90s Movie Review - Fallen

Director: Gregory Hoblit
Genre: Thriller/ Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 1998
Starring: Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland, James Gandolfini, Embeth Davidtz, Elias Koteas, Aida Turturro

Description: Homocide detective John Hobbes (Denzel Washington) witnesses the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas). Soon after the execution, the killings start again, and they are very similar to Reese’s style.

Review: Thanks to detective John Hobbes, serial killer Edgar Reese is caught and sentenced to death. The man doesn’t seem to care. Remarkably cheerful, he sings “Time is on my side” from The Rolling Stones. Soon after the execution, similar murders start to happen.

“Fallen” is a strong, macabre thriller, that is very overlooked and underrated. I remember watching it for the first time when video stores were still a thing. And it has always been e favorite Denzel Washington. I hadn’t watched it for a long time, but it still holds up and I love it just as much.

It’s a very original film, with some great twist and a fantastic ending. And Washington is, as always, outstanding.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

90s Movie Review - Gattaca

Director: Andrew Niccol
Genre: Drama/ Science Fiction/ Thriller
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 1997
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, Tony Shalhoub, Gore Vidal, Elias Koteas, Blair Underwood

Description: A genetically inferior man (Ethan Hawke) assumes the identity of a superior one (Jude Law) in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 21: A MOVIE SET IN A DYSTOPIAN WORLD
 
Review: In the near future, it will be possible to have children through genetic engineering. This way the parents can choose what color hair their child will have and also things like eye color and other physical characteristics. Also in terms of intelligence and genetic weakness, the children can be modified and thus there will be almost only perfect children. Vincent Freeman, however, is not; he was just brought into the world in a normal way. He experiences problems with this, as all perfect people get the best jobs. Vincent also has a dream to go into space, but due to a heart defect he will never qualify for this. Then he meets Jerome Morrow. He is genetically adapted, but is in a wheelchair due to an accident. In order to survive, he sells his genetic material to people who can use it. Vincent uses Jerome’s DNA to make his dream come true. The plan succeeds, but when a murder is committed, Vincent finds himself in trouble when he must go to great length to keep his genetic imperfection hidden.

Andrew Niccol has written and directed “Gattaca”. The film is a combination of science fiction, drama and thriller. Science fiction, because the story takes place in a dystopian future and thus not because of space battles. It’s about a future society, where people can have the perfect child through genetic engineering. All traits can be carefully chosen and, in addition, all genetically determined diseases are gone. However, the main character Vincent is a normal person who does not have all the advantages that a genetically perfect one does.

The story is well written and has excitement and entertainment in it. The characters come across as believable, including their actions, and they are well explored. The theme about genetic engineering is still relevant today, and therefore the movie has not lost its power so many years after its release.
It seems like a quite simple movie, but Andrew Niccol has added several layers to the story. Without moralizing to much, he shows the consequences of a perfect society and what effect this can have on some people.
Ethan Hawke has always been an actor I like to watch. He manages to convey his character’s struggles well. He is human and vulnerable, which in in contrast to the perfect people that populate the world around him. Jude Law’s character Jerome is genetically perfect who despite this fact, still did not find happiness. His performance is also convincing. Uma Thurman, although strong as well, plays Vincent’s love interest, but her character isn’t as developed as the aforementioned Vincent and Jerome.

The atmosphere of the film is sterile and cold, a perfect setting to create the right mood for this film. This all makes “Gattaca” a very interesting film with a captivating story. The combinations of genres works well and the world building and set design are really good. Highly recommended when you enjoy movies about dystopian and future societies.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

TV Show Review - The Killing (Season 3)

Season: 3

Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller/ Mystery

Number of episodes: 13

Year: 2011

Starring: Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Elias Koteas, Peter Sarsgaard, Hugh Dillon, Amy Seimetz, Gregg Henry

Description: Detective Holder (Joel Kinnaman) and his new partner (Gregg Henry) investigate the murder of a 16 year-old hooker who was stabbed and had her throat slit. Holder notices a similarity between this death and one that Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) investigated a few year before. In that case, Ray Seward (Peter Sarsgaard) was convicted of killing his wife and is now on death row awaiting execution.

Review: Season 2 finally solved the case of Rosie Larsen’s murder, time for a new mystery. In the third season, Holder has a new partner and Linden has moved to a quitter place away from her detective job. When Holder is working a case of a young hooker who was murdered, he sees similarities in the way she was killer, to a case Linden worked on years ago. In that case, Ray Seward was convicted of murdering his wife and is now awaiting execution. Holder and Linden get together again to solve the mystery.

