Netflix Friday - Volume 92

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong.
 

Drama: Rocketman (2019)
A musical fatasy about the fantastical human story of Elton John’s (Taron Edgerton) breakthrough.
 

Comedy: Paddleton (2019)
An unlikely friendschip between two misfit neighbors (Mark Duplass, Ray Romano) becomes an unexpectedly emotional journey when the younger man is diagnose with terminal cancer.
 

Animation: Shrek (2001)
A mean lord exiles fairytale creatures to the swamp of a grumpy ogre (Mike Myers), who must go on a quest and rescue a princess (Cameron Diaz) for the lord in order to get his land back.
 

Romance: Bride Wars (2009)
Two best friends (Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway) become rivals when they schedule their respective weddings on the same day.
 

Horror: Final Destination 3 (2006)
Six years after students cheated death, another teen (Mary Elizabeth Winstead has a premonition she and her friends will be involved in an accident. When the vision proves true, the students and survivors deal with the repercussions of cheating the Grim Reaper.
 

Science Fiction: Gravity (2013)
Two astronauts (Sandra Bullock, George Clooney) work together to survive after an accident leaves them stranded in space.
 

Crime: Goodfellas (1990)
The story of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) and his life in the mob, covering his relationship with his wife Karen Hill (Lorraine Bracco) and his mob partners Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) in the Italian-American crime syndicate.
 

Thriller: Nocturnal Animals (2016)
A wealthy art gallery owner (Amy Adams) is haunted by her ex-husband’s (Jake Gyllenhaal) novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a symbolic revenge tale.
 

Documentary: Punk in London (1977)
A contemporary documentary covering the Great British punk rock explosion of 1977.
 

Family: Mijn Beste Vriendin Anne Frank (2021)
This story is based on the memoirs of Anne Frank’s friend Hannah Goslar.

Oscar Predictions 2017

A bit late to the party, by here are my 2017 Oscar predictions.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Should Win: "La La Land"
Will Win: "La La Land"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Should Win: Ryan Gosling for "La La Land"
Will Win: Denzel Washington for "Fences"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Should Win: Emma Stone for "La La Land"
Will Win: Emma Stone for "La La Land"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Should Win: Michael Shannon for "Nocturnal Animals"
Will Win: Mahershala Ali for "Moonlight"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Should Win: Viola Davis for "Fences"
Will Win: Viola Davis for "Fences"

Best Achievement in Directing
Should Win: Damien Chazelle for "La La Land"
Will Win: Damien Chazelle for "La La Land"

Top 5 Thursday: Amy Adams Movies

Amy Adams is one of my favorite actresses and she has been in so many great films. Just look at 2016 alone! Here are my five favorite Amy Adams films.

5. Her
“Her” is one of the most unconventional and unusual movies I have seen over the past years, but it really stole my heart. I really loved it, maybe because of the weirdness.

4. Catch Me If You Can
Amy Adams is so endearing in this film. “Catch Me If You Can” is a movie I rewatch a lt, directed by one of my favorite actors and starring one of my favorite actors. Amy Adams fits perfectly here.

3. Nocturnal Animals
Very stylish, creepy, haunting. This movie gets under your skin and keeps your mind occupied for a while after you see it. Amy Adams is really good in this film, so is Jake Gyllenhaal. The movie had a great ending, although for me not completely clear still…

2. The Muppets
Totally different than “Nocturnal Animals”, a cheery, fun, musical that can brighten my day anytime. I love “The Muppets”, in any setting.

1. Arrival
Director Denis Villeneuve has a flawless resume so far. This is such a fantastic sci-fi film, so different from the rest. And Amy Adams performance is so good, because of the timid nature of her character. This film blew my mind.

They Almost Made the Top 5: American Hustle, Leap Year, The Fighter, Julie & Julia, Doubt, Sunshine Cleaning, Enchanted, Junebug

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 168: Nocturnal Animals

Director: Tom Ford
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Amy Adams, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Michael Shannon, Isla Fisher, Laura Linney, Armie Hammer, Michael Sheen, Andrea Riseborough

Description: An art gallery owner (Amy Adams) is haunted by her ex-husband's (Jake Gyllenhaal) novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a veiled threat and a symbolic revenge tale.

