Netflix Friday - Volume 73

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: The Revenant (2015)
A frontiersman (Leonardo DiCaprio) on a fir trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.
 

Drama: Sully (2016)
The story of Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (Tom Hanks), an American pilot who became a hero after landing his damaged plane on the Hudson River in order to save the flight’s passengers and crew.
 

Comedy: The Truman Show (1998)
An insurance salesman (Jim Carrey) discovers his whole life is actually a reality TV show.
 

Animation: Whisper of the Heart (1995)
A love story between a girl who loves reading books, and a boy who has previously checked out all of the library books she chooses.
 

Romance: Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)
A complete graduating class, consisting of beautiful girls, geeks and promising footballers, assemble at a rich classmate’s residence for a party. Interesting developments follow at the get-together.
 

Horror: Crawl (2019)
A young woman (Kaya Scodelario), while attempting to save her father (Barry Pepper) during a category 5 hurricane, finds herself trapped in a flooding house and must fight for her life against alligators.
 

Science Fiction: Jurassic Park 3 (2001)
A decidedly odd couple (Téa Leoni, William H. Macy) with ulterior motives convince Dr. Grant (Sam Neill) to go to Isla Sorna for a holiday, but their unexpected landing startles the island’s new inhabitants.
 

Crime: Man on Fire (2004)
In Mexico City, a former CIA operative (Denzel Washington) swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.
 

Thriller: Gone Girl (2014)
With his wife’s (Rosamund Pike) disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man (Ben Affleck) sees the spotlight turned on him when it’s suspected that he may not be innocent.
 

Documentary: Schumacher (2021)
Through exclusive interviews and archival footage, this documentary traces an intimate portrait of seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher.

Family: Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
The gang is back, but the game has changed. As they return to rescue one of their own, the players will have to brave parts unknown from arid deserts to snowy mountains, to escape the world’s most dangerous game.

90s Movie Review - The Truman Show

Director: Peter Weir
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 1998
Starring: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Ed Harris, Holland Taylor, Paul Giamatti, Philip Baker Hall

Description: Insurance salesman Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) discovers his whole life is actually a reality TV show.

Review: Jim Carrey has always been a comedic actor, especially in the early 90s. with movies like “Ave Venture: Pet Detective”, “The Mask” and “Dumb & Dumber” he dominated 90s comedies. Even in “Batman Forever” he was the comedic relief. And then there was “The Truman Show”, a tragicomedy director by Peter Weir, where Carrey wasn’t supposed to be the funny guy. At the time, people were really wondering if he could be comfortable in a role like that. Well he did and it’s one of Carrey’s best performances to date.
In the story, written by Andrew Niccol, there is enough room for humor, but the focus is on Truman’s search for a world outside his hometown Seahaven. But his fear of the open water keeps him on the island all his life, when his biggest dream is to leave it and travel to Fiji.
What Truman doesn’t know is that his life has been followed by cameras since he was born and millions of people around the world watch him every day. The unsuspecting insurance agent is living in a reality TV show created by Christof. He lives on the largest TV set ever created and everyone in the town is an actor. The only thing that is real is Truman.
Jim Carrey plays the role of the ignorant and somewhat melancholic Truman excellently and as a viewer you easily sympathize with him. You just hope he finds out the truth and that he can leave the ‘prison’ he has been living in all his life. His search for a life outside Seahaven and the discovery of him being in a TV show is just as gripping as comedic, while the sneaky Christof does everything to keep his star captured. Ed Harris, who plays Christof, is only seen in a few scenes, but he does a lot in the little screen time he has.
Peter Weir succeeded in creating a film that both grabs you and humors you. It’s a tragic comedy and Jim Carrey fits this genre perfectly. Refreshing to see him do this.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Battle: The Truman Show Vs. Edtv

Two movies where the lead characters are being watched by… well everyone, 24/7. When the movies were released, reality television just started and became extremely popular. Today, they make shows about everything. To battle it out, here is “The Truman Show” Vs. “Edtv”.

 

CAST

The Truman Show: Mostly known for his comedic roles, rubber face Jim Carrey takes the lead. And very well indeed. I think this is Carrey’s best performance so far. Laura Linney, Ed Harris and Natascha McElhone also take part.

Edtv: The relatively unknown Matthew McConaughey plays Ed and is accompanied by Woody Harrelson, Jenna Elfman, Ellen Degeneres and Elizabeth Hurley. The cast looks less impressive, but do a solid job.

STORY

The Truman Show: Truman is unaware that his life has been followed ever since his birth. His whole life has been planned out, but he starts to be suspicious. Trying to follow his own path, the TV people try to stop him. It’s a drama, mixed with subtle comedy.

Edtv: Unlike Truman, Ed volunteers to be followed. He is supposed to make the rates go up, but at first his life doesn’t look all that interesting. That soon changes and Ed is loved by many. It’s more of a comedy.

EFFECTS

The Truman Show: Truman lives in a picture perfect town, with picture perfect citizens. It all looks stunning.

Edtv: Nothing special here.

WINNER

It’s kind of a no brainer, “The Truman Show” is without a doubt the better movie of the two.

Top 5 Thursday: Jim Carrey Movies

One of the funniest actors in the business. He has made some great movies, memorables ones. With Kick-Ass 2 coming up I thought it would be great to sum up his five best movies in my opinion.

5. Dumb and Dumber
Rewatched it just recently and I remember actually seeing this one in theatres. What a bunch of idiots, but it's such a good time watching. Every time.

4. The Cable Guy
An obsession gone bad. Jim Carrey is just freaky in this movie. I love that scene where he and Matthew Broderick are at that medieval dinnershow. Just when you thought he couldn’t get any weirder.

3. Liar, Liar
A movie I can watch over and over again and never get tired of and still laugh. I think it’s impossible to work opposite Jim, because he can’t take anything seriously. The bloopers at the end are worth watching as well.

2. The Truman Show
A more serious movie, but the concept and idea behind it is just genius. I love this movie. That part where it’s raining, just on him, is unforgettable.

1. Ace Venture: Pet Detective
This is without a doubt the most hilarious movie he made. The walk, the talk, the hair, Ace Ventura is one goofy character. Remember the scene in the nuthouse, where he’s wearing the tutu?

They Almost Made the Top 5: The Mask, Lemony Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Bruce Almigty, Yes Man, Man on the Moon