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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Our Brand is Crisis (2015) in Movies
Oct 30, 2017 (Updated Oct 30, 2017)
Would have been a decent film if it wasn't for the ending
Our Brand is Crisis is absolutely current for contemporary affairs given that it's a mix of House of Cards, The Ides of March, and real-life politics. The premise of the film looks completely realistic - a disgraced campaign manager discusses her role in manipulating election campaigns to sway the votes using 'crisis' rhetoric to engage the electorate. Sound familiar?
Sandra Bullock plays a brutal and a downright unlikable character but she's all about winning at any cost. In this case, after hiding away for several years following a public scandal, she's hired to back a dwindling presidential candidate in Bolivia. From dirty tricks such as spreading rumours, to even making her candidate appear emotional in a television chat show, she shows how fickle the election system is. All this down to fighting against an opposing campaign manager, played by Billy Bob Thornton, after he sabotaged another of her projects.
However, there's a reason why it hasn't received such great reviews. Right at the end of everything, she seems to gain a conscience which seemed completely uncharacteristic throughout. It changed it from a decently honest portrayal to a Hollywood film which was a real shame. It definitely had potential.
Sandra Bullock plays a brutal and a downright unlikable character but she's all about winning at any cost. In this case, after hiding away for several years following a public scandal, she's hired to back a dwindling presidential candidate in Bolivia. From dirty tricks such as spreading rumours, to even making her candidate appear emotional in a television chat show, she shows how fickle the election system is. All this down to fighting against an opposing campaign manager, played by Billy Bob Thornton, after he sabotaged another of her projects.
However, there's a reason why it hasn't received such great reviews. Right at the end of everything, she seems to gain a conscience which seemed completely uncharacteristic throughout. It changed it from a decently honest portrayal to a Hollywood film which was a real shame. It definitely had potential.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated Peppermint (2018) in Movies
Apr 14, 2019
You've seen it all before
I hate to sound like a broken record here, but these movies are all starting to run together for me.
The premise, innocent woman has her family gunned down in front of her eyes. She goes off the grid for several years and then returns to track down and administer her own form of private justice in her complete transformation into a hardened killer. Along the way she encounters the usual sympathetic cop, dirty cop, innocent bystanders and becomes a social media sensation.
It is all too familiar like the recent Death Wish and Equalizer remakes it feels like this story has been told too many times recently and better than this one. The characters (especially the villains) are so generic and unmemorable they just blend into the background.
These "take the law into your own hands" films really have to go above and beyond to deliver something unique for me to be memorable since they are so formula these days and this one definitely did not.
I did enjoy watching Jennifer Garner kick some bad guy ass, but even that was done better in the recent Atomic Blonde.
Overall, meh.
The premise, innocent woman has her family gunned down in front of her eyes. She goes off the grid for several years and then returns to track down and administer her own form of private justice in her complete transformation into a hardened killer. Along the way she encounters the usual sympathetic cop, dirty cop, innocent bystanders and becomes a social media sensation.
It is all too familiar like the recent Death Wish and Equalizer remakes it feels like this story has been told too many times recently and better than this one. The characters (especially the villains) are so generic and unmemorable they just blend into the background.
These "take the law into your own hands" films really have to go above and beyond to deliver something unique for me to be memorable since they are so formula these days and this one definitely did not.
I did enjoy watching Jennifer Garner kick some bad guy ass, but even that was done better in the recent Atomic Blonde.
Overall, meh.
Georgina DeBurca (2 KP) rated Sin For Love (Fortune For Love #1) in Books
Jan 29, 2018
Received this book as a gift from a party.
Sticking to my usual rules - I'm not gonna give anything away.
So - let's start with writing style - good. It flicks between the heroine and heroes pov. Every time the pov changed - it was headed by a name. Made me feel a little thick that I needed to be told but I know some people do struggle reading pov swap books. So I'll overlook that. Written well. Not many errors.
Storyline - well laid out and the writer knew what journey she wanted to take us on. it was emotional and sensual. Almost like a dirty sexual modern day fairy tale where the guy gets the girl after trial by fire.
Sex scenes were well written, creative and steamy as hell. Will warn - public masturbation, and some girl on girl.
Did I like this story - well... Yes and no. Well written and well thought out, steamy. the only bit that put me off were the sins, but they were integral to the story line to be fair, so I can't grumble too much. Liked the back stories and how their lives were linked after an incident in both their pasts.
