Lauwer Reviews

Cake (II) (2014)

Just...mediocre

[22 January 2015]

Since the end of 2014 quite a hype was created (?) around this movie and especially around Jennifer Anistons apparently iconic Oscar-worthy performance. It took a really long time before even a trailer showed up. Last week I got to see the film. And it was just so...bland...mediocre. The story itself was dull and again...mediocre. Jennifer Anistons acting was okay, but nothing more. If an actress somehow makes herself less 'pretty' for a role, people call it impressive. To me it looked like she was not wearing make-up and had a 'fat belly' tucked under her shirt. She plays a pain patient with a bad temper and a manipulative streak, Claire, that become obsessed with a woman's suicide and starts a friendship with the woman's widower. The woman, Nina, played by Anna Kendrick (who I am a huge fan of but why she took this role beats me...) appears to Claire in visions and her dreams. Somehow this whole process is cathartic for Claire. This is this story, c'est ca. I wouldn't recommend this movie, only highlight is Adriana Barraza, the actress playing the housekeeper, a Mexican lady who wants to take care of Claire because she feels sorry for her.

Boyhood (I) (2014)

Boyhood is definitely worth your time, this is why

[9/10 · 25 August 2014]

I read a lot of raving reviews of this movie, so I had to check it out for myself. It did not disappoint. Of course the whole set up of this movie is unique. Portraying 13 years of Mason's, (family) life, filmed with the same actors over a period of 13 years. I thought it was marvelous. This movie shows what life is (or can be like) and even though my life was very different it really resonated. It made me realize how fast you grow up, how hard it is to be a parent. There were touching moments, funny ones and frightening ones (the abusive step dad). We see moments pass by, maybe not the moments you'd expect in a movie. The most dramatic moments happen off screen: wedding, births - we don't see these, but they provide a structure for the story. Maybe we don't see these moments because they are exceptional in human life. Director Linklater shows daily life: the rules, not the exceptions. This might be the reason why some people in the theater with me said 'it was boring' and 'nothing happens'. But that's where they're wrong in my opinion. The separate scenes, or moments in Mason's life, feel like they are in a natural flow. The editing is well done, also a great (nostalgic) soundtrack accompanies it. The most important themes of life arc all the different moments: love, friendship, loneliness, marriage, divorce, getting kids and grandkids, but mostly getting older. In the end this movie does not show Mason's life, or his parent's life, it shows human life in general. And that's why this movie should hit close to home for everyone. It doesn't matter if you're young or old, have kids or not. This movie makes you realize time passes quickly and that everyone thinks at some point in their lives: 'is this it, I thought there'd be more'. It makes me wanna listen to John Mayer's 'Stop this train', because sometime it just is "scary getting older". Boyhood gives us a beautiful image of humans in time. And it's well worth three hours of your time, i mean what are three hours in a lifetime?

Rapture-Palooza (2013)

Enjoyable, but nothing special

[9 June 2013]

Let me start off by saying there's no need to go see this in the theater. It's Netflix material, for a rainy day or when you want something light and entertaining. The story: the rapture is finally there. Lindsey (Anna Kendrick) and her boyfriend Ben ( John Francis Daley) are non- believers so they remain on earth. The Anti-Christ (Craig Robinson) settles in Seattle (of all places) and wants to have sex with Lindsey. So Ben and Lindsey set up a plan to take him down. In the end God (Ken Jeong) shows up and get's into a fight with the Anti Christ. Owh, will the world survive? Are you enthralled? Probably not. The plot is nothing special. The beginning of the movie is probably the best. Some funny bits. A lot of cursing, vulgar talk, pot smoking sexual remarks etc. Normally I'm all for this, but here it all seemed a bit forced. The end was uncreative, horrible dialogue, uninspired acting. I don't blame the actors, they weren't given much and did the best they could. I love Anna Kendrick and will probably watch anything she's in, but she cannot lift this up to a higher level. She was almost apathetic with the world coming to an end and doing this movie. The white dress looked good on her though... John Francis Daley, well he just gets typecast. Always playing doofy characters, this time is no exception. Robinson making me laugh the most, but the humor isn't sophisticated or anything. I thought the trailer was promising, the setup was promising as if it was going to be like Zombieland or something, which was a great movie. However, I was mildly disappointed. It was entertaining, not hilarious.

