Netflix Friday - Volume 87

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: American Assassin (2017)
After the death of his girlfriend at the hands of terrorists, Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’Brien) is drawn into the world of counterterrorism, mentored by tough-as-nails former U.S. Navy S.E.A.L. Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton).
 

Drama: Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Following the Normandy Landing, a group of U.S. soldier go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper (Matt Damon) whose brothers have been killed in action.
 

Comedy: Last Action Hero (1993)
With the help of a magic ticker, a young movie fan (Austin O’Brien) is transported into the fictional world of his favorite action movie character (Arnold Schwarzenegger).
 

Animation: Happy Feet 2 (2011)
Mumble’s (Elijah Wood) son, Erik, is struggling to realize his talents in the Emperor Penguin world. Meanwhile, Mumble and his family and friends discover a new threat to their home. One that will take everyone working together to save them.
 

Romance: The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
Goaded by his buddies, a nerdy guy (Steve Carell) who’s never “done the deed” only finds the pressure mounting when he meets a single mother (Catherine Keener)
 

Horror: Pet Sematary (2019)
Dr. Louise Creed (Jason Clarke) and his wife, Rachel (Amy Seimetz), relocate from Boston to rural Maine with their two young children. the couple soon discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home.
 

Science Fiction: Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is best with troubles in his failing personal life as he battles a brilliant scientist named Doctor Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina)
 

Crime: Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster (Robert De Niro) returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan 35 years later, where he must once again confront the gosts and regrets of his old life.
 

Thriller: The Good Liar (2019)
Consummate con man Toy Courtnay (Ian McKellen) has set his sights on his latest mark: the recently widowed Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren), worth millions. But this time, what should have been a simple swindle escalates into a cat-and-mouse game with the ultimate stakes.
 

Documentary: Joan Didion: the Center Will Not Hold (2017)
Literary icon Joan Didion reflects on her remarkable career and personal struggles in this intimate documentary.
 

Family: Tales of Beatrix Potter (1971)
Beatrix Potter’s most beloved characters spring to life in this live-action classic.

Netflix Friday - Volume 65

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and company are forced to engage in a war against an array of combatants and keep the Lonely Mountain from falling into the hands of a rising darkness.
 

Drama: Rocketman (2019)
A musical fantasy about the fantastical human story of Elton John’s (Taran Edgerton) breakthrough).
 

Comedy: Ghostbusters (1984)
Three former parapsychology professors (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis) set up shop as a unique ghost removal service.
 

Animation: Sherlock Gnomes (2018)
Garden gnomes, Gnomeo (James McAvoy) and Juliet (Emily Blunt), recruit renowned detective Sherlock Gnomes (Johnny Depp) to investigate the mysterious disappearance of other garden ornaments.
 

Romance: Top Gun (1986)
As students at the United States Navy’s elite fighter weapons school compete to be best in class, one daring young pilot (Tom Cruise) learns a few things from a civilian instructor (Kelly McGillis) that are not taught in the classroom.
 

Horror: Saint Maud (2019)
Follows a pious nurse (Morfydd Clarke) who becomes dangerously obsessed with saving the soul of her dying patient.
 

Science Fiction: E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
A troubled child (Henry Thomas) summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape Earth and return to his home world.
 

Crime: Wild Things (1998)
A police detective (Kevin Bacon) uncovers a conspiracy behind a case involving a high-school guidance counselor (Matt Dillon) when accusations of rape are made against him by two female students (Neve Campbell, Denise Richards).
 

Thriller: The Good Liar (2019)
Consummate con man Roy Courtnay (Ian McKellen) has set his sight on his latest mark: the recently widowed Betty McLeish, worth millions. But this time, what should have been a simple swindle escalates into a cat-and-mouse game with the ultimate stakes.
 

Documentary: Fantastic Fungi (2019)
Fantastic Fungi is a descriptive time-lapse journey about the magical, mysterious and medicinal world of fungi and their power to heal, sustain and contribute to the regeneration of life on Earth that begins 3.5 billion years ago.
 

