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Awix (3310 KP) rated Red Joan (2018) in Movies
Apr 21, 2019 (Updated Apr 21, 2019)
Good-looking but turgid romantic melodrama. Sweet old granny (Dench, not in it much) is hauled in by special branch when her history as a Russian mole on the A-bomb project nearly sixty years earlier comes to light. Most of the film is made up of flashbacks of her as a young woman, dealing with the reasons why she spilled the radioactive beans.
The problem is that the film is so preoccupied with the protagonist's romantic life - she's in love with the dashing mysterious foreign guy! she's in love with her colleague! etc - that the nub of the issue never really comes into focus. Crucial character choices aren't properly explained and some potentially interesting historical material recedes into the background, eclipsed by hackneyed and corny melodramatic scenes that even performers like Dench and Sophie Cookson can't elevate much. Decent production values can't save such a sub-standard script.
The problem is that the film is so preoccupied with the protagonist's romantic life - she's in love with the dashing mysterious foreign guy! she's in love with her colleague! etc - that the nub of the issue never really comes into focus. Crucial character choices aren't properly explained and some potentially interesting historical material recedes into the background, eclipsed by hackneyed and corny melodramatic scenes that even performers like Dench and Sophie Cookson can't elevate much. Decent production values can't save such a sub-standard script.
Elli H Burton (1288 KP) rated The Secret Daughter in Books
Jun 14, 2019
Spoiler: Theres a daughter.
I found this book at a car boot (flea market if you're American) on a school trip. It cost me 50p I believe and I would have paid more if I had known this would open up a whole new world for me.
This story is such a wonderful one, it's also believable. A historical romance I would recommend to anyone that loves that kind of book. Once I read The Secret Daughter, I went on to buy and read all of Catherine Kings books unfortunately theres not as many as I wished there were! I've read all her books atleast twice and this one will always have a special place in my heart as it is what made me fall back in love with reading.
This story is such a wonderful one, it's also believable. A historical romance I would recommend to anyone that loves that kind of book. Once I read The Secret Daughter, I went on to buy and read all of Catherine Kings books unfortunately theres not as many as I wished there were! I've read all her books atleast twice and this one will always have a special place in my heart as it is what made me fall back in love with reading.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated The Post (2017) in Movies
Jan 20, 2018
Acting/Directing/All the technical stuff (1 more)
Screenplay
It sucked me in
It's hard to believe Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have not teamed up for a film until now, but this movie makes this fact worth the wait.
The story took a little while to grab hold of me and to understand fully the implications as to what was happening (maybe I am a little slow), but once it gets going it doesn't stop. All the actors are on the top of their game and pull off hearty performances.
It is difficult for a historical film like this to grab hold of you since a lot of people already know the climax, but great films like Apollo 13, Titanic and this one manage to pull it off.
Glad it had a wide release before the Oscars this year.
The story took a little while to grab hold of me and to understand fully the implications as to what was happening (maybe I am a little slow), but once it gets going it doesn't stop. All the actors are on the top of their game and pull off hearty performances.
It is difficult for a historical film like this to grab hold of you since a lot of people already know the climax, but great films like Apollo 13, Titanic and this one manage to pull it off.
Glad it had a wide release before the Oscars this year.
Please note these are works of historical fiction based upon the lives of the women who he became victims of Jack the Ripper and are not about the actual killings.
Apologiesto the Cats Meat Man is the second book in the Jack the Ripper victim series. This time we join the second victim of Jack the Ripper Annie Chapman in the final week of her life. Unlike the first book, the story navigates between her past and her present. However, this does not make it any less interesting. Annie comes across as a sensitive soul that has to face the realities of a harsh world. Even though we know we what's going to happen to her the author has produced a fascinating back story about her life, which is very believable. I highly recommend this book can't wait to start the 3rd book in the series.
Apologiesto the Cats Meat Man is the second book in the Jack the Ripper victim series. This time we join the second victim of Jack the Ripper Annie Chapman in the final week of her life. Unlike the first book, the story navigates between her past and her present. However, this does not make it any less interesting. Annie comes across as a sensitive soul that has to face the realities of a harsh world. Even though we know we what's going to happen to her the author has produced a fascinating back story about her life, which is very believable. I highly recommend this book can't wait to start the 3rd book in the series.
Fruit Bat (42 KP) rated The Strange Case of Caroline Maxwell in Books
Mar 1, 2018
Recommended reading "The Strange Case of Caroline Maxwell "Paperback – 12 Sep 2014 by Amanda Harvey Purse.Â
This book has all the ingredients that makes a great mystery novel. The question is what is there not to love history mixed with fiction, Sherlock Holmes, Jack the Ripper with a great references to Agatha Christie and a famous little Belgian detective.Â
Amanda's book deserves so much more then the twos reviews it has on Amazon .
