Reviews by johanlefourbe

Of course, I have already seen this flick. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure I have seen it in the theater when it was released. Anyway, I thought it was time for a re-watch, this time, with Nick my step-son. The most striking thing with this franchise, in my opinion, is that they managed to make some really solid sequels which is quite unique especially when you are dealing with action movies (just check the lackluster sequels which followed ‘Die Hard'). The funny thing is that I don ‘t even believe that ‘Lethal Weapon’ was that amazing. I mean, it remains a solid action movie but not much more in my opinion, but it is pretty cool that they managed to keep the same qualities in the following installments. Anyway, back to our main feature, to start with, the story was nothing really amazing but it was not the main interest here. Indeed, there were other things to enjoy : the great chemistry between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, the awesome action scenes, the hilarious one-liners, even the obnoxious Leo Getz was actually pretty funny. This time, they even managed to finally find a love interest for Martin Riggs. They tried in the previous installment but it was rather underwhelming but, this time, they got it right. Indeed, Rene Russo was terribly charismatic and Lorna Cole was the perfect match for Martin Riggs. To conclude, even though it is actually nothing really mind-blowing, it remains a really entertaining action flick, I really liked it and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Depardon is pretty much unknown here in Listal and also abroad, I guess, but he has a decent reputation in France, above all, as a documentary maker (as a matter of fact, I have seen none of his fictions but I’m not sure if they are any good). Personally, I really like his directing style. Indeed, there is no comment whatsoever, no music added. Basically, you have to make it up on your own the significance of what you just saw and I thought it was a rather spellbinding approach. This documentary is probably his most highly regarded and it is definitely intriguing. Indeed, you follow Valery Giscard d'Estaing during his presidential campaign (which he eventually won). It is interesting to know that even though Giscard was the one who ordered this movie subsequently, this feature was still censored for many years and was ultimately released only in 2002 (which was probably when I saw it the first time around). So, the end-result didn’t please the fresh new president but it makes even it more intriguing to us viewers. Indeed, you get a rather intimate view on this political figure, there is no positive or negative influence and you can make your own conclusion about the guy. To conclude, even though it is nothing really amazing, it remains an intriguing documentary 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. It is not one of his most famous features but one of those many spy movies he made in England before moving to Hollywood. It was also an adaptation of a book written by Joseph Conrad. To be honest, I haven’t read the book but I have seen another version which was made exactly 60 years later by Christopher Hampton with an all-star cast (Bob Hoskins, Patricia Arquette, Gérard Depardieu, Jim Broadbent, Christian Bale, Eddie Izzard, Robin Williams). Anyway, even though Hitchcock didn’t have such a cast, the modern technology and probably had a smaller budget, his version was still better. Indeed, the story and the characters were actually not really interesting but his directing was, as usual, really efficient, creating a really tense mood . Furthermore, even though Hitchcock said that he regretted including Stevie's death, I didn’t see it coming and I thought it was quite powerful. I thought also that Sylvia Sidney, who I didn’t know before, was really charming (Hitchcock really knew how to pick his actresses, that’s for sure) and if Marion Cotillard had made movies in 30’s, she would probably have looked like this lovely lady. To conclude, even though it is actually nothing really amazing, it remains a solid spy feature and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Hitchcock’s work.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this flick but since I have a weak spot for Steven Soderbergh’s work, I was really eager to check it out. Soderbergh is a very profilic director, very often releasing 2 movies in the same year but I’m not sure if it is a really a good thing since the quality of these multiple productions are rather disputable. Anyway, from time to time, he manages to make some more experimental features like ‘Bubble’ or ‘Full Frontal’. ‘Full Frontal’ was a disjointed mess, a terrible bore fest but ‘Bubble’ was pretty good, even if it didn’t blow me away like good old Roger Ebert. This feature was another experiment basically ending between those two, quality wise. First of all, the first surprising thing is that even though the main character was played by a notorious porn star and even though she was playing a high-end escort, there was actually no sex scene whatsoever. I’m pretty sure that many guys watched this flick hoping they will see some piece of action. Well, they must have been pretty disappointed. Personally, I didn’t bother me at all, in the contrary. This way, the whole thing was not exploitative whatsoever. Basically, it was more about the interactions between this escort girl and her clients and I thought it was really intriguing. Furthermore, I thought that Sasha Grey was actually pretty good. I mean, I read here and there that she was emotionless showing a terrible lack of acting talent but I don’t agree. In my opinion, the lack of emotion was perfect for the character and I thought there was something actually quite captivating about Grey’s presence and charisma. I would like to see her in another mainstream feature which has nothing to do with the sex industry, just to see if she could pull it off. Still, to be honest, the whole thing didn’t work very well, unfortunately. First of all, was it me or did half of the movie take place in restaurants and bars?! I wonder if it was done in purpose but it seemed rather redundant at some point. Another thing that bothered me even more was the random chronology. Basically, I spent the whole movie trying to fit the different pieces together which was a frustrating waste of time. Seriously, it is a gimmick which annoys more every time I see it because, most of the time, it doesn’t help or enhance the story at all. Especially in this case, it seems that they used it to mask the fact that there was no real storyline but just a bunch of half-baked sub-plots. And finally, that’s the last thing that bothered me. Indeed, there were way too many little stories going on and many were not interesting at all, especially the ones involving the boyfriend (his trip to Vegas or his work at the gym are just a few samples.) To conclude, it was not really a great movie, far from it, but there was still something quite mesmerizing about it and I think it is worth a look, especially if you are interested in Steven Soderbergh’s work.

