90s Movie Review - The Shawshank Redemption

Director: Frank Darabont
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 142 minutes
Year: 1994
Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, Clancy Brown, James Whitmore, William Sadler, Gil Bellows

Description: Two imprisoned men, Andy (Tim Robbins) and Red (Morgan Freeman) bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.

Review: In Shawshank prison, the inmates are doing serious time. Through the eyes of prisoner Red, we follow the story of Andy Dufresne who comes to Shawshank in 1947 for murdering his wife and her lover. Red and Andy become friends. Based on a story by Stephen King, the life in prison is a metaphor to real society. The prisoners settle for a life at Shawshank, they stop dreaming so nothing can get worse than it already is. The big guys get their way no matter what. Off course there is always one guy that doesn’t care, in this case Andy Dufresne. He teaches his fellow inmates to read and makes them feel normal again.
Director Frank Darabont made the short Stephen King story into a fully length movie, with some differences and more detail. He captured it so well, it easily reaches the audience and it’s a film with real people instead of characters.
The acting is sublime. Never over-the-top, very timide yet convincing. The chemistry between Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman is amazing, you can feel it in every bone in your body. Their friendship is honest and heartfelt. Also Clancy Brown, as the relentless prison guard Hadley, and Bob Gunton, as warden Norton, are very strong in their roles.
This movie really took my breath away when I first saw it, and still after watching it so many times it does that exact same thing. Only a perfect movie can do that. A great story, fantastic acting, beautiful music and off course that great scene (we all know it). For me still the best movie in the books.

Rating: 5/ 5

90s Movie Review - Dolores Claiborne

Director: Taylor Hackford
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 1995
Starring: Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Plummer, David Strathairn, Bob Gunton, John C. Reilly

Description: A big-city reporter (Jennifer Jason Leigh) travels to the small town where her mother (Kathy Bates) has been arrested for the murder of an elderly woman that she works for as a maid.

Review: On stage she won prize after prize, but Hollywood found her too fat. But there was help. Master of horror Stephen King offered Kathy Bates the role of a lifetime in “Misery”. An Oscar for that role and several memorable roles later, Bates gives away another great performance in yet another Stephen King adapted film.
Dolores Claiborne worked for a demanding rich lady for years. When this woman, Vera, is found dead at the bottom of the stairs, Dolores is the main suspect. This accusation brings home her estranged daughter Selena, who works as a journalist now. And the past they usually won’t speak off, comes out.
It’s a strong mystery thriller, with a good focus on the bond between Dolores and her daughter Selena. Kathy Bates is again very solid in her performance. She overshadows all the other actors. Jennifer Jason Leigh is also very strong.
“Dolores Claiborne” is one of King’s better adaptations.

Rating: 4 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 114: Runner Runner

Director: Brad Furman
Genre: Thriller/ Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 88 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Justin Timberlake, Gemma Arterton, Ben Affleck, Anthony Mackie, John Heard, Bob Gunton

Description: When a poor college student (Justin Timberlake) who cracks an online poker game goes bust, he arranges a face-to-face with the man (Ben Affleck) he thinks cheated him, a sly offshore entrepreneur.

Review: In 2011 director Brad Furman scored unexpectedly with “The Lincoln Lawyer”, a strong thriller that boosted Matthew McConaughey’s career. The follow up movie “Runner Runner” is ambitious, but misses inspiration and feels mediocre.
Richie Furst is an ambitious young student and is introduced to quick money, beautiful women and luxury. But off course he is not made for a world like that and it gets him into trouble. Richie is played by Justin Timberlake and the boss he has to face is Ben Affleck. To pay for his college Richie gets his money by gambling online. But one day, he gambles it all away and he feels like he was cheated. Richie decides to find the man behind the website, Ivan Block, who lives in Costa Rica.
The way the story goes is very farfetched and feels illogical. The movie does have a good pace at the beginning. But the movie collapses pretty quickly. The movie is filled with clichés. And the acting isn’t all that great either. Justin Timberlake is not a good actor, especially not for a leading role like this.Ben Affleck I was never a fan of and in “Runner Runner” he didn’t win me over. Gemma Arterton has the thankless job to play the woman between the two men, when she has so much more to offer as an actress. And Anthony Mackie is also underused.
With all that, “Runner Runner” is extremely predictable. You just know what’s going to happen and you don’t really care either. “Runner Runner” is a mediocre thriller, that I will forget in an instant. Forgotten!

