100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 7: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Director: Brad Bird

Genre: Action

Runtime: 133 minutes

Year: 2011

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Josh Holloway, Léa Seydoux, Michael Nyqvist, Tom Wilkinson, Ving Rhames, Michelle Monaghan

Description: The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.

Review: A lot has changed. In the nineties Tom Cruise was a big star, but that star was not that bright anymore. Not a lot of great movies came on his path, but “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” should change all that. And it did.

The movies in the “Mission: Impossible” series were always successful and a hit at the box office. Brad Bird, known from his work at Pixar, decided to direct the fourth installment and with that “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” is his first non-animation.

Like the previous movies, it’s filled with exotic places, flashy gadgets and action. Simon Pegg Is given a bigger role, as the comic relief, which is very pleasant. Jeremy Renner is introduced in the series and also a great addition to the franchise. Michael Nyqvist is the villain, which he does well. But not as well as Philip Seymour Hoffman did in “M:I-3”. Paula Patton does a good job as agent Jane Carter. Off course I don’t have to tell you that Tom Cruise did good work as Ethan Hunt, because of him I’m more of a Hunt then a Bond fan. Cruise hasn’t lost it and this is the kind of movie and role you want to see him in.

The action is the highlight of the movie. Sometimes over the top, but such a pleasure to watch. The scene with Hunt climbing the tallest building of the worlds, was my favorite.

“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” is a fantastic, thrilling action flick, even better than number three in the series.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 6: Whiplash

Director: Damien Chazelle

Genre: Drama/ Music

Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2014

Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist, Austin Stowell, Nate Lang, Chris Mulkey, Damon Gupton, Max Kasch, Suanne Spoke, Charlie Ian, Jayson Blair, Kofi Siriboe, Kavita Patil, C.J. Vana

Description: Promising young drummer Andrew (Mile Teller) enrolls at a cutthroat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor (J.K. Simmons) who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.

Review: Musicians will always fascinate us. There a many biopics about famous musicians, but the rough way to the top is seldom showed. Director Damien Chazelle wrote a script about this. It was well received as a short film, so he got the permission to make it into a full length movie.

The prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in New York is the start for many great musicians. Young Andrew Neyman practices every day and night on his drums to be a part of it. During one of his session, the infamous teacher Terence Fletcher spots him. He invites Andrew to play in his exclusive band, as an alternate drummer. Quickly Andrew learns that Fletcher has a unorthodox teaching method and he will stop at nothing to realize a student’s potential.

The intense atmosphere makes “Whiplash” a wonderful movie experience. A well written script gives the lead actors the chance to show their qualities, and both take it home. J.K. Simmons is truly brilliant as Fletcher. It’s hard to see an actor. I seldom saw such an awfull person in a movie, that was so mean and harsh. He terrified me. Miles Teller confirms why he is a rising star.

“Whiplash” is one of the best movies about music. The discipline that is needed to make it in this business. even if you’re not a music fan, it’s a great joy to watch this psychological game that is played. Damien Chazelle delivered a new classic.

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 5: Green Zone

Director: Paul Greengrass

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 114 minutes

Year: 2010

Starring: Matt Damon, Jason Isaacs, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Ryan, Michael O’Neill, Khalid Abdalla, Antoni Corone, Yigal Naor, Sean Huze, Said Faraj, Martin McDougall, Lewis Alsamari

Description: Discovering covert and faulty intelligence causes U.S. Army officer Miller (Matt Damon) to go rogue as he hunts for Weapons of Mass Destruction in an unstable region.

Review: We follow Chief Warrant Officer Miller, an American officer who leads a team whose task is to track down weapon of mass destruction. The information the team has seems more and more unreliable.

Miller is a loyal soldier that was send into war for the wrong reasons. Based on his ideals he starts an investigations when he is asked to just do his job. Matt Damon manages to convince the viewers, even though he doesn’t have a lot to work with. To tell the story, the plot introduces a series of very well cast roles, that don’t get enough screen time. Journalist Lawrie Dayne is a sharp investigator, played by Amy Ryan. The same goes for Brendan Gleeson, who plays CIA agent Martin Brown. Oscar Isaacs, as marine Briggs, is seriously underused.

The source material of “Green Zone” has a political note, but director Greengrass made it into a limited drama with a talented cast and lots of action, with the potential to be a political intrigue story.

Rating: 3/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Actors/ Actresses of 2014

I'm still looking back to 2014 and all the great actors and actresses of that year. Some stood out more than others. Here are my favorite actors and actresses of 2014.

5. Jennifer Lawrence

Nominated for an Academy Award again for her role in “American Hustle” and she was in “X-Men: Days of Future Past”. She played Katniss Everdeen again in the third installement of “The Hunger Games” series and she got a hit with the song “The Hanging Tree”. And and didn’t even mention all the other awesome stuff she said and did in interviews and talk shows.

 

 

4. Rosamund Pike

Finally she got the role she deserved. In “Gone Girl” she nailed it, she was definitely the best bit of the film.

 

 

3. Michael Fassbender

He was in “12 Years a Slave” and I really wanted to whip him. His performance was so good, he played a convincingly good bad guy. Then there was “Frank” and off course “X-Men: Days of Future Past”. He’s had a pretty good year.

