski is good in the leading role, the charm he shows saying goodbye to his little brother could melt a heart and seeing his reaction to the war side of the film shows us how any young man would have been going through during the time. The rest of the cast is good, getting their moments to shine with the desperation needed through the war.
Story – The story follows the young people of Poland setting up an uprising to take on the Nazis during World War II, it starts as a small fight and soon throws them into the true harsh reality of war. While seeing the realities of war isn’t anything new, we do know how destruction, devasting and brutal war is on the people involved and World War II could well have been the worse in modern history, these people didn’t have any hope and only wanted freedom, they were willing to lay die their lives to do so. The characters however are fictional which could hold back being truly connected to the real people that would have suffered through the events. The story isn’t an easy watch and does have parts we don’t need to see, mostly the romance.
History/Romance/War – The history behind this film is true, we knew how bad the war was on the people and just how fighting back was the only way, these two parts of the film are shown near perfectly for what it could have cost people. The romance however just feels tacked on and unneeded for most of the film.
Settings – The film makes us feel like we are there, feeling each explosion, moment of destruction with hauntingly created settings.
Scene of the Movie – The graveyard battle, because it shows us what they will truly be battling.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The romance side of the film.
Final Thoughts – This is a hard hitting war drama, it shows us just what people were willing to do through the war through the eyes of the young adults.
Overall: Hard-hitting war drama
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/06/23/abc-film-challenge-world-cinema-w-warsaw-44-2014/
As the Uprising starts to attack the Nazi’s Stefan learns the harsh reality of war up close and personal, with the love of his life Biedronka (Wichlacz) being the only one that will help him through the destruction.
Thoughts on Warsaw 44
Characters – Stefan is the honest hard working young man, he supports his family, protects his brother from the horrors of war, he is however led to join the Uprising in Warsaw against the Nazi’s, a move which will change his life, he will learn love and heartache as the war comes closer than he would imagine. Biedronka is the woman that Stefan falls for in the uprising, she fights alongside the men and will do everything to save lives. Kama is another woman in the uprising that shows love towards Stefan, we get plenty of characters in this film that are mostly following the ones in the uprising that will do anything to get their freedom back.
Performances – Jozef Pawlowski is good in the leading role, the charm he shows saying goodbye to his little brother could melt a heart and seeing his reaction to the war side of the film shows us how any young man would have been going through during the time. The rest of the cast is good, getting their moments to shine with the desperation needed through the war.
Story – The story follows the young people of Poland setting up an uprising to take on the Nazis during World War II, it starts as a small fight and soon throws them into the true harsh reality of war. While seeing the realities of war isn’t anything new, we do know how destruction, devasting and brutal war is on the people involved and World War II could well have been the worse in modern history, these people didn’t have any hope and only wanted freedom, they were willing to lay die their lives to do so. The characters however are fictional which could hold back being truly connected to the real people that would have suffered through the events. The story isn’t an easy watch and does have parts we don’t need to see, mostly the romance.
History/Romance/War – The history behind this film is true, we knew how bad the war was on the people and just how fighting back was the only way, these two parts of the film are shown near perfectly for what it could have cost people. The romance however just feels tacked on and unneeded for most of the film.
Settings – The film makes us feel like we are there, feeling each explosion, moment of destruction with hauntingly created settings.
Scene of the Movie – The graveyard battle, because it shows us what they will truly be battling.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The romance side of the film.
Final Thoughts – This is a hard hitting war drama, it shows us just what people were willing to do through the war through the eyes of the young adults.
Overall: Hard-hitting war drama
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/06/23/abc-film-challenge-world-cinema-w-warsaw-44-2014/

Nicholas Sparks recommended Titanic (1997) in Movies (curated)

William Finnegan recommended Liebling Abroad in Books (curated)

Deepak Chopra recommended The First and Last Freedom in Books (curated)

ClareR (5879 KP) rated The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society in Books
Jan 14, 2018
This will stay on my bookshelf!!
I normally give books away after I've read them unless I love them, and this book, well, I really did love it. Such a touching, funny, sad story. I loved how the story's told through a series of letters from the main character, Juliet, and some of the inhabitants of Guernsey. We get a glimpse of what life had been like under German occupation during World War II, and how the people of Guernsey rebuilt their lives after the end of the war. There's a tiny bit of romance too, but not too much. It's such a shame that this was the only book that Mary Ann Shaffer wrote, but I suppose it does prove the point that most people have a book in them to write!

Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Lights out Liverpool (Pearl Street #1) in Books
Feb 26, 2023
22 of 235
Book
Lights out Liverpool (Pearl Street #1)
By Maureen Lee
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The folk of one small Liverpool street cope with the first year of World War II. They find the war affects each of them in a different way. One woman worries about her twin sons who are called up, another is liberated from a loveless marriage, whilst Jessica Fleming's life is changed irrevocably.
I love a good saga! This one kind of hit home with the start of WW2 and in comparison to what we are dealing with now and it’s quite frightening to think of what they were facing and the loss that was felt. It was a little heartwarming to read and have a break from my usual reads.
Book
Lights out Liverpool (Pearl Street #1)
By Maureen Lee
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The folk of one small Liverpool street cope with the first year of World War II. They find the war affects each of them in a different way. One woman worries about her twin sons who are called up, another is liberated from a loveless marriage, whilst Jessica Fleming's life is changed irrevocably.
I love a good saga! This one kind of hit home with the start of WW2 and in comparison to what we are dealing with now and it’s quite frightening to think of what they were facing and the loss that was felt. It was a little heartwarming to read and have a break from my usual reads.

Rickey A. Mossow Jr. (689 KP) rated Overlord (2018) in Movies
May 21, 2019
Good gory fictional historical events that could have been shorter.
Been looking forward to this one for a while. While I enjoyed the film overall. the story took too long to develop in some spots. Characters felt a little hollow and depended on the World War II setting to get the viewer to understand them. That being said, once the story hit its mark, the action was fast and furious. Some truly amazing visual effects. Not for the weak stomached in the least. A good, gory fictional take on historical events that could have been helped with shorter run time.

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Princess Elizabeth's Spy (Maggie Hope Mystery, #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Maggie Hope gets her first assignment for British secret service - go to Windsor Castle and act as Princess Elizabeth's tutor all while looking for any evidence that there is a plot on her life. Maggie has hardly arrived when someone is murdered. Was the princess the target? Once again, this was a fun World War II spy novel, and I enjoyed spending time with Maggie. However, some editing glitches and a very familiar sub-plot did bother me some.
My full review at <a href"http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-princess-elizabeths-spy-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
My full review at <a href"http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-princess-elizabeths-spy-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.

Milleen (47 KP) rated Darkest Hour: How Churchill Brought England Back from the Brink in Books
Nov 14, 2018 (Updated Nov 14, 2018)
The prize-winning screen writer of the film 'The Theory of everything' has penned a wonderful insight into the life of Winston Spencer Churchill. This narrative examines his rise during one of the most crucial periods of World War II. It relives the conversations between Britain's most powerful men, revealed through their private diary excerpts. Through these intensely researched accounts of the time, McCarten skilfully conveys a very rounded and human account of Churchill. He cleverly shows how a man full of self-doubt transformed himself into the iconic figure that led the country to victory.
