Login
Home
585 Lists
7806 Reviews
Collections
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1970's) list
Notes: Basically, after struggling for many years, Martin Scorsese finally managed to get his breakthrough. Indeed, even though this movie was not his debut, it was here that he finally introduced his directing style and displayed his huge potential. Of course, Robert De Niro was involved and he would also get his breakthrough thanks to this movie. To be honest, I don't think it is one of Scorsese's best movies though. Indeed, there was basically no story and it was rather messy. Eventually, he would make âTaxi Driverâ, âRaging Bullâ, âGoodfellasâ and âCasinoâ and those are only some of the movies he would direct with De Niro so thatâs rather unfair to compare this movie to such impressive classics but it was still really solid. Above all, with this movie, you were able to witness the birth of one of the greatest American directors that ever lived. The most interesting aspect, in my opinion, was how gritty the whole thing was and how genuine it felt. Indeed, so far, most gangsters have been rather glamorized but, here, they were displayed as human beings, albeit twisted but still human which was really refreshing. This attention in constructing some well defined characters would then become a trademark in Scorsese's work.4 years, 7 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: Eventually, I was seriously impressed by the damned thing and I'm not surprised that it gave Brie Larson's deserved breakthrough. The first thing I enjoyed was the fact they didn't give a tedious introduction to make sure that the viewers understood what was going on. Sure, Rami Malek was playing a new employee on his first day so they gave him a few tips, obviously, to still informed somehow the viewers but, fortunately, they didn't focus too much on his character. Anyway, the way they presented this foster-care facility felt so realitisc and, very often, it felt like watching a fascinating documentary. I have to admit that I did struggle a little bit with how much time they spent on the private life of the co-workers and, to be honest, I don't think that someone with so much personal baggage like the main character was actually really suited for this kind of job. On the other hand, it was really interesting to see someone so damaged who had decided to help such kids in need until she got to the point that she couldn't handle anymore the pressure because her work reminded her that she should also face her own demons. 4 years, 7 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1990's) list
Notes: More than 20 years ago, Cate Blanchett gave her breakthrough performance in this movie. Of course, since Iâm a huge fan of her work, I was really eager to check this and, fortunately, I wasnât disappointed. Indeed, first of all, the movie looked stunning. I mean, the sets, the costumes were just amazing and even though Iâm not really a fan of costume dramas in general, I was really able to appreciate the work provided here. Thankfully, this movie was not only nice to look at, it also provided a fascinating story which was some kind of mix between a historical drama and a political thriller. Of course, you can always argue that the whole thing was not completely accurate but when you deal with some historical events that took place centuries ago, this argument is rather pointless if you ask me. Anyway, back in those days, it was nominated for the Best Picture at the Academy Awards but lost out from âShakespeare in loveâ, one of the most controversial winners ever (the other losers were âSaving Private Ryanâ, âThe Thin Red Lineâ and âLife is Beautifulâ. Nowadays, not many people would argue that âShakespeareâŚâ actually really deserved this prize). What remains is that Cate Blanchett was really impressive in this, she became overnight one of the best actresses of her generation and she has consolidated her career ever since with some smart choices and other brilliant performances. Basically, it was the start of a stunning career.4 years, 7 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: Basically, after struggling for many years, Martin Scorsese finally managed to get his breakthrough. Indeed, even though this movie was not his debut, it was here that he finally introduced his directing style and displayed his huge potential. Of course, Robert De Niro was involved and he would also get his breakthrough thanks to this movie. To be honest, I don't think it is one of Scorsese's best movies though. Indeed, there was basically no story and it was rather messy. Eventually, he would make âTaxi Driverâ, âRaging Bullâ, âGoodfellasâ and âCasinoâ and those are only some of the movies he would direct with De Niro so thatâs rather unfair to compare this movie to such impressive classics but it was still really solid. Above all, with this movie, you were able to witness the birth of one of the greatest American directors that ever lived. The most interesting aspect, in my opinion, was how gritty the whole thing was and how genuine it felt. Indeed, so far, most gangsters have been rather glamorized but, here, they were displayed as human beings, albeit twisted but still human which was really refreshing. This attention in constructing some well defined characters would then become a trademark in Scorsese's work.4 years, 7 months ago
johanlefourbe added 2 items to Wat gaan we in de bioscoop zien? (movies to watch) list
