Movie Review - Black Bag

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Genre: Crime/ Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 93 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Pierce Brosnan, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, Tom Burke, Marisa Abela,
 
Description: When intelligence agent Kathryn Woodhouse (Cate Blanchett) is suspected of betraying the nation, her husband (Michael Fassbender) – also a legendary agent - faces the ultimate test whether to be loyal to his marriage, or his country.
 
I WATCHED THIS FILM FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 42: A FILM WITH MICHAEL FASSBENDER
 
Review: We follow secret agent George Woodhouse, who must find out which of his fellow spies has betrayed the country. His wife Kathryn is at the top of the list of suspects.
“Black Bag” is spy thriller by Steven Soderbergh. It’s a clever and intimate thriller with a mix of suspense and psychological drama.

The cast is strong, Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender are great as ever and have excellent chemistry. The style and atmosphere is elegant, stylish and mysterious. But that’s where the positivity ends for me.

For the genre that it is, the great cast it has and the interesting and intriguing plot, “Black Bag” is boring. And the story is unnecessarily complex, incoherent and complicated. And this way it’s really difficult to stay engaged. The pace is very slow, the film mostly consists of conversations. And there is nothing wrong with that, some of my favorite films are very heavy on dialogue. But for this movie it works to its disadvantage.

Probably the biggest disappointment of the year.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - No Time to Die

Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Genre: Action/ Thriller/ Adventure
Runtime: 163 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Ana De Armas, Jeffrey Wright, Ben Wishaw, Naomie Harris, Lashana Lynch, Billy Magnussen, Christoph Waltz

Description: James Bond (Daniel Craig) has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.

Review: Much has been said and written about the new Bond film. The press is praising “No Time to Die”. Many even claim it to be the best Bond-film ever. I’m not with them, at all.
With “No Time to Die”, Daniel Crag’s story in the 007 saga comes to an end. For the actor, who first appeared in “Casino Royale”, the 25^th Bond movie had to become the crown jewel after his five film portraying the secret agent.
“No Time to Die” kicks off with a downright terrifying opening scene where this films main villain Lyutsifer Safin shows up at a lake house terrorizing a family, who he claimed has killed his. At least the father did.
This installment of the immense popular James Bond franchise aims more at the heart than at action-packed scenes. Which makes it different. But not at all something I expect or want when I choose to watch a film about 007. The film does have some amazing action sequences, but when not “No Time to Die” can be a bit boring at times. I’m not really interested in a heartfelt James Bond to be honest.
Apart from that opening scene, Rami Malek as the Bond-villain, doesn’t really impress. I also believe his motives are a bit weird. He wants revenge for something that has been done to him, but eventually does the same. And Ana de Armas, who has a small role as secret agent Paloma, is highly underused. She had great chemistry with Daniel Craig and I wished she was in the film more.  
Cinematographically, there is nothing to criticize. All the scenes were beautiful made and the film looks stunning. Daniel Craig, reprising his role as James Bond for the last time, is also great. He is one of the best James Bonds ever.
“No Time to Die” is by no means a bad movie, but is definitely not the best or even one of the best James Bond films. Craig had his highlight with “Casino Royale” and “Skyfall”. I think it’s still a worthy goodbye to him as the iconic special agent, but I wasn’t a fan.

Rating: 3/ 5 

00s Movie Review - Street Kings

Director: David Ayer
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime/ Action
Runtime: 85 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans, Common, Amaury Nolasco, Naomie Harris, Terry Crews, Cedric the Entertainer, Jay Mohr, John Corbett

Description: An undercover cop (Keanu Reeves), disillusioned by the death of his wife, is implicated in the murder of an officer (Terry Crews) and must struggle to clear himself.

