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If you LOVED the book, should you see the movie? In this case the answer is YES. British author Monica Ali's beloved novel, "Brick Lane," won all sorts of awards and made numerous top ten lists when it was published in 2003. Critics praised it and readers embraced it. Now this story of...
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In her stunning debut, Morgana Gallaway delivers big with The Nightingale , a story of love and hope amid the horror of war torn Iraq. Simultaneously giving a glimpse into the daily lives of Iraqi citizens and shining a spotlight on the atrocities and inhumanity unleashed by Americans upon the detainees...
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Written in her 89th year, Diana Athill writes in Somewhere Towards the End not so much about getting old, but reflects on her life and, especially as the book goes on, about being old, and the matter-of-fact changes age imposes on one. It gives me great hope to read something written by a 90 year old...
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I'll admit when it comes to literature, I am something of a late bloomer. It took a book group assignment last year for me to finally read Jane Eyre , and of course, I fell in love with it. Recently I followed some friends' recommendations of a book that's reminiscent of that classic novel...
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The essay is one of my favorite literary forms, so imagine my delight in coming across The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present . What a wonderful survey - even though it has a distinctly Anglo-centric bias - with some of the most outstanding writings! The word...
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It's interesting that all five of the nominees for the 2009 Golden Globe Best Drama award were based on books or short stories. What is significant is that few of the movies nominated in other Golden Globe categories, as well as for other annual film awards, were! If this year is any indicator, we'll...
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The Millions, a blog on books, arts, and culture, has published a list of the year's most anticipated books that will make any reader's mouth water. It's in chronological order, so you can plan what you'll want to read month by month. Each title has a short description, plus a link to...
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Tillie Lay an Egg by Terry Golson is a delightful book about a hen who likes to do things a little differently than the other hens. Wait her turn to lay an egg? Bah! Tillie has more important things to discover. You can discover them too as you read this story and look for the eggs Tillie has laid in...
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The Shack by William P. Young has literally left me speechless. I have no idea how to describe this novel in a few short sentances. And yet, here are some of my attempts. It is a story of: ...redemption. ...how to be truly loved. ...how life is in relationships. ...forgiveness. ...how we reconcile a...
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Thanks to a recommendation by my friend, I watched a stunning film this weekend. Set in a Castilian village somewhere in early 1940's rural Spain, this movie has won international acclaim as a masterpiece - labeled one of the greatest Spanish films of the 1970's. On the surface, it is a coming...
Posted to
Movies Blog
by
wag.mado@evpl
on
12-30-2008
Filed under:
Filed under: dvd, reviews, good and evil, families, movies, murder, films, dying, childhood, Spain, foreign films
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After seeing it mentioned on one or two best movie lists, I decided to check out this 2005 film although I wondered if I would enjoy its story about a 1980s Brooklyn couple's decision to divorce and the resulting damage to their two sons. I was swayed by the casting of Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney...
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I guess the ads tipped us off that this was not your run of the mill spy thriller, but let me assure you that nothing about this Coen Brothers movie is run of the mill. Following the dark "No Country for Old Men," the brothers have returned to the comic instincts so evident in "Fargo,"...
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I just finished this 1961 novel by Richard Yates. The paperback edition's cover, published to coincide with the release of the new movie, caught my attention. Directed by Sam Mendes of "American Beauty" fame, "Revolutionary Road" stars his wife, Kate Winslet, and Leo DiCaprio...
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Everyone has favorite Christmas DVDs. My favorite comedies are "Scrooged" with Bill Murray (since all I had to do was look at Murray and I would start guffawing) and "Christmas Story" (since it is set in Hammond, which is where I grew up). My favorite dramas are "It's a Wonderful...
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Every family has a relative who is their claim to fame. Mine is Branch Rickey, the man who hired Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in major league baseball. Now Kadir Nelson has written and illustrated We Are The Ship; The Story of Negro League Baseball , and he's even included...