Posted : 14 years ago on 1 February 2011 01:20
(A review of
Nil by Mouth)
Many movie fans are aware of Gary Oldman's talent as actor but only a few of them know that he has actually also directed a movie and a very good one on top of that. If I'm not mistaken, I even saw it when it was released and, back then, I was really impressed. Apparently, it was a very personal project for Oldman as the film was loosely based upon his own life growing up in London and he even spent $1.4 million of his own money into the film. Unfortunately, after so many years, Oldman hasn't directed anything else and it is a real shame since this directing debut was really good but, apparently, at last, almost 20 years later, he will finally come up with a new directing effort and I will definitely check it out. Anyway, coming back to our main feature, it is one of those bleak and grim British dramas dealing with drugs, violence and dysfunctional people. The actors were pretty good, especially the always dependable Ray Winstone who would also eventually show up in Tim Roth's directing debut, two years later. To conclude, it might not be really original but I think it is a very bleak and fascinating drama and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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Posted : 14 years ago on 1 February 2011 12:59
(A review of
Boogie Nights)
I already saw this movie but since it was such a long time ago, I was really eager to check it out again. Anyway, before āMagnoliaā and āThere Will Be Bloodā, it was with this movie that Paul Thomas Anderson started to get some deserved attention. In fact, even though his following directing efforts are usually better regarded than this movie, I still really love this movie. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect from this flick and I went to see it at the time in the movie theater because it seemed to be fun. Eventually, it turned out to be indeed a fun movie but also much more thant that as well. Indeed, it was in fact way better than I expected and, out of a topic which has produced so many lame comedies, Anderson managed to make made a really entertaining but also quite fascinating feature. I was also really impressed by the great cast involved, especially by Mark Wahlberg. Indeed, he would eventually get his breakthrough thanks to this movie and it is a real shame that he doesnāt make such movies anymore. Anyway, to conclude, even though it tends to be overlooked nowadays, I really loved the damned thing and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Paul Thomas Andersonās work.
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Posted : 14 years ago on 1 February 2011 11:50
(A review of
Perfect Blue)
I have always been interested in Japanese animation but, to be honest, the amount of movies is just so massive, I never took the time to really invest myself in this. Anyway, I still had the pleasure to see some amazing āmangasā (thatās how they call them in France but Iām not sure if the name is really accurate) and this flick was definitely one of them. Honestly, I donāt really remember how I ended up watching this flick but I was thoroughly impressed. Indeed, the interesting thing with Japanese animation, is that, even though there is obviously a huge amount of garbage (probably the other reason why I never watched so many of them), they dare to take some risks and, in Japan, animation is pretty much consider as an Art and something not limited for their kids. Anyway, I thought it was quite a gorgeous animated feature and, above all, the plot was just really spellbinding. Basically, it is a very dark and rather complex thriller about a young girl who is losing her grip on reality. After this flick, Satoshi Kon went to direct some other impressive animated features which were all critically heralded and it is too bad I havenāt seen any of them yet. To conclude, I thought it was quite a fascinating feature and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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Posted : 14 years ago on 1 February 2011 11:44
(A review of
Elizabeth)
Already 15 years ago, Cate Blanchett gave her breakthrough performance in this movie. Of course, since Iām a huge fan of her work, I was really eager to check this and, fortunately, I wasnāt disappointed. Indeed, first of all, the movie looked stunning. I mean, the sets, the costumes were just amazing and even though Iām not really a fan of costume dramas in general, I was really able to appreciate the work provided here. Thankfully, this movie was not only nice to look at, it also provided a fascinating story which was some kind of mix between a historical drama and a political thriller. Of course, you can always argue that the whole thing was not completely accurate but when you deal with some historical events that took place centuries ago, this argument is rather pointless if you ask me. Anyway, back in those days, it was nominated for the Best Picture at the Academy Awards but lost out from āShakespeare in loveā, one of the most controversial winners ever (the other losers were āSaving Private Ryanā, āThe Thin Red Lineā and āLife is Beautifulā. Nowadays, not many people would argue that āShakespeareā¦ā really deserved this prize). What remains is that Cate Blanchett was really impressive in this, she became overnight one of the best actresses of her generation and she has consolidated her career ever since with some smart choices and other brilliant performances. Basically, it was the start of a stunning career (the next Meryl Streep?). To conclude, it is a very good costume drama, probably one of the best in this genre and it is is definitely worth a look.
