TV Show Review - The Witcher (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Fantasy/ Drama/
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2021
Starring: Henry Cavill, Freye Allan, Anya Chalotra, Mimi Ndiweni, Joey Batey

Description: Geralt of Rivia (Herny Cavill), a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts.

Review: The creators of “The Witcher” took the criticism of the first season seriously and hit back with a second season. More coherent, less confusing and more interesting.
The first season was full of humor, scary monsters and exciting action scenes, but also received a lot of criticism. The storyline, with three different time periods intermingled, was very messy and the plot twists where not all credible. The creators have listened to the criticism and made a much better season 2 on every level.
The story starts right where season 1 ended. Monster slayer Geralt of Rivia and Prinvess Ciri have finally found each other and he makes it his mission to protect her, turning the grunt into a father figure to her. Meanwhile, Yennefer has been captured by the enemy of the powerful mage looking for a way to escape and return to her sisters.
The plot of the second season is a lot more manageable than the first, in which the three main characters had random adventures in different time periods. It’s a minor adjustment but immediately lifts the series to a higher level. The characters this time have clear motives, which come to the fore in the many exciting adventures they experience. These experiences also teach you more about he rich fantasy world of The Witcher. There is room here and there for a history lesson and a better explanation of the magic that is used.
The elves also play a larger role this time around, and their addition add new shades of gray to the in-depth story. In the first season, Nilfgaard was portrayed as the great enemy, but in the second season it becomes clear that this rogue nation also has its good sides. The country treats the elves with respect and the same cannot be said of the other kingdoms, who actually treat the magical people like dirt. This makes you wonder how bad Nilfgaard really is and how good “the heroes” are.
The darks season of being a Wither is also highlighter. In the first season, the profession of a monster slayer was highly romanticized, but in the new episodes it becomes clear that Geralt went through hell as a young boy. He is therefore also not happy when Ciri expresses interest in become a Witcher herself.
In conclusion, ”The Witcher” has improved on every aspect. I wasn’t a fan of season 1. I’m still not a major fan of the series, but I was more invested this time around and found everything more interesting. I especially liked the growing bond between Geralt and Ciri. If they continue improving like this, season 3 might make me a fan.

90s Movie Review - The Big Lebowski

Director: Joel Coen
Genre: Comedy/ Crime
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 1998
Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hofman, Tara Reid, John Turtorro, Sam Elliot, John Polito

Description: "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.

Review: After “Fargo” in 1996, the Coen Brothers had to try and equal or top their masterpiece. The story of “The Big Lebwoski” sounds like it’s going all over the place. But that doesn’t mean they can’t make another masterpiece.
The sultry voiceover of a nameless cowboy leads us from a deserted prairie to a big American city: Los Angeles. Main character Jeff “The Dude” Lebwoski (Jeff Bridges) is a jobless loser who goes through life smoking weed and bowling with his two friends Walter (John Goodman) and Donny (Steve Buscemi). But his eventless life is soon to be over, when two criminals mistake The Dude for some millionaire with the same name. They shove his head down the toilet and pee on his rug, but The Dude manages to convince the criminals that they’ve got the wrong person. The Dude tries to find the other Jeff Lebowski and demands a new rug. But now he is part of a complicated kidnapping case. 
The film is filled with strange yet unforgettable characters: feministic artist Maude, bowling king Jesus, porn boss Jackie Treehorn and off course the trio The Dude, Donnie and Walter themselves.
“The Big Lebowski” is a great crime comedy, equally as good as “Fargo”. The Dude abides!

Rating: 5/ 5
 

00s Movie Review - Mystic River

Director: Clint Eastwood
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 137 minutes
Year: 2003
Starring: Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney, Emmy Rossum

Description: With a childhood tragedy that overshadowed their lives, three men (Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon) are reunited by circumstance when one has a family tragedy.

