00s Movie Review - Gangs of New York

Director: Martin Scorsese
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 147 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, John C. Reilly, Stephen Graham, Henry Thomas, Brendan Gleeson, Liam Neeson, Jim Broadbent, Eddie Marsan

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 49: A MOVIE WITH AND ACTOR/ ACTRESS YOU DISLIKE
 
Description: In 1962, Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) returns to the Five Points area of New York City seeking revenge against Bill the Butcher (Daniel Day-Lewis), his father’s killer.

Review: In “Gangs of New York”, director Martin Scorsese resents his cynical vision of the extremely bloody gang wars that plagued Manhattan in the mid-nineteenth century.

The film opens with a bloody battle in the Five Points area, where Irish immigrants clash with the American-born Nativists, led by the ruthless William cutting, knows as Bill the Butcher.
Sixteen years later, the son of the murdered Irish gang leader, returns to the neighborhood. Unfortunately, this characters, Amsterdam Vallon, doesn’t quite come into his own, but there is no doubt about his revenge against Bill the Butcher. This is one of those stories where you kind of side with the villain, because his character is way more interesting and fleshed out, not because he’s more likeable. And that is largely thanks to Daniel Day-Lewis, who portrays this ruthless gang leader as a charismatic psychopath. He created an instant classic movie villain. He steals the entire movie and makes Leonardo DiCaprio completely fade into the background. Not to speak of Cameron Diaz, who in my eyes was miscast. And I believe that they could have left her character out completely, she adds nothing to the story and you don’t care about her.

But “Gangs of New York” has more to offer than Day-Lewis’ monumental acting. Above all, the film fascinates with the almost maniacal detail with which the Manhattan of 1862 was reconstructed. The film looks stunning. We are plunged into an anarchic society. Scorsese has already showed us at length that Manhattan was nothing less than hell on earth in previous movies, but he has just mentioned that existence there in the nineteenth century was many times more miserable.

In Taxi Driver and Bringing out the dead, Scorsese had already shown us at length that Manhattan was nothing less than hell on earth. He had just never mentioned that existence there in the nineteenth century was many times more miserable.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - The Hours

Director: Stephen Daldry
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Ed Harris, Stephen Dillane, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Miranda Richardson, Claire Danes, Margot Martindale, Jeff Daniels

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 3: AN ANTHOLOGY MOVIE
 
Description: The story of how the novel “Mrs. Dalloway” affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have to deal with suicide in their lives.

Review: Three women. One writes, the other reads and the last lives. The words of Virginai Woolf’s famous book “Mrs. Dalloway” give shape and dimension to their tragic lives. Based on the Pullitzer Prize-winning nover “The Hours” by Michael Cunningham, the story was a valid attempt to illustrate how literature and true life can be connected. And how immortal stories are even when their writers and protagonists die.

The three women who sometimes effortlessly blur into one character in the book are pulled apart for the film in three powerful roles played by Nicole Kidman (as Virginia Woolf), Meryl Streep (as the contemporary New York Carissa Vaughan) and Julianne Moore (as a 1950s housewife. Their fates are shown as they wear the same kind of earrings, and, thanks to ingenious editing, relive or read the same scenes from “Mrs. Dalloway” at the same time.

It is a wondrous conclusion to have to see, almost a century after Mrs. Dalloway lived, that, in Daldry's view, personal freedom is more than ever bound by sexual and familial ties.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - When Marnie Was There

Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Genre: Animation/ Drama/ Family

Runtime: 103 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, John C. Reilly, Vanessa Williams, Catherine O’Hara, Kathy Bates, Ellen Burstyn, Kiernan Shipka

Description: Due to 12 year-old Anna’s (Hailee Steinfeld) asthma, she’s sent to stay with relatives of her guardian in the Japanese countryside. She likes to be alone, sketching. She befriends Marnie. Who is the mysterious, blonde Marnie?

Review: Now that grandmaster Hayao Miyazaki passed the torch after “The Wind Rises”, the question remains whether Japanese animation will be the same. With this Studio Ghibli film, Miyazaki has trained a team of very talented animation directors and draughtsmen. The studio has developed a unique style that has bridged the gap between the graphic rough Japanase anime and the sweet style of Walt Disney. Stylistically, the emphasis is on the hand-drawn animation, where the computer only serves as a support. And personally, I have always preferred the hand-drawn style. Thematically Ghibli is universally oriented with emotional stories that weave old Japanese traditions with Western values. In addition to Miyazaki’s extensive oeuvre, his colleagues have managed to enchant the world.

