Movie Review - How to Make a Killing

Director: John Patton Ford
Genre: Crime/ Comedy
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Glen Powell, Margareth Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Ed Harris
 
Description: Disowned at birth by his obscenely wealthy family, blue-collar Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell) will stop at nothing to reclaim his inheritance, no matter how many relatives stand in his way.
 
Review: “How to Make a Killing” is a dark crime comedy that starts off incredibly promising but, unfortunately, completely falls flat in the end.

The story follows Becket Redfellow, played by a charming Glen Powell, a blue-collar worker who was disowned at birth by his wealthy family. Driven by revenge and pure greed, he hatches a cold-blooded murder plot to systematically eliminate the seven family members standing between him and his billion-dollar inheritance.

The film gets off to an incredibly promising start; the opening is packed with razor-sharp black humor, is incredibly entertaining, and is a delight to watch from the very first minute. Director John Patton Ford perfectly captures the tone of a vicious social critique in the first hour, allowing the viewer to effortlessly get swept up in the protagonist’s absurd plans.

Unfortunately, the film takes a completely different turn in the second half when the tone suddenly shifts to a much more serious crime drama. Because of this change in direction, the script loses the satirical edge that made the first half so strong and unique, causing the pace to slow down and the characters to lose their vibrancy.

What really brings the experience down, however, is the climax. The ending is implausible and too easy and I simply didn’t like it.

“How to Make a Killing” is an entertaining movie and the first hour is a joy to watch, but eventually fails to live up to its full potential due to a weak finale.

Rating: 3/ 5

00s Movie Review - Gone Baby Gone

Director: Ben Affleck
Genre: Drama/ Mystery/ Crime
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Amy Ryan, Titus Welliver, Amy Madigan, Michael Kenneth Williams

Description: Two Boston area detectives (Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan) investigate a little girl’s kidnapping, which ultimately turns into a crisis both professionally and personally.

Review: Is a bad deed justifiable if the consequence is ultimately good? What are good intentions worth if the consequences are bad? And what then is good and bad, and do those words have any meaning at all? Such questions arise when watching “Gone Baby Gone”, directed by Ben Affleck and based on the book by Dennis Lehane. Affleck created an engaging, intelligent film.

Private detective couple Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro are hired by Helene McCready’s sister-in-law to track down Helene’s missing four-year-old daughter Amanda. They discover that Helene has robbed a drug dealer and suspect that the drug dealer has something to do with Amanda’s abduction. An attempt to strike a bargain with the dealer and exchange the stolen money for the child goes horribly wrong.

Months later, Kenzie works another kidnapping case where he must find and free a missing boy from the hands of a pedophile. In the process, Patrick makes some decisions that are very difficult for him and also stumbles upon a secret that presents him with even more difficult decisions. The question is not so much whether he can make the right decision, but whether there are any at all in our modern society.

It was a good idea by Ben Affleck to keep the moral uncertainties that arise in a disrupted world without a clearly identifiable right or wrong. This keeps the story and a few plot twists interesting. I’ve always liked Ben Affleck more as a directed than an actor, so I’m happy he decided to cast his brother Casey Affleck for the lead role, instead of starrin in it himself. The younger Affleck is in my opinion the better actor of the two and he proves that in “Gone Baby Gone”. Helene McCready is played by Amy Ryan, who really shines in her role.

“Gone Baby Gone” is a really good crime mystery, that is engaging from start to finish. An overlooked film in my opinion, not many people seem to talk about it anymore.

Rating: 4,5 / 5

00s Movie Review - The Hours

Director: Stephen Daldry
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Ed Harris, Stephen Dillane, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Miranda Richardson, Claire Danes, Margot Martindale, Jeff Daniels

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 3: AN ANTHOLOGY MOVIE
 
Description: The story of how the novel “Mrs. Dalloway” affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have to deal with suicide in their lives.

