7 Minutes (2014)

Summary :
Three friends, Sam, Mike and Owen, are forced by circumstance to commit a brazen robbery. What begins as a simple plan quickly becomes a dangerous game of life and death. As each minute of the robbery unfolds, the stakes are pushed higher and higher.

Genre : Crime
Country : USA

Cast :
Luke Mitchell :Sam
Jason Ritter : Mike
Zane Holtz : Owen

Director : Jay Martin

My Opinion 

“There are two rules that everybody knows.
First, don’t go in with anybody who has more to lose than you.
What is the other rule?
You got cement in your ears.
Don’t get caught.”

Are you a big fan of, or you have a fetishism for an abundance of flashbacks, then "7 Minutes" will be perfect for you. Because, believe me, you just bent over to scratch yourself at an annoying place because there's an irritating itch, and before you know it you swallow another flashback. Or you just grabbed for the half-empty packet of paprika chips .... BANG .... another flashback. This was like a doubles match at Wimbledon with four pepped first-rank players. The flashbacks will fly around your ears (backhandwise). So paying attention is the message. Otherwise you've lost the thread in this tangle of intersecting storylines. Indeed Sir, within 7 minutes!

Sam (Luke Mitchell), Mike (Jason Ritter) and Owen (Zane Holtz) are the three central figures. Three schoolmates who are leading a not so rosy life. Sam was an American football star with a scholarship and the accompanying mandatory cheerleader Kate (Leven Rambin). Their future looked promising, but an ankle injury put spikes in the wheel. The end result is a miserable, poor life with Sam working in a factory and his pregnant wife Kate as a waitress in a restaurant. Mike (Sam's brother) is in the same boat (the American Dream boat that sailed as Mike claims) and he tries to survive by selling weed. Owen's life isn't exactly a success story either. He's the son of Mr. B (Kris Kristofferson) who leads the local mafia. Owen just left prison. He got convicted after colliding with an obese security guard in a not so gentle way. To be honest, those guys aren't the brightest minds in this local town.

 

Yep, they aren't smart. You'll notice that immediatly. When they set up the plan to go into business with a notorious drug dealer, this goes awfully wrong thanks to panicky Owen. An anxiety attack makes him flush XTC tablets, worth $ 62,000, down the toilet of a petrol station. Hence the next stupid idea : robbing Sam and Mike's uncle. This will only take 7 minutes. Voila, and thus the title of the film is also explained. Needless to say that again this is a stupid plan. Who is so stupid to commit a robbery in a town where everybody knows you? And why the hell did they pick someone related to them? It's a plan doomed to fail. Especially when other complications turn up as well. Believe me, the story lines are subtle but also in a complicated way interwoven with eachother. And that makes this seemingly simple bank robbery story unnecessarily complicated.

It reminded me a bit of "Cut Bank". Only the latter was far more cynical and humorous. The three clumsy friends were interpreted in a reasonable manner by the respective actors. But really memorable it wasn't either. Kristofferson's contribution was way too limited to make a judgment, but this kind of character fits him. The only ones that stood out were Kevin Gage, as trigger-happy Tuckey who changed the tone of the film abruptly from average to violent, and Brandon Hardesty as the pathetic, obese Jerome who spontaneously starts crying while looking at himself in the mirror. The bank robbery itself may not look as stupid as the one in "American Heist", but otherwise this film isn't memorable either. "7 Minutes" is an uninspired, ridiculous film that provides momentary entertainment. However, I didn't mind that it took more than seven minutes.

My rating 5/10
Links : IMDB

Camino (2015)

Summary :
In the jungles of Colombia, a photojournalist captures the truth behind a group of missionaries who may not be what they seem.

Genre : Action
Country : USA

Cast :
Zoë Bell : Avery
Nacho Vigalondo : Guillermo
Tenoch Huerta : Alejo

Director : Josh C. Waller

My Opinion

“The spiral is death.”

