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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Almost Christmas (2016) in Movies
Jul 12, 2019
It’s that time of year again, well maybe a little bit sooner than I would prefer because we haven’t hit thanksgiving yet. Holiday Season is here! So the attempts from the studios to get a piece of the holiday season box office. This new comedy from writer David E. Talbert (Baggage Claim) and producer Will Packer (Ride Along, Think Like a Man series, This Christmas), Almost Christmas, tells the story of a beloved patriarch, Walter, played by Danny Glover, a retired mechanic who owned a chain of auto shops and is now getting ready to spend the holiday with his four adult children and their families.
This year is the family’s first Christmas since the death of Walter’s wife, Grace, and the film flashes back to show us a beautiful 45 year relationship, that even when their home overflowed with children, they kept their love and affection.
Grace showed her dedication to Walter and the rest of her family with delicious recipes, especially her sweet potato pie.
Walter asks his family for one gift this holiday season to spend five days under the same roof without killing one another.
But later in the film you find out that the real drama is the rivalry between Rachel and Cheryl and the undergoing feud over each other’s life choices. Rachel (Gabrielle Union) a divorced mom, who after different career attempts, finally decided to become a law student; but unfortunately this last one made her financially unstable. Rachel’s overachieving big sister, Cheryl (Kimberly Elise) is always hiding her own insecurities and trying to control her obnoxious husband J.B. Smoove, and older retired athlete, who played basketball in Croatia in the 80’s, and considers himself a celebrity and an American hero.
Their brothers Christian (Romany Malco) is occupied with his congressional run, and Evan (Jessie Usher), the surprise baby of the family, is attempting to conquer a college football injury and secretly abusing of pain killers.
Finally we have aunt May (Mo’nique), who deserves a special mention for being extremely hilarious having a still-functioning career as a backup singer and in the past performed with Mick Jagger and Chaka Khan and now enjoys imparting all of her wisdom to her nieces, nephews and Walter.
The movie’s sibling dynamics feels authentic, with a relatable blend of rivalry, nostalgia, and dependence; Glover’s quest to perfect his wife’s signature dish will pull at anyone’s heartstrings.
It is surprisingly funny and hits it mark more than it misses. But it is not a secret that the major strength of this movie is its cast led by Danny Glover, and how we start to get too old for some shit, and an amazing team of charming actors and actresses that can transport you in the time with the right music and some dancing in the kitchen.
This year is the family’s first Christmas since the death of Walter’s wife, Grace, and the film flashes back to show us a beautiful 45 year relationship, that even when their home overflowed with children, they kept their love and affection.
Grace showed her dedication to Walter and the rest of her family with delicious recipes, especially her sweet potato pie.
Walter asks his family for one gift this holiday season to spend five days under the same roof without killing one another.
But later in the film you find out that the real drama is the rivalry between Rachel and Cheryl and the undergoing feud over each other’s life choices. Rachel (Gabrielle Union) a divorced mom, who after different career attempts, finally decided to become a law student; but unfortunately this last one made her financially unstable. Rachel’s overachieving big sister, Cheryl (Kimberly Elise) is always hiding her own insecurities and trying to control her obnoxious husband J.B. Smoove, and older retired athlete, who played basketball in Croatia in the 80’s, and considers himself a celebrity and an American hero.
Their brothers Christian (Romany Malco) is occupied with his congressional run, and Evan (Jessie Usher), the surprise baby of the family, is attempting to conquer a college football injury and secretly abusing of pain killers.
Finally we have aunt May (Mo’nique), who deserves a special mention for being extremely hilarious having a still-functioning career as a backup singer and in the past performed with Mick Jagger and Chaka Khan and now enjoys imparting all of her wisdom to her nieces, nephews and Walter.
The movie’s sibling dynamics feels authentic, with a relatable blend of rivalry, nostalgia, and dependence; Glover’s quest to perfect his wife’s signature dish will pull at anyone’s heartstrings.