Review: Detective Tom Ludlow has a bad reputation when it comes to doing police work by the book. Ludlow’s motto is: shoot first, ask questions later. Even in his latest case, in which he managed to save two girls, the suspects don’t live to tell the tale. Fortunately, Ludlow can count on the protection of his superior, Captain Jack Wander. But then it turns out that Ludlow’s former partner, Detective Terrence Washington, is planning to rat him out. That could cost Ludlow his job. And so he takes matters into his own hands an decides to teach Washington a lesson. The Washington gets involved in a brutal crime and the trouble truly begins. Captain James Biggs smells trouble and starts investigating Ludlow.  
Two things really spoke to me: the script was co-written bij James Ellroy, whom we now as the writer of “L.A. Confidential”. Second, the great cast, including solid actors such as Forest Whitaker, Keanu Reeves, Hugh Laurie and Chris Evans.
The tension and intrigue builds nicely as Ludlow gets further and further into trouble, with some really strong action scenes. The film has a twist, but it’s not very surprising or original. And because some characters we don’t really get to know very well, their personality changes seem a bit implausible.
The acting, however, is very solid. Whitaker in particular. The visual aspect of the film is also strong, a good visualization of South Central L.A.
“Street Kings” is a solid police thriller, that sadly had to suffer the obligatory plot twist. But overall, it’s a good film that never loses your attention.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Director: Andy Serkis
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction/ Adventure
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, Naomie Harris, Michelle Williams, Stephen Graham, Reid Scott, Peggy Lu

Description: Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) attempts to reignite his career by interviewing serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), who becomes the host of the symbiote Carnage and escapes prison after a failed execution.

Review: Tom Hardy once again takes on the role of Eddie Brock and his alien parasite Venom, but in “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” we see a side of the bloodthirsty alien that we would rather not have seen.
In this sequel to “Venom”, Eddie Brock has accepted that he must share his body with Venom, but this leads to much bickering between the two. When deranged killer Cletus Kasady takes in his own symbiote and transforms into Carnage (a red larger version of Venom), Eddie and Venom must put their problems aside for a while.
Tom Hardy, as always, is a joy to watch. He feels more at home in this sequel as Eddie Brock. Without him the movie would have been a lot less engaging. This is partly due to his buddy Venom. And the sequel is a lot funnier. Venom has become a prankster and some jokes are good. But some are not. At those moments you don’t think you’re watching “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”.
Fortunately, when Venom and Carnage come face to face, the film is really good and the two rivals go head to head in some spectacular action sequences. Carnage is an impressive villain. Woody Harrelson, who plays Cletus Kasady, is too. At first. At the start of the movie, he is really good. But when he becomes the host of the symbiote Carnage, Cletus becomes more cartoonish and silly.
“Venom: Let There Be Carnage” does make an attempt to give Cletus some depth, pairing with Shriek and giving the two their own storyline. But not enough to make Cletus an unforgettable character.
The film feels a bit messy at times and is not one of the better Marvel films. It does make for an entertainment popcorn movie and it still is worth your time. Because the strong action sequences make up for a lot.

Rating: 3 / 5

10s Movie Review - Mowgli

Director: Andy Serkis
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomie Harris, Eddie Marsan, Andy Serkis, Peter Mullen, Tom Hollander, Matthew Rhys, Freida Pinto

Description: A human child raised by wolves must face off against a menacing tiger named Shere Khan, as well as his own origins

Review: After his parents were killed by tiger Shere Khan, Mowgli is taken in by a wolf pack lead by Akela. Not all animals in the jungle accept Mowgli and as he grows up, he has to work harder to proof himself. As Mowgli gets older, he starts to have doubts about who he is. When Shere Khan announces war between him and the other jungle citizens, Mowgli is forced to live with the people in the village.
In 2016 director Jon Favreau gave us his take on “The Jungle Book”, based on the Disney animation. It had charm, with, adventure and was suited for all ages. Andy Serkis has a different take on the story. It’s still the same basic story. But it’s all a lot darker, has no sing-a-longs and is filled with bloody hunts and has a grim atmosphere. However this is more like the original source material, the novel by Rudyard Kipling, it never convinces completely.
What made “The Jungle Book” so great were the visuals. And although “Mowgli” looks good too, the animals and the special effects aren’t always that great. The somewhat wooden computer animations really don’t work well. And what was the least interesting part of the animation from 1967? Were Mowgli meets the other people. And that’s a big part of this film.
The voice cast is amazing though. Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Benedict Cumberbatch were chosen perfectly for their roles. And that the film choses a different path then its predecessor is also a good choice. Too little, too late is definitely the case for “Mowgli”.

