00s Movie Review - The Da Vinci Code

Director: Ron Howard
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller
Runtime: 139 minutes
Year: 2006
Starring: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Paul Bettany, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno

Description: A murder and clues in paintings lead to the discovery of a closely guarded religious mystery

Review: The church wasn’t happy with the book “The Da Vinci Code” by author Dan Brown. But I think the church hates the movie even more, because it’s very detailed, realistic and close to its source material. A plus for director Ron Howard, who gave Browns killer a face, lets the blood visually flow and made the search for the holy grail a mysterious quest. It’s a search full of discoveries, surprises and cliffhangers. Over two hours on the edge of your seat. 

How detailed the movie may be, you can’t be as complete as 429 pages. But there is no need to. Howard used enough references to history from daily life. Why Friday the 13th is an unlucky day for instance. They aren’t flashbacks, it’s like Professor Langdon and Sophie are thinking it all over, to help them with deciphering codes, anagrams and riddles. 

Off course nothing speaks like your imagination. It’s often said that the book is better than the movie, because the characters get a different face than you imaged for instance. But the casting is good. Tom Hanks leads it as Robert Langdon and, as always, does a great job as the leading man. Audrey Tautou convinces as well as Ian McKellen and Jean Reno. But it’s Paul Bettany that steals the show, as Silas. The way he portrayed Silas; possessed, brutal, submissive.

Howard used some modern tricks for the movie. Where Langdon and Sophie use a library database in the book, here they work their way around a pocket computer with wireless internet connection. And the drive in a Smart, that manages to sneak through a gap between two trucks, is also a bit more spectacular than in the book. 

The movie is not as complete as the book, but equally impressive. The movie challenges you to believe, or at least ask yourself questions about it. The truth behind it when it comes to religion and history. For many “The Da Vinci Code” is a collection of factual inaccuracies, but the truth is what you believe. And that’s what Robert Langdon thinks.

Rating: 4/ 5

90s Movie Review - Mission: Impossible

Director: Brian De Palma
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 1996
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Redgrave, Kristen Scott Thomas, Henry Czerny

Description: An American agent (Tom Cruise), under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization.

Review: This first film about an international team of spies led by Ethan Hunt is an instant hit for fans of high-tech action spectacle and inimitable plot twists. I decided to rewatch all the films in the franchise, before watching the newest in the series.

The ladies and gentlemen of the Mission: Impossible team must prevent the theft of a file containing the names of secret agents. But things go wrong, and the team will have to flee and fight, unravel and expose.

This is were it all started, did Tom Cruise realize that the movies would eventually get better and better (with exceptions)? Because this is probably one of the most successful action movie franchises. It’s been a while since I last saw the first in the series, but I remember really liking it. And it holds up.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Alex Cross

Director: Rob Cohen
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Mystery
Runtime: 101 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox, Edward Burns, Rachel Nichols, Jean Reno, Carmen Ejogo, Cicely Tyson, John C. McGinley

Description: Homicide detective Alex Cross (Tyler Perry) is pushed to the brink of his moral and physical limits as he tangles with a ferociously skilled hired killer (Matthew Fox) who specializes in torture and pain.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 27: A THIRD MOVIE IN A SERIES

Review: Alex Cross is a psychologist and homicide detective, created by author James Patterson, who wrote a books series about this interesting character that has over 20 books and counting in it. Alex Cross has turned up in movies before, in the form of Morgan Freeman who portrayed him in “Kiss the Girls” and “Along Came a Spider”. In this film, based on the twelfth book in the series, has Tyler Perry as the titular character. Cross is dealing wit a violently deranged killer, who leaves cubist drawings as clues.

James Patterson is one of the best crime writers in the business, so the source material is solid. “Kiss the Girls” is one of my go-to thrillers. “Along Came a Spider” was okay, but not noteworthy. “Alex Cross” is just bad. It’s filled with bad dialogues, clearly not written by Patterson. And it’s in this story that Cross is offered the job to work for the FBI as a psychoanalyst. Which is very implausible, since all of his analysis are based on a few mere clues.

What is even more implausible is the fight between Alex and the perpetrator, called Picasso. Whereas Picasso is first portrayed as a dangerous maniac who causes death and destruction as if a whole arsenal of criminals had done these deeds, the creators just as easily step away from that and Picasso suddenly has trouble with Dr. Alex Cross. And Tyler Perry is really not good as Cross and he’s absolutely not believable as a psychoanalytic observer. Of course you’re going to compare him to Morgan Freeman, who portrayed Cross as a calm, rational and intelligent professional. Perry just never convinces.

