
Posted : 3 years ago on 27 March 2022 06:38
(A review of
Straight A's)
I have to admit it, I wasnât 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. Well, to be honest, I never managed to get into the damned thing. Sure, there were a couple of decent ideas but most of it didnât work at all. I mean, right from the start, the opening scene was just so phony. Seriously, why did they choose to have Scott coming back on horseback, probably the least likely mode of transportation? Then, even though you see the 3 leads on all the posters, Luke Wilson was actually away up until the last act and all his scenes were just so boring, generic and completely predictable. The fact that Wilson lacks the charisma of his brother Owen didnât help and, by the end of the movie, you wish his wife would go back with her first love, Scott. Coming back on Scott, I do think that Ryan Phillippe did a decent job but the way both his nephew and niece fell under the charm of their uncle within a few mins was just too easy. Concerning Anna Paquin, she had a rather thankless job as she had to look and sound pissed off for most of the duration but, at least, she did look amazing in some very classy outfits. Finally, the twist at the end was just so predictable, I think I did figure it out within the first 10 mins. Anyway, to conclude, I think that there was maybe there somewhere a decent story with some interesting characters but the way it was handled was completely wrong so the end-result was seriously disappointing and, as a result, I donât think the damned thing is really worth a look.

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 3 years ago on 26 March 2022 06:52
(A review of
Cake)
To be honest, I wasnât really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was starring Jennifer Anniston, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, itâs only afterwards that I discovered that this movie did receive some rather weak reviews but I thought it was a little bit harsh. Indeed, it was so refreshing to see Anniston finally doing something different and I thought she gave here a really solid performance. The rest of the cast was interesting as well, especially Sam Worthington and Anna Kendrick, even if most of them were stuck playing only one or two scenes. I also did appreciate the fact that they didnât show or tell what exactly happened to Claire and Nina in details. Unfortunately, I would have to admit that I was still never completely sold after all. Eventually, in my opinion, the biggest mistake they made was that they never commit themselves to a specific tone and, as a result, the damned thing constantly switched between dark comedy and drama. I mean, both choices would have been fine but it seems that they didnât have the balls to make a pitch-black comedy about such a dramatic subject. In a similar fashion, on the other hand, it seems they were scared that the subject matter might be too heavy so they would randomly throw some witty one-liners to lighten up the proceedings. However, this constant back-and-forth felt rather squeamish and it really didnât do a service to a solid story and a solid main character which both had a lot of potential. On top of that, even though Claireâs actions were very often quite random (in a positive way), her story arc turned out to be seriously generic and predictable which probably didnât help. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, it was still a solid drama and I think it is worth a look, especially if you want to see Jennifer Anniston doing something really different for once.

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 3 years ago on 25 March 2022 09:25
(A review of
Moonfall)
I wasnât expecting much from this flick but since Nick, my step-son, has a weak spot for such big disaster movies, we still ended up watching it together. Well, as expected, it turned out to be a big dumb loud blockbuster but, to be honest, I have to admit that I was actually fairly entertained. Itâs too bad they never really figured how they should handle the material though. Indeed, they seemed aware of how ridiculous the concept was and they had fun with it but, unfortunately, the whole thing very often took itself way too seriously with some supposedly elaborate scientifical explanations which were really ridiculous. Another issue was that, while it made sense that they wanted to show the mayhem going on Earth, the group of characters involved in this group was just so poorly developed and uncharismatic. To make things worse, facing the destruction of the planet Earth was probably enough, they definitely didnât need to bring some looters in the mix as well. At least, the trio of main actors (Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, John Bradley) was not bad and I especially enjoyed Patrick Wilson who was solid playing the usual washed-up reluctant hero. And what about the ending? Well, it was probably a little bit too much and it was another example of they took themselves way too seriously. Still, I have to admit that it was actually pretty cool to see this loser conspiracy theorist who always dreamed to be an astronaut eventually getting involved in some mission in space to actually save the world. Anyway, to conclude, donât take the reviews too seriously, if you actually like this kind of (nowadays) old-fashioned disaster flicks, you might actually give it a try, otherwise, you should probably skip it though.Â

