20s Movie Review - The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Director: Francis Lawrence
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Drama
Runtime: 157 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Peter Dinklage

Description: Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) mentors and develops feelings for the female District 12 tribute (Rachel Zegler) during th 10^th Hunger Games.

Review: “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is the fifth movie in the Hunger Games franchise, based on the 4-part book series written by Suzanne Collins. The story is set many years before “The Hunger Games”, before we meet Katniss Everdeen.

In this film we see a world recently torn apart by war. there were many deaths, but above all there was hunger. A lot of hunger. Therefore, the instigators of the war, the districts that must listen to the autocrat in the Capitol, must pay. Every year 24 children, two from each districts, are drawn by a lot and thrown into an arena. They have to fight each other to the death, only one can come out alive and will be the winner. And the whole event can be followed on TV.

The “The Hunger Games” books, was one of the first series I absolutely loved. And I believe they did a fantastic job with the movies. This prequel came 10 years after the last book, “Mockinjay”, was released. In 2020, so not that long ago. We jump to the 10^th Hunger Games, which seem to be waning in popularity. Dr. Volumnia Gaul wants the games to continue at all costs. It is up to the students of the prestigious Academy to turn the children of the districts into a spectacle. They are all assigned one, and must coach them.

One of those students is Coriolanus Snow, the 18-year-old son of a deceased war commander. To the outside world, his family still has a lot of prestige, power and money, but in reality he is emaciated, broke and living on soup and cabbage. If he wants to continue his studies after the Academy, his tribute must win. Lucy Gray Baird is the poor girl from District 12 that he has to mentor.

Coriolanus Snow is of course the same person as President Snow, as we met him in “The Hunger Games”, the relentless, merciless leader of Panem. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” shows you his backstory, of how he went from a hungry schoolboy to a ruthless tyrant. He falls in love with his tribute, Lucy, which should show us that he ones had feelings and heart. But somehow, I can never get behind it, I never feel respect, compassion or sympathy for young Coriolanus. Because I know who he will become. And although you are rooting for Lucy, her character didn’t do anything for me. I also didn’t like all the singing, it felt out of place. Rachel Zegler is a great singer, but you don’t have to use this quality every moment you get.

Viola Davis plays Volumnia Gaul, a pretty disturbing character. Loved her. And Peter Dinklage play Casca Highbottom, the brilliant mind behind the Hunger Games. It’s just a small role, but he steals every scene just like in “Game of Thrones”. He really fits into this world. Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman is portrayed by Jason Schwartzman, the presenter of the Hunger Games. And he has a link to Cesar Flickerman, Stanley Tucci’s character in the original “The Hunger Games” films.

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is a long sit, with over two and a half hours of runtime. But when you want to give a character depth and also show a lot of world-building, it’s necessary. And I didn’t mind, it didn’t feel like more then 150 minutes. And the actual Hunger Games is also a big part of the movie, which was really well-done. And it felt like a “Hunger Games”-movie, it fits in with the other four films. But the movie doesn’t stop right after the Hunger Games. For we see, and this is very well portrayed, how Coriolanus Snow changes from that schoolboy into a power-hungry, ruthless man, who will pulverize anything and anyone in his path towards his goal.

Overall, “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is a good film, I enjoyed it, but didn’t care for the characters as much as I did with the other films.

Rating: 3,5/ 5
 

00s Movie Review - Doubt

Director: John Patrick Shanley
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 104 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: Mery Streep, Amy Adams, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Viola Davis
 
Description: A catholic school principal (Meryl Streep) questions a priest’s (Philip Seymour Hoffman) ambiguous relationship with a troubled young student.  

Review: Without doubt, there is no faith. The historical setting of “Doubt” underscores that wisdom: major social changes are afoot in America’s early 1960s, but the film deals with a more fundamental uncertainty: holding to your faith or straying into sin to sanctify a greater purpose?

A Catholic elementary school in the Bronx, cut off from current events, welcomes new priest Brendan Flynn, who alludes to major changes within the church community with a charismatic sermon. At odds with his emancipatory ideas is principal Aloysius Beauvier who does not understand what he is talking about. Beauvier seems like a woman from days gone by, but appearances are deceptive: based on suspicion of Sister James, her young protégé, she accuses Flynn of abusing a black alter boy. Her crusade grows into a titanic struggle in which the truth, however, remains hidden. The title more than covers it.

