Top 5 Thursday: Movies I Watched for My Challenge (March 2015)

I didn’t see that many new movies this month, I rewatched a lot of films. But I could still make a top 5, so here are the best first views of the month of March.

5. Kingsman: The Secret Service

When I first saw the trailer I wasn’t interested at all. When I saw and read all those amazing reviews about “Kingsman: The Secret Service” I got curious. So I decided to check it out for myself. It was one hell of a good time.

 

 

4. Take Shelter

A very dark and gloomy film, with great acting. Slow, but very good. I really loved Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon.

 

 

3. St. Vincent

You can always trust Bill Murray. His role is magnificent and I enjoyed his performances. I liked seeing Melissa McCarthy in a more serious role, she did a good job. And Naomi Watts was also fantastic.

 

 

2. Enemy

What a mindfuck! This movie left me thinking for days and it really freaked me out. This is a cinematic masterpiece. For the fans, please check out this video of Chris Stuckmann, where he explains the movie. It really helped me understand it more.

 

 

1. Psycho

This is one of the best movies ever made, I just love Alfred Hitchcock movies. What were they thinking making a new version of it? “Psycho” is a movie everyone should see!

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: The Ice Harvest, An American in Paris

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 36: St. Vincent

Director: Theodore Melfi

Genre: Comedy/ Drama

Runtime: 102 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Chris O’Dowd, Terrence Howard, Jaeden Lieberher

Description: The young Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher) whose parents have just divorced finds an unlikely friend and mentor in the misanthropic, bawdy, hedonistic war veteran Vincent (Bill Murray) who lives next door.

Review: “St. Vincent” is the directorial debut of Theodore Melfi and is about saints that are closer than you think. It can be your mom, a teacher or a friend. Or someone who doesn’t act like one at first sight. Vincent likes his booze and gambles away his savings. He isn’t very fond of people. This grumpy man has gambling debts and doesn’t have empathic feelings. The only person he has any affection for is Daka, a so called ‘lady of the night’.

When single mom Maggie and her son Oliver move into next door, Vincent’s life takes a different turn. He starts babysitting Oliver, when Maggie has to work long hours at the hospital. Vincent teaches Oliver lessons in a very unconventional way, by taking him to the race track, the local strip club and a bar. And also to ‘Sunny Side’, the home where his demented wife Sandy lives. The two develop an unlikely friendship.

The story may not be that original: a grumpy man befriending a kid. Bill Murray makes it into something special. His role is remarkable and unique, this is why I like Bill Murray. Naomi Watts portrays Daka with a big heart, also a very good performance by her. And it’s good to see Melissa McCarthy in a more modest role. Also a very funny small role for Chris O’Dowd, as Brother Geraghty. And the young Oliver is played by Jaeden Lieberher, the one with probably the most sense. Good role by him too.

“St. Vincent” has a good combination of comedy and drama, great performance and it’s easy to watch. Seriously, not watching it is a sin.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie trailer Sunday (146)

Here are this weeks trailers.

 

The Skeleton Twins

Description: Estranged twins Maggie (Kristen Wiig) and Milo (Bill Hadr) feel that they're at the end of their ropes. An unexpected reunion forces them to confront why their lives went so wrong. As the twins reconnect, they realize the key to fixing their lives may just lie in repairing their relationship.

Director: Craig Johnson

Starring: Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson and Ty Burrell

Trailer: Trailer "The Skeleton Twins"

Comment: This is the duo to watch, they were already great on "Saturday Night Live" and in "Adventureland". Can't wait to see this!

St. Vincent

Description: Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) is a single mother, who moves into a new home in Brooklyn with her 12-year old son. Forced to work long hours, she has no choice but to leave Oliver in the care of their new neighbor, Vincent (Bill Murray), a retired curmudgeon with a penchant for alcohol and gambling. An odd friendship soon blossoms between the improbable pair. Together with a pregnant stripper named Daka (Naomi Watts), Vincent brings Oliver along on all the stops that make up his daily routine - the race track, a strip club, and the local dive bar. Vincent helps Oliver grow to become a man, while Oliver begins to see in Vincent something that no one else is able to: a misunderstood man with a good heart.

Director: Ted Melfi

Starring: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Chris O'Dowd

Trailer: Trailer "St. Vincent"

Comment: Yeah, want to see this!!!!

Behaving Badly

Description: Rick Stevens (Nat Wolff), who is willing to do whatever it takes to try and win the heart of Nina Pennington (Selena Gomez), even if this means making a bet with a mobster's son! The pressure is on, but the mob isn't the only thing that's standing in his way. If he ever hopes to land the girl of his dreams, he'll also have to deal with a group of strippers, his best friend's horny mother (Elizabeth Shue), his drug-abusing boss (Dylan McDermott), a perverted principal (Patrick Warburton), a priest with a really big secret (Jason Lee), a sultry defense attorney (Heather Graham), and a patron saint who dispenses cryptic advice (Mary-Louise Parker).

Director: Tim Garrick

Starring: Nat Wolff, Selena Gomez, Mary-Louise Parker, Elisabeth Shue, Dylan McDermott, Jason Lee, Heather Graham, Cary Elwes, Gary Busey, Patrick Warburton

Trailer: Trailer "Behaving Badly"

Comment: A lot of big names, but a terrible movie poster.

 

Jimi: All is By My Side

Description: A drama based on Jimi Hendrix's pre-fame years.

Director: John Ridley

Starring: Andre Benjamin, Imogen Poots, Hayley Atwell, Burn Gorman, Ruth Negga

Trailer: Trailer "Jimi: All is By My Side"

Comment: It's about time this guitar legend got his biopic.

Horrible Bosses 2

Description: Nick, Dale and Kurt (Jason Bateman, Jason SUdeikis, Charlie Day) decide to become their own bosses by launching their own business. But a slick investor soon pulls the rug out from under them. Outplayed and desperate, and with no legal recourse, the three would-be entrepreneurs hatch a misguided plan to kidnap the investor's adult son and ransom him to regain control of their company.

Director: Sean Anders

Starring: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey, Chris Pine, Christoph Waltz

Trailer: Trailer "Horrible Bosses 2"

Comment: The first was surprisingly funny, not sure about this one though.