Sam Mendes is at war, so are comedy Nazis and there’s horrific things going on in Amsterdam on Netflix – yes, the January 2020 edition of the Amsterdam Film Show is here. @KikoMorah and @CathyCentral recommend some recent movie releases and look forward to some of the movies hitting Amsterdam this month. Plus a Netflix pick.

NEW! In Feb we will launch a new fortnightly format of the show with Kiko taking a deeper dive into the local film industry, interviews and more. Tweet him @KikoMorah if you have a good story to share.

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Show notes & links

LAST CALL!

Jojo Rabbit | RELEASED 2 JANUARY IN NL | Director: Taika Waititi | Writers: Taika Waititi (screenplay), Christine Leunens (novel) | Stars: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson | 12A | 1h 48min | Comedy, Drama, War | “A young boy in Hitler’s army finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.”IMDB. “He then has an internal moral conflict that he discusses with his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler played by Taika Waititi.”

► Listen back to hear Kiko and Cathy’s review of the film.

REVIEW

1917 | RELEASED 9 JANUARY IN NL | Director: Sam Mendes | Writers: Sam Mendes + | Stars: Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays + | 15 | 1h 59min | WAR DRAMA | “Two young British soldiers during the First World War are given an impossible mission: deliver a message deep in enemy territory that will stop 1,600 men, and one of the soldiers’ brothers, from walking straight into a deadly trap.” IMDB

► Listen back to hear Kiko’s review of the film.

NEW CINEMA RELEASES

Here’s our highlights from the rest of the film releases in Amsterdam this month.

9 JANUARY
Charlie’s Angels | Director: Elizabeth Banks | Writers: Elizabeth Banks (screenplay by) + | Stars: Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Balinska | 12A | 1h 58min | ACTION COMEDY | “When a young systems engineer blows the whistle on a dangerous technology, Charlie’s Angels are called into action, putting their lives on the line to protect us all.” IMDB

16 JANUARY
Dolittle | Director: Stephen Gaghan | Writers: Stephen Gaghan (screenplay by), Dan Gregor + | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen| 1h 46min | FAMILY | “A physician discovers that he can talk to animals.” IMDB

Just Mercy | Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Writers: Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham | 1 more credit »
Stars: Brie Larson, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx | 12A | 2h 17min | Drama | “World-renowned civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson works to free a wrongly condemned death row prisoner.” IMDB

Bombshell | Director: Jay Roach | Writer: Charles Randolph
Stars: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie | 15 | 1h 49min | Biography, Drama | “A group of women take on Fox News head Roger Ailes and the toxic atmosphere he presided over at the network.” IMDB

23 JANUARY
Bad Boys for Life | 15 | 2h 4min | Action, Comedy, Crime | 17 January 2020 (UK) | The Bad Boys Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett are back together for one last ride in the highly anticipated Bad Boys for Life.
Directors: Adil El Arbi (as Adil), Bilall Fallah (as Bilall)
Writers: Chris Bremner (screenplay), Peter Craig (screenplay) | 4 more credits »
Stars: Will Smith, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig

Dark Waters | Director: Todd Haynes
Writers: Matthew Michael Carnahan, Mario Correa | 1 more credit »
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Bill Camp, Mare Winningham | 12A | 2h 6min | Biography, Drama, History | “A corporate defense attorney takes on an environmental lawsuit against a chemical company that exposes a lengthy history of pollution.” IMDB

For Sama | 18 | 1h 40min | Documentary, War |
“Both an intimate and epic journey into the female experience of war.
Directors: Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts
Stars: Waad Al-Kateab, Hamza Al-Khateab, Sama Al-Khateab

SMALL SCREEN

Ares | 16 | Horror | TV Series (2020– ) | Creators: Pieter Kuijpers, Iris Otten, Sander van Meurs | Stars: Frieda Barnhard, Robin Boissevain, Tobias Kersloot | “Dutch students in Amsterdam accidentally open a portal to a demonic world from the Dutch Golden Age.” IMDB

DUTCH FILM INDUSTRY NEWS
In 2019, “the film that attracted the most visitors by far was The Lion King, with over three million visitors. This made it the most visited film in the Netherlands since Titanic (1998).” NVBF

Spotify playlist