Oblivion: Earth's Non-Existence

 

In 2077, Earth has been through a war and has been vacated by its inhabitants   Two people have been left on Earth, Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) and Victoria Olsen (Andrea Riseborough).  Jack scouts the Earth repairing downed drones from alien beings who were scavenging what was left on Earth. Victoria keeps an eye on Jack and reports back to their leader Sally (Melissa Leo) of the colony based on one of the moons of Saturn where Victoria and Jack will be able to go in 2 weeks time.  However, this all changes when a capsule lands on Earth and Jack discovers one survivor named Julia Rusakova (Olga Kurylenko).  She is a face that Jack she's often in his dreams and wonders why.  The cinematography is great, the flying sequences reminds me of a cross between Star Wars and Top Gun.  The story has a bit of a twist to it to keep you interested. It's also nice to see Morgan Freeman and hear his dynamic voice from time to time.

The Spanish Flu and Murder

Murder by the Book An Unmarked Grave by Charles Todd is the fourth book in the Bess Crawford series.  Here we find Bess in the Spring of 1918 in France in the middle of something deadlier than World War I, the Spanish Influenza Flu.  It is becoming more of an issue  by the minute.  However, Bess Crawford finds hidden among the countless dead waiting for burial the body of a friend and officer who also served in her father's regiment who was not killed by disease or by a German's bullet.  Bess wants to report this heinous crime but falls ill with the Spanish flu.  When she recovers, she finds out that the only other witness to the crime has hung himself.  Bess refuses to let either death go without investigating further putting her life and others close to her in danger.  This is another intriguing look into World War I with its heartache, compassion and dedication of all who have lived through this time period.
Murder by the Book

An American Hero

Captain America:  The First Avenger was a strong story about the military putting their lives on the line to protect our country.  A young man, Steve (Chris Evans) is picked on and rejected several times from enlisting in the military.  However, Steve doesn't give up in a fight, he has compassion and a determination that is not swayed, so he is chosen for an experiment in the military and is finally accepted.  The supporting characters Peggy (Hayley Atwell), a brave friend Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and a very loyal cast of characters makes for a cohesive story.  Captain America is not a character that is interesting to me but the movie is worth seeing.

Two Girls and a Secret

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton is her debut novel. It is a historical fiction book about a girl named Grace Bradley and two sisters, Hannah and Emmeline Hartford. The three live in the Riverton house and experience good times and tragedy. The worse tragedy happened in the summer of 1924 when a young poet shoots himself. The only witnesses are Grace, Hannah and Emmeline.
In 1999, at the age of 99, Grace is visited by a director who is doing a movie on the history of Riverton. The director takes Grace back to Riverton and awakens a lot of secrets that she kept her whole life. The story is gripping throughout to it's astonishing ending. Kate Morton also wrote the unforgettable book, The Forgotten Garden. The House at Riverton is an intense read.

The Good Earth - China back to basics

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck is a classic and detailed story about a man named Wang Lang and his quest for wealth, peace and happiness during the pre-revolutionary time period in China.  In this story, Wang Lang is a determined young man who realizes the importance of land and family.  He is driven throughout his lifetime and maintains this attitude throughout the book.  O-Lan through her tragic and humble beginnings is the support that binds their family through good and bad times.  Ms. Buck took a beautiful country and its people and made it accessible to America. The way she describes the detail of the land and its people at a time of devastation made it hard for this reviewer to put the book down. Many Asian writers get wrapped up in the culture of their people then the actual story of the characters.  Buck holds on to the integrity of the characters and the country in which she lived and was able to honor this in her novel.  If you read The Good Earth years ago, it's time to read it again and if you have never read it, it is a wonderful book to start.

Movie Review

The King's Speech was a wonderful movie about a stammering Duke who becomes a great King with the help of a brilliant speech therapist.  Colin Firth who portrayed King George VI was wonderful.   He took a very difficult and embarrassing problem like stammering and showed how love and support from family and friends and sheer determination of a person can overcome anything. Mr. Firth was so convincing with the stammering that I believed he really had a problem.  It was also nice to see Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean-the curse of the black pearl fame) as the great Lionel who helped bring levity and seriousness to this character.  Helena Bonham Carter showed how talented she is in the role of Elizabeth as the supportive, loving and lighthearted wife of "Bertie", King George VI.  The King's Speech was a historical and powerful movie depicting a scary and difficult time for England and its people.  This is a movie that I highly recommend seeing.