Top Movies – Midnight Special Movie Review (Spoiler Free) – Movie Reviews Sites


Nichols creates an extraordinary looking and very Spielberg-ess low budget mystery-thriller.




Genre:  Mystery, Sci-fi, Thriller
Director: Jeff Nichols
Cast: Michael Shannon, Jaeden Lieberher, Joel Edgerton,
Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver and Sam Shepard.
Run Time: 111 min.
US Release: 18 March 2016
UK Release: 08 April 2016
German Release: 18 February 2016
Midnight Special is Jeff Nichols’ fourth film (Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter & Mud) and his first studio production. A mystery sci-fi, this movie took a lot of inspiration from Spielberg classics such as E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, serving us with a beautiful looking and intense low budget picture that not only opened up my mind but also my heart. The end will surely displease some and it is not without faults, but it was nevertheless a damn good film!
The synopsis to the plot can be summarised in just a couple of words: A father (Shannon) goes on the run with his child (Lieberher), who harbours special abilities, while being hunted by a religious cult and the U.S. government. At their side and helping them get to safety are Roy’s ex-wife (Dunst) and his childhood friend (Edgerton). That is all I will say about the plot, because I think its best the audience experiences this film without knowing to much of the story.
First and foremost, this is a father & son road trip movie; a little bit like Road to Perdition but with a slow, unfolding paranormal conspiracy theory note. It also has something subliminally spooky about it, which will make for a lot of hairs to stand up and some goose bumps, that is enhanced by the fact that most of the story is shrouded in mystery, similar to Close Encounters.
Midnight Special is a slow paced mystery-thriller that throws the viewer right into the middle of an escape story without any further information; the only exposition we get is during the opening scene when a news story about an abduction is running on TV. Further information is at first detained from the audience but is slowly unfolded the further the movie progresses. We don’t even get to know what year it plays in for most of its length, as its focus lies rather on the characters than its surroundings. The first clue we obtain in terms of a date is when the characters get into a classic 1972 Chevy Chevelle and along the way slowly upgrade their cars to more modern ones, which gives it a sense of time travelling adventure.
Midnight Special tackles the subject of parental instinct, to keep one’s child safe from harm and focuses mostly on the father figure. It also has a subliminal message about faith, whether you see the boy as a religious saviour, a higher being (in scientific terms) or a weapon that could be a threat to national security. Many will be upset with the conclusion, because it did not answer all questions but I was more than happy with how it ended, because it left those open questions to be answered by the viewer’s imagination.
The only complaint I had with Nichols new picture is about the religious cult subplot, which was never really picked up after introducing it. Some of the followers appear on screen every now and then, but there is no real sense of danger.
Michael Shannon’s rendition is what gives this movie a huge amount of momentum and drives the plot forward. He gives his character Roy an incredible human twist, as a father who will stop at nothing to protect his son. Roy’s relationship with Alton seems broken as he acts cold and distanced from him, but it is only to secure his safety because behind that chilling facade is a living breathing being whose only faith lies in the existence of his son. It has been long since I have seen an actor project such clarity and focus.
Lieberher gave a fantastic performance, as the eight-year-old Alton Meyer. The boy is at first a little introverted and shy, but starts opening up and being more self-confident the further the plot progresses. This is because Alton’s fate is bound to the story of this smaller budget film.
Kirsten Dunst plays Alton’s mother Sarah, but is not introduced until halfway through the movie and had just a minor role. The attention is set on the boy and his father, but that doesn’t mean Dunst’s character shouldn’t have been fleshed out a little better, because her character does add a lot to the story. Adam Driver, playing the sympathetic and charismatic NSA agent Paul Sevier, was another actor who did not get the well deserved screen time.
On the other hand, Edgerton gave another jaw dropping rendition as Roy’s childhood friend Lucas and nailed a superb Texan accent. Given his character’s past and the fact that he is a good-hearted man ready to die or kill, to keep the boy from harm way, gives Alton’s safety and existence a lot of weight.
Adam Stone took care of Midnight Special’s cinematography. It is shot fairly simple but is effective in what it needs to transmit, especially during the opening act. A lot of hard close-ups have been used, which conveys a sense of paranoia and a feeling of claustrophobia inside buildings or vehicles; since everything feels so closed-up. While the film plays mostly in the dark, it sets up a beautiful contrast between night and day. The special effects look very organic, especially Allton’s powers and the sequences where a meteor shower hits a Gas station.
Verdict: I left the theatre in awe after having witnessed what Nichols was able to with a little more budget and a studio backing. Midnight Special is a properly crafted, well-acted and beautifully looking sci-fi mystery with an incredible Michael Shannon as lead actor. The story has a few minor flaws and the ending might disappoint others, but all this is forgiven as the rest of the movie is spectacularly good. I will give Midnight Special a 9 out of 10 and truly recommend you to go see this fantastic mystery-thriller in cinemas.

Did you find my review helpful? If so, hit the like button and share this review with others. Also, leave a comment in the section below if you have any questions about Midnight Special. Thank you very much for reading and know that I will be posting two reviews tomorrow for Zoolanderand Zoolander 2.



Top Movies – Hail, Caeser! Movie Review (Spoiler Free) – Movie Reviews Sites


The Coen brothers take on the movie business in their newest film and create a love letter to 1950’s Hollywood!

