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Stockholm starring Ethan Hawke, Mark Strong and Noomi Rapace: One of the More Fun Heist Films Made

Posted on June 24, 2019 Written by Pinar Tarhan

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Stockholm movie starring Ethan Hawke
Image via imdb.com.

 In 1973, Stockholm, Kaj Hansson (Ethan Hawke), supporting long hair, cowboy boots and a bag, enters a bank, pulls out a machine gun and barks orders. He lets all the customers go, only holding a couple of employees hostage.

When he finds out employee Bianca (Noomi Rapace) pushed the silent alarm, he is more pleased than angry. He makes her call the chief of police, and tell him that if the chief doesn’t come to the bank in 10 minutes, he will shoot her in the face.

The chief arrives with a bunch of officers, sets shop upstairs and goes in to talk to Kaj. In addition to some money and guns, Kaj has a strange demand: he wants prisoner/fellow bank robber Gunnar (Mark Strong) freed.

The confused chief begrudgingly agrees, as at this time, he has no reason to believe Kaj won’t hurt the hostages.

But as time passes and Gunnar’s brought in, an interesting dynamic unfolds. It seems that Kaj, while capable of dramatic and seeimingly violent outburts, doesn’t intend to harm or kill anyone. The hostages are really just his ticket to leaving with Gunnar alive, and he even bonds with Bianca further.

Things are never simple in a hostage situation however, as the prime minister won’t allow them to leave with the hostages, and the chief seems more interested in capturing and outsmarting Kaj than the safety of the civilians.

*

Stockholm is based on the actual heist in 1973 which is credited for the psychological term Stockholm Syndrome where hostages develop sympathy for their captors.

And Ethan Hawke’s casting couldn’t have been more perfect. He is brilliant as the slightly nutty but well-meaning robber. It’s also not far-fetched that the hostages, especially but not only Bianca, warm up to him. He shares his only piece of fruit with everyone, has brought games to help pass the time, and he is genuinely more interested in keeping everyone alive and reasonably healthy than the chief, several cops and the prime minister.

Yeah, no one wants to be held hostage at gun point, but if you were going to be in that situation, you could do a lot worse than Kaj, especially a Kaj as portrayed by Ethan Hawke. And it’s always a bliss to watch Mark Strong.

Noomi Rapace is slowly turning to one of my favorite actresses. And this is the second time I watched her on the screen where she develops a relationship with guy she really shouldn’t have. (That other movie is called Dead Man Down, and I strongly recommend it.)

Written and directed by Robert Budreau, I definitely recommend this biographic crime comedy.

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Ethan Hawke, heist movie, Mark Strong, Noomi Rapace, Robert Budreau, stockholm movie

Before Midnight starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy: The Sequel I’d So Wanted to Like

Posted on November 2, 2014 Written by Pinar Tarhan

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before midnight movie poster
Image via eksiil.net.

It’s essential to remember where we are coming from, and before diving straight into my review, I want to talk a bit about the two movies that came before. But you can head straight to the Before Midnight part if you like. Just scroll down a bit;)

Before Sunrise: A Romantic Haven for The Realistic Romantic

In 1995, Jesse and Celine met on a train, and connected like they haven’t connected with anyone. They were both cute, young (in their early 20s) and, as much as Jesse was more obviously so, romantic. They got along so well, in fact, Jesse didn’t want to get off at his temporary station in Vienna (he was flying back home the next day) so he persuaded Celine to get off with him and spend the day/night in Vienna (Before Sunrise). You can read a more thorough, spoiler-free review here.

Of course Celine and Jesse fell in love during their spontaneous and romantic day, and we fell in love with their story (as well as the city.) Now, I’ll spoil the ending, so you might want to avoid this post if you haven’t seen Before Sunrise.

Hell, you shouldn’t be here if you haven’t seen Before Sunset (sequel to Before Sunrise, which we’ll talk about shortly). But please do come back after you’ve seen it.

OK, so Before Sunrise has a semi-happy, semi-vague ending. Celine and Jesse agree not to exchange numbers or addresses (which is pretty dumb and naive, considering how they felt about each other), but to meet in Vienna in six months. They say their goodbyes and go on their separate ways. But don’t get me wrong, Before Sunrise is one of my favorite films, and I pretty much love everything about it.

