The Witch Elm

The Witch Elm is certainly worth the wait. Tana French is a gifted writer and one I connected with instantly. This novel is not one of her Dublin Murder Squad series and reminded me of a Ruth Rendell novel mixed with a little bit of Donna Tart and I say this as a high praise since she is independent from both but to me equally talented. The performance by Paul Nugent was also very good but this novel works whichever way you choose to read it. Highly recommended. 

Bodyguard

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Bodyguard turned out to be very good and showed that a Netflix original can actually work with a decent script. The whole thing is very British (which I love) but it has a certain shine to the production that you don't see in modern British TV dramas. I loved the close up shots, the sets and that they actually filmed some action scenes on the street (that must have been some hassle). All in all I may not be as enamoured with it as the majority but it is a solid good watch.

You Are Beautiful

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You Are Beautiful is a South Korean tv show that I have watched and remember liking a lot so when it showed up on Netflix, I decided to rewatch just to see whether it was as good as I remembered and it was even better. I had forgotten most of the funny bits so I actually laughed out loud during and yeah it turned a bit melo towards the end but it is all good. I highly recommend this one since this secon time I actually had tears from laughing. 

The Secrets She Keeps

The Secrets She Keeps This one got an unfair listen due to my carelessness. After a few days I have started it Lethal White and Killing Commandatore came out and the start of it was two not really likable characters so I stopped it (I should never have started this knowing these will be coming out soon, especially when I have two short story collections to listen). Anyway I have come back to this but still was not happy with it. Eventually the plot took a different turn and I have started to get interested and at the end I was satisfied despite not really emotionally invested. The story telling is good and the reader is excellent, this is one of the books worth purchasing as audio if you like that medium.

SPOILER:



This novel ended up being about child abduction and being a woman who was never really interested in motherhood I did not get to feel about the characters that much.

Made of Honor

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Made of Honor oh God I can't believe I watched this stupid film again. I probably want to see whether it is as bad as I remembered and yes, it was. Just do yourselves a favour and skip this one. 

Illang: The Wolf Brigade

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Illrang: The Wolf Brigade well as I was looking imdb for photos I have seen that this film is directed by Kim Jee Won and am kind of shocked. Ok I saw this on Netflix and of course I was going to give it a go because it looked good, starred actors I liked and is South Korean. It kind of reminded me of Jin Roh: the Wolf Brigade but I only remember the red eyes from that one. Anyway I started to watch it and quickly realised that it is a miss on almost all counts except action scenes which were really really good and kind of wasted on this film. KDW and HHJ are two great looking people but the cinematography showed them with oily skin and JWS is one handsome dude but is made up having bad skin - the make up artist did a good job-. The story is a dystopia that could have been wonderful and there is a love story of sorts (a theme KJW liked, platonically loving a woman and this makes your life complicated) and twists and turns but the antagonist is acted by someone who constantly over acted (Kim Mu Yeol) and that kind of put everything off. The two pretty leads who actually can act very very well are misdirected and shot to look awful (both acting and looks) and the costumes were so bad that these two looked ridiculous.

Anyway it is possible to enjoy this film just by watching the two main action scenes 1- Namsan Tower with guns and martial arts combo followed by car chase of sorts,  2- Trap in the tunnel action with lots and lots and lots of gun fights. Other than these two you can skip it without problems 

Phantom Thread

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Phantom Thread turned out to be even better than I imagined it to be. I want to use the term masterpiece actually and only hesitate because I didn't felt so much for the story as much as I did for the art. Firstly this film has no flaws. Literally everything in it is perfect. The acting is top notch with Daniel Day-Lewis being so good that you forget to admire his performance. The two leading ladies both are a good match for him and the costumes, the music, the cinematography, the script, the sets, the props, oh my God I was in awe. Highly recommended for the lovers of cinema. 

Hereditary

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Hereditary  well I have discovered the itunes films section and decided to use it this weekend (since I was consumed by Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim during the week) well the process was a success but I didn't really liked this film. Well the things I liked were the clean, uncluttered cinematography with a lot of close up shots enriched by the set design that allows intentional perspective misconseptions, then I liked the fact that the lead actress looks her age without cosmetic support, she has wrinkles and is not afraid to show them. There were some unsettling moments in the beginning but they quickly lost the scare factor as used more often than it is good for. The acting is all good.

The real problem for me was the script, unnecessarily convoluted at first and then unnecessarily explanatory in the end. It just was not scary. 

Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim

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Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim only got me interested because I remember reading that it was a huge hit and I also recently watched Yoo Yeung Seok being crowned as Kissing King after this drama. Well I think I also like medical dramas. Anyway this one was as good as The Good Doctor. I have loved every episode and would probably binge watch if I was not going to work during the week. The plot, the script, the acting all were excellent and yes Yoo Yeon Seok fully deserves the title since there were only two kissing scenes (one in the first episode and one in the one before last I think) but especially the last one is worthy of two drama worth of kisses. 

Force of Nature

Force of Nature was the novel I chose when there was an unexpected power cut. I liked The Dry and got this nice hard cover for a cheap price so I started to read. It was not so hard to stop when the power came back on. And I read it intermittently over some days but I truly enjoyed it when I had the opportunity to read through the second half in a matter of two hours. I like Ms. Harper and look forward to her third novel .

Killing Commendatore

Killing Commendatore is a masterpiece of a novel and I'm head over heels in love with it. The reader was surprisingly good too. I'll get the print version of this too insaallah. 

Forces of Nature

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Forces of Nature well despite the stupid Bein Channel actually cutting two mild scenes, the film once again entertained me. I love Ben Affleck and he is very good in this. 

