This movie was a lot a fun, the plot moved along and kept me guessing as to who was the killer. A large cast of characters (some with dodgy accents!), it gives a nod to Agatha Christie mysteries. Not everything is as it seems with this family, and all members have a reason to see head of the family Harlan Thrombey dead. It was nice to watch a mystery movie with little bloody violence and swearing.
Based on a book by James Baldwin, this movie is set in 1970s Harlem. Tish and Fonny are a young couple, set to get married, when he is wrongfully imprisoned. It’s a powerful story about deep love- both romantic and of family – in a harsh environment. Beautifully shot, moving, and thought-provoking.
A beautiful, heartbreaking book about Conor, who, struggling to come to terms with his mother’s illness, is visited by a monster in the garden. It’s about loss, love, life, truth, and hope. Is very sad, but deeply moving and the audiobook is brilliantly read by Jason Isaacs.
Shetland season 4. This is the face of someone who really loves Shetland! It is absolute accent heaven, has beautiful scenery, the characters are complex, and endearing, and the mystery is topical, harrowing, and clever. This is the latest season; we have them all on DVD. Read the books, too; they are quite different.
Having read Sally Field’s autobiography earlier this year, I thought it was time to revisit the movie from which I know her best. It was a delightfully nostalgic movie. Set in the American South, in the 1980s, it is full of fabulous actors (Dolly Parton!), and is funny, sweet, heartbreaking, and whimsical.
The Outlander
series by Diana Gabaldon is the story of a 20th-century British nurse Claire Randall who time travels to 18th-century Scotland where she falls in love and finds adventure with a gallant young scots warrior named James Fraser.
Sounds simple enough (a bit like ’50 Shades of Grey’ and simplistic drivel I hear you saying!) but the books are anything but! Yes! – I am an unashamed “Outlander” tragic, having read all eight novels in this historical multi genre series and eagerly awaiting the ninth book currently in the pipeline. I have watched all four seasons of the TV series (not anywhere as good as the books), and I follow the odd social media fandom page!
In the words of the author herself, “these novels are big, fat Historical Fiction… and include… history, warfare, medicine, sex, violence, spirituality, honour, betrayal, vengeance, hope and despair, relationships, the building and destruction of families and societies, time travel, moral ambiguity, swords, herbs, horses, gambling (with cards, dice, and lives), voyages of daring, journeys of both body and soul…”
What appeals to me about these books is the fact that they encompass numerous genres including Romance, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction and Time Travel Fiction. Diana Gabaldon’s writing is richly detailed and beautiful. I flew through these hefty, lengthy books and loved them!
Now want to visit Scotland and explore the fascinating historical sites and countryside. If I am lucky, I might run into a certain good-looking Scottish highlander although I, uh, only watch and read Outlander for the history, mind you!
The Tunnel (series 2) on DVD. I watched the first and third series on television, and needed the library in order to fill the gap (RRL owns all three seasons on DVD). It is a bleak and gritty crime series, set in the UK and France (connected by the tunnel). The two leads are compelling, difficult, and damaged people, the crimes are violent and very much of our times, and the character development throughout the series is brilliant.
I had high hopes for this movie written by Ben Elton and featuring a stellar Aussie cast. But. The dialogue seemed a bit forced and there were multiple storylines that did not all mix together. The movie takes place over 3 summers of a folk festival in WA – Westifal. It covers a lot of themes – romance, family, racism, refugees, excepting change and celebrating differences. It was enjoyable but not the best Aussie movie I’ve watched.
I thought the film was pretty bleak, so I wanted to read the book to see if it was different. If anything, it is significantly more bleak, but also simpler, and somehow more affecting. Florence Green is a widow who opens a bookshop in a small, not especially lovely, coastal English town. It’s not a happy story, not even a little, and it isn’t about the power of books, really, either. It is, however, a quietly powerful story of relationships, strength, and quirky personalities.
Surely an English, period movie about a bookshop is going to be right up my alley. Florence Green, a widow, decides to fulfill a dream and open a bookshop in a small town by the sea, despite no encouragement from her lawyer, banker, or the townspeople. The scenery is lovely, as are the costumes, and Florence and the reclusive Mr Brundish are endearing characters, but I felt that the film didn’t quite live up to its promise. I still enjoyed it, but I can cope with a bleak and sad ending. If you want bookish and happy, stick to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
rrlreads 