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 3 years ago on 24 March 2022 11:54
(A review of
The Rider)
I wasnât really sure what to expect from this flick but since I kept hearing some really good things, I was quite eager to check it out. Well, after watching a couple of movies directed by ChloĂŠ Zhao, I think Iâm rather acquainted with her directing style. However, to be honest, even if I admire her work, I canât say Iâm really a huge fan though. Basically, like a documentary, you get to see some ârealâ people but since they are actually telling a story, it is still a work of fiction. As a result, it seems that Zhao managed to harness the best qualities of both genres, documentary and fiction, to make something really intriguing. Still, even if I really like her approach, to be honest, I think it was a little bit too dry, at least, for me. Indeed, eventually, Brady Blackburn never really stated what he felt or thought so I had a rather hard time to really connect with him and what he was going through. The fact that I donât feel much for this rodeo world probably didnât help either. Still, there is no denying that Brady was a really intriguing character and the fact that Brady Jandreau pretty much played himself gave the whole thing some super realistic quality (it went even further since his actual father and autistic sister in the movie were also his family for real). Eventually, the actors were all playing some characters so similar to who they actually are and, as a result, you could barely call it actually âactingâ but itâs not a critic, in the contrary. Anyway, to conclude, even if it didnât really blow me away, it was still pretty good and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.Â

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 3 years ago on 23 March 2022 11:03
(A review of
Miracles from Heaven)
I didnât have some really high expectations regarding this movie but since I have a weak spot for Jennifer Garner, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, to be honest, this kind of religious movies is definitely not my thing and, as a result, I really had a hard time to connect with the damned thing. Seriously, donât you think it was actually slightly messed up that they spent 1000's of dollars to flight on a regular basis to see one of the most renowned pedestrians in the country who, eventually, never managed to really help their daughter? Eventually, the poor girl basically got cured after falling down on her head 9 meters in some hollow tree and, since this family was deeply religious, they immediately concluded that it must have been some act of God. However, as far as I was concerned, it seemed more that, somehow, the whole event apparently did reset her defective nervous system. Of course, I will have to admit that this recovery was indeed miraculous but, in my opinion, it actually displayed how our world is completely dominated by sheer chaos and randomness and, sometimes, well, we do get lucky, thatâs all. On the other hand, I have to admit that the damned thing was rather harmless and if believing in God does help this people to live a more harmonious life, why not? Furthermore, I did appreciate the way that they depicted that a religion should be about love and about being aware of all the little miracles in your everyday lives. Anyway, to conclude, I still didnât care much about the damned thing though and I donât think it is really worth a look, except maybe if you are really into this kind of Christian movies.Â

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 3 years ago on 22 March 2022 09:17
(A review of
Extraction)
To be honest, I wasnât expecting much from the damned thing but since I have a weak spot for Bruce Willis, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, as I expected, it turned out to be indeed pretty bad, Iâm afraid. Basically, it was another cheap-ass action flick displaying Bruce Willis prominently on all the promotional material when he was in fact playing a minor character (in fact, he even filmed all his scenes in a single day). Instead, the lead was played by Kellan Lutz, a seriously uncharismatic actor who obviously did spend more time in the gym then in acting lessons. At least, Gina Carano, even if she is not a great actress, is actually pretty badass and it is too bad they just gave her only a few fighting scenes which, on top of that, were so dark that you could barely see anything. It is also rather bewildering that they chose to have her walking around in a sexy dress as they could have cast in this case any other model/actress to do the job. Concerning the rest of the movie, well, this guy [Link removed - login to see] is just an awful director. For some reason, he actually thinks that filming everything with an ugly ass yellow filter will suddenly makes his movie look grittier but itâs such a cheap ineffective move. Concerning the action scenes, thatâs obviously were Miller invested most of his time, attention and energy but even these scenes were boring and poorly put together. And, yet, I actually thing the damned thing actually had some potential but, to be honest, nothing really worked in this movie. Anyway, to conclude, even if it might not be the worst movie I have seen starring Bruce Willis, it wasnât far from it though and you should pretty much avoid it.Â

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 3 years ago on 21 March 2022 12:29
(A review of
Why We're Killing Gunther)
To be honest, I wasnât expecting much from this flick but since it was starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, even if the concept actually had some potential, the damned thing still turned out to be rather weak after all. The first mistake they made was to go for a mockumentary. Sure, this gimmick was maybe fun and original 40 years ago when âThis is Spinal Tapâ was released but, nowadays and especially in this case, it didnât really have any added value and, above all, it was barely entertaining. Even more problematic was the fact that all the characters involved in this team of so-called âamazingâ hitmen were just so lame and pathetic, except maybe for Sanaa. By the way, while watching this movie, I was convinced that this character was played by LeĂŻla Bekhti and I was wondering how the French actress actually ended up in such a weird American B action flick. It is only when the movie was finished that I discovered that it wasnât LeĂŻla Bekhti at all but Hannah Simone, a British-Canadian actress I wasnât familiar with. But, seriously, check the pictures underneath, the resemblance is just uncanny. Anyway, Simone or Bekhti, it didnât really matter, this movie was actually turning out to be fairly abysmal and the only thing that prevented the damned thing to become a total disaster was when Arnold Schwarzenegger finally showed up. Indeed, it had been years since I saw the Austrian Oak doing some comedy and, while the rest of the cast really bored me, he was actually quite pitch-perfect. Eventually, you wish they actually brought the guy sooner. Anyway, to conclude, despite the efforts of good old Arnie, the damned thing was still really weak and I donât think it is really worth a look.

