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Awix (3310 KP) rated Joy (2015) in Movies

Mar 17, 2018  
Joy (2015)
Joy (2015)
2015 | Drama
7
6.7 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
It takes a special kind of confidence to ask a movie studio to give you $60 million to make a two-hour-plus movie about mops and the home shopping channel, but David O Russell clearly has it and here is the result. What Fox were doing saying yes is probably less mysterious if you look at Russell's track record and the calibre of the cast he assembled for this movie.


Still, this is probably the most substantial movie ever released which is predominantly concerned with the realities of domestic cleaning and the intricacies of injection-moulded plastic and patent protection law - I suppose there is also a healthy element dealing with the protagonist's family and relationships, and the general hard-work-and-dedication-will-get-you-there-eventually ethos is the kind of thing that makes studios and audiences comfortable. Good performances, obviously; generally very engaging and watchable; educational, too, especially if you have trouble keeping the floor clean.
  
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
2015 | Romance
The Way to a Man's Heart is through his Sex Dungeon
Crushingly predictable glossy romance in which a shy everygirl manages to win the heart of a handsome, wealthy man, with regular sequences of soft-core humping included in an attempt to disguise how formulaic it all is.

Manages the surprising trick of making bondage seem quite dull; I found my attention wandering, and wondering who it was that kept Mr Grey's sex dungeon so shiny clean - has his cleaner also signed an NDA? Essentially hobbled as a piece of erotica by the fact that, in the end, this is still a mainstream film and so there are certain things they can't show. In the end this really has all the sizzling erotic frisson of a game of dominoes with Jacob Rees-Mogg. Extra point knocked off for the fact it doesn't bother with a proper climax (so to speak), choosing to leave that for the inevitable sequel.
  
Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2)
Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2)
Marissa Meyer | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
9
8.4 (36 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am huge fan of the lunar chronicles series. Just as the first book, scarlet surpassed my expectations. It's a refreshing and unique take on the fairy tale of little red riding hood. The book also continues with the story of Cinderella from the first novel of the series. The story keeps you interested the entire time and has simple twists and turns to keep you coming back for more. The characters are good kids but flawed in a way that lets you remember they are just like us, you cant help but love them all. The villain of the series is so vile the reader just cant wait to see her get what she deserves. I would recommend this series to anyone who loves the ya genre. It is also clean enough for my ten year old to read. I can not wait to read the next novel in the series: Cress.
  
Sinister (2012)
Sinister (2012)
2012 | Horror
8
7.1 (24 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The Suspense (1 more)
The shocks
Creepy as hell
I went in to this with no idea about it, and after I had watched it I wished I had watched it at a different time, not immediately before having to clean an empty church at 10pm....

Ellison, played by Ethan Hawke, is a true crime writer looking to write the next big hit book and moves his family into a house where a murder took place... and that is about all I'm going to say about the story.

It takes a lot to creep me out, and give me the jitters but this one did, genuinely on the edge of my seat not knowing when the next time I would be shocked, holding my breath awaiting the next moment...

The story might be standard horror movie fare, but the frights are paced perfectly to give you the high points at the right times...

If you are disappointed with normal horror films lack of horror, give this one a try.
  
Next in the independence Island series…Scrumptious Independence by Melissa Wardwell! I have been looking forward to this book for months. and boy was it worth the wait. I loved her balance of character interaction with the emotions and memories she invoked in me through her characters. It truly was a fun book to read that I had a hard time putting down.

