Day 314: The Legend Of Tarzan (2016)

For this week’s Ass Whoopin Wednesday film, I wanted to do something a little different and watch a film that is based off a legendary story. The film that I am talking about is the 2016 film The Legend Of Tarzan which stars Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood) as the title character. The Belgians have invaded the Congo in hopes of finding diamonds that are located somewhere. The King cannot send an army into the Congo unless he has money to pay for them so he sends his most trusted bounty hunter Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz). After encountering Chief Mbonga (Djimon Hounsou), he makes a deal to bring the legendary Tarzan to him in exchange for the diamonds. So he kidnaps Tarzan’s wife Jane (Margot Robbie) to lure him to Chief Mbonga. The film also stars Samuel L. Jackson (Die Hard With Vengeance) as George Washington Williams, Sidney Ralitsoele as Wasimbu, Casper Crump (Above The Street, Below The Water) as Major Kerckhover, Mens-Sana Tamakloe (Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation) as Kolo, Osy Ikhile (In The Heart Of The Sea) as Kwete, Antony Acheampong (The Huntsman: Winter’s War) as Kanam, Simon Russell Beale (My Week With Marilyn) as Mr. Frum, and the film was directed by David Yates (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2). To see the rest of the review, please click here to go to Moshpits and Movies. 

Day 187: Woman In Gold (2015)

I figured since I watched two films in a row that were both based on true stories that I would go for a third in a row. The film I chose to watch is called Woman In Gold and it stars Helen Mirren (The Queen) as Maria Altmann, an Austrian woman who was forced to leave her home during the invasion of the Nazis in the 1940’s. In her home was a very expensive painting of her aunt Adele Bloch-Bauer (Antje Traue) that was commissioned by Gustav Klimt that was taken by the Nazis and brought to a museum in Austria. Now it’s over 50 years later and Maria wants her painting back so that she can reclaim what is rightfully hers to begin with. So, she hires a young lawyer by the name of Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds) who risks everything to try and make Maria happy. The film also stars Katie Holmes (Batman Begins) as Pam Schoenberg, Daniel Brühl (Captain America: Civil War) as Hubertus Czernin, Tatiana Maslany (The Vow) as Young Maria Altmann, Max Irons (The Host) as Fritz Altmann, Charles Dance (Last Action Hero) as Sherman, Allan Corduner (Defiance) as Gustav Bloch-Bauer, and the film was directed by Simon Curtis (My Week With Marilyn).

I was having a conversation with someone earlier about Ryan Reynolds and what we love seeing him in. Deadpool was such a natural role for him just as much as Waiting or Van Wilder were. I couldn’t take him serious enough in the Amityville remake, but I can see him in roles like Self/Less and definitely in this one. He was given a chance to hang with an actress like Helen Mirren and I think he did a pretty good job with it. There were times when his serious acting were a little shaky, but he would always bounce back nicely. Helen Mirren was masterful as usual in her performance as the tough and rugged Maria Altmann, but there is one moment that stands out to me. She was this tough cookie throughout the whole film, but for a moment she emotionally breaks down and the walls come tumbling down. After years of constantly fighting the negative aspects of her life, she was finally able to let go and move on remembering the good times. I want to give a shout out to Daniel Brühl who might have had a minor role in the film, but he was also masterful. The gold leaf painting itself is remarkable and to find an actress that kind of looks like the woman in gold was a good catch as well. It’s not the best film in the world, but it’s a very good one that tells a take of redemption and restitution. I am going to give the Woman In Gold an B+ for a final grade. Check out the painting below: