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johanlefourbe added 1 item to Top 10 best movies 2017 list
Notes: To be honest, it didnāt turn out to be an easy watch but since it was from the same guy who gave us āTangerineā, it was hardly surprising. Indeed, Sean Baker gave us once again a movie without an actual plot and, in fact, during the whole thing, pretty much nothing really happened. And, yet, the damned thing still worked though. Once again, Baker continued his deconstruction of the America Dream by displaying some seemingly colourful but in fact decrepit hotels filled up with people living, or surviving would be more accurate, in the margins of society when a few miles away, 1000ās of tourists spends fortunes to go to Disneyworld. As I mentioned before, nothing much really happened through the whole thing, you mostly see the main characters either wandering aimlessly or running some scams and, on top of that, they were all rather unlikable making the whole thing ever harder to watch. Except of course for Willem Dafoeās character. Dafoe would be eventually praised for his work here but, to be honest, I thought it was a distraction to see such a well-established actor among all these amateurs or first timers. The fact that he played basically the only decent guy around didnāt help either. Eventually, I was above all impressed by Brooklynn Prince who gave one of the most incredible child performances I have ever seen. Of course, she seemed to be so annoying and she was for sure, but behind the obnoxious behaviour, you had also a survivor with some major streetwise knowledge and a kid able to create the greatest adventures out of thin air. Concerning Halley played by Bria Vinaite, well, it was even more difficult to root for her for some obvious reasons. Indeed, she kept making some terrible decisions and her behaviour was probably even more obnoxious than her daughter so your first reaction would be to think that she might be the worst mother in the world. And, yet, if you would dig a little deeper, she actually gave her daughter a roof, food and, above all, love and it would have been easier for her to ditch the kid (like her father did apparently) but it was never an option for her. 3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1910's) list
Notes: To be honest, I kept pushing this movie away because, letās face it, to watch a 3 hours silent feature is a rather daunting prospect, at least to me. Eventually, I have to admit that it was quite impressive. Indeed, it was a very ambitious production, no doubt it, and the production value was really amazing. Apparently, D.W. Griffith spent $2 million to make this flick which was a huge amount of money at the time and, apparently, even so, the audience were not really attracted by such a long movie so it wasnāt really a financial success after all. I must admit it, myself, I was quite intrigued during the 1rst hour but then, I had a hard time to focus until the end. Griffith basically mixed 4 stories, 3 around some historical events (the fall of Babylon, the crucifixion, the massacre of the St. Bartholomew's Day) and a contemporary fiction and the fact that he kept switching between all these tales made it even more difficult to hold on the whole thing. Still, it was very well directed, especially when you think that it is more than 100 years old. Eventually, even if Iām not a huge fan of those very long silent features, this one is a classic though. 3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe posted a review of The Florida Project
“I wasnāt really sure what to expect from this flick but since it had been very well received, I was quite eager to check it out. Well, to be honest, it didnāt turn out to be an easy watch but since it was from the same guy who gave us āTangerineā, it was hardly surprising. Indeed, Sean Baker” read more
3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to TV Shows I would love to watch list
What is it about?
The FBI and ATF seize religious leader David Koresh's Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas in the spring of 1993.3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1960's) list
Notes: It was the 3rd movie directed by Fred Zinnemann that I had the pleasure to watch (following 'The Day of the Jackalā and āThe Nun's Storyā) and I became more and more impressed every time by his work. I mean, those 3 movies were completely different but they all displayed some fascinating stories, some very solid acting and some expert directing. This time around, I was above all impressed by the dialogues. Indeed, it was basically a play adaptation and even though it was about 2 hours long, nothing much actually really happened but there was a lot of talking, thatās for sure. Eventually, itās a pity that I saw this movie on the BBC without subtitles and Iām afraid I honestly missed 50% of it which prevented me to enjoy the whole thing even more. Still, it was all very good. I mean, nowadays Iām always surprised about how dumbed down the movies are and after watching Zinnemannās feature, it was even more obvious. Indeed, in this movie, all the characters were so articulate, everything they said made complete sense and instead of getting some loud explosions, or some fancy CGI robots, you get instead an amazing battle of wits. Not only the dialogues were impressive but the acting was also quite amazing. As a matter of fact, it took me several minutes to actually recognize the great Orson Welles. Too bad his character died fairly quickly but I was equally impressed by Paul Scofield, Robert Shaw and (a very young) John Hurt.3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: To be honest, I kept pushing this movie away because, letās face it, to watch a 3 hours silent feature is a rather daunting prospect, at least to me. Eventually, I have to admit that it was quite impressive. Indeed, it was a very ambitious production, no doubt it, and the production value was really amazing. Apparently, D.W. Griffith spent $2 million to make this flick which was a huge amount of money at the time and, apparently, even so, the audience were not really attracted by such a long movie so it wasnāt really a financial success after all. I must admit it, myself, I was quite intrigued during the 1rst hour but then, I had a hard time to focus until the end. Griffith basically mixed 4 stories, 3 around some historical events (the fall of Babylon, the crucifixion, the massacre of the St. Bartholomew's Day) and a contemporary fiction and the fact that he kept switching between all these tales made it even more difficult to hold on the whole thing. Still, it was very well directed, especially when you think that it is more than 100 years old. Eventually, even if Iām not a huge fan of those very long silent features, this one is a classic though. 3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe voted for list
Movies the giraffe watched in 2020: August (30 movies items)3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: It was the 3rd movie directed by Fred Zinnemann that I had the pleasure to watch (following 'The Day of the Jackalā and āThe Nun's Storyā) and I became more and more impressed every time by his work. I mean, those 3 movies were completely different but they all displayed some fascinating stories, some very solid acting and some expert directing. This time around, I was above all impressed by the dialogues. Indeed, it was basically a play adaptation and even though it was about 2 hours long, nothing much actually really happened but there was a lot of talking, thatās for sure. Eventually, itās a pity that I saw this movie on the BBC without subtitles and Iām afraid I honestly missed 50% of it which prevented me to enjoy the whole thing even more. Still, it was all very good. I mean, nowadays Iām always surprised about how dumbed down the movies are and after watching Zinnemannās feature, it was even more obvious. Indeed, in this movie, all the characters were so articulate, everything they said made complete sense and instead of getting some loud explosions, or some fancy CGI robots, you get instead an amazing battle of wits. Not only the dialogues were impressive but the acting was also quite amazing. As a matter of fact, it took me several minutes to actually recognize the great Orson Welles. Too bad his character died fairly quickly but I was equally impressed by Paul Scofield, Robert Shaw and (a very young) John Hurt.3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1970's) list
Notes: Well, to be honest, pretty much like with 'Night of the Living Dead', even though I did like the damned thing, I can't say I thought it was really great though. Sure, I did like how it was sharp with a nice combination of horror, humor and satirical critic on our consumerist society. The main issue was that the acting was rather weak and the directing, with all respect to Romero, was nothing really amazing either. In my opinion, both were actually better in the recent remake. As a matter of fact, I can't actually say which one was better between this original version directed by George A. Romero and the remake directed by Zack Snyder. Indeed, the remake did look better but it still turned out to be a rather standard action flick, lacking the wit and originality of this first version. I guess, pretty much like when 'Night of the Living Dead', came out, it must have been quite a shock for the audience because they never had seen anything like this before. However, Iām afraid it has actually lost most of its impact nowadays. Anyway, even if I donāt think it is really such a masterpiece, it still a classic though. 3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe posted a review of Orlando
“Since this movie has a solid reputation, I was quite eager to check it out. Well, I have to admit that I always had a hard time to connect with Sally Potter's workĀ (and, by now, I have already seen half of the movies she has directed) and I'm afraid even her most heralded movie turned out to be qui” read more
3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: Well, to be honest, pretty much like with 'Night of the Living Dead', even though I did like the damned thing, I can't say I thought it was really great though. Sure, I did like how it was sharp with a nice combination of horror, humor and satirical critic on our consumerist society. The main issue was that the acting was rather weak and the directing, with all respect to Romero, was nothing really amazing either. In my opinion, both were actually better in the recent remake. As a matter of fact, I can't actually say which one was better between this original version directed by George A. Romero and the remake directed by Zack Snyder. Indeed, the remake did look better but it still turned out to be a rather standard action flick, lacking the wit and originality of this first version. I guess, pretty much like when 'Night of the Living Dead', came out, it must have been quite a shock for the audience because they never had seen anything like this before. However, Iām afraid it has actually lost most of its impact nowadays. Anyway, even if I donāt think it is really such a masterpiece, it still a classic though. 3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1970's) list
