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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Love the Coopers (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Love the Coopers is a new movie directed by Jessie Nelson and released
through the collaborative efforts of CBS Films, Groundswell Productions
and Imagine Entertainment.
It has a large and recognizable cast of characters, including Dianne
Keaton (Charlotte), John Goodman (Sam), Ed Helms (Hank), Alan Arky
(Bucky), Marisa Tomei (Emma), Olivia Wilde (Eleanor), June Squibb (Aunt
Fishy) and Steve Martin (the dog, Rags!).
Based on the previews and trailers that I saw, I expected more laugh out
loud comedy than I got out of the film. There was plenty of laugh out
loud comedy, don’t get me wrong, but what I expected out of the trailers
was a “dumb” comedy, rather than a poignant, rather touching (and at
times tragic) love story wrapped up in a comedy.
The basic premise is that Mom Charlotte and dad Sam want to have “one
last” family holiday full of happiness and good cheer and wonderful
memories, before they drop the bombshell on their family that they will
be splitting up after 40 years of marriage.
Charlotte has spent her whole marriage keeping the family together,
making sure everyone is “ok” and of course, as frequently happens, has
grown distant from her spouse Sam in the midst of that.
The story is told from the point of view of Rags the family dog (voiced
by Steve Martin) who has watched the family grow together and then
apart, through the years.
I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and thought that it was a good story
that showed how a family dynamic can change over the years and how it
isn’t always in the best of ways. It also portrayed how family
relationships are perceived from the point of view of the people that
are actually IN the relationship, as well as from an outsiders’ view.
Some parts were “cheesy” but for the most part, I was really able to
connect with the story as a whole. Even though some of the intertwining
story lines by themselves were a little dis-jointed, when they all came
together under the umbrella of the main story line, somehow, it just
worked.
I liked that I connected emotionally with Charlotte and could FEEL her
connection to her kids and how she loved them “bigger than anything” and
just wanted what was best for them, even though it didn’t always come
out that way, and even though it distanced her from her husband. I think
that happens “in the real world”, a lot more than people realize or
think about.
The movie made me laugh, and it made me cry… It occasionally made me
groan in a “Really?! Did they have to do THAT??” sort of way, too, but
overall I really enjoyed it.
I would give the movie 3.5 out of 5 stars.
through the collaborative efforts of CBS Films, Groundswell Productions
and Imagine Entertainment.
It has a large and recognizable cast of characters, including Dianne
Keaton (Charlotte), John Goodman (Sam), Ed Helms (Hank), Alan Arky
(Bucky), Marisa Tomei (Emma), Olivia Wilde (Eleanor), June Squibb (Aunt
Fishy) and Steve Martin (the dog, Rags!).
Based on the previews and trailers that I saw, I expected more laugh out
loud comedy than I got out of the film. There was plenty of laugh out
loud comedy, don’t get me wrong, but what I expected out of the trailers
was a “dumb” comedy, rather than a poignant, rather touching (and at
times tragic) love story wrapped up in a comedy.
The basic premise is that Mom Charlotte and dad Sam want to have “one
last” family holiday full of happiness and good cheer and wonderful
memories, before they drop the bombshell on their family that they will
be splitting up after 40 years of marriage.
Charlotte has spent her whole marriage keeping the family together,
making sure everyone is “ok” and of course, as frequently happens, has
grown distant from her spouse Sam in the midst of that.
The story is told from the point of view of Rags the family dog (voiced
by Steve Martin) who has watched the family grow together and then
apart, through the years.
I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and thought that it was a good story
that showed how a family dynamic can change over the years and how it
isn’t always in the best of ways. It also portrayed how family
relationships are perceived from the point of view of the people that
are actually IN the relationship, as well as from an outsiders’ view.
Some parts were “cheesy” but for the most part, I was really able to
connect with the story as a whole. Even though some of the intertwining
story lines by themselves were a little dis-jointed, when they all came
together under the umbrella of the main story line, somehow, it just
worked.
I liked that I connected emotionally with Charlotte and could FEEL her
connection to her kids and how she loved them “bigger than anything” and
just wanted what was best for them, even though it didn’t always come
out that way, and even though it distanced her from her husband. I think
that happens “in the real world”, a lot more than people realize or
think about.
