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sylvainallard
Reviews
Problem Child 2 (1991)
Perfect! A top notch and sharp scenario backed by stellar acting performances
That this movie kicks below 5/10 rating reflects the deep intellectualism of this movie which most people didn't get or couldn't comprehend. For those we never seen it, picture this movie as a Stanley Kubrick film gem: it features layers upon layers of uncovered meanings. You can watch it endlessly and you'll always find something new.
To start with, this movie is not about kids: it's about Love, real Love, and about showing the cupidity of adults in times where kids can still see through the materialistic brainwash of adult society. That explains why we've got so poor ratings since the main message, that adults are inherently stupid, doesn't play well with the masses. Junior acts as a gifted boy in the movie, so is Trixy, which is why they are presented as problem kids, non conformists, turbulent kids that don't fit the mold. In fact, they are smarter than all adult protagonists in the movie. Quickly:
1: The movie opens on Little Ben with Junior who have both packed up and are ready to leave their home town for love town. This is the quest of two men in search of freedom and liberty... (and love for Little Ben)
2: They end up in Mortville, a town where most women are single and looking for men (so far so good) and it's a reference to our times where there are so many singles. On that front, the women are so desperate to find a man that they go to Little Ben's house to offer him all kinds of gifts, like for a king. Junior is upset and slams the door to the second woman. Little Ben is not happy on the move and when he re opens the door he realizes that Junior is right on and that he's getting tricked by those women. (Fake love)
3: Enters the neighbor, which is your typical suburban American fat male, and he lives to spend money and he's materialistic. He loves the fact that there are so many women in town, which hints at the fact that he's cheating on his wife. Junior sees that his dad's attention is getting sucked away by this town of fake love and materialism and wants to bring him back to freedom. To make his points he causes the BBQ to explodes and get rid of the neighbor.
From that point on, Junior tries to awaken his dad (by playing many kinds of funny tricks) who is getting involved with a manipulating woman, a banking tycoon, without much success. Big Ben is now broke and wants to use that mariage opportunity to get back in business out from bankruptcy, showing he doesn't care about anyone else but himself. Toward the end, Little Ben oscillates toward real love and communication and is saved from his looming bad mariage deal. Junior wins and that's the happy ending: freedom and real love triumphing over the dullness of an American way of living in the burbs and killing your brain on entertainment.
Since most people did fail their life, which is miserable, loveless and based on goods, I understand why so many are pissed off about Problem Child 2, because they hate the main message that you can turn your life around and succeed.
It's a courageous movie that doesn't fit the Hollywood model since it is a metaphor of our times.
The Guard (2011)
Let's be honest here.
And let's call a cat a cat. If it wouldn't have been Brendan Gleeson acting as the guard, the movie would have been a flop. Although the movie start very well, I didn't laugh a single time in the movie and I've heard only one person in the theater trying to force himself into a short laugh. This movie is a pure money-making project and doesn't qualify as art whatsoever. Thumbs down to McDonagh for making something Hollywoodish, denuded of all fun, and, most importantly making one wonder why he would ever visit Ireland's countryside. The ongoing pseudo-jokes about Irish people snubbing and ignoring the main black character and refusing to speak with him in English are mind-blowing stupid. A huge disappointment.
Louise-Michel (2008)
A top-class, can't miss, refreshing movie
Of course, this movie is not for the masses and most situations are often completely politically- incorrect. At the end of the day it's a dark comedy, a critic of the society, and a little marvel in terms of cinematographic quality.
First the soundtrack is very good. Second the characters are socially off-track, abnormal, and as the movie progresses more and more mystery arise around their past. Both main characters are well played and offer, at moments, hilarious performance. The theater that I saw this in Montreal was often filled with laughs.
A sadistic, cynical tale around hope in lower classes of society and fantasy to reach happiness in this world.