Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Terrific play - on the screen (8*)

One can't escape the feeling that it's a play. Very little is invested in the setting - most of the film is in an office. But it stands in contrast with how much is invested in the acting.

All the main actors are really salesmen - with their typical salesmen problems. And their annoying habits of bothering their victims as much as possible. As the story unfolds, characters evolve properly. Some don't.

The dialogues are intense, as it is written for plays. The mind tricks the salesmen are pulling are just amazing and may be compared to scenes of other great movies like The Wolf of Wall Street.

The little substance of the plot - the sales team of a real estate office is put under pressure, as someone robbed it - is not annoying by the drama added. You can just feel Jack Lemon's tiredness of years and years of finding victims.

One thing was annoying: once you start to notice it's based on a play, you start to notice the limitations. Dialogues can be endless. There could have been more shots without dialogues. One knows that when one actor leaves the room, another is going to come in.

But it's still a very entertaining film for an interesting evening.

The Devils (1971)

The Devils (1971)

A roller-coaster ride in France's medieval corruption (8*)

"What am I watching?" Is a question you might ask frequently in this film. The story seems simple: in an attempt to centralise power in France, a cardinal orders the walls of a city to be brought down. To do this, a priest defending the city should be convicted of witchcraft.

If one would only see the written dialogues, the film could still be 'normal'. However, it isn't.

First of all, it's intense. Heavy-worded dialogues follow up on each other and are brought in an almost vicious way. Action happens quickly. The shots are cut at a very quick pace.

Second, the amount of nudity, sexual behaviour and profanity might shock many viewers. Their purpose is to show the corruptness of religion.

Third, the music is just... disturbing. It adds to the disorientation in the movie as well as the whole photography.

Now, the question is: was it all worth it? My opinion: yes. Although this film is not to be viewed by persons who are easily upset or have an aversion for 'weird' films.

The pace and profanity were even a little too much for me. But it fits the purpose: to show the hypocrisy and corruption in the heart of the church, leaving you wondering if it really was like that in that period in time.

Another thing that left me wondering: why are Cardinal Richelieu and one of his priests wearing John Lennon glasses that could only have been made in the 20th century?

The Longest Day (1962)

The Longest Day (1962)

Authentic WWII film (8*)

A film about just one day, but an important day. The film gives sometimes brilliant, sometimes anecdotal accounts of the 6th of June 1944.

Thanks to the personal focuses, involving many personal stories, forgotten details, important decisions, and many other insights, the film manages to fascinate.

The film is epic in its scale, with a lot of scenes in which many resources were invested. It is not epic in the sense of heroism, and that's a good thing. All levels of command are portrayed, each one with their own tough decisions to be made.

Another bonus is the absence of moral judgment, thanks to the often-lacking German points of view in WWII films. The inclusion of the French resistance is also noteworthy.

Acting is great, and history-lovers will have a great evening watching this film. I wish I could say this was the day that decided WWII, but I'd rather refer to the more recent film 'The Imitation Game'.

Coup de torchon (1981)

Coup de torchon (1981)

French comedy - or is it? (6*)

French humor is like coffee: you either like it or dislike it. As the film starts, one can quickly make up its mind about whether it's enjoyable to watch or not. But it isn't what it seems.

A corrupt cop in Western Africa with little respect or authority turns to vengeance. It describes the film perfectly. However, just like the description of French comedy, it isn't what it seems.

The dark humor, film-noir in a town filled with light, the little rhymes in the dialogues: it's been thought over, earning good ratings from critics. It's understandable, when it's mixed with symbolism, philosophical discussions and a very realistic scenery.

Add the blatant racism and the actors' excellent performances, and we're mixing too many things. For some reasons, it felt like watching a play at the theater, as well due to the intense dialogues.

However, it fails to capture the attention. The film misses direction. The actors seem distant. Despite so many good ingredients, the end result isn't convincing. But it is surely to those who like a mix of genres.

McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

Atypical, thoughtful western (8*)

Don't expect a typical western in McCabe & Mrs. Miller. Shootings are limited, no unprotected town needs to be liberated from their villains. Welcome to the real Wild West.

The film makes a lot of efforts to make the background to the story as credible as possible. The firetruck is impressive, bars are real, tents are as you expect them, and we haven't talked yet about the costumes.

The setting is even more impressive as one can see the town expanding. The different seasons portrayed suggests it has been a tremendous effort to make it as realistic as possible.

