Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty: Book Review

That title is enticing right?  I had this one on my waiting list for awhile and when it finally came out, I couldn't wait to dive in.  As with every Liane Moriarty book that I have read since Big Little Lies, I had high hopes that would be just as good.  It was pretty close.  I can't say it is the equal of Big Little Lies, but it offers the same complexity of the characters and a plot that you are forever trying to figure out what the hell really happened!  Similar to Big Little Lies- you have to wait until the end.  I promise you- it is worth the wait.

Clementine and Sam have a crazy life, but a seemingly strong marriage.  Clementine is a cellist and Sam is her biggest supporter, along with their two beautiful and lively daughters.  Sam is organized and Clementine is a free spirit, but this is how they balance one another and it has worked since day one.  It seems even with their hectic balance, nothing can come between them.  This all changes the dreadful night of the barbecue.  One bad decision changed their world as they knew it forever and they knew once that line was crossed, they could never go back.  Things between them would never be the same.  Most likely their marriage and life as they knew it, was soon to be over.

Erica and Oliver are a true team.  They both come from lack luster home lives.  Oliver's parents were and still are alcoholics.  Erica's mom has struggled with hoarding ever since Erica can remember.  It was so bad during her childhood that she often found solace with her best friend Clementine and her family.  Erica and Oliver have a secret though and they need Clementine's help, which is what they were supposed to be doing the day of the barbecue.  It was a planned afternoon tea in which Clementine, Sam, and their daughters were coming over to have a chat and hear all about Oliver and Erica's big talk.  Unfortunately, Erica's neighbors, Vid and Jasmine had to ruin it all by having  ridiculous barbecue.  Little did Erica and Oliver know that this barbecue would change everything their little Type A minds had planned and even change their friendships with Clementine and Sam forever.

Vid and Jasmine were the life of the party.  Vid loved having people over and Jasmine loved seeing Vid happy so she went along with it.  So not to her surprise did Vid plan a last minute barbecue with his neighbors and their friends.  Vid had a little thing for the cellist and was fascinated by classical music which she played beautifully. Jasmine remembered meeting the couple once before and feeling as though her and Vid had hit it off well with them.  What harm could a little afternoon barbecue do?  A few hours and drinks later, Jasmine found herself in the middle of quite the scene.  Clementine and Sam were in awe by Jasmine and Vid and Jasmine knew she had the power to "rock their worlds" so to speak.  Sadly, this tempting scenario is what caused the horrific events to occur after and bring her regrets she would never be able to shake.

As you can see, this book's plot is solely based on a pretty intense barbecue in which several adults had way too much to drink and made some not so great choices.  I can't tell you what happens since it'll blow everything and I really want you to read it.  I can tell you that throughout most of my reading, I was convinced I knew what was going to happen and then Liane showed me I was wrong by throwing in her infamous plot twists.  It was a suspenseful page turner that I highly recommend. 

Magnificent 7: Magnificent in Its Own Way

This movie choice was a compromise on my part.  When you see two movies a week, it makes it tricky to always see a movie you are necessarily dying to see.  It is also important all the movies you see are not only appealing to you when you have your partner in crime tagging along in all the movie going adventures. So when going into this one, I knew it was more for my husband and the craving for popcorn than anything else.  Plus, let's be honest-I just love going to the movies.

Our setting is the Old West where towns are small, the land wide, and the sun hot.  We meet our friend Chisolm who is a talented bounty hunter.  Chisolm runs into a woman who is desperate for his help as her town has been over-run by thieves.  Once Chisolm finds out that these thieves are lead by the one and only Bartholomew Bogue, he knows exactly what he needs to do.  So Chisolm (played by Denzel Washington) finds some of the most talented, gun slinging cowboys he can to help him defeat Bogue. The question is, with all their skill and smarts-will it be enough?

I was pleasantly surprised by this one.  I am not a big fan of western movies and could do with living my whole life and never watching a cowboy flick, but this movie had heart and excellent action scenes which made it worth the watch. Denzel Washington's character had a secret agenda that you don't see until the end, but made for an excellent revenge scene.  Other actors aiding int he success of this movie were Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawk.  Knowing what you know about Chris Pratt, we definitely have humor, but there was definitely more than that.  Rotten Tomatoes gave it 63% while IMDB gave a 7.2/10.  I would have given it a solid 7/10.  It was entertaining and you did;t feel like you were watching a 2 hour and 12 minute movie.  My dad loved it and my husband thought it was ok.  To give you some perspective; my dad is a hunter/fisher who knows his way around a car.  My husband is a pop-punk, music loving, hipster who would much prefer a trip to Chicago over a fishing trip.  So if you are more like my dad, than this movie is for you.

Indie Film Series at Studio C: Little Men

One of the many things I love about Studio C in Okemos is their Indie Film Series. This fall they are showing a different indie film each week and this week I had the privilege of seeing Little Men.

Jake and his parents are forced to leave their Manhattan home when his grandfather passes away, leaving them his Brooklyn apartment.  Jake isn't too thrilled at first but is excited to make a new friend when he meets Tony.  Tony is a Brooklyn raised talker who makes friends with anyone he meets and the great thing about him is that he passes no judgement to others.  Jake is a reserved, artful soul who doesn't make friends as easily so relies on Tony for friendship.  The pair are two peas in a pod.