It is surprisingly funny and hits it mark more than it misses. But it is not a secret that the major strength of this movie is its cast led by Danny Glover, and how we start to get too old for some shit, and an amazing team of charming actors and actresses that can transport you in the time with the right music and some dancing in the kitchen.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Climax (2018) in Movies
Jul 13, 2019
Verdict: What The?
Story: Climax starts as we meet all the dancers in this gathering, Selva (Boutella) seems to be the one that is planning the big dance number that will give all of them a chance to show of their different styles and techniques, we see an early look at the project before seeing the dancers relaxing at a party, going through the social numbers.
The night takes a dramatic turn when somebody spikes the drink with LSD putting everybody into a hallucinatory nightmare bringing out the worst in them all.
Thoughts on Climax
Characters – We have so many characters that we meet in this film, nobody seems to be the main character, with most getting equal screen time, this doesn’t help the movie because it is hard to keep up with every single character, you get to see the names in the opening introduction only to forget them when you meet the next one, not many of them are that interesting either, they do all have one thing in common though, they want to be dancers.
Performances – It is hard to judge any of the performances in this film, the dancing side of everything is faultless, it is meant to look different, but because we don’t give enough time to the actors it is hard to give them time to shine in anyway through this film.
Story – The story follows a group of dancers that are working on a project who look to celebrate only for the occasion to turn into a nightmare when the drink is spike. I am going to be honest, there really isn’t a story here, it is mostly just characters talking about who they want to have sex with, then getting high and running around like maniacs, that is all that happens.
Horror – The horror in this film comes from just what these people end up doing to each other once the drugs have kicked in, it’s a lot of screaming and it does try to push the boundaries, the problem comes from us not getting to know these characters enough to care what they do.
Settings – The film is set in one location, it has plenty of corridors along with a big party hall, which does make senses for everything happening in once location over one night.
Scene of the Movie – The interview introductions do make sense for the number of characters we have to meet.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The first about 50 minutes is just boring.
Final Thoughts – This is a movie that will have its fans, though it is just a complete art piece that is trying to push the boundaries more than give us a proper story with too many characters to keep up with.
Overall: Overly Arty Movie.
Rating
Story: Climax starts as we meet all the dancers in this gathering, Selva (Boutella) seems to be the one that is planning the big dance number that will give all of them a chance to show of their different styles and techniques, we see an early look at the project before seeing the dancers relaxing at a party, going through the social numbers.
The night takes a dramatic turn when somebody spikes the drink with LSD putting everybody into a hallucinatory nightmare bringing out the worst in them all.
Thoughts on Climax
Characters – We have so many characters that we meet in this film, nobody seems to be the main character, with most getting equal screen time, this doesn’t help the movie because it is hard to keep up with every single character, you get to see the names in the opening introduction only to forget them when you meet the next one, not many of them are that interesting either, they do all have one thing in common though, they want to be dancers.
Performances – It is hard to judge any of the performances in this film, the dancing side of everything is faultless, it is meant to look different, but because we don’t give enough time to the actors it is hard to give them time to shine in anyway through this film.
Story – The story follows a group of dancers that are working on a project who look to celebrate only for the occasion to turn into a nightmare when the drink is spike. I am going to be honest, there really isn’t a story here, it is mostly just characters talking about who they want to have sex with, then getting high and running around like maniacs, that is all that happens.
Horror – The horror in this film comes from just what these people end up doing to each other once the drugs have kicked in, it’s a lot of screaming and it does try to push the boundaries, the problem comes from us not getting to know these characters enough to care what they do.
Settings – The film is set in one location, it has plenty of corridors along with a big party hall, which does make senses for everything happening in once location over one night.
Scene of the Movie – The interview introductions do make sense for the number of characters we have to meet.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The first about 50 minutes is just boring.
Final Thoughts – This is a movie that will have its fans, though it is just a complete art piece that is trying to push the boundaries more than give us a proper story with too many characters to keep up with.
