Source [header.](https://jooinn.com/images/old-man-36.jpg)

‘’The retirement age is pushed again’’ ‘’No way! They want us to work till death.. Horrific people’’

It’s most common in the work environment to hear statements like this. Throughout the years the retirement age here in the Netherlands is pushed up again and again. This isn’t that odd, obviously. Not only is the average age of when people start working constantly moving upward, but our life expectancy is also increasing with momentum. This due to medical developments, and the constant increase in living standards. I’m not even close to reaching any kind of retirement age, if there still even is a so called ‘’retirement’’ stage when I grow old.

The reason I bring this up is because of a phenomenon I think is very inspiring. Recently a new Martin Scorsese picture was announced. Starring both Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro: Killers of the Flower Moon. The thing that you quickly notice is that director Martin Scorsese and actor De Niro are nearing the end of their lives – they are very very old. But both of them seem to work harder than ever! Movie after movie, It’s fair to say that these guys don’t belief in ‘’retirement’’.

''Hey Marty, what's this thing called retirement?'' ''I don't know Bob, probably some religious thing.''

Source [image.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/01/05/arts/05martin-scorsese3/05martin-scorsese3-videoSixteenByNineJumbo1600.jpg)

Martin Scorsese has said himself that ‘’time is running out’’, and he wants to live what he's got left to the fullest.

''But Niels, they are movie makers.. You can’t compare movie making to your usual 9 till 5 job!!''

To which I say: this is totally nonsense!

Making a good movie requires an incredible amount of hard work. And I like to argue that these guys are working harder than we do, while they’re nearing their 80’s. The plain truth is that these guys absolutely love what they’re doing, and have been doing for the past entirety of their lives. Can we say the same?

I like to argue that it's very dangerous to look forward to your retirement. This means that you would rather spend your time doing something else than what you’re doing today. Why aren’t you taking action today? Of course, it can be very hard to design the life that you truly love, while also making enough money to pay the bills. But life is long, and if you persist on this matter, if you delete the term ‘’retirement’’ from you vocabulary, I think you make a good chance of achieving your dream life before you’ll be too old to remember your spouse’s name! For some this process could take just a few years, and for others this may require 30 years of persistence and hard work..

The thing that I’m very worried about is this mindset that retirement is simply a ''normal'' part of life. Many students, recently graduates, have already started complaining about the government pushing up the official retirement age. In your early 20’s, it's no acceptable to blindly fall for the illusion that you have to work a job that you don’t particularly like until you finally reach the age of freedom.

Retirement = finally time to do what you always wanted to do in life.

Source [image.](https://pastorterry.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8348e805369e2022ad3848fff200d-pi)

Let me tell you a secret: if you’ve lived your whole life with this worrisome mindset, and in your 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s already gave up on the pursuit of living life on your own terms, it isn’t likely that during the retirement period you’ll all of a sudden be capable of anything other than killing time..

Right now the pension age in the Netherlands is about 66 years. I know a lot of people that’ve spent their time from this age on primarily bored at home. Watching the news, complaining about the news. Watching football, complaining about how Lionel Messi didn’t score a hattrick. They kill time by taking a long walk to the supermarket, drinking lots of coffee with friends that are also whining about Trump. Of course, they also take nice long trips, and spend more time with their children and their children. But on the usual week days they sit behind the computer playing a game of poker..

‘’I’m too old to chase my goals now.’’ – average retiree.

Many of these people looked forward to their holy retirement from the beginning of their working lives. The grandiose gift of time at their service, only to realize that now they’re a bit too tired. Tired of all of those long working days earning their bosses a new Mercedes.

Let’s see what Martin Scorsese has been doing since his 66th birthday;) He made Shutter Island, Hugo, The Wolf of Wall Street, Silence, The Irishman, and is now working on Killers of the Flower Moon. Since his ‘’retirement'' age, his work created thousands of jobs, and entertained/inspired millions – if not billions – of people all around the globe! Don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty inspiring! I'm not saying that we should all produce multiple successful movies when we reach this age.. But isn't it great to love what you're doing so much, that you want to continue doing it till your last breath?

