High Rise – Ben Wheatly A Hobessian state of eat-or-be-eaten takes hold of an entire building, resulting in orgies, rape and murder. In this madness some inhabitants seem to finally feel alive. Elle – Paul Verhoeven Exciting and discomforting. Not in the least because of the best French actress alive: Isabbele Hupert. Men & ChickenContinueContinue reading “The 6 best films I watched in 2016”
Category Archives: Films 2016
Romantic bubble
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je0aAf2f8XQ A high-brow colorful feel-good ferry tale, that cheers you up. Although I don’t particularly like the genre (half-musical, half-comedy) the film works out pretty well. It has a remarkable ‘lesson’ for us: it is ok to give up romantic love to pursue your dream (i.e. a Hollywood career). La La Land – Damien ChazelleContinueContinue reading “Romantic bubble”
Bureaucratic misery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahWgxw9E_h4 This year’s Palme d’Or winner, Ken Loach’s ‘I, Daniel Blake’, is a touching film exposing Britain’s bureaucratic machinery as the biggest obstacle for the less fortunate to get ahead with their difficult lives. The protagonist, Daniel Blake, sick of this state organized madness decides to stands up to this big anonymous monster made outContinueContinue reading “Bureaucratic misery”
The thin line separating good from bad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQoqsKoJVDw Entertaining film with great actors (Jeff Bridges!) adding a moral dimension to the well-know topic of bank-robbers-on-the-run-for-a-sheriff-on-the-brink-of-retirement’. A must see, not in the least because of the renewed interest in small town, rural America (i.e. Texas). Hell or High Water – David Mackenzie (2016) ****
Allesomvattend verlies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u1cD4Z6KZI Aangrijpende film over verlies van een kind. Mooi verteld, goed geacteerd. De film pretendeert geen troost of oplossing te bieden. Dat is terecht: het verliezen van je kind verdraagt immers geen relativering. Tonio – Paula van der Oest (2016) ****
Hollywood in the 1930’s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl4X6pFfmTI Funny dialogues, a Jewish family, Hollywood in the 1930’s and love affairs; the ingredients of yet another Woody Allen film. The real achievement is that Allen succeeds in delivering good value for money: his films are always above average, without being brilliant. But why is Jesse Eisenberg acting as if he were the young Woody?ContinueContinue reading “Hollywood in the 1930’s”
Weiner, more than a silly name
Modern Warfare
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOqeoj669xg Fine thriller about the complexity and moral implications of modern warfare, when fighting terrorist with drone attacks. Eye in the Sky – Gavin Hood (2016) ****
Het gewone leven is onvoorspelbaar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytFfNrliAzg Mooie film over de Parijse filosofielerares Nathalie die het leven neemt zoals het zich aandient. Ze wordt verlaten door haar man, de uitgever stopt met haar boeken en haar moeder overlijdt. Ze is ook nog eens allergisch voor de kat van haar moeder, die ze ondanks dat toch maar in huis neemt. Natuurlijk lijdtContinueContinue reading “Het gewone leven is onvoorspelbaar”
Civil War’s Walden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EMkxEKKSQI An ambitious film on a great topic and beautiful scenery, but it wants to tell too many stories and depends to a large extent on the charisma and performance of Matthew McConaughey alone. Moreover, it makes emotions and events too explicit, as often is the case with American films (although the producers seem to be Chinese).ContinueContinue reading “Civil War’s Walden”
Society running out of control
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKPghZ5cc_E The High-Rise seems a perfect place: a state of the art building, designed by a God-like architect and with beautiful people inhabiting the modern apartments. Until the balance between the lower and upper floors goes awry and this micro-society slips into violence. A Hobessian state of eat-or-be-eaten takes hold of the entire building, resultingContinueContinue reading “Society running out of control”
Het leven is van Elle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwW8FfopEHY Inderdaad zo goed als iedereen zegt. Verhoeven heeft een topfilm gemaakt: een spannend, gelaagd verhaal dat je uit balans brengt. En wat is Isabelle Huppert toch een bijzondere vrouw! Elle – Paul Verhoeven (2016) *****
Intelligent absurdism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag1miLsTpeQ From the makers of Adam’s Apples (one of my all time favorites) comes this absurd, funny and fascinating film. An off-setting plot with great actors playing twisted characters: best film of the year. Men & Chicken, Anders Thomas Jensen – 2016 *****
El Clan – Pablo Trapero (2015) ****
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gnQab2Qq14 Another good example of reality trumping fiction, this odd story about the Puccio family kidnapping rich people for ransom during the chaotic and brutal Videla years in Argentina. The most intriguing figure is Arquimedes, the father and head of the family, a superb role from Guillermo Francella. In some way all family members areContinueContinue reading “El Clan – Pablo Trapero (2015) ****”
A Bigger Splash – Luca Guadagnino ***
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mOVgI0-pb4 Tributary to films as Francois Ozon’s “Swimming Pool”, “La Piscine” and even “Lolita”, the film nevertheless fails to reach the same level of intrigue, suspense or sensuality as these famous predecessors. What does stick is the fantastic role of Ralph Fiennes. It’s hard not to admire his joie de vivre and his ecstatic wayContinueContinue reading “A Bigger Splash – Luca Guadagnino ***”
The Assassin – Hsiao-Hsien Hou (2015) ***
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kmOX11PdR4 The plot is straightforward: a female assassin is on a mission to kill a political leader in seventh-century China. Watching this film was, nevertheless, less simple. I really wanted to like this film (a great theme, the landscapes are stunning and the cinematography is a nice counterbalance to the mainstream Hollywood approach), but theContinueContinue reading “The Assassin – Hsiao-Hsien Hou (2015) ***”
PEPIJN VAN DIJK 