10s Movie Review - This is 40

Director: Judd Apatow
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 134 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Chris O’Dowd, Megan Fox, John Lithgow, Albert Brooks, Maude Apatow, Iris Apatow, Jason Segel, Lena Dunham

Description: Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) are both about to turn 40, their kids hate each other, both of their business are failing, they’re on the verge of losing their house, and their relationship is threatening to fall apart.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 38: A FILM WITH LESLIE MANN
 
Review: “This is 40” is a personal dramedy by Judd Apatow, a spin-off of “Knocked Up”, which explores the life of a couple that is about to turn 40.

Although my life is very far from theirs, many things are relatable when it comes to turning 40. The film show everyday family life with honesty and doesn’t shy away from topics like the struggles of parenthood, financial issues and relationships.

It is a comedy and it does have some really fun moments, many of the humor feels a bit juvenile and tasteless. Also, the film is over two hours long, which is way too long for a comedy like this.

I think the film is a mixed bag. I like the relatability of the film, and Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann are really good together. But the runtime is too long, and some of the jokes are questionable.

Rating: 3/ 5

Black Mirror Episodes Ranked - Season 7

“Black Mirror” is an anthology series exploring a twisted, high-tec multiverse where humanity’s greatest innovations and darkest instincts collide. The show is known for the twists and how technology can sometimes be pretty scary. Season 7 was just released on Netflix and I’m ranking all six episodes. And this was a really strong season.

6. Hotel Reverie
Director: Haolu Wang
Starring: Issa Rae, Emma Corrin, Akwafina, Harriet Walter, Elliot Barnes-Worrell, Enzo Cilento
Description: A high-tech, unusually immersive remake of a vintage British film sends Hollywood A-list star Brandy Friday (Issa Rae) into another dimension, where she must stick to the script if she ever wants to make it home.
Review: Using modern-day technology to recreate an old classic movie, and an actress looking for her next big film. And of course things go completely wrong. It’s a very creative idea, however the episode is way too long and did not manage to keep my attention the entire time. Still a good episode, but my least favorite of the season.
 

5. Plaything
Director: David Slade
Starring: Peter Capaldi, Will Poulter, Lewis Gribben, James Nelson-Joyce, Michelle Austin
Description: In a near-future London, an eccentric murder suspect (Peter Capaldi) is linked to an unusual video game from the 1990s – a game populated by cute, evolving artificial lifeforms.
Review: During an interrogation, a man arrested for shoplifting, tells his story. This is a sequel to the film “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” and again revolves around a video game. “Plaything” is a very cynical take on technology and has plenty to say about human nature. This feels more like an old-fashioned “Black Mirror” episode. Where “Hotel Reverie” felt too long, “Plaything” could use a few extra minutes. But I did love the ending though.
 

4. Běte Noire
Director: Toby Haynes
Starring: Siena Kelly, Rosy McEwen, Michael Workeye, Hannah Griffiths, Ben Asheden, Amber Grappy,
Description: Confectionary whizz kid Maria (Siena Kelly) is unnerved when her former schoolmate Verity (Rosy McEwen) joins the company she works at – because there’s something altogether odd about Verity, something only Maria seems to notice.
Review: This episode has a great build-up, where we see how Maria is going from the strongest asset in her company hitting rock bottom. We feel what she feels, because we know she is telling the truth. But strange things seem to be happening and there is no explanation for these events. She, and also the audience, suspect that Verity has something to do with it. Because it all started when she joined the company. The plot twists are well put together, but the ending is way too abrupt.
 

3. Eulogy
Director: Christoper Barrett, Luke Taylor
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Patsy Ferran
Description: An isolated man (Paul Giamatti) is introduced to a groundbreaking system that allow its users to literally step inside old photographs – stirring powerful emotions in the process.
Review: Philip gets a call from a company called Eulogy, who collects memories for funerals. With the help of a virtual guide, he thinks back to a woman who was once very important to him. “Eulogy” is masterful. The idea is very original and the plot is not far-fetched. The surprised in the story are believable. This is also an episode that is mostly about the acting. And Paul Giamatti is amazing, as a man is is confronted by his past.
 

2. USS Callister: Into Infinity
Director: Toby Haynes
Starring: Cristin Milioti, Jimmi Simpson, Billy Magnussen, Osy Ikhile, Milanka Brooks, Jesse Plemons, Paul G. Raymond
Description: Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons) is dead, but now the crew of the USS Callister – led by Captain Nanette Cole (Cristin Milioti) – are stranded in an infinite virtual universe, fighting for survival  against 30 million players.
Review: Season 7 had another sequel. “USS Callister” is still one of the most popular episodes of “Black Mirror” and a fan favorite. And this sequel, “USS Callister: Into Infinity”, continues where the original story ended. A deragned programmer had stuffed clones of his colleagues into a computer game and these clones must now survive in a giant online game. “USS Callister: Into Infinity” should only be seen if you liked the first part and want to know how the story ends. I loved this episode, and it still had some cool twists and turns. Not as good as the original episode, which is also an all-time favorite of mine, but a worthy sequel.
 

