I-Lived (2015)

Summary 
Josh Fosse is a 20something guy whose life is going nowhere. His girl left, his rent is late, and he lacks a real job. He is trying to make it as an app reviewer online and decides to review a self help app called i-Lived for fun. He's signs on and immediately his life turns around. He meets the girl of his dreams and he gets a job offer he can't refuse. Convinced it's him and not the app, he signs out... and loses everything. He signs on again but this time the terms are different, the app is asking him to do things that are out of his moral comfort zone... but essential to becoming the success the app tells him he can be.

Genre : Mystery/Horror
Country : USA

Cast :
Jeremiah Watkins : Josh
Sarah Power : Greta
Christopher Mena : Bobby Yen

Director : Franck Khalfoun

My opinion   

The concept of this film seemed interesting to me and relevant enough when looking at today's modern society. A restyling of the old Faust story, as it were. A modern appearance with a raised, pedantic finger at the way some experience their social life nowadays. Unfortunately, it really wasn't creepy enough to call it a horror. The images shown weren't demonic, but the subtle underlying message was. It's not that we are signing a pact with the devil when we create a Facebook account or a Twitter account. Or when you install an app on your smartphone that tells you when it's time to get some calories or finally have a decent meal, and periodically warns you when it's time to go to the bathroom. But some individuals their lives are so controlled by these social media, that it looks as if they really signed something.

Similarly Josh Fosse (Jeremiah Watkins). A nerdy twenty something whose girlfriend left him for a probably more social type of guy and who's not able to pay his bills due to the lack of a decent job. The only thing he spends his time with is chasing away or hiding for the landlady and maintaining a video blog where he tests new apps and gives it a score. Until one day he discovers the I-Lived app and uploads it to his smartphone. It's a simple app that asks for your wishes and after you've completed certain tasks, these wishes will also be fulfilled. Well, you don't have to be an Einstein to know where this is going.

The beginning of this film was quite pubertal and sometimes even annoying. First you have to undergo a series of these video messages. Apparantly Watkins is a pretty notorious comedian. He was already the funniest at home while walking around in diapers they say. But to be honest I didn't think it was that hilarious after all. Even a laugh track wouldn't have helped. Until the moment I-Lived (And for those who haven't figured it out yet : try reading the film title backwards) starts defining his life. Then there are some hilarious moments. They look rather slapstick-like but they are still funny enough to give this film a second chance. But by the time it all gets a bit darker and Josh starts realizing there are sinister forces at work, it's all a little too predictable plus boring and it's certainly not creepy.

Anyway, I thought the part about the User Agreement was cleverly thought up. Who reads those legal gibberish anyway before installing some software? Without a doubt hardly anyone. This was for sure an admonishing message. But beyond this subtlety it was widely annoyance being demonstrated with clockwork regularity. The first thing that struck me was the fact that most people knew their way there very well. Or perhaps nobody else is driving around there on the streets. Because you should take a close look at how long Josh's friend and girlfriend aren't paying attention while driving. I thought that was terrifyingly long. Then the app-reviews, which are presented all the time in a kind of YouTube manner, started to nerve me severely. The content was quite alright, but the recurring gimmicks in these videos were a bit too much. And at last the ultimate task that Josh must perform, wasn't that convincing and thought provoking. It 's not as sinister or insane as in "13 Sins" for example. Josh Fosse isn't really an acting miracle but fortunately all other actors their performances were of a questionable level, so in the end Josh's acting stood out in a way. Fortunately for him. The only sublime part in the whole movie was the connection between the first fragment and the last fragment. Unfortunately, the rest of the film wasn't as radical as the end.

My rating 3/10
Links : IMDB

Wild Card (2015)

Summary
Nick Wild is a Las Vegas bodyguard with lethal professional skills and a personal gambling problem. When a friend is beaten by a sadistic thug, Nick strikes back, only to find out the thug is the son of a powerful mob boss. Suddenly Nick is plunged into the criminal underworld, chased by enforcers and wanted by the mob. Having raised the stakes, Nick has one last play to change his fortunes...and this time, it's all or nothing.

