The Trespasser

The Trespasser was a novel I was very eager to read but for some reason not willing to pay for a hard cover (next time I think I will). Anyway a Tana French novel is a sure thing for me. So far I have read all her novels and loved them all. And this one was very good, so good in fact that it made me stop doing anything else and just keep reading. 

Haywire

Photo credit: vaguevisages.com

Haywire turned out to be very entertaining. Not to action I'm used to but in a good way. We get to see every fight but they don't look like they are not amped up for screen. They are brutal but in a matter of fact way, no panache. Just getting the necessary done. The chase scenes are long and we get to see our heroine finding clever ways to escape from her pursuers. The heroine is smart and capable and I loved seeing a woman in the lead role. Gina Carano may not be a very good actor (and she is surrounded by really good actors) but not many action stars are. And she is believable and looks great fighting. 

Code Name Verity

Code Name Verity turned out to be a great novel and I'm very very happy that I had got it in audible since both the readers were great and they sang all the songs too. I have cried some during it but this novel suffered from my stopping walking in the evenings due to prayer schedule conflicts. The days are getting longer and it is not that safe to urban hike. I'm hoping I'll be able to find a solution to this without too late. 

Six Four

Six Four is a novel to my own heart. Accelerates with every page and detailed as far as the beaurocracy and departmental proceedinds are concerned but obviously with a huge heart (I actually cried at some places)

The ending is not as neat and tied up but I loved it. It is a perfect novel for me and I have enjoyed it very very much.

Café Society

Photo credit: www.imdb.com

Café Society well, Woody Allen keeps making me think about whether an artist's private life should influence our liking/disliking of her/his work. I love his films, even when they are not as good as this film is not. I love his storytelling and the way he handles his actors. Jesse Eisenberg does a very good imitation of Woody Allen as an actor, however there is something missing there. A certain spark of sorts. Anyway Mr. Eisenberg is a good actor and kind of a focal point of the story. I'm very glad I have watched this film and I sad when it ended. Even though it is not a very good film. 

Tazza: The Hidden Card

Photo credit: variety.com

Tazza: The Hidden Card was there so I gave it a try. I don't like the female lead and I didn't like the male lead either but the supporting cast were all very good. It is one of those sleazy action films S. Korea does very well. It was not very good but it was not bad either. 

Friend Request

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Friend Request thank God this was not a found footage film. And even though I have actually fallen asleep during the viewing at one point, it was not really that bad a film. 

Hail, Caesar!

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Hail, Caesar! was actually very entertaining, I even laughed out loud at one place. I think I like Coen Brothers' comedies better than their dramas (Fargo excluded).

Trainwreck

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Trainwreck was a film I wanted to watch for some time. Only to understand the appeal of Amy Schumer. I'm not really sure I do but I certainly like Judd Apatow directing a rom com. To be fair I'm a very easy viewer when I comes to rom coms. Anyway I even cried during this one, imagine. 

Eastern Promises

Photo credit: www.slantmagazine.com

Eastern Promises is a film that doesn't get old. I have watched it more than three times already and still love it. When it first came out I didn't even like Viggo Mortensen nor Naomi Watts (now I love them very much). It is a violent film with dark teams but I love the cinematography, mise en scene and acting. This one really works for me on all levels. 

The Magic of Belle Isle

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The Magic of Belle Isle was only chosen because I like Morgan Freeman and Virginia Madsen. It turned out to be a charming little TV film with a mixed bag of problems, some very first world and the others very serious. Morgan Freeman and Virginia Madsen were both aces and the kids were not that annoying (although not exceptionally good or anything like that either) 

Steve Jobs

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Steve Jobs the film never interested me since I don't really care that much about Aaron Sorkin (there I said it) but I do like Kate Winslet and Michael Fassbender and Danny Boyle and the film was there so I gave it a shot.

I actually cried during this one. Tears came out of nowhere and I enjoyed the screenplay as well. This one is recommended.

Insidious Chapter 2

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Insidious Chapter 2 was a bit more light hearted than the first one but still scary and I had nightmares all night. When did the horror films got scary again?

Dead Man's Time

Dead Man's Time  at first I thought I purchased this from bookdepository and couldn't understand why. It is the 12th book of a series with DS Roy Grace as the main detective. Normally I would search these things before purchase and the book was in mint condition. Reading on, I have realised that I bought it at a second hand store in Kyoto. And it was not really to my taste but was entertaining. However I don't plan on reading further and/or earlier novels in the series. 

Osen

Photo credit: film-enthusiast.blogspot.com.tr

Osen turned out to be adorable and caused me a lot of tears (in a good way). I like Japanese food and I love the characters and their motivations and abilities. 

Don Jon

Photo credit: www.rogerebert.com

Don Jon was just as good in this second viewing. I like JGL.

