Reviews by johanlefourbe

To be honest, I have to admit that I didn’t know much about Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle’s work so I was quite glad to discover his work after all these years. Well, this was the 3rd short I saw with this guy and, even though I enjoyed more ‘The Garage’, it was pretty good as well though. The most interesting thing about this short, at least for me, was the fact that that, this time, Buster Keaton was not involved so Arbuckle really had to carry the whole thing on his shoulders. Sure, Mabel Normand, one of his frequent co-starts at the time, was also there to assist him but I think it was pretty obvious that he was the main draw here. Anyway, there is no doubt that the guy was really charismatic and his comedic timing was pretty much perfect. Concerning the movie itself, at least, there was more or less a plot this time around. Still, to be honest, it was narratively not really impressive but, except for Charles Chaplin’s groundbreaking work, that’s something that could be said about most silent comedies, I’m afraid. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, it was still a solid vintage silent comedy though and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

To honest, even though I always had a weak spot for Bruce Willis, since his recent movies have been mostly awful to watch, I wasn’t expecting much from this one either but, since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out anyway. Well, even if it didn't really work after all, I still think it was at least better than all these terrible direct-to-VOD flicks Willis had done at the end of his career. Indeed, I was surprised by the potential of this concept and I actually believe that the damned thing could have been really good. Hell, even its sheer randomness didn't bother me, in the contrary. Unfortunately, it was just sad how the makers pretty much ruined the whole thing from the very start though. Indeed, it seems pretty obvious that they were inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s work but emulating his style is obviously easier said than done, as it was displayed in this flick. Indeed, the directing was completely flat and lifeless, the dialogues were really weak (this voice-over was such an annoying gimmick as well) and the acting from everyone involved was borderline laughable. It’s too bad because it was really neat to see Bruce Willis playing again the lead for once (he always plays a minor role in all these lame direct-to-VOD features) and it seemed to be some perfect material for him. Unfortunately, his performance was rather pathetic after all and, even though at the time, I would have said that he was probably sleepwalking and was there only to get his paycheck, you might wonder if the guy was at the time not already struggling with aphasia, a terrible neurotic disorder which was the reason why he had to retire 5 years later. Anyway, to conclude, even I still think it did have some potential, the end-result was just too weak and you should probably avoid the damned thing. 

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was starring Imogen Poots and since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, I was pretty sure that it was a remake of a vintage horror flick (which I haven’t seen) but I didn’t realize that it was yet already the 2nd remake less than 15 years after the previous one (which I haven’t seen either). Well, the only remarkable thing about this 3^rd version is that it turned out to be even worse than the previous one which already had a seriously lame reputation. In fact, I think the concept actually had some potential. Indeed, it turned out to be some kind of feminist slasher flick involving some sorority girls but, unfortunately, pretty much nothing worked with the damned thing, I’m afraid. First of all, even though Imogen Poots was not bad in spite the rather abysmal material, the rest of the cast was just so completely forgettable but I have to admit that they were not helped by the fact their characters were all so poorly developed. Another huge mistake was to add some really convoluted and totally unnecessary mythology about black magic. Seriously, what was the added value? Furthermore, it didn’t make much sense. Sure, this fraternity might get away with killing one girl but you might wonder what was supposed to be their next move after wiping out whole sorority houses like that. Finally, and it was probably what bothered most the horror fans, the action was just really tame and you might wonder if aiming for a PG13 rating was really the best strategy. Anyway, to conclude, I wonder if my rating was maybe not too generous here but the damned thing was definitely pretty weak and you should probably avoid it. 

