Movie Review - 28 Years Later

Director: Danny Boyle
Genre: Horror
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Alfie Williams
 
Description: A group of survivors of the rage virus live on a small island. When on of the group leaves the island on a mission into the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors.
 
Review: “28 Years Later” is the long-awaited sequel to “28 Days Later” (2002) and “28 Weeks Later” (2007). In my opinion, “28 Days Later” is one of the scariest films ever; ending up in a world like that is a nightmare. In “28 Years Later” we meet a group of survivors of the virus, who have started a civilization on a small island, that can only be reached at low tide.

The tension is there, the atmosphere is oppressive and brutal. And it is again terrifying. The performances are really strong. Jody Comer and Ralph Fiennes stand out, but it’s the young Alfie Williams that really impresses. He has a difficult role to play and he does it very well.

“28 Years Later” is a really good film, although very gory as well. Not for the faint of heart. It’s definitely not as good as “28 Days Later”, but I think it reached the same level as “28 Weeks Later”. Solid horror film.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Poison

Director: Wes Anderson
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 17 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes
Description: When a poisonous snake slithers onto an Englishman's (Benedict Cumberbatch) stomach in India, his associate (Dev Patel) and a doctor (Ben Kinglsey) race to save him.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 36: A FILM WITH BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH
 
Review: “Poison” is a short film by Wes Anderson and an adaptation of a short story by Roald Dahl. We follow Harry Woods, who is lying in bed with a snake on his stomach. His associate and doctor are the ones that need to save him.

“Poison” has the signature Anderson aesthetic and masterful cinematography that we got to know from him. It’s a suspenseful adaptation, with a strong focus in the claustrophobic feel. And Benedict Cumberbatch’s intense and powerful performance makes you feel this even more. Because his characters needs to lay still almost the entire runtime, all he can use is his voice and facial expressions.

Anderson is known for his unique visual style, with an eye for detail and color. This short film ins no different. The explanatory narrative style, done by Dev Patel here, might reduce the tension a bit and might be a bit too much at times. But it does fit Anderson’s style.

“Poison” is a strong example of Wes Anderson’s ability to film the oppression and political undertones of a story, resulting in a visually stunning and suspenseful short film. Fans of his work will appreciate it.

Rating: 4/ 5

20s Movie Review - Conclave

Director: Edward Burger
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 120 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini

Description: When Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with leading one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope, he finds himself at the center of a web of conspiracies and intrigue that could shake the very foundation of the Catholic Church.

Review: A conclave is the private process by which the most devout men of the Catholic Church come together to elect a new Pope.

The Pope has died in his sleep. Cardinal Lawrence is given the task of leading the conclave. He is not happy about that, as he was just about to resign his position at the Vatican. The lobbying begins even before the trial has begun, and the the unknown Archbishop Benitez shows up.

You might expect “Conclave” to be a religious drama, but it’s not. It’s a thriller, almost political. It’s conservative versus progressive. And just like any political election, there are secrets that surface.
Ralph Fiennes is the perfect choice to play Cardinal Lawrence, a tormented soul. Stanley Tucci is a perfect “wing man”. John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini are also very strong in their roles.

Although the pace is slow, the tension is high and the film keeps you engaged from start to finish. I was surprised at how much I loved this film.

Rating: 4/ 5

20s Movie Review - The Wonderfull Story of Henry Sugar

Director: Wes Anderson
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 40 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Ben Kingsley, Dev Patel, Richard Ayoade, Ralph Fiennes

Description: Chronicles a variety of stories, but the main one follows Henry Sugar, who is able to see through objects and predict the future with the help of a book he stole.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 36: A FILM FROM A DIRECTOR KNOWN FOR THEIR VISUAL STYLE
 
Review: “Fantastic Mr. Fox” from 2009 didn’t only mark Wes Anderson’s first full-length stop-motion animation, but also his first adaptation of a story of Roald Dahl. Initially, “The Wonderful Story of henry Sugar” was intended to be a full-length feature film. Anderson backtracked on that by making it part of a four-part series of short Dahl adaptation.

