Movie Review - The Thursday Murder Club

Director: Chris Columbus
Genre: Mystery/ Comedy/ Crime
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Helen Mirren, Celia Imrie, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, David Tennant, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Jonathan Pryce, Richard E. Grant
 
Description: Four irrepressible retirees spend their time solving cold case murders for fun, but their casual sleuthing takes a thrilling turn when they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands.
 
Review: Anyone who has read the bestseller “The Thursday Murder Club”, knows the story: in the fictional English town Fairhaven, the elderly residents of Cooper’s Chase lead a peaceful existence. For some of the seniors, that is too boring, so they get together every Thursday to discuss unsolved murder cases.

To do this, they transform the puzzle room into a small office filled with crime scene photos and clues. As a former secret agent, Elizabeth Best is the natural leader, supported by union representative Ron Ritchie, psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif and nurse Joyce Meadowcroft.

They all have a specialism, which naturally comes in handy during the investigation. When their retirement home is shaken with a real murder of a real estate developer, the foursome suddenly find itself with a brand new murder case on its hands.

Helen Mirren and Ben Kingsley were kind of already in my mind, when I was reading the book (almost 5 books in the series now). Mirren is perfect as Elizabeth and so is Kingsley as Ibrahim. Wasn’t sold on Pierce Brosnan as Ron. I pictured someone like Ray Winstone, but Brosnan is good in his role. He plays his own version of Ron, he is not book Ron. My favorite character in the books is Joyce and Celia Imrie brought her to life in the most perfect way. I love Imrie as Joyce. Still my favorite character.

I love these books, would recommend them any time. And for the most part, Chris Columbus stays true to the source material. There have been changes made, which is always the case with a book to movie adaptation. And I’m fairly okay with them. I’m just not so happy with what they did with the character of Bogdan, towards the end. People who’ve read the book, will probably understand.

I really don’t understand why there are so many negative reviews out there. Many say the film is boring, but they probably found the book boring as well. This movie gave me the same vibe as the book did. The cozy mystery vibes are there. And the cast is amazing! I hope the do all the books (especially number 4), because I’m in!

Rating: 4/ 5

20s Movie Review - The Wonderfull Story of Henry Sugar

Director: Wes Anderson
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 40 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Ben Kingsley, Dev Patel, Richard Ayoade, Ralph Fiennes

Description: Chronicles a variety of stories, but the main one follows Henry Sugar, who is able to see through objects and predict the future with the help of a book he stole.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 36: A FILM FROM A DIRECTOR KNOWN FOR THEIR VISUAL STYLE
 
Review: “Fantastic Mr. Fox” from 2009 didn’t only mark Wes Anderson’s first full-length stop-motion animation, but also his first adaptation of a story of Roald Dahl. Initially, “The Wonderful Story of henry Sugar” was intended to be a full-length feature film. Anderson backtracked on that by making it part of a four-part series of short Dahl adaptation.

We first meet a storyteller, played by Ralph Fiennes, telling us about the wealthy Henry Sugar, who finds in a book about a man from india who can see without his eyes. He acquired this technique, refined over many years, from a Yogi. So, a story within a story within a story withing a story. But Anderson manages to let these complex artifices sink in surprisingly smoothly.

“The Wonderful Story of henry Sugar” has few dialogues and consists almost entirely of renowned actors addressing the camera to tell the story.

It’s a ludicrous story, which we are used to from Roald Dahl and makes perfect material for Wes Anderson. I loved how this story was told, with backgrounds changing rapidly, making it almost magical. There are three more films on Netflix, that are based on Dahl’s stories and directed by Anderson. Them being : “The Swan”, “Poison” and “The Ratcatcher” and I will most definitely watch them all.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - Shutter Island

Director: Martin Scorsese
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 138 minutes
Year: 2010
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow, Jackie Earle Haley, Elias Koteas, Patricia Clarkson

Description: A U.S Marshal (Leonardo DiCaprio) investigates the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane

Review: Every Martin Scorsese project interests me somehow. “Shutter Island” is different from his other films. It’s based on a novel by Dennis Lehane.

Federal agent Teddy Daniels has to track down an escaped psychiatric patient, together with his partner Chuck Aule. The task sounds simple, but an asylum for the criminally insane isn’t the most pleasant place to investigate. With that, it’s also the most guarded asylum, set on an island. It’s almost impossible to stay unfound.

