Summary A medical practitioner gets himself involved in a crime which happens in a unexpected way. Filled full of guilt, he tries to escape from the cops of Thailand but finally gets captured for a while, then gets a approached to go back to his own country.
Genre : Thriller Country : Laos
Cast : Rossif Sutherland : John Lake
Sare Botsford : Dr. Stephanie Novella Ted Atherton : Patrick Reardon
Director : Jamie M. Dagg
My opinion
“Your face. What happened? I was very drunk last night. I was riding a bicycle, and I fell.”
Can you imagine this. One moment you're standing in an operating room amputating someones leg with a saw. The other moment you're running like a madman through Laos trying to outrun the authorities. This happens to John Lake (Rossif Sutherland), a hard-working doctor, who's sent on a well-deserved holiday after a discussion with the head doctor. At his destination (It surely isn't a five star all-inclusive resort) he's having a few drinks one evening, accompanied by an over friendly bartender. On his way to his humble hut he witnesses an assault on a local girl by a drunken, noisy Australian. And in a split second he makes the wrong decision. Before he knows it, he is a fugitive who's wanted for murdering the son of an Australian Senator and raping a native girl.
The result is an intense manhunt for the guilty western doctor by the local police. And he's guilty. That's a fact. The only thing John has in mind, is not to go on trial in Laos itself. "River" is a film in which desperation, fear and guilt are palpable presence. John, sweaty, bloodied and bruised, is constantly on the run. A boat ride with a local resident. A lift from a couple dodgy looking men. A bus trip which happens to be controlled by a police patrol. It doesn't matter in what way he travels, as long as he stays out of the hands of the authorities and manages to reach a US Embassy. He even has to make a certain decision in the end, that goes against his moral principles. The result of this nerve-racking race, is that the film never pauses for a moment. The pace is blistering (probably appropriate for the climate there) fast and exhilarating.
Rossif Sutherland (son of Donald and brother of Keifer Sutherland) acts convincingly. You can see the desperation and fear on his face. A chaotic flight where he relies entirely on his survival instinct. The intensity is unbearable and because of the sultry environment it's as if you can smell John's pungent body odor in your living room. Although the story is fairly straightforward and obvious, the ending is still surprising. Let me put it this way. It has a high "Oh come on" content. A bit against the flow compared to the rest of the movie. I guess the sense for justice presented itself to John suddenly. It's probably a personal trait. John can't resist to do good for others over and over again.
Summary When Nancy is surfing on a secluded beach, she finds herself on the feeding ground of a great white shark. Though she is stranded only 200 yards from shore, survival proves to be the ultimate test of wills, requiring all of Nancy's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and fortitude.
Genre : Thriller Country : USA
Cast : Blake Lively : Nancy
Seagull : Steven Seagull
Director : Jaume Collet-Serra
My opinion
“I'm not totally alone. I've got this little dude, Steven Seagull, here keeping me company.”
When you succeed in attracting more attention as a puny little seagull than a large oversized shark, you deserve an honorable mention at any reputable film festival. Never before was I charmed by poultry. A confident, wounded animal and certainly pleasant company. Not even one silly word came out of his beak. A fellow victim in the same life-threatening situation. Steven Seagull was an ingenious contribution to the movie. That way Nancy (Blake Lively) wasn't compelled to talk to herself a large portion of the movie. Because, believe me, a cozy chat with the bloodthirsty shark that swam circles around her, wasn't part of her schedule.
And so we arrive at the following participant out of the world of fauna. The six-meter long psychotic shark who wasn't satisfied with just the rotting carcass of a whale. Apparently this carnivore doesn't like to be disturbed while eating. The comparison with the famous shark "Jaws" is inevitable. Anatomically it's probably all very accurate. Only in "The shallows" this predator is completely computer generated, while the Jaws model was a mechanical and electronic model. Not that sharky in this film seemed fake or anatomical wrong. But in "Jaws" you got the impression that it was a lifelike trained shark. When I was a youngster, I won a plastic shark at the fair. He had gaping jaws and looked quite menacing to me. Until you shoved him to the ground and his gaping mouth was double folded. This plastic monster looked much less threatening when doing that. Rather laughable. Wait for the denouement in "The Shallows" and you'll understand what I mean.
Between all this fauna there's a female human being in a tiny bikini. Nancy is a ravishing appearance who needs a moment of reflection in her life after the death of her mother. Nothing is more fun than to travel to a Mexican bay where her mother used to go once. Blake Lively was unknown to me, but after seeing her trained body and perfect-looking female parts, I'm planning to watch the other movies she participated in. I'll be honest. Lively lying on her surfboard with a camera strategically focusing on her tightly shaped buttocks, was a breathtaking sight. Kudos to Collet-Sera to make this film in such a way that my attention was diverted from these bodily temptations, even though she was wearing a bikini the whole movie. All praise for Lively as well, because she plays almost the entire movie cavalier seul. Not a simple task and she does it with gusto. And this thanks to the excellent cooperation of Steven Seagull.
In terms of story, it actually wasn't that big of a deal. Exotic blonde visits a beautifull beach and surfs in azure blue water. According to a shark, she looks like a snack. And she ends up on a piece of rock situated too far from the beach and a buoy. Her task is to get to safety, while the highly intelligent shark is patrolling nearby. Not very original. What remains are the beautiful images. Both the slow motion footage of the waves, as the underwater clips, look sublime. Perfect images that would fit in a "Bounty" commercial. And then there's the steadily increasing tension. It's waiting for the shark to show up, the fatal attack and whether Blake Lively will manage to stay alive (again an appropriate name) and escape. All in all a lot of positive things in this film (except the totally whacked ending) with a simple story. Yet Steven Seagull remains the brilliant highlight of "The Shallows".
Summary The story of Porter Wren, a New York City tabloid writer with an appetite for scandal. On the beat he sells murder, tragedy and anything that passes for the truth. At home he is a model family man, devoted to his loving wife. But when a seductive stranger asks him to dig into the unsolved murder of her filmmaker husband Simon, he can't resist.
Genre : Mystery/Thriller Country : USA
Cast : Adrien Brody: Porter Wren
Yvonne Strahovski : Caroline Crowley Campbell Scott : Simon Crowley
Director : Brian DeCubellis
My opinion
“I'm always running to the place where the bad thing just happened, arriving just after the danger has passed, watching from a safe distance, searching for an angle, that little wrinkle, the kick to the heart that makes you want to put down the dollar and pick up the paper.”
After seeing two not so good films with Adrien Brody ("Backtrack" and "American Heist") I noticed that sad look of him on the cover of "Manhattan Night". It might sound weird, but every time I see Brody's facial expression on a cover, at once a sense of gloom and sadness overtakes me. Examine once again the cover from "Backtrack" and that of, lets say, "Wrecked". Every time you see a person filled with melancholy. With those sad puppy eyes and a grim facial expression. He stares at you with a helpless and beseeching look. The man exudes melancholy.
Despite his distinctive physical traits, he reminded me of Jake Gyllenhaal hunting for sensational news in "Nightcrawler". The same profession, the same eagerness and the same melancholy look. The only major difference is that Porter Wren already had his victory moment in the past when a young girl was found after his journalistic work. Hence, he still takes care of a daily column in the New York Daily News. Even though the new owner of this newspaper isn't very enthusiastic about it. At first you might say that Porter is a boring and rational person. But then again, he hasn't taken Caroline Crowley (Yvonne Strahovski) into account. The moment he sees her at a party, he's lost and he becomes entangled in the seductive web of this blond vamp. Caroline's interest in Porter is also of a practical nature. She wants to use Porter's "Sherlock Holmes" skills to investigate the suspicious death of her husband Simon Crowley (Campbell Scott).
