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CollectionsA great underrated movie
Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 20 August 2010 08:21
(A review of Wag the Dog )Honestly, I didn't know what to expect before watching this flick but I was eventully pleasantly surprised by the whole thing. Indeed, this is another underrated movie about politics, a subject which I always find really spellbinding. Furthermore, it is, I believe, one of the last great movies starring Robert de Niro and Dustin Hoffman as they both didn't do many great movies after that. Basically, in my opinion, it is a really funny and actually rather sharp satire with some very nice dark humor but still, it manages to never get too presposerous and, as a result, you still care about the story and the characters involved. Eventually, it is probably my favorite movie directed by Barry Levinson, a guy responsible for such (supposedly) classics like âGood Morning, Vietnamâ and above all âRain Manâ, also starring Dustin Hoffman. Unfortunately, this flick didnât get much love when it was released, I think it is actually terribly underrated and I will definitely re-watch it at some point when I get the opportunity. To conclude, I thought the whole thing was just fascinating to watch, it is definitely worth a look, especially if you want to watch another great movie starring De Niro and Hoffman.
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A very good movie
Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 20 August 2010 08:20
(A review of A Perfect World)I already saw this movie, I even saw it in the movie theater when it came out, I was just 13 or 14 years old and it was the first time I almost cried at the end of any movie. I mean, I was a wreck at the end and it was the very first time I was so emotional after watching a movie. It was a very intense experience and therefore this movie became one of the major milestones in my movie watching. Well, somehow, it took me about 30 years to finally this movie again and, fortunately, I still think it is an amazing movie. Indeed, even though it might be surprising but, even though it is not really one of his most highly regarded features, it is, and by far, my all-time favorite movie directed by Clint Eastwood. Furthermore, in my opinion, Kevin Costner delivered here the best performance of his career, bringing a nice combo of coolness and melancholy to his character and he had a great chemistry with this young boy. But, in spite of how cool Butch might seem, he was also a criminal with some demons and Costner was amazing bringing this complex duality to the screen. I also believe that this movie actually gave such deep thoughts about the meaning of life and how you should treat one and another. However, even though the damned thing once again floored me, I have to admit that it wasnât as flawless as I remembered though. The first issue was that it was too long. I mean, it was basically a movie about a man and a boy just driving around and having some casual conversations, the end-results was amazing but also something seemingly fairly simple which didn't need to last almost 150 mins. The other issue was that Laura Dern's character just didn't work. Indeed, it felt as if they felt compelled to add a strong female character in the mix but it backfired and Dern spent most of the duration making some weird faces. Anyway, to conclude, I still think it is great though and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Clint Eastwoodâs work.
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A great underrated movie
Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 20 August 2010 08:20
(A review of In the Valley of Elah)I remember it very well, back then, in 2005, when âCrashâ won the oscar for the best picture it was a big scandal. Everyone thought that âBrokeback Mountainâ was pretty much a shoe-in to win whereas some loved âCrashâ and some hated it. Personally, I neither really loved it or hated it and I thought it was a decent movie but it was definitely not great and it had some huge flaws. Anyway, after that, Paul Haggis directed this movie and very few people actually noticed it when it was released. I think itâs a shame because it is actually a very good flick. Indeed, first of all, there was some terrific casting with Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron on top of their game and the story was rather fascinating. I would go as far as saying that it is the best movie about the Irak war that I have seen so far. Indeed, in my opinion, it is quite a spellbinding thriller which gives some interesting insights about post-traumatic syndrom following a war or any military duties. To conclude, even though it is pretty much forgotten nowadays, it is actually a very good flick and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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A great underrated movie
Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 20 August 2010 08:19
(A review of Primary Colors)To be honest, it has been a while since I have seen this flick and I should definitely check it out again when I have the opportunity. I have noticed that it didn't get much love when it was released but I think it's a shame as I really liked it a lot. If I'm not mistaken, I think it was made just before the Monicagate (maybe I'm wrong!) so it was actually extremely sharp. Anyway, I think it is a very interesting movie about politics (a topic I find riveting) and the cast was very good as well. Indeed, John Travolta gave here one of his best performances and he managed to create a a multifaceted character who was obviously charismatic and likeable but also a terrible womanizer and therefore a little bit a loser. And yet, the guy was not a total idiot so it was quite a complex character. To play the wife, they chose Emma Thompson and she was also a great casting choice and, with Travolta, they made a really strong duo. To conclude, I thought it was a really solid political drama, probably one of the best in this genre, and it is definitely worth a look.
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An underrated masterpiece
Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 20 August 2010 08:17
(A review of Bitter Moon)Even though it is not really one of the most highly regarded movies directed by Roman Polanski, it is actually my favorite one, as a matter of fact, it is one of my all time favorite movies. I mean, I have seen it when I was between 14 or 16 years old and it just blew me away. At the time, I had no idea you could make a love story which could be so twisted with such tormented characters. Eventually, it was one of those few movies that really changed my point of view about films in the sense that, after watching this movie, I understood that characters don't necessarily need to be good or evil, human characters are flawed and usually pretty messed up (though not always as messed up as in this movie, at least, I hope so...). Basically, the whole thing was just really fascinating to me. It is also rather interesting to point out that Polanski used his very own wife in the very 'demanding' female part. I really wonder what was going on in his mind but, considering his work and his rather chaotic past, it shouldn't be really pretty. Anyway, it is basically a love story full of destruction and sick obsessions. What is not to like ? Personally, I do think it is an amazing movie and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested Polanski's movies.
