Reviews by johanlefourbe

I wasn't expecting much from this flick but since I have a weak spot for Chris Rock, I thought I should give it a try. Like many actors before him, Chris Rock thought he could be a director as well and this was actually his 2nd directing effort but, honestly, it wasn't really good, I'm afraid. First of all, even though it was a comedy, it wasn't really funny at all and I thought the plot would have worked better within a drama. Furthermore, I really had a hard time to care for the two main characters. Indeed, why was she stalking this guy actually? I mean, it is not that he was immensely attractive and she could get any other rich guy who wasn't married. In my opinion, it would have been more convincing with someone like Will Smith or Idris Elba (who played a similar character in 'Obsessed'). Concerning Kerry Washington, I wasn't really convinced as well. I mean, she looked insanely gorgeous, that's for sure, but her character was terribly obnoxious. I mean, because of her, not only his marriage was in danger but he also did get beat up by her ex-boyfriend and almost lost his job as well. I mean, if he would have had sex with her, it would have been maybe worthy but, no, nothing like that happened so she seemed like a huge waste of time. Anyway, to conclude, even though the whole thing actually had some potential, it is actually a really average comedy and it is not really worth a look, even if you like the genre.

I already saw this movie but, since it was a while back, I thought I might as well check it out again. Leonardo DiCaprio has a pretty impressive track-record but, to be honest, some of his movies are a little bit overrated in my opinion and this movie definitely belongs to this category. Anyway, let’s start with the good stuff. It was dealing with a topical subject and the whole thing looked actually really grim and realistic. In fact, when I re-watched it, I was with my ex-wife and she was actually really shocked by how dark and violent the whole thing was. Eventually, she was even pissed off that I chose this movie to watch with her because she believed that it wasn’t appropriate whatsoever. Anyway, as far as I was concerned, I thought it was definitely an intriguing and entertaining story. Some people criticized DiCaprio because his accent was not convincing but since I’m not familiar with the South African accent, it didn’t bother me whatsoever and I thought he did a pretty good job here. For once, his character was a little bit different than what he usual does, a greedy bastard. Unfortunately, towards the end, this fellow really changed and showed us he actually had a heart. It might be nice and cozy for the mainstream audience but I thought it was too bad and it would take many years before DiCaprio would dare play an even darker character. Concerning Jennifer Connelly, well, I think she was wasted playing your typical beautiful reporter and Djimon Hounson was actually the best of the three and if he would have been the main character, the damned thing could have been actually really great. Indeed, like so many similar movies, it dealt with some major issue in Africa by focusing on a white main character which is always a misguided approach. Finally, I forgot that this movie was actually quite long and I don’t think that such a straightforward story required such an extensive running time. Anyway, to conclude, even though I tend to think it is rather overrated, it is still a pretty good flick though and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Since I'm a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock, I was really eager to check this flick. Basically, it is one of his most obscure movies and, to be honest, it was indeed not one of his best flicks but I still enjoyed it anyway. It was a rather interesting story about the priest and the issues involved in the confidentiality of the confession. It was some pretty good material and in the hands of the great thriller master, it could have been pretty great. Unfortunately, they threw in a romantic angle for which I didn't care much. Later on, it was pretty obvious that the whole romance thing was there to question the morality of the priest during the subsequent trial but it didn't really work for me. The ending was also pretty rushed and not really satisfying. Still, the directing by Hitchcock was really efficient, just as usual and I was really impressed by Montgomery Clift. Clift was like James Dean or Marlon Brando, an incredibly good-looking fellow who happened to be a terrific actor. Unfortunately, he also had a massive substance abuse issue which was described as the longest suicide in show-business history. Apparently, Montgomery Clift was constantly drunk during filming which didn't show at all when watching this flick which is a tribute to his acting talent or to the talent of this great director. Anyway, even though it is not one of Hitchcock's great classics, it is still a pretty good flick and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Alfred Hitchcock's work.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this flick but since I have a weak spot for Anthony Hopkins, I thought I should give it a try. Hopkins is basically one of those actors I love so much that I would watch anything starring the guy. Well, this time, I really wonder if it was worth it. Call me stupid but I thought that there was something appealing about an action comedy starring Chris Rock and Anthony Hopkins and directed by Joel Schumacher. I know, after reading this, many people would think ‘Damned… That sounds like a lame movie!’ and actually, they would be right. Let’s start with Chris Rock. Personally, I do believe that the guy can be really hilarious but you really need to give him the right material which wasn’t the case here, definitely not. Basically, the whole thing was rather poorly written and Rock keeps throwing some weak jokes the one after the other. Concerning Anthony Hopkins, he gave the feeling that he would rather have been somewhere else and it is always a terrible shame to see an actor of such a caliber wasting his time. For Joel Schumacher, it was yet another underwhelming directing effort and probably one of the least interesting movies he has made so far. To conclude, even though the whole thing actually had some potential, it was eventually a rather weak action comedy and it is not really worth a look, even if you love the genre.

