Three Years of Movies, Summer 2017
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- DirectorJames GunnStarsChris PrattZoe SaldanaDave BautistaThe Guardians struggle to keep together as a team while dealing with their personal family issues, notably Star-Lord's encounter with his father, the ambitious celestial being Ego.Extremely likeable characters make up for the lack of a coherent story line.
- DirectorBryan SingerStarsKevin SpaceyGabriel ByrneChazz PalminteriThe sole survivor of a pier shoot-out tells the story of how a notorious criminal influenced the events that began with five criminals meeting in a seemingly random police lineup.Interesting twist on a decent story. Good performance from Spacey.
- DirectorMark GoldblattStarsDolph LundgrenLouis Gossett Jr.Jeroen KrabbéWhen Frank Castle's family is murdered by criminals, he wages war on crime as a vigilante assassin known only as The Punisher.Not enough "A" and not enough "B". Bad decisions lined up. Also, Lundgren is terrible.
- DirectorAlex GarlandStarsAlicia VikanderDomhnall GleesonOscar IsaacA young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.Intriguing premise, but a bit far-fetched at times.
- StarsScott GrimesDamian LewisRon LivingstonThe story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and their mission in World War II Europe, from Operation Overlord to V-J Day.Too many characters and uneven storytelling in an otherwise well-made series.
- StarsJames Badge DaleJoseph MazzelloJon SedaThe Pacific Theatre of World War II, as seen through the eyes of several young Marines.A story without direction.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsTom HanksMatt DamonTom SizemoreFollowing the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.Extremely well-made war depiction with effective characters. Third act is a bit slow though.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsRyan PhillippeBarry PepperJoseph CrossThe life stories of the six men who raised the flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima, a turning point in World War II.A dramaturgical nightmare.
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsCharlie SheenTom BerengerWillem DafoeChris Taylor, a neophyte recruit in Vietnam, finds himself caught in a battle of wills between two sergeants, one good and the other evil. A shrewd examination of the brutality of war and the duality of man in conflict.Honest and moving. Deserves every award.
- DirectorKjell SundvallStarsRolf SkoglundClaire WikholmGunnar 'Knas' LindkvistThe Backlund family is going on a caravanning holiday. According to the father Gösta it is the best way to see Sweden. The son Johan does not want to do anything but bathing and the daugther Lotta don't even want to come along. You get to see the Backlunds in resturants, beaches and caravan sites. Gösta likes to rule his family but it does not go very well.More than decent satire of vacation in Sweden.
- DirectorMatt DufferRoss DufferStarsAlexander SkarsgårdAndrea RiseboroughEmily Alyn LindA family takes refuge in a bomb shelter to avoid a dangerous outbreak.Cool twist, but becomes forced towards the end. Some bad writing here and there.
- DirectorSean S. CunninghamStarsGreg EviganNancy EverhardTaurean BlacqueA team of navy personnel stationed at a temporary base at the bottom of the ocean and tasked with setting up nuclear missiles discovers a huge underwater cavern which houses a giant prehistoric creature.Production design makes it worth watching, but not much else does.
- DirectorRian JohnsonStarsJoseph Gordon-LevittBruce WillisEmily BluntIn 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent into the past, where a hired gun awaits - someone like Joe - who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by sending back Joe's future self for assassination.The plot is swiss cheese, but the style is refreshing and the characters are strong.
- DirectorDuncan JonesStarsJake GyllenhaalMichelle MonaghanVera FarmigaA soldier wakes up in someone else's body and discovers he's part of an experimental government program to find the bomber of a commuter train within 8 minutes.Interesting premise with RoboCopesque ethical conflict attached. A bit preachy at times.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsOwen WilsonRachel McAdamsKathy BatesWhile on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.For once Allen manages to mix nostalgia with purpose. Gets many things right on many levels. Not entirely comfortable with Wilson though.
