Movies of March

300: Rise of an Empire (2014) - Cool visuals, lots of blood, great guy movie when enjoyed with copious amounts of alcohol. If not, it kinda sucks.
Robocop (2014) - Terrible.
La Grande Belleza (2013) - Amazing film, highly recommend this. A new Italian classic, and true to its Italian nature it takes the time to show beautiful shots, scenes and tell a simple story.
12 years a slave (2013) - Fun for the whole family!
Bottle Rocket (1996) - Very cool to see Wes Anderson exploring his style, this movie shows him still being careful. But it lives and breathes Wes Anderson.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - Second time I watched this, still amazing. Great visuals, original characters. Just awesome.
Thor: The Dark World (2013) - I was looking for a bad movie to watch under the pleasure of a few cold ones, Thor: The Dark World delivered.
Ride Along (2014) - Terrible, but they know it. And because they make fun of themselves, it's also terribly entertaining. 
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) - Definitely one of the weirder movies I've seen, but lots of fun. This was the last Wes Anderson film I still had to see.
Veronica Mars (2014) - Entertaining, the story behind this movie is more interesting than the movie itself tho. The majority of the funding was achieved through a 'kickstarter' project with fans of the TV-show demanding a film.
American Hustle (2014) - Pretty cool, it was all orchestrated very well, and thoroughly entertaining. But for me I doubt I'll ever consider this movie very noteworthy.

Some bad movies, some great. If you're gonna watch only one of these films, I'd grab a coin and let fate decide between The Grand Budapest Hotel and La Grande Belleza.

Nebraska

Went to see Nebraska yesterday, didn't know much about it, had seen some posters around town. Knew it was in black and white, that's about it. And I tried to keep it that way, because it looked like one of those movies that'd be best approached as a tabula rasa, blank slate.

That being said I hesitate to divulge too much about this film, in fear of spoiling your blank slate. It's about a man who is beginning to lose his grip on reality, things are just kind of slipping him by. And we as the viewer follow him and the people closest to him deal with that in their own ways.
What I thought was beautiful about this film is how everybody around the aging man seemed to speak about him as if he wasn't even there. Like he was just some piece of furniture they were considering moving up to the attic. This is just one of many examples how this movie manages to depict very characteristic scenes and human interactions. While somehow managing to maintain some lightness to it all through witty humor.

I doubt this will become a very popular movie, black and white films seem to attract a very specific audience. It's only been out since yesterday but it's only showing 3 times a day in Amsterdam, compare that to a film like Non-Stop (2014), which is being shown a grand total of 15 times a day. Make of that as you will.
By no ways or means is this a very shocking film, or groundbreaking, but in its simplicity and charming humor it has struck a chord with me that will make it very memorable for me personally at least.

Anyways, if you feel like going to the cinemas sometime soon, I'd highly recommend seeing this. Because it might not have that many explosions or catch phrases, but it has a lot to offer.

Pac Film Festival (10) - Her (2013), Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013), August: Osage County (2013), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), The Keeper of Lost Causes (2013)

Yesterday, the 23rd of February, was a good day. Me and 4 other friends had tickets for a film festival, Pac Film Festival (the 10th edition), to be precise. These festivals are always one of my favorite days of the year. This is the fourth edition I have attended, consecutively. So I had some idea as to what to expect.
We even had a gameplan, meet at 10 am, get our tickets, then go to the nearest supermarket for breakfast and to sneak our beer into their fridge. By 10:30 we were in our seats, we had our own booth, complete with loveseats. Ready to go.

The first movie was Her (2013), a movie about a man falling in love with his Operating system. Which sounds incredibly weird at first, but also presents us with some interesting thought experiments. 

It felt like a constant back and forth, of him falling for this operating system, Samantha, and then being brutally confronted by the fact that she is a freaking computer.

As a viewer you begin contemplating what you would do, if it is real. And if it matters or not. This theme is strengthened by the occupation of our leading man. He writes personal letters in the name of other people. And though they are truly beautiful, they are still his. Not reflecting the thoughts of the people who he writes them for. But does that matter? Or can they still be beautiful in their own right?

