Book Review - Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

Title: Then She Was Gone
Series: -
Author: Lisa Jewell
 
Description: She was fifteen, her mother’s golden child. She had her whole life ahead of her. And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone.
 
It’s been ten years since Ellie disappeared, but Laurel has never given up hope of finding her daughter. And then one day a charming and charismatic stranger called Floyd walks into a café and sweeps Laurel off her feet. Before too long she’s staying the night as his house and being introduced to his nine year old daughter. Poppy is precocious and pretty, and meeting her completely takes Laurel’s breath away. Because Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie when she was that age. And now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back. What happened to Ellie? Where did she go? Who still had secrets to hide?
 
Review: “Then She Was Gone” is a story in which everything revolves around the missing Ellie, a family tragedy one would not wish on anyone.
 
Laurel and Paul Mack have an average family with three children and lead a happy life until their daughter Ellie disappears. After that, no day is ever the same and the marriage is suffering. It eventually ends in divorce.
 
The family members each deal with the loss of Ellie differently and each tries to pick up life in their own way. The storyline is overall very predictable and doesn’t feel original. There are many red flags for characters, that eventually turned out to be correct and many things that happened, I expected to happen. This book didn’t do much for me.
 
Lisa Jewell’s writing style is pleasant to read though. Short chapters from different character’s perspectives. But in general, I don’t think Jewell’s stories are for me. I somehow never really got into this book, it never grabbed or captivated me fully. And it was way too predictable for my liking.
 
Rating: 2, 5/ 5

Book Review - Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

Title: Leave the World Behind
Series: -
Author: Rumaan Alam
 
Description: Amanda and Clay head out to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a vacation: a quiet reprieve from life in New York City, quality time with their teenage son and daughter, and a taste of the good life in the luxurious home they rented for the week. But a late-night knock on the door breaks the spell. Ruth and G.H. are an older black couple. It’s their house, and they’ve arrived in a panic. They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city. But in this rural area, with the TV and internet down, and no cell phone service, it’s hard to know that to believe.
 
Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple, and vice versa? What happened back in New York? Is the vacation home, isolated from civilization, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one another?
 
Review: Amanda and Clay are vacationing in a remote home, together with their teenage son and daughter, when they hear a knock on the door in the middle of the night. It’s Ruth and G.H., the owners of the house and clearly rushed to the house in a panic. Back in New York City there is a black out, but no one knows what is really going on. With no cell phone service and TV, there is no way to find out.
 
“Leave the World Behind” deals with a very serious theme, but the approach is small. The intrigue is in the details. Author Rumaan Alam is very good at making seemingly nothing happen, but at the same time setting the tension to the point where, as a reader, you don’t want to put the book down. If you expect big action, you will be disappointed. It’s best to go in blank before you start reading this book.
 
While reading this book, you’re constantly asking yourself questions. Who are these people, what is going on, who can be trusted? And you have no idea what is going to happen. This books is definitely not for everyone. I would understand if people say this book is boring and that would be their reason to disliking the story. It’s true that not a lot happens, but there is so much tension felt constantly and the characters are very interesting and mysterious. And I just wanted to find out what was going on.
 
I’m so surprised by how much I loved this book. I loved the approach Alam went with for this theme. Not your typical apocalyptic story.
 
Rating: 5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Amsterdam

Director: David O. Russell
Genre: Comedy/ Mystery
Runtime: 134 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Christian Bale, John David Washington, Margot Robbie, Rami Malek, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert De Niro, Andrea Riseborough, Chris Rock, Alessandro Nivola, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Zoe Saldana, Taylor Swift, Timothy Olyphant

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 30: A MYSTERY MOVIE
 
Description: In the 1930s, three friends (Christian Bale, John David Washington, Margot Robbie) witness a murder, are framed for it, and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history.

Review: Burt Berendsen is an American doctor and a war veteran. He practices specifically for fellow veterans. Many of these patients need experimental surgery and pain relief, and the last he tests himself. He and his friend Harold Woodman, an African-American lawyer and fellow veteran, stumble upon a sinister plot surrounding the death of a former general. They will try and solve this mystery, together with their other friend, nurse Valerie.