- DirectorDoug LimanStarsFranka PotenteMatt DamonChris CooperA man is picked up by a fishing boat, bullet-riddled and suffering from amnesia, before racing to elude assassins and attempting to regain his memory.Not very innovative but captivating beginning nontheless. Loses all appeal towards the end, including most of its credibility.
- DirectorEric BressJ. Mackye GruberStarsAshton KutcherAmy SmartMelora WaltersEvan Treborn suffers blackouts during significant events of his life. As he grows up, he finds a way to remember these lost memories and a supernatural way to alter his life by reading his journal.Preposterous story combined with confused storytelling. Takes it self way too seriously.
- DirectorLouis LeterrierStarsEdward NortonLiv TylerTim RothBruce Banner, a scientist on the run from the U.S. Government, must find a cure for the monster he turns into whenever he loses his temper.Extremely promising beginning with refreshing perspective. Ruins most of it at the end with ridiculous antagonist and stretched fighting scenes. Bad CGI at times. Feels like two different movies.
- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsSandra BullockGeorge ClooneyEd HarrisDr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first time on a space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.Too many close calls to actually be believable, but the original tone and an unusually competent Bullock makes it worth watching.
- DirectorSofia CoppolaStarsKirsten DunstJosh HartnettJames WoodsA group of male friends become obsessed with five mysterious sisters who are sheltered by their strict, religious parents in suburban Detroit in the mid 1970s.Excellent, except for Hartnett's wig. Spot on when it comes to mental illness and how it's handled by people uncomfortable with it.
- DirectorBrian G. HuttonStarsClint EastwoodTelly SavalasDon RicklesA group of U.S. soldiers sneaks across enemy lines in WWII France to get their hands on a secret stash of Nazi treasure.Somewhat cozy adventure - if you can say that about a war movie. Sutherland and Savalas are the real stars.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsTom HanksTyler HoechlinPaul NewmanA mob enforcer's son in 1930s Illinois witnesses a murder, forcing him and his father to take to the road, and his father down a path of redemption and revenge.Surprisingly believable and captivating. Jude Law's character doesn't tonally match the overall story.
- DirectorTrey Edward ShultsStarsJoel EdgertonChristopher AbbottCarmen EjogoSecure within a desolate home as an unnatural threat terrorizes the world, a man has established a tenuous domestic order with his wife and son. Then a desperate young family arrives seeking refuge.Nothing happens. And then nothing happens again. And then you wish you hadn't paid to see it.
- DirectorJon FavreauStarsDaniel CraigHarrison FordOlivia WildeA spaceship arrives in 1873 Arizona to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. All that stands in their way: a posse of cowboys and natives.Tongue-in-cheek idea that misplaces its humour along the way. Uneven pacing and script is so-so.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsKen WatanabeKazunari NinomiyaTsuyoshi IharaThe story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.Fairly interesting story with unclear perspective and no real protagonist. A bit slow from time to time.
- DirectorLance HoolStarsPatrick SwayzeLisa NiemiAnthony ZerbeIn a post-apocalyptic world, a warrior wandering through the desert comes upon a group of settlers who are being menaced by the leader of a murderous gang who's after the water they control.B-movie fun.
- DirectorTeresa FabikStarsRakel WärmländerDan EkborgJosephine BornebuschThis is a romantic comedy about love, friendship and the courage it takes to follow your dreams. It's based on the novel with the same title by Kajsa Ingemarsson. And it's centers around Agnes, how is a chef that loves cooking. She has a good job, a boyfriend who loves her and a best friend who is always there for her. One day she is both fired from the luxurious restaurant and dumped by her boyfriend. Therefore she has nothing left to loose when a friend asks Agnes if she would like to be part owner in and open up a new restaurant. At the same time she manages to fall in love with the one person who cannot know who she really is.Some attempts at style, but in between there's the usual swedish blandness. Ekborg, von Brömssen and Bornebusch outshine the rest.
- DirectorNiclas LarssonStarsLova SchildtMikaela Ardai JenneforsCarina M. JohanssonVatten is a drama about young unconditional love.Beautifully shot and interesting storywise.
