10s Movie Review - How Do You Know

Director: James L. Brooks
Genre: Romance/ Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 121 minutes
Year: 2010
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, Jack Nicholson, Kathryn Hahn

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 21: A FILM WITH JACK NICHOLSON

Description: After being cut from the U.S.A. softball team and feeling a bit past her prime, Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) finds herself evaluating her life and in the middle of a love triangle, as a corporate guy (Paul Rudd) in crisis competes with her current, baseball-playing beau (Owen Wilson).

Review: Lisa has just been cut from the U.S.A. softball team and struggling what to do with her life. With that she is also dealing with two men in her life.
 
There is no good reason for this movie to be two hours long. And don’t fall for the excellent cast. A romcom with Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd sounds like a great idea. And then Jack Nicholson, working again with director James L. Brooks, as previous in “Terms of Endearment” and “As Good As It Gets”. Well, we got fooled.
 
It took me some time to get into the story, but there isn’t really a story. There is so much going on, there is no focus on a clear plot. It’s verry messy. The actors are doing fine, with what they’re given. But there’s not much to work with.
 
“How Do You Know” is a very forgettable romcom. Already forgotten.
 
Rating: 2/ 5

10s Movie Review - Frances Ha

Director: Noah Baumbach
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 86 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: great Gerwig, Micky Sumner, Adam Driver, Michael Zegen, Grace Gummer, Michael Esper

Description: A New York woman (Greta Gerwig) apprentices for a dance company and thros herself headling into her dreams, even s the possibility of realizing them dwindles.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 16: A FILM FROM 2012
 
Review: The strength of Noah Baumbach’s film have always been the characters: they are pure and human, without grand gestures. He shows that you don’t have to go all out to make a compelling drama. With “Frances Ha”, he aptly zooms in on small developments in an average life.

The film revolves around Frances, a young woman who needs stability, but has yet to find it herself. When her boyfriend suggests they move in together, she refuses. After all, she has agreed to stay with her best friend so she can enjoy being an eternal student. But the relationship ends and not much later her friend turns out to have other plans. So the she is, adrift on her own. Yes, she can dance, but not well enough to really get ahead. While people around her begin to settle down, Frances has no idea where to go.

Frances has many traits that make her likeable. She is kind, free-spirited and open-minded. But her more annoying traits make her the protagonist of realy felsh-and-blood with understandable shortcomings. And that this film works so well is because of Greta Gerwig. She has something tough and cheerful, but at the same time you see that she is constantly trying to give herself a certain attitude. A cleverly convincing fake self-assurance.

With a runtime under 90 minutes, a rippling pace and simple black-and-white photography, Baumbach keeps it small and simple. “Frances Ha” is an intimate portrait of a mid-twentysomething trying to get her life on track. Loved it.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - Like Crazy

Director: Drake Doremus
Genre: Romance
Runtime: 86 minutes
Year: 2011
Starring: Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley, Alex Kingston, Chris Messina
Description: A British college student (Felicity Jones) falls for an American student (Anton Yelchin), only to be separated from him when she's banned from the U.S. after overstaying her visa.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 14: A FILM WITH JENNIFER LAWRENCE
 
Review: We meet Anna and Jacob when there are in college. The fall in love and spend every waking hour with each other. When Anna’s visa expires, she is forced to go back to England, leaving Jacob behind in the US. They try to make it work long distance, but both of them soon realize that it might be better to see other people. How strong is their love for each other really?

It's a beautiful story, on paper. But I didn’t really enjoy this film. I never really believed Anna and Jacob; Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin were missing the chemistry. And I felt like, especially Jacob, was happier in the other relationship.

Jones and Yelchin were good in their roles. And Jennifer Lawrence didn’t really have a lot to do in her role as the other woman. But then again, together Jones and Yelchin never managed to convinced me.
It’s not even an hour-and-a-half long, but it felt much longer. And that is never a good sign. I did not hate “Like Crazy”, but I didn’t particularly enjoyed it either.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Cargo

Director: Ben Howling, Yolanda Ramke
Genre: Horror/ Drama/ Science Fiction/ Thriller
Runtime: 105 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Martin Freeman, Simone Landers, Susie Porter

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 12: A FILM WITH MARTIN FREEMAN
 
Description: After and epidemic spreads all over Australia, a father (Martin Freeman) searches for someone willing to protect his daughter.

