20s Movie Review - Wild Mountain Thyme

Director: John Patrick Shanley
Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan, Christopher Walken, Jon Hamm
Description: A pair of star-crossed lovers (Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan) in Ireland get caught up in their family’s land dispute.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 26: A MOVIE  WITH EMILY BLUNT
 
Review: The Irish landscape is lovingly captured in “Wild Mountain Thyme”. Unfortunately, that is the only good thing about this ridiculous romance movie.

Director John Patrick Shanley based “Wild Mountain Thyme” on his own play, which was performed on Broadway in 2014. American press was positive about the play, Irish and Britisch press were not. The main criticism, the accumulation of Irish stereotypes, has also made it into the film adaptation, including a number of implausible accents from the American and British actors. In the movie, the accents of Christopher Walken and Emily Blunt are strange to hear, but Irish actor Jamie Dornan is the least convincing as an Irishman. His flat acting does not help. Or is it the poor script that makes the main character Anthony Reilly such a one-dimensional, flat character.

When we’re almost at the end of the film, Anthony tells  the reason why he never declared his love for his neighbor Rosemary Muldoon. It is even a fundamental part of his character. It’s only elaborated on at the end, so that it can serve as a stupid twist. Which makes the ridiculous collection of clichés about stereotypical Guinness-drinking Irish farmers even more stupid. It's impossible to feel romantic emotions that the climax should have evoked.

Was the ending meant to funny? No, I don’t think so. And that’s why it’s so weird Jamie Dornan and Emily Blunt also have no chemistry whatsoever. This movie was really bad.

Rating: 1,5/ 5

Movie Review - The Fall Guy

Director: David Leitch
Genre: Action/ Comedy
Runtime: 126 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke, Teresa Palmer
 
Description: A down-and-out stuntman (Ryan Gosling) must find the missing star (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) of his ex-girlfriend’s (Emily Blunt) blockbuster film.  

Review: The profession of stuntman is often undervalued in Hollywood. It’s a pretty thankless role, because no one knows who you are and the actors take all the credit. So, it’s high time the stuntman is put in the spotlight.

Director David Leitch pays an homage to the many anonymous stunt people. We meet stuntman Colt Seavers. For years, he has been working as the regular stuntman for movie star Tom Ryder. Colt understands his craft and has a romance with camerawoman Jody Moreno. When Colt performs a new stunt on set in which he has to fall of a tall building, things go wrong. He breaks his back and realizes he has to retire from the stunt business. He also stops talking to Jody. When a year and a half later, he is contacted by producer Gail, Colt hesitates. But when he finds out that it’s Jody who is directing the movie, he decides to make a comeback.

“The Fall Guy” is an entertaining and visually stunning action flick. It’s pretty obvious that director David Leitch previously made “Deadpool 2” and “Bullet Train”. The same type of humor. Which I enjoyed. The film is, sadly, fairly predictable. The chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt is really strong and I loved both actors in this film.

“The Fall Guy” is a great time, but it’s also a bit forgettable in the end.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Pain Hustlers

Director: David Yates
Genre: Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 122 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Andy Garcia, Catherine O’Hara, Brian D’Arcy James
 
Description: Liza (Emily Blunt) dreams of a better life for herself and her daughter. Hired to work for a bankrupt pharmaceutical company, Liza skyrockets with sales and into the high life, putting her in the middle of a federal criminal conspiracy.

Review: In “Pain Hustlers”, we see the opioid crisis unfold through the eyes of stripper and sinle mother Liza Drake. Through a combination of perseverance and luck, she manages to bring a new cancer drug to market. Although the film is based on the (fiction) book of the same name, that was based on a New York Magazine article.

Director David Yates seems to be inspired by “The Big Short” (unpopular opinion, but a movie I really hated), a film about the financial crisis in which seriousness and satire are perfectly intertwined. This movie was very successful, but Yates fails to establish a similar or at all consistent tone. It’s fast paced, flashy and promising, but never fully delivers.

