Week 3 in film

One, Two, Three (Billy Wilder, 1961)
James Cagney reminds one of the thirties in this fast comedy. I like Wilder for his cynical and sometimes dark view on things, this film is definitely a form of satire but not always that funny or effective. Some of the jokes about communists are simply dull, this film isn't but I expected better.  7/10




Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (Kenneth Branagh, 2014)
Looks and sounds like James Bond, Jason Bourne or Mission Impossible. And yes, especially the first hour meets up with these expectations. Unfortunately it goes downhill from there, especially when things are speeded up and the plot becomes too improbable I felt really disappointed. Chris Pine isn't the worst actor in this genre, although I never bought his relationship with Keira Knightley. 5/10

The Color of Paradise (Majid Majidi, 1999)
Cinema from Iran never disappoints, neither does this one. The notion of a blind boy being unwanted may sound like emotional manipulation, but this film stays very close to a realistic and honestly gripping story. The ending overdoes it a bit, but nevertheless good.  7.5/10

Brainstorm (Lais Bodanzky, 2001)
From Brazil, a teenage boy smokes pot and is send to a rehab institution by his father. What happens to him is horrible and yes this film has its powerful moments in stating how inhuman such an institution can be. Spreading this over the whole length of the film is a bit too much for me. 5.5/10

My Blueberry Nights (Wong Kar Wai, 2007)
As I am not even a fan of Wai his Chinese stuff I reluctantly gave his Hollywood film a try. It does have both Natalie Portman and Rachel Weisz, so what could go wrong? Well, the lack of a plot and Norah Jones could. Portman, Weisz (and Strathairn) are fine but the rest really isn't, Jones isn't very suited for the lead. I could go with the mood of the opening scene for a while but it doesn't stick.  4.5/10



The Devil is a Woman (Josef von Sternberg, 1935)
The last in six von Sternberg Dietrich collaborations and not my favourite, I believe. Dietrich is great and as 'fatale' as ever but the story is simply too predictable too make this a film in the same league as the masterpiece The Scarlet Empress. 6.5/10

Panic in the Streets (Elia Kazan, 1950)
Think of this as film noir's Contagion. A corpse infected with the pneumonic plague is found in New Orleans. Richard Widmark, as the good guy, is desperate to find the killer and whoever else may be infected before the disease spreads. Suspenseful, but average. I like Richard Widmark as a doctor, but I like him better in a villain role. 7.5/10

Week 2 in film

The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese, 2013)
Excited, a new Scorsese! And yes, it is a good one. Think of Goodfellas but then for the 'modern mafia'. DiCaprio is great as Jordan Belfort whose fast tongue makes him rich in no time giving him everything he wants. Women, a boat, a massive house and drugs, a lot of drugs. Scorsese turns this story in a crazy ride for the first two hours, the last hour was a bit too 'risen star falling' which we've seen so many times before. Some criticize this film for glorifying superficiality. I believe the final scene tells us the opposite. Not a masterpiece but a welcome addition in Scorsese's impressive oeuvre. And how great are Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughey ("Do you jerk off?").  8/10



My Darling Clementine (John Ford, 1946)
So far I am not that impressed with John Ford his films. This one, about Wyatt Earp, is not bad at all but feels a bit by the numbers. Can't see how this should be one of the finest westerns ever.  7/10

Short Term 12 (Destin Cretton, 2013)
Missed this in 2013 but it would definitely have made my year's top 10. A very honest and gripping story about two adult foster children who are working in a shelter for teens who have problems at home or with themselves. Impressive to see how they manage to take on such a hard job after their own troubled youth especially when they are challenged the most. For Grace (Brie Larson) things become too much when a young girl with a resembling background walks in. The kind of film that makes you feel sympathy for its characters instantly.  8.5/10

Basic Instinct (Paul Verhoeven, 1992)
One of my all-time favorites. Probably the most entertaining and best Hitchcock-imitation I can think of. Has everything that could be great in 90's film: suspense, snappy one-liners, a twist (gave me the chills even for the 100th time...) and perhaps the best modern femme fatale imaginable. Love Sharon Stone, love Michael Douglas, love the genius Paul Verhoeven for his cynical and controversial contributions to Hollywood.  9/10


Kim Novak, anyone?