This film is star-studded, it has the best of the best. Besides the three mains stars, Christian Bale, John David Washington and Margot Robbie, there is Rami Malek, Anya Taylor-Joy, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Chris Rock and Robert De Niro, among many others. It’s an entertaining back and forth between all these movie stars. The trio of Robbie, Bale and Washington is a delight to watch. They are an odd trio, a group you wouldn’t pair, but work perfectly together.

The story flies all over the place, and I’m still a bit in confused to why the movie title is “Amsterdam”, but this was a fun and highly enjoyable comedic mystery. I believe it deserves way more praise then it’s getting.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Thriller
Runtime: 163 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Pom Klementieff, Henry Czerny, Esai Morales, Cary Elwes.
 
Description: Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands.

Review: Master spy Ethan Hunt is back in “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”, already part seven within the franchise. And aside from the second film in this series, which is the odd one out, the Mission: Impossible franchise is very solid and I liked or loved every single one of these films. You can say it’s a fairly consistent series. “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” has so far been my favorite, and after seeing this seventh installment it still is. “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” does not reach the same level, but nevertheless remains a strong sequel, that will most definitely end up on my favorites list at the end of the year.

Tom Cruise wouldn’t be Tom Cruise if he didn’t, yet again, do some crazy stunts. Jumping off a cliff on a motorcycle is a cake walk for Cruise, but him risking his life like that gives the audience an authentic movie experience. “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” contains plenty of practically shot action. And the action is what these movies excel at. That aforementioned stunt is a one to look forward too, but an exciting car chase through the streets of Rome and a derailed train scene are gems as well. That last one was my favorite part.

The seventh film collects successful plot points and elements from previous volumes and merges them together. Every time I watch one of these movies, I feel like I want to be a spy too. Ethan Hunt has such a solid team behind him. But this time they have a smaller role than usual. Which was my only critique. We did get a new great addition though, in the form of Hayley Atwell. She is amazing in this film and I hope (and predict) she will be in the next film as well.

They cleverly added “Part One” to the film title, so people know this film might end on a cliffhanger and with several loose ends. I can’t wait for this story to continue, because all Mission: Impossible film deliver and excel in their action sequences and stunt work.

Rating: 4/ 5

Summerween 2023 - Wrap-Up

Summerween has been over for a while now, but I have finished all the books I had set for my TBR. All five I have read physically, which is kind of a big deal. Okay, I specifically picked shorter books (not all though), to make it more achievable. But still. You can check out the original post for my Summerween TBR HERE

I made a prediction for how I would rank them. And this is what I thought the top 5 would be:
1. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

2. What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

3. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

4. Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

5. The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean

I was very sure about my number one, the rest I just winged. I put the Will Dean book last because that was the book I knew the least about. Turns out, this was my actual ranking at the and of the readathon!!! 

Here are some short thoughts on each book, per prompt, with links to the full review:

Prompt 1: Read a book in the dark

Slaugtherhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

A unique book, which I highly enjoyed, but is definitely not for everyone. It constantly jumps back and forth in time and it deals with alien abduction. I love Vonnegut's writing. Read my full review HERE

Rating: 4/ 5

Prompt 2: Read a Thriller

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

A fast-paced and exciting thriller. Just when you think you've figured it out, it goes in a different direction. Hard to put down and again a great John Marrs thriller. Not all twists are as surprising, but the ending was. HERE is my full review. 

Rating 4,5/ 5

Prompt 3: Read a book that takes place in the fall

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

A modern fairytale, a magical yet creepy read. Quick and original, with beautiful illustrations and fantastic characters. Great for adults and kids. Click HERE to check out my full review. 

Rating:5/ 5

Prompt 4: Read a book with orange or black on the cover

The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean

A story that had potential, but didn't use it to the fullest. i didn't enjoy this book. only the first 20 percent maybe, but then it became repetitve and boring. Would not reccommend. HERE is my full review. 

Rating: 2/ 5

Prompt 5: Read a manga, graphic novel or novella

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

A classic story, which would be perfect for those who haven't delved into to classic yet. This is a good one to start with. The infamous plot twist is well-written and I really wonder how people back in the day responded to reading that for the first time. It was a fine read, but in the end it never captivated or grabbed me. HERE is my full review. 

