Book Review - The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman

Title: The Last Devil to Die (Thursday Murder Club # 4)
Author: Richard Osman
Genre: Mystery/ Crime
Published: 2023
 
Description: Shocking news reaches the Thursday Murder Club. An old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing.
 
As the gang springs back into action they encounter art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers, as well as heartache close to home.
 
With the body count rising, the package still missing and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck final run out? And who will be the last devil to die?
 
Review: The elderly members of the Thursday Murder Club always know how to get themselves into the craziest situations, convenient or inconvenient. Such is the case when, on Boxin Day, an acquaintance of the club becomes the victim of an unexpected murder. An innocent box filled with heroin worth over one hundred thousand pounds turns out to be the culprit, but that does not answer the many questions at play in the Thursday Murder Club.
 
“The Last Devil to Die” is the fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series and for now the last. Author Richard Osman is coming out with a new mystery series, so no new one for the Thursday Murder Club this year.
 
I love a good mystery and Osman does it again. And the expressive characters in this series just stand out. When you’ve spend four books with (most) of them, you just become one of them. The quartet Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are one of the most loveable group of friends I have ever read about. I like each and every single one of them and can only hope that when I’m that age, I have a friendship like that. Joyce, not biased because we share a first name, is still my favorite. And I love her journal entries. She is so wholesome. Ibrahim is my second favorite, I love his diplomatic and charming nature.
 
I think it’s possible to read the book as a standalone, but you will miss out on a few things. You really should read all of them in order. Not only because you will miss details, but also because it’s a very good and solid mystery series.
 
I think “The Last Devil to Die” is my favorite in the series. It’s packed with emotion. It has so much heart, it’s funny, the mystery is captivating and the characters are the highlight. I think Richard Osman can do no wrong when it comes to mystery novels. I can’t wait for his next book.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Mary, Queen of Scots

Director: Josie Rourke
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Guy Pearce, David Tennant, Jack Lowden, Joe Alwyn
 
Description: Mary Stuart’s (Saoirse Ronan) attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie), Queen of England, finds her condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 8: A FILM FROM A EUROPEAN COUNTRY
 
Review: There is a large group of Scots seeking independence from the British. In the sixteenth century, the two nations sharing an island were formally merged. This was preceded by a long difficult feud between two queens. The protestant Elizabeth preferred to see her northern neighbors fall under her empire, though she had no descendants to take the throne. Neighbor Mary Stuart was Catholic and led the Scots for nearly 15 years after claiming the throne from the English.

Mary had already been widowed after two years of marriage after her French husband lost his life. She returned to her homeland at eighteen, where her brother took over. Mary had no intention of getting married again. She extended an outstretched hand to Elizabeth to deal with each other in peace. In London, people thought very differently. Elizabeth even sent a possible suitor to Edinburgh in hopes of appeasing Mary Queen of Scots.

The film features two strong actresses in the main roles. But it’s a long wait to see Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie eventually share the screen. This encounter produces the most exciting verbal fireworks of this royal biopic. A lot of intrigue, secret agendas and scheming precede it.

You should see this film for the acting alone, Ronan and Robbie are amazing. And it’s a beautifully looking film with good political mindgames.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

20s Movie Review - Thanksgiving

Director: Eli Roth
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Patrick Dempsey, Nell Verlaque, Jalen Thomas Books, Gabriel Davenport, Milo Manheim, Rick Hoffman, Gina Gershon

Description: After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts, the birthplace of the infamous holiday.

Review: “Grindhouse” consisted of two B-movies, but Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. It had a fake trailer for a movie called “Thanksgiving”, a slasher film with 1980s appeal made by Eli Roth. And now, the movie is real.

A department store decides to start their Black Friday as early as midnight and promises free products for the first hundred customers. The result is bloody mayhem. A year later, a group of survivors are tagged in a bizarre message on social media. One by one, they begin to die.

