10s Movie Review - Anna

Director: Luc Besson
Genre: Action/ Crime
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Sasha Luss, Cillian Murphy, Helen Mirren, Luke Evans

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 44: A FILM WITH HELEN MIRREN

Description: Beneath Anna Poliatova’s (Sasha Luss) striking beauty lies a secret that will unleash her indelible strength and skill to become one of the world’s most feared government assassins.

Review: Luc Besson directed some very memorable films, like “The Fifth Element” and “Léon”. Both amazing films, that I really love. “Anna” unfortunately doesn’t fall in that category, I did not like this film.
 
Russian Anna works as a saleswoman, when she is discovered and becomes an interenatiol fashion icon. But behind her beautiful appearance, however, lies a dark secret as she leads a double life as a hitwoman.
 
The film is a stylish action-packed thriller, but has a weak story and plot twists that are a bit confusing. The film combines action with espionage, with a non-linear narrative that uses many flashbacks to tell the story. The film isn’t original and very predictable. And there is no chemistry between any of the characters, especially in the romantic relationships (if you can call them romantic).
 
I didn’t like “Anna”, I will probably forget about it within a couple of weeks. Would not recommend.
 
Rating: 2/ 5

Movie Review - The Thursday Murder Club

Director: Chris Columbus
Genre: Mystery/ Comedy/ Crime
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Helen Mirren, Celia Imrie, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, David Tennant, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Jonathan Pryce, Richard E. Grant
 
Description: Four irrepressible retirees spend their time solving cold case murders for fun, but their casual sleuthing takes a thrilling turn when they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands.
 
Review: Anyone who has read the bestseller “The Thursday Murder Club”, knows the story: in the fictional English town Fairhaven, the elderly residents of Cooper’s Chase lead a peaceful existence. For some of the seniors, that is too boring, so they get together every Thursday to discuss unsolved murder cases.

To do this, they transform the puzzle room into a small office filled with crime scene photos and clues. As a former secret agent, Elizabeth Best is the natural leader, supported by union representative Ron Ritchie, psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif and nurse Joyce Meadowcroft.

They all have a specialism, which naturally comes in handy during the investigation. When their retirement home is shaken with a real murder of a real estate developer, the foursome suddenly find itself with a brand new murder case on its hands.

Helen Mirren and Ben Kingsley were kind of already in my mind, when I was reading the book (almost 5 books in the series now). Mirren is perfect as Elizabeth and so is Kingsley as Ibrahim. Wasn’t sold on Pierce Brosnan as Ron. I pictured someone like Ray Winstone, but Brosnan is good in his role. He plays his own version of Ron, he is not book Ron. My favorite character in the books is Joyce and Celia Imrie brought her to life in the most perfect way. I love Imrie as Joyce. Still my favorite character.

I love these books, would recommend them any time. And for the most part, Chris Columbus stays true to the source material. There have been changes made, which is always the case with a book to movie adaptation. And I’m fairly okay with them. I’m just not so happy with what they did with the character of Bogdan, towards the end. People who’ve read the book, will probably understand.

I really don’t understand why there are so many negative reviews out there. Many say the film is boring, but they probably found the book boring as well. This movie gave me the same vibe as the book did. The cozy mystery vibes are there. And the cast is amazing! I hope the do all the books (especially number 4), because I’m in!

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - Collateral Beauty

Director: David Frankel
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 97
Year: 2016
Starring: Will Smith, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, Hellen Mirren, Keira Knightley, Naomi Harris, Michael Peña, Jacob Latimore, Ann Dowd

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 9: A FILM WITH EDWARD NORTON
 
Description: Retreating from life after a tragedy, a man questions the universe by writing to Love, Time and Death. Receiving unexpected answers, he begins to see how these things interlock and how even loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.

Review: For advertising man Howard, there are three main abstractions in life that he not only proclaims as a pep talk to his co-workers, but reveals themselves to himself after a tragic loss. He writes letters to each of them: love, time and death. And he gets answers.

It’s orchestrated by his best friends and co-workers, who can no longer watch how Howard is drowning in his grief. They hire three actors, to portray love, time and death. And talk to Howard about the letters he has written.

It’s a thoughtful act, but it feels like more of a way to save their company then to actually help their friend. There is so much misery to digest that cramming it into barely an hour and a half is impossible. Many scenes feel rushed and unfinished. And there is also this plot twist, that I kinda saw coming.

“Collateral Beauty” has an interesting premise and the film is filled with amazing, talented actors. Unfortunately, the film feels rushed and many characters are given background stories, but are left underdeveloped. Some of the actors are underused and didn’t really have much do to with their characters. Director David Frankel did so little with everything that he had and turned it into an over-sentimental forgettable drama.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Movie Review - Barbie

Director: Greta Gerwig
Genre: Adventure/ Comedy/ Fantasy
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Michal Cera, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrara, Helen Mirren
 
Description: Barbie (Margot Robbie) suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.

Review: Most movie trailers show the entire movie in a brief moment. The makers of “Barbie” understood that the first half hour contains enough material to use only its footage to pique the audience’s interest. What follows after that is probably a surprise. For some a disappointment, because they got something completely different as the trailer showed us. To me it was a much wanted delight.

Stereotypical Barbie lives with all the other Barbies and Kens (and Allan) in Barbieland where everything is perfect and women have finally won an equal place in the world. One day Barbie suddenly feels a little less cheerful. She learns that this is because the girl who plays with her in the real human world apparently no longer feels happy either. Barbie travels to the real world to fix it, but that turns her world upside down even more.

People learn their lessons best when they are felt from within. Barbie is a mirror for a major problem in society that many people do not even see in its completeness because it is so deeply rooted.

We are introduced to Barbie by the use of a voice over and a wink to the classic sci-fi film “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Helen Mirren narrates and tells us how life works in Barbieland. Next we hear a song by Lizzo, twice in fact: once to describe Barbie’s daily life and then again to depict how, for the first time, things are not going so well. Real people live in the real world and think Barbie’s are just dolls, but there is a hidden reality where Barbies live, enjoying themselves in their own little paradise.

The start of the film, in Barbieland, is very cheesy and over-the-top, just like Barbie is. When Barbie enters the real world, everything is new and she notices the difference between what is normal in her little world and the real one.

The interaction between Barbie and Ken and the people in the real world is hilarious. It doesn’t rhyme with their worldview and they speak about this openly and literally. The mystery of who is behind Barbie’s growing depression is quickly solved; cleverly thought out, because this is not what it’s about anyway.

What follows is razor-sharp criticism of us and society, told in a childlike, naïve way. Barbie speaks up  simplistically and directly; no one will be able to claim that the message is not clear. A certain norm in our society is so standardized that even those who are against it still partially go along with it.

Because the film is so incredibly upbeat and colorful, it never feels pedantic or preachy. The jokes keep coming, Barbieland’s sets are impressive. This is not a woman’s movie, anyone can have a great time with this adventure. But it’s definitely not for children, it will go way over their heads.

Even though the Ken-song towards the end feels a bit out of tune with the rest of the film, I couldn’t help but smile from start to finish. It’s been living rent-free in my head ever since.

 
Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were perfectly cast for their respective roles. America Ferrara was a pleasant surprise, her character’s monologue was my favorite moment of the film. And Michael Cera as Allan was just too funny. I think he was my favorite character.

That “Barbie” would be a fun film was to be expected, but it’s a very good movie with a strong, clear message and substantive comedy. Fans of Barbie who were expecting a fun, simple, bubbly Barbie adventure in her dreamhouse, will probably be disappointed. This film has way more substance and layers.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Review - Fast X

Director: Louis Letterier
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Adventure
Runtime: 141 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Vin Diesel, Jason Momoa, Charlize Theron, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, John Cena, Jordana Brewster, Natalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, Scott Eastwood, Brie Larson
 
Description: Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family are targeted by the vengeful son (Jason Momoa) of drug kingpin Hernan Reyes.

Review: Let’s just start by saying that I’ve never been a fan of the “Fast & Furious” series. Cars are not something I’m particularly interested in, the characters I don’t care about and the action gets more and more ridiculous. Can “Fast X” change my mind? NOPE!

Movies that rely on elaborate special effects or 3D experiences are best viewed in a movie theater. The same goes for this film, because visually this movie is stunning. And lots of non-stop action. But that’s as far as I can go with the positives. I truly hated this movie.

In this already tenth installment of the series, Dante Reyes wants revenge on Dom Toretto and his family, for killing his father. He sets up a trap to get them all together and tries to kill them. But Dom fights back.  
The first film was okay, I don’t dislike that, it was about street racing. A cop versus a street racer and they became friends. But as this series has continued, the street races turned into stunt shows, with one car stunt even more ridiculous and over-the-top as the next. It’s like they are trying to make each movie even more implausible than the previous one.

This film series has almost every modern-day action star in it, from Vin Diesel to now Jason Momoa. Call me old school, but I do prefer the Schwarzeneggers and Stallones of this world when it comes to mindless, fun action flicks. An although Vin Diesel is the heart and soul of this franchise, and it’s very clear he puts everything in his role, the rest of the cast I couldn’t care less about (I barely remember the names of these characters, that’s how invested I am).

Jason Momoa is the newest addition to this series, as the villain Dante Reyes. He was the only reason I was a tiny bit excited to see “Fast X”. But even that was ruined. Momoa’s take on his villain role is pretty silly. He feels like a Joker-like villain, a cheerful psychopath. But he made it cartoonish. It kind of felt like a Roadrunner versus Wil E. Coyote cartoon, the way he was going after Dom and his family.
I also got a little tired of those let’s-bring-back-every-character-that-was-ever-in-this-franchise reveals, as some clever surprise that nobody would ever expect.  

I know these movies aren’t supposed to be taken too seriously, they are self-aware and that I can at least appreciate. But overall, “Fast X” is just not a good movie. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s crap, but I honestly can’t take another ‘Fast & Furious” movie. There will be more, for sure. Maybe next they will go to space!

Rating: 2/ 5

00s Movie Review - The Pledge

Director: Sean Penn
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Mystery
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 2001
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Robin Wright, Aaron Eckhart, Sam Shepard, Benicio del Toro, Patricia Clarkson, Helen Mirren, Tom Noonan, Vanessa Redgrave, Mickey Rourke, Harry Dean Stanton

Description: A retired police detective (Jack Nicholson) pledges to catch the killer of a young child.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 8: A MOVIE DIRECTED BY AN ACTOR
 
Review: On a cold winter day, a boy stumbles upon the lifeless body of an eight-year-old girl. Soon they find a suspect for the murder, but for recently retired homicide detective Jerry Black the case isn’t settles. As far as he is concerned, the real killer is still out there. He promises the victim’s family to find the killer of their little girl and to fulfull this promise, Jerry is willing to use any means necessary.  

Sean Penn is not just an amazing actor, he is also an excellent director. He proves that with “The Pledge” a lesser known film starring Jack Nicholson.

At first sight, “The Pledge” seems like a standard thriller. But it has much more to offer than the clichéd whodunit. In fact, finding the killer is not so much the main focus; the film clearly addresses more important, more profound themes. Therefore, do not expect spectacular action scenes, as the somewhat slow film has to rely mainly on its dialogues, well-developed characters and tension.   

This all makes the intelligent “The Pledge” highly recommended for those who want to see a less conventional thriller for a change.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Good Liar

Director: Bill Condon
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime
Runtime: 109 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen, Russell Tovey, Jim Carter

Description: Consummate con man Roy Courtnay (Ian McKellen) has set his sight on his latest mark: the recently widowed Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren), worth millions. But this time, what should have been a simple swindle escalates into a cat-and-mouse game with the ultimate stakes.

