Netflix Friday - Volume 59

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

Action: Troy (2004)
An adaptation of Homer’s great epic, the film follows the assault on Troy by the united Greek forces and chronicles the fates of the men involved.
 

Drama: Blow (2001)
The story of how George Jung (Johnny Depp), along with the Meddellín Cartel headed by Pablo Escobar, established the American Cocaine market in the 1970s in the United States.
 

Comedy: Happiest Season (2020)
A holiday romantic comedy that captures the range of emotions tied to wanting your family’s acceptance, being true to yourself, and trying not to ruin Christmas.
 

Animation: Wish Dragon (2021)
Determined teen Din is longing to reconnect with his childhood best friend when he meets a wish-granting dragon who shows him the magic of possibilities.
 

Romance: Love, Rosie (2014)
Rosie (Lily Collins) and Alex (Sam Claflin) have been best friends since they were 5, so they couldn’t possibly be right for one another… or could they? When it comes to love, life and making the right choices, these two are their own worst enemies.
 

Horror: The Ninth Gate (1999)
A rare book dealer (Johnny Depp), while seeking out the last two copies of a demon text, gets drawn into a conspiracy with supernatural overtones.
 

Science Fiction: Space Sweepers (2021)
Set in the year 2092 and follows the crew of a space junk collector ship called The Victory. When they discover a humanoid robot named Dorothy that’s known to be a weapon of mass destruction, they get involved in a risky business deal.
 

Crime: Mystic River (2003)
The lives of three men who were childhood friends are shattered when one of them has a family tragedy.
 

Thriller: Shutter Island (2010)
In 1954, a U.S. Marshal  (Leonardo DiCaprio) investigates the disappearance of a murderer who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane.
 

Documentary: Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet (2021)
David Attenborough and scientist Johan Rockström examine Earth’s biodiversity collapse and how this crisis can still be averted.
 

Family: Finding Ohana (2021)
A summer in rural O’ahu takes an exciting turn for two Brooklyn-raised siblings when a journal pointing to a long-lost treasure sets them on an epic adventure with new friends, and leads them to reconnect with their Hawaiian heritage.

10s Movie Review - Love, Rosie

Director: Christian Ditter
Genre: Romance/ Comedy/ Dram
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Lily Collins, Sam Claflin, Christian Cooke, Jaime Winstne, Suki Waterhouse, Tamsin Egerton, Jamie Beamish, Lorcan Cranitch, Ger Ryan, Lily Laight, Matthew Dillon, Rosa Molloy, Sadbh Malin, Nick Lee, Damien Devaney

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 23: A ROMCOM
 
Description: Rosie (Lily Collins) and Alex (Sam Claflin) have been best friends since they were 5, so they couldn’t possibly be right for another… or could they? When it comes to love, life and making the right choices, these two are their own worst enemies.

Review: It’s a truism: romantic comedies don’t have the most unexpected endings or particularly original entanglements. The genre almost always has the charismatic setback so that it all seems to go wrong and the lovebirds will be sitting there all alone. Or with someone they aren’t meant to be with. Everything depends on the interpretation of the romcom. In that respect, “Love, Rosie” is just right. Because if they didn’t get it right, it would be yet another cliché romcom. Because it’s not easy to watch two people who are made for each other endlessly revolve around each other for over hundred minutes, without admitting they love each other.
The fact that Rosie and her best friend Alex, whom she has known since she was five, will eventually get together is almost a certainty. You can’t imagine fate and a lot of misunderstandings and wrongly chosen moments ensure that the two friends take a different path in their lives and then end up back together. It’s what happens to both of them over a course of 12 years.
The moments in the lives of Rosie and Alex are entertaining, at times frustrating to the bone, and above all, a succession of fatal misfortune. However, it is brought with great nuance and embedded in realistic situations. When Alex is about to travel to the States to study there, it’s unthinkable that his heartfelt friend won’t allow him. But Rosie stays home and Alex hooks up with  a graceful American with whom things get very serious. Rosie only has to take one look at the couple during a visit to see that Alex’ relationship is doomed to fail. She doesn’t look for the cause in herself, but is simply sure that her best friend deserves better.
“Love, Rosie” benefits from the appealing interaction between lead actors Sam Claflin and Lily Collins. The number of side characters is kept to a minimum and the film focuses on Alex and Rosie.
I’m not the biggest fan of romcoms, but I really loved this film. “Love Rosie” is not about whether Rosie and Alex will fall into each other’s arms, but about how.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Netflix Friday - Volume 58

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

Action: Shaft (2019)
JJ Shaft (Jessie T. Usher), a cyber security expert with a degree from MIT, enlists his family’s help to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s death.
 

Drama: Blue Miracle (2021)
To save their cash-strapped orphanage, a guardian and his kids partner with a washed-up boat captain (Dennis Quaid) for a chance to win a lucrative fishing competition.
 

