10s Movie Review - Late Night

Director: Nisha Ganatra
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Mindy Kaling, Emma Thompson, John Lithgow, Hugh Dancy, Reid Scott, Denis O’Hare, Max Casella, Paul Walter Hauser, John Reynolds, Luke Slattery, Ike Barinholtz, Amy Ryan
 
Description: A late night talk show host (Emma Thompson) suspects that she may soon lose her long-running show.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 32: A FILM WITH EMMA THOMPSON
 
Review: Many late night talk shows have a rigid structure: an opening monologue in which the news is discussed in a humorous way, followed by a sketch or light-hearted interlude, and finally, a famous guest is welcomed and a pleasant conversation is held. At the start of “Late Nate”, Katherine Newbury’s program has lost some of its appeal after twenty-eight years. The station manager is dissatisfied with the declining ratings and therefore want to replace the host. However, Katherine is not the type to agree to this without a fight, so she decides to get her talk show back on track. She has a long way to go, because she knows only one of her writers by name, and none of them know her as a pleasant person to work with.

Her writer’s team, consisting of white men only, has just expanded with Molly. She is inexperienced, the newcomer, but has some fresh ideas.

Mindy Kaling, who stars as Molly, is also the writer of the film. It’s likely she drew some inspiration from “The Devil Wears Prada”, there are many similarities. But this is more an observation than a criticism. Kaling’s script takes a slightly different route in enough places, and Emma Thompson, as Katherine, is hardly inferior to Mery Streep as the cold boss. In fact, where Streep often veered toward a cartoonish performance, Thompson manages to keep her character within human limits. This is thanks in large part to John Lithgow’s wonderful performance as her husband.

What also helps is that, despite its subject matter, “Late Night” does not necessarily try to be a full-blooded comedy. Not that there is nothing to laugh about, but it aims more for a smile than for loud laughter. For the main character, humor is a fairly serious craft and therefore not something you can just whip up in a moment of cheerfulness. What I also loved, is that the romantic storyline is very far in the background, almost non-existent. Which is a fresh take as well, it’s not predictable that way
I was surprised about how much I enjoyed “Late Night”, but thanks to the great writing by Mindy Kaling and strong performances by her, Thompson and Lithgow, turn “Late Night” in a delightful comedy.

Rating: 3,5 / 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

00s Movie Review - Gone Baby Gone

Director: Ben Affleck
Genre: Drama/ Mystery/ Crime
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Amy Ryan, Titus Welliver, Amy Madigan, Michael Kenneth Williams

Description: Two Boston area detectives (Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan) investigate a little girl’s kidnapping, which ultimately turns into a crisis both professionally and personally.

Review: Is a bad deed justifiable if the consequence is ultimately good? What are good intentions worth if the consequences are bad? And what then is good and bad, and do those words have any meaning at all? Such questions arise when watching “Gone Baby Gone”, directed by Ben Affleck and based on the book by Dennis Lehane. Affleck created an engaging, intelligent film.

Private detective couple Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro are hired by Helene McCready’s sister-in-law to track down Helene’s missing four-year-old daughter Amanda. They discover that Helene has robbed a drug dealer and suspect that the drug dealer has something to do with Amanda’s abduction. An attempt to strike a bargain with the dealer and exchange the stolen money for the child goes horribly wrong.

Months later, Kenzie works another kidnapping case where he must find and free a missing boy from the hands of a pedophile. In the process, Patrick makes some decisions that are very difficult for him and also stumbles upon a secret that presents him with even more difficult decisions. The question is not so much whether he can make the right decision, but whether there are any at all in our modern society.

It was a good idea by Ben Affleck to keep the moral uncertainties that arise in a disrupted world without a clearly identifiable right or wrong. This keeps the story and a few plot twists interesting. I’ve always liked Ben Affleck more as a directed than an actor, so I’m happy he decided to cast his brother Casey Affleck for the lead role, instead of starrin in it himself. The younger Affleck is in my opinion the better actor of the two and he proves that in “Gone Baby Gone”. Helene McCready is played by Amy Ryan, who really shines in her role.

