Movie Review - Free Guy

Director: Shawn Levy
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Science Fiction/ Adventure
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Lil Rey Howery, Joe Keery, Taika Waititi, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Aaron W. Reed, Britne Oldford, Camille Kostek, Mark Lainer

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 47: A SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE
 
Description: A bank teller (Ryan Reynolds) discovers that he’s actually an NPC inside a brutal, open world video game.

Review: Free City is a popular online videogame, in which bank teller Guy lives in a loop. He is a Non Playable Character (NPC) who finds out about who he actually is and tries to fight it.
The appeal for “Free Guy” lies primarily in the concept of the story. Every gamer has hit or beaten the insignificant citizen in games that look similar as the fictional Free City. The film tells the story from the perspective of this background character. Doesn’t immediately sound like a must-see, but Ryan Reynolds plays the lead role and  due to him “Free Guy” is the success that it is. His wonderful innocent charisma in this film is unbelievably entertaining. His performance is pure, hilarious and optimistic. This movie would never have worked as well as it did if Reynolds wasn’t in it.
Yet beyond the main character Guy, there is a while world of details. The story about the NPC who becomes self-aware is grounded in reality by the subplot that takes place in the real world. Jodie Comer plays Millie, a game programmer who along with her friend Keys has an interesting relationship and shares conflict with Keys’ boss Antwan, who has stolen a piece of code from them and put it into his own, now very successful, game. With Millie and Keys, it’s more about their creation, they see the beauty in it. This storyline gives a lot more weight to the plot, increases the tension and makes us care about the conflict.
“Free Guy” is full of pop-culture references, which I am a sucker for. And it has one quick, but very awesome cameo that I won’t spoil.
Even though the movie is almost 2 hours long, time flies by. The film has some hilarious moments, strong action sequences and the visual effects are very impressive. And this is one of the few movies out right now, that isn’t really based on anything.
I was pleasantly surprised with “Free Guy”, it was such a fun film.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Book Review - Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

Title: Local Woman Missing
Series: -
Author: Mary Kubica
 
Description: Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks away from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold.
Now, 11 years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they’ll find....

Review: When local woman Meredith and her six-year-old daughter Delilah go missing, their community is rocked by fear and suspicion. 
Eleven year later, Delilah returns. Everyone wants to know what really happened to her. But there are secrets hidden in the past, that nobody is prepared for. 
“Local Woman Missing” is a thriller full of tension and mystery. The story jumps in time and between character’s perspectives. We learn how, eleven years before, doula Meredith helps pregnant Shelby Tebow, who, not longer after delivering her baby, disappears when jogging. Later Meredith and her daughter go missing themselves. 
The story starts of amazing, with the story of an abducted child. When she is reunited with her family, everyone starts thinking about her mother Meredith who went missing and was never found. Another case is that of Shelby Tebow, whose body is found and Meredith and Shelby have connection, since they knew each other. 
As the story develops, you realize that nothing is as easy as it seems. There are several red herrings, which make you suspect the wrong person. It’s a very easy to follow story and a real page turner. 
The ending was a bit far-fetched, which is the only reason I didn’t give the book a five star rating. But overall, “Local Woman Missing” is a book that will be hard to put away once you start reading it.

 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

Rewatching My 100 Favorite Movies - Update 9

I decided to rewatch my 100 favorite movies of all-time. What those are, you can check HERE. I watch them in random order, there is no rhyme or reason there, just watching those movies I love so much.
 

29/ 100: Ghostbusters (1984)
Three parapsychologists are kicked out of college. Fortunately, just then an epidemic of paranormal phenomena breaks out. The unemployed scientists start a company that solves such supernatural problems. It’s a very enjoyable comedy, thanks to the strong script, effective special effects and dryly comic acting, especially from Bill Murray. You can check my full review HERE
 

30/ 100: Brokeback Mountain (2005)
The movie, based on a story by Annie Proulx, is about a love against the odds. During a season in the open, where Ennis and Jack watch over hundreds of sheep for work, something beautiful develops between the men. When the season contracts ends, their paths separate. Both marry, both become fathers, both try with all their might to build an ordinary existence. In vain. “Brokeback Mountain” makes the unfathomable sadness of unfulfilled desire tangible. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal work well together and you can feel their pain, of not being able to be together, because of the time they live in. The film is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. Check out the full review HERE
 

31/ 100: Midnight in Paris (2011)
Successful soap opera writer Gil is in Paris with his fiancée and her parents. He is not happy, not with his career and not with his relationship. One night, to his utter amazement, he is magically transported to 1920s Paris, where he meets people like Hemingway, Dalí, Picasso and Fitzgerald. It’s a romantic comedy, exactly the way I love them. Not cliché, original, lighthearted and funny. Made by Woody Allen, showing us Paris at its most beautiful. HERE you can read my full review.
 

