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All reviews - Movies (7741) - TV Shows (10)

An average movie

Posted : 9 hours, 8 minutes ago on 14 February 2025 11:39 (A review of Scream VI)

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, to be honest, even though I always had a hard time to care about the sequels in this franchise (seriously, all of them), I thought this one was actually not bad at all after all. Indeed, the intro was really solid (by the way, Samara Weaving never looked more stunning in this yellow dress), it was pretty cool that they finally moved the action from Woodsboro to New York. Above all, even more than with the previous installment, I have such a weak spot for Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, they were both so charismatic and they just rocked when they were together. Before the movie was released, there was some controversy because Neve Campbell refused to come back because she wasn’t paid enough but, to be honest, she wasn’t missed and it was nice that they could focus more on the new characters without her. Concerning Hayden Panettiere, it was nice to see her again after all these years (at the time, she was actually practically retired) but, to be honest, her performance was rather weak but she wasn’t helped by the fact that her character was rather half-baked. She wasn’t the only one though as, except for Sam and Tara, all of the other characters were rather underwhelming. Coming back on the movie itself, the general concept was not bad at all but, to be honest, the ending was rather weak though. Basically, each time around, except maybe for the first movie, they took the most random characters and decided that they will be the next killers for the most convoluted reasons you can think of. The fact that the movie was slightly too long probably didn’t help either. Anyway, to conclude, even if it was nothing ground-breaking, I still think it was an improvement on its predecessor, even probably the best sequel in this franchise, and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.


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An average movie

Posted : 1 day, 8 hours ago on 13 February 2025 12:19 (A review of The East)

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since there was a decent cast involved and since it was available on Disney+, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, to be honest, right from the start, I actually really struggled to care about the damned thing. It’s too bad because the subject matter was actually super interesting. Indeed, I always found strange that there is no eco-terrorism groups nowadays while, in the 70’s, we did have some violent leftist groups around the world so it was pretty cool to see a movie focusing on such a group, even if it doesn’t really exist. Unfortunately, the approach was just way too heavy-handed though. For example, the worst scene was probably when the main character grabbed an old apple from a trashcan just to make a point with her (future ex-)boss but it was rather pathetic. Seriously, did she really need to infiltrate an anarchist environmentalist group to figure this out?!? Concerning Brit Marling, I always had a huge weak spot for her, I wonder why she hasn’t done more work during the last 10 years, and she was here again super charismatic. Unfortunately, her character was just terribly naïve and way too easily manipulated. Basically, on her very first assignment, she already flipped sides which shows that she was maybe not their greatest asset after all. Finally, the ending was just really preposterous. Indeed, we were supposed to believe that this spy grew a conscience and decided to save the world by recruiting other similar agents like her. However, such operation would require so much funds, funds that she obviously didn’t have among many other things. I was rather surprised when the credits were rolling at the end that Marling actually wrote the damned thing herself as it was probably the weakest point in this movie. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, it was dealing with a very interesting topic so I still think it is worth a look though but it could or should have been so much better though.



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An average movie

Posted : 2 days, 7 hours ago on 12 February 2025 12:49 (A review of Sympathy for the Devil)

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since there was a decent cast involved and since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out. To be honest,  during the last 20 years, it has become quite a chore to watch Nicolas Cage’s movies because you’re never sure if you will get yet another lame and completely forgettable action flick or another cult-classic if you are really lucky. Well, sure, this movie was nothing really groundbreaking but I thought it was not bad, at least, I have seen much worse with Cage involved. Basically, it was a minimalistic movie with only 2 characters, a genre I definitely have a weak spot for, with a dash of ‘Collateral’ which is not the worst inspiration but it did make the whole thing slightly derivative. Above all, Nicolas Cage gave here one of his typical unhinged performances and the guy was just a real riot and so entertaining to behold. Concerning Joel Kinnaman, I do have a weak for this actor but, in contrary to Cage, he was stuck playing the ‘straight’ guy so the challenge was actually bigger for him but, at the end, his character was completely forgettable, I'm afraid. Concerning the story itself, to be honest, I’m not sure if it really held up though. I mean, did these guy know each other after all or not? The character played by Cage did tell his tale at some point but I guess I wasn’t really paying attention at the time (until this point, it wasn't exactly really a deep movie which required much of my energy or mind). Anyway, to conclude, even if it was nothing really amazing, it was still a decent watch and I think it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre or if you are interested in Nicolas Cage’s work. 