Rating: 3/ 5

My average rating for this readaton is: 3,8

I did well, in general. One 5-star book, I'm happy about that. Just a shame for that one 2-star book though. I had made this TBR beforehand, but it's not something I'm going to continue. I prefer to read whatever I'm in the mood for, not a set TBR. So, back to mood reading now. 

10s Movie Review - What We Did On Our Holiday

Director: Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin
Genre: Comedy/ Dram
Runtime: 95 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: David Tennant, Rosamund Pike, Billy Connelly, Ben Miller, Emilia Jones, Bobby Smalldridge, Harriet Turnbull, Amelia Bullmore, Celia Imre

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 29: A MOVIE SET IN THE SUMMER
 
Description: A family of five heads to Granddad’s nig 75^th-birthday party at an uncle’s estate in rural Scotland. The parents (Rosamund Pike, David Tennant) are separated and hope their three kids won’t mention it. The kids love, can talk with, and would do anything for Granddad.

Review: The marriage of Doug and Abi is on the verge of collapsing. But they have to keep it a secret for Doug’s dad Gordie, who is sick and might not have that long to live. That’s more difficult than it sounds, because Doug and Abi are visiting Gordie for his 75^th birthday in Scotland and are taking their three young children with them. And they need to keep the secret too.

I didn’t know much about this film, but it pleasantly surprised me. It takes some time to get going, but once we’re in the story it is such a fun film. The script is fresh and the setting is gorgeous.

Rosamune Pike, David Tennant and Billy Connolly are the big names, but it’s the three kids that steal the show. Such heartwarming and endearing performances by all three, especially in combination with Connolly, who is their granddad.

A good tragic-comedic film, perfect length and endearing roles for three talented children.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book Review - Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Title: Coraline
Series: -
Author: Neil Gaiman
 
Description: There is something strange about Coraline’s new home. It’s not the mist, or the cat that always seems to be watching her, not the signs of danger that Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, her new neighbors, read in the tea leaves. It’s the other house, the one behind the old in the drawing room. Another mother and father with black-button eyes and papery skin are waiting for Coraline to join them there. And they want her to stay with them. Forever. She knows that is she ventures through that door, she may never come back.
 
Review: Coraline and het family have just moved into a large house. The house is so big, it is divided into four apartments. Coraline and her parents live on the second floor, with elderly ladies Spink and Forcible among them. On the attic floor love a crazy old man who is training a mouse circus. The fourth house, next to Coraline’s apartment, is empty.
 
One day, Coraline finds a door, and when she opens it she walks into an apartment that looks exactly like hers. But better. The food is tastier, the toys are nicer and even her parents are there. But they are different, have black-button eyes and papery white skin. The ‘other mother’ wants Coraline to stay with her forever, but Coraline really wants to go back. But she finds out her actual parents have been stolen.
 
“Coraline” is definitely an extraordinary book. The characters are apt and well developed, with Coraline herself as the leading role. She is a delightful headstrong girl, which is especially evident in the dialogues with her eccentric roommates. The setting is also perfectly chosen. And old house with a dilapidated garden quickly evokes associations of all sorts of ghost stories.
 
“Coraline” is an exceptional and original story, that read like a modern fairy tale, and cannot be compared to any other book I have read. I love Neil Gaiman’s writing and world building. He builds the tension, which is well dosed and grimly constant, but is never relies on bombastic scare effects. It relies on a chilling setting, creepy undertones and a series of extraordinary characters.
 
I read the copy with illustrations by Chris Riddell, which are detailed pen drawings that a just a creepy and magical as the story is. A good addition to Gaiman’s book.
 
“Coraline” is exciting, highly original, pleasantly creepy and very quick to read. A highly recommended read, for both adults and children.
 
Rating: 5/ 5

Book Review - The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean

Title: The Last Thing to Burn
Series: -
Author: Will Dean
 
Description: On an isolated farm in the United Kingdom, a woman is trapped by the monster who kidnapped her seven years ago. When she discovers she is pregnant, she resolves to protect her child no matter the cost, and starts to meticulously plan her escape. But when another woman is brought into the fold on the farm, her plans go awry. Can she save herself, her child, and this innocent woman at the same time? Or is she doomed to spend the remainder of her life captive on his farm?
 
