mgulev Reviews

Enemy (2013)

Poor alien invasion story

[4/10 · 9 January 2019]

There seems to be a lot of confusion as to what this movie is really about. Well, it´s quite simply a weirdly told story of an alien invasion. The movie starts with us seeing a spider get crushed. Alien bugs (think Men in Black) will of course not stand for this, so they send an army of spiders to infest the earth. The spiders don´t just appear as spiders, though. That would be too obvious, so they disguise themselves as humans infiltrating us (think Body Snatchers!). Adam finds his spider-double (Anthony) by accident and seeks him out. Big mistake! Anthony has already impregnated a human (Helen) with his spider off-spring and is looking for more incubators. Adams wife (Mary) is perfect, since he can impregnate her under the guise that he is Adam. She discovers his vile plot and he is forced to kill both her and himself to keep the invasion secret. Adam all too late discovers the truth and can only gawk in wonder at the huge spider (Helen in her last transformative state) in the bedroom covering up her nest of spider eggs. All in all a pretty boring movie that could have won a broader audience with more explosions and gore.

Prey (2014–2015)

Pretty bad.......

[2/10 · 4 January 2019]

Apparently this series has been condensed into a movie. So this is a review of the movie version. It starts off well, but gets worse towards the middle and the ending is just boring and predictable. There are really no redeeming qualities to make up for the so-so acting, boring plot or lackluster action sequences. Maybe it works better as a seies, but I´m not going to risk it.

Mig og Charly (1978)

Coming of age and bromance

[5/10 · 28 October 2016]

I first watched this movie right when it came out. At that time it was great and re-watching it took me back to those days. The movie captures the essence of the late 70's in Denmark and watching the movie in that perspective is certainly worthwhile. The clothes and hair-styles are unsurprisingly authentic, but so are the thoughts and emotions of the characters.

Steffen is an only teen-age child living with his mother, who smokes and drinks a little too much. He doesn't really know what to do with his life; he wants a job but not to any great degree. His days pass by with his attractive rich-family girlfriend until he meets Charly.

Charly is the odd-ball, happy-go-lucky character that tries to steal Steffens moped. They become unlikely friends and down the line, Steffen has to make choices between his girlfriend and Charly.

Apart from the setting, there are many aspects that are real to the 70's and aspects that are real to teenagers irrespective of which decade they live in.

On the bad side: I really don't think the acting is especially good. It was probably the best Denmark had to offer at that time, but by today's standards it falls noticeably short. The characters are superficial - the movie offers no insight to Steffens situation (how happy is he with his girlfriend? has he any realistic plans for the future? what is Charlys past? why did he end up at the institution?) There is very little character development. The movie ends but there is no climax or resolution of their problems.

So, with the good and the bad, the movie ends up with a "5" from me.

All for Two (2013)

Well, I thought it was funny

[7/10 · 20 June 2016]

When starting a movie certain things will prepare you for what kind of movie you are about to watch. When the three main characters (four if you include Gordon Kennedy) have a main background in stand-up comedy and children's programs, you know it's not going to be a brainteaser. So just (try to) enjoy their antics.

Jonathan Spang plays Nikolaj, who has just been released on probation. He tries to stay away from his two former buddies in crime Timo and Ralf (Rasmus Bjerg and Mick Øgendahl), but soon he finds he needs their help. Their capers are inventive and funny and more likely than not apt to fail. Despite the odds, things somehow work out for the trio. It's not particularly well-acted but the inventive crimes, the absurd conversations and Micks slap-stick make up for that. Kurt Ravn and Kim Bodnia are very believable, though. I was easily entertained by this movie.

The Flock (2007)

Suspenseful and very well acted

[7/10 · 12 November 2015]

Richard Gere really has come a long way since An Officer and A Gentleman and Pretty Woman. His last couple of movies have really shown his acting talent. This movie is no exception.

Gere plays an agent checking up on sex-offenders living among the general population. The lead-in to the movie and his first couple of scenes show him to be VERY engaged in his job.

A teenager goes missing and Geres character thinks it might be one from his "flock" that has taken her. There is a fine balance between the movies different subplots (checking up on the flock, his imminent "retirement", the new trainee and of course the abduction) and the acting is great all around.