32/ 100: The Guest (2014)
A very strong thriller, not to many people know about, about a young man who takes on the uninvited role of protector of a small family. The title guest is an American Afghanistan veteran David, who visits the family telling them he knew their son/ brother, who has died in action. At first, David is the perfect change the family needed. But soon strange things start to happen. “The Guest” is an intelligent film, an effective thriller story, told with momentum and tension and portrayed by a fine cast of actors without any big names. Read my full review HERE
 
Still to watch: 68

Netflix Friday - Volume 82

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: Nowhere to Run (1993)
Sam (Jean-Claude Van Damme), an escaped convict, lands up on a farmland owned by a widow. When he learns that a ruthless contractor is trying to take over her land, he helps her to fight against the injustice.
 

Drama: Cast Away (2000)
A FedEx executive (Tom Hanks) undergoes a physical and emotional transformation after crash landing on a deserted island.
 

Comedy: Tully (2018)
A struggling mother (Charlize Theron) of three forms an unexpected bond with the night nanny (Mackenzie Davis) hired to help with her newborn baby.
 

Animation: The Little Prince (2015)
A little girl lives in a very grown-up world with her mother, who tries to prepare her for it. Her neighbor, the Aviator, introduces the girl to an extraordinary world where anything is possible, the world of the Little Prince.
 

Romance: Blue Lagoon (1980)
In the Victorian period, two children (Brooke Shields, Christopher Atkins) are shipwrecked on a tropical island in the South Pacific. With no adults to guide them, the two make a simple life together, unaware that sexual maturity will eventually intervene.
 

Horror: The Purge: Election Year (2016)
Former Police Sergeant Barnes (Frank Grillo) becomes head of security for Senator Charlie Roan (Elisabeth Mitchell), a Presidential candidate targeted for death on Purge night due to her vow to eliminate the Purge.
 

Science Fiction: Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)
Jake Pentecost (John Boyega), son of Stacker Pentecost, reunites with Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi) to lead a new generation of Jaeger pilots, including rival Lambert (Scott Eastwood) and 15-year-old hacker Amara (Cailee Spaeny), against a new Kaiju threat.
 

Crime: BlackKklansman (2018)
Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), an African American police officer from Colorado Springs, CO, successfully manages to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan branch with the help of a Jewish surrogate (Adam Driver) who eventually becomes its leader. Based on actual events.
 

Thriller: Nocturnal Animals (2016)
A wealthy art gallery owner (Amy Adams) is haunted by her ex-husband's(Jake Gyllenhaal)  novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a symbolic revenge tale.
 

Documentary: The Biggest Little Farm (2018)
Documentarian John Chester and his wife Molly work to develop a sustainable farm on 200 acres outside of Los Angeles.
 

Family: A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
In this origin story of Father Christmas, an ordinary boy (with a loyal pet mouse and a reindeer at his side) sets out on an extraordinary adventure to find his father who is on a quest to discover the fabled village of Elfhelm.

10s Movie Review - Midnight in Paris

Director: Woody Allen
Genre: Comedy/ Romance/ Fantasy
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year: 2011
Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Adrien Brody, Michael Sheen, Kathy Bates, Carla Bruni, Tom Hiddleston, Alison Pill, Léa Seydoux, Corey Stoll, Kurt Fuller, Gad Elmaleh, Mimi Kennedy

Description: While on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, nostalgic screenwriter Gil (Owen Wilson) finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.

Review: Gil Pender, from Pasadena, may be a successful scriptwriter in Hollywood, but he really wants to be an author of novels. His ambition is big and he wants to get inspiration. Together with his fiancée he travels to Paris.
Gil is a romantic. When clouds gather up above Paris, he takes the opportunity to wander the streets of Paris in the rain. While fiancée Inez and his mother in law open an umbrella. Owen Wilson is perfect for the role of Gil. There is something about that permanent nostalgic amazement of his, like he sees something we don’t see. Wilson drags us into that experience of his. He is also surrounded by an amazing cast, like Rachel McAdams as Inez and Marion Cotillard as Adriana. Two completely different women, who mess with Gil’s head. Or what about Michael Sheen as know it all Paul, who is really obnoxious. Kathy Bates does a wonderful job as Getrude Stein and Corey Stoll is fantastic as Ernest Hemmingway.
Director Woody Allen uses the power of the human desire for the past. “Midnight in Paris” shows the city of Paris at its best and it’s a magical story. I fell in love with this movie and it has become one of my all-time favorites.

