90s Movie Review - Cape Fear

Director: Martin Scorsese
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 128 minutes
Year: 1991
Starring: Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis, Robert Mitchum, Gregory Peck

Description: A convicted rapist (Robert De Niro), released from prison after serving a fourteen-year sentence, stalks the family of the lawyer (Nick Nolte) who originally defended him.  
 
Review: This remake of the 1962 film of the same name was directed by none other than Martin Scorsese, who demonstrated for the first time that he could create an atmospheric thriller.

Max Cady is a convicted rapist, who is released after fourteen years. He starts stalking Sam Bowden and his family, because Bowden was his lawyer.

What makes this film so compelling is Robert De Niro’s extremely unsettling portrayal of Max Cady. He rightly deserved and Oscar nomination for his role as this psychopathic stalker, and this role is still considered one of his best to this day.

Scorsese himself was a big fan of the original and wanted to give it his own twist so that it wouldn’t resemble the original too closely. The result was certainly successful, as it contains many typical Scorsese aspects and he definitely gave it his own twist. The acting is great, the atmosphere is dark and grim, the story is well constructed and the final scene on the boat is really good.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Switch

Director: Josh Gordon, Will Speck
Genre: Comedy/ Romance
Runtime: 101 minutes
Year: 2010
Starring: Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, Jeff Goldblum, Patrick Wilson, Juliette Lewis

Description: Seven years after the fact, a man (Jason Bateman) comes to the realization that he was the sperm donor for his best friend's (Jennifer Aniston) boy.

I WATCHED THIS FILM FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 15: A FILM WITH JEFF GOLDBLUM
 
Review: Kassie and Wally have been best friends for a long time. Both single and not successful in the romance department, Wally has just accepted it. But Kassie has one desire: to become a mom. She decides to search for a sperm donor because she feels like time is running out. In a drunk moment, Wally accidentally spills the sperm sample that is supposed to give Kassie her baby and swaps it for his own. But he doesn’t remember doing it when he wakes up hungover. Kassie moves away and seven years later Wally gets to meet her son Sebastian. Who resembles him in every way.

Let’s just start with how ridiculous this premise is. I understand Kassie wanted a baby and deciding to go for a sperm donor. My best friend has done the same. But she hosts a party for it, where the chosen donor is ‘delivering his goods’ in the bathroom when everyone else is at the party. And then Kassie will be impregnated at that same party. Then, Wally, who is obviously a bit jealous and not understanding of Kassie’s choices, tries to mess with the sample and he actually spills it. He then fills the cup with his own sperm. But…. he doesn’t remember he has done it.

Kassie moves away to Michigan, leaving Wally in New York. They speak to each other, but don’t see each other for seven years. He never even goes to visit Kassie when she had her son Sebastian. And they are supposed to be best friends. When Kassie returns, that’s the first time Wally sees her son. And then he realizes that Sebastian has a lot of the same quirks that he has. It feels like looking at a younger version of himself. In the meantime Kassie starts dating the donor Roland, who she thinks to be the actual father of Sebastian. But Wally starts realizing what he has done. It’s one giant mess and I hated it.

It's just too ridiculous for me, I can’t wrap my head around the fact that Wally doesn’t remember that he made the switch. And that whole “I’m getting pregnant” party is just stupid. I love Jennifer Aniston and I usually enjoy watching Jason Bateman as well. And my favorite parts where the moments that Wally had with Sebastian. I couldn’t stand Kassie. Why can’t she see that Wally was the best choice from the start? And Jeff Goldblum was fun by the way. But for the rest, I kinda hated this movie.

Rating: 2 / 5 

TV Show Review - I Know This Much is True (Mini Series)

Season: Mini Series
Genre: Drama
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2020
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Kathryn Hahn, Melissa Leo, John Procaccino, Rosie O’Donnell, Juliette Lewis, Imogen Poots, Archie Panjabi, Bruce Greenwood

Description: Middle-aged Dominick Birdsey (Mark Ruffalo) recounts his troubled relationship with Thomas (also Mark Ruffalo), his paranoid schizophrenic twin brother, and his efforts to get him released from an asylum.

