erwinoz Reviews

Thicker Than Water (2023– )

Could have been good, but is messed up

[4/10 · 15 July 2023]

It's hard to identify with people who commit crimes to cover up running over a police officer with a van. That's not like stealing a bar of chocolate. It's a terrible crime which needs to have consequences. People who try to cover that up aren't nice people. The series presents it as a cultural thing (we are family, so we protect each other). If that's real, it's a terrible culture.

That and continuing arguments between the sisters which are supposed to be funny but spoil the character of the production as a serious crime series and turn it into cheap comedy.

Finally I won't mention the fact that this series portrays north Africans as criminals and Front national will be happy with it. That's a reason to think the opposite.

Commandos (2020)

Promising but failed

[4/10 · 24 September 2020]

It could have been great. Fine actors, good main story line. But it failed because it was too slow, bad choice of music, bad sound (spoken word often too soft), too many scenes without context, weak dialogues, no build up of characters and too many flash backs. Try the same story with the same actors in half the number of episodes and maybe it will work.

Tiger Zinda Hai (2017)

Quality bs

[4/10 · 19 January 2020]

This is q quality movie. Good acting, well directed and it has everything to be a good movie. But it is not. And it is because of the fact that the main characters are a sort of superhumans who never get hit,themselves but take out tens of others without even blinking their eyes. The need for superheroes is bigger then that of a believable story. A pity, because without that it could have been really nice.

Jack and Jill (I) (2011)

Twice Adam Sandler is way too much

[4/10 · 10 July 2015]

I personally feel that one Adam Sandler is already too much too handle, imagine him twice. But I saw the movie by accident and I thought let's give it a try. My seven year old son liked some parts of it. Like when the two Adam's farted at the movies. It is that kind of movie-history making scriptwriting that really makes me yawn. That and the fact that that it is already so funny that Adam Sandler dresses up as a woman. Oh, ha ha ha, I can't stop laughing. A man in a dress. I almost wet my pants. If you think farts and nose picking and men in dresses are big fun, maybe because you are five, six or seven year old, there is a chance you might like it.

Stories of Our Lives (2014)

Love in a world of hate

[9/10 · 20 March 2015]

Five stories about how life is for gay and lesbian people in Kenya. There is violence, exclusion and organized persecution. And amid of this hostility, a young group of artists manage to make some beautiful short movies by adding lots of love to it. All is shot in black and white. There is believable acting of people one can easily identify with. A product of good directing. The camera-work is very well done. The sound-quality is splendid. Five stories about a school expelling a girl-student for being in love with another girl; about a boy being beaten by a so called friend for being gay; about a gay boy in love with a straight boy and the impossibility of that; about an African boy hiring a English escort-boy and about a legislator, preaching to the police and all citizens to start arresting gay people for just being gay. I cannot easily imagine what it is like to live in a country where my love is forbidden and where religious people are so full of hate. It is the legacy of European colonialism and nowadays American evangelic hate. That is our contribution to life in Africa (and Asia and South-America). These movies try to beat hate with love. But they pay a price for it. The producer already went to jail for it. But he also has been released. So there is hope for Kenya. We can try to make up for our bad influence in the world, by supporting people like those of The Nest, the collective responsible for the movies. If it is not for the fights they still have to fight, then just for the beautiful movies they make.

Sanctuary (2008–2011)

Waste of time

[3/10 · 5 February 2012]

I'm a huge Stargatefan. I watched it all from SG1 till Universe. I liked Amanda Tapping in it as well. That brought me to buy this series. A huge mistake. First of all it doesn't have any subs. Second, even though the first episode started off promising, very soon it became a very unbelievable story. And it never returned to becoming anything near exciting, refreshing or believable. I pulled the plug when also a werewolf joined the party. One of the many signs that the writers lacked creativity. Robin Dunne was a pleasure to watch. But that would also be the case if he would just sit in a chair all series long. And Christopher Heyerdahl played a interesting and believable role. But that is about all positive there is to say about it. The rest was a terrible waste of my time.