Before Sunset: A Little Darker, More Realistic and Just As Good Sequel

Come 2004, we get Before Sunset, the sequel. This is where we are disappointed in the beginning to find out that that planned meeting never happened. Jesse has gone on to publish a bestseller about their day in Vienna, and is on a book tour in Paris, which is where Celine lives. Celine drops by at his book signing, and from then on, the movie is about them catching up 9 years later.

As they mostly walk around Paris, we learn what they’ve been up to. Professionally, they’ve chased their ideals. Romantically, they’re a mess. Celine is in a kind of relationship with a guy she doesn’t care much about. Jesse is unhappily married with a young son; he would probably have bolted if not for him.

Here, because they are in their mid-30s, things are, or at least seem to be, a bit bleak. And not just because of their current disappointing relationships, but because we learn they couldn’t meet at their designated time and that they still have feelings for each other.

The ending is still a bit vague, but basically, this time we kind of, sort of know they stayed together. OK, let me put this way: we guess they stayed together at that moment, but we aren’t sure if it lasted. Well, we weren’t sure for 9 years, until Before Midnight came out.

Before Midnight: Bleak, Hostile, Insensitive, Bitchy, Toxic – Is this the sequel about Celine and Jesse’s dumber, more aggressive and ultra insensitive clones?

I love Before Sunrise to bits, and in some ways, I love Before Sunset even more because it seems more realistic and sincere. It’s easy to relate to the disappointments and missed opportunities and what-ifs of being a grown-up.

The dialogue also sounds more natural than the first movie. Director/writer Richard Linklater, and co-writers/lead actors Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy have done splendid jobs capturing a genuine, second part of a love story.

Before Midnight has a lovely trailer. It looks like you’ll look into the marriage of one of our favorite couples in movie history, and what years have done to their relationship (we know it has been years because they have kids and they’re on vacation together as a family).

And it starts well enough: Jesse is at the airport saying goodbye to his now teenage son Hank who has spent the summer in Greece with them. Then it takes a while we can get some quality time with just Celine and Jesse. Sure, it’s just them talking in the car while their twin girls sleep at the back of the car but it’s more talking at each other and making jokes about their kids instead of really sharing – not the type of Jesse and Celine exchanges we’ve gotten used to. Yes, we get it. They are married. Things are different. But are you really ready for just how much things have changed?

Then they’re back around the writer’s residence, Jesse talking to his friends, and Celine helping out in the kitchen (Celine in the kitchen???) and then it’s everyone at the house having dinner together. The stuff our duo would discuss among themselves is discussed together here, where Celine does her usual (in this movie!) putting-Jesse-down routine.

So 35 minutes in, and they still haven’t taken a walk around town just the two of them.

OK, about 47 minutes in or so, we’re finally with the two of them, only their conversation revolves mostly around their kids, and Celine’s insecurities. There are some delightful moments and smiles, but it’s very limited.

After a few minutes of Before-Sunrisey moments, we go to the hotel Celine was so reluctant to go to, and all hell breaks lose. This is where the movie puts me further off long-lasting relationships and having kids. This where I say forever goodbye to the Celine and Jesse I know, wishing I can forget this movie, so that I watch the first two movies again, without being haunted by this one.

*

Remember that beautiful scene by the fountain, little after dawn, in Before Sunrise where Celine was talking about how she’d grow to love someone more after she has gotten to know them entirely…Well, turns out, she just grows to resent them. Yay! Celine is another woman who has grown to resent her husband who shockingly didn’t change at all.

Now, I’m not saying I’m super awesome and Celine’s a bitch. We all have our own demons, problems and neuroses. But Celine here is making me miss Ally McBeal; and at least Ally was likeable and well-meaning most of the time. And she was funnier than she was irritating.

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t head over heels with Jesse either. The last thing I want is a guy with a bitchy ex-wife and a teenage son, who plans a whole summer according to his needs, doesn’t include loyalty in his definition of being fully committed and who openly checks out younger, perkier women who happen to be dating his friend!

It’s just that next to Celine, he wins the lesser of two evils award.

*

I’m not saying I hated it. It had its moments. It had the trademark gorgeous scenery of a foreign country. But it didn’t have passion or romance. It didn’t have faith in the relationship and love story we grew up to love. There was no respect on Celine’s part, and don’t get me started about their lackluster ideas of being fully committed to each other…

So to sum it up all three movies’ reviews:

During Before Sunrise, you want to be Celine or Jesse.

During Before Sunset, you hope you don’t miss out on chances, and you wish you have the guts to follow your heart if you do happen to miss out on chances. You still don’t mind being Jesse or Celine.

During Before Midnight, you just want to go to Greece.

*

And I really didn’t want them to stay together, because that relationship became as harmful as toxic waste. I’m not some naive romantic that expects everything to be perfect. But I do expect an insult-free, loyal, passionate and respectful relationship. Otherwise, what the hell is the point? Speed had more romance than Before Midnight, for crying out loud!

*

This is a good, decent, honest movie. It’s just a highly disappointing sequel.

Recommended Movies: Strangers Falling in Love in One Day 

Falling Overnight

Forget Me Not 

Monsters– with a sci-fi angle

Also on Ethan Hawke

Brooklyn’s Finest starring Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke and Don Cheadle

Lord of War starring Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto and Ethan Hawke

Actors and Literature: Ethan Hawke, Hugh Laurie and Viggo Mortensen

Reality Bites starring Ethan Hawke, Winona Ryder and Ben Stiller

Alias TV Show starring Jennifer Garner, Michael Vartan, Bradley Cooper and Victor Garber

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: before midnight, before midnight cast, before midnight movie, before midnight movie review, before midnight plot, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, drama, Ethan Hawke, ethan hawke before sunrise, ethan hawke before sunset, Julie Delpy, Richard Linklater, romance

Lord of War starring Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto and Ethan Hawke

Posted on August 23, 2010 Written by ripitup

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Lord of War starring Nicolas Cage
Lord of War starring Nicolas Cage. Co-starring Ethan Hawke, Jared Leto and Bridget Moynahan. 2005. Stunning, in-your-face, stylish, tragic and fun all at the same time.

Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) comes from a Ukranian family who has moved to Brooklyn. His parents are running a restaurant and his brother Vitaly (Jared Leto) is helping them out. However Yuri knows he always wanted to achieve something big and he soon realizes that arms dealing is his calling. He starts from scratch and enlists the help of Vitaly, who is not exactly enthusiastic about his older brother’s newly chosen career path. But Yuri tells him that the money will be great and Vitaly can just open his own restaurant after that.

While Yuri gets a kick out of his job, Vitaly can’t quite handle the fact that they are helping people kill other people and it is happening right in front of them. He “deals” with it by abusing drugs and alcohol so Yuri has to leave him to a rehab center.

In the meantime, Yuri is building himself one big reputation.He decides it is time to get the girl of his dreams, Eva Fontaine (Bridget Moynahan)- a model/actress. He makes sure he is richer than he actually is and that his business is “legit”. Eva falls for the charming and romantic side Yuri shows her and tries not to dwell too much into what he does for a living. Even though she is probably guessing he is not exactly a saint, she has no idea what he is really up to.

You don’t get nicknamed Lord of War without attracting some attention from Interpol. Young, ambitious and incorruptible Interpol agent Jack Valentine (Ethan Hawke) is onto him. However Yuri is an expert at legal loopholes, quick adaptations and getting rid of evidence. But Valentine is intent on catching Yuri and make the world a bit safer so he will let Eva know what her husband does for a living.

Can his wife and young son be enough for him to go straight? Or does he love his reputation and “calling” way more?

****

Lord of War is by far my favorite Nicolas Cage movie. It is a very impressive crime/thriller with a touch of drama. Yuri is about as grey,interesting and complex as a character can get. He seems to love his brother, parents, wife and kid. When he finds a toy gun in his kid’s room, he takes it and throws it into thrash. So here we have a guy who doesn’t even let his son have a toy gun but who sells thousands of weapons that kill other people’s children. His rationalisms are chilling but they make perfect sense. He tells his brother Vitaly that he should be able to leave his work in the office just like a car salesman or a cigarette manufacturer does. After all, they both sectors kill more people than his line of work, right?

He is proud of never having shot anyone. He is also proud of having no “moral” obligations. He sells guns to anyone. He says he’d have sold to Bin Laden even, but his checks weren’t reliable at the time.

Juri is also the film’s narrator. The movie never gets dull or slows down for a bit. Right from the opening credits, you are told a very engaging story. You are horrified by how Yuri can do all those things and still like himself but you can’t help but admire his intelligence. You feel the frustration of Agent Valentine.

Written and directed by Andrew Niccol. by All around great film- especially the style, dialogues, storyline and music. Hard- hitting ending too. Way underrated at 7.6. on IMDB.

