The mourning (2015)

Summary :
20 years after going MIA in Desert Storm, Aaron returns home under mysterious conditions, not having aged since his disappearance, and must reestablish relationships with loved ones before an imminent return to an ambiguous other-worldly existence.

Genre : Drama/Mystery/Thriller
Country : USA

Cast :
Louis Mandylor : David
Michael Rene Walton : Aaron
Sally McDonald : Lucey

Director : Khalil Sullins

My opinion    

Once and a while, you come across movies where you don't have a clue what's going to occur in it from the start. And finally, the end credits run over the screen and you're still staring at it, wondering what you've just seen and what the hell it was about anyway. "The mourning" is such a film. A SF (I guess) about a Marine who pops up again after he disappeared on a mission in Operation Desert Storm 20 years ago. And as naked as a newborn suckling. "So what", you say uninterested, "That's what Schwarzenegger already did before in Terminator II". Maybe he came back on foot and walked for 20 years all the way from the desert back to his hometown. Well, that's a possibility, except that he still looks as young as when he disappeared. And now you think perhaps the beneficent effects of the sun has something to do with that or maybe he only consumed biologically healthy food which is good for the skin. But then there's also the astonishing fact that he can't speak a single word. Yeah, now I got your attention ... uhm ... or not ?

And so you have a summary of the first hour of this slow and boring movie. Aaron (Michael Rene Walton) awakens in his birthday suit somewhere in the middle of a forest (a bit similar to "Almost Human"), not knowing how he ended up there. The first thing I noticed when he went to his home town, was the complete desolation. There's no living soul in the vicinity of the city or in the city center itself. It seems like everyone is abducted. You need not to be clairvoyant to realize that almost everyone's mouth drops open from amazement when seeing this long-lost war hero. And then it's time for the tedious Question Time.

 

I stopped counting after a while so I really don't know how many times people asked that same question over and over again : "Aaron, where have you been been all that time ?". It's understandable that he can't explain it the first half hour, since he produces as much sound as a broken radio. But the moment he starts speaking again, the guy still refuses to give a sensible explanation. Believe me, that started to get on my nerves severely.

Of course you can work out different scenarios as an explanation for the peculiar behavior of Aaron. It could be that he suffers from PTSD and therefore lost his speaking skills because of the traumas. Or perhaps the entire movie was just a dream for him. Or maybe (drumroll) he was kidnapped by Martians and he peacefully lived for 20 long years in a Martian colony. Or worse, in all those years he was subjected to sadistic alien experiments. The cause of his silence would be due to the fact that he no longer knows how to speak, because he communicated during that period telepathically. There's also someone else convinced of that. An annoying woman with a ridiculous haircut who suddenly appears out of nowhere, so she can cross-examine Aaron all the time about that last possibility.

Ultimately, it's all guesswork in the end. You'll sit there in front of your television without any explanation or clearance. I like a profound movie from time to time. A movie with things not that clear and obvious. But this was absurd. So if you have some spare time and you want to spend it in a meaningless and purposeless way, I recommend you watch this empty creation. At least it was still of some use. And hopefully I haven't stepped on an alien creature's green long toes, so they come and abduct me!

My rating 1/10
Links : IMDB

Listening (2014)

Summary :
A team of genius-but-broke grad students invent mind-reading technology that destroys their lives and threatens the future of free-will itself.

Genre : SF/Thriller
Country : USA/Cambodia

Cast :
Thomas Stroppel : David
Artie Ahr : Ryan
Amber Marie Bollinger : Jordan

Director : Khalil Sullins

My opinion 

“You're trying to read the contents of an entire library by walking through the aisles.
You gotta open the books to know what's really going on inside.”

What if someone else could read your mind? Does that thought scare you off ? Or can you see some perspectives and opportunities in this technology? And how long would it take before a government would order their secret service to focus on it and obtain the required technology ? Before you know it, you're in the middle of a "Big Brother" situation. You're not only monitored visually, but also your personal thoughts are intercepted. Or worse, a certain dictatorial mindset is being penetrated into your consciousness. Every power-hungry nutcase starts drooling after seeing this method. That's the basic idea of "Listening". A technological innovation with far-reaching effects mixed with a personal crisis.

Ultimately, my general feeling about "Listening" is of a disappointed nature. The film had so much potential and opportunities, but because of some faint situations and a fairly implausible denouement, it's reduced to a laudable attempt. Let there be no doubt, the original idea is far from bad. A revolutionary development in the neurological sector, realistically portrayed with an abundance of technical equipment and commented upon in a complicated jargon. Although the latter tends to sound like outright gibberish sometimes. Could this technology be achieved in reality, this clearly would lead to the bankruptcy of the mobile telephony industry.

