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Posted : 14 years, 2 months ago on 30 January 2011 12:05
(A review of The Strangers)Honestly, beforehand, I wasn't sure what to expect from this flick. Indeed, according to one of my dearest Listal friend, it was one of the best horror movies he had ever seen (and he has seen a whole bunch of those) but according to Roger Ebert, it was actually really bad and rather worthless. Well, eventually, I thought it was not bad at all. Above all, I enjoyed the fact that they kept many things in the dark, even towards the end, and that's something always appreciated. Something pretty awesome also happened while watching this flick. Personally, I thought it was pretty spooky but nothing I couldn't handle but my step-daughter brought her then boyfriend and this guy honestly really completely freaked out... I mean, the guy was huge, almost 2 meters, and yet at least twice during the movie, he screamed as if he saw some ghost and (literally) jumped behind the couch. My step-daughter was terribly embarrassed but I thought it was just awesome and I had a blast. Unfortunately, even if he got scared sh*tless, it wasn't really the case for me though. Furthermore, when you think about it, there was honestly not much going on during the whole movie and that was definitely its weakest point. Anyway, to conclude, even if it was not really flawless or really mind-blowing, it was still an original and interesting horror movie and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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A very good movie
Posted : 14 years, 2 months ago on 29 January 2011 08:15
(A review of Sunshine)Since 'Shallow Grave', I watched every movie directed by Danny Boyle and he never disappointed me. Therefore, I was really eager to check this flick and, once again, he managed to create a really fascinating picture. Danny Boyle this time worked again with Cillian Murphy, 5 years after '28 Days later...' and the rest of the cast was also quite intriguing (Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh , Rose Byrne, Mark Strong, Cliff Curtis). Personally, I think it is one of the most underrated features made by this director. The point is that it has been criticized because it was supposedly not really original but it didn't bother me whatsoever. I'm a sucker for such stories and I thought that the concept was very well handled. I mean, you can easily figure that, with another director (let's say... Michael Bay for example), they would have been lots of explosions, shootings, chases, whatever... Not here... Indeed, even though the special effects were pretty good, that was not the point of this movie and the plot was really interesting, at least, that's my opinion. To conclude, it is some high caliber SF with some brain and soul and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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A very good movie
Posted : 14 years, 2 months ago on 29 January 2011 08:09
(A review of La Vie en Rose)Marion Cotillard has managed something quite exceptional. Indeed, she is the only French actress (even actor) who has ever managed to have a really solid career in Hollywood. I mean, it didn’t start very well (neither ‘Public Enemies’ or ‘Nine’ managed to be a critical or financial success) but then it really took off with ‘Inception’ and since then, she has become pretty much a A-list actress. Anyway, before all this she showed up in this French flick which was a huge critical success in France and even abroad. Indeed, Cotillard even managed to win the Academy for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role which is quite exceptional for a foreigner. With this in mind, I was really eager to check this flick and, indeed, I wasn’t disappointed. Indeed, even though the format was rather traditional, the directing was good and the story was pretty interesting but, of course, above all, Marion Cotillard gave a wonderful performance. Indeed, I’m not sure about her status abroad, but in France, Edith Piaf has always been a major icon and it is quite impressive how Cotillard didn’t become overwhelmed by the daunting task. To conclude, I thought it was very good an it is definitely worth a look, especially if you're interested in French culture.
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A very good movie
Posted : 14 years, 2 months ago on 29 January 2011 08:03
(A review of Before the Devil Knows You're Dead)Sidney Lumet has recently passed away and this was his last directing effort. During his very long career, Lumet has directed a few classics (12 angry men, Dod day afternoon, Serpico,...) and a also few stinkers (The wiz, Gloria,...). So, this was Lumet's final feature and I must say, it was a great way to finish such an illustrious career and I guess this one will go in the category "underrated/unknown gem". First of all, there was an impressive cast (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei) and they all delivered some terrific performances but, above all, I thought that the directing was really amazing. Indeed, when you think about it, the story is nothing really amazing but it is way it was told that made it so spellbinding to watch. 50 years earlier, Lumet directed the amazing '12 Angry men', which still stands as one of the best movie ever made and, here, with this final movie, with a completely different directing style, he gave another great piece of cinema. To conclude, this flick was just fascinating, in my opinion, it is a really underrated movie and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Sidney Lumet's work.
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A good movie
Posted : 14 years, 2 months ago on 29 January 2011 07:53
(A review of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)I already saw this movie, in fact, I even saw it in the movie theater when it was released, but, since it was a while back, I thought I might as well check it out again. Back then, when I first saw it, I was a big fan of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's work was still very interesting so I had to see this movie. Honestly, I had absolutely no knowledge about Sweeney Todd so I really didn't know what to expect beforehand. Furthermore, musicals are not really my thing so I went to see it with a open mind. Eventually, I thought it was really good. I didn't care much about the songs but the visuals were quite awesome, something to be expected with Tim Burton, and Johnny Depp did deliver a solid performance, which was expected as well. I'm not so sure about the story though but it was the ending that really sold me out. I mean, it was so over-the-top, so bold, so bloody, it didn't see it coming and it was just plain impressive. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I really struggled to care about the damned thing when I re-watched it though. To be honest, I have to admit that I was actually exhausted when I saw it and I had a hard time not to fall asleep. Still, I'm pretty sure that I would have had the same feeling under better circumstances. Indeed, the first time I watched the damned thing, I was really dazzled by the immersive dark mood and the amazing visuals but, the second time around, I focused more on the story and the characters and, well, I wasn’t really impressed. I mean, basically, it is a rather generic revenge tell and, even though the whole cast did deliver some solid performances, none of the characters was actually really intriguing after all. Anyway, to conclude, it is still pretty good though and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Tim Burton's work.