We first meet a storyteller, played by Ralph Fiennes, telling us about the wealthy Henry Sugar, who finds in a book about a man from india who can see without his eyes. He acquired this technique, refined over many years, from a Yogi. So, a story within a story within a story withing a story. But Anderson manages to let these complex artifices sink in surprisingly smoothly.

“The Wonderful Story of henry Sugar” has few dialogues and consists almost entirely of renowned actors addressing the camera to tell the story.

It’s a ludicrous story, which we are used to from Roald Dahl and makes perfect material for Wes Anderson. I loved how this story was told, with backgrounds changing rapidly, making it almost magical. There are three more films on Netflix, that are based on Dahl’s stories and directed by Anderson. Them being : “The Swan”, “Poison” and “The Ratcatcher” and I will most definitely watch them all.

Rating: 4/ 5

20s Movie Review - The Menu

Director: Mark Mylod
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Holt, John Leguizamo

Description: A young couple (Anya Taylor-Joy, Nichols Hoult) travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.

Review: The story of “The Menu” shows how several groups of wealthy people, pay a generous sum for a unique dining experience. This experience if offered by world-renowned chef Julian Slowik on his private island. One of the guest, Margot, feels out of place. And chef Slowik has some shocking surprising on his menu.

This film is best viewed without knowing too much of the plot. This is such a strong, surprising and disturbing film. Great acting performances by Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes. Not a movie for everyone, because it has you literally yell WTF at the end of it. I loved this film, original and weird, in every good way possible.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Review - The King's Man

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Djimon Hounsou, Charles Dance, Matthew Goode, Daniel Brühl, Tom Hollander
 
Description: In the early years of the 20^th century, the Kingsman agency is formed to stand against a cabal plotting a war to wipe out millions.

Review: “The King’s Man” is a continuation of “Kingsman: The Secret Service” and “Kingsman: The Gold Circle” and is set before these films. Director Matthew Vaughn did the same with “X-Men: First Class”, where he made the series interesting again by bringing the subject matter back to its starting point. It doesn’t quite works as well with this franchise though.
The Kingsman agency’s origins is traced back to World War I. This results not so much in an interesting setting, but in a rather clumsy attempt to go through the entire war as fast as possible. Only not the war we know from the history books, but a hugely fictionalized version of it.
Vaughn rewrites World War I into a conflict completely orchestrated by a shadowy organization. As such, the war depicted has almost more in common with the Clone Wars from “Star Wars” then with the actual conflict that claimed forty million lives. It is quite daring, but the result is in the end rather stale because Vaughn is a little too eager to tick off all the familiar chapter.
For example, Russia withdraws from the war after a few years, only because of the Communists taking power, but simply as yet another move in a huge chess game. Or in other words: less interesting than real history. But then again, for a history-telling, you’re in the wrong place with “The King’s Man”. This is the type of film in which one look at a scary man with a big beard is enough to know that Hollywood has once again brought out its favorite Russian villain Rasputin.
The central figure in the story is the British aristocrat Orlando Oxford, who has the necessary experience with violence and therefore tries with all his might to keep his son safe. A fine premise and Ralph Fiennes is really good in his role (is he hardly ever not good?). It is quite refreshing to see him in a role as action hero, which he can truly embrace in the finale of the film. Which is also the highlight. It’s just a pity that the road leading up to it is rather long and muddled. Vaughn does manage to simplify the war enormously, but doesn’t get it right with the overarching plot.
That doesn’t take away from the fact that there is some creativity here and there in the messy narrative. For example, there is the very fun idea of presenting the German emperor, the Russian tsar and the British king as three quarreling nephews who, in their conceit, tear Europe apart. Only in doing so, World War I is reduced to a conflict between tree powers, conveniently leaving out France entirely.
The first movie in this series really pleasantly surprised me and I liked it way more then I expected too. And it’s a movie I would rewatch many time. “The King’s Man” is not bad, but not very good either. It’s entertaining, but aside from the wonderful finale the movie doesn’t have much to remember.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - No Time to Die

Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Genre: Action/ Thriller/ Adventure
Runtime: 163 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Ana De Armas, Jeffrey Wright, Ben Wishaw, Naomie Harris, Lashana Lynch, Billy Magnussen, Christoph Waltz

Description: James Bond (Daniel Craig) has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.