Genre : Action
Country : USA

Cast :
Jason Statham : Nick Wild
Stanley Tucci : Baby
Sofía Vergara : DD

Director : Simon West

My opinion

“Well, I've been knocked down, blown up, lied to, shit on, and shot at.
So nothing surprises me much anymore, except the things that people do to each other.
I'm a licensed pilot, took karate in Tokyo.I lectured on economics at Yale.
I can memorize the front pages of the New York Times in five minutes and repeat it back to you in five weeks.I was the National Golden Gloves champion three years in a row.
I'm fluent in four languages and can wrestle with a menu in five more.
Jesus!
Don't interrupt me. There's more.
More ?
Yeah. I lie a lot. “

A film with Statham always guarantees a few solid brawls that usually end up pretty painful for his opponents. In the meantime he's commenting on everything with his juicy dialect. After testing his dramatic skills in the engaging film "Hummingbird" and getting his act together again in "Homefront" after the reasonable disappointing films "Parker" and "Safe", he is now back with a straightforward hardcore action movie. Unfortunately, the action scenes can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

 
Nick Wild (Jason Statham) is a kind of bodyguard offering his services to wealthy gamblers as they are trying their luck at the gaming tables in the casinos of Las Vegas. And on the side he also takes some small jobs like for instance acting as a punchbag for losers who want to impress their girlfriend. A woman called Holly (Dominik Garcia-Londo) asks for help one day because she's treated in a rather bad by a local tough guy. And there's also a very young multi millionaire asking for protection. Those are the two central themes of this film, together with the simple fact that Nick also has some personal problems notably a drinking and gambling problem.

 
The first storyline with tough guy Danny (Milo Ventimiglia) is responsible for the brutal part of the film. Not very original and on several occasions this was used in other revenge movies. The villain mistreats someone. The "good guy" mediates. The end result is a series of fights. And those fights are fierce with Statham defending himself with anything he can get his hands on. Highly original action moments which are very painful for his opponents. The moment I start handing out pseudo punches myself, means to me that the action is entertaining enough. You can expect Statham going nuts again and kicking some ass.

The second story is the more serious part in which the weaknesses of Nick Wild take centre stage. His drinking and gambling is what keeps him in Las Vegas. His reputation in this dissolute city and the company of bar girls and croupiers won't stop him from dreaming about a more exotic place. This is represented in the form of an idyllic spot with a boat. His ultimate plan is therefore to save up enough money to clear off and leave all that misery behind him.

 

My final conclusion is a bit split after watching this popcorn movie. You can't call it a real action movie because they are a bit too skimpy. And the serious drama isn't developed in such a way that you are impressed by it. Statham is simply Statham as we know him from all his films. That's a fact that Statham fans can be certain of. And besides Stanley Tucci (who remains engraved in my memory as the strict airport manager in "The Terminal") as the comic casino boss Baby and the very limited contribution of Jason "Seinfeld" Alexander as Pinky, a lawyer joining the same office as Nick, there are further no other significant roles. For me this average movie could be turned into an abbreviated version with all the action fragments assembled in succession. 

My rating 5/10
Links : IMDB

Maggie (2015)

Summary
After a couple of weeks seeking out his teenage daughter Maggie, Wade finds her in the quarantine wing of a hospital. Maggie has been infected by a lethal outbreak that transforms the victim into a zombie. Wade's friend Dr. Vern Kaplan releases Maggie to spend her last days with Wade and her family. Her stepmother Caroline asks Wade to take their little kids to her sister's house to keep them safe. While Maggie is slowly transformed, Wade stays with her protecting Maggie. But Dr. Vern warns him that the moment that he will have to take an ultimate decision is closer.

Genre : Horror/Drama
Country : USA/Switzerland

Cast :
Arnold Schwarzenegger : Wade
Abigail Breslin : Maggie
Joely Richardson : Caroline

Director : Henry Hobson

My opinion

“I made a promise to your mother,that I would protect you.
Yeah, but...what about you guys?
What if I hurt you?
Don't worry.Caroline and I, we know the precautions.”