The sooner you discard the term ‘’retirement’’ from you vocabulary, the better. It’s simply an excuse. An excuse to avoid the necessary effort you have to put in to achieve your dream life. Don’t get tricked. Live life on your own terms!

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Source [header.](https://comicyears.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Jojo-Rabbit-Trailer-1-12.jpg)

Upon watching this one I honestly hadn’t a clue what to expect.. I saw that it got nominated for best picture at the Oscars, so I assumed it would be worth the watch. Assembling the handsome cast of both Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson certainly intrigued me. After the indie film The Way Way Back I had become a mild Rockwell fan already. His performance in that Steve Carell picture evoked a lot of appreciation for his art.

Jojo Rabbit is a story about a little Nazi boy. He's determined to become best friends with his almighty idol: Adolf Hitler. This in and of itself is an interesting angle to look back on this dark period in human history. It’s set in this little town located in the heart of Nazi Germany. Jojo lives with his mother (played by Johansson) and is excited to participate in the local Hitlerjugend squad. Captain Klenzendorf (played by Rockwell) is their leader. Although, he’s often preoccupied with other stuff, as he thinks his position is somewhat irrelevant and dull.

Somewhere along the way Jojo finds out about a Jewish girls that’s hiding in their house. His brainwashed mind can’t do anything but assume that she is the enemy! However, soon he realizes that betraying here isn’t an option – his mother and himself are accomplishes and would live the same reality as her, if the gestapo finds out.. So instead of spreading the word about the presence of a Jew, he stays silent. Smart guy;)

From the beginning the movie is full of satire. We are shown how the Hitlerjugend learn about the identity of Jews: teachers are drawing pictures of gruesome monsters on the blackboard. We are also shown how these little children are taught to throw hand grenades, as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. The style of storytelling reminds me a lot of the usual Wes Anderson picture. It’s this surreal world which doesn’t take reality too serious: exactly how a movie should be. But at the same time the movie is full of heart. One could say that due to the search of emotional peaks and valleys, the core message is reached with a bittersweet wholesomeness that can’t be conveyed by unimaginative storytelling.

Eventually Jojo becomes interested in this ‘’Jew’’ that’s living in their house. He starts writing a book about ‘’How to recognize Jews’’, as he’s very aware of this difficulty. Elsa (the Jewish girl) plays along and provides Jojo with some crazy stories that confirm his young mind’s biases. Not to forget that Elsa’s entire family is killed by Nazis, and that at times she struggles to maintain decent in front of the little boy. She’s imaginative, and a real pro illustrator. Elsa starts by telling him how Jews originated from caves, and eventually spread amongst the crowds throughout the world. Like a virus!

This is when I started to realize that this movie is a bit more than just some entertaining satire. The inevitable thing to happen when people spend enough time with each other, while enjoying themselves: they become friends. Without making a factual based case to show the little Jojo that Jews are actual human beings of flesh and blood, he soon starts to realize this himself.

Source [image.](https://www.sevendays.nl/sites/default/files/jojo-rabbit.jpg)

The underlying message of this story is one very important. Your usual World War II movie isn’t capable of reaching the same depths, in my opinion. Currently I’m reading this book that’s about the real meaning of human ‘’Identity’’. How we’re all participants in many many various groups, but somehow we always seem to identify others (and ourselves) by one prominent category. A singular category that’s often poorly picked as the representation of one's true identity. We often give too much credit to this one affiliation when we try to understand ourselves or others. This one category, whether it be: Nazi, Jew, Republican, Muslim, student, football player: are all just oversimplifications that don’t come even close to capturing the entire scope of the depths of an individual..

Taika Waititi (director and writer of Jojo Rabbit) cleverly pivots on this core problem that was prominently present during World War II. Seeing Elsa as just a Jew doesn’t justify her full being. The same as seeing Jojo as just a Nazi boy doesn’t give him enough credit as a person. It’s this vital piece of understanding that clears the way for a better world for everyone.. Let's abandon the neglect of important affiliations when talking about our friends, and enemies. Better understanding = ascending peace. Don't forget that at the end of the day we're all compassionate animals;)

Yes, Jojo Rabbit blew my mind!

