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MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated Yesterday (2019) in Movies
Sep 23, 2019 (Updated Sep 23, 2019)
Better than I thought it would be.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Failing musician gets hit by a car during a mysterious worldwide 12-second blackout, and wakes up to a world in which The Beatles never existed (also never existed: Coca-Cola, cigarettes (?), and Harry Potter). Musician claims the songs as his own and becomes an overnight sensation.
(There are also the rom-com elements: failing musician is oblivious to the feelings of his friend-slash-manager until he's uber-famous and it's almost too late, friend-slash-manager starts seeing someone else, etc.)
Evidently, there are two other people in the world who also remember The Beatles, and though the movie attempts to make you think there may be something sinister happening there (*gasp* are they going to expose him??), there isn't. These two people aren't even mad that the musician is claiming he wrote the songs; they're just happy to hear the songs again.
There's a pretty great sequence in which our main character looks up John Lennon (played by Robert Carlyle) and goes to visit him, because hey, if The Beatles never existed, then it follows that John must still be alive, right? I didn't even think of that until he showed up on screen, but it seemed like a quietly brilliant piece of the movie.
So what caused the mysterious 12-second blackout and the disappearance of The Beatles (and Coca-Cola, cigarettes, Harry Potter)? I HAVE NO IDEA BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T TELL US. Anybody who knows me will tell you I always need to know the "why" of things, so this mostly happily-ever-after ending left me super frustrated.
(There are also the rom-com elements: failing musician is oblivious to the feelings of his friend-slash-manager until he's uber-famous and it's almost too late, friend-slash-manager starts seeing someone else, etc.)
Evidently, there are two other people in the world who also remember The Beatles, and though the movie attempts to make you think there may be something sinister happening there (*gasp* are they going to expose him??), there isn't. These two people aren't even mad that the musician is claiming he wrote the songs; they're just happy to hear the songs again.
There's a pretty great sequence in which our main character looks up John Lennon (played by Robert Carlyle) and goes to visit him, because hey, if The Beatles never existed, then it follows that John must still be alive, right? I didn't even think of that until he showed up on screen, but it seemed like a quietly brilliant piece of the movie.
So what caused the mysterious 12-second blackout and the disappearance of The Beatles (and Coca-Cola, cigarettes, Harry Potter)? I HAVE NO IDEA BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T TELL US. Anybody who knows me will tell you I always need to know the "why" of things, so this mostly happily-ever-after ending left me super frustrated.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Bright (2017) in Movies
Feb 8, 2018 (Updated Feb 8, 2018)
Orcz in da Hood
Fantasy-cop movie mash-up which probably sounded cool at the pitch meeting but doesn't really work as a full movie. Will Smith plays a careworn LA street cop saddled with an Orc (Joel Edgerton) as his partner, as this is a world where humans and fantasy creatures co-exist. The two of them end up contending with the anti-Orc racism of the LAPD and a cult of evil Elves seeking to use a magic wand to bring about the end of the world (Noomi Rapace and her cheekbones are well-cast as the baddie).
David Ayer seems much more comfortable handling the cop movie angle than the fantasy, but then at least this bit of the script actually makes a degree of sense. The movie no offers no clues as to how a world with Dark Lords and dragons and near-omnipotent magic wands ended up so closely resembling our own, with roughly the same history, countries, and cities (they even have Uber, for God's sake). And you have to wonder what kind of social commentary writer Max Landis is intent on when he implicitly draws parallels between Orcs (strong, dim, violent) and real-world ethnic groups.
Looking on the (wait for it) bright side, there is some snappy dialogue and good performances from Smith and (particularly) Edgerton, and most of the action is well-staged. One of those movies that works better if you just don't think about it, but let it wash over you; apparently a sequel is in the works and maybe they will address some of these issues there. David Ayer should definitely stick to writing his own scripts in future, though.
David Ayer seems much more comfortable handling the cop movie angle than the fantasy, but then at least this bit of the script actually makes a degree of sense. The movie no offers no clues as to how a world with Dark Lords and dragons and near-omnipotent magic wands ended up so closely resembling our own, with roughly the same history, countries, and cities (they even have Uber, for God's sake). And you have to wonder what kind of social commentary writer Max Landis is intent on when he implicitly draws parallels between Orcs (strong, dim, violent) and real-world ethnic groups.