Review: Much has been said and written about the new Bond film. The press is praising “No Time to Die”. Many even claim it to be the best Bond-film ever. I’m not with them, at all.
With “No Time to Die”, Daniel Crag’s story in the 007 saga comes to an end. For the actor, who first appeared in “Casino Royale”, the 25^th Bond movie had to become the crown jewel after his five film portraying the secret agent.
“No Time to Die” kicks off with a downright terrifying opening scene where this films main villain Lyutsifer Safin shows up at a lake house terrorizing a family, who he claimed has killed his. At least the father did.
This installment of the immense popular James Bond franchise aims more at the heart than at action-packed scenes. Which makes it different. But not at all something I expect or want when I choose to watch a film about 007. The film does have some amazing action sequences, but when not “No Time to Die” can be a bit boring at times. I’m not really interested in a heartfelt James Bond to be honest.
Apart from that opening scene, Rami Malek as the Bond-villain, doesn’t really impress. I also believe his motives are a bit weird. He wants revenge for something that has been done to him, but eventually does the same. And Ana de Armas, who has a small role as secret agent Paloma, is highly underused. She had great chemistry with Daniel Craig and I wished she was in the film more.  
Cinematographically, there is nothing to criticize. All the scenes were beautiful made and the film looks stunning. Daniel Craig, reprising his role as James Bond for the last time, is also great. He is one of the best James Bonds ever.
“No Time to Die” is by no means a bad movie, but is definitely not the best or even one of the best James Bond films. Craig had his highlight with “Casino Royale” and “Skyfall”. I think it’s still a worthy goodbye to him as the iconic special agent, but I wasn’t a fan.

Rating: 3/ 5 

00s Movie Review - In Bruges

Director: Martin McDonagh
Genre: Comedy/ Crime/ Action
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes, Brendan Gleeson, Clémence Poésy, Thekla Reuten

Description: Guilt-stricken after a job gone wrong, hitman Ray (Colin Farrell) and his partner (Brendan Gleeson) await orders from their ruthless boss (Ralph Fiennes) in Bruges, Belgium, the last place in the world Ray wants to be.

Review: The movie starts confusing. A hit gone wrong, we overhear a phone conversation, the person in question has to hide in Bruges. We hear an Irish accents, IRA maybe? What kind of movies is it going to be? And medieval Bruges doesn’t look like the setting for a gangster movie. Then the dialogue between leading characters Ray and Ken starts. Like Vincent and Jules from “Pulp Fiction” they talk a lot and nothing seems to happen. Until Ray meets a girl and Ken gets a phone call from their boss Harry.
In the story that follows, the pieces of the puzzle fall in its place. Why they are in Bruges, what happened and what is going to happen. That build-up at the start seems perfect now, because we understand the characters and their motives. The way to the climax is long and the characters are important for the decisions they will make.
That’s how you build the tension and this is how a movie’s credibility stays up. Martin McDonagh, who directs but also wrote the script, takes us on a winding road. The power of the film is the well written script. But also the cast. Especially Colin Farrell is challenged, for doing something he isn’t used to doing. Farrell’s character is developed and has depth. His best role so far. And Ralph Fiennes is great as boss Harry. With his cockney accent he portrays one of the most hilarious villains, without ever getting ridiculous or forgetting that he is a serious villain.
It’s a special gangster film, on a wonderful location, great cast and a very well written script. It’s not a happy film, but there is enough humor to it. It’s a surprising, lively movie.

Rating: 5/ 5
 

10s Movie Review - Official Secrets

Director: Gavin Hood
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Keira Knightley, Matt Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Matthew Goode, Rhys Ifans, Conleth Hill, Jeremy Northam

Description: The true story of a British whistleblower (Keira Knightley) who leaked information to the press about an illegal NSA spy operation designed to push the UN Security Council into sanctioning the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Review: “Official Secrets” tells the true story of whistleblower Katharine Gun, who worked for the British intelligence agency GCHQ in 2003. Not as a senior officer, but simply as a office worker with the task of listening to recorded Chinese phone calls for indications of possible attacks. In this respect, her work does not seem to be very different from the practices that Edward Snowden would later warn about. But she has no problem with a government that keeps an eye on its citizens in order to pick out the rotten apples. Her moral objections arise only with appearance of an internal memo stating that the British organization should assist its American counterparts at the NSA in gathering blackmailable information about UN member states that are obstructionist in supporting a resolution for the impending Iraq war. A shadowy favor to strengthen transatlantic ties.