Other Nicolas Cage Movies and Posts

Moonstruck starring Nicolas Cage and Cher

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice starring Nicholas Cage, Monica Belluci, Jay Baruchel and Teresa Palmer

City of Angels starring Meg Ryan and Nicolas Cage

Knowing starring Nicolas Cage

Favorite Actors to Play Villains feat. Nicolas Cage, John Travolta and more

 

Other Posts on Ethan Hawke

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Cheating Celebrity Trivia: 8 Male Celebrities That Cheated (feat. Ethan Hawke, Jude Law, Kevin Costner and more)

Before Sunrise

Before Sunset

Reality Bites starring Ethan Hawke, Winona Ryder and Ben Stiller

Alias

Actors and Literature: Ethan Hawke, Hugh Laurie and Viggo Mortensen

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: andrew niccol, Bridget Moynahan, crime, drama, Ethan Hawke, ethan hawke movies, Jared Leto, lord of war, lord of war movie, movies, nicolas cage, nicolas cage movies, thriller

Brooklyn’s Finest starring Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke and Don Cheadle

Posted on August 19, 2010 Written by ripitup

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Brooklyn's Finest starring Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes
Brooklyn’s Finest starring Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes. 2009. Image via: filmizlefull.net

Brooklyn’s Finest tells the story of 3 Brooklyn cops that are going through a problematic time in their lives:

Sal (Ethan Hawke) has already more kids than his cop salary can support but his wife (Lili Taylor) is pregnant with twins. Moreover they live in a small house, whose wood mould is endangering both her and her pregnancy. He feels stuck. He has to move his family to a big house and to be able to afford it, he has to steal. So he chooses to steal from ruthless criminals. But how can he manage to get away with stealing dirty money in the middle of dangerous operations?

Tango (Don Cheadle) has gone undercover among drug dealers. It has been a long time on the job and he feels like he needs to get out. His loyalties are getting blurry and his wife is divorcing him. He is expected to give Caz (Wesley Snipes), a dealer who is trying to get out but he has developed a strong bond and friendship with him.

Eddie (Richard Gere) is 7 days away from his retirement. He is lonely, he drinks a lot, is depressed and even suicidal. His only friend seems to be a hooker and he really hates the assignment given to him on his last week: he needs to train rookies. What can be more dangerous than keeping young, red-blooded rookies just trying to start being cops?

The movie concentrates on both the internal and external conflicts of these characters. And even though most of their misery could have been prevented (especially Sal’s – he should have known better than having so many kids on a cop’s salary and a sick wife), you can’t help but feel for their humanity, identity crisis and the choices they need to make. It is a plot that becomes stronger with the acting. The story is a lot more intriguing and depressing than it looks on paper.

These three cops’ destinies eventually will intersect to give the audience a pretty good finale.

This is a solid crime/drama. It is powerful but you might get distracted by how much swearing is going on, especially in Tango and Caz’s scenes. It might be authentic but it is open for discussion whether or not it distracts you.

Written by Michael C. Martin and directed by Antoine Fuqua – the director of Training Day- the movie that brought Denzel Washington Best Actor Oscar and Ethan Hawke a nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Rated at 7.0 on Imdb. 7 from me as well. It is worth your time, just don’t watch it if you are in the mood for something uplifting or if you want to be a cop. Note that the film comes with a great supporting cast too: Ellen Barkin, Vincent D’Onofrio (cameo) and Will Patton.  It may not be a great film but it is a pretty good film.

Other Posts About Ethan Hawke

– Ethan Hawke trivia

– Cheating Celebrity Trivia: 8 Male Celebrities That Cheated (feat. Ethan Hawke, Jude Law…

–          Before Sunrise

–          Before Sunset

–          10 Celebrity Break-ups You May Not Have Seen Coming

–          10 Most Entertaining Sci-fi Movies: Favorite Sci-fi Movies of a Non-fan

–          Reality Bites starring Ethan Hawke, Winona Ryder and Ben Stiller

Alias

Posts on Richard Gere

Sommersby starring Richard Gere and Jodie Foster

Nicolas Sparks vs. Happy Endings – featuring Nights in Rodanthe starring Diane Lane and Richard Gere.

Pretty Woman starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts

Mr. Jones starring Richard Gere and Lena Olin

Allure of the older Guy feat. Richard Gere

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: action, Antoine Fuqua, Brooklyn's Finest, brooklyns finest movie, crime, Don Cheadle, drama, Ellen Barkin, Ethan Hawke, Lili Taylor, Michael C. Martin, movies, Richard Gere, Vincent D'Onofrio, Wesley Snipes, Will Patton

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