Change Your Image
melgarcia40
Reviews
Nocturnal Animals (2016)
An analysis of personal expression and self-actualization
When the movie ended, I knew that it would gather polarizing reactions, and that people would hate it just as much as I loved it, and, in a way, this is a perfect reflection of what I felt was the message of this movie. Some will see the story of a petty revenge, some will see the analysis of weakness, and what I saw in it was the depiction of what art and creation is about. Edward's novel, as we pick up along the clues left by ford in the movie, is the metaphorical expression of how he felt when she left him and aborted his child. For him, what she did equated to the rapt, rape and murder. Harrowing, heartbreaking, devastating, this is how he felt. But beyond Edward's words, there is Susan's interpretation of it. She is the one who pictures Tony (the "weak" one) with Edward's face, but in the end, isn't Susan the weak one? The one who didn't fight for the relationship and let it die (to conform to her mother's expectations?) What I loved about Nocturnal animals is that you can think about any of the novel's character and see who or what Edward was metaphorically expressing through them, like Bobby Andes, the relentless sheriff with cancer and nothing to lose, Ray, the epitome of vileness and disgust, his acolytes... Nothing is left and said in this movie for fluff, everything exists for a reason. Tom Ford manipulates with brio the 3 timelines and goes back and forth effortlessly, never losing the viewer, and adds to it a fantastic cinematography. The movie cast is one of the major assets of the movie, with an understated but efficient Amy Adams and an emotionally heartbreaking Jake Gyllehaal. But if the 2 leads are good, the supporting cast is even better: Michael Shannon is scene stealing, and Aaron Taylor- Johnson blew me away with a performance I thought he didn't have in him. However, and just as with Edward's book, this movie will not touch everyone the same way. I can see why some will love it and some hate it, but for me it was a hit.
Donnie Darko (2001)
Odd, original, fascinating
I never had the guts to write a review on Donnie Darko because this movie touched me in such a peculiar way that I thought I could never articulate just how much I loved it.
To me, this movie captured perfectly the feeling I had as a teenager, and the state of mind I was in. Beyond all the trippy aspects of the story, I related 100% with Donnie, his sense of isolation and in a way the fact that he might understand the world who surrounded him too well, or differently than anyone else. In that sense, I feel that the movie depicted very well what it is to grow up, and adolescence in general.
I could debate for hours on the global sense of what the time travel means, but to me that was secondary, and I also prefer the sense of mystery that surrounds the whole film. That anyone can decide whether Donnie is really schizophrenic or does see things, I don't think that it matters here, it's the experience that counts.
There were lots of really hilarious "WTF?" situations that made me genuinely laugh: Donnie waking up from hypnosis is compromising situations, his rant towards Swayze's character, and the infamous Smurfs monologue. And of course, Frank...
Of course, Donnie Darko owes a lot to the great performances from everyone, but the stellar turn of Jake Gyllenhaal (who with every movie nowadays just reinforces what a fabulous actor he is) is everything. He makes Donnie fascinating, intriguing, compelling and just plainly relatable as a character. Several instances in the movie really made me feel for him, but his scene with his Mom, when he asks "How is it to have a wacko for a son?" broke my heart. Fantastic work by both actors. Jake as Donnie is so touching that when the ending comes, accompanied by Gary Jules' cover of "Mad World", you are really, really gripped and moved.
When I first saw Donnie Darko back in 2002, no one knew about it, but now, every 30-something has seen it, and I am really glad that it reached the cult following it did.
Nightcrawler (2014)
A real gem
What an experience "Nightcrawler" is, and what a delight to watch a movie centered on an incredibly fascinating character. Lou Bloom is one of the best embodiment of today's generation, encapsulated in this extremely paradoxical character: during the whole movie, you are just as fascinated with him as you are disgusted, you both root for him and want him to be caught or stopped, you despise his actions but want to see how far he'll go, you want to slap him but can't help but love his soliloquies. The movie manages to broach several themes, and where I have read a lot of comment on how it was a movie about the media, I tend to see it far more as a critique of a whole system, enabled by the audience itself at first. The viewer is as much guilty as the news reporter for producing Lou Blooms in this world. The notions of success and what it really means, holding the power, compromising oneself, and, in general, what "the American dream" means now are central to this movie, but desperation also is. Almost all characters in this piece are desperate: Nina with the requirements of her bosses, Rick with needing a job, and Lou, of course, to success at a big scale. It is a real view into what people are told they should run after and that they are failure if they don't. The picture is beautiful, and L.A. hasn't looked that good for a long time, which only enhances the quality of an already great the screenplay. The dialogue is excellent, even hilarious at times. I must admit that I laughed a lot while watching, cause here is some of the best dark comedy I've seen in a long time.
