Movie Review - A Boy Called Christmas

Director: Gil Kenan
Genre: Family/ Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Maggie Smith, Michiel Huisman, Jim Broadbent, Joel Fry, Henry Lawful, Kristen Wiig, Toby Jones, Stehen Merchant

I WATCHED THIS FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 51: A CHRISTMAS MOVIE
 
Description: In the origin story of Father Christmas an ordinary boy (Henry Lawful) sets out on an extraordinary adventure to find his father (Michiel Huisman) who is on a quest to discover the fabled village of Elfhelm.

Review: If you are looking for a new Christmas movie that is not too sweet, tells an original story and is suitable for the whole family, you should check out thi Netflix production. In “A Boy Called Christmas”, based on a children’s book by Matt Haig, the mysterious Aunt Ruth tells the children she is babysitting a bedtime story. It’s about Nikolas, the son of a poor lumberjack, who goes to northern Finland in search of an elf village that seems to exist only in stories.
The film has a lot of characters, which can be an overkill here and there. In addition, the message about magic and faith is a bit muddled. But the fine cast and the sympathetic tone will all make up for that. It’s a film with heart and the gets you into the Christmas spirit.
A very fun Christmas movie for the whole family.

Rating: 3/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Equalizer

Director: Antoine Fuqua
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Denzel Washington, Chloë Grace Moretz, Marton Csokas, David Harbour, Melissa Leo, Bill Pullman, Haley Bennett

Description: A man (Denzel Washington) who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him cannot stand idly by when he meets a young girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 49: A MOVIE THAT’S PART OF A SERIES
 
Review: Robert McCall is a good citizen who works in a hardware store. He has an obsessive-compulsive disorder, in which he does and arranges everything in perfection. He doesn’t sleep much, if at all. At night he goes to a café to read, bringing his own tea bag. During one night he meets a young prostitute Teri. She is ordered by her Russian boss Slavi to go with several rich and nasty men. After Teri is beaten into the hospital by Slavi, and old feeling comes to McCall’s mind and he tries to buy her off. Unfortunately, Slavi doesn’t take up the offer and that’s when Robert McCall’s true nature comes out. He decides to retaliate against Slavi and his accomplices on his own, much against the wishes of the head of the Russian mafia, who sends assassin Teddy to McCall. During the cat and mouse game that is going on between them, McCall has to pull out all the stops to stay out of the hands of this unapproachable killer.
The premise of the film is not all that original, but the execution is. Robert McCall is a character you can easily sympathize with, also thanks to Denzel Washington who plays him. The man can do no wrong.
The movie is action packed ad has a lot of tension, but also makes room for character development. Especially for McCall, who, like I stated before, is a very likeable character and you can’t help but root for him. I don’t think this movie would have been as good if McCall was played by someone else.
The final confrontation is amazing, I loved that part of the film. Bloody and violent, but very cool.
“The Equalizer” is a really good film that liked much more then I expected too.  

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - Free Guy

Director: Shawn Levy
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Science Fiction/ Adventure
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Lil Rey Howery, Joe Keery, Taika Waititi, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Aaron W. Reed, Britne Oldford, Camille Kostek, Mark Lainer

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 47: A SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE
 
Description: A bank teller (Ryan Reynolds) discovers that he’s actually an NPC inside a brutal, open world video game.

Review: Free City is a popular online videogame, in which bank teller Guy lives in a loop. He is a Non Playable Character (NPC) who finds out about who he actually is and tries to fight it.
The appeal for “Free Guy” lies primarily in the concept of the story. Every gamer has hit or beaten the insignificant citizen in games that look similar as the fictional Free City. The film tells the story from the perspective of this background character. Doesn’t immediately sound like a must-see, but Ryan Reynolds plays the lead role and  due to him “Free Guy” is the success that it is. His wonderful innocent charisma in this film is unbelievably entertaining. His performance is pure, hilarious and optimistic. This movie would never have worked as well as it did if Reynolds wasn’t in it.
Yet beyond the main character Guy, there is a while world of details. The story about the NPC who becomes self-aware is grounded in reality by the subplot that takes place in the real world. Jodie Comer plays Millie, a game programmer who along with her friend Keys has an interesting relationship and shares conflict with Keys’ boss Antwan, who has stolen a piece of code from them and put it into his own, now very successful, game. With Millie and Keys, it’s more about their creation, they see the beauty in it. This storyline gives a lot more weight to the plot, increases the tension and makes us care about the conflict.
“Free Guy” is full of pop-culture references, which I am a sucker for. And it has one quick, but very awesome cameo that I won’t spoil.
Even though the movie is almost 2 hours long, time flies by. The film has some hilarious moments, strong action sequences and the visual effects are very impressive. And this is one of the few movies out right now, that isn’t really based on anything.
I was pleasantly surprised with “Free Guy”, it was such a fun film.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Lilo & Stitch

