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Maddi Zoe (6 KP) rated Wonder (2017) in Movies
Feb 8, 2018
acting (2 more)
storyline
underlying message
Cute messages tugging at your heart strings
Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, Wonder, directed by Stephen Chbosky, is a wonderfully endearing and uplifting story about a boy, Auggie Pullman (Jacob Tremblay), who was born with Treacher Collins syndrome and has had several surgeries leaving him with facial deformities.
The movie starts as he is entering into fifth-grade, and actually going to school for the first time as he has previously been home schooled by his mother (Julia Roberts). He is understandably scared about not making friends, or being ridiculed by his classmates, but with the help of his Mum and Dad (Owen Wilson) he braves going to school and meets new people.
There are many moments of sadness, as you would expect, but there are also moments of great joy. I found myself crying from start to finish, riding on a rollercoaster of emotions.
There are a few mini storylines about other characters that get given the spotlight at different times as well, which is a nice change to when some films focus on just the one person, because we get to see other characters backgrounds, and why they act how they do.
The casting is brilliant, Tremblay plays Auggie excellently, bringing both emotion and sass to the character. He has been in a fair few things before, such as Before I Wake, but this role will definitely boost him into the spotlight.
Roberts and Wilson as the parents is also an excellent choice, Roberts gives an emotive performance, and it’s great to see Wilson in a serious role, whilst still bringing some light comic relief.
The cast has a lot of young actors, but there isn’t one that stands out as being stiff or unnatural, they are all brilliant and help to bring the feel of the movie together. The relationships between all the characters is brought to life really well by the actors.
The writing is brilliant, although it is based on a book so the story is there already, but the screenwriters, Chbosky, Steve Conrad and Jack Thorne, put it together for the screen really well.
There are some stand out quotes, that also come from the book, that make you stop and think, and the teacher, Mr Browne (Daveed Diggs), teaches the class about precepts such as ‘When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind’.
Overall, it’s a well-rounded family movie, that may change your outlook on some things in life. With such great casting, writing and direction, I’d be very surprised if it didn’t do well during awards season.
The movie starts as he is entering into fifth-grade, and actually going to school for the first time as he has previously been home schooled by his mother (Julia Roberts). He is understandably scared about not making friends, or being ridiculed by his classmates, but with the help of his Mum and Dad (Owen Wilson) he braves going to school and meets new people.
There are many moments of sadness, as you would expect, but there are also moments of great joy. I found myself crying from start to finish, riding on a rollercoaster of emotions.
There are a few mini storylines about other characters that get given the spotlight at different times as well, which is a nice change to when some films focus on just the one person, because we get to see other characters backgrounds, and why they act how they do.
The casting is brilliant, Tremblay plays Auggie excellently, bringing both emotion and sass to the character. He has been in a fair few things before, such as Before I Wake, but this role will definitely boost him into the spotlight.
Roberts and Wilson as the parents is also an excellent choice, Roberts gives an emotive performance, and it’s great to see Wilson in a serious role, whilst still bringing some light comic relief.
The cast has a lot of young actors, but there isn’t one that stands out as being stiff or unnatural, they are all brilliant and help to bring the feel of the movie together. The relationships between all the characters is brought to life really well by the actors.
The writing is brilliant, although it is based on a book so the story is there already, but the screenwriters, Chbosky, Steve Conrad and Jack Thorne, put it together for the screen really well.
There are some stand out quotes, that also come from the book, that make you stop and think, and the teacher, Mr Browne (Daveed Diggs), teaches the class about precepts such as ‘When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind’.
Overall, it’s a well-rounded family movie, that may change your outlook on some things in life. With such great casting, writing and direction, I’d be very surprised if it didn’t do well during awards season.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Lullaby in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Ive never read a Palahniuk books before but I actually really enjoyed this one. I can understand why some people find his writing annoying, but personally I like its wit, brutality and shockingness.
Palahniuk is always trying to make a point in his writing I know this from reading other peoples reviews but if its not right there in front of me, and instead hidden behind cryptic messages, I usually miss the whole point. Which is what I feel happened with this book. I mean I got it thanks to self explanatory lines like Power, money, food, sex, love. Can we ever get enough, or will getting some make us crave even more? but I also feel like a lot of it went over my head, so excuse my bland review!
This book is definitely difficult reading at some points, with its grotesque descriptions and imagery, but for the most part its quite a quick read. I found the story easy enough to follow, although at moments there are whole chapters that appear out of nowhere and make no sense until the end, which threw me off a little! I wasnt expecting this novel to have a kind of twisty-turny outcome, but it does and I loved that about it! How the story joins up and concludes is very clever. It exceeded my expectations in that aspect.