The camera-work is another thing, though. Fast clips and shaky camera ... does nothing good for any movie.

Player (I) (2013)

Well ... I liked it!

[8/10 · 2 November 2015]

Not being a big fan of either Rasmus Bjerg or Casper Christensen in the acting department, the parts they play are executed very well. In this movie, it seems, they are asked to play characters not far from their real life personas.

Rasmus Bjerg plays Helge, an attorney, who despite being extremely professional and well-prepared is about to screw things up and begin a journey of self-discovery.

Casper Christensen plays Theo his old, odd friend from boarding school (Herlufsholm) who helps Helge set things right and possibly get into contact with an attractive lady. Theo is not without his faults and here Helge has the opportunity to help his old friend get on the straight and narrow.

There are plenty of funny moments, character development and good acting all around. This movie shouldn't be compared to similar movies made with Hollywood budgets. It should be viewed for what it is: a Danish movie with a danish cast and a danish budget.

White Tiger (2012)

Only half-good

[5/10 · 1 October 2015]

It it always interesting to see other countries views of how past wars have transpired. I don't remember seeing any other Russian movie about WW2, so this was a welcome treat. And I must say that they went all out in regards to uniforms and weapons and of course tanks. The acting is also superb. That's what makes the first half of the movie really good.

An invincible German Tiger tank crushes any opponents it meets and then just disappears. A ninja tank, if you will. The Russians build their own super-tank and go hunting for the White Tiger with some really good tank v. tank scenes! But is the White Tiger ultimately destroyed? Who knows? We never find out because then the movie changes its direction, pace and plot.

A long arduous scene of a German field commander and is officers signing an unconditional surrender (I get the whole setup - the ultimate humiliation of the German officers by taking lots of pictures of them like animals in a zoo and insisting they sign the surrender at a certain table), a long scene of the same officers eating a five-star meal (I get it - they're treated with much better food than they got from their own country and ironically much better than the Russian soldiers) and then another long scene of German POWs walking through the city (another "humiliation" scene). To end the movie we see Hitler (I guess) lamenting about war, the history of war, the future of war and the role of the Jews. Which I suppose is very interesting, if you're into documentaries. But if you were expecting the WHOLE movie to be about the White Tiger and tank battles, like I was, you'll be pretty disappointed with the ending. But the first half was good!

Killshot (2008)

Brings nothing new to the screen

[5/10 · 17 September 2015]

Mickey Rourke plays Canadian Indian Armand, who is a hit-man. He loses both his brothers in the movies opening scene, where they're supposed to kill a patient in a hospital. Years later, Armand gets a little too trigger-happy and the mob boss wants him dead. Through a series of more or less likely events, Armand teams up with Joseph Gordon Levitts character, because he reminds him of his youngest brother. This only gets him into more trouble and soon they have to kill more people to cover their tracks, namely Wayne (Thomas Jane) and Carmen (Diane Lane), who are going through a rough marriage.

Apparently the book works well. Despite good acting all around, the movie just isn't very interesting and doesn't work well. If you don't watch the movie you're not missing anything.

Wanderlust (2012)

Not bad but not a winner in the long run

[6/10 · 17 September 2015]

Paul R and Jennifer A play a couple who think they'll make it big in the big city. When things go sour and they have to give up their "luxurious" apartment, they end up in a commune and have their relationship tested.

This is a typical "fish-out-of-water" comedy, where Paul and Jennifer must try to change their previous capitalist ways to live in a "sharing" community. It's not without smiles, but the big laughs are few and far between. Oh, there IS character development. Both Paul and Jennifers characters grow from their experiences and Pauls sister-in-law makes an (un?)espected decision.

There are better ways to spend an evening, but if you just want to relax on the couch and not think too much - there you go.

The Way Way Back (2013)

Coming of age done right

[10/10 · 25 August 2015]

I rarely give out 10s, but this movie truly deserves it.

The script and dialogue is believable and very well executed. All the actors played their parts to perfection. Who would've guessed that Steve Carrel could play such a douche? Toni Colette is great as the insecure mom who loves her son, but is torn between him and "Trent". (Toni has a knack for these roles requiring depth - see "Muriels Wedding") Sam Rockwell is perfect as the not-yet completely grown-up mentor.

