100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 6: Love & Friendship

Director: Whit Stillman
Genre: Drama/ Comedy/ Romance
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Chloë Sevigny, Stephen Fry, Xavier Samuel, Tom Bennett, Jenn Murray, Lochlann O’Mearáin, Sophie Radermacher, Morfydd Clark, Frank Predergast, Emma Greenwell, Justin Edwards, Kelly Campbell, Conor Lambert, Conor MacNeill, Frank Melia, Jemma Redgrave

Description: Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale) takes up temporary residence at her in-laws' estate and, while there, is determined to be a matchmaker for her daughter Frederica -- and herself too, naturally.

Review: Jane Austen is still an inspiration for filmmakers. Especially “Pride & Prejudice” and “Sense & Sensibility” have been adapted several times. “Love & Friendship” is fresh and adapted from the novella “Lady Susan” by Jane Austen. Jane Austen fits director Whit Stillman perfectly. Both have a subtle sense of irony and humor, that sometimes has a double meaning. This results into a hilarious costume drama.
The novella the film is based on, is relatively unknown. The title characters is sharp, even more so then the heroines we know so well from Austen’s books. Lady Susan Vernon is a young widow who is seeking new, rich husbands for her daughter and herself. As a practiced flirt, she manages to drive men around her crazy, when she says it’s not her intention. Kate Beckinsale plays this role sublime, probably her best role so far.
It’s great how Stillman manages to capture Austen’s style, but gives it his own touch with still feeling like an Austen story. The greatest part of the film is the funny enhancement of Sir James Martin’s stupidity. Every scene with this character is just a joy to watch.
“Love & Friendship” is a very good costume drama, with lots of British humor, irony and sarcasm. Love it.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 5: Anastasia

Director: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman
Genre: Animation/ Drama/ Musical/ Adventure
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year: 1997
Starring: Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Angela Lansbury, Christopher Lloyd, Hank Azaria, Kirsten Dunst

Description: The last surviving child of the Russian Royal Family joins two con men to reunite with her grandmother, the Dowager Empress, while the undead Rasputin seeks her death.

Review: The Romanov family flees during their royal celebration, when they are being cursed by counsel man Grigori Rasputin. Short before he predicts that the entire Romanov family will die within two week, the Russian revolution starts. The 8 year old Anastasia and her grandmother manage to escape, but get separated. Years later, Anastasia leaves an orphanage, with no memory of the past, trying to find out where to go.
The film is inspired by the real life story of the Romanov family and their missing daughter Anastasia. The animation is beautiful and the songs have depth. I really liked Anastasia as a character, but also Dimitri. The villain is a bit flat, we don’t really get to know much about him. Which makes him less scary than intended.
The story also has depth and the ending is not typically Disney. “Anastasia” is a overlooked and underrated Disney animation. One Disney princess they always forget about.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 4: Careful What You Wish For

Director: Elisabeth Allen Rosenbaum
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 91 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Nick Jonas, Isabel Lucas, Paul Sorvino, Dermot Mulroney

Description: Doug (Nick Jonas) gets more than he bargained for after entering into an affair with the wife (Isabel Lucas) of an investment banker (Dermot Mulroney). Soon, a suspicious death and substantial life insurance policy embroil him in a scandal.

Review: Doug and his family go to their lake house for the summer. Doug works at a bar there, to earn some extra money. When they get new neighbors, Doug also starts working for the man of the house, preparing his sailboat. The wife, Lena, also catches Doug’s eye. They start an affair, but that’s not the best idea.
This is a disposable, predictable and cheesy thriller. The film is far from original and the plot is pretty standard. Somethings I could see coming from a mile away. The supposed big plot twist at the end isn’t that spectacular and super dumb. And those last lines, really….
Please ignore this film, it’s bad

Rating: 1,5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (274)

Here are this week's trailers.

The Lovers
Director: Azazel Jacobs
Description: Mary and Michael (Debra Winger, Tracy Letts) are a long-married, dispassionate couple who are both in the midst of serious affairs. But on the brink of calling it quits, a spark between them suddenly reignites, leading them into an impulsive romance.
Starring: Debra Winger, Tracy Letts, Aidan Gillen, Melora Walters, Tyler Ross, Jessica Sula
Trailer: Trailer "The Lovers"
Comment: This will be an overlooked movie, but probably worth watching.

Lovesong
Director: So Yung Kim
Description: Riley Keogh, Jena Malone, Brooklyn Decker
Starring: The relationship between two friends deepens during an impromptu road trip.
Trailer: Trailer "Lovesong"
Comment: Looks heartfelt.

