A punch to the face, but an enjoyable one.
585879
Down With Love is one of those movies that you get super excited to see again because all you remember is how good Ewan McGregor looked in it and the style of the film. Halfway through it's everything you ever wanted, lowkey feminism, Ewan McGregor looking hot as hell, more feminism, etc. But by the end of the movie, you're thrown through a loop-- what the hell is happening to this plot? Who is she? What did she do??? WHAT ARE THEY DOING??? and finally the movie ends and you feel like you've been punched in the face because you were so excited to watch this stylistic feminist film with Ewan McGregor and instead you get some weird M. Night Shyamalan rom com twist and you're left sitting on your ass wondering what just happened...

Overall still 3/5 stars because Ewan McGregor looks good af.
2646767
The action was a little over the top, and it does push the boundaries, but that was okay.  The book information does say that it's pulp action adventure, so you know what you're in for.
There is an underlying story that gives the characters meaning and purpose.  It does take a few chapters to come through, but it's worth getting through to that point to fully understand the motivations of Manley and the Warlord.
Indulge and enjoy
3694846
My expectations were high, and they were met. They even got a few of the marvellous side-stories in.

Get it, it's really hitting the fan in this one.
4426807
Spoilers aside, this movie takes the "we're just going to punch you in the face with funny" approach. Not much subtlety, but they don't need it. There's a plethora of one-liners that they've worked in that you'll miss a few times, so I suggest coming back and watching it again in a few weeks just to pick up on everything you might've missed while crying your eyes out from laughing. Don't feel like writing a long review, so I'm not going to. Enjoy.
2237239
The writing is good, the characters are fanciful in some ways but highly believable, and the movement of the narrative progresses very naturally; it doesn't jump around.
This is a fun story, but if you've been impacted by anger in self or others, there are heart- wrenching, healing scenes waiting for you in this narrative.
724751
This is not a pleasant book to read. I have never read anything like this before. If you are not comfortable reading about human misery, I would not recommend this to you. The existences of some of the major characters can be best described as wretched. As others have mentioned, the novel alternates between two stories, one set in medieval England and the other in present day America. Not to give anything away, but the two stories are tied together in a most satisfying fashion so if you can handle the ugliness and violence, do stick it out. Luckily for me, one character has a sunny disposition despite knowing the worst heartache. The dialogue is crisp and appears well-researched, the descriptive passages a little less so, but I know that this is the author's first published effort and I look forward to the next one.
1377094
When I first started reading this, I actually thought it was going to be a murder mystery, or at least a story in which the protagonist has to prove his innocence in the face of being accused of the crime. But, as with most things written by Garrison Kelly, this tale took a decided left turn into the land of fantasy. Alien monsters start taking part in wrestling matches, and the main characters are forced to fight both the monsters and the man responsible for their arrival on Earth to prevent... well, Im not quite sure what they were trying to prevent. I guess they were trying to prevent the main bad guy, Keegan Day, from ruining their profession.

Along the way they are love triangles, over the top battles, and all sorts of shenanigans that youd expect in a fantasy novel. The ending came as something of a surprise, but it had an upbeat twist at the very least.

If you can ignore the odd typo and that curse of fast typists - the missing word  then you should enjoy this, even if you know little about wrestling. Just because you don't know what a wrestling move is doesnt mean you cant understand whats going on. Some explanation of moves might be nice, but they're not necessary.

My one gripe is that the characters aren't really given enough time to develop. Im not sure what the timeline is in the story (it isn't that clear), but I imagine there are days if not weeks between fights; just enough time for some exposition that would have helped us to like the characters more. The sudden drunken drug induced lesbianism of Debra and Rosie felt a little misplaced, though if there were some hints thrown in earlier on, or perhaps a bit more reluctance from the apparently straight Debra, then it might have been more believable.

