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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The Way Back (2020) in Movies
Nov 23, 2020
Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck) is a man whose life has not unfolded as it should have. A former start Basketball players for a Catholic High School; Jack had an offer to play College ball for Kansas as a highly regarded recruit.
Things unfolded badly for Jack as a personal tragedy and his demons cost him his marriage and now see Jack toiling away in construction when he is not abusing alcohol.
Jack is offered a chance to coach the losing team at his old school and despite every inclination he has to refuse the job; he eventually takes the job and works to mold an undersized and under-skilled team into a competitive unit.
Jack’s abrupt style and frequent profanity do not sit well with his employers who urge him to tone things down with his courtside behavior and verbal admonishments of the officials and his team during games.
Undaunted Jack presses on and the team starts to turn themselves around but Jack’s deep turmoil threatens to undo everything that has happened.
“The Way Back” is an enjoyable film that features a very strong performance from Affleck as well as the supporting cast. This is not some formulaic sports film where everything is all nice and tidy at the end. The film is about redemption but also accepting what has come before and finding a new way forward no matter how difficult.
What really made the film stand out aside from the performances were the relatable stories as they were ones that were easy to relate to. Many town have stories of star athletes who never achieved their stardom for whatever reason and whose lives have become ordinary to mundane as opposed to the stardom and riches envisioned for them.
In many ways “The Way Back” flew under the radar this year but is one of the best films of the year and one not to miss.
4 stars out of 5
Things unfolded badly for Jack as a personal tragedy and his demons cost him his marriage and now see Jack toiling away in construction when he is not abusing alcohol.
Jack is offered a chance to coach the losing team at his old school and despite every inclination he has to refuse the job; he eventually takes the job and works to mold an undersized and under-skilled team into a competitive unit.
Jack’s abrupt style and frequent profanity do not sit well with his employers who urge him to tone things down with his courtside behavior and verbal admonishments of the officials and his team during games.
Undaunted Jack presses on and the team starts to turn themselves around but Jack’s deep turmoil threatens to undo everything that has happened.
“The Way Back” is an enjoyable film that features a very strong performance from Affleck as well as the supporting cast. This is not some formulaic sports film where everything is all nice and tidy at the end. The film is about redemption but also accepting what has come before and finding a new way forward no matter how difficult.
What really made the film stand out aside from the performances were the relatable stories as they were ones that were easy to relate to. Many town have stories of star athletes who never achieved their stardom for whatever reason and whose lives have become ordinary to mundane as opposed to the stardom and riches envisioned for them.
In many ways “The Way Back” flew under the radar this year but is one of the best films of the year and one not to miss.
4 stars out of 5
Kyera (8 KP) rated Noteworthy in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Note Worthy reminds me of Twelfth Night, She's the Man, or even Mulan - where a girl masquerades as a guy for whatever purpose and ends up in over her head. Jordan wants to be in theatre, but as an Alto 2 she is hard-pressed to even find a find tailored to her range. All she wants is to pursue her dreams. Feeling down, she notices an audition for a tenor in an all-male A Capella group and takes a chance. Dressed as Julian and sporting a short wig, she impresses the Sharpshooters enough to claim the open spot and suddenly everything changes. She actually had this small, musically-inclined family to belong to. A place at Kensington - as long as nobody realizes that she is a girl.
Pretty quickly, it looks like one of the guys might be a future love interest for Jordan, not Julian as in all likelihood the group will eventually discover her secret. I expected that they would be hurt at first, but eventually forgive her after all they've been through together. Most of my expectations came to pass, although there were slight deviations. Overall, there weren't really any big surprises or reveals in the book.
The characters are so wonderfully well written and realistic. You watch them grow, learn about themselves and find yourself grinning like an idiot when Trav does (because that boy seriously needed it). You cheer for their wins and want to personally beat up those who wrong them. You've become an honorary Sharp and these guys are your family just like they are for Jordan.