“Gone Baby Gone” is a really good crime mystery, that is engaging from start to finish. An overlooked film in my opinion, not many people seem to talk about it anymore.

Rating: 4,5 / 5

TV Show Review - Only Murders in the Buiding (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Crime/ Mystery
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2021
Starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Tina Fey, Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane, Amy Schumer, Michael Cyril Creighton, Jackie Hoffman, Jane Houdyshell, Cara Delevigne, Ryan Broussard, Adina Version, James Caverly, Jane Lynch

Description: Three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime suddenly find themselves caught up in one.
 
Review: At the beginning of the second season of “Only Murders in the Building”, things are not looking good for Charles, Oliver and Mabel. A new mystery presents itself when neighbor Bunny Folger is found dead in Mabel’s apartment and it seems this murder is meant to frame the latter. Where most people would choose to wait for it all to blow over, the three amateur detectives choose to take matter into their own hands to clear their names and find justice for Bunny.

It took some waiting to see if a second season of “Only Murders in the Building” would be able to live up to high expectations created by the successful first season. Bunny Folger’s death, at first glance, seems less interesting than the murder of Tim Kono. The motive seems obvious, as the victim was not well-liked, so the question is where this story could go from here. But with the introduction of new characters, secret passages through the Arconia building and once again a connection to one of the main characters, the formula manages to prove itself once again.

“Only Murders in the Building” is still the perfect combination of murder mystery and humor: a cozy mystery. The main characters are well fleshed out and their strong dynamics bring things to life. In the main plot of season 2, the focus shifts from Mabel to Charles, allowing us to learn more about his background. In addition, we are introduced to three important characters: Charles’ almost-daughter, a new date for Mabel and the assistant to podcast queen Cinda Canning. While they all contribute at some point in the investigation, they could have been better integrated into the story.

Everything comes together in the end. The solutions is clever and surprising. And we are also treated to a glimpse of another new season, where Oliver will be the main focus I assume. And Paul Rudd is going to be in season 3 as well, which makes me even more excited.

“Only Murders in the Building” is the perfect comfort watch, I love cozy mysteries. The dynamic between the three main characters is so unique and wholesome. I could watch this series all day.

00s Movie Review - Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Director: Sidney Lumet
Genre: Crime/ Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei, Rosemary Harris, Michael Shannon, Amy Ryan

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 35: A CRIME THRILLER
 
Description: When two brothers (Philip Seymour Hofman, Ethan Hawke) organize the robbery of their parents’ jewelry store the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that sends them, their father (Albert Finney) and one brother’s wife (Marisa Tomei) barreling towards a shattering climax.

Review: Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke play two brothers in need of money. Hoffman’s Andy seems successful, but is struggling financially due to his drug addiction, among other things, while Hawke’s Hank can’t afford the alimony for his ex-wife and daughter. They decided to rob a small jewelry store. Not to mention that this store is owned by their own parents. Andy is the brains behind the operations and Hanks has to carry out the plan. Of course, this plan goes horribly wrong and only gets worse later.

It's a simple story and the details aren’t complicated either. But director Sidney Lumet decided to change the structure of the story. We are only following one character at a time, and go back in time to see the perspective of the other brother. I think this is what makes this movie better. There is no reason for using this structure, but I think it really adds to the story of the film. Otherwise, it would be pretty standard.

The performances are very good. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke both do a great job in their respective roles. The same goes for Albert Finney, who has a smaller role as their father. Marisa Tomei is a fantastic actress, but is demoted to a side character that seems to only be there as the beautiful wife that shows her boobs a bit too often. Tomei is underused and misused in this film, that was a big problem for me. Because she is so much more than this.

