Jake Gyllenhaal in Love and Other Drugs

Well, no, it's not a gay themed movie, but seeing Jake in this picture, are you really not hurrying to the theatre to buy your ticket:



Love and Other Drugs (2010) directed by Edward Zwick
Amazon: Love and Other Drugs (2010)

Last paired up for Brokeback Mountain, Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal reunite for this romantic take on Jamie Reidy's Hard Sell. The story takes place in the 1990s when a certain blue pill made its debut. Gyllenhaal's Jamie, a smooth-talking pharmaceutical rep, meets Hathaway's Maggie, an aspiring artist, while trying to persuade her physician (Hank Azaria) to carry Pfizer products. The attraction is instant, but Jamie prefers the thrill of the chase to anything more meaningful. While he and his partner (Oliver Platt, Azaria's Huff costar) work on a transfer from Ohio to Illinois, Jake and Maggie's fling develops into a relationship. On the comic side, Jamie battles with a rival rep (Gabriel Macht), switches from Zoloft to Viagra, and gains a roommate in his socially inept brother (Josh Gad, good value). On the dramatic side, he gets a glimpse of Maggie's world, which involves trips to Canada for medication and the temporary loss of motor skills (the screenplay fails to explain how she can afford such a spacious loft). Not counting shows like Thirtysomething, Edward Zwick remains best known for docudramas like Defiance, and Love and Other Drugs marks a new direction. The dialogue is snappy and the actors are game--both show a fair amount of skin--but the two halves of the film make for an awkward fit. Still, it's nice to see Gyllenhaal cut loose for a change. If Hathaway gives a more self-conscious performance, she brings the requisite amount of spirit and dignity to her role. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Jake Gyllenhaal in Love and Other Drugs

Well, no, it's not a gay themed movie, but seeing Jake in this picture, are you really not hurrying to the theatre to buy your ticket:



Love and Other Drugs (2010) directed by Edward Zwick
Amazon: Love and Other Drugs (2010)

Last paired up for Brokeback Mountain, Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal reunite for this romantic take on Jamie Reidy's Hard Sell. The story takes place in the 1990s when a certain blue pill made its debut. Gyllenhaal's Jamie, a smooth-talking pharmaceutical rep, meets Hathaway's Maggie, an aspiring artist, while trying to persuade her physician (Hank Azaria) to carry Pfizer products. The attraction is instant, but Jamie prefers the thrill of the chase to anything more meaningful. While he and his partner (Oliver Platt, Azaria's Huff costar) work on a transfer from Ohio to Illinois, Jake and Maggie's fling develops into a relationship. On the comic side, Jamie battles with a rival rep (Gabriel Macht), switches from Zoloft to Viagra, and gains a roommate in his socially inept brother (Josh Gad, good value). On the dramatic side, he gets a glimpse of Maggie's world, which involves trips to Canada for medication and the temporary loss of motor skills (the screenplay fails to explain how she can afford such a spacious loft). Not counting shows like Thirtysomething, Edward Zwick remains best known for docudramas like Defiance, and Love and Other Drugs marks a new direction. The dialogue is snappy and the actors are game--both show a fair amount of skin--but the two halves of the film make for an awkward fit. Still, it's nice to see Gyllenhaal cut loose for a change. If Hathaway gives a more self-conscious performance, she brings the requisite amount of spirit and dignity to her role. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

A Frozen Flower (Ssang-hwa-jeom) (2008) directed by Ha Yu

A historical drama set in the Koryo dynasty and focused on the relationship between a king and his bodyguard.

Director: Ha Yu

Writer: Ha Yu (screenplay)

Release Date: 30 December 2008 (South Korea)
11 October 2009 (Chicago International Film Festival, USA)

Genres: Drama, History, Romance

Storyline: The king of Goryeo Dynasty Korea attempts to shake off the dominance of Yuan Dynasty China and establish an autonomous state. He forms a palace guard composed of thirty six young soldiers, led by military commander Hong-rim. But the king faces betrayal when Hong-rim falls in love with both him and his rival, the Yuan Dynasty queen.

