C2.1 film reviews

The Fault in Our Stars
Reviewed by Kristin

The Fault in Our Stars is an American romantic tragedy directed by Josh Boone, based on a novel of the same name by Josh Green. Sixteen-year-old cancer patient Hazel, despite a tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, has never been anything but terminal. Now her final chapter seems to be beginning. Hazel is forced to attend a support group, where she meets an extraordinary guy called Augustus Waters. In his life he has had many ups and downs, but at the moment he meets Hazel, he is considered cancer-free. When their relationship grows more intense, they must face many problems due to seemingly invincible diseases. The story takes an unexpected turn after Augustus fulfils Hazel’s deepest desire.

The movie is set in Indianapolis, but not the Indianapolis of tourists or even of normal residents who go to work and school each day. This is the Indianapolis of the sick - a whole community of sick people who very possibly will never get healthy again and will soon pass away. They all tell different stories of suffering.

The music chosen for the film heightens every emotion.  The few more upbeat moments are heightened by slightly happier tones. The atmosphere reflects every dreadful moment the family has to go through with the affected person.

The story is told with directness and realism so that it feels like it’s happening right in front of you. It shows how fast something bad can happen and how unfair life can be. Whether your intentions are good or bad, life will hit you some day.

If someone in your close sphere is affected by a disease like cancer, the film isn’t advised unless you can handle a big load of feelings. For everyone else it’s a good lesson in life -  an enviable romance and an opportunity to gain insight into a less healthy life.

10 Things I Hate about You.

Reviewed by Azucena Luna

1999's favorite teenager movie starring Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, joseph Dordon-Levitt, and Larisa Oleynik is a teen romantic comedy film directed by Gil Junger.

In order to date the girl he has a crush on, Cameron (Gordon-Levitt) must find a boy brave enough to date Bianca's sister Kat (Oleynik, Stiles). After a deceitful and twisted deal, Patrick (Ledger) agrees to date this bad-tempered girl, not knowing that at the end they both will fall in love. 

The stunning performances of Stiles earned her one CFCA award for Breakthrough Female Performance and one MTV movie award for Most Promising Actress. Also, the remarkable execution of Ledger in the famous scene where he sings to the female character got him nominated for Best Musical Performance. Unfortunately he didn't win. 

As I always say, if a movie has an awesome soundtrack, the movie will be as good as the songs they put into it. And for that reason I trust everyone would like this old school production, where the songs are extraordinary.

Also, if you like Shakespeare, you will find a lot of hidden - or not so hidden - references. For example, the names of the sisters are the same on the Taming of the Shrew, as is the name of our handsome male protagonist. Patrick's character even reflects the outlandish behavior of The Taming of the Shrew’s Petruchio.

With all said, if you really want to enjoy a classic romantic comedy, you definitely won't want to miss it!

5 stars 

Arrival

Reviewed by Borja

Based on the novel written by Ted Chiang in 1998,  Arrival comes to the cinemas by the hand of the French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve, known for Prisoners (2013), Sicario (2015) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017). If you expect to see an action movie where the outlanders are bad and the humans are good, or a movie about the relationship between a guy and an alien and how they confront different adversities, this is not your movie. With Arrival, you should be prepared for a more cerebral and emotional experience. 

The main storyline is plays out in the middle of a contemporary country road in Montana, United States. Louise Barks (Amy Adams), a linguistics professor, is recruited together with Ian Donelly (Jeremy Renner), a talented and successful physicist, for the USA army. She will lead an elite team of scientists to investigate the arrival of one of twelve gigantic spaceships which have landed on Earth. Nonetheless, this is not going to be easy. Tensions between the different countries and the fear of the unknown will lead to several moral and social sticking points and lead the world into geopolitical turmoil.  There is a secondary plot, presented in flashback-segments throughout the main story. It explains a little bit of the personal life of Lousie. But is not until the end that everything makes sense and the two plots converge into a surprising, and at the same time satisfying, resolution.