Review: Three women. One writes, the other reads and the last lives. The words of Virginai Woolf’s famous book “Mrs. Dalloway” give shape and dimension to their tragic lives. Based on the Pullitzer Prize-winning nover “The Hours” by Michael Cunningham, the story was a valid attempt to illustrate how literature and true life can be connected. And how immortal stories are even when their writers and protagonists die.

The three women who sometimes effortlessly blur into one character in the book are pulled apart for the film in three powerful roles played by Nicole Kidman (as Virginia Woolf), Meryl Streep (as the contemporary New York Carissa Vaughan) and Julianne Moore (as a 1950s housewife. Their fates are shown as they wear the same kind of earrings, and, thanks to ingenious editing, relive or read the same scenes from “Mrs. Dalloway” at the same time.

It is a wondrous conclusion to have to see, almost a century after Mrs. Dalloway lived, that, in Daldry's view, personal freedom is more than ever bound by sexual and familial ties.

Rating: 4/ 5

90s Movie Review - Eye for An Eye

Director: John Schlesinger
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 101 minutes
Year: 1996

Starring: Sally Field, Ed Harris, Kiefer Sutherland, Beverly D’Angelo, Olivia Burnette, Alexandra Kyle, Joe Mategna, Keith David, Philip Baker Hall, Geoffrey Rivas, Charlayne Woodard

Description: When the courts fail to keep behind bars the man (Kiefer Sutherland) who raped and murdered her daughter, a woman (Sally Field) seeks her own form of justice.  

Review: When Karen McCann is stranded in a traffic jam on her way home one afternoon, she calls her eldest daughter Julie who is busy preparing for youngest daughter Megan’s birthday party. While on the phone, she hers Julie opening the door to a man and then being attacked. Panicked, Karen tries to get home and call the police. Once home, her world collapses when it appears that Julie has been murdered after being raped. A short time later, the killer Robert Doob is caught. But unfortunately, he is released after an error. Karen’s shock and grief slowly turn to disbelief and anger. Karen and her husband Mack join a support group for parents who have lost someone due to violence. There Karen meets a man who teaches her how to take justice in her own hands. But though she desperately wants to kill Doob, she can’t follow through. Until Doob strikes again. Karen is determined Doob has to pay for his actions.

A film about the search for justice in an unjust world. Sally Field pays her role as Karen McCann very well. The intense sadness that slowly turns into anger is portrayed well, I almost felt It myself. Kiefer Sutherland plays the bad guy and he does this well too.

“Eye for an Eye” has an excellent start, the first few scenes are very intense, and the way they portray the grief of losing a child, is very well done. The feeling of revenge quickly takes over. And the grief that the family feels is lost. Karen’s search for justice is understandable, yet it takes over way too fast. It is in fact very original that it’s the mother in this case, and not the father. In most movies with a revenge arc, after a child was murdered, it’s the father that seeks justice.

“Eye for an Eye” is a solid thriller, because it starts out so strong and has great performances. But overall an it’s very average.

Rating: 3/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Way Back

Director: Peter Weir
Genre: Drama/ Adventure
Runtime: 133 minutes
Year: 2010
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Mark Strong
Description: Siberian gulag escapees travel four thousand miles by foot to freedom in India.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLGEN
WEEK 40: A WAR MOVIE
 
Review: Australian director Peter Weir doesn’t make that many films anymore. The man behind such modern classics as “Dead Poets Society” and “The Truman Show” delivers “The Way Back”. At the point of release, it’s only the second film in 12 years. And while this film about an epic, inhuman hike once demonstrates Weir’s craftmanship, “The Way Back” lacks just that little bit extra to turn a good film into an unforgettable one.

“The Way Back” is based on a true story recorded by Polish lieutenant Slavomir Rawicz in “The Long Walk”. In this book, Rawicz describes how, as a prisoner, he escaped from a Siberian gulag and embarked on a harsh journey, from Siberia through Mongolia and finally ending up in India after crossing the Himalayas. A journey of more than six thousand kilometers.