Review: “Cargo” is an ambitious variation on the zombie genre, about a married couple and their young daughter trying to stay out of the grip of the infected in the Australian outback. While the white Australians show little solidarity among themselves, the Aborigines actually gravitate toward each other.
The film never explains what happened, why and where this epidemic has started. That’s not really necessary to know. And we don’t get to see that many of the infected (they are never called zombies, but they technically are). The emphasis is more on disintegrating relationships, rather than flesh-eating undead.

Martin Freeman is the lead in this film and he is really strong. Just an ordinary citizen in an unusual situation. Doing everything to keep his young daughter Rosie safe.

“Cargo” is somewhat of a hidden gem on Netflix, it’s really worth your time.

Rating: 4/ 5 

10s Movie Review - Mute

Director: Duncan Jones
Genre: Mystery/ Science Fiction/ Thriller
Runtime: 126 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux

Description: A mute bartender (Alexander Skarsgård) goes up against his city’s gangster in an effort to find out what happened to his missing partner

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 6: A FILM WITH PAUL RUDD
 
Review: Berlin, sometime in the future. Bartender Leo, mute since and accident in his youth, and waitress Naadirah make a nice couple. That ha can’t talk and had rather old-fashioned Amish ideas, she actually likes. But Naadirah has a secret, and before she can tell Leo, she disappears without a trace. Leo goes looking for her, and stumbles upon some remarkable surgeons.

This film immediately reminded me of “Blade Runner” in setting and style, but also a bit of “John Wick”. It’s an interesting blend of film noir and science fiction. The film suffers from a somewhat messy script, but does succeed in having a good final twists. A fairly unknown movie, that I feel is worth watching.

Rating: 3/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Hate U Give

Director: George Tillman Jr.
Genre: Drama/ Drama
Runtime: 133 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Anthony Mackie, Common, Issa Rae, Algee Smith, Sabrina Carpenter, K.J. Apa, Dominique Fishback, Megan Lawless, Lamar Johnson, TJ Wright

Description: Starr (Amandla Stenberg) witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Now, facing pressure from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what’s right.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 31: A FILM WITH A COMING-OF-AGE STORY
 
Review: The Hate U Give forms the first half of the acronym “Thug Life, which was tattooed on rapper Tupac Shakur’s belly in the 1990s. In full, the acronym stands for “The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody. In short, all the woes in society that underprivileged youths face at an early age will later pay off in only more hate. With the late rapper’s thoughts as the main motif, it should be clear that author Angie Thomas’ wildly successful debut novel is a lote more deeply politically engaged than the average teen novel. The film adaptation, let by and outstanging Amandla Stenberg, also manages to do that.

In the opening scene we see Starr and her family sitting at the table. Father Maverick gives them the talk about serious matter. How should they act when they come into contact with the police as black Americans? Overly protective perhaps, but the long list of incidents in which unarmed African-American men were killed by a police bullet in recent years alone shows that Maverick’s concern are by no means unfounded.

When Starr is 16, she has to use these lessons in practice, when she and her childhood friend Khalil are being pulled over by a cop. When Khalil is killed by this cop, Starr has to try and deal with this traumatic and it presents her with a diabolical dilemma. Will she fight for justice by acting as a key witness? Or is she better off staying far away from all the media hysteria and the inevitable hate reactions that come with it? And how will it affect her own reputation at her largely white school when she is suddenly associated in the news with a boy portrayed in the media as a dangerous drug dealer?

Amandla Stenberg, who plays Starr, is absolutely amazing. The young actress shows she has a lot of emotion and she can easily carry this story. I loved the supporting roles by Regina Hall and Russell Hornsby as well. The creators could have done a bit more with Issa Rae and Anthony Mackie’s characters though.

