drama

Presented as an “erotic thriller” I am sure I am not the only one who had to think of the late 20th century style that was popular at the time, thrillers with sex scenes. “Babygirl” is not really a thriller though. Basically, it is a long string of sex scenes.

The ever beautiful Nicole Kidman (1967-) plays Romy, a successful CEO of a company that she started herself. She leads the life of a powerful woman with a loving husband (Antonio Banderas) and two children. People look up at her.

Even though Romy sees herself as strong woman, for many years she had the sexual fantasy of being dominated. He husband does not get the clues though. A young intern at work perfectly senses Romy’s craving and an odd relationship develops.

The thriller element is of course the fear that the relationship between Romy and Samuel comes out. “Mutual concent” sounds interesting, but even in a relationship between two people, more people are involved. Not in the least place a husband and children. And of course there is work. Samuel pushes boundaries by bringing this larger environment of Romy into their play.

Tossed between her public role and the image she has of herself, the fantasies she has always suppressed and the effect that Samuel has on her, Romy goes from powerwoman to docile sheep within seconds. The film shows Romy as a role model woman, but also one with an inner life and desires. This should not be strange, but it is uncommon to be so visible and I guess that is the reason why the film is applauded. What is more, in spite of everything, at the end Romy is still a self assured woman and she even managed to work things out with her husband.

As expected, not a happy movie. I apparently did not remember much of the documentary of 2015.

In stead of being a documentary, this is a film about Amy Winehouse (1983-2011). The movie starts with a young Winehouse in a musical family. Both her father and his mother, were singers. When the story starts, Winehouse lives with her mother though. The whole family knows that Winehouse is a gifted singer and she takes after the jazz of her father and the 1960’ies look of her grandmother.

Just wanting to write her own lyrics and play her own music, Winehouse does not care much for success. She gets picked up anyway. Her lyrics are directly based on her life and are brutally honest. She sings about what goes on in her head, often to the dismay of her (ex) partners and people she knows.

When music prevents her from living, and thus, from inspiration to write new songs, Winehouse takes a break and meets the man whom she would be madly in love with for the rest of her short life: Blake.

The relationship catalyzes both the highs and the lows of the couple. Two times Blake ends the relationship throwing Winehouse into an even deeper pit than those her usual mood swings take her to. Tragically, these dark episodes bring her best songs and her star rises rapidly. She cannot live with or without Blake, but the entire world wants to feed into her music and misery.
Constantly harassed by journalists, stadions full of screaming fans, there is only one thing that Winehouse wants and that is Blake. We all know what that led to.

Just like the earlier mentioned documentary, there is more focus here on Winehouse’s hard times and because you mostly see her spiraling downwards, “Black To Black” makes the title true. A story known by now, perhaps a story that needs to be repeated, as Winehouse was not the first, nor will be the last, who gets crushed under mass attention.

Worthy of note, the actress who played Winehouse, Marisa Abela, also sings most of the music in the film. Quite a feat.

Scarlett Johansson can play anything. From “Black Widow” action, “Under The Skin” vagueness or ‘romcom’.

The story here is about the race to the moon. After the Russians managed to fly to the moon, the Americans want to be the first to actually land on it and that before the end of the 1960’ies. As enthousiastic as the race is picked up, world events start to get the upper hand.

Kelly Jones (Johansson) and her advertising company is hired by Nasa to retrieve the attention of both the general audience, but mostly that of the politicians who have to provide the funds. Jones sets out to find sponsors, brush up the image of Nasa, enthuse politicians and when the day of the launch of Apollo 11 gets nearer and nearer, even another, much more far reaching assignment.

“Fly Me To The Moon” is an amusing romcom drama, of course overly patriotistic, but with a good story and subtle humour.