Today's Review: Baby Driver

Hoewel zijn vorige Amerikaanse avontuur niet afliep zoals de Brit Edgar Wright zich had voorgesteld, weerhield dat hem er niet van het nogmaals te proberen in Hollywood. De regie over Ant-Man mocht hij verloren hebben, die over zijn eigen carrière allerminst. Waar Marvel hem teveel in haar eigen hokje probeerde op te sluiten, gaf studio Sony hem de vrije hand. Voor Baby Driver sloot hij geen compromissen qua stijlvoering, waardoor de film voor liefhebbers van zijn werk vertrouwd, maar naar Amerikaanse maatstaven juist onorthodox aanvoelt. Deze tegendraadse 'heist movie' is een heerlijke mix van spetterende muziek, kleurrijke personages en wervelende actie, waarin we snel de handtekening van Wright herkennen, maar die niet als een herhalingsoefening voelt.

De chauffeur uit de titel luistert inderdaad naar de schuilnaam Baby en vormt de spil in een gewiekste bende overvallers. Dankzij diens briljante stuurmanskunsten komen de criminelen telkens weg met hun buit. Toch houdt Baby zich op de achtergrond, want hij moet niets hebben van het geweld waarvan zijn collegae zich bedienen. Hij probeert slechts zijn schuld aan bendeleider Doc af te betalen. Bovendien geldt hij als excentriekeling tussen de rovers, allen toch al niet echt normaal. Baby is een apart joch, met zijn koptelefoon steevast op, elke move die hij maakt zorgvuldig georkestreerd door de song die hij op dat moment afspeelt. Noem het auditief autisme, voortvloeiend uit een pijnlijk verleden. De bende tolereert zijn karaktertrekjes, maar staat minder verdraagzaam tegenover zijn zelfverklaarde vertrek uit de criminaliteit als zijn schuld afbetaald is. Vervolgens moet Baby racen als nooit tevoren om aan de misdaad te ontsnappen en met zijn kersverse vriendin, serveerster Debora, een nieuw leven te beginnen.

Een film als Baby Driver staat of valt met het optreden van haar hoofdpersoon en gelukkig is Wrights nieuwste verzekerd van het benodigde jonge talent. Ansel Elgort kruipt met verve in de huid van de titelpersoon, aanvankelijk een ogenschijnlijk arrogante knul die met zijn eigenaardige gevoel voor ritme een beetje op de zenuwen werkt. Al snel verdwijnen zulke twijfels als regen op heet asfalt als we hem beter leren kennen. Het is simpelweg een sympathieke jongen in een slechte situatie, met het nodige trauma achter de rug om te verklaren hoe hij in dit misdadige milieu is beland. Het helpt ook dat Elgort uitstekende chemie kent met Debora's wonderschone Lily James. Of eigenlijk met iedereen, want Wright strikte opnieuw een wereldcast. Met Kevin Spacey als de vileine maar charmante Doc, Jamie Foxx als de sociopathische Bats en Jon Hamm als de arrogante Buddy is het makkelijk om ook voor de schurken te pleiten, zelfs als de kogels om de oren fluiten. Geen Simon Pegg of Nick Frost dit keer, maar zo'n fijn ensemble maakt dat gemis zelfs voor de verstokte Wright fans helemaal goed.

Diezelfde liefhebbers kunnen zich verheugen over het feit dat Wrights belangrijkste vaste personage wel ruimschoots aanwezig is in Baby Driver: de montage. Wright heeft zich altijd een waar virtuoos getoond waar het 't knippen en plakken van shots betreft, maar voor deze film neemt hij dat stempel heel letterlijk. Dit keer laat hij zich leiden door een bonte tracklist aan songs, bekend en minder bekend, waarop hij hele scènes heeft gebaseerd. Neem bijvoorbeeld het haast eindeloze shot waarmee de film opent, weergaloos gevormd door het op Baby's headset spelende Bellbottoms. Dat is nog maar het begin van een film die grotendeels haar soundtrack volgt, maar onder Wrights montage-meesterschap tot een grandioos geheel van muziek en enerverende auto-actie gesmeed wordt. De muzikaal begaafde Elgort danst vol overgave mee als door gehoorbeschadiging geplaagde crimi-coureur die zich evenzeer laat leiden door zijn muziek als de film die zijn naam draagt. Wright schiep met Baby Driver een enorme uitdaging voor zichzelf en zijn cast, maar het is te merken dat iedereen het ritme volledig aanvoelde.

Wright had voor zichzelf blijkbaar iets goed te maken na door Marvel bijna ingekapseld te zijn in andermans manier van werken. Wat dat betreft is Baby een puike metafoor voor Wright zelf. Wright swingt achter de camera zoals Baby achter het stuur. Toch voelt Baby Driver op sommige fronten als een breuk met 's mans eerdere werk. Het is geen volbloed-komedie, zoals praktisch al zijn vorige films. Hoewel er genoeg te lachen valt, zorgen de trubbels rond de getroebleerde hoofdpersoon toch voor zwaardere thematiek. Ook is de film bruter dan we van Wright gewend zijn: was de regisseur nooit vies van een beetje bloed, de kogelregens die deze film afsluiten zijn van een minder zorgeloos kaliber en geven de film toch een zeker 'Amerikaans karakter'. Toch gaat het te ver om te zeggen dat de koppige Brit zich heeft geconformeerd naar Amerika, want Baby Driver is onmiskenbaar een product van zijn eigen creatieve geest, een hoogst originele film zoals die in Hollywood te weinig gemaakt worden.

Today's Review: Toni Erdmann

De critici spreken schande van het feit dat Toni Erdmann in Cannes buiten de prijzen viel, maar als iemand zich daar weinig druk om zal maken, dan is het regisseuse Maren Ade zelf wel. Geïnspireerd door haar vader, een verwoed grappenmaker, is het project voor haar een persoonlijke zaak. Hij was degene die haar leerde dat je het leven niet te ernstig moet nemen en er vooral van genieten moet. Een boodschap die de regisseuse aanstekelijk uitdraagt in Toni Erdmann. In dat opzicht is ze niet te vergelijken met het vrouwelijke hoofdpersonage, wier drijfveren ambitie en carrière zijn. Ongeacht haar verlies in Cannes is het Ade gelukt juist met een tegenovergestelde levensovertuiging richting de top te klimmen, want Toni Erdmann is een allesbehalve serieus maar toch betekenisvol drama geworden.

Die titelfiguur Toni, gebaseerd op Ades eigen vader, is een uit noodzaak geboren persoon. Eigenlijk heet de oudere heer Winfried. Hij heeft niet bijster veel van het leven gemaakt, maar houdt er toch volop van, met zijn absurde gevoel voor humor als levensbepalende karaktereigenschap. Een schrijnend contrast met zijn dochter Ines, die tijdens het beklimmen van de ladder van het bedrijfsleven een tegenovergestelde figuur is geworden. Vader en dochter hebben weinig meer gemeen. Dat wordt Winfried pijnlijk duidelijk als hij haar bezoekt in Boekarest, waar zij vertoeft om een grote vis in de oliewereld voor haar baas aan de haak te slaan. Dochterlief heeft amper tijd voor haar vader en beschouwt hem als een sta-in-de-weg, ondanks zijn boerse charme waarmee hij zelfs haar doelwit bekoort. Tegelijkertijd maakt Winfried zich hoe langer hoe meer zorgen om zijn kind, dat tot een humorloze vrouw is uitgegroeid voor wie het ontslaan van mensen aan de orde van de dag lijkt te zijn. Hier moet ingegrepen worden, maar dat kan alleen Toni Erdmann.

Erdmann is gewoon Winfried met valse tanden en een sjofele pruik. Dat heeft Ines natuurlijk meteen door, maar toch staat ze toe hoe dit typetje zich in de high society van het bedrijfsleven naar binnen bluft en de hotemetoten inpalmt met zijn doldwaze charisma en bizarre anekdotes. Is het een onbewuste drang om uit haar verstikkende kleurloze bestaan bevrijd te worden of wil zij zien hoe weinig haar vader begrepen heeft van haar wereld? Ade laat het in het midden, maar Erdmann weet zich hoe dan ook goed te handhaven in de wereld van de 'één procent'. Dankzij het betoverende karakter van de meesterlijke Peter Simonischek sleept Erdmann ook ons volledig mee in zijn ondermijnende toneelstuk, waarmee het komische gedeelte van de film verzekerd is. Tegelijkertijd verliest Ade, geholpen door het sterke tegengas dat zijn tegenspeelster Hüller Simonischek geeft, het dramatische aspect van het mentale getouwtrek tussen Winfried en Ines geen moment uit het oog.

