90s Movie Review - Wild Things

Director: John McNaughton
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 1998
Starring: Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon, Neve Campbell, Denise Richards, Theresa Russell, Bill Murray, Robert Wagner

Description: A police detective (Kevin Bacon) uncovers a conspiracy behind a case involving a high-school guidance counselor (Matt Dillon) when accusations of rape are made against him by two female students (Neve Campbell, Denise Richards).

Review: At first sight “Wild Things” looks like a film that we already have a dozen of. A popular teacher, type ideal son in law, is accused of raping one of his students. But with this movie, nothing is as it seems. Instead of going down the obvious road, “Wild Things” has some surprising plot twist and original turns. the viewer is constantly tested and the exact details are left for the end.
The acting in “Wild Things” is not always convincing. Kevin Bacon gives away one of the stronger performances, as detective Ray Duquette. And Matt Dillon also does a solid job as Sam Lombardo. Denise Richards is not that great as the somewhat spoiled Kelly van Ryan, while Neve Campbell is more convincing as the outcast Suzie. Bill Murray is a fun supporting actor, who plays an unreliable lawyer.
“Wild Things” is definitely a film you should see, because it’s more than meets the eye. If you can look past the quality of some of the actors and the fact that there is only pretty people in the film, you’re going to have a good time with this movie.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 111: Going in Style

Director: Zach Braff
Genre: Comedy/ Crime
Runtime: 96 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Alan Arkin, Matt Dillon, Christopher Lloyd, John Ortiz, Ann-Margret, Joey King, Peter Serafinowicz, Kenan Thompson

Description: Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, three lifelong pals risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money.

Review: Joe has trouble keeping up when his bank tells him he loses his house in 30 days, when he doesn’t pay his mortgage. His friend Willie hardly sees his daughter and granddaughter, who live on the other side of the country and hides a serious kidney problem. And their friend Albert fills his days teaches music class to untalented kids. The three know each other through their work at a factory and are currently enjoying their pension. At least, they are supposed to. Because their former bosses decide to pause their pensions. Joe, Willie and Albert have had it and decide to rob a bank.
“Going in Style” is directed by actor and creator of “Garden State”, Zach Braff. He must have thought to have gold with three actors of this standard. It doesn’t even matter what you let them do. And that’s the power of this film, the comical interaction between the three main characters.
The sentimental part is kept to a minimun. “Going in Style” shows men who can be themselves, love their families. The main characters are all likeable in their own way, I don’t think this movie would have worked as well as it did, if it where three random lesser known actors. It’s Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin that make this movie. With that, there are some fun supporting roles, especially Christopher Lloyd is worth mentioning.
The part where the three men are planning their heist is the most fun. Testing their criminal capacities, trying to rob a local supermarket, it’s so hilarious. This comedy really made me laugh out loud, something most comedies nowadays can’t even do. Most people wouldn’t call “Going In Style” a great film, but it’s mostly the sympathy you have for the characters and the interaction between the three gentlemen that win you over. It’s one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in the past years. And that’s thanks to Caine, Freeman and Arkin. Highly enjoyable movie.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 82: Girl Most Likely

Director: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 103 minutes

Year: 2012

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Annette Bening, Matt Dillon, Darren Criss, Christopher Fitzgerald

Description: Imogene (Kristen Wiig) is a failed New York playwright awkwardly navigating the transition from Next Big Thing to Last Year's News. After both her career and relationship hit the skids, she's forced to make the humiliating move back home to New Jersey with her eccentric mother and younger brother (Annette Bening, Christopher Fitzgerald). Adding further insult to injury, there's a strange man sleeping in her old bedroom (Darren Criss) and an even stranger man sleeping in her mother's bed (Matt Dillon).

Review: Poor Imogene. The heroine of the American comedy “Girl Most Likely” has a lot to deal with. after being dumped by her boyfriend and getting fired from her job, Imogene doesn’t see a silver lining anymore. At least not the way things are going now. So she decides to pretend committing suicide, so her ex-boyfriend comes crawling back. The plan doesn’t work and she is forced to move in with her eccentric mother. Poor Imogene.

The comedy is likeable because the characters aren’t taken too seriously. Imogene is a bit of a loser, brother Ralph is still a little kid inside, their mother wants to gamble away everything she has and mom’s boyfriend George works for the CIA, although Imogene doubts that. Does this bring us anything good? Some jokes are lame, but most of them succeed pretty well. And they are all so quirky. The story isn’t topnotch, but the acting is on a very high level. Especially Kristen Wiig excels.

“Girl Most Likely” is a film which is balanced by the positives and negatives. What keeps it on the good side is the fact it doesn’t give in to sentimentality and clichés. A light comedy, with a quirky side.

Rating: 3/ 5

In the Picture: The Characters from "There's Something About Mary"

“There’s Something About Mary” is my favorite comedy of all time and one of my all-time favorite movies. It doesn’t only have great, memorable moments, but also fabulous characters that you never forget. Just because they are so quirky. Here they are.

Mary Jensen
Played by: Cameron Diaz
Mary is every mans dream. She is beautiful, kind, loves sports, helpful and smart. She is also Ted’s dreamgirl. When he tracks her down she is as beautiful as ever, single, and an Orthopedic Surgeon. Mary is also very involved with her mentaly challenged brother Warren.

Ted Stroehmann
Played by: Ben Stiller
Ted is a goofy guy who got lucky that Mary wanted to go to the prom with him. And that’s all the luck he has, because this night goes horribly wrong. He hires a private detective to find Mary when he’s older and he realizes that Mary is still a fox. He wins her over again but there are many guys on the lookout for Mary. And Ted, the unlucky guy he is, can’t help to get himself in another sticky situation with many to follow. He is the only selfless man though, because he can only be happy if Mary is. That’s how he eventually gets the girl.

Pat Healy
Played by: Matt Dillon
Pat is the private detective Ted hires. He claims that Mary is fat, disabled and very unhappy. That’s obviously not true, but he also fell for Mary and wants her for himself. With a bunch of lies Pat manages to win Mary over, but his lies don’t hold. Pat is a sneaky, slick and lying man.

Dom Woganowski
Played by: Chris Elliott
Dom is Ted’s best friend and is sick of hearing the stories about Mary. He convinces Ted to track her down and secretly likes Mary himself. In high school he was Mary’s stalking ex-boyfriend Woogie, the reason she moved and changed her name. Dom has a thing for shoes and a weird skin condition.

Tucker
Played by: Lee Evans
Tucker is one of Mary’s patients and a very sophisticated man. So he appears, because Tucker is actually Norm the pizza delivery guy who fell in love with Mary after delivering her a pizza when she opened the door in her night gown.

Magda
Played by: Lin Shaye
Magda is Mary’s landlady and she loves tanning. A bit to much, because she looks like a brownie. Magda loves martini’s and likes to eat a banana split after sex. She is also the proud owner of the lovely dog Puffy, who is more feisty then he appears.

Favorite Character: Ted Stroehmann

Movie Moments: "There's Something About Mary"

One of my top five favorites and full of hilarious moments. Here are my favorite scenes.

Moment # 1: Zipper accident
No one believes him, but Ted is taking the beautiful Mary to the prom. He picks her up at her house, where immediatly things go wrong when he’s trying to surprise Mary’s brother Warren with a baseball. It gets worse when Ted goes to the bathroom to pee. He’s watching two birds, when the fly away Mary’s parents think he was watching Mary getting redressed and he was masturbating. When he wants to zip up, his gentleman parts get stuck between the zipper. Auch!

Moment # 2: Who needs him?
Ted hired Pat Healy to find Mary and Healy is spying on her. Finding out she’s practically a saint and still a very beautiful woman. While Mary is having lunch with her friends, Pat overhears her talking about a guy named Brad. He was basically the perfect guy, but she found out he wasn’t that happy about her mentally challenged brother Warren. So she tells her friends: “Who needs him? I’ve got a vibrator”. And Healy bursts into laughter.

Moment # 3: Wrong window
Healy is watching Mary outside her appartement. She is getting undressed and Healy wants to take a look through bigger binoculours. When he gets them and is ready for the big moment where he sees Mary’s boobs, Healy glances into her neighbours window seeing Magda topless, which scares him.

Moment # 4: Healy tries to get Mary’s attention
Mary is at the golf course and Healy is trying to impress her. He doesn’t know how to play golf, but when he needs change he gets her attention by telling her he only has coins from Nepal, a place Mary always wanted to visit. In the parking lot, she wants to get to know him and also finds out he’s an architect and works with ‘retards’ (his words). Off course they are all lies, but she likes him.

Moment # 5: Mary and Ted meet again
Ted found out that Healy lied to him. Mary is still a beautiful woman and hasn’t changed much. He wants to visit her, but is affraid. His friend Dom makes Mary notice him and they start talking. They plan a date and Ted is filled with joy.

Moment # 6: Hairgel
Before Ted is meeting Mary, he’s trying to feel more relaxed. He starts masturbating and after the big moment he looses his… body fluid…. When he opens the door for Mary, the lost sperm is hanging on his ear. Mary thinks it’s hairgel and and grabs it to put it in her hair. While in the bar, Mary’s hair is standing up straight.

Moment # 7: Ted vs. Puffy
Ted goes to Mary’s house and before he does, Healy feeds dog Puffy some uppers. Magda asks Ted to release the dog from the bathroom, while he’s banging the door. Ted is scared for what he’s going to see, but when he opens the door he sees the little Puffy. He’s not so cute, because he attacks Ted and they get into a big fight. And Puffy ends up jumping out of the window.

Moment # 8: The hook
Mary and Ted are having the best time and they seem very happy. While standing on the peer, a fishing hook grabs Ted’s lip.

Moment # 9: Dom is Woogie
Mary told Ted about her ex-boyfriend Woogie who started acting weird and he’s the reason she changed her name. Woogie turns out to be Ted’s friend Dom and he shows up at Mary’s appartement. He’s trying to steal her shoes.

Moment # 10: Happiest with you
All of Mary’s worshipers are in her appartement, even Brad. It turns out that he wasn’t bad and that he didn’t say those things about her brother Warren. Ted tells all the guys that Mary should decide and that he just wants Mary to be happy. When he leaves her house, thinking she choose Brad, Mary follows him. Telling Ted: “I’d be happiest with you”. They kiss.

Favorite Moment: Moment # 10: Happiest with you

Movie Tip #6 - There's Something About Mary

Director: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon, Chris Elliot, Lee Evans

Description: Ted (Ben Stiller)was a geek in high school, who was going to go to the prom with one of the most popular girls in school, Mary (Cameron Diaz). The prom date never happened, because Ted had a very unusual accident. Thirteen years later he realizes he is still in love with Mary, so he hires a private investigator (Matt Dillon) to track her down. That investigator discovers too may so he falls in love with Mary and he gives Ted some false information to keep him away from her. But soon Ted finds himself back into Mary's life, as we watch one funny scene after another.

Review: This is my all-time favorite comedy. The Farrely brother made a one-of-a-kind movie with a lot of humour! Some scenes are legendary (like the hairgel scene and the one with the fishing lure). I can watch this movie over and over again and still laugh at the same jokes. It's hilarious and it has a lot of extraordinary characters. And it's Diaz at her best!