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 3 years ago on 20 March 2022 08:09
(A review of
Belfast)
Since I kept hearing some really good things, I had some rather high expectations but, to be honest, I didnât expect to be blown away like this. Indeed, it turned out to be quite a rollercoaster of emotion. The recent war in Ukraine also added an extra emotional layer as, in any war, the biggest victims are always the children as, any war, civil or not, is something completely incomprehensible for them. Above all, it completely shatters their world as it was clearly displayed in this movie. So, after reading this, you might expect a heartbreaking drama but it went so much further than that. It was also so sweet and displayed that Belfast, before it was destroyed by decades of conflict, was actually a bright community where kids and people lived in peace and harmony in spite of the economic hardship. As a result, as a viewer, you want them to leave as soon as possible because we all know what will eventually happen but it was easier said than done for this family who loved their lives in this city and would have to leave everything behind for a (probably hostile) new country. And, yet, in spite all this, it was often actually quite hilarious because you see everything through the eyes of this funny little boy whose innocence had not been completely tarnished by this dreadful conflict. Of course, you might praise his parents for doing the âright thingâ by not taking sides but it is anyone guess how they long they could have remained neutral without facing the consequences. The result was Kenneth Branagh himself, a heralded British director and actor who, after all these years, finally decided to look back at this pivotal moment in his life. To conclude, even if it might not be Branaghâs best directorial effort, it was still some powerful stuff and it is definitely worth a look.

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 3 years ago on 20 March 2022 08:29
(A review of
Shalako)
I wasnât 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. Well, it is basically a rather obscure movie Sean Connery made after his very successful run as James Bond and, to be honest, it wasnât really good, Iâm afraid. In fact, I actually loved the idea of Connery playing in a Western and he was not bad but, on the other hand, I wasnât so convinced by Brigitte Bardot. I mean, sure, I have to admit that she did look gorgeous but thatâs pretty much the only thing she provided, being pretty on the screen. Of course, you could blame her acting but, to be honest, they didnât give her much to do. Concerning the story, there was also some potential here but it was also rather poorly developed. Indeed, the idea that, while the West was still pretty wild and dangerous, there were apparently already some rich European aristocrats going to the US basically on holiday, in this case, to do some hunting, was just really intriguing but they basically did nothing with it and focused instead on Shalako. By the way, it felt as if Shalako showed up completely randomly at the beginning. In fact, if he wasnât in the army anymore, what was his business exactly? Of course, you could argue that the story didnât matter since it was supposed to be an action film but even the action scenes were often rather poorly put together. For example, during one of the many shoutouts, they kept showing people shooting without showing where or to who they were shooting at which was pretty awkward. Anyway, to conclude, even if I have seen worse, it was still pretty weak and I donât think it is really worth a look.Â

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 3 years ago on 19 March 2022 07:51
(A review of
The Poison Rose)
I actually had some seriously low expectations regarding this movie but since my wife and I both have a weak spot for John Travolta, I thought we might as well check it out. Well, eventually, I have to admit that it wasnât so bad after all. I mean, in contrary to some completely lame movies that Travolta made recently, this one actually had some potential and I really loved the idea of Travolta playing a private detective in the 70âs. Still, donât be mistaken, the damned thing was actually really weak though. First of all, it has been a while since I have seen a movie supposedly taking place about 50 years and, yet, which didnât make any effort to be period accurate. Indeed, it could have taken place today and it would have looked exactly the same. At least, they could have given us some vintage tunes to get into the mood. Then, the story also had some potential but, after all, it was mostly ridiculous with some major plot holes. I mean, who the hell was this lady that showed up at the beginning to hire Carson Phillips and never came back afterwards? Furthermore, the whole point was to bring back Carson to his hometown, I got that, but why on Earth was it to look for an old lady living in some mental institution? Do you really need a private detective for this kind of job? Then, within 5 mins, it was pretty obvious that the old lady in question was already dead which was also such an unconvincing scheme. I mean, would really nobody notice that so many of their patients were passed away? Concerning the cast, John Travolta was basically born to play such characters and I really enjoyed the way Morgan Freeman approached his character who was evil but still pretty laidback after all. However, Brendan Fraser obviously tried to do something different here but he pushed it too far, Iâm afraid, and by the end of the movie, my wife was still convinced that he was actually a mental patient who pretended to be a doctor in this mental institution. Anyway, to conclude, even if the damned thing was not a total disaster, it was still pretty weak and you should probably avoid it.

0 comments,
Reply to this entry