Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 19 January 2011 02:30
(A review of
The Man from Laramie)
To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of old westerns but this one had a very good reputation, I thought I might as well check it out. Eventually, even though it was never really impressive, it was still pretty good and I was fairly entertained throughout the whole thing. Indeed, the directing was all right and, above all, James Stewart was, as usual, really charismatic and rather awesome to watch. The main issue with this kind of movies is that, even though they are usually highly regarded, it seems to me that they are really outdated. I mean, for some movies like 'Citizen Kane', 'M' or basically anything directed by Charles Chaplin, they are just as much valuable today as they were when they were released decades ago. On the other hand, I have to admit that, even though this movie has some solid rep, it is definitely not one of the best in this genre so it might be unfair to take it as an example. Anyway, to conclude, even though I don't think it is really a masterpiece, it was still a decent watch and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 19 January 2011 09:44
(A review of
Frost/Nixon)
I'm not a big fan of Ron Howard but he remains a solid director and the buzz surrounding this flick was very good so I was really eager to check it out. Eventually, he did a great job on this movie and, in my opinion, it is easily the best movie Howard has made so far. Indeed, I have always had a weak spot for movies dealing with politics and this story was just really fascinating. To start with, Frank Langella and Michael sheen were both at the top of their game and the rest of the cast was also pretty good (Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon, Matthew Macfadyen, Oliver Platt, Rebecca Hall, Toby Jones). This time, Ron Howard decided to go for a sober directing style and it really worked like a charm, especially if you compare it to the disappointing blockbuster extravaganza he gave with his previous directing effort, ‘The DaVinci Code’. Basically, it is a damned entertaining flick and, in my opinion, it gives you a great insight on one of the most controversial historical figures that ever lived. Of course, there is always the very old argument that not everything was 100% accurate (as a matter of fact, the phone conversation at midnight between Frost and Nixon never actually happened) but, if the directing is fine, if the acting is fine, I seriously don’t really care and there is absolutely no such thing as a 100% accurate retelling of a historical event. Anyway, I really loved this flick and I think it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 19 January 2011 09:40
(A review of
Revolutionary Road)
I already saw this movie but since it was a while back and since I had it on DVD, I was quite eager to check it out again. Well, first of all, it's a real shame that, in 50 years from now, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet will be mostly remembered for ‘Titanic’ when, in fact, this movie was actually so much more interesting in my opinion. Indeed, they both gave some great performances and the directing was really solid as well. I have to admit it though, it is a more psychological movie and nothing much really happen throughout the whole thing. To make things worse, it was also difficult to feel sorry for these characters who were so gorgeous and healthy and yet they were completely unable to appreciate the life they had. Still, I thought it was quite fascinating to see this couple who was convinced that they were heading towards a great future but ended up like any other average couple which was something that none of them could accept. Of course, we will never know for sure if their trip to Paris would have been helpful or not but I seriously doubt it. Eventually, this movie is one of the greatest example of one of the biggest misconceptions in our Western culture. Indeed, around the 50’s and 60’s, we started to believe that we should make sure that we get a great career and a great life in a general. However, it is just a big illusion as most of us will end up with an average job at best and 99% of us will end up having a rather ordinary life after all. In this case, this man and this woman just couldn’t handle this fact and, instead of accepting the truth, they drove each other miserable and this whole process was just quite fascinating to behold. Anyway, to conclude, even though this movie seems to be already forgotten by now, I thought it was a really strong drama and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 19 January 2011 09:34
(A review of
Man on Wire)
In 2015, they will release a fictional version of this movie directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and even though I should be really excited by this movie, I’m not, and I have in fact some really mixed feelings about this project. The point is that, before watching this documentary, I thought I would like the damned thing but I didn't expect to love it so much. Indeed, I thought it was just really amazing and it is easily one of my favorite documentaries. The great masterstorke is that I really didn't expect it to be be some kind of spellbinding thriller and, in my opinion, it was actually way more entertaining that many blockbusters that are released nowdays. On top of that, this whole act may seem rather pointless or meaningless but, for me, it was actually pretty much a real work of Art and this movie perfectly gave this feeling . In my opinion, it seems hard to believe that Zemeckis would manage to reach this level of excellence with a ‘fiction’ but we’ll see soon enough. Anyway, coming back to our main fearure, it is seriously one of the greatest documentaries ever made and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in this genre.
