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Lumos (380 KP) rated The Cuckoo's Calling in Books
Jun 12, 2018
It was a real struggle for me to get through this book. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and envisioning what was happening. Normally, "British-isms" are 100% my thing but I feel like the references in this book were far too colloquial for me to find quaint. It took me almost twice as long to get through this book as it would have for another book of comparable size. I could feel the judgement from my friends when they asked what I was reading and I would respond.. yet again... that I was still reading Cuckoo's Calling. Even more judgement would come when someone would ask if I liked it and I would tell them that I was not enjoying it. "But why continue then?" ... It's what I do. I can't give up on books. Even if I am processing them at a snail's pace. Much less one written by JK Rowling. I knew there had to be a light in this book somewhere. That eventually instead of responding "nothing" when asked what is happening in the book so far, I'd be able to excitedly account all the details and events of the story. This did happen eventually... with the last 100 pages or so..
Awix (3310 KP) rated King of Thieves (2018) in Movies
Oct 10, 2018
Michael Caine leads a crack team of crock crooks in robbing a safe deposit vault in London in this loosely-based-on-reality black comedy thriller. Quite apart from Caine, the film has an excellent cast (Jim Broadbent, Tom Courtenay, Ray Winstone, Paul Whitehouse, and Michael Gambon, plus Charlie Cox for the streaming generation), which will probably be what draws most people to it.
Initially this looks like it's going to be a slightly cosy comedy thriller about blokes who are too old be robbers any more, but - very pleasantly - it quite soon acquires some real heft and gravity to it, with the various members of the gang falling out and attempting to double-cross each other - most of these actors are well-known as comedians, but there is some proper meaty drama here and scenes with a definite tension to them.
Not quite as much Caine as you might hope for, but he is still the guv'nor as far as British film acting is concerned, and this is his best role for a while. Everyone else is good too. The film never quite gets the shifts between comedy and gangster thriller right, and the low budget keeps it from being very cinematic, but it's an engaging movie driven by great performances.
Initially this looks like it's going to be a slightly cosy comedy thriller about blokes who are too old be robbers any more, but - very pleasantly - it quite soon acquires some real heft and gravity to it, with the various members of the gang falling out and attempting to double-cross each other - most of these actors are well-known as comedians, but there is some proper meaty drama here and scenes with a definite tension to them.
Not quite as much Caine as you might hope for, but he is still the guv'nor as far as British film acting is concerned, and this is his best role for a while. Everyone else is good too. The film never quite gets the shifts between comedy and gangster thriller right, and the low budget keeps it from being very cinematic, but it's an engaging movie driven by great performances.
ClareR (5906 KP) rated Now We Shall Be Entirely Free in Books
Oct 18, 2018
A beautiful yet brutal story.
A man is brought home to a house in Somerset, unconscious, from the ongoing war in Spain against the French. He is very ill, and consequently nursed back to health by his maid. Once he is feeling better, he decides to travel to the Scottish Islands to collect traditional songs. As the story progresses, you can see that there is a sense of urgency involved with this trip: he isn't properly better, but he has to get moving. John Lacroix' story is told alongside that of two other men: a British Infantryman and a Spanish cavalryman, who have been sent to find an officer who is supposedly responsible for the sacking of a aSpanish village. They are to kill him. The Englishman is brutal in both word and deed.
John Lacroix (who changes his name to Lovell) meets a family (two sisters and their brother) who are free thinkers who want to live a free life. Just what Lacroix needs, I think.
I liked this. The writing style had a peaceful, reigned air to it, even in the more unpleasant parts. It's a brutal story, gently told, in fact.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
John Lacroix (who changes his name to Lovell) meets a family (two sisters and their brother) who are free thinkers who want to live a free life. Just what Lacroix needs, I think.
I liked this. The writing style had a peaceful, reigned air to it, even in the more unpleasant parts. It's a brutal story, gently told, in fact.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
David McK (3562 KP) rated Casino Royale Vintage 007 in Books
Jan 30, 2019
The very first James Bond (now a cultural phenomenon) book, and I'm sorry, but - much like the most recent Bond film of the same name - it's very hard to make high stakes gambling interesting or exciting (without being personally involved).
And that's the crux of this book: British (not-so) secret Agent James Bond is chosen to go undercover to bankrupt Le Chiffre in gambling at the Casino Royale of the title.