Director Eli Roth turns a fake trailer into a real movie. And I got exactly what I was hoping for. I love slasher films, they are fun. A bunch of awful people being brutally murdered and we are trying to find out who the killer is. That’s what this is. Roth doesn’t do anything groundbreaking. What Roth does do is making this film bloody as hell. And it’s not even his goriest film. Roth manages to pull off some real original kills. And it has some good humor as well.

Even though I did predict the eventual killer, “Thanksgiving” is an entertaining slasher. What you except from it, you get.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Book Review - Adrift by Lisa Brideau

Title: Adrift
Author: Lisa Brideau
Genre: Mystery/ Science Fiction/ Literary
Published: 2023
 
Description: Ess wakes up alone on a sailboat in the remote Pacific Northwest with no memory of who she is or how she got there. She finds a note, but it’s more warning than comfort: Start over. Don’t make yourself known. Don’t look back.
 
Ess must have answers. She sails over a turbulent ocean to a town hundreds of miles away that, she hopes, might offer insight. The chilling clues she uncovers point to a desperate attempt at erasing her former life. But why? And someone is watching her… someone who knows she must never learn her truth.
 
In Ess’s worlds, the earth is precariously balanced at a climate change tipping point, and she is perched at the edge of a choice: which life does she want? The one taken from her – and the dangerous secret that was buried – or the new one she can make for herself?
 
Review: “Adrift” is set in a nearby future, at the Canadian coast. Ess wakes up alone on a sailboat, with no memory of who she is and how she got there. She finds a note that tells her to start over, don’t make yourself known and don’t look back. Ess is out for answers to the questions of her past.
 
It is a truly horrific idea to wake up with no memory, in a strange place, where no one seems familiar, you don’t know who you are and what has happened. The start of the book is very strong. You have no idea what is going on and where the story is heading. You have no clue, just like Ess.
 
Once the story starts giving you answers, I lost a bit of interest in the story. Although it’s original, it has some sci-fi elements and environmental issues in it, I didn’t feel that invested anymore.
 
The books has excellent character building and the story is complex and well-written. But I loved the mystery at the start. I felt like we weren’t left in the dark long enough. And I didn’t really care for the sort-of romance between Ess and this guy she meets. Her friendship with Yori feels much more real.
 
I also found it kind of weird how easy she talked about her ‘amnesia’ to strangers, when the note clearly stated she shouldn’t make herself known. She doesn’t know who she can trust and who she already knows or doesn’t know. I found that strange.
 
I’m still glad I read “Adrift” because it has a very interesting premise. And it started out really good. It just didn’t keep my full attention throughout the rest of the book.
 
Rating: 3/ 5

20s Movie Review - Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

Director: Kelly Fremon Craig
Genre: Comedy/ Family/ Drama
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Abby Ryder Fortson, Bennie Safdie, Kathy Bates

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 7: A FILM DIRECTED BY A WOMAN
 
Description: When her family moves from the city to the suburbs, 11-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) navigates new friends, feelings, and the beginning of adolescence.

Review: It’s 1970. Margaret, an 11-year-old girl, is in the top grade of elementary school and right on the verge of puberty. With a Jewish father and a Christian mother, she is searching for the religion that best suits her. This while she has to get used to a new environment, as their family just moves from New York City to the suburbs of new Jersey.

The film shows what goes through the mind of an 11-year-old. Of course at this age you worry about your first kiss, your body changing, friendships.

The film doesn’t shy away from more mature themes either. For example, Margaret and her friends hope to get their period so that they can go through life as ‘real women’ sooner. When one of her friends actually gets it, we don’t see relief, but a crying girl on the toilet. Scared and uncertain. “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” puts you in the shoes of a young adolescent and creates appropriate situations around it, both serious and funny. Well balanced.

The film feels realistic in everything, with the idea that we get a glimpse into a moment in this family’s life. The acting high level. Abby Ryder Fortson play the titual Margaret so well. Her mother is portrayed by Rachel McAdams, where she proofs again why she is one of my all-time favorites. Her role is super strong and I loved her character in it as well. Kathy Bates is a scene stealer as always, playing Margaret’s grandmother.