The most pressing questios are left unanswered: why is Siter Beauvier convinced of Flynn’s guilt? Are her doubts also directed to God? What happened between Flynn and the young boy? “Doubt” keeps it all in the middle.

“Doubt” isn’t a spectacular film, it’s an acting movie, that is  made or broken by its cast. And having performers like Meryl Streep, the late Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis in your cast, it’s definitely going to be alright.

“Doubt” addresses fundamental questions or responsibility and suspicion, but does not offer enough space for real reflection on the morality of faith. A well-acted movie.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - The Woman King

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Genre: Action/ Drama
Runtime: 135 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedo, John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Jordan Bolger, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Jimmy Odukoya, Masali Baduza, Jayme Lawson
 
Description: A historical epic inspired by true events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

Review: For three centuries, a small but powerful kingdom was located in the south of what is now the West African country of Benin. Dahomey was protected by an elite army made up of female warriors. They had to fight off the soldiers of the neighboring kingdom of Oyo. The army and their leader Nanisca form the core of the historical drama “The Woman King”, based on true events.

It's not completely clear how close to the truth this directorial debut of Gina Prince-Bythewood is. King Ghezo really existed and so did the army of female warriors. But General Nanisca is fictional.

This Nanisca is portrayed by Academy Award winner Viola Davis, who shows a completely new side of herself. She is fearless, brutal, wise and contemplative. In the opening, we see her army freeing a group of prisoners from the Oyo. Then, when they return to Dahomey, they are welcomed by the people. Legend dictated that you must not look the warriors in the eye.

Unlike its format and setting suggests, “The Woman King” is not a sweeping indulgence of the woke movement to show more diversity. The idea was suggested by actress and producer Maria Bello who was told the story after a visit to Benin. The story, set in 1823, sheds light on a side of Africa that many will not know.
Th structure of Prince-Bythewood’s historical epic is rather classic and offers disappointingly few surprises once the concept of a female elite army has sunk in. Niwa’s journey to aadulthood follows calibrated paths, and new additions such as the friendship she makes with a Brazilian nobleman do little to change this. The fact that African kingdoms enslaved and traded each other’s captives, for example, is only scantily discussed. The author prefers to string together action scenes rather than provide a coherent plot.

One attempt at the latter is made by having Nanisca make a revelation. It gives her character not only depth but also more humanity. Few will be surprised that there is something to be done with this later.
The main reason why “The Woman King” is worth your time is Viola Davis, who illustrates with the role that she can really stand out and easily carries the movie. Without her in this role, “The Woman King” would be easily forgettable.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Black Adam

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Shahi, Noah Centineo, Quientessa Swindell, Marwan Kenzari, Bodhi Sabongui, Mohammed Amer, Viola Davis
 
Description: Nearly 5000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the Egyptian gods and imprisoned just as quickly, Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson) is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice of the modern world.  

Review: Teth Adam (later Black Adam) received magical powers from the wizard Shazam thousands of years ago. He has used these powers for evil purposes, they imprisoned him for centuries. Now he is about to be set free.

“Black Adam” is the latest film in the DC Extended Universe, which seems to be revived. But is this becomes the new standard, there’s not much improvement in it for the studio.

“Black Adam” is a very messy film. The story goes down thanks to the script. The structure is way off. In many films, story technical flaws are forgivable. But in this case, it distracted tremendously from the pacing, and thus the entire movie experience.

It takes very long for the story to get going. The introduction of Black Adam himself is well done and pretty cool. But until near the end of the film, our main character has completely no motivation. He has no needs, no purpose, he just exists in the film. And the plot itself jumps back and forth. Initially they have to stop Black Adam, but soon they choose a completely different route, which does not really work. This is why the eventual ‘plot twist’ feels confusing and cheap, and why the film does not flow nicely. The entire film just feels like a collection of events.

Dwayne Johnson, always an entertaining actor, seems like a good choice for the role, but he doesn’t really feel comfortable in his role. He plays a very emotionless character. Which seems logical, with the backstory he has. This also gives the film a very serious tone. And there is nothing wrong with that, but when characters like Atom Smasher and Karim, purely in the movie for comic relief, are trying to break this tone with their jokes, it feels out of place.

