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CollectionsAn interesting failure
Posted : 14 years ago on 8 February 2011 09:40
(A review of The Siege)Since this movie doesnât really have a stellar reputation, I wasnât really expecting much but since there was a pretty neat cast, I still wanted to check it out. Eventually, I was actually really surprised by this flick and Iâm rather amazed that it doesnât get more credit nowadays. Indeed, I have seen it again like a year ago and it stroke me how accurate it was in the way it depicted a terrorist attack. On top of that , it was even more scary that the movie was made 3 years before the attacks on the WTC. Apparently, when it was released, it was a flop and there was some controvery because it was deemed offensive and stereotypical but, even though Iâm usually sensitive for that matter, it really didnât bother me at all and I thought it was actually a pretty accurate way to represent extremist muslims. The only thing, in my opinion, that prevented this movie to become really good was the botched ending. Indeed, they managed to develop a realistic and complex world situation and the ending clearly stood out as something from a fairy tale during which, somehow, within the last 10 minutes, all those complicated issues were pretty much solved magically. The current rise of the Islamic terrorism show that this situation wonât be solved so easily and wonât be solved anytime soon. Still, in spite of its flaws, I think it is really interesting movie and it is definitely worth a look.
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An acquired taste
Posted : 14 years ago on 8 February 2011 09:28
(A review of Death Proof)A couple of weeks ago, I was finally able to see 'Grindhouse' and even though I liked it, it was definitely not a masterpiece, above all because the 'Death Proof' segment was really disappointing. So, I was rather apprehensive before watching this longer version but, after all, to my surprise, I thought it was not that bad after all. It was still nothing really amazing though. Indeed, there was barely any story at all and no character development whatsoever. Some of the dialogues were cool and funny but most of it was just some useless chit-chat between the characters. In fact, even Tarantino himself considers this movie the weakest he has made so far. So why did I like it anyway ? It is probably because it was the 2nd time I saw it, I knew what to expect and my expectations were rather low this time. Furthermore, the soundtrack was very good and Tarantino knows how to direct a movie, that's for sure. To conclude, I think is an acquired taste but it is still worth a look, especially if you are interested in Quentin Tarantino's work. However, if you have to choose between watching 'Grindhouse' or 'Death Proof', keep in mind that 'Death Proof' was never intended to be watched as a stand-alone feature so you should definitely go for 'Grindhouse', it is much more interesting and fun to watch.
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An average movie
Posted : 14 years ago on 8 February 2011 08:11
(A review of Funny Face)Honestly, since I'm not a huge fan of musicals, I wasnât really sure what to expect from the damned thing but since I have always had a weak spot for Audrey Hepburn, I thought it might as well check it out. Well, to be honest, even though it was watchable, I can't say I really enjoyed. I have to confess, I havenât seen as many movies as I wish starring Audrey Hepburn but this movie must be the most boring one I have seen so far. I mean, sure, Hepburn was just really charming as usual and Fred Astaire was definitely a fine dancer (I would always prefer Gene Kelly though) but the story was just way too fluffy for my taste. Obviously, Iâm fully aware that it is a trademark in this genre but it doesnât change the fact that the whole thing felt rather tedious. Furthermore, I donât think that Astaire and Hepburn had a really great chemistry. I mean, I donât know if you have noticed it but Audrey Hepburnâs characters were always falling in love with some much older guys and maybe it was fine back in those days but if they would do the same thing today, it would look kind of creepy. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, it was still a decent watch and I guess it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre.Â
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An interesting failure
Posted : 14 years ago on 7 February 2011 05:52
(A review of Stay)Since I loved most of the movies directed by Marc Forster and since there was an awesome cast, I was really dying to watch this flick. Eventually, I loved many things about it but, still, even though I have a lot of respect for the people involved and what they tried to achieve, I'm afraid I still have to consider this movie a failure. Honestly, it is actually difficult to describe this movie, especially its plot. Basically, it is a psychological thriller or a great mind-f*ck, if you prefer. And there were lots of great ideas, it was visually spellbinding, the actors were really good as well and for most of the duration of this movie, I was really on the edge of my seat.... until the end which I found rather underwhelming. Basically, they keep you in the dark during the whole thing, throwing some weird stuff all the time and you wonder how they will handle all those questions that the viewers are legitimately asking. And, indeed, at the end, you get some answers but like I said before, I thought it was rather disappointing. Still, in spite of its flaws, the whole thing remained rather fascinating, there was a great cast (Ewan McGregor, Ryan Gosling, Naomi Watts, Bob Hoskins) and the directing by Marc Forster was really strong, it is just too bad the story didn't really work for me. To conclude, I still think is a very well made and fascinating thriller which was just maybe a little too ambitious concerning its plotline but it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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An interesting failure
