Movie Review - The Invisible Man

Director: Leigh Whannell
Genre: Horror/ Thriller/ Mystery
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Harriet Dyer, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Storm Reid, Michael Dorman

Description: When Cecilia’s (Elisabeth Moss) abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.

Review: Cecilia is scared to death of her ex Adrian. Even after he takes his own life, she feels like something is lurking around. When strange things happen around her, she wonders if he has found a way to become invisible and threaten her unseen.
In 2017 “The Mummy” was the supposed start of the iconic monsters of Universal Studios series. The idea was that characters like the Frankstein’s monster, The Wolfman, Dracula, The Mummy and The Invisible Man would meet each other in a series of blockbusters. Tom Cruise’s star power wasn’t enough to save this plan, since “The Mummy” was a terrible movie.
But then there is director Leigh Whannell, who based his film loosely on the book by H.G. Wells and James Whale’s original film from 1933. And this modern take on “The Invisible Man” stands ticks all the boxes and is a fantastic film.
The heart of the film is Elisabeth Moss, who plays the tormented Cecilia. As the creepy games of her invisible ex get worse, we see her fear and frustration grow. It’s Moss’ strong performance that elevated this horror film to a much-above-average scary flick. It’s easy to relate to Cecilia, since a lot of people have felt like her. Being controlled by a person or being stuck in a manipulative relationship. People that make you feel like you’re not worth anything. And that’s exactly why you care so much about Moss’ character. But not only that. When she feels like something is happening and she has to do something about it, naturally it's hard for Cecelia to explain what’s happening, because she simply can’t. Let’s be honest: when you tell people you’re being stalked by an invisible man, you look like a crazy person.
As I often state, it’s the things you can’t see that scare you the most. And that’s exactly what “The Invisible Man” does. You don’t see him, obviously, but there is this constant threat and scary feeling creeping up on you. He can strike anytime, but you never know when, how and where. It’s a very intense film. Building up tension with something that’s unseen, done so well, then you’re an excellent filmmaker. The way it’s filmed is really clever and also adds to that tension. Often we get to see couches or doorways, knowing he might be there and constantly looking for a sign that he is there. Even though you know you can’t see him, you want to see if there are hints of his presence. Great suggestion with the camera, making you wonder if you saw what you thought you saw. The film has only a few jump scares, that don’t feel cheap and are effective. And the sound in this movie is really important, because many scenes are silent and you’re constantly trying to hear if he’s breathing or walking.
“The Invisible Man” is a really good horror movie. It’s a smart and emotionally effective movie, with loads of tension and excellent acting.

Rating: 4,5 / 5

10s Movie Review - Jane

Director: Brett Morgan
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 90 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Jane Goodall

Description: The life and work of the renowned primatology scientist, Jane Goodall, especially on her research about chimpanzees.

Review: “Jane” is a documentary about the British secretary Jane Goodall, an who had the rare opportunity to study chimpanzees in Tanzania in 1957. Without the usual degrees, the then twenty-six-year-old nature loves was send to the African jungle by a befriended scientist because of her overwhelming love and dedication to animals and nature. All alone, among the wild primates.
Over a hundred hours of National Geographic imagery was used by Brett Morgan, which he turned into a film that seamlessly interweaves Jane Goodall’s professional life as a researcher with her personal life. In “Jane”, Morgan created with precision a fine mix of images from the film rolls that were recently discovered.
In a contemplative way we get to know Jane, a brave but at the same time sincere woman, who gradually comes closer to a group of chimpanzees. The behavior of primates had never been researched before. Day in, day out, Jane kept her notebook as she watched the group of apes from a safe distance. She got to know them, studied their hierarchical relationships, and saw the dynamics of the group change when a baby was born. Essential research, but due to money issues Jane wasn’t sure how long she cold stay in Tanzania.
Jane Goodall, who now is in her eighties, looks back on the archive footage and narrates, explains and comments on her fascination for chimpanzees, her fame as a primatologist and her personal life.
“Jane” is a beautiful documentary and it’s a fantastic way to show us what great work Goodall did and is still doing for the natural world. It’s a fascinating story about a very dedicated nature lover.

Rating: 4 / 5

00s Movie Review - Along Came a Spider

Director: Lee Tamahori
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 104 minutes
Year: 2001
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Monica Potter, Michael Wincott, Dylan Baker, Anton Yelchin, Mika Boorem, Kimberly Hawthorne, Billy Burke, Penelope Ann Miller, Michael Moriarty

Description: When a congressman’s daughter under Secret Service protection is kidnapped from a private school, detective Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) investigates the case even though he’s recovering from the loss of his partner.

