10s Movie Review - The Upside

Director: Neil Burger
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 126 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston, Nicole Kidman
Description: A comedic look at the relationship between a wealthy man with quadriplegia (Bryan Cranston) and an unemployed man with a criminal record (Kevin Hart) who’s hired to help him.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 48: A MOVIE SET BU SOUTH-AMERICA
 
Review: Dell Scott makes his living from shady dealings and benefits. The latter seems to be coming to an end when his probation officer forces him to apply for a job and so he has to look for a real job. Dell has no intention of throwing himself into an honest job, however, and so he does everything but his best during various job applications. Until the moment he steps into the penthouse of millionaire Philip Lacasse. Lacasse is paralyzed and is therefore looking for a caretaker. A job for which the inexperienced Dell is totally unsuitable. Yet Philip sees in him the ideal person to help him and give his dormant life a new impulse. An impulse that will completely turn his life, and those around him, upside down. But a completely new world also opens up for Scott that makes him question the things he believed in until then.

“The Upside” is an American remake of the French film “Intouchables” from 2011. That movie was a huge success and I also absolutely loved it. The story is based on the true life friendship of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and Abdel Sellou and was before this already depicted in the documentary “A la vie, à la mort” in 2003. You could say, a remake of “Intouchables” is not really necessary, which I would agree too. But to be honest, I’m not mad about “The Upside”.

When you compare the two, “Intouchables” is without a doubt the better movie. But looking at it, not thinking of the original, “The Upside” is actually a really good, heartwarming film. Bryan Cranston can do no wrong in my eyes and I liked him in his role. But it’s actually Kevin Hart that steals the show here. I seem to prefer Hart in roles like this, where he has his comedic moments, but they are not taking the overhand. He can do light drama very well. And Hart and Cranston are also very good together.  

I highly enjoyed “The Upside” and would still recommend it.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - Babygirl

Director: Halina Reijn
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, Sophie Wilde, Esther McGregor, Vaughan Reilly 
 
Description: A high powered CEO (Nicole Kidman) puts her career and family in the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much-younger intern (Harris Dickinson).
 
Review: Romy Mathis has made it. She is the CEO of a company specializing in AI and robotics, and her marriage to stage director Jacob has lasted for years. But one day, during an anxious moment, she meets twenty-something Samuel. Who she lates sees back at her company as an intern. Samuel takes a brutal, confrontational and transgressive attitude toward Romy; to the point that she is completely thrown off guard. Samuel continues to challenge her and eventually Romy gives in. She risks paying a high price for a slip-up that grows into much more than that.  

This is the second English-language film by once actress ut now established Dutch filmmaker Halina Reijn (previously directed “Bodies Bodies Bodies”). “Babygirl” is an erotic thriller, like many that were made in the nineties. Yet fresh and surprising, because we now see through the eyes of the woman, who is not always allowed to act morally pure. The film does not believe in good and bad, but lustfully digs in the gray area in between.  

Kidman shines as the complex Romy and the film manages to break taboos as well as explore current themes around consent and gender roles.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

90s Movie Review - Practical magic

Director: Griffin Dunne
Genre: Drama/ Fantasy/ Comedy
Runtime: 104 minutes
Year: 1998
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing, Goran Visnjic, Aidan Quinn

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 38: A MOVIE SET IN FALL
 
Description: Two witch sisters (Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman), raised by their eccentric aunts (Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest) in a small town, face closed-minded prejudice and a curse which threatens to prevent them even finding lasting love.

Review: Two sisters from a witch’s family carry a curse with them: they can never finding lasting love. Gillian doesn’t care, Sally dies. Then fate strikes.

“Practical Magic” is a very popular film, especially during the fall time. And it’s a fun watch,  just not very memorable. I liked Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, and Dianne Wiest has a fun supporting role. This makes it worth watching. Otherwise, this would be a film nobody would even care for.

Rating: 3/ 5

TV Show Review - The Undoing (Mini Series)

Season: Mini Series
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Mystery
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2020
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Noah Jupe, Donald Sutherland, Lily Rabe, Matilda de Angelis, Edgar Ramirez, Michael Devine

Description: The life of a New York therapist (Nicole Kidman) is turned upside after she and her family get involved with a murder case.

