Blindspot 2017: Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

Plot: Danny Ocean and his eleven accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.

Rating: 8.5/10

Brad Pitt and Matt Damon really is everywhere on my Blindspot list this year. I’m back with Brad Pitt today and looking at the 2001 heist film that proves just how cool Brad Pitt and George Clooney it.

If you are a clever deducer (I know that is not a word), you realized by the rating that I liked this. A good heist film remains a good heist film, and a fast paced, no-nonsense one provides for good entertainment. I thought the heist was brilliantly planned. The film is intelligent and quirky and doesn’t take time to tell its’ story.

The core actors certainly contribute towards the camaraderie Oceans provides in spades. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia, Casey Affleck, Bernie Mac – really everyone on screen was great to behold. There is a chemistry in the group that comes across as authentic. I especially liked George Clooney and Brad Pitt together. Both men were able to look and sound like old friends who were up to no good.

My favourite girl crush Julia Roberts was on screen again. She’s so talented and drop dead gorgeous and she’s so classy on screen. It takes a lot of an actress to be cold and angry and charming at the same time.

I really liked that this film didn’t take ages to get through and sort itself out – I hate a long drawn out affair as you all know. The plan was laid out, the men were recruited and informed and things went down. Can’t all films just go like that??

Have you seen Ocean’s Eleven? What did you think? I see the next film in the franchise is an all women cast – a relatively popular decision nowadays. What you all think about that?

April 24, 2017April 4, 2017 by Natasha Categories: 2017, Blindspot, Movies, movies, Review, ReviewsTags: Andy Garcia, Bernie Mac, Blindspot, Blindspot 2017, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Movies, Ocean's Eleven, Reviews 14 Comments

Blindspot 2017: The Departed (2006)

Plot: An undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.

Rating: 8/10

I might get shot for this, but I’ve now seen two Scorsese films – The Departed and The Wolf of Wallstreet. Both are some of DiCaprio’s finest work, so I don’t have anything to complain about.  Are all Scorsese films this long? The length is about the only thing I didn’t like about The Departed. It’s three hours, and in my opinion only a few films are allowed to go on this long. It is good though, so I was able to sit through it and pay attention.

Jack Nicholson makes a great gangster. He is criminal and cold and deranged in this film, and has a menacing presence even when he is nice to people. Finding Colin Sullivan and helping him out leads to Sullivan’s corruption, which makes that kind deed null and void on the scorecard of humanity. Colin Sullivan is portrayed by Matt Damon, a man so good at playing the good guy that I didn’t even think he’d do well as the bad guy. He was phenomenal as the reviled Sullivan, who has a perfect place in the State Police and so convincing even hardened cop Captain Ellerby (Alec Baldwin) suspects him of anything but a hardworking officer. Leonardo DiCaprio, the world’s boyfriend, plays Billy Costigan. In contrast to Sullivan, Billy entered the police force with honorable intentions. He is railroaded by his familial history, and Captain Queenan (Michael Sheen) and the cantankerous Staff Sergeant Dignam (Mark Whalberg) both have a hard time believing that he is what he says he is. They offer Billy a way to still serve his country despite his past, and plant him as a mole deep into the Frank Costello’s drug syndicate.

I loved the smartness of the characters. Sullivan is immoral but is so fast on his feet that you can’t help but admire him. Costigan is increasingly desperate to get out and has sporadic outbursts no one can blame him for. I really liked Costigan – Leonardo is definitely one of the best actors I’ve ever seen on screen. He embodies his character, and although no outward displays of dread can be seen in Costigan, DiCaprio still manages to show you exactly how much anger and fear his character is dealing with. I also really liked Mark Whalberg’s character – he’s so ornery and ready to fly off the handle and action ready. He hated everyone and he didn’t care if anyone hated him back. Alec Baldwin as Captain Ellerby was an upstanding man. I liked him, his direct attitude and approach. He was a bit gullible in the end and quite easily fooled by Sullivan though. No one that pretends to be that good is really that good.