1. Common People
Director: Ally Pankiw
Starring: Chris O’Dowd, Rashida Jones, Tracee Ellis Ross
Description: When a medical emergency leaves schoolteacher Amanda (Rashida Jones) fighting for her life, her desperate husband Mike (Chris O’Dowd) signs her up for Rivermind, a high-tech system that will keep her alive.
Review: Without a doubt the best episode of season 7. When Mike decides to save Amanda’s life by signing up with Rivermind, because it was literally the only option to keep her alive, the couple become dependent on the healthcare system. “Common People” is a sharp satire on the American health care system in which making money is more important than someone’s actual health. The first episode of the season and  nothing beat it. It’s also one of the best “Black Mirror” episodes ever.
 
What did you think of season 7 and which episode was the stand-out for you?

Movie Review - Slumberland

Director: Francis Lawrence
Genre: Family/ Adventure
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Marlow Barkley, Jason Momoa, Chris O’Dowd, Kyle Chandler, Weruche Opia, India de Beaufort
 
Description: A young girl (Marlow Barkley) discovers a secret map to the dreamworld Slumberland, and with the help of an eccentric outlaw (Jason Momoa), she traverses dreams and flees nightmares, with the hope that she will be able to see her late father (Kyle Chandler) again.
 
Review: In “Slumberland”, we follow hermit daughter Nemo, who after her father’s sudden death is sent to her uncle Philip in the city where she discovers that her father’s robber stories were not made up. Together with her father’s robber buddy Flip, Nemo travels through Slumberland to the Sea of Nightmares in search of a magical pearl.

Slumberland is the land you enter when you fall asleep and consists of a dream made especially for you. However, Nemo’s father and Flip have stolen a map that gives them access to not only their own dreams, but also the dreams of others. Agent Green has been chasing Flip for years because of the stolen map, and Nemo herself is found to have a deadly nightmare hunting her. These factors are gradually introduced in the first strange dreams in which Flip and Nemo find themselves.

Despite the excessive use of CGI in the dream world, the film remains entertaining because of the excellent characters. Each character has an entirely unique personality that, with the exception of Flip, are all highly entertaining. For example, Nemo is a wonderfully smart eleven-year-old and Philip is a delightfully awkward doorknob salesman. Flip is the character I liked the least, because although he is the good guy and played with charm by Jason Momoa, his physical humor is not nearly as entertaining as the film seems to think. Just too much time, especially in the first hour, is spent on Flip’s uninteresting rambling though the dream world.

Nemo and her little friend Pig are definitely the stars of the film, with Philip becoming a character you come to understand more once you get to know him better. And I love what they did with his character. He is a more important character then you might think.

“Slumberland” is a family fantasy film with extra layers, that can be enjoyed with the entire family.

Rating: 3, 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 36: St. Vincent

Director: Theodore Melfi

Genre: Comedy/ Drama

Runtime: 102 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Chris O’Dowd, Terrence Howard, Jaeden Lieberher

Description: The young Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher) whose parents have just divorced finds an unlikely friend and mentor in the misanthropic, bawdy, hedonistic war veteran Vincent (Bill Murray) who lives next door.

Review: “St. Vincent” is the directorial debut of Theodore Melfi and is about saints that are closer than you think. It can be your mom, a teacher or a friend. Or someone who doesn’t act like one at first sight. Vincent likes his booze and gambles away his savings. He isn’t very fond of people. This grumpy man has gambling debts and doesn’t have empathic feelings. The only person he has any affection for is Daka, a so called ‘lady of the night’.

When single mom Maggie and her son Oliver move into next door, Vincent’s life takes a different turn. He starts babysitting Oliver, when Maggie has to work long hours at the hospital. Vincent teaches Oliver lessons in a very unconventional way, by taking him to the race track, the local strip club and a bar. And also to ‘Sunny Side’, the home where his demented wife Sandy lives. The two develop an unlikely friendship.

The story may not be that original: a grumpy man befriending a kid. Bill Murray makes it into something special. His role is remarkable and unique, this is why I like Bill Murray. Naomi Watts portrays Daka with a big heart, also a very good performance by her. And it’s good to see Melissa McCarthy in a more modest role. Also a very funny small role for Chris O’Dowd, as Brother Geraghty. And the young Oliver is played by Jaeden Lieberher, the one with probably the most sense. Good role by him too.

“St. Vincent” has a good combination of comedy and drama, great performance and it’s easy to watch. Seriously, not watching it is a sin.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Hollywood's Best Chris

My favorite Chris is my friend Chris, but when it comes to Hollywood, there are a lot of men called Chris that I really like and love. Here is a list of my favorites (not including Christian, Christopher, etc.).

 

5. Chris O’Dowd

I first saw him on “The IT-Crowd” and I thought he was hilarious. Now he’s getting more movie roles like in “The Boat that Rocked”, “Bridesmaids” and “Cuban Fury”. Still waiting for that leading role though.

 

 

4. Chris Pine

Now he has played Prince Charming in ”Into the Woods”, he’s definitely one of the most desirable men in Hollywood. But he has been in some amazing movies. Off course as Captain James T. Kirk in the “Star Trek” reboot, but also in action movies ”Unstoppable” and “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” and I loved the pretty unknown “People Like Us”.

