Tag Archives: 2018

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Cold War (2018) – Review

Review Cold war

Poland, the 1950s. Wiktor (Tomasz Kot), together with a number of colleagues, travels through the country to ensure that traditional music is not lost and does so by recording it. They start an organization to perform this music and Wiktor meets the rebellious Zula (Joanna Kulig). The two are getting closer and closer, but as the success of this folklore group increases, the regime also sees it as a perfect way to promote itself, something Wiktor is not enthusiastic about. He devises a plan to escape with Zula to the west so that they can be together and do what they want, but whether that is realistic, is the question. Continue reading →

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Mary Poppins Returns (2018) – Review

Review Mary Poppins Returns
Nothing is as magical as seeing a movie on the big screen. Because of its size and sound, it is an environment in which you forget everything around you and where you are pulled into the screen. During the running time of the film you are in a place where anything is possible. I thought it would be a good idea to see Mary Poppins Returns at the cinema, because the original Mary Poppins was pure magic. The wonderful role of Julie Andrews, the songs of the Sherman brothers, which stayed on your mind for a long time and of course the fantastic worlds that the nanny took the kids to. It was a pity that after a little over two hours watching this new film, I had not left my chair for a second, looked at my watch regularly wondering when it would be over and questioning why this Mary Poppins movie does not work. Continue reading →

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The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned from a Mythical Man (2018) – Review

Review The Bill Murray Stories
Bill Murray is an actor who, thanks to various iconic roles (eg. Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day or Lost in Translation) has succeeded in conquering a place in the hearts of many film fans. But even outside his filmography he has managed to create kind of a legend around him. How? By simply appearing suddenly at everyday moments and being himself. Thanks to the internet this is shared with the world and you can read how he suddenly appeared on the wedding photos of a wedding couple, did the dishes at a party or sang Happy Birthday for a grandmother. But why do we like to read about it? That is the question that director Tommy Avallone tries to answer. Continue reading →

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Venom (2018) – Review

Review Venom
The chance that during one year two movies are released, which are both about a man whose relationship comes to an end, where his body is taken over by an intelligent entity and the main characters both look like Tom Hardy (and one actually is Tom Hardy), is extremely small. But it happened this year. After the fantastic Upgrade was released earlier this year, Venom is the one after. The big enemy of Spider-Man, who now has his own standalone movie where there’s no sight of Peter Parker. Continue reading →

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Aquaman (2018) – Review

Review Aquaman

You only have one time to make a first impression and when DC, inspired by the success of Marvel and their “shared universe” of films, tried the same thing, it was not really successful. Batman vs. Superman disappointed and the same was true for Justice League. Where the Marvel films were mainly light-hearted and entertaining, that was not the case in the DC universe. That does not have to be a problem, as the Batman films of Christopher Nolan have proven that a realistic, dark atmosphere can work, but the general public doesn’t seem to look forward to the films of the studio as much. Wonder Woman might have been the exception, but that also succeeded because it had a different tone. Aquaman was introduced in the In Justice League film and Jason Mamoa gave the character both a serious as a lighthearted feel by for example joking about Batman. Now the character gets his own movie. Is this another disappointing DC movie or has the company finally found the right balance? Continue reading →

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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) – Review

Recensie Spiderman into the Spiderverse
The number of reboots the Spider-Man movies have had during the last 16 years is 3. The amazing thing is that even being so close together, the makers still thought it was necessary to tell the story again about how Peter Parker became Spider-Man. Any superhero or moviefan knows the story, so you could ask why they’d do it. You might be surprised that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse also tells the origin story (several times actually), but now from the perspective of different characters and a lot of humor, diverting expectations and making sure you won’t be annoyed. And that original approach is a property the whole movie possesses, which makes this not only different from you average superhero movie, but also a superhero film which you should have watched before making your list of favorite 2018 movies. Continue reading →

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Hearts Beat Loud (2018) – Review

Review Hearts Beat Loud
Music is emotion and the best artists often use their own experiences to make memorable songs. When you base your movie on the process of creation, it can add something to a movie that you connect to more strongly. Director John Carney seems to be specialized when it comes to creating music, just think of Once, Begin Again and Sing Street. They all deal with music and love. His movies probably are the best in this subgenre. Hearts Beat Loud isn’t directed by him, but also revolves about creating music, relationships and which things inspire you. Continue reading →

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Three Identical Strangers (2018) – Review

Review Three Identical Strangers

Just imagine this: It’s your first day going to a new school. You’ve never been there before and don’t know anybody there. As you arrive everyone starts to welcome you as if they already know you for years. This could be the setup for a Twilight Zone episode, but it is exactly what happened to Robert Shafran during the eighties. When he met his roommate he told him that he knows someone who looks exactly the same. It doesn’t stop there though, as it turns out there even is a third person with similar features. They turn out to be brothers and the three of them all grew up in different families. They discovered each other by sheer coincedence (something which also happened in the documentary Twinsters). It turns out they have a lot in common and it doesn’t take long before they become celebrities. Slowly they start finding out details about their past which change the initial high of finding each other. Continue reading →
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Mandy (2018) – Review

Review Mandy

Watching a movie starring Nicolas Cage has been a gamble for years. At the start of his career he seemed to think about the the roles he played, but those days have long gone. As a result he’s starred in many bad films, which you might still watch hoping that he will go “full Cage”. A quick search of YouTube will show you videos celebrating those type of moments. For every Joe or The Trust you can name at least five bad films. Mandy had quite a buzz before its release, so is this one worth watching? Continue reading →
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Loro (2018) – Review

Review Loro
Twice a year one of the biggest cinema chains in the Netherlands organizes the PAC-festival (Pathé Alternative Cinema). A day during which five (usually) arthouse movies are shown. It’s something I always look forward to. Not only because they are movies that still have to be released, but also because in general the quality is high and the atmosphere in the cinema is great (you meet people from previous vistis and you share this room from 10 in the morning to almost midnight). This year the festival started with Loro, directed by Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty, Youth). Was it a good start? Continue reading →