The visuals or special effects are well executed. And despite the fact that  they aren’t a constant in the movie, they are quite strong. Perhaps this is because they are simple yet shocking. The simplicity of the visuals contrast with the information given through the conversations between the characters and the music. This creates a perfect equilibrium.

The music deserves a special mention. The compositions created mostly by Jóhann Jóhannsson bring the film to another level. They are reminiscent of certain works of Hans Zimmer, where classical instruments overlay electronic sounds. But the power is in how precisely different tracks of sound match and enhance the dramatic moment. This gives another dimension to the movie and allows your mind to feel things that with only the visual and dramatic components it would be impossible.

Probably, the one detracting feature of this movie is that it’s presented as a super-production of Hollywood - because in truth it is anything but that. It’s too intellectually rich to cater to the mainstream.

All the aspects of the movie are extremely well executed: acting (with special praise to Amy Adams, the visuals, the music, and the plot. Whether you like science fiction movies or not, this is a unique piece that you should not pass by.   

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale

Directed by Lasse Hallström

Produced by Richard Gere and Bill Johnson

Released: 8. June 2009

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale is based on the true story of the Akita Inu, Hachiko, who was born on November 10 1923 and died on March 8 1935 at Shibuya Station in Tokyo, where he had spent nine years, nine months and fifteen days waiting for his deceased owner to return from work.

The movie isn't set in its original location, Japan, but in the U.S., and the name of Hachikos’ owner has been changed. But the rest of Hachikos’ story remains the same.

Ronnie, who has to give a presentation at school about his personal hero, choses his grandfather’s dog, Hachiko, as his subject. Despite his classmates laughing at him for choosing a dog as his personal hero, he goes on to tell the story of his grandfather, Professor Parker Wilson and his Akita Inu named Hachiko, who is remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner.

Everyday Professor Parker Wilson and Hachi have the same routine: the two of them walk to the train station where Parker leaves for work, and Hachi always waits patiently for his owner to return. One day Parker dies of a cerebral hemorrhage during one of his lectures and doesn’t return to the station.

I really like this movie because it’s based on a moving and true story about the humans’ best friend. And it shows a beautiful friendship between a man and his dog.

- Adaeze

Mamma Mia The Movie!

Film Review by Amanda Almefalk.

  

Mamma Mia is a movie from 2008, written by Catherine Johnson and directed by Phyllida Lloyd. The film is based on the 1999 musical of the same name and the songs are inspired by the Swedish Song Group, ABBA. It is a romantic musical film with a touch of humour.

Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is struggling with the fact that she doesn’t know who her father is. One day she finds a diary belonging to her mother Donna (Meryl Streep). In it she learns of three potential fathers. Sophie invites these three possible men to a Greek island where she and her mother live. All three men arrive at the island without Donna’s knowledge. The film revolves around the big question, who is Sophie’s father? And will she find the right one to walk her down the aisle when she marries with her fiance Sky (Dominic Cooper).

Both Bjorn and Benny, two members from Abba, participate in the movie. Bjorn as a greek god and Benny as a piano player for some of the songs.  

In 2008, Mamma Mia The Movie, won the best musical award at the National Movie Awards that was held in London. 

The message from the movie is very beautiful. It’s about the love you have for your family, no matter how things seem. It’s about the struggle about being an unsupported single parent. It’s about acceptance and forgiveness. 

There is a sequel movie that came out this year, 2018, it's almost as good as the original one.

Mamma Mia has always been one of my favorite movies. It's incredibly entertaining because of the good actresses and the well known songs. If you like ABBA and cheesy movies, this is the right one for you. It’s a ”feel good” movie with a lot of energy and a lovely atmosphere. It will make you fly up from your chair and dance.

5/5 stars 

The Imitation Game

Reviews by Fred

If you are a geek or a fan of Apple, you might like this film. It’s a true story about the first invention of the computer. It is set during the Second World War in the University of Cambridge. A brilliant mathematician is trying to intercept the messages from the German Nazis with anew method.