Genre: Comedy
Director: Ethan & Joel Coen
Cast: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich,
Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum,
Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Jonah Hill.
Run Time: 106 min.
US Release: 05 February 2016
UK Release: 04 March 2016
German Release: 18 February 2016
A new year, a new Coen Brothers’ film. Welcome to my spoiler free review for Hail, Caesar!, a very difficult movie to review and even harder to spoil, as nobody on Earth is sure what really happened in this comedy. What makes this satire special is that it feels like a classic Coen Brother film such as The Big Lebowski and Fargo, but is it any good? Well, it does have slight issues but it is a motion picture worth watching if you are a fan of the two brothers style.
I am a big fan of Ethan and Joel Coen and have most of their movies, either on DVD or upgraded on Blu-ray. What I like about this duo is that their pictures are not only well written and executed, but they are highly distinctive from any other film produced in Hollywood. You never know what to expect from them, yet you simply know from the tone and feel that you are watching a Coen brothers’ production.
The plot follows Capitol Pictures biggest motion-picture attempt at recreating the story of Christ, but while filming a scene the star of the movie, Baird Whitlock (Clooney), gets abducted. Now Hollywood mediator Eddie Mannix (Brolin) needs to gather all his contacts to find Whitlock, before news of the abduction hit the public.   
Hail, Caesar! is an extremely funny homage to 1950’s American lifestyle; including political, economical and religious aspects, all seen from the film industry’s perspective. The story can get a little incoherent at times by jumping from one scenario to another and that is one of the biggest weaknesses this film has, as it throws the viewer off occasionally. The way this film was handled is surely not for the typical moviegoer and might even frustrate some of the viewers; nevertheless it is one of the most original motion pictures I have seen in a long time! I also had a lot of fun seeing all this little movies within the movie being made.
The dialogues are superb; they are snappy, very witty and, in true Coen brother form, have a larger meaning behind each said sentence. There are also a ton of inside jokes about the Hollywood industry and that might cause a problem with audience members that are no film aficionados, because a lot of those jokes will pass straight by them. Nevertheless, I did understand them and loved each one!
The characters are as always well elaborated; they are humane, real and a little bit crazy. Though it does feature a few too many personas and therefore some lack a deeper background, such as Scarlett and Hill. Other than that, I really enjoyed watching each of these persons manage their hectic life in the movie business. Best of them all though was Alden Ehrenreich, who played the friendly, musically and athletically talented, naive young actor Hobie Doyle, you can’t help but to like.
Josh Brolin plays a 50’s Hollywood fixer named Eddie Maddix. This guy takes care of several productions for Capitol Pictures, but also makes sure that the stars and starlets of Hollywood don’t smudge their reputation and that of the studio. Brolin managed to portray this character in the friendliest way, while also being able to be intimidating if necessary. You feel the love he has for his family and how torn he is between spending time with them and doing his actual job.
George Clooney portrayed the persona of Baird Whitlock, the Hollywood superstar of that age. He was charming, funny and at times incredibly crude, but Clooney never got out of the Brolin and Ehrenreich shadows. That doesn’t mean he is not fun to watch, as his scenes are still very entertaining.
Ralph Fiennes & Channing Tatum were two of those characters I wished to have seen a little more from, due to: 1. Fiennes being hysterical as director Laurence Laurentz, especially in combination with Alden Ehrenreich. 2. Tatum played a larger role than previously expected, but did not get the necessary screen time his character would have deserved.
Hail, Caesar! was shot by cinematographer Roger Deakins, who used his typical game of light and shadow throughout this film. I also loved the zoom outs that showed some of the scenarios to be scenes of movies within this one. The costume and set designs are great and look exactly like I envisioned Hollywood in the 50’s to have been, up to the last detail. Simply said, this motion picture by the Coen brothers looks stunning! Carter Burwell composed the original soundtrack for this satire and wrote the songs for the musicals in it, the best one performed by Channing Tatum.


Verdict: All in all Hail, Caesar! is an extremely funny and well performed satire of the 1950’s Hollywood lifestyle, with fantastic cinematography and amazing musical acts. Alden Ehrenreich was brilliant and stole every scene he was in and the many inside jokes about the film industry made me laugh through out the entire movie. The only problem I had was with the narration in this comedy, which was off at times and broke the flow of the movie. This might not be the Coen brothers best but I do recommend watching it nonetheless, because it stands out from the typical movie you obtain nowadays. I will give Hail, Caesar! an 8 out of 10



Top Movies – Dirty Grandpa Movie Review (Spoiler Free) – Movie Reviews Sites


Nudity, sex-talk and profanity. Efron and De Niro’s new comedy is more repulsive than it is funny!