To be honest, I wasn’t really expecting much from this flick but since it was starring Nicolas Cage, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, unfortunately, as expected, it turned out to be another dreadful direct-to-VOD action flick. Indeed, it had all the typical trademarks of the genre such as some ugly yellow filters through the whole duration. It was also directed by Steven C. Miller, possibly one of the worst directors ever and you had Lydia Hull playing (very badly) a minor role (Seriously, I can’t believe that I have seen already a dozen movies starring this girl, always in this dreadful genre). Above all, I thought this movie was just a huge mess, even more than usual. I mean, at some point, you see the two main characters when they were kids going home and there is an unidentified woman and man sitting there in the living room. Later on, the man did shoot himself but what happened to the woman? Then, you get to see these kids going to the arcade without ever acknowledging what happened before and, there, somehow, completely randomly, the older boy meets some kingpin played by Nicolas Cage. And it went on and on like this with an endless succession of some very clunky scenes poorly together one after the other. Another funny thing was to compare John Cusack who barely acted at all and Nicolas Cage who was acting too much but, even if it didn’t really work, Cage at least did try to do something with his character. The weird thing is that the concept actually had some potential. Indeed, I could imagine a gritty drama focusing on these two boys growing up in some very toxic environment. On one hand, you would have the big brother always covering and protecting his young brother who would then become successful while the big brother would get completely sucked in this dark underworld becoming a major f*ck-up in the process. Unfortunately, the makers apparently didn’t really care at all about what they were actually doing and the end-result was pretty dreadful so you should definitely avoid it. 

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was directed by Laurent Cantet, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, it was the first movie I saw dealing with female sex tourism and, only therefore, it made this movie so intriguing. The first thing I learned is that, even though I thought it was something fairly recent, it actually exists since much longer than I thought, as it was depicted in this movie. Coming back on the movie itself, I have to admit that the first scene was rather disorienting but it turned out to be a very efficient way to show how desperate the people living in such countries are. Eventually, nobody there (man and women) decides to go into the prostitution for fun or because they are some kind of moral deviants, 99% of the time they choose this path because it might be the only option they have. So, it definitely had some some potential but I’m afraid Cantet never had a good grip on the subject. Eventually, you might wonder if a middle-aged white guy was really the best choice to tell the stories of various rich middle-aged white women looking for sex and affection with some much younger black dudes. As a result, neither group was properly developed, especially the native folks living in Haïti. At some point, you did get to hear Albert’s thoughts but, to be honest, they barely had anything to do with the problematic displayed and, afterwards, well, it’s anyone’s guess what the folk out there might have felt or think about all this. Obviously, they did spend more time on these women but the end-result was still hardly satisfying though. It’s a combination between the facts that Cantet apparently didn’t know how to handle these characters and the fact that, beside Charlotte Rampling who was fine as usual, the actresses involved were rather weak. It was also a mistake to have them involved in some love triangle. Anyway, to conclude, even though it seemed to be a failed opportunity, since it’s the only movie I know dealing with this subject, it was still an interesting watch and I think it is worth a look. 

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was starring Bela Lugosi, I thought I might as well check it out. I remember it very well, I actually saw ‘Ed Wood’ in the movie theater when it was released (and it is still one of the best movies ever delivered by Tim Burton). Well, it’s funny that I took me 30 years to finally see an actual vintage horror feature starring Lugosi. After ‘Dracula’ (which I unfortunately still haven’t seen yet), it must be one of his most famous movies but, to be honest, it wasn’t really good though. Indeed, it was narratively very clunky. For example, at least a 3rd of the story is literally told to us by the characters and not actually displayed on the screen (probably to reduce the costs). Furthermore, all the characters were so poorly developed and underwhelming. Fortunately, Bela Lugosi was pretty good though. Sure, his performance was rather over-the-top but it perfectly fit the material. A nice touch was that Lugosi did pronounce ‘Monsieur’ in a really perfect French accent (I’m French myself). Sure, it’s a small detail but it shows that, even though the guy was typecast in such cheesy horror features, I do believe that he was actually a solid actor. And, yet, I have to admit that the damned thing still worked though. I mean, it did help that it was short and, to be honest, if I would have watched it when I was younger, I probably would have seriously dislike it. Eventually, it all depends if you feel a connection with the mood which was fairly creepy and terribly cheesy at the same time. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, it was still a decent watch and it is worth a look, especially if you like in the genre or if you are interested in Bela Lugosi’s work.