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An average movie

Posted : 3 days, 11 hours ago on 11 February 2025 09:36 (A review of Manslaughter)

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since it was directed by Cecil B. DeMille and since it was available on YouTube, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, it is only afterwards that I discovered that this movie was considered as possibly the worst one DeMille had delivered in his career and I have to agree that it wasn’t really good. Basically, the whole thing was just too disjointed. Seriously, who was actually the main character in this tale and you might wonder if this movie really required some full-blown fantasy showing some decadent bacchanal in the Roman era but my guess is that it was maybe DeMille’s favorite part. And, yet, some ideas were not bad though. Indeed, it was interesting how reckless, selfish and even rather unlikeable Lydia Thorne was and it was actually quite satisfying to see her ending up in jail, in spite of all the wealth she had. Back then, many movies were focusing on the rich and fortunate and it was refreshing to see a movie showing how actually vapid this lifestyle was. Unfortunately, it didn’t last for long though and the way she found redemption after spending a few years in jail was rather preposterous. Indeed, if you thought that the fantasy scenes in Rome were unrealistic, these scenes taking place in prison were even worse as if this woman went to some nice friendly summer camp and came back as a complete new person. Unfortunately, we all know that, in most cases, going to jail would be actually a dreadful, if not even seriously traumatic experience. Another issue was the really convoluted love story between Lydia Thorne and Daniel O'Bannon. I mean, wasn’t it a major conflict of interest that this District Attorney would be prosecuting her case when they were actually acquainted? Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, I still think it is worth a look but probably only if you are really interested in Cecil B. DeMille’s work.


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A good movie

Posted : 4 days, 9 hours ago on 10 February 2025 11:44 (A review of Babygirl)

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since it did receive some solid reviews, I thought I might as well check it out. After watching the trailer, I was slightly concerned as it seemed to be about a creepy and abusive relationship but, fortunately, this trailer turned out to be misleading after all. Indeed, what they failed to display in the trailer and actually displayed right away at the beginning of this movie was the fact that Romy did desire some kind of SM sexual relationship way before she started this affair which completely changed the way I perceived her character and the one played by Harris Dickinson. Concerning the rest of the movie, well, to be honest, no matter the efforts of the brilliant people involved, it turned out to be a rather generic love affair between an older married woman and some hot young guy after all. However, the damned thing still worked though mostly thanks to some pitch-perfect performances by Nicole Kidman but also by Harris Dickinson. Indeed, what made their relationship so special was not really the kinky stuff but how they had such a deep connection right from the moment they met each other for the very first time. Indeed, within seconds, it seemed that they completely understood each other which was rather overwhelming for Romy who couldn’t even understand herself so to experience something like this with another human being was actually quite life shattering. Another interesting thing with this movie was that it displayed the reason why I dislike most people in general. Indeed, we basically all try to look and sound the same which is, for me, just so terribly underwhelming. In fact, like Romy, we all have something unique which might be dark/weird/whatever but we should lean much more in what makes us unique. Unfortunately, everybody tries to be the same and not only it makes us just terribly homogeneous and boring but also terribly frustrated like Romy was for all these years. Reading all this, it might seem that this movie was really fascinating but, even though Kidman and Dickinson were indeed quite mesmerizing to behold, the rest of the movie was actually rather pedestrian. On top of that, the weird happy ending which allowed Romy to keep her marriage intact was hardly satisfying and/or convincing. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, it was still a decent watch and it is definitely worth a look. 


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A very good movie

Posted : 5 days, 12 hours ago on 9 February 2025 08:20 (A review of A Heart in Winter)

I already saw this movie but, since it was ages ago, I thought I might as well check it out again. I have to admit that I didn’t remember anything about it and, to be honest, I was wondering if I actually ever saw it before. Anyway, even though I know Claude Sautet is regarded as a major director in France, I’m not familiar at all with his work (I have actually seen only 2 of his movies, including this one) but the guy really blew me away here. I can imagine that, even if I did watch it when I was a teenager, there is no way I could really feel a connection with the damned thing at the time. Basically, it’s a fascinating character study and a mesmerizing love story. Sure, there was actually no ‘consummation’ of this love but it was actually a really bold move and it made the whole thing stands out the countless love stories that you can find out there. Another tricky thing was to make sure that StĂ©phane (probably one of the best performances by Daniel Auteuil) didn’t become a completely unlikeable sociopath. Sure, there was something off about the guy and many characters in the movie itself expressed that they didn’t like him and he did remain an enigma until the end but the point of the movie was not to make us like him but to show him as he is. The fact that a gorgeous woman like Camille could fall in love with him like this shows his appeal, at least, to some of us. By the way, Emmanuelle BĂ©art never looked more beautiful than in this film and I can imagine that it can be frustrating for some viewers to see a guy dumping her like this, especially after she basically dropped everything just to be with him. That’s the other fascinating thing about this movie, it is actually possible that StĂ©phane actually did love her, maybe he just loved the tension that there was between them and he didn’t want to ruin it or change this dynamic but we’ll never know for sure. Anyway, to conclude, even if it might seem a little bit forgotten nowadays, I really loved the damned thing and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre. 