The Goryeo King is under pressure from his Yuan rulers to either produce an heir, or name his cousin the Crown Prince, which he resolutely refuses to do. Although married, the King's true love is not his wife, the Queen, but his chief bodyguard, Hong Lim. During his marriage he has never so much as touched the Queen. One day the King asks Hong Lim to sleep with his wife, assuming that would solve the issue of his succession as long as a royal son is produced. Instead it begins a vicious love triangle filled with forbidden lust, betrayal, and uncontrolled revenge.

Awards: 2009 Won Baek Sang Film Art Award as Best Actor to Jin-mo Ju
2010 Orient Express Section Special Jury Award to Ha Yu, Fantasporto

@IMDb
@Amazon: A Frozen Flower (2008)
@Netflix

 

( more pics )

 

Cast (in credits order)
Jin-mo Ju ... King
Ji-hyo Song ... Queen
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
In-seong Jo ... Hong-rim
Hong Jong-Hyeon
Hyeon-woo Kim
In-beom Ko ... Yeon Ki-mok
Tae-won Kwon ... Jo Il-moon
Ju-hwan Lim ... Han-baek
Ji-hyeon Min ... Concubine
Min-wu Noh ... Min-wu
Ji-ho Shim ... Seung-gi
Jung-ki Song ... King's men - No-tak
Wook-hwan Yeo ... Im-bo

     
The Chief and the King

A Frozen Flower (Ssang-hwa-jeom) (2008) directed by Ha Yu

A historical drama set in the Koryo dynasty and focused on the relationship between a king and his bodyguard.

Director: Ha Yu

Writer: Ha Yu (screenplay)

Release Date: 30 December 2008 (South Korea)
11 October 2009 (Chicago International Film Festival, USA)

Genres: Drama, History, Romance

Storyline: The king of Goryeo Dynasty Korea attempts to shake off the dominance of Yuan Dynasty China and establish an autonomous state. He forms a palace guard composed of thirty six young soldiers, led by military commander Hong-rim. But the king faces betrayal when Hong-rim falls in love with both him and his rival, the Yuan Dynasty queen.

The Goryeo King is under pressure from his Yuan rulers to either produce an heir, or name his cousin the Crown Prince, which he resolutely refuses to do. Although married, the King's true love is not his wife, the Queen, but his chief bodyguard, Hong Lim. During his marriage he has never so much as touched the Queen. One day the King asks Hong Lim to sleep with his wife, assuming that would solve the issue of his succession as long as a royal son is produced. Instead it begins a vicious love triangle filled with forbidden lust, betrayal, and uncontrolled revenge.

Awards: 2009 Won Baek Sang Film Art Award as Best Actor to Jin-mo Ju
2010 Orient Express Section Special Jury Award to Ha Yu, Fantasporto

@IMDb
@Amazon: A Frozen Flower (2008)
@Netflix

 

( more pics )

 

Cast (in credits order)
Jin-mo Ju ... King
Ji-hyo Song ... Queen
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
In-seong Jo ... Hong-rim
Hong Jong-Hyeon
Hyeon-woo Kim
In-beom Ko ... Yeon Ki-mok
Tae-won Kwon ... Jo Il-moon
Ju-hwan Lim ... Han-baek
Ji-hyeon Min ... Concubine
Min-wu Noh ... Min-wu
Ji-ho Shim ... Seung-gi
Jung-ki Song ... King's men - No-tak
Wook-hwan Yeo ... Im-bo

     
The Chief and the King

All or Nothing (Taking the Odds 3) by James Buchanan

As in all the real relationships there are different stage to reach, and in this third enstalment in the Nicky and Brandon’s story they have reach a very important level: in book 1 they met, in book 2 they established the basis for a long-term relationship and now in book 3 they need to test it.

Nicky and Brandon are not exactly family guys, or at least Nicky isn’t. Brandon has an ex-wife and a daughter, but he has never played the role of “daddy”, indead his daughter calls daddy her stepfather. But maybe due to the fact that his relationship with Nicky is moving from dating to living together, Brandon wants for his daughter to meet Nicky; it’s strange since his relationship with Nicky is far from being ordinary family stuff, but it seems than Brandon is taking it as a second chance to be a father.