Review: How do you recognize a good movie? A tough question if you ask me. But the people who watched “Mystic River” know that this is an example of a very good movie. The film, directed by Clint Eastwood, managed to win several Academy Awards. It might surprise you, because the story isn’t new and the cast isn’t filled with the biggest Hollywood names. “Mystic River” is a very strong movie that deserves every credit it gets.
The movie starts with three kids, Jimmy, Dave and Sean. They are inseparable and like to hang out together on the streets of Boston. Their bond changes when Dave is taken by a strange man, who pretends he’s a cop. When Dave returns he is traumatized. Years later the three friends reunite, when Jimmy’s daughter is found dead. Jimmy wants revenge and wants to find the person responsible.
Like I stated before, the story doesn’t sound that special. And the main characters don’t seem impressive at first either. Kevin Bacon, as Sean, is a cop trying to have a neutral view on the murder case. And Sean Penn, as Jimmy, plays a man with a temper and a criminal past who has bettered his life. Tim Robbins plays the mysterious looking Dave, who is still trying to deal with his childhood trauma. The way it was all executed is true craftsmanship. Clint Eastwood made this movie with lots of precision, love, intensity and integrity, which center the characters and not the story. The plot is done well, but aren’t the center of our attention. Eastwood focuses especially on the  irreparable friendship and what it once was. And with a cast of talented actors it gives us an anguishing movie experience. 
Eastwood gives his actor room to exploit and bring their characters to life. Sean Penn proofs why he is one of the best, what a great performance. Tim Robbins plays a remarkable role as well. His body language and facial expression sometimes tell us more than the actual words that come out of his mouth. His performance is very believable and even thinking about it gives me goose bumps.  Laura Linney and especially Marcia Gay Harden show us that they can stand tall in a movie filled with strong male actors.
“Mystic River” is a beautiful, sensitive character profile about friendship, pain and human shortcomings. Clint Eastwood deliverd one of his best movies and one of my all-time favorites.

Rating: 5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Bumperkleef

Director: Lodewijk Crijns
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 85 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Jeroen Spitzenberger, Anniek Pheifer, Roosmarijn van der Hoek, Liz Vergeer, Willem de Wolf, Truus te Selle, Hubert Fermin, Tim Linde, Peter Blankenstein

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 1: A MOVIE IN A LANGIAGE OTHER THEN ENGLISH
 
Description: A cocksure, road-raging family man (Jeroen Spitzenberger) finds himself pursued and terrorized by the vengeful van driver (Willem de Wolf) he chooses to tailgate.  

Review: The film opens with a classic overview shot. A mowed, obviously Dutch wheat field; a man in a cycling uniform with a bicycle on his shoulder. Anxious, extremely anxious. Running, half stumbling. This man clearly fear for his life. A unpleasant fate is awaiting.
Later we meet Hans, his wife Diana and their tow daughter Robine and Milou. They are on their way to Hans’ parents, but obviously a bit later on the road then Hans wanted to be. Because he wants to get there quickly, he starts racing the highway. When, on the road, they end up driving behind a white van that doesn’t want to make way for them, Hans decides to tailgate him. But that was a bad idea.
“Bumperkleef” is a very fast-paced thriller, with enough exciting elements to keep you invested the entire runtime. Which is only 85 minutes, making it the perfect length for a movie like this. Besides Jeroen Spitzenberger, the acting is a bit flat and the movie could have also worked without to much dialogue.
“Bumperkleef” is a fun, no-nonsense thriller that can be easily enjoyed without having to thnk too much.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

20s Movie Review - The Unforgivable

Director: Nora Fingscheidt
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Vincent D’Onofrio, Viola Davis, Rob Morgan, Jon Bernthal, Richard Thomas, Linda Emond, Emma Nelson, Aisling Franciosi, Will Pullen, Tom Guiry

Description: A woman (Sandra Bullock) is released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime and re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past