There is also the introduction of a new superhero group called the Justice Society, consisting of Cyclone, Hawkman, Dr. Fate and the aforementioned Atom Smasher. Among them, it’s only Dr. Fate who really leaves an impression and is interesting enough to actually care about. That’s mostly due to actor Pierce Brosnan and his experience. We are supposed to feel something for Cyclone and Atom Smasher, who have no chemistry, when we are clearly looking at potential love interests. And Hawkman’s character was anything but original, but his costume was really cool though.

The film is entertaining enough, because of the high quality of action, something to be expected from the DCEU. Maybe an overkill of slow-motion scenes, but that’s something I could forgive.

Unfortunately,  the technical feats do not save “Black Adam”. The poor structure, lack of interesting characters and weak editing, make this for a very “meh” experience. Kudos to DC for shining the light on a lesser known superhero, sadly not very well executed. I went in with no expectations, came out feeling I could have also just watched it at home.

Rating: 2/ 5

20s Movie Review - The Unforgivable

Director: Nora Fingscheidt
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Vincent D’Onofrio, Viola Davis, Rob Morgan, Jon Bernthal, Richard Thomas, Linda Emond, Emma Nelson, Aisling Franciosi, Will Pullen, Tom Guiry

Description: A woman (Sandra Bullock) is released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime and re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past

Review: “The Unforgivable” focuses on how difficult it if for convicts to reintegrate into society after their prison sentence.
Ruth Slater has served 20 years for the murder of a sheriff. She is, therefore, a cop killer. She is transferred to place in Chinatown where she shares a room with other women. From there she will have to start her life again. When she gets a job and shows up on her first day, she is already sent walking. The boss apparently found out about her past. So she has no choice but to accepts the offer of her coach Vincent Cross, to work in a fish market. Ruth wants to works as a carpenter and eventually gets a second job.
When Ruth was arrester, her sister Katie was 5 years old. However, the judge has imposed a restraining order on Ruth from contacting her sister who now lives with Michael and Rachel. Ruth also visits her old house, where she lived with Katie and where the sheriff was killed. John Ingram and his wife Liz now live there. John is a lawyer and wants to help Ruth.
“The Unforgivable” is a compelling drama with solid storytelling. There is a plot twist, that you will eventually see coming, right before it is revealed. Sandra Bullock is really strong. She plays a scarred character in a powerful way. The rest of the cast don’t have big enough roles to impress you as much as Bullock does, although Viola Davis does have one scene where she steals the show. But Bullock carries the movie, without her it would be a forgettable movie. Now it’s an above average film that you will remember.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Director: George C. Wolfe
Genre: Drama/ Music
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman, Michael Potts, Jeremy Shamos, Jonny Coyne, Taylour Paige, Dusan Brown, Joshua Harto, Quinn VanAntwerp, Chloe Davis, Mayte Natalio, Johanna Elmina Moise, Onyxx Noel, LaWanda Hopkins, Sierra Stewart, Malaiyka Reid, Catherine Foster

Description: During a recording session, tensions rise between Ma Rainey (Viola Davis), her ambitious horn player (Chadwick Boseman) and the white management determined to control the uncontrollable ‘Mother of the Blues’.

Review: Levee Green things he’s quite a star. The record producer for Ma Rainey, the great frontwoman of his band, has picked his swinging version of her most famous song to record. He also wants to put a few of Green’s own songs on record. But when Ma herself shows up at the studio, she quickly puts an end to Levee’s arrogant illusions that “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” will be played in any way other than she wants. Certainly Levee’s splashy intro is going to be on the upswing, because that’s where he nephew gets to do some speaking. Only problem: he stutters like crazy.
These circumstances mainly set the stage for the subcutaneous tension between the old guard in 1927 blues music and the wave of swinging newcomers, as well as those between black musicians and the bosses who control the music world. At the center of it all is the fictional Levee, the very last film character that actor Chadwick Boseman played, who died in 2020. We see how he easily bends scenes his way, even though he is surrounded by numerous talented actors. Boseman charms the camera. A shot where you can only see him listening is already a feast for the eyes. He absolutely steals every scene and was the highlight of the film.
Ma Rainey is anything but fictional. However, this is a film adaptation of a play of the same name centered around the historic blues singer. She was one of the very first black performers of significance, an exception in the US of the 1920s. Levee is a creation of writer August Wilson, symbolizing the black artist on the margins, with all the talent and ambition in him. As a swinging trumpeter with the sound of the future, he is well ahead of his time. And what does that mean for a black man at this juncture.
Viola Davis doesn’t have to show a whole lot of acting range for her title role, but she does o deep in intensity. One look from Ma Rainey pulverizes. And under the thick layer of makeup, the actress is made almost unrecognizable.
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is a movie not a lot of people would turn to, but with Chadwick Boseman’s death, a lot more eyes are on this film than id he had lived. This film is good because of his fantastic, flawless performance.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - Trust

