10s Movie Review - The Lie

Director: Veena Sud
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Mireille Enos, Peter Sarsgaard Joey King

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 48: A THRILLER
 
Description: Jay (Peter Sarsgaard) and his daughter Kayla (Joey King) are on their way to dance camp when they spot Kayla’s best friend on the side of the road. When they stop to offer her a ride, their good intentions soon result in terrible consequences.

Review: “The Lie” tells the story of Kayla and her divorced parents Jay and Rebecca. On their way to a ballet camp, Kayla and Jay run into a friend of Kayla’s, all alone at the bus stop. They decide to give her a ride, since this Britney also has to go to camp.

When Britney needs to pee, Jay pulls the car over on the side of the road. The girls walk into the woods, in the middle of nowhere. When Jay hears a scream, he finds his daughter sitting on a bridge. But where is Britney?

All three main characters, Kayla, Jay and Rebecca, are incredibly unpleasant people. In a movie like this, its important that you can sympathize with at least one of them. You just simply can’t with this family. And these people are so stupid and make all the wrong decisions. I understand that Jay and Rebecca are parents that want to protect their daughter. But not of the decisions they make, think it’s the best for Kayla, are thoughtful or understandable. It made no sense at all.

The acting is really good though and they did the best with the material they had. And the film has some surprising twists, it’s not all that predictable. But, that ending is just…. I just couldn’t deal with that. And again makes no sense. No person in the right mind would think that what actually happened is a good idea. And that ending made this film from not so great to downright silly.

Rating: 2 / 5

TV Show Review - The Killing (Season 3)

Season: 3

Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller/ Mystery

Number of episodes: 13

Year: 2011

Starring: Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Elias Koteas, Peter Sarsgaard, Hugh Dillon, Amy Seimetz, Gregg Henry

Description: Detective Holder (Joel Kinnaman) and his new partner (Gregg Henry) investigate the murder of a 16 year-old hooker who was stabbed and had her throat slit. Holder notices a similarity between this death and one that Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) investigated a few year before. In that case, Ray Seward (Peter Sarsgaard) was convicted of killing his wife and is now on death row awaiting execution.

Review: Season 2 finally solved the case of Rosie Larsen’s murder, time for a new mystery. In the third season, Holder has a new partner and Linden has moved to a quitter place away from her detective job. When Holder is working a case of a young hooker who was murdered, he sees similarities in the way she was killer, to a case Linden worked on years ago. In that case, Ray Seward was convicted of murdering his wife and is now awaiting execution. Holder and Linden get together again to solve the mystery.

This season starts slow, but eventually becomes interesting. I wasn’t as invested in this season as I was in the first two, but again it was intriguing and exciting enough for me to enjoy it. We see a different side of both Holder and Linden and I love their dynamic as a duo, on and off the job.

Peter Sarsgaard has a very important role in this season, as the convict on death row, Ray Seward. What a performance. Very impressive, especially when you learn the truth of his case and the cases Holder and Linden are working on now.

Unlike the case of Rosie Larsen, this case was primarily solved in one season, but that ending will be taken in to the final fourth season. I’m curious how they are going to deal with that.

TV Show Review - Dopesick (Mini Series)

Season: Mini Series
Genre: Drama
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2021
Starring: Michael Keaton, Kaitlyn Dever, Rosario Dawson, Michael Stuhlbarg, Peter Sarsgaard, Will Poulter, John Hoogenakker, Will Chase, Mare Winningham, Ray McKinnon

Description: The series takes viewers to the epicenter of America’s struggle with opioid addiction from the boardrooms of Purdue Pharma, to a distressed Virginia mining community to the hallways of the DEA.

Review: When Purdue Pharma introduced its new painkiller OxyContin in the US, the opiate was touted as non-addictive. The result was an epidemic of drug abuse that has destroyed tens of thousand of lives since the late 1990s. “Dopesick” charts the epidemic from different perspective.

For people with chronic pain, OxyContin seemed like a panacea: an effective painkiller that gradually absorbed into the body throughout the day, all without the drawback of habitation or addiction. The pills caught on eagerly, and for patients who still felt pain came pills with the double dose. And then pills with fourfold dose, eightfold dose, and so on. Now the drug is used in the US by eleven million people who have no pain symptoms at all, but are addicted to it.