I had no idea who Zoë Bell really was. Afterwards she appears to be a famous stunt woman who has repeatedly demonstrated her skills in Quentin Tarantino movies. It's not the first time she acted in a movie. You can admire her in "Oblivion" and also in "The hateful Eight". This time, however, she got the main part. Unfortunately her character is too one-dimensional to judge her on her acting talent. Substantively it's of the same level as a role played by Gina Carano. After seeing some impressive fight scenes I knew she's one hell of a stunt woman. Sadly enough these scenes were sometimes unrealistic, when you take her character into account.

Avery (Zoe Bell) is a well-respected war photographer who, after receiving an award, is promptly planted on an aircraft by her editor. The destination is Columbia where she can make a photo shoot of a paramilitary group, led by the charismatic revolutionary Guillermo (Nacho Vigalondo). They act like local pharmacists in the Colombian jungles. In reality, Guillermo is nothing more than a crazy psychopath who's using this sacred mission as a cover up for his own criminal activities. When Avery makes some compromising photographs of a murderous Guillermo, he succeeds in convincing his crew that the foreign photographer is the culprit. And that's the beginning of a hunt through the jungle with Avery as a prey.

Until the first encounter with one of Guillermo's freedom fighters, this film seemed promising. After the obligatory introduction, you will see beautiful images of the vast jungle. A wonderful mix of images of a subtropical jungle and stylistic black and white photographs. Even the sometimes exaggerated speeches of Guillermo were acceptable up to a certain level. But when Avery becomes a Rambo-like guerrilla fighter, who can defend herself excellent on unknown territory, the film lost a lot of credibility. I am sure Zoë Bell can stand her ground as a stunt woman. But when the person Avery, who's a grim war photographer, turns into a talented person who excels in close combat, knows how to use an automatic rifle and uses tactical combat strategies, that's a bridge too far. In reality, she wouldn't even survive her first clash with the lunatic Alejo (Tenoch Huerta).

I was hoping this would be a brooding, exciting thriller. But in the end I only got to see a typical survival film. It made me think of "Predator" sometimes, but now without an alien. Guillermo's followers are being released one by one to hunt their victim. It's just waiting for the ultimate clash (with a ridiculous outcome) to present itself. The only downside about this taking place in the jungle, is the fact that it's mostly dark. This makes it sometimes really difficult to follow the action. The performances are proportionate to the level of the film itself. But I need to say there's one thing that really got my attention. The soundtrack. The musical accompaniment is usually not something I pay attention to, but this time I was surprised by the ominous music full of unusual sounds. Ominous during critical moments and mysterious in between. For me, the creator of this soundtrack is the true star of this movie.

My rating 4/10
Links : IMDB

We are still here (2015)

Summary :
After their teenage son is killed in a car crash, Paul and Anne move to the quiet New York countryside to try to start a new life for themselves. But the grieving couple unknowingly becomes the prey of a family of vengeful spirits that reside in their new home, and before long they discover that the seemingly peaceful town they've moved into is hiding a terrifyingly dark secret.

Genre : Horror
Country : USA

Cast :
Barbara Crampton : Anna Sacchetti
Andrew Sensenig : Paul Sacchetti
Lisa Marie : May Lewis
Larry Fessenden : Jacob Lewis

Director : Ted Geoghegan

My Opinion 

"Moving away from the city isn't the same as moving away from the memories.
He's always going to be with us.
Annie, honey, yes, in our hearts but not in the house.”

My perseverance was rewarded once again. After seeing several horror movies which failed in terms of originality and execution, I was pleasantly surprised by this retro-feeling horror. After reading the synopsis, you'll be expecting a typical "haunted house" story. For the umpteenth time a nasty, old house will be used that'll get you the chills just by looking at it. A kind of "Villa Villekulla", standing somewhere completely abandoned, in an abominable condition. Probably some spooky stories circulate around about it. Despite the well-known clichés, also used in "The Amityville Horror" and "Poltergeist", they tried nevertheless to give it an original twist. The result is a vintage horror situated in the 70-80 years (thanks to the cast) with a contemporary touch.