Review: “The Unforgivable” focuses on how difficult it if for convicts to reintegrate into society after their prison sentence.
Ruth Slater has served 20 years for the murder of a sheriff. She is, therefore, a cop killer. She is transferred to place in Chinatown where she shares a room with other women. From there she will have to start her life again. When she gets a job and shows up on her first day, she is already sent walking. The boss apparently found out about her past. So she has no choice but to accepts the offer of her coach Vincent Cross, to work in a fish market. Ruth wants to works as a carpenter and eventually gets a second job.
When Ruth was arrester, her sister Katie was 5 years old. However, the judge has imposed a restraining order on Ruth from contacting her sister who now lives with Michael and Rachel. Ruth also visits her old house, where she lived with Katie and where the sheriff was killed. John Ingram and his wife Liz now live there. John is a lawyer and wants to help Ruth.
“The Unforgivable” is a compelling drama with solid storytelling. There is a plot twist, that you will eventually see coming, right before it is revealed. Sandra Bullock is really strong. She plays a scarred character in a powerful way. The rest of the cast don’t have big enough roles to impress you as much as Bullock does, although Viola Davis does have one scene where she steals the show. But Bullock carries the movie, without her it would be a forgettable movie. Now it’s an above average film that you will remember.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Burn After Reading

Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 96 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich, Richard Jenkins, J.K. Simmons

Description: A disk containing mysterious information from a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous and daft gym employees (Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand) who attempt to sell it.

Review: “Burn After Reading” is a comedy from the Coen Brothers that is unpredictable, has a sharp sense of language and characters that will stay with you.
Linda Litzke is an employee of a fitness club who is desperately seeking funding for the plastic surgery she deems indispensable. Her co-worker Chad Feldheimer is all sunshine: a dorky guy who thinks he’s smart, a sports fanatic with a penchant for the word shit. Then there is the fired, alcoholic CIA agent Osbourne Cox, his ice-cold wife, and the sex-obsessed Harry Pfarrer, who sleeps with just about every female character.  
Basically, the plot is simple: Osbourne Cox loses a copy of his memoir. Linda and Chad mistake it for top secret information and try to get something for it, any way they can. But of course, all sorts of things go wrong, the entanglements become increasingly complicated and surreal, and no one, not even the CIA, has a clue what’s actually happening.
“Burn After Reading” is populated with stupid, selfish people, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any affection for them. And while doesn’t have a clear moral message, it is a film where moral issues come up. A film that seems a bit superficial, but has much more to say about it than you might think. You could even call it a satire.  
But more important than deeper layers and meanings, of course, with a comedy is always: it it funny? The answer is yes, but those expecting one thigh-slapping joke after another will be disappointed. This is partly because the film is filmed fairly straightforwardly. And it’s more the characters and their actions that are funny. A movie by the Coen Brothers that is very overlooked.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - The Lookout

Director: Scott Frank
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Daniels, Matthew Goode, Carla Cugino, Bruce McGill, Isla Fisher, Alex Borstein

Description: Chris (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is once a promising high school athlete whose life is turned upside down following a tragic accident. As h tries to maintain a normal life, he takes a job as a janitor at a bank, where he ultimately finds himself caught up in a planned heist.

Review: Chris has trouble ordering actions, and as a result must attend therapy at e center for independent living. Simple things like telling how his day went already cause him problems. This is due to a car accident when he was still in school. Fortunately, besides the center, there is Chris’ blind roommate Lewis who wants to help him with his daily struggles. Chris works at night, as a janitor for the local bank. When he meets Gary at a bar, it looks like he got some new friends. But Gary has other plans, because he is more interested in the bank then in Chris personally.
It's a conventional story in many ways, but since the character of Chris is so interesting is goes a little deeper beyond the surface. One of the strengths of the film is the fact that the dramatic development of Chris always remains central and is the engine of all events. The heist itself is only a small part of the film.
“The Lookout” is definitely not a perfect movie, the thriller aspect is predictable and fall short of the realistic approach of what came before it. But these are basically minor criticisms of a film that convinces in its drama, which again is mostly due to the excellent performance of Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Chris. An actor I have always enjoyed watching.

Rating: 4/ 5