Netflix Friday - Volume 98

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

Action: Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2021)
The bodyguard, Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds), continues his friendship with assassin, Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson), as they try to save Darius’ wife Sonia.
 

Drama: Big Fish (2003)
A frustrated son (Billy Crudup) tries to determine the fact from fiction in his dying father’s (Albert Finney) life.
 

Comedy: American Pie 2 (2001)
Jim (Jason Biggs) and his friends are now in college, and they decide to meet up at the beach house for some fun.
 

Animation: The Wind Rises (2013)
A look at the life of Jiro Horikoshi, the man who designed Japanese fighter planes during World War II.
 

Romance: Life as We Know It (2010)
Two single adults (Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel) become caregivers to an orphaned girl when their mutual best friends die in an accident.
 

Horror: The Unholy (2021)
A hearing-impaired girl is visited by the Virgin Mary and can suddenly hear, speak and heal the sick. As people flock to witness her miracle, terrifying events unfold. Are they the work of the Virgin Mary or something much more sinister?
 

Science Fiction: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
After Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is bitten by a genetically altered spider, he gains newfound, spider-like powers and ventures out to save the city from the machinations of a mysterious reptile foe (Rhys Ifans).
 

Crime: The Town (2010)
A proficient group of thieves rob a bank and hold Claire (Rebecca Hall), the assistant manager, hostage. Things begin to get complicated when one of the crew members (Ben Affleck) falls in love with Claire.
 

Thriller: 1922 (2017)
A simple yet proud farmer (Thomas Jane) in the year 1922 conspires to murder his wife for financial gain, convincing his teenage son to assist. But their actions have unintended consequences.
 

Documentary: Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives (2022)
After marrying a mysterious man who claimed he could make her dog immortal, a celebrated vegan restauranteur finds her life veering off the rails.
 

Family: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
Against all the odds, a thirteen-year-old boy in Malawi invents an unconventional way to save his family and village from famine.

Netflix Friday - Volume 48

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

Action: Shooter (2007)
A marksman (Mark Wahlberg) living in exile is coaxed bac into action after learning of a plot to kill the President. After being double crossed for the attempt and on the run, he sets out for the real killer and the truth.
 

Drama: Unbroken (2014)
After a near-fatal plane crash in WWII, Olympian Louis Zamperini (Jack O’Connell) spends a harrowing 47 days in a raft with two fellow crewmen before he’s caught by the Japanese navy and set to a prisoner-of-war camp.
 

Comedy: This is 40 (2012)
Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) are both to turn 40, their kids hate each other, both of their business are failing, they’re on the verge of losing their house, and their relationship is threatening to fall apart.
 

Animation: From Up On Poppy Hill (2011)
A group of Yokohama teens look to save their school’s clubhouse from the wrecking ball in preparations for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
 

Romance: The Hero (2017)
An ailing movie star (Sam Elliott) comes to terms with his past and mortality.
 

Horror: Ouija (2014)
A group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board.
 

Science Fiction: Aquaman (2018)
Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), the human-born heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, goes on a quest to prevent a war between the worlds of ocean and land.
 

Crime: The Town (2010)
A longtime thief (Ben Affleck), planning his next job, tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager (Rebecca Hall) connected to an earlier heist, and a hell-bent F.B.I. Agent (Jon Hamm) looking to bring him and his crew down.
 

Thriller: Secret Window (2004)
A successful writer (Johnny Depp) in the midst of a painful divorce is stalked at his remote lake house by a would-be scribe (John Turturro) who accuses him of plagiarism.
 

Documentary: Seaspiracy (2021)
Passionate about ocean life, a filmmaker sets out to document the harm that humans do to marine species, and uncovers alarming global corruption.

Family: Instant Family (2018)
A couple (Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne) find themselves in over their heads when they foster three children.

Netflix Friday - Volume 13

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

Action: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
A meek Hobbit from the Shire (Elijah Wood) and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-Earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.

