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ClareR (5726 KP) rated The Echo Chamber in Books

Jan 14, 2024  
The Echo Chamber
The Echo Chamber
John Boyne | 2021 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Humor & Comedy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
How on earth can John Boyne write a book about a thoroughly , rich, famous and unpleasant family, for it to be a hilarious satire on the state of modern life that I wanted to keep listening to. It helped enormously that Richard E. Grant was narrating. He was perfect. I mean, in real life he seems really lovely, but in this audiobook, his narration exactly reflects the Cleverley family’s selfishness and disregard for anyone other than themselves.

The whole family is obsessed with social media, permanently glued to their phones - all except for the youngest member of the family who gets his kicks elsewhere. Achilles starts off as the most likeable family member, but it soon becomes apparent that he’s as bad as the rest.

I laughed throughout this: it really is very funny. The insights into social media are spot on, and has actually made me think about how much time I spend on it (whatever it was, it’s a lot less now - with the added bonus that I read more!). I can see that some would find this controversial. There were times when I wanted to block out what these people had said or done. I was far too caught up in it though, and wanted to see what they could possibly do next!

Another outstanding book from John Boyne!
  
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Mekkin B. (122 KP) rated High-Rise (2016) in Movies

Sep 15, 2017  
High-Rise (2016)
High-Rise (2016)
2016 | Action, Drama, International
4
5.0 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
This movie wants to be a dystopian drama, but fails to really add any dystopia. It wants to be a satire, but it is largely unclear what it is satirizing, other than a generic "all people are really just animals" theme and some under-explored "the rich live at the top and the poor at the bottom" stuff that doesn't really seem to pan out. It has very little in the way of narrative structure, what the characters are doing and why is never explained. I had a difficult time getting behind the idea of this "state of the art" high rise being some gleaming and beautiful example when it was such a ugly, Brutalist concrete mess to begin with. I'm sure there's some sort of "but the High-Rise looks like a prison because it metaphorically is one!" explanation, but it's just not a good one.

This movie was a slog to get through. It's far too long and feels even longer. Very few of the thematic elements amount to much. It's like it wants to say something about *society*, but isn't very clear on what that is.

The acting is pretty great. The visuals are gripping enough in some sections to keep you hooked and hopeful that the movie will amount to something greater than the sum of its parts, but it simply doesn't.

Also Tom Hiddleston is naked for a couple minutes.
  
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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) Sep 15, 2017

I totally agree as I actually prefer the book! The film was a little muddled and it got lost in the cinematography.
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Rickey A. Mossow Jr. (689 KP) rated 3 From Hell (2019) in Movies

Dec 8, 2019  
3 From Hell (2019)
3 From Hell (2019)
2019 | Horror
3
5.3 (11 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
I just wasted nearly 2 hours of my life.
Already having issues with Rob Zombie films after he single-handedly tried to kill the Halloween franchise, I went into this one already predisposed to not have a good time watching. But, trying to partake due to my wife's love affair with this movie series, I was open-minded and objective. And then I wasted nearly two hours of my life I'll never get back.
Make no mistake, I get the series. I get the ideas behind Zombie's pet project series. A little comedy, a little horror, a little action flick, and a little bit satire. The violence, language, and nudity is gratuitous throughout, and I am one who can enjoy some violence, language, and nudity.
But this is all nonsensical BS passed off as a film. The film has more plot holes than bullet holes in random people. The characters are caricatures, hollow vessels that carry no weight or consequences. I didn't care who died by whose hand or what happened to anyone. There was blood, gore, boobs, language, and blunts. Time passed.
I don't know. Maybe that's the point. Maybe Zombie should do another film in this series. Or maybe some other pet project that tickles his fancy. Just as long as he leaves Michael Myers and every other quality iconic character alone. Please, Rob, for the love of all that is sacred in film.
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated Greed (2019) in Movies

Feb 24, 2020  
Greed (2019)
Greed (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Drama
8
7.0 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The latest Coogan-Winterbottom collaboration is the kind of satire that draws blood, so it's lucky they have a note from the lawyers making it clear that it's absolutely and positively not based on the life of Sir Philip Green. A crass and amoral entrepreneur prepares for a lavish and decadent birthday celebration, in part to restore his image following some very bad publicity. Friends, family, and various hangers-on assemble; all does not go quite to plan - meanwhile, the ugly tale of the man's rise unfolds in flashback.

A friend initially demurred from seeing Greed, suggesting that he didn't need to see a movie to know how screwed up capitalism is - but I dragged him along anyway and we both enjoyed it. Mainly this is because it has a strong cast and a good script, although Steve Coogan is doing one of his comic grotesques and David Mitchell is basically just playing his usual comic persona under a different name. The shift from comedy to darker and more serious material as the film goes on is well handled, although you could argue the film is pushing it by attempting to be anti-capitalist, pro-feminist and pro-refugee all at the same time. Manages to be crowd-pleasing entertainment while scoring some serious points about the nature of the world in which we live. It may not teach you anything new, but it will probably make you care more about things you already know.