A funny movie, about the lives and mishaps of two couples and their children. A parallel could be drawn with princess Diana, but if you don't know all about that, this movie is as much enjoyable. There are quite some everyday events going on, but the love and forgiveness the 2 main characters have for each other is admirable for sure. Through thick and thin they find their way to stay together in these slices of life.
Reviews
11 Reviews
Silence of the Tides
(2020)
Beauty, amazament and cruelty in random order
17 November 2021
For me this movie gave a great peek into a part of the world to which I live close by, 'de Wadden'. I used to come to the Zeedijk (Sea Front) quite often when I was young, but never knew there was so much going on behind the Dykes.
Like I said, this movies gives us an intimate peek into the tides of the Wadden Sea and what the changing of the tides brings. Great time lapses I have never seen before and animals both below and above sea level were brought to us visually and audibly as never before in all their beauty. Nevertheless, I did not completely understand the *silence* in the movies title, as there were quite some upsetting images among most of the beauty and amazement the movie had to offer us.
Personally I could do without the cruelty that was shown and had expected more of a connection between one image and another, like a thread weaving all the separate images together if you will. It seemed to me more a summary of all that goes on and can be observed in this region, not much more.
Somehow I hoped for more of a connecting element or something, which is why I only give it 7 out of 10 stars.
Like I said, this movies gives us an intimate peek into the tides of the Wadden Sea and what the changing of the tides brings. Great time lapses I have never seen before and animals both below and above sea level were brought to us visually and audibly as never before in all their beauty. Nevertheless, I did not completely understand the *silence* in the movies title, as there were quite some upsetting images among most of the beauty and amazement the movie had to offer us.
Personally I could do without the cruelty that was shown and had expected more of a connection between one image and another, like a thread weaving all the separate images together if you will. It seemed to me more a summary of all that goes on and can be observed in this region, not much more.
Somehow I hoped for more of a connecting element or something, which is why I only give it 7 out of 10 stars.
Holiday Rush
(2019)
It's not totally useless, but misses something
30 November 2019
Although engaging in a way, it misses something. It feels like a half-hearted christmas story, that is totally predictable and all and sure it's about family values and such. But it left me wondering, what am I missing...? Hence the half-hearted rating.
Salvation
(2017–2018)
Lots of flip-flops
10 October 2018
The first season had great new Sci-Fi ideas to it, about some sort of insightful Elon Musk-ish organisation attempting to improve and ultimately save the world. I really liked it, for being both intelligent and intriguing and I was eager to see the continuation.
In season 2, however, the plot quickly spins out of control and people's loyalties flip-flop multiple times each episode. There's still some interesting moments with good dialogue, but most of the proceedings seem way too improbable. I got halfway through season 2 and skipped to the end, seeing all sorts of crazy, but no improvements. I will not come back and hope for everybody's sake there will be no more of this.
There's many better series to watch, I'll probably go and enjoy rewatching Continuum for example.
Christmas Inheritance
(2017)
Sappy and predictable like Christmas is supposed to be
24 December 2017
Yes, this movie is sappy as hell and totally predictable, but fir me it captured exactly the Christmas spirit I was looking for in a movie. After reading all the dissing reviews my expectations weren't high, but somehow all of it surprised me. Pretty good acting, great to see Eliza Taylor again, and all the cliché elements were there, including the plot holes. Sure, we've seen this done tons of times before, but doesn't that just make it enjoyable. Well, for me it did!
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
(2017)
Killing...
19 December 2017
Stylistically this movie may appeal to some, however, I was greatly underwhelmed. These are my main reasons:
-Acting felt really forced and unnatural to me, which stood in the way of connecting with any of the characters.
-The frigid atmosphere added to the sense of distance put between the viewer and, well, anything actually.
-The script was also weird and story got out of hand quickly, without feeling anywhere believable.
-The sound effects and 'music' inappropriately created a false sense of tension. The makers especially went wild with the SFX, which to me were at times excruciating.
If there were any hint of absurdity or a supernatural phenomenon I'd have a reason to accept a lot more of the characters' actions which now just didn't make much sense!
I like weird movies, but this one just seemed to want to be different for all the wrong reasons and in all the wrong ways. I didn't run out of the (nearly empty) cinema, just because I thought some kind of reasonable explanation would come. A reason to make me accept the previously named flaws as a style and a skillful way to make sense of the whole, but alas... No such luck!
Trädgårdsgatan
(2017)
Don't let the generic title fool you!