Looking on the (wait for it) bright side, there is some snappy dialogue and good performances from Smith and (particularly) Edgerton, and most of the action is well-staged. One of those movies that works better if you just don't think about it, but let it wash over you; apparently a sequel is in the works and maybe they will address some of these issues there. David Ayer should definitely stick to writing his own scripts in future, though.
So a couple of months back I read Fallen and was decidedly unimpressed with the whole story in general. I still can’t explain why I decided to read to follow up book Torment. But I’m glad I did. Once again, it could have been better, I’m not saying it was as good as some of the books I have read lately, but it was much better than the first book.
This book sees Luce sent off to a posh school on the west coast (there happens to be special classes about angels and demons, which made me pull many faces when reading it). Daniel, the uber love interest of the first book, Luce’s ‘one true love’ send her here after the events at the end of fallen with the premise of keeping her safe. Rebellious teenage acts ensue, and as you can guess, Luce ends up not being very safe. I still have real issues with Daniel as the love interest. We know nothing about him, he hasn’t done a single thing to endear me to him, and I kind of route for Luce to screw him over a little bit and date someone who doesn’t control her every move without giving her even a glimpse of understanding as to why these things keep happening to her.
Other than that actually the general way the story is going was much more interesting to read, Luce had more backbone and the new characters that were introduced as her friends were well rounded and well written into the story. I can see where the story may head now, which is saying a lot as I didn’t get the first book at all. I can honestly say I will now read the rest, I just hope that the author carries on developing the story and possible try to include a few less cliché type scenarios.
This book sees Luce sent off to a posh school on the west coast (there happens to be special classes about angels and demons, which made me pull many faces when reading it). Daniel, the uber love interest of the first book, Luce’s ‘one true love’ send her here after the events at the end of fallen with the premise of keeping her safe. Rebellious teenage acts ensue, and as you can guess, Luce ends up not being very safe. I still have real issues with Daniel as the love interest. We know nothing about him, he hasn’t done a single thing to endear me to him, and I kind of route for Luce to screw him over a little bit and date someone who doesn’t control her every move without giving her even a glimpse of understanding as to why these things keep happening to her.
Other than that actually the general way the story is going was much more interesting to read, Luce had more backbone and the new characters that were introduced as her friends were well rounded and well written into the story. I can see where the story may head now, which is saying a lot as I didn’t get the first book at all. I can honestly say I will now read the rest, I just hope that the author carries on developing the story and possible try to include a few less cliché type scenarios.
JT (287 KP) rated Safe House (2012) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
Denzel Washington always gets the cool names, Tobin Frost is added to a long list, not that the actor cares too much? He just goes about his business. Here though, both he and Reynolds are suited adversaries in a film that never really has time to catch its breath.
Reynolds plays Matt Weston, an enthusiastic CIA agent who spends his time staring at four walls and surveillance equipment, as the resident of one of the many safe houses that are dotted the world over. When infamous rogue agent Tobin Frost is brought in, Weston gets caught up in a cat and mouse game of government espionage, where its better to trust in enemies than in friends.
Washington just oozes uber cool, and his screen presence in all his characters is exemplary, here Frost is a cold and calculated killer. Nothing seems to phase him and he wastes no time in getting under the skin and inside the head of the young agent.
Cape Town is the films backdrop, and its an unusual choice from anything that could be portrayed on America’s homeland with the action taking place in and amongst city streets and shanty town districts.
But I liked that, it made for some amazing action set pieces, including a car chase that will surely rival Ronin and a brilliant panic driven standoff at Green Point stadium. Giving too much a way would spoil the anticipation, of what is to come.
The supporting cast are not knock out’s but provide a brief interlude from the ensuing mess and turmoil that Weston and Frost are going through.
Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga and Sam Shepard all do a job that fits in with the plot, there is a nice little cameo from Robert Patrick whose team are responsible for brining in Frost, [PLOT SPOILER] but fans of the former Terminator star will be saddened to know that he doesn’t last too long.
It’s a roller coaster ride there is no doubt about that, and its loud, very loud!
