Pod (2015)

Summary :
A family intervention goes horrifically awry within the snowy confines of an isolated lake house. 

Genre : Horror
Country : USA

Cast :
Larry Fessenden : Smith
Lauren Ashley Carter : Lyla
Brian Morvant : Martin
Dean Cates : Ed

Director : Mickey Keating

Summary :
A family intervention goes horrifically awry within the snowy confines of an isolated lake house.

My Opinion 

How to describe "Pod" ? An experimental short film with hysteria as a central theme? Or is the author trying to visualize a personal nightmare? Looking back, it wasn't really an exciting film . And personally, I think the used argument that it's reminiscent of the best of the X-Files is a little exaggerated. The episodes of the X-files at least had a decent storyline. "Pod" is a simple linear story without significant highlights and a total lack of explanation. The film's pace is the same as the credits in the beginning. Reading all the names was practically impossible. But perhaps that was intentionally.

The complete story can be summarized easily since the content is really brief. Everything starts after an alarming phone call from Martin (Brian Morvant) to his brother Ed (Dean Cates). Martin is an ex-marine suffering from PTSD (I assume anyway) who's dumped in the family cottage. Ed begs his sister Lyla (Lauren Ashley Carter) to go to the cottage and check on Martin and see if his condition is really worsened. Once there, they find Martin as mad as a hatter, telling a confusing story about secret experiments and disappearances during military missions. He claims that he trapped something called a "Pod". He was able to overpower it and lock it in the basement. Is it reality or a chimera playing tricks on Martin because of his paranoid phase?

Looking at the state Martin is in, manic and confused, you can only conclude that he's ready again to be taken to the nearest madhouse in a straitjacket. But to be honest, his brother and sister don't seem to be mentally stable either. Lyla has or gets an alcohol problem. She'll react in a hysterical way very quickly and immediately she believes the story of Martin. So get ready for some continuous hysterical screaming and wailing. Also the relationship with her brother Ed is not really that great, which leads to constant bickering between the two of them. Ed is a control freak (that's probably why he's a psychiatrist) and doesn't believe in the hallucinatory story. Logically, he's the one entering bravely the cellar to prove that it's all poppycock.

Does the film have anything to offer? In short, nothing really. In terms of performances only that of Brian Morvant is commendable. He's very convincing as the lunatic brother. Cates and Carter are simply irritating. As a short film it has its charms and technical it looks, even with a limited budget, not so bad at all (nice shots at times). But as a film it's inadequate in many ways. The cabin-in-the-woods theme isn't exactly original anymore. Though there's a paranoid and claustrophobic atmosphere in the house thats covered with aluminum. And it all feels pretty chaotic. But you can't call this really horror. And which relationship there is with the X-files, I can only guess. Furthermore, the creature looks awful. The rare moments you'll catch a glimpse of it, the screen becomes all blurry and shaky. The moment Larry Fessenden appears, the story takes a different turn. Don't expect much explanations or insights. It all remains fairly vague. And it all ends with a very predictable scare moment. Before you know it, you're watching the end credits. Maybe the story is explained furthermore in Pod II.

My rating 3/10
Links : IMDB

Legend (2015)

Summary
Focusing on the relationship between Reggie Kray and Frances Shea, told from France's' point of view as someone who knew him best, as well as the mental health issues Ronnie Kray faced and their rise to power as the notorious gangsters of London. 

Genre : Crime/Biography
Country : UK/France

Cast :
Tom Hardy : Reggie/Ron Kray
Emily Browning : Frances Shea
David Thewlis : Leslie Payne

Director : Brian Helgeland

My Opinion 

“Come to Philadelphia! You see a nice girl, we'll get her for you!
I prefer boys. Italians, sometimes Greek, but I am not prejudiced. “

"Legend" certainly won't be remembered as a brilliant gangster movie. You certainly can't compare it with a gangster epos like "The Godfather" or "The untouchables". This film about the notorious Kray twins surely exhibits a successful retro look and shows how the brothers founded their business empire full of glamor and violence, and how it gradually crumbled.  Partly because they were constantly watched by the authorities and also because of the psychotic behavior of one of the brothers. The best part of this film is Tom Hardy's acting performance. It looks like a rematch after "Mad Max: Fury Road" where he served as a defenseless blood donor and where he was outplayed by Charlize Theron. "I'm going to show everybody my capabilities" he probably thought. And so he volunteered to play both twin brothers.