Review: If you have actors like Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen on board, it doesn’t really matter much anymore what you make them do. Even if you let the Lady and Sit read the phone book, you know that you have a guarantee of craftmanship, even if the scenario they have to propagate leaves a lot to be desired from time to time. You can easily forgive an inevitable but artificial plot twist in a thriller about an older couple in love.
With this adaptation of Nicolas Searle’s book, director Bill Condon puts at least all the cards on the table. At least so it seems. It is a well-known fact that online dating is done for one’s own good. The distinguished Roy and the charming Betty not only lie about their names on their first date, but also about whether or not to smoke and drink. Well, if that’s all…
But we soon find out that Roy is an outright crook who’s out to take all of Betty’s money, which are many millions. Roy is a smart seducer and relentless. Roy and Betty get a strong bond very quickly after Roy’s knee supposedly causes him problems, so Betty asks him to stay with her. Grandson Stephen doesn’t trust Roy for a second and can only watch him sweeping Betty of her feet.
“The Good Liar” starts out as a standard thriller where one is conning the other, but there is more to it. Eventually. Just have patience, because it’s a bit of a slow movie, and you will be rewarded. If it weren’t for the twist, even though it’s not completely credible and it all seems a bit too perfect, this film would be too basic and not memorable at all. It’s still a movie you can easily forget, but you will remember Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen’s strong performances and great interaction.

Rating: 3 / 5

Movie Reviews - Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw

Director: David Leitch
Genre: Action
Runtime: 137 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Vanessa Kirby, Idris Elba, Cliff Curtis, Eddie Marsan, Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Hart

Description: Lawman Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and outcast Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) form an unlikely alliance when a cyber-genetically enhanced villain (Idris Elba) threatens the future of humanity.

Review: The “Fast & Furious” franchise is an eye-catching phenomenon of modern-day Hollywood. What started out as a film about illegal street races with a few action scenes, is now a million dollar series of almost 10 films, which leans primarily on spectacle and has no credibility left.
“Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw”, like the title suggests, revolves around two of the most popular characters in the franchise: Dwayne Johnson’s flamboyant secret agent Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham’s former soldier slash hitman Deckard Shaw. Against their will, they are teamed up to protect the world from ‘half-robot’ Brixton, who wants to expose mankind to a dangerous virus.
The entry of this villain, played by Idris Elba, shows that the film makers embrace the absurdity that this franchise has become. And nothing separates them from any random Marvel movie, because it’s basically indestructible heroes fighting for world peace. That combined with a dose of humor and funny observations. It even has an after credit scene which hints to a sequel (which we really don’t need, but will get anyway…).
At least the cast is formed by three charismatic leads, even though they do nothing groundbreaking. Johnson and Statham are constantly exchanging cliché heavy one-liners and insult each other. And this gets old after fifteen minutes or so. That scene on the plane, took way too long (and adding Kevin Hart to the party, doesn’t make it better). But that doesn’t add up to what they did with Idris Elba. Elba is a fantastic actor who screams charisma. But his portrayal of bionic villain Brixton is very one-dimensional and absolutely forgettable.
Little note: Ryan Reynolds is really funny. His short appearances adds a half star to the rating.
The action is well choreographed and visualized, but what can you expect from a two-hundred-million dollar budget. The spectacle does look great, but it is sometimes so over-the-top laughable that even the most expensive visual effects look cheap and unbelievable. And the scenes are too long and too much, that it becomes hard to watch.
“Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw” is even more hysterical and over-the-top then its predecessor “Fast & Furious 8”. And although it looks stunning and is entertaining, it never becomes more than a standard action movie that could land on the B-list. At least we got some handsome men.

Rating: 2/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 9: Eye in the Sky

Director: Gavin Hood
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman, Barkhad Abdo, Jeremy Northam, Iain Glen

Description: Col. Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren), a military officer in command of an operation to capture terrorists in Kenya, sees her mission escalate when a girl enters the kill zone triggering an international dispute over the implications of modern warfare.

Review: One moment you’re buying a doll for your grandchild, an hour later you’re making critical decisions in Nairobi. In modern times, this can be an ordinary workday for army leaders in their battle against Muslim terrorism. Nowadays people aren’t always in the frontline, but difficult decisions are made from a controle room, while watching video images. “Eye in the Sky” is about one of those missions: a drone attack from the British and American army. Orders are given from England, the pilot is in the US and in Kenia they have the terrorist in their sight. They are on the most wanted list and are about to execute a suicide bombing.
There is one moral question: can you make one innocent person a victim when you can save a potential hundred? “Eye in the Sky” is a very clever film. There is that moral theme, but the film has a very fast pace. Helen Mirren is great in this film, I loved her performance and her determined character. Alan Rickman is more diplomatic in his performance. He physically doesn’t do much, but the power he transfers to the screen is so strong. This was Rickman’s last film role by the way. The film has a high tension level, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.
It’s a war film, but not the spectacular and action packed kind. This is based on decision making and the consequences those decisions will have. “Eye in the Sky” is a movie that I enjoyed more than I expected, a really good and overlooked 2016 film.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 98: Gosford Park

Director: Robert Altman

Genre: Drama/ Romance/ Crime

Runtime: 137 minutes

Year: 2001

Starring: Kelly MacDonald, Clive Owen, Michael Gambon, Alan Bates, Ryan Phillippe, Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, Kristen Scott Thomas, Jeremy Northam, Richard E. Grant, Stephen Fry, Bob Balaban, Eileen Atkins, Charles Dance, Emily Watson, Camilla Rutherford

Description: The lives of upstairs guest and downstairs servants at a party in 1932 in a country house in England as they investigate a murder involving one of them.

Review: The start of the film sets the tone. This is not an ordinary detective, but an analysis of the English society of the 1930s.

On a rainy day, made Mary and her lady Constance Trentham leave for a hunting weekend. The head of housekeeping, at the mansion they are visiting, is Mrs. Wilson. It’s soon clear that nobody is called by their name, but by the name of the people they are serving. The tone is set.

Meanwhile many different characters are introduced. Upstairs we meet actor and singer Ivor Novello and his movie producing American friend Morris Weissman; the casual Isobel and her sister Sylvia; crafty Freddie Nesbit and his plain wife Mabel. We see lots of married couples, bt everything is a lot more complicated. Downstairs we have servant Henry, an arrogant young man; Butlers George, Arthur and Probert; alcoholic head butler Jennings; Head of the kitchen Mrs. Croft. Upstairs people don’t talk that much about each other, but downstairs is where the gossip starts.

It’s a pretty complicated setting, lots of characters you meet and have to get to know. You have to pay attention to keep up and to discover all the intrigue. But during all this puzzling, you enjoy all the humor that is in this film. Good dialogues, great acting and fantastic actors.

Halfway through the film, someone is murdered, which also gives this movie a detective story touch. You could criticize this, but the context is much more important than the story. Because the context is brought to the surface, the characters come to life. And also the acting makes this happen, actually by all the actors. Both the bigger and the smaller roles are performed very well. It shows that “Gosford Park” has been made with a lot of love and enthusiasm.

“Gosford Park” is a classy, yet funny and surprising costume drama. I highly enjoyed it.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 58: The Debt

Director: John Madden
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Action
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2010
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Ciarán Hinds, Tom Wilkinson, Marton Csokas, Jesper Christensen

Description: In 1965, three Mossad agents cross into East Berlin to apprehend a notorious Nazi war criminal. Thirty years later, the secrets the agents share come back to haunt them.

Review: “The Debt” is based on the Israeli movie “Ha-Hov” from 2007. Three Mossad agents try to capture a Nazi doctor. Their mission didn’t go according to plan. The decision they make will haunt them when they’re older. They are seen as heroes in their country, but do they really deserve that?
The heart of the film is formed by a flashback from 1965, where Rachel, Stephan and David are send to East Berlin. Their task is to find doctor Bernhardt, better known as the ‘surgeon of Birkenau’. This is also the strongest part of the film. Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington and Marton Csokas show us what they are made off. Especially Chastain is hard to overlook, her performance is very strong. That and the constant tension take the film to a higher level. There is one crucial scene we get to see a couple of times, which unravels the secret bit by bit.
The nerve wrecking middle part makes us expect much from the finale. Sadly the ending is a bit weak. If it weren’t for Helen Mirren and Tom Wilkinson, this movie would collapse in the end. But that’s the only critical note to this very intelligent thriller.
“The Debt” deals with some complicated moral questions, mostly on the psychological aspect. The characters are haunted by a lie from their past, which gave them a heroic status. All three characters deal with it differently. John Madden succeeded in making a good thriller, with great acting and a setting that gives you a claustrophobic feeling. Intelligent film.

Rating: 4/ 5