90s Movie Review - Random Hearts

Director: Sydney Pollack
Genre: Drama/ Romance/ Mystery
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 1999
Starring: Harrison Ford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Charles S. Dutton, Bonnie Hunt, Dennis Haysbert, Sydney Pollack, Richard Jenkins, Paul Guilfoyle, Peter Coyote, Dylan Baker, Bill Cobbs, Kate Mara

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 46: A FILM FROM YOUR TEEN YEARS
 
Description: Police Seargeant Dutch Van den Broeck (Harrison Ford) and U.S. Representative Kay Chandler (Kristin Scott Thomas) lose their spouses in a plane crash, and they soon discover that their partners were having an affair with each other.

Review: The wife of tough Internal Affairs Sergeant Dutch was killed in a plane crash, as was the husband of politician Kay. Kay and Dutch find out that their spouses were sitting next to each other on the plane, but were also having an affair. Dutch wants to find out why.

On paper, this film sounds interesting. But in practice, it doesn’t work. Mainly because it does not really know in which direction it wants to go. At first, it’s a drama. Two people losing their other half in a tragic accident. Then it turns into a mystery, when they are trying to discover why they were on that plane and why Dutch’s wife didn’t use her real name. And eventually some romance is sprinkled in as well. And it has some strange side-plot of this case that Dutch is working on, that has nothing to do with the actual plot. It just feels very messy. And it’s also very boring, especially given that this film is over two hours long.

Great cast, making the best of it. But really a dull film with little to interest me.

Rating: 2/ 5

Movie Review - Rebecca

Director: Ben Wheatley
Genre: Drama/ Romance/ Mystery
Runtime: 121 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Lily James, Armie Hammer, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ann Dowd

Description: A young newlywed (Lily James) arrives at her husband’s (Armie Hammer) imposing family estate on a windswept English coast and finds himself battling the shadow of hos first wife, Rebecca, whose legacy lives on in the house long after her death.

Review: The gothic novel “Rebecca” by the British writer Daphne du Maurier was already brilliantly filmed in 1940 by none other than Alfred Hitchcock. At the time, the black and white classic won the Oscar for best film and best cinematography. In the year 2020 ‘the master of suspense’ is missed. This new version, made for Netflix, can’t be compared to the original, but fortunately it didn’t turn out to be a complete failure.
The story revolves around Maxim de Winder, a charming aristocrat who set his sight on a ‘companion lady’. Their romance is new, but that doesn’t stop the two lovebirds from exchanging the French coast for a large, chic and somewhat uncanny estate in England called Manderley. Here the woman of simple descent may finally count herself as Mrs. De Winter to the aristocracy.
Mrs. De Winter discovers some strange things once she arrives at Manderley. For example, her husband starts sleepwalking at night and stays in front of one room that is forbidden territory for her. Moreover, Maxim is very shady about his previous marriage to a lady named Rebecca, who died some time ago under rather mysterious circumstances. According to the caretaker and the servants, Rebecca’s ghost still roams the corridors of Manderley.
Visually this film is stunning. At the beginning, when the two character are starting to fall for each other, the shots are bathing in romantic sunlight and bright colors. But as the film takes a turn and gets darker, the color palette begins to fade. Scenes still fit with all kinds of wealth and opulence, such as porcelain figurines, satin bedding and paintings in gold frames, but the attention shifts more to sparsely lit rooms and corridors. And to the high cliffs on the coast, which consist of black, razor-sharp rocks.
Suddenly, unfortunately, the film is a bit weaker. As soon as Mixim and Mrs. De Winter move into their extravagant manor, the story begins to swell. Maybe this is due to the fact that Daphne du Maurier’s book has been adapted into a screenplay by no less than three different writers. Which way do they want to go with the story? Romance, drama and mystery are thrown together, but to be honest, it’s only the third act that they make some headway. Especially because the plot twists suddenly start to pile up like crazy.
Despite the messy story structure, “Rebecca” remains viewable. The protagonsts Armie Hammer and Lily James are both strong actors and have solid performances. And they work well together. But it’s Kristin Scott Thomas, as the icy caretaker Mrs. Danvers, that takes all the credit. Her role as a manipulator behind the scenes is much more interesting.
The film misses an edge. “Rebecca” is beautifully filmed, but lacks focus. Still a nice film to watch, but you can better watch the original from 1940.

Rating: 3 / 5

00s Movie Review - The Other Boleyn Girl

Director: Justin Chadwick
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portmann, Eric bana, Jim Sturgess, Eddie Redmayne, Juno Temple, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Rylance, Alfie Allen, Kristin Scott Thomas

Description: Two sisters (Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson) contend for the affection of King Henry VIII (Eric Bana).