Reynolds plays Matt Weston, an enthusiastic CIA agent who spends his time staring at four walls and surveillance equipment, as the resident of one of the many safe houses that are dotted the world over. When infamous rogue agent Tobin Frost is brought in, Weston gets caught up in a cat and mouse game of government espionage, where its better to trust in enemies than in friends.
Washington just oozes uber cool, and his screen presence in all his characters is exemplary, here Frost is a cold and calculated killer. Nothing seems to phase him and he wastes no time in getting under the skin and inside the head of the young agent.
Cape Town is the films backdrop, and its an unusual choice from anything that could be portrayed on America’s homeland with the action taking place in and amongst city streets and shanty town districts.
But I liked that, it made for some amazing action set pieces, including a car chase that will surely rival Ronin and a brilliant panic driven standoff at Green Point stadium. Giving too much a way would spoil the anticipation, of what is to come.
The supporting cast are not knock out’s but provide a brief interlude from the ensuing mess and turmoil that Weston and Frost are going through.
Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga and Sam Shepard all do a job that fits in with the plot, there is a nice little cameo from Robert Patrick whose team are responsible for brining in Frost, [PLOT SPOILER] but fans of the former Terminator star will be saddened to know that he doesn’t last too long.
It’s a roller coaster ride there is no doubt about that, and its loud, very loud!
Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated Sixteen Candles (1984) in Movies
Apr 26, 2019
Dated, but fun back in the day.
I grew up with Sixteen Candles. Every girl I knew either wanted to be Sam and wear awesome clothes and hats or the Uber cool best friend Randi. I have lost track of how many times I've watched this movie. I've probably seen in a few times a year ever since it was first released. I have so many scenes and lines committed to memory. If I just watch it with my thoughts on what the times were like back then, it's a funny, lighthearted romantic comedy. Plus, one of the sweetest movie dads in history. I can relate to this movie because like Sam, I was a white girl growing up in the suburbs. I had older siblings who got all the attention and felt left out, even in my own family. I had a crazy, chaotic family. I had a crush on an older guy who was dating the perfect girl and I felt invisible. And like Sam, I thought Jake Ryan was just dreamy and I loathed taking the bus to and from school.
The situations with her family, especially her dork of a brother, passing notes in class, going to the high school dance, feeling like a fool, being embarrassed by my family, crushing on guys, and generally not fitting in and wishing I was someone else, were all relatable.
The movie was so much fun back in the day but it has not aged well for today's sociological and political climate.
Problematic plot points: shock at the thought of interracial dating, a lot of racially-insensitive jokes at the expense of the Asian character (including the sound of a going whenever he is mentioned or shown), racially-insensitive jokes at the expense of Italians, making light of taking advantage of a drunken female, use of the word retarded, and more things that I can think of right now.
I can ignore all the problematic points and still enjoy the film. It isn't one I'd recommend to younger people today but for those of us who lived through it, it's an enjoyable flick.
The situations with her family, especially her dork of a brother, passing notes in class, going to the high school dance, feeling like a fool, being embarrassed by my family, crushing on guys, and generally not fitting in and wishing I was someone else, were all relatable.
The movie was so much fun back in the day but it has not aged well for today's sociological and political climate.
Problematic plot points: shock at the thought of interracial dating, a lot of racially-insensitive jokes at the expense of the Asian character (including the sound of a going whenever he is mentioned or shown), racially-insensitive jokes at the expense of Italians, making light of taking advantage of a drunken female, use of the word retarded, and more things that I can think of right now.
I can ignore all the problematic points and still enjoy the film. It isn't one I'd recommend to younger people today but for those of us who lived through it, it's an enjoyable flick.
Thundercat recommended Evil Empire by Rage Against The Machine in Music (curated)
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Big Sick (2017) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
I like it when there's an Unlimited screening of a film I'm not entirely sure about. I'd seen adverts for The Big Sick and was on the fence about seeing it, but when you get a sneaky Unlimited you have to go.
Based on Kumail Nanjiani & Emily V. Gordon real-life story (click on that link to see them interviewed on The View), The Big Sick is a romantic comedy that will have you laughing out loud.
Kumail's family are determined to find him a Pakistani Muslim girl so that he might settle down and follow in their traditions. But Kumail is anything but traditional. He's trying to make it as a comedian, while driving Uber in his spare time.