Genre: Comedy
Director: Dan Mazer
Cast: Robert De Niro, Zac Efron, Zoey Deutch, Aubrey Plaza,
Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Jason Mantzoukas, Julianne Hough,
Adam Pally and Dermot Mulroney.
Run Time: 102 min.
US Release: 22 January 2016
UK Release:  25 January 2016
German Release: 11 January 2016
If you would set Jackass’ Bad Grandpa on a collision course with The Hangover, the result would be Dirty Grandpa. Dan Mazer (I Give it a Year) directs his second comedy for the big screen and boy is it a miss in every possible way. Just having seen Deadpool recently, I can’t help but to compare both, because these two films try to be as shockingly vile as possible. But whereas Deadpool has a reason to be the way it is and succeeds in being funny, Dirty Grandpa just manages to pull one unfunny dirty joke after another and it simply comes off as offensive and needy.
The movie revolves around the deteriorating relationship of Jason Kelly (Efron) and his grandfather Dick Kelley (De Niro), who recently lost his wife. To re-bond with his grandchild Dick asks Jason to drive him down to Boca, Florida and Jason reluctantly agrees against his Father’s (Mulroney) and his fiancée Meredith’s (Hough) wishes. On their way down South, Jason meets former college classmate Shadia (Zoey Deutch) and her friends Bradley (Bowyer-Chapman) and Lenore (Plaza); later who has an immediate crush on Dick. Jason’s grandpa finally convinces him to follow them to Daytona Beach and enjoy himself.
I have no problem when a film tries to be offensive, like I said I just watched Deadpool a couple of days ago and adored that action-comedy; if you are interested in my review for it, click here.  This movie though, merely tries to be repugnant to tick people off. Granted it did have a couple of jokes that did make me laugh but for most of the time I was just sitting in the theatre bored out of my mind, while people around me were making offended noises. Simply said the script for it is a goddamn awful joke.
Fact is, Dirty Grandpa has no artistic value at all. This comedy simply exists to tell a string of vulgar and revolting jokes to displease its viewership and I don’t really think it is the smartest move for a film. The road trip adventure that grandfather and grandson go on, has been wasted completely and it feels as if writer and director purposely went out of their way to make a weak movie, because the potential is there but never used. It also is about 15 minutes too long in my opinion, as there are parts in this movie were one of the lead characters tries rekindle a bond with the other, but the scenes are stretched out way too long and fail miserably at creating any emotion.
De Niro is one of the reasons what makes this “comedy” mostly watchable. He plays an elderly widower who just wants to have one last (sexual)-adventure and takes his grandson with him to help him find his own path through life. I am still wondering though what it was that made De Niro think this might be a suitable role to take. His performance overall is alright, he uses some personality traits from his other character Jack Byrnes of the Fockertrilogy but other than that, I need to confess that I wasn’t really emotionally invested in his character.
Zac Efron did really surprise! Yes, he still looks like a smuck Abercrombie model and he seems to be sporting some sort of hair helmet for this film, but in the end he keeps showing us that he is capable of doing comedy. Even if this movie is utter crap and his character is most of the time that of an unlikeable, corporate lawyer with a stick up his ass, it was the combined effort of Efron and De Niro that makes this crash and burn bearable.
Julianne Hough portrays Jason’s fiancée Meredith, who is one of the most unlikeable personas I have witnessed in movie film history. She is a bitchy, dominant and a stuck up brat, with no real reason to be in this movie other than to make the main character realise that he chose the wrong woman to marry and this is definitely not a spoiler, as it becomes evident in the first trailer that was released for this film.
Jason Mantzoukas and Adam Pally both played some minor characters (a drug dealer and Jason’s cousin respectively), who just kept popping up every once in a while for no reason. Their personas were incredibly tiresome as well as over the top and unrealistic. Included in a long list of annoying and senseless characters that simply appear in the story, are two cops played by Mo Collins and Henry Zebrowski.
The best thing about this comedy is the cinematography. The lens used by Eric Alan Edwards, in combination with the colour palette gave it a mild retro look that did suit the vibe the filmmakers tried to go for. Other than that there was nothing special about this film, it is just a mindless comedic flick that uses a minimal amount of effects.

Verdict: Dirty Grandpa is a comedy that will make viewers laugh here and there, but has no emotional attachment whatsoever. The plot was merely created to set up a string of vile punch lines and the side characters are incredibly irritating. Robert De Niro and Zac Efron do an all right job  but aren’t groundbreaking. The movie has no real cause to exist other than to discomfort the audience, with the makers clearly trying to emulate the success of similar comedies like The Hangovertrilogy, but failing at creating an engaging and funny film. I will therefore give Dirty Grandpa a 3.5 out of 10.

Did you go see Dirty Grandpa yet? If so, what did you think of this juvenile humoured comedy? Let me know and leave your opinion in the section below. Thank you very much for reading and if you liked this review, please make sure to share it with others.




Top Movies – Deadpool Movie Review (Spoiler Free) – Movie Reviews Sites


The merc with a mouth is back and he is depicted way better than what we obtained a couple of years back!




Genre: Action/Comedy/Fantasy
Director: Tim Miller
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller, Stefan Kapicic,
Brianna Hildebrand, Morena Baccarin, Gina Carano,
Leslie Uggams & Karan Soni
Run Time: 108 min.
US Release: 12 February 2016
UK Release: 10 February 2016
German Release: 11 February 2016
BE AWARE THAT THIS FILM CONTAINS TWO AFTER CREDIT SCENES!
Comic book season starts early this year and we are treated with a fantastic first release! This is the second run for Fox at trying to bring Deadpool on to the big screen, after the 2009 disaster that is X-Men Origins: Wolverine and they redeemed themselves for everything that went wrong in that movie, but especially for mishandling the merc with a mouth’s character. Deadpool is as close to being a perfect of a comic book adaptation as it can be and managed to turn me into an excited little fan boy again.
The character himself is one of the newest creations of Marvel and was at first perceived by readers as a sort of spoof of the DC character Deathstroke but while the later never attained much fame, Deadpool grew to become one of Marvel’s most praised anti-heroes. Now I never really read a lot of Deadpool graphic novels and just know the basics, but going into this movie I can say without one doubt, that this is the truest adaptation of a comic book character to date! Watching this felt like turning the pages of a Deadpool comic.
The plot revolves around Wade Wilson (Reynolds) a merc for hire also known as Deadpool. This guy is fully aware that he is a graphic novel character being adapted into film. He is hunting down Ajax (Skrein), a villain that did hurt him on a personal level and along the way recounts to the viewer what exactly happened to him. Included is a love story with Vanessa (Baccarin), a stripper that is just as mentally unstable as Wilson and that is all I will say concerning the plot to this action-comedy.
I need to express this early on: BEST OPENING CREDITS EVER!  It is hilarious and sets the path for what is to come. Okay now that this is out of my system, let’s move on. This action blockbuster had the freedom not many movies have, due to the obtained R-rating, and Tim Miller didn’t hesitate to use that said liberty to depict vile and violent scenarios that Deadpool would have said or done in his line of graphic novels. The humour is incredibly meta, constantly referring to other films the character or Reynolds was in, specifically X-Men: Wolverine and Green Lantern and that really fits the character extremely well, as it is what the merc with a mouth does.
The script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick was amazing, I loved the unconventional way of storytelling because it did not distract from the movie and even the love story in it was handled extremely well. Something I have been wondering about is how much fourth wall breaking there will be, and how it will transfer on the big screen. We saw it done before with Lord of War, The Wolf of Wall Street or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but never was it attempted in an action packed comic book adaptation. Well, first of all Wilson is constantly talking to the audience but he does it really smart. It does not feel like it is too much and it is entertaining.
Ryan Reynolds is great as Deadpool, we all saw him in interviews and in other movies and know how much he likes to talk. This is the perfect character for him and he finally rights the wrong done to him and the character in that Wolverine origin film. He portrays and understands Wade Wilson so well; it is as if he is that persona. Anybody who followed his career or the development of this film knows how much he loves this comic book anti-hero, as he has been constantly quoted on that by the media. That love and respect is omnipresent in this action flick.
This is Ed Skrein’s redemption for the terrible Transporter Refueled he starred in last year. He is a great villain and a really nasty person at that. It was easy to dislike the prick he is portraying. Brianna Hildebrand (as Negasonic Teenage Warhead) is surprisingly good and nailed that teen attitude, while also able to kick some ass. This Marvel adaptation also has the best depiction of Colossus! I loved the Russian accent (because Colossus is Russian) and was happy to see the character to finally be fleshed out.
This is T.J. Miller’s best performance of his career, he was funny, likeable and a slightly dialled down version of an ass compared to Wade Wilson. His chemistry with Reynolds is fantastic and I really enjoyed the back and forth banter between the two. Morena Baccarin gave another jaw-dropping performance and had great chemistry with the lead actor; the love story between her and Reynolds was very uncommon but new.
Deadpool is an incredibly fast paced movie without a single boring moment, including the flashbacks that tell the audience how he came to be the merc with a mouth. The action sequences were shot surprisingly smooth without any use of shaky cam and overall it felt like a vividly fluid blockbuster that runs towards a satisfactory conclusion. The effects were amazing; CGI was used in this film but it was used as a utensil and not as a necessity that runs the complete movie. The action choreography was impressive, snappy and beautiful to look at. There was really nothing to complaint about.
The only issue I had was during the first 20 minutes. As amazing as it was for an opening sequence, I had seen most of it in the trailers (which, apart from the first one, I tried to evade but ultimately succumbed to when I went to watch The Hateful Eight) and that did somehow dampen the enjoyment I should have felt. It was a negative technicality from the marketing perspective, but it did nevertheless affect how I experienced the first 20 minutes.
Verdict: Deadpool is a much-needed refreshment for the superhero genre. It is aware of what it is and doesn’t hold back on depicting what it needs to show, that is what makes it so much fun. Tim Miller’ s debut film is incredibly funny, while being very bloody and violent at the same time and Ryan Reynolds gives an impeccable performance as the merc with a mouth. Deadpoolis a movie that did everything correct; from the script to the casting, as well as in terms of cinematography and that is why, even though I did not enjoy the opening act as much as I wish I would have, I will give it a 10 out of 10. I do implore you to go see Deadpool, even as a Valentine’s Day flick because awkwardly enough it also works as a romantic comedy.


