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johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1990's) list
Notes: To be honest, it has been a while since I have seen this flick and I should definitely re-watch it at some point. Anyway, like anyone else, I have noticed that the critics against Nicolas Cage have been drastically increasing during the last 25 years and, for a very long time, I was actually defending the guy. However, I have to admit it, the situation concerning his career is nowadays pretty much dramatic as he keeps showing up in some really dubious projects. Still, there was a time when he was a really inspired and inspiring actor and he even managed to win an Academy award for his work in this great movie. Indeed, you can say whatever you want about the guy but, he gave here a great performance, easily one of the best in his career. Concerning Elisabeth Shue, she was praised and she also pretty much gave the best performance of her career but, to be honest, she probably looked too good to be a believable prostitute but that was a minor issue. Anyway, even though I have seen many movies dealing with drugs and junkies, I havenât see so many movies dealing with alcoholism but this film gave a really dark and unforgettable view on this affliction.4 years ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: To be honest, it has been a while since I have seen this flick and I should definitely re-watch it at some point. Anyway, like anyone else, I have noticed that the critics against Nicolas Cage have been drastically increasing during the last 25 years and, for a very long time, I was actually defending the guy. However, I have to admit it, the situation concerning his career is nowadays pretty much dramatic as he keeps showing up in some really dubious projects. Still, there was a time when he was a really inspired and inspiring actor and he even managed to win an Academy award for his work in this great movie. Indeed, you can say whatever you want about the guy but, he gave here a great performance, easily one of the best in his career. Concerning Elisabeth Shue, she was praised and she also pretty much gave the best performance of her career but, to be honest, she probably looked too good to be a believable prostitute but that was a minor issue. Anyway, even though I have seen many movies dealing with drugs and junkies, I havenât see so many movies dealing with alcoholism but this film gave a really dark and unforgettable view on this affliction.4 years ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (2010's) list
Notes: First of all, even if I suffer from vertigo or maybe because I suffer from vertigo, I have always been fascinated by professional climbers and I always had a weak spot about movies dealing with this subject. Well, this movie was easily one of the best I have seen in this genre. Indeed, it is maybe the only film I have seen during which they actually explain how technical it is to climb such a mountain. Basically, when the guy finally goes free-solo, he does it after weeks and weeks of training and to behold this process was just fascinating. Furthermore, in my opinion, you get to understand that the drive of Alex Honnold is not fame or being the best in his field. In my opinion, what drives him is the quest for perfection, and when he finally achieves to climb this rock without a rope, something most people would describe as impossible, he basically has reached perfection and this moment is just exhilarating, mostly for him but also for the viewers. The only critic I might have is that the actual climb of El Capitan was done in only 10 minutes of running time and I wish they did spend more time on this massive achievement but that was a minor issue though. 4 years ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: First of all, even if I suffer from vertigo or maybe because I suffer from vertigo, I have always been fascinated by professional climbers and I always had a weak spot about movies dealing with this subject. Well, this movie was easily one of the best I have seen in this genre. Indeed, it is maybe the only film I have seen during which they actually explain how technical it is to climb such a mountain. Basically, when the guy finally goes free-solo, he does it after weeks and weeks of training and to behold this process was just fascinating. Furthermore, in my opinion, you get to understand that the drive of Alex Honnold is not fame or being the best in his field. In my opinion, what drives him is the quest for perfection, and when he finally achieves to climb this rock without a rope, something most people would describe as impossible, he basically has reached perfection and this moment is just exhilarating, mostly for him but also for the viewers. The only critic I might have is that the actual climb of El Capitan was done in only 10 minutes of running time and I wish they did spend more time on this massive achievement but that was a minor issue though. 4 years ago
johanlefourbe posted a review of Personal Effects
