90s Movie Review - Thunderheart

Director: Michael Apted
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller/ Mystery
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 1992
Starring: Val Kilmer, Graham Greene, Sam Shepard, Fred Ward

Description: A young mixed-blood FBI agent (Val Kilmer) is assigned to work with a cynical veteran investigator (Sam Shepard) on a murder on a poverty-stricken Sioux reservation.

Review: Ever heard of the movie “Thunderheart”? No? That’s not a surprise, because not a lot of people know this movie. Which is a damn shame, because “Thunderheart” is definitely worth watching. “Thunderheart” is about the conflict between the Indians and the American government. FBI agent Ray Levoi is sent to the Badlands, South Dakota, to investigate the murder of an Indian. Jimmy Looks Twice is the main suspect, a member of the Aboriginal Rights Movement. The ARM has committed murders before. Indians are the victims; there is a civil war going on. At least that’s what Frank Coutelle, Jack Milton and his GOON’s make you think. When Ray starts working with Walter Crowe Horse and other local Indians, he slowly discovers the actual truth.

The plot is based on actual events, in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in the 1970s. Director Michael Apted also made a documentary, “Incident at Oglala”, that shows us the experiences he had while visiting that area in the 70s. Themes like drilling for uranium, illness amongst Indians because of the radiation in the water and the conflict between Indians and GOON’s were pictured in that documentary. The character of Jimmy Looks Twice is based on Indian activist Leonard Peltier, who was wrongfully accused for killing two FBI agents. It’s strange to see that those things are reality. It makes you feel guilty.

Another important theme in the movie is Ray’s inner struggle. Ray, an FBI agent with talent, has showed some impressive work. He is part Sioux Indian, from his father’s side. Because of Ray’s heritage, he is chosen to investigate this case. So he can easily connect with the Indians. But that’s not as easy as you might think. At first Ray is ashamed of being part Indian, but that later grows out into respect and pride.

Val Kilmer does a great job as FBI agent Ray Levoi, especially because he shows us that inner struggle so well. Funny detail: Kilmer is actually part Cherokee. We also see Sam Shepard as Frank Coutelle and Graham Greene as Walter Crow Horse. Both deliver a solid performance. Most surprising is maybe Ted Thin Elk who, as the 72-year old Grandpa Reaches, debuts in “Thunderheart”.

“Thunderheart” is a forgotten film, sadly enough. The movie has so many great elements and has a good, intelligent plot. If you haven’t seen it, please do and spread the word. More people should see “Thunderheart”.

Rating: 5 / 5

90s Movie Review - Dances with Wolves

Director: Kevin Costner
Genre: Drama/ Adventure/ Western
Runtime: 180 minutes
Year: 1990
Starring: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant, Floyd ‘Red Crow’ Westerman, Tantoo Cardinal, Robert Pastorelli, Charles Rocket, Maury Chaykin, Jimmy Herman, Michael Spears, Tony Pearce

Description: Lt. John Dunbar (Kevin Costner), exiled to a remote western Civil War outpost, befriends wolves and Indians, making him an intolerable aberration in the military.

Review: “Dances with Wolves” was one of the most remarkable and ambitious debut films, which got both criticized and was successful. Kevin Costner, who was only known for his acting, took on the role of director and producer as well for this project. At the time the movie came out, westerns were practically dead. It’s very courageous to make one that is three hours long.

A passion for the subject is very welcome. Costner always wanted to star in a western and he managed to do that in “Silverado”. With “Dances with Wolves” he could make another dream come true, by making one of his own.

Indians were always portrayed as barbarians the ‘white man’ had to overcome and defeat. “Dances with Wolves” breaks that tradition. It’s a revisionary western, where the role of cowboys and Indians are reversed. Others might say it’s just a milder version of the old western.

Kevin Costner plays the role of John Dunbar, a man we can easily identify with. We don’t know much about him, but together with Dunbar we are trying to find his true identity. Like him we are open to new experiences and all the new impressions are magical. We get a personal and unique connection with Dunbar.

The story isn’t very complicated, but it’s told in the most beautiful way. The visuals of the landscapes and the music by John Barry are just amazing. Director Kevin Costner tells the story in a calm and sometimes poetic way. He makes you care for the characters and keeps you captivated for all the three hours long. A very impressive directorial debut.

Rating: 5/ 5

90s Review - The Green Mile

Director: Frank Darabont
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 181 minutes
Year: 1999
Starring: Tom Hanks, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Cromwel, Michael Jeter, Graham greene, Doug Hutchison, Sam Rockwell, Barry Pepper, Jeffrey DeMunn, Patricia Clarkson, Harry Dean Stanton

Description: The lives of guards on Death Row are affected by one of their charges: a black man accused of child murder and rape, yet who has a mysterious gift.

Review: Director Frank Darabont is at his best when filming adaptations of Stephen King novels. His directorial debut, “The Shawshank Redemption”, hit every mark. With “The Green Mile” he’s on trusted territory, because it’s also set in a prison. It does introduce a new element: the paranormal. “The Green Mile” is set in a death row cell block, led by Paul Edgecomb, in 1935. They call it the green mile. He runs it with his best friend Brutus Howell, the young Dean Stanton, veteran Harry Terwilliger and newcomer and sadistic Percy Wetmore.
All prison guards, except for Percy, want the prisoners the end their life in the most humane way possible. The silent Native American Arlen Bitterbuck and the joyful Eduard ‘Del’ Delacroix are both waiting for their judgment day. One day, the gigantic John Coffey is brought in. He is sentenced for the rape and murder of two young girls. But he looks more dangerous then he actually is. Coffey is afraid of the dark and has a gentle character. Soon Paul discovers that something special is going on and that John Coffey has a gift.
Like “The Shawshank Redemption”, “The Green Mile” is a film that’s carried by the actors. Tom Hanks is perfect for his role as sympathetic protagonist and through his eyes we see the story. Doug Hutchison is very convincing as the exasperating Percy. Sam Rockwell goes nuts as crazy inmate Wild Bill, David Morse is likeable as the goodhearted Brutus and James Cromwell portrays his role as prison boss very well. But it’s Michael Clarke Duncan that impresses the most. He grabs viewers and it’s really hard not to like him.
“The Green Mile” is a powerful film with a good message, that will leave many people in tears. The characters get all the room to exploit. Darabont puts the focus on the characters and not on the plot.

Rating: 5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Wind River

Director: Taylor Sheridan
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Graham Greene, Jon Bernthal

Description: A veteran tracker (Jeremy Renner) with the Fish and Wildlife Service helps to investigate the murder of a young Native American woman, and uses the case as a means of seeking redemption for an earlier act of irresponsibility which ended in tragedy.

Review: Together with “Sicario” and “Hell or High Water”, “Wind River” belongs in the so-called ‘American frontier’ threesome by screen writer Taylor Sheridan. With the screenplays of these three films, Sheridan describes today's America, where there is no compromise and where poverty, violence and a struggling government are still present. And again, this third movie, is a strong crime thriller.
The crime scene is in the Wind River reserve, in the state of Wyoming. An area known for its cold and silence. During one of his track runs, tracker Corey Lambert finds the lifeless body of a young Indian girl, miles away from civilization. The girl isn’t wearing any shoes and coughed up a lot of blood. Suspicious circumstances, so he calls it.
Help arrives in the form of inexperienced FBI agent Jane Banner, who labels this as a homicide. Together with Corey she decides to solve this crime, but she hasn’t realized yet what world she has entered.
The authorities hardly have any interest in this crime, which means that every victim will take the matter in their own hands. For a thriller like “Wind River”, that’s an excellent starting point. The message at the end shows us that native Americans gone missing don’t get registered. And that’s why this is an important film.
“Wind River” is a movie that flew pretty much under the radar in 2017. And it’s definitely a film you need to see. The writing is excellent. It’s not an original story, because it’s based on actual events. But the film makes you feel like you’re watching a literary novel come to life. Psychological depth, no clichés, real people struggling with complex emotions like guilt and loss. The dark poetic tones of the dialogue matches perfectly with the images of the snowy landscapes.
“Wind River” has a limited runtime, but manages to punch you in the face with the emotional load its carrying. Sheridan makes it believable and you feel the impact a homocide investigation like this can have on the people involved. The film is never rushed and is never really sentimental. With that we get an amazing performance from Jeremy Renner, probably in his best role to date. “Wind River” is a movie you should definitely add to your watchlist, it’s a crime thriller at its best.

Rating: 5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Molly's Game

Director: Aaron Sorkin
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 141 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Chris O’Dowd, Bill Camp, Graham Greene, Justin Kirk

Description: The true story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game and became an FBI target.

Review: Molly Bloom is a strong woman, but not the school girl role model. As an Olympic skier, she gets into a terrible accident where the doctors tell her she will never ski again. But within a year Molly is back on the slope.
But her Olympic career isn’t for long, when Molly has yet another fall to recover from. She starts working for a shady guy in an equally shady office. Her boss is friends with some big shots and runs secret poker games. Molly starts out as his help and eventually climbs the ladder to become the so-called ‘poker princess’.
Molly Bloom’s biography is pretty outspoken and was released not long after Molly was charged for running illegal games. Aaron Sorkin saw something in it and decided to turn it into film.
Everything we see, really happened, Bloom only changed most names. Sorkin isn’t interested in the names, he’s not here to get out the dirt. He wants to show us Molly Bloom’s story, how she starts out and eventually how she runs exclusive high-stake poker games.
Jessica Chastain is probably my favorite actress of the moment. She plays Bloom fiercely, relentless and sharp. Bloom is smart, she plays it smart and she uses her feminine qualities in a very clever way. And it all works.
Bloom isn’t portrayed as some kind of superhero. Aside from the criminal activities, she is also a woman that can be broken as long as you keep looking for her weaknesses. But she comes back from it even stronger and the fact that people never really get close to Bloom, is just a side effect she accepts.
Chastain is amazing in her role, she makes this movie great. And Sorkin manages to create a biopic, where a feisty woman makes it in a man’s world. Strong film!

Rating: 4 / 5