Ever since the publication of this book, in 1956, there have been doubts about the veracity of Rawicz’s story. Indeed, no evidence of it has been found, and it remains to be seen whether he could ever have managed to escape from the gulag where he was imprisoned. In the end, Peter Weir decided to dedicate the film to three unknown survivors who would have made such a journey, and to build the rest of the film around the book and present it as a fictional story in order to avoid controversy.

It was expected beforehand that “The Way Back” would become a major Oscar favotie because of the epic nature of the film and because six-time Oscar nominee Weir has never won the award before. It soon becomes clear, however, that the film cannot quite live up to those expectations. This has nothing to do with the good direction or excellent actors, but more to do with the screenplay that pays too little attention to the mutual group dynamics of the prisoners who undertake the journey together.

It's hard to keep a film without some form of conflict interesting, and while “The Way Back” does a nice job, it’s a shame that 133 minutes of little happens other than a long hike. Even when, in time, a young girl (well played by Saoirse Ronan), joins the group and forms a bond with the oldest member of the group (Ed Harris).

This all makes for a pretty straightforward film. A group of people with just one goal and the entire film is devoted to that goal. Good, but not great.

Rating: 3, 5/ 5

Movie Review - Top Gun: Maverick

Director: Joseph Kosinski
Genre: Action/ Drama
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Val Kilmer, Ed Harris, Charles Parnell, Monica Barbaro, Glen Powell, Bashir Salahuddin, Jay Ellis, Danny Ramirez, Lewis Pullman
 
Description: After thirty years, Maverick (Tom Cruise) is still pushing the envelope as a top naval aviator, but must confront ghosts of his past when he leads TOP GUN’s elite graduates on a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those chosen to fly it.

Review: It’s been years since Pete “Maverick” Mitchell attended pilot training at TOP GUN. By now he is an old hand in the business and has often been awarded for his heroic actions, but has never risen in rank. This is in contrast to his old rival and friend Iceman, who has become and Admiral. Iceman is the one standing up for Maverick, ensuring that he can return to TOP GUN. However, this time as an instructor to train a group of graduates for a dangerous secret mission. Not being eager to do so, Maverick does return and trains the group, but uses unorthodox methods. One of the pilots in the group is Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s deceased co-pilot Goose. Rooster resents maverick a great deal and that makes things more complicated. When the mission is suddenly brought forward, Maverick doesn’t know if the group is ready for it.

In recent years, a number of sequels have been made to classic movies from the 1980s and 1990s. Most don’t really succeed and are merely there for nostalgia reasons. I was sceptic about “Top Gun: Maverick”, I didn’t think we need this sequel. I always liked the movie, but after a recent rewatch after many years, I realized “Top Gun” doesn’t really hold up. But boy was I wrong about this sequel. “Top Gun: Maverick” is the sequel I didn’t think I needed.

The character of Maverick has grown, but he is still reckless and always seeks out the borders and ways to cross them. But here Maverick feels more raw, realistic and someone you can actually care about, what I didn’t really feel in the original. I loved seeing Val Kilmer return, in a brief role, but the rivalry they used to have turned into a beautiful friendship, which is very visible in that one scene they have. Kelly McGillis doesn’t return, there is no explanation about where her character is. But it didn’t bother me at all, because I didn’t really care about her character anyway. Jennifer Connolly is Maverick’s new love-interest, whose character is mentioned briefly in “Top Gun” is you pay close attention.

And talking about perfect casting: Miles Teller as Rooster, the son of Maverick’s deceased co-pilot Goose. It’s totally believable. His character is angry and insecure, which brings an extra obstacle to Maverick’s return to TOP GUN.

“Top Gun: Maverick” is a very successful sequel to a cheesy and enjoyable 80s movie, that easily tops its original. It’s much better. And its best they stay with only the one sequel, because this is a perfect ending to Maverick’s story. One of my favorite films of the year.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - A Beautiful Mind

Director: Ron Howard
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 135 minutes
Year: 2001
Starring: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Paul Bettany, Christopher Plummer, Judd Hirsch, Josh Lucas, Adam Goldberg

Description: After a brilliant but asocial mathematician, John Nash (Russell Crowe), accepts secret work in cryptography, his life takes a turn for the nightmarish.

