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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated One Of Us (2017) in Movies
Oct 24, 2017 (Updated Oct 24, 2017)
How religious dogma can appear under any situation
A heartbreaking documentary following three ex-Hasidic Jews, who are attempting to fight fanaticism within the ultra-orthodox community. From ex-communication, to rape, abuse, and kangaroo justice, the film shows how a wall of secrecy allows discrimination and zealotry to thrive.
In one story, a woman with seven children, who was abused by her husband and even at one point was run down whilst on her bicycle, because she tried to get a divorce through the court system. It's grim to say the least. Another young adult describes being raped as a child by a teacher, who was allowed to continue to work despite the claims.
The documentary is truly shocking and shows that extremism is reactive and can breed under any society and circumstance.
In one story, a woman with seven children, who was abused by her husband and even at one point was run down whilst on her bicycle, because she tried to get a divorce through the court system. It's grim to say the least. Another young adult describes being raped as a child by a teacher, who was allowed to continue to work despite the claims.
The documentary is truly shocking and shows that extremism is reactive and can breed under any society and circumstance.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) in Movies
Aug 1, 2017
Incredible depiction of book (1 more)
Gregory Peck at his finest
Incredibly moving, beautiful film
Very rarely does a film do absolute justice to its original book, but To Kill A Mockingbird exceeds expectations. Gregory Peck was so brilliantly casted as Atticus Finch, the moral figure of society, that you can only envision him while reading the book. The film, set after the Great Depression, is shot in black and white and is beautifully crafted.
The characters of Scout, Jem and Dill are fundamental to the storyline, showing how innocence is lost after being exposed to the discrimination of adults - in this case, an innocent black man accused of raping a young white girl, and a man with mental health issues being stigmatised by his community. A true classic in every sense.
The characters of Scout, Jem and Dill are fundamental to the storyline, showing how innocence is lost after being exposed to the discrimination of adults - in this case, an innocent black man accused of raping a young white girl, and a man with mental health issues being stigmatised by his community. A true classic in every sense.
Cumberland (1142 KP) rated Pale in Books
Oct 28, 2018
It's an okay read
The premise behind this book was really interesting. That combined with the fact that it is such a short read made me decide to give it a chance. Over all it wasn't bad, however it does itself a disservice by being so short. This could have easily been a 200 page book, so at only 67 pages it feels as if parts are missing. I was never able to connect with the main character, and his relationship with others seemed forced. He was a jerk at the beginning of the book, and he didn't change enough to redeem himself. The main theme of this book is discrimination, but just like everything else the book failed to truly convey it in a meaningful way within its short chapters.
Awix (3310 KP) rated On the Basis of Sex (2018) in Movies
Mar 1, 2019
Legal bio-pic has a title that makes it sound like a recipe for a failed marriage; unfortunately it's not as interesting as that. Felicity Jones plays a young Ruth Bader Ginsberg, battling the patriarchy first at Harvard and then in the courts, aided by her husband Marty (it's Armie Hammer time!).
Well-mounted and with some decent performances, and there are some startling revelations (sex discrimination was not considered unconstitutional in the US until fairly recently), but the actual story of the main case covered by the film is not that gripping (a lot of discussion of legal procedure and tax law), and the earnestness of the film also threatens to make it a bit indigestible: of course RBG is an important figure fighting for a good cause, but that doesn't mean any film about her has to feel like The Lives of the Saints. The documentary about Ginsberg is also flawed, but more peppy than this.
Well-mounted and with some decent performances, and there are some startling revelations (sex discrimination was not considered unconstitutional in the US until fairly recently), but the actual story of the main case covered by the film is not that gripping (a lot of discussion of legal procedure and tax law), and the earnestness of the film also threatens to make it a bit indigestible: of course RBG is an important figure fighting for a good cause, but that doesn't mean any film about her has to feel like The Lives of the Saints. The documentary about Ginsberg is also flawed, but more peppy than this.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Detroit (2017) in Movies
Sep 11, 2017
Fantastic Performances (1 more)
Extremely Well Crafted
A Dark Stain On American History
Detroit is a movie that is hard to watch, but should be seen by everyone. It tells the heart breaking story of a violent raid on a hotel by an overly aggressive and racist group of police officers. The movie pulls no punches in telling this unfortunately true story of how a group of evil bigots got away with murder.
The cast are brilliant at bringing this harrowing tale to life and the technical aspects of the movie are spot on as well. The direction is great, the lighting and sound are phenomenal and the believability of the whole thing, makes it feel all too real.
This movie is shocking and difficult to stomach, but it does what it is designed to do - to show us how much outright discrimination the police force and other officials could get away with during this time in history.
This movie deserves to be seen by all and it will leave you thinking about the events that it portrays for days afterwards.
The cast are brilliant at bringing this harrowing tale to life and the technical aspects of the movie are spot on as well. The direction is great, the lighting and sound are phenomenal and the believability of the whole thing, makes it feel all too real.
This movie is shocking and difficult to stomach, but it does what it is designed to do - to show us how much outright discrimination the police force and other officials could get away with during this time in history.