Rating: 3 / 5

10s Movie Review - Moonlight

Director: Barry Jenkins
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, Janelle Monáe, Jaden Piner, Edson Jean, Jharrel Jerome, André Holland, Shariff Earp, Patrick Decile, Herveline Moncion, Duan Sanderson, Alex R. Hibbert, Herman ‘Caheei McGloun, Kamal Ani-Bellow, Keomi Givens, Eddie Blanchard, Rudi Goblen

Description: A chronicle of the childhood, adolescence and burgeoning adulthood of a young, African-American, gay man growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.

Review: The 2017 edition of the Academy Awards was filled with diversity, thank goodness. With bigger productions like “Fences” and “Hidden Figures”, to smaller films like “Loving” and “Moonlight”. With eight nominations, “Moonlight” was the most popular choice and it won the best picture award. And although the film doesn’t avoid clichés, the way the story is told is anything but ordinary.
Chiron is an introvert boy, living in a bad neighborhood in Miami, tortured with a pretty tough life. His mother is a drug addict and he is the constant mark of bullies. Director Barry Jenkins introduced Chiron in three chapters in his life, that had a certain turning point: as a kid with the nickname ‘Little’, as teenager and as an adult. Every chapter defines his identity, formed by his surroundings, but also his own hopes and fears.
In the first chapter, Chiron meets drug dealer Juan, who eventually becomes a father figure for him. It’s a bit ironic that the man who’s selling drugs to his mother, becomes an important man in Chiron’s life. Chiron is constantly struggling between the hate for his mother and the love for his surrogate father.
In chapter two, Juan is out of the picture. He passed away, his mother is still addicted and in school teen Chiron is still an outsider only his friendship with Kevin keeps him going. Especially when the two admit their feeling for each other. Unfortunately they age is marked by aggression and early manhood and the duo is dramatically parted.
When Chiron is an adult, he is not the weak boy he used to be. He has become a man of the street, a drug dealer. Despite ,or maybe thanks to, his childhood he follow into Juan’s footsteps. As if he was meant to be there. His mother is sober and waiting for a way to restore her relationship with her son. And when he meets Kevin again, he sees that his life didn’t go the way he was hoping for.
The ingredients of Chiron’s life – drugs, violence, sexuality – don’t sound like anything new. But Barry Jenkins reuses these elements and creates and audiovisual experience that will stay in your mind. It’s the way Chiron’s story is told, the style Jenkins used with color and sound.
While the three chapters about the same character are one story, it almost feels like three separate stories all carried by great performers. Each actor gave his own turn to Chiron, which makes his character feel more realistic.
The actors portraying Chiron get great support from Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris, who respectively play Juan and Chiron’s mom. Two of the people with a big influence on Chiron’s life.
“Moonlight” is a well-deserved Academy Award winner (even though I preferred “La La Land” that year).

Rating: 4,5 / 5

00s Movie Review - 28 Days Later

Director: Danny Boyle
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 113 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns, Alex Palmer, Noah Huntley, Christopher Dunne, Emma Hitching, Alexander Delamere, Kim McGarrity

Description: Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.

