80s Movie Review - Big

Director: Penny Marshall
Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 104 minutes
Year: 1988
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robert Loggia, Elizabeth Perkins, John Heard, Debra Jo Rupp, Jared Rushton, Jon Lovitz

Description: When a boy wishes to be big at a magic wish machine, he wakes up the next morning and finds himself in an adult body.

Review: It has been done several times: characters that wake up in a different body. “Freaky Friday”, “13 Going on 30”, “Vice Versa”. “Big” is from 1988, but still the best film with this theme. “Big” is original, funny and touching. Because who hasn’t dreamed of being big as a kid?

Josh is a 13-year old teenager from New Jersey. While visiting a carnival, he is too short to go on a cool ride. He feels humiliated. As frustrated as Josh is, he throws a coin in a machine that claims to grant wishes. He wishes to be big. The next morning Josh wakes up in the body of a 30-year old man. Because nobody but his best friend Billy believes him, he decides to go to New York. He finds a simple job at a toy manufacture. Josh gets a promotion and co-worker Susan falls in love with him. Josh realized that being an adult is a lot harder than he thought.

For most people Tom Hanks became famous in the 90s, but in the 80s he showed us his comedic talent. Just look at “Splash”, “Bachelor Party”, “The Burbs” and ”Money Pit”. “Big” was probably his big break, not only because of his humor, also for his sense of drama. And Tom Hanks is constantly believable as a boy trapped in a man’s body.

What makes this such a strong film, besides the script and Tom Hanks’ performance, is that “Big” speaks to both kids and adults. For kids the film is funny and relatable. Adults will realize that you should never lose the kid inside and that adulthood is not easy. “Big” is an ode to childhood.

“Big” is a classic in the comedy genre and is filled with humor. Tom Hanks is without a doubt one of the best and most believable actors in Hollywood (to me THE best) and he proofs that in “Big”.

Rating: 5/ 5

TV Show Review - Sharp Objects (Mini Series)

Season: Mini Series
Genre: Drama
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2018
Starring: Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson, Chris Messina, Eliza Scanlen, Elizabeth Perkins, Sophia Lillis, Matt Craven, Henry Czerny, Taylor John Smith, Lulu Wilson, Miguel Sandoval, Barbara Eve Harris   

Description: A reporter (Amy Adams) confronts the psychological demons from her past when she returns to her hometown to cover a violent murder.  

Review: “Sharp Objects” make is painfully clear that this is a psychological drama series, with a hint of mystery. Admittedly, Camille Preaker is sent to Wind Gap, her hometown, by her employer Frank Curry, to report on the murder and disappearance of two teenage girls. However, we only learn the reason for this decision as the series unfolds.
“Sharp Objects” is not for people who like fast-past whodunits. The HBO series choose a bold path of looking back to the past and a killer who targets young girls. The series, with its protagonist wonderfully played by Amy Adams, is a portrait of a damaged woman who sees words as pain, as an enemy and a friend in the world she lives in.
You need to pay attention to detail since there are words you can see along the way, that have a certain meaning or effect on Camille. In the street, in her car, on her body. And there are many theories of why Camille is the way she is.
Amy Adams is, a I mentioned before, amazing as the lead. You really feel her emotions and her performance is so strong, it blows off the screen. And she is accompanied by some really strong people. Patricia Clarkson, as her mother Adora. Her performance gave me the chills. She scared me in some way. And Eliza Scanlon, who plays Camille’s younger sister Amma. What a performance by this young rising star.
The slow pace does not bother me one bit, since the characters are all very complex and there is time needed to develop them and make them realistic. Bit by bit you are discovering why Camille didn’t want to go back to Wind Gap in the first place, why her younger sister acts the way she does and why Adora is so cold towards Camille.
“Sharp Objects” is not an easy watch, it’s a pretty depressing series. But well worth your time, since the performances and the story that unravels are really good. And that ending, it left me in awe. No happy ending here I can tell you.

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 60: Hop

Director: Tim Hill
Genre: Animation/ Comedy
Runtime: 95 minutes
Year: 2011
Starring: James Marsden, Russell Brand, Hank Azaria, Hugh Laurie, Elizabeth Perkins, Kaley Cuoco, Chelsea Handler, Gary Cole

Description: E.B. (Russell Brand), the Easter Bunny's (Hugh Laurie) teenage son, heads to Hollywood, determined to become a drummer in a rock 'n' roll band. In LA, he's taken in by Fred after the out-of-work slacker hits E.B. with his car.

Review: A film about Easter, we had it coming. The makers of “Despicable Me” bring us the the animation “Hop”. On Easter Island there is a gigantic candy factory, where they make Easter candy. A team of chicks works there for the Easter Bunny. He is getting older and wants his son E.B. to take over. But E.B. isn’t ready for it and doesn’t have the ambition either. He wants to be a drummer instead. E.B. leaves the island to chase his own dream. There he meets Fred, an grown man who still lives with his parents and can’t find a job.
“Hop” is filled with typical Easter ingredients: eggs, chicks, bunnies. But it’s mostly a story about the expectations that parents have of their children. The film has some really funny moments. The factory looks really good and Russell Brand voices E.B. well. The problem here is that mix of animation of live action. It can work, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and “Mary Poppins”proved that. But here there is a distance between the animated characters and the people.
“Hop” is film that will be loved by children, the adults won’t like it as much. Maybe it’s because I’m a bunny owner myself, that I kinda had fun watching “Hop”.

Rating: 3/ 5