20s Movie Review - Strange Way of Life

Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Genre: Western/ Drama
Runtime: 31 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Pedro Pascal
Description: After twenty-five years Silva (Pedro Pascal) rides a horse across the desert to visit his friend Sheriff Jake (Ethan Hawke). They celebrate the meeting, but the next morning Jake tells him that that reason for this trip is not to go down the memory lane of their friendship.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 34: A FILM FROM 2023
 
Review: It is clear that Pedro Almodóvar wants to make a statement, making “Strange Way of Life as a classic western, one of the most masculine film genres out there. From the sets through the characters and to the music breathes the Wild West.

The dhort film begins promisingly, with the introduction of the two men and a mesmerizing version of the title song “Extraña forma de vida”.

There is murder, there is blood vengeance and honor, there is family loyalto. And there is a secret that took place twenty-five years earlier between the two men, sheriff Jake and hitman Silva. The film focuses mainly on the interaction between these two main characters, who have taken different paths yet never forgot each other.

But even though the film is only half an hour long, it feels like it contains unnecessary scenes. The flashback scene was not needed, from the interaction alone you can figure out what happened all those years ago.

I love both Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal as actors, and these is an attraction between the two. But it doesn’t feel like a deep, inescapable connection. The dialogues feel a bit flat.

“Strange Way of Life” is undeniably solidly made, the camerawork is impeccable, as is art direction, editing and music. But it stays too much on the surface. Perhaps this movie would work better as a full-length film instead of a short movie. Hawke and Pascal do make up for a lot, individually.

Rating: 3/ 5

10s Movie Review - Predestination

Director: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Genre: Science Fiction
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor

Description: For his final assignment, a top temporal agent (Ethan Hawke) must pursue the one criminal that has eluded him throughout time. The chase turns into a unique, surprising and mind-bending exploration of love, fate identity and time travel taboos.

Review: We meet a top temporal agent who must travel through time for various missions. On his last mission, he must apprehend the criminal who repeatedly outwits him throughout his career.

What would life be like if we could time travel? Could we change the past or adjust the future? The fascination associated with time travel makes it an inspiration for many films. I always enjoy time travel stories. The directing brothers Michael and Peter Spierig came up with “Predestination”, a fascinating film that again highlights time travel. But with a new angle.

1970s New York is gripped by a terrorist named the Fizzle Bomber. The terrorist commits several attacks, but the police cannot catch him. When one of his attacks kills 11000 people, a secret government agency intervenes. Within this organization are agents who can travel through time and try to prevent crime. One of them goes back in time to stop the Fizzle Bomber.

I won’t elaborate too much on the rest of the story, because it’s better to go in with little information. The various plot twists make the film a true puzzle for the viewer. it’s a pretty complex film, without getting difficult to follow.

It’s a science fiction movie, without being set in the future. It’s the time travel element that make it this genre. Ethan Hawke became a favorite of mine over the years, I like almost everything he is in. And I always love his performances. And no matter what genre he plays in, he always manages to captivate me. Sarah Snook is also worth mentioning, she did such a good job in this film.

“Predestination” is one of those films that flew under the radar when it came out. It’s an underrated and overlooked film. I highly enjoyed it.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Review - Leave the World Behind

Director: Sam Esmail
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 138 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali, Myha’la, Kevin Bacon, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans
 
Description: A family’s getaway to a luxurious rental home takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out their devices, and two strangers (Mahershala Ali, Myha’la) appear at their door.

Review: Amanda and Clay go on vacation with their two children, but that very night their relaxing getaway comes to an end. There is a knock at the door. Because of a power outage in town, the owner of the home and his daughter, want to spend the night. That immediately increases tension.

If you have not read the book it’s based on, written by Rumaan Alam, please avoid the trailer. It spoils the fun. You know from the start of the film that something is wrong, there is constant suspense and an ominous feeling creeps up on you. But you don’t know what it is.

Each character deals with this frustrating situation differently. Amansa is immediately hostile to G.H. and his daughter Ruth. While Clay, on the other hand, wants to keep the peace. Meanwhile, G.H. tries to protect Ruth by keeping many of his concerns to himself. He seemingly knows more about what’s happening.

I read the book earlier this year, which immediately became a new favorite of mine. The book is fantastic and when I learned about a movie adaptation I was excited. A movie is hardly ever better then the book, or even meets the same level. But with this book I felt it could happen. Although I highly enjoyed the film, the book is much better. And they are also very different from each other. The suspense is much more stretched out in the book, you’re kept in the dark way longer. When in the movie, things start happening very early on. It doesn’t take away from the tension though, because you still don’t know what’s going on.

