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Reviews
Allegiant (2016)
Good addition to the series, but glad it's not the end
Allegiant picks up 3 weeks (as far as I can tell) after the event of Insurgent which saw the Factionless and Dauntless break the power of Erudite and reveal the true purpose of their society, the city and the wall.
Tris hears the call of society beyond the wall and has to know. Four is by her side. The city is in barely contained order. The peace is fragile and the trials of Jeanine's accomplices only serve to break the tentative coalition of Factionless, Kandor and Amity leadership rather than solidify a new order.
The city needs help and Tris is sure the answer lies just beyond the walls Evelyne (Four's mother and leader of the Factionless) has put on lockdown. Of course she, Four, Christina, Peter and Caleb escape and find out the truth. Or part of it. Intrigue and mystery pursues.
The story was good but I have questions, gaps I want filled. The acting was fantastic as usual, the tension between characters palpable. It was however predictable. Only one plot point surprised me and in fact is the part I have the most questions regarding. We saw very little of Christina in this film. I don't know if she had scenes cut, or just wasn't as vital to the plot in this first half of the finale, but I hope to see more of her in Ascendant (Allegiant Part 2).
Full review available at www.confessionsofastorylover.wordpress.com
The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
A re-watchable cancer-included romance
The relationships were beautifully natural. In this kind of film, we've come to expect the weird, tense and/or overdramatic family/friends with the cancer sufferer the mature-beyond-their-years stable centre of the universe. I'm not going to say that Isaac wasn't a little loopy but hey, we all have one slightly crazy friend, right! I loved watching the friendship and then romance develop between Hazel and Augustus. Again, it was natural, it was fun, it dealt with the reality of their lives and it was marred with tragedy from the get-go.
Living with cancer or another long standing/ life threatening illness has generated a lot of fact and fiction stories, books, movies and documentaries in recent years. What was nice/different about this story was that everyone involved was already at peace with the fact that Hazel would die before her time. There were no big arguments around this fact. It was a sad reality the family lived with, and that was the focus of the story – how they lived despite this. Hazel's concern was that her parents didn't stop when she did go; she wanted them to keep living and not lose purpose. One of the best moments in the film is when they reveal to her that they are preparing for when she is gone
.and this makes her happy, not storm out like a drama queen! And can I just say how nice it was to have the protagonist in a relationship that doesn't fall apart when some earth shattering news is dropped! No sad trying to get on with life montage, no big scene argument, just a simple conversation on a bench which pushes the story in a new direction. A relationship which is more about giving than taking, making the other person happy rather than simply enjoying the fact they make you feel good. Yes please.
And unlike My Sister's Keeper, I could quite happily watch it again next week rather than waiting a few years! Full review at confessionsofastorylover.wordpress.com
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015)
Great ending to a deep-digging franchise
Wow.
I must confess, this was a great movie! A great series! The characters, the action, the dialogue....it was beautiful.
The whole series has been fantastic. The Hunger Games by itself was brutal - children killing children is not nice. But as a preamble, a scene setting for all that was to come, it stops looking like a Western knock off of Battle Royale, and becomes the foundation of a story of strength and courage winning out over fear and hopelessness.
And what an ending. I think one of the hardest parts of ending a trilogy/quadrilogy/series/whatever is doing so in a way that leaves the viewer satisfied, gives justice to the characters and doesn't turn the whole thing into a cliché. I haven't read Mockingjay yet, but from what I understand, its pretty close. I don't want to give it away to those of you who haven't read it yet, but the post-action rounds it all off perfectly.
I have so much respect for Jennifer Lawrence. The way she takes a role and just imbues it with so much passion and history is incredible. Katniss Everdeen is not the nicest person in the world. She's not the best speaker. She's not the best fighter. But she is a survivor, willing to give up everything for those she loves. And somehow, we know her, through this performance, through every expression and movement, every silent moment, the few words she does utter.
Josh Hutcherson too is phenomenal. This Peeta is very different from the one we've known so far. He's broken, trying to sort reality from fantasy. And it's heart-wrenching as the viewer because he was the nicest person, the sweet one, the antidote to Katniss' sourness.
I could go on, but I'll simply finish with a recommendation - go watch it! If you haven't seen any of the series, give it a go. If nothing else, this is the story of integrity overcoming oppression, of how one normal no-one can change their hold world just by refusing to conform.
It's beautiful.
Watchability 9/10. Character: 10/10. Inventiveness: 9/10. Overall: 9/10.
confessionsofastorylover.wordpress.com
Moonfleet (2013)
What happens when a story is not given enough time
My family sat down to watch this two-parter quite excited. The advertisements had looked good, the title was interesting and it was a Christmas special. But by the end of the first hour-long episode (including advert breaks) we were very much hoping there were at least two more episodes to come. At the end of the second episode, we sat back and looked at each other disappointedly with one thought: this is what happens when you try and cram a story into two blocks of 45 minutes.
I have not read the novel this is based on, and am rather tempted to do so now in the hope that the story will redeem itself. The problem was not with the story, you see. Enough happened to make you believe the book to be quite thrilling. But too much happened too quickly and with too little explanation. The actors were good, but the characters were underdeveloped. The love story was there, but barely so. Why would finding this treasure change everything? What was this curse? Why were the Mahoons so evil? Why was there a contraband ring? The questions continue...
If you want a synopsis of the story of Moonfleet before you read it, this is perfect. But that is all this is - the skeleton of a story. I may be wrong, and maybe the book is no better, but from what I can tell, an extra two hours would have made a world of difference in taking this from substandard, to brilliant British television.
High School Musical (2006)
Cheesy- but still great!
I have to say that after waiting for it to premier on TV for three months and watching all the trailers which included pretty much all the songs, I was slightly disappointed at how fast everything moved and how quickly opinions changed, etc. However, I have to say that I really loved watching this. The songs are brilliant and I've had them going round and round my head every since I watched it, but they're so good, I don't mind. All the acting was really good, definitely no one just reading lines, and the choreography was great as well. Second time I watched it, I think I enjoyed it more, and I found I still couldn't remember exactly how it went, but I had no expectations for it to live up to the second time, and I looked forward to every song. All in all it is a great kid's film. Cheesy and cute and definitely Disney, but still really enjoyable. Its not meant to be a box office hit. Its a film with a message that was made to be enjoyed, not to win awards. Watch and enjoy, don't nit-pick. Who cares if there are a few errors with microphone going from hand to stand to hand or whatever. I think I've made y point now so, enjoy!
Inside Man (2006)
dizzy camera
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This has got to be one of the cleverest films I have seen in a while. The story line is fantastic and the subtleties are delivered brilliantly. The characters are portrayed really well and you get drawn into the events quickly. The opening scene hooks you immediately. My only complaint is about some of the cinematography. The camera seemed to bounce up and down while the people were walking, but it wasn't in time with them and made my eyes hurt a bit when watching. However, I would recommend this film to anyone and everyone. It's great!
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