TV Show Review - The Umbrella Academy (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Comedy
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2020
Starring: Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Justin H. Min, Kate Walsh, Colm Feore, Jordan Claire Robbins, Adam Godley, Ritu Arya, Marin Ireland

Description: A family of former child heroes, now grown apart, must reunite to continue to protect the world.

Review: For the second season of “The Umbrella Academy” you get in where the first season left us. The Hargreeves family managed to save the world and everything seemed to be safe. Nothing could be further from the truth. It immediately becomes clear that the world, although in a different wat, will come to an end again. To prevent that, the family has to work together again to be able to save the world. But working together is not so easy in this case. Again a season filled with action, humor, interesting plot twist and amazing looking scenes.
Soon you find out that the Hargreeves family has traveled back in time. Only they didn’t all arrive at the same time. Roughly speaking, the seven members of the family arrived somewhere between 1960 and 1963. Because of this, everyone is basically forced to build their own lives and  get used to it without having to fight for the good of their brothers and sisters. For example, Vanya got a concussion and works as a nanny on a farm. Because she lost her memory, she has to rediscover her powers. Luther works as a bodyguard for a high-ranking criminal. Allison now as a husband and actually wants to distance herself from superhero life. In short: everyone has taken a new direction.
Much of the second season is about how the siblings get back together. In addition, they have to deal with a new group of Swedes who are hunting them. The strongest point of the second season is the good use of historical events, from the years 1960 till 1963. Like the assassination on JFK, the threat of nuclear war, drug use and racism in America. As a result, the setting comes across as very credible and it is emphasized that certain issues are still topical today.
The opening scene of this season is amazing and so is a scene in the last episode, in barn, with reversed time (not getting into detail here, but if you’ve seen it you know what I mean). Of all the characters, Five is the most present (in a good way) and my absolute favorite since season 1. It’s also fun to see a bigger role for Ben.
The season ends with a very open ending, sort of a cliffhanger, that makes you wanting more. It leaves us at a high note and has a very surprising twist. The season is again very entertaining. A great cast, I loved the setting and the themes that are a bit heavier and also very relevant today. I’m really looking forward to a third season, after seeing that ending.

TV Show Review - The Umbrella Academy (Season 1)

 

Season: 1

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Comedy

Number of episodes: 10

Year: 2019

Starring: Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Justin H. Min, Kate Walsh, Mary J. Blige, Colm Feore, Jordan Claire Robbins, Cameron Britton, Adam Godley

Description: A family of former child heroes, now grown apart, must reunite to continue to protect the world.

Review: Your adoptive father turns out to be an emotionless asshole, your mother is a robot, the butler is an ape, you are chased by two time-traveling ‘bad guys’ and you and your adopted siblings, with special powers, live in a big house and are trained to save the world… The first season of “The Umbrella Academy” leaves no stone unturned: another superhero show. It doesn’t have to be extremely dark or overly cheerful. And maybe the biggest thing: It doesn’t have to be Marvel or DC.

“The Umbrella Academy” is about a family with seven children. All, but one, have special powers . These special children were suddenly born in 1989. Their mothers were not yet pregnant when the day started, and at the end of that dat they had a child. Sir Reginald Hargreeves, an eccentric somewhat self-centered scientist, decided to adopt as many of the 43 suddenly born children. In the end, he succeeds in adopting seven of them. Confusing? Yes. And that’s exactly what the creators of “The Umbrella Academy” want.

The seven siblings eventually grow apart and when their father dies, when they are all adults, they reunite. Number One, Luther, has super strength and due to the injection of a serum he also has an extremely muscular appearance. Number Two, Diego, has perfect aim. He is skilled at curving the trajectory of any object he throws. Number Three, Allison, can control minds by saying the phrase “I heard a rumor…”, followed by whatever she wants them to do. Number Four, Klaus, can speak to the dead. Number Five is able to travel through space and time. Number Six, Ben, can summon tentacle monsters. He often accompanies Klaus, because Ben is dead and Klaus is the only one that can see him. Finally there is Number Seven, Vanja, the outsider of the family since she doesn’t seem to have any special powers.

