00s Movie Review: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Director: Adam McKay
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2006
Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Leslie Bibb, Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, Michael Clarke Duncan, Amy Adams, David Koechner, Rob Riggle, Molly Shannon, Greg Germann

Description: Number one NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) stays atop the heap thanks to a pact with his best friend and teammate, Cal Naughton, Jr. (John C. Reilly) But when a French Formula One driver (Sacha Baron Cohen), makes his way up the ladder, Ricky Bobby's talent and devotion are put to the test.

Review: NASCAR: fast cars driving hundreds of laps on a simple oval track. In America it’s one of the most viewed sports. The NASCAR world was already put in the spotlight with the Tom Cruise film “Days of Thunder” and in the animated Disney film “Cars”. In “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Rocky Bobby” it takes on the comedy genre and the world is brought to us with a big fat wink.
We follow Ricky Bobby, a successful NASCAR driver. At first, everything goes uphill for him. Rocky becomes an egocentric superstar, but eventually ends up in the gutter. And everything that he once had and loved, slips through his fingers. And although this all sounds super cliché, which it is, the film is so entertaining and funny.
Will Ferrell is one of those actors that makes me laugh, no matter what. I just have to look at him and he cracks me up. And surely not everyone likes his humor. If you don’t like Will Ferrell’s films or roles, you don’t like this one either. Because it’s Will Ferrell, being Will Ferrell. The humor is never subtle, yet very hilarious.
Sacha Baron Cohen is really funny as Ricky Bobby’s big rival, Jean Girard. The way he pronounces Rocky Bobby is something that cracks me up constantly, even now, while writing this review and saying it in my head. My dad can do a killer impression of him by the way!
“Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” is definitely not a masterpiece or one of America’s best comedies. But somehow, this movie always makes me laugh out loud and that’s what a fun comedy should do.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

90s Review - The Green Mile

Director: Frank Darabont
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 181 minutes
Year: 1999
Starring: Tom Hanks, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Cromwel, Michael Jeter, Graham greene, Doug Hutchison, Sam Rockwell, Barry Pepper, Jeffrey DeMunn, Patricia Clarkson, Harry Dean Stanton

Description: The lives of guards on Death Row are affected by one of their charges: a black man accused of child murder and rape, yet who has a mysterious gift.

Review: Director Frank Darabont is at his best when filming adaptations of Stephen King novels. His directorial debut, “The Shawshank Redemption”, hit every mark. With “The Green Mile” he’s on trusted territory, because it’s also set in a prison. It does introduce a new element: the paranormal. “The Green Mile” is set in a death row cell block, led by Paul Edgecomb, in 1935. They call it the green mile. He runs it with his best friend Brutus Howell, the young Dean Stanton, veteran Harry Terwilliger and newcomer and sadistic Percy Wetmore.
All prison guards, except for Percy, want the prisoners the end their life in the most humane way possible. The silent Native American Arlen Bitterbuck and the joyful Eduard ‘Del’ Delacroix are both waiting for their judgment day. One day, the gigantic John Coffey is brought in. He is sentenced for the rape and murder of two young girls. But he looks more dangerous then he actually is. Coffey is afraid of the dark and has a gentle character. Soon Paul discovers that something special is going on and that John Coffey has a gift.
Like “The Shawshank Redemption”, “The Green Mile” is a film that’s carried by the actors. Tom Hanks is perfect for his role as sympathetic protagonist and through his eyes we see the story. Doug Hutchison is very convincing as the exasperating Percy. Sam Rockwell goes nuts as crazy inmate Wild Bill, David Morse is likeable as the goodhearted Brutus and James Cromwell portrays his role as prison boss very well. But it’s Michael Clarke Duncan that impresses the most. He grabs viewers and it’s really hard not to like him.
“The Green Mile” is a powerful film with a good message, that will leave many people in tears. The characters get all the room to exploit. Darabont puts the focus on the characters and not on the plot.

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Moments: "The Green Mile"

One of the best movies with Tom Hanks, directed by Frank Darabont and based on a Stephen King novel. I recently rewatched it and it made me cry… again. Here are the best moments from “The Green Mile”.

Moment # 1: Meet John Coffey
After Paul Edgecomb has unsuccessfully tried to urinate, with a very bad blather infection, colleague Percy is bringing in a new prisoner. His name is John Coffey and he is enormous. He looks scarier than he is, because he’s afraid of the dark.

Moment # 2: Little guest
Brutus calls in his colleagues to inform them about an unwanted guest: a little mouse. He hides away in the isolation cell. To catch the mouse, they have to clean out the cell because they never use it.

Moment # 3: Mr. Jingles
The mouse is back and has made a friend. One of the inmates, Del, has taught him some tricks and even gave him a name: Mr. Jingles.

Moment # 4: Wild Bill strikes
Another new inmate, Bill Wharton aka Wild Bill. He’s been brought in and he’s seems to be on a lot of medicine. But he’s only pretending, because he strikes and grabs Dean. Percy has the opportunity to do something, but doesn’t. Eventually the other guards help Dean and manage to overpower Bill.

Moment # 5: Miracle
Paul is still battling with a blather infection and it’s killing him. When John Coffey calls for him, he tells Paul he can help him. Coffey grabs Paul by the crotch and light bulbs start to flicker. Coffey has taken the infection away from him.

Moment # 6: Percy pees his pants
After being rattles by Del, Wild Bill grabs Percy. He’s so scared that he pees himself. Something that Del laughs about. Something he shouldn’t have done.

Moment # 7: Mr. Jingles’ death and resurrection
Del is about to get is payback for laughing at Percy, because mean Percy steps on Mr. Jingles. John Coffey wants to heal him and Paul hands Mr. Jingles over to Coffey. After he brought the mouse back to life, Paul and the other guards want to see Percy’s reaction to seeing Mr. Jingles alive again.

Moment # 8: Del’s execution
It’s judgment day for Del and unfortunately Percy is leading the execution. As for preparation, the person on the chair needs to have a wet sponge on his head so the electricity goes through the body easily. Percy knows it, but he decides not to wet the sponge. The other guards don’t see it until it’s too late. Del gets the most painful death and is literally fried. Percy sees what he has done.

Moment # 9: Paul has an idea
Paul has his collegues over for dinner and talks to them about John Coffey and the gift he has. They all witnessed the mouse miracle, but Paul also tells them about how Coffey cured him. Paul now suggest that Coffey can help Melinda, Hal’s wife.

Moment # 10: Melinda
They are going through with the plan to take John Coffey to Hall Moore’s house. Hall doesn’t want him inside the house at first, but he trusts Paul. John takes the decease away from Melinda.

Moment # 11: John Coffey’s execution
It’s the day. The day of John Coffey’s execution. Clearly everyone is upset by the situation, especially because Paul know that he didn’t kill anyone. Because it can’t be proven, they have to go through with it. They are all very emotional, Dean even cries.

Favorite Moment: Moment # 11: John Coffey’s execution (not because I’m cruel, this scene really touches me and hits every nerve in my body)