00s Movie Review - Don't Say a Word

Director: Gary Fleder
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime/ Mystery
Runtime: 113 minutes
Year: 2001
Starring: Michael Douglas, Sean Bean, Famke Janssen, Brittany Murphy, Oliver Platt, Lance Reddick

Description: When the daughter of a psychiatrist (Michael Douglas) is kidnapped, he’s horrified to discover that the abductor’s demand is that he breaks through to a post traumatic stress disorder suffering young woman (Brittany Murphy) who know a secret…

Review: When the infant daughter of psychiatrist Nathan Conrad is kidnapped, the abductors do not demand money, but ask Conrad for a service. He must extract a six-digit code from a mentally disturbed teenager.

The story is nicely put together, but you can’t escape the impression that we have seen all this before. The storyline and plot twists will not surprise a seasoned moviegoer. Director Gary Fleder did much better on “Kiss the Girls”, which did have the tension and surprises we all want from a movie in this genre. Nevertheless, the movie is entertaining enough for an evening of suspense.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Movie Review - The Postcard Killings

Director: Danis Tanovic
Genre: Thriller/ Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 104 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Famke Janssen, Cush Jumbo

Description: New York detective Jacob Kanon (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) investigates the death of his daughter who was murdered while on her honeymoon in London, he recruits the help of a Scandinavian journalist (Cush Jumbo) when other couples throughout Europe suffer similar fate.

Review: “The Postcard Killings” is based on the crime thriller novel “The Postcard Killers” by Liza Marklund and James Patterson. Great source material, since it’s a very good and strong thriller novel. Sadly they didn’t use it well.
We meet Jakob Kanon, a New York detective, who has to identify his daughter and her newly-wed husband when they’re both laying in the autopsy table. Both were brutally mutilated before being murdered, while honeymooning in London. It has connections with another murder in Rome, that happened earlier. The murderer leaves a postcard in the city he will strike next. Since the authorities aren’t working with him, Jakob takes the matter in his own hands and recruits the help of a journalist.
The story is very interesting and the base of a, what could be, chilling thriller. But the script doesn’t really flow. That’s also a craft, to butcher such great source material. Director Danis Tanovic had all the elements for a great thriller, but managed to create a dull, predictable and very forgettable film with no tension whatsoever. Jeffrey Dean Morgen is okay, but does the best with what he has got.
I think authors Marklund and Patterson regret giving away the rights to adapt the film. This story would be in better hands with directors like Denis Villeneuve or David Fincher. A huge disappointment

Rating: 2 / 5

TV Show Review - How to Get Away with Murder (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime
Number of episodes: 15
Year: 2016
Starring: Viola Davis, Billy Brown, Charlie Weber, Jack Falahee, Aja Naomi King, Liza Weil, Karla Souza, Alfred Enoch, Matt McGorry, Conrad Ricamora, Famke Janssen

Description: A group of ambitious law students and their brilliant criminal defense professor become involved in a twisted murder plot that promises to change the course of their lives.

