Der Gesang der Flusskrebse

What would you do, if those you love deserted you, left you lost and all alone, within a swampland overgrow; only parent who can nurture, takes the name of mother nature, raises you with all the senses, that you need to form defences; as you grow you start to flower, just don't realise your power, attracting those that make you sing, attracting those that wound and sting; then you're captured in a web, of prejudice, a tidal ebb, stranded, beached, marooned and grounded, the ending may leave you confounded.

Daisy Edgar-Jones is brilliant, and gives one of her best performances to date as the marshland Mowgli Kya Clark.

This film was a great watch with an even better theme of discrimination, isolation and humanity. The performances of Daisy Edgar-Jones and David Strathairn were the main strong points for me. Their relationship and his unrelenting desire to give her a good defense regardless of her ostracization and stimga she receives really showcase the hope and care we have for one another. I get a similar vibe about Strathairn as I do from Gregory Peck as Atticus in To kill a mockingbird. There are some deeper themes of abuse that run throughout and are critical for the film but I won't go into detail as I don't want to spoil anything. However there is a great twist at the end which completely changed the way you view the entire film and would make a second watch much more enjoyable. The cinematography of this film is so well done as it perfectly captures the beauty and tranquility of the marsh and it's overall vast size. The one main downside of the film is that the pacing sometimes felt needlessly slow which took away from the high stakes court case and I felt there was numerous scenes which could have been shortened and still have the same impact and exposition. Overall the film is definitely worth a watch, it definitely takes you on an emotional rollercoaster leaving you almost overwhelmed after watching it.

The critics have been slamming this movie but I thought it was good. It's not the greatest thing ever or anything like that but I thought the story was interesting and the acting was good. It kept me guessing until the end which is what a good mystery should do, so for me overall it was a good movie that I would definitely recommend.

Beauty in words. Beauty in images. Beauty in music. Beauty in a performance. Beauty in an actress.

Where the Crawdads Sing is a well-made movie with a story and a character that keep you heavily invested. The romance aspect really works, and this is coming from a guy who doesn't normally go for romance. Pulling on your heart-strings is an understatement.

I wasn't planning on watching this movie but I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed it and would watch it again. (1 viewing, opening Friday 7/15/2022)

What classic murder mysteries inevitably must have is a 'who-done-it' which you will not guess. This story will have you ponder to be sure and when you're certain you have figured it out you are surprised not once but twice. It is the reason I call it a classic.

Not only is it a murder mystery, it is a romance drama worthy of awards. The Novel on which it is based, by Dalia Owens, was at the very top of the New York Times best sellers in 2019 and in 2020, after which it remained on the list to date. It sold over 15 million copies; that's saying something. I certainly found it very moving. The main character, Kya Clark, played oh so well by Daisy Edgar-Jones (and earlier as a child by Jojo Regina), is a unique character, much like the character Nell from the 1994 Oscar winning movie, was a unique character. Kya however is a highly developed survivalist, with so many great qualities for you to discover and like, not the least of which is her love of nature. That in itself lended the movie to great cinematographic opportunities, and it is not lacking in that; in fact it made me love the movie even more.

You may not get much from reading the IMDb storyline, but why would you want to spoil the experience; so, I'm avoiding those here. The complexities of human behaviour is explored, exposed and certainly exploited to our benefit with refreshing subtleties. Would I recommend this movie? Oh yes, absolutely.