I really enjoyed my visit to Ireland in 2013. Me and my wife went there for 2 reasons, we wanted to see the city of Dublin, and we also had tickets to see Stereophonics live. The irish people are really friendly, and the irish wisky tasted wonderful. I will definetely go back, and perhaps travel more around Ireland, there are so many places i need to see. I did get to see some irish history in Dublin, but there is plenty more to learn. Especially about the history of IRA. I remember my dad told me when he was in Ireland in the early 80´s, that the situation around IRA was really serious. There could be bombs lying in pubs or restaurants, and no one would even know. I doubt that all of IRA is gone today, even if the situation is more under control nowdays. There is much more about the history of Ireland, that the whole world will never stop remembering. Maybe you have read about Bloody Sunday ? On January 30, in 1972, in Derry, Northern Ireland, british soldiers killed 26 civilians on the streets. This was one of the most brutal tragedies in irish history, that will always be remembered. I was not born at this time, so i read about this in history magazines. While reading this article, i remember that it struck me how the situation was handled by the military. It seemed so cold to just kill 26 people, for no reason at all really. I understand that the british army was told to do their job, but maybe the situation should have been handled in a different way. There are more moments in irish history where more people have been killed, especially by the IRA. So much pain and anger must have taken it´s toll on the whole country. ´71 is a UK film, that tries to bring up the 1971 riot in Belfast. Since the release this film have been critically acclaimed, and nominations at film festivals. Director Yann Demange, directed the well made tv series Dead Seat, about a zombie apocalypse that goes out of control, while a reality tv show is being made. `71 is his directorial debut film, and he have become a very respected film maker for his first full feature film. I first noticed the film at The Berlin Film Festival 2014, where the reviews were outstanding. Is this as good as the critics are saying, or is this a big dissapointment like V/H/S Viral ?
Gary Hook ( Jack O´Connell ), a british soldier, is send to Belfast with his patrol, to stand guard during house searches made by the police. The situation is becoming out of control, when civilians attack them with stones, and a child steals one of the soldiers weapons and runs away. Gary manage to locate the child, with a military friend. But his friend is brutally killed, and now Gary is running for his life. Gary manage to find a hideout, wounded and exhausted. As he rest for quite some time, he leaves at night time, trying to find a way out. He meets a Loyalist Child ( Corey McKinley ), who says he will lead him into the right direction, to get help. They end up in a bar, where Seargent Leslie Lewis ( Paul Anderson ) is preparing a bomb, to revenge the IRA. Leslie tells Gary to wait in the bar, as he goes outside. Gary sits with a pint, and no one is coming back, so he decide to go outside to see if he can see Leslie. The bar explodes, killing everyone inside, except for the child. Gary carry the boy out, to get help. Gary finally collapse in a street corner, when Brigid ( Charlie Murphy ) and her father take him to their home. Gary belive that they are trying to help him hide, but it turns out they know who are looking for him.
I am not sure if ´71 is based on true events completely, but the story of the soldier Gary, who is lost, feels really intriguing. Knowing that Ireland had to suffer from bad economy and with no bright future ahead, it must have been a rough time to live in. ´71 tries to show you what could have happened during these riots, and you get to see from 2 different perspectives. Both from the soldiers, and from the civilians. Who is right and who is wrong ? I belive we could all have different opinions about this. This is one of those films that you will remember, simply because director Yann Demange have a feeling about telling deep, and emotional stories. To see these young men, forced to kill if necessary, must have been horrifying. Of course they have trained to survive, just like any soldier is trained to do, but killing another human is not something you simply forget. What makes ´71 such a good film is the acting, there are plenty of performances that are so good, Krister Henriksson would probably get an heart attack, when he finds out what acting really means. Lead actor Jack O´Connell have made many great performances from the past, from such films as Eden Lake and Harry Brown. Here he gets to shine once more, as the dedicated soldier Gary, trying to follow the rules. I would also like to mention how good Paul Anderson is, In a chaos like this, you realise that anything can happen. Especially when you are stuck , not knowing how to get out. This could have easily be another war drama, but thankfully director Yann Demange tries to bring a different point of view on this time period. We have seen similar films before, i would still say that ´71 manage to be different, thanks to taking some surprisingly good turns along the way. If you are interested in historical films, i have a feeling you will love this one. With acting on this level from many of the cast members, you will guaranteed be squeezing your sofa, when it becomes really intensive. I am not surprised that America have discovered ´71 lately, and the box office numbers have increased. Not a lot of course, but it is nice to see people in the U.S. enjoy European cinema releases. Hopefully it can continue to be seen by a larger audience, here in Sweden we did not get to see it for long, so it came out on dvd instead. I highly recommend you see ´71, not just because of the historical perspective, you will also get high quality acting, just what we need in these days of awful remakes
Rating: DDDD
tisdag 31 mars 2015
lördag 28 mars 2015
American Sniper