We then moved on to Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013), after restocking our beer and snack supply. Our lunch break doubled as a beer run and us reflecting on what we just saw.

This move didn't necessarily feel slow, but it felt like they took their time. There were some essences to the movie that I really liked. For instance you were shown a lot of inner conflict in most of the characters passing through on the screen. But nothing was really addressed, it just kind of slowly dragged on and moved along. Which I really liked, it felt like we were experiencing it with them. 

But besides that, it wasn't that special.

Next on the list came August: Osage County (2013), with some impressive acting by Meryl Streep. In ways it felt like an over dramatic version of Festen (1998). But there was a number of moments which were truly beautiful. I guess we can all identify in some ways with family dramas. But this one seemed to have struck an essential core. Although I'm not sure if all the screaming and fighting was really necessary to convey that essence.

After we went out for dinner, a pit stop at the Burger King, and stocking up for one final time on booze. We were once again seated and ready for our next adventure. By now we had spent over 10 hours at that cinema. Which sounds like torture to some, but defines one of my favorite ways to spend a Sunday. 

I had been looking forward to this one, The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), the latest film by Wes Anderson. One of my favorite directors. As soon as the title of the movie filled the screen I was sold. And we went on a 99 minute thrill ride through dreamscapes and adventure. I was entertained and filled with joy from start to finish. Would at times have the barely controllable urge to give a standing ovation. I wasn't sure to whom, but it somehow felt necessary.

If, of all these films, you can only choose one. Then please let it be The Grand Budapest Hotel, I will surely watch it at least once more. The way Wes Anderson manages to set a mood for his films amazes me. The cinematography and the style of it all is so specifically his, and it is truly magical.

I guess I had ran out of fumes after that thrill ride, because I slept through the entirety of the final movie. The constant drinking may have had something to do with that as well. So I'm afraid I do not yet have an opinion on The Keeper of Lost Causes (2013).

All in all, a great day for film, and a great day for me.

Ernest et Célestine

Last night I watched a movie that managed to slip past my watchful eyes. Ernest et Célestine was released in 2012. But recently made its way back in to my radar when I saw it was nominated for an Oscar, since it doesn't release in the States until the 28th of february (2014).

The movie takes us into a beautifully drawn world where mice live underground and above ground there is a society of bears. And every mouse knows that the bears are evil, huge, famish and ruthless. Every mouse, except for Célestine, she has difficulty accepting that all bears are fundamentally evil. She runs into a bear called Ernest, and after convincing him not to eat her, we follow them on their adventures. As they test centuries of tradition.

The animations and sound of this movie were marvelous, from the adorable patter of mouse feet whenever they walk, to houses rocking on its foundations to the back and forth breathing of our bear Ernest.

So, in short, this is a movie that impressed me visually and charmed the heck out of me.

2013, a year of movies.

Hey,

I've been away for a while. Figured I'd try to do something to catch up. The following is a list of all the movies I've seen in the cinema over the past year. With some small commentary. Sadly I can't find everything I've watched at home. I'll start adding those in from 2014 and onward.

January 2013

Playing For Keeps (2012) - Pretty much crap, I enjoyed myself but that was mostly because of the beer we brought.
Gangster Squad (2013) - Quite nice, but I expected more of it. Felt like Sean Penn was channeling 20 clichés at once.
Django Unchained (2012) - This was everything I could ever want from a movie. Definitely my new favorite Quentin Tarantino movie, and that's saying quite a bit.
Chimpanzee (2012) - Meh, not great. Had some nice images but I felt like the story aspect of it was forced.
The Master (2012) - Very interesting movie, definitely worth the watch. Think I'm gonna review it some time soon to get a second feeling for it.
Flight (2012) - Was better than I expected, the scene where the plane is plummeting from the sky was beautifully done.
Django Unchained (2012) - Saw this a second time in about a week's time. That should tell you something about how much I liked it.
Lincoln (2012) - It kept me interested, but that's about it. I felt like the only reason it was so succesful was because of America's incredible patriotism.