Still, on the whole, this is a solid three star read that shows a lot of potential for the young author.
1451880
"The best we can do is to forgive ourselves." Sailor O'Connor (Purcell) is an aging fighter with a past that won't let him go. He is trying to move on when he is approached by a local promoter for one last fight. After agreeing for the biggest payday he's ever had he tells his mother and old trainer, neither of whom is happy about it. His opponent is an up and coming young kid with a past he is also trying to change. Together they fight not only each other but the past they can't forget. As many of you know I am a huge fan of sports movies. Being a lower budget one that not many people have heard of I wasn't expecting too much from this. I'm not sure if that had any effect on my feelings toward this but I really really enjoyed it. Every other boxing movie I have seen tells the story of the characters then ends with the fight. This one switches between the fighting and the story which I really enjoyed. You see some punches then part of the fighters life which segues beautifully into the break in between rounds. That gives extra meaning to the rest period. I could go on and on about this but I'll end by saying I highly recommend this. Overall, not sure if it was because I wasn't expecting something this good but I really enjoyed this. I actually liked it more then The Fighter. I give this an A-.
2406693
Michael Gerard Tyson is a damaged soul with a ferocious dark side; no one's denying that.  But in this short masterpiece, James Toback lets us know, in no uncertain terms, that this steely eyed, broken, disturbed hulk of a man--and would-be Greatest of all Time--is no monster.

In many ways this Hieronymous Bosch-like documentary answers not only the questions of boxing fans concerning precisely *why* the man with a left arm containing deadly titanium embarked on a campaign of personal, public, and professional self destruction; it also shatters the cruel image that the general public has of Tyson as a sociopathic animal.  Indeed, his name itself has become synonymous in everyday life with brutality, aggression, and rape (a rape which I highly doubt he committed).

Mike Tyson's psyche, compromised as it is by trauma, brain damage, mental illness, and post traumatic stress disorder was apparently on task for Toback's rigorous expose of the man's psyche.  There are times when he does come across as slightly inarticulate, archaic in the way he speaks (as the director noted in his "Special Features": "Mike's relationship to language is physical, concrete.") Almost poetic, I'd say: Tyson tells the truth with an almost amusingly crude flair that one cannot help but find amusing.

Tyson grew up in a section of NYC that is uninhabitable for human beings (Brownsville) and the rate of survival is perhaps akin to that of humans living during the Black Death.  He recalls quite freely being beaten up, abandoned by his parents, and really being little more than a frightened child who wanted to little else but play with his homing pigeons, which he had in a small coop in the tiny, broken down apartment he lived in.  "I never wanted to fight no one", he says at one point.  "Guys held us up at gunpoint, took our cookies, everything we had."  One day, though, an older man started to hassle Tyson about his pigeons and calling him a sissy for having them.  To prove his point, he broke the pigeon's neck right in front of him.  Tyson learned to fight that day and beat the guy up so badly that earned the respect of the people in the area.

He gives a satisfying story about beating the hell out of Don King in front of a group of rich sycophants in Beverly Hills, but most of his life (aside from when he unified all the divisions by winning every belt possible) is tragedy.  He is proud, one can tell, of having done things in boxing that no one ever has before; but he is aware more of what might have been.

What I found most interesting was the technique Toback used.  One sees and hears Tyson on four different screens, his mouth, his eyes, a sort of sensory assault from the Baddest Man On the Planet.  This is also confirmed for me that Evander Holyfield, while still a great boxer, will do whatever he has to do in order to win.  The first fight he "accidentally" headbutted Tyson twice, cutting his eye and disabling him.  The second time he did the same thing, and Tyson's trauma from prison, his extreme rage, and his recognition that Evander Holyfield was being seen as "the good guy" even when he was fouling him on purpose all exploded into the notorious "ear biting" moment. Holyfield knew he couldn't win, and he was actually pretty successful at his Machievellian (not Christian) strategy: make Tyson look like a nutcase by provoking him, and then create the myth that he committed the foul in order to escape the fight. (Holyfield was no Muhammad Ali, and though Tyson mentions that they were friends, he does not once address whether he could have handled The Greatest in the ring.)

