Netflix Friday - Volume 109

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

Action: John Wick: Part 3 – Parabellum (2019)
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is on the run after killing a member of the international assassins’ guild, and with a $14 million price tag on his head, he is the target of hit men and women everywhere.
 

Drama: Casino (1995)
A tale of greed, deception, money, power and murder occur between two best friends: a mafia enforcer (Joe Pesci) and a casino executive (Robert De Niro) compete against each other over a gambling empire, and over a fast-living and fast-loving socialite (Sharon Stone)
 

Comedy: Together Together (2021)
When a young loner (Patti Harrison) becomes the gestational surrogate for a single man in his 40s (Ed Helms) the two stranges come to realize this unexpected relationship will challenge their perceptions of connection, boundaries and the particulars of love.
 

Animation: Only Yesterday (1991)
A twenty-seven-year-old office worker travels to the countryside while reminiscing about her childhood in Tokyo.
 

Romance: Cold Mountain (2003)
In the waning days of the American Civil War, a wounded soldier (Jude Law) embarks on a perilous journey back home to Cold Mountain, North Carolina to reunite with his sweetheart (Nicole Kidman).
 

Horror: Things Heards & Seen (2021)
An artist (Amanda Seyfried) relocates to the Hudson Valley and begins to suspect that her marriage has a sinister darkness, one that rivals her new home’s history.
 

Science Fiction: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) become targets of the Capitol after their victory in the 74^th Hunger Games sparks rebellion in the Districts of Panem.
 

Crime : Goodfellas (1990)
The story of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) and his life in the mob, covering his relationship with his wife Karen Hill (Lorraine Bracco) and his partner Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) in the Italian-American crime syndicate.
 

Thriller: Small Crimes (2017)
A disgraced former cop (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), fresh off a six-year prison sentence for attempted murder, returns home looking for redemption but winds up trapped in the mess he left behind.
 

Documentary: The Biggest Little Farm (2018)
Documentarian John Chester and his wife Molly work to develop a sustainable farm on 200 acres outside of Los Angeles.
 

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)

80s Movie Review - Sophie's Choice

Director: Alan J. Pakula
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 142 minutes
Year: 1982
Starring: Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Peter MacNichol
 
I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 21: A MOVIE RECOMMENDED YOUR MY MOTHER
 
Description: Sophie (Meryl Streep)is the survivor of Nazi concentration camps, who has found a reason to live with Nathan (Kevin Kline), a sparkling if unsteady American Jew obsessed with the Holocaust.

Review: Stingo is a young writer from the southern United States who movie to Brooklyn to begin writing his first novel. He rents a room in a big mansion, where he soon becomes friends with his upstairs neighbors Nathan and Sophie. Nathan is a biologist whose team is about to make a major discovery. Sophie is a Polish immigrant who survived the Nazi concentration camps. Nathan is a rather volatile person, who frequently argues and leaves home and sometimes stays away for nights. Sophie then seeks comfort from Stingo, who himself craves affection passionately and is only too happy to accommodate her. During such moments she tells him stories about her life and how she ended up in a concentration camp. Slowly, Stingo gains insight into Sophie’s life, which literally and figuratively contains a lot of scars.

“Sophie’s Choice” can rightfully be called an actor’s film. Visually, the films is also impressive, however, the most of the attention goes to the three lead actors Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Peter MacNichol. The film contains long dialogue scenes, sometimes minutes of two people sitting on a bench, but because of the wonderful acting it’s never boring. That is the strength of the film. Especially Meryl Streep, who won her second Academy Award for this role, is convincing as the Polish immigrant. She had to learn a Polish accent and had to speak both Polish and German for the role. And does this flawlessly. For Kevin Kline, “Sophie’s Choice” was his film debut. This is what gave him his Oscar-winning role in “A Fish Called Wanda”.

The story is compelling. We see it through the eyes of Stingo and this way we see the developments in the lives of Sophie and Nathan. The theme of the film is rather heavy, but it has a lot of light-hearted moments as well. But it’s mostly the acting that lifts the film to a higher level.

Rating: 4/ 5

Netflix Friday - Volume 108

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: A Beautiful Mind (2001)
After John Nash (Russell Crowe), a brilliant but asocial mathematician, accepts secret work in cryptography, his life takes a turn for the nightmarish.
 

