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Darren (1599 KP) rated This Is England (2007) in Movies
Dec 2, 2019
Verdict: Gritty, Hard Hitting Reality Check
Story: This is England starts as young boy Shaun (Turgoose) is struggling with the death of his father in conflict in 1983, he gets picked on at school, he doesn’t fit in, until a group of skinheads led by Woody (Gilgun) welcoming him into their circle of friends for an afternoon of trouble, while his mother Cynth (Hartley) isn’t completely happy with this group, she does see him being happy for the first time in years.
When the other leader of the group Combo (Graham) gets out of prisons, he brings a more aggressive nature to what the gang wants to be, despite Woody, just wanting it to be friends hanging out.
Thoughts on This is England
Characters – Shaun is a 12-year-old boy that has suffered with the loss of his own father’s death in the Falklands, he gets bullied by the other school kids and has always just been left feeling alone in the world. The only people that let him in are Woody and the gang of skin heads who just want to hang out and soon gets drawn into a darker side by the more aggressive leaders of the gang. Combo is the older leader of the gang that doesn’t hold back with his hatred to other races in his country, he will fight anybody who goes again his gang too, being a horrendous role model for Shaun. Cynth is the mother of Shaun, she wants to see her son enjoying his life more but is getting worried about his own life choices. Woody is the member of the skin head gang that invites Shaun into the gang, he wants to help him fight back against the bullies, by offering somebody to hang out with.
Performances – Thomas Turgoose in the leading role is fantastic as we see just how he is dealing with his own grief in all the wrong places. Stephen Graham steals the show with his hyper aggressive character, while the rest of the cast do make us feel like we are watching mates hanging out.
Story – The story here follows a 12-year-old boy that ends up joining a skinhead gang after he struggles to find a way to deal with the grief in his life from his father’s death. The story does tackle just how difficult grief could be for the children of the victims of war, with Shaun having his school friends pick on him because of his father’s death, which in todays, not the 80s wouldn’t be acceptable in anyway, with everybody being more supportive. The idea of joining the gang and just how the gang soon starts to consume his life, effecting his behaviour shows how being given the wrong lines to follow will not make life any easier. We do see how the world has changed since the 80s and how the skinhead culture should never be forced onto anybody.
Crime – The crime world we get placed into here it, involves the violent behaviour of the skinhead gangs to anybody that doesn’t fit into their profile.
Settings – The film is set in the midlands of the UK which does show the neighbours that would have been struggling in the 1980s.
Scene of the Movie – The first day out with the gang.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – 12-year-old dating an 18-year-old seems weird.
Final Thoughts – This film does show the violence being pushed onto people if they can’t deal with grief when they have nobody else in their lives.
Overall: Violent Drama.
Story: This is England starts as young boy Shaun (Turgoose) is struggling with the death of his father in conflict in 1983, he gets picked on at school, he doesn’t fit in, until a group of skinheads led by Woody (Gilgun) welcoming him into their circle of friends for an afternoon of trouble, while his mother Cynth (Hartley) isn’t completely happy with this group, she does see him being happy for the first time in years.
When the other leader of the group Combo (Graham) gets out of prisons, he brings a more aggressive nature to what the gang wants to be, despite Woody, just wanting it to be friends hanging out.
Thoughts on This is England
Characters – Shaun is a 12-year-old boy that has suffered with the loss of his own father’s death in the Falklands, he gets bullied by the other school kids and has always just been left feeling alone in the world. The only people that let him in are Woody and the gang of skin heads who just want to hang out and soon gets drawn into a darker side by the more aggressive leaders of the gang. Combo is the older leader of the gang that doesn’t hold back with his hatred to other races in his country, he will fight anybody who goes again his gang too, being a horrendous role model for Shaun. Cynth is the mother of Shaun, she wants to see her son enjoying his life more but is getting worried about his own life choices. Woody is the member of the skin head gang that invites Shaun into the gang, he wants to help him fight back against the bullies, by offering somebody to hang out with.
Performances – Thomas Turgoose in the leading role is fantastic as we see just how he is dealing with his own grief in all the wrong places. Stephen Graham steals the show with his hyper aggressive character, while the rest of the cast do make us feel like we are watching mates hanging out.