Margaret seeks support and advice from God, but actually she doesn’t even know of she believes in God. This highlights the uncertainty you can experience at this age. You often allow yourself to be led by you parents or influenced by the environment. It is good that the film shows this and then also show the opposites, with Margaret slowly starting to form her own opinion throughout the film.

“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” is a beautiful coming-of-age film in which the title character discovers her own identity in a new environment, with appropriate dramatic moment entirely in service of the characters. A perfect movie to make you feel good.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Book Review - Foe by Iain Reid

Title: Foe
Author: Iain Reid
Genre: Horror/ Science Fiction/ Thriller
Published: 2018
 
Description: Junior and Henriette live a comfortable, solitary life on their farm, far from the city lights, but in close quarters with each other. One dat, a stranger from the city arrives with alarming Junior has been randomly selected to travel far away from the farm… very far away. the most unusual part? Arrangements have already been made so that when he leaves, Henrietta won’t have a chance to miss him, because she won’t be left alone – not even for a moment. Henrietta will have company. Familiar company.
 
Review: This is one of those book you’d best read going in blind. Knowing noting more than just the short synopsis is the best way to experience this story.
 
In “Foe” the married couple Junior and Hen live a quiet life on a farm. They live far away from the city. Junior works at the factory and likes things as they are. Even though they have no friends and almost every day is pretty much the same. Hen, on the other hand, feels a bit trapped and the everyday rut. When one day a man named Terrance tells them they have been placed in a lottery in which people can be chosen to participate in a special space mission. From that day forward, Junior and hen’s peaceful life is taking a turn.
 
The book is fairly slow, especially at the start. Nothing spectacular really happens. This book is focused on the characters. But with all this, I just could not put this book down. Because we follow the story from Junior’s perspective, and we learn about his thoughts, we get to know him very well. His life with Hen, their relationship, how he’s dealing with the changes. Basically, the entire book is set at the farm, following these few characters. The way author Iain Reid made this so interesting, it’s very well done.
 
The books is a mix of thriller, horror and science fiction. That last part is added very subtly, which I really loved. I’m fairly new to the sci-fi genre when it comes to book and after reading “Foe” I would really love to read more books in this genre.
 
The book has a great twist, that had my jaw dropping to the floor. The ending is open, sort of. Or at least open for interpretation. The story isn’t very eventful, but I just wanted to keep reading. It was such an intriguing book, loved every minute of it.
 
Rating: 5/ 5

20s Movie Review - No Hard Feelings

Director: Gene Stupnitsky
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Matthew Broderick, Laura Benanti, Natalie Morales, Scott MacArthur, Kyle Mooney

Description: On the brink of losing her home, Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) finds an intriguing job losing: helicopter parents looking for someone to bring their introverted 19-year-old son (Andrew Barth Feldman) out of his shell before college. She has one summer to make him a man or die trying.

Review: When Maddie Barker’s car is repossessed, she can no longer work as an Uber driver and is in danger of losing her home. She finds an ad from two overprotective parents, asking for a girl who can bring their awkward 19-year old son Percy out of his shell. In exchange, they promise her a car with which she can pay of her debts to save her childhood home.

“No Hard Feelings” is marketed as a romantic comedy. The supposed romance in this film is cringeworthy, it feels wrong. The comedy is more present, even though that’s not its strongest suit either. It has its moments, but it’s mainly two very opposite people getting into awkward situations.
Jennifer Lawrence plays Maddie. She is mess, very outspoken, really unlikeable at the start of the film. A lot of clichés come in here. Her trying to romance a young 19-year-old guy still feels weird, but their eventual friendship does work.

Not that great, not Lawrence’s best work by far. But funny enough for the time being.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Book Review - All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham

Title: All the Dangerous Things
Author: Stacy Willingham
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery
Published: 2023
 
Description: One year ago, Isabelle Drake’s life changed forever: her son Mason was take out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. With little evidence and few leads for the police to chase, the case quickly went cold. However, Isabelle cannot rest until mason is returned to her, literally. Except for the occasional nap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year.
 
