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The Rum Diary (2011)
Delightful setting and music, but never really gripping
A movie starring Johnny Depp is always interesting. Not all of them are good, but that's because we have such high expectations of him. I think, when it comes to acting, he has met these expectations once again. I consider him one of the greatest actors today, and this movie is no exception.
It was a treat to watch. The film takes place on the beautiful, tropic and somewhat idyllic (on the surface) Puerto Rico of the 50's. As said in the film, the island is practically owned by the US. People go there to escape the problems their country is facing, say, the Vietnam crisis. They escape reality and drown themselves in sweet sorrow, enjoying the wonderful weather, lovely palm beaches and lots and lots of rum and other alcoholic beverages. The perfect example of the capitalistic and commercial imperialism of a monster called profit, being one of the key problems in the plot.
So far, so good. I enjoyed the setting, the lovely, somewhat classic scenery of a world of living the good life. The music matches everything. I absolutely loved the entire score, it has some lovely relaxing jazz music, making you want to lie down on the beach and sleep.
The story however, wasn't carried out that well. It was clear, alright, but it took off rather late and even then, it was mostly about drinking rum and facing the subsequent hangover. It wasn't exciting, there wasn't a lot of action, not many moments to leave you on the edge of your seat, breathlessly hoping for relief. Not once was Kemp (Johnny Depp) really in danger. It was however, clearly stated as an action-comedy. Alright, it was funny at times. But Depp's wit isn't carried out as much as in, say, Sleepy Hollow or the Pirates quadrilogy. He is much more of a normal man, trying to make a living on an island which appears to be fresh, but is rotten on the inside.
Yet, the rather disappointing execution of the storyline cannot leave me concluding the movie is boring and dull. It was fun to watch, it gives one that laid-back feeling of satisfaction, thanks to the great music and the beautiful places. But if you really want action, then, no, I am sorry. I, however, am not that picky and will settle with whatever the movie turns out to be: Easy and fun, beautiful at times, but not that gripping. It was certainly lovely to lose myself in beautiful weather, blue skies, a cool drink and those nice beaches they have over there. Especially in Holland this time of year, with its dreary dark weather. Ugh. [7/10] Give it a go! It's fun and hot and it won't scare you!
One Life (2011)
Equally beautiful, not as original as the older ones
Over the last couple of years, a lot of documentaries on wild life and nature have been made by BBC. And we all know that no one does it better than them. When I heard that this new documentary, called 'One Life', would be in the movie theaters, I was immediately convinced. I just had to see it, and I'm quite sure millions of other people felt the same way. I am a huge fan of the amazingly popular and beautiful series 'Earth', so my expectations were quite high.
But I was slightly disappointed. What I saw was another collection of the most beautiful images of nature, another one and half an hour long stream of events. Predator vs. prey, mother and cubs, and what not. It was delightful to watch all the same, but it was far from original, it brought nothing new. That, however, is quite difficult, because there are so many documentaries. But why bother making another one? I haven't seen anything I haven't seen before on BBC's previous movie-making masterpieces.
Of course, if you haven't any experience when it comes to documentaries on nature, this is a very, very good one. It also focuses on trying to show how animals and humans are alike, how we are inevitably connected to the same things animals are, and what we both try to achieve.
I can recommend this to anyone who is not that familiar with documentaries. It is very good for children to watch, because it is very easy to understand. And on top of that; there are of course the amazingly beautiful scenes of nature. But if you have seen a lot more of these (say 'Earth'), then 'One Life' will probably not be worth the effort. [7/10]
Tower Heist (2011)
Standard recipe that still works neatly
Last Friday, we had Tower Heist for dinner. We went there without much expectations, as is so often the rule when it comes to sitcoms. One shouldn't expect a movie-making masterpiece, but that is not a problem anyway. Sitcoms do what they should: Give you a good and easy laugh! And it did. The old recipe of comedians (Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy) can still put off some good laughs, I must admit!
But not always so, for the first half hour was very boring and regular. It is the standard introduction of the environment, in this case "The Tower", a gigantic skyscraper where the high and rich can spend their days embalmed in luxury and high quality service. We see Ben Stiller as its manager, the one to make sure everything is alright. I will not really use elements from the story, because you can also read a short introduction. These first touches are boring but necessary: They contradict what is about to follow when the sh*t hits the fan, the ricochet. Only, the problem was that this part of the film lasted just a little too long. But what followed made everything right, nonetheless.
