We all know that animation isn’t only used to make movies for children (just look at Grave of the Fireflies). Directors Lou Hamou-Lhadj and Andrew Coats, who both work at Pixar, decided to make an animated short in their spare time. It would take them five years before they’d finish it and it has payed off, as the short is in the race for an Oscar. Enough reason to give this short a look. Continue reading
My journey of discovery of Dutch movies continues with Publieke Werken. A movie which didn’t really appeal to me. Even an interview I watched with the actors also didn’t manage to convince me. So not a film I would be buying in the shop, but when it appeared on Netflix over here I was willing to give it a chance. Especially because this is a Dutch movie which doesn’t seem to target women in the form of a romantic comedy, but tells a piece of Dutch history. Continue reading
Sometimes is worth checking out other platforms than Netflix when you are planning to watch a movie. In my case it was the Steam service. It’s mainly known as a place to buy games, but it also has a video section. It is there I found Man vs Snake and because I’ve always have had a soft spot for games I decided to check it out. Continue reading
How far along are you with your Blindspot movies of this year? Although this movie wasn’t part of my selection (and I have to confess I still have to watch more of my Blindspot films than I should) it does have a link with them. This movie has been directed by Aleksandr Sokurov, who also was responsible for Russian Ark. Which was 99-minute one shot film which used 2000 extras. Impressive to hear, but the film itself wasn’t for me. In my own words: “has no plot and no character development. The actors never felt convincing and as there isn’t any focus storywise the camera just roams around.”. It’s always possible that one movie from a specific director isn’t your cup of tea, so Francofonia was the second chance. Would it be the final one? Lees verder
After the fantastic The Martian I was looking for another science fiction/space related movie and 400 Days sounded like an interesting one. Because if we ever want to travel long distances in space it is important that a group of people is able to handle it psychologically. That’s what 400 Days is about. Continue reading
History is a rich vault of forgotten stories which often are well worth telling. That’s also the case for Monsieur Chocolat (Omar Sy), who was the first successful black circus artist who made a name for himself at the end of the 19th century, but also had to struggle with preconceptions people had. Continue reading
During the first few shots after starting this movie I already got a sense that I was about to watch something special. The high contrast black/white imagery of the Amazonian jungle makes it look different. Not the humid, pressuring green which normally stands out, but a neutral environment the main character moves through. An area of the world which hasn’t been colored in yet, still has lots of things hidden, waiting to be discovered. It is 1900 and the German explorer Theo (Jan Bijvoet) is crossing the jungle together with his guide Manduca. He has fallen ill and only shaman Karamakate is the single person who can save him. Karamakate doesn’t trust Theo though as he is the shaman is the last of his people. The rest was murdered by white discoverers like Theo. Nevertheless, a fragile bond forms between them and they travel down the river, trying to find a rare plant. 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
Samantha Montgomery, who is known to the world as Princess Shaw, is a woman living in New Orleans and who has been singing for years. She’s been trying to make it for a long time, going to talent shows, makes YouTube videos and dreams about performing for a huge audience and being famous. The reality is different though. She works in an elderly home, during the shows she does the number of people listening can almost fit in a car and personally she isn’t doing well either. She sometimes doesn’t make enough money in order to pay electricity, the wheels of her car are stolen and her 8-year relationship with her girlfriend ends. And still, despite all of that she keeps making music. Documentary maker Ido Haar follows her and has told her that he wants to film her because he wants to make a special about YouTubers. The real reason is different though. 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