The film has a strong message, is emotional, powerful. I absolutely loved this movie, a different kind of coming-of-age story, but one that I will remember for a very long time.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Report

Director: Scott Z. Burns
Genre: Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Adam Driver, Annette Bening, John Hamm, Ted Levine, Tim Blake Nelson, Maura Tierney, Corey Stoll, Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Morrison

Description: Idealistic Senate staffer Daniel J. Jones (Adam Driver), tasked by his boss to lead an investigation into the CIA’s post 9/11 Detention and Interrogation Program, uncovers shocking secrets.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 20: A FILM WITH A STRON POLITICAL OR SOCIAL MESSAGE
 
Review: In the years following the 9/ 11 attacks, it slowly but surely became clear that the US had little to fear in the war on terrorism. The CIA engaged in gross torture techniques on a large scale in order to extract information from often innocent suspects. “The Report” shows how one drive investigator brought the world’s most advanced intelligence agency to its knees.

Dan Jones is a young man with sky-high ambitions. When Senator Dianne Feinstein gives him the task of working with an independent team to investigate the CIA’s post-9/11 interrogation techniques, he bites the bullet. What he discovers bit by bit is unsettling and not for the faint of heart. The CIA saw little in the conventional interrogation techniques of Arabic-speaking agents who slowly tried to gain the trust of suspects. Two psychologists introduce new techniques, that they claim are scientific proof of more effective interrogating methods.

This is just the beginning. Whereas the CIA was initially cooperative, as Jones discovers more, of course, more and more doors are closing. Meanwhile, the investigative team he started with is thinning out. His colleagues no longer see any point in a mission doomed to failure. But Jones continues stoically.  

Adam Driver has already shown that he can play a wide range of roles. But he was made for this film. I think the film could have turned out a lot different with another lead actor. “The Report” may feel a bit ‘dry’ sometimes. It’s a lot of facts. Driver manages to create a character that you really want to succeed, even though he doesn’t show a lot of emotions. At least at first. Jones is a very stoic, pragmatic man, but when he gets deeper in the investigation, emotions do arise and that makes Driver’s performance even more impressive.

Unlike many American political films, for once it does not point exclusively at the Republicans. “The Report” is a very anti-America film if I may say so. But it’s still a political drama of integrity in the tradition of films like “All the President’s Men” and “Spotlight”.

The political drama is a sub-genre that might not speak to everyone. I happen to be drawn to it. Political intrigue keeps my attention and with “The Report” I was invested from start to finish. I can’t believe nobody talked about this film when it came out. At least, I didn’t hear a lot about it.

Rating: 4,5 / 5

10s Movie Review - Toy Story of Terror

Director: Angus MacLane
Genre: Animation/ Comedy/ Family/ Adventure
Runtime: 22 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Carl Weathers, Timothy Dalton, Stephen Tobolowsky, Wallace Shawn, Kristen Schaal, Kate McKinnon, Ken Marino

Description: Woody (Tom Hanks) and the gang are held up at a roadside motel and members of the group start to disappear. Woody sets about getting to the bottom of the mystery.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 15: A FILM STARRING YOUR FAVORITE ACTOR OR ACTRESS
 
Review: The “Toy Story” series is very high on my list of favorite Pixar films. The third film is my favorite and I really enjoy all the characters in this franchise. Even in a short story like “Toy Story of Terror”, you get tons of laughs from all these fun characters.

The toys are in the trunk of the car, traveling with Bonnie and her family, when they get car trouble. They have to stay overnight at a roadside motel. Strange things start to happen at night, when members of the gang start to disappear.

This short film was release around Halloween time in 2013 and has a pretty simple premise. It even introduces a few new characters. It’s not a horror film of course, it’s supposed to be for the entire family. But there are some nods to “Psycho”, for the adults. It’s a fun little short film, I enjoyed it and really loved seeing all the characters together again.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Grinch

Director: Yarrow Cheney, Scott Mosier
Genre: Animation/ Comedy/ Family
Runtime: 85 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Cameron Seeley, Pharrell Williams, Kenan Thompson, Angela Lansbury

I WATCHED THIS FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 52: A CHRISTMAS MOVIE
 
Description: A grumpy Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch) plots to ruin Christmas for the village of Whoville.