Review: There should be trigger-warnings for “The Last Thing to Burn”. The book shows several ways of physical, sexual and emotional violence and abuse. That said, this is a creepy story about human trafficking and sexual slavery.
 
We start the book with Jane (her real name is Thanh Dao) who is running. She can’t get far because of her hurting ankle and is soon found by Len. He has been keeping her captive for the past years, on his remote farm. Thanh Dao and her sister have been brought to England illegally, as refugees from Vietnam. Smuggled by human traffickers and sold as sex slaves.
 
Len is a repulsive, despicable man, who gets worse and worse, especially because he breaks Thanh Dao’s self-worth. The title of the book refers to the punishment to burn her personal belongings one by one, so she will behave. We see everything from Thanh Dao’s perspective and some decisions Len makes seem a but strange. Especially the motive in the second half of the book, where not an illegal refugee but a local is being held. Overall, it is not very credible that this man is even on one side of a human smuggling and slavery operation.
 
When I started this book, I was intrigued and sucked in. It felt like a book I was going to love. But that changed drastically. At one point in the book, it feels like you’re reading the same thing over and over again. It becomes repetitive and I lost interest. Len obviously has some sort of English accent or dialect, which I found very strange to read. He left out certain words, or something like that. I found it unpleasant to read. It read like a Vietnamese refugee spoke better and more fluent English then the actual Englishman. It really bothered me.
 
With that, the book was predictable. I was expecting some twist or a great finale, but nothing like that happened. The story was mostly about Thanh Dao’s survival and how she survived all this time by hanging on to her memories. Which is a beautiful thing, of course, but it never grabbed me. I felt like the author, Will Dean, was building up to something, but we never got there. “The Last Thing to Burn” dragged and felt so long for a pretty short book.
 
This story had such potential, but didn’t use it to the fullest. I feel bad to rate it this low, since it has a very high average rating on GoodReads. I just didn’t enjoy this book.
 
Rating: 2/ 5

Book Review - The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood

Title: The Marlow Murder Club
Series: Marlow Murder Club #1
Author: Robert Thorogood
 
Description: Judith Potts is seventy-seven years old and blissfully happy. She lives on her own in a faded mansion just outside Marlow, there’s no man in her life to tell her what to do or how much whisky to drink, and to keep herself busy she sets crosswords for The Times newspaper.
 
One evening, while out swimming in the Thames, Judith witnesses a brutal murder. The local police don’t believe her story, so she decides to investigate for herself, and is soon joined in her quest by Suzie, a salt-of-the-earth dog-walker, and Becks, the prim and proper wife of the local Vicar.
 
Together, they are the Marlow Murder Club.
 
When another body turns up, they realize they have a real-life serial killer on their hands. And the puzzle they set out to solve has become a trap from which they might never escape…
 
Review: We meet Judith Potts, a 77-year old woman living by herself in a giant mansion, who created crosswords for a living. When she finds her neighbor dead one day, she knows for sure he has been murdered. But the police think it’s suicide. Judith goes out and tries to solve the murder herself and gets the help from two new friends.
 
With amateur sleuths as your leading characters, it’s very important to make them interesting and likeable. Judith is one of the loveliest female characters in a murder mystery I have ever read about. I loved her from the start. Together with her partners in crime Suzie and Becks, she forms such a great team. A group of very different people who become close friends.
 
It's difficult not to compare “The Marlow Murder Club” to “The Thursday Murder Club”, because it follows similar themes and follows elderly amateur sleuths. This book is a bit faster paced and more ‘action-packed’, but not better or worse than “The Thursday Murder” and I liked it equally.
 
Judith tries to solve these murders like a real puzzle, where he job as a crossword puzzle designer comes in handy (how cool is that job by the way). And I loved trying to solve it with her. I really loved “The Marlow Murder Club”. It already has a sequel out, which I will definitely watch. Maybe we have a new favorite series on our hands here.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

Rewatching My 100 Favorite Movies - Update 22

I decided to rewatch my 100 favorite movies of all-time. What those are, you can check HERE. I watch them in random order, there is no rhyme or reason there, just watching those movies I love so much.
 