It took me a while before I suddenly realized that I was looking at the same person. It's creepy to see how different those two main characters are. Not just physically but also their personalities differ. Ron has chubby cheeks, old-fashioned glasses and a drooping lower lip so during an outburst of anger you'll see spit flying in all directions. Reggie is the brushed off, athletic and more intelligent type. He's the mastermind behind the whole operation and has both a charming as a ruthless side. But mainly the overprotectiveness towards his brother is a disadvantage. Ron is the unpredictable part of the twins. He's rather short-tempered and needs to take medications to keep that in control. Most attention is paid to the difficult relationship between the two brothers. An astonishing piece of acting.

Don't expect a lot of violent scenes. There's only the incident in a local pub with a rival gang where the brothers briefly demonstrate their tough approach. Rest assured there will be some of them walking around with sore kneecaps. The rest of the movie is filled with the familiar "policeman tries to catch the criminal without much success", short stays in prison, a slowly burgeoning relationship which is doomed to become a failure and the collapse of the Kray Empire due to a crazy brother. Furthermore a big applause for the scenery and authenticity you can admire. The old London of the '60s revived again in this film. The soundtrack matched perfectly. And then there's also some humor hidden in this film.

You can't call this film legendary. It's a mixture of different storylines. The ins and outs of a gangster duo who kept the underworld of London firmly in their grip. Connections with the American mafia is maintained in order to build up a money laundering circuit. The charismatic brother starts a relationship with the lovely Frances (Emily Browning) who hopes that Reggie abandons his gangster life. And the wedge driven by Frances between the two brothers is something Ron can't live with. So he starts reacting totally schizophrenic. The biggest obstacle for me were the dialogues in a fairly heavy English dialect. Especially mumbling Ron was difficult to understand. The only legendary thing about "Legend", was the world performance Tom Hardy had in store.

My rating 6/10
Links : IMDB

Brooklyn (2015)

Summary
Eilis Lacey leaves small town Ireland for a better life in New York, arranged by an Irish priest in Brooklyn. Working in a shop she takes a bookeeping course and participates in the Irish community. There she meets an Italian, and falls in love.

Genre : Romance
Country : Ireland/UK/Canada

Cast :
Saoirse Ronan : Eilis Lacey
Emory Cohen : Tony
Domhnall Gleeson : Jim Farrell

Director : John Crowley

My Opinion 

“Would you like to dance?
Are you here with that guy? The one who was teaching you to dance?
No.
So would you dance with me?
I'm not sure he taught me anything.
Doesn't matter. The secret is to look as though you know what you're doing.
Ah. I wish someone had told me that years ago.”

No, I'm not really a big fan of romantic movies. Such movies that'll make the female audience melt and whimper in a handkerchief out of sympathy with the main character. And no, I'm not an insensitive lump of testosterone who only likes to watch action packed, macho movies. But yeah, I usually eschew this type of movies. And yet I wanted to see this movie. Not because I made a mistake while buying paper tissues and now I'm buried under it. And not because I'm in an emotional slump and felt the urge to watch a sad movie with a trembling lower lip and moist eyes. The only reason I really wanted to see this movie is because of Saoirse Ronan. In my eyes she's a revelation in Hollywood. A young, fresh and certainly not unattractive appearance. She breaths new life into Hollywood-land. And in addition to these physical characteristics I also have a deep admiration for her quirky choices she makes among the film roles offered to her. 

Ronan is the pulsating heart of this film. She requires our undivided attention during the whole film as the young Irish girl Eilis Lacey, who gets a chance to start a new life in the US. All by herself she travels to this far country, ignorant what awaits her. She's leaving her mother and sister behind and before she knows it she's torn by homesickness. Even her job as a saleswoman at Bartocci and accounting courses can't help. This emotion keeps her in a grip. Until she meets Tony (Emory Cohen), a shy young Italian, at a dance and she slowly transforms from an introverted, simple Irish countryside girl into a typical American city girl who wears colorful dresses and discovers makeup. Her attitude and confidence change drastically. Compare that shy, lost girl at Customs with the resolute young woman watching at a valley along with Tony who reveals his future plans. An independent, decisive woman with a strict, determined look and her hands in her side, gazing at the horizon.