The same goes for the story. The Alex Cross stories have serious topics, but this film has a comedic undertone due to some of the characters. John C. McGinley’s character gives it that undertone and it’s just out of place. Matthew Fox, as the villain Picasso, is pretty good though.

Although the film is meant to be a serious action thriller, it feels more like a satirical version of it. The film is predictable, cheesy, implausible and both the dialogue and most of the acting are just awful. I don’t think James Patterson is happy with this film.

Rating: 1,5/ 5

Movie Review - Da 5 Bloods

Director: Spike Lee
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 154 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Mélanie Thierry, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Walter Hauser, Jasper Pääkkönen, Johnny Nguyen, Jean Reno

Description: Four African American war veterans battle the forces of man and nature when they return to Vietnam seeking the remains of their fallen squad leader and the gold fortune he helped them hide.

Review: Spike Lee goes in search of the African-American experience of the Vietnam War. The result is and extremely subversive film that turns the genre upside down. At the same time Lee manages to shed light on the underexposed history of many young black men who fought for America in several wars. “Da 5 Bloods” is a strong indictment of imperialism, capitalism and institutional racism in the United States. Which make this film extremely topical and it looks like Lee made this film only last week.
At the end of his previous film, “BlacKkKlansman”, Spike Lee drew and emotional parallel with the United States of the present with his bizarre historical narrative. In “Da 5 Bloods”, Lee does the opposite; the film is set in the present, but goes back to different figures and events from the complicated past of the U.S. in “Da 5 Bloods”, four African-American veterans return to Vietnam to collect the remains of Norman, their squad leader for the soldiers at the time. It soon turns out that the four men have yet another motive to visit the jungle of Vietnam. During the war they found a chest of gold bars, which they buried in the jungle. The prospects of the riches threatens to drive the group apart more and more.
“Da 5 Bloods” is a wild journey through the jungle. The aspect ratio changes several times during the film. Again and again this results in a different aesthetic experience. The ratio changes for the first time during a flashback shot with an old camera. The nice thing about these flashbacks is that the actors play their younger self, but they don’t use any rejuvenation effects. And it works very well. Archival footage is used several times as well, for recorded speeches of people like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Each time a historical figure is discussed, it is highlighted with a photograph.
Do not expect an epic “Apocalypse Now”-lie tale of the war. The film contains action scenes, but it focusses more on the characters and the story. The strength of the film lies in the depth the film seeks and the great acting. Especially Delroy Lindo is great, as the war traumatized and guild-ridden Paul. One of the highlights is seeing Paul trek through the jungle with a Trump cap on his head, while he increasingly loses himself in paranoia and delusions.
“Da 5 Bloods” is not an easy watch and a long sit. There are some moments that are hard to stomach. Specifically one archive photo of an infant, that will definitely stay with you for a while. Lee doesn’t hold back and show everything. And aside from “Da 5 Bloods” being a really good film, is had humor, fantastic cinematography and exciting scenes. And Lee wouldn’t be Lee if he didn’t use his political agenda, which also happens to be a strength of the film. “Da 5 Bloods” is therefor an important film that offers a different perspective on the Vietnam War. Or as Paul puts it: “we fought in an immoral war that was not ours, for rights we didn’t have”.

Rating: 4,5 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 82: The Big Blue

Director: Luc Besson

Genre: Drama/ Adventure/ Romance

Runtime: 167 minutes

Year: 1988

Starring: Jean Reno, Jean-Marc Barr, Rosanna Arquette, Paul Shenar, Sergio Castellitto, Jean Bouise, Marc Duret, Griffin Dunne, Andréas Voutsinas, Valentina Vargas, Kimberly Beck, Patrick Fontana, Alessandra Vazzoler, Geoffrey Carey, Bruce Guerre-Berthelot

Description: Two men answer the call of the ocean in this romantic fantasy-adventure. Jacques (Jean-Marc Barr) and Enzo (Jean Reno) are a pair of friends who have been close since childhood, and who share a passion for the dangerous sport of free diving. Professional diver Jacques opted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who died at sea when Jacques was a boy; to the bewilderment of scientists, Jacques harbors a remarkable ability to adjust his heart rate and breathing pattern in the water, so that his vital signs more closely resemble that of dolphins than men (he even considers a school of dolphins as his extended family). As Enzo persuades a reluctant Jacques to compete against him in a free diving contest -- determining who can dive deeper and longer without scuba gear -- Jacques meets Johanna (Rosanna Arquette), a beautiful insurance investigator from America, and he finds that he must choose between his love for her and his love of the sea.