Family: Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them (2016)
The adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York’s secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school.

10s Movie Review - The Good Liar

Director: Bill Condon
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime
Runtime: 109 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen, Russell Tovey, Jim Carter

Description: Consummate con man Roy Courtnay (Ian McKellen) has set his sight on his latest mark: the recently widowed Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren), worth millions. But this time, what should have been a simple swindle escalates into a cat-and-mouse game with the ultimate stakes.

Review: If you have actors like Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen on board, it doesn’t really matter much anymore what you make them do. Even if you let the Lady and Sit read the phone book, you know that you have a guarantee of craftmanship, even if the scenario they have to propagate leaves a lot to be desired from time to time. You can easily forgive an inevitable but artificial plot twist in a thriller about an older couple in love.
With this adaptation of Nicolas Searle’s book, director Bill Condon puts at least all the cards on the table. At least so it seems. It is a well-known fact that online dating is done for one’s own good. The distinguished Roy and the charming Betty not only lie about their names on their first date, but also about whether or not to smoke and drink. Well, if that’s all…
But we soon find out that Roy is an outright crook who’s out to take all of Betty’s money, which are many millions. Roy is a smart seducer and relentless. Roy and Betty get a strong bond very quickly after Roy’s knee supposedly causes him problems, so Betty asks him to stay with her. Grandson Stephen doesn’t trust Roy for a second and can only watch him sweeping Betty of her feet.
“The Good Liar” starts out as a standard thriller where one is conning the other, but there is more to it. Eventually. Just have patience, because it’s a bit of a slow movie, and you will be rewarded. If it weren’t for the twist, even though it’s not completely credible and it all seems a bit too perfect, this film would be too basic and not memorable at all. It’s still a movie you can easily forget, but you will remember Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen’s strong performances and great interaction.

Rating: 3 / 5

Movies to Look Forward to - November 2019

It's officially becoming colder outside, so a perfect time to go to the cinema and cuddle up with a bucket of popcorn and some good movies. Here are the movies I'm looking forward to for the month of November.

November 7th – Doctor Sleep
Director: Mike Flanagan
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Jacob Tremblay, Cliff Curtis, Bruce Greenwood
Description: Years following the events of “The Shining”, a now-adult Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) meets a young girl with similar powers as his and tries to protect her from a cult known as ‘The True Knot’ who prey on children with powers to remain immortal.

November 7th – Last Christmas
Director: Paul Feig
Starring: Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Emma Thompson, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Serafinowicz, Patti LuPone
Description: Kate (Emilia Clarke) is a young woman subscribed to bad decisions. Her last date with disaster? That of having to work as Santa’s elf for a department store. However, she meets Tom (Henry Golding) there. Her life takes a new turn. For Kate, it seems too good to be true.

November 7th – Midway
Director: Roland Emmerich
Starring: Luke Evans, Patrick Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Mandy Moore, Dennis Quaid, Darren Criss, Nick Jonas, Aaron Eckhart
Description: The story of the battle of Midway, told by the leaders and the sailors who fought it.

November 17th – Western Stars
Director: Bruce Springsteen, Thom Zimny
Starring: Bruce Springsteen
Description: Live concert performance of Bruce Springsteen singing songs from hi album ‘Western Stars’.

November 21st – The Good Liar
Director: Bill Condon
Starring: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen
Description: Career con artist Roy Courtnay (Ian McKellen) can hardly believe his luck when he meets well-to-do-widow Bettl McLeish (Helen Mirren) online. As Betty open her home and life to him, Roy is surprised to find himself caring about her, turning what should be a cut-and-dry swindle into the most treacherous tightrope walk of his life.

November 21st – Zombieland: Double Tap
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Jesse Eisenberg, Zoey Deutch, Bill Murray, Rosario Dawson, Dan Aykroyd, Luke Wilson, Thomas Middleditch
Description: Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahasse (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family.

November 28th - Knives Out
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Toni Collette, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer, Katherine Langford, Don Johnson, Jaeden Martell
Description: A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric , combative family