Isabelle’s entire existence now revolves around finding him, but she knows she can’t go on this way forever. In hopes of jarring loose a new witness or buried clue, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster – but his interest in Isabelle’s past makes her nervous. His incessant questioning paired with her severe insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from her own childhood, making Isabelle start to doubt her recollection of the night of mason’s disappearance, as well as second-guess who she can trust.. including herself. But she is determined to figure out the truth no matter where it leads.
 
Review: After her very successful debut novel “A Flicker in the Dark”, author Stacy Willingham is back with “All the Dangerous Things”. A compelling mystery that focuses on the nightmare of a mother and the dangerous secrets she discovers while looking for the truth. “A Flicker in the Dark” was a good book, I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t anything spectacular. The same goes for “All the Dangerous Things” even though I liked it a little bit more.
 
We meet Isabelle, a mother whose son Mason was taken from his crib in the middle of the night, now one year ago. They never found him or anything that would lead to a suspect. But Isabelle never managed to let go. When she agrees to be interviewed for a true-crime podcast, Isabelle discovers dark secrets that could lead her to the truth. And she doesn’t know who she can and cannot trust, including herself.
 
We follow the story from Isabelle’s perspective. Because she is mentally unstable due to the lack of sleep and her past as a sleepwalker, she is an unreliable narrator. I always love that trope. We also jump back in time a couple of times, where we learn about her life as a child and how she met her husband Ben, whom she is now separated from.
 
It takes some time to get into the book, it’s not a very fast paced story. But eventually you really become invested and there are some good twists and turns. There was one that I didn’t particularly liked, but overall the twist were surprising and strong.
 
If you have liked or loved Stacy Willingham’s first book, you will also enjoy “All the Dangerous Things”. A very solid thriller, with strong character building and some nice twists.
 
Rating: 3,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - The Ruins

Director: Carter Smith
Genre: Horror/ Thriller/ Adventure
Runtime: 90 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: Shawn Ashmore, Jena Malone, Jonathan Tucker, Laura Ramsey, Joe Anderson

Description: A leisurely Mexican holiday takes a turn for the worse when a group of friends and a fellow tourist embark on a remote archaeological dig in the jungle, where something evil lives among the ruins.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 6: A FILM BASED ON A BOOK
 
Review: “The Ruins” is based on the book by author Scott B Smith. Two girlfriends, Amy and Stacy, are vacationing in Mexico with their boyfriends Jeff and Eric. Relaxing by the pool, sunbathing and drinking cocktail; heaven on earth. To end the last say still somewhat active, they decide to tag along with a German tourist, whose brother is working at an archaeologic ruin. This tendril-covered pyramid from the Mayan civilization is not on any tourist maps. But they are in for one last adventure before flying back home.

Because four young friends vacationing before ending up in the slaughterhouse is not terribly original, a solution has been found. The intro is pretty quick and very early on in the movie, the end up at the ruins. And that is where the movie really begins.

While there, the sense of adventure is silently replaced by claustrophobia. Fear of leaving the ruin, fear of staying there as well. Things gets creepy and bloody and the film is a lot more surprising and original as you might expect.

The characters aren’t that fleshed out though. This is not because of the actors, because they are convincing enough. But the dialogues are a but wooden and the characters lack background information. Jeff is the only one we get to know a bit better, but it’s still more on the surface.

Besides this, “The Ruins” is a pretty good horror movie, scary enough and it has just the right length. I enjoyed it.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

Book Review - The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Title: The Sun Down Motel
Author: Simone St. James
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery
Published: 2020
 
Description: The secrets lurking in a rundown roadside motel ensnare a young woman, just as they did her aunt thirty-five years before.
 
Upstate New York, 1982. Every small town like Fell, New York, has a place like the Sun Down Motel. Some customers are from out of town, passing through on their way to someplace better. Some are locals, trying to hide their secrets. Viv Delaney works as the night clerk to pay for her move to new York City. But something isn’t right at the Sun Down, and before long she’s determined to uncover all of the secrets hidden…
 
Review: I used to think I didn’t like supernatural thrillers. Until I discovered Simone St. James. “The Sun Down Motel” is the third novel that I read by this author and I’m very confident to say that she is an all-time favorite author for me now.
 
