Tag Archives: Richard Dreyfuss

Book Club (2018)

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Book Club
Director: Bill Holderman
Writer: Bill Holderman, Erin Simms
Cast: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Garcia, Craig T. Nelson, Don Johnson, Ed Begley Jr., Richard Dreyfuss, Wallace Shawn, Alicia Silverstone, Katie Aselton, Mircea Monroe, Ravi Kapoor
Seen on: 14.9.2018

Plot:
Diane (Diane Keaton), Vivian (Jane Fonda), Sharon (Candice Bergen) and Carol (Mary Steenburgen) have had a book club for decades. They each take turns picking the books they read and this month it’s Vivian’s turn. Her choice is 50 Shades of Grey, much to the dismay of the other women. But as they start reading, they all start wondering about their own sexual and romantic lives: widowed Diane meets Mitchell (Andy Garcia); perpetual single Vivian reconnects with Arthur (Don Johnson); Carol rekindles the sexual side of her relationship with her husband Bruce (Craig T. Nelson); and divorced Sharon braves online dating.

Book Club is rather inconsequential but it’s fun and it captures something of why the 50 Shades series was such a big success, despite the problematic bits. But ultimately it doesn’t have any big insights.

The film poster showing DIane Keaton, Candice Bergen, Jane Fonda and Mary Steenburgen around a table.
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Re-Watch: Jaws (1975)

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Jaws
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb
Based on: Peter Benchley‘s novel
Cast: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Carl Gottlieb
Seen on: 11.7.2015

Plot:
Police chief Brody (Roy Scheider) moved to Amity Island in the hope of a calmer life with his family, although he doesn’t like the water. And he likes it even less when people start dying in it, apparently from shark bites. But Amity’s income and survival hinges on the money made from tourists visiting their beaches, so the locals don’t want to hear about closing the beach for safety. But as people keep on getting hurt, something needs to give. Finally, Brody decides to hunt the shark down himself, together with marine biologist Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and under the leadership of veteran fisherman Quint (Robert Shaw).

I hadn’t seen Jaws since I was a kid and it was both more gruesome and funnier than I remembered it ot be. In any case, it was excellent.

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Re-Watch: Red (2010)

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Red
Director: Robert Schwentke
Writer: Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber
Based on: Warren Ellis‘ and Cully Hamner‘s comic
Cast: Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Brian Cox, Karl Urban, Julian McMahon, Richard Dreyfuss, James Remar
[Here’s my first review.]

Plot:
Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) enjoys his retirement. Most notably, he enjoys his monthly calls to his represntative at his insurance company, Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker). Shortly before he gets the courage to actually see her, though, his CIA-operative past catches up with him: a kill squad comes to his house and levels it pretty much completely. Frank survives, the assassins don’t but now Frank has to get Sarah to safety and then call on the help of his old squad – Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich), Victoria (Helen Mirren) and Ivan (Brian Cox). All the while he’s being hunted by CIA-agent William Cooper (Karl Urban).

Red still is one hell of an entertaining movie. I think I enjoyed it just as much as the first time round.

red

[SPOILERS]

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Red (2010)

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Red is Robert Schwentke‘s adaptation of Warren Ellis‘ comic, starring Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Brian Cox, Karl Urban, Julian McMahon and Richard Dreyfuss.

Plot:
Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) enjoys his retirement. Most notably, he enjoys his monthly calls to his represntative at his insurance company, Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker). Shortly before he gets the courage to actually see her, though, his CIA-operative past catches up with him: a kill squad comes to his house and levels it pretty much completely. Frank survives, the assassins don’t but now Frank has to get Sarah to safety and then call on the help of his old squad – Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich), Victoria (Helen Mirren) and Ivan (Brian Cox). All the while he’s being hunted by CIA-agent William Cooper (Karl Urban).

Red is everything it promises to be: fun, full of action and oneliners and it’s very entertaining to see this group of people kick ass big time.

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Leaves of Grass (2009)

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[Viennale started! Yay!]

Leaves of Grass is the newest film by Tim Blake Nelson, starring Edward Norton, Keri Russell, Melanie Lynskey, Richard Dreyfuss and Susan Sarandon.

Plot:
Bill Kincaid (Edward Norton) is a successful philosophy professor who’s completely turned his back on his family in Oklahoma; his mother (Susan Sarandon) and his twin brother Brady (Edward Norton), a drug dealer. Brady has got himself into some financial troubles and calls Bill for help and home by telling him that he died. But that’s only the beginning of the mess they’re in.

Leaves of Grass has some very funny moments but the film has two major flaws: One, it tries too hard to be deep and meaningful and two, the film keeps getting away from the director.

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