February 2013

Zero Dark Thirty (2012) - Nicely done movie, it was interesting in a way that it provided insight in this grand manhunt. But at the same time it was not necessarily patriotic, and at times even quite critical.
Io e Te (2012) - Quite cool, nothing that really blew me away. But definitely nicely done and had some parts that made it stand out.
A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) - Terrible, but at the same time terribly entertaining. I went to see this with a group of friends and a copious amount of alcohol. I enjoyed myself thoroughly.
A Haunted House (2013) - This might've actually been worse than 'A Good Day to Die Hard' but at the same time even more entertaining. Again, alcohol is kind of a necessity.   

March

Promised Land (2012) - Kind of average, it had a plot twist. But the plot twist was so random I felt it took more away from the movie than it added. Wouldn't recommend this one. 
Beautiful Creatures (2013) - Well, I think teen girls will love this. Me and my very male and no longer in his teens friend watched this and we soon discovered why we were the only guys in the cinema.
Hitchcock (2012) - In preparation for this movie I watched some of Hitchcock's films. Such as Psycho (1960), Vertigo (1958), Rear Window (1954), and one or two others. All those movies amazed me, especially some scenes in Rear Window blew me away. The semi biographical movie Hitchcock was not as amazing. But still entertaining in its own right.
Side Effects (2013) - This was actually a lot better than I expected, this movie was not afraid to take drastic steps. Which I appreciated.
Oz: The Great and Powerful (2013) - Very entertaining at times, but generally just not what it could have been.
The Saphires (2013) - Bad. Slightly charming at times, but in the end, just bad.
A late Quartet (2012) - Beautiful film, was thoroughly impressed by this one. Some scenes will stick with me forever.
The place beyond the pines (2012) - Very cool, I loved a lot of it, but  felt like it was slightly dragged out at certain times.
Kon-Tiki (2012) - Interesting, entertaining, that's about it.
Stoker (2013) - I loved this film, it was a cinematographic masterpiece. The directer, Chan-wook Park, is a genius. I highly recommend anyone who can stand some intense movies to watch Oldboy (2003), not the terrible American remake.. And if that matches your taste, you can continue with Sympathy for Mister Vengeance (2002) and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005)

April

21 and Over (2013) - This movie kind of feels like a mix between Project X and the Hangover. It left me with some laughs and I might watch this again when I'm either very hung over or in the progress of getting very drunk.
Mama (2013) - I wasn't scared, wasn't entertained, wasn't really interested. The best part of this movie was watching my friends squirm in their seats. 
Spring Breakers (2013) - This felt like a movie made for the sole purpose of shedding some new light on a couple of Disney girls. It was quite terrible, the one thing I recall was a bunch of kids sitting around in bible group. When one of them stands up and claims to be "Jacked up on Jesus!".
Oblivion (2013) - I'm glad I didn't watch the trailer for this. Because that way I actually quite surprised by the plot twist. And managed to enjoy this movie. Nothing I'd particularly recommend to others to watch though.
Iron Man 3 (2013) - I'm a sucker for superhero movies, but I think that if I weren't, I would not have been able to enjoy this movie. 
Warm Bodies (2013) - Pretty cool, it had some aspects that made it stick out to me, but at times it felt a little off. Kind of like it was almost brilliant, but was held back by some faults.

May

Stoker (2013) - Watched this again.
Stand up Guys (2012) - I quite liked this, nothing special but it was charming in its own way. And had a core of truth that was kind of beautiful. Whilst not getting too dramatic.
The Croods (2013) - Enjoyable, that's it.
Hannah Arendt (2012) - Impressive movie, left me with some ethical and moral things to think about.
The Grandmaster (2013) - I'm not sure if it was because this was our 4th movie of the day, but this is one of the only movies I have ever walked out on. 
Night Train to Lisbon (2013) - It was alright, but now there are some thoughts that have stuck with me, but nothing strong enough to keep the movie up.
The Great Gatsby (2013) - Great cinematography, just a visual joy to look at. I liked this a lot, but felt off at times. With some small changes I think this could've been amazing.
Olympus has Fallen (2013) - Terrible. Bring beer, and lots of it.
The Iceman (2013) - I enjoyed this at the time, but now that I think back to it, I can't figure out why. Would not recommend this to anyone, but at the same time would not discourage anyone from watching it.

