20s Movie Review - Wonka

Director: Paul King
Genre: Musical/ Fantasy/ Adventure/ Family/ Comedy
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Oliva Colman, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Jim Carter, Matt Lucas, Paterson Joseph, Hugh Grant, Sally Hawkins

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 14: A FANTASY FILM
 
Description: With dreams of opening a ship in a city renowned for its chocolate, a young and poor Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) discovers that the industry is run by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers.

Review: A young Willy Wonka has traveled all over the world, and is now ready to settle down somewhere and reveal his homemade chocolate to people. Easier said than done, especially since the mall in which he plans to open his own business us run by an evil trio of chocolatiers. Soon Wonka finds himself locked up working in a laundry basement, where his dream feel impossible.

There are many unsublte references to “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” and the original book. However, they are woven into the story and are not just simple crowd pleasers.

Wonka has been eccentric since he was a child. Timothée Chalamet took some mannerisms from Gene Wilder’s rendition. But her otherwise plays him in his own way. He portrays an energetic and naïve Willy Wonka who has yet to experience the necessary fall backs and has too much faith in human kind. Logical to approach it that way. Chalamet carries the movie effortlessly. Is there anything he can’t do?
Besides Willy Wonka, only two characters were in the original story: the Oempa Loempa and Slugworth as one of the evil chocolatiers. The other characters are all new and feel like they come from Roald Dahl’s imagination. Especially the ruthless and opportunistic adults.

“Wonka” contains a number of original songs. Again, not forced copies from the old movie, but no heavily modernized either. They are charming and some have the potential to be memorable.

The bond between Wonka and the young girl Noodle was so heartwarming, that scene in the zoo stole my heart and made me so happy. I also loved the backstory of Noodle. Sad, yet hopeful in the end. I was kind of skeptical about Hugh Grant as the Oompa Loompa, but he was surprisingly funny, even though I still believe it looked a bit weird.

“Wonka is a delightful film for the entire family, and adventure with good characters against the bad without becoming one-dimensional. I absolutely loved this film and that it also happens to be a musical is just a major win for me.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Review - Dune: Part Two

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Genre: Science Fiction/ Drama/ Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 166 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Javier Bardem, Christopher Walken, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, Léa Seydoux
 
Description: Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.

Review: It’s finally here: Denis Villeneuve’s long-awaited second part of his epic film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novel. “Dune: Part Two” offers an engaging, lucid and spectacular continuation of the story and tells interesting things about myths, colonialism, ecology, religion and fate. But it impresses above all with its great visuals.

It is a sequel, because it’s the second film, but they are not two separate films. They form a whole and one can not be viewed without the other. Part two picks up when Paul Atreides and his mother Lady Jessica have been taken in by the Fremen, the indigenous people of sand planet Arrakis. What follows is the evolution of Duke’s chils Paul into Maud-Dib, or Lisan al-Gaib. An evolution with extreme consequences.

Villeneuve has focused on the development of Paul, who brings together moderates and fanatics and struggles with his identity. The film has a geopolitical and (post-) colonial layer, with Arrakis as the oil-rich Middle Each, House Atreides as the more progressive Europe, House Harkonnen as representatives of the nihilistic dictatorships pursuing unscrupulous colonial policies and the emperor as the puppeteer.
I was very impressed by Austin Butler, who is a new character and the villain Feyd-Rautha of this second part. Timothée Chalamet manages again to proof that he can easily lead a big film. And Rebecca Ferguson, as Lady Jessica, really showed a nice transformation of her character.

The camerawork is mesmerizing, the way these amazing action scenes were shot.

I already loved the first film, but “Dune: Part Two” is even slightly better. It’s a true epic sci-fi saga, with a complex world with equally complex characters. I just can’t wait for this saga to continue.  

Rating: 5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Beautiful Boy

Director: Felix van Groeningen
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney, Amy Ryan

Description: A heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years.

Review: “Beautiful Boy” relentlessly portrays the effect of addiction on family and surroundings. With the huge opiate crisis plaguing the United States, “Beautiful Boy” about a son who becomes addicted to drugs will hit like a bomb. It’s based on the memoirs of father and son David and Nic Sheff. Nic’s books are about the addiction itself, while his father’s books are more about the effect this addiction has on the rest of the family. Director Felix van Groeningen brings these two perspectives together in “Beautiful Boy”, resulting in a deeply moving film. Rarely has the subject of addiction in American film been so sincerely told without completely demonizing or romanticizing the addict and drugs.

