Movie Trailer Sunday (206)

Here are this weeks trailers.

Heist

Description: A father (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is without the means to pay for his daughter's medical treatment. As a last resort, he partners with a greedy co-worker to rob a casino. When things go awry they're forced to hijack a city bus.

Director: Scott Mann

Starring: Robert De Niro, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista, Morris Chestnut, Kate Bosworth, Gina Carano, Mark-Paul Gosselaar

Trailer: Trailer "Heist"

Comment: We've seen this before...

The Big Short

Description: Four outsiders in the world of high-finance who predicted the credit and housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000's decide to take on the big banks for their lack of foresight and greed.

Director: Adam McKay

Starring: Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Ryan Goslin, Steve Carell, Karen Gillan, Selena Gomez, Melissa Leo, Marisa Tomei, Rafe Spall

Trailer: Trailer "The Big Short"

Comment: What a cast!

Truth

Description: Newsroom drama detailing the 2004 CBS 60 Minutes report investigating then-President George W. Bush's military service, and the subsequent firestorm of criticism that cost anchor Dan Rather and producer Mary Mapes their careers.

Director: James Vanderbilt

Starring: Cate Blanchett, RObert Redford, Topher Grace, ELisabeth Moss, Dennis Quaid, Bruce Greenwood

Trailer: Trailer "Truth"

Comment: Let's find out the truth.

Allegiant

Description: Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) and Tobias Eaton (Theo James) venture into the world outside of the fence and are taken into protective custody by a mysterious agency known as the Bureau of Genetic Welfare.

Director: Robert Schwentke

Starring: SHailene Woodley, Theo James, Miles Teller, Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, Zoë Kravitz, Ansel Elgort, Maggie Q, Jeff Daniels

Trailer: Trailer "Allegiant"

Comment: Haven't seen the second one yet, so need to catch up.

Angry Birds

Description: The story behind the Angry Birds

Director: Clay Kaytis, Fergal Reilly

Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Peter Dinklage, Bill Hader, Keegan-Michael Key, Josh Gad, Maya Rudolph, Danny McBride, Kate McKinnon

Trailer:Trailer "Angry Birds"

Comment: We are going to find out why they're always angry?

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 124: My Neighbor Totoro

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Genre: Fantasy/ Animation

Runtime: 86 minutes

Year: 1988

Starring: Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto

Description: When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.

Review: A great Hayao Miyazaki film, fun to watch for both adults and kids. “My Neighbor Totoro” is a new favorite!
Two girls move to the country, with their father, because their mother is sick and is staying at the hospital nearby. In the house their live little dusty creatures and the youngest sister, Mei, sees a little critter outside. She follows it and meets Totoro.

“My Neighbor Totoro” is a great film about fantasy and imagination. Totoro is adorable, with his broad smile and funny whiskers. And then there is the cat bus, how do they think of this? I wish I had seen this when I was a kid.

The movie just makes me smile. It starts out happy and light, but gets a bit heavier towards the end. That’s okay, because it’s part of life itself. The character of Totoro makes it bearable for the girls.

The animation is of a high standard, as we are used to from Miyazaki. Beautifully detailed and wonderful backgrounds. The film isn’t that long, so it is an easy watch. An absolute recommendation!

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 123: Paths of Glory

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 88 minutes

Year: 1957

Starring: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou

Description: Based on the 1935 novel of the same name, it tells the story of an ill-fated assault on German forces by French soldiers, and the grippling consequences those soldiers face when they refuse to follow through with it.

Review: “Paths of Glory” is a relatively short film and maybe that’s the strength of it. Movies with a long runtime often drag, and “Paths of Glory” managed to avoid that. There are some characters that are a bit like caricatures, typical for war movies. The actual war part of the film is very short, but powerful and it has sharp dialogue. And the end scene also has something epic.

Kirk Douglas is very strong in his role. He is very natural, especially for that time. That’s why the overacting of some other actors is so obvious and sometimes bothered me.

Stanley Kubrick did a good job directing and the camera work is surprisingly good. De long shots in the trenches are amazing.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Performances by Children

Sometimes it’s the kid that steals the show in a movie, so here is a list of the best movie performances by children.