However, it is impossible, really impossible to dissociate Nightcrawler's brilliance from Jake Gyllenhaal's performance. That he wasn't even considered for an Oscar is a real head-scratcher for me (I wonder who he p*ssed because I don't see any other explanation). The weight loss is only a minor part of his performance, even secondary, although necessary to emphasize Lou's hunger, literally and figuratively: this guy is a scavenger in every aspect of his personality. No, what haunts you in Nightcrawler are Gyllenhaal's eyes: soulless, cold, determined. They pierce through you and he "sees" all your weaknesses. The way they glitter with excitement when he repositions a body to get his "perfect shot". How hard they weigh on you when you are at then end of one of his monologues. the complete absence of any form of empathy... Second to the eyes is this ferocious smile that is both infectious and terrifying. Lou will stop at nothing to eat you and satisfy his "hunger". And finally, his lines delivery is simply riveting. This is a flawless and mind-blowing performance of Gyllenhaal, who doesn't go into huge display of emotions, but on the contrary, provides an incredibly charismatic abhorrent scumbag you can't help but watch. The rest of the cast is excellent, especially Riz Ahmed as Rick, to support him. Definitely one of the best movies made in the past years, and a must- see
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
Underwhelming
After the excellent First Class and the convoluted but extremely entertaining days of Future Past, I was all ready to like Apocalypse, but unfortunately, this wasn't what I hoped it would be.
Oscar Isaac gives a great performance as Apocalypse, but the writing for the character is so bad that it brings it down. For all his powers, Apocalypse in the end acts as any James Bond villain who takes his sweet time and suffers from hubris excess that allows him to be defeated. It was cliché, conventional and disappointing. Just as well, him recruiting his horsemen (and how he chose them...) wasn't well explained nor developed, and it was extremely disappointing to see Storm and Psylocke be reduced to cartoon villains.
On the subject of the new kids, they were also severely underused. I wanted to see more of the newcomers: Cyclops, Jubilee and Nightwatcher, and, as much as I like Jean Grey, I felt like she was the only member of the new cast that had a real focus, which is a pity.
As for Pr X, Magneto, I felt like this entry didn't provide anything new in their relationship and was retreading subjects and themes that were developed far better in FC and DoFP. In particular, Magneto's story with his wife and kid was so stereotypical could could tell what was coming the first scene you saw them together. and it is a real pity when you have actors like Fassbender and McAvoy at your disposal to only count on their talent to make a poor script and clunky dialogues work.
Mystique's character was so twisted to fit Jenifer Lawrence wishes that in the end she made not much sense, unfortunately.
Wolverine's cameo was pretty useless.
Some visuals, like the Auschwitz or the Quicksilver scenes were enjoyable though.
The movie thus feels like a pretty generic mess full of missed opportunity, terribly cliché, overloaded by a bloated cast, and quite forgettable
Cloud Atlas (2012)
Wow!
I missed this one out when it went out, but how I wished I had seen it on the big screen. What a roller-coaster ride it was! In a time where movies are so formated, plagued with clichés and stereotypical characters and storytelling, Cloud Atlas felt like a refreshing take on what cinema is and can be.
I have read lots of negative comments, criticizing the length of the story, the issue of yellowfacing (which is really missing the point and overlooks the fact that the crossing of race and genders was done both ways) and people saying "this movie tells nothing new", but, really, I didn't get any of them. I just let the whole stuff take me on this incredible ride, and marveled at how incredibly well these stories were weaved altogether.
I have to give it to the directors, the way they edited the story made possible for each of them to have a bigger impact than they would have told on their own. It felt like the climax of one story was only possible because of the build up provided by the others, and one story would find its emotional impact in the resolution of an other, and just for that, I have to salute the directors
I can't find any fault with the acting, that was spot on from beginning to end. Seeing Tom Hanks and Hugh Grant as bad guys was delightfully refreshing, Ben Whishaw and James d'Arcy manage to provide a touching love story despite sharing very little screen time together, Halle Berry is flawless, and Doona Bae was a true revelation. What a blast it must have been for all those actors to have the chance to be four to six different characters all in one experience!
All in all, this movie doesn't require you to think too much, and I do think that people who over-analyzed it (and generally ended up trashing it) were missing the point. It vehicles simple ideas, treat them on an emotional manner, and it is up to you to elaborate on the intellectual views and concepts that yielded in your brain upon watching it.
I think the biggest problem with Cloud Atlas is that we live in a lazy society where too often audiences expect to be fed with solutions. How many times I have read "I didn't understand Cloud Atlas"? There is nothing to "understand" since all stories and their connexions are pretty simple, no big philosophical answer to be provided to you in here: it is only entertainement, and if, in the process, it makes you start to think about the world you live in, then it is enough.
