10s Movie Review - Rendez-Vous

Director: Antoinette Beumer
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Loes Haverkort, Mark van Eeuwen, Pierre Boulanger, Peter Paul Muller, Jennifer Hoffman, Eva Duijvenstein
 
Description: Simone (Loes Haverkort) had a dream and achieving it didn’t seem that difficult. Or so she thought.

Review: The third novel by Dutch author Esther Verhoef is her first psychological thriller, turned into film by director Antoinette Beumer. Loes Haverkort plays leading character Simone. She is married to Eric and has two children. She is trying to find happiness with her family in France, where they renovate her late mother’s house and turn it into a bed and breakfast. For a thriller, there hardly is any tension.
When Simone runs into Michel, a handsome and charming French construction worker, she feels attracted to him. She goes after him, hesitating only briefly whether she is not putting all her family happiness at risk. It is also clear that Simone’s relationship with her mother was difficult. And she has a hard time adapting to France. Fellow Dutchman Peter helps her and Eric, even taking over the reins of the renovation. While Simone has a passionate affair with Michel, everything around her threatens to end in disaster.
Beumer obviously couldn’t decide what should be the main part of her book adaptation. Does it revolve around the messy practices surrounding the renovation and getting used to a strange environment or should Simone’s amorous explorations come first? There is an attempt to surround the village environment and the many Dutchmen who live in France with some mystique. But school mothers crying in cars, strange utterances at fairs, and the interpretation of the rich everybody’s friend and benefactor Peter hardly make a lasting impression.
The biggest shortcoming is the hardly plausible characterization of Simone. She is a woman who screams independence, but doesn’t actually make any decisions independently. Simone herself seems to realize what she is doing.
This combination of misjudgments in both the plot and character development is the final deathblow to this weak thriller. That doesn’t even feel like a thriller up until the last 20 minutes or so.

Rating: 2/ 5

00s Movie Review - Dawn of the Dead

Director: Zack Snyder
Genre: Action/ Drama/ Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2004
Starring: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Mekhi Phifer, Jake Weber, Ty Burrell, Michael Kelly, Kevin Zegers, Michael Barry, Lindy Booth, Jayne Eastwood, Boyd Banks, Inna Korobkina, R.D. Reid, Kim Poirier, Matt Frewer, Tom Savini, Ken Foree

Description: A group of survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping mall.

Review: In 1978, George A. Romero created a classic in the horror genre with “Dawn of the Dead”. While American society is collapsing due to the large-scale appearance and multiplication of zombies, four people get stuck in a large shopping mall, surrounded by a large number of living dead. For a while they manage to survive there by using the facilities there, while the building is surrounded by an increasing number of zombies. “Dawn of the Dead” distinguished itself from the bulk of the horror genre by its unique blend of suspense, action, humor, horror, satire and humanity. In that sense, the film remains unsurpassed to this day, and absolutely does not need a remake. The remake, then, is not really a remake, but rather a revision of the original that goes its own way. The question then, of course, is: does it remain a good film?
The film begins with a mini-portrait of the life of nurse Ana, which can be called somewhat monotone and routine. Soon, however, her quiet little life is disrupted by the fact that Ana’s blood-stained neighbor girl sinks her teeth into Ana’s husband, causing him to turn into a zombie as well and then attack Ana. She just barely manages to escape. When she’s outside, she sees that the entire city is in chaos. Buildings are on fire, people are fleeing or being eaten by zombies. The entire country and possible the entire world is in turmoil and dead creatures are roaming everywhere.
The opening titles underscore the chaos in which humans find themselves. Ana meets other survivors and together they decided to hide in a huge shopping mall, trying to survive there.
The zombies in “Dawn of the Dead” are fast and strong and have developed a slight hunting instinct. Partly because of this, the pace of the film is fast too. Other features include the obligatory, clichéd scare moments, which fortunately do no dominate the film and are limited to a modest number. Debuting director Zack Snyder does a great job with the suspense and scare and even added footage during the credits, which give a different spin to the story.
“Dawn of the Dead” manages to keep the tension, which is not hindered by the humor and action that also appears in the film. What is most preserved from the original film, is the humanity. While the zombies surround the mall, all sorts of things are happening inside the mall that barely have anything to do with the threat outside: power games, betrayal, selfishness, cynicism, bravery, compassion, love, you name it. The credibility of the characters allows the viewers to identify with them and experience their fears.
Fear and suspense is therefore what “Dawn of the Dead” delivers, the film is very effective and in that sense a successful horror film. It’s actually one of the best horror film of its decade.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - American Made

Director: Doug Liman
Genre: Action/ Crime
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright, Jesse Plemons, Caleb Landry Jones, Jayma Mays
 
Description: The story of Barry Seal (Tom Cruise), an American pilot who became a drug-runner for the CIA in the 1980s in a clandestine operation that would be exposed as the Iran-Contra Affair.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 22: A MOVIE WITH RED POSTER ART
 