Their friendship is challenged when Jake's Dad is forced to evict the tenant of the dress shop below his apartment.  You see, Jake's grandfather left his dad his apartment but also the store he was leasing.  What he didn't inform his son was that the tenant was paying an extremely low rent amount which wouldn't survive long.  Once realizing the tenant wasn't going to make adequate rent, the eviction process began.  The bigger problem was that not only was he evicting a woman from her business and only source of income, but she was also Tony's mom.  After Jake finds out what his dad has done, he cries to him pleading as he can't imagine someone he loves making such a harsh decision.

This was a heartfelt story that conveys how decisions adults make can and do affect their children.  The writer did an excellent job of portraying the inner conflict many of the characters had. Even side characters such as Jake's mom who was fully aware her income was the only income supporting her family, had their own layer to add to the film.  It was rated 7.2/10 on IMDB and an astounding 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.  I would definitely give it an 8/10.  It wasn't my favorite indie film as so far, nothing beats What Mazy Knew, but it was well written, well directed, and well acted.  I have to stay Tony and Jake played by Michael Barbieri and Theo Taplitz were nothing short of amazing.  A must see for my fellow indie film goers.

Bridget Jones's Baby-Or Should I Say Baby Daddy

For for those who are Bridget Jones fans, please don't be mad when I tell you that this is the first Bridget Jones movie I've seen.  However, when I saw the previews for this I thought it looked like the perfect chic flick and am happy to report that I was right.

Bridget finds herself at another birthday which ends the same as they all have- she is alone. After this dreadful birthday passes, she convinces herself this year will be different and begins a new path of self discovery and finding her next Mr. Right.  Seeing Mr. Darcy, the love in her life that extended over the better part of a decade, with his wife was the best motivation to do so.  Her spirited friend invites her to a girls weekend at a festival where Bridget meets the handsome Jack who ends up giving her a fun night of passion which she hasn't had in quite a while.  Bridget reverses the usual and ends up being the one to sneak off that next morning after Jack went to fetch them both breakfast.  Bridget comes back home to reality and attends a christening where she runs into Mr. Darcy, again, who informs her he is divorced.  The two reconnect and have their own night of passion.  I know what you are thinking; Bridget is definitely getting her fair share of action these days.  This all comes turns into a conundrum when she finds herself pregnant and in her own version of a Maury Povich episode wondering who the father is.  She natural has a hard time telling both men she is pregnant with what could be either one of their children so she does a slightly dishonest approach and just tells them she is pregnant on separate occasions which allows both to assume the baby is theirs.  Soon enough she comes to her senses and reveals she isn't sure who it is.  The guys do exactly what you'd expect of both.  Jack, who runs a successful dating website and knows all the perfect things to do, stays and embraces all of it making sure she knows how amazing he is and would be as a father.  Mr. Darcy runs fast as this is all too much for him to deal with.  Things do get better as both men end up being in her life during the pregnancy and pleading to stick around to support her and father their children until they find out who that actually is.  Meanwhile, she pursues her relationship with Jack since she feels her and Darcy had their time.  Jack says all of the right things, is convinced they are a perfect match, and as much as she'd like that, she continues to question herself and their relationship.  The fleeting thoughts of Mr. Darcy and their history are flooding her mind and heart.  Bridget knows this isn't really a matter of who the father of her child is, but who she should bewith and who she wants to be with.

This movie rated 77% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.5 out of 10 stars on IMDB.  I would have rated it a 7 myself.  It was definitely entertaining.  My favorite part was the beginning when Bridget has a sing-a-long with herself in her apartment.  She is definitely relatable and you can't help but adore her.  I felt it to be very predictable because you know from early on who she will end up with.  What did surprise me though was who ended up being the father.  I was convinced I knew and even told my friend this in the middle of the movie.  I can admit when I am wrong and indeed was.  If you are looking for a fun chic flick or were a fan of the previous Bridget Jones movies, you will adore this one.

Snowden: The Government's Worst Nightmare

Do you remember hearing about that guy who leaked all of that important, classified information which exposed the CIA and their tactics to literally spy on all of us?  Well this movie is about that guy and his name is Edward Snowden.  This film is a dramatization based on true events and I have to say, Oliver Stone killed it.  

Edward Snowden joined the military for the same reasons many others have-he wanted to defend the country he loved.  That all came to a halt when he broke his legs and was discharged.  Snowden had other talents though and those talents were evident when he joined the CIA.  Snowden believed he could make a difference in the world and fight for his country through his work and talents in the cyber world.  His supervisors quickly learned how intelligent he was and therefore Snowden was quickly placed in jobs and projects that were very important but also introduced him to knew information that he never realized could be possible.  One example is when he discovered the government had the ability to not only see every text, email, and other methods of communication, but also viewed citizens in realtime through computer cameras.  They indicated this was to keep everyone safe and at first Snowden tried to believe it, but the more in-depth he got with central intelligence, the more wrong it felt until he couldn't do it anymore.  Snowden tried to voice his concerns, but quickly realized that was dangerous territory and things would't change unless he did something big.  

