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The Kitchen (2019)
The Kitchen (2019)
2019 | Action, Crime, Drama
Times are tough in Hells Kitchen, people need to diversify to stay on top. Three gangsters decide to do just that but manage to fall on the wrong side of the law on their first outing. As they are locked up their wives are left to pick up the pieces. They'll be looked after, that's the promise they hear but the money they get won't even cover their rent.

The three women are desperate but see an opportunity in the gap their imprisoned husbands have left. What the mob needs is a woman's touch.

Melissa McCarthy amuses me, her comedy really hits the spot, then she appeared in Can You Ever Forgive Me? and I was so happy to see she could do drama too. Tiffany Haddish was much the same, I've seen her in lots of comedy and find her to be entertaining (if a little over played) so when her name popped up on this I was interested to see how she handled "sensible". I was very pleased with the result, but we'll get there.

The look of everything in The Kitchen felt spot on. All the little touches really pulled the 70's feel together and gace each character their own vibe that lined up perfectly with their development through the film.

Music certainly helped on this front, though part of me was sad that they used "It's A Man's Man's Man's World." I know it fits perfectly with the tone and the subject but it felt so cliché for that to be the first thing we go and I actually sighed when it came on.

Our three wives make an interesting mix as a team, a collection that you couldn't see being friends under normal circumstances but they've been brought together out of necessity. I liked the way we got to see their lives unfold from the beginning. Their home life with their husbands and then their reactions as the men are charged. Kathy looking upset, Ruby with a look of disappointment that he should have been smarter, and Claire's smile as the court gives her a reprieve from his violence.

We see their progression to becoming a success in town happen quite quickly on screen and I thought that worked well. It left all the internal politics out until there was something bigger at stake to deal with.

The women all take on a path of their own, it diversifies their abilities but you know that something has to give. Every little piece that's added to their story felt like it was right to be there, nothing was unnecessary.

There's a certain amount of stereotype acting in The Kitchen but it works well when it comes to the gangs and their interactions together. Both Kathy (McCarthy) and Ruby (Haddish) have that in them too at one point or another but it's a little less evident in general.

As I said at the beginning, Melissa McCarthy's step into drama had been a hit with me and her portrayal of Kathy was no different. She went from an attentive wife and mother who minds her own business to a mob boss and entrepeneur, it's such a smooth transition that you'd wonder if she was doing something fishy on the side already.

Tiffany Haddish was amazing too, her dramatic skills really brought Ruby to life and it was a wonderfully believable performance.

Then there's Claire played by Elisabeth Moss. She's had great success in The Handmaid's Tale and I do binge watch that once the series is out, but truth be told I don't really like they way she brings her character in either to life. Claire is a woman abused by her husband, she's attacked by a homeless man and then "rescued" by Gabriel, a hitman who has skills that become and obsession for her. Her transition is the only one that doesn't sit right, yes I believe she'd try to take back her power wherever she could but her whole arc seems a little crazy.

As a crime drama it's probably missing something to take it over the line into an amazing effort but I enjoyed it for the most part. It didn't leave things unanswered and with so many different strands going on that was entirely possible.

Passing comment... I love Common, he needs to be in all the things.

What you should do
It's worth a watch when it hits streaming sites.

Movie thing you wish you could take home
Some quality retro clothing.
  
Pieces of a Woman (2020)
Pieces of a Woman (2020)
2020 | Drama
5
6.7 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Vanessa Kirby (1 more)
The birth scene
The script (0 more)
Pieces of a Woman stars Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeouf as Martha and Sean, a married couple preparing for the imminent arrival of their first child. But a heartbreaking home birth leaves Martha struggling with grief and becoming increasingly isolated from Sean and her family.

If you've heard anything about Pieces of a Woman recently, it will no doubt be in relation to the home birth scene. Coming right at the start of the movie, and following a brief introduction to our two parents to be, the birth is shot in a single 22 minute take, from the point of Martha's waters breaking in the kitchen, to the arrival of the midwife and the eventual birth of the baby. As with any childbirth, there's a lot going on, a lot of emotions as the drama moves between the various rooms of the house. And everyone involved is outstanding, particularly Vanessa Kirby who is completely convincing. With the impressive, extended intro over, we cut to black and the title of the movie appears on screen. We then move onto the aftermath.

