10s Movie Review - Certain Women

Director: Kelly Reichardt
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Michelle Williams, Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart, Jared Harris, James Le Gros, John Getz

Description: The lives of three women intersect in small-town America, where each is imperfectly blazing a trail.

Review: The American drama film “Certain Women” is about three Montana women who are intentionally and unintentionally connected. Three women, three stories. One is a lawyer who has a difficult client. The other a woman who gets into an argument with her husband over the purchase of a piece of land and the las is a woman who works on a horse ranch and takes lessons from an attorney. All are connected, but how.

“Certain Women” divides opinions. Some though it was three disconnected storylines and other see three stories with the same kind of message. Feminism at its finest. Yes, the threads were very thin between the stories, but they were there. In addition, the visuals were raw and unadorned.

The fact remains that “Certain Women” didn’t live up to my high expectations. It did not convince, too bad, because the acting is very good. A little more emotion and more connections would have done the film good.

Rating: 3/ 5

20s Movie Review - Underwater

Director: William Eubank
Genre: Action/ Horror
Runtime: 95 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassel, T.J. Miller, John Gallagher Jr. Jessica Henwick, Mamoudou Athie

Description: A group of oceanic researches working for a deep sea drilling company try to get to safety after a mysterious earthquake devastates their deepwater research and drilling facility located at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.  

Review: “Underwater’ gets off to a nice, quick start. It only takes a few minutes before disaster strikes: an enormous drilling platform is destroyed by and earthquake, or something similar. It is chaos, but at a depth of about eleven kilometers, in the infamous Mariana Trench. All the rescue pods have been rendered useless on the spot an communication with the surface is no longer possible. The six survivors are trapped.
Captain Lucien sees only one way to escape certain death, but his plan is quite riskyL he and his crew want to make the crossing to the nearby Roebuck base. Thus begins a walk across the ocean floor, neatly ticking off all the setbacks that come with a deep-sea mission of this caliber. From imploding diving masks to malfunctioning oxygen tanks. But there is more hiding in the dark, murky water. The film might not be the most original of its kind, but it works just fine.
Director William Eubank occasionally manages to turn this into an exciting and claustrophobic experience. He often film his heroes close to the skin, and even places the camera in the diving helmet so you see it from their perspective. Fear and panic are therefore very tangible. The evil that presents itself, gives you a H.P. Lovecraft vibe.
Actress Kristen Stewart has been trying to shake off the image of her role in the “Twilight” films and over the years she has managed to do so quite well. In this sci-fi horror she gives shape to Norah, a mechanical engineer who is not easily intimidated. She kind of reminded me of Ripley from “Alien”. And Stewart is really good in this film.
Even though the film doesn’t do a lot of new things, “Underwater” is still a pretty good film to watch. Short runtime, fast pace, exciting and scary because of the claustrophobic feel and the unknown. I recommend.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Happiest Season

Director: Clea DuVall
Genre: Romance/ Comedy
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Dan Levy, Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber, Mary Holland, Aubrey Plaza

Description: A holiday romantic comedy that captures the range of emotions tied to wanting your family’s acceptance, being true to yourself, and trying not to ruin Christmas

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 51: A CHRISTMAS MOVIE

Review: There is only a handful of Christmas movies that I actually love. I really need to be in the mood for a movie that is themed with this holiday. And to be honest, most Christmas movies aren’t really that good. I was really excited for “Happiest Season” and it didn’t disappoint.
Harper and Abby are two women in love. Abby isn’t a fan of Christmas, since she lost her parents and never really felt like celebrating the holiday. Harper loves it and wants Abby to join her and her family for Christmas. When they are on their way, Harper confesses to Abby that she never told her family that she’s gay. Abby is introduced as Harper’s roommate. Soon Abby learns that Harper’s family is one that strives perfection and that Harper isn’t the only one that is keeping a secret.
Clea DuVall directs the movie. And she does it really well. Yes, the movie has clichés and is predictable here and there, but when done well it never bothers me. I love the family dynamic, Harper and Abby’s characters and their struggles. My favorite characters are two supporting ones: Mary Holland as the youngest sister Jane who never seems to be getting any credit at all and is overlooked. And John, Abby’s gay friend, played by Dan Levy. Every word coming out of his mouth is hilarious and I think he is my new favorite person!
“Happiest Season” is a movie that gave me exactly what I wanted and met my expectations. The cast is good, the story isn’t very special, but the execution is really solid. I highly enjoyed this movie, every minute of it. It’s a perfect Christmas movie.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