Director: Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders
Genre: Family/ Animation/ Science Fiction/ Adventure/ Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 85 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Daveigh Chase, Chris Sanders, Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonals, Ving Rhames, Zoe Caldwell, Jason Scott Lee, Kevin Michael Richardson, Susan Hegart, Amy Hill

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 46: A MOVIE YOU FEEL ASHAMED YOU HAVEN’T SEEN YET
 
Description: A young parentless girl adopts a ‘dog’ from the local pound, completely unaware that’s it’s supposedly a dangerous scientific experiment that’s taken refuge on Earth and is now hiding from its creator and those who see it as a menace.

Review: Lilo lives on the Hawaiian island of Kauai with her big sister Nani. They have lost their parents and Nany now has custody of her sister. After a not-so-successful visit from social worker Bubbles, more and more pressure is placed on Nani to create a stable environment for her sister, or Lilo will be placed out of home. One day, Experiment 626 arrives on Earth, a space creature that escaped the United Galactic Federation and crashed on Earth. The creature ends up in a shelter, where Lilo buys him, naming him Stitch and thinking it’s a dog.
“Lilo & Stitch” is a very creative and uniquely drawn animation. The humor is different, it has some sharp edges, but also mixes it with some drama. And Lilo is different. She is different from other kids her age. She listens to Elvis and has a wild imagination. That is why she and Stitch are a perfect match, because where he comes from, people think he’s weird too, because he is different. So the old-school Disney moral is still there.  
“Lilo & Stitch” is a refreshing Disney animation, perfect for young and old and it still holds up.

Rating: 4/ 5

20s Movie Review - I Still Believe

Director: Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin
Genre: Drama/ Music/ Romance
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: KJ Apa, Britt Robertson, Nathan Parsons, Gary Sinise, Shania Twain

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 CHALLENGE MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 45: A MOVIE ABOUT MUSIC
 
Description: The true-life story of Christian music star Jeremy Camp (KJ Apa) and his journey of love and loss that looks to prove there is always hope.

Review: Jeremy has finished high school and is all set to go to college. With his guitare and his enthusiasm, he moves to California, where begins his studies. Because of his interest in music, he is soon noticed by Jean-Luc, a successful artist who also studied at the university. However, he gets the most attention from Melissa, a young girl with whom he quickly becomes very close. Jeremy works his way I in the music industry and is on the verge of becoming a star. But just then fates strikes Melissa. She has cancer and it spreads rapidly throughout her body. Jeremy hoes his utmost to deal with her illness and involves hundreds of thousands of fans.
“I Still Believe” is based on the life of Jeremy Camp, a pop star fairly unknown to most but has a huge fan base in the United States. That alone will make you interested in the film. But when you are about fifteen minutes into the film, you know that the movie by the Erwin brothers is far from impressive. While the story certainly looks touching and captivating, the film’s creators by no means succeed in making you really sympathize with the characters. The large jumps in the story and the implausible twists make it difficult to stay interested as a viewer. In addition, the film’s message I excessively Christian, something that doesn’t really work for a lot of people. I’m very respectful towards people and their religions and find it admirable that people have faith and believe there is a higher power. I’m just not that person, I’m not religious and do not like it when it’s forced on you. That’s probably the reason why I didn’t like this movie.
The screenplay doesn’t allow you to actually sympathize with Jeremy or Melissa, an on-screen couple who look believable. That’s extraordinary, especially knowing that this film is based on true events. The problem is by no means the actors, the characters have not been given enough background.
Overall, “I Still Believe” is not a movie I would recommend, only if the theme really interests you or if you are a Jeremy Camp fan.