I’m not going to compare “Leave the World Behind” to its source material anymore, because when you look at it aside from the book, it’s a very decent, solid and suspenseful thriller. The first part of the film takes place for the most time in the house. The main characters are trying to figure each other out. The cast is excellent and I especially loved Mahershala Ali as G.H. and Ethan Hawke as Clay. Very strong performances. Julia Roberts and Myha'la are also really solid, but the men are the scene stealers here.

Director Sam Esmail takes nearly two and a half hour to tell his cynical story and with that “Leave the World Behind” is not for everyone. Esmail gives his own inky black review of a faltering society and leaves you with a rotten feeling. And with probably even more questions then when you started the movie. And this is all very similar to the book.

Rating: 3,5/ 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

Movie Review - Glass Onion

Director: Rian Johnson
Genre: Comedy/ Mystery/ Crime
Runtime: 140 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Daniel Craig, Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Edward Norton, Leslie Odom Jr., Kathryn Hahn, Jessica Henwick, Madeline Cline, Ethan Hawke, Hugh Grant
 
I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 52: A MOVIE RELEASED THIS YEAR
 
    
Description: Famed Southern detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) travels to Greece for his latest case.

Review: The best murder mysteries have something to say about the world outside the mansion in which the murder takes place. It is the competing interests of people from all sorts of backgrounds, that provide most of the suspense and intrigue; the murder is merely the fuse to the bomb.

This was the strength of “Knives Out”, written and directed by Rian Johnson, which gestured to the cruelty and narrow-mindedness of white America via a bizarre murder in a wealthy family. The sequel “Glass Onion” is set on the private island of the wealthy tech entrepreneur Miles Bron, which is inevitable rocked by murder and intrigue. Once again, old-fashioned detective Benoit Blanc finds himself at the center of the mystery. And once again, the murder prompts digging into the ills of our society.  

“Glass Onion” has to take a few big leaps to get going, we meet all the characters. Not a family this time, but a group of old friends. All invited by Miles, we meet YouTuber Duke, controversial politician Claire, scientist Lionel, star Birdie and longtime associate Andie.  

“Glass Onion” mocks the very richest people, the characters are enhanced and fit perfectly into this crazy, sometimes hilarious murder mystery. Even though this film follows the same story telling structure as “Knives Out”, it being non-linear, “Glass Onion” is a very different movie. Besides the setting, the story is far from the family drama we had in “Knives Out”. Which makes it just as unique. I loved both movies equally.

Again, the film has a fantastic cast. Benoit Blanc is the only character we already knew, played fantastically by Daniel Craig. I think he is one of my newer favorite movie characters. I love his detective style, his way with words, the things that annoy him, the situations he gets himself into or gets into due to others. From the other guest, Janelle Monáe was the one that most impressed me and her character is the most interesting one. Up until the halfway point, her character Andie is a mystery. I loved that.  

“Glass Onion” is one of those films that you need to watch at least one more time, since there will be a lot of things you missed the first time. You have different things to focus on on second viewing, because of the non-linear storyline, things are revealed. On a second viewing, you will be looking for hints, if you could pick them up. And that’s why I love murder mysteries and whodunits like this.

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” was one of my most-anticipated films of 2022 and it didn’t disappoint. This might even be my favorite film of the year.

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Review - The Black Phone

Director: Scott Derrickson
Genre: Horror/ Thiller
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies
 
Description: After being abducted by a child killer (Ethan Hawke) and locked in a soundproof basement, a 13-year-old boy (Mason Thames) starts receiving calls on a disconnected phone from the killer’s previous victims.

Review: “Black Phone” is directed by Scott Derrickson, the man behind “Sinister”, which is one of the scariest horror movies I have every seen. His newest project is a shocking and serious horror thriller.

The biggest risk Derrickson takes is the reliance on child actors. Main character Finney is a fraught character; his father is an alcoholic, his mother has died, his best friend is missing and he himself now has to survive after being kidnapped by a psychopath. Although all this information is conveyed quickly and clearly with scenes that seem straight out of a Stephen King novel, its impact is really made clear by Mason Thames’ strong acting.

Even in the scenes with Ethan Hawke, who is obviously having fun with his deranged character, Thames is not overshadowed by the experienced actor. As a result, we get e good look at how Finney reacts to his situation, which provides a healthy dose of tension. As a result, “The Black Phone” is more exciting than it is scary, making the climax nothing short of bloodcurdling.

