00s Movie Review - Gangs of New York

Director: Martin Scorsese
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 147 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, John C. Reilly, Stephen Graham, Henry Thomas, Brendan Gleeson, Liam Neeson, Jim Broadbent, Eddie Marsan

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 49: A MOVIE WITH AND ACTOR/ ACTRESS YOU DISLIKE
 
Description: In 1962, Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) returns to the Five Points area of New York City seeking revenge against Bill the Butcher (Daniel Day-Lewis), his father’s killer.

Review: In “Gangs of New York”, director Martin Scorsese resents his cynical vision of the extremely bloody gang wars that plagued Manhattan in the mid-nineteenth century.

The film opens with a bloody battle in the Five Points area, where Irish immigrants clash with the American-born Nativists, led by the ruthless William cutting, knows as Bill the Butcher.
Sixteen years later, the son of the murdered Irish gang leader, returns to the neighborhood. Unfortunately, this characters, Amsterdam Vallon, doesn’t quite come into his own, but there is no doubt about his revenge against Bill the Butcher. This is one of those stories where you kind of side with the villain, because his character is way more interesting and fleshed out, not because he’s more likeable. And that is largely thanks to Daniel Day-Lewis, who portrays this ruthless gang leader as a charismatic psychopath. He created an instant classic movie villain. He steals the entire movie and makes Leonardo DiCaprio completely fade into the background. Not to speak of Cameron Diaz, who in my eyes was miscast. And I believe that they could have left her character out completely, she adds nothing to the story and you don’t care about her.

But “Gangs of New York” has more to offer than Day-Lewis’ monumental acting. Above all, the film fascinates with the almost maniacal detail with which the Manhattan of 1862 was reconstructed. The film looks stunning. We are plunged into an anarchic society. Scorsese has already showed us at length that Manhattan was nothing less than hell on earth in previous movies, but he has just mentioned that existence there in the nineteenth century was many times more miserable.

In Taxi Driver and Bringing out the dead, Scorsese had already shown us at length that Manhattan was nothing less than hell on earth. He had just never mentioned that existence there in the nineteenth century was many times more miserable.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Other Woman

Director: Nick Cassavetes
Genre: Comedy/ Romance
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Leslile Mann, Kate Upton, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Don Johnson, Taylor Kinney, Nicki Minaj

Description: After discovering her boyfriend is married, Carly (Cameron Diaz) meets the wife (Leslie Mann) he’s been betraying. And when yet another love affair is discovered, the three women team up to plot revenge on the three-timing S.O.B.

Review: “With a lawyer, a wife and boobs we form a killing machine”. This is the revenge plan lawyer Carly and her fellow ‘victims have set up. Carly, Kate and Amber are all being fooled by the same man. Neurotic Kate is married to him, Carly thought she was exclusively dating him and Amber is seemingly only there for the sex. They accidentally find out about each other and what their man, Mark, has been up to. Their revenge has to be so sweet, but in director Nick Cassavete’s “The Other Woman” is sadly leaves with a bitter taste of frustration.
Further then giving him some laxatives, hormone treatment and some ‘special shampoo’ they really never go. And the shady business he is running in the Bahamas, which never really gets clear, enters the story in warp speed. Cassavetes invests most of his time into introducing us to the characters and the blooming friendship between Carly and Kate.
Later we are introduced to bombshell Amber, played by Kate Upton. A gorgeous woman, but that’s seemingly the only purpose she has. Because after her introduction, she’s like the third wheel and never gets to do anything of any significance. Leslie Mann, whom I usually adore, starts to work on your nerves pretty quickly here. Here overall charm that we are used to, is totally gone. And Cameron Diaz has also had her best days.
“The Other Woman” is entertaining, but mostly cringe worthy. And the slapstick humor os totally off.

Rating: 2/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 107: The Counselor

Director: Ridley Scott

Genre: Crime/ Thriller/ Drama

Runtime: 118 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt

Description: A rich and successful lawyer, the Counselor (Michael Fassbender), is about to get married to his fiancée (Penélope Cruz) but soon becomes entangled in a complex drug plot with a middle-man known as Westray (Brad Pitt). The plan ends up taking a horrible twist and he must protect himself and his soon to be bride as the truth of the drug business is uncovered and targets are eliminated.

Review: With “The Counselor”, writer Cormac McCarthy delivers his first film scenario. The author is known for movie adaptations of his novels “No Country for Old Men” and “The Road”. His work seems to lend itself perfectly for the big screen, but it doesn’t necessary lead to success. That’s what is proved with “The Counselor”.

