00s Movie Review - The Other Boleyn Girl

Director: Justin Chadwick
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portmann, Eric bana, Jim Sturgess, Eddie Redmayne, Juno Temple, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Rylance, Alfie Allen, Kristin Scott Thomas

Description: Two sisters (Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson) contend for the affection of King Henry VIII (Eric Bana).

Review: ”The Other Boleyn Girl” is based on the bestselling novel by Philippa Gregory and follows the sisters Anne and Mary Boleyn. Both women were love interest for Henry VIII at the beginning of the 16th century. Their love triangle cause for a lot of pain and sorrow.
The art of being a woman is to let men believe that they are in control. It’s a lesson that Anne takes on from her mother. Anne Boleyn is the woman that shook England. Henry VIII committed adultery with her. The story is well known, but in “The Other Boleyn Girl” they focus on sister Mary.
The two Boleyn sisters are complete opposites, but love each other unconditionally. It’s Natalie Portman who steals the show in this film. She is a believable ‘evil’ sister. The acting of the other cast members is okay, but not very special. The script is what makes this film so good. It’s a very well written screenplay.
The book is of course much better, but I always enjoyed watching “The Other Boleyn Girl”.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - Thoroughbreds

Director: Cory Finley
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/Crime/ Comedy
Runtime: 93 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Anton Yelchin

Description: Two upper-class teenage girls (Anya Taylor-Joy), Olivia Cooke) in suburban Connecticut rekindle their unlikely friendship after years of growing apart. Together, they hatch a plan to solve both of their problems-no matter what the cost.

Review: “You’ve got a creepy friend”. “I know”. It’s one of the dialogues from “Thoroughbreds” and forms a simplistic overview of the film, where two teenage girls plan on killing one’s stepfather. “Thoroughbreds” is a film that won’t be liked by everyone, but one things is clear: it has a very talented cast and director.
Lily and Amanda are two friends, that lost touch. Amanda’s mother got the two back together, so that Lily can tutor Amanda. Lily is living with her mom and stepfather and a huge house and attends an upper-class boarding school.
Amanda on the other hand is an outsider, who physically isn’t capable of having any emotions or feelings. She thought herself to cry on commando. Her extraordinary behavior drives the people around her mad, so Amanda’s mother seeks contact with Lily again. But the two girls form a deadly combination.
After the opening scene, you already know “Thoroughbreds” is a special film. We see Amanda staring at a horse. In a later shot, we see a knife. Later we find out what happened and why. Next, we see Amanda getting out of a car and entering Lily’s giant house.
The two girls seem complete opposites at first, but on a deeper and darker level they are more alike. And the performances by the two girls are fantastic. Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy are both excellent and cast perfectly. I also has a role by Anton Yelchin. This marks his last film, since he died in 2017.
Director Cory Finley is also very talented. It’s his directorial debut and he leaves a great impression with “Thoroughbreds”. It’s a stylish film with dark humor and depth.
Even if it’s not your cup of tea, just watch if for the talent involved in this film. That will make it worthwhile.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Reviews - Glass

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 129 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Spencer Treat Clark

Description: Security guard David Dunn (Bruce Willis) uses his supernatural abilities to track Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), a disturbed man who has twenty-four personalities.

Review: M. Night Shyamalan is a very good director, but made some movies that a lot of people hate. He was praised for the thriller “The Sixth Sense” with that amazing twist. And “Signs” and Unbreakable” were also very well received. “The Village” I liked, but most people had mixed feelings. And the rest, we don’t really want to talk about. But gladly in 2016, Shyamalan came back with another amazing film: “Split”. Which was surprisingly tied to “Unbreakable”, from 2000. And with now “Glass” we got a trilogy that no one saw coming.
We already know the character in “Glass”, they were introduced to us in “Unbreakable” and “Split”. I recommend you’d see them before, but it’s possible to watch “Glass” without that knowledge. The story is very interesting and off course we’re all waiting for that twist. And all the films finally come together at the end. Before that, it’s not very clear where the movie is heading. James McAvoy is fantastic in his role, like he was in “Split”. It’s amazing to see his range of emotions and expressions and how easily he goes from one personality to another. He is definitely the highlight of “Glass”. The performances by Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and Sarah Paulson are also very solid.
The atmosphere in “Glass” is realistic and grim. And in the superhero world, that’s a welcome addition, because they are mostly bombastic and colorful.
“Glass” is a good film, but it could have been great if it got a little more substance. “Unbreakable” and “Split” were definitely better. But I am glad I saw “Glass”.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Reviews - Velvet Buzzsaw

Director: Dan Gilroy
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Renee Russo, Toni Collette, John Malkovich, Zawe Ashton, Natalia Dyer, Billy Magnussen, Tom Sturridge

Description: After a series of paintings by an unknown artist are discovered, a supernatural force enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art.

