Plymouth Staff Choices

The Fall by Tarsem Singh
New DVD Shelves - Main level - ADVENTURE FAL

Although the 2000 release “The Cell” from Director Tarsem Singh was visually inspired, the film itself lacked soul. With “The Fall” Singh clearly remedies this problem by telling a story that has more in common with Terry Gilliam's “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen” and “The Wizard of Oz” then it does with a Nine Inch Nails video.

In a 1920’s Los Angeles Hospital an injured stuntman Roy Walker strikes up a friendship with a little girl who has broken her arm. He begins to tell her a fantastic tale about five mythical heroes, albeit for more nefarious purposes. As Roy tells his tale, the distinction between his story and reality begin to blur as his true intentions are revealed.

Even if the story itself wasn’t an inspiring tale of hope and friendship, the film could stand alone on its visual merits. Filmed in over 20 different countries with a variety of elaborate costumes and backdrops “The Fall” is quite the sight. What’s even more interesting is that the tale isn’t merely being visualized by what Roy is saying, but by how Alexandria interprets it.

Lee Pace who is probably best known for his work on “Pushing Daisies” as well as the short-lived but excellent “Wonderfalls,” is able to deliver the pathos of Roy while remaining endearing to young Alexandria. However, it’s first time actress Catinca Untaru who portrays Alexandria that steals the show. Her performance is innocent and genuine without being too saccharine. “The Fall” is a marked improvement from Singh’s previous effort and it’s clear that every frame is a labor of love.

Pushing Daisies
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Wonderfalls
The Cell
The Wizard of Oz

August Rush
Main Level – DVD’s – Drama Aug

Against her wishes and her knowledge, a woman is forced to give up her son, Evan, for adoption when he is born. Evan is raised in an orphanage, but is convinced that there is more out there and that one day he will find his parents. In frustration and with his love for the rhythms and sounds that surround him daily, he wanders off and runs away. Another kid introduces Evan to “Wizard” (Robin Williams). In a spin-off of Oliver Twist , Wizard takes care of homeless youth in exchange for their playing instruments on street corners and forfeiting their profits. It is here that Evan learns of his talent and that he is a musical prodigy. Julliard is extremely impressed with his abilities; he is immediately enrolled as one of their youngest students ever.

August Rush is a heartwarming tale of love, hope, and music. Even though the story is at times implausible, it still has the ability to capture the heart and draw the viewer into the plot. The music is incredible and the actors bring the story to life. August Rush can be watched repetitively without losing any of its power. Watch it and it will soon become a favorite.

Peeled by Joan Bauer.
Teen Zone New Fiction - Main Level - BAUER

Hildy Biddle is 16 years old and lives right in the heart of apple country—Banesville, New York. She is an average teenager in many ways dealing with past boyfriends, friends, and school troubles. However, the possible haunting of the local Ludlow House takes up much of her free time because she is a reporter for the local school newspaper, The Core. Unexplained deaths and scary sightings have been reported at this house for as long as Hildy can remember and as a reporter, Hildy is in charge of finding out the truth about these occurrences. Along her journey to the facts, Hildy learns from her fellow citizens that being courageous is scary, but always worth the effort. Truth and the truths that bind a community cannot be underestimated.

Peeled, written by Joan Bauer, is an extremely well written and appealing teen fiction mystery. The characters are finely drawn, and the story has a unique flavor because of its emphasis upon journalism and the complexities of this art.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.
Lower Level -Youth Fiction - Selznick

Everyone in Hugo Cabret’s family is in one way or another connected to clocks. After a series of events, he moves in with his uncle in the train station. One of the few items that Hugo brings to his new home is a broken machine that his father invested a lot of time trying to fix. Convinced that his father programmed it with a secret message for him, Hugo invests hours upon hours trying to fix the machine. Hugo knows that he has to stay off the radar of the station inspector to keep his secrets. This becomes increasingly difficult after his uncle mysteriously disappears one day. Can he answer his own questions before he is discovered?

