10s Movie Review - Paddleton

Director: Alex Lehman
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 89 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Ray Romano, Mark Duplass
Description: An unlikely friendship between two misfits (Ray Romano, Mark Duplass) becomes an unexpectedly emotional journey when the younger man is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 2: A MOVIE SHORTER THAN 90 MINUTES
 
Review: We often take the people around us, whether family, relatives or friends, for granted. We are not always aware that this can suddenly change. Children may leave home, contact with friend or lack thereof may dilute that relationship or someone may appear to be near the end of their life. And although you know that these are situations that you will experience in your own life, you are never concerned about it in advance. Such a situations forms the basis of “Paddleton”.
Michael and Andy are neighbors and have a close friendship. They enjoy watching kung-fu films together, love puzzles and have devised their own game Paddleton, which they regularly play on the ground of an abandoned drive-in cinema. Michael is told that he is incurably ill and he decides that he wants to end his life, before the pain becomes too severe. He involves Andy to support him during a difficult time.
“Paddleton” is a small film, but a true hidden gem on Netflix. The bond these two friend have make this film. Ray Romano, who plays Andy, is not a very strong person socially and is feeling difficulties with the fact that he will lose his best friend. He might not express it verbally, but certainly with his actions. “Paddleton” is one of the movies where you don’t look forward to the end, because you know what will happen. Thanks to the perfect acting, not only by Romano, but also by mark Duplass, and a beautiful script, this is a film that many will not have discovered yet. It’s on Netflix, so ready for you to stream. Highly recommended.

Rating: 4,5 / 5

Movie Review - Bombshell

Director: Jay Roach
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow, Allison Janney, Malcolm McDowell, Kate McKinnon, Connie Britton, Mark Duplass, Stephen Root, Mark Moses, Brooke Smith, Richard Kind

Description: A group of women take on Fox New head Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) and the toxic atmosphere he presides over the network.

Review: Based on a true story. “Bombshell” tells the explosive story of the women that broke the silence and accused Fox News boss Roger Ailes of sexual harassment.
“Bombshell” takes on the scandal that many people, mostly Americans, already know about. And this film shines a light on the events that took place during the process. And it’s a typical way of telling a true story the Hollywood-way: lots of sensation but lacking depth.
If this film didn’t have such a strong cast, it would be disposable and forgettable. The film should be more uncomfortable, giving the theme it deals with. There are only a few moments where you feel this discomfort. For instance when the three main women of the story are standing in an elevator. Not saying a word you can see them questioning themselves: did you also…? Or the scene where Kayla (Margot Robbie) meets with Roger Ailes and he asks her to stand and turn around, because it’s a visual medium. But he also asks to see her legs, eventually ending in Kayla pulling up her skirt up until her underwear. This scene shows that most women at Fox News owe their careers by doing something like this or even more. Sadly these kind of scenes are a minority.
The film also, for the most part, focuses on Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron), when it was Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) who blew the whistle. I found this an odd choice.
All performances in this film are great. And also a shoutout to the makeup department.
It’s an easy watch and has its moments, but overall “Bombshell” could have been a lot better.

Rating: 3 / 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

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 20: Safety Not Guaranteed

Director: Colin Trevorrow
Genre: Comedy/ Romance/Science Fiction
Runtime: 86 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jeff Garlin

Description: Three magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy (Mark Duplass) who placed a classified advertisement seeking a companion for time travel.

Review: Everyone wants to time travel, but sadly nobody succeeded to do so yet. In “Safety Not Guaranteed”an add is placed, where someone is asking for a travel companion.
The film starts with flashes from Darius’ life. She has been a wallflower all her life and just started an internship for a magazine. During a staff meeting, someone reads the add where someone is look for a time travel partner. One of the writers, Jeff, is send to write a story about it. He takes interns Darius and Arnau with him.
“Safety Not Guarantee” is a small indie film, with the same producers as “Little Miss Sunshine”. Although it’s a completely different story, this film manages to give you that same feel good feeling. At first it looks like you know where it’s heading. But the film is a lot more surprising. I loved Aubrey Plaza as the cynical Darius. And it’s that cast that makes this movie so good. Their chemistry and timing is so strong. The original story surprises you from beginning to end.
“Safety Not Guaranteed” feels like a modern day fairytale of some sort. A great directorial debut for Colin Trevorrow.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 37: Parkland

Director: Peter Landesman

Genre: Drama/ Thriller

Runtime: 93 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Marcia Gay Harden, Matt Barr, Zac Efron, Mallory Moye, Paul Giamatti, Bitsie Tulloch, Ron Livingston, Jason Douglas, David Harbour, James Badge Dale, Larry Jack Dotson, Austin Nichols, Billy Bob Thornton, Jonathan Breck, Eugene Lee, Nico Evers-Swindell, Irene White, Luci Christian, Kate Steffens, Tom Welling, Mark Duplass, Gil Bellows, Sean McGraw, Brett Stimely, Paul Sparks, Samuel Davis, Colin Hanks, Gary Grubbs, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeremy Strong, Jackie Weaver

Description: A recounting of the chaotic events that occurred at Dallas' Parkland Hospital on the day U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Review: A lot of people remember where they were on November 22nd 1963, the day John F. Kennedy was killed. Now fifty years and many books, movies and documentaries later, director Peter Landesman manages to give us a new perspective on the assassination. “Parkland” isn’t a reconstruction of the murder itself, but it tells the story of the people that have witnessed the event and were close to the president at that time. The impact this shooting had on the doctors that treated him, the FBI and the cameraman who filmed it. In “Parkland” three days are depicted from the point of view of different characters.

There is an important role for the medical staff of the Parkland hospital in Dallas. They tried to save the life of JFK. Then there is Abraham Zapruder, the man that captured the shooting on camera. The movie adds another layer by showing us the point of view of shooter Lee Harvey Oswald and how his family deals with this event.

Because “Parkland” has many characters and perspectives, it’s sometimes very chaotic. This chaos makes the movie hard to follow sometimes and also doesn’t give any characters any depth. The whole thing looks unrealistic. Even though “Parkland” doesn’t convince completely, it’s a good try on telling the story from a different vision.

Peter Landesman shoots a movie from unknown and interesting perspective, but doesn’t manage to convince the audience.

Rating: 2,5/ 5