Unutursam Fısılda

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Unutursam Fısılda sinemada oynadığı zaman hiç ilgimi çekmemişti. Ne bileyim oyunculardan hiç biri beni çok cezbetmediği gibi (Mehmet Günsuru hariç tutuyorum şu an) konusunu bile okumamıştım bir kaç fotoğrafı görünce internette (kostümler, saçlar filan çok itici gelmişti). Öte yandan Çağan Irmak (yada diğer adıyla "ağlatan yönetmen") bana sinemada keyifli zamanlar geçirtmişti Babam ve Oğlum, ağlamaktan öte resmen izlerken böğürdüğüm - ve bu halde tek başıma  olmadığım, zira bütün sinema aynı şekilde sesli sesli ağlıyordu-, Issız Adam çok göz yaşı dökmesemde beraber gittiğim arkadaşımı benden daha çok etkilemesi ve çok az göz yaşı döktüğünü gördüğüm bu kişi zırıl zırıl ağlatması ile aklımda kalan filmleri. Neyse bu filme bir ara başlamıştım, önümde olduğu için ve Türk filmi izlemek istediğim için ama biraz sıkıcı geldi bana ve bir yerde takılınca 20. dk. civarında vazgeçtim. Dün yeniden döndüm ama biraz hata ettim galiba çünkü bugün gözlerim hala kırmızı ve göz kapaklarım şişlikten gözümün önüne düşecek sanki. Yine böğüre böğüre ağladım bütün gece filmi izlerken. Aslında epey kusuru olan, biraz fazla yayılmış bir filmdi ama duygusal bam tellerine öyle güzel bastı ki, hele sonunda, salya sümük bitirdim. Ağlamak isteyenlere kesinlikle tavsiye ederim.  

From Here to Eternity

Photo credit: www.filmreference.com

From Here to Eternity unlike many of the cinema lovers, I'm not that into the old films unless they are directed by Alfred Hitchcock or an actor I like acted in them. This one never really interested me since I don't care for either but it was right there and I had a mood for an old B&W and I gave it a chance. It was not that I liked it particularly but I sure ended up being happy to have watched it, it was in Hawaii (some time before the attack on Pearl Harbour) :) 

Blade

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Blade has certainly aged well. I liked it even better in this second viewing. 

Itazura Na Kiss

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Itazura Na Kiss is the last Japanese adaptation of the famous manga. Apparently this story touched many hearts but I have stayed away from all since a dumb but happy go lucky girl to be in love with the smart but socially incompetent boy for years and finally getting him didn't appeal to me. And none of the adaptations actually starred any of the actors I liked so I didn't bother.

This one was on Netflix and I remember it got such a good buzz on the internet so I decided to give the firs episode a try.

And yeah I was hooked right there and then. Sure Kotoko is not very smart but she is very sweet and kind and not really seeking dependence. Naoki is smart and aloof but he is one of those people who can't really open up. And the two actors were so adorable.

Actually this is one of the few shows that managed to get laughs out loud from me. Every episose Kotoko's facial expressions, her disguises and her plans to gain the heart of Naoki are so funny. I also laughed a lot at Sudo San.

Of course it kind of got sad at the two episodes before the final but it ended as cute and fluffy as it was for so long and it ended with a smile.

I actually savoured this instead of bingeing since I wanted to get a laugh each day. Highly recommended if you don't mind silliness, fluff and illogical stuff happening. 

Demolition

Photo credit:www.filmandtvnow.com

Demolition was an unexpected gift that ended my Jake Gyllenhaal obsession. Not that he wasn't any good in it. In fact he was excellent. The film was right up to my alley. The kind of American film telling the story of one character's inner struggles. Great cast. I actually cried during parts of it. Jake looked great in it too. But for some reason, as usual, the obsession came to an end.

The only two actors who actually withstood this time and again are Leonardo Dicaprio and Edward Norton. 

Unfriended

Photo credit: www.frontrowreviews.co.uk

Unfriended turned out to be an experimental sort of horror film. The whole story is told through the computer screen of one character and it ended up being pretty entertaining. 

The Prisoners

Photo credit: actoroscar.blogspot.com.tr

The Prisoners turned out to be a great film. Yeah, Jake kick continues (in fact I almost was going to watch Love and Other Drugs again last night) and he is excellent in this. Along with yet another great cast. After Enemy this film was even better. Visually I love the mise en scene but most of all the clean cinematography with close ups on the actors' faces.

It is highly recommended.

Another interesting thing I have realised while looking images for this post. Jake's hair in this film is much admired. Most of the images was men's hair sites.

Dawn of Wonder

Dawn of Wonder turned out to be a high fantasy. A good one too. Religious undertones suited me fine and I like the attention to detail. Furthermore the reader was very good. Completely in line with the theatrical tone of the novel. 

Nightcrawler

Photo credit: www.theguardian.com

Nightcrawler is a film I wanted to watch for some time. And not just because my current obsession is Jake Gyllenhaal. The odd thing is that I have not seen Mr. Gyllenhaal give a bad performance yet. And this one was simply superb. The film itself is one of those I don't like. And not related to visuals which were to my taste but the subject matter. It is a critique of today's society's reactions to media feeds. And the main character (acted so wonderfully by Mr. Gyllenhaal) is a sociopath with limited social skills whose next try in success (after thieving) brings him to news filming. Right after his first filming he managed to find a news manager who wants more gore to get the ratings higher and Louis Bloom supplies plenty. I don't like villains and I like to see them get their just desserts but in this case I was severely dissappointed.