Most interesting is the dichotomy in Liza. After a tough existence as a single mother, she blossoms when she begins to understand the sleezy lobbying game of the pharmaceutical industry. Liza herself does virtually nothing illegal. Her mail companions (played by Chris Evans and Andy Garcia) are the cartoonish villains of profiteering capitalism. For some extra dollars, they easily look away from an overdose. Typically, though, the film pays regular attention to victims but avoids any kind of systemic criticism.

The film is an easy watch as a sensational drama, but its concluding message (greed is a mortal sin) turns out to be a bland one. It’s unfortunate that “Pain Hustlers’ did not make that underlying aspect a main issue. If you’re interested in this theme, a mini-series called “Dopesick” is definitely better at it.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Mary Poppins Returns

Director: Rob Marshall
Genre: Comedy/ Musical/ Family/ Adventure
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Wishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Pixie Davis, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep, Nathanael Saleh, Joel Dawson,

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 31: A DISNEY LIVE-ACTION MOVIE
 
Description: A few decades after her original visit, Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt), the magical nanny, returns to help the Banks siblings (Ben Wishaw, Emily Mortimer) and Michael’s children through a difficult time in their lives.

Review: Brother and sister Jane and Michael Banks agree. They nod in agreement when the strange antics they pulled with nanny Mary Poppins years ago, when they were children, are brought up. It was a nice fantasy, because those experiences couldn’t possibly be real.

Adults want to rationalize everything. That was precisely the problem with Jane and Michael’s father, an inveterate banker who would rather count money than take his kids to the park. Mary Poppins didn’t have to raise his children, but rather explain to George Banks what the fun of life was and how to reconnect with his family.

More than 50 years after the original, there is a sequel with “Mary Poppins Returns”. For Emily Blunt, the nearly impossible task of following in the footsteps of the legendary Julie Andrews.

We are now in 1930s crisis London. Jane and Michael are adults and have a strong bond. Michael’s wife died earlier in the year and he is trying to make the best of it with his three children. the disaster almost literally knocks on the door of 17 Cherry Tree Lane. Michael is behind on repaying a loan from his late father’s bank, where he now works himself. He is given five days pay or his family will have to move out of their home.

In the attic Michael and Jane are looking for stock certificates, because that would be the solution to their problems. But they can’t seem to find it. When the kids are playing in the park in the meantime, a very special passenger comes down from the sky: Mary Poppins is back!

Emily does the well-nigh impossible: she manages to make Andrews’ iconic rendition disappear within seconds. Her version of Mary Poppins is also a bit more in line with the one in the books. She is a bit stricter, even a bit catty and self-righteous at times, but still undeniably charming.

Back in the days, the original showed a groundbreaking blend of animation and live action. That is not only duplicated here, but surpassed, although it has become a bit easier with modern techniques. The animation sequences is truly magically done. And no Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious this time, but a wise lesson about never judging a book by its cover. Mary Poppins switches effortlessly to unadulterated Cockney for the showstopper.

Marc Shaiman is responsible for the music and he has written a lush score with beautiful timeless melodies that never feel corny or dated anywhere. “Mary Poppins Returns” is packed with catchy performances and a fine cast. Directly opposing Blunt is Lin-Manuel Miranda, who plays a lamp lighter, similar to the role of Dick van Dyke who was a chimney sweeper. In addition we see Ben Wishaw and Emily Mortimer as the adult Michael and Jane, Julie Walters as the housekeeper and Colin Firth as a shrewd banker. Meryl Streep is in only one scene, with a super catchy and fun song. 

 
I not ashamed to say that I absolutely loved this movie from start to finish and I even prefer it over the original. And that is first and foremost thanks to Emily Blunt, who is practically perfect in her role as Mary Poppins. An absolute new favorite movie musical.

Rating: 5 / 5

20s Movie Review - Jungle Cruise

Director: Jaume Collett-Serra

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Comedy

Runtime: 127 minutes

Year: 2021

Starring: Emily Blulnt, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, Paul Giamatti, Edgar Ramirez

Description: Based on Disneyland’s theme park ride where a small riverboat takes a group of travelers through a jungle filled with dangerous animals, but with a supernatural element.