The movie takes us to the dark world of drug trafficking between Mexico and the United States. A business filled with greed and decadence and a world that’s hard to escape from. Counselor experiences that himself, when he chooses money over honor. He wants to secure his future with his fiancé Laura, so he decides to get involved. His eccentric business partners Reiner and Westray make a deal, that could eventually get them 20 million dollars. Off course nothing goes according to plan.

The failure of the plan is very predictable. The biggest problem is the dialogue. Every action, plot twist and progression happens during a dialogue. It gets a bit unilateral, but also results in unsurprising progression. Strangely enough sex is a big theme in many of the conversations, which also gives us a weird scene of Cameron Diaz on a windshield. Because of all this, the character’s motives are never really clear. It makes everything very incoherent. This might work in a novel, but the movie needs more than the spoken word.

Director Ridley Scott tries to put movement in the stiff scenes, and he succeeds. The montage is great and the trouble at the borders is clearly present. The acting is fine. Javier Bardem, with again a very weird look, is most enjoyable. Because “The Counselor” is so focused on dialogue, the conclusion of this film never sticks. It’s not all bad, but “The Counselor” could have been a lot better. One missed shot.

Rating: 2/ 5

Best & Worst: Cameron Diaz

I really love Cameron Diaz, she is funny and she can light up a room. And she also dares to cross a line. Lately, her choices for movies and roles aren’t that great, but that’s a good reason to look back on all the movies she made. Here are my pick for best and worst of Cameron Diaz.

 

This is still one of the best comedies ever made. Although it was a bit raunchy, it really made me laugh. And it still does. Cameron Diaz was really great, I think every guy was in love with her after seeing this film (hence the title). But I had a crush on Ben Stiller, as cutie Ted with no like on his side.

Honorable Mentions: “Being John Malkovich”, “Gangs of New York”, “The Mask”, “Shrek”, “My Best Friend’s Wedding”, “Very Bad Things”

 

Christina Applegate was the only fun thing about this movie. I hate this so-called comedy. It’s not funny and his has bad jokes in it. Cameron, shame on you!

Dishonarable Mentions: “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”, “What Happens in Vegas”, “Vanilla Sky”, Knight & Day”

Top 5 Thursday: Cameron Diaz Movies

I’ve always liked Cameron Diaz, she is such a beautiful actress and she can act! Both serious as comedic. She has made some great films and here are my favorites.

 

5. Shrek

I have to admit that I didn’t like “Shrek” from the beginning. After watching it another time I came to appreciate it more. 

 

 

4. The Mask

Cameron’s first movie. “The Mask” is so silly, but so much fun. Jim Carrey is just awesome! By the way, Cameron Diaz has a thing from green guys, are you seeing the pattern?

 

 

3. Gangs of New York

A fantastic film by Martin Scorsese. Brilliant performance by Daniel Day-Lewis.

 

 

2. Being John Malkovich

Such an original movie, because it’s so weird. Cameron Diaz looks crazy, Catherine Keener is great and you know how much I love John Cusack.

 

1. There is Something About Mary

Definitely one of the best comedies ever made and Cameron Diaz is one we can thank for that. She is so charming and subtle with her humour. The Farrely brothers really did their best work here. 

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Very Bad Things, My Best Friend’s Wedding

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # What to Expect When You're Expecting

Director: Kirk Jones
Genre: Comedy/ Romance/ Drama
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Matthew Morrison, Elizabeth Banks, Ben Falcone, Jennifer Lopez, Rodrigo Santoro, Brooklyn Decker, Dennis Quaid, Anna Kendrick, Chace Crawford, Chris Rock, Joe Manganiello

Description: A look at love through the eyes of five interconnected couples experiencing the thrills and surprises of having a baby, and ultimately coming to understand the universal truth that no matter what you plan for, life doesn't always deliver what's expected.

Review: The title tells you everything: all the ins and out about pregnancies and babies. The movie follows five different stories about this subject. First we have Jules, the presenter of a weight loss program, who is having a baby with her partner Evan. There is Gary and his wife Wendy who have been trying to get pregnant for two years. But when it finally happens, it’s not as fantastic as she always thought. Gary’s father Ramsey and his very young new wife Skyler are also expecting, and she does have the glow that Wendy was always hoping for. The young Rosie gets pregnant after a one-night-stand with Marco, the guy who left her on prom night. And finally Holly and Alex who are trying to adopt a child. Holly is ready, but Alex clearly isn’t.
It’s very clever to make an ensemble film out of this concept, multiple storylines work well very often. And various genres are mixed as well. This makes it to an unbalanced film. Over-the-top slapsticks switch to dramatic moments that don’t really fit in here.
Although I love Cameron Diaz, she isn’t the real star in this film. Elizabeth Banks and Ben Falcone, who play Wendy and Gary, and Anna Kendrick and Chace Crawford, as Rosie and Marco, have the most interesting storylines and are the most convincing. I especially think that the last two actors where underused.
It’s definitely an entertaining movie, but it never really hits the mark.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Gorgeous Women That Got 'Ugly' for a Movie

Hollywood is full of gorgeous, beautiful and radiant women. But the most fantastic ones are the actresses that dare to be ugly for a role. Here are my five favorite transformations.