"Ben je eigenlijk wel een mens?", vraagt een vertwijfelde Winfried zijn dochter als hij geconfronteerd wordt met haar holle bestaan in de zakenwereld. Zijn dochter is een bikkelharde tante geworden, die alles inzet om de doelstellingen van haar bedrijf te behalen. Uitgaan, diners, zelfs haar verjaardagsfeestje, alles is slechts een middel in een strijd om de cijfers en alleen anonieme seks en af en toe een lijntje coke vormen enige ontspanning. Stilstaan bij de belangrijke dingen in het leven, zoals familie, is er niet bij. Van een eigen persoonlijkheid is weinig te bespeuren. Papa is niet trots op haar, maar bezorgd. Tegelijkertijd leidt ook Winfried niet het meest begerenswaardige leven. Hij is gescheiden, leeft alleen en pas als zijn hond sterft, zoekt hij toenadering tot zijn dochter. Daar mogen gerust vraagtekens bij gezet worden, maar hij is duidelijk gelukkiger dan zijn naar maatschappelijke maatstaven meer geslaagde dochter. Succes garandeert geen geluk. Toni Erdmann draait om twee totaal verschillende, maar even geknakte mensen wier verstandhouding opnieuw moet beginnen. De leugen Toni Erdmann moet die toenadering mogelijk maken.

Dat ingrijpen in andermans leven voor de eigen bestwil doet Erdmann met verve. Subtiliteit is daarbij niet het sleutelwoord. Wanneer hij Ines confronteert met het ontslag van arme arbeiders voor onbeduidende fouten neigt de film toch een beetje naar moralistisch sentiment. Er kan eveneens afgedongen worden op de eenzijdige wereld die Ade schetst van het bedrijfsleven. Dat is echter bijzaak, want het emotionele hart van Toni Erdmann wordt sterk gevormd door dit duet tussen twee persoonlijkheden, dat zowel aangrijpend als hilarisch is. Erdmann is een even merkwaardige als innemende verschijning die ons direct aan zijn kant weet te trekken, waardoor we volledig opgaan in de geleidelijke ontdooiing van de ijskoude Ines. Het duurt bijna drie uur, maar die tijd vliegt voorbij. De boodschap is niet bijster vernieuwend, maar dankzij heerlijke films als Toni Erdmann genieten we des te meer van het leven. Prestigieuze prijzen heeft Ade niet nodig, de breed gedragen erkenning dat Toni Erdmann een van de hoogtepunten van 2016 vormt, volstaat.

Today's Review: Je me tue a le dire

Het is een bekend fenomeen in de filmgeschiedenis: de man die niet op kan groeien en een jongetje lijkt te willen blijven. Het type dat eeuwig bij zijn moeder woont en zijn draai in de maatschappij maar niet kan vinden. Al decennialang is het een dankbaar onderwerp voor drama en komedie, dus probeer met dat gegeven nog maar eens origineel uit de hoek te komen. De Belgische debuterend regisseur Xavier Seron zoekt het in absurdistische toon en stijlvolle vormgeving. Het resultaat Je Me Tue à le Dire steekt ondanks, of vreemd genoeg vooral vanwege die onmiskenbaar eigenzinnige aanpak niet boven thematisch verwante films uit.

De Waalse Michel is zo'n typisch moederskind, een man van in de dertig die nog bij zijn overdadig liefkozende mama inwoont. Hij is blijven steken in een hopeloze bijbaan in een elektronicazaak en houdt zich meer bezig met strips en speelgoed dan met zijn vriendin, die het begrijpelijkerwijs niet bij hem uithoudt. Seron voegt er nog een element met komisch potentieel aan toe door zijn protagonist een onverbeterlijke hypochonder te maken, waardoor Michel voortdurend meent de ene na de andere kwaal te hebben opgelopen. Borstkanker is zijn grootste angst, want nadat die ziekte bij zijn moeder werd geconstateerd en even snel en mysterieus weer verdwenen leek, treft hij een verontrustend knobbeltje aan in eigen borst. Michel heeft toch al een merkwaardige fascinatie met borsten, naar verluidt doordat zijn moeder destijds te lang doorging met borstvoeding. Je Me Tue à le Dire is niet voor niets gevuld met verwijzingen naar borsten, van voedsel tot architectuur, als een koortsdroom van een prepuberaal joch dat maar niet over die puberteitsgrens heen stapt. Die beeldtaal wordt snel onleuk.

Seron vertelt Michels relaas in zijn opvallend gestileerde debuutfilm in vijf hoofdstukken, waarin niet bepaald grappige thema's als angst voor eenzaamheid en de onvermijdelijke dood de hoofdingrediënten vormen voor humoristische situaties. Humoristisch bedoeld althans, want door de ongebruikelijke vormgeving is het moeilijk relateren aan Michels bizarre belevenissen. Aan de acteur achter dit mankind ligt dat niet, want hoofdrolspeler Jean-Jacques Rausin laat zien wel degelijk behept te zijn met het nodige komische talent voor een rol als deze. Zijn Michel is aanvankelijk een sympathieke loser, maar diens waanideeën maken hem hoe langer hoe meer een onvriendelijke verschijning. De kerel en zijn bestaan doen direct denken aan Gijs Naber in het recente, inhoudelijk sterke gelijkenissen vertonende Aanmodderfakker van Michiel ten Horn, die echter juist een omgekeerde omwenteling doormaakte en steeds meer onze sympathie verdiende. De overeenkomsten tussen beide films en filmmakers zijn frappant, want ook Ten Horn bedient zich van een geheel eigen stijl om zowel drama als komedie op te wekken. Bij Seron trekken die stijlmiddelen echter te veel aandacht naar zichzelf toe om daarin te slagen.

Het korrelige zwart-wit waarin de film is geschoten, is vanuit stilistisch oogpunt de meest voor de hand liggende blikvanger. Waar Ten Horn juist gebruikmaakt van overdadig kleurgebruik, kenmerkt Seron zich door een precies tegenovergestelde strategie, met toch hetzelfde doel: het vervormen van de realiteit om het surrealistische gehalte van zijn zwarte komedie te onderstrepen. Het maakt zijn film afstandelijker dan waarschijnlijk de bedoeling was, en het werd ons vanuit dat oogpunt toch al niet makkelijk gemaakt met de statische cameravoering en pretentieuze hoofdstukindeling. Serons voorkeur voor christelijke symboliek zorgt nog even voor een overtreffende trap. Als het beter gaat met zijn moeder denkt Michel haar ziekte te hebben overgenomen en lijdt hij dus voor een ander. Zelfs de aureool blijft hem niet bespaard om de metafoor extra te benadrukken. We mogen echter hopen dat de Christus van weleer niet zo'n rare obsessie met borsten had.

In het dagelijks leven is er niets amusant aan borstkanker en ondanks Serons verwoede pogingen om in Je Me Tue à le Dire een komisch verhaal over een mogelijke kankerpatiënt te vertellen blijft dat beeld gehandhaafd. De irrationeel angstige en steeds onaardigere Michel denkt dat hij spoedig zal sterven. Niet voor niets opent de film met een scène waarin hij een doodskist uitprobeert, om aan het idee te wennen. Niet bijzonder geestig of inventief, geen enkel stijlmiddel verandert die tekortkomingen. Michels botte houding tegenover de vrouw die hem het leven schonk en volgens hem nu ook de dood, is eveneens niet zozeer grappig als wel irritant. Serons neiging om de tekortschietende komedie extra sjoege te geven met een overdaad aan religieuze symboliek en verwijzingen naar de kunstgeschiedenis werkt averechts. Het reduceert de film tot een curiositeit. Jammer, want hij heeft genoeg collega's in eigen land die wel opvallend bedreven zijn in het mengen van zwaarmoedige thema's met gitzwarte, surrealistische en bovenal geslaagde humor. Hopelijk leert hij voor zijn volgende project van hun voorbeeld.