Oh boy... It has been a while since I have seen this flick... Was it in the theater or on TV? I don't remember for sure and it is probably one of the most obscure features I have seen according to Listal (only two of us have seen it). Anyway, it is basically one of those typical convoluted French romantic dramas. I mean, there is not much going on expect for the various character endlessly talking to each other. You either love those movies or you don't. To be honest, it is sometimes rather pointless but I always had a weak spot for those kind of features. I also find Jeanne Balibar a really charming and talented actress. It has been a while since I have seen her though and I wonder what she is up to nowadays. The rest of the cast was not really memorable but since she was the main character and therefore the main attraction, it worked fine with me. To conclude, even though it is nothing really amazing, it still remains a decent drama and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in French movies.

Before it was released, there was some pretty good buzz about it but it didn't fair so well eventually. Still, it quickly reached a cult status and even reached the Imdb top 250 so I was really curious to see if it was that good. To be honest, I think it is kind of overrated. Indeed, it basically follows the good old formula of the usual underdog who gets his shot at the title. I mean, 'Rocky' was released already 40 years but I can't believe they are still chewing on this old story. Still, it doesn't mean this movie wasn't any good. Indeed, they added a little twist which was not to have one main character, but two main characters which happen to be brothers and, of course, who will end up fighting each other during the final showdown. Since you are rooting for both guys, who should win eventually? To be honest, I figured out pretty easily which brother would eventually win which was rather disappointing (One of the brothers seemed obviously weaker and was fighting for his own family so he was a more likely candidate). Another strong aspect was the acting by the three main actors (Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte) which was much better than what you usually get in those kind of movies. Concerning the fighting, it all depends if you are into this MMA stuff. If it's your thing, you will be delighted. If you are not (like me), it was rather distressing to see two grown-ups completely beating the sh*t at each other even when someone is on the ground and obviously had enough. To conclude, I don't think it is that amazing but it remains a solid sport feature and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Not so long ago I have seen ‘Wyatt Earp’ another Western directed by Lawrence Kasdan and also starring Kevin Costner. Even though it sounded great on paper, it turned out to be one of the most underwhelming Western I have ever seen and it was definitely a deserved flop when it was released. However, back in the 80’s, not only Lawrence Kasdan had some major success as a screenwriter (he wrote ’The Empire Strikes back’ , ’Return of the Jedi’ and ’Raiders of the Lost Ark’ , not too shabby, ain’t it?), he developed also a solid career as a director and all his movies were acclaimed efforts (’Body Heat’, ‘The Big Chill’ , ‘Silverado’ , ‘The Accidental Tourist’) . Anyway, 10 years before making ‘Wyatt Earp’, Kasdan and Costner got together to make this Western which was exactly the opposite. Indeed, it wasn’t epic at all, just a rather modest Western but it worked like a charm and I thought it was a very fun flick. The first thing to enjoy was the pretty cool cast (Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, John Cleese, Rosanna Arquette, Jeff Goldblum). The other enjoyable thing was to see a rather young Kevin Costner just before his breakthrough in ‘The Untouchables’ 2 years later. There is a lot of energy, youth and carelessness in his performance and it was greatly appreciated. At the end of the day, this movie is nothing really amazing but since it never takes itself too seriously, it does work. To conclude, it is a pretty cool Western and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this flick but since I have a weak spot for Robert Downer Jr., I thought I should give it a try. Honestly, it was pretty obvious what the producers were up to. Following the surprising massive success of 'The Hangover', they decided to quickly cash-in on the popularity of the new funny guy in town, Zach Galifianakis. In the directing chair, you have again Todd Phillips and as the sparring partner, you have Robert Downer Jr., hotter than ever, so it sounded like a pretty good combo. Unfortunately, I didn't like it much, I'm afraid. Basically, it is some kind of a remake of 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' and even though I enjoyed this classic, it didn't really blow me away like good old Roger Ebert. Anyway, this new version didn't add much to the formula and I had really a hard time to care for the whole thing. Even though Galifianakis' character was more obnoxious than funny, Downey Jr. delivered the goods as usual and saved me from total boredom. There were a few cameos, some totally wasted (Juliette Lewis, Jamie Foxx) and some pretty good (RZA, Danny McBride) but, again, they didn't redeem the whole thing. To conclude, I think I'm being rather generous with my rating but I guess it is still worth a look, especially if you like the genre or the actors involved.

