Movie Review - Speak No Evil

Director: James Watkins
Genre: Thriller/ Horror
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, Aisling Franciosi,  Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough. Kris Hitchen
 
Description: A family is invited to spend a whole weekend in a lonely home in the countryside, but as the weekend progresses, they realize that a dark side lies withing the family who invited them.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 50: A FILM FROM AN ACADEMY AWARD WINNING/ NOMINATED ACTOR OR ACTRESS

Review: Although the original “Speak No Evil” with a significant role for my country, is still fresh in our mind, for America it is already time for a remake. Hollywood has a habit of Americanizing successful films from abroad, but as many show, this is not always a success. Fortunately, “Speak No Evil” is a great remake.

Vacations are the ultimate time to relax. When the placid Louise and Ben take their daughter to Italy, they meet an eccentric family there. The lovely wife Ciara, their little son Ant, who has a disability and has difficulty communicating, and the dominant but enthusiastic Paddy. Things click between the two families. Ben and Louise are invited to spend a weekend at Paddy and Ciara’s country home in England. Although they have only just met the family, after a while they decide to visit.

A recurring theme is the discomfort created by certain standards and behavior. The tension that the film builds with this from the beginning gets stronger and stronger. There is this constant feeling of unease and questioning yourself if something going on.

The uncomfortable feeling also occasionally creates a black-comic tone, with Louise and ben getting into increasingly strange situations, but staying neat out of politeness. The film plays heavily on behavioral norms and cultural differences between people and charts in multiple layers.

There are many themes woven into the tension and story, such as gender inequality, parenting and cultural differences, but the most prominent is toxic masculinity. On one side James McAvoy as Paddy, is the ultimate alpha male: dominant, muscular and overpowering. On the other side is Scoot McNairy’s Ben, who has difficulty countering Paddy and, in the process, also experiences difficulties with his wife, who repeatedly asks him to intervene. Their characters complement each other perfectly, which enhances the poignancy of the situation.

James McAvoy is, without a doubt, the star of the show. In his acting, he manages to sublimely combine grandeur and nuance. With minimal looks, facial expressions and use of voice, he gives weight to each scene. Although McAvoy indicates no having seen the original, he manages to bring out and even transcend the scariest sides of Fedja van Huêt.

The tension is wonderfully built up, with many shots and dialogues foreshadowing the explosive final act. In it, many plot twists converge to a worthy conclusion.

Rating: 4/ 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

Movie Reviews - Tully

Director: Jason Reitman
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Ron Livingston, Mark Duplass

Description: Marlo (Charlize Theron), a mother of three hires a night nanny (Mackenzie Davis) to help with her newborn.

Review: Since her role in “Monster”, Charlize Theron belongs with the best of the best in Hollywood. For her role in “Tully”, Theron gained a lot of weight to get ready for the role.
Theron plays Marlo, a mother of three. She just gave birth to her third child and because she feels like dealing with everything on her own, she hires a night nanny, named Tully. At first Marlo feels uncomfortable around Tully, but they develop a strong bond. Why Marlo and her husband are having a third child is a big question, since their son is hard to handle and very difficult to read. And with the birth of daughter Mia, motherhood is officially too much for Marlo. 
When Tully enters her life, Marlo starts loving life again. And even her marriage gets a boost. But eventually Marlo can’t be without Tully anymore.
The contrast between Marlo and Tully is very big. Young versus old, free versus bound, energetic versus exhausted: it’s a little predictable. The focus is on the two of them and Marlo’s husband Drew hardly gets any attention.
Charlize Theron is really strong. A beautiful actress like her who always dares to be ‘ugly’ and show the human side of a character.
It isn’t until the end of the movie, that you come to realize it was actually a good film. Because of that ending. Without that, this film is pretty standard.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

10s Movie Review - Blade Runner 2049

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Genre: Science Fiction/ Thriller
Runtime: 163 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Sylvia Hoeks, Jared Leto, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Dave Bautista

Description: A young blade runner's (Ryan Gosling) discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former blade runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), who's been missing for thirty years.