- DirectorTom TykwerLana WachowskiLilly WachowskiStarsTom HanksHalle BerryHugh GrantAn exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.Pretentious trainwreck without a point. Fails completely to emotionally engage me.
- DirectorKinji FukasakuStarsTatsuya FujiwaraAki MaedaTarô YamamotoIn the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill one another under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.Political and entertaining at the same time. Obvious inspiration for The Hunger Games, except much more graphic and much less mainstream emptiness.
- DirectorWiktor EricssonStarsAndré AnderssonArvid AsklundIsa HansenA film about young love and the first confusing steps towards a sexual identity.Fairly interesting story about love and exclusion. Some good acting and some bad. Nicely shot.
- DirectorMikael DrakeStarsPär AnderssonFabian BernhardsonSven BjörklundShots are fired at a woman as she runs through the forest. At the same time, two brothers turn on to a forest road. Their paths will soon cross in a suspenseful film with supernatural elements - where nobody is what they seem to be.Somewhat flat and silly. Fascinating though how close it is to professional swedish productions when it comes to quality.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsLiam NeesonRalph FiennesBen KingsleyIn German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.Powerful, despite demonizing tendencies and excessive running time. Extremely believable production and excellent performances from Neeson, Fiennes and Kingsley.
- DirectorEric KarsonStarsChuck NorrisKaren CarlsonLee Van CleefA martial artist must defeat a plan by ninjas to create a worldwide training camp for terrorists.Misunderstands much of the basics in filmmaking, in typical B-movie manner. Very entertaining!
- DirectorJeremy SaulnierStarsMacon BlairDevin RatrayAmy HargreavesA mysterious outsider's quiet life is turned upside down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. Proving himself an amateur assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family.Gets a lot of things right but loses its momentum half way through. Well-crafted social criticism with lukewarm ending.
- StarsMia SkäringerSlow and a bit pointless. The jokes are stale and the script has no progression.
- DirectorReza BagherStarsMax EnderforsAndreas af EnehielmJarmo MäkinenTwo boys grow up together in the town of Pajala during the 1960s. United by rock'n'roll music.Surprisingly confident in terms of tone and style. Acting is of varying quality, but editing compensates for some of it. Voice-over doesn't blend in, but overall a competent film.
- DirectorWes BallStarsDylan O'BrienKaya ScodelarioWill PoulterThomas is deposited in a community of boys after his memory is erased, soon learning they're all trapped in a maze that will require him to join forces with fellow "runners" for a shot at escape.Reminiscent of The Cube but more fleshed out. Plot keeps you intrigued through out, but ending is somewhat far-fetched. Characters might lack originality but serve their purpose. OK.
- DirectorWes BallStarsDylan O'BrienKaya ScodelarioThomas Brodie-SangsterAfter having escaped the Maze, the Gladers now face a new set of challenges on the open roads of a desolate landscape filled with unimaginable obstacles.Plot is episodic, random and story has no arc. Not nearly as provocatively bad as it could have been though. More a setup for a conclusion than anything else.
- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsJulianne MooreClive OwenChiwetel EjioforIn 2027, in a chaotic world in which women have somehow become infertile, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.Original style and interesting story. Unfortunately it's a bit slow and unjustifiably lengthy at times. Would benefit from a tighter cut.
- DirectorLukas MoodyssonStarsAlexandra DahlströmRebecka LiljebergErica CarlsonTwo teenage girls in small-town Sweden. Elin is beautiful, popular, and bored with life. Agnes is friendless, sad, and secretly in love with Elin.Incredibly realistic in its depiction of a teenager's life (or at least how it could be in a small town during the late 90's) Maybe not the deepest exploration of love, homosexuality and social structures, but decent enough.
- DirectorSteven ShainbergStarsNoomi RapaceMichael ChiklisKerry BishéA single mom tries to break free from a mysterious organization that has abducted her.Looks like a cheap music video and plays like a B-movie. Barely watchable. Rapace doesn't even come close to pull off a canadian/american accent.