Almost every day, you hear on the news about people killed in a war, worldwide. Even if we wish that we should all live in peace, i am afraid that will never happen. The war industry is much bigger than most of us would expect, making more weapons, mines, different types of ammunition, and people will always be interested in this business. If you take a look at America and see the gun issues, i can´t help to feel sadness. I don´t mind if people own a gun in their home, but when they own machine guns, and other weapons made to use in war around their kids, i feel that this is wrong. To protect yourself is one thing, you can do that with a simple hand gun, but a big machine gun ? I think some people in America should think about what they are doing. They have enough problems already, especially when their soldiers are killed overseas in war. I will admit that these soldiers are brave, fighting for their country. What i am trying to say is that ordinary people do not need war guns in their homes. Leave that to the army instead, who are trained to use weapons in combat, in all sizes. Speaking of military, i will never understand how it is to be in war with another country. When you see soldiers in combat, on news channels, it must be a very complicated situation knowing you will have to kill, in different situations. Not knowing if you will survive, must be hard to live with. Let´s not forget the families that support their soldiers, while they have to be prepared that their loved ones could die in battle. This is a complicated situation for everyone involved. I don´t want war, but i realise that maybe we need military operations to be active, especially when terrorists are killing so many innocent victims. Have you ever read the story about Chris Kyle ? He is known for being the most lethal sniper in U.S. history. He became a legend all over America, and a role model for many people. Unfortunately he was murdered on february 2, in 2013. Clint Eastwood, both legendary actor and director, decided to direct a film, telling the story about sniper Chris Kyle. In the lead role as Chris, we find the very talented actor Bradley Cooper, who have delivered many good performances over the years. With this combination, and a story of a soldier who made a change in military history, is this as good as i hoped for, or is the hype way out of line ?
As a young boy, Chris Kyle learned how to hunt in the forest with his father . He is taught that the rifle is the most important detail in hunting. You have to know how to handle your weapon. As Chris ( Bradley Cooper ) is older, he is a rodeo cowboy, doing rodeo performances. When he comes home one night, his girlfriend is cheating on him, so he throws her out. He sees a news report on tv, about the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Nairobi. Since he see no meaning in life as a rodeo cowboy, he decide to join the U.S. Navy. He manage to get into the SEAL training program, and succeed to become a U.S. Navy SEAL sniper. One night out with the boys in a bar, Chris meet Taya Renae ( Sienna Miller ). They start seeing each other, and become a couple. It does not take long until they decide to get married. After the 9/11 Attack on New York, Chris is sent to Iraq. On a mission , he kills a young child and a mother, who both try and attack with a grenade. His team says he made the right decision, but the memory of killing a child sticks inside the mind of Chris. He is assigned to locate Al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi ( Mido Hamada ), and kill him. Abu is also known as " The Butcher ". A man says he knows where " The Butcher " is located, but demand 100.000 dollars to help Chris and his team. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is a very dangerous man, but they are determined to find him. The team manage to find Abu and his men, but a sniper takes out some of the men, leaving Chris to make some other decisions. Abu kills the man who helped the american, and his son, warning that more will be victims. Since the mission fails, Chris is send home to his pregnant wife. A son is born, and Chris is filled with joy. Even if he just became a father, he goes back to Iraq to find " The Butcher ". Chris is changing for each time he comes back to Iraq, the war is affecting him in many different ways.
I have not seen the film Jersey Boys, also directed by Clint Eastwood, that he directed before American Sniper. Maybe one of the reasons why i decided not to watch it was that the bad reviews gave me a warning sign. I did enjoy his previous film Trouble With The Curve, a baseball film with some great acting, even Justin Timberlake managed to deliver a good character. American Sniper is based on the true story of sniper Chris Kyle. When you read about what he accomplished, with 160 confirmed kills, you realise that he was not anyone to mess with. There is no sniper in the history of USA, that have managed to kill this number ever, so he truly was the most lethal sniper of all time. Bradley Cooper who plays Chris Kyle, does a really good performance. He seems to have worked very hard to make his character look like Chris Kyle, and that makes a big difference. The story around Chris is filled with many moments in his military career. You get to see how he started in the military, how he managed to survive Navy Seals training, and how he developed to become the best sniper in american history. The acting from almost all corners, manage to float just fine. The biggest strength is the way Clint Eastwood manage to make such a powerful perspective of the challenges that awaits Chris Kyles missions. You can feel yourself being there on location. He might be getting older, but he is still damn good director. I would also like to say that actor Sienna Miller, who plays Chris wife Taya, makes a very good performance. She is the perfect example of how you can act as a wife, both tough, funny, and not the typical housewife we are used to see. You might have heard of the controversy baby scene ? Well, you can tell that the baby is not real, this should have been done correctly if you ask me. A plastic baby looks pretty silly. American Sniper is a film that tell a very important story, of a man who made a big difference for his country. The tragedy that Chris Kyle was brutally murdered in 2013, should not have happened. Life have to go on, even if he is not with us anymore, this is a film that is a great tribute to this legend. I would not say that this is my favourite film by director Clint Eastwood, i would say Unforgiven and Mystic River is up there in the top. This is still a very well made film by this legendary director, who knows how to tell powerful stories. American Sniper is definetely worth a watch, but i do wonder why it was nominated for so many Oscars this year at the Academy Awards ? Nightcrawler should have had all those nominations instead, honestly.