I really enjoyed getting to know the characters in this story. There are 4 main characters, and its been a long time since Ive read a book where we get to know each one of them really well. Palahniuk has done well to make them all their own individual beings with completely different personalities that are both fun and annoying. Carl is our main, main character and hes a strange individual to follow around. We learn so much about him, including a shocking secret that makes us look at him in a different light. Helen Hoover Boyle is a fun character to accompany Carl and its interesting to see how their relationship grows as each chapter passes.
Overall, I really liked this book. Its been a while since Ive read a book thats been both disturbing and funny at the same time. I have always been hesitant to read Palahniuk because everyone says his stuff is so like Marmite, but just like I am with the controversial spread, Im on the love it side at least for now!
Palahniuk is always trying to make a point in his writing I know this from reading other peoples reviews but if its not right there in front of me, and instead hidden behind cryptic messages, I usually miss the whole point. Which is what I feel happened with this book. I mean I got it thanks to self explanatory lines like Power, money, food, sex, love. Can we ever get enough, or will getting some make us crave even more? but I also feel like a lot of it went over my head, so excuse my bland review!
This book is definitely difficult reading at some points, with its grotesque descriptions and imagery, but for the most part its quite a quick read. I found the story easy enough to follow, although at moments there are whole chapters that appear out of nowhere and make no sense until the end, which threw me off a little! I wasnt expecting this novel to have a kind of twisty-turny outcome, but it does and I loved that about it! How the story joins up and concludes is very clever. It exceeded my expectations in that aspect.
I really enjoyed getting to know the characters in this story. There are 4 main characters, and its been a long time since Ive read a book where we get to know each one of them really well. Palahniuk has done well to make them all their own individual beings with completely different personalities that are both fun and annoying. Carl is our main, main character and hes a strange individual to follow around. We learn so much about him, including a shocking secret that makes us look at him in a different light. Helen Hoover Boyle is a fun character to accompany Carl and its interesting to see how their relationship grows as each chapter passes.
Overall, I really liked this book. Its been a while since Ive read a book thats been both disturbing and funny at the same time. I have always been hesitant to read Palahniuk because everyone says his stuff is so like Marmite, but just like I am with the controversial spread, Im on the love it side at least for now!
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated Detroit: Become Human in Video Games
Nov 9, 2018
Best story of the year (3 more)
Incredible voice acting
So many different possibilities
Amazing replayability
An almost perfect game let down by 1 or 2 slow parts
Wow what a game. I have to say straight away that game of the year this year shouldn't be a thing. There are so many incredible games out this year. Red dead redemption 2 and God of war are incredible games and 1 of them to me will end up being game of the year but if it was based on story alone then this would win easy.
The concept has always intrigued me. The whole idea of there being androids then they develop a consciousness and gaining free will. I can see our world going there and this showed that world perfectly. Throughout the world you can find magazines and I found myself reading these and being in awe at how accurate they are. They all felt they could each be a plot to an episode of black mirror. Everything from there being less babies born because people are having sex with androids more to music concerts not being a thing due to VR. There were a lot of political, racism, slavery and abuse messages throughout the game which felt very relevant.
The gameplay was great. It felt like an interactive movie with quick time events that actually mattered. There was genuine fear for these characters since any could die. There was a certain mission that was extremely slow paced and I got bored a little but luckily that was the only part. I fell in love with the characters and their relationships towards humans and other androids. The choices given to me felt like I was making my own personal story. Acting was incredible and it was graphically beautiful. The expressions were incredible.
The flowchart at the end of each mission a welcome addition. You are able to see all the many paths you could take without seeing what they actually were. You could see the complex mind of David cage behind this chart and it looked incredible. This got me very excited to go back in the future to try out the different paths and see what happens.
This is another incredible exclusive for ps4 and it should not be missed. A beautiful score and complex writing make this a game that leaves you thinking weeks after finishing and I look forward to another playthrough and maybe even another game in this world.
The concept has always intrigued me. The whole idea of there being androids then they develop a consciousness and gaining free will. I can see our world going there and this showed that world perfectly. Throughout the world you can find magazines and I found myself reading these and being in awe at how accurate they are. They all felt they could each be a plot to an episode of black mirror. Everything from there being less babies born because people are having sex with androids more to music concerts not being a thing due to VR. There were a lot of political, racism, slavery and abuse messages throughout the game which felt very relevant.
The gameplay was great. It felt like an interactive movie with quick time events that actually mattered. There was genuine fear for these characters since any could die. There was a certain mission that was extremely slow paced and I got bored a little but luckily that was the only part. I fell in love with the characters and their relationships towards humans and other androids. The choices given to me felt like I was making my own personal story. Acting was incredible and it was graphically beautiful. The expressions were incredible.
The flowchart at the end of each mission a welcome addition. You are able to see all the many paths you could take without seeing what they actually were. You could see the complex mind of David cage behind this chart and it looked incredible. This got me very excited to go back in the future to try out the different paths and see what happens.