Today's Review: Hart Beat

Wie de doelgroep is van Hart Beat is vanaf de eerste seconde duidelijk. Met een opening die wordt ondersteund door uitzinnig schreeuwende tienermeisjes, zwijmelend bij een zingende hunk, is de toon gezet voor de rest van de film. De hunk in kwestie is Rein van Duivenboden, voorheen een lid van de boyband MainStreet. Deze Nederlandse Justin Bieber heeft met Hart Beat zijn eigen speelfilm gekregen waarin uit de doeken wordt gedaan hoe zwaar tienersterren het hebben als ze zowel een persoonlijk leven als een glansrijke carrière in de muziek ambiëren. Want net als gewone mensen willen ze het liefst Echte Liefde. Die harde strijd om de Ware te behouden wanneer ze gevonden is, vormt het 'hart' uit de titel, uiteraard ondersteund door een flinke dosis muziek, in een nogal voorspelbaar romantisch puberdrama dat alleen die doelgroep zal behagen.

Van Duivenboden gaat in Hart Beat als Mik door het leven. Met zijn zoetgevooisde keel en zijn weergaloze uiterlijk is hij het idool van een hele generatie meisjes, maar nou net niet van Zoë. Die moet niets hebben van zijn kazige muziek en diens aan waanzin grenzende aanhang. Zij prefereert een natuurlijker, gevoeliger soort muziek. En dus draait Hart Beat om de ironie dat nou net dit tweetal verliefd wordt. Hij rijdt haar aan met zijn tourbus, zij scheldt hem uit en eist een nieuwe fiets en ergens daartussen slaan vonken over. Vervolgens gooit het wrede leven alles in de strijd om het duo ervan te weerhouden elkaar te krijgen, maar niemand die gelooft dat ze zich laten tegenhouden in hun wederzijdse smachten. Prima, dit soort films moet het nou eenmaal niet hebben van een geraffineerd verhaal, maar van een aanstekelijke feelgood uitwerking die de beoogde jongere doelgroep aanspreekt. Die tienermeisjes zal het wel bekoren, maar het lijkt onwaarschijnlijk dat andere demografieën zich tot deze fletse jeugdige romantiek aangetrokken zullen voelen.

Een verhaal als Hart Beat valt of staat hoofdzakelijk met de chemie tussen beide partijen, en die laat in dit geval te wensen over. Aan de jonge actrice Vajèn van den Bosch ligt het niet. Zij heeft al de nodige theater- en televisieproducties op haar conto staan en houdt zich opvallend goed staande naast de ervaren acteurs. Helaas heeft het scenario van de film haar in de eerste helft voorzien van een nogal onsympathieke houding, waardoor ze dikwijls nors en bits uit de hoek moet komen. Dat Zoë gebukt gaat onder de relatieproblemen van haar ouders moet het verhaal een extra dimensie geven, maar het maakt haar karakter er aanvankelijk dusdanig onaantrekkelijk op dat we niet geloven dat Mik voor haar valt. Mik zelf is echter een groter probleem, want dat Van Duivenboden voor het eerst acteert, is iets te klaarblijkelijk. Hoe sexy hij er ook uitziet en hoe leuk hij ook kan zingen, feit blijft dat hij maar één gelaatsuitdrukking hanteert en daardoor raakt onze emotionele betrokkenheid al snel in het geding. Ook de sidekicks maken de situatie er niet beter op. Zoë's compagnon is een overdadig bijdehand wicht met een tenenkrommende lijst hartsvriendinnenregeltjes. Mik moet het doen met een door rap geobsedeerde vriend - om gelijk maar een zo breed mogelijk jongerenpubliek voor de film warm te maken - die door iedereen met de neus wordt aangekeken naast de ster om wie alles draait. De ingrediënten voor jaloezie en wraak die de affaire tussen de twee jonge harten moeten verstoren liggen zo al binnen vijf minuten open en bloot op tafel.

Naast de jonge castleden komen de oudgedienden helaas niet veel beter uit de verf. Ondanks de vele accolades in hun resumé worden de volwassen acteurs hier hoofdzakelijk gereduceerd tot eenzijdige typetjes, te vaak ingezet voor gemakzuchtig komische noten. Zelfs het tragische subplot omtrent Zoë's ouders wordt hier op den duur de dupe van, want Hart Beat moet vooral niet te serieus worden, zo lijkt de gedachtegang. De doelgroep wordt immers al te vaak gebombardeerd met zware thema's in Carry Slee-verfilmingen, dus luchtigheid is het devies. De impact van alle intrige en verstoorde verhoudingen rond de romantiek brokkelt zo snel af als de film naar een bruisend happy end holt. De potentiële zelfreflexieve diepgang omtrent de jonge ster, gespeeld door zichzelf, die achter de schermen als melkkoe voor managers en producenten wordt ingezet die niets om zijn persoonlijke leven geven, wordt verspild aan een magere puberromance. De slappe dialogen - "Oh mam, doe nou 'ns even relaxed!" en dergelijke taal - doen niet vermoeden dat de schrijvers het hedendaagse jongerenjargon doorgronden. Hart Beat is simpelweg net zo 'cheesy' als Zoë Miks muziek verwijt te zijn. De fans van de zanger zal het worst wezen, die komen wel opdagen. Het is echter onwaarschijnlijk dat veel anderen hart voor Hart Beat zullen tonen.

Today's Review: Skiptrace

Eindelijk weer eens een review op mijn blog. Tekort aan tijd, je kent het wel. Dit keer gewoon rechtstreeks gekopieerd van de bron, want om nou elke keer mijn mening nog eens dunnetjes over te doen in het Engels vergt te veel extra inspanning. En alleen een link staat ook zo knullig.

Voor het eerst in lange tijd zijn Jackie Chans behendigheidskunsten weer te bewonderen in de Nederlandse bioscoop. Uiteraard was de Chinese legende in de tussentijd op eigen bodem in een hoop soortgelijke actiefilms te zien, maar de bioscoopreleases bleven beperkt tot de Aziatische en Amerikaanse markt. Skiptrace betekent bij ons dus een comeback voor de onderhand tweeënzestigjarige actiester, maar dat zal Chan zelf niet als zodanig ervaren. Voor hem is er in de tussentijd weinig veranderd. Ook zijn nieuwste film geeft aan dat de zaken zo veel mogelijk hetzelfde gebleven zijn. De fans weten wat dat inhoudt: doldwaze martial-artsactie in een flinterdun plot dat er vooral toe dient Chans malle fratsen met veel knipogende humor te etaleren. Dat is het publiek overal ter wereld van hem gewend, dus waarom die formule aanpassen? Skiptrace geeft echter aan dat Chan toch eens verandering moet opzoeken, want de beperkingen van die formule dringen zich op in dit actievehikel dat niet bepaald een hoogvlieger blijkt in 's mans oeuvre.

Skiptrace is een 'buddy movie' van het zuiverste soort, het type waaruit het merendeel van Chans filmografie bestaat. Chan speelt Bennie, een oude rot in het politievak, die zich al jarenlang stukbijt op een zaak rond een schimmige Chinese drugsbaron, maar daarin weinig steun krijgt van zijn superieuren. Als hij echter het pad kruist van de charmante Amerikaanse oplichter Connor komt de zaak in een stroomversnelling. De dief heeft te veel gezien en is tot doelwit verworden van de misdaadbende die Bennie op het spoor was. Als diezelfde criminelen vervolgens Bennies peetdochter ontvoeren om hem te dwingen Connor in te rekenen, is dat het begin van een avontuurlijke trektocht over het Aziatische continent, waarbij ook de Russische maffia zich laat gelden. Het soms wat verwarrende plot is daarbij uiteraard van minder belang, ondergeschikt aan de bonte aaneenschakeling van kleurrijke figuren en spectaculaire actiescènes op exotische locaties. Althans, zo hoopten de producenten.

Onder die makers bevindt zich ook regisseur Renny Harlin, coryfee van een lange reeks hersenloze actiefilms. De Finse cineast verschilt qua stijl niet veel van Chan, want ook hij serveert het liefst vette actie met even overdadige grapdichtheid. Chan en Harlin lijken voor elkaar gemaakt, een conclusie die het duo aan het begin van het millennium al trok toen ze de samenwerking aangingen voor Nosebleed. Die productie liep om diverse redenen, waaronder 9/11, helaas voortijdig stuk, maar met Skiptrace krijgt hun verbond nu een tweede kans. Het resultaat kan echter geen hoogtepunt genoemd worden op het conto van beide heren. Skiptrace is een lollig niemendalletje dat je al vergeten bent voordat je de bioscoop verlaten hebt.

Een 'buddy movie' is slechts zo goed als de chemie tussen de hoofdrolspelers en die laat bij Skiptrace helaas te wensen over. Chan doet het prima als de getormenteerde, eerzame smeris, maar tegenspeler Johnny Knoxville wekt vooral irritatie op met zijn tomeloos voorspelbare liegen en bedriegen maar zijn oh zo kleine hartje. Ook de overige rollen zijn goeddeels keurig binnen de lijntjes ingekleurd en spreken weinig tot de verbeelding. Van de jonkvrouw in nood tot de fletse Chinese gangsters. Hun Russische tegenhangers krijgen de lachers nog het meest op hun hand, maar zijn ook niet bepaald vernieuwend. Zowel voor Chan als voor Harlin is het feitelijk niets nieuws onder de zon, maar hoogstens een samenvatting van hun eerdere werk. Gelukkig dragen de locaties nog enigszins bij aan dat beoogde exotische gevoel, van de weidse Mongoolse steppen tot de duizelingwekkende Chinese bergrivieren. De fans van Chan zal het echter allemaal om het even zijn, want voor hen luidt de hamvraag hoe hun held zich staande houdt tussen alle vuistslagen en rondfluitende kogels.

De laatste Hollywoodfilm waarin we Chan zagen was de remake van The Karate Kid, waarin de ster op leeftijd de rol van leermeester aannam. Dit keer is hij terug in een meer vertrouwde rol, maar dat de leeftijd hem parten speelt, valt moeilijk te ontkennen. In Skiptrace levert hij niet bepaald zijn meest wervelende moves af. Hoewel hij nog steeds wild om zich heen slaat en schopt, doet hij dat niet zo energiek als voorheen. Echt indrukwekkende stunts blijven uit. Voor de liefhebbers teleurstellend, maar voor de leek mag het de pret niet drukken, want Chans meer-geluk-dan-wijsheidcapriolen worden nog immer aanstekelijk prettig gestoord gebracht. Ondanks de vele tekortkomingen in Skiptrace blijft Chan toch goed voor een kleine twee uur absurdistische actielol. Met pensioen gaan is er nog niet bij, zoals ook zijn personage dat pertinent weigert. Maar goed ook, want hoewel Skiptrace aangeeft dat er nog enige levensvatbaarheid in Chans werk zit, laat de film evenzeer zien hoe beperkt zijn routine onderhand is. Het zou jammer zijn als Skiptrace diens laatste aria is geweest.

Skiptrace: 5/10

Today's Review: Elle

Picking up some speed at last.

Elle - recensie

It's an odd thing, but the press seems to almost unilaterally adore this latest film by Paul Verhoeven, with myself being an exclusion to that fact. Even though I love most of Paul Verhoeven's work - even going so far as to publicly consider the much maligned Showgirls a very fun film - I had a hard time appreciating this film. Even though I admit there's a number of things to appreciate about it.

First thing, it's a superb piece of acting by the lead, the fabulous French actress Isabelle Huppert. She delivers a grand performance as the protagonist, Michele, a powerful director of a videogame company who one day unexpectedly finds herself the victim of a brutal rape by an unknown assailant. She effortlessly navigates the part of rape victim and dominant, matriarchal presence at her job and as head of her family of miscreants. Better yet, the dormant demons of her shady past awake to stir things up even more, which soon makes for an intense psychological game between herself and those around her. Nobody is a match for her, both in terms of character and in terms of acting. Sadly, the rest of the cast is nowhere near as exciting to watch and mostly consists of sleazy personas out to make her life more miserable. It's a shame less effort was put into making Michele's surroundings a bit more interesting, but with such a powerful performance as her own, it's hard to keep up.

Second, Verhoeven basically does what he has always done: not give a damn about cinematic conventions and do as he like without taking what many people would consider 'good taste' into account. His continuation of exploring the underbelly of man proves devoid of adhering to the usual norms of narrative progression. Whoever thinks the rape dictates the rest of Michele's actions is wrong, as she doesn't end up a victim of the act, but rather her environment becomes a victim of herself. There's no tear jerking drama here wherein the violated female must come to terms with the traumatic event, nor is there your typical Hollywood style thriller plot which sees the aggressor hunted down by a revenge driven survivor. Yes, Michele does take matters into her own hands and aims to find her rapist, but this detective story thread suddenly comes to a dead stop as the identity of the culprit is revealed earlier than expected, to unforeseen and rather incredulous results. Wherever you think the story is going, Verhoeven doesn't care about your expectations.

Such stubbornness I generally approve of, since there's enough predictable studio drivel going around already. Nevertheless, despite Verhoeven clearly putting his own stamp on Elle which makes it a rather unique final result, I still found it far from a satisfying movie. It's simply too rebellious for the sake of being rebellious. It's a strange and uncomfortable mix of a thriller, family drama and dark comedy, filled with wholly unsympathetic characters. It echoes Verhoeven's scandalous Dutch film Spetters, which saw the auteur heavily criticized and proved one of the prime reasons for him to switch from Holland to Hollywood (and a good choice that was!). However, that film was torn to shreds by critics, while 35 years later Elle is unanimously embraced. The times apparently have changed, but Verhoeven has not changed with them and continues to be an eternal provocateur. In the current political milieu, such an attitude is apparently rewarded. Just not by me. I appreciate Verhoevens refusal to change his style and stick to his (lack of) principles, but I much lament his cynicism. And though it seems the press doesn't share that perspective, I have a feeling many a regular audience member will agree with me upon seeing the strange shock that is Elle.

Today's Review: Dirty Grandpa

Another review up for FilmTotaal:

Dirty Grandpa - recensie

I had a tough time sitting this one out in the press screening, for the simplest of reasons: it was bad. Real bad. Mind you, with a title like 'Dirty Grandpa', one would not have expected it to be much good to begin with, but this is a whole new level of badness. There simply are no redeeming features present.

First things first, there are hardly any sympathetic characters. The titular old man is a horny pervert obsessed with getting laid and leading his son astray in a whirlwind of sex, drugs and general illicit behavior. The grandson is a wimpy control freak, set to marry a total bitch. On the way to Spring Break in Florida, they meet a bunch of co-eds, including a seemingly nice girl who we know the grandson ought to hook up with immediately, but who ends up stealing his money in her first scene. Her best friend is a total slut. Not to belittle female sexuality by using this word, but there simply are no other denominations as apt as this one. Add some drug dealers, corrupt police officers and loads of partying college kids who only want to get wasted and laid, and there you have the cast of Dirty Grandpa. You'll find it a real challenge to care about any of these people.

What movie buffs would care about, is veteran actor Robert de Niro's career. Sure, he's done plenty of dramatic roles so he's entitled to have a little fun every now and then. But his audience, save for people who truly are cursed with a total lack of a sense of humor, simply won't enjoy Dirty Grandpa with him. This is just not a funny, well written or empathetic character. This old horndog has just lost his dear wife of 40 years and his first reaction is to go out and screw nubile young women. In the process, he wrecks his grandson's impending marriage (bad match though it may have been) and constantly humiliates his sexuality and belittles his character during their little road trip. This is nothing to laugh at, it's morally reprehensible. And even if this set-up would allow for some comedic potential, it's utterly wasted on an uninterrupted stream of genital jokes. There's not a single conversation between any two characters in this flick that doesn't involve 'cocks', 'asses' or other rampant assorted swearing just for the sake of swearing. Needless to say, it grows tiresome swiftly. Not to mention it's all talk and no action, save for a gratuitous shot of Efron being facially confronted with his grandfather's penis (obviously a rubber item). But when it gets down to it, the sex is tame and prudish. Or are you telling me American women really do keep their underwear on during intercourse?

