100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 126: Why Him?

Director: John Hamburg
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Bryan Cranston, James Franco, Zoey Deutch, Megan Mullally, Keegan-Michael Key, Cedric the Entertainer

Description: A holiday gathering threatens to go off the rails when Ned Fleming (Bryan Cranston) realizes that his daughter's (Zoey Deutch) Silicon Valley millionaire boyfriend (Jame Franco) is about to pop the question.

Review: Ned and Barb are being invited to spend the holidays with their daughter Stephanie. Once they arrive, they meet her new boyfriend Laird, who isn’t exactly the ideal son in law.
“Why Him?” is a pretty funny comedy, directed by John Hamburg. A father meeting his daughter’s new boyfriend isn’t a new concept, but the cast makes it better then you would expect. I think James Franco is very funny, but his personal assistant (played by Keegan-Michael Key) steals the show in his scenes.
“Why Him?” doesn’t work all the time. Bryan Cranston doesn’t really shine and some of the jokes are a bit distasteful. It’s a comedy that will entertain you while having a lazy day on the couch. Funny yet missing the mark sometimes.

Rating: 3/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Movies I Watched For My Challenge (November 2017)

I saw a lot of newer film and with that some really great ones too. Here are my favorites for my challenge for the month of November.

1. Lion
A heartfelt and touching story about a young boy getting lost from home. Years later it still haunts him and he starts a search for his biological family. Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman are rock solid in “Lion” and I think this is one of the best films of the year.

4. Mother!
I love Darren Aronofsky’s movie, even if he always makes me feel miserable. If I have to describe “Mother!”, I really can’t. You have to experience it yourself. What I do know, it’s that it’s pretty disturbing, fucked up actually. Not for everyone, but I really loved it.

3. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Skeptical at first, another Spider-Man movie. Did we really need that? It appears to be yes! Tom Holland is a breath of fresh air, the Peter Parker that we needed. I love his enthusiasm.

2. The Beguiled
Let’s hear it for the girls! Sofia Coppola directs and she got her signature all over this movie. She is back! And all the actresses are amazing. A very strong story, well performed by all the actors. Also Colin Farrell holds up great between all those fabulous women.

1. Thor: Ragnarok
The first two movies are not the best un the MCU, but still enjoyable. Director Taika Waititi turned it all around and gave us “Thor: Ragnarok”, one of the best movies in the MCU! More colorful, in every way of the word. What a great spectacle and so unexpectedly funny!

They Almost Made the Top 5: Little Evil, Toni Erdmann, Murder On the Orient Express, Lady MacBeth, The Founder

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 125: Mother!

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Genre: Drama/ Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 121 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer, Brian Gleeson, Domhnall Gleeson, Kristen Wiig

Description: A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.

Review: “Mother!” starts pretty conventional: a couple lives a calm and peaceful life in a beautiful house. Their life changes when they provide shelter for two stranger. The husband (the characters don’t have names) feels okay about it, it’s his idea. But the wife feels uncomfortable and thinks it’s strange to simply invite strangers into their house. She does everything to make their house a home, when she sees intruders destroy it. But he loves the adoration he gets from them.
Director Darren Aronofsky builds up to ultimate chaos, with two trumps: leading lady Jennifer Lawrence and the house it’s set in. Aside from some shots of the house from afar, the camera stays indoors and is only a few feet away from Lawrence. Wandering through the halls, rooms and stairs her character’s feeling of being lost and helpless grows.
Aronofsky always gets the best from his actors and Jennifer Lawrence is no exception. It’s one of her strongest roles. The fact that she is the only character that responds to the situation the way we all probably should, you get the impression that there is more going on than we eventually led to believe. This is definitely not a movie for everyone, especially when we go towards the climax of the film. It’s pretty fucked up actually. But you have enough to talk about after seeing “Mother!”.
“Mother!” is original, unconventional, a bit disturbing and very well done.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 124: The Founder

Director: John Lee Hancock
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, Linda Cardellini, B.J. Novak, Laura Dern, Patrick Wilson

Description: The story of Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), a salesman who turned two brothers' (Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch) innovative fast food eatery, McDonald's, into the biggest restaurant business in the world, with a combination of ambition, persistence, and ruthlessness.