A great group of people and a good cast. Ellen Page is described as the top actor of the series, but somehow is it she who makes the level drop. The slightly depressive, boring and monotonous form of the way Page portrays her character is a pity. This makes her probably my least favorite of the siblings. Of course she was written this way, but Page can do better then this. And also her storyline is the most predictable of them all.

Outstanding is Robert Sheehan, as the eccentric, gender fluid and often filled with inappropriate black humor Klaus. And I loved Aidan Gallagher as Five. He is very convincing. Gallagher plays a 57 year old man in the body of a 13 year old boy (yup, that’s how confusing everything is). And you actually see a teenager who thinks like an older man. Really good performance. I think Five and Allison are my favorites.

You don’t watch “The Umbrella Academy” for the logic story. But the writers are also aware of that. The absurdism is all over. The music and cinematography are very good. That ‘dollhouse’ scene, where all the siblings are dancing to “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany is AMAZING! Or the dance scene between Allison and Luther. And that fight scene in the cloth store, fantastic. Cinematographic this series is outstanding.

The strange humor, absurdity of both the characters, music, story and performances makes it worth watching. It took me an episode or two to get into, but now I can’t wait to start the second season. Which, I hope, will be even better.

10s Movie Review - Flatliners

Director: Niels Arden Oplev
Genre: Science Fiction/ Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Ellen Page, Diego Luna, Nina Dobrev, Kiefer Sutherland

Description: Five medical students, obsessed by what lies beyond the confines of life, embark on a daring experiment: by stopping their hearts for short periods, each triggers a near-death experience - giving them a firsthand account of the afterlife.

Review: Another remake. Only a few really succeed. And “Flatliners”, a remake from the 1990 version, is not one of them. This is proof a totally useless remake.
The original “Flatliners” by director Joel Schumacher, wasn’t the best film in the first place. But it was entertaining and was solid. This remake doesn’t add anything new and is hardly ever surprising. It’s just an incoherent mess.
The story stays the same though. We follow a group of ambitious medical students. Courtney has a theory, which can give you a look inside the brain of someone who just died. Her experiment involves dying, stopping the heart for a minute, and then bring the patient back. During this minute, they monitor the brain activity. Courtney does it herself first and lets her fellow students bring her back. After Courtney’s near dead experience, things start happening to her. She remembers things that happened years ago, can all of a sudden play the piano extremely well and copies a recipe from memory. Soon her friends all want to experience it too. But it’s not all good. They start seeing things, that are not there.
All the characters are stereotypical: The rich boy, know it all, hard worker. And good performers like Ellen Page and Diego Luna can’t help any of that.
In the first half hour, a lot happens. The voluntary patients are confronted with their worst nightmares, which turn out to be things they feel guilty about. Director Niels Arden Oplev doesn’t know how to dose it here. The film is also very repetitive and along the way the movie gets less and less credible.
“Flatliners” is a big miss, very forgettable and wasn’t scary or inventive at all. I almost flatlined.

Rating: 1,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 74: An American Crime

Director: Tommy O’Haver
Genre: Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 98 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Catherine Keener, Ellen Page, Ari Graynor, James Franco, Evan Peters, Bradley Whitford

Description: The true story of suburban housewife Gertrude Baniszewski (Catherine Keener), who kept a teenage girl (Ellen Page) locked in the basement of her Indiana home during the 1960s.