The pace of The Departed is controlled, carefully laying out the story. It feels that it took ages to get to the end, the majority of the films time is spent developing every character’s situation properly and showing the viewer how incredibly close Sullivan and Costigan were to each other at all times. Being in love with the same woman is the best bit though. Beautiful poetry. The last twenty minutes keeps me from bitching too passionately about the length. Those 20 minutes were action packed and dramatic, leading to an enormously if shocking end. I appreciated the conclusion of the film and would have been furious if it had ended in another way – no justice would have happened.

If you haven’t seen The Departed yet and enjoy tense, complicated and well thought out films, you should definitely give it a try!

January 27, 2017January 21, 2017 by Natasha Categories: Blindspot, Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: Alec Baldwin, Anthony Anderson, Blindspot, Blindspot 2017, Drama, gangsters, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Corrigan, Leonardo DiCaprio, mafia, Mark Whalberg, Martin Scorsese, Martin Sheen, Matt Damon, Ray Winstone, The Departed, Vera Farmiga 13 Comments

Blindspot 2017: The List

A few things I can tell you about this list:

• I deliberately chose “lighter” films than last year. My 2016 list and 2015 list contained some serious heavy weights. I’m happy I got through them all, but to change things up I chose some films that were in a different genre than the other frequenters of my Blindspots.
• This list started forming as I was thinking about how little of Brad Pitt’s work I’ve actually watched – he’s quite popular on here.
• I am going to have a lot of fun watching these, I can tell.
• I actually have a small list of other films that I’ll post some time that I also want to watch this year despite it not being Blindspots.
• Here is my actual list below that I hope to enjoy and actually post monthly for the rest of the year.

1. Scream (1996)
2. Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
3. The Departed (2006)
4. Seven (1995)
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
6. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
7. Ghost (1990)
8. Basic Instinct (1992)
9. Goodwill Hunting (1997)
10. Interview with a Vampire (1994)
11. The Italian Job (2003)
12. Walk the Line (2005)

What did you choose this year? Let me know!

January 13, 2017January 11, 2017 by Natasha Categories: 2017, Blindspot, Movies, movies, UncategorizedTags: A Nightmare on Elm Street, Basic Instinct, Blindspot, Blindspot 2017, Brad Pitt, Edward Scissorhands, George Clooney, Ghost, Goodwill Hunting, Interview with A Vampire, Johnny Depp, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, Ocean's Eleven, Patrick Swayze, Robin Williams, Scream, Seven, Sharon Stone, The Italian Job, Tom Cruise, Walk The Line, Wes Craven 17 Comments

December 2016: Watched, Read, Loved

Happy 2017 everyone! I pretty much disappeared from the blog in December. I needed a break. I often am way too harsh on myself about blogging – wanting desperately to post five times a week. It is important to remind myself though that blogging is supposed to be fun and for times where I actually have the time. So I gave it a bit of a break and I am back feeling all refreshed!

It was also quite a sad December globally with the deaths of George Michael and Carrie Fisher. It seemed like 2016 kept knocking everyone down and I am really glad it ended. Let’s hope for a peaceful and fantastic 2017.

Series Watched:

Vampire Diaries Season 5: I am currently stalling with this season. It is a pretty rotten season and by far the worst of all the seasons so far. I need to finish it up but definitely not feeling all the bullshit of the season.

Alias season 1 and 2: EEK! I am having so much fun! It is so much fun! I can’t wait to review this.

Movies Watched:

Rogue One: A Star Wars movie. It was good, great excitement and all. I did like The Force Awakens better though.

Memento: This was my second last blindspot for 2016. It is mind tingling and interesting, well directed and acted. Definitely worthy of watching, despite me taking ages to get it done!

Annie: I put this on for my mother to watch. It was okay – very singy and full of children but not overly offensive. It’s definitely a film that parents can watch with their children without wanting to cry because it is so boring.

Twilight: I had such a weak moment! Want to review them all at some stage again.

Scream 1, 2 and 3: this was so much fun. I’m planning to do the fourth one soon. Great entertainment!

A Nightmare on Elm Street: Same here. I am having way too much fun with these old school thrillers.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies:  second time watching this and I loved it way too much.

The DUFF: I am racking up the watches on this film. I showed it to my mom and my bestie on separate occasions and they both really enjoyed it. Why so much hate against this film? I know it is completely different from the book, but the additions worked really well.

The Departed: The Departed is a film my bestie has told me to watch or be disowned. So I watched it with her just to make sure she had the evidence and everything 😀 did I like it? Yeah. Excellent performances and directing all around. I got a bit exhausted with the length of it, and that is about the only thing I didn’t like.

Me Before You (2016): after reading the thought provoking book I was quite amped for the film. I pushed it back when the reviews didn’t garner the most promising reviews I pushed it back. Bestie and I watched it on our visit, and it was okay. Not really bad, but Me Before You doesn’t carry as much emotional baggage as the book does.

Cruel Intentions: What a deranged film. I enjoyed it, but wow, deranged. Not something to watch with your parents, if you weren’t already aware.

Ocean’s Eleven:  I really liked this! Heist films done right is a treat for the soul man. Clooney and Pitt together? There can’t be a better idea out there.

Seven:  I got to see a young Brad Pitt as the excitable and young cop and Morgan Freeman as the intelligent, calm cop. It’s quite dark and deals with a demented serial killer. It had a dark and depressing atmosphere.

Books Read:

Dawson’s Creek – this is a compilation of short stories based on the series. I’d love to watch the series at some stage, but the book isn’t worth reviewing.

The Collaborator – Margaret Leroy – I can’t wait to post this! I really loved the book, and was so unhappy when I finished it.

The Martian – Andy Weir. The Martian was my favorite film of 2015, and I really wanted to get my hands on the novel. However, I’m struggling at this stage to get through it as it contains some unnecessary jargon in my opinion.

What were you up to in December? Tell me!

January 10, 2017January 8, 2017 by Natasha Categories: Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, Series, UncategorizedTags: A Nightmare on Elm Street, Alias, Andy Weir, Annie, Books, Bradley Cooper, Cruel Intentions, Damon Salvatore, Dawson's Creek, December, Elena Gilbert, Emilia Clarke, George Clooney, Guy Pearce, Jennifer Garner, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margaret Leroy, Matt Damon, Me Before You, Memento, Michael Vartan, monthly rundowns, Morgan Freeman, Movies, Ocean's Eleven, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Reading, Reese Witherspoon, Reviews, Rogue One, Ryan Phillipe, Sam Claflin, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Scream, Selma Blair, Series, Seven, Star Wars, Stefan Salvatore, Sydney Bristow, The Collaborator, The Departed, The DUFF, The Martian, Twilight, Vampire Diaries, Victor Garber, Wes Craven 6 Comments

Watched, Read, Loved: October 2016

October was by far the slowest month in my year in entertainment. I’m really hopeful that this is the last semester where I will ever have to write a BSc Theoretical exam, so I’ve spent every moment that I wasn’t at work in front of a book. I really hope it will pay off – my heart won’t be able to handle the trauma of failing a subject. So it has been quiet on the entertainment front and even the blog front, but I’ve managed to include see and read some things here and there though, so here is a quick rundown J

Watched:

Bourne Supremacy

I really hope I wrote a proper review on this, because I can barely recall the film now. I know it was fast paced and good and very Bourne, and I guess that is what counts.

10 Cloverfield Lane

I LOVED this. The review should be up some time this week, and I am totally with the crowd on this one. It was a phenomenal performance from all three main characters, and they were able to create maddening suspense throughout.

New Year’s Eve (2011)

I was quite obsessed with this film (to get to see it), and it was so meh. It was probably one of the last films Gary Marshall ever produced, and I hoped it would be something similar to Valentine’s Day. In all essence it was but lacked the heart.

You Again (2010)

I enjoyed this on the most basic level. It had a pretty good message that bullying stays with you forever and it was nice to watch such a light movie where romance wasn’t the core of the plot.

The Choice (2016)

I have this game with Nicholas Sparks movies where I HAVE to watch it despite knowing it will probably end up being super crap. But The Choice is one of the better ones, certainly better than the awful Best of Me, and I has a somewhat of a decent time with it.

Read:

The Woman Who Stole My Life (Marian Keyes)

I finally finished TWWSTM. It was gigantic, and maybe 50 pages too long and then ended up with a rough ending, but this is the least bizarre book I’ve read from Keyes in a while.