The story in itself is multi-layered. Not everything is revealed, which increases the interest in the characters. Many scenes are suggestive, leaving room for interpretation. There are not so many twists in the story, but those that are present will keep you watching.

The camera work, with many close-ups, fits the story and almost forgets the excellent background. Leonard Cohen's music adds to the drama.

Some scenes may have inspired 'Once Upon a Time in America' from Scorcese, and for those who loved the movie I'd highly recommend the series 'Deadwood', which has the same sense of real as this movie.

A very good movie. Especially for history-lovers and those who enjoy non-Hollywood drama.

12 Angry Men (1997)

12 Angry Men (1997)

Good remake (8*)

One can't escape a comparison with the earlier same-titled film of 1957. The 1957 version was innovative - how can you keep 12 men in the same room for almost the whole movie? - and generally considered a masterpiece.

The 1997 movie is the updated version, close to the original. So don't expect too many surprises from that end.

Both movies are very thought-provoking. About the judicial system. About human relations. About prejudices. About justice. It makes it worth to watch at least one of them.

The film manages to capture your attention despite the limitation, both in time and space. Even though it is a remake, it leaves you smiling.

The story is rather simple: 12 members of the jury have to decide unanimously whether to convict a young man to death, or not.

If it weren't a remake, I'd give it a 9.

Europa Europa (1990)

Europa Europa (1990)

Interesting WWII film (7*)

Producing a film about Nazi Germany is easy and difficult at the same time. It is easy because many viewers are well-informed about the dramatic period in Germany's history, making the viewers' emotional involvement not too difficult. You don't name your son Adolf.

It is difficult because clichés are so easy to produce. The classical black-white versions of evil Germans versus glorious Allied forces is an obvious trap.

None of this in this film. It follows loosely a true story of a Jewish youngster hiding as a member of the Hitlerjugend - the Nazi youth movement. On top of his puberty, he has to face an identity crisis due to his choices to survive.

Other interesting parts of the story are a homosexual German soldier, a girl overly committed to her country and a Polish boy fighting for his catholic religion in communist Poland.

The way a part of difficult history books is mixed into the movie deserves to be mentioned, as well as the music. Sometimes though, overacting takes the upper hand.

But the fact remains that showing the true horror of the atrocities committed during that period is not fit for film, even in this German co-production, as only very few would be able to watch it.

However, it's still a very interesting film to watch.

Easy Rider (1969)

Easy Rider (1969)

Cinematic road movie (8*)

Two bikers set on a road trip in the USA. What starts as an adventure becomes a discovery of American culture at the end of the sixties.

Beautifully set in the southern states, the film invites viewers on to the main actors' road trip. It is definitely worth seeing the movie in HD: views on landscapes are carefully mixed with the story.

With many scenes shot close to the actors, it's easy to 'feel' within the story. Overall, the length of the scenes suited the movie well. Some camera cuts were inventive but maybe a little annoying.

The actors' performance was great, portraying open-minded Peter Fonda and hesitating Dennis Hopper. They give the film a peaceful progress. The different persons and communities they meet were very credibly put together, resulting in authentic 'clashes' and 'mixes' of cultures.

The music fit the film. 'Born to be wild' is an obligatory participant.

It's a great movie to get a cultural trip into the '60s USA.

Spectre (2015)

Spectre (2015)

Predictable, disappointing Bond movie (4*)

Not that one would expect a multi-layered dramatic masterpiece, but this Bond movie was quite a disappointment even to Bond standards.

After two above-average movies (Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace), it's hard to keep the same level. However, the number of pointless action plots, the predictable story line(s) and the poor acting make it a difficult one to watch.

Starts off well in a well-thought scene, followed by too many action scenes and too little creativity, too little character development and too many clichés. The Bond girls fail to bring an extra layer. On the day of your beloved's funeral and after an assassination attempt, would you sleep with someone? OK, it's a Bond movie, but...

Much more could have been done with the plot. Bond's 'message from the past' is a missed opportunity. Moneypenny's relationship is a missed opportunity. The soundtrack is a missed opportunity. And this is just in the start of the movie.

What was enjoyable, was the outside scenery of Rome and the opening scene as well as some good camera work. Unfortunately, there wasn't much more noteworthy in 2,5 hours.

Even hard to watch for 16+ die-hard Bond fans.

Gettysburg (1993)

Gettysburg (1993)

Epic historical film to watch again (9*)

If there's only one word to describe this movie, it's epic. In all of its meanings: length, dialogues, significance, music, scenery, massive battlefields and so on.

