Image via the film's website
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Inception
Image via the film's website
Alice I Have Been
Here is the second book review for the Slow Readers Book Club! Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin is a historical fiction novel based on Alice Pleasance Liddell. She was the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland written by Lewis Carroll.
"But oh my dear, I am tired of being Alice in Wonderland. Does it sound ungrateful? It is. Only I do get tired."(p.3)
Summary:
Alice I Have Been tells the story of Alice Liddell Hargreave's life. The book is divided into three sections. It begins with her childhood, skips to her twenties, then skips again to her later years. Alice I Have Been contains a fascinating literary mystery, a royal romance, heartbreak, and war.
Alice Liddell dressed up as a beggar-maid
"Alice I am, Alice I will be. Alice I have been."(p.345)
I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved seeing the Alice in Wonderland references and learning more about the Liddell family. Alice's relationship with Charles Dodgson, who is the infamous Lewis Carroll, I found very interesting and definitely disturbing. Whether or not there is truth to the controversy is certainly a mystery.
Alice had an interesting life. However, I found it to be a sad one. Her mother seemed very cold and distant and in a few instances cruel. There was a lot of heartbreak in her life. Deaths and of love lost. I admire her spirit. Alice found strength and determination in all that she faced. She had faults but she grew from them. There were years and experiences lost because of her past. Alice seemed haunted by it. In the end, she was able to move on from it which in return it helped to save her. It was interesting to see things come full circle.
Overall, Alice I Have Been was an entertaining read. I must admit that since I've finished the book, I've thought quite a bit about it. It is a haunting story.
Alice Liddell as a young woman
By W. Coulbourn Brown
4 out of 5 stars
Images via Amazon, Melanie Benjamin, and Wikipedia
The Sugar Queen
A few days ago, I read The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen. Here's a description of the book.
"Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter is her favorite season, she’s a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother’s house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night…. Until she finds her closet harboring Della Lee Baker, a local waitress who is one part nemesis—and two parts fairy godmother. With Della Lee’s tough love, Josey’s narrow existence quickly expands. She even bonds with Chloe Finley, a young woman who is hounded by books that inexplicably appear when she needs them—and who has a close connection to Josey’s longtime crush. Soon Josey is living in a world where the color red has startling powers, and passion can make eggs fry in their cartons. And that’s just for starters."
Sarah Addison Allen novels are known for southern charm, illustrative descriptions, and a bit of magic. The Sugar Queen definitely has all three.
I have to admit I did enjoy Allen's previous novel Garden Spells a bit more than The Sugar Queen. Yet it was an enjoyable and quick read. I liked that each chapter title had a candy name that alludes to the chapter's contents. The main character, Josey, is really endearing. I love that she is always thinking about food and hides large quantities in her bedroom closet. She also drives a large, gold Cadillac. That alone is pretty cool. I have a few complaints with the book. Some of the twists were a bit predictable and I think it ended rather abruptly. I also didn't like that people made such a big deal out of Josey's unruly childhood. She had thrown a lot of tantrums and been a bit spoiled but she did grow out of it. It seemed a bit unrealistic, even for a small town, to hold on to thoughts about a behavior that had changed nearly twenty years before. Other than those three things, The Sugar Queen was a fun book to read.
3 out of 5 stars
Image via Allen's website
Alice in Wonderland
"Have I gone mad?"
"I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are."
On Friday, I went to see Alice in Wonderland. It was a visually stunning feast. The story is loosely based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, written by Lewis Carroll. The story didn't have a lot of twists and turns and there wasn't a surprise ending, but I was o.k. with that. It was an enjoyable ride. Most children stories are predictable. It's a basic story of good vs. evil. Our heroine rises up amidst self doubt to become the person everyone hopes her to be. At the same time, Alice stays true to herself. The film is also in 3D which wasn't really necessary but did give the film more depth. There were only a few scenes that were definitely meant for the technology. The Art Direction was incredible. Tim Burton, who directed the film, always has a very stylized look to his films. It was beautiful. I loved all the details and the color treatment was fantastic.