Posted : 14 years ago on 7 February 2011 05:24
(A review of The Number 23)Honestly, I wasnât really sure what to expect from this flick but since I have a weak spot for Jim Carrey, I was really eager to check it out. Indeed, when Jim Carrey tries something else, it is usually pretty good (âThe Truman Showâ, âThe Eternal sunshine of the spotless mindâ, âMan on the moonâ,...) so there was a fair chance that it could be at least decent. Eventually, there were many things I enjoyed about this feature. First of all, you can say whatever you want about Joel Schumacher but the guy knows how to direct a movie. Furthermore, I thought that Carrey was indeed good and I really loved the mood of this movie. Unfortunately, the conclusion was just really weak. Indeed, they managed to build up a fascinating mindf*ck and during the whole thing, you are wondering how it will all end up. However, at the end, they tried to wrap it up and gave us a more or less rational explanation but it was definitely not really convincing. It is actually too bad because, a part from that, the whole thing really had some potential. Still, in spite of its flaws, it remains a well made and entertaining mindf*ck thriller and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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An interesting failure
Posted : 14 years ago on 7 February 2011 05:17
(A review of Nell)I wasn't sure what to expect from this movie but since I have a weak spot for Jodie Foster (if I remember correctly, she was even nominated for an academy award), I definitely wanted to check i out. Basically, it is one of those typical movies dealing with a disabled person like for example, 'I am Sam' or 'Rain man'. What those movies are in common is that, on one hand, you have one actor who portrays an handicapped person in a heartbreaking perfomance but, on the other hand, there is this worthless plot which and goes for the cheap emotional thrills. I mean, Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson are both fine actors and they try their best but their characters didn't have much depth and their actions were really plot-driven. Above all, they never really go in depth into the psychological side of this tale and the whole thing was way too romanticized for my taste. Still, it remains an interesting drama, above all thanks to Jodie Foster and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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An interesting failure
Posted : 14 years ago on 7 February 2011 05:07
(A review of Meet Joe Black)I already saw this movie but since it was a while back, I thought I might as well check it out again. When this movie was released, it wasnât really a box-office success and it received some rather poor reviews. However, even though many people thought that it was rather lousy, some others believed it was actually one of the best movies ever made and they really loved it creating some kind of cult following. This might explain why the ratings are higher than what I would have expected. Personally, Iâm not a huge fan of the whole thing and some stuff just didnât really work. Above all, the end was actually pretty bad. It's a shame because the concept definitely had some potential and the first ten minutes were awesome (like most of the viewers, I was really caught up by surprise when Brad Pitt was hit by those cars right from the start. It is not very often that you come across a movie where the lead star is killed off so fast and so brutally). Indeed, from this point, it was pretty obvious that I was watching something else. Eventually, as long as the movie focused on telling the story of this old man facing the last moments of his life with Death itself, it worked fine, especially since Anthony Hopkins gave here, in my opinion, one of his best performances. Unfortunately, there was also another plot line involving Death falling in love and while it was definitely less interesting, the biggest problem was that Brad Pitt was simply just not up to the task. Sure, Pitt was back then already one of the biggest movie stars in the world but the guy was still pretty much only a pretty face and he didnât have at the time the acting skills to play such a complex character. Then, you had also a 3rd plot line (explaining why this movie was running 3 hrs) involving the main characterâs business but it was terribly generic and predictable. Coming back to the ending, seriously, it must be one of the most non-sensical conclusion I have ever seen and it seemed to be a major step-back after making so many bold decisions before. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, I still think it is an intriguing movie with some potential and it is definitely worth a look.