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Posted : 14 years ago on 1 February 2011 11:37
(A review of
Happiness)
To be honest, it has been a while since I have seen this movie and I should probably re-watch it at some point. Personally, it was the first movie directed by Todd Solondz that I saw, I even watched it in the movie theater when it was released. Back then, I really loved the damned thing and I kept following this director but, to be honest, none of his other directing efforts really impressed me like this one. Anyway, following his critical success with āWelcome to the Dollhouseā, 3 years later, Solondz came up with this movie which was his most ambitious project and, in my opinion, by far his best movie so far. Obviously, his work is definitely an acquired taste and this feature was not an exception. Indeed, basically, there is no likable characters and they pretty much all do some despicable things throughout the whole duration. So why on Earth should you watch the damned thing then ?!? In my case, I believe that messed up people are actually much more interesting and fascinating than all the perfect people that you usually get to see in your standard Hollywood production. By the way, this must be one of the last movies in which Lara Flynn Boyle still looked really charming. Anyway, if you dare watch this flick, I think it is definitely worth a look.
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Posted : 14 years ago on 1 February 2011 11:30
(A review of
Ringu (1998))
I remember it as it it was yesterday. The first time, I watched this movie, I was so scared shitless... I was with a whole bunch of friends and nobody was really paying attention to the movie but I was completely fixating and the scene with the TV (if you have seen it, you know what I'm talking about...) was, at the time, one of most frightening scenes I have ever seen. The funny thing is that I re-watched it again not so long ago, 10 later years and, honestly, it wasn't as terrifying as I thought it was (maybe it has to do with the fact that I was really stoned the first time but let's move on to something else...). Anyway, even though it may not be as scary as I thought it was, it still remains one of my favorite horror movies. Indeed, after all these years, it remains a fascinating story told by some very competent directing. I just love the way the actors tell you their story without constantly rationalizing what's going one which was, in my opinion, the biggest issue with the US remake . Sure, the whole thing is actually completely preposterous but I thought it was completely spellbinding anyway. Eventually, it's a shame that the remake is much more famous than this original version. To conclude, I really loved it, it is definitely worth a look and a must-see for horror fans.
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Posted : 14 years ago on 1 February 2011 11:28
(A review of
Black Cat, White Cat)
I already saw this movie but since it was ages ago, I was really eager to check it out again. In fact, to be precise, the last time I saw it was 20 years ago in the movie theatre when it was released. Well, even though I had some fond memories about this movie, the first thing that surprised me was how little I actually remembered the damned thing which was, to be honest, not really a good sign. Anyway, I still really liked this movie though. In my opinion, it was in fact the last great picture directed by Emir Kusturica and, as a matter of fact, this movie might be my favorite among his movies. By the way, what the hell happened to this director?!? Anyway, coming back to our main feature, Kusturica has always been the master of the Gypsy movie and this one must the best one he has made in this genre. Indeed, at first, the whole thing might seem to be a huge mess but there was actually a plot that you could easily follow and some very well defined characters. In my opinion, to generate such an intoxicating chaos and still deliver an entertaining tale required some great directing and the whole thing was just so fun to behold. Anyway, to conclude, I really enjoyed the damned thing and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Emir Kusturicaās work.Ā
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Posted : 14 years ago on 1 February 2011 11:17
(A review of
The Thin Red Line (1998))
