Movie Review - The Roses

Director: Jay Roach

Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 105 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, Ncuti Gatwa, Sunita Mani, Allison Janney
 
Description: A tinderbox of competition and resentments underneath the façade of a picture-perfect couple is ignited when the husband’s professional dreams come crashing down.
 
Review: It is not uncommon for a remake of a film to be given a slightly different title. However, int the case of “The Roses”, the difference says it all. Danny DeVito’s 1989 original was called “The War of the Roses”, and that war, the (literal) divorce battle that took up most of the film, is merely the dessert in this new version.

Back then the stars were Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, now they are Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman. Two actors who know how to handle both the verbal and physical dimension of comedy and who thoroughly enjoy their roles.

Some of the dialogue hits home. At one point, Andy Samberg’s character Barry says “When we were younger, I knew what she was going to say before she said it. Now I don’t know what she’s said after she’s said it.” This feels like something many couples might go though after being together for a long time.

Sometimes you really want a film to live up to your expectations. But a quarter of the way through “The Roses”, you know that’s not happening. It’s understandable that the film needs an introduction. But for at least half of the film, we watch a happy marriage. It’s just like any other romcom. Their marriage is then slowly falling apart, before it finally comes to an outrages divorce battle.  

No complaints about Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman, both great, together and apart. Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon, who play friends Barry and Amy, are give little funny material. A waste of comedic talent I would say.

It was still and entertaining film. This is mainly because of the two leads. I expected a more raw, tragicomic film about a broken marriage. But we got a pretty standard romcom with some dark humor at the end.

Rating: 3/ 5

20s Movie Review - Wonka

Director: Paul King
Genre: Musical/ Fantasy/ Adventure/ Family/ Comedy
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Oliva Colman, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Jim Carter, Matt Lucas, Paterson Joseph, Hugh Grant, Sally Hawkins

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 14: A FANTASY FILM
 
Description: With dreams of opening a ship in a city renowned for its chocolate, a young and poor Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) discovers that the industry is run by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers.

Review: A young Willy Wonka has traveled all over the world, and is now ready to settle down somewhere and reveal his homemade chocolate to people. Easier said than done, especially since the mall in which he plans to open his own business us run by an evil trio of chocolatiers. Soon Wonka finds himself locked up working in a laundry basement, where his dream feel impossible.

There are many unsublte references to “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” and the original book. However, they are woven into the story and are not just simple crowd pleasers.

Wonka has been eccentric since he was a child. Timothée Chalamet took some mannerisms from Gene Wilder’s rendition. But her otherwise plays him in his own way. He portrays an energetic and naïve Willy Wonka who has yet to experience the necessary fall backs and has too much faith in human kind. Logical to approach it that way. Chalamet carries the movie effortlessly. Is there anything he can’t do?
Besides Willy Wonka, only two characters were in the original story: the Oempa Loempa and Slugworth as one of the evil chocolatiers. The other characters are all new and feel like they come from Roald Dahl’s imagination. Especially the ruthless and opportunistic adults.

“Wonka” contains a number of original songs. Again, not forced copies from the old movie, but no heavily modernized either. They are charming and some have the potential to be memorable.

The bond between Wonka and the young girl Noodle was so heartwarming, that scene in the zoo stole my heart and made me so happy. I also loved the backstory of Noodle. Sad, yet hopeful in the end. I was kind of skeptical about Hugh Grant as the Oompa Loompa, but he was surprisingly funny, even though I still believe it looked a bit weird.

“Wonka is a delightful film for the entire family, and adventure with good characters against the bad without becoming one-dimensional. I absolutely loved this film and that it also happens to be a musical is just a major win for me.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - The Lost Daughter

Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 121 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard, Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ed Harris

Description: A women’s (Olivia Colman) beach vacation takes a dark turn when she begins to confront the troubles of her past.