Schwarzenegger performing in a horror that eventually turns into a drama. It's not what you expect from this action film icon. Strange but true, the one-liner "I'll be back" is even being recycled, but it's not said by Arnold this time. One fact is certain, Schwarzenegger will not go down in history as the actor who's suitable for a character part, but I must admit that the effort he did here, produced an admirable final result. After acting as a barbarian, a cyborg returning from the future, a clumsy kindergarten teacher and a pregnant guy, he acquitted himself in a proper way of his role as a concerned father who takes his infected daughter back home, so that she's not being quarantined at the moment she transforms into a bloodthirsty zombie.

 
Once again a virus is the cause that the number of ardent vegetarians among the US population drastically shrinks and slowly but surely turn into zombies, better known as "necro-ambulist". Wade (Schwarzenegger) is an older farmer, who's looking since a few weeks for his daughter Maggie (Abigail Breslin). When he finally finds her, she turns out to be infected after being bitten by such a barbecue fanatic. Wade is determined to take care of her at home. This is allowed because it takes a few weeks before a victim effectively makes the "turn" before going into a zombie-status. At that moment the verdict is that she needs to be quarantined. Ultimately that means that the authorities let the infected citizens huddle together (regardless what the degree of infection is) so the problem is solved by itself (through self-consumption so to speak).

 

I like a zombie movie now and then. Both the straightforward version, where there is excessive use of gore and bloody scenes with massive amounts of human remains that needs to be devoured and juicy brains, as the versions that differs slightly from the horror genre being created by Romero. "Dead within" is such a movie where the emphasis isn't on the living-dead creatures. And "Warm bodies" you can call the rom-com zombie movie par excellence. Also in "Maggie" you shouldn't expect apocalyptic images full of bloody zombies. Those images are restricted to two confrontations and a few flashbacks. The only horrifying is the slow change Maggie undergoes and a moment of self-mutilation. The final decision Wade has to make is his most daunting moment.

 
Maybe that's the only thing I could criticize. Schwarzenegger actually doesn't do anything special throughout the whole film, except mulling over the choice he has to make at the moment he starts to smell like a well-cooked bratwurst according to Maggie. Or putting his daughter in quarantine. Or administering a painful drug cocktail. Or the radical solution. You can see him pondering about it throughout the movie. His weathered, bearded face speaks volumes. But he does that with sincerity and conviction. The most memorable moment was when Maggie spent a night with some friends somewhere in a field completely with sulfur sticks and a somewhat inconvenient conversation that arose. A touching reunion where everyone pretended that everything was normal, but at the same time they all realized that this would probably be the last time they could enjoy each other's company. And of course the final scene that reminded me immediately of "World War Z".

 
It's obvious that the emphasis in this film is on the father-daughter relationship. Schwarzenegger and Breslin demand therefore the most attention and displace the supporting cast completely to the background. The following would sound a little trite: "Arnold plays a role in such a way you're not used of him." But in the end I could only conclude that it was just like that. He'd better skipped all previous performances (especially "Sabotage"). So I was clearly pleasantly surprised. About Breslin I can only say that this is a wonderful actress and a future star on the Hollywood firmament. Despite the limited dialogues, this was a brilliant acting performance in which she shows in a subtle way that she's aware of her approaching end. But her being a rising star, was something I already noticed in "Wicked blood" and recently in "Final Girl" (although this wasn't such a great flick). I didn't know she also played a part in "The Call". And another little fact: Schwarzenegger's name in "Escape Plan" was Ray Breslin. What a coincidence !

Conclusion: I'm sure the hardcore zombie fans will say that this is an abominable bad movie because of the total lack of gore and bloody scenes. However, I was impressed and felt that this film put the concept of a zombie movie into a very different light. The loving relationship between father and daughter is the central theme and it even tends to get melodramatic at a given time. And this in a horror film ?

 

My rating 6/10
Links : IMDB

Insurgent (2015)

Summary
One choice can transform you or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable and even more powerful.

Genre : SF/Adventure
Country : USA

Cast :
Shailene Woodley : Tris
Theo James : Four
Kate Winslet : Jeanine

Director : Robert Schwentke

My opinion

"Divergent 100%.
I'll be damned.
What?
She's what we've been looking for.”

