Reviews by johanlefourbe

Honestly, I have never heard of this movie before but since it was directed by Walter Salles, I still wanted to check it out. Indeed, since his international breakthrough with 'Central do Brasil', I have tried to watch his other movies even though it has been many years since I have seen one of those. Anyway, I thought it was a pretty good drama but also a really weird flick. It is not really a mind-f*ck at all but the whole plot is based on some really bizarre family tradition which involves some endless revenge. I thought it was so weird that it was actually rather distracting. I mean, during the whole thing I couldn't help thinking 'Did something like this really happened in Brazil back in those days or was it pure fiction?'. It was kind of fascinating but also rather distracting at the same time and, as a result, I wasn't paying enough attention to the beautiful photography and the pretty good acting (Rodrido Santoro who later on played the major bad-guy in '300' was the lead actor). So, it was a rather strange period drama but there was definitely something quite mesmerizing about it. To conclude, even though it was not really amazing, I still think it is pretty good and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Honestly, beforehand, I had actually never heard of this movie before but since I have weak spot for Wolfgang Petersen, I thought I should give it a try. It has been a while since Petersen had released anything and he might be retired (he is more than 70 years old after all) and even though his two last movies ('Poseidon' and 'Troy') were both rather disappointing, he did make some pretty cool flicks earlier in his career. This movie was actually his first American production and it was actually pretty good. I mean, the plot was nothing really amazing but it was entertaining enough and I really liked the mood. It was also pretty neat to have only two characters so there were no sub-plots or other minor characters to draw the attention. As a result, even though the whole thing is rather predictable, since you spent so much time with those two guys (actually, one is an alien but whatever...), you really get the time to know them, where they are coming from, figuratively and literally speaking, and you could slowly follow their evolution. To conclude, it is a pretty solid SF feature and I think it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

As you may have noticed, I’m a very obsessive movie watcher and one of my very first obsession was/is Robert de Niro. I just love this actor and I have been watching many of this movies during the last 18 years (65 so far and still 20 to go). However, since the beginning of this decade, he has been making about 3 or 4 movies a year and most of them were of a very dubious quality so I’m not as fanatic as I used to be about his work but I still watch some of them from time to time. Anyway, even though it can be interesting to dig up into his old work, it can be also pretty thankless as well. Indeed, basically, this feature is one of those lame movies where they put de Niro prominently on the packaging when, in fact, the guy just shows up for a vey few minutes in a very very minor role… So, that was a major setback but, to my surprise, it was actually a very decent drug themed drama. Indeed, George Segal, who I knew by name but not through his work, was actually pretty good and delivered a solid performance. I also appreciated the dark and bleak tone of the whole thing and, even though there was so room for humor, it was still a rather sad and depressing affair. Of course, in its genre, it is nothing really amazing and there are some much better movies but I thought it was still pretty good. To conclude, you shouldn’t watch it for Robert de Niro, but, against all expectations, it is actually a decent feature and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Back in 2005, Christian Bale finally broke through with ‘Batman Begins’ but the same year, he also starred in this forgotten drama. Honestly, I thought it was not bad at all. I must admit though, the intro didn’t really convince me. I mean, it was one of the most cheap-ass war scenes I have ever scene and it was pretty obvious those were not done in the Middle East (apparently, the whole thing was shot on a micro-budget and, as a result, they didn’t even have a catering). Afterwards, you learn it was just a dream but still. Fortunately, this movie was not about those war scenes but about the relationship between those two guys, perfectly played by Christian Bale and Freddy Rodriguez. Basically, the whole thing is about them, hanging around in their car, drinking beer, smoking weed. I know, it doesn’t sound really appealing but the actors were really good, and the tone was just perfect. Furthermore, there was a deliberate slow pace and all the events were unveiled naturally. I also enjoyed that you felt constantly that something really bad was going to happen but, even though those guys were obviously playing with fire, they still didn’t do anything really extreme or preposterous, and the way they always managed to not get injured was always believable. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the ending much. I mean, it was pretty obvious that it would end badly for Jim but was it really necessary to show it in the movie? I mean, during the whole thing, shit happens to them but they survive only because the plot needs them to go on but, at the end, they obviously wanted a dramatic climax but it felt forced when the rest of he movie wasn’t. Still, except for this disappointing ending, it is actually a pretty decent drama and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Christian Bale’s work.