Definitely Dead / All Together Dead / From Dead to Worse

Exam brain wants me back on books where I need no brain power, and I’ve been reading some of the Southern Vampire Mysteries again. I’ve actually been having a really good time with this non-Pulitzer material.

New Moon (Stephanie Meyer)

I’m slowly making my way through these books. Bella is a joy to behold in this particular novel, let me tell you. I always have fun with this – part enjoyment; part scoffing, and it has been the perfect read throughout exam time.

I am Number Four (Pittacus Lore)

This book is SO good. It is obviously a book that was written at the beginning of the dystopic craze; because the ideas are original and GOOD, and things are named intelligently (the naming conventions in other dystopian novels are quite ridiculous). I need to finish this still, but it is going well.

On a Life front, those of you who follow me on Instagram will know that I got myself a new car. It really wasn’t an option as I was in a car accident that wrote my little Suzuki Alto off. To say I was upset was an understatement, and it was pretty stressful sorting it out. I have to say my insurers were absolutely fantastic, and I will (and have) recommended them to anybody. However, it was the first car I’d ever owned, and I was so heart sore about the entire process.

It feels like a lot of things have happened the last month. I’ve had a dear friend in hospital, I’ve been in an accident, there was a break-in at my sister’s boyfriend’s house and another friend of mine got attacked and robbed at gunpoint.  So it’s been quite hectic. I’m in need of a Bilbo Baggins holiday to say the LEAST. Oh, I also went to a bachelorettes that was quite wild, and let me tell you, I was shocked at some of the actions there. I’ve been to a significant amount of wild parties in my young life, so when I am shocked, I am S.H.O.C.K.E.D. It feels like I need a peaceful December without any drama. I am on leave for two weeks at the end of December (hear me sobbing in gratitude), and I am so happy that I will get to a place where I don’t need to start functioning at 4:30 am. It will be great.

Anyway, what’s news on your side?

PS: Let’s not even talk about my Blindspot progress. It’s worse than the state of the American election right now.

PPS: I can’t wait until Hillary wins JUST so that Donald can shut TF up.

November 8, 2016November 6, 2016 by Natasha Categories: 2016, Books, Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: 10 Cloverfield Lane, Abigail Breslin, Ashton Kutcher, Betty White, Bourne Supremacy, Charlaine Harris, Halle Berry, Hector Elizondo, Hilary Swank, I am Number Four, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Bourne, Jessica Biel, John Goodman, Jon Bon Jovi, Josh Duhamel, Katherine Heigl, Kristen Bell, Ludacris, Marian Keyes, Matt Damon, Michelle Pfeiffer, monthly rundowns, New Moon, New Year's Eve, Nicholas Sparks, October, Odette Yustman, Pittacus Lore, Robert DeNiro, Romantic Comedies, Sarah Jessica Parker, Seth Meyers, Sigourney Weaver, Sofia Vergara, Sookie Stackhouse, Southern Vampires, Stephanie Meyer, Teresa Palmer, The Choice, The Woman who stole my life, thriller, Til Schweiger, You Again, Zac Efron 4 Comments

Movie Review: The Martian (2015)

Plot:During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive

Rating: 10/10

I have never, for any movie, given a full score on this blog. It stems from my grade four days where the teacher believed that nothing deserved a perfect score because then there wasn’t room for improvement (Such a cheerful woman).

Well, Mrs. Van den Berg, The Martian is perfect so I’m giving it 10/10. I can’t think of anything that annoyed me or should have been done in another way. The Martian is both a cinematic masterpiece and a feel good movie, which, as we know, is impossible to pull off.

Don’t be mistaken, you are going to sit and watch the Martian for a long time – it is very close to three hours. However, I did not even care about the time passing. Any shorter would have rushed the whole movie and it would not have been so good. Ridley Scott is in top form and I hope he stays that way. The pace of the movie is tightly controlled and he worked the cast to perform their best.

