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3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1950's) list
Notes: Eventually, even though it was never really impressive, it was still pretty good and I was fairly entertained throughout the whole thing. Indeed, the directing was all right and, above all, James Stewart was, as usual, really charismatic and rather awesome to watch. The main issue with this kind of movies is that, even though they are usually highly regarded, it seem to me that they are really outdated. I mean, for some movies like 'Citizen Kane', 'M' or basically anything directed by Charles Chaplin, they are just as much valuable today as they were when they were released decades ago. On the other hand, I have to admit that, even though this movie has some solid rep, it is definitely not one of the best in this genre so it might be unfair to take it as an example. Anyway, teven if I don't think it is really a masterpiece, it was still a decent watch.3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: Unfortunately, I watched this movie on the BBC without subtitles and I have to admit that I did struggle a bit to follow the dialogues so I should probably re-watch it at some point. I still really enjoyed it though and it definitely deserves its reputation of best cold war paranoid thriller. The most interesting thing with this movie is how John Frankenheimer managed to mix a realistic approach with a totally far-fetched story. Indeed, the hypnotism and brainwashing thing was quite preposterous and, on paper, there is no way this story should have worked. However, the fact that it was taking place in a fairly realistic world created this constant mix of realism and surrealism. One of the most striking scenes was probably the āmeet cuteā involving Frank Sinatra and Janet Leigh. Indeed, even though Bennett Marco was at his lowest and looked like a total wreck, Eugenie Rose Chaney still really flirted hard on him. To make this moment even more surreal, they had the weirdest conversation ever. Was Marco dreaming or hallucinating? Was Eugenie actually another spy? Those were really the best moments, when Marco seemed really vulnerable and when the viewers are not really sure what the hell is actually going on. To make the whole thing even more far-out, you had some anti-McCarthyism, the Communist Dr. Yen Lo who kept making jokes, Eleanor Shaw Iselin who might have had some incestuous feelings for her son and who happened to be a spy as well,ā¦ so there was a lot going on, maybe too much, but there is no denying that it was quite unique.3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe added 6 items to their collection
3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: Eventually, even though it was never really impressive, it was still pretty good and I was fairly entertained throughout the whole thing. Indeed, the directing was all right and, above all, James Stewart was, as usual, really charismatic and rather awesome to watch. The main issue with this kind of movies is that, even though they are usually highly regarded, it seem to me that they are really outdated. I mean, for some movies like 'Citizen Kane', 'M' or basically anything directed by Charles Chaplin, they are just as much valuable today as they were when they were released decades ago. On the other hand, I have to admit that, even though this movie has some solid rep, it is definitely not one of the best in this genre so it might be unfair to take it as an example. Anyway, teven if I don't think it is really a masterpiece, it was still a decent watch.3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (2010's) list
Notes: Well, once again, Koreeda really impressed me and, for some reason, I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed the damned thing. I have to admit that I did struggle a little bit to follow everyoneās story (for example, I still donāt know what actually happened to Suzuās motherā¦ I guess she died at some point but Iām afraid I missed that bit of informationā¦). Furthermore, there were 4 sisters, their deceased father who was married with 3 different women, their grandmother, their grandmotherās sister, ā¦. Basically, it was quite lot of people to deal with and, as a result, none of them was really developed but it wasnāt a deal breaker though. Indeed, I always admired Koreeda as one of the most humanist directors that ever lived and, with this movie, he just surpassed himself. In most movies, some of the characters would have some kind of personal agenda with the goal of breaking up this sisterhood and, as we have been conditioned by decades of generic storytelling, we actually expect that something horrible will happen to them at some point but, no, fortunately, it never happened. Instead, you get a set of vastly different but all intriguing young women who were dealt some pretty shitty cards but still made the best of it and, all together, they managed to find such a beautiful and inspiring harmony. 3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe posted a review of Our Little Sister
“To be honest, I wasnāt really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, once again, Koreeda really impressed me and, for some reason, I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed the damned thing (which was pr” read more
3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1970's) list
Notes: To be honest, even though I have seen almost all the movies directed by Mel Brooks, I'm afraid I have never been a really huge fan of his work. Anyway, since this movie is a huge classic, I was really eager to check it out. Following its reputation, I really expected the whole thing to be seriously hilarious but, to be honest, eventually, I thought it was indeed pretty funny but not much more than Iām afraid. For me, the best example is the scene around the fire where you get to see all these cowboys farting. Well, in my opinion, this scene was fairly amusing but also rather stupid as well and it shows the level of the humor displayed in this movie. Itās such a shame that Richard Pryor wasn't allowed to play Bart as he was supposed to be as the whole thing would have been much more interesting, at least, for me. Eventually, I thought that 'The Producers' was much better but it was still a decent watch though.3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to Top 10 best movies 2015 list
