Movie Review - Babygirl

Director: Halina Reijn
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, Sophie Wilde, Esther McGregor, Vaughan Reilly 
 
Description: A high powered CEO (Nicole Kidman) puts her career and family in the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much-younger intern (Harris Dickinson).
 
Review: Romy Mathis has made it. She is the CEO of a company specializing in AI and robotics, and her marriage to stage director Jacob has lasted for years. But one day, during an anxious moment, she meets twenty-something Samuel. Who she lates sees back at her company as an intern. Samuel takes a brutal, confrontational and transgressive attitude toward Romy; to the point that she is completely thrown off guard. Samuel continues to challenge her and eventually Romy gives in. She risks paying a high price for a slip-up that grows into much more than that.  

This is the second English-language film by once actress ut now established Dutch filmmaker Halina Reijn (previously directed “Bodies Bodies Bodies”). “Babygirl” is an erotic thriller, like many that were made in the nineties. Yet fresh and surprising, because we now see through the eyes of the woman, who is not always allowed to act morally pure. The film does not believe in good and bad, but lustfully digs in the gray area in between.  

Kidman shines as the complex Romy and the film manages to break taboos as well as explore current themes around consent and gender roles.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Director: James Mangold
Genre: Adventure/ Action
Runtime: 154 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Toby Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, John Rhys-Davies, Antonio Banderas, Boyd Holbrook, Olivier Richter, Thomas Kretschmann, Karen Allen
 
Description: Archeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) races against time to retrieve a legendary artifact that can change the course of history.

Review: When it comes to film, Indiana Jones is the adventurer. Harrison Ford gives the iconic character heart and soul.

In this final Indiana Jones adventure, Indy is after an artifact that could change the course of history. He is accompanied by his goddaughter Helena. But we start the movie in the past, where Ford has been made digitally younger. Here is explained what this artifact, a dial made by Archimedes, means to his friend Basil Shaw, Helena’s father.

Even though “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” is a big step up from “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, it is the first film without Steven Spielberg as a director. James Mangold takes over and does a good job, but you do miss Spielberg at times. It is entertaining and I always like going on an adventure with Dr. Jones. He is my favorite male movie character for a reason. And Ford hasn’t lost it. But this movie never reaches the level of the first three films in the franchise.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Automata

Director: Gabe Ibanez
Genre: Science Fiction/ Action/ Drama
Runtime: 109 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Dylan McDermott, Melanie Griffith, Robert Forster, Javier Bardem

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 28: A MOVIE WITH A ROBOT, CYBORG OR A.I. CHARACTER

Description: Human race is at edge of te end. Robot race is at edge of the beginning.

Review: In the year 2044, only twenty million souls live on a largely scorched earth. However, robots have joined them, doing all kinds of chores. Robot rules dictate that they don’t mess with people or themselves, but as it goes, some robots develop a drive of their own.

A movie I think is better then most people say it is. Great set design and an interesting story. It has some really strong scenes and Antonio Banderas is pretty good in his role. The flaw remains that the film limps between two minds: robot rebellion and family man worries. And that’s one thought too many.

Rating: 3 / 5
 

Movie Review - Uncharted

Director: Ruben Fleisher
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Antonio Banderas, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle
 
I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE
WEEK 29: A MOVIE ABOUT TRAVELING
 
Description: Street-smart Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to recover a fortune amassed by Ferdinand Magellan, and lost 500 years ago by the house of Moncada.

Review: In “Uncharted”, based on a popular videogame, we see that brothers Nathan and Sam have been interested in the Magellan expedition since they were children in the orphanage. They want to steal the first world map. But they get caught doing so and Sam is sent away, because it’s not his first attempt. He manages to flee, leaving Nathan behind. Years later, Nathan works in a bar and he meets Sully, who wants to work with him. Sully is also a treasure hunter and knows Sam. Nathan’s brother stole the diary of Juan Sebastian Elcano for him. Since then there has been no trace of him, although Nathan has received postcards from Sam. On them are clues as to where he can find the gold treasure contained in two merchant ships.

I didn’t really care about this movie. It was somewhat entertaining and it looks good. But overall, it’s a pretty standard adventure film, with one-dimensional characters and a very predictable plot. Didn’t expect much, didn’t get much.