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A great underrated movie
Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 20 August 2010 08:11
(A review of Starship Troopers)Some people love it, some people hate it. I love it. This was one of the last movies directed by Paul Verhoeven before getting kick out of Hollywood. Unfortunately, it wasn't a success and it didn't help recoverning the damages caused by 'Showgirls'. To be honest, I think it is a shame and, in my opinion, it is definitely the most underrated movie directed by Paul Verhoeven and, in fact, it is probably one of the most underrated movies even made. Indeed, in my opinion, it is actually really entertaining with some good action scenes and some nice special effects. On one hand, on the outside, it is basically a big SF show but, on the other hand, it is also a big satire about how war is actually completely stupid and meaningless. Finally, as usual in a Verhoeven movie, you had this sexual tension between the characters which gives you the feeling that, at any moment, they're going to rip their clothes off and start humping each other. Personally, I think it is a great mix and it's too bad this movie is completey misunderstood and underappreciated. Anyway, to conclude, it is actually one of the best movies directed by the Great Dutch master and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Verhoeven's work.
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A great underrated movie
Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 20 August 2010 06:55
(A review of Crash (1996))To be honest, it has been a while since I have seen this flick and I should definitely re-watch it at some point. Anyway, I remember it very well when it came out. Indeed, back then, it was  a big scandal which was quite understandable since it was dealing with some very kinky scenes. For example, to get you in the right mood, the whole thing started with 3 different sex scenes. Now, that's what I call an introduction ! Maybe you might think that I am some major pervert but, in my opinion,  this story was just really fascinating. Indeed, for once, it wasnât dealing with your usual boring perfect heroes, it was this time focusing on some really twisted minds with some rather sick obsessions. On top of that, the directing was really solid and the cast was also really strong. I was above all impressed by Deborah Kara Unger who got her breakthrough with this movie and I thought she was quite mesmerizing in this flick. To conclude, I think this movie is seriously underrated, in my opinion it is actually one of the best movies coming from this director and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in David Cronenberg's work.
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An underrated masterpiece
Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 19 August 2010 10:59
(A review of Eyes Wide Shut)This was the last movie directed by Stanley Kubrick and, eventually, not everyone was sold when it was released. Indeed, many people thought it was in fact one of his least successful features but I personally think it was actually another great movie from the best director that ever lived. It is such a shame that it took him 12 years to finally make another movie and it is even worse that nothing more will come out from this genius. Anyway, I remember it very well, when it came out, there was a huge buzz about the damned thing and I had the honor, the privilege and the pleasure to behold this masterpiece in the movie theater. As usual, you had the incredible Kubrick directing, completely flawless with his usual obsessive attention to the details. On the other hand, you had this fascinating story which was almost a captivating Hollywood thriller. I say "almost" because at the end, there was no big chase, rooftop final battle or a big twist explaining everything that happened before. There was actually no real answer and I think that's the reason why many people got frustrated by  the damned thing, this fact  that they are so used to that everything is supposed to be solved at the end (at least, that's what the average viewer expects). Anyway, to conclude, I think it was just brilliant and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Stanley Kubrick's work.
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An underrated masterpiece
Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 18 August 2010 08:13
(A review of The Game)Iâm such a huge fan of this movie and, in my opinion, it is easily the most underrated movie made by David Fincher. Indeed, he had directed this movie after âSevenâ and it wasn't so well received, at least, when you compare to how heralded was âSevenâ when it was released. It seems to be a trend in Fincherâs career that some really amazing gems such as âZodiacâ or this movie are barely noticed whereas some other lesser work, at least in my opinion, such as âThe Curious Case of Benjamin Buttonâ for example were very well received. Anyway, coming back to our main subject, I really loved this movie and, in fact, I would go even further and say that it is actually better than âSevenâ (I know, not many people share this opinion but guess what? I donât care whatsoever). Once again, you have the same great Fincher visuals but, this time, there was a real depth in this story, dealing with what people needs in their life when they have reached all their goals or how far are we ready to go to be entertained. Of course, there were some obvious plot holes but the sheer ambition behind this project managed to make me forget about those. At this point, âFight Clubâ is my favorite Fincher feature but this one is great as well, and remains just behind at the second spot. Anyway, to conclude, I think it is a great thriller, probably the best movie starring Michael Douglas and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in David Fincherâs work.
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An underrated masterpiece
Posted : 14 years, 3 months ago on 18 August 2010 07:44
(A review of The New World)I have a rather peculiar relationship with Terrence Malick. Indeed, I think the guy and his work is really fascinating but, sometimes, I actually have a really hard time with his movies. Anyway, by now, Malick has directed only 6 movies in almost 40 years and, so far, this movie is his least appreciated one (In fact, everything he made after âThe Tree of Lifeâ didnât get much love either). Anyway, even though this movie wasnât really well received, it is actually my favorite one. I donât know, the first time I watched it, I was completely overwhelmed by its beauty and grace. In my opinion, it is the movie with the best poetic feeling ever put on the silver screen. Basically, watching this movie was like watching a poem but not with words but with images and sound. I think the whole thing was really incredible and itâs too bad none of the other movies directed by Terrence Malick managed to impress me as much as this one (âThe Thin Red Lineâ was very close though). The weird thing was that the second time I watched it, I wasnât really impressed and it is as if, the first time around, I was touched by something magical but, the second time around, the magic was gone (The same thing actually occurred with âThe Thin Red Lineâ. I loved it the 1st time around but by the 2nd watch, I had a hard time to get into it). Anyway, to conclude, in my opinion, Terrence Malick is one of the most difficult director at work nowadays, his work is definitely an acquired taste, but, in my opinion, it is his best movie so far and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in this directorâs work.
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