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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Joker (2019) in Movies

Oct 10, 2019

Joker (2019)

2019 | Crime, Drama

8.5

(147 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Why so serious?

This is the first film in a long time that I've come out of feeling very divided, and it's taken a rather lengthy internal debate on the way home to figure out how I really feel about it.

This starts off slow, very slow and I was worried that I was going to get very bored very quickly. However Joaquin Phoenix's performance is phenomenal and although he is disturbingly thin for this, he's brilliant to watch, even considering the subject matter. If it wasn't for the Gotham setting and mention of the Wayne's, this wouldn't feel like a DC superhero/villain film and this is my main criticism. I love how dark and gritty Joker is and that this is mainly a study about mental health, but I do wish it had a little more in it to tie it to it's source material. Even just a nod to his most well known origin story as seen in some of the other films would've made this even better. I've heard a lot of people say this is uncomfortable viewing, but I didnt see that myself. It's just a stark portrayal of mental health and it does very well in this respect. The violence is sparse yet fits well - I didn't think it was overdone or excessive. And the final act with the talk show and ending was sheer brilliance and really brought Joker towards the character we know and love. It's this final part that sold this film for me, and I'm interested to see how they fit this into the rest of the DC universe, and if we start seeing more superhero films that are much darker and realistic. This is definitely a good example to follow!

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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Omens (Cainsville, #1) in Books

Aug 18, 2019 (Updated Jun 15, 2021)

Loved it

Contains spoilers, click to show

Twenty-four-year-old Olivia Taylor Jones has the perfect life. The only daughter of a wealthy, prominent Chicago family, she has an Ivy League education, pursues volunteerism and philanthropy, and is engaged to a handsome young tech firm CEO with political ambitions.

But Olivia’s world is shattered when she learns that she’s adopted. Her real parents? Todd and Pamela Larsen, notorious serial killers serving a life sentence. When the news brings a maelstrom of unwanted publicity to her adopted family and fiancé, Olivia decides to find out the truth about the Larsens.

Olivia ends up in the small town of Cainsville, Illinois, an old and cloistered community that takes a particular interest in both Olivia and her efforts to uncover her birth parents’ past.

Aided by her mother’s former lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, Olivia focuses on the Larsens’ last crime, the one her birth mother swears will prove their innocence. But as she and Gabriel start investigating the case, Olivia finds herself drawing on abilities that have remained hidden since her childhood, gifts that make her both a valuable addition to Cainsville and deeply vulnerable to unknown enemies. Because there are darker secrets behind her new home and powers lurking in the shadows that have their own plans for her.

This is a reread for me I first read this a couple of years ago. Kelley Armstrong is one of my favourite authors and I've read pretty much everything she has written! So I decided to start Cainsville from the beginning.
I remember how I was rooting for Gabrielle from his first appearance. Although Ricky is so hot Gabe has always held my heart. The beginning of their relationship was so rocky but I just loved reliving how great they are working together.

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