David Sheff is a successful journalist who lives with his second wife and their two children in a beautiful house in a woodland area. Nic, Davids son from his first marriage, also lives with them. He spends most of his time in his room. David is hopeless when his son has not come home for several days. When Nic finally does come home, it is soon clear that he is on drugs. Nic eventually goes to rehab and after this, he decides to go to college. But he relapses. What follows is a cycle of recovery and relapse to the drugs that seem to have no end. this cycle has been portrayed impressively. Each time Nic reaches for the drugs again makes you gasp. “Beautiful boy” grabs you by the throat, gives you a brief respite only to tighten the grip around your neck.

Belgian director Felix van Groening feels perfectly at home in Hollywood, with his first English-language film. He already showed his talent, with especially “The Broken Circle Breakdown”. Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet are the stars of the film. Chalamet perfectly captures the smallest of emotions and proves again that he is one of the greatest talents in Hollywood. Carell also plays excellently here as a concerned father who seems to be succumbing to his son’s addiction. Consequently, the most heartbreaking scenes are the interactions between father and son. Van Groeningen brings out the very best in his actors. The strength of “Beautiful Boy” is that at no point does it make moral judgments about the user and the drugs.

“Beautiful Boy” is full of raw emotion, but eventually lapses into repetition. Of course, this shows well the cycle of addiction, but at the cost of the rawness. But that is really the only point of critique I have. Overall, this is a heartbreaking story with fantastic performances by both Chalamet and Carell, who play off of each other very well and are great separate as well.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Review - The French Dispatch

Director: Wes Anderson
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Léa Seydoux, Timothée Chalamet, Christoph Waltz, Saoirse Ronan, Jeffrey Writgh, Anjelica Huston, Adrien Brody, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe, Tilda Swinton, Elisabeth moss, Benicio Del Toro, Rupert Friend, Frances McDormand, Liev Schreiber, Henry Winkler, Jason Schwartzman, Mathieu Amalric, Bob Balaban

Description: A love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional twentieth century French city that brings to life a collection of stories published in “The French Dispatch Magazine”.

Review: Wes Anderson’s exuberant cinematic world I immediately recognizable to any film lover. With symmetrical compositions, use of color palettes, and ensemble of top actors and extremely detailed sets, Anderson brings somewhat melancholy stories to life in a comical way. This is no different in “The French Dispatch”, with the difference that with even more detail is has become an extremely enjoyable maze of stories and sets. With his latest film, Wes Anderson manages to make at least three full-length feature films in less than two hours. “The French Dispatch” contains an unprecedented wealth of references, styles, locations, details and fun.
With his new film, Anderson simultaneously pays tribute to The New Yorker magazine and his hometown of Paris. In the fictional town of Ennui-sur-Blasé, the editorial staff of The French Dispatch magazine is followed. The film takes the structure of one of the magazine’s issues and the delves into several stories. This magazine contains and obituary, a travel story, and three longer main articles. These articles tell of a student uprising, a painter in prison, and a culinary reviewer who goes to a police station to taste chef Nescaffier’s food.
In “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, Wes Anderson already worked successfully with frame narratives. Once again, the various narrative perspectives flow freely through each other. Yet the whole remains an extremely coherent story. Scenes follow one another at a fast pace, without ever running out of steam. All of these different storylines are also full of humor and extremely interesting stylistic choices.
Everything seems possible again in Anderson’s world. For example, there is a chase scene that takes place entirely in an animation style. In “The Grand Budapest Hotel” there was already a chase made in stop-motion. This break in style does not detract from the film at all. This animation is yet another fantastically thought-out ingredient in this mishmash of influences and styles.  
Wes Anderson not only creates a labyrinth with a multitude of styles and storylines. The sets are also more of a maze than ever. When culinary reporter Roebucj Wright arrives at the police station, it consist of an incredible number of rooms. The camera follows Roebuck through all these rooms with their own identity. In half a minute countless details pass by.
“The French Dispatch” is a declaration of love to cinema from which the passion for the medium shines. It contains everything that makes film such a fantastic art form: complex storylines, a unique visual style and a constant play with light, color, movement and sound. “The French Dispatch” is yet another highlight in Wes Anderson’s already impressive oeuvre and an outstanding form of cinema.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Review - Dune

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Genre: Drama/ Adventure/ Action
Runtime: 156 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgård, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling

Description: Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is the son of a noble family who is entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy.