Rating: DDD
As a young boy, Chris Kyle learned how to hunt in the forest with his father . He is taught that the rifle is the most important detail in hunting. You have to know how to handle your weapon. As Chris ( Bradley Cooper ) is older, he is a rodeo cowboy, doing rodeo performances. When he comes home one night, his girlfriend is cheating on him, so he throws her out. He sees a news report on tv, about the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Nairobi. Since he see no meaning in life as a rodeo cowboy, he decide to join the U.S. Navy. He manage to get into the SEAL training program, and succeed to become a U.S. Navy SEAL sniper. One night out with the boys in a bar, Chris meet Taya Renae ( Sienna Miller ). They start seeing each other, and become a couple. It does not take long until they decide to get married. After the 9/11 Attack on New York, Chris is sent to Iraq. On a mission , he kills a young child and a mother, who both try and attack with a grenade. His team says he made the right decision, but the memory of killing a child sticks inside the mind of Chris. He is assigned to locate Al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi ( Mido Hamada ), and kill him. Abu is also known as " The Butcher ". A man says he knows where " The Butcher " is located, but demand 100.000 dollars to help Chris and his team. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is a very dangerous man, but they are determined to find him. The team manage to find Abu and his men, but a sniper takes out some of the men, leaving Chris to make some other decisions. Abu kills the man who helped the american, and his son, warning that more will be victims. Since the mission fails, Chris is send home to his pregnant wife. A son is born, and Chris is filled with joy. Even if he just became a father, he goes back to Iraq to find " The Butcher ". Chris is changing for each time he comes back to Iraq, the war is affecting him in many different ways.
I have not seen the film Jersey Boys, also directed by Clint Eastwood, that he directed before American Sniper. Maybe one of the reasons why i decided not to watch it was that the bad reviews gave me a warning sign. I did enjoy his previous film Trouble With The Curve, a baseball film with some great acting, even Justin Timberlake managed to deliver a good character. American Sniper is based on the true story of sniper Chris Kyle. When you read about what he accomplished, with 160 confirmed kills, you realise that he was not anyone to mess with. There is no sniper in the history of USA, that have managed to kill this number ever, so he truly was the most lethal sniper of all time. Bradley Cooper who plays Chris Kyle, does a really good performance. He seems to have worked very hard to make his character look like Chris Kyle, and that makes a big difference. The story around Chris is filled with many moments in his military career. You get to see how he started in the military, how he managed to survive Navy Seals training, and how he developed to become the best sniper in american history. The acting from almost all corners, manage to float just fine. The biggest strength is the way Clint Eastwood manage to make such a powerful perspective of the challenges that awaits Chris Kyles missions. You can feel yourself being there on location. He might be getting older, but he is still damn good director. I would also like to say that actor Sienna Miller, who plays Chris wife Taya, makes a very good performance. She is the perfect example of how you can act as a wife, both tough, funny, and not the typical housewife we are used to see. You might have heard of the controversy baby scene ? Well, you can tell that the baby is not real, this should have been done correctly if you ask me. A plastic baby looks pretty silly. American Sniper is a film that tell a very important story, of a man who made a big difference for his country. The tragedy that Chris Kyle was brutally murdered in 2013, should not have happened. Life have to go on, even if he is not with us anymore, this is a film that is a great tribute to this legend. I would not say that this is my favourite film by director Clint Eastwood, i would say Unforgiven and Mystic River is up there in the top. This is still a very well made film by this legendary director, who knows how to tell powerful stories. American Sniper is definetely worth a watch, but i do wonder why it was nominated for so many Oscars this year at the Academy Awards ? Nightcrawler should have had all those nominations instead, honestly.
Rating: DDD
onsdag 25 mars 2015
Supremacy
When i hear the word justice, i wish to think that it means that ordinary citizens should be protected by laws. Unfortunately, that is not the case, very often. Too many criminals get away with horrible crimes, and don´t get the punishment they deserve. I want to belive that there is justice, so anyone who becomes a victim of crime can get the support they need. If we take a look at Sweden, i can tell you that our laws are way too nice. If you murder someone, well, they might get 5 years, or maybe less. They might even be out in 3 years. Am i serious ? Yes, our law system is not good here. I would imagine that several other countries are much more strict and make sure criminals get their punishment. Of course there are murderers who sit longer in prison here, but some of them is out on the streets way to soon. I belive that we need strict laws, and more support for victims, so justice is done in a better way than how it is at this moment. When it comes to motion pictures, taking on criminal stories, we have a hell of a lot of titles out there to choose between. Gangsters, drug lords, robbers, killers, the list never ends. Since there are so many films out there, only a few of them feel interesting. That would be if there is something different about a certain story, that makes it fascinating. American Gangster is one of those films i highly recommend, and of course we can not forget Donnie Brasco. Recently i did write a review on the australian criminal film Son Of A Gun, a film that managed to deliver a solid story and great performances. Supremacy is a film i actually discovered by accident, while renting some films at Hemmakväll, a swedish video rent store chain all across Sweden. I recoginzed 2 names on the cast list, Joe Anderson and Danny Glover. Not knowing if this would be any good, i decided to give it a chance. Is this a surprisingly good criminal film, or is this another one of those straight to dvd releases with nothing to offer at all ?