Review: It’s not easy being a genius mathematician, when even the most simple decision become the most complicated formulas. John Nash is someone like that. Nobel Prize winner John Nash allowed Ron Howard to make a film about his life. Lead actor Russell Crowe met John Nash. “A Beautiful Mind” was very successful at the Academy Awards that year, it won for best movie, director and script, but just missed out on best actor. In my opinion it’s Russell Crowe’s best performance so far and he should have definitely won the award.

“A Beautiful Mind” doesn’t only focus on him as a genius, but also his schizophrenia. We meet Nash in his college years at Princeton, where he is seen as a weird guy. He doesn’t attend classes, because he can’t learn anything there and he has other things on his mind. His days are spend trying to solve formulas, which results in a controversial thesis. But while he lives his life in the world of numbers and formulas, his paranoia grows. Nash gets delusions and is convinced the government has hired him to solve codes to find the location of an atomic bomb. His wife Alicia has no idea how to deal with it.

 
“A Beautiful Mind” is Russell Crowe at his best. He portrays John Nash so convincingly and realistic. As a mathematician testing theories and as a man fighting his inner demons. But the woman on his side, Jennifer Connelly, also shines. As Alicia Nash she portrays her sublimely, as a woman who both loves and fears her husband. Connelly won for best supporting actress, which was well deserved. Crowe and Connelly are supported by great actors Ed Harris, Paul Bettany and Christopher Plummer. But it’s the script by Akiva Goldsmith that makes this movie truly memorable. Goldsmith takes the viewers into the mind of Nash, while the truth is still hidden until a certain point, to show us how Nash sees the world.

Strong acting and a great script. “A Beautiful Mind” is a perfect film, with both Crowe and Connelly at their best. Well directed by Ron Howard and his best movie so far.

Rating: 5/ 5

20s Movie Review - The Lost Daughter

Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 121 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard, Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ed Harris

Description: A women’s (Olivia Colman) beach vacation takes a dark turn when she begins to confront the troubles of her past.

Review: At the last minute of 2021, actress Maggie Gyllenhaal comes to Netflix with her directorial debut “The Lost Daughter”. An intelligent film about motherhood and responsibilities. It’s a remarkably nuanced film whose provocative message will stay with you for days to come.
Leda is enjoying some time off on a Greek island. While on the beach, she is relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet. Her oasis of calm changes when an American family, with screaming children, noisily takes over the beach.
When she meets a young woman called Nina and her daughter Elena, it brings back painful, unprocessed memories for Leda. Memories of Leda’s own time as a mother of two young daughters, Bianca and Martha. In flashbacks sprinkled throughout the film, we see a young Leda combining her work and studies with motherhood and demanding relationship. And those worlds collide more often than not.
Olivia Colman once again puts in a masterful actin performance. But Jessie Buckley’s portrayal of the younger version of Leda also deserves high praise. Seamlessly, the two seem like the same person with a twenty year age difference.  
The title “The Lost Daughter” suggest that a child disappears and the film becomes a quest to find the girl. This is true, but it’s only a small part of the film. The incident is a clever diversion for the film’s real protagonists: atypical mothers. Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut does not unfold as a mystery detective thriller at all. “The Lost Daughter” is a character study of women struggling with motherhood and the expectations and responsibilities that come with it. Women who must choose for themselves. As selfish as that may seem, it is far from incomprehensible.
Leda is also, to a certain extent, not a sympathetic character at all. Not everyone is made for motherhood, and children can be an oppressive responsibility. Leda describes herself throughout the film as an unnatural mother. Her façade of difference and self-reliance makes Leda a complex character whose unpredictable behavior keeps her constantly intrigued. In young mother Nina, with her always crying daughter, she finds recognition. A recognition she has hidden away to avoid having to face her life decisions.
“The Lost Daughter” is a unique film because the self-evident maternal instinct is turned on it head. The film is somewhat uncomfortable to watch, because Leda is such a complex character and she is very clear about her boundaries, and the situations she is put in (or often puts herself in) can be very uncomfortable to witness. For her directorial debut, Maggie Gyllenhaal has passed with flying colors. It’s a very interesting watch.  