The question, of course, is how on earth doctors, pharmacists and regulators could let this happen. The eight-part series “Dopesick” tries to answer that question, which is not easy. The creators portray the history through the Sackler family (owners of Purdue Pharma) and the sales representatives who convince doctors to prescribe the pills. In addition, we see the doctors and their patients, the cops who see how addiction in turn leads to crime and the drug enforcement agency DEA doing everything in its power to take down Purdue.

What makes “Dopesick” so brilliant is on the one hand the incredible but true story, and on the other the human way it is told. We are introduced to Samuel Finnix, played excellently by Michael Keaton. He is a family doctor in a mining town who initially gets great results with OxyContin, but then sees how addiction destroys lives and families. Betsy Mallum, played convincingly by Kaitlyn Dever, is one of his patients who slips into an existence as a junkie because of the OxyContin. Both actors shine in their performances and Keaton won an Emmy for his role.

Will Poulter also plays one of the better roles, as the smooth-talking salesmen Billy Cutler, who at first picks up fantastic bonuses, but then slowly  falls into conscience. This does not bother Richard Sackler (Michal Stuhlbarg): as boss of Purdie Pharma, he sees the billions pouring in. Stuhlbarg manages to portray Sackler as an emotionless businessman only wanting more. Furthermore, Peter Sarsgaard, John Hoogenakker and Rosario Dawson, among others, play some of the driven agents who want to take the pills of the market. The good fleshing out of all these characters keeps the series from becoming a documentary.

Based on Beth Macy’s book of the same name, the creators of “Dopesick” so not tell the story neatly in chronological order but jump back and forth in time. And it actually helps to see the big picture and connections without confusion.

While watching “Dopesick” you will most definitely feel many emotions and the one most presence is anger. As in how so many people could be so greedy and corrupt to allow this drama of unprecedented magnitude to happen. We never really get an answer to that, which makes it even more frustrating. But “Dopesick” is one of the most intense and realistic mini series based on true events I have seen in a long time. I loved it.

Movie Review - The Batman

Director: Matt Reeves
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 176 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Colin Farrell, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard,
 
Description: When the Riddler (Paul Dano), a sadistic serial killer, begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman (Robert Pattinson) is forced to investigate the city’s hidden corruption and question his family’s involvement.

Review: Did we really need yet another Batman movie? It looks like we do, because “The Batman” is fantastic. Director and screenwriter Matt Reeves made a dead serious, stylish and intriguing drama.
What is he still fighting for? Fighting evil is a hopeless task in Gotham City. Crime rates are only increasing. Corruption seems to be inextinguishable. Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, sees no more bright spots.

“The Batman” is yet another film adaptation of DC Comics’ graphic novels about the dark knight. Dozens of Batman films and series have been made. With Tim Burton’s “Batman”(1989), Christpher Nolan’s impressive trilogy and even the animated “The Lego Batman Movie’ as major successes, failures like “Batman & Robin” (1997) and less popular films like “Batman V. Superman” (2016).
“The Batman” is an entirely new reboot and it does separate itself from the rest. Because it’s a complete new take on Batman and Bruce Wayne. Reeves vision is closest to that op Christopher Nolan, who around 2005 stripped the superhero film of its innocent image, without self-mockery of later Marvel films. “The Batman” is even darker and never cartoonish. In the process, Reeves exploits the specifics of the character well. Batman is one of the few superheroes without super strength, relying on gadgets, money and his own two fists. A lonely, elitist hero he is, with his butler Alfred as his only trustee.

Reeves emphasizes Batman’s humanity. Heroics are less important, though of course the action scenes are not lacking, culminating in a fine car chase. In addition the film spends a lot of time sleuthing. Grim detective films from the 1970s, but also modern versions like David Fincher’s “Zodiac” and “Seven”, served as inspiration.

Batman’s antagonist is The Riddler (Paul Dano), who sets out on a grim quest through various political assassinations. Very far from the portrayal of Jim Carrey’s Riddler in “Batman Forever” (1995). Dano’s depiction of The Riddler is psychotic and he is a truly scary and disturbing villain. Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz) also makes an appearance, as does the Penguin (an unrecognizable Colin Farrell) and mob boss Falcone (John Turturro). As far as casting goes, they did a fantastic job and the actors are all solid. Robert Pattinson foremost. I had doubts, but over the years Pattinson had his fair share of great roles and he made you forget about his awful “Twilight” period. As Batman, Pattinson doesn’t have a lot of dialogue. It’s the look, his walk, the way he is intimidating without saying a word. No cheesy one-liners or cliché dialogue. And I loved how they portrayed Bruce Wayne this time: not the playboy he is mostly known for in the other films. Here he is a broken man, lonely and struggling with his family’s legacy.