Comedy: The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
Zak runs away from his care home to make his dream of becoming a wrestler come true.
 

Animation: Whisper of the Heart (1995)
A love story between a girl who loves reading books, and a boy who has previously checked out all of the library books she chooses.
 

Romance: The Wedding Planner (2001)
Mary Fiore (Jennifer Lopez) is San Francisco’s most successful supplier of romance and glamor. She knows all the tricks. She knows all the rules. But then she breaks the most important rule of all: she fall in love with the groom (Matthew McConaughey).
 

Horror: Christine (1983)
A nerdih boy buys a strange car with an evil mind of its own and his nature starts to change to reflect it.
 

Science Fiction: Lucy (2014)
A woman (Scarlett Johansson), accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.
 

Crime : Gold (2016)
Kenny Wells (Matthew McConaughey), a prospector desperate for a lucky break, teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on a journey to find gold in the uncharted ungle of Indonesia.
 

Thriller: The Bad Batch (2016)
In a desert dystopia, a young woman (Suki Waterhouse) is kidnapped by cannibals.
 

Documentary: The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe (2022)
Explores the mystery surrounding the death of movie icon Marilyn Monroe through previously unheard interview with her inner circle.
 

Family: Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)
Two young brothers are drawn into an intergalactic adventure when their house is hurled through the depths of space by the magical board game they are playing.

Movie Review - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Director: Sam Raimi
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 127 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, Bruce Campbell, Patrick Stewart, Hayley Atwell, John Krasinski
 
Description: Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) teams up with a mysterious teenage girl (Xochitl Gomez) from his dreams who can travel across multiverses, to battle multiple threats, including other-universe versions of himself, which threaten to wipe out millions across the multiverse. They seek help from Wanda the Scarlet Witch, Wong and others.

Review: With “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”, a new era for the MCU has begin. The multiverse is open and that brings with it a whole host of expectations for the film. But does it live up to those expectations?

After the evens of “Spider-Man No Way Home”, it’s time to dive further into the multiverse with Doctor Strange. As the title reveals, the film is a little crazy, but that’s not a negative. For example, one of the bigger surprises is that this film is a lot darker and more focused on horror than previous Marvel films.

The shift in tone is largely due to director Sam Raimi, who we of course already know from the original Spider-Man trilogy with Tobey Maguire, a collection of solid horror films and true classics like the “Evil Dead” series (some might even recognize “Evil Dead”’s Bruce Campbell in a funny cameo). At first glance, the coice of Raimi seems very good, as a horror aspect lends itself very well to the characters of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”, but there are a few problems.

Let’s start with what is rock solid in the film: the acting. In particular Elizabeth Olsen, who once again pays the role of Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch. She deserves a lot of credit for her performance and she even overshadows who is supposed to be the star in the film, Benedict Cumberbatch.

 Cumberbatch is strong as well, but where he is supposed to be the star, Olsen clearly takes the spotlight.
The fact that every actor and actress gives a fantastic performance is also due to the excellent writing of the film. It is clear that a lot of thought has gone into this film. And even though it’s over 2 hours long, you hardly notice it.  

With a grim tone and the new horror aspect, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” not only manages to surprise, but also manages to set a new standard for Marvel films. While the film is very good and takes two steps forward for Marvel, it unfortunately also takes a step backwards.
The horror genre has been plagued by terribly chewed out clichés and cheap jump scares for decades. Dramatic sound effects are added to those jump scares and various characters make stupid decisions. There is nothing worse for a film than overused clichés, and this is the biggest weakness for “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”.

With a rock-solid story, exceptional acting and surprising new elements, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” manages to live up to most expectations. In fact, the film manages to exceed many of them. Besides all the spectacle, there are also more than enough easter eggs to be found and for Marvel fans it will again be an absolute delight to see Doctor Strange in action.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Director: Michael Bay
Genre: Action/ Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 144 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: John Krasinski, James Badge Dale, Pablo Schreiber, David Denman, Dominic Fumusa, Max Martini, Alexia Barlier

Description: During an attack on a U.S. compound in Libya, a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos.