Notes: Well, once again, Koreeda really impressed me and, for some reason, I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed the damned thing. I have to admit that I did struggle a little bit to follow everyoneās story (for example, I still donāt know what actually happened to Suzuās motherā¦ I guess she died at some point but Iām afraid I missed that bit of informationā¦). Furthermore, there were 4 sisters, their deceased father who was married with 3 different women, their grandmother, their grandmotherās sister, ā¦. Basically, it was quite lot of people to deal with and, as a result, none of them was really developed but it wasnāt a deal breaker though. Indeed, I always admired Koreeda as one of the most humanist directors that ever lived and, with this movie, he just surpassed himself. In most movies, some of the characters would have some kind of personal agenda with the goal of breaking up this sisterhood and, as we have been conditioned by decades of generic storytelling, we actually expect that something horrible will happen to them at some point but, no, fortunately, it never happened. Instead, you get a set of vastly different but all intriguing young women who were dealt some pretty shitty cards but still made the best of it and, all together, they managed to find such a beautiful and inspiring harmony. 3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: Well, once again, Koreeda really impressed me and, for some reason, I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed the damned thing. I have to admit that I did struggle a little bit to follow everyoneās story (for example, I still donāt know what actually happened to Suzuās motherā¦ I guess she died at some point but Iām afraid I missed that bit of informationā¦). Furthermore, there were 4 sisters, their deceased father who was married with 3 different women, their grandmother, their grandmotherās sister, ā¦. Basically, it was quite lot of people to deal with and, as a result, none of them was really developed but it wasnāt a deal breaker though. Indeed, I always admired Koreeda as one of the most humanist directors that ever lived and, with this movie, he just surpassed himself. In most movies, some of the characters would have some kind of personal agenda with the goal of breaking up this sisterhood and, as we have been conditioned by decades of generic storytelling, we actually expect that something horrible will happen to them at some point but, no, fortunately, it never happened. Instead, you get a set of vastly different but all intriguing young women who were dealt some pretty shitty cards but still made the best of it and, all together, they managed to find such a beautiful and inspiring harmony. 3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: To be honest, even though I have seen almost all the movies directed by Mel Brooks, I'm afraid I have never been a really huge fan of his work. Anyway, since this movie is a huge classic, I was really eager to check it out. Following its reputation, I really expected the whole thing to be seriously hilarious but, to be honest, eventually, I thought it was indeed pretty funny but not much more than Iām afraid. For me, the best example is the scene around the fire where you get to see all these cowboys farting. Well, in my opinion, this scene was fairly amusing but also rather stupid as well and it shows the level of the humor displayed in this movie. Itās such a shame that Richard Pryor wasn't allowed to play Bart as he was supposed to be as the whole thing would have been much more interesting, at least, for me. Eventually, I thought that 'The Producers' was much better but it was still a decent watch though.3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1990's) list
Notes: Pedro Almodovar is one of those directors that I have always admired but he never became a personal favorite of mine. Indeed, he is what you can call a real author who has created his own style and, therefore, he always got my respect but, honestly, I always had a hard time with his work and this movie was not an exception. Basically, it is thanks to this movie that Almodovar started to gain some real worldwide success (it even won the Academy Award for the Best Foreign movie). To be honest, like I said before, I did like it but, somehow, it didnāt really blow me away. It develops the usual themes you can find in almost all Almodovar as it focuses on some rather messed-up and sometimes annoying women but, somehow, they are strong and full of personality and, therefore, they are still interesting to follow. In this case, the story was actually quite fascinating but, towards the end, it started to get rather murky and I lost my interest a little bit. Eventually, I think that his following feature, āHable con ellaā, was actually much more compelling but it is all a matter of taste. 3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1950's) list