Highly recommended contemporary novel about growing up, learning about yourself, making friends and the secrets you keep. And most importantly? Music. Great read for teen/young adult readers with a small amount of profanity.
Pretty quickly, it looks like one of the guys might be a future love interest for Jordan, not Julian as in all likelihood the group will eventually discover her secret. I expected that they would be hurt at first, but eventually forgive her after all they've been through together. Most of my expectations came to pass, although there were slight deviations. Overall, there weren't really any big surprises or reveals in the book.
The characters are so wonderfully well written and realistic. You watch them grow, learn about themselves and find yourself grinning like an idiot when Trav does (because that boy seriously needed it). You cheer for their wins and want to personally beat up those who wrong them. You've become an honorary Sharp and these guys are your family just like they are for Jordan.
Highly recommended contemporary novel about growing up, learning about yourself, making friends and the secrets you keep. And most importantly? Music. Great read for teen/young adult readers with a small amount of profanity.
The Exercise Of Vital Powers (Legends of the Order #1)
Book
Some Lessons Must Be Learned The Hard Way. Since its inception, The Order has been dedicated to...
Adult Fantasy
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Survivor's Guilt (DCI Matilda Darke #8) in Books
Sep 26, 2021
Having just finished Time is Running Out, the 7th in this series, and being absolutely blown away by it, I couldn't wait to get my grubby little mitts on this, the 8th in the brilliant Matilda Darke series and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. What I will say is that I think it would be preferable to have read the 7th book before reading this one as this one picks the story up 9 months later and will provide an explanation as to why Matilda and other characters are acting as they are.
This book follows 3 themes; the aftermath of the massacre that occurred in the previous book, the murder of prostitutes in Sheffield and the long-running theme of the kidnapping of Carl Meagan.
Once again, Michael writes a gripping story that moves at pace. There is violence and edge-of-the-seat moments; I took at sharp intake of breath when the murderer was revealed - I am usually quite good at figuring out who it is but this one absolutely blind-sided me and I actually gasped and said a few choice words that are not repeatable here as I try to avoid profanity in my reviews!
There is also compassion and tenderness and an authentic-feeling description of how grief and tragedy can affect people differently; it can bring you together or completely tear you apart and destroy you and those around you. Everyone is struggling to manage their grief but can they work together to catch the killer or are they too broken?
The characters are just brilliant and I particularly liked how Michael portrayed the prostitutes as "people" rather than the usual stereotypes which made a nice change; I absolutely loved Bev and Sarah. Matilda is, I admit, a difficult person to like in this book but given what she has endured, she is forgiven ... just this once!
Full of tension, suspense and emotion, this book and the series, is one that shouldn't be missed ... roll on number 9!
I am grateful to HarperCollins UK / One More Chapter via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
This book follows 3 themes; the aftermath of the massacre that occurred in the previous book, the murder of prostitutes in Sheffield and the long-running theme of the kidnapping of Carl Meagan.
Once again, Michael writes a gripping story that moves at pace. There is violence and edge-of-the-seat moments; I took at sharp intake of breath when the murderer was revealed - I am usually quite good at figuring out who it is but this one absolutely blind-sided me and I actually gasped and said a few choice words that are not repeatable here as I try to avoid profanity in my reviews!
There is also compassion and tenderness and an authentic-feeling description of how grief and tragedy can affect people differently; it can bring you together or completely tear you apart and destroy you and those around you. Everyone is struggling to manage their grief but can they work together to catch the killer or are they too broken?
The characters are just brilliant and I particularly liked how Michael portrayed the prostitutes as "people" rather than the usual stereotypes which made a nice change; I absolutely loved Bev and Sarah. Matilda is, I admit, a difficult person to like in this book but given what she has endured, she is forgiven ... just this once!
Full of tension, suspense and emotion, this book and the series, is one that shouldn't be missed ... roll on number 9!
