For a long time Pixar was the animation studio that was the best in the field of computer animation and was known for its originality. The only film that initially got (two very good) sequels was Toy Story, but after the release of the very disappointing Cars it was no longer a given that every Pixar film was a must see. Although Inside Out reminded me of the “old” Pixar, other sequels like Monsters University, Finding Dory and Cars 3 did entertain, but didn’t manage to wow as much. The Good Dinosaur was a bit disappointing. In comparison, Disney has been able to score hit after hit in recent years with Big Hero 6, Frozen, Moana and Zootopia. So Pixar has something to prove and show that they still got it. Do they prove that with their latest film, Coco? Continue reading
Tag Archives: movie
Bleed for This (2016) – Review
Sometimes there are those actors whose potential is obvious, but who don’t always appear in the films in which they can realize it. Miles Teller is a good example of this . Although he was amazing in Whiplash, he was mainly seen in lighter fare like the Divergent series, Fantastic Four, War Dogs, That Awkward Moment and Two Night Stand. With Bleed for This, a biopic, he portrays boxer Vinnie Pazienza. Continue reading
Good Time (2017) – Review
Although Robert Pattinson became known to the general public as Edward Cullan in the Twilight Saga films, he also played very different roles in films such as Cosmopolis, Life and The Lost City of Z. In Good Time he collaborates with the Safdie brothers, who have been making low budget films in New York for ten years. This film meant a major breakthrough for them, but Pattinson also is amazing here. Since I read as little as possible about a movie beforehand, it took about fifteen minutes before I recognized him. Continue reading
The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017) – Review
Although Ryan Reynolds was never an actor to me who stood out or whose movies I watched much, he managed to become very relavant thanks to his appearance in Deadpool. The film, which he helped to realize, was an unexpectedly successful. One of the first posters for this film, which parodied the poster of The Bodyguard, made this also seem like a film that was worth watching. Especially when you consider that Reynolds would share the screen together with Samuel L. Jackson. Does that make for a fun movie? Continue reading
Nocturnal Animals (2016) – Review
From the first moment you see Nocturnal Animals, where obese women are dancing naked and in slow motion, it is clear that you are going to watch a movie that is different. Tom Ford (fashion designer, but also director) immediately opts for a stylized look at the life of Susan Morrow, the owner of an art gallery. She struggles with her emotions and her marriage with her husband also seems to fall apart. Then she receives a manuscript for a book by her ex-husband Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal) dedicated to her. She becomes obsessed with the book and the film shows the viewer both her world and the story of the book. Continue reading
Baby Driver (2017) – Review
Edgar Wright, who was previously responsible for the Cornetto trilogy and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, walked around for years with the idea of making a film where everything revolved around music as much as possible. He has previously done something like that in Shaun of the Dead, in which all actions were performed to the rhythm of a Queen song, but did not yet do so on a larger scale.
The idea of a getaway driver who did everything to music is something he had for ages, which he already realized as a video for “Blue Song” by Mint Royale. When you compare the opening of Baby Driver (which is also in this review) to that video, the similarities are clear. Continue reading
The Art of Organized Noize (2016) – Review
Organized Noize will not be a name everyone will recognize immediately. But if you are familiar with the early work of Outkast, Goodie Mob or the songs “Waterfalls” by TLC or “Do not Let Go (Love)” by En Vogue, you will know their work. It is the production team behind the music that put Atlanta on the map as a music city. This documentary, which can be found on Netflix, shows their history and how they managed to reach the top, but also how they eventually lost that position. Continue reading
Music inspired by films: Cube – Freek Mastwijk
Although I write lots of reviews, I occasionally like to do something different, something new. A while ago I was thinking about movies and music, but not the score, but music inspired by a specific film. Of course there are a lot of music videos based on movies and there are lots of songs that sample them, but what would a musician do if I asked to create a song that truly was inspired by film? Continue reading
Score: A Film Music Documentary (2016) – Review
Film music can make or break a film. Whether you are aware of it or not (I belong to the latter camp), it sets the tone for what you see. It can create tension, strengthen emotions and can even help making a movie a classic. If you hear the word Star Wars, Psycho or Jaws, you can easily sing the music that goes along with those films. But what has been the role of music over the years, who are the composers behind all that music and how do they work? These are all questions that are addressed in this documentary. Continue reading
Kidnap (2017) – Review
Halle Berry seems to have emerged as an action star during recent years (just like Liam Neeson for example, who has since indicated that he does not want to make actionfilms anymore because he’ss already 65). In The Call she was a 911
telephone operator who tried to rescue a kidnapped teenager. In Kidnap she plays a mother who wants to get her kidnapped 6-year-old son back. Continue reading