I will question the sanity of the Academy if Matt Damon does not get an Oscar. The film also deserves the Oscar for best film. Mark Watney is perfectly written. He manages to be on Mars, stranded, dying, but still find a way to keep himself alive. He has made me more determined to pass Botany, because that shit saves lives. His humor and determination to solve problems, and the sad way he keeps himself sane and only loses it a handful of times makes him one of my favorite characters to ever be written.

 

I will start the discussion of support characters with Melissa Lewis, played by Jessica Chastain. Jessica Chastain is quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses. She carefully picks her roles so she doesn’t end up with mediocre movies; she is phenomenally talented as an actress and is incredibly beautiful. Melissa Lewis made an amazing woman and commander, the way she managed her team and how she went about it. It makes me really optimistic that there were so many strong female character roles in The Martian – it is uplifting and not one of them were typecast or silly or dumbed down at the end.

 

Continuing onto the crew, I thought that Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Michael Pena and Aksel Hennie all did superb work as the other astronauts in the Ares III. They all had their independent roles and personalities and weren’t only there as seat fillers. I especially liked Alex Vogel’s (Aksel Hennie) love and commitment to his family. I found the smidge of romance injected into two of the character’s story really sweet and perfectly placed – it was only a very small part of the story.

Then the crew on earth had Sean Bean in, whose notable performance can be further celebrated by the fact that he did not die. It’s true, I’m not lying. They even injected a Lord of The Rings reference into one of his scenes, and I enjoyed that thoroughly. I really liked his character Mitch Henderson – Sean Bean can really pull of the quietly-dignified-but-still-disapproving look so well.

I can keep on discussing further performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor, MacKenzie Davis and Donald Glover but I won’t as this is getting to a rather long review. However, I will briefly mention Kristen Wiig, who impressed me by not being another comedic role and who did a wonderful job as the NASA spokesperson.

The humor that was part of the movie was perfectly written in and beautifully portrayed. The many uses of ductape was probably a favorite of mine – it is everywhere in the film. The adoration for coffee was another favorite as well as the exasperation you saw on so many employees’ faces when they were told to get a job done faster than what made sense.

The camaraderie between the astronauts was hilarious and touching. It seemed as if they were real coworkers and their banter was endearing.

There are a lot of things I want to keep on mentioning – I never want to forget how much I enjoyed this film the first time I saw it. Its success lies in being so human – Mark Watney does nothing that makes you pity him, but his lonely fate on Mars is heartbreaking to behold. His crew’s anguish in leaving him behind and how the citizens on the planet band together to bring him back home was a glimpse of the good side of humanity. NASA seems to be fangirling about the Martian as much as we are, and that makes it even more fun. I can’t help but think The Martian coinciding with the discovery that there is water on Mars isn’t a PR dream for them right now.

We probably can’t be friends if you dislike this movie. I am sorry. Go watch it, go like it, and come talk to me.

October 12, 2015October 11, 2015 by Natasha Categories: 2015, Movies, ReviewsTags: Aksel Hennie, Andy Weir, astronaut, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Donald Glover, Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Kristen Wiig, MacKenzie Davis, Mark Watney, Mars, Martian, Matt Damon, Mellisa Lewis, Michael Pena, movie, NASA, Review, Ridley Scott, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, The Martian 14 Comments

Blindspot 2015: Interstellar (2014)

Plot: In the near future, Earth has been devastated by drought and famine, causing a scarcity in food and extreme changes in climate. When humanity is facing extinction, a mysterious rip in the space-time continuum is discovered, giving mankind the opportunity to widen its lifespan. A group of explorers must travel beyond our solar system in search of a planet that can sustain life. The crew of the Endurance are required to think bigger and go further than any human in history as they embark on an interstellar voyage into the unknown. Coop, the pilot of the Endurance, must decide between seeing his children again and the future of the human race.

Rating: 8.5/10

Dr. Brand sets the somber tone for Interstellar with his rendition of Dylan Thomas’ famous words: “Do not go gentle into that good night; Old age should burn and rave at close of day. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”The devastating wasteland that earth has become has had a profound effect of the human race – Earth has finally revolted against the never ending abuse it received and is slowly getting revenge – the human race is dying out.  NASA, nearly defunct, searches desperately for a planet that can sustain human life; as well as a way to get there alive.

That is how Cooper, a retired astronaut, gets to go into space again. His daughter Murph never forgives him, even as time passes in its strange pattern and she grows older.

I expected to hate Interstellar. I actually hoped I would – nothing is more annoying than the hype big movies generate. Sure, it is great for their budget, but it is so conformist. I thought it would be fussily intellectual – which I hate – but it wasn’t. There were some big concepts but it didn’t go overhead. The concepts weren’t constantly being discussed on screen either, which helped move the story in understandable lines. Interstellar managed to march towards three hours without killing the storyline. It was needed to properly illustrate the story.

 

The graphics were amazing. Christopher Nolan and his team did a phenomenal job. The vast emptiness of space was beautiful and in stark contrast with the destructive zone Earth has become – there is a feeling that at least the human race didn’t destroy space yet. The wormhole – can I just say WOW? That doesn’t sum it up accurately but it was the only feeling I felt, awe. The water planet and then crazy Matt Damon’s planet, and I will get to him in a moment, was absolutely beautiful to behold.

The cast did a wonderful job. Matthew McConaughey as Cooper – his apathy with being on earth, his decision to leave, his role as an astronaut – it was wonderful.  I love his slow Texan drawl so much. It makes him sound lazy and hurried at the same time, and it worked for the character. I wasn’t jumping around when I saw Anne Hathaway, but it is a testament to the excellence of Interstellar that she didn’t annoy the living hell out of me. Both McKenzie Foy and Jessica Chastain as the young and older Murphy did great – the two meshed their actions well enough that they ended up looking as the same person. Murphy’s story was really sad; losing her mother and her father and then having to watch the years pass knowing he was out there and never getting to see him. I also enjoyed Timothee Chalamet and Casey Affleck as young and older Tom Cooper, although the character took a backseat compared to Murph’s story.

Now, let’s just focus for a few seconds on the MAD Matt Damon. I think he did a really good job in here, that his role was well done and that he was great in his part here – not a big one but an important one, showing the perils of being alone too long as well as being crazy. Why anyone would let him back into space (i.e. The Martian), I don’t know, but I’m worried.

Now, it has to be mentioned why I haven’t rated this movie at least a 9/10 – the quality certainly justifies it. I cannot for the life of me understand why LOVE had to be brought into a movie that is pure, wonderful science, and by one of the only TWO women in the movie. Anne Hathaway’s amazing Brand was totally killing it, and there she went, her choices being influenced by her silly little love story. It didn’t gel and deducted awesome points from the character and the storyline. It is a movie about SCIENCE. Done.Love is a human emotion and thus not quantifiable, idiots. If it was Anger, Jealousy and Hate would also be quantifiable.

 

Apart from that one slight, Interstellar was a jaw dropping, humbling experience. I will gladly watch it again – it seems like the type of movie where you will always notice something new. The great concepts, the wonderful score by Hans Zimmer, the graphics and the acting makes for a masterful movie that can now live with the greats.

 

PS: I will post two Blindspots in October, as I had no time to review one in September 🙂

October 9, 2015October 6, 2015 by Natasha Categories: 2014, Blindspot, Movies, ReviewTags: Anne Hathaway, Blindspot, Blindspot 2015, Casey Affleck, Christopher Nolan, Earth, Interstellar, Jessica Chastain, Matt Damon, Matthew McConaughey, McKenzie Foy, Michael Cane, Sci-Fi, Space, Space Movies, Timothee Chalamet 12 Comments

Movie Review: The Monuments Men (2014)

Plot: (via IMDb) An unlikely World War II platoon is tasked to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their owners

Rating: 6/10

The Monuments Men is an odd, schmaltzy mix that had an interesting premise but fell through the second it really started moving. It achieved one thing and that was to show that a stellar cast is but one of the factors required making a movie successful.

More often than not it isn’t clear if the characters are smirking or if they are defiant against the Nazis. George Clooney oozes buckets of charm but manages to look like he actually gives a shit about the men or the art. Absolutely no insight was given on whether these soldiers fought with their decision to leave their families, most were like, “yeah, and why not?”  vibe about them joining such a dangerous task.