I really start hating those damn different film versions of children's books. They are always spread over several films so you always have to wait a year before you can see the sequel. Similarly this sequel to "Divergent". I could still partially remember what it was about, but the first 15 minutes I was actually systematically trying to reconstruct the previous film. It would be best to watch the previous movie once again before you start a sequel. But then again this happens never due to the lack of time. And then, to know that the last part of the sequel is again divided into two films, and that for the obvious reasons. Let's hope that my biggest fear won't come true, namely that we'll be overwhelmed by serial-like movies in the future.

Logically one makes a comparison with the similar series of films of "The Hunger Games". The first part of the latter was clearly way better than "Divergent". But "Insurgent" surpasses again the second part of "The Hunger Games" . I thought the latter was a faint duplicate of the first part. I had the tendency to check all the time to see if I hadn't started the wrong movie. "Insurgent" continues where the first part left off (quite logical, no?). It doesn't waste any time and soon it plunges itself into a series of thrilling action sequences. Tris (Shailene Woodley), Four (Theo James), Caleb (Ansel Elgort) and Peter (Miles Teller, who made a greater impression on me in "Whiplash"), the least reliable gland of the group, were separated from the rest of Dauntless. This faction had to flee after Jeanine (Kate Winslet) started a coup during which she wanted to eradicate "divergents" (for those who didn't know, Tris is Divergent which allegedly means she could belong to any faction) because they constitute a threat for the peaceful society as it exists now. Meanwhile Jeanine's troops have found a mysterious device with all symbols of all factions printed on it. Seemingly it contains a message from the founders of the city and can only be opened by someone who can undergo all the simulations without dying. Guess twice who the lucky volunteer will be!

Last year I said to myself not to watch the next parts of this series because it was so predictable and because of the teenage girl content. Well, you can see I gave in but no regrets this time. Yet only a few remarks. The uncomplicated way Tris could create such a trendy, modern styled haircut without a mirror and with a primitive-looking scissors (looks like an illustration from a glossy magazine which you can find on the table at your local hairdresser), even stunned my wife with a marveled reaction as a result. This will be the new hair style this summer, I guess. Then it occurred to me again that nobody can get on or off a train in a typical manner. And then there is the thrilling fact that seemingly without much effort (they are massively sought and still they can stroll around everywhere calmly) they are being overpowered, after which suddenly they are again liberated. And then of course the obligatory lovescenes are present as well.

But otherwise, this film is filled with action and the CGI is at times unprecedented that'll take your breath away. Especially the simulations looked amazing and detailed (especially the house floating through the air). The fact that you didn't know whether it was real or a simulated situation became a bit monotonous. But the film went on at a furious pace so you won't be bored for a minute. It's a certainty that I'll be watching the last part as well although I'll probably be pissed because of them making 2 films out of it. The end result will surely be two quite largely stretched-out parts.

My rating 6/10
Links : IMDB

Stung (2015)

Summary
Mrs. Perch, an elderly, wealthy lady from rural America, is throwing a fancy garden party at her remote country villa. Same procedure as every year - except this time her illegally imported plant fertilizer seeps into the ground. Subsequently, a local species of killer wasps that usually lay their eggs into other insects mutates into 7 ft tall predators. And the celebrating upper class company provides just the right kind of prey. It's up to Paul and Julia, the two catering staffers, to stop the creatures, fight for their lives, and incidentally getting their stumbling romance in order.

Genre : Horror/Comedy/Romance
Country : USA/Germany

Cast :
Matt O'Leary : Paul
Jessica Cook : Julia
Lance Henriksen : Caruthers

Director : Benni Diez

My opinion  

Oh, God, help him! I think something bit him!
You're a doctor! Help him!
I'm a gynecologist for Christ's sake!

I had a good feeling about this movie and the last old-fashioned giant insects film I'd seen was "Big Ass Spider". A movie with considerably oversized vermin who marched along and wreak havoc among the present crowd . The combination of horror, comedy and romance caused already a bit of distrust. Ultimately, this film hit the ball wrong when it comes to the first two genres. And the last genre felt a little forced. It wasn't really comical at all. And scary or exciting it was nowhere so to speak. I was expecting a sort of B-movie with no impressive CGI, but it was in fact actually pretty disappointing.

