lafeber Reviews

Scotoe (2024)

Want more

[7/10 · 26 April 2024]

This was a time such a recognisable movie, as the actors launched lines and expressions that Dutch people will recognise, particularly as street language.

This movie does remind one of many American police movies, but it has it's own Dutch aspects. We also have to acknowledge that it's not on the level of such other movies, mainly because the Dutch industry is much, much smaller.

The storyline if you boil it down is like any other run of the mill police movie. I would have liked a twist that would be particular to Dutch culture. It should be possible, with our down to eartch and black humour. That's why I am saying.... want more.

Matchstick Men (2003)

Cage in a colourful role in a great story

[8/10 · 18 February 2024]

We all know Nicholas Cage as a tough guy in action movies. In this movie, he shows us that he has a broader repertoire. It's real fun watching him in this character. As the story unfolds, we feel for him. At some point, we believe he is who he portrays. And then, the plot grips us and doesn't let us go.

In his role as a con man, he comes over as a sleazebag. For anyone else, that would be an insult. For an actor like him, it's a compliment.

The story is believable, not only because of Nicholas Cage. The entire cast brings the story home.

Actually, I am really in for a sequel. Yes, an action movie. :)

Tokyo Vice (2022– )

Gripping

[7/10 · 30 December 2022]

There was no way to stop watching anf waiting for the next episode. The story is (well, the stories are) told well. Japan is portrayed perfectly, in many aspects.

Somebody has to mention how well the opening credits were done, so let me do it. It is firmly etched in my mind, both te visual and musical side if it. From the moment the show opens, you can't look away.

Until the eighth episode, that is. I didn't understand; when is the next? I was wondering why the story developed the way it did. Based on life, I know, only partly of course. But this is now way to tell a story. Starting it yes, but not ending it.

Ambulance (2022)

Idea;good, result;bad

[1/10 · 29 July 2022]

The plot is interesting. You wonder what could happen next. If you want to know what could NOT happen next, watch the movie.

While the filming is nice, and the acting is good, this whole movie just should never een made. Not on this script, anyway. If you are a script writer and you think "acan I make a script that contains an inherent paradox and still make sense?" Then I wish you good luck. I would like to see THAT movie.

Not this one.

Knock (I) (2017)

Silly comedy, good silly comedy

[8/10 · 27 November 2021]

The movie is quite funny. While it tells a beautiful story of belonging and society, it is interspersed with funny moments, quotes, situations.

It is a feel good movie, you shouldn't expect deep gut wrenching choices that build character. The joy is in the beautiful pictures that are painted of rural France in the late 20th Century.

Taxi (1979 TV Movie)

Australian Hollywood exists

[6/10 · 19 July 2021]

Never heard of the 1978 movie "Taxi!"? Neither had I. But it turned out to be a good one. I can imagine Clint Eastwood not turning down the role of the lead character if this had been a Hollywood production.

You get into the mood of the lead character because of his witty remarks directed at the viewer. This is supported by good camerawork and real nice frame changes. As the story progresses, some comedic elements are added but we are still in a thriller, figuring out what's going on.

While the acting may not be superb, we can see believable story lines. The plot becomes rather complicated, a little unnecessary. But it's still fun watching it progress.

In the end, a nice plot twist and of course our hero manages to escape all troubles. It's certainly not an expectable Hollywood ending. The end does leave somewhat to be desired, though, also because the lead character's motivation doesn't exactly add up. You have to give it to the Australian's though, they put a mark on the film with their typicall Auzzie character.

The Drop (2014)

Sit back and enjoy a bar night in Brooklyn... until you figure out nothing is what it seems

[9/10 · 21 May 2021]

This is such an interesting film with way more tricks to pull on you than you would expect. In the beginning, you think you are watching a difficult neighbourhood in Brooklyn. Later, you realise you don't know the meaning of the word 'difficult'.

What makes it so good is the characters. They are very well portrayed, the leading actors went for it, the whole 9. There is no embellishment, you really get to live this moment in time all the way until the end. By the end, it felt as if I was living in one of the houses down one of these streets.