I am grateful to HarperCollins UK / One More Chapter via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Sloth (Seven Princes of Sin #3)
10.0
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Book
Love is the purest of all emotions. It's sacred... Torn away from everything she has ever known,...
Dark Contemporary Fantasy Erotica Romance TRIGGER WARNINGS: Profanity
Vernon God Little: A 21st Century Comedy in the Presence of Death
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WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2003 WINNER OF THE 2003 WHITBREAD FIRST NOVEL PRIZE Named as one of...
TM
The Many Faces of Sacha Baron Cohen: Politics, Parody, and the Battle Over Borat
Book
In his various guises, the British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has threatened Uzbekistan with...
Seduction and Snacks (Chocolate Lovers, #1)
7.0
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Book
Warning #1: This book is not to be taken seriously. Do not read this if you don't have the sense of...
Return of the Assassin (All The King's Men #5)
10.0
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Book
Assassin Gina Carano doesn't have time for love. In fact, the last thing she wants is a mate, but...
Paranormal Romance Vampires
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time in Video Games
Oct 29, 2020
Crash Bandicoot is back and better than ever in Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.
This time around the lovable Crash must face his most challenge obstacles yet as he navigates various locales each with an abundance of timed precision jumps, enemies, traps, and more.
Aside from his speed, Crash can slide, jump, and spin to fight or avoid enemies and obstacles and this time around he can phase objects at certain locales which allows him to pass through them. This is often tricky as he has to phase out an object to jump but must phase it back in order land on it but cannot do so before allowing ample space to land.
Patience is required as there are frequent dangers that require precise movements to complete and nothing is more frustrating than biting it with a checkpoint in site.
The game also offers up some interesting variety not only in a plethora of level designs but by also allowing players to play as other characters in the game. Being able to zap objects to complete levels vs the traditional running and jumping does bring an interesting new dimension to the play and keeps things fresh.
The graphics are pleasing and Crash is such a fun and charming character it is easy to stick with him even when the level becomes so rage inducing you want to quit in a hailstorm of profanity.
What really makes the game great are not only the clever and creative levels but the sheer variety of them. From a junkyard with gears, fire, and shark like creatures to a frozen landscape where slipping off the ice is commonplace, the level designers combine sadism and genius to create a truly fun and challenging gaming experience.
The game is not only lots of fun but is ideal for players of all ages and offers plenty of great gaming moments. This is a great return for Crash and hopefully we will see him again soon as I would love to see a new game designed from the ground up for the Next-Generation systems.
4 stars out of 5
This time around the lovable Crash must face his most challenge obstacles yet as he navigates various locales each with an abundance of timed precision jumps, enemies, traps, and more.
Aside from his speed, Crash can slide, jump, and spin to fight or avoid enemies and obstacles and this time around he can phase objects at certain locales which allows him to pass through them. This is often tricky as he has to phase out an object to jump but must phase it back in order land on it but cannot do so before allowing ample space to land.
Patience is required as there are frequent dangers that require precise movements to complete and nothing is more frustrating than biting it with a checkpoint in site.
The game also offers up some interesting variety not only in a plethora of level designs but by also allowing players to play as other characters in the game. Being able to zap objects to complete levels vs the traditional running and jumping does bring an interesting new dimension to the play and keeps things fresh.
The graphics are pleasing and Crash is such a fun and charming character it is easy to stick with him even when the level becomes so rage inducing you want to quit in a hailstorm of profanity.
What really makes the game great are not only the clever and creative levels but the sheer variety of them. From a junkyard with gears, fire, and shark like creatures to a frozen landscape where slipping off the ice is commonplace, the level designers combine sadism and genius to create a truly fun and challenging gaming experience.
The game is not only lots of fun but is ideal for players of all ages and offers plenty of great gaming moments. This is a great return for Crash and hopefully we will see him again soon as I would love to see a new game designed from the ground up for the Next-Generation systems.
4 stars out of 5