Notes: At first glance, it seemed to be about the rise of Fascism in Italy and its impact on the rich Jews living in a small city but De Sica obviously went beyond that but, to be honest, I'm not sure I fully understood what he was getting at. Eventually, what were we supposed to feel about the Finzi Contini? Were we suppose to feel sorry for them because even their incredible wealth couldn't save them from the Fascist madness? Also, what was the deal with Alberto who was sick throughout the whole movie? Same thing with his sister MicĆ²l, what was the deal with her ice queen bitch act? At least, it was intriguing that most of these Jews were attractive with blond hair and blue eyes which made them look like some perfect Nazis which shows that Fascism is not only an ignorant ideology but, apparently, it is also blind. Anyway, even if I didn't care much about the characters, they were still complex and interesting and, eventually, even if this movie didn't completely blow me away, it was still a solid historical drama.3 years, 10 months ago
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3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1970's) list
Notes: To be honest, I have to admit that I was expecting something more from it, especially since it has such a stellar reputation. It is an intriguing movie though, not doubt about it. Indeed, basically, back in those days and up until 'Schindler's List', even though Spielberg's movies were massively popular, they were all still pretty much some kind of theme-park attractions. However, here, he truly tried for the first time to deliver something more grown-up, even meditative, and you could really feel the influence of Stanley Kubrick. Sure, most viewers are still raving about the special effects which were quite ground-breaking for the time period but I was mostly intrigued by the tone which clearly stood out from the rest of his work. Furthermore, I have to admit that I really loved this ending. Seriously, it must be one of the most soothing endings I have ever seen. However, I also thought that it was rather bewildering that everyone would celebrate Roy Neary leaving with the aliens when, in fact, he had a wife and 3 kids he left behind. Seriously, it was really messed-up for them and I don't really get why the writers didn't pick instead Jill Guiler and her son or Lacombe. Anyway, except for this fascinating ending, to be honest, nothing much really noteworthy happens during the rest of the movie. I mean, basically, you have a bunch of mildly interesting characters constantly running around with a look of bewilderment on their face and not much more than that after all. Still, even though I did end up with some mixed feelings, it is a classic though.3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: At first glance, it seemed to be about the rise of Fascism in Italy and its impact on the rich Jews living in a small city but De Sica obviously went beyond that but, to be honest, I'm not sure I fully understood what he was getting at. Eventually, what were we supposed to feel about the Finzi Contini? Were we suppose to feel sorry for them because even their incredible wealth couldn't save them from the Fascist madness? Also, what was the deal with Alberto who was sick throughout the whole movie? Same thing with his sister MicĆ²l, what was the deal with her ice queen bitch act? At least, it was intriguing that most of these Jews were attractive with blond hair and blue eyes which made them look like some perfect Nazis which shows that Fascism is not only an ignorant ideology but, apparently, it is also blind. Anyway, even if I didn't care much about the characters, they were still complex and interesting and, eventually, even if this movie didn't completely blow me away, it was still a solid historical drama.3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: To be honest, I have to admit that I was expecting something more from it, especially since it has such a stellar reputation. It is an intriguing movie though, not doubt about it. Indeed, basically, back in those days and up until 'Schindler's List', even though Spielberg's movies were massively popular, they were all still pretty much some kind of theme-park attractions. However, here, he truly tried for the first time to deliver something more grown-up, even meditative, and you could really feel the influence of Stanley Kubrick. Sure, most viewers are still raving about the special effects which were quite ground-breaking for the time period but I was mostly intrigued by the tone which clearly stood out from the rest of his work. Furthermore, I have to admit that I really loved this ending. Seriously, it must be one of the most soothing endings I have ever seen. However, I also thought that it was rather bewildering that everyone would celebrate Roy Neary leaving with the aliens when, in fact, he had a wife and 3 kids he left behind. Seriously, it was really messed-up for them and I don't really get why the writers didn't pick instead Jill Guiler and her son or Lacombe. Anyway, except for this fascinating ending, to be honest, nothing much really noteworthy happens during the rest of the movie. I mean, basically, you have a bunch of mildly interesting characters constantly running around with a look of bewilderment on their face and not much more than that after all. Still, even though I did end up with some mixed feelings, it is a classic though.3 years, 10 months ago
johanlefourbe posted a review of Capone
“Following the āFantastic Fourā debacle, Josh Trank still managed to come up with a new directing effort but, even though it turned out to be another critical bomb, I was still eager to check the end-result. Well, to be honest, I wonder why this movie had received such harsh reviews since it was ” read more
3 years, 10 months ago
