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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated His Bloody Project in Books

Jul 25, 2017  
His Bloody Project
His Bloody Project
Graeme Macrae Burnet | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.6 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well written, realistic penny dreadful
The author has done quite a spectacular job of researching this piece of historical fiction, bringing to life a gruesome episode in 1800s Scotland. Expect to read a documentary type book and not a particularly suspenseful thriller. It took a long time to get into this book, mostly because the performance was quite dry and dull, hence I struggled to concentrate. During the crux of the story, in which Roddy is in court, the story picks up slightly, sounding more like a courtroom drama. He attempts to explore the idea of moral insanity, but falls short mostly because of the lack of understanding they would have at the time the book is set.

Well written and researched but a bit bland.
  
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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in Books

Jul 28, 2017  
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
John Boyne | 2006 | Young Adult (YA)
9
8.9 (18 Ratings)
Book Rating
An important and terrifying fable still relevant
It's probably quite important to understand that this is a novel and so there is a lot of artistic license taken with it by the author. That being said the main protagonist, nine-year-old Bruno was brilliantly written, a great juxtaposition of unwaning innocence and extreme cruelty in a time of brutality.

Having visited Auschwitz myself, the naive descriptions of the young boy is gut churning especially as he is so unaware of his fate. The reader does a great job in performing the role of an innocent child.

It is a moral story about complacency and how easy it is to fall into patterns, so it is essential to read with an open mind.
  
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Enyeh (71 KP) rated The War of the Worlds in Books

Aug 9, 2017  
The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds
H.G. Wells | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
7.7 (22 Ratings)
Book Rating
Through the first 2/3 of this book, I thought I was going to be disappointed - in fact, given how far I'd gotten without feeling particularly engaged, I think I can say I was in fact disappointed. But in the end, Wells makes up for it: not with any extreme plot twists or cheap literary tricks, but with a sense of profundity, with a moral. War of the Worlds isn't the Hollywood movie that came after it, or even the notorious radio show that caused the panic of a nation - instead, it's a novel about a man and his thoughts in the face of the worst disaster. It's a discussion of humanity, psychology, and morality, disguised as an alien adventure.
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated A Clockwork Orange (1971) in Movies

Apr 7, 2019 (Updated Apr 7, 2019)  
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
1971 | Crime, Sci-Fi
10
7.8 (59 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
Kubrick's provocative examination of violence and morality. Young offender Alex (McDowell) leads a carefree life of theft, assault, and rape, until his actions catch up with him and he is sent to prison. There he volunteers for a new therapy which is supposed to remove his capacity for violent wrongdoing...

A massively iconic, much-imitated film, despite being taken out of circulation (in the UK at least) by the director for thirty years. The film's musings on the nature of moral agency are less striking than its baleful, scathing criticism of social attitudes towards crime and punishment, and the extraordinarily vivid opening and still difficult-to-watch opening sequence. A grotesque morality play with many coups de cinema; an extraordinary film by any standard.
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) in Movies

Feb 12, 2018  
The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)
The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)
2017 | Action, Comedy
6
7.6 (92 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
Nothing says knockabout comedy like a truck bomb
Raucous action-comedy odd-couple movie with uptight protection agent Ryan Reynolds having to get laid-back hired killer Samuel L Jackson to the court on time so he can testify against evil despot Gary Oldman (one of his 'just here for the cheque' performances).

Some good jokes and well-mounted action but you have to wonder about a movie which thinks there's nothing tonally weird about including scenes of women and children being cold-bloodedly murdered or terror attacks on western cities in what's essentially a knockabout comedy. Some genuinely funny moments and nice chemistry between the two leads, but hard to get past the fundamental moral vacancy of it all.