Indeed worth my time;)

A very entertaining movie that pulls some tricks I haven’t seen before. I’ve never been a big fan of war movies – they often lack depth and originality – but this one definitely breaks that custom, as it’s anything but your conventional war movie. How can we best utilize creative storytelling to both entertain, and convey a deeper message that might spoil the overall experience if not done properly?

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Source [header.](https://www.raja-yoga-almere.nl/images/Nepal-Himalaya-Mountains-Annapurna-Pokhara-Prayer-Flags-IS-027332084-Lg-RGB.jpg)

Floating through the mellow air on a Wednesday evening. A sudden splash of wetness sparked on my skin. The filthy water from the street intruded my white sneakers. It wasn't so much the dirty shoes that bothered me, but more so the anger that arose within my blood streams. It hadn't been a good day. Every little piece of intruding diversion triggered an obnoxious feeling of arousal. The deviating rush of emotion wasn't unknown to me at all. Although, it had hit me extra hard this particular evening. A quick scan of the environment betrayed the empty city streets hovered by its shallowness. Shops on both sides were closing down. Rain hadn’t stopped long prior, but I could still smell the freshness that usually comes with it. Light beams, sent out by the lampposts, reflected from the puddles straight into my eyes. I wasn't awake. At least, in the sense of being present in the moment. My mind kept drifting to obstacles of the past that I still couldn't fathom. Their abstract nature evoked a sense of helplessness within my heart.

Suddenly, a perpetual feeling of silence unfolded. My thoughts paused for breath. In the distance, a man kept looking at me. He didn’t seem familiar. His black coat, serving as an invisible blanket.

I thought of the tiny streams of water that originated on the tops of the Himalaya. The purest water you could ever imagine, created by mother nature. I did remember the thrill of passing the high altitude suspension bridge. Squeaky cables, tested by time, prevented a deep fall into the depths of our globe.

Source [header.](https://c0.wallpaperflare.com/preview/36/565/277/trek-nepal-bridge-man.jpg)

The white plumes of morning fog coming out of the black deepness constrained my mind from perceiving the truth. Even though vertigo didn't occupy my residence, the fog certainly made the cross-over more doable. I remember that journey as if it were last week. I can still feel the weight of the dense backpack on my shoulders. Soreness sweeping through my muscles. As we climbed the steep stairs to the top of the rock, I almost lost my balance. My left foot lost control on the slippery underground. With much effort I managed to regain control on the next step, which wasn't totally covered with dirt. The sun sparkling in the distance. Made in the heavens of gods. Sketching the white mountain tops into liberate proportions.

Heaviness put a tender stop to my mind's drifting. A bus driver forced the claxon to shout out loud. Like a little girl trapped in an unknown place. A place with much darkness to endure.

The man in the black coat had disappeared. So should I, my mind spoke. Leave the past behind, for the future comes soon enough..

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Source [header.](https://assets.rbl.ms/17437976/origin.jpg)

**“Cinema is a matter of what's in the frame and what's out”**

- Martin Scorsese

The rain kept pouring down from above. It was in the midst of a cold winter, if I remember well. Me and my brother were home alone. I don’t know exactly where my mom was at this particular moment. But I do know that we were desperately waiting for my dad to come home from his work. One of his colleagues was this awesome guy that knew how to counterfeit brand new cinema releases. A couple of weeks before that cosy Tuesday, the new animation picture of Peter Pan had captured our youthful souls. We couldn’t get enough. Me in the corner of our black leather couch, and my brother eroding his knees on the carpet in front of me. I guess I’ve dreamed the whole next week of flying through the milky clouds. Fighting captain Hook on the waters surrounding Neverland.

This time my dad would bring home ‘’another good flick’’ - as he put it. At this age I still wasn’t too concerned about the specific material. I trusted my dad to pick the stellar compressed frames. The dark outside reflected against the warm inside. My brother lurked through the curtains, notifying me of any movement beyond our front yard. It was already past six, but the wet stream of tiny drops had delayed my dad’s journey home. Right now it was still raining, however, manageable to survive on his bicycle. ‘’It should be any minute now,’’ – I told my little brother.

A full glass of soda later..