Question remains, why did Robert de Niro - or any of the actors and actresses involved for that matter, since they're all making total fools of themselves, and of us for watching their disgusting antics - opt to play this part? The script was obviously terrible from the get-go. Sure, there probably was some monetary compensation involved, but I do like to think an actor of his stature isn't so down on his luck he has no choice but to accept any and all projects, no matter hoe feeble, that come his way? Maybe he's just telling his fans to go screw themselves, tired of his fabled reputation and the pressure that comes with it. I don't know what his motivation was, but the result surely won't bring happiness to many audiences. Dirty Grandpa truly has nothing to enjoy. Okay, maybe Zac Efron's bare body for his fan base. But nothing else for sure.

Today's Review: How to Be Single

Oh look, it's another movie review!:

How to Be Single - recensie

A typical romantic comedy for Valentine's Day, I expect the concept was here. But actually, How to Be Single isn't quite so typical. It just plays with typical characters in typical situations searching for typical love. And atypically, not finding it. Because the ultimate message is that you need to get to know yourself and your own desires before you can adequately satisfy or be satisfied by someone else's. And to do that, you need to know how to be self reliable. Like the titel says, how to be single. Seems easy enough, hardly a novel life lesson, but not for these women who prove blind to this notion for far too long. Which also hinders the comedic element quite a bit, and thus the level on which this movie can be enjoyed.

Revolving about the romantics of four different women - plus several men, who all are relegated to the side, since the target audience of course is female - How to Be Single follows their desperate attempts to hook up with members of the opposite sex (quite a conservative approach, there's no other options that characterize our contemporary multisexual society explored here). They suck at it. Young Alice just got out of a relationship and doesn't know how to rely on her own in the busy night life of New York City. Fortunately party animal Robin is willing to teach her, but she specializes in one-night stands, so her advice proves to be of little use for something more serious, nor should her wild tactics be considered exemplary at all. Alice's sister Meg wants a child, but due to her busy career she has no time for a man. Does she have time for a baby then? Not really, it seems. Lucy keeps looking for any available men online, rather than seeing the obvious partner right in front of her. Her story and character are sadly underdeveloped, which is made more regrettable by the fact that this also means underusing Alison Brie's considerable comedic talents. It would have been better if her story line had been eliminated altogether to make room for the others, but since the modern notion of looking for true love on social media is her angle, it was kept in so the movie could appear to say a thing or two about digital dating, which it hardly does.

In terms of comedy, How to Be Single also proves a letdown. The characters of Meg and especially Alice are bland and naive and provide mostly predictable melodrama. It's up to Rebel Wilson's Robin to ensure the laughs, and at least she succeeds admirably at that. In fact, the movie seems to drag and drone on whenever she's off-screen for too long. But when she's involved, the atmosphere quickly gets more appreciable. Makes you wonder whether a movie dealing entirely with her character would not have been preferable. But then, films about loose female characters with questionable dating ethics and a taste for alcoholic indulgence screwing their way through the male portion of humanity are hardly unique. Then again, neither are mosaic romance pictures like this flick. And there's better examples of those available than How to Be Single.

Today's Review: Sneekweek

Another week, another review:

Sneekweek - Recensie

Expectations weren't high, and with good reason it turns out. Dutch movies usually aren't great to begin with, but Dutch movies emulating popular American films are often worse. In this case, it's Scream that's being "hommaged". This is a horror comedy made by people who obviously love horror films and have seen their fair share of them. But they've never actually made one before, and it shows.

The plot starts out oh so conventional. A bunch of students accidentally get someone killed in a silly game and do the dumbest thing imaginable (which is usual in this genre): they cover it up and try to forget about it. It obviously doesn't work, and when we catch up with them two years later, the recently graduated college kids turn out to be using not only the fun type of drugs to cope with their shady past. The standard horror trope archetypes are applied to these characters, the likes we've seen a thousand times before. The fact they spend most of the movie either bickering or engaging in supposed sexy slang doesn't make us care at all for them, we just want to see them die horribly fast. For that, the movie certainly takes its time. The masked killer soon stalks the premises of their backwood residence - insofar there are any backwoods in Friesland - but it takes quite a while before people really start dying. Meanwhile, our patience is tested when the kids argue their way from one party to the other, accompanied by obnoxiously loud techno music. To appeal to the modern generation I guess.

And then the second half of Sneekweek arrives. All bets are off as to the identity of the killer. It's not as obvious as you might think. In fact, it's not considerably complicated either, the movie just feels like making it so by twisting things around to such an extent that everybody is suspect. The kills pick up pace rapidly, but leave a lot to be desired in terms of originality or scariness. Not to mention in terms of looking convincing, which they don't. The story quickly turns equally messy, until the final reveal which feels like a big letdown. At least the comedy starts kicking in by providing a few good laughs to horror aficionados, including a memorable oneliner or two. These obviously reference the genre more than they do the movie itself, as is the Sneekweek's intent. The movie's whole set-up is one big reference to the genre, playing with conventions and adding narrative surprises by making things seem different than they are based on what you expect from a slasher movie. Thing is, this sort of film is hardly novel by now. In fact, Sneekweek's prime example Scream is already 20 years old by now, and has been referenced so often that making similarly selfreflexive films has become a horror staple itself.

Sneekweek hardly innovates. It does surprise from a narrative stance, but not in a satisfactory way. The movie desperately tries not to adhere to our expectations, and thus ends up confusing audiences more than frightening them. Unless they didn't see Scream or any similar self referential slasher films these past two decades. Considering the movie seems to focus on an audience of 16 to 18 year olds with its young cast and irritating soundtrack, there's bound to be a few people who feel this horror movie was original. Whether they'll enjoy it remains another question.

Today's Review: Virgin Mountain

This week's third and final review:

Virgin Mountain - recensie

Best of the three for sure. A laugh and a tear. A light drama with ample humour. But not a movie with a very innovative or inspired plot. Save for the ending which does break with the traditions of this type of film. Solitary fat man, a disappointment to his mother and the butt of jokes to his coworkers, lightens up when meeting a charming woman. Despite her mental problems, they are obviously made for each other. You get the gist of things.

It's not the plot that makes it a decent watch, it's the acting for one. Icelandic force of nature Gunnar Jonsson is literally made for this movie (or rather, the movie was tailored around him) and it shows. For another thing, it's the fine balance between being a funny piece and being a heavy drama that director Dagur Kari carefully treads, without slipping to one side to such an extent that it hurts the film as a whole. That's a tough call for a film like this, especially considering, again, the ending, which likely isn't what people would want to see, but feels like it fits regardless. And thus, Virgin Mountain gets away with it admirably.

Today's Review: Ramon en het Paard van Sinterklaas

Here's my first review for FilmTotaal. Same business, different employee.

http://www.filmtotaal.nl/recensie.php?id=45825

The first Flemish Sinterklaas movie is definitely modeled after the Dutch formula. Which is not surprising, since until so far, the Flemish kids had to make do with the myriad of Dutch Sinterklaas titles. And those proved succesful enough to finally convince Belgian producers to develop a Sinterklaas product of their own. And since only one Dutch Sint movie is produced this year - usually it's two, sometimes even more - why not return the favour and release it in Holland? They need not have bothered. Not that Ramon en het Paard van Sinterklaas is particularly bad (though it's certainly not a good family film that wins the hearts of all family members, as it's really only fun for kids), but it doesn't add anything to the slate of Dutch movies covering the topic, other than certain long running characters in Sint's Flemish entourage that the Dutch kids aren't at all familiar with. And most of them aren't so much fun to watch they'll stick in kids' minds for very long.

Aside from that, the film feels very much like its Dutch counterparts. Sint and co. are preparing for their trip up north, something goes awry - in this case, Sint's horse and its attendant are kidnapped - but all ends well and the festivities can procede as they always do, full of mirth and merriment. Add to that a cast of supporting characters (but no children, interestingly enough) to spice things up a bit and you have a thirteen-a-dozen Sinterklaas flick. In Holland, it's good to keep the kids occupied for a good 90 minutes. However, there's so many side characters in this film, that it ends up nigh two hours in length. Too long for the parents, and as it turned out at the press screening where the target audience was represented as well, also quite a challenge for the kids to sit through without getting overly restless. So there at least is a difference with the Dutch method: the Flemish take their time. Other than that, if it wasn't for the accents and the presence of Antwerp, you'd hardly think you were watching a foreign Sinterklaas picture. I would have preferred something more distinct from the Dutch takes on the subject.