5. River Phoenix (“Stand By Me”)

His performance as Chris Chambers in “Stand By Me” left an indelible impression on his generation. So sad he died at the age of 23, because Phoenix had a bright future as an actor.

 

 

4. Christian Bale (“Empire of the Sun”)

You could already see that he was an intense and dedicated actor, he holds up amongst all the adults, for instance John Malkovich and Miranda Richardson.

 

 

3. Natalie Portman (“Léon”)

Just 13-years old, Natalie Portman did a fantastic job as Matilda, a girl who lost her entire family and seeks help from hitman Léon.

 

 

2. Abigail Breslin (“Little Miss Sunshine”)

It’s impossible not to love Olive Hoover, and it’s all thanks to the endearing performance by Abigail Breslin. She wasn’t ignored, because she got nominated for an Academy Award.

 

 

1. Haley Joel Osment (“The Sixth Sense”)

In my opinion the best performance. Haley Joel Osment captured us all in this amazing thriller and made us feel for him. He will always be remember as troubled Cole Sear, but there are worse things right?

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Henry Thomas (“E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial”), Daniel Radcliffe (“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”), Macauley Culkin (“Home Alone”), Kirsten Dunst (“Interview with the Vampire”), Jodie Foster (“Taxi Driver”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?”), Chloë Grace Moretz (“Kick-Ass”), Linda Blair (“The Exorcist”), Mara Wilson (“Matilda”), Ivana Baquero “(Pan’s Labyrinth”), Jamie Bell (“Billy Elliot”), Tom Holland (“The Impossible”)

Movie Trailer Sunday (205)

Here are this weeks trailers.

Colonia

Description: A young woman's (Emma Watson) desperate search for her abducted boyfriend (Daniel Brühl) that draws her into the infamous Colonia Dignidad, a sect nobody ever escaped from.

Director: Florian Gallenberger

Starring: Emma Watson, Daniel Brühl, Michael Myqvist

Trailer: Trailer "Colonia"

Comment: Interesting!

The Dressmaker

Description: A glamorous woman (Kate Winslet) returns to her small town in rural Australia. With her sewing machine and haute couture style, she transforms the women and exacts sweet revenge on those who did her wrong.

Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse, Sarah Snook, Judy Davis

Starring: Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, Hugo Weaving

Trailer: Trailer "The Dressmaker"

Comment: Kate Winslet and Liam Hemsworth.... strange combo.

My All American

Description: Freddie Steinmark (Finn Wittrock), an underdog on the gridiron, faces the toughest challenge of his life after leading his team to a championship season.

Director: Angelo Pizzo

Starring: Robin Tunny, Finn Wittrock, Aaron Eckhart, Sarah Bolger

Trailer : Trailer "My All American"

Comment: Hope never quits

The Jungle Book

Description: An orphan boy is raised in the jungle with the help of a pack of wolves, a bear, and a black panther.

Director: Jon Favreau

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Ben Kingsley, Neel Sethi, Christopher Walken

Trailer: Trailer "The Jungle Book"

Comment: Bring the adventure to life!

Nasty Baby

Description: A close-knit trio navigates the idea of creating life, while at the same time being confronted with a brutal scenario that causes them to take a life.

Director: Sebastián Silva

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Alia Shawkat, Mark Margolis, Sebastián Silva, Tunde Adebimpe

Trailer: Trailer "Nasty Baby"

Comment: I really don't know what to think of this trailer.

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 122: Saving Mr. Banks

Director: John Lee Hancock
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 125 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell, B.J. Novak, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Rachel Griffiths, Bradley Whitford, Ruth Wilson, Kathy Baker

Description: Author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) reflects on her childhood after reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney (Tom Hanks), who seeks to adapt her Mary Poppins books for the big screen.