Unfortunately, the fact that the tension builds gradually does come at the expense of pacing early in the middle section. The film takes its time setting up the characters and the mystery, which leads to a slight dip in tension just after Finney’s abduction. This delay, in turn, does provide space to flesh out the character of Finney’s sister Gwen and add nuance to their home situation.

Perhaps the best choice Derrickson made was to incorporate supernatural elements into the film. Although they play a major role, little explicit attention is paid to their origins. The natural way the supernatural is incorporated fits the context of the story and also gives the film an opportunity to be creative with it.

“The Black Phone” is not a film that will turn the genre on its head. The simple story does combine several horror subgenres to then flesh out characters in a creative and nuanced way.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - The Northman

Director: Robert Eggers
Genre: Drama/ Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 137 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Claes Bang, Willem Dafoe
 
Description: Young Viking prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) is on a quest to avenge his father’s (Ethan Hawke) murder)

Review: At an early age, the Viking prince Amleth witnesses a dramatic event: his father, King Aurvandil, is brutally murdered by Uncle Fjölnir. Crying and enraged at the same time, Amleth flees across the sea in a rowboat. And he has one goal: avenge his father by killing Fjölnir.

So begins “The Northman”, an unprecedentedly brutal revenge epic by director Robert Eggers. The American director and screenwriter previously made the arthouse gems “The Withc” and “The Lighthouse”, both movies I loved. And what was true for those film, is also true for “The Northman”: it’s not a movie for everyone and it’s not for the faint of heart.

“The Northman” has become, in every fiver, a faithful Eggers film, in which folklore, occultism, bloodshed, and other unmitigated horror merge like iron in a furnace of fire. The story is fairly straightforward and has its origins in exactly the same source as William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”: the Scandinavian legend “Amleth of Jutland”. But there are also echoes of movies like “Gladiator” and “Conan: The Barbarian”.

Alexander Skarsgård plays the main character Amleth and is clearly in his element here. Amleth’s quest for revenge begins at one point to take on such grotesque proportions that you gradually begin to wonder whether his mission is still justified. This is a very clever achievement, because judging from the king’s murder scene you would say: yes, of course. But it’s not quite as simple as that in the end in “The Northman”, as perspectives can be blurred. Nicole Kidman is the other actor to watch in this film. She plays Amleth’s mother and she is wicked! There is especially one scene that she was so good in, I was watching it with my jaw dropping to the floor. Such a strong performance.

So far, 2022 isn’t the best movie year. And I will be giving “The Northman” the first perfect rating of the year. This will definitely be on my favorites list at the end of the year. And even if it’s not your cup of tea, “The Northman” will be seen as one of the best films of 2022 by critics, and I totally agree.

Rating: 5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Director: Sidney Lumet
Genre: Crime/ Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei, Rosemary Harris, Michael Shannon, Amy Ryan

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 35: A CRIME THRILLER
 
Description: When two brothers (Philip Seymour Hofman, Ethan Hawke) organize the robbery of their parents’ jewelry store the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that sends them, their father (Albert Finney) and one brother’s wife (Marisa Tomei) barreling towards a shattering climax.

Review: Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke play two brothers in need of money. Hoffman’s Andy seems successful, but is struggling financially due to his drug addiction, among other things, while Hawke’s Hank can’t afford the alimony for his ex-wife and daughter. They decided to rob a small jewelry store. Not to mention that this store is owned by their own parents. Andy is the brains behind the operations and Hanks has to carry out the plan. Of course, this plan goes horribly wrong and only gets worse later.

It's a simple story and the details aren’t complicated either. But director Sidney Lumet decided to change the structure of the story. We are only following one character at a time, and go back in time to see the perspective of the other brother. I think this is what makes this movie better. There is no reason for using this structure, but I think it really adds to the story of the film. Otherwise, it would be pretty standard.

The performances are very good. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke both do a great job in their respective roles. The same goes for Albert Finney, who has a smaller role as their father. Marisa Tomei is a fantastic actress, but is demoted to a side character that seems to only be there as the beautiful wife that shows her boobs a bit too often. Tomei is underused and misused in this film, that was a big problem for me. Because she is so much more than this.