He meets Emily at one of his gigs and the pair hit it off. As they get further into their relationship though, Kumail worries what his traditional family will say about her. But Emily finding his parent's catalogue cards of potential brides changes everything.
When Emily is taken sick, her friend call Kumail for help. With the hospital putting her into a medically induced coma, he's then left with the prospect of contacting her parents, who up until this point, he'd managed to avoid...
It's a recurring things with my friends that they always ask me what I've seen or have booked at the cinema now, and this is the first one that has pretty much made them all react in the same way...
Me: I'm going to see The Big Sick.
Them: *scrunches face up at the title of the film*
I'm not even kidding, something about the title just doesn't sit right with them. But I have been urging them to go and see it anyway. Kumail Nanjiani is such a funny guy, if you haven't seen him in Franklin and Bash you really need to.
This film was funny and emotional, and felt very real. I feel contented about having watched it, and that doesn't happen a lot with me. Ray Romano and Holly Hunter make a great pair alongside Nankiani and Kazan. It's an all-round nice film, heartbreaking at points, but still wonderful.
Based on Kumail Nanjiani & Emily V. Gordon real-life story (click on that link to see them interviewed on The View), The Big Sick is a romantic comedy that will have you laughing out loud.
Kumail's family are determined to find him a Pakistani Muslim girl so that he might settle down and follow in their traditions. But Kumail is anything but traditional. He's trying to make it as a comedian, while driving Uber in his spare time.
He meets Emily at one of his gigs and the pair hit it off. As they get further into their relationship though, Kumail worries what his traditional family will say about her. But Emily finding his parent's catalogue cards of potential brides changes everything.
When Emily is taken sick, her friend call Kumail for help. With the hospital putting her into a medically induced coma, he's then left with the prospect of contacting her parents, who up until this point, he'd managed to avoid...
It's a recurring things with my friends that they always ask me what I've seen or have booked at the cinema now, and this is the first one that has pretty much made them all react in the same way...
Me: I'm going to see The Big Sick.
Them: *scrunches face up at the title of the film*
I'm not even kidding, something about the title just doesn't sit right with them. But I have been urging them to go and see it anyway. Kumail Nanjiani is such a funny guy, if you haven't seen him in Franklin and Bash you really need to.
This film was funny and emotional, and felt very real. I feel contented about having watched it, and that doesn't happen a lot with me. Ray Romano and Holly Hunter make a great pair alongside Nankiani and Kazan. It's an all-round nice film, heartbreaking at points, but still wonderful.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Mulan (2020) in Movies
Sep 10, 2020
No honour
GUEST REVIEW BY THE BEAUTIFUL @fandomfanatichere - PLEASE GO CHECK OUT HER PAGE ON INSTAGRAM TO SEE MORE OF WHAT SHE DOES.
The new Mulan lacks the Disney magic of the other live actions, I found it tiresome, frustrating and the acting very lacking in some parts. The action was reminiscent of a martial arts film, which in itself would be enjoyable, but when you pair it with being a Mulan remake just forms really disappointing and cheesy action scenes. I was also sad to discover that after all of the backlash the film had been getting about its lead actress - Liu Yifei, her acting felt a little wooden. We have an additional character - a witch, whom personally I think brings absolutely nothing to the plot of the film other than irritating camera angels when she attempts to exert her power. One moment she is a strong ominous character and the next she is overthrown in the blink of an eye. We also had the addition of a CGI phoenix, rife with symbolism, a beautiful creature flying around in moments of hope and power, but the whole time I was thinking we have this, and no Mushu?! Our actress was also very unconvincing as a boy, so their surprise upon learning she was in fact a woman, felt very forced. I was, however, delighted to hear instrumental versions of 2 original songs in the background, and some paraphrased lines from the original Mulan subtly added in as Easter eggs for us uber fans of the animated film. The film itself, visually was stunning, sweeping landscape shots, interesting costume design and beautiful colours encapsulated the seductive aesthetics of China. I was also happy to see that whilst we still had hints of romance, it did not take over the plot or cause Mulan to fight for just one man, I still felt she was fighting for her family, her honour, and her right to be a strong woman. Now I feel I have slated the film a lot, but bare in mind I am a HUGE orginal Mulan fan and overall I feel I would have enjoyed the watching experience had it been a general martial arts film set in China, but as it was a highly anticipated Mulan remake, that had been set back multiple times, I was sadly very disappointed.
