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Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Pure in TV
Jul 7, 2020
Conflict of Conscience & Crisis of Faith
Pure is a crime/drama series created by Michael Amo and directed by Ken Girotti. It is produced by Two East Production and Cineflix and airs on the WGN network. The show stars Ryan Robbins, A.J. Buckley, Peter Outerbridge, and Rosie Perez.
Noah Funk (Ryan Robbins) is a newly-elected Mennonite pastor, who is tired of drug traffickers in his community and is determined to get rid of them. He finds that things are not that simple when after planting drugs in the home of the ring leader, he is forced to become the head of the Mennonite drug trafficking operations, endangering his community, his family and himself.
This show has constantly surprised me with its ups and downs and twists. I'm usually not into these kind of shows but it just really has me hooked especially with this new season. I feel so much for the main character Noah because he is a good person and almost all the people in their community are good people too. And how his actions come to plague him and weigh on him are dreadful. He does everything to protect his family and still they get dragged into things. His wife Ana Funk is also quite a great character and his brother Abel, a recovering drug addict comes into play greatly too. The dialogue isn't always the greatest and sometimes the acting isn't so good from supporting characters but there isn't a show quite like this. I like seeing the character fall from grace and struggle with his conscience and doing the right thing when he's the only one trying to fight the corruption in his community. It really is a great show, I give it an 8 out of 10.
Noah Funk (Ryan Robbins) is a newly-elected Mennonite pastor, who is tired of drug traffickers in his community and is determined to get rid of them. He finds that things are not that simple when after planting drugs in the home of the ring leader, he is forced to become the head of the Mennonite drug trafficking operations, endangering his community, his family and himself.
This show has constantly surprised me with its ups and downs and twists. I'm usually not into these kind of shows but it just really has me hooked especially with this new season. I feel so much for the main character Noah because he is a good person and almost all the people in their community are good people too. And how his actions come to plague him and weigh on him are dreadful. He does everything to protect his family and still they get dragged into things. His wife Ana Funk is also quite a great character and his brother Abel, a recovering drug addict comes into play greatly too. The dialogue isn't always the greatest and sometimes the acting isn't so good from supporting characters but there isn't a show quite like this. I like seeing the character fall from grace and struggle with his conscience and doing the right thing when he's the only one trying to fight the corruption in his community. It really is a great show, I give it an 8 out of 10.
Lady in Waiting
Book
The remarkable life of Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret who was also a Maid of Honour at the...
The Sky Is Pink (2019)
Movie
Twenty-five years in the relationship of a mother (Priyanka Chopra) and father (Farhan Akhtar) is...
Under the Emerald Sky (The Irish Fortune #1)
Book
Escape to 19th century Ireland in the first book in the Irish Fortune Series, a historical fiction...
Historical Fiction Ireland Irish History Great Famine
Merissa (13154 KP) rated Dream Stalker in Books
Nov 15, 2021 (Updated Jul 10, 2023)
DREAM STALKER is told from a first-person perspective and we arrive in Salem near Samhain, also known as Halloween. It is a sad time as Lily's friend, Kitty commits suicide in front of her, but not before passing her a box and telling her to find the truth. This leads to a tangled mess of truths and half-truths, with deaths and accusations flying around.
Lily is a Wiccan and her sister was a Catholic nun. There is some sort of family drama with an adopted daughter and a sister. You get the basics but nothing too deep, so there was a feeling of wanting more. You are led from one person to the next, as our heroine is determined to prove her daughter's innocence. The big bad was a bit too obvious for me, but I still enjoyed reading about how it got to the point that Lily knew.
There are many interesting aspects to this story, especially the Wiccan and Herbalist sides of it. I would have preferred more information on the backstories of some of the characters, plus more about why something happened or connections were made or denied.
At the end of the story, it becomes clear there will be a follow-up to this story. I am looking forward to this as I hope it will give me more details about Lily, her family, and her dream walking ability.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
Nov 15, 2021
Lily is a Wiccan and her sister was a Catholic nun. There is some sort of family drama with an adopted daughter and a sister. You get the basics but nothing too deep, so there was a feeling of wanting more. You are led from one person to the next, as our heroine is determined to prove her daughter's innocence. The big bad was a bit too obvious for me, but I still enjoyed reading about how it got to the point that Lily knew.
There are many interesting aspects to this story, especially the Wiccan and Herbalist sides of it. I would have preferred more information on the backstories of some of the characters, plus more about why something happened or connections were made or denied.
