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One August Night
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'Excellent as ever. Victoria Hislop at her best.' Reader review 'Within a few pages I was back in...
Darren (1599 KP) rated Allied (2016) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: Allied starts as Canadian Intelligence Officer Max Vatan (Pitt) lands in Morocco to work with French Resistance Fighter Marianna Beausejour (Cotillard) as they pretend to be married as they complete their mission. The two fall in love for real and return to London to get married against the his superior Frank Heslop (Harris) opinion.
After a year of marriage Heslop comes to Max believing Marianna is indeed a spy, this leaves Max questioning, which side of the story to believe and what is the truth.
Thoughts on Allied
Characters – Max Vatan is Canadian intelligence working in Africa, highly skilled he can blend into his environment, but he does fall in love with his undercover wife. When he gets informed she could well be a spy, his life is turned upside down with doubts about what is the truth. Marianna is the French resistance fighter working with the Canadian Max as his fake wife, but she also falls in love with Max and returns to start a family with him. We don’t learn too much apart from that she is a loving wife and mother though.
Performances – Brad Pitt is good for the opening mission, you believe his every decision, but when he becomes the family man, he just doesn’t reach the levels you know he can. Marion Cotillard is good without being her breath-taking best in this role.
Story – The story here follows love and spies during World War II, we see how two people from different sides of the war fall in love and they must decide which side of the war they are supporting. This film doesn’t become as intense as it could be because seeing it from both sides could have heighted the experience and by the end it just doesn’t feel like it reaches the levels it should.
Action/Romance/War – The action during the film is tame with very little being used or looking overly real. The romance doesn’t feel whirlwind like you think it should be either, but the war side comes off strong as we see how the tension between the sides cause most of the issues in the lives.
Settings – The settings look authentic for the time, which does work well for the film.
Scene of the Movie – The truth.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Just fizzles out in the second half of the film.
Final Thoughts – This is a war romance film that just never reaches the levels it should do, it just seems to go on and becomes one of the average films that you forget by the end.
Overall: Average and disappointing.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/02/01/abc-film-challenge-oscar-nomination-a-allied-2016/
After a year of marriage Heslop comes to Max believing Marianna is indeed a spy, this leaves Max questioning, which side of the story to believe and what is the truth.
Thoughts on Allied
Characters – Max Vatan is Canadian intelligence working in Africa, highly skilled he can blend into his environment, but he does fall in love with his undercover wife. When he gets informed she could well be a spy, his life is turned upside down with doubts about what is the truth. Marianna is the French resistance fighter working with the Canadian Max as his fake wife, but she also falls in love with Max and returns to start a family with him. We don’t learn too much apart from that she is a loving wife and mother though.
Performances – Brad Pitt is good for the opening mission, you believe his every decision, but when he becomes the family man, he just doesn’t reach the levels you know he can. Marion Cotillard is good without being her breath-taking best in this role.
Story – The story here follows love and spies during World War II, we see how two people from different sides of the war fall in love and they must decide which side of the war they are supporting. This film doesn’t become as intense as it could be because seeing it from both sides could have heighted the experience and by the end it just doesn’t feel like it reaches the levels it should.
Action/Romance/War – The action during the film is tame with very little being used or looking overly real. The romance doesn’t feel whirlwind like you think it should be either, but the war side comes off strong as we see how the tension between the sides cause most of the issues in the lives.
Settings – The settings look authentic for the time, which does work well for the film.
Scene of the Movie – The truth.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Just fizzles out in the second half of the film.
Final Thoughts – This is a war romance film that just never reaches the levels it should do, it just seems to go on and becomes one of the average films that you forget by the end.
Overall: Average and disappointing.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/02/01/abc-film-challenge-oscar-nomination-a-allied-2016/
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019 (Updated Jun 10, 2019)
The Marvel touch
The first thing I’m going to tell you about Spider-Man: Homecoming is that it has been gloriously undersold in its uninspiring trailers and promotional posters. In fact, most of the marketing materials shown made it look like this would be Iron Man 4 ft. Peter Parker. Thankfully that’s not the case.
The second thing I’ll tell you is that Tom Holland’s turn as Peter Parker is very good indeed. But is he better than Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield? Well, for that you’ll have to read on.
Still buzzing from his experiences with the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War, young Peter Parker (Tom Holland) returns home to live with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). Under the watchful eye of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), Peter starts to embrace Spider-Man. He also tries to return to his normal life — distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just a bargain basement superhero. However, when danger emerges in the shape of the Vulture (Michael Keaton), Peter must soon put his powers to the test.
Jon Watts directs not only the best Spider-Man film to date, but probably the best film to come out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Guardians of the Galaxy. That is by no means and easy thing to achieve, but by golly he’s done it.