Review: At the last minute of 2021, actress Maggie Gyllenhaal comes to Netflix with her directorial debut “The Lost Daughter”. An intelligent film about motherhood and responsibilities. It’s a remarkably nuanced film whose provocative message will stay with you for days to come.
Leda is enjoying some time off on a Greek island. While on the beach, she is relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet. Her oasis of calm changes when an American family, with screaming children, noisily takes over the beach.
When she meets a young woman called Nina and her daughter Elena, it brings back painful, unprocessed memories for Leda. Memories of Leda’s own time as a mother of two young daughters, Bianca and Martha. In flashbacks sprinkled throughout the film, we see a young Leda combining her work and studies with motherhood and demanding relationship. And those worlds collide more often than not.
Olivia Colman once again puts in a masterful actin performance. But Jessie Buckley’s portrayal of the younger version of Leda also deserves high praise. Seamlessly, the two seem like the same person with a twenty year age difference.  
The title “The Lost Daughter” suggest that a child disappears and the film becomes a quest to find the girl. This is true, but it’s only a small part of the film. The incident is a clever diversion for the film’s real protagonists: atypical mothers. Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut does not unfold as a mystery detective thriller at all. “The Lost Daughter” is a character study of women struggling with motherhood and the expectations and responsibilities that come with it. Women who must choose for themselves. As selfish as that may seem, it is far from incomprehensible.
Leda is also, to a certain extent, not a sympathetic character at all. Not everyone is made for motherhood, and children can be an oppressive responsibility. Leda describes herself throughout the film as an unnatural mother. Her façade of difference and self-reliance makes Leda a complex character whose unpredictable behavior keeps her constantly intrigued. In young mother Nina, with her always crying daughter, she finds recognition. A recognition she has hidden away to avoid having to face her life decisions.
“The Lost Daughter” is a unique film because the self-evident maternal instinct is turned on it head. The film is somewhat uncomfortable to watch, because Leda is such a complex character and she is very clear about her boundaries, and the situations she is put in (or often puts herself in) can be very uncomfortable to witness. For her directorial debut, Maggie Gyllenhaal has passed with flying colors. It’s a very interesting watch.  

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - The Father

Director: Florian Zeller
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Olivia Williams, Imogen Poots, Rufus Sewell, Mark Gatiss

Description: A man (Anthony Hopkins) refuses all assistance from his daughter (Olivia Colman) as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of hid reality.

Review: Anthony suffers from Alzheimer’s disease so his memory is beginning to fail him more and more. He doesn’t want to admit and accept that he needs care in his old age. He lives in with his daughter Anne and we see his condition getting worse.
Alzheimer’s disease has left so much suffering and grief. It’s a mental illness, there is nothing you can do but stand by and watch helplessly as someone you love slips away from you to the point that they may not even recognize you. “The Father” attempts for the first time to make the illness tangible and visualize it by highlighting the perspective of someone who suffers from it.
“The Father” manages to break free from the conventional way of storytelling in order to present us with something unique. All facets of film are pulled out to make us as disoriented as this broken old man who is slowly losing grip on reality.
The his ingeniously shown by playing with different aspects. Scenes are not entirely in chronological order, conversations can be partly fabricated in Anthony’s head, there are hallucinations of certain people who may not be there at all and even the furniture in Anthony’s apartment changes subtly throughout the film to show that he feels increasingly alienated from the outside world.
This angle tries to give us the most realistic look into the mind of someone with Alzheimer’s/ dementia. Like Anthony, you are frustrated-confused and along with him you are challenged to puzzle out to correct course of action. I have never seen a film that comes so dangerously close in depicting the mental state of someone with this horrific disease.
The film is carried by the Oscar-winning role of Anthony Hopkins. He is a veteran actor, in his eighties, but he still manages to win us all over. In everything he does, he is believable. Hopkins shows a range of emotion, where he can change in a fraction of seconds between being nice, funny, confused, sad and anxious. His final monologue leaves you heartbroken. And this perfectly describes this movie.
The film forms a fantastic whole, but also leaves room for your own interpretation. A great piece of cinema with a lesson in acting from Anthony Hopkins. A movie you seriously need to see!

Rating: 5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Hot Fuzz

Director: Edgar Wright
Genre: Action/ Comedy
Runtime: 121 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton, Rafe Spall, Paddy Considine, Olivia Colman, Bill Nighy, Steve Coogan, Martin Freeman

Description: Exceptional London cop Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is involuntarily transferred to a quaint English village and paired with a witless new partner. While on the beat, Nicholas suspects a sinister conspiracy is afoot with the residents.

Review: Supercop Nicholas Angel is transferred from the hard crimes in London, to a sleepy town called Sanford, because Nicholas makes all the other cops ‘look bad’. He is just simply too good. Sanford is in the running for the title ‘Village of the Year’, which they have won multiple times before. When Nicholas arrives, he soon discovers that the citizens and local cops don’t really take crime very seriously. Even when several people are murdered, they all think it’s just all an accident.
You can say a lot about “Hot Fuzz”, but not that it’s boring. There is a lot of action, violence and a load of great jokes. And there isn’t one joke that doesn’t make you laugh or is predictable or cliché. That makes this film fresh and original.
Of course the on screen duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost work like a charm. Pegg is an adrenaline rushed cop and Frost is the very naïve and looking-for-action partner. Like a tradition of buddy cop movies, who are complete opposites of each other, but yet again it’s never cliché.
“Hot Fuzz” is fast paced, action packed and fresh. An original film with lots of laughs, even after rewatching it many times, with a dark undertone. “Hot Fuzz” is a winner!

