00s Movie Review - Tropic Thunder

Director: Ben Stiller
Genre: Action/ Comedy
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Bacl, Jay Baruchel, Nick Nolte, Danny McBride, Steve Coogan, Tom Cruise, Matthew mcConaughey, Bill Hader

Description: Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying.

Review: We all know the prototype war movie: the brave leader, the cursing black guy with a big heart, the scary newbie and the villainous opponent. We also know the prototype actors: the tough action hero on detour, the lame comedian who only knows to tell one joke in many different ways, the serious Oscar winner and the rapper that wants to explore his acting career. “Tropic Thunder” mocks both of those groups, but also Hollywood, agents, producers and entertainment shows.

The film, that starts after a few fake trailers, is about the filming of war movie Tropic Thunder. It’s the fictive memoire of Vietnam veteran ‘Four Leaf’ Tayback. Director Daniel Cockburn can’t control the actors in his crew. He’s dealing with action hero Tuff Speedman, whose try on more serious acting failed. But also the Australian method actor Kirk Lazarus and the addicted-to-many-things comedian Jeff Portnoy. To control them, they are send to the real jungle, where they unfortunately also have to deal with real drug dealers.

The most interesting and elaborate storyline is the one of Lazarus. An actor who always stays in character and even had a procedure to make his skin darker so he can play the role in Tropic Thunder. It sounds harsh and an easy way to provoke, but it’s deeper than that. The other characters aren’t thought through as much. Jack Black does nothing new, hysterical and over the top. But that doesn’t make it less funny. And Ben Stiller’s character is mocking Tom Cruise, a bit too much sometimes. Tom Cruise himself also shows up, as the fat, bald and cursing producer. Funny? From time to time.

The movie is overall very funny and Robert Downey Jr. is just fantastic in his part. And the many supporting actors, Jay Baruchel, Steve Coogan, Danny McBride, Matthew McConaughey and Nick Nolte, are all good. “Tropic Thunder” is always praised and I like it too. But not as much as most people.

Rating: 3,5/ 5 

Movie Review - Crime 101

Director: Bart Layton
Genre: Crime/ Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 140 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Halle Berry, Barry Keoghan, Nick Nolte, Tate Donovan, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Monica Barbaro
 
Description: An elusive thief (Chris Hemsworth), eyeing his final score, encounters a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) at her own crossroads. As their paths intertwine, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) trails them hoping to thwart the multi-million dollar heist they are planning.
 
Review: “Crime 101” is a breath of fresh air for fans of the classic noir genre. Based on the novella by Don Winslow, the film offers an intelligent and atmospheric cat-and-mouse game reminiscent of classics like Michael Mann’s “Heat”, yet retains its own distinct identity.

Chris Hemsworth plays a thief. Moving away from his typical high-action superhero persona, Hemsworth portrays a character defined by meticulousness and social complexity. He is a very disciplined jewel thief, who swears by a strict code of honor. Opposite him is detective Lou Lubesnick, played by Mark Ruffalo, whose obsession with the case is palpable. Halle Berry, as Sharon, somehow comes on the path of both. Barry Keoghan, as the unpredictable and violent rival, brings a much-needed dose of danger and tension to the story. The chemistry between the cast is one of the film’s greatest assets.

Director Bart Layon transforms Los Angeles into a characters in its own right. The cinematography captures the city as a place of dark magic and sprawling highways, which amplifies the sultry atmosphere.

The film excels in atmosphere, rather than over-the-top CGI spectacle. It focuses on the characters, their development, over unrealistic action. It’s not even an action movie, the main character doesn’t use any violence. It’s a crime drama, with thriller elements.

“Crime 101” is tightly directed, beautifully acted and with a focus on character development over cheap action. Despite the pacing be rather slow (which I actually liked), the film might be one of the most satisfying films of the year.

Rating: 4/ 5

90s Movie Review - Cape Fear

Director: Martin Scorsese
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 128 minutes
Year: 1991
Starring: Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis, Robert Mitchum, Gregory Peck

Description: A convicted rapist (Robert De Niro), released from prison after serving a fourteen-year sentence, stalks the family of the lawyer (Nick Nolte) who originally defended him.  
 
Review: This remake of the 1962 film of the same name was directed by none other than Martin Scorsese, who demonstrated for the first time that he could create an atmospheric thriller.

Max Cady is a convicted rapist, who is released after fourteen years. He starts stalking Sam Bowden and his family, because Bowden was his lawyer.