‘’There he is!’’ – My brother jumped through the air, almost pushing over a wooden decoration. I couldn’t fathom the excitement rushing through my nerve system. Static of perpetual bliss. However, a moment later I ran around our tiny side table like a crazy person. Many rounds. With my brother joining me in this sweet little celebratory expression.

When my dad entered the living room, all we got was an angry glance. He was pretty exhausted from the journey home. A powerful breeze kept the surface from peace. His hair all messy and wet. After he sat down on his usual chair right next to the wall, he handed me the fine specimen. The colorful DVD cover spoke a million words. Specially designed to intrigue premature boys, like ourselves. This was it! According to my dad’s colleague, the animation of Peter Pan was nothing compared to this one. ‘’Its grandiose tale full of entertainment can't be not enjoyed!’’ – His magical words glided through my veins, reaching for the inner core of life itself. It had to be watched, and it had to be watched now!

Source [image.](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c6/bf/d3/c6bfd36043ca3f0ef9fdee18acc3f153.jpg)

Equation of Movie Magic

We all have had those magical movie experiences. Experiences that for some reason have put a deep dent into our abstract minds. Usually it's not so much about the movie itself, as it is about the how and when and with whom you've experienced it. It's this strange mixture of real life moments combined with creative storytelling that spark something special that's beyond our understanding. It's this equation of..

Time + Place + Companion(s) + Movie = MAGIC

..that can't be artificially manipulated. The moment that you aspire it to be indistinguishable from a blissful experience in the past, is the moment that you definitely fail to reach the same level of La Magie. You see, unlike your average equation, the equation of movie magic isn't substantiated by logic. Even Einstein couldn't figure it out;)

...

Quickly I glided to our Television set. In the meantime, my brother gave both of our glasses a nice refill. The DVD player was pretty slow, and for a brief moment annoyance occupied my mood. When the device kept loading in perpetuity, I yelled for my dad to help us out. ''Take the disc out, and put it back in!'' – He yelled from behind the noisy microwave (warming up his dinner). So I did.. And it worked!

My brother settled down on the plushy carpet, like he always did. Without conscious interference I grabbed the 33 remotes necessary to make it all work, and found comfort in my favorite corner of the leather couch.

Without any of us saying another word – I pressed the worn out Play button.

Source [image.](https://kylelovesanimationnmore.files.wordpress.com/2019/08/treasureplanetheader.jpg)

About 30 minutes in, our mom asked us to pause for a moment. She had just come back from the barber. Ah, that's right, she was at the barbershop;) With both hands she tightly held a carton box from the local bakery. ''Look what I got, guys.'' – She said with a smile on her face. Both of us stormed in her direction, curious about the content of the box. ''Take it easy, I've got custard buns for both of you.'' We couldn't be more happy. Our favorite! Light years ahead of any other treats. Mom got us plates and forks, so that we could resume Treasure Planet.

Jimbo had just boarded the RLS Legacy, and adventure was about to begin!

John Silver & Jimbo - Source [image.](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTU5ODE2MDc5Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTE1MjIyNw@@._V1_.jpg)

“You got the makings of greatness in you, but you gotta take the helm and chart your own course! Stick to it, no matter the squalls! And when the time comes, you'll get the chance to really test the cut of your sails and show what you're made of! And... well, I hope I'm there, catching some of the light coming off you that day.”

― John Silver

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Source [header.](https://filmformatie.imgix.net/filmstills/Mid90s_st_9_jpg_sd-high.jpg?w=1600)

It’s sunday: the perfect day to stretch my legs and putt on a good movie. But what to watch? Miguel’s article: My Top 5 Books For 2019 inspired me to make a list of a couple of movies that I enjoyed a lot. The tricky part, however, if I’m gonna spill out my favorite movies for the year 2019, I’ll probably forget to include the best ones (I’ve simply seen too much;)). This is why I will do no such thing.

In this article I’ll recommend you some titles that come to mind as I'm writing this. Also, I try not to include any of the ‘’bigger’’ titles, as you’ve probably seen them already.

Mid90s

Directed by Jonah Hill.

This is a coming-of-age-drama that follows a 13 year old boy spending time with his new friends. It’s set in Los Angeles, and explores the transition from childish innocence to the hard reality of life. Me and my brother watched this one in the cinema, and we were both surprised by how funny it was. How little you actually need to make a great movie. Pure craftsmanship.