Director: David Schwimmer
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 2010
Starring: Clive Owen, Catherine Keener, Liana Liberator, Jason Clarke, Viola Davis, Chris Henry Coffey, Noah Emmerich, Brandon Molale, Nicole Forester, Noah Crawford, Jordan Trovillion, Chameria Law, Gordon Michaels, Sarah Kamoo, Garrett Ryan, Zanny Laird

Description: A teenage girl is targeted by an online sexual predator.

Review: The internet and social media have changed the way people communicate with each other. It offers us numerous new opportunities. Unfortunately, the same is true for sexual predators. They use chat sites to contact minors under a false name. Director David Schwimmer’s “Trust” shows how an internet pedophile uses the internet to gain the trust of fourteen-year-old Annie and turn her into a victim. And how her trust and that of her parents subsequently appear to be irreparably damaged.
The Cameron family is an example of a happy American family. Until Annie falls in love with Charlie whom she met through teenchat.com. After several months of innocent communication through chat sites and text messages, Annie decides to answer Charlie’s request to meet up on a weekend her parents are not home. Annie is initially shocked when Charlie turns out to have lied about his age and who he is, but unfortunately she I no match for his dirty games. Annie allows herself to get carried away much further than she really wants to. Everyone then deals with the tragic incident in their own way. Mother Lynn does not know what to do while Annie continues to believe in Charlie’s comments and promises and her father Will resolutely begins a search of his own.
The cast is really strong, especially Clive Owen. The film overall, looks a bit flat. But David Schwimmer as a director really did a good job with “Trust”.

Rating: 3/ 5

00s Movie Review - Law Abiding Citizen

Director: F. Gary Gray
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 109 minutes
Year: 2009
Starring: Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Bibb, Bruce McGill, Viola Davis, Regina Hall

Description: A frustrated man (Gerard Butler) decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets one of his family’s killers free.

Review: “Law Abiding Citizen” starts with a bang. When the happily married engineer Clyde Shelton opens the door, he is knocked down and forced to watch his family being slaughtered. No long intros, no build-up, we get right into it.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the prosecution messes up the case and the judge won’t accept Shelton’s testimony because he lost consciousness during the robbery. Prosecutor Nick Rice is also more interested in attractive deals than in justice, as a result of which only one of the two robbers is sentenced to death, and the other (the initiator of it all) gets off with a short sentence and will eventually be a free man again.
We skip to ten years later. Nick Rice now has a family of his own and is one of those present at the execution of the convicted offender. That execution goes terribly wrong. Instead of it being painless, the execution is as painful as possible. The next day, the other perpetrator is killed in the most horrible way possible and the video of this torture fest is delivered to Nick’s home address. The suspicion immediately falls on Clyde Shelton, and he is arrested. It seems like the end of the story, but it’s just the beginning. Clyde wants revenge, not just on the two bad guys who slaughtered his family, but also on the system.
“Law Abiding Citizen” is a highly original variation on the vigilante theme, which made a comeback in the 00s. And many with success ("Taken", "The Brave One", Death Sentence"). Citizens taking matter into their own hands, because the were abandoned by the court.
Originally Gerard Butler was supposed to play Nick Rice, but at the last moment he chose the role of avenging family man Clyde Shelton. Butler is really good and this film stands out because of on ingenious screenplay. It constantly misdirects the audience. But don’t think too much about the plot twists afterwards, because you will find a bunch of plot holes. Jamie Foxx is also very strong as Nick Rice.
“Law Abiding Citizen” is a fast, exciting film with a lot of violence but not hard to stomach. It’s not subtle or credible, but somehow that doesn’t matter. It’s a good, solid, entertaining thriller.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

TV Show Review - How to Get Away with Murder (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime
Number of episodes: 15
Year: 2016
Starring: Viola Davis, Billy Brown, Charlie Weber, Jack Falahee, Aja Naomi King, Liza Weil, Karla Souza, Alfred Enoch, Matt McGorry, Conrad Ricamora, Famke Janssen

Description: A group of ambitious law students and their brilliant criminal defense professor become involved in a twisted murder plot that promises to change the course of their lives.

