00s Movie Review - High Crimes

Director: Carl Franklin
Genre: Crime/ Thriller/ Mystery/ Drama
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, Jim Caviezel, Amanda Peet, Adam Scott, Bruce Davison, Emilio Rivera, Michael Shannon

Description: A successful lawyer’s (Ashley Judd) husband (Jim Caviezel) is arrested for murdering 9 villagers in El Salvador in 1988 as US soldier under a different name. She defends him in military court and investigates. Framed?

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 22: A MOVIE BASED ON A BOOK
 
Review: The first scene in “High Crimes” shows us a battlefield in El Salvador. Not your typical start for a courtroom drama. But “this film isn’t your typical courtroom drama.

Claire Kubik is a successful lawyer in Marin Country. She is married to Tom, a self-employed entrepreneur. They seem to be living a very happy life. But this happiness is brutally disturbed when one evening the F.B.I. arrest Tom. The accusations against Tom are shocking: He is accused of killing 9 people in El Salvador, 15 years ago, when his name was still Ron Chapman and he was in the military. Tom goes to jail and might be looking at the death penalty, but Claire believes in his innocence. Because the lawyer appointed to Tom is still a rookie, Claire wants to work the case herself. Because military law is different from what she knows, Claire calls the help of the experiences Charlie Grimes.

It sounds like your standard story about a man being accused of a crime which he didn’t commit, but there is much more to it. It has some interesting twists and reveals, which made the film pretty exciting. You’re constantly wondering if Tom really committed this crime or not, you’re never really sure until the very end.

The movie is based on the book by Joseph Finder and it’s clear that the story is very strong. I never read the book, so I can’t compare. I enjoyed the cast, Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman teaming up again after “Kiss the Girls”, which was an even better thriller. But I highly enjoyed “High Crimes”.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - The Great Debaters

Director: Denzel Washington
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 126 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Jurnee Smollett, Nate Parker, Kimberly Pearl, Denzel Whitaker, Jermaine Williams, Gina Ravera

Description: Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington) is a professor at Wiley College Texas. In 1935, he inspired students to form the school’s first debate team, which went on to challenge Harvard in the national championship.

Review: “The Great Debaters” is a very nice film about the emancipation of the black community in the US. It’s about racial inequality in schools (and society) in the 1930s.

Denzel Washington plays teacher Melvin Tolson, who inspires students to start the first debate team, eventually challenging Harvard University.

Denzel Washington is a fantastic actor, but also directed “The Great Debaters”. He proved earlier with “Antwone Fisher” that he is capable of directing a good film. And he shows it again with “The Great Debaters”.

Overall, “The Great Debaters” is an inspirational story, well-told and performed. A film I believe many people have not seen yet.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Trial by Fire

Director: Edward Zwick
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 127 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Jack O’Connell, Laura Dern, Emily Meade, Chris Coy, Jeff Perry, David Wilson Barnes

Description: The tragic and controversial story of Cameron Todd Willingham (Jack O’Connell), was sentenced to death in Texas for killing his three children even after scientific evidence and expert testimony bolstered his claims of innocence.

Review: A renowned director and some fine actors, accompanied with a strong story: you would think that such a film would find its way to the general public. “Trial by Fire” was released in 2018, but it’s only just now that people are all watching it, since it was added to Netflix.

The film tells the story of Cameron Todd Willingham, a man living in the slums of Corsica, Texas. He looses his three young children in a house fire. After an investigation, Willingham is found guilty of the crime and is sentenced to death. As Willingham is dragged though a rough an tough and unfair trial, he always maintains his innocence. In doing so, he gets the help from Elizabeth, who wants to proof that Willingham was wrongfully accused of murder.

The film is based on a true story and an article written by David Grann. It’s a sad story, you wish has a happy ending. It’s just crazy that this actually happened, and of course in Texas. The state with the most people receiving the death penalty.

Really strong story, well-performed by both Jack O’Connell and Laura Dern and a fulm you really should watch.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Scream VI

Director: Matt Bettenelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Genre: Horror/ Mystery/ Thriller
Runtime: 122 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courtney Cox, Hayden Panettiere, Tony Revolori, Dermot Mulroney, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Jack Champion, Liana Liberato, Josh Segarra
 
Description: In the next installment, the survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City.