Review: The children’s book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss was published in 1957 and became a classic. It’s about a grumpy green monster, the Grinch, who wants to sabotage Christmas. This third film adaptation (an animation in 1966 and a live-action in 2000) comes from animation studio Illumination (“Despicable Me”) and faithfully follows the book.

You would say that the film doesn’t really add anything, because it’s practically the same. But I really loved this animated version of “The Grinch”. It has a modern tone, which slightly clashes with the original story at times, but that’s all. The classic Christmas story remains irresistible, and the humor, design and voices are very well-done. I think people should appreciate it more.

Rating: 4 / 5

10s Movie Review - Hold the Dark

Director: Jeremy Saulnier

Genre: Action/ Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 125 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Alexander Skarsgård, James Badge Dale, Riley Keough

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 51: A MOVIE SET IN WINTER

Description: After the deaths of three children suspected ro be killed by wolves, writer Russell Core (Jeffrey Wright) is hired by the mother (Riley Keough) of a missing six-year-old boy to trach down and locate her son in the Alaskan wilderness.

Review: In chilly and icy Alaska, director Jeremy Saulnier finds a background that makes his characters unpredictable. So when Russell Core, a wolf expert, arrives there to assist a mother whose son was taken by wolves, he doesn’t realize what he’s getting into. A loose soldier, a trigger-happy Indian and a mother whose isolation seems to transform her into some kind of wandering demon are not immediately pleasant company, however. The quiet Core fortunately finds an ally in the stable sheriff, but both soon prove defenseless. The darkness, the snow, the wolves and the void prove maddening and relentless.
 
The plot is draped around the atmospheric location and therefore just flutters. For example, the mother character is not particularly strong developed even though her actions should function as the story’s starting point. “Hold the Dark’’ seeks to reflect on the state of the human spirit in an environment that seems to be consumed by time and nature, but the attention quickly turns to be dormant tension and gory actions for lack of depth, giving this movie the allure of an action thriller rather than a haunting psychological drama.
 
“Hold the Dark” holds the attention, though you’re not sure what you’re looking at. The cleverly staged narrative takes shape in thoughtful compositions of light and shadow, in which actions are unpredictable. But it’s the action packed moments that stick with you more than the understated psyche. Promising, yet not quite successful.

Rating: 3/ 5

10s Movie Review - Beautiful Boy

Director: Felix van Groeningen
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney, Amy Ryan

Description: A heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years.

Review: “Beautiful Boy” relentlessly portrays the effect of addiction on family and surroundings. With the huge opiate crisis plaguing the United States, “Beautiful Boy” about a son who becomes addicted to drugs will hit like a bomb. It’s based on the memoirs of father and son David and Nic Sheff. Nic’s books are about the addiction itself, while his father’s books are more about the effect this addiction has on the rest of the family. Director Felix van Groeningen brings these two perspectives together in “Beautiful Boy”, resulting in a deeply moving film. Rarely has the subject of addiction in American film been so sincerely told without completely demonizing or romanticizing the addict and drugs.

David Sheff is a successful journalist who lives with his second wife and their two children in a beautiful house in a woodland area. Nic, Davids son from his first marriage, also lives with them. He spends most of his time in his room. David is hopeless when his son has not come home for several days. When Nic finally does come home, it is soon clear that he is on drugs. Nic eventually goes to rehab and after this, he decides to go to college. But he relapses. What follows is a cycle of recovery and relapse to the drugs that seem to have no end. this cycle has been portrayed impressively. Each time Nic reaches for the drugs again makes you gasp. “Beautiful boy” grabs you by the throat, gives you a brief respite only to tighten the grip around your neck.