Rating: 4/ 5

90s Movie Review - Apollo 13

Director: Ron Howard
Genre: Drama/ Adventure
Runtime: 134 minutes
Year: 1995
Starring: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Ed Harris, Gary Sinise, Kathleen Quinlan, Ray McKinnon, Clint Howard

Description: NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.

Review: Jim Lovell is working at NASA, in 1970s America. He wants only one thing and that is to set foot on the moon. He has therefore had to wait a long time, but now it’s finally  happening. Due to illness of the original flight leader, Jim and his team are deployed on Apollo 13. During the flight, which initially goes well, some major problems arise. Jim and his team now have to do everything to get back to Earth safely. Jim, and his team members Fred and Jack must survive in a hostile environment, with a dwindling supply of oxygen.
“Apollo 13” tells the true story of the failed trip to the moon on the thirteenth Apollo mission. This was to be the third time humans would walk on the moon, but during the trip, all sorts of things went wrong. Commander of the ship, Jim Lovell, wrote about his experiences in the book “Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13”. This book was the basis for the film, which was directed by Ron Howard. True-life stories van be bogged down quite often in a heavy dose of sentiment and tear-jerking. “Apollo 13” also has several moments where this applies, but overall it is a film that manages to captivate and entertain. the facts told in the story are exciting and dramatic enough in themselves. I actually thought that the whole family drama at home, took the tempo out of the movie a bit. I was more interested in the space part, not the personal lives.
The cast seems to give their all and is extremely empathetic. The roles of the three astronauts are played by Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton. Hanks is strong as ever, but Paxton and Bacon manage to hold their own alongside him. The trio manages to convey the desperation and mutual tension well. This makes the whole thing come across as authentic and realistic. Ed Harris and Gary Sinise, in smaller roles, also make  an impression.
“Apollo 13” is clearly created with a lot of love and attention to detail and it looks very realistic. It’s an entertaining movie, even on multiple viewings.

Rating: 4 / 5

TV Show Review - Westworld (Season 3)

Season: 3
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2020
Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris, Aaron Paul, Tessa Thompson, Vincent Cassel, Luke Hemsworth, Rodrigo Santoro, Jimmi Simpson, Clifton Collins Jr., Tommy Flanagan

Description: Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, explore a world in which every human appetite can be indulged without consequence.

Review: What would happen if the artificial humans from Westworld would enter the real world? We get an answer tot hat question. The series started with the theme park Westworld, where people could live their ultimate fantasies. In the second season, the so-called hosts started rebelling. In this season, they finally enter the human world.
Here is where we meet some familiar faces: the vengeful Dolores and the peaceful Bernard. We are also introduced to a new character, Caleb Nichols. Because of a larger playing field and more characters, you have to keep up and pay attention. As for the characters, who know probably just as much as the viewers.
Besides some mysteries that we already were familiar with, we are introduced to some new ones. For instance Caleb, who at first sight looks like a regular construction worker, but he has a mysterious app on his phone. And don’t forget the end of season 3, where Dolores left with curious little orbs.
“Westworld” has always been a very complex series and season 3 is no different. It’s even more complicated than the previous seasons. It’s nice to see our trusted characters in different environments for a change, to give the concept ne life.
The characters stay interesting enough, as does the story. “Westworld” season 3 might be even more complex, but it’s another strong season.

