Already considered a shoo-in for the Oscars, Darren Aronfsky’s Black Swan is the critics’ favorite movie this winter. So it was with high expectations that I entered the theater. Two hours later I walked away impressed but definitely not swept away. Black Swan is what it promises to be; a dark psychological thriller. Set in the highly competitive scene of the New York ballet scene, the story is about a young and ambitious company dancer…
Culture
I had recently returned from a visit to Washington, and one of my friends suggested I might like Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol. It was to Washington DC what Da Vinci Code was to Paris. Now, I am always a sucker for thrillers that are geographically centered, as it satisfies both my love of mysteries and traveling. So I gave it a shot. The Lost Symbol has the usual Dan Brown trademarks — Robert Langdon…
In high school, I only read the Charles & Mary Lamb version of Shakespeare’s works. While it served as a good introduction to the essential plots and themes, it failed to capture the true beauty of the language. I never formally studied Shakespeare, and my only attempt at reading his original works was as a fourteen-year-old, grasping at dusty shelves to retrieve a heavy copy of The Complete Original Works of Shakespeare at my grandparents’…
Af After helping a friend move into her new apartment, I was exhausted with all the accompanying weight lifting that we had to do. So I decided to relax with a light romantic comedy Picture Perfect Picture Perfect is the story of Kate’s (Jennifer Aniston) ambition to have it all. Katie works in Mercer Advertising and is clearly very talented for the job. Her personal life is not that great – she is the last in her…
Politics and palace intrigue add flair to this medieval murder mystery “The Magician’s Death” is a murder mystery based during the early 14th century. Thought the story starts off in Paris, most of the plot is set in the Corfe Castle in Dorset – an area rife with murders as we will soon learn. The Plot At the start of the novel, we are given a glimpse of the political rivalry between King Edward of…
Wilkie Collins is famous genre-defining novels like The Moonstone & The Women in White – these novels often make it to the top hundred lists. The Haunted Hotel is a lesser known work – a purely gothic story with interesting characters, haunted rooms and scandalous love affairs. Without spoiling the plot, there is a lot making it a page turner. A hush-hush marriage, a scorned lover, rivalry between brothers, missing servants and phantom visions –…
Probably said this a hundred times already but cozy, mystery stories are my comfort read. Back from a lovely but tiring trip, I just wanted to unwind with an easy and fast read. So I picked up Menu for Murder by J. G. Goodhind and “As If by Magic” by Dolores Gordon-Smith. I am reviewing them together because they are part of the same genre yet very different. I am no writer and do feel…
Up in the air. In Suspension. In limbo. This Oscar nominated movie is all about uncertainty. Narrated through the eyes of Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) , a corporate consultant whose job is to layoff people. Up in the Air is clearly a movie of the times. On the surface, you would believe that this story is about being a frequent flyer, about calling the airplane your home and about the privileges of being a premium…