A fantastic film for boxing fans and *especially* non boxing fans.  Watch especially for the part where Tyson recites a poem by Oscar Wilde, which, believe it or not, he knew by heart.
2948017
This was certainly a good read.  Every sentence seems to be jam packed with action.  The narration initially made you expect a standard ending for such boxing stories.  But the sudden twist in the story kept you reading, hoping that the underdog would win.  The ending of the story was certainly unexpected.  However, my only negative comment is that the story isn't entirely believable.  There is no way that a woman gets hammered and still able to talk normally.
4206582
`Play It To The Bone' is really two movies.  One is a movie about boxing and the other is a comedic character study of the boxers.  As a boxing film, it succeeds nicely.  As a comedy it has its moments.  As a character  study, it hits the canvas hard.
The storyline was sort of `Rocky' times  two.  Two washed up middleweight boxers Vince and Cesar (Woody Harrelson  and Antonio Banderas), who are also best friends, get a last minute chance  to fight in Las Vegas on the undercard of a Mike Tyson heavyweight bout  when the two scheduled fighters are unable to fight.  They are promised  that the winner will get a chance to fight for the championship, but they  have to be in Las Vegas tonight.  The trouble is, they have to fight each  other.
So they climb into a car with Cesar's girlfriend (and Vince's  ex-girlfriend) Grace (Lolita Davidovich) and drive from L.A. to Las Vegas.  Most of the rest of the movie is about the drive followed by the  fight.
Director Ron Shelton has had quite a few sports oriented success  stories to his credit (Bull Durham, White Men Can't Jump and Tin Cup).  The  best part of the film was the boxing.  The boxing was well choreographed  and both actors were athletic and fought like real boxers.  Shelton was  also excellent at creating the feel of a boxing match.  Anyone who has ever  watched an HBO bout will recognize ring announcers Jim Lampley, Larry  Merchant and George Foreman.  Mike Tyson made a cameo as well as numerous  celebrity boxing fans (Kevin Costner, Rod Stewart, Wesley Snipes and a host  of others).  The makeup for the cuts and puffiness was also very  realistic.
Unfortunately, the rest of the film was not as good as the  fight.  Shelton spends a good deal of time developing the characters, but  it is all for naught because they have no substance.  They are two hapless  jocks, obvious mental lightweights, who spend most of the trip to Las Vegas  fighting over Grace, cutting up and strutting around like peacocks.  Shelton takes great pains to try to make us love these characters equally  by making them equally pathetic.  But that doesn't work because it leaves  the audience without anyone to pull for in the fight.  The ending is  utterly predictable and the film whimpers off into the sunset with no more  than a stagger.
Banderas and Harrelson both gave journeyman performances.  They had good chemistry and some decent comedy between them, but there was  nothing special here.  The best performance by far was by Davidovich who  transcended her normal sex kitten role and took command of the entire film  with a character that was a manipulative vixen.  She was smart, tough and  sexy, and dominated every scene.  Once again, she shows that she is  talented as well as attractive, which makes me wonder why she has never  gotten roles that are more substantial.
This is a tough one to rate  because it does some things very well and other things poorly.  I gave it a  6/10.  It had some good comedic moments, but not enough of them.  It had  some excellent boxing scenes, but a disappointing outcome.  In addition,  the character study simply failed due to vacant characters.  If you like  boxing, Harrelson, Banderas or especially Davidovich, you will enjoy this  film.  Otherwise, enter at your own risk.
547851
Getting Away with it is an easy read, with an amusing, tongue in cheek style.

The characters are somewhat stereotypical, however, I am forced to admit that there might well be more truth to them than I would like to believe. Best friends sleeping with each other's husbands, philandering men, scheming wives. And this is just the first chapter!

I loved the quotes at the beginning of every chapter. Each one set the tone for what was to follow, and each was a pithy little statement on its own. Many of them were good advice, I think.

I have a minor gripe with repetitive phrasing here and there in the text but that did not detract from the overall story. Added to that is the issue of the magic purse, which apparently works in a manner outside of conventional physics. Frankly, just a minor example of Deus ex machina, but forgivable.

We follow a woman as she descends into psychosis, driven by the exploits of her cheating husband. But she does not choose to ignore the situation. She takes action. In a * * * *SPOILER ALERT* * * * * bloody and horrendous fashion.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It was compelling and entertaining and ended in a manner that was inevitable and very, very final. Except it wasn't!