5. Sandra Bullock in "Miss Congeniality"
Bullock played the tough cop Gracie Hart, who walked and talked like a man before she was transformed into a Miss America contender.

4. Salma Hayek in "Frida"
I think Hayek is every man's dream. She is beautiful, curved and has a sexy accent. The unibrow is maybe the ugliest feature of her role in "Frida".

3. Gwyneth Paltrow in "Shallow Hall"
Although this isn't a very good movie, I really liked Paltrow in this film. Funny thing: when Paltrow started wearing the fat-suit, none of the people passing her would meet her eye.

2. Cameron Diaz in "Being John Malkovich"
It's not just the look that's weird, the character of Lotte is also pretty strange. Diaz with her frizzy hair is very memorable.

1. Charlize Theron in "Monster"
Theron is the most breathtaking actress and that makes it so amazing that she went full on ugly for her role in "Monster". That's what I admire about Theron, she truly doesn't care about her beauty, just about her performance. Fantastic.

They almost made the top 5: Nicole Kidman in "The Hours" and Renee Zellweger in "Bridget Jones's Diary"

In the Picture: The Characters from "There's Something About Mary"

“There’s Something About Mary” is my favorite comedy of all time and one of my all-time favorite movies. It doesn’t only have great, memorable moments, but also fabulous characters that you never forget. Just because they are so quirky. Here they are.

Mary Jensen
Played by: Cameron Diaz
Mary is every mans dream. She is beautiful, kind, loves sports, helpful and smart. She is also Ted’s dreamgirl. When he tracks her down she is as beautiful as ever, single, and an Orthopedic Surgeon. Mary is also very involved with her mentaly challenged brother Warren.

Ted Stroehmann
Played by: Ben Stiller
Ted is a goofy guy who got lucky that Mary wanted to go to the prom with him. And that’s all the luck he has, because this night goes horribly wrong. He hires a private detective to find Mary when he’s older and he realizes that Mary is still a fox. He wins her over again but there are many guys on the lookout for Mary. And Ted, the unlucky guy he is, can’t help to get himself in another sticky situation with many to follow. He is the only selfless man though, because he can only be happy if Mary is. That’s how he eventually gets the girl.

Pat Healy
Played by: Matt Dillon
Pat is the private detective Ted hires. He claims that Mary is fat, disabled and very unhappy. That’s obviously not true, but he also fell for Mary and wants her for himself. With a bunch of lies Pat manages to win Mary over, but his lies don’t hold. Pat is a sneaky, slick and lying man.

Dom Woganowski
Played by: Chris Elliott
Dom is Ted’s best friend and is sick of hearing the stories about Mary. He convinces Ted to track her down and secretly likes Mary himself. In high school he was Mary’s stalking ex-boyfriend Woogie, the reason she moved and changed her name. Dom has a thing for shoes and a weird skin condition.

Tucker
Played by: Lee Evans
Tucker is one of Mary’s patients and a very sophisticated man. So he appears, because Tucker is actually Norm the pizza delivery guy who fell in love with Mary after delivering her a pizza when she opened the door in her night gown.

Magda
Played by: Lin Shaye
Magda is Mary’s landlady and she loves tanning. A bit to much, because she looks like a brownie. Magda loves martini’s and likes to eat a banana split after sex. She is also the proud owner of the lovely dog Puffy, who is more feisty then he appears.

Favorite Character: Ted Stroehmann

Movie Moments: "There's Something About Mary"

One of my top five favorites and full of hilarious moments. Here are my favorite scenes.

Moment # 1: Zipper accident
No one believes him, but Ted is taking the beautiful Mary to the prom. He picks her up at her house, where immediatly things go wrong when he’s trying to surprise Mary’s brother Warren with a baseball. It gets worse when Ted goes to the bathroom to pee. He’s watching two birds, when the fly away Mary’s parents think he was watching Mary getting redressed and he was masturbating. When he wants to zip up, his gentleman parts get stuck between the zipper. Auch!

Moment # 2: Who needs him?
Ted hired Pat Healy to find Mary and Healy is spying on her. Finding out she’s practically a saint and still a very beautiful woman. While Mary is having lunch with her friends, Pat overhears her talking about a guy named Brad. He was basically the perfect guy, but she found out he wasn’t that happy about her mentally challenged brother Warren. So she tells her friends: “Who needs him? I’ve got a vibrator”. And Healy bursts into laughter.

