DVD 2 – AUSTRALIA

Is it wrong that I LOVE this film?? At 3 hours it’s an epic but I like how it contains many stories – the Englishwomen travel to a far-flung world – the evil doer being found out – the drove – the creation of a unique family – the battle to hold a family together cross race – war – and the everlasting love conquering all.

clichéd I know, but a seriously good tale.

Nicole Kidman is magnificent – can this women have any more facial expressions? Even when wearing ridiculous spectacles and playing a haughty toity women she still exudes strength and femininity.

Hugh Jackman is the perfect opposite to Nicole – their love seems so genuine and by not making it simple it takes on a more realistic tone. Ok ok, I know the story may be a little unrealistic at times.

Well saying that it’s not that parts of the story couldn’t have happened somewhere its more that they didn’t happen to one person in the course of 2 years!!!

Audiobook 2 – The Discovery of Witches – July

The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Listening to this book, I wanted to know where the story was going but I also knew that there was going to be a long wait for the next book (promised next year) so it was bittersweet when the book ended.  While a bit slow to begin with, you come to appreciate the author’s attention to detail and explanation, I am actually listening to the book again and can’t believe the intricacies in the plot which I missed the first time.

Diana, a young witch avoiding her magic, makes a strong heroine. At times the description of her running and rowing seem a bit tedious but they do enable the reader to understand her dedication and strength.

In Diana – Matthew, the dashing vampire with headstrong temper, finds himself a worthy mate.

The author cleverly balances romance, inter-race tension and supernatural with history, family life and tradition. It is well worth a read/listen and to be honest I can’t wait till they make it into a movie.

All week I have been thinking about who I would cast (see some ideas below)

As Diana

I firstly thought maybe Rachel McAdams but wonder if she is too wholesome – Diana needs a bookish innocence about her combined with an innate power and strength that would make her capable to lead an army.

Other ideas where Olivia Wilde or Emily Blunt

As Michael

This was tough, as needs to be tall and menacing, as well as a beauty. Ideas so far have been Patrick Dempsey (we’d need to sort his hair out), Jonny Depp or Jake Gyllenhaal (with some major styling changes)

As Sarah

Jodie Foster

As Em

Julianne Moore

As Ysebau

Marion Cotillard

The story is about Diana’s struggle with her powers, her growing feelings for a vampire and power struggles between the three supernatural groups. Diana and Matthew hold the key to understanding the origins of species and their romance comes to mean more than just crossing barriers for love but time itself.

A five-star read!

What to listen to next :-)

DVD 1 – Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go

12

With Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley

So I knew this was going to be a sad one, but I don’t think I realised how hollow you would feel and also how many questions it would raise!

Will a world ever exist were this type of existence may be part of everyday life? Will cloning become the norm? Do we want to survive all illness and live till our 100s? When does the technological advances and scientific finds cross the line?

We read stories or see programmes talking about illegal harvesting of organs, this film takes it one step further into a world where duplicates are accepted and encouraged.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the film – or should I not enjoyed but transfixed – the sense of injustice at Kathy H not getting Tommy and the callousness of her supposed best friend Ruth made it a saddening but gripping tale. [Is it me or does Kiera Knightley always seem to play characters that you find yourself disliking – even her Elizabeth in Pride & Pregudice I found a little on the annoying side].

As usual both Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield were incredible. The different styles that Andrew plays were even more evident having recently watched the Social Network – his transformation from smooth cocky salesman to quiet and nervy donor is complete.

Would I watch again – yes, but I think I might need to have a bit of time between

Would I buy the book – definitely

Would I recommend – yes

Rating – 4 stars

Audiobook 1 – The Passage – June 2011

The Passage – by Justin Cronin
Well, I think I am a little late to the party on this one – but better late than never! I downloaded The Passage through Audible (great new feature connected to Amazon – and no I don’t work for them) and imagine my surprise to find that I’d chosen a 36hr 52 min audio book to listen to and by the first chapter would be so hooked I would be finding every opportunity to play the darn thing!!
Seven days later, I’m finished with loads of questions and the need to read the sequel – bring on 2012 and the new release. I bought the book in paperback too – I decided it was a good one to go on the book case

Some background and my humble thoughts
Cleverly the author starts the book in the near future, in a world very similar to ours but with a slight undertone of government control – security checks and facial recognition through-out the USA – slightly 1984  esq. Cronin builds the feeling of tension as you are introduced – through the character of inmate, John Carter –  to the idea of science and killers converging – it’s never going to end well…. It is clear that the thirst for scientific knowledge will have a catastrophic affect and the use of death row inmates could only serve to further this impending threat. As a reader/listener I was caught by the individual threads of stories- my favourites were that of Woolgast’s, Lacey’s and Amy’s – but then you jump 90 years into the future into a world where surviving is the name of the game and staying in the light is the only perceived solution. I found this quite jarring but not as badly as some of the reviews I have read. Again, and I know it’s been said by others this period did remind me of ‘I am Legend’ with a slight ‘The Village’ feel. The second part of the book is then about survival of the fittest – can the human race beat this epidemic and re-establish itself, will the best of mankind or the worst of mankind become dominant?
The new characters introduced in the future quickly become as important as those from the near present or part one and you can start to see or guess at the skills and roles that these new people will add to the story. There is a brilliant site online on the characters of Sarah, Michael, Peter, Woolgast and Lacey and who they represent to Amy – it’s worth taking the ‘which character are you’.

I was uneasy about finishing the book, having read how much people disliked the ending but I must admit, I thought this was a perfect way to keep us wanting more and it’s in keeping with the premise that this is a hostile world and just because a main character is useful does not mean they will live to the end of days….I can’t wait to see how the 2nd and 3rd book play out and who becomes important to the story moving forward.
Some questions about the next book(s)
• Will John Carter play an integral role – the fact that he was the only non killer to become one of the twelve must be significant surely?
• Does Amy love Peter? How will the dynamic of Alicia, Amy and Peter continue?
• Has the death of Babcock reduced the strength of the twelve – who will become their leader?
• Where is subject zero?
• Why is Woolgast still alive? Why can he feel more strongly than others?

My mind is swimming 🙂

My next audio book is ‘A discovery of Witches’ by Deborah Harkness. It is part of a trilogy – so I guess another book which I’m going to (I hope!) be desperately awaiting the next books release – why don’t I start these books when the rest are available!!

My challenge

So I love books, music and films – I watch, listen to and read a CERRAZZY amount of them and its about time I got round to sharing my ideas. I hope they won’t seem boring and I hope over time they might stirr up some debate but in the meantime the challenge is…

Listen and write about one audiobook a month

Watch and write about at least 2 films (that I watch all the way through) I rent a month

Lets start with that first and see…

First up, as audio its ‘The Passage’ by Justin Cronin

 

Rating system

5 stars – excellent – watch/listen to/read it over and over, buy it

4 stars – great – definitely worth watching/listening and reading

3 stars – good – 50:50

2 stars – ok – better than nothing on a rainy day

1 star – bad – don’t bother, read a spoiler and move on