73/ 100: Little Miss Sunshine (2008)
A dysfunctional American family (desperately positive father, sensible wife, adolescent son, unhinged grandfather and suicidal husband) sets off for California in an old, yellow VW van. After all, the adorable, seven-year-old daughter Olive has made it to the finals of the Little Miss Sunshine competition. Sweetness often lurks, but each time the story manages to surprise. The finale, as funny as it is bold, still offers no redemption to the troubled family, but does wonders for the mood. A movie I always turn to to feel happy. Read my full review HERE.
 

74/ 100: Jaws (1975)
A seaside town is terrorized by a great white shark, which has already claimed several victims. The mayor refuses to close the beach. Police Sheriff Brody then, aided by biologist Matt Hooper and rough sea dog Quint, battles the monster himself. At sea, even though he actually has a fear of water. We pretty much don’t see the shark for the first 45 minutes and that is exactly the strength of the film and the best part of this classic by Steven Spielberg. Because with horror movies it’s the thing you don’t see that scares you the most. The movie didn’t really stand the test of time because of the huge mechanical shark, that isn’t that realistic when you full see it partially out of the water towards the end, but this film is still brilliantly filmed and superbly acted. HERE is my full review.
 

75/ 100: Inglorious Basterds (2009)
A group of tough Jewish-American soldiers try to kill as many nazis as possible during WWII occupied France. A cinema owner tries to make the best of things under occupation. And a German officer hunts down Jews. Director and writer Quentin Tarantino intertwined their stories into a clever screenplay, which served as the basis for this rock-solid war film. The agonizing tension in “Inglorious Basterds” is interspersed with dark humor. Sharp dialogue and interesting characters. Check our my full review HERE.
 
Still to watch: 25

10s Movie Review - Automata

Director: Gabe Ibanez
Genre: Science Fiction/ Action/ Drama
Runtime: 109 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Dylan McDermott, Melanie Griffith, Robert Forster, Javier Bardem

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 28: A MOVIE WITH A ROBOT, CYBORG OR A.I. CHARACTER

Description: Human race is at edge of te end. Robot race is at edge of the beginning.

Review: In the year 2044, only twenty million souls live on a largely scorched earth. However, robots have joined them, doing all kinds of chores. Robot rules dictate that they don’t mess with people or themselves, but as it goes, some robots develop a drive of their own.

A movie I think is better then most people say it is. Great set design and an interesting story. It has some really strong scenes and Antonio Banderas is pretty good in his role. The flaw remains that the film limps between two minds: robot rebellion and family man worries. And that’s one thought too many.

Rating: 3 / 5
 

Book Review - Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Title: Slaughterhouse Five
Series: -
Author: Kurt Vonnegur
 
Description: Billy Pilgrim - hapless barber’s assistan, successful optometrist, alien abductee, senile widower and soldier - has become unstuck in time. Hiding in the basement of a slaughterhouse in Dresden, with the city and its inhabitants burning above him, he finds himself a survivor of one of the most deadly and destructive battles of the Second World War. But when, exactly? How did he get here? And how does he get out?
 
Review: In “Slaughterhouse Five”, we follow the fortunes of Billy Pilgrim. Billy is a somewhat dumb, awkward and average American. He survives the bombing of Dresden at the end of World War II. At the same time, Billy constantly travels in time and is abducted by aliens.
 
This sounds absolutely ridiculous, but it isn’t. This book is a delight to read. The story creates absurd flash-backs and flash-forwards. One moment Billy is a prisoner of war, the next he is at his wedding party. He is tossed back and forth so often that he never has enough time to dwell on the situation. This also prevents Billy from making a connection to present. Everytime someone dies, he sighs, “so it goes”. His coping mechanism is the time traveling.
 
His experiences on the planet Tralfamadore, where Billy is exhibited in a zoo, further contributes to his indifference to earthly concerns. The Tralfamadorians experience every moment in the light of eternity and see distinction between past, present and future. Everything seems to happen for them at the same time.
 
The two absurd interventions, the time travel and the aliens, make “Slaughterhouse Five” a wacky novel on a very heavy theme. It’s the genius of this novel. The absurdity does not act absurd just because life and reality is essentially equally absurd and unpredictable.
 