Review: Now that the murder of Lila Stangard has been solved you would think that everything is fine with the 'Keating Five'. Nothing could be further from the truth because with the disappearance of Rebecca Sutter, Wes' girlfriend and prime suspect of Lila's murder, everyone has to deal with a new problem. Annalise Keating has the difficult task of solving this problem again before the situation gets out of hand.
Just like during the first season there is again a mystery of which we get to see pieces of the puzzle via flashforwards. The first nine episodes are mainly about the Hapstall case that revolves around the murder of the adoptive parents of Caleb and Catherine Hapstall. A case that is complicated in itself, were it not for the fact that a flashforward shows that eventually Annalise herself will also be involved in this case. While the team is busy with the Hapstall family, Connor tries to revive his relationship by moving in with Oliver. A decision that will eventually cause Oliver to become more and more involved in shady cases, with all its consequences. The second part of this season focuses on Wes and the death of his mother ten years ago, with flashbacks we as viewers soon realize that there is much more behind it than was known so far.
This season, there are again a number of important guest roles that reinforce the story. We see Dutch actress Famke Janssen as lawyer Eve Rothlo, an old acquaintance of Annalise. Cicely Tyson is also present again as Annalise's mother Ophelia. These admittedly small roles add value to the story and show how much the makers value the quality of the show.
This second season we learn more about the past of Asher and Bonnie. The home situation of policeman Nate Lahey will also be discussed. Mysteries are plentiful, sometimes even to such an extent that it is difficult as a viewer to remember exactly what whoever has done. Whether this is the strength or the weakness of the series is something I haven't figured out yet. “How To Get Away With Murder” tells a story you really have to keep your head and regularly creates unexpected events and scenes. At a certain point, however, it's all a bit far-fetched. When is enough, enough? A lot of bizarre coincidence and it becoming less credible.
When it comes to the characters, I only like Laurel. She seems to be the only one that has a conscience or any sense of justice. It’s really hard for me to watch a series that has no characters that I really sympathize with. All of them commit crimes, doing everything to cover it up, get away with it (as the title says), have sex with each other (because that solves EVERYTHING) and move. And everyone is crazy loyal to Annalise, no matter what she does to them. And there are a lot of shows where criminals have a major role, like Walter White and Jesse Pinkman in “Breaking Bad” of the entire crew of “Sons of Anarchy”. But because of their strong character build-up, you can relate or even sympathize with them, even if they are criminals.
You can't tell much about “How To Get Away With Murder” without giving away spoilers. It’s still an okay series to watch, but as I stated before, it’s difficult to watch if you have no one to really relate to. I will probably not going to continue to watch “How to Get Away with Murder”.

TV Show Review - When They See Us (Mini Series)

Season: Limited Series
Genre: Drama
Number of episodes: 4
Year: 2019
Starring: Assante Blackk, Caleel Harris, Ethan Herisse, Jharrel Jerome, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Marquis Rodriguez, Kylie Bunbury, Aunjanua Ellis, Vera Farmiga, Felicity Huffman, William Sadler, John Leguizamo, Famke Janssen, Joshua Jackson, Niecy Nash, Michael Kenneth Williams, Justin Cunningham, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Freddy Miyares

Description: Chronicles a true story of a notorious case of five black teenagers who were convicted of a rape they did not commit. Review: The world knows the story of the “Central Park Five”, the five boys (four black, one latino) that were convicted for the rape of a white woman in Central park, New York City in 1989. Director Ava DuVernay retells their story in the four-part series “When They See Us”. After the release on Netflix, it was labeled as ‘the horror film for the black community’. And I understand why, because it’s a tragic and depressing story.
The series opens light hearted, with the daily life of the five boys. Young and innocent, “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy is playing in the background, a group of mostly black teens are hanging in Central Park.
But it’s only six minutes that DuVernay spends on the innocent youth of Antron (15), Kevin (14), Korey (16), Raymond (14) and Yusef (15). Enough to get sympathy for each of them. And that’s when the horror starts for the boys.
In the first episode we see how they boys are taken to the police station, as suspects of a rape. And how the detectives work in selecting the five. We see how they manipulate the boys into saying things they don’t want, pointing to the others as the suspect. They were interrogated for hours, without getting any food, rest or bathroom breaks and without an adult being present. And if they tell the cops what they want to hear, they are promised to go home. For the five boys, lying is the only option, because all they want is to go home.
The second episode focuses on the trial and the verdict. All the testimonies, from all the boys, conflict. And no physical evidence was found to connect the boys to the crime. It’s clear they are all innocent, they didn’t commit the crime. And still they will get convicted. Donald Trump even advertised to bring back the death penalty, especially for these boys.
In the third episode we see how Antron, Raymond, Yusef and Kevin deal with their time in jail and how they are affected by it still when they are released. How hard it is for them to join society again, find a job, start a relationship, their damaged bond with their families. Each of them deal with it differently. For example, Yusef devotes his life to religion. And Kevin, who always was a good boy, eventually becomes a crook because everyone sees him like that anyway. Both the portrayal of the young and adult actors are convincing, touching and strong.
In the final episode, it’s totally focusing on Korey. He wasn’t arrested in the first place, but decided to accompany his friend Yusef when he was picked up. He just happened to be at the police station and the cops decided to use him as ‘the glue to their shaky story’. Since he is the only 16 year old, he is convicted as an adult, instead of being send to a juvenile prison. And he was incarcerated the longest. Korey was abused and molested and spend most of his years in solitary. Jharrel Jerome is the only actor that played both the young and adult version of his character. Impressive performance.
Not only were they convicted for a crime they didn’t commit, they were sentenced for life. Because it scarred them for life. Everyone will always see them as criminals, they won’t be able to get a license or a good job. Relationships will suffer from it. The boys eventually were acquitted for their crimes, but it still feels bittersweet. Because a big part of their life has been taken from them, their freedom was taken from them. And only because cops where seeking justice for a crime and convicted the wrong people who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong place and it seemed convenient.
A series like “When They See Us” is necessary. In a country were black and latino men have more chance of getting into jail than white men, and where Donald Trump has the big stage. The series doesn’t only tell the story of this one case, DuVernay points to the entire justice system. And it’s a realistic fear. People like Linda Fairstein and Elizabeth Lederer ruined a lot of lives because of it.
“When They See Us” is a powerful, heartbreaking, tragic story that everyone should see. They should show it at schools and to people who still think the world is just.

