Rewatching My 100 Favorite Movies - Update 13

I decided to rewatch my 100 favorite movies of all-time. What those are, you can check HERE. I watch them in random order, there is no rhyme or reason there, just watching those movies I love so much.
 

42/ 100: Stand By Me (1986)
A writer reminisces about his childhood friendship in the 1950s. Flashbacks take us back to a summer in Oregon, when four young boys go looking for the body of a missing teenager. Director Rob Reiner made a moving an effective film of the story written by Stephen King, which he named “The Body”. Beautiful and believable acting by the young actor, especially River Phoenix. HERE is my full review.
 

43/ 100: Fargo (1996)
Tragicomic masterpiece by the Coen Brothers, in which Jerry has his own wife kidnapped because he needs money for a business deal. The evil scheme fails miserably because of, on the one hand, the botched work of the criminals involved and, on the other, the exceptional detective skills of the pregnant police chief Marge. Frances McDormand as Marge is a delight, she created one of my favorite female movie characters of all-time. And “Fargo” is my favorite film by the Coen Brothers. You can find my full review HERE.
 

44/ 100: Ratatouille (2007)
The film is about the young rat Rémy who dreams of becoming a chef in a top Paris restaurant. Rémy ends up in the former 5-star restaurant of his great idol, the late top chef Gusteau, where he makes an alliance with the talentless but ambitious kitchen help Linguini. Not only does the technical mastery impress, the film superbly combines seriousness and fun. The story is layered and offers top entertainment for all age. Check out my full revies HERE.
 

45/ 100: American History X (1998)
Edward Norton plays Derek Vinyard, an American neo-Nazi with intellectual ambitions. His little brother Danny sees him as his idol, even when Derek ends up in prison for the murder of two black men. In prison, Derek repents, while Danny falls further and further under the spell of a local leader of the extremist movement. When Derek is released things escalate. Edward Norton plays fantastic. The story is intense, which makes “American History X” an excellent film that is still topical. You can read my full review HERE.
 
Still to watch: 55

20s Movie Review - Eternals

Director: Chloé Zhao
Genre: Adventure/ Action/ Science Fiction/ Fantasy
Runtime: 156 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Gemma Chen, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harrington, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Ma Dong-Seok, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Bill Skarsgård

Description: The saga of the Eternals, a race of immortal beings who lived on Earth and shaped its history and civilizations.

Review: In the massive, ethnically diverse “Eternals, no less than ten new superheroes are introduces to viewers at once. An extremely ambitious project, bit is this really the promised gamechanger for the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Ajak, Thena, Ikaris, Kingo, Sersi and the others fight against so-called Devians who have long been a threat to humanity and the Eternals themselves. Not that you’ll notice much of that, as the monsters are defeated without much of a fight by a team of heroes with fairly generic superpowers: one shoots lasers out of his eyes, the other rays of light out of fingertips.
But above all, don’t leave too early. “Eternals” takes a little time to get up to speed, because the pace is a little different than you’re used to from Marvel. The film covers a period of around seven thousand years and happily hops back and forth between different time periods and different locations.
The film opens (like “Star Wars”) with a piece of text that rolls across the screen and so we learn that the Eternals have indeed been roaming the universe since the creation of heaven and earth. Of course, this immediately raises an essential question, for why didn’t these primal superheroes help when Thanos decided to eliminate half the world’s population? The answer is really simple: the Eternals were not allowed to get involved.
Although at first this seems to dismiss the matter a little too easily, along the way “Eternals” unrolls a theological head-scratcher that ties in quite nicely with all that has happened before. Arishem, an entity with a body of cosmic proportions, has his own plan for the universe, but it would be a shame to reveal how the Eternals fit into that picture.
Biblival, Babylonian and Greek myths are mixed up and turned into this entertaining Marvel flick. A lot was changed, there are many differences between the comics and the movie ( I looked it up, didn’t know anything about “Eternals”).
It’s almost a surprise that Chloé Zhao directed it. The woman behind “The Rider”(2017) and “Nomadland” (2020), where she used documentary-like style to highlight marginalized groups in society: men who do not conform to the macho ideal, for example, or poor people who are forced to roam their own country as nomads. Her idiosyncratic way of filming is nowhere to be found this time.
“Eternals” is not a failure, but certainly hasn’t become the gamechanger we were promised. The film has a lot going on, many characters, but only a few get enough attention to understand their motivations or sympathize with them. Many characters you just want to get to know better and with the long runtime you expect there is enough time to do so. But sadly, a lot of the characters are still  underdeveloped.  