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An interesting failure
Posted : 14 years ago on 7 February 2011 04:41
(A review of The Human Stain)Honestly, beforehand, I had never heard of this movie but since there was a pretty good cast, I thought I should give it a try. First of all, I must admit it was a really intriguing premise. A black boy is born looking like a white boy and when he becomes adult he decides to lie about his origins and pretends to be white to avoid being discriminated. Sounds fascinating, right ? It was indeed spellbinding but unfortunately, the story wasn't developed really well and the end product was rather messy... However, the cast (Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Gary Sinise, Wentworth Miller, Jacinda Barret) was pretty good and, above all, Hopkins was really impressive as usual. Still, instead of focusing on this interesting premise, they developed some sub-plots but they were not really interesting. For example, I didn't care much about the relationship between Hopkins and Kidman. Still, it remains an intriguing drama and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you're interested in Hopkins' work.
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An interesting failure
Posted : 14 years ago on 7 February 2011 04:28
(A review of Gerry)Back in 1997, Gus Van Sant scored his biggest box-office hit with âGood Will Huntingâ. Not only was this movie a success for Van Sant, it meant at last a major breakthrough for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck who are pretty much Hollywood royalties nowadays (ok, the journey was pretty tortuous for Affleck but he got there eventually, didnât he?). Anyway, 5 years later, Gus Van Sant and Matt Damon were reunited and this time, Benâs little brother, Casey Affleck, joined the party. Personally, I never really cared for Van Santâs more commercial outings but this flick definitely belonged to his more experimental work and that was most welcome. Indeed, in the whole movie, you just have Matt Damon and Casey Affleck wandering in a desert, talking about everyday stuff. It may sound lame but I found it rather fascinating. Indeed, both actors delivered some really strong performances and Iâm a sucker for Van Santâs understated directing style. Unfortunately, since there is not plot and no other characters to interact and even though the whole thing was really intriguing, it felt also rather empty and the ending was downright disappointing. Indeed, it came seriously out of nowhere and it was as if the makers tried to force some meaning on the proceedings but it didnât work, at least, for me. To conclude, even though the whole thing was rather flawed, it still think it is a really interesting experimental feature and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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An interesting failure
Posted : 14 years ago on 7 February 2011 04:10
(A review of Frantic)Honestly,even though Iâm a huge of Roman Polanskiâs work, I thought this movie was rather disappointing. Basically, it is probably the most mainstream feature coming from the Polish director and it is probably even more accessible than 'The Ninth gate' so it  was really perfect for the mainstream audience who might be intimated by his darker work. I mean, to be honest, it was actually not bad all. As a matter of fact, the intro was just brilliant. Indeed, Harrison Ford gets to Paris with his wife, check into a hotel. He goes to the bathroom or something and suddenly, when he comes back, his wife is gone! Up to that point and included the next 30 minutes, the whole thing was just spellbinding to watch and it was just awesome to see this average guy very well played by Harrison Ford losing his head because he has lost his wife without a shred of explanation. Unfortunately, at some point, they had to explain what was exactly going on and thatâs when the movie really became truly disappointing. It is quite obvious that Polanski didn't care much about the plot which was rather weak, especially the second part, and cared more about the mood which was pretty cool. Honestly, I don't remember much about the whole explanation, what I do remember is that it was a really weak disposable conspiracy theory, the typical stuff you get in your average thriller. Coming out from someone as brilliant as Polanski, this was a real letdown. To conclude, even though it is one of the weakest efforts by Roman Polanski, probably his most commercial outing, it is still worth a look though, if only for the brilliant first 30 minutes.
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