“Before the Devils Knows You’re Dead” is a strong crime thriller, with a cool storytelling structure.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

TV Show Review - Only Murders in the Building (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Crime/ Mystery
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2021
Starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Tina Fey, Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane

Description: Three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime suddenly find themselves caught up in one.
 
Review: Steve Martin and Martin Short, both in their seventies, go back a long way. Martin wrote she screenplay for this new show and brough in his friend Short.
“Only Murders in the Building” is a very engaging series about jaded television actor Charles Haden-Savage, bankrupt theater producer Oliver Putman and the mysterious Mabel Mora. Not only do they all live in the Arconia Building in New York, but most importantly they find each other in their love of the true crime podcast “All is Not OK in Oklahoma”.
The addition of former Disney child star Selena Gomez to the cast is a golden touch. Not only to bring younger fans on board, but also she has perfect comedic timing and is great in combination with veteran actors Steve Martin and Martin Short. The age gap really works in our favor here.
When a murder is committed in the building, the three find each other in the ambition to sat in their own podcast, the title of which will be “Only Murders in the Building”, as they will be limited to the murders that have taken place in the Arconia. It is quickly apparent that each member of this curious trio has their own motives for making the podcast a success.
I love a good old-fashioned whodunit murder mystery. And that’s what “Only Murders in the Building” is. Add in a bit of humor, a fast-paced story and three protagonist you will love from the start (Oliver was my favorite). I loved this series. Easy to watch, since each episode is about 30 minutes long and there are only 10 of them. I can’t wait for a second season, which hopefully will be released in 2022.  

10s Movie Review - The Infiltrator

Director: Brad Furman
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 127 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Diane Kruger, Benjamin Bratt, Jason Isaacs, Amy Ryan, Olympia Dukakis

Description: A U.S. Customs official (Bryan Cranston) uncovers a money laundering scheme involving Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

Review: In the late autumn 0f 1993, Pablo Escobar, the biggest drug lord of all time, was shot dead when he was arrested. At the height of his power, the Escobar cartel was running sixty million dollars a day. To control El Patron’s trade, a meshed network of intimidation, bribery, corruption and infiltrators was set up. The efforts of U.S. customs detective Bob Mazur eventually led to the taking down the network. Mazur, who wrote down his experiences as an infiltrator in a bestseller, focuses on the money laundering system Escobar was using to cover up his practices. The attack seemed to be the best defense in this case. Together with his partner Emir Abreu, Mazur wanders the cemeteries of Florida in search of suitable alter egos for their undercover operation. T eventually became the late Italian Roberto Musella who formed the cover-up for Mazur.  
In Brad Furman’s film adaptation of Mazur’s book, Escobar walks by in a hotel lobby at the very end. In this crime-thriller based on true facts, he’s mainly interested in uncovering the network that facilitated the services of Escobar and other drug lords. Escobar is the boss who stays out of the picture. Mazur is a family man whose job is difficult to reconcile with his home situation. When Mazur is about to plunge into the life of the fictional aviation magnate Bob Musella, his wife sighs that this really should be the last job. In reality, Mazur continued his secret operations for a few more years. His alter ego Musella is a pathetic Italian who does jobs for the mafia and thus easily wins the trust of the Colombians. However, Mazur is constantly on his guard and the practices with which he hopes to unmask the cartel are inventive but at times also messy. Tactics is not only to win the trust of the drug lords, but also to admit them to his carefully constructed private life. Quick thinking and flexibility are highly necessary. As soon as Mazur, during an intimate treat from a stripper, reveals that he engaged, and inexperienced fellow agent has to show us as his fiancée.
Furman gives us an unparalleled insight into an environment that revolves around false trust, good suits, overpriced jewelry, shady deals and striking people with hidden agendas. The environment of the mid-eighties forms a strange mixture of nostalgia and brutal crime. Furman succeeds in portraying this quite boldly, but it is precisely the seriousness of the crimes with which the cartel is involved that is not really apparent. Mazur plays a slick guy who dos play a role, but also likes it all. He jeeps a constant eye on the purpose of his mission, but we get disappointingly little so see, for example, how dangerous work affects his private life. The policeman knows how to separate the two worlds well and without wanting to violate reality now: it would have been better for dramatic effect if the realities had come together and created an impossible conflict.
The filmmaker also loses himself in a messy scenario, that seems like a sequence of strong stories and doesn’t always excel in subtlety. Mazur experiences few setbacks in his mission and if there are any, they are very easily put aside. Yet there are moments when Furman excels in his acting directing. Precisely because there are so many opposing interests and everyone has to constantly look over his shoulder, fascinating dilemmas arise that are dealt with intelligently and in an exciting way by leading actor Bryan Cranston. He is assisted by experienced actors like John Leguizamo, Benjamin Bratt and Diane Kruger. “The Infiltrator” is an entertaining and artisanal ‘true crime’.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

10s Movie Review - Green Zone

Director: Paul Greengrass

Genre: Action

Runtime: 114 minutes

Year: 2010

Starring: Matt Damon, Jason Isaacs, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Ryan

Description: Discovering covert and faulty intelligence causes a U.S. Army officer (Matt Damon) to go rogue as he hunts for Weapons of Mass Destruction in an unstable region.

Review: It is 2003, the American have now invaded Iraq because Saddam Hussein is said to have weapons of mass destruction at his disposal. On of the teams that had to look for these weapons in Iraq is led by Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller. The government has obtained the locations of the weapons from a source secret to the outside world, which calls itself ‘Magellan’, However, when Miller’s team seems to miss the mark for several times, Miller begins to doubt the information. CIA agent Martin Brown shares Miller’s concerns, but high-raking government official Clark Pounstone stick with his informant. Miller decides to cooperate with Brown to get to the truth. Meanwhile, reporter Lawrie Dayne tries to find out Magellan’s identity.

The alleged presence of weapons of mass destruction; it was one of the main reasons why America invaded Iraq in 2003 to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s regime. “Green Zone”, based on the (non-fiction) book “Imperial Life in the Emerald City” by journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran, focuses on the search for these weapons. However, it is certainly not only about the search itself, but also about the conspiracy around it. Because in (the fictitious) “Green Zone” it soon turns out that things are dirty: the government bases the search on information from an invisible informant but nothing is found in any of the designated places. One of the people responsible for searching these locations is Chief Roy Miller, played by Matt Damon. When they yet again find nothing at the location they are searching, Miller starts distrusting the source and it’s up to him to get to the bottom of it all.

“Green Zone” is directed by Paul Greengrass, who also directed Matt Damon in “The Bourne Supremacy” and The Bourne Ultimatum”. Both strong films. “Green Zone” doesn’t reach that same level, but it’s still a skillfully made political action thriller. The film’s story is fictional, but contains elements that are based on the truth. The film is very realistic.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Review - Lost Girls

Director: Liz Garbus
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 95 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Amy Ryan, Gabriel Byrne, Thomasin McKenzie, Oona Laurence

Description: When Mari Gilbert’s (Amy Ryan) daughter disappears, police inaction drives her own investigation into the gated Long Island community where Shannan was last seen. Her search brings attention to over a dozen murdered sex workers.

Review: The case of the Long Island serial killer has occupied the minds for almost a decade. Most of the victims were prostitutes and some of them were dead for years when they were found. The estimated number of murders is between ten and sixteen. Some of the women were hard to identify, since only parts of them were found. But the case of Shannan Gilbert has always been a doubtful one.
Especially the police and FBI have their doubts if the 24-year-old woman was one of the victims of the not yet to be caught murderer. Her mother Mari and experts are sure Shannan’s case is one of them. This Netflix film keeps close to the truth, since it’s based on the book by Robert Kolker. Director Liz Garbus is known for her documentary work, but a drama film is something else. A thing she hasn’t quite mastered yet.
Until the conclusion of the film, you are watching a dragging film that sometimes causes frustration. Not only because of the attitude of the authorities, but also because of Amy Ryan’s character. Of course you can understand the anger, grief and desperation the mother feels, but did they really have to make her a manipulative and black-mailing bitch? There are many moments you just want to push her away, so that the police can do their work, since she is interfering and threatening constantly.
The stronger moments in the film is were you see the ‘mother’ Mari, who works hard to keep the lights on, her moments with her daughters, even though she knows she is not the best mom Mari tries to make it work.
I didn’t like this film, it was a bit boring and the characters frustrated me. Sad that a tragic story like this didn’t get a better film.