Rating: 2,5/ 5

90s Movie Review - American History X

Director: Tony Kaye
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 1998
Starring: Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D’Angelo, Ethan Suplee, Fairuza Balk, Avery Brooks, Stacy Keach, Elliot Gould

Description: Former neo-nazi skinhead Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) tries to prevent his younger brother Danny (Edward Furlong) from going down the same wrong path that he did.

Review: After skinhead Derek Vinyard kills two black burglars, he goes to prison, with pride. The so called ideals of the ‘third reich’ can’t save him there, so Derek chooses a different path and doesn’t want to have anything to do with it anymore. His younger brother Danny though worships Derek and is about to follow the wrong path.
“American History X” is a powerful film, with some shocking violent scenes. That one scene, involving a curb, makes me cringe every time.  It’s a drama with a clearly present moral.
The story alternates between the past and present. The part that’s set in the present day, is shot in full color. The scenes where we learn about Derek’s early life and his time in jail, was shot in black and white. By using these two different styles, it keeps your attention at all times.
The acting is excellent and especially Edward Norton shines. This is his best performance to date and he shows how varied he can be. We see him as the relentless and proud neo-nazi, that doesn’t even blink to kill a man and has a strong opinion about people that aren’t white. But also the change he goes through, where he finally realizes what he did. He is no longer proud of his actions and wants to walk away from that life. Norton was nominated for an Academy Award and in my opinion he should have gone home with the statue.
“American History X” is one of my favorite films and gets to me every time. A great film with an extraordinary performance by Edward Norton.

Rating: 5/ 5

Netflix Friday - Volume 89

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

Action: 47 Ronin (2013)
A band of samurai set out to avenge the death and dishonor of their master at the hands of a ruthless shogun.
 

Drama: Changeling (2008)
Grief-stricken mother Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) takes on the L.A.P.D. to her own detriment when it tries to pass off an obvious imposter as her child.
 

Comedy: Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)
After a humiliating performance at The Kennedy Center, the Barden Bellas enter an international competition that no American group has ever won in order to regain their status and right to perform.
 

Animation: The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
The quiet life of a terrier named Max (Louis C.K.) is upended when his owner takes in Duke (Eric Stonestreet), a stray whom Max instantly dislikes.  
 

Romance: The Prince & Me (2004)
At college Paige (Julia Stiles) meets Eddie (Luke Mably), a fellow student from Denmark, whom she first dislikes but later accepts, likes, and loves; he proves to be Crown Prince Edward. Paige follows him to Copenhagen, and he follows her back to school with a plan.
 

Horror: Mama (2013)
After a young couple (Jessica Chastain, Nicolaj Coster-Waldau) take in their two nieces, they suspect that a supernatural spirit named Mama has latched onto their family.
 

Science Fiction: 2012 (2009)
A frustrated writer (John Cusack) struggles to keep his family alive when a series of global catastrophes threatens to annihilate mankind.
 

Crime: The Accountant (2016)
As a math savant (Ben Affleck) uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities, and the body count starts to rise.
 

Thriller: First Reformed (2017)
A minister (Ethan Hawke) of a small congregation in upstate New York grapples with mounting despair brought on by tragedy, worldly concerns and a tormented past.
 

Documentary: Gaga: Five Foot Two (2017)
Tis documentary goes behind the scenes with pop provocateur Lady gaga as she releases a bold new album and prepares for her Super Bowl halftime show.
 

Family: Charlie and the Chocolate  Factory (2005)
A young boy (Freddie Highmore) wins a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the world’s most unusual candy maker (Johnny Depp)

Five to Watch - Movies About Drugs

I’ve watched the series “Narcos” last year on Netflix and I really liked it (and I’m into Pedro Pascal, main reason I started watching). The show centrals drugs. And I started about all the movies that are about drugs. And there are a lot! I decided to focus on the movies that you might not have seen, that are underrated or overlooked. Here are my five picks:
 

Dope (2015)
Three teenagers with a penchant for nineties hip-hop get stuck with a backpack full of drugs via a birthday party that got out of hand. Classic movie idea, but “Dope” is much more than just another American coming-of-age film in which sex, drugs and unattainable dream girls play a big role. Thanks to a by violent gangs dominated slum as a backdrop, a brilliant eclectic soundtrack and an arsenal of completely unique characters. The young protagonists are all fantastic.
 

