Movie Trailer Sunday (290)

Here are this week's trailers.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Description: When their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage, the Kingsman's journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organization in the US. These two elite secret organizations must band together to defeat a common enemy.
Starring: Taran Edgerton, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, Halle Berry, Sophie Cookson, Vinnie Jones
Trailer: Trailer "Kingsman: The Golden Circle"
Comment: The first film was a total surprise, I'm really looking forward to this.

The Exception
Director: David Leveaux
Description: A German soldier (Jai Courntey) tries to determine if the Dutch resistance has planted a spy to infiltrate the home of Kaiser Wilhelm in Holland during the onset of World War II, but falls for a young Jewish Dutch woman (Lily James) during his investigation.
Starring: Lily James, Jai Courtney, Christopher Plummer, Eddie Marsan
Trailer: Trailer "The Exception"
Comment: Meh...

Tulip Fever
Director: Justin Chadwick
Description: An artist (Dane DeHaan) falls for a young married woman (Alicia Vikander) while he's commissioned to paint her portrait during the Tulip mania of 17th century Amsterdam.
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Christoph Waltz, Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Zach Galafianakis, Matthew Morisson, Tom Hollander, Holliday Grainger, Kevin McKidd, Jack O'Connell, Judi Dench
Trailer: Trailer "Tulip Fever"

Once Upon a Time in Venice
Director: Mark Cullen, Robb Cullen
Description: A Los Angeles detective (Bruce Willis) seeks out the ruthless gang that stole his dog
Starring: Bruce Willis, Jason Momoa, Famke Janssen, John Goodman, Elisabeth Röhm, Adam Goldberg
Trailer: Trailer "Once Upon a Time in Vencie"
Comment: I think this is an action flick that you shouldn't take too seriously.

47 Meters Down
Director: Johannes Roberts
Description: Two sisters (Claire Holt, Mandy Moore), vacationing in Mexico, are trapped in a shark cage at the bottom of the ocean, with less than an hour of oxygen left and great white sharks circling nearby.
Starring: Mandy Moore, Claire Holt, Matthew Modine,
Trailer: Trailer "47 Meters Down"
Comment: Lame

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 60: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Director: James Gunn
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 136 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Tommy Flanagan, Sean Gunn

Description: Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' continues the team's adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill's true parentage.

Review: In 2014 everyone was surprised by “Guardians of the Galaxy”. It was such a success, that for me it’s the best Marvel film to date. I was extremely excited for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”, it was at the top of my most anticipated films of 2017 list. And I wasn’t disappointed.
I love how “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is stubborn. Fun cameos, but no forced cross-overs with other Marvel films. Eventually the Guardians will meet up with the Avengers, but for now it’s still its own franchise. And I’m glad.
The characters are more important here. Who are they, where do they come from, what drives them? Family is the key here. Peter Quill meets his father for the first time. Drax and Rocket who lost their family or never had one. Gamora and her struggling relationship with sister Nebula. And Groot, who is always protected by his fellow Guardians, after his big sacrifice in the first movie. They don’t belong anywhere else, but together as a team.
The film has tempo, just like the first. Enough action, humor, drama and sensation. Baby Groot was adorable, Rocket again on fire with sharp comments and Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista did a great job as well. I especially loved Michael Rooker, as Yondu, in this film.
If I have to choose which of the two I think is better, I just can’t. It’s an amazing spectacle, that I immediately want to rewatch.

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 59: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Director: Niels Arden Oplev
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 145 minutes
Year: 2009
Starring: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Gunnel Lindblom, Michalis Koutsogiannakis, Sven-Bertil Taube, Ingvar Hirdwall, Peter Haber, Ewa Fröling, Marika Lagercrantz, Sofia Ledarp, Fredrik Ohlsson

Description: A journalist (Michael Nyqvist) is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing -- or dead -- for forty years by a young female hacker (Noomi Rapace).