Story – The story here follows a 12-year-old boy that ends up joining a skinhead gang after he struggles to find a way to deal with the grief in his life from his father’s death. The story does tackle just how difficult grief could be for the children of the victims of war, with Shaun having his school friends pick on him because of his father’s death, which in todays, not the 80s wouldn’t be acceptable in anyway, with everybody being more supportive. The idea of joining the gang and just how the gang soon starts to consume his life, effecting his behaviour shows how being given the wrong lines to follow will not make life any easier. We do see how the world has changed since the 80s and how the skinhead culture should never be forced onto anybody.
Crime – The crime world we get placed into here it, involves the violent behaviour of the skinhead gangs to anybody that doesn’t fit into their profile.
Settings – The film is set in the midlands of the UK which does show the neighbours that would have been struggling in the 1980s.
Scene of the Movie – The first day out with the gang.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – 12-year-old dating an 18-year-old seems weird.
Final Thoughts – This film does show the violence being pushed onto people if they can’t deal with grief when they have nobody else in their lives.
Overall: Violent Drama.
A pleasant surprise
This was always going to be up against it, as Stephen King's book is an epic and there's no way the entire book can be put into 2 films. However as a part 1, this film actually does a pretty good job.
Yes there are things missing from the book, this isn't really a surprise. And they have changed some parts of the story too, and although I don't necessarily agree with these changes, the majority of them don't really have a detrimental effect to the story. And a lot of these changes still hint and nod to the book (e.g. Eddie's broken arm, "beep-beep Richie" etc). The kids themselves I mainly loved and they were well cast, the humour was great. Although I do think Beverly looked a little too old? I also liked some of the exposition and explanatory scenes which happened differently in the book, yet still worked in this.
Despite the old school type scares, I actually found myself quite scared and creeped out at times, which I wasn't expecting. My only issue is I didn't like Pennywise's front teeth, I found them really off putting and didn't look very good. And I think some of the CGI was a little over the top.
So all in, a surprisingly good adaptation. Actually can't wait to see the next chapter.
Yes there are things missing from the book, this isn't really a surprise. And they have changed some parts of the story too, and although I don't necessarily agree with these changes, the majority of them don't really have a detrimental effect to the story. And a lot of these changes still hint and nod to the book (e.g. Eddie's broken arm, "beep-beep Richie" etc). The kids themselves I mainly loved and they were well cast, the humour was great. Although I do think Beverly looked a little too old? I also liked some of the exposition and explanatory scenes which happened differently in the book, yet still worked in this.
Despite the old school type scares, I actually found myself quite scared and creeped out at times, which I wasn't expecting. My only issue is I didn't like Pennywise's front teeth, I found them really off putting and didn't look very good. And I think some of the CGI was a little over the top.
So all in, a surprisingly good adaptation. Actually can't wait to see the next chapter.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Bitter Edge (DI Kelly Porter #4) in Books
May 22, 2019
With thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.
DI Kelly Porter is back, but so is an old foe and this time he won’t back down...
When a teenage girl flings herself off a cliff in pursuit of a gruesome death, DI Kelly Porter is left asking why. Ruled a suicide, there’s no official reason for Kelly to chase answers, but as several of her team’s cases converge on the girl’s school, a new, darker story emerges. One which will bring Kelly face-to-face with an old foe determined to take back what is rightfully his – no matter the cost.
This is another DI Kelly Porter and is no less exciting than the others. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the plot twist was very unexpected. The setting is in the beautiful Lake District and the author does a great job with the descriptions.
The characters are very well developed and the story flows so well and fast paced.
The story line has different threads which are never dropped and weave nicely together, is written with empathy towards teenagers and the pressures they are under in this social media/digital age. This is a very different direction from the previous 3 she has written.
I'm not going to give any of the plot away.
I loved the book and highly recommend.
DI Kelly Porter is back, but so is an old foe and this time he won’t back down...
When a teenage girl flings herself off a cliff in pursuit of a gruesome death, DI Kelly Porter is left asking why. Ruled a suicide, there’s no official reason for Kelly to chase answers, but as several of her team’s cases converge on the girl’s school, a new, darker story emerges. One which will bring Kelly face-to-face with an old foe determined to take back what is rightfully his – no matter the cost.