Belgian director Felix van Groening feels perfectly at home in Hollywood, with his first English-language film. He already showed his talent, with especially “The Broken Circle Breakdown”. Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet are the stars of the film. Chalamet perfectly captures the smallest of emotions and proves again that he is one of the greatest talents in Hollywood. Carell also plays excellently here as a concerned father who seems to be succumbing to his son’s addiction. Consequently, the most heartbreaking scenes are the interactions between father and son. Van Groeningen brings out the very best in his actors. The strength of “Beautiful Boy” is that at no point does it make moral judgments about the user and the drugs.

“Beautiful Boy” is full of raw emotion, but eventually lapses into repetition. Of course, this shows well the cycle of addiction, but at the cost of the rawness. But that is really the only point of critique I have. Overall, this is a heartbreaking story with fantastic performances by both Chalamet and Carell, who play off of each other very well and are great separate as well.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Lie

Director: Veena Sud
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Mireille Enos, Peter Sarsgaard Joey King

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 48: A THRILLER
 
Description: Jay (Peter Sarsgaard) and his daughter Kayla (Joey King) are on their way to dance camp when they spot Kayla’s best friend on the side of the road. When they stop to offer her a ride, their good intentions soon result in terrible consequences.

Review: “The Lie” tells the story of Kayla and her divorced parents Jay and Rebecca. On their way to a ballet camp, Kayla and Jay run into a friend of Kayla’s, all alone at the bus stop. They decide to give her a ride, since this Britney also has to go to camp.

When Britney needs to pee, Jay pulls the car over on the side of the road. The girls walk into the woods, in the middle of nowhere. When Jay hears a scream, he finds his daughter sitting on a bridge. But where is Britney?

All three main characters, Kayla, Jay and Rebecca, are incredibly unpleasant people. In a movie like this, its important that you can sympathize with at least one of them. You just simply can’t with this family. And these people are so stupid and make all the wrong decisions. I understand that Jay and Rebecca are parents that want to protect their daughter. But not of the decisions they make, think it’s the best for Kayla, are thoughtful or understandable. It made no sense at all.

The acting is really good though and they did the best with the material they had. And the film has some surprising twists, it’s not all that predictable. But, that ending is just…. I just couldn’t deal with that. And again makes no sense. No person in the right mind would think that what actually happened is a good idea. And that ending made this film from not so great to downright silly.

Rating: 2 / 5

10s Movie Review - 1922

Director: Zak Hilditch
Genre: Drama/ Horror/ Crime
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Thomas Jane, Molly Parker, Dylan Schmidt, Brian D’Arcy James

Description: A simple yet proud farmer (Thomas Jane) in the year 1922 conspires to murder his wife (Molly Parker) for financial gain, convincing his teenage son (Dylan Schmidt) to assist. But their actions have unintended consequences.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 42: A MOVIE BASED ON A STEPHEN KING NOVEL
 
Review: Stephen King is probably the author with the most book to movie adaptations on his name. “1922” is based on a novella King wrote in 2010, where we follow Wilfred James, an American farmer. His wife no longer wants to live in the country and is determined to sell her share of their land and move to the city. Wilfred sees no other way out bu to murder his wife and convince his son to help him. Soon after the murder, his life slowly falls apart.

A slow burn, which King is known for. The film looks stylish and has some really creepy moments. It’s not a very surprising movie, but grabs you enough to stay tuned.

Rating: 3/ 5

10s Movie Review - Killing Them Softly

Director: Andrew Dominik
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Brad Pitt, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn, James Gandolfini, Richard Jenkins, Ray Liotta, Sam Shepard, Max Casella

Description: Jacki Cogan (Brad Pitt) is an enforcer hired to restore order after three dumb guys rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 33: A MOVIE THAT’S ON YOUR NETFLIX WATCHLIST
 
Review: In New Orleans, two not too savvy crooks rob an illegal poker night at the behest of an insignificant gangster. Thinking they can conveniently pin the blame on someone else, they have seriously underestimated the case. Soon they are being hunted by an experience hit man.

“Killing Them Softly” is a hard-hitting crime film, that flew under the radar when it came out. I believe more people should be talking about it. The film is often exciting and witty, but it is a bit too preachy at times, in its critique of American optimism. I think that’s the reason why it didn’t really impress a broader audience.

