10s Movie Review - Too Big To Fail

Director: Curtis Hanson
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2011
Starring: William Hurt, Billy Crudup, James Woods, Bill Pullman, Tony Shalhoub, Topher Grace, Cynthia Nixon, John Heard, Edward Asner, Kathy Baker, Paul Giamatti

Description: Chronicles of the financial meltdown of 2008 and centers on Treasure Secretary Henry Paulson (William Hurt).

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 3: A FILM WITH WILLIAM HURT
 
Review: A fantastic cast who are all perfect for their roles. But the subject matter is the big draw. I’m not very good with financial topics, don’t know much about it nor does it interest me.

Because the dialogues are sharp and the acting is so strong, it did engage me for most of the runtime. But most of it went over my head, because the financial world is just not something that holds my interest for very long.

I would recommend this movie for anyone who wants to know more about this subject or for people who are interested and fascinated by the financial world.

Rating: 3/ 5

80s Movie Review - 1984

Director: Michael Radford
Genre: Science Fiction/ Drama
Runtime: 113 minutes
Year: 1984
Starring: William Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanna Hamilton, Cyril Cusack, Gregor Fisher

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 43: A FILM WITH A STRONG PHILOSOPHICAL OR EXISTENTIAL THEME
 
Description: In a totalitarian future society, Winston Smith (William Hurt), whose work is re-writing history, tries to rebel. He meets a kindred spirit named Julia and they fall into a love affair.

Review: Based on George Orwell’s classic novel “1984”, in which civil servant Winston Smith fall in love with dissident Julia completely against the law of the totalitarian state. Smith expresses his doubt to a member of the party, but a nightmare awaits.

Willaim Hurt is strong in his role as Winston, and Richard Burton is brilliant as the party man. The film pictures the vibe of the book well, with its grim and dark décor. It’s a depressing dystopian story, much better than the 1956 version.  

Rating: 4/ 5

00s Movie Review - The Village

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2004
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Brendan Gleeson, Sherry Jones, Adrien Brody, Jesse Eisenberg, Michael Pitt, Judy Greer

Description: A series of evens tests the beliefs of a small isolated countryside village.

Review: If you think of director M. Nigh Shyamalan’s best movies, you think of “The Sixth Sense”, “Unbreakable” and “Signs”. “Split” and “The Visit” will also come to mind. Usually “The Village” is not on that list. And I will not say it’s my favorite, but I certainly believe it’s much better than most people claim it is and feel it’s a bit underrated.

The film is set in an isolated village, with a close community of people that live a sober yet happy life. When dark things start happening, the villagers are made to believe it’s the inhabitants of the forest that are warning them to keep out. But the truth is hidden.

The film is never scary, but there is a lot of suspense that you constantly feel. You know something is wrong, just not yet what that is.

The film has a star-studded cast and Bryce Dallas Howard plays the main female character. She is really good and I loved her in this film. The ending/ twist is something most people don’t really like, but I personally always liked the twist of the film.

I think this movie deserves a little mote love then it’s getting. It’s absolutely not a bad movie. It’s slow and doesn’t rely on scares, but has a lot of atmosphere and a very good premise. With a surprising twist, that I just happened to like.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

 

 

 

Movie Review - Black Widow

Director: Cate Shortland
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 133 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz, Ray Winstone, Ever Anderson, William Hurt, Olga Kurylenko
 
Description: Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises.

