3 June 2012
Call no: 800
Genre: historical fiction, Juv/YA
Setting: Britain - middle ages
7 Stars
2 Comments
Book one in The Lion Hunters Although this book doesn’t really have any fatastical elements, I am still counting it towards this year’s Once Upon a Time challenge because it is an Arthurian legend inspired book. Medraut is the eldest … Continue reading
14 January 2011
Cast: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Guy Pearce, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon, Timothy Spall
Script: David Seidler
Genre: drama, historical fiction
Setting: 1930s, England, Interwar Europe
9 Stars
8 Comments
The wireless changed a great many things. Before, all that was required of a monarch was that he look the part, and not fall off his horse. After the king would invade his people’s homes and have to court them … Continue reading
19 November 2008
Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Ioan Gruffudd, James Cromwell, Josh Brolin, Richard Dreyfuss
Script: Stanley Weiser
Genre: biopic, political
2 Comments
This is an odd sort of a film. I mean, it clearly isn’t meant to be full of praise for George W. Bush. But at the same time it is almost gentle in its treatment of him. Presenting him as … Continue reading
23 October 2008
Genre: historical fiction
Setting: Britain - Civil War & Revolution
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No ISBN ; Elsewhere Set after the execution of Charles I, this book tells the story of Charles II after his forces lose the Battle of Worcester[1] and he is forced to try and escape the country and go into … Continue reading
7 October 2008
Genre: fictional biography, historical fiction, horror
3 Comments
“Bring in the cows now. Time to shut up for the night”.
There came three cows, breathing in the near-dark: swishing with the tips of their tails, their bones showing through hide.
24 June 2008
Call no: 800
Genre: general fiction
Setting: England
1 Comment
It seems increasingly likely that I really will undertake the expedition that has been occupying my imagination now for some days.
The Remains of the Day is about Stevens, a butler in a “grand old English house”. He spent his life trying to be a “great” butler in the service of Lord Darlington. With the death of Darlington he remains in Darlington Hall working for the new owner a rich American, Mr Farraday. It is at Mr. Farraday’s suggestion that Stevens, our narrator, first begins thinking about taking a short trip out into the English countryside, and to see Miss Kenton. Now Mrs. Benn she recently sent him a letter, hinting, Stevens thinks, at her unhappy marriage and her wish to return to service in Darlington Hall. On his journey Stevens reflects over his life and the changes he has seen.
7 March 2008
Cast: Ciarán Hinds, Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano
Script: Paul Thomas Anderson
Genre: drama
Setting: California
4 Comments
It is hard to know how to describe this film. It is more of a character study than a story. Of course there is some plot, an oilman and his desire to suceed, but the story isn’t too important. What is important is the character of Daniel Plainview, as played by Oscar winning Daniel Day-Lewis.
The opening scenes show just how driven Daniel is. We watch him, working on his own, in a mine. No dialogue at all for around 15 minutes, just this man in a hole, digging, dynamiting up the earth, falling down the hole, injured and yet still having the drive to pull himself out of that hole and struggle back into town to get his bit of dirt evaluated.
29 September 2006
Cast: Helen McCrory, Helen Mirren, James Cromwell, James Marsden, Michael Sheen, Parker Posey, Paul Barrett, Sylvia Syms, Tristan Lake Leabu
Script: Peter Morgan
Genre: biopic
Setting: 1990s
7 Stars
2 Comments
This is an odd sort of film. Parts of it are very good, but other parts, well I just don’t think they work. The film is mostly set in the few days surrounding the death of Diana, as the British … Continue reading
23 August 2006
Cast: Christian Bale, Eva Longoria, Freddy Rodríguez, Tammy Trull
Script: David Ayer
Genre: drama
7 Stars
7 Comments
I’m not all that sure how to describe this film. If you’ve seen Training Day you may have a general idea of the tone; gritty and violent. But this isn’t about corrupt cops, although Bale’s character, Jim does aspire to … Continue reading