Movie Reviews - Green Book

Director: Peter Farrelly
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini

Description: A working-class Italian-American bouncer (Viggo Mortensen) becomes the driver of an African-American classical pianist (Mahershala Ali) on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South.

Review: Tony Lip, also known as Tony Vallenlonga, worked at the Copacabana in New York in the 50s and 60s. When the Copacabana is closed due to construction, Tony gets a job as a driver. This job would change his life.
Viggo Mortenson plays Tony, a ‘bullshitter’ with a big heart. Because he has a wife and two kids, he can’t wait for the Copacabana to be re-opened. So he takes on a job as a driver for Dr. Shirley. Don Shirley, played by Mahershala Ali, is not a medical doctor, but a very gifted concert pianist. And he is an African American man. Tony drives him around the country for his tour, that in 1962 is still pretty racist. Tony still has some prejudice about African American people, but is fascinated by Shirley and really needs the money. Shirley isn’t only a talented pianist, he is also very well-read, intelligent and well-mannered. He is the complete opposite of Tony. And they are both bias. Tony learns how life is for a black man in the south, were racism rules and rich men pay big money to see Shirley play. But also refuse to serve him in restaurants or let him use their dressing rooms or rest room.
The green book in the title, is a book that had all the locations in the south if the US that a black man was allowed.
“Green Book” is directed by Peter Farrelly, one half of the duo that made comedies like “Dumb and Dumber” and “There’s Something About Mary”. So that he directed a now Oscar-winning movie, is kind of a surprise. You do feel that this pretty heavy theme, is brought with a lot of humor and it’s very light-hearted. It’s never a heavy movie.
Viggo Mortensen is one of the most versatile actors in the business and I loved him in the role of Tony Lip. And together with Mahershala Ali, he forms a great duo. The two actors are the heart of the film, they carry it. Ali even took home the Oscar for best supporting actor, which is very well-deserved.
Although it’s a pretty light-hearted film, “Green Book” does have depth. But it’s all very safe and this way it’s accessible for all audiences. It’s a pretty straight-forward film and it could use a bit of an edge. It’s not sugar sweet though, but it’s a feel-good film that will please the large audience. And that’s exactly why it won the Oscar for Best Picture.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

TV Show Review - True Detective (Season 3)

Season: 3
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2019
Starring: Mahershala Ali, Stephen Dorff, Scoot McNairy, Michael Rooker, Carmen Ejogo, Ray Fisher

Description: A macabre crime in the heart of the Ozarks and a mystery deepens over decades and plays out in three separate time periods. Detectives Wayne Hays (Mahershala Ali) and Roland West (Stephen Dorff) investigate this dark crime.

Review: The first season of “True Detective” was a sensation. Unknown what to expect, every episode was as intriguing and the mystery kept viewers on the edge of their seats. It had interesting lead characters and the show captivated everyone until the end. So the bar was set for the second season. A new story, new characters, but as expected, it never met the success of the first season.
Season 3 starts again, with a new story and new detectives. We meet Wayne Hays in 2015, who is being interviewed for a TV show about a case of a missing child, that he worked on in the 1980s. In the 1990s more information became available. So this story is told during three time periods: the original investigation in the 1980s, the reopening of the case in the 1990s and the look back in 2015.
In 1980, two kids disappear and detectives Wayne Hays (Mahershala Ali) and Roland West (Stephen Dorff) investigate this case. When we see the conversations held in 1990 and 2015, we learn that conclusions are drawn that will probably be revisited.
While the investigation is shown in three different time lines, we also get to know Hays and what this case does to him. He meets his wife and mother of his children. The scenes between Hays and his wife Amelia, shows us character development as well.
Although we follow three timelines and they switch constantly, it’s never hard to follow.
The performances are really good. Mahershala Ali steals the show and carries it easily. But Stephen Dorff as well, he is really strong in his role.
The third season of “True Detective” manages to come closer to season 1, when it comes to style, atmosphere, the story, the characters, the performances and how invested you will be. It’s still not as good as the first season, but it comes awfully close.

80s Movie Review - Footloose

Director: Herbert Ross
Genre: Drama/ Romance/ Music
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 1984
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, Chris Penn, Sarah Jessica Parker

Description: A city teenager (Kevin Bacon) moves to a small town where rock music and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit shakes up the populace.

Review: It sound a bit silly, a town that has banded rock music and dancing. And it kinda is. But somehow, “Footloose” is still a fun film, filled with great 80s music.
Ren McCormack is a city boy, who moves to a small town with his mother. Rock music and dancing is banned, but Ren and his new friends are going to rebel against that. Ariel is the reverend’s daughter, the man who started it all. And of course she falls for Ren.
Two things I love about this film: the music and the choreography. It looks good, makes you happy and you instantly start moving in your chair. And especially the dance montages are my favorite.
“Footloose” isn’t really a timeless classic, but after so many years it’s still a fun film to watch. The story is still a bit silly and the performance are a bit flat. But overall, it’s a great dance film.

Rating: 3 / 5

TV Show Review - Luther (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Number of episodes: 4
Year: 2011
Starring: Idris Elba, Ruth Wilson, Dermot Crowley, Warren Brown, Michael Smiley, Paul McGann, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Aimee Ffion-Edwards, Kierston Wareing

Description: DCI John Luther (Idris Elba) is a near-genius murder detective whose brilliant mind can't always save him from the dangerous violence of his passions.

