Kingsman: The Secret Service

After getting home from the movie theater just now, the first thing I did was go to imdb.com and checked the rating Kingsman: The Secret Service has there. And just as I remembered, people seem to like it. Why is beyond me.

To me this was all just very underwhelming.

Sure, it is fun to watch Colin Firth, who we all know from playing very sophisticated gentlemen, beat the shit out of a bunch of drunk half-wits in a pub. I love Colin Firth. Who doesn't? Also, I always approve of Michael Caine and Mark Strong. Obviously.

But even though the action sequences are quite impressive (the church massacre, the heads exploding) and you can see that a lot of money went into the production, I found it all just very underwhelming.

I admit, I laughed a few times and joined the choir of Awww whenever JB, the pug (no, not for James Bond or Jason Bourne but for Jack Bauer), was shown. But I was not entertained as much as I hoped I would be.

Mostly, I found the training bits very annoying. Couldn't have cared less about any of the would-be recruits (not even the one I was supposed to care about). And, man, did Samuel L. Jackson's lisp grow old quickly, or what?

Meh! sums it up quite well.

5/10

Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie

This Oscar winning documentary tells the story of Klaus Barbie through many interviews, some very emotional, a few level headed (which carry just as much weight simply by being factual). At a running time of about 4,5 hours this is not only a massive undertaking in itself, but also quite challenging to sit through. Obviously, this is not easy viewing.

The name Barbie itself does not necessarily spring to mind right away when one considers the biggest names in the Nazi organisation. It is telling, that a man known as the Butcher of Lyon easily faded from public memory.

I believe the first time I came across that name when he was the punchline of a joke in the film Rat Race (the Barbie museum turning out something very different than the family expected), which is astounding, really. Especially for someone who grew up in a country that used to be part of the German Reich. Barbie was simply never much of a topic. This was probably in part of his involvement (and protection that comes with that) with the US government.

As this was made during a time when documentaries did not have the aspirations of entertaining people, it may feel a little dated today. Documentaries have for the longest time been made for the sake of information. Sensationalism and bite sized conversation bits are a rather recent developments, I believe. So, sadly, however interesting and important, this will probably remain little seen.

Well worth it, though.

7/10

13 Sins

Imagine you're having a really crappy time, lost your job recently, your fiance is pregnant with your first child, both your father and mentally challenged brother need expensive care and you sit in your car with an annoying fly. Your phone rings and someone offers you $ 1,000,-- to kill said fly. Easy enough, right? Then they offer you more than triple that amount to eat that fly. Wouldn't it be at this point that you decided that this particular game may not be for you?

Yeah. And that is why neither you nor I are the main characters in this film.

We follow a desperate man who has just been through all of the above as he takes on tests, challenges, whatever that get - you guessed it - worse but also earn him higher amounts with each completed task. And of course that ominous voice on the phone has ways to put pressure on him to avoid you from backing out but where is the line that makes him stop?

Well, we can't really say because whenever the poor guy wants to quit, there are ways to make him understand that he simply can't.

Of course, there would be bidders following the game and throwing around big money. Basically, this is like Rat Race, but without the comedy. Which is not necessarily saying that this isn't entertaining. It certainly is.

I guess the message is that desperate people will do desperate things. Probably not too far from the truth.

6/10

Cinemania

Though the subject of this documentary is right down my lane (being someone who watches way too many films, albeit on a very much smaller scale in comparison to the subjects of Cinemania), the execution appears so sloppy that it borders on the annoying.

It is shot with shaky camera (in an attempt at vérité) and does not really focus all that much on cinema itself, or what it actually means to the five people the cameras follow around. There is an awful lot of time dedicated to the logistics of watching as many films as possible in cinemas across New York City, but rarely does it ever touch on what those films are.

I assume that the films are not merely picked because they can be fitted into a day, but there is a reason an individual wants to see certain films. Somehow, we never quite learn what, say, Harvey watches on a particular day. Sure, we know he likes Ginger Rogers and is not a fan of Antonioni, but that is about the extent.

In the end, we see more of New York City, hustling from one cinema to the next on many subways, than we do of actual film. I wish they would have let the five people talk more and make them look less like weirdos.

Somewhat disappointing.

4/10

Houdini

No doubt, this two-part mini series is entertaining.

However, one would have expected something airing on the History Channel to stay a little closer to the truth. Houdini a spy? Pah-lease. For the details of what was constructed out of thin air you may consult Wild About Harry.

The series could also have done with a little more structure. Linear is always nice when it comes to a biography, That way one could also limit the voice overs. Not a fan of voice overs, even in the sexy voice of Adrien Brody.

My biggest issue was probably with the music. The score was made up of mostly heavy metal/industrial type music. I kid you not. This, cool though it may be, seemed really out of place for a story set in the early twentieth century.

The acting, from all involved, was very good. Adrien Brody is brilliant as ever, as was the woman playing his wife Bess (Kristen Connolly, who looked awfully familiar to me, but I cannot place her. Looking at her filmography doesn't help. Cabin in the Woods couldn't possibly have left that much of an impression and I have seen next to nothing else she was in.), and the (invented) assistant Jim was lovable in all his childish adoration of The Great Houdini (he also looked oddly familiar, but that is probably because he reminds me Flea, but what I probably know him from is 8 Mile).

Anyway, if it is entertainment you are looking for, look no further.

If you want to know more about Harry Houdini, go here.

6/10

Mi mefakhed mehaze'ev hara (Big Bad Wolves)

According to Quentin Tarantino this is the best film of the year 2013. Although I would not readily agree, I can see why he likes it. Part of it looks almost like an homage to the Mr. Blonde/cop/ear scene in Reservoir Dogs. I don't think it actually is.

This is one hell of a film, though.

The story starts right in without much of a set up. Four men 'question' a suspect to multiple murders. The whole things gets caught on tape (because everyone has a cell phone) and ends up on the internet. The suspect hast to be released in the aftermath. Not that it does him any good.

The man is a bible studies teacher and suspected of kidnapping, drugging, raping, beheading and killing little girls. With the video and all, the school does not have much choice but to suspend him. And then the father of one of the girls and the police officer that orchestrated the beat down both decide to take justice into their own hands. After one initially knocks the other out to get his hands on the culprit they then join forces to try and extract the information where all the missing heads of the murdered girls are.

This is when it gets really ugly.

The film, for all its brutality (few and far between), is beautifully shot and well acted. What is interesting is that for the longest time, it is not clear whether or not the teacher actually did kill the girls. Don't worry, all will be revealed in the end, but by then it may already be too late.

8/10

Mission: Impossible II

The story line of M:I 2 is of absolutely no importance. It is convoluted and style wins out over substance and in the end Tom Cruise takes out the bad people.

I believe that the only reason the film was made is to have Tom Cruise's majestic hair blowing in the wind. In slow motion, no less. I also believe that that is the only reason Tom Cruise let his hair grow out was so that those slow motion shots could be made. They make up what feel like half of the film, so it was well worth it for him.

Other things blowing in slow motion: women's hair (one woman in particlar), sand, a scarf.

Other majestic things about Tom Cruise in M:I 2: tight outfits, free climbing in Africa (because, of course he does that).

Other comments to be made in favor of the film: ... I got nothing.

3/10