Review: The Millenium series is probably one of the most talk about book series of the past years, written by Swedish author Stieg Larsson. At first, they look like standard Scandinavian thrillers, but the books eventually turn out to be page turning experiences, with a fascinating main character: Lisbeth Salander. And this was the biggest deal. Were they going to find the right person for this rol in the film?
Director Niel Arden Oplev decided to give Salander a bigger role in the film, which is a good thing. She is far out the most interesting part of the stories. But the movie starts out with Michael Blomkvist and focusses on him at first. He just quit his job at the magazine Millenium, after he lost a case in court. Blomkvist is hired by business man Henrik Vanger, to investigate the disappearance of his niece Harriët Vanger. During his search, Blomkvist teams ups with Lisbeth Salander. She is a young yet driven hacker. Salander always dresses in black and is covered with piercings and tattoos. It is clear that she is traumatized by things from the past and has lost contact with practically everyone in her surroundings.
To adapt a books with over 500 pages to film, you have to make decisions and still don’t lose the magic of the source material. Here they made the right decisions. The trial of Blomkvist, the first hundred pages of the film, are summed up in ten minutes for the film. Good choice. The film wins in tempo here. And the many affairs that Blomkvist has, are also brought to a minimum. The only problem I had with this film, is the same I had with the book. It’s too long and the last part drags and doesn’t feel needed.
Noomi Rapace is the right choice for Lisbeth Salander. It’s a though role to play and she does an excellent job.
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is a strong thriller, that threated the source material with respect. It’s definitely better than the American version by David Fincher, which was also a good movie.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 58: The Accountant

Director: Gavin O’Connor
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 128 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Tambor, John Lithgow, Jean Smart

Description: As a math savant (Ben Affleck) uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities and the body count starts to rise.

Review: Christian Wolff is a extraordinary accountant. He is a magician with numbers, but also autistic and socially a bit clumsy. He has several criminals as his clients and for that reason he thought himself some skills as well. When Wolff is hired by a new client, to discover if money is disappearing from his company, everything goes a little different as planned.
I’m not the world biggest Ben Affleck fan, he is sometimes even a reason NOT to watch a film. But he really surprised me and I found him somewhat brilliant as Christian Wolff. I also enjoyed Anna Kendrick and J.K. Simmons.
Director Gavin O’Connor, who also directed “Warrior”, made a very good and solid thriller. The film keeps your attention from beginning till end. There is a good combination between thriller, action and even a little humor.
“The Accountant” really surprised me, I didn’t expect much at first.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (289)

Here are this week's trailer.

The Little Hours
Director: Jeff Baena
Description: A young servant fleeing from his master takes refuge at a convent full of emotionally unstable nuns in the middle ages.
Starring: Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly, Fred Armisen, Molly Shannon, Nick Offerman, Paul Reiser
Trailer: Trailer "The Little Hours"
Comment: This looks hilarious!!!

American Assassin
Director: Michael Cuesta
Description: A story centered on counterterrorism agent Mitch Rapp.
Starring: Scott Adkin, Michael Keaton, Taylor Kitsch, Dylan O'Brien, Sanaa Lathan
Trailer: Trailer "American Assassin"
Comment:

Wakefield
Director: Robin Swicord
Description: A man's nervous breakdown causes him (Bryan Cranston) to leave his wife (Jennifer Garner) and live in his attic for several months.
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Garner, Beverly D'Angelo
Trailer: Trailer "Wakefield"
Comment: I love Bryan Cranston, I really want to see this film!

The Beguiled
Director: Sofia Coppola
Description: At a girls' school in Virginia during the Civil War, where the young women have been sheltered from the outside world, a wounded Union soldier (Colin Farrell) is taken in. Soon, the house is taken over with sexual tension, rivalries, and an unexpected turn of events.
Starring: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning, Angourie Rice
Trailer:
Comment: I'm so glad Sofia Coppola is back as a director, she is amazing. Can't wait to see this film.

Black Butterfly
Director: Brian Goodman
Description: Outside a mountain town grappling with a series of abductions and murders, Paul (Antonio Banderas), a reclusive writer, struggles to start what he hopes will be a career-saving screenplay. After a tense encounter at a diner with a drifter named Jack (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), Paul offers Jack a place to stay-and soon the edgy, demanding Jack muscles his way into Paul's work. As a storm cuts off power to the isolated cabin, the two men begin a jagged game of one-upmanship that will bring at least one tale to an end
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Piper Perabo
Trailer: Trailer "Black Butterfly"
Comment: Seems cool.