There is only one thing I didn’t like. It’s at the end of the film. Without giving any spoilers, it involves a certain character that is introduced, but barely seen. That was unnecessary and added nothing to he plot.

“The Batman” is low-key but incisive, without leaden symbolism or showy digital effects. I loved the dark and grim atmosphere and the casting was nearly perfect. For true Batman fans, “The Batman” is a definite must-see. It’s going on my 2022 favorites list, that’s for sure.

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

90s Movie Review - Boys Don't Cry

Director: Kimberly Peirce
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 1999
Starring: Hilary Swank, Chloë Sevigny, Peter Sarsgaard, Brendan Sexton III, Alicia Goranson, Jeanetta Arnette

Description: A young man named Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank) navigates love, life, and being transgender in rural Nebraska.

Review: WARNING! THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Kimberly Peirce filmed the true-life case of Brandon Teena, a transsexual victim of a blunt crime. She decided to create a gripping contemporary drama, and the decision has since been rewarded with two major Oscar nominations, with one turning into a win.
On December 30^th, 1993, two men in Nebraska shot and killed 21-year-old Teena Brandon. While awaiting gender reassignment surgery, the young woman had for years posed as a man under the name Brandon Teena. With that identity, he had arrived a few months earlier in Falls City, a desolate rural hole populated by poorly educated white Americans trying to scape together and existence far from the American Dream. As a boy, Brandon hung out with his later killers, who, like himself could not boast of a spotless criminal record. When the two unstable men found out Brandon’s true identity by an unfortunate coincidence, a predictable violent reaction ensued, during which he was openly humiliated and then raped. After Brandon reported it to the police, the men decided to silence him for good.  
A case like this, in which brute force was combined with a sensational story about a sex change that had remained undiscovered for years, was of course favorite news for the American media, which then also threw themselves wholeheartedly into the dramatic trial of two perpetrators. One of them acted as the star witness, so that is friend was sentenced to death, while he himself ‘mercifully’ got off with three life sentences.
Originally, Kimberly Peirce’s directorial debut was supposed to be about a woman who impersonated a male spy during the American Civil War. However, while searching for sources on gendered behavior, she stumbled upon the Teena case. It is easy to understand what must have attracted Kimberly Peirce to Brandon’s tragic history. Besides the obvious curiosity about how a girl can survive so long as a man in such a harsh environment, the story offers several leads for a compelling drama, such as Brandon’s struggle with sexual identity and his strong desire to be accepted by the unusual romance that blossomed between Brandon and Lana, the ex-girlfriend of one of Brandon’s later assailants.
As Peirce presents it, this love story contributed to Brandon’s final downfall. As a result, the dramatic love couple resembles a modern Romeo and Juliet, for once thwarted in their passion not by rival families, but by the stupidity and intolerance of backward America. This somewhat romantic approach to the affair is especially well served by Chloë Sevigny’s excellent portrayal of Lana, who manages to transcend the cliché image of “white trash” Americans.
Compared to the subtly restrained Sevigny (only nominated for an Oscar), the acting of Hilary Swank, who won an Academy Award for her role, seems rather forced. I can see why a role like this would have been awarded, because her performance compels admiration. And it's clear Swank has put many hours of research and preparations into her performance. It’s mostly the transformation that Swank went through that makes it great, the performance itself is not that extraordinary.  

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 84: Jackie

Director: Pablo Larrain
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, Beth Grant, John Carroll Lynch, Max Casella, Richard E. Grant

Description: Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy fights through grief and trauma to regain her faith, console her children, and define her husband's historic legacy.

Review: After president John F. Kennedy was murdered during a parade in Dallas, he got an almost mythical state. But how his wife Jackie experienced this all, no one really knows. What images she was left with. Director Pablo Larrain and leading lady Natalie Portman give us these insights.
It takes a while to get into it. At first because it looks like Portman is just portraying a character. But when the film gets more serious and dramatic, like the depression that Jackie feels after her husband’s death, we can see the amazing performance Portman is delivering.
If you never saw the real Jackie Kennedy, or heard her speak, it looks like a character. But Portman really did a fantastic job portraying her. She looked like that and she talked like that.
The film evolves around an interview that Jackie had with Theodore H. White, for Life magazine. And between we switch to Jackie’s life with Kennedy and everything that happened after the assassination. And the film is really detailed.
“Jackie” is a stunning looking film with an amazing lead.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 158: The Maginificent Seven

Director: Antoine Fuqua
Genre: Action/ Western/ Adventure
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Etha Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Byung-Hun Lee, Manuel Garcia Rulfo, Martin Sendmeier, Haley Bennett, Peter Sarsgaard, Matt Bomer

Description: Seven gun men in the old west gradually come together to help a poor village against savage thieves.