The length (over 4 hours) probably scares potential viewers, as well as the locations: most of the footage was shot in the surroundings of Gettysburg.

However, the film is nothing less than a tour de force. It brings a balanced mix of personal stories, military strategy and battle scenes. Both the Union and Confederal sides are portrayed in a neutral manner.

The film captures the viewers' attention from beginning to end. The incredible eye for detail, the relentless tension, the battle's background story and many other aspects make it a film to watch again. Martin Sheen's interpretation of Confederate General Lee is also one of those reasons.

Both the horror and the glory take their place in the movie. Even if the film was produced over 20 years ago, the political aspects are still relevant today in the United States of America.

For history lovers, this is nothing less than a must-see.

Grease (1978)

Grease (1978)

Busy and simple musical (5*)

Inspired by and inspiring film successes like Pulp Fiction and many persons to sing songs at karaoke bars early in the night, expectations were high. Too high.

First, the plot is razor-thin. Boy falls in love with girl, by chance they end up in the same school and try to get back together. Some other subplots develop, but they're not much more complicated than the main story.

Second, the film is almost two hours of noise. There are no silent moments, and it's irritating. Dialogues follow each other up, and in between there's music. Even when the music plays, you are left wondering why and which background noises, like footsteps, are mixed in the audio.

Third, the visual noise is giving headaches. The screen is always filled, often with colours that pain the eyes, and often with too many actors and extras.

Fourth, acting is as thin as the plot. Almost no character development. Too many caricatures with no meaning. Humor that resembles too much to slapstick.

So why give it five stars? Despite the excess of actors, choreography is very good. It must have taken a lot of time to put all those actors and extras in the right order. Also, a look at greaser culture was interesting, as well as the car scene in the sewers.

If you're into busy, superficial musicals: give it a try. If not, just leave it.

1000+ free movies online

Movie fan? Here's a list of over 1100 free movies that you can watch. Best part of it all - they're legally available. So no streaming problems, no annoying ads, no download time.

Many of these movies are from the 1950s and earlier. However, they include movies of Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, movies with John Wayne,...

Enjoy to watch these movies online!

Bridge of Spies (2015)

Bridge of Spies (2015)

Enjoyable cold war drama (7*)

(Spoiler in the last paragraph) Inspired by true events, the film turns the events in a nice story. An insurance lawyer first defends a caught Soviet spy, and then helps to arrange an exchange with an US spy in the middle of the cold war.

The main achievement of the movie is that it turned the events into a credible, substantial and enjoyable story. It's easy to feel involved into the different players. The subplots all have a decent ending. Screenplay is good, light and sound convincing. Tension is always playing in the background, until the very end.

Another strong point is the depiction of the beginning of the cold war. For example, the scenes at the wall dividing Berlin show well a part of history that is easily forgotten. Also, how society was organised in the early 1960s. In certain scenes, you wonder: was it really like that? The research team made a really good effort there.

The actors act at different levels: Mark Rylance plays the soviet spy, with an outstanding performance rewarded with an Oscar. Tom Hanks has his strong moments, but the CIA agent was a little disappointing, just like some other supporting actors.

The good, easy-to-understand story sometimes reveals its weaknesses: a lack of depth, a focus on story instead of history, and occasional corniness.

However, it's still a good movie to watch and to be entertained with. 

Spoiler alert: One questions still remains. At the end, when they're waiting for the signal that the economics student is released, the CIA agent on the phone might have faked that the student was released. So the lawyer would agree to swap only the Soviet spy for the American, since the student wasn't important for the CIA.

Don't Breathe (2016)

Don't Breathe (2016)

Nail-biting thriller (8*)

Few horror movies can keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. This one does.

Thanks to the well-written story, the never-stopping pace and the very credible acting, the thriller will take you within the house of a blind man, defending himself against three ordinary burglars.

The characters have excellent depth. Stephen Lang (Avatar) does a terrific job as the blind ex-military, his lesser-known fellow actors are very authentic and have stories going of their own.

Clichés are avoided. Expect to be surprised many times. The typical silence before the surprise or action is very misleading, adding up to the tension as well as the creative story development.

If there's one remark to be made, it's the color in the movie. In some parts appropriate, in some parts a bit annoying.

Every few years, there's a really good thriller/horror movie made. Don't Breathe is one of them, even good for non-fans of the genre.