Review: The Amazon is no place for wimps. In “Jungle Cruise”, Dwayne Johnson plays Frank, a captain on an old steamship who rganizes dauly excursions through the jungle for tourists. In the process, Frank likes to scare people and also tries to make them laugh with his lame puns. The introduction of his characters is quite successful in itself.

“Jungle Cruise” is based on a Disney ride, just like “Pirates of the Caribbean” is. It forms the start of an enjoyable family adventure.

Frank meets Lily, a scientist played by Emily Blunt, who is looking for a magical tree that everyone says is just a myth. But she believes it. Of course the two bicker a lot at first, but eventually have to work together.

And that’s the driving force behind “Jungle Cruise”: leads Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. Lily is a smart, decisive archeologist who has a say. And that of course results in quite a few clashes with Frank, who has a different world view. The chemistry between Johnson and Blunt is amazing, I love them together.

The supporting roles are also filled in well. Jack Whitehall plays Lily’s brother MacGregor, a well-dressed gentleman who seems quite out of place in the jungle. And Jesse Plemons is in great form as Prince Joachim, a German villain. His character could have gone way over the top, which it is sometimes, but he manages to not overdo it.

As an adventure movie, “Jungle Cruise” is the perfect film for a movie night. It has a good pace, has likeable characters, great visuals and fun action scenes combined with humor. I loved “Jungle Cruise”, such a fun and entertaining movie.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - A Quiet Place Part II

Director: John Krasinski
Genre: Horror
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, John Krasinski, Scoot McNairy, Djimon Hounsou

Description: Following the events at home, the Abbott family now face the terrors of the outside world. Forced to venture into the unknown, they realize the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threat lurking beyond the sand path.
 
Review: Where in “A Quiet Place” we followed the Abbott family within the ‘safety’ of their own home, they now have to leave their home and face the dangers of the outside world. And “A Quiet Place Part II”, picks up, after a fantastic opening sequence showing us what happened on day 1, right after the first film. When Evelyn and her children leave the house, they find out that there is more danger then just the creatures that hunt by sound.
Making a sequel to such an amazing horror film, is a daunting task. The first film was very tense and suspenseful all throughout. The whole concept of the monsters that hunt by sound and you have to be very quiet, or it will literally kill you, is such a genius and original idea for a horror film. And once again, that is executed extremely well in “A Quiet Place Part II”. The film is very tension based and John Krasinski pulls off what I believe is one of the best horror sequels I have ever seen. It is exactly the kind of movie I wanted it to be. It surprised me.
The performances were once again magnificent. Emily Blunt can do no wrong, she is one of my favorites for a reason. Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe, who play her children, are fantastic. Especially Simmonds, who has a very featured role in the sequel. And I knew Cillian Murphy was in it, but never expected him to have such an important and significant role. And he is phenomenal. The reason why these actors are so good in both of these movies, is because they rely on silent communication and visual storytelling.
But John Krasinski is the real star, because his direction is masterful. He made yet another movie he can be very proud of and happy with. The film keeps the tension constantly and has some really intense and scary scenes.
I loved this movie, just as much as the first. Watching these two movies back to back would be a great three hours of suspense. I hope John Krasinski keeps making movies like this, he did such a great job.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Reviews - A Quiet Place

Director: John Krasinski
Genre: Drama/ Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 90 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Cade Woodward, Leon Russom, Doris McCarthy

Description: A family is forced to live in silence while hiding from creatures that hunt by sound.

