Netflix Friday - Volume 2

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

Action: John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is on the run after killing a member of the international assassins’ guild, and with a $14 million price tag on his head, he is the target of hit men and women everywhere.

Drama: The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017)
Keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, Antonina and Jan Zabinski (Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh), must save hundreds of people and animals during the Nazi invasion in WWII Poland.

Comedy: The Nice Guys (2016)
In 1970 Los Angeles, a mismatched pair of private eyes (Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling) investigate a missing girl and the mysterious death of a porn star.

Animation: Early Man (2018)
Set in the dawn of time, then prehistoric creatures and woolly mammoths roamed the earth, we meet Dug (Eddie Redmayne) and his sidekick Hognob, as they unite his tribe against a might enemy Lord Nooth (Tom Hiddleston) and his Bronze Age City to save their home.

Romance: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
After a stint in a mental instituation, former teacher Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) moves back with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a mysterious girl with problems of her own.

Horror: Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
The centuries old vampire Count Dracula (Gary Oldman) comes to England to seduce his barrister Jonathan Harker’s (Keanu Reeves) fiancée Mina Murray (Winona Ryder) and inflict havoc in the foreign land.

Science Fiction: Mad Max (1979)
In a self-destructing world, a vengeful Australian policeman (Mel Gibson) sets out to stop a violent motorcycle gang.

Crime: Sicario (2015)
An idealist FBI agent (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by a government task force to aid the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the US and Mexico

Thriller: A Cure for Wellness (2016)
An ambitious young executive (Dane DeHaan) is sent to retrieve his company’s CEO from an idyllic but mysterious ‘wellness center’ at a remote location in the Swiss Alps, but soon suspects that the spa’s treatments are not what they seem.

Documentary: Behind the Curve (2018)
Meet Flat Earthers, a small but rowing contingent of people who firmly believe in a conspiracy to suppress the truth that the Earth is flat.

Family: The Land Before Time (1988)
An orphaned brontosaurus teams up with other dinosaurs in order to reunite with their families in a valley.

Top 5 Thursday: Ryan Gosling Movies

I’ve listed Ryan Gosling’s movies before, but there have been so many great films added to his resumé, that I need to revisit this list. Here are my five favorite Ryan Gosling films.

5. Blue Valentine
Many people think it’s a romance film when they see the title. Well, I’ll have to warn you then. It has romance in it, but it’s not a romantic movie. It’s actually quite depressing and wants you to never be in a relationship ever again. The acting by Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling is just fantastic.

4. Lars and the Real Girl
Gosling can be your movie hunk, but in “Lars and the Real Girl” he is a nerdy, lonely shy guy who dates a mannequin. It’s a weird plot, but the film is so heartfelt and honest. I loved it!

3. The Nice Guys
This is a 2016 movie that not a lot of people talk about, but the people that do all loved “The Nice Guys”. Nobody is talking about it, because not a lot of people saw it. It’s the perfect definition of a buddy cop movie, without the clichés. And Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling are such a good duo.

2. Drive
This used to be my number one and “Drive” will always be one of my all-time favorite films. It’s a cinematographic masterpiece, filmed so well with one of the best soundtracks I’ve ever heard.

1. La La Land
This movie stole my heart and not only mine. This is a phenomenon and shows us that musical isn’t dead. A film for the dreamers, the creative mind. So, perfect for me. I’m totally in love with “La La Land” and many with me.

They Almost Made the Top 5: The Place Beyond the Pines, Half Nelson, The Notebook, Fracture, Crazy Stupid Love

Top 10: Best Movies I Watched for My 2016 Challenge

The great thing about the 100 Movie Challenge is that I sometimes watch films that I would normally not even pay attention to. It’s a time to rediscover classics or see the movies you missed in the 2000s or 2010s. I watched a bunch of fantastic films, I narrowed it down to this top 10 list. Here are my favorite films I watched for my 2016 challenge.

10. Lars and the Real Girl
This was such a weird story, but it was so heartfelt and honest. And we got Ryan Reynold’s amazing performance to thank for that. He proofs that he doesn’t always have to play the sexy charmer, he can play a lonely geek as well.

9. The Jungle Book
Disney’s uncanny adaptation of their own beloved animation from 1967. It was a blockbuster, it was a technical film. Besides Mowgli, all the sets and characters were computer generated. The visuals are stunning. “The Jungle Book” was one amazing movie experience.

8. The Nice Guys
I already loved Shane Black’s “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”. Teaming up Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe was probably one of the best ideas of 2016. They are an irresistible pair. Energized by a dry wry cynicism. It’s crime comedy at its best.

7. Arrival
“Arrival” is an unusually intimate science-fiction epic, that takes the story of humankind’s first contact with an alien race and turns it into a downright poetric meditation on fate, time, love and the limitations and essential universalities of communication. Amy Adams gives a fantastic performance, she carries this film. Director Denis Villeneuve has a flawless record so far.

6. Room
Brie Larson earned all the headlines for her role as Joy, her Oscar winning performance is so convincing and heartbreaking. But her movie son Jacob Tremblay very nearly steals the show. It’s through his eyes we experience the traumatic set of events.

5. Spotlight
“Spotlight” is driven purely by the simplicity of its story. A group of journalists exposing a scandal in the Catholic Church. The film had my attention from start to finish, it has great performances and I loved everything about this film. It deserved that Oscar.

4. The Apartment
I discovered Billy Wilder films this year and I came to the conclusion that I really love this director. “The Apartment” is such a fun film, great acting and it’s basically set in only one location.