Jericho (2006–2008)

Glued in front of my TV

[10/10 · 11 January 2010]

Jericho had me glued in front of my TV. So much I wanted to know what would happen next, that I didn't want to be clever enough to go to bed because I had to rise early the next morning. The last series that did that to me was 24. And Jericho is as good as that. A very scary scenario of American men with power and without conscience, who easily kill millions of fellow-country-men and -women by having nuclear bombs explode in most of the country's major city's, to get what they want. But of course there is a small town with people who do not want to take the new balance of power for granted. Together with a former CIA-agent they stand up to the new government. The victory starts in Jericho. But there are only one and a half seasons to get the job done. As some people at CBS who do not know the value of good television of which is so little already, just stopped it. It's a bloody shame.

Hotel Rwanda (2004)

An overwhelming flood of hate and fear - and we see ourselves

[10/10 · 9 July 2006]

I don't cry a lot. I cried when Yitzhak Rabin was murdered. I cried again when my grandfather, my mother and grandmother died. And I cried a million times, seeing Hotel Rwanda. This movie shows us what happens if we let hate control our minds. It is about Hutu's and Tutsi's in Rwanda. But it is also about all the hatred in all places, at all times. And about the fear of the innocents that is a result of it. And it is about a world not willing to stop violence as long as it does not affect our oil-supplies; our trade-routes; people of our believes or color; our own interests. The movie does not really show all horrific things people do to one another, but it shows us enough to have a good picture of it in our minds. Fortunately it is also about the bravery in many of us, the kindness in our hearts that very understandable only survives if we take care of ourselves first, but leaves room for others. So much we can ask from each other. Help yourself, but never forget the others. For the others are you as well. It is in Rwanda where a piece of me and you has died. But is also in Rwanda where we can realize again that we come from the same and we will return to the same. For we are the same.

Gemini: The Twin Stars (1988)

Weak story, weak acting, good-looking guy

[1/10 · 2 February 2006]

The honest acting of Thomas Nock combined with the very awful, emotionless acting of Gene Patrick got me very angry. For what reason has this movie been made? Who was so stupid to pay the money to produce this? Has the director been sleeping during all the takes? The story on the cover of the DVD has lied to me. It spoke of "true friendship based on adventure, romance and danger." However, nowhere in the movie it comes to romance (Patrick kissed a girl without any feelings of passion or love, lust maybe, but certainly not any romance). Never there is adventure or danger. And because Patrick never showed any affection for Nock, neither was there any friendship in the movie. It was about....nothing. The only reason I watched this movie till the end, were the good looks of Thomas Nock. And that's also the only reason why I gave the movie 1 point (out of 10).

Little Big Girl (2002)

Tinke conquered my heart (some spoilers)

[10/10 · 5 September 2004]

This is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. Tinke (Sarah Juel Werner), a little girl is found. A poor family of farmers tries to bring her up as their own daughter, but Tinke knows she already has parents, even though they are dead. Tinke befriends the servant Larus and the mentally handicapped farmer's son Hartad. The child's open en honest character easily steals their hearts, just like it does mine. The farmer's family find Tinke's grandparents and they come to take her. Tinke goes with them, but not without Larus. The grandfather however still has doubts. Because believing that Tinke is his granddaughter automatically means accepting that his daughter is dead. Sarah Werner got me laughing many times as she also got me crying. But almost all acting in this Danish movie is very touching. Give Tinke a chance and she'll conquer your heart. Like she did mine. Thank you very much Morten Kohlert for making this movie. It are movies like these that contribute to the value of life.

The Holy Innocents (1984)

Best movie I've ever seen

[10/10 · 5 September 2004]

If I would believe in a god who created man as his equal, Mario Camus would be one of the first people to come in mind to make me understand how powerful that god must be. 'Los santos inocentes' is a masterpiece of European cinema. The movie brings us back to times in Spain where most people were nothing more than property of the few rich. The 'master' even had the right to be the one to make the daughters of his serfs lose their virginity. A man and wife living such a cruel life, with trouble enough of their own, still open up their house for the wife's brother Azarias (Francisco Rabal), when he -at old age- loses his job. And Rabal gives us a performance of simplicity and joy that we will never ever forget. Although I've heard of people who found it difficult to see the beauty through all the misery, to me this is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. Possibly also the very best.

