Mechanic : Ressurection (2016)

Summary 
Arthur Bishop thought he had put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life. Now he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations, and do what he does best, make them look like accidents.

Genre : Action
Country : USA/France

Cast : 
Jason Statham : Arthur Bishop

Jessica Alba :  Gina
Tommy Lee Jones : Max Adams

Director : Dennis Gansel

My opinion

“I spend my whole life settin' people up to die
Let's set you up to live.”

Believe me, I'm an avid fan of Jason Statham and won't refuse to watch a film in which his muscularity appears. In addition, I also realize that a real Jason Statham movie won't ask much effort from your brain. Most of his films are brainless movies in which a lascivious, wellformed beauty occurs from time to time. In addition, Statham's talents as an action figure and practitioner of martial arts is extensively demonstrated in these movies. And that's exactly what you can admire in "Mechanic: Ressurection". The film has just begun and Statham already needs to dig up his fighting techniques. Unfortunately, the rest of the film is of a pitifully low level. It's rather a mind below zero movie with a totally meaningless and paper thin story, ridiculous developments and forced interactions between the main actors.

Well, there's always something to complain about. Statham playing a character part as in "Hummingbird" with less emphasis on the action, is also a reason for some to start grumbling. And in this movie there's a lot of fighting going on. But isn't that actually the main reason why we watch a Staham movie? Those brutal fight scenes where he uses every attribute he can lay his hands on? An absence of high quality dialogues and his static facial expression is part and parcel. The problem lies in the overarching story interwoven with the three subplots. The three murders Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) has to commit in a sinecure way (so that it looks like an accident) have been worked out masterfully. It's like watching three "MacGyver" episodes. And the second one is the most hallucinatory and impressive one.

The movie's weaker half is the romantic part where Statham needs to show his sensitive side. He can use his triceps and biceps convincingly. But this stands in stark contrast to the use of his heart muscle. It seems rather contrived. However, if you look at the appearance of Jessica Alba, you totally understand that the adrenaline in Statham begins to function in a very different way. Alba is a beautiful appearance and luckily (for the male audience) there are many exotic beaches used as a scenery, making it mandatory for her to walk around and swim in bikini. Sadly, her part is limited to playing as a bait for Bishop. And obviously she demonstrates her feminine vulnerability constantly. Until a fury in her emerges and suddenly she masters effective combat techniques.

Ultimately, "Mechanic: Ressurection" is just a pure action movie that serves as demonstration material for Statham's ability as an action figure. The landscapes are beautifully portrayed. The three murders technically may not really be feasible, but are still imaged in an ingenious way. Jason Statham plays the cool guy who's forced to rescue the damsel in distress. Jessica Alba looks appetizing. And Tommy Lee Jones shines as wealthy arms dealer who has the appearance of an old hippie. These are all the positive remarks in a nutshell. If you have no problem with the fact they've put the focus in this movie solely on the mindless action moments and the rest is nothing more than an empty box, you'll be safe with this film.

My rating 4/10
Links : IMDB

Ithaca (2015)

Summary 
Fourteen-year-old Homer Macauley is determined to be the best and fastest bicycle telegraph messenger anyone has ever seen. His older brother has gone to war, leaving Homer to look after his widowed mother, his older sister and his 4-year-old brother, Ulysses. And so it is that as spring turns to summer, 1942, Homer Macauley delivers messages of love, hope, pain... and death... to the good people of Ithaca.

Genre : Drama
Country : USA

Cast : 
Alex Neustaedter : Homer Macauley

Sam Shepard : Willie Grogan
Meg Ryan : Mrs. Macauley

Director : Meg Ryan

My opinion

“Okay, the faster you deliver messages, the more you can deliver.
The faster you pick up outgoing messages, the more we can send.
The more we can send, the better our chances of beating western union and staying alive.
We're postal telegraph.
We get there swiftly.
We're polite to everyone.
We take off our hats in elevators and above all things,
we never lose a telegram.”

