Summer Reading: A mother and daughter face sinister secrets in Buried Road
I was doing cartwheels across the beach when I found a blue-and-green string bracelet in the sand. Someone's lost treasure that was now mine. I put it on my wrist and haven't taken it off since.
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Right after it happened, all I would dream about was that last camping trip. In some of my dreams, Howard kept his promise. He heads across the sand with a cone in each hand, the chocolate mint ice cream dripping down his knuckles.
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I'd also dream about real things — like the sweet taste of the apple cider from Waupoos. Like the snap and crackle of the campfire. Like the sting of marram grass on my ankles as I climbed the dunes. Sometimes I'd dream about running on the beach with my kite or skipping along the boardwalk over the marsh at Cedar Sands Trail. Howard would be naming all the plants we saw along the way. Spike rush. Jack-in-the-pulpit. Sweet flag. Gus would be holding his hand. I would look back at the two of them just in time to see Howard lift her hand to kiss it. At the last second, he would kiss his own hand. It was one of his silly jokes. And even though she kept a lot of herself inside, Gus would burst out laughing. He knew how to get her to crack.
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I'd wake up from those dreams with a full heart. And for a few seconds, I'd forget. But then I'd remember he was gone and my heart would empty and hurt all over again. I' d twirl the woven strings of my bracelet, trying to go back to how I felt when I found it in the sand.
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It's been almost three years. I was just a kid back then. I'll be a teenager in a few weeks. Practically a grown-up. It's up to me now. I can't believe it was only 11 days ago when Gus read that stupid obituary. That's what brought us back to the county. And now that we've come all this way, I can't give up and I can't be lost. Not after all we've been through. I have to do this for Gus and Howard. Even if it means heading straight into a dead zone.
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I keep moving. Suddenly I hear voices up ahead. I pull the knife from my back pocket and move into the low brush, inching closer. I spot them a few feet in front of me. I freeze. I can see their faces. If they look this way, they'll see me too. I hold my breath and grip the knife. I steady myself. Ready to fight. Or even kill if I have to. I've changed in 11 days.
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I am currently reading two books, one fiction and one non-fiction: Linwood Barclay's thriller, Take Your Breath Away, for when I need to escape reality and dive into a terrific mystery layered with secrets and lies; and Omar El Akkad's One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, for when I need to try to make sense, if that's even possible, of what's happening in the world today.
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Winnipeg Free Press
20 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Movie Review: Ron Howard's ‘Eden' brings 1920s chaos on a Galápagos island to life
Ron Howard's 'Eden' opens with a bold statement: 'Fascism is spreading.' It'll surely carry weight in modern society, but the phrase is referencing events from nearly a century ago. Based on a true story, 'Eden' retraces what happened when a group of Europeans attempted to start anew on the remote island of Floreana, only to encounter the earthly failings they hoped to escape: chaos, blackmail, betrayal and even murder. Howard assembles an impressive cast, though it isn't always enough to make up for the overambitious plot of a film that drags in the middle. 1920s Germany, haunted after accepting blame for World War I, was on the brink of demise, as mass poverty and broad social unrest laid ground for the extremism that birthed the Nazi party. 'Eden' shows us none of that, instead dropping us on a small island of the Galápagos, where Dr. Friedrich Ritter ( Jude Law ) and his loyal partner, Dore Strauch Ritter ( Vanessa Kirby ) found solace after fleeing their native country. The idealist doctor is inspired by a newfound purpose of penning radical philosophy that will 'save humanity from itself.' Yet the historical resonance, which could have provided pointed commentary on the parallels between today and the 1920s, falls flat amid the film's overlong runtime, unlikable characters and shaky accents that most actors stumble in and out of. In the midst of the film's crafted chaos, the story inevitably loses focus. Still, 'Eden' made room for some memorable performances. More adventurists eventually arrive on the island, and just like that, human interaction starts to breed madness. The doctor's philosophical work has spread through letters and newspapers across Europe, attracting settlers like Heinz Wittmer, a veteran of the Great War played by Daniel Brühl, and his much younger second wife Margaret, played by Sydney Sweeney. The Ritters' quiet isolation is disrupted by the couple, who arrive with Wittmer's young son, chasing the promise of an island utopia to ease their deep disillusionment with everyday reality. The tension between the two groups further exacerbates when Eloise Bosquet de Wagner Wehrhorn ( Ana de Armas ), who calls herself the Baroness, arrives with her two lovers, determined to build a resort on the island. What results is a cat-and-mouse game between the three groups, ripe with betrayal, distrust and tension. The battle for resources exposes just how much of their morality these people are willing to give up for survival, at least attempting to — but never fully succeeding — in addressing the question: When do people bend to human instinct? The film lacks depth in exploring questions of morality and human nature while depicting Ritter's lofty goals to save humanity. His philosophy spirals into madness throughout the film, reduced to brief, sometimes painful and surface level sound bites that eventually devolve into incoherent ramblings. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. The movie is at its most compelling when its three female actors are on the screen. Different motivations bring them to the island, each of which ultimately centers on the same blind faith in the idea of the masculine leader. They all end up vastly disappointed. Dore is consumed by an unwavering devotion for Ritter, a man who never lives up to the image she's crafted in her mind. Margaret, having married an older man expecting guidance, is instead forced to build her family's future from the ground up, only to fight tooth and nail to preserve it after her husband nearly destroys them. And the Baroness, who confidently declares herself 'the embodiment of perfection,' oozing with seduction, ultimately crumbles at the rejection of a man. Arguably, Sweeney — who is almost unrecognizable as the timid and brunette Margaret — steals the show. She easily delivers the most impactful scene of the movie, as she was forced to give birth to a baby boy alone in the middle of the desolate island. It's not hard to guess who won't makes it off the island, either by choice or by force. It is a true story after all. The bloody ending feels unavoidable from the beginning, almost as predictable as human nature itself. But maybe that was the point all along. 'Eden,' a Vertical release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for 'some strong violence, sexual content, graphic nudity and language.' Running time: 129 minutes. Two and half stars out of four.