Review: Now that the murder of Lila Stangard has been solved you would think that everything is fine with the 'Keating Five'. Nothing could be further from the truth because with the disappearance of Rebecca Sutter, Wes' girlfriend and prime suspect of Lila's murder, everyone has to deal with a new problem. Annalise Keating has the difficult task of solving this problem again before the situation gets out of hand.
Just like during the first season there is again a mystery of which we get to see pieces of the puzzle via flashforwards. The first nine episodes are mainly about the Hapstall case that revolves around the murder of the adoptive parents of Caleb and Catherine Hapstall. A case that is complicated in itself, were it not for the fact that a flashforward shows that eventually Annalise herself will also be involved in this case. While the team is busy with the Hapstall family, Connor tries to revive his relationship by moving in with Oliver. A decision that will eventually cause Oliver to become more and more involved in shady cases, with all its consequences. The second part of this season focuses on Wes and the death of his mother ten years ago, with flashbacks we as viewers soon realize that there is much more behind it than was known so far.
This season, there are again a number of important guest roles that reinforce the story. We see Dutch actress Famke Janssen as lawyer Eve Rothlo, an old acquaintance of Annalise. Cicely Tyson is also present again as Annalise's mother Ophelia. These admittedly small roles add value to the story and show how much the makers value the quality of the show.
This second season we learn more about the past of Asher and Bonnie. The home situation of policeman Nate Lahey will also be discussed. Mysteries are plentiful, sometimes even to such an extent that it is difficult as a viewer to remember exactly what whoever has done. Whether this is the strength or the weakness of the series is something I haven't figured out yet. “How To Get Away With Murder” tells a story you really have to keep your head and regularly creates unexpected events and scenes. At a certain point, however, it's all a bit far-fetched. When is enough, enough? A lot of bizarre coincidence and it becoming less credible.
When it comes to the characters, I only like Laurel. She seems to be the only one that has a conscience or any sense of justice. It’s really hard for me to watch a series that has no characters that I really sympathize with. All of them commit crimes, doing everything to cover it up, get away with it (as the title says), have sex with each other (because that solves EVERYTHING) and move. And everyone is crazy loyal to Annalise, no matter what she does to them. And there are a lot of shows where criminals have a major role, like Walter White and Jesse Pinkman in “Breaking Bad” of the entire crew of “Sons of Anarchy”. But because of their strong character build-up, you can relate or even sympathize with them, even if they are criminals.
You can't tell much about “How To Get Away With Murder” without giving away spoilers. It’s still an okay series to watch, but as I stated before, it’s difficult to watch if you have no one to really relate to. I will probably not going to continue to watch “How to Get Away with Murder”.

TV Show Review - How to Get Away With Murder (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime
Number of episodes: 15
Year: 2015
Starring: Viola Davis, Billy Brown, Charlie Weber, Jack Falahee, Aja Naomi King, Liza Weil, Karla Souza, Alfred Enoch, Matt McGorry, Conrad Ricamora, Tom Verica

Description: A group of ambitious law students and their brilliant criminal defense professor become involved in a twisted murder plit that promises to change the course of their lives.

Review: The series is divided in two parts. The first part is the new cases criminal defense lawyer Annalise Keating and her two assistants Frank and Bonnie work on. Her office is set in het house, where she lives with her husband Sam. Annalise also teaches at a law school, with a class she calls ‘how to get away with murder’. Five students are privileged to work with her: Connor Walsh, Michaela Pratt, Asher Millstone, Laurel Castillo and Wes Gibbons.
The second part is the flashforwards that return in each episode, were we see these students who supposedly committed a crime and are trying to cover it up. In this season there is also one red thread, which is the case of the murdered student Lila Stangard.
In the 9th episode we find out what the crime is and after that, the rest of the season focuses on the aftermath and all the consequences this crime has for each of the individuals involved. And instead of flashforwards, we get flashbacks to tie all the loose ends together.
Each episode is captivating, even after episode 9. Viola Davis plays Annalise Keating and she is the strongest asset in this show. She carries it and is the star of the show. Her students, so far, I only sympathize with Laurel. She is the only one I actually like and who I feel has a conscience.
I will start season 2, just to see where the series is headed.