Rating: 2 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 142: Goosebumps

Director: Rob Letterman
Genre: Adventure/ Comedy/ Family/ Fanstasy/ Horror
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Jack Black, Amy Ryan, Jillian Bell, Ken Marino

Description: A teenager teams up with the daughter of young adult horror author R. L. Stine (Jack Black) after the writer's imaginary demons are set free on the town of Madison, Delaware.

Review: Jack Black is the perfect actor for a scary family film like “Goosebumps”, so it’s no surprise that he portrays writer R.L. Stine. He plays a fictional version of the real life author of the book series “Goosebumps”. Here he is a hermit, protecting his daughter Hannah. The new neighbor Zach is very curious about Stine and his daughter and just simply can’t accept that she can not leave the house. But when releasing Hannah, he releases a lot more.
From the beginning the movie is fast paced and has humor. Jillian Bell, as Zach’s aunt, brings some awkward family humor to the show. The young actors are solid and Jack Black is just enjoyable as R.L. Stine.
We don’t have to wait long for the first monsters to appear, that we all know from the populat books. It’s a bit like “Night at the Museum” or “Jumanji”. The horror is mild, because it’s supposed to be suitable for a younger audience. But it can get scary for the really young kids.
Zah and Hanna are the heroes of the story. Their nerdy companion Champ is not as fun. He is supposed to make it all a but lighter, but instead he’s a pretty annoying character that overreacts to every situation. At least Zach and Hannah act more realistic.
It’s actually very smart to use this story for the movie, because how do you pick from all those books. Instead the most iconic monsters from Stine’s book come to life and it works surprisingly well. I liked “Goosebumps” more than I expected and it wasn’t as bad as I thought. It’s an entertaining film, especially if you read the books as a kid.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 71: Bridge of Spies

Director: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 141 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Tom Hanks Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, Sebastian Koch, Alan Alda

Description: During the Cold War, an American lawyer (Tom Hanks) is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy (Mark Rylance) in court, and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for the Soviet captured American U2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers.

Review: Steven Spielberg is one of the biggest modern American film makers. Adventure films of historical dramas, they are special. And again Spielberg has made a movie about war. This time the sixties, the cold war.
The story is about James Donovan, an insurance lawyer. He has to defend the Russian spy Rudolf Abel and also help the CIA facilitate an exchange the spy for a captured pilot.
The focus is not on wether Rudolf Abel is a spy or not. In the opening we see his daily routine and how Abel is trying to stay under the radar. When the FBI arrest him, he is nothing but corporative.
Tom Hanks is very solid in his role, but it’s Mark Rylance that steals the show with his ontrovert performance as Abel. “Bridge of Spies” is a good film, strong, solid, but nothing spectacular.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 139: Jack Goes Boating

Director: Philip Seymour Hoffman

Genre: Drama/ Comedy

Runtime: 91 minutes

Year: 2010

Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Ortiz, Amy Ryan, Daphne Rubin-Vega

Description: A limo driver's blind date sparks a tale of love, betrayal, friendship, and grace centered around two working-class New York City couples.

Review: There is something uncomfortable about “Jack Goes Boating”. I can best describe it as honesty (uncomfortable silences), but I can imaging people would call it dull. The movie is based on a play and you feel that. Philip Seymour Hoffman doesn’t only star in the movie, it’s also his directorial debut.

