Knoedelkop Reviews

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

Very decent courtroom thriller

[8/10 · 29 June 2012]

First of all, you, the honored reader, should keep in mind that the genre of film to which The Lincoln Lawyer belongs, is a genre I usually enjoy a lot and of which I am a (big) fan. However, this film stars Matthew McConaughey as leading actor, which made me wait and see whether this movie would be to my taste.

The courtroom films depend on good acting as opposed to more action based movies and genres. The Lincoln Lawyer provides that good acting: not only do we have McConaughey performing very well, we also have the supporting actors and actresses doing a very neat job, ensuring that there are no weak scenes throughout the film. Another crucial aspect of the courtroom film is the storyline, and again we are not disappointed. Where the storyline takes one or two turns and twists too many at the very end of the movie, in general the flow is not too fast nor too slow, with the required couple of shocks when your notion of people isn't quite as accurate as you though it was.

All in all, The Lincoln Lawyer is a very enjoyable movie for all people who prefer an in-depth storyline every now and then. It's a clever movie with all the right ingredients for having a good time.

Saint (2010)

Worse than expected.

[1/10 · 28 June 2012]

Sint (or Saint in English) seemed to me like a promising concept, especially as it is about one of the most popular traditions in both Belgium and the Netherlands. A murderous Sint Nikolaas, roaming around Amsterdam looking for people to kill: nothing deep, but it could make up a nice movie for a lazy afternoon.

Nothing is less true than that. The acting is terrible, the camera-work isn't special, the storyline is non existent, make-up is average and the action scenes are only so so. The rooftop chase with our bishop is the most exciting part of the movie, but it lasts for about two minutes... And after the chase it's back to dragging yourself to the end of the movie, which even leaves room for a sequel (but it's not entirely clear whether this is intended as a final scary moment).

Even with the knowledge that Sint was never intended as a deep philosophical movie but as pure action based horror, it doesn't come close to achieving it's goal. The combination of terrible and average scoring parameters stands in the way of even only the slightest hint of excitement and fear. Don't watch this, unless you're still interested in Sint Nikolaas...

Pontypool (2008)

This film needs the right audience.

[7/10 · 28 June 2012]

Indeed, Pontypool is one of those movies that will appeal to a certain number of people, but it's just not for everyone. However, it does feature some refreshingly new twists and turns to the classical zombie-infestation-overflows-a-village horror story. These new twists and differences are beautifully explained during the movie, and won't leave you with any questions at the end, something that doesn't happen often enough in this genre.

The acting by Stephen McHattie and Lisa Houle is decent enough, especially for a horror movie. Especially the first part of the movie, where the tension is built up, relies for the most part on their acting and they pull it off nicely. The camera-work is good but nothing special, the setting is dark but what can you expect from this genre of film!

All in all, I believe Pontypool stands out of the bulk of today's horror movies. It won't make it to be an all time classic of the genre, but it's a nice movie to watch (atleast for once), especially if you like a somewhat mysterious atmosphere and less blood and gore than is usual for a zombie movie. If you, on top of that, try to really comprehend the new twists and turns and the explanation for the zombie infestation and use your imagination, this film will leave you wondering and ensure you'll have had a good time.

*First review ever*