80s Movie Review - Silverado

Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Genre: Western/ Action/ Drama/Crime
Runtime: 133 minutes
Year: 1985
Starring: Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, John Cleese, Brian Dennehy, Rosanna Arquette, Jeff Goldblum, Linda Hunt, Jeff Fahey

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 9: A WESTERN
 
Description: A misfit bunch of friends comes together to right the injustice which exist in a small town called Silverado.

Review: Four cowboys brought together by fate arrive in Silverado. A series of events force them to face off against an overpowered force.

In 1985, director Lawrence Kasdan successfully attempted to bring back the big western to the silver screen. Even though he does not innovate the genre, he resumes authentic western mythology and creates an entertaining and adventurous old-fashioned western.

The main reason why “Silverado” is so long, is that each of the four main characters has their own plot line. But the movie does not bore for a moment. There is enough action and tension building to keep one’s attention. Only the subplot surrounding Rosanna Arquette’s characters seems a bit thrown away and isn’t fleshed out.

The four men are cast well. Kevin Kline is the main protagonist. He plays the dryly comic Paden, who tries very hard to put his past behind him. Scott Glenn is the very cool Emmett. His brother Jake is played by Kevin Costner (in his first major role), a young, carefree spirit. And Danny Glover is Mal, a more serious character partly because of his personal situation. But he was my favorite.

We get some great supporting roles by Linda Hunt as  the petite but feisty saloonkeeper Stella. Brian Dennehy as the corrupt sheriff Cobb. And John Cleese makes a brief appearance as a quirky sheriff in a town nearby Silverado.

What also lifts “Silverado” to a higher level is the music by Bruce Broughton. Which is also something I seem to love about westerns: its music. The film looks stunning. I believe that “Silverado” is a fine and sadly underrated masterpiece. Even if you’re not a fan of westerns. I loved it.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Review - Hypnotic

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery/ Action
Runtime: 93 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, William Fichtner, Dayo Okeniyi, Jeff Fahey, JD Pardo, Jackie Earle Haley
 
Description: A detective (Ben Affleck) investigates a mystery involving his missing daughter and a secret government program.

Review: Danny Rourke looked the other way for just a second when he was in the park with his daughter, and she was gone forever. Years later, he’s still not over that, but at least he wants to be able to do his job as a detective. One day a report comes in that someone will rob a bank later that day. They do, but in a very bizarre way. Danny goes to investigate and immediately stumbles upon an almost supernatural world he was unaware of.

They exist, people who can convince you that you’ve done something and immediately believe it, even if it turns out not to be true. That is the power of suggestion. Director Robert Rodriguez took this fact and turned it into fiction. In “Hypnotic”, some people posses the gift to use certain trigger words and make people see a certain reality.

It’s a good concept, but not perfectly executed. Rodriguez was clearly inspired by movies like “Inception”, “Tennant” and “Shutter Island”. How so, you need to watch it yourself. Withing the reality of “Hypnotic”, a few details don’t quite make sense. In the end everything turns out to make sense according to the rules of this film.

The film has some surprising and original twists, but the eventually keep coming and it just becomes ridiculous. Even after the credits there is another twist, this was unnecessary.
Ben Affleck is on auto-pilot here. Definitely not one of his best roles, he just does what needs to be done.

Overall, “Hypnotic” is not a bad film, but it’s not all that special. It’s one of those movies that you will forget you’ve watched at the end of the year.

Rating: 3/ 5