10s Movie Review - Widows

Director: Steve McQueen
Genre: Thriller/ Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Viola Davis, Liam Neeson, Jon Bernthal, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Coburn Ross, Michelle Rodriguez, Alejandro Verdin, Baily Rhyse Walters, Elizabeth Debicki, Carrie Coon, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, Jacki Weaver, Molly Kunz, James Vincent Meredith, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Cynthia Erivo

Description: Set in contemporary Chicago, amid a time of turmoil, four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands' criminal activities, take fate into their own hands, and conspire to forge a future on their own terms.

Review: The plot sounds a bit like “Ocean’s Eleven” or “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”. But it’s a heist movie, with a twist. After a group of robbers were killed, their wives team up to steal millions of dollars.
With director Steve McQueen being involved, you already know it’s not going to be a light film. He also directed heavy themed films like “Hunger”, “Shame” and “12 Years a Slave”.
Where in most heist film the testosterone is fed by greed, “Widows” changes it up a bit. Here the women have a necessity, they need to do it for their own safety. The three women don’t want to step in their husband’s footsteps, they simply have no other choice. One of the men left a ‘script’ which they women use to plan the job.
Steve McQueen is known for his fantastic camerawork and he uses it here too. But it doesn’t always work. In the opening scene, the traditional getaway is shot completely from the getaway van. This is original, minimalistic and works great. But a scene where we see the outside of a driving car, while the frustrated politician inside is arguing with his assistant, doesn’t work as well. I fit was a disposable scene, it didn’t bother me. But it’s an important scene with great acting, which you don’t see. It doesn’t make as much of an impact this way.
Viola Davis is the star of the film. Her icy focus is amazing to watch. Sadly, her character is the most developed and the other women don’t get as much attention.
The interaction between the women is strong, but there is also a lot of attention for the political games played in the city of Chicago.
“Widows” is a good crime thriller, but it has more potential.

Rating: 3 / 5

Oscar Predictions 2017

A bit late to the party, by here are my 2017 Oscar predictions.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Should Win: "La La Land"
Will Win: "La La Land"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Should Win: Ryan Gosling for "La La Land"
Will Win: Denzel Washington for "Fences"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Should Win: Emma Stone for "La La Land"
Will Win: Emma Stone for "La La Land"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Should Win: Michael Shannon for "Nocturnal Animals"
Will Win: Mahershala Ali for "Moonlight"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Should Win: Viola Davis for "Fences"
Will Win: Viola Davis for "Fences"

Best Achievement in Directing
Should Win: Damien Chazelle for "La La Land"
Will Win: Damien Chazelle for "La La Land"

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 112: Suicide Squad

Director: David Ayer
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Crime
Runtime: 123 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Cara Delevingne, Jai Courtney, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jay Hernandez, Adam Beach, Scott Eastwood, Ben Affleck

Description: A secret government agency recruits a group of imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency, which inevitably leads to chaos.

Review: DC Comics got a crazy follow up for “Batman V. Superman”, which was a big and epic film, but was way too long and didn’t meet our big expectations. “Suicide Squad” is a daring film with fun characters, but it’s a bit messy.
“Suicide Squad” is set right after the happenings in “Batman V. Superman”. Amanda Waller decides to fight fire with fire, in the crime filled world they live in now. She assembles a groups of criminals that are all messed up in their own way. She wants them to fight the evil in the world and finally do something good. If they don’t cooperate, they will be killed.
The start of the film is an introduction to the characters. That’s a big part of the opening, but the film is very fast paced and holds that tempo the entire film. But some of the members of the suicide squad get more attention than others. Especially Deadshot and Harley Quinn get more focus, but they are also the most interesting characters of the bunch. Both Will Smith and Margot Robbie do a fantastic job portraying them.
Jared Leto plays the Joker and he does it in his own way. His interpretation is okay, but he doesn’t succeed as well as Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger did with their performances of the same character. And the Joker isn’t in the film that much either. Cara Delevinge as Enchantress is just strange. I didn’t like her and her character never gets interesting. And I hated that weird voice she had.
The editing of the film is the biggest problem. It’s very messy and it sometimes looks like scenes were cut and it was all edited without giving it the proper attention.
“Suicide Squad” has enough entertainment and is very fast paced to keep my attention the entire runtime. Overall the film is messy, but Will Smith and Margot Robbie make up for a lot. It has action and humor, but it’s not DC’s big comeback.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 38: Beautiful Creatures