Review: Walt Disney tried to get the movie rights for the book “Mary Poppins” for twenty years. Author P.L. Travers was afraid that Disney would turn her beloved book into a musical. When she has money trouble and might lose her house, she decides to meet with Walt Disney in Los Angeles. But the happy Walt and the unfriendly Pamela are like water and fire.
To make a film based on a story which outcome we all know, is always a risk. The question in “Saving Mr. Banks” is if the movie “Mary Poppins” will ever be made. We all know that it was a huge success, but not a lot of people know how this movie actually happened. Travers didn’t want to give her character to anyone. Why she has such a special bond with the nanny is something we learn along the way. We see how a young Travers grow up in rough Australia. Her father, a beautiful role by Colin Farrell, is a loving man but he has a drinking problem. Their relationship is very strong, but a tragedy makes sure Travers will always be traumatized.
A movie about Disney, made by Disney. It surprisingly has a lot of self-mockery. For instance the scene where P.L. Travers arrives at her hotel in L.A. which is filled with enormous stuffed Disney animals. Emma Thompson has perfect comedic timing.
We all know that Thompson is a great actress, but in “Saving Mr. Banks” she really excels. She turns a rather unpleasant women into a women you love. Tom Hanks doesn’t look like Disney, but he brings a certain nuance to his role. Disney isn’t only a big kid that makes dreams come true, but also a businessman. Hanks does this very well. Colin Farrell plays a role like never before. I never saw Farell like this and I loved him in “Saving Mr. Banks”. Also Paul Giamatti and Jason Schwartzman were great in their roles.
“Saving Mr. Banks” is a lovely film carried by a fantastic cast. Although we all know how it ends, how “Mary Poppins” was made is such a wonderful story. Humor and emotion are very close and Emma Thompson played one of her best roles of her career.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 121: Slow West

Director: John Maclean

Genre: Action/ Western/ Thriller

Runtime: 84 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Michael Fassbender, Ben Mendelsohn, Caren Pistorius

Description: A young Scottish man (Kodi Smit-McPhee) travels across America in pursuit of the woman he loves (Caren Pistorius), attracting the attention of an outlaw (Michael Fassbender) who is willing to serve as a guide.

Review: In “Slow West” the young loner Jay is looking for the woman he loves from Scotland, who is chased by bounty hunters. On his trip Jay meets lots of characteristic figures, like killer Silas. He wants to accompany Jay in his search for the his girl. Silas is a bad guy who isn’t a bad guy.

The movie has a slow pace and it feels longer than its actual runtime. But the characters, especially the character of Silas, are interesting enough. It’s a story of life and death and the struggle to accept both. The final scene is the absolute highlight of the film, which makes it worth watching.

“Slow West” is not your typical, conventional western, but definitely worth your time.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Worst Movie Bosses

Since I had a ‘bad boss experience’ myself, I decided to share with you the worst bosses in movie history. Annoying, bad, sleezy, creepy, nasty, evil, you name it.

5. Gordon Gekko from “Wall Street”

A man who thinks greed is good, shouldn’t be a boss. He does make doing bad things look like fun, but still Gordon Gekko is a bad person.

 

 

4. Dr. Julia Harris from “Horrible Bosses”

Okay, many guys would love a sexy boss like Julia Harris. But she is really inappropriate, blackmails her employee Dale and takes seriously saucy pictures while Dale is unconscious.

 

 

3. Mark Zuckerberg from “The Social Network”

Yeah, he sucks as a boss. He is selfish and doesn’t really care about other people’s feelings. Zuckerberg really doesn’t, because he’s rich!

 

 

2. Miranda Priestly from “The Devil Wears Prada”

She is a very demanding woman, nothing is ever good enough. Miranda is icy cold and that also makes her scary.

 

 

1. Bill Lumbergh from “Office Space”

The only thing worse than having to work for a bad boss is having to work weekends for a bad boss. I would get very annoyed if he would be hanging around my cubicle.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Meredith Johnson from “Disclosure”, Daniel Cleaver from “Bridget Jones Diary”, Franklin Hart Jr. from ‘9 to 5’, Katherine Parker from “Working Girl”, John Milton from “The Devil’s Advocate”

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 120: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Director: Edgar Wright

Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Adventure/ Romance/ Fantasy

Runtime: 112 minutes

Year: 2010

Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Brandon Routh, Alison Pill, Jason Schwartzman, Ellen Wong, Mark Webber, Mae Whitman, Aubrey Plaza, Brie Larson

Description: Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) must defeat his new girlfriend's (mary Elizabeth Winstead) seven evil exes in order to win her heart.