Review: Jack Silva arrives in Libya to join the security team of a secret CIA base in the city of Benghazi. His friend an colleague Tyrone also works there. This city is also home to the American consulate. The city is in turmoil and there is a threat from local insurgents because of an American anti-Islamic film. When U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens comes to the consulate, his security team turns out to consist of only a few people. However, the CIA boss refuses to send Jack and Tyrone’s team to the consulate, fearing that his base will then no longer be secret. The insurgent’s, however, manage to penetrate the consulate’s premises and the it’s all hands on deck for the security guards. But the CIA boss still refuses to send the team to the consulate. The chances of them saving the ambassador are dwindling by the minute.

Anyone who says September 11 quickly thinks of the 2001 attacks in America. Bu on September 11, 2012, the American consulate in Libya was also the target of an attack. It made the news, but never widely reported in the newspaper. And in the end, it turned out that there was much more at play than what was initially made public.

In terms of atmosphere and style, “13 Hours” is a bit reminiscent of “Black Hawk Down”. But where what is a film with some nuanced content, Michael Bay’s film is all about the hard action. Bay is not really known for his nuance anyway, and you don’t have to expect that in “13 Hours”. The characters are all very one-dimensional and highly unlikeable, with Jack Silva being the exception. He’s also the one big name in the film: John Krasinski. It is one of Bay’s better films though, even though it’s not a movie that I would remember for long. The movie was way too long and is very heave on the patriotism.  But the film is solid enough for me to give it a positive rating.

Rating: 3/ 5

10s Movie Review - Austenland

Director: Jerusha Hess
Genre: Comedy/ Romance
Runtime: 93 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Keri Russell, JJ Feild, Bret McKenzie, Jennifer Coolidge, James Callis, Jane Seymour, Georgie King, Ruper Vansittart

Description: Obsessed with “Pride and Prejudice”, Jane (Keri Russell) travels to a Jane Austen theme park in search for her perfect gentleman. 

 
Review: Jane Hayes is obsessed with Jane Austen’s books and lives her her head mostly in the Regency era. This seriously interferes with her love life. She therefore decides to use all her savings for a trip to Austenland, an English resort where lovers of Jane Austen are completely immersed in Regency-era life. Here she hopes to finally feel like the heroine of her own story and be able to take her life into her own hands. When she arrives, she meets the eccentric Elizabeth Charming and the perfect Lady Amelia Heartwright. Jane is also charmed by servant Martin and impressed by Henry Nobley. Austenand proves to be a tricky place to fall in love, however, because where does fantasy end and reality begin?
“Austenland” is a romantic comedy with over-the-top acting, sugar sweet romance and a wonderful, extravagant setting. The story only has little depth and you barely get to know the characters. It has some funny situations and it’s quite surprising who Jane eventually ends up with. But overall, “Austenland” is yet another romcom that didn’t manage to charm me enough.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Oldies Movie Review - Duel

Director: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Actie/ Thriller
Runtime: 90 minutes
Year: 1971
Starring: Dennis Weaver, Jacqueline Scott, Eddie Firestone, Lou Frizzell, Gene Dynarski

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 20: A MOVIE FROM A DIRECTOR YOU LOVE
 
Description: A business commuter (Dennis Weaver) is pursued and terrorized by the malevolent driver of a massive tractor-trailer.

Review: “Duel” can actually be called director Steven Spielberg’s first major feature film. He was only 26 when he made this film and he made an intense, exciting and high-quality film.

The strength of the film lies in the simplicity of the story. David Mann leaves home and hits the road for an appointment and soon finds himself in trouble with a large, rusty truck that constantly chases him, cuts him off and tries to push him off the road.

The film has a simple premise, but it worked out so effectively. Actually, just like his more well-known and more successful film “Jaws”. The tension is systematically built and constantly you are on the edge of your seat.

“Duel” begins with a beautiful shot taken from the bumper of David’s car. The camera follows him through all the streets as he drives out of town and the radio can be heard in the background. Once outside the city, we see David sitting relaxed in his car. Even though you would have no idea what the film is about, you sense that something is about to happen. Then David encounters the truck and that is the beginning of an unnerving cat-and-mouse game, that gets more and more exciting throughout the film.

The music adds a real sense of suspense at just the right moment and the camera work is fantastic. Already then you could see that Steven Spielberg was a gifted filmmaker and it makes me wish he made more of those ‘Hitchockian’ thrillers. A movie most people haven’t seen by Spielberg, but everyone really should.

Rating: 4,5/ 5