So what was your opinion of Deadpool? Did you enjoy it as much as I did? Leave a comment in the section below if you wish to discuss. Thank you very much for reading and if you found this review to be helpful make sure to like and share it. 



Top Movies – The 33 Movie Review – Movie Reviews Sites


A solid film depicting the historic mining catastrophe of 2010, but lacking a good script.



Genre: Biography/Drama
Director: Patricia Riggen
Cast: Antonio Banderas, Juliette Binoche, Rodrigo Santoro,
Lou Diamond Phillips, Mario Casas, Juan Pablo Raba,
Cote de Pablo, Kate del Castillo, Gabriel Byrne,
Bob Gunton and James Brolin.
Run Time: 127 min.
US Release: 13 November 2015
UK Release:  29 January 2016
German Release: 11 February 2016
Starring a wide array of Hispanic (and non Hispanic) actors, The 33 re-tells the events of the 2010 mining disaster that saw 33 men trapped 700 meters beneath the ground in San José, Chile. The biopic was directed by Patricia Riggen, who also was in charge of the 2012 film Girl in Progress starring Eva Mendes and the 2011 Disney “made for TV-movie” Lemonade Mouth. I just want to say right from the beginning, that this historic picture was a huge disappointment with wasted potential.

Please be aware that since this is a movie about a recent historic event, it might contain spoilers. So if you did not follow the 2010 Chilean mine tragedy, don’t read on

I remember following this catastrophe on the media, as if it were yesterday. The more absurd it feels that I was watching it today on the big screen! The media buzz this mining collapse created was a new high record and only happened due to the unexpected findings of all 33 miners to be alive. It took further 52 days to elaborate a rescue mission, which would get all of the trapped men back out alive.
The Script was the weak spot of this biographical-drama, because it felt like it was pencilled for TV and not for the big screen. I also do not understand why it was filmed in English instead of Spanish, as I feel that it would have made for a bigger impact. While the movie contained some moving moments here and there, it lacked a much-needed emotional punch for the better part of it that came at the cost of captivating the viewers and sharing the experience with them.
My biggest issue with The 33though, is that it focused too much on the outside world, rather than the miners trapped inside the San José mine. Don’t get me wrong, showing the attempts to get these people out are just as vital, but there were scenes concerning family members and government bodies that could have been exchanged with more scenes inside the mines. As it stands now, the film takes place half the time in the mine and the other half outside of it and it hurts the claustrophobic feeling it tries to bring across. I also missed the anxiousness the characters should have shown, once they are found, to get out and see their families and friends.
It also contained aspects I really liked, such as the camaraderie between these men and the emotions they share, once they are facing the imminent truth of death. There is a scene during a meagre meal they share, when each one pictures what they would like to eat and I thought that it was made really well. The relationship between the siblings Dario and María is another interesting sub-plot with a heartbreaking past.
While most of the cast was fine, there have been two or three major miscasts of actors. Leading the bunch of ill casts is a spray-tanned Juliette Binoche, who played the empanada-peddler Maria. I also did not understand why Bob Gunton (an actor with no Hispanic lineage) was cast as Chilean president Sebastian Piñera. Having said that, it is clear that all actors are trying their best to give a good rendition.
My favourite performance in this movie was by far that of Antonio Banderas, who played the experienced miner-turned leader Mario Sepúlveda. This guy was the sole reason why those trapped men did not eat each other alive, his speech about life, believe and endurance was a hell of a deliverance that would have had even me jumping up and down with excitement and respect. It may not be Bandera’s best performance but it was a solid and possibly the best in this film.
Rodrigo Santoro made another good rendition as Minister Laurence Golborne, even though his sappy look distracted a little bit from the main story. I am not sure how truthful his character was written, but in this drama he was the one determined to find the man (dead or alive), bounded by a promise he gave to one of the miners relatives.
While most of the cinematography is all right, I found that the scenes inside the mine shelter were depicted as to spacious. The viewer never felt a claustrophobic feeling from watching this men being trapped underneath a mountain, there was no need to want to get out for a fresh breath of air or to see some light, and that hindered once again the audience to be able to grasp the life-threatening situation in which these men were. The effects were also really bad, and by that I mean TV-movie bad! The collapse of the mine was depicted by obvious computer generated images.
The best aspect of the film was the music, composed by James Horner (who passed away last year, June). It has a very South-American touch, featuring Spanish guitars and pan-flutes. Granted, at times the more upbeat pan music did not fit the dramatic moments in The 33, but it was nevertheless different to other movies.
Verdict: Overall, The 33 is an all right biopic that wasted its potential. It was a big letdown for me personally, because I was hoping for a more, claustrophobic and emotional picture that displayed the fight for survival of these 33 men, but what I obtained is a story that focused more on what was happening outside, rather than inside. The script was weak and some of the actors did not fit the personas they were to represent. Antonio Banderas was by far the best thing about this movie, with the rest of the cast trying to give their best. The 33 could have been one of the better films this year, but in the end I will give it a 6 out of 10.

