Yesterday I finished up book 3 of Eric Van Lustbader's Pearl Saga. I had thought it was the final of the series (as epic fantasy often comes in threes) but upon completing it I found that I was mistaken. Most assuredly, there is more to come. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I really enjoyed the first two books and am enjoying the ongoing story arc. However, the third book read almost like it had been written by two different authors! Parts of it were filled with numerous sentence fragments, which I found incredibly off-putting. Not only did they not read well, but such a style wasn't evident throughout the earlier books. Hmmmm. Hopefully Mr Lustbader will drop that quirky style in the subsequent volumes.
reviews
Finally, I have remembered to write up some brief reviews of some of the movies I've rented recently.
The Core
A movie of two halves - the good half and the bad half. It started out with such promise. The setup had me intrigued and I was impressed with a number of casting decisions. There's a great pigeon panic scene (though if you're a pigeon breeder it would probably bother you) and for the most part it's interesting, but it all fell away in the second half as the intrepid crew ventured deep into earth to jumpstart its core. What should have been the best part of the movie was rather dull, hampered by average FX, and cursed with redundant death scenes that failed to move me.
Big Fish
I missed this quirky offering from Tim Burton during its cinema run, but it holds up well on a small screen. It wasn't quite as engaging as I had hoped, but it certainly wasn't lacking in entertainment value and charm. Visually stunning, it's a feast for the eyes, most definitely. I loved the story, and there were no weak players in the cast, so there is much to recommend it. It seemed to be missing something though, I just can't put my finger on it.
In America
Loved this drama about an Irish family struggling to cope with the loss of their youngest member, starting a new life (with new struggles) in America. The story is told through the eyes of eldest daughter Christy, who I suppose is really the glue that keeps the family together. It's a beautifully moving film, and the performances are spot on, particularly from the delightful Bolger sisters, and also Samantha Morton who plays the mother. Most definitely worth a look.
The Sin Eater
Apparently sins taste like salted bread. Known in other parts of the world as The Order, I freely admit the main reason I rented this was because it teamed A Knight's Tale writer/producer/director Brian Helgeland with some of his cast from that film (a favourite of mine). I was interested to see how they all fared in such a different genre. Not quite as well, but I didn't mind this film. Unfortunately, a fascinating idea wasn't as well explored as it should have been, but there were some suitably creepy moments and a great bleak and moody look to the whole thing. Performances were good, though nothing remarkable.
random bits
Week 1 of semester 2 complete; prospects are good, this should be a worthwhile, challenging and interesting semester. Let's see how long my enthusiasm lasts - anyone like to make a prediction, go right ahead!
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feeling:
groovin' to: "Beautiful" - Christina Aguilera
bookworm currently enjoying: "Mission" - Patrick Tilley
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2 comments:
Week 5 or the night before the due date of your first assignment, whichever is the sooner.
Haha, that sounds about right! I'll have to check when my first assignment is due, I have a feeling it's the beginning of week 6. Anyway, we shall see how accurate your powers of prediction are..
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