The big question on most parents' minds of course is: how are the Belgians portraying Zwarte Piet? It's a white guy in make-up, the blackness explicitly stated to be the result of crawling up and down chineys, just as he was always supposed to be. Good approach. However, thicker layers of soot might have been applied, since this particular Piet (and there's only one of him here) obviously hadn't seen a chimney for months. Which might as well be true, as I doubt he's doing much chimney diving at home in Spain. Nevertheless, when you call a well established character Zwarte Piet and the first reponse he gets from a child is 'is that Zwarte Piet?' because there's so little black on him, you know you're confusing kids needlessly. I'll say no more on the matter than that I applaud the Belgian intentions but their execution still leaves room for unnecessary debate.

Today's Review: Vacation

Another review up!

Vacation - recensie

Well, that was positively awful. Of course, the current trend of making a comedy as raunchy as possible by cramming it full of dirty jokes involving excrements and unusual sexual positions has been going for quite a while now, so you can hardly blame this Vacation for that. It's not like the original movie refrained from such shenanigans. But the level of said gags is just abominably low here, making it painfully unfunny for the most part. Too bad, because I know the lead Ed Helms, of Hangover fame, is capable of funnier routines. But even he is hopelessly lost somewhere between the rim jobs and Chris Hemsworth's erection. You got a bad thing going when the holiday car is funnier that the characters driving it. But at least the car doesn't make poop jokes galore. This vehicle of Albanian make is just loaded with silly gadgets and awkward options. Not all of them a guarantee for success, but at least I chuckled over the navigation system's sultry female American voice accidentally being replaced by a seemingly outraged Korean counterpart. If translated however, it would no doubt be revealed to get in line with the rest of the ample obscenities the script contains.

As with most remakes these days, this one wouldn't have been missed if it wasn't produced at all. However, recycling the original film's plot and adding Horrible Bosses or We're the Millers type jokes to it likely saved the studio a few bucks. The story is mostly the same as its predecessor's, while some of the situations are even lifted verbatim from some of the other Vacation movies from the Eighties. It's not like this is that well known a franchise these days, so who would know, right? But if you acknowledge the status of this film as a remake by making jokes about that very fact in the actual film, you sure run the risk of people checking out the previous installments and finding out just how lazy the writing is this time around. Even such references to the original are hardly an inspired move. Remember 21 Jump Street addressing its status as a reboot by literally saying nobody at the top has any better ideas than just regurgitating old notions ad nauseam? It's a funny line, until you understand just how poignantly true it is. We don't need to hear the same argument here to hammer the point home. The movie is unhilarious enough without reminding us a better film with the same name and the same plot was produced thirty years ago. Or that we're likely to see another movie with said name and plot in a few more decades. The kids in this feature definitely appear stupid enough to make the same mistakes all over when they grow up.

Luckily, this Vacation will be swiftly forgotten. It'll prove a lot harder to get that obnoxiously catchy song Holiday Road out of our heads.

Today's Review: American Ultra

Time for another review. Long overdue in fact.

American Ultra - recensie

You'd think the shady but historically true Project MK-Ultra would make for a smashing political thriller, with its detestable CIA experiments of mind control via drugs and careful conditioning on the unsuspecting American population. Instead, Hollywood loosely appropriated it for a stoner comedy. And sadly, not the funniest imaginable. American Ultra fires more bullets than jokes.

At least the lead casting is a shot in the right direction. Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart have worked together before and it shows, as they have the right amount of chemistry to make a likeable couple of losers. From Eisenberg, we've come to expect a certain level of quality, especially when it concerns this type of character. Stewart's performance thus leaves more of an impression, since we still needed some convincing of her talents as a true actress. With her much praised serious role in Camp X-Ray recently behind her, we can safely say 2015 is the year she finally came into her own and left her Twilight stigma behind her. Still, it takes more than two good leads to make for a solid movie. A decent plot and the right balance between action and comedy, for instance. American Ultra doesn't have either.

Where the fun is concerned, the movie starts at least promising, and a few good laughs are to be had in the first act. However, the film increasingly opts for action over comedy, which makes for a rather dull and unfunny finale, where both the jokes and the necessary emotional investment in the main characters is lost in all the gun fights, knife fights, and fist fights. There's simply too much fighting as the movie progresses and most of it is excessively violent, but not in any ironic or tongue-in-cheek manner. It's just a bloody mess, as is the story, which also involves rival CIA agents fighting it out in a manner totally devoid of the intelligence the I in their agency is supposed to stand for. There's also room made for a few stereotype drug dealers and deranged super assassins, but none of it works on the levels the writers probably intended. Director Nima Nourizadeh, fresh off the allegedly culturally notable teen flick Project X, shows a little too clearly he has more affinity with destroying things and blowing stuff up than in making us care about it all.

Fortunately we still have RED to show us how a fun time can be had with CIA assassins being hunted by their own employer. However, a definitive movie about Project MK-Ultra is still very much lacking. If Hollywood does tackle the touchy subject again, I hope they make a more serious movie  out of it. Mind control simply isn't funny, as American Ultra shows.

Today's Review: Inside Out

Look at little me turning Pixar's Inside Out inside out! Or as much as you can in a general review of under a thousands words in length.

Inside Out - recensie

This may be a turning point for Pixar. The naysayers who wrote off the studio ever since Disney took over often seemed right in their sweeping generalizations that Pixar's truly creative days of imaginary wonder where done. Sequels, that's what was in store for the audience ad nauseam. It worked well on Toy Story 3, few will deny. Not so much on Cars 2 though, or even Monsters University. So a new original project was definitely desperately needed to show Pixar has lost none of its dreaming potency, and this is it. Inside Out is as emotional and beautiful, not to mention innovative and soulful an animated movie as they come, and especially as they used to come in this company's own case.

It's not as perfect as the likes of Wall-E or Toy Story 3, I'll have you know, since it has some little flaws. Like Monsters, Inc. and Up, that makes it a classic Peter Docter movie. Those films, too, featured the occasional emotional highs that went coupled with some whimsical additions that had a bit of a trouble fitting in the whole. It was especially vexing in the case of Up, where the movie just never got as powerful as it proved to be in its first act. Inside Out equally knows a few moments where the magic diminishes, most notably when it concerns the elaborate logistics of the brain (though personally I found the forgotten imaginary friend rather an obnoxious sort as well, though I appreciated the notion). Docter has learned something from Up's experience though, saving the emotional climax for the end of the film. And it packs quite a punch, as Docter delivers his message that it's okay to be sad. Quite a rebellious act, since the movie still flies the banner of the Mouse House which usually tells us the exact opposite. While still an undeniably happy end, it's unlikely anybody will restrain their tears. As Docter says they shouldn't.

So is this a definite comeback for Pixar? The list of upcoming projects still consists mostly of sequels, with the only original tale for the foreseeable future presented by The Good Dinosaur. I'm more than a bit skeptical about that one, judging from the first teaser and its overly retro dinosaurs parading through near photo-real landscapes. I doubt an Inside Out 2 is out of the question, considering the film is doing fine at the boxoffice. Still, I like to think the naysayers remain in the wrong, and there's still a few tears of joy to be spilled over Pixar's films in the next few years.

And otherwise we'll still have the shorts preceding the main events. Hopefully they'll be as delightful as Inside Out's Lava, which also gets those eyes wet and thus perfectly warms us up for the main course to follow.

Today's News: Joker visits mass

This week's news, second batch:

Eerste trailer Black Mass

Another weirdo on Johnny Depp's resumé. But this one proves less amiable than the likes of Willy Wonka, the Mad Hatter or Jack Sparrow. This is as creepy a psychopath as they come. It's not the first time Depp plays a notorious criminal - his take on John Dillinger in Public Enemies springs to mind, not to mention singing serial killer Sweeney Todd - but this isn't a charming rogue, this is a sinister killer with a clear talent and love for ruthless violence. A fact well illustrated by the dinner scene running through this trailer. It's hardly the first time a crime boss character intimidates an underling on film by questioning his loyalty after confiding him with whimsical information, but Depp plays it eerily enough to make you forget that feeling of déja vu. I'm quite convinced Black Mass will prove an effective, chilling mob thriller, mostly thanks to Depp's penchant for playing offbeat, quirky characters, the murderous sort or otherwise.

