Movie Review - Killers of the Flower Moon

Director: Martin Scorsese
Genre: Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 206 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Leonaro DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemmons, John Lithgow, Brendan Fraser
 
Description: When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one, until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.

Review: As if it were not enough that white immigrants drove out to Native American population, another tragedy occurred during the Interbellum/ Inter War. Oil was found in the state of Oklahoma. Bad luck for the white ‘new’ Americans that this mostly took place on Osage Nation lang, the reservations of the native population. A cruel solutions was found for that, by murdering them for their wealth and oil rights.

Veteran director Martin Scorsese uses nearly three and a half hours to tell this story, based on a book by David Grann. I don’t think many people know of this story and it’s good that Scorsese shines a light on this tragic story. The discovery of oil increased prosperity among Osage tribe. Thus the roles reversed and the white people have to serve them for a change. But the white Americans are not all acceptant of this fact.

One of these people is war veteran Ernest Burkhart. He is flat broke and handicapped by a major abdominal injury, so he can’t do heavy physical work. He knocks on the door of his uncle William Hale, who prefers to be addressed by the nickname King. Hale helps Ernest get a job as a cab driver. One of his regular customers is mollie, from the Osage and she has oil money.. Hale convinces Ernest to marry Mollie. Meanwhile, he sets in motion a plan to eliminate Mollie’s relatives.

Scorsese takes considerable time and invests primarily in the relationship between Ernest and Mollie. She and her sisters also understand what Ernest is about. But their relationship with each other is difficult to put into a sentence. There is indeed mutual love, despite the strong unspoken distrust between the two. Ernest, a rock-solid role by Leonardo DiCaprio, allows himself to be hugely influenced by his uncle, but feigns complete control.

Robert De Niro plays William Hale, who is known in the small town of Fairfax as a benefactor. He gets schools and hospitals built, but in reality turns out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. When stealing money and valuables no longer suffices, he does not shy away from more rigorous measures. In fact, Hale is a classic movie villain, but De Nito manages to put a lot of nuance and shades of gray into his character. Hale is a character that really existed.

Lily Galdstone, who plays Ernest’s wife Mollie, left a deep impression on me. She is a new to me actress and she stands tall between big names like DiCaprio and De Niro.

“Killers of the Flower moon” paints a period picture in an unparalleled way that also shines a different light on many other westerns. It combines drama and crime with historical evens such as the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and the creation of the FBI. Moreover, Scorsese’s camera team captures it beautifully. Over two hundred minutes seems very like, but time flies by. That’s when you know Scorsese did it again, he made yet another movie to proud of.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Review - The Whale

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Samantha Morton, Ty Simpkins
 
I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 20: A MOVIE THAT MAKES PEOPLE CRY
 
Description: A reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher (Brendan Fraser) attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter (Sadie Sink).

Review: Charlie is obese and, due to deteriorating health, wants to make one more attempt to make amends with his estranged daughter Ellie. He is severely obese and can barely move around his own house. As a result, “The Whale” plays out only within these enclosed walls.

Brendan Fraser gives “The Whale” a heart and soul. He needs to be in the middle and knows exactly how to hit that spot, making his acting even more impressive. Indeed, it’s difficult to look at Charlie: he is dirty, sweaty, severely obese and he goes on eating unhealthy food. This makes it somewhat difficult to elicit sympathy for him. Because how can you sympathize with a man who won’t let himself be helped?

The film balances this by, on the other hand, providing Charlie with a good character. Someone who sees the positive in you and wants to help other people as far as is still possible in his situation. Because of his poor health, he wants one mor chance to make amends with his estranged daughter Ellie. Director Darren Aronofsky gives Ellie anger and pain and that comes from a place of frustration and disbelief; slowly she must realize that her father does not have long to live. Their dialogues together are vulnerable and the of the film is abrupt. Yet this works.

“The Whale” works because the film deals with this intense subject unbiasedly. For example, we never find out why Charlie does not seek outside help and just continues to live unhealthy. The “why” is not important here. The continuing theme is about the choices you make, how they affect others and the consequences they have. That you still sympathize with Charlie in the end proves that the film possesses a strong emotional core.

The film is based on a play, which is very noticeable. The film feels a lot like a play. It’s a gripping movie, with fantastic performances by Sadie Sink and Hong Chau, but especially Brendan Fraser, who won a well-deserved Academy Award for this role.

Rating: 3,5/ 5