The casting isn't special, but it works, an older formula with a new touch. Who doesn't know the comedy about businessmen whose life is about to get into serious sh*t? Trading Places, Liar Liar, anyone? Who doesn't know Eddie Murphy, always there to turn even the most serious and formal places into a mess. And don't forget Ben Stiller, who happens to take up a role much more serious than we're used to.
If I have made you think that this is just a comedy, well, not entirely. It has action in it, and some parts actually gave me the thrills (I have fear of heights). Comedy and action has also proved a very good combination, for example "The Hangover".
So far so good. It might seem like a cliché, which it actually is, but it's good. It's nigh impossible to think of an original comedy story, because there's an ungodly amount of them made every year. Elements of older comedies are used by the new ones, creating slightly different ideas every time. Think about it for a longer time and you'll see the simplicity in them, which you could... but... maybe you shouldn't. Why not? Because these movies aren't made for thinking, but laughing, enjoying.
Conclusion: I can recommend this movie to anyone looking for some nice and easy sitcom fun. That's what you want, that's what you'll get. I promise, you will not be disappointed. This movie is nothing special compared to its other comedy counterparts, but neither are they. This is everything a comedy SHOULD be: Fun. [8/10]
De Heineken ontvoering (2011)
Very strong acting and good action
Being someone from the Netherlands, I've seen probably a lot more Dutch movies than the average non-Dutch person. I also know that the average quality of these movies isn't very high (not to bash the efforts, but many Dutch films are quite flat). There are of course some exceptions, but altogether it results in being skeptic about every Dutch movie before I see it. However, this should not prevent me from actually seeing them without any biased feelings beforehand. I went to see this film yesterday night with a friend of mine. A movie that stars Rutger Hauer, whom I see as the best Dutch actor, is very interesting. Even more so when he has picked up the role of Freddy Heineken, one of the most iconic figures in the (Dutch) beer industry on the planet. The abduction of Freddy Heineken was in 1983, 10 years before I was born, so I must add that I really missed the cultural impact it made.
The review itself. This movie does not feature a fully nonfictional version of the story, nor does it claim to do so. It is clearly stated that the facts and additional dramatic elements are mixed together, which results in this film.
I must say, one of the greatest elements of the film is the variety of tension and ease. Scenes that feature the abduction crew tend to be very hasty and feature a lot of action, while the older Mr. Heineken provides the audience with a much more calm impression. This split of perspective is very important for the film, because it also tries to emphasize on the lives of the members of the abduction crew: They are all poor lads caught in the crisis of the 80's and they disrespect any kind of authority. The main character in this perspective is the young Rem Humbrechts, who has yet to prove himself in the world of crime. Only of his life do we really get to see a lot: his father is an alcoholic, claiming to be so because he used to work for Heineken, and that he had to drink a lot. Rem wants to help his father, one of the main reasons to abduct Heineken for a lot of money (35 million Gulders). Abductors are mainly villains in black clothing, completely anonymous. That is little different here, but we also get to see the poor, struggling side of Rem, and how he was actually born a very kind lad.
The acting is very, very good. Rutger Hauer shows his experience and acting abilities once more as a very convincing Freddy Heineken, seeking revenge, seeking his captors to be put behind bars. But also he shows weakness, fear, as we can see in the many nightmares about the guy in black, similarly clothed as his captors, as this is all he knows of them. We see an old man's struggle to regain his normal life, yet having the fear that someone, somewhere, might be waiting to get him. The less well known Reinout Scholten van Aschat, who took up the role of Rem Humbrechts, shows quality in that he manages to grow with his character: In the beginning, he is but a greenhorn, he means naught. This changes later in the movie, as he planned the whole abduction and he gets credit for his work. He becomes a lot more remorseless and bitter, though eventually getting caught. This contrasts the other captors, who remain quite consistent in character, throughout the movie. They have rather flat personalities. Little do we know, or get to know of them. We do not need to though, it's not a problem.
Another strong element is that the movie is far from over even after the police have found Heineken. The story continues, justice must be dealt to the captors. Which turns out to be quite the challenge.
In short, this movie is a great exception of Dutch cinema. I really enjoyed watching this movie, it features some very grim and exciting action and Rutger Hauer shines like a bright star in a clear night sky. I can recommend this movie to everyone looking for a good action/thriller.
Metallica: S&M (2000)
Metallica shoots, Metallica hits, Metallica rocks.
There has been a handful of rock bands that decided to make a whole live album with a symphony orchestra, and Metallica is without much doubt the most heavy of them all to do so. I think that they made this album to support the release of their Load/Re-Load albums, which has obviously been a very great decision. The orchestra plays a very beautiful show and the cooperation between Michael Kamen and the 'Tallicaboys is terrific and one would be a fool to deny that Metal and Classical music have a lot in common. Hetfield, probably especially for this show, adapted a very warm and clean voice that neatly fit in between the riffs, drums, bass lines, but also the orchestra. The set list was obviously made with a lot of measuring in what would be good songs to combine with an orchestra, and which would not be. They have done an amazing job.
The sound is simply perfect. The melancholic sound of the orchestra that plays beautiful music in the background hits the spot in combination with the raw and yet so musically rich sound of Metallica.
This concert is the product of the coming together of two very different and yet similar musical worlds. And this concert, same as the Metallica's predecessors in this experimental thing, proves that it works. It is great for both fans of classical music as die hard heavy metal fans. There are several options on the DVD: You can either mute the orchestra, or the band, in 2.1 audio quality. But you can, and should, leave them both on and enjoy this eargasmical (excuse me) music fest in all its glory, for both Heavy Metal and Classical Music are eternal, so what would this concert be?
10/10. Highly recommended to anyone that's into rock/metal/hard rock and/or classical music.
Metallica/Slayer/Megadeth/Anthrax: The Big 4: Live from Sofia, Bulgaria (2010)
A true must for every heavy metal fan out there
The Big Four are a legendary band of bands in the world of Heavy Metal. Formed in the early 80's, Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax set out to rock the metal scene with an entirely new sound: the thrash metal- sound. They are The Big Four (The Biggest Four!) of thrash metal for a reason. You will know the reason when you have watched this concert in its entirety. The picture-quality is absolutely stunning. Every drop of sweat can be seen, every tooth from the grin of every face. But metal ain't 'bout the looks! Metal's 'bout sound. And the sound is simply perfect. Play it loud, play it good, and enjoy this five-hour metal fest. The bands all sound perfect and return to all of their roots, as well to their newer stuff in the show. There is of course a setlist available, should you want to look into it.
What are the main features? Anthrax opens with their fantastically performing front man Joey Belladonna who seems to have had most of the fun that night! The band plays much of their great classics. Great decision to let Anthrax start, because they will give you a smile on your face and get you in the mood to bang some head. Megadeth follows with a legendary setlist if you ask me. Every song played by them is a one shot wonder and the band is in excellent shape. Slayer comes up next with the darker, heavier sound. Should you not be that much into Slayer, you can still very much like their performance, because they did a great job, especially front man Tom Araya who is doing a great job of vocals. And last but of course never the least: Metallica. These heavy metal giants take not one, like the others, but two head banging, string shredding and voice tearing hours to give us what we want: Metal! Metallica comes up with their famous intro song: Ecstacy of Gold. One can simply nod when hearing the enchanting sound which announces what is to come: the best metal band on the planet. The band plays its best songs as well as some of their slower ones. There is nothing but awesomeness about this DVD. If you like metal - Buy this. Period.
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Great acting, terribly misleading trailer
There are reasons why you should avoid watching trailers. This movie is one of them. Before I saw the movie itself, I had seen the trailer at least a dozen times because it seemed that the producer's goal was to ensure everyone to know of the film. And just like practically everyone around me, I was really looking forward to the film. Great, thought I! A band of American mercenaries, off to kill one hundred Nazi's each! That was practically the whole trailer... What did we get to see? Well, not much. There were no battles, no gore, just some short conversations that did not have any significance for the plot in any way. The scenes did not make any sense at all. I do not think that the way Tarantino deliberately misspelled the title of the film changes anything about its stupidity.
Of course, there is also the bright side of life. For one, I really liked the way Christoph Waltz depicted the Nazi officer. Also, Brad Pitt's outrageous accent never ceases to entertain me. The mustache that rests on top of his mischievous crack out of which a lot of bullsh*t comes, has a finishing touch.
This movie is, in my opinion, heavily overrated. The Second World War combined with a lot of unrealistic and irrelevant characters and the alternative ending just does not work. I think people are too psyched about the way the war was won so easily in the movie, or because Brad Pitt had a giant mustache and a great accent, because the movie was not special at all.