Cache (Hidden): a movie

I know, at least I think I know, what you are thinking. If this site is supposed to be about books and I am posting movies, then I am getting either a) bold or b) lazy. I assure you it is neither. I am simply pointing out a very suspenseful, creepy, well-done movie in the vein of the best Hitchcock. It is told from the unflinching eye of the camera, just staring at this life being lived on a quiet street. The main character is a book critic (how droll) and he is sent a video tape of the outside of his house that runs for a couple of hours. In a panic, he tries to locate the hidden spot and get closer to figuring out why someone would do that. And so begins the movie, Cache. It is a French film so it is subtitled, but that does not distract from the creepy tension that permeates this film. There is a bit of a shocker near the end, but it is not the climax.



What You May Like:



This is a study of paranoia, of guilt and its effects on our psyche. It looks at how we live our lives under the eyes of so many others. Is anything really private? How far would you go to get back at someone for a wrong doing? How much influence do we have over other people's lives? In short, it is a movie that makes you think while entertaining you.



What You May Not:



It is relatively slow by standards set here in the US. Don't let this deter you. A movie should take you into a new world or at least an aspect you hadn't thought of, or had much experience with in your day to day. Subtitles means lots of reading. People don't come right out and say what's going on. You have to figure out what is happening and why on your own. The ending is a little brainteaser in itself.



All in all, I found this movie one of the better thrillers that I had seen in a while. I read and watch movies all the time and this director is going to be around a while. Let's enjoy him while he is here.

Drood

In keeping theme with my last post (which was ages ago, but that means I have been reading, right?), I am going to talk about Dan Simmons again. I will get off this author soon, but for now, he is a ripping good spinner of the proverbial yarn so bear with me. This time it will be Drood that I will discuss, but I will keep this brief as I hate people that tell me too much about a book.

What You May Like:

If you enjoy the Victorian time period of Britain and the mixture of magic and science amid the seedy underground of London and all the literary references you can handle, this is your book. It happened to be one of my favorites from him, if it did seem a little drawn out, but the narrative was well done. It shouldn't be too hard to get into the language after a chapter or two so stick with it.

What You May Dislike:

I didn't like the ending, to put it bluntly. I thought the book was heading in one direction and it went kind of sideways for me. I still enjoyed it immensely or I wouldn't have finished it (there is only so much time, why waste it?). If you just let the novel unfold without guessing as to what will happen you may enjoy it more. If you are like me, however, and try to guess and plot along, you may be disappointed. Just fair warning.

A note on my absence:

I had really lost my motivation for doing this. If you find that you are using this and enjoying it, please let me know. You can please just post something to this site, letting me know if I should continue or stick to the day job. Either way, I will still be working, but it would be nice to hear what the reading public thinks.

thank you and keep reading.