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Darren (1599 KP) rated 100 Streets (2017) in Movies

Jun 20, 2019

100 Streets (2017)

2017 | Drama

7.0

(2 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Story: 100 Streets starts as we meet our characters, troublemaking drug dealing thief Kingsley (Dramah), former rugby player Max (Elba) who is going through a marriage problem after his own affair with his wife Emily (Arterton) who in an act of revenge is dating photographer Jake (Cullen). The final couple we meet are cabbie George (Creed-Miles) and Kathy (Wareing) who are trying to adopt a child, though his past is causing problems in this pursuit.

As the lives cross-paths the people must learn about the mistakes they make to prevent themselves from making any more mistakes.

Thoughts on 100 Streets

Characters – Max is a former England rugby captain, since retiring he started cheating on his wife and getting caught up with the drugs, seeing his future career going up in smoke, he needs to clean up his own actions in any hope of winning his wife back. Emily is the wife of Max who has been going through the struggles of her husbands action, thinking about getting back into acting and trying to move on with her life. Kingsley is the streetwise drug dealing thief that has been caught up against the law, even though he believes he could go onto something bigger, he receives the guidance required to escape this life. We have a cabbie that makes a terrible mistake and must learn to live with the consequences and a photographer that wants to be part of Emily’s life.

Performances – Idris Elba, Gemma Arterton are both great in their roles in the film, we know and expect it from them. Elsewhere we get the less known actors in Franz Drameh and Charlie Creed-Miles that shine in this film.

Story – The story follows the lives of three people, the problems they are facing and the changes that will define them. We get three different worlds, one is the celebrity world and marriage, where the vices can control someone, the middle-class who just want normal lives which can fall apart from past action and the lower-class that must fight for a chance or face the same circles of crime. The way the three lives cross without interaction shows how people can be going through their own struggles meters away from you. Each life will be changed by the events in the film, which is important to see and we can see how theses moments can do the moments that create a future.

Settings – The film is set in London with the idea that we are within 100 streets of each other, in a position where lives can cross paves.

Scene of the Movie – Leaving the gang.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not sure what will happen with Jake next.

Final Thoughts – This is a wonderfully engaging drama that shows the lives people are living without you knowing within metres of your own life. Strong performances throughout do help the film stand out too.

Overall: Drama well worth watching.

https://moviesreview101.com/2019/02/02/gemma-arterton-weekend-100-streets-2016/

Kudos

LucyB (47 KP) rated Three Daughters of Eve in Books

Jul 23, 2017

Three Daughters of Eve

Elif Shafak | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

8.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

The three main characters (and their differences) (0 more)

Bits didn't quite add up (0 more)

Powerful, thought-provoking story

I was really happy to receive Three Daughters of Eve on Netgalley, as I'd recently read an interview with the author and thought the book sounded fascinating.

It certainly lived up to expectations. The book is set both in the past and the present, focusing on Peri as a student in Oxford, and as a wealthy wife (14 years later) in Istanbul. It starts with something of a red herring, focusing on Peri's attack (and almost rape) by a beggar, then develops into an exploration of her past, as a Turkish Muslim at Oxford University.

She's flanked by Shirin, a non-believer, and Mona, a devout Muslim - making them 'the sinner, the believer and the confused'. They're united by a man called Professor Azur, who has a major influence in their lives, both positive and negative.

The book is an intriguing exploration into religion, belief and culture-clash - and in particular, the scenes detailing Peri's past, with a non-believing father and a devout mother, worked particularly well. A few moments jarred slightly - for example, the sudden revelation about the twin brother towards the end, and the abrupt shift in perspective from Peri to Professor Azur (again, towards the end), but for the most part, this book was masterfully executed and beautifully sustained throughout.

I think Shafak has a strong, resonant style, combined with a philosophical approach - which works really well. I'd definitely like to read more of her books