Movie Review - Spenser Confidential

Director: Peter Berg
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Action
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Winston Duke, Alan Arkin

Description: When two Boston police officers are murdered, ex-cop Spenser (Mark Wahlberg) teams up with his no-nonsense roommate Hawk (Winston Duke) to take down criminals.

Review: After five years of imprisonment, former cop Spenser is a free man again. He ended up in jail for wanting to expose corruption within the police department. Because he doesn’t wat to stay in Boston due to this, he decides to leave for Arizona and become a truck driver. But when two cops are killed and he suspects foul play, he takes matter in his own hands and investigates the case.
Mark Wahlberg and director Peter Berg have a hard time saying goodbye to each other. They have worked together several times and “Spenser Confidential” marks their fifth collaboration.
I didn’t expect any kind of masterpiece or any originality. It’s a somewhat enjoyable film, when you don’t want to think to much. But my big problem with this film is the lack of focus. And with that I mean the focus on what genre it is. Sometimes the film feels like a crime drama, at times it’s a buddy-cop type of movie with some comedy and there are moments that “Spenser Confidential” is a rock hard action flick. It’s obvious they couldn’t find a balance between these genres and it’s really hard to define what it actually is. And with that, there is hardly any character development and the story is very predictable. And when it comes to characters, I found Cissy really annoying and she felt like a stereotypical Boston character instead of an actual human being.
At the end, they even hint to a sequel, which I would say no to. Because “Spenser Confidential” is, even though at times entertaining, not a very good film.

Rating: 2 / 5

10s Movie Review - I Am Michael

Director: Justin Kelly
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 98 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: James Franco, Zachary Quinto, Emma Roberts, Charlie Carver, Daryl Hannah, Ahna O’Reilly

Description: Based on the fascination true-life story of Michael Glatze (James Franco), a gay activist who becomes a Christian pastor after identifying as a heterosexual.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 11: A LGBTQ MOVIE

Review: In the late 2000s Michael Glatze, gay activist and co-founder of the magazine Young Gay America, announced that he embraced Christianity and no longer identified as homosexual. He even claimed that it was a bad thing. “I Am Michael” focuses on Michael’s change of paths and this somewhat incredible true story.
When we meet Michael, he is the editor of XY, a magazine for gay men stationed in San Francisco. He and his boyfriend Bennett seem to enjoy their life and seemingly perfect relationship. It’s so perfect that they even invite a third man, Tyler.
But deep inside Michael is in pain. He suffers from his mother’s death and becomes obsessed with questions about life after death. He drifts further apart from Bennett. Michael discovers that there is more love and truth in the bible then he initially thought and eventually devotes himself to God. Michael decides he no longer identifies as homosexual. He goes to bible school and meets a young woman there, whom he falls in love with.
Director Justin Kelly and all the actors seem not to be judging Glatze, but they can't downplay the sharp nature of his betrayal.
“I Am Michael” is a beautiful film without any technical fuss, which managed to keep my attention for the entire runtime. Maybe a bit fragmented, but because I didn’t know the original story it didn’t bother me. I found James Franco, who portrayed Glatze, very strong in his role and his character development was very interesting. Zachary Quinto, as Bennet, also did a good job. I liked the calm nature of his character and it felt like he somewhat served as Michael’s conscience.

Rating: 3/ 5

00s Movie Review - Old School

Director: Todd Phillips
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 88 minutes
Year: 2003
Starring: Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Ellen Pompeo, Elisha Cuthbert, Perry Reeves, Jeremy Piven, Seann William Scott, Juliette Lewis, Leah Remini

Description: Three friends attempt to recapture their glory days by opening up a fraternity.

Review: Mitch just found his girlfriend cheating on him, when he returns early from his business trip. Not interested in forgiving her, he leaves the house and buys a new one near the campus of the local university. Mitch’s best friend Beanie sees it as the perfect opportunity to have parties. Their other friend, newly-wed Frank and well-known former party animal, really gets back to his old ways during these parties. Because the house seems to be on campus ground, the guys decide to start a fraternity, for all those guys who didn’t get into any.
Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn show that they work well together, when it comes to good comedy. The film hasn’t got the most original plot, but the film has some great jokes and especially Will Ferrell is on a roll as Frank the Tank.
“Old School” is one of those comedies that never gets old and stays funny, even after viewing it over a dozen times.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - All the Bright Places

Director: Brett Haley
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Elle Fanning, Justice Smith, Luke Wilson, Keegan-Michael Key, Kelli O’Hara

Description: The story of Violet (Elle Fanning) and Theodore (Justice Smith), who meet and change each other’s lives forever. As they struggle with the emotional and physical scars of their past, they discover that even the smallest places and moments can mean something.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 10: A TEEN MOVIE

