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johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1990's) list
Notes: With this movie, Alejandro Amenabar became a household name and went to direct âThe Othersâ in Hollywood. After âMar Adentroâ, it did become rather quiet with the Spanish director though. Anyway, coming back to our main feature, I find it rather difficult to choose between this one and the remake which one is the best. Still, I think I still prefer the original version because it focuses more on the story, there was no Hollywood influence here and, of course, the whole thing came from this flick. Still, even though it was an intriguing story, somehow, it didnât really blow me away. I donât know, on one hand, the surrealist atmosphere was one of the main assets of this movie, making it sometimes quite mesmerizing but, on the other hand, because of all the weird stuff going on, it was difficult to connect with the characters or to care with that they were going through. However, even though I didnât think it was really a masterpiece, it is still a pretty good mind-f*ck. 3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: It is not one of Alfred Hitchcock's most famous features but one of those many spy movies he made in England before moving to Hollywood. It was also an adaptation of a book written by Joseph Conrad. To be honest, I havenât read the book but I have seen another version which was made exactly 60 years later by Christopher Hampton with an all-star cast. Anyway, even though Hitchcock didnât have such a cast, the modern technology and probably had a smaller budget, his version was still better. Indeed, the story and the characters were actually not really interesting but his directing was, as usual, really efficient, creating a really tense mood. Furthermore, even though Hitchcock said that he regretted including Stevie's death, I didnât see it coming and I thought it was quite powerful. I thought also that Sylvia Sidney, who I didnât know before, was really charming (Hitchcock really knew how to pick his actresses, thatâs for sure) and if Marion Cotillard had made movies in 30âs, she would probably have looked like this lovely lady. Anyway, even if it is actually nothing really amazing, it is still a solid vintage spy feature. 3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (2010's) list
Notes: Well, unfortunately, pretty much as I expected, even though I did like it, even after a 2nd watch, I can't say it really blew me away. Basically, it mostly had to do with the fact that I never been a fan of musicals and even though this movie was probably one of the most interesting musicals I have seen, it still didn't manage to make me fall in love with this genre. On the other hand, my wife, who is a die-hard fan of classic musicals, liked it even less than me. In fact, when you read the comments and reviews about this movie on this website, most Listal members seem to think that it was cute at best but nothing really amazing after all. Anyway, from a technical point of view, it was a very well made and beautiful movie and Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone both once again delivered some strong performances. However, like in most musicals, the story was just too generic, especially for a running time above the 2 hours, and even though Gosling and Stone were fine, I can't say I really cared for their characters. Eventually, I think it is rather overrated and I'm actually glad the vastly superior 'Moonlight' managed to win the Academy Award for the Best Picture instead of this movie.3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: With this movie, Alejandro Amenabar became a household name and went to direct âThe Othersâ in Hollywood. After âMar Adentroâ, it did become rather quiet with the Spanish director though. Anyway, coming back to our main feature, I find it rather difficult to choose between this one and the remake which one is the best. Still, I think I still prefer the original version because it focuses more on the story, there was no Hollywood influence here and, of course, the whole thing came from this flick. Still, even though it was an intriguing story, somehow, it didnât really blow me away. I donât know, on one hand, the surrealist atmosphere was one of the main assets of this movie, making it sometimes quite mesmerizing but, on the other hand, because of all the weird stuff going on, it was difficult to connect with the characters or to care with that they were going through. However, even though I didnât think it was really a masterpiece, it is still a pretty good mind-f*ck. 3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe posted a review of Welcome to Me
“To be honest, I wasnât really sure what to expect from this flick but since there was a decent cast involved, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, it was a rather tricky story and Kristen Wiig almost managed to make it land but not completely, Iâm afraid. The main issue, in my opinion, ” read more