This movie deserves to be seen by all and it will leave you thinking about the events that it portrays for days afterwards.
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated The Boy in the Dress in Books
Jul 2, 2019
This is a good well rounded book for young folks
I really enjoyed this book. I was sceptical due to the author already being established and thought perhaps his celebrity status helped him sell book but I'll take my hat of to Walliams. This is an enjoyable little read. The language is simple and I enjoyed how current the book is. The book really demonstrates the difference between black and white and colour (colour being different and standing out from the norm).
Uniform is also a main theme in the book and very obviously gender and social acceptance. Walliams does a good job at showing that sexual preference is not linked to dress and that discrimination is wrong. In this book the child is able to experience how ludicrous gender representation by dress is by dressing the full football team up in ladies clothing, this normalises it.
The intrusive narrator who may be Walliams himself, also gives hints throughout the book about his own desire to cross dress.
Good book.
Uniform is also a main theme in the book and very obviously gender and social acceptance. Walliams does a good job at showing that sexual preference is not linked to dress and that discrimination is wrong. In this book the child is able to experience how ludicrous gender representation by dress is by dressing the full football team up in ladies clothing, this normalises it.
The intrusive narrator who may be Walliams himself, also gives hints throughout the book about his own desire to cross dress.
Good book.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Parasite (2019) in Movies
Aug 24, 2020
There's not a huge amount I can say about Parasite that hasn't been said already - it's pretty damn good.
Bong Joon Ho's tragicomedy is sometimes sad, sometimes hilarious, and bursting with tension when it needs to be.
The cast are excellent, especially Woo-sik Choi and So-dam Park.
The plot beats about class discrimination are the heart of Parasite, and provides the bulk of the film's entertainment, whilst still being hard hitting and grounded in unfortunate reality.
This is aided by some truly inspired cinematography, full of nice touches. An example that springs to mind is the wealthy Park family residence, sitting up high. The Kim family resides practically underground. In one scene, the Kim family descend through the city level by level during a violent storm to get back home, a motif for how the poor constantly live in the shadows of those better off. It's a shot that has stuck with me since viewing.
The screenplay is full of wit and strong character development leading to a genuinely thrilling climax that had me on the edge of my seat.
Parasite is absolutely worth your time, easily one of my top films of 2019.
Bong Joon Ho's tragicomedy is sometimes sad, sometimes hilarious, and bursting with tension when it needs to be.
The cast are excellent, especially Woo-sik Choi and So-dam Park.
The plot beats about class discrimination are the heart of Parasite, and provides the bulk of the film's entertainment, whilst still being hard hitting and grounded in unfortunate reality.
This is aided by some truly inspired cinematography, full of nice touches. An example that springs to mind is the wealthy Park family residence, sitting up high. The Kim family resides practically underground. In one scene, the Kim family descend through the city level by level during a violent storm to get back home, a motif for how the poor constantly live in the shadows of those better off. It's a shot that has stuck with me since viewing.
The screenplay is full of wit and strong character development leading to a genuinely thrilling climax that had me on the edge of my seat.
Parasite is absolutely worth your time, easily one of my top films of 2019.
Gail (4 KP) rated This is Me. in Books
Jun 4, 2018
The story is centered on Chloe and Rogan. A human girl and her assist. The gray area between appropriate and inappropriate. C.E. Wilson toed that line and said forget your right this is my world and love is love. This is Me was a great read. I enjoyed the way the author weaved in and out of the two relationships.
Rogan struggled through the whole book trying to understand emotions that were not programmed into his system. Things that only humans should feel. I know he isn’t real but he is HOT. The piercings the tattoos yummy. I wasn’t a big fan of Chloe. She was a little pushover. She let gossip and the voices of others sway her.
C.E. Wilson wrote about discrimination and it’s effects on all people. Just because someone is different from you doesn’t mean they should be treated with less respect. It’s 2016 and people still are discriminated against because of religion, sexual orientation, color and appearance. We are one and we just need to LOVE each other. Thank you C.E. Wilson for writing a story that showed that with love you could do anything. Well with the help of a lot of friends too.
Rogan struggled through the whole book trying to understand emotions that were not programmed into his system. Things that only humans should feel. I know he isn’t real but he is HOT. The piercings the tattoos yummy. I wasn’t a big fan of Chloe. She was a little pushover. She let gossip and the voices of others sway her.
C.E. Wilson wrote about discrimination and it’s effects on all people. Just because someone is different from you doesn’t mean they should be treated with less respect. It’s 2016 and people still are discriminated against because of religion, sexual orientation, color and appearance. We are one and we just need to LOVE each other. Thank you C.E. Wilson for writing a story that showed that with love you could do anything. Well with the help of a lot of friends too.
ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Colours of Death in Books
Apr 18, 2022
The Colours of Death is a detective novel set in a present day, alternative Lisbon. A minority of the population are Gifted with either telepathy or telekinesis, and they are heavily regulated. When it comes to light that a death on a train might have some Gifted involvement, Inspector Isabel Reis is put on the case with her team. She is a telepath, and her own problems with that gift soon make themselves known.