Katharine passes the information on to the press through some intermediaries, after which some journalists from The Observer start working on it. This Sunday paper has already come out in favor of military intervention in Iraq, but the old-fashioned editor-in-chief lets his journalistic instincts do the talking; it’s a damn good story and it’s okay for politicians to back off. One would hope that this would also be the case with less strong stories, but it has to be done. At that point “Official Secrets” briefly becomes a variation on “All the President’s Men”, resulting in a nicely self-conscious remark when a journalist meets his contact in an underground parking garage: “This is a bit Deep Throat, isn’t it?” But the reason turns out to be simple: there is no cell phone coverage here.
Perhaps even more than Katharine, the story is central. For while we get a glimpse into the world of the British press, Katharine is absent for some time. She sits in silent fear, waiting to see what will happen with the leaked information. We only see her again when she discovers that the story ends up on the front page of The Observer. But with that, it comes back to her. Because her bosses know immediately that someone leaked the information. An internal investigation is launched, but Katharine keeps the credit to herself and turns herself in. The consequences are dire: she is fired, publicly branded a spy and indicted for her actions.
The charge of espionage is an interesting one. In the traditional sense, that word denotes the passing of sensitive information to a hostile party or country. But Katharine merely rang the bell about the internal malfeasance of a government agency. Because her contract prohibits the disclosure of state-sensitive information, she is liable for punishment, but that does raise the question of how you then hold a government accountable when it does not follow the rules. After all, a government does not work for itself or for friendly nations, but for the people. Katharine is sued and thus needs legal defense. But just when that seems to be settled, it is made clear to her that discussing the information passe on with her lawyers is also a breach of her contract. By joining the government, she has given up virtually all of her right.
But in the end, every viewer knows how this ends: that war just happened. Katharine suffers that loss early on in the film, and this tragedy constantly reverberates. “Official Secrets” thus outlines a system in which the government has become so disconnected from its own riles that nor even the truth can intervene. It is therefore no coincidence that the law under which Katharine is charged was only introduced after and earlier whistleblower could not be legally prosecuted. “Official Secrets” manages to make this a highly entertaining ‘David-against-Goliath’ tale, which nicely shows that Goliath, in the form of the British government, conspicuously often uses pure bluff poker. Apparently a winning strategy, because despite all that Katharine had to endure, she was unable to stop the Iraq War (or British involvement in it). At least we got a great movie out of it.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Review - The Dig

Director: Simon Stone
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, Johnny Flynn

Description: An archaeologist (Ralph Fiennes) embarks on the historically important excavation of Sutton Hoo in 1938.

Review: The new Netflix film “The Dig” is especially well suited for unwinding for a while, at the rustic images of the English countryside in which a number of solid actors do their thing.
Just before the outbreak of World War II, Edith Pretty commissioned amateur archaeologist Basil Brown to see if there were any interesting things hidden in her land. And there was indeed. The film is based on a true story, but a lot was added or changed for film. Carey Mulligan, who plays Edith, should be at least twenty years older. And the large age difference between the Piggott couple didn’t exist. It’s as if the filmmakers realized that the excavation of an ancient burial ship can be a bit boring and tried to spice things up this way.
The fact that they succeeded somewhat is not due to the clumsily added plot lines, but the solid acting of the entire cast. The film is beautifully shot, it has gorgeous images of the British countryside. The décor and design of the film is worth watching it. Therefore, with an appropriate pot of tea, this is the perfect film to relax and enjoy. The story is quite simple and told very quietly.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

00s Movie Review - The Reader

Director: Stephen Daldry
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, Susanne Lothar, Alissa Wilms, Florian Bartholomäi, Friederike Becht, Matthias Habich

Description: Post-WWII Germany: Nearly a decade after his affair with an older woman came to a mysterious end, law student Michael Berg (David Kross) re-encounters his former lover (Kate Winslet) as she defends herself in a war-crime trial.