Sincerely they are not exactly skilled in dealing with a nine years old girl, and both of them adopt the tactics to grant her everything she wants, even if it’s not good for a little girl. Moreover, Shayna is a clever little girl, and Brandon trying to hide the true nature of his relationship with Nicky is not helping. Brandon is for sure paranoic and Nicky is right in telling him that more he tries to hide the true, more he is making it evident, but I didn’t feel as if he is doing something wrong; probably the only wrong thing he did was to come to visit Nicky after weeks they didn’t see each other with a little child tagging along, so that it was impossible for them to steam off the pent-up desire they built. And indead Brandon’s insistence in staying in the closet with his family and at work is growing old, he should stop and think twice on his priorities in life.

Nicky at first is the voice of reason, and his advices to Brandon are right; maybe he is spoiling a bit Shayna, trying to buy her off, but nothing too much. Problem is that Nicky the boyfriend wins over uncle Nicky, and he convinces Brandon to let Shayna with a friend; of course when she gets missed at their friend’s home while they are having sex at home, Brandon’s guilt is something almost unbearable.

The two female figures that enter the novel at this moment are exactly at the opposite: Brandon’s ex-wife, Dian, is the one who is feeding Brandon’s guilt, with remarks on how inadeguate he is, and basically she is pushing him away from Nicky; Brandon’s stepmother, Edith, is instead the one who is encouraging Brandon to share his trouble with Nicky. The author is good in giving to both of them a positive perspective, even Dian has indead her justifications for behaving as she does.

Even if Taking the Odds is a thriller series, dealing with cops and criminals, this side of the story is really behind the scene, even more in this episode.

http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=TODONADA

Buy Here

Amazon: All or Nothing

Amazon Kindle: All or Nothing

Series: Taking the Odds
1) Cheating Chance: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/260732.html
2) Inland Empire: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/685927.html
3) All or Nothing

Reading List:



http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading_list&view=elisa.rolle

All or Nothing (Taking the Odds 3) by James Buchanan

As in all the real relationships there are different stage to reach, and in this third enstalment in the Nicky and Brandon’s story they have reach a very important level: in book 1 they met, in book 2 they established the basis for a long-term relationship and now in book 3 they need to test it.

Nicky and Brandon are not exactly family guys, or at least Nicky isn’t. Brandon has an ex-wife and a daughter, but he has never played the role of “daddy”, indead his daughter calls daddy her stepfather. But maybe due to the fact that his relationship with Nicky is moving from dating to living together, Brandon wants for his daughter to meet Nicky; it’s strange since his relationship with Nicky is far from being ordinary family stuff, but it seems than Brandon is taking it as a second chance to be a father.

Sincerely they are not exactly skilled in dealing with a nine years old girl, and both of them adopt the tactics to grant her everything she wants, even if it’s not good for a little girl. Moreover, Shayna is a clever little girl, and Brandon trying to hide the true nature of his relationship with Nicky is not helping. Brandon is for sure paranoic and Nicky is right in telling him that more he tries to hide the true, more he is making it evident, but I didn’t feel as if he is doing something wrong; probably the only wrong thing he did was to come to visit Nicky after weeks they didn’t see each other with a little child tagging along, so that it was impossible for them to steam off the pent-up desire they built. And indead Brandon’s insistence in staying in the closet with his family and at work is growing old, he should stop and think twice on his priorities in life.

Nicky at first is the voice of reason, and his advices to Brandon are right; maybe he is spoiling a bit Shayna, trying to buy her off, but nothing too much. Problem is that Nicky the boyfriend wins over uncle Nicky, and he convinces Brandon to let Shayna with a friend; of course when she gets missed at their friend’s home while they are having sex at home, Brandon’s guilt is something almost unbearable.

The two female figures that enter the novel at this moment are exactly at the opposite: Brandon’s ex-wife, Dian, is the one who is feeding Brandon’s guilt, with remarks on how inadeguate he is, and basically she is pushing him away from Nicky; Brandon’s stepmother, Edith, is instead the one who is encouraging Brandon to share his trouble with Nicky. The author is good in giving to both of them a positive perspective, even Dian has indead her justifications for behaving as she does.

