A dramatic thriller based on real events that reveals the quest to expose the deceptions and corruptions of power that turned an Internet upstart into the 21st century's most fiercely debated organization. From: IMDb.com
A dramatic thriller based on real events that reveals the quest to expose the deceptions and corruptions of power that turned an Internet upstart into the 21st century's most fiercely debated organization. From: IMDb.com
A look at the relationship between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his early supporter and eventual colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg, and how the website's growth and influence led to an irreparable rift between the two friends. From: IMDb.com
Directed by: Bill Condon
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Alicia Vikander, Carice van Houten and others
This is a good, cute, little movie to watch and I'm glad I watched it but it's definitely not without its problems.
The concept of the movie sounds rather simplistic and not all that original and engaging but it actually works out surprisingly engaging and even original, within the actual movie. It mostly works because it isn't going for the typical- or sappy type of dramatic approach. Instead it features some very real feeling characters in it and lets things slowly and subtly develop, which gives it all a real sense of realism to it.
It's not just a movie in which 2 Dutch twin sisters try to connect to their American mother, who they have never met or seen (well, not since childbirth that is) but they also reconnected in a, for them, unexpected way to each other and start to rethink and evaluate their own lives. All sounds terribly deep and serious but don't worry, it isn't. The movie for most part still has a very light tone and style to it. In some ways it's also definitely more of a comedy than a drama but that doesn't mean that the movie is not without its serious moments and emotions of course.
But all of this is only true for its first half though. Only the first half of the movie feels like a truly effective, original and engaging one. Something changes in the story as it heads toward its ending. I won't say what it is, since that would be spoiling things but lets just say that this movie ends in a kind of way that lots of modern family drama's like to end in. Terribly disappointing, unoriginal but above all things, there was absolutely no need for the movie to take such a turn. It certainly went at the expense of the movie its drama and overall sense of realism- and even to some extent of the movie its characters.
But that's not all that bothered me about the movie. It's a movie that has basically 3 leading roles in it, without focusing too much on any other characters. These 3 roles are all female roles, which is totally fine of course but the movie doesn't leave things at that. You would think that having a movie with 3 strong female leads in it, directed by a female and written by 2 other females, would be enough for the movie to have a sort of female empowerment undertone to it but the movie also feels the need to 'villainize' the male species. Lets just analyze things things for a moment; basically every male character that has over 2 lines in this movie is either a total douchebag, a sexist pig, or even a rapist. A bit offensive if you asked me and again, also totally pointless- and a completely unnecessary thing for this movie to do.
The movie also mostly focuses on just the Carice and Jelka van Houten characters, which all goes at the expense of the Holly Hunter character of course. i feel that the movie potentially could have had some more depth and better drama in it, had it focused a tad bit more on the Holly Hunter character as well. She remains kind of shallow and mysterious, for perfectly understandable reasons but I would have loved to learn more about that character and her backstory. it's as if the movie could only afford Holly Hunter to show up for just a couple of weeks and had to shoot its way around her, for most part.
It was a great move by the movie to cast real life sisters Carice and Jelka van Houten as twin sisters in this movie. They play very well off each other and are obviously very convincing sisters in this movie as well. Makes you wonder why they have never worked before- and also still as of yet, never again, since making this movie.
All in all, this still for most part remains a well made, fine acted and effective enough little movie, that's perfectly pleasant to watch as well, despite all of the issues I still had with it.
(Review originally written at 15 August 2009) Well, this movie was a bit of a disappointment. It had all of the right ingredients in it needed to make a great and interesting movie with but yet it really wasn't one. It had Tom Cruise, Bryan Singer as director, a fascinating and a based on true events story but the movie just made some wrong choices in the process. The movie really isn't handling its story very well. Instead of telling the story honest and with respect it tells it spectacular and overblown. The movie is too Hollywood-like for its story and the real story and characters deserved a better treatment. But even so, the movie is trying to be Hollywood-like, it yet doesn't even fully succeed in this neither. The movie just isn't spectacular enough to watch for this. There aren't any big shoot-outs or a spectacular ending in which everything reaches a conclusion. There often is more talking than action, so I actually have no clue at which audiences they were aiming. Singer made the same mistake before with "Superman Returns". The movie also made a bad choice with its casting. Nothing wrong with Tom Cruise in his role, even though its also far from his most memorable one but casting some very British actors in some very German roles was simply a horrible choice. The accents did really bother and it was often quite laughable hearing a high placed German commander talking with a very thick British accent. Especially Hitler's voice really bothered me. Sure, the actor that played him (David Bamber) looked well enough like him but he sounded absolutely nothing like him at all. For all I cared they should had called in something to dub his voice but they didn't even bothered with it. It's a shame that most actors feel so out of place within this movie, since the movie does certainly feature some great actors in it, such as of course Tom Cruise but also Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp and Thomas Kretschmann, among many others. It's of course a good looking movie and it's also put together professionally with its directing, editing, cinematography, music and such and it also certainly wasn't a cheap movie to make but this simply does not make the movie better or more interesting to watch. It just prevents it from being a total disaster to watch and gives the movie more than enough to still consider this simply a watchable one. 6/10 Watch trailer
More than 20 years after his last Dutch movie, Verhoeven returns to his native country with the movie "Zwartboek". Of course expectations were high and people from both the Netherlands and those outside of it, who are familiar with his earlier Dutch movies, eagerly awaited this movie, probably expecting a new "Soldaat van Oranje". With all those high anticipations, which also must have putted lots of pressure on Verhoeven's shoulders, the movie could only disappoint, like unfortunately too often is the case by 'hyped' and highly anticipated movies. To most professional Dutch movie critics this movie was a slight disappointment, probably expecting way too much of it. Granted that "Zwartboek" does have its flaws but overall this movie surpassed my expectations, mainly since the movie is a well balanced mix of Verhoeven's earlier Dutch work and his later Hollywood works. It provides the movie with an unique and straight-forward as ever style with lots of spectacular and entertaining moments and some fine acting. Make sure not to expect a new "Soldaat van Oranje" like movie and you'll be able to enjoy and be impressed by the movie for what it is.