Supremacist Garret Tully ( Joe Anderson ) is just released from prison, as his girlfriend Doreen ( Dawn Olivieri ) picks him up. Garret start to plan his next move already, but things change very quickly that night. When a police officer ask them to stop their car, so he can see Doreen´s driver license, Garret kills the cop brutally. The situation have just turned extremely bad, since Garret have only been out of prison for a few hours. They escape on foot, trying to find a loctaion to hide. As they arrive at a big house, they break in and find a whole family living there. The father Mr. Walker ( Danny Glover ) and his wife with 3 kids, are shocked. Walker tell everyone that the best thing they can do is follow orders, so no one will be harmed. Doreen have an idea, she have a phone number to a friend who can help them out of bad situations, so she decide to give him a call. Garret is not sure about this, he feels that they can take care of the situation themselves. While Garrett is trying to figure out how they can continue their lives from this moment, he realise that this might be more complicated than expected.
I had no idea what to expect when i picked up Supremacy, not knowing much at all about this film. And maybe that was a good idea, trying not to find out the plot. Because here we have a small film, on a limited budget, that actually deliver a surprisingly effective thriller. You could say that on one half, there is a story on racism, and on the other half there is a story on people handling an awful situation. I am very happy to see Danny Glover, doing a much better performance than most of his releases over the years. This was exactly what he needed, because he can be a good actor. He is nowhere close as his earlier classic films from the 80´s and 90´s, but this proves that he might choose some better characters in the future. The strongest performance is without a doubt from lead actor Joe Anderson. I have seen him do good performances in the past, in such films as The Grey and in the latest adaptation of Hercules, with Dwayne " The Rock " Johnson. The difference from these films, is that he tries to show us a human life, with no hope, or with no future plans. He is stuck inside his criminal world, where he belive he knows what is right and wrong. A powerful performance indeed, and maybe the biggest strength of Supremacy. The story of 2 criminals taking over a house may not be original at all, and that is ok. Because there is plenty to be said with this film, both from a criminal perspective, and from a victim perspective. Director Deon Taylor have directed both films and tv series, i mostly remember his film 7eventy 5ive, with Rutger Hauer in 2007. This could be hist best film so far, as an director. Supremacy is a film with more quality than expected, with acting better than expected. The plot is not very effective, it is the acting and the way director Deon Taylor try and dig deep into emotions that works so well. If you want to see something cozy, next to your fresh brewed coffee and a blanket, Supremacy will do the job just fine. Nice to see that there is still hope for the thriller genre, i will look forward to the upcoming films of director Deon Taylor. If he can deliver here, i am sure he can continue to deliver with his next project.
Rating: DDD
Supremacist Garret Tully ( Joe Anderson ) is just released from prison, as his girlfriend Doreen ( Dawn Olivieri ) picks him up. Garret start to plan his next move already, but things change very quickly that night. When a police officer ask them to stop their car, so he can see Doreen´s driver license, Garret kills the cop brutally. The situation have just turned extremely bad, since Garret have only been out of prison for a few hours. They escape on foot, trying to find a loctaion to hide. As they arrive at a big house, they break in and find a whole family living there. The father Mr. Walker ( Danny Glover ) and his wife with 3 kids, are shocked. Walker tell everyone that the best thing they can do is follow orders, so no one will be harmed. Doreen have an idea, she have a phone number to a friend who can help them out of bad situations, so she decide to give him a call. Garret is not sure about this, he feels that they can take care of the situation themselves. While Garrett is trying to figure out how they can continue their lives from this moment, he realise that this might be more complicated than expected.
I had no idea what to expect when i picked up Supremacy, not knowing much at all about this film. And maybe that was a good idea, trying not to find out the plot. Because here we have a small film, on a limited budget, that actually deliver a surprisingly effective thriller. You could say that on one half, there is a story on racism, and on the other half there is a story on people handling an awful situation. I am very happy to see Danny Glover, doing a much better performance than most of his releases over the years. This was exactly what he needed, because he can be a good actor. He is nowhere close as his earlier classic films from the 80´s and 90´s, but this proves that he might choose some better characters in the future. The strongest performance is without a doubt from lead actor Joe Anderson. I have seen him do good performances in the past, in such films as The Grey and in the latest adaptation of Hercules, with Dwayne " The Rock " Johnson. The difference from these films, is that he tries to show us a human life, with no hope, or with no future plans. He is stuck inside his criminal world, where he belive he knows what is right and wrong. A powerful performance indeed, and maybe the biggest strength of Supremacy. The story of 2 criminals taking over a house may not be original at all, and that is ok. Because there is plenty to be said with this film, both from a criminal perspective, and from a victim perspective. Director Deon Taylor have directed both films and tv series, i mostly remember his film 7eventy 5ive, with Rutger Hauer in 2007. This could be hist best film so far, as an director. Supremacy is a film with more quality than expected, with acting better than expected. The plot is not very effective, it is the acting and the way director Deon Taylor try and dig deep into emotions that works so well. If you want to see something cozy, next to your fresh brewed coffee and a blanket, Supremacy will do the job just fine. Nice to see that there is still hope for the thriller genre, i will look forward to the upcoming films of director Deon Taylor. If he can deliver here, i am sure he can continue to deliver with his next project.
