There is something to be said for a book when you finish a chapter and turn the page and realize only then that you just finished the final chapter in the book. Upon turning that final page of Crazy Rich Asians, I exclaimed out loud at that moment. I’m still debating whether I feel good…
Elysium provides an incredible allegorical look at the possible direction humanity could take. I know many will watch this and simply be entertained (a bit), but my thoughts were provoked. The depth to which the political commentary digs surely cannot be missed; at least I want to believe that. The acting, to me, was par,…
The Way Way Back is a charming coming-of-age story that does everything such a film should do: I laughed, I shed a tear (or seven), and I cheered and felt like I sat on the edge of my seat in the final moments, genuinely unsure of the outcome in the “challenge” toward the end. The…
When I told my friend that Pacific Rim was on my list of movies to see, he reacted with surprise and incredulity. Yes, Pacific Rim. You too? Surprised? Indeed, for if you follow my movies at all, you know that for the past half-dozen years, I’ve been mostly drawn toward the Oscar-type artsy-type films. But…
Friends, Fathers, Sons, Girls—-all of these come together in a sweet story about growing up….and getting past tragic loss. Kings of Summer tells the story of three boys coming of age. It’s enjoyable enough, but the premise was just a bit too unbelievable, preventing me from getting more attached to these young men’s plight. (That…
When a death occurs, a void is left in the survivors’ lives. But although the death in this film looms over all, it is not necessarily the void that needs so badly to be filled by each person in this Israeli film (with subtitles), Fill the Void. Instead, each of the primary family members has…
Entertaining enough if all you need is a diversion. Ana’s age, I can buy, but not Christian’s. The story’s arcs become a bit tedious after a while. Still, though, it does provide a diversion. And sometimes, that’s all we need from a novel.
The East is a wonderfully intriguing film that dives deep into ecoterrorism and the independent agencies working against such working behind the scenes—-and that exposes some of that which lives behind the curtain. Part way though, it’s hard to recall or commit to who’re the good guys and who you want to fall. And that…
Book Two in the Fifty Shades series is still a basic read for some frivolous entertainment. I’m not sure if there was less explicit material here or if the first book was so overloaded, it didn’t stand out in the second round. Either way, the characters developed a bit more, which was welcomed. At the…
Watching the recent film version of Anna Karenina, I couldn’t help but think, “And I spent all those hours reading (the listening to) this classic just to be sure I’d read it before the movie? Why?” The film initially gave me a feeling as if I was living somewhere in the mind of a person…
I hadn’t read a legal “mystery” in a while, so I looked forward to reading this that came recommended by…. some source I’ve since forgotten. The story is good enough—entertaining enough—- enough. But for some reason (admittedly perhaps because the protagonist reminds me too much of a police officer I know), this reads more as…
Finally saw this one. Yes, yes, I loved (and live) the line, “There’s nothing cheap about loyalty.” And yes, I maximize my miles/points all I can. Love the perks that come by doing so! But the movie itself—-interesting. The gender reversal was a grand spin. I wonder how many people were upset for George but…
Exactly as one would expect—-nothing intellectual. Easy read. Entertaining enough for light chick-lit that puts gimmick of explicit scenes sales above plot and character development.
There was great talk (and a few nominations) over Rachel Weisz’s performance in The Deep Blue Sea. Frankly, I wasn’t able to make it through the entire movie without fast-forwarding through parts to the end. I’m sure mindset has a lot to do with how we interpret and receive films, and whatever mine was, it…
Moonrise Kingdom is quirky and fun, even if quiet. There’s quite a who’s who in the cast—-mostly playing some very different roles than those we usually associate with each actor. Admittedly, it might be too quiet (some would say slow) for me on some days, but it actually has quite a bit to say. And…