Did you see this biopic yet? If so what did you think of it? Leave a comment below and let me know if you liked it or, if like me you were disappointed. I am really excited about Deadpool tomorrow and can’t wait to let you know what I thought of it, so look out for my review for it. As always, thank you very much for reading and if you liked this review, please share it.



Top Movies – The Dark Knight Review – Movie Reviews Sites


Christopher Nolan re-introduces the most iconic comic book villain in history, with The Dark Knight.



Genre: Action, Thriller
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine,
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Eric Roberts.
Run Time: 152 min.
US Release: 18 July 2008
UK Release:  24 July 2008
German Release: 21 August 2008
My string of Batman and Superman reviews continues, leading up to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice this March. I released my previous review for Batman Begins around two weeks ago; if you are interested in reading it, click here. This analysis will focus on Nolan’s second Bats-movie The Dark Knight, which was released in 2008 in cinemas around the world. This film took everybody by surprise, with stellar performances and a beautiful cinematography, but more on that later.
I’ll be honest, when it was announced that Heath Ledger obtained the role for the Joker, my first reaction was “What? The guy from A Knight’s Tale, seriously?” But when I saw him on screen, with the makeup, telling grotesque jokes and the incredibly dark and psychotic performance he gave, I was sold. I went with a friend to see this movie and he is no fan of comic book adaptations, but when we left the theatre he was speechless. On our way back home he looked at me and muttered “I can’t believe this is from a comic, it was so grounded and so good.”

— THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS —

The plot was inspired by the 1940’s first appearance of the Joker, the 1996 series “The Long Halloween” and part of “Batman: The Killing Joke” as inspiration for the Joker. The Dark Knight begins with the introduction of the Joker (Ledger) who, together with some criminals he paid, robs a mob bank in Gotham. After the robbery, Batman (Bale) meets with Gordon (Oldman) but dismissed the Joker as just a minor criminal, believing that it is the mob they should really concentrate on. While mean, new district attorney Harvey Dent (Eckhart) pushes Gordon for a meeting with the Batman and is also dating Wayne’s love interest Rachel (Gyllenhaal).
The Joker starts taking over the mob pretty fast and Wayne soon realises that he made a mistake by not paying much attention to the Joker, who bribed corrupt cops to kidnap Dent and Rachel and sets up a sickeningly for the Batman, in hopes to make him drop his one rule about killing. Rachel dies and an explosion scars Dent’s left side of the face. The Joker manages to twist Dent, who goes know by the name of Two-Face, and turns him into a villain, while kidnapping two fairies leaving Gotham City; one with citizens and the other with jailed inmates.
One of the best decisions made by director Christopher Nolan was the fact that he saved Batman’s arch-nemesis for a later film. Batman Begins was just a fantastic build-up for what we were to expect and what we obtained was an explosion of epic proportion. The Dark Knight is not so much a Batman movie as it is a psychological portrayal of his enemy the Joker. The Nolan brothers kept on expanding their realistic Batman universe and by doing that washed away the lines of good and evil, giving us a world where moral and ethical dilemmas exist.
One of the aspects that really surprised me was how funny this film was. The dialogues are brilliant and have quite some humour in them, even when the tone changes and the story turns dark the humour is set to fit the atmosphere without distracting from the plot. I was also astonished at how spooky this movie could get and there was an actual jump scare from a scene that literally made me fall off my seat the first time I saw it in a theatres.
All of the actors in this blockbuster gave terrific performances, but Heath Ledger as the Joker overshadowed them all. Ledger managed to get into the Joker’s head and manifested the psychotic personality of this classic villain in his on-screen portrayal. He understood that the Joker did not seek revenge or money even though he is a deeply wounded character, all he wants is to cause chaos for chaos sakes. Ledger drew inspiration from the classic 1920’s film The Man Who Laughs and the comic book series “Batman: The Killing Joke”.
Christian Bale & Michael Caine both gave great performances as they did in the movie before. Bale fully comprehends the complexity of Bruce Wayne’s character and I found it very respectable of Nolan to include scenes where Batman uses detective like methods to identify villains and operational procedures, as the character used to be originally a detective rather than a superhero. Cain was as always loveable as Alfred; he is like a father to Bruce and understands him better than anyone else.
Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman had just minor roles in this action-thriller, but where nonetheless vital to the film. Freeman had great chemistry with Bale and I can’t picture anyone else but Oldman as Commissioner James Gordon. Maggie Gyllenhaal replaced Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes, a fantastic casting choice since they share some facial resemblance and Aaron Eckhart gave the best performance in his career.
Just like in Batman Begins, the cinematography in The Dark Knight is impeccable and Nolan used a variety of formats to film this adaptation. Major action sequences, including the opening act, were filmed in IMAX format which made for a more impactful experience due to the higher resolution, while the rest of the films was shot on standard 35 mm. The use of dark colours helps to convey the grittier mood of this movie and the special effects used, such as Two-Face’s burned half, looked incredibly realistic.
Hans Zimmer scored the music for this blockbuster, just like he did for the previous Batman motion picture. Low-pitched string instruments are used to build up suspense and when a sequence of interest is about to begin, the music quickly rises to build more tension. The complete soundtrack builds upon the fantastic looking imagery.  
Verdict: The Dark Knight is not simply a comic book adaptation; it is way more than that. Christopher Nolan took the characters of Bruce Wayne/Batman and the Joker and gave them a real and grounded environment. The cast is phenomenal and the characters are fleshed out incredibly well. This is one of my favourite films, belonging to one of my favourite trilogies and I will therefore give this movie a 10 out of 10! I will post my review for The Dark Knight Rises by the end of February, so if you are interested keep an eye out for it.


