On first sight Julieta, who probably is in her fifties, seems to be happy. She’s about to move from Spain to Portugal with her boyfriend. Everything has been packed, but when she meets someone from her past something changes in her. Emotions she had ignored for years come flooding back and take control of her. She decides to stop with her plans and write a letter. A letter for her daughter she hasn’t seen in years. Continue reading
In all aspects of life compatibility is very important. In you personal relationships you search for people who complement you and with whom you can get along, when it comes to technology you want your laptop or phone to work with accessories you get for it. But it’s also something which is present when it comes to movies. It’s the reason why one person is praising Batman v Superman or Suicide Squad and someone else absolutely hates it. For me I had compatibility issues with this film, which generally was praised in review and which won Hou Hsiao-hsien the price for best director at the 68th Cannes film festival. After struggling through this movie though it’s really hard for me to understand why. Continue reading
One of the movies I had in my top 100 favorite movies was Frequency. The concept, in which two people living in different time periods have a connection and use that to communicate is fascinating. It’s not the only movie which does this, just think of the South Korean film Il Mare (or the American remake The Lake House), but also the romantic Somewhere in Time. Time Renegades (also from South Korea) is the latest addition to the genre and I loved it. The fact that this has also been directed by Kwak Jae-yong, who was also responsible for My Sassy Girl which also was in my top 100. Continue reading
There are exactly two things I remember about the Hitman movie from 2007:
1. Timothy Olyphant played the hitman
2. That that’s the only thing I can remember about the film
And after seeing this movie, which I assume is a reboot, I am certain that I will be saying the same thing about this movie in a couple of months as I will probably have forgotten everything about it. Continue reading
Through the years I’ve seen many revenge films, from Death Wish to Oldboy and John Wick. They all have lots of violence, but as you are watching them you understand why the protagonists want to have their revenge for the injustice they’ve been through and take justice in their own hands. Because sometimes emotions can be so strong that that’s the only way to find peace. Of course it is something you can say is right, but despite that you understand why in those type of films. Eega is also a revenge film, but its story is so bizarre that you start wondering if you should take it seriously. Continue reading
Sometimes it can be very interesting to fantasize about how some movies would have turned out if other decisions had been made. What if specific actors would have said yes to roles which are now considered iconic? Would that movie still have been a success? You could do the same for big historical events. the Final Countdown does so in a very original way. Continue reading
Recently I was approached by Vincent Lodder and Jonathan Kray with the question if I would be interested to watch their film Lost in Laos. Often my experience in these type of situations is that the quality of the movie is disappointing and a waste of my time. Because of that I always first watch the trailer before I decline in a friendly way to watch and review it. But the trailer which I saw for Lost in Laos made me curious. Trailers can paint a false image of the final quality of a movie, but in this case I decided to give it a chance. Continue reading
For some Rowan Atkinson will always be Mr.Bean. When I was watching a review copy of the film and my father in law walked by he was waiting for something funny to happen. I had to make clear to him this wasn’t going to happen. Of course Mr.Bean was an iconic role, but I’m always able to separate actors from well-known roles. What’s Atkinson like in this detective? Continue reading
When the original three Jason Bourne movies came out they had a lot of impact on how others made movies. Director Paul Greengrass became well-known for his way of shooting, quickly labeled shaky cam. Because of that action looked more dynamic and raw. But also the character of Bourne in this spy thriller has had a lot of influence. You can see that realistic approach of Bourne during fights and using the situation in the first Bond movie starring Daniel Craig. After the third Bourne movie both Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon decided they had told Bourne’s story and stepped away from the franchise. The studio decided to make The Bourne Legacy starring Jeremy Renner, but it was disappointing. Both Greengrass and Damon probably felt an itch to return as they are now here for the fourth movie starring the titular character. Continue reading
There are some actors or actresses of whom you’ll see their films blindly. This has long been the case for me with Nicolas Cage (but not anymore), but I am still able to enjoy movies in which Jason Statham, Schwarzenegger or Stallone star. The same is the case for Dwayne Johnson. The former wrestler has proven himself after The Scorpion King and is able to, just by his presence, to make them at least bearable (Ballers, I’m looking at you). He is an action star who is also able to do successful comedies and recently announced his own YouTube channel with a bombastic trailer. Someone who isn’t afraid to do something crazy while at the same time making sure it doesn’t feel artificial. Central Intelligence is his latest comedy in which he has worked together with comedian Kevin Hart. With its tagline “Saving the world takes a little Hart and a big Johnson” the tone is immediately set, but does that mean an enjoyable comedy? Continue reading