This time it's not a bunch of good-looking teenagers in a perfect made modern horror. So perfect that when someone's being killed it's imaged flawlessly. In this movie Anne (Barbara Crampton) and Paul Sacchetti (Andrew Sensenig) play a central role. It's an older couple trying to cope with the death of their son by moving to the countryside in New England. Immediately upon arrival Anne feels that the spirit of her deceased son is present. And after some paranormal events she decides to invite her best friend May (Lisa Marie), who has some experience in paranormal phenomena, and her husband Jacob (Larry Fessenden), an empty-headed hippie who most likely has his own ghostly apparitions due to the amount of weed he smokes. Despite the skepticism of Paul who doesn't really believe in such nonsense. 

They've asked some veterans, who showed up already in a whole series of horror classics, for help. First there's Barbara Crampton, best known from "Re-animator" (you could admire a lot of her in that movie), "From Beyond", "You're next", "The Lords of Salem" and "The Well". Lisa Marie acted in "Sleepy Hollow" and "Tales of Halloween". And then you have the famous Larry Fessenden who appeared in an infinite number of films such as "Late Phases", "Pod" and "You're next". Although the start was rather predictable and not exactly uncharted territory, the film surprised me completely towards the end. The transition from a traditional, old-school horror with vengeful spirits who get all the attention, to a slasher full of splattering blood and exploding heads, happened subtle. Fans of horror full of paranormal events and fans of the more gore flicks, can enjoy themselves with this original and fun movie.

Best part of the movie were the from a barbecue removed charcoal-like entities, who stare at you with those empty, soulless eyes. In the meantime they crackle and sparks are swarming around them. Despite the fact that you know where and when they will appear, I was still startled several times. Also, their behavior differed from similar movies. They appeared both day and night. And they moved even to locations outside the home. This intensified the feeling that the persons involved weren't safe anywhere at anytime. The fact that the events are linked to a secret the locals are aware of, created a mysterious atmosphere.

Movies like "We are still here" are rare to find nowadays. They've flirted a bit with the reputation of horror films from the 70s. But at the same time they've still managed to mix a unique, modern concept in it. One advantage was the playing time. Not because it would be finished quickly (although this applies to many movies), but because it benefited the pace. The run up has a certain leisurely pace. But as soon as all hell breaks loose, you can expect a chaotic, bloody denouement. I certainly give this a huge recommendation. Every horror fan will enjoy this.

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My rating 7/10
Links : IMDB

The preppie connection (2015)

Summary :
Based on a true story of a prep school student who smuggled $300k of uncut cocaine into the US in 1984. The movie chronicles the exploits of a group of private school students who ran a drug distribution operation in the early 1980s. The story centers on Toby, the lower-class scholarship student, who uses his street cred and access to drugs to make friends with the popular kids, eventually allowing him to cultivate a drug trafficking network. Toby gets in far over his head as he leads his friends into the dangerous world of Colombian drug cartels.

Genre : Drama
Country : USA/Puerto Rico

Cast :
Thomas Mann : Tobias Hammel
Lucy Fry : Alex Hayes
Logan Huffman : Ellis Tynes

Director : Joseph Castelo

My Opinion 

"Stay invisible. Stay out of sight.
That was the plan."

Lots of years ago I saw "Christiana F. - Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo" (including a masterful German version of "Heroes" by Bowie). After watching it, I was immediatly afraid of heroin. The impact this film had on me was indescribable and I decided I'd never start experimenting with it in my life. The image I had of cocaine after seeing "The preppie connection" was that this is just an innocent party drug. It looks like a not so dangerous but a costly drug. To be honest concluding this terrified me a bit. That's pretty much my feeling about this film: an average film based on a true story that left no lasting impression. 

