Montag, 25. August 2014

WHEN ANIMALS DREAM - Movie Review

 Title: When Animals Dream (orig.: Når dyrene drømmer)
Running Time: 84 min
Director: Jonas Alexander Arnby 
Starring: Sonja Oftebro, Lars Mikkelsen, Jakob Oftebro

Review:
After great comedies like "Adam's Apples" or "The Green Butcher", and gritty thrillers like "Headhunters" or the "Millennium Trilogy", one really shouldn't underestimate Skandinavian film making. So when the name of a Danish production company popped up at the beginning of last weeks sneak preview, I didn't mind at all, and curiously watched as the plot of  "When Animals Dream" unfolded.
It evolves around 16-year old Marie, who lives on a small island with her father and mother, the latter of which appears to be seriously ill. Thus, she has to take care of her, without being fully grown up herself, but that's not all. Something mysterious is going on with her, and she discovers the darker sides of her personality.
What might as well be the premiss of another bromidic adaptation of a young adult novel, is really more of a drama with a fantasy/horror element. It is a movie thats certainly not for everyone. With its very slow narrative tempo and more silent moments than actual dialogue, it takes some patience and will probably bore you if you're not into that kind of stuff. If however you are looking for different type of film, with the typical dreary northern atmosphere, then this movie might be worth your attention. It's an interesting take on the topic (which i try not to spoil here) and if you want to stay surprised, I do not recommend watching the trailer as it firstly gives away a lot and secondly is missleading in terms of the amount of action presented in this movie.
So all in all, this isn't a film you will invite your friends over for, but rather something to check out out of personal interest. 

For Fans Of: 
Black Swan (2010)
Let Me In (2010)
Penny Dreadful (2014 - TV Series)

And check out my friend's review over at B.A.'s Screentest for a second opinion! (Spoiler Alert)

Donnerstag, 21. August 2014

LUCY - Movie Review

 Title: Lucy
Running Time: 89 min
Director: Luc Besson
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Min-sik Choi, Amr Waked

Review:
The theory that humans use only ten percent of their brain capacity has already been proven false back in the 1980's, and yet, in 2011, Neil Burger's "Limitless" managed to build a highly intoxicating thriller around this exact same myth. Now, three years later, french director Luc Besson tries his luck with a similar premise, but a much more science-fictitious approach. So does his version of the false fact work just as well? Unfortunately, not quite so.
There is a lot of greatness in "Lucy", especially at the beginning. The stylistic choices in the opening scene are extremely clever, and beautiful modern film making. The film in general is very good-looking and has a lot of powerfull imagery and symbolism going on. Despite all this potential however, the film fails to captivate the viewer.
All the science presented is of course totally non-sense, but the actual problem in this movie is probably its lack conflict and characters to identify with. About twenty minutes into the movie, our main character is already kind of indestructible, and so every action sequence (while still looking really cool) loses its thrill as at no point we feel anything to be a real threat to our protagonist. Her humanity disappears without any sign of inner struggle, and since she gained her abilities through something that was essentially designed as a street drug, she doesn't even seem to be special or "chosen". That the other characters in the movie also seem oddly okay with someone basically turning into... well... God, and their lack of character development do not help either. And finally, the flash drive ending is just completely bonkers.
Overall, with some adjustments here and there, Lucy could have been a great sci-fi action thriller, but instead falls flat after a good start. Watchable, and somewhat entertaining, but not for movie theater prices. Catch this one on free TV or maybe as a rental.


For Fans Of:
Limitless (2011)
Transcendence (2014)
Matrix Revolutions (2003)

Click Here To Watch Trailer!

Samstag, 16. August 2014

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES - Movie Review

 Title: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Running Time: 130 min
Director: Matt Reeves
Starring: Andy Serkis, Toby Kebbel, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Kussel