Review: Remakes are dangerous and most often I don’t like them. The original “The Magnificent Seven” is one of my favorite classic westerns. This remake has a double risk. The original by John Sturgess was already a retelling of the legenday “Seven Samurai”, translated to a western. Director Antoine Fuqua doesn’t only have to fight the popularity of the 1960 film, but also has to refresh the well-known story. Luckily for us, “The Magnificent Seven” is not a bad remake.
Fuqua takes his time with the introduction and really focusses on the charisma of Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke. All three are convincing. Washington as the calm bad-ass, Hawke as tence sharp shooter and Pratt as a cowboy with a sense of honor.
The violent opening sets a certain tone, but then “The Magnificent Seven” turns into a more standard western. Lots of action, pretty shots of landscapes and a big dose of testosterone. For the genre it’s good, but it never reaches the same level as the original.
The final battle of the movie is action packed and it’s one giant spectacle. Beautifully shot.
“The Magnificent Seven” is a good film when you think of it as an original film. When you compare it to the original, it’s better than average. Very entertaining and a good cast.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 63: Night Moves

Director: Kelly Reichardt

Genre: Drama/ Thriller

Runtime: 112 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Dakota Fanning, Peter Sarsgaard, Jesse Eisenberg, Alia Shawkat, James Le Gros, Katherine Waterston, Lew Temple, Clara Mamet, Logan Miller, Nate Mooney, Matt Malloy, Kai Lennox, Bart McCarthy, Griffin Newman, Barry Del Sherman, Scott Patrick Green, Mikey Kampmann, Matthew Joel Flood

Description: Three radical environmentalists look to execute the protest of their lives: the explosion of a hydroelectric dam.

Review: Environmental activism knows many forms. Some activists free hamsters from labs, others go after whalers, when one person lives in a tree house to save the forest. Normally it doesn’t result in victims, which does happen in “Night Moves”.

In “Night Moves” three young activists plan to blow up a dam. The dam generates hydro-electricity, a controversial form to get energy. In the first hour we see the preparation, the second hours shows us the execution of the plan. And what this does, to the people who did it.

Everything they have to do to prepare for the big night is not as exciting as you might think. It’s not dangerous and gives you more to think about then adrenaline. The explosion itself isn’t all that spectacular either, but it’s not supposed to be about that. It’s about the after effect. It has a great impact on the three activists. Where it eventually leads to is a bit far-fetched, but the psychological pressure on the three is perceptible.

Besides an interesting theme, the movie also has excellent acting. And off course beautiful visuals of Oregon. “Night Moves” is somewhat slow, but is atmospheric and interesting.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 80: Blue Jasmine

Director: Woody Allen

Genre: Drama/ Comedy

Runtime: 98 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins, Alec Baldwin, Bobby Canavale, Louis C.K., Peter Sarsgaard

Description: New York socialite Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) is deeply troubled and in denial. She arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister (Sally Hawkins). She looks a million, but isn't bringing money, peace, or love...

Review: Woody Allen decided to tell the story of adopted sisters Jasmine and Ginger. Jasmine lives in Manhattan, with her wealthy husband. Ginger lives in a washed up apartment in San Francisco, with her two sons from her first marriage. After a relationship crisis, Jasmine is looking for a place to live, but moves in with Ginger in the meantime. The past and new love turns the lives of both women upside down.

After a couple of comedies, Allen is back with a more serious film. We see all sorts of contrasts: rich and poor, faithful and unfaithful, truth and lies, artificial and authentic and nervous Manhattan versus relaxed San Francisco. The story switches in time, very fluently. It’s easy to follow and we see the transformation of especially Jasmine. On terms of acting, we get a couple of master classes. Cate Blanchett does her job very well, we didn’t expect anything else. But it’s Sally Hawkins who steals the show as the amiable and fragile Ginger.

Woody Allen doesn’t fully go for the drama. Sometimes that’s a shame, because the comedy takes the edge of the drama sometimes. Because of that, “Blue Jasmine” never manages to really touch you. The film is very good, but it isn’t a masterpiece.

Rating: 4/ 5