This season starts slow, but eventually becomes interesting. I wasn’t as invested in this season as I was in the first two, but again it was intriguing and exciting enough for me to enjoy it. We see a different side of both Holder and Linden and I love their dynamic as a duo, on and off the job.

Peter Sarsgaard has a very important role in this season, as the convict on death row, Ray Seward. What a performance. Very impressive, especially when you learn the truth of his case and the cases Holder and Linden are working on now.

Unlike the case of Rosie Larsen, this case was primarily solved in one season, but that ending will be taken in to the final fourth season. I’m curious how they are going to deal with that.

10s Movie Review - Shutter Island

Director: Martin Scorsese
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 138 minutes
Year: 2010
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow, Jackie Earle Haley, Elias Koteas, Patricia Clarkson

Description: A U.S Marshal (Leonardo DiCaprio) investigates the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane

Review: Every Martin Scorsese project interests me somehow. “Shutter Island” is different from his other films. It’s based on a novel by Dennis Lehane.

Federal agent Teddy Daniels has to track down an escaped psychiatric patient, together with his partner Chuck Aule. The task sounds simple, but an asylum for the criminally insane isn’t the most pleasant place to investigate. With that, it’s also the most guarded asylum, set on an island. It’s almost impossible to stay unfound.

Martin Scorsese is playing Clue with his audience. A fort, morbid prisoners, no way out and hint after hint to lead us to the suspect. It’s a thriller and it gives you a creepy feeling. The patient are really messed up. The atmosphere is unpleasant, which is good for the movie experience.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo form a steady base as agents. Especially DiCaprio seems to grow in every role he plays for Scorsese. Ben Kingsley and Max von Sydow are probably the stars, although they have smaller roles.

“Shutter Island” is a fantastic thriller, with great twists. It’s actually one of my favorite Scorsese film.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 1: Crash

Director: David Cronenberg
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 1996
Starring: James Spader, Deborah Kara Unger, Holly Hunter, Elias Koteas, Patricia Arquette

Description: After getting into a serious car accident, a TV director (James Spader) discovers an underground sub-culture of scarred, omnisexual car-crash victims who use car accidents and the raw sexual energy they produce to try to rejuvenate his sex life with his wife.

Review: The film is set in Los Angeles. James and Catherine are a married couple drwn into an underworld where people try to get sexual satisfaction through automobile crashes. James discovers this when he is in a car accident himself. Weirded out yet? Well, I was. It’s a weird film, violent and explicit. Definitely not for everyone.
It is a fascinating premise and it starts off quite promising. However, James Spader’s character never really shows a spark of life. Not do any of the other characters. In the end we don’t really care about any of these characters. It becomes a game of guessing who will sleep with who next.
The film is risky and I can see what director David Cronenberg wanted to do, but this film didn’t really get me. Probably because I was weirded out most of the time. Cronenberg is known for his violence and provocative style of storytelling. And I usually like his films. “Crash” sadly isn’t one of them.

Rating: 2/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 153: Some Kind of Wonderful

Director: Howard Deutch

Genre: Comedy/ Romance/ Drama

Runtime: 95 minutes

Year: 1987

Starring: Eric Stoltz, Lea Thompson, Mary Stuart Masterson, Craig Sheffer, Elias Koteas, Candace Cameron, John Ashton

Description: A young tomboy, Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson), finds her feelings for her best friend, Keith (Eric Stoltz), run deeper than just friendship when he gets a date with the most popular girl in school (Lea Thompson). Unfortunately, the girl's old boyfriend, who is from the rich section of town, is unable to let go of her, and plans to get back at Keith.

Review: An ‘80s movie written by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch. They worked together before, on “Pretty in Pink”. And a year later the duo released “Some Kind of Wonderful”, a fun teen film. We follow Keith, who has a crush on the most popular girl in school. But what he doesn't know, is that his best friend, tomboy Watts, has been in love with him for quite some time.

Off course, something like this is relatable to teens or for anyone who was a teen. The movie is very predictable, but that’s almost every movie in this genre. But the acting is fresh and it’s a fun movie to watch. And unlike a lot of other teen movies, Deutch really paid attention to the characters. They have depth and you get to know them. This way it’s easier to identify with them.

“Some Kind of Wonderful” is a film with a good mix of comedy, drama and romance. Don’t you just love eighties movies like this?

Rating: 3,5/ 5