3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: Well, unfortunately, pretty much as I expected, even though I did like it, even after a 2nd watch, I can't say it really blew me away. Basically, it mostly had to do with the fact that I never been a fan of musicals and even though this movie was probably one of the most interesting musicals I have seen, it still didn't manage to make me fall in love with this genre. On the other hand, my wife, who is a die-hard fan of classic musicals, liked it even less than me. In fact, when you read the comments and reviews about this movie on this website, most Listal members seem to think that it was cute at best but nothing really amazing after all. Anyway, from a technical point of view, it was a very well made and beautiful movie and Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone both once again delivered some strong performances. However, like in most musicals, the story was just too generic, especially for a running time above the 2 hours, and even though Gosling and Stone were fine, I can't say I really cared for their characters. Eventually, I think it is rather overrated and I'm actually glad the vastly superior 'Moonlight' managed to win the Academy Award for the Best Picture instead of this movie.3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (2010's) list
Notes: Basically, if the Dardennes brothers would remake âThe Godfatherâ, it would probably look like this. Indeed, it was a really intriguing crime feature involving the âhormone maffiaâ in Belgium and it was really interesting to see those mobs figures involved with farmers, cattle and vets instead of the usual urban areas. So, the directing was really sober and efficient but, above all, the breakthrough performance by Matthias Schoenaerts was just really amazing. Indeed, once again, you have here an actor who completely disappear behind his character who physically looked damaged but even more so psychologically and through fate, he also became an enhanced and crazed beast like his own cattle. Unfortunately, like many movies I have seen recently, they added way to many characters and way too many sub-plots and many of those were rather half-baked and unnecessary. Still, in spite of its flaws, it remains a pretty good crime drama with an amazing performance from Schoenaerts. 3 years, 10 months ago
Favorite Films by Countryjohanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1970's) list
Notes: Honestly, it is a rather difficult movie to judge. Indeed, the animation is probably not the best you have seen (apparently, they had such a low budget that Bakshi didn't even use pencil tests so that's hardly surprising) and its artistical merit is rather dubious. Still, even though it might not be a masterpiece, I still believe it is a groundbreaking feature. Indeed, even if I have seen by now around 7000 movies, I have never seem something similar before or after. Indeed, a mainstream animated picture is hugely time consuming (especially 50 years ago when everything was hand-drawn) and costs a lot so the producers have always been focusing on some safe family features to minimize the risks. At least, Ralph Bakshi dared to take some risks and he was rewarded by the box-office as this movie was a huge success. Eventually, he would have much more problem in the the 80's and the 90's ('Cool World' was a massive flop at the time) and the guy is pretty much retired nowadays. As I mentioned before, the plot is not really great and it is definitely an acquired taste but I thought it was quite fun though.3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1980's) list
Notes: Even though I grew up watching many movies, this flick was not one of those that I saw thousand times like many other people from my generation. I mean, I did see it back then when I was very young and even though I thought it was pretty neat, it didn't really blow me away like some other movies I saw back then. Eventually, I saw it again not so long ago and it remains a pretty good flick, no more no less. In my opinion, it is a rather typical Spielberg picture, with its positive and negative aspects. The positive aspects are that it was very well done with some great shots and special effects and even though it is now almost 40 years old, it is still entertaining from the beginning to the end. Some of those scenes or the score have become just really iconic. On the other hand, the negative aspect is that it tends to be overly sentimental in my opinion, it is a very moral tale and it has a rather black and white psychology about the good guys and the bad guys. To be honest, I actually think it is more enjoyable if you watch it very young, between 8 and 13 years old, then it is definitely a great watch.3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe posted a review of Mektoub, My Love: Canto Uno
“To be honest, I wasnât really sure what to expect from this flick but, until that point, Abdellatif Kechiche had an impressive track record. Indeed, 'L'esquive' and 'La graine et le mulet' had both won the CĂŠsar of the best French movie of the year and âLa vie d'Adèleâ had won the Golden Pal” read more
3 years, 10 months ago
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3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1960's) list
Notes: I have to admit that I always had some rather mixed feelings about Jean-Luc Godard. Indeed, I really loved âĂ bout de souffleâ and, after all these years, it is still one of my all-time favorites movies. Unfortunately, everything he has done afterwards has been increasingly difficult to watch and his work became at some point pretty much unwatchable. This movie is a fine example. Indeed, it was made only a few years after âĂ bout de souffleâ, it was Godardâs first and only attempt at making a big budget production, even working with Brigitte Bardot, one of the biggest stars in the world at the time, and there was definitely something quite spellbinding about this movie. And, yet, I thought the whole thing was rather bleak, cynical and you could argue that âContemptâ was not only the title of this movie but also what Godard felt about his American backers, about Brigitte Bardot, about the whole world in general for requiring him to make such