Most of the scenes take place in a messy garage. However, these are the most compelling fragments in this film. Also they used a remarkable wide range of colors. The various chapters are filmed in a different flashy color. This requires some adjustment and it started me worrying about the color scheme of my television. Everytime a blue, red or yellow fragment appeared, I checked my settings. But in the end this gave the film its own personal touch. The disadvantage of a low-budget film is of course the low budget (how surprising) what leads to a limited use of stunning visual effects. This becomes abundantly clear with the stereoscopic images during a telepathic connection.

 

The only things remaining are the characters and the philosophy behind the story. The core idea behind the story is crucial in order to make a low-budget movie successful. If it doesn't look impressive, the story must be intriguing enough to make it interesting. As I said earlier, the idea was interesting enough and had plenty of material to provoke discussions. I can imagine that this will be debated widely. Unfortunately, the whole is a bit weakened by the poor worked-out personal problems that David (Thomas Stroppel) and Ryan (Artie Ahr) are facing. There are also a few illogical things and there are some unfortunate developments. I thought it was a bit cheap that the first used telepathic thoughts were of an erotic nature. An attempt to substantiate the theory that a man is thinking about that, most of the time ? And the fact that an ancient Buddhist meditation method is able to withstand this high-tech magic, was a bit too easy. And safety precautions during the grand finale were a joke. But besides these tiny flaws, this was a not so unkind cyberpunk movie.

My rating 5/10
Links : IMDB

Closer to God (2014)

Summary :
A genetic scientist successfully clones the first human being, a baby girl named Elizabeth, but his work is soon threatened by a dark secret, a secret that threatens to destroy everything and everyone precious to him.

Genre : SF/Horror
Country : USA

Cast :
Jeremy Childs : Victor
Shelean Newman : Mary
Shannon Hoppe : Claire

Director :Billy Senese

My opinion 

"This is just the beginning, isn’t it ? ….”

This being a kind of modern version of "Frankenstein", is the least you can say. Even the name of the doctor in question is identical with that of Frankenstein. The only difference with the classic movie is that new life isn't created by sewing together human body parts, but by making use of modern day technology. Cloning a human being is the central topic in this low-budget sci-fi horror. Don't expect an alien looking creature as in "Splice". This cloned human being looks perfectly normal and healthy.

It's not extremely creepy and intense at all. It's the aspect of cloning and the controversy arising on this subject which are developed the most. The fuss, the media attention and the protest groups who are opposed to these practices and consider this more as a blasphemy than scientific progress, demand the most attention. The angry mob at the immense gate of Dr. Reed's residence, is more terrifying than the additional secret that Victor is hiding on his domain. The movie fades from hight-tech SF to social drama. And ultimately it ends as a kind of psychopathic slasher. At first this surprises you, but eventually it looks rather routinely and not really innovative.

 
What remains is a not so original low-budget monster story, embellished with high-tech-looking situations. A highly motivated geneticist who puts more energy into his work than in his family life, resulting in a wife who feels abandoned. The secret that painstakingly is separated from the outside world, is hidden from sight for a considerable time or displayed as a hazy shape in the background. It felt like an attempt to keep the suspense alive and postpone the disclosure as long as possible.

 

Perhaps there should be restrictions and guidelines when it comes to cloning, so that we don't end up with an uncontrollable process where superior specimen are being created. Or an illegal trade is being initiated, producing organs on demand. That a religious aspect also comes with it, is quite evident. Though it's more of a dogmatic religious plea that no one should acquire the authority to create something. God has the exclusive rights for that, so they say. But then one must be able to admit that there are also advantages. Improving the quality of human life and removing those terrible diseases from the world. And there are also disadvantages. What to do with the failures ? And who's going to pass judgment on that matter ? This diversity of views is the heart and essence of this rather modest SF horror story.

 
The whole movie feels like a creation out of the 70's. The décor and presentation, the style of interactions, the overall atmosphere and the meager horror elements. Eventually, it's just like a typical movie that you can see on Syfy. In the 80s it would fit in between "The Entity" and "Critters" during a VHS marathon at the weekend. The only similarity between Jeremy Childs and the Frankenstein monster, is his imposing stature. A walking wardrobe with a facial expression that shows no emotion. Not even while handling the cloned baby. It's all done on automatic pilot without much feelings. The subject of this movie and the reaction of the community comes across as being weighty. However, the film on itself, is nothing but a lightweight.