Review: It is 1958. The fifteen-year-old student Michael Berg meets a mysterious middle-aged woman who works as a conductor for the city streetcar. There is something behind this Hanna Schmitz’s grump looks: although she refuses to talk about herself, she likes to listen to Goethe and Doris Lessing. Michael presents the passages to her. Perversity is lurking, but a bizarre form of love emerges from Hanna’s sexual advances. But then suddenly she’s gone. Eight years later, Michael, now a law student, suddenly hears that Hanna is on trial because of her past as a camp executioner for the Nazis.
Although it remains uncomfortable to see the darkest page of the Second World War reduced to emotional films about lost memories and stranded loves, a moral breakthrough sounds from the revival of the Holocaust film in the 2000s. Earlies in 2008, there was “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”, after the acclaimed children’s novel with the same title, mainly taught a young generation what the horrors of the Holocaust were. In “The Reader”, the adaptation of Bernard Schlink’s bestseller, Stephen Daldry focuses on a more mature audience with a theme that has remained untouched in Hollywood until 2008: the collective guilt of Germans and a second generation struggling with their parents’ crime.  
The topical but also somewhat transparent themes that Schlink cited in his novel led to a renewed riot about the issue of German guilt. The film, on the other hand, does nothing more than just briefly touching the subject. Heavily set court scenes. What would you have done? It doesn’t really focus on it and ultimately the story has nothing to do with the moral core of Hanna Schmitz’s crimes.
In “The Reader”, the question of crime, punishment and penance also fades because the chosen plot lines mainly want to show insight into the aftermath of a scheming love. Kate Winslet won an Academy Award for her role, when there were better contenders that year. And this is definitely not one of her best performances. The film wants you to sympathize with Hanna’s character. But you simply never do.
To me it remains annoying that Hollywood thinks it can best capture the most horrible and reprehensible crimes with sentiment and beauty.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Red Dragon

Director: Brett Ratner
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson, Harvey Keitel, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ken Leung, Anthony Heald

Description: Will Graham is a retired FBI agent (Edward Norton) with psychological gifts. He is assigned to track down “The Tooth Fairy”, a mysterious serial killer. Aiding him is imprisoned forensic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins).

Review: FBI director Crawford wants nobody other then former FBI agent Will Graham to come out of retirement to work on the case of a serial killer called the Tooth Fairy. Will takes it and gets help from imprisoned forensic psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter.
It’s a fairly simple story. In terms of structure, the film is a lot life “Silence of the Lambs”. “Red Dragon” is a prequel to that movie. And it’s also a remake of “Manhunter” from 1986, starring William Petersen, Brian Cox and Tom Noonan. Ridley Scott’s “Hannibal” was a bit disappointing, also since Jodie Foster didn’t reappear as Clarice Starling. And choosing Brett Ratner as a director was somewhat strange, since he is mostly known for comedies.
Although “Red Dragon” never reaches the high level of “Silence of the Lambs”, this is still a really strong and impactful thriller. What especially appeals is the terrifyingly convincing role played by Ralph Fiennes, as the Tooth Fairy. His performance is chilling and creepy. Edward Norton brings an enormous amount of intelligence to the role of Will Graham. But the best thing is Anthony Hopkins, reprising his most iconic role as Dr. Hannibal Lecter.
“Red Dragon” is a really good film, the best film in the series after “Silence of the Lambs”.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Lego Batman Movie

Director: Chris McKay
Genre: Animation/ Action/ Adventure/ Comedy/ Family
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, Zach Galifianakis, Jenny Slate, Conan O’Brien, Billy Dee Williams, Zoë Kravitz, Eddie Izzard, Seth Green, Ellie Kemper, Channing Tatum, Adam Devine, Hector Elizondo, Jonah Hill

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 25: A SUPERHERO MOVIE

Description: A cooler-than-ever Bruce Wayne (Will Arnett) must deal with the usual suspects as they plan to rule Gotham City, while discovering that he has accidentally adopted a teenage orphan (Michael Cera) who wishes to become his sidekick.

