Bella far exceeded my expectations. Because it was promoted by pro-life and religious groups, I wondered if it would be stronger in message and weaker in art.
This film is a slow moving unveiling of wounded characters that are so full of longing, fear and regret that they limp through life with crudely constructed walls to protect their crushed hearts. Does anyone really know either of them? Apparently not.
Nina is terrified and pregnant and newly unemployed. Jose enters the picture as a friend when she needs one the most.
One day plays out but past and future appear throughout the day in memories and conversation. A final scene pulls the film together. Interactions with other characters enrich the film. Not only do we understand Nina and Jose, but we are given glimpses into the choices and relationships of secondary characters.
Fans of quick action movies are going to want to pass. Much of this film is characters talking and doing little else. This is a rich study of the strengths and weaknesses in humanity. The acting is impressive. The story of friendship and grace is powerful.
If you are looking for poignancy and a movie that will make you think, I believe you'll find those qualities in Bella. One scene in particular is heart wrenching and involves a child, so you might want to preview it before letting your young children watch it. Though characters were frustrated and angry in the movie, I was pleased to note, that they expressed themselves without flying F-Bombs.
I live in a city in Iowa. Really. We have interstates (two intersecting ones to be exact. We also have huge issues with drug traffic because of that connection.) Our Super Wal-Mart has been around for over a dozen years. We have a massive multi-screened theater and DSL. We aren't exactly snooty in the arts arena but we do have a hockey team and pull in some big entertainment names.
Right now you're probably scratching your head and wondering why I'm telling you this.
A tornado ripped through a town just 45 miles away from me. A Boy Scout camp was in progress and four young men lost their lives.
The next day, as stories were shared and shock was expressed, I found that I know four people who are connected to these young men.
My metro area population is half-a-million.
The size of the world never ceases to amaze me.
One young man was homeschooled and his mom belonged to an organization with a friend from church. My daughter works with a woman who's related by marriage to another casualty, a second friend at church used to work with the father of a victim. My co-worker's youth group is home of a young survivor who lost a close friend in the tragedy.
My heart and prayers go out to these families who are so connected in this huge world. The ripples each of our lives make in that world is humbling.
Robert Liparulo has visited the Dregs a few times. That alone makes him a great guy. Here is a link to all his visits. You can visit his website, click on the book covers to visit Amazon and here to read the first chapter of House of Dark Shadows. Suspense lovers of any age are going to want to click and check some things out.
My Review of:
Shadows.....
If you are thinking about buying House of Dark Shadows, you may want to go ahead and grab Watcher in the Woods because once you reach... "Not the end" you are going to want book two within reach. These books are quick reads, too. Don't say you haven't been warned if you have to wait for the next book, and don't expect a resolution of the King family problems in book two either. I may have to have a word with Bob or the publisher about possibly speeding up this series.
Robert Liparulo respects the YA genre by refusing to dumb down his storytelling mastery. House of Dark Shadows delivers rich characters, intense action and crisp setting along with a strong vocabulary. Adults are going to love these books as much as the teens they're written for.
Centered around a family that has "no secrets," the story starts with foreboding and provides bang after wham after sucker-punch as the reader discovers one secret after another along with the characters. More questions are left than are answered.
Shadows introduces the King family, all named after royalty, as they are moving from city to country...make that backwoods. Not only does Xander, the 15-year-old point-of-view character have to deal with leaving friends and a girlfriend, his dad is now his principal in the smallest school he's ever attended.
Xander's folks then find a house they fall in love with. Lots of room, and full of character, creepy noises, shadows and odd acoustics. What's not to love?
Xander discovers how very strange the house is as the entire family is plunged into the truth of the secrets.
The intensity of the themes may be too much for younger or easily frightened readers.
My Review of Watcher...
Watcher in the Woods is the continuing story of the King family.
David King, 12-years-old is facing huge traumas while attempting to keep the outside world from destroying his chance of happiness.
Grasping hold of the King family legacy of bravery, David dives into the unknown to save his family at great cost to himself. From the first word to the final "not the end" I cheered and cringed for the Kings.
I hope the next book releases very soon. This is book two in the series I'm going to recommend regardless of age or gender. I'd also love to see it turned into a movie.
Easily frightened readers might struggle with the intensity, otherwise, this is a powerful story well told.
Author Melody Carlson's Website . Click on the book cover to go to the Amazon page.
Book Description:Kendall's managed to wrangle her grandmother's house-free and clear-except for the rules. No male roommates. But that's ok, with the right ad she'll pull in some girls, their rent and if she's lucky, she won't have to go to work any time soon.
For their part, Anna, Lelani, and Megan all have their reasons for wanting to move in: Anna has got to get out from under her overprotective parents; Lelani can't take another day in her aunt's tiny crackerbox house overflowing with toddlers and Megan needs a place free of her current roommate from Hades.
Though they come with assorted extra baggage filled with broken hearts and dreams, they will discover they also have a vast array of hidden strengths. And they struggle to become the women they want to be, they'll find new hope and maybe even Kendall will learn a thing or two about life, love and the true meaning of friendship.
Sound great? Just click hereto read the first chapter.
My Review: Each character brings a pile of baggage and a box or two of issues as the Bloomberg series begins. Kendall, Megan, Lelani and Anna are strangers who become new intimates. Toes are stepped on, space is invaded and renovation occurs within each character before the book ends. However, there is much room for future character development as the obvious and not so obvious issues barely began to unpack in book one.
There are several chick-lit style scenarios, girlfriend bonding, job shuffling and guy stuff, but the story is told in 3rd person POV through the four different female characters. Because of the style, chick-lit lovers may find it less than satisfying because there is limited intimacy. Fans of Yada-Yada books may enjoy the multi-character format, but there is a limited amount of God talk. It was a quick and enjoyable read, perfect if you want a light serving of drama.
I didn't have a camera but I've begged for a few pictures so I can share the amazing sunset/incoming thunderstorm I experienced this evening.
This series of still shots with rainstorm audio will just have to do.
Tonight, the western sky looked exactly like pink Black Hills Gold. Imagine huge cotton balls dipped in liquid rose-gold piled in the sky and then illuminated. The damp grass on the hill below glowed in the unusual light and it danced as the wind picked up.
Lightning began playing tag in the clouds and sneaking down to touch base on the ground far below. As we watched, awed by the immensity of God's powerful creation, the sky darkened into pewter, and opened up in a deluge of cold, fat water drops.
I am always humbled by a tiny display of God's power and creativity. I can't imagine what He has in store in heaven.
Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
Howard Thurman
Another quote from 30 Days to Live. Of course this isn't true if what makes you alive is a selfish thing. But I feel that disclaimers really take away from the quippiness of a profound saying. That said, I'm done adding words.
Entertaining and campy with several "yeah right!" moments. Fans of National Treasure should appreciate the same characters as they banter, argue, fight and solve clues.
National Treasure Two takes us to Europe and below ground. Nearly clean fun lacks family unfriendly language and sexual content.
The intensity of the themes -- treasure hunts/hunters, shootings, car chases and skeletons in various degrees of decay might make it a little too much for very sensitive viewers.
If you can suspend disbelief and just go along for the entertainment factor, you'll probably be able to enjoy this quick moving film.
My biggest struggles were with some unrealistic moments between characters, but the interaction is still fun and full of sarcastic dialogue. .