Review: When you manage to debut with “Shaun of the Dead” and then come with “Hot Fuzz” as your follow up, the pressure is big for a third film. With “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World” director Edgar Wright showed again his comedic talent, but this time combined with fantasy. The first time a big budget film and he succeeds.

It’s a setting where comic books, videogames and guitar music rule. It’s all very surrealistic and the playful setting are a real treat. It’s not your standard comic book adaptation.

Scott meets Ramona, a girl he saw in his dreams. He wants to win her over, but first has to beat her seven evil exes. They can literally appear everywhere and this gives us some real great action fighting scenes. All very original and a great style.

The movie is filled with references, to videogames, music, movies and television shows. It will especially speak to teenagers and twenty somethings. You sometimes do feel that towards the end it’s a bit rushed, because so much goes on in the film.

“Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World” is entertaining and it looks amazing. Edgar Wright succeeds in his first American production.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 119: The Conjuring

Director: James Wan

Genre: Horror/ Thriller

Runtime: 112 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston, Lili Taylor, Shanley Caswell, Haylet McFarland, Joey King, Mackenzie Foy, Kyla Deaver, Shannon Kook, John Brotherton, Sterling Jerins, Marion Guyot, Morganna Bridgers, Amy Tipton, Zach Pappas, Rose Bachter, J. Donovan Nelson, Christop Veillon, Carmella Gioio, Steve Coulter

Description: Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.

Review: The movie is set in 1971 and is based on the true story of Roger and Carolyn Perron, who move to a beautiful house in New England with their five daughters. It doesn’t take long before strange things start to happen. At night the clocks always stop at 3.07, Carolyn has mysterious bruises on her body, unidentified clapping during a game of hide and seek and birds flying against the windows. After an unpleasant event the Perrons decide to call for help. Ed and Lorraine Warren are paranormal investigators and try to find out the dark secrets of the house.

The story of “The Conjuring” has been done so many times, but the way it’s executed is just sublime. Clichés are clichés, but when they are done well it’s not a problem. Old houses are creepy, with their cracking sounds and basement filled with old stuff. The images aren’t new either: doors that open, strange toys, dark corners. It is all done so well, that you’re sucked in and it’s terrifying. With that director James Wan has a great sense of subtle timing, it scares you at the moments you know something is going to happen. This is also because of the good sound effects.

“The Conjuring” manages to avoid the traps. He chooses suspense over CGI and that’s the way I like to see a good horror thriller. The focus is also on the characters. The Perrons are a sympathetic family, they react naturally to the happenings in their house. It always bothers me when characters hold on to “there has to be a rational explanation for all this”. The acting is also fantastic, especially Vera Farmiga is wonderful in her role. You feel the fear they feel.

The first part of the film is the strongest. You feel a constant threat. I always find the things you don’t see more scary than the ones you do see. A movie I found hard to watch by myself, because it’s truly terrifying. A horror movie is good when it genuinely scares you and that’s what “The Conjuring” did.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Moments: "Marley & Me"

This is one of those movie that make me laugh and smile, but cry like a baby at the end. It was supposed to be a comedy! I just love Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston together and this is such a great film. Here are my favorite moments.

Moment # 1: Puppy Marley

When Jennifer starts talking about children, it frightens John. His friend advised him to start with a dog, to take Jenny’s mind of the kids. So John takes Jenny to see puppies.

Moment # 2: The name

While he’s not named yet, puppy Marley is in the car with John. When the radio plays a Bob Marley song, the puppy barks. This gives John the idea of naming him Marley.

Moment # 3: Damages

When it’s thundering outside, John puts Marley in the garage. When Jennifer and John return home, they see what damage Marley has done to the garage. That is just the beginning.

Moment # 4: Training

Jennifer and John decide to take Marley to a dog training class. Soon it’s clear that Marley is hard to train and he humps the trainer.

Moment # 5: Car window

While riding in a car with Marley, John and Jenny think it’s a good idea if Marley can stick his head out of the window. Not a good idea, because Marley wants to get out of the window. It results in John holding him whil Marley is walking besides the car.