90s Movie Review - Deep Rising

Director: Stephen Sommers
Genre: Action/ Horror/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 1998
Starring: Treat Williams, Famke Janssen, Jason Flemyng, Cliff Curtis, Djimon Hounsou, Anthony Heald, Cliff Curtis

Description: A group of heavily armed hijackers board a luxury ocean liner in the South Pacific Ocean to loot it, only to do battle with a series of large-sized, tentacled, man-eating sea creatures who have taken over the ship first.

Review: “Deep Rising” is one of those film: don’t think, just watch. And then it’s super fun!
A group of hijackers aboard a luxury yacht. When they arrive, almost all the passengers and its crew is gone. Not knowing why, they investigate the ship. But something is luring from the deep. A large man-eating sea creature is after them.
“Deep Rising” is action packed, entertaining and creepy. But it didn’t stand the test of time. The special effects are outdated and the acting is mostly terrible. I saw this film a lot around the time it was released, but rewatching it now makes me realize it’s a pretty bad film. So many clichés, bad dialogue, even worse characters. But I still really enjoy it. I liked the fact that practically all the main characters are criminals or have a criminal history. And it’s super fast paced.
“Deep Rising” is definitely not a good movie, but it’s entertaining as hell!

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 130: A Fighting Man

Director: Damian Lee

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 85 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Dominic Purcell, Louis Gossett Jr., Famke Janssen, James Caan, Adam Beach, Freddie Roach, Kim Coats, Michael Ironside

 

Description: An aging fighter (Dominic Purcell) is in search of redemption. He steps into the ring with a hungry young pugilist (Izaak Smith) with something to prove.

 

Review: The boxing veteran Sailor O’Connor has never been knocked out in over sixty matches he has fought. Still he’s a broken man, haunted by a tragic past. When Sailor gets one more chance in the ring, he takes the opportunity. His opponent is young and much faster. With the help of his old coach, Sailor prepares for what is probably going to be his last fight.

Boxing is a source of inspiration for Hollywood and many great movies about boxing have been made already. The heroic feel and the controversy are perfect for a movie.

The constant factor in the film is the fight between Sailor O’Conner and King Solomon. In between we see flashbacks, from both perspectives. Everything that happened before the fight. This way of storytelling works pretty good. Most questions you have as a viewer, are answered at the end of the movie. For instance the story of Diane Schuler. “A Fighting Man” isn’t just a boxing movie, but also a film filled with symbolic. The punches Sailor receives in the ring symbolize the rough life he has lived.

Visually the shaky shots and quick montage fit the character and the feel of the film. And the story isn’t told chronologically, which really works and doesn’t make it a standard boxing movie with the big fight at the end of it. The movie does have some clichés and some storylines that have loose ends.

All in all “A Fighting Man” is a pretty good film, definitely worth your time.

Rating: 3/ 5

Best of... Famke Janssen

Famke Janssen is a Dutch actress, so as a Dutch woman I should be proud of this fantastic actress. That's why I decided to dedicate this item to her. Here are my favorite movies of Famke Janssen.


"GoldenEye"
I'm not a James Bond fan (only if it's Daniel Craig who's too hot to pass on) and Famke Janssen was the only reason I actually watched this Bond movie. And as Xenia Onatopp she also steals the show. One of the best Bond-girls ever.