Apparently, Russel Mulcahy is a Australian director who has mostly made some B features throughout his career, the most notable one being ‘Highlander’ (a childhood favorite). After making this cult classic, it took Mulcahy 5 more years to come with another feature and that year, he managed to come out with not one but two movies, including ‘Highlander II’, one of the most hated sequels ever made but also this rather obscure flick starring Denzel Washington. Basically, it is a typical B feature but, even though I’m not a huge fan of the genre, I thought this one was fairly enjoyable. Above all, I liked the juxtaposition between the sober no-nonsense acting provided by Denzel Washington against the over-the-top hysteria given by John Lithgow. I always had a weak spot for John Lithgow but he is just awesome when playing such a weird psychopath. Denzel Washington, on the other hand, built up a whole career solely playing the straight righteous guy but he does it so well, he always remained a very charismatic lead actor. Back then, he just had his breakthrough with ‘Glory’, his career was finally taking off and he is still in demand nowadays. Anyway, to conclude, even though it is nothing really amazing, it was still a solid B thriller 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 weak spot for Isla Fisher, I still wanted to check it out. Basically, it is one of those movies made by some SNL alumni and like most of those, it was a flop when it was released. Honestly, I don’t think it really deserved a better faith as the whole thing was barely funny. I don’t know, I really find it difficult to laugh at someone because they are stupid or because they are hurting themselves so, I guess, I wasn’t really the right audience for this flick. There was one scene which I really enjoyed though. It was this scene, in the woods, when they parodied ‘Footloose’. It was indeed quite hilarious and the big fall following was pretty good as well. But everything before or after didn’t make me laugh much and I think it would have been more interesting or funny if the main character would have been mentally retarded, at least, it would have made more sense. Eventually, I thought the whole thing was actually rather sad and therefore far from being hilarious. And once again, it was yet another disappointing feature starring the lovely Isla Fisher. Seriously, she seems really talented but she always shows up in the most underwhelming features and, this time, she didn’t have anything interesting to do except falling in love with the lead character which was utterly unconvincing. And don’t even mention Sissy Spacek. I though it was rather baffling to see an actress of her caliber, an Academy Award winner, showing up for such a thankless job. To be honest, there were a few good ideas and I enjoyed the feud with the dying step-dad but most of the movie was just cringe-inducing. To conclude, it is a really average comedy and it is not really worth a look, even if you like the genre.

It might sound surprising but I actually liked this movie. Indeed, by now, I have seen most of the movies directed by Chris Columbus and I didn’t care much for any of his huge box-office success (‘Home Alone’ 1 and 2, ‘Harry Potter’ 1 and 2, even ‘Mrs Doubtfire’) but I enjoyed this movie and, as a matter of fact, in my opinion, it is in fact the best movie he has made so far, at least, in my opinion. Before watching this flick, I thought that the title was lame and I thought it would be just another tedious melodramatic family feature but I was pleasantly surprised. The point is that this movie has probably touched something personal since I have been a stepdad for already 10 years so I could certainly identify with the characters and their inner struggle. Without this personal connection, there is a good chance I wouldn’t have cared much for this movie. Julia Roberts did a decent job, she was quite charming as usual but she basically gave the same performance she gives in almost every single movies she has done and, at this point, I’m not sure we should consider this as ‘acting’. Considering Susan Sarandon and Ed Harris, they are both some of the finest actors and they did a good job here as usual, even though it was rather thankless. Indeed, since the movie is about the women, there is not much room for Harris and, for Sarandon, she has to be an annoying witch in the first half and in the second half, suddenly becomes someone completely different just to accommodate the script. So, even though I liked this flick, it still remains a standard tearjerker and, of course, someone has to get sick and, eventually, die at the end. It is unfortunately inherent to the genre and it’s too bad this movie didn’t manage to escape from this boring trick. To conclude, I might be biased about the subject, so you might not enjoy it like I did but I think it was pretty good and it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Back in the 90’s, I was a huge fan of Wim Wenders, especially ‘Paris Texas’. Unfortunately, his last movies were far from being impressive but I keep checking his new work once in a while. However, I must admit that this documentary was quite a nice surprise. Even though I had never heard of Pina Bausch before and even though my knowledge about modern ballet is close to zero, I was certainly able to enjoy this flick. Indeed, there were some really great dance bits and thanks to the film medium, you could get really close to see the expression of the dancers which is something that you miss when you see them performing on stage. I really wonder how the whole thing looked like in 3D. Like I said before, I’m far from being a fan of ballet but there is something really appealing, quite organic, about modern ballet which makes it quite fascinating and this movie was a perfect introduction. Still, even though I enjoyed it, I can’t say it was really amazing though. Basically, this Art is a foreign language to me and watching a movie in a language I don’t know was a little bit tiresome. Furthermore, they kept jumping from one dance creation to another without much transition or continuity. So, each time, you had to invest yourself in what was going on and, just when you felt a little bit more comfortable, they would move towards something different which was a little bit frustrating. Finally, the comments were pretty nice and it seems that Pina was quite an exceptional woman, a genius in this Art who had a great connection with her performers, but I would have appreciated a little bit more nuance and it could have been interesting if not everybody was constantly praising her. Still, as mentioned before, the dancing was quite marvelous and this movie 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 romantic-comedies, I thought I should give it a try. Furthermore, there was a charming cast (Ashley Judd, Greg Kinnear, Hugh Jackman, Marisa Tomei) so maybe it could be a nice surprise. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of those rather underwhelming entries in this genre. Basically, it is one of those romantic-comedies which spends a terrible amount of time developing a lame plot based on some lame concept instead of making sure that they are creating some genuinely interesting characters. The whole thing was obviously based on some old stereotypes and, right from the start, you could see where it was getting at. Of course, you could argue that predictability is something inherent to this genre and you would be right. Personally, I don’t really mind if the whole thing is predictable but I certainly need to have some endearing and compelling characters to watch and that was definitely not the case here. Still, the actors were so damned charming, I wish they got a better story to chew on. Especially, I have a huge weak spot for Ashley Judd and it’s too bad she is not on the A list anymore doing some (even more) forgettable stuff nowadatys. To conclude, I have seen worse but I still think it is a rather average romantic-comedy and it is not really worth a look, even if you love the genre like I do.

Every time a successful TV show ends, there is a big discussion whether they should adapt it on the big screen or not. For ‘Sex and the City’, it seemed to be a no-brainer but still, it took them a while to get the first installment made and many wonder if actually anyone would care for it. Eventually, it was a smash hit and, suddenly, a whole new market seemed to be discovered by the Hollywood producers. Of course, since it was a success, they rapidly made a sequel. Honestly, the first installment was not bad at all. It was nothing amazing but it remained a decent romantic-comedy with a few interesting ideas. However, they totally blew it on this sequel. My God…. It was boring, obnoxious and lasted forever (around 150 mins!). Basically, there is no real plot but a succession of tedious events and, apparently, you are supposed to care for these annoying rich white middle-aged women. At first, you have a wedding with some terrible gay jokes. Then, you have Carrie Bradshaw who goes to her luxurious apartment with her husband and, suddenly, there is this conflict because, for once, he just wants to spend some quality time with her by watching some movie together on the sofa. Apparently, she’d rather party all night with some random strangers. I mean, which one sounds more romantic to you? Furthermore, they are not 20 anymore. But, above all, does it sound to you like a major conflict? Don’t you think that many couples face some greater challenges such as sickness, unemployment, financial issues, child care, adultery and so on? So, it goes on and on for hours with the terrible drama those women have to face. And then, you have another misguided episode when they go to Abu Dhabi. I mean, in this time of economic crisis, do you think it is really wise to send them to an insanely luxurious hotel when many people struggle to make ends meet? If at least, it had been funny but, no, you just end up with some really misguided jokes about their clash with the Muslim culture. To conclude, they couldn’t have done a worse job, it is pretty bad and not worth a look whatsoever.