Snowpiercer (2013)

Genre : Action/Drama/SF
Country : South-Korea/USA

Cast :
Chris Evans : Curtis
Tilda Swinton : Mason
Kang-ho Song : Namgoong Minsu

Director :
Joon-ho Bong

Summary
In a future where a failed global-warming experiment kills off most life on the planet, a class system evolves aboard the Snowpiercer, a train that travels around the globe via a perpetual-motion engine.

My opinion 

They've got no bullets!

This film was a pleasant surprise for once. Not because of the action but because of the deeper meaning. The train is actually a metaphor of the present world in which we live. A life that goes forward in a swift tempo for many. The train is actually a reflection of a micro-economy with a precisely measured division in different classes. The poor dangling at the bottom of society are in the final wagon in appalling conditions. The wealthier take their place in front surrounded by opulence and luxury. In between is the middle class who can't afford the excesses as the upper class,  but are still considerably better off than the lower class.

The entire film is set on the high-tech express train "Snowpiercer" designed by a Mr. Wilford. The train is ingenious. It contains an ecosystem to fabricate water from the broken ice where the train drills through and it's actually a perpetual motion machine that moves on a global railway tens of thousands of kilometers long. This is because brilliant scientists came up with the bright idea to spray a substance in the atmosphere to get the global warming back to normal. This was a complete failure and turned the Earth into a huge popsicle and life became impossible here. Several thousands of people were lucky to get on board of this eternal moving train and wait patiently until life on earth would be possible again. Stopping the train is out of the question and who dares to go outside (My first question that came up was, "How ?" ) turns instantly into an stalactite (or stalagmite! Depends on how you end up outside)

There is a strict and repressive dictatorial regime to ensure that this society stays in balance. There is an underhand co-operation between the front and rear of the train. In this way milestones are staged to keep the growth of the population under control and the less fortunate retain a glimmer of hope to unyoke themselves.The only contact those poor souls have with the other part is when there is a food distributions composed of block-shaped jelly-like substances. Riots are immediately nipped in the bud and are usually followed with a flaming speech by Mason (played by Tilda Swinton beautifully) who has a sickly adoration and idolization for Wilford. She is a kind of "Effie Trinket" from "The Hunger Games", only uglier. The final message is that they should be eternally grateful and are privileged to be on board. " Know your position, keep your position, be the shoe ." That's the ultimate message. The shoe is used as a metaphor to indicate that they belong at the bottom of the hierarchy and have to stay there.

This post-apocalyptic SF was extremely entertaining up to the time they reach the water treatment plant. Till then it was a very gloomy picture. A picture we have repeatedly witnessed in our history. From slavery in the southern states of America to Mao Tse-tung. A story of oppression and slavery. The images of ragged people queuing for their proteins and living without daylight in the last wagons. The build up to the revolution and the ultimate breakthrough are successfully displayed. The revolution is led by Curtis, a leader in the making who has a rather dubious past on this train and leads his troops forward on the way to the engine. For who owns the locomotive, is God ! Along the way they release Namgoong Minsu and his daughter Yona. This prisoner who is addicted to "Kronol" seems to be a security specialist and should be able to open all electronically sealed doors. The moment the door opens to a next wagon and they are facing an army of SM-masters equipped with axes, is impressive. Even more impressive as the battle that follows. I 'm pretty sure that Tarantino  spontaneously starts to drool when he sees this scene.

What follows is a hallucinatory impression. Compared with this the tour of Willy Wonka in his own factory means absolutely nothing. Successively we see a greenhouse where fresh tomatoes are grown ,an aquarium where manta rays swim around, a restaurant that serves sushi twice a year and a colorful classroom where a Maria von Trapp gives history lesson about the kingdom of Wilford. It looks sometimes like a Lynch movie where the screenwriter himself sniffed too much of "Kronol". There were also times that I had a "Uh what !" reaction. Like when they were shooting with a futuristic looking gun at each other while the train made ​​a seemingly endless huge curve. And the reason why the partying and "Kronol" sniffing in fur coats dressed mass became a bunch of bloodthirsty zombies, was also a mystery to me. I also found it strange that the passengers couldn't remember anything from their childhood or life on earth. And it ended with a shrewd reference to child labor.The most positive supporting actor was John Hurt as the counselor of Curtis. Most negative contribution was Ed Harris in a Chinese robe. Totally unbelievable.

Conclusion: a sometimes confusing movie with a deep social critical message.

