SvdW | Movies I saw for the first time in 2022

[Review] ------------------------------------------------------- Date Watched: Monday, January. 3, 2022 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3

✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮

Favourite scene: Arriving at Dick Maas' film set

Best actor: Waldemar Torenstra

Surprised at how much I laughed during this film. I lost it when Dennie Christian, Guust Flater & De Marsupilami - Wij Zijn Twee Vrienden played and almost every scene with Waldemar Torenstra was comedy gold.

I think this film works best if you know a lot about Dutch culture. Some moments will be lost in translation.

[Review] ------------------------------------------------------- Date Watched: Wednesday, January. 12, 2022 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3

✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮

Favourite scene: The Start of the BURNED

Best actor: I really don't know

I have to be completely honest and say I might've missed 50% of this film, even if I watched it completely, but the whole film is too chaotic. I missed some subtitles due to focusing on the action.

Date Watched: Wednesday, January. 12, 2022 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3

After finished Promare, I decided to watch this one. I wished this was in the film itself, because it builds on some characters and story beats.

Date Watched: Wednesday, January. 12, 2022 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3

I am not a fan of Lio. His actions always contradict his goals. Out of the two shorts this was the worst one.

[Review] ------------------------------------------------------- Date Watched: Friday, January. 14, 2022 | How I Watched: youtube on tv

✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮

Favourite scene: The Second Robbery

Best actor: Chow Yun-Fat

This is the first film I've seen directed by Ringo Lam and I am a bit underwhelmed, but that was mostly due to the second act being really slow moving. But the action sequences are excellent. And the final ten minutes were filled to the brim with tension, so this is my favourite first time watch on the year (so far).

[Review] ------------------------------------------------------- Date Watched: Saturday, January. 15, 2022 | How I Watched: online

✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮

Favourite scene: Those prices are too Fucking high!!

Best actor: Kurt Russell

Another film I wanted to watch for a few years now. It was a lot darker than I expected it to be. The second and third act feel like a different film altogether, and they are worse.

[Review] ------------------------------------------------------- Date Watched: Wednesday, January. 19, 2022 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3

✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮

Favourite scene: Under Gunpoint

Best actor: Pilou Asbæk

I had heard some good things about this film and decided to sit down and watch it. I was left a bit cold on it after viewing it mostly because of how the story is presented. It devotes too much time on the authorities and too little on the other side (on the freighter). There’s a long stretch in the second act where the film it is more focused on the time outside of negotiation which got old really quickly.

Pilou Asbæk is fantastic here, as is the rest of the acting cast. Søren Malling is overused though. Hildur Guðnadóttir is credited as the composer of the original soundtrack, but one of her songs (of one of her albums) is used during the end credits. Which is a shame, because she is one of my favourite modern (film) composers.

I am glad I watched it, but I don’t feel like revisiting it in a few years.

[Review] ------------------------------------------------------- Date Watched: Wednesday, January. 26, 2022 | How I Watched: VLC Media Player on laptop [connected to tv]

✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮

Favourite scene: The Trust Will Come Out

Best actor: Andie MacDowell for the dramatic performance and Tim Robbins for playing an douchebag.

This film was on my watchlist for some years now. A large part of my curiosity was the fact that I didn’t really know too much about its plot/story. But I was taken aback by its running time. This film is just over three hours long.

And after watching it I am a little let down by it. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. I do prefer Magnolia over this, mostly because I was drawn more into it, emotionally and mentally by its themes and characters. Even if both are as long as each other.

[Review] ------------------------------------------------------- Date Watched: Friday, January. 28, 2022 | How I Watched: recorded off Nederland 3 and watched via Ziggo Mediabox

✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮

Favourite scene: The Future for Yourself

Best actor: Aus Greidanus sr.

I had an exam on Friday, so I decided to watch a film a few hours before the exam. [Wasn't expecting the suicide ending. That hit hard.]

Also, I wish they would quit using Film Festival release dates for official dates.

[Review] ------------------------------------------------------- Date Watched: Started Watching Sunday, January. 30, 2022, Restarted and Finished Thursday, February. 3, 2022 | How I Watched: blu-ray on blu-ray player [January 30] and blu-ray on PlayStation 3 [February 3]

✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛

Favourite scene: How to Make Drink?

Best actor: Kostja Ullmann

Watched on my own for German classes [to learn some German outside of learning for it]. Quite surprised by it. The blindness of the main character also leads to some creative directorial choices, without being overbearing.