Alice in Wonderland stars Mia Wasikowska as Alice. She was the perfect Alice. The ingenue who transforms into our "champion." Johnny Depp plays the Mad Hatter, who was more charming than crazy, but I loved every scene he was in. Anne Hathaway stars as the White Queen. Helena Bonham Carter is the Red Queen, which was an especially great character to watch. As usual, her delivery is splendid. I adore Helena Bonham Carter. In her variety of roles, she is never afraid to look bizarre or unglamorous, which is often, and I love it. Also starring as Wonderland characters: Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman, Barbara Windsor, Paul Whitehouse, Timothy Spall, Frances de la Tour, and Imelda Staunton.
Go see the film! Even if it's just for the visuals, it will be worth it.
(Some stills from the film.)
Half Broke Horses
Here is my first book review for the Slow Readers Book Club! Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls is a novel based on true-life events written about the author's grandmother, Lily Casey Smith. It is a first person account about her life, her struggles, and her triumphs. The following saying, found on the first page of the book, describes the overall essence of Half Broke Horses.
"It was a great north wind that made the Vikings."
--Old Norwegian saying
Summary:
Half Broke Horses begins with young Lily Casey. The oldest of three children, Lily had a lot of responsibility at a young age. Her father had some physical disabilities from a childhood injury and her genteel mother wasn't much of a physical laborer. At six years old, Lily was breaking horses with her father. At 15, she started teaching in rural schools and would travel by herself sometimes 500 miles to reach her post. Lily lived through "tornadoes, droughts, floods, the Great Depression, and the most heartbreaking personal tragedy." Lily Casey Smith had "gumption" and every time things would go amiss, she always picked herself up and tried again.
Review:
"The problem with half-broke horses like these was that no one took the time to train them. Cowboys who could ride anything caught them and ran them on fear, spurring and quirting them too hard, taking pride in staying on no matter how desperately they bucked and fishtailed. Not properly broken, they were always scared and hated humans. A lot of times the cowboys released them once the roundup was over, but by then they'd lost some of the instincts that kept them alive out in the desert. They were, however, intelligent and had pluck, and if you broke them right, they made good horses." (p. 49)
I really enjoyed Half Broke Horses. In the past, western stories had never really appealed to me. However, this book was incredibly enjoyable. Lily Casey Smith was a no-nonsense woman. She got things done, she spoke her mind, and always tried to find her "Purpose." She learned to accept change and she grew with it. Lily loved learning and loved to try new things. She loved horses but learned (and loved) to drive a car and to fly a plane. Lily worked hard and learned the difference between wants and needs. Everything in life was a lesson. She didn't dwell in the past but kept moving towards her future. Lily had moxy. Maybe that's why I liked the book so much. I didn't always agree with her methods or even her opinions, but she stuck to her values and always kept going forward. She taught that you had to be tough, to be prepared, to be educated, and to invest in yourself. Lily tried to teach those things to her students as well as her two children. Her methods were a little harsh sometimes, but I think it was probably reflected the time in which she lived.
It seemed like a lot of people in her life, including herself, were half-broke horses. Maybe we all are. It's something to think about at least. It's interesting to learn about people's experiences, hardships, blessings, etc. All of which make up a life. Lily Casey Smith had a pretty interesting life.
"When God closes a window, he opens a door. But it's up to you to find it." (p.42)
4 out of 5 stars
Where the Wild Things Are
The DVD Where the Wild Things Are is released today! I absolutely loved this film. It's based on the book Where the Wild Things Are, written by Maurice Sendak. Did you know that the monsters are actually based on Sendak's relatives that would come over for weekly dinners? I didn't!
Max Records stars as the main character, Max. He seemed very natural in the part. He showed such a variety of emotions like boredom, fear, anger, sadness, love, joy, disappointment, etc. He really carried the film. Catherine Keener played his mother. She successfully portrays a single mother who is trying to maintain her family along with her work, home, boyfriend, etc. James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, Forest Whitaker, Lauren Ambrose, Chris Cooper, Paul Dano, and Michael Berry Jr. star as the fascinating Wild Things. Spike Jonze directed the film. I loved the set design, cinematography, costumes, soundtrack. Everything! The quality of light was so beautiful throughout the film. It was a great story about the wonders of childhood combined with the sometimes confusing, scary, wonderful, emotions that are "inside all of us." I truly enjoyed Where the Wild Things Are. I can't wait to add it to my DVD collection!
(I thought this set photo was pretty cool.)