But it's not only Saoirse Ronan who shines in this film. Also the supporting cast is masterfully chosen and fits perfectly into the overall concept. Jane Brennan as Ellis's mother, a taciturn woman who accepts her fate and acts as if she has no emotions. Fiona Glascott as the sister Rose. Brid Brennan who plays the role of the haughty nosy Miss Kelly and surprisingly she plays an important role in the final decision of Eilis. Julie Walters as the owner of the guest house who needs to keep two light-headed boarders in line all the time. Domhnall "About time" Gleeson is an Irish village boy who makes an attempt to convince Eilis to stay in Ireland. And of course Emory Cohen and his Italian family. A confident young man who slowly tries to win the young Irish girl's heart.

It's not the obvious part that moved me. Probably the female audience will shed a tear during the final scene. But I myself was especially touched when a homeless person at a dinner, organized by the priest (Jim Broadbent) who helped Eilis around in Brooklyn, sang a Gaelic song. So pure, so sincere and so imbued with nostalgia. Catchy and intense at the same time. But especially the acting of Ronan is wonderful. She's so explicitly present in this film. Her big steel-blue eyes, her modesty and her fragile personality. She shows what deep emotions she's going through, just by using a serene expression. A performance that stands out from any of her previous performances. The heartbreaking choice she has to make between dull, drizzly Ireland and exciting, vibrant America is perfectly portrayed by her. For me, the Oscar for "Best Actress" is already reserved. 

My rating 8/10
Links : IMDB

Criminal Activities (2015)

Summary
Four young guys reunite at an ex-classmate's funeral. One mentions to the others inside information on a stock that is a guaranteed lock to make them instant millionaires. Unfortunately, the deal goes south along with their investment. Things go from bad to worse: one of them borrowed his share of the money from a mobster.

Genre : Crime/Drama
Country : USA

Cast :
Dan Stevens : Noah
John Travolta : Eddie
Michael Pitt : Zach

Director : Jackie Earle Haley

My opinion

“Are you sure he said he wanted to talk to all of us?

Actually he said he wanted to talk to everyone but the black guy…..
Yes! He wants to talk to ALL of us!”

John Travolta standing in the middle of the cover in a "Pulp Fiction" -like pose and according to the brief description he has something to do with the mob. He's flanked both by Michael Pitt, who I saw recently playing in the grandiose films "I origins" and "Rob the Mob", and by the alertly looking Dan Stevens. And all this directed by the versatile actor Jackie Earle Haley. It all looked promising. However, the end result is as horrifying as Freddy Krueger himself. A pseudo crime story full of irritating dialogues, nervous characters and a complex denouement. But don't panic. Everything will be explained comprehensively in the end. A kind of brief guide for those who didn't understand it, entitled "How to screw your friends for dummies".

It all starts at a funeral of a mutual friend from Zach (Michael Pitt), Warren (Christopher Abbott) and Bryce (Rob Brown). The three former schoolmates organize a private after-funeral gathering in a bar where the rather timid and nerdy Noah (Dan Stevens) shows up. Quickly you'll notice that Noah used to be the poor bastard they picked on during college time. He's called, somewhat contemptuously, "poodles". While enjoying a joint, Noah tells them he got a golden tip about shares of a pharmaceutical company. Thanks to a little foreknowledge, this could be a lucrative proposition for them. However, since those loud-mouths don't seem to have the right amount of money, Noah proposes to give them the necessary money in advance. And you'll never guess what the outcome will be. Yep, how's it possible. It goes horribly wrong. The CFO is arrested for fraud. The shares are worthless. And apparently Noah borrowed the money from the mob. 

