Reviews by johanlefourbe

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since it did have some decent ratings in IMDb and since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, I was actually rather surprised by how lame the damned thing turned out to be after all. I mean, I know that it was supposed to be a little quaint movie but, as far as I was concerned, not only it was terribly derivative and predictable but, above all, it was just so much more tedious than I expected. The most bewildering thing, at least for me, was the fact that it was a English Canadian remake of a French Canadian movie which was made only 10 years before. Seriously, are we now going to remake movies from the very same country but in a different language? Another intriguing thing was the fact that Taylor Kitsch went from ‘John Carter’ in 2012, one of the biggest blockbusters released at the time, to something so small only a year later. By the way, I have to admit that Kitsch was actually not bad at all here. Indeed, even though his character was actually pretty boring and thankless, he was charismatic enough and, above all, he did manage to bring some kind of melancholic tone to his performance which was neat. Concerning Brendan Gleeson, well, the guy was basically born to play such characters but he was pretty good as well. Still, no matter their efforts, I just didn’t care at all about the concept and, to make things worse, I don’t think they did anything interesting at all with the genre. Anyway, to conclude, even if I have to admit that it was really harmless, it was still rather boring and I think you can avoid it, except maybe if you really like the genre. 

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since it was directed by Steven Soderbergh and since it was available on HBO Max, I was quite eager to check it out. Well, like so many Soderbergh features, the damned thing had so much potential but, to be honest, the end-result was still rather half-baked. Still, I have to admit that I enjoyed most of it though. Indeed, it turned out to be some kind of modern riff on ‘Blow Out’ and ‘The Conversation’ taking place right after the Covid pandemic. The fact that the main character was agoraphobe was also neat. Finally, Zoë Kravitz was so charismatic, it was really cool that she was playing the lead for once and I think she actually gave her best performance so far here, no less than that. Unfortunately, even though the concept was interesting and Kravitz was really good, half of it was still barely interesting though. First of all, the main character was not some high-tech wiz, she was basically a simple analyst monitoring incoming some data streams so there is no way she could be able to afford such a fancy apartment. Her computer gear seemed to be also seriously overloaded for the kind of work she was doing but you might argue that she was some kind of hobbyist. However, the biggest issue was that, from the moment she left her apartment, the whole thing became so much less compelling. I mean, it was well made and Kravitz was really rocking this thing but, in my opinion, it all went pretty much on auto-pilot from this point on. The fact that a high-ranking individual from her company producing these smart speakers was involved in this crime was also terribly lame and unnecessary convoluted. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, it was still a decent watch and I think it is worth a look, especially if you are interested in Steven Soderbergh’s work.

To be honest, it did seem to be a rather obscure movie from the 20’s but, since it was directed by Ernst Lubitsch and since it was available on YouTube, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, it was impressive how much Lubitsch managed to do with such material which was after all really flimsy. Indeed, it was basically about the love life of the upper-class, something I usually find rather tedious but he always manages to make it compelling to behold. In fact, not so long ago, I also watched ‘So This is Paris’, I noticed that both movies actually had a similar plot and I’m not surprised that both movies were directed by Lubitsch. In this case, it was a rather simple romantic tale involving 2 couples and a 3rd guy and 2 love triangles and not really much more that but Lubitsch was so good at this stuff. I was intrigued by the fact that there was actually no real main character but I guess it was already the case with ‘So This is Paris’ and I think the character I enjoyed the most was Mizzi Stock. Maybe ‘enjoying’ was not the right word though as the way she acted with her husband, somehow, reminded me so much of my ex-wife (which is definitely not a compliment for a my ex-partner). By the way, Adolphe Menjou was pitch-perfect playing this character and I wish they gave him more to do in this movie. I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed when his character suddenly fell in love again with his wretched wife (and seriously, why exactly?) but, fortunately, it didn’t last for long. Concerning the Brauns, to be honest, they were less entertaining than the Stocks but the whole cast was fine though. Anyway, to conclude, even if it was nothing really ground-breaking, I thought it was a decent watch and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Ernst Lubitsch’s work. 