My rating 4/10
Links : IMDB

X+Y (2014)

Summary :
In a world difficult to comprehend, Nathan struggles to connect with those around him - most of all his loving mother - but finds comfort in numbers. When Nathan is taken under the wing of unconventional and anarchic teacher, Mr. Humphreys, the pair forge an unusual friendship and Nathan's talents win him a place on the UK team at the International Mathematics Olympiad. From suburban England to bustling Taipei and back again, Nathan builds complex relationships as he is confronted by the irrational nature of love.

Genre : Drama
Country : UK

Cast :
Asa Butterfield : Nathan Ellis
Rafe Spall : Martin Humphreys
Sally Hawkins : Julie Ellis

Director :Morgan Matthews

My opinion  

My father died.
I'm sorry, Nathan.
It's not your fault.
I mean, I feel sad for you. 

"X + Y" is a fascinating film about how an autistic boy experiences life and how his environment must deal with him daily. A very sensitive film. They've succeeded in avoiding all the pitfalls so that it wouldn't result in a spectacle full of eccentric traits. The end result is a subtle and tactful sketch of the complicated life Nathan leads. A complex existence in which physical contact is prohibited, affection is unknown and the most logical things seem illogical for someone like Nathan.

Everyday actions result in seemingly impossible tasks because of a compulsive personality disorder. Eating noodles is only possible when the number of pieces is always a prime number for example. Because of the fact that Nathan is also highly intelligent in the field of mathematics, he's regarded even more as a misfit. Until he's selected for the UK team that competes in a mathematical olympiad. He goes to Taipei to attend a training camp. For once he's not the only outsider. He's astonished after realizing that he's not the strange,unworldly weirdo.

I can hear the skeptical critics already, suggesting that this is simply yet another "Rain Man", but without Cruise and Hoffman. Indeed it's about an autistic person who has certain exceptional characteristics. Yet the moral of the film is something completely different. It focuses on the trauma that Nathan has suffered in the past because of a serious traffic accident with his father and the flourishing of this introverted personality.

   

The most compelling in this film was the colorful mixture of characters. Each of them are gems of performances. First Asa "The boy in the striped pajamas" Butterfield who succeeded in playing the difficult character of Nathan in an admirable way. A brilliant mind without feelings and whose selfishness really irritates. Nathan's mother is played by Sally Hawkins. A role that isn't in the limelight all the time, but nonetheless it isn't an obvious part. Rafe Spall is the brilliant mathematics teacher Martin who suffers from multiple sclerosis. He once was part of a math team, but now he's no more than a suicidal sarcast who wants to make the best out of his life. But the most I enjoyed the group of youngsters. An endearing bunch of diverse characters with particularly Jake Davies who excels as the ever-pedantic Luke. He's a complicated, intelligent boy who always comes up with complicated theories. Eventually he uses this to cover up his lonely, sad life.
 

The story could be made melodramatic. But despite it tended to become a valley of tears and the mandatory values of perseverance and triumph are present, it's all handled in an honest and tactful manner, so it's not getting too corny. The most impressive pieces dealt with unrequited affection, rediscovered affection and budding affection by an insensitive person. The whole revolves around support, understanding and relationships. Perhaps the presented mathematical problems were way over my head, but the emotional puzzles were obvious. "X + Y" graduated cum laude for me..

My rating 8/10
Links : IMDB

Woman in Gold (2015)

Summary
Maria Altman sought to regain a world famous painting of her aunt plundered by the Nazis during World War II. She did so not just to regain what was rightfully hers, but also to obtain some measure of justice for the death, destruction, and massive art theft perpetrated by the Nazis.

Genre : Drama
Country : UK

Cast :
Helen Mirren : Maria Altmann
Ryan Reynolds : Randy Schönberg
Daniel Brühl : Hubertus Czernin

Director :Simon Curtis

My opinion  

“Mrs. Altmann, it would seem that if your case goes forward, world diplomacy will collapse, and you will be solely responsible.”