Definitely worth a read. <3
Sticking to my usual rules - I'm not gonna give anything away.
So - let's start with writing style - good. It flicks between the heroine and heroes pov. Every time the pov changed - it was headed by a name. Made me feel a little thick that I needed to be told but I know some people do struggle reading pov swap books. So I'll overlook that. Written well. Not many errors.
Storyline - well laid out and the writer knew what journey she wanted to take us on. it was emotional and sensual. Almost like a dirty sexual modern day fairy tale where the guy gets the girl after trial by fire.
Sex scenes were well written, creative and steamy as hell. Will warn - public masturbation, and some girl on girl.
Did I like this story - well... Yes and no. Well written and well thought out, steamy. the only bit that put me off were the sins, but they were integral to the story line to be fair, so I can't grumble too much. Liked the back stories and how their lives were linked after an incident in both their pasts.
Definitely worth a read. <3
Joe Julians (221 KP) rated Suburbicon (2017) in Movies
Jan 30, 2018
Good performances (1 more)
Well shot
Muddled story (1 more)
Messy narrative
Despite a promising and fun fist couple of minutes, it quickly becomes clear that Suburbicon is both a missed opportunity and a jumbled attempt at constructing a story.
On the one hand, we have a black family moving into the area and being subjected to abuse and extreme prejudice, and on the other, a family hiding a dirty secret about a home invasion that led to the death of the mother. The problem is, neither of these plots is given the right amount of attention. The racial story is by far the most interesting here, yet it's relegated to a side plot and, with the exception of the young boy, none of the family get a chance to develop into actual characters. Then you have the murder story which takes up the bulk of the running time, but it's neither fresh nor original- it's actually rather dull.
Despite being beautifully shot and occasionally amusing (Matt Damon on a kid's bike), Suburbicon ends up being a bit of a slog. It's a mish mash of ideas and tones that don't come close to forming a coherent story. There's decent performances to be found, but beyond that- don't expect much.
On the one hand, we have a black family moving into the area and being subjected to abuse and extreme prejudice, and on the other, a family hiding a dirty secret about a home invasion that led to the death of the mother. The problem is, neither of these plots is given the right amount of attention. The racial story is by far the most interesting here, yet it's relegated to a side plot and, with the exception of the young boy, none of the family get a chance to develop into actual characters. Then you have the murder story which takes up the bulk of the running time, but it's neither fresh nor original- it's actually rather dull.
Despite being beautifully shot and occasionally amusing (Matt Damon on a kid's bike), Suburbicon ends up being a bit of a slog. It's a mish mash of ideas and tones that don't come close to forming a coherent story. There's decent performances to be found, but beyond that- don't expect much.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Ascension (Cherchez Wolf Pack, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
I have read Lauren Dane before but this was my first venture into her fantasy romance. I enjoyed what I read from her previously. But maybe thats because they have all been novellas/shorts, or the purpose of them was dirty delicious sex. This was definitely not one of her better ones. Unless you are reading it for sex.
The short version: the plotline is an old tired one that is literally a dime a dozen. I felt that Dane used it just to have a plotline at all to further her characters relationship. Her characters werent very original either. This would have all been more acceptable had I felt the author tried but I genuinely felt that this story and these characters were created purely to have a sexual relationship. I will concede, however, that the erotica aspect is pretty well written. There are some non-hetero scenes as well as...sharing? So if you want something more vanilla in the romantic department, you should pass this up.
If you can get past the ridiculous aspects and poor writing in terms of plot and characters, you may enjoy the erotica. Youve been warned though.
I have read Lauren Dane before but this was my first venture into her fantasy romance. I enjoyed what I read from her previously. But maybe thats because they have all been novellas/shorts, or the purpose of them was dirty delicious sex. This was definitely not one of her better ones. Unless you are reading it for sex.
The short version: the plotline is an old tired one that is literally a dime a dozen. I felt that Dane used it just to have a plotline at all to further her characters relationship. Her characters werent very original either. This would have all been more acceptable had I felt the author tried but I genuinely felt that this story and these characters were created purely to have a sexual relationship. I will concede, however, that the erotica aspect is pretty well written. There are some non-hetero scenes as well as...sharing? So if you want something more vanilla in the romantic department, you should pass this up.
If you can get past the ridiculous aspects and poor writing in terms of plot and characters, you may enjoy the erotica. Youve been warned though.
