90s Movie Review - Forrest Gump

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 142 minutes
Year: 1994
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field

Description: Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), while not intelligent, has accidentally been present at many historic moments, but his true love, Jenny Curran (Robin Wright), eludes him.

Review: “My momma always said, life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get”. Forrest Gump isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but his mother was such a smart woman. With these words Forrest starts telling us his life story, to perfect strangers who sit next to him at a bus stop. The result: a extraordinary story, mesmerizing from beginning till end, about a simple man with a pure heart and the will to make the impossible possible. Very American, but so beautiful. 
Forrest Gump is honest and open, with all the best intentions. His naïve view on the world makes sure you feel for him right away. From him as a successful American football player to the captain of a shrimping boat and from a Vietnam war veteran to a pingpong champion. He has done it all. The film is filled with romance, tension, drama and humor.
Tom Hanks is simply brilliant as Forrest. This is still his best performance and I doubt if he can ever top that. We don’t see Hanks in this movie, we the simple and naïve Forrest Gump. Robin Wright also does an excellent job as Jenny. Gary Sinise as Forrest’s army friend lieutenant Dan and Sally Field as momma Gump both perform very decently.
“Forrest Gump” is my second favorite movie of all time and it won the Academy Award for best movie (where it beat my number on favorite movie “The Shawshank Redemption”). “The world will never seem the same, once you’ve seen it through the eyes of Forrest Gump”. A movie that will never leave you.

Rating: 5/ 5

90s Movie Review - Heat

Director: Michael Mann
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 171 minutes
Year: 1995
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Mykelti Williamson, Ted Levine, Dennis Haysbert, William Fichtner, Natalie Portman

Description: A group of professional bank robbers start to feel the heat from police when they unknowingly leave a clue at their latest heist.

Review: “Heat” is directed by Michael Mann and stars Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. The film has a good mix of action, crime, tension, romance and drama.
The title “Heat” refers to the heat you feel when the cops are just around the corner. Neil McCauley’s (Robert De Niro) life motto is that you should live a life that you can leave behind in 30 seconds. The heat comes from Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), a detective who spends his days tracking down thugs.
When you see a professional at work in a movie, you easily sympathize that character. Even if it’s an unscrupulous serial killer, if he’s good at what he does and you see it through his eyes. In “Heat” they use this. McCauley and his gang and Hanna are all very good at what they do. Add the natural charisma both actors have and it’s really hard to pick a side in this cat and mouse game.
Besides the well-known elements in a gangster movie, director Mann shows us a different side of the leading characters. Workaholic Vincent Hanna is in a relationship that won’t work, because he’s never home and he has a stepdaughter with psychological problems. Neil McCauley falls in love with a woman, but can’t tell her the truth about how he makes a living. Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer)  is a gambling addict and the woman he loves (Ashley Judd) is cheating on him.  
The original story and the fabulous performances make “Heat” a breathtaking action thriller, one of the best in the genre.

Rating: 5/ 5

 

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 128: The Purge: Election Year

Director: James DeMonaco
Genre: Thriller/ Horror/ Action
Runtime: 109 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Elizabeth Mitchell, Frank Grillo, Mykelti Williamson

Description: Former Police Sergeant Barnes (Frank Grillo) becomes head of security for Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), a Presidential candidate targeted for death on Purge night due to her vow to eliminate the Purge.

Review: After a two year break, the Purge returns. It’s a yearly event, where any crime can be committed without any consequences. This time it has a political touch. The elite and corrupt government wants to stop all the people who are against the Purge. Starting with Senator Charlie Roan, running for president and wanting to end the Purge.
“The Purge” and “The Purge: Anarchy” were original and had a low budget, but did pretty well. They weren’t masterpieces and felt like B-movies because of the cheap dialogues and jump scares. Director James DeMonaco managed to improve some points in this sequel.
The movie takes its time to introduce some of the characters. Like Joe, the owner of a small local store. Laney, the pacifist. Charlie Roan, the idealistic presidential candidate. And Leo Barnes, her personal bodyguard. The characters cross each other’s paths, no unnecessary plot twist or cheap dialogues (okay, maybe some).
“The Purge: Election Year” looks better then the other two, but there is still room to scare more. The film has two tones: it sometimes feels satirical, but it also provides social comments. Those tones don’t work together well, they clash.
“The Purge: Election Year” is very watchable.

Rating: 3/ 5

In the Picture: The Characters from "Forrest Gump"

My second favorite movie off all-time is "Forrest Gump". I already shared my favorite scenes from the movie and now I'm going to take a closer look at the characters from the film.

Forrest Gump
Played by: Tom Hanks
At a young age the school principal determines that Forrest has an IQ of 75. Although he's not very intelligent, he has endearing character and shows devotion to his loved ones and duties. This brings him into many life-changing situations.

Jenny Curran
Played by: Robin Wright
Jenny is Forrest's childhood friend and the only one that really understands him. Although her life hasn't been perfect, because she was abused as a kid, to Forrest she's the love of his life. Their ways seperate and come together many times and they eventually have a kid and get married.

Lt. Dan Taylor
Played by: Gary Sinise
Forrest meets Lt. Dan Taylor during the Vietnam war, where he is Forrest's commanding officer. After losing his legs in an ambush and being rescued against his will by Forrest, he falls into a deep depression. He does promise Forrest that, if he would ever own a shrimp boat like he said, he will help him.

Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue
Played by: Mykelti Williamson
Bubba is Forrest's friend whom he meets while serving in the army. It's Bubba's dream to have a shrimp boat someday, because he knows everything there is to know about shrimp. When Bubba dies, Forrest buys a boat and starts the Bubba-Gump shrimp company in his honor.

Mrs. Gump
Played by: Sally Field
Forrest was abandoned by his father, so Mrs. Gump raised Forrest all by herself. She loves her son unconditionally and she has a special way of explaining things to Forrest.

Favorite Character: Forrest Gump