The movie made me laugh, and it made me cry… It occasionally made me
groan in a “Really?! Did they have to do THAT??” sort of way, too, but
overall I really enjoyed it.
I would give the movie 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Finch (2021) in Movies
Nov 18, 2021
Very Effective
There are times when there is a “Perfect Storm” of film material, performance, mood, style and execution of said material and the headspace that I am in when I sit down to view the movie that elevates a film viewing experience above the norm.
Such was my experience when I sat down and watched the Tom Hanks Post-Apocalyptic film FINCH on AppleTV+. On paper, it looks like a run-of-the-mill “last few survivors on Earth struggle to remain alive” film, but - in my experience - it was much better than that.
Starring Tom Hanks as loner scientist Finch, who is scraping by in the remains of St. Louis with a dog and 2 robot helpers - robots of his own creation. When conditions in St. Louis worsen, Finch must pack up (with his 3 companions in tow) and head to a place where he thinks that life might be better - San Francisco.
Pretty standard “road movie” stuff, right? But in the hands of an Actor like Hanks, Emmy Winning GAME OF THRONES Director Miguel Sapochnik, a script by Craig Luck and Ivor Powell that digs into the humanity of Finch (and the situation) and some top-notch Computer animation of the Robots (especially “Jeff” voiced by Caleb Landry Jones), this film elevates itself above the norm.
There are not too many actors who could hold the attention of an audience for 2 hours speaking with 2 robots and a dog, but Hanks manages to do this - and do this very well. He brings his basic decency to the fore and makes us root for him from the start.
The surprise for me was the voice work of Caleb Landry Jones (GET OUT) who matches Hanks beat for beat and brings the same level of decency to his character. It is a testament to Jones’ work in a Motion Capture suit - and the “mo-cap” (Supervised by Scott Stokdyk) that makes the audience see and feel emotions on the face of the robot that just aren’t there. It’s that good.
Director Sapochnik really moves the film at the correct pace as he stops for the humanity, but doesn’t dwell on it too long - and, thus, avoids making the film too sentimental and mawkish. It is a delicate balancing act that this film walks very well.
Probably the biggest movie-going surprise of the year for me. A film that, at this point, will end up in my Top 10 of 2021.
Yes, I am as surprised as you are by this.
Letter Grade: A
9 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Such was my experience when I sat down and watched the Tom Hanks Post-Apocalyptic film FINCH on AppleTV+. On paper, it looks like a run-of-the-mill “last few survivors on Earth struggle to remain alive” film, but - in my experience - it was much better than that.
Starring Tom Hanks as loner scientist Finch, who is scraping by in the remains of St. Louis with a dog and 2 robot helpers - robots of his own creation. When conditions in St. Louis worsen, Finch must pack up (with his 3 companions in tow) and head to a place where he thinks that life might be better - San Francisco.
Pretty standard “road movie” stuff, right? But in the hands of an Actor like Hanks, Emmy Winning GAME OF THRONES Director Miguel Sapochnik, a script by Craig Luck and Ivor Powell that digs into the humanity of Finch (and the situation) and some top-notch Computer animation of the Robots (especially “Jeff” voiced by Caleb Landry Jones), this film elevates itself above the norm.
There are not too many actors who could hold the attention of an audience for 2 hours speaking with 2 robots and a dog, but Hanks manages to do this - and do this very well. He brings his basic decency to the fore and makes us root for him from the start.
The surprise for me was the voice work of Caleb Landry Jones (GET OUT) who matches Hanks beat for beat and brings the same level of decency to his character. It is a testament to Jones’ work in a Motion Capture suit - and the “mo-cap” (Supervised by Scott Stokdyk) that makes the audience see and feel emotions on the face of the robot that just aren’t there. It’s that good.
Director Sapochnik really moves the film at the correct pace as he stops for the humanity, but doesn’t dwell on it too long - and, thus, avoids making the film too sentimental and mawkish. It is a delicate balancing act that this film walks very well.
Probably the biggest movie-going surprise of the year for me. A film that, at this point, will end up in my Top 10 of 2021.
Yes, I am as surprised as you are by this.