Even if Taking the Odds is a thriller series, dealing with cops and criminals, this side of the story is really behind the scene, even more in this episode.

http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=TODONADA

Buy Here

Amazon: All or Nothing

Amazon Kindle: All or Nothing

Series: Taking the Odds
1) Cheating Chance: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/260732.html
2) Inland Empire: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/685927.html
3) All or Nothing

Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading_list&view=elisa.rolle

Trey #3 by Bryl R. Tyne

Drew is in love with Trey but has an affair with Travon. Trey thinks to be in love with Drew but is unable to renounce to his f**k buddy Travon. Travon likes then both. And by the way, they don’t know they are having a menages a trois, since Drew doesn’t know about Trey and Travon, Trey doesn’t know about Drew and Travon, and Travon doesn’t know about Trey and Drew.

Coincidences want that Trey is also working on a pawnshop and since he is not exactly proud of his job he hasn’t told anything to Drew. Plus even if it’s months that they have an on/off relationship, and Trey is almost expecting for Drew to ask him to move in, he doesn’t know what Drew’s job is, but it has to be something good since the guy has plenty of money; telling him his wanna-be boyfriend is clerk in a pawnshop? No way.

So when Drew enters the shop one night they are both in for a surprise: Drew finds out about Trey, but above all Trey finds out about Drew being a thief; but the news doesn’t both Trey so much as finding out that Drew is having an on-site relationship with Travon, that is by the way the second man entering the pawnshop that night, armed and ready to robbing Trey naked.

They start an almost all in one night adventure, running away from the cops but also from their same accomplices who apparently don’t like that Travon is more interested in saving his relationship with Trey than in making money. And from my perspective Trey tags along, first since he didn’t like that Drew and Travon were having a relationship, they were both “his” and at least they should have asked his opinion, and second because a life in the run with Drew and Travon is more interesting that being an accountant for a pawnshop (the legality of his choice apparently is not something to balance the decision).

These are unlikely outlaws, and also a little lost; more than organized criminals, they are small thieves, and the game of this read is to see if they will manage to escape justice while bitchering among the three to decide who is with whom and if they can be all together.

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=161

Amazon Kindle: Trey #3

Reading List:



http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading_list&view=elisa.rolle

Trey #3 by Bryl R. Tyne

Drew is in love with Trey but has an affair with Travon. Trey thinks to be in love with Drew but is unable to renounce to his f**k buddy Travon. Travon likes then both. And by the way, they don’t know they are having a menages a trois, since Drew doesn’t know about Trey and Travon, Trey doesn’t know about Drew and Travon, and Travon doesn’t know about Trey and Drew.

Coincidences want that Trey is also working on a pawnshop and since he is not exactly proud of his job he hasn’t told anything to Drew. Plus even if it’s months that they have an on/off relationship, and Trey is almost expecting for Drew to ask him to move in, he doesn’t know what Drew’s job is, but it has to be something good since the guy has plenty of money; telling him his wanna-be boyfriend is clerk in a pawnshop? No way.

So when Drew enters the shop one night they are both in for a surprise: Drew finds out about Trey, but above all Trey finds out about Drew being a thief; but the news doesn’t both Trey so much as finding out that Drew is having an on-site relationship with Travon, that is by the way the second man entering the pawnshop that night, armed and ready to robbing Trey naked.

They start an almost all in one night adventure, running away from the cops but also from their same accomplices who apparently don’t like that Travon is more interested in saving his relationship with Trey than in making money. And from my perspective Trey tags along, first since he didn’t like that Drew and Travon were having a relationship, they were both “his” and at least they should have asked his opinion, and second because a life in the run with Drew and Travon is more interesting that being an accountant for a pawnshop (the legality of his choice apparently is not something to balance the decision).

These are unlikely outlaws, and also a little lost; more than organized criminals, they are small thieves, and the game of this read is to see if they will manage to escape justice while bitchering among the three to decide who is with whom and if they can be all together.

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=161

Amazon Kindle: Trey #3

Reading List:



http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading_list&view=elisa.rolle