Dutchey Reviews

The Piano (1993)

Flows like a poem

[17 September 2000]

Ada (Holly Hunter) refuses to speak and loves her piano like nothing else in the world. She travels with her piano to New Zealand for an arranged marriage with Alisdair (Sam Neil) and arrives by boat on a beach. They can't carry her piano so it stays on the beach.

Ada has a lil daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) and a secret relationship with George (Harvey Keitel). This movie is all about the relationship between those 4. They story is kind of compelling, though it didn't quite move me (apart for several scenes that were quite touching). The acting is marvellous. Both Hunter and Paquin won an Oscar for their performance. I was especially very impressed with 11 year-old Paquin who gave a very convincing and natural performance.

Most of all this movie is about its stunning visuals and music though. The movie flows like a poem. Especially the images outside are beautiful and music is some of the most wonderful I've ever heard in a movie. Summit for me of the movie is the beach scene. Hunter is playing the piano which is standing all alone on the beach. The song is absolutely wonderful and the images are poetic. Paquin is dancing as a ballerina to the beat of the music... SO beautiful. I've played the whole sequence about 6 times before I returned my tape. Definitely one of the best scenes I've seen.

Of course since I just loved the music I got the soundtrack. Track 4 (The Heart Asks Pleasure First), track 6 (The Promise) and track 15 (The Sacrifice) all feature that wonderful theme (I think track 4 is the very version from the beach scene). One of the most beautiful tunes I've ever heard in a movie.

All in all a rare and beautiful movie and one of the best movies of 1993.

8.5 / 10

Armageddon (1998)

Brainless movie going way overboard on many sides

[2/10 · 11 September 2000]

Armageddon is one of the worst movies of the 90s, IMHO. An overly sentimental flick with a ridiculous number of stupid and pointless explosions. I mean, how many explosions does one REALLY want to see? Yes, the humor was good, Buscemi ruled (always), but I was SO fed up with this movie. I honestly was very glad it was over. It also features one of the lamest love stories ever. There was NO chemistry between Tyler and Affleck. Neither was there between Willis and Tyler. This movie lacked any emotion while going way overboard on the gushy mushy side. And the special effects weren't even all that impressive. Not to mention that the story didn't make any sense. I also hated the amount of nationalistic element, the whole "America is the best country in the world"-attitude. It went way overboard with that too.

Armageddon stands for everything that sucks about Hollywood. Not that everything sucks about Hollywood, not at all, but BRAINLESS movies like Armageddon sure do.

American Beauty (1999)

It's hard to stand up when there's so much beauty in a movie

[10/10 · 28 July 2000]

(minor) SPOILERS in this review.

The American Dream which is in fact a nightmare. This movie shows it. A few days ago I watched American Beauty for the second time, and I absolutely LOVED it, even more than the first time. I started the video and never stopped it until the very end of the end credits. That means a lot. From the second the movie zooms in on the street accompanied by the wonderful piano music I'm sucked into it to never let go again. It's one of those very rare movies that doesn't have one boring moment. Such a fantastic movie... very intense atmosphere. And the music is so wonderful and really adds to that atmosphere. Everything is perfect about this movie: the acting for instance. The cast is one of the best ensembles ever. Kevin Spacey, Mena Suvari, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley and Chris Cooper, they're all excellent. Annette Bening too, though she's going over board a couple of times. The movie is also visually stunning, especially combined with the gorgeous music: modest, but its presence is very emphatic anyway.

The dialogue is very sharp and the story tells a lot of hard truths about human behavior (fake marriages for instance). And all in a splendid cynical way. The movie finds a perfect balance between comedy and drama. There's several hilarious scenes and there's lotsa laughs, but there's also scenes that gave me cold chills. The couch scene between Kevin Spacey and Mena Suvari for instance. Suvari's character development is brilliant and she gives the best supporting performance by a female of the year. From a very self-confident, trash-mouthed teenager in the beginning to a fragile, insecure girl in the end who didn't need Spacey as a lover, but as a father figure. Brilliant how that scene switches. Spacey is fantastic, I have to admit. I sure liked him better than the first time I watched it. He carries the movie for an important part (that sarcastic lil smile all the time!), but the rest of the cast is just as good, they just have a smaller part. Fantastic also how Bentley doesn't even glance at the very popular Suvari, but finds the seemingly boring Birch much more interesting. Plus the scene with the plastic bag is wonderful. Beauty indeed can be found in insignificant, small things.