To be honest, I wasn't sure about this flick but since there were a couple of interesting actors involved, I thought I should give it a try. First of all, the title is not really bad but it doesn't make the whole thing really attractive. At least, you know beforehand that you will be dealing with and for a movie dealing with teenage anxiety, I thought it was pretty solid. Above all, the characters were really interesting and the understated acting by Vincent D'Onofrio, Tilda Swinton and Vince Vaughn was really appreciated. Concerning Keanu Reeves, it was honestly a nice attempt to try something else but his character was just way underwritten and his behavior was impossible to follow. The main issue I had with this flick is that it was still rather unfocused in my opinion. I mean, you start with the whole thumbsucking business but then it is about a debate team and later, you have some pot smoking. Each time, the behavior of the main character changed rather drastically and it was a little too much. Not that Lou Pucci should be blamed as he gave a pretty solid performance. To conclude, even though the whole thing is not really original or convincing, I still think that they managed to create some interesting characters and I think it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

So far, it is the best movie I have seen which was released in 2012. I know, many of you will probably be surprised that I give it so much praise, especially considering the fact that I'm not really generous with my ratings nowadays but this movie was just really amazing. I even shed a few tears, something that never happened to me before. First of all, after 20 years of mindless garbage, the great Robert De Niro was finally showing up in a good movie giving a great performance like in the good old days. Secondly, the characters and the whole story really touched me personally as I was reminded of how I met my wife and why we ended up together in the first place. As soon as the DVD is out, I will buy the damned thing and watch it with her. Finally, it was just a terrific movie with some real characters, with some real issues, dealing with their emotions and making me laugh and cry. I was also impressed by Bradley Cooper. Man, this guy seems to be the real deal. Indeed, only a few years back, he got his breakthrough with 'The Hangover' as a supposedly funny guy, then he became quickly another pretty face but, now, he is profiling himself as a genuinely talented dramatic actor. Concerning Jennifer Lawrence who just recently won the Academy award for this performance, I'm not so sure. The point is that it is only the 2nd movie starring her that I have seen so far (the other one being 'X-Men: First Class') and, in my opinion, she was actually too young for this part but she was solid so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt for now. Anyway, to conclude, I just loved this flick, it is an awesome drama, a great romantic-comedy and you should definitely check it out.