Review: In this psychological thriller, you follow the lives a Grace and her husband Jonathan. They are live the perfect life in New York, with their son Henry. Until Elena, a mother at Henry’s school, is found dead in her art gallery. It turns out to be a murder and Grace and Jonathan’s life is turned upside down. Especially when one of them becomes a suspect.

You think you know, but think again. “The Undoing” has plot twist after plot twist. And just when you think, you figured it out, things turn again. There moments you believe that this certain person has done it, and then you believe they might be innocent. You go back and forth constantly. It’s like a rollercoaster with a new exit each time. Just when you think you are sure of the culprit, they drop a small hint that makes you question everything again.

“The Undoing” is very America, it’s all very polished. The only thing I would’ve changed, is to make the characters look a less “perfect” all the time.  

The cast of “The Undoing” alone is worth watching. Nicole Kidman plays the lead and she is very strong in her role. The same goes for Hugh Grant, especially as the series progresses. And Donald Sutherland, in his 80s, still knows how to intrigue. Noah Jupe, who plays son Henry, is such a great talent. You might also know him from the movie “A Quiet Place”.

“The Undoing” is absolutely worth watching, it’s exactly that kind of psychological thriller that gets under you skin after watching it. The who, why and how are very interesting questions you keep asking yourself constantly while watching this series.

00s Movie Review - The Hours

Director: Stephen Daldry
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Ed Harris, Stephen Dillane, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Miranda Richardson, Claire Danes, Margot Martindale, Jeff Daniels

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 3: AN ANTHOLOGY MOVIE
 
Description: The story of how the novel “Mrs. Dalloway” affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have to deal with suicide in their lives.

Review: Three women. One writes, the other reads and the last lives. The words of Virginai Woolf’s famous book “Mrs. Dalloway” give shape and dimension to their tragic lives. Based on the Pullitzer Prize-winning nover “The Hours” by Michael Cunningham, the story was a valid attempt to illustrate how literature and true life can be connected. And how immortal stories are even when their writers and protagonists die.

The three women who sometimes effortlessly blur into one character in the book are pulled apart for the film in three powerful roles played by Nicole Kidman (as Virginia Woolf), Meryl Streep (as the contemporary New York Carissa Vaughan) and Julianne Moore (as a 1950s housewife. Their fates are shown as they wear the same kind of earrings, and, thanks to ingenious editing, relive or read the same scenes from “Mrs. Dalloway” at the same time.

It is a wondrous conclusion to have to see, almost a century after Mrs. Dalloway lived, that, in Daldry's view, personal freedom is more than ever bound by sexual and familial ties.

Rating: 4/ 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

TV Show Review - Big Little Lies (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime
Number of episodes: 7
Year: 2019
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Adam Scott, Alexander Skarsgård, James Tupper

Description: After the death of Perry, the five women involved are all dealing with it in their own way. And new problems form for each of them.

Review: What can you say about an unnecessary second season to a good show, that got so many nominations and prizes. How can I explain to you that the second season of “Big Little Lies” didn’t need to happen, but was so good that it really doesn’t matter. The second season is really good and Meryl Streep steals the show.
Streep does everything well, as Celeste’s mother-in-law, with her snappy returns and sharp one-liners. Her Mary Louise Wright has a sad background and this reflects on her and the people around her. The mother of the deceased Perry moves in with Celeste, to help her with the twins. But she is actually there to find out what really happened to Perry. And when she finds out about Ziggy, who is also Perry’s son, Mary Louise doesn’t go easy on Jane either.
It’s off course not just Streep, the rest of the cast is sublime as well. The storylines are good, as are the scripts and the direction. Bonnie is going through an emotional rollercoaster, Renata has to deal with bankruptcy and Madeline and Ed are facing a rough patch. But what this season is mostly about is dealing with loss, the past, the present and pain.
The first season was good and it ended well. It was good the way it was, so it didn’t need a second season. But now I am very happy that there is a second season, because it’s such a joy to watch all those strong actresses perform at their very best.
The ending could suggest a third season, but that is very unlikely.

Movie Reviews - Boy Erased

Director: Joel Edgerton
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Joel Edgerton

Description: The son (Lucas Hedges) of a Baptist preacher (Russel Crowe) is forced to participate in a church-supported gay conversion program after being forcibly outed to his parents.

