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Emma White (253 KP) created a question about in Movie Fun and Trivia

Jul 31, 2018  
Question
Name the films these actors have in common : Karl Urban, Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Ian Holm and Andy Serkis.
  
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Andy K (10821 KP) Jul 31, 2018

LOTR

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Emma White (253 KP) Jul 31, 2018

correct

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Andy K (10821 KP) created a poll

Jan 22, 2019  
Poll
Best actor?

Christian Bale, "Vice"
Bradley Cooper, "A Star Is Born"
Willem Dafoe, "At Eternity's Gate"
Rami Malek, "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Viggo Mortensen, "Green Book"
Vote
     
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
2003 | Action, Fantasy
Excellent !
Contains spoilers, click to show
I think it was an EXCELLENT end to the trilogy! Oh! And Viggo Mortensen plays an excellent King of the people of Middle Earth
  
Green Book (2018)
Green Book (2018)
2018 | Drama
Viggo Mortensen (1 more)
Mahershala Ali
Humor can undercut drama (0 more)
Green Book is easily one of the best films to come out this year.

Full Review:
https://www.bohanreviews.com/post/green-book
  
A History of Violence (2005)
A History of Violence (2005)
2005 | Action, Drama, Mystery
Raw, emotional, powerful drama
Apart from the fact I love Viggo Mortensen, this film is not one of those violent action films, but actually about a family drama. The story plot may not have been original, however, the dramatic effect it had on the family was powerful and emotional. It really does raise the question how well do you know the people you love? And not in a melodramatic way.
  
Captain Fantastic (2016)
Captain Fantastic (2016)
2016 | Drama
Viggo Mortensen and fabulous acting all round (1 more)
Great heartwarming story
It can be cringe-worthy at times watching the kids attempt to fit in (0 more)
The captain is genuinely fantastic
Viggo Mortensen is truly Captain Fantastic in this quirky, indie film about bringing up six children in the wilderness. Isolated from society, he devotes his existence to raising his kids - educating them to think critically, training them to be physically fit and athletic, guiding them in the wild without technology and demonstrating the beauty of co-existing with nature. That's before his wife suddenly dies, and the family journey together out in the real world for her funeral. It raises a lot of thoughtful questions such as is it good to socially isolate children, especially if they can't fit in the future? Or is it better to keep them away from a consumerist, dumbed down society? Interesting, thought-provoking, like an intelligent version of Little Miss Sunshine.
  
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Nick Beaty (70 KP) rated Green Book (2018) in Movies

Jan 10, 2020 (Updated Jan 10, 2020)  
Green Book (2018)
Green Book (2018)
2018 | Drama
Worthy best picture winner...
Green Book is the incredible true story of an Italian American bouncer Tony 'Lip', who is paid to drive and protect an African American pianist Dr. Donald Shirley, through the American deep south in 1962 when racial tension was very high.

Let's start off by saying this was definitely a worthy best picture winner at the 2019 Oscars ceremony. You can follow that up with an excellent Oscar nominated performance from Viggo Mortensen and an absolutely superb Oscar winning turn from the brilliant Mahershala Ali.

The beautiful thing about this movie is the chemistry between the two lead actors. Mortensen and Ali bounce off each other for the whole two hours, they will make you laugh, cry and generally their performances just make you feel good inside.

To wrap things up, superb acting, a beautiful story and very good directing from Peter Farrelly who is better known for his controversial comedies, really make this a must see movie for any true film fan.
  
Eastern Promises (2007)
Eastern Promises (2007)
2007 | Drama, Mystery
This is very similar to A Histroy of Violence with the same director (David Cronenberg) and Viggo Mortensen teaming up again. It is just as violent and possibly more bloody and graphic. The acting is of a very good standard and although it is a bit slow at times you are likely to be engrossed in the story too much to notice.
A midwife delivers the child of a young Russian girl who dies at birth. Trying to trace her relatives she gets her Russian uncle to translate her diary which only uncovers a look into the life of the Russian mafia in London. If you liked A History of Violence, The Godfather you should really like this film.
  
Captain Fantastic (2016)
Captain Fantastic (2016)
2016 | Drama
Dysfunctionally functional.
The second of my catch-up films for next Sunday’s Oscars, this time featuring Viggo Mortensen who is up for a Best Actor Oscar.
“Captain Fantastic” starts with a dramatic hunting expedition introducing us to the unusual Cash family. Dad Ben (Viggo Mortensen) is bringing up his six kids – Bodevan, Kielyr, Vespyr, Rellian, Zaja and Nai – in the wilds of Washington state. Ben takes home-schooling to a completely new level, with intense study and examinations in quantum physics, philosophy and politics matched with a militaristic approach to weapons-training and physical fitness. Ben also teaches extreme self-sufficiency, most evident during a dramatic rock-climbing sequence.