It isn't about looking for a life changing message, this movie is all about being a pure expression of art. all it wants from you is to let yourself be immersed in the story and go with the flow. I also love the fact that you can rewatch it many times and pick up new details here and there and get something new out of it every time
Man of Steel (2013)
Attention to details matters
There were some good parts in Man of Steel. Superman's childhood was interesting. The fact that "trying to be the good guy" doesn't mean that you are a perfect Care Bare and that sometimes killing the threat is necessary was great. That collateral damage can happen when fighting was realistic. But all of this goes to trash when the movie overlooks so many issues that it drowns in it in the end. Where to start: - Why send Zod and his army in the phantom zone when Krypton was about to self-destruct a few days later? Just to allow them to come back and track down Kal-El? That was a stupid decision from Kryptonians: they just had to lock them up and everyone would have died at the same time, problem solved. Why banish them? Morons. - Lois Lane: takes a random picture, spots a little blank point in the corner so small that she has to zoom it x4000 and then decides to follow this guy she doesn't know on an ice edge of 10 inches because...logic sucks??? And she finds out who this guy was in a mere weeks after seeing him once, but when his face is filmed and then displayed on TV to THE WHOLE WORLD, no one else does? Are they kidding me? - Jonathan Kent: the only guy that is capable of staying up right and not move an inch just to wave goodbye before dying while cars are flying and bridges collapsing in a twister. Yeah right. but the dog is OK, so, yay, I guess.... - Martha Kent: Zod destroys her house and Smallville is smashed while Superman was fighting him, but hey, it is OK! Her whole house was destroyed, memories of her dead husband pulverized, all her life possessions are ruined and her town is a cataclysmic disaster but "it is only material", let's smile on the porch....eurgh - Superman comes to save Metropolis but manages to destroy the half of the city that Zod hadn't trashed yet. OK, collateral damage, I can understand that. But then, once Zod is defeated, instead of saving the thousands of people that are buried under collapsed building, did he really have nothing better to do than french kiss Lois Lane?? Seriously??? - and let's not forget that Metropolis is destroyed, but it is OK as long as Lois and her co-workers get out of it alive, the other inhabitants were just losers, right? All this plus some really meh directing choice (the transitions between some scenes are just random as hell, and those battles are far too long) completely undermined what could have been an otherwise interesting turn on Superman. If you are able to overlook plot inconsistencies, that absence of logic doesn't bother you and that character development doesn't matter, you might enjoy this, provided that you are also a fan of long CGI rumble scenes.
Agent Carter (2015)
extremely enjoyable, but lost a bit of focus in S2
Having binged-watched the show in less than a week, I was very pleased with this mini-series, although it fell a little flat in the second season. It might be important to add that I haven't watched any of the Captain America movies nor agents of SHIELD, and still enjoyed Agent Carter, so I don't know in which capacity this might have affected my enjoyment of it. I guess I missed a ton of Easter Eggs, but it also meant that I hadn't any specific expectations for the show to include any Marvel stuff in it. The show sustained itself overall pretty well, particularly thanks to a fantastic Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, and an equally delightful James d'Arcy as Edwin Jarvis. This platonic relationship is by far the most enjoyable aspect of Agent Carter, with its wry, funny and oh-so- well delivered dialogue. I could have watched those two interacting and be happy with it, with the addition of Dominic Cooper, who constantly steals all the scenes he is in as Howard Stark Agent Carter was also a fantastic show in terms of female empowerment. Peggy's struggle as a woman in the 40's and her difficult path towards acceptation in the SSR was a very compelling story, that hasn't completely lost relevance nowadays. The second season also broached some very interesting points, such as the contempt for women in science, the pressure Hollywood puts on women (being told you are "too old" to be a lead at 35...) and racism. Unfortunately, the show lost a bit of its momentum and focus in the middle of the second season, and, despite some truly enjoyable moments, didn't manage to keep it dynamic enough, which was a bit disappointing. Notably, Peggy's SL was reduced to her love life, which completely undermines what S1 was about. The need for romance is something that in my opinion took too much focus, whereas there were lots of opportunities for the show to dig deeper in people interaction in general, and made the stakes for the central character a bit lackluster. It is said that the show will be canceled, but I would still recommend to watch the 18 episodes that were made over the 2 seasons: it is stylish, clever, funny and fresh for the most part
Burnt (2015)
Not bad but forgettable
Burnt has a very solid casting that allows it to be above average, and has the advantage to be quite accurate regarding how things go in a kitchen. the tension, the overload of orders, the need to control everything is depicted pretty accurately. Unfortunaltely, Adam Jones is too much of the genius bad boy stereotype, and the story is predictable with several clichés that could have been avoided. The love story is quite flat. It would have been much more interesting to actually develop Daniel Brühl and Bradley Cooper's characters relationship and background rather than having a conventional love story thrown in the mix. The movie isn't bad, but is quickly forgotten after viewing.