Martin Scorsese is playing Clue with his audience. A fort, morbid prisoners, no way out and hint after hint to lead us to the suspect. It’s a thriller and it gives you a creepy feeling. The patient are really messed up. The atmosphere is unpleasant, which is good for the movie experience.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo form a steady base as agents. Especially DiCaprio seems to grow in every role he plays for Scorsese. Ben Kingsley and Max von Sydow are probably the stars, although they have smaller roles.

“Shutter Island” is a fantastic thriller, with great twists. It’s actually one of my favorite Scorsese film.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction/ Fantasy/ Adventure
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Chiu-Wan Leung, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Yeoh, Meng’er Zhang, Benedict Wong

Description: Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), the master of weaponry-based Kung Fu, is forced to confront his past after being drawn into the Ten Rings organization.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 17: A SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE
 
Review: When he was young, Shang-Chi turned his back on the evil deeds of his father Wenwu. Now in the present, Wenwu, the leader of the terrorist organization the Ten Rings, is searching for Shang-Chi to join him in finding a magical village that holds secret powers.
 
When he was young, Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) turned his back on the evil deeds of his father Wenwu (Tony Leung). Now in the present, Wenwu, the leader of the terrorist organization the Ten Rings, is searching for Shang-Chi to join him in finding a magical village that holds secret powers.

It’s time for marvel to introduce a new generation of heroes. Shang-Chi is a fresh face and a character I knew nothing about. “Shang-Chi” is reminiscent of the great success of “Black Panther”(2018), a film that consisted primarily of a cast of dark-skinned people and clearly showcased their African roots. “Shang-Chi” contains a similar respectful approach. The film shows that representation of different cultures is important.

The fight scenes were the ones that stood out in this film. Clearly inspired by fighting legends Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, the hand-to-hand combat are dynamically portrayed thanks to the camera work and the level of creativity. The film mixes different martial arts styles with fantasy elements.

The film does follow a pretty standard pattern and fits right in with other Marvel films. And it’s definitely not one of the best films within the MCU, but is above average and does what is needs to do and positively stands out thanks to the Asian influence.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

90s Movie Review - Schindler's List

Director: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Drama/ War
Runtime: 195 minutes
Year: 1993
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Embeth Davidtz

Description: In Poland during World War II, Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.

Review: A masterful and touching movie from director Steven Spielberg. Shot in black and white by Janusz Kaminski, who received an Academy Award for his camera work. The goal was to create an authentic atmosphere and this gives “Schindler’s List” that extra power.
The main character is Oskar Schindler, who decides to go to Krakow after the outbreak of WOII to start an enamel factory. He hires Jewish workers, because they are less expensive than Polish workers. The special thing about Schindler is, as he is portrayed, that he’s actually a crook, a profiteer and a womanizer. We never get to know the real Schindler and why he wants to save all those people. In many ways he is like nazi commander Amon Goeth, also a crook, profiteer and womanizer. But where Schindler is an essentially good man, with flaws, Goeth is a sadist and murderer.
It’s incredible that Schindler succeeds in saving many Jews from death. He has contacts and a lot of luck, but what makes him really successful is his audacity and courage. You see that in the scene where he tries to convince fellow factory men Bosch and Madritsch to do even more than they have already done. The two industrials are human and helped their Jewish workers, but realize that there is nothing more to do. Only an adventurer would go even further. And that’s exactly what Schindler does. The greatest achievement is when Schindler goes to Auschwitz, to safe the women and children who were brought to Auschwitz by mistake. By bribe and bluff he manages to let them leave the camp. The only time in this black history that Jews could leave the camp. If it didn’t really happen, nobody would have believed it.
“Schindler’s List” won seven Academy Awards, like best film, director and cinematography. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes only got nominations. Their performances are amazing, as is Ben Kingsley’s. His portrayal of the smart and timid bookkeeper is impressive.
“Schindler’s List” is filled with striking and memorable scenes. A great screenplay, fantastic acting, this is an absolute classis that you have to watch at least once a year. Just two remember all those people who died in that terrible war and the people who did make it.

Rating: 5 / 5

Movie Reviews - The Red Sea Diving Resort

Director: Gideon Raff
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 129 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Chris Evans, Alessandro Nivola, Haley Bennett, Ben Kingsley, Greg Kinnear, Michael Kenneth Williams, Michiel Huisman, Alex Hassell

Description: Israel’s Mossad agents attempt to rescue Ethiopian Jewish refugees in Sudan in 1977.