Rating: 2/ 5 

Oldies Review - The Man Who Knew Too Much

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime/ Adventure
Runtime: 120 minutes
Year: 1956
Starring: James Stewart, Doris Day, Brenda De Banzie, Bernard Miles, Ralph Truman, Danel Gélin, Mogens Wieth, Alan Mowbray, Hillary Brooke, Christopher Olsen, Reggie Nalder, Richard Wattis, Noel Willman, Alix Talton, Yves Brainville

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 42: A MOVIE FROM THE YEAR YOUR MOTHER WAS BORN
 
Description: A tale of innocent American tourists (James Stewart, Doris Day) in Morocco whose son’s kidnapping sets off a twisting plot of international intrigue.

Review: American surgeon Benjamin McKenna is on vacation in Morocco with his wife Josephine and their young son Hank. On the bus, on their way to Marrakech, they meet Frenchman Louis Bernard. He tells the family about traditions of Morocco and inquires about what McKenna is up to. The next day they meet Bernard again, at the market, but he has a knife in his back. Just before he dies, Bernard whisper some words to McKenna. He is called to account by the police, but McKenna doesn’t trust it and keeps his mouth shut. When son Hank is kidnapped it is clear that there is much more going on and McKenna and his wife find themselves in a world of intrigue and conspiracy, which brings them to London.
Master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, made two versions of “The Man Who Knew Too Much” in his career. In 1934 a version starring Leslie Banks and again in 1956 with James Stewart. Both films tell the same story, but in Hitchcock’s own works they were the work of a talented amateur and, the second,  of a professional. Neither rank among Hitchcock’s best, but neither are they bad.
“The Man Who Knew Too Much” is a suspenseful thriller, the genre he does best. He works from the point of view of ordinary people, who find themselves in situations they didn’t want to be in at all, yet are determined to get to the bottom of things.
Hitchcock didn’t get along with every actor he worked with, but had no problem with James Stewart, who frequently appeared in his films. And Stewart again gives an excellent performance.
I did enjoy this thriller, again not one of Hitchcock’s best, but definitely worth watching.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - The Pianist

Director: Roman Polanski
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 150 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman, Emilia Fox, Ed Stoppard, Julia Rayner, Jessica Kate Meyer, Michael Zebrowski, Wanja Mues, Richard Ridings, Nomi Sharron, Anthony Milner, Lucy Skeaping, Roddy Skeaping

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 37: A PALM D’OR WINNING MOVIE
 
Description: A Polish Jewish musician (Adrien Brody) struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto of World War II.

Review: In “The Pianist”, director Roman Polanski describes Wladyslav Szpilman’s hardship during the German occupation of Warsaw in World War II. When the Germans invade Poland and bomb Warsaw, Szpilman is playing a piece of Chopin for the Polish radio. The radio’s building receives a direct hit which abruptly makes Szpilman an unemployed pianist. The timing of the German invasion is particularly unfavorable, as the acquaintance with a beautiful cello player cannot develop into something beautiful due to the violence of the war.
From the moment German soldier march into Warsaw, the Jews’ lives are made increasingly unbearable. It begins with harassment and the obligation to wear an armband with the Star of David, and eventually 500,000 Jews are crammed together in a ghetto. Szpilman becomes a pianist in a diner in the ghetto. His fame drags him through numerous predicaments. When thousands of Jews, including Szpilman and his family, are about to be put on the train to the Treblinka extermination camp, a Jewish policeman saves his ass because he recognizes him. For Szpilman a life of forced labor and hiding then begins.
The arbitrariness and sadism of the Germans are chilling. For example, the Szpilman family witnesses how a family across the street is murdered. And old man, wheelchair and all, is thrown from the balcony. “The Pianist” contains numerous harsh scenes like this. The film also shows similarities with “Schindler’s List”. Director Polanski incorporated his own war experiences. He survived the Krakow Ghetto, like Szpilman, lost his entire family.
One of the most extraordinary scenes in “The Pianist” is, when Szpilman has to play a piece for a high-ranking German officer who discovers him by chance as he tries to open a can of pickles. Szpilman this he will die after it, which makes this scene extra intense.
“The Pianist” is a long film, but it’s worth your time, I promise.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - The Secret Life of Bees