00s Movie Review - Panic Room

Director: David Fincher
Genre: Thriller/ Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, Dwight Yoakam

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 41: A MOVIE MADE BY DAVID FINCHER

Description: A divorced woman (Jodie Foster) and her diabetic daughter (Kristen Stewart) take refuge in their newly-purchased house’s panic room, when three men break-in, searching for a missing fortune.

Review: Meg Altman, recently divorced from the rich Stephen, moves into a new house with her daughter Sarah. It is a beautiful building; three floors, hardwood floors, an elevator and… a very special room. The previous owner was a paranoid rich guy who had a shelter build, a so-called panic room. This room has concrete walls with thick steel plates, its own telephone circuit, an intercom system with security cameras and enough supplies to survive a small war. On their first night in the house, Meg and Sarah go to sleep quietly while a big thunderstorm rages outside. They don’t realize that three burglars are accessing their house. The intruders didn’t expect anyone to have inhabited the house, so they are just as surprised. Just in the nick of time Meg and Sarah manage to escape into the panic room, closing themselves in. Meg did forget to connect the separate phone line, which means they are safe from the burglars, but also trapped like rats. Because what the men are looking for, is in that room.  
“Panic Room” is a very exciting thriller. Most outstanding is the flawless camerawork, which looks amazing. But also the editing and directing, combined with an atmospheric soundtrack. From the smoot and beautiful computer-enhanced camera movement through the house, to the oppressive dark cinematography, everything has been done to maximize the tension.
Jodie Foster shows what and excellent actress she is. And so does a very young Kristen Stewart. Forest Whitaker shines as the sympathetic bad guy.
What makes the film so exciting is the interaction between the two ‘camps’ of Meg and Sarah versus the burglars. They keep outsmarting each other and that creates an unprecedented tension. Unfortunately, director David Fincher has not received the praise he deserves with this film. And although movies like “Se7en” and “Fight Club” are of course better and are now modern classics, “Panic Room” is an exciting thriller and an underestimated work of a director in his element.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 117: American Ultra

Director: Nima Nourizadeh

Genre: Action/ Comedy

Runtime: 99 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Topher Grace, Connie Britton, Walton Goggins, John Leguizamo, Bill Pullman

Description: A stoner (Jesse Eisenberg) - who is in fact a government agent - is marked as a liability and targeted for extermination. But he's too well-trained and too high for them to handle.

Review: Films, where the leads are stoners, can nowadays be put into its own genre. Think of movies like “Pineapple Express” and “Dude, Where’s My Car?”. “American Ultra” is also one of those films.

Mike is a nobody, who spends his days smoking weed and hang out with his girlfriend Phoebe, while working at the local supermarket. His anxiety to leave town doesn’t really help him any further either. A woman visits him at work and starts talking to him in words he doesn’t understand. Mike sends her away and not long after that two armed men try to kill him. Surprising himself, he overpowers them. How is it possible that he can do that?

The movie is meant to be a comedic action movie, but you’re never sure if this is supposed to be taken seriously or that it’s a parody on the genre of spy thrillers. The cast is good though. Jesse Eisenberg was made for a role like this and has great chemistry with Kristen Stewart. Topher Grace was funny and Connie Britton did a good job too.

Besides a few cool action scenes, the story develops slowly and the ending isn’t surprising at all. The movie is not as spectacular as the trailer let us believe.