Uncut Gems

Directed by the Safdie brothers.

A rollercoaster ride that swings you up and down through emotional states you didn’t know the existence of. Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) runs a jewelry store, but is struggling to pay back debt, and has a serious gambling problem. I got acquainted with the Safdie brothers through their accelerating movie Good Time, and highly anticipated their new picture.. Its intensity, and restlessness is definitely not for everyone. However, a wild ride through the unknown valley of life is one best served with a healthy dose of confidence. Count me in for another round;)

Lady Bird

Directed by Greta Gerwig.

Christine ‘’Lady Bird’’ McPherson struggles to get a hold on her life. She aspires to study at a prestigious university in New York, but her parents struggle financially. It’s a movie about exploring what kind of person you want to be in this world. I truly felt connected to ‘’Lady Bird’’. Both entertaining, and heartwarming. I couldn’t dismiss the nostalgic flavor hiding underneath my tongue during the entire watch. Same style elements as Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, but more engaging characters.

The Beach Bum

Directed by Harmony Korine

Matthew McConaughey portrays the stoner-poet Moondog. All you need to know is that this isn’t your conventional movie. Some may experience it as funny, depressing, or even disturbing (Moondog and Zac Efron's character rob a disabled man to buy more weed). Anyway, as a movie fanatic I always crave for originality, and this one definitely fits that bill! Harmony Korine’s visual style of storytelling turns this, whatever it is, into an interesting experience.. Oh, and, Snoop Dogg is in it;)

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I threw my cigarette on the wet bricks and headed for the inside. It wasn’t a busy evening. Anthony, the chef, was singing along with some Latino dance music. He looked like a nice guy, but trust me, he wasn’t. Had abandoned his wife and son to pursue some Asian chick. A couple of months later he stopped paying alimony, never looked back. Mr Lanzarot, oddly, didn’t seem to bother. From the right corner of my eyes this huge painting came into my viewfinder. It was something new. I hadn’t seen it before. It was a huge painting of an extremely lucid moon on top of a blackish background. ‘’Made with acryl paint’’, it stated in the right lower corner for some unknown reason. ‘’My wife’s new hobby, like it?’’ Mr Lanzarot stood in the kitchen, like a proud husband, waiting for me to compliment the latest work of his truly everything. ‘’It’s really nice. She’s done a great job sir’’. Mr Lanzarot couldn’t help but smile, and eventually looked away like a shy farm animal.

Our parking lot seemed like a massacre on Elm street. Cars and bikes everywhere. My parents had again invited a lot of people over, most of whom they didn’t like, to celebrate their combined birthdays. I could hear the chatter through the walls as I entered the driveway. I walked around the house to sneak in through the back door, at least, this was the plan. Before I could reach the entry to satan's butthole, miss Davids caught a glimpse of me. She seemed drunk, smoking a cigarette, by herself. ‘’If that isn’t our favorite little boy Luc’’, I know, she sounds like a douche, but she’s quite alright compared to the rest of them. ‘’Hey miss Davids, how’s life?’’ ‘’Ooww, life’s always good when there’s lots of booze sweety’’, like I said, she’s alright. As with most adults, just give them a bottle to suck on, and they’ll stop whining like little babies. I threw my red mountain bike in the grass, while I continued my journey to the inside of 21st century Whitney Houston.

The music crumbled due to the pool of empty conversations that filled the air. Earlier that day I had promised my mom to help out Julia, our maid, with keeping our guests loaded. I was pretty late. Mr Lanzarot had ordered me to clean the kitchen floor before I could leave. From the looks of her, she didn’t seem to appreciate it. When I opened the kitchen door, trying to be invisible, I walked into an ambush. It felt like my mom could smell that I was about to arrive. She nodded her head from left to right, and seemed disappointed. ‘’Why are you late Luc?’’ ‘’Mr Lanzarot had me clean the whole damn kitchen floor’’ ‘’And I’m supposed to believe that?’’ ‘’Well, I guess’’, my mom poured herself a glass half empty of her favorite white wine, and laid her right hand on my left shoulder, ‘’go change, and help Julia, please’’.

....