[Review] ------------------------------------------------------- Date Watched: Friday, February. 4, 2022 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3

✮✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛

Favourite scene: At the Nick Cave concert

Best actor: Bruno Ganz

Wow... I'm not a fan of Arthouse Cinema, but this was one of the best ones I've seen out of that niche.

Bruno Ganz delivered a excellent performance, as does the rest of the acting cast, Wim Wenders' directing is superb and 80s Berlin is such a great location.

At the start I placed the film at 5/5 stars, then lowered it to 4/5 stars after all the Peter Falk scenes and the dialogue being a bit too pretentious, but after you find out what Peter Falk's role is in the film and the film picking up again I raised it to 4.5/5 stars.

[Also love seeing Nick Cave!]

My favourite first time watch of the year.

Date Watched: Friday, February. 4, 2022 | How I Watched: youtube on tv

I always wanted to know what Pete Docter's early short films would look like. I really enjoyed this one. Fuck, I miss hand drawn animation.

Date Watched: Saturday, February. 5, 2022 | How I Watched: youtube on tv

Excellent short. Looks fantastic in 4K.

[Review] ------------------------------------------------------- Date Watched: Monday, February. 7, 2022 | How I Watched: Pathé Zwolle

✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮

Favourite scene: The Quiet Fight

Best actor: Djimon Hounsou

My first watch in theaters of 2022. Really let down by it. It doesn't know what it wants to be, an anti-war statement, a political drama or a Kingsman action film(*).

I'm done with the Kingsman franchise. The first trailer [I barely watch trailers to begin with] gave every action sequence away. Great job assholes.

(*) = at least we got CGI goats [this film probably has the worst CGI I've seen in theaters since Benedetta, and this has a bigger budget.]

[Review] ------------------------------------------------------- Date Watched: Tuesday, February. 15, 2022 | How I Watched: Fraterhuis Zwolle

✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮

Favourite scene: At the Expo

Best actor: Cooper Hoffman

I was waiting to watch this one because of the big theater of my city not showing this film. So, a few weeks later I decided to watch in a smaller, arthouse theater.

I liked it, but also had some issues with it. The relationship between Gary and Alana felt a bit icky due to their age difference. Most of the main plot points are dropped and the story structure is a bit off.

Man, Cooper Hoffman really looks like his father at times.

[Review] ------------------------------------------------------- Date Watched: Saturday, February. 19, 2022 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3

✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛

Favourite scene: Art Imatates Life

Best actor: Tom Schilling

Das Leben der Anderen was my favourite first time watch of last year, so I was very interested to sit down for this one(*), but I was scared by the running time.

But I finished it and wow...

While I think the running time can be a endurance test at times and the uneven tone [especially during the the beginning when bus driver gets crushed by the rubble] does clash with the rest of the film. But this was still an excellent film.

Hopefully Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck does another film someday.

(*) = Storm Eunice made me place this film on hold for a day.

Date Watched: Saturday, February. 19, 2022 | How I Watched: youtube on tv

After Werk ohne Autor I was interested in seeing more of Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's directorial career.

This is a really good short. Huge props to the director and people involved making the dog act. And the Black & White Steadicam/cinematography still holds up!

I am not a fan of dogs and/or animals in general, but this was fun!

Date Watched: Saturday, February. 19, 2022 | How I Watched: youtube on tv

I wasn't familiar with the Haim Sisters before Licorice Pizza, so I wanted to check some of their music out.

Paul Thomas Anderson's directing here is excellent.

Even if I wasn't too big on their music, it is still a lot better than a lot of the modern crap of the last 25+ years.

Date Watched: Sunday, February. 20, 2022 | How I Watched: youtube on tv

Fun to see something filmed close where I haven't been yet [Zaltbommel]. Not too big on some of the handheld camerawork, but I don't mind the Western influences here.

[Review] ------------------------------------------------------- Date Watched: Saturday, February. 26, 2022 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3

[The International Cut]

✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮

Favourite scene: The First Fight

Best actor: Tony Chiu-Wai Leung

This is the third film I've seen directed by Wong Kar-wai and I'm still not a fan of his.

But this film has some good stunt work/choreography, excellent cinematography and decent performances.

The fight sequences feel out of place here. The rest of the film is quite serious, but the fights are almost something else.

I didn't connect with the characters, maybe because I was tired.

