00s Movie Review - In Bruges

Director: Martin McDonagh
Genre: Comedy/ Crime/ Action
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes, Brendan Gleeson, Clémence Poésy, Thekla Reuten

Description: Guilt-stricken after a job gone wrong, hitman Ray (Colin Farrell) and his partner (Brendan Gleeson) await orders from their ruthless boss (Ralph Fiennes) in Bruges, Belgium, the last place in the world Ray wants to be.

Review: The movie starts confusing. A hit gone wrong, we overhear a phone conversation, the person in question has to hide in Bruges. We hear an Irish accents, IRA maybe? What kind of movies is it going to be? And medieval Bruges doesn’t look like the setting for a gangster movie. Then the dialogue between leading characters Ray and Ken starts. Like Vincent and Jules from “Pulp Fiction” they talk a lot and nothing seems to happen. Until Ray meets a girl and Ken gets a phone call from their boss Harry.
In the story that follows, the pieces of the puzzle fall in its place. Why they are in Bruges, what happened and what is going to happen. That build-up at the start seems perfect now, because we understand the characters and their motives. The way to the climax is long and the characters are important for the decisions they will make.
That’s how you build the tension and this is how a movie’s credibility stays up. Martin McDonagh, who directs but also wrote the script, takes us on a winding road. The power of the film is the well written script. But also the cast. Especially Colin Farrell is challenged, for doing something he isn’t used to doing. Farrell’s character is developed and has depth. His best role so far. And Ralph Fiennes is great as boss Harry. With his cockney accent he portrays one of the most hilarious villains, without ever getting ridiculous or forgetting that he is a serious villain.
It’s a special gangster film, on a wonderful location, great cast and a very well written script. It’s not a happy film, but there is enough humor to it. It’s a surprising, lively movie.

Rating: 5/ 5
 

Movie Review - Tenet

Director: Christopher Nolan
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 150 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Clémence Poésy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kenneth Branagh, Michael Caine

Description: Armed with only one word, Tenet, and fighting for the survival of the wntire world, a Protagonist (John David Washington) journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.

Review: That Christopher Nolan would one day make a film about time travel was of course a matter of time (no pun intended). When early in “Tenet” a simple clock is turned back an hour, it seems like a conscious wink from the always time juggling filmmaker. But you can also see it as an indication that the time travel rules used will be a bit more complex than turning back the clock. The general gimmick is presented relatively quickly: a reversed experience of time. Since Nolan’s oeuvre can be summarized as an intellectual puzzle of macho subjects, we should not be surprised that this concept is explained by a means of a pistol: as a shot, bullets are not fired, but go back into the firearm. But this technology also appears to be applicable to people, with all its complications.
Now Christopher Nolan is far from being the first to use such a narrative element. Tenet are consistently in reverse mode. In their own experience they do everything normal, but anyone who moves forward in time sees them walking backwards and hears them talking backwards (lost me yet?).
“Tenet” is in everything a pure Nolan film: a grand action spectacle about well-dressed men who deal with serious matters, seasoned with bombastic music and well-crafted stunts, wrapped up in a complex puzzle. But while Nolan still managed to put all these elements perfectly to his hand in “Inception”, this time he may have overplayed his hand a little. This way, the difficulty has been increased to such an extent that after a while t becomes difficult to connect al the plot points. The time travel aspect would suffice for a complex narrative, but “Tenet” has been set up as a spy thriller full of shadowy players and double agendas, which doesn’t exactly make it easier to understand. A war between the present and the future? Such ambition compels admiration, but it’s likely that the viewers gradually loses sight of exactly what’s at stake.  
The film becomes a lot easier to watch when the spy plot is released slightly and is used more on the time travel elements. The it turns out that the complexity is not much greater than that of a time travel movie “Déjà Vu”. Although Nolan makes sure that the viewers will have to keep puzzling until the end.

The film has some amazing scenes, like a car chase scene or a fight scene between two people who experience each time in a different way.
You might say that Nolan was over-ambitious and over-complicated this film. For me, the complexity of the film is reason enough to rewatch “Tenet” someday, because I really want to fully understand this film. It’s a beautiful looking movie, with a formula that is starting to show some cracks, but even a Nolan film that isn’t perfect, is still worth watching.

Rating: 4 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 90: Mr. Morgan's Last Love

Director: Sandra Nettelbeck

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 116 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Michael Caine, Clémence Poésy, Justin Kirk, Jane Alexander, Gillian Anderson

Description: A look at the life-changing connection between the retired and widowed American philosophy professor Matthew Morgan (Michael Caine) and the young Parisian woman Pauline (Clémence Poésy).

Review: Life has lost its appeal for Matthew, living in Paris alone with his kids and grandkids on the other side of the world. But while taking the bus one day, his life changes. He meets the young Pauline, who walks him home. In the days that follow, Matthew and Pauline meet again and he takes part in one of her dance classes. The base for an extraordinary friendship is formed. Pauline is an orphan and feels a father-daughter connection when she is around Matthew. And Pauline reminds Matthew of his deceased wife.

“Mr. Morgan’s Last Love” is a heartwarming dramedy, based on the book “La Douceur Assassine”. If you love Paris, this movie shows us this beautiful city in the fall. The relationship between Pauline and Matthew is just as complex as it is simple. There is a deep friendship between the two and it’s completely believable. Michael Caine is touching as Matthew, who is trying his best to speak French but hardly ever succeeds. His young opponent Clémence Poésy portrays Pauline as a gentle, kindhearted, positive and sincere woman, with the believe that there is something good in every person. She can really put a smile on your face.

You really relate to the characters, but some parts where a bit rushed. The connection between Morgan’s son Miles and Pauline for instance. You can see it coming, but the build up to the moment isn’t executed the right way. And so is the reconciliation between Matthew and Miles. It all feels a bit rushed.

The movie only has some minor faults, but overall it’s a beautiful film full of heart. There is just something about this city that always warms my heart.

Rating: 4/ 5