Kurt Vonnegut has written a classic, no doubt. This book says more about the madness of World War II than all the reference works on that topic combined. Vonnegut writes smoothly and with striking imagery. The dry, factual narration of Billy Pilgrim contrasts with the tragic wartime horror.
 
“Slaughterhouse Five” is not a book for everyone. It’s completely different from I expected from it. But it’s such a good read.
 
Rating: 4/ 5
 

Book Review - Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Title: Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde
Series: -
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
 
Description: The story of respectable Dr. jekyll’s strange association with damnable young man Edward Hyde; the hunt through fog-bound London for a killer; and the final revelation of Hyde’s true identity.
 
Review: I think everyone knows this story. In the form of a book or movie at least, or just from hearsay. So did I, but I never read the book myself. It’s only a short novella, originally published in 1886 and we follow Dr. Jekyll  and the mysterious Mr. Hyde. Seen through the eyes of lawyer Utterson, who wants to find out who this Hyde is.
 
Don’t let the length fool you, it’s not an easy read. It’s is a character study and is not plot driven. I think most of us know the big plot twist for this story, but I’m not going to spoil it anyway. Even though I knew about it, it was great to read it. I can only imagine the responses from the people who read this back in the day, it being such a fantastic twist and reveal.
 
If you want to dive into more classic novels, I think this is a good way to start that. Because it’s a shorter book that does have a slow pace, but because most classic stories are slower paced, this novella would be great to start with.
 
I enjoyed this story, but it never fully captivated me or grabbed me. Whenever I put the book down, I didn’t have that feeling of wanting to pick it up again as soon as I could.
 
Rating: 3/ 5

00s Movie Review - Inglorious Basterds

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Genre: Action/ Thriller
Runtime: 152 minutes
Year: 2009
Starring: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Brühl, B.J. Novak, Eli Roth, Til Schweiger, Mike Myers, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Fassbender, Cloris Leachman, Gedeon Burkhard

Description: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same.

Review: When the name Quentin Tarantino os on a movie poster, I’m in! He is probably my favorite director of all time and he has a fantastic resume (all but one film). His style is unique, his dialogues are memorable and quotable and the characters are unforgettable. “Inglourious Basterds” is definitely one of my favorites.

“Inglourious Basterds” shows an alternative history of World War II. In this version there is a group of infiltrating soldiers called the Basterds. It’s their task to scare the occupants by killing Nazis in the most brutal ways. They are led by Aldo Raine and all of the men are Jewish Americans. During their quest, the get together with the German actress Bridget von Hammersmark, who also works as a spy.

This film is again filled with amazing characters. It’s a bizarre potpourri of people, that are hard to believe to be real, but are convincing anyway. Brad Pitt portrays Aldo Raine in the most fantastic way. Hilarious even. Mélanie Laurent is a great newcomer, as Shoshanna Dreyfuss, who wants revenge for the death of her family. But Christoph Waltz is probably the greatest discovery of the ‘00s. As Hans Landa is manages to scare you, charm you and disgust you at the same time. What a fantastic performance and also one of Tarantino’s best characters ever.

Like I stated before, Tarantino knows how to write great dialogue. And that’s no different here. The dialogues are long, but never dull. The conversations stay interesting and the situations original.
“Inglourious Basterds” is a film that I can enjoy every single time, even due to the length of the film. It’s a must for every Tarantino fan. No, for every movie fan. Last correction: it’s a must for everyone!

Rating: 5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Little Miss Sunshine

Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2006
Starring: Abigail Breslin, Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Paul Dano, Bryan Cranston, Wallace Langham

Description: A family determined to get their young daughter (Abigail Breslin) into the finals of a beauty pageant take a cross-country trip in their VW bus.

Review: In the American tragi-comedy “Little Miss Sunshine” we meet the Hoover family. A family with eccentric and quirky members. It’s a road movie and the members of the family get to know each other and themselves better and everything changes after this trip. 

“Little Miss Sunshine” has quality. The script is executed very well and the humor is fantastic. If it’s a VW van that malfunctions, the extreme positivism of father Richard or the comments that the coke sniffing grandpa gives his family, it’s great humor.