Review: The new Netflix original film “The Red Sea Diving Resort” premiered on July 31st. The film tells the true story of a group of heroes that rescued big groups of Ethiopian Jewish refuges by working from a hotel in Sudan.
The Ethiopian civil war caused a lot of people their lives. It’s 1977. At the time, Ethiopian Jews could use the so-called ‘Law of Return’: they had the right to settle in Israel and become an Israelian citizen. In “The Red Sea Diving Resort” we see how a group of Mossad agents, led by Ari Levinson, save groups of Ethiopian Jews at the start of the 80s. Their cover: a abandoned hotel near the Red Sea, in Sudan. And since actual tourist start visiting the hotel, it’s the best cover they could ask for.
Netflix managed to assemble a great, strong cast. Chris Evans carries the film, as Ari Levinson, but is well supported by Haley Bennett, Michiel Huisman, Alessandro Nivola, Ben Kingsley and Greg Kinnear. Also worth mentioning is Michael Kenneth Williams, who also did a fantastic job in another Netflix jewel, “When They See Us”.
The civil war in Ethiopia is one of those “silent wars”, that no one was talking about and didn’t get attention. Simply no one really cared, even though a lot of people died here. The story can be compared to films like “Argo” and “Munich”, where they used an every day thing as their big cover, to rescue people. I think Ari Levinson and his group are the real heroes, also people that we never talk about. And they actually made a difference. At least to the many refugees that manage to find a safe haven because of them.
The film has a heavy theme, but manages to have some light moments here and there. For example the moment where they have to actually work in the hotel, when a group of tourists unexpectedly arrives. And there is a great montage in the film that shows how they manage to run a hotel as well as saving the refugees.
I think stories like this should never stay untold. And the perfect way is through film, because you will reach a big audience. I really loved this film, it’s a very solid movie.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 149: The Walk

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 122 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Guillaume Baillargeon, Émilie Leclerc, Mark Trafford, Inka Malovic, Lucas Ramaciere, Martin Lefebvre, Philippe Bertrand, Laurence Deschenes, Patricia Tulasne, Jean-Robert Bourdage, Sylvie Lemay, Sasha Dominique, Soleyman Pierini, Jade Kindar-Martin

Description: In 1974, high-wire artist Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) recruits a team of people to help him realize his dream: to walk the immense void between the World Trade Center towers.

Review: A good 3D camera is all you need. When high-wire artist Philippe Petit walks on a rope between the Twin Towers and you look over the edge of the building, the images give you vertigo. This movie is definitely a movie experience while watching it on the big screen, but you can still feel it when you’re watching it at home.
The movie builds up to the climax at the end: the actual walk. We meet Philippe and his big dream of making the impossible possible. We see how he shows his acrobatic tricks in Paris, but how he wants to go to New York to do something much bigger.
If you saw the documentary “Man on Wire”, you know the story. What Petit did and what his drive was. He is an interesting man and it’s great to get to know him in “The Walk”. The film is good, but the final act is sublime. I was on the edge of my seat at all times and loved it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt performed wonderfully. It’s easy for an American to mess up a fake French accents, but he pulled it off. Levitt made Petit a likeable and intriguing figure. It shows he was very dedicated to this role.
“The Walk” is a very good film, I highly enjoyed it. Just for that final act alone.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 98: Sexy Beast

Director: Jonathan Glazer
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 89 minutes
Year: 2000
Starring: Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, Ian McShane, Amanda Redman, James Fox, Cavan Kendall, Julianne White, Álvaro Monje, Robert Atiko, Nives del Amo Oruet, Enrique Alemán Fabrega, Gérard Barray, José Maria Cano Ramos, Desirée Erasmus, Santiago Frias Munoz

Description: Brutal gangster Don Logan (Ben Kingsley) recruits "retired" safecracker Gal (Ray Winstone) for one last job, but it goes badly for both of them.

Review: Some movies have a villain you will remember fort he rest of your life. “Star Wars” had Darth Vader, “Batman” had the Joker and “The Silence of the Lambs” had Hannibal Lecter. Well, “Sexy Beast" also has a villain like that: Don Logan, brilliantly portrayed by Ben Kingsley. Don is from England and travels to Spain to visit Gal. Gal is a retired gangster, who is now enjoying the sun, his wife and Spanish food. In the first scene we see Gal baking in the sun, at the edge of his pool. When he gets up a giant boulder roles down a hill and nearly hits him. This boulder is a metaphore for Don coming into his life. Don tries to convince Gal to do one more job back in England. Well, convince, Don tells him he has to do it. The fact that Gal is retired and doesn’t want to, doesn’t matter to Don. And Don is not the kind of man you say no to.
What makes “Sexy Beast” so great is the threat of violence, instead of the vilence itself. Without even touching a gun, Don is capable of terrorizing a room filled with people. Simply with a cold look and unpredictable attitude. At one point Don seems rational and has it all under control, but in an instant he explodes in anger. Don is a ticking timebomb. Ben Kingsley does a fantastic job. But also Ray Winstone, who is actually the leading man in “Sexy Beast”. He is more timid, but forms a great contrast with Don’s character.
The script is strong and has some dark humor here and there. But it’s mostly the great acting by Ben Kingsley that stays with you.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 59: The Jungle Book