You'll experience something similar like "Basic Instinct" with Brody acting as a sort of Poirot who's persistent in solving a case. In addition, he has to deal with a case of extortion, so the whole thing gets even more complicated. A story full of intrigue and erotically charged scenes. Brody's daily column is about other people's misery. It looks like he's becoming the main character in such a column. Although all my attention should be drawn to the stormy affair between Porter and Caroline and the complicated developments gripping Porter, my attention went to the rather extravagant personality of Crowley. A slightly deranged movie producer with some absurd traits. A real weirdo with a weird sense of humor. Such a person who pretends to having commit suicide after swallowing a large number of pills. And then he gets up calmly and says it was just a joke. And a highly attractive, breathtaking erotic blonde falls in love with such an eccentric who looks like a bum? Women are unfathomable and inapprehensible. But the acting of Campbell Scott was beyond dispute extremely brilliant.
All in all not a bad movie. Not bad at all. But not a high flyer either. Turn it into a black and white film and you can place it between other Hollywood classics which are shown on a pay-per-view television-channel. It won't be noticed. You can call this film stylish though. "Manhattan Night" pretends to be a neo-noir film with a mystery build into. But in the end it isn't really mysterious.
Summary A weekend getaway takes a dangerous turn when a mysterious nightclub owner introduces a group of friends to a new designer drug. Stripped of their inhibitions, they start living out their wildest fantasies - but what starts out as a fun night of partying quickly turns deadly, as the island paradise deteriorates into a tropical madhouse.
Genre : Thriller Country : USA
Cast : Pierce Brosnan : The Man
Danny Masterson : Neil Justin Chatwin : Jason
Director : Aaron Kaufman
My opinion :
“This weekend's gonna be epic.”
How the hell did the makers of "Urge" convince Pierce Brosnan to join them? Pierce Brosnan, better known as the legendary 007 and his participation in light humorous romantic comedies. And sometimes he even tries to showcase his musical talent, as in "Mamma Mia!" for example. But I've never seen this top gentleman as devilish and evil as here. The acting of Brosnan is also the only positive part in this movie. And also the only thing that fascinated me.
Neil (Danny Masterson) is a young, wealthy entrepreneur, who's used to a life where he gets everything. An arrogant guy whose group of friends probably consists of artificial friendships that live off his amassed fortune. One day he and his so-called friends Vick (Chris Geere), Danny (Nick Thune), Joey (Alexis Knapp) and Denise (Bar Paly) go to an island to enjoy a great weekend together in his ultra- modern villa. This could well be an epic weekend. That's what he promised his secretary and semi-lover Theresa (Ashley Greene). However, there are two surprises awaiting them. The first in the form of Jason (Justin Chatwin), the uninvited would-be artist and enfant terrible, but yet Neil's bosom friend. And the second surprise is the drug "Urge" which is presented to them in the exclusive nightclub Volcano.
Clearly it's not a typical night club. There are eyes projected at the wall and randomly they choose someone to grant him exclusive access to the club. Once inside they are welcomed by a kind of Oompa Loompa person. And the audience seems to be under the influence of some chemical drug. The moment Jason meets the charismatic and Delmore Schwartz citing owner, who's known as "The Man", he's offered an exceptional brand new drug. A unique experience will await him and his friends. Provided they only use it once. Too bad for Jason. Seems like it has no effect on him.
It will come as no surprise that this gang of idiots will break the golden rule. The result is complete hysteria with everyone's deepest desires and bizarre fantasies taking an unrestrained form. With all its consequences. An outbreak of violence and sadistic savagery is the result. A kind of "Clockwork Orange" frenzy. And this hysteria takes over the entire island. It seems as if the entire population has consumed a bit to much "Urge" and forgot about that important rule.