“The Sun Down Motel” follows two timelines, set in a small town called Fall, set in the state of New York. A town where it seems time stood still. The young Carly Kirk travels to this town, trying to figure out the truth about her aunt Viv Delaney, who went missing in 1982, while working the night shift at the Sun Down Motel. When Carly manages to get that same job at the now rundown motel, she soon figures out something is not right in this place.
 
We read two timelines. The one of Carly, in present day, digging deep to find out what happened to her aunt all those years ago. The other timeline follows her aunt Viv, as she is working at the Sun Down and following a mystery of her own.
 
One of my favorite elements in thrillers is a the dual timeline. I just enjoy reading about a historic event, preferably a cold case, and then following a person I the present that is trying to unravel the mystery. Simone St. James sets her books up lie this and this is a format that really works for me. Her writing is beautiful and also accessible. And her book also have a supernatural element, which I didn’t know I liked until I read her books.
 
“The Sun Down Motel” has a spooky, eerie atmosphere, you know something’s up and it’s genuinely creepy at times. Both female characters are compelling and complex women, interesting to you about. And the story is well-crafted and has some masterful plotting, even though they aren’t many shocking twist or reveals. This was a book I just couldn’t put down. And I want to read everything that Simone St. James has written.
 
Rating: 5/ 5

 

20s Movie Review - Maggie Moore(s)

Director: John Slattery
Genre: Comedy/ Crime/ Mystery
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Jon Hamm, Tina Fey, Micah Stock, Nick Mohammed, Happy Anderson, Mary Holland, Louisa Krause

Description: Police Chief Sanders (Jon Hamm) investigates the bizarre murders of two women with the same name and unravels a web of small-town lies. He meets and quickly falls for Rita (Tina Fey), a nosy neighbor who is eager to help solve the mystery.  

Review: Jay’s wife discovers her husband is running his sandwich store in a shady way. To make sure she keeps quiet, Jay hires someone to threaten her. Instead, she is killed, forcing Jay to take further measures to lead the police astray.

Jay’s business is a sandwich store like Subway of sorts. As a franchise, he actually has to buy from the main company’s supplier. He saves a lot of money by illegally purchasing his supplies from someone else: he gets spoiled ingredients for next to nothing in exchange for supplying obscure photos. Jay’s wife discovers this and her world collapses.

The wife is named Maggie Moore and not much later another Maggie Moore is found dead. Small-town cop Sanders investigates, discovering a web of lies.

John Slattery, known for his roles in the TV show “Mad Men” and Oscar-winning movie “Spotlight”, takes on the role of director this time. It’s clear he was inspired by the Coen Brothers, most specifically “Fargo”. It never reaches the level of any of the Coen Brothers’ movies, it feels a bit messy and clumsy at times.

It’s a comic crime story, which has some good moments. But it’s overall a pretty basic and forgettable movie. Not great, not bad, just okay.

Rating: 3/ 5

Book Review - She Started It by Sian Gilbert

Title: She Started It
Author: Sian Gilbert
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery
Published: 2023
 
Description: Annabel, Esther, Tanya and Chloe are best friends, or were, as children. Despite drifting apart in adulthood, shared secrets have kept them bonded for better or worse, even as their childhood dreams haven’t quite turned out as they’d hoped. The one day they receive awoly unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome, invitation from another old friend. Poppy Greer has invited them all the her extravagant bachelorette party: a first-class ticket plane ticket to three days of white sand, cocktails, and relaxation on a luxe private island in the Bahamas.
 
None of them has spoken to Peppy in years. But Poppy’s Instagram pics shows that the girl they used to consider the weakest link in their group has definitely made good. And made money. Curiosity gets the better of them. Besides, who can turn down a posh all-expenses-paid vacation on a Caribbean island?
 
The first-class flight and the island’s accommodations are just as opulent as expected… even if the scenic island proves more remote than they’ve anticipated. Quite remote, in fact, with no cell service, an no other guests. The women quickly discover they’ve underestimated Poppy, and each other. As their darkest secrets are revealed, the tropical adventure morphs into a terrifying nightmare.
 
