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

Homefront (2013)

Genre : Action/Crime
Country : USA

Cast :
Jason Statham : Phil Broker
James Franco : Gator
Winona Ryder : Sheryl Marie Mott

Director :
Gary Fleder

Summary
Phil Broker is a former DEA agent who has gone through a crisis after his action against a biker gang went horribly wrong and it cost the life of his boss' son. He is recently widowed and is left with a 9-years-old daughter,Maddy. He decides to quit the turbulent and demanding life of thrill for Maddy's sake and retires to a small town. His daughter fights off a boy who was bullying her at school and this sets in motion a round of events that end in his direct confrontation with the local Meth drug lord. His past history with the biker gang also enters the arena, making matters more complex. But he has a mission in his mind to protect his daughter and he is ready to pay any cost that it demands.

Summary  

Whatever you're thinking...rethink it.

After the movies "Safe" and "Parker", which weren't that great, and "Hummingbird", which I thought wasn't that bad but a little different from the standard roles Statham plays normally, he reappears in this straightforward hardcore action. The screenplay was written by Stallone and so it gets a bit of the atmosphere of the action movies from the 80s. The movie appears to be based on a novel by Chuck Logan, Vietnam veteran and author of several crime novels featuring Phil Broker, ex-cop and ex-military, as the main character.

I've really enjoyed this movie. Especially the action scenes (unfortunately there are only a few of those) are perfectly suited for an actor like Statham. Fearless, blazing-fast and crashing hard. That is why most people watch a movie with Statham. And they won't be disappointed. Looking at the beginning of the film I expected the worst. The cliche of a motorcycle gang driving into a city on their way to check a drug lab. Statham is an undercover with long greasy hair. What follows is the DEA flooding the place and attempting to arrest the gang. The exploding drug lab looked like it came out of a TV series from the 80s such as "The A-Team". A spectacle that resembles a typical firework on the 4th of July.

Due to the trigger-happy policemen who came rushing in, the son of the drug lord is killed with a ridiculous amount of bullets. I suppose they were making sure he won't survive it. Fortunately, the further course of this film is of a slightly higher level than the weak intro. Beautiful snapshots from South America with images of the bayou like we have seen in "Mud". What bothers me is the way the local people there are portrayed. They seem to be stereotypical "rednecks" who would welcome a stranger in a contemptuously manner and are more likely to give him a beating as a welcome present. Statham decides to settle there with his 10 year old daughter. An excellent performance of this teenager and probably someone we are going to hear of in the future.
The only downside of this movie is that it's as simple and predictable as a Sesame Street story. You can expect a "one against all" story, out of which the tormented and threatened father will come as the great triumphator. There were a few ridiculous situations. How is it possible that even though Broker deflected so far away, he ends up in a miserable little town where the local emerging drug baron happens to have a girlfriend who is pretty familiar with the motorcycle gang mentioned earlier. And I don't think it's a normal procedure that an ex-cop has an archive with files of criminals lying in his dank basement at home. And certainly not a file from the one who's after him to take revenge.

But all this can't spoil the fun with this popcorn movie. Statham is icecold and deadly dangerous. Vidovic convincingly plays the role as a daughter. That she was going to knock down that fat bully, was no surprise. Franco tries to act as a tough guy, but he always gives me the impression he'll spontaneously burst out into tears. Kate Bosworth is worth a mention as the addicted mother of that little brat and has an incredible big mouth. Winona Ryder was almost unrecognizable as the drug whore, but non-important. And Clancy Brown plays a great role as sheriff of the godforsaken town. Brown better known as Captain Hadley in "The Shawshank Redemption" is cut out for a role as a sheriff who is corrupt.

Conclusion: A predictable storyline with some entertaining fight scenes. A fun movie for a Friday evening. 