“Before the Devils Knows You’re Dead” is a strong crime thriller, with a cool storytelling structure.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Director: Luc Besson
Genre: Science Fiction/ Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 135 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevigne, Clive Own, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke, Sam Spruell, Kris Wu, Herbie Hancock, Rutger Hauer

Description: A dark force threathens, Aplha, a vast metropolis and home to species from a thousand planets. Special operative Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevigne)  must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 48: A MOVIE SET IN SPACE

Review: “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets”: a spectacular yet chaotic film, with ugly computer-generated aliens and a wooden love plot.
The stories about the intergalactic secret agent Valerian find their origin in a series of French comic strips released in the mid-1960s. Director Luc Besson must have been a big fan of the books, he tried to bring the phenomenon to the screen. Hoping for the new “Star Wars”. Well, that didn’t happen…
When it comes to visuals of the world of Valerian, it’s really good. It’s just such a shame that it has to have a screenplay attached to it. Because almost everything that can go wrong, goes wrong.
There is hardly a story. An artifact of an extinct civilization pops up and several parties want their share of it. The survivors of the race want to rebuilt their cultire, one group of people wants to investigate it and yet another group has nefarious plans to do so. Main characters Valerian and Laureline are of course the second group, that wants to make sure that the best possible solution is chosen.
So simple, but that’s not a problem when then background is a bit interesting and you are invested in the characters. But none of that is present. The two actors, Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevigne, miss every spark of charisma. DeHaan doesn’t come across as the rough space adventurer he has to portray. Instead, he feels more like a Keanu Reeves impersonator that completely misses the point. Delevigne is not much better. The love story is wooden and the dialogues are sometimes cringeworthy.
The list of error the film has is endless. Because despite the visual beauty, the context is missing. It’s messy, chaotic and it lacks interesting characters. “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” doesn’t even come close to being the new “Star Wars”.

Rating: 1, 5/ 5

Scary Movie Night - Halloween 2020

Halloween isn’t really celebrated here in The Netherlands, but I wished it was. Because I love it and everything about this holiday. I usually have a scary movie night on Halloween, but I never really shared anything about it on my blog. This year I will. And I will do more of these in the future, whenever I have a themed movie night. My favorite kind of ‘party’ to host.
 
This year we chose three films. All horror, but three very different films. I won’t review them here, but will give you links to the reviews of the movies we viewed.
 
My scary movie night partner in crime this year was my brother Frank, who is a horror fan and has seen some of the most obscure films in the genre and is an expert when it comes to scary films.
 

The first film we watched turned out to be the most shocking and heavy one of them all: “Sinister”, starring Ethan Hawke. The film shines because of its suspense and tension build-up and had some really big, effective jump scares. I realized that my heart rate went way up when I watched “Sinister”. Check out my review HERE .
 

Number two was a rewatch and a personal favorite for both of us: “Fright Night”. The original version from 1985, with Chris Sarandon as Jerry Dandridge. This film is not so much scary, but extremely entertaining, funny with horror elements and a great 80s throwback. It was a nice change from the heavy material we saw before. Check out my review for “Fright Night” HERE .
 

We finished with a movie I had never seen, but is one of Frank’s favorite horror movies of all-time. And I think a favorite for most horror fans: “Hellraiser”. This is scary because of the gore. It’s a body horror film with pretty disturbing and bloody images. Also very eighties. You can read my review HERE .
 

I was a fun scary movie night, with some real good scares. What did you watch on Halloween?

10s Movie Review - Sinister

Director: Scott Derrickson
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Ethan Hawke, James Ransone, Vincent D’Onofrio, Juliet Rylance, Fred Dalton, Danielle Kotch, Michael Hall D’Addario, Clare Foley, Rob Riley, Tavis Smiley, Janet Zappala, Victoria Leigh, Cameron Ocasio, Ethan Haberfield, Blake Mizrahi, Nicolas King

Description: Washed-up true crime writer Wllison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) finds a box of super 8 home movies in his new home that suggest the murder that he is currently researching is the work of a serial killer whose work dates back to the 1960s.  