British Intelligence have been trying to decrypt enemy codes. but almost zero success, thanks to the German machine “The Enigma” (a machine which sends coded messages to the German troops in the field). Finally, they call upon Alan Turing, a genius in Mathematics and Physics. Alan is not a military man, which means the army doesn’t trust him. The British Army doesn’t give Alan much time or means to find a way to crack the enigma system, and even though Alan Turing studies it for months, he struggles. When he has a break through, realizing he must create a new kind of machine, his commanders refused to fund it. Turing turns to Winston Churchill, who intervenes, firing all of Alan Turing’s superiors, and funds the project.

Turing’s team actually breaks all the coded messages, but doesn’t pass on all the information in order to conceal their success.

Turing tells one of his colleagues that he is homosexual but unfortunately, his colleague is a Russian spy and the British Army finds out. Alan Turing is turned in by his former colleague. He is convicted for gross indecency and commits suicide in his jail cell by eating a poisoned apple.

By breaking the coded messages from the German Army, Alan Turing saved millions of lives during World War Two and allowed Americans and British to defeat Germany.

Nowadays, with same-sex marriage becoming more and more important and being legalized by many countries throughout the world, it’s interesting to look back at a much more inhibited society. Queen Elizabeth has also paid tribute to Turing, saying that the British Government didn’t treat him well despite his success in saving millions of lives during the war. And some even say that Steven Jobs paid tribute to the Alan Turing’s research by naming his company Apple.

Film Review

The Last Song

Recently, I saw The Last Song, directed by Julie Anne Robinson in 2010. It’s a drama with Miley CYRUS, who plays Ronnie, Liam Hemsworth, who plays Will, and Greg Kinnear, who plays Ronnie’s father.

Ronnie is a troubled teenager who tries to reconnect with her estranged father. Ronnie also falls in love during the summer. She arrives in the new city where her father is living and gets in with wrong crowd. She soon meets a boy with whom she pretends to be uninterested beforefalling in love. Ronnie hears some rumours and stories about her father which cause a fight and a separation with her new boyfriend. Afterwards she stays behind to take care of her father who reveals that he is terminally ill. Ronnie tries to make up for lost time with her dad while continuing work on a composition he had been writing for her. In the end he dies and she goes to Julliard University.

It’s a truthful and sad movie with some very realist aspects and some more romantic. I  became very involved, especially at the end where we can see the collaboration between a daughter and her father. I got goose bumps during this part where she was ready to pivot for him, to stay with him, to be strong for him and to grow up for him. This is for me the most important aspect of  the movie. We can see her regrets, her desire to honour her father, and to return him proud.

Other scenes of this movie are deeply inane, particularly the love angle and the stupid teenage conflict. This part wasn't done very perceptively, although it does tie in, and shows an dimension of Ronnie's personal growth.

To put it in a nutshell, I like this film, even if he doesn’t concentrate on the most important thing. I’d rather have watched more elements and scenes exploring this aspect. Perhaps the next time!

- Jennyfer Helle

THE GREEN MILE. FRANK DARABONT. 1999

Adapted from the 1996 Steven King novel, The Green Mile is a proper breathtaking picture. Directed by Frank Darabont, the movie was nominated for four Academy Awards in 1999 and won many prices for the main character’s acting.  

This fantastic drama takes place in 1999, as Paul Edgecombe (Tom Hanks), an old man in a retirement home, narrates the story of his life to a friend. Back in the 1930’s, he was an officer in a penitentiary, more precisely, in the block of the condemned. One day, the establishment truck brings back a man: John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan). Impressive, gigantesque J (interesting word!), intimidating, yet very shy, John Coffey is accused of the murder of two young girls. As the plot develops, the viewer is introduced to the jail population. The guards are under the command of Paul Edgecombe, trying to be as respectful as possible towards the condemned who are living their last hours. However, Percy Wetmore, a young man whose relations are very powerful, likes to create chaos in the guardian’s organization, enjoying the gratuitous violence and disrespect towards the condemned.  On the other hand, we discover the other condemned who, as well, try to live their last hours in peace and calm. But they too, have a young William Wharton. A madman who loves creating trouble, lying and making anyone suffer.

  Among every great element of this movie, the plot is to be distinguished. The story slowly progresses; tickling the spectator’s mind, raising questions where the answer seemed to be obvious. Seeds of doubt grow - is John Coffey guilty of this murder? He looks so physically capable of to committing such abomination, such crime. But on the other hand, he is a black man, judged by a bunch of mad angry white farmers in a part of the US where every man around has his own rifle, hidden under a Confederate flag. Moreover, the disturbing behaviour of John Coffey in the jailhouse is perhaps closer to a five-year-old boy than a cold-blooded murderer. But is it not a trap?

Then, it is impossible to miss the incredible performance of the main characters, especially Michael Clarke Duncan in the role of John Coffey. He is basically grasping (??). As the character enters the E block, he appears to be the most impressive thing ever seen, a man who could blow the whole building just like a paper sheet and crush every security guard against the walls. However, as soon as he gets in his cell, he turns into the most delicate man ever locked up. And what is very interesting, is that he takes us with him, he gains our trust and we just like him. Later in the movie, he suffers under some mysterious power or curse and the audience suffers with him.  Of course, he is not the only great actor in the movie. And aside from Tom Hanks who is splendid as always, we can pay compliments to Douglas Hutchison (the cruel guard) and Sam Rockwell (the mad prisoner) who made the audience hate them from the bottom of their hearts according to how mean and crazy they come across in the picture. A perfect cast in conclusion, as every actor and actress deals with the great madness of Steven King’s novel.

Some may say the picture was a bit over-the-top, particularly those who cling to the world as it is in the novel. But for those who have understood and appreciated the movie, for those who liked the plot and the characters - for those, it is clear: The Green Mile is a must see.

4.5 stars

Hidden Figures

Review by Louise

Hidden Figures is a film directed by Theodore Melfi. The movie is based on the true story of three female African-American pioneers: Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, and the work that they did at NASA during the 1960s. This drama film shows the hard work of women who were part of NASA’s team - human computers, who calculated by hand the complex equations that allowed space heroes to travel safely to space.

The best part of this film is without a doubt the main characters, played by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae. The way they portray the story of these three women is incredible and astonishing. The viewer gets to know them and their lives on a level where they can really feel their frustration at not getting the respect that they highly deserve.

The only negative thing about this film, in my opinion, is that it is so Hollywood, meaning that it was much rawer in real life than as told in the film. For an example, during this time black women were highly discriminated against. For instance, they had to use separate bathrooms from white women. In the film there is a scene where the boss of the “human computers” team smashes down the sign that says “colored women’s bathroom”. This has later been criticized since the film paints up a picture where the white man is the savior, giving a false picture since black women had to fight much harder for their rights than some scenes of the film show.

That said, the film still - thanks to the main characters - creates a very real and truthful picture of the circumstances these women had to work under, bringing forward a mix of sadness, happiness and hope for a more humanitarian and brighter future. It is definitely a must watch!

Compare with the original

Movie review of Hidden Figures 

By Louise 

Hidden Figures is a film directed by Theodore Melfi. The movie is based on the true story of three African-American female pioneers, Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, and the work that they did at NASA during the 1960s. This drama film shows the hard work of women who was a part of NASA’s team, human computers, whom calculated by hand the complex equations that allowed space heroes to travel safely to space. 

The best part of this film is without a doubt the main characters, which are played by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae; the way they tell the story of these three women are incredible and astonishing. As the viewer, you get to know them and their lives on the level where you can really feel their frustration of not getting the respect that they highly deserve. 