Everything revolves around Tobias (Thomas "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" Mann), a teenager from a not so wealthy family who, forced by his mother (Amy Hargreaves), starts his school career at an elite school. His fellow students are the more privileged types who aren't worrying about their study results. If your parents own a well-stocked bank account and you're brought to school in an expensive limo, this is the last thing you worry about. I suppose subtly promised sponsorship by the wealthy family will help eventually. Tobias feels like an outsider. A parasite without money who dares to mingle with the bourgeoisie. The day he helps a bunch of those rich buggers so they don't get expelled from school, his reputation changes drastic. And with the (unintentional) cooperation of the son of a Colombian ambassador (Guillermo Arribas), he sees an opportunity to earn a spot among the wealthier youngsters by smuggling cocaine from Bogota. At the same time he's trying to conquer the heart of Alex (Lucy Fry) and the trust of her boyfriend Ellis (Logan Huffman), a spoiled rich jerk.

The film is based on the true story of Derek Oatis who went to school in similar circumstances. He attended Choate Rosemary Hall, an elite private school where John F. Kennedy once went to school. You can find part of the real story here. Perhaps the facts are a bit distorted and sugarcoated, but what I definitely liked was that '80s atmosphere. When "Just like honey" by The Jesus and Mary Chain echoed through the room, this couldn't go wrong. Maybe that's because I am a huge fan of music from the 80's. The soundtrack may have been a pleasant surprise, but the film on its own wasn't.  

 
Not that it was boring, but it wasn't really intriguing. The clash of social classes in a school environment and the way individuals must assert to be accepted, is a subject that has already been used several times. And drug-related films are also in abundance. Besides, I didn't know it was so dead simple to smuggle drugs in those day. Book a trip to Bogota in Columbia and wander around aimlessly (preferably in the slums) so you can get in touch with some local dealers who keep packets of cocaine in their storage cellar. And in the end you walk calmly through customs. This seemed a little bit too easy to me.

Also the performances were fairly superficial. At first I thought the way Thomas Mann acted in "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" was purely because of the script. Now I'm convinced that this is just his true nature, because he acts the same way here. A timid, somewhat nerdy look and at the same time a humble attitude. He wants to be rebellious, but always decides to keep a low profile. Lucy Fry has the appropriate appearance to act as a toy for the rich boyfriend and also played in other nondescript teen movies (such as "Lightning Point" and "Mako Mermaids"), but her character is essentially a necessary prop. The one who impressed me the most was Logan Huffman. Exactly the same psychopathic empathy as his character in "Final Girl". A brilliant rendition that shows how a drug like cocaine affects your personality and can make you utter schizophrenic. However, when you like to have a quality movienight about these subjects, a combination of "The Breakfast Club" with "Trainspotting" would be a far better option.

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My rating 5/10
Links : IMDB

The finest hours (2016)

Summary
In February of 1952, one of the worst storms to ever hit the East Coast struck New England, damaging an oil tanker off the coast of Cape Cod and literally ripping it in half. On a small lifeboat faced with frigid temperatures and 70-foot high waves, four members of the Coast Guard set out to rescue the more than 30 stranded sailors trapped aboard the rapidly-sinking vessel.

Genre : Drama/History
Country : USA

Cast :
Chris Pine : Bernie Webber
Casey Affleck : Ray Sybert
Holiday Grainger : Miriam Webber

Director : Craig Gillespie

My Opinion

“We're sinking.”

This looked like the movie "Titanic". The iceberg was absent though. But still, the oil tanker was broken in two like a toothpick by the raging sea and went to the bottom of the ocean. There was also a romance. Only this didn't happen aboard of the sinking ship. The final result is a Disney disaster movie, suitable for couples. The female audience can melt away because of the love story. A tribute to invincible love and a prove that infinite love can overcome every pesky obstacle. An example of how kindred spirits can find each other telepathically and use each other as a beacon to be united again. I never expected that such beacons consist of a row of oldtimers with their headlights directed to the ocean. The male audience can enjoy the exciting rescue operation initiated by an engineer. His ingenious plan was to run the broken ship aground on a sandbank. Expect some nerve-racking scenes and liters of salt water. 