Review: ”The Other Boleyn Girl” is based on the bestselling novel by Philippa Gregory and follows the sisters Anne and Mary Boleyn. Both women were love interest for Henry VIII at the beginning of the 16th century. Their love triangle cause for a lot of pain and sorrow.
The art of being a woman is to let men believe that they are in control. It’s a lesson that Anne takes on from her mother. Anne Boleyn is the woman that shook England. Henry VIII committed adultery with her. The story is well known, but in “The Other Boleyn Girl” they focus on sister Mary.
The two Boleyn sisters are complete opposites, but love each other unconditionally. It’s Natalie Portman who steals the show in this film. She is a believable ‘evil’ sister. The acting of the other cast members is okay, but not very special. The script is what makes this film so good. It’s a very well written screenplay.
The book is of course much better, but I always enjoyed watching “The Other Boleyn Girl”.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Reviews - Darkest Hour

Director: Joe Wright
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 125 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn, Lily James, Stephen Dillane

Description: In May 1940, the fate of Western Europe hangs on British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman), who must decide whether to negotiate with Adolf Hitler, or fight on knowing that it could mean a humiliating defeat for Britain and its empire.

Review: After the audio visual spectacle “Dunkirk”, there is “Darkest Hour”, an opposite in the theaters. The same historical turning point, but a smaller film with a more intimate setting. And director Joe Wright exchanges the harsh realistic atmosphere, for a more melodramatic feel.
Winston Churchill has been portrayed by many actors: Brian Cox, John Lithgow, Timothy Spall, Brendan Gleeson, Michael Gambon and many more. And then there is Gary Oldman, the man who won an Academy Award for his portrayal. Although Oldman doesn’t look at all like Churchill, the make-up artists did a masterful job in transforming him into the former British Prime Minister.
Oldman had to be creative with his voice and body language, to become Churchill. And he does this very well. He mumbles, has a lisp, tramps. It’s hard to see Oldman, and easy to see Churchill. Which means Oldman succeeded. Only when he raises his voice, it’s very clear Oldman. But it’s focused on subtlety, which was very cleverly done by director Joe Wright. And in this subtlety, there is room for Oldman to be eccentric and funny. Oldman’s performance is well balanced.
“Darkest Hour” works a bit too hard sometimes, to win over the audience. But the cinematography is impressive and consistent. As is the make-up and editing.
This is an ‘acting movie’ with a lot of talking, that is good because of its leading actor. Without him, this would be a mediocre and forgettable film.

Rating: 4 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 98: Gosford Park

Director: Robert Altman

Genre: Drama/ Romance/ Crime

Runtime: 137 minutes

Year: 2001

Starring: Kelly MacDonald, Clive Owen, Michael Gambon, Alan Bates, Ryan Phillippe, Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, Kristen Scott Thomas, Jeremy Northam, Richard E. Grant, Stephen Fry, Bob Balaban, Eileen Atkins, Charles Dance, Emily Watson, Camilla Rutherford

Description: The lives of upstairs guest and downstairs servants at a party in 1932 in a country house in England as they investigate a murder involving one of them.

Review: The start of the film sets the tone. This is not an ordinary detective, but an analysis of the English society of the 1930s.

On a rainy day, made Mary and her lady Constance Trentham leave for a hunting weekend. The head of housekeeping, at the mansion they are visiting, is Mrs. Wilson. It’s soon clear that nobody is called by their name, but by the name of the people they are serving. The tone is set.

Meanwhile many different characters are introduced. Upstairs we meet actor and singer Ivor Novello and his movie producing American friend Morris Weissman; the casual Isobel and her sister Sylvia; crafty Freddie Nesbit and his plain wife Mabel. We see lots of married couples, bt everything is a lot more complicated. Downstairs we have servant Henry, an arrogant young man; Butlers George, Arthur and Probert; alcoholic head butler Jennings; Head of the kitchen Mrs. Croft. Upstairs people don’t talk that much about each other, but downstairs is where the gossip starts.

It’s a pretty complicated setting, lots of characters you meet and have to get to know. You have to pay attention to keep up and to discover all the intrigue. But during all this puzzling, you enjoy all the humor that is in this film. Good dialogues, great acting and fantastic actors.

Halfway through the film, someone is murdered, which also gives this movie a detective story touch. You could criticize this, but the context is much more important than the story. Because the context is brought to the surface, the characters come to life. And also the acting makes this happen, actually by all the actors. Both the bigger and the smaller roles are performed very well. It shows that “Gosford Park” has been made with a lot of love and enthusiasm.

“Gosford Park” is a classy, yet funny and surprising costume drama. I highly enjoyed it.

Rating: 4,5/ 5