Eerste trailers The Visit

I'm not so sure this creepy film will hit all the right notes though. Maybe it has something to do with the abyss of flops M. Night Shyamalan is sliding ever more deeply in, though I'm still willing to cut the director of The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable some slack. The Visit at least appears a return to form of sorts, after engaging in more otherworldy fare with The Last Airbender and After Earth, which proved a bad call. It's horror that established the name M. Night, so maybe it's horror that puts him back on track. That said, it's stated that this is supposedly a 'horror comedy', which isn't something I would quickly discern from these trailers, which seem to focus mostly on the horrific aspect. Then again, the notion of two old people terrorizing their grandkids in the manner illustrated in these trailers does emit an undeniable feeling of absurdity. I would have felt better if The Visit was a full bred horror film, preferably one that didn't overutilize the home video/social media filming format. Even though Shyamalan hasn't made use of that before (at least not for a full movie), it feels he's a little late to that party, considering how often it has been applied in recent years, particularly in the horror genre. For now I'll refrain from getting my hopes up too much for Shyamalan's potential comeback, but I won't be so quick to denounce him as a directorial quack as most other people are. After all, I'm one of those rare folks that actually liked The Village.

Jared Leto's Joker onthuld

A different kind of Joker, as was to be expected. Heath Ledger's take on the Prince of Chaos is not easily outdone, so Leto and Ayer probably didn't bother to try. Sensible move. So the look has changed, to something resembling a Goth rocker. Tattoos are the Joker's new bodily statement of choice. That said, it's obvious the madness remains and it is likely played up a notch. Since the upcoming DC movies stick closer to the source material of the comics, it's not wrong to make the Joker resemble his comic book counterpart a bit more. Aside from the tattoos, which I've never known the Joker to carry (but then, as a Marvelite I'm not much into DC lore anyway). But hey, I doubt Leto is running around topless for the entire duration of Suicide Squad. Say what you will about the Joker, he always dresses smartly, or what goes for smart dressing in his dubious philosophy. This picture is obviously just a publicity shot to get people talking about this new incarnation of Batman's prime nemesis. It's very likely the final look will still differ from what's illustrated here, though now we at least know in what direction we can expect the character to go in a visual (non)sense. And hey, maybe the Joker's just having a laugh here knowing Batman won't appear in this film to demolish the rest of his teeth.

Today's Review: Shaun the Sheep Movie

Another review up!:

Shaun het Schaap: de Film - recensie

A great stop motion film for the whole family this turned out to be. Would you have expected anything different from Aardman? I certainly didn't and I'm glad the finest stop motion studio in the world once again hit its mark. I'm ashamed to admit I've never seen any of the episodes from Shaun's own television show, so all I knew him from was his debut in the terrific original Wallace & Gromuit short A Close Shave (1995). It's amazing how little Shaun appears to have changed since we first met him 20 years ago. He looks largely the same, doesn't talk and is still the smartest sheep around. I like how Aardman sticks to its all too British roots and knows beter than to needlessly update their own characters to modern times. Both the studio's characters and its masterful level of craftsmanship and the quality that comes with it, remain a beacon of stability and tranquility in this troubled world of ours. And if that isn't enough to convince young and old alike to take the trip to theaters, the lack of dialogue which prohibits the usual exasperatingly obnoxious Dutch dubbing process is thrown in as a bonus. I just wish they could have dropped that annoying rap song that runs over the end credits. And yes, there's some bonus footage shown after those.

Now for Shaun's TV show. All 130 episodes... It's Aardman, so I don't mind at all!

Today's News: murderers, redundant Sci-Fi en drop-outs

Busy start of the week, I'd say:

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157832/nieuwe_trailer_12_monkeys_serie

Is there a point to this? Sure, the movie is 20 years old by now and thus it's totally time for a remake, reboot or whatever, by Hollywood standards. But why make a series out of a two hour movie? And not even a miniseries at that, but what the network hopes will develop into a regular running show. I simply don't see that happen, it seems there's far too little source material available for that. Plus, the strong climax of the movie is not something you can hold off indefinitely episode after episode, while revealing it would mean the emotional core of the story is done and over with and there are no more surprises left. Maybe the writers have thought of ways to flesh out characters and situations, but even then it just doesn't seem to offer much more than its premise. And of course it has to live up to its forebear, a movie many people already have seen so they know how it ends and what it's basically all about. Then of course it must survive being compared to the original movie in terms of visuals, which is also a tough act to follow (it was one of them wacky Terry Gilliam movies, remember?). There's just too many elements working against the series from its inception. I'm surprised it was ever made into a series in the first place. No offense, monkeys. but I just don't see this running for more than a season.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157831/trailer_murder_of_a_cat

Looks like a charming indie-comedy. As a cat owner, I can sure understand the protagonist's plight. I would find it quite abhorrent, disturbing and emotionally scarring to find my cat shot with an arrow - though that is not a likely scenario in my area, you can never rule it out entirely - and the police not taking it seriously because it's "just a cat". And I know full well the natural duplicity of cats, their tendency to have relational affairs around the neighbourhood with whomever is willing to stroke their fur and give them a bite. So I can definitely relate to this. Otherwise it seems like a fairly trite but true concept: a socially awkward guy is shaken out of his cocoon by unfortunate circumstances that brings him into contact with a nice girl. Not particularly original, the stuff of many indie-comedies in fact, but sympathetic enough. I'm glad to know Fran Kranz is still actively acting, I haven't heard or seen a thing from him since his delightful performance in the brilliantly unpredictable horror flick The Cabin in the Woods. Sure, he's playing a nerd again, but that suited him last time, so I see no reason why it shouldn't now. Nerds, also a thing I can definitely relate to. *sighs*

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157825/leatherface_vindt_regisseurs

Here's another thing most of us don't need, except for the people who'll just swallow anything containing blood & gore around Halloween. It's not like the previous Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel was any good or worth remembering. I don't see why it would this time, as the notion of a teenage Leatherface doesn't intrigue me at all. In fact, I'm much averse to the idea of prequels exploring the origins of great villains in the first place, as it tends to demystify them more than benefits their persona. How often have we seen a film like this where delving into his younger psyche made the evil in question even more sinister? Why do we constantly need to be reminded that the monster was once just a guy like the rest of us, telling us we could all go down that route if we're unlucky? We have history to remind us of such distressing facts. I can think of no horror prequel where exploring the background of the menace helped sustain its sense of dread and frightfulness to the same degree it would have done without such a background. Darth Vader, Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Hannibal Lecter, Dracula, all of their reputations as phenomenal villians suffered from telling too much about their past. And since Leatherface already underwent such a treatment, I don't see the need to make things even worse. Now that's the true evil only money hungry studio executives can cause.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157850/syfy_maakt_vervolg_op_2001_a_space_odyssey

Another production of which the validity can be questioned. Especially as a separate entity, rather than a retelling of the long story that preceded it. Now any comparison with the two Odyssey movies - one an undying classic, the other one, not so much - is inescapable. After all, this will basically serve as the conclusion of a tale unfinished for 30 years. Wouldn't it have made more sense to start from scratch? I guess the thought of actually remaking 2001: A Space Odyssey first would be too sacriligious even for Hollywood. That's a good thing, but it does make it harder for audiences to get a grip on the story, as I doubt that many are familiar with the sequel 2010 (1984). Rightly so, as it simply wasn't a very good film. But since there's no new material introducing this new miniseries, we  dive right into a deep story that's been laying dormant for decades. We'll either to have to brush up on prior events by our own accord, or just roll with it. And I bet most spectators will go for the second option, just because they're lazy and they can't be bothered to check out old films. I think it's gutsy to produce this show, particularly so late in the game, but whether it's a smart move remains to be seen. No matter what talent attached to it (Sir Ridley!!), I wouldn't hold my breath on too stellar a result just to be on the safe side. But hey, if its fails, at least it's a miniseries rather than a regular one, so it won't leave us hanging in the dark of space as its predecessors did (and as the 12 Monkeys series is likely to end up doing, except for the space bit).