Review: The fun we can have with these little plastic bricks and puppets. And not only kids. “The Lego Movie” already showed us how much fun and how creative you can be with Legos. And one of their characters, Batman, has his own Lego movie now.
Be sure you are ready from the opening titles, since that’s where the first jokes start. Batman’s deep tones narrate everything. What comes next is a fast paces animation, filled with sharp and clever jokes and a lot of nods to pop-culture.
The opening scene is a funny spoof of an attack by the Joker, only to end in a crazy rock song where Batman beats everyone. For the Joker everything gets worse when Batman tells him he’s not his special enemy. Because Batman needs no one, he thinks. Next we see him, sitting all alone in his Batcave.
While Joker and all the super villains from movie history are creating their masterplan, Batman finds a boy in his cave. An orphan, whom he accidentally adopted. This boy, Dick, wants nothing more then to be Batman’s sidekick.
The film has a moral, that together is better then alone, but it’s not one of the morals that they force on you. “The Lego Movie” was an ode to creativity, “The Lego Batman Movie” does it too but with a less creative story. But it’s one fun party for the whole family. The comedy is original and it looks stunning.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - A Bigger Splash

Director: Luca Guadagnino
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 120 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Matthias Schoenaerts, Dakota Johnson

Description: The vacation of a famous rock star (Tilda Swinton) and her boyfriend (Matthias Schoenaerts) in Italy is disrupted by the unexpected visit of an old friend (Ralph Fiennes) and his daughter (Dakota Johnson)

Review: Celebrity couple Marianne and Paul seem to only need each other. Marianne is a famous rock star and Paul is a documentary film maker and they are enjoying their carefree vacation in a villa in Pantelleria, Italy. Their days are filled with sunshine, sex, good food and swimming. Their tranquility is disturbed by the unexpected arrival of an old friend, Harry, a flamboyant, screaming and unbridled music producer who immediately claims all their space and attention. He also brought his 22-year-old daughter Penelope, whom he met only a year ago.
“A Bigger Splash” is inspired by “La Piscine” by Jacques Deray, which was an erotic cult hit from the sixties. Sicilian director Luca Guadagnino follows the moods and atmosphere of this film, but turns his film into something far more interesting. “A Bigger Splash” goes deeper: with the characters, who are all layered, and the underlying psychology of these four people.
The way “A Bigger Splash” is filmed is stunning: the lighting, framing, movements, montage, locations, wardrobes. It all looks beautiful. Although it’s mostly very subtle, the film has something bold and obstinate. Along the way more (sexual) tension and drama enters their lives.
Tilda Swinton and Matthias Schoenaerts are both very good, but it’s Ralph Fiennes who stands out and steals the show. It is in fact one of his best roles to date. As Harry, he manages to be both unbearable and irresistible.
“A Bigger Splash’’ is funny, sad, melancholic and sensual. A very good and beautiful looking film.

Rating: 4/ 5

90s Movie Review - Schindler's List

Director: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Drama/ War
Runtime: 195 minutes
Year: 1993
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Embeth Davidtz

Description: In Poland during World War II, Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.

Review: A masterful and touching movie from director Steven Spielberg. Shot in black and white by Janusz Kaminski, who received an Academy Award for his camera work. The goal was to create an authentic atmosphere and this gives “Schindler’s List” that extra power.
The main character is Oskar Schindler, who decides to go to Krakow after the outbreak of WOII to start an enamel factory. He hires Jewish workers, because they are less expensive than Polish workers. The special thing about Schindler is, as he is portrayed, that he’s actually a crook, a profiteer and a womanizer. We never get to know the real Schindler and why he wants to save all those people. In many ways he is like nazi commander Amon Goeth, also a crook, profiteer and womanizer. But where Schindler is an essentially good man, with flaws, Goeth is a sadist and murderer.
It’s incredible that Schindler succeeds in saving many Jews from death. He has contacts and a lot of luck, but what makes him really successful is his audacity and courage. You see that in the scene where he tries to convince fellow factory men Bosch and Madritsch to do even more than they have already done. The two industrials are human and helped their Jewish workers, but realize that there is nothing more to do. Only an adventurer would go even further. And that’s exactly what Schindler does. The greatest achievement is when Schindler goes to Auschwitz, to safe the women and children who were brought to Auschwitz by mistake. By bribe and bluff he manages to let them leave the camp. The only time in this black history that Jews could leave the camp. If it didn’t really happen, nobody would have believed it.
“Schindler’s List” won seven Academy Awards, like best film, director and cinematography. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes only got nominations. Their performances are amazing, as is Ben Kingsley’s. His portrayal of the smart and timid bookkeeper is impressive.
“Schindler’s List” is filled with striking and memorable scenes. A great screenplay, fantastic acting, this is an absolute classis that you have to watch at least once a year. Just two remember all those people who died in that terrible war and the people who did make it.

