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David McK (3396 KP) rated Sea Lord in Books

Jun 13, 2021

Sea Lord

Bernard Cornwell | 1989 | Thriller

5.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

I'm sure if you mentioned the name Bernard Cornwell to most readers, they would immediately think of historical-set 'boys-own' mainly and-based action-adventure novels, which I once read described by one critic as 'men behaving badly, but with incredible brio' (which I had to go and look up what that meant).

So, not a contemporary (at the time of Cornwell's writing) set mystery, then, with a heavy slant towards nautical matters.

Yet that is precisely what this is.

While I can't comment on the accuracy (or otherwise) of the naval segments - other than to say they seemed plausible to this land-lubber - I have to say, I also found this to be rather predictable fare, with it startlingly obvious - at least to me - just who stole the priceless Van Gogh (the McGuffin that provides the drive for the plot) further early on, not long after that character is introduced.

Sorry, Mr Cornwell: not your best effort.

Kudos

Bai Ling recommended Traffic (2001) in Movies (curated)

Traffic (2001)

2001 | Drama

7.3

(3 Ratings)

Movie Favorite Watch

"I like movies like Gone with the Wind, or The Unbearable Lightness of Being, but I’ll actually choose Traffic. When I did not speak the language, I watched the movie sex, lies, and videotape, and I didn’t understand; I thought American movies were always blockbusters, hard movies, with action and male leads. But that film was like pieces of life, pieces of dreams. I did a movie called Nipples, based on my dreams, with different characters coming together…very sexy, and very modern, and very open. I think that’s something that’s very contemporary and I didn’t think a lot of American directors were [that way]. [Steven Soderbergh]’s mind is very modern. I like Traffic because he shot it like a documentary, but there’s mystery, there’s modernity. There’s an unknown danger in it. When the characters are crossing the border — I just like the momentum of life, when people cross each other, when lives cross each other. In that moment of life, what can happen."

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Kudos

Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated One to Hold (One to Hold, #1) in Books

Jan 12, 2021

Contains spoilers, click to show

When I downloaded this I thought it was going to be a new adult book but it isn't, it's a contemporary erotic romance with characters in their thirties.

Nevertheless I enjoyed the book, how the first half or so is based at the spa retreat and the next 40% (it finishes around the 90& mark) is based back wherever she comes from. The difference between her life at home and the tranquillity of the spa is so different and I have to admit I felt sorry for her, though I don't want to spoilt it for those who haven't read it as to why.

I liked Derek from the first moment he's mentioned, maybe it's the way he looks at her from across the bar and seduces her within a handful of pages

It's hard to write a good review of this book when if I talk about the last half of it, I'll spoil it...

Kudos

Awix (3310 KP) rated Christopher Robin (2018) in Movies

Aug 22, 2019

Christopher Robin (2018)

2018 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy

8.1

(77 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Gentle family comedy-drama probably isn't anything really special, but compared to Peter Rabbit (which it has a number of similarities to) it looks like 2001: A Space Odyssey or Seven Samurai (or whatever you think one of History's Great Films is). Christopher Robin lives through the Second World War, grows up to become an unhappy office drone in danger of losing his soul; Pooh Bear and the other stuffed animals manifest to help him remember the Important Things in Life.

No real surprises, to be honest, but it's well-made, quite well-played, reasonably well-written, and it doesn't try to make Winnie the Pooh 'contemporary' or 'irreverent'. Some parts of it are genuinely quite sweet, others funny (Mark Gatiss' hairpiece always seems about to take on a CGI life of its own). Hardly essential viewing, but the whole family could probably watch this together and have a decent time doing so.