Comedy: Tower Heist (2011)
When a group of hard-working guys find out they’ve fallen victim to their wealthy employer’s Ponzi scheme, they conspire to rob his high-rise residence.
 

Animation: The SpongBob SquarePants Movie (2004)
SpongeBob SquarePants takes leave from the town of Bikini Bottom in order to track down King Neptune’s stolen crown.
 

Romance: 13 Going On 30 (2004)
A girl makes a wish on her thirteenth birthday, and wakes up the next day as a thirty-year old woman (Jennifer Garner).
 

Horror: Pet Sematary (2019)
Dr. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke) and his wife, Rachel (Amy Seimetz), relocate from Boston to rural Maine with their two young children. The couple soon discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home.
 

Science Fiction: The Discovery (2017)
Two years after the afterlife is scientifically proven, a man (Robert Redford) attempts to help a young woman (Rooney Mara) break away from her dark past.
 

Crime: Joker (2019)
In Gotham City, mentally troubled comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is disregarded and mistreated by society. He then embarks on a downward spiral of revolution and bloody crime. This path brings him face-to-face with his alter-ego: the Joker.
 

Thriller: The Rainmaker (1997)
An underdog lawyer (Matt Damon) takes on a fraudulent insurance company.
 

Documentary: One of Us (2017)
Penetrating the insular world of New York’s Hasidic community, focusing on three individuals driven to break away despite threats of retaliation.
 

Family: Hugo (2011)
In 1931 Paris, an orphan living in the walls of a train station gets wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.

Movie Review - Godzilla Vs. Kong

Director: Adam Wingard
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 113 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Rebecca Hall, Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Bryan Tyree Henry, Julian Denison, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir, Lance Reddick

Description: The two most powerful titans are opposite of each other: the fearsome Godzilla and the mighty Kong.

Review: When the giant ape Kong is deployed to find a mysterious energy source, his presence attracts the attention of Godzilla. It’s only a matter of time before these two titans go into battle with each other.
“Godzilla Vs Kong” is a movie I’ve been looking forward to ever since I heard it was in the making. And what a treat it is to see it in theaters, after them being closed for so long.
After “Godzilla” (2014), “Kong: Skull Island” (2017) and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019), we have now arrived at “Godzilla Vs Kong. It is not the first time the two iconic monsters meet but today the level is higher. And the result is breathtaking. As in the previous Monsterverse films, the makers have a good eye for detail, scale and action, keeping the way these gigantic creatures move not only believable, but spectacular.
Like its predecessors, this film has little time for the human characters. They aren’t provided with a lot of depth. But the majority of them do serve a purpose in the movie. Especially the little deaf girl Jia, who has a special bond with Kong. This is the heart of the story and the scenes between them are heartwarming. And they are in the film just the right amount, because when you go to see “Godzilla Vs King” you want to see some monster action, epic fights and spectacular battles. And that’s exactly what you get. Depth of characters isn’t needed at all, because you hardly care about the people in the film. But, as I stated before, they have a purpose in the story.  
I wouldn’t have mind if the film was a bit longer. But “Godzilla Vs Kong” did end perfectly in my eyes. Without spoiling anything, they gave both monsters a good ending of this story with it being believable if they were real.
I was so glad that I got the chance to see it on the big screen, because this is a movie you should see in theaters. The movie didn’t disappoint and it was pure entertainment with fantastic visuals.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

Book Review - The Windsor Knot by S.J. Bennett

Title: The Windsor Knot
Series: Her Majesty the Queen Investigates (Book # 1)
Author: S.J. Bennett
 
Description: It is the early spring of 2016 and Queen Elizabeth is at Windsor Castle in advance of her 90^th birthday celebrations. But the preparations are interrupted when a guest is found dead in one of the Castle bedrooms. The scene suggests the young Russian pianist strangled himself, but a badly tied knot lead MI5 to suspect foul play was involved. The queen leaves the investigation to the professionals, until their suspicions point them in the wrong direction. Unhappy at the mishandling of the case and concerned for her staff’s morale, the monarch decides to discreetly take matters into her own hands.

 
Review: A book with a striking title, but it’s just fiction. A murder is committed in a very special place: Windsor Castle. After a party, one of the guest is found dead in his room. The authorities think that one or more servants are involved in the murder. But Queen Elizabeth disagreed and secretly take the investigation into her own hands. 
It's a delightful story with a mixture of existing and fictional characters. It turns out to be a  warm, funny and exciting book. If you’re a fan of monarchy or when you love murder mysteries, this is the book for you.   
The Queen of England (The Boss) loves to solve mysteries. She started doing this at the age of twelve. Nothing escapes her, she sees things that other people do not. She Knows a lot about a lot of things, has hawk eyes a nose for nonsense and a fantastic memory. She notices things and sees when something is not right. And she then looks for the reason why. 
I really loved the idea and how they gave the murder mystery genre a royal touch. It was such a fun book to read and very original and fresh.