The ending of the movie is also magnificent. The way they gave all the main characters a motive to kill Spacey is brilliant. Though the movie is not about that at all of course. Most of all, the beautiful images, the wonderful music and Spacey's poetic words sent shivers down my spine. Throughout all of the end credits I stayed in my chair still thoroughly enjoying the movie that had just ended. It's hard to stand up when there's so much beauty in a movie.

Grade: 9.5 / 10

The War Zone (1999)

A gut-wrenching, brilliant drama

[9/10 · 29 May 2000]

I'd heard about this movie that it was really good, and I'd gotten very curious about it. Of course it hasn't been released here, coz they rather release brainless movies to make major bucks. And since I saw no sign of it being released here anytime soon I decided to rent the import version, which means watching it without subtitles and, trust me, I don't like that. It very much depends on the movie of course and in quite some cases it doesn't matter, but sometimes it does.

Anyway, I decided to watch this movie, which I knew absolutely nothing about. The movie is set in England. The scenery looks grey and drab. You can almost touch the isolation... I myself would feel totally miserable there. There is an instant compelling atmosphere in the movie. The scenery, though drab, looks gorgeous and the music's beautiful. As soon as the first conversation starts I know I'm gonna miss my subtitles very much. Especially the heavy British accent from Ray Winstone is barely intelligible, for me that is. So it was kind of a waste to watch the movie this way and I was thinking of stopping it. But... I couldn't find a moment to do so, coz the movie was too spellbinding to break up...

Well, I won't say more about the plot, coz I'd advice anyone to see it without any knowledge in advance. I can tell y'all though that this movie was one of the most horrifying and gut-wrenching movies I've ever seen. It's directed by Tim 'Pulp Fiction' Roth and it's a brilliant debut. It's a drama that works on all levels. It's a very uncomfortable movie which is hard to watch and features some of the most disturbing scenes I've seen. It's an excellent movie though that got me emotionally very involved. The performances are superb too. Especially Lara Belmont, in a debut performance (!), was amazing. She gives the runner up best performance by a female of last year (Hilary Swank being number 1). There's one scene in which she's crying which is so devastating, it's unbelievable someone is capable of showing such emotions. This girl has some talent, I tell ya.

The language problem I mentioned was no problem in the end. Of course I missed some lines here and there, but this movie features images that tell more than a thousand words.

I give this movie an 9.0 and add it to my Top 10 movies for 1999, a truly incredible year for movies, this movie being one of its most memorable ones.

Show Me Love (1998)

This movie is wonderful beyond words

[10/10 · 14 February 2000]

A Swedish movie about lesbians, not your every day movie. Actually, it's not even a once a decade movie. It's one of the best ever.

It's about the love between two girls. Lesbian love. Elin (14) and Agnes (16) live in a plain boring village called Åmål. Elin is very popular and Agnes is anything but that, and she also has a crush on Elin. As a sort of bet with her sister Elin kisses Agnes. They run away all laughing, but Elin realizes that kiss did more to her than she wants to admit. Both actresses do a fantastic job. You really care for them and share their emotions. The story is very compelling. It deals with quite a touchy subject, but it's done in such a lovely, non graphical way. This is one of the very best movies ever about teenagers. The heart-warming performances by the two girls being a large part of the reason for that.

It was a huge hit in Scandinavian countries in 1998 and could even compete with Titanic. In the end I was totally unaware I was watching a SWEDISH movie. That's another sign how great it is. I absolutely loved this movie. I was deeply moved by it and so emotionally involved. This movie left me with a major lump in my throat...

