100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 112: War Horse

Director: Steven Spielberg

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 140 minutes

Year: 2011

Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, David Thewlis, Eddie Marsan, Peter Mullan

Description: Young Albert enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. Albert's hopeful journey takes him out of England and to the front lines as the war rages on.

Review: Like dogs, in the history of film horses have proven to be excellent actors. “War Horse” is an epic story that shows World War I through the eyes of a horse. Off course not an ordinary horse, this one is very special. Everyone that encounters him, is mesmerized by him.

“War Horse” starts with the birth of a young horse The young Albert witnesses it and from that moment on, Albert is fascinated by the creature. When his father buys the horse, Albert wants to train him. He calls him Joey. But then there is war. Albert’s family has to sell Joey to the army. Albert is sure that the two will meet again someday.

Director Steven Spielberg didn’t budget on the making of “War Horse”. It’s a nostalgic spectacle. Visually this movie has no faults. The story itself is a bit predictable, but the good performances make up for it. Tears will definitely flow, especially in combination with a beautiful soundtrack by John Williams.

In the end it’s not the story that will stick, but the visual beauty of this film. From big battle scenes to more intimate moments, it’s all very impressive and touching.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (14)

Not a lot of mind-blowing trailers this week, so I also posted some trailers I saw before. This weeks trailers are about a pickpocket, a horse, Alaska, a 17-year old writer and new year's eve.

Loosies
Description: A young New York pickpocket Bobby (Peter Facinelli) is confronted by a woman (Jamie Alexander) with whom he has a passionate one-night affair. She tells him she's pregnant, and Bobby is forced to reevaluate a lifetime of missteps, take responsibility for his new child and win over the girl who might just be perfect for him.
Director: Michael Corrente
Starring: Peter Facinelli, Jaimie Alexander, Michael Madsen, Vincent Gallo, William Forsythe and Joe Pantoliano
Trailer: Trailer "Loosies"

War Horse
Description: It tells the story of the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man's Land.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irvine and Benedict Cumberbatch
Trailer: Trailer "War Horse"

The Grey
Description: An unruly group of oil-rig roughnecks go into the remote Alaskan wilderness when their plane crashes. Battling mortal injuries and merciless weather, the survivors have only a few days to escape the icy elements and a vicious pack of rogue wolves on the hunt before their time runs out.
Director: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Liam Neeson and Dermot Mulroney
Trailer: Trailer "The Grey"

Albatross
Description: Emelia Conan-Doyle (Jessica Brown Findlay) is a cheeky force of nature and the 17-year-old heir to the legacy of Arthur Conan Doyle. Harboring an ambition to follow in the literary footsteps of her grandfather, Emelia writes while working at a stuffy seaside hotel populated by another blocked novelist Jonathan (Sebastian Koch), his put-upon wife (Julia Ormond) and their daughter Beth (Felicity Jones). Befriending Beth, Emelia begins to inch her way into their family life before casually seducing the sexually-frustrated Jonathan, forcing all involved to confront some uncomfortable truths about their situation.
Director: Niall MacCormick
Starring: Sebastian Koch, Julia Ormond, Jessica Brown Findlay and Felicity Jones
Trailer: Trailer "Albatross"

New Year's Eve
Description: "New Year's Eve" celebrates love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts, in the intertwining stories told amidst the pulse and promise of New York City on the most dazzling night of the year.
Director: Garry Marshall
Starring: Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Abigail Breslin, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Hector Elizondo, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Til Schweiger, Hilary Swank and, Sofia Vergara
Trailer: Trailer "New Year's Eve"
Comment: I love movies with multiple storylines.