"Wow!" I thought for a minute. A drama with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks demonstrating their skills once more. Is it a sequel to the masterful romantic comedy "You've got mail"? Well, it's about sending messages for sure. But Tom Hanks won't send a lot of messages anymore. Or he's sending them from the afterlife. It's the era before the internet even existed. These were the happy days without spam or ransomware. But to deliver the telegram within an acceptable time frame, the telegraph services needed young boys who could ride a bike swiftly enough. And since "Ithaca" is situated during the 2nd World War, with lots of American boys fighting on the European continent, it's no surprise most of the messages brought no good news.

And that's something Homer Macauley (Alex Neustaedter) is facing. He's betting his life on being the fastest courier on bike ever. Despite the fact that he's racing back and forth like a kind of Cavendish the whole movie, the film on its own is rather slow. Biggest surprise was the rather limited contribution by Tom Hanks. Was he doing Meg Ryan (debuting here as a director) a favor? Or was it just to stir up the former movie chemistry? In contrast, the film was hugely predictable. I could guess early on in the film wich fate Homer was quickly sprinting towards. I know it wasn't the intention to create a mysterious puzzle. But I was hoping for a little surprise. Ultimately, it's once again about fear and hope. Left behind families waiting for some news from their sons who are sent to war. And this combined with the story about a boy, who's confronted with the less pleasant events in life, while delivering these messages.

Because of the short playing time, Meg Ryan failed to unravel the fragile personality of Homer in an orderly manner. His leap to adulthood is fairly abruptly after the death of his father and the departure of his older brother. A brother who writes terribly long letters while on his way to the front, in such a prosaic writing style that it seems as if he wants to win a Pulitzer prize. The occasional reading of excerpts from these letters probably was meant to bring drama into the film. Eventually, I thought it was quite disturbing. A short playing time with a variety of storylines results in unfinished and "fast dealt with" pieces. The loss of a father figure, the responsibility as the eldest son, dutifully performing a job as a courier, the disastrous reports, war scenes, the drama of an old telegraph operator and a mother who occasionally experiences "Sixth Sense" situations. And then there are a few minor (but briefly quoted) secondary plots. It's all a bit too much.

The acting isn't really bad. But it seems like everyone is groping in the dark about his character. Especially Homer's boss Tom Spangler (Hamish Linklater) is such a blurred figure. We can be brief about Ryan and Hanks. As brief as their actual playing time. It's negligible. I only enjoyed the performances of Alex Neustaedter (obvious of course), Sam "Midnight Special" Shepard and the cute Ulysses (Spencer Howell) whose cuddle factor is very high. Especially Shepard makes a momentary impression. A brilliant and intriguing character. Eventually this coming of age story during the war makes a fairly comatose impression. It isn't really vivid.

My rating 4/10
Links : IMDB

Captive (2015)

Summary 
In this fact-based thriller, a single mother struggling with drug addiction is randomly taken hostage in her own apartment by a man on the run from the law for breaking out of jail and murdering the judge assigned to his case - only to realize before the climactic finish that they have actually saved each other's lives.

Genre : Drama
Country : USA

Cast : 
Kate Mara : Ashley Smith

David Oyelowo : Brian Nichols

Director : Jerry Jameson

My opinion 

“Every time I do it I think : "This is the last time. I can control this."
And I do it again and again and again.
I just can't... I just can't stop.
I like it too much.”

The transformation Brian Nichols (David Oyelowo) undergoes, is irrefutable miraculous. He's a convicted criminal who manages to violently escape out of a courthouse, where he was waiting for his conviction after allegedly raping his girlfriend. During this escape he murders a number of people in cold blood, including the judge. This is the beginning of a major manhunt, initiated by the police departments in Atlanta. Until he bumps into Ashley Smith (Kate Mara), a young woman who is trying to kick the habit of using Crystal Meth, and takes her hostage in her own apartment. And thus the miracle happens. The reading of the bestseller "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren brings Brian to repentance. Hallelujah.

I don't want to detract from what actual happened and how the offender Brian, by hearing positive messages and a religious inspired guidance, managed to get his act together so his humane and kind side could take over again. And this despite the fact that his life is a complete mess and there isn't a bright future awaiting him. From my own experience I know that resorting to the basic elements of a balanced life is lifesaving. And it doesn't matter this is accomplished by listening to a learned person or a soul mate. Or by reading appropriate literature. 5 Years ago I found myself with my back against the wall. By adjusting my philosophy of life, rearranging my priorities and fighting daily against what would be my downfall, my life has changed radically. Yes it"s something wonderful and miraculous, but no need to make a film about it.