The 100 (2014)
A few mistakes here and there, but surprisingly good
Let's be honest first: the Pilot sucks. Seriously, it is full of clichés, bad acting, clunky exposition dialog, characters are one dimensional and pretty much all insufferable. So why bother? Because, after 3 episodes, it starts to get far better: characters get are developed and get more complex as the show goes, the plot definitely tightens, and it stops being predictable, on the contrary, it generally goes places you wouldn't expect it to go. After the fifth episode, the lines are blurred, characters moralities reveal themselves far grayer than anticipated, and the show raises good questions with difficult answers: what is the price of survival? are we define by what we do when we try to survive? What is the cost of doing bad deeds when the intentions are good? What is the price of being a leader? By the end of the first season, the show has proved that it should by no means be reduced to teenage drama, and the second season currently reinforces the show as one to be fully considered as good. Don't be fooled by its CW tag: it is a fast-paced, high stakes engaging show. Apart from a few members here and there, the cast is generally good, some might recognize the familiar faces of Isaiah Washington (Grey's anatomy), Henry Ian Cusik (Lost) amongst the adults, but props must go to the younger cast, with notably Eliza Taylor as Clarke, Bob Morley as Bellamy and Lindsay Morgan as Raven who stand out (plus Richard Harmond as Murphy who manages to make you feel bad for a guy you should hate with a fury) There are still missteps (like the obligatory love triangle which was the lowest point of the first season), but the writers managed to keep this aspect minimal. If you are quite versed into post-apocalyptic Sci-Fi shows, I highly recommend it, is spite of its awful first episodes.
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Very good for the genre but...
The X-Men movies X1, X2 and First Class always felt superior to me to loads of other superheroes movies, save Nolan's two last Batman maybe, because the action and the special effects are not what drives the movie, it is definitely their characters, and that makes the X-men movies far superior to me. Which is why the third one was so terribly awful: Rattner forgot all about what the first two ones were about, made it the Wolverine show, and forgot totally about the heart of the story.
Days of Future Past is a great movie in this regard: the trio Charles/Erik/Raven is what is at the core of it, they are what makes the movie engaging, and of course, the cast is excellent. James Mcavoy is an exceptionally talented actor, particularly when it comes to portray the emotions of his character. Charles sentiment of loss, whether regarding Raven, Erik, or his hope in general is brilliantly portrayed, and the shared scene he has with Patrick Stewart is a highlight of the movie. Jenifer Lawrence is equally as compelling and subtle in her embodiment of Mystique and her inner conflict towards which choice to make, and whose line of thoughts (Charles or Erik's). Michael Fassbender as usual is perfect as Magneto and commands the screen effortlessly.
The breakout star really is Evan Peters as Quicksilver, who shines in every scene he is in, and provides a great comic relief in an otherwise pretty dark movie.
It was also great to see both casts mixed together in this installment, even if it meant that some had very limited screen time, and I was very, very pleased that, also inconsistent, the ending allowed to set straight where X3 screwed up and brought back Cyclops and Jean (Cyclops treatment and relegation to the second plan in favor of Wolverine in comparison to the comics being my major quip with Bryan Singer).
Now I don't think that DOFP was better than First Class, mainly because of the time loop issues. Time travel always made me cringed because of the inconsistencies it creates, and the movies falls at the very beginning into the plot hole, since it is the premise of the movie. Indeed Wolverine is sent in the past to prevent the war. But then, if the war never happens, then there is no need to send him back in the past. If there is no need to send him, then he is not sent in the past. If he is not sent in the past, then the war happens... the paradox can't be solved, and the story is not possible.
This is a major plot hole to go over, but other than that, the rest is really, really good. I definitely rank it among the top 5 of the superheroes movies ever made.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
The amazingly awful Spider-Man
Simply awful. The dialogs are some of the worst I've heard, the characters are underdeveloped, the villains are cartoonish... The break-up dialog at the beginning is appalling: "We have to breakup, Gwen" "No Peter, we can do IT" "But I promised your father I would let you out of it, I can't keep on doing it" "Peter, I am breaking up, IT is over"... Gwen, that is exactly what he said at the beginning... The story of Harry is rushed and Peter's reluctance to give him Blood has no grounding. He and Peter are supposed to be best friends but haven't seen or talked to each other in 8 years. The plan to fire Harry from Oscorp is stupid. Gwen leaves for England after one day: apparently looking for an apartment, arranging the transfer of your personal stuff to another country can be done by snapping your fingers. Spiderman's lines when arresting the villains are cheesy and lame. The transitions between scenes are badly handled. The movie is far too long and most scenes are filler and lackluster Gwen's valedictorian's speech is preachy could never have been written by a girl supposedly in High School I almost left the theater. What a waste of good actors, who couldn't save this mess The only good point: killing Gwen.