Letter Grade: A
9 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Heard It in a Love Song in Books
Oct 28, 2021
Layla is recently divorced after a ten-year marriage to a man who never truly appreciated her and subjected her to constant financial and emotional stress. Once a lead singer in a rock band, Layla is now an elementary music teacher struggling to find her place in the world. One thing that brightens her day is her interactions with Josh, the father of one of her students. A single father, Josh was married to his high school sweetheart, Kimmy, for nearly twenty years. He too is trying to find his way now that he's single. Both wary about getting back into the dating grind, Layla and Josh decide to be "friends with potential." But with all their baggage, are they destined for heartbreak?
"And she wasn't lonely, not really. Layla had been lonely for years while she was married, and she'd take being alone over lonely any day."
I didn't dislike this book, but it wasn't the sweeping romance I was hoping for. This one redefined slow burner, as Josh and Layla sloowly made their way toward one another. Most of this is the format--told from both Layla and Josh's point of view, each chapter breaks off to delve into how that particular's character's marriage fell apart. So we may get a few moments of them in the present and then--boom--it quickly flashes back to Josh and Kimmy in high school or Layla and her ex-husband, Liam, meeting when Layla is singing in her band. Each piece is just a snippet, slowly parsed out per chapter and building up to the end of the marriage, so both the past and the present is a build-up. I admire the style, but wow... everything takes time. A lot of time! It made the story feel quite plodding at times.
And, I just couldn't quite find the spark between Layla and Josh. Individually, they were great people, and I liked and rooted for their characters to move on from their past relationships. Together, I just didn't feel that they had "it"--that special something that really makes you want a particular couple to succeed. I certainly desired for each to find themselves again, but I didn't necessarily need it to be with one another. I did, however, have great fondness for Norton, the older dog Josh adopts, and whom Layla often dog-sits. So there you go.
This isn't a bad book, and I know lots of people who enjoyed it. It received a 3-star rating from me, which is *not* a poor rating. It just wasn't what I was hoping for, and I had wanted more passion. But if you enjoy a character-driven read, especially one that really delves into the characters' pasts, you'll find a lot to love here. (Also the cover is simply gorgeous.)
"And she wasn't lonely, not really. Layla had been lonely for years while she was married, and she'd take being alone over lonely any day."
I didn't dislike this book, but it wasn't the sweeping romance I was hoping for. This one redefined slow burner, as Josh and Layla sloowly made their way toward one another. Most of this is the format--told from both Layla and Josh's point of view, each chapter breaks off to delve into how that particular's character's marriage fell apart. So we may get a few moments of them in the present and then--boom--it quickly flashes back to Josh and Kimmy in high school or Layla and her ex-husband, Liam, meeting when Layla is singing in her band. Each piece is just a snippet, slowly parsed out per chapter and building up to the end of the marriage, so both the past and the present is a build-up. I admire the style, but wow... everything takes time. A lot of time! It made the story feel quite plodding at times.
And, I just couldn't quite find the spark between Layla and Josh. Individually, they were great people, and I liked and rooted for their characters to move on from their past relationships. Together, I just didn't feel that they had "it"--that special something that really makes you want a particular couple to succeed. I certainly desired for each to find themselves again, but I didn't necessarily need it to be with one another. I did, however, have great fondness for Norton, the older dog Josh adopts, and whom Layla often dog-sits. So there you go.
This isn't a bad book, and I know lots of people who enjoyed it. It received a 3-star rating from me, which is *not* a poor rating. It just wasn't what I was hoping for, and I had wanted more passion. But if you enjoy a character-driven read, especially one that really delves into the characters' pasts, you'll find a lot to love here. (Also the cover is simply gorgeous.)
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Bailey's Day in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Bailey's Day by Robert Haggerty, illustrated by Bobbi Switzer
Genre: Kids
Rating: 1
I loved reading Bailey's Day, it was really cute and funny, had fun illustrations, and fun animals. I loved Bailey's character. She was a perky little dog who spent all day running around the neighborhood with her friends and having a good ol' time… until the end.
At the end of the story… Bailey get's scolded for going out and running around the neighborhood all day. I expected her to be sad and say "yes master" to her owner, and then realize that having fun wasn't worth it if she disobeyed her "daddy," or maybe that obedience was more important… or something... she didn't. She laid down on her bed, perfectly at ease, and knew her "daddy" (owner) was a "softie" and that he'd get over it, and that she'd have fun tomorrow too. My jaw dropped as I read that last page.
