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This is what I would call a slow burn - it never really ignites fully and sometimes fizzles to the point it almost goes out but, generally, it just stays at a solid gas mark 3 for the most part.
Seven members of a nature group come together for a Boxing Day gathering to watch a murmuration within a nature reserve. Seems like a fairly innocuous and harmless way to spend a day and evening usually spent eating leftovers and vegging in front of the television and it is, until a shot rings out and one of their party is dead.
Each of the remaining six have secrets they don't want made common knowledge and therefore each have a motive for murder. None of the characters have many redeeming features if I'm honest and it wouldn't have made any difference to me who was the victim as I didn't particularly like any of them.
What follows is infighting which results in the group splitting up (never a good idea - have they never watched a horror film!) and suspicions falling on one person, then another, then another ... well, you get the idea. More shots are heard, people are separated further, injuries happen, more separation and more infighting and, all the while, the secrets they want to stay hidden gradually come to light.
What I enjoyed about this book was the sense of claustrophobia and isolation that was well captured and, as seems to be the norm with Nell's books, the inclusion of a character who is deaf added something a bit different.
What I didn't like about it was there was too much time spent describing stuff that didn't really seem to add to the story and this resulted in it dragging - hence the slow burn.
I have read a few of Nell's other books and this does seem to be a pattern with her stories but there have been plenty of people who have absolutely raved about this book so please, please don't judge it from my review alone.
Remember, if we all liked the same things, it would be a very, very boring world indeed!
Thanks go to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Seven members of a nature group come together for a Boxing Day gathering to watch a murmuration within a nature reserve. Seems like a fairly innocuous and harmless way to spend a day and evening usually spent eating leftovers and vegging in front of the television and it is, until a shot rings out and one of their party is dead.
Each of the remaining six have secrets they don't want made common knowledge and therefore each have a motive for murder. None of the characters have many redeeming features if I'm honest and it wouldn't have made any difference to me who was the victim as I didn't particularly like any of them.
What follows is infighting which results in the group splitting up (never a good idea - have they never watched a horror film!) and suspicions falling on one person, then another, then another ... well, you get the idea. More shots are heard, people are separated further, injuries happen, more separation and more infighting and, all the while, the secrets they want to stay hidden gradually come to light.
What I enjoyed about this book was the sense of claustrophobia and isolation that was well captured and, as seems to be the norm with Nell's books, the inclusion of a character who is deaf added something a bit different.
What I didn't like about it was there was too much time spent describing stuff that didn't really seem to add to the story and this resulted in it dragging - hence the slow burn.
I have read a few of Nell's other books and this does seem to be a pattern with her stories but there have been plenty of people who have absolutely raved about this book so please, please don't judge it from my review alone.
Remember, if we all liked the same things, it would be a very, very boring world indeed!
Thanks go to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
JT (287 KP) rated Only God Forgives (2013) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Now here is a film that completely split critics. It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea and it’s clear to see why. Anyone expecting a well constructed follow up to Winding Refn’s hit Drive are going to be sorely disappointed, as Only God Forgives serves up a mix of beautiful neon visuals, character dreamscapes and minimal dialogue.
Julian (Ryan Gosling) runs a Thai boxing club deep in the heart of Bangkok using it as front for a drug smuggling ring with his brother. Events take a horrific turn when his brother rapes and murders an underage prostitute. Enter retired cop Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm), more well known as the ‘Angel of Vengeance’ who has a unique and almost godlike way of handing out retribution to those who cross his path.
When he allows Julian’s brother to be murdered by the father of the girl he killed, Julian’s mother Crystal and family matriarch heads out to demand that Julian take revenge for his brothers death.
Only God Forgives is a film doused in deep colours that awash the actors on screen and cast them in a variety of different lights. It feels a bit art house and at times arrogant. This must have been the easiest pay cheque that Gosling has ever picked up. He barely speaks and stamps any authority on screen by long drawn out stares of which he is the master.
Scott Thomas is not the mother figure that you would expect to have. Goading Julian into submission in a vile and disgusting manner she belittles him, prompting the question that he is half the man his brother is. She is one of the few standouts. All blonde hair and jewellery along with a arsenal of foul language. However, it will be Chang that leaves the afterthought, as he glides about unleashing his sword on those who stand in his way.
Only God Forgives is violent, and it is certainly not for the faint-hearted, the spilling of blood (particularly one hard to watch scene) is in keeping with the tonal colour of the setting. It doesn’t have Drive’s slickness but does come with an equally pulsating sound track.
There is no arguing that from a cinematography point of view this film his head and shoulders above others. But there is the odd occasion when you really have to question the director and what it was that he set out to achieve?
Julian (Ryan Gosling) runs a Thai boxing club deep in the heart of Bangkok using it as front for a drug smuggling ring with his brother. Events take a horrific turn when his brother rapes and murders an underage prostitute. Enter retired cop Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm), more well known as the ‘Angel of Vengeance’ who has a unique and almost godlike way of handing out retribution to those who cross his path.
When he allows Julian’s brother to be murdered by the father of the girl he killed, Julian’s mother Crystal and family matriarch heads out to demand that Julian take revenge for his brothers death.
Only God Forgives is a film doused in deep colours that awash the actors on screen and cast them in a variety of different lights. It feels a bit art house and at times arrogant. This must have been the easiest pay cheque that Gosling has ever picked up. He barely speaks and stamps any authority on screen by long drawn out stares of which he is the master.
Scott Thomas is not the mother figure that you would expect to have. Goading Julian into submission in a vile and disgusting manner she belittles him, prompting the question that he is half the man his brother is. She is one of the few standouts. All blonde hair and jewellery along with a arsenal of foul language. However, it will be Chang that leaves the afterthought, as he glides about unleashing his sword on those who stand in his way.
Only God Forgives is violent, and it is certainly not for the faint-hearted, the spilling of blood (particularly one hard to watch scene) is in keeping with the tonal colour of the setting. It doesn’t have Drive’s slickness but does come with an equally pulsating sound track.
There is no arguing that from a cinematography point of view this film his head and shoulders above others. But there is the odd occasion when you really have to question the director and what it was that he set out to achieve?
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Olympus Has Fallen (2013) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Mike Banning (Butler) is a Secret Service agent in the Presidential detail, and it could be argued a friend to the President; he even lands a punch in an opening boxing practice. All of that changes when, during a horrible automobile accident, the President’s wife is killed. Mike couldn’t save them both, so he chose to save the President. After making “the right call”, as his director (Angela Bassett) tells him; the President just couldn’t stand to be reminded of the failure and moves Mike to the Treasury. Mike wants back into the detail, and he gets his chance when a Korean terrorist infiltrates the White House and all of the fail safes in place to keep an incursion from happening. Banning jumps into action and becomes the only one left/able to save the President and his son.
Admittedly I am a Gerard Butler fan. I see this character as a watered-down, but trying really hard, version of John McLane ala Die Hard. Except the one liners feel forced, not funny, as does the unwarranted use of foul language. A New York cop is one thing for cursing, but it just doesn’t feel right seeing it come out of a Secret Service Agent. Morgan Freeman does an excellent job portraying a man making the tough decisions as Speaker Trumbull (the acting President for much of the movie); he makes mistakes and corrects his actions based on those mistakes. Aaron Eckhart is ok as the President, but doesn’t have the gravity needed to really pull that level of authority off; he is very much an every-man version of the President. His relationship with his son and that of Banning’s and the President’s son is very believable and heartfelt.
While action packed and fast paced; the plot is wholly unbelievable. Maybe I’m just an arrogant American, but I highly doubt the sheer number of protocols that were breached would actually happen. It felt like Eckhart’s character was overriding them through the whole attack sequence. I actually could believe the amount of time it took to respond to the call, but I’ve been to the North Lawn, and could see the snipers from the street and on the surrounding buildings. The White House is just too protected to make an assault like the one depicted.
I enjoyed the movie as long as I didn’t think too much about what was actually happening.
Admittedly I am a Gerard Butler fan. I see this character as a watered-down, but trying really hard, version of John McLane ala Die Hard. Except the one liners feel forced, not funny, as does the unwarranted use of foul language. A New York cop is one thing for cursing, but it just doesn’t feel right seeing it come out of a Secret Service Agent. Morgan Freeman does an excellent job portraying a man making the tough decisions as Speaker Trumbull (the acting President for much of the movie); he makes mistakes and corrects his actions based on those mistakes. Aaron Eckhart is ok as the President, but doesn’t have the gravity needed to really pull that level of authority off; he is very much an every-man version of the President. His relationship with his son and that of Banning’s and the President’s son is very believable and heartfelt.
