Friends Like These by Meg Rosoff – Book Review

It’s the eighties, New York. Beth has landed a dream summer internship at a newspaper along with four others, and quickly makes friends with quirky whirlwind Edie. But is getting caught up with Edie the best or worst thing that could happen to Beth?

I feel that there aren’t a lot of books around set in the eighties – or am I about to find myself reading every eighties book that there is? I enjoyed the world of New York in the eighties that Rosoff created, however I felt the book was overall very surface level, emotion-wise. It was one of those books where a lot happens, but I didn’t feel particularly engaged or connected to it. A good, quick read, but not a lot of depth.

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera – Book Review

If you get a call from Death-Cast, you know it’s your last day. This happens to Mateo and Rufus, who connect through an app for those who are about to die. Two very different people from very different backgrounds, being together for their last day may just be perfect.

I loved this concept, and all of the philosophical questions it poses. Would you want to know if you were going to die? Would knowing change your behaviour? There are side stories in the book of other deaths, deaths that happened because the person changed their behaviour. Would they have died regardless of what they did? I am intrigued by this. This was also a really good YA book that I’d definitely recommend, and I feel would make a decent film.

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin – Book Review

Sam and Sadie were friends as kids as one was recovering from an accident in hospital and the other’s sister was being treated in the same hospital. The one thing that bonded them was video games. After a long falling out, they bump into each other as they attend college and, joined by Sam’s housemate, they develop a highly successful video game.

I seem to be in the middle of a spate of books which I don’t connect with initially but then grow to love. This was one which, despite having a lot happening, it felt like nothing was going on – until it was. It took me until about three quarters of the way through the book, and then I just couldn’t put it down. I’m not sure if that makes it a good book or just annoying… the one thing I found interesting was the gaming talk. I don’t play video games, I enjoyed them as a kid, but even then it was the repetitive ones, like Tetris, rather than the fancier long play type things which I enjoyed. But I liked the discussions around what a game should be, how the audiences connect, discussions on popularity vs artistic integrity. It was cool.

 

The Guncle by Steven Rowley – Book Review

Patrick was the star of a huge sitcom who lives alone in Palm Springs since his partner died. When his best friend dies after a long illness and her husband, Patrick’s brother, admits to becoming addicted to painkillers, Patrick takes their two children until . their father comes out of rehab.

Initially, this was a light read, a bit silly and it didn’t really grab me. But then I kept reading, and the way the characters dealt with, and didn’t deal with, their grief and finding a new way after losing someone significant became… wonderful. I didn’t expect to come to enjoy this book so much.

Ticket to Paradise (2022) Film Review

Georgia (Julia Roberts) and David (George Clooney) were married for a while a long time ago, and now hate each other. However, when their daughter, Lily (Kaitlyn Dever) falls in love with a seaweed farmer, Gede (Maxime Bouttier) in Bali and decides to marry him and live there, they come together to try to change her mind.

This has the feel of an old school (think 80s/90s old school) rom com, but not. It just doesn’t quite work. It’s beautiful – the scenery is stunning and the water… wow – but that wasn’t enough. I don’t know if it’s that a film like this doesn’t work as well now as it did back in the day. I suspect that a lot of people will love it. I think it’s just fine.

Afterlife of the Party (2021) Film Review

Cassie (Victoria Justice) dies partying celebrating her birthday, but is able to use afterlife magic and ghostliness to try to find closure on her life.

Sometimes, it takes me a while to get around to actually writing these tiny little reviews, and sometimes in that time, I’ve pretty much forgotten everything about the film. At least with the films that are not great… and this is one of them. I think I didn’t hate watching it, but given I gave it 2 ½ stars on Letterboxd and can’t remember anything from the film… this clearly wasn’t a winner for me.

Baby Done (2020) Film Review

Zoe (Rose Matafeo) falls pregnant to her long time boyfriend, Tim (Matthew Lewis) and while he thinks it’s great, she’s freaking out. She’s used to an adventurous lifestyle, doing dangerous things and being free, and she’s not ready to give it all up.

I love the dry, New Zealand humour and this is a top notch cast (really, give me Rachel House anyday). It was kinda nice to see a bit of a genderswap with the pregnancy freakout – it seems it’s always the bloke not coping. I did find myself getting very frustrated with the characters, just wanting them to talk to each other, for crying out loud. Still… it didn’t really work for me. It had potential, but just didn’t quite get there.

Batman and Robin (1997) Film Review

And finally, Batman and Robin… what a stinker. I’m a big fan of George Clooney, but he was too charming and not tortured enough as Batman for me. Arnold Schwartzenegger was terrible as Mr Freeze, in fact both he and Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy seemed to be just punching out the one-liners and it didn’t work. This felt like it was probably down the director’s choices, perhaps just trying to capture the comic book element. It just felt really dumbed down. I wanted to enjoy both Chris O’Donnell and Alicia Silverstone more, but I didn’t. Avoid, for sure.

Batman Forever (1995) Film Review

And this is where the wheels started to come off this series of Batman films. Joel Schumacher is directing and he keeps a lot of the aesthetic that Tim Burton created in the first two. However, I never loved Val Kilmer as Batman. Tommy Lee Jones was ok as Harvey Dent and Jim Carrey was extremely…  Jim Carrey as the Riddler. I really disliked the scenes with the two of them together – it just felt absurdly over the top. And the Dr Chase Meridian plotline just annoyed me.

Batman Returns (1992) Film Review

The second in the late 80s/early 90s films, this is the second and final Batman from Tim Burton. It’s still got Michael Keaton as Batman, but adding Danny Devito as a magnificently creepy Penguin (makes me shudder) and Michelle Pfieffer wonderfully as Catwoman. I personally think this is still a very good film. Love it.