Enter Eddie (John Travolta). The quiet,calculated and thought out mafia type who, while enjoying a cactus cocktail, explains them what the options are. Or they cough up the amount due. Or they'll take care of a small matter. Namely the kidnapping of Marques (Edi Gathegi), the brother of a drug dealer to whom Eddie's coke snorting brother owes a lot of money. To put some pressure on them, the drug dealer kidnapped their niece. The brother could then be used for an exchange. Still following? Trust me, it gets even more complicated as the film progresses.

The most successful performers in this not so successful film (in my opinion) are undoubtedly Travolta and Gathegi, although Travolta also suffers from the illustrious "Bruce Willis disease". First there's a short opening scene he appears in, followed by a long absence and finally a reappearance during the denouement. And yet his short performance was excellent. Although the attempt to reach the same level of humor as in "Pulp Fiction", didn't really work out. Gathegi only had a limited working space, because he was taped to a chair the whole movie. But his defiant tone and manipulative teasing all the time was amusing enough. The rest of the cast just looked like a neurotic and panicky gang. Gradually they start realizing they ended up in a shitty situation. And this leads to lots of cursing, bickering and shouting back and forth (using the f-word an awful lot of times).

   

What we get is an amateurish kidnapping that takes place in a confined space with forced dialogues. And also a reasonable failed attempt to imitate the chemistry in dialogues as we know from "Pulp Fiction". Everything feels a bit flat and pointless. The only reason why it's so meaningless, is because the denouement should blow you off your socks. The calm before the storm. The only lesson to learn here is that you should always treat others with dignity. You'll never know how it could backfire on you.

PS. Funniest moment anyway : the slipping shoes.

My rating 4/10
Links : IMDB

Bridge of Spies (2015)

Summary :
In the cold war, a lawyer, James B. Donovan recruited by the CIA and involved in an intense negotiation mission to release and exchange a CIA U-2 spy-plane pilot, Francis G. Powers that was arrested alive after his plane was shot down by the Soviet Union during a mission- with a KGB intelligence officer, Rudolf Abel who was arrested for espionage in the US.

Genre : Biography/Drama
Country : USA/Germany

Cast :
Tom Hanks : James B. Donovan
Mark Rylance : Rudolf Abel
Amy Ryan : Mary Donovan

Director : Steven Spielberg

My opinion  

“I am Irish, you are German.
But what makes us Americans?
Just one thing, The rulebook.
We call it the Constitution and agree to the rules, and that's what makes us American.”

Spielberg returns to the history of war long after "War Horse", a story of a stallion with a Lassie attitude during WWI, but not with heroic images of the battlefield as in "Saving Private Ryan". "Bridge of Spies" takes place during the Cold War. A period during which espionage was commonplace and super powers completely distrusted each other. As a result a whole arsenal of nuclear missiles were aiming at the main cities in both continents. Spies infiltrated into society and gave the authorities and agencies all sorts of secret information. And those spies just look like we imagined them. Dignified dressed men with a long coat and a stylish trilby, shyly and cautiously moving through the crowd and revealing a rolled up piece of paper somewhere out of a wall. After that they deciphered this message by means of an ingenious mechanism and a complicated decoding key in their sober furnished apartment. And that message contained the new coordinates where the next message was hidden. Well, in my childhood I imagined it would be like that. 

The most successful part of this film are the overall eye-catching images and decorations. The setting looks absolutely beautiful with lots of details. The city of New York in the 60s with its boulevards full of beautiful cars, the costumes, the atmosphere and family values in that period. Thus we are introduced to the the family of James Donovan (Tom Hanks). A typical American model family, residing in a house decorated in atom style, elegantly dressed in the fashion of those days and with a disciplined lifestyle. In contrast, a bit later we are witnessing the construction of the Berlin wall that splits this city into two parts. A grim, postwar, snow covered Berlin where heartbreaking scenes take place.

Key figure in this espionage drama is James Donovan, an ordinary lawyer who's specialized in legal cases with insurance companies. From one moment to the other he needs to defend the recently arrested Russian spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance). In those days anyone or anything that has to do with communism is automatically suspicious and should be condemned immediately. This means that this cold-blooded spy can't count on a fair trial. But they forgot about Donovan, because this principled lawyer believes in the constitutional rule that everyone, no matter what their crime or origin, is entitled to a defense and isn't guilty until proven otherwise. The result is that the hostile public opinion isn't only focused on Abel but also on Donovan, someone of Irish descent but American at heart.