Overall: Overly Arty Movie.
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Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated Merrily We Go to Hell (1932) in Movies
Sep 3, 2020 (Updated Sep 3, 2020)
Pre-code (4 more)
What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
Skeet Gallagher as Buck, the sidekick
Florence Britton as Charlcie, the female sidekick
Directed by female director Dorothy Arzner
Contains spoilers, click to show
It was an important movie of its time. It is a pre-code movie so it was able to get away with sins such as alcoholism and infidelity of husbands AND wives without making them pay in the end.
Sylvia Sidney plays Joan Prentice, the daughter of the president of Prentice coffee and Fredric March plays Jerry Corbett, a newspaperman who wishes to be a playwright. They meet at a society party where she is trying to ignore the advances of a very handsy older man and he is on the terrace drunk and drinking even more. She somehow finds him charming and he finds her "swell." They make a date to meet up again and romance follows. I mean, allegedly follows though it seems like a huge plot point to me what they see in each other and what kind of substance their relationship has. I've never been a very romantic person but even this seems terribly lacking to me.
Skeets Gallagher plays the sidekick Buck and he's worth his weight in gold. He a drinking buddy and scenes with him often start with the camera panning him tap dancing from behind. He's sweet, sympathetic, charming, and adorable and brings so much life to the role and film. Florence Britton plays the female sidekick to Fredric March's Jerry Corbett and is a bold lady, and kind. She and Buck are so much fun and not sloppy drunk like Corbett. I would much rather watch a movie with the two of them.
Sylvia Sidney, the female protagonist was bold and determined. After her husband cheats on her with his former wife, she goes out to have a little fun, too. She gets tired of her husband's constant drunkenness and leaves him. He seems to come to his senses at the end of the movie and goes to her. Spoiler alert: she is in the hospital having delivered their baby. He didn't know she was pregnant and only learned about the baby after reading the birth announcement in the newspaper. This is a premonition of things to come once the code comes into play as any sin must be paid for with a person's ruin or death. However, it ends on a happy note that their marriage will be better and that they are hopeful for the future.
* Watch for Cary Grant in one of his earliest roles as the male lead in the period drama play towards the end of the film.
Sylvia Sidney plays Joan Prentice, the daughter of the president of Prentice coffee and Fredric March plays Jerry Corbett, a newspaperman who wishes to be a playwright. They meet at a society party where she is trying to ignore the advances of a very handsy older man and he is on the terrace drunk and drinking even more. She somehow finds him charming and he finds her "swell." They make a date to meet up again and romance follows. I mean, allegedly follows though it seems like a huge plot point to me what they see in each other and what kind of substance their relationship has. I've never been a very romantic person but even this seems terribly lacking to me.
Skeets Gallagher plays the sidekick Buck and he's worth his weight in gold. He a drinking buddy and scenes with him often start with the camera panning him tap dancing from behind. He's sweet, sympathetic, charming, and adorable and brings so much life to the role and film. Florence Britton plays the female sidekick to Fredric March's Jerry Corbett and is a bold lady, and kind. She and Buck are so much fun and not sloppy drunk like Corbett. I would much rather watch a movie with the two of them.
Sylvia Sidney, the female protagonist was bold and determined. After her husband cheats on her with his former wife, she goes out to have a little fun, too. She gets tired of her husband's constant drunkenness and leaves him. He seems to come to his senses at the end of the movie and goes to her. Spoiler alert: she is in the hospital having delivered their baby. He didn't know she was pregnant and only learned about the baby after reading the birth announcement in the newspaper. This is a premonition of things to come once the code comes into play as any sin must be paid for with a person's ruin or death. However, it ends on a happy note that their marriage will be better and that they are hopeful for the future.
* Watch for Cary Grant in one of his earliest roles as the male lead in the period drama play towards the end of the film.
