20s Movie Review - Train Dreams

Director: Clint Bentley
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Joel Edgerton, William H. Macy, Felicity Jones, Kerry Condon, Clifton Collins Jr.

Description: Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton) is a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly changing America of the early 20^th Century.

Review: “Train Dreams” is one of those movies that came out in 2025 that hardly anyone saw, but is heartbreaking, poetic and visually stunning. A film about loneliness, loss and the transience of life.

We meet Robert Grainier, who works as a logger and railroad builder, helping to carve infrastructure through the rugged Pacific Northwest in the early 20^th Century. His life finds central meaning when he marries Gladys and they have a daughter, building a modest cabin in Idaho.

The film has emotional depth and is a film that will stay with you. It’s heartbreaking and forces you to think about what is truly important in life. Grief and loss are a big theme in this film. The pacing is a bit slow, but it fits the film and the story its telling.

The visuals are stunning, the images of nature and the landscape. It’s an essential part of the story.
Joel Edgerton, who plays Robert Grainier, I can only praise for this powerful performance. It’s one of his best.

The film is a Netflix original and you can stream it at home. And you should, more people should be talking about this movie, because it’s so beautiful.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Experiment

Director: Paul Scheuring
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 96 minutes
Year: 2010
Starring: Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker, Cam Gigandet, Clifton Collins Jr., Ethan Cohn, Fisher Stevens, Travis Fimmel, David Banner, Jason Lew, Damien Leake, Maggie Grace

Description: 26 men are chosen to participate in the roles of guards and prisoners in a psychological study that ultimately spirals out of control.

Review: The Stanford Prison Experiment was a psychological research that took place in August 1971. The research was led by Philip Zimbardo, psychologist and professor at Stanford University. Zimbardo wanted to investigate to what extent character traits influences the interaction between prisoners and guards. Zimbardo himself played the role of director. The ‘guards’ were given clothes that matched their status, as well as a police bat they were allowed to use. The ‘prisoners’ were given prison clothes and ankle cuffs, and their names were replaced by numbers.  
There were all kinds of rules the prisoners had to follow, the guards were allowed to use disciplinary measures, as long as they did not become violent. The test subjects were much more absorbed in their roles than Zimbardo expected, and a large number of guards showed sadistic traits. Even Zimbardo got carried away in his role as prison warden.
“The Experiment” remains partly faithful to the original experiment, and emphasizes the power and sadism the guards displayed. The main roles are played by Adrien Brody and Forest Whitaker. Brody is a pacifist who, as a prisoner, is forced to revise his pacifist ideas and Whitaker plays an apparently gentle man who soon turns out to be loving the power he gets.
The shaving of a rebellious prisoner “The Experiment”, just like “Das Experiment”, is based on the book Black Box by German writer Mario Giordano, but the effect is totally different. Hirschbiegel’s film is sibtly constructed, with a lot of attention for character development. The American film adaptation of Paul Scheuring looks more like an episode of “Prison Break”, and that’s not totally strange, since Scheuring is the big man behind the TV series. From the beginning “The Experiment” comes across as rather raw, and the film also goes beyond the original experiment. Personally I think this is a weakness, because Zimbardo’s experiment is interesting enough even without excessive violence.
Although the effect of the story is disappointing, the acting is good, especially Whitaker is sublime. Unfortunately, the script limits the actors in their possibilities and some characters are not given enough attention. For example, the romantic subplot is only partially worked out in the film, making the role of Maggie Grace irrelevant.
I wasn’t impressed by “The Experiment”.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

 

00s Movie Review - The Last Castle

Director: Rod Lurie
Genre: Drama/ Action/ Thriller
Runtime: 131 minutes
Year: 2001
Starring: Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo, Delroy Lindo, Clifton Collins Jr., Steve Burton, Robin Wright, George W. Scott

Description: A court-martialed General (Robert Redford) rallies together twelve hundred inmates to rise against a corrupt and sadistic warden (James Gandolfini).