This is another incredible exclusive for ps4 and it should not be missed. A beautiful score and complex writing make this a game that leaves you thinking weeks after finishing and I look forward to another playthrough and maybe even another game in this world.
Ross (3284 KP) rated The Art of Dying in Books
Aug 15, 2019
Another fantastic historical medical thriller
* I received an advance copy of this book from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *
Ambrose Parry returns with a second book set in Victorian Edinburgh during its medical and scientific revolution. Where the first book centred around Sir James Young Simpson (and others!) search for the perfect anaesthetic, this book focuses more on the man and his reputation. Edinburgh is still a thriving centre of medical science, and reputation is everything. The book starts with Simpson's reputation being besmirched by rivals and former colleagues, looking to suggest negligence. Will Raven and Sarah Fisher team up again to gradually peel away at the facts underlying the case in question and reveal some disturbing trends.
While the plot itself, and its numerous twists and turns, is not exactly ground-breaking, it is excellently told, with clues scattered here, there and everywhere. And to weave this tale around actual historic events and cases really appeals to my mind.
This book, and its predecessor, is one of the most immersive books I have read in a long time. The reader really gets to feel as if they are in Victorian era Edinburgh. Admittedly, I read a fair part of this book while commuting to work in Edinburgh (indeed my children were all born in the Sir James Young Simpson maternity unit of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary), but I feel the reader with less connection to the city would still get that same feeling.
There is again an underlying message of the treatment of women during those times (and indeed today), both how they are treated in the household and society and also their opportunities for a career and to explore their skills. Sarah Fisher is a strong female character who tolerates her place in society but yearns to break through the glass ceiling, proving her worth to all and sundry as she goes.
In contrast, Will Raven is somewhat spineless in this regard. He sees the issues with society but doesn't do much to act on it. Indeed, he starts the book having run away from Edinburgh and his chances of a relationship with a mere housekeeper, for fear of his heart dooming his medical career. Raven does get some amount of development, both in terms of his medical career, and also in terms of becoming the Victorian equivalent of "woke".
Parry's prose is fantastic and she (they?) truly allow the reader to feel the story unfold around them.
An utterly wonderful book with some interesting history lessons and important messages about the past that should help us build a fairer society today.
Ambrose Parry returns with a second book set in Victorian Edinburgh during its medical and scientific revolution. Where the first book centred around Sir James Young Simpson (and others!) search for the perfect anaesthetic, this book focuses more on the man and his reputation. Edinburgh is still a thriving centre of medical science, and reputation is everything. The book starts with Simpson's reputation being besmirched by rivals and former colleagues, looking to suggest negligence. Will Raven and Sarah Fisher team up again to gradually peel away at the facts underlying the case in question and reveal some disturbing trends.
While the plot itself, and its numerous twists and turns, is not exactly ground-breaking, it is excellently told, with clues scattered here, there and everywhere. And to weave this tale around actual historic events and cases really appeals to my mind.
This book, and its predecessor, is one of the most immersive books I have read in a long time. The reader really gets to feel as if they are in Victorian era Edinburgh. Admittedly, I read a fair part of this book while commuting to work in Edinburgh (indeed my children were all born in the Sir James Young Simpson maternity unit of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary), but I feel the reader with less connection to the city would still get that same feeling.
There is again an underlying message of the treatment of women during those times (and indeed today), both how they are treated in the household and society and also their opportunities for a career and to explore their skills. Sarah Fisher is a strong female character who tolerates her place in society but yearns to break through the glass ceiling, proving her worth to all and sundry as she goes.
In contrast, Will Raven is somewhat spineless in this regard. He sees the issues with society but doesn't do much to act on it. Indeed, he starts the book having run away from Edinburgh and his chances of a relationship with a mere housekeeper, for fear of his heart dooming his medical career. Raven does get some amount of development, both in terms of his medical career, and also in terms of becoming the Victorian equivalent of "woke".
Parry's prose is fantastic and she (they?) truly allow the reader to feel the story unfold around them.