Review: For over sixty years we’ve been enjoying McDonald’s food now. In that time, the franchise has grown to be THE fast food restaurant. Everywhere in the world the food tasts the same. McDonald’s was a pioneer in developing techniques and strategies to deliver the costumer a burger, fries and milkshake within 30 seconds. This all started in the late ‘40s.
We meet Ray Kroc (played phenomenally by Michael Keaton) who is trying to sell his revolutionary milkshake machine to restaurants, but doesn’t seem to succeed. Even though Kroc is a smooth talker, no one seems to buy it. It comes as a surprise when the owner of a burger restaurant in California wants to buy several from him. Out of curiousity , Kroc visits the restaurant and meets brothers Dick and Mac McDonald. They have developed a method to produce hamburgers fast and they taste amazing. Kroc manages to convince the brothers to work with him, to open more McDonald’s restaurants in America. But the brothers want to call the shots.
John Lee Hancock created a very strong origins story. When you think, from the title alone, that Ray Kroc is the founder of McDonald’s, you’re wrong. At first, the deal is friendly and Kroc listens to the brothers. But eventually Kroc walks away with the success, the money AND the name McDonald’s. A name the actual McDonald brothers weren’t allowed to use anymore. Kroc smelled money and success and became greedy and ruthless.
Michael Keaton really got his comeback since he starred in “Birdman”. Again he shows us what a fabulous actor he is. He steals the show in “The Founder”, he makes it a good movie. At first you sympathize with Kroc, you wish him fortune. But eventually you feel some aversion towards him.
The film might not be very surprising plot wise, but the way to success is told very well. But especially Keaton’s performance is a reason to watch “The Founder”.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 123: Lady MacBeth

Director: William Oldroyd
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 89 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Florence Pugh, Christopher Fairbank, Cosmo Jarvis, Bill Fellows
Description: In 19th-century rural England, a young bride (Florence Pugh) who has been sold into marriage discovers an unstoppable desire within herself as she enters into an affair with a worker on her estate.

Review: Movies set in the country in the 19th century always picture us the same situation: Women are lesser beings who have to listen to their (often older) husbands. The women wear tight corsets, drink tea and stay indoors with their prayer book. “Lady MacBeth” is nothing like that.
“Lady MacBeth” is based on a novel by Nikolaj Leskov, from 1865. Even though it’s set n the 19th century, the story feels quite contemporary. And that’s because of the female lead, Katherine. She is a relentless and uncompromising woman. She doesn’t just take her husbands orders and even comes close to being a femme fatale. Women’s emancipation, but without any subtlety.
From the opening scene we see that the marriage between Alexander and Katherine is a loveless agreement. Behind the white veil, Katherine’s helpless face is seen. His father bought her and he feels nothing for her. Alexander can’t even have sex with her. Instead she has to undress herself, face the wall so that he can pleasure himself.
These awkward moments make for the passionate affaire Katherine starts with stable boy Sebastian, a young man with no etiquettes or manners. As soon as Alexander leaves the house, Katherine discovers her freedom and she can finally enjoy the outdoors. But the real freedom is in her sexuality.
The acting in this film is outstanding. Especially Florence Pugh as Katherine. It’s so well done how she managed to take the audience with her in her transition from innocent victim to inhumane culprit. But you somehow never stop sympathizing with her. And Katherine doesn’t have to share her thoughts, her face says enough.
Director William Oldroyd does a really good job. He hardly uses any music, no unnecessary information, no tricks, just the true essence of the story is shown.
“Lady MacBeth” is a welcome breath of fresh air when it comes to costume dramas.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 122: Spider-Man: Homecoming

Director: Jon Watts
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 133 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Donald Glover, Tony Revolori, Jennifer Connelly, Angourie Rice, Logan Marshall-Green, Martin Starr, Gwyneth Paltrow

Description: Peter Parker (Tom Holland) balances his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens with his superhero alter-ego Spider-Man, and finds himself on the trail of a new menace prowling the skies of New York City.

