Into the Labyrinth

 

Into the Labyrinth 2019

• Director: Donato Carrisi
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Toni Servillo, Valentina Bellé
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Dustin Hoffman - many
• Why? Possibly interesting
• Seen:  16 November 2024.      

       Sam (Bellé) was kidnapped at the age of thirteen and now some fifteen years later she suddenly reappears. She is brought to hospital where Dr Green (Hoffman) tries to help her recover her memory.

       Meanwhile, a private detective Bruno (Servillo), dying of a heart ailment, decides to find the kidnapper.

       Confusing. It’s all in Italian except for the scenes with Dr Green and Sam, who also speaks English though she has been isolated from the world since childhood. Where would she learn English? Never mind, that’s no weirder than the rest of the film.             

       Weird, yes, also creepy, atmospheric and somewhat fascinating. Wait for that twist. 

3* of 5

 

 

 

 

Spiderman 3

 

Spiderman 3 (2007)

• Director: Sam Raimi
• Seen by this director: Drag Me to Hell, The Gift, A Simple Plan, Spiderman
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Thomas Haden Church, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, J K Simmons
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Tobey Maguire – The Great Gatsby, Seabiscuit, Wonder Boys, The Cider House Rules, Pleasantville, The Ice Storm
• Kirsten Dunst – Many
• J K Simmons – Whiplash, La La Land
• Thomas Haden Church - The Peanut Bitter Falcon, All About Steve, Sideways
• Why? Doing the series
• Seen:  16 November 2024.      

       Most viewers and critics don’t seem to love this one as much as the first two. For me, once again, it’s a matter of casting. I just can’t care about Maguire, Dunst or the others in this mediocre story. Other actors would no doubt lift it, and next it will in fact be Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone.

       This one? Same, same. The sand thing is cool, otherwise, no better, no worse than SM1 and SM2. 

2* of 5

 

 

 

Ruby Jand's Film Blog: Spiderman 2002

Ruby Jand's Film Blog: Spiderman 2

 

Beast

 

Beast 2022

• Director: Baltasar Kormákur
• Seen by this director – Adrift, Everest
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Idris Elba, Leah Jeffries, Iyana Halley, Sharlto Copley
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Idris Elba – Many
• Sharlto Copley – Chappie, Elysium, District 9
• Why? Idris Elba
• Seen:  21 November 2024      

       Nate (Elba) and his teenaged daughters Mare (Halley) and Norah (Jeffries) are visiting their dear friend Martin (Copley) in South Africa. Nate’s South African ex-wife has died and Mare blames him for not being there for them. He blames himself.

       Martin drives them to a lion reserve he works closely with. They learn that there is a rogue lion on the loose, shot by poachers who have murdered this lion’s whole pride.

       The lion is out for revenge.

       The film got a lot of bad reviews so I’m not expecting a masterpiece. It’s not. It’s sort of a Jurassic Park film with a lion instead of dinosaurs. It’s almost as unbelievable but while I don’t much like Jurassic Park I like this quite a lot. It’s exciting and…Idris Elba. I would suspend a hell of a lot of disbelief for him. 

3 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

Änglavakt/ Guardian Angel

 

Änglavakt/Guardian Angel 2010

• Director: Johan Brisinger
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Michael Nyqvist, Izabella Scorupco, Tchéky Karyo
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Michael Nyqvist – Colonia, Min så kallade papa, John Wick, the Millenium Trilogy, Den bästa av mödrar, Grabben i Graven Bredvid, Reuter & Skog, Tillsammans
• Izabella Scorupco - Vertical Limit
• Tchéky Karyo – Saving Grace, Golden Eye, La Femme Nikita, Australia
• Why? Michael Nyquist
• Seen: 20 November 2024      

       Ernst (Nyquist) and Cecilia(Scorupco) have a good life with their eight-year-old son until the boy meets with an accident and won’t wake up from his coma.

       A mysterious Frenchman Walter (Karyo) enters their lives, saying he can help Alexander. Cecilia believes him blindly, Ernst rejects him as a charlatan.

       The film is hopelessly sentimental about the supernatural (=angels). Walter is creepy and irritating in his guardian angelness, endlessly spouting quasi-philosophical platitudes. Great message to parents whose kids have died. It’s your fault because you didn’t hope enough or love each other enough. The film gets 0* but because Nyquist does a decent job in this mess: 

1 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

Trade

 

Trade 2007

• Director: Marco Kreuzpaintner
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Kevin Kline, Kathleen Gati, Paulina Gaitan, Cesar Ramos, Alicia Bachleda, Marco Pérez, Linda Emond, Kate Del Castillo
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Kevin Kline – Many
• Pauline Gaitan – Sin nombre
• Alicia Bachleda  - Ondine
• Linda Emond – Richard Says Good-bye, Unforgettable, Across the Universe, North Country, Dark Water, Pollack
• Kate Del Castillo - The 33, Julia
• Why? The subject
• Seen:  19 November 2024      

       Russian mafia sex slave kidnappings from Mexico to New Jersey. Horrific reality that the film doesn’t quite manage to portray deeply. Kevin Kline is always good and the rest of the cast do a fine job but it’s not as gripping as I had expected. 

3* of 5

 

 

 

Spiderman 2

 

Spiderman 2 (2004)

• Director: Sam Raimi
• Seen by this director: Drag Me to Hell, The Gift, A Simple Plan, Spiderman
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, J K Simmons
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Tobey Maguire – The Great Gatsby, Seabiscuit, Wonder Boys, The Cider House Rules, Pleasantville, The Ice Storm
• Kirsten Dunst – Many
• Alfred Molina – Many
• J K Simmons – Whiplash, La La Land
• Why? Doing the series
• Seen:  16 November 2024.      

       Critics love it. Viewers love it

       I don’t love it. I don’t even like it. I actively dislike it.

       Tobey Maguire is so wrong for this role (I know, I know, nobody agrees with me.) He’s lifeless, the unsexiest actor in Hollywood. Kirstin Dunst is pathetic. No wonder there’s absolutely no chemistry between them. Their love story is the most unconvincing of all superhero films. The sob story gets no tears from me. The other characters as well as the story itself are ho-hum.

       We desperately need Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Rhys Ifhan.

       But this one gets more than 0* because Alfred Molina makes a fine villain and the runaway train was cool. 

2* of 5

 

 

 

Ruby Jand's Film Blog: Spiderman 2002

 

Make Your Move

 

Make Your Move 2013

• Director: Duayne Adler
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Derek Hough, BoA, Will Yun Lee, Wesley Jonathan, Izabella Miko, Jefferson Brown
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Will Yun Lee – The Wolverine, Total Recall, Hustle
• Why? Dance
• Seen:  15 November 2024      

       Donny (Hough) lives to dance, his parole officer in New Orleans tells him to get a real job or else, Donny heads up to New York where his brother (Jonathan) has a club There’s a conflict with Aya (BoA) who heads an all-woman drum and dance group, Cobu. Her brother Kaz (Will Yun Lee) and Donny’s brother, once the closest of friends, are now bitter enemies.

       Enough story. I’m watching it for the dance.

       Which is brilliant. Especially Cobu. It makes it worth seeing despite the lame story and the even lamer love story. 

3* of 5