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Uncut Gems (2019)
Uncut Gems (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Crime, Drama
The fact that the Safdie's landed Christmas is still absolutely wild to me. There were so many people in our theater that looked like they just DIDN'T belong there.

First things first, I'd like to get my negatives out of the way really quickly. My issue with this film, and why I view it as lesser than Good Time is one simple reason, and that is heart. I felt every moment of Good Time pulsating through my bones and truly felt for the ride that Connie went through. I saw the pain and remorse and emotion in his eyes grow with every passing moment. In Uncut Gems, I don't get the same gravitas and power of the emotion that is provided in Good Time. I never truly saw any remorse in Howard, nor that he really cared about anything else but himself, so when the emotional beats come when we are supposed to feel bad for him, I have a rather hard time doing that. He's not necessarily an unlikable guy, he just doesn't have that anti-hero vibe that Connie supplied. That is the main facet that significantly detracted from my appreciation for this film.

That being said, everything else is stellar. The grittiness of the cinematography works so well with the world we are being immersed in, with even the long shots being very unsteady and dirty looking in the way that the characters are framed. As everyone else is saying, Sandler puts on a magnificent performance (although if he gets nominated and Robert Pattinson didn't for Good Time, I'll be pretty frustrated) that reminds the public of why he demands the level of respect her does. However, the standout here for me is Julia Fox, who makes this film funnier than it has any right to be. She really carries herself in a way that I felt like I had met her before, or at least someone exactly like her. Going off of that, the humor really really works, so much so that I could argue that this is a black comedy instead of the crime thriller it is listed as. Everything from the situational comedy to the witty lines of dialogue just hits you in the chest.

Overall, a wonderful film that I hope will push the Safdie's into the mainstream like Hereditary did to Aster.
  
    THE KING OF FIGHTERS '97

    THE KING OF FIGHTERS '97

    Games and Entertainment

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    Become the new challenger in the all-time classic THE KING OF FIGHTERS '97 on iPhone and iPad! ...

    Airport Scanner

    Airport Scanner

    Games and Travel

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    Try your skills as an Airport Baggage screener in Airport Scanner! Now featuring the ALL NEW R&D...

Conflicted (Secrets and Lies #1)
Conflicted (Secrets and Lies #1)
M.M. Koenig | 2013 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Conflicted is the absolutely perfect title for this book because it not only describes the story but also how the reader will feel after reading it! According to Kindle, it was 385 pages which is a good story length but somehow it felt so much longer. This is probably because of the amount that happens in this story. It is full of twists and turns, characters turn out to be different to what you originally thought and the plot, well, take it from me that the baseline is a simple one but it gets very convoluted with all the goings on.

Mia is the main female and I couldn't quite come to grips with her. I understand that her world imploded and she felt an amazing amount of pain which no one should have to go through. I didn't like her way of 'coping' but also understand that everyone reacts differently. She seems like someone who is ruled by her body, which is completely different to what we were being told about her, which is one of the reasons I literally snorted out loud when Ethan says that he never thought of her as a 'party girl'. I'm sorry but in my book, someone who throws college parties most, if not every, weekend with loads of beer, drinks shots and wakes up with hangovers frequently, makes her quite the party girl!

Ethan is a whole new story. We don't learn much about him but he finds out quite a lot about Mia. Still waters definitely run deep with this one and I can't wait to find out more. I just hope he doesn't turn into a 'Hans' man.

Micah, Jackson, Shane, Bri - these are all secondary characters that still play a huge role in the book but I feel the surface has only been scratched with all of them. I am hoping it becomes clearer because there are still so many questions left unanswered.

This is the first book so there is a cliffhanger warning with this one!

On the whole, this was enjoyable and kept me reading. I am looking forward to reading book 2, Complicated.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 23, 2015