 

"Woman in Gold" is a wonderful and sometimes touching film. Not because of the topic as this was already highlighted in "The Monuments Men", but because of the brilliant rendition Helen Mirren is showing here. A role that suits her perfectly. A distinguished elderly lady who's  a descendant of a wealthy Jewish family and who was forced to flee to the United States during Austria's annexation with germany. She left behind everything: family, personal things and valuable belongings that were owned by the family Altmann. The resentment towards the German ruler obviously is still as lively now as it was in the past. And despite her intention never to set foot on Austrian soil again, she still makes the overseas trip to reclaim the famous painting "Portrait of Adèle Bloch-Bauer" by Gustav Klimt, since she's the rightful heir. That this invaluable piece of art was worth a fortune, is swept aside by her as irrelevant. In the end the painting has been sold to a renowned New York art gallery for a mere 135 million dollars. I'm sure at that moment it wasn't irrelevant anymore.

The film is actually twofold. Obviously there's a less successful part and an exciting second part. The first part, and least successful, is about the court case Maria Altmann starts against the Austrian state, who consider the previous mentioned painting as a national treasure. The fact that it was stolen by the Nazis and actually ended up in their hands unlawfully, was a side issue apparently. So the first thing we are presented with, is an old fashioned courtroom drama with Ryan Reynolds as the young lawyer Randol Schönberg, grandson of the famous Austrian composer Arnold Schönberg and also descendant of a family of war refugees.

The fascinating and interesting part of the film focuses on the past and present of the widow Altmann. A metered mixture of images of this zestful character these days and the painful memories weighing on her shoulders. These memories are displayed in old-fashioned-looking sepia-colored flashbacks. A sketch full of contrasts of the still traumatized Maria and the conditions in which she lived during the occupation. The humiliations and fear. When she gets back in Vienna after so many years, Mary's facial expression proves that this past still weighs heavily on her.

Helen Mirren is a kind of mixture of P. L. Travers and Queen Elizabeth. A lady behaving according to the etiquette from the upper middle class who keeps certain values and norms still alive. A stiff Victorian granny who suffers from a trauma and is seeking for justice. A kind of Miss Marple, but then still in possession of an elegant well-preserved beauty. Without any effort Mirren surpasses the young Reynold on screen. Despite his immense importance in the complex legal procedure, the character pales in comparison with the engaging, witty and sometimes tragic person performed by Mirren. Despite the fact that now and then she brings forward corny sounding quotes, she remains a credible and worthy character.

 
Of course you can cite that the Austrian people are portrayed in a one-sided and caricatural way and look like an anti-Semitic nation that supports the Nazi-regime. Personally, I'm convinced that it's pretty close to being true and that it's more an instinctual survival tactic than that they were supporting that ideology. But that's another discussion. Maybe the relationship between Maria Altmann and her aunt Adèle could have been worked out a bit deeper. But the acting of Mirren and the tragic images of the past create an unparalleled film filled with tragedy and justice. 

My rating 7/10
Links : IMDB

Z for Zachariah (2015)

Summary
In the wake of a disaster that wipes out most of civilization, two men and a young woman find themselves in an emotionally charged love triangle as the last known survivors.

Genre : Drama/SF
Country : Iceland/New Zealand


Cast :
Margot Robbie : Ann Burden
Chris Pine : Caleb
Chiwetel Ejiofor : John Loomis

Director : Craig Zobel

My opinion 

“It's about... rebuilding.
Maybe God... or your father... put this here for us.
So we can... we can start again.
Maybe that's why we're here... Just to start again.”

The future prospects of our beloved world looks rather bleak, judging by the post-apocalyptic films of recent years. The endless series of disaster scenarios doesn't bode well. "The Maze Runner", "Divergent," "Mad Max," "Oblivion," "The Hunger Games", "Snowpiercer", "Automata", "How I live now", "World War Z", "The Well" ... they all show a society that recovers on the ruins of a previous calamity. Similarly, "Z for Zachariah". You won't get a real explanation about the incident that led to a general extermination of our society. Reference is made to radioactivity and emerging nausea caused by polluted water. From this you can deduce that there might have been a nuclear war or accident in the past. But otherwise it is pure guesswork.

 

It all started in an interesting way. A sober story with a sole survivor in a fertile valley (a "Garden of Eden" as it were), that was spared from the global holocaust one way or another. But this soberness gradually morphed into dullness. The emphasis gradually shifted from the apocalypse that took place in the world, to the complex, apocalyptic emotional world of a few surviving individuals. A love triangle is formed with reconstruction, religion, racial discrimination and jealousy as central themes. The fact that in all probability the world population was wiped out by a disaster, is relegated to the background and is only mentioned briefly afterwards as if it's irrelevant. What remains is an ordinary but complicated love story.

