Top 5 Thursday: Amy Adams Movies

Amy Adams is one of my favorite actresses and she has been in so many great films. Just look at 2016 alone! Here are my five favorite Amy Adams films.

5. Her
“Her” is one of the most unconventional and unusual movies I have seen over the past years, but it really stole my heart. I really loved it, maybe because of the weirdness.

4. Catch Me If You Can
Amy Adams is so endearing in this film. “Catch Me If You Can” is a movie I rewatch a lt, directed by one of my favorite actors and starring one of my favorite actors. Amy Adams fits perfectly here.

3. Nocturnal Animals
Very stylish, creepy, haunting. This movie gets under your skin and keeps your mind occupied for a while after you see it. Amy Adams is really good in this film, so is Jake Gyllenhaal. The movie had a great ending, although for me not completely clear still…

2. The Muppets
Totally different than “Nocturnal Animals”, a cheery, fun, musical that can brighten my day anytime. I love “The Muppets”, in any setting.

1. Arrival
Director Denis Villeneuve has a flawless resume so far. This is such a fantastic sci-fi film, so different from the rest. And Amy Adams performance is so good, because of the timid nature of her character. This film blew my mind.

They Almost Made the Top 5: American Hustle, Leap Year, The Fighter, Julie & Julia, Doubt, Sunshine Cleaning, Enchanted, Junebug

Top 10: Best Movies I Watched for My 2016 Challenge

The great thing about the 100 Movie Challenge is that I sometimes watch films that I would normally not even pay attention to. It’s a time to rediscover classics or see the movies you missed in the 2000s or 2010s. I watched a bunch of fantastic films, I narrowed it down to this top 10 list. Here are my favorite films I watched for my 2016 challenge.

10. Lars and the Real Girl
This was such a weird story, but it was so heartfelt and honest. And we got Ryan Reynold’s amazing performance to thank for that. He proofs that he doesn’t always have to play the sexy charmer, he can play a lonely geek as well.

9. The Jungle Book
Disney’s uncanny adaptation of their own beloved animation from 1967. It was a blockbuster, it was a technical film. Besides Mowgli, all the sets and characters were computer generated. The visuals are stunning. “The Jungle Book” was one amazing movie experience.

8. The Nice Guys
I already loved Shane Black’s “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”. Teaming up Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe was probably one of the best ideas of 2016. They are an irresistible pair. Energized by a dry wry cynicism. It’s crime comedy at its best.

7. Arrival
“Arrival” is an unusually intimate science-fiction epic, that takes the story of humankind’s first contact with an alien race and turns it into a downright poetric meditation on fate, time, love and the limitations and essential universalities of communication. Amy Adams gives a fantastic performance, she carries this film. Director Denis Villeneuve has a flawless record so far.

6. Room
Brie Larson earned all the headlines for her role as Joy, her Oscar winning performance is so convincing and heartbreaking. But her movie son Jacob Tremblay very nearly steals the show. It’s through his eyes we experience the traumatic set of events.

5. Spotlight
“Spotlight” is driven purely by the simplicity of its story. A group of journalists exposing a scandal in the Catholic Church. The film had my attention from start to finish, it has great performances and I loved everything about this film. It deserved that Oscar.

4. The Apartment
I discovered Billy Wilder films this year and I came to the conclusion that I really love this director. “The Apartment” is such a fun film, great acting and it’s basically set in only one location.

3. Some Like It Hot
This is the other Billy Wilder film I watched this year, and loved! It was hilarious. It’s such a funny story, two men disguising as women so that they can play music in an all-women’s group. And although it’s clear that they are two men, nobody sees it. This is one fo the best comedies of all time!

2. La La Land
Damien Chazelle’s first film was “Whiplash”, an Academy Award winning film. He’s back with amusic movie of an entirely different variety. “La La Land” is a heart-eyed musical about two lost Los Angelinos who find each other. I’m seriously in love with this film. This one’s for the classic movie fans.

1. The Princess Bride
This movie has everything and know how to combine all those genres in the most perfect way. Adventure, action, romance, comedy, drama, it’s all there. It’s one of the best fairytales ever told, with humor, mockery and heartwarming moments. Definitely a new favorite on my all-time list.


Honorable Mentions: The General, City Lights, Beasts of No Nation, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Little Shop of Horrors, We Bought a Zoo, Mr. Holland’s Opus, The Soloist

Top 5 Thursday: Movies I Watched for My Challenge (November 2016)

I watched some really good films this month, but many mediocre ones as well. Mostly some newer films, not a lot of classics Here is my list of November.

5. The Girl On the Train
Despite all the negative reviews, I still think it’s a very strong thriller. Because of the story and the solid acting, “The Girl On the Train” isn’t your average thriller. The fact that people went into this movie thinking it was the next “Gone Girl” was this films downfall. It is a good film.

4. The Walk
I didn’t really expect it to be this good. Especially that last half hour kept me on the edge of my seat. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is fab!

3. Hell or High Water
A 2016 film that pretty much flew under the radar. I wish more people would see it, because it’s so beautiful. And well performed by Chris Pine, Jeff Bridges and Ben Foster.

2. Beasts of No Nation
An intense drama, touching and grabbing. Idris Elba, whom I’m a fan of, is fantastic in “Beasts of No Nation”. Great film.

1. Arrival
This movie met my expectations and was absolutely phenomenal. I love how they focused on the language aspect and Villeneuve went so in depth. Amy Adams was brilliant and “Arrival” is one of the best of 2016.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Goosebumps, Patriot Games, Schone Handen, Citizen Kane, Cache, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Doctor Strange

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 152: Arrival

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg

Description: A linguist (Amy Adams) is recruited by the military to assist in translating alien communications.

Review: When Canadian direcot Denis Villeneuve signed to direct the lon awaited sequel to “Blade Runner”, it didn’t get the fans excited. Villeneuve did make some successful, dark thriller, but had no experience with science fiction yet. It’s “Arrival” that has to change those minds. And this is without a doubt one of the best science fiction films of the past ten years.
Twelve unknown spacecrafts arrive on planet earth and are spread out over several locations on our planet. Of course people panic. If you expect anything like “Independence Day”, you’re wrong. Villeneuve’s take on this theme is on a smaller scale. Linguistics expert Louise Banks is called in to help the military to communicate with the extra terrestrials. A tough job, because the aliens have nothing in common physically and linguistically with humans. Louise has to build up to that one question: Why are you here?
The communicatiosn with extra terrestrials isn’t a new given in Hollywood, just look at “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” or “Contact”. “Arrival” lifts it to another level though, to center this theme completely. Villeneuve captivates us with a very impressive lesson in linguistics. He goes deep into that and it’s fascinating. Louise has to teach the aliens the basics of the human language, when the respons she gets is anything but easy to understand. They are simply circle shaped signs, that disappear as fast as they appear.
Villeneuve manages to weave tension and stuff to think about. If you think that it will lead to a dull film with lots of info about communication, you will definitely be surprised. It’s a battle against time for Louise, a battle against the prejudices. Amy Adams does this very convicing, she carries this film easily. Adams proofs she is one of the best actresses out there. Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker are both solid.
I was already a fan of Villeneuve’s previous film. But now he showed us he can handle science fiction too, so that “Blade Runner” sequel is in good hands. “Arrival” is one of the best films of 2016.

Rating: 5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: 2016 Fall/ Winter Movies to Look Forward to

Summer was okay, not very spectacular when it comes to movies. But fall (my favorite season) and winter has a lot in store for us. Here are the movies I’m most looking forward to.

5. Arrival
I’ve seen two trailers now and it looks fantastic. It’s directed by Denis Villeneuve, who also directed “Prisoners”, “Enemy” and “Sicario”, all movies I LOVED! The film follows a linguist, played by Amy Adams, who is recruited by the military to assist in transliting alien communications.

4. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
All set in the Harry Potter universe, so for me that’s reason enough to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”. The movie is about Newt Scamander, a writer who delves into the world of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his books in school.

3. Passengers
The movie doesn’t have a trailer yet, just a couple of movie stills. But Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt got me excited enough. A spacecraft traveltng to a distant colony planet and transporting thousands of people has a malfunction in its sleep chambers. As a result, two of the passengers are awakened 60 years early.

2. La La Land
This trailer got me jumping for joy! It looks so beautiful. The cast is stunning, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. And its director, Damein Chazelle, already showed us he is amazing with “Whiplash”. The film follows a jazz pianist who falls in love with a aspiring actress. And…. It’s also a musical!