 
Rating: 3,5/ 5

 

10s Movie Review - Rendez-Vous

Director: Antoinette Beumer
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Loes Haverkort, Mark van Eeuwen, Pierre Boulanger, Peter Paul Muller, Jennifer Hoffman, Eva Duijvenstein
 
Description: Simone (Loes Haverkort) had a dream and achieving it didn’t seem that difficult. Or so she thought.

Review: The third novel by Dutch author Esther Verhoef is her first psychological thriller, turned into film by director Antoinette Beumer. Loes Haverkort plays leading character Simone. She is married to Eric and has two children. She is trying to find happiness with her family in France, where they renovate her late mother’s house and turn it into a bed and breakfast. For a thriller, there hardly is any tension.
When Simone runs into Michel, a handsome and charming French construction worker, she feels attracted to him. She goes after him, hesitating only briefly whether she is not putting all her family happiness at risk. It is also clear that Simone’s relationship with her mother was difficult. And she has a hard time adapting to France. Fellow Dutchman Peter helps her and Eric, even taking over the reins of the renovation. While Simone has a passionate affair with Michel, everything around her threatens to end in disaster.
Beumer obviously couldn’t decide what should be the main part of her book adaptation. Does it revolve around the messy practices surrounding the renovation and getting used to a strange environment or should Simone’s amorous explorations come first? There is an attempt to surround the village environment and the many Dutchmen who live in France with some mystique. But school mothers crying in cars, strange utterances at fairs, and the interpretation of the rich everybody’s friend and benefactor Peter hardly make a lasting impression.
The biggest shortcoming is the hardly plausible characterization of Simone. She is a woman who screams independence, but doesn’t actually make any decisions independently. Simone herself seems to realize what she is doing.
This combination of misjudgments in both the plot and character development is the final deathblow to this weak thriller. That doesn’t even feel like a thriller up until the last 20 minutes or so.

Rating: 2/ 5

00s Movie Review - Dawn of the Dead

Director: Zack Snyder
Genre: Action/ Drama/ Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2004
Starring: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Mekhi Phifer, Jake Weber, Ty Burrell, Michael Kelly, Kevin Zegers, Michael Barry, Lindy Booth, Jayne Eastwood, Boyd Banks, Inna Korobkina, R.D. Reid, Kim Poirier, Matt Frewer, Tom Savini, Ken Foree

Description: A group of survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping mall.

Review: In 1978, George A. Romero created a classic in the horror genre with “Dawn of the Dead”. While American society is collapsing due to the large-scale appearance and multiplication of zombies, four people get stuck in a large shopping mall, surrounded by a large number of living dead. For a while they manage to survive there by using the facilities there, while the building is surrounded by an increasing number of zombies. “Dawn of the Dead” distinguished itself from the bulk of the horror genre by its unique blend of suspense, action, humor, horror, satire and humanity. In that sense, the film remains unsurpassed to this day, and absolutely does not need a remake. The remake, then, is not really a remake, but rather a revision of the original that goes its own way. The question then, of course, is: does it remain a good film?
The film begins with a mini-portrait of the life of nurse Ana, which can be called somewhat monotone and routine. Soon, however, her quiet little life is disrupted by the fact that Ana’s blood-stained neighbor girl sinks her teeth into Ana’s husband, causing him to turn into a zombie as well and then attack Ana. She just barely manages to escape. When she’s outside, she sees that the entire city is in chaos. Buildings are on fire, people are fleeing or being eaten by zombies. The entire country and possible the entire world is in turmoil and dead creatures are roaming everywhere.
The opening titles underscore the chaos in which humans find themselves. Ana meets other survivors and together they decided to hide in a huge shopping mall, trying to survive there.
The zombies in “Dawn of the Dead” are fast and strong and have developed a slight hunting instinct. Partly because of this, the pace of the film is fast too. Other features include the obligatory, clichéd scare moments, which fortunately do no dominate the film and are limited to a modest number. Debuting director Zack Snyder does a great job with the suspense and scare and even added footage during the credits, which give a different spin to the story.
“Dawn of the Dead” manages to keep the tension, which is not hindered by the humor and action that also appears in the film. What is most preserved from the original film, is the humanity. While the zombies surround the mall, all sorts of things are happening inside the mall that barely have anything to do with the threat outside: power games, betrayal, selfishness, cynicism, bravery, compassion, love, you name it. The credibility of the characters allows the viewers to identify with them and experience their fears.
Fear and suspense is therefore what “Dawn of the Dead” delivers, the film is very effective and in that sense a successful horror film. It’s actually one of the best horror film of its decade.

Rating: 4/ 5