The film is a good one though. 

Kuşlar Yasına Gider

Kuşlar Yasına Gider Kitap okumayı sevdiğimiz için şanslı olan bizler bazan hikayenin kendisine ısınamasak bile anlatılışının güzelliğinden etkilenip, sırf edebiyat yeteneği hatırına severiz bazı romanları. 

Bu onlardan biri değil. Bu kitap benim için o mükemmel güzellikteki okuma deneyimlerinden birini bana bahşeden bir armağan oldu. Kitabı okurken ilk paragrafa bahsettiğim hislere kapıldım, yazılış o kadar güzeldi ki öykü pek bana göre olmasa bile haz içerisinde okuyordum. Derken ben daha ne olduğunu anlamadan kitap beni sardı sarmaladı ve sonrasında bütünüyle içine çekiverdi. Bu maalesef çok karşılaştığım bir okuma tecrübesi olmuyor. Kitap bittikten sonra yazarın ellerine sarılmak defalarca teşekkür etmek istedim. 

Şaheser tabiri rahatlıkla kullanılabilir. Yazarın okuduğum ilk romanı ve şimdi bütün yazdıklarını okumak istiyorum.

Zenkai Girl

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Zenkai Girl turned out to be a nice little drama with love and values and hard work and family and all that. It was entertaining and I love how J-Dramas don't go on forever. 

Coming Home

Coming Home turned out to be a loooooong read. Probably because it is the type of novel that I like while I'm reading, but never eager to return to reading once I have stopped for some reason. I still like this writer and will pick another novel of hers if it comes my way. 

Rocknrolla

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Rocknrolla is ok, and I did pay more attention to acting during this second viewing. That's a bunch of very good actors in there. And Guy Ritchie, despite some very bad films, will always have a special place in my heart because of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. That is a great film. 

Av Mevsimi

Photo credit: www.turkcealtyazi.org

Av Mevsimi bu galiba üçüncü izleyişim (uzun bir aradan sonra) ve gayet güzel dayanmış zamana. Bir kez daha sevdim. 

Annemin Yarası

Photo credit: boxofficeturkiye.com

Annemin Yarası öyle çok izlemek istediğim bir film değildi. Hiç ilgimi çekmemişti ama TV'de görünce kaydettim ve bu hafta sonu bir deneyeyim dedim. Güzel bir sürpriz oldu bana zira film çok hoşuma gitti. Hem gözyaşları döktüm (bol miktarda) hem de düşündüm biraz. Oyunculuklar da güzeldi (Meryem Uzerli ve Okan Yalabık bence en iyileriydi) 

Zootropolis

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Zootropolis turned out to be very entertaining. 

The Man With The Golden Gun

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The Man With The Golden Gun turned out to be more entertaining than I imagined it would be. The thing is that I though Christopher Plummer was the bad guy (I clearly read the blurb of the film wrong) and I have decided to record it since I like him. And then I have realised immediately that Christopher Lee is the bad guy (and I don't like him, for no reason) however I decided to give it a go since the subject seemed interesting and I like Knick Knack (the henchman). Roger Moore is not my kind of Bond and the women (apart from the two Thai martial artists) were truly portrayed very badly (I think the fault is the writers' in this one) but the energy problem and the sets and Knick Knack kept me going. 

When Marnie Was There

Photo credit: thefilmexperience.net

When Marnie Was There turned out to be a very good film that caused many many tears to fall and in a good way too. I'm always very fond of Studio Ghibli films even as a child and Hayao Miyazaki is one of my all time fave directors (fave film My Neighbour Totoro). This one is directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi. It is just too good a film with wonderful visuals, excellent voice acting and a story that was very dramatic. Highly recommended. 

Step Up

Photo credit: www.craveonline.com

Step Up nice teen film, with a good message (acted by older looking actors who I think married and have a kid now) It really didn't work for me though.

Accidental Love

Photo credit: www.flickeringmyth.com

Accidental Love Oh God, this film turned out so so bad. It is one of those things where the writers (and obviously the director) wanted to go a certain way and then it missed the mark. It ended up being a train wreck that I watched to see where it would go. I only selected this since I have a weakness for Jake Gyllenhaal and rom-coms. To be fair the actors all did a good job (even Jessica Biel who looked great) but sorry, stay away from this one. Far far away. 

Midnight Diner - Tokyo Stories

Photo credit: japanesefilmfestival.net

Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories is a drama I tried mainly because it promised food related things. It was so but not in an appetising way. It was good because of the human interest stories. A bit like an upscale Chicken Soup series. And I loved it very much, crying during 80% of the episodes.

Recommended if you like human interest stories.