June

Only God Forgives (2013) - The concept behind this movie was brilliant, but the executed was poor at best.
Trance (2013) - I hated the plot twist.
Star Trek (2013) - In preparation for this movie I watched Star Trek (2009). Both very enjoyable, I love Nick Frost's character in this movie. I like how they managed to make this very approachable for people who haven't watched all the old Star Trek. Without pissing off all the die-hard Trekkies. 
Now you see me (2013) - We had a cool little stunt when we watched this, as a promotional event they blew money into the cinema during the movie. It got me 5 euros, that was the only noteworthy part of this film.
Despicable Me 2 (2013) - Watched Despicable Me (2010) Before going to this, both incredibly funny, charming and at times touching films. Recommend these to anyone, anywhere.
Disconnect (2013) - This offered more than I was expecting, left me with some food for thought. Worth the watch, but nothing spectacular.
Frances Ha (2013) - I loved this film, it was so incredibly charming in its own way. This should've gotten so much more love and attention. But I barely know anyone who has actually seen it. It's a movie about the average day to day troubles in life. But the way it's presented to us makes it beautiful.

July

Monsters University (2013) - Watched Monsters, Inc. (2001) before going to see this. They've gone a long way in terms of animation since then. But that didn't necessarily make it a better movie. Just prettier, but very funny at times.
Man of Steel (2013) - Pretty cool, but slightly disappointing. Although I may be a bit biased since I hate Superman.
The Wolverine (2013) - Wolverine, fuck yeah!
The Frozen Ground (2013) - I hate Nicholas Cage with a burning passion of a thousand volcanoes. But as far as Nicholas Cage movies go, this wasn't terrible. 
Kapringen (2013) - Impressive and intense film, felt real and raw.
Le Passé (2013) - Very impressive, deserves more recognition.

August

We're the Millers (2013) - Terrible.
Red 2 (2013) - Watched Red (2010) to provide some backstory, both quite bad, but in a charming kind of way.
Behind the Candelabra (2013) - Wasn't much of anything.
Pacific Rim (2013) - My friend and I had no idea what the hell was going on in this movie, that may have had something to do with the copious amounts of consumed alcohol.
Elysium (2013) - Was kinda cool, but was lacking in many aspects.
The Heat (2013) - Bad.
The Lone Ranger (2013) - I enjoyed myself, but felt like a weak reboot of Pirates of the Caribbean in the Wild Wild West.
Blue Jasmine (2013) - The first great Woody Allen film in a while. And I'm a big Woody Allen film, so that was a good day for me.

September

White House Down (2013) - Terrible, luckily I barely remember anything about it since I was drunk out of my mind.
Jeune et Jolie (2013) - Visually definitely not shy, surprised me at times and overall decently impressive. Worth the watch.
Prisoners (2013) - Overall just a good, solid, movie. Not much noteworthy about it tho.
Rush (2013) - Better than I expected, in the end it wasn't so much about racing as it was about the concept of competition. Which I thought they visualized very well.
What Maisie Knew (2013) - Great film, shows us a look at divorce through the innocent eyes of a child. Amazing.
All is Lost (2013) - Daring concept, was not captivated by the execution.
The Butler (2013) - Had some impressive moments in it, and generally a strong theme. But it lost me at times by how 'American' it was.
The Way, Way Back (2013) - I loved this, Sam Rockwell's performance kept this movie from becoming gloomy. This allowed us to view a quite emotional topic without making it a necessarily emotional movie.
Fruitvale Station (2013) - Strong, was surprised it turned out to be a true story. Not sure if I feel that makes it a better or a worse movie. I liked the concept.

