90s Movie Review - Double Jeopardy

Director: Bruce Beresford
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 105 minutes
Year: 1999
Starring: Ashley Judd, Tommy Lee Jones, Bruce Greenwood, Annabeth Gish, Bruce Campbell

Description: Libby (Ashley Judd) is framed for her husband’s murder, but suspects he (Bruce Greenwood) is still alive. As she has already been tried for the crime, she can’t be re-prosecuted if she finds and kills him.

Review: Libby Parsons is crazy about sailing and gets a sailboat from her husband Nick, which they go out on together. One day on the boat, Libby wakes up in the middle of the night covered in blood and Nick is nowhere to be found. Libby is accused of murdering her husband and she is sentenced to a lengthy prison term. Before she is locked up in jail, she asks her best friend Angela to adopt her young son Matty. Angela agrees and she promises to visit Libby regularly. However, Angela only shows up once and Libby never hears from her again. From prison, Libby finds out that Angela has moved to San Francisco and she manages to reach her on the phone. Libby also manages to talk to Matty and during that conversation she finds out that Nick is still alive. She can’t do anything because of being locked up. Her friends in prison encourage her and she learns that once she is released, she can kill her husband without mercy because she cannot be convicted of the same crime a second time. It's called a double jeopardy.
After six years, Libby is released and must behave impeccably for the next three years, without breaking her parole, or else she can be sent back to prison. She reports to her probation officer Travis Lehman, who warns her once again to behave properly. But Libby has just one goal in mind: to find her son at all costs.
“Double Jeopardy” has many similarities to such films as “The Fugitive” and “US Marshalls” in which Tommy Lee Jones likewise takes up the pursuit of a criminal who later turns out to be innocent. Although Jones’ role is not as weighty as in the aforementioned films, he plays the role of Travis convincingly. The same can be said by Ashley Judd. I have always liked her as an actress.
“Double Jeopardy” is an all-round enjoyable crime thriller. The fact is that the story itself is not new. The film is very similar to other films in the genre. But despite this fact, the film remains captivating from beginning to end, partly due to good acting. I enjoyed it.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 102: Jason Bourne

Director: Paul Greengrass
Genre: Action/ Thriller
Runtime: 123 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Matt Damon, Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel, Julia Stiles, Bill Camp

Description: Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), the most dangerous former operative of the CIA is drawn out of hiding to uncover hidden truths about his past.

Review: Jason Bourne is back. After a spin-off with Jeremy Renner and almost 10 years without Jason Bourne, director Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon joined forces again and brought him back to the big screen. Bourne knows about his past, but there are still hidden truths to uncover.
The return of Matt Damon as Jason Bourne is so pleasant. The film starts with an amazing chase scene. Fast paced and it gets your immediate attention. The rebelling of the Greek citizens against the government is a perfect theme, but they stay with referecenses to recent happenings. The plot goes over to a subplot that isn’t as compelling.
Nicky Parsons introduces a new mystery in Bourne’s past by leaking important information. And then there is also Aaron Kalloor, who gives information to the new CIA boss. There is this whole social media thing going on. This subplot is not interesting at all. Because of this, Jason Bourne almost becomes a supporting character in his own film.
The acting is great. Matt Damon proof he hasn’t lost it yet and Tommy Lee Jones does a solid job as the CIA boss. Vincent Cassel is a convincing villain, but Alicia Vikander probably plays the best part.
Luckily for us the action is still there and very well done. And “Jason Bourne” is by no means a bad movie. It’s just the least of all the Bourne movies and the story isn’t as compelling.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 32: Lincoln

Director: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 151 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairns, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, John Hawkes, Jackie Earle Haley, Tim Blake Nelson, Bruce McGill, Lee Pace, Jared Harris

Description: In 1865, as the American Civil War winds inexorably toward conclusion, U.S. president Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) endeavors to achieve passage of the landmark constitutional amendment which will forever ban slavery from the United States. However, his task is a race against time, for peace may come at any time, and if it comes before the amendment is passed, the returning southern states will stop it before it can become law.

Review: 1865, the United States of America has been tortured with a Civil War for already four years. President Lincoln wants to end it, but first he wants his 13th amendment to be approved by the congress. When it is approved it means that slavery will end. Steven Spielberg’s task was to bring the story of this beloved man to the big screen. Lincoln’s most important deed was ending slavery and that’s what this movie focusses on. No long introduction of the president’s life, we go directly to one of the most important moments of his career.
“Lincoln” is for a huge part about political developments, which can be confusing for the average viewer. Some difficult terms are used, together with a lot of characters. What Spielberg does best is building up the tension even though you already know how the story is going to end. With that you don’t even notice the two and a half hour duration of the film.
For the role of president Lincoln, Spielberg choose one of the best actors in Hollywood: Daniel Day-Lewis. He’s known for getting lost in his roles and he does that again with “Lincoln”. His performance is so intense that you forget that you’re watching an actor. Sally Field, who had to persuade Spielberg to give her the role, plays Lincoln’s wife. Her most impressive moment is when she is in an argument with Lincoln. Tommy Lee Jones steals the show with his supporting role as Thaddeus Stevens, whom I found the most likeable character of the film.
The movie looks fantastic, it’s been perfected with a great eye for detail. Lincolns office was an exact replica, including all the books that he had.
“Lincoln” is a beautiful historical drama, that focusses on one of the most important events in history. That Daniel Day-Lewis won an Academy Award for his role is more than deserved.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Tip # 49: Captain America: The First Avenger

Director: Joe Johnston

Starring: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Stanley Tucci, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Dominic Cooper, Toby Jones

Description: It is 1942, America has entered World War II, and sickly but determined Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is frustrated at being rejected yet again for military service. Everything changes when Dr. Erksine (Stanley Tucci) recruits him for the secret Project Rebirth. Proving his extraordinary courage, wits and conscience, Rogers undergoes the experiment and his weak body is suddenly enhanced into the maximum human potential. When Dr. Erksine is then immediately assassinated by an agent of Nazi Germany's head of its secret HYDRA research department, Johann Schmidt aka the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), Rogers is left as a unique man who is initially misused as a propaganda mascot. However, when his comrades need him, Rogers goes on a successful adventure that truly makes him Captain America and his war against Schmidt begins.

Review: Let's just say that I'm not a big fan of superhero movies, with off course some exceptions. But I have to say that this is my favorite superhero movie. "Captain America: The First Avenger" is in many ways an old-fashioned movie, and I don't mean corny. It's old-fashioned entertainment, old-fashioned as in: why don't they make more movies like this? Most cinematic superheroes of today inhabit a universe where the heroes are full of shortcomings, including a large dose of cynicism. Steve Rogers has an innate goodness and he does anything in order to save humanity. Rogers is a very likeable man and Chris Evans does a fantastic job portraying him. I love Chris Evans. Great visual effects, which made Evans a very tiny and skinny man in the beginning. Because of the Vita-Rays, they made him the supersoldier he eventually became. The casting is by the way perfect, for every character. Hugo Weaving is a very convincing villain and is probably the strongest character in the film. I was impressed by Hayley Atwell, who played Rogers' love interest Peggy Carter. Evans has some very amusing scenes and lots of chemistry with Atwell. Strong supporting roles are there for Tucci as the moral anchor of the film and Tommy Lee Jones gets the most laughs as the no-nonsense Colonel Philips. I was really glad to be talked into seeing this movie, because it was very good and I enjoyed every bit of it. Now I have a new favorite superhero: Captain America rules!