La Promesse

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La Promesse is yet another Dardenne Brothers film I had missed. And it is very good filled again with their usual motifs. This time the dad in Le Fils plays another dad but a very different one (not just physically but also psychologically) great actor that one. Anyway Le Fils is still my favorite Dardenne film but I loved this to bits too. 

Face/Off

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Face/Off oh my God, I haven't realised how bad actually this film is the first time I watched it (as a Woo fan girl mind you). The main problem is the script. I actually watched Nic Cage at a GQ youtube interview recently and he talked about this film fondly. I decided to check it out but man, that was bad. The action is actually good but the intense melodramatic emotion that makes Woo's HK films such delights does not work with USA actors, despite making actually good choices. John Travolta and Nic Cage are surprisingly good. But the script, oh that is simply awful. Anyway it is good for the action pieces but not much else. 

Who Fears Death

Who Fears Death turned out to be a great story and I was totally into it. The prose does not have that special quality but the storytelling is top notch. Recommended. 

Mr. Sunshine

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Mr. Sunshine or I may just as well call river of tears. Firstly it is the best looking South Korean TV show I have ever watched. The cinematography, the set design, the art direction are all amazing. And what a brilliant cast, except my usual favorite Lee Byung Hun who was, inexplicably, the weakest link here. The story is the Japanese invasion of Joseon, starting years before and the film ends in the middle of it. I just loved it to bits and cried so much, especially the last two episodes last night. I was actually ugly crying, sobbing out loud during some of the death scenes. Anyway it may not be everyone's cup of tea since it is mostly blood and tears but if that is your thing, you are in for a treat. 

Hot Fuzz

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Hot Fuzz yes, I can't believe I have fallen asleep during my first viewing of this one. This time I actually laughed out loud more than once and had a ball with it. 

The Dark Knight

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The Dark Knight is a great film. A masterpiece. I watched and rewatched it and like it every time. 

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Edtv well I liked it a lot when I watched it the first time and I liked it even better now. 

Dunkirk

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Dunkirk well despite loving Mr. Nolan's films I didn't want to watch this one simply because it is a war film (my least favorite genre). And I wish I had watched it sooner because I loved it. There is non linear story telling of a very interesting story and a great cast and wonderful cinematography and music. 

Starship Troopers

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Starship Troopers ended up being too good of a satire and I suspect a lot of people taking it seriously. Anyway it is a well made film and I have enjoyed the rewatch. 

Le Fils

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Le Fils  oh my God. I love Dardenne Brother films and they are now among my favorite directors but this film truly ended being a masterpiece as far as I'm concerned. Not only it is amazingly well acted and the story is brilliantly told. It actually is heartbreaking and at the same time uplifting. One of my all time favorite films. 

Shaun of The Dead

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Shaun of The Dead ok first off, I don't like Simon Pegg (I know know, but for some reason I just don't like him) On the other hand I love Nick Frost. I never cared for Edgar Wright either (I actually fell asleep during Hot Fuzz and The End of The World) but I did like Baby Driver. Anyway I never saw Shaun of the Dead (despite wanting to during its heyday) and now I decided to give it a go and now I'm a convert. Not to Simon Pegg still but to Edgar Wright and this type of comedy. I actually laughed out loud during more than a few scenes which is very unusual as far as I'm concerned. I highly recommend. 

Red Dragon

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Red Dragon is the novel before The Silence of the Lambs, but this film is adapted later. I remember liking it the first time I watched it and looking for the dvd for later viewings. The main reason I liked it and wanted to watch it again is because it stars Edward Norton (who I LOVE) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (RIP) has a small but memorable role. Anyway it is not bad and I enjoyed the whole great cast of actors but still it felt a bit cliché. 

Lethal White

Lethal White ended up being very good and entertaining. I kind of like the formulaic thrillers where a writer has habits (you know like Jo Nesbo and Harry Hole novels) where you kind of know the events beforehand even if you don't see the mystery coming. This is such novel. If you have not read any of the series you'll be at the age of your seat but I recommend to read them in order. And if you are already familiar with the series you'll kind of know what is going to happen to a certain lead character even if you never guessed the mystery. I also love this reader and enjoy the writer/reader combo so much that I stopped everything else and just listen to this.

Stormrider

Stormrider well it was very good but I liked Ravenheart much better. Mr. Gemmel never dissappointed me so far though. And I think he is one of the best describing action scenes. 

The Cold Dish

The Cold Dish turned out to be a good novel but the thing is that I liked the characters and the drama in their lives but the mystery and its resolution didn't work for me at all. So I'll not continue these series. 

Dağ II

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Dağ II  gayet güzeldi. Ağlattı yine ama ben Dağ I'i daha çok sevmiştim. 

Nappily Ever After

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Nappily Ever After I really liked this film and its message. 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier is possibly the best film in Marvel Universe. Just as good the second time. 

Double Jeopardy

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Double Jeopardy is a film I really liked when I first watched it. And I liked it just as well this time too. It is such a shame that Ashley Judd was kept away from business due to not giving in to abuse. 

I, Tonya

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I, Tonya ok first off I like Margo Robbie. She is pretty and a very good actress when directed right. This film however is not directed well. She gives a great performance but the whole thing is just a mess. The script is not written well either. All in all a total miss in my eyes but Robbie's performance is good. 

The Departed

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The Departed  I still think the original is way better, still there is Leonardo DiCaprio (and his performance is good) and the rest of the cast, especially Mark Wahlberg (there is something about this guy, he is not really a good actor and he doesn't really choose good projects - this one obviously not included-, but there is something likable about him, at least to me). And Scorsese is an all time fave director and he is in top form here.