Review: Actor/ director Joel Edgerton always pick interesting projects. And “Boy Erased” is one of them. Edgerton directs this drama based on a true story, but also portrays a very important character in the film.
Jared is the son of a Baptist preacher. He is a kind and intelligent young man, with loving parents. When Jared tells his parents he is gay, they send him to a church-supported gay conversion program, to get ‘cured’.
“Boy Erased” is an unnerving story. As a naïve viewer, you watch this story with perplexity. It really touched my soul, deep, seeing how some circles dealt with homosexuality.
The cast is really strong. Lucas Hedges has showed his skills a few times before, but his performance in “Boy Erased” is fantastic. Joel Edgerton as well. But it’s Nicole Kidman who shines most, as Jared’s mother. A great performance.
“Boy Erased” never played in the Dutch theaters, because they thought it wouldn’t be interesting enough for the mainstream audience. I think more people should see this film, it’s excellent.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Reviews - Aquaman

Director:  James Wan
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 144 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren, Randall Park, Michael Beach

Description: A daredevil designs and operates his own theme park with his friends.

Review: It appears that the underdogs in the superhero world, get the most colorful films with a lot of creativity and freedom. “Aquaman” is a spectacular and very overwhelming film.
“Aquaman” is hard to analyse, because James Wan makes the same mistakes as many other directors: the film is long, the narrative is a bit unclear and some characters are very one-dimensional. But somehow you walk out of the cinema with a big smile.
Because “Aquaman” has tons of charm. And not in the sense of “ultimate popcorn entertainment’, because these movies are easy on the eyes but very forgettable. “Aquaman” is also pure eye candy, but there is one big difference: the movie is never boring, never too serious and embraces absurdity. The film is visually stunning, wonderful filmed and a treat for the senses.
There are several films that you can see influenced Wan in making “Aquaman”. “Indiana Jones”, “True Lies”, “Avatar”. It’s two hours of mind blowing action and visual effects.
Jason Momoa is a great choice for the title role. After seeing him as Aquaman, it’s hard to think about someone else in the role. And that means he did a good job!
DC still doesn’t win it from Marvel, but James Wan did a solid job. It’s a hell of a thrill ride and extremely entertaining!

Rating: 3,5 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 130: The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Mystery
Runtime: 121 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, Alicia Silverstone, Bill Camp

Description: Steven (Colin Farrell), a charismatic surgeon, is forced to make an unthinkable sacrifice after his life starts to fall apart, when the behavior of a teenage boy (Barry Keoghan) he has taken under his wing turns sinister.

Review: Yorgos Lanthimos has an interesting mind. Just look at “The Lobster”. “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” is not any different. It’s a complete mystery what the film really means, but it gives you enough material to think about.
The film also marks the second collaboration between Lanthimos and actor Colin Farrell, who seems right in his place in this absurd world. Farrell plays Steve, a successful heart surgeon with an apparent perfect life: he has a good job where he gets praised for, a huge house, a beautiful and successful wife and two talented kids. Outside work, Steven often talks to teenager Martin. What the connection between the two is, stays a secret for a while, but you know something’s going on. The two meet each other in a café, are very polite to one another and exchange gifts.
When Martin is invited to Steven’s home, the rest of the family really like to have him around. But not for long. Things are going terribly wrong with the family and it feels like somehow Martin’s presence causes this all. From that moment on, the movie becomes darker, more psychological and it leans towards horror. The absurd tone of Lanthmos’ style is still present, but “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” has a lot more scary elements then his previous films. Mostly because of Barry Keoghan’s performance. He manages to portray Martin very well. He is always polite, but there is also a constant threat that is hard to put your finger on.
Not only the cast is doing really well, also Lanthimos as a director. His camera work, the dialogues, the shots, every detail. He knows how to make the audience feel uncomfortable.
I think it’s safe to say, that Yorgos Lanthimos is not a director for the mainstream audience. But once you get used to his style a but, you can clearly see that “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” is one of the best movies of 2017.

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 118: The Beguiled

Director: Sofia Coppola
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning, Oona Laurence, Angourie Rice

Description: The unexpected arrival of a wounded Union soldier (Colin Farrell) at a girls school in Virginia during the American Civil War leads to jealousy and betrayal.