The movie is somewhat entertaining, but I had higher expectations. The concept is great, the execution sadly isn’t.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015- # 95: Still Alice

Director: Richard Glatzer
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 101 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kate Bosworth, Kristen Stewart, Hunter Parrish, Shane McRea, Seth Gilliam, Stephen Kunken, Daniel Gerroll, Erin Drake, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Maxine Prescott, Orlagh Cassidy, Rosa Arredondo, Zillah Glory, Caridad Montanez, Caleb Freundlich, Charlotte Robson

Description: A linguistics professor (Julianne Moore) and her family find their bonds tested when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.

Review: How it can change your life, when your memory suddenly starts to fail, is something Alice discovers. This intelligent woman is confronted with the Alzheimer ‘s Disease.
Alice Howland really needs her brain. She is a very spirited linguistics professor at a university, like her husband John. Together with him, their two daughters and son they celebrate her 50th birthday. Alice is enjoying her evening, but realizes that sometimes she doesn’t find the right words to say. She knows them, but can’t find a way to produce them.
No one seems to notice, but Alice is smart enough to mask it. John claims it’s her busy job, but Alice doesn’t trust it. When she goes jogging, she suddenly forgets where she it. This is reason enough for her to visit the doctor. The neurologist tells her she has a rare form of Alzheimer’s and it’s genetic, so her kids could have it as well.
It all sounds like one of those bitter sweet stories about a successful woman fighting a disease till the end. “Still Alice” has so much more to offer and all thanks to the brilliant acting by Julianne Moore.
She accepts her faith, but is also frustrates her. Although she is strong, her fear never goes away. It’s very touching to see how Alice’s disease is slowly getting worse. Julianne Moore received an Oscar for her performance, and it’s well deserved.

Rating: 4/ 5

Video of the Week (35)

This girl, Lauren O'Brien, does some awesome impressions of female celebrities. Really good and really funny. Check it out!

 

Movie Battle: Adventureland Vs. The Way Way Back

Both movies I really loved the first time I watched them. They are both coming of age movies, centering around a guy who just tries to feel normal and start a job at a park. “Adventureland” Vs. “The Way Way Back”

 

 

CAST

Adventureland: The leading part is for the easy likeable Jesse Eisenberg. His love interest is played by Kristen Stewart and the really funny roles are for Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. Ryan Reynolds also has a role.

The Way Way Back: Relatively unknown Liam Jones plays the leading role. His mother is portrayed by Toni Collette and his douche of a stepdad is played by Steve Carell. A great role by the way. Sam Rockwell plays my favourite character in the movie, it’s impossible to not like this guy. Also a fun roles for Allison Janney and Maya Rudolph, and AnnaSophie Robb plays the love interest.

STORY

Adventureland: It’s set in 1987. Eisenberg plays college graduate James Brennan who takes a ‘nowhere’ job at his local amusement park. He thinks it’s the perfect course to get him prepared for the real world.

The Way Way Back: Duncan is a shy guy, who goes on vacation with his mom, mom’s new boyfriend and the boyfriend’s daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds just the place. He starts working at the local Water Park, where he finds an unexpected friend in manager Owen.

EFFECTS

Adventureland: The movie has a cool 80’s vibe, due to the clothes, music and surroundings.

The Way Way Back: It’s mostly about the characters and the story here. You do get a summer feeling while watching the movie.

WINNER

“The Way Way Back”. It’s such a good film, I can’t fault it. It’s a guarantee to make you feel better and gives you an instant smile.

Chris, Kristen, Emma, Ryan, Jessica, Jensen, The Hunger Games, Joseph and Seth

It's been a while since I last shown you my self created wallpapers. I have a lot to share with you.

First one is with Chris Hemsworth. How handsome is he?

The next two are also with Chris Hemsworth, but then together with his "Snow White and the Huntsman" co-star Kristen Stewart.