Debbiereadsbook (1110 KP) rated Slippers and Songs (Brodyr Alarch #1) in Books
Feb 23, 2024
There is romance here, but it takes time!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Prince Brenin and his brother are summoned to help solve a mystery, to where Princess Tesni goes at night, and ruins her dancing shoes. She can't remember, and no one has been able to solve the riddle. Given that Brenin and his brothers survived a curse, they might be able to finally let Tesni sleep.
There is a book previous to this, but it's not really necessary to read Sealed with A Curse before this one. It would give you the story of how Brenin and his brothers were cursed, and why one brother still has a swan wing instead of an arm, but not really NEEDED to understand this one.
Brenin is called to help Tesni. (I was reading this as Tensi through the whole book though, so if I slip and type it wrong, I'm sorry!) They kinda clash a bit at first, but they do begin to get on once they start spending time together. There is romance here, but it takes time, and it's CLEAN. And I loved that it was! If you follow my reviews, you'll know I will always say I prefer my books on the spicier side, but here?? Nope, loved that it was clean and no violence.
I loved how I did not see who was responsible for Tesni's plight. Did not see that coming at all! Nor why! So well played there!
It's beautifully written. Full of Welsh myths and gods, and I can't remember their names but those same gods are central to Sealed With a Curse, so maybe you SHOULD read that one before this!
My only niggle, and it really is a niggle. I'm picky like that and it's my review but this won't affect my star rating! The book is told from only Brenin's point of view and I really wanted to know what Tesni was thinking, at key points along the way. When she meets Brenin, when she gets up at night, what was going through her mind, when Brenin solves the riddle, and when Brenin first asks that very important question! I loved her reaction, I kinda expected it, but I didn't expect Brenin to run away! He does come good, with a little help from previously aforementioned Welsh gods whose names I can't say let alone spell!
I'm intrigued by these fairytale retells. They are all Brothers Grimm, but ones I've never heard of! I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
I liked Sealed with a Curse, it was a nice read that I gave 4 stars to. But this one? I LOVED this one! And as such, it can only get:
5 full and shiny stars!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Prince Brenin and his brother are summoned to help solve a mystery, to where Princess Tesni goes at night, and ruins her dancing shoes. She can't remember, and no one has been able to solve the riddle. Given that Brenin and his brothers survived a curse, they might be able to finally let Tesni sleep.
There is a book previous to this, but it's not really necessary to read Sealed with A Curse before this one. It would give you the story of how Brenin and his brothers were cursed, and why one brother still has a swan wing instead of an arm, but not really NEEDED to understand this one.
Brenin is called to help Tesni. (I was reading this as Tensi through the whole book though, so if I slip and type it wrong, I'm sorry!) They kinda clash a bit at first, but they do begin to get on once they start spending time together. There is romance here, but it takes time, and it's CLEAN. And I loved that it was! If you follow my reviews, you'll know I will always say I prefer my books on the spicier side, but here?? Nope, loved that it was clean and no violence.
I loved how I did not see who was responsible for Tesni's plight. Did not see that coming at all! Nor why! So well played there!
It's beautifully written. Full of Welsh myths and gods, and I can't remember their names but those same gods are central to Sealed With a Curse, so maybe you SHOULD read that one before this!
My only niggle, and it really is a niggle. I'm picky like that and it's my review but this won't affect my star rating! The book is told from only Brenin's point of view and I really wanted to know what Tesni was thinking, at key points along the way. When she meets Brenin, when she gets up at night, what was going through her mind, when Brenin solves the riddle, and when Brenin first asks that very important question! I loved her reaction, I kinda expected it, but I didn't expect Brenin to run away! He does come good, with a little help from previously aforementioned Welsh gods whose names I can't say let alone spell!