4 years, 7 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: More than 20 years ago, Cate Blanchett gave her breakthrough performance in this movie. Of course, since Iâm a huge fan of her work, I was really eager to check this and, fortunately, I wasnât disappointed. Indeed, first of all, the movie looked stunning. I mean, the sets, the costumes were just amazing and even though Iâm not really a fan of costume dramas in general, I was really able to appreciate the work provided here. Thankfully, this movie was not only nice to look at, it also provided a fascinating story which was some kind of mix between a historical drama and a political thriller. Of course, you can always argue that the whole thing was not completely accurate but when you deal with some historical events that took place centuries ago, this argument is rather pointless if you ask me. Anyway, back in those days, it was nominated for the Best Picture at the Academy Awards but lost out from âShakespeare in loveâ, one of the most controversial winners ever (the other losers were âSaving Private Ryanâ, âThe Thin Red Lineâ and âLife is Beautifulâ. Nowadays, not many people would argue that âShakespeareâŚâ actually really deserved this prize). What remains is that Cate Blanchett was really impressive in this, she became overnight one of the best actresses of her generation and she has consolidated her career ever since with some smart choices and other brilliant performances. Basically, it was the start of a stunning career.4 years, 7 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1940's) list
Notes: This movie definitely deserves its stellar reputation, thatâs for sure. Indeed, it is probably one of the best film noir ever made and the whole thing was quite pitch-perfect. First of all, Vienna, at the end of the WWII, was a really murky place, it was the perfect spot for such a story and those chases down the sewers have become quite legendary by now. I also really enjoyed the dialogues which were sometimes almost hilarious but , above all, I really liked the fact that all the characters were far from being perfect, in the contrary. Even the main character was pretty much a loser, a writer of cheap novels who seemed to be borderline alcoholic and the gorgeous Alida Valli, probably the least reprehensible character, was also seriously naive. The only slight issue I had is that I didnât really understand Harry Lime's motivations. Indeed, why did he actually ask his friend Holly Martins to come to Vienna? Why did he actually show up again to meet his friend? Maybe I missed something and should check it out again at some point. Anyway, it is a very good film noir.4 years, 7 months ago
johanlefourbe posted a review of The Babysitter: Killer Queen
“I didnât care much for âThe Babysitterâ but since this sequel was also available on Netflix, I thought I might as well give it a try. Well, maybe because I had such low expectations but, to be honest, I thought it was not bad after all and I actually enjoyed it more than its predecessor. Indee” read more
4 years, 7 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: This movie definitely deserves its stellar reputation, thatâs for sure. Indeed, it is probably one of the best film noir ever made and the whole thing was quite pitch-perfect. First of all, Vienna, at the end of the WWII, was a really murky place, it was the perfect spot for such a story and those chases down the sewers have become quite legendary by now. I also really enjoyed the dialogues which were sometimes almost hilarious but , above all, I really liked the fact that all the characters were far from being perfect, in the contrary. Even the main character was pretty much a loser, a writer of cheap novels who seemed to be borderline alcoholic and the gorgeous Alida Valli, probably the least reprehensible character, was also seriously naive. The only slight issue I had is that I didnât really understand Harry Lime's motivations. Indeed, why did he actually ask his friend Holly Martins to come to Vienna? Why did he actually show up again to meet his friend? Maybe I missed something and should check it out again at some point. Anyway, it is a very good film noir.4 years, 7 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1940's) list
Notes: To be honest, it has been a while since I have seen this flick and I should probably re-watch it at some point. Anyway, it is probably the most famous movie coming from the Italian neo-realist genre and since it is such a classic, I was really glad to finally watch the damned thing. Well, the first thing that stroke me was how simple the story actually was. However, even though it was a simple tale, I was actually impressed by how damned efficient it was. Indeed, I am often amazed and even annoyed by how convoluted and far-fetched the movie plots can become in our modern movies. This movie was the proof that it does never need to be this way, that you don't have to have some annoying twist or some unbelievable action scenes to make things more entertaining. In my opinion, the combination of realism and symbolism displayed here was just great and the story was sometimes rather heartbreaking. Still, I guess it is an acquired taste and I guess many modern viewers might get bored by this flick.4 years, 7 months ago
johanlefourbe posted a review of Dolittle
“To be honest, since this movie had been a massive commercial and critical flop, I wasnât expecting much but since I have a weak spot for Robert Downey Jr., I thought I might as well check it out. Well, it is rather sad that Downey chose such an uninspired and misguided project following his retire” read more
4 years, 7 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1980's) list
Notes: To be honest, it has been years since I have seen this movie and I should definitely re-watch it at some point. Anyway, I always thought it was just a fascinating picture. I mean, first of all, the people involved were just really interesting. Indeed, even though it was directed by Nagisa Ăshima, it wasnât really a Japanese production, more an international project. Same for the lead characters, they were played by two rocks stars, David Bowie and RyĂťichi Sakamoto. It seems that Bowie could have been an amazing actor if he chose this direction. Finally, years before becoming an amazing film director, Takeshi Kitano also appeared in this movie in a smaller role. So, all these ingredients were really unexpected but really interesting and, all together, they made for a mesmerising and quite unique war feature. The most important idea is that you get a massive culture clash between Japanese and British culture but also between Japanese and British acting styles and, in spite of there differences, there is some kind of attraction between the two worlds.4 years, 7 months ago
