Reviews by johanlefourbe

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was included in the ‘They Shoot Pictures, Don’t They?’ list, I was quite eager to check it out. I have to admit that I had never heard of the Aran islands before but it definitely didn’t seem to be the most welcoming place to live. On the other hand, I already saw a couple of movies directed by Robert J. Flaherty, especially the impressive ‘Nanook of the North’. Eventually, the guy was rightfully considered as the precursor of the modern documentaries, even if there was always something fake in pretty much all his movies. For example, in this case, even though the shark hunting was quite spectacular, it was apparently something they haven’t done for many years, even decades. However, there was one thing that wasn’t fake and it was the sea itself. Indeed, I can’t remember the last time I saw such incredible sea footage showing how the sea can be and, apparently, always is raging at these remote Irish islands. Especially at the beginning, you get to see this family of fishermen going back and forth trying to retrieve some net and this scene was just so weird and yet quite mesmerizing at the same time. It’s too bad the copy I saw on YouTube was pretty weak (on the other hand, I should have maybe lower my expectations since this movie is almost 100 years old). However, even so, the damned thing was still visually quite impressive. To be honest, you don’t get the opportunity to really get to know the people involved in this movie but it was rather impressive how cheerful and seemingly happy they seemed to be. Anyway, to conclude, as usual with Flaherty, I really enjoyed this vintage documentary and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre. 

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was directed by Laurent Cantet, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, it seems that Cantet tried this time to mix ‘Entre les murs’ with ‘Swimming Pool’ but even though this mix did have some potential, it never really worked though. Indeed, it did lean towards the hyperrealism displayed in ‘Entre les murs’ but, eventually, they didn’t spend enough time with any of the characters, even with Antoine and Olivia, to really get to know them. There was also the issue that I didn’t care much about any of the characters involved. I mean, there was definitely something intriguing about Antoine but, eventually, it turned out to be a bored and boring teenager and not much more than that. Concerning Marina Foïs, I remember her when she was part of ‘Les Robins des Bois’, a really funny comedic group on French TV at the end of the 90’s, and it was rather impressive to see her heading such a drama more than 20 years later. However, even though Foïs was not bad, to be honest, she never managed to make this writer really interesting though but she wasn’t helped by the fact that her character was barely developed whatsoever. Concerning the workshop itself, even if the concept was interesting, I wasn’t really convinced but it was mostly because they focused instead so much on the relationship between Olivia Dejazet and Antoine, a relationship which didn't lead to anything after all. Finally, regarding the comparison with ‘Swimming Pool’, it seemed that the whole thing could become something sleazy which was maybe a really misguided idea or maybe something that could make the whole thing much more spellbinding but, like pretty much everything else in this movie, it was never really explored. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, I have to admit that it was still a decent watch though and I think it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre. 

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it seemed to have a really solid reputation, I was quite eager to check it out. First of all, I have noticed that, even though I have seen tons of movies dealing with Nazi Germany, I have actually seen very little movies dealing with Fascist Italy. Well, this movie did give a pretty good idea on how intoxicating the Fascist propaganda was on the masses. Sure, it might seem appalling almost 80 years later but, back then, as displayed in this movie, pretty much everyone swallowed it and actually even enjoyed it. Concerning the movie itself, it was one of the favorite movies Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni made and it makes sense since they both delivered some of their best performances here. Eventually, even though it might seem to be a rather simple movie with only 2 characters and only 1 location, it turned out to be rather complex after all. Indeed, they basically gave us two complete opposite views on the political spectrum back then in Italy with, on one side, a Fascist housewife with 6 children and an anti-Fascist homosexual living by himself. What stroke me was how lonely these 2 characters were. Indeed, even though they were quite convinced about their personal political views, it didn’t bring them much happiness after all. It was probably even more surprising that they got along so well and that’s probably where the movie probably slightly lost me. The fact that they pushed it even further than being only unlikely friends probably didn’t help. Indeed, it was actually quite refreshing that there wouldn’t be anything sexual between these two characters, that their connection would be on a complete different level, so it felt rather misguided that they still had to have sex anyway. Eventually, I think I might have to re-watch this movie at some point to make up my mind about it. Anyway, to conclude, it really deserves its strong reputation 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 included in the ‘1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die’ list, I was really eager to check it out. It’s only when I started to watch this movie that I discovered that it was actually directed by Josef von Sternberg and I’m pretty sure it was the first movie I saw from the famous director. It is interesting to note that, even though this movie is nowadays highly regarded, it was actually barely noticed when it was released because was it was one of the last films of the silent era and, at the time, everybody was obsessed about the first talkies coming out, even if they were not really that good. Concerning George Bancroft, he was some kind of combination of Jean Gabin with John C. Reilly and I wonder if I have ever saw him before. Anyway, I thought he was pretty good. Concerning the movie itself, it turned out to be an interesting combination of dark and grim realism with an almost fairy-tale like romance. The best example would be the wedding which is often considered as the most famous scene in this movie. Indeed, on one hand, it might seem pretty sordid and it was rather obvious that Bill Roberts wouldn’t keep his vows and, and yet, Mae actually believed in this ceremony while the crowd around them was not exactly sweet and gentle and these strong contrasts were really interesting. It’s too bad they didn’t develop more the characters though but, on the other, the fact that we knew so very little about them automatically made them more mysterious and intriguing. Anyway, to conclude, even if it didn’t really blow me away, it was still a decent watch and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre. 