Le temps qui reste (Francois Ozon, 2005)
Ozon is one of those directors that never makes a bad film, he also never makes a great film (maybe Swimming Pool, i'll have to watch it again....). This one is on the bottom I would say. The story, about a gay photographer in his 30s diagnosed with terminal cancer, sounds promising but Ozon makes it a bit of a drag with some improbabilities regarding sexuality and sexual favours (or maybe they are typically French, I don't know). Despite some sad and potentially heartbreaking notions not very memorable. 6/10

Bulletproof (Ernest R. Dickerson, 1996)
Sandler was really funny in some of his films in the nineties. He disappoints as an 'action hero' as attempted in this film. 4.5/10

Carnal Knowledge (Mike Nichols, 1971)
I am surprised that this film isn't better known in the oeuvre of Mike Nichols. Nicholson is convincing as a sexual conquerer together with his friend, played by Art Garfunkel. Effectively shows the flipside of the sexual revolution by portraying the Nicholson character as someone who sees women as objects, physically desirable but as a potential threat to his freedom. 7.5/10

Week 1 in film

Witness for the Prosecution (Billy Wilder, 1957)
Best film I saw this week but I am a sucker for courtroom drama's and whodunnits. You've got to love Charles Laughton and Marlene Dietrich.
"I am constantly surprised that women's hats do not provoke more murders."  8.5/10



Klute (Alan J. Pakula, 1971)
This 'paranoia' thriller worked for me mostly the first hour thanks to an interesting role and performance by Jane Fonda. Her emotional motivation and involvement with men (and Donald Sutherland) is more interesting than the mystery itself. Succeeds in the 'psychological', but no so much in the 'thriller'. 7.5/10

Ossessione (Luchino Visconti, 1943)
Coincidentally, a comparable experience to Klute. The psychological depth between the characters is done very well, but the crime (the cheating wife killing the husband with help of her lover) isn't done that well. Has the vibrant atmosphere of film noir versus Italian neo-realism. 7/10

Primary Colors (Mike Nichols, 1998)
Apparently Bill Clinton liked this film and Travolta's performance which makes you wonder about the former president who doesn't come off as very upright. Not the best film about presidential elections and the political games involved. Does have great performances. 7/10

The Wicker Man (Neil LaBute, 2006)
Not the bees, not the bees! Notoriously unintentionally funny. Cage in a bear suit kicking and hitting women. Funny, but one of the worst movies you will see. 2/10

The Manchurian Candidate (John Frankenheimer, 1962)
A political thriller that could have been great, but the directing lacks focus and the storytelling is somewhat chaotic. Frankenheimers style worked well in Seconds, but this film is too tedious at times. The ending is probably a good illustration, directed by the numbers and not bad, but its predictability diminished the experience for me.  6.5/10

Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927)
Somehow I don't watch too many silent pictures. They don't appeal to me, which is a shame, because there are without doubt a number of great films made in the silent era, Metropolis being one of them. I'll keep pushing myself, who knows i'll become a fan one day.  8/10



La pianiste (Michael Haneke, 2001)
Started off with a great character and story built up. Isabelle Huppert fascinated me for at least 3/4th of the film. I am not too happy or fulfilled about the ending. Left me a bit disappointed. Haneke did manage to make me think about the sick sides of the 'intelligent' human race. 7.5/10

Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler, 2013)
Based on the real tragic events in 2009. Yes, dramatic, but this film overdoes it. Has Oprah Winfrey written all over it. Could have been good in a mozaiek-setup with different perspectives. Now it is a moralising exercise in tearjerking without any artistic value, one or two good acting performances aside. 4.5/10

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller, 2013)
Don't let this film fool you, the adventurous 'Into the Wild' settings can't disguise that this is an ordinary Hollywood-formula-product. Contains all the one-dimensional characters you expect. Stiller is annoying and glorifying himself. Never surprising or original.  3.5/10