Requiem for a Dream (2001)
Widowed and unorthodox mother Sara Goldfarb is firmly convinced that she will soon be invited to one of her favorite TV shows. She swallows amphetamines, then she can wear her red dress when the big night is there. Son Harry, like his friends, is also on drugs. Smart big-city story by Darren Aronofsky. It makes effective use of hypnotic imagery and music. The most depressing movie I have ever seen. When you think your life is bad, watch “Requiem for a Dream”. It also has one of the most gruesome scenes imaginable, I simply can’t watch it.
 

The Basketball Diaries (1995)
A very young Leonardo DiCaprio plays Jim Carroll. A student at the New York Saint Vitus College. He becomes a member of the basketball team. There he comes in contact with drugs and then becomes addicted to heroin, making his life go downhill.  
 

City of God (2002)
“City of God” is a film about poverty and violence, in which little boys have weapons, use drugs and die in the bishes. Yet it is not a melancholic tearjerker. It’s a drama, lusciously photographed and quickly edited. “City of God” is loosely based on the book by Paulo Lins, a man who himself lived in the slum in Rio de Janeiro.
 

A Scanner Darkly (2006)
In the not too distant future, three junkies live in a messy single-family home. One of them is an undercover cop, looking for the source of the new, devastating drug Substance D, while he himself slowly breaks down the stuff. Director Richard Linklater had the recordings of his actors redrawn by fifty illustrators using special software. This ‘interpolated rotoscope effect’ contributes to the alienating atmosphere of this film.
 

00s Movie Review - Rataouille

Director: Brad Bird
Genre: Animation/ Family/ Comedy
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Brian Dennehy, Peter Sohn, Peter O’Toole, Brad Garrett, Janeane Garofalo, Will Arnett, Julius Callahan, James Remar, John Ratzenberger, Teddy Newton, Tony Fucile, Jake Steinfeld

Description: A rat (Patton Oswalt) who can cook makes an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker (Lou Romano) at a famous restaurant.

Review: In 1995 Pixar brought us “Toy Story” and it started a revolution within the world of animations. Pixar has been very successful ever since.
The quality of the images is unprecedented. The fur of the rats looks realistic, great details, reflections, light and shadowing, the water, it’s all stunning. With the humans they choose a more cartoony style, which is a good choice. This movie isn’t one of those super sweet Disney movies and has hardly any clichés.
The story works and has enough tempo. Off course a rat can’t talk and cook, but in the world of Disney everything is possible. The characters are interesting and there aren’t any typical characters. Leading character Remy, the cooking rat, is so loveable. He is different from the other rats, but is brave enough to be different.
The do it every time, Pixar just knows what the audience wants and they are always very original. “Ratatouille is one of my favorite Pixar movies and in my eyes a masterpiece.

 Rating: 5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Paddleton

Director: Alex Lehman
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 89 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Ray Romano, Mark Duplass
Description: An unlikely friendship between two misfits (Ray Romano, Mark Duplass) becomes an unexpectedly emotional journey when the younger man is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 2: A MOVIE SHORTER THAN 90 MINUTES
 
Review: We often take the people around us, whether family, relatives or friends, for granted. We are not always aware that this can suddenly change. Children may leave home, contact with friend or lack thereof may dilute that relationship or someone may appear to be near the end of their life. And although you know that these are situations that you will experience in your own life, you are never concerned about it in advance. Such a situations forms the basis of “Paddleton”.
Michael and Andy are neighbors and have a close friendship. They enjoy watching kung-fu films together, love puzzles and have devised their own game Paddleton, which they regularly play on the ground of an abandoned drive-in cinema. Michael is told that he is incurably ill and he decides that he wants to end his life, before the pain becomes too severe. He involves Andy to support him during a difficult time.
“Paddleton” is a small film, but a true hidden gem on Netflix. The bond these two friend have make this film. Ray Romano, who plays Andy, is not a very strong person socially and is feeling difficulties with the fact that he will lose his best friend. He might not express it verbally, but certainly with his actions. “Paddleton” is one of the movies where you don’t look forward to the end, because you know what will happen. Thanks to the perfect acting, not only by Romano, but also by mark Duplass, and a beautiful script, this is a film that many will not have discovered yet. It’s on Netflix, so ready for you to stream. Highly recommended.

Rating: 4,5 / 5