What do you do when you watch films faster than you can write reviews about? And do you always need to go in deep to make your point? I am doing my best to keep up but while in general I love to write and talk about films I am not always in the mood to do so. Besides it also takes up a lot of time to do so and time is a pretty valuable commodity these days especially if you don't have it. So what is my remedy against this? To do shorter reviews and stack them together in one article. Don't go looking for a theme or connection. The reviews of films underneath are just the ones I remembered to write about.
Honest Thief (2020)
If you were looking for your typical Liam Neeson action film then I will have to disappoint you. This is nothing more than a C grade thriller that usually runs very late at night. It's about the only time you would be able to stomach the stupidity of the plot.
Very successful bank robber Tom Dolan (Liam Neeson) never has been caught but has found love. He is so much in love he doesn't want to lie to her anymore and willing to confess his sins to the police so that he can do penance and be truthful to her. While this all sounds very admirable and honorable I just can't help but feel how stupid this is. Why would you turn your self in for something you are never ever going to be arrested for. The police literally have no clue who the In-and-Out-Bandit is and even mock him when he tries to persuade them he is the In-and-Out-Bandit. So Tom goes out of his way to convince he is which starts a cat and mouse play between him and a bunch of crooked cops who want to collect the money Tom has stolen. It's here where the film really gets stupid. And to be honest. If the film had a fast pace and had more fun action scenes then perhaps I would have gotten much more enjoyment out of this. Now I even fell asleep due to sheer boredom.
Don't bother with this one, it's incredible dull and stupid!
Unhinged (2020)
Russel Crowe has a reputation of being difficult and having temper tantrums. So who better to play the lead as an unhinged angry person?
Russel Crowe really goes full crazy in this film. It's delightful and horrific at the same time. However it becomes clear the level of craziness is too much. It's so over the top that most events become too comical. I mean for the most part you are rooting for Rachel (played by Caren Pistorius) to make it. Actually you don't want anybody to get hurt. Except at one point due to stupid actions you kinda want Russel Crowe's character to succeed with whatever he is driven by. It should become clear that if you were hoping for a sophisticated psychological thriller where there is more to the characters you will be severely disappointed. The characters in the film are nothing but card figures with barely any substance to them. Crowe who should have given his character depth fully embraces the rage mode without giving anything likable about him. He is one dimensional and simply ruins the real terror that could have been. It also doesn't help that he is the most omnipotent loser there is. As he manages to be everywhere even if it's practically impossible.
That being said there is a level of entertainment to be found if you are easily satisfied by the depiction of blood and violence. Other than that stay clear.
Run (2020)
Run could and should have been a super thrilling horror mystery but ends up as your average crime thriller with little to no substance.
Sure Sarah Paulson does a real good job. However it's the plot that ultimately lets down. I figured out quite quickly what was going on. But have to admit that even knowing of what was to come was compelling for a while since they could have done real interesting things after the reveal. How would Chloe Sherman act after finding out the mystery. What impact would this have on her and what would she do about it? There were many possibilities. Unfortunately, Run takes the predictable route where almost every event plays out as you imagined it. Even the ending! A real shame that Run didn't do more. Or tried to go deeper with playing around with expectations. Why not make us think we know what is going on to then give us a twist we never see coming to put us on the edge of our seat. Run had a real potential to do this but failed in my opinion.
Run is a decent watch. But for huge fans of the genre Run doesn't do enough to wow you which is a real shame!
Kajillionaire (2020)
A little but charming film about some weird characters. This definitely won't be for everyone. I wasn't entirely sure if would be able to tolerate this but found myself enjoying the film quite a bit.
Evan Rachel Wood steals the show as Old Dolio who comes to realize something major about her life. There is a reason why she is the way she is and it's actually very heart wrenching when you think about it. The trailer might give you the indication that this film is about the heists. Sure they play a role but you will soon find out that these thieves aren't really proper robbers. They are lazy, incompetent and broke. It's the dynamics between them that provides the fireworks so to speak. Only not the extent one would expect.
I happen to found this compelling enough but realize that most will find this boring as very little actually happens.
The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020)
You can tell this is a sequel. As it is bigger and crazier. But is it one that is better than the original?
In short: yes it is. The original gave us a more grounded Santa Clause played by Kurt Russel. This sequel builds on this but makes events far more fantastical and magical. Some events are standard and obligatory Christmas stuff but there are also events that came from nowhere and struck a cord with me big time. It gave this Christmas film that special Christmas feeling only these types of films can bring you.
Next to Kurt his real life partner Goldie Hawn plays Mrs. Claus and does a good job of selling you the magic of which there is a lot of. Some might find that off putting. To me it brought joy and happiness. Any film that manages to do that should be applauded. Especially in a year that for almost everyone was quite dark and depressing. For me this film resonated with me particular in one scene since it was quite confrontational about my own feelings towards my father (who has suddenly passed away this year due to heart failure). The scene was incredibly touching and thoughtful. That is not something you see that often in films. Just for that alone this film deserves to be branded a classic.
But overall speaking this is truly a magical film if you allow it. I am aware of the negative reviews. And all I can say about that is that I guess some people are just too cynical for their own good. Their loss!
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