Review: In 1982 director Ridley Scott brought us “Blade Runner”, a film loosely based on “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” by Philip K. Dick. After “Alien” he took another big step in the sci-fi genre. The film was, because of the combination of film noir and a philosophical take, not for everyone. Even critics weren’t agreeing at the time.
In 2017, the opinions about the sequel, are extremely positive. Some even call it an instant classic and a masterpiece. “Blade Runner 2049” will still not be everybody’s cup of tea, but I do agree with the positive responses. And I even think it’s better then the film from 1982.
Ridley Scott passed the directorial position over to Denis Villeneuve, a talented director that yet has to make his first mistake (let’s hope not off course). After “Arrival”, from 2016, Villeneuve showed the audience he knows his way around science fiction. But “Blade Runner 2049” is so very different.
Villeneuve asked all the journalists not to talk about the plot to much in their reviews. He wanted all the moviegoers to experience this film to the fullest and give them the same experience as he critics.
“Blade Runner 2049” is a film filled with emotion, beautiful shots, deeper layers and fascinating characters. So I will not share any plot details with you either, you really have to see for yourself. I do think it’s a shame that I didn’t get to see it in theaters at the time. Literally no one around was talking about this film and I simply missed it. And now, I don’t understand why and how.
Villeneuve often manages to make your jaw drop. And that’s also happening here. The images of misty cities filled with big in-your-face billboard commercials, immense garbage piles and abandoned factories. But also the ochre colored field with giant statues of women.
The role of K, was written for Ryan Gosling. He gives his role depth and he proofs again that he chooses his projects wisely. Harrison Ford’s role isn’t as big, but noteworthy, just like in the first film.
Like I stated before, “Blade Runner 2049” is not for everyone, just like the first film. The slow sci-fi by Denis Villeneuve is not to everybody’s taste. The film is hard to grab and its unpredictability could trouble the average moviegoer. All those things are just why I love “Blade Runner 2049”. Besides the gorgeous images and great performances, it’s very pleasant to see a sequel this good and this surprising. Better then “Blade Runner”, mission accomplished!

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 140: The Martian

Director: Ridley Scott

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction

Runtime: 142 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Sean Bean, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mackenzie Davis, Donald Glover, Nick Mohammed, Chen Shu, Eddy Ko, Enzo Cilenti, Jonathan Aris, Gruffudd Glyn, Naomi Scott, Geoffrey Thomas

Description: A limo driver's blind date sparks a tale of love, betrayal, friendship, and grace centered around two working-class New York City couples.

Review: Director Ridley Scott, known for his movies “Alien” and “Blade Runner”, is no stranger to science fiction. “The Martian”, based on the book by Andy Weir, is the perfect story for Scott. It’s a heroic story, has a great cast with big names and a big budget.

With a science fiction movie, there is always a scientific side to it. Hence the word science. At first it looks like it’s going to be a drama, when astronaut Mark Watney is left for dead on Mars after a big storm. When Watney wakes up he has to stay alive with the supplies that are left. It could have gone to fear, sadness and complaining. The fact that it might be the end for him on Mars, makes sure that Watney does everything to avoid that fate. With science. With his botanic background he manages to grow potatoes on a planet where nothing grows. And he is very inventive in ways to stay alive. This strength makes sure Watney doesn’t lose hope and becomes a real hero.

The scientific element can also be less accesable, but “The Martian” manages to use a clever way to explain it to us. Watney keeps a videolog, where he explains what he does and why. He never seems lonely and this makes this film anything but boring. On earth, where they eventually find our Watney is still alive, they discuss the issue in a way the viewer can understand and without any extreme sentiment. Towards the end it does get a bit more dramatic, but that’s understandable.

One thing I didn’t expect to get was humor. “The Martian” is very funny at times and makes this movie a lot lighter than I eventually thought. And Matt Damon is amazing in his role. I really loved his performance, it can easily be called one of his best. I also loved Jessica Chastain, as always.

“The Martian” is a fresh take on science fiction, a movie that was even better than I thought it would be. One of the best of 2015.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 69: What If

Director: Michael Dowse

Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Romance

Runtime: 102 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Zoe Kazan, Adam Driver, Megan Parks, Mackenzie Davis, Rafe Spall, Lucius Hoyos, Jemima Rooper, Tommie-Amber Pirie, Meghan Heffern, Jonathan Cherry, Rebecca Northan, Jordan Hayes, Oona Chaplin, Adam Fergus

Description: Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe), who is burned out from a string of failed relationships, forms an instant bond with Chantry (Zoe Kazan), who lives with her longtime boyfriend (Rafe Spall). Together, they puzzle out what it means if your best friend is also the love of your life.

Review: Not very original, but very enjoyable is this romantic comedy “What If”, with Zoe Kazan and Daniel Radcliffe, who manages to make us forget about Harry Potter.

Radcliffe plays Wallace. This young twenty something lives in his sisters attic, he has a crappy job as the writer of manuals and has been single for quite some time. Because Wallace and his ex where both in school to become doctors, Wallace dropped out. Since then he hardly has a social life. His friend Alan invites him over for a party and that’s where Wallace meets Alan’s cousin Chantry. The two have an instant connection, but later that night he finds out she has a boyfriend. They decide to be just friends. When Chantry’s boyfriend has to go to Ireland for work, Wallace and Chantry’s friendship develops.

“What If” is a charming comedy, that is fun because of the natural charisma of the two leads. Radcliffe and Kazan have perfect chemistry. The question, if men and women can have a platonic relationship, has been asked many times before. Director Michael Dowse and script writer Elan Mastai gave it a fresh twist.

Another plus is the dialogue. Sometimes strange and cynical, but so pleasant to listen too. The story is sometimes over the top, like the first meeting between Wallace and Chantry’s boyfriend Ben or the moment where one wants to follow the other overseas.

“What If” is still a joy to watch, even with some clichés and unoriginality. Lovely leads and sharp dialogue are the two things that make this movie worth your time.

Rating: 3,5/ 5