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 57: What We Did On Our Holiday

Director: Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 95 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Rosamund Pike, David Tennant, Billy Connolly, Ben Miller, Celia Imrie, Amelia Bullmore, Bobby Smalldridge, Harriet Turnbull, Annette Crosbie, Lewis Davie, Ralph Riach, Ron Donachie

Description: Doug and Abi (David Tennant, Rosamund Pike) take their kids on a family vacation. Surrounded by relatives, the kids innocently reveal the ins and outs of their family life and many intimate details about their parents. It's soon clear that when it comes to keeping a big secret under wraps from the rest of the family, their children are their biggest liability... Find out how the rest of the family cope and see if the holiday will ever end.

Review: Gordie McLeod doesn’t hide that he has terminal cancer. His grandchildren aren’t supposed to know, but Gordie thinks they are old and wise enough to know the truth. These moral opposition are the most important theme of the film. “What We Did On Our Holiday” is a loveable family comedy, sort of the British answer to the American Indie “Little Miss Sunshine”. A dysfunctional family always works in a film.
Gordie is waiting for his death in Scotland. His two sons want to throw him a big 75th birthday party. With their wives and children, they travel to see him. But both sons have some troubles at home their selves.
It doesn’t sound like a comedy, but the jokes are perfect. And the fact that this dark theme doesn’t overshadow it all, is because we see it all through the eyes Doug and Abi’s kids. This is British comedy mixed with a little drama, the way I love it. The moral is not shoved in your face and the humor is sharp and not too subtle.
David Tennant, Rosamund Pike and Billy Connolly are all amazing. But it’s probably the three kids that steal the show.
I had never heard of this film before I saw it and that’s such a shame. This means that a lot of people won’t see it. Please, if you love Indie films and British humor, check out “What We Did On Our Holiday”. It’s a hidden gem.

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 56: The Light Between Oceans

Director: Derek Cianfrance
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 133 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz

Description: A lighthouse keeper (Michael Fassbender) and his wife (Alicia Vikander) living off the coast of Western Australia raise a baby they rescue from a drifting rowing boat.

Review: “The Light Between Oceans” is a film where viewers will need tissues. The plot is a bit slow, but Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander are excellent in it.
Fassbender plays Tom, a veteran that doesn’t say too much. He takes a job as a lighthouse keeper. He meets the lively Isabelle, played by Vikander. They fall in love and get married. After two miscarriages, Tom sees his wife getting more unhappy every day. One day a little boat comes ashore. It has a dead man in it and a baby. They decided not to report the boat and the dead man, a raise the little girl as their own.
The film is about loss and disappointment, sacrifice and how to deal with the past. The setting of the film is beautiful and if it wasn’t for Fassbender and Vikander, this film would be a forgettable and mediocre melodramatic film. Now it’s a more than that.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (288)

Here are this week's trailers.

Thor: Ragnarok
Director: Taika Waitit
Description: Thor must face the Hulk in a gladiator match and save his people from the ruthless Hela.
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Karl Urban, Anthony Hopkins, Mark Ruffalo, Jeff Goldblum
Trailer: Trailer "Thor: Ragnarok"
Comment: And they wonder why I want to marry Chris Hemsworth...

The Hitman's Bodyguard
Director: Patrick Hughes
Description: The world's top bodyguard (Ryan Reynolds) gets a new client, a hit man (Samuel L. Jackson) who must testify at the International Court of Justice. They must put their differences aside and work together to make it to the trial on time.
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Gary Oldman,
Trailer: Trailer "The Hitman's Bodyguard"
Comment: This looks hilarious!!!

The Bad Batch
Director: Ana Lily Amipour
Description: A dystopian love story in a Texas wasteland and set in a community of cannibals.
Starring: Jason Momoa, Keanu Reeves, Jim Carrey, Diego Luna, Giovani Ribisi, Suki Waterhouse
Trailer: Trailer "The Bad Batch"
Comment: Creepy, disturbing, intriguing.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Director: Rian Johnson
Description: Having taken her first steps into a larger world in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015), Rey (Daisy Ridley) continues her epic journey with Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaac) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in the next chapter of the saga.
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Gwendoline Christie, Benicio Del Toro, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Warwick Davis, Lupita Nyong'o
Trailer: Trailer "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
Comment: It has arrived....