That's my feeling about this film. The message in this film contains a wonderful thing and is unique. The fact that it's possible for an individual to give meaning to his life. That applies to both Brian and Ashley. Ashley sees how her life slowly derails. Her husband murdered because of her drug addiction. And her daughter taken away from her because of her disability to be a caring mother. And Brian seeing another opportunity to meet his newborn son sometime in the future. That this happened again by the hands of the Almighty God, of course will please the religious community in our society. Therefor this film is ideal as an educational film for an ecumenical community or a religious tinted television channel.

The only thing I found inappropriate, was the ending showing Ashley Smith in person during an Oprah talk show where she tells her story and promotes the book that saved her live and at the same time that of the abductor. The moment the author of the acclaimed book walks into the studio, I was overtaken by a sickening feeling. The entire film was suddenly reduced to nothing more than a teleshopping program. I'm sure there are people whose life drastically changed after reading this book. But I can imagine there are thousands of people who experienced a drastic change of life thanks to another inspiring book. Lets hope they won't turn every such experience into a movie ....

My rating 4/10
Links : IMDB

Girl in Woods (2016)

Summary :
After a tragic accident Grace is lost and alone in the Smoky Mountains. Grace's struggle for survival is made more complicated by her troubled past. Battling the demons in her mind may be the only way to come out alive.

Genre : Thriller/Drama
Country : USA

Cast :
Juliet Reeves London : Grace
Jeremy London : Jim
Charisma Carpenter : Momma

Director : Jeremy Benson

My opinion : 

“This will be a day you’ll never forget”

Are you a hardworking student full of enthusiasm and zeal who's trying to get a degree in psychiatry so you can immerse yourself in the world of the insanity? And you got an irresistible urge to put on some walking shoes and pave your way through dense forests? Well, this movie is definitely perfect for you in that case. Because believe me, the only thing you'll see are heaps of film footage with beautiful images of a vast pine forest. And in this beautiful forest, you'll see a confused young woman dragging herself forward, searching for a way out of this treacherous forest. It's quite obvious after a while she's balancing on the brink of insanity.

Grace (Juliet Reeves London) and Jim (Jeremy London) are staying in a cabin deep in the woods of the Smoky Mountains. Did Jim organize this trip so he could pop the big question? Or because Grace needed some rest? She has a lot of psychological problems caused by a traumatic experience in her youth. She's plagued by nightmares during her sleep and medication can only dampen it slightly. So maybe it's about time to wander around the woods looking for a romantic spot near a waterfall. That's Jim's bright idea initially. Until this dumb fool blows his own brains against the leafy canopy after a clumsy maneuver with his gun. Grace freaks out and is left behind more traumatized. And that's the beginning of a hallucinatory survival trek. Without pills, that is.

The beginning looked promising and interesting. A kind of "Inception" intro with Grace's fiancé in a terrifying role. A dream within a dream moment showing Grace's condition. Unfortunately the further course of the film is not of the same level and it evolves into a pure survival film where the psychological state of Grace is put severely to a test. Continously you'll see the recurring hallucinations and flashbacks which slowly but surely explain the reason of Grace's psychosis. Initially these flashbacks were still acceptable and necessary to substantiate the state of Grace. But I was fed up with the repetitive nature after a while, despite them being pretty disturbing and explicitly portrayed. Also Grace's aimlessly roaming around in this seemingly infinite forest and ending up at the starting point all the time, was quite irritating. After seeing yet again a collection of shrubs and trees, an idyllic waterfall and close-ups of leaves and needles, it became a little bit too much. It started to look alot like a promotional film from Greenpeace.

Many will say this is a dull and monotonous film. The fascinating part, however, is found on a whole other level. It's all about the degeneration of the mental state of Grace by the lack of medication, hardship, hunger and desperation. To be honest, this was played in an excellent way by Juliet Reeves London. The transformation of an ordinary woman, although tormented by her inner demons, into a skittish, primitive creature who's being confronted with her alter egos and suffers from delusions in the form of a kind of demon, is indeed exquisitely depicted. At the end you're wondering if her traumatic past experience actually went down as it appears in her nightmares. What about her parents? What happened really to them? And Jim's fatal accident? Just a stupid accident or something else? Was what we usually saw real? Or fiction?