Rating: 5 / 5

Movie Reviews - Holmes & Watson

Director: Etan Cohen
Genre: Comedy/ Adventure
Runtime: 90 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Rebecca Ferguson, Kelly Macdonald, Ralph Fiennes, Pam Ferris

Description: A humorous take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic mysteries featuring Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.

Review: “Holmes & Watson” has a golden duo: stars from the movies “Step Brothers” and “Talladega Nights”, John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell. Together again in a comedy, so it must be fun. Well, no! It’s one of the worst comedies I’ve seen the past years.
Sherlock Holmes is known as one of the best detectives in the literary world. His intelligent friend Dr. John Watson assists him. “Holmes & Watson” is a humoristic and more absurd take on this duo and they are definitely not the master detectives they are in the novels.
Such funny actors in a non-funny comedy. How is it possible? Because it’s a giant shit-show. It’s painful to watch and you just want it to end. And it’s kind of insulting to the fantastic characters that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once created. They didn’t deserve to be portrayed like this or to be ridiculed.
If you haven’t seen “Holmes & Watson”, please keep it that way.

Rating: 1/ 5

10s Movie Review - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Director: David Yates
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy/ Family
Runtime: 146 minutes
Year: 2010
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Bill Nighy, Bonnie Wright, Tom Felton, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Jason Isaacs, John Hurt, Miranda Richardson, Evanna Lynch, Rhys Ifans, David Thewlis, Robbie Coltrane, Brendan Gleeson, Timothy Spall, Clémence Poésy, Warwick Davis, Helen McCrory, Julie Walters, Toby Jones, Imelda Staunton, Oliver Phelps, James Phelps, Fiona Shaw, Richard Griffiths, Matthew Lewis, Chris Rankin, Mark Williams

Description: As Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) races against time and evil to destroy the Horcruxes, he uncovers the existence of three most powerful objects in the wizarding world: the Deathly Hallows.
Review: The last book in the Harry Potter series was split into two films. Although the film is very long, there is more room for development. This is in fact only half a film. It’s foremost a buildup to the second part and the climax.
The length is something that you feel here. Although it’s only half the book, it takes two and a half hour. And many scenes are repetitive, where Harry, Hermione and Ron are searching for the Horcuxes.
The three main actors have become better over the years, but only Emma Watson can easily keep up with the once that have more experience, like Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith. It’s visible that Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint still have a lot to learn.
I don’t think it was the best decision to split the final book in two films, because this is probably my least favorite of all the films. However, together with the second half of this film, it is better.

Rating: 3/ 5

00s Movie Review - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Director: David Yates
Genre: Adventure/ Family/ Fantasy/ Drama
Runtime: 138 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Helene Bonham-Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Imelda Staunton, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Emma Thompson, David Thewlis, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Warwick Davis, Bonnie Wright, Julie Walters, Mark Williams, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Chris Rankin, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch

Description: With their warning about Lord Voldemort's return scoffed at, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at Hogwarts.