The newest film is the compelling and dreamy “When Marnie Was There”. Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi took care of this full-length animation, based on the novel by British children’s book author Joan G. Robinson. The book was a favorite for Miyazaki, who often sought a connection with Western literature for his film adaptations. Yonebayashi succeeds in fusing traditional English elements with Japanese influences, although his characters have a western look, as the vast majority of Ghibli productions. The clever thing is that Yonebayashi doesn’t shy away from adult themes such as illness, loss, loneliness and abandonment and manages to capture this in an imaginative but for the animation studio remarkably earthy setting.

Central is twelve-year-old Anna, a talented girl who, in a poignant opening dialogue, declares that the world contains an imaginary circle in which she clearly stands outside. The girl is not noticed by her surroundings and was given up for adoption as a child. Anna also suffers from a severe form of asthma. In order to get some rest and fresh air, her adoptive mother sends Anna to family on the coast. The nosy girl loves to draw, and quickly starts to explore her surroundings. During her first exploration, she discovers an eccentric country house overlooking a swamp area. Anna thinks she recognizes the house and the blonde girl sitting at the window from her dreams and decides to investigate. Her host family maintains that it is an empty mansion, but Anna cannot let it go. Once she comes into contact with Marnie, the blonde girl at the window, a special friendship develops.

Yonebayashi constantly plays with the thin line between dream and reality. The bond between Anna and Marnie becomes so close that both threaten to lose themselves in the friendship. This never becomes threatening, but both girls want to try to hold on to what connects them for as long as possible, even if the world around them changes.

Although it’s not that hard to guess what’s really going on, it’s easily forgiven since we were again treated with beautiful imagery, a timeless story and lots of heart. Studio Ghibli really needs to keep creating.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - Ralph Breaks the Internet

Director: Phil Johnston, Rich Moore
Genre: Animation/ Adventure/ Family
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Gal gadot, Taraji P. Henson, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Alfred Molina, Ed O’Neill

Description: Six years after the events of “Wreck-it Ralph”, Ralph and Vanellope, now friends, discover a wi-fi router in their arcade, leading them into a new adventure.

Review: With the arrival of Pixar and the incorporation of this studio by Walt Disney you would almost forget that Disney still has its own animation line. Meanwhile the canon, which started with "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and includes titles like "Bambi", "Pinocchio" and "The Lion King", has over seventy titles. The latest addition is “Ralph Breaks the Internet”, the sequel to the successful animation film Wreck-It Ralph.
Disney has continued its own series despite the fact that the studio has almost completely switched to the computer as its main drawing tool. In 2012 we were able to get to know the very well-built and very strong Ralph, who acted as the main character in his own arcade game. Actually, Ralph was a bad guy whose mission was to destroy pretty much everything with his enormous fists. But Ralph was done with it to be a villain.
In the inevitable sequel, the characters from the arcade games see a new enemy looming. The internet is full of unknown secrets and temptations. Ralph's former enemy, but now best friend Vanellope, is bored to death in her richly coloured racing game in which nothing exciting ever happens again. Ralph tries to break the rut by introducing a bonus level in Vanelope's game. The daring race that follows ends hopelessly wrong and the steering wheel of Vanellope's classic arcade game breaks.
Because the game is no longer being made, there is no other option than to go deep into your pocket for a new steering wheel. The only place where the attribute is still available is on the internet. Ralph, Vanellope and their computer friends have to raise money online to get their hands on the wheel via eBay. Due to a stupid action by the impulsive Vanelope, the price has also risen considerably.
In terms of approach and set-up, this second movement, Wreck-It Ralph, is reminiscent of the hopelessly flawed “The Emoji Movie”. Here it turns out once again that everyone can animate pictures very well, but all that stands and falls with a good story and finely worked out characters. Moreover, it is wonderfully refreshing when the makers seek out contrasts. Ralph and the overly cute Vanellope suddenly end up in a very rough racing game. Exactly the fun Vanellope was looking for, but it's also an unfamiliar world where danger lies in every corner. The dark, ominous colours form a wonderful alternation with the multicoloured shades with which the worldwide web has been designed.
As in the previous film, "Ralph Breaks the Internet" is full of videos, references and allusions. This is most obvious at times when Disney is taking a beating about the bush. By far the most successful scene is the one in which a whole army of Disney princesses make their appearance. Even the translation to the digital canvas is a success, and on top of that all the princess interpreters who are still alive have flown in to speak to the voices of the princesses. The makers also play with the clichéd and often unemancipated appearance of the heroines.
Precisely because of its capacity for self-mockery and its ability to address the modern digital world in which communication takes place in a very special way, this second part of Wreck-It Ralph is a successful animation adventure with layers for both young viewers and a mature audience. The main criticism is the crowded plot and the sometimes very fast action and chases. They are small blemishes on an otherwise almost undamaged blazon. It remains to be seen whether Ralph Breaks the Internet will go into the books as a classic. A plus point is a new song by Alan Menken, the man who, with his magical music, also pulled Disney out of the doldrums at the end of the eighties.

Rating: 4 / 5

Movie Reviews - Holmes & Watson

Director: Etan Cohen
Genre: Comedy/ Adventure
Runtime: 90 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Rebecca Ferguson, Kelly Macdonald, Ralph Fiennes, Pam Ferris

Description: A humorous take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic mysteries featuring Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.

Review: “Holmes & Watson” has a golden duo: stars from the movies “Step Brothers” and “Talladega Nights”, John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell. Together again in a comedy, so it must be fun. Well, no! It’s one of the worst comedies I’ve seen the past years.
Sherlock Holmes is known as one of the best detectives in the literary world. His intelligent friend Dr. John Watson assists him. “Holmes & Watson” is a humoristic and more absurd take on this duo and they are definitely not the master detectives they are in the novels.
Such funny actors in a non-funny comedy. How is it possible? Because it’s a giant shit-show. It’s painful to watch and you just want it to end. And it’s kind of insulting to the fantastic characters that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once created. They didn’t deserve to be portrayed like this or to be ridiculed.
If you haven’t seen “Holmes & Watson”, please keep it that way.

Rating: 1/ 5

00s Movie Review: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Director: Adam McKay
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2006
Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Leslie Bibb, Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, Michael Clarke Duncan, Amy Adams, David Koechner, Rob Riggle, Molly Shannon, Greg Germann

Description: Number one NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) stays atop the heap thanks to a pact with his best friend and teammate, Cal Naughton, Jr. (John C. Reilly) But when a French Formula One driver (Sacha Baron Cohen), makes his way up the ladder, Ricky Bobby's talent and devotion are put to the test.

Review: NASCAR: fast cars driving hundreds of laps on a simple oval track. In America it’s one of the most viewed sports. The NASCAR world was already put in the spotlight with the Tom Cruise film “Days of Thunder” and in the animated Disney film “Cars”. In “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Rocky Bobby” it takes on the comedy genre and the world is brought to us with a big fat wink.
We follow Ricky Bobby, a successful NASCAR driver. At first, everything goes uphill for him. Rocky becomes an egocentric superstar, but eventually ends up in the gutter. And everything that he once had and loved, slips through his fingers. And although this all sounds super cliché, which it is, the film is so entertaining and funny.
Will Ferrell is one of those actors that makes me laugh, no matter what. I just have to look at him and he cracks me up. And surely not everyone likes his humor. If you don’t like Will Ferrell’s films or roles, you don’t like this one either. Because it’s Will Ferrell, being Will Ferrell. The humor is never subtle, yet very hilarious.
Sacha Baron Cohen is really funny as Ricky Bobby’s big rival, Jean Girard. The way he pronounces Rocky Bobby is something that cracks me up constantly, even now, while writing this review and saying it in my head. My dad can do a killer impression of him by the way!
“Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” is definitely not a masterpiece or one of America’s best comedies. But somehow, this movie always makes me laugh out loud and that’s what a fun comedy should do.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

90s Movie Review - Dolores Claiborne

Director: Taylor Hackford
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 1995
Starring: Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Plummer, David Strathairn, Bob Gunton, John C. Reilly

Description: A big-city reporter (Jennifer Jason Leigh) travels to the small town where her mother (Kathy Bates) has been arrested for the murder of an elderly woman that she works for as a maid.

Review: On stage she won prize after prize, but Hollywood found her too fat. But there was help. Master of horror Stephen King offered Kathy Bates the role of a lifetime in “Misery”. An Oscar for that role and several memorable roles later, Bates gives away another great performance in yet another Stephen King adapted film.
Dolores Claiborne worked for a demanding rich lady for years. When this woman, Vera, is found dead at the bottom of the stairs, Dolores is the main suspect. This accusation brings home her estranged daughter Selena, who works as a journalist now. And the past they usually won’t speak off, comes out.
It’s a strong mystery thriller, with a good focus on the bond between Dolores and her daughter Selena. Kathy Bates is again very solid in her performance. She overshadows all the other actors. Jennifer Jason Leigh is also very strong.
“Dolores Claiborne” is one of King’s better adaptations.

Rating: 4 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 44 - Kong: Skull Island

Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John C. Reilly, John Goodman, Toby Kebbell, Thomas Mann, Richard Jenkins

Description: A team of scientists explore an uncharted island in the Pacific, venturing into the domain of the mighty Kong, and must fight to escape a primal Eden.

Review: The iconic King Kong has had a full life. In 1933 he started building the Empire State Building. In 1976 there was the first official remake, although the story was different. And Peter Jackson did another try in 2005, with an amazing looking remake that was closer to the original story, but had a lot of extra elements. “Kong: Skull Island” has nothing to do with the original story. it’s a complete new story and has a stunning cast.
“Kong: Skull Island” has a lot of elements for a big blockbuster. It’s action packed, entertaining and it has big monsters. And Kong is who we want to see. But for monster movies, it’s always more exciting and scary if you don’t know what’s lurking in the woods. Kong is shown way to soon, completely. The element of surprise is gone. And in the first half of the film, the makers try to put way too much into the film. All sorts of creatures turn up and they eventually don’t have any purpose, beside just showing us a big ass creature.
The second half of the film is much better. The focus is more on Kong, his battle against the so called Skull Crawlers and how he wants to protect his land.
The characters are disposable. Besides John C. Reilly, who is the only one with any substance and a backstory, is the showstealer. Tom Hiddleston (who looks incredibly hot in this film BTW), Brie Larson and John Goodman are amazing actors, but they really don’t have anything to do. That’s due to the writing, not to their performances. Samuel L. Jackson’s character is also interesting, even though he is one of the most unlikeable characters ever. But he does have substance.
“Kong: Skull Island” is a bit disappointing. It was one of my most anticipating films of 2017, but I wasn’t satisfied at the end. The first half was messy, the second half made up for that a bit. It leaves you with mixed feelings at the end. Is “Kong: Skull Island” a bad movie? No. Could it have been better? A lot!

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 16: Sing

Director: Garth Jennings, Christophe Lourdelet
Genre: Animation/ Comedy/ Musical
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth McFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, Tori Kelly, Taron Egerton, Nick Kroll, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Hudson, Peter Serafinowicz, Beck Bennett, Jay Pharoah, Nick Offerman

Description: In a city of humanoid animals, a hustling theater impresario's (Matthew McConaighey) attempt to save his theater with a singing competition becomes grander than he anticipates even as its finalists' find that their lives will never be the same.

Review: A pig in a leotard singing a Lady Gaga song, twerking bunnies, a crooning snail, a rapping crocodile, an opera singing camel. Like many talent shows we have these days, the auditions are most often the best part of them. In “Sing” it’s animals auditioning for a new singing competition. And like many of us, they all have dreams of becoming stars.
Koala Buster Moon is the owner of a theater, that hasn’t been doing well lately. His last hope is a singing competition, but due to a mistake of his chaotic assistant (who is hilarious) the prize money is a lot higher then he wanted it to be. Lots of animals show up for the auditions.
“Sing” is filled with modern hits, but also some classics. This makes the film really easy to watch, because it somehow becomes a sing-a-long film. There are many characters in this and some of them are really funny. Kids will eat this up! The voice cast is really good and all the main characters have a purpose. But the competition element in the film was not as exciting. The story never goes out of the lines, it’s all pretty standard and solid.
“Sing” is a fun animated musical film, great for the entire family.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 134: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Director: Jake Kasdan
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 92 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Kristen Wiig, Raymond J. Barry, Tim Meadows, Chris Parnell, Craig Robinson, Harold Ramis, Martin Starr, Jack McBrayer, Frankie Muniz, Adam Herschman, David Krumholtz, Cheryl Tiegs, Patrick Duffy, Morgan Fairchild, Cheryl Ladd, Jane Lynch, Simon Helberg, Jack Black, Jonah Hill, Justin Long, Paul Rudd, Jason Schwartzman

Description: Singer Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly) overcomes adversity to become a musical legend.

Review: Every genre is parodied these days. With “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” it’s a parody of the music biopic. John C. Reilly plays the title character and the movie is a parody of films like “Ray”and especially “Walk the Line”, the story of Johnny Cash. For the fans of “Knocked Up” and “Superbad”, this is a fun comedy. For the ones who didn’t like those, “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” isn’t going to be entertaining.
The film is filled with comedy that is anything but subtle and it is very crude at times. A lot of caricatured scenes and juvenile sex jokes. The most embarrasing scene is the moment where Dewey Cox wakes up after an orgie, in his hotel room.
The songs in the film are fun and catchy and sometimes have hilarious lyrics. And John C. Reilly is really funny in this movie. He can easily carry this comedy.
“Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” doesn’t take itself seriously, that’s why this film eventually is very funny. If you, as a viewer, do take it serious, you will hate it. Just pause your brain and enjoy the comedy.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 3: Wreck-It Ralph

Director: Rich Moore

Genre: Animation/ Comedy/ Family

Runtime: 92 minutes

Year: 2012

Starring: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, jane Lynch, Adam Carolla, Alan Tudyk, Mindy Kaling, Ed O’Neill, Dennis Haysbert, Horation Sanz, Rachael Harris, Skrillex

Description: A video game villain (John C. Reilly) wants to be a hero and sets out to fulfill his dream, but his quest brings havoc to the whole arcade where he lives.

Review: Fix-It Felix Jr. is a computer game in an arcade hall. In this game Ralph has to wreck an apartment building every single day. Felix, the hero of the game, has to fix it all. Ralph is the villain in this game. He actually wants to become a hero and he has to win a medal for that. Ralph does something he is not allowed to do: he enters a different video game. He meets many new characters and befriends another outsider: Vanellope. What Ralph doesn’t know is that because of his absence, his game is in danger.

“Wreck-It Ralph” is a party for every gamer. Lots of references from famous games and heroes. Like when Ryu and Ken from Streetfighter II decide to go out for a drink after a long day of work in the arcade classic Tapper. And Q-Bert, Pac-Man and Sonic pass by as well. There were different styles used for this film. From 8-bit figures to a more realistic style of a ‘first person shooter’. It works and is recognizable. And there is a lot of humor too.

Off course there is also an emotional aspect. The friendship between Ralph and Vanellope is just adorable, believable and touching. And the moral is something we can all relate to.

“Wreck-It Ralph” has a good combination of action, tension, humor and heart. A fun Disney film.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 167: The Lobster

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Romance/ Science Fiction

Runtime: 118 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Wishaw, Léa Seydoux, John C. Reilly, Olivia Colman, Ashley Jensen

Description: In a dystopian near future, single people, according to the laws of The City, are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in forty-five days or are transformed into beasts and sent off into The Woods.

Review: “The Lobster” tells the story of a near future, where singles are taken to a hotel. Here they have to find a life partner within 45 days. If they fail, the guests are transformed into an animal of their choice. The choice of newly divorced David is a lobster.

The hotel has lots of rules, one even stranger than the other. With “The Lobster” you can count on a big dose of absurdism, dark comedy and pessimism. Is a strange film, but so good.

The acting is phenomenal. Colin Farrell is an actor I either love or hate in a movie. In “The Lobster” he is brilliant. This also goes for Rachel Weisz, John C. Reilly, Léa Seydoux, Ben Wishaw and Olivia Colman.

“The Lobster” is an unique movie, not only because of the bizarre theme but also how director and writer Lanthimos mixes so many different genres. From light sci-fi to dark comedy, satire and a little bit of romance. And the cinematography is amazing. Lathimos also makes you think, because even if it might sound absurd, is our society really that different from the people in the hotel? There are many people desperately seeking for a partner, what makes it that two people spend the rest of their lives together? Are we looking for a relationship because others expect us to or because of love?