Review: In the early months of 1986, then forty-six-year-old pilot Barry Seal was shot dead in broad daylight ins his car. Smuggler Seal had made quite a few enemies and, in the last few months, was even less sure of his life than he already was.
Barry’s wife Lucy doesn’t know any better than that her husband has a good job as a pilot with a major airline. It’s a good job that brings food to the table and thus supports the couple’s two children with a third on the way. The fact that the workaholic Barry smuggles in the occasional batch of Cuban cigars may hardly be a name, but it does bring in some extra cash.
When Barry is unmasked by a man posing as a CIA employee, the game is up. Barry leaves his employer to shoot aerial photographs for the CIA to locate rebels affiliated with the Soviet Union. And when he hits the ground running in Colombia, he is recruited by Pablo Escobar’s people as a cocaine smuggler.
If he hadn’t engaged in so many wrong deals, Seal’s life story would be a suspenseful boy dream. This is also certainly how director Doug Liman approaches the complicated jobs Seal had to do for all sorts of people. The case gets more and more complex and Barry gets busier and is watched by more eyes.
Liman scores points as long as he keeps the momentum going nicely and doesn’t led lead actor Tom Cruise do too much character acting. In his portrayal, Seal is a gutsy guy who regularly overestimates himself. Nevertheless, he commands respect and gets away with a lot, with the result that he takes even more risks. Moreover, this is lightly embedded in the political situation of the 1970s and 1980s, both under Carter and Reagan.
It would get boring if we only hopped from job to job, so the Barry’s family life is also thrown into the story. Surely, sooner or later, wife Lucy will find out what shady business her husband is involved with. It could cause some turbulence in their marriage. But eventually Lucy gives in, especially when the money Barry gets becomes more and more. The fact that her relationship consists only of misconception, lies and false assumptions in not adequately played out. Cruise’s limitation as a dramatic actor are painfully revealed at these moments. He shines in action sequences and grand scenes, but the smaller, emotional moments really misses the mark sometimes.  
Liman tried to make a mix of drama, thriller, adventure and comedy. That’s where “American Made” isn’t as good as it could be. On an entertainment level, everything is fine, but the film fails to go in depth. And the fact that Barry Seal isn’t a very nice and likeable guy, also doesn’t help.

Rating: 3/ 5

Netflix Friday - Volume 57

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 Kingdom (2007)
A team of U.S. government agents are sent to investigate the bombing of an American facility in the Middle East.
 

Drama: Honey Boy (2009)
A young actor’s stormy childhood and early adult years as he struggles to reconcile with his father and deal with his mental health.
 

Comedy: The Bronze (2015)
A foul-mouthed former gymnastics bronze medalist (Melissa Rauch) with local celebrity status reluctantly trains a rising Olympics aspirant.
 

Animation: Captain Underpants (2017)
Two overly imaginative pranksters named George (Kevin Hart) and Harold (Thomas Middleditch) hypnotize their principal (Ed Helms) into thinking he’s a ridiculously enthusiastic, incredibly dimwitted superhero named Captain Underpants.
 

Romance: Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) is determined to improve herself while she looks for love in a year in which she keeps a personal diary.
 

Horror: The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mother suspected of child endangerment, a social worker (Linda Cardellini) and her own small kids are soon drawn into a frightening supernatural realm.
 

Science Fiction: War of the Worlds (2005)
An American family is fighting for survival during an alien invasion threatening the future of humanity.
 

Crime: The Kid Detective (2020)
A once-celebrated kid detective (Adam Brody), now 32, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity. Until a naïve client brings him his first ‘adult’ case to find out who brutally murdered her boyfriend.
 

Thriller: The Visit (2015)
Two siblings become increasingly frightened by their grandparents’ disturbing behavior while visiting them on vacation.
 

Documentary: The Last Days (1998)
In late 1944, even as they faced imminent, defeat, the Nazis expended enormous resources to kill or deport over 425,000 Jews during the “cleansing” of Hungary. This documentary focuses on the plight of five Hungarian Jews who survived imprisonment in Auschwitz.
 

Family: The Road to El Dorado (2000)
Two swindlers get their hands on a map to the fabled city of gold, El Dorado.

Movie Review - Army of the Dead

Director: Zack Snyder
Genre: Action/ Horror/ Crime
Runtime: 148 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, Theo Rossi, Garret Dillahunt, Matthias Schweighöfer, Nora Arnezeder, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tig Notaro, Raúl Costillo, Huma Qureshi

Description: Following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.