90s Movie Review - The Truman Show

Director: Peter Weir
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 1998
Starring: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Ed Harris, Holland Taylor, Paul Giamatti, Philip Baker Hall

Description: Insurance salesman Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) discovers his whole life is actually a reality TV show.

Review: Jim Carrey has always been a comedic actor, especially in the early 90s. with movies like “Ave Venture: Pet Detective”, “The Mask” and “Dumb & Dumber” he dominated 90s comedies. Even in “Batman Forever” he was the comedic relief. And then there was “The Truman Show”, a tragicomedy director by Peter Weir, where Carrey wasn’t supposed to be the funny guy. At the time, people were really wondering if he could be comfortable in a role like that. Well he did and it’s one of Carrey’s best performances to date.
In the story, written by Andrew Niccol, there is enough room for humor, but the focus is on Truman’s search for a world outside his hometown Seahaven. But his fear of the open water keeps him on the island all his life, when his biggest dream is to leave it and travel to Fiji.
What Truman doesn’t know is that his life has been followed by cameras since he was born and millions of people around the world watch him every day. The unsuspecting insurance agent is living in a reality TV show created by Christof. He lives on the largest TV set ever created and everyone in the town is an actor. The only thing that is real is Truman.
Jim Carrey plays the role of the ignorant and somewhat melancholic Truman excellently and as a viewer you easily sympathize with him. You just hope he finds out the truth and that he can leave the ‘prison’ he has been living in all his life. His search for a life outside Seahaven and the discovery of him being in a TV show is just as gripping as comedic, while the sneaky Christof does everything to keep his star captured. Ed Harris, who plays Christof, is only seen in a few scenes, but he does a lot in the little screen time he has.
Peter Weir succeeded in creating a film that both grabs you and humors you. It’s a tragic comedy and Jim Carrey fits this genre perfectly. Refreshing to see him do this.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

TV Show Review - Westworld (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2018
Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris, James Marsden, Tessa Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Luke Hemsworth, Rodrigo Santoro, Jimmi Simpson

Description: Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, explore a world in which every human appetite can be indulged without consequence.

Review: On of the better new shows on HBO is without a doubt “Westworld”, which premiered its first season in 2016. This futuristic series takes the audience to a theme park of some sort, where rich people can let their fantasies come to life. Settings in which they wouldn’t dare to enter in the real life. And they can do anything in Westworld, steal, kill, rape, it will not have consequences. Because the victims are ‘robots’ made by Robert Ford and Bernard Lowe. And is Bernard that takes one of the most important roles in season 2. His character made for a huge plot twist in the first season.
After Ford dies, Bernard realizes a lot is going wrong in Westworld. The hosts, what they call the robots, start having memories and want to live their lives without being controlled by Delos’ company, who is also responsible for Westworld’s existence. Bernard starts his own investigation to the truth of what is happening and who is responsible for all the chaos. This brings him to lots of revelations about the happenings and himself. Delos’ troops are also send to stop the hosts from causing more trouble and chaos. Some of the hosts have completely set their own goals and want to go to the real world. Leader of the rebellion is Dolores Abernathy, who becomes relentless when trying to achieve her goals.
Another important storyline in season 2 is the mysterious man in black. He is one of the people that visited Westworld, but he never left and he is on a new mission. The last storyline that is of any importance is that of Maeve, who has memories of herself living in a house with her daughter, before she became the madame of prostitutes in a saloon. In her quest, she wants to find out the truth behind these memories.
The first season was surprising, unique, mind-blowing and had some surprising plot twists. the second season is just as great. Again great visuals, fantastic performances by the cast, plot twists and we get deeper into the characters and see backstories.
2020 will give us a third season, which will be different if I have to believe the trailer. But this second season definitely leaves us wanting more.

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 125: Mother!

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Genre: Drama/ Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 121 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer, Brian Gleeson, Domhnall Gleeson, Kristen Wiig

Description: A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.