Rating: 5/ 5 

00s Movie Review - Brokeback Mountain

Director: Ang Lee
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 134 minutes
Year: 2005
Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway, Randy Quaid, Anna Faris, David Harbour, Kate Mara, Linda Cardellini
 
Description: Ennis (Heath Ledger) and Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) are two shepherds who develop a sexual and emotional relationship. Their relationship becomes complicated when both of them married to their respective girlfriends

Review: Happiness sometimes depends on the choices you make in life. Sometimes you wish you did things differently. One word or one touch could make such a difference, but you didn’t do anything. “Brokeback Mountain” also deals with such key moments. 
Even before “Brokeback Mountain” was released, it was one of the most talked about films of the year. Two cowboys, the model of ultimate manhood, that fall in love is obviously a fascinating given. But by just saying it’s about gay cowboys, you’re not doing it justice. It’s not about homosexuality, it’s about love in its purest and simplest form. A story about how people choose to live their lives, about a world that doesn’t really give them a choice, about suppressed feelings and about letting go. 
 The movie tells the story of young cowboys Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, who work together during the summer of 1963 in the mountains of Wyoming. The two develop a close bond which eventually turns into a sexual relationship, much to their own surprise. At the end of the summer, Ennis and Jack both go their own way. Both men get married and start a family, but the memories of their time in Brokeback Mountain are dear to them. When they meet up again after years, it’s still as that last time in Brokeback Mountain. 
 The love between Ennis and Jack is impossible, it’s in a time that the love between two men isn’t accepted. Director Ang Lee could have easily turned it into a melodramatic film, but he managed to find the right tone. I’ve never seen a film where two such rich, complete and complex characters managed to expose the relationship in such an honest, true and sharp way. The pace is slow and so are the developments, but in this film it’s a positive thing. Invest in the characters and you will be rewarded. 
 “Brokeback Mountain” is carried by two great leading actors. Both Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are fantastic. Ledger shines as the introvert Ennis. He is afraid to choose for what he really wants. Gyllenhaal’s Jack is a bit more complex. He doesn’t want to live in a lie and fantasizes about a life with Ennis. The choices we make have effect on our happiness, that’s something “Brokeback Mountain” shows us. 
 A fantastic, touching and heart felt film, one of my all-time favorites.

Rating: 5/ 5

80s Movie Review - Ghostbusters

Director: Ivan Reitman
Genre: Horror/ Comedy/ Action
Runtime: 105 minutes
Year: 1984
Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts

Description: Three unemployed parapsychology professors set up shop as a unique ghost removal service.

Review: When you’re an eighties kid, you grew up with the cartoons. And who didn’t enjoy the adventures of ghostbusters Ray, Peter, Eagon and Winston? They are a group a parapsychologists. Together they take on all the evil ghosts, monsters and creatures.
They beautiful Dana Barrett asks them for help, after she saw something strange in her refrigerator. When Peter checks out her apartment, he doesn’t really think much of it, but something big and powerful is coming to New York.
The group of ghostbusters is cast perfectly, with Bill Murray excelling as Peter Venkman. He is a master at sarcasm.  Dan Aykroyd, playing Ray Stantz, was also unthinkable in ‘80s comedies and works great together with Murray. Harold Ramis plays Eagon Spengler. You know that without them even saying his name. The big nerd amongst the group. A smaller role is for Ernie Hudson, as Winston Zedmore. Sigourney Weaver shines as the damsel in distress, who was very seductive back in the days. And a really funny supporting role for Rick Moranis, as Weaver’s geeky and clumbsy neighbor.
Although the special effects are a bit dated, it never takes away the fun. “Ghostbuster” has reached a certain status over the years, every ‘80s kid loves this. And the comedy is so strong and to the point.
“Ghostbusters” is a movie I can enjoy every single time. The movie that made me love Bill Murray and that is still funny today. 

Rating: 4,5/ 5