Review: Fashion designer Tom Ford proved with his film debut, “A Single Man”, that he isn’t only good with a needle and a sketchbook. The film was a masterpiece, not only from esthetic perspective. But also the themes and the characters were delicate and had depth. Ford took his time to direct his second film. “Nocturnal Animals” also focusses on relationships, regret and nostalgia to old romance. But it’s completely different movie.
At first sight it looks like art gallery owner Susan Morrow has it all. A good job, a beautiful house and a loving and handsome husband. But nothing is as it seems. Financially she isn’t doing well and she is estranged from her husband Hutton, who cheats on her while on a business trip. When Susan gets a message from her ex-husband Edward and he sends her a manuscript of his novel, she starts looking back on the life she once had. Susan left Edward for Hutton and hasn’t seen him in nineteen years. In Edwards’book, he tells the story of Tony Hastings and his family who are harassed by a group of criminials, while on the road. While Susan reads this story, she remember the life she had with Edward.
The story lines couldn’t be any different, but also have an emotional connection. Susan’s is more introvert and has a lot of thought in it. While Tony’s is extravert and explicit. Surprisingly enough, there is a perfect balance between those storylines. Tony is on a mission and has to find peace, while Susan has urges and desire but doesn’t show it.
Again Tom Ford manages to tell an esthetic story, but also enters the soul of the characters and the audience. Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal (the last has a double role) are both very strong in “Nocturnal Animals”. Michael Shannon is also worth mentioning. Aaron Taylory-Johnson plays one of the worst characters I’ve seen in a long time, what a terrible person. Great performance as well.
“Nocturnal Animals” is a film that gets under your skin.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (269)

Here are this week's trailers.

Silence
Director: Martin Scorsese
Description: In the seventeenth century, two Jesuit priests (Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver) face violence and persecution when they travel to Japan to locate their mentor and propagate Christianity.
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson
Trailer: Trailer "Silence"
Comment: It looks nothing like his other films, theme-wise.

A Kind of Murder
Director: Andy Goddard
Description: In 1960s New York, Walter Stackhouse (Patrick Wilson) is a successful architect married to the beautiful Clara (Jessica Biel) who leads a seemingly perfect life. But his fascination with an unsolved murder leads him into a spiral of chaos as he is forced to play cat-and-mouse with a clever killer and an overambitious detective, while at the same time lusting after another woman (Haley Bennett).
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Jessica Biel, Haley Bennett, Eddie Marsan
Trailer: Trailer "A Kind of Murder"
Comment: I Always like a good murder mystery.

The Book of Love
Director: Bill Purple
Description: Henry (Jason Sudeikis) is an introverted architect. After the death of his wife (Jessica Biel) in a car accident, he sets out to help Millie (Maisie Williams), a homeless teen, to build a raft to sail across the Atlantic.
Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Jessica Biel, Maisie Williams, Mary Steenburgen, Paul Reiser
Trailer: Trailer "The Book of Love"
Comment: Jessica Biel keeps dying in these new films.

Nocturnal Animals
Director: Tom Ford
Description: An art gallery owner (Amy Adams) is haunted by her ex-husband's (Jake Gyllenhaal) novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a veiled threat and a symbolic revenge tale.
Starring: Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Isla Fisher, Armie Hammer, Laura Linney, Andrea Riseborough, Michael Sheen
Trailer: Trailer "Nocturnal Animals"
Comment: Just wanted to share this one again, it looks great. I really can't wait to see it!

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Director: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg
Description: Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) searches for the trident of Poseidon
Starring: Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Geoffrey Rush, Brenton Thwaites, Orlando Bloom, Stephen Graham, David Wenham
Trailer: Trailer "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Comment: Hell, why not?

Movie Trailer SUnday (259)

Here are this week's trailers.

The Promise
Director: Terry George
Description: Set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, The Promise follows a love triangle between Michael, a brilliant medical student (Oscar Isaac), the beautiful and sophisticated Ana (Charlotte Le Bon), and Chris (Christian Bale) - a renowned American journalist based in Paris.
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Christian Bale, Charlotte Le Bon
Trailer: Trailer "The Promise"
Comment: The last days of the Ottoman empire, it looks interesting.

Fifty Shades Darker
Director: James Foley
Description: While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her.
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Jarmie Dornan, Kim Basinger, Hugh Dancy, Jennifer Ehle, Marcia Gay Harden
Trailer: Trailer "Fifty Shades Darker"
Comment: Okay, I couldn't care less....

Miss Sloane
Director: John Madden
Description: An ambitious lobbyist (Jessica Chastain) faces off against the powerful gun lobby in an attempt to pass gun control legislation.
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Alison Pill, Mark Strong, John Lithgow, Michael Stuhlbarg
Trailer: Trailer "Miss Sloane"
Comment: I love Jessica Chastain, she is amazing. I know she is going to be in "Miss Sloane".

Nocturnal Animals
Director: Tom Ford
Description: An art gallery owner (Amy Adams) is haunted by her ex-husband's (Jake Gyllenhaal) novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a veiled threat and a symbolic revenge tale.
Starring: Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Isla Fisher, Armie Hammer, Laura Linney, Andrea Riseborough, Michael Sheen
Trailer: Trailer "Nocturnal Animals"
Comment: Definitely on my mst-see list. Can't wait!

Don't Breathe
Director: Fede Alvarez
Description: Hoping to walk away with a massive fortune, a trio of thieves break into the house of a blind man who isn't as helpless as he seems.
Starring: Stephen Lang, Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette
Trailer: Trailer "Don't Breathe"
Comment: They had it coming!