Snowden reached out to a small group of journalists and leaked valuable information which showed how the basic human right to privacy had been secretly confiscated.  Snowden knew how severe the consequences could be, but wanted to do the right thing which to him was letting the public know.  As soon as the media leaked the classified information and Snowden performed an interview explaining in more detail just how much was going on out of the public eye, Snowden then left the country and was able to find a safe place in Russia where he still lives to this day.

I have not done a fact check to see what was true and not true with this movie nor am I going to go into my thoughts on if I think he was right or wrong.  What I can tell you is that this was a fantastic movie.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays an excellent Snowden even down to the voice.  There is an awesome part in the end of the movie where the interview starts as Joseph but changes to Snowden himself and this is where you can really see the similarities.  It was a compelling story that portrayed the turmoil one young man went through when he joined a program thinking he was savings lives only to discover he was invading privacy in an attempt to do so.  You feel for him and what it does to his relationships as well as his health.  The inner conflict he has is astounding and was definitely portrayed well in this movie.  I highly recommend seeing it whether you are familiar with the real-life events or not and then go home and put tape over your cameras on your PCs.  

Florence Foster Jenkins: One Woman's Passion for Music

Most of the time my movie adventures are with my husband, relatives, or friends, but once in awhile I get to enjoy a good film by myself. To some this may be odd, but there is something about seeing a movie by myself that makes me happy.  Usually on these rare occasions, the movie ends up being an indy or unique film that I really enjoy.  This movie was definitely the latter.

Florence Foster Jenkins was an heiress who had a passion for music.  She lived for it and made sure to fund it and support it at all times.  It was often you would find her surrounded by musical geniuses such as Sinatra.  She loved it so much that she aspired to be an Opera singer, but had no idea how much her vocal skills were lacking.  This is probably because her husband did everything he could to ensure his wife had a constant group of supporters and rather charmed life.  You see, Florence contracted a disease from her first husband and was unable to have children.  Her current husband, played by the charming Hugh Grant, was a devoted supporter of his wife.  He paid good money for everyone around her to cheer her on and make her believe she was far more talented than she actually was.  This usually tended to work out well, but went too far when Florence found a way to sing at a well-known opera house in New York.  Her husband was terrified of what would happen once an audience filled with people who didn't know of Florence's voice nor the appropriate response that her other supporters had been accustomed to.  He also caught wind that a reporter would be attending this event.  He tried convincing her not to go on, but couldn't break her heart and tell her why, so the show went on and you'll just have to see it to find out if her singing pulled through after all.

What I loved about this movie was that is showed the importance of being compassionate for others.  It is true, this woman had the equivalent sound of nails on a chalkboard, but was it worth crushing her spirits when she did't have much else that was important to her besides music?  She had this image of a successful woman with musical talent, but in reality she had a sexually transmitted disease, no children, and a sort of arrangement where her husband spent his days with her but went home to his girlfriend at night.  It is really sad when thinking about it, but when you see her surrounded by those she loves and music, you see why everyone acts as they do.  They do it for their love of Florence.  It was a witty movie with lots of spirit and I loved the decade it represented.  If you are a fan of the early-mid 1900's, you'll love this movie.

Sully: Tom Hanks Reminds Us He's Still Got It

I'm sure many of you remember that crazy story about a pilot who landed a plane in the Hudson River several years ago.  This was an extraordinary case because all 155 passengers survived the crash, let alone the severely cold temperatures which would have killed many of them had they not gotten rescued sooner.  I remember seeing the news reports and thinking what a hero the pilot was.  I had no idea that this same man was also being scrutinized for his landing as some felt he could have safely landed the plane back at the airport from which he took off.  Yeah......people suck.

This film gives us an inside picture of that entire day in which the plane took off then shortly after, literally ran into a flock of birds.  This caused the engines to malfunction and gave the pilot seconds to decide his best course of action.  He determined the safest route was to land in the Hudson River and refused to leave the plane until all passengers were off.  He also wouldn't be interviewed or meet with the mayor at the time until he had a count that assured all passengers survived.  As days since the crash passed, he and his copilot were investigated by the commission which was proper protocol to ensure the best course of action was chosen and that he was in good condition to fly.  When things started to get challenging was when computer simulators were stated to have shown the plane could have landed safely back at the airport had he chosen that option, which seemed to show he did not make the right choice and infact endangered 155 souls.  I know........poor guy.  It was up to Sully to show the commission how computers may be able to predict outcome, but there is one thing they were missing-human input and real life events.  Would he be able to prove this or would he be forced into early retirement and changed from a hero to zero?

I was worried this movie would be a long one as it was directed by Clint Eastwood and let's be honest folks, his movies are great but do tend to drag on a bit.  I am happy to report that it was well paced and did such a great job of portraying how intense it was in the air that day and the internal conflict Sully went through as he began to doubt his own efforts.  Even if you are not familiar with this real life event and just want to see a good movie, I highly recommend this.  I mean come on, it's got Tom Hanks who apparently is always going to kill it on the big screen.