Review: We meet old friends Annabel, Esther, Tanya and Chloe. Adults now, they have all made a good life for themselves. All with successful careers and status. Even though they aren’t as close as when they were children, an invitation for the bachelorette party of a former classmate brings them together again. They have no idea why this girl, Poppy Greer, would invite them after not having contact with her for 10 years. But they simply can’t turn down an all-expenses-paid luxury trip to a private island in the Bahamas.
 
We follow the story from different perspectives: The four women invited to the bachelorette party and a young Poppy, through diary entries. This way you get to know the women better. And you also find out that the four women are all awful, selfish, materialistic bitches.
 
Let’s start with the things I liked about “She Started It”. I enjoyed the drama, the rich girl drama. This made this book entertaining enough for me to finish it. But that’s about it.
 
 Most characters just make no sense. For some reason they never feel that taking this trip is a bad decision, they don’t have any remorse for what they did when they were younger, they are just too self-absorbed. What these four women did as children is just horrible, but they all believe it was them just joking around, because they were just kids. They still don’t see how awful they were back then. And these characters, besides their jobs and social life, were exactly the same. 
 
Very early on I the book I had an idea of what the intention of this trip was and what the big reveal was going to be. Which is okay. If it later turns out to be something completely different and surprising, that’s just great. But it’s really a bummer when it turns out to be exactly that. And it was written as if it was supposed to be this big surprise reveal or shocking twist. Well, it’s not. There are enough hints in the book that should help you figure it out way before it’s revealed.
 
Even though the drama of these selfish, horrible women is entertaining, I really hated this book.
 
Rating: 1/ 5

Rewatching My 100 Favorite Movies - Update 26

I decided to rewatch my 100 favorite movies of all-time. What those are, you can check HERE. I watch them in random order, there is no rhyme or reason there, just watching those movies I love so much.
 

85/ 100: Paddington 2 (2017)
Movies that are truly fun for the whole family are rare, which is why the 2014 live-action film about the bear Paddington was such a pleasant surprise. Director Paul King turned it into an irresistibly cheerful adventure, beautifully designed and full of jokes. The sequel had those same ingredients, but just slightly better. If only because of the delightful supporting roles by Hugh Grant and Brendan Gleeson. Read my full review HERE.
 

86/ 100: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Hollywood 1969. The classic movie star must slowly give away to a new type of actor. B-actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) is one such classic movie hero and is having a hard time. Why can’t he be as successful as his neighbor, actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie)? Fortunately, his friend and regular stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) continues to support him. Exuberant, kaleidoscopic and delightful storytelling from director Quentin Tarantino, in which he shamelessly beds history to his will. Click HERE to check out my full review.
 

87/ 100: Hot Fuzz (2007)
Ominous things are happening in Sandford. The front gardens are too neat, the facades too clean. No hamlet can win Village of the Year three times in a row without unsavory practices behind it. Police officer Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) and his overambitious colleague Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) set out to investigate. This is one of the three films In the ‘Cornetto-trilogy”, directed by Edgar Wright. When all being on my 100 favorites list, this is my favorite of the three.”Hot Fuzz” is without a doubt the funniest movie ever made and proof that the British will always win comedy over Americans. Because the jokes are clever and masterful. Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are a magical trio that I wish will be making more movies in the future. Read my full review HERE.
 

88/ 100: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Curious culmination of animation and feature film technique. Boskins plays private detective Eddie Valiant. During an investigation, he stumbles upon the murder suspect, yet completely innocent cartoon Roger Rabbit. As a child, me and my family used to watch this film so many times. Most of the jokes went way over my head, because this is not a children’s movie. Now, as an adult, I enjoy this film on a whole other level and maybe even more than I used to. My full review is right over HERE.
 