Review: The call it the most horrible crime ever committed in Indiana. In 1965, Sylvia Likens’ dead body was found in the house of Getrude Baniszewski. Baniszewski was suffering from a depression and she molested and starved Sylvia. And with that, she also convinced her own kids and other neighborhood kids, to hurt Sylvia as well. During the trial, Baniszewski claimed that she wasn’t responsible for anything that happened to Sylvia. Luckily the jury didn’t buy that and she was sentenced for life.
Director Tommy O’Haver took the transcripts from the court case and used it as an inspiration for this film. Sylvia and her sister Jenny are the daughters of carnival travelers. When they have to take another trip, they decide to leave their kids with Getrude Baniszewski. She is a mother of seven and she could use the money. The oldest daughter, Paula, tells Sylvia a secret. Because Paula is afraid that her mother will find out, she tells a lie. Sylvia has to pay for this and she is beaten and starved and put in the basement.
The movie switches between the court room and the flashbacks of the happenings. Towards the end, we get a ‘surprise twist’, which wasn’t necessary. Because we all know the ending already.
The film is strong because of the performances by Catherine Keener and Ellen Page, but also Ari Graynor and Bradley Whitford. We don’t find out about the why and how of the terrible act. Especially why so many good children decide to also hurt Sylvia. As a viewer we don’t get an answer to that question.
Tommy O’Haver managed to tell Sylvia Likens story pretty well, although the film supports on the performances by two great actresses. The film is not explicit and horrific enough to be a horror film and it misses depth to be an intelligent thriller. But the fact that this is a true story, will give the viewer a slap in the face.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 28: Freeheld

Director: Peter Sollett
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Michael Shannon, Steve Carell, Luke Grimes, Skipp Sudduth, William Sadler

Description: New Jersey police lieutenant, Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore), and her registered domestic partner, Stacie Andree (Ellen Page), both battle to secure Hester's pension benefits when she is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Review: “Freeheld” is based on the true story of a police officer fighting for equality. After Laurel Hester is diagnosed with terminal cancer, it appears that her life partner has not right to receiving her pension when she passes, while her heterosexual collegues do get to leave their pension to their partner. It’s an interesting theme, especially for the more conservative parts of America: equal rights for everyone, no matter the sexual orientation.
Julianne Moore is very convincing cop as cop Laurel Hester and her relationship with Stacie Andree is very believable. Moore can easily carry this film.
The so-called freeholders, who decline Laurel and Stacie’s request, are somewhat one-dimensional. The antagonists don’t convince as much as the protagonists do.
Julianne Moore’s performance is very strong and Ellen Page also does a fine job. Steve Carrell’s characters is very loud, but he is in it just enough to not make him annoying. For me Michael Shannon has the most memorable performance. I love him as an actor, he is very solid in all his films. Although his character Dane is very uncomfortable with the homosexual theme at first, he fights for Laurel and stand by her until the end. The emotional load is much bigger because of this character and the fantastic performance by Shannon.
The message is clear, but the story is a bit one-sided because of the weak antagonists.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Moments : "Juno"

Juno is a quirky and whip-sharp teenager who gets pregnant after having sex with Bleeker once. This story is so fun, I love this movie. One of those films that puts a smile on my face! Here are my favorite moments from “Juno”.

Moment # 1: Opening credits

One of the best opening credits of a movie ever. We see Juno walk on the street with a big can of orange juice.

Moment # 2: Pregnant

At the drug store Juno is taking a pregnancy test. And yes, she is knocked up!

Moment # 3: Telling Bleeker

The guy who she had sex with, only once, is Bleeker. He’s is also the one getting her pregnant. Juno decides to tell him in a very unconventional yet Juno way.

Moment # 4: Telling her parents

Juno has to tell her father and stepmom. She also is stating that she will give up the baby for adoption. Her dad is really surprised that she slept with Bleeker and her stepmom is right on hands on with the arrangements.

Moment # 5: Meeting Vanessa and Mark

In the Pennysaver Juno found the perfect adoption parents for her baby. Together with her dad she is about to meet Vanessa and Mark Loring. Soon Juno realizes that it’s Vanessa one wish to become a mother.

Moment # 6: Snap

Together with her best friend Leah and her stepmother, Juno is going for an ultra sound. The doctor helping her seems very prejudice and judges Juno. Juno’s stepmom doesn’t accept that and shuts her up. Snap!