Review:
When Producer Arthur P. Jacobs bought the rights to Pierre Boulle's novel "La Planète des Singes" in 1963, he probably didn't expect that he'd start a franchise that would last 50 years and counting. The original film adaptation with Charlton Heston was a huge success and turned into a classic. Now, four sequels, one television series, an aweful reboot, and a critically acclaimed "re-reboot"/prequel later, we get the latest installment of this incredible saga*. Following  the events of "Rise" the movie takes us a step further to how the Planet of the Apes actually came to be. And it does so in an amazing way.
"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" keeps you invested from the very first scene until the end credits roll. It is a true blockbuster, that is very well paced and full of action, heart and a lot of social commentary. The latter is actually impossible to miss, as the whole story evolves around two groups (in this case species) that are at the brink of war, mostly because of missunderstandings, preconceptions and radical individuals within their own ranks. This believable depiction of conflict might make the story predictable at some points, but only because real conflicts really do seem to follow similar patterns.
And then there's of course the elephant gorilla in the room: The visual effects! If you are not in it for content, there is no need to worry for this movie is truely a feast for the eyes! With the most advanced technique of performance capture Weta Workshop has done a groundbreaking job with the visuals. Seeing how they trasformed the actors into such realistic apes simply leaves you in awe and is an enchanting experience. If this movie does not get the Oscar Gold for its VFX, i doubt there is a sane person left in the Academy.
However, this method is called performance capture for a reason and in no way should the computer animation overshadow the fantastic job these actors have done. Andy Serkis, the god of playing animated characters, outperforms himself once again and elevates all his co-stars on to his level. Not only do they get the strong emotions across, but they physically play apes at the same time. Posture, movement and facial expressions are so spot on, that at no point in the movie you have the feeling you are watching film actors pretending to be apes, but rather apes acting in a film.
Further it needs to be mentioned that, unlike in Avatar for example, 90% of the scenes were shot on location, which meant an even greater challenge for the actors and  the VFX-Team. But before I run out of positive adjectives, I urge you to check out all the behind the scenes footage you can get your hands on and much more importantly to watch this film in theaters!

*so basically the sequel of the prequel of the planet of the apes, which is basically a reboot.

For Fans Of:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Malcom X (1992)

Click Here To Watch Trailer!

And check out my friend's review over at B.A.'s Screentest for a second opinion!

Dienstag, 12. August 2014

In Memory Of Robin Williams

 Hello there fellow film lovers,
it has been quite some time since my last entry, and yet, I wish I didn't have a reason to post something today. However, as you might have heard by now, yesterday on August 11, 2014, the great Robin Williams died at age 63.

This news really took me by surprise and never has the passing of a celebrity affected me as much as this one. Probably because this was the person whose films I grew up with. More than a familiar face on TV. The man who could always make me laugh.
As a little kid, I watched "Jumanji" over and over again till it annoyed the heck out of my relatives and to this day it is the film I've seen the most. It was pure movie magic the first time and every other time I popped in that VHS and pressed the play button. "Mr. Doubtfire", "Jack" and especially "Hook" are more examples of how Robin Williams not only entertained me as a child, but spawned my imagination and gave me role models to look up to.
As I got older I had the pleasure of enjoying his more serious works, and saw that his warmth and kindness translated to drama as good as they did to comedy. With his outstanding performance in "Good Will Hunting" he gave us what a professor of mine called 'the best portrayal of a psychologist in film ever', which earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Also, his perfect delivery in "Dead Poets Society" (as seen below) gives you even more chills now that he's passed away. And finally as if we needed more proof of his talent, he even managed to creep us out by playing against his usual type in films such as "Insomnia" and "One Hour Photo".
I could talk all day about so many brilliant pieces in his filmography, but what is really worth mentioning is that (looking at his co-stars and friends) his affectionate and warm-hearted on-screen-persona must have been just the same when the cameras turned off. The world lost a great artist, but more importantly, it lost a great human being!

Carpe Diem,
Your Cinemartian



"I could not be more stunned by the loss of Robin Williams, mensch, great talent, acting partner, genuine soul." 
- Steve Martin

"Robin was a lightning storm of comic genius and our laughter was the thunder that sustained him. He was a pal and I can't believe he's gone."
- Steven Spielberg

"I've never known a sweeter, brighter, more considerate person than Robin. Robin's commitment as an artist to lifting our mood and making us happy is compared to none. He loved us all and we loved him back."
- John Travolta

 "His kindness and generosity is what I think of. How kind he was to anyone who wanted to connect with him. And he could not help but be funny all the time. He would do something as long as it would keep you laughing. He made many, many film crews laugh out loud before the audiences ever saw it. He made such a big impact on the world." 
- Ben Stiller

"Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets. The Obama family offers our condolences to Robin’s family, his friends, and everyone who found their voice and their verse thanks to Robin Williams." 
- Barack Obama

"I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken." 
- Susan Schneider