My rating 7/10
Links : IMDB

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Genre : Adventure/Drama/Comedy
Country : USA

Cast :
Ben Stiller : Walter Mitty
Adam Scott : Ted Hendricks
Kristen Wiig : Cheryl

Director :
Ben Stiller

Summary
"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is a story of a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. When his job along with that of his co-worker are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined.

My opinion  

Put that on a plaque and hang it at your next job.

"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is an epic adventure with breathtaking images that are used to embellish the simplistic and moralizing story a bit. The whole movie has a Walt Disney atmosphere in which a nondescript person searches for a lost negative which is necessary for the last cover of the magazine "Life". I wouldn't really call it a comedy. Personally I'm not a big fan of Ben Stiller. The man always has an impassive and apathetic look that doesn't really fit into a comedy. In this movie, however, it is in place. One might expect that this would change slightly as the movie progresses. Yet he remains walking around with an expressionless face the entire movie, despite the fact that he travels halfway around the world in search of the eccentric and unworldly photographer Sean O'Connell.

Actually it's more of a dramatic adventure with a romantic slant wich focuses on Mitty's daydreams. For him these dreams are a way to escape from everyday worries. At that time he can do an assertive heroic performance in the most intrepid adventures. In those dreams he's an imaginary person he never will be. He's a loyal employee of "Life" already for years and he is working together with another "nobody" in the basement of the building, where they digitize the negatives. He also falls secretly in love with his colleague Cheryl. Of course, he is too shy to speak to Cheryl personally, so he subscribes at the dating-site "eHarmony".

This is also the opening scene, and for me, actually the funniest moment in the whole movie. Unfortunately it's not continued in this way. He can't contact Cheryl through this site because his profile isn't complete. He still needs to complete the topics "Hobbies and Traveling". The way things develop during the movie ensures that he finds himself looking at life in a different way and the search for the negative leads him successively to Iceland, Greenland and the Himalayas, making his profile extremely adventurous  and he succeeds in making a connection with Cheryl.

Stiller played in this film with more character than all his previous movies. A role that fits so perfectly with his appearance . The most colorful character was played by Adam Scott as the unpleasant manager Ted Hendricks. A young yuppie that leads the transition from the magazine to the digital era and does this in such a derogatory pedantic way. He doesn't even know the motto of "Life". His appearance with his gaudy beard was so caricatured that it was actually laughable. The moment Mitty hands over the negative to Ted and appears with a small beard because of him traveling back and forth, it seems as if he has risen to the level of Ted. A beautiful used metaphor . Kristen Wiig plays the adorable and sometimes timid Cheryl. Shirley MacLaine plays the role of Mitty 's mother in a restrained manner. The most charismatic role was played by Sean Penn as the eccentric photographer who sits lonely and hidden on the top of a mountain to photograph a mysterious snow leopard. A perfectly casted Penn who is a personification of the morale in this film. Regardless what your contribution is, ultimately you are still an important part in the whole process.

The denouement and the final picture that adorns the front page still was a bit of a surprise to me and the sweet romantic ending was a bit corny. But in the end it was still a nice, in terms of imaging and content, movie. A movie to dream away a bit.

My rating 6/10
Links : IMDB

The Monkey's Paw (2013)

Genre : Horror
Country : USA

Cast :
C.J. Thomason : Jake Tilton
Stephen Lang : Tony Cobb
Corbin Bleu : Catfish

Director :
Brett Simmons

Summary
The film centers on Jake Tilton, who acquires a mystical "monkey's paw" talisman that grants its possessor three wishes. Jake finds his world turned upside down after his first two wishes result in co-worker Tony Cobb being resurrected from the dead. As Cobb pressures Jake into using the final wish to reunite Cobb with his son, his intimidation quickly escalates into relentless murder-- forcing Jake to outwit his psychotic friend and save his remaining loved ones.

My opinion   
"The Monkey's Paw" is a movie for in between and looks like a movie version of one of Stephen King's short stories. Upon further investigation, it appears to have originated from W.W. Jacobs who has written this story in 1902. The story is based on the well-known 3 wishes which are granted to someone. In this movie the paw of a dead monkey can achieve this. However, there is a snag. The wishes are carried out but you have to pay an extremely heavy price because you are tampering with fate.

The basis of the original story is mostly retained in this film. Only the end has a different turn. The final message behind the whole story is in the description of the leg. "There was a spell written by a fakir. He was a very holy man. He wanted to show that life depends on fate, and those who are interfering with it won't do this without any sorrow.” Actually, it is a perfect story with the right atmosphere for an episode of "Tales from the crypt" or "Creepshow”. Also there's a comic of "The Monkey's paw" and even a radio show. It actually sounds a bit corny and feels like an old-fashioned ghost story to read to children at Halloween.