Since I have a weak spot for Nicole Kidman and since I kept hearing good things about this flick, I was really eager to check it out. Honestly, because of the concerned subject, I was also rather apprehensive. I mean, when I told my wife what it was about, she told me right away that she wasn’t interested which is quite understandable. I mean, a few years back, she lost her father which was really shattering (as a matter of fact, she still have a hard time with it) and to think of losing one of our children would be unbearable for her but for me as well. So, if you have kids, this movie is not really a nice watch, even if some critics or viewers would tell you that there was still some humor, the overall sadness was pretty heavy but it was also what makes this drama valuable. Still, even though it was pretty good, I wasn’t completely blown away by the whole thing. I mean, it was a nice approach to not have a straightforward plot and instead having these random events involving the grieving couple. However, somehow, those events were not always compelling and I thought that those meetings between Nicole Kidman and the perpetrator were very unlikely. I mean, it was an interesting touch but I really had a hard time believing that they would get along like that. Still, Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart were both really impressive, only for them it is worth checking this flick. Furthermore, it was an interesting change of pace for John Cameron Mitchell. Indeed, John Cameron Mitchell’s directing debut was ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’, one of the most over-the-top and excessive movies I have ever seen and this new directing effort was exactly the opposite. Indeed, it was a very sober, rather minimalistic affair but considering the sensitive subject, it was really appropriate. To conclude, I thought it was a pretty solid drama and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

It has been a while since I watched this flick and I thought it was time for a re-watch, this time, with Nick my step-son. Honestly, it is not really a good movie and again a step down compared to its predecessor and even more from the classic first installment. The big difference, in my opinion, was in the tone. Indeed, the first movies were actually dramas with a very few fighting scenes. Here, the focus was much more on the action scenes. As a result, for the kids, it is actually a more enjoyable installment. Indeed, the running time was shorter, there was the usual training montage and with 3 fighting scenes, there was barely anytime for any drama or character development (I'm pretty sure it is so far my step-son favorite installment). For example, even though Mr. T looked physically competent, his character was barely developed and was more a cartoon figure. Since I'm not a kid anymore, I can't say I really enjoyed this flick though. I mean, from the inspiring and uplifting drama provided by the classic first installment, this franchise became more and more oriented towards standard and pedestrian action. To conclude, it is far from being an awful movie but it was still pretty average and even though it was a success when it was released, I don't think it is really worth a look, except if you really love this franchise.