Notes: It is too bad that I saw before two really weak remakes ('Body Snatchers' and 'The Invasion'), without mentioning the countless copycats such as 'The World's End', as they slightly ruined the story for me. I mean, right from the very start, I already knew how the whole thing was going to play out and, as a result, it didn't have such a huge impact. Still, it must have been pretty neat to see this movie in the 50's, when the formula was completely new. Furthermore, I wish they didn't force Don Siegel to add an introduction and this happy-end because the movie, above all with a bleaker ending, would have worked better. Still, it is a really solid horror flick, terribly effective and entertaining. Concerning the actors involved, to be honest, I didn't care much for Kevin McCarthy but he was not bad at all but, on the other hand, I was quite mesmerized by Dana Wynter who was simply quite gorgeous to look at. 3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: Pedro Almodovar is one of those directors that I have always admired but he never became a personal favorite of mine. Indeed, he is what you can call a real author who has created his own style and, therefore, he always got my respect but, honestly, I always had a hard time with his work and this movie was not an exception. Basically, it is thanks to this movie that Almodovar started to gain some real worldwide success (it even won the Academy Award for the Best Foreign movie). To be honest, like I said before, I did like it but, somehow, it didnāt really blow me away. It develops the usual themes you can find in almost all Almodovar as it focuses on some rather messed-up and sometimes annoying women but, somehow, they are strong and full of personality and, therefore, they are still interesting to follow. In this case, the story was actually quite fascinating but, towards the end, it started to get rather murky and I lost my interest a little bit. Eventually, I think that his following feature, āHable con ellaā, was actually much more compelling but it is all a matter of taste. 3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe posted a review of Francofonia
“To be honest, I actually have no idea how I actually ended up watching this movie. Indeed, I watch tons of movies for some really lame reasons but, in this case, I seriously couldnāt remember why actually did record this movie about a year ago. I mean, it wasnāt a really critical success and it ” read more
3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1960's) list
Notes: First of all, it is obvious that you can't really analyse this movie as a straightforward story as the concept was rather preposterous. I mean, let's assume that this village would really need to dig the sand to survive, it would be much easier and efficient to send some of the local villagers every 3 months willingly going down there for a specific period of time instead of kidnapping some poor random guy. Eventually, it was a very subtle parable but did I really get what the director wanted to tell us? I'm not so sure as I might not be smart enough. As far as I was concerned, I saw it as a psychological thriller with some erotic undertones. Furthermore, I think it was about the fact that, in order to survive, we all need a purpose, even if almost everything we do might seem pointless and we might as well dig endlessly in the sand. 3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: It is too bad that I saw before two really weak remakes ('Body Snatchers' and 'The Invasion'), without mentioning the countless copycats such as 'The World's End', as they slightly ruined the story for me. I mean, right from the very start, I already knew how the whole thing was going to play out and, as a result, it didn't have such a huge impact. Still, it must have been pretty neat to see this movie in the 50's, when the formula was completely new. Furthermore, I wish they didn't force Don Siegel to add an introduction and this happy-end because the movie, above all with a bleaker ending, would have worked better. Still, it is a really solid horror flick, terribly effective and entertaining. Concerning the actors involved, to be honest, I didn't care much for Kevin McCarthy but he was not bad at all but, on the other hand, I was quite mesmerized by Dana Wynter who was simply quite gorgeous to look at. 3 years, 3 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: First of all, it is obvious that you can't really analyse this movie as a straightforward story as the concept was rather preposterous. I mean, let's assume that this village would really need to dig the sand to survive, it would be much easier and efficient to send some of the local villagers every 3 months willingly going down there for a specific period of time instead of kidnapping some poor random guy. Eventually, it was a very subtle parable but did I really get what the director wanted to tell us? I'm not so sure as I might not be smart enough. As far as I was concerned, I saw it as a psychological thriller with some erotic undertones. Furthermore, I think it was about the fact that, in order to survive, we all need a purpose, even if almost everything we do might seem pointless and we might as well dig endlessly in the sand. 3 years, 4 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1950's) list
Notes: Back in 2014, I saw āExodus: Gods and Kingsā and since it was directed by Ridley Scott, I had some rather high expectations but, unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the most disappointing movies released that year. The main reason was probably because this tale has been adapted so many times before and, above all, way better. This version directed by Cecil B. DeMille is already 60 years old but it still considered as one of the best. To be honest, from the same era, I actually prefer āBen Hurā which is truly an amazing picture. I mean, I don't mind an old movie from time to time, especially if it is well made like this one. Still, it is really over the top, it lasts almost 4 hours and even though I find this subject interesting, I would be more interested by a more sober approach. At least, it was more fun than reading the actual Bible (I did try to read the damned thing but after around 100 pages, I got bored out of my mind and couldnāt finish it) and Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner were perfectly cast.3 years, 4 months ago