Despite the fact that I didn't expect much of it, the movie was still reasonable. You should forget about the overused banality, such as a phone ringing at the wrong time. Ultimately, it's an ordinary creepy story with a bit of voodoo and a zombie section. The feeling and atmosphere of "Pet Sematary" leans close to it, but nevertheless, this movie has its own personality.
The acting is reasonably well . You do have the feeling that you are watching a TV episode. I don't think it's screened a lot in the cinemas. It appears also that the protagonist C.J. Thomason has quite some experience in the world of television. Generally he played his part convincingly. However, his actions weren't always logical. Jake didn't have a easy life thus far. His mother is in the hospital and is suffering from cancer . He has a bland, probably poorly paid job with a gland of a boss, who's also married to his ex-girlfriend he apparently still has feelings for. A reasonable person would immediately think of his mother at the first wish. Nope. The first thing he wishes is to become the owner of a glitzy sports car parked in front of the pub. You can bring up the arguments about his drunken state and his skeptical attitude towards the so called wishes. But still !

Stephen Lang looked familiar, but I couldn't place him immediately. Compared with Jake he's a more colorful figure. In the beginning he played an ordinary fellow who apparently can handle his liquor. The changing into a blood-drooling murderous zombie who kills anything that stands in his way of fulfilling his only desire by a wish, is rather successful. So we get a soft-slasher zombie movie where the massacres are not visualized too gross. The most original was the part with the machine working on air pressure. A typical horror story and an enjoyable entertaining movie. Don't expect more. One thing always amazes me. Am I the only one whose first wish would spontaneously be to ask for a 1000 wishes more ?

My rating 5/10
Links : IMDB

Veronica Mars (2014)

Genre : Crime
Country : USA

Cast :
Kristen Bell : Veronica Mars
Enrico Colantoni : Keith Mars
Jason Dohring : Logan Echolls

Director :
Rob Thomas

Summary
Years after walking away from her past as a teenage private eye, Veronica Mars gets pulled back to her hometown - just in time for her high school reunion - in order to help her old flame Logan Echolls, who's embroiled in a murder mystery.

My opinion 

A teenaged private eye. Trust me. I know how dumb that sounds.

It's not often that a movie starts to enervate me, but after a while this one got on my nerves. I could have guessed it when my wife first said enthusiastically that she recognized someone from "Bones." And after a while someone from "Grey's Anatomy". I'm not an avid fan of TV Series. First I hate to wait for the next episode. Second, you'll notice after a while it's really tedious and rewritten to the point of boredom because it's such a successful series. And third, these series aren't famous for their superb acting. Afterwards I scrolled through the curriculum of the cast and  I came to the conclusion that most of them had a huge TV Series history. Well now I understand why I had that feeling all the time of watching a TV series. I had no idea that "Veronica Mars" initially was one (that's not difficult when you dislike them). It was just a ultra-super long episode of that TV series.

Several times I couldn't help comparing it to "Nancy Drew". It really looked like a teen story with a clever girl who actually could make it as a top lawyer but preferred to exchange it for a job as a "Private Investigator" in some city. I'm strongly convinced about the fact that such people who would do something like that, are scarce to find nowadays. If they would pile up all the cliches present in this movie and place this in front of the entrance of the film studio, this movie would have never been made​​ because the entrance would be blocked. I had one sigh-moment after the other and my wife had to rub my neck with muscle relaxing ointment, because I was shaking my head all night out of amazement and disbelief. It was just waiting for the moment when the whole case was revealed and we discover who actually had done it  and what was the motivation for doing it.

There were an awful lot of implausible things in it. If I was an employed policeman in this town where the film was made​​, I immediately went looking for another job out of shame. The intellectual level of this law enforcement was terribly low. Several clues were found by Veronica after a bit of logical and deep (not to deep though) thinking and asking around a bit. Things I suppose the authorities would discover. Veronica suddenly sees clues in photos and can transfer data from an iPad to a USB stick with help from certain people she just happens to know from the past. It looked like a "Emma" kids story: "Veronica M. goes to town and solves a crime.". Of course the results of her actions were that she lost the well-paid job, lost her perfect boyfriend because he could not longer bear the fact that she is playing "Nancy Drew" in her hometown and eventually she hooks up with her ex-boyfriend again. I honestly never could predict that !