Review: Jim wakes up, 28 days after an epidemic infection outbreak, in a hospital in London. When he leaves the hospital, he sees that the streets of London are abandoned, trash everywhere, cars and busses in the middle of the street. When he visits a church he is confronted with the aftermath. People with serious rage are coming after him. When he flees, Jim meets Mark and Selena. They tell Jim what really happened and the three join forces. When they visit Jim’s parents, who killed themselves, they decide to go out and find more survivors.
A lot of horror films don’t have the best script or story, but the movie is scary anyway. “28 Days Later’ doesn’t have an ingenious plot either, but it’s very well shot. The power is especially in the silences. Normally music and sound effects build up tension, but here it’s absolute silence. You have to focus on the dialogue, which makes you more involved with the characters. And the strong cast also helps making this movie as believable and convincing as it is. Unlike a lot of horror movies, this movie has characters with depth and you actually care about them. And the performance are also great.
This is a must for every horror fan, it’s definitely one of my favorite horror movies.

Rating: 5 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 152: Spectre

Director: Sam Mendes

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Thriller

Runtime: 148 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Daniel Craig, Monica Bellucci, Dave Bautista, Léa Seydoux, Christoph Waltz, Ben Wishaw, Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear, Andrew Scott

Description: A cryptic message from Bond's (Daniel Craig) past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M (Ralph Fiennes) battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

Review: James Bond goes on a mission to Mexico, without the permission of the MI6, to end the mysterious Sciarra. There he learns about a secret organization SPECTRE, who wants to rule the world. Together with the beautiful Madeline Swann he tries to stop SPECTRE. The many obstacles lead him to the sinister leader of SPECTRE who is somehow connected to Bond’s past.

The previous Bond film, “Skyfall”, broke records worldwide. There was never a Bond movie that brought in so much money and even got two Academy Awards. The expectations for “Spectre”, which is directed by the same guy Sam Mendes, were immense high. That’s why I think this movie got so many mixed reviews. Please, never go in with such high expectations. I didn’t and I really liked “Spectre”.

“Spectre” starts with an amazing opening scene in Mexico, on the national day of the dead. Many typical Bond elements are in this first scene: an exotic location, a beautiful woman and a very confident James Bond in his slick suit. After his mission, Bond is suspended by M. But James Bond wouldn’t be James Bond if he didn’t start his own mission. With the help of Q and Moneypenny he starts his search for SPECTRE. We get spectacular action scenes, funny one liners, car chases, great camera work. “Spectre” is fairly long, but I never felt that. That’s always a good sign

Daniel Craig has always been a good Bond and he doesn’t disappoint in “Spectre”. He is so darn charming! And even physically he manages to be convincing as an action hero. But he isn’t as rough as he was in “Casino Royale”.

There was a lot of controversy about Bond girl Monica Belluci, who is with her 50 years the oldest Bond girl ever. Who cares, there is a lot of chemistry between her and Craig and she is still sexy enough to pull it off. But main Bond girl is Léa Seydoux as the smart Madeline Swann. Seydoux is good in her role and also has chemistry with Craig, but she is more the ‘damsel in distress’. Madeline could have been more than that.

Christoph Waltz plays the villain, something everyone was excited for. Waltz does more of the same, but not as intense and more timid. The big twist that his character got, wasn’t that surprising for me. This thanks to all the speculation and rumors, which can obviously ruin a movie experience.

“Spectre” is a good Bond movie. Daniel Craig in, wat probably is, his last Bond film. His series of Bond movies is very successful and I really enjoyed “Spectre”. I really don’t see the problem a lot of people had with it.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 145: Southpaw

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 124 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, Forest Whitaker, Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson, Naomie Harris

Description: Boxer Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal) turns to trainer Tick Wills (Forest Whitaker) to help him get his life back on track after losing his wife (Rachel McAdams) in a tragic accident and his daughter to child protection services.

Review: When the first promotional images for “Southpaw” were released, there was lots of respect for Jake Gyllenhaal. Before this he was a skinny dude in “Nightcrawler” and he turned into a very muscled man for “Southpaw” in a short period of time.