The movie tells the story of Jack and his colleague limo driver Clyde. Against the New York skyline the two men talk about life, their friendship and the fact that Jack is missing love in his life. Clyde really wants to help his friend, when he sets Jack up with Connie.

Their first meeting goes very un-Hollywood like. Slow, calm, awkward, but honest. And before Jack knows it, he made plans with Connie to go boating. It’s the middle of winter, so it will take some time before they can actually go. But that gives Jack enough time to learn how to swim. And when Jack sets a date with Connie to cook for her, he also has to learn it.

The acting is what saves this movie, because that’s great. But the movie itself just didn’t do it for me. I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn’t get into it. It has its humoristic moments, but is overall very awkward and painful to watch. And I was one of those people that found “Jack Goes Boating” a bit dull.

Rating: 2/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 107: Escape Plan

Director: Mikael Håfström

Genre: Action/ Drama

Runtime: 116 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Caviezel, Amy Ryan, Sam Neill, Vincent D’Onofrio, Vinnie Jones, Curtis Jackson

Description: When a structural-security authority (Sylvester Stallone) finds himself set up and incarcerated in the world's most secret and secure prison, he has to use his skills to escape with help from the inside.

Review: After “The Expendables” there is another movie starring two of the biggest action stars: Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. It follows the story of Ray Breslin, who tests prisons on security. He gets locked up voluntarily and then tries to break out to show the prison’s weaknesses. When Ray gets the offer to test a new prison, he doesn’t doubt one second, but the minute they take him in he does start to doubt it. The warden says he doesn’t know him, Ray’s evacuation code doesn’t work and it seems impossible to escape without knowing the blue print of the prison or help from the outside.

“Escape Plan” starts like a typical prison break movie. Like the stereotypical prisoners: the man who can get things, the white Aryan, the sadistic guard. More important than the actions is the interaction between them and the ingenious way to escape. The movie has many imperfections and the solutions are sometimes so far-fetched, it doesn’t help its credibility. Besides, the most secure prison in the world looks very futuristic. It could have been a cinematographic good looking piece, with the feeling you’re always watched and more depth and perspective. The first 20 minutes weren’t all that great. Once Arnold Schwarzenegger enters the stage, it becomes fun. It’s just fun to see Schwarzenegger and Stallone together, because I grew up with those guys. The planning of the break out and the interaction between the two is entertaining as hell. The scenes in the prison were cool, as soon as they cut away from the prison I was bored.

You get what you expect from Stallone and Schwarzenegger, and I think that’s we love about them. Every movie fan is just thrilled about the idea of those two together, and so was I. I would pay money to see a movie with the dumbest plot ever if Stallone and Schwarzenegger star in it. Jim Caviezel, as the warden, was a pretty good bad guy by the way. That surprised me. Other characters and actors didn’t impress me very much.

I didn’t expect anything good and this movie isn’t very surprising. But it’s enjoyable to watch and it entertained me.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 47: Devil's Knot

Director: Atom Egoyan

Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller

Runtime: 114 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon, Alessandro Nivola, James Hamrick, Seth Meriwether, Kristopher Higgins, Amy Ryan, Robert Baker, Collette Wolfe, Rex Linn, Bruce Greenwood, Kristoffer Polaha, Matt Letscher, Michael Gladis, Stephen Moyer, Martin Hednerson, Ted Huckabee, Elias Koteas, Dane DeHaan, Kerry Cahill, Jet Jurgensmeyer, Paul Boardman Jr., Brandon Spink, Kevin Durand, Julie Ivey

Description: The savage murders of three young children sparks a controversial trial of three teenagers accused of killing the kids as part of a satanic ritual.

Review: “Devil’s Knot” is based on the book with the same name by Mara Leveritt. The author was inspired by real life events. The trial of ‘The West Memphis Three’ was the inspiration for both book and movie. Director Atom Egoyan decided to make it into a movie.