Moment # 7: Vanessa talks to the baby

Juno and Leah are at the mall when the bump into Vanessa. She asks Juno if she can touch the belly after Juno feels the baby kick. When Vanessa feels, she doesn’t feel the baby and decides to talk to it.

Moment # 8: Mark leaves Vanessa

Juno visits Mark and he tells her some bad news. He wants to leave Vanessa, because her dream isn’t his. Juno is mad, because her plan goes to shit now.

Moment # 9: Orange Tic Tacs

After realizing Bleeker is the guy for her, Juno decides to make a giant romantic gesture. She fills Bleeker’s mailbox with orange Tic Tacs, his favorite.

Moment # 10: Juno and Bleeker kiss

After the Tic Tac gesture, Juno tells Bleeker she is in love with him and they kiss.

Moment # 11: The delivery

The time has come, Juno is about to deliver the baby. Stepmom Bren and best friend Leah support her and Juno delivers a boy. She doesn’t want to hold him.

Moment # 12: Vanessa is a mom

Finally Vanessa is a mom and she can’t wait to hold her son. Bren sees her and sees the baby is in good hands.

Moment # 13: The note

What we didn’t see was the note Juno wrote for Vanessa. She wrote: Vanessa, if you’re still in, I’m still on. Vanessa framed it for the baby’s room.

Moment # 14: Juno and Bleeker sing

Juno is back in shape an races of to Bleeker. Together they play guitar and sing a lovely song.

Favorite Moment: Moment # 12: Vanessa is a mom

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 156: X-Men: Days of Future Past

Director: Bryan Singer

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy/ Science Fiction

Runtime: 132 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Nicholas Hoult, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, Shawn Ashmore

Description: The X-Men send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants.

Review: In “X-Men: Days of Future Past”, Wolverine is send back in time to stop mutants from going under. The X-Men are threatened by Sentinels, robots who have to exterminate mutants. Many mutants have lost the battle against them and all hope is set on Wolverine. His goal is to stop the inventor from going through with his plans. Wolverine gets help from a young Professor Xavier and Magneto.

Bryan Singer returns as a director, he also directed “X-Men” and “X2”. He doesn’t stay close to the original source material, which could bother fans. Yet “X-Men: Days of Future Past” was very well received by the audience and is so far the highest rated movie in the series.

Again the movie is filled with beautiful special effects, but I did miss the more emotional and personal touch that “X-Men: First Class” had. The focus is on Wolverine, but also on Charles Xavier and Magneto. The connection between Hank McCoy aka Beasy and Mystique, that was a storyline in the previous film, is never spoken of. Actors Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender do work well together and it’s a joy to watch them together.

Although I enjoyed watching “X-Men: Days of Future Past”, it didn’t live up to my expectations. It’s a good looking movie, but it lacked depth.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 4: To Rome with Love

Director: Woody Allen
Genre: Comedy/ Romance
Runtime: 89 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Woody Allen, Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Alec Baldwin, Penélope Cruz, Roberto Benigni, Greta Gerwich, Alison Pil, Judy Davis, Alessandro Tiberi, Alessandra Mastronardi, Flavio Parenti

Description: The intertwining stories of a worker who wakes up to find himself a celebrity (Roberto Benigni), an architect (Alec Baldwin) who takes a trip back to the street he lived on as a student, a young couple (Alessandro Tiberi, Alessandra Mastronardi ) on their honeymoon, and a frustrated opera director (Woody Allen) who has a talent for discovering talented singers.

Review: For director Woody Allen it has become the recipe: pick a famous city, choose a couple of interesting characters, add some storylines to it and finish it off with some witty comedy. Where he’s taken on Barcelona (“Vicky Cristina Barcelon”), London (“You Will Mee a Tall Dark Stranger”) and Paris (“Midnight in Paris”), he chose Rome for his décor this time.
I always like movies with multiple storylines, but it’s a bit too much here, even for Woody Allen. It’s very hard to make four completely different stories, which absolutely no relation, interesting. Which make some of the storylines feel a bit incomplete. For instance the story op Leopoldo, an average citizen who becomes a celebrity all of a sudden. It’s a good concept but doesn’t have the humor it should have. None of these stories are above average and the characters are all superficial and easily replaceable.
“To Rome with Love” does have some interesting moments, like the story of Jerry who discover that Giancarlo is a fantastic opera singer. But it also appears that he can only sing this well in the shower. This storyline is funny at times. The music that was used for the film is very characteristic and makes you think you’re in Rome. But the city of Rome isn’t used the way Allen did with Paris in one of my favorites “Midnight in Paris”, which was a hit. Is “To Rome with Love” a miss? Not completely, but it’s definitely not one of his best movies.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Actresses Under 30

I came to the conclusion that a lot of my favorite actresses are still very young. Some even younger then me. So I decided to make a top 5 of actresses who are still under 30.

5. Emma Stone
The first time I saw her was in “Zombieland”, but ever since that movie I’ve been a fan. Emma is funny, charming and beautiful and I think she rocks. And there are still so many films of her I need to see.

4. Ellen Page
The main reason I love Ellen Page is because she’s not a girlie-girl. She dresses casual but she still looks sexy. I loved her in “Juno” and in “Whip It” and she managed to not fade away in “Inception” where she was surrounded by men and fellow Academy Award nominees/ winners.

3. Emily Blunt
She broke through because of her supporting roles, like the ones she had in “Dan in Real Life” or “The Jane Austen Book Club”. But the character she portrayed in “The Devil Wears Prada” was her most memorable one. Now, Emily can finally play the lead and she gets credit for it. And hopefully she’ll get awarded someday as well.

2. Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett is this classical and elegant beauty, who can do anything from period dramas to modern-day romantic comedy. My favorite movie is still “Lost in Translation”, which is just brilliant because it’s so simple and realistic.

1. Keira Knightley
Keira stays strong in blockbuster movies like “Pirates of the Carribean”, but she rocks in movies like “Pride & Prejudice” and “Atonement” where her acting skills are truly shown. It’s just a matter of time for her winning an Academy Award.

They almost made the top 5: Anne Hathaway, Kirsten Dunst and Abigail Breslin

In the Picture: The Characters from "Inception"

"Inception" blew my mind when I first saw it. Such a visual treat! That and its story are the most interesting parts of the film, but their characters are also worth looking in to. Here they are.

Dom Cobb
Played by: Leonardo DiCaprio
Cobb is “The Extractor” and is a master in the art of extraction. That means he infiltrates dreams and steals valuable information from them. He is a wanted man, because they think he killed his wife. Cobb doesn’t design dreams anymore, because his late wife appears in those dreams.

Arthur
Played by: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Arthur is Cobb’s right-hand and is also called “The Point Man”. He takes care of the details, does the research and makes sure everything goes according to plan. Arthur finds his job fascinating and he is very organized, but can also be very skeptical. Cobb can always rely on him.

Ariadne
Played by: Ellen Page
Ariadne is a college graduate student and hired by Cobb as “The Architect”. She manufactures the world of the dreams. Although Ariadne sees the danger of the job, her curiousity won. She was unable to pull away from an unique opportunity like this. Ariadne is extremely creative and a fast learner.

Eames
Played by: Tom Hardy
Eames is “The Forger”. He can project the image of anyone. Eames is a smooth talker and somewhat of a prankster. There is a friendly rivalry between him and Arthur. Eames is interested in finding out what people keep locked in their minds.

Saito
Played by: Ken Watanabe
Saito is known as “The Tourist”. He is a powerfull and wealthy business man. He offers Cobb the job with a valuable reward. Saito accompanies Cobb and his team on the job he hired them to do and he comes in handy.

Yusuf
Played by: Dileep Rao
Yusuf is “The Chemist” and helps the team to find the perfect sedative that gets them to the dreamworld. He maintains a cool and collected attitude when within his own comfort zone, but he has the least experience in shared dreaming.