Moment # 3: Wrong window
Healy is watching Mary outside her appartement. She is getting undressed and Healy wants to take a look through bigger binoculours. When he gets them and is ready for the big moment where he sees Mary’s boobs, Healy glances into her neighbours window seeing Magda topless, which scares him.

Moment # 4: Healy tries to get Mary’s attention
Mary is at the golf course and Healy is trying to impress her. He doesn’t know how to play golf, but when he needs change he gets her attention by telling her he only has coins from Nepal, a place Mary always wanted to visit. In the parking lot, she wants to get to know him and also finds out he’s an architect and works with ‘retards’ (his words). Off course they are all lies, but she likes him.

Moment # 5: Mary and Ted meet again
Ted found out that Healy lied to him. Mary is still a beautiful woman and hasn’t changed much. He wants to visit her, but is affraid. His friend Dom makes Mary notice him and they start talking. They plan a date and Ted is filled with joy.

Moment # 6: Hairgel
Before Ted is meeting Mary, he’s trying to feel more relaxed. He starts masturbating and after the big moment he looses his… body fluid…. When he opens the door for Mary, the lost sperm is hanging on his ear. Mary thinks it’s hairgel and and grabs it to put it in her hair. While in the bar, Mary’s hair is standing up straight.

Moment # 7: Ted vs. Puffy
Ted goes to Mary’s house and before he does, Healy feeds dog Puffy some uppers. Magda asks Ted to release the dog from the bathroom, while he’s banging the door. Ted is scared for what he’s going to see, but when he opens the door he sees the little Puffy. He’s not so cute, because he attacks Ted and they get into a big fight. And Puffy ends up jumping out of the window.

Moment # 8: The hook
Mary and Ted are having the best time and they seem very happy. While standing on the peer, a fishing hook grabs Ted’s lip.

Moment # 9: Dom is Woogie
Mary told Ted about her ex-boyfriend Woogie who started acting weird and he’s the reason she changed her name. Woogie turns out to be Ted’s friend Dom and he shows up at Mary’s appartement. He’s trying to steal her shoes.

Moment # 10: Happiest with you
All of Mary’s worshipers are in her appartement, even Brad. It turns out that he wasn’t bad and that he didn’t say those things about her brother Warren. Ted tells all the guys that Mary should decide and that he just wants Mary to be happy. When he leaves her house, thinking she choose Brad, Mary follows him. Telling Ted: “I’d be happiest with you”. They kiss.

Favorite Moment: Moment # 10: Happiest with you

Best of... Cameron Diaz

The woman with the prettiest smile in Hollywood: Cameron Diaz. She's a very entertaining actress and she had some great movies. Here are my favorites:

"There's Something About Mary"
My all-time favorie Cammie movie and I think the funniest movie I've ever seen. I don;t think Cameron can beat this one. It's almost a classic in its genre. Great moments, like the hairgel scene or the one with the zipper incident.

"Being John Malkovich"
She's a little weird in this film, but this movie itself is also weird. But weird in a good way. Very original story and a challenging role for Cameron.

"Gangs of New York"
Her role isn't that memorable, but the movie is. Which makes it on my list of favorite Cameron Diaz movies.

"Very Bad Things"
I love dark humor. This movie has it. Cameron, as Laura, wants the perfect wedding and the perfect married life. It doesn't exactly turn out that way.

"The Mask"
Her first role in a very funny movie. The start of an amazing career.

"In Her Shoes"
I didn't think much of this movie at first, but it turned out to be very good. I liked Cameron together with Toni Colette.

"Shrek"
How can I forget about this one? "Shrek" is a one of a kind story, everybody loves Shrek and his sweet Fiona.

Movie Tip #6 - There's Something About Mary

Director: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon, Chris Elliot, Lee Evans

Description: Ted (Ben Stiller)was a geek in high school, who was going to go to the prom with one of the most popular girls in school, Mary (Cameron Diaz). The prom date never happened, because Ted had a very unusual accident. Thirteen years later he realizes he is still in love with Mary, so he hires a private investigator (Matt Dillon) to track her down. That investigator discovers too may so he falls in love with Mary and he gives Ted some false information to keep him away from her. But soon Ted finds himself back into Mary's life, as we watch one funny scene after another.

Review: This is my all-time favorite comedy. The Farrely brother made a one-of-a-kind movie with a lot of humour! Some scenes are legendary (like the hairgel scene and the one with the fishing lure). I can watch this movie over and over again and still laugh at the same jokes. It's hilarious and it has a lot of extraordinary characters. And it's Diaz at her best!