Movie - 60: American Ultra

American Ultra (2015)

by 

Nima Nourizadah

Movie Seen: 22 November 2015

Note Written: 01 December 2015

The factors which made us watch 'American Ultra' were its weird yet impressive trailer and the presence of Jesse Eisenberg. An ordinary couple (Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart) tries to find a way out of a hunt for them by agents from the CIA while Jesse's character finds out that he has extraordinary martial art skills and reflexes, that's the basic plot. 

The movie has some thrilling sequences and is a fun one-time watch. It made me vary about how much the governments are trying to control ordinary citizens and how worthless our lives are to such huge institutions. We are just one dot on their huge statistics. After this movie and 'Panic Room', I have started liking Kristen Stewart. She is a fine actress, that one. Not great, but fine. 

As I said earlier, American Ultra is a passable one-time watch. That's all. 

Book - 60, A Feast for Crows

A Feast for Crows (2005)

by

George R R Martin 

Book Read: 23 Feb - 02 March 2016

Note Written: 16 April 2016

'A Feast for Crows' is massive, yet doesn't cover the perspectives of half of the important characters - Jon Snow, Daenerys, and Tyrion namely. There are new characters coming in as well. The novel is sure exciting for the fans of the series but doesn't have the stunning finesse of A Storm of Swords. 

Braavos, Dorne, King's Landing, and the Riverlands take priority here. The flow is not the same and at times some new characters and events confuse you till you get a hang of it and settle. Sometimes you just have to know what has happened to our favourite characters and you want to reach the next chapter or book with them featured. There's a lot of suspense around, and George R R Martin is ruthless with every character. You don't know if he has killed people, or worse. 

The character who inspired me the most, with his cold calculations and long-term plans for revenge was Doran Martell, who is normally considered a weakling. Euron Greyjoy impressed me with his show of sheer power and commanding attitude. I wonder why some of the characters are outright avoided from the TV series. Overall, a decent read for fans of the series, paving the way for the next book.