To be honest, I didn’t have such huge expectations with this movie but since it was starring Liam Neeson and since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, it was probably the least exciting title I have seen in a while. Seriously, they could have also called it ‘Bland romance involving average people’. Okay, I might be a little but harsh because the damned thing was actually not bad at all. Above all, it was so refreshing to see Liam Neeson finally starring in a drama instead of another average action flicks which has been unfortunately his main focus ever since he made ‘Taken’ already more than 15 years ago. It was also pretty neat to see Lesley Manville, such an underrated actress, playing the lead for once. Anyway, the two actors delivered some solid performances and they were quite convincing as a couple. Unfortunately, in spite of their effort, there was nothing really groundbreaking about the damned thing. Still, it was an interesting touch that they didn’t go too deep into the death of their only child. Of course, as a viewer, you are intrigued by what might have happened at the time but it wasn’t obviously not the point of this movie. Furthermore, it didn’t really matter for the characters, for them, she was taken from them way too soon and it was enough information for the viewers regarding this matter. On the other hand, I thought they were both rather unfazed by Peter’s tragic prospects. I mean, it was to be expected that, during her treatment, Joan would become acquainted with someone in such a predicament but I thought that both her and her husband were rather untouched by meeting a man who would fairly soon die of the same (or a similar version of the same) disease that Joan was dealing with. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, it was still a decent watch though and I think it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

I wasn’t 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, it’s only when the movie started that I discovered that it was actually directed by Tate Taylor which might explain why so many interesting actors did eventually get involved in such a weak feature. Indeed, even if the damned thing didn’t turn out to bet a total disaster, it wasn’t far from it though. Eventually, it seems that Taylor watched too many movies directed by the Coen brothers and thought he could somehow emulate their style. The biggest giveaway was probably Regina Hall’s character. Indeed, with her 80’s haircut and anything but flattering wardrobe, your first reaction is to dismiss her like all the other weirdo’s showing up in this movie. However, fairly quickly, it was actually pretty obvious that she was actually the smartest of the bunch which was basically exactly the same approach the Coen brothers took to handle Frances McDormand’s character in ‘Fargo’. Anyway, beside being apparently a hopeless copycat, this movie was also the perfect example that black humor is not such an easy genre to handle after all. In fact, it is actually hard to pinpoint what was the biggest issue here. Indeed, right from the start, the story was just too convoluted and terribly underwhelming. There were also too many characters involved for a movie barely running 90 mins and, to make things worse, most of these characters were unlikeable, pathetic but, above all, really tedious. Concerning Tate Taylor, ever since the success of ‘The Help’ (a movie with a really tainted legacy), his track-record has been rather patchy but I’m afraid this movie is probably his all-time low so far. Anyway, to conclude, I think I was rather generous with my rating here, the damned thing was just really weak and you should probably avoid it. 

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it did win the César of the Best movie of the year, I thought I might as well check it out. I remember it very well, when I was growing up in France in the 90’s, ‘Bernie’, Albert Dupontel’s directorial debut, became at the time a huge cult-classic among my peers in my home country.  Well, almost 30 years later, I still haven’t watched the damned thing but it was pretty neat to see this other directorial effort. Anyway, the damned thing turned out to be quite intriguing, even if I strongly wonder if it was the best movie released at the time. I mean, the title was awesome (literally, it actually means ‘Farewell cunts’) and the tone was definitely original. Indeed, Dupontel is apparently famous for his black humor and there was plenty of it here, that’s for sure. However, not everything did work though. For example, even if I could completely identify with the way Adrien was completely unable to express his love to the girl he had a crush on, the way he was stalking her was however just so f*cking creepy though. However, what really won me over was once again Virginie Efira. I discovered her only quite recently but, with each new movie, she keeps impressing me (it does help that I did watch only her recent movies because the rom-coms she made at the beginning of her career do seem to be rather lame). This movie was no exception. Sure, Efira was as usual quite charismatic but it went really beyond that. Indeed, the balance she managed to find for her character, between the tragic and the comic, was just really neat and no one else in the cast did nail it so perfectly as she did. And I shouldn’t forget to mention the ‘Thelma & Louise’ ending which was rather surprising but also quite powerful, and quite frankly, even unforgettable. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, it was still a decent watch and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.