It was a surprise that James Franco and Jamie Lee Curtis suddenly appeared in it, even though they had a meaningless role. Kristen Bell is good looking and together with Jason Dohring she plays a convincing role. Not top notch acting, but also not too annoying. The positive aspect of her role was her big mouth. She was a verbal bitch and used it to defend herself. Especially when she used that for the typical dumb high-school Barbies who think that the equator runs through their ass and think the world is lying at their feet. Those moments when she puts them in their place, first with her clever remarks and then with an effective punch in the face, were absolutely great and enjoyable.

It would have been better if I first read other opinions on this subject. I would have come to the conclusion that this is a spin-off of a television series. It's just an ordinary detective in the trend of "Columbo", only with actors who meet the ideal beauty image and don't smoke cigars. Also something I noticed. This was an almost "alcohol,drugs and sex"-free movie. Totally the opposite of "The Wolf of Wall Street".

My rating 3/10
Links : IMDB

You're Next (2011)

Genre : Thriller/Horror
Country : USA

Cast :
Sharni Vinson : Erin
AJ Bowen : Crispian
Rob Moran : Paul
Nicolas Tucci : Felix

Director :
Adam Wingard

Summary
The Davison family is attacked by a gang of masked, ax-wielding assassins during a dinner party for their wedding anniversary. The mysterious killers soon realize that one of the victims has a secret talent and fiercely fights back.

My opinion 

Fuck me next to your dead mom then.

Would this movie win a prize for originality ? Nope
Was it scary or creepy ? Nope
Were there scares in it that almost gave me a heart attack ? Yep
Can you call it a horror ? Nope
Were there a few memorable kills ? Yes
Was it an enjoyable film for a relaxing evening ? Hell Yeah

That's for sure. This was a movie that I definitely wanted to see and it was ranked on my wish list as number 1. As a fan of the better slasher films I surely place this one among the other entertaining better movies. Of course it's not really original or unique. When you're familiar with the "Friday the 13th" series, you know you can expect it follows the same ritual. Only this time it's not a gang of teenagers in a holiday camp who are chased by a mysterious crazy person with a hockey mask, but now it's about a family reunion which is thoroughly disturbed by several assailants wearing animal masks. And I must admit that sometimes the appearance of those masks in the background was fairly spooky.

A slasher movie basically can be compared with the song "99 Bottles of Beer" :

99 bottles of beer on the wall
99 bottles of beer.
Take one down and pass it around
98 bottles of beer on the wall.

In other words the structure of the movie is basically the same pattern. First you get to know a group of participants. Thereafter the first victims are piling up. Then the guessing starts. Who will ultimately be the next victim? Was the way he/she was killed inventively? And at the end you start to wonder who is behind all this and what are the motives of this person. The success of a slasher story depends on a few factors. Is there a threatening atmosphere all the time? In what way are the characters butchered and is it an original method ? Does it take long before you begin to suspect someone, who could be the ultimate culprit? If you suspect someone already early in the movie, then this is an indication that it's a predictable movie. Or they did it intentionally (as in "The Double" which is not a slasher film, but I use it purely as an example). And what surprise is used to end the movie?
"You're next" is not really frightening. There are a few scares (and I definitely had to gasp for breath for a moment) you actually should have seen coming. Most of the times it was just a pleasant and enjoyable movie. Only in the opening scene with the young girl peering into the darkness you can feel a real threat. As the massacre begins you can expect the better chop and cut work. Not everything was surprising, but nevertheless it was explicitly and gross mapped. Certainly the blender part is something different and rarely this fun kitchen tool is being used in this way. The last time I can remember that a blender was used in an unusual way like this, was in "Dead Alive". The crossbow was something unique too. The rest was just average skewering, cutting and stabbing. It was halfway in the movie when the first idea of who it might be, came up. Eventually I was still a little surprised in the end. The motivation for these gruesome actions became also clear in the end. It's not really a horror but rather a thriller. Only the end was a little too predictable and gave me a "Yes, of course this would happen"-feeling .

A slasher movie that rises above the average of others in this genre. Most positive to the film was Sharni Vinson who emerged as a true commando with some decent survival skills. Sometimes a little over the top, but that made it more fun. And for me, something I'm definitely going to remember the most is the soundtrack with the song of Dwight Twiley. Every time I hear this song, I'll definitely check if everything is closed. A great song (I never heard before) that perfectly fits this movie. A happy song put on "repeat". "Looking for the magic."

Some performances however, weren't that great. Especially Bowen got on my nerves already early in this movie. And to Margaret Laney I hand over the medal for "Most stupid decision made ever ...". A hysterical shrieking woman, who still wants to hang around in a (not so safe) room on her own. Stupid stupid stupid ....