10 December 2017
Trädgårdsgatan - Garden Lane
The title may not reveal all that much and might even seem boring, but be warned, the cover reveals little. I selected this movie because of the sheer subtlety in storytelling set out in the leaflet of the local film Festival I was at. Imagine: early Sunday morning, going to the movie theater, being confronted with 2 time lines: the now and the past. The story of the past that is set out sucked me in almost instantly and only a few glimpses of the now intertwine (it almost felt as interfering with the ongoing story). Although all that had happened may not be for the frail of heart, it had an enthralling quality to it with lives being lived just as they come along, happiness coming and going. Gradually we get some hints of what happens in the now, but how is it connected? Nevertheless I kept wanting to just skip back to the past, that bit is really intriguing. And it didn't disappoint, the past told most of the story about 2 children and their parents, struggling with acceptance, love, (drug) abuse, but mainly day-to-day survival and the hard choices that need to be made. In the end the present intertwined and it delivered the final piece to the puzzle, leaving me breathless. Life is just happens to you and it can be so... Unexpected. For me this was a great way to start my Sunday.
The title may not reveal all that much and might even seem boring, but be warned, the cover reveals little. I selected this movie because of the sheer subtlety in storytelling set out in the leaflet of the local film Festival I was at. Imagine: early Sunday morning, going to the movie theater, being confronted with 2 time lines: the now and the past. The story of the past that is set out sucked me in almost instantly and only a few glimpses of the now intertwine (it almost felt as interfering with the ongoing story). Although all that had happened may not be for the frail of heart, it had an enthralling quality to it with lives being lived just as they come along, happiness coming and going. Gradually we get some hints of what happens in the now, but how is it connected? Nevertheless I kept wanting to just skip back to the past, that bit is really intriguing. And it didn't disappoint, the past told most of the story about 2 children and their parents, struggling with acceptance, love, (drug) abuse, but mainly day-to-day survival and the hard choices that need to be made. In the end the present intertwined and it delivered the final piece to the puzzle, leaving me breathless. Life is just happens to you and it can be so... Unexpected. For me this was a great way to start my Sunday.
John Wick
(2014)
Predictable and boring
30 May 2017
Really! I don't see what all the fuss is about! It must be my age and experience, having seen quite a few movies. I must say: hasn't this done before? So many times! I'll tell you, I could not get into the movie and found it impossible to finish it. It bored me out of my skull and once the shooting began it did not get any better! The whole plot is very unlikely and empty (to me) and the special effects did not help. It really doesn't happen often that I quit on a movie halfway through, but John Wick, you managed!
So, don't try to convince me of the contrary, it's no use! My suggestion: don't waste your time on this one!
So, don't try to convince me of the contrary, it's no use! My suggestion: don't waste your time on this one!
In Front of Others
(I) (2016)
Love story with a twist, once mannerism takes over
30 November 2016
Fyrir framan annað fólk, or: In Front Of Others
Charming to see a shy introvert (I might have given him the label autistic even) guy winning over a beautiful girl. Meet Hubert and Hanna: lovely to watch them interact as a couple. Of course, as in most relationships, the thing you're attracted to most in the beginning becomes annoying over time. Hubert finds out he's great at mimicking others and over time this becomes his way to express things he could not express otherwise. Hanna slowly gets annoyed with his mannerism and indeed the mimicking takes Hubert over, to the point where he's not in control anymore.
With the development of Hubert's mannerism the movie develops slowly and introduces us to Hanna's family and Hubert's colourful friends. None of them see or understand Hubert's flaw though and Hanna finds it hard to explain it to others. One thing I didn't understand was where Hubert's family was in all this? This movie was quite a laugh, with an underlying seriousness. It gave some insight into how a disorder can be a burden, though it can best be overcome by acceptance. In it's down-to-earth approach it felt as a really entertaining and fresh take on the romantic comedy genre.
Charming to see a shy introvert (I might have given him the label autistic even) guy winning over a beautiful girl. Meet Hubert and Hanna: lovely to watch them interact as a couple. Of course, as in most relationships, the thing you're attracted to most in the beginning becomes annoying over time. Hubert finds out he's great at mimicking others and over time this becomes his way to express things he could not express otherwise. Hanna slowly gets annoyed with his mannerism and indeed the mimicking takes Hubert over, to the point where he's not in control anymore.
With the development of Hubert's mannerism the movie develops slowly and introduces us to Hanna's family and Hubert's colourful friends. None of them see or understand Hubert's flaw though and Hanna finds it hard to explain it to others. One thing I didn't understand was where Hubert's family was in all this? This movie was quite a laugh, with an underlying seriousness. It gave some insight into how a disorder can be a burden, though it can best be overcome by acceptance. In it's down-to-earth approach it felt as a really entertaining and fresh take on the romantic comedy genre.
The Swedish Theory of Love
(2015)
A peek into the 'real' Sweden
14 November 2016
Let me say this first: I'm not a big fan of documentaries, because I watch movies to be immersed in a different world, away from 'real life'. In general fiction and romanticized movies only appear to do the trick for me.
