Reviews by johanlefourbe

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was selected by IndieWire as one of the best movies released in 2022 so far and since it was available on Disney+, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, even though it definitely did have some potential, to be honest, I wasn’t completely sold though. Sure, I have to admit that the directing by first-timer Mimi Cave was pretty neat and she managed to create a really nice mood. Furthermore, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan both did deliver some really solid performances. Unfortunately, even though the approach chosen by Mimi Cave was definitely intriguing, eventually, the plot was just too generic and predictable after all. Basically, the main character was adducted but, somehow, she will manage to figure out a way to get away which was probably the least original way possible to handle such a story. The fact that it took almost 2 hours to get there with only a handful of characters involved probably didn’t help. For example, what was the point of giving Steve a family? I mean, considering his ‘occupation’, it would have made much more sense if he would have been a single man. As a result, Charlotte Le Bon did end up with a completely half-baked and rather unnecessary character. Finally, there were some ideas I didn’t care much for. For example, the idea that a man who doesn’t have an Instagram account or a Twitter account (as a matter of fact, I don’t have any of these) can’t be trusted was rather annoying. Of course, it was probably meant as a joke but it just didn’t really work for me. On the other hand, I really liked how they displayed that modern dating with all these dating apps is pretty much downright awful. Anyway, to conclude, even if this movie turned out to be slightly disappointing, I have to admit that it was still a decent watch though and it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre. 

I always felt bad that discovered Buster Keaton so late. Well, it took me even longer to see my first movie starring Harold Lloyd but, at least, it was definitely worth the wait, that’s for sure. First of all, I saw a restored version on YouTube and I must say I was amazed by its pristine quality which you wouldn’t expect from a silent movie already almost 100 years old. Concerning the movie itself, it was apparently Harold Lloyd’s favorite among all his films so I got lucky to discover his work with, allegedly, one of his best movies. Sure, like most silent comedies, the whole thing was rather random but I thought the story was actually fairly well developed. Above all, the damned thing was just so entertaining. Seriously, I can’t remember the last time I saw such a hilarious silent movie. Basically, the whole thing is an endless succession of very clever gags and I was amazed that so many of them worked so well. In fact, there were so many, I don’t think I could pick up any of them as a favorite and, maybe, that’s a downside, but I think it was more a luxury problem. It’s also interesting that the 3 biggest stars of the silent comedies (Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd) were all rather small and all played some mild-mannered men who were all miles away from you average tall handsome athletic male movie star. At least, back in those days, you could actually identify with the characters in your average motion picture. Or, maybe, I’m actually mistaken, in comedies, you still have nowadays such seemingly average looking guys, it’s just that comedies are not the biggest draw at the box-office anymore and it has been so for a very long time. Anyway, to conclude, I really loved the damned thing and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.  

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was rather well received and since it was available on Disney+, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, even though I always had a weak spot for ‘Predator’, they have actually always struggled with this franchise. Indeed, through more than 3 decades, they gave us pretty much everything from sequels, prequels, spin-offs and none of them really worked. Well, it seems that after all these years, they finally managed to deliver a solid prequel after all. While watching this movie, I thought it was too bad the characters spoke in English and I discovered afterwards that there was actually a version in Commanche language available on Hulu but I saw it on Disney+ where only the English version was available. Concerning the story itself, the concept was eventually pretty basic and the damned thing was pretty much a remake of the 1^st movie but that’s also why it probably actually worked though. There was also the fact that, even though it was neat that the main character was a woman for once, the whole issue about her being considered not fit to be a hunter by all the men (and women as well) in her tribe was rather cliché and predictable. On the other hand, the fact that the main character was a woman actually explained why she was actually so skilled. Indeed, in contrary to all the guys in her tribe, she had to work twice harder to prove to everyone and even to herself that she was actually a worthy fighter and, as a result, she did acquire a mighty set of skills in the process. Eventually, it was just so damned entertaining to see how an Indian with only an axe and some arrows might be able to survive and even beat such an ultimate warrior like a Predator with all his fancy hi-tech and, above all, lethal gadgets. Anyway, to conclude, even if it was nothing really groundbreaking, it was still a really solid action flick though and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.  

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it seemed to have a solid reputation (it is included in the ‘1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die’ list among other things), I was quite eager to check it out. Well, eventually, it turned out to be a solid film noir, no doubt out it but, to be honest, the plot was slightly too thin for my taste. On the other hand, there is no denying that both Joan Bennett and James Mason gave some strong performances here. Indeed, I have to admit that I wasn’t really familiar with Bennett before watching this movie but she managed to be really convincing as a housewife and, yet, she was still quite charismatic at the same time and this balance act was trickier than it looked. It was also intriguing how she managed her whole household on her own and, at the same time, she constantly kept her cool while being involved with homicides, blackmail and gangsters. On the other hand, I was quite familiar with James Mason and the guy, as usual, didn’t disappoint me. Indeed, within a few seconds he appeared on the screen, Mason delivered one of the most unique blackmailer I have ever seen. On one hand, it was really obvious that the guy really meant business but, on the other hand, there was also something strikingly gentle and polite about him which would be the last thing you would expect from someone working in this line of business. Eventually, I was really on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen to these 2 very interesting characters. However, it was a rather short movie (not even 90 mins) so, after only 10 mins, Donelly was already in love with Lucia Harper. In my opinion, this development occurred way too soon and slightly ruined the whole thing for me because, among other things, the whole thing went on auto-pilot from this point on. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, it was still a decent watch though and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre. 