1. The Girl on the Train
I read the book and it was one of those stories I couldn’t put away. And the trailer looks so amazing, I just can’t wait to see it. Emily Blunt plays the lead and there are also roles for Justine Theroux, Luke Evans, Haley Bennett, Allison Janney, Lisa Kudrow and Rebecca Ferguson. The story is about Rachel Watson’s post-divorce life. Every day, she takes the train to work in New York, and evert day the train passes by her old house. The house she lived in with her husband, who still lives there, with his new wife and child. As she attempts to not focus on her pain, she starts watching a couple who live a few houses down, Megan and Scott Hipwell. She creates a wonderful dream life for them in her head, about how they are the perfect happy family. And then one day, as the train passes, she sees something shocking. The next day, she wakes up with a horrible hangover, various wounds and bruises and no memory of the night before. She has only a feeling: something bad happened. Then come the TV reports: Megan Hipwell is missing. Rachel becomes invested in the case and trying to find out what happened to Megan.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Sully, The Magnificent Seven, A Monster Calls, Doctor Strange, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Inferno, Sing, The Light Between Oceans

Movie Trailer Sunday (255)

Here are this week's trailers.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Description: Picking up immediately after the events in Resident Evil: Retribution, humanity is on its last legs in Washington D.C. As the only survivor of what was meant to be humanity's final stand against the undead hordes, Alice (Mila Jovovich) must return to where the nightmare began - Raccoon City, where the Umbrella Corporation is gathering its forces for a final strike against the only remaining survivors of the apocalypse. In a race against time Alice will join forces with old friends, and an unlikely ally, in an action packed battle with undead hordes and new mutant monsters. Between regaining her superhuman abilities at Wesker's hand and Umbrella's impending attack, this will be Alice's most difficult adventure as she fights to save humanity, which is on the brink of oblivion.
Starring: Mila Jovovich, Ruby Rose, Ali Larter, Iain Glenn
Trailer: Trailer "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter"
Comment: It says 'the final chapter'. Is it really?

XOXO
Director: Christopher Louie
Description: Six strangers' lives collide in one frenetic, dream-chasing, hopelessly romantic night.
Starring: Sarah Hyland, Ione Skye, Hayley Kiyoko, Ryan Hansen, Graham Phillips
Trailer: Trailer "XOXO"
Comment: Meh....

Arrival
Director: Denis Villeneuvve
Description: A linguïst (Amy Adams) is recruited by the military to assist in translating alien communications.
Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker
Trailer: Trailer "Arrival"
Comment: A new trailer, this looks so exciting!

Same Kind of Different As Me
Director: Michael Carney
Description: International art dealer Ron Hall (Greg Kinnear) must befriend a dangerous homeless man (Djimon Hounsou) in order to save his struggling marriage to his wife (Renee Zellweger), a woman whose dreams will lead all three of them on the journey of their lives.
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Renee Zellweger, Djimon Hounsou, Jon Voight
Trailer:
Comment: Maybe.... I'm not sure. It looks super sentimental.

Hidden Figures
Director: Theodore Melfi
Description: A team of African-American women provide NASA with important mathematical data needed to launch the program's first successful space missions.
Starring: V=Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kirsten Dunst, Kevin Costner, Jim Parsons
Trailer: Trailer "Hidden Figures"
Comment: I always love a film with a strong female cast.

Movie Trailer Sunday (251)

Here are this week's trailers.

Bad Santa 2
Director: Mark Waters
Description: Fueled by cheap whiskey, greed and hatred, Willie (Billy Bob Thornton) teams up once again with his angry little sidekick, Marcus (Tony Cox), to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve.
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Kathy Bates, Christina Hendricks
Trailer: Trailer "Bad Santa"
Comment: I really enjoyed the first film, but comedy sequels don't have a good reputation.

The Sea of Trees
Director: Gus van Sant
Description: A suicidal American befriends a Japanese man lost in a forest near Mt. Fuji and the two search for a way out.
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Naomi Watts, Ken Watanabe
Trailer: Trailer "Sea of Trees"
Comment: I heard it was boohed at Cannes, but the trailer looks so good.

Arrival
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Description: Taking place after alien crafts land around the world, an expert linguist (Amy Adams) is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat.
Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker
Trailer: Trailer "Arrival"
Comment: Can't wait to see this.

Allied
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Description: The story of intelligence officer Max Vatan (Brad Pitt), who in 1942 North Africa encounters French Resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard) on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Reunited in London, their relationship is threatened by the extreme pressures of the war.
Starring: Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, Lizzy Caplan, Matthew Goode, Jared Harris
Trailer: Trailer "Allied"
Comment: Robert Zemeckis finally brings us a new film!!!

Complete Unknown
Director: Joshua Marston
Description: As a man (Michael Shannon) contemplates moving to a new state with his wife for her graduate program, an old flame - a woman (Rachel Weisz) who often changes identities - reenters his life at a birthday dinner party.
Starring: Rachel Weisz, Michael Shannon, Kathy Bates, Danny Glover
Trailer: Trailer "Complete Unknown"
Comment: Intriguing!