In 1993 three children were murdered, in a town in Memphis. After a few weeks the suspects were arrested. Three teenagers, The West Memphis Three, were caught and they were accused of using satanic rituals. They were convicted for the murders. The end? Not exactly, because a lot of facts were wrong and the police wasn’t thorough enough. The question is: are the teenagers really guilty? The movie is almost two hours long and this is simply not enough time to tell the entire story. It’s a complicated case and there isn’t enough room for the characters, because there are so many people involved in the case. Director Egoyan bit off more than he could chew.

Reese Witherspoon plays the mother of one of the murdered boys. She does a good job. She manages to show desperation and despair, but her character doesn’t really add anything. Colin Firth’s character has the same problem. The three suspects don’t get enough screen time, which is a shame.

Atom Egoyan tried, that’s a plus. He didn’t want to give us a boring history lesson. But the movie simply doesn’t work that wellm when the source material is so interesting. It’s just an okay film, which could have been so much better. Shame.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 12: Birdman

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan

Description: Washed up actor Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton), who once played an iconic superhero, battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career and himself in the days leading up to the opening of a Broadway play.

Review: Movies by Alejandro González Iñárritu were characterized by the way the story was told. A puzzle of unlucky, life changing decisions and what consequences they had on life. The characters put the pieces of the puzzle together. When Iñárritu made “Biutiful”, he focused on only one character. With “Birdman” the director decided to go further with that more intimate approach.
Riggan Thomson is loved by the audience for his role of Birdman. That character still lives in his head. As the actor of the fictional Birdman trilogy, he got the fame. But he wants to be adored by the whole world, so he wants to break through on Broadway as well. But before the play ‘What We Talk About, When We Talk About Love’ premieres, there are a lot of obstacle to overthrow. “Birdman” is self-conscious and has a lot of double layers. Choosing Michael Keaton to play an actor who used to play a superhero, was off course a deliberate choice, he got fame for playing “Batman”. There is a thin line between fiction and reality.
The cinematography is excellent. Iñárritu hardly used any montages, the movie looks like it was filmed in only one take. It seems like one long continuous shot.
Michael Keaton is sublime in his role as Riggan Thomson. It looks like Keaton will finally get the recognition he deserves, because he’s always been a fantastic actor. And Keaton is surrounded by an amazing supporting cast: Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts and Zach Galifianakis are all at the top of their game. Especially the last two should get more credit for their roles, Stone and Norton already did by receiving an Academy Award nomination as well as Keaton.
Alejandro González Iñárritu manages to keep “Birdman” light, with the dark humor. The cast performs incredibly well and visually this movie is an actual movie experience. “Birdman” is a fantastic film.

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 5: Green Zone

Director: Paul Greengrass

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 114 minutes

Year: 2010

Starring: Matt Damon, Jason Isaacs, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Ryan, Michael O’Neill, Khalid Abdalla, Antoni Corone, Yigal Naor, Sean Huze, Said Faraj, Martin McDougall, Lewis Alsamari

Description: Discovering covert and faulty intelligence causes U.S. Army officer Miller (Matt Damon) to go rogue as he hunts for Weapons of Mass Destruction in an unstable region.

Review: We follow Chief Warrant Officer Miller, an American officer who leads a team whose task is to track down weapon of mass destruction. The information the team has seems more and more unreliable.

Miller is a loyal soldier that was send into war for the wrong reasons. Based on his ideals he starts an investigations when he is asked to just do his job. Matt Damon manages to convince the viewers, even though he doesn’t have a lot to work with. To tell the story, the plot introduces a series of very well cast roles, that don’t get enough screen time. Journalist Lawrie Dayne is a sharp investigator, played by Amy Ryan. The same goes for Brendan Gleeson, who plays CIA agent Martin Brown. Oscar Isaacs, as marine Briggs, is seriously underused.

The source material of “Green Zone” has a political note, but director Greengrass made it into a limited drama with a talented cast and lots of action, with the potential to be a political intrigue story.

Rating: 3/ 5