Review: If Mark Ruffalo doesn’t get an Emmy for this, I don’t know anymore. In the drama series “I Know This Much is True”, Ruffalo plays a double role.
The first episode of “I Know This Much is True” is a test whether this series is for you or not. This mini-series shows a lot of misery and misfortune and if you can’t handle that, skip it. The brothers Birdsey, both portrayed by Mark Ruffalo, don’t have a happy life.
We come to know that the twins never found out who their biological father is. Dominick and Thomas were raised by their mother and their harsh stepfather Ray. Thomas is schizophrenic and extremely paranoid, which dominate Dominick’s life and it always had a negative influence on his life. But a new low is reached when Thomas cuts off his hand in a library and he is send to a strictly guarded institution.
“I Know This Much is True” is based on a book, which was edited by director Derek Cianfrance, who is know for movies like “Blue Valentine” and “The Place Beyond the Pines” (also not very happy stories). Cianfrance doesn’t hold back in showing everything the brother go through and that makes this drama very heavy. That’s why this series is not for everyone. But when you do sit through it, you are rewarded with a beautiful story.
The care for his brother has been a burden for Dominick all his life. And every time he wants to distance himself, it seems something bad happens. His marriage suffers from it as well.
But he is not alone. When he needs help, there are his ex Dessa, his best friend Leo, his brother’s doctor and even his stepfather. He also has a manuscript that was written by his late grandfather, that is being translated from Italian to English, where he tells the story of how he came to America. That way, Dominick tries to put all the pieces of his family history together. He hopes his depressing life will be given more meaning.
This is a series that you don’t let go easily. And you really need to sit down and focus for this in order the be able to take it all in. Mark Ruffalo is amazing. I can see that Ruffalo gave his all while portraying both the struggling Dominick and schizophrenic Thomas. You actually see two different people, instead of just seeing the same actor twice with a different look. This is a lesson in acting.
Trust me, don’t miss this series, if you can handle it.

00s Movie Review - Old School

Director: Todd Phillips
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 88 minutes
Year: 2003
Starring: Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Ellen Pompeo, Elisha Cuthbert, Perry Reeves, Jeremy Piven, Seann William Scott, Juliette Lewis, Leah Remini

Description: Three friends attempt to recapture their glory days by opening up a fraternity.

Review: Mitch just found his girlfriend cheating on him, when he returns early from his business trip. Not interested in forgiving her, he leaves the house and buys a new one near the campus of the local university. Mitch’s best friend Beanie sees it as the perfect opportunity to have parties. Their other friend, newly-wed Frank and well-known former party animal, really gets back to his old ways during these parties. Because the house seems to be on campus ground, the guys decide to start a fraternity, for all those guys who didn’t get into any.
Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn show that they work well together, when it comes to good comedy. The film hasn’t got the most original plot, but the film has some great jokes and especially Will Ferrell is on a roll as Frank the Tank.
“Old School” is one of those comedies that never gets old and stays funny, even after viewing it over a dozen times.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Ma

Director: Tate Taylor
Genre: Thriller/ Horror
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Octavia Spencer, Juliette Lewis, McKaley Miller, Diana Silver, Luke Evans, Allison Janney

Description: A lonely woman (Octavia Spencer) befriends a group of teenagers and decides to let them party at her house. Just when the kids think their luck couldn’t get any better, things start happening that make them question the intention of their host.

Review: Octavia Spencer is one of the best actresses of our time. As an incredibly reliable character actress, she has stolen the show many times in recent years, resulting in several Academy Award nominations and one win for her supporting role. It was only a matter of time until studios dared to give her a leading role.
“Ma” is about a group of teenagers in a little town. Maggie just moved there with her mother, who grew up there. Maggie makes new friends very quick. On the weekend, these teens have one goal: to get drunk. But as under-aged high-schoolers it’s not that east to get alcohol. When Maggie asks Sue-Ann to get them some alcohol at the local store, it appears she is the answer. She doesn’t mind getting them alcohol, but she also invites them into her basement, where the kids can have parties. It becomes their new hangout spot. But quickly they realize that Sue-Ann, who they call Ma, isn’t who she says she is and she has a lot of dark secrets.
Let’s start with the positive note: Octavia Spencer is phenomenal! It’s obvious she had a lot of fun playing this role and her performance is super strong.
The biggest problem this film has is the choices director Tate Taylor made story-wise. The timing and structure are all over the place. Some rather useless storylines last forever, while essential things are often thrown into the story suddenly. The film takes more than an hour to create an uncomfortable atmosphere, but when Sue-Ann finally gets on with it, things suddenly go into sixth gear. You almost get a whiplash from the changes in tempo.
The final scenes are really goo and I wished the film dared to be a bit more f***ed up overall.
Allison Janney is also in the movie. She plays a veterinarian and literally all she does is pop into a scene and tell Sue-Ann to get back to work. Such a great actor, but that’s all she has do to. Such a waste of talent.
The film could have been so much better and it’s thanks to Octavia Spencer’s great performance that the film is still interesting enough. But overall, due to the writing, it’s not as good as it could have been.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

In the Picture: The Characters from "Whip It"

I saw "Whip It" yesterday for the first time and just like Bliss fell in love with the game, I fell in love with this movie. I loved it! Great directorial debut for Drew Barrymore and the film has some interesting characters. I only choose the one you really get to know. Here we go.

Bliss Cavender
Played by: Ellen Page
Bliss is tired of doing whatever her mom wants. She is figuring out a way to express herself and when she finds out about the roller derby, she decided to try out. Bliss is a fighter and proves to others that she can be tough. In this sport, Bliss finds her passion and she can finally do what she wants.

Maggie Mayhem
Played by: Kristen Wiig
Maggie is the captain of the Hurl Scouts and a real team player and leader. She is the one person everyone turns to and people trust. Maggie is the one telling Bliss she could be her own hero.

Smashley Simpson
Played by: Drew Barrymore
Smashley doesn’t have it all together. She’s a bit chaotic and never on time. Smashley wouldn’t be named Smashley if she didn’t take the punch once in a while. But she also knows how to deliver them. She is kick ass, but not the sharpest tool in the shed.

Iron Maven
Played by: Juliette Lewis
Maven is a very strong woman who got succesful in the roller derby on a later age. She’s the captain of a competitive team and she feels a bit threatened by Bliss. Maven doesn’t like the fact that Bliss is being so succesful this soon, when it took her five years to get to the point she is now. Although there’s a lot of rivalry between the two, they also have mutual respect for each other.

Pash
Played by: Alia Shawkat
Pash is Bliss’ best friend and someone who you can always rely on. Pash doesn’t believe that Bliss can be tough enough for the roller derby, but with making that statement she actually pushed Bliss in the right direction. She does everything to help Bliss, but to certain limits. Pash hates to be dissappointed in her friendship.

Razor
Played by: Andrew Wilson
Razor is the Hurls Scouts’ coach. The girls don’t really listen the him, but when Bliss enters he thinks of some new strategies. Razor takes the roller derby very seriously, as of his role as coach. More than his players.

Brooke Cavender
Played by: Marcia Gay Harden
Brooke is Bliss’ mother and has it all planned out for her. She wants Bliss to enter pageants, because she would learn a lot from that and it will eventually get her a husband. Entering the roller derby is not what she had in mind for her daughter, but eventually Brooke also realizes that pageants were never Bliss’ dream, just hers.

Johnny "Hot Tub" Rocket
Played by: Jimmy Fallon
Johnny is the announcer and a bit sleazy. Basically the only thing he does is commentate on the game and then go home and throw a party for the contestants. He has a hot tub, therefore the nickname, but when the girls are in, he can’t.

Earl Cavender
Played by: Daniel Stern
Earl is Bliss’ father and understands his wife. But he chooses Bliss’side. He thinks that his daughter should be able to make her own decisions in live, whatever makes her happy. Earl actually comes to love the roller derby and becomes Bliss’ number on fan.

Favorite Character: Maggie Mayhem