Review: Few horror movies manage to make the audience feel uncomfortable within the first twenty seconds. “Sinister” does. The opening image is downright disturbing: a man, a woman and their children are each standing with a bag over their head and a noose around their neck, under a tree. Exasperatingly slowly a large branch is sawn off, which serves as a counterweight. The foursome struggle and their agony seems to last forever. But then the bodies hang lifeless from the tree. The ominous tone is set.
For crime novelist Ellison Oswalt this type of movies are interesting source material. His career as a writer has been on hold for a while, so he could use a good story. He decides to move with his family. Ellison assures his wife that this time they didn’t move close to a former crime scene. But in reality they are moving in to the house of the family from that snuff movie. In the attic, Ellison accidentally finds a box with a Super 8 camera and film rolls. It looks like family movies with titles such as Family BBQ and Sleepy Time. Ellison decides to watch them in his office and is shocked by what the films contain.
Ellison knows he has to let the dark past rest, yet he is curious and watches all the reels. Even when the projector starts spinning by itself, his son suffers from sleepwalking and his daughter makes macabre drawings, he continues the search. Who was responsible for these insane acts? Why was the family hanged? Why was everything recorded? One thing is clear: I know why the movie is called “Sinister”.
This is a horror movie that understands the formula. It masters the build-up of tension and suspense. Knowing something is not right. Ethan Hawke is an actor I always enjoy watching and I think he is kind of underrated and he doesn’t get enough praise. He is so good in “Sinister” and really carries this film.
“Sinister” gets under your skin and pulls the audience into the obsession of the main character. The film is scary because of its realistic and disturbing images and it has some very effective jump scares (that are not cheap). One of the ‘family films’ especially has a very shocking moment, which is considered one of the better jump scares in a horror movie.
I also want to give the movie bonus points for its ending. I won’t reveal anything, but it something that doesn’t happen enough in horror these days. Most of them play safe, but “Sinister” actually did a very unconventional and controversial thing.
“Sinister” really scared me, a movie best watched in dark room for maximum effect. My heart rate went way up while watching this film.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - Juliet, Naked

Director: Jesse Peretz
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke, Chris O’Dowd

Description: Annie (Rose Byrne) starts a unlikely transatlantic romance with once revered, now faded, singer-songwriter Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke), who also happens to be the subject of Annie’s boyfriend Duncan’s (Chris O’Dowd) musical obsession.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 15: A MOVIE BASED ON A BOOK

Review: The novels of British author Nick Hornby have been the source of many unconventional romantic comedies for a while. Look at movies like “Fever Pitch”, “High Fidelity” and “About a Boy”. In those stories, the focus was on the man. For “Juliet, Naked” Hornby chose a female lead. Annie is a British museum curator and is seemingly living a good life. But she feels a bit trapped in her relationship with Duncan. It’s not a loveless relationship, but Annie does feel she always comes second. Her boyfriend Duncan is completely obsessed by American musician Tucker Crowe. 25 years ago Tucker release the album “Juliet”, which wasn’t successful and he disappeared as an artist. Duncan started a website dedicated to Tucker Crowe and his obsession grows by the day.
Annie doesn’t mind Tucker’s music, but she is kind of sick of Duncan idolizing the man blindly. When a demo version of Tucker’s only album is send to Duncan, called Juliet, Naked, Annie opens the package and listens to the album. Before Duncan hears it and he is furious about it. Duncan, off course, loves the album and posts it on his website. Annie responds with a more negative opinion. And no other then Tucker Crowe himself sends Annie an e-mail that he agrees. They start to chat online and seem to get along very well.
“Juliet, Naked’ works as a light comedic drama that mainly leans on the performances of the leading actors, the sharp humor and the creative wat that the usual Hornby themes are mixed up. Like Annie finding another type of childish adult in Tucker Crowe. The type that always follows his impulses. In his case, it resulted in five children with four different women and two continents and a music career that never got successful. And sensible Annie having to deal with this is makes for a fun film. And what I also always loved about all of Hornby’s stories: they are never sugar sweet and over-sentimental.
“Juliet, Naked” is another fun adaption from author Nick Hornby, that is definitely worth watching.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Regression

Director: Alejandro Amenábar
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Emma Watson, David Thewlis, Aaron Ashmore, Dale Dickey

Description: A detective (Ethan Hawke) and a psychoanalyst (David Thewlis) uncover evidence of a satanic cult while investigating a young woman’s (Emma Watson) terrifying past.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 2: A THRILLER MOVIE

Review: Detective Bruce kenner investigates a vice case involving young Angela. When they decide to use a psychoanalyst to take her back to the moment of the deed, a lot of extra information is released.
“Regression” opens with this case, no introduction, no explanation. Along the way everything becomes clear. The film revolves around regression therapy, trying to retrieve repressed memories. This way Bruce comes closer to the solution. This case is also about satanic rituals.
The film has its moments and it has a creepy atmosphere. And the acting is solid. But the rather disappointing revelation at the end drags the film down. An ending that makes you forget about the rest of the film.
“Regression” is an okay thriller, but it’s super forgettable.