Past Life
Director: Avi Nesher
Description: Past Life tracks the daring late 1970s odyssey of two sisters - an introverted classical musician and a rambunctious scandal sheet journalist - as they unravel a shocking wartime mystery that has cast a dark shadow on their entire lives.
Starring: Nelly Tagar, Joy Rieger, Doron Tavory, Evgenia Dodina
Trailer: Trailer "Past Life"
Comment: Looks gripping

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 55: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Director: Fran Rubel Kuzui
Genre: Action/ Fantasy/ Comedy/ Horror
Runtime: 82 minutes
Year: 1992
Starring: Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, Paul Reubens, Rutger Hauer, Luke Perry, Hilary Swank, David Arquette, Stephen Root, Thomas Jane, Ben Affleck, Seth Green

Description: A flighty teenage girl (Kristy Swanson) learns that she is her generation's destined battler of vampires.

Review: I think more people saw the TV show than the film, but this is definitely a fun watch. It’s not as spectacular and dark as the series, because it focuses more on the comedy than the horror. But still very watchable and entertaining.
Kristy Swanson plays Buffy and Luke Perry is her love interest. Donald Sutherland plays Merrick, not very spectacular though. Rutger Hauer is the villain but doesn’t get a lot of screen time. Paul Ruebes, aka Pee Wee Herman, plays the villains sidekick. His death scene is hilarious by the way.
For horror fans this might not be satisfactory, but if you like the comedic kind with a low budget and no special effects, you will be happy. This story sounded ridiculous when it first came out, but eventually it got millions of fans because of the TV show.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 54: The Man with One Red Shoe

Director: Stan Dragoti
Genre: Comedy/ Crime
Runtime: 92 minutes
Year: 1985
Starring: Tom Hanks, Jim Belushi, Carrie Fisher, Dabney Coleman, Lori Singer, Tom Noonan

Description: A man (Tom Hanks) picked randomly out of a crowd is made the target of CIA surveillance and pursuit.

Review: Tom Hanks plays Richard Drew, a violinist. He is randomly picked out of a crowd to become the target of CIA surveillance.
It’s Tom Hanks in his early comedy days. The film is definitely not a masterpiece or one of the better comedies. But it’s a perfect view for a Sunday afternoon. It’s just a fun spy comedy, that only works because of Tom Hanks brilliant comedic timing. It’s watchable, but never laugh-out-loud-comedy.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 53: Beauty and the Beast

Director: Bill Condon
Genre: Romance/ Musical/ Fantasy
Runtime: 129 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Kevin Kline, Ewan McGregor, Emma Thompson, Ian McKellen, Stanley Tucci

Description: An adaptation of the fairy tale about a monstrous-looking prince (Dan Stevens) and a young woman (Emma Watson) who fall in love.

Review: As a little kid, I was never a girly girl. Wasn’t into princess stuff. But the animation “Beauty and the Beast” was an obsession. I love how intelligent, well read and kind Belle was. She saw past the looks, wanted to see more of the world and didn’t settle for mediocre. So I was super excited to see “Beauty and the Beast” being turned into a live-action film.
The film isn’t an exact copy of the animation, but it kept the essentials. But director Bill Condon also added some new characters, songs and scenes. And normally, for nostalgia sake, it would bother the hell out of me. But is surprisingly didn’t. The magic is still present, the main characters feel familiar and the songs are beautiful.
The casting is perfect. Emma Watson is a wonderful Belle and Dan Stevens does a very good job as Beast. Luke Evans is a very convincing Gaston and I really enjoyed Josh Gad as Le Fou. Kevin Kline as Maurice is also a very good choice and all the voice actors (like Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Emma Thompson and Ian McKellen) were chosen perfectly.
While watching this adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast”, I had a smile on my face from beginning ‘till end. I love it!

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 52: Suffragette

Director: Sarah Gavron
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Wishaw, Brendan Gleeson, Anne-Marie Duff, Romola Garai, Meryl Streep

Description: The foot soldiers of the early feminist movement, women who were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal State.

