90s Movie Review - Random Hearts

Director: Sydney Pollack
Genre: Drama/ Romance/ Mystery
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 1999
Starring: Harrison Ford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Charles S. Dutton, Bonnie Hunt, Dennis Haysbert, Sydney Pollack, Richard Jenkins, Paul Guilfoyle, Peter Coyote, Dylan Baker, Bill Cobbs, Kate Mara

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 46: A FILM FROM YOUR TEEN YEARS
 
Description: Police Seargeant Dutch Van den Broeck (Harrison Ford) and U.S. Representative Kay Chandler (Kristin Scott Thomas) lose their spouses in a plane crash, and they soon discover that their partners were having an affair with each other.

Review: The wife of tough Internal Affairs Sergeant Dutch was killed in a plane crash, as was the husband of politician Kay. Kay and Dutch find out that their spouses were sitting next to each other on the plane, but were also having an affair. Dutch wants to find out why.

On paper, this film sounds interesting. But in practice, it doesn’t work. Mainly because it does not really know in which direction it wants to go. At first, it’s a drama. Two people losing their other half in a tragic accident. Then it turns into a mystery, when they are trying to discover why they were on that plane and why Dutch’s wife didn’t use her real name. And eventually some romance is sprinkled in as well. And it has some strange side-plot of this case that Dutch is working on, that has nothing to do with the actual plot. It just feels very messy. And it’s also very boring, especially given that this film is over two hours long.

Great cast, making the best of it. But really a dull film with little to interest me.

Rating: 2/ 5

20s Movie Review - Call Jane

Director: Phyllis Nagy
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 121 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Chris Messina, Kate Mara

Description: Joy (Elizabeth Banks) is a married woman with a pregnancy endangering her life, in a time in America when she can’t get a legal abortion and works with a group of suburban women to find help.

Review: 1968. Joy is an exemplary housewife. She married her college sweetheart, a lawyer, a lives in the suburbs of Chicago, together with their 15-year-old daughter. She is pregnant, but the pregnancy endangers her life due to a heart condition. Being pregnant might cost Joy her life. Terminating her pregnancy is the only way to make Joy better, but in 1968 this was still illegal. Only if it was a life-threatening situation, she is allowed to have an abortion. The hospital board, all men, are the ones to decide if Joy’s pregnancy can be terminated. But the 50/ 50 chance of her surviving this pregnancy, is not urgent enough. She is denied the abortion. Joy takes matters in own hands.

Jane rolls into a network of activist women, who arrange women with unwanted pregnancies to have an abortion.

The message of the film is very clear. I loved that about “Call Jane”. Especially since the current elections, it’s still a very topical film. Many Americans are still strongly against abortion and in several states it’s still illegal. By creating a fictional main character, a model housewife, the creators try to reach a broader audience. I don’t think this message will sit well with the more conservative Americans. The story is based on the real “The Jane Collective”, but the characters are fictional and not based on specific people.

The ending of the film feels a bit rushed, but the overall message and the story is very gripping, powerful and strong. I really loved this film that sadly still is very topical.

Rating: 4/ 5

Top 5 : "Black Mirror" Episodes Season 6

“Black Mirror” is back after a long absence. The sixth season seems to be deliberately breaking away from what the series is supposed to be. Maker Charlie Brooker takes Netflix to task on several occasions. Instead of writing a full review for the season, I will rank the five episodes worst to best, with mini reviews for each episode.
 

5. Mazey Day
Director: Uta Briesewitz
Starring: Zazie Beetz, Danny Ramirez, Clara Rugaard, Robbie Tann, David Rysdahl
This episode charges against unscrupulous, old-fashioned paparazzi terrorizing stars. Rather a look back to the past than an extrapolation of the present, where everyone uses their smartphone to take photos. This episode is set in the 2000s. Bo (Zazie Beetz) is one of these paparazzi photographers, struggling with her conscience when a celebrity caught on camera commits suicide. At the same time, movie star Mazey Day is involved in a hit an run and doesn’t seem to be able to forget about it. Bo sees on the news Mazey hasn’t been seen in a while, making it her mission to find her. And she ends up finding something unexpected. I believe this was the shortest episode and they have more to tell than can fit in 40 minutes. This way, the story feels rushed and unfinished. I did like the unexpected turn the story took, but this episode really suffered from the runtime.
 

