10s Movie Review - The Secret Life of Pets

Director: Yarrow Cheney, Chris Renaud
Genre: Animation/ Family
Runtime: 91 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin hart, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Albert Brooks, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Bobby Moynihan, Steve Coogan

Description: The quiet life of terrier Max (Louis C.K.) is upended when his owner (Ellie Kemper) takes in Duke (Eric Stonestreet), a stray whom Max instantly dislikes.

Review: After the resounding success of “Despicable Me” and the immensely popular spin-off “Minions”, Illumination Entertainment is looking for something new. A second franchise perhaps. With its explosion of non-verbal humor and cuteness, does “The Secret Life of Pets” have the right ingredients?
The film starts with a fun compilation of all the pets and their owners, with an introduction to our main character Max. The main premise of the film is what happens to the pets after their owners have left the house.
New York is portrayed colorfully, as well as the many pets and owners the city has. It’s not just a simple series of visual jokes like a dachshund using a mixer as a massager. Dog Max doesn’t build a party like his friends, but sits desperately waiting at the door, wondering where his owner Katie is. He is completely obsessed with her return. The opening scene beautifully depicts the world of pets and the relationship with their owners, and carries a Pixar-like atmosphere. Possibly a little too much, at least more then the previous films from the studio.
Max leads a lazy dog life in an apartment complex, where the animals lead a completely different life once the owners are out of the house. He himself is very happy with his owner, until competition is brough into the house in the form of Duke. The huge Duke and little Max compete for the household and in an attempt to frame each other, the both end up in the outside world.
The life of the New York pets is portrayed beautifully and playfully, with a nice balance between uncomfortable and homely. Unfortunately, this balance is not maintained throughout the film, in the middle part of the film everything revolves around confrontations between Max, Duke and crazy animals they meet along the way.
The conflict between Max and Duke is set up well, but they never develop a memorable chemistry. And the psychotic bunny Snowball is just a bit too much. And maybe that’s because Kevin Hart voices him. It doesn’t really fit and he always annoys me.
Nevertheless, “The Secret Life of Pets” has more atmosphere and content than the infinite joke storm of “Minions”. It is also a better film for young and old. It’s beautifully animated, filled with witty characters and occasionally offers more than superficial animal madness.

Rating: 3 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 95: American Hustle

Director: David O. Russell

Genre: Drama/ Crime

Runtime: 132 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence, Louis C.K., Alessandro Nivola, Robert De Niro

Description: Con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and his seductive partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) are forced to work for wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). He pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia.

Review: This film by David O. Russell is full of crown jewels: rags and riches, beauties and beasts, charm and crime. All set in the sumptuous seventies and with a bit of slapstick. And then the great cast: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Jeremy Renner. “American Hustle” is filled with sexiness, scams and talent.

“American Hustle” grabs the audience, like Sydney Prosser gets her men. Together with Irving Rosenfeld she misleads people into making big investments. But then they are caught in the act by FBI agent Richie DiMaso. They are forced to work together.

The story is narrated by various characters, but as a viewer your attention is easily drawn to Irving Rosenfeld. Christian Bale is impressive in his role, with his beer belly and strange hairdo, he shows us again how he can get lost in a role. Amy Adams is very provocative in her role as Sydney Prosser and I enjoyed her performance. Together they are the ‘beauty and the beast’ of crime. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, who stole the show and your hearts in Russell’s previous film “Silver Linings Playbook”, aren’t as impressive. They are not bad, but they are standing in the shadows of Bale and Adams. Jeremy Renner on the other hand, as mayor Carmine Polito, is excellent.

This film succeeds and pictures the seventees very well. “American Hustle” is a movie with a great cast, interesting story and some wonderful acting by especially Bale, Adams and Renner.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 80: Blue Jasmine

Director: Woody Allen

Genre: Drama/ Comedy

Runtime: 98 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins, Alec Baldwin, Bobby Canavale, Louis C.K., Peter Sarsgaard

Description: New York socialite Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) is deeply troubled and in denial. She arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister (Sally Hawkins). She looks a million, but isn't bringing money, peace, or love...

Review: Woody Allen decided to tell the story of adopted sisters Jasmine and Ginger. Jasmine lives in Manhattan, with her wealthy husband. Ginger lives in a washed up apartment in San Francisco, with her two sons from her first marriage. After a relationship crisis, Jasmine is looking for a place to live, but moves in with Ginger in the meantime. The past and new love turns the lives of both women upside down.

After a couple of comedies, Allen is back with a more serious film. We see all sorts of contrasts: rich and poor, faithful and unfaithful, truth and lies, artificial and authentic and nervous Manhattan versus relaxed San Francisco. The story switches in time, very fluently. It’s easy to follow and we see the transformation of especially Jasmine. On terms of acting, we get a couple of master classes. Cate Blanchett does her job very well, we didn’t expect anything else. But it’s Sally Hawkins who steals the show as the amiable and fragile Ginger.

Woody Allen doesn’t fully go for the drama. Sometimes that’s a shame, because the comedy takes the edge of the drama sometimes. Because of that, “Blue Jasmine” never manages to really touch you. The film is very good, but it isn’t a masterpiece.

Rating: 4/ 5