Grindhouse

2007

★★★★ Liked Watched

Rodriguez and Tarantino pay homage to the classic grindhouse double features from the 70s and, in the style of their signatures, bring two movies that capture the look and style well and decorate the whole thing with fake trailers from other guest directors.

Planet Terror impresses with its exaggerated, bloody carnage, wild shootouts and crazy characters. 3/5

Death Proof impresses with quick-witted girls, cool dialogues and an exciting car chase. 4,5/5

The whole thing is rounded off by a dirty retro look, intentional sound and picture disruptions, miscuts and missing film reels.

Inland Empire

2006

★★½ Watched

I can live with the fact that Lynch movies (sometimes) cannot be fully deciphered. Most of the time, I am kept interested by fascinating visuals, camera angles, dialogues, etc. But "Inland Empire" hardly gives me a chance to keep track of things or follow the story, and during the three-hour running time its so boring and dull at times that I quickly run the risk of losing attention.

Dogville

2003

★★★★ Watched

A movie in which the visual aids are deliberately kept to a minimum. It's about topics such as dependence, exploitation and the -an eye for an eye- principle. Although "Dogville" only takes place on a theater stage and also dispenses with almost all props, you hardly notice this anymore after a few minutes because the story is so fascinating.
Many movies rely on impressive effects to distract from their weak plot. With "Dogville" it’s the exact opposite. This is enough for the plot to have its full effect.

There Will Be Blood

2007

★★★★ Liked 2

"There Will Be Blood" is a capitalism drama, a hard reckoning with infinite greed and no empathy.
In all its harshness, the movie shows something similar like humor about the human weaknesses in working after perpetual growth, even in the face of total loneliness.
The movie shows the American ambition in all its socially and environmentally destructive force, it shows a world in progress and regression at the same time. It's a tremendous trip through a single human psyche.

Mulholland Drive

2001

★★★★★ Liked 1

"Mulholland Drive" is an enigmatic confusion that, in its tragic destruction of hopes and desires, conjures an illusion of fears and beauty that will not be seen again in this magnetic, surrealistic and yet frighteningly fascinating style. The dream factory is torn apart, the odyssey of sex, charme, madness, hints and opaque darkness ends in a disturbing collapse of the facade that doesn't want to give any answers and doesn't come together coherently like a zipper.

Kingdom of Heaven

2005

★★½ Watched

Once again, we're stuck in the dark ages, where every day could be your last for no reason at all, even if it's just because your neighbor accused you of being a heretic or a witch…

Ridley Scott pulls together a great cast for "Kingdom of Heaven" with Liam Neeson, Edward Norton, and Brendan Gleeson, who all have the charisma to take on the central role of Balian of Ibelin. However, he opts for Orlando Bloom, who, with his plain…

Dancer in the Dark

2000

★★★★ 1

The musical interludes weren't really my thing (surprising.. I know), the rest was great. Björk was phenomenal! A merging performance that integrates perfectly with the overall structure of this unique movie.

Kill Bill: Vol. 2

2004

★★★★ Liked 1

A lot of people like the first part better, but I think both movies are great in their own way and I'm glad that the second part isn't just a copy, but represents the equivalent piece of the puzzle that makes „Kill Bill“ to one big great movie!

Brokeback Mountain

2005

★★ 1

A story that could be told in five sentences is stretched over two hours. The first act is all about herding sheep, landscape shots, small talk around the campfire, herding sheep... until the two eventually get the idea to try it from man to man. Of course, the theme is touching, and naturally, it is commendable to call out the intolerance of the hillbillies. Some approaches were certainly there, such as the non-acceptance of such "fornication" in the rural social…

Thirst

2009

★★★½ 5

Bloody but at the same time thoughtful vampire drama about a Catholic priest who only wants the good and succumbs to evil. Despite dramaturgical weaknesses, Park Chan-wook creates a wild, grotesque and visually powerful symphony about insatiable desires and moral questions.

Riding in Cars with Boys

2001

★★★★ Liked Watched

"Riding in Cars with Boys" tells the story of a young mother's highs and lows with lightness and ease. Set in conservative 1960s America, she unexpectedly becomes pregnant by a slacker as a teenager and faces life with resilience, despite unfulfilled dreams and ambitions. The movie beautifully captures life's essence: not always nerve-wrackingly thrilling, but always relatable, often tragic, funny, and at times deeply touching, ordinary, repetitive, beautiful, and absolutely worth watching. The two hours just fly by.

Van Helsing

2004

★★★ 2

There's a certain charme in seeing all these classic horror characters like Dracula, Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein etc. bundled together in one movie, but the whole thing is ultimately so over-the-top and backed by such a bad script that there aren't many positive things to say about it. But for some reason I still felt entertained (whether it was because of Dracula's hot brides is another matter..)