 
The fact that this is a Disney product, means that it also contains a happy ending. Well, most Disney films have one. Those who have expertise in maritime history, will know that this film is about a true incident in 1952. The US Coast Guard successfully conducted one of the most daring rescue operations. Guardian angel on duty is Bernard Webber (Chris "Z for Zachariah" Pine). The way he maneuvers his lifeboat CG36500 over a treacherous sandbar, endangering his own and his crew's life, is beautifully filmed and a thrilling moment. A hallucinatory boat trip over (and under) giant waves, which reminded me of "The Perfect Storm". A successful interpretation by Chris Pine as the colourless, timid little officer who grows out to be a determined and heroic captain. Casey "Out of the furnace" Affleck also played a brilliant part as the introverted Ray Sybert who usually hides in the lower levels of the SS Pendleton and who manages to save the ship temporarily in a resourceful way. A subdued and sober character. Personally, I think this is one of his better performances.

Unfortunately a dose of romance was necessary again. And this in the form of telephone operator Miriam (Holliday Grainger). A spry woman with a big mouth. It was as if she was the founder of the feminist movement. She asks her boyfriend to marry her (probably unseen and unacceptable in those days) and briefly wants to have her say in this male bastion ruled by the Coast Guard. She hadn't taken officer Cluff (Eric "Deliver us from Evil" Bana) into account, who threw her out immediatly. The only thing Mary could do was to hope and pray (together with the other women) that her future husband would return safe and sound.

The most annoying thing during the exciting rescue, were those intermissions where they showed the desperation and fear of the housewives who stayed behind. As a result, the rising tension was constantly interrupted. The only thought I had was "Why don't you just go cook something and wait patiently?". At least I could have enjoyed the action on the halved ship. That and the ridiculous, sentimental ending (they ignored the hero completely) were the reason that I finally thought this movie wasn't so great.

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My rating 5/10
Links : IMDB

Who's driving Doug (2016)

Summary :
A sheltered, intelligent college student Doug changes his life forever when he hires an underachieving driver. In order to escape his oppressively loving mother, Doug agrees to go on a spontaneous road trip with Scott and his college crush Stephanie. At the height of the journey, a tragic series of events tests their bond and opens the road to self discovery.

Genre : Drama
Country : USA

Cast :
RJ Mitte : Doug
Ray William Johnson : Scott
Paloma Kwiatkowski : Stephanie

Director : David Michael Conley

My Opinion 

Sometimes there are movies I can't tell whether it was a good or bad film. On the one hand "Who's Driving Doug" is a unique film with an original life situation as starting point. On the other hand, the cliché elements of a coming-of-age road movie are fully utilized. Doug is a wheelchair-bound, muscle disease patient who for once in his lifetime wants to put aside restrictions and fulfill a life wish. And that wish is a trip to Las Vegas. At times it's a poignant life sketch about someone who most of all wishes to be accepted the way he is and not being regarded as someone from another planet. The fact that RJ Mitte (Doug) himself was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at an early age and Michael Carnick (the screenwriter) has a physical disability and goes through life in a wheelchair, ensures the part of Daug is certainly realistic enough.

Doug's life takes a strange turn when his personal chauffeur lets him down. He's forced to look for another driver. This turns out to be Scott (Ray William Johnson). He's a carefree nobody, who just was denied by Doug's faculty, and takes life as it comes. Similarly, the opportunity to be the new chauffeur of Doug. After a while it appears that Scott has to leave to Las Vegas because of some family problems and he's able to convince Doug to go with him and fulfill his wish. Doug makes a compromise with his overprotective mother (Daphne Zuniga) so he can go on this adventure. This compromise includes his schoolfriend Stephanie (Paloma Kwiatkowski), he secretly is in love with, who joins them as a kind of chaperone. They start the trip as strangers, start to know each other better during the trip and create a comradely bond. Including a more intimate bond, which in turn creates additional problems.

"Who's Driving Doug" has some pretty funny moments (like Doug's reaction on some written material of one of his classmates) and some touching moments. Personally I didn't think it fell as if the latter events were used to arouse pity or to show how unjust society can be sometimes in regard to disabled persons. I can imagine they experience situations like that in the roadhouse. And despite the predictable list of "things to do when you take a disabled person to Las Vegas" was carried out in a disciplined way, it still continued to fascinate. Thus Doug experiences for the first time alcohol, drugs, sex and gambling during the trip (a quick comparison with "Rain man" is made). This creates funny and touching impressions.

Where did it go wrong? In contrast to the impressive acting performances of Mitte, Ray William Johnson wasn't always convincing and Kwiatkowski was mostly downright irritating. Zuniga played her part exquisitely (I certainly wouldn't describe it as a healthy mental state), but it was a bit exaggerated after a while. The love triangle was for me a bit too artificial and during these moments the interactions were of a pitifully low level. The denouement and revelation was rather abrupt. As abrupt as Scott's ultimate destiny. And although they tried to avoid melodramatic and pathetic elements, nevertheless they couldn't resist to end up with an overly emotional monologue. "Who's Driving Doug" is an emotional film, filled with humor and tragedy. It transcends the average thanks to the excellent acting of Mitte. 

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My rating 6/10
Links : IMDB

Submerged (2015)

Summary
A young woman and her friends, who've been targeted by kidnappers, must do everything they can to survive after their limo is forced off the road and plunged into a canal.

Genre : Thriller
Country : USA

Cast :
Jonathan Bennett : Matt
Talulah Riley : Jessie
Tim Daly : Hank

Director : Steven C. Miller

My Opinion 

 "Submerged". The only thing I'm excited about is the sublime movie poster. A good example of an excellent graphic design with a brilliant and powerful one-liner  "You can not scream and hold your breath at the same time". Now, the unfortunate teens who are trapped in a sunken limo, haven't hold their breath, I'm sure. On the contrary, there was a lot of shouting to be heard down there. Would I be in such a claustrophobic situation, I would break out in a cold sweat. I really don't like confined spaces. But admit it, being trapped in a limousine at the bottom of a canal, knowing that the pressure on that modest roof must be enormous, while being surrounded by some young hotheads who are acting hysterical and blaming each other, looks like a far worse nightmare.

So if you're expecting an exciting, nerve-racking movie, you'll be brought down to earth with a shock. The moment Matt (Jonathan Bennett) sees the nose of the sophisticated limousine dive into the water, it looks like this might be the start of a promising thriller. Unfortunately you'll subsequently undergo a series of flashbacks that explain the cause of this accident. Also we come to know that Matt has a younger brother, Dylan (Cody Christian), with some personal problems. This seemed like a irrelevant parallel plot. In the end the whole thing leads to Jessie (Talulah Riley). She's the daughter of businessman and millionaire Hank (Tim Daly), who evoked the wrath of the locals due to drastic cutbacks. Therefore, he recruited Matt as his chauffeur and bodyguard to protect him and his daughter from possible reprisals.

The remaining part of the film shows the situation in the sunken limousine and the efforts being made by the youngsters to get out. Matt can't help with this since he's impaled in some way to the car. Jessie lies unconcious next to him after she was being drugged. And the only thing the other hysterical four sitting in the back could come up with, was useless banging on windows and accusing each other of being an accomplice. That's why Matt closes the soundproof partition now and then. Next to a totally implausible denouement, there are also some ridiculous and ludicrous developments. I'm still trying to figure out how the trick with the trunk of the car worked. The designer of this car was very foreseeing. And I'm also pretty sure that a smashed glass roof would cause a devastating flood of water and not only such a pitifully little bit of water.

The most positive part was the running time. It's a short and compact wannabe thriller without much sensational events. Most of it, is already shown elsewhere before. Afterward, it looks more like a thriller-episode of "Melrose Place" or some similar crap teen series from the 80s. Talulah Riley is a spoiled brat that doesn't really excels when it comes to intelligence (look for "Inception" in IMDb and you'll see she plays a "Blonde" there). Actually, the whole gang has a similar level of intelligence. You can  conclude that the idea behind the story is kind of original, but the elaboration failed hugely.

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My rating 2/10
Links : IMDB