Review: With “A Quiet Place”, director John Krasinski found fear in the everyday.
In “A Quiet Place”, an American family is forced to live in silence, while hiding from creatures that hunt by sound. It doesn’t sound like much, it is so much more than your standard horror film.
Director, screenplay writer and leading man John Krasinski is definitely one step ahead in this genre. Nowadays horror films are filled with clichés, loud jump scares, dumb people and gore. Krasinski knows exactly what really scares us: silence. And it’s what you don’t see and know that is scariest. He shows us how people can feel, knowing they can’t make a sound, and that making one can kill you. And how we depend on something as simple as sound. “A Quiet Place” makes clear how loud mankind actually is.
Krasinski pictures a post-apocalyptic world: a fallen down traffic light, an abandoned supermarket, weed in the streets. It’s day 89 since the monsters have first appeared. A family who walks barefoot, getting what they need from the supermarket. The mother seeks through medicine bottles. We know, if one bottle falls over, things will go wrong.
Post-apocalyptic films mostly start with the first day, finding out what happened and trying to adapt to the situation. Here, we go further into that situation and that is our starting point. We learn that the family already learned to adapt to the new situation, which is a fresh take on the genre.
The film is filled with intense, scary moments. Moments where you hold your breath and are so intense your knuckles turn white. And the opening scene alone goes against all the rules of the horror genre.
John Kraskinski doesn’t only direct, he also stars in his own film. And he does it very well. As for Emily Blunt, who is Krasinki’s wife in real life. Both are perfect for the role and perform solidly. And Millicent Simmonds, who plays the couple’s deaf daughter, is an excellent discovery.
“A Quiet Place” is a rare find, a breath of fresh air in the horror genre.

Rating: 4,5 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 140: The Girl on the Train

Director: Tate Taylor
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Justin Theroux, Rebecca Ferguson, Luke Evans, Laura Prepon, Allison Janney, Edgar Ramirez, Lisa Kudrow

Description: A divorcee (Emily Blunt) becomes entangled in a missing persons investigation that promises to send shockwaves throughout her life.

Review: “The Girl on the Train” has been compared to David Fincher’s “Gone Girl”. Both movie are adapted from books and are psychological thrillers, where the disappearance of a young woman is the focus. A comparison like this is dangerous, because you go in with very high expectations. For this reason alone, the movie will disappoint.
Rachel Watson is a divorcee that drinks away her tears. A happy couple that she passes every day on the train, is the only comfort in Rachel’s life. She fantasizes about their life. One day, Rachel wakes up coverend in scratches, bruises and blood. She has no idea what happened. And then the police show up, telling Rachel that Megan Hipweel went missing. The woman she has been watching on the train.
“The Girl on the Train” is a thriller that works best when you have no clue what’s it about. I read the book, so I knew what was going to happen. And director Tate Taylor stayed very close to the novel. The only difference is the location, he changed out London for New York. The movie is told from different perspectives, chapters and jumps in time. Thre is really no other way to tell this story, without giving away the twists the story has. So for the people who read the book, there are no surprises.
“The Girl on the Train” is more a plot drive film than a character drive film. The characters sometimes feel like pieces in a chess game, that are moving from one place to another until we get to the climax. The credibility of those characters is a bit lost sometimes.
Luke Evans, Edgar Ramirez and Rebecca Ferguson have strong supporting roles, but it’s without a doubt Emily Blunt that steals the show.
I read and saw so many bad reviews of “The Girl on the Train”. I liked the movie a lot, I just didn’t love it. Like I said before, it’s always dangerous to have such high expectations of a film.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 51: The Huntsman: Winter's War

Director: Cedic Nicolas-Troyan
Genre: Adventure/ Action/ Fantasy/ Drama
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Emily Blunt, Charlize Theron, Nick Frost, Sam Claflin

Description: As a war between rival queen sisters Ravenna (Charlize Theron) and Freya (Emily Blunt) escalates, Eric (Chris Hemsworth) and fellow warrior Sara (Jessica Chastain), members of the Huntsmen army raised to protect Freya, try to conceal their forbidden love as they combat Ravenna's wicked intentions.