Rating: 2/ 5

Movie Review - Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard

Director: Patrick Hughes
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Crime
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas

Description: The bodyguard Michael Bruce (Ryan Reynolds) continues his friendship with assassin Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) as they try to save Darius’ wife Sonia (Salma Hayek).

Review: As much as I liked “The Hitman’s Bodyguard”, it didn’t exactly scream for a sequel. On the other hand, buddy action comedies are extremely rare these days (gosh, I miss those 80s and 90s buddy cop movies), so if capitalizing on this mild success is the only way to keep this type somewhat alive: so be it. “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” still had a solid trump card that wasn’t fully played: Salma Hayek as the scene-stealing wife of the titular hitman. So it makes sense that her supporting role has been upgraded to one of the three leads and she has been given a prominent place not only on the poster, but even in the title.
This time, bodyguard Michael Bryce not only gets stuck with hitman Darius Kincaid, but also with his equally disturbed wife Sonia. This development manages to shake p the dynamic quite a bit. Where Bryce and Kincaid were still equivalent opposites in the first part, this time Bryce is in the minority. He is at the mercy of a couple who behave like children, but treat him as is he were their child. Of course, the coarse -tongued Sonia gets all the attention, to which actress Salma Hayek gives herself over with visible pleasure. Fortunately, the bond between Bryce and Kincaid is not completely forgotten. And while the events of the first film may have created some mutual respect between the two, it by no means mean that they are friends now.
Whereas the first part was set in Western Europe, part two is set in the Mediterranean territory, playing on the tension between Greece and the European Union. Now I’m sure that relationship is still no optimal, but this plot point would have been a lot more topical ten years ago.
“Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” is flat, nonsensical and lacks the straightforwardness of its predecessor. It’s a fairly easy fill-in-the-blanks exercise that hardly deviates from what made the first part so successful. And yet, again, there isn’t too much to dislike. The actors have fine chemistry, there are some solidly executed chases, and while not every joke hits the mark, there are plenty that will make you laugh. In other times, a film like this would probably have been casually tossed aside as a pointless interlude, but in a time when lavish blockbusters rule the roost, this kind of unpretentious entertainment may deserve a little more benefit of the doubt.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 110: Evita

Director: Alan Parker
Genre: Drama/ Musical
Runtime: 135 minutes
Year: 1996
Starring: Madonna, Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Pryce

Description: The hit musical based on the life of Evita Duarte (Madonna), a B-picture Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president Juan Perón (Jonathan Pryce), and the most beloved and hated woman in Argentina.

Review: Musicals are sort of my guilty pleasures. I don’t feel guilty for loving “Singin’ in the Rain” and “La La Land”, in my opinion the two best musicals ever made and two of my all-time favorite movies. If I loved “Evita” I would feel guilty, because it’s not a very good musical. And thankfully I don’t love it.
When the film starts, it’s all over the place. Shifting in timelines, from when Evita was young to her death and back. Very confusing and messy. The songs are good, the execution of them not so great. Madonna is just not the right choice for this role, I never believed her. I think the only I liked in this film was Antonio Banderas, who sort of tells the story.
Such an interesting story and the film is based on a very successful and strong stage musical. Just as a movie, it didn’t really work.

Rating: 2/ 5

Movie Battle: (500) Days of Summer Vs. Ruby Sparks

I’m not a very big fan of romantic comedies, unless they are a bit unconventional. The two I can think of are going to battle it out in today’s movie battle: “(500) Days of Summer” Vs. “Ruby Sparks”

ACTORS

(500) Days of Summer: This was one of the films that brought us back Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is now one of the more successful actors in Hollywood. Together with Zooey Deschanel he forms an amazing couple. Their performances are amazing.

Ruby Sparks: Paul Dano is an extraordinary actor, I really like him. He does a great job in “Ruby Sparks”. And Zoe Kazan, as Ruby Sparks, is amazing! Fun supporting roles by Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Chris Messina and Steve Coogan.

STORY

(500) Days of Summer: When Tom meets Summer, he falls far her immediately. Summer doesn’t believe true love exists, Tom does. We see the 500 days Summer is in Tom’s life. It sounds like your average rom com, but it’s anything but that.

Ruby Sparks: The story doesn’t sound straight forward and isn’t. It’s about a struggling writer, who writes about a woman who can love him and actually coming to life. It’s an original story (written by Zoe Kazan) and executed very well.