"Deep Rising"
OK, maybe not Oscar material but so entertaining. And this movie doesn't take itself so seriously and is freakin' hilarious. I really like "Deep Rising".

"Rounders"
Solid movie about a not so interesting sport: poker. Good chemistry between the actors and very enjoyable.

"The Faculty"
I love this movie. Directed by Robert Rodriguez and with a great cast. A high school movie with the stereotypical character, but without the standard teen-movie recipe. I've seen it many times, I haven't seen it in a while though.

"X-Men"
One of my favorite superhero movies. This comic book was a perfect format for a movie and it turned out great. Great casting and very entertaining.

"Don't Say a Word"
An interesting kidnap story. Sean Bean always plays a believable villain and Michael Douglas usually plays roles that keep the audience's attention. The almost- two hours go by pretty quickly. The whole cast, actually, pretty good with no one person standing out.

"I Spy"
Basically funny because of Owen Wilson and Eddie Murphy, especially in combination. Not a movie that a lot of people will remember, but definitely worth watching.

"X2"
Another X-Men movie, not as good as the first, but still great. I really like Famke with Hugh Jackman. And I like all the new mutants introduced in this film.

"X-Men: The Last Stand"
The final movie in the trilogy. Still not as good as the first, but better than the second. Again new characters introduced. This was a great ending for a trilogy.

"Taken"
Liam Neeson is the real star in this movie, how awesome is he? It's an exciting movie, keeps you on the edge of your seat and takes your breath away. Very strong performance by Neeson, can't wait to see the sequel.

In the Picture: The Characters from "The Faculty"

I have seen this movie many times. Robert Rodriguez directed and I think this is one of his better films. Today I'm going to focus on the characters in this movie.

Casey Connor
Played by: Elijah Wood
Casey is an outcast and he loves photography. He’s the one that finds the weird organism and starts to suspect that something is wrong. Casey secretly has a crush on Delilah, who is way out of his league.

Zeke Tyler
Played by: Josh Hartnett
Zeke is a rebel and he’s repeating his senior year because he didn’t care about graduating. He is very intelligent but he doesn’t use it the way he should. Instead he created a home made drug and sells illegal video’s to classmates.

Stokely Mitchell
Played by: Clea DuVall
Stokely is a very exentric girl, though very timid. She dresses in black so that she doesn’t stand out in a crowd and she is a sci-fi fan. Stokely is the first one to believe Casey and together they go over the theories by using the science fiction novels she read. Stokely has a crush on Stan and she sees he is not just another sportsjock.

Delilah Profitt
Played by: Jordana Brewster
Delilah is the most popular girl in school and editor in chief for the school newspaper. She can be very vindictive and Stokely is her main target. Delilah is Stan’s girlfriend, but she doesn’t treat him right and actually thinks he’s stupid. She first doesn’t want to believe Casey’s theory, eventhough she saw what happened.

Stan Rosado
Played by: Shawn Hatosy
Stan is a sportsjock but decides to quit football and focus on his academics. He thinks he can do more than play sports and is sick of being favoured by teachers. At first he doesn’t really care much for Stokely, but he discovers that she’s the only one to see past the sportsoutfit.

Marybeth Louise Hutchinson
Played by: Laura Harris
Marybeth is new to Herrington Highschool and moved from Atlanta to live with relatives after her parents died. She befriends Stokely, because she feels left out like her. Marybeth shows interest in Zeke and is attracted to his rebelious lifestyle.

Coach Joe Willis
Played by: Robert Patrick
Coach Willis is the gymteacher and football coach at school. He’s your typical sportsfanatic. Stan is his best player and he can’t understand why he would leave the team. Coach Willis is the first teacher who shows strange behaviour.

Miss Elizabeth Burke
Played by: Famke Janssen
Elizabeth is the English teacher and very shy. She can barely controle her class, who is mainly bullied by Zeke, but she does love her job somehow. When she turns, she becomes a sexy, assertive woman and she wants to teach Zeke a lesson.

Principal Valerie Drake
Played by: Bebe Neuwirth
Valerie is a real autorithy figure and the principal at Herrington high. She’s someone who’s respected by her students and her staff, but she also turns and becomes insidious and the students think she’s the leader.

Favorite Character: Zeke Tyler