The new Mulan lacks the Disney magic of the other live actions, I found it tiresome, frustrating and the acting very lacking in some parts. The action was reminiscent of a martial arts film, which in itself would be enjoyable, but when you pair it with being a Mulan remake just forms really disappointing and cheesy action scenes. I was also sad to discover that after all of the backlash the film had been getting about its lead actress - Liu Yifei, her acting felt a little wooden. We have an additional character - a witch, whom personally I think brings absolutely nothing to the plot of the film other than irritating camera angels when she attempts to exert her power. One moment she is a strong ominous character and the next she is overthrown in the blink of an eye. We also had the addition of a CGI phoenix, rife with symbolism, a beautiful creature flying around in moments of hope and power, but the whole time I was thinking we have this, and no Mushu?! Our actress was also very unconvincing as a boy, so their surprise upon learning she was in fact a woman, felt very forced. I was, however, delighted to hear instrumental versions of 2 original songs in the background, and some paraphrased lines from the original Mulan subtly added in as Easter eggs for us uber fans of the animated film. The film itself, visually was stunning, sweeping landscape shots, interesting costume design and beautiful colours encapsulated the seductive aesthetics of China. I was also happy to see that whilst we still had hints of romance, it did not take over the plot or cause Mulan to fight for just one man, I still felt she was fighting for her family, her honour, and her right to be a strong woman. Now I feel I have slated the film a lot, but bare in mind I am a HUGE orginal Mulan fan and overall I feel I would have enjoyed the watching experience had it been a general martial arts film set in China, but as it was a highly anticipated Mulan remake, that had been set back multiple times, I was sadly very disappointed.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Big Sick (2017) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
Just what the doctor ordered: a charming and thoughtful summer comedy.
Romance and comedy work together beautifully on film: love is innately ridiculous after all! But mix in a dramatic element – particularly a serious medical emergency – to a Rom Com and you walk a dangerous line between on the one hand letting the drama overwhelm the comedy ( “Well! I don’t feel like laughing now!”) and on the other hand diverging into shockingly mawkish finger-down-the-throat sentimentality. Fortunately the new comedy – “The Big Sick” – walks that line to perfection.
Kumail Nanjiani plays (who’d have thought it?) Kumail, a Pakistani-born comic-cum-Uber-driver struggling to get recognised on the Chicago comedy circuit. His performances mix traditional stand-up at a club with a rather po-faced one-man show where he explains at length the culture of Pakistan (Naan-splaining?), including intricate detail on the fielding positions and strategies of cricket. Kumail is heckled during a show by the young and perky Emily (Zoe Kazan, the middle daughter from “It’s Complicated”). Lust blossoms (mental note: stand up comedy seems a fabulous strategy for picking up women) and lust turns to romance as the pair grow closer to each other.
A surging romance. Uber gets love from A to B.
Unfortunately Kumail is aware of something Emily isn’t: his strictly Muslim parents Sharmeen and Azmat (Anupam Kher and Zenobia Schroff) believe in arranged marriages to ‘nice Pakistani girls’ and a relationship with – let alone a marriage to – Emily risks disgrace and familial exile. A medical crisis brings Kumail further into dispute, this time with Emily’s parents Beth and Terry (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano).
Stand-up is, I assert, a very nationalistic thing. It is a medium hugely dependant on context and while I’m sure great British comics like Peter Kay and Eddie Izzard might rate as only a 4 or a 5 out of 10 for most Americans, so most American stand-up comics tend to leave me cold. And perhaps it’s also a movie-thing, that stand-up on the big screen just doesn’t work well? Either way, the initial comedy-club scenes rather left me cold. (And I don’t think most of them were SUPPOSED to be particularly bad – since they seemed to fill the seats each night). As a result I thought this was a “comedy” that wasn’t going to be for me.
Stand up and be counted. Kumail Nanjiani doing the circuit.
But once Nanjiani and Kazan got together the chemistry was immediate and palpable and the duo completely won me round. Kazan in particular is a vibrant and joyous actress who I would love to see a lot more of: this should be a breakout movie for her.
Broader, but none less welcome, comedy is to be found in Kumail’s family home as his mother introduces serial Pakistani girls to the dinner table.