Suicide Squad (2016)

Suicide Squad (2016)

Cliché hero movie (6*)

The story is rather simple: gather a crew of bad guys and fight an evil wanting to end the world. Only few story lines are added to the main story.

Simple stories can still be good. However, the stories in Suicide Squad are too transparent, too predictable, and sometimes even boring.

Despite the thin plot, it is still a decent hero action film. Good special effects. Good CGI. Good action scenes. Decent acting. Nice action scenes. Good for an evening of entertainment, and certainly a good one for teenagers.

But it misses subtlety. It's too obvious. A perfect example is the music, where popular classic songs are used to 'beef up' the film. Little character development - a common trap for hero movies. It's like an average Bond movie: good action, but don't expect much more.

Some classic action movie mistakes were made: the sound goes minus 10 when in the battle scenes an actor has to say a line. Additionally, numerous inconsistencies: where does Harley Quinn get her smartphone from? And cliché dialogues all along the film.

A few positive points though: Jared Leto's Joker made a good appearance, even though it's not comparable to Heath Ledger's legendary performance in The Dark Knight (2008). The use of colours is experimental, maybe a little over the top but still inventive.

All in all a decent action movie, but the plot had more potential than the result.

Badlands (1973)

Badlands (1973)

Intriguing thriller 8*

The movie invites the viewer on a road trip by following a serial killer and the impressionable girl accompanying him.

Main actor Martin Sheen delivers an excellent performance. His portrayal of a typical psychopath leaves viewers with many questions, and adds intrigue to the sometimes surrealistic movie.

The music, going from classic music to jazz, helps to turn the movie into a thriller. With Sheen's female counterpart Sissy Spacek's voice-overs, the movie mixes different genres and points of view.

An additional reason to watch the film is the beautiful scenery, from which the film's title is derived. Filming occurred in Colorado, and nature lovers might enjoy the movie.

An interesting watch with thoughtful character developments.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Classic 70s horror (7*)

In this remake of the 50s horror movie, a health inspector witnesses the invasion of alien 'body snatchers', who capture human beings.

Despite being a remake, the film is well-adapted to a 70s public. The scenery, the dialogues and especially the music turn this movie into a rather enjoyable thriller with a good portion of suspense.

Often, it has the same feel as the 70s zombie movies. Longer shots, time for showing the environment, and the music that nowadays sounds very offbeat to a horror movie. Also, the camera movements are sometimes experimental for that time.

The production managed to get talented actors, who add depth that is usually lacking to nowadays' horror movies.

Already seen the 50s movie? It's still enjoyable. The story was rewritten so that there are still plenty of surprising scenes.

All in all, it is good entertainment and a must for 70s horror movie fans.

Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)

Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)

Thought-provoking war movie (8*)

At the end of the second world war, the Japanese armed forces make a stand on the strategic island Iwo Jima. With an imminent American invasion, a Japanese commander with an American affiliation takes the leadership of the island.

Although one could expect a 'traditional' war movie similar to Saving Private Ryan, it's none of that. The central theme of the movie is the clash between Japanese tradition and 'modern' values.

Through the use of personal stories, the film carries a strong message against the atrocities of war. But it also shows that individuals can make a positive difference in war. The many dilemmas the characters face show an interesting side of war.

Thanks to the smaller and bigger decisions the main actors have to take, this drama takes viewers within the Japanese's heads while fighting for their countries and families staying at home. Should they follow their values, their convictions, their leaders or their thoughts? 

Courageous choice to produce the movie in Japanese, dialogues are authentic, and emotions are real.

A thought-provoking movie, not a b-film to just fill an empty evening.

Land of the Dead (2005)

Land of the Dead (2005)

Decent zombie film (6*)

Looking for an average zombie movie? You'll be pleasantly surprised. The movie has a few interesting aspects. Acting is reasonably good - thanks to the talented cast. The scenery is authentic and realistic. The film is well-written, resulting in a decent number of story lines. Many scenes are inventive and nice to look at.

Because the film takes place a long time after the zombie outbreak, the most annoying zombie movie mistake is avoided: people acting in the movie have never seen a zombie movie. Usually it takes half a film for the characters to realise there is an outbreak. Not of all that in this one.

The story in two sentences: a businessman built a safe city after a zombie apocalypse. However, zombies become intelligent and this starts to threaten the city.

One big minus: the uncountable number of inconsistencies. Why do you put loud headphones on when you're waiting for someone in Zombieland? Why do zombies play tuba? Why do people shoot in the air with limited bullets? Why don't you cut someone's leg/arm when it's infected? And I still don't get the walkie-talkie system where you don't have to choose who you're calling.

