00s Movie Review - Burn After Reading

Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 96 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich, Richard Jenkins, J.K. Simmons

Description: A disk containing mysterious information from a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous and daft gym employees (Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand) who attempt to sell it.

Review: “Burn After Reading” is a comedy from the Coen Brothers that is unpredictable, has a sharp sense of language and characters that will stay with you.
Linda Litzke is an employee of a fitness club who is desperately seeking funding for the plastic surgery she deems indispensable. Her co-worker Chad Feldheimer is all sunshine: a dorky guy who thinks he’s smart, a sports fanatic with a penchant for the word shit. Then there is the fired, alcoholic CIA agent Osbourne Cox, his ice-cold wife, and the sex-obsessed Harry Pfarrer, who sleeps with just about every female character.  
Basically, the plot is simple: Osbourne Cox loses a copy of his memoir. Linda and Chad mistake it for top secret information and try to get something for it, any way they can. But of course, all sorts of things go wrong, the entanglements become increasingly complicated and surreal, and no one, not even the CIA, has a clue what’s actually happening.
“Burn After Reading” is populated with stupid, selfish people, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any affection for them. And while doesn’t have a clear moral message, it is a film where moral issues come up. A film that seems a bit superficial, but has much more to say about it than you might think. You could even call it a satire.  
But more important than deeper layers and meanings, of course, with a comedy is always: it it funny? The answer is yes, but those expecting one thigh-slapping joke after another will be disappointed. This is partly because the film is filmed fairly straightforwardly. And it’s more the characters and their actions that are funny. A movie by the Coen Brothers that is very overlooked.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Ava

Director: Tate Taylor
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Jessica Chastain, John Malkovich, Colin Farrell, Common, Ioan Gruffudd, Geena Davis, Jess Weixler, Joan Chen

Description: Ava (Jessica Chastain) is a deadly assassin who works for a black ops organization, traveling the globe specializing in high profile hits. When a job goes dangerously wrong she is forced to fight for her own survival.

Review: Ava is a mysterious woman, former junkie and alcoholic, ex-military and extremely adept at unscrupulously killing her high-ranking targets. A charming and deadly enigma for family, friends and enemies. And they all seldom realize what the assassin is doing until it’s too late. “Ava”, on the other hand, is an ostentatiously transparent film whose greatest mystery is ultimately what the film wants to be. An action thriller, a drama or perhaps something else?
The split personality of the film is probably best sketched on the basis of the cast. The title role is played by Kessica Chastain, an excellent drama actress. The leaders of her chaotic assassin organization are played by an almost caricatural Colin Farrell and an inexplicably smooth fighting John Malkovich, who is a acting a bit wooden here. Common has the thankless job to play Ava’s gambling addict ex-boyfriend.
All four, popular names and great performers. And they can all do better than they are showing here. Director Tate Taylor doesn’t manage to create a successful film, just a mediocre one that will easily be forgotten. Also the story itself isn’t very surprising. I don’t mind clichés when they are done well, but the predictability of this movie make it hard for the viewer to be fascinated.
“Ava” doesn’t really offer anything new. If you miss this film, you don’t really miss anything special.

Rating: 2 / 5

10s Movie Review - Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

Director: Joe Berlinger
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Kaya Scodelaria, Haley Joel Osment, John Malkovich, James Hetfield, Jim Parsons, Jeffrey Donovan, Dylan Baker

Description: A chronicle of the crimes of Ted Bundy (Zac Efron) from the perspective of Liz (Lily Collins), his longtime girlfriend, who refused to believe the truth about him for years.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 30: A BIOPIC

Review: Ted Bundy has gone down in history as one of the most charming serial killers ever. He easily managed to wrap the ladies around his fingers, before he kidnapped, raped and killed them. His trial was broadcast live on TV and earned him many female admirers. When news got out that Zac Efron would play Bundy, there was a lot of protest. But Efron proves that he can handle it.
Efron finally gets a role he can really embrace. He draws attention to himself in all the scenes by underlining Bundy’s skill with his charm. In doing so, he makes exactly as much use of his strengths as the real serial killer did to control the media circus around his trials. Is Efron the perfect actor to play this role? No, I can think of a hand full of actors that go do it as well. But Efron is really good as Ted Bundy and especially at the beginning of the film, he even looks very much like Bundy.
It seems like Joe Berlinger had no idea what he exactly wanted to tell in “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile”. Berlinger is experienced as a documentary filmmaker and made the docu-series “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes”. So he can very well create a story from historical facts, but his fiction debut is a more enumeration of events than a conclusive story with a tension curve and a climax.
At the start of the film , Bundy’s girlfriend (well portrayed by Lily Collins) seems to be central. The question seems to be: what is it like to find out you’ve fallen for a monster? However, he characters disappears completely into the background in the second half of the film, when the authorities try to bring Bundy to justice. Bundy is looking for loopholes, both legal and literal. But the most remarkable thing is that it’s hard to determine whether he’s guilty or not. We never see anything about the actual murders.
What Berlinger does show talent for in “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” is directing actors and building stand-alone scenes.
“Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” is a bit of a disappointment, but does have some strong performances. I expected something different from a Ted Bundy biopic.

Rating: 2,5 / 5

80s Movie Review - Dangerous Liaisons

Director: Stephen Frears
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 1988
Starring: John Malkovich, Glenn Close, Michelle Pfeiffer, Swoosie Kurtz, Uma Thurman, Keanu Reeves, Peter Capaldi

Description: A scheming widow (Glenn Close) and her manipulative ex-lover (John Malkovich) make a bet regarding the corruption of a recently married woman (Michelle Pfeiffer)

Review: France, just before the revolution. To take revenge on an old flame, Marquise de Merteuil asks Vicomte de Valmont if he wants to seduce the innocent new fiancée of her ex-lover. If Valmont provides written proof of her conquest, he receives a reward. Valmont agrees, but has actually set his sights on the chaste Madame de Tourvel.
“Dangerous Liaisons” is a film based on the play by Christopher Hamtons, “Les liaisons dangereuses”, which was based on the novel by Choderlos de Laclos from 1782.
The film is stylish, seductive, clever and incredible entertaining. And the cast is fantastic. We see a very young Uma Thurman and Keanu Reeves. But Michelle Pfeiffer shines in her role as Madame de Tourvel. John Malkovich plays the manipulative Valmont, in an excellent way. But it’s Glenn Close, in one of her most vicious roles to date, that steals the show. Every scene she is in, belongs to her.
A film filled with intrigue, deceit and manipulation, all set in in 18th century France. With a really strong cast this film makes for an entertaining movie night.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Reviews - Velvet Buzzsaw

Director: Dan Gilroy
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Renee Russo, Toni Collette, John Malkovich, Zawe Ashton, Natalia Dyer, Billy Magnussen, Tom Sturridge

Description: After a series of paintings by an unknown artist are discovered, a supernatural force enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art.

Review: “Velvet Buzzsaw” is a horror satire focusing on the empty and cold art sector in Los Angeles. After it premiered at the Sundance Filmfestival, it can be seen on Netflix.
The story starts at the Miami Beach Basel Art Fair, where art advisors are looking for ‘the next best thing’. Here we meet the art critic Morf Vandewalt, his friend Josephina, art advisor Gretchen, gallery owner Rhodora and PR-machine Jon. All big names or rising stars in the art business.
One day Josephina finds the dead body of her upstairs neighbor, Vetril Dease. He has no family or friends and was a very quiet and to-him-self man. She finds a huge art collection in his house, all painted by him. All of his art is fascinating, yet morbid and disturbing. Dease wanted all of his art to be destroyed, but Josephina decides to show it to the world. When they explore the paintings, it turns out Dease painted with his own blood. When the paintings are exposed, strange deaths start to occur.
Possessed paintings is not very original, it’s a horror cliché. But director Dan Gilroy gave it a modern touch and made it less cliché. The deaths that occur are very original, but “Velvet Buzzsaw” never really gets scary.
Gilroy also directed “Nightcrawler” and reunites with Jake Gyllenhaal and Renee Russo. That was an intense, disturbing and on-point film. “Velvet Buzzsaw” sadly isn’t. Gilroy isn’t out to scare the audience, but it’s also missing suspense. Yet, it’s an entertaining movie, even though I expected more.
Taking a unoriginal cliché horror element and turning it into something more original. That’s been done. But it’s not as exciting as I thought it would be.

Rating: 3/ 5

10s Movie Review - Bird Box

Director: Susanne Bier
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Sandra Bullock, John Malkovich, Trevante Rhodes, Sarah Paulson, Jacki Weaver

Description: Five years after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide, a mother (Sandra Bullock) and her two children make a desperate bid to reach safety.

Review: Netflix brings us “Bird Box”, a post-apocalyptic tale that somehow reminds me of a mix of “A Quiet Place” and “The Happening”. In “A Quiet Place” the creatures aren’t allowed to hear you, in “Bird Box” you can’t see them. And when you do, you will kill yourself (like in “The Happening”).
“Bird Box” is a film with a lot of potential. The central character is Malorie, a woman who tries to find a safe haven for herself and the two children she is traveling with. And it’s difficult, because the have to be blindfolded at all times. If they don’t, they will simply die.
We see that Malorie is pregnant after a one-nightstand and she doesn’t have contact with the father. In the meantime, we hear people talk about mysterious happenings, where lots of people end up dead. Malorie doesn’t believe in it, until she witnesses it herself when her sister kills herself out of the blue. And soon we find out what is happening. If you see ‘it’, you will die. What it is, we don’t know.
After the introduction, “Bird Box” turns into a pretty standard post-apocalyptic survival film. Where a little group of people tries to survive. And we know not all of them will succeed.
Director Susanne Bier succeed in creating that claustrophobic feel. That gives chills. But that’s were the chills stop. This film’s trailer looked a lot scarier. Overall the film has no real scare, jump scares or shocks.
I usually love the fact that you don’t see the monsters or creatures, or at least not too much. For this film, it’s actually a negative. It could have been more scary if you knew a bit more about the creature and you could see what could be so awful that I makes you kill yourself.
Sandra Bullock is very strong in her role, she carries this film.
Like I stated at the beginning of this review, “Bird Box” had a lot more potential, but didn’t live up to the hype. “A Quiet Place” is much better.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 129: Deepwater Horizon

Director: Peter Berg
Genre: Action/ Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Gina Rodriguez, John Malkovich, Dylan O’Brien, Kate Hudson

Description: A dramatization of the disaster back in April 2010, when the offshore drilling rig called the Deepwater Horizon created a giant explosion, which created the worst oil spill in American history.

Review: In April of 2010, the biggest oil spill in American history took place in the Gulf of Mexico. Because of a massive leak, oil seeped into the water for almost three months. This oil disaster also had some explosions and heavy fires. This is perfect material for Hollywood. And normally these kind of stories turn into sappy films about heroic people who are praised. That’s at least what I was expecting. But “Deepwater Horizon” is a lot better than I expected it to be and it’s not a sentimental disaster film at all.
Director Peter Berg used the book “Deepwater Horizon’s Final Hours” as his inspiration. It’s basic facts and not a bunch of heroic characters and sentiment. The characters in this film are based on actual people that survived this disaster. And Berg doesn’t try to make anything look better or more beautiful than it is. The central character is technician Mike Williams, who leaves a wife and daughter at home and travel to the platform for three weeks. Williams is accompanied by Andrea Fleytas, a tough young lady working in a men’s world. On board of the Deepwater Horizon, that functions as an explorer to find new oil sources, the team leader is determined to get everything check on safety. The big shots don’t think this is necessary and feel like everything is safe enough, they need to drill. Off course, things go wrong.
Hectic and chaos, not very surprising in a disaster movie. Berg didn’t take the time to be all technical about the cause of the disaster, thank goodness. And the connection between Wahlberg’s character and his wife at home is not turning into a tear jerking and is kept to a minimal. It’s just enough to know that something is terribly wrong and that Williams is a family man.
Berg excels in great shots of impressive explosions and the immense sea of fire. The film keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s a surprising film, because I expected just another over-sentimental disaster film. I was wrong, and I love that actually! “Deepwater Horizon” is a surprisingly great film.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 54: Warm Bodies

Director: Jonathan Levine
Genre: Comedy/ Romance/ Horror
Runtime: 98 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich, Analeigh Tipton, Rob Corrdry, Dave Franco

Description: After a highly unusual zombie (Nicholas Hoult) saves still-living girl Julie (Teresa Palmer) from an attack, the two form a relationship that sets in motion events that might transform the entire lifeless world.

Review: The love between a human and a different creature (vampires, werewolves, aliens) has been done a couple of times. In “Warm Bodies” we can add another one to the list: the zombie. But I’m not going to compare it too “Twilight”, because this movie is just too much fun and the vampire movie just isn’t.
In “Warm Bodies” we see a world where a zombie epidemic has taken over most of mankind. A small group of people stay hidden in the city, with a giant wall surrounding them. We meet zombie R, who has forgotten his name, can hardly talk but is sharing his thoughts with the audience. He falls for the beautiful Julie and wants to protect her from the other zombies. Julie doesn’t trust the situation, but sees that R is different.
“Warm Bodies” is based on a book by Isaac Marion and loosely based on “Romeo & Juliet”. With that the movie is filled with humor and romance and a bit of horror elements as well. Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer have great chemistry. I also love the soundtrack, every song is just chosen perfectly.
“Warm Bodies” is a romantic comedy, but then with zombies. There is a perfect balance between humor and romance. It’s original and fresh and a joy to watch!

Rating: 4/ 5