Moment # 6: Marley comforts Jennifer

After just finding out that she has lost their first baby, Jennifer is devastated. But then there is Marley to comfort her.

Moment # 7: Vacation

While Jennifer and John are on a vacation in Ireland, they have a house sitter to take care of Marley. She soon finds out Marley is the dog from hell.

Moment # 8: Baby Patrick

Jennifer and John just had their first baby, son Patrick. There comes the moment where Marley meets Patrick.

Moment # 9: Day at the beach

John is taking Marley to the beach. Dogs are allowed there, if they don’t do a number two. He unleashes Marley, who is having the best time ever. Other owners start unleashing their dogs too. But then Marley decides it’s time to go for a... drop.

Moment # 10: Alone time

John takes a walk with Marley, looking back on their time together now Marley is getting old.

Moment # 11: Bye Marley

Marley is old and sick and his time has come. John brings him to the vet and says goodbye to him. Even writing about it makes me ball my eyes out.

 

Favorite Moment: Moment # 6: Marley comforts Jennifer

Movie Trailer Sunday (204)

Here are this weeks trailers.

Our Brand is Crisis

Description: A feature film based on the documentary "Our Brand Is Crisis", which focuses on the use of American political campaign strategies in South America.

Director: David Gordon Green

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie, Scoot McNairy

Trailer: Trailer "Our Brand is Crisis"

Comment: Bullock is back!

Demolition

Description: A successful investment banker (Jake Gyllenhaal) struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash.

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper

Trailer: Trailer "Demolition"

Comment: Jake and Naomi!!!!

The 5th Wave

Description: In the new film The 5th Wave, four waves of increasingly deadly attacks have left most of Earth decimated. Cassie (Chloë Grace Moretz) is on the run, desperately trying to save her younger brother.

Director: J Blakeson

Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Ron Livingston, Maggie Siff, Liev Schreiber, Maika Monroe, Nick Robinson, Maria Bello

Trailer: Trailer "The 5th Wave"

Comment: We call them the others.... ooehoooe.

I Smile Back

Description: Laney Brooks (Sarah Silverman) does bad things. Married with kids, she takes the drugs she wants, sleeps with the men she wants, disappears when she wants. Now, with the destruction of her family looming, and temptation everywhere, Laney makes one last desperate attempt at redemption.

Director: Adam Salky, Josh Charles, Thomas Sadoski, Mia Barron, Billy Magnussen

Starring: Sarah Silverman

Trailer: Trailer "I Smile Back"

Comment: Sarah Silverman just got serious

The Program

Description: An Irish sports journalist (Chris O'Dowd) becomes convinced that Lance Armstrong's (Ben Foster) performances during the Tour de France victories are fueled by banned substances. With this conviction, he starts hunting for evidence that will expose Armstrong.

Director: Stephen Frears

Starring: Ben Foster, Chris o'Dowd, Lee Pace, Bryan Greenberg,

Trailer: Trailer "The Program"

Comment: The story behind a deception that shocked us all.

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 118: The Drop

Director: Michaël R. Roskam

Genre: Crime/ Drama

Runtime: 106 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, James Gandolfini, Matthias Schoenaerts, John Ortiz, Elizabeth Rodgiguez, Michael Aronoy, Morgan Spector, Michael Esper, Ross Bickell, James Frencheville, Tobias Segal, Patricia Squire, Ann Dowd, Chris Sullivan

Description: Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy) finds himself at the center of a robbery gone awry and entwined in an investigation that digs deep into the neighborhood's past where friends, families, and foes all work together to make a living - no matter the cost.

Review: Again we had to say goodbye to a good actor. “The Drop” marks the last film for the in June 2013 diseased James Gandolfini. It’s a nice goodbye, because it’s a really good film.

The Belgian director Michaël R. Roskam got fame for his Oscar nominated debut “Rundskop”. “The Drop” is his first America movie. The term ‘drop bar’ means that criminals drop money at a bar, a so called bank for criminals. The bar’ Cousin Marv’s’ in Brooklyn is an example. Bob (Tom Hardy) and his cousin Marv (James Gandolfini) run it. Everything goes fine until a somewhat amateurish robbery takes place. Bob and Marv are held responsible for the stolen money and need to get it back.

