Whistle!

Reviewed by JuliaAerides


A long overdue post but well I'll just get on with it. Usually I'm not very keen on sports manga (too cliche sport-centric...you name it~)but well this one is a little different.

Sho Kazamatsuri is short but that hasn't stopped his dream to be a professional soccer player. To achieve that he transfers from the famed Musashinomori where he was never given a chance to a public school in order to make the soccer team. In other words, since he never got the chance to play, Shō is a poor player. Shō struggles to improve his skill so he can make the team at his new school and to make use of his disadvantage of height.

The thing about this manga is that each game is not too drawn out till it got boring. Higuchi's art is brilliant for a shonen title. Backgrounds are neat and tidy. Higuichi's drawing of the distance, field position and formations help the reader feel as if they are in the game. The layout is also very impressive. It shows perspective, coupled with the variety of panel sizes and sight angles, it sets up the action and pacing.

Each character is distinguishable and varied from their design to their attitude. (This means you don't get confused who is who on the field) Characters are to scale which is important when you consider their age and height difference. This manga is also very well researched and the side notes by the mangaka aides the non-soccer fans understand.

Verdict: 8.5

The Client

Reviewed by kuro-hime


BOOK


MOVIE (1993)


SYNOPSIS :
A US State Senator is dead and 11 year old Mark Sway is the only one who knows where the body is hidden.

The FBI want him to tell them where it is at whatever cost to Mark and his family.

The killer wants him silenced forever.

Reggie Love has been practising law for less than 5 years. Only she can save Mark from these twin threats. Together, they must take on the might of the State and the wiles of a cold-blooded killer.

BOOK REVIEW :
John Grisham is a good. He's writing style is good. The plot of the story is engaging & nice. It's very good thriller. It's a very hard book to put down once you started reading. He made Mark very real. Mark has his vulnerable moments and strong moments. He's a very witty character too. However, there were times that you know an 11 year old boy won't act that way, no matter what horror he has been through before.
Reggie Love's character is also nice. She's a nice lady with a dark past. What can I say, most of John Grisham's character's are very nicely planned out including Roy Foltrigg and Barry Muldanno.

However, there were certain scenes in the book that was a little unreal. Like for example, the scene where Mark & Reggie went to where the body is. I mean, seriously, what would anyone what to do that?

This book is good and engaging. One of the best thriller and book I have ever read. The only bad thing about this book is the ending. It's quite open ended and the author just leave you guessing who got to the body first.

I rate it 4.5 stars out of 5.

MOVIE REVIEW :

The movie followed the book plot quite strongly until about the end. There were a lot of scenes in the book that the movie left out. Of course, that's something natural. The book is 600 pages. They also changed certain things in the book such as the character Roy Foltrigg here actually goes down to Memphis for the courtcase in Roosevelt courtroom. So they changed Roy Foltrigg character in the movie.

Brad Renfro did a good job in portraying Mark Sway. HE does carry that rude, witty, streetkid Mark. He did a good job. (PS : He's dead...so RIP Brad)
Susan Sarandon did a pretty good job as Reggie. She is fierce and yet kind hearted. However, there weren't enough scenens that showed Susan Sarandon portraying Reggie's fierce and crazy side.
Tommy Lee Jones also did a pretty good version of Roy Foltrigg. So I have no complain about the cast.

But so much scenes in the movie was cut and changed that if you didn't read that book, you really couldn't possibly understand what's happening. Maybe, they were rushing for time but I think the scenes could be done in a better way. The director & the screenwriter sucks.

But the good thing about this movie is the ending. It made the characters all so close and nice to each other despite what they did to each other earlier. The ending is quite warm and heart-warming. However, just like the book, the movie did not tell who got to the body first. *sigh*

It was one of those average thriller movies due to terrible scenes and action but the acting from the cast really just amazes you.
I rate in 3 stars out of 5. The cast really carried the movie.