The book is truly well researched and comes across as a great labour of love , I loved spotting the historical cases that where mixed among the fiction. If you have the opportunity to read this book I recommend you do it's not to be missed.
Amanda I loved this book from start to finish thank you for the opportunity to read it I hope to see more of this wonderful character
This book has all the ingredients that makes a great mystery novel. The question is what is there not to love history mixed with fiction, Sherlock Holmes, Jack the Ripper with a great references to Agatha Christie and a famous little Belgian detective.Â
Amanda's book deserves so much more then the twos reviews it has on Amazon .
The book is truly well researched and comes across as a great labour of love , I loved spotting the historical cases that where mixed among the fiction. If you have the opportunity to read this book I recommend you do it's not to be missed.
Amanda I loved this book from start to finish thank you for the opportunity to read it I hope to see more of this wonderful character
This was a fun read with a unique setting, and was a great start to a new series. When Maddie and her pal Adele find a body in the Paranormal Museum, I expected ghosts galore. There is a paranormal element to the story, but it has more to do with an historical crime rather than the modern one. One mystery keeps Maddie and her friends busy during the day, and the other helps her decide whether to stay in town and run the Paranormal Museum or keep looking for work elsewhere. I enjoyed both stories, and the cast of characters, from Maddie's friends and family, to the two police officers handling the murder case, and then the attractive neighbor next door. I'm looking forward to reading more about the museum, Maddie, and her friends.
Note: I received a free copy from the author and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Note: I received a free copy from the author and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna (Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery, #3) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna is the 3rd book in the Fairy Tale Fatal series, set in 1867. I love cozies and historical fiction, and this story was a wonderful mix of the two. Variety hall actress Ophelia Flax finds herself at a hunting party in France, pretending to be someone she is not, and trying to figure out how to avoid getting herself married to the Compte de Griffe. When an unexpected guest turns up dead after a string of petty thefts, she must try to find both the thief and the killer to get herself out of more than one entanglement. I absolutely loved the colorful characters, the time period, and the setting in this story. I plan on going back soon to read this series from the start!
NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Crystal (9 KP) rated Delilah: Treacherous Beauty (Dangerous Beauty, #3) in Books
Jul 4, 2018
The writing is well done, and very easy to understand. The descriptions of the world are good, especially when discussing social aspects. The world is built well, with enough history given, but without overloading with too much information or facts. Although the writing is good, the character development is mediocre. The main character never really learns her lesson until it is much too late, and is hell bent on revenge before anything else. There isn't a lot of opportunity for growth, though she struggles in the beginning, it would be more empowering to see her 'fall' be a little more dramatic as far as her standards she was used to. It's mentioned but I feel that her emotions could've been better explored. For a 'biblical fiction' I enjoyed the story and historical information.
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Kristie (106 KP) rated Tiffany Blues in Books
Sep 18, 2018
Beautifully written
Tiffany Blues by M.J. Rose is a beautifully written historical fiction that for the most part, I really enjoyed. The cover art as well as the art inside the book are absolutely gorgeous. The story did move a little bit slow for me, especially the first half of the novel, but more I was captivated towards the end. I loved seeing all of the mysteries around Jenny slowly unravel, and to discover with her what was happening at Laurelton. It was pretty obvious to me who the culprit was, but I did enjoy the mystery nonetheless and discovering exactly what the motives were. The characters were all very well developed and I feel like I truly knew the characters. While some parts of this story were obvious and moved slow, overall I did enjoy this book and would recommend to fans of this genre.
This outstanding novel covers Adolf HitlerÕs meeting with Neville Chamberlain in 1938. The grave shadow of Chamberlain, deeply opposed to another conflict only twenty years after the Great War that had killed a generation of men. Against Hitler, 'the madman' ready to 'smash the Czechs' and blaze through new territories. This meeting in Munich is the focal point of the novel and Harris rewrites real events using two bystanders, one German, one English. Based on fact, Harris skilfully interweaves the lives of Hugh Legat and his English wife, rich, beautiful and unfaithful. Paul Von Hartmann and his lover, a secretary in the German foreign ministry, someone he may not entirely trust. It's Harris' attention to detail that makes this version of history so credible, right down to the description of the swastikas on the taps. A tightly woven thriller mixed with historical fact that will appeal to a lot of readers.