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Book Review #147: Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

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When a botched bank robbery turns into a hostage situation, a group of anxious people discover connections that change their lives forever. Last year I read 'A Man Called Ove' by Backman and absolutely loved it. I wasn't on the lookout for another of his books but when I saw this and read the premise, I had to pick it up. And again, I absolutely loved this book! For a start, I loved the way the story was told. The way the narrator spoke directly to the reader is really fun and gets you invested in the story really quickly because you feel like you're involved. The best thing about the story is the characters. This is entirely a character-driven story and the characters are amazing. They were really fleshed-out, 3 dimensional real people, and they were written so well. The unexpected connections between them is what makes the story. You make assumptions and think you know things, and then everything you thought completely changes and takes the story to another level. For...
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Bad Boys | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  Next up was a highly anticipated re-watch! This film was a staple in my house growing up. I can't remember the first time I saw it because I've seen it so many times! The thing that makes this film work above all else is absolutely without a doubt the chemistry between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. They work so well together, they play off of each other amazingly and they're the reason the movie has become a franchise. But adding Téa Leoni into the mix just made everything so much more fun. Not only do we get to see the characters interacting together, but we get to see them interacting with, and from the point of view of, a third party. And in addition to that, taking the characters out of the equation, the film is hilarious. It's one of my favourite comedies because everything is written and acted so well. Every comedic moment hits exactly as it's supposed to, and there are pieces of dialogue that easily work their way into your everyday phrases because of how...
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Mickey 17 | Film Review

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Mickey (Robert Pattinson), a disposable member of a spaceship crew is put through a system of regeneration. Each time he dies, a new version of him is created with his memories intact. This film was talked about a lot before it came out, people were really excited to see it and there was a lot of hype. I'm a big fan of Bong Joon Ho movies, so while the premise didn't grab me, I was looking forward to it. And I ended up being quite disappointed, unfortunately. The premise was really unique, but I was very curious about how there would be enough in there to fill out a 2hr 20 min movie, especially after seeing the trailer and not really understanding what it would be about. It took me a little while to get into. I couldn't immediately connect with either the world or the characters. That being said, the performances in the film were great. Particularly Pattinson, who plays all versions of Mickey really well. It was more outlandish than I expected, and that's not a bad thin...
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Crank | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  I'd never heard of this movie before I saw it on the list, but it had a really interesting premise so I was intrigued to see what it was like. To be honest I'm not the biggest fan of Jason Statham movies in general, particularly the ones that follow similar plot lines, so I can't say I was particularly looking forward to watching this one. But as I said, the premise was interesting. I was surprised to see how short the film was, but after starting it, the length made complete sense. It moves really quickly, and everything that happens, happens at a rapid pace. And this was so interesting because pace and adrenaline are important aspects of the story. Everything feels like it's rushing and there's no time to relax because that's exactly how the character feels. For me the downfall of the film came really early on, when nothing was done to make me care about this character.  Not only do we know next to nothing about him as the film continues, but he's also r...
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Final Destination: Bloodlines | Film Review

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After experiencing the same recurring nightmare night after night, college student Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) goes back home to break the cycle of death that is plaguing her family. This is looking to be an amazing year for film, and this film was one of my most highly anticipated watches. I love the Final Destination series, and even rewatch the less good movies over and over again because I can't get enough of the concept, so when I heard that a sixth movie was in development, I was seated! I absolutely loved this film. For a start, this was one of the best beginning disasters they've ever done. Not only is it undoubtedly terrifying, but as you watch, you really feel like you're there with the characters. The thing with sequels after a long period of time is that you run the risk of either doing the same thing that's always been done, or you take too many leaps and create something that's so far from the original it doesn't even seem like the same series. B...
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Mission: Impossible | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  I've seen and loved the last four Mission: Impossible movies (and am very excited for the Final Reckoning!), but due to casting changes I was never that interested in seeing the first three. But having said that, I'm glad this one was on the bucket list, because it's really interesting to see how everything began. I didn't expect the film to feel so in sync with the others, particularly because there's only a couple of common characters between them. But this felt no different than any other MI movie, and I loved that. The first 30 minutes of the film took me completely by surprise, so from there I was locked in! The story itself is interesting and engaging, but the best thing about it is the character of Ethan Hunt. We get to know Ethan really well, and because he's such a likeable character, not only are we invested in his story, but we're actively rooting for him. And this is one of the main reasons why the film has become a huge franchise - because we...
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Another Simple Favor | Film Review

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  When Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) is invited to be the maid of honor at ex-best friend Emily's (Blake Lively) wedding, she is convinced that Emily is planning revenge. But when she arrives in Italy, she has no idea of the nefarious plot she has stumbled into. I liked the first 'Simple Favor' movie a lot, so I was looking forward to seeing this one, even though I didn't have high hopes that it would be as good as the first one. This one was...weird. I didn't hate it, there were actually some parts I really liked. But overall it wasn't nearly as good as the first one. But I did like that the cast from the first movie came back, and either played their characters the way we loved them the first time around, or improved on them. Henry Golding in particular completely improved on his character and made him so much more fun and interesting than he was in the first film. It was also great to be introduced to new characters - there were some really fun additions...
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