Afterwards I was wondering what the ultimate message was behind this story. What was it the creators wanted to show? The decay of our society? The danger of hallucinogens and other chemical mess? Or were they trying to prove that each individual has a dark side? Actually, I expected a kind of sado masochistic story after seeing those ladies with delicious curves and dressed in red latex in the beginning of the movie. Ultimately, "Urge" is like a space cake without space. Or a mushroom that should give you hallucinations, but turns out to be an innocent champignon. Nothing mind-blowing or exciting. Afterwards you'll get a sort of Machiavellian interpretation, but the meaningless and disappointing ending spoiled it somewhat. It would have been sublime if a package of "Urge" was being delivered with this film. Just to keep an open mind, while watching this rather disappointing film.
Summary : A band straying into a secluded part of the Pacific Northwest stumbles onto a horrific act of violence. Because they are the only witnesses, they become the targets of a terrifying gang of skinheads who want to make sure all the evidence is eliminated.
Genre : Thriller/Horror Country : USA
Cast : Anton Yelchin : Pat
Imogen Poots : Amber Patrick Stewart : Darcy
Director : Jeremy Saulnier
My opinion :
“Things have gone south, no doubt. But you know if you don't hand over that gun, it won't end well.”
The advantage of watching a movie without any knowledge or awareness of what it's about initially, is that sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised. And that's what "Green Room" did. It surprised me. Either way, I thought it was already interesting because it was about the members of an obscure punk band called "The Ain’t Rights". They travel across the U.S in a shabby looking Minivan, going from gig to gig. It's not exactly the comfortable life as that of a successful, richly paid rockband. On the contrary. They look like undernourished, sleazy-looking bohemians. They don't even have enough money to buy fuel, so they can move on. I admit it. I envied this group of carefree teenagers whose favorite pastime is to produce raw, anarchic music. Spontaneously memories of such a rebellious life in a distant past started to flash through my mind. Yep, I was a little biased from the start.
When Pat (Anton Yelchin), Sam (Alia Shawkat), Reece (Joe Cole) and Tiger (Callum Turner) decide to accept one more gig, so they can earn some money, they didn't realize they would end up in a hornet's nest. The location where they have to perform is situated somewhere in a secluded forest with some bleak-looking shacks standing around. It appears to be a sort of camp for the local skinheads. After their concert, which they began with a passionate tribute to the Dead Kennedys by playing one of their classics "Nazi Punks Fuck Off", they are witnesses of a bloody crime. Somewhat later you see them barricading themselves in their dressing room, trying to negotiate with Darcy (Patrick Stewart) for a safe passage. Darcy seems to be the man who's running the place. As a result, a brutal fight starts with the elite troops of the skinheads (fearless gang members with red laces) who use all kinds of resources.
At first, I was expecting some sort of documentary-like film about the punk scene. However, when it slowly changed into a slasher and the first bloody confrontations was a fact, my enthusiasm was awakened. What's presented here, is pure aggression in its most explicit form. You'll get fury and brutality of an unprecedented nature. The ruthlessness with which the neo-Nazis try to eliminate the band, is fairly confrontational. Nothing is shown in veiled form. Violence hits you unmercifully like a sledgehammer. But not only the violence is explicit. Also the intensity and the rising tension in those claustrophobic rooms is at times unbearable. The overall setting in which the story takes place contributes to this for most part. Those dark corridors and dingy rooms. And the fact that both parties have no idea how to resolve the situation, just makes it even more interesting.
Biggest surprise for me was seeing Patrick Stewart as the charismatic leader of this subversive gang. He's better known as the more reserved and dutiful Captain Jean-Luc Picard. It felt a little weird to see him parading around as a kind of xenophobe who gives cold-blooded murderous orders to these far-right sympathizers. Anton Yelchin and Imogen Poots tried to fight back in a fearsome manner. Both of them appeared already together in "Fright Night". But I'll always remember Yelchin as "Odd Thomas". He managed to survive in "Green Room". In real life however, he ran out of luck. His Jeep ,which was parked on a hill, struck him, because he left it in neutral. Well, life sucks!
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.
Summary 