Review: In “Suffragette” we go back in time and see how the battle for equal rights for women began.
At the end of the nineteenth century, women in England wanted to be more than just the wife of a husband. They protested, but nothing happened. Men nodded their heads and hoped for this nonsense to pass. But instead of that, a group of women decided to take a different path. Their movement, the Suffragettes, did everything to get women to vote. In this story, Maud Watts joins the Suffragettes, because she wants to fight for the same right.
The film has some big names: Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson and a small part for Meryl Streep. But this movie belongs to Carey Mulligan. She plays Maud Watts and has to carry this film. And she can. She makes the film effective, touching and matter. It’s stories like this that make me appreciate what people did for human rights in world history.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 51: Love & Mercy

Director: Bill Pohlad
Genre: Drama/ Music
Runtime: 121 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti, Bill Camp

Description: In the 1960s, Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson (John Cusack/ Paul Dano) struggles with emerging psychosis as he attempts to craft his avant-garde pop masterpiece. In the 1980s, he is a broken, confused man under the 24-hour watch of shady therapist Dr. Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti).

Review: When you hear music from The Beach Boys you think of a few things: sun, sand, beach, happy guys and songs about surf girls. But this biopic about Brian Wilson, the leader of the band, is way deeper, touching and complex as the songs sound. The Beach Boys was one of the most successful bands in America. The film doesn’t follow the start of the band, but right in the middle of their success. As a young man in the sixties, Brian Wilson is a musical genius that rather stays in the studio to create new music than to go on tour with his brothers to Japan. They don’t understand Brian’s fascination and obsession with the weird sounds he adds to the songs, but leave him be. In the eighties Brian meets car salesman Melinda, who finds out that Brian has been heavily medicated by his psychiatrist. She decides to help Brian.
The film follows two storylines: the young Brian Wilson in the sixties and an older struggling Wilson in the eighties. This works like a charm. The first story is seen through the eyes of Brian and the other story we see through Brian’s second wife Melinda Ledbetter. Director Bill Pohlad takes us on a journey through the painful, tough life of Brian Wilson. We learn that his father beat him and that it even made him practically deaf in one ear. And that he is left with mental problems.
Paul Dano is really good as the young Brian Wilson. And I really loved Elizabeth Banks as Melinda. Paul Giamatti really shines in his more villainous role as Gene Landry. But the star of the show is John Cusack. I’ve always been a fan of him and he is one of my favorite actors. I simply can’t understand how Cusack has never won an Academy Awards, because his performance in “Love & Mercy” is definitely Oscar worthy.
Although the film focusses on Brian’s life, the musical part of the film is also clearly present. We see how some songs were born and how there were doubts at first, but they eventually turned out to be successful hits.
I really loved this movie, because I really like the music. But I didn’t know this about Brian Wilson, what a tough life he had. Pohland created a touching and intriguing story about musical talent Brian Wilson. And it hits your nerves.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 50: Power Rangers

Director: Dean Israelite
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction/ Adventure
Runtime: 123 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin, Becky G., Elizabeth Banks, Bryan Cranston, Bill Hader, Matt Shively, Cody Kearsley, David Denman, Robert Moloney, Anjali Jay, Sarah Grey, Morgan Taylor Campbell, Caroline Cave, Kayden Magnuson, Lisa Berry, Wesley MacInnes, John Stewart, Fiona Fu, Clayton Chitty, Austin Obiajunwa, Kenneth Tynan

Description: A group of high-school students, who are infused with unique superpowers, harness their abilities in order to save the world.

Review: Nostalgia. That’s a key word nowadays in Hollywood. Sequels, prequels, reboots new interpretations and TV show adaptations. If you were born in the early neighties, the Power Rangers were a good memory for you. I’m from the early eighties, so I think these superheroes weren’t cool enough for me when I saw them on TV. I never really liked the TV show, found it a bit kitschy and cheesy. But this film looked a lot more serious and it looks like the makers were inspired by “The Breakfast Club”.
The teens, that eventually become the Power Rangers, meet each other during detention and are all stereotypical (jock, geek, outsider, rebel, cheerleader). The characters don’t get a major introduction. They added actors Elizabeth Banks and Bryan Cranston to the cast, but they can’t really take the film to a higher level.
“Power Rangers” is a 2017 movie that you can easily skip, I think even for the fans of the TV show.

Rating: 2/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 49: Get Out

Director: Jordan Peele
Genre: Horror/ Mystery
Runtime: 104 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford

Description: A young African-American (Daniel Kaluuya) man visits his Caucasian girlfriend's mysterious family estate.