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was selected by IndieWire as one of the best movies released in 2022 so far, I thought I might as well check it out. I have to admit that I had no idea what it was about before watching the damned thing but, eventually, it turned out to be another appalling documentary dealing with the outrageous poor state of the healthcare system in the US today. This time, they focused on the staggering numbers of childbirth deaths among American black women and, well, these statistics were so bad, it made the US pretty much look like a third world country. Indeed, the death rate linked to childbirth is so much higher than any Western country and, when you focus on black women, the numbers goes up even more. It displayed once again that the excessive capitalism practiced in the United States is such a broken system (that it has inspired all the other countries in the world is such a pity, even a real shame, but that’s another discussion) as you get to see that the goal for many hospitals is to cut the costs by having a staggering number of C sections. However, C sections are not only really hazardous, even in the best case scenario, it is so traumatic for all the mothers involved. Basically, human lives, especially black lives, don’t really matter, only profits do. To be honest, even though the topic was really interesting, this movie was still missing something to become really fascinating though. On the other hand, you might wonder if a more artistical or fancy approach would have been really appropriate in this case though. Anyway, to conclude, even if it didn’t completely blow me away, it was still a strong documentary dealing with a very important subject and it is definitely worth a look. 

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it kept hearing some pretty good things about it (it is included in the ‘1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die’ list among other things), I was quite eager to check it out. Well, to be honest, I don’t think it is really a great movie. Indeed, there was nothing visually really impressive about it, none of the characters involved were really interesting (except for Efrem and Old Ned) and the story was pretty much a random mess. And yet, the historical value of this movie is huge since it is considered as the earliest known surviving film directed by an African-American. As a result, it was quite intriguing to see such an old movie finally from a black perspective, focusing on black characters and directed by a black man, On top of that, the 3^rd act turned out to be actually quite mind-blowing. Indeed, instead of developing the story going on so far, they took a left-turn and ended up with a rather long flashback scene showing what happened back then when the main character was younger and the end-result was just so shocking. Indeed, you had a double lynching coupled with a grizzly rape scene and some little boy who got shot at but still managed to escape. Anyway, it was just so nightmarish but, in the contrary to most of your typical horror pictures, it was something that was really taking place back then in the South making the whole thing so much more horrible and frightening. Another unforgettable scene that occurred just before was when Efrem, a wretched weasel, also got lynched, not because he was accused of any wrongdoings but simply because this mob was apparently getting ‘impatient’. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, it is still a really interesting movie and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in motion picture history. 

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was directed by François Ozon, I was quite eager to check it out. Well, I have been following Ozon for more than 20 years (I have even seen his directorial debut ‘Sitcom’ in the movie theater when it was released) and I think it was his most sober film I have seen so far. It was also the first time he directed something based on true facts and, in fact, the movie was made and released while the trial was still ongoing at the same time. Eventually, I wonder what made him chose to direct this true tale. Anyway, the end-result was really solid and I believe that Ozon did deliver here one of his best movies. The first act was especially intriguing. Indeed, Melvil Poupaud (probably the most underrated French actor I know) gave another strong performance playing a really square guy with such deep wounds. On top of that, it was just so intriguing to see this man struggling with his traumatic past and, yet, always keeping his composure, in his emails but also in person, even when facing the man who ruined his childhood and pretty much his whole life. And, yet, the damned thing was still missing something to really blow me away though. I mean, the switch to Denis Ménochet’s character made sense since François Debord took over from Alexandre Guérin at some point but I’m not sure if it worked so well with the 3^rd character, Emmanuel Thomassin, played by Swann Arlaud. Even so, this movie gave a convincing glimpse on how the Catholic church in France but also in many other countries has always tried to conceal and minimize decades of abuse. Anyway, to conclude, it turned out to be a strong drama dealing with a horrible tragedy and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in François Ozon’s work.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was directed by Edgar Wright, I was of course eager to check it out. Well, to be honest, I had a hard time to really care about this movie, even more than with ‘Baby Driver’ which already didn’t really impress me. However, it wasn’t a bad movie though, not all. Indeed, as usual with Wright, the damned thing was visually quite impressive, the soundtrack was really neat and I just loved the mood. I also did appreciate that he was once again doing something so completely different than his previous movies. Furthermore, Anya Taylor-Joy displayed once again that she is one of the most fascinating actresses at work nowadays and she definitely didn’t disappoint me here. For Thomasin McKenzie, she doesn’t have quite reach yet the same status as Taylor-Joy, at least, not for me (she is still very young though) but there is no denying that both actresses did deliver some strong performances here. However, from the moment the main character had her first ‘dream’ bringing her back in Soho in the 60’s, to be honest, they actually lost me. The first thing that bothered me was the fact it was obvious that both characters would actually never really interact with each other which was rather frustrating. On top of that, in spite of Taylor-Joy’s effort, her character was just not developed enough. I’m not surprised that the flashback scenes were originally supposed to be without dialogue but it shows how limited this character was from the start. Then, there was the issue that these flashback scenes, even though there were technically really neat, were actually quite redundant. Another narrative mistake they made was that Eloise chose not once but TWICE to escape a toxic environment (at the very beginning, when she decided to leave her dorm and, towards the end, when she decided to leave London all together) and it was just weird or, at least, never properly explained why Sandie wouldn't simply just leave this dreadful situation like the other main character did in this story. Finally, the link between the present day and the past was just too thin and, as result, you basically had two films constantly vampirizing each other. Anyway, to conclude, the more I think about it, the more I believe that my rating was actually too generous for this movie but I still think it was a decent watch because the damned thing was just so well made and the actresses involved gave such solid performances.