Okay, I am going to start off this review (in order to withstand the criticism this piece is going to attract) by saying that it IS in fact impossible, people, to see the first of the Narnia films without having The Lord of the Rings in mind. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis (who wrote Narnia) were contemporaries and friends and their individual work had a mutual influence. There are a lot of differences (I get into that later), but let’s face it: every new fantasy film is unavoidably measured against The Lord of the Rings. I will try to review The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on its own the very best I can, but don’t shoot me if I do compare.
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There are 44 (pairs of) reasons I wanted to see this movie and review it. They are beautiful, most of them are black, most of them are high heeled, and they are all tenderly kept safe in shoeboxes in my cupboard. I have room for one more shoebox, after that I need to designate a new closet. Hello, my name is Mariken and I am a shoe-o-holic.
Don’t worry though, even for those of you with Y-chromosomes and/or those of you who could care less about what’s covering your feet, watching In Her Shoes is an enjoyable experience.
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In their last three (Oscar winning/nominated) adventures, Wallace (Master) and Gromit (Mind) encountered the moon’s janitor, endangered sheep and a sociopath penguin. In this, their first feature film, it’s rampant bunnies. Or to be more precise: a big fuzzy were-rabbit, whose hunger pangs threaten the annual giant vegetable contest. Who would have guessed lycanthropes could be adorable and funny?
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Having overcome my skepticism (read: not wanting to be part of the hype) and now being a huge fan of the Potter franchise, I was eagerly looking forward to this fourth film. After Chris Columbus pulled out, the Potter films became far more interesting, landmarked by Alfonso Cuaron’s Prisoner of Azkaban. The massive novel it is, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was initially planned as two films à la Kill Bill. Skipping storylines and characters such as the Dursleys, Molly Weasley and Hermione’s S.P.E.W. activities was inevitable. Having the first British Director in the name of Mike Newell onboard, however, was a promising foresight.
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I’d heard quite a few things about Firefly before I finally got to see it. About how it was cancelled by Fox but later made into a movie (Serenity, just out here in Europe). About how only 14 episodes were ever made. I knew it had a cult following, but then which sci-fi series doesn’t. What I didn’t know is how much I’d enjoy it.

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In this post you will find all reviews of films shown at the 35th International Film Festival Rotterdam. New reviews will be added on a regular basis. In this paragraph you will find the latest updates. Also check out the reports in this specials section, since they also include very quick reviews.

This first update includes a link to the review of Good Night, and Good Luck.
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Horror movies that make good use of our basic fears are usually the really scary ones. I think that the fright of confined spaces should rank really highly among man’s mortal fears. Here we are confronted with just that fear: underground caves. And to top it off: really dark underground caves, that also hold a horrible secret.

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With his latest movie, David Cronenberg remains consistent in the one thing that has been a leitmotiv throughout his career: controversy. He often made movies that leave one part of the audience aghast with his graphic filmmaking and the other part delighted because he does not like to patronise his audience and doesn’t go for easy success. With movies like Videodrome, The Fly and the more elusive Naked Lunch he ascertained his place among the indie filmmakers. This movie seems a more commercial exercise, but with the quintessential Cronenberg touches to it: explicit violence, gore and strange unexplained events that make you question the movie’s reality. The key to make these things work, ask for a delicate and skillful touch. Sadly, Cronenberg seemed out of that touch here.

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Being the very first Hitchcock film I did not watch alone, Young and Innocent also marks the very first British Hitchcock film I ever saw. Officially Hitch only made one comedy (namely Mr. & Mrs. Smith, not to be confused with the recent flick starring Pitt and Jolie – but I am drifting off already), yet I found Young and Innocent shamelessly amusing. In this 1937 film the children are the adults and vice versa. During its screening our lot were amused about the speed of the story and the humor and variety of scenes our protagonists get involved in, leading to a mind-boggling finale (with some of the most gorgeous camerawork I have ever seen).
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I have to hand it to Jennifer Aniston, making a real gutsy move to play The Other Woman, but also topping it with a touch of femme fatale. There were those years where female fans would go ape over seeing her ex walk along the silver screen. Now, it’s her turn to make the guys go ‘Whoa-! Look at the cleavage and the panty hose shot on a public transit!”.
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