Review: “Snow White and the Huntsman” was four years ago successful enough that Universal was already planning a sequel. Rupert Sanders was going to direct and Kristen Stewart was going to star again. Because of an affaire between the two, that sequel was postponed. They still wanted to continue the franchise and they decided to make a spin-off focusing on huntsman Eric. Chris Hemsworth is an actor people love to see and who needs Snow White?
Because the huntsman wasn’t a very meaningful character in the original fairytale, we also get an evil ice queen and queen Ravenna returns. Snow White’s absence is solved by setting the story in a different fantasy world. The story is set before and after Snow White’s kingdom and they told it in a way we don’t need to see the actual character.
First we see the history of ice queen Freya and her sister Ravenna. And then we are introduced to the Huntsman Eric and warrior Sara. Freya trains an army of children to become huntsmen. Eric and Sara are her best warriors. The two fall in love, which is a sin in Freya’s kingdom. Sara is killed and Eric is supposed to die too. He survives and escape to the south. Then we skip to seven years later after all the happenings in “Snow White and the Huntsman”. Eric has to find Ravenna’s mirror, before Freay gets her hands on it.
Chris Hemsworth doesn’t have to do a lot to entertain me and I liked him in “The Huntsman: Winter’s War”. He had good chemistry with Jessica Chastain and her character is strong and fun. Emily Blunt is a believable evil queen and although Charlize Theron already proved that, she does a solid job again.
Is “The Huntsman: Winter’s War” a great film? No, but it’s very entertaining, has the right length, it looks stunning and has a good cast. I have to honest that I expected a bit more, but it’s still an enjoyable film.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 130: Sicario

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Genre: Crime/ Drama/ Action/ Thriller

Runtime: 121 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro, Victor Garber, Jon Bernthal, Daniel Kaluuya, Jeffrey Donovan, Raoul Trujillo, Julie Cedillo, Hank Rogerson, Bernardo P. Saracino, Maximiliano Hernández, Kevin Wiggins, Edgar Arreola, Kim Larrichio

Description: An idealistic FBI agent (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by an elected government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.

Review: Ever since he was nominated for an Oscar for his film “Incendies”, the French-Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is a much sought-after director. His later movies, “Prisoners” and “Enemy”, were both praised. His work can be characterized as sober, grim and uncomfortable. For his new crime thriller “Sicario” that’s no different. It’s a dark film about the dirty drug wars near the border between the US and Mexico. An unnerving thriller with a complex plot.

We see the story through the eyes of Kate Macer (Emily Blunt), an ambitious FBI agent. While solving a kidnapping case, she finds the bodies of 42 people. They are the victims of relentless drug lords and she is asked to join a special task force to eliminate the Sonora drug cartel. The team is led by Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), a laconic macho. Kate goes with him to El Paso, but instead she ends up in the dangerous Ciudad Juarez. They manage to eliminate an important pawn in the drug cartel. But when the mysterious hitman (‘sicario’) Alejandro (Benicio Del Toto) joins them, everything is even more complex then Kate thought.

Emily Blunt is a surprising choice for the lead role in this grim crime drama, but Blunt is sublime. Like the viewer, she doesn’t know much about the mission she is on. Although she is not naïve at all, she feels uncomfortable in this violent and intimidating world. And the fact that she is missing out on the crucial info drives her made. Not only Blunt is fantastic, also Benicio Del Toro as Alejandro.

Besides the good acting, “Sicario” is nerve-racking. The brutal violence is everywhere, which might not be to every film fan’s liking. The grim atmosphere helps there as well as the excellent camera work and montage. All those aspects make “Sicario” into a nail biting movie experience. The tension between the good and bad guys, who is who? “Sicario” manages to lead you in the wrong direction and it’s only until the end you really know what’s going on.

Although it didn’t take my breath away like “Prisoners” and “Enemy”, “Sicario” is one of the best films of 2015.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Best & Worst: Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt really doesn’t have many bad movies. She is a very good actress and she chooses her movies wisely.

 

 

I didn’t expect much, but “Edge of Tomorrow” really surprised me. It’s a great action/ science fiction movie and Emily Blunt proofs she can be kick-ass! It’s a movie that keeps your attention at all times and is very exciting.

Honorable Mentions: “Sunshine Cleaning”, “Into the Woods”, “The Muppets”, “The Jane Austen Book Club”, “Looper”

 

 

I don’t remember much of the movie, that’s already a bad signs, but I do remember that it wasn’t all that great. Not because of Emily Blunt though. It’s just one of those typically silly movies, that just can’t succeed.

Dishonorable Mentions: -

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 19: Into the Woods

Director: Rob Marshall

Genre: Comedy/ Adventure/ Musical/ Fantasy

Runtime: 117 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Anna Kendrick, James Corden, Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Chris Pine, Johnny Depp, Tracey Ullman, Lucy Punch, Christine Baranski, Tammy Blanchard, Daniel Huttlestone, Lilla Crawford, Simon Russell Beale, Joanna Riding, Billy Magnussen, Mackenzie Mauzy, Annette Brosbie, Richard Glover, Frances de la Tour

Description: A witch (Meryl Streep) tasks a childless baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt) with procuring magical items from classic fairy tales to reverse the curse put on their family tree.

Review: When you mix up the stories of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, ‘Cinderella’, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk' and ‘Rapunzel’, you get “Into the Woods”. James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim did that already in 1986, not without success. And when you’re a big hit on West End, we off course need a movie version of it. Disney managed to get “Into the Woods” to the big screen. And Rob Marshall, who also directed “Chicago”, decided to direct.

“Into the Woods” is a mix of different fairytales by the brothers Grimm, with a little twist here and there and a lot darker. The story starts with a simple baker and his wife. The witch who lives next door has cast a spell on their house, a reason why the couple can’t have children. To lift that spell, the baker and his wife have to deliver a couple of items to the witch. In their search for those ingredients in the woods, the couple bumps into several interesting characters.

The fact that Disney produced this movie, doesn’t mean it has lost its dark edge. A true relief for Sondheim fans, because when the lines ‘and they lived happily ever after’ are spoken, the movie is only halfway. For people that get nervous when actors suddenly burst into song, don’t worry. It’s part of a musical, but the songs fit the story perfectly and form one. It’s not just a story build around the songs.

“Into the Woods” is a spectacle, with some dark tones and sometimes bombastic. The décor is stunning and the cast manages to win you over. Especially Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt shine. If you like musicals, you shouldn’t miss “Into the Woods”.

Rating: 4/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Celebrity Couples

Celebrity couples hardly ever last, with off course you occasional exception. But that doesn’t mean we can’t love them and hope for their relationship to stay. I have my fair share of favourites in Hollywood, here is my top five of most beloved celebrity couples (both have to be celebrities).

5. Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi

I always love it how Ellen talks about Portia on her show. This is such a great couple.

 

 

4. Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks

This is one of those rare exceptions. This couple has been married since 1988! And every time I see them on TV or on pictures, they still look so happy.

 

 

3. Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield

They have great chemistry on screen, but are also adorable together in real life. If I were gay, I wish I were Andrew Garfield.

 

 

2. Emily Blunt and John Krasinski

This is how my marriage would be, they are amazing together. They aren’t very public about it, which I like. And they have an adorable baby girl names Hazel.

 

 

1. Anna Faris and Chris Pratt

They rule. I think both actors are hilarious and they are an awesome couple. They were made for each other, because they both have a great sense of humour and quirkiness. And they have a cute son Jack.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, Charlize Theron and Sean Penn, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake, Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig, Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 158: Edge of Tomorrow

Director: Doug Liman

Genre: Action/ Science Fiction

Runtime: 114 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Noah Taylor, Brendan Gleeson, Jeremy Piven, Laura Pulver, Charlotte Riley, Jonas Armstrong, Madeleine Mantock, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Tony Way

Description: Military officer William Cage (Tom Cruise) is brought into an alien war against an extraterrestrial enemy who can reset the day and know the future. When Cage is enabled with the same power, he teams up with Special Forces warrior Rita (Emily Blunt) to try and end the war.

Review: Tom Cruise hasn’t done anything noteworthy for a while. His last success was “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” in 2011. But Cruise didn’t give up and he decided to work together with director Doug Liman. “Edge of Tomorrow” may sound like just another action/ science fiction blockbuster, but it isn’t. It’s an amazing movie experience.

In the not so far away future, an invasion of aliens cause a lot of trouble in the world. The untrained officer William Cage ends up right in the middle of it. He’s frightened and dies within five minutes in the field. But then he wakes up and relives that exact same day. Not just once, he stays within that day and keeps dying every single time. He meets soldier Rita, who starts to train him. Cage doesn’t only get stronger, but he gets closer to the solution. Together with Rita he is trying to beat the aliens.

Movie fans will see similarities with movies like “Groundhog Day” and “Source Code”, because there the lead character relives the same day over and over again. And the look of the soldiers and aliens might remind you of “Pacific Rim”. But Doug Liman creates a complete new end product with those ingredients. Whenever Cage lands on the beach, he has to die hundreds of times to make progress. Liman avoids dullness by keeping up the pace and showing us slightly different versions of that same day. And the movie is really easy to follow despite the unconventional way of storytelling.

Tom Cruise can finally be the actor again that we want him to be. He isn’t your standard action hero, because his character starts out as a real coward. He is afraid and rather flees than fights. Along the way he finds out he can’t run anymore and he has to face his fears. Emily Blunt really proofs that she can be a kick-ass action star, Blunt was wonderful in it.

I have to be honest, I was skeptical before I saw this. But I’m glad I was wrong, because “Edge of Tomorrow” is the Tom Cruise movie I have been waiting for. The script feels fresh, it has great action and is also surprisingly humoristic.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Scene Stealers

Everybody knows this: supporting actors or actresses that just happen to steal practically every scene they’re in. Here are my five favorites.

5. Chloë Grace Moretz in “Kick-Ass”
As Hit-Girl, Chloë Grace Moretz gives away a classic scene stealing performance. Coolest hero without superpowers ever!

4. Emily Blunt in “The Devil Wears Prada”
I think everybody stole all the scenes away from leading lady Anne Hathaway in this movie. Poor Anne. Most people prefer Meryl, but I’m team Emily! Great role, perfect scene stealer.

3. Jack Black in “Orange County”
I simply love this movie, but Jack Black’s character is just unforgettable. He steals all the scenes, especially the ones where he is in his undies.

2. Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Bastards”
Let’s be honest, Christoph Waltz made this movie. What a wonderful performance, by an actor that we didn’t know at that time. A real scene stealer.

1. Tim Robbins in “Mystic River”
Tim Robbins knows how to steal a scene. His performance is so amazing and I just felt for him. He got an Oscar for this role and he totally deserved it.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Kevin Spacey in “Se7en”, Melissa McCarthy in “Bridesmaids”, Robert Carlysle in “Trainspotting”, Michael Clarke Duncan in ‘The Green Mile”,Louis Gossett Jr. in “An Officer and a Gentleman”, Sean Penn in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”, Brad Pitt in “Twelve Monkeys”, Christian Bale in “The Fighter”, Mark Wahlberg in “The Departed”, Christoph Waltz in “Django Unchained”

The Many Faces of... Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt is one of my favorites. I dedicated some items to her, now I'm going to share all the different looks with you.

Face # 1: My Summer of Love
Role: Tamsin
Comment: She looks so Young and pretty.
Rating: 4/ 5

Face # 2: The Devil Wears Prada
Role: Emily
Comment: She looks as bitchy as she acts in this film. But still a very good look.
Rating: 5/ 5

Face # 3: The Jane Austen Book Club
Role: Prudie
Comment: Very strict look.
Rating: 3/ 5

Face # 4: Dan in Real Life
Role: Ruthie Draper
Comment: Very seductive.
Rating: 4,5/ 5

Face # 5: Sunshine Cleaning
Role: Norah Lorkowski
Comment: I love this look. Like the hair, the jewelry and the tattoos.
Rating: 5/ 5

Face # 6: The Young Victoria
Role: Queen Victoria
Comment: Very classy and elegant.
Rating: 3,5/ 5