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157848/bale_uit_biopic_steve_jobs

Wow, that was fast. Usually it takes actors quite a bit longer to admit to themselves they're not right for a part and drop out. It's both a blessing and a curse Bale left when he did. This Steve Jobs film is still early in production, so there's time as yet to find a suitable replacement. However, a solid actor like Bale leaving is simply a negative thing in the eyes of most people, there's no denying. Then again, the project survived both David Fincher and Leonardo DiCaprio calling it quits, and their replacements turned out alright. I doubt Danny Boyle is gonna depart simply because Bale just did. Maybe all these stars dropping out is a good sign to the studio they need to find someone less picky for the part. How about a talented but relatively unknown actor instead? It would sure help the budget. Looking at it in such a fashion, this is not a loss, but a great opportunity instead. And at least they still have Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak. Unless he drops out, too. And even if the project now fails entirely, we'll always have that lovely jOBS movie with Ashton Kutcher.

Today's Double News: scorched by interview

Only two bits of news? Slow start of the week apparently.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157292/nieuwe_trailer_the_interview

So North-Korea is pissed off... at this? Only goes to show rude humour isn't that country's forte. You gotta put things into a relative perspective. Nobody is meant to take this seriously as anti-North Korean propaganda, it's too overtly rude and silly for that. It's not like the protagonists are the token Western good guys (far from it!), nor is the CIA portrayed in the most flattering light. Of course, the question is whether a similar approach taken to a movie about North Koreans plotting an assassination on President Obama would be equally funny (that is, if you think this trailer actually provides some successful jokes, which is all a matter of taste). How many North Korean movies make their way to the rest of the world for that matter? I wouldn't be surprised if there's plenty a movie with a similar theme in circulation in that part of the world already, we just don't hear anything about it. And I bet humour isn't their prime ingredient. Totalitarian states are by their very nature not particularly amusing. It would suit North Korea's own interests to stop making a fuss about this film, which only boosts attendance worldwide since everybody now wants to see for themselves what is ticking off Kim Jong-un so badly. I don't recall the Blessed Leader being so angry about another recent American movie which involves North Korea, the notable Red Dawn. In that much more seriously toned film, the American homeland is invaded in force by the stalinist state, which leaves a couple of heroic rebels (teenagers, for the most part, too) to wage guerilla war against the evil aggressor. Now that's what I call propaganda, but few people are even talking about that movie and most that do condemn it for its questionable political motives. The Interview, however, is just rude comedy. Of course, that doesn't mean 'anything goes' in the genre, but it does imply the audience should not take anything seriously, humourless dystopian agents with their own shady agenda included.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157313/vervolg_maze_runner_aangekondigd

Speaking of dystopias, those are always a blast in the pictures. The Maze Runner has shown not to be an exception in that regard, as it's doing quite well at the (North-American) boxoffice (it has yet to be released in most "foreign" territories). So the inevitable Hollywood conclusion is a sequel is warranted. And the word is we'll be getting one. Only one? Yes. Unlike with most contemporary sequel strategies, Fox is taking a somewhat more cautious approach to things by taking things one step at a time. I can only call that responsible planning. These days, studios tend to plan ahead several sequels and spino-offs over a decade before their predecessor has even properly hit theaters yet, and in many cases, that backfires on them financially (John Carter), or on us as an audience creatively (The Amazing Spider-Man 2). Still, studios don't seem to dare risk losing their momentum and so they inform audiences of their commitment to the franchise they hope to build by revealing too early what's in store. Same thing is currently happening with the suspiciously similarly themed Divergent, which already has three more movies lined up since it did well enough at the boxoffice (though certainly not as stellar as the superior equally suspiciously similarly themed The Hunger Games). Not so on The Maze Runner, which also has two books left to adapt, but there is as yet no word on filming the third (which I reckon their soon will be). So for now, only one sequel in progress. Release date: in less that a year's time. That soon?! Uh-oh, they better start running! Yes, that was a pun and a predictable one, but so is the fact movies dealing with teenagers stuck in a nasty dystopian future continue to sit well with their target audience of young adults. But that audience is growing up fast. Mark my words: that third movie will soon be up for an adaptation too, and it's undoubtedly split into two parts. Like I said, there is an momentum to consider and it may expire. And what's more, there's the potential of lots of money.

Today's Triple News: horrible witch terminators

More news posted at MovieScene this here few days:

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157120/eerste_foto_vin_diesel_in_the_last_witch_hunter

As has been proven before on several occasions, Vin Diesel likes using social media to reach out to his fanbase (and movie news hungry editors like myself) about his current projects. It's good to see a Hollywood star keeping in touch with his followers himself rather than letting the Hollywood propaganda machine do that for him, though of course, we should not tell ourselves that anything Diesel posts isn't done with permission by the studios' promotional think tanks. This is the first we've seen of The Last Witch Hunter (not surprising, as it's still only half way through production). Doesn't show us much, but assures the Diesel fanatics their hero will play yet another gruff, masculine man of action, this time (partially) in a medieval setting. Whether the movie will be any good is hard to tell from just this single teaser image. The story doesn't seem all that inspired, combining ingredients from recent flicks like The Sorcerer's Apprentice (fantasy warfare in present day New York City) and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (witch hunters teaming up with good female witches to stop evil covens: plus the title of the film) without adding much novelty and seemingly swapping the element of humour for a more serious Gothic tone. The supporting cast seems decent enough, with the likes of Elijah Wood, Michael Caine and Rose Leslie. Especially the latter has her work cut out for her, as this is her first major Hollywood role. She had time for it apparently, now that her character didn't survive the last season of Game of Thrones.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157121/nieuwe_trailer_en_poster_horrible_bosses_2

I'm still not convinced of the need for a sequel to Horrible Bosses by watching this trailer. There isn't any really, other than the fact the predecessor made ample money to tell the studio a sequel might do the same. And so we basically get more of the same story, just with situations added and rearranged to some extent to let the audience know they're not looking at exactly the same picture. Again we have the trio of incompetent protagonists screwed over by their employer and plotting a revenge. This time it involves kidnapping rather than murder. Enter Chris Pine as the victim. And re-enter Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Spacey as two of the titular bosses from the original who are somehow woven into the new plot, even though their story lines seemed to have been over and done with at the climax of the first film. How ingenious the ways of Hollywood story telling, just to ensure enough characters return to repeat jokes and make the movie seem repetitive. At least we'll have one new boss, played by Christoph Waltz. There's something new for you, though not enough to make you feel the need to go to theaters to see this film. Seems more like the stuff of illegally downloading on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157130/terminator_sequels_aangekondigd

Another example of a studio getting way ahead of itself by planning multiple sequels based on the hopes the first film, which is what this will be somewhat as it's clear by now we're dealing with a rebooted franchise, will do well with audiences. Reboot or not, it still stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, even though the guy seems way too old to do the stuff he used to do on the first trilogy by now. Rumour has it he will not be a killer cyborg this time though. But as always, it would make much more sense to work off guaranteed success rather than spending millions of dollars pre-producing two sequels that may get scrapped if the box office results of their predecessor disappoint. And isn't this exactly what happened on the last Terminator film, Salvation? That movie, too, was meant to take the franchise into new directions 9without the Austrian Oak, mostly) and spawn a new trilogy, but disappointing financial grossing put a stop to such plans beyond this single project. Down the drain went that second trilogy, leaving a poor standalone film in its wake. It wasn't a total financial failure, but scored last in the list of released Terminator films thus far. The studio (that is, a different one, as the previous owner went bankrupt) appears to feel adamant that by bringing Schwarzenegger back in a prominent role, whatever it may be, that critical element that guaranteed box office success (which it did, in the Eighties) will do so again. It didn't work on The Expendables 3 though, so they ought not get their hopes up too much. But apparently, they do. Hollywood will never learn it seems.

Today's Review: Walk of Shame

Took a while, but here's finally a new review I wrote for MS:

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/155776/walk_of_shame_-_recensie

Not the greatest comedy, as I anticipated. Filled to the brim with sexual and racial stereotypes for cheap laughs. Neverthless, many of those laughs still worked. You won't be roaring with laughter, but there's many a playful smirk, some moments of malicious delight and snickering aplenty to be had here. It's really too bad a reasonably talented actress like Elizabeth Banks functions mostly as the butt of these jokes though, best jokes being dlivered by others bouncing off her, instead of her being allowed to really demonstrate her own comic abilities. And the romantic subplot is hardly worth mentioning due to its dull and predictable processions. Overall, this movie is a decent bit of entertainment on long winter nights when there really is nothing else worth checking out. In these modern digital times where almost everything you could ever want to behold is just a click away online, such a scenario is a rarity though.