EFFECTS

(500) Days of Summer: The cinematography of “(500) Days of Summer” is magnificent. First off, the story isn’t told chronologically, but there are also some great effects used. Like the split screen, where we see Tom’s expectations and reality of a moment.

Ruby Sparks: The film looks beautiful, but more straight forward then “(500) Days of Summer”.

WINNER

Although I really loved “Ruby Sparks”, “(500) Days of Summer” has been one of my all-time favorites ever since I first saw it

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 91: Ruby Sparks

Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris

Genre: Comedy/ Romance/ Drama

Runtime: 106 minutes

Year: 2012

Starring: Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Chris Messina, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Steve Coogan, Elliot Gould, Wallce Langham, Alia Shawkat

Description: A novelist (Paul Dano) struggling with writer's block finds romance in a most unusual way: by creating a female character he thinks will love him, then willing her into existence.

Review: Make up your ideal woman and then all of a sudden she is in standing in your house. This is the story in “Ruby Sparks”. Calvin is an ordinary young man who wrote a successful book in his high school years. He lives in a beautiful apartment and still holds lectures and presentations about that book. Everyone is waiting for his next novel, but Calvin is struggling with writer’s block. When he dreams about a beautiful girl, his psychologist advices Calvin to write about her. He names her Ruby Sparks and starts writing about her. And she comes to live. Calvin starts a romance with Ruby and whenever he wants something from Ruby, he just writes it down. It looks like the ideal situation, but it isn’t.

Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris already made “Little Miss Sunshine” together, a movie that won over a lot of hearts. This time the duo creates another comedy, with a romantic touch. The script is by Zoe Kazan, who plays Ruby.

Zoe Kazan and Paul Dano form a great couple with great chemistry. In the first hour of the film it’s more comedic and Dano shows of his comedic talent. Kazan didn’t only write a fun and original script, but she is also a really pleasant actress to watch. Chris Messina, as Calvin’s brother Harry, is also great in his role and has some great scenes. With them there is also Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Elliot Gould and Steve Coogan, all in relatively small roles.

The high level the movie has the first hour, gets lost a bit in the second half, because the comedy has to make room for more drama. That drama doesn’t work as well as the comedy. It feels forced. In “Little Miss Sunshine” it did work.

“Ruby Sparks” is a fun and sweet film, that sometimes feel like a fairytale. It’s never overly sweet or cliché and it is very original. An unconventional love story.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 49: The Expendables 3

Director: Patrick Hughes

Genre: Action/ Adventure

Runtime: 126 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Kelsey Grammer, Antonio Banderas, Glen Powell, Victor Ortiz, Ronda Rousey, Kellan Lutz, Jet Li 

Description: Barney (Sylvester Stallone) augments his team with new blood for a personal battle: to take down Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), the Expendables co-founder and notorious arms trader who is hell bent on wiping out Barney and every single one of his associates.

Review: It’s again time for an adventure with some of our favorite action stars: “The Expendables 3”. As the driving engine behind the film series, Sylvester Stallone managed to find some new actors. Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson and Harrison Ford are added to the cast. Alongside the ‘oldies’, we also get some new young stars. Kellan Lutz is probably the only one that will ring a bell. Bruce Willis isn’t part of it anymore.

The movie starts with a lot of action. Barney and his team have to save an ex-Expendable, named Doctor Death. During their next mission, Barney finds out that Stonebanks, an Expendable gone bad, is still alive. All he wants is to go up against him one more time, especially after severely injuring Caesar. Barney doesn’t want his other friends to get hurt, so he decides to set up a new team. But it’s not that easy to exchange experience.

Just like how The Rolling Stones still keep coming back and fill concert halls, “The Expendables 3” will attract audience. The storyline is never the strong point, although there is a more emotional side to it this time.

Introducing Wesley Snipes and Antonio Banderas to the franchise is a smart move. Their loud characters often manage to make you laugh. The search for the new generation, led by Kelsey Grammer, is more fun than the new group itself. All of them are easily replaceable. Mel Gibson is very convincing as the villain.

The action is again of a high level. If you liked the previous movies in this series, “The Expedables 3” gives you again what you expect. The formula hasn’t stopped working yet and another sequel isn’t unthinkable.

Rating: 3/ 5