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A very good movie
Posted : 14 years, 2 months ago on 29 January 2011 07:48
(A review of No Country for Old Men (2007))At last, the Coen brothers finally did it. They finally got their deserved Oscar! And, yet, I have to admit that I actually ended up with some mixed feelings about this movie. The first issue with this movie was that there was such a hype when it came out and, to be honest, I was actually a slightly disappointed. I mean, sure, it was very good, no doubt it, but I’m not sure if it was really great. Eventually, I had to see the damned thing a 2nd time to really make up my mind. Well, even though I did appreciate it more than the first time, I was still not completely blown away. I mean, the directing was really neat, the acting was off the charts, the story was pretty good but something was missing there to make it truly spellbinding and, personally, I still prefer 'There will be blood' which was released the very same year. Still, there was a great cast (Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald), especially Brolin who, thanks to his performance in this movie, made an impressive comeback and is nowadays one of the most sought-after actors at work nowadays. To conclude, even though I wasn’t completely sold by the damned thing, it still is a very good movie and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in the Coen brothers work.
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A great movie
Posted : 14 years, 2 months ago on 29 January 2011 07:16
(A review of Zodiac)As usual with David Fincher's work, of course, I was really dying to watch this flick and I had some really high expectations. Fortunately, I wasn't disappointed and, to be honest, I don't really understand why it was a flop when it was released. Indeed, in my opinion, it is easily one of the best movies delivered by Fincher so far but I guess the average viewer would rather have some far-fetched psychopath thriller with some preposterous twist than this marvel of cerebral film making. Personally, I have nothing against the more typical movies based on serial killers. Indeed, they're usually pretty entertaining but, in my opinion, they are also almost always over the top ('The Silence of the Lambs' is a fine example as well). But not this movie. Indeed, it didn't matter that it was based on a true story, what mattered, in my opinion, was that it was really realistic with some great directing with a keen eye for details. As a result, you had no chases and shootings or stuff like that but a deliberate slow pace which I loved but, apparently, it was one of the main complaints towards this gem. Furthermore, you had here some realistic police and realistic journalistic work and some great directing. Anyway, to conclude, it's just too bad it didn't get the success it deserved, it is a very good movie and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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A great movie
Posted : 14 years, 2 months ago on 29 January 2011 07:08
(A review of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)I know, sometimes, my ratings are rather harsh but after watching more than 5000 movies, it is not very often that I’m truly amazed by something new. And, yet, sometimes, it does happen and, as a result, I keep watching movies after movies hoping to get again this great feelings I got when I was a teenager discovering the classics. Well, this movie was basically one of those extroardinary gems and I would go as far as saying that it is one of the very best movies I have seen during the last decade. To be honest, I'm usually not so found of those ‘true story’ movies but this one was just simply amazing. The best thing, in my opinion, was the directing. I mean, Julian Schnabel’s previous movies (‘Basquiat’ and ‘Before Night Falls’ also some real life tales about some famous figures) were decent but, here, he seriously reached another leverl and really succeeded in giving an idea of what it could be like to be in such predicament. Of course, Mathieu Amalric gave a powerhouse perfomance and the story was just fascinating to behold. To conclude, I think it is a great achievement and simply one of the best movies ever made.
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A great movie
Posted : 14 years, 2 months ago on 29 January 2011 03:53
(A review of There Will Be Blood)I already saw this movie, back then when it was released in the movie theaters, but, since it was such a long time ago, I was really eager to check it out again. 2007 was actually an exceptional year for the movies and many would argue that it was even one of the best years ever. Eventually, two contenders rose above the rest, this movie and 'No Country for old men' and, at the end, 'No Country for old men' got slightly more credit but, personally, I preferred this amazing flick. In my opinion, 'No Country...' was a fine picture but this flick went way deeper and was more fascinating. Anyway, Paul Thomas Anderson showed us again that he is one of the most inspired directors at work right now and, working with one of the best actors ever, Daniel Day-Lewis, they created a great masterpiece together. Day-Lewis provided one hell of a one-man show being in almost every single scene for almost 3 hours long (however, the young Paul Dano shouldn't be forgotten as he gave an impressive performance as well). Furthermore, The story was really fascinating, probably the best one tackled by Paul-Thomas Anderson so far. While rewatching this movie, I discovered that this movie was about a man who was not only an oilman but also a massive con artist and, apparently, there was nothing else that would trigger him even more, in a negative way, than meeting a fellow con man trying to hustle him. And these were the two only trademarks of Daniel Plainview, a brilliant and also awful man, and possibly the loneliest man I have ever seen in a movie. Anyway, to conclude, I do believe it is an awesome movie and it is definitely worth a look, especillay if you are interested in Anderson's and/or Days-Lewis' work.
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An average movie
Posted : 14 years, 2 months ago on 29 January 2011 03:39
(A review of Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds)At some point, after ‘The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc’, Luc Besson decided to focus on producing and writing some (rather boring) action flicks instead of directing. Finally, at some point, he made a come-back with an animated feature called ‘[Link removed - login to see][Link removed - login to see]’ and I thought it was actually pretty neat. I mean, sure, the story was barely decent and seriously generic and pedestrian but, on the other hand, the animation was just really gorgeous. Honestly, I thought it was pretty neat to see a French guy like Luc Besson doing his own thing which resulted in a really amazing animated feature (at least, visually speaking). However, for some reasons, Besson thought that this concept was so great that he should make a whole trilogy but this idea was just seriously misguided. Indeed, as I mentioned before, it barely worked for just one movie so there was definitely not enough story for 3 movies... So, as a result, with this 3rd installment, it was still very nice looking , sure, but also seriously boring. To conclude, I think I have been actually generous with my rating here but I think it is still worth a look, especially if you want to see how well made the whole thing was.
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