Review: The fifth movie in the series is a bit more grim then the previous films. The innocent face of the then 12 year old Daniel Radcliffe is now a full grown teenager.
In the opening scene we see Harry sitting on a swing. After his cousin Dudley is teasing him again, Harry breaks. He gets his wand out and threatens Dudley. It shows that Harry isn’t someone to mess with anymore. Voldemort is after Harry and sends dementors his way. When a dementor wants to attack Dudley, Harry uses a Patronus spell on him. This gets him in trouble.
Harry is traumatized since he saw Cedric die in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”. For the first time we feel Harry’s burden. Although Hermione and Ron support him, Harry feels alone. But he has no choice, he has to get ready to face Voldemort.
There are some new characters introduced. Evanna Lynch plays Luna Lovegood. A quirky witch who makes sure there are also some lighter moments in the film. She teaches Harry to cope with the trauma. Then there is Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge, who is probably the most annoying character in the entire franchise. She steals the show.
What I liked most about “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” is how the students are forming their own alliance and try to get ready for the big battle, without any help of the teachers. Characters like Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasly get a more important role in the story.
It wasn’t one of my favorite books, because it was so long. But director David Yates has done a fantastic job in turning it into a movie. It is one of my favorite Harry Potter movies.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Director: Mike Newell
Genre: Adventure/ Family/ Fantasy
Runtime: 157 minutes
Year: 2005
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Timothy Spall, Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson, Robert Pattinson, Stanislav Ianevski, Clémence Poésy, Mark Williams, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Bonnie Wright, Jason Isaacs, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, Warwick Davis, David Tennant

Description: Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) finds himself mysteriously selected as an under-aged competitor in a dangerous tournament between three schools of magic.

Review: Harry Potter has been challenged before, but the challenges he has to face in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” are from an entire different caliber.
The fourth installment in the series is a big spectacle. We start at the Quidditch World Cup, but quickly go back to Hogwarts. There Dumbledore tells the student about the Triwizard Tournament. Three different schools, including Hogwarts, will have to face three challenges. Three champions are chosen, but the goblet of fire spits out one more name: Harry Potter. No one knows how his name got in the cup, because he isn’t allowed to participate. Harry has to compete.
Although the movie is a visual spectacle and there is a lot of action, the emotional development is minimal. This was an important film in the series, because of a certain character reveal. But “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” isn’t the most memorable of the bunch. And the movie is very long with its two and a half hours.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 35: Kubo and the Two Strings

Director: Travis Knight
Genre: Animation/ Adventure, Fantasy
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Art Parkinson, Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Ralph Fiennes, George Takei, Rooney Mara

Description: A young boy named Kubo (Art Parkinson) must locate a magical suit of armor worn by his late father in order to defeat a vengeful spirit from the past.

Review: When you think of animation, you think of Disney or Pixar. Maybe also Dreamworks, but probably not LAIKA Entertainment. It’s a smaller company that started in 2005 and is specialized in stop-motion animation. It did make some successful movies: “Coraline”, “ParaNorman” and “The Boxtrolls”. Smaller films that have atmosphere, are artistic and cost hundreds of hours of work. Why “Kubo and the Two Strings” didn’t win the Academy Award for best animation is beyond me.
Together with his mother, the one-eyed boy Kubo lives in a cave nearby a small village. His mother fleed for her father, Kubo’s grandfather, the evil Moon Kind who killed Kubo’s father Hanzo. Kubo’s mother lives in a catatonic state ever since Hanzo died, so Kubo needs to take care of the both of them. He is known for his storytelling. Every day he tells stories about his late father, with his guitar. It’s a magical instrument which makes paper move and turn into origami art and form the most beautiful images for his stories. When Kubo’s hiding place is discovered, he has to step into his father’s footsteps. He gets the help of a strict white monkey and a heroic beetle.
The film looks amazing, perfect to every detail. Everything created by hand, so much love and hard work has been put in to this film. Stop-motion always fascinates me, it amazes me, it blows my mind. The movements of all the characters are so fluent. It’s an extraordinary film.
The story has all the ingredients of a classic adventure story: a young hero taken under the wing by a mentor, looking for a magical weapon and discovering powers to help him beat the enemy. But this classic adventure story has some adult themes: grieving, forgiveness, keeping memories alive by telling stories. None of these themes are forced, just like the moral of the story.
“Kubo and the Two Strings” is an animation every kid should see. Imagination, adventure, emotion, deeper layers. And the film looks amazing. It’s a piece of art.

Rating: 5/ 5