Rating: DDD
tisdag 24 mars 2015
Escobar: Paradise Lost
Drugs is a huge problem worldwide. Every day people die of drug overdoses, or are killed because of drug business. No matter what drug people use, there is a lot of money to be made in the drug industry. So no matter how police forces worldwide fight the drug industry, they can´t keep up with every new product that is released. As an example, within just a year, we have so many dead teenagers in Sweden, who used the drug known as Spice. I lost 2 friends who both died of overdoses, and another one could have been dead, but managed to survive with major injuries. I have never tried drugs, and i never felt that i need to. I drink alcohol, but not very often. So i would say that you don´t need drugs, because they will mess you up anyway. There are many famous drug cartel kings from history that became a hero for many poor people. One of the biggest drug cartel icons have to be Pablo Escobar, the colombian drug lord. He was one of the most dangerous criminals of all time, killing people constantly while doing big business deals. He was known as " The King Of Cocaine ", and the most dangerous drug lord of them all. He died in 1993, where his brothers claim that he took his own life. Others claim he was killed by Colombian electronic surveillance team, led by Brigadier Hugo Martinez. They located Escobar in Medellin, and begun firing their guns at him. If the last bullet killed him, no one knows, or if he took his own life. Either way, Pablo Escobar is a legend in the cartel world. There have been several films and tv series based on the life of Escobar, you might have seen one of them known as Blow, with Johnny Depp. But here we are with a fresh film, telling the tale of Escobar´s life, this time portraied by Benicio Del Toro. This is also the debut feature film from director Andrea Di Stefano, who worked as an actor in different tv and film productions. Is Escobar: Paradise Lost, a fascinating look on this legendary drug king, or is this a film you might as well skip and find something more interesting ?
In the summer of 1983, Nick Brady ( John Hutcherson ) and his brother Dylan Brady ( Brady Corbet ), comes from Canada, to run a surf camp together on the colombian coast. While working hard in the heat, Nick meet Maria ( Claudia Traísac ). They begin to see each other, as feelings begin to grow for each day. One day, Maria want to introduce him to her family, at the mansion of Pablo Escobar ( Benicio Del Toro ). Pablo like Nick instantly and want him to work for him instead. Nick takes Pablos offer, and become a family member quickly. Everything seems wonderful, until Nick realise how dangerous Pablo is, and what he is capable of. The ordinary life Nick once had, is now long gone. Unless he can find a way out, and escape to freedom.
I have seen plenty of films, taking on drug problems. But when you make a film based on one of the most dangerous cartel kings of all time, you realise that there is a lot to tell about Escobar. I find it interesting that we get a different perspective on his lifestyle, than just seeing him do drug business, we also get to hear some of his closest family members and their thoughts. It is not hard to understand that Escobar had to have psychological problems, considering he had no emotions at all when it came to killing people. To just be able to kill anyone, in all ages, and have no emotions, show us that the drugs were more important than human life. This may not be the greatest performance ever from Benicio Del Toro, but i feel that he fits great as Pablo Escobar, even if i wish he could have been even more violent. You do get to see some scenes with his bad temper, but i think he might have been even more crazy in real life. Of course i never met the guy, just a feeling after reading about his personality. I would still say that from a biographical view, Escobar: Paradise Lost, deliver a story that in some ways are incredible. How this man could build such an empire is a mystery in some ways. Of course he had so much money and power, he did anything to become even bigger in the drug industry. He could not live a normal life, since business was always the most important detail, so you see a lost soul who have no comfort zone. Since this is the debut feature film from director Andrea Di Stefano, i feel that he manage to handle this story in a good way. He could have easily made a typical mediocre drama, but he seems to take the job seriously. If you were hoping for action scenes and lots of bullets, you might not get what you wish for. This is more of a dramatic film, showing us another side of Escobar, where we also get to know his closest workers who helped him build up his empire. You also learn that he did help people, building schools and health care clinics to make sure people could get help. If you enjoy films based on true stories, Escobar: Paradise Lost might actually please you. I doubt we will ever have anyone as big as Pablo in the drug cartel world, he can never be replaced. I am glad he is not alive, because who knows how many more he would have killed. A horrible man, still interesting to learn more about his personality. Tired of Äntligen Hemma on TV4 ? I suggest you play this film in your dvd player instead, and see a film with a very important message. Drugs may be a big industry, but in the end drugs only makes everything worse.