3. Some Like It Hot
This is the other Billy Wilder film I watched this year, and loved! It was hilarious. It’s such a funny story, two men disguising as women so that they can play music in an all-women’s group. And although it’s clear that they are two men, nobody sees it. This is one fo the best comedies of all time!

2. La La Land
Damien Chazelle’s first film was “Whiplash”, an Academy Award winning film. He’s back with amusic movie of an entirely different variety. “La La Land” is a heart-eyed musical about two lost Los Angelinos who find each other. I’m seriously in love with this film. This one’s for the classic movie fans.

1. The Princess Bride
This movie has everything and know how to combine all those genres in the most perfect way. Adventure, action, romance, comedy, drama, it’s all there. It’s one of the best fairytales ever told, with humor, mockery and heartwarming moments. Definitely a new favorite on my all-time list.


Honorable Mentions: The General, City Lights, Beasts of No Nation, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Little Shop of Horrors, We Bought a Zoo, Mr. Holland’s Opus, The Soloist

Top 5 Thursday: Movies I Watched for My Challenge (June 2016)

This month I did watch some really bad films or just mediocre somewhat forgettable movies. But luckily I also watched some really good ones. Here are my favorites for the month of June, film I watched for my challenge.

5. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit
Claymation always fascinates me. The dedication, love and work that is put into a project. “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit” looks fantastic and the film is super funny. I love the movie references.

4. The Squid and the Whale
I always love films about dysfunctional families. And this is a dysfunctional family with the capital D. And this is probably Jeff Daniels at his best, he is such an underrated and underappreciated actor.

3. Finding Dory
How can I not love this movie? I was so looking forward to seeing this and it gave us so much. Humor, action, old loveable characters and new memorable characters. I loved Hank! “Finding Dory” is a fun Pixar adventure for the while family!

2. Ant-Man
I didn’t expect “Ant-Man” to be this good, It even made it to my top 5 MCU films. Paul Rudd, who I didn’t think could take on a superhero role, did an excellent job as Scott Lang. I loved this movie.

1. The Nice Guys
This was just the perfect crime comedy. Director Shane Black, who also directed “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”, knows his strength. And Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling are a match made in heaven. The film is hilarious and I enjoyed every minute of it.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Everest, Carol, Demolition

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 87: The Nice Guys

Director: Shane Black
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angouri Rice, Matt Bomer, Keith David, Kim Basinger, Ty Simpkins

Description: A mismatched pair of private eyes (Russel Crowe, Ryan Gosling) investigate the apparent suicide of a porn star in 1970s Los Angeles.

Review: Besides a director, Shane Black is also a great writer. While “The Nice Guys” is only his third directed film, he impresses. Like his previous film “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”, this movie has a film noir feel and is a detective story set in Los Angeles. And again it’s fabulous!
The buildup in “The Nice Guys” is a bit more traditional, but the two private detectives in the story aren’t. Holland March, played by Ryan Gosling, is the kind of guy that hates himself. He doesn’t believe he will ever be happy again and blames himself for the death of his wife. March is cynical and funny. Gosling has a surprising talent for physical comedy. Russel Crowe plays Jackson Healy, a more straight forward detective. Probably better at his job then March, but less conventional. Crowe’s character is also very likeable. Angourice Rice, who plays Gosling’s daughter in the film, is fantastic. She is a smart twelve-year-old, who wants to work with her father even if it’s a danger for her own life.
Gosling and Crowe are a match made in heaven. They have great chemistry and good dialogues. Most ‘buddy cop’ films have two cops paired that are very different from each other. The characters in “The Nice Guys” are really not that different and that’s why this movie feels so fresh. It’s a great crime comedy for a broad audience. I love the cynicism, humor and action in this film. “The Nice Guys” is definitely a favorite of the year

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (216)

Here are this weeks trailers.

Eye in the Sky

Description: A military officer in command of a drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya sees her mission escalate from "capture" to "kill" just as a nine-year old girl enters the kill zone.

Director: Gavin Hood

Starring: Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman

Trailer: Trailer "Eye in the Sky"

Comment: Okay, a movie I want to check.

The Nice Guys

Description: A private eye investigates the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles and uncovers a conspiracy.

Director: Shane Black

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe, Matt Bomer, Kim Basinger

Trailer: Trailer "The Nice Guys"

Comment: Shane Black also made "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" and I love that movie. This also looks like a lot of fun.

Zootopia

Description: In the animal city of Zootopia, a fast-talking fox who's trying to make it big goes on the run when he's framed for a crime he didn't commit. Zootopia's top cop, a self-righteous rabbit, is hot on his tail, but when both become targets of a conspiracy, they're forced to team up and discover even natural enemies can become best friends.

Director: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush

Starring: Idris Elba, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Alan Tudyk, J.K. Simmons, Bonnie Hunt, Jenny Slate, Octavia Spencer, Shakira

Trailer: Trailer "Zootopia"

Comment: Pixar!!!!!

Chi-Raq

Description: A modern day adaptation of the ancient Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes, set against the backdrop of gang violence in Chicago

Director: Spike Lee

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Hudson, John Cusack, Nick Cannon, Angela Bassett, Dave Chappelle, Teyonah Parris

Trailer: Trailer "Chi-Raq"

Comment: Interesting.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Description: Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City's own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis' most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it's ever known before.

Director: Zack Snyder

Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Diane Lane, Michael Shannon, Ezra Miller, Holly Hunter, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons,

Trailer: Trailer "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"

Comment: Still not excited!