Review: It’s not often that a book retains the status of being unfilmable after it’s been filmed. Author Frank Herbert’s “Dune” did not exactly get the film adaptation this extremely popular and influential work deserved in 1984. In 2000 another attempt was made with a mini-series, which, with its longer running time, did more justice to the complex source material. It would probably have stopped there, were it not for the fact that in tha last two decades Hollywood has tackled many books that were considered unfilmable. Just look at “The Lord of the Rings”-trilogy. And it this complex story can be adapted into one of the most beloved and acclaimed film trilogies of all time, why shouldn’t  “Dune” work? And with the right filmmaker, lots is possible.
Enter Denis Villeneuve, who has been on an impressive winning streak for a good decade now. Villeneuve does not shy away from collaborating with big stars, but has always managed to avoid to easy Hollywood projects. Instead, he devotes himself to films that can easily categorize as ‘quality cinema’: suitable for a large audience but not pedantic and more confrontational than comfortable. “Blade Runner 2049” could be called his first blockbuster.
“Dune” is similar in scale and budget to Villeneuve’s previous film, but a lot more complex in terms of narrative. After all, Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel is full of characters and hard-to-explain science fiction concepts, which could potentially keep the average moviegoer away. in this, fortunately, Villeneuve’s aptitude for the subject matter is apparent, once again managing to strike a good balance between grand visual spectacle and concrete personal drama. As with “Blade Runner 2049”, he stays pretty faithful to the source material, but manages to bend it visually well to his will. By his own admission, he was only ready for this project after the experience of films like “Arrival” and “Blade Runner 2049”, and that doesn’t seem to be a meaningless statement, as “Dune” looks and feels like a logical continuation of Villeneuve’s previous films, but mostly one that benefits from the experience as a filmmaker.
Unlike the 1984 film, Villeneuve’s “Dune” does not open with a confusing dump of info, but simply begins with a clear narrative in which plot details pass by in fairly organic fashion. Of course it helps when you gradually learn about the feudal system of the distant future, the tension between various noble families, the importance of the raw material that can only be found on the desert planet Arrakis or the possible messianic status of the youthful main character Paul Atreides, but the central plot is still easy to follow when all these details get a bit too much for you. Thankfully, “Dune” never presents its plot information as homework, doesn’t blind itself to the details, and is smart enough to leave some characters in the wings until a future installment.
“Dune” is more than its plot. Villeneuve has a keen eye for the world in which the extensice story is set. And so, for example, there is a meaningful close-up when the young hero Paul takes his first steps on the desert sands of Arrakis. Whereas previous film adaptations showed this desert planet as a rather dark place, similar to how Mars is usually portrayed, Villeneuve makes full use of the Middle Eastern metaphor by showing this planet in bright light with harsh shadows. This makes the inhospitality of this world completely palpable even before the huge sandworms appear. It helps, of course, that it was really filmed in the desert, and with the beautiful rock formations, it's not hard to be visually impressive. Villeneuve also shows a good eye for scale with his wide panoramas in which there is always something going on in the background.
“Dune” opens with the indication that this is ‘part one’, but the arrival of a second is not guaranteed. This will leave you possibly somewhat unfulfilled, not knowing of this story will ever be concluded appropriately. It is to be hoped that there is enough enthusiasm for a continuation, because Villeneuve absolutely deserves it.

Rating: 4,5 / 5

Movie Review - Little Women

Director: Greta Gerwig
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 135 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, James Norton, Louis Garrel

Description: Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) reflects back and forth on her life, telling the beloved story of the March sisters: four young women, each determined to live life on her own terms.