Rating: DDD
In the summer of 1983, Nick Brady ( John Hutcherson ) and his brother Dylan Brady ( Brady Corbet ), comes from Canada, to run a surf camp together on the colombian coast. While working hard in the heat, Nick meet Maria ( Claudia Traísac ). They begin to see each other, as feelings begin to grow for each day. One day, Maria want to introduce him to her family, at the mansion of Pablo Escobar ( Benicio Del Toro ). Pablo like Nick instantly and want him to work for him instead. Nick takes Pablos offer, and become a family member quickly. Everything seems wonderful, until Nick realise how dangerous Pablo is, and what he is capable of. The ordinary life Nick once had, is now long gone. Unless he can find a way out, and escape to freedom.
I have seen plenty of films, taking on drug problems. But when you make a film based on one of the most dangerous cartel kings of all time, you realise that there is a lot to tell about Escobar. I find it interesting that we get a different perspective on his lifestyle, than just seeing him do drug business, we also get to hear some of his closest family members and their thoughts. It is not hard to understand that Escobar had to have psychological problems, considering he had no emotions at all when it came to killing people. To just be able to kill anyone, in all ages, and have no emotions, show us that the drugs were more important than human life. This may not be the greatest performance ever from Benicio Del Toro, but i feel that he fits great as Pablo Escobar, even if i wish he could have been even more violent. You do get to see some scenes with his bad temper, but i think he might have been even more crazy in real life. Of course i never met the guy, just a feeling after reading about his personality. I would still say that from a biographical view, Escobar: Paradise Lost, deliver a story that in some ways are incredible. How this man could build such an empire is a mystery in some ways. Of course he had so much money and power, he did anything to become even bigger in the drug industry. He could not live a normal life, since business was always the most important detail, so you see a lost soul who have no comfort zone. Since this is the debut feature film from director Andrea Di Stefano, i feel that he manage to handle this story in a good way. He could have easily made a typical mediocre drama, but he seems to take the job seriously. If you were hoping for action scenes and lots of bullets, you might not get what you wish for. This is more of a dramatic film, showing us another side of Escobar, where we also get to know his closest workers who helped him build up his empire. You also learn that he did help people, building schools and health care clinics to make sure people could get help. If you enjoy films based on true stories, Escobar: Paradise Lost might actually please you. I doubt we will ever have anyone as big as Pablo in the drug cartel world, he can never be replaced. I am glad he is not alive, because who knows how many more he would have killed. A horrible man, still interesting to learn more about his personality. Tired of Äntligen Hemma on TV4 ? I suggest you play this film in your dvd player instead, and see a film with a very important message. Drugs may be a big industry, but in the end drugs only makes everything worse.
Rating: DDD
fredag 20 mars 2015
Greetings from Swedens Oldest Virgin
Yes it is true, i am the oldest virgin of Sweden, ask my sister, she can confirm this.
By the way, the real reason i am writing this is to tell you, that in april i will be posting a lot of reviews. So far i have been very busy lately , trying to write new reviews. Hopefully if everything works out, i will be able to publish more in april.
Have a great weekend and stay virgin, women can be dangerous, unless they are lesbian.
Cheers from Daniel
By the way, the real reason i am writing this is to tell you, that in april i will be posting a lot of reviews. So far i have been very busy lately , trying to write new reviews. Hopefully if everything works out, i will be able to publish more in april.
Have a great weekend and stay virgin, women can be dangerous, unless they are lesbian.
Cheers from Daniel
måndag 16 mars 2015
Wild
Take chances in life. This is something i tell young people when i get the chance. I did, when i was only 23 years old. I went all by myself to Scotland, to see a girl i met in Spain for a few days. We stayed in contact and she invited me over to Scotland. My family thought i was crazy going over there all by myself, since i only met her for a few days in Spain. I never regret that i packed my bags and left. I had a great time in Scotland, and the memories will stay with me. I still travel a lot, and so far i have been to 15 countries, and continue to visit new countries. Even if i am getting older, i keep on living as good as i can, because i feel you should not care about age. It is just a number. I honestly don´t care about having the perfect house, or how i should dress myself among people. I am Daniel, all the time, anywhere. Sometimes we have to make choices, like taking a trip somewhere, to reload our batteries. For me personally i feel that travelling helped me develope me more, than just staying in Sweden, going to the same locations. Then there are those who really go for an adventure. Travelling for months in different countries, this looks like a lot of fun, and must be a great adventure. Have anyone of you by any chance read the novel Wild : From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail, by author Cheryl Strayed ? She wrote this novel, after she made an incredible journey on 1,100 mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. The novel became a huge success, telling the story of Cheryl who had to make a choice, and she decided to go on a personal journey to see if she could reach her destination. Wild is a film based on these true events, taking from the novel Wild : From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail. Director Jean-Marc Vallée is mostly known for his films C.R.A.Z.Y, The Young Victoria, and one of my personal favourite films Dallas Buyers Club. Wild is definetely a different film from his previous work, with actor Reese Witherspoon in the lead role as Cheryl Strayed. Is this film based on a true story as good as i hoped for, or is this a film that looks good on the cover but does not deliver enough quality ?