Thank you all so much for reading and if you liked this review make sure to share it with friends and family.


Top Movies – The Forest Movie Review (Spoiler Free) – Movie Reviews Sites


A missing sister in a foreign country, a scary forest people enter to commit suicide and ghosts. What more is there to say?

Genre: Horror
Director: Jason Zada
Cast: Natalie Dormer, Taylor Kinney, Yukiyoshi Ozawa,
Ibuki Kaneda and Eoin Macken.
Run Time: 93 min.
US Release: 08 January 2016
UK Release:  26 February 2016
German Release: 04 February 2016
Granted, The Forest is not the usual US-January release garbage of a horror movie; it offers more than that and at times it really is engaging but it also is no more than a mere mediocre horror flick. One thing which really disappointed me is that it did not get a release in an English language cinema in Munich, which meant I needed to go watch it in German and this might have damped my experience, but only by a little bit. Other than this, I did enjoy watching this movie which came as a big surprise!
The movie revolves around Sara Price (Dormer) who flies to Tokyo in search of her identical twin sister Jess (Dormer), who was last seen entering the Aokigahara forest and is therefore presumed dead. Sara though is absolutely sure her sister is still alive and tries to find a guide who will lead her into the forest to search for her. She meets Australian journalist Aiden (Kinney), who informs her that he has a guide, Michi (Osawa), who is leading him through the Aokigahara for his story. Striking a deal with her, Michi and Aiden take her along the next day to search for Jess.
Like I said at the beginning, I was pleasantly surprised when I left the screening room due to several factors. One of them was how director Jason Zada actually manages to build genuine suspense throughout the movie, give or take the last couple of minutes, and made me jump a few times. Zada also got rid of some of the horror clichés that had been dominating horror movies over the past couple of years and turned the genre stale. From a narrative perspective, I appreciated the way this horror flick began, with Sara flying into Japan while the story jumps back in time from time to time, to tell the reason for her travel and it also sets up a cause explaining why the main character goes into the “Suicide Forest”.
What I found most astonishing though is the fact that the writers and film crew stay true to the facts and Japanese folklore which revolves around this forest. From the ropes wrapped around trees, to the warning signs that recommends the visitor not to leave the main path, most of what is shown in this horror flick is accurately correct.
That being said, the movie has its fair shares of plot issues as well. There are dream sequences which serve as jump scares and simply keep coming back; after the third dream I was tired and bored of it. I also found the second half of the film a little bit irritating, because even though Sara has a reason to venture into Aokigahara and although I understood her desire to stay and not leave without her sister, the fact of her staying in the forest overnight and ignoring the guide’s explicit warnings, was incredibly stupid. 
The performances were by far the weak spot of this horror movie. The actors gave the needed amount of effort for the viewer to care for them, or at least for the character of Aiden, but they don’t go beyond that and it is something which pulls the movie down. In fact, I would even say that some of the best performances are given by Japanese extras.
Natalie Dormer’s character Sara was by far the most annoying and unlikeable one; she was consistently offensive towards people and has a mopey facial expression from start to finish. I have two younger sisters and two older brothers and would do anything to bring them back, if one of them would have been in the situation Jess finds herself in, but at no time would I have risked my life stupidly or would have insulted someone who tried to help! In fact, it seems after spending just one night in the forest her sane and logical judgement simply disappeared.
Taylor Kinney was all right as Aidan; I liked his journalistic approach on the story and agree that having Sara’s family background in his report about the Aokigahara forest would have made for a more intimate article. Sadly, Zada does not explore more of his character and what we are left with is a model-like looking journalist who gives of “rape vibes” at times. I believe he would have made for an interesting character if his persona had been fleshed out better.
The film looks really nice and suiting the horror genre has a gloomy and dark atmosphere from the beginning. Most of it was shot with the use of a steadicam, which makes for very smooth and flowing scenes, unusual for today’s horror movies. The last five minutes though, where some of the characters are running through the forest, are filmed using a tedious amount of shaky cam. I also found the last shot, which zoomed into a scary looking entity, to be incredibly cliché.
Verdict: Considering everything I just said, The Forestis a mediocre horror flick that is just a tad better than other movies, which are usually released around this period of the year. It has some really nice story elements, true facts about the Aokigahara forest and a solid cinematography (except for the last scene), but also fails at creating likeable characters with solid backgrounds. I don’t believe it is a movie the viewer needs to go see in cinemas or buy on Blu-ray/DVD, it is sufficient if you wait for it to be released on Netflix or you can just rent it when it gets out. I will give The Forest a 6 out of 10.

Did you go see this horror film yet? If so, let me know what your opinion is by leaving a comment in the section below. I will proceed with my Batman/Superman reviews this Sunday and upload my analysis for Nolan’s The Dark Knight, so if you are interested keep an eye out for it. Thank you very much for reading and as always, please share this review if you liked it.