Holly Hunter (“Broadcast News” – one of my favourite films) and Ray Romano are also superb, delivering really thoughtful and nuanced performances that slowly unpeel the stresses inherent in many long-term marriages. The relationship that develops between Kumail and Beth is both poignant and truly touching.
Where the script succeeds is in never quite making the viewer comfortable about where the movie is going and whether the film will end with joy or heartbreak. And you will find no spoilers here!
So is it a comedy classic? Well, no, not quite. What’s a bit disappointing is that for a film as culturally topical as this, the whole question of Islamophobia in Trump’s America is juggled like a hot potato. Aside from one memorable scene in the club, with a redneck heckler, and an excruciating exchange about 9/11 between Kumail and Terry, the subject is completely ignored. This is a shame. The script (by Nanjiani and Emily Gordon) would have benefited enormously from some rather braver “Thick of It” style input from the likes of Armando Iannucci.
I also have to despair at the movie’s marketing executives who came up with this title. FFS! I know “East is East” has already gone, but could you have possibly come up with a less appealing title? I guess the title does serve one useful purpose in flagging up potential upset for those with bad historical experiences of intensive care. (Like “The Descendants” this is what we would term in our family #notaShawFamilyfilm).
Overall though this film, directed by Michael Showalter (no, me neither!) and produced by Judd Apatow (whose name gets the biggest billing), is a fun and engaging movie experience that comes highly recommended. A delightful antidote to the summer blockbuster season. The end titles also bring a delightful surprise (that I’ve seen spoiled since by some reviews) that was moving and brought added depth to the drama that had gone before.
More Hollywood please, more.
Kumail Nanjiani plays (who’d have thought it?) Kumail, a Pakistani-born comic-cum-Uber-driver struggling to get recognised on the Chicago comedy circuit. His performances mix traditional stand-up at a club with a rather po-faced one-man show where he explains at length the culture of Pakistan (Naan-splaining?), including intricate detail on the fielding positions and strategies of cricket. Kumail is heckled during a show by the young and perky Emily (Zoe Kazan, the middle daughter from “It’s Complicated”). Lust blossoms (mental note: stand up comedy seems a fabulous strategy for picking up women) and lust turns to romance as the pair grow closer to each other.
A surging romance. Uber gets love from A to B.
Unfortunately Kumail is aware of something Emily isn’t: his strictly Muslim parents Sharmeen and Azmat (Anupam Kher and Zenobia Schroff) believe in arranged marriages to ‘nice Pakistani girls’ and a relationship with – let alone a marriage to – Emily risks disgrace and familial exile. A medical crisis brings Kumail further into dispute, this time with Emily’s parents Beth and Terry (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano).
Stand-up is, I assert, a very nationalistic thing. It is a medium hugely dependant on context and while I’m sure great British comics like Peter Kay and Eddie Izzard might rate as only a 4 or a 5 out of 10 for most Americans, so most American stand-up comics tend to leave me cold. And perhaps it’s also a movie-thing, that stand-up on the big screen just doesn’t work well? Either way, the initial comedy-club scenes rather left me cold. (And I don’t think most of them were SUPPOSED to be particularly bad – since they seemed to fill the seats each night). As a result I thought this was a “comedy” that wasn’t going to be for me.
Stand up and be counted. Kumail Nanjiani doing the circuit.
But once Nanjiani and Kazan got together the chemistry was immediate and palpable and the duo completely won me round. Kazan in particular is a vibrant and joyous actress who I would love to see a lot more of: this should be a breakout movie for her.
Broader, but none less welcome, comedy is to be found in Kumail’s family home as his mother introduces serial Pakistani girls to the dinner table.
Holly Hunter (“Broadcast News” – one of my favourite films) and Ray Romano are also superb, delivering really thoughtful and nuanced performances that slowly unpeel the stresses inherent in many long-term marriages. The relationship that develops between Kumail and Beth is both poignant and truly touching.
Where the script succeeds is in never quite making the viewer comfortable about where the movie is going and whether the film will end with joy or heartbreak. And you will find no spoilers here!