Rating: 2,5 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 144: The Purge

Director: James DeMonaco

Genre: Thriller

Runtime: 85 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Lena Heady, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge, Rhys Wakefield, Tony Oller, Arija Bareikis, Tom Yi, Chris Mulkey, Tisha French, Dana Bunch, Peter Gvozdas, John Weselcouch, Alicia Vela-Bailey

Description: In the future, a wealthy family is held hostage for harboring the target of a murderous syndicate during the Purge, a 12-hour period in which any and all crime is legalized.

Review: Laws form the base of our society, but what if they temporarily don’t apply? That cops, ambulances and fireman don’t respond to emergencies. This is what’s going on “The Purge”, starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Heady. James DeMonaco, who mostly does work as a script writer, directs it.

In the near future, 2022 to be exact, there is hardly any violence, criminal activity and unemployment in the US. This is because of the Purge, an annual happening where for twelve hours there are no rules. Any kind of violence, including murder, is allowed. We follow James (Ethan Hawke) and his family on the day of the Purge. James earns his money by selling security systems and his own house is well secured too. James and his wife Mary (Lena Heady) don’t participate in the Purge and they lock themselves in the house with their kids Zoey and Charlie. But when Charlie opens the doors for a man in need, nobody is safe anymore. Especially when that strange man is hunted by a group of murderous teens.

It’s good to see that, besides all the horror remakes and unnecessary sequels, there are also original ideas coming from Hollywood. The starting-point of “The Purge” is perfect for an intense thriller. Sadly the film relies a bit too much on genre clichés after the first strong half hour. The jump scares aren’t really jump scares and there aren’t any surprise elements.

Ethan Hawke and Lena Heady both deliver a strong performance. Their movie children don’t, they don’t go above the average soap actor level and both their characters aren’t likeable whatsoever. Especially because they caused all this mayhem. But on the other hand, if it weren’t for those dumb kid, we wouldn’t have a story at all, so I guess this movie needed the stupid kids.

It wouldn’t have hurt to give the main characters some backstory. And the reason for introducing the Purge would be welcome as well. It’s all very flat. This movie doesn’t expect much from the audience, you don’t need to use your brain for this.

The villains or enemies don’t convince and are anything but credible. But not all is bad. The story is interesting and it’s kind of fun to see the intruders get slashed.

In the end “The Purge” is dealing with a mediocre execution of an intriguing idea and this movie will be more of a guilty pleasure. It’s original, but not surprising.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 46: Brooklyn's Finest

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller

Runtime: 132 minutes

Year: 2009

Starring: Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lili Taylor, Will Patton, Ellen Barkin, Jesse Williams, Logan Marshall-Green

Description: Three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location after enduring vastly different career paths.

Review: Antoine Fuqua showed us the tough reality of cops and the street life in “Training Day”. Ethan Hawke, who was also in “Training Day”, stars in “Brooklyn’s Finest, together with Richard Gere and Don Cheadle. It’s a cop drama, but not standard: violent, without compromise and gritty as hell.

The effective intro sets the mood. The movie opens with criminal Carlo and cop Sal, in a parked car. The conversation isn’t important, but you can conclude that Sal needs money. He breaks the law for that. Then we meet cop Eddie, who wakes up and drinks a glass of whiskey right before he is about to start the last seven days of being a cop. Last we meet undercover cop Tango who, while driving a BMW, enters an apartment in the projects in Brooklyn with some gang members. It appears that a young dealer has just been shot by a cop.

This is the setup to the film and we shift between those three storylines. We follow them for a week and sometimes the stories intertwine. It gives you better insights in all the characters. For instance Sal, who needs to support his five children, and two on the way. Everyday there is the temptation of taking drug money that is found at the scene of the crime. Sal starts to take more risks. Ethan Hawke really impresses in his role. Eddie is set to pass on his experience to some new rookies. Richard Gere plays his role very subtle, he is a broken man. I liked seeing Gere in a role like this. Don Cheadle is undercover detective Tango and probably has the most interesting role. He managed to infiltrate and become friends with local drug lord Caz, played by Wesley Snipes. He is on the point of a break through and a promotion, so he can say goodbye to being an undercover agent. But his connection with Caz make the thin line between good and bad even thinner.

“Brooklyn’s Finest” is an above average cop drama, that doesn’t succeed because of its plot, but because of the strong cast and the anguished atmosphere. It’s an overlooked movie, that deserves more credit.

Rating: 3,5/ 5