Netflix Friday - Volume 31

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: Red (2010)
When his peaceful life is threatened by a high-tech assassin, former black-ops agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) reassembles his old team in a last-ditch effort to survive and uncover his assailants.
 

Drama: Loving (2016)
The story of Richard and Mildred Loving (Joel Edgerton, Ruth Negga), a couple whose arrest for interracial marriage in 1960s Virginia began a legal battle that would end with the Supreme Court’s historic 1967 decision.
 

Comedy: Neighbors (2014)
After they are forced to live next door to a fraternity, a couple (Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne) with a newborn baby do whatever they can to take them down.
 

Animation: Small Foot (2018)
A Yeti is convinced that the elusive creatures known as ‘humans’ really do exist.
 

Romance: The Lucky One (2012)
A marine (Zac Efron) travels to Louisiana after serving three tours in Iraq and searches for the unknown woman (Taylor Schilling) he believes was his good luck charm during the war.
 

Horror: The Boy (2016)
An American nanny (Lauren Cohan) is shocked that her new English family’s boy is actually a life-sized doll. After she violets a list of strict rules, disturbing events make her believe that the doll is really alive.
 

Science Fiction: Serenity (2005)
The crew of the ship Serenity try to evade an assassin sent to recapture one of their members who is telepathic.
 

Crime: Triple 9 (2016)
A gang of criminals and corrupt cops plan the murder of a police officer in order to pull off their biggest heist yet across town.
 

Thriller: The Commuter (2018)
An insurance salesman/ ex-cop (Liam Neeson) is caught up in a life-threatening conspiracy during his daily commute home.
 

Documentary: Behind the Curve (2018)
Meet real Flat Earthers, a small but growing contingent of people who firmly believe in a conspiracy to suppress the truth that the Earth is flat.
 

Family: Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
With their daughter Blair away, Luther and Nora Krank (Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis) decide to skip Christmas all together until she decides to come home, causing an uproar when they have to celebrate it al the last minute.

Five to Watch - Movies About African American History

Black Lives Matter. Something that is on topic now and probably always will be. It’s sad to say that racism is still something this world has to deal with. And you can complain about hearing about this topic, but what about the people that have to deal with it every day? And that’s why I decided to pick five movies that deal with this topic. I chose five overlooked or underrated film about African American history, that I think everyone should see.

Malcolm X
Okay, this might not be an underrated  or overlooked film, but I still know too many people that have never seen it. It's a biographical epic of the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader, from his early life and career as a smalltime gangster, to his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam. The movie is based on “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” by Alex Haley and directed by Spike Lee. It’s a well-balanced, and fairly nuanced tale about Malcolm X’s development, with an excellent performance from Denzel Washington in the titular role.

Loving
The story of Richard and Mildred Loving, a couple whose arrest for interracial marriage in 1960s Virginia began a legal battle that would end with the Supreme Court’s historic 1967 decision. Also based on true events. It’s a strong, subdued drama about the ridiculous law that kept white people from marrying black people.

Selma
It’s an impressive first film about the life of Martin Luther King. The film focuses on the monumental protest march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965, that forced president Lyndon B. Johnson to have equal rights for African American voters, for they were not allowed to vote. David Oyelowo stars as Martin Luther King and does this very well, subtle, embodying the man who changed so much in the world.

Fruitvale Station
Oscar Grant III starts the 31st of December in good spirits, but then gets involved in a subway riot. It’s a raw and realistic film, also based on a true story. Made for less then a million dollars and a very impressive debut by director Ryan Coogler.

Glory
During the U.S. Civil War, Robert Gould Shaw leads the first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudice from both his own army and the Confederates. A strong war drama, with excellent performances by Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington.

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 32: Loving

Director: Jeff Nichols
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 123 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Ruth Negga, Joel Edgerton, Will Dalton, Dean Mumford, Terri Abney, Alano Miller, Chris Greene, Benjamin Booker, Justin Robinson, Dennis Williams, Keith Tyree, Sharon Blackwood, Rebecca Turner, Christopher Mann, Mike Shiflett, Winter-Lee Holland, Karen Vicks, Lance Lemon, Marquis Adonis Hazelwood, Marton Csokas

Description: The story of Richard and Mildred Loving (Joel Edgerton, Ruth Negga), an interracial couple, whose challenge of their anti-miscegenation arrest for their marriage in Virginia led to a legal battle that would end at the US Supreme Court.

Review: It should be very simple: a man and a woman meet each other, fall in love en eventually get married. But if one of them is white and the other is black in the south of America in the fifties/ sixties, it’s against the law.
This happens to Richard Loving and his pregnant wife Milfred in the state of Virginia. The marry in 1958 and soon after that, they are taken by the police from their own house while they are sleeping. A smart lawyer manages to get them on parole, but they can’t live together in Virginia for at least 25 years. Years later, the couple takes this so supreme court, in the hope this ridiculous law will change.
The story is touching and it this insane true story makes you mad. But somehow the movie didn’t grab me as much as I thought it would. I really wanted to love this movie. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good movie. Especially Ruth Negga’s performance really impressed me. She says so much with just her eyes.
“Loving” is a movie with a strong message, but doesn’t have the emotional load I hoped for.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (247)

Here are this week's trailers.

The Intervention
Director: Clea DuVall
Description: A weekend getaway for four couples takes a sharp turn when one of the couples discovers the entire trip was orchestrated to host an intervention on their marriage.
Starring: Cobie Smulders, Melanie Lynskey, Jason Ritter, Clea DuVall, Alia Shawkat, Natasha Lyonne, Ben Schwartz, Vincent Piazza
Trailer: Trailer "The Intervention"
Comment: Clea DuVall as a director, interesting.

Loving
Director: Jeff Nichols
Description: Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple, are sentenced to prison in Virginia in 1958 for getting married.
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Ruth Negga, Michael Shannon, Marton Csokas, Nick Kroll
Trailer: Trailer "Loving"
Comment: This looks beautiful, I really want to see this movie.

A Monster Calls
Director: J.A. Bayona
Description: A boy seeks the help of a tree monster to cope with his single mom's terminal illness.
Starring: Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver, Toby Kebbell, Liam Neeson
Trailer: Trailer "A Monster Calls"
Comment: It looks fantastic!

La La Land
Director: Damien Chazelle
Description: A jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling) falls for an aspiring actress (Emma Stone) in Los Angeles.
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, J.K. Simmons, Rosemarie DeWitt
Trailer: Trailer "La La Land"
Comment: Can't wait to see "La La Land"!!!

The Hollars
Director: John Krasinski
Description: A man (John Krasinski) returns to his small hometown after learning that his mother has fallen ill and is about to undergo surgery.
Starring: John Krasinski, Anna Kendrick, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Sharlto Copley, Charlie Day, Richard Jenkins, JOsh Groban
Trailer: Trailer "The Hollars"
Comment: I'm a sucker for movies like this.