Images via the film's website
The Young Victoria
The Young Victoria is a beautiful film. I saw it quite awhile ago, in England, but it is only just recently been released in theaters in the U.S. The story is about Victoria, who in the course of the film, becomes the Queen of England. It is also the love story of the Queen and Prince Albert. Young Victoria is a great role model for young girls. She shows determination, courage, and a great sense of self.
Victoria and Albert are played by Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend. They both did a great job, but I especially loved Emily Blunt in this role. The film has received three Oscar Nominations including: Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup. I highly recommend seeing it.
Zombies and Sea Monsters
A few months ago, I read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I'm a big fan of Jane Austen and so it was a nice twist on an old classic. The book begins with: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." With an opener like that how could it not be entertaining right?! A "mysterious plague" has awakened the dead. There are countless attacks by zombies. The Bennet sisters are all trained in the ninja arts and are well-known throughout the county as being excellent warriors. Elizabeth is especially ferocious in her defending against "the unmentionables."
In this story, in certain characters, their original personality characteristics are magnified. Elizabeth is fiercely loyal, and definitely has a temper. Only in this story she definitely is more violent in her thinking. Mr. Darcy is just as stubborn and Lady Catherine is not nearly as useless! The story follows the original with a few delightful changes.... I especially like the Charlotte and Mr. Collins storyline as well as the Lydia and Mr. Wickham ending. This version is a bit gruesome so those with a weak stomach might want to avoid eating for a few hours or so. There are plenty of zombies, brains, duels, romance, and some laugh out loud moments. I am looking forward to the film adaptation starring Natalie Portman. I think she's a great young actress with the acting chops for this role...
After reading P & P & Z, I was quite excited to read Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. I had the chance to read it this weekend and it did not disappoint. The very beginning of the book refers to "the Alteration, when the waters of the world grew cold and hateful to the sons of man, and darkness moved on the face of the deep." There are revengeful tunas, homicidal lobsters, mysterious symbols, evil pirates, a sea witch, etc. Technology in this book is much more advanced. They have sub-marine stations! There are scientists experimenting with genetic engineering in humans as well as in sea life creatures. However, most of the clothing remains the same, minus the diving costumes.
The characterization in this book seemed rather authentic to the original. Elinor was sensible, wise, caring. Marianne continued to be the hopeless romantic with not much thought of propriety. Colonel Brandon has a "condition" where tentacles cover his face and he has the ability to breath underwater. His personality is the same though. He is constant, loyal, and an overall great man. Mr. Willoughby is the same rogue who just so happens to be a treasure hunter.... The only change in Edward is he wants to be a lighthouse keeper. He still has an overpowering sense of duty as well as being very shy. Once again the overall storyline remains unaltered. Definitely the specifics are much different. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read.
Honestly, I don't think you can really compare P & P & Z, and S & S & SM. Both have different strengths. P & P & Z has more of a horror feel to it. It is rather funny though. I laughed a lot more in this book. Probably because it was so ridiculous and the characterization was a bit different. S & S & SM seemed to mesh a little bit better. The majority of people will probably enjoy it better as it's not really violent/gory. The main characters had little change to their personalities. Even though it's clearly a fantasy, it is a bit more realistic. It seems like maybe this could happen in the very, very, far future. Just with different clothes and societal traditions... Maybe....
If anyone has read them, let me know what your thoughts are! On a side note... how about Northanger Abbey and Vampires....? Someone needs to write that!
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
So this weekend I went and saw The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. It's directed by Terry Gilliam. It is also the last film of the late Heath Ledger. He died during the making of this film. The silver lining in this tragedy is Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell stepped in to film the leftover scenes and then donated their acting fees to Ledger's daughter. The film actually works very well with the additions as it has some alternate dimension situations. Ledger's performance was really incredible. Yes, it would have been great to have him finish the film. Under the circumstances, Depp, Law, and Farrell did an amazing job filling his role. In some scenes in particular, it seemed like Depp was Ledger. The performances by the other members of the cast were great too.
I thoroughly enjoyed this film. The visuals are very surreal. They reminded me of a Salvador Dali painting. The set design and costumes were very cool too. IMDB describes the film as a "fantastical morality tale" about a traveling show where participants get an "irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom." There are bets with the Devil, temptations, and the fight for souls. I don't want to give anything away so....GO SEE IT!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)