Rating: 5/ 5

Academy Awards 2019 - Results

Who watched the Oscars last night? Well, I did. And I said I felt lucky. I was so wrong, because this year the Academy finally decided to be more surprising. In one way, it's a good thing. Because I like to being surprised. Some wins really made me extra happy this year.

Spike Lee winning for best adapted screenplay, for "BlacKkKlansman". He is a man with a voice that should be heard, someone with an important message to tell. And he finally got the recognition he deserved.

No Disney winning the animated feature award, but "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse". Not so much a surprise, but a great change. This category has gotten so predictable, I'm glad that this year it wasn't Disney or Pixar (even though I love them).

Olivia Colman is a fantastic actress, I already knew that. But I'm glad that she was finally recognized by the Academy. Her performance in "The Favourite" is amazing. I sure as hell thought Glenn Close was going home with the best actres award. I was wrong.

Mahershala Ali is one of the greatest discoveries of the past years. And him winning the best supporting actor award for "Green Book" was one of the few wins I was sure of. Well-deeserved.

Alfonso Cuarón took home two awards, for best director and best cinematography, for the movie "Roma". He is a genius director and maybe even more a briljant cinematographer. Very cool to see him take away both awards.

The best picture category is Always the hardest to predict, but this year I was absolutely sure "Roma" would win. Wrong again! Underdog "Green Book" won and it was actually the movie I was hoping for.

Movie Reviews - The Favourite

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 120 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, Nicholas Hoult

Description: In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne and her close friend, Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz), governs the country in her stead. When a new servant, Abigail (Emma Stone), arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah.

Review: Women in costume dramas are mostly sweet damsels in distress with deer eyes. Films like “Love and Friendship”, “Lady Macbeth” and “The Beguiled” changed that format and showed us powerful women undermining the patriarchal system. Using two things: their intelligence and their sexuality. We can add “The Favourite” to that list too. It’s a sharp and vile costume drama, where three women fight for power.
At the start of the 18th century in rural England: Queen Anne sits on the throne, but struggles with her physical and mental health. She has rage outburst and nobody seems to find a cure for her skin condition. She puts her trust in Lady Sarah, who ambitiously focusses on the war situation with France.
At that same time, Abigail enters the court, as a maid. Because Abigail found a herb that can heal the queen, she becomes a new lady of interest for Queen Anne. Which makes Lady Sarah very jealous.
“The Favourite” is not a righteous costume drama. Words like ‘fuck’ and ‘cunt’ are used quite frequently and the women are extremely vile towards each other. But this all doesn’t lower the class of the film.
The writing is masterful and the way they handle the concept of victim and suspect is exceptional. In all characters you can see both a victim and a suspect. Which makes it hard to feel more sympathy for one character over another. The characters sort of move like pieces on a chess board, constantly changing position on the hierarchical pyramid.
Director Yorgos Lanthimos, who also made “The Lobster” and “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”, is a director you either love or hate. I was a big fan of his previous films and again he amazed me with his style. I like a good costume drama, but this is so different from others in the genre.
The three women, played by Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, are all excellent. No one steals the spotlight, they are all in that spotlight.
As all of Lanthimos’ movies, “The Favourite” is not for everyone. I loved it!

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 121: Murder On the Orient Express

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Genre: Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Josh Gad, Olivia Colman, Derek Jacobi

Description: When a murder occurs on the train he's travelling on, celebrated detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is recruited to solve the case.

Review: This is maybe the 6th book to movie adaptation for “Murder On the Orient Express”, I think, The book was released in 1934 and is probably her most known book. And because Agatha Christie’s novel is such a masterpiece when it comes to murder mysteries, many want to turn it into film. It’s a perfect whodunit. In 1974 Albert Finney played the role of Hercule Poirot in Sidney Lumet’s version of the story. Now, 2017, Kenneth Branagh directs and also decided to portray the infamous detective.
Kenneth Branagh has a dramatic style when it comes to acting. It’s perfect for Shakespeare films. And I have to say, his performance as Hercule Poirot is really good.
We know the story. Detective Hercule Poirot is on the Orient Express, enjoying a holiday, when one of the passengers is murdered. One of the twelve passengers is the killer. Time for Poirot to solve the case, while the train is unable to move on due to a snow storm.
Lots of details, trying to find the killer. It’s close to the original, but some things go a bit too fast because they have to stay within the duration of 2 hours. There is also not enough time to develop all the twelve suspected characters. Some we get to know better than others.
Branagh really managed to get a fantastic cast together. Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeifer, Johnny Depp, Willem Dafoe, Penélope Cruz and Daisy Ridley. And they are all solid, but no one really shines. Branagh’s interpretation of Poirot is good, the movie is not great. But very enjoyable and it looks stunning.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 8: Tyrannosaur