Up against those hilarious moments, there are also some surprising emotional scenes. This gives it all a perfect balance between comedy and light drama. The Hoovers are real people, although not ordinary, you come to love all of them.

The cast is amazing. Young Abigail Breslin is the shining star of the bunch, with a bright future ahead. Alan Arkin is very funny as grandpa and Steve Carell really impresses as depressed suicidal uncle Frank. Toni Colette, Greg Kinnear and Paul Dano also perform very well.

“Little Miss Sunshine” is one of those movies that puts a smile on your face. It’s one of my all-time favorite movies. 

Rating: 5/ 5

Book Review - What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

Title: What Lies Between Us
Series: -
Author: John Marrs
 
Description: They say every house has its secrets, and the house Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except that these secrets are not buried in the past.
 
Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heave chain that keeps her there. Because Maggie has done things to Nina that can’t ever be forgiven, and now she is paying the price.
 
But there are many things about the past that Nina doesn’t know, and Maggie is going to keep it that way, even if it kills her.
 
Review: Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she has done and thus she will never set her free. Nina keeps Maggie locked and chained in the attic for something that happened in the past. But there is more to that past that Nina doesn’t know about and Maggie wants to keep these secrets hidden, no matter what.
 
You get sucked into this sick story from page one, but why Nina is keeping Maggie locked up remains unanswered for a long time. You have a lot of questions, more then answers. And that makes “What Lies Between Us” an absolute page-turner. Along the way you realize that both women have their fair share of secrets and have done bad things.
 
It’s an intense thriller, full of adrenaline that takes insanity to another level. The twists and turns in the story alone are not mind-blowing, but you’re constantly led astray. When you think you’ve figured it out, it goes the other way. Because I didn’t predict that ending.

“What Lies Between Us” is an unstoppable, emotionally shocking and addictive thrill ride. I can now say that John Marrs is a favorite author and I want to read all of his books.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Alex Cross

Director: Rob Cohen
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Mystery
Runtime: 101 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox, Edward Burns, Rachel Nichols, Jean Reno, Carmen Ejogo, Cicely Tyson, John C. McGinley

Description: Homicide detective Alex Cross (Tyler Perry) is pushed to the brink of his moral and physical limits as he tangles with a ferociously skilled hired killer (Matthew Fox) who specializes in torture and pain.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 27: A THIRD MOVIE IN A SERIES

Review: Alex Cross is a psychologist and homicide detective, created by author James Patterson, who wrote a books series about this interesting character that has over 20 books and counting in it. Alex Cross has turned up in movies before, in the form of Morgan Freeman who portrayed him in “Kiss the Girls” and “Along Came a Spider”. In this film, based on the twelfth book in the series, has Tyler Perry as the titular character. Cross is dealing wit a violently deranged killer, who leaves cubist drawings as clues.

James Patterson is one of the best crime writers in the business, so the source material is solid. “Kiss the Girls” is one of my go-to thrillers. “Along Came a Spider” was okay, but not noteworthy. “Alex Cross” is just bad. It’s filled with bad dialogues, clearly not written by Patterson. And it’s in this story that Cross is offered the job to work for the FBI as a psychoanalyst. Which is very implausible, since all of his analysis are based on a few mere clues.

What is even more implausible is the fight between Alex and the perpetrator, called Picasso. Whereas Picasso is first portrayed as a dangerous maniac who causes death and destruction as if a whole arsenal of criminals had done these deeds, the creators just as easily step away from that and Picasso suddenly has trouble with Dr. Alex Cross. And Tyler Perry is really not good as Cross and he’s absolutely not believable as a psychoanalytic observer. Of course you’re going to compare him to Morgan Freeman, who portrayed Cross as a calm, rational and intelligent professional. Perry just never convinces.

The same goes for the story. The Alex Cross stories have serious topics, but this film has a comedic undertone due to some of the characters. John C. McGinley’s character gives it that undertone and it’s just out of place. Matthew Fox, as the villain Picasso, is pretty good though.

Although the film is meant to be a serious action thriller, it feels more like a satirical version of it. The film is predictable, cheesy, implausible and both the dialogue and most of the acting are just awful. I don’t think James Patterson is happy with this film.

Rating: 1,5/ 5