They’re a fantastic cast of characters, and they work well together )literally, in the case of the police team). It’s another angle on discrimination: instead of religion or skin colour, the Gifted are discriminated against because of their gifts - something they have no choice or control over.
This novel feels a little dystopian in places: when people go ‘missing’ if they lose control of their gifts, for example. And all Gifted are kept on a register where they’re regularly assessed. If they exceed a certain level, they’re removed from society for everyone else’s safety.
I really enjoyed this - the storyline was interesting, gripping, in fact, and exciting when it needed to be. The main character was flawed and very likeable, and the food constantly made me feel hungry!
I will be looking out for the next book in the series.
They’re a fantastic cast of characters, and they work well together )literally, in the case of the police team). It’s another angle on discrimination: instead of religion or skin colour, the Gifted are discriminated against because of their gifts - something they have no choice or control over.
This novel feels a little dystopian in places: when people go ‘missing’ if they lose control of their gifts, for example. And all Gifted are kept on a register where they’re regularly assessed. If they exceed a certain level, they’re removed from society for everyone else’s safety.
I really enjoyed this - the storyline was interesting, gripping, in fact, and exciting when it needed to be. The main character was flawed and very likeable, and the food constantly made me feel hungry!
I will be looking out for the next book in the series.
Story: 42 starts with the history of baseball and how after World War II there was 400 players in the MLB and they were all white, the black players had their own league until 1947 when the number dropped to 399. Branch Rickey (Ford) wants to bring the first black man to the major leagues for the Brooklyn Dodgers against everything the world at the time suggests, that player is Jackie Robinson (Boseman).
Jackie must start in a feeder team and must put aside the segregation issues that is still going through America, Jackie and his wife Rachel (Beharie) must show they have the thick skin to deal with the abuse from the crowd, other players attitude and prejudices going through America to become a trailblazer for the African American Baseball players.
Thoughts on 42
Characters – Looking at the characters we are looking at real people this time and one Jackie Robinson who would stand up for what he believed in while making his name on the baseball field, he becomes the trailblazer given the chance to become the first black major league baseball player defining all the segregation problems going through America. Branch Rickey was a bible loving owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers who wants to make a difference in the game giving Jackie a chance to change the game so he could be owning a victorious team. Rachel is Jackie’s wife that stands by him through the discrimination he experiences.
Performance – Chadwick Boseman is fantastic in this role showing that he was going to be a huge name in the future. Harrison Ford gives us one of his best performances of his elder career that is outside his known franchises, with Nicole Beharie doing well with the character she has to work with.
Story – The story of Jackie Robinson is the stuff of legends on America, the trailblazer for African America baseball players fight on and off the field against the discrimination he faces to become the star of the season. We get to see how the country of America was so far behind the times with their equality that is still happening without being as serious as it once was. This is an important history lesson if you are a fan of baseball, sport and history in general.
Biography/Sports – Jackie Robinson is an icon of the sport of baseball, this shows how he fought off everything to become that icon.
Settings – Each setting shows us the different worlds that Jackie must walk into with different opinions on the difference in race.
Scene of the Movie – The team standing up for Robinson against ben Chapman.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – I don’t understand baseball.
Final Thoughts – When you look at sports biopics you will always see an icon born and this shows just how Jackie Robinson became the legend the game knows and is a must watch.
Overall: Must watch for sports fans.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/05/27/42-2013/
Jackie must start in a feeder team and must put aside the segregation issues that is still going through America, Jackie and his wife Rachel (Beharie) must show they have the thick skin to deal with the abuse from the crowd, other players attitude and prejudices going through America to become a trailblazer for the African American Baseball players.
Thoughts on 42
Characters – Looking at the characters we are looking at real people this time and one Jackie Robinson who would stand up for what he believed in while making his name on the baseball field, he becomes the trailblazer given the chance to become the first black major league baseball player defining all the segregation problems going through America. Branch Rickey was a bible loving owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers who wants to make a difference in the game giving Jackie a chance to change the game so he could be owning a victorious team. Rachel is Jackie’s wife that stands by him through the discrimination he experiences.
Performance – Chadwick Boseman is fantastic in this role showing that he was going to be a huge name in the future. Harrison Ford gives us one of his best performances of his elder career that is outside his known franchises, with Nicole Beharie doing well with the character she has to work with.
Story – The story of Jackie Robinson is the stuff of legends on America, the trailblazer for African America baseball players fight on and off the field against the discrimination he faces to become the star of the season. We get to see how the country of America was so far behind the times with their equality that is still happening without being as serious as it once was. This is an important history lesson if you are a fan of baseball, sport and history in general.
Biography/Sports – Jackie Robinson is an icon of the sport of baseball, this shows how he fought off everything to become that icon.
Settings – Each setting shows us the different worlds that Jackie must walk into with different opinions on the difference in race.
Scene of the Movie – The team standing up for Robinson against ben Chapman.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – I don’t understand baseball.
Final Thoughts – When you look at sports biopics you will always see an icon born and this shows just how Jackie Robinson became the legend the game knows and is a must watch.
Overall: Must watch for sports fans.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/05/27/42-2013/
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) Oct 25, 2017