a production beneath his standards. Thatâs the whole point with this movie and Godardâs work in general: itâs so obscure that you can pretty much read anything and nothing in the subtext. Anyway, Iâm not huge fan of this flick (Godard himself apparently hated it or at least hated making it) but it still definitely worth a look. 3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: Even though I grew up watching many movies, this flick was not one of those that I saw thousand times like many other people from my generation. I mean, I did see it back then when I was very young and even though I thought it was pretty neat, it didn't really blow me away like some other movies I saw back then. Eventually, I saw it again not so long ago and it remains a pretty good flick, no more no less. In my opinion, it is a rather typical Spielberg picture, with its positive and negative aspects. The positive aspects are that it was very well done with some great shots and special effects and even though it is now almost 40 years old, it is still entertaining from the beginning to the end. Some of those scenes or the score have become just really iconic. On the other hand, the negative aspect is that it tends to be overly sentimental in my opinion, it is a very moral tale and it has a rather black and white psychology about the good guys and the bad guys. To be honest, I actually think it is more enjoyable if you watch it very young, between 8 and 13 years old, then it is definitely a great watch.3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1960's) list
Notes: Basically, it is one of those movies which are more famous for their troubled production than for the movie itself. Indeed, not only Marilyn Monroe was reportedly impossible to handle during the shooting but all 3 major stars died soon after this movie (Clark Gable died just after filming this movie, Marilyn Monroe died a year later before completing any other project and Montgomery Clift died just a few years later). Sure, thatâs all really fascinating but what about the movie itself? Well, it was an intriguing piece of work but I was not sure what to make of it. Indeed, it basically deals with some outcasts, who were in fact pretty much some losers confused with themselves and about what they should do with themselves. Seriously, it was pretty eerie when considering where those actors stood at this point in their own life. Still, even though it was sometimes quite fascinating to watch, those characters were also, at some point, pretty pathetic and annoying (especially Marilyn Monroe's character). Still, in spite of its flaws, it remains a rather spellbinding movie3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe posted a review of Oxygen
“I wasnât really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was directed by Alexandre Aja and since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out. Furthermore, I think it was the first French movie I actually saw on Netflix which was pretty neat. To be honest, not everyt” read more
3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1930's) list
Notes: Apparently, this movie was first developed as a sequel to âMr. Deeds Goes to Townâ but since Gary Cooper was not available, they changed the name of the main character and they gave this part to James Stewart who gave here a star-making performance. Indeed, in my opinion, Stewart was actually more convincing than Cooper to play the pure and innocent Jefferson Smith and you have to give some credit to Stewart who gave a really strong performance here. I also liked the fact that Capra didnât take any gloves to show how corrupted the politicians were in Washington at the time and, in fact, you could say that the situation didnât change much 80 years later. I was also impressed by Jean Arthur who was not only lovely but she managed to give a character who was a strong and smart woman. Still, this movie gave a strange mix between the realism and cynicism displayed by the political world and the idealism and sentimatility displayed by Jefferson Smith and this mix was rather difficult to swallow. Itâs like the ending during which, Smith basically highjacks the Senate until they would listen to him and the worst thing is that it actually worked as Capra still managed to squeeze a happy-ending which was rushed within the last minutes. Thatâs when the movie felt the most cheesy and outdated in my opinion. Still, even if I wasnât really a huge fan, it was a decent watch though. 3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: Basically, it is one of those movies which are more famous for their troubled production than for the movie itself. Indeed, not only Marilyn Monroe was reportedly impossible to handle during the shooting but all 3 major stars died soon after this movie (Clark Gable died just after filming this movie, Marilyn Monroe died a year later before completing any other project and Montgomery Clift died just a few years later). Sure, thatâs all really fascinating but what about the movie itself? Well, it was an intriguing piece of work but I was not sure what to make of it. Indeed, it basically deals with some outcasts, who were in fact pretty much some losers confused with themselves and about what they should do with themselves. Seriously, it was pretty eerie when considering where those actors stood at this point in their own life. Still, even though it was sometimes quite fascinating to watch, those characters were also, at some point, pretty pathetic and annoying (especially Marilyn Monroe's character). Still, in spite of its flaws, it remains a rather spellbinding movie3 years, 10 months ago