Rating: 2/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 14: Argo

Director: Ben Affleck

Genre: Drama/ Thriller

Runtime: 120 minutes

Year: 2012

Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Scoot McNairy, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Kerry Bishé, Kyle Chandler, Chris Messina, Zeljko Ivanek, Titus Welliver, Keith Szarabajka, Bob Gunton, Richard Kind, Richard Dillane, Omid Abtaho, Page Leong, Farshad, Cea DuVall, Sheila Vand, Ryan Ahern, Bill Tangradi, Jamie McShane, Tate Donovan, Matthew Glave, Roberto Garcia Christopher Stanley

Description: Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent (Ben Affleck) launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1980.

Review: November 1979, Iranian students occupy the American embassy in Teheran, to enforce extradition of the Shah. Over fifty Americans were taking hostage and were released after fourteen days, after the Shah died. Six embassy staff members did manage to flee on that same day to the Canadian embassy. With a science fiction movie as a cover, they managed to escape after three months. In 1997, Bill Clinton released information about this mission, with a big role for CIA man Tony Mendez. This is a perfect story for a movie.

Director Ben Affleck choose Rodrigo Prieto as his cinematographer, who is known as the cameraman for Alejandro Gonzálex Iñárritu. This makes all the images authentic. This sets the film of to a good start and the thriller plot can develop. “Argo” looks perfect as a time period piece, with the characters constantly smoking, big glasses and televisions with buttons. In the second half of the film, the pace gets faster. This is a good thing. The movie is build slow and then picks up the pace.

“Argo” does have its weak points. Director Affleck is great, leading actor Affleck, who looks like Al Pacino in “Serpico”, doesn’t manage to convince you completely. As a CIA man he does, but the demons he has (drinking, failed fatherhood) don’t really reach the audience the way it should have. A strong opponent could have covered it up a bit, but the powerful performances are given by John Goodman and Alan Arkin, who have supporting roles.

I understand the success of “Argo”, it’s a true story about a heroic escape plan, and I liked it. The change of pace works well and Ben Affleck did a good job as a director. “Argo” is a good film.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 27: The Lincoln Lawyer

Director: Brad Furman
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2011
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Phillippe, Marisa Tomei, William H. Macy, John Leguizamo, Josh Lucas, Bob Gunton

Description: Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is a defense lawyer who works out of his Lincoln. When a wealthy realtor (Ryan Phillippe) is accused of assaulting a prostitute, Haller is asked to defend him. The man claims that the woman is trying to get some money out of him. But when Haller looks at the evidence against him, he learns that this case might be linked to an old case of his.

Review: Lawyer Mick Haller works alone and he does that from his luxury Lincoln with driver. He defends the biggest scumbags who are guilty, almost every time. When Mick gets the case of the wealthy realtor Louise Roulet, it’s anything but a walk in the park.
“The Lincoln Lawyer” is the adaptation of the book written by Michael Connelly. I have never been a fan of Matthew McConaughey, but I’m starting to like him a little bit more every day. He was perfectly cast as the slick and macho lawyer, who gets away with almost everything due to his charms.
If you think it’s an average court drama, think again. “The Lincoln Lawyer” has much more in store and has some really good thriller elements. Also the supporting roles of William H. Macy, Marisa Tomei and John Leguizamo where cast very well. Together with McConaughey they make sure this movie never loses its edge and stays exciting.
Although the start looks like it’s going to be predictable, the movie is very solid and I highly enjoyed it.

Rating: 4/ 5