The life of Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal) is about two things: boxing and his family. After successfully defending his world title, Billy is so hurt that his wife Maureen (Rachel McAams) convinces him to quit and spend more time with his family. His plans are disturbed by an emotional incident and Billy loses everything he cares about. He seeks the help of boxing coach Tick Wills (Forest Whitaker).

Besides the impressive physicals change he went through, Jake Gyllengaal is again very convincing in his role. He keeps delivering great performances, now it’s just waiting for that first Academy Award. The supporting roles are also strong. Rachel McAdams and Forest Whitaker are fantastic as well. Even Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson is solid.

The story is not very original. It has lots of clichés and the downwards spiral Billy is going through is a bit too long. It might lead to apathy from the viewers. Acting makes up for that, because you really hope that Billy eventually gets out of it. Where the movie manages to distinguish itself from other boxing movies is the great camera work during the realistic fights. Sometimes we see it from the point of view of the boxer.

Not the most original film, but “Southpaw” is good and has great performance.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 3: Skyfall

Director: Sam Mendes

Genre: Action/ Crime/ Thriller

Runtime: 142 minutes

Year: 2012

Starring: Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Bérénice Marlohe, Helen McCroy, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Judi Dench, Ben Wishaw, Albert Finney, Ola Rapace

Description: Bond's (Daniel Craig) loyalty to M (Judi Dench) is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. Whilst MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Review: Fifty years before “Skyfall”, the first James Bond movie came out: “Dr. No”. That this franchise would become the longest running movie series ever, no one expected that in the sixties. With “Skyfall” we have 23 movies and six different men who played James Bond. And the end is very far away.

“Skyfall” is a treat. The previous two movies, “Casino Royale” and “Quantum of Solace” had connections, but “Skyfall” is a completely new story. The movie opens with a spectacular chase, that ends in James Bond getting shot. The MI6 organization thinks he is dead. When he returns after six months, MI6 is under attack of cyberterrorists and M’s position is in danger as well.

After the opening scene, you know “Skyfall” will not disappoint. The action is spectacular and it’s all filmed beautifully. However, “Skyfall” isn’t just an action movie. The focus is on the relationship between Bond and M. Especially the middle part, in Shanghai and Macau, does the spy thriller justice. But how gorgeous those scenes look, they make you wait for action a tad to long.

  Where Daniel Craig proofs again that he’s a great James Bond, it’s Javier Bardem that steals the show as villain Silva. The eccentric character is a pleasant addition to the film, in combination with the somewhat cold Bond. And also Judi Dench does a great job, as usual.

If “Skyfall” is the best Bond movie, I don’t know. But it is definitely recommended for both Bond fans and the ordinary movie fan. And even if the runtime of the film is a bit too long, it’s an entertaining movie. “Skyfall” makes you forget about the mediocre “Quantum of Solace” and shows you James Bond is not going to retire any time soon.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 49: Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Director: Justin Chadwick
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 146 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Idris Elba, Naomie Harris

Description: A chronicle of Nelson Mandela's (Idris Elba) life journey from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.

Review: The British Justin Chadwick got the honors to direct the story of Nelson Mandela’s life. Mandela’s life was extraordinary: from a boy in a village he grew out to be a lawyer, was called a terrorist, a convicted criminal and eventually became president. The perfect story for a Hollywood film. Maybe “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” was a little bit too ambitious.
Autobiographies lend themselves for documentaries, it’s much harder to make it into a feature film. “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” often feels a bit messy, but it’s saved by the actors. Idris Elba is fantastic, with a convincing South African accent and a believable transformation from a short-tempered man to guru. And Noamie Harris touches you with a heart ripping performance as wife Winnie Mandela.
Because I idolized Mandela, it’s easier to see pass all the flaws. It’s an ode to the man who made such a difference in the world. Although it’s not the one people hoped for, it’s a warm ode to Nelson Mandela.

Rating: 3,5/ 5