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since it was starring Samuel L. Jackson and since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out. It’s actually the 100th movie I have seen so far starring Jackson but, to be honest, I think that 50% of them was actually a waste of time and this movie was not an exception, I’m afraid. Indeed, I really struggled to care about the damned thing after all. Sure, I have to admit that it was actually pretty neat and fairly entertaining to see Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac constantly arguing all the time but, unfortunately, this movie had seriously nothing else to offer. I mean, to reunite a soul singing duo after so many years was not such a bad idea but did they really have to go on road trip? I’m sorry but the road trip genre is probably the laziest writing gimmick ever. To make things worse, in this case, everything happening to them on the road was just so generic, predictable and, above all, seriously tedious. I mean, for example, at some point, Bernie Mac’s character even did end up in bed with Jennifer Coolidge playing another oversexed cougar. Seriously, 10 years after ‘American Pie’ and they still couldn’t come up with something else? At least, I do have to admit that Sharon Leal was really charming and charismatic but, like the rest of this movie, her character was rather useless and boring. Concerning Bernie Mac, it was actually one of his last movies before he passed away at only 50 years old. Anyway, to conclude, it was another completely forgettable movie starring Samuel L. Jackson, I was seriously bored while watching this flick and you should probably avoid it. 

It was my turn this time to pick up a movie for my film club and, this time, I did struggle a bit (this movie was only my 4th option) but, since this movie did receive some stellar reviews (it even won the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival), I thought we could check it out. Well, I was eventually really glad because I really enjoyed the damned thing after all. I have to admit that I was expecting more romance maybe because I’m a romantic and even though the outcome was predictable, I hoped that Anora and Ivan would enjoy their relationship for a bit longer (seriously, I think it did last for maybe 5 mins). I noticed that the rest of the film club didn’t care much for how seedy this strip-club life was but I don’t think that Sean Baker, the director, was interested in delivering a cautionary tale about this world. Basically, guys go to such places and girls work there, that’s how it is and how it will always be. In fact, I think he was more interested to display that this Russian oligarch family was actually just as messed up (maybe even more) than all these girls working as strippers. Concerning Anora, sure, it might seem sad but I think she just gambled but what did she have to loose? The big difference with Ivan was that he actually never cared for her after all but, even if he has all the money in the world, it’s not so sure that he will ever find happiness if he keeps on going like this. At least, even if you might not care for this movie, you can’t deny that Mikey Madison gave such a strong performance here. I’m also really glad that they took the piss at ‘Pretty Woman’ and delivered an actually really good story about a sex-worker falling in love with some rich dude. Anyway, to conclude, I really loved this movie and I think it’s definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Sean Baker’s work. 

Since this movie was a huge critical and commercial flop when it was released, I had some rather low expectations about the damned thing but, since it was available on Disney+, I thought I might as well check it out anyway. Well, after the already weak ‘Strange World’, Disney somehow managed to deliver something even more underwhelming. Seriously, thanks to a (very few) redeeming features, it didn’t become their worst animated feature but, to be honest, it wasn’t far from it, I’m afraid. Indeed, even though making a movie about the Wish star to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Disney was not a bad idea, the story they came up with was just terribly half-baked. Eventually, the only things that worked were the animation and the main character. Indeed, the animation, especially the characters, was quite gorgeous. Concerning the main character, Asha was indeed nice and really charismatic. Unfortunately, pretty much everything in this movie was, well, rather worthless. Even the bad guy was just so lame, even his name, Magnifico, was just terrible. The supporting characters were just all completely forgettable as well, the only one I do remember by name was a talking goat called Valentino. However, the story was probably the main issue. So, the people gave their wish to their king who kept it to give it back at some point because…? Well, I don’t really know… And they tried to argue that these wishes were the most important things for this people but, again, really? It did sound rather convoluted from the start but it was never really interesting and, above all, it was never entertaining whatsoever. Anyway, to conclude, even though it was pretty to look at, this new animated feature was one of the weakest delivered by Disney so far and you should probably avoid it. 

To be honest, watching Adam Sandler’s Netflix movies is a terrible chore (can you imagine that I have watched almost all of them…). Still, this one did seem to be interesting so I thought I might check it out after all. Well, even though it didn’t get much love when it was released, I thought it was not bad at all, at least for a Adam Sandler feature. Indeed, once again, the guy displayed that if he decides to play in something else than a terribly moronic comedy, he is actually a solid actor after all. I also have a weak spot for such minimalistic SF features so the damned thing definitely had some potential. Still, trying to play in Tarkovsky’s and Kubrick’s turf was an ambitious but also terribly risky bet but, even though it was a commendable effort, I’m afraid it didn’t really work out though. I mean, one major issue was to put some much focus on Jakub and Lenka’s relationship. Seriously, even though the most lonely man ever could think about anything, including the meaning of life or what it means to be human, he kept whining about his messed up relationship. The fact that they were both rather moronic and unlikeable also probably didn’t help. For example, why would Lenka decide to leave him now when he won’t come back for maybe 6 months? I mean, she was physically already separated from him, what was the point of making it official right now? Seriously, it was just a really dick move which seemed to be terribly plot-driven. Concerning Jakub, well, the guy seemed to be rather an *sshole when they were together so he basically had it coming. Finally, Hanus was definitely an intriguing character with so much potential but it’s a pity they basically reduced him to be some kind of marriage counsellor. So, it was some derivative but still interesting material but the approach they took never really worked though. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, I still think it was a decent watch and it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre. 