Review: Anyone who browses the Marvel encyclopedia is unlikely to pinpoint Natasha Romanoff/ Black Widow as their favorite character. While the heroine is slightly skilled in all forms of martial arts and acrobatics, despite this she still stands out a bit flimsy from her superhero colleagues such as Thor, Captain America, Ant-Man, Iron Man and the Hulk. Perhaps this is not entirely justified, as in previous Marvel films Black Widow always had to settle neatly into the supporting role, which meant that she never got the chance, attention or depth she actually deserved.
Finally the Russian heroine gets a solid backstory, where we get more insight into her thoughts and motivations. Given the events in “Avengers: Endgame”, it makes sense we’d have to go back in time for that; to be exact, the moment when Natasha Romanoff has only just violated the Sokovia Accord. Commander Ross and his armed men have opened the hunt for her, but around the same time, a very different specter from Romanoff’s past also presents itself: Task Master. The villain is somehow linked to Romanoff’s traumatic past and therefore feels just a bit more tragic than usual with the marvel universe.
On the other hand, the villain played by Ray Winstone is a one-dimensional figure with rather predictable, megalomaniacal motives. It almost seems like a joke to perform such a character.   
For me, the highlight of the film was Florence Pugh, who plays Yelena, Natasha’s sister. She is cynical, yet the connection between Yelena and Natasha is the heart of the movie. Most laughs are for Alexei/ Red Guardian, played by David Harbour.
“Black Widow” is the kick-off for Marvel’s Phase Four, the fourth phase in which Marvel will once again interconnect a series of upcoming superhero films and work towards a common endpoint.
I enjoyed “Black Widow”, but it was nothing special. It was overall very standard.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 48: Nightmares and Dreamscapes

Director: Rob Bowman, Mark Haber, Brian Henson, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Mike Rober, Mikael Salomon

Genre: Thriller/ Horror/ Fantasy/ Drama

Runtime: 378 minutes

Year: 2006

Starring: William Hurt, William H. Macy, Eion Bailey, Ron Livingston, Claire Forlani, Jeremy Sisto, Henry Thomas, Kim Delaney, Steven Weber, Jacqueline McKenzie, Samantha Mathis, Tom Berenger, Marsha Mason, Andy Anderson, Bill Barretta, Jude Beaumont, Portia Bradley, Mitchell Butel, Richard Cawthorne, Michelle Cele, Jennifer Congram, Tyler Coppin, Paul Gleeson, Sara Gleeson, Christopher Kirby, William McNamara, Joe Sagal, Mia Sara, Greta Scacchi, Kristian Schmid

Description: A series of short films, an adaptation of Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Stephen King's collection of short horror stories.

Review: “Nightmares and Dreamscapes” is a series of eight independent stories, by Stephen King. The stories have very diverse themes, which make it a fun experience.

1. Battleground: Jason Renshaw is a cold blooded hitman, who can live in wealth because of that job. The hit on an important toymaker looks like a routine job. This thought changes when he receives a package, right after the kill. The package contains a box with toy soldiers. “Battleground” is a very original story and is adapted to the screen very well. William Hurt is convincing as the very silent hitman and the toy soldiers that come to life look pretty good. Even though the viewer understands what is going on in the movie, it does keep your attention. It’s one of the best stories of this collection.

 

2. Crouch End: Lonnie Freeman has, together with his wife, an important business meeting in the London neighborhood Crouch End. When a taxi driver tells them it’s not a good idea to visit it, the decide to ignore it. Weird things start to happen as soon as they arrive at Crouch End. “Crouch End” is definitely a story with potential, but the makes of this film don’t succeed completely. The first 25 minutes are pretty exciting. Mysterious messages and weird appearances create a spooky atmosphere and stimulate your curiosity. What follows is not a good and lacks logic and incredibility. With that the special effects are pretty bad.

 

3. Umney’s Last Case: Clyde Umney is a semi successful detective in 1930s Los Angeles. One day it looks like everything in his life has changed. The blind paperboy is rich all of a sudden and his favorite bar is closed. In his office is a mysterious man that claims he has created the world that Clyde is living in. “Umney’s Last Case” looks like an ode to the classic film-noir. The traditional whiskey drinking and cynical detective, the femme fatale and lots of smoking are all elements that are typical for the genre. But King wouldn’t be King if a story with a traditional character didn’t have a supernatural twist. Sometimes the story is a bit slow, but William H. Macy’s acting and the originality of the story make up for this.