“The Lobster” is a movie that exceeded my expectations and us one of the best movies of 2015.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 111: We Need to Talk About Kevin

Director: Lynn Ramsay

Genre: Thriller/ Drama

Runtime: 112 minutes

Year: 2011

Starring: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller

Description: Eva (Tilda Swinton) struggles to love her strange child Kevin, despite the increasingly vicious things he says and does as he grows up. But Kevin (Ezra Miller) is just getting started, and his final act will be beyond anything anyone imagined.

Review: Could she have prevented is? Does she feel guilty? Could she have seen it coming? These are the questions Eva Katchadourian asks herself. Her son Kevin was a troubled child. When he gets older, his behavior becomes unmanageable, manipulative and obstinate. At age sixteen he kills nine classmates and the families despise Eva ever since that event.

“We Need to Talk About Kevin” is based on a novel written by Lionel Shriver. It shows the battle Eva is fighting with her own demons, but also how she’s trying to deal with society. It’s hard to translate the story to film, because the book is told through letters from Evan to her husband Franklin. Director Lynn Ramsay uses flashbacks and the story isn’t told chronologically. She mixes the events and trusts on the intelligence of the audience to put the pieces of the puzzle together. You feel her fear, sorrow and tension, Eva is a wreck. From the moment she finds out she is pregnant, she is filled with doubts. There are plenty of moments where we can see how she is struggling as a mother and that Eva doesn’t always make the right decisions. As Kevin grows older, Eva even feels fear of her own son.

Teenager Kevin is played by Ezra Miller, and very convincing may I say. He is also very scary and manages to keep up with veteran Tilda Swinton. Swinton however is the star of the film. It doesn’t take long before she wins over your sympathy. But the further you get dragged into the family history, you start doubting her innocence.

The movie is pretty heavy and disturbing. Ramsay’s approach is brave and could seem a bit pretentious. “We Need to Talk About Kevin” gets its power not just from its complexity, but also from the great performances by Miller and Swinton. It’s a beautiful movie that gets under your skin. Fascinating and disturbing all together.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 100: Guardians of the Galaxy

Director: James Gunn

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction/ Comedy

Runtime: 120 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio Del Toro, Djimon Hounsou

Description: After stealing a mysterious orb in the far reaches of outer space, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is now the main target of a manhunt led by the villain known as Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace). To help fight Ronan and his team and save the galaxy from his power, Quill creates a team known as the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' to save the world.

Review: The popularity of the Marvel movies doesn’t seem to end. After big names like Iron Man, Thor and Captain America getting their own film, the spotlights are now for the heroes from “Guardians of the Galaxy”.

The gang of superheroes was created in 1969, even before “Star Wars”. In 2008 it got a reboot and that’s the focus of this movie. We first meet Peter Quill. The only thing that reminds him of earth is a mix taped with classic pop songs. Quill, aka Star-Lord, is on an expedition to track down a mysterious orb. During his quest he gets ambushed by the Kree, an alien race lead by Ronan the Accuser. Quill manages to escape, but is then attacked by assassin Gamora, who also wants the orb. Bounty hunters Rocket and Groot are after Quill, because of the price on his head. The four get arrested and end up in jail. They make a deal to split the money they get for the orb and Drax also joins the group for his own reasons.

Between all the reboots and sequels that premiered this summer, “Guardians of the Galaxy” is a breath of fresh air. It shows that this movie was made with so much joy, it’s hard not to tag along. The eccentric and nostalgic tone is perfectly complimented by the soundtrack. But it doesn’t only please your ears. “Guardians of the Galaxy” is a visual treat. Everything looks beautiful, the special effects are amazing and mind-blowing.

What really seperates “Guardians of the Galaxy” from its competition is the high dose of humor. People who watch “Parks and Recreation” already know that Chris Pratt’s a comedic talent. But also Rocket, Groot and the dry humor delivered by Drax will definitely make you laugh out loud.

With movies like this, it’s always hard to create depth in characters. That’s also a point “Guardians of the Galaxy” does extremely well. In the first hour the main characters are introduced and you immediately like them and relate to them. Although raccoon Rocket and tree Groot steal the show, all characters have their qualities and you easily fall in love with all five of them.

Marvel has done it again, it really exceeded itself. “Guardians of the Galaxy” is heaps of fun and you immediately want to rewatch it. I can’t wait for the sequel!

Rating: 5/ 5