While action packed and fast paced; the plot is wholly unbelievable. Maybe I’m just an arrogant American, but I highly doubt the sheer number of protocols that were breached would actually happen. It felt like Eckhart’s character was overriding them through the whole attack sequence. I actually could believe the amount of time it took to respond to the call, but I’ve been to the North Lawn, and could see the snipers from the street and on the surrounding buildings. The White House is just too protected to make an assault like the one depicted.
I enjoyed the movie as long as I didn’t think too much about what was actually happening.
Mel Rodriguez recommended Raging Bull (1980) in Movies (curated)
Debbiereadsbook (1056 KP) rated His Lordship's Secret (His Lordship’s Mysteries #1) in Books
Mar 24, 2022
didn't get the whodunnit!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Someone is trying to kill Alfred, so who would make a better bodyguard than a ruffain from a boxing match? Dominick, thats who, but finding the boy who saved him in the man before him makes Alfred want things, things that could get them both locked up, or worse. Makes a blackmailer a walk in the park. Dominick, finding Alfie before him, in need of a body guard, has feelings that he wasn't sure ever went away: protecting little Alfie was now his life's work. Those pesky feelings aren't reciprocated, are they?
Alfie is lovely! He wants to keep his family wealth but his cousin is happy to pee it up the wall, Alfie cares, but Reginald does not. Dominick cares, but really only about Alfie. The little boy who stole his heart has grown into a beautiful man, one who needs to stay alive, and Dominick will keep him so, even if it costs Dominick a good deal more than his heart.
It's quite emotional, in places. Dealing with growing up in a poorhouse, and then thrown into High Society would mess with anyone's head and Alfie mostly does seem to have taken it all in his stride. Mostly. Dominck is a street man, doing what he needs to do to stay alive, even if he doesn't want to do those things. A bit violent, but dealing with life on London's streets in the 1800s was never gonna be a picnic. Poor Dominick bears the brunt of that!
There is love here, but very little actual smexy time. It concentrates more on who is trying to kill Alfie, and the feelings that grow over time, between these two.
I loved that the whodunnit was so NOT who I was expecting, nor was it WHY! I love being kept on my toes!
I liked this, I liked it a lot. It doesn't quite have the punch that the other book I read by this author does, but I think its a close call! I have book 2 to read shortly, look forward to see where the author is going with these two, besides Scotland!
4 solid stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Someone is trying to kill Alfred, so who would make a better bodyguard than a ruffain from a boxing match? Dominick, thats who, but finding the boy who saved him in the man before him makes Alfred want things, things that could get them both locked up, or worse. Makes a blackmailer a walk in the park. Dominick, finding Alfie before him, in need of a body guard, has feelings that he wasn't sure ever went away: protecting little Alfie was now his life's work. Those pesky feelings aren't reciprocated, are they?
Alfie is lovely! He wants to keep his family wealth but his cousin is happy to pee it up the wall, Alfie cares, but Reginald does not. Dominick cares, but really only about Alfie. The little boy who stole his heart has grown into a beautiful man, one who needs to stay alive, and Dominick will keep him so, even if it costs Dominick a good deal more than his heart.
It's quite emotional, in places. Dealing with growing up in a poorhouse, and then thrown into High Society would mess with anyone's head and Alfie mostly does seem to have taken it all in his stride. Mostly. Dominck is a street man, doing what he needs to do to stay alive, even if he doesn't want to do those things. A bit violent, but dealing with life on London's streets in the 1800s was never gonna be a picnic. Poor Dominick bears the brunt of that!
There is love here, but very little actual smexy time. It concentrates more on who is trying to kill Alfie, and the feelings that grow over time, between these two.
I loved that the whodunnit was so NOT who I was expecting, nor was it WHY! I love being kept on my toes!
I liked this, I liked it a lot. It doesn't quite have the punch that the other book I read by this author does, but I think its a close call! I have book 2 to read shortly, look forward to see where the author is going with these two, besides Scotland!