Review: A sociopath with murderous tendencies has been posing as a teacher for two years and is patiently waiting for the moment he can strike. He kidnaps the daughter of a senator. Although the school was supervised by the Secret Service, they did not hinder him.
Detective Alex Cross, who we already met in the movie “Kiss the Girls”, is contacted by the kidnapper and together with Secret Service agent Jezzie Flannigan he tries to find the young girl.
It’s an okay thriller, mainly because of Morgan Freeman. I just love him s Alex Cross. But “Along Came a Spider” is nowhere near as good as “Kiss the Girls” was. The story is interesting, but towards the end it’s rushed and loses tension. Just above average.

Rating: 3/ 5

Netflix Friday - Volume 12

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

Action: Twister (1996)
Bill (Bill Paxton) and Jo Harding (Helen Hunt), advanced storm chasers on the brink of divorce, must join together to create an advanced weather alert system by putting themselves in the cross-hairs of extremely violent tornadoes.

Drama: Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
Alcatraz is the most secure prison of its time. It is believed that no one can ever escape from it, until three daring men (Clint Eastwood, Fred Ward, Jack Thibeau) make a possible successful attempt at escaping from on of the most infamous prisons in the world.

Comedy: Hot Fuzz (2007)
A skilled London police officer (Simon Pegg) is transferred to a small town with a dark secret.

Animation: Princess Mononoke (1997)
On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami’s curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke of Hime.

Romance: Always Be My Maybe (2019)
Everyone assumed Sasha (Ali Wong) and Marcus (Randall Park) would wind up together except for Sasha and Marcus. Reconnecting after 15 years, the two start to wonder.

Horror: Event Horizon (1997)
A rescue crew investigates a spaceship that disappeared into a black hole and has now returned… with someone or something new on-board.

Science Fiction: Children of Men (2006)
In 2027, in a chaotic world in which woman have become somehow infertile, a former activist (Clive Owen) agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.

Crime: Catch Me If You Can (2002)
A seasoned FBI agent (Tom Hanks) pursues Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) who, before his 19th birthday, successfully forged millions of dollars’ worth of checks while posing as a Pan Am pilot, a doctor and a legal prosecutor.

Thriller: Along Came a Spider (2001)
When a congressman’s daughter under Secret Service protection is kidnapped from a private school, detective Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) investigates the case even though he’s recovering from the loss of his partner.

Documentary: Jane (2017)
The life and work of the renowned primatology scientist, Jane Goodall, especially on her research about chimpanzees.

Family: Bean (1997)
The bumbling Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) travels to America when he is given the responsibility of bringing a highly valuable painting to a Los Angeles museum.

Movies You Expected to Love, but Hated

I recently made a list of movies I expected to hate, but then I loved them (check it out HERE). We can spin that around too. There have been movies that we all thought would be great, movies we would most definitely love and we were super excited about. And then it turns out they are not that good end we end up hating them. Here is a list of films that I expected to love, but hated.

Ma (2019)
I was so intrigued by the trailer and couldn’t wait to see “Ma”. I love Octavia Spencer and she was the only good part of this film. The characters make the dumbest decisions, I don’t understand why someone like Allison Janney is in it (since the only thing she does it telling Spencer’s character to do her job, literally) and this film was never scary or tense.

Suicide Squad (2016)
The biggest disappointment of the past ten years, for sure. The whole world was excited to see it. And we were all let down. Thank goodness for Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Harley Quinn, she was the only redeeming factor in the entire film. I don’t even know what’s up with Jared Leto’s version of Joker. I know everyone has a different interpretation of this character, but Joker looked like a pimp! No, very disappointing.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Indiana Jones is one of my favorite movie characters of all-time and him coming back after so many years was just the best news. It even brought back Karen Allen and director Steven Spielberg. Well, that wasn’t a guarantee for a good movie. Because “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is definitely not a good movie. I liked the comradery between Indy and Mutt, but the CGI is terrible and I simply wasn’t as invested in the story as I was in the previous three.

Movie 43 (2013)
Based on the cast alone, I thought this couldn’t go wrong. Think about, actors like Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts and Halle Berry are in this, among many many others. It’s a film with interconnected short stories, with several insane and ridiculous stories. For example ( and I’m not making this up), here are some of the stories in this film. A single woman going on a date with the most eligible bachelor, who just happens to have a pair of testicles dangling under his chin. A couple that tries to spies up their relationship, when one of them asks the other to poop on them. And a truth or dare game that goes as far as undergoing extreme plastic surgery. Yeah, it turned out to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen.

The Monuments Men (2014)
Directed by George Clooney, starring him together with Matt Damon, Bill Murray and John Goodman. Can’t go wrong, right? Well, it did. And this is by no means a bad movie, it’s just very boring and misses humor and adventure. So sad, because I really wanted it to be great.

Aloha (2015)
A recent disappointment. I saw the cast. It had three of my favorites in it: Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams and Bill Murray. And I love Jon Krasinski. It lacks logic and meaning and it drags. You can’t blame the cast, it’s just a really bad script.

Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Spider-Man is one of the most beloved superheroes of all-time, he really deserved better. The first film and especially the second film in this trilogy did really well and lived up to our expectations. “Spider-Man 3” simply didn’t and it’s really bad. Don’t even get me started on emo Peter Parker and his cringeworthy dance moves.

The Greatest Showman (2017)
Before you get your panties in a twist, I don’t think “The Greatest Showman” is a bad movie. Not at all, I actually like it to some point. And I love the music. But them together just didn’t work for me. The time period and the modern music just didn’t work together and I was very disappointed after seeing it for the first time. I gave it a second watch, but felt the same. It just didn’t feel right.

Movie Review - Escape from Pretoria

Director: Francis Annan
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber, Ian Hart, Mark Leonard Winter, Nathan Page, Grant Piro, Lenny Firth, Lliam Armor, Adam Tuominen, PJ Oaten
Description: Based on the real-life prison break of two political captives (Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber), set during the tumultuous apartheid days in South Africa.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 29: A MOVIE BASED ON A TRUE STORY

Review: In one of the first scenes of “Escape from Pretoria” the protagonist, Tim Jenkin is called the white Nelson Mandela. Nowadays that would be a huge compliment, but in 1978 in South Africa it is meant as an insult. The country is still under the spell of apartheid and Mandela is listed as state enemy number one. However, it is questionable whether Jenkin is offended by this remark, because he is fighting the same battle as Mandela. Tragically, this also results in the same fate: a prison sentence for years. For the explosive distribution of pamphlets, Jenkin and his friend Stephen Lee are sentenced to twelve and eight years imprisonment respectively, but already on the first day of that sentence they hint they won’t stay that long.
It may seem somewhat inappropriate to show the fight against apartheid entirely from a white perspective, but it helps that the lives of Nelson Mandela and Steve Biko have already been explored on the big screen, and films like this one contribute to disproving the misconception that this was purely a battle between black an white. In addition, Jenkin and Lee are sent to an all-white prison, because the racial separation was also in force in the penitentiary system. This initially makes us fear that Jenkin and Lee will be treated as pariahs by other prisoners who do not care about their ideological struggle. But it turns out that a striking number of like-minded people are locked up in the Pretoria prison.
However, they do not have to expect sympathy from the guards, who are consistently portrayed as the pawns of a fault regime. Jenkin and Lee call themselves prisoners of war and the film seems to agree with them. “Escape from Pretoria” is not about the heavy prison life or the political struggle, but is mainly a traditional escape film in which the background of the characters is more secondary than main. A smart move, because the possible criticism that this film about political prisoners uses remarkable little politics.
Although the characters have their reasons to escape inspired by political ideology, you don’t necessarily have to be interested to enjoy the film. After all, it invokes a form of tension that is fairly universal. Almost like a Jenga tower that starts to incline more and more, the film strings together exciting scenes in which the fear that Jenkin’s handmade keys won’t fit the lock becomes almost tangible, and every tiny sound makes one fear that a guard will come around the corner. Nothing new therefore, but in its execution extremely effective. You should blame “Escape from Pretoria” for a lack of ambition, but sometimes the art of storytelling lies precisely in reducing the story to its simplest form.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

Ranking the Franchise - John Wick

I didn’t think I would like “John Wick” when I saw the trailer of the first film. Let alone would I expect to need a full trilogy. I ended up loving “John Wick” and the sequels as well. I rewatched them all over the weekend, so the perfect time to rank the three films in “John Wick” franchise.

3. John Wick (2014)
A good old-fashioned revenge film in which former assassin John Wick goes to war when a bunch of Russian gangsters steal his card and kill his dog. Just after her buried his wife. Stylishly choreographed action scenes are alternated with the necessary cynical humor. But what remains above all is the dreamy New York in which the film takes place: a universe like that of a graphic novel, with a hotel at the center where the entire clientele consists of professional criminals.

2. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)
The sequel to the critic’s remarkably well-received “John Wick: Chapter 2” and it means even more life and death battles for assassin John Wick. So even more stabbing, fist fighting and gun fighting. You’d think that it would get old, but director and former stuntman Chad Stahelski keeps up the pace, the battle original and provides occasional dry comedy for relief. And Keanu Reeves (who is in his fifties, whut?) continues to convince as the constantly hunted but indestructible Wick. In this case, bigger is better.

1. John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
A few days after the events in the first “John Wick” film, the title character wants to take it easy, but is then forced to travel to Rome to commit an assassination attempt on a mob leader. After which all hell breaks loose. Just like in the first film, the violence is exuberant and baroque, tightly choregraphed, with classical architecture in the background, beautifully lit catacombs and other photographic gems. Hardly ever is a sequel better then the original, let alone the second film in a trilogy being the best.