Review: We follow Violet, who is dealing with the loss of her sister, who died in a car accident. She meets Theodore Finch, who is also struggling with himself for yet unknown reasons. They have to work together for a school project, where they have to find the most meaningful and beautiful places in Indiana, where they live.
When they meet, Violet is at her worst. Finch helps Violet’s process her sister’s death and it even feels like he becomes her mentor. But Finch’s situation worsened.
If you can appreciate “The Fault in Our Stars’, you will also enjoy this film. “All the Bright Places” shows us in a beautiful wat how two teenagers deal with mental health issues and which effects this has on themselves, their relationships and the people around them. A pretty heavy theme, but the film has plenty of cheerful and light moments.
“All the Bright Places” is a good romantic drama, that doesn’t shy away from heavy topics. But it’s still not daring enough. Although it’s easy to relate to both characters, it’s not completely clear what Finch is struggling with the most and why he is the way he is. I feel like Violet’s character was more in-depth. And there is one character, Amanda, one of Violet’s friends, who has a small subplot that is so thrown in there that it’s really hard to care. When you really want to care, but it’s so out of the blue. And it doesn’t really serve a purpose.
Like I said before, you will probably like it if you enjoyed films like “The Fault in Our Stars”. And it is a pretty good teen drama with a good change that you will shed a tear.

Rating: 3 / 5

Movie Review - 1917

Director: Sam Mendes
Genre: Drama/ Action
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Richard Madden, Andrew Scott, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch

Description: April 6th 1917. As a regiment assembles to wage war deep in enemy territory, two soldiers are assigned to race against time and deliver a message that will stop 1600 men from walking into a deadly trap.

Review: Anyone who watched that minute tracking shot in “Atonement”, on the beach of Dunkirk, watched it with jaw dropping amazement. And all those people will be in for a treat for “1917”. In this sweltering film, the camera follows two soldiers in one long shot, while being sent on a life-threatening mission behind enemy lines during World War I. A masterpiece by Sam Mendes, where the technique is fully at the service of the story. One of the most impressive war movies since “Saving Private Ryan”.
On a deceptively calm morning in the spring of 1917, the British soldiers Schofield and Blake are called to their sergeant for a risky mission. A few kilometers further, a British battalion thinks it can attack the retreating Germans. It appears to be an ambush. Communication between the two camps is no longer possible, so Schofield and Blake are sent to deliver the message in person. Within a couple of hours, otherwise it will be too late.
The two clamber over the barbed wire and start, on foot, a mission that seems to be doomed to fail. It’s awfully quiet in and around the German trenches, behind every rustle there’s a threat. Wonderful how the camera wanders around the two men, it glides past craters full of limbs, dives under water, then searches the sky for hostile planes. Whereas in other films the ‘long take’ can feel like a trick after a while, here it works brilliantly. The feeling of unrelenting threat is enormous, precisely because perspective is never changed. The camera is like the third soldier through whose eyes you watch this desperate mission. In reality, the camera is operated by master cinematographer Roger Deakins (“Blade Runner 2049”, “Sicario”, “Prisoners”), who always guarantees visual fireworks.
The fact that the film is somewhat schematic (obstacle-resting point-obstacle, etc.) is not a problem at all. For that, each scene on its own is too compelling or exciting. Lead actors Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay delicately give shape to their characters, flesh-and-blood soldiers, not the overly fearless types who appear so often in war films. The camaraderie between the two forms the leading beating heart of the story.
The clever thing about “1917” is that is combines the gripping art of storytelling with overwhelming experiential cinema. Christopher Nolan’s WOII epos “Dunkirk”, which stylistically shows some common ground, mainly fell into that second category. That film, too succeeded in conveying the raw reality of the battlefield, was brilliantly photographed, but lacked emotional depth. During the credits it can be read that “1917” is based on the war experiences of director Sam Mendes’ grandfather, who knows. Maybe it’s that what makes it so gripping.
I think I can say that “1917” is Sam Mendes’ best film so far.

Rating: 5 / 5

TV Show Review - I Am Not Okay With This (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Comedy
Number of episodes: 7
Year: 2020
Starring: Sophia Lillis, Wyatt Oleff, Sofia Bryant, Kathleen Rose Perkins, Richard Ellis, Aidan Wojtak-Hissong, Greg Daniel

Description: Sydney (Sophia Lillis) is a teenage girl navigating the trials and tribulations of high school while dealing with the complexities of her family, her budding sexuality, and the mysterious superpowers just beginning to awaken deep within her.