A melancholic report from one of the many possible stories from the underworld of Brooklyn, that’s how “The Drop” can be described. Tom Hardy is a great actor and again shows that as the good guy Bob. It’s great how his character develops and how strong his performance is. James Gandolfini also does a great job. It’s not a very big role, but it’s memorable. Matthias Schoenarts is convincing as the dominant Erik and Noomi Rapace shines as well. A cast to die for.

That well written story also makes this movie good. The tempo is just right, not too fast, just the right buildup. “The Drop” is an overlooked film from 2014, that’s definitely a shame. It’s worth your time, because it’s a very good film.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Revenge Movies

It’s all about revenge in this top 5. Okay, it’s better not that take revenge, but in movies it’s always so awesome. Here are my five favorite revenge movies.

5. V for Vendetta

Although V is called a terrorist, people who watch the movie all root for him. V is one of the coolest anti-heroes ever and “V for Vendetta” is super awesome.

 

 

4. Inglourious Basterds

Taking revenge on those Nazi bastards! That’s what this is about and you don’t feel sorry for them. Especially Shoshanna takes ultimate revenge.

 

 

3. Die Hard with a Vengeance

It’s in the title. Not very bright of ‘Simon’ to take revenge on John McClane. You just don’t f*** with McClane.

 

 

2. Léon

The most recent watch of this list. “Léon” is kick-ass and touching at the same time. A movie that I never get tired of.

 

 

1. Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2

This is my ultimate revenge film (I’m cheating a bit, but they are both awesome and technically they were meant to be one movie). The Bride is probably one of the best movie characters when it comes to taking revenge. And she saves the best for last…. Bill.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Memento, Dead Man’s Shoes, Double Jeopardy, Machete, The Crow

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 117: American Ultra

Director: Nima Nourizadeh

Genre: Action/ Comedy

Runtime: 99 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Topher Grace, Connie Britton, Walton Goggins, John Leguizamo, Bill Pullman

Description: A stoner (Jesse Eisenberg) - who is in fact a government agent - is marked as a liability and targeted for extermination. But he's too well-trained and too high for them to handle.

Review: Films, where the leads are stoners, can nowadays be put into its own genre. Think of movies like “Pineapple Express” and “Dude, Where’s My Car?”. “American Ultra” is also one of those films.

Mike is a nobody, who spends his days smoking weed and hang out with his girlfriend Phoebe, while working at the local supermarket. His anxiety to leave town doesn’t really help him any further either. A woman visits him at work and starts talking to him in words he doesn’t understand. Mike sends her away and not long after that two armed men try to kill him. Surprising himself, he overpowers them. How is it possible that he can do that?

The movie is meant to be a comedic action movie, but you’re never sure if this is supposed to be taken seriously or that it’s a parody on the genre of spy thrillers. The cast is good though. Jesse Eisenberg was made for a role like this and has great chemistry with Kristen Stewart. Topher Grace was funny and Connie Britton did a good job too.

Besides a few cool action scenes, the story develops slowly and the ending isn’t surprising at all. The movie is not as spectacular as the trailer let us believe.

The movie is somewhat entertaining, but I had higher expectations. The concept is great, the execution sadly isn’t.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Movie Favorites: 50/ 50

Synopsis: Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a 27 year old writer of radio programs and is diagnosed with a rare form of spinal cancer. With the help of his best friend (Seth Rogen), his mother (Angelica Huston), and a young therapist (Anna Kendrick) at the cancer center, Adam learns what and who the most important things in his life are.

 

 

Unique Selling Point: It always amazed me how they could tell a story with such a heavy theme so light and with humor. It isn’t a sob story, it’s a movie with a lot of heart. And the cast is outstanding.

Most Valuable Player: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who else? Movies like this hardly ever get an Academy Award nomination, but they missed one here. It was an Oscar worthy performance, very sincere and he made Adam Lerner one of the most likeable characters in movie history.

Best Moment: Adam is about to go into surgery. His parents are there and Adam realizes this could be the last time he sees them. He’s scared. It’s really a heartbreaking moment, I just wanted to hug him.