4 solid stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Incredible Hulk (2008) in Movies
Feb 11, 2020 (Updated Apr 7, 2020)
The second entry into the ever expanding MCU has it's flaws, but it's still an entertaining enough monster movie featuring one of Marvel Comics most beloved characters.
Edward Norton is a fantastic actor, and his involvement here as Bruce Banner is an inspired choice. It's a shame that behind the scenes politics resulted in him leaving the franchise so soon, even though I love Mark Ruffalo!
He plays Banner as a fairly broody individual, but with an awkward edge, a man who's constantly in fear if what he can turn into.
Liv Tyler plays Betty Ross, and she's pretty much just Liv Tyler throughout. She's actually pretty charming as the character and it would be nice to see her turn up in future MCU films (hey, if they can get Natalie Portman involved again then surely it's a possibility!)
Tim Roth and William Hurt play the antagonists to Banner, and are both enjoyable in the more villainous roles, even if Roth is more or less relegated to spouting out cheesy one liners. Hurt has of course reprised his role in later films and is a welcome main stay in the franchise.
We also have Tim Blake Nelson and Ty Burrell, set up as future characters (The Leader and Doc Samson respectively), but neither of these have yet to come to fruition, so as it stands, both feel like wasted opportunities.
The narrative is pretty straightforward as Banner is pursued across the planet, but it gets the job done, ending in a big showdown between Hulk and Abomination in the middle of Harlem.
One of my main criticisms stems from this scene actually, with the film climaxing in a big CGI fight, between the hero, and an evil version of the hero, exactly like in Iron Man, and unfortunately, in a fair few MCU films further down the line (Iron Man 2, Black Panther, Ant Man). The CGI, whilst still good enough, doesn't hold up anywhere near as well as Iron Man however (which came out in the same year), and the green/grey colour scheme of both characters, and the night-time setting, gives the whole scene a dull edge, even if Hulk does tear a car in half and use both halves as boxing gloves...
The Incredible Hulk is a mostly decent film, but it shows signs of a franchise still finding its feet, and these signs grow in obviousness the older it gets, which is a big contrast when compared to the confident nature of Iron Man.
It also feels a bit stuck in the "look at this cool shot" superhero formula that became rampant during the 2000s.
It's still a fun film however, and deserves it's place in a Marvel movie marathon.
Edward Norton is a fantastic actor, and his involvement here as Bruce Banner is an inspired choice. It's a shame that behind the scenes politics resulted in him leaving the franchise so soon, even though I love Mark Ruffalo!
He plays Banner as a fairly broody individual, but with an awkward edge, a man who's constantly in fear if what he can turn into.
Liv Tyler plays Betty Ross, and she's pretty much just Liv Tyler throughout. She's actually pretty charming as the character and it would be nice to see her turn up in future MCU films (hey, if they can get Natalie Portman involved again then surely it's a possibility!)
Tim Roth and William Hurt play the antagonists to Banner, and are both enjoyable in the more villainous roles, even if Roth is more or less relegated to spouting out cheesy one liners. Hurt has of course reprised his role in later films and is a welcome main stay in the franchise.
We also have Tim Blake Nelson and Ty Burrell, set up as future characters (The Leader and Doc Samson respectively), but neither of these have yet to come to fruition, so as it stands, both feel like wasted opportunities.
The narrative is pretty straightforward as Banner is pursued across the planet, but it gets the job done, ending in a big showdown between Hulk and Abomination in the middle of Harlem.
One of my main criticisms stems from this scene actually, with the film climaxing in a big CGI fight, between the hero, and an evil version of the hero, exactly like in Iron Man, and unfortunately, in a fair few MCU films further down the line (Iron Man 2, Black Panther, Ant Man). The CGI, whilst still good enough, doesn't hold up anywhere near as well as Iron Man however (which came out in the same year), and the green/grey colour scheme of both characters, and the night-time setting, gives the whole scene a dull edge, even if Hulk does tear a car in half and use both halves as boxing gloves...
The Incredible Hulk is a mostly decent film, but it shows signs of a franchise still finding its feet, and these signs grow in obviousness the older it gets, which is a big contrast when compared to the confident nature of Iron Man.
It also feels a bit stuck in the "look at this cool shot" superhero formula that became rampant during the 2000s.
It's still a fun film however, and deserves it's place in a Marvel movie marathon.
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