Like all of the gears in his secret machine that have to work together for the machine to function as it was designed, Hugo learns that there are many aspects of his life that are intertwined that need to come together properly for him to find meaning and purpose in his life.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a work of fiction, however, Selznick incorporates factual material about film history throughout the story as well. Readers will learn about early motion picture and how with one of Georges Méliès’s first films, Arrivée d'un train gare de Vincennes (Arrival of a train at Vincennes), viewers ran out of the theater terrified.

Don’t let the length of the book discourage you from reading the book. Selznick relies on graphics as well as text to tell the story. Approximately half of the book is full-page detailed black and white drawings. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a quick, exciting read that will captivate both kids and adults. A great read for reluctant readers as the pictures help pull the story along . . .a picture is worth a thousand words after all . . .

>The Birth House by Ami McKay
Adult Fiction Shelves – Main Level - McKay

World War I in tiny, remote Scots Bay, Nova Scotia. Dora Rare is the only girl in a large family of boys, the first girl in generations. At her mother’s urging, Dora becomes the apprentice to Miss Babineau, the local midwife, and moves in with her, eventually taking over both Miss B.’s practice and her rivalry with the local “modern” doctor. The story is more about the characters and setting than the plot; an author’s note said that she wanted it to feel like treasures pulled out a pocket at the end of the day. Filled with short glimpses of daily life, letters, and newspaper articles, it is a beautiful testament to the courage of women. The book feels very similar to Jennifer Donnelly’s A Northern Light, while the rural Canadian setting is reminiscent of a darker and older L.M. Montgomery.

Halloweena by Miriam Glassman.
Youth Holiday – Lower Level - G

Halloween season is upon us, and if you are looking for a fun and clever Halloween book, Halloweena by Miriam Glassman will do the trick!

Halloweena tells the story of a witch named Hepzibah who decides to raise a human baby and names her Halloweena. Halloweena is quite the challenge to a potion brewing witch, but the two become very close. Halloweena even learns to fly on a broom and conduct various magic tricks. Still she notices that she is different, and not the typical witch. She even sometimes longs to (ghast!) play with human children. How can these two very different worlds combine?

Written well and adorably illustrated by Victoria Roberts, Halloweena is a fun Halloween picture book that will delight all ages!

Epic by Conor Kostick.
Teen Fiction -- Main Level -- KOSTICK

Everything in society is based on how well you play a videogame. Instead of coming home from school to study, students play Epic, a video game that makes every single major (and sometimes minor) decision. Students who make it the furthest, with the strongest characters, are given the opportunity to proceed to University life, where they will earn the right for the best jobs. The rest, are forced into labor, a hard, meager life, with little chance for improvement.

Epic was created to find solutions to the world’s problems in a peaceful manner. No violence is allowed in the real world; however, fighting abounds in Epic. But death of a character in Epic is not without consequence. A new character can be created, but just as a new character starts with nothing, any advantages that were previously gained in life through the game are forfeited as well.

Although Epic has created a relatively peaceful civilization, problems and prejudice are just as abundant as before the game was created. In some ways, not much has changed: the majority of citizens work hard to supply the needs of few elite. But has Epic created more problems than it has solved? Epic will be enjoyed by gamers everywhere. Put down the controller and pick up the book!

The Rabbi’s Cat by Joann Sfar
Adult Graphic Novels – Main Level - RAB

The rabbi, his daughter and their cat live in Algeria. In the first story, the cat, previously able to communicate only in the usual way of cats, eats the rabbi’s parrot and is magically able to talk. Now he wants his own bar mitzvah, and argues strongly in his own defense both to the rabbi and the rabbi’s rabbi. Doesn’t being a rabbi’s cat mean he’s Jewish? Doesn’t he know the Torah well from helping the rabbi study? Indeed he does. He offers sarcastic but pithy comments on Judaism and humans in general. The sharpness of his critique is offset by his absolute adoration of the rabbi’s beautiful daughter. The saturated, squiggly drawings are perfect for this story of cats, people, and religion that is both funny and slyly serious. And while the thinky-thoughts are there, the characters and exotic setting are also worth paying attention to. This is one that I’d been meaning to read since it first came out, and it was well worth the wait.