Review: John Luther, a complex man with a complicated personal and professional life. Luther is a very intelligent man, explosive, aggressive, emotional. And in season 2 we get to know the detective a little bit more. His relationship with Alice is strange, but also the relationship between him and Mark.
After the happenings at the end of season 1, we’re back in London and there are some changes. DS Ripley is back in uniform, Alice is in a mental hospital and Luther ‘plays’ Russian roulette with his father’s gun.
Luther wouldn’t be Luther if he didn’t ask Ripley back. Because his loyalty is worth much to Luther. DSU Schenk leads a new team and Luther and Ripley join him. There they meet DS Erin Gray, who does everything by the book, unlike Luther and Ripley.
Season 1 had six episode, this season has only 4. And there are two cases, taking over two episodes each. Alice is out of the picture, so we need a new red thread. This comes in the form of Jenny Jones, a prostitute working in the adult film industry. Her mother thinks it’s involuntary and Luther comes to the rescue. I’d rather see more of Alice, but this is also an interesting change.
“Luther” is a show that grabs you, thanks to again the fantastic performance by Idris Elba in the titular role. His very honest and realistic emotions are something many of us can relate to. How it doesn’t let him go. And we can somehow also understand the blind trust that Schenk and Ripley have in him.
Again, a really great season.

10s Movie Review - Bad Times at the El Royale

Director: Drew Goddard
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 142 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Chris Hemsworth, Nick Offerman

Description: Circa 1969, several strangers, most with a secret to bury, meet by chance at Lake Tahoe's El Royale, a rundown hotel with a dark past. Over the course of one night, everyone will show their true colors - before everything goes to hell.

Review: Many times I thought about Quentin Tarantino, while watching “Bad Times at the El Royale”. And that’s a compliment to director Drew Goddard, who is still looking for his own voice but is very talented. Goddard decided to use the non-chronological narration and it works!
The El Royale hotel stand on both Californian and Nevada ground. The border runs right through the middle of the hotel. And the hotel is some strange clientele. The mysterious Father Flynn, soul singer Darlene Sweet, slick salesman Laramie Sullivan and hippie girl Emily Summerspring. All of them have secrets, including the hotel itself.
Goddard has an eye for atmospheric detail, manages to create unusual camera angles and builds up the tension. It looks fantastic. Especially one scene, with Darlene singing “You Can’t Hurry Love” shows what a great filmmaker Goddard actually is.
All characters have their own reasons to be in the El Royale and the less you know from the start, the better. Jeff Bridges is strong as always. But it’s Chris Hemsworth who steals the show as Billy Lee. It takes a while for him to enter the story, but when he does, he really does.
“Bad Times at the El Royale” is a really good film, that looks great and has amazing potential. I enjoyed it from start to finish!

Rating: 4/ 5

Academy Awards 2019 - Results

Who watched the Oscars last night? Well, I did. And I said I felt lucky. I was so wrong, because this year the Academy finally decided to be more surprising. In one way, it's a good thing. Because I like to being surprised. Some wins really made me extra happy this year.

Spike Lee winning for best adapted screenplay, for "BlacKkKlansman". He is a man with a voice that should be heard, someone with an important message to tell. And he finally got the recognition he deserved.

No Disney winning the animated feature award, but "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse". Not so much a surprise, but a great change. This category has gotten so predictable, I'm glad that this year it wasn't Disney or Pixar (even though I love them).

Olivia Colman is a fantastic actress, I already knew that. But I'm glad that she was finally recognized by the Academy. Her performance in "The Favourite" is amazing. I sure as hell thought Glenn Close was going home with the best actres award. I was wrong.

Mahershala Ali is one of the greatest discoveries of the past years. And him winning the best supporting actor award for "Green Book" was one of the few wins I was sure of. Well-deeserved.

Alfonso Cuarón took home two awards, for best director and best cinematography, for the movie "Roma". He is a genius director and maybe even more a briljant cinematographer. Very cool to see him take away both awards.

The best picture category is Always the hardest to predict, but this year I was absolutely sure "Roma" would win. Wrong again! Underdog "Green Book" won and it was actually the movie I was hoping for.

Academy Awards 2019 - Predictions

Tonight it's Oscar night. And here are my predictions for the 2019 Academy Awards. I'm feeling Lucky this year!!!

Best Motion Picture of the Year: "Roma"
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Rami Malek, "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Best Performance by and Actress in a Leading Role: Glenn Close, "The Wife"
Best Performance by and Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali, "Green Book"
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk"
Best Achievement in Directing: Alfonso Cuarón, "Roma"
Best Original Screenplay: Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, "The Favourite"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowirz, Kevin Wilmott and Spike Lee, "BlacKkKlansman"
Best Achievement in Cinematography: Alfonso Cuarón, "Roma"
Best Achievement in Editing: Barry Alexander Brown, "BlacKkKlansman"

Best Achievement in Production Design: Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart, "Black Panther"
Best Achievement in Costume Design: Ruth E. Carter, "Black Panther"
best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling: Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney, "Vice"
Best Achievement in Music Written for a Motion Picture (Original Score): Terence Blanchard, "BlacKkKlansman"
Best Achievement in Music Written for a Motion Picture (Original Song): Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt, "A Star is Born" (Shallow)
Best Achievement in Sound Mixing: Tom Ozanich, Dean A. Supancic, Jason Ruder and Steven Morrow, "A Star is Born"
Best Achievement in Sound Editing: Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou, "First Man"

Best Achievement in Visual Effects: Dan DeLeeuw, Kelly Port, Russel Earl and Daniel Sudick, "Avengers: Infinity War"
Best Documentary Feature: "Free Solo"
Best Documentary Short Subject: "End Game"
Best Animated Feature Film: "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"
Best Animated Short Film: "Bao" Best Live-Action Short Film: "Marguerite" Best Foreign Language Film of the Year: "Roma"