At first, we don't know exactly what went wrong with the birth and Martha and Sean do not have all of the answers either, which is essentially where a lot of the grief and tension arise from. Martha returns to work, to the shock of her co-workers, and it's clear that both her and Sean are very quickly beginning to drift apart, dealing with their grief in very different ways. Sean resorts to drinking, sleeping with Martha's cousin and having emotional outbursts, while Martha remains quietly detached from everyone and everything, and even meets with a local university to discuss donating their baby's body to medical science. Dirty plates stack up in the kitchen, house plants become limp from lack of water and attention.

We also discover that, in among all of the grief, everyone seems determined that the midwife who delivered their baby be blamed, prosecuted and sent to jail for five years, due to negligence and manslaughter. This is something which makes absolutely no sense when you first learn of it and even less sense when we finally arrive in the courtroom towards the end.

As we limp from month to month, the writing becomes worse and the film becomes increasingly frustrating and baffling. There's an impressive supporting cast of friends and family, all delivering their melodramatic monologues with flair, but the writing holds them back and prevents the movie from delivering any of the much needed emotional impact. At times, conversations appear to be badly improvised and just as it feels like we're about to get something of significance out of a scene or character, we cut to a different setting or later period in time, and all momentum is lost.

A bold, impressive 30 minute opening and a performance from Vanessa Kirby which continues to highlight just how talented she is. But apart from that, Pieces of a Woman just feels flat.
  
The Hidden Corpse
The Hidden Corpse
Debra Sennefelder | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Can Hope Find the Hidden Killer?
Hope’s neighbor Peggy Olson has come to Hope for help after catching some stuff on fire in her kitchen. Peggy had fallen asleep only to wake up to the smoke. What bothers her is she didn’t even remember starting to cook anything. When Peggy’s house burns down the next day with Peggy inside, Hope feels extremely guilty for not saying anything to protect Peggy from accidentally doing this again. That guilt changes when the police find evidence that it could have been arson. A second body in the house only further confuses things. Can Hope figure out what happened to her neighbor?

This book has a very strong mystery with plenty of questions that need to be answered. The suspects were strong as well, and they kept me guessing until the end. In fact, I was certain it was several of them at various points in the book, yet the final solution made perfect sense. Hope is a great main character as well. My biggest issue is the supporting cast. I feel like they are still fairly thin characters, and several of them are annoying. I hope they get more fleshed out as the series progresses, allowing us to like them more. Since I am a blogger (but not a food blogger), I found that aspect of Hope’s life very interesting, although her world is very different from mine. And, speaking of food, there are six delicious sounding recipes at the end of the book.
  
The Art of Natural Cleaning
The Art of Natural Cleaning
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I’ve always liked the idea of making my own chemical free cleaning products, and have come across books with a little bit about it stuffed somewhere towards the back as an afterthought, so when I came across this whole book dedicated to the subject, “The Art of Natural Cleaning: Tips and techniques for a chemical-free, sparkling home (Art of series)” (what a mouthful!) by chemical free Rebecca Sullivan (well, one has to assume she is) I was delighted to say the least.

First impressions are – it’s a lovely small, hardback book, and every other page is a coloured photo of either the finished product or the work in progress.

There are some lovely ideas, and these are set out into categories; Kitchen, Wardrobe and Laundry, Bathroom, Scent and Make It Shine. There’s a nice introduction from the author and a mini shopping list of which are easily sourced. Each idea, if it includes a recipe, is set out clearly with the ingredients you need and the method.

There are several “recipes” I like, but I love those in the Scent Chapter and have made my own natural chemical free air fresheners.

Overall this is a great book and I’ve enjoyed trying out some of these ideas. Incidentally, the book cover is made out of a very tactile (to me anyway) material, that has a slightly woven, textile feel to it. I’m not sure what the technical name is for it, but I like it. And can’t stop stroking it.
  