In the year 1995, Cheryl Strayed ( Reese Witherspoon ) have had enough of her personal problems. She have a dream that one day, she would want to go all the way on the Pacific Crest Trail, all by herself. One day, when she decide to do this, she packs everything she needs on this journey, and begin walking. She have no idea how this will affect her life, and the experiences that follows with this incredible journey.
I am not sure if you have seen Sean Penn´s brilliant drama film Into The Wild. This film was based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, who was an american adventurer. He was found dead in the Stampede Trail in Alaska. He decided to leave his ordinary life and live in the nature of Alaska. Even if Into The Wild is very different from the film Wild, i can not help to feel that i see a pattern here. While the story of Christopher McCandless felt more sad, and very emotional, the story of Chery Strayed in Wild feels more light, and maybe not as deep as i would have wanted it to be. It almost feels like director Jean-Marc Vallée tried to make Wild looks almost like a different version of Into The Wild, but somewhere the plot never really lift as high as Sean Penn´s powerful story. I would not say that Wild is a bad film, not at all. If you compare this film to many other releases that came out last year, this is deffinetely worth your time. Especially since Reese Witherspoon is really good in the lead role as Cheryl Strayed. One big difference from Reese usual characters ( mostly in comedies ), is that here she really tried to find a much more natural character, instead of drowning in romantic clichés. As we follow her on her journey, we meet people a long the way, who help Cheryl to make her journey more pleasant. The scenery looks great, and it feels like this must have been a rough journey, both emotionally and physically. Another detail i enjoy is the story between Cheryl and her mother Barbara ( Laura Dern ). Even if you don´t see these scenes often you can feel the chemistry between them. Wild is a film with a very important issue, if you need a change in your life, take a chance and do a personal journey. Sometimes we need to make a decision, even what people in your life feels. I can relate to what Cheryl felt, as i did my own personal journey to Scotland and learned to look at the world in a completely different way. I would still say that Into The Wild is a better film, simply because the story feels deeper and more interesting. Still, Wild have both solid performances and an interesting story. Life is short, take chances. I am glad i did, and i still do sometimes.
Rating: DDD
In the year 1995, Cheryl Strayed ( Reese Witherspoon ) have had enough of her personal problems. She have a dream that one day, she would want to go all the way on the Pacific Crest Trail, all by herself. One day, when she decide to do this, she packs everything she needs on this journey, and begin walking. She have no idea how this will affect her life, and the experiences that follows with this incredible journey.
I am not sure if you have seen Sean Penn´s brilliant drama film Into The Wild. This film was based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, who was an american adventurer. He was found dead in the Stampede Trail in Alaska. He decided to leave his ordinary life and live in the nature of Alaska. Even if Into The Wild is very different from the film Wild, i can not help to feel that i see a pattern here. While the story of Christopher McCandless felt more sad, and very emotional, the story of Chery Strayed in Wild feels more light, and maybe not as deep as i would have wanted it to be. It almost feels like director Jean-Marc Vallée tried to make Wild looks almost like a different version of Into The Wild, but somewhere the plot never really lift as high as Sean Penn´s powerful story. I would not say that Wild is a bad film, not at all. If you compare this film to many other releases that came out last year, this is deffinetely worth your time. Especially since Reese Witherspoon is really good in the lead role as Cheryl Strayed. One big difference from Reese usual characters ( mostly in comedies ), is that here she really tried to find a much more natural character, instead of drowning in romantic clichés. As we follow her on her journey, we meet people a long the way, who help Cheryl to make her journey more pleasant. The scenery looks great, and it feels like this must have been a rough journey, both emotionally and physically. Another detail i enjoy is the story between Cheryl and her mother Barbara ( Laura Dern ). Even if you don´t see these scenes often you can feel the chemistry between them. Wild is a film with a very important issue, if you need a change in your life, take a chance and do a personal journey. Sometimes we need to make a decision, even what people in your life feels. I can relate to what Cheryl felt, as i did my own personal journey to Scotland and learned to look at the world in a completely different way. I would still say that Into The Wild is a better film, simply because the story feels deeper and more interesting. Still, Wild have both solid performances and an interesting story. Life is short, take chances. I am glad i did, and i still do sometimes.
