90s Movie Review - Good Will Hunting

Director: Gus Van Sant
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 126 minutes
Year: 1997
Starring: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Minnie Driver, Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård
Description: A therapist (Robin Williams) counsels Will Hunting (Matt Damon), a janitor with e genius IQ.

Review: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are big names now, but in 1997 that was not the case. “Good Will Hunting” was a real career starter for the two. They don’t only star in the movie, they wrote the screenplay as well. And for the last, they won an Academy Award.

We meet Will Hunting, a janitor at Harvard who also happens to have a very high IQ. While in mandatory sessions with therapist Sean Maguire, Will is clear about the fact that he doesn’t have any ambition of doing anything with his intelligence.

Matt Damon and Robin Williams’ performances are central to the film. Together they portray a beautiful and believable friendship. The two actors are very well attuned to each other and the scenes between them are the backbone of the film. Both performances are amazing, and Williams deservedly won an Academy Award for it.

The film is character driven, the plot comes second. It takes some time to develop. Will’s struggle between choosing for himself and what others expect of him is portrayed in a beautiful way.

The story grabs you and doesn’t let you go, yet the film isn’t too heavy. This combination is hard to find. It’s been a while since I last watched it, but after the rewatch I realized how much I really love this film.

Rating: 5/ 5

90s Movie Review - Sleepers

Director: Barry Levinson
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime
Runtime: 147 minutes
Year: 1996
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Jason Patric, Brad Pitt, Billy Crudup, Ron Eldard, Robert De Niro, Minnie Driver, Dustin Hoffman, Brad Renfro, Bruno Kirby, Joseph Perrino, Geoffrey Wigdor

Description: After a prank goes disastrously wrong, a group of boys are sent to a detention center where they are brutalized. Thirteen years later, an unexpected random encounter with a former guard gives them a chance for revenge.  

Review: With the director of “Rain Man”, an all-star cast and a heavy subject, “Sleepers” looks like a successful film on paper. I don’t think it was successful, but it’s definitely a film that should get more credit.
We meet four kids from ‘Hell’s Kitchen’, a neighborhood in New York. One day the four boys decide to pull a prank, but it goes horribly wrong and they end up in a youth prison. And life isn’t easy for them, because they are abused, sexually, physically and mentally. After they are released, the lose touch. Until two of the friends, John and Tommy, run into one of the guards and kill him. It’s up to the two other friends, Michael and Shakes, to keep them out of prison.
Even though the ending is a bit flat and the characters don’t all get the depth they need, the overall film is pretty strong and I believe it’s very much overlooked and underrated.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 15: Princess Mononoke

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Genre: Animation/ Adventure

Runtime: 134 minutes

Year: 1997

Starring: Gillian Anderson, Lewis Arquette, Corey Burton, Jennifer Cihi, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Keith David, John DeMita, John Di Maggio, Minnie Driver, Alex Fernández, Jack Fletcher, Julia Fletcher, Pat Fraley, John Hostetter, Leslie ishii

Description: On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.

Review: “Princess Mononoke” is an animation by Hayao Miyazaki, who also created “Spirited Away” and “My neighbor Totoro”. Those movies were also suitable for children. “Princess Mononoke” is not, due to the theme and the amount of violence. Ashitaka is a prince of an isolated tribe and is cursed after a fight with a demonic boar. To save his life, he has to leave his tribe and find the origin of the demon. On his quest he encounters a mine colony and several animal tribes that have been in war for a while. Both parties are led by strong women: the mine colony is led by Lady Eboshi, and San, also known as Princess Mononoke, leads the animals. Eboshi gives shelter to former prostitutes and tries to give her people a good life. San is raised by wolves and wants to save the forest. Ashitaka tries to get the two tribes together.

“Princess Mononoke” is a beautiful fairytale like story, with strong themes and many layers. I’ve always loved Miyazaki’s style and the music he puts with it. The movie has many things: humor, an original strong story, atmosphere, interesting characters, emotion and it’s all balanced well. The great eye for detail is something I admire in Miyazaki’s work. Another great film from this amazing director. For fans of the genre it’s a definite must-see!

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 26: Grosse Pointe Blank

Director: George Armitage

Genre: Comedy/ Crime/ Romance

Runtime: 113 minutes

Year: 1997

Starring: John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Alan Arkin, Dan Aykroyd, Joan Cusack, Hank Azaria, Jeremy Piven, Michael Cudlitz

Description: Martin Blank (John Cusack) is a professional assassin. He is sent on a mission to a small Detroit suburb, Grosse Pointe, and, by coincidence, his ten-year high school reunion party is taking place there at the same time.

 

Review: How do you survive a high school reunion, when everyone wants to know how you turned out, if you’re a cold blooded assassin who’s struggling with himself. “Grosse Pointe Blank” is carried by John Cusack, who is perfect for these sort of films. It’s a mix of slapstick and tragic comedy.

The base of the story is Martin Blank’s hesitance for going back to his home town Grosse Pointe. Martin has to face the life he once ran away from. He has to face his mother, his former girlfriend Debi and the feds who are tailing him. The romantic storyline between Cusack’s character and Minnie Driver’s is anything but cliché and sweet. Driver manages to easily keep up with Cusack.

“Grosse Pointe Blank” is a unleashed comedy with good writing and great comedic performances. That’s why I love John Cusack!

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 11: I Give It a Year

Director: Dan Mazer
Genre: Comedy/ Romance
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Rose Byrne, Rafe Spall, Simon Baker, Anna Faris, Minnie Driver, Stephen Merchant, Olivia Coleman, Jason Fleyming

Description: Newlywed couple Nat (Rose Byrne) and Josh (Rafe Spall) are deliriously happy despite their differences, though friends and family aren't convinced that they can last. With their first anniversary approaching and attractive alternatives in the mix, can they last?

Review: After a short romance, Nat and Josh decide to get married. That there are many big differences between them doesn’t bother the couple. Their family and friends do question the marriage.
“I Give It a Year” starts where most other romantic comedies end. The film tries to flip the genre upside down by showing us what happens when two people in love get married. It’s an interesting starting-point, but it still has many romcom clichés in it. For example that the leading characters discover that someone else is the one for them. It does have a cynical tone to it, but some of those jokes are a big miss. Especially some situation, that are meant to be funny, just aren’t. The film is one big akward moment.
Rafe Spall, who plays Josh, was only a supporting actor so far. His somewhat immature character is really sympathetic. Rose Byrne has the unfortunate task the play the most uncongenial character: the perfectionistic and ambitious Nat. It’s a lot like Helen, who she portrayed in “Bridesmaids”. Minnie Driver on the other hand is hilarious as Nat’s crude sister. Olivia Coleman, as the weird therapist, really overdoes it. She totally lost herself in the role, which makes it over the top. As a viewer you are more drawn to the charming Josh then the up stuck Nat.
“I Give It a Year” tries to give the term romantic comedy another dimension to go a little further. The makers didn’t achieve it and is missing its balance. One missed shot.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Movie Tip #16 - Return to Me

Director: Bonnie Hunt

Starring: David Duchovny, Minnie Driver, Bonnie Hunt, James Belushi, Carroll O'Connor, Robert Loggia, Joely Richardson

Description: Bob Rueland (David Duchovny), a Chicago building contractor, cherishes life with his veterinarian wife until she is tragically killed in an automobile accident. Meanwhile the family and friends of Grace Briggs (Minnie Driver), a waitress at a local Italian restaurant, are overjoyed when they learn that Grace will finally get a replacement heart (the heart of Bob's wife). Both Bob and Grace struggle to maintain normal lives after these traumatic events, until fate intervenes and brings them together.

Review: The reason that I love this movie so much is because of it's honesty. Both characters are so real and they share some heartwarming moments. My favourite line from the movie is when Bob says: "I miss Elisabeth, but I ache for Grace". That's a line I'll never forget. The story seems a little unrealistic, but the way the cast brought it you just go with it. Bonnie Hunt directed it and was a co-writer. She's done a great job doing both. She made Grace and Bob one of my all time favourite movie couples and "Return to Me" as one of my favourite romantic movies.