The plot and pacing is just perfect. This gives the movie a feeling of believability, while being funny and captivating. There are no unnecessary jokes or violence. No silly special effects. And Owens "Don't follow a pattern on my quarter. You pave your own way" is what it's all about.

This hit a home-run with me. 10/10

Android Apocalypse (2006 TV Movie)

Pretty bad ......

[3/10 · 3 July 2015]

After the first five minutes, I could tell this movie was going to be bad. The acting was poor, the writing was poor, the musical score was terrible and the special effects were poor. But to give it a fair review, I had to watch the whole thing. It didn't get much better, although the three main characters were somewhat believable.

Set in the future, where mankind is living in a shielded city, (SPOILERS) a man loses his job to an android and later "kills" an android. He has to set aside his hatred when he is shackled to another android and they escape a prison transport. To make it across the desert, they have to work together. The plot advances without surprises....

Give this movie a miss, unless you really have a thing for unknown actors trying to act like androids.

Almost Perfect (2012)

Really enjoyable!

[7/10 · 21 January 2015]

Lene Maria Christensen plays Anne, the late-aged TV-hostess, who has concentrated much of her time on her career and less time on finding a husband and having children. If she is to have children, she needs to have them now, even if it's with an anonymous donor. This recipe has been done before by Hollywood, but to me this version is a little more realistic.

Annes sister has three children with one more on the way. It's easy to tell that Anne thinks she'll make a much better mom than her sister, but she's visibly jealous of her sisters many children. Her brother in laws behavior raises the question of whether environment or genetics plays the major part in how children will turn out. A midwife tells her it's ALL genetics. Anne feels obliged to begin the quest of finding out who her donor is. This is where the movie really takes off and is quite enjoyable.

The casting is well-done and each character plays their role with pathos. There are many memorable moments, especially in Nikolaj Lie Kaas' lines and gimmicks.

Sex, Drugs & Taxation (2013)

Really well done!

[7/10 · 17 November 2014]

Very few Danes don't know the two main characters, Mogens Glistrup and Simon Spies, so a movie with these two and their friendship was inevitable. That Nicolas Bro and Pilou Asbæk played these characters was a great decision! They are both great actors and captured a lot of the mannerisms of both characters, although Nicolas probably downplayed Mogens' accent.

Although Spies and Glistrup are very different, Spies being the extravagant playboy and Glistrup being the overweight nerd, they have a deep friendship that is finally tested when Glistrups creative bookkeeping threatens not only to put him in jail, but also to destroy Spies' travel-agency.

More of this movie is true than anyone not familiar with this side to danish history would believe. It should make a worthwhile watch even for people with no knowledge of danish history. Beware (or enjoy) the abundant nudity, however!

In Good Company (2004)

Great movie!

[7/10 · 6 August 2014]

Very real to life movie, believable acting and characters you can care about - depending on where you are in life. The movie gives mainly two views of the working world - the young up-and-comer and the "dinosaur", both parts played very well by Dennis Quaid and Topher Grace. Both have reasons to be insecure about their place in the working environment and although their battles are different, they have many similarities. At no point was I left wishing for a car chase, gunfire, plot-twists and absurd cameos. The movie is straightforward and thoroughly enjoyable. The movie should give anyone with a steady job - or the hope of a steady job - a few laughs and something to think about.

Mr. Nobody (2009)

Avoid. Avoid. Avoid.

[2/10 · 27 May 2014]

Having just seen Cloud Atlas, I felt I was well prepared to watch Mr Nobody since there would be multiple time-lines to keep track of. But no amount of preparation could prepare anyone for this mess of a movie.

The premise of the movie is that there are three spatial dimensions and one time-dimension. But what if there was more than one time-dimension and it was possible to move between them, just as it is possible to move in our three well-known spatial dimensions? The plot is set and you wait for it to unravel in all its beauty. Then it falls apart. Miserably.

Apparently, Mr Nobody is born with the memory of past, present and future. This ability doesn't prevent him from making one awful choice after another. Each one of the time-lines he pursues leads to misery and woe. There is no happiness in his future no matter what choices he makes. This is finally revealed in the last 15 minutes of the movie (SPOILER ALERT) when his life is likened to a forced move in chess - where the only possible moves are poor moves. Two and a half hours of pain and anguish and THAT'S the lesson??? Why oh why? What does this movie teach us? (Because it isn't meant to entertain us, that's for sure.) That life is hard and sometimes you're just born to live a horrible life? That even if you can predict the future, you can't change it?

