Tag: michael douglas

How does it feel to kill someone? “Basic Instinct” (1992)

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directed by Paul Verhoeven
© 1992 TriStar Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

This film isn’t just a thriller, but a real life drama. And I guess even more extraordinary things happened behind the cameras. Still, let’s start from the beginning… The main character is Nick Curran (Michael Douglas), a homicide detective. He needs to find out who’s responsible for murdering Johnny Boz, a famous rock star. The man died in a quite… unusual way, because he was stabbed with an ice pick while having sex. I remember watching the beginning and thinking “is this really the film that’s appreciated by so many?”. Anyway, moving on. The suspect in this case is Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), the rock star’s girlfriend. What’s even more interesting, the woman is a writer and she’s written a novel that describes the same kind of murder that she’s now accused of. The detective is not entirely sure whom to trust. It can be Catherine who had planned the crime or someone else had read her book and now it looks as if it was the woman’s fault. Catherine is a very mysterious and confident person, so Curran wishes to get to know her better and solve the case. Even though the woman has probably killed a man, the detective finds her incredibly attractive and sometimes gets “too close” to the suspect. Generally, it’s a very erotic thriller, done in both sensual and dirty way. Some people were disgusted by the way Catherine was acting in the film, but in my opinion the character is who she supposed to be and Sharon Stone herself is magnificent in this role. Perhaps choosing Michael Douglas wasn’t the best choice and it’s definitely not his type of roles, but Sharon steals the show and I’m thankful for that. Speaking of the drama, she literally steals the show, because the most famous scene in this film is when the actress shows her vulva. At some point, she’s not wearing underwear and opens her legs for a moment. Sharon says she didn’t know she showed “too much”, but the producers say she was perfectly aware of it. Not sure whom to believe, but drama is always exciting. Especially in cinema.

My rating: 8/10
S.

Let’s kill him properly this time. “Avengers: Endgame” (2019)

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directed by Anthony & Joe Russo
© 2019 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve decided to write about “Avengers: Endgame” today because I guess some of us, after days of eating literally everything we spotted on the table, look just like Thor in this picture. Or at least we feel so. And yes, thinking of myself as a fat Thor today pushed me to write about this year’s Avengers’ film. Firstly I have to say that I’m not a big fan of superhero productions. It’s not that I think they are silly or I’m against films that are more about visual effects than the story itself. Whatever people like, give them that. As far as Avengers make people happy, why shouldn’t they be produced? Still, for me superhero films are very similar to each other and it’s hard for me to be excited about the plot, because I know exactly what will happen next. But I still watch them. Why? I think they are visual masterpieces and I truly admire people working on them. Those people spend months to make your favourite characters fly or kill the bad guys with some pow pow lights coming out of their hands. And that’s why I recommend you to see such productions. About “Endgame”, I think the story itself in this part is really boring. I’ve read somewhere that you can watch the beginning, then go for a break, get back for the climax and you won’t even feel like you’ve missed anything. And honestly, it’s true. Personally, I liked “Infinity War” part more. At least there was some thrill. Here, it’s walking, talking, walking, talking, pow pow, walking, talking, pow pow in a bigger group and the end. I know, all the Marvel fans are getting pissed off right now. I’m sorry, but mind the fact, that a lot of you admire this production because of what you saw before and when you see your beloved characters there’s an enormous nostalgia in your hearts. And I get it, we all have such films/series. And my opinion is also subjective, but as a person who’s not crazy about Avengers, I believe this last part could have been written better. I’ve also seen some opinions that the actors didn’t have a chance to show their best. Indeed, we have a bunch of incredibly talented actors who show up for some seconds, say a line of two and that’s it. Yet, I’m recommending you this film because of two reasons. One – let’s appreciate all the people that are unknown for the majority and thanks to whom we can enjoy quality effects. Two – let’s feel better watching fat Thor. You’re welcome!

My rating: 6.5/10
S.

I don’t trust a man who doesn’t curse. “Falling Down” (1993)

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directed by Joel Schumacher
© 1993 Warner Bros. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you have those days when you wake up in the morning and you feel like destroying everything around you? I mean, you won’t do it because you don’t want to actually kill anyone, but you just wish you could hit someone with a piano. Or just scream “what the hell are you doing you moron?!” I wouldn’t believe you’ve never had a situation like this. But somehow we stop ourselves and keep all this anger inside. Today I’m recommending a film about a man who couldn’t remain still anymore. William Foster (Michael Douglas) is a very miserable man. He’s just lost his job, got divorced with Beth (Barbara Hershey) and cannot see their daughter. And such man gets stuck in a traffic jam in a car without air conditioning. At some point he just gets out of the car and decides to walk home. Unfortunately, on the way he keeps meeting people who truly annoy him. William, however, is not like us. He doesn’t just imagine slapping someone with a slipper. Oh no. This man prefers to grab a gun and shoot. Simple as that. When I read about this film, I thought it’d be a fantastic dark comedy about humanity. But after watching it I can tell you it’s a dark drama about what’s left of humanity. The script isn’t that simple, so prepare for a story told in a specific way. Still, the camera work is marvellous. Despite everything that William was doing on the screen, I was smiling because of the beautiful frames. Besides, maybe this film is partially therapeutic, because you really feel good when the main character does what he does. It’s like a film version of hanging the photo of your enemy on the wall and playing darts on it. I enjoyed it. But don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt anyone. I prefer to buy air conditioning instead.

My rating: 6.5/10
S.

I’m not going to be ignored. “Fatal Attraction” (1987)

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directed by Adrian Lyne
© 1987 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

There are those actors who are made only for one type of roles. Like… Adam Sandler. He’s a typical comedy guy and if he played in a drama, he would simply destroy it by being there, no matter how hard he would try. Well, not that long time ago we had a lovely example of Steve Carell trying to be dramatic in “Beautiful Boy” (2018). I know there are people who love this film, but, personally, I couldn’t take any line said by Carell seriously. I just couldn’t. Oh and I don’t think Timothée Chalament is such a fantastic actor. He’s just cute, but so far he’s been playing one and only role. And the conversations were as fake as Pamela Anderson’s boobs. You may hate me for that, but I don’t care. That film is just an important topic captured in a lame production. Anyway, getting back, Glenn Close is an actress who can be totally different. And I mean, TOTALLY DIFFERENT. On one hand we get a loving and dedicated housewife in “Wife” (2017), and on the other hand we get a crazy psycho in “Fatal Attraction” that makes you hide under the table when you see her eyes. Phenomenal. So you’ve already met Alex (Glenn Close), but she’s just a random woman that Dan (Michael Douglas) meets at a party. Despite having a beautiful wife (Anne Archer) and a 6-year-old daughter (Ellen Hamilton Latzen), the man “has fun” with the strange blonde. Pretty sure it was just a one night stand, he moves on with his life. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the same for Alex, who starts following the man and trying to get as close to him as it’s possible. Sometimes even too close. Should I add a joke about the actress’ surname which is “Close”? Nah… Anyway, it’s an absolute classic and you may recognise several scenes that have become iconic. It’s not only a film about a stalker, but also a psychological portrait of people in need of attention. Besides, it’s like watching a modernised version of some Hitchcock’s production. I was thrilled about every detail and amazed by the actors, especially Glenn. This woman is fabulous.

My rating: 8/10
S.