Merissa (12051 KP) rated Saving Jasmine (Satan's Bears #1) in Books
Oct 15, 2018
Saving Jasmine (Satan's Bears #1) by Rose Nickol
Saving Jasmine is the first book in the Satan's Bears series, and we are quickly thrown into the story. Maisy is twenty-four years old, responsible for her younger sister, Jasmine. Maisy is the one on the straight and narrow, Jasmine, the wild child. However, Maisy will work in a biker bar to get information on where her sister is. Stud in the leader of the bikers, and quickly claims Maisy for his own.
This was a very rough and ready story, almost raw in its execution. Although you get some information about the various groups, you don't get a lot, and that did leave me feeling like I had missed out. I found the characters to be rather weak and one dimensional, especially Stud. However, Maisy seemed happy with him, so I guess that's something.
This was a fast-paced story, so be prepared. If you are looking for a 'down and dirty' read, then this book may be just what you are looking for.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This was a very rough and ready story, almost raw in its execution. Although you get some information about the various groups, you don't get a lot, and that did leave me feeling like I had missed out. I found the characters to be rather weak and one dimensional, especially Stud. However, Maisy seemed happy with him, so I guess that's something.
This was a fast-paced story, so be prepared. If you are looking for a 'down and dirty' read, then this book may be just what you are looking for.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners in Books
Oct 31, 2018 (Updated Oct 31, 2018)
Such glorious fun!
I love this author's writing style. It isn't a recitation of dry facts as some historical nonfiction books can be. She really takes you into the daily rituals associated with fashion, hygiene, sex, marriage, and manners by immersing you in the culture as a virtual time traveler visiting the Victorian era. It brushes away the romance of the time period and gets you into the nitty-gritty, down-and-dirty history but in a fun and frivolous way as she takes you into her confidence and shares the secrets of the past. It's a delightful romp written with light sarcasm that brought tears from laughter into my eyes. I highly recommend this book and this author. She has written another book on the history of child-rearing called Ungovernable: The Victorian Parent's Guide to Raising Flawless Children (Hardcover), which will be available April 16, 2019. Though I don't have children, I'm tempted to buy this book because the other was so much fun.
Oh, and if you like this book, you might also enjoy The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History by Katherine Ashenburg.
Oh, and if you like this book, you might also enjoy The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History by Katherine Ashenburg.
Merissa (12051 KP) rated Saving Jasmine (Satan's Bears #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
Saving Jasmine is the first book in the Satan's Bears series, and we are quickly thrown into the story. Maisy is twenty-four years old, responsible for her younger sister, Jasmine. Maisy is the one on the straight and narrow, Jasmine, the wild child. However, Maisy will work in a biker bar to get information on where her sister is. Stud in the leader of the bikers, and quickly claims Maisy for his own.
This was a very rough and ready story, almost raw in its execution. Although you get some information about the various groups, you don't get a lot, and that did leave me feeling like I had missed out. I found the characters to be rather weak and one dimensional, especially Stud. However, Maisy seemed happy with him, so I guess that's something.
This was a fast-paced story, so be prepared. If you are looking for a 'down and dirty' read, then this book may be just what you are looking for.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This was a very rough and ready story, almost raw in its execution. Although you get some information about the various groups, you don't get a lot, and that did leave me feeling like I had missed out. I found the characters to be rather weak and one dimensional, especially Stud. However, Maisy seemed happy with him, so I guess that's something.
This was a fast-paced story, so be prepared. If you are looking for a 'down and dirty' read, then this book may be just what you are looking for.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated It's a Disaster (2013) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020
Time to meet the family!!
386. It's a Disaster. You know that point in a relationship when you get to meet your significant others friends? Well this it what is happening to David Cross' character Glen. His special lady friend is introducing him to 3 other couples for Sunday brunch, and judging by the first person he meets, kinda just looks him up and down and dismisses him pretty much outright. And it's all downhill from there, especially once brunch begins and there's a knock on the door from the neighbor, who at first is quite shocked they are having a get together without him, they try to explain it is a couples' brunch, then they casually ask him about the hazmat suit he's wearing. Ohhh yea, couple of dirty bombs were dropped downtown, the world as we know it is coming to an end. So, what to do... Well at least they don't seem like the type of people to panic, instead, with possibly only a few hours left to live, everybody kind of opens up, some get freakier than others, but they're all in it together!! Really funny movie, besides Cross bunch of good people in it, definitely worth a watch! Filmbufftim on FB
The Astronaut Wives Club
6.7
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As American astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, television cameras focused on the...