Rating: 3/ 5

10s Movie Review

Director: Felix van Groeningen
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 127 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Stef Aerts, Tom Vermeir, Stefaan de Winter, Dominique van Malder, Boris van Severen, Charlotte Vandermeersch, Sara de Bosschere

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 32: A MOVIE RECOMMENDED BY MY BROTHER
 
Description: The drama follows two brothers (Stef Aerts, Tom Vermeir) who start a bar and get swept up in its success in the midst of Belgium’s nightlife scene.

Review: Two brothers, Jo and Frank, who have recently reunited, decided to start a bar together. They get swept up in its success and their lives are never the same.

The film is raw and realistic, but it didn’t do anything for me. I felt like the movie was repetitive and neither comic nor tragic. I mostly enjoy watching film were people do crazy and stupid things, but I never cared for any characters nor for their lives.

“Belgica” was no hit for me, easily forgettable.

Rating: 2/ 5

10s Movie Review - Mary Poppins Returns

Director: Rob Marshall
Genre: Comedy/ Musical/ Family/ Adventure
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Wishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Pixie Davis, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep, Nathanael Saleh, Joel Dawson,

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 31: A DISNEY LIVE-ACTION MOVIE
 
Description: A few decades after her original visit, Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt), the magical nanny, returns to help the Banks siblings (Ben Wishaw, Emily Mortimer) and Michael’s children through a difficult time in their lives.

Review: Brother and sister Jane and Michael Banks agree. They nod in agreement when the strange antics they pulled with nanny Mary Poppins years ago, when they were children, are brought up. It was a nice fantasy, because those experiences couldn’t possibly be real.

Adults want to rationalize everything. That was precisely the problem with Jane and Michael’s father, an inveterate banker who would rather count money than take his kids to the park. Mary Poppins didn’t have to raise his children, but rather explain to George Banks what the fun of life was and how to reconnect with his family.

More than 50 years after the original, there is a sequel with “Mary Poppins Returns”. For Emily Blunt, the nearly impossible task of following in the footsteps of the legendary Julie Andrews.

We are now in 1930s crisis London. Jane and Michael are adults and have a strong bond. Michael’s wife died earlier in the year and he is trying to make the best of it with his three children. the disaster almost literally knocks on the door of 17 Cherry Tree Lane. Michael is behind on repaying a loan from his late father’s bank, where he now works himself. He is given five days pay or his family will have to move out of their home.

In the attic Michael and Jane are looking for stock certificates, because that would be the solution to their problems. But they can’t seem to find it. When the kids are playing in the park in the meantime, a very special passenger comes down from the sky: Mary Poppins is back!

Emily does the well-nigh impossible: she manages to make Andrews’ iconic rendition disappear within seconds. Her version of Mary Poppins is also a bit more in line with the one in the books. She is a bit stricter, even a bit catty and self-righteous at times, but still undeniably charming.

Back in the days, the original showed a groundbreaking blend of animation and live action. That is not only duplicated here, but surpassed, although it has become a bit easier with modern techniques. The animation sequences is truly magically done. And no Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious this time, but a wise lesson about never judging a book by its cover. Mary Poppins switches effortlessly to unadulterated Cockney for the showstopper.

Marc Shaiman is responsible for the music and he has written a lush score with beautiful timeless melodies that never feel corny or dated anywhere. “Mary Poppins Returns” is packed with catchy performances and a fine cast. Directly opposing Blunt is Lin-Manuel Miranda, who plays a lamp lighter, similar to the role of Dick van Dyke who was a chimney sweeper. In addition we see Ben Wishaw and Emily Mortimer as the adult Michael and Jane, Julie Walters as the housekeeper and Colin Firth as a shrewd banker. Meryl Streep is in only one scene, with a super catchy and fun song. 

 
I not ashamed to say that I absolutely loved this movie from start to finish and I even prefer it over the original. And that is first and foremost thanks to Emily Blunt, who is practically perfect in her role as Mary Poppins. An absolute new favorite movie musical.

Rating: 5 / 5