Review: I think not a lot of people will see “Get Out”. But when they do, they will be talking about this for a long time. “Get Out” is about Chris, a young African American man who is visiting his girlfriend’s family. The family estate is a bit mysterious and he can’t really get a grip on the eccentric family.
“Get Out” is an extremely powerful horror movie, with bits of humor in it. It’s amazing that funny man Jordan Peele created this, because I really didn’t expect it to be this good. It’s actually masterful.
Catherine Keener and Bradley Whitford play the parents of Chris’ new girlfriend. They are very creepy and their performances are really good. But leading man Daniel Kaluua is the star. He delivers a great range of emotions in his performance.
Director Peele builds atmosphere and tension. In the end, you have no idea what you just saw. Because it’s really hard to define or put into a box. It’s psychological and mysterious. “Get Out” is original, fresh, not mainstream and it really leaves you in awe.

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (287)

Here are this week's trailers.

The Mummy
Director: Alex Kurtzman
Description: An ancient princess (Sofia Boutella) is awakened from her crypt beneath the desert, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia, and terrors that defy human comprehension.
Starring: Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, Annabelle Wallis, Jake Johnson, Russell Crowe, Courtney B. Vance
Trailer: Trailer "The Mummy"
Comment: I'm Always in the mood for some Tom Cruise action.

Ingrid Goes West
Director: Matt Spicer
Description: Ingrid Thorburn (Aubrey Plaza), a mentally disturbed young woman, becomes obsessed with Taylor Sloane (Elisabeth Olsen), a social media star who appears to have the perfect life. But when Ingrid decides to drop everything and move west to befriend Taylor, her behavior turns unsettling and increasingly dangerous.
Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Elisabeth Olsen, O'Shea Jackson Jr.,
Trailer: Trailer "Ingrid Goes West"
Comment: I almost didn't recognize Aubrey Plaza.

Buster's Mal Heart
Director: Sarah Adina Smith
Description: In this bold thriller spiked with dark humor, a family man (Rami Malek) whose chance encounter with a conspiracy-obsessed drifter leaves him on the run from the police and an impending event known as The Inversion.
Starring: Rami Malek, D.J. Qualls
Trailer: Trailer "Buster's Mal Heart"
Comment: I don't really know what this is.

All Eyez On Me
Director: Benny Boom
Description: Tells the true and untold story of prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist Tupac Shakur.
Starring: Demetrius Shipp Jr., Danai Gurira, Lauren Cohan
Trailer: Trailer "All Eyez On Me"
Comment: Finally time for a Tupac biopic.

I Am Heath Ledger
Director: Adrian Buitenhuis, Derik Murray
Description: I Am Heath Ledger is a feature length documentary celebrating the life of Heath Ledger: actor, artist and icon. The documentary provides an intimate look at Heath Ledger through the lens of his own camera as he films and often performs in his own personal journey.
Starring: Heath Ledger, Naomi Watts, Ben Mendelsohn, Emile Hirsch, Djimon Hounsou, Ang Lee, Ben Harper
Trailer: Trailer "I Am Heath Ledger"
Comment: He dies way too soon. I'm really interested in seeing this documentary.

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 48: Coraline

Director: Henry Selick
Genre: Animation/ Fantasy
Runtime: 101 minutes
Year: 2009
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, Ian McShane

Description: Coraline, an adventurous girl, finds another world that is a strangely idealized version of her frustrating home, but it has sinister secrets.

Review: There are only a few actual children’s movies. “Coraline”, a stop motion animation by Henry Selick, can be very terrifying for kids at times. Kids will like it, but I think it’s more targeted at an older audience. The story is sometimes cynical and some characters are really unlikeable. This is fresh: no sugar sweet story and happy families with satisfied children. I loved “Coraline” because of all this.
Coraline isn’t your typical children’s story hero. She just moved. Her mom and dad are constantly working and Coraline had to leave her friends in a more fun town. But imagination helps a lot. Coraline discovers a secret door in her new house. This door gives her an alternative reality. Everything is better on the other side: her parents are more fun, the food tastes better. But this reality has a lot of dark secrets.
The message in this movie is deeper. It doesn’t talk down to children, because it’s a lot more complex. It expects more from the viewers. I think a lot of kids can relate to Coraline.
“Coraline” looks stunning, the stop-motion technique amazes me every time. The love that they put into those movies. I really can’t fault “Coraline”. I really want to know how I would’ve experiences this film as a child.