If you make sure you watch the movie closely, there is a lot of humor in what people say, how they say it, the effect it has on others. The intricacies in 'normal' life are definitely there and in your face. Go and enjoy it!

Looking Glass (I) (2018)

Have fun with the characters

[6/10 · 15 March 2021]

Many people criticise this film for what it doesn't have. That's pity because you might miss what it does have. Nicholas Cage has clearly been asked to portray a character with a past. The same is true for various other people in the cast. No, life doesn't exist of only super heroes and femme fatales. This setup shows beautiful people who all have their own demons. If your toes curl while watching, it's not because the movie is bad but because the characters hit home. Nicholas Cage performs quite well in this movie, although I would like to have seen a little more emotion in his nonverbal communication. He is not portraying a hero, he is clearly portraying a man with issues. You have to watch the character, not the movie star, and you will see what he is all about. All the while, you are wondering "What information am I missing?" which is exactly how the main characters feel. That means props to the director for conveying feelings and emotions through the TV screen. Yes, the ending is unsettling. Again, so is this episode in the life of the characters. So when you watch the movie, watch it for the characters, their feelings, empathise, and you will realise this was quite a nice movie.

20th Century Women (2016)

Warm trip back to the seventees

[8/10 · 17 July 2020]

Lovely character depictions by star actors, set in a beautiful time and place. Sit down, watch and connect to a series of believable and worthy people. Also, enjoy the nostalgia.

Mother! (2017)

If you want to write an allegory, this is not the way

[3/10 · 14 July 2020]

The idea of the movie is a good one; the best laid plans of mice and men... But the form is unfathomable. Granted, it may be very difficult to lay out this image in a movie. It's just that the message is trampled by the form in which the movie was cast. We start with a young woman who is confused by the life she and her husband live. That could play out to become a psychological drama of relationship, social structures, parenthood, psychological issues, anything. But when you start asking yourself "What message is the director trying to get across?" First nothing happens but more film and then things are starting to get absurd. More questions start to come up "Why did they get married?" Or "What about this author's issues?" But apparently the director wanted to bring a more metaphorical image across. By now, that whole message is drowned in the sorrow of all the people going across the stage. People who give this a 10/10 pedantically defend their rating by saying it is meant for people are open to abstract or philosophical concepts. They forget that many of the reviewers may be such people, they probably are. But they also do not appreciate the unbalanced message/method here. The director gets an A for effort, but that's it.

Billy (I) (2018)

Raw satire Dutch style

[9/10 · 9 May 2020]

We already know Theo Maassen from his creative and surreal twists in his comedy stories on stage. He put this into a movie that is equally creative and surreal. It reminded me somewhat of "Being John Malkovich". The main link is that no one could have come up with this plot up front. The people who contributed are the top of the (comedy) line in the Netherlands and they have contributed seriously. They didn't just make an appearance, they carried the movie well. It's one and a half hour of shame, awkwardness, pain, hilarious situations without it ever being overdone. I wish the movie would become available with English subtitles so that people outside of Dutch speaking countries can enjoy this.

The Twilight Zone: Evergreen (2002) Season 1, Episode 1

Classic opener

[6/10 · 7 December 2019]

Oh well, if we are going to do the Twilight Zone again, let's do it in the classical formula.

The Club of Ugly Children (2019)

Movies with a MESSAGE rule

[9/10 · 22 October 2019]

TBH, I didn't watch the movie myself but my 2 kids did. In hindsight, I should have gone with them. It turns out this has a DEEP message for children and young adults. It was my 11 year old who said "This was a movie about the Second World War 2.0" He realised there were many parallels, and basically the movie is saying that hunting people for no real reason, just because you don't like them is never a good idea. Of course this is a feel good movie so it will end well. The last hidden meaning it at the end of the movie and makes perfect sense. The message has been laid on thickly, but that's a good thing when you are showing such a movie to children, who might not get a more subtle reference, especially because WWII is so far away for them. For me, I have met and talked to people who were there and could talk about it from experience. Children these days hardly get this opportunity anymore and it makes me happy that they learn about the atrocities in a child friendly way. I was a little shocked when I heard it was about this heavy topic, but given that it was brought so well AND that my son understood the reference while watching it makes me give it this generous rating.Kudos to all the people involved in making it.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Half finished movie