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo, Paul Bettany, Hilarie Burton

Description: In 1964, a teenage girl (Dakota Fanning) in search of the truth about her mother runs away to a small town in South Carolina and finds a family of independent women who can connect her to her past.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 36: A MOVIE WITH A MAINLY FEMALE CAST
 
Review: In “The Secret Life of Bees” we follow teenager Lily, who lives with her abusive father after her mother died. The only good thing in her life is housekeeper Rosaleen, who has to deal with her own fair share of abuse, given she is a black woman who wants to register to vote in 1960s Southern US. When Rosaleen ends up in the hospital after being beat up, Lily helps her and they both run away.
They end up in Tilburon, the town name she find in one of her mother’s belongings. She also found the label of a honey jar, which brings Lily and Rosaleen to August. She is a beekeeper who lives together with her sisters May and June. August welcomes both with open arms and they van stay with her for as long as they need.
The story share many events with us. Like Lily’s personal quest to come to terms with herself and to find out more about her mother. But also the issues like developments in the race issue.
Dakota Fanning plays Lily and does that very well. She is one of those child actors that we still here of frequently, which is good, because Fanning is a very talented actress. She is surrounded by a strong cast: Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Paul Bettany, Sophie Okonedo and Hilarie Burton. There is no weak link, but most of the praise goes to Queen Latifah and Sophie Okonedo.
What we see in “The Secret Life of Bees” is not completely credible. The Boatwright sisters’ home seems like a paradise in race-born hotbed America. This makes the movie less realistic. The colorful, warm cinematography and matching music also contribute to that magical, dreamlike setting. But believability or reality is not what this is about. “The Secret Life of Bees” is above all an enchanting story about hope and love in difficult times.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

00s Movie Review - Finding Forrester

Director: Gus van Sant
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 136 minutes
Year: 2000
Starring: Sean Connery, Rob Brown, F. Murray Abraham, Anna Paquin, Michael Pitt, Busta Rhymes, Richard Easton Michael Nouri, April Grace, Glenn Fitzgerald

Description: A young writing prodigy (Rob Brown) finds a mentor in a reclusive author (Sean Connery)

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 35: A MOVIE WITH YELLOW POSTER ART
 
Review: Gus van Sant is know for his movie “Good Will Hunting”, a film that turned out to be a huge success in 1997. “Finding Forrester is perhaps less well known that “Good Will Hunting”, but definitely at least as good.
Jamal Wallace is black teenager who lives in the Bronx. Although he’s just getting by in school his test scores tell differently. Because he is much smarter and talented then he shows everyone. Jamal gets the opportunity to go to a private school, with a scholarship, since he is also a good basketball player. The professors think that Jamal only got in to the prestigious school because he plays basketball. In the meantime, Jamal befriends an elderly man, author William Forrester who has been living in isolation for years. William helps Jamal with his writing and discovers that he is a very gifted writer.
Sean Connery and Rob Brown really work well together. They are each other’s opposites and therefore learn a lot from each other. Jamal is an optimist, he is curious and opinionated, while William is stern and pessimistic. Not to mention the difference in age.
The story is very inspiring and I love the friendship that grows between the two, who you would never pair up together if you see them passing by on the street. It’s a touching story and it’s sad that “Finding Forrester” is such an overlooked film.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

80s Movie Review - Chariots of Fire

Director: Hugh Hudson
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 123 minutes
Year: 1981
Starring: Nicholas Farrell, Nigel Havers, Ian Charleson, Ben Cross, Daniel Gerroll, Ian Holm, John Gielgud, Lindsay Anderson, Nigel Davenport, Cheryl Campbell, Alice Krige, Dennis Christopher, Brad Davis, Patrick Magee, Peter Egan, David Yelland, Struan Rodger    
 
Description: Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew and the other a devout Christian, compete in the 1924 Olympics.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 34: A MOVIE FROM THE 80S
 
