Magnificence
Book
I loathe us, I loathe our stupid puerile view of the world ...That we have only to do it, that we...

Shakespeare and the Visual Arts: The Italian Influence
Book
Critical investigation into the rubric of 'Shakespeare and the visual arts' has generally focused on...
The Plays and Poems of Nicholas Rowe: Lucan's Pharsalia: Volume V, Books IV-X
Stephen Bernard and Robin Sowerby
Book
Nicholas Rowe was the first Poet Laureate of the Georgian era. A fascinating and important yet...
The Plays and Poems of Nicholas Rowe: Poems and Lucan's Pharsalia: Volume IV: (Books I-III)
Book
Nicholas Rowe was the first Poet Laureate of the Georgian era. A fascinating and important yet...
The Plays and Poems of Nicholas Rowe: The Early Plays: Volume I: The Early Plays
Stephen Bernard, Rebecca Bullard and John McTague
Book
Nicholas Rowe was the first Poet Laureate of the Georgian era. A fascinating and important yet...

Darren (1599 KP) rated Marriage Story (2019) in Movies
Dec 6, 2019
Story: Marriage Story starts as we meet theatre director Charlie (Driver) and his wife actress Nicole (Johansson) they are about to go through a separation, with Nicole starting a new life in LA where she is trying to return to the television or film, moving away from the New York theatre lifestyle.
With the lives going on completely different directions, Nicole is pushed into getting a lawyer in Nora Fanshaw (Dern) which sees the two looking at a divorce, something neither thought would come their way, where they end up seeing the darker side of a break up even if they want to remain friends for their son.
Thoughts on Marriage Story
Characters – Nicole is an actress, mother and wife, she is given a chance to leave the theatre and return to television, while the couple are going through a separation and her moving to LA. She has given up a lot of her dreams for her marriage in the past, which is one of the reasons why she wants to get a divorce. Charlie is the theatre director, father and husband in New York, he wants to stay in New York running his theatre company. He is more stubborn that he wants to admit. Nora Fanshaw and Jay are both the lawyers hired to represent the divorcing couple, they show their ruthless sides whenever the two are trying to get the upper hand.
Performances – Adam Driver gives us one of the best performances of the year, where he shows one that suddenly sees his whole life come crashing around him, showing the signs of his anger of everything happening. Scarlett Johansson is fantastic too where we see how she is escaping from a trapped life showing her character start a new life. Laura Dern and Ray Liotta are both great in the supporting roles usually getting the bigger and louder scenes.
Story – The story here follows a couple that are going through a separation that turns into a messy divorce as they expose the problems, they both had through the years. The best way to describe this story is brilliant, when we break it down, it shows how relationships can break down and how two people want to end things calmly and for the right reasons, remaining friends for their son. It shows us how things can get out of hand when lawyers get involved and how everybody seems to know best apart from the two who are going through the breakup. We see how lives can change, people can move on and how holding on can be heart breaking. It is watching how both Nicole and Charlie are reacting to how everything is spirally out of hand which is easy for the highlight of the storytelling.
Comedy/Romance – The comedy in the film is brilliant, it does get a perfectly laugh when needed, while staying straight when it doesn’t, the romance does show us how love can go from the heights to the end.
Settings – The film uses the two main settings of cities, New York and LA, the locations are used to show how the lives will need to be changed, not just for Nicole and Charlie, but their son too.
Scene of the Movie – Let’s try and talk this through without a lawyer.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The timeline isn’t the best.
Final Thoughts – This is easily one of the best films of the year, it shows us how love can end and how a divorce can spirally out of control, the two lead performances are easily within the best of the year too.
Overall: Awards Guaranteed.

Sarah (7800 KP) rated Little Shop of Horrors (1986) in Movies
Jan 10, 2018
The songs are ridiculously catchy, even the slower ballads. And the animatronics are really good, but would you expect any less from Frank Oz? One of my all time favourite musicals and a must see at the theatre too.

Frommer's Easyguide to Charleston, Savannah and St. Augustine
Book
These three charming Southern "capitals" (including the oldest in America) are massively popular...

Whitehead: Plays: The Foursome, Alpha-beta, The Sea Anchor, The Punishment
Book
E. A. Whitehead's first play, The Foursome, had its premiere at the Royal Court Theatre in 1971, and...

Wig Out
Book
In this gossamer-laced reality there is never a moment to be without your face, to not be together....