An utterly wonderful book with some interesting history lessons and important messages about the past that should help us build a fairer society today.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) in Movies
Dec 19, 2019
A journeys end
Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker never quite manages at any point to achieve anything I would consider epic or even memorable making it ultimately fall flat when it comes to thrill, excitement and unique moments that you would expect the last film in a trilogy to be full of. That being said while its not exactly a very engaging film its definitely a very entertaining scifi adventure its just lacking in a personality of its own instead serving us more of the same again. My biggest problem is mainly with the first 2 acts, the first felt extremely rushed with no time at all spent with any one character or location instead zipping from scene to scene like a quick montage making me ultimately care very little for anyone or whats going on. The second act fairs much better but becomes very slow with the film focusing more on fixing the last jedis problems rather than progressing its story. Luckily the third act is top notch and contains enough space battles, lightsabre fights and warm messages that you can almost forgive all the problems the first two acts bring and leave the cinema feeling if anything entertained at the very least. Its a story about how our actions no matter how big or small have an effect on other peoples lives be it in the form of motivation, inspiration or by our actions. It all matters and if we all stand together, keep each other positive with hope in our hearts we can fight even the strongest of evils united as one. I found there to be a lot about being appreciated too and towards the end characters felt like they had actually progressed as people which was nice. Current political refrences are also quite strong too and theres a surprising amount about the struggles of being an orphan also which I found intresting. Action wise its fine but I found the film really lacking in thirlls and excitment a lot of the time (this could be down to characters feeling invincible which significantly decreased the feeling of threat). While not a bad movie its definitely the worst for me out of the new trilogy and im in no hurry to see it again. Not quite the epic ending we all expected more of a correction piece for past mistakes made but without a doubt an enjoyable film that finally means we can move on and hopefully explore some more intresting parts of the star wars universe now.
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated Cinderella Takes the Stage in Books
Apr 26, 2020
This childhood tale of Cinderella is simple and light-hearted with beautiful sentiments and messages throughout: perfect for the little reader in your lives. The illustrations by Adrienne Brown are also incredibly beautiful, with pumpkin carriage watermarks and gorgeous details on each page.
Ella is a young girl, surrounded by the love of her parents in a fairly privileged surrounding. Her days are filled with stories about magic, playing with her new puppy Bruno, taking tea with her parents and preparing for the upcoming puppet competition at the midsummer festival.
It is this competition which is the focus of the short tale, as Cinderella displays her sheer determination to compete and win the prized gold coin, despite her lack of talents in sewing and a puppet which, in her words, looks like a potato.
This determination makes the character of Cinderella inspirational to the young reader, whether they realise that at the time or not. Yes her coveted possession is a silver and gold dress but, despite the tales of magic and fairies that surround her, she does not rely on wishes or her parents to obtain the dress: her sole plan is to earn the gold coin through winning the competition and purchase the dress herself, a refreshing change from the bibbidi, bobbidi boo methods which Tessa Roehl could have so easily reverted to.
Cinderella is not quite perfect though and can be headstrong in her beliefs: quickly jumping to conclusions when she meets a girl her own age who is not quite as well off as herself. As a mother to a seven-year-old, I can readily believe this! Luckily, Cinderella’s parents believe that there is good in every person, a theme which mirrors the original tale and films. Thus, Cinderella learns more about the little girl: significantly benefitting from both the practical lessons which the girl can offer; an insight into the world around her which is not straight out of a fairytale; and finally, the laughter, love and secrets that a childhood friendship offers.
Cinderella and Val are from different worlds, they find beauty in different things and their dreams could not be further apart. However, this does not limit their common interests or indeed their friendship in any capacity and this is something we should all instil in our children. As Tessa Roehl so beautifully puts it: “Our hearts don’t always need to want the same thing. As long as they want something.”
Ella is a young girl, surrounded by the love of her parents in a fairly privileged surrounding. Her days are filled with stories about magic, playing with her new puppy Bruno, taking tea with her parents and preparing for the upcoming puppet competition at the midsummer festival.
It is this competition which is the focus of the short tale, as Cinderella displays her sheer determination to compete and win the prized gold coin, despite her lack of talents in sewing and a puppet which, in her words, looks like a potato.
This determination makes the character of Cinderella inspirational to the young reader, whether they realise that at the time or not. Yes her coveted possession is a silver and gold dress but, despite the tales of magic and fairies that surround her, she does not rely on wishes or her parents to obtain the dress: her sole plan is to earn the gold coin through winning the competition and purchase the dress herself, a refreshing change from the bibbidi, bobbidi boo methods which Tessa Roehl could have so easily reverted to.
Cinderella is not quite perfect though and can be headstrong in her beliefs: quickly jumping to conclusions when she meets a girl her own age who is not quite as well off as herself. As a mother to a seven-year-old, I can readily believe this! Luckily, Cinderella’s parents believe that there is good in every person, a theme which mirrors the original tale and films. Thus, Cinderella learns more about the little girl: significantly benefitting from both the practical lessons which the girl can offer; an insight into the world around her which is not straight out of a fairytale; and finally, the laughter, love and secrets that a childhood friendship offers.
Cinderella and Val are from different worlds, they find beauty in different things and their dreams could not be further apart. However, this does not limit their common interests or indeed their friendship in any capacity and this is something we should all instil in our children. As Tessa Roehl so beautifully puts it: “Our hearts don’t always need to want the same thing. As long as they want something.”
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