4. Joan is Awful
Director: Ally Pankiw
Starring: Annie Murphy, Salma Hayek, Michael Cera, Himesh Patel, Avi Nash, Ben Barnes
The dull, cowardly routine life of Joan, a mid-level tech executive, is thrown into disarray when a streaming service airs a popular show about her life: Joan is Awful. Salma Hayek plays her and re-enacts her daily life. Real-life Joan becomes an outcast and everything goes downhill. This is a very meta and self-mocking mindfuck. It’s funny and crazy and very entertaining. Although poop-jokes are never funny. Only downside.
 

3. Loch Henry
Director: Sam Miller
Starring: Samuel Blenkin, Myha’la Herrold, Daniel Portman, John Hannah, Monica Dolan
Filmmaker Davis (Samuel Blekin) visits his mother in his hometown near Schotland’s Loch henry: he wants to shoot a documentary about an environmentalist. Tourists in his hometown dropped stopped visiting after serial killer Ian Adair kidnapped and tortured people to the death in his basement. Davis’ father Kenny, the local policeman, was injured trying to arrest Adair and later died. Together with his girlfriend Pia, he decides to make this crime story their topic for the documentary. A story with deeper layers and secrets revealed as you go along. It has a slow start, but eventually has some great WTF-moments. Probably the darkest and most disturbing episode of this season.
 

2. Demon 79
Director: Toby Haynes
Starring: Anjana Vasan, Paapa Essiedu, Katherine Rose Morely, David Shields
In this thrilling, at times hilarious episode, a lonely Indian shoe saleswoman (Anjana Vasan) brooding internally over her racist co-worker Vicky (Katherine Rose Morely) cuts her finger on an amulet with runic characters, summoning demon in-training Gaap (Paapa Essiedu). He takes the guise of her idol, Boney M singer Bobbby Farrell, and explains to her that she must kill someone each day for the next three days to prevent an apocalypse. Dark comedy with a bittersweet twist. And I loved Vasan in her role, she was so good.
 

1. Beyond the Sea
Director: John Crowley
Starring: Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara, Auden Thornton, Rory Culkin
This was a stand-out for me, what a fantastic episode. Astronauts Cliff (Aaron Paul) and David (Josh Hartnett) are on a years-long space mission in an alternate 1969. To combat loneliness and cabin fever, the duo uploads their consciousness to a replica: an android copy living on Earth with their family. Until David’s family is murdered before his eyes and his replica is set on fire by a Charles Manson-like cult that wants to restore the natural order. Concerned about David’s possible suicidal depression, Cliff occasionally grants him use of his replica. This leads to psychological complications. Josh Hartnett and especially Aaron Paul are very strong on their roles. I was invested in this story from start to finish and the ending went in a different direction then I expected it would go.  
 

 

00s Movie Review - Brokeback Mountain

Director: Ang Lee
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 134 minutes
Year: 2005
Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway, Randy Quaid, Anna Faris, David Harbour, Kate Mara, Linda Cardellini
 
Description: Ennis (Heath Ledger) and Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) are two shepherds who develop a sexual and emotional relationship. Their relationship becomes complicated when both of them married to their respective girlfriends

Review: Happiness sometimes depends on the choices you make in life. Sometimes you wish you did things differently. One word or one touch could make such a difference, but you didn’t do anything. “Brokeback Mountain” also deals with such key moments. 
Even before “Brokeback Mountain” was released, it was one of the most talked about films of the year. Two cowboys, the model of ultimate manhood, that fall in love is obviously a fascinating given. But by just saying it’s about gay cowboys, you’re not doing it justice. It’s not about homosexuality, it’s about love in its purest and simplest form. A story about how people choose to live their lives, about a world that doesn’t really give them a choice, about suppressed feelings and about letting go. 
 The movie tells the story of young cowboys Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, who work together during the summer of 1963 in the mountains of Wyoming. The two develop a close bond which eventually turns into a sexual relationship, much to their own surprise. At the end of the summer, Ennis and Jack both go their own way. Both men get married and start a family, but the memories of their time in Brokeback Mountain are dear to them. When they meet up again after years, it’s still as that last time in Brokeback Mountain. 
 The love between Ennis and Jack is impossible, it’s in a time that the love between two men isn’t accepted. Director Ang Lee could have easily turned it into a melodramatic film, but he managed to find the right tone. I’ve never seen a film where two such rich, complete and complex characters managed to expose the relationship in such an honest, true and sharp way. The pace is slow and so are the developments, but in this film it’s a positive thing. Invest in the characters and you will be rewarded. 
 “Brokeback Mountain” is carried by two great leading actors. Both Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are fantastic. Ledger shines as the introvert Ennis. He is afraid to choose for what he really wants. Gyllenhaal’s Jack is a bit more complex. He doesn’t want to live in a lie and fantasizes about a life with Ennis. The choices we make have effect on our happiness, that’s something “Brokeback Mountain” shows us. 
 A fantastic, touching and heart felt film, one of my all-time favorites.

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 93: Morgan

Director: Luke Scott
Genre: Horror/ Science Fiction/ Thriller
Runtime: 88 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Kate Mara, Rose Leslie, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Michelle yeoh, Paul Giamatti, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Brian Cox

Description: A corporate risk-management consultant (Kate Mara) must decide whether or not to terminate an artificially created humanoid being.

Review: People have always been fascinated by creating artificial intelligence. And movies about this theme are popular and sometimes really successful. Morgan is the result of synthetic DNA and nanotechnology. It is a fast developing human looking being, whose intelligence and physique grow exceptionally. But this apparent perfect creation has its defects. After an incident, risk-management consultant Lee Weathers has to evaluate the specimen and whether it should be terminated or not.
It’s been done so many times, this theme. And many directors managed to give it their own twist and make it look fresh. Sadly Luke Scott (son of Ridley Scott) is not one of them. The film never reaches above mediocre and the tension is nowhere to be found. The presence of a fantastic cast doesn’t always guarantee a good movie. It really fascinated me how naïve all those academics are in this film. And the film is very predictable. And the supposed plot twist at the end, didn’t come as a surprise at all.
“Morgan” had a lot of potential, but didn’t execute it very well.

Rating: 2/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 140: The Martian

Director: Ridley Scott

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction

Runtime: 142 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Sean Bean, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mackenzie Davis, Donald Glover, Nick Mohammed, Chen Shu, Eddy Ko, Enzo Cilenti, Jonathan Aris, Gruffudd Glyn, Naomi Scott, Geoffrey Thomas

Description: A limo driver's blind date sparks a tale of love, betrayal, friendship, and grace centered around two working-class New York City couples.

Review: Director Ridley Scott, known for his movies “Alien” and “Blade Runner”, is no stranger to science fiction. “The Martian”, based on the book by Andy Weir, is the perfect story for Scott. It’s a heroic story, has a great cast with big names and a big budget.

With a science fiction movie, there is always a scientific side to it. Hence the word science. At first it looks like it’s going to be a drama, when astronaut Mark Watney is left for dead on Mars after a big storm. When Watney wakes up he has to stay alive with the supplies that are left. It could have gone to fear, sadness and complaining. The fact that it might be the end for him on Mars, makes sure that Watney does everything to avoid that fate. With science. With his botanic background he manages to grow potatoes on a planet where nothing grows. And he is very inventive in ways to stay alive. This strength makes sure Watney doesn’t lose hope and becomes a real hero.

The scientific element can also be less accesable, but “The Martian” manages to use a clever way to explain it to us. Watney keeps a videolog, where he explains what he does and why. He never seems lonely and this makes this film anything but boring. On earth, where they eventually find our Watney is still alive, they discuss the issue in a way the viewer can understand and without any extreme sentiment. Towards the end it does get a bit more dramatic, but that’s understandable.

One thing I didn’t expect to get was humor. “The Martian” is very funny at times and makes this movie a lot lighter than I eventually thought. And Matt Damon is amazing in his role. I really loved his performance, it can easily be called one of his best. I also loved Jessica Chastain, as always.

“The Martian” is a fresh take on science fiction, a movie that was even better than I thought it would be. One of the best of 2015.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Moments: "127 Hours"

This movie blew my mind when I saw it. Especially because of the great performance by James Franco. Here are my favorite moments from "127 Hours".

Moment # 1: Opening
We see how Aron gets ready for his trip to the Blue John in the Canyonlands. We hear the song “Never Hear Surf Music Again" by Free Blood.

Moment # 2: Aron meets Kristi and Megan
When Aron is climbing, he sees two girls. He sees that they’re lost and their names are Kristi and Megan. Aron offers to take them to the Dome, the place they were looking for. The girls accept Aron’s help.

Moment # 3: Climb and squeeze
Aron tells Kristi and Megan that he knows how to get to the Dome, but he knows an ever cooler way to get there. The most fun they will have with their clothes on. They have to climb and squeeze though. The three have to get between two rocks, but Aron lets go and drops. Kristi and Megan are afraid that something happened to him, but when they hear his voice they know he’s fine. He dropped into a beautiful blue pool of water. Kristi also dares to let go and Megan follows pretty soon.

Moment # 4:Aron gets stuck
After leaving Kristi and Megan, Aron starts to climb down a canyon. Suddenly a rock comes loose, falls and roles on his arm. Aron is stuck. First he doesn’t really realize what happened, he tries to move the rock and screams for help. No one will hear him.

Moment # 5: Sunshine
The sun comes up and Aron enjoys the feeling of the warmth on his skin. It reminds him of his dad, when he was younger. Unfortunately the sunshine only lasts for 15 minutes.

Moment # 6: Do not lose it
Aron is filming himself, a video for the people who find him. When he hears something he starts screaming for help. It was nothing, but when Aron sees himself on the camera he tells himself not to lose it.

Moment # 7: Good morning everyone!
When the morning breaks, Aron starts filming himself hosting a morning show. He starts interviewing himself, admitting that he was selfish for not telling anyone where he was going. Oops…

Moment # 8: The only sulotion
Aron knows the only way to get out of there is to cut of his arm. First he has to break the bones and cut the nerves. His will to live is much stronger than his fear of the pain. He manages to cut his arm of and escapes the canyon.

Moment # 9: Aron finds help
When Aron gets out he still has to walk all the way back. Aron finally finds help, they make sure he gets water and they send him a helicopter to take him home. The song "Festival" by Sigur Ros is playing.

Favorite Moment: Moment # 3: Climb and squeeze

Movie Tip # 48: 127 Hours

Director: Danny Boyle

Starring: James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn

Description: "127 Hours" is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days Ralston (James Franco) examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, scale a 65 foot wall and hike over eight miles before he can be rescued. Throughout his journey, Ralston recalls friends, lovers, family, and the two hikers he met before his accident. Will they be the last two people he ever had the chance to meet?

Review: Director Danny Boyle earned himself eight Oscars for "Slumdog Millionaire". This time the scale of the movie is smaller, but the hero bigger. A man who was trapped between a rock for 127 hours, literally. How can that be interesting? Well, this is how. The cinematography in this movie is simply brilliant: split screens, quick montages, impossible angles, great soundeffects, etcetera. But it's not only the cinematography that made this movie so good. Thank you James Franco, for that fantastic performance. I think this is one of the best performances I've seen in a while. He has the ability to show us so many different emotions: fearless joy, desperation, anger and regret. His subtle performance makes him believable. After you've seen this film, you ask yourself one question: How come the adrenaline is pumping through my body while watching a man who hasn't moved an inch for 90 minutes? Danny Boyle is a master and "127 Hours" is a masterpiece.

Movie Tip #18 - Brokeback Mountain

Director: Ang Lee

Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, Randy Quaid, Linda Cardellini, Anna Faris, Kate Mara

Description: In the Summer of 1963 Wyoming, two young men, Ennis (Heath Ledger) a ranch hand and Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) an aspiring rodeo bull rider, are sent to work together herding sheep on Brokeback Mountain, and what had otherwise been anticipated to be a rather uneventful venture, will soon turn into an affair of love, of lust, and complications that will spand through 19 years of their lives. Through marriage, through children, and through the mighty grip of societal confines and the expectations of what it is to be a man.

Review: It's a love story that starts out without love and finishes with a love that never ends. "Brokeback Mountain" is so much more than merely a "gay cowboy movie". It perfectly captures what true, unbridled love is all about and this love transcends any issues of sexuality or gender.Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall are magnificent and if not for them, I think this film would have been a massive disappointment. Instead just thinking of Ennis and Jack's stolen embrace and kiss in broad daylight after being apart for four years is enough to make my heart skip a beat and my stomach lurch. Everything about that scene is perfect. This movie is perfect. It's just a wonderfull movie, that I can watch over and over again.