Director: Richard LaGravenese
Genre: Drama/ Fantasy/ Romance
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Alice Englert, Alden Ehrenreich, Emma Thompson, Emmy Rossum, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Thomas Mann, Kyle Gallner

Description: Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich) longs to escape his small Southern town. He meets a mysterious new girl, Lena (Alice Englert). Together, they uncover dark secrets about their respective families, their history and their town.

Review: Supernatural teen romances are a real hype and young fans of dark fantasy get exactly what they want. If the whole film was better executed it would have reached a broader audience.
Teenagers Ethan and Lena are the beating heart of the story. Ethan lives in a small community in the state of South Carolina. He doesn’t want to be there and doesn’t want to belong to the petty community. Then he meets Lena who, as an unconventional newcomer, doesn’t belong there either. Lena has magical powers which puts the love between the two in jeopardy.
The two leading characters, although not very well known, are the power of the film. They are convincing together and it never gets too ‘sweet’. The supporting roles are less successful. Jeremy Irons and especially Emma Thompson don’t seem to belong in this film. Where Irons, as Lena’s eccentric uncle Macon, gets away with his portrayal at times, Thompson is sometimes more caricatured.
Another weakness is the background of the ‘casters’. Although director Richard LaGravenese has simplified it, it’s still a bit confusing. Especially when you never read the book it’s based on. And Lena is supposed to be the mightiest caster in progress, but she doesn’t really show that.
“Beautiful Creatures” isn’t a bad movie but with more guts it could have been a more intelligent version of “Twilight”.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 34: Prisoners

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime
Runtime: 146 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Paul Dano, Melissa Leo

Description: When Keller Dover's (Hugh Jackman) daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts. But just how far will this desperate father go to protect his family?

Review: On Thanksgiving the young daughters of the Dover and Birch family go missing. Fathers Keller and Franklin go looking for them, but can’t find them. Around the time the girls went missing, a mysterious RV was spotted and Detective Loki goes to the owner. Alex Jones is arrested, but eventually the cops let him go. Keller is sure Alex is responsible.
Fans of feel-good movies should be warned, because this film has a grim atmosphere. Just when you think you figured it out, the film comes with some masterful twists. This makes “Prisoners” everything but predictable and you never see the actual ending coming.
The cast of “Prisoners” did a tremendous job. Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal stand out. Jackman is known for his friendly character, which makes his performance even more impressive. Jake Gyllenhaal has a more introvert way of acting, which fits his character of detective Loki perfectly. Paul Dano was also cast very well as Alex Jones.
Director Denis Villeneuve did a perfect job and this is definitely one of the best films of 2013. If you like darker movies, this is just what you need. “Prisoners” will make you gasp for air and leave you breathless in the end. But no worries, this film is worth that.

Rating: 5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Characters from "The Help"

I love both the book and the movie, so I'm dedicading this item to either one of them. I dediced to make a top 5 of of my favorite characters. Here they are.

5. Johnny Foote
Although it’s mostly about the woman in the book and movie, Johnny Foote is far out the nicest man. He is not supposed to know about Minny helping his wife Celia out.. And when he does we see what a good man Johnny is. He respects Minny and her work and would like her to stay with them. And he is a loving husband to Celia.

4. Minny Jackson
Minny is a very good cook. And she’s also known for her big mouth, which got her fired a lot of times. Minny is a sas mouth, but that’s what I love about her.

3. Aibileen Clark
Aibeleen takes a lot of crap from the people she works for. She just lets it happen, but one day she is sick of it and helps Skeeter with her story. Aibeleen is such a brave woman, for she was the first help to speak up. And she is fantastic with children, better than the mothers.

2. Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan
Skeeter is very intelligent and I don’t understand how she is friends with Hilly and Elizabeth. She is so much nicer and sees what good work the help does in all the American homes. I admire her for wanting to tell the story from their point of view, she gave them the voice no one listened to before.

1. Celia Foote
I liked Celia from the beginning. She may be naïve and others call her white trash, but Celia is the most kind hearted woman. She actually respects the help and appreciates her for what she does, sees her as her equal and wants to learn from her.

They almost made the top 5: Missus Walters and Constantine Jefferson

In the Picture: The Characters from "The Help"

I fell in love with this movie the first time I saw it. And I love the book just as much. I dedicated this item to the movie "The Help" and its great characters.

Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan
Played by: Emma Stone
Skeeter is a young white woman who has recently moved back home to her family's plantation after graduating from the University of Mississippi. She found out that her beloved childhood maid, Constantine has quit while she was away. Skeeter is skeptical because she believes Constantine would have written to her. When she experiences how her friends treat their maids, she decides to interview one of the maids. Skeeter is determined to write a story about them and to show people their point of view, because she actually respects the maids that work for them.

Aibeleen Clark
Played by: Viola Davis
Aibeleen is a middle-aged black woman who spend most of her life raising white children and has recently lost her only son. She befriends Skeeter and agrees on working together with her on the story she’s writing. Aibeleen loves taking care of the children, but hates how their parents treat them. In her opinion should the woman she works for should not be having kids.

Minny Jackson
Played by: Octavia Spencer
Minny is Aibeleen’s best friend ans also a maid. She is very outspoken and her smart mouth has gotten her fired a lot of times. Minny built up a reputation of being a difficult employee, but she makes up for this with her phenomenal cooking skills.

Hilly Holbrook
Played by: Bryce Dallas Howard
Hilly is Skeeter’s friend. She came up with the Home Help Sanitation Initiative, a proposed bill to provide for separate bathrooms for black help because she believes that they carry different diseases to white people. Hilly treats her maid like dirt and with that she’s the worst of them all and a real racist.

Celia Foote
Played by: Jessica Chastain
After Minny gets fired at Hilly’s house, she starts working for the naïve Celia. She is married to a rich socialite. Celia is an outcast from the other society ladies due to the fact she was born into a working class family and her husband is Hilly's ex-boyfriend. Also unlike Hilly, Celia seems to treat Minny with far more respect and actually loves having her around. When the other woman call her ‘white trash’ she is the most good hearted lady of them all.

Favorite Character: Celia Foote

Movie Tip # 51: The Help

Director: Tate Taylor

Starring: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Bruce Dallas Howard, Mike Vogel, Jessica Chastain, Allison Janney, Mary Steenburgen, Chris Lowell, Sissy Spacek, Ahna O'Reilly

Description: Set in Mississippi during the 1960s, Skeeter (Emma Stone) is a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends' lives - and a Mississippi town - upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families. Aibileen (Viola Davis), Skeeter's best friend's housekeeper, is the first to open up - to the dismay of her friends in the tight-knit black community. Despite Skeeter's life-long friendships hanging in the balance, she and Aibileen continue their collaboration and soon more women come forward to tell their stories - and as it turns out, they have a lot to say. Along the way, unlikely friendships are forged and a new sisterhood emerges, but not before everyone in town has a thing or two to say themselves when they become unwittingly - and unwillingly - caught up in the changing times.

Review: Kathryn Stockett touched quite a few people in their heart with her novel "The Help". After studying in New York for a couple of years, Skeeter is surprised to see how her high school friends are all married and play the suburban houswewive and keeping up appearances. She's even more surprised when she finds out that the maid that worked for her family for 29 years is gone all of a sudden. She decides to write a book from the viewpoint of the black nannies and gets the embittered Aibileen and her sas mouthed friend Minny for her story. Eventhough "The Help" is a very emotional story, it's also a real feel-good movie. It's a story close to reality, but both Stockett and director Tate Taylor thicken it a bit. Like the characters Skeeter and Hilly, very stereotypical, but Emma Stone and Bryce Dallas Howard are actresses who can make those one-dimensional characters come to life. The best roles are for Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, one demure the other very outspoken. Also Jessica Chastain surprises with her role of Celia Foote, the somewhat naive woman who looks past the skin colors but has her own problems. "The Help" has such a strong female cast, great sentimental moments and also a bit of humor. Fantastic film.