Still to watch: 12

Movie Review - Anatomy of a Fall

Director: Justine Triet
Genre: Crime/ Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 151 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado Graner, Antoine Reinartz, Samuel Theis, Jehnny Beth, Camille Rutherford

Description: A woman (Sandra Hüller) is suspected of her husband’s murder, and their blind son (Milo Machado Graner) faces a moral dilemma as the main witness.

Review: From the speakers in an attic room in a remote chalet in the French Alps blares the instrumental sounds of 50 Cents P.I.M.P. One of the residents, writer and teacher Sandra Voyter, has to stop talking to one of her students because they can no longer understand each other. Why her husband trains her like this only becomes clear later.

While the music is still playing loudly, their nearly blind son Daniel takes the dog for a walk. When he returns, he finds his father bloodied and lifeless next to the chalet. He has fallen from a great height and suspicion soon falls on Sandra. In the courtroom, we learn more and more about the relationship between Sandra and her husband Samuel, who died under mysterious circumstances.

“Anatomy of a Fall” (Anatomy d’un Chute) was awarded a Palm d’or at the Cannes Film Festival. Director Justine Triet mercilessly files the unfortunate events that led to Samuel’s death, as well as the many rifts in their relationship.

Gradually, it matters less and less what exactly happened. Human nature eager to know exactly what happened still seems to win out at first. For a long time, the trial is concerned with whether Samuel was alive when he crashed. Whether he was dragging himself blooded in the snow. Whether he hit his head against the shed.

Main suspect Sandra has some explaining to do. But also turns out to be a complex character who hides the necessary secrets. Things have grown especially awry between the writer and her husband after a near-fatal accident that has left their son Daniel virtually blind. Samuel himself cannot recount it, but Triet manages to reconstruct the relationship with Sandra using statements from those involved.

She manages to come up with a new element of the relationship every time things threaten to collapse. Extremely painful are the revelations Daniel has to learn from the prosecutor, Sandra’s lawyer and Samuel’s psychiatrist. It eventually leads to an emotional statement from the 11-year-old boy who also seeks some of the blame on himself.

“Anatomy of a Fall” seems founded on interrogations and second-hand statements, but the Triet throws in an audio recording. In all his suspicion and in order to work on a book himself, Samuel captured the last months of his life on tape. In by far the strongest of the many powefull scenes, we see how a calm conversation between Sandra and Samuel eventually degenerates into a series of false accusations. The sympathy turns a hundred and eighty degrees.

The scene illustrates the masterful writing of Triet and co-writer Arthur Harari. It is soon clear that this event has only losers. Young Daniel must put up with all the misery. “Anatomy of a Fall” is one of those rare films in which everything is right, which makes you think and does not let you go soon after.

Rating: 5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

Director: Sam Fell
Genre: Animation/ Adventure/ Comedy/ Family
Runtime: 98 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Thandie Newton, Zachary Levi, Bella Ramsey, Imelda Staunton, David Bradley, Peter Serafinowicz

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 5: AN ANIMATED MOVIE
 
Description: Having pulled off an escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger (Thandie Newton) has found a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock. But back on the mainland the whole of chicken-kind faces a new threat, and Ginger and her team decide to break in.

Review: “Chicken Run”(2000) was already an obvious allegory for humanity is its own enemy. With chickens seeking to escape their fate, ending up as chicken patties. Those chickens, of course, are anthropomorphic beings with a soul and a consciousness. Created by Aarman Animations, known for its quirky stop-motion films. A company I have always loved and appreciated.

“Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget:  is a sequel to the original. Ginger and Rocky are back, now with a child named Molly. After escaping from the chicken farm from the first film, they have created a paradise for themselves and all the other chickens on an island. And no humans to be found. Molly, as the curious young girl she is, wants to know more about the ‘outside world’ and escapes the island to see it for herself. Where she ends up at a strange facility, with danger on the lookout.

“Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” doesn’t really add anything to the original, because it’s much of the same. But it’s fun, entertaining and witty. Aardman’s  style still stands out and there are plenty of jokes. It feels primarily as a gesture to the fan, who may have been yearning for a sequel. It’s just a very enjoyable film, and you will enjoy it if you did the first.  

Rating: 3/ 5