It’s not easy to combine a compelling legal drama with a rom-com and not have it feel like all the worst stereotypes of a Hallmark movie, but Michael Scott Clifton does it with style and a little bit of actual wand-waving in The New Year’s Man.
There’s something bittersweet about discovering a series just as it’s coming to an end. Lift and Let Die is the sixteenth and final installment in Helen Golden’s A Right Royal Cozy Investigation series, and while I had no trouble following the mystery as a newcomer, I couldn’t help feeling that I’d arrived rather late to a very entertaining party.
I love a good RomCom. I especially love a good second-chance RomCom, or one featuring lead characters who are past their twenties. Even more, I love a good Christmas RomCom. So when I was offered a review copy of Stuck with You for Christmas by Jen Smith, well, obviously, I said yes.
I’m new to Liz Fenwick’s work, but based on my recent devouring of The Last Christmas, I’ve been missing out on some incredible storytelling.
But while Cole is the central character, this “novel in stories” is really about the women he encounters. Each is distinctly herself. There is no particular type, no interchangeable parade of romantic interests. Hale gives these women agency, personality, and histories of their own, while allowing us to experience Cole’s story through their eyes.
So, Ray — Biopic, so it isn’t going to be a horribly profound script or story, outside the confines of Ray Charles’ own life. A little too long, but not enough to warrant thumbs down. Jamie Foxx, though — absolutely incredible. Honestly, I was most impressed that his portrayal of Ray was so seamless. Combine that with the musical elements that 1. looked and sounded as if Jamie Foxx were singing (and he wasn’t — it was all Ray), and whomever they filmed was really playing the piano (instead of faking horribly — which I HATE) made this a very good film.
Thank you for the link to it. : )