THis Bond is also quite 'hard', more akin to the Bond of the Dalton or Craig era of the films than to that of (say) the Moore era or - my favourite - the Brosnan era. As the first novel in the series, this also highlights to Bond just how cold the spy game an be, with the inclusion of Vesper Lynd: one of only two female's in his (literary) life who have such an impact on him.
While the prose does flow well enough, and the novel is short enough not to out-stay it's welcome, it none-the-less failed to ignite any desire in me to hunt down any other of Ian Fleming's Bond novels: I'm not going to avoid them (or say no if I come across them), but neither I am going to actively hunt them out.
And that's the crux of this book: British (not-so) secret Agent James Bond is chosen to go undercover to bankrupt Le Chiffre in gambling at the Casino Royale of the title.
THis Bond is also quite 'hard', more akin to the Bond of the Dalton or Craig era of the films than to that of (say) the Moore era or - my favourite - the Brosnan era. As the first novel in the series, this also highlights to Bond just how cold the spy game an be, with the inclusion of Vesper Lynd: one of only two female's in his (literary) life who have such an impact on him.
While the prose does flow well enough, and the novel is short enough not to out-stay it's welcome, it none-the-less failed to ignite any desire in me to hunt down any other of Ian Fleming's Bond novels: I'm not going to avoid them (or say no if I come across them), but neither I am going to actively hunt them out.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Attack the Block (2011) in Movies
Dec 30, 2018
A silly, fun British horror
When I first saw this at the cinema I absolutely loved it, but I haven’t really seen it since. On watching it again recently, I have to admit it’s not quite as good as I remembered but it’s still a very enjoyable film.
It’s a very B-movie esque horror film, with very low budget, lots of blood and a fairly unknown cast. Of course a lot of the cast have now gone on to bigger things (John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker and Luke Treadaway mainly), but they’re still very good and great to watch in this. The plot is fun and a little bit silly, and the aliens themselves are very well done. They’re creepy and pretty terrifying, without being overly complicated and there’s a lot of good physical effects thrown in here in addition to cgi. The most annoying thing about this film is the language. I completely understand why it has been set on a council estate in London, that’s part of the entertainment, however some of the slang and gang type language grates after a while. It’s difficult to understand and a little bit irritating after a while. Aside from this it’s a very enjoyable low budget horror that’s worth a watch.
It’s a very B-movie esque horror film, with very low budget, lots of blood and a fairly unknown cast. Of course a lot of the cast have now gone on to bigger things (John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker and Luke Treadaway mainly), but they’re still very good and great to watch in this. The plot is fun and a little bit silly, and the aliens themselves are very well done. They’re creepy and pretty terrifying, without being overly complicated and there’s a lot of good physical effects thrown in here in addition to cgi. The most annoying thing about this film is the language. I completely understand why it has been set on a council estate in London, that’s part of the entertainment, however some of the slang and gang type language grates after a while. It’s difficult to understand and a little bit irritating after a while. Aside from this it’s a very enjoyable low budget horror that’s worth a watch.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated 1917 (2020) in Movies
Jan 20, 2020
The visuals (1 more)
The representation of the war
The War Within The War
1917- is a excellent, phenomenal, epic, fantastic visuals, a remarkable/extraordinary journey that is sad to watch, because it takes place within the war, so people get wounded/injured, people get killed, people go through hell in war just to live to see the next day. People get hungry, tired, dont get to see their family, their have to survive, survival is the only key. And 1917 shows that, 1917 shows the representation of the war, 1917 shows all of that and more. Sam Mendes shows the representation, the struggle, the journey, no man's land and so much more of the war. As to appear as one continuous shot. Which was excellent/phemomenal.
The Plot: During World War I, two British soldiers -- Lance Cpl. Schofield and Lance Cpl. Blake -- receive seemingly impossible orders. In a race against time, they must cross over into enemy territory to deliver a message that could potentially save 1,600 of their fellow comrades -- including Blake's own brother.
A must, a very must watch film. If you havent seen 1917 than go out and see it. Cause this movie will win best picture.
The Plot: During World War I, two British soldiers -- Lance Cpl. Schofield and Lance Cpl. Blake -- receive seemingly impossible orders. In a race against time, they must cross over into enemy territory to deliver a message that could potentially save 1,600 of their fellow comrades -- including Blake's own brother.
A must, a very must watch film. If you havent seen 1917 than go out and see it. Cause this movie will win best picture.
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