I will not call this the worst movie ever, because it is shot beautifully and the acting is great. However, almost two and a half hours is just too much pain to put yourself through. Avoid this movie and save two and a half hours of your life. You'll never know what you missed, but trust me - it won't matter.

Half Nelson (2006)

Character-based movie with very little development

[5/10 · 21 May 2014]

Ryan Goslings character (Dan the history teacher) introduces his class to history by claiming that history is opposites (among other things). And what we get are two opposites that become "friends".

Dan: white, middle-aged, teacher, coach, addicted.

Drey: Black/African-American, young, pupil, basketball player, clean.

Dans premise is that history is created from opposites, whatever the opposite forces may be and regardless of how strong each force is; if the forces are mismatched, the stronger force will prevail quickly and that particular piece of history will be over shortly. In the movie, the history between Dan and Drey unfolds rather slowly, which is great for some, but will leave a lot of people bored. Maybe this is a metaphor for how Dan and Drey are equal in force. Only if one can look beyond the shaky camera work and indulge oneself in the superb acting, will this movie be worthwhile. The plot itself contains emotional peaks and valleys, but they are few and not very engaging. When the movie ends, there is a feeling of - yes, history happened, but it just wasn't that interesting. If you're into character movies like this one, you'll probably like The Master, Snow Angels and The Ice Storm. 5/10

The Arctic Giant (2013)

Documentary and history lesson

[8/10 · 9 September 2013]

This is not an ordinary nature-film or documentary. This threw me off at the start, but with that said, the way the life of this magnificent whale is portrayed is just about perfect. It is estimated that these whales can reach an age of 200-250 years. So the makers of the movie thought it would be interesting to let the movie start at the time of the french revolution with the birth of a whale. We follow the young whale as it nurses from its mother and learns the valuable lesson of swimming under the ice, till the whale becomes "mature" at 25 and man discovers that whales contain many valuable resources. Much of the one-hour movie is spent explaining whaling techniques and this practice is in no way glorified. The computer graphics used to depict whaling is, honestly, not very good. But I have a feeling that this was done somewhat purposely to make it clear that they weren't going to actually kill a whale just to show how it's done. There is, however, footage from other films which show whale-killing. It's important to be aware of this if you are squeamish! The plot in the movie is quite simple: Follow the life of a whale over a span of 200 years. Add the element of man-versus-nature, or maybe nature-versus-man - there is no doubt where the makers have their sympathy. There will probably be arguments that it's difficult to see what's going on underwater, but such are the conditions around the north pole. It's just not going to be a color-fest like the Great Barrier Reef. It is still very much worth watching and you'd have to be very callous not to contemplate the whole issue of natural resources and mans use of them.

Second in Command (2006 Video)

Just plain awful

[1/10 · 29 July 2010]

What this movie lacks in acting, realism and surprises it makes up for in running time - it is comfortably short. The plot is recognizable enough: Rebels try to throw over a president, USA protects him and ends up raising flags and salutes as a tribute to the invulnerability of the American soldier, who is willing to lay down his life for a questionable cause. JCVD runs through the action and general mayhem on autopilot. The rest of the cast follow this lead ... much like lemmings. There are no surprises in this movie; not for lack of trying, though. There are "twists", but they come as no surprise to anyone who has seen more than five movies in his life. Especially not if these are JCVD-movies. Soldiers on both sides drop like lemmings off a cliff, pulling the movie and its rating with it.

Erasing David (2010)

Interesting ... but not in the long run

[6/10 · 13 February 2010]

David wants to find out how much information about him is just hanging around in the world. He leaves his pregnant wife (with her consent, thankfully) and hires two private detectives to hunt him down. We follow David in his escape from the world and the detectives across Europe intermixed with flashbacks from before his vanishing act, where we see how much information every single institution has on him and the rest of his family. In the beginning, one gets a creepy feeling that companies and institutions and the government keep all sorts of records, and that it's just too easily available for "the wrong people" to get their hands on. As the movie nears its middle, it becomes apparent that the detectives are not relying on all this available technology, but on basic, nose-to-the-grindstone, garbage-digging, surveillance detective work. The end is rather unsurprising, but what is mentionable is the gradual paranoia that engulfs David. Even when he is hiding in a ruin in a field miles from nowhere and hundreds of miles from civilization, he thinks they're right around the corner. It gives a good insight into what people on the run must be feeling. All in all a good "documentary", but just not that gripping.