Review: Besides filmmaking, director Luc Besson has one passion: diving. “The Big Blue” has that theme. It’s a film about friendship, identity and love. Together with the beautiful landscapes and underwater scenes, “The Big Blue” is a wonderful movie experience.

Besson can make both exciting and dramatically compelling movies. And the love for the aquatic life is clear in this movie. Amazing shots of a dolphin in the ocean, combined with the music by Eric Serra. The way character Jacques Mayol is around the animals, is just magical.

Both Jean-Marc Barr and Jean Reno are good in their roles. Sadly enough Rosanna Arquette isn’t the right woman for the role of Johanna. She has no depth. The rivalry between Enzo and Jacques dies have this depth. It’s the back bone of the story. Overall, “The Big Blue” is a good film, with beautiful images.

Rating: 4/ 5

In the Picture: The Characters from "Léon"

"Léon" is one of the coolest movies of the 90's and it brought us three very memorable characters as well. Here are the characters from "Léon".

Léon
Played by: Jean Reno
Léon is a hitman, or a cleaner is how he calls it. He lives a solitary life in New York. The only living thing in his life is his plant, who he calls his best friend. When Matilda enters his life, he feels things he never felt before.

Matilda Lando
Played by: Natalie Portman
Matilda lives with her dysfunctional family. She has an abusive father, self-absorbed stepmother and a shallow half sister. The only one she cares about is her four year old brother. When her family is killed, she goes to Léon for help and an unlikely friendship develops.

Norman Stansfield
Played by: Gary Oldman
Stansfield leads a group of corrupt DEA agents and is responsible for the death of Matilda’s family. He’s trying to find her now. He has a great passion for classical music, preferably Beethoven and has a unhinged and unpredictable personality.

Tony
Played by: Danny Aiello
Tony is a so-called mobster in Little Italy and he helps out Léon. He keeps his money safe and is responsible for giving everything to Matilda when Léon dies.



Favorite Character: Léon

Movie Moments: The Da Vinci Code

"The Da Vinci Code" got a lot of negative critique when it came out. I was one of those moviegoers that liked it immediately. I love the story and excitement of the movie. I would like to share my favorite moments from the film.

Moment # 1: Robert Langdon
We meet professor Robert Langdon while he’s lecturing about symbols.

Moment # 2: Silas
Silas has just committed a murder in the Louvre and is now talking in Latin to someone on the phone. Next we see hem inflict pain to himself. He’s suffering for Jesus Christ.

Moment # 3: Deciphering Saugniére’s messages
Jacques Saugniére left a message for Langdon and Sophie and they need to decipher it. It leads them to the Mona Lisa, where he left another riddle. When the are pointed to Madonna of the Rocks Langdon and Sophie find a fleur-de-lis. It’s a key.

Moment # 4: Cryptex
The key that they found leads Langdon and Sophie to a crypts. Sophie once received one from Saugniére and she tells Langdon all about the cryptex.

Moment # 5: The holy grail
Langdon asks his friend Leigh Teabing for help, because he’s an expert in the holy grail. Teabing explains Langdon and Sophie what the holy grail actually is.

Moment # 6: Langdon opens the cryptex
Teabing wants Sophie to open the cryptex, because he thinks she’s the keeper of the holy grail. Sophie doesn’t know and Langdon gives it a try. He says he can’t either and throws the cryptex at Teabing. It’s broken, but we later see that Langdon retrieved the map before the cryptex broke. The code was apple.

Moment # 7: Sophie is the secret
When Langdon and Sophie think they found Mary Magdalene, Langdon discovers that Sophie is the secret. She is royal blood, the heir, the end of the bloodline, the last living descendant of Jesus Christ.

Moment # 8: Langdon and Sophie say goodbye
After a long journey, Langdon and Sophie say goodbye. Langdon tells her a story about himself, when he was a child. When Sophie goes back to her family, she tries to walk on water, as a joke.

Moment # 9: Langdon follows the roseline
When Langdon is in his hotel room, he decides to follow the roseline. It ends at the point where the two pyramids come together and that’s the place where Mary Magdalene’s sarcophagus is.

Favorite Moment: Moment # 9: Langdon follows the roseline