Rating: DDD
lördag 14 mars 2015
The Atticus Institute
The U.S. governement is said to have a lot of secret information, of what they have done in secret for many years. This is what most of us would call conspiracy theories. Do i belive that there are operations done by the U.S. governement in secret ? I would not be surprised, at the same time, who knows what really happened, or if anything happened at all. It could all be theories. To belive something, i have to see that there is proof, or real evidence, otherwise it would be hard to belive anything at all. There are those moments, where i do get to laugh also, when people say they have proof of crazy things. Like one guy who said he might have found proof that Jesus was gay. Let´s say he was, who cares ? Of course there were gay people in those days, you just don´t talk about that in churches. Or maybe you remember the fake video of the alien autopsy ? People actually belived that the video was real, so if you know how to make a video look real, you can fool many viewers. Conspiracy theories will live on, as long as people belive that higher authorities hide information, and wipe out their traces. Let´s just say that there have been experiments made, on ordinary people, who might have a special talent, what would you say if you watched the actual video footage, filmed on location ? The Atticus Institute is a documentary horror film, supposed to show us what really happened at Atticus Institiute. According to the facts, there were experiments made on patients who were said to be telepathic. We also get to hear new interviews from the people who worked there, who want the truth to come out. Is this a horror documentary better than i expected, or is this another example of why Hollywood should try and find original stories instead ?
In the 70´s, it was revealed that one of the workers at the Atticus Institute have faked sessions with patiens, using his clock to remove objects, to make it look like patients were telepathic. This made Dr. Henry West ( William Mapother ) furious, and it seemed as their project to understand real cases of telepathic people failed. Until one day, when the institute decide to help their new patient Judith Winstead ( Rya Kihlstedt ). As their experiments begin, Dr Henry can tell that she is not fake in any way, she seems to be telepathic. But when the experiments become more complicated and harder to perform, something does not seem right. What is really wrong with Judith, is she maybe more than just telepathic ?
You might think that this is another found footage horror release, don´t worry. The Atticus Institute is acually more like a documentary, but not based on real events of course. We get to hear the story of what happened in the 70´s, hearing from staff of the Atticus Institute, as they tell us their experiences of what happened with their patient Judith Winstead. I am surprised how well they managed to put these pieces together, both from filmed material from the 70´s and the interviews done in present day. It looks good, and the acting is also good. From a possession point of view, we don´t really get anything original, but that´s ok. The strength of The Atticus Institute is that director Chris Sparling, tries to make it look like this really happened for real. The fact that he does not try and use the found footage genre is also a good sign. For those who never heard of Chris Sparling, should know he is a well known writer, for films like Buried ( one of my favourite films with Ryan Reynolds ), and the horror film ATM. He is actually a writer for the forthcoming film Sea Of Trees, with Matthew McConaughey among others. The Atticus Institute is actually his debut film as an director, and i have to say he manage to give us a horror film that deliver enough to feel interesting. There are not too many jump scare scenes here, and i am happy that Chris Sparling decided not to follow that path. Because too many horror films usually use that formula, just to be as scary as possible. I would have liked to have some more small surprises along this documentary, something unexpected. Otherwise i can´t be negative, the documentary style works good here, and the story is solid enough to feel interesting. The Atticus Institute will not give you anything fresh, but at least you get a horror release that at least tries to please the audience. That does not happen very often in these days of desperate film makers.
Rating: DDD
In the 70´s, it was revealed that one of the workers at the Atticus Institute have faked sessions with patiens, using his clock to remove objects, to make it look like patients were telepathic. This made Dr. Henry West ( William Mapother ) furious, and it seemed as their project to understand real cases of telepathic people failed. Until one day, when the institute decide to help their new patient Judith Winstead ( Rya Kihlstedt ). As their experiments begin, Dr Henry can tell that she is not fake in any way, she seems to be telepathic. But when the experiments become more complicated and harder to perform, something does not seem right. What is really wrong with Judith, is she maybe more than just telepathic ?
You might think that this is another found footage horror release, don´t worry. The Atticus Institute is acually more like a documentary, but not based on real events of course. We get to hear the story of what happened in the 70´s, hearing from staff of the Atticus Institute, as they tell us their experiences of what happened with their patient Judith Winstead. I am surprised how well they managed to put these pieces together, both from filmed material from the 70´s and the interviews done in present day. It looks good, and the acting is also good. From a possession point of view, we don´t really get anything original, but that´s ok. The strength of The Atticus Institute is that director Chris Sparling, tries to make it look like this really happened for real. The fact that he does not try and use the found footage genre is also a good sign. For those who never heard of Chris Sparling, should know he is a well known writer, for films like Buried ( one of my favourite films with Ryan Reynolds ), and the horror film ATM. He is actually a writer for the forthcoming film Sea Of Trees, with Matthew McConaughey among others. The Atticus Institute is actually his debut film as an director, and i have to say he manage to give us a horror film that deliver enough to feel interesting. There are not too many jump scare scenes here, and i am happy that Chris Sparling decided not to follow that path. Because too many horror films usually use that formula, just to be as scary as possible. I would have liked to have some more small surprises along this documentary, something unexpected. Otherwise i can´t be negative, the documentary style works good here, and the story is solid enough to feel interesting. The Atticus Institute will not give you anything fresh, but at least you get a horror release that at least tries to please the audience. That does not happen very often in these days of desperate film makers.
Rating: DDD
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