When this movie was released, there was a pretty good buzz about it so I thought I should check it out. Back in those days, I didn't know who was Terrence Malick and haven't heard about the legends surrounding him but I sure loved this movie. I must have been 18-19 years old and I had never seen something like that, this mix of metaphysics and war and I was quite blown-away. Fast-forward 15 years later and I though it was really time for a re-watch. In the mean time, I have seen all the movies directed by Malick and I have read a lot about the crazy stuff about this guy. The 2nd time around, even though it didn't completely amaze me, I still thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Basically, in spite of the poetic tone and metaphysics involved, it is still his most straight-forward and accessible movie to date. Indeed, most of the movie is about the battle of Guadalcanal and it was and is one of the best depictions of war I have ever seen. One thing that really impressed me is the way it keeps switching between characters and I thought it really made sense since war is a confused mess not involving one macho hero but a whole bunch of dudes trying not to get killed. With this switching of characters, you can also try to spot all the familiar actors and there was a whole bunch of them (Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Elias Koteas, Ben Chaplin, John Cusack, Adrien Brody, John C. Reilly, Woody Harrelson, Miranda Otto, Jared Leto, John Travolta, George Clooney, Nick Stahl, Thomas Jane, John Savage, Tim Blake Nelson). Out of all of all those guys, Jim Caviezel, a complete unknown at the time, managed to outclass everyone, even the great Sean Penn and Malick became so infatuated in his awesome performance and the character he created that a good chunk of the movie was devoted to him when it wasn't supposed to be the case. It is actually impressive that the movie was really well structured since Malick didn't follow the book at all, didn't follow the script either and spent at least 3 months shooting hours and hours of footage. When it was released, even though it was heralded, it was still overlooked mostly because the same year, Spielberg released the much more conventional and far less superior 'Saving Private Ryan'. To conclude, I think it is the ultimate poetic war movie and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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Posted : 14 years ago on 1 February 2011 10:31
(A review of
The War Zone)
It has been a while since I have seen this flick but, at the time, it was really a tough experience. Indeed, this movie was just really heavy and you should be aware of this before watching it. I mean, the performances were very good and so was the directing but what an heartbreaking story! I have seen some pretty tough dramas but most of them are nothing compared to the agony displayed in this picture. Personally, I have always been a fan of Tim Roth, even though, I have to admit it, he hasn't done anything really amazing lately, but I was really surprised by his directing debut. I wonder if he will ever direct something else but I sure will be interested. Anyway, this feature deals with a taboo, incest, and it gives a relentless look on this subject. Like I said before, I warn you, it is a really tough watch and many people won't be able to watch it and won't be interested by such a grim story and I honestly won't blame them. To conclude, I think it is a hardcore drama but I thought it was really good and, if you are not disgusted by its subject, you should give it a try, even if there is a good chance you will feel devastated afterwards.
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Posted : 14 years ago on 1 February 2011 10:26
(A review of
The Insider (1999))
I already saw this movie but since it was a while back, I was quite eager to check it out again. First of all, what the hell happened to Michael Mann?!? Seriously, he used to be one of the most interesting directors at work but, after 'Collateral', his following movies have been increasingly disappointing and this trend reached an all-time low with 'Blackhat' which was one of the biggest commercial and critical flops released in 2015. Anyway, even though I have started to lose some faith in the guy, I still really like his work (at least, his older work) and this one is probably one of his best movies. Nowadays, it seems to be rather forgotten but when it was released, it was a big critical success and it definitely deserved all the praise it received. Indeed, to start with, the performances delivered by Al Pacino (in probably one of his last very good movies) and Russell Crowe were really good and, above all, the story was just very interesting and entertaining. In my opinion, it is almost as good as āAll The Presidentās Menā, probably the best movie in this genre, it was above all thanks to Michael Mann's solid directing which managed to perfectly mix the usual thriller gimmicks with a realistic and compelling story. Anyway, to conclude, I really loved this flick and I think it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Michael Mann's work.
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