[1/10 · 3 September 2019]

Nice images, I will say that. I was in LA recently so I enjoyed seeing it again and this time in the '60's. But you don't go to the movie to watch pictures, certainly not with today's prices. With an all-star cast, you can play out any story. But in this movie, no story was played out. Yes, many stories were started, none were completed. The all-star cast I am sure was handsomely paid to play. They have to ask themselves if this was truly a worthy step in their career. I saw no added value for having Al Pacino in the movie, though I generally like watching him. I even saw early in the movie some BAD acting from Pitt/Di Caprio. That should be unthinkable for these people, directed by such an icon. Then suddenly, at the end, a gory fight scene. There were some enjoyable twists in it, but the main question that remains is "Why?". Even Pulp Fiction, which is commonly scene as a collage of story lines, leaves the viewer with a better after taste. This scene did just not add to the movie. You could have seen it outside of the movie and enjoy it as is, without ever having to wonder what went on before or after. A unique feature here is the weaving of fiction into reality. We meet famous people, acted by other people. I particularly liked Bruce Lee's scene. Here again, it would be a lot more enjoyable if this was used somehow. Part of the movie is reserved for Sharon Tate, Roman Polanski's wife, visiting the movie theatre to see a movie that she starred in. Good for her. But not for the audience (I mean IRL, watching the audience of an LA theatre). There is nothing to see or learn or enjoy, or at least not in the context of the rest of the movie. There could have been, if it was offset against the decline of Risk Dalton's career, but that didn't happen. If QT wants to make a movie, he should make it for the people he wants to have paying for the movie. That's you and me. This movie was made for him to view in his own private cinema and keep it there. And that's a shame, because it could have been a wonderful experience of shots, sound, music, gimmicks, fight scenes, twists, turns and great acting.

Family Guy: You Can't Handle the Booth (2019) Season 17, Episode 16

Another creative gem for the series

[8/10 · 27 May 2019]

This episode will do your head in good. It is a prank on every series' DVD commentary section. Not only that, it plays out an entire actual episode in the background with its own jokes. If you know DVD commentaries, you will understand that it is funny when it comes from a bunch of people that don't exist. And of course, half way in... well, leave something to actually watch the episode. :)

Based on the Novel (1999)

A rare gem

[10/10 · 5 May 2012]

There is a reason why this film deserves a 10, and much more credit and attention than it has had. Comedies never go into the depth of human character or intricate plot lines. Nor are they the place for creative art direction. But this film has all! Granted, most characters are caricatures. But the actors have added finesse to their work, for instance when the assistant director asks if the actress would mind if there is SEX in the film and the word comes out as a squeaky craving for her body. With another candidate, the film cuts over immediately to BANG, BANG, BANG, three sex positions and we end up with a cigarette and it's over. Hilarious sleazebags who are not in it to make a movie at all. Even more than 10 years later, I still look back at it and I think about the funny scenes and quotes. I'd like to see it again.

Knight Rider 2000 (1991 TV Movie)

Off the rack script

[27 September 2004]

This must be the worst movie ever. Not so bad that it can become cult, but the most unimaginative cud of a nostalgic concept. Knight Rider in the old days was cool, mysterious, fun. Even the later series had something. Forget everything. Take your standard washed out male lead (what was David THINKING?), your average conflict with the female lead, your run of the mill bad guy and don't forget to end it with the showdown that has been done 1000 of times. Of course the bad guy falls over the railing! What do you expect? And KITT in a two-tone low ride? It's not even funny. Never see this movie if you like Knight Rider before.

Sour Grapes (1998)

Almost, but just not overflowing with jokes

[8/10 · 18 September 2003]

I did like the movie because it is filled to the brim with funny complications. When I explained what I had seen to a friend, we were laughing at every detail. And that means a lot because I am not even a good story teller. I think I remember all the pranks but if I didn't, then at least enough to convince my friend to try and see the movie himself.