Review: They are no longer helpless and innocent, the women in corsets. Several costume dramas proved that this year. And “The Beguiled” by Sofia Coppola is also one of them, a dramatic thriller with heaps of estrogen.
“The Beguiled” is based on the novel by Thomas Cullinan. In 1971 it was adapted to a movie for the first time, with Clint Eastwood starring as the wounded soldier. Sofia Coppola follows the story of the original film, but it didn’t become a boring repetition of it. Coppola managed to add themes like abalienation and group dynamic to it they way only she can. It’s clear this film was written from a female perspective.
It’s great to see how Coppola managed to let lust and envy be defining for the atmosphere. Especially the scene where the women try to trump each other over apple pie, trying to impress the male guest. The camera work is static and music is minimal, this is typical Sofia Coppola. I always loved her timid way of directing.
Nicole Kidman is very strong as Miss Martha, but Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning are also solid. Colin Farrell, the only male performer in “The Beguiled” is also the right choice. He can easily be a charming gentleman and a foulmouthed brute. “The Beguiled” is a really good film, a good film to show off the talents of the women in Hollywood.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 117: Lion

Director: Garth Davis
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, Nicole Kidman, David Wenham

Description: A five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia. 25 years later, he (Dev Patel) sets out to find his lost family.

Review: Image you’re a five year old kid and you get lost from home in India. A country with over a billion citizens and 400 languages. It happened to Saroo, who accidentally got onto the wrong train and ended up on the other side of the country. When he ends up in an orphanage, he is adopted by an Australian couple. Years later, Saroo is determined to find his lost family.
“Lion” is split up in two parts. In the first part, we meet five year old Saroo. Together with his older brother Guddu he steals stones from a train, so they can sell them to provide for their mother and sister. When Saroo is seperated from his family, we see that India isn’t the perfect place for kids on the street. The kids are simply ignored or scared away. And sometimes prey for people with wrong intentions.
In the second part of the film, we jump 20 years in tie and see adult Saroo, adopted by loving parents and leading a happy and fortunate life. Where the first half was about physical survival, the second part is more about the psychological effects of this all. Even though Saroo had a good life in Australia, but memories from his short time in India keep coming back. This leads him to an obsessive search for his biological family.
“Lion” could have easily become a melodramatic, based-on-a-true-story, Oscar material. But director Garth Davis made this movie with lots of integrity and nuance. Of course there is enough emotion involved and you probably will use some tissues here and there, but it’s not overly sentimental. The cast is really strong, especially leading man Dev Patel and his adoption mother played by Nicole Kidman.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 102: The Paperboy

Director: Lee Daniels
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, Kohn Cusack, Nicole Kidman, David Oyelowo, Scott Glenn, Ned Bellamy, Macy Gray

Description: A reporter (Matthew McConaughey) returns to his Florida home-town to investigate a case involving a death row inmate (John Cusack).

Review: In 2009 director Lee Daniels gave us the strong drama “Precious”. And looking at the quality of that film, we know Daniels is an excellent director. That “The Paperboy” looks like a bad B-movie from the 70s is probably an artistic choice. Weird zooming, covering shots, strange flows. Especially the first half of the film looks a bit ugly. And there is a lot of shamelessness as well (that first prison visit was just too weird for me).
Bringing an ode to cinema can work well, just look at Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s “Grindhouse”. But for “The Paperboy” it doesn’t work as well. It’s not just an ode, Daniels adds some social themes to it. And because of that, you don’t know whether you have to go along with the pulp or focus on the deeper layers. The combo doesn’t work.
The atmosphere in the film is good, you feel that hot swampy summer. But Daniels didn’t manage to bring the characters to life. Because of the charged exploitation scenes, the characters stay a bit shallow. Most of them feel fake and you just don’t believe them, even though John Cusack and Matthew McConaughey deliver pretty good performances.
The mix of raw filth and psychological thriller and drama elements is interesting, but they stand in each other’s way. “The Paperboy” is a brave attempt, but not a very good film.