I thought Melissa Wardwell did a great job engaging not just your eyes but your memories too! From her yummy sounding recipes (that may or may not have set off a cooking spree, much to my husband’s delight), to the hints of a mystery within, added with a dash of super sweet romance between Beth and Scott… I mean what more can I say? This book is a recipe for a good clean engaging read. Well done Melissa Wardwell, now I can’t wait to see what will happen on the Merriweather Islands next
  
I loved Ginnie and Tillies adventures through this series. Both characters are full of life, somewhat sassy, and imaginative. Plus, I think they portray qualities that most kids of that age display. But one of my favorite things about this book (Really the series) is that Monique Buchger uses real life situations such as dysfunctional families, bullies, etc., to show the right ways to approach a situation. I truly commend her for not shying away from the tough issues and doing it in a clean way. While this is most likely the last book in this series, I hope to see more of Ginnie and Tillies adventures in the future.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the creative characters, the themes displayed, and for leaving me smiling.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
  
Point Break (1991)
Point Break (1991)
1991 | Action, Mystery
Cult thriller from Kathryn Bigelow: the film that persuaded the world that Keanu Reeves could be an action hero and Patrick Swayze could act. Clean-cut FBI agent Johnny Utah (like that's a real name) goes undercover in the world of surfing to catch a group of elite bank robbers, but finds his resolution tested by his growing attraction to one of them (and his ex-girlfriend).

A solid thriller is elevated to the level of something special by Bigelow's superb direction (banging action and extreme-sports sequences), plus genuine depth of character. Keanu still looks sort of bovine in places, though showing genuine signs of improvement, while Swayze is something of a revelation as an ambiguous spiritual guru/gang leader. Lori Petty is also good, but mostly decorative and underused. All the more impressive when you realise it has basically the same plot as The Fast and the Furious but still feels like a proper movie for grown-ups.
  
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Hari Nef recommended Safe (1995) in Movies (curated)

 
Safe (1995)
Safe (1995)
1995 |
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"What can I say about Julianne Moore other than that she is a queen and a goddess and I love her. This film is so unsettling, and I find it hard to describe because the monsters and enemies are invisible. What is leading this woman who is technically fine, technically well-off, technically clean, and technically shouldn’t have anything to worry about down this spiral of sickness and paranoia? I often feel that way about myself when I’m dealing with existential crises of my own. I count my blessings, but I can’t get away from, at certain points, this feeling that something is wrong, and this film hit me right there. Haynes was ahead of his time in creating that sort of ominous, intrusive, odious ambiance without beating you over the head with outright horror or contagion, or all of the easy ways to get you to feel scared. It’s all that isn’t being seen in the film that is scariest."

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Twin Peaks - Fire Walk with Me (1992)
Twin Peaks - Fire Walk with Me (1992)
1992 | Drama, Mystery, Documentary
8.6 (5 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"I’m always fascinated by what girls do with their trauma. Laura Palmer is a girl who is caught up in some bad shit and is a victim of sexual abuse. She understands, in some way because of her trauma, that she can never be this clean, perfect girl that everyone thinks she is, and instead of succumbing to self-hatred internally, she externalizes it and seizes control of her narrative as a bad girl, as a dirty girl, always choosing her path to destruction and chaos, which I find perverse but also can’t tear my eyes away from. The way Lynch bridges fantasy and reality and uses supernatural forces to symbolize trauma feels like a more accurate representation of the chaos that trauma wreaks in somebody’s mind and body than a cold, hard naturalistic portrayal. I love that he was able to circumvent TV censorship and really show what was going on in the dark."

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Rachel Unthank recommended Tumble Bee by Laura Veirs in Music (curated)

 
Tumble Bee by Laura Veirs
Tumble Bee by Laura Veirs
2011 | Pop
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"When my eldest was a baby, I'd take her on tour, and this album was an important part of the kit. There'd be a battle after the gigs to get her into the car and I'd be all, "Put Tumble Bee on quick! Put Tumble Bee on before she kicks off!" And then everything would be alright. So I'd like to thank you, Laura, for saving my life a few times [laughs]. 

This is a really wonderful album for children, well-crafted and beautiful, that doesn't dumb things down. I still listen to it now, quite happily, without the kids. Becky and Niopha have babies now, and we had them on tour with us when they were both about six-months-old. That time in my life is very much done, but it was really lovely. I remember Becky standing backstage, and breathing out, going, ‘Oh my God, I'm in a quiet room with a clean dress on'. I remember that feeling too [laughs]."

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