Review: Louisa May Alcott’s novel “Little Women” has stimulated filmmaker’s fantasies for over a hundred years. The story, which revolves around four sister who tried to develop their artistic talent during the American Civil War, has been adapted for film several times. But never as good as now. After the highly praised “Lady Bird”, director Great Gerwig once again delivers a feminist tour de force, bubbling with life. “Little Women” is an anything but stiff and old-fashioned costume drama. See for example the smooth dialogue Gerwig has written for her female protagonists. The ladies don’t wait their turn before they are allowed to speak, but tumble verbally constantly. This gives the film a lot of dynamic.
Louisa May Alcott’s novel is divided into two separate periods, in which the youth and adulthood of the sisters Jo, Amy, Beth and Meg March are the focus. Gerwig remains faithful to the content of this story, but fortunately does not opt for the same, predictable structure of the book. She cuts up the two timelines and mixes them up, creating a story structure that is actually much more exciting. Because only gradually does it become clear how the past exactly influenced the present.
Although the story takes place in the nineteenth century, “Little Women” often feels surprisingly contemporary. This is mainly because the traditional division of roles between men and women is changing. Whereas the women with their fiery ambitions are the driving force behind this story, the men are merely on the sidelines as spectators or desperate love interests. And yet it is inevitable that even the sisters come up against certain limits set by sexism as they travel their ambitious life path.
Jo in particular is sick and tired of doing what is expected by society. She has no interest whatsoever in marrying a rich man, but above all she wants to be independent and publish her own novel. Even if this means ending up lonely and poor. Sister Amy, on the other hand, is much more willing to give up her dreams in exchange for security and prosperity. It is there kinds od contradictions from which the subtle drama in “Little Women” derives its power. Gradually, the bond between the sisters dissolves in the flow of time, after which each one chooses her own path and different destinies become visible.
Finally, it should be mentioned that Greta Gerwig has brought together a star cast for “Little Women”. Afterwards the performances by Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh, both nominated for an Oscar, will remain in the memory. But the real star is Greta Gerwig herself, who, with her skillfully crafted costume drama, once again resounds a strong feminist sound in Hollywood. Sadly the Academy didn’t acknowledged her great direction for an award.
I can’t fault “Little Women”, it’s a movie I could watch over and over again.

Rating: 5 / 5

10s Movie Review - Interstellar

Director: Christopher Nolan
Genre: Drama/ Science Fiction/ Adventure
Runtime: 169 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Mackenzie Foy, Wes Bentley, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Caine, Casey Affleck, Topher Grace, Ellen Burstyn, Matt Damon, John Lithgow, David Oyelowo

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 26: A MOVIE MADE BY CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

Description: A team of explorers travel through a wormhole in space in an attempt to ensure humanity’s survival.

Review: Spaceman Cooper leaves his two children, when he decides to take part in a space mission to find an alternative planet for the decaying Earth. Time is relative, according to Einstein, so a trip to the first planet they visit takes Cooper an hour or three, but in our perception of time more than twenty-three years. Back at the base station, Cooper sees a video of his family. In a few minutes he sees that his family has dramatically changed. Daughter Murp, is as old as him now and son Tom is a father himself. “Interstellar” leans heavily on family ties, which gives it a huge emotional load.
The story is very complex and it is best to just let it take you away. Cooper became a farmer, after a traumatic crash, since Earth is in dire need of food. Another planet offers the only solution, but mankind has stopped space travel. At school they even learn that the mission to the moon was only a clever propaganda move. Cooper’s clever daughter Murphy think’s she is getting signals from her bookcase. What and who is unclear. Martians? Gravity? But Murphy thinks it’s a ghost. However, this silent force and a dust storm lead Cooper and his daughter to a remote space lab.
Christopher Nolan and his writer brother Jonathan are both men with great ideas and an unparalleled ability to transform their vision into images. And you can see that in “Interstellar”. You have to really pay attention or know a bit about physics to fully understand the complicated concept of black holes, wormholes, fourth and fifth dimension and the theory of relativity. Each time you are reassured with the realization that in the end, it is the dramatic aspect that the Nolan brothers want to focus on. Only Christopher Nolan knows how to combine all these difficult angles with compelling drama and spectacular space trips. Surprisingly, they are often very simple principles such as love and loss. “Interstellar” is overall a very ambitious movie. It’s clear that movies like “2001: A Space Odyssey” or “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” were major inspirations for Nolan.
“Interstellar” is anything but a simple space adventure, a film you really have to focus on and let yourself be overwhelmed by. And the soundtrack is one of the best in years. A fantastic film, that doesn’t feel like it’s almost three hours long.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Reviews - The King

Director: David Michôd
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 140 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Joel Edgerton, Ben Mendelsohn, Sean Harris, Lily-Rose Depp, Robert Pattinson

Description: Hal (Timothée Chalamet), wayward prince and heir to the English throne, is crowned King henry V after his tyrannical father dies. Now the young king must navigate palace politics, the war his father left behind and the emotional strings of his past life.

