20s Movie Review - Wicked

Director: Jon M. Chu
Genre: Musical/ Fantasy/ Adventure
Runtime: 160 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage. Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang

Description: Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Galinda (Ariana Grande), a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in the land of Oz. After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads.

Review: Anyone who has seen “The Wizard of Oz” knows how it ends with the Wicked Witch of the West. And in case you haven’t caught her fate yet, the opening scene of “Wicked” tells you. Glinda, once her friend, talks about her when she was still known as Elphaba Throbb.

Glinda, then still Galinda, and Elphaba meet each other at Shiz University, where the share a room. At first, they can’t stand each other. They are clearly very different. Elphaba is modest, kind, introverted. Glinda is vain, spoiled and loves attention. Their love-hate relationship drives a funny but also sad and sensitive adventure.

The Broadway phenomenon is turned into a delightful film. The Land of Oz is colorful, the contrast between Glinda and Elphaba (pink and green) looks amazing. My favorite décor was the library (or as Glinda calls it, the book place), but kinda crinched over all these people stepping onto and throwing around book.

“Wicked” is big on plit, acting, music and length. And this is only the first part. Time is taken for certain developments that would be rushed in other productions. The scenes are long and show varying emotions, but never get boring. The almost three hour runtime flies by.

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, and Ariana Grande as Glinda are strong, together and apart. Grande really surprised me with her comedic talent and both were really good in emotional scenes.

“Wicked” is one wild and colorful ride, and I can’t wait for part 2.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - Harriet

Director: Kasi lemmons
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 125 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Janelle Monáe, Leslie Odom Jr., Clarke Peters
 
Description: The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman’s (Cynthia Erivo) escape from slavery and transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 13: A MOVIE BASED ON REAL EVENT
 
Review: The true story of Harriet Tubman. Around 1850 she escaped slavery, traveling from the American South to the North, through the Underground Railroad. She ended up helping hundreds of other slaves escape the same way.

Even though it’s a somewhat standard screenplay, the story is inspiring. And Cynthia Erivo’s performance is rock solid and convincing. This is enough to keep your attention for the two hour runtime.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

Movie Review - Luther: The Fallen Sun

Director: Jamie Payne
Genre: Crime/ Thriller/ Drama/ Mystery
Runtime: 129 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Idris Elba, Andy Serkis, Cynthia Erivo
 
Description: Brilliant but disgrace detective John Luther (Idris Elba) breaks out of prison to hunt down a sadistiv serial killer (Andy Serkis) who is terrorizing London.

Review: Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) John Luther is back. After five seasons, Idris Elba may take on the role of the tormented, driven and unorthodox detective one more time. This time in a feature film, where he hunts down a psychopathic serial killer who has his victims picked out by an army of hackers, only to blackmail them with their online secrets and lure them into his sick trap.

That Luther must first escape from a heavily guarded prison to do so is just a detail. In a fairly straightforward manner, he is released, and from then on a multi-level cat and mouse game begins. Luther wants nothing more than to catch the killer, as do his former colleagues. Even though they are also trying to catch Luther, they make clever use of him. Because if they find Luther, then they will most likely find the killer.

This dark thriller does not always excel in credibility, just like the series. Luther always gets away with a lot. And while the entire detective team is still in the dark, halfway through the story he magically sees through the perpetrator’s mindset, motives and next steps. And although Luther is a brilliant detective, it feels a bit too easy, too coincidental.

Still, there is enough to enjoy The atmosphere keeps you on the edge of your seat and the acting is strong. Not only Elba excels, but Andy Serkis also does week as the deranged antagonist. His actual motives might leave you with lots of questions in the end though.

Not a lot of familiar faces return for this film, but since most of Luther’s immediate colleagues and loved ones have died, that’s not such a surprise. But one character I was missing, was Alice Morgan. The interesting dynamic between her and Luther has always been a thread through the series.

“Luther: The Fallen Sun” is probably not the finale that fans were hoping for, but still, it was an enjoyable watch for everyone who has watched the series.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Review - Pinocchio

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Genre: Family/ Adventure
Runtime: 105 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Tom Hanks, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Angus Wright, Cynthia Erivo, Keegan-Michael Key, Lorraine Bracco, Guiseppe Battison
 
I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 42: A CHILDREN’S MOVIE
 
Description: A puppet is brought to life by a fairy, who assigns him to lead a virtuous life in order to become a real boy.

Review: After “Beauty and the Beast (2017)”, “The Lion King”(2019) and “Aladdin” (2019), it is time for yet another Disney fairy tale to be turned into a live-action movie: “Pinocchio”. None other than Tom Hanks takes on the role of Geppetto, but even Hanks can not save this somewhat disappointing retelling of the familiar fairy tale.

