Category Archives: Romance

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Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Review Mad Max Fury Road

Hell has never been shot so beautifully. In the future, after several wars, the world is a nothing but a shadow of its former self. Water and oil have become scarce and the world has changed into a big desert. Max (Tom Hardy) has survived it all, but is still struggling with visions of people he wasn´t able to save. He´s captured by the War Boys, a private army of tyrannical Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) and is used as a “bloodbag” for a sick War Boy, Nux (Nicholas Hoult). Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), a confidante of Immortan Joe. Her assignment is to drive a big truck, the War Rig, to a nearby town to get gasoline. She leaves, but leaves the road and when Immortan Joe realizes what she´s doing, he sends out his War Boys to stop her. Max involuntarily gets involved as he´s strapped on the front of one of the cars and he has to try to survive. Continue reading →

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Billy Bathgate (1991)

Review Billy Bathgate

I think everyone knows the situation where you’ve bought a book/game or movie which you bring open, lay down somewhere and not touch it for years. This used to happen quite a bit (although less now) to me and lately I’ve been going through some of them as it’s a shame to have unopened stuff lying around. Recently I decided to read a book I bought years ago, The Rough Guide to Gangster Movies. It’s a genre I really enjoy watching so I was looking forward to reading about gangster movies I might not have seen yet.

Although that number turned out to be not that high (as I saw quite a lot of gangster movies from the thirties and forties), there was one title which I had never heard of: Billy Bathgate. Not a title you would immediately associate with gangstermovies, but when I read that Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman, Steve Buscemi, Stanley Tucci and Bruce Willis all were in it I was wondering why I never heard of it. Continue reading →

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Top Five (2014)

Review Top Five
Chris Rock has been one of my favourite standup comedians for years. He’s always sharp, has valid criticism about things in society and always has some quoatable moments that will stay with you. Besides his work on the podium he has worked in the world of movies as well as writer, producer, actor and directory. He has written, directed and stars in Top Five. A title which reference his top five of best rappers ever. Continue reading →

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Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Avengers Age of Ultron review

One of the most visually striking elements from the first Avengers movie was the long shot in which the camera showed all the Avengers in one swooping move through the city. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Captain America (Chris Evans) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) managed to beat their enemy by turning into a team. They are now back and this second film opens with a similar impressive scene, all in one shot, where all the Avengers are introduced while attacking a Hydra base. This action filled opening shows a lot of promise, but does Age of Ultron succeed in keeping the movie at that level? Continue reading →

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The Getaway (1972)

Review The Getaway

If you watch as many movies as I do, it colors the way you experience other films. Whether you’d want to or not you make connections, start guessing how the story will unfold and you hope that you will be surprised. Especially when watching older films you notice the impact of modern films on what you’ve come to expect. The biggest difference usually is the tempo, which is much slower with longer shots. Different techniques are used as well. The Getaway has moments that are typical for the seventies. You immediately notice this at the start of the film, where the only thing you hear is the annoying sound of a machine, played against imagery which stops with a freeze frame. Blood looks different (more like red paint). These are probably things a modern audience won’t appreciate anymore, but I love the nostalgic factor of them. Continue reading →

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Mean Girls (2004)

Review Mean Girls

Nowadays Lindsay Lohan is better known for her appearances in the tabloids than for her acting, but before that all began she was a young, popular actrice who attracted a big (younger) audience. She appeared in various successful Disney movies as innocent girl, but girls do grow up. In Mean Girls we see her as teenager Cady Hero, who lived in Africa together with her parents and now has returned to the United States. It is the first time she has to go to school (as she was home schooled) and is unaware of life in high school. It’s a world with various subcultures in which nerds, jocks, alternative people and the popular girls all claim their own spot and have their own ways and it’s hard for her to find out the rules. One wrong conversation could mean that the dynamics within the groups changes. You could become an outcast. Continue reading →

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If I Stay (2014)

Review If I Stay

Even though Chloë Grace Moretz had her big breakthrough as Hit Girl in 2010 (in the movie Kick-Ass), she already had been acting since 2004. She starred in Carrie and could be seen in various comedys. In If I Stay, a romantic drama, she is Mia Hall, a talented cello player. She still lives with her parents, but is about to take a very important step in her life. When she is involved in a car crash though she ends up in a coma and the question is whether she’ll survive. Continue reading →

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Insurgent (2015)

Review Insurgent

If there is one genre which has grown a lot in the last couple of years it is the “young adult” one and more specific the movies which are set against a future society where there (usually) is one special person who is the key to solving a huge problem within that society. The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner are examples of it and so is Insurgent.

In the first movie the viewer was introduced to the world of Tris (Shailene Woodley), in which order was kept by placing people in specific factions based on their character. Tris turned out to be someone who didn’t fit to one of the faction and ended up facing the political leader, having to fight her. It was an enjoyable movie which nicely set up the world. With the world building done in the first movie, it was a question what would be done with it in this second film. Continue reading →

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Dracula Untold (2014)

Review Dracula Untold

Both the world of books as the world of movies are filled with characters which are widely loved. There is something about these characters that people feel a connection with, making them care for them and their adventures. As one of these characters starts appearing in more books/movies you come into them with specific expectations of what that character would do. You wouldn’t expect Rambo to suddenly start giving ballet classes. Bram Stoker wrote the story of Dracula in 1897 and the character became popular, a vampire looking for blood in order to spread his curse. It resulted in many plays and movies, which made him a legend. According to Dracula Untold a part of his life was never shown. Maybe there was a reason for that? Continue reading →

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Birdman (2014)

review birdman

Before Birdman was released over here in the Netherlands I saw nothing but positive reviews and various Oscar nominations. This was one of those movie which I had to wait for a couple of months before I would be able to form my own opinion of it. Just like the movie Paper Man this really isn’t a superhero movie, but a story which focuses on Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton), once a popular actor who is suffering with mental issues. In his case he hears the voice of Birdman, a character with whom he had a lot of success in the past. He has said goodby to that role though. As an actor he is looking for something new to prove himself and stay relevant. He wants to show that he’s more than someone who stands in front of a camera. He does so by bringing a play to the stage which he has written, is directing and starring in. The movie opens during the rehearsals. Continue reading →