Review: That Timothée Chalamet, after excellent performances as a passionately in love boy in “Call Me by Your Name” and drug addict lost soul in “Beautiful Boy”, can probably play everything with conviction, he proves during the motivational speech scene in the historical drama “The King”. Chalamet plays Henry V, King of England from 1413 until his death in 1422, and he braves his men before the Battle of Azincourt, a benchmark favourable to the English during the Hundred Years' War with France.
Such a speech requires the natural preponderance and persuasiveness and self-confidence that you would not normally expect from a 23-year-old actor who has so far mainly shown himself in vulnerable boyish roles, but Chalamet can do it. His Henry V doesn't feel much for it at first, waging war, and that makes his playing in this scene, if possible, even prettier: we're looking at a king who never seems to fully feel his nationalist war rhetoric and then only partially focuses on glowing acting - Chalamet fully masters the play.
The film by director-screenwriter David Michôd is actually a bit good and solid for the bursting talent of his protagonist. Michôd shows Henry's transformation from drunkard and devourer of women - his sick father Henry IV prefers his younger son Thomas as heir to the throne - to king with little fear, in images that look a little too familiar. Beautifully lit, finely played (note also Joel Edgerton, hidden behind a big beard, as Henry's right hand Sir John Falstaff), told in a calm tempo, with more attention to the threat of war than the war itself, but executed without surprise. The same goes for the final war in The King. There are TV series that depict a battlefield like the mud battle at Azincourt significantly better.
Robert Pattinson must have felt the same way when he took on the role of the French prince positioned opposite Henry V. Could he have forced some creative freedom on the director and producers? Pattinson said goodbye to his status as a teenage girl idol in recent years, thanks to his role as a vampire in the "Twilight" films. In a role with cult potential, in "The King" he puts on a silly French accent and then plays the insufferable Frenchman. In my opinion he comes off like a bit of a caricature. Most French character have certain stereotypical trades and aren’t pictures very positive, as for the British characters are mostly brave, heroic and righteous.
The film needs some time to get in to, but in the end it’s a solid historical drama, with beautiful shots of the environment, landscapes and battles (even if one moment in a battle looks exactly like a scene from “Game of Thrones”).

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Reviews - Lady Bird

Director: Greta Gerwig
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Jordan Rodrigues, Odeya Rush

Description: In 2002, an artistically inclined seventeen-year-old girl (Saoirse Ronan) comes of age in Sacramento, California.

Review: What do you want to be when you grow up? Many people who are on their dead bed don’t even know the answer to that question. But for some it’s clear very early on in which direction their life is going. For some it’s an eternal search. Teenager Lady Bird is somewhere in between. But can you blame other fort his?
Actress Greta Gerwig already wrote a handful of screenplays and made her directorial debut about a decade ago. But with “Lady Bird” she shows herself as a true filmmaker. The central character in this coming-of-age story is teenager Lady Bird and her search for her purpose in life. And her relationship with her mother is a big part of that. One moment they are listening to an audiobook together in the car, filled with emotion. The next minute, Lady Bird throws herself out of that car after a discussion with her mom.
She is actually called Christine, but because she is bored of the dull life in Sacramento, she decides to give herself the name Lady Bird.
The quest for adulthood is a common given in movies, because it makes room for character development. And that’s something that keeps a dramedy interesting. But in “Lady Bird” everything falls into the right place. And not only because of Greta Gerwig. Also actress Saoirse Ronan, who plays the title role.
“Lady Bird” is not the kind of film with rigorous twists or melodramatic changes and happenings. And this all makes this film very relatable. And Gerwig doesn’t force a moral on you either.
Not only Ronan deserves praise. Also her movie mom, played by Laurie Metcalfe, deserves to be mentioned.
“Lady Bird” is an excellent coming-of-age story, very well performed by Ronan and Metcalfe and a great director Greta Gerwig.

Rating: 4 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 132: Call Me By Your Name

Director: Luca Guadagnino
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Armie hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Timothée Chalamet, Esther Garrel, Peter Spears, Elena Bucci, Victoire Du Bois, Antonio Rimoldi, Andre Anciman, Marco Sgrosso, Vanda Capriolo

Description: In Northern Italy in 1983, seventeen year-old Elio begins a relationship with visiting Oliver, his father's research assistant, with whom he bonds over his emerging sexuality, their Jewish heritage, and the beguiling Italian landscape.

Review: “Call Me By Your Name” is the kind of movie that will make you sit through the credits with tears in your eyes. It’s not a sad movie, it’s a movie about love. And that a beautiful thing like love, can also make your hurt.
Timothée Chalamet is a force of nature. His character Elio will make you live life to the fullest and will make you want to fall in love too. Hopefully we will see more of him in the future.
Armie Hammer is so good in “Call Me By Your Name”. Oliver is endearing and caring, but also sexy and human. He cares for Elio and his love for him is so sincere.
That monologue that Michael Stuhlbarg gave towards the end of the film, really touched my heart in all the right spots. So raw and honest.
I’m really glad I got to see it. I hope more people will, because it’s a fantastic film. One of the best of 2017.

Rating: 5/ 5