The best Marvel films don’t shout about their superhero roots. By that I mean Captain America: the Winter Soldier was first and foremost a heist movie and Guardians of the Galaxy was an epic space opera. Here, Watts and his two writers turn Spider-Man: Homecoming into a cheesy, fun high-school romance and it succeeds at that beautifully.
But is it a good superhero flick? In a word, yes. The action is shot exceptionally well with very little nonsensical shaky cam, the pacing is spot on; in fact it may be one of the best films I have ever seen for pacing and the characters are all utterly believable.
Tom Holland is, without a doubt the best iteration of Peter Parker ever put to the big screen. He is the school geek that the character always should have been. Gone are Tobey Maguire’s ridiculous facial expressions and Andrew Garfield’s unrealistic ‘high school nerd’ persona.
Elsewhere, Michael Keaton avoids the Marvel villain trap and becomes the universe’s best antagonist since Loki. It would be easy for Vulture to come across ridiculous rather than menacing and Keaton gets the latter absolutely spot on. In particular, a pivotal turning point in the film’s third act is exquisitely written and truly intimidating.
It’s not all good news unfortunately. Like a broken record, I have to mention the obligatory CGI-heavy finale. Thankfully though, the story is nicely twisted to give the scenes emotional gravitas. I’m also not sold on Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, but this may come with time. And if I’m really nit-picking, there’s a little too much obvious product placement for Audi.
So, I’ve managed to get through a full review with only a small paragraph of negative points, that doesn’t happen very often. Something else that doesn’t happen very often is for me to award a film a full five stars. On this occasion however, the Marvel touch has well and truly created a corker.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/07/06/spider-man-homecoming-review/
The second thing I’ll tell you is that Tom Holland’s turn as Peter Parker is very good indeed. But is he better than Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield? Well, for that you’ll have to read on.
Still buzzing from his experiences with the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War, young Peter Parker (Tom Holland) returns home to live with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). Under the watchful eye of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), Peter starts to embrace Spider-Man. He also tries to return to his normal life — distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just a bargain basement superhero. However, when danger emerges in the shape of the Vulture (Michael Keaton), Peter must soon put his powers to the test.
Jon Watts directs not only the best Spider-Man film to date, but probably the best film to come out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Guardians of the Galaxy. That is by no means and easy thing to achieve, but by golly he’s done it.
The best Marvel films don’t shout about their superhero roots. By that I mean Captain America: the Winter Soldier was first and foremost a heist movie and Guardians of the Galaxy was an epic space opera. Here, Watts and his two writers turn Spider-Man: Homecoming into a cheesy, fun high-school romance and it succeeds at that beautifully.
But is it a good superhero flick? In a word, yes. The action is shot exceptionally well with very little nonsensical shaky cam, the pacing is spot on; in fact it may be one of the best films I have ever seen for pacing and the characters are all utterly believable.
Tom Holland is, without a doubt the best iteration of Peter Parker ever put to the big screen. He is the school geek that the character always should have been. Gone are Tobey Maguire’s ridiculous facial expressions and Andrew Garfield’s unrealistic ‘high school nerd’ persona.
Elsewhere, Michael Keaton avoids the Marvel villain trap and becomes the universe’s best antagonist since Loki. It would be easy for Vulture to come across ridiculous rather than menacing and Keaton gets the latter absolutely spot on. In particular, a pivotal turning point in the film’s third act is exquisitely written and truly intimidating.
It’s not all good news unfortunately. Like a broken record, I have to mention the obligatory CGI-heavy finale. Thankfully though, the story is nicely twisted to give the scenes emotional gravitas. I’m also not sold on Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, but this may come with time. And if I’m really nit-picking, there’s a little too much obvious product placement for Audi.
So, I’ve managed to get through a full review with only a small paragraph of negative points, that doesn’t happen very often. Something else that doesn’t happen very often is for me to award a film a full five stars. On this occasion however, the Marvel touch has well and truly created a corker.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/07/06/spider-man-homecoming-review/
A thoughtful, beautifully written novel about the world beneath our feet.
This is my first Robert Macfarlane book, and I am so glad that I took a chance on a book with a pretty cover (yes, this is one of my better known book choosing techniques!). The cover reflects what is inside, in my opinion. Is beautifully, descriptively written: you are there with him, underground in the caves and burial chambers in Somerset, in the tunnels beneath Paris, or inside a moulin in Greenland. There were times when I felt the claustrophobia of the tight spaces, the cold of the frozen North, or the pathways of fungus beneath my feet in a forest.