“I wasnât really sure what to expect from this flick but since I have a weak spot for Michelle Pfeiffer, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, I think it was actually an interesting story and the damned thing definitely had some potential. On top of that, pretty much like with âSilver Lin” read more
4 years ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1920's) list
Notes: Even though Charles Chaplin had been directing many movies as far back as 1914, I actually consider this movie his official directing debut since it was his first full length feature. Anyway, back then, when it was released it was obviously a tremendous critical and commercial success. Back in those days, Chaplin was already a big player thanks to the success of his marvelous short movies but with this new long format, he was clearly displaying his ambition to reach some new creative heights. In my opinion, he was still experimenting how far he could go with the Tramp so I don't think it was as good as his later work such as 'Modern Times' or 'The Great Dictator' but it doesn't change the fact that it was yet another enchanting movie with some hilarious bits but with some social consciousness as well. Jackie Coogan who played the title character was also pretty impressive and became in fact the first major child star in the movie business. Eventually, even though it might not be one of Chaplin's best movies, it is still a great classic. 4 years ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: Even though Charles Chaplin had been directing many movies as far back as 1914, I actually consider this movie his official directing debut since it was his first full length feature. Anyway, back then, when it was released it was obviously a tremendous critical and commercial success. Back in those days, Chaplin was already a big player thanks to the success of his marvelous short movies but with this new long format, he was clearly displaying his ambition to reach some new creative heights. In my opinion, he was still experimenting how far he could go with the Tramp so I don't think it was as good as his later work such as 'Modern Times' or 'The Great Dictator' but it doesn't change the fact that it was yet another enchanting movie with some hilarious bits but with some social consciousness as well. Jackie Coogan who played the title character was also pretty impressive and became in fact the first major child star in the movie business. Eventually, even though it might not be one of Chaplin's best movies, it is still a great classic. 4 years ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (2000's) list
Notes: This movie reminded me of this other great Brazilian flick, 'Cidade de Deus'. The big difference was that they didn't only focus on the Favelas but, this time, you get a glimpse on all the layers involved in the drug industry (the violent drug dealers, the population of the Favelas, the corrupted police forces, the students who buy some drugs, and of course the BOPE squad). The other big difference with 'Cidade de Deus' was the directing style. Indeed, whereas the former had a rather kynetic and fancy directing style, this movie was more realistic and some parts even felt like a documentary. Personally, I really enjoyed this movie and I thought it had actually a very strong anti-drug message. Indeed, if you are junkie, since you are addicted, of course, you need to score some drugs, that's another story. But consider all the recreative users who gets some dope for the week-end, do they realize all the suffering and misery involved in the process so they can enjoy their lign of coke? My only critic concerning this feature was that it was rather messy and confusing, especially the beginning. Still, since the situation in Brazil is a real mess, it was actually rather effective. 4 years ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: This movie reminded me of this other great Brazilian flick, 'Cidade de Deus'. The big difference was that they didn't only focus on the Favelas but, this time, you get a glimpse on all the layers involved in the drug industry (the violent drug dealers, the population of the Favelas, the corrupted police forces, the students who buy some drugs, and of course the BOPE squad). The other big difference with 'Cidade de Deus' was the directing style. Indeed, whereas the former had a rather kynetic and fancy directing style, this movie was more realistic and some parts even felt like a documentary. Personally, I really enjoyed this movie and I thought it had actually a very strong anti-drug message. Indeed, if you are junkie, since you are addicted, of course, you need to score some drugs, that's another story. But consider all the recreative users who gets some dope for the week-end, do they realize all the suffering and misery involved in the process so they can enjoy their lign of coke? My only critic concerning this feature was that it was rather messy and confusing, especially the beginning. Still, since the situation in Brazil is a real mess, it was actually rather effective. 4 years ago
johanlefourbe posted a review of Gringo
“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. To be honest, I actually had no idea what this movie was about and since there was a big cannabis leaf on all the promotional material, I assumed it would be some” read more
4 years ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1990's) list
Notes: It has been a while since I have seen this flick and I should definitely re-watch it at some point. First of all, to be honest, I'm not a big fan of Stephen King, neither the books or the movies. But, fortunately, a few of these adaptations turned out to be really good and this movie was definitely one of them. In fact, for Rob Reiner, it would be his 2nd acclaimed Stephen King feature following the critical success of âStand by Meâ (such a shame the guy has lost his touch as he hasn't done anything remotely amazing during the last 20 years). Coming back to our main feature, the story was just quite spellbinding and Kathy Bates gave a really chilling performance. Eventually, it will be her breakthrough and she would become the first woman to win an Oscar for the Best Actress in a horror/thriller feature. Eventually, the big difference between this story and the usual tales written by Stephen King is that most of it is actually grounded in reality which made it, at least for me, much easier to relate to and to believe in the characters and what they were going through.4 years ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: It has been a while since I have seen this flick and I should definitely re-watch it at some point. First of all, to be honest, I'm not a big fan of Stephen King, neither the books or the movies. But, fortunately, a few of these adaptations turned out to be really good and this movie was definitely one of them. In fact, for Rob Reiner, it would be his 2nd acclaimed Stephen King feature following the critical success of âStand by Meâ (such a shame the guy has lost his touch as he hasn't done anything remotely amazing during the last 20 years). Coming back to our main feature, the story was just quite spellbinding and Kathy Bates gave a really chilling performance. Eventually, it will be her breakthrough and she would become the first woman to win an Oscar for the Best Actress in a horror/thriller feature. Eventually, the big difference between this story and the usual tales written by Stephen King is that most of it is actually grounded in reality which made it, at least for me, much easier to relate to and to believe in the characters and what they were going through.4 years ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (2000's) list
Notes: Since it was a huge critical success, I was really dying to watch this flick. Eventually, I had 2 issues with this movie. First, it was very overhyped when I watched it the first time so my expectations were too high. Second, I was expecting a fantasy picture and the fantasy is only half of the movie, the other half being a war drama. Basically, I didn't get what I expected. In spite of all this, I really liked it as there was some very good directing and a fascinating story. Some years later, I watched it again to make up my mind for good and, honestly, the second time around, it gave me about the same feeling. I mean, the directing was indeed very good, the special effects were quite awesome, the story was intriguing and entertaining enough but, honestly, I never really felt swept away by this fantasy world. In my opinion it is a very well made and interesting dark fairy tale but it is not much more than that. Sometimes, you connect with a movie and sometimes, you donât. Apparently, this movie was not really my thing but it doesnât mean I didnât enjoy it. 4 years ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: Since it was a huge critical success, I was really dying to watch this flick. Eventually, I had 2 issues with this movie. First, it was very overhyped when I watched it the first time so my expectations were too high. Second, I was expecting a fantasy picture and the fantasy is only half of the movie, the other half being a war drama. Basically, I didn't get what I expected. In spite of all this, I really liked it as there was some very good directing and a fascinating story. Some years later, I watched it again to make up my mind for good and, honestly, the second time around, it gave me about the same feeling. I mean, the directing was indeed very good, the special effects were quite awesome, the story was intriguing and entertaining enough but, honestly, I never really felt swept away by this fantasy world. In my opinion it is a very well made and interesting dark fairy tale but it is not much more than that. Sometimes, you connect with a movie and sometimes, you donât. Apparently, this movie was not really my thing but it doesnât mean I didnât enjoy it. 4 years ago
johanlefourbe posted a review of 47 Meters Down
“I wasnât expecting much from this flick but since I have a weak spot for Mandy Moore, I thought I might as well check it out. I have to admit that I was also wondering how they would develop a whole movie solely on the concept of 2 girls in a shark cage. Well, the title was already a major spoiler” read more
4 years ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (2000's) list