Ottawa Citizen
3 days ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Summer Reading: A mother and daughter face sinister secrets in Buried Road
Article content I was doing cartwheels across the beach when I found a blue-and-green string bracelet in the sand. Someone's lost treasure that was now mine. I put it on my wrist and haven't taken it off since. Article content Right after it happened, all I would dream about was that last camping trip. In some of my dreams, Howard kept his promise. He heads across the sand with a cone in each hand, the chocolate mint ice cream dripping down his knuckles. Article content I'd also dream about real things — like the sweet taste of the apple cider from Waupoos. Like the snap and crackle of the campfire. Like the sting of marram grass on my ankles as I climbed the dunes. Sometimes I'd dream about running on the beach with my kite or skipping along the boardwalk over the marsh at Cedar Sands Trail. Howard would be naming all the plants we saw along the way. Spike rush. Jack-in-the-pulpit. Sweet flag. Gus would be holding his hand. I would look back at the two of them just in time to see Howard lift her hand to kiss it. At the last second, he would kiss his own hand. It was one of his silly jokes. And even though she kept a lot of herself inside, Gus would burst out laughing. He knew how to get her to crack. Article content Article content I'd wake up from those dreams with a full heart. And for a few seconds, I'd forget. But then I'd remember he was gone and my heart would empty and hurt all over again. I' d twirl the woven strings of my bracelet, trying to go back to how I felt when I found it in the sand. Article content It's been almost three years. I was just a kid back then. I'll be a teenager in a few weeks. Practically a grown-up. It's up to me now. I can't believe it was only 11 days ago when Gus read that stupid obituary. That's what brought us back to the county. And now that we've come all this way, I can't give up and I can't be lost. Not after all we've been through. I have to do this for Gus and Howard. Even if it means heading straight into a dead zone. Article content I keep moving. Suddenly I hear voices up ahead. I pull the knife from my back pocket and move into the low brush, inching closer. I spot them a few feet in front of me. I freeze. I can see their faces. If they look this way, they'll see me too. I hold my breath and grip the knife. I steady myself. Ready to fight. Or even kill if I have to. I've changed in 11 days. Article content Article content I grip the knife and move slowly toward them. Article content I am currently reading two books, one fiction and one non-fiction: Linwood Barclay's thriller, Take Your Breath Away, for when I need to escape reality and dive into a terrific mystery layered with secrets and lies; and Omar El Akkad's One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, for when I need to try to make sense, if that's even possible, of what's happening in the world today. Article content
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Calgary Herald
Summer Reading: A mother and daughter face sinister secrets in Buried Road
Article content I was doing cartwheels across the beach when I found a blue-and-green string bracelet in the sand. Someone's lost treasure that was now mine. I put it on my wrist and haven't taken it off since. Article content Right after it happened, all I would dream about was that last camping trip. In some of my dreams, Howard kept his promise. He heads across the sand with a cone in each hand, the chocolate mint ice cream dripping down his knuckles. Article content I'd also dream about real things — like the sweet taste of the apple cider from Waupoos. Like the snap and crackle of the campfire. Like the sting of marram grass on my ankles as I climbed the dunes. Sometimes I'd dream about running on the beach with my kite or skipping along the boardwalk over the marsh at Cedar Sands Trail. Howard would be naming all the plants we saw along the way. Spike rush. Jack-in-the-pulpit. Sweet flag. Gus would be holding his hand. I would look back at the two of them just in time to see Howard lift her hand to kiss it. At the last second, he would kiss his own hand. It was one of his silly jokes. And even though she kept a lot of herself inside, Gus would burst out laughing. He knew how to get her to crack. Article content Article content I'd wake up from those dreams with a full heart. And for a few seconds, I'd forget. But then I'd remember he was gone and my heart would empty and hurt all over again. I' d twirl the woven strings of my bracelet, trying to go back to how I felt when I found it in the sand. Article content It's been almost three years. I was just a kid back then. I'll be a teenager in a few weeks. Practically a grown-up. It's up to me now. I can't believe it was only 11 days ago when Gus read that stupid obituary. That's what brought us back to the county. And now that we've come all this way, I can't give up and I can't be lost. Not after all we've been through. I have to do this for Gus and Howard. Even if it means heading straight into a dead zone. Article content I keep moving. Suddenly I hear voices up ahead. I pull the knife from my back pocket and move into the low brush, inching closer. I spot them a few feet in front of me. I freeze. I can see their faces. If they look this way, they'll see me too. I hold my breath and grip the knife. I steady myself. Ready to fight. Or even kill if I have to. I've changed in 11 days. Article content Article content I am currently reading two books, one fiction and one non-fiction: Linwood Barclay's thriller, Take Your Breath Away, for when I need to escape reality and dive into a terrific mystery layered with secrets and lies; and Omar El Akkad's One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, for when I need to try to make sense, if that's even possible, of what's happening in the world today. Article content