One of the questions he asks is “Are we being good ancestors?” I think that question is answered with a resounding “No”, especially in the final section of the Northern countries that he visits. This is really sobering. Climate change is, and will be, a real danger to our way of life, and is already affecting those who live in the northernmost countries on this planet. We could learn something from the support network of the trees in Epping Forest (and, incidentally, all forests). Without the support of one another, we will perish. However, he still takes the time to see the beauty in the places that he visits.
I think this is a book that could do with more than one reading (not something that I often do), and I will be buying myself a copy once I have returned mine to the library. I’ve already bought one for a friends birthday present - that’s how much I enjoyed it. I really do highly recommend this, you won’t regret reading it.
One of the questions he asks is “Are we being good ancestors?” I think that question is answered with a resounding “No”, especially in the final section of the Northern countries that he visits. This is really sobering. Climate change is, and will be, a real danger to our way of life, and is already affecting those who live in the northernmost countries on this planet. We could learn something from the support network of the trees in Epping Forest (and, incidentally, all forests). Without the support of one another, we will perish. However, he still takes the time to see the beauty in the places that he visits.
I think this is a book that could do with more than one reading (not something that I often do), and I will be buying myself a copy once I have returned mine to the library. I’ve already bought one for a friends birthday present - that’s how much I enjoyed it. I really do highly recommend this, you won’t regret reading it.
Deborah (162 KP) rated The Wife Trap (The Trap Trilogy, #2) in Books
Dec 21, 2018
Oh dear. Not the greatest example of the genre I have ever read it has to be said. The Wife Trap is the middle book of a trilogy by this author; the first books seems to have dealt with the courtship of the twin sister of the 'heroine' of this novel, seemingly involving deception and machinations. You could read this book without having read the first one, but of course you don't know exactly what has gone on beforehand and why exactly Jeanette has been banished to stay with cousins in Ireland.
The hero of this book was called Darragh O'Brien. My problem with that was that I got an image of Darra O'Brien (chap who presents Mock The Week etc.) in my head, and I'm guessing that wasn't quite what the author had in mind! Obviously the character wasn't strongly enough written to dislodge said, disconcerting, image!
That though is a minor quibble when compared to my big issue with this book; the so-called heroine. Jeanette is shallow, vain, silly, selfish, self-centred, childish and utterly unlikeable! I can't for the life of me understand what the hero sees in her, except that she is apparently beautiful and quite good at painting... She seems to think she 'deserves' anything she happens to fancy and is willing to stamp her foot and pout until she gets her way. She thinks it quite reasonable to disrupt everyone else so she can have a lie-in (after refusing to abandon her 'town hours' and go to bed earlier!) If it were me, I would have left her stuck in the carriage in the mud in the first chapter and rescued the servants from her!
The hero of this book was called Darragh O'Brien. My problem with that was that I got an image of Darra O'Brien (chap who presents Mock The Week etc.) in my head, and I'm guessing that wasn't quite what the author had in mind! Obviously the character wasn't strongly enough written to dislodge said, disconcerting, image!
That though is a minor quibble when compared to my big issue with this book; the so-called heroine. Jeanette is shallow, vain, silly, selfish, self-centred, childish and utterly unlikeable! I can't for the life of me understand what the hero sees in her, except that she is apparently beautiful and quite good at painting... She seems to think she 'deserves' anything she happens to fancy and is willing to stamp her foot and pout until she gets her way. She thinks it quite reasonable to disrupt everyone else so she can have a lie-in (after refusing to abandon her 'town hours' and go to bed earlier!) If it were me, I would have left her stuck in the carriage in the mud in the first chapter and rescued the servants from her!
Dear Reader
Paul Fournel, David Bellos and Jean Jullien
Book
Old-school publisher meets e-reader: chaos ensues There's a lot of good to be said about publishing,...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Magic Born (The Guardian #2) in Books
May 5, 2021
57 of 250
Kindle
Magic Born ( The Guardians book 2)
By Rayanne Haines
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Maria Del Voscova is a powerful witch with a past. When she’s asked to become a member of the elite Guardians she knows she can’t risk sharing the truth about her messed-up family. But we don’t always get what we want. Sometimes, we don’t always know what we want.
Though Mar absolutely knows she doesn’t want Neeren, King of the Parthen. She alone sees the darkness in him and it reminds her too much of the past. She knows better than to fall for his stoic, tortured soul façade.
She’s training to be a Guardian, a shadow; tasked with keeping the balance between good and evil in the world. It’s what she wants—to be better than her family was.
But the past has a way of catching up to Mar and the future has a morbid sense of humor. On her first mission, she’s kidnapped by the enemy she’s been running from her entire life. Thankfully the guardians look after their own. As it turns out, so does Neeren.
