Reviews by johanlefourbe

Before watching this movie, to be honest, I really had some really low expectations. However, eventually, I have to admit that I was actually pleasantly surprised by the damned thing. Indeed, I thought it was a really fun and entertaining family feature. Basically, the whole thing was just a succession of thrilling actions scenes but I didn't mind. On top of that, for once, I thought that Brendan Fraser was alright, he didn't annoy me like he usually does and his performance of a scientist was actually rather believable, especially if you would compare it to some other performances like the one given by Nicolas Cage in 'National Treasure'. For once, I wish I saw this movie at the theater in 3D but, afterwards, I read that Roger Ebert thought that the 3D effect was just awful so I probably didn't miss much. Of course, the story was rather preposterous and it was rather annoying that they kept reaching to the book confirming that everything in the damned thing was accurate but, a part from that, I was actually really entertained throughout the whole thing. To conclude, of course, it was not a masterpiece whatsoever but it was still a decent and sometimes even rather thrilling adventure feature and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you're looking for something to watch with your kids.

It seems that Adam Sandler has lost his touch nowadays as all his recent movies have been some flop at the box-office. As far as I’m concerned, I have never cared for his movies but since this one was supposed to be one of his 'classics', I thought I should check it out. To be honest, I still didn’t like it, that's for sure, but I have to admit it was actually better than 'Billy Madison' and many other movies starring Sandler. Once again, he was portraying an aggressive foul-mouthed moron who actually had a golden heart, at least, that's what the viewers were supposed to think. Anyway, I enjoyed the way they made a parody about sport movies in general and golf in particular, pointing out a few ridiculous things concerning this sport. Still, even though it was funny from time to time, most of it was still really boring and Gilmore was eventually more obnoxious than funny. Anyway, this flick was a success, even more than 'Billy Madison' so there was no way to stop Adam Sandler from making similar flicks for the next 20 years. To conclude, even though I didn't hate the damned thing, I still think it was average and I don’t think it is really worth a look, except if you are a huge fan of the genre. 

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since I have a weak spot for Audrey Tautou, I thought I might check it out. First of all, even after she got some major exposure thanks to 'Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain', Tautou actually never really broke through on the international scene. However, in France, she has remained one of the most sought-after actresses. This time, she had the opportunity to portray a French icon and she delivered a totally different performance than in 'Amélie' but I thought she was quite convincing. The directing by Anne Fontaine was also pretty good and she managed to give an idea about how she must have felt and also about the mood during this paticuliar time period. So, I enjoyed this biopic but I can't say I was really blown away by the whole thing though. Indeed, the story was definitely intriguing but I didn't care much about her love life. I mean, her relationship with Balsan (portrayed by Benoit Poelvoorde) was rather interesting but her other relationship with Boy Capel (portrayed by Alessandro Nivola) was honestly rather boring and predictable. Anyway, even though it was not a masterpiece,  it was still a well made and rather fascinating biopic and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in this subject.

Cédric Klapisch is not really famous here on Listal but he is highly regarded in France and many of his movies were very successful there. This time around, he went for one of those hyperlink features and he managed to get a top French cast (Juliette Binoche, Romain Duris, Fabrice Luchini, Albert Dupontel, Mélanie Laurent, François Cluzet, Karin Viard, Olivia Bonamy). Eventually, the biggest problem I had with this movie was that there were just too many storylines, too many characters and the whole thing felt poorly developped and even rather messy. I wish he had focused on some of those stories and got rid off the rest. Still, even though there was some real bullsh*t here and there, I really enjoyed the directing and the performances were really good as well. I especially liked Fabrice Luchini and even though he keeps playing the same role in all his movies, he is always hilarious and it wasn't different this time. I guess the fact I'm not such a big fan of Paris was probably another reason why I wasn't really blown away by the whole thing. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, there was plenty of sweet and touching stuff and, eventually, I enjoyed it and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in French movies.