First, I’ll acknowledge that this book probably will not appeal to a wide audience. But for me, I loved it. I loved its poetic rhythm. I loved its metaphor-laden prose. I loved its mystery and its depth. I even loved its dreadfully sad and self-pitying first-person protagonist. We Were Liars follows a handful of cousins…
Charming. Soft. Lovely. Touching. Bittersweet. These are the new film, adapted from the novel, Brooklyn. It’s a wonderfully quiet film, entertaining gently, but leaving the viewer better for sharing the story—the story of a young girl as she moves from Ireland to Brooklyn, starting life over in the 1950s. It is not just a story…
I saw this movie some time ago. It was just after the wide release of the film. When my movie companion was available for a film, I suggested it. He said, “Nothing like a major church cover up to make one cynical before the holidays.” Okay, so that’s his humor, but yes—Indeed. He had a…
Read this book. Everyone. Soon. Now. No, it’s not an easy subject matter. But it addresses one of the absolute guarantees of life: death. I originally bought this book, having heard the author interviewed on a podcast discussing end-of-life issues, for work. I often discuss end-of-life issues with clients as we talk about advanced…
Bridge of Spies hits every mark. It’s a great movie—plot, pacing, performances, punch. The movie slowly pulls you into the characters (spies, FBI, CIA, attorneys) and time period (Cold War), exposing unexpected twists such that just as you think you know the story arc, another layer is added. It brings a needed bittersweet element toward…
The Nightingale is a wonderful read, an eloquently written and gently told story. Unlike the last couple of WWII novels I read, this book is more of what you would expect from fiction set in a war-torn France, a book that appeals for its stories of relationships using the war and devastation to France as…
Those who’ve been reading my thoughts might remember my urging—my insistence—to read Andy Weir’s The Martian when I wrote about it exactly six months ago today. And I know that many of you heeded that advice. Loved it, yes? 😉 And today—-finally. It’s Fall. And the movie is in wide release. Yay! First, biggest of thanks…
What a fun movie! Granted, as I learned from reading the thoughts of another who saw the movie at the same time as I did, the film is not for everyone. But for me and my movie companions, it was a hit. Lily Tomlin delivers a fresh and spunky performance as the complexly layered grandmother…
Short films…. Short films can appear to explore a single topic, but on viewing and reflecting, one realizes how complex each is, even in barely fifteen minutes. The short films selected to tour after this year’s Sundance Film Festival are no different: complex, breathtaking, beautiful, deep, heartwarming, and utterly strange. The first film, SMILF, seems…
What a delightfully charming movie! Inside Out explores how our emotions help guide—and misguide—us as they take the controls inside of eleven-year-old Riley’s mind while she navigates growing out of childhood to an age and time when emotions become more layered, more affected, and more unpredictably complex. Her tale is built around her difficulties of…
An Honest Liar is a wonderfully interesting, engaging, intriguing documentary that tells you a story while delivering a side of nostalgia and a satisfying serving of information. The film focuses on “The Amazing Randi,” a magician who appeared on stage predominantly in the 50s through 70s. But what makes his story particularly compelling is the…
My reading material the past few months has been varied. In the Heart of the Sea added to the blend, bringing a true tale of a fascinating but challenging time in America’s history: whale hunting, life on the open ocean, and the struggle and catastrophe of being lost at sea. More so, this book reveals…
Stop what you’re doing right now and reserve or order or buy or download Andy Weir’s The Martian. And read it. It’s fantastic! The Martian is one of the funniest and wittiest books I’ve read in several years. When I use the term “laugh out loud,” I do mean it literally. And usually, if I…
Still Alice is one of the great movies of the year that everyone should see. It’s heartbreaking. It’s earnest. It’s painful. It’s real. No, it’s not based on a true story, but it is based on deep research. The premise is early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease, and although at its base it really is just the story…
This is the first I’ve seen the animated Oscar-nominated shorts. Thus, I was ill-equipped to be able to better warn my girlfriends who came along with me. No, these are not happy, singing Disny-style animated pieces. What they are, though, are an eclectic blend of fantastic displays of depth, emotion, imagination, and realism. Some made…