#11 - A Place beyond the Pines (07/15/2013)

This movie was probably the most intriguing movie I have seen this year, although at first I didn't like it. The reason for this wasn't the movie itself, but my expectations. Without spoiling anything I can tell that the advertising of the movie was giving the wrong impression about what the movie truely is and therefore deceptive.

While the advertising left me under the impression that this movie was an average but good crime thriller it is in reality so much more that makes bold artistic decisions.

Ryan Gosling proves, why he is one of the top actors of his generation. His protrayal of "Luke" in this movie manages to gain sympathies for a character the otherwise would be considered a villain or simply just annoying. Yet the viewer manages to see Luke's softer and kind side as he tries to do the right thing, despite choosing the wrong path. We get an idea of the man he could have become had his life started differently and this is what makes him likable.

On the other side we have Bradley Cooper as "Avery", who with this movie shows that his great performance in "Silver Linings Playbook" was by no means a one-off thing. Actually I think he is even better in "A Place beyond the Pine", as he manages to develop his character with very little screen time and Avery's transformation feels genuine and this makes it all more shocking to the viewer.

The only down side is occasionally the writing. The story overall is great but sometimes the characters' decisions are not logical or at least incomprehensible. These are however minor issues that can be forgiven.

Sometimes the pace is  a little slow but this is neccessary for the unique atmosphere of the movie. There are a lot of scenes without dialogue and the situations we observe the characters in are so personal, that one feels ocasionallly like a voyeur instead of a viewer.

If you look for a fast paced action thriller, this is not the movie you should watch. On the other hand if you want to see a movie full of fresh ideas and with a unique atmosphere you won't be disappointed watching "A Place beyond the Pines". The movie isn't perfect but it deserves a special credit for the risks it takes and its new ideas, especially in a time when the market is flodded with dozens of pointless remakes.

Points 8/10

#9 - Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (03/01/2013)

I have to admit I had been looking forward to this movie, because the trailer promised a fun movie, without too much depth but solid entertainment. Also with Framke Janssen, Gemma Arterton and Jeremy Renner it had very good cast.

To create a movie as a second part to the classic fairy tale was an almost brilliant idea. It had all ingridients to make an interesting plot: lead characters with personal issues, revenge, witches and magic, action, mystery and a lot more. 

Unforunately the movie fails to explore its full potential. The action scenes are creative but for my taste a tad to bloody. Don't get me wrong I don't mind watching a bloody movie, if it fits the story but in this case the viewer gets the impression of a literal overkill. There are some things I really don't need to see while stuffing myself with popcorn. 

*minor spoilers*

The actors were as good as expected, but unfortunately they are not given enough to work with. We get some interesting scenes with the siblings (Played by Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton) , while they try to deal with their past or when they face emotional dilemmas. Unfortunately these scenes remain very marginal and the director rushes back to bloody fighting scenes ,without exploring these issues in depth. This is not surprising considering the movie is only 88 minutes long. 

The general look of the movie is great! The leather costumes are simply sexy and the guns look cool and retro. This gives the movie and almost steampunkish look. 

It is a pity that the director Tommy Wirkola didn't make use of everything he was given. Simply by adding 20 minutes of storyline the movie would have improved significantly as the viewer would have cared more about the characters and they'd been given more depth. I felt well entertained nonetheless and would recommend the movie anytime for a dvd movie night with friends, where it doesn't matter if you miss two minutes of a movie while you get some popcorn. 

Points 5/10

#8 - Silver Linings Playbook (01/20/2013)

What drew me initially to this movie was that it had a different approach to two topics that have almost been sucked dry by Hollywood. 

The first is the classic lovestory. One has seen it in all variations and what most have in common is that despite the obvious the leads are kind of a catch. This is where Silver Linings Playbook is different. the leads are basically broken people one would consider "undateable". 

Second and more important in my point of view is the issue of mental health problems. While most movies or tv shows only deal with extreme cases e.g. psychotic killers or comically distorted versions of people suffering from OCD, this movie in my opinion shows the real deal. What happens when people are released from the mental health facilities and try to adjust to normal life. How they deal with an illness they have to accept as part of their life as other people have to accept diabetes. 

Silver Linings Playbook deals with this in a sensitve yet entertaining way. Pat, the lead character, is never ridiculed, on the contrary, the movie shows how he fights bravely to get his life back on track despite the ocasional set back. 

Bradley Cooper's protayal is nuanced and engaging. In one simple phrase: He makes you care for Pat! I have seen some of his work before and while I considered him a decent actor until now, he literally blew me away in this movie. 