Alfie (2004)

What IS it all about?

[3/10 · 11 October 2007]

Alfie will ask what is it all about. Although he is talking about life in general (I assume, or maybe women), he might as well be talking about the movie. There isn't much of a plot - we follow Alfie through his womanizing life, his ups and downs, his fears and desires. Alfie can get pretty much any woman he wants by being good-looking and charming - and he does. Then problems arise. Problems we've all had I'm sure, but Alfie is just too shallow a character to elicit any real empathy. And although Jude Law plays his character extremely well, I just didn't care in the end. Maybe it was his constant babbling at the camera, maybe it was because the movie ended before we see Alfie actually turn his life around. Who knows - and who cares. "Hitch" was a far better movie about a guy who knows how to get in contact with the opposite sex. 3/10

Slackers (2002)

Just like the rest

[17 May 2003]

When I was in the video-store with my brother trying to find out what movie to rent, we found this one. Neither of had seen it, I had seen 3000 Miles to Graceland but wanted to see it again. I should have gone with my gut feeling .... The movie offers nothing original. The main characters are "bad", they learn their life lesson and change their ways to become better human beings. The evil character doesn´t change and ends up "being punished". The girl (because there is always a girl) is deceived, loses faith but then realizes that the main guy is a good guy who has amended his evil ways. These aren´t spoilers because EVERY teen movie nowadays is like that. This movie doesn´t even have any saving graces like cool one-liners, crazy sidekicks or gratuitous T&A.

Adaptation. (2002)

What´s the big deal?

[5/10 · 24 March 2003]

I went to see this movie with great expectations, having read all of the fabulous reviews. And I left disappointed. It wasn´t a bad movie as such, it just wasn´t very interesting. Cage plays his parts well (as well as the other actors do) but it really can´t save a plot about two guys you can´t really care about. The plot moves harmlessly along until someone realizes that in order not to lose people completely, guns need to be brought into the picture! Like I said, it´s not a bad movie, but it´s not good either. It will appeal mostly to wannabe playwriters. Much like Lost Highway, it dares the audience to find hidden meanings although it doesn´t contain any. 5/10

Splitting Heirs (1993)

Few laughs ... oh well

[10 March 2003]

The movie isn´t particularly funny or original, but it can be watched. It has a few jokes (my personal favorite is Rick Moranis: "Someone get me out of this moose!"), and some easy-on-the-eyes girls. Was Babara Hershey supposed to be old enough to be Eric Idles mother??????

Am I the only one who likes Rick Moranis, by the way?

Jalla! Jalla! (2000)

Well worth watching

[8/10 · 22 February 2003]

East is East was good, Bend it Like Beckham was predictable, but Jalla Jalla was really good. As in most romantic comedies, the end result will be a happy ending for everyone except the bullies and this movie is no different. But it does allow a closer look into the mindset of the "victims" of arranged marriages. It´s a really good movie. I accept the arguments that there are faults with the movie, but this wasn´t mass-produced in Hollywood, so that´s understandable and a charming factor, really.

Unfaithful (2002)

Surprisingly unsurprising

[16 February 2003]

As the movie crawls along and you wait for the affair to be discovered by more and more people, you realize that you can predict what the next scene will be about. *SPOILERS* Is D.Lane going to admit to the adultery? Noooooo .... She´ll cover it up or there´s no movie. What´s R.Gere going to do once he´s at the frogs house? Talk sense? Noooooo..... Kill him or there´s no movie. What´s Gere going to do once he´s dead? Call the cops? Nooooooo ... Cover it up or there´s no movie. Is Gere going to take the fall once his wife is involved in the disappearance of the cheese-eater? Nooooo .... He´s a "nice" guy who´s done a "bad" guy in. No offense to the french, by the way.