The final twist in the tail I will not mention, but suffice it to say that it was unexpected.
2950250
This book feels like a punch to the gut, in a good way. There is some powerful emotions in it, and the music (soundtrack) that goes along with it (should you listen) only emphasizes those emotions. The story starts in the present (where we learn that the heroine's ex is getting married.) It then switches to the past and her love stories. (She had two loves during the time frame of the book.) The way it unfolds, between break-ups and make-ups, it leaves you guessing as to which ex was getting married and who she is currently with, until the very end. It'll have you predicting, then changing you mind several times throughout. Definitely keeps you engaged and invested in it. There are some humorous moments thrown in here and there. More so in the earlier pages of the book, before things (like feelings) got too complicated, then it turned to a more serious read. It does have that angst element to it. There were some sex scenes but they weren't smutty or too graphic. The characters really made you feel. Both the good and bad bits. Despite the break-ups, (which were hard to witness,) no one was 'the bad guy' in the relationships. All parties involved had legit reasons (even the one getting dumped,) for their actions. And while it was heartbreaking, there was an understanding there. Music is a big part of the story. Both with the characters careers as well as the book's playlist. It is talked about often, so if you are that rarity who doesn't enjoy music, you might not fully appreciate this book. The e-book version does have click-able links with the chapter headings that will take you to Spotify, so you an listen while you read, if you are so inclined. I personally really enjoyed that bonus. The book is well written and while it's longer than most books, it does flow smoothly and reads easily.
87019
Well, I suppose I'll get the negative stuff out of the way first, since I have less to complain about then I do to praise in this story. There are a few grammar mistakes throughout the story, and there were a few things that I didn't like about the story, such as Waldo getting the prophecy that'll eventually happen to him in the end. To be fair though, this is just a personal pet peeve of mine, since I tend to like to be kept in the dark somewhat about whether or not certain things happen.

That being said though, this was a really good first story, especially considering that this was independently published. Pretty much every chapter had me laughing, in various degrees (chapter 25 was absolutely hysterical). I also love the unique world you've set up, how the various cultures and governments work, and the motivations of the various classes of mages. It's much more then just a simple "Black Mages are all Evil", and "White Mages are all good." (yes, I know it's expected of a Black mage to do horrible things, but that's because it's how their were raised. It's part of their culture, their identity, and it's even in their duty to do these things in order to prove their worth. White mages aren't entirely goodie-goods either. They have an underlining motives which will hurt people and creatures in order for them to achieve them. I think the funniest interactions between different characters come from Waldo and Alice. It leads to some hilariously awkward moments. The action is pretty decent too: there isn't a lot in this book, although I suspect the main fighting will be in the next one.

So yeah, I'll definitely buy the sequel when it comes out. This was a fun read and I'm sure the next one will be as well.
2293434
Short and intense. I must admit that I'm not emotionally touched by too many books, but this one, a sci-fi book, touched me deeply. It's a bit easy, dying boy, grieving dad. But it's interesting throughout, packs a big punch, with some mature moments mixed in with the zany.

I was pleasantly surprised. Short and punchy, I recommend it.
3752005
If you're looking for some serious anime, with lots of guns, explosions, gratuitious violence and sex then don't look here. If you're looking for something fun with no redeeming social message, this might be what you're looking for.
It's an enjoyable romp through the life of one man, and the trials that come with having 3 marionettes of his own. There are laughs, obvious jokes and generally a fun feeling about it all.
The only downside to it is the absolutely *terrible* English dubbing. With the possible exception of "Bloodberry", the voices just do not work. And yes, part of it has to do with the fact that that perennial favourite voice artist "Megumi Hayashibara" does the voice of Lime to such a degree that anybody else is unworthy of that role.
All in all I have to give it a 4, it's not perfect but it's better than average.
1382832
The prose is skillfully crafted, but one a few occasions it slips a bit. I would call it better than average.

The storyline itself is of higher caliber, as are the themes that it explores.  While it also falls short of OMGMINDBLOWN, it is pretty darn exceptional.  The day-to-day life of a hitman has been done several times, of course, but this is interesting to me in that it's the first time I've seen it approach the day-to-day *inner* life of a hitman. Perhaps that's not so novel, but it's at least it's not another "omg hitman goes to get milk and hilarious violence ensues!"