I'm intrigued by these fairytale retells. They are all Brothers Grimm, but ones I've never heard of! I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
I liked Sealed with a Curse, it was a nice read that I gave 4 stars to. But this one? I LOVED this one! And as such, it can only get:
5 full and shiny stars!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Perfect Mother in Books
May 10, 2018
Compelling and suspenseful novel that grabs you from the start
The May Mothers--a group of parents who all gave birth in May--meet regularly to discuss their parenting woes, joys, and everything in between. On the 4th of July, the group decides to go out in the evening--their first time out since their children were born. They meet at a bar, and most of the group is looking forward to an evening of drinking and dancing. But Winnie, a single mother, is reluctant to leave her son, Midas, with a babysitter for the first time. And, that evening, all goes wrong: while Winnie is out, Midas is taken from his own home while the babysitter sleeps: stolen from his crib without anyone leaving a trace. Suddenly Winnie's life is splashed across the media, who are also saying the police have done everything wrong with the investigation from the start. Three of the other mothers only want to help Winnie get Midas back--but will it come at the cost of their own privacy as well?
This is a compelling and suspenseful novel that grabs you from the beginning, when we are told that it is a year later and a woman from the Mother's group is in prison due to Midas' disappearance. From there, the story rewinds, as told from the point-of-view of several women in the group, including Francie, Colette, Nell, and Winnie. It slowly unfolds with snippets from each and turns out to be incredibly suspenseful. The characters are all entwined a bit, and there are some excellent twists and turns as plot pieces unfold.
Even better, the novel offers some excellent commentary on how women are treated wrapped up in the mystery plot. Woven into the plot twists, we see some of the harsh realities of motherhood (in the U.S., especially) related to working mothers, breastfeeding, sleeplessness, and the overall pressure placed on new moms. As Winnie is increasingly tried in the media, Molloy does a good job of weaving in TV news and commentary on how mothers are expected to behave. It's well-done and I enjoyed the dual aspect of a well-done thriller but also the social commentary aspect, too.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It was very exciting and very surprising. At times, there often seemed to be a frustrating character involved with something to hide and making bad decisions (secretly copying files, hacking into things, etc.), but I suppose that comes with the territory. And yes, I am a little tired of the multiple POV/surprise twist format, but it worked so well here that I'll forgive. In the end, this is a really enjoyable novel with a vast cast of characters, some excellent twists, and amazing insight into motherhood. I'm really excited that this will be turned into a movie with Kerry Washington.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
This is a compelling and suspenseful novel that grabs you from the beginning, when we are told that it is a year later and a woman from the Mother's group is in prison due to Midas' disappearance. From there, the story rewinds, as told from the point-of-view of several women in the group, including Francie, Colette, Nell, and Winnie. It slowly unfolds with snippets from each and turns out to be incredibly suspenseful. The characters are all entwined a bit, and there are some excellent twists and turns as plot pieces unfold.
Even better, the novel offers some excellent commentary on how women are treated wrapped up in the mystery plot. Woven into the plot twists, we see some of the harsh realities of motherhood (in the U.S., especially) related to working mothers, breastfeeding, sleeplessness, and the overall pressure placed on new moms. As Winnie is increasingly tried in the media, Molloy does a good job of weaving in TV news and commentary on how mothers are expected to behave. It's well-done and I enjoyed the dual aspect of a well-done thriller but also the social commentary aspect, too.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It was very exciting and very surprising. At times, there often seemed to be a frustrating character involved with something to hide and making bad decisions (secretly copying files, hacking into things, etc.), but I suppose that comes with the territory. And yes, I am a little tired of the multiple POV/surprise twist format, but it worked so well here that I'll forgive. In the end, this is a really enjoyable novel with a vast cast of characters, some excellent twists, and amazing insight into motherhood. I'm really excited that this will be turned into a movie with Kerry Washington.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Black Swan (2010) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan has received a lot of attention since it was released what feels like many moons ago. With countless award nominations on both sides of the Atlantic, it could perhaps be one of the most talked about films of the decade; but is it all style over substance? Let’s find out.