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Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 19 January 2011 09:30
(A review of
WALL·E)
I already saw this movie when it was released but since it was such a while back and since it was available on Disney+, I was quite eager to check it out again. Well, after al these years, it is still, until further notice, my favorite Pixar movie. In my opinion, the whole thing was just mind-blowing. Where should I start? As usual with Pixar, it looked gorgeous and, as usual, it was entertaining but for the very first time, it was also very profound and even quite emotional. I mean, the previous movies made by Pixar always had some neat stories and provided some interesting thoughts but with this jewel, they reached some new heights. It also quite impressive to see how they managed to create such a spellbinding story around a lead character who was basically mute. I mean, in our modern age, it was a really bold move to have a non-talking robot as your main character but I thought it was a great decision. Basically, he was a fascinating little fellow, involved in a touching love story. It’s too bad that Pixar spends most of their time nowadays making sequels and prequels because their original work like this movie is so much more interesting. Anyway, to conclude, in my opinion, this movie was actually quite a milestone in animated motion picture history, it is definitely worth a look and pretty much a must see if you like the genre.
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Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 19 January 2011 09:24
(A review of
The Dark Knight)
Before it came out, there was such a buzz about this movie and, personally, I thought that the whole thing was seriously overhyped. But guess what? In spite of those huge expectations, Nolan managed to deliver the goods and in a big way. What can I say that hasn't already been said about this movie ? It's just the best super-hero movie out there. Period. It is is rather funny to think that before it was released, 'Spider-Man 2' used to be considered the best in this genre. I mean, Sam Raimi's opus was a decent and entertaining blockbuster, that's for sure, but compared to how Nolan revolutionized the genre with this 2nd Batman installment, it wasn't that amazing. Nolan's sequel was also the proof (just like 'Inception' a few years later) that you could make a commercial movie, make a lot of bucks and still making a damn entertaining and not completely brainless picture at the same time. Never before a super-hero feature had been so epic with such a great cast, such awesome action scenes and such a memorable bad guy thanks to an exceptional performance by the late Heath Ledger. Still, even though I'm wildly enthusiast about this flick, it is not even the best thing Nolan has done in his short career as I prefer his work not involving the Cape crusader such as 'The Prestige' or 'Memento', his ultimate masterpiece, in my opinion. To conclude, it is basically already a modern classic and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 19 January 2011 09:15
(A review of
The Reader)
I already saw this movie, I even saw it in the movie theater when it was released but, after all these years, I thought I might as well check it out again. I have noticed that, since then, the movie didn't really get much love and it is considered by most as some shameless Oscar bait (Kate Winslet indeed did win her first Academy award for her performance). Well, I don't agree and, after all these years, I still think it is an amazing movie and, in my opinion, it is still easily one of the best movies released in 2008 (which was one of the best years ever on top of that). I'm not always a huge fan of forbidden love stories as they can be so predictable but this romance must be one of the most complex I have ever seen and I think it was was just spellbinding to behold. Basically, it presented one of the greatest dilemma ever put on the silver screen. Indeed, what would happen if you would fall in love with a monster/pyschopath/pedofile/rapist? Basically, as presented in the movie, it is one of the worst thing that can happen to you because your reason, your conscience or your brain can tell you what's wrong but your heart doesn't give a sh*t... While re-watching it, I was quite fascinated also by Hannah as well. Indeed, sure, she was involved in the ghastly Nazi murdering machine but did it mean that she was never allowed to fall in love again? And if it did happen, should we actually punish her for it? I understand that this movie doesn't have a strong reputation nowadays but I think it was dealing with some fascinating ideas though. Anyway, to conclude, in my opinion, it is a great drama and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Kate Winslet's work.
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Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 19 January 2011 09:11
(A review of
Slumdog Millionaire)
I already saw this movie, in fact I saw it in the movie theater when it was released and since it was a while back, I thought I might watch it again. I remember the first time I saw the damned thing though. Indeed, I was and still am a big fan of Danny Boyle's work, I was really eager to see this flick and when it won the Best Picture Academy Award, I became even more intrigued. Apparently, at first, nobody was interested by this project and there was even some rumors that it might end up being released directly on DVD. Eventually, it managed to get released and the critical and public response was so enthusiast and, coming from nowhere, it was even heralded at the Oscars. Personally, even though I can be quite cynical, I actually really loved this movie. In my opinion, it is one of the best combinations of drama, realism and entertainment I have seen and I think it is a great achievement. I always thought that Danny Boyle was a very good director and once again, he didn't disappoint me and I'm really glad he finally received all the recognition he deserved. Personally, I don't really agree with the people criticizing its happy ending, at least, it didn't bother me. The point is that the whole thing is actually some kind of fairy tale (which explains the musical scene at the end) but it is set into a realistic harsh and grim world and I thought that this mix was amazing and to throw 'Who wants to be a millionaire' on top of that was just masterful. Basically, it might be the darkest feelgood movie ever made and how they manage to combine such contradictory vibes was quite a marvel. Anyway, to conclude, I think it is an amazing flick and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Danny Boyle's work.
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Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 19 January 2011 07:59
(A review of
Waltz with Bashir)
Since I kept hearing some really good things about this flick, I was really eager to check it out. Well, eventually, I was really impressed as the damned thing turned out to be even better than I expected. Indeed, it really blew me away and it turned out to be easily one of the best movies released in 2008 that I have seen so far. Not only it turned out to be a heartbreaking and fascinating picture, I was also amazed about how original the whole thing was. Indeed, it is a very original animated picture, something really unique, and it is pretty obvious that they would have probably never succeeded in telling this story with a traditional live action version or something more straightforward. Furthermore, as it was pointed out by Roger Ebert, it was also a devastating picture. Indeed, not only it was a really original feature, it was also an important movie dealing with a horrible page of history but, on top of that, they also developed this tale from a point of view dealing with the human mind and psychology. That's why using animation was not a useless gimmick in this case as it allowed the makers to deliver some surrealist imagery to display dreams, hallucinations and subconscious traumas. To be honest, it is a bit messy and the lack of narrative structure can be slightly frustating but it might have more to do with the fact that we have been so addicted to the generic basic narrative rules (introduction, development, conclusion). Anyway, to conclude, even though it might be a rather heavy movie, I thought it was quite fascinating and if you don't mind getting slightly depressed after watching a feature, you should definitely check this one out.
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Posted : 14 years, 4 months ago on 18 January 2011 12:50
(A review of
Sex and the City)
Even though I have always been intrigued by the TV show, I never followed it (I think I have actually never seen one single episode). Anyway, as this movie was a huge success, I was rather curious about the damned thing and I was actually quite eager to check it out. Eventually, even though it was obviously nothing really great, I don't think it was so bad after all. Indeed, on one hand, I liked how (relatively) deep the characters were, at least if you compare them to the shallow characters you usually get in your typical romantic comedy but, on the other hand, the story wasn't original at all and the whole thing was still really predictable. I also think that this movie got a bad rep because of its sequel (which was indeed really terrible) but this first installment was actually pretty decent.The thing is that the characters are actually fairly interesting, at least in my opinion, but their life is so shallow, it tends to become rather annoying after a while. To conclude, in spite of its flaws, I think it is a well made romantic comedy and I think it is actually worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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