Did "Bridge of spies" make a huge impression on me? No not really. Not that the perfectionistic images are disappointing. Or that the acting is abominably bad. But because I wasn't waiting for the umpteenth historical war-documentary. The used clichéd contradictions between the two superpowers was a bit to obvious. For instance, the circumstances of Abel's imprisonment seemed more comfortable than those of the American prisoners in Eastern Europe. And the cunning way Spielberg bypasses the historical character and gives it a more adventurous and heroic touch, shows that he must make concessions to Hollywood's management. On the other hand it was a relief to see that the image of a spy is shown in a realistic way. So don't expect James Bond or Ethan Hunt situations, filled with impetuous action and death-defying stunts while making use of high tech gadgets. The spies in "Bridge of spies" are ordinary characters who perform their "spy-work" in a simple and less spectacular way.

And finally, the importance of a star actor such as Tom Hanks is of course crucial for this film.Hanks is and will always remain one of my favorite actors. A charismatic and versatile actor who turns each role into a masterpiece. He dominates in every movie. Without Hanks this would only be a typical historical drama that has taken shape in the mind of the master himself, Steven Spielberg.

My rating 7/10
Links : IMDB

Fantastic Four (2015)

Summary
A contemporary re-imagining of Marvel's original and longest-running superhero team, centers on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.

Genre : SF
Country : USA

Cast :
Miles Teller : Reed Richards
Kate Mara : Sue Storm
Michael B. Jordan : Johnny Storm

Director : Josh Trank

My opinion 

"Where'd the rocks come from?
From the same place the car went to.
Where is that?
I don't know yet."

 

During my youth I spent many hours next door with the neighbor boy. Not just for having fun or horsing around, but also because in their veranda there was a disused closet with sliding doors where you could always find some old comics lying around. I suppose these were from the older brother who was a real comic fan. Many hours I spent sitting in front of that closet, reading them all. Comics like "Archie the man of steel", DC comics and of course Marvel. My favorite was "The Fantastic Four". This series I found extremely fascinating and that because it was a collective, consisting of several superheroes with different super powers. They formed a close-knit family and their identity was known to the population so these heroes had a rather family character. Actually, they were a little bit the forerunners of "The Avengers" and the figure of "The Hulk" resembled that of Ben.

Unfortunately, this film is labeled as an unnecessary and worthless reboot. I partially agree with that. The only thing is that I can't judge whether this is an unnecessary reboot or not. I've never seen the previous films made in 1994 and 2005. Saying this is a failure or total disaster though, is something I don't fully agree with. A big part of the film I enjoyed watching and personally I thought it was interesting enough. The introduction of the various members of the unprecedented four was extremely captivating. The beginning showed a young Reed Richards (Judge Owen). A genius who seemed to come from Mars, according to some of his classmates, and who's building a futuristic machine in the garage. A missing component he finds on a junkyard where he bumps into young Ben Grimm (Evan Hannemann). The experiment proves to be a success and things can be materialized to an unknown destination and brought back again. Years later Reed (Miles Teller) and Ben (Jamie Bell) attend a science fair, where they attract the attention of Dr. Storm (Reg E. Cathey) and his daughter Sue (Kate Mara). And before they know it, they are in a sophisticated lab rebuilding their invention on a large scale.

This introduction was the most successful part for me. It felt like an adventure film in which a boy pursues the realization of a dream. In an amateurish and childish way, the prototype of something big is made out of junk (a bit like in "Project Almanac"). Also the introduction to the various members who become part of "The Fantastic Four" in the Baxter Foundation, made this film different of other superhero movies. Mostly this part is kept short so they can move on to the action part immediately. The moment things start going wrong with the four noticing something happened to their bodies after they've jumped to the other dimension (while being drunk), it's still interesting enough. You witness how each of them discover their new capacities. But when the action-packed part of the film starts, it's no longer fantastic. It turns into an uninspired, quickly made up heroes-movie. As if they suddenly realized that stuff should be in it too. The visuals of the other dimension are still enjoyable, but the final stage feels rather flat and not very original. And certainly because nowadays as a moviegoer, you're burried under tons of superhero-movies.