 

4. The End of the Whole Mess: In this film we get to hear a remarkable story, told by Howard Fornoy. It’s about his brother Robert, who is a genius. From a young age it’s very clear that Robert has a gift. But, as he grows older, Robert never manages to finish school of get a job. He is also tortured by the misery and cruelty of the world. He decides to find a remedy for those problems. Robert succeed to find a cure against aggression, but it has some ugly side effects. “The End of the Whole Mess” is not a ghost story or anything of the supernatural. It’s more about themes like innocence, childhood memories and human nature. The movie is somewhat slow, but the dialogues are solid and has depth.

 

5. The Road Virus Heads North: Author Richard Kinnell finds a second hand painting, while traveling. The painting has a strange attraction. It was made by a tortured artist, who eventually committed suicide. Richard decided to buy the painting, but soon sees that the image keeps changing. “The Road Virus Heads North” is the scariest story from this collection. A desolate atmosphere, great build-up of tension and some blood spilling may induce the fans of horror or thriller.

 

6. The Fifth Quarter: Willie Evans has just left prison and is determined to live an honest life. His former cellmate Barney is not successful and has been part of a robbery. When his partners betray him, Barney seeks Willie. Willie has a dilemma: help his friend or keep the promise to his wife? “The Fifth Quarter” is one of my least favorite stories in this collection. It’s nothing more than a simple crime thriller and can be called mediocre. The acting is okay, but the characters don’t have enough depth to make you care about them. Surprising twists and memorable scenes are not present. Not very memorable.

 

7. Autopsy Room Four: “Autopsy Room Four” depicts one of our greatest fears, without any supernatural elements or gore. The movie follows who has been bitten by a venomous snake and ends up in the hospital. There is a problem: the doctors think he is dead and he isn’t in the hospital but on an autopsy table. He can’t move, but sees and feels everything. All he can do is watch how the coroner’s are preparing for his autopsy. “Autopsy Room Four” is not as threatening as the original story, mainly because of the cynical and funny remarks of the lead character. The computer animated snake is also not a success. I read the story and it’s much better than this adaptation. It’s not a bad film, but with a bit more darkness it could have been better.

 

8. You Know They Got a Hell of a Band: After taking a wrong turn, Clark and Mary Rivingham end up in a mysterious village called Rock and Roll Heaven. The come to the conclusion that many of the citizens look like dead rock stars. It looks like an homage to the rock heroes we used to love, like Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Jimi Hendrix. Like many times before Stephen King manages to add a supernatural twist. It’s a fun film, but not very special.

 

Because of the diversity and the many differences between the stories, not all the movies are successful. “Nightmares and Dreamscapes” is a fun series of films.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 15: The Host

Director: Andrew Niccol
Genre: Science Fiction/ Thriller/ Romance
Runtime: 127 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger, Max Irons, Jake Abel, William Hurt

Description: When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories, Melanie (Saoirse Ronan) will risk everything to protect the people she cares most about, proving that love can conquer all in a dangerous new world.

Review: After the Twilight saga ended, author Stephenie Meyer had one more book that could be turned into a movie. Andrew Niccol, who we know from “Lord of War” and “In Time” was given the task to direct “The Host”.
The story is set in the future where mankind is taken over by parasites called Souls. They mean well and are convinced to help people in times of war and hunger. Melanie Stryder is one of the last humans, but is also taken over by one of the Souls. But the human in her is still very strong and she finds a way to work together with the Soul.
Like “Twilight” the young actors have the biggest roles in the story and a love triangle is present. That makes this movie more like a paranormal version of “Twilight’. The storyline is like “Invasion of the Body Snatcher”, but it never grabs you like the 1978 movie did. The movie is slow at times, because they are trying to create some character development. They never succeed in making us love the characters.
Saoirse Ronan plays her role well, but that annoying voice-over in her hear is a real burden. Unfortunately it’s necessary for the story. Diane Kruger and William Hurt don’t disappoint either, but the rest of the actors are forgettable.
“The Host” is the victim of a badly executed scenario, which already wasn’t strong as a novel. There is absolutely no tension and this movie feels like it takes forever to end. At some points it was so boring and ridiculous, I just wasn’t entertained.

Rating: 1,5/ 5