What makes this film so compelling is Robert De Niro’s extremely unsettling portrayal of Max Cady. He rightly deserved and Oscar nomination for his role as this psychopathic stalker, and this role is still considered one of his best to this day.

Scorsese himself was a big fan of the original and wanted to give it his own twist so that it wouldn’t resemble the original too closely. The result was certainly successful, as it contains many typical Scorsese aspects and he definitely gave it his own twist. The acting is great, the atmosphere is dark and grim, the story is well constructed and the final scene on the boat is really good.

Rating: 4/ 5

00s Movie Review - The Spiderwick Chronicles

Director: Mark Waters
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy/ Family/ Drama/ Action
Runtime: 96 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, David Strathairn, Nick Nolte, Seth Rogen, Martin Short, Sarah Bolger, Andrew McCarthy, Ron Perlman

Description: Upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother (Mary-Louise Parker), twin brothers Jared and Simon (Freddie Highmore), along with their sister Mallory (Sarah Bolger), find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures.

Review: There are countless magical beings living in our world, of which we know nothing because we cannot see them. We humans only see them, if they want us to. Arthur Spiderwick discovered that and started writing a book about all the secrets these creatures. He indexes his findings in a scientific way, until he found out that with all this knowledge, evil forces could wipe out all other fantastic creatures and then be powerful enough to take on humans. He hid the book in his house and put a protective magic circle around it so that the evil creatures could not reach it.

Of course, such a secret does not stay hidden forever. Eighty years later, distant reltives of Arthur Spiderwick movie into his old house. Helen and her three children Mallory, Jared and Simon have decided to move there after the divorce. Jared is the one that finds the book and he releases the evil creatures.

The story of “The Spiderwick Chronicles” might not be the most original family fantasy films, but it sure as hell is one hell of a great time. The idea of children suddenly discovering a fantastical world full of magic has been done so many times, but you can do it in so many ways. “The Spiderwick Chronicles” has enough concept of its own to stand out.

The excellent acting of young Freddie Highmore in a dual role contributes to that. The two kids he plays are clearly two different boys with their own body language and personalities. Great voice performances also by Seth Rogen, Martin Short and Nick Nolte.

“The Spiderwick Chronicles” is not an earth-shattering or innovative film, but it is an entertaining family film with suspense, humor and fun design (some parts might be a little too scary for the littlest viewers).The film has a nice pace and fortunately follows its own internal logic.  

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Warrior

Director: Gavin O’Connor
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 140 minutes
Year: 2011
Starring: Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Morrison, Denzel Whitaker, Frank Grillo, Kurt Angle, Noah Emmerich

Description: The youngest son (Tom Hardy) of an alcoholic former boxer (Nick Nolte) returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament - a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother (Joel Edgerton).

Review: MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is a brutal sport for some. For others it’s the most exciting sport on the planet. If you think “Warrior” is a 140 minute long film about knock outs and bloody fighters, you’re wrong. This film goes much deeper.

Tommy, an ex-marine who fought in Iraq, returns to his home town Philadelphia after being absent for 14 years. There he is reunited with his father Paddy, a former alcoholic and the reason that Tommy fled with his mother. Tommy wants to restore his band with Paddy, by working together. Tommy wants to attend an MMA tournament where he can win 5 million dollars. Tommy’s older brother Brendan has the same idea.

I’m not going to compare it with “Rocky” or “Raging Bull”. That’s not fair,  unnecessary and “Warrior” is great on its own. The three leading men, Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton and Nick Nolte are all fantastic. Hardy manages to bring a certain intensity to the screen, but there is also some melancholy and aggression. The mixed emotions and him fighting with them is amazing to see. Nick Nolte adds up to that, by playing maybe his best role ever. Edgerton shows the same passion, but with more modesty.
The character development is so strong and there is a real good build up to that final fight. When we come to that final fight, you get chills all over your body. An amazing soundtrack, with a song from “The National” in the final scene, only helps the intensity of that scene.

Although “Warrior” maybe not the most original story, it’s the total package that counts. And that’s way above average. I love “Warrior” and its great performances.

Rating: 5/ 5

TV Show Review - The Mandalorian (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Science Fiction/ Adventure/ Action
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2019
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Carl Weathers, Gina Carano, Werner Herzog, Nick Nolte, Taika Waititi, Giancarlo Esposito

Description: The travels of a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic.