Review: Director Zack Snyder was given all the space he needed at Netflix to make an off-the-wall zombie movie to his own taste. With that, Snyder created a crazy roller coaster ride, full of questionable characters and extreme bloodshed.  
Based on the title and the content, you might expect a sequel to “Dawn of the Dead”, the film with which Snyder broke through as a director in 2004. But nothing could be further from the truth: “Army of the Dead” marks the start of a completely new zombie franchise, which will later be supplemented by a spin-off film, an anime series and a (possible) sequel.
The opening of “Army of the Dead” immediately create high expectations, especially for the fans of gore. While the cheerful song ‘Viva Las Vegas” sounds, we witness the zombie outbreak in the famous gambling city: half-naked strippers bite, bullets fly around, blood splashes everywhere, limbs and heads all over the place. The Strip, after which the army decides to seal off the entire are hermetically with a wall of shipping containers. Nice start.
A little later we are introduced to Scott Ward, a roughneck with a small heart, who managed to escape from the quarantine zone just in time. Now he runs a burger restaurant, but even there he gets little rest. A Japanese businessman makes him an offer: Scott must return to Las Vegas, where the city is still filled with the undead, to crack a safe under a casino, where hundreds of millions of dollars are stored in cash. But he has to hurry, because within 48 hours the whole place will be bombed. Why would someone take a job like that? Obviously money. In Scott’s case, the reward is fifty million dollars.
Zack Snyder created kind of a kingdom for his zombies, where a number of specific rules and laws apply. For example, from time to time some sacrifices are required. And there is also a hierarchy within the zombie community, which is lead by the Alphas.
“Army of the Dead” is certainly not a dull affair. It only because the film has a warm beating heart in the form of Dave Bautista, who plays remarkably well. And the film only has a few moments of rest where you can take a breath. It’s a wild ride.
The film has a lot of side characters and they don’t come off equally well. The low point is Dieter, a German boy who starts screaming at every noise or movement. He is extremely annoying and completely misses the mark on the assembly line. The female characters come off a little better here. Take the Coyote, she is a really cool character.
The runtime is something that could bother you, because they could have taken off at least 15 minutes. But overall, for fans of zombie movies, “Army of the Dead” is a great treat.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - The Kid Detective

Director: Evan Morgan
Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Adam Brody, Kaitlyn Chalmers-Rizzato, Sophie Nélisse, Kaleb Horn, Wendy Crewson, Jonathan Whittaker, Brent Skagford, Steve Cagne, Giovanna Moore, Jesse Noah Gruman, Olivia Williams

Description: A once-celebrated kid detective (Adam Brody), now 32, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity. Until a naïve client (Sophie Nélisse) brings him his first ‘adult’ case, to find out who brutally murdered her boyfriend.

Review: As a kid, Abe Applebaum was a widely loved child detective. He solved little mysteries for the residents of the town of Willowbrook, where he was considered a local hero. However, his success abruptly ended when his close friend Gracie Gulliver disappeared. Despite his investigation, Gracie remained without a trace, which quickly killed Abe’s reputation.
Years pass, but the now 32-year-old Abe is still a detective. However, no one seems to trust him as a serious investigator. Abe therefore prefers to spend his days drinking and playing videogames, irritating everyone around him. When high-school student Caroline approaches him, everything changes. She wants to hire Abe to investigate the murder on her boyfriend. Despite the fact that Caroline can’t pay him, Abe takes the case.  
“The Kid Detective” is an ironic, yet cheerful crime comedy. The script is filled with witty dialogue and it tells a solid detective story. Evan Morgan’s directorial debut functions not only as a blend between comedy and crime, but at the same time as an homage to film-noir. Although the atmosphere of this film us largely upbeat, Morgan also manages to bring serious subjects to the fore. In doing so, he succeeds amazingly well.  
The biggest asset of “The Kid Detective” is Adam Brody, who plays Abe. He is your typical anti-hero. Brody gets a chance to prove himself as a serious actor here. His character is well-developed, humorous, but also deeply tragic at times. Abe is someone trapped in his younger self, someone who has never taken the step to move on. You hope he achieves his dream, but you also hope he finally takes responsibility.
“The Kid Detective” is one of those hidden gems that can be seen on Netflix right now.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Visit

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Deanna Dunagan, Peter McRobbie, Kathryn Hahn

Description: Two siblings become increasingly frightened by their grandparents’ disturbing behavior while visiting them on vacation.

Review: In “The Visit”, a sister and brother go visit the grandparents they have never met before, because their mother broke all contact with them. Grandpa and grandma are just acting a little strange.
What a breath of fresh air “The Visit” is. The film contains parts horror, thriller and comedy. A strange mix that surprisingly works well.
Becca and Tyler, played by Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould, are excellently cast. With child actors, that’s always the question, but both are really good in their roles.
Gradually all kinds of possible scenarios pass in review; what will be the punchline, what twists do the makers have in store for us? The actual twist didn’t really come to mind until the moment it happens.
The hand-held camera, found-footage type of filming really adds to the tension of the film. It makes it more realistic and creepy.
“The Visit” is not a typical genre film, it is something unusual. Not necessarily groundbreaking, but refreshing and highly recommended.

Rating: 3,5/ 5