Hellboy (2004)

Boy, that was a Hell of a movie!

[9/10 · 20 October 2004]

I have to say I'm not really into the whole superhero/comic-book adaption genre; I didn't think much of Spiderman, hated the Hulk and find Daredevil hilariously ridiculous. The only superhero that gets me to the TV is Batman, I think even Batman and Robin wasn't that bad. Owh and I really like X-men and X-men 2, just because I'd like to be able to freeze things or to lift stuff with my mind. That all was until now, cause the X-men and Batman got company from Hellboy. There's a lot to say about this movie: The story of course isn't to original [Nazi's wanting to take over the world, with a Russian as the bad-guy..come on!] But the way the actors and the director brought the story was very entertaining and pleasing. Ron Perlman is fantastic as Hellboy, I don't think anyone could have done a better job. You come to think of him as a real person or mutant or freak or whatever, but at the end of the movie you love that guy and want him to get the girl. The girl, Selma Blair as Liz Sherman, plays a significant part in the story, for her Hellboy would do anything and he cares for her so deeply that he would die for her. She's has the ability to make fire, she's pyrokinetic, but isn't happy with her powers, she feels she's not human but also doesn't feel like a mutant. She just wants to be normal and to get that feeling she gets close with John Myers. John (Rupert Evans )is an FBI rookie hired to keep an eye on Hellboy. I have to say that this role is somewhat unimportant in the story and just doesn't really make sense. The director, Guillermo del Toro, did a brilliant job on this movie. The SFX are fantastic and on the whole the movie just looks so good. The fights are well-choreographed and very believable. The characters are portrayed in good way, you care for them and see 'm as real people. Except for the bad guy, Rasputin, he's hardly seen and when you he is, he just doesn't scare you. The real baddie was the 100+ year old Nazi Kroeger, he was like Rasputins bodyguard and with his knives and his looks he really freaked me out.

I really recommend this movie if you just wanna have an good night out, with nothing on your mind and just wanna watch a cool movie. It has a lot of funny one-liners innit, gripping fights, good acting and surprisingly enough romance.

This movie has everything go see it even if your not really into this genre like me!

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

I'm going again! 4,5* out of 5*

[10/10 · 17 May 2003]

Last night I went to the first public screening in Holland. I had high hopes, since I've been looking out fot this movie for like 3 months. So I bought the tickets 2 weeks before the release just to make sure I would get in. Yes, I'm a fan. I think the movie was absolutly brilliant, I loved it from beginning till end. Starting with a scene somewhat similar to the one in the first Matrix since Trinity is kicking some serious ass, this film clings you to the screen. The fights are superb, I've never seen anything like this in my live. Of course there's alot of computer work in it, but you don't really notice that, it still looks realistic.I wasn't the only one in the audience who thought about it that way because multiple times the crowd spontaneously started to clap. So the fighting, stunts and car chases are 5*. The story :Sentinels are digging there way through the earth to destroy Zion. Our heroes have 72 hours to stop them. They have to find the keymaker to get to the Source and destroy the Matrix, will they succeed...? I think that the story is less cause the philosophy is a bit over the top. Sometimes dialogues are hard to comprehend, and you sort of lose your concentration. Especially when a conversation starts with a corny sentence like : Why are we here?. The dialogues are sometimes corny and boring, but sometimes witty and sometimes even funny. You get to laugh more in this one than in the first. The actors do a pretty good job, Keanu Reeves IS the One, I can't imagine anyone else playing him. The love between him and Carrie Ann Moss's Trinity is believable and Morpheus is a true leader. Agent Smith is climbing his way to the top of best villains ever. The newcomers Niobe (Jada pinkett Smith) and Persephone (Monica Belucci) add an extra, especially Monica Belucci who steals the scenes she's in. Another thing I loved were the outfits, they are just perfect, and create a certain mood. So overall I loved the movie, I can understand that some people, especially the critics, are somewhat disappointed. But that's because they keep comparing it to part 1. The Matrix was new and original, of course the sequel isn't as much of that, but how can you expect that? It's a sequel so you can't come up with another new philosophy and a whole new storyline. They also say there isn't something new in it like bullet time, there wrong there is this whole new thing with visual graphics and it isn't a obvious as bullet time but it is there. The fights are much better than in the first

I'm going again! 4,5* out of 5*