Director: Jon Favreau
Genre: Adventure/ Drama/ Fantasy
Runtime: 105 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o, Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken, Garry Shandling, Giancarlo Esposito

Description: The man-cub Mowgli (Neel Sethi) flees the jungle after a threat from the tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba). Guided by Bagheera the panther (Ben Kingsley) and the bear Baloo (Bill Murray), Mowgli embarks on a journey of self-discovery, though he also meets creatures who don't have his best interests at heart.

Review: Director Jon Favreau believed that an animated classic could profit from the modern film techniques. And he was right. With “The Jungle Book” he made one of the most technological advanced remakes.
People were afraid that the animals would sound too human, but it doesn’t. Where the original Disney animation mixed the animals with human stereotypes, this version shows a much more realistic perspective. Elephants are seen as mighty creatures and all the animals kept their animalistic behavior. Fire, tools and people are seen as unnatural, which brings Shere Khan to hunting down Mowgli. The way Shere Khan, Kaa or King Louie respond to humanity, you don’t just see an animal that can talk. You seen actual characters.
The film has a very adult feel to it. The moments where Baloo and Bagheera collide as worried guardians, with complete different ideologies, are the best. Both life lessons aren’t forced. And along the way there are more animals that are trying to influence Mowgli.
The cast is perfect. Scarlett Johansson and Christopher Walken have fun supporting roles. Both impressive. Ben Kingsley voices Bagheera, who is perfect as the wise panther. But the best roles are for Bill Murray and Idris Elba. The tiger Shere Khan doesn’t only impress because of his calmth and arrogance, but his motivation and temper are also understandable. Bill Murray is the exact opposite as the somewhat laid back and nobel bear Baloo. These two character keep the film balanced.
The only human in the film is Mowgli, played by Neel Sethy. It’s his debut and he does a very good job.
If I were a kid and saw this version of “The Jungle Book”, I wouldn’t stop talking about it. But I’m an adult and I feel exactly the same. This is the best adaptation of the story I ever saw, even better then the animation. Jon Favreau managed to make it a perfect family film, without being to childish or to scary for kids. And it was great from beginning to end, it didn’t have a dull moment. I loved “The Jungle Book”!

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 163: Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

Director: Shawn Levy

Genre: Comedy/ Adventure/ Fantasy/ Family

Runtime: 98 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Dan Stevens, Rebel Wilson, Rami Malek, Ben Kingsley, Dick van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Boll Cobbs

Description: Larry (Ben Stiller) spans the globe, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever.

Review: In the newest adventure of night guard Larry Daley, the magical tablet has some malfunction. He has to find a solution to stop the corrosion on the tablet, else the magic of the museum will be gone. This leads him to a London museum, the only place the tablet can be fixed. This brings us some of the old characters we know from the previous two movies, but also some new characters. And the group being chased by yet another dinosaur skeleton isn’t very original.

The most painful jokes come from the Neanderthal Laa, who is the spitting image of Larry. It’s a second character played by Ben Stiller. It’s such a ridiculous role and it’s just not funny at all.

It’s clear that “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb” is targeting a younger audience. It’s much of the same, director Shawn Levy didn’t change the formula. Where “Night at the Museum” was original, refreshing and fun, this third installment clearly isn’t.

Rating: 2/ 5

Movie Tip #44 - Shutter Island

Director: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer, Max von Sydow, Jackie Earle Haley

Description: 1954. U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island.

Review: We all know that all the films Scorcese made with DiCaprio kinda turn into gold. So does this one. "Shutter Island" is one of those thrillers that literally messes with your head. It seems like a standard story, a crazy escapee that they have to track down. But nothing is as it seems. You don't know who to trust and what actually is going on on that creepy island. DiCaprio delivers a nice, strong performance and so does Ben Kingsley. His character surprised me the most, because he turned out to be someone completely different than I thought he would be. Emily Mortimer, Michelle Williams and Mark Ruffalo also know how to draw the attention of the audience. I think this is one of the best ensemble casts of the year. All in all this is a very intriguing psychological thriller, that actually gets you to think and I realize that there aren't a lot of movies like this anymore. A truly unique and well written story (a novel by Dennis Lehane) directed by a true genius and performed by a strong cast. Two thumbs up!