Change Your Image
VilyaLorien
Reviews
Casualty 1906 (2006)
Disgusting
This series is also know as London Hospital.
Not for the squeamish or those with an aversion to blood.
Being a medical programme, they show surgery and when they do very little is left to the imagination, especially blood. The most disgusting thing I find about the show is its historical accuracy, when they perform a procedure they don't wear gloves and perform most of the procedures right in the exam room. They will be in the middle of a procedure and stop to touch completely unsanitary things and then resume their life or death job. There is a theatre, and they do wear gloves and proper dress, except masks, for the major surgeries.
Dr. Wilson is a radiologist and at the time they had no idea the consequences of prolonged exposure to unchecked X-Rays. His hands are badly burned from all the exposure and is missing several fingers. All the fingers on one hand by the end of the first episode. The events, stories and characters are based on real people and events that happened and have been recorded.
I find it fascinating. The early history of one of London's greatest hospitals. And perfect for those who enjoy real history, medical dramas, a little romance all in the East End revolving around those afflicted by poverty.
And it makes me all the more aware and appreciative of all the advances we have and the long gevity we have. In addition to the quality of life we can provide to those with disabilities.
The acting is good, sincere and believable. I have so far only watched the first episode, but I can assume that it gets better and as the characters develop I'm sure it improves even more.
The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
You Ought to Forget about Dying and be Glad You're Living
This reviews contains LOTS of spoilers, if you are not wanting the movie to be completely given away, please find a different review.
Meet Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 17 year old girl with lung cancer. Meet Augustas, Hazel Grace's boyfriend, who also has cancer. The movie isn't exactly slow, it just doesn't pick up until the middle because of the character introductions. When Hazel was diagnosed at the age of thirteen, she was granted one wish, and she used it to go to Disney Land and Epcot Center. Gus, however, saved his wish. Hazel wants to meet the Author of her favourite book, who happens to live in Amsterdam. Well, after a few set backs, Hazel her mom and Gus are on their way to meet this Author. The Author even pays for a very nice dinner date for Hazel and Augustas, where they drink champagne and discuss philosophy. Oh, and fall in love. You see, Hazel is dying and because of this she doesn't want to love anyone extra who will be hurt by her passing. What Gus doesn't tell Hazel, is that he too is dying and that the cancer has spread to the lining of all his major organs, lungs, liver, stomach, etc. then they make out after dinner (or at least mostly do). When they meet the Author he turns out to be a grieving drunk who lost his daughter at the age of eight to leukemia. He tells them about greater and smaller infinities and Swedish Hip Hop. When all dying Hazel wants is the answer to three characters who are left behind when Anna, the main character, dies. Naturally, Hazel and Gus become mad at the Author because they wasted Gus' Wish on the Author and he didn't even grant the Wish: tell them about the characters who were left behind. Disappointed, they tour the Anne Frank house. It has two flights of steep stairs and a ladder, to get to the top, where they lived. Then they return home and resume their everyday lives and continue their fights with cancer.
Traditional Romeo and Juliet story: he even dies first.
There are a LOT of factual errors, my sister and I finally just started sitting there counting them all. The Anne Frank house has two steep stair cases and a ladder. Hazel is a very stubborn girl, (in the movie Hazel carries her own tank up both flights of stairs and the ladder, with a little assistance from the Author's Assisant), but in all reality Gus should've carried the O2 tank and passed it over Hazel's shoulder up to the Author's assistant and she carried it the other half of the way. Repeating the process for each case. When Gus is diagnosed with the relapse and he becomes so weak that he is in a wheelchair, he should've also been placed on oxygen because by that point the cancer was in his lungs and he was down to less than 30% capacity. And another thing, Hazel has been on oxygen for a number of months (minimally) and has no indignation from the candela pressing on her cheeks, or dryness around her nose and cheeks from the constant air pressure. And lastly, towards the end, where Hazel and Gus are both weak from the cancer taking over their vital organs, they decide to go out to a park not terribly far, but far enough, from Gus' house. And have one last picnic date. Hazel pushes Gus (theoretically she'd be pushed over 240 lbs. and pulling another 25-30 behind her) over uneven ground, and up a small incline. I would be winded and she barely pauses before they start talking and drinking more champagne. It's never said where an 18 year old and a 17 year old precursor a bottle of very nice champagne from.
The only redeeming points in the movie are that their older, not your usual 15 year olds. And that they dress up very nicely when doing grown up activities, not overly mature, just enough. And that they actually come across as mature, not whiny little children.
They think a lot about death and how their going to die before they can do anything in life. But what is keeping any of us live until we're old? And of us could get in our cars today and die a million different ways. There isn't anything different about living life with a terminal illness and dying anyway. I say enjoy today and live for tomorrow. None of are guaranteed a ripe old age. And you don't want to be remembered as then person who only thought about dying and forgot they're living!
Far and Away (1992)
Centries Apart
A lot of people are comparing this film to Titanic, I'd rather compare it to Gone with the Wind and Downton Abbey. This film supposedly took place one century before it was filmed. Yet the topics and things that it grapples with are still with us to this day. Immigrants came from all over the world to start a new life in America, which was still largely unexplored frontier territory; only to be sucked into the same situations, caste system and society order that they had just left. Much less the clash of too many people and cultures in too close of quarters.
Case in Point: Joseph and Shannon from Ireland. I wasn't sure what to expect from this film. Many had commented that they didn't care for it. I found the actors and actresses to be very believable in their parts and accents. I must agree that this is one of Tom Cruise's best roles.
I was very moved by the various positions the leading man and lady were placed in. I felt every blow that Joseph received, I wanted to slap Shannon for her sharp tongue. I wanted to cry at scenes, I laughed at many.
I found the music to speak volumes and was pleasantly surprised that John Williams was the composer. There were a few Schindler's List notes, but not enough to subtract or distract in the least from the film.
The sweeping shots of both Ireland and Oklahoma with their openness contrasted by the closed closeness of the city made you feel closed in and dead-ended.
You can even nearly smell the rank stench of men, the filth of the streets and the sweat of the oppressed. Very seldom do I find a movie that actually 'speaks' to each of my senses as this film does.
Go ahead, pop it in and step back in time. Perhaps, you would also care to bring some modern tissues with you...
Rachel Getting Married (2008)
One Big Happy Family
A recovering drug and alcohol addict, Kym is trying to get her life back on track. When her sister gets engaged, Kym goes home from Rehab for the weekend of the wedding. Kym, her sister Rachel and their parents need time to readjust to living together under one roof again, but, with family, soon-to-be-in-laws and friends staying as well, tensions start to rise. There is a lot of jealousy, rivalry and tension in Rachel and Kym's relationship. Their mother looks out for only number one, leaving their helpless father to play referee with their two grown daughters. The cinematography isn't the best, shaky with harsh zooms; it feels a little like a Kodak home-movie. But that also adds to the rawness of this film of a family trying to get over the skeletons of the past and embrace the future together. There are also some very light-hearted comedic relief in there as well, as any large family gathering is bound to have (even with all of its trials and sorrow). Anne Hathaway gives a riveting performance as the estranged daughter/recovering addict trying to find her place in her family and that she matters. Every performance felt genuine and I actually wanted to cry when Kym (Anne Hathaway) finally confronted her mother. I felt that maybe there were too many characters to keep up with and I found all of the various cultures distracting. Overall, though, this was a pretty good movie. Not one I will be re-watching too soon, but if it's on again late-night, I'll probably tune in.