George never lets you forget that if you take away the culture you take away the people, and that is something I really believe in. The story never really focuses on the culture or the people and doesn’t convince the audience to accompany them on a wild journey.

I found it way too campy to address the Nazis – what Hitler did will always remain a “too soon” topic for any type of comedic representation on screen. It is awfully upbeat and campy with the camaraderie not pulling the movie to the appropriate level of brotherhood.  There is a lot of war propaganda flowing out of that movie and smacks of political ideology that I don’t appreciate for a second.

The only good thing in here is Cate Blanchett. Her accent might slip here and there but her cold distrust and cool nature is very well done.  I also like Matt Damon so that made the scenes he was in more bearable.  The romantic subplot between these two confused me to no end – what exactly is the point of it and the execution even seemed pointless. Romance wasn’t a necessary aspect to this film and seems unnecessary.

The big problem with MM is that you can’t take such a mammoth task and fit it into one movie of two hours. It won’t work. I think it could have made an amazing series, but this whole involvement with George Clooney left me quite dissatisfied!

June 1, 2015September 12, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Movies, ReviewsTags: Cate Blanchett, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Movies, Reviews, The Monuments Men, World War 2 Comments

Movie Review: Contagion (2011)

Plot: Healthcare professionals, government officials and everyday people find themselves in the midst of a worldwide epidemic as the CDC works to find a cure.

 

Rating: 6.5/10

There are a few things that really excite me: Epic South-African sporting victories over other countries, stationary, exciting and well written books, intense movies and outbreaks of mutant diseases. I think my interest in epidemics is what motivated me the most to go into microbiology – it’s fascinating to consider how such a small thing can constantly change to keep humanity on its’ knees.

Therefore I was rather excited to watch Contagion. I didn’t enjoy it all that much, however, although it wasn’t bad or anything. I think what was mostly wrong is that they didn’t know what they wanted to do with the movie. If I’m going to watch a movie like this I want to see things like symptoms of the virus, mutation and diagnosing – all of which were mostly ignored. The spread of the disease got some coverage and that I enjoyed, particularly noting again how many times people touch each other and things on a daily basis. I thought that anyone who watched this without medical background could very easily be bored and confused. They attempted to show that the fear surrounding the epidemic made the epidemic that much worse and I do agree with that but it still felt jumpy and confusing.

The cast is really solid and that contributed greatly to the marginal success of the film – all over the globe the epidemic was spreading and everyone was freaking out. It did feel that the characters were all over the place and they could only get a certain amount of attention before having to focus on something else.

I would have loved to have known what Marion Cottliard’s character finally got up to when she realized that the government had given a small Chinese community placebo’s instead of real vaccines, because she just got up and left the airport but nothing really else.

I really enjoyed Matt Damon’s portrayal as Mitch Emhoff. He was the guy on the ground that you could associate with and how his fear stayed tangible after he was declared immune because his daughter could still contract the disease.

I absolutely loathed Jude Law as Alan Krumwiede. I could quite literally carry on for days about people like him and his ridiculous beliefs. He was so cocky, arrogant and power hungry and I just wanted to slap him at the end of it.

I was reminded of some truths:

That the government will always be seen as wrong during outbreaks.

That I absolutely HATE Anti-Vaxxers. If there is one thing on this planet that makes me see red it is a bunch of people that will endanger their lives as well as those of their children because they went on the internet and got some “information” that convinces them that vaccines causes autism. How can you blindly ignore the overwhelming evidence of the positive impact vaccines have had on our society?

That clinical trials are both necessary and paralyzing to society. The first thing you ever learn in clinical trials is the importance of it and the ramifications of what happens when a vaccine hasn’t been completely tested for safety. History has evidence of clinical trials at its worst and what had been done to prevent it from ever happening again. However, and I think it is going to become a big issue as tropical disease outbreaks increase with rising temperatures that a faster way is needed to prove the efficacy and safety of vaccines.

Contagion had ridiculous moments – WHO and the CDC are much more adept at controlling spread of viruses and it went downhill the second the doctor injected herself with the vaccine and tested it by coming in contact with her infected father.  She would probably have lost her job and sent to a mental facility, not applauded.