The only negative thing about this film, in my opinion, is that it is very “Hollywood made”, which means that it was much rawer in real life then told in the film. For an example, during this time black women were highly discriminated where they, for an instant, had to use separate bathrooms from white women. In the film there is a scene where the boss of the “Human computers” team smashes down the sign that says “Colored women bathroom”. This has later been criticized since they paint up a picture where the white man is the savior, and this gives a false picture since black women had to fight much harder for their rights then what some scenes of the film shows. Although, the film still, thanks to the main characters, creates a very real and honest picture of the circumstances these women had to work under, that brings forward a mix of sadness, happiness and hope for a more humanitarian and brighter future. It is defiantly a must watch!

La La Land

reviewed by Marina

La la land is an original musical about Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), who are united by passion. It is set in a hectic Los Angeles, the city screenwriter and director Damien Chazelle was living in while writing the screenplay.

While Mia tries to start a carreer as an actress, Sebastian wants to be recognised as a Jazz Pianist. They meet coincidentally a couple of times, at first teasing each other, but, after they get to to know each other, more and more charming one another. The two dreamers start a breathtaking romance, but as both succeed and compete in their respective careers, it sunders their relationship as they have to make future determining decisions.

As the colourful film switches between hope and desperation the actors never fail to take you along. Besides the brilliant soundtrack every image is a piece of harmonious art.

Even though some scenes are a bit drawn out, and you just don`t want to agree with their dramatic priorities, the movie makes you think about the relationship between career and love in your own life. So take your time and watch this awesome movie!

Here are my suggestions for paragraph 2:

While Mia is trying to kick-start a career as an actress, Sebastian dreams of recognition as a jazz pianist. They meet by chance a couple of times, and at first tease and taunt one another. After getting better acquainted, the two dreamers start a passionate romance. Then, as both begin to find success, a competitiveness between them begins to sour their relationship.



Desperate Housewives

-reviewed by Nele


Desperate Housewives is a series created by Marc Cherry in 2004 until 2017. Over eight seasons, the series observes the lives of a group of women friends living in the same street. The series begins with one of them, Mary (Brenda Strong) committing suicide. Mary in fact tells the story. From her post-life vantage point, she is an omniscient narrator who knows every dark secret and family struggle of every single friend of hers. Desperate Housewives can be classified as a comedy-mystery series, exploring the darker sides of an outwardly flawless suburban life.

The attractive thing about this series is that everyone can identify with at least one character and relate to the problems they have. Of course, because you have the feeling of being involved in each character’s life, sometimes the failings of the characters can get on one’s nerves. But this is a good thing. It gets you thinking about your own failings and whether you would have done things in your own life the same way, or differently.

All the actors do a terrific job - you really can feel every emotion and get to bond with the characters intimately. It is inspiring to see them changing and maturing over the years.

The series is more than just mystery. It is funny, even hilarious. It is romantic yet melancholic. But you also have high tension and even shock at times. Most episodes have cliffhanger endings which hold you in for the eight seasons.

All in all, one can say that there is definitely more behind the deceptively simple title. There are topics for everyone. Viewers really can identify with the characters and want to learn more about them. I can really recommend Desperate Housewives to every kind of person, because there is so much variety in it.

Star Wars: A New Hope
Reviewed by Ian

Star Wars: A New Hope is the first of (by this time) eight Star Wars films. It appeared in 1977 and was directed by George Lucas. This film marks the beginning of a new era in science-fiction film, and its impact can be felt in the film industry down to the present day.

The plot is simple yet stunning. Using a classic good versus evil formula, it pits a small band of rebels against a cruel, dark empire. Luke (Mark Hamill) stumbles into this fight and finds himself on a rescue mission together with old Jedi Ben Kenobi (Alec Guinnes), smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and a hairy Wookie (Peter Mayhew). Not to forget the always haggling droid duo R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) and C-3P0 (Anthony Daniels). This rather eclectic, likable group of heroes accidentally encounters the empire’s new super weapon, the death star, and gets trapped inside it. This gigantic star base has enough firepower to destroy whole planets. While Han and Luke are trying to free the imprisoned princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and attempt to escape from the imperial station, old Ben Kenobi has to face his own fate embodied by the super villain Darth Vader (Dave Prowse).