[Review] ------------------------------------------------------- Date Watched: Sunday, February. 27, 2022 | How I Watched: blu-ray on blu-ray player

✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛

Favourite scene: Blinding Lights

Best actor: Gong Yoo, but Su-an Kim is fucking amazing too!

This film was on my watchlist for forever and I finally get around to it. A friend and I watched it together and it is such a rewarding watch.

I do have some issues concerning how the infection spreads. Why does it spread so quickly in the beginning? While in later moments it spreads (quite a bit) slower to save some characters asses or make it more dramatic. I found the message of saving yourself instead of helping others an interesting one. I have struggled with this and I like the moment of duality in the third act where Seok-woo leaves Soo-an another time to save her life.

Not watching Peninsula though. I saw the trailer and it looks like garbage.

Date Watched: Friday, March. 4, 2022 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3

Watched right after Tron finished. Wish this short was longer.

[But they at least interviewed Syd Mead!]

Date Watched: Saturday, March. 5, 2022 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3

Interesting. I didn't even know Jean Giraud was involved in the production (design) of Tron. I know of his work, but I never delved into it.

Date Watched: Saturday, March. 12, 2022

I don't want to explain why I watched this. And I won't even reveal the source.

Gabagool

[Review] ------------------------------------------------------- Date Watched: Saturday, March. 12, 2022 | How I Watched: recorded off Nederland 3 on Ziggo Mediabox

Due to some upcoming tests and exams, I barely have any energy to watch films. So when I watched this with my father I was glad to watch something, but I was less engaged with it, but still had a good laugh. Therefore I will place films and series on the backburner for a while. I just don’t want to watch something and not be focused enough to remain interested. [I wrote this review one day after my viewing].

But back to this comedy special. Roué Verveer: Heppie de peppie was surprisingly solid. I hadn’t seen one of his specials beforehand and I wasn’t sure how my father would react to the "sexual humour" in this [why did I watch Hodejegerne with him?], but thankfully he didn’t think too much of it. I know he saw him live a few years ago. I really liked Roué Verveer’s maniac energy as he tries to remain calm about the "craziest situations".

It is also really weird to see this now, knowing this aired first on Friday, December. 25, 2020. I thought this was recorded before COVID took over the world. But after looking it up, he performed the special in 2019.

Date Watched: Tuesday, March. 15, 2022 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3

I take back what I said about The Tron Phenomenon because this making-of of Tron is fucking fantastic and informative.

I feel bad for giving Tron 3 out of 5 stars just by seeing how much effort went into it.

I'm ready to revisit Tron: Legacy after some exams at the end of March.

Date Watched: Sunday, March. 20, 2022 | How I Watched: youtube on tv

Another good short by Jasper Loos. But I do think it's too short for its own good. How does Elvira not know about social media? And why do Mark and Elvira look as old as each other?

And this is even more relevant now [read: war] than it was when it came out five years ago.

Date Watched: Saturday, April. 9, 2022 | How I Watched: youtube on laptop [connected to tv]

[The BFI Cut]

✮✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛

Favourite scene: Strangely Drawn to Mecca

Best actor: Ray Winstone

I knew about this film for some time now, but never was interested enough for it [I thought it would be a lot like A Clockwork Orange but I was mistaken].

This film was amazing!

Ray Winstone is excellent in the leading role [didn't even recognize him too!] and the film is gritty and uncompromising. The rape sequence is a hard scene to watch, and Davis' suicide scene is one of the hardest scenes I had watched in some time.

My favourite of the year so far [and I wouldn't mind picking up the blu-ray too!]

Date Watched: Saturday, April. 9, 2022 | How I Watched: youtube on laptop [connected to tv]

✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮

Favourite scene: Some Questions

Best actor: Bruno Ganz

Ugh...

I watched this back in 2017, but didn't pay attention to it. But now I did and...

This film is really disappointing! I could've been a really good and scary thriller, but the glacial pacing, awful tonal shifts made this unbearable to sit through.

Even people like Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier and Bruno Ganz can't save this one. And I hated seeing Steve Guttenberg here with curly hair [he's more of a comedy actor and doesn't fit here]. However I made a comment about 'Allo 'Allo! to the people I was watching this with [comment about tone], and seconds later Richard Marner appeared in a cameo!

Jerry Goldsmith also delivered one of his worst musical scores here. I got tired of the waltz music real quickly and some of it sounded like Looney Tunes [tell me this film isn't a comedy].