“Declan Burke is his own genre. The Lammisters dazzles, beguiles and transcends. Virtuoso from start to finish.” – Eoin McNamee “This bourbon-smooth riot of jazz-age excess, high satire and Wodehouse flamboyance is a pitch-perfect bullseye of comic brilliance.” – Irish Independent Books of the Year 2019 “This rapid-fire novel deserves a place on any bookshelf that grants asylum to PG Wodehouse, Flann O’Brien or Kyril Bonfiglioli.” – Eoin Colfer, Guardian Best Books of the Year 2019 “The funniest book of the year.” – Sunday Independent “Declan Burke is one funny bastard. The Lammisters ... conducts a forensic analysis on the anatomy of a story.” – Liz Nugent “Burke’s exuberant prose takes centre stage … He plays with language like a jazz soloist stretching the boundaries of musical theory.” – Totally Dublin “A mega-meta smorgasbord of inventive language ... linguistic verve not just on every page but every line.Irish Times “Above all, The Lammisters gives the impression of a writer enjoying himself. And so, dear reader, should you.” – Sunday Times “A triumph of absurdity, which burlesques the literary canon from Shakespeare, Pope and Austen to Flann O’Brien … The Lammisters is very clever indeed.” – The Guardian

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Nobody Move, This Is A Review: FROZEN RIVER

Desperate to make ends meet, mother-of-two Ray (Melissa Leo) joins forces with local Mohawk Lila (Misty Upham) to smuggle illegal immigrants across the border between the US and Canada. In theory it should be easy: the Mohawk reservation extends across the border, and the local police have no jurisdiction on Mohawk land, but the frozen river the women need to cross while transporting their illicit cargo is the least treacherous obstacle in their way. A superb performance from Melissa Leo carries what might have been a standard noir tale, although what gives writer-director Courtney Hunt’s story an unconventional edge are the female leads, resulting in a downbeat and desolate Thelma and Louise. Ray and Lila aren’t out for post-feminist kicks, though – they break the law because they need to eat, and it’s the domestic aspect to Ray’s downward spiral that gives Frozen River its poignant edge, while a couple of scenes – particularly the one with the ‘misplaced’ baby – are truly heartbreaking. Shot crisply, cheaply but effectively, and with a good eye for the hauntingly bleak surroundings of northern New York State, this is as good a crime movie as you’ll see all year. ****

1 comment:

Peter Rozovsky said...

Hmm, cross the U.S.-Canada border? Who else works that territory? John McFetridge? Elmore Leonard?

Nah, this will never work.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/