Review: A bloody girl walks down the street. It’s Sydney, a misunderstood teenager with superpowers. Angular cars, dull pastel colors and clothing from a bygone era surround Sydney in her trip to school. The tutor advises her to keep a diary, to avoid those anger attacks. The tone is set.
“I Am Not Okay With This” uses the same trick as “Sex Education”. Because the 80s don’t want to disappear from out pop culture, the creators dress their series in exactly the same aesthetics, only to mention in passing that we are indeed in the here and now. Get ready for yet another school party with eighties tunes and a staging of “The Breakfast Club”. Nostalgia can be a strong narrative.
Sometimes I feel like I’ve seen it all before. The new Netflix-hit in the making also burrows the voice-over and imaging of “The End of the F***ing World”. No wonder because the same creators are behind it. The combination is edgy and enchanting at the same time. “I Am Not Okay With This” stands out because it’s unobtrusive.
Behind the easy story-telling voice is the passionate young actress Sophia Lillis, which you might recognize from the movie “It”. Lillis and her young fellow actors portray realistic and complex teenagers with a good heart. Sydney is stuck in a love triangle with her best friend Dina and the eternally enthusiastic neighbor Stan. Stan is played by Wyatt Oleff, who was also in “It”. Lillis and Oleff worked together before, which is probably why especially those two click really well on screen.
The series is only seven episodes long and each episode is under 30 minutes, it’s a quick and easy watch. “I Am Okay With This” deals with some heavy themes, but never feels like that. It’s not dark enough and it’s a bit too light-hearted at times.
Although the style it is filmed in, with the 80s vibe and new-wave music, isn’t new and a much used style these days in series, I did love this aspect of “I Am Not Okay With This” the most. That and lead Sophia Lillis were the best part of the series. It’s not a unique series, there is a big mix of shows and stories we have seen before and it doesn’t really offer anything new. But with this formula, that seems to work well on other shows, you don’t necessarily need to be standing out because there is a reason people make these types of series. The audience likes it. And so did I. Not number one in originality, but definitely a good new Netflix original series.

10s Movie Review - Little Monsters

Director: Abe Forsythe
Genre: Comedy/ Horror
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Lupita Nyongo’o, Alexander England, Josh Gad, Nadia Townsend, Kat Stewart, Stephen Peacocke, Diesel La Torraca, M.J. Kokolis, Moana Nikora, Saskia Burmeister

Description: A washed-up musician (Alexander England) teams up with a teacher (Lupita Nyongo’o) and a kids show personality (Josh Gad) to protect young children from a sudden outbreak of zombies.

Review: With her Oscar-winning break-out role in “12 Years a Slave” it looked like Lupita Nyongo’o had a steady job in Hollywood as dramatic actress, but since then she has chosen all sorts of genre films to add to her resumé. She was a CGI-animated character in the latest “Star Wars” films, was in Marvel’s “Black Panther” and played a very impressive double role in horror film “Us”. The Australian film “Little Monsters” is also a horror film, but in the comedy genre. And let that be my favorite type of horror film. And although technically Nyongo’o isn’t the leading character in the film, as Miss Caroline she is a consistent eye-catcher in the film. As a kindergarten teacher she manages to keep her kids’ attention at all times, but also the adults that come near her. Nyongo’o is extremely charming in this film.
And leading man Dave sees that too. He is a struggling musician and just broke up with his girlfriend. Dave is staying with his sister Tess and her son Felix. When Dave takes Felix to school, he immediately falls for teacher Miss Caroline, Audrey for friends. He tries to impress her, she is not falling for his superficial gestures. Dave volunteers for and excursion to the local petting zoo, but this trip doesn’t really go as planned when a sudden zombie outbreak happens.
For some reason this petting zoo is stationed next to a military base, where this outbreak occurred. Miss Caroline and Dave have to work together to keep the class safe, but she uses a different method. Instead of telling them what’s going on for real, which would definitely scare them, Miss Caroline tells them it’s a game and present the situation in a somewhat child-friendly way.
That touches the learning curve for the crude Dave. After the zombie outbreak, he immediately comes into physical action, but above all he has to learn other ways in which he can be helpful. His personal growth makes him the main character, but his female opponent is a very important player in how she inspires him to do so. It is therefore no coincidence that he keeps calling her Miss Carloine, even though she repeatedly requests that he just uses her first name Audrey.
It is the fine portrayal of the character that makes “Little Monsters” worthwhile. At first, Miss Caroline clearly doesn’t like Dave very much, but instead of expressing that through all sorts of nasty remarks, she just remains polite. For Dave, the obligatory scene in the opening phase is when he comes home to find his girlfriend with another man. But while many films present this situation as a big surprise that drives the male protagonist to turn his life upside down, here is it only a confirmation of a completely deadly relationship. After all, the opening scene already showed that this coupe was in a permanent state of quarrel, making him just as guilty of this situation as they are. Dave does not have to count immediate sympathy from the viewer, but will have to earn it.
The focus is more on the characters than on the zombie-aspect of the film, which is more a bonus given than the base of the film. Fortunately, the film gets away with that quite well by keeping it all nice and small. “Little Monsters” may never be very exciting or over-the-top hilarious, but at times it is very endearing. And that’s still quite unique for a zombie film.

Rating: 3,5 / 5