 

 

3. Chris Evans

Chris Evans plays my favourite Marvel superhero and I loved both Captain America movies. And what about “The Avengers”. And wasn’t “Snowpiercer” a very underrated movie? And Chris Evans has a killer smile!

 

 

2. Chris Pratt

Chris Pratt is all over the place. We already loved him in “Parks & Recreation”, but he has done some great movies. “Zero Dark Thirty”, “Her”, “The Lego Movie” and of course “Guardians of the Galaxy”. Can’t wait to see him in “Jurassic World and he is even rumoured to play Indiana Jones.

 

 

1. Chris Hemsworth

Chris Hemsworth is my favourite Chris for so many reasons. He is Thor, which is awesome. He was in one of the most surprising horror movies f the past 10 years, being “Cabin in the Woods”. His performance in “Rush” was award worthy and it was one of my favourite movies of 2013. He was also in “The Avengers” and I actually liked “Snow White and the Huntsman”. Can’t wait to see him in “In the Heart of the Sea”. And off course Chris Hemsworth is super-hot!

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Chris Rock

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 109: Cuban Fury

Director: James Griffiths

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 98 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Nick Frost, Rashida Jones, Chris O’Dowd, Olivia Colman, Ian McShane

Description: Beneath Bruce Garrett's (Nick Frost) under-confident, overweight exterior, the passionate heart of a salsa king lies dormant. Now, one woman (Rashida Jones) is about to reignite his Latin fire.

Review: Sometimes you’re just looking for a fun movie, but you get a lot more. Something unexpected. “Cuban Fury” has a lot of clichés, but because of its energy and the endearing Nick Frost, the movie gives smiles from ear to ear.

Nick Frost plays Bruce, who was a successful salsa dancer as a child. Because of an unpleasant encounter with bullies, Bruce had sworn off dancing forever. Now, as an adult, he meets his beautiful new boss Julia. He finds out she has a passion for salsa dancing. Reason enough for Bruce to put on his dancing shoes again and win over her heart.

It’s fantastic how director Griffiths and his crew managed to turn this mediocre story into an enjoyable flick. De music is catchy, de montage is slick and the cinematography of the dance scenes is nicely done. But it’s the actors that make you love this movie. Nick Frost proofs that he doesn’t always need his buddy Simon Pegg to shine. He never overacts, while this normally would be the kind of movie for overacting. Rival Drew, played by Chris O’Dowd, and fellow salsa dancer Bejan are on the edge of overdoing it. Thanks to Frost.

The entertainment is there, it’s a lot of fun to watch Nick Frost shake his booty. Perfect movie for a fun night with your friends.

Rating: 3/ 5

In the Picture: The Characters from "Bridesmaids"

I recently saw this film. I'm a huge Kristen Wiig fan and this movie didn't disappoint me at all. Great humor, loved it. And the characters were awesome too. Here they are.

Annie Walker
Played by: Kristen Wiig
Annie is a single woman in her mid 30's. She had a bakery, which was her dream, but it didn't work and she had to close the store. She also lost her boyfriend and her savings and Annie has to work in a jewelry store to earn money. She is in a sexual relationship with Ted, who isn't looking for a commitment and who she doesn't level with whatsoever. Her friend Lilian is her only source of happiness.

Lillian
Played by: Maya Rudolph
Lillian and Annie have been best friends since childhood. They share everything together and Lillian asks Annie to be her maid of honor. Lillian also has a new friend, Helen, who she really connects with but on a different level than with Annie.

Rita
Played by: Wendi McLendon-Covey
Rita is a wife and mother of three boys. She's Lillian's cousin and all she wants is a little bit of adventure in her life. Rita hates her life as a mother and the fact that she has to have sex with the same guy everytime. She's very cynical and a brutaly honest.

Becca
Played by: Ellie Kemper
Becca is the complete opposite of Rita. Becca is a newlywed and went toe Disneyland for her honeymoon. She can't wait to have children and she loves the fact that there's only one man for her for the rest of her life.

Megan
Played by: Melissa McCarthy
Megan is Lillian's future sister-in-law and very raunchy. She literally doesn't care what other people think of her. She is very open about everything and not ashamed of anything. Megan may be raunchy, but she does have a heart of gold. When Annie is all alone, she shows up at her door.

Helen Harris III
Played by: Rose Byrne
Helen is Lillian's new friend and Annie sees her as her rival. Helen married a rich man, loves her luxury and has contacts with a lot of big names. Helen actually tries to interfere between Annie and Lillian and wants to be Lillian's new best friend. Eventually she manages to take over the maid of honor role and steals all of Annie's ideas which she didn't agree on in the first place.

Nathan Rhodes
Played by: Chris O'Dowd
Nathan is a police officer and a very kind and good hearted man. He pulls over Annie because of a broken taillight, but they starts flirting. Nathan is the one that tries to give Annie her love for baking back, which eventually works.

Favorite Character: Nathan Rhodes