Drama: Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden after the September 11th attacks, and his death at the hangs of the Navy S.E.A.L.s team 6 in May 2011.

Comedy: Knocked Up (2007)
For fun-loving party animal Ben Stone (Seth Rogen), the last thing he ever expected was for his one-night stand (Katherine Heigl) to show up on his doorstep eight weeks later to tell him she’s pregnant with his child.

Animation: Happy Feet (2006)
Into the world of the Emperor Penguins, who find their soul mates through song, a penguin is born who cannot sing. But he can tap dance something fierce!

Romance: Closer (2004)
The relationships of two couples (Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Natalie Portman, Jude Law) become complicated and deceitful when the man from one couple meets the woman of the other.

Horror: Insidious (2010)
A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.

Science Fiction: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
After discovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, mankind sets off a quest to find its origin with help from intelligent supercomputer H.A.L. 9000.

Crime: The Town (2010)
A longtime thief (Ben Affleck), planning his next job, tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager (Rebecca Hall) connected to an earlier heist, and a hell-bent F.B.I. Agent (John Hamm) looking to bring him and his crew down.

Thriller: Gone Girl (2014)
With his wife’s (Rosamund Pike) disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) sees the spotlight turned on him when it’s suspected that he may not be innocent.

Documentary: For the Love of Spock (2016)
An examination of the enduring appeal of Leonard Nimoy and his portrayal of Spock in “Star Trek”.

Family: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)
Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) partners with his mom’s husband (Dwayne Johnson) on a mission to find his grandfather, who is thought to be missing on a mythical island.

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 109: The Town

Director: Ben Affleck

Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller

Runtime: 125 minutes

Year: 2010

Starring: Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, John Hamm, Blake Lively, Pete Postlethwaite, Chris Cooper

Description: As he plans his next job, a longtime thief (Ben Affleck) tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager (Rebecca Hall) connected to one of his earlier heists, as well as the FBI agent (John Hamm) looking to bring him and his crew down.

Review: Since his directorial debut “Gone Baby Gone” everyone agrees that Ben Affleck is a better director than actor. The crime thriller, based on a book by Dennis Lehane, showed us he had a sense of timing and he knew what he wanted his actors to do. Wisely he let other actors do the work on camera. For his second film “The Town” he decided to give himself the lead role. Again the movie is based on a crime thriller, this time written by Chuck Hogan. “The Town” is definitely a good story and film, but sadly there isn’t the depth that “Gone Baby Gone” did have.

The story is set in Charlestown, a neighborhood in Boston. It’s a criminal town. Doug MacRay leads a gang of masked robbers, who often strike in the better parts of the neighborhood. During a bank heist, Doug’s aggressive partner Jem decides to take the bank manager hostage. They find out that the woman, Claire, lives in their neighborhood and to make sure she doesn’t tell on them, Doug accidentally meets her in a laundromat. Claire obviously doesn’t know Doug and the two go out. Doug also starts doubting his life as a criminal.

With “The Town”, Ben Affleck proofs again he is an excellent director. It’s a good crime thriller and it’s definitely worth watching. But a deeper layer is missing. There are scenes with more depth, like when Doug visits his father in jail, the introduction of the drug lord, played by Pete Postlethwaite and the FBI agent played by Jon Hamm. Off course, people love seeing car chases and flying bullets, but the lack of depth makes this movie not as good as it could have been.

The acting is great. Pete Postlethwaite and Chris Cooper only have small roles, but manage to impress in the few scenes they have. Jeremy Renner is the one to watch, because his character is very interesting and his performance strong. Rebecca Hall and Blake Lively are good as well. Jon Hamm’s character hardly has an interesting thing to do, he was underused. And Ben Affleck is overshadowed by most of the actors. His character is interesting, his acting mediocre.

“The Town” is a solid thriller, but don’t expect too much depth. Ben Affleck should keep on directing, but maybe with someone else in the lead. (In “Argo” it didn’t work that great either)

Rating: 3/ 5