Struck by Lightning (2012)
Uncommon but nice
Albeit far from perfect, this is a nice little movie, with an uncommon script, fresh and very witty. Unfortunately, the movie feels too short, and sometimes suffers from its independent status, particularly in some of the camera work: in some scenes, it felt like we were missing reaction shots, or simply transitions inbetween scenes. I read reviews stating that Carson was a jerk, but I feel that part of these comments were derived from the fact that when we get to the story, Carson already has already been subjected for a long while to bullying, and therefore already hates everyone/is hated by everyone, and as we don't get to see what brought him to this mindset, the audience might not get why he acts the way he does towards his peers. Itseit as Clfer not wanting to delve into "Glee territory", where his character's bullying has been shown time and again, and preferred focusing the story on his main character's drive. Carson may appear to be a jerk, but he is just a kid who refuses to get jaded and to give up on what he believes in, despite having no support system at all. One particular part that felt short were Carson's classmates, who were not developed enough, which is probably the biggest flaw of the script. Particularly, we could have had more insight into what they had finally written for the magazine, and how they realized what it meant for them to finally express themselves. After all, it's Carson's biggest victory and accomplishment and what makes him happy right before he is struck by lightning, and it would have brought more depth to characters that were clichéd. It didn't need a lot more, but sincere movie in only 83 minutes, 10 to 15 minutes could have been allowed to deepen the characters. That is the main flaw to this script, which is otherwise engaging and refreshing when it comes to the high school setting. Generally speaking, Colfer did an awesome job at depicting a very dysfunctional family and Carson's general loneliness. This guy had literally no one to rely on or to confide in, between a runaway Dad, a senile Grandma and of course his Mum, too wrapped up in her past and own self pity to support him. In that sense, watching Carson's family life, you can understand his desire to get out of Clover and finally be fully who he is without being judged or put down. Carson's drive and strength to never back down for anyone was truly great to watch, for so many times people just deny who they are to conform with society's standards. One of the plus of this movie, apart from its unusual script, is its cast. All the parts with the adults and Carson's family were stellar, whether it was in their interactions or dialog or simply the acting. The interactions between Carson's mum and his dad's new wife were very good, Allison Janney and Christina Hendricks acted the hell out of them. Polly Bergen and Rebel Wilson were spot on too. As for Chris Colfer, well if there is any proof that he is not just "Kurt hummel from Glee", well here it is. Yes, the High School setting and the age of his character are the same as in Glee, but Carson has noting to do with Kurt: his voice, his posture, his demeanor, his attitude were nothing like Kurt's (except maybe in some instances in Season 1, where Kurt would be extra-snarky and a tad bitchy, which I miss). Carson was abrasive, never let anyone walk over himself, threw tantrums, shown very seldom moments of kindness (with his Grandma and Malerie). His best craft remains drama, particularly the scene where Carson just learned that he was accepted to NW but somehow didn't receive the letter, and he tells to the counselor, without even looking at her, that he never saw the ocean. In this instance, he totally conveyed just how crushed he was by these news and that, at this moment, nothing matters for his life was ended. Some comments seemed to say that they don't see the point in killing the character, and right away in the movie. I, in the contrary, thinks that it served 2 main goals: show that sometimes, it's not the goal that counts but the journey (Carson might die, but he dies happy and he succeeded in making his peers write), and also show that life is short and unfair: don't wait to achieve what you want to, and never stop trying.
Down in the Valley (2005)
Beautifully shot and wonderfully acted
Down in the Valley is no easy movie: it doesn't tell you what to think, how to judge and what to get from it, it requires the audience to think, confronts his own dilemmas and leaves you with infinite sadness in the end.
Harlan remains a mystery the whole time, and the girl asking "are you for real" is not wrong when she asks it. At first, Harlan looks like a harmless lunatic, lost in this south California, a little behind times, and almost childish. then, little by little, this facade cracks and we can see that he actually is not just a loony bin, but bat-sh*t crazy. However, it's difficult to have harsh feelings towards Harlan, particularly considering the affection he provides to Lonnie, in who, one can assume, he sees a little reflection of himself.
Wade is also a gray character: he is that kind of father who just can't communicate with his kids. He loves them, he wants to shield them from what he feels (righlty) is a menace to them, but is simply incapable of saying it with the right words and tends to resort to violence too much because he doesn't know how to proceed differently. He is a difficult character to like, due to his treatment of Lonnie in particular, but you can't completely hate him either.