Review: A ruthless bounty hunter who shoots, beats and punches himself through a treacherous universe. In "The Mandalorian", the Star Wars universe is introduced to the action, excitement and humor of a spaghetti western. The first episode of “The Mandalorian” alone raises the bar for the rest of the series and all the new Disney+ projects.
"The Mandalorian" takes place a few years after "Return Of The Jedi". After the second Death Star was blown up, and Darth Vader threw the emperor into a well (spoiler alert!), the Galactic Empire fell apart. Because of the victory of the rebels, people have regained their freedom, but have lost all their stability. Order is barely maintained and there is a deep economic crisis because the imperial currency has become worthless in one fell swoop. The new republic is still organizing itself and former members of the empire are working behind the scenes frantically to regain power. Golden times in short for criminals, smugglers and bounty hunters who don't ask too many questions.
"The Mandalorian" follows one of these shadowy figures and takes you into the messy underworld of the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) is a silent bounty hunter who ruthlessly takes on defaulters and cheaters. The Mandalorian's career takes an unexpected turn when a wealthy client sends him to a remote desert planet on a vague, super-lucrative mission: delivering him The Child, whose importance isn’t known yet.
Lawlessness, the chance of a huge fortune, shootings, open plains and a collection of factotums that try to trump each other... Deep inside, "The Mandalorian" is actually an old-fashioned spaghetti western, with the Mandalorian as the legendary 'Man Without a Name'. The period between "Return Of The Jedi" and "The Force Awakens" is very noisy, and because everyone is busy with his own ass, the threat of shoot-outs and betrayal is constantly present. The action is also a bit rawer than we are used to from Star Wars, a few bandits are killed in a very inventive way, but fortunately it never gets really graphic.
Pedro Pascal gives the Mandalorian a self-assured, alert 'swagger' without becoming theatrical. Very well-done and very important, since the main character remains pertinently masked. How the makers got the idea to cast Werner Herzog in a Star Wars series; we don't know, but it's a masterly move. The bounty hunter's mysterious client knows a lot more than he's letting go, and despite his kindness, an uncanny threat emanates from him. An unrecognizable Nick Nolte plays an important supporting role as a strict alien who helps the Mandalorian on his way. Also worth mentioning are Gina Carano, as the badd-ass Cara Dune, who helps out the Mandalorian in his journey to protect the Child.
A characteristic of Star Wars is that the created worlds usually look as if they were actually being lived in. Showrunner Jon Favreau has paid extra attention to this, it seems. The universe is in crisis, so the world of The Mandalorian looks particularly worn out. Vehicles spit smoke, buildings are temporarily patched up and a few stray stormtroopers walk around in worn armour. In the first episode there are quite a few 'easter eggs' that make Star Wars fans smile, without getting annoying.
"The Mandalorian" of course has a smaller budget than the Star Wars films, but due to the clever use of camera angles and indoor locations, the series does not fall short in most scenes. Because it looks like a million dollars.
I also want to use this as an ode to the new fandom that was started: The Child, or as the fans call him, Baby Yoda. Without a doubt the best thing that TV brought us this year.
The new Star Wars series is a fresh new insight into the worlds of Star Wars, and "The Mandalorian" keeps all promises, because it’s what us Star Wars fan really deserved. With the series, Star Wars takes a welcome detour through the Wild West and I can hardly wait for the sequel!

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 72: New York Stories

Director: Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 1989
Starring: Nick Nolte, Rosanne Arquette, Steve Buscemi, Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Larry David, Mike Starr, Chris Elliot, Adrien Brody, Kirsten Dunst, Talia Shire

Description: A middle-aged artist (Nick Nolte) obsessed with his pretty young assistant (Rosanna Arquette), a precocious 12 year old living in a hotel, and a neurotic lawyer (Woody Allen) with a possessive mother make up three Gotham tales.