Rating: 2/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 47: Before I Go to Sleep

Director: Rowan Joffe
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 92 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong

Description: A woman (Nicole Kidman) wakes up every day, remembering nothing as a result of a traumatic accident in her past. One day, new terrifying truths emerge that force her to question everyone around her.

Review: Christina wakes up every morning and has no idea who she is and what she has done over the past years. She doesn’t know who the man next to her is, while they have been married for fourteen years. Husband Ben tells her she was in a car accident and she gathers information over the course of one day. Then when she wakes up the next day, she has to start all over again. Ben leaves notes and photos around the house, to help her. Every morning, when Ben leaves the house, Dr. Nasch calls Christine to help her remember things. She has a camera hidden in her closet that she uses as a video diary. Dr. Nasch and Christine meet up and bit by bit Christine gets closer to the truth.
“Before I Go to Sleep” sounds really exciting and that’s how the film starts. You feel Christine’s insecurity and fear, because as a viewer you know just as much. The movie eventually falls into a repetitive mode. And the unbelievable parts of the film get noticeable.
For a thriller, the movie is rarely really exciting. This is also because of the setting. The house has no atmosphere. I do give a plus to the acting, which is of a solid level.
Overall “Before I Go to Sleep” suffers from a poorly written screenplay, which was adapted from a best-selling novel. They had good material, but eventually couldn’t turn it into something amazing. It was okay, but it never manages to grab the audience the way it should have.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 25: Stoker

Director: Chan-wook Park
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode, Jacki Weaver, Dermot Mulroney

Description: After India's (Mia Wasikowska) father (Dermot Mulroney) dies, her Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode), who she never knew existed, comes to live with her and her unstable mother (Nicole Kidman). She comes to suspect this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives and becomes increasingly infatuated with him.

Review: Director Chan-wook Park created a cult hit with “Oldboy”. A movie that was later remade and made his way to the US. Park made a debut with “Stoker”, where it is his first English language film, based on a screenplay by Wentworth Miller. Miller you might know as Michael Schofield from “Prison Break”, but he has been working on the script for “Stoker” for eight years.
When her father unexpectedly dies on her 18th birthday, India Stokes and her mother Evelyn have to adapt to life without father and husband Richard. But then uncle Charlie appears, Richard’s brother that they never met. He moves in with India and Evelyn. But there is a mystery circling around Charlie.
With a plot like this, you expect a thriller or maybe even a horror film. “Stoker” is in fact more of an interesting character study of an unusual family. Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman and Matthew Goode all deliver great performances. Their characters are intriguing. Even though India distrusts her uncle Charlie, there is also a certain attraction between the two. Matthew Goode plays the role of Charlie wonderfully. Creepy yet irresistible. Kidman shines as the fragile mother, but is also the most ‘human’ person in the film.
Acting is of a high level, but it’s Park who deserves the most credit. The images are mind blowing. His eye for detail really made me happy. He has a feeling for it, the camera work is beautiful. Almost every shot is a little work of art.
Although the thriller and horror element are more in the background, there is constantly this tension and dark atmosphere. “Stoker” is a great film, that is probably not for everyone. It’s a movie that is hard to categorize. Maybe it’s a darker version of a coming of age story. It makes for a hypnotizing viewing experience.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 150"Secret in Their Eyes

Director: Billy Ray
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, Ju;ia Roberts, Dean Norris, Alfred Molina, Joe Cole, Michael Kelly, Zoe Graham, Patrick Davis, Eileen Fogarty, Niko Nicotera

Description: A tight-knit team of rising investigators, along with their supervisor, is suddenly torn apart when they discover that one of their own teenage daughters has been brutally murdered.