To be honest the movie didn't started off well. The beginning is messy, with way too much happening on screen in a too short amount of time. It's unclear were the movie is heading to and what for a kind of movie it is going to be. There isn't a main plot line which doesn't help to make the movie interesting or easy to watch. Luckily the second halve is much better and completely blew me away. I really didn't expected to see so much action and tense and spectacular moments. The movie starts of as a typical Dutch WW II drama but quickly turns into a spectacular action/thriller with moments that really impress.
I like Paul Verhoeven movies, both his Dutch as his Hollywood movies, for several reasons. One of them is that he can always tell a dramatic and powerful story in a heavy impressive but yet also always entertaining way. His movies always have one or multiple messages in it but they are disguised so well into the story (also kudos to Gerard Soeteman for that of course) that is doesn't ever get distracting or feels overdone and preachy but still it works unconsciously effective and powerful nevertheless. Another reason why I love Verhoeven movies is that he's never afraid to show the dark side of people. "Zwartboek" teaches us that nothing in this world is completely black and white and not everything and everyone is completely right or wrong, good or bad.
Despite the movie its beginning, the movie is well written with some good and interesting characters in it. The story takes some great thriller kind of twists and turns, which also both helps the drama and action moments work out. It has some misses but overall it has way more hits, which makes "Zwartboek" probably not the best Dutch movie since years but certainly the most interesting and surprising one. The fact that the story is completely told from a woman's point of view makes the movie all the more powerful and believable, as well as unique and interesting.
Had Verhoeven not worked in America for several years, this movie would had had a completely different look and style. Verhoeven his 'Hollywood' style can be found back in this movie. Mainly of course in its action but also mostly in its professionalism in terms of directing style, camera-work and pacing. "Zwarttboek" probably is more 'Hollywood' than 'European' in terms of style and storytelling, which should mean that persons who aren't familiar with European movies should be able to enjoy this movie as well. Also still Verhoeven's own unique distinctive style in this movie is notable, meaning lots of nudity, sex and graphic violence but it all serves a purpose and therefor doesn't feel overdone or unneeded.
The acting in this movie is top-class, from both the Dutch actors as well as the Germans. Every well known and respected Dutch actor stood in line to work with Verhoeven on his first Dutch movie since several decades. Verhoeven gratefully took advantage of this and the movie is filled with some of the best Dutch actors around at the moment. People from the Netherlands already knew it but now the rest of the world also knows that Carice van Houten is one great actress, with a great charisma and look. She carries the movie for most of its time and does this in an highly convincing and impressive way. This movie surely means her internationally breakthrough, at least if she is up for that. She further more has a great chemistry with basically every of her fellow actors in this movie, especially with Sebastian Koch and Halina Reijn. Actors in this movie who were also really good were Thom Hoffman and Derek de Lint and German actors Waldemar Kobus and Christian Berkel. Johnny de Mol however feels out of place and he plays an highly unconvincing character that only works distracting.
The movie is really professional and good looking, despite its very low-budget (even though its the most expensive Dutch movie ever made). The great cinematography by Karl Walter Lindenlaub gives the movie its own identity and great look. The movie looks especially professional with its action. For some reason action and shoot sequences never look convincing in Dutch movies but this movie is a glorious exception.
Will "Zwartboek" win an Oscar for best foreign film? As much as I want to see Verhoeven finally win an Oscar and get some recognition, I don't think it will win. "Zwartboek" is probably too spectacular and 'Hollywood' for that. I think that the academy would prefer a more heavy drama with a more serious told story, that is more powerful than entertaining.
More entertaining and impressive than powerful but a fine sweet surprise nevertheless that honestly surpassed my expectations.
But that's not all that bothered me about the movie. It's a movie that has basically 3 leading roles in it, without focusing too much on any other characters. These 3 roles are all female roles, which is totally fine of course but the movie doesn't leave things at that. You would think that having a movie with 3 strong female leads in it, directed by a female and written by 2 other females, would be enough for the movie to have a sort of female empowerment undertone to it but the movie also feels the need to 'villainize' the male species. Lets just analyze things things for a moment; basically every male character that has over 2 lines in this movie is either a total douchebag, a sexist pig, or even a rapist. A bit offensive if you asked me and again, also totally pointless- and a completely unnecessary thing for this movie to do.
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