My rating 7/10
Links : IMDB

Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

Genre : Biography/Comedy
Country : USA/UK

Cast :
Tom Hanks : Walt Disney
Emma Thompson : P.L. Travers
Colin Farrell : Travers Goff

Director :
John Lee Hancock

Summary
When Walt Disney's daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Traver's Mary Poppins, he made them a promise - one that he didn't realize would take 20 years to keep. In his quest to obtain the rights, Walt comes up against a curmudgeonly, uncompromising writer who has absolutely no intention of letting her beloved magical nanny get mauled by the Hollywood machine. But, as the books stop selling and money grows short, Travers reluctantly agrees to go to Los Angeles to hear Disney's plans for the adaptation.

My opinion

George Banks and all he stands for will be saved. Maybe not in life, but in imagination. Because that's what we storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instill hope again and again and again.

Who doesn't love Walt Disney? Every day you're confronted with it and most people have grown up with it. Almost every day I watch a Disney cartoon at home and still look with admiration, amazement and sometimes childlike joy at the magic that takes place on the screen. It's a bit forced that I spend my time on that. Especially when you have two little kids of 2 and 4 hopping around at home, begging everyday for another Mickey Mouse, Dumbo, or ask me "Dad please put on that movie with those two dogs that eat spaghetti".

The only Disney product I really hate is the movie "Mary Poppins" . And that for the following reasons. I can't stand Julie Andrews anymore, because of her contribution to "The Sound of Music". That's that Brady Bunch movie with a whole bunch of kids in it, with a lot of campfire songs. Every year I have to endure this monstrosity because it's indefinitely shown on television at the end of the year. Looking at Julie Andrews gives me now spontaneous abdominal cramps. Dick Van Dyke is reason number two. That guy is constantly walking around with an enormous smile as if he has swallowed a coat hanger. Every dentist probably begins to drool spontaneously when this walking Colgate advertising figure appears on the screen. And third, I hate musicals ( For more information about this, see "The Great Gatsby" review). "Mary Poppins" is the only Disney product that will always fail to impress me.
 
Now it appears to be that this "Savings Mr. Banks" is the story about the struggle between Walt and the author of "Mary Poppins", PL Travers, to get the film rights in order to make a movie from this famous book. To my surprise it surely wasn't bad and I can only express my praise on the performances of the protagonists.

The highlight is of course Emma Thompson, who plays an outstanding role as the haughty, transverse and unyielding Travers. If Travers really behaved like this, I'd sent her immediately straight back to London. What a nasty aunt she is. If the tape recordings at the end are authentic, you can only conclude that it was indeed such a monster of a woman. Thompson plays in a convincing way the writer who's to proud to give her favorite character away, so that it would only be used, according to her opinion, for commercial reasons.  Sometimes she's also a fragile and sad person since she carries a terrible secret from her past as we'll notice during the movie. Whether these are real facts, I don't know, but it would be a plausible explanation for her behavior.  There are some really funny moments in this film like the scene where one of the musicians slips away in a sneaky fast way the music sheet with the title "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious". Superb.

Tom Hanks shows again a natural way of interpretation. As if he actually was Walt Disney. For me, Hanks is currently one of the best actors in Hollywood. He can fully empathize with the role imposed and transform in such a way that he becomes one with the character. Whether he is a captain, a castaway or a stranger at an airport, it seems as if he has many years of experience with this matter. A unique actor with a unique gift. 
Colin Farell is also brilliant as the father of Travers. A key figure in the story who constantly tries to enchant his daughter with fairy-tales and fabricated stories. It's his way to protect her from the horrible and hostile reality of everyday. It's superb to see his mood swings. A good-hearted man who's knocked out by his alcohol addiction. And finally has a real impact on the future of his daughter.

Paul Giamatti took care of the role as personal driver of Travers. A captivating role with a sad impact. He's also the first that made a personal contact with her and ultimately was the only one who she appreciated and she could tolerate. Brilliant supporting role.

The only drawback, but at the same time I realize that it was not technically possible to achieve it in another way, was the constant interruptions by flashbacks. In this way, the past and the influence it had, got interwoven in a beautiful way with the present. The sad thing is that this slowed down the rhythm of the story. Not in an annoying way, but still annoying to me after a while.