Review: The survivors of the Woodsboro attack have moved to New York, but a new Ghostface is also coming to make this city unsafe.

“Scream”(2022), really just the fifth installment in the series, had a double feature. As the characters in the film state, it is a ‘requel’, a sequel and reboot merged together. It worked as a fresh start, but was just as much a continuation of all the previous parts. This way, fans, both old and new, could get something out of the film. With “Scream VI”, Woodsboro is officially in the past. This small town is traded in for New York.

With the change of scenery, the so-called formula is dressed up just a little differently again. New York is a busy city with much more going on. This makes the situations more exciting than usual. A crowded subway, a small shop or sneaking into a house in broad daylight to kill someone. It’s all possible. Ghostface hasn’t been this ruthless in ages and the murders are more bloody than before.

Right from the opening scene, you expectations are played with. You know how a Scream movie opens, but this time we go longer than usual and are presented with a fun twist. After that, “Scream VI” takes its time to provide character development for the four survivors of the previous movie. They all deal with the traumatic experience differently. The sister duo, Tara and Sam, played by Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, impress the most.

The sixth installment in the series manages the balance between honoring the old and taking a new direction well. The meta and satirical tone is still present, which I always liked about all the films, such as the “rules of the game”.

“Scream VI” is a bit more serious than some of its predecessors and the film makes a statement that the old characters are no longer needed to continue this franchise. Enjoyable watch, solid enough, fun twist at the end, a bit over the top maybe. But if you liked the previous films, you will have a good time watching this too. And I think there are move Scream films to follow after this sixth installment.

Rating: 3/ 5

Book Review - The Institute by Stephen King

Title: The Institute
Series: -
Author: Stephen King
 
Description: In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, “like the roach motel,” Kalisha says. “You check in, but you don’t check out.”

In this most sinister of institutions, the director, Mrs. Sigsby, and her staff are ruthlessly dedicated to extracting from these children the force of their extranormal gifts. There are no scruples here. If you go along, you get tokens for the vending machines. If you don’t, punishment is brutal. As each new victim disappears to Back Half, Luke becomes more and more desperate to get out and get help. But no one has ever escaped from the Institute.
 
Review: Luke Ellis, a 12-year-old boy from Minneapolis, is kidnapped from his home one night, by a mysterious team. He wakes up in a room that looks exactly like his own, but doesn’t have a window. Soon he meets peers who have been similarly kidnapped and inform him: they are locked up in The Institute, a facility for children with psychic powers. Luke and some of his friends are telekinetic and others telepathic. At first glance, the facility’s staff seems friendly, but turns out to have no good intentions. They experiment on the children and as those increase, more and more of Luke’s friend disappear into the secret half of the institution. Luke concocts an escape plan, but no one has ever succeeded to do so.   
 
At first glance, “The Institute” is not Stephen King’s most original work; children and adults with paranormal abilities have been popping up throughout his career from his debut “Carrie” to “The Shining”, “Firestarter” and “The Green Mile”, and many others. Its influence over the years is evident. This book felt a lot like the storyline of Eleven in the Netflix show “Stranger Things”.
 
Despite that not be the most innovative theme, King’s “The Institute” is an exciting, entertaining and at times moving story. The book gradually builds to a strong climax that reveals everything and more than you as a reader expect. I loved that ending. This book si more sci-fi, thriller and fantasy than gory horror. And much attention is paid to underlying themes of friendship and good versus evil. But there is still suspense in this story.
 
What I find very good about this book is that it’s both a good start for Stephen King newbies and recommended for his fans. I don’t think it’s one of his best books, because it is at times very uneventful and it drags a bit. But still a pretty good read.
 
