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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Antebellum (2020) in Movies

Sep 21, 2020

Antebellum (2020)

2020 | Thriller

6.1

(10 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Janelle Monáe stars as Eden who at the start of the new film “Antebellum” is brought back to a Southern Plantation against her will by Union Soldiers. The consequences of her escape attempt are brutally taken out against two others as the rest of the plantation looks on in submissive silence.

Weeks later more slaves arrive and are given the rules by the brutal Overseer who demands silence and utter obedience at all times.

The slaves are made to work the fields and serve the plantation including the women being assigned to whichever soldier desires them.

Their plight grabs you from the start in its brutality as they have no rights, live in fear daily, and are subject to whatever whims those in charge desire and they are required to obey and suffer in silence.

One night after the General falls asleep after having his way with her; Eden awakens to a different reality. One set in the modern day where she is a wife, mother, and very successful author and activist. The film follows her life in the modern world before springing the twist which makes doing an in-depth review difficult without spoiling things. While I was able to predict the twist coming; it was still effective and chilling in how it was carried out.

The film does get a bit lax in the final act as it relies on too many Hollywood clichés which while highly entertaining for me undermined the messages of the film and the situation.

Gerard Bush and Christopher Rend both wrote and directed the film and there are some powerful and highly gripping moments to the film but it grabs you from the start and is compelling and deeply disturbing.

The cast is very strong and the film is unforgettable. My biggest issue with the film was the final act as I alluded to prior. The film tries to tie things up a bit too neatly yet fails to adequately explain key aspects of the story. The audience is given some information and forced to fill in the gaps for themselves which in many ways makes the film even more disturbing.

In the time of deep division in our country it is very upsetting to see how little has changed for many who do not see equality and justice applied equally and still live day to day with fear and uncertainty.

“Antebellum” is the rare film that entertains, informs, and makes you think and will remain with you after the movie ends.

4 stars out of 5

Kudos

Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Cuckoo in Books

Jun 24, 2019

Cuckoo

Keren David | 2016

6.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Sorry I haven't been writing any reviews for a while. Life's a little all over the place right now.

This was one of the books I picked up from the library without knowing anything about it, so I was pretty excited to read it. It was definitely different to what I expected; it's written in "episodes" but not quite like a script. It's more detailed and less firmly structured, but is from the point of view of the audience of the episodes (not any of the characters in the actual scene). The episodes are also acted by different people, who aren't necessarily the actual characters. This was really interesting; it made it more like a 'show' that Jake was putting on, but did get a bit confusing.

It was definitely a good book. I enjoyed reading it and was interested to discover what happened next. I quite liked Jake as a character, although he did come across as a little overdramatic. (Maybe I'm being harsh by saying this, but did he really need to run away from home and cause such a fuss?) I understand how the author is perhaps trying to convey the message that even actors and "successful" people have problems, but I just wasn't feeling it. I don't know. Maybe a different issue should have been explored.

The story is basically Jake's web-series after the soap "Market Square" is cancelled. After losing his job and income, his family is forced to move into a small flat. Jake can't cope, especially with his disabled brother and his father who's going through a bit of a mental breakdown, and so hops from one friends' house to another. Somehow this leads to his best friend hating him, and he continues to be bitter through the comments of the web-series.

Quick side note: The comments are a good touch, but felt really fake. I liked having the 'real-time' dialogue, but the messages didn't sound genuine/authentic at all to me.

Anyway, Jake ends up in some old woman's house, who turns out to have been a director. He helps bring her out of her extreme dementia, and in return she allows him to live with her.

It all seemed a bit too much, too extreme, for what it was. Jake ends up homeless at one point, and his friend is still being all grumpy at him and it just seemed a bit off to me. But I don't know, I might just be being way too harsh. Despite that, I did enjoy reading it. 3.5 stars.