At the end of the story, it becomes clear there will be a follow-up to this story. I am looking forward to this as I hope it will give me more details about Lily, her family, and her dream walking ability.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
Nov 15, 2021
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Captive (Cautiva) (2003) in Movies
Oct 25, 2020
Great Cast
Wow. Just wow. Every now and then, a movie comes along that exceeds your expectations. Something you’re. truly not ready for. There is so much depth in Captive (Cautiva). I highly recommend it. It follows the story of a girl who finds out her family is actually not her own and that she was given to another family at birth. She now has to go and live with her biological family.
Acting: 10
While I am not familiar with many of the actors/actresses in Captive, I must say I loved Barbara Lombardo’s performance. She plays the daughter torn between two worlds. I love the passion that she captures in the role along with her ambiguity. She was stellar.
Beginning: 2
Very slow start and one of the only things keeping this movie from begin a classic. If I hadn’t committed to watching this to review it, I may have turned from it after the first ten minutes. Glad I gave it a fair shake as things definitely pick up.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Director Gaston Biraben gives you a great look into the 90’s world of Argentina. Each scene was captivating and enlightening at the same time. You are really are thrown into two different worlds with the court system being the tie that binds.
Conflict: 10
What a daunting story! You can’t help but ask yourself how you would handle a situation like this. As I mentioned above, there is so much to unpack as the story unfolds and it creates great conflict overall.
Entertainment Value: 6
Memorability: 10
I’ve seen a number of movies since, but this movie came rushing back to me as soon as I turned it on. Great cast. Great story with depth that leaves a number of questions. Definitely leaves an impression.
Pace: 10
The story moves very consistently from beginning to end. As things start to unfold, you are left wondering what the end result will be. The conflict keeps the pace in check driving the story forward at a solid clip.
Plot: 10
Resolution: 6
Overall: 84
The main character’s persistence in finding out the truth of everything happening drives Captive for me. It’s a drama turned mystery and I appreciate how it evolves. I am so glad I didn’t judge the movie by its first ten minutes because it’s great.
Acting: 10
While I am not familiar with many of the actors/actresses in Captive, I must say I loved Barbara Lombardo’s performance. She plays the daughter torn between two worlds. I love the passion that she captures in the role along with her ambiguity. She was stellar.
Beginning: 2
Very slow start and one of the only things keeping this movie from begin a classic. If I hadn’t committed to watching this to review it, I may have turned from it after the first ten minutes. Glad I gave it a fair shake as things definitely pick up.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Director Gaston Biraben gives you a great look into the 90’s world of Argentina. Each scene was captivating and enlightening at the same time. You are really are thrown into two different worlds with the court system being the tie that binds.
Conflict: 10
What a daunting story! You can’t help but ask yourself how you would handle a situation like this. As I mentioned above, there is so much to unpack as the story unfolds and it creates great conflict overall.
Entertainment Value: 6
Memorability: 10
I’ve seen a number of movies since, but this movie came rushing back to me as soon as I turned it on. Great cast. Great story with depth that leaves a number of questions. Definitely leaves an impression.
Pace: 10
The story moves very consistently from beginning to end. As things start to unfold, you are left wondering what the end result will be. The conflict keeps the pace in check driving the story forward at a solid clip.
Plot: 10
Resolution: 6
Overall: 84
The main character’s persistence in finding out the truth of everything happening drives Captive for me. It’s a drama turned mystery and I appreciate how it evolves. I am so glad I didn’t judge the movie by its first ten minutes because it’s great.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Winter in Paradise in Books
Apr 4, 2019 (Updated Apr 5, 2019)
Great, engaging read
This was such a good book. I found it to be totally engrossing. It was a compelling read: dramatic in some places and fun and engaging in others. As always, Hilderbrand has a way of reeling you in. Her characters are so real and fully formed. I could feel Irene's pain and shock; Baker and Cash's disbelief; and the horror of those on the island, who lost someone they loved, as well.
Maybe it's just the part of me who loves a good soap opera, but I was totally swept up in the drama of this novel. I felt completely transported into the world of the Steeles and St. John island. While I'll have to wait a while for the next book in this series (more on that in a bit), I enjoyed this book so much that it had me tracking down Hilderbrand's Winter series, so I could continue reading her work. I have the first three books (of four), so I will be digging into those soon. Not since I read a book by Liane Moriarty and then read her entire catalog, have I felt so into an author at the moment.
And speaking of this series, there's definitely a cliffhanger at the end. Be prepared. I'm quite excited to read the next book and see where the Steele family and all their drama and intrigue takes us. Such unlikely partnerships form in this one; there's an exciting love triangle; there are interesting island characters--it's such a fun book.
Overall, this is a great read. It's engaging, and heartbreaking at times and sweet and funny at others. I loved the characters and felt totally caught up in the story. I am very much looking forward to book #2 (if not the wait for it!).