- DirectorPernilla AugustStarsNoomi RapaceOla RapaceOuti MäenpääA drama set in 1970s Sweden and centered on a young woman's experiences growing up in a home riddled with abuse and alcoholism.Conveys moods incredibly well and acting efforts are mostly good. Both Noomi Rapace and Tehilla Blad are very believable. Not even comparable to Rapace's mediocre achievements in Hollywood.
- DirectorDavid AyerStarsWill SmithJared LetoMargot RobbieA secret government agency recruits some of the most dangerous incarcerated super-villains to form a defensive task force. Their first mission: save the world from the apocalypse.A whole lot of characters I don't know why I should care about. Completely worthless until the end of second act where there's some glimpses of characterization. Plot is a total mess.
- DirectorJ.J. AbramsStarsElle FanningAJ MichalkaKyle ChandlerDuring the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.Very Spielbergian story with evident inspiration from E.T., Close Encounters and The Goonies. Quite interesting, but a bit muddled and in need of a clearer perspective.
- DirectorUlf HanssonStarsPierre LindstedtJuan Camili ArbelaezDag MalmbergRune, a middle aged working class man, has lost his wife, his dog and his job, and now the city management wants to dig up his lawn in order to provide broadband for the neighborhood. Unfortunately, Rune recently buried his dog close to the road, right where they are going to dig. It's all too much for him, so he stubbornly decides to stop the digging, even if he has to sleep on the lawn.Not very original story and some aspects have an amateur quality to them. Watchable.
- DirectorRoger VadimStarsJane FondaJohn Phillip LawAnita PallenbergIn the 41st century, an astronaut partakes in sexy misadventures while seeking to stop an evil scientist who threatens to bring evil back into the galaxy.More a psychedelic showcase than an actual story. Worth seeing because of its place in film history and the influence it's had on pop culture.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsAngelina JolieColm FeoreAmy RyanAfter Christine's son goes missing, she reaches out to the LAPD to find him. But when they try to pass off an impostor as her son to quieten public protests, she refuses to accept him or give up hope.Quite interesting story, but Eastwood's somewhat stiff narrative makes it less emotional and more literal. Jolie has her moments.
- DirectorBarry LevinsonStarsRobert De NiroKevin BaconBrad PittAfter a prank goes disastrously wrong, a group of boys are sent to a detention center where they are brutalized. Thirteen years later, an unexpected random encounter with a former guard gives them a chance for revenge.Takes its time to get to the point, and when it does it barely hits the target. The part when the characters are grown up is the weakest and Jason Patric is completely free of expressions.
- CreatorMark FrostDavid LynchStarsKyle MacLachlanMichael OntkeanMädchen AmickAn idiosyncratic FBI agent investigates the murder of a young woman in the even more idiosyncratic town of Twin Peaks.Very original and entertaining in its own way. MacLachlan seems like the perfect vehicle for the creators' visions, and the soundtrack is equally important. Why this became a mainstream hit is however a mystery.
- DirectorDavid LynchStarsSheryl LeeRay WiseMädchen AmickLaura Palmer's harrowing final days are chronicled one year after the murder of Teresa Banks, a resident of Twin Peaks' neighboring town.Slow and uninteresting. The story of Laura Palmer is a bit boring without the framing provided in the series. Sheryl Lee is impressing, however.
- CreatorMark FrostDavid LynchStarsKyle MacLachlanSheryl LeeMichael HorsePicks up 25 years after the inhabitants of a quaint northwestern town are stunned when their homecoming queen is murdered.Dull. The world and mysticism created in the original series translates very poorly to the modern day outside of Twin Peaks. Scenes involving original cast members have a "remake" quality to them. Some things (if not all?) are best left alone.
- DirectorJason EisenerStarsRutger HauerPasha EbrahimiRobb WellsA homeless vigilante blows away crooked cops, pedophile Santas, and other scumbags with his trusty pump-action shotgun.Transcends into the wrong kind of B-movie, and thereby fails to meet expectations. Hauer is awesome though. Does not wipe the floor with Machete.