Notes: Back in the 90's, the Dardenne brothers already won the Golden Palm with 'Rosetta' but, to be honest, I thought this movie rather underwhelming, probably the least appealing movie they made so far as a matter of fact. On the other hand, it saw this movie years ago in the movie theatre when it was released and I should probably check it out again at some point. Anyway, the Belgian siblings are one of the few directors who managed to win twice the Golden Palm and I was really curious to see if the second time around, they did actually deserve this prestigious award. And indeed, this time, I thought it was pretty amazing. The story was really heartbreaking and offered no redemption whatsoever. The Dardennes brothers have a very natural directing style and the whole thing almost looked like a documentary. Furthermore, the actors were no well-known stars (at least, back then) but they all gave some very convincing performances. I think I enjoyed more 'Le Fils' but this flick is still one of the best directed by these guys.4 years ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1940's) list
Notes: I always had a weak spot for this feature. Indeed, there is one thing that always bothered me with Disneyâs animated features and it is their terrible lack of originality. Basically, all their movies tend to follow the very same formulas and set of rules and even though it was fine when âSnow White and the Seven Dwarfsâ was released, 80 years later, it has become seriously tedious. For this reason, I always had a weak spot for this flick because, even though it is flawed, it remains one of their most original productions and only for this, it should get much more credit. Take for example the âNight on Bald Mountainâ sequence, it is probably one of the creepiest things ever produced by Disney and, even though parents have been complaining about this sequence for decades, I wish Disney would go more often in this direction. Still, while I was rewatching the damned thing, I was actually surprised by how little I actually remember it. Of course, you could argue that it had been more than 20 years since I saw it but I'm afraid that most of these sequences, while they were all interesting and valuable just based on their pure experimental value, were not really remarkable after all. Anyway, even though it might not be Disneyâs most heralded feature, it remains a fascinating blend of classic tunes with some top-notch animation.4 years ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: I always had a weak spot for this feature. Indeed, there is one thing that always bothered me with Disneyâs animated features and it is their terrible lack of originality. Basically, all their movies tend to follow the very same formulas and set of rules and even though it was fine when âSnow White and the Seven Dwarfsâ was released, 80 years later, it has become seriously tedious. For this reason, I always had a weak spot for this flick because, even though it is flawed, it remains one of their most original productions and only for this, it should get much more credit. Take for example the âNight on Bald Mountainâ sequence, it is probably one of the creepiest things ever produced by Disney and, even though parents have been complaining about this sequence for decades, I wish Disney would go more often in this direction. Still, while I was rewatching the damned thing, I was actually surprised by how little I actually remember it. Of course, you could argue that it had been more than 20 years since I saw it but I'm afraid that most of these sequences, while they were all interesting and valuable just based on their pure experimental value, were not really remarkable after all. Anyway, even though it might not be Disneyâs most heralded feature, it remains a fascinating blend of classic tunes with some top-notch animation.4 years ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1940's) list
Notes: This is the very first movie I have shown to my daughter, I have seen it countless times when she was just 2 or 3 years old. The funny thing about this production is that, even though 'Pinocchio' and 'Fantasia' were both critically heralded, they were also some really ambitious projects that had cost Disney a lot and they didn't turn out to be some huge box-office success like 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'. So, back then, they decided to come up with something smaller and cheaper and, surprisingly, it turned out to be a hit. To be honest, I think that the scope was too limited to make it one of my favorites and, with a running time of barely 60 minutes, and the fact that Timothy Q. Mouse was just a recycled version of Jiminy Cricket, it did feel a little bit cheap. And yet, this Dumbo character was really awesome. Indeed, it showed some guts to have a title character who didnât say a word during the whole thing and there were a couple of scenes involving him and his mother that were just amazing and quite heartbreaking to behold. Also, you won't see any time soon in a Disney feature an infant getting drunk and hallucinating afterwards and a bunch of black crowns smoking some huge cigars. On top of that, they gave us their weirdest (also one of their most awesome) musical sequence with the legendary 'pink elephants on parade'. 4 years ago