Evan Rachel Wood is splendid as the almost-woman Tobe, her acting is so natural and fluid you don't even question her character one second. She perfectly captures all emotions required to show how Tobe's is drawn into the peculiar guy Harlan is, but also exudes intelligence and maturity when her character slightly realizes Harlan is lost way too far in his fantasies.
Rory is yet an other Culkin, but yet an other talented one, as his brother Kieran is. His portrayal of Lonnie is sincere and moving, despite having little dialog. His admiration for Harlan is both warming and sad, since Harlan, as nice as he is with him, can't provide him any other life than a one full of lies.
Edward Norton once again proves what a wonderful actor he is. This movie might not be the most recognized and famous he has done, but his work here ranks among his best. Of course, we are now used to his ability to play with two sides of a role, but he is just so good as the lost cow-boy, and then scary as hell when he finally loses it.
Though very good, some parts of the movie drag a bit, and some will not find the interest of it, but it's definitely worth a watch., if only for the picture and the acting.
Inception (2010)
Visually beautiful and well acted, but somehow not that great
Inception left me a lukewarm feeling.
It was beautiful, I mean, visually, there is nothing to say to Nolan, the Inception has a wonderful picture, stunning visual effects and a vast diversity of decors.
The actors were good, though I can't say that any performance blew me away. They did their job convincingly, but it didn't do much for me.
Unfortunately, I didn't really connect with the characters, and didn't feel much invested with their mission, which as an effect prevented me from really bothering if yes or no Leonardo's character is still sleeping or nor (which is what the spinning top at the end is suggesting, I guess).
Besides, what really drew me far, far away from the story was the length of the movie. The sequence where the van falls in the water at the end with all dreams imbricated one with an other was too long and, in the end, bored me to death.
All in all, interesting movie, but I couldn't personally enjoy it as much as I wanted.
The Score (2001)
Well acted but very clichéd and flat in the end
Let's be honest, the movie is completely clichéd, nothing new here: last job before retirement in the name of love, brash young vs cool oldest guy, mentor (Brando) and a oh-so predictable twist which thus is not one.
What saves the movie are the actors, who are top notch, even if (sorry deNiro and Brando, I know you are legends) Norton outshines the whole cast.
As I said, the end was to me extremely disappointing, I saw it coming by miles and it was too neat for me, which really ruined an otherwise highly watchable movie.
Fight Club (1999)
Unique, incredible, exhilarating...indescribable
I won't embarrass myself trying to describe the philosophical aspects of Fight Club, some have done it 10 thousand times better than me. I'll just try to simply put why I loved this movie, or why you have to see it even if you might hate it. Because yes, you might hate it. Still, you have to see it.
Fight Club is unique, or, at least, was when it came out in 1999, it definitely was. I was only 16 when I saw it, and to be honest, I went in for Brad Pitt. When it finished, I just knew I had seen one of the most outstanding movie I'll ever watch.
I had forgotten Brad Pitt: the movies tones, themes, execution and wonderful ending (and I'm not talking about the twist here but really the end of the movie that caught me off-guard) are just top notch.
It made me think, laugh, stress, cringe, confused me, punched me in the face and left me speechless.
Now, 12 years later, I have re-watched it many times, and each viewing brought me new perspectives, and I never ever get tires of this movie.
Whatever your opinion on Fight Club is, It's impossible that none of the many one-liners of Tyler Durden (or part of his speeches) ) make you tick, react, or remind you of your own life.
Maybe Fight club was a generational movie. Maybe it is overrated. Maybe it's for some pointless. But you have to watch it.
Oh, I was about to forget: when a movie ends on the magnificent "Where is my mind" of the Pixies, then you know it was hell of a good one.
Primal Fear (1996)
Shamefully underrated
I saw Primal Fear in 2000 when I was 16 or so, it was on the telly and I was about to go reading in my room and saying good night to my parents when I saw the face of Ed Norton on telly. I had just seen Fight Club at the theater the night before and had been extremely impressed by his work, though I didn't even knew who he was back then.
I decided to watch the whole movie, just because he was in and boy did I enjoy it! Not only for his performance (I'll go back to that later), but firstly because of the court game. I really liked to see the mechanisms of how the defense and the prosecution play, the tricks, twists and turns between Mr Gere and Mrs Linley were great to see. As for their acting, I couldn't really tell how good it was, since I first watched it dubbed (I'm French).
Now, even dubbed, Edward Norton's performance just blew me away. The change in his look, from stupid to downright scary, his whole body language, all of this was just mind-blowing, particularly considering that it was his first job.
I have reviewed it in Original Version since and enjoyed the other actors work far better.
My only complaint is that, considering how the film was shot, it now looks "old" and a bit aged, with a direction that seems a little flat.
However, the movie still has one of my favorite twist endings (Usual Suspects still ranking #1 in my book).