Review: Eugene Irwin is a general who, through everything he has done for his country, has become a national hero. But by making one mistake he became a prisoner. Irwin must serve his sentence in the military prison ‘The Castle”, where Colonel Winter is in command. Irwin is brought in by Winter with the necessary respect. But when Irwin has his opinion about Winter’s collection of war weapons, it’s clear Irwin’s time is not going to be easy.
Irwin discovers that Winter enforces the concept of order and authority on the prisoners in a violent and manipulative way. At first, Irwin doesn’t want to interfere and just serve his sentence quietly. However, when Irwin stands up for the young soldier Aguilar, he is mercilessly punished by Winter. Irwin endures the ordeal with his head held high and thus gains more and more respect from his fellow inmates. After Aguilar is shot by one of the guards, Irwin can no longer ignore it and he takes control.
“The Last Castle” is a great film, combing impressive acting talent with spectacular action. It’s a captivating film, despite a high degree of predictability. The structure of the story is good, wonderful camera work and excellent performances by Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo and Delroy Lindo.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Reviews - The Mule

Director: Clint Eastwood
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Alison Eastwood, Dianne Wiest, Taissa Farmiga, Bradley Cooper, Michael Peña, Laurence Fishburne, Andy Garcia, Clifton Collins Jr.

Description: A 90-year-old horticulturist and Korean War veteran (Clint Eastwood) turns drug mule for a Mexican cartel.

Review: Clint Eastwood is almost 90 years old. In “The Mule” he looks vulnerable, but looking at him and listening to him never gets old. It’s like that characteristic look (pursed eyes, raised mouth corner, pained look on his face) has become more intense because of his age. Mumbling, cursing, snarling at the people that cross him, but he never explodes. Eastwood stays cool, even though it’s not like in his Dirty Harry days.
It’s the first time since “Gran Torino”, which marks my favorite Eastwood film, that he signs up for both directing and starring in the film. Walt Kowalski, who he played in “Gran Torino”, and his character in “The Mule”, Earl Stone, have a lot in common. Both conservative, grumpy Korean War veterans who look down at the foreigners in their neighborhoods.
“The Mule” is based on an article in The New York Times. People could read about a 90-year-old American man, that became a drug mule for a Mexican cartel. Eastwood and screenplay writer nick Schenk used this as their inspiration for this story about loyalty, neglect, regret and forgiveness. All these themes get attention and towards the end are finished off nicely. But midway they get lost a little bit and disappear into the background.
In this part of the film, the focus is on Earl Stone’s rides for the Mexican cartel. Because the happenings are repetitive – loading cocaine in the truck, drive it to the destination and deliver it – the makers try to add some variation. And for the most part it works well. But they also added some jokes here and there and they don’t really work. Often racist or sexist.
We have seen a character like Earl Stone very often, but it’s thanks to Eastwood that he becomes somewhat likeable and you get a connection with him anyway.
Eastwood does a lot with a little. Something he is very good at.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challene 2016 - 78: Triple 9

Director: John Hillcoat
Genre: Action/ Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Kate Winslet, Aaron Paul, Anthony Mackie, Norman Reedus, Gal Gadot, Teresa Palmet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Clifton Collins Jr.

Description: A gang of criminals and corrupt cops plan the murder of a police officer in order to pull off their biggest heist yet across town.

Review: Just like in other big American cities, the police in Atlanta works with codes. The 999 code means that a cop has been shot. A group of bankrobbers is about to cause a triple 9.
Michael Atwood has to return a favour to some Russian mobsters. In his group there are the two Welch brothers and two corrupt cops. Irina Vlaslov, leader of that Russian mob, calls the shot. On the other side of town detective Jeffrey Allen is dealing with this gang and tries to get his cousin Chris to get ready for it.
“Triple 9” doesn’t have many surprises. Not in the plot, motives or backgrounds. And there are too many characters to actually make them interesting or deep enough. The atmosphere is perfect, but the screenplay is the problem. The movie doesn’t interest you from beginning till end.

Rating: 3/ 5