Movie reviews

LA FRENCH (THE CONNECTION)

Watchable. Very well enacted 70s. More suspense would have made it more involving but it was still fun to follow the game between the drug mafia and the prosecutor.

MAGICAL GIRL

Watchable. A mysterious story but too long - each scene should be twice shorter. And the action only really takes off after nearly an hour. At the same time I'd welcome a sequel.

SPY

Recommended. A brilliant action comedy, very well acted. A series of surprises. I'd welcome a whole series of the fat lady spy's adventures.

POLTERGEIST

Watchable. Reasonably scary. Cleverly plays with the original "It's not like it's build on an old Indian cemetary"). Avoids the protracted muddy bath full of corpses final of the original but has a black mud flowing from under the floor fragment. Fully updated in the script and the CGIs. Quite fun, especially the ending.

THE LONGEST RIDE

Watchable. A far-fetched fairy tale but very involving (both parallel stories), with great and good-looking actors and lots of American lifestyle. The clash of two very American ways of living together with another very American story from the past were particularly alluring.

TIMBUKTU

Recommended. Islamic State encroaches a moderate muslim territory and cruelly enacts its own laws. Chilling at times. Intriguing African background and landscapes.


NIGHT FILM MARATHON - THE NIGHT OF HORROR

Skipping the already seen "Poltergeist" and "What We Do In The Shadows" I decided to see only two of the marathon films:

OCULUS

Watchable. The past and the present mix and you never know what was/is real and what was/is imagined. The trap system didn't make much sense to me but the film keeps you glued to the screen. It's not a run-of-the-mill horror.

IT FOLLOWS

Watchable. Another truly involving film that night. Keeps you at the edge of your seat. Even if the idea of a deadly phantom curse transmitted sexually is silly just like the "it" crawling into a building (seen it a hundred times before). Enigmatic ending.


STREFA NAGOSCI (NUDE AREA)

Walked out. They only stand and one looks at the other on the street, they stand and one looks at the other in a shower, they stand and one looks at the other at home.

MANGLEHORN

Walked out. An elderly man murmurs something dwelling in the past. The protagonist's life is going nowhere and so is the movie so if your life is going somewhere, this film is not on your way.

DZIEWCZYNA SZUKA MILOSCI (1937/1938)

Watchable. The story is shallow but delightfully acted in that old pre-war style.

It shocked me that the audience laughed at the old-fashioned manners. I found that charming.

TOMORROWLAND

Recommended. Rightly filmed at the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias in Valencia, Spain as well as in British Columbia, Florida, LA and Paris the creation of the future is breathtaking. Story-wise it's close to "Neverending story" (a world nearing an end because of people giving up their dreams) but in a SF way. Never mind the first 25 minutes of a shoddy plot, the whole film still blew me away.

INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 3

Recommended. 1,5 hours that scared the shit out of me.

HEMLOCK SOCIETY

Watchable. A "dark comedy" which isn't funny, is quite slow but is quite a clever film about why we shouldn't give into depression and suicidal thoughts.

PRINS (PRINCE)

Recommended. Middle class teenagers, judging by their places to live, in a rough neighbourhood. First it's just great acting and fantastic music, including "Ibiza" by Amnesia and lots of other techno (director Sam de Jong used to make video clips), then, just when it appears Ayoub will do something which will land him in jail, he does something which makes him a hero. The film made me very emotional.

JURASSIC WORLD 3D

Recommended. I had never taken to "Jurassic Park" but this one is so much more pleasing to watch. Filmed on two Hawaiian islands, with Chris Pratt looking his life's best, with music by John Williams it's a delight. The plot is great: you get references to the previous park, corporate culture conflicting with army culture and with animal behaviour, interesting twists of action and most of all a fantastic vision of a dinosaur amusement park together with accompanying technological advancements. The 3D is OK but not outstanding so you can save your money and see it in 2D just as well.

The trailer of "Terminator: Genisys" is flattish as well so while it promises great plot with top notch CGIs, 2D should suffice.


THE NIGHT OF CINEMA

As I had seen 8 out of the 10 films, I only saw the following:

RUN ALL NIGHT

Watchable. Surprisingly well acted. Liam Neeson is quite good for action. The chase is involving obviously. But still it's standard action fare.

TU VEUX OU TU VEUX PAS (THE MISSIONARIES or SEX, LOVE & THERAPY)

Watchable. Charming but hardly funny. A typical French movie full of sex and seduction obsession.


SPY

Watchable. No more surprises this time round but still thoroughly entertaining.

LOST RIVER

Recommended. Strongly and overtly inspired by David Lynch. A dark fairy-tale with its own world and climate. The "shells" are memorable. An intriguing idea that a rundown town needs naff bloody entertainment.

UNE NOUVELLE AMIE

Watchable. I hoped for something enigmatic and it isn't. The marketing description was more intriguing than the very film. It's a typical French film - full of obsession with sex and relationships. It still deserves credit, though, for the gentleness with which transvestism is shown.

REALITE (REALITY!)
 
Watchable. The first hour is protracted and full of silliness and ridiculousness. I was seriously considering walking out but I was curious of the announced fantasy in the film. And the second part is intriguing indeed. Cronenberg-style so not fully to my taste but full of mystery.

CHASSEURS DE DRAGONS (DRAGON HUNTERS)

Watchable. The interaction scenes were cute, the fight ones were less appealing.

PASSION

Recommended. A 2012 movie by Brian de Palma structured in the way reminiscent of old classics. A multi-layer unpredictable ending.

MAGIC MIKE XXL

Watchable. They do know how to sing or dance, with Channing Tatum doing a routine somewhat akin to "Step Up", but the chit-chat in between the scarce dance scenes is rubbish.

SIGHTSEERS

Watchable. A dark comedy which isn't funny. A sharp satire on the British which kept me interested. At the same time it shows how miserable a caravan holiday is.