I think if a movie like this was released now it would be highly popular in light of the Ebola outbreak but it would really have to be better developed. I had a marginally good time with this, although I do think that there was a lot of wasted potential that eventually happened.

Overall, the movie had some ridiculous moments but I still had a fine time watching a movie about a topic I have some knowledge about.

March 17, 2015March 14, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Movies, ReviewsTags: Contagion, Gwyneth Patlrow, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Movies, Outbreak, Reviews, Vaccines 11 Comments

Blindspot 2015: Invictus (2009)

Nelson Mandela: “Brothers, sisters, comrades: I am here because I believe you have made a decision with insufficient information and foresight. I am aware of your earlier vote. I am aware that it was unanimous. Nonetheless, I believe we should restore the Springboks; restore their name, their emblem and their colors, immediately. Let me tell you why. On Robben Island, in Pollsmoor Prison, all of my jailers were Afrikaners. For 27 years, I studied them. I learned their language, read their books, their poetry. I had to know my enemy before I could prevail against him. And we DID prevail, did we not? All of us here… we prevailed. Our enemy is no longer the Afrikaner. They are our fellow South Africans, our partners in democracy. And they treasure Springbok rugby. If we take that away, we lose them. We prove that we are what they feared we would be. We have to be better than that. We have to surprise them with compassion, with restraint and generosity; I know, all of the things they denied us. But this is no time to celebrate petty revenge. This is the time to build our nation using every single brick available to us, even if that brick comes wrapped in green and gold. You elected me your leader. Let me lead you now.”

This is the second review of my Blindspot choices, check out my review of Casablanca here

Plot: Nelson Mandela, in his first term as the South African President, initiates a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

 

Rating: 7/10

In my usual way with my superb planning skills, I didn’t post a Blindspot post last month, so this month there will be TWO. I have a long line of reasoning why exactly I didn’t post in February, but it will take way too long to type out so let’s just talk what I thought about Invictus!

Respectfully said, it usually irritates the shit out of me when the world tries to understand and dissect South-Africa’s history and the Apartheid struggle. I feel that few other countries understand the emotions involved, especially when it comes to Nelson Mandela and the 1995 World Cup. I really wanted to see the movie but knew I would likely walk out unimpressed with it.

It did come as a surprise that I enjoyed parts of it. Morgan Freeman did a beautiful job portraying Mandela, although his South-African accent slipped quite frequently and the American came through very strong. Freeman managed to bring that incomprehensible humility and forgiveness that is such a big part of Mandela’s character.

Matt Damon gave me days of laughter as Francois Pienaar. The few Afrikaans words were hilarious in pronunciation, and his determined switching back to English immediately is quite humorous if you consider that Pienaar is as Afrikaans as a koeksister. I did like Damon in here though; he made you understand how difficult it must have been for Pienaar to carry a nation’s reconciliation on his shoulders.

I enjoyed seeing some South-African actors in here and it’s pretty awesome that they got to play a part in a Hollywood film. It was very obvious by the accents who were truly South-African and who had taken lessons to pronounce those “Rs” so loudly. (Tip: All those bodyguards are definitely South-African)

I liked how the movie followed numerous characters through the movie to try and capture the reconciliation process: The black boy who initially wouldn’t touch a Springbok jersey in fear of retaliation from his friends who ended up attending the final game, the white South-Africans who initially booed Mandela in the stadium who ended up cheering themselves hoarse for him, Pienaar’s hopelessness in carrying his team through the tournament ended up in him ferociously leading them through the tournament and then finally Mandela’s bodyguards who distrusted each other and ended up playing rugby together and cheering at the final.

I had some issues with the directing – it seemed rushed in places and vague in others, and didn’t feel properly worked off. I also wished they could have done the national anthem properly, because their take on it is NOTHING like the roaring at South-African sporting games (they could basically just have taken any old recording and that would have been way better)

Overall I enjoyed this movie, and although it didn’t capture the heart of what really happened, it also didn’t annoy me too much.

March 10, 2015March 8, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Movies, ReviewsTags: Blindspot, Francois Pienaar, Invictus, Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, Movies, Nelson Mandela, Reviews 7 Comments