  

 
I came across the following perspicacious summary : "Z for Zachariah is a sex movie with a science-fiction coating and barely any sex.". It can easily be added to the list where films such as "The Boy" and "Manglehorn" appear in. Painfully slow films. What remains are the acting performances. An advantage (and maybe disadvantage at the same time) are the number of main characters. It's limited to three. Margot Robbie as the devout, farmer's daughter Ann Burden, who can drive a tractor to work the land without any problem but on the other hand feels rather inconvenient when it comes to intimate relations with someone of the male gender. Margot Robbie is a ravishing appearance as seen in "Focus", "Suite française", "The Wolf of Wall Street" and "About time". Despite her fairly pathetic and bigoted look in this film, her natural beauty is still striking. She's joined by Chiwetel "12 Years a Slave" Ejiofor as the scientist John Loomis who is being rescued from a certain death by Ann after taking a refreshing bath in a toxic pond. The group is completed with Chris Pine as the not so bad-looking miner Caleb. He thwarts John's plans to re-populate the planet thoroughly.

  

This film is based on the novella by Robert C. O'Brien from 1974. I myself haven't read it and allegedly the film isn't really consistent with the book. For example, there would be no question of a third person. Knowing this, I think I'll let this book pass me, for even three people can't ensure that there's an intriguing, fascinating story. Let alone two. "Z for Zachariah" is a science fiction without much fiction, an erotically charged tale without eroticism and a pseudo-emotional story. Despite the nuclear disaster, the chemistry between the characters was hard to find.

 

My rating 4/10
Links : IMDB

Tell (2014)

Summary
Ethan Tell is a small time crook who makes a big-time score when he steals 1 million dollars. Ironically, his life radically changes for the worse when he discovers that stealing the money was the easy part and he now must keep his partner, his wife, his parole officer, and two corrupt detectives from stealing it from him.

Genre : Crime/Action
Country : USA


Cast :
Milo Ventimiglia : Tell
Katee Sackhoff : Beverly
Jason Lee : Ray

Director : J.M.R. Luna

My opinion 
“As a kid I used to think I was gonna be somebody, a model citizen raising a family in the suburbs.
Being shot at by a psycho with a machine gun, was not part of the plan.”

I actually can't understand that so many criticize this film and claim it's so bad. Watching it would be a waste of time. It looks apparently terrible and includes some really bad acting. And also the script sucks and looks pitiful. Granted, it's not "The Shawshank Redemption" or another Oscar winning quality movie. But at least it's better than a monstrosity like "Sharknado". Because of its short duration, airy tone and smooth narrative this film is ultimately ideal as a quickie. A simple, fast film to watch just before bedtime so you can leave to dreamland in a relaxed way. 

 
You can't ignore the fact that it all feels a bit mediocre. It isn't really miserable, but it isn't really innovative either. The acting is at times something to enjoy and suddenly you are presented with some ordinary conversations. The entire concept isn't very original but it remains fascinating due to the lighthearted storyline. It looks a lot like"A Fish Called Wanda" except that Wanda has been replaced by a girl called Beverly who isn't as erotic and sensual as the so called Wanda. Also, the humor is of a different level. Yet it's that kind of humor I usually can appreciate. Black humor with a dark, sarcastic undertone. Anyway, to my surprise I chuckled several times. "Tell" contained more humor in my opinion, than most humorous films that were released recently.

Milo Ventimiglia presents a rock-solid interpretation as the naive, dull Tell, who appears to own an excellent set of brains so he could come up with that cunning plan put. He wasn't known to me but afterwards I found out that he played an important role in "The Divide". Ultimately he's such a character you sympathize with as the plot unfolds and on the other hand you start to feel sorry for him. I wondered if that Sylvester Stallone-like lip was something he's born with or whether it was the result of the huge amount of whacks he received throughout the film. Katee Sackhoff wasn't immediately known to me either, until I checked her filmography and discovered that you could also admire her in "Riddick" (particularly certain perky body parts which are also explicitly shown in "Tell") and she also plays an important part in "Oculus" (a film I still haven't seen yet, much to my embarrassment).

Furthermore throw in two corrupt police officers, a brother in law who intends to take revenge, a probation officer of whom you don't know whether he's dead honest or not and a purse full of cash money that went up in smoke or survived the fire. All this ensured this to be an entertaining movie. A film that doesn't excel directly in originality, but at least you won't get stuck with that feeling afterwards that you could have spend your time more wisely.

 

My rating 5/10
Links : IMDB