So is it a comedy classic? Well, no, not quite. What’s a bit disappointing is that for a film as culturally topical as this, the whole question of Islamophobia in Trump’s America is juggled like a hot potato. Aside from one memorable scene in the club, with a redneck heckler, and an excruciating exchange about 9/11 between Kumail and Terry, the subject is completely ignored. This is a shame. The script (by Nanjiani and Emily Gordon) would have benefited enormously from some rather braver “Thick of It” style input from the likes of Armando Iannucci.
I also have to despair at the movie’s marketing executives who came up with this title. FFS! I know “East is East” has already gone, but could you have possibly come up with a less appealing title? I guess the title does serve one useful purpose in flagging up potential upset for those with bad historical experiences of intensive care. (Like “The Descendants” this is what we would term in our family #notaShawFamilyfilm).
Overall though this film, directed by Michael Showalter (no, me neither!) and produced by Judd Apatow (whose name gets the biggest billing), is a fun and engaging movie experience that comes highly recommended. A delightful antidote to the summer blockbuster season. The end titles also bring a delightful surprise (that I’ve seen spoiled since by some reviews) that was moving and brought added depth to the drama that had gone before.
More Hollywood please, more.
Merissa (11646 KP) rated Keos (Fueled By Lust #10) in Books
May 17, 2017
Keos (Fueled By Lust #10) by Celeste Prater
Whooee! It appears that Ms. Prater has done it again! Keos is the tenth book in the Fueled by Lust series, and really, this series is misnamed! It is LOVE that rules these guys, not lust, and I love each and every one of them for that! (Sorry guys, Cato is still my favourite though)
In this edition, Keos is trying to make his way to the vortex, so he can report in to Lucien and explain how he allowed some items to be stolen. Oh, and bring along the thief and his sister too. Now you might think that this is easy enough for an Insedi warrior against two puny humans. However, Everly and her brother Jason are not prepared to go down without a fight. Keos quickly finds himself in a situation that he was not expecting. This does give him time to learn more about Everly and her brother, their past, and his thoughts for their future. Of course, to have any future, they need to get out of the damn game!
I'm not a big gamer, in fact, I'm not really a gamer at all unless you count FB games. So when this started I did wonder if I would enjoy this book as much as the others. I needn't have worried as the descriptions used were vivid enough to clarify each situation without having to have knowledge of how a game works. Not only were the descriptions excellent, but also the emotions were clear. There was no playing of games with Everly and Keos. I figure their surroundings were games enough. Even though Everly had her reasons, heartbreaking reasons, for feeling the way she did, she was still courteous to Keos. She didn't turn into uber-b*tch just because he wanted something that she didn't. I really appreciated that!
As with all Celeste Prater's books, this was very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. This is the tenth book in the series, and I would recommend that you read them in order as the overall story arc also comes into play with this story. A fantastic series, guaranteed to satisfy, and definitely recommended by me. My answer to the question in the synopsis is well known to Ms. Prater, but in case it needs spelling out - YES PLEASE!!!!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
In this edition, Keos is trying to make his way to the vortex, so he can report in to Lucien and explain how he allowed some items to be stolen. Oh, and bring along the thief and his sister too. Now you might think that this is easy enough for an Insedi warrior against two puny humans. However, Everly and her brother Jason are not prepared to go down without a fight. Keos quickly finds himself in a situation that he was not expecting. This does give him time to learn more about Everly and her brother, their past, and his thoughts for their future. Of course, to have any future, they need to get out of the damn game!
I'm not a big gamer, in fact, I'm not really a gamer at all unless you count FB games. So when this started I did wonder if I would enjoy this book as much as the others. I needn't have worried as the descriptions used were vivid enough to clarify each situation without having to have knowledge of how a game works. Not only were the descriptions excellent, but also the emotions were clear. There was no playing of games with Everly and Keos. I figure their surroundings were games enough. Even though Everly had her reasons, heartbreaking reasons, for feeling the way she did, she was still courteous to Keos. She didn't turn into uber-b*tch just because he wanted something that she didn't. I really appreciated that!
As with all Celeste Prater's books, this was very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. This is the tenth book in the series, and I would recommend that you read them in order as the overall story arc also comes into play with this story. A fantastic series, guaranteed to satisfy, and definitely recommended by me. My answer to the question in the synopsis is well known to Ms. Prater, but in case it needs spelling out - YES PLEASE!!!!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!