Director: Paddy Considine

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 91 minutes

Year: 2011

Starring: Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan, Paul Popplewell, Ned Dennehy, Samuel Bottomley, Sally Carman, Sian Breckin, Paul Conway, Lee Rufford, Robin Butler, Archie Lal, Julia Mallam, Fiona Carnegie, Piers Mettrick, Vicki Hackett, Robert Haythorne, Jag Sanghera, Carol Plant

Description: Joseph (Peter Mullan), a man plagued by violence and a rage that is driving him to self-destruction, earns a chance of redemption that appears in the form of Hannah, a Christian charity shop worker (Olivia Colman).

Review: Joseph is a mad man, a very mad man. He is a widow, spends his days in the suburbs of Leeds and has a temper he can’t control. He yells at everyone and often uses violence when they don’t do as they say. Without too much human contact, Joseph goes through the days. Joseph is the main character in “Tyrannosaur”, a very impressive directorial debut by actor Paddy Considine.

After the opening, where we meet Joseph and his rage, director Considine focuses on the relationship between Joseph and Hannah. She is the owner of a thrift shop where Joseph hides one day. Hannah is scared of Joseph at first, but along the way the two tortured souls connect.

Because Hannah also has some problems. The Christian woman is married to a man who can’t keep his hands to himself and she is in a deep depression. The film is raw and has some great performances.

“Tyrannosaur” is a very depressive film, very heavy too. The film is pretty short, but it feels longer. That’s because this is such a heavy film, with no lighter moments. Considine wanted to show us that for some people, it really never gets any better.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 167: The Lobster

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Romance/ Science Fiction

Runtime: 118 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Wishaw, Léa Seydoux, John C. Reilly, Olivia Colman, Ashley Jensen

Description: In a dystopian near future, single people, according to the laws of The City, are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in forty-five days or are transformed into beasts and sent off into The Woods.

Review: “The Lobster” tells the story of a near future, where singles are taken to a hotel. Here they have to find a life partner within 45 days. If they fail, the guests are transformed into an animal of their choice. The choice of newly divorced David is a lobster.

The hotel has lots of rules, one even stranger than the other. With “The Lobster” you can count on a big dose of absurdism, dark comedy and pessimism. Is a strange film, but so good.

The acting is phenomenal. Colin Farrell is an actor I either love or hate in a movie. In “The Lobster” he is brilliant. This also goes for Rachel Weisz, John C. Reilly, Léa Seydoux, Ben Wishaw and Olivia Colman.

“The Lobster” is an unique movie, not only because of the bizarre theme but also how director and writer Lanthimos mixes so many different genres. From light sci-fi to dark comedy, satire and a little bit of romance. And the cinematography is amazing. Lathimos also makes you think, because even if it might sound absurd, is our society really that different from the people in the hotel? There are many people desperately seeking for a partner, what makes it that two people spend the rest of their lives together? Are we looking for a relationship because others expect us to or because of love?

“The Lobster” is a movie that exceeded my expectations and us one of the best movies of 2015.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 109: Cuban Fury

Director: James Griffiths

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 98 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Nick Frost, Rashida Jones, Chris O’Dowd, Olivia Colman, Ian McShane

Description: Beneath Bruce Garrett's (Nick Frost) under-confident, overweight exterior, the passionate heart of a salsa king lies dormant. Now, one woman (Rashida Jones) is about to reignite his Latin fire.

Review: Sometimes you’re just looking for a fun movie, but you get a lot more. Something unexpected. “Cuban Fury” has a lot of clichés, but because of its energy and the endearing Nick Frost, the movie gives smiles from ear to ear.

Nick Frost plays Bruce, who was a successful salsa dancer as a child. Because of an unpleasant encounter with bullies, Bruce had sworn off dancing forever. Now, as an adult, he meets his beautiful new boss Julia. He finds out she has a passion for salsa dancing. Reason enough for Bruce to put on his dancing shoes again and win over her heart.

It’s fantastic how director Griffiths and his crew managed to turn this mediocre story into an enjoyable flick. De music is catchy, de montage is slick and the cinematography of the dance scenes is nicely done. But it’s the actors that make you love this movie. Nick Frost proofs that he doesn’t always need his buddy Simon Pegg to shine. He never overacts, while this normally would be the kind of movie for overacting. Rival Drew, played by Chris O’Dowd, and fellow salsa dancer Bejan are on the edge of overdoing it. Thanks to Frost.

The entertainment is there, it’s a lot of fun to watch Nick Frost shake his booty. Perfect movie for a fun night with your friends.

Rating: 3/ 5