The Long Long Afternoon
The Long Long Afternoon
Inga Vesper | 2021 | Crime, Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Long, Long Afternoon really gives a sense of time and place - and I loved that about this book. We’re steeped in the 1950’s suburban world of perfect housewives, dosed up on their happy pills, trapped in their blissful domestic lives, keeping a perfect home and looking their best at all times for their hardworking husbands. Meanwhile, they employ black maids for a pitiful wage, taking advantage of them and treating them appallingly.
Ruby Wright arrives to start her afternoons work at Joyce Hanley’s house, and instead finds her young daughter outside and a screaming toddler upstairs in her bedroom. When Ruby goes in to the kitchen, she is confronted with a room awash with blood and signs of a struggle.
When the police arrive, they arrest Ruby for murder. After all, she was the first person there - and she’s black.
Detective Mick Blanke takes on the case. It’s an interesting book, because not only is Mick solving the crime (with some considerable help from Ruby), he’s also showing the social divides in the USA at this time - rich and poor, black and white. He’s clearly not comfortable about the way that white people treat black people in Santa Monica, but he’s still not quite brave enough to call people out on their racism.
This is an engaging, quick read - or perhaps I read it quickly because I didn’t want to put it down. It’s a clever, unpredictable story. In all, it’s a book I’d recommend without hesitation!
  
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Frank Black recommended Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen in Music (curated)

 
Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen
Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen
1982 | Folk, Singer-Songwriter
7.6 (5 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I have a daughter who is six next week. I played her some Bruce Springsteen. She's really into sad songs. I played her 'The River' and she really locked into that song [Black suddenly starts singing, doing an amazing impression of The Boss]. She asked: ‘Is this a sad song? I like the sad songs.’ She really likes Bruce Springsteen. I really liked this record, and I downloaded it for our kitchen listening. I really got into some of the other tracks. 'State Trooper' is so great, so minimalist. It’s fucking two chords and a few words. It’s the most and the best example of that Bruce Springsteen song where he’s the character of a down and out desperate guy. And it isn't going to get any better. I’ve got into listening to Suicide. I didn’t realise that Bruce Springsteen covered a Suicide song. It made sense he’d get into the vibe of the song. It’s a song called 'Dream Baby Dream'. Suicide are so good at the psycho-rock’n’roll-landscape. Even though Bruce is not trying to be ironic, I think that Bruce Springsteen is trying to retain some primal instincts while being a modern guy on the street with a story to tell. Bruce Springsteen gets a lot of bad press because people like his songs so much. I’m OK when someone I really like does something I’m not totally into. I’m not worried. I still have the records I really love. If they’re really going to go to the top of the mountain, they can’t be there all the time."

Source
  
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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Captive in Books

Oct 17, 2021  
The Captive
The Captive
Deborah O'Connor | 2021 | Crime
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
With its unique and interesting plot, this is a book that I really enjoyed.

I haven't read anything by this author before but the blurb reeled me in. I can't even imagine the horror of having to look after a person who has been convicted of a crime against you. You have to look after that person in your own home - would I be able to do that? This book certainly makes you think about it but this is the reality for the main character in this book, Hannah.

Her husband was murdered and Jem has been found guilty; he is now housed in a cell in her kitchen and Hannah is having to face this man every day whilst trying to come to terms with her loss and grief. Hannah is desperate to keep the memories of her husband alive but as she discovers more, he doesn't appear to be the man she knew and loved and when Jem professes his innocence - well he would wouldn't he - more doubts creep in and Hannah finds herself in a very difficult position.

Written from the perspectives of Hannah and Jem, this is a story that just keeps giving. There are some great twists and you never really know what's going to happen until the end.

This is an author I will definitely look out for in the future and my thanks go to Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
Lady In The Lake
Lady In The Lake
Laura Lippman | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is an engrossing mystery set in 1960’s Baltimore. Madeline Schwartz has left her husband, desperate to make something of her life house and kitchen. After 20 years, she finds herself (mostly) free to make her own decisions and she decides to try and find her dream job - that of a journalist. But this is the 1960’s, and the closest she gets is as a PA at the newspaper.

Addie puts herself in the path of danger in order to solve the deaths of two women: one black, one white. The police are all in in their crusade to find the murderer of the white woman, not so much the black woman. And the newspaper centres around the white woman’s story too.