On top of it all, a soldier going to the ground infested with zombies, when he could have stayed safely in his tower. That's where it got painfully hilarious.

An above-average zombie movie - if you're not too much bothered by inconsistencies.

Billy Elliot (2000)

Billy Elliot (2000)

Feel-good yet intelligent film (7*)

Set against the backdrop of the strikes at the UK's mines, young boy Billy Elliot discovers his love for dance. He finds opposition within his dysfunctional family but the love isn't set to die out.

The most remarkable of this entertaining movie is the young protagonist's (Jamie Bell) performance. It stands out to the others' more hesitant portrayals of struggling individuals.

The emotional evolutions the characters undergo sometimes lack credibility. However, it is compensated by the creative depiction of the raw reality of the UK's 1980s.

Another strong point is that the film takes the children's point of view. Often insecure, they try to cope with the big and small things in life. At the same time, the adults around them display emotional struggle as they haven't managed to cope.

This is no movie for children, despite the character's young age. Interesting themes as family, hopes, unprocessed emotions are mixed together in this enjoyable feel-good movie.

The Flowers of War - Jin ling shi san chai (2011)

The Flowers of War - Jin ling shi san chai (2011)

Good setting, less good movie (6*)

Producing a movie about sensitive historic conflicts is always difficult, since views on the events are usually written from the point of view of the winners of the war or conflict. In this case, the Chinese victims of the horrible massacre at Nanking of 1937. 

On the other hand, the losing party (the Japanese in this case) might have difficulties admitting the brutalities and bestialities that happened. Coming to terms with the past is something rarely achieved by movies. Compare this with movies on the Holocaust: there are many, but very few of them capture the real horror. La Vita è Bella is just one example. Same for this movie.

In this view, it is already an achievement to bring a "Hollywood-style" movie in cinemas about this topic. The horrors that happened are largely unknown to the greater public.

However, the movie in itself was a bit of a disappointment. The dialogues were not well worked out. The multiple languages used in the movie (English, Japanese and Chinese) did not interact well, making the chemistry between the actors difficult. 

The actors did make an effort, although Christian Bale could have done a little more. The Japanese soldiers seemed like caricatures with little character development. 

The lack of chemistry affected the connection with the viewer. Many clues and scenes were just too obvious and overly predictable, and you never really feel like you're standing in Nanking.

However, one good point is the use of light throughout the movie. Also, some scenes were surprisingly good, the battle scene in the beginning is just one example. 

So this movie is a nice one to watch if you like historical movies, but don't expect to be amazed.

Predestination (2014)

Film review: Predestination (2014)

Thought-provoking, creative science-fiction (8*)

15 September 2016

Predestination is a film that proves science-fiction can be entertaining without special effects. The number of main actors involved and the absence of modern CGI techniques made this movie a challenge to the film's crew and producers to achieve a thrilling experience. And they won the challenge.

With a minimum of music and good acting, the story intrigues and unravels in a timely manner. A good portion of surprising plot twists make the story complete and interesting. Ethan Hawke gives a decent performance, but it's Sarah Snook that fascinates and brings the movie on a higher level.

The film also raises some philosophical questions and can make you think. The main actor's dilemma's, the good dialogues and the consequences of the actor's choices add up to a movie to talk about after seeing it. 

If you need to see an interesting thriller, and you're not in need of too many special effects, this is a perfect movie.

Celda 211 - Cell 211 (2009)

Film review: Celda 211 - Cell 211 (2009)

Excellent thriller (8*)

This gripping story of a prison officer hiding as an inmate during a revolt will keep you at the edge of your seat. The pace of events regularly accelerates and will keep you from breathing.

The film mixes the genres personal drama, thriller and action in an excellent way. Spanish actor Luis Tosar gives a terrific performance as the prison's kingpin. The protagonist, Alberto Ammann, makes it easier for viewers to feel involved in the prison's claustrophobic setting.

The movie stands out of the pack of other prison dramas, also by adding the Spanish political situation as an external factor to the mix. 

The music fuels the tension and is definitely one of the movie's strong points. 

Knowing Spanish at a native level will certainly help you to enjoy this movie. For example, the prison's kingpin uses 'agua' to dismiss an official. It's the key word for illegal street vendors to warn each other that policemen are arriving.

An excellent thriller, especially for those who like the genre.