Review: “El secreto de sus ojos” was overwhelmed with praise. The American remake, “Secret in Their Eyes”, managed to get an impressive cast. But that’s about all the praise I can give this film.
“Secret in Their Eyes” takes place from 2002 to 2015. It’s a roaring time politically. In 2002, FBI agent Ray Kasten, Jess Cobb and Claire Slaon form an anti terrorist unit. Short after 9/ 11, Los Angeles is feared to be the next target. The team is closely watching a mosque and during a routine check up, a dead body is found. It’s the body of Carolyn Cobb, Jess daughter. Carolyn has been brutally raped and murdered. They can’t find the person who did it, but thirteen years later, Kasten is still looking for him. Many scenes from the movie are an exact copy from the original. Director Billy Ray show ambition by translating this much praised film with an American background. But it also looks a bit lazy, because just placing this story in another time and place isn’t enough. The base material is good, but Ray turned it into an unnecessary film.
The three main actors in the film play solid roles, but they have no chemistry whatsoever. For instance Kidman and Ejiofor’s characters seem to have this desire for each other, but besides some talk about it, you never seem to notice that they do. There is no mystery or tension present in this film and it never keeps me interested the entire runtime. And the jumping in time is not clear. I sometimes don’t know wether a scene is set in the past or present.
In Hollywood they feel the need to copy great foreign films. Almost always it’s the original that wins. With “Secret in Their Eyes” there is no difference. You can skip this film.

Rating: 2/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 73: Nine

Director: Rob Marshall
Genre: Drama/ Romance/ Musical
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 2009
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Stacy Ferguson, Sophia Loren

Description: Famous film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives, as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife, his mistress, his muse, his agent, and his mother.

Review: There is line between film and theater, they are two different worlds. That’s something you can conclude after watching “Nine”. The show worked on Broadway, but not so much on the big screen. Director Rob Marshall was successful with the musical “Chicago”, but “Nine”…. No.
“Nine” is filled with big names. Daniel Day-Lewis plays the lead. He is a fantastic character actor, almost always flawless in his performances. Sadly this is not one of those performances. But it’s not all his fault, because his character is a bit limited. All the women in the film are okay. Judi Dench, Penélope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Marion Cotillard and Nicole Kidman.
The film has a very thin storyline and no surprises. With a cast like this, I expected more quality. “Nine” didn’t deliver.

Rating: 2/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 105: Eyes Wide Shut

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Genre: Drama/ Thriller

Runtime: 159 minutes

Year: 1999

Starring: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Madison Eginton, Sydney Pollack, Todd Field, Jackie Sawiris, Leslie Lowe, Peter Benson, Michael Doven, Sky Dumont, Louise J. Taylor, Stewart Thorndike, Randall Paul, Julienne Davis, Lisa Leone, Thomas Gibson, Leelee Sobieski

Description: New York City doctor Bill Harford (Tom Cruise), who is married to an art curator (Nicole Kidman), pushes himself on a harrowing and dangerous night-long odyssey of sexual and moral discovery after his wife admits that she once almost cheated on him.

Review: Almost thirty years before “Eyes Wide Shut” premiered, a befriended journalist of Stanley Kubrick bought the rights to the book “Traumnovelle” by Arthur Schnitzler. So Kubrick had the idea for this film for almost three decades. This shows how much of a perfectionist he is. And when he started filming, it took him another two and a half years to finish the project.

Stanley Kubrick managed to create an oppressing atmosphere, and it’s not so much because of the sex scenes that are included. It’s the mystery of the story, you start out with having no idea where the story is heading. Slowly it enfolds.

For instance the meeting between Bill and his former college friend Nick Nightingale. At first it looks like just another scene, but later that moment turns out to be a crucial moment in the film. The scenes in the mansion are bizarre and a bit macabre, but it fits the style and atmosphere of the film.

The movie is a bit slow and it has a long running time. You feel this sometimes.

It’s a fascinating film, that you won’t forget easily.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 88: Paddington

Director: Paul King

Genre: Comedy/ Family

Runtime: 95 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Ben Wishaw, Imelda Staunton, Michael Gambon, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walter, Nicole Kidman, Jim Broadbent, Matt Lucas

Description: A young Peruvian bear (Ben Wishaw) travels to London in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family, who offer him a temporary haven.

Review: A movie about a talking bear. Is it like “Ted”? NO! “Paddington” is a family film, based on the stories of Michael Bond.

Paddington is a young Peruvian bear, who travels to London. He is taken in by the Brown family. Paddington is ready for a new adventure, but there is also a woman after him to put him in a museum.

The story follows the classic good versus bad routine, but this works especially for the younger viewers. The movie has great (visual) humor and a very strong cast. And Paddington bear himself looks amazing and recognizable.

“Paddington” is a real fun family film. It’s heartwarming, funny, adventurous and entertaining. It’s really worth every minute of your time.

Rating: 4/ 5