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An average movie

Posted : 1 week ago on 7 February 2025 09:51 (A review of Phil Spector)

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was starring Al Pacino and since it was available on HBO Max, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, even though it was a really interesting story with tons of potential, to be honest, the movie itself was not really good though. I have to admit that I wasn’t really familiar with this case and the first 30 mins were just seriously disjointed. I also think it was a mistake to put so much attention on Linda Kenney Baden, Phil Spector’s lawyer. I mean, I get it, like the audience, Baden at first was convinced that Spector was either guilty or doomed to be condemned but, slowly, she came to realize that he probably didn’t do it after all and this approach was pretty obvious. However, who cares that she was suffering of pneumonia through seemingly the whole trial? Furthermore, the person of interest in this case was Phil Spector himself, not his freaking lawyer. Anyway, the whole idea was to show that Phil Spector, from their perspective, probably didn’t shoot the poor woman and that it was, after all, a tragic incident and it was an interesting approach because it seemed to be common knowledge that Spector was guilty. On the other hand, it was dealing with a reclusive guy with an erratic behavior who was either high or drunk maybe half of the time and owned dozens of firearms. I mean, even if it was an accident, it was probably bound to happen at some time. Eventually, this movie was also another example how rigged and flawed the US judicial system is. Basically, no matter the evidence or lack of it, the American people and the jury thought that Spector was guilty even before the trial started because of his (probably deserved) terrible reputation. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, it was still a decent watch though but, with such material, it could have been so much better though. 


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An average movie

Posted : 1 week, 1 day ago on 6 February 2025 11:18 (A review of Knock at the Cabin)

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since it was directed by M. Night Shyamalan and since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, to be honest, I thought it was rather hard to judge this movie. It’s not that it was Shyamalan’s worst movie (it was definitely not one of his best though) but it was probably his nastiest so far, at least, as far as I was concerned. The fact that I went myself on the very same day through a very traumatic experience probably didn’t help and maybe this movie was not the greatest choice from my side. Still, seriously, what’s the point of imagining that the Apocalypse will actually take place and that some complete random act of violence might prevent it? There is no way that such thing might happen so why entertain the idea and imagine if it would be possible? In this case, why not upping the stakes and have these poor guys actually raping their little girl and chopping her head off afterwards for good measure? I guess it’s the dark side of movies or even creativity in general. Indeed, with your imagination, you can create the most fantastical things ever but you can also explore some really messed up ideas as well as it was displayed in this movie. And, yet, the fact that it did shake me up like it did shows that it was working somehow. At least, it was not as weird and laughable as ‘The Happening’ was so I guess you might say that Shyamalan might be improving (only somewhat though
). Anyway, to conclude, even if this kind of movies is really not my thing, I have to admit that it was well made and I guess it might be worth a look but probably only if you really like the genre. 


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An average movie

Posted : 1 week, 2 days ago on 5 February 2025 02:13 (A review of The Loves of Pharaoh)

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since it was directed by Ernst Lubitsch and since it was available on YouTube, I thought I might as well check it out. Last week, I saw ‘Anna Boleyn’ also directed by Lubitsch and I was really neat how lavish this movie was for a movie produced in the 20’s. Well, this time, he brought us back to Ancient Egypt and the production value was once again really impressive. Unfortunately, even though the movie was quite strong visually speaking, I still struggled to care about the rest of it though. Above all, the story was rather disjointed, especially during the first 30 mins. It seems that they were also missing some reels so many scenes were replaced with some stills and intertitle cards which certainly didn’t help. Furthermore, back then, they apparently really loved such convoluted melodramas (the fact that it did take place in Egypt didn’t really matter) but, to be honest, it has never been really my cup of tea. When the movie started, I was pleased to see that the great Emil Jannings would be playing the Pharao. However, even though there was nothing really wrong with his performance, to be honest, he didn’t really dazzle me this time around but I can guess you can’t expect an actor to deliver the performance of a lifetime each time around. Concerning Harry Liedtke, it was even worse though as the guy was, in my opinion, just not charismatic enough to play the lead. At least, on the other hand, Dagny Servaes was really lovely. Anyway, to conclude, even if it didn’t really work for me, it was still a decent watch and I think it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre. 


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An average movie

Posted : 1 week, 3 days ago on 4 February 2025 12:06 (A review of Gran Turismo)

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out. To be honest, when I heard that Neill Blomkamp was next coming up with a video game adaptation, I thought it sounded actually rather depressing. I mean, when ‘District 9’ came out, he was hailed as the next-best-thing (I have to admit that I was also super hyped as well) but this movie was not exactly what I had in mind for him. And yet, the damned thing was not so bad after all. First of all, when I moved into my new apartment, my son-in-law brought a Playstation 4 and, even though I did buy a bunch of games, the only one I played extensively so far has been ‘Gran Turismo’. The funny thing is that I actually wanted to play ‘Need For Speed’ but my son-in-law only had this game. So, I have to admit that it was actually pretty cool to see a gamer like me managing to become a real car racer and the fact that it was a true story was pretty insane. The other cool and surreal thing was that I’m actually from Le Mans so, the fact that they ended up at this legendary track was pretty cool (too bad they didn’t manage to shoot there but I guess you can’t have everything). Concerning the rest of the movie, sure, it was all fairly generic and predictable and if you would expect Blomkamp to take some wild swings at the genre, well, I’m afraid you will be terribly disappointed. Anyway, to conclude, even if it was nothing ground-breaking whatsoever, I have to admit it was actually a decent watch and it is worth a look but probably only if you really care about the subject matter. 


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