Where is their mum in all of this? That would be a spoiler (so don’t watch the trailer either) but is central to the plot as the family board their old camper van – “Steve” – on a road trip back to the ‘real world’ and the children’s grandparents – the crusty and assertive Jack (a marvellous Frank Langella) and Abigail (Ann Dowd). What follows is filled with black humour, tragedy, not just one but two amazing funeral services and one of the most extraordinarily black and comic laying-to-rests ever seen on the big screen.

Viggo Mortensen is… well… fantastic in his portrayal, getting to run the full gamut of joy, grief, self-doubt, guilt and despair during the movie’s run-time. He’s clearly not going to win the Oscar on Sunday – surely Casey Affleck must be a slam-dunk for that – but this is a well-judged nomination by the Academy.

While the focus is on Mortensen, this shouldn’t overshadow the performances of some of the rest of the young cast, and I would specifically call out those of George MacKay and young Shree Crooks as the youngest of the kids. MacKay has been building up an impressive run of UK-based films with “Sunshine on Leith” and “Pride” but with this (and his key role in the recent TV mini-series “11.22.63”) he should see a break-through to more mainstream feature roles. In “Captain Fantastic” his socially-inept proposal to the delectable Claire (Erin Moriaty) is one of the high-points of the film. He is a name to watch, for sure.

And young Ms Crooks should be given a special honorary Oscar for the ability to learn such dense portions of script and deliver them so faultlessly!

The whole cast in fact was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture – one of my favourite award categories, but beaten by “Hidden Figures”. And it is that sort of film: a really great ensemble effort.
The film is written and directed by Matt Ross, only his second feature since 2012’s “28 Hotel Rooms” (which I was not aware of, but would now like to seek out). I thought it was terrific; deeply comedic; riveting from beginning to end; a roller-coaster of emotion and ultimately a feelgood classic on the value of family that I will remember fondly for a long time. Once again, the second film this week, that would have made me reconsider my “top films of 2016” list. I strongly recommend that you seek this out on download or DVD and give it a try.
  
A History of Violence (2005)
A History of Violence (2005)
2005 | Action, Drama, Mystery
Story: A History of Violence starts as we meet mild-mannered Tom Stall (Mortensen) working in his local diner with his own family, wide Edie (Bello) and child Jack (Holmes) and Sarah. One evening two men arrive in his diner trying to rob and kill the people inside, Tom’s quick thinking kills the criminals making him a local hero.

The act of heroism brings gangster Carl Fogarty (Harris) to town who claims Tom is from the criminal underworld hiding out with his older brother Richie (Hurt) waiting for him to return back to the criminal world.

 

Thoughts on A History of Violence

 

Characters – Tom Stall is a quiet man, running a diner having a loving family, he steps up to protect his customers and friends makes him a local hero. Now he has drawn a target on his chest with his past coming back to haunt him. Edie is the wife of Tom, she works in law bring home the bigger pay checks, she supports Tom, until she learns the truth and must decide where she stands with him. Carl Fogarty is the mysterious stranger that arrives in town claiming to know Tom from a previous life, he brings the danger back into Tom’s life with the past he wanted to run away from. Richie is the crime boss and brother to Tom, he has been searching for his brother for years and now sees the chance for the connection.

Performances – Viggo Mortensen is outstanding in this leading role we see how he keeps his character perfectly calm in everyday life and how the switch can make him a deadly killer, this is an ability that not everyone can achieve. Maria Bello is strong in her role as a woman unsure who her husband really is. Ed Harris and William Hurt in the supporting role are fantastic both take over the screen with their presence adding much needed tension to everything.

Story – The story here follows a mild-mannered man whose past comes back to haunt him after protect people he loves and cares about. This is almost like the story that follows up one of the gangster films where we see someone leave the life only to get drawn back years later against his will. The film like to use the idea of violence being the breaking point for relationships between husband & wife, father & son and two brothers which gets played out perfectly. There is an air of tension from start to finish in the film which leaves us only wanting to see where things would go next.

Thriller – The film uses the tension to keep us feeling uneasy through nearly each moment in the film never knowing what would happen next.

Settings – The film is set in a small town which Tom makes safe and happy, if would make sense for his character to be there too, it shows how media can expose anybody’s secret.


Scene of the Movie – The first crime rescue.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The bullying side which isn’t the most important thing we see.

Final Thoughts – This is one of the best modern thrillers you will see, you have four stunning performances and shocks around each corner.

 

Overall: Stunning thriller

https://moviesreview101.com/2018/10/21/viggo-mortensen-weekend-a-history-of-violence-2005/