 

 

2. Matthew McConaughey

Okay, I used to be critical. I didn’t think much of McConaughey, he made some bad movies. But ever since “The Lincoln Lawyer” I started to like him more and more. Now, I think he was one of the best actors of his generation. In 2014 he won an Acadamy Award for his wonderful performance in “Dallas Buyers Club” and also hit theaters with “Interstellar”. But for me the highlight is “True Detective”, what an awesome show!

 

 

1. Chris Pratt

He had a small role in “Her”, voiced for the awesome “The Lego Movie” and finished of with the coolest movie of 2014: “The Guardians of the Galaxy”. Chris Pratt is also coming with “Jurassic World” in 2015, so Pratt is without a doubt my favourite star of 2014.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Keira Knightley, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams

Best & Worst: Matt Damon

I really like Matt Damon. He looks like an average guy and is down to earth. But when he starts acting, he blows us all away. Damon is talented and has made some great films. Here are my choices for best and worst Matt Damon movies.

 

 

This movie is incredible. Okay, the ending was different from its original, but still it’s a great film. I liked Matt Damon in the bad guy role, the mole, the snitch.

Honorable Mentions: “The Bourne Identity”, “Good Will Hunting”, “Invictus”, “The Bourne Ultimatum”, “True Grit”

 

 

Not even all that bad, but towards the end the movie lost its credibility. It could have been a lot better. Matt Damon doesn’t have a lot of stinkers.

Dishonorable Mentions: “Ocean’s Thirteen”, “The Good Shepherd”

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 4: Mission: Impossible 3

Director: J.J. Abrams

Genre: Action/ Thriller

Runtime: 125 minutes

Year: 2006

Starring: Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Keri Russell, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Laurence Fishburne, Billy Crudup, Simon Pegg, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Maggie Q, Eddie Marsan

Description: Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) comes face to face with a dangerous and sadistic arms dealer while trying to keep his identity secret in order to protect his girlfriend (Michelle Monaghan).

Review: Ethan Hunt is sent on another mission. The task sounds simple: save one of their own after being held captive. But it’s a lot more complicated and it leads Hunt and his team to Germany, the Vatican, Virginia and Shanghai.

The raw but perfectly calculated action is probably the best thing about “Mission: Impossible 3”. The intrigues and the bond between Hunt and his team members Luther, Declan and Zhen are also very strong. I love the way how the team manages to outsmart everyone, by dodging cameras, blowing up Ferraris and disguising as their enemy. Hunt’s personal life is a little less interesting though.

Like the first two films, the cast is strong. Off course Tom Cruise and Ving Rhames do great. But Philip Seymour is very convincing as the bad guy. And Simon Pegg, who always manages to add cynicism and dry humor to his scenes.

“Mission: Impossible 3” is a great action thriller, a wonderful addition to the series.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (171)

Here are this weeks trailers.

Everly

Description: A woman, Everly (Salma Hayek), faces down assassins sent by her ex, a mob boss, while holed up in her apartment.

Director: Joe Lynch

Starring: Salma Hayek, Togo Igawa, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Laura Cepeda, Akie Kotabe

Trailer: Trailer "Everly"

Comment: Not sure about this.

Project Almanac

Description: A brilliant high school student and his friends uncover blueprints for a mysterious device with limitless potential, inadvertently putting lives in danger.

Director: Dean Israelite

Starring: Allen Evangelista, Sam Lerner, Jonny Weston, Sofia Black-D'Elia, Ginny Gardner

Trailer: Trailer "Project Almanac"

Comment: It's produced by Michael Bay.... so....

To Write Love on Her Arms

Description: A drama centered around Renee Yohe and her battle with drugs, depression, and other life issues that ultimately leads to the founding of charity group To Write Love on Her Arms.

Director: Nathan Frankowski

Starring: Kat Dennings, Chad Michael Murray, Rupert Friend, Mark Saul, Juliana Harkavy, Cornin Bleu

Trailer: Trailer "To Write Love on Her Arms"

Comment: Hmmm..... I don't know.

Along the Roadside

Description: Two young people from different parts of the world, their vastly different cultures and their journey of self-discovery during the drive to the largest music festival in California.

Director: Zoran Lisinac

Starring: Michael Madsen, Lazar Ristovski, Sheldon Bailey, Greg Collins

Trailer: Trailer "Along the Roadside"

Comment: Not a lot of good trailers this week.

Victory's Short

Description: After nine years without celebrating their wedding anniversary,Gabrielle Montvignier ,heir of a fortune in decline,is invited by her husband to a supper to make up for the past nine years. Gabrielle has become a cold,wounded,cynical woman because of her gigolo type husband.nevertheless she accepts the invitation even though the relationship is dead. What she doesn't know is that he has planned to eliminate her during this strange supper.

Director: Mika Ela Fisher, Benjamin Feitelson

Starring: Mika Ela Fisher, Benjamin Feitelson, France Péleau, François Guibert

Trailer: Trailer "Victory's Short"

Comment: Okay, maybe this is a (somewhat) good trailer.