Having said this, I find it quite intriguing that some reviewers have issues with this documentary's depth and (lack of) opinion. Why a documentary should have this eludes me. Wikipedia has a rather simple description of a documentary: "a nonfictional motion picture intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education, or maintaining a historical record".
That is what this documentary does do, without an enormous pain of an opinion. To me it tells a story about a highly sophisticated society which has issues most people don't know about and most Swedes don't care much about. Maybe it's just me - that I didn't know this yet - but I thought it quite educational. I live in a country that also prides itself for it's high level of individualism (Holland), but I think the Swedes gave that a whole new dimension, with a downside called isolation. One idea that particularly stuck with me is that (a high level of) certainty leads to boredom. The apparent emptiness in many shots showed this rather subtly and in general I thought the music nicely added to some of the statements made.
All in all, it may not be the best documentary made, but it is a peek into the real Sweden, which mostly gets overlooked. As another reviewer said, I think it would be wise to first watch this movie before deciding to move to the promised land, called Sweden.
Having said this, I find it quite intriguing that some reviewers have issues with this documentary's depth and (lack of) opinion. Why a documentary should have this eludes me. Wikipedia has a rather simple description of a documentary: "a nonfictional motion picture intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education, or maintaining a historical record".
That is what this documentary does do, without an enormous pain of an opinion. To me it tells a story about a highly sophisticated society which has issues most people don't know about and most Swedes don't care much about. Maybe it's just me - that I didn't know this yet - but I thought it quite educational. I live in a country that also prides itself for it's high level of individualism (Holland), but I think the Swedes gave that a whole new dimension, with a downside called isolation. One idea that particularly stuck with me is that (a high level of) certainty leads to boredom. The apparent emptiness in many shots showed this rather subtly and in general I thought the music nicely added to some of the statements made.
All in all, it may not be the best documentary made, but it is a peek into the real Sweden, which mostly gets overlooked. As another reviewer said, I think it would be wise to first watch this movie before deciding to move to the promised land, called Sweden.
Chevalier
(2015)
Quite boring, like watching the sea ripple (on and on)
11 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I went to this movie at the Northern Film Festival (Holland) in anticipation of some hilarious fun, especially after reading some of the reviews here. Many other people had the same thoughts I could tell, as the theatre was packed.
The movie started with some nice shots of the sea and beach and slowly introduced us to the characters. Slow being the key word here. Like the sea rippling, the movie also rippled on... The group of guys had their talks and came to this typical guy thing where everyone just had to be the best at something. Or rather, the best at everything. So they created a contest. All this could have been said and done in say, 15 minutes, but somehow the plot dragged on and didn't thicken at all. Half-way through the movie a lot of people had already walked out, I noticed half the theatre was empty.
This being my third and last movie of the day, I'd hoped to go home with a sense of purpose, but at this time I had lost hope. To me, nothing that happened or was said was remotely funny, no laughing out loud, no chuckles, nothing.
I managed not to fall asleep, but I can't remember ever seeing a movie where I glanced at my watch so often (can I go home now?). Yes, I could have walked out myself, but I expected a weird twist at the end or something that made the whole experience worthwhile. I can tell you, there was nothing of the sort.
I do get the idea of the film and it could have really been entertaining, but to me (and apparently to most of the crowd) it just wasn't. It could just be that the Dutch just don't get the Greek humour? I must say the acting at least was good, but other than that I was so bored and disappointed with this movie that I went home and put on one of my favourite series as compensation.
I hope this helps you to decide whether to go to this movie or not.
The movie started with some nice shots of the sea and beach and slowly introduced us to the characters. Slow being the key word here. Like the sea rippling, the movie also rippled on... The group of guys had their talks and came to this typical guy thing where everyone just had to be the best at something. Or rather, the best at everything. So they created a contest. All this could have been said and done in say, 15 minutes, but somehow the plot dragged on and didn't thicken at all. Half-way through the movie a lot of people had already walked out, I noticed half the theatre was empty.
This being my third and last movie of the day, I'd hoped to go home with a sense of purpose, but at this time I had lost hope. To me, nothing that happened or was said was remotely funny, no laughing out loud, no chuckles, nothing.
I managed not to fall asleep, but I can't remember ever seeing a movie where I glanced at my watch so often (can I go home now?). Yes, I could have walked out myself, but I expected a weird twist at the end or something that made the whole experience worthwhile. I can tell you, there was nothing of the sort.
I do get the idea of the film and it could have really been entertaining, but to me (and apparently to most of the crowd) it just wasn't. It could just be that the Dutch just don't get the Greek humour? I must say the acting at least was good, but other than that I was so bored and disappointed with this movie that I went home and put on one of my favourite series as compensation.
I hope this helps you to decide whether to go to this movie or not.
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