wstolk's Reviews

The Tailor of Panama (2001)

8/10

5 October 2005

I saw this film just now and was left with a mingled feeling. To ease that feeling I tried to read some IMDb comments. The main featuring comment was as follows: It's a comedy.

Well, I have to disagree with Shenyang's comment on this film in but one part: a comedy it is not. The film is making a serious attack to the governments of panama, the US and Great Britain. All of them are either corrupt or in lust of power. In this attack features a small story of a British spy and a tailor named Pendel (Rush). The British spy Osnard (Brosnan) is of the opinion that a tailor has the best connections within different society's and is therefor the best source of information. However, the man is in great need of money. So he does his utmost best to get Osnard the best information about plans within the Panama government.

Shengyang has placed this film in the humor section. Well, it is not. It is satirical, and if that is what Shengyang means, I can find myself completely in his description. The film is meant satirical and not as humor. Because if you see the whole plot as fun, you miss the great value this film has. It shows the corruptness of governments in some parts of Central-America and it shows the horror that was done upon the people of panama. See it as a serious film, with a serious message and you might miss the humor, yes... But what you will get is worth so much more...

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The Ring Two (2005)

7/10

The Ring Two: A worthy sequel! - (contains spoiler for people who haven't seen The Ring (2002) yet)

14 March 2005

Warning: Spoilers

The Ring Two: A Worthy Sequel

I am extremely lucky, for I was one of the few who got to see 'The Ring Two' in pre-premiere in The Netherlands this Sunday (March 13)! And it was definitely worth it.

If you haven't seen 'The Ring' (2002) yet, please do not read on! And do not watch 'The Ring Two' before you have seen it's prequel.

If you have seen 'The Ring' you will know where we left Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) and her son Aidan Keller (David Dorfman). They had to copy the hated tape, with footage of Samara (Daveigh Chase). And obviously that asks for a sequel (as if the money made on the film alone, wouldn't have been reason enough).

Rachel and Aidan move away from the place were they keep their bad memories. They hope to pick up their lives again in a small quiet village. Rachel gets a job at a small local newspaper so she can spare more time for her son. The quietness, however, is brutally torn apart, because of recent events. A teenage boy dies a brutal death and Rachel doesn't trust the matter. When she hears about the strange facial condition of the boy, she has her thoughts. She decides to check the face of the boy herself, to see if it resembles the ones of the dead in The Ring Samara is back! Rachel destroys the tape to rid of it once and forever, but Samara (now Kelly Stables) is not impressed

'The Ring Two' shows us a good piece of Horror/ Thriller. From the very beginning of the film you feel yourself get dragged in an uncomfortable situation. This situation gets more and more worse. The 'You cannot hide'-theme is brought to a whole new level and this leads to an even more uncomfortable atmosphere. This atmosphere is brought to a climax and falls back a little than it comes back again and throws you back on the edge of your seat! People who are afraid to get the same story in a somewhat different setting, will be wrong. The story is completely new and just continues were 'The Ring' left of. And a good story that is! You will be suspecting certain things to happen, but it is mostly unpredictable. There have been reviews in which people criticized the "cheap", "scary" methods. This is probably because they have missed the subtle growing fear that The Ring Two spreads. Therefor these effects seem cheap. This could be missed, because people in the cinema are annoying you for instance. But I am sure most people will be glued to there seat and cannot tore themselves away, before the film is finished.

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Twin Sisters (2002)

10/10

Twin Sisters, finally quality from Holland

25 January 2005

Little did I like Dutch cinema before I first saw this movie. The Colours are hardly professional and the acting is not always too good. But Ben Sombogaard has delivered a Dutch film of which we can be proud.

The film about two separated twin-sisters is situated mostly in the Second World War. Anna and Lotte both live in different countries. Anna lives in Germany were she is poor and attracted by the promises of the National-Socialism. Lotte lives in a rich family in the Netherlands. Living separate lives, the become more and more detached from each other. Finding each other in a Spa in Luxembourg brings back more and more memories. But can they forgive each other...

Ben Sombogaard did a great job in shooting the film of this popular Dutch book. Particulairly should be mentioned the fact that he choose never to make a film about the war. The confusions and drama between the two sisters are the most important storyline. The war is only (a very important!!) background. A must see for everybody, especially Dutch people!

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Strike Zone (2003)

9/10

He knows how to express!!

8 January 2005

I watched this movie on the Return of the King special Extended DVD and was immediately struck. Of course the DVD contains the story around Cameron Duncan and that makes you feel even more bound to this film. But the film itself also had great elements: the way he compared war and the playing of softball. About his last wish, about himself mostly.

He expresses his deepest feelings in movies and that shows in this picture. It is terrible this guy doesn't live to grow his talent, for he could have made it.

The way he uses camera and players to express the deepest need of the filmmaker to build a great softball-team, is simply astonishing. Especially worth saying is how he managed to add humor into this film about a dying boy.

He must have had great courage to make such a biopic...

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