The film is an overwhelming masterpiece full of action, adventure, creativity, and even a little bit of romance. The score composed by nobody less than the magnificent composer John Williams himself, underlines the different scenes and is a vital part of the film.

The whole setting and atmosphere of Star Wars: A New Hope manages to push open a gate into another world and carries the audience off into a galaxy far, far away. It’s a galactic fairytale for every generation and perfectly suited for a family movie night. Even if someone isn’t completely uncomfortable with the genre of science-fiction, this revolutionary classic is still a must-watch! It can even be said that Star Wars is a piece of culture.

5/5 stars


Alien vs. Predator
Reviewed by Patrick

Alien vs. Predator is a science fiction action movie, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson in 2004. The film stars Sanaa Lathan, Lance Henriksen and Raoul Bova. This movie is a crossover between the actual Alien and Predator franchises, which makes it very interesting to see what happens if the powerful Predator is fighting the eerie Aliens (Xenomorphs). 

A group of archeologists discover a strange heat signal under the ice of Antarctica in the shape of a pyramid. The billionaire Charles Bishop Weyland immediately starts an expedition to Antarctica to find out what’s behind the heat signal. Once there, the group of scientists start to explore the pyramid, which is a few kilometers under the ice. Without noticing, the archeologists accidently awaken an Alien Queen that is sending Xenomorphs to eliminate the intruders.
While deciphering some ancient hieroglyphics, the scientists find out that this pyramid is a hunting ground for young Predators to kill the scary Aliens in order to be more appreciated in the Predator’s hierarchy. Suddenly, the archeologist notice that the big doors, through which they’ve entered the pyramid, are closing. With nowhere to go, the humans are easy prey for the bloodthirsty Xenomorphs.

Meanwhile, three Young Bloods (Young Predators) arrive at the mysterious pyramid, ready to fight the Aliens. After some Xenomorphs kill a few scientists, the Predators and Aliens meet for the first time leading to a dramatic fight between the three young Predators and reams of Xenomorphs. Unfortunately, two of the three Predators are killed by the superiority of Aliens, but nevertheless one Predator survives, who now meets the last remaining scientist, Alexa Woods.

Normally Predators kill humans when they meet, but surprisingly this last Predator decides to cooperate with Woods in order to eliminate the remaining Xenomorphs and escape from the dingy pyramid. By doing this, the Predator shows that he respects humans if they are willing to fight the Aliens with him - a sign of great honor and respect.

Eventually, Alexa and the Predator manage to fight their way back to the surface, where their final enemy, the enormous Alien Queen is waiting for them. In an epic final battle, the duo eliminate their opponent, but the Predator gets killed in the last second by the Queen. As a last sign of respect Alexa receives a Combstick, a traditional weapon of the Predators.

After the movie was released in 2004, it got many negative reviews, due to its dark atmosphere and the “overuse” of low lighting. But many people expect exactly this, if they want to watch a scary action movie with many monsters and Aliens in it. Actually it is a great movie, not only because of the action itself, but also because of great visual effects and the history on which the movie is based. Many people thought it would be a great idea to let the enormous Predator fight the evil Aliens and create a hybrid movie between those franchises and it was indeed a good idea.


With a starting budget of 60 million dollars, the movie yielded 180 million and made many fans happy to see a dramatic action movie, involving their two favorite movie characters. The only bad thing that has to be mentioned, is that many fans aren’t satisfied with the story. The reason for that is that you don’t really get to know the history behind the rivalry between the Aliens and Predators. Why are Aliens and Predators fighting against each other? When did it all start? Why is that happening on earth and not on another planet? Those are questions the fans desperately want to know. Maybe those questions will be revealed in the next Alien and Predator movies. The movie is recommendable for people who like action and sci-fi movies with an eerie atmosphere.