Review: “Mother!” starts pretty conventional: a couple lives a calm and peaceful life in a beautiful house. Their life changes when they provide shelter for two stranger. The husband (the characters don’t have names) feels okay about it, it’s his idea. But the wife feels uncomfortable and thinks it’s strange to simply invite strangers into their house. She does everything to make their house a home, when she sees intruders destroy it. But he loves the adoration he gets from them.
Director Darren Aronofsky builds up to ultimate chaos, with two trumps: leading lady Jennifer Lawrence and the house it’s set in. Aside from some shots of the house from afar, the camera stays indoors and is only a few feet away from Lawrence. Wandering through the halls, rooms and stairs her character’s feeling of being lost and helpless grows.
Aronofsky always gets the best from his actors and Jennifer Lawrence is no exception. It’s one of her strongest roles. The fact that she is the only character that responds to the situation the way we all probably should, you get the impression that there is more going on than we eventually led to believe. This is definitely not a movie for everyone, especially when we go towards the climax of the film. It’s pretty fucked up actually. But you have enough to talk about after seeing “Mother!”.
“Mother!” is original, unconventional, a bit disturbing and very well done.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 21: Glengarry Glen Ross

Director: James Foley
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 1992
Starring: Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey, Bruce Altman, Jonathan Pryce

Description: An examination of the machinations behind the scenes at a real estate office.

Review: A film set in a dusty real estate office. Doesn’t really sound interesting, does it? “Glengarry Glen Ross” is indeed a very strong movie. With a cast filled with great actors and sharp dialogue.
Verbally the film is very violent. A lot of cursing and competition between all the employees. One-liners and dialogues, people are slaughtered with words. And that’s what makes this film as strong as it is. It’s an acting film, a film where good dialogue is important. The theme doesn’t interest me and the characters aren’t all that likeable, but this film captivated me anyway.
Especially Jack Lemmon shines. He plays an old real estate agent, who is trying everything to keep his job. A lot of smooth talking, his job is all he has. He turns into a broken man, a tragic figure. The intensity and energy that Lemmon put into to this role, it’s very impressive.
Alec Baldwin only has a small role, but he also leaves an impression. And then there is Al Pacino, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin. All strong, but overshadowed by Lemmon and Baldwin.
Like I stated before, it’s an acting film. Actors at their best.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 4: Gravity

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Genre: Drama/ Thriller

Runtime: 90 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris

Description: A medical engineer (Sandra Bullock) and an astronaut (George Clooney) work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.

Review: It’s simple: people who end up in a hostile environment with only their own perseverance and the will to survive. It has been done many times. Director Alfonso Cuarón takes it a step further: space. Medical engineer Ryan Stone and astronaut Matt Kowalski have to rely on themselves and each other when they are the only two survivors after their shuttle is destroyed. Without any contact with Earth, they only have each other and the chances of them being saved are minimal.

Over four years it took Cuarón to finish this project and it shows. “Gravity” looks amazing, breathtaking. Not only the visuals of our planet, but the fantastic camera work. Long shots, the opening scene alone takes about fifteen minutes. The camera floats graciously in space and shows us planet Earth and the characters. The way it was filmed, makes you feel you’re weightless. This is one of those films where 3D really adds something extra.

Cuarón pictures space realistically. It’s obvious he paid attention to every detail and what I found the most interesting is the absence of sound. The only sounds you hear are the voices of Stone and Kowalski talking over the radio or their voices muted due to their suits. The silence is scary. From the moment the two astronauts are told to abort their mission, you’re on the edge of your seat.

Sandra Bullock and George Clooney are both very good. There is a huge contrast between the two. Bullock’s Ryan Stone isn’t as comfortable in space as Clooney’s Matt Kowalski. The interaction between the two is sincere. This makes “Gravity” not just a technically difficult film.

“Gravity” is a great move experience.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 142: Snowpiercer

Director: Joon-ho Bong

Genre: Action/ Drama/ Science Fiction

Runtime: 126 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Ed Harris, Alison Pill, Luke Pasqualino, Ewen Bremner, Kang-ho Song, Ah-sung Ko, Tómas Lemarquis, Steve Park, Kenny Doughtry, Emma Levie

Description: Set in a future where a failed climate-change experiment kills all life on the planet except for a lucky few who boarded the Snowpiercer, a train that travels around the globe, where a class system emerges.