And one with Chris Hemsworth and Emma Stone. I don't where this picture was taken, but I just had to use it for a wallpaper.

This features Ryan Gosling, I just love this photo.

I made two wallpapers with Jessica Chastain, one of my new favorite people.

I made a Jensen Ackles wallpaper. Haven't made one in a while.

This is one of my favorites I made over the last couple of weeks. Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, from "The Hunger Games".

I made two Joseph Gordon-Levitt wallpapers. The second one is on my desktop right now.

And last but not least, three wallies for Seth MacFarlane. I just heard he's hosting the Oscars next year. Yeah!

As always, feel free to use them on your own computer. And leave me a comment to let me know what you think.

In the Picture: The Characters from "Snow White and the Huntsman"

I'm a fan of this movie. I liked it when I first saw it and I really enjoyed it very much. So I decided to spotlight the characters from "Snow White and the Huntsman". Here they are.

Snow White
Played by: Kristen Stewart
Snow White has been captured by her evil stepmother after her father died. She hasn't been outside for a while, but Snow White is a strong young woman. When she escapes, she does everything to get as far away as possible from her stepmother and she just wants to survive. Eventually Snow White will even fight back.

Eric, the Huntsman
Played by: Chris Hemsworth
Eric is sent to kill Snow White and bring Ravenna her heart. He doesn't have a choice so he goes after her, but when they meet, Eric can't do it and decides to help Snow White. They form a team and eventually a very strong connection. Eric is a troubled man, with a lot of strenght and he's loyal to Snow White. After his wife died he hasn't felt anything. When he meets Snow White, that changes.

Ravenna
Played by: Charlize Theron
Ravenna seduced Snow White's father and married him. She killed him and now she rules alone. When Ravenna finds out that she will no longer be 'the farest of them all', she wants Snow White dead. Ravenna is a pure evil woman, with no mercy or sense of remorse.

William
Played by: Sam Claflin
William and Snow White grew up together. After the King's death, William is left to believe Snow White died too. Years later William finds out that Snow White isn't dead after all and he decides to find her. Not knowing that she might he given her heart to another man.

Favorite Character: Eric, the Huntsman

Movie Tip # 52: Snow White and the Huntsman

Director: Rupert Sanders

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin, Sam Spruell, Bob Hoskins, Ian McShane, Ray Winstone, Nick Frost, Duir, Brian Gleeson, Toby Jones, Johnny Harris

Description: Snow White (Kristen Stewart), imprisoned daughter of the late king, escapes just as the Magic Mirror declares her the source of the Evil Queen's immortality. The Queen (Charlize Theron) sends her men, led by a local huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to bring her back. But upon her capture, the huntsman finds he's being played and turns against the Queens men, saving Snow White in the process. Meanwhile, Snow's childhood friend, William (Sam Claflin), learns that she is alive and sets off to save her.

Review: I'm a sucker for fairytales. Ever since its trailer was released I wanted to see this film. The well known story of Snow White, but not quite the way it was told when we were kids. "Snow White and the Huntsman" is darker, action packed, more violent, not overwhelmed by romance and full of beautiful visual effects. As for the casting, Kristen Stewart got a lot of negative response. I have to say that I was never a fan either, but she had proven that she could act in "Into the Wild". Stewart is stuck to her "Twilight" character, which is sad, because she can definitely act and I really appreciate her more due to this film. Chris Hemsworth is not only very pleasant to watch, he is very charismatic and he was my favorite character in the film. I did like him together with Stewart and probably a lot of people won't agree with me on that. Charlize Theron, one of my personal favorites, had the best role. Casting her for the role of the evil queens was just perfect. Theron was terrifyingly convincing as a villain. Sam Claflins character William was too one-dimensional and there is really no time to get to know or like him. I did love the dwarfs, they were funny and the world they lived in was beautiful. "Snow White and the Huntsman" is a great movie and met my expectations. I heard that this is going to be a series, so I can't wait to see more of it.