Atonement (2007)
Not the easiest movie, but wonderfully executed nonetheless
Atonement is not a movie who will please everyone. It is a complicated story, far more than a simple love story as it is sometimes described,it.
To me, the main center of the movie (well, of the novel actually), is the power of words. It's Briony's imagination and love for words that draws her onto this fantasy world where she does not make the difference between reality and fiction; it's Robbie's letter and use of the "C" word that will later turn against him, it's Briony's statement that sends him to jail, and finally, it's Briony's novel, which, in the end, allows her (or not?) to atone for her mistakes. It's a very powerful story which demonstrates how devastating words and miscommunication can be, and interesting take of what is or is not history, in fact.
There are many layers in the movie, and other subjects treated there: class warfare, war, and yes, a bit of how love can survive despite the events and distance.
From a direction point of view, the movie is very interesting, particularly the famous 1-shot beach shoot, which, in one and single take, captures the horror of Dunkirk's retreat and the feel of exhaustion and despondency those men must have felt back there. There are lots of other very clever shots and the image is beautiful. The score must also be underlined, rhymed by the "tic-tic-tic" of the typewriter.
Now, Atoment prevails essentially thanks to stellar performances from the whole cast, with Saiorse Ronan and James McAvoy being just incredible. Ronan, such a young girl there, perfectly captures Briony's confusion but also what really transpires in the novel, which is her desire to be a control freak, to be "the author" (in a way, the character thinks of herself as a God), and I can just praise SR for being able to convey so much on screen with this difficult character. As for James McAvoy, his performance is so, so good that I still don't understand the Oscar snub (a nomination a least should have been made). It's a very understated performance, subtle, nuanced, and so powerful each time he's on screen that you can't help but feel what Robbie feels in each scene. More particularly, the scene in the café, the one where he discovers the college girl slaughter and the confrontation with the grown up Briony are outstanding.
Yet, Atonement is unfortunately a bit too slow in its middle section, and because of this looses part of his power up to the point that I get why some people called it dull at times. I had to re-watch it to completely appreciate it, and this is why it's only a 7 for me. Nevertheless, this is a movie that deserved to be watched, if only for its fantastic performances.
Source Code (2011)
Very clever and human, yet a bit flat sometimes
I have mixed feelings about source code. I enjoyed the overall story, I found the actors extremely good (Gyllenhaal and Farmiga in particular) and appreciated the facts that the script wasn't too sci-fi oriented and used the quantum physics only as a background rather than the center plot of the story.
There were twists I liked, and other I liked less: to me, the film would have been perfect if it ended when the image froze, it would have been more powerful in my opinion, since it would have reinforced the "human" aspect of the movie.
I somehow found the movie a little soft at times, particularly in the end, but I never got bored, not even got bored by the many repetitions of the 8 minutes, since the realization and story is clever enough to make them anything but repetitive.
The discussion between Colter Stevens and Goodwin were parts I really liked, and seeing Goodwin's armour piercing little by little as she "talks" with him was very effective and subtly done. As said earlier, Gyllenhaal excels at playing the disoriented captain, and reminded me of an older version of his Donnie Darko.
Source Code is thus a good but not exceptional movie, that is definitely worth watching.
Wanted (2008)
Paradoxically not that awful...
Wanted is that kind of testosterone-fueled, neuroses-free, beastly movies made to satisfy pre-pubescent boys, with hot dangerous women, loads of guns, exploding heads, blood-spatter etc, etc.
The plot is stupid, despite some vaguely interesting twists, but overall, the premises are dumb.
Typically, I should have hated it. But, but... I can't help myself but admit that, hey, it was fun!! there is a lot of black comedy in it, with some lines quite reminiscent of Fight Club on certain aspects, and Wesley cynically-depressed voice-over made me smile a few times.
The pacing is quite good, you are never bored (well, it's almost too much), and, you can easily dive into the story.
What makes the difference with Wanted though, is the choice of James McAvoy as the lead, who, decidedly, is an incredibly versatile actor (try to compare this performance to Atonement's or Shameless' and you'll get what I mean). He is flawless as the post-modern-depressed Wesley, a looser soon to turn assassin, and the transformation the protagonist undergoes is just wonderful to watch. He is the biggest asset of the movie, bringing a bit of depth in it.
Jolie and Freeman are OK, their part weren't that demanding though.
Finally, the movie is visually interesting, one can not fault the direction here, for it's audacious and allows most of the movie to have no plot whatsoever.
To summarize: leave your brain at the door to watch it, there is room to enjoy it despite its huge flaws.
X: First Class (2011)
Just a blockbuster summer action movie, but what a blast!
For all people complaining about X-Men: First Class, one must not forget that, first and foremost, it's supposed to be a summer movie, not an art-house one. As Mr McAvoy says it himself, it's not supposed to change the world, it's supposed to be fun and entertaining. And for this, X-Men First Class completely achieves its goal.