Opposite of Bradley Cooper they casted Jennifer Lawrence, who is proving to be one of the most promising actresses despite being only 22 years old. While her introduction is rather slow and slightly tedious she manages to quickly give depth to her character. A lot of people have mentioned the age gap between the two leads, but to be honest I wouldn't have noticed had I not known the actors real life ages. Especially since Jennifer Lawrence interpretation is very mature her character seems much older. 

Also the supporting cast is a sheer delight Robert de Niro in particular whose acting skills are well known and don't require further comment. 

While the movie is smart entertaining, there are also some negative points in my opinion. The introduction is a little too slow for my taste so that in the end the pace quickens a little too much (Due to Hollywoods recent idea that movie shouldn't be much longer that 120 Minutes). But this seems more like a matter of personal taste. 

All in all I really enjoyed this movie, it has some great acting, awesome writing and the right balance between entertainment and sophisticated art. 

Points 8/10

#6 - "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" (12/22/2012)

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is certainly the most expected movie of the last 5 years. The prequel to the Lord of the Ring triology was highly anticipated. 

Although most of the (new) cast was fairly unknown it was spot on. In particular Richard Armitage manages to impress. He easily takes on the role as the "fighting hero" "Thorin" and doesn't have to fear comparison with Viggo Mortensen's Aragorn. Martin Freeman nails every scene as young Bilbo Baggins closing the gap between Ian Holm and himself. He mimics Holm's moves perfectly giving them the dynamics of a younger version of Bilbo. His facial expressions are priceless and hopefully this movie will get him the public recognition he deserves. Ian McKellen is brilliant as always and including Ian Holm and Elijah Wood in the beginning was a clever move by Peter Jackson to connect this movie even further to the original triology. 

Although we already see Gimli fighting in Lord of the Rings the constant arguing with Legolas turned it into a sort of comic relieve, a good one, don't get me wrong. In this movie we see the dwarves fighting seriously for the first time and  it is fantastic. Without loosing the charactics eastablished in Lord of the Rings they are lifted to central heroes and it works. 

The additions and alterations to the story in comparison to the novel are fitting and organic. The story is fast paced without ever being hectic. I am certain many purists will be upset with them but in my opinion this is an interpretation of the novel, that works perfectly. 

For me the only real downside it that the proportions between the dwarves, the hobbits and humans that were so carefully established in Lord of the Rings, don't always match in this movie. 

All in all the movie is awesome, although it lacks a little of the magic that made the Lord of the Rings unique, but since it is barely the exposition to new triology this can be forgiven. Peter Jackson has once more proven that he is a great director with an eye for details only few possess. 

8/10 points 

#2 - Magic Mike

First of all I would like to state that I was talked into watching this movie by my niece. This means I didn't expect anything at all from this movie but spending a fun afternoon with my niece. Although when I realised that this had been directed by Steven Sonderbergh I thought I might be in for nice popcorn movie. 

Let's start with the good things. Channing Tatum did a good job playing the lead. His performance is credible and one wished he could have gotten a little more to work with. He got to prove he is a good dancer once more and his routines were the only ones  that weren't boring and looked cool (Because it takes more to a sexy male dance than just move the hips). He was also convincing protraying his character's journey. One can also tell he has worked as a stripper, as he is the only one that is convincing. 

Unfortunately this is where the good parts of the movie end. Most of the dialog was not only flat but just plain stupid. While the story made an atempt to show the decadence of the life style they lead it failed entirely to show any consequences. Two characters take a drug overdose and basically they just sleep it off and that is it. Nobody ever gets pregnant or a veneral disease from sleeping around recklessly. 

I was surprised at Matthew McConauughey's poor performance, which I assume was due to the bad script since he is usually a decent actor. But his character always reminds me of a cartoon. Alex Pettyfer just looked bored throughout the movie. The rest of the strippers remain flat clichés and one couldn't even remember their characters' names. 

In Germany the film was considered suitable for children of 12 years and older (I think in the US it would be PG-13), which in my opinion was totally wrong. The movie has a clear adult theme and since it is protrayed quiet onesided it can be "dangerous" for young kids and teenagers. 

All in all it is a pity, that no more effort was put into the script because the general idea had potential. If the remaining stripper characters weren't going to be doing much acting anyhow, why not bring in real dancers to create some spectarular dance routines (with the expection of Channing Tatum who does some great dancing!). The movie might have worked as comedy with this dialog and the characters but not as a drama.

Points 3/10