Review: “Chariots of Fire” tells the true story of two men in the early 1920s. Harold Abrahams, an Englishman of Jewish-Lithuanian descent. He is studying at the University of Cambridge and is adored by his fellow students. Yet he still feels he is not fully accepted due to his religion. The other is Eric Liddel, a Scotsman and  son of a missionaries who is also expected to devote his life to spreading the word of God. He intends to do just that, but he actually has the dream of going to the Olympics. With both different lives and characters, Harold and Eric have one thing in common: they can run really fast. Eric runs purely for fun, when Harold runs mainly to prove himself and to silence his critics. Both men are selected for the 1924 Olympics in Paris, but they have some obstacles to overcome before they van achieve their goals.
The film doesn’t focus on whether Harold and Eric win at the Olympics, but mainly how they do it. The psychological battles with themselves are strong. Eric especially struggles to combine his faith with his sport and Harold mostly struggles with himself and the people around him. It’s more of a character study than a sports movie.
“Chariots of Fire” does feel a bit outdated now and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted. It’s a classic, but I believe that the opening and closing shots in combination with the legendary music by Vangelis are the most memorable parts of the film. They are more iconic then the film itself. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good movie, but for me it doesn’t feel like a classic.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Georgetown

Director: Christoph Waltz
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Vanessa Redgrave, Christoph Waltz, Annette Bening

Description: Ulrich Mott (Christoph Waltz), an ambitious social climber, marries a wealthy widow (Vanessa Redgrave) in Washington D.C. in order to mix with powerful political players.

I WATCHED THIS FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 32: A MOVIE WITH A NAME IN THE TITLE
 
Review: Christoph Waltz plays the charming Ulrich Mott, an ambitious social climber, who marries the much older Elsa. This way he can come in contact with powerful political players. Elsa’s daughter Amanda doesn’t trust Ulrich. With “Georgetown”, Waltz debuts as a director.
I was really interested when I read the plot, but the film is not that memorable. It has some twists, but nothing surprising. And Waltz’s character is not that different from most characters  he plays. I was actually kind of bored with this film.
“Georgetown” is an easy forgettable film, with fine actors and performances and an okay plot, but doesn’t offer us anything new or special.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - A Thousand Times Good Night

Director: Erik Poppe
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Juliette Binoche, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Laryn Canny, Larry Mullen Jr., Chloë Annett, Eve Macklin

Description: Rebecca (Juliette Binoche) is one of the world’s top war photographers. She must weather a major emotional storm when her husband refuses to put up with her dangerous life any longer.

I WATCHED THIS FILM FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 31: A WAR MOVIE
 
Review: With great passion and dedication Rebecca shows everyone the many untold stories of the world. Because she believes that world is entitled to the truth. Her surrender is accompanied by a businesslike coldness. Emotions need to be turned off and parked untol Rebecca is on safe ground. Her family is somewhat less than enamored with Rebecca’s far-reaching ambitions, especially when she returns from a photo mission in Afghanistan after getting hurt pretty badly. The call from those around her to quit the dangerous job becomes stronger and stronger, but Rebecca struggles between her private life and her work.
Director Eric Poppe’s “A Thousand Times Good Night”,  with its overly sentimental title, begins at once gruesome and powerful. Rebecca attends a funeral, dressed in the local clothes but with a camera in her hand. This turns out to be staged, because the deceased has yet to fall. However, there is no opportunity to say goodbye, because the woman is a suicide bomber. By the other women of her community, she is being groomed for her horrible task. Rebecca wants to come along in the van that will eventually explode. After she gets out of the van, the van explodes and she ends up in the hospital.
As soon as Rebecca is reunited with her family in Ireland, the quality and impact of Poppe’s war drama noticeable deteriorate. The contrast between Rebecca’s tow daughters is striking. The youngest asks id mom hasn’t brought her presents, as if her mother has been on vacation. The eldest better realizes all that her mother has had to endure and even begins to show interest in her work for a school project.
Still, the tension that Rebecca’s work creates in the family have a fairly predictable character. The course of the escalating conflicts is therefore easy to guess. This would not be a problem at all if Pope’s screenplay had been able to accommodate this with strong dialogue and intense interplay from the actors. But alas.
With actors like Juliette Binoche and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau on board, things should be fine, one would think. All their solid efforts notwithstanding, the characters are so headstrong that it’s hard to steer them off course. There is little room for nuance or real character development, no matter how well the performers do their best. A pleasant change occurs when Rebecca travels to Africa with her oldest daughter Steph. This initially creates a change of setting. But after her return, it seems as if Rebecca just doesn’t want to learn from her mistakes, even if this helps her family to gain dramatic momentum. The result is a sudden change of direction at the very last moment. It is then too late for this drama to sink in.
The movie didn’t turn out to be what I expected. In this case, that’s a bad thing.

