iemdeboer Reviews

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

A piece of perfect cinema

[10/10 · 4 November 2019]

Now, where to begin... Pretty much everything I feel about this film has been mentioned here before. But boy did it make me FEEL, from the opening credits right through the end credits. It made my heart soar and sink with its colours, scenery, music, and above all else its acting. The phenomenon that is Chalamet was yet unknown to me, and Hammer I'd only seen in a bad chickflick, so it would be an understatement to say I was pleasantly surprised by how they performed. There's so much detail as well, from the inquisitive and knowing looks of a mother, to the picturesqueness of a ladder against the fruittree. Everything about this film draws you in. If I could dream up memories of a hot Italian summer in a rural hamlet, this would be it, I swear I could almost smell and taste this film. Luca Guadagnino made a masterpiece here and I highly doubt it will ever be surpassed in its category.

The King (I) (2019)

Balanced piece of cinema

[9/10 · 1 November 2019]

Some reviews criticise the historical accuracy and literary origin of this film, but is it claiming to be a documentary or Shakespearean piece? No. So why fuss about that. The script and acting is splendid. The way that Chalamet brings the character to life with an old-style English feels natural and true instead of a stiff play. The lighting and the battles also stood out to me. The darkness within the buildings of the time is not often shot so accurately. Nor is the clunky, exhasperating fighting with heavy armour and weapons. Usually battle scenes are made up of flashes, so that you can't pick it apart. It's nice to follow the main character throughout the scene and really see what's happening. Also great: fightscenes where main characters do not posess superhuman abilities. Some found The King too long or tedious. I say it is nicely paced, doesn't feel rushed to get to the action-filled bits, but takes the time to develop its characters and politics. Netflix pleasantly surprised me with this one, will watch it again.

Expedition Happiness (2017)

So bored I came here and read the reviews instead.

[2/10 · 6 February 2018]

I got quite excited at the beginning when the couple buys an old schoolbus, thinking "you could make something so cool and cosy out of this". But no, let's make it heavy af AND boring af with all the useless white and storebought crap. First things that came to my mind and stayed there for the entire 40 minutes I forced myself to watch; how much must this have cost and where the heck do they get the money from?! It's like money never plays a role in life, until you have to literally pay for your own mistakes at the border of the USA, then you mope about for three weeks and then some. Because omg life is so hard right now. I got to despise this empty, narcissistic and self entitled homevideo of their failed holiday. There is no insight, story or sense of reality and the filming is monotomous and abismal with dirty lenses throughout. Their ignorance of caring for a dog is infuriating! Why do you not train him to be obedient so he can be off leash and not drag you around? Why do you not know what the procedure is for taking your dog through customs at the border? Why do you not know how to even friggin cool a dog in the first place?! Just patting a wet rag or cool pad on his head like it is a baby, no wonder he almost died. This is inexcusable, the internet is there people and it is free. But these two only seem to use it for their instagram and YouTube vlogs... This "documentary" only made me sad about this generation. Get your head out of your arse and keep your home-moviemaking to yourself.