Robert Fisher
Played by: Cillian Murphy
Robert Fisher is known as “The Mark” and the main target of Cobb and his team. His father is on his death bed and he never had a close relationship with him. Robert is very rich and he can be very calm in stressed situations.

Mal
Played by: Marion Cotillard
Mal is Cobb’s late wife and she’s know as “The Shade”. Mal killed herself after believing her dreamworld was reality. She is frequently seen in Cobb's dreams as a projection of his subconscious.

Favorite Character: Arthur

In the Picture: The Characters from "Whip It"

I saw "Whip It" yesterday for the first time and just like Bliss fell in love with the game, I fell in love with this movie. I loved it! Great directorial debut for Drew Barrymore and the film has some interesting characters. I only choose the one you really get to know. Here we go.

Bliss Cavender
Played by: Ellen Page
Bliss is tired of doing whatever her mom wants. She is figuring out a way to express herself and when she finds out about the roller derby, she decided to try out. Bliss is a fighter and proves to others that she can be tough. In this sport, Bliss finds her passion and she can finally do what she wants.

Maggie Mayhem
Played by: Kristen Wiig
Maggie is the captain of the Hurl Scouts and a real team player and leader. She is the one person everyone turns to and people trust. Maggie is the one telling Bliss she could be her own hero.

Smashley Simpson
Played by: Drew Barrymore
Smashley doesn’t have it all together. She’s a bit chaotic and never on time. Smashley wouldn’t be named Smashley if she didn’t take the punch once in a while. But she also knows how to deliver them. She is kick ass, but not the sharpest tool in the shed.

Iron Maven
Played by: Juliette Lewis
Maven is a very strong woman who got succesful in the roller derby on a later age. She’s the captain of a competitive team and she feels a bit threatened by Bliss. Maven doesn’t like the fact that Bliss is being so succesful this soon, when it took her five years to get to the point she is now. Although there’s a lot of rivalry between the two, they also have mutual respect for each other.

Pash
Played by: Alia Shawkat
Pash is Bliss’ best friend and someone who you can always rely on. Pash doesn’t believe that Bliss can be tough enough for the roller derby, but with making that statement she actually pushed Bliss in the right direction. She does everything to help Bliss, but to certain limits. Pash hates to be dissappointed in her friendship.

Razor
Played by: Andrew Wilson
Razor is the Hurls Scouts’ coach. The girls don’t really listen the him, but when Bliss enters he thinks of some new strategies. Razor takes the roller derby very seriously, as of his role as coach. More than his players.

Brooke Cavender
Played by: Marcia Gay Harden
Brooke is Bliss’ mother and has it all planned out for her. She wants Bliss to enter pageants, because she would learn a lot from that and it will eventually get her a husband. Entering the roller derby is not what she had in mind for her daughter, but eventually Brooke also realizes that pageants were never Bliss’ dream, just hers.

Johnny "Hot Tub" Rocket
Played by: Jimmy Fallon
Johnny is the announcer and a bit sleazy. Basically the only thing he does is commentate on the game and then go home and throw a party for the contestants. He has a hot tub, therefore the nickname, but when the girls are in, he can’t.

Earl Cavender
Played by: Daniel Stern
Earl is Bliss’ father and understands his wife. But he chooses Bliss’side. He thinks that his daughter should be able to make her own decisions in live, whatever makes her happy. Earl actually comes to love the roller derby and becomes Bliss’ number on fan.

Favorite Character: Maggie Mayhem

Pic Spam: Ellen Page

Ellen Page is one of those actresses that isn't a girly-girly. Kinda like me I guess. She doesn't dress up, she wears sneakers, jeans, a t-shirt and on occasion a skirt or dress. But she looks great and I just love her as an actress. Wasn't she amazing in "Juno" and I also thought she was great in "Inception". She formed a great couple with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I love this woman; Ellen Page.