Since I'm a huge fan of Danny Boyle, of course, I was really eager to check this flick. Therefore, I had some rather huge expectations and, unfortunately, I thought it was slightly disappointing. I mean, don't misunderstand me, I actually enjoyed it and I was entertained throughout the whole thing but it was definitely a weaker effort, especially considering the exceptional track-record of Danny Boyle. Basically, it is a psychological thriller, a mix between 'Inception' and 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'. The link with 'Inception' was pretty obvious since it was dealing with various levels of reality but Boyle's movie was still completely different than Nolan's opus. Basically, he built up some kind of a maze and even though it was quite intriguing, it was never really convincing. Indeed, I thought that the beginning was rather weak and the last 30 minutes were just an endless succession of the usual preposterous twists. Still, I like the damned thing. Indeed, the cast was solid (James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel, Rosario Dawson) and some scenes were quite exhilarating. Indeed, even though the story barely made sense (after a while, I just stopped counting the plot-holes), Boyle still managed to make it engaging and to make the most of it, you just have to sit back and enjoy the show without analyzing too much what is actually going on. To conclude, even though it turned out to be a disappointment, it remains a solid thriller and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Danny Boyle's work.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from this flick. Indeed, it had a pretty lousy reputation but since I have a weak spot for Russell Crowe and Meg Ryan, I thought I should give it a try. To my surprise, it turned to be a rather decent thriller. Basically, it is one of those movies which got a bad rep not because it was actually bad but because of all the shenanigans surrounding the production. Indeed, while making this flick, Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe had an affair and, as a result, she ended up divorcing Dennis Quaid after 10 years of marriage. It was not the kind of publicity this movie was asking for and it turned out to be a flop and the romance between Ryan and Crowe was really short-lived so you really wonder if it was worth starting with it at all. Russell Crowe's career seems to have recovered from the blow whereas Meg Ryan's is pretty much done at this point. What about the movie then? It is actually a mildly entertaining thriller directed by Taylor Hackford who is definitely a competent director. The weird thing is that it deals with a woman looking for a kidnapped husband and she is helped by a negotiator but they slowly fall for each other. Will she end up with the negotiator or with her husband? Considering Ryan and Crowe's common history, the ending was actually rather surprising but still made more sense. To conclude, even though the whole thing was rather pedestrian, I thought it was a decent thriller and it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Since I have a weak spot for Louis Malle's work, I was really eager to check this flick. Furthermore, Since this movie had a very good reputation and since it is considered as one of Malle's best movies, my expectations were pretty high. Unfortunately, I thought it was rather disappointing after all and I actually had a hard time to care for the whole thing. I mean, the directing was solid and this little girl did provide a pretty good performance but there was something that really bothered me about the tone. Indeed, basically, there was not much of a plot and the whole thing was supposed to be some kind of satirical whimsical tale but it was so frivolous, it actually tended to get on my nerves, it even became slightly obnoxious at some point. I don't know, maybe I wasn't in the right mood when I watched it and maybe I should give it a second chance at some point but I simply didn't connect with it. Still, Louis Malle is a terrific director and he managed to make an interesting flick, I will have to admit that. Anyway, to conclude, I guess it wasn't for me but I still think it is worth a look, especially if you are interested in French movies.

At first, there was a pretty good buzz about this flick. Indeed, it was another steamy thriller adapted from a book by Jan Wolkers, a famous Dutch writer, and it was Monique van de Ven's directing debut. The interesting thing is that, 40 years earlier, van de Ven made her acting debut also in an adaptation of a book written by Wolkers, 'Turks Fruit', and it turned out to be a huge success and one of the best Dutch movies ever made. So, the expectations were pretty high but, surprisingly, it turned out to be a flop and the movie was literally destroyed by the critics and indeed, I thought myself that the whole thing was pretty disappointing. Let's start with Waldemar Torenstra, the actor playing the main character. Torenstra has been really popular lately and showed up in many high profile Dutch productions released recently but I always had a hard time to care about the guy. I mean, he is a good looking fellow, that's pretty obvious, but he always seems to be too nice, showing the charisma of a Teddy Bear. It was even more obvious in a movie like this which would require a rather dark and tormented guy like, for example, Michael Douglas in 'Basic Instinct'. Concerning Sophie Hilbrand, a famous Dutch TV host, who was making her acting debut, she was better but even though she displayed a wild side, she was still not really convincing in a seemingly femme fatale role. Finally, the directing was just plain weak and it didn't feel much excitement during the whole thing, in fact, it must have been one of the most soporific thrillers I have seen lately. To conclude, the whole thing was a failure and it is not really worth a look, even if you are interested in Dutch movies.