- DirectorKathryn BigelowStarsRalph FiennesAngela BassettJuliette LewisA former cop turned street-hustler accidentally uncovers a conspiracy in Los Angeles in 1999.Shows some real promise initially and in some ways throughout it all, but can't help itself from becoming your standard action flick. A missed opportunity to do something noteworthy along the lines of Cronenberg and/or Philip K. Dick. Fiennes is great as usual.
- DirectorDean TomkinsStarsReine BrynolfssonRamus EljanskogPeter EngmanA tale of curious children, dangerous women, the occasional gangster, and a budding friendship. Uncle Frank, 48 years old, and Peder, 13 years old, are forced to go together to the Reeperbahn in Hamburg to make one last deal, but nothing turns out exactly as they imagined.Slightly far-fetched and unrealistic. Brynolfsson is okay, the others are quite bad.
- DirectorRobert RodriguezStarsHarvey KeitelGeorge ClooneyJuliette LewisTwo criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in a truck stop populated by vampires, with chaotic results.A few good laughs and some nice practical effects, but pretty crappy script. Dramaturgy is terrible and Clooney is miscast as a bad guy. Keitel and Lewis outperform the movie.
- DirectorRon SheltonStarsWesley SnipesWoody HarrelsonRosie PerezBlack and white basketball hustlers join forces to double their chances of winning money on the street courts and in a basketball tournament.Whitty dialogue and lighthearted humor. A fair share of racial stereotypes, but also a honorable message. Nice chemistry between Snipes and Harrelson.
- DirectorOla SimonssonJohannes Stjärne NilssonStarsPaula McManusAnders CarlssonAnders JanssonOn the day of an important work meeting an office worker gets caught in a time loop. Time accelerates, slows down, or breaks altogether, throwing him like a chip caught in the whirlpool.Tons of style and impressive set design. Sadly the direction and/or acting doesn't match it. The story is good.
- DirectorPenelope SpheerisStarsMike MyersDana CarveyRob LoweTwo slacker friends try to promote their public-access cable show.Assumes that the viewer is familiar with the characters from before (SNL sketches), and the result is a comedy with a few hits and a lot of misses. The story is extremely episodic and never really takes off. Myers and Carvey have good quirkiness.
- DirectorHans HatwigStarsIngemar AnderssonCarl BillquistCurt BrobergA UFO has crashed close to a summer holiday park and a couple of kids are set to help them with the aid of a man with magic powers. But they have to hurry before an anti UFO force finds the green men from outer space.Hilarious low budget sci-fi adventure for kids, and also a poorly disguised publicity stunt for an amusement park. The plot is erratic but wonderfully strange scenes and moments compensate more than enough.
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsPenélope CruzCarmen MauraLola DueñasAfter her death, a mother returns to her home town in order to fix the situations she couldn't resolve during her life.A bit too extensive which makes it unfocused and slow at times. The murder storyline has a trivializing effect, and the film would be better off without it. Cruz is fantastic.
- DirectorAri FolmanStarsRobin WrightHarvey KeitelJon HammAn aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn't consider.Asks relevant questions concerning integrity and the consumption of culture and media, but is also a bit incoherent. The mixing of different media might be a statement in its own, but the transition creates a distance between the audience and the film. Wright rocks.
- DirectorJerry ZaksStarsMeryl StreepLeonardo DiCaprioDiane KeatonAfter seventeen years, a fiercely independent woman and her rebellious son return home and together they turn the family she left behind upside down.Streep and DiCaprio are great, and Keaton is not far behind. Movie is a slow starter but really engaging once everything is in place. Perfect on a Sunday.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsDaniel Day-LewisPaul DanoCiarán HindsA story of family, religion, hatred, oil and madness, focusing on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.Highly believable story about the consequenses of greed. Unfortunately there is not a single character to sympathize with (or to understand, at least), and therefore it feels stretched.