We meet Paul (Matt O'Leary) and Julia (Jessica Cook), a bunch of friends / colleagues (not really clear) on their way to a garden party organized by a certain Mrs. Perch for her deceased husband. The two take care of the catering. Soon this pleasant party is thoroughly disturbed by giant wasps / hornets / bees (I have no idea what kind it was, but they all sting I guess) that obtained their proportions because a mixture of growth hormones and fertilizer ended up in the ground, right into a wasp / hornet / bees nest.

 
Firstly I must admit that you don't need to wait that long before the shit hits the fan. Before you know it, it's all slime and blood that splashes around. Guests struggling on the ground with foam on their lips after which giant insect start to burst out of them. Just as in "Big Ass Spider" the insects look realistic when they're still of a normal size. But the moment they get those unreal proportions, it looks as if they came straight out of a "Dr. Who" episode from the 70's. Especially the scene at the end looks extremely awful. Even the phenomenon that appeared at one time on the sons shoulder, and reminded me of "Total Recall" from 1990 where someone had an ugly little man growing on his belly, looked really outdated. But admittedly, the amount of gore was huge and at times highly entertaining.

 

Yet there was much that bothered me. The transformations that occurred after someone was stabbed, was startling fast (but this guaranteed the fast pace in this movie). The romantic part felt really out of place. If I was in this situation, then this was really the last thing I'd be worried about. The way Paul developed from an unreliable catering assistant into an outright hero, isn't that original either. And the way it ends up in the ambulance was probably a metaphorical reference to the movie title. I just didn't know why that would be humorous (just like I didn't get the joke about the bees), but maybe I have a wrong sense of humor.

 

All in all a simple, short story with some flaws, with especially a failed presentation of the annoying insects and a lack of humor and tension. I will still consume a sugary drink on a terrace without running away in panic at the sight of some curious wasps.

 

My rating 2/10
Links : IMDB

Suite Francaise (2014)

Summary
France, 1940. In the first days of occupation, beautiful Lucile Angellier is trapped in a stifled existence with her controlling mother-in-law as they both await news of her husband: a prisoner of war. Parisian refugees start to pour into their small town, soon followed by a regiment of German soldiers who take up residence in the villagers' own homes. Lucile initially tries to ignore Bruno von Falk, the handsome and refined German officer staying with them. But soon, a powerful love draws them together and leads them into the tragedy of war.
 
Genre : War/Romance
Country : UK/France/Belgium

Cast :
Michelle Williams  : Lucile Angellier
Kristin Scott Thomas : Madame Angellier
Matthias Schoenaerts : Bruno von Falk

Director : Saul Dibb

My opinion  

"This German is our enemy. Do you understand?
Yes. Madame."

Occasionally my lovely, sweet wife (yep, she regularly reads my reviews) gets the privilege to choose a movie. Usually this is accompanied by a blistering reproach that I always get it my way. I always think of her when choosing a movie and usually it's an acceptable one. She tends to forget that. I usually look those gore and scarier flicks in the middle of the night on my own, so I'm saved from a wife who awakes in a panic while planting her sharp nails into my shoulders. Hence I braced myself for a romantic war drama and expected it to be a wilted station novel. Ultimately, it wasn't so bad. The romantic rumble was limited and there was more attention for the mutual relations between the richer and poorer population in the village of Bussy and the vicissitudes of a fugitive, crippled farmer.
 

Besides, I must admit that I have a weak spot for WWII movies. I readily admit that those were the dark pages in the history of Europe, but those developments in these years  were a fertile ground for a whole range of excellent war films. The fact that Matthias Schoenaerts also succeeded in getting the leading role here, was another reason for me to give this movie a chance. Let's say chauvinism raised its head and as a Belgian I'm proud to see how this fellow countryman has worked his way into the club of the better international actors (sorry Muscles from Brussels, but you just didn't get in that club)

 

Surprisingly, I didn't suffer from aching jaws because of the complete absence of yawning. There's of course the forbidden love between Lucille (Michelle Williams), the daughter of the strict and cold landowner Madame Angellier (beautiful played by Kristin Scott Thomas) on the one hand and officer Bruno von Falk (Schoenaerts), a German officer who has been assigned a place to sleep at the manor of the latter two ladies, on the other. Eventually, this forbidden love remains slumbering a bit on the background and isn't imaged explicitely. But their like-minded love for music comes more to the fore. The additional storylines made it more interesting. The other arrogant German officer who sees himself as an Übermensch and treats the locals disrespectful, the callous mother in law who appears to be a resistance fighter in the making, the mayor and his wife (two genuine asskissers) trying to get in good graces with the occupiers but face the consequences afterwards and the resistance of a peasant against the oppressors.