My rating 6/10
Links : IMDB

Oldboy (2013)

Genre : Action/Mystery
Country : USA

Cast :
Josh Brolin : Joe Doucett
Samuel L. Jackson : Chaney
Sharlto Copley : Adrian
Elizabeth Olson : Marie Sebastian

Director :
Spike Lee

Summary
An advertising executive is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his punishment, only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment.

My opinion

I've been thinking about it for the last 20 years.

I had no idea that this was a remake/revision or restyling of a Korean cult movie from 2003. When I read the opinions quickly, all the art-loving movie audiences are outraged and say it's a useless, failed, and terribly bad version of the original movie. May well be, but then again I have the advantage that I've never seen that Korean version, and probably never will see it. I don't like Asian movies that much. Mostly they are technical abominable looking creations with terribly nervous little Asians who are running around all the time. And there is the insurmountable language gap so I am obliged to look at the subtitle all the time. I've already tried to watch an Asian film and notice that I always end up with a sore thumb because I'm pressing all the time the rewind button.

And besides, the original movie by Chan-Wook Park is actually a movie version of a famous Japanese manga. In fact, Spike Lee's version is also a reinterpretation of the same comic. Eventually, this "Oldboy" turns out to be an outright duplicate of the Korean version. There are some explicit scenes left out and apparently the denouement got a slightly different interpretation. Besides, I don't understand why you would watch this remake when you think that the original is so divine and matchless impressive. I have the same issue with the Swedish film "Män som hatar kvinnor" which I think is sublime. I don't think I'll ever watch the U.S. version "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", because I foresee that I won't approve of it.  Is it possible that if you watched the U.S. version of "Oldboy" before the supposed masterpiece from Park, the result could be that perhaps you'dd appreciate both ? Seems to me that it's a foregone conclusion that this movie wouldn't do justice to Park's version. What if the U.S. version would be directed by Steven Spielberg with Will Smith starring in it (seems that was the initial plan) ? Would that be okay ?

Scheiss Egal ! Ignorant, unbiased and as neutral as someone from Switzerland I started watching. Josh Brolin is Joe Doucett, a divorced alcoholic who lives in a self-destructive way. He's a representative who must close a deal successfully. But his obnoxious, drunken behavior ruins it all and he ends up in the gutter. Eventually he wakes up trapped in a cell that has the appearance of a hotel room and discovers that he's accused of the murder of his ex-wife. He's eventually imprisoned for a very long period without awareness of the reason. As time goes by, he overcomes his alcohol addiction and he trains his mind and body to attempt an escape. Twenty years later, he's suddenly released and he plans to find the responsible who has done this to him and take revenge

I admit that the build up was pretty confusing and I repeatedly had the tendency to turn it off. The reasonable long period of his incarceration made it look like an art-house film with the metamorphosis of a person in captivity shown painfully slow. The claustrophobic images, anger, helplessness, sorrow, rehab, the sometimes frenzied and insane behavior with images that were shown in different positions and perspectives, weren't signs that this would be an exciting and action-packed movie. But after this section a lurid and insane put together story began that eventually degenerated into a kind of Oedipus tragedy. Shortly after his release, Joe eliminated an American Football team in a highly effective and cold-blooded brutal way. What started was a "Quentin Tarantino"-like spectacle , with no-nonsense explicit violence. The fight scene in the corridors with a large gang was extremely meticulous imaged with a smart choreography . I rewinded it three times purely for pleasure and because it was fun. Sure it felt like a revived Bud Spencer movie , but that made it more fun to watch it all. I actually grinned and laughed about it.

Josh Brolin was perfectly casted for this role. The drunk marginal figure that turned into a bloodthirsty Kill Bill in 20 years, was played in a convincing way. The final denouement where he comes to realize how the fully developed plan was put together and where he made the decision to give up his freedom, was masterfully and convincingly mapped. Samuel L. Jackson was also perfect as the sadistic business manager of the obscure little hotel. However, Copley didn't impress me as the ailing Chucky.

The only not so realistic thing I could think of in this ingenious and surprisingly put together story, was the fact that he mastered a martial art in 20 years. Agreed, he had time enough for it, but I don't think you can learn these fighting techniques by just watching a television broadcasts.

Conclusion: a lurid, bloody and sometimes excessive revenge movie with a perverse denouement (a remark made by my wife) with an impressive Brolin in the leading role. For those who think that Park's movie is unmatchable: cherish it whatsoever. Perhaps a Park adept would look at this one in a different way if he hadn't seen Park's version (as mentioned before). For me it was an original and unusual movie.

My rating 8/10
Links : IMDB