Rating: 2,5 / 5

10s Movie Review - Concussion

Director: Peter Landesman
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Morse, Eddie Marsan, Hill Harper, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Stephen Moyer, Richard T. Jones, Paul Reiser, Luke Wilson

Description: In Pittsburgh, accomplished pathologist Dr. bennet Omalu (Will Smith) uncovers the truth about brain damage in football players who suffer repeated concussions in the course of normal play.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 30: A MOVIE RECOMMENDED BY A FRIEND
 
Review: Mike Webster was one of the best center players in the National Football League (NFL) in America. He played professional American Football for sixteen years, mostly for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After his career, he soon declined. He lives in a pickup truck and suffers from dizziness, forgetfulness and insomnia. Not surprisingly, he dies. A heart attack is soon the official reading. Nigerian forensic neuropathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu is assigned to investigate Webster. He discovers that something is wrong with the brain, but can’t quite pinpoint what it is. When another former football player dies, Omalu notices the same brain abnormalities. Could there be something more going on with football players after all? Omalu tries to bring this to the attention of the NFL board, but his research is dismissed as nonsense. In fact, since then Omalu has only been thwarted in his investigation and even received death threats.
Jeanne Marie Laskas wrote the article Game Brain for the men’s magazine GC in 2009. In it, she describes the story of how Nigerian Dr. Bennet Omalu discover what effect the hard hits and collisions of American Football players have on their brains. And how Omalu is opposed by the entire NFL after this discovery. Peter Landesman is a director and writer, but also a journalist. He has written a number of articles on human and gun trafficking for New York Time Magazine, The New Yorker and other leading magazines. His first feature film, “Parkland”, dealt with the aftermath of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He made the follow-up “Concussion” in response to Jeanne Marie Laskas’ article. His background as a journalist came in handy for the structured telling of the story surrounding Dr. Bennet Omalu and his investigations. A story that is structured according to fairly standard principles, but contains poignant moments. Its distressing that a large organization like the NFL considers entertainment interests more important than the health of its players. Somehow it’s understandable, because the stakes are high. The NFL desperately needs the players to keep the entertainment going. The chances that young people will stop playing American football when they hear that it can cause brain damage are high, so the sport will eventually cease to exist. Yet it is strange that people do not want to look for a solution, but continue to deny the danger Omalu points out.
As a sub-line in the story, there’s Omalu’s personal struggle to adapt to the American system as an immigrant. He wants to succeed at all costs in the promised land. But as a Nigerian, he has his own ideas and principles and they do not always correspond to what is expected in America. This leads to misunderstanding on both sides. Omalu is portrayed by Will Smith, who is very convincing, inspiring and strong in his role. Another actor I need to point out is David Morse. He only has a minor role at the start of the film, but he really leaves an impression.
“Concussion” doesn’t really color outside the lines. The film is made according to standard movie laws. But a film like “Spotlight” had already shown that you can still make an interesting film this way, because the content is so well done. “Concussion” can’t match that film, but is intriguing enough to keep you interested the entire runtime.

Rating: 4/ 5

Oldies Movie Review - Peter pan

Director: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Jack Kinney
Genre: Animation/ Family/ Fantasy/ Adventure/ Musical
Runtime: 76 minutes
Year: 1953
Starring: Bobby Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Hans Conried, Bill Thompson, Heather Angel, Paul Collins, Tommy Luske, Candy Candido, Tom Conway

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 28: A MOVIE FROM THE 50S
           
Description: Wendy and her brothers are whisked away to the magical world of Neverland with the hero of their stories, Peter Pan.

Review: “Peter Pan” is Walt Disney’s ninth animated feature film, but the film was planned to be the second. Due to negotiation problems, the studio was unable to film the story. Eventually Disney managed to get the rights and the film was made in 1953. And to the day, it's both a fiercely criticized and successful animated film.
Wendy is a young girl who lives with her parents and her younger brothers John and Michael in London. She is a huge fan of Peter Pan and she is convinced that he really exists. After all, she has found his shadow. When Peter Pan comes to get his shadow back, the adventure begins for Wendy and her brothers. For Peter pan and his faithful companion Tinkerbell take them to Neverland. Where they meet the lost boys, the Indians, the mermaids and the evil Captain Hook.
Walt Disney strongly criticized his ninth film, saying Peter Pan was too arrogant. But to stay true to the character conceived by J.M. Barrie, Pan was positioned that way. It worked out well, as the film was praised. In an era when a little less attention was paid to stereotyping. But “Peter Pan” is full of stereotypes. To this day, the creators can even ne accused of racism. The positioned characters that could cause a lot of controversy, but let’s keep in mind that it’s an innocent children’s movie and it wasn’t meant to be that at all.
That said, I must also say that Peter Pan excels in beautiful hand-drawn animation. Which certainly could be called magical in the period in which the film was released. The film stoof the test of time well, when it comes to that. It’s still and enchanting Disney classic in which action, humor, suspense and romance go hand in hand.

Rating: 3/ 5

80s Movie Review - The Great Mouse Detective

Director: Ron Clements, Burny Mattinson, David Michener
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 75 minutes
Year: 1986
Starring: Vincent Price, Barrie Ingham, Val Bettin, Susanna Pollatschek, Candy Candido, Eve Brenner

Description: Basil, the rodent Sherlock Holmes, investigates the kidnapping of a toy maker and uncovers its link to his archenemy, Professor Ratigan.  

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR THE 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 27: A MOVIE WITH ANIMALS AS THE MAIN CHARACTERS

Review: Hiram Flaversham is a toy maker and surprises his daughter Olivia with a beautiful music box ballerina. When Falversham is kidnapped, Olivia goes in search for help. She loses her way and seeks shelter. Dr. David Q. Dawson happens to be passing by and finds Olivia. He wants to help the little girl and together they go looking for Basil Bakerstreet. Together with this detective, they go in search for Olivia’s father and have to face Basil’s archenemy Professor Ratigan.
I always love stories, where the human parts are being played by animals. In “The Great Mouse Detective” Basil of Bakerstreet represents Sherlock Holmes, the famous English detective. And in David Q. Dawson you immediately recognize Sherlock’s partner Watson.
“The Great Mouse Detective” is one of those typical animated Disney classics that most people will forget. And that’s so sad, because it’s such a fun and entertaining movie, with great characters. It does have some scary moments for the little ones, but overall it’s a film that deserves more praise. 

 
Rating: 3,5 / 5

10s Movie Review - The Witch

Director: Robert Eggers
Genre: Horror
Runtime: 92 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, Lucas Dawson

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 25: A MOVIE THAT IS A DIRECTORIAL DEBUT
 
Description: A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.

Review: The film opens in the middle of a court case. It’s 1630, somewhere in New England. The village leaders of a Puritan community decide to exile a strict believer father and his family. At the edge of an obscure forest, the family members take up residence in a small farmhouse. But soon things go horribly wrong there: the corn harvest fails and to make matters worse, the baby disappears without a trace during an innocent game of peekaboo. Thomasin, the eldest daughter, is blamed and the ‘evidence’ for her alleged witchcraft seemingly begins to pile up.
“The Witch” is the debut of American screenwriter/ director Robert Eggers and one of the best horror films of the past decade. Absolutely everything falls into place here: the strong ensemble of actors, the creepy locations, the beautiful cinematography, the gray color palette, the ominous soundtrack and the beautiful dialogue in Old English. It is important to know that Eggers based his screenplay on a whole range of historical sources, from diary excerpts to court records from the seventeenth century, and his results in a film exudes a completely authentic atmosphere.
You can feel in everything that the makers of “The Witch” are drawing from a rich, century-old story tradition, in which witchcraft and black magic play a crucial role. Moreover Eggers’ film regularly lets the blood congeal, especially in the scenes where the main character become victims of their own paranoid feelings and outbursts of rage.
“The Witch” does what a horror movie needs to do: scare you, disturb you and get under your skin. Well done!

Rating: 4,5 / 5