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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2488 KP) rated Final Fondue in Books

Nov 15, 2020  
Final Fondue
Final Fondue
Maya Corrigan | 2016 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fatal Festival
The town of Bayport, Maryland is holding a festival to celebrate their tri-centennial. Val Deniston is participating with a booth featuring food from her café, while her grandfather is hoping to win one of the contests with his chocolate fondue. And Val has talked Grandfather into renting out some rooms in the house they share to visitors in town for the weekend. These particular guests are there to start work on planning a wedding to take place in the area the next spring. When one of them turns up dead in the backyard, Val begins to question if the killer got their intended victim, or if someone else was the target. Can she figure out what happened?

This book has a solid mystery with great clues sprinkled throughout. Even so, I only began to piece it together about the time that Val started figuring it out. Val’s former life in New York City pops up in a big way in this book, and, while I enjoyed the way this cozy trope played out in this book, I did feel it slowed things down a little. The more I read this series, the more I’ve come to love the characters, especially Val’s grandfather, who is a lot of fun. The suspects are distinct and kept me guessing. At the back of the book are six recipes, including a couple of chocolate fondue recipes, all of which have five or fewer ingredients. This is another fun entry in a tasty series.
  
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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated For a Good Time, Call... (2012) in Movies

Sep 19, 2020 (Updated Nov 26, 2020)  
For a Good Time, Call... (2012)
For a Good Time, Call... (2012)
2012 | Comedy, Drama
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
Started out a little worrisome but thankfully this is every bit as funny, progressive, breezy, joyous, and woefully slept on as its cult supporters make it out to be. Miller and Graynor's chemistry is out of this world; and Nia Vardalos, Mark Webber, and of course the man Justin Long are smashing in their respective supporting roles. This was right around the start of that era where these raunchy sex comedies started to get not just really fucking obnoxious but also formulaic and near intolerable - so it's more than refreshing to see one that gives its characters an insane amount of both agency and dignity, setting up a commendable amount of their intricacies and quirks without ever pandering on the former nor judging them for the latter. The whole thing just has this infectiously delightful verve and bright personality about it, and it never seems like it's making any of the topics it finds humor in the actual butt of the joke. I admit that I'm sick of seeing just random montages of the city in opening credits sequences like this though, it adds nothing to the experience other than to remind you that this takes place in New York - and it does show its clumsiness in other areas too sometimes, but it's a damn good time as well as a reminder in how far some thoughtfulness and authentic care can go in elevating an experience like this. Ends a bit suddenly but otherwise the realization of that last scene is simply perfect.
  
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Sarah Paulson recommended La Vie en Rose (La Mome) (2007) in Movies (curated)

 
La Vie en Rose (La Mome) (2007)
La Vie en Rose (La Mome) (2007)
2007 | International, Drama
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"I remember it was showing in New York City, and I walk over with my friend [to the theater] sort of not knowing what I’m about to see, which is always kind of my favorite thing. I try more and more to not read a review of a movie before I go see it, to not read a review of a play before I go see it, so that I’m not inundated with other people’s opinions about things and I’m able to sort of … It really speaks more to my susceptibility to other people’s opinions than it does about anything that could be playing. I want to have a clean experience that’s just mine. I didn’t know anything about Edith Piaf. I had, of course, recognized many of her songs and had loved many of her songs, but I had no connection to, nor did I know historically, what had happened to her and what her story was. But I was just bowled over by Marion Cotillard’s performance. And of course then I started Googling her and trying to understand where she came from. And she had been in that Russell Crowe movie, and she was so much younger than Piaf, playing that part, and it was just another acting feat! The combination of all the beautiful and tragic things you learn about someone who is so gifted, and then also to see it portrayed by someone equally as gifted and once again be transported into a world you knew nothing about – that’s really the power of the movie."

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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Motherless Brooklyn (2019) in Movies

Jan 15, 2021  
Motherless Brooklyn (2019)
Motherless Brooklyn (2019)
2019 | Drama, Mystery
6
7.0 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
A little too slow and self-indulgent for my tastes
There is no denying that Edward Norton is a talented performer. Ever since he burst onto the scene with his Oscar nominated performance in PRIMAL FEAR, he has been a presence both on and off the screen as an Actor, Writer, Producer and Director.

With his latest effort, MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN (based on the base selling novel by Jonathan Lethem), Norton puts ALL of his skills to work as he Produced, Directed, Wrote and Starred in this Private Eye thriller from 2019.

If only Norton had handed at least 1 of those jobs over to someone else.

Norton stars as Lionel Essrog, a Private Eye with Tourette’s Syndrome, who’s investigation into the murder of a mentor of his exposes corruption, racism, greed and abuse of power in City Hall in New York City in the 1950’s.

As the star, Norton brings a nice edge to Lionel, who’s Tourette’s causes him to twitch and belt out words randomly, as well as gives him a photographic memory. While the twitching and random swearing are a bit over the top at times, the photographic memory helps Lionel solve the case (of course it does).

And that’s where I have issue with writer Norton - as he cannot resist the urge to showcase Actor Norton’s propensity to go over the top and puts in many, many “Tourette’s moments” as well as putting in long dialogue scenes that tries to show the audience how smart Lionel is.

Unfortunately, Director Norton indulges Writer Norton and Actor Norton so the film has a languid pace that just sits on Lionel’s actions and words. This is a 2 hour movie packed into a 2 1/2 hour run time. Now, to be fair to Director Norton, there are some absolutely gorgeous and interesting pictures put on the screen and the atmosphere (and characters) that are created are interesting (enough) to ALMOST forgive the self-indulgent ways of Writer/Actor/Director Norton.

As for the rest of the cast, Bruce Willis is…Bruce Willis as a Private Eye that works with Lionel and Willem DaFoe is at his “Willem DeFoe-iest” in portraying a critic of New York City Hall with a secret past. It’s as if Director Norton said to both of these 2 fine actors to just “do your thing” while he focused on the myriad of other jobs he had on this film.

Special notice needs to be made of the work of Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Femme Fatale Laura Rose (a part that Norton specifically added to the film - her character was not in the book - and wrote just for her). She is quite good in this role and her scenes with Norton crackle somewhat louder than the rest of the film.

And then there is Alec Baldwin as a corrupt, racist, politician who is looking out for only 1 person - himself. While Baldwin is very good in this 100% serious role, I couldn’t be help but be reminded of a certain comedic character he has played for the past few years on Saturday Night Live.

The music by Daniel Pemberton and the Cinematography by Dick Pope add greatly to the atmosphere of this film - and that is good - for when the story bogs down (and it bogs down A LOT), there usually is something interesting to look at or listen to.

Not a bad film, but it could have been a much better film if someone would have taken at least ONE of the jobs off of Norton (I would vote for Director) and tightened things up and tone down Norton’s tendency to “ham it up” on screen.

Letter Grade: B-

6 Stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)