Towards the end a few handkerchief moments appear. But that was to be expected. But nevertheless, I still enjoyed this film. A historical narrative that explains the evolution of the movie "Mary Poppins". I've seen the movie now, It didn't nerve me, but I'll still maintain the tradition I have with the original movie. I'll probably never see it again!

My rating 7/10
Links : IMDB

Out of the Furnace (2013)

Genre : Drama/Crime
Country : USA

Cast :
Christian Bale : Russell Baze
Casey Affleck : Rodney Baze
Woody Harrelson : Harlan DeGroat

Director :
Scott Cooper

Summary
Russell and his younger brother Rodney live in the economically-depressed Rust Belt, and have always dreamed of escaping and finding better lives. But when a cruel twist of fate lands Russell in prison, his brother becomes involved with one of the most violent and ruthless crime rings in the Northeast - a mistake that will cost him everything. Once released, Russell must choose between his own freedom, or risk it all to seek justice for his brother.

My opinion

Am I supposed to be scared of him because he sucks on a lollipop?

If you're expecting a hard-hitting action movie, then you'll be disappointed. This film is tough, but not in a physical way. It's a dark, depressing and hopeless portray of a moribund industrial city. A slow moving movie that tells the story of the brothers Baze. Russell is the one who tackles life in a conventional way by going to work himself to the bone for a meager wage in a steel factory. Rodney is the energetic U.S. marine who has already done a few tours abroad and clearly suffers from that. He doesn't want to have an ordinary job. He rather borrows some money at a local bookie and gambles on horse racing. Either he tries to collect a few dollars by participating in illegal organized fist fights. However, he has a problem and that's his sometimes emerging rage that makes him forget the precise instructions.

Christian Bale plays an outstanding role here and should better have gotten a nomination for this part instead of the one in that dreadful movie "American Hustle". He radiates an intense tranquility and also tries to calm down his brother. The only thing I was wondering is whether he had a criminal past. The love for his girlfriend and his father, who's in a critical condition, seem truly sincere. It is a man whose eyes say everything. The fatal accident he caused made him spend some time behind bars. But even that won't break him. The day he's released and the meeting with his girlfriend, who meanwhile left him, are two strong snapshots in the film.

Casey Affleck is the opposite. A cauldron of pent-up anger and frustration that arose during his missions abroad where he experienced stuff he can't talk about and so he bottles up these certain situations. He plays it so amazingly well. The restrained anger relative to his brother. It's someone with a short fuse who is about to explode. And he does that during the fights. Until he gets involved with a community that lives in the mountains and who have their own laws.

The interaction between the two brothers is magnificent. They are well attuned to each other. The older brother who does all the effort to keep the younger rebellious brother on a short leash. Even repaying his debts he made with gambling . That the respect for each other and the brotherly love is mutual is evident. The frequent visits of Rodney in prison is prove of that. Also the excuse note Russell gets after they had  a feud, makes that clear. Russell isn't realizing that he'll never see his brother alive again.

Woody Harrelson plays the dangerous DeGroat in a masterly way. The opening scene at the drive-in makes it clear that he's a psychopathic violent person who fears nobody and won't go out of the way for anybody. The devilish grimace and sly sophisticated smile fit perfectly with him. Same traits as his character in "Natural Born Killers". Woody has the stature and the attitude to play such a character. He sometimes actually looks fairly friendly with his winning smile, only to change into a deadly person in a flash.

The acting performance of Forest Whitaker wasn't that great. The moment he tells Russell the news about his brother, was truly abominable. However I think Forest is a brilliant actor. An off day probably.

I can imagine such dreary and petty towns exist in the U.S. where people are struggling to survive and even retreat into isolation, to found an independent community where crime and violence is normal. Besides the fact that this is just an ordinary revenge movie it also has other elements that don't have anything to do or add to the main theme, but are subtly worked out to fit into the complete story. The only disappointment was the end. If I was Russell, the retaliation would take a long time.

"Out of the furnace" is a story about people who fight. Fighting for an income. Literally and figuratively. And the dilemma to take the law into your own hands or not. The sweet revenge. In the end I thought it was a top movie.

My rating 7 /10
Links : IMDB