After being stuck in development hell for maybe 30 years, Eddie Murphy finally managed to get this 4th installment for his signature franchise. Well, guess what? I thought it was not bad at all after all. To be honest, I think my appreciation for this movie had more to do with the usually dreadful output from Murphy than the actual quality of this feature. Anyway, after all these years, the guy is still quite funny playing Axel Foley and the fact that, at 60 years old, he still looks pretty fit doesn’t make it ridiculous that this guy is still chasing bad guys. However, the real wild card in this movie turned out to be Taylour Paige though. Indeed, I thought she was super charismatic, she had some really solid chemistry with Murphy and I wish the movie focused even more on their relationship. Concerning Joseph Gordon-Levitt, I really have a weak spot for this actor but, to be honest, his character was rather useless and it was rather weird to see such a fine actor playing second fiddle in the 4th installment of a franchise that nobody cared about anymore. Concerning Kevin Bacon, it was even worse though. Seriously, his bad guy was just so cartoony, it was more cringe-inducing than actually entertaining to watch. On the other hand, he wasn’t helped by the story which was just too derivative. I mean, each time around, they have to find some way to have Axel Foley going all the way from Detroit to Beverly Hills which has become too convoluted and I think they should just drop Detroit and have the guy simply living in Beverly Hills, especially since his daughter is also living there. Anyway, to conclude, even if it was rather forgettable, I have to admit that it was still fairly entertaining and I think it is worth a look but probably only if you really like the genre. 

I have to admit that I have never been a huge fan of the Beach Boys but I always liked watching documentaries about famous bands like this one because it’s pretty neat to discover a band this way and, since this one was available on Disney+, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, to be honest, I was actually surprised that I knew so much about them after all. It was probably due to the fact that I saw ‘Love & Mercy’ not so long ago and this movie starring Paul Dano turned out to be pretty accurate after all which was pretty cool. Coming back on the documentary, well, it was some pretty basic stuff but I thought it was no bad though. In fact, it was above all interesting to see what happened with the band when Brian Wilson went into his downward spiral (something which wasn’t developed at all in ‘Love & Mercy’ since it was about Brian Wilson and not about the rest of the band). Still, there is no denying that their output would never be the same without Brian Wilson who was and still is considered as a musical genius. It was also pretty neat to see how their music had such an impact and even influenced the Beatles who were, arguably, the most famous band ever (it’s funny that I actually never cared for these two bands though). I wonder why they didn’t mention that Dennis Wilson really struggled with substance abuse at the beginning of the 80’s and drowned, probably drunk out of mind, at not even 40 years old. Anyway, to conclude, even if it was nothing groundbreaking whatsoever, I thought it was a decent watch and it is worth a look, especially if you are interested in this legendary band. 

A few weeks ago, I was having dinner with some aunts and an uncle of mine and they kept talking about this movie and how hilarious it was so I became intrigued. Eventually, I checked it out and the IMDb ratings were actually pretty good so, since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well watch it. Well, I wish I did share the same enthusiasm about this movie but, to be honest, it didn’t really impress me though. At least, I will have to admit that Leny Breederveld and Martin van Waardenberg were really good and they both gave some really solid performances. Unfortunately, even though these 2 actors were fine, I didn’t care much about their characters though. On one hand, there was Jaap who was grumpy not because he did fit his personality or because he was shaped by life this way but, obviously, because it was supposed to be entertaining and, from time to time, he would suddenly become someone else entirely different when it was needed for the plot. For Maartje, it was actually even worse though. Indeed, she was basically limited to be a poor old woman having some random Alzheimer episodes instead of being given an actual real personality. However, what really bothered me the most was the story they were stuck with. Basically, they went for the road-trip genre which is the laziest gimmick ever. Indeed, without making any efforts whatsoever, some whimsical and (supposedly) entertaining events will then automatically occur during their journey which is, in my opinion, some rather poor storytelling. Finally, the last thing that bothered me was how, at the end, they tried to suddenly show that this couple used to be super fun and entertaining when they had spent the whole rest of the movie showing how average tedious and sometime plain mean they were. I thought it was so cheap and not convincing whatsoever. I mean, there is no way that such a loving couple would be after all these years so bitter, so completely uninterested and uncaring for each other only because they got old. And even if it might be possible, it actually made this people even less interesting than they already was then. Anyway, to conclude, this review might seem harsh but I have to admit that the damned thing was actually rather harmless and it is actually worth a look but probably only if you really like this kind of Dutch dry sense of humor.