Rating: 5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Movies I Watched For My Challenge (March 2017)

Here are my five favorite films that I watched for my challenge in the month of March.

5. Logan
Hugh Jackman’s last time as Wolverine and also his best performance as the character. It’s a more sober and serious film, with hints of humor, but it’s a fantastic superhero/ antihero story. I love “Logan”.

4. The Addams Family
How macabre and dark this comedy is! It’s not the most cheerful family, but somehow they are happy. And that makes me happy. Because I highly enjoyed this spooky bunch. “The Addams Family” is most definitely a film I will rewatch.

3. Me Before You
“Me Before You” is a movie that wasn’t very well received, but I loved it. Most of the times I can understand the criticism, but I somehow can’t this time. It’s such a fun and beautiful film and I loved Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin in it!

2. Kubo and the Two Strings
I’m a huge fan of stop motion, it shows all the hard work the people have put into the film. The story is original and it will speak to many people. It’s beyond me how “Kubo and the Two Strings” didn’t win an Academy Award for best animated picture.

1. The Artist
“The Artist” is a silent movie made in modern day. It’s an amazing film, that I loved from beginning ‘till end. I can understand why this film won an Academy Award.

They Almost Made the Top 5: The Addams Family Values, It’s a Wonderful Life, Star Trek Beyond

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 47: Before I Go to Sleep

Director: Rowan Joffe
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 92 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong

Description: A woman (Nicole Kidman) wakes up every day, remembering nothing as a result of a traumatic accident in her past. One day, new terrifying truths emerge that force her to question everyone around her.

Review: Christina wakes up every morning and has no idea who she is and what she has done over the past years. She doesn’t know who the man next to her is, while they have been married for fourteen years. Husband Ben tells her she was in a car accident and she gathers information over the course of one day. Then when she wakes up the next day, she has to start all over again. Ben leaves notes and photos around the house, to help her. Every morning, when Ben leaves the house, Dr. Nasch calls Christine to help her remember things. She has a camera hidden in her closet that she uses as a video diary. Dr. Nasch and Christine meet up and bit by bit Christine gets closer to the truth.
“Before I Go to Sleep” sounds really exciting and that’s how the film starts. You feel Christine’s insecurity and fear, because as a viewer you know just as much. The movie eventually falls into a repetitive mode. And the unbelievable parts of the film get noticeable.
For a thriller, the movie is rarely really exciting. This is also because of the setting. The house has no atmosphere. I do give a plus to the acting, which is of a solid level.
Overall “Before I Go to Sleep” suffers from a poorly written screenplay, which was adapted from a best-selling novel. They had good material, but eventually couldn’t turn it into something amazing. It was okay, but it never manages to grab the audience the way it should have.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 46: Rokjesdag

Director: Johan Nijenhuis
Genre: Comedy/ Romance
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Lieke van Lexmond, Birgit Schuurman, Carly Wijs, Toprak Yalciner, Barbara Sloesen, Anne-Marie Jung, Melissa Drost, David Lucieer, Manuel Broekman, Jim Bakkum, Martijn Fischer, Loek Peters, Ferdi Stofmeel, Werner Kolf, Hassan Salah Slaby, Stijn Fransen

Description: Skirt-day, that first beautiful day in spring when women altogether decide to wear a lovely skirt to enjoy the weather. Spring is in the air. The characters are attending a cooking course for singles. It's all about cooking and flirting.

Review: The Dutch have made romantic essemble films before, filled with actors that are popular in The Netherlands. Here the theme is the first beautiful day of spring, where women decide to wear skirts and enjoy the lovely weather. Several women are attending a cooking class for singles.
The characters are very versatile. Workaholic Marieke who just can’t seem to find the man of her dreams, a bride to be who wants to have one last affaire before she ties the knot, a bus driver with a heart of gold who was sent by her co-workers. There are so many characters in the film that they try to focus on, that it gets too crowded and it’s really hard to relate to any of them. And it’s easily to forget about most of them.
Not every storyline gets the same attention, it’s mostly about Marieke. And her storyling isn’t even that interesting. It’s been done so many times. Dog walker Stephanie is way more interesting, but she hardly gets any screen time. The same goes for Chantal and Edwin, which is very endearing.
Director John Nijenhuis makes these film all the time and it’s getting a bit old. Already. The fact that most of the people attending the cooking class eventually fall in love after one evening, or even “love” them, feels dumb and is really unbelievable. “Rokjesdag” is entertaining, but not very ambitious.

Rating: 2/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 45: Battle Royale

Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Genre: Action/ Drama/ Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2000
Starring: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Taro Yamamoto, Masanobu Ando, Kou Shibasaki, Chiaki Kuriyama, Takako Baba, Takeshi Kitano

Description: In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill each other under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.

Review: Teacher Kitano is very disappointed in the Japanese youth. They aren’t respectfull towards adults and the elderly and he wants them to get that back. There is a way, according to him, but it’s a very drastic method. Every year, Kitano plays a game with his class, where the kids have to regain the respect for the elderly. It’s called Battle Royale.
The game takes place on an island. The 40 kids are released here and get some supplies and weapons to take with them. These weapons differentiate from axes to guns and binoculars and garbage can lids. Goal is to become the only survivor after three days, because they have to fight each other to the death.
The Japanese have a sick taste when it comes to movies. It’s over the top violence and acting. I never get used to it, I can’t seem to love it. “The Hunger Games” is a mild version of “Battle Royale” of some sort, but I do prefer this milder version though. “Battle Royale” is probably the better of the two, but somehow I can never appreciate this kind of movie.
I still think “Battle Royale” is worth seeing, because it’s a very interesting premise. And I did like the film, but I just didn’t love it (did I really just say that, that sounded lame).

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (286)

Here are this week's trailers.

Paris Can Wait
Director: Eleanor Coppola
Description: Anne (Diane Lane) is at a crossroads in her life. Long married to a successful, driven but inattentive movie producer (Alec Baldwin), she unexpectedly finds herself taking a car trip from Cannes to Paris with a business associate (Arnaud Viard) of her husband. What should be a seven-hour drive turns into a carefree two-day adventure replete with diversions involving picturesque sights, fine food and wine, humor, wisdom and romance, reawakening Anne's senses and giving her a new lust for life.
Starring: Diane Lane, Alec Baldwin, Arnaud Viand,
Trailer: Trailer "Paris Can Wait"
Comment: I love Diane Lane!!!

It
Director: Andrés Muschietti
Description: In a small town of Derry, Maine, seven children come face to face with life problems, bullies and a monster that takes the shape of a clown called Pennywise.
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Finn Wolfhard, Javier Bodet, Nicholas Hamilton, Megan Charpentier, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Steven Williams, Owen Teague, Wyatt Oleff, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Jack Dylan Grazer
Trailer: Trailer "It"
Comment: I f***ing hate clowns!!!

The Lost city of Z
Director: James Gray
Description: A true-life drama, centering on British explorer Col. Percival Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), who disappeared while searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon in the 1920s.
Starring: CHarlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, Tom Holland
Trailer: Trailer "The Lost City of Z"
Comment: Oeh, an adventure story!

War Machine
Director: David Michôd
Description: An absurdist war story for our times, writer-director David Michôd (Animal Kingdom) recreates a U.S. General's roller-coaster rise and fall as part reality, part savage parody - raising the specter of just where the line between them lies today. His is an exploration of a born leader's ultra-confident march right into the dark heart of folly. At the story's core is Brad Pitt's sly take on a successful, charismatic four-star general who leapt in like a rock star to command NATO forces in Afghanistan, only to be taken down by a journalist's no-holds-barred exposé.
Starring: Brad Pitt, Anthony Michael Hall, Anthony Hayes, Topher Grace, Alan Ruck, Ben Kingsley, John Magaro
Trailer: Trailer "War Machine"
Comment: Intereseting story.

War for the Planet of the Apes
Director: Matt Reeves
Description: After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar (Andy Serkis) wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind.
Starring: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Judy Greer, Steve Zahn
Trailer: Trailer "War for the Planet of the Apes"
Comment: I'm not as exciting as I was for the previous two films, but I still want to see it.