Face # 7: Wild Target
Role: Rose
Comment: I love the hair!!!
Rating: 5/ 5

Face # 8: The Wolfman
Role: Gwen Conliffe
Comment: Just beautiful, so natural.
Rating: 4,5/ 5

Face # 9: Gulliver’s Travel
Role: Princes Mary
Comment: The royal look suites her.
Rating: 4/ 5

Face # 10: The Adjustment Bureau
Role: Elise Sellas
Comment: Can Emily Blunt look ugly??? I don’t think so.
Rating: 5/ 5

Face # 11: The Muppets
Role: Miss Piggy’s receptionist
Comment: She parodies her role from “The Devil Wears Prada”. Weird hair, hope it’s a wig.
Rating: 2,5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Couples of 2011

It's almost the end of the year. Time to look back. First the movie couples I loved in 2011.

5. James Franco and Freida Pinto (“The Rise of the Planet of the Apes”)
Freida Pinto may not have the most spectacular role in this movie and it was certianly not James Franco’s best either, but I like them together and apart.

4. Hayley Atwell and Chris Evans (“Captain America: The First Avenger”)
I never heard of Hayley Atwell before but she had amazing chemistry with Chris Evans. Her sassy Peggy Carter and his tough though kind Steve Rogers where a perfect match.

3. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt (“The Adjustment Bureau”)
Both fantastic actors and I was so happy that the two of them starred in a movie together. Matt and Emily are both charming as hell and together they make a great on-screen duo.

2. Jason Segel and Amy Adams (“The Muppets”)
The most adorable couple on this list. Jason Segel and Amy Adams are both people who can be so funny without being super hilarious. This combination was very well found and I love them together.

1. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone (“Crazy, Stupid, Love”)
Emma Stone has stole my heart, she is awesome. But I think she looks amazing next to Ryan Gosling. What a brilliant couple and they’re practically a match made in heaven.

They almost made the top 5: Kristen Wiig and Chris O'Dowd ("Bridesmaids"), Rupert Grint and Emma Watson ("Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"), Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds ("The Green Lantern") and Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake ("Friends with Benefits").

In the Picture: The Characters from "The Jane Austen Book Club"

I read the book and I saw the movie and I love them equally as much. Especially because of the characters. Here they are.

Jocelyn
Played by: Maria Bello
Jocelyn is an indepedent dog breeder. She is a matchmaker but Jocelyn has been single for a long time. She doesn’t have the need to be with a man. After Sylvia breaks with her husband, Jocelyn is the one who wants to get her back on her feet by introducing her to Grigg.

Prudie
Played by: Emily Blunt
Prudie is a young French teacher for the local high school. She loves her husband Dean, but she gets confused about her relationship when she meets one of her students. Prudie has a certain attraction to him and she doesn’t know if she should give in to those feelings.

Bernadette
Played by: Kathy Baker
Bernadette is an enthusiastic woman and the most talkative of all the members. It was her idea to form a book club, especially for her friend Sylvia. Bernadette has been married multiple times, but she is happy with her lifestyle.

Grigg
Played by: Hugh Dancy
Grigg is the only male member of the club. Jocelyn invited him to join the club with the intention of distracting Sylvia. Grigg, on the other hand, is more interested in Jocelyn. Grigg is an avid reader and prefers science-fiction, but for Jocelyn he’s willing to read the entire work of Jane Austen.

Sylvia
Played by: Amy Brenneman
Sylvia has been friends with Jocelyn for a very long time and she’s in a struggeling situation. Her husband Daniël cheated on her and she divorced him. The book club was started for her and it really seems to distract her from all the misery in her life.

Alegra
Played by: Maggie Grace
Alegra is Sylvia’s daughter. She’s artistic, because she makes her own jewelry. Alegra is also known as a thrillseeker. She likes rock climbing and skydiving. She’s a lesbian and was betrayed by her partner Corinne, who is a writer and stole her most personal stories for her own succces.

Favorite Character: Jocelyn

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