Review: “Velvet Buzzsaw” is a horror satire focusing on the empty and cold art sector in Los Angeles. After it premiered at the Sundance Filmfestival, it can be seen on Netflix.
The story starts at the Miami Beach Basel Art Fair, where art advisors are looking for ‘the next best thing’. Here we meet the art critic Morf Vandewalt, his friend Josephina, art advisor Gretchen, gallery owner Rhodora and PR-machine Jon. All big names or rising stars in the art business.
One day Josephina finds the dead body of her upstairs neighbor, Vetril Dease. He has no family or friends and was a very quiet and to-him-self man. She finds a huge art collection in his house, all painted by him. All of his art is fascinating, yet morbid and disturbing. Dease wanted all of his art to be destroyed, but Josephina decides to show it to the world. When they explore the paintings, it turns out Dease painted with his own blood. When the paintings are exposed, strange deaths start to occur.
Possessed paintings is not very original, it’s a horror cliché. But director Dan Gilroy gave it a modern touch and made it less cliché. The deaths that occur are very original, but “Velvet Buzzsaw” never really gets scary.
Gilroy also directed “Nightcrawler” and reunites with Jake Gyllenhaal and Renee Russo. That was an intense, disturbing and on-point film. “Velvet Buzzsaw” sadly isn’t. Gilroy isn’t out to scare the audience, but it’s also missing suspense. Yet, it’s an entertaining movie, even though I expected more.
Taking a unoriginal cliché horror element and turning it into something more original. That’s been done. But it’s not as exciting as I thought it would be.

Rating: 3/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Predator

Director: Shane Black
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Thriller
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, Jake Busey, Yvonne Strahovski

Description: When a young boy (Jacob Tremblay) accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled scientist can prevent the end of the human race.

Review: With “The Predator”, director Shane Black tries to bring the nostalgia back to life, from the 1987 original (Fun fact: Black was actually in that film). The film is iconic, especially because of its one-liners coming from Arnold Schwarzenegger.
And they use these one-liners, but change them. Auch…. Not very clever. Then only clever choice is to copy the level of ‘macho’ from the original.
The film never gets scary or exciting. It’s a very messy film with no memorable characters, besides the Predator himself off course.
This movie wasn’t really necessary, I’ll stick with the Arnold Schwarzenegger film.

Rating: 2 / 5

10s Movie Review - The Happytime Murders

Director: Brian Henson
Genre: Action/ Comedy
Runtime: 91 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph, Leslie David Baker, Joel McHale, Cynthy Wu, Michael McDonald, Mitch Silpa, Hemky Madera, Brennan Spens, Ryan Tran, Fortune Feimster, Bill Barretta

Description: When the puppet cast of a '90s children's TV show begin to get murdered one by one, a disgraced LAPD detective-turned-private eye puppet (Bill Barretta) takes on the case.

Review: In “The Happytime Murders”, the Sesamestrees and Muppet-like puppets lose their innocence. With this comedy, Brian Henson seems to rebel against his father Jim Henson’s legacy. Jim Henson was the mastermind behind “Sesamestreet”, “The Muppet Show” and “Fraggle Rock”. Brian Henson used them for a more adult themed film in “The happytime Murders”, where we see a parody of the film noir detectives like “Chinatown” or “L.A. Confidential”. A promising idea, but cringing humor.
Where in “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” people lived in the same world as cartoon characters , puppets live together with people in “The Happytime Murders”. Puppets have the same rights as people, but are treated like second-hand citizens. Phil Philips was the first puppet cop hired by the L.A.P.D., but due to an incident he got fired. Since then he is working as a private detective, had a drinking problem and can’t seem to leave the past behind him. When a serial killer is out there murdering the cast of the former TV show ‘The Happytime Gang’, Phil is forced to work together with his former (human) partner Edwards.
From the first minute it’s clear it’s not a normal muppet-like film. Especially when Philips has to visit a sex shop for his first case. It causes hilarity. At first. But very early on in the movie, it falls into juvenile and cringeworthy jokes.
I really loved this concept and I was looking forward to seeing this film. But it only manages to meet my expectations in the first 15 minutes. It’s all downhill from there.

Rating: 1,5 / 5

10s Movie Review - Moana

Director: Ron Clements, John Musker
Genre: Fantasy/ Animation/ Musical
Runtime: 113 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Auli’I Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger, Alan Tudyk, Oscar Knightley, Troy Polamalo, Puanani Cravalho, Louise Bush

Description: In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by the Demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) reaches Moana's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out the Demigod to set things right.

Review: Disney is planning to bring a lot of classic animations to life in the form of real-action. But luckily we also get to meet new heroes and heroines. We meet Moana, the daughter of a Polynesian tribe leader. She goes on a quest for demigod Maui, to save her island.
Disney explores another new cultural background and adds a new heroin to the Disney universe. Moana is a strong and independent young woman, who can easily take care of herself. She fights, sails and leads. A modern ideal in comparison with the classic princess, who simply falls hopelessly into prince charming’s arms. And talking about knights in shining armors, who is looking for romance, “Moana” is not that film. The focus is on the adventure and that’s nice for a change!
It’s not only because of the emancipation and the modern roles that makes “Moana” fit in this modern world we live in now. It also kills all the stereotypes. Moana actually has curves and is a believable character.
I’m glad Disney changes the standards from time to time. They did create heroic female leads before, like in “Mulan” and “Brave”. And “Moana” is a great addition to the list. It looks beautiful, which isn’t a surprise with Disney. It’s such a colorful and vibrant film. It has great action scenes, but it does miss a villain. The humor is also solid and the songs are catchy and well written (by Lin-Manuel Miranda).
There are some moments where “Moana” goes back to the predictable Disney territory and it does miss a bit of spirit here and there.
A great new recipe, different in a good way.

Rating: 4 / 5