Review: Spider-Man has always been one of the most popular superheroes. Iron Man got more popular because of the movies and Robert Downey Jr. The two work together in “Spider-Man: Homecoming”.
Spider-Man has had his ups and downs. “Spider-Man 3” couldn’t keep up with the two previous movies. The reboot films did okay, but weren’t as amazing as the title let us believe. Sony and Marvel had to come up with something new to give the popular webslinger the movie he deserves. The result: Spider-Man is part of the shared universe of Marvel. In “Spider-Man: Homecoming” there are many moments were they show us that. Teen Peter Parker is constantly reminded of his adult colleagues. It’s all sounds like a big marketing trick, but it’s all relevant. Peter struggles with the inner conflict of being the little fish in a small pond.
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man was shortly seen in “Captain America: Civil War”. And that guest appearance is the starting point for “Spider-Man: Homecoming”. In a world where superheroes are common, Peter Parker thinks it’s an honor to work with the team of Avengers. But after an experience like that, it’s hard for Peter to pick up his old life. Especially when Tony Starks tells him that he might receive a call, but Peter never does. Spider-Man is in the Marvel universe, but he is not yet an Avenger.
This is the sixth Spider-Man film in fifteen years, so it isn’t good enough to let the superhero just do his tricks and fight a random villain. Marvel is clever enough and uses a lot of variation. The origin story, of how Peter Parker became Spider-Man, is left behind. And it’s not Spidey just swinging from huge buildings, he goes further than that.
What keeps it all together? Tom Holland! Where predecessors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were about 10 years to old for the role, the young British actor is perfect to play Peter Parker. His enthusiasm is a breath of fresh air. And his great comedic timing make you almost forget that he is also very capable of performing in more dramatic scenes. Even opposite of veterans like Robert Downey Jr. and Michael Keaton.
Peter Parker still has to prove himself as an Avenger, but this version of Spider-Man promises a very bright future.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 121: Murder On the Orient Express

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Genre: Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Josh Gad, Olivia Colman, Derek Jacobi

Description: When a murder occurs on the train he's travelling on, celebrated detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is recruited to solve the case.

Review: This is maybe the 6th book to movie adaptation for “Murder On the Orient Express”, I think, The book was released in 1934 and is probably her most known book. And because Agatha Christie’s novel is such a masterpiece when it comes to murder mysteries, many want to turn it into film. It’s a perfect whodunit. In 1974 Albert Finney played the role of Hercule Poirot in Sidney Lumet’s version of the story. Now, 2017, Kenneth Branagh directs and also decided to portray the infamous detective.
Kenneth Branagh has a dramatic style when it comes to acting. It’s perfect for Shakespeare films. And I have to say, his performance as Hercule Poirot is really good.
We know the story. Detective Hercule Poirot is on the Orient Express, enjoying a holiday, when one of the passengers is murdered. One of the twelve passengers is the killer. Time for Poirot to solve the case, while the train is unable to move on due to a snow storm.
Lots of details, trying to find the killer. It’s close to the original, but some things go a bit too fast because they have to stay within the duration of 2 hours. There is also not enough time to develop all the twelve suspected characters. Some we get to know better than others.
Branagh really managed to get a fantastic cast together. Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeifer, Johnny Depp, Willem Dafoe, Penélope Cruz and Daisy Ridley. And they are all solid, but no one really shines. Branagh’s interpretation of Poirot is good, the movie is not great. But very enjoyable and it looks stunning.

Rating: 3/ 5