This totally ruined an adorable story. Kids fiction should have good examples to follow, and bad examples to learn from with the lesson clearly stated, but this one makes it look like disobedience and disregard and disrespect are perfectly ok if you can get away with it. I am sorry to say that I cannot recommend it to anyone for this reason.
Genre: Kids
Rating: 1
I loved reading Bailey's Day, it was really cute and funny, had fun illustrations, and fun animals. I loved Bailey's character. She was a perky little dog who spent all day running around the neighborhood with her friends and having a good ol' time… until the end.
At the end of the story… Bailey get's scolded for going out and running around the neighborhood all day. I expected her to be sad and say "yes master" to her owner, and then realize that having fun wasn't worth it if she disobeyed her "daddy," or maybe that obedience was more important… or something... she didn't. She laid down on her bed, perfectly at ease, and knew her "daddy" (owner) was a "softie" and that he'd get over it, and that she'd have fun tomorrow too. My jaw dropped as I read that last page.
This totally ruined an adorable story. Kids fiction should have good examples to follow, and bad examples to learn from with the lesson clearly stated, but this one makes it look like disobedience and disregard and disrespect are perfectly ok if you can get away with it. I am sorry to say that I cannot recommend it to anyone for this reason.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Eden Lake (2008) in Movies
May 12, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
My boyfriend and I watched Eden Lake the other night, and I actually enjoyed it. With delightfully brutal, cringe-worthy scenes, it’s definitely a film I’ll watch again. It encompasses the typical romantic getaway gone wrong, but it does so with a disturbing beauty you can only find in a horror movie.
What can possibly go wrong when you piss off a bunch of angsty teenagers in the middle of nowhere? As Jenny and Steve, the aforementioned vacationing young couple, learn, a lot. After Steve accidentally kills the gang leader’s dog, all hell breaks loose.
It’s the scenes of death and torture that really give this film its rating. When my boyfriend warned me about how twisted some of the scenes were, “WTF” wasn’t how I expected to react. The age-old, unspoken rule about killing children definitely doesn’t apply here. It’s gritty and jaw-dropping, and perfect for fans of campy horror films.
It should be noted that this film comes without a happy ending–for anyone. That fact alone played a major role in my rating. I’m sick of seeing films where characters get out of an unlikely situation and go on with their lives; Eden Lake, on the hand, doesn’t follow that cliché. It does, however, rely a bit too heavily on coincidence and for that, I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.
What can possibly go wrong when you piss off a bunch of angsty teenagers in the middle of nowhere? As Jenny and Steve, the aforementioned vacationing young couple, learn, a lot. After Steve accidentally kills the gang leader’s dog, all hell breaks loose.
It’s the scenes of death and torture that really give this film its rating. When my boyfriend warned me about how twisted some of the scenes were, “WTF” wasn’t how I expected to react. The age-old, unspoken rule about killing children definitely doesn’t apply here. It’s gritty and jaw-dropping, and perfect for fans of campy horror films.
It should be noted that this film comes without a happy ending–for anyone. That fact alone played a major role in my rating. I’m sick of seeing films where characters get out of an unlikely situation and go on with their lives; Eden Lake, on the hand, doesn’t follow that cliché. It does, however, rely a bit too heavily on coincidence and for that, I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Good Girl's Guide to Murder (Debutante Dropout, #2) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first in the series, Blue Blood. The mystery was okay, but it was a very slow start and took over one-hundred pages for the book to actually get anywhere, and I began to get bored and wondered if I could continue. This could have been accomplished in maybe twenty or thirty pages. Luckily for the author, I persevered. Also some research and editing could have been done. For example, if Andy had ever been interested in animal rights, which she was, she would know that Iams tests on animals and wouldn't buy any to donate. The author should have just said bags of cat/dog food instead. Another thing, I've never heard of knitting a crocheted throw blanket - there's crocheting and there's knitting - they're two different things. I should know since I crochet myself and am into animal rights. Just little things that should have been edited. Otherwise, the mystery was, again, easy to figure out, and the book ended almost the same as the last one. I sincerely hope the others don't follow in the same pattern. Still, after I got to the meat of the story, it was light, fast, and easy to read, but ended up a disappointment after the debut of this series.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars