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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Good Company in Books

Apr 15, 2021

Good Company

Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney | 2021 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry

6.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Well-written albeit slow going look at marriage and motherhood

Flora Mancini has been happily married for twenty years. But that foundation crumbles when she finds her husband's wedding ring--the one he claimed he lost when their daughter was five--in the back of a drawer. Now she wonders what exactly Julian has kept hidden from her all these years. Is their whole marriage, their whole life, based on a lie?

This is such a hard book to review, because I loved Sweeney's THE NEST so very much. And GOOD COMPANY, while a nice book, is just not THE NEST. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book, it just did not move me as much as THE NEST.

GOOD COMPANY offers a thoughtful look into marriage and relationships. It's one of those interesting novels where it feels like not much happens, yet it truly covers the span of an entire relationship--a whole marriage. But there is a lot of ruminating, a lot of speculation, and a lot of angst. It's a very New York sort of book, even if Flora and Julian move to Los Angeles when their daughter, Ruby, is young.

This book is well-written, of course. Sweeney is a wonderful writer. It switches between time periods (the present, and going back in Flora and Julian's relationship) and various points of view, which include Flora, Julian, Ruby, and Flora's best friend, famous actress Margot Ledder. I probably felt the most for Ruby--it's hard to really sympathize much for the adults here. And this is a very "theater" book, with Flora, Julian, and Margot all being in the business. If that's not your thing (it's not mine), it's a little harder to feel engaged in some of the story.

Overall, this is an interesting read, but it can be slow going at times and hard to feel engaged with all the characters. If you like introspective, character-driven reads or you're a theater geek, GOOD COMPANY may be for you. 3 stars.

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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) in Movies

Aug 16, 2020

Luck was not with me when it came to seeing this, I turned down an opportunity to see it and then Rona cancelled the ticket I booked for it. I finally managed to see it on one of the many free trials for streaming services I picked up while I was confined to the house.

Marianne is hired to paint a wedding portrait of Héloïse in secret after a failed attempt has left her against the whole idea. Marianne is presented as a companion and spends her days observing the bride to be before taking to her chamber to paint at night. As her deadline approaches the pair's bond goes from strength to strength despite their future being set in stone.

Portrait is simple in so many ways and yet utterly complex. Set mostly in a desolate island location in a large family home you would expect to have the ornate and busy look of a period drama, but this is the unfussiest film I've seen in this genre. There's no clutter, no excess characters, no frivolous dialogue or scenes, their relationship is all that needs to be focused on, everything else just happens to be there.

It's difficult to describe how this film made me feel, it's serene even in the chaotic moments and I keep finding myself at a loss when it comes to putting that down in words.

I could gush on about Portrait for ages but I don't want to take away from you seeing it, the fact is that it's breathtaking. The shots, the dynamics of the cast, the fact that the film doesn't need filler... I was unsure going in (even though I wanted to watch it) but by the end I was a devastated wreck who wanted to see it all over again.

Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/08/portrait-of-lady-on-fire-movie-review.html