All this is beautifully illustrated and featured with the usual scenes of war (a nosedive of German fighter-bombers against innocent refugees is included of course), which makes it an interesting war drama. But afterwards I didn't think it was that innovative, so to speak. It's the superb performances which nevertheless left a deep impression. The clichéd plot twists are not shunned, and what remains is a conservative adaptation of a manuscript left by a real war victim, Irène Némirovsky.  

My rating 7/10
Links : IMDB 

Final Girl (2015)

Summary
A psychological thriller about a beautiful teen girl new to town who is lured out to the woods by a group of senior boys to be the victim in their final initiation. Taught by her trainer, William, to be a lethal weapon, she turns the hunters into the hunted with a level of perversity far beyond anything they could have ever imagined.

Genre : Thriller/Drama
Country : Canada/USA

Cast :
Abigail Breslin : Veronica
Wes Bentley : -
Alexander Ludwig : Chris

Director : Tyler Shields

My opinion  

“Are you guys an A-Cappella group?
Something like that.
Naw, we don't sing together.
You should. “

After reading the content of "Final Girl", you would expect a "I spit on your grave" -stylish revenge film in which a young woman teaches a group of young teens, who developed a rather morbid hobby during the weekends, a lesson. In hindsight, you can say it's at least disappointing. The reprisals are quite soft, lacking any kind of excitement. The whole movie sometimes has a cartoonish 60's look with some absurd scenes which sometimes even reminded me of "A Clockwork Orange" (not in terms of story but pure when it's about the mood).

 

I surely would recommend anyone to give this movie a chance, just because of the presence of Abigail Breslin. What a ravishing appearance, this young lady. A natural beauty provided with a fragile appearance and a pale face of an angel. You wouldn't immediately think that she's a trained killing machine without conscience. And that's also my first remark. She wasn't really convincing as such. She didn't seem to be really invincible during the confrontations. It's an excellent actress beyond dispute. I saw her the first time in "Wicked blood" and I was pleasantly surprised. She made me think of Saoirse Ronan at that moment. The same innocent look, determination and overwhelming calmness. However, I am convinced that Ronan would perhaps have been a better choice here. Not that there's anything wrong with the acting of Breslin. She demonstrates that also in "Maggie" afterwards (also with a pale face of an angel. But in "Maggie" there's another cause).

The biggest advantage of this film is the short playing time. I guess this is caused by the simple story. In only 15 minutes you'll get the full story already served. First, the brief conversation that the mysterious Wes Bentley has with the very young Veronica where he tells her that her parents are no longer alive and that he wants to train her to perform special tasks. Then we see something that should resemble a brief overview of that education. And finally the gang of tastefully dressed guys who lure an innocent blonde. Actually, this is the whole story in a nutshell and how it'll continue is rather obvious and predictable.

 

If it was the intention to make a stylistic slasher out of it, the creators of this film certainly succeeded in that. Some pieces look as if you're watching some dramatic play. Are you expecting a slasher like "You're next" then I recommend you watch that one instead, because the ultimate retaliations are quite austere and bloodless. Even avid supporters of "The Sound of Music" can watch this film without risking to faint. And the lack of background information isn't exactly a plus. A bit of explanation about the mysterious death of Veronica's parents, the origin of the unknown teacher and the reason for the bizarre behavior of the four teenagers, would have been a useful contribution.

Besides the outstanding performances of Breslin and Bentley (and Logan Huffman as the pretty crazy looking figure Danny) this was still a mediocre movie. Even "Little Red Riding Hood" is more frightening than this retro story. However, the premise was interesting (but certainly not innovative) enough to make something exciting out of it. And what totally bugged me, were the piercing light beams used in the woods. It made for some impressive images with shadow play, but after a while it was as annoying as a mosquito in your bedroom on a balmy summer evening. I'm filing this one without delay under the heading "Missed opportunities".
 

My rating 3/10
Links : IMDB