Elysium (Neill Blomkamp, 2013)
Example of why and how science fiction can be utterly boring. Just because there is a new planet with some extremely improbable technology doesn't mean it is original. Blomkamp didn't impress me that much with District 9 and even fails to entertain with this one. Before the shaky action starts it is bearable but when Damon becomes a radioactive RoboCop with a love-interest we've seen 988223 times in other films (just like the flashbacks, the bad guy etc.) this film falls apart. Can be added to the long list of bad writing disguised as original scifi. 4/10
Like Father, Like Son (Hirokazu Koreeda, 2013)
How important is your upbringing and the love of parents? Koreeda manages to answer this question in his natural and realistic way. Two totally different families meet when the hospital finds out that their sons were switched after they were born. The families are asked to make a tough decision about their sons and for the somewhat workaholic father of one, this confronts him with his own youth and how it is translated into bringing up his only son. Typical Koreeda territory. Not his best is still pretty good. 7.5/10
Secretary (Steven Shainberg, 2002)
Considered classic by some. It has some 'Cronenberg-like' quality in its main theme. Of course, James Spader helps a lot in this. Couldn't help thinking about Cronenberg's Crash. Unfortunately this isn't a Cronenberg, the psychological element is only interesting for the first half hour, the remainder feels repetitive. 5/10
The Specialist (Luis Llosa, 1994)
Guilty pleasure from the nineties. Watched it often as a kid, and still I find it enjoyable at times. Has James Woods, Eric Roberts, Stallone and Sharon Stone must be one of the hottest women ever in film history. What I didn't remember well was that this is not a very good film. Nevertheless, I prefer it over the action films that are made nowadays. Too much 'cheap' action, special effects and 3D abuse. In the nineties at least there were character actors armed with snappy dialogue. 5.5/10
Example of why and how science fiction can be utterly boring. Just because there is a new planet with some extremely improbable technology doesn't mean it is original. Blomkamp didn't impress me that much with District 9 and even fails to entertain with this one. Before the shaky action starts it is bearable but when Damon becomes a radioactive RoboCop with a love-interest we've seen 988223 times in other films (just like the flashbacks, the bad guy etc.) this film falls apart. Can be added to the long list of bad writing disguised as original scifi. 4/10
Like Father, Like Son (Hirokazu Koreeda, 2013)
How important is your upbringing and the love of parents? Koreeda manages to answer this question in his natural and realistic way. Two totally different families meet when the hospital finds out that their sons were switched after they were born. The families are asked to make a tough decision about their sons and for the somewhat workaholic father of one, this confronts him with his own youth and how it is translated into bringing up his only son. Typical Koreeda territory. Not his best is still pretty good. 7.5/10
Secretary (Steven Shainberg, 2002)
Considered classic by some. It has some 'Cronenberg-like' quality in its main theme. Of course, James Spader helps a lot in this. Couldn't help thinking about Cronenberg's Crash. Unfortunately this isn't a Cronenberg, the psychological element is only interesting for the first half hour, the remainder feels repetitive. 5/10
The Specialist (Luis Llosa, 1994)
Guilty pleasure from the nineties. Watched it often as a kid, and still I find it enjoyable at times. Has James Woods, Eric Roberts, Stallone and Sharon Stone must be one of the hottest women ever in film history. What I didn't remember well was that this is not a very good film. Nevertheless, I prefer it over the action films that are made nowadays. Too much 'cheap' action, special effects and 3D abuse. In the nineties at least there were character actors armed with snappy dialogue. 5.5/10
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