Una
Director: Benedict Andrews
Description: When a young woman (Rooney Mara) unexpectedly arrives at an older man's (Ben Mendelsohn) workplace, looking for answers, the secrets of the past threaten to unravel his new life. Their confrontation will uncover buried memories and unspeakable desires. It will shake them both to the core.
Starring: Rooney Mara, Ben Mendelsohn, Riz Ahmed
Trailer: Trailer "Una"
Comment: The trailer is mysterious, it has my attention.

Walk of Fame
Director: Jesse Thomas
Description: A motley crew of aspiring performers come under the guidance of an eccentric and volatile acting coach.
Starring: Scott Eastwood, Chris Katan, Malcolm McDowell, Jamie Kennedy
Trailer: Trailer "Walk of Fame"
Comment: You're warned when jamie Kennedy is involved. And this trailer is all over the places. What's the base of this film?

The Autopsy of Jane Doe
Director: André Øvredal
Description: A father and son (Brian Cox, Emile Hirsch), both coroners, are pulled into a complex mystery while attempting to identify the body of a young woman, who was apparently harboring dark secrets.
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Brian Cox
Trailer: Trailer "The Autopsy of Jane Doe"
Comment: Cool, "Supernatural" meets "CSI". 

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 3: The French Connection

Director: William Friedkin
Genre: Crime/ Thriller/ Action
Runtime: 104 minutes
Year: 1971
Starring: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Rey, Tony Lo Bianco, Marcel Bozzuffi, Frederic de Pasquale, Bill Hickman, Ann Rebbot, Harold gary, Arlene Farber, Eddie Egan, Andre Ernotte, Sonny Grosso, Benny Marino, Patrick McDermott

Description: A pair of NYC cops in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a drug smuggling job with a French connection.

Review: Popeye Doyle is a workaholic with a past. He traces a big drug transaction. Together with his partner Buddy Rosso he works day and night to catch the dealers. The find a Frenchman, who appears to be the big man behind this drug cartel. But “Frog One” (his nickname) knows the cops are after him. A dangerous cat and mouse game unravels.
The most legendary scene, and with that the best scene of the film, is a car chase. Where Doyle follows a train, because one of the men he wants to catch is on it.
The dialogues are mostly improvised and Gene Hackman is really strong in his role as Doyle. Director William Friedkin did a great job with “The French Connection”.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 2: Double Indemnity

Director: Billy Wilder
Genre: Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 1944
Starring: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Porter Hall, Jean Heather, Tom Powers, Byran barr, Richard Gaines, Fortunio Bonanova, John Philiber

Description: An insurance representative (Fred MacMurray) lets himself be talked into a murder/insurance fraud scheme that arouses an insurance investigator's suspicions (Edward G. Robinson).

Review: Insurance agent Walter Neff is being confronted by an inrresistable woman, while doing a routine job for the woman’s husband. The woman, Phyllis Dietrichson, manages to win him over immediately. She asks Walter is he also sells life insurance and we know we’re dealing with a femme fatale. Walter is impressed by Phyllis and lets her comepletely take a hold of him, before he finds out what’s really going on. They fall in love in plan to kill Phyllis’ husband, but and old co-worker of Walter doesn’t trust the situation.
The film is based on the book “Three of a Kind”, by author James M. Cain. The film has sharp and cynical dialogues. And the way the story is told works great. The film starts at the end, where Walter is using a dictaphone to tell his story. Through the voice-over we see everything and this works well. It’s the ultimate film-noir. The story is good and you can really feel the atmosphere. How they play with darkness and light, the shadows, smoke rooms, it looks unique.
The acting is strong. Both Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck are very solid in their performances.
“Double Indemnity” is a must-see for every film lover.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 1: Crash

Director: David Cronenberg
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 1996
Starring: James Spader, Deborah Kara Unger, Holly Hunter, Elias Koteas, Patricia Arquette

Description: After getting into a serious car accident, a TV director (James Spader) discovers an underground sub-culture of scarred, omnisexual car-crash victims who use car accidents and the raw sexual energy they produce to try to rejuvenate his sex life with his wife.

Review: The film is set in Los Angeles. James and Catherine are a married couple drwn into an underworld where people try to get sexual satisfaction through automobile crashes. James discovers this when he is in a car accident himself. Weirded out yet? Well, I was. It’s a weird film, violent and explicit. Definitely not for everyone.
It is a fascinating premise and it starts off quite promising. However, James Spader’s character never really shows a spark of life. Not do any of the other characters. In the end we don’t really care about any of these characters. It becomes a game of guessing who will sleep with who next.
The film is risky and I can see what director David Cronenberg wanted to do, but this film didn’t really get me. Probably because I was weirded out most of the time. Cronenberg is known for his violence and provocative style of storytelling. And I usually like his films. “Crash” sadly isn’t one of them.

Rating: 2/ 5