October

Gravity (2013) - Just beautiful. Amazing visuals, it really felt like I was drifting around in space. I felt like the ending was a bit too much of a standard movie ending, but as a whole I thought it was great.
Don Jon (2013) - Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Director's debut, I loved it. It showed great promise for future projects by showing he was not afraid to go for odd subjects while at the same time knowing exactly what he was doing.
Short Term 12 (2013) - Very moving.
About Time (2013) - I liked this, charming, witty, moving. And just well done. Nothing spectacular in the ways of cinema history. But definitely better than the average romantic comedy.
Escape Plan (2013) - Terrible, absolutely terrible. But at the same time absolutely hilarious because of how bad it was.
The Art of getting by (2011) - Kind of a standard coming-of-age story. Some parts made it worth for me to watch, but wouldn't urge people to go and see it.

November

Thor: The Dark World (2013) - Don't recall much of this, was very drunk. Guess I'll have to watch it again some day. Although if Thor (2011) was any indication, I probably didn't miss much.
The Counselor (2013) - As a film, it was quite disappointing. But the concepts that it conveyed and touched on were very interesting and made me think about things I hadn't thought of before. Would not recommend watching this for the movie itself, but just as a general experience. I liked it.
The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013) - I loved this, it's by the same director as Amelie and it has the same way of showing us a different way to look at the world. I was charmed, intrigued and moved.
Captain Phillips (2013) - A solid movie.
Up in the Air (2009) - Slightly better than average because of the message it carries. Not particularly special though.

December

Hunger Games, Catching Fire (2013) - Against popular opinion, I thought this movie was absolutely terrible. Just terrible. Even worse than part one.
Raging Bull (1980) - Right after I watched this I was impressed, but wasn't sure what else to think. The days following this movie I kept thinking about it, and the more I thought about it the more I liked it. There are so many layers to this film. Very impressive.
Drinking Buddies (2013) - Not good, but enjoyable. Made me want to drink beer.
Juno (2007) - Charming, witty, funny.
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) - This is the movie I've been recommending to anybody and everybody. It's the newest film by the Coen Brothers, whom I love, and it's amazing in its own way. I'm planning on watching it again. 
The Blind Side (2009) - Quite overdramatic, but all in all not a bad movie.
Frozen (2013) - Watched this with two of my roommates, it was a lot of fun. The Olaf character was hilarious, but a bit too close to a musical for my personal taste.
Ted (2012) - I had seen this before, still very amusing. 
The Spectacular Now (2013) - Nice movie, for some reasons it didn't have the feel of a standard coming-of-age film. And it kind of tricks you into being deeper than you initially think.

January 2014

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - Great movie, another Scorsese success. Just a three hour long thrill ride, what struck me most was that it all flowed so fluently. It was impossible for me to determine what the halfway-mark of this movie was. It was just one continuous story.
Clerks (1994) - Great dialogue, clever jokes, in general an underrated film. I feel a lot of people get hung up on the dick and fart jokes and lose sight of the fact that this is actually a strong movie.
Clerks 2 (2006) - The jokes aren't as smart as in Clerks I, but it's still a very funny movie.
The to do list (2013) - I thought that Aubrey Plaza might be able to lift this movie up somehow, but it was as terrible as the trailer and the summary suggest.
Philomena (2013) - A moving tale, that was surprisingly funny at times, which helped keep the mood from getting too gloomy.
Enough Said (2013) - Slightly more interesting than your average romantic comedy because of the underlying message.
Nymphomaniac Part 1 (2013) - I was impressed, slightly shocked and unsure of what to think. I'm glad I saw this movie, but not sure if I'll watch part 2.
Dallas Buyers Club (2013) - Good story, great acting, which makes this movie very strong.
Parkland (2013) - Terrible.
Ender's Game (2013) - Not as good as the book, since it focuses more on the sci-fi and less on the psychological and the ethical aspects. But better than I expected.
Our Idiot Brother (2011) - Quite bad, but charmingly so. 

February 2014

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) - I had been putting off watching this movie because every had been saying it very much felt incomplete. After watching this I knew exactly what they meant. Great movie, lots of fun, and adventurous. But it felt like half the movie was missing.
That Awkward Moment (2014) - Absolutely terrible, but I enjoyed myself because I had a lot of beer.
Only Lovers Left Alive(2013) - Not sure what I think of this one quite yet. Definitely interesting.
The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) - Pretty cool movie, not much noteworthiness to it tho.

Well, that was quite the list. Hopefully I'll keep a slightly more steady stream of updates from now on.

Finally, as a sort of closing summary, per request, a top 5 of recommended watches. Not necessarily in order of preference. I decided to list movies that haven't really reached the spotlight. 

Frances Ha (2013) - This movie rekindled some of my hope that movie makers will realize that big explosions on Times Square can be fun, and it certainly attracts a certain audience. But it really isn't needed to make a beautiful film. Day to day life in New York is beautiful enough in itself.

Le Passé (2013) - I saw this at a 'Sneak Preview' and then never really heard anything from it ever again. Although I believe it has won an award or two. To me it shows the great tension that is inevitable in any relationship.

What Maisie Knew (2013) - This is just so well done, we get a look at divorce through the eyes of a child. The way she proudly presents her 'new daddy' to her class at school. It showed me that there are a million ways to look at the world. And we tend to assume everybody shares our vision.

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013) - I loved the feel of this film. At times it felt like a fairy tale, whilst it managed to deal with a quite serious theme. The underlying message it conveyed really struck me and stuck with me.

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) - I have not yet managed to explore every aspect of this film. There is one thing I am certain of tho; the Coen brothers have once again managed to achieve brilliance.


Teun

 

Life of Pi

Last wednesday my roommate came to me expressing his desire to go see a movie, he mentioned Jack Reacher was coming out on thursday and if I would be up for that. My first reaction was filled with a decent amount of hesitation, I had seen the trailer for the movie and well.. it didn't look great.
So I responded: "sure, but let's bring some beer", when looking at the showtimes however we stumbled upon a greater treasure. Life of Pi was having its first showings in the Netherlands, and this was a movie I was actually looking forward to. So after spreading the word around, we gathered a group of 4 willing participants.

Thursday evening came around the corner and the weather outside was frightful, and inside the heating was oh so delightful. So it took some serious dedication to drag ourselves out into the rain, as we were riding through the downpour, feeling like drowning cats. I said to myself: "This better be worth it." Anyways, after the struggle and the cold we managed to settle in our seats and mentally prepared ourselves for the upcoming two hour feature.

The movie itself felt nice to me at first, it was visually brilliant. The use of 3D in this movie is beyond anything I have seen so far. For me, without a doubt, the best 3D movie made to date. And that coming from a guy who hates 3D with a burning fury of a thousand suns. The story was a little silly at first and felt like children's tales at times. But I accepted it for what it was, and enjoyed myself thoroughly.
What I was not prepared for however was a mind blowing shift, that added incredible dimensions to this film that still occupy my mind. You could feel the entire audience holding their breath because of what was unfolding in front of their eyes. It was an experience in itself and for me it lifted this movie to extreme heights.
Of course I am trying to stay somewhat cryptic in an attempt not to spoil anything. Basically what I want to share is that for me this movie is about truth in life, and experience and perspective. And probably most of all, which is something that also interests me because of my affection for art, the message versus the way of conveying that message.

In short: "Go see this breathtaking masterpiece."

As always,

Live long and prosper,

Teun

Movies of november

November was slow, but december should be better.

Wristcutters, a love story (2006) - Quite interesting, I liked it.
Paranorman (2012) - Was more of a children's movie than I expected.
Milo (2012) - Not great, not bad.
Johnny English Reborn (2011) - Was fun.
Barfi! (2012) - Actually watched this twice, one of my new favorites. Just great.
Cloud Atlas (2012) - Incredibly interesting movie, need to watch this again.
Looper (2012) - Awesome.
The Sweeney (2012) - Simply terrible.
50/50 (2011) - Great movie, even got my quite emotional at times. Third time I watch it.
Chasing Amy (1997) - Just rewatching a Kevin Smith movie, was a good watch.

Looking forward to the Hobbit and Wreck it Ralph.

As always,
Live long and prosper.