As Mar finds herself caught between the past and the future; between blood and bond; between the light and the dark, she realizes her only chance at surviving may be in trusting a man who is the most dangerous of them all.
This was so much better than the first book! I love Nareen and Maria’s story. Poor Maria I think everything the author could possibly think of was thrown at this witch and she still fought through Everything. Although I did like the 1st book this one just had more fight to it. I’m looking forward to reading about Quinn and her part to play in all this.
Kindle
Magic Born ( The Guardians book 2)
By Rayanne Haines
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Maria Del Voscova is a powerful witch with a past. When she’s asked to become a member of the elite Guardians she knows she can’t risk sharing the truth about her messed-up family. But we don’t always get what we want. Sometimes, we don’t always know what we want.
Though Mar absolutely knows she doesn’t want Neeren, King of the Parthen. She alone sees the darkness in him and it reminds her too much of the past. She knows better than to fall for his stoic, tortured soul façade.
She’s training to be a Guardian, a shadow; tasked with keeping the balance between good and evil in the world. It’s what she wants—to be better than her family was.
But the past has a way of catching up to Mar and the future has a morbid sense of humor. On her first mission, she’s kidnapped by the enemy she’s been running from her entire life. Thankfully the guardians look after their own. As it turns out, so does Neeren.
As Mar finds herself caught between the past and the future; between blood and bond; between the light and the dark, she realizes her only chance at surviving may be in trusting a man who is the most dangerous of them all.
This was so much better than the first book! I love Nareen and Maria’s story. Poor Maria I think everything the author could possibly think of was thrown at this witch and she still fought through Everything. Although I did like the 1st book this one just had more fight to it. I’m looking forward to reading about Quinn and her part to play in all this.
The Civil Wars of Julia Ward Howe: A Biography
Book
This “lively biography” (The New Yorker) is the first to tell the story of Julia Ward Howe as a...
Memoir Gender studies History
Adam Green recommended There's a Riot Goin' On by Sly & The Family Stone in Music (curated)
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Braving Fate ( The Mythean Arcana book 1) in Books
Apr 24, 2022
70 of 230
Braving Fate ( The Mythean Arcana book 1)
By Linsey Hall
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
As chaos looms, a warrior queen is reborn
Scholar Diana Laughton can't shake her terrible nightmares. Dreams of battle, dreams of blood... dreams so vivid she's living them day and night. When demons invade her quiet life and she flees to Scotland, she fears she might be going mad. Or perhaps she's remembering a past life she never knew existed...
In the midst of betrayal, he must protect her
Mythean Guardian Cadan Trinovante is haunted by a tortured history he shared with Boudica, Britain's warrior queen. Now that she's been reincarnated and given a deadly task, he vows to protect her. He won't let her uncover the truth about their past. It would make her hate him--a fate he refuses to accept.
To succumb to seduction could prove fatal
Thrown together in a shadowy world that exists alongside our own, Diana must learn to fight the demonic forces that want her dead. When Diana attempts to seduce Cadan for information about her past, he aches to claim her. His greatest battle will be resisting a passion that has lasted centuries... and is prophesied to destroy them both.
I really liked it. I love anything mythological or history based and I’m going to be honest I didn’t have a clue who Boudica was so I I also went off and learnt who she was. The story was really good and the characters were interesting it’s definitely a series and author I’ll be following. It was a little brushed or a bit jumpy in places but overall a decent start.
Braving Fate ( The Mythean Arcana book 1)
By Linsey Hall
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
As chaos looms, a warrior queen is reborn
Scholar Diana Laughton can't shake her terrible nightmares. Dreams of battle, dreams of blood... dreams so vivid she's living them day and night. When demons invade her quiet life and she flees to Scotland, she fears she might be going mad. Or perhaps she's remembering a past life she never knew existed...
In the midst of betrayal, he must protect her
Mythean Guardian Cadan Trinovante is haunted by a tortured history he shared with Boudica, Britain's warrior queen. Now that she's been reincarnated and given a deadly task, he vows to protect her. He won't let her uncover the truth about their past. It would make her hate him--a fate he refuses to accept.
To succumb to seduction could prove fatal
Thrown together in a shadowy world that exists alongside our own, Diana must learn to fight the demonic forces that want her dead. When Diana attempts to seduce Cadan for information about her past, he aches to claim her. His greatest battle will be resisting a passion that has lasted centuries... and is prophesied to destroy them both.
I really liked it. I love anything mythological or history based and I’m going to be honest I didn’t have a clue who Boudica was so I I also went off and learnt who she was. The story was really good and the characters were interesting it’s definitely a series and author I’ll be following. It was a little brushed or a bit jumpy in places but overall a decent start.