Review: We are dealing with a change of climate and this problem is what sets of “Snowpiercer”. In an alternative 2014 the climate has changed drastically. The whole world has turned into an ice planet and the only survivors live in train, the Snowpiercer, that goes around the world endlessly.

There is a separation, where the rich people live in the front part of the train with of all the left over luxury. And the rest live a terrible life in the back of the train. History has thought us one thing: living in a society like this, never stays for all eternity. A lot of big-budget science fiction films have disappointed us

, but “Snowpiercer” proofs that the genre is still going strong. The director and his cast work very well together. Not all the characters have the right depth, but serve their roles well. Chris Evans does an amazing job and shows us the many varieties he has as an actor. And Octavia Spencer does a solid job too. Tilda Swinton, who is known for her weird characters, disappoints a bit. I found her character a bit too quirky for this movie.

The set design is excellent. The surrealistic atmosphere is beautifully made. And the storyline also does its job. It’s especially the decisions that were made for this story that are great. There is no romantic storyline and there is a strange intermission in a very brutal action scene. This is where “Snowpiercer” is different and original.

“Snowpiercer” is a great movie, and might become a classic in the sci-fi genre eventually.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Battle: The Truman Show Vs. Edtv

Two movies where the lead characters are being watched by… well everyone, 24/7. When the movies were released, reality television just started and became extremely popular. Today, they make shows about everything. To battle it out, here is “The Truman Show” Vs. “Edtv”.

 

CAST

The Truman Show: Mostly known for his comedic roles, rubber face Jim Carrey takes the lead. And very well indeed. I think this is Carrey’s best performance so far. Laura Linney, Ed Harris and Natascha McElhone also take part.

Edtv: The relatively unknown Matthew McConaughey plays Ed and is accompanied by Woody Harrelson, Jenna Elfman, Ellen Degeneres and Elizabeth Hurley. The cast looks less impressive, but do a solid job.

STORY

The Truman Show: Truman is unaware that his life has been followed ever since his birth. His whole life has been planned out, but he starts to be suspicious. Trying to follow his own path, the TV people try to stop him. It’s a drama, mixed with subtle comedy.

Edtv: Unlike Truman, Ed volunteers to be followed. He is supposed to make the rates go up, but at first his life doesn’t look all that interesting. That soon changes and Ed is loved by many. It’s more of a comedy.

EFFECTS

The Truman Show: Truman lives in a picture perfect town, with picture perfect citizens. It all looks stunning.

Edtv: Nothing special here.

WINNER

It’s kind of a no brainer, “The Truman Show” is without a doubt the better movie of the two.

Movie Tip #36 - A Beautiful Mind

Director: Ron Howard

Starring: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany, Ed Harris

Description: At Princeton University, John Nash (Russell Crowe) struggles to make a worthwhile contribution to serve as his legacy to the world of mathematics. He finally makes a revolutionary breakthrough that will eventually earn him the Nobel Prize. After graduate school he turns to teaching, becoming romantically involved with his student Alicia (Jennifer Connelly). Meanwhile the government asks his help with breaking Soviet codes, which soon gets him involved in a terrifying conspiracy plot. Nash grows more and more paranoid until a discovery that turns his entire world upside down. Now it is only with Alicia's help that he will be able to recover his mental strength and regain his status as the great mathematician we know him as today.

Review: This is one of my top five movies! It's fantastic. Crowe plays the role of John Nash perfectly, so intense. I never understood how he could win an oscar for "Gladiator" and not win it for "A Beautiful Mind". This is his best role ever. And Jennifer Connelly, who did win an Academy Award for this film, does a great job also. She's a very good actress. It is a beautiful movie, worth your while.