Do you remember your first kiss or the struggle of being a teenager? No? Well, then this movie is the ultimate way to relive all that. Even though it deals with a lesbian relationship it comes off as universal. This movie gives the most genuine, honest view on teenage life with a rare emotional truth.

This movie is wonderful beyond words.

10 out of 10

The Sixth Sense (1999)

BRILLIANT, this is what moviemaking is all about

[6 January 2000]

Heard and read a lot about this movie and, well, it didn't really grab me. I felt the tension, but I wasn't sucked into it. It's a slow movie and I felt myself drifting away from it. There were some really eerie parts though, and I felt this movie was heading towards something. Something special. I'd already read this movie had a surprising final twist, so I was pondering on that throughout the movie. When the moment was there I was especially puzzled... I didn't even quite get it. When the actual end of the movie was there I got it and I was blown away by the ending. One of the best ever. In the days after I saw it I kept thinking about it. Wondering if the ending was in line with everything I'd seen before. As I said, the part leading up to the ending was eerie at some times, tensed, and it was good, but not great. Well, the more I thought of this movie (after I'd seen it), the more I realized how brilliant in fact it was. I decided I just HAD to see it again to see if it all made sense. Yesterday I went to see it for the second time. It was awesome. It was just SO cool to look at it, now knowing the final outcome. In fact, I was watching a whole different movie. I even felt more tension than during the first viewing. Right now I can say it's one of the better or best movies I've ever seen, like the Top 25 or so. The 2nd viewing really made for that utter great experience. The screenplay of this movie is absolutely brilliant. This movie is what moviemaking is all about. I hope it receives all the awards it deserves, and that's a lot. 9/10

The Vanishing (1988)

A brilliant performance by Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu

[10/10 · 31 August 1999]

Whenever I list my all time Top 10 movies for English speaking readers it says: "Spoorloos (original Dutch version of 'The Vanishing')". That doesn't do it justice at all though. It has the same story line, yes, as the American version, but that's where all comparison ends. It's infinitely better.

Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu does one of the best acting performances of all time. He's playing your average house father, but behind that innocent face hides a maniac. One of the creepiest characters ever. This movie really gives you the creeps. Of course, the ending. Not exactly your and-they-lived-happily-ever-after ending. Beside that, the whole movie was scary because of the brilliant performance by Donnadieu. Ter Steege is also very good. One of the best movies ever made.

9.5 / 10

Stronghold (1985)

A cult classic

[10/10 · 31 August 1999]

This is one of the most underrated Dutch movies ever. I just loved it. Very violent at times, but very effective. Very intense atmosphere throughout the whole movie. Maas does a fantastic job. A real creepy villain he portrays. One of my all time favorite movies. Has become kind of a cult classic in Holland.

9.5 / 10

The Lift (1983)

The best Dutch movie ever made

[10/10 · 31 August 1999]

I've watched this movie dozens of times. One of the scariest and most suspenseful movies I've ever seen. I saw it when I was like 14 years old or so, but I still consider it one of my very favorite movies of all time. What makes this movie especially so creepy is its sound. That is, the sound of the elevator. Some scenes simply stay scary no matter how often you look at them. For instance the scene with the psychiatrist who's standing all nervous in the elevator. The sound of that scene freaks me out all the time. The atmosphere surrounding the elevator is SO creepy. This is a must see movie for everyone who loves a truly terrifying movie.

9.5 / 10

Hush (1998)

Highly underrated

[9/10 · 28 August 1999]

I went to see 'Shakespeare In Love' because it won the Oscar for Best Picture. I didn't like it (simply not my cup of tea), but I just loved Gwyneth Paltrow. One of the most wonderful performances of the decade. Then I saw 'Great Expectations', another delightful performance, and right now she's one of my favorite actresses. What do you do when someone's your fave actress? You scan their filmography looking for other movies to watch. I ran through Paltrow's list on IMDb and came across 'Hush'. The 4.5 average rating didn't look too promising. Then my sis also told me she thought this movie was awful, but I decided to rent it anyway.

The movie tells the story about Helen, Jackson and his mother Martha. Helen gets pregnant, they marry and go live with Martha in her giant house. Martha's very possessive over Jackson. More and more it becomes clear Martha's not the nice mother-in-law she appeared to be. She's spreading lies between the two lovers and things get worse. This all leads to a, looking back on it, predictable sequence of scenes.

But... there's Jessica Lange. She plays Martha. She really got on my nerves. Actually, when the movie was over I completely hated her. She does a fantastic acting performance. I really wanted to strangle her sometimes. Her character that is. Gwyneth Paltrow plays a quite vulnerable and likable young woman. That combined with the evil Lange caused this movie to be suspenseful for me. Really. It was predictable, but it was the kinda movie where we (I anyway) so want the heroine to win over the evil character. It is not the best movie ever made, but I was really sucked into it, especially because of Lange's perfect portrayal of an utter bitch.

So I can't believe why this movie only got 4.5 out of 10 here on IMDb. I overall liked it and grade it much higher:

8 / 10

American History X (1998)

One of the best movies I've seen in months

[10/10 · 15 May 1999]

American History X was really good. One of the best movies I've seen in months. Very impressive. Very confrontational too. The party was really disgusting. It had a good, well written story. Great screenplay and cinematography with useful use of color for the flashbacks. The score was beautiful. Brilliant acting by Edward Norton. His Oscar nomination was very well deserved. The development of the character he played is one of the best I've ever seen. There were some very disturbing scenes like the pavement side scene. Which became especially gross when Danny told about the sound that action made. I'm still shivering thinking of it. The scene of Derek running to the school was moving and one of the best scenes in the movie. The scenes in the prison were also very powerful. This movie leaves you with some stuff to ponder on and that's always a good sign if a movie accomplishes that.

Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Shakespeare in Love is nice for insiders

[7/10 · 18 April 1999]

Shakespeare in Love didn't appeal one bit to me, but especially after it won 7 Oscars I started getting curious about it. For me it was the kind of movie where you find yourself just looking at the screen instead of watching the movie. I never really got into it. The music was great, and so were the set decoration and costume design. It won the Oscars for those categories well deserved. I thought SIL was filmed beautifully. Some scenes just had an amazing scenery. What I liked best about SIL was Gwyneth Paltrow. She did a great job and deserves her Oscar I think. I didn't like the parts of her dressed up as a man much though and didn't think they were that convincing (that is, couldn't people tell she was a woman?).

Since this movie's not even close my cup of tea, I as a result didn't get any of the inside Shakespeare and Romeo & Juliet related jokes, so that's part of why I didn't like it much, but if you're into all that, I can imagine you'd love it.

Tempting Fate (1998 TV Movie)

Fascinating Twilight Zone like story

[9/10 · 18 April 1999]

No big cast, directing, cinematography or anything, but a fascinating Twilight Zone like movie. Pretty plain looking and acted, but well worth watching.

Life Is Beautiful (1997)

You'll stay in your seat staring at the screen, just thinking it all over...

[10/10 · 18 April 1999]

La Vita e Bella is set during World War II in Italy and it starts as a comedy. A comedy about the holocaust?? Well, yes. It has gotten as much criticism as it has received prizes. Even though it is rather controversial, the movie's plot, acting and screenplay are just too brilliant to ignore. It all starts as a pretty lame comedy, but then in the second half it turns into a moving and touching story with some truly brilliant moments. I don't consider this a comedy (the first hour really got me wondering what the fuss was all about), it was much more an emotional movie. There's one scene that kinda sums it all up and makes me lump just thinking of it. To all none Italian people who are not used to reading subtitles: don't let them scare you off. After a while you won't even notice you're reading them. You may kinda fall asleep during the first half, but you'll be wide awake watching the second half.

Over here (The Netherlands) when a movie ends everyone stands up instantly and sprints to the exit of the theater. With this movie, when the end credits started rolling, people stayed in their seats staring at the screen, just thinking it all over...