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Joe Swanberg recommended The Heartbreak Kid (2007) in Movies (curated)

The Heartbreak Kid (2007)

2007 | Comedy, Drama, Romance

4.4

(5 Ratings)

Movie Favorite

"I think it’s one of the funniest movies ever made. I think Charles Grodin is hugely underrated as a comedic actor. I think he’s brilliant. Jeannie Berlin who recently got a lot of attention again because of Kenneth Lonergan’s movie Margaret is amazing in this movie — she was actually nominated for an Oscar for it. Cybill Shepherd is great. I just love it, I love how what a s— the central character is, he’s really totally selfish and also really confused, in a great way. I also love that a lot of the comedy typically in movies like this, with sort of high concept plots, the comedy and the drama are driven by the central character lying to the people around them. But weirdly in The Heartbreak Kid, most of the drama comes from him telling the truth, he’s sort of excessively honest and straight forward, and it still manages to complicate these situations and cause a lot of tension and hurt feelings, but I just love Elaine May, I like all of her movies."

Source

Kudos

Hazel (2934 KP) rated Dead Man's Grave (DS Max Craigie #1) in Books

Jul 16, 2021

One of the best books I have read this year and one of the best in this genre I have read for a very long time!

I have never read anything by Neil Lancaster before but the blurb sounded right up my street so gave it a punt and I'm so glad I did because what a brilliant start to a series.

Max is a very interesting character with a strong back story which most definitely adds to the story as a whole. There are some dark moments interspersed with lighter times and I particularly like the relationship Max has with his boss, Ross, and colleague, Janie, which felt authentic.

What can I say ... brilliant characters, gripping story line, excellent pace, full of tension and action featuring historical feuds, revenge, dirty coppers, gangsters and all set in beautiful Scotland ... just a fantastic book all round really and I can't wait for the next instalment.

Thank you HQ Digital and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

Kudos

Hazel (2934 KP) rated Savage (Ravaged World Trilogy #3) in Books

Oct 6, 2019 (Updated Oct 6, 2019)

This is the third book in the trilogy with Sea Sick and Ravage being the first two; although a trilogy, you don't need to read them all as they work equally well as standalone stories.

Savage is more than your typical zombie apocalypse story, it doesn't focus on the zombies and the usual eating-fest that accompanies such stories, it is more about the survivors and their quest to remain human both literally and figuratively.

I have to say that I enjoyed this trilogy and found Savage neatly finishes the series with satisfaction although not without some losses on the way! There aren't many books that make my eyes leak and I certainly didn't expect a horror/zombie book to do this but Savage did! I think it's because the author creates characters so well you get attached to them and when one of them is killed, it affects you ... well it did me anyway when one particular character met their end.

Well written, excellent characters, perfect setting, great pace and plenty of tension makes this a great read.

Kudos

Sarah (7800 KP) rated Jaws (1975) in Movies

Aug 9, 2020

Jaws (1975)

1975 | Thriller

8.4

(99 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

A deserving classic

Jaws is a film I've seen many years ago but haven't in quite a while, and it really is the classic it's made out to be.

Watching it now it is does admittedly look a little dated. But I think this is part of the film's charm. The shark is hilarious and yet still pretty scary at the same time, and for an animatronic it is very good for the time it was made. It does remind me a lot of the Jaws ride at Universal Studios as the animatronics are virtually identical. The score is rightly infamous and really builds the tension and suspense in those underwater scenes. There is some dodgy acting (although Dreyfuss and Scheider are brilliant) and it does feel like it's drawn out a little at times. However despite this there's a reason why no other shark film released to date has managed to live up to the renown and success of Jaws. This is without a doubt a classic - i just wish they hadn't gotten rid of the ride at Universal!

Kudos

Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Devil You Know in Books

May 23, 2020

The Devil You Know

Emma Kavanagh | 2020 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller

6.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

I have read a couple of books by Emma Kavanagh - Hidden and The Missing Hours - that I have enjoyed but, unfortunately, not this one quite as much.

Having said that, I found the plot was different and interesting, the twists and turns were great and kept me guessing, wrongly most of the time, and the sense of tension was good. The characters were ok but no one really stood out for me and I felt they were a little unforgettable and I found the descriptive writing style became a tad tedious and I admit to skim-reading some parts. This is what let it down for me in the end - I got a little bored but persevered and so pleased I did because the ending was great.

I may not have enjoyed this book quite as much as I would have liked but it certainly will not put me off reading Emma's books in the future.

Thank you Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.