Review: I always like movies with multiple storylines, so I was excited to finally see this. Well, that was a disappointment.
The first story, “Life Lesson”, is about a middle-aged painted who has an obsession with his young assistant. It stars Nick Nolte and Rosanna Arquette. This story was very boring, nothing interesting really happened. And although I love the song Shade of Pale by Procol Harum, there is such an overuse of this song that I didn’t want to hear it anymore after this segment. This story was directed by Martin Scorsese.
The second story, “Life Without Zoë”, follows young girl Zoë. She is a schoolgirl who lives in a luxury hotel. She helps return to an Arab princess a valuable piece of jewelry that the princess had given to Zoë’s father. This story felt so childish and silly. I couldn’t believe that this was directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
The final story, “Oedipus Wreck”, is about lawyer Sheldon. He has trouble with his overly critical mother Sadie. During a magic show, Sadie disappears. At first furious, Sheldon eventually realizes that it better that way. This story was actually fun. I loved Woody Allen in it and he also directed it. It was funny and actually kept me watching. They saved the best for last.
Overall “New York Stories” was really disappointing. That last story saved the movie.

Rating: 2/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 108: Hateship Loveship

Director: Liza Johnson

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 104 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Guy Pearce, Hailee Steinfeld, Nick Nolte

Description: Sabitha (Hailee Steinfeld) is a wild teenage girl who orchestrates a romance between her nanny Johanna (Kristen Wiig) and her father Ken (Guy Pearce), who is a recovering addict.

Review: Kristen Wiig is known for her humor, but lately she has shown us her dramatic side. And not without success, because she is fantastic at playing this vulnerable, plain Jane. In “Hateship Loveship” she plays caretaker Johanna, who is appointed to help out the elderly Mr. McCauley with his granddaughter Sabitha. Together with her friend Edith, Sabitha starts a correspondence between Johanna and her estranged father Ken, so Johanna thinks he’s interested in her.

The story is simple and simple stories often make the best movies. The acting by Wiig is very timid and the movie is pretty silent and uneventful. You don’t need much to make a good movie, but “Hateship Loveship” does need a bit more. The start of the film is great, but in the second half it focuses more on Johanna and Ken, instead of Johanna and Sabitha. Eventually the story ups its tempo and a lot happens within a short period of time. Like they wanted to stuff all of it in a certain amount of time. The story wasn’t treated with the respect it deserved.

This all makes “Hateship Loveship” just an average flick, where it could have been so much more. We certainly can’t blame Kristen Wiig.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Movie Battle: Hotel Rwanda Vs. Shooting Dogs

The movies who will go head to head are both set in Rwanda and deal with the genocide. They’re both favorites of mine, but who will I choose as the winner.

CAST

Hotel Rwanda: Don Cheadle plays the leading character and he is the only memorable actor in this movie. His performance is so realistic and heartbreaking. Nick Nolte and Joaquin Phoenix are also part of the cast, they’re just solid.

Shooting Dogs: John Hurt plays the role of Christopher, a man of faith who’s life is dedicated to the school and church he has set up in Rwanda. Hugh Dancy is the likeable Joe, a teacher who tries to make a difference. Both actor are very realistic and strong.

STORY

Hotel Rwanda: Paul Rusesabagina is a hotel manager who housed a thousand tutsi refugees and it’s an amazing true story. It got a lot of attention at the Academy Awards.

Shooting Dogs: This movie has been based on actual events, the characters are fictional, but it's a bit more confronting then “Hotel Rwanda”. It’s really heart wrenching to see that the United Nations left all those people there and only the ‘white people’ could be evacuated. I think this movie was a bit overlooked.

EFFECTS

Hotel Rwanda: Nicely filmed, don’t really have any negative points here.

Shooting Dogs: It all looks very realistic. I’ve been to Uganda, the neighbour country and parts of it look similar to Rwanda. The color scheme that was used to film “Shooting Dogs” is perfect.

WINNER

A close call, but I will go with “Shooting Dogs”. Most people would choose the other one, but I think “Shooting Dogs” is just a little bit more confronting and touched me slightly more then “Hotel Rwanda”.

Movie Tip #1 - Hotel Rwanda

Director: Terry George

Starring: Don Cheadle, Nick Nolte, Joaquin Phoenix

Description: Tensions between the Hutu and Tutsi lead to a civil war, in a country where corruption and bribes are routine. Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), the manager of Sabena Hôtel des Mille Collines, is Hutu but his wife is Tutsi. Paul and his family observe neighbors being dragged from their homes and openly beaten in the streets. He decides to help de Tutsi people and offers them chelter in his hotel, but the Rwandan Army General is not happy about it.

Review: This movie made me think and I was deeply moved by it. Paul is a man who is willing to do the right thing, when everything around him is going wrong. He stands strong and Don Cheadle did a great job portraying this man. Go see this movie and let it inspire you, like it inspired me.