In Harmony
Book
The root of all madness is an unbearable truth… At seventeen, Willow Holloway’s life was torn...
Handsome Death
Book
I’m not hunting him; I’m protecting him. At least, that’s what I tell myself. In New...
Contemporary Adult Paranormal MM Romance Dark
Too Good To Be True
Book
ONE LOVE STORY. TWO MARRIAGES. THREE VERSIONS OF THE TRUTH. Too Good to Be True is an obsessive,...
Looking for Palestine: Growing Up Confused in an Arab-American Family
Book
A frank and entertaining memoir, from the daughter of Edward Said, about growing up...
Miami Airport (MIA) Flight Tracker Radar
Travel and Weather
App
Flight tracker premium. #1 airport app For Miami (MIA, FLL, PBI) plus every airport in the world...
Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War
Book
Karen Abbott, the New York Times bestselling author of Sin in the Second City and “pioneer of...
Renovations (By Design #6)
Book
Governor Candace Reid has been in office for just over a month and things have only begun to get...
Lesbian Politics
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Nightmare Alley (2021) in Movies
Feb 5, 2022
Firstly, there is no reason for NA to be 150 minutes long. One could argue that it gives us more time with the many characters introduced, but it feels gratuitous. The first hour and a half has its moments for sure, but it sometimes feels a little direction-less before the last hour hits, and things kick off a bit. It's an issue that certainly impacts proceedings, and I feel it could have lost 30 minutes and been a tighter final product.
Thankfully, the assembled cast is stacked with royalty. Willem Dafoe and Toni Collette are two of my favourite working actors, so having them both involved is a treat. Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, and Rooney Mara are great as the main leads, and the rest of the ensemble is rounded out by some fantastic character actors - Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, David Strathairn - good stuff all round.
The overall visual style is wonderfully Del Toro, from the gloomy and misty carnival sights pierced by neon lights, to the snowy city scape of Buffalo, New York. A lot of the cinematography is gorgeous as well, hats off to Dan Laustsen, and is truly bought to life by a beautifully haunting music score from Nathan Johnson.
All in all, Nightmare Alley ultimately suffers from its pacing, and feels like a slog here and there. However, there are enough positives to carry it over the finish line. I look forward to checking out the black and white version in the near future.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated The Turncoat's Widow in Books
Jan 20, 2022
This is definitely a shade darker than the cozies I typically read, but it is only just a shade darker. I was delighted to find a mystery set during the Revolutionary War, and the book does a great job of bringing that time period to life. The plot starts out well and only gets stronger as it goes. By the end, I was racing to find out what would happen next. I did find the romance between Rebecca and Daniel to be the weak point of the book, but that was minor. The characters, real and fictional, are strong, and using both Rebecca and Daniel to tell the story is a real asset. I’m glad I found this series, and I can’t wait to find out where the characters go next.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Manhattan Night (Manhattan Nocturne) (2016) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019
Performances – Adrien Brody does well in the leading role in the film even if he doesn’t make his character feel much different than any others from the similar genre. Yvonne Strahovski fits the seductive side to her character, though without being the strongest in the serious side of the story. Campbell Scott and Jennifer Beals just don’t get enough time to show their skills off in this film.
Story – The story here follows an investigation into an unsolved murder which brings the investigative reporter into a series of cover ups and conspiracy in true noir style. Using the noir style is clear here, the execution of the noir style doesn’t quite come off though because the siren doesn’t feel like a siren and by the end you will be left wondering just why the investigation wasn’t solved by the police in the first place, let alone why the reporter is even asked to investigate it. Nothing really comes out of solving the case which is the biggest disappointment from everything we are getting invested in.
Crime/Mystery – The crime side of this mystery does involve a murder that hasn’t been solved, it does have other crime elements involved too which just confuse the simply plot.
Settings – The film is set in New York and uses a secret house to show a place of peace in this busy city and how people can meet and connect through life.
Scene of the Movie – The truth.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The case felt pointless to solve.
Final Thoughts – This is a noir styled crime mystery that gives us a case that almost doesn’t need to be solved in the end.
Overall: Mystery that didn’t need solving.