Ultimately, this film emphasizes the formation of and relationships between the members of "The Fantastic Four". The superhero action that you ultimately expect, is fairly limited. A film that takes 90 minutes, with only a demonstration of superpowers and a final clash of fifteen minutes, can hardly be seen as a superhero movie. Perhaps this change was welcome anyway, after all the Marvel releases in recent years. The fatigue comes into play when it's about this genre. Perhaps the final part of the movie wasn't so great, but it wasn't painfully bad either. And now I'll just wait for "Deadpool" ....

My rating 5/10
Links : IMDB

Extraction (2015)

Summary :
Harry Turner works for the CIA like his father Leonard. He wants to do fieldwork but he's constantly being denied. He's stationed in Prague and his father's good friend keeps an eye on him. Later they receive word that Leonard, who was in New Jersey making sure a piece of hardware called Condor arrives, that Leonard and the Condor's been taken. The Director tries to find it and Harry wants to help but won't let him. So he bolts and goes to New Jersey. The director decides to let one of their agents who is Harry's ex to find Leonard and the Condor.

Genre : Thriller
Country : Canada

Cast :
Kellan Lutz : Harry Lutz
Bruce Willis : Leonard Lutz
Gina Carano : Victoria

Director : Steven C. Miller

My opinion   

The makers of "Extraction" use the same marketing gimmick as used in films such as "The Cold Light of Day", "Fire with Fire", "The Prince" and "Vice". It's the famous Bruce Willis magic trick. Actually, it's dead simple. Make sure this star actor of yesteryear (I have to say I was always a big fan of BW) participates in an upcoming B-movie. However, the length of time you can admire him is limited and his presence is evenly spaced. You let him turn up at the beginning of the movie as an appetizer and give the impression that this might be a real Willis movie once again. Eventually, he disappears for most of the film and pops up again in the end for the big reveal. Then place him centrally on the cover so future viewers will get the feeling that he's playing an important part in it. I'm convinced that this is the biggest marketing trick that ensures the necessary revenues. As a viewer, you feel cheated though.

 

Yep. The "Die Hard" star adds just another B-movie to his record of achievements. I must admit that the beginning of the film provided a momentary enthusiasm. For a moment, I had a feeling the old Bruce Willis was back and I was getting ready for some cool one-liners and beaten up opponents. Yippie kai yee! The result was a short-lived excitement, because before you know it the Willis marketing trick reveals itself and he disappears like a white rabbit during that well-known magic trick. Not in a black hat, but in the murky world of terrorists who captured a device called CONDOR. When activating this device, telecommunications will be disabled worldwide. Or something like that.

Time for Kellan Lutz to show up. He plays Harry Turner, a CIA analyst who would love to follow in the footsteps of his father, but his application is always refused by the respective services. Until the day comes when someone kidnaps his father Leonard (Bruce Willis). Despite the explicit prohibition of his superiors to get involved, he still heads out to defuse that CONDOR. And this with the help of this other field agent Victoria (Gina Carano). And what a surprise, she's someone Kellan had a brief relationship with before. Who would have thought of that? What follows is just a cheap Secret Service action movie with the necessary fight scenes. And with of course the obligatory locations such as a biker bar (starring some billiard balls and a broken jukebox) and a trendy nightclub. Carano showed already in "In the Blood" that she can stand her ground in such dark clubs.

The story brings nothing new and is full of familiar clichés. Even the denouement at the end was predictable. Not quite a good movie, you might say. The same can be said of the performances. Willis plays another comatose role and looks quite pathetic and uninterested in the few moments when he's on screen. Lutz and Carano make the best out of it and during the action scenes, the entertainment level rose a bit. And then there's the fact that Carano's curves are certainly a feast for the eye. I wouldn't date her though. Not with this testosterone-filled chunk of energy. Before you know it, you're stuck in a stranglehold that can be fatal. For now I've lost all hope for another brilliant Bruce Willis movie. Yippie ka ... yeah yeah yeah!

My rating 4/10
Links : IMDB