20s Movie Review - Last Night in Soho

Director: Edgar Wright
Genre: Drama/ Horror/ Mystery
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, Diana Rigg, Terence Stamp, Sam Claflin

Description: An aspiring fashion designer (Thomasin McKenzie) is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer (Anya Taylor-Joy). But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something darker.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE

WEEK 16: A MOVIE STARRING AN ACTOR/ACTRESS WHO IS NO LONGER ALIVE

Review: If only she had lived in the 1960s, Eloise knows. She is about to movie to London to study to be a fashion designer. Her grandmother wasn’t Eloise, that London can be a bit much.

Once in the capital, things soon turn out not to be what she expected. Soon she disappears at night in her dreams to the London of the 1960s. She puts herself in the shoes of Sandie, a young woman who wants to become a famous singer. But are they really dreams, or does she really go through time? With a director like Edgar Wright, the cinematic bag of tricks is open and what you get is a stylish affair.

Take for example a, at first sight, simple romantic dance scene between Sandie and the charismatic talent scout Jack. One moment we see he has Sandie in his arms, ant then he’s spinning Eloise around. When Sandie passes a mirror, we see Eloise in it. Something that flows together so well, takes some insane planning skills. On a story level, Wright always stuffs his films full of hints, rewarding re-watching double-time.

 It's a very different film from Wright, because the humor that we are used from his earlier work, is completely absent here. It’s a serious film with horror elements. And I praise Wright for exploring different genres, because he did an amazing job, yet again.

Thomasin Mackenzie plays Eloise and starts strongly as a grey mouse who is out of place. Later in the film she has Anya Taylor-Joy opposite her, who plays Sandie, and together they must portray a band. Both women portray their characters very well.

Edgar Wright’s take on a serious horror works very well and I’m super impressed. This shows again why he is one of my favorite directors

Rating: 4,5/ 5

90s Movie Review - Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Director: George Lucas
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction/ Fantasy
Runtime: 133 minutes
Year: 1999
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Jake Lloyd, Samuel L. Jackson, Natalie Portman, Frank Oz, Terence Stamp, Ray Park, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Ian McDiarmid

Description: Two Jedi (Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor) escape a hostile blockade to find allies and comes across a young boy (Jake Lloyd) who may bring balance to the Force, but the long dormant Sith resurfaces to claim their old glory.

Review: Two Jedi are sent out to solve a violent trade dispute around the planet Naboo. During their mission, they meet a young slave who can restore the balance between good and evil.
For sixteen years, the patience of Star Wars fans was put to the test. Spiritual father George Lucas often let it slip that he was interested in a new trilogy, in which the transformation of Anakin Skywalker into the villain Darth Vader would be revealed. And that finally happened in 1999. With “Star Wars Episde I – The Phantom Menace” released, the reactions weren’t mild. The film was everything that the original trilogy wasn’t, the story of trade wars didn’t captivate and the character never did to us what Luke, Han and Leia did.
Yet, there is still plenty to enjoy in “The Phantom Menace”. New beautiful worlds have been created for the screen and the podrace is very entertaining. The final sword fight and its accompanied music remain impressive.
When fans saw this first film in the new trilogy, they knew it was never going to live up to the original series. But still, it’s entertaining and enjoyable enough.

Rating: 3/ 5

10s Movie Review - Murder Mystery

Director: Kyle Newacheck
Genre: Comedy/ Crime/ Mystery
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Adam Sandler, Luke Evans, Gemma Arterton, Terence Stamp

Description: New York cop Nick (Adam Sandler) and his wife Audrey (Jennifer Aniston) go on a Europe vacation to reinvigorate the spark in their marriage, but end up getting framed and on the run for the death of an elderly billionaire.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 9: A GUILTY PLEASURE MOVIE

Review: “Murder Mystery”, starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, is as the title might spoil, a murder mystery or a so-called whodunit. But with a comical twist.
Aniston and Sandler teamed up before, for the comedy “Just Go With It” and both are very experienced in the comedy department. But for both this is their first mystery film.
They play married couple Nick and Audrey Spitz. He is a New York cop, she a hairdresser and they are about to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary. When they got married, Nick promised Audrey to take her to Europe someday, but he never did. Audrey confronts him with that, and Nick books a last-minute trip to Spain, telling her he had it all planned for her. On board of the plane, Audrey meets the charming Charles Cavendish, who invites them on his uncle’s yacht. When a murder occurs, Audrey, who loves reading murder mysteries, and Nick, a wannabe detective, are wanted for that murder. But they try to solve the crime themselves while on the run from Interpol.
Take an Agatha Christie book, set it in the 21st century, add some self-mockery and clichés and that’s the base of “Murder Mystery”.
This is your typical guilty pleasure film and a good time. Because of the perfect comedic timing of both Aniston and Sandler and how well they work together, most of the jokes work. The film is aware of its clichés and the story is actually pretty simple and not very original.
“Murder Mystery” is a definite fun time and the film is a quick and easy view.

Rating: 3 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 15: Big Eyes

Director: Tim Burton
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 104 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Krysten Ritter, Jason Schwartzman, Danny Huston, Terence Stamp, Jon Polito, Elisabetta Faontine, James Saito, Guideo Furlani, Delaney Raye, Madeleine Arthur, Emily Bruhn, Alan McFarlane, Tony Alcantar, Jaden Alexander

Description: A drama about the awakening of the painter Margaret Keane (Amy Adams), her phenomenal success in the 1950s, and the subsequent legal difficulties she had with her husband (Christoph Waltz), who claimed credit for her works in the 1960s.

Review: Margaret Keane’s paintings were famous in the fifties and sixties. Even pop art front man Andy Warhol liked them. The paintings were characterized by portraits of children, with bid sad eyes. One problem: for a long time people thought Margaret’s husband Walter Keane was the creator of the paintings.
If you look at the design of the paintings, it’s typical Tim Burton. Not such a strange choice for a director. On the other hand, it’s not a typical Burton movie. We know Burton as the maker of fanciful, fairytale like movies like “Edward Scissorhands” and “Big Fish. “Big Eyes” is a true story.
“Big Eyes” starts off at the moment where Margaret is leaving her first husband, together with daughter Jane. Painting is the only thing, beside her daughter, that gives her joy. When moving to San Francisco, she continues to paint but without success. When she meets the charismatic Walter Keane, her live changes. He paints street sights of Paris and has talents as a salesman. Margaret and Walter see that they can offer each other a lot, so they decide to marry. When Margaret’s paintings get noticed, Walter takes credit for her work.
Burton choose to stay as close to the real story as possible. With that the story sometimes drags a bit and feels tedious at times. The fact that the movie is narrated, doesn’t help it. The movie also feels fragmentary, because the events follow each other rather quick.
Positive note is the superb enactment. Amy Adams is one of my favorites and I love her timid yet powerful performance. Christoph Waltz breaths charisma and that is again present in “Big Eyes”. That comedic court room scene, only Waltz can get away with that. Tim Burton, master of unlimited fantasy, took it easy by making “Big Eyes”. His movies didn’t bring him success lately and I’m afraid “Big Eyes” won’t change that. The film is okay, but the performances are better than the movie itself.

Rating: 2,5/ 5