100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 48: Last Tango in Paris

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 136 minutes
Year: 1972
Starring: Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Maria Michi, Giovanna Galletti, Gitt Magrini, Catherine Allégret, Luce Marqueand, Marie-Hélène Breillat, Catherine Breillat, Massimo Girotti

Description: A young Parisian woman (Maria Schneider) meets a middle-aged American businessman (Marlon Brando) who demands their clandestine relationship be based only on sex.

Review: Before I saw “Last Tango in Paris” I heard a lot of controversy about this film and read positive reviews, with an exception here and there. Well, I’m the exception too, because although I wanted to like this film, I truly didn’t. It looks good, but I can’t consider it a classic.
First, the plot. There is none. They get away with it because of the great performance by Marlon Brando. But the characters are not likeable and I couldn’t relate to any of them. And the dialogues sometimes felt silly to me.
Brando has done some great films and I love him as an actor. But “Last Tango in Paris” is just not one of those movies. And most of the time when I don’t like a film that is highly praised, I get why people love it. With this one I just don’t. It’s probably just me.

Rating: 2/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 47: Pixels

Director: Chris Columbus
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Science Fictions
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, Brian Cox, Sean Bean, Jane Krakowski, Dan Aykroyd, Ashley Benson

Description: When aliens misinterpret video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth in the form of the video games.

Review: The promising future that Will Cooper predicted for his video game champion friend Sam Brenner didn’t really come true. The roles are actually reversed when they grow up. Sam has to wear an emberrasing orange outfit and installs audio and video equipement, while Will is the president of the United States (played by Kevin James, are you following me?). Being the president isn’t completely going smoothly either and you wonder how he ever got to be president. Their friendship started when they were still playing arcadegames like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and Galaga. One day this love for video games comes in handy, when aliens attack earth with classic arcade games.
The first part of the film isn’t all that interesting. An introduction to the characters, that you never really care about. The fact that nerds are actually supercool isn’t that believable here, like for instance in “The Big Bang Theory”.
The second act of “Pixels” is a lot more entertaining. This is where all the videogames come to life and a group of videogame nerds fight them. The idea behind “Pixels” is as bizarre as it is interesting. That makes it extra sad that this film isn’t that great. “Pixels” is only fun the second half

Rating: 2/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (233)

Here are this week's trailers.

Tale of Tales
Director: Matteo Garrone
Description: The film serves as Garrone's English-language debut and will interweave three separate story strands bookended by brief bits in which Italians Alba Rohrwacher and Massimo Ceccherini will play a street circus family. In one tale Salma Hayek will play a jealous queen who forfeits her husband's life. In another, Vincent Cassel plays a king whose passion is stoked by two mysterious sisters.
Starring: Salma Hayek, Vincent Cassel, Toby Jones, John C. Reilly
Trailer: Trailer "Tale of Tales"
Comment: I love fairytales like this.

Swiss Army Man
Director: Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
Description: A hopeless man (Paul Dano) stranded in the wilderness befriends a dead body (Daniel Radcliffe) and together they go on a surreal journey to get home.
Starring: Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe
Trailer: Trailer "Swiss Army Man"
Comment: Oh my goodness!!! I want to see this!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Director: Gareth Edwards
Description: Rebels set out on a mission to steal the plans for the Death Star.
Starring: Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Diego Luna
Trailer: Trailer "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"
Comment: Exciting...

Manhattan Night
Director: Brian DeCubellis
Description: Porter Wren (Adrien Brody), a New York City tabloid writer with an appetite for scandal. On the beat he sells murder, tragedy and anything that passes for the truth. At home he is a model family man, devoted to his loving wife (Jennifer Beals). But when a seductive stranger (Yvonne Strahovski) asks him to dig into the unsolved murder of her filmmaker husband.
Starring: Adrien Brody, Yvonne Strahovski, Jennifer Beals
Trailer: Trailer "Manhattan Night"
Comment: Intriguing

The BFG
Director: Steven Spielberg
Description: A girl named Sophie encounters the Big Friendly Giant who, despite his intimidating appearance, turns out to be a kindhearted soul who is considered an outcast by the other giants because unlike his peers refuses to eat boys and girls.
Starring: Rebecca Hall, Mark Rylance, Bill Hader, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton
Trailer: Trailer "The BFG"
Comment: I really can't wait to see this film!!!