Rating: 3/ 5

90s Movie Review - Gattaca

Director: Andrew Niccol
Genre: Drama/ Science Fiction/ Thriller
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 1997
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, Tony Shalhoub, Gore Vidal, Elias Koteas, Blair Underwood

Description: A genetically inferior man (Ethan Hawke) assumes the identity of a superior one (Jude Law) in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 21: A MOVIE SET IN A DYSTOPIAN WORLD
 
Review: In the near future, it will be possible to have children through genetic engineering. This way the parents can choose what color hair their child will have and also things like eye color and other physical characteristics. Also in terms of intelligence and genetic weakness, the children can be modified and thus there will be almost only perfect children. Vincent Freeman, however, is not; he was just brought into the world in a normal way. He experiences problems with this, as all perfect people get the best jobs. Vincent also has a dream to go into space, but due to a heart defect he will never qualify for this. Then he meets Jerome Morrow. He is genetically adapted, but is in a wheelchair due to an accident. In order to survive, he sells his genetic material to people who can use it. Vincent uses Jerome’s DNA to make his dream come true. The plan succeeds, but when a murder is committed, Vincent finds himself in trouble when he must go to great length to keep his genetic imperfection hidden.

Andrew Niccol has written and directed “Gattaca”. The film is a combination of science fiction, drama and thriller. Science fiction, because the story takes place in a dystopian future and thus not because of space battles. It’s about a future society, where people can have the perfect child through genetic engineering. All traits can be carefully chosen and, in addition, all genetically determined diseases are gone. However, the main character Vincent is a normal person who does not have all the advantages that a genetically perfect one does.

The story is well written and has excitement and entertainment in it. The characters come across as believable, including their actions, and they are well explored. The theme about genetic engineering is still relevant today, and therefore the movie has not lost its power so many years after its release.
It seems like a quite simple movie, but Andrew Niccol has added several layers to the story. Without moralizing to much, he shows the consequences of a perfect society and what effect this can have on some people.
Ethan Hawke has always been an actor I like to watch. He manages to convey his character’s struggles well. He is human and vulnerable, which in in contrast to the perfect people that populate the world around him. Jude Law’s character Jerome is genetically perfect who despite this fact, still did not find happiness. His performance is also convincing. Uma Thurman, although strong as well, plays Vincent’s love interest, but her character isn’t as developed as the aforementioned Vincent and Jerome.

The atmosphere of the film is sterile and cold, a perfect setting to create the right mood for this film. This all makes “Gattaca” a very interesting film with a captivating story. The combinations of genres works well and the world building and set design are really good. Highly recommended when you enjoy movies about dystopian and future societies.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

Book Review - The It Girl by Ruth Ware

Title: The It Girl
Series: -
Author: Ruth Ware
 
Description: April Coutts-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford.

Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the second, April was dead.

Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide… including a murder.
Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the second, April was dead.
Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide… including a murder.
 
Review: April was the first person Hannah met when she came to Oxford. April was the ultimate It-girl, and together with Will, Hugh, Ryan and Emily they formed an inseparable group of friends. But by the end of the second term, April is found dead. Now, ten years later, Hannah and Will have built a life together and are expecting their first child. John Neville, the man convicted for April’s murder, has died in prison and Hannah is happy that she can finally put the past behind her. But when a journalist tells Hannah that Neville may have been innocent, Hannah dives back into the mystery, not knowing which of her friends she can and cannot trust.
 
This is the second book by Ruth Ware that I have read. “The Turn of the Key” was the first and this book really blew me away. “The It Girl” didn’t quite have the same effect, but I did enjoy it. Especially the second half of the book.
 
The chapters alternate between the past and the present. In the past, we see how Hannah meets April and how she eventually found her dead. In the present we follow Hannah’s current life working in a bookstore, being married to Will, expecting her first child and trying to get answers to new questions revolving around this mystery. I love dual timelines, although this is not a constant in the book. I think about two thirds of the way in, we only follow present day.
 
The setting, Oxford University, gives this book a dark academia vibe. Something Ware knows will do well with readers. The first half of the book is pretty slow and not very eventful, but when you pass the halfway point, there is more tension and suspense, and the mystery becomes more interesting. The reveal and final plot twists aren’t the most surprising, but I was okay with it. One part of the reveal I particularly liked, the culprit I somehow predicted.
 
The characters are all well-developed, but most of them are highly unlikeable. I never mind that in books, because even if you don’t like the people in the story, you still want to see the mystery get solved. At least, I do.
 
I do believe that there are many thrillers that did it better, but “The It Girl” is a solid book. A little slow in the beginning, but eventually it pays off. I think most Ruth Ware fan will enjoy it, but this is not your typical favorite.
 
Rating: 3, 5/ 5