Geppetto must learn to cope with the loss of his son and makes a wooden doll that reminds him of his boy. How wonderful it would be if this Pinocchio were really alive. He makes a wish and it comes true. Pinocchio comes to life and embarks on a grand adventure. From his first day at school to an encounter with questionable characters.

Tom Hanks works together with director Robert Zemeckis again, who he made “Forrest Gump” with. Such a big name as Hanks naturally attracts many fans, it was a reason for me to watch it. As Geppetto, Hanks is merely the creator of Pinocchio and then fades into the background.

The story has no faults. The donkeys, the fairy, the whale and the evil fox and cat: we know it all from the original fairy tale. All the elements are in it again this time. And it all looks beautiful. Even though it’s a live-action film, most of the film is still animated, or computer animated anyway. The film is filled with CGI, when many things could have been recreated with practical effects. Because of this, the film really loses its magic and pure beauty, that we know and love from the animated film.

This is one of these movies I really wished I loved, but I didn’t. Probably my least favorite of the recent Disney animations brought to life in live-action.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Widows

Director: Steve McQueen
Genre: Thriller/ Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Viola Davis, Liam Neeson, Jon Bernthal, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Coburn Ross, Michelle Rodriguez, Alejandro Verdin, Baily Rhyse Walters, Elizabeth Debicki, Carrie Coon, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, Jacki Weaver, Molly Kunz, James Vincent Meredith, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Cynthia Erivo

Description: Set in contemporary Chicago, amid a time of turmoil, four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands' criminal activities, take fate into their own hands, and conspire to forge a future on their own terms.

Review: The plot sounds a bit like “Ocean’s Eleven” or “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”. But it’s a heist movie, with a twist. After a group of robbers were killed, their wives team up to steal millions of dollars.
With director Steve McQueen being involved, you already know it’s not going to be a light film. He also directed heavy themed films like “Hunger”, “Shame” and “12 Years a Slave”.
Where in most heist film the testosterone is fed by greed, “Widows” changes it up a bit. Here the women have a necessity, they need to do it for their own safety. The three women don’t want to step in their husband’s footsteps, they simply have no other choice. One of the men left a ‘script’ which they women use to plan the job.
Steve McQueen is known for his fantastic camerawork and he uses it here too. But it doesn’t always work. In the opening scene, the traditional getaway is shot completely from the getaway van. This is original, minimalistic and works great. But a scene where we see the outside of a driving car, while the frustrated politician inside is arguing with his assistant, doesn’t work as well. I fit was a disposable scene, it didn’t bother me. But it’s an important scene with great acting, which you don’t see. It doesn’t make as much of an impact this way.
Viola Davis is the star of the film. Her icy focus is amazing to watch. Sadly, her character is the most developed and the other women don’t get as much attention.
The interaction between the women is strong, but there is also a lot of attention for the political games played in the city of Chicago.
“Widows” is a good crime thriller, but it has more potential.

Rating: 3 / 5

10s Movie Review - Bad Times at the El Royale

Director: Drew Goddard
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 142 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Chris Hemsworth, Nick Offerman

Description: Circa 1969, several strangers, most with a secret to bury, meet by chance at Lake Tahoe's El Royale, a rundown hotel with a dark past. Over the course of one night, everyone will show their true colors - before everything goes to hell.

Review: Many times I thought about Quentin Tarantino, while watching “Bad Times at the El Royale”. And that’s a compliment to director Drew Goddard, who is still looking for his own voice but is very talented. Goddard decided to use the non-chronological narration and it works!
The El Royale hotel stand on both Californian and Nevada ground. The border runs right through the middle of the hotel. And the hotel is some strange clientele. The mysterious Father Flynn, soul singer Darlene Sweet, slick salesman Laramie Sullivan and hippie girl Emily Summerspring. All of them have secrets, including the hotel itself.
Goddard has an eye for atmospheric detail, manages to create unusual camera angles and builds up the tension. It looks fantastic. Especially one scene, with Darlene singing “You Can’t Hurry Love” shows what a great filmmaker Goddard actually is.
All characters have their own reasons to be in the El Royale and the less you know from the start, the better. Jeff Bridges is strong as always. But it’s Chris Hemsworth who steals the show as Billy Lee. It takes a while for him to enter the story, but when he does, he really does.
“Bad Times at the El Royale” is a really good film, that looks great and has amazing potential. I enjoyed it from start to finish!

Rating: 4/ 5