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 56: The Soloist

Director: Joe Wright
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 2009
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander, Stephen Root, Rachael Harris

Description: A Los Angeles journalist befriends a homeless Juilliard-trained musician, while looking for a new article for the paper.

Review: L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez finds a story, when he most needs one. The amount of people that read papers is decreasing and some journalist get fired because of this. After a crash with his bike and a short stay at the hospital, Steve meets a homeless man during his lunch break. This man, Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, appeared to have attended Julliard School of Music and is a very gifted musician. A friendship develops between te two men.
The power of friendship and the responsibility that comes wit hit is very clear in this film. The British director Joe Wright (“Pride & Prejudice” and “Atonement”) is shooting in Los Angeles and cinematographic this film is really beautiful. The film is based on a real story and Wright shot many scenes that were actually a part of Nathaniel’s real life.
The acting between Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx is great, but also separately they perform strong. Intense.
“The Soloist” is an overlooked film, it’s much better then I expected it to be and I think more people should see it. I love “The Soloist”.

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 45: Symphony No. 42

Director: Réka Bucsi
Genre: Short film/ Animation/ Mystery
Runtime: 10 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: -
Description: The film applies an unconventional narrative. It presents a subjective world through 47 scenes. The small events, interlaced by associations, express the irrational coherence of our surroundings. The surreal situations are based on the interactions of humans and nature.

Review: “Symphony N0. 42” is a beautiful piece of art. I watched it twice, so I could take it in more. The film has 47 short animated scenes, completely in a style that I love. The images are crisp and gorgeous and it’s wonderful to discover so many details in each scene.
There are a lot of characters that pass you by in “Symphony No. 42” and you can somehow see their emotions. There is a deeper meaning to every scene, but in order to unravel all that, you have to watch it again.

Rating: 4/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Characters from "The Middle"

The Heck family in “The Middle” is such a fun family, that is probably more realistic then we would like to admit. I ranked the family members.

5. Sue Heck
Sue is the dorky and socially awkward middle child of Frankie and Mike. She is overemotional and is always positive. Sue’s optimism and determination are admirable and although she never gets notice for all the hard work she does, she keeps trying.

4. Axl Heck
Axl is the oldest son of the Heck family. He is mischievous and rebellious and he hates school. He is very lazy and compensates this with his looks, popularity and athletics.

3. Mike Heck
Mike is the father of the family. He is tall, blunt and sometimes even a bit boring. Mike is the manager of a quarry and is known for his straight-forward, practical attitude. He never shows his emotions.

2. Frankie Heck
Frankie is the mother of the family. She is short and a stressed wife and mother. Frankie is very strict as a mother and always means well with her kids, who she is always struggling with.

1. Brick Heck
Brick is the youngest child of Frankie and Mike. He loves to read and has quirks or habits or whispering to himself. This happens when certain words catch this ear and he wants to hear them again. Brick is exceptionally smart and tends to isolate himself from classmates.

They Almost Made the Top 5: -

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 44: Pearl Jam Twenty

Director: Cameron Crowe
Genre: Documentary/ Music
Runtime: 109 minutes
Year: 2011
Starring: Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament, Matt Cameron, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Chris Cornell

Description: A documentary on the band Pearl Jam that marks their 20th anniversary in the year 2011.

Review: Director Cameron Crowe used to be a rock journalist, so he is perfect for a project like this. A documentary about the band Pearl Jam that marks their 20th anniversary in 2011.
Personally I’m a huge fan of Pearl Jam and I’ve seen them live. I think their the best live band I’ve ever seen. This documentary is interesting for me, I always like documentaries like this.
“Pearl Jam Twenty” is a lookback on the twenty years of the band. And it’s not a story without any critique. Lead singer Eddie Vedder and his fellow band members look back on the highlights, but also the low points. The success of album Ten, but also the clash they had with Nirvana. And also the death of Andy Wood. If he hadn’t died, Pearl Jam wouldn’t even exist.
All in all “Pearl Jam Twenty” is a great look at all the memorable moments of the band. Especially a great documentary for fans of the band. If you don’t feel anything for Pearl Jam, this documentary is probably not going to appeal to you.

Rating: 3,5/ 5