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since I have a weak spot for Kristen Stewart and since it was available on Disney+, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, even if the damned thing was seriously derivative, it was actually not bad at all. Basically, it was very similar to ‘Alien’ except that it was taking place at the bottom of the ocean, not really much more than that, but I thought it was actually quite effective. First of all, I have to admit that I was rather surprised that the mayhem did start right away. Indeed, I was pretty sure that the main character had some kind of premonitory dream and that they would introduce this drill station under normal circumstances but their approach was actually rather refreshing. Concerning Kristen Stewart, I wonder if it was really necessary to have her running around in a sport bra for so long but it wasn’t a big deal and I thought she was fairly convincing. Concerning the rest of the cast, if Vincent Cassel and T.J. Miller were solid, the other actors were not really charismatic but I have to admit that they were not helped by the fact their characters were barely developed. However, it was obviously not the point of this movie. Indeed, the point was to create a claustrophobic atmosphere with a group of characters trying to survive at the bottom of the ocean, first in some soon-to-explode drilling station and then walking in the dark wearing some diving suits which were far from being indestructible and it was all quite entertaining to behold. I’m not sure if I really needed all these weird creatures obviously inspired not only by ‘Alien’ but also by H.P. Lovecraft but it was definitely not a deal-breaker. Anyway, to conclude, even if it was nothing really ground-breaking, it was actually a decent watch and I think it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre. 

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since there was a decent cast involved, I thought I might as well check it out. Unfortunately, it turned out to be terribly lame, I’m afraid, and I’m not surprised that it was released 3 years after it was actually made. It’s too bad because Alex Baldwin and Salma Hayek are both really charismatic and they had some solid chemistry together. On top of that, I think the concept actually had some potential. Indeed, how do you turn into a comedy the story of an upper-class couple who decides to get drunk instead of staying focused in order to get out of their financial problems? It wasn’t an easy thing to do and it’s clear that the makers completely failed. Their first move was to dump a whole bunch of stuff in their front yard which seemed like a very dramatic move but, sure, if you need some money, why not? However, what was rather bewildering was that, instead of actually trying to sale anything, they actually antagonized anyone who actually approached them. Seriously, what was that all about? Was it really supposed to be funny? Anyway, eventually, pretty much all the jokes were just flat or terrible or even seriously cringe-inducing. Seriously, to make one joke about child molesting was in really bad taste but to keep making such jokes was just so misguided and, obviously, not entertaining whatsoever. Coming back on the main characters, I won’t blame either Baldwin or Hayek, they both did what they could with this material, but their characters were just rather pathetic, if not even slightly annoying. However, the supporting characters were even worse though. Anyway, to conclude, the damned thing was just really lame and you should probably avoid it. 

I had no idea what to expect from this flick but since there was a decent cast involved and since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, I’m not surprised that this movie was released in the US three years after it was actually completed. Seriously, even if it might not be Renée Zellweger’s worst movie, it wasn’t far from it, I’m afraid. Back then, her career was not going so good and she would even take a 6 years hiatus soon after this movie was released. She would eventually come back with a completely different face (but that’s a different story…). Coming back to the movie itself, well, it was pretty obvious during the first minutes that there was something fishy about this kid. To be honest, I never really cared about the horror genre dealing with evil kids but this one was even harder to swallow than usual. Indeed, it really rubbed me in the wrong way that someone working for social services would suddenly be convinced that the little girl she was taking care of was apparently some kind of demon. Seriously, the whole concept felt really misguided or, at least, terribly distasteful. Basically, the conclusion of this movie was that her parents were actually right to put her into an oven, she apparently deserved it but I’m not sure if this is really how we should judge foster children and the parents who might have mistreated them. At least, the death scene involving Bradley Cooper (before he got his breakthrough with ‘The Hangover’) was pretty creepy but that’s probably the only scene that actually worked for me. Sure, you might argue that, since it is a horror movie, I shouldn’t take it too seriously but there was something rather unsettling, and not in a positive way, to see all these grown-ups suddenly trying to kill a foster kid. Anyway, to conclude, I really had a hard time to care about the damned thing and I don’t think it is really worth a look.            

I wasn’t expecting much from this flick but since it did receive some decent reviews and since it was available on Disney+, I thought I might as well check it out. I did watch the TV-show when I was a kid but, to be honest, it was definitely not one of my favorites so, as far as I was concerned, this reboot did seem at first to be a rather misguided idea. Well, eventually, in spite of my low expectations, I have to admit it that they actually made the most of it. Indeed, it was pretty obvious that their biggest inspiration was ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ but it was a neat way to approach this material. As a result, they gave us something really meta and it was actually quite difficult to keep track of all the famous characters displayed and mentioned during this movie. For example, I was constantly wondering who the hell this polar bear was supposed to be but, apparently, it was based on a popular series of Coca-Cola commercials involving such bears which shows how deep (and random) they went. Obviously, the most surprising and entertaining one was hands-down Ugly Sonic. Indeed, it was pretty awesome that they dared adding such a completely weird character and give him so much screen time. However, you wonder how long it will take before people will watch this movie and will have no clue about where this character was actually coming from in the first place. Eventually, I’m not sure who was the audience for this movie. I mean, the original material was clearly aiming for young children but I’m pretty sure they won’t get most of the pop culture references in this movie. Anyway, I did like this approach and the only thing that did bother me was eventually the story. Indeed, it was too convoluted and still too generic at the same time which is too bad because the rest of the movie was fine. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, it was still a decent watch and it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre.