Netflix Friday - Volume 32

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: Colombiana (2011)
A young woman (Zoe Saldana), after witnessing her parents’ murder as child in Bogota, grows up to be a stone-cold assassin.
 

Drama: To the Bone (2017)
A young woman (Lily Collins), dealing with anorexia, meets and unconventional doctor (Keanu Reeves) who challenges her to face her condition and embrace life.
 

Comedy: Ted (2012)
John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), a man whose childhoof wish of bringin his teddy bear to life came true, now must decided between keeping the relationship with the bear Ted (Seth McFarlane) or his girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis).
 

Animation: Animal Crackers (2017)
A family must use a magical box of Animal Crackers to save a run-down circus from being taken over by their evil uncle Horatio P. Huntington (Ian McKellen)
 

Romance: Before We Go (2014)
Two strangers (Chris Evans, Alive Eve) stuck in Manhattan for the night grow into each other’s most trusted confidants when an evening of unexpected adventure forces them to confront their fears and take control of their lives.
 

Horror: The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Five friends go for a break at a remote cabin, there they get more than they bargained for, discovering the truth behind the cabin in the woods.
 

Science Fiction: Gravity (2013)
Two astronauts (Sandra Bullock, George Clooney) work together to survive after and accident leaves them stranded in space.
 

Crime: Brooklyn’s Finest (2009)
Three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location after enduring vastly different career paths.
 

Thriller: Identity (2003)
Stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rain storm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they’re being killed off one by one.
 

Documentary: The Last Dance (2020)
Charting the rise of the 1990s Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, one of the most notable dynasties in sports history.
 

Family: Nanny McPhee (2005)
A governess (Emma Thompson) uses magic to rein the behavior of seven ne’er-do-well children in her charge.
 

Top 5 Thursday: Movies I Watched for My Challenge (April 2015)

April wasn’t good to me. I didn’t watch that many new movies this month and I also didn’t see a lot of really good films either. But I did manage to make a top 5. Here are my favorite movies I watched this month for my challenge.

5. Nightmares and Dreamscapes

This wasn’t just one movie, it was a series of eight short films based on stories by Stephen King. Especially the stories with William Hurt, William H. Macy and Tom Berenger were really good. A fun time!

 

 

4. Brooklyn’s Finest

The fact that it was the same director as “Training Day” made me watch this movie. I enjoyed it, I always like movies with multiple storylines. Richard Gere did a good job, he showed us a different side of himself.

 

 

3. Oculus

I thought it was going to be another one of those cheesy horror flicks with a haunted house. Well, it was better than that. The acting was great, especially Katee Sackhoff. The movie had some good jump scares and was pretty clever. It surprised me.

 

 

2. An American Werewolf in London

A horror cult classic. I can’t believe I hadn’t seen it before. That transformation scene really amazed me, it looks so good. Especially for that time. It’s a great horror movie with humor here and there.

 

 

1. Avengers: Age of Ultron

This was one of the movies I was really looking forward to this year. And it didn’t disappoint me at all. I prefer the first, but only a little bit. Wonderful action sequences, vibrant characters and great acting. I want to see it again, right now actually…

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Divergent, The Expendables 3

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 46: Brooklyn's Finest

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller

Runtime: 132 minutes

Year: 2009

Starring: Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lili Taylor, Will Patton, Ellen Barkin, Jesse Williams, Logan Marshall-Green

Description: Three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location after enduring vastly different career paths.

Review: Antoine Fuqua showed us the tough reality of cops and the street life in “Training Day”. Ethan Hawke, who was also in “Training Day”, stars in “Brooklyn’s Finest, together with Richard Gere and Don Cheadle. It’s a cop drama, but not standard: violent, without compromise and gritty as hell.

The effective intro sets the mood. The movie opens with criminal Carlo and cop Sal, in a parked car. The conversation isn’t important, but you can conclude that Sal needs money. He breaks the law for that. Then we meet cop Eddie, who wakes up and drinks a glass of whiskey right before he is about to start the last seven days of being a cop. Last we meet undercover cop Tango who, while driving a BMW, enters an apartment in the projects in Brooklyn with some gang members. It appears that a young dealer has just been shot by a cop.

This is the setup to the film and we shift between those three storylines. We follow them for a week and sometimes the stories intertwine. It gives you better insights in all the characters. For instance Sal, who needs to support his five children, and two on the way. Everyday there is the temptation of taking drug money that is found at the scene of the crime. Sal starts to take more risks. Ethan Hawke really impresses in his role. Eddie is set to pass on his experience to some new rookies. Richard Gere plays his role very subtle, he is a broken man. I liked seeing Gere in a role like this. Don Cheadle is undercover detective Tango and probably has the most interesting role. He managed to infiltrate and become friends with local drug lord Caz, played by Wesley Snipes. He is on the point of a break through and a promotion, so he can say goodbye to being an undercover agent. But his connection with Caz make the thin line between good and bad even thinner.

“Brooklyn’s Finest” is an above average cop drama, that doesn’t succeed because of its plot, but because of the strong cast and the anguished atmosphere. It’s an overlooked movie, that deserves more credit.

Rating: 3,5/ 5