I'll start with the quibbles: a few crappy lines, characters underused (Havok, Banshee, Darwin...), and some really bad CGI at times (Beast is particularly botched), and some hardcore fans will complain about (very minor) inconsistencies, etc ;but in comparison to the overall greatness of the movie, I can easily close my eyes.
The directing is nice, could have been a little more audacious, but fine nonetheless. The script is good, and the setting of the action in the sixties, intertwining mutants and history during the Cold War was a fantastic idea. It gave the opportunity to the set and costume designers to have fun to recreate a James Bond-alike atmosphere, and visuals that are just delicious.
The movie cleverly mimics X-Men opening scene, with the young Magneto i AUschwitz, and provides a great back story as well as some witty answers to some of the questions that arose from the first movies (it is important to note that this movies doesn't take the 3rd and 4th ones, which is great since they were both horrendous movies).
Now, discussing First Class without mentioning the cast is impossible, since this is really where the movie surpasses all the previous four.
Kevin Bacon as a villain is, unsurprisingly, an epic win. As usual, he is a master when it comes to portraying evil sly characters, and he was also great speaking German and Russian in this one (not pitch perfect, OF COURSE, but still, it was great to have him ACTUALLY say the lines and not being dubbed).
Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult did a very good job in portraying teenage angst, insecurity and self-loath, they made their subplot really engaging.
But it is obviously the two leads, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender that shine during the whole movie, they are just stellar, even if, considering the focus put on the characters, Fassbender is the one the steals most of the show. He is impeccable as Magneto, conveying his anger, sorrow, darkness and desire for revenge with sheer perfection. However, MvAvoy's part was a much subtler one, less showier, but all in nuances, and it's simply a delight to watch his dashing, rubbish-flirt, yet empathic version of the young Xavier. Therefore, when the two share the screen, it's just dynamite: their chemistry and talent irradiate and lift up the whole movie.
All in all: this is not a "great movie" on a philosophical point of view, but it's a real great moment of entertainment supported by an outstanding cast.
The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Top notch performances for an overall good movie
I have read other reviews before posting mine, out of curiosity and find really interesting the various takes people have on this movie.
Obviously, depending on what you were expecting from the movie, your take on it is very different, some wanted to watch the real story about Amin Dada, some others wanted to see Uganda as it was, etc.
I, for myself, didn't expect anything. My knowledge about Idi Amin and Uganda were almost non-existent, so I guess this is one of the reason I I liked it so much.
First and foremost, the performance of Forrest Whitaker is just mind-blowing and I really don't think I robbed the Oscar he received for it. Not only his ability to mimic Amin quirks and body language, but the easiness with which he can switch from charming/funny to downright scary and insane are just incredibly impressive.
That being said, James McAvoy delivers an incredible performance with a very difficult part, IMO. Nicholas Garrigan is no hero, he is just a somewhat cocky and arrogant Scotsman who came to Uganda not for humanitarian reasons, but to escape his Scottish life and dad. Many critics have been made about this character, but it is for me one of the strength of the story. We are not following a hero here, but a protagonist, a normal human guy, with his flaws, his mistakes, and the consequences he faces for his wrong choices and his refusal to face the truth. McAcvoy excels here and conveys superbly the gradual realization of Garrigan of the horrors Amin is responsible of and the trap he has been set up in. It was a really difficult role to play, and it's a pity his work is not more praised, obviously overshadowed by the showier role of Amin.
Gillian Anderson and Kerry Washington give also good performances, despite a questionable use of their characters.
Now, as for Garrigan, I found him really representative of the Western civilization and its relationship with Africa, in the sense that Western people are more than ready to come and take whatever they can from Africa, but will easily turn their eyes when faced with the abrupt reality of the living conditions and the horror these people experience there. The movie depicts it really well through Garrigan's eyes, and I appreciated it profoundly.
There are two specifically violent scenes, very graphic, but the horror the film displays is more subtle and diffuse little by little until the end scenes with a great climax.
The only flaw for me are the useless subplots involving Garrigan's love life, that give too much a "Hollywood" tone to an otherwise great movie.
Berlin, Berlin (2002)
I just love it!!!
This show may be German, but it is excellent!!!! It's crazy, funny, and sometimes oh so true!!! Lolle and her friends just make you laugh, and you spend a real good time watching it!! Just wish I could find a DVD!!! Anyway, this really changes from silly shows, because Lolle is not the typical girl you usually see. She can't make up her mind between two guys (and, well, I can easily understand, 'coz they are both wonderful), and what is excellent, is that every character is not perfect!! They all make (big) mistakes, or wrong choices that put them in, well, strange and totally crazy situation!!! That such a big deal!!!