Maybe it's just the part of me who loves a good soap opera, but I was totally swept up in the drama of this novel. I felt completely transported into the world of the Steeles and St. John island. While I'll have to wait a while for the next book in this series (more on that in a bit), I enjoyed this book so much that it had me tracking down Hilderbrand's Winter series, so I could continue reading her work. I have the first three books (of four), so I will be digging into those soon. Not since I read a book by Liane Moriarty and then read her entire catalog, have I felt so into an author at the moment.
And speaking of this series, there's definitely a cliffhanger at the end. Be prepared. I'm quite excited to read the next book and see where the Steele family and all their drama and intrigue takes us. Such unlikely partnerships form in this one; there's an exciting love triangle; there are interesting island characters--it's such a fun book.
Overall, this is a great read. It's engaging, and heartbreaking at times and sweet and funny at others. I loved the characters and felt totally caught up in the story. I am very much looking forward to book #2 (if not the wait for it!).
AJaneClark (3975 KP) rated The Last Kingdom - Season 1 in TV
Apr 24, 2020
Great start!
Contains spoilers, click to show
When Anglo-Saxons are attacked by Viking forces, Uhtred, born a Saxon but raised by Vikings, finds his loyalties tested as he tries to claim his birthright and help create a new nation.
The first episode: Abducted by a Viking warlord after his father is slain in battle, young Uhtred adopts the Norse way of life until tragedy befalls his new family.
Episode 2: Caught between his scheming uncle Ælfric and pitiless Viking warlord Ubba, Uhtred goes on the run and seeks out Alfred, the man who would be king.
Episode 3: Uhtred allies himself with newly crowned Alfred, but his commitment to the nascent king jeopardizes his bond with Brida.
Episode 4: After Uhtred faces betrayal and falls into hostile hands, his Danish brother, Ragnar the Young, scrambles to save his life.
Episode 5: After rescuing Mildrith, Uhtred joins the fierce battle of Cynuit and vanquishes a forbidding foe, only to have Odda the Younger claim the victory.
Episode 6: Uhtred catches the eye of a lovely pagan queen, and his band of raiders becomes mercenaries for a Cornish king. But he soon faces the fury of Alfred.
Episode 7: Driven to hiding in the marshes after the Vikings invade Wessex, Uhtred and Alfred finally make amends and devise a plan for retaking the kingdom.
Episode 8: Calling upon Saxon forces to rally and drive the Vikings out of Wessex, Uhtred and Alfred gird for a decisive battle, but treachery awaits.
Season one of The Last Kingdom introduces us to a great cast, lots of action scenes and full on drama from the start. It is very well scripted with moments of humour, battle scenes, moments of heartbreak and drama. The great casting ensures that the actors and actresses are well suited to their roles.
The first episode: Abducted by a Viking warlord after his father is slain in battle, young Uhtred adopts the Norse way of life until tragedy befalls his new family.
Episode 2: Caught between his scheming uncle Ælfric and pitiless Viking warlord Ubba, Uhtred goes on the run and seeks out Alfred, the man who would be king.
Episode 3: Uhtred allies himself with newly crowned Alfred, but his commitment to the nascent king jeopardizes his bond with Brida.
Episode 4: After Uhtred faces betrayal and falls into hostile hands, his Danish brother, Ragnar the Young, scrambles to save his life.
Episode 5: After rescuing Mildrith, Uhtred joins the fierce battle of Cynuit and vanquishes a forbidding foe, only to have Odda the Younger claim the victory.
Episode 6: Uhtred catches the eye of a lovely pagan queen, and his band of raiders becomes mercenaries for a Cornish king. But he soon faces the fury of Alfred.
Episode 7: Driven to hiding in the marshes after the Vikings invade Wessex, Uhtred and Alfred finally make amends and devise a plan for retaking the kingdom.
Episode 8: Calling upon Saxon forces to rally and drive the Vikings out of Wessex, Uhtred and Alfred gird for a decisive battle, but treachery awaits.
Season one of The Last Kingdom introduces us to a great cast, lots of action scenes and full on drama from the start. It is very well scripted with moments of humour, battle scenes, moments of heartbreak and drama. The great casting ensures that the actors and actresses are well suited to their roles.
Little Women
7.2
Rate It
TV Show
Angela Lansbury and Michael Gambon star, with Bafta award-winner Emily Watson playing beloved Marmee...
classics drama
Grey's Anatomy - Season 1
9.2
Rate It
TV Season Watch
The cleverly written series follows five first-year interns and their supervisors at Seattle Grace...