Top Movies – Trailer Talk: The Secret Life of Pets – Movie Reviews Sites


Ever wondered what your pets are up to when you leave home? Well, here is the newest trailer to the movie that will answer it all!




The second official trailer for Illumination’s newest animated movie – The Secret Life of Pets – hit the net. This animation will be released in the UK on June 24th, in the US on July 8th and finally on the 4th of August in Germany, so expect my review for it to be posted late this summer, unless I fly to London for a weekend. The movie features amongst others the voices of Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet and Kevin Hart (who plays a white furry bunny).
The teaser trailer that was released mid last year, sparked my interest for this film because I am an animal lover myself and have four dogs of my own. I also grew up with a whole bunch of different pets, among others: dogs, rats, guinea pigs, fish and a parakeet couple. So the fact that an animated movie, that is about to be released focuses on the life of these furry/feathery little creatures, made me look forward to seeing it on the big screen and set my expectations high.
Sadly, those expectations weren’t exactly met when I went online and clicked on the trailer to watch it. First of all, the trailer revealed too much of the basic plot line that should have been kept under wraps. This also led to my second complaint, which is the plot itself. It seems to me that the studio is using the usual “ got lost during a quarrel with the new guy and need to work together to find our way home”, which exists since Toy Story.
Other than that the movie seems to have decent animation and funny jokes that revolve around the nature of animals. I just hope that they did not include the complete story in the trailer, with some twists and unexpected story elements added to it.

Overall, the trailer was disappointing. I expected something more original with the less plot reveals, but what I saw was another rehash of a story that was used over and over for animated movies. I will still go watch it, since it is in my list of anticipated films but I will be walking into the cinema with cautious optimism!


The trailer is displayed above, so click on it if you want to see it. Are you looking forward for this furry animated adventure? Let me know in the comment section and as always, thank you for reading!



Top Movies – Spotlight Movie Review (Spoiler Free) – Movie Reviews Sites


Based on the real investigative reports of a group of journalists in Boston, this dramatic biopic tells the story of how the scandal of child molestation by priests was uncovered.

Genre: Biography, Drama
Director: Tom McCarthy
Cast: Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams,
Brian d’Arcy James, John Slattery, Liev Schreiber and Stanley Tucci.
Run Time: 128 min.
US Release: 25 November 2015
UK Release:  29 January 2016
German Release: 25 February 2016
Spotlight is a biographical motion picture about the true story of how a group of investigative journalists, working for the Boston Globe, uncovered the scandal of child molestation by priests and the cover-up within Boston’s catholic society. This year keeps surprising me with early releases of fantastic movies and Spotlight sure is one of them, telling a disturbing true story in all its facets.  
I was raised in a roman-catholic household and attended church while I was a young boy, but stopped going when I grew older because although I am a believer of god, I don’t believe in the church or any other institution that uses religion as means to gain power over individuals. So when this story went public that had a worldwide ripple effect, I was aware of the scandal surrounding priests and young children but I didn’t know that an American newspaper had uncovered the whole story. Watching this film gave me a deeper knowledge of a subject I had given it little attention to.
Spotlight has a very unusual way of telling the story of these reporters, by stepping back and letting the plot unfold naturally instead of using every cliché possible to create a fast-paced dramatic-thriller. It doesn’t glorifying the characters as either heroes or antagonists but portraits them as actual persons, as well as creating a realistic working and living environment around these journalists and the Boston society. The film doesn’t try to create big emotional breakout scenes from characters and that makes for a much bigger emotional punch when watching this biographic-drama.
The strongest aspect of Spotlightis that the plot unfolds as if watching a documentary, much like David Fincher’s movie Zodiac that revolves around the Zodiac killings. By laying-back and giving it a more grounded touch, the story manages to create a much bigger impact on the audience than if it would be filmed as a typical Hollywood blockbuster-thriller, with big dramatic scenes and possible mysteries threatening the Globe reporters.
Having studied journalism and knowing how the world inside a newsroom looks like, I was impressed how authentic this movie depicted the life of journalists (especially the hardcore investigative type). I also liked the conversation at dinner between the characters of Liev Schreiber and Michael Keaton, about how print journalism is changing; specifically on how readership of newspapers are decreasing in numbers due to the rise of the internet, and that is exactly what I was told when I began my studies in 2007.  

Apart from the thrilling way this story is told, this movie has a stellar cast and everybody in it was on their A game by holding back on dramatic acting to make for a convincing portrayal of the actual persons that uncovered these disturbing events. All of these actors fully immersed into their characters and became them, such as Rachel McAdams and Brian d’Arcy who gave one the best performances of their careers.
Michael Keaton was incredible as Boston Globe’s Spotlight editor Walter “Robbie” Robinson. He emitted the pressure and the shock of working on this story not through dialogue or a dramatic emotional breakout, but through pure facial expression as a real person would do. Mark Ruffalo also gave a fantastic performance! Once the story grows and evidence piles up, his character gets so emotionally invested that it borders on obsession and the viewer gets to feel his urge to expose those paedophile priests.
Liev Schreiber, although just having a minor role as a side character, was crucial at giving this investigation its much-needed momentum. His lines, while subtle, where incredibly impactful once you let it sink in and while it was a very different role for him, he managed to master it gracefully. Stanley Tucci was great as his character (whose identity I won’t give away).
The cinematography for this movie was nothing out of the ordinary, but it also didn’t need to be. Director of photography Masanobu Takayanagi intentionally went for a more grounded and realistic look for this film, that stayed true to the story it told. The picture isn’t the bright and glossy type that creates different world, in the contrary! This movie is supposed to bring the viewer into the reality of those investigative journalists and Takayanagi succeeded in it perfectly.  
Howard Shore composed the music forSpotlight and much like the storytelling and acting, it was an incredibly subtle but emotionally strong score that suited the atmosphere of the movie.
Verdict: Spotlight is a remarkably directed biographical-drama with impeccable grounded performances by the whole cast, a riveting and disturbing story that affected the whole world and includes a quiet but strong soundtrack. This movie was disturbing due to the lies and cover-ups these journalists uncover, but it is jaw dropping good and I will buy it instantaneously on Blu-ray once it gets released. I will therefore give it a rating of 9 out of 10 and really recommend it to everyone who wants to see a good and suspenseful drama.