This book looks at themes of racism, classism, gender discrimination and ageing. Maddie is 37 years old, attractive, yet ageing. She’s looked down on by the men for her gender, and by the women because they think her looks scored her the job. No-one seems to appreciate her capabilities, or even give her the chance to show them.

I loved the chapters from other characters points of view - people Maddie had met in her investigation - and the way that we learn a bit more about her background. I was equally interested to see that the murders were based on real life cases from the same period, and the media coverage was the same as in the story.

An absorbing mystery that I’d recommend!
  
TF
The Five Angels ( Book 1)
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
208 of 230
Kindle
The Five Angels ( Book 1)
By Kimberley M. Ringer
⭐️⭐️


Megan had never been “normal”. Sure, on the outside she looked and acted just like any other woman in her mid-20’s. Only Megan has a secret, okay two secrets. She’s totally in love with her best friend, CJ and she has the ability to see the future which includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. Little does she know those were going to be the least of her problems.

When CJ asks her out on a date, she can’t believe that she is finally getting a silver lining in life. Only just when things couldn’t be going better for them, Megan and CJ disappear in a swirl of blue smoke and land in Nalrin. After suddenly finding herself standing before a woman claiming to be her mother’s sister, Megan finds out she isn’t human at all and that her parents fled Nalrin to save themselves. If that isn’t enough to make her head spin, now Megan must try to stop them from destroying Nalrin, and taking the one thing she isn’t willing to lose.

I really don’t know what kept me reading but for some reason I kept going till the end. It wasn’t all bad I just got a little bored halfway through and as I’d already come so far I pushed through. It was the kind of book where it’s magic so we will throw everything in including the kitchen sink.
  
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Little Ray Of Sunshine (41 KP) rated The Hunt in Books

Jan 11, 2019 (Updated Feb 10, 2019)  
TH
The Hunt
Tim Lebbon | 2015
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Book Review | The Hunt by T. J. Lebbon
Rose is the one that got away. She was the prey in a human trophy hunt run by an elite organisation known only as The Trail. She paid the worst possible price. Every moment since she has been planning her revenge. And now her time has come ...

Chris returns from his morning run to find his wife and children missing and a stranger in his kitchen.

He's told to run.

If he's caught and killed, his family go free. If he escapes, they die.

Rose is the only one who can help him, for her, Chris is bait. And The Trail have not forgotten the woman who tried to outwit them.
The Trail want Rose. The hunters want Chris's corpse. Rose wants revenge, and Chris just wants his family back.

THE HUNT IS ON ...

I was given this book by my friend she told me it was a great book. I don't usually read thriller books but this year I am starting to go out my comfort zone of romance. I have enjoy reading these thrillers and how they make my heart beat faster.
When I first saw the front cover it intrigued me and I wanted to get straight into the book and see what it like.

The book is about Rose she was the one who got away from a game where rich people pay to hunt people down its a sick game to play. While this is happening her family was taken hostage. She was told if she escape them her family will die. Rose outwitted them and escaped them as she thought they wont kill my family. But sadly they was killed and she went back to her house to find them dead and she is framed for their murder. So she goes on the run to find out more about what The Trail is and how she can hunt them down and seek revenge for what did to her family.

While she was searching on the internet to see if The Trail as took another family hostage she found out that there was another and this time it was a man called Chris he returned from a morning run to find hes family as gone missing and a stranger in hes kitchen. He was told if he escapes and they can't find him hes family will be killed. He feels all alone as he can't get in contact with hes family and friends.

But all a sudden this women comes to the rescue called Rose shes the only one who can help him and she knows more about The Trail. So she uses Chris as bait while she hunts each of the hunters down and kills them. Chris doesn't trust Rose he feels that she is in with the The Trail but he soons realise that she aint there to kill him but safe him from The Trail and save hes family too.

Wow this book is a page turner, I was intrigued what was happening through the book and I was thinking all the way through the book "Will they survive?" "Will they find Chris's family in time?" Also I wanted it to have a happy ending and The Trail need to be stopped!

I won't say anymore as I want you to decide what you think to the book and ending.

Thanks for reading x