What strikes you immediately is just how beautifully choreographed and styled the film is throughout, with some outstanding cinematography and wonderful set pieces. However, this doesn’t necessarily constitute to a brilliant film and unfortunately, whilst being technically near-perfect; Black Swan falls down in a few key areas for it to be considered flawless.
Natalie Portman stars as troubled ballet dancer (if you hadn’t already guessed) Nina Sayers who dreams of becoming one of the world’s best dancers. This becomes apparent from the off, with a very possessive mother (played very well by Barbara Hershey) who is constantly striving for her to improve on what she has accomplished. The local ballet company, run by a fantastic Vincent Cassel begins a new season with the renowned ballet, Swan Lake. Cue Nina to receive the amazing honour of playing the Swan Queen.
However, it’s not all plain sailing as she tries to throw off the frigid, stiff dancing she has been practicing for years. Whilst this may sound a little dull, on screen it becomes a great treat to watch, thanks partly to Aronofsky’s fantastic cinematography and Portman’s compelling performance. Her acting is so superb that you feel as if you are there with her whilst she is going through the horror of creating the ‘perfect’ dance. What shines through all the doom and gloom is how much soul the film has; many similar movies lose their characters and ultimately the soul because so much attention goes into the finer points of the picture. Thankfully, this is not the case here.
Unfortunately, as with any film, there are a few negative points which detract from the whole experience. Whilst Portman, Cassel and Kunis all have excellent on screen chemistry; it remains difficult for the viewer to differentiate between Nina’s imagination and what is reality; it is definitely a film that needs to be watched, one moment of drifting from its attention will leave you scuppered and lost. This is most annoying, because if it weren’t for this, there would be nothing wrong apart from a very sudden ending.
Overall, Black Swan is a sight to behold because no review can do it justice. Portman’s performance is by far the best part of this very thrilling and exciting film. Yes, it may not be as perfect as all the award nominations make it out to be, but you would be hard pushed to find a more compelling and ultimately more satisfying cinema experience.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2011/02/13/black-swan-2011/
What strikes you immediately is just how beautifully choreographed and styled the film is throughout, with some outstanding cinematography and wonderful set pieces. However, this doesn’t necessarily constitute to a brilliant film and unfortunately, whilst being technically near-perfect; Black Swan falls down in a few key areas for it to be considered flawless.
Natalie Portman stars as troubled ballet dancer (if you hadn’t already guessed) Nina Sayers who dreams of becoming one of the world’s best dancers. This becomes apparent from the off, with a very possessive mother (played very well by Barbara Hershey) who is constantly striving for her to improve on what she has accomplished. The local ballet company, run by a fantastic Vincent Cassel begins a new season with the renowned ballet, Swan Lake. Cue Nina to receive the amazing honour of playing the Swan Queen.
However, it’s not all plain sailing as she tries to throw off the frigid, stiff dancing she has been practicing for years. Whilst this may sound a little dull, on screen it becomes a great treat to watch, thanks partly to Aronofsky’s fantastic cinematography and Portman’s compelling performance. Her acting is so superb that you feel as if you are there with her whilst she is going through the horror of creating the ‘perfect’ dance. What shines through all the doom and gloom is how much soul the film has; many similar movies lose their characters and ultimately the soul because so much attention goes into the finer points of the picture. Thankfully, this is not the case here.
Unfortunately, as with any film, there are a few negative points which detract from the whole experience. Whilst Portman, Cassel and Kunis all have excellent on screen chemistry; it remains difficult for the viewer to differentiate between Nina’s imagination and what is reality; it is definitely a film that needs to be watched, one moment of drifting from its attention will leave you scuppered and lost. This is most annoying, because if it weren’t for this, there would be nothing wrong apart from a very sudden ending.
Overall, Black Swan is a sight to behold because no review can do it justice. Portman’s performance is by far the best part of this very thrilling and exciting film. Yes, it may not be as perfect as all the award nominations make it out to be, but you would be hard pushed to find a more compelling and ultimately more satisfying cinema experience.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2011/02/13/black-swan-2011/