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Very strange and unlikely story

[2/10 · 3 September 2004]

This is a strange story. You see a man being betrayed by a friend and he ends up hanging on a cross, heading to a very painful death. The strange thing is that we learn that the man seems to be the son of some god and is meant to end up this way as a sort of sacrifice for the world. Why does this god want his son killed? I don't see what good the death of anyone would do to me or anyone else, leave alone the whole world. A very strange story, as I said and that's about all the movie is about. That, together with more torture, violence, hate, death and evil. The storyline is also very confusing. The god they believe in is supposed to be a loving and almighty god, but no sign of that is shown in the movie. Cause why doesn't the god use all his power to make all the hatred turn into love? The movie is made by a fanatic believer it seems. But I don't understand why he is so turned on by all that violence his god allows to exists and is even part of because of his plan to let his son get killed? I didn't like the movie because of it's overall very unlikely story and all the meaningless violence.

My Son the Fanatic (1997)

Only the sinner understands the meaning of love

[8/10 · 28 August 2004]

This is a great movie. Om Puri is acting as fantastic as we can aspect by now. The story deals with Muslim fanatics, one of them being taxidriver Parvez' (Puri) son. Like Christian fanatics in the US the muslimbrothers in England express the love of their god with violence against nonbelievers such as hookers. But in the end the biggest sinner of all, the one that loves a prostitute and cheats on his wife, is the only person in the movie that seems to understand the meaning of love. The story is also the conflict between an integrated father and a son that answers with religious fanaticism to the western world that still sees black people as outsiders, regardless of how much they and their parents have become decent citizens. It reminded me a lot of East and East, because of Om Puri and the conflict between a father and his children. Only in that movie it was the father who was the fanatic. You can consider that comparison as a compliment.

Career Girls (1997)

very overdone acting

[3/10 · 28 August 2004]

Never thought that there could be a Mike Leigh movie that I wouldn't like. But this is one. The thing with Leigh's movies is that the stories are for the biggest part just ordinary people in their ordinary everyday life. And it are the characters that almost make you feel like you are watching a documentary, that make them so special. This story is again a story with nothing much interesting. Two roommates that meet again. Half of the time in real life and the other in sort of flashbacks. But this time the acting is so very much overdone, that it is almost like I'm watching an American comedy, with just the fake laughs in the background missing. Apart from an occasional laugh, I watched it till the end as if I was sitting in the chair at my dentist. Just for old time Mike Leigh's sake.

All or Nothing (2002)

The love for others and the love we take too much for granted.

[8/10 · 24 August 2004]

I really love those British movies. Unlike most American movies, the people aren't all models who've just done a nosejob or two but ordinary people with just as many shortages as you and I. The story shows the life of some families living in the same governmentapartment building. All poor people who need to do stupid jobs to earn just enough to keep alive. And just when it seems that life sucks bad forever, everyone realizes who they love and what they live for when they almost lose one of their own. Great movies seldom have brilliant stories, but just like this one the beauty is within the characters, hitting you as if they were real people, living next door to you. Well, to me anyway.

Secrets & Lies (1996)

Story of people with a lot of shortcomings, still being great people.

[9/10 · 24 August 2004]

I truly love this film. The story is simple. A woman goes to look for her biological mother and finds her. After some hesitations the daughter is being introduced to the rest of the family. After the shock it all comes down perfectly. The great thing about the movie is that like in most English movies there are just ordinary people in it, with many shortcomings, but you will start to feel love for them anyway. Because they are so much themselves. There are some very difficult matters in the movie that could have easily lead to an unhappy ending. But although the mother is white and the daughter is black and probably the result of a rape and although the relationship between the other daughter and the mother is far from perfect so the warm welcome for the new daughter must have brought strong feelings of jealousy, it all comes down naturally. As it should. Because life is too short to fill it with bad feelings. And the movie learns that it is easy to except other peoples shortcomings ones you excepted your own.

Edge of Seventeen (1998)

Superficial movie about superficial boy

[4/10 · 22 August 2004]

I bought the movie because of it's gay theme and because it was so much praised here on IMDb. Someone even called it 'The story of his live,' others mentioned the 'great' story, acting and directing. I must come from a whole different planet as I didn't find any of it in the movie. The story is about a boy discovering his feelings for other boys. Big deal. The rest of the movie you see the boy leading a very superficial life restrained from anything that is worth repeating here, leave alone going to see the movie for. No intellectual thoughts, no depth in feelings of love, nor those of friendship or fear or whatever. The boy hardly feels anything it seems. His feelings probably keep up with the very little he has in mind. Just as the one who wrote the story. It might have been a nice and spectacular thing if it would have been 1950. But it is not. If you like nice movies about coming of age and being gay, you better see 'Fucking Amal,' 'Beautiful thing' or 'But I'm a cheerleader.'