90s Movie Review - Fair Game

Director: Andrew Sipes
Genre: Action/ Thriller
Runtime: 91 minutes
Year: 1995
Starring: William Baldwin, Cindy Crawford, Steven Berkoff, Christopher McDonald, Miguel Sandoval, Salma Hayek, Dan Hedaya

Description: Max Kirkpatrick (William Baldwin) is a cop who protects Kate McQueen (Cindy Crawford), a civil law attorney, from a renegade KGB team out to terminate her.

Review: On her morning run, attorney Kate witnesses a shooting. While at the police office, being interviewed by detective Max Kirkpatrick, she doesn’t even think much of what happened and doubts it was even a shooting. Not much later, Kate is attacked by an assassin. Max make it his job to protect her and get the people targeting Kate.
“Fair Game” is a fast-paced and loud action film, by debut director Andrew Sipes, but also acting debut for Cindy Crawford.
The film is somewhat entertaining, but overall very illogical and messy. And extremely sexist too. Crawford was nominated for three Razzie-awards for her role in this film. Which is quite understandable. She isn’t a good actress. And this movie isn’t good either.

Rating: 2 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 85: The Squid and the Whale

Director: Noah Baumbach
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 81 minutes
Year: 2005
Starring: Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg, Owen Kline, William Baldwin, Anna Paquin

Description: Follows two young boys dealing with their parents' divorce in Brooklyn in the 1980s.

Review: An estranged mother and father tell their two sons they are getting a divorce. But what effect will it have on them?
It’s 1986, New York. Professor Bernard Berkman and his wife Joan have grown apart. Bernard is a brilliant man, fascinated by himself and no longer interested in his wife. That’s why Joan has had her share of affairs. The two decide to separate. Their two sons, the sixteen-year-old Walt and the four year younger Frank, are the victims. Bernard has to move into a small apartment in a bad neighborhood. Frank wants to stay with his mom, while Walt adores his dad. Walt blames his mother for everything. Everything gets more complicated when one of Bernard’s students, Lili, moves in with them and gets the interest of both Bernard and Walt. And Joan starts seeing Frank’s tennis coach.
Noah Baumback is a very intelligent film maker. Together with Wes Anderson he wrote “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” and you see the influence of Anderson in “The Squid and the Whale”.
I somehow always enjoy films with dysfunctional families, because this way I realize how great my family is. The kids, Walt and Frank, are played very natural by Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline. Both are unsure about everything that is about to happen and deal with the situation in their own way. Jeff Daniels, who plays Bernard, I have always found a very underrated actor. He is really good in this film. And Laura Linney is also very strong as Joan.
Because of the great acting, the realistic happenings, the good script and the characters, this movie works well. “The Squid and the Whale” is a must-see for people who love tragic comedic family films. Fantastic film!

Rating: 4,5/ 5