This is another DI Kelly Porter and is no less exciting than the others. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the plot twist was very unexpected. The setting is in the beautiful Lake District and the author does a great job with the descriptions.
The characters are very well developed and the story flows so well and fast paced.
The story line has different threads which are never dropped and weave nicely together, is written with empathy towards teenagers and the pressures they are under in this social media/digital age. This is a very different direction from the previous 3 she has written.
I'm not going to give any of the plot away.
I loved the book and highly recommend.
All Among the Barley
Book
From the author of Costa-shortlisted and Baileys-longlisted At Hawthorn Time comes a major new...
Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod
9.0
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Podcast
Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod originates from the 'Heart Of Historic Germantown," Philadelphia, Pa. ...
Billy Gibbons recommended Carter Girl by Carlene Carter in Music (curated)
ClareR (5874 KP) rated Someone Like Me in Books
Jul 14, 2019
A great paranormal thriller!
I always know I’m going to get a book from M R Carey that stretches my imagination, keeps me guessing and makes me late for work (actually, that last one isn’t so good, to be honest). I don’t want to say too much about what actually happens in this book at the risk of giving the whole plot away, but here goes!
Liz is a single mother with two children, and the book starts with their father returning the children late from spending the weekend with him. When Liz points out that they have school in the morning, he snaps. He starts to strangle her, and just as she thinks he’s going to kill her, she senses an outside influence taking her over. This ‘influence’ saves her life.
Fran is a teenager coping with the PTSD and hallucinations caused by her kidnapping as a six year old. Their paths cross thanks to Zac, Liz’s seventeen year old son.
This is a story that requires the reader to leave their rational, logical mindset at the door - and I’m all for that! I loved everything about this book. I don’t know how M.R. Carey comes up with the ideas for his novels, but I’m just incredibly glad that he does!
Many thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book.
Liz is a single mother with two children, and the book starts with their father returning the children late from spending the weekend with him. When Liz points out that they have school in the morning, he snaps. He starts to strangle her, and just as she thinks he’s going to kill her, she senses an outside influence taking her over. This ‘influence’ saves her life.
Fran is a teenager coping with the PTSD and hallucinations caused by her kidnapping as a six year old. Their paths cross thanks to Zac, Liz’s seventeen year old son.
This is a story that requires the reader to leave their rational, logical mindset at the door - and I’m all for that! I loved everything about this book. I don’t know how M.R. Carey comes up with the ideas for his novels, but I’m just incredibly glad that he does!
Many thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book.
All Things New
Book
From the author of PARALLEL and FREE TO FALL comes a novel about brokenness and beauty and the...
Young Adult mental health
Merissa (12854 KP) rated Flight of the Wren in Books
May 20, 2023
This is one of those books that you pick up and, even though you have read the synopsis, you're still not sure exactly what it is you've let yourself in for.
What I got is a book that I completely immersed myself in. I was lost within Renny's world of school, flying carpets, and first love. I loved the dream meetings she had with Parnell, as well as the Kettle meetings. These characters have a wide range of ages, and as such, it is a well-rounded group that you read about. The struggles that Renny faces are real, but she still manages to find time for love. And let's face it, what 17-year-old girl wouldn't do the same?
However, Flight of the Wren is not all sweetness and light. There is a 'big bad' in the shape of Mistral, an old apprentice of Parnell's. With kidnap, violence, friendship, loyalty, and more, this is one eventful book that will tug at your heartstrings, whilst giving you a thrilling ride. I absolutely loved this book, and can't wait to read Spark. Highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 23, 2016
What I got is a book that I completely immersed myself in. I was lost within Renny's world of school, flying carpets, and first love. I loved the dream meetings she had with Parnell, as well as the Kettle meetings. These characters have a wide range of ages, and as such, it is a well-rounded group that you read about. The struggles that Renny faces are real, but she still manages to find time for love. And let's face it, what 17-year-old girl wouldn't do the same?
However, Flight of the Wren is not all sweetness and light. There is a 'big bad' in the shape of Mistral, an old apprentice of Parnell's. With kidnap, violence, friendship, loyalty, and more, this is one eventful book that will tug at your heartstrings, whilst giving you a thrilling ride. I absolutely loved this book, and can't wait to read Spark. Highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 23, 2016