The final denouement shows or suggests the real outcome. But ultimately "Girls in Woods" is an enigmatic film in which many pressing questions remain unanswered. The fact is that Grace isn't only lost in a vast forest, she's also a bit astray in terms of her mental condition. Psychiatrists in the making and hiking enthusiasts will probably appreciate this movie. The average movie buff won't react enthusiastically. Eventually Grace grows into a new urban legend. A myth and suggestive story that'll be used as a campfire story.

My rating 4/10
Links : IMDB

Blackway (2015)

Summary :
An ex-logger comes to the aid of a woman who returns to her hometown in the Pacific Northwest and finds herself harassed and stalked by a former cop turned crime lord.

Genre : Thriller
Country : USA

Cast :
Anthony Hopkins : Lester
Julia Stiles : Lillian
Alexander Ludwig : Nate

Director : Daniel Alfredson

My opinion :  

“You're probably just a bad dad.”

"Blackway" is like a badly composed fitness program, an unbalanced diet or a poorly planned vacation trip. You start off with certain expectations, but eventually you have to conclude that nothing essential changed or happened. No top shape, no slender figure and no holiday experience that'll stick to you eternally. The same applies to "Blackway". It's not an impressing movie experience. It remains a vague thriller without much sensation.

It was clear that this community consisted of seasoned loggers in checkered winter coats. Such a closed society where strangers are looked at in suspicion and where they react quite aggressively when too much prying questions are asked. Even if those questions are asked by like-minded souls. I still don't understand why these roughnecks and frightening trappers fear one individual. By joining forces (and it's not even necessary that the whole loggers federation gather, when you look at their torso) they would have felled, subsequently chopped and removed Blackway (Ray Liotta) without too many problems. Forget it. The man seems to be the devil himself. That's why all these tough guys hide in their safe block huts, I guess.

Fortunately for Lillian (Julia Stiles), there are two helpful scouts members who aren't easily intimidated and run away swiftly when it gets dangerous. If you compare their figure with the other typical tree sawyers, it seems more like a suicide mission. On the one hand there's the old, tough ex-lumberman Lester (Anthony Hopkins), who's apparently on a revenge-mission when it's about Blackway and without thinking he gets his moose rifle. And secondly there's the stuttering, shy Nate (Alexander Ludwig) who actually has no idea why he's joining this willingly. I was wondering about the same thing. The three of them start their mission to find Blackway and to make clear to him that he should leave Lillian alone. Indeed, that is the ultimate starting point of the whole story. Finding the former policeman Blackway who has worked his way up to the status of local badass. The one everybody's afraid of (even the local police) and who's stalking Lillian. A simple storyline for a simple movie. "Finding Blackway" instead of Dory. 

Ultimately, this was just an average film. You'll see the three protagonists on their quest and ending in a not so very original denouement. Along the way we get the mandatory fights and skirmishes with Nate grimly throwing himself into the battles. At least he's useful when doing this. Lester limits himself to cold-blooded dialogues and demonstratively waving his wrapped gun. Blackway behaves as a moose being hunted down. As expected. Sir Hopkins remains a brilliant actor. It's a pleasure to watch him acting even though his contribution is limited to glassy and absent staring. However, the whole time I had the impression that I was watching a nature documentary with Hannibal Lecter in it. A kind of "Silence of the woods". Lillian remained faithful to her role as victim. Although I'm sure she was already sorry of not taking the advice (endlessly repeated by the inhabitants) after a while.

All in all it wasn't a memorable movie. Despite the splendor images and the right atmosphere, it was all rather mediocre. And even the presence of Hopkins couldn't resolve this. The reputation of Blackway looked like that of Candyman. His name was pronounced every five minutes (awe-struck and full of fear) so I got the feeling he could appear any moment somewhere out of a dark corner. A corner filled with pine scent of course.

My rating 4/10
Links : IMDB