So what was your opinion of Spotlight? I know there have been quite a few comments from people on the Internet, who found this movie boring, do you agree with them or did you enjoy this reality-based drama? Leave a comment in the section below if you want to discuss. Thank you for reading and if you liked this review, don’t forget to share it.




Top Movies – The Hateful Eight Movie Review (Spoiler Free) – Movie Reviews Sites


Blood, long talks, a suspenseful mystery and a magnificent Samuel L. Jackson. The eighth film by Quentin Tarantino features all of this.



 
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Mystery/Thriller/Western
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins,
Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Demián Bichir, Bruce Dern and James Parks.
Run Time: 167 min.
US Release: 30 December 2015
UK Release:  08 January 2016
German Release: 28 January 2016
This might be an incredibly violent and gory motion picture, even for Tarantino standards, but underneath all the blood and guts is a masterfully directed piece of art that nudges at the difficult subject of racial and sexual inequality in American society. All of this was wrapped around in a heavy dialogue driven murder-mystery theme that resembled the director’s first film -Reservoir Dogs – heavily.
Quentin Tarantino did influence the way I perceive movies early in my teens. My first movie of his was Pulp Fiction, which was given to me on DVD by my brother as a gift for my 14th birthday. I was confused at first by the non-linear storytelling and all the dialogue, but after watching it a second and third time I became a huge fan of this man’s genius. In fact, I do believe that Pulp Fiction is my most viewed DVD I possess; it has several scratches and the case has gone through hell, but it still works. Following Pulp Fiction, I viewed Reservoir Dogs and Jackie Brown and what I cherished about The Hateful Eight is that Tarantino reverted back to his classic formula.
The story takes place sometime after the civil war and revolves around the two bounty hunters John Ruth (Russell) and Major Marquis Warren (Jackson), who are racing to the town of Red Rock where they will bring their captive fugitive Daisy Domergue (Leigh) to justice. Along the road and caught in a blizzard, the three stumble upon Chris Mannix (Goggins), a man who claims to be Red Rock’s new sheriff. When the blizzard gets stronger, the quartet needs to seek refuge in a recluse cabin, named Minnie’s Haberdashery. In there four unfamiliar faces greet them.

The Hateful Eight is a very old-fashioned western-mystery that incorporated a lot of aspects from a 1960’s movie, including a beautiful looking overture that sets the mood for what to expect. But what truly makes this movie fantastic is the typical subtle style that Tarantino uses to make his point on a socio-political subject, masked in comedy, irony and brutality. In this case he took the subject of female and immigrant treatment in the United States and turned it into an allegoric stage piece, with the usual chapters breaking up the movie. It felt like sitting in an actual theatre and watching a play.
I always was a fan of this director’s unconventional way of storytelling, which is also present in his newest masterpiece. It follows at first a linear plot up to the first half of the film, but after the intermission the second act of the movie begins with a voiceover and the typical flashback scene that breaks the linear storytelling, to explain something that happened in the past.
The dialogues are a fantastic example of Tarantino’s writing talent, which are extremely suspenseful and full of analogies on subjects that concern the post civil war era of the US and can be transferred to today’s society. The back and forth between talks was so intense, the movie easily managed to build tension just with conversations during the first half.
Everybody in this ensemble was brilliant, but the actor who stood out the most was Samuel L. Jackson. This guy stole every scene he was in and delivered each monologue with such coldness and passive aggressiveness; I truly believed him to be the former union soldier, turned bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren. It is a shame he didn’t get nominated for an Oscar because this was one of his best performances in years! Kurt Russell made another terrific performance as bounty hunter John “The Hangman” Ruth. He was funny, uncompromising and brutal.
Jennifer Jason Leigh was the perfect choice for Daisy Domergue; she was a nasty and vile human being and extremely funny as well, which is ironic because a lot about her nature should not make you laugh but shudder in terror. I was so happy to see Walton Goggins having been cast in this western, as he has one of my favourite cast members in the TV series Justified, where he proved his worth. Finally, it was great seeing Tim Roth and Michael Madsen back in a Tarantino film and both (especially Roth) delivered impeccable renditions.
Tarantino shot this movie with an Ultra Panavision 70 that makes for beautiful looking, super wide screen scenes of the snowed-in prairies of Colorado and further enhances the feeling of watching a 60’s film. The combination of location and cinematography gives this motion picture a Cabin Feverish feeling that transcends from the film onto the audience, causing paranoia and distrust.
Ennio Morricone, who previously worked with Quentin Tarantino on Django Unchained, composed the music for The Hateful Eight and it is his first western score in 34 years. This also makes The Hateful Eight be the first Tarantino film with an own original composition to date. The film also used several other of Morricone’s scores, most prominently songs he created for John Carpenter’s The Thing. One issue I do have is that although the musical choice was once again fantastic none of it stuck in my mind. It wasn’t something I noticed at first but rather something I became aware of when a friend of mine came up with the matter.
Verdict: I loved everything about The Hateful Eight, it is an old-school Tarantino that makes perfect use of plot-driving dialogues, includes mind-blowing performances by its terrific cast and a message that, even though making you laugh at first, shocks you by the end due to the impact of the director’s statement. The beautiful super widescreen transports the audience into the snowy hills of Colorado, into the close-quartered cabin with the rest of the characters and makes for a more personal movie experience. The only thing that let me down was the score, even if it was fantastic. I will give The Hateful Eight a 9.5 out of 10 and implore anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, to go to the cinema and watch it!

Do you agree with my opinion of the Hateful Eight? Leave a comment in the section below and let me know what you thought of the eighth film by Quentin Tarantino. Thank you very much for reading my review and if you found it useful, please share and like it.



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