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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Welcome to Marwen (2018) in Movies

Jul 2, 2019

Welcome to Marwen (2018)

2018 | Biography, Drama

7.1

(14 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Cap’t Hogie (Steve Carell) is saved from of Nazi’s, after his plane crashed in a swamp in Belgium, by a squad women. They are able to take the beaten and battered Hogie back to their town of Marwen. Or at least that the story Mark Hogancamp (also Steve Carell) has conjured in his art installation outside his trailer home. Mark himself was found by a bartender, Wendy (Stefanie von Pfetten), after he was beaten with an inch of his life by a group of white supremacist. Hogancamp was a successful sketch artist and now can hardly write his own name. He also has little to no memory of the life before the beating. But he is still and artist and now his art lives in the dolls he uses to create a fantasy story that mirrors his real life.

The group of women dolls that seem to always save his Hogie character are all based on the women his life. There is G.I. Julie, aka Julie (Janelle Monae), his rehab partner after his accident and Roberta (Merritt Wever), the friendly neighborhood hobby story clerk. Plus there is Anna (Gwendoline Christie) nurse who brings Hogie his mail and supplies in real life and Carlala (Eiza Gonzalez) his coworker in real life. These make up the majority of his bad ass Nazi killing crew in Marwen. The newest addition is his neighbor Nicole (Leslie Mann) who he think might help him defeat the Nazi’s in Marwen for good and be a special new friend in real life. He will need both his Marwen crew and his real life friends as the sentencing for his real life attackers gets closer and his fragile mental health is pushed to a stressful breaking point.

This unique story is based on the real life of world famous photographic artist Mark Hogancamp. Mark was brutally beaten because he made a smart comment about liking to wear women’s shoes. It’s also a story of overcoming addiction and mental health issues. He turned the disaster into a passion for creating art and using fantasy to cope with tragedy.

This was a really interesting way of telling a one of a kind true story. I thought that director, Robert Zemeckis (Forest Gump, Flight) used both real life and the fantasy world of Marwen to create one story. There were times when the story really didn’t flow great between the two worlds but overall was really original filmmaking. The pace and flow were a little off with the transitions. I thought the animation was exceptionally done. The story also had a bunch of topics it tackled, from mental health and memory loss to addiction but also had a good mix of humor. Carell dual performances were really well done and the supporting cast was also good. Films that are original and try new and interesting things are always worth a view in my opinion. I could see the content not really being for everyone but I thought the overall story left me feeling good.

Kudos

Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated A Vampire's Christmas Carol in Books

Sep 5, 2019

*I received this book from the author*

For such a short story, it was really good. It threw in a couple of surprises along the way too, which is something the author is really good at doing.

It was great using the idea of Dickens' Christmas Carol to write a vampire's life. The past, when he was turned and caused the death of his girlfriend, to the present where he's about to do something that will change him forever, to the future where he's shocked by the bad things that might happen because of him.

Really liked it. Thank you, Cynthia, for the chance to read it :)

Kudos

Open Season

Linda Howard

8.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Be careful what you wish for.... On her thirty-fourth birthday, Daisy Minor decides to make over...

Amy (29 KP) rated How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) in Movies

Feb 3, 2019

Not just for kids!

I'm not interested in the first 2 films, but having kids I've been subjected to watch them. So when they realised the 3rd film was out, obviously we had to go and watch it instantly. But OMG how good?! From start to finish it had such an easy story line to follow. Its got so many life lessons in, such as losing a parent, people having limbs missing, forming friendships and relationships. It's got such a lovely ending. I cried. But then I love a good ending so?‍♀️ but honestly if you like I feel good cartoon it's worth the wTch

Kudos

A Note Of Madness

Tabitha Suzum

7.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Life as a student should be good for Flynn. He's one of the top pianists at the Royal College of...

Mental health depression manic depression musician young adult madness

The Fractured Life of Jimmy Dice

Ronan Ryan

8.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

If you enjoy Colin Barrett, Kevin Barry, Donal Ryan and Lisa McInerney, you will want to read THE...

Lindsay (1760 KP) rated LUCY and la petite nouvelle: The Newcomer (The Front Porch Diaries #1) in Books

Jul 8, 2020

Looking for a good book that teaches about history to your young child. Lucy and the la petite nouvelle (The Newcomer) is the first book that introduces a new friend. It also teaches your child or children about race or at least mentions it. Though it mostly about how friendships are formed, It show how a new person from a different culture feels when they move to a new country or area.

Like I said it does talk about race a bit. It set in the year 1960's so we are going to to see the reactions that will happen. What it mostly about seem to focus on friendships, growing up and siblings throughout the book.

There are some good life lessons to learn though out the book as well. Lucy seem to try and make friends with Simone and show her new friend around. We see how Lucy deals with some problems. Eddie seem to be good part of it as well and showing Simone's brother around.

I enjoy the story and life lessons learned though the book and how it told. Good for children in middle grade. We learn a bit of french and a little bit of history as well. We do read the story though the viewpoint of Lucy.