lundi 30 novembre 2015

Air — A novel and tense, if quiet, apocalyptic sci-fi — 7*/10

  • Scenario: The story line is a bit predictable and there are a number of logical flaws in the scenario which make some actions non sensical. However, excellent settings, good tension, interesting intrigue, solid acting and great ideas build a very entertaining movie.
  • Known actors: Norman Reedus, Djimon Hounsou and Sandrine Holt.
  • Visual & sound: Great.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt2091478/
  • Who is it for? For those looking for a nice low key film with tension in an apocalyptic setting.

Better than its been rated by others.

The Little Prince — A joy and a delight of animation — 8*/10

  • Scenario: Touching, imaginative in its rendition and relationship to the that classic story. It will easily capture your attention and transport you straight to another world. A few tears, a laugh or two, and you won't want to come back. It's all subtleties and implicite philosophy. It's a big metaphor that you can explore as you watch the story unfold. At first, the presentation is a bit too easy and full of clichés, but as we progress, it shows us some welcomed depths. A very intellectual piece.
  • Known actors: Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, Jeff Bridges, James Franco, Marion Cotillard, Vincent Cassel, Benicio Del Toro, Paul Giamatti, Albert Brooks and Ricky Gervais.
  • Visual & sound: Beautiful animation, with incredible depth in its simplicity.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1754656/
  • Who is it for? For anyone, except those looking for violent action.


Infinitely Polar Bear — No story but one large character — 7*/10

  • Scenario: It's all about the character. The story itself doesn't seem to matter and the rest of the family, including the girls feel almost insubstantial. That, being said, the acting is great, the laughs are plentiful and there's lots of interesting details as well as a few thoughtful moments. Despite everything, I must say, I like the ending.
  • Known actors: Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana.
  • Visual & sound: Good.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1969062/
  • Who is it for? For Ruffalo fans or those who don't mind just watching something well made but not necessarily riveting.


The D Train — A comedy with a LOT of surprises — 7*/10

  • Scenario: Funny, very surprising with great ideas and solid, if simple, characters. You wouldn't believe where it's going at first and there's very little chance you'll guess what's going to happen next. Many embarrassed face-palms in perspective, you'll be ever surprised by what the main character will do. Add to that some surprisingly solid emotional checks with a bit of drama and you've got a large enough range of situations to give everyone a little something.
  • Known actors: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn and Jeffrey Tambor.
  • Visual & sound: Good.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt3534602/
  • Who is it for? Everyone should give this a try. For those who like their comedy to be innovative as well as funny and for Black or Marsden fans.

Underrated flick.

Man Up — Romance done in a hilarious manner — 6*/10

  • Scenario: Starts in a very standard manner as far as romantic comedy are concerned, but quickly bits of innovation push the story down unusual paths. At the same time, it also uses tried and true tactics to keep the views connected. Funny, witty and good acting result in solid entertainment value.
  • Known actors: Lake Bell, Simon Pegg, Olivia Williams and Ophelia Lovibond.
  • Visual & sound: Nice.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt3064298/
  • Who is it for? Those looking for a very funny romantic comedy. A must for Pegg fans.


Ego Trip — Une comédie mieux que sa bande-annonce — 5*/10

La bande-annonce ne fait pas justice à ce film. Toutefois, la première partie est vraiment aussi mauvaise qu'on peut se l'imaginer. Cela dit, tout va en s'améliorant au fur et à mesure que l'histoire évolue. La production ne devient toutefois pas un chef d'oeuvre et ce n'est pas la performance la plus intéressante de Patrick Huard, mais on vient qu'à être diverti.

Information et synopsishttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt4772750/

samedi 28 novembre 2015

Spectre — Unbalanced spy action flick movie — 6*/10

  • Scenario: Action without real tension for most of the movie. The last third gets better but the end is at the image of the rest of the flick: awkward, jumping from one thing to another without settling and not that interesting. Dialogs are easy and simple. The characters are shallow. The entertainment value is diffcult to evaluate.
  • Known actors: Daniel Craig, Léa Seydoux, Monica Bellucci, Naomie Harris, Christoph Waltz and Ralph Fiennes.
  • Visual & sound: A few scenes have great camera care and are visually solid, but they are the exception. The rest is fluff. The theme song is really lousy.
  • Synopsis & information:
  • Who is it for? For the Bond fans only or those in need of such a fix.

Definitively the worst Bond movie Craig ever appeared in.

mercredi 18 novembre 2015

Burnt — Nice but predictable — 6*/10

  • Scenario: Although very well acted the story was told too fast and didn't let us absorb the events as they were happening leaving us with a sentiment of emptiness building scenes without emotional depth, and even worst, it was predictable.
  • Known actors: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Daniel Brühl, Omar Sy, Emma Thompson and Uma Thurman.
  • Visual & sound: Very slick.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt2503944/
  • Who is it for? For Cooper fans who need their fix and don't mind seeing him in something so base.


dimanche 15 novembre 2015

Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse — Funny but could have been better — 6*/10

  • Scenario: Very juvenile humour, silly situations with a number of logical flaws.
  • Known actors: David Koechner and Cloris Leachman.
  • Visual & sound: Acceptable.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727776/
  • Who is it for? Those looking to turn their brains off for some fun or zombie fans.


jeudi 29 octobre 2015

Goosebumps — Maybe tweens will like it — 3*/10

Such great special effects for such a crappy movie.

Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1051904/


Rock the Kasbah — Laughters where you least expect it — 7*/10

  • Scenario: The story is simple and there is no depth to it considering the subject, but this movie is more about the characters especially the quirks of the music manager. The comedy and the resulting fun is done in a straight forward manner using good quality cinematography. Nothing really over the top, nothing silly or goofy, just a good script.
  • Known actors: Bill Murray, Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson, Bruce Willis, Scott Caan and Danny McBride.
  • Visual & sound: Nice.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt3164256/
  • Who is it for? Those looking for a nice simple comedy.


mardi 27 octobre 2015

The Last Witch Hunter — A fantasy flick barely worth its salt — 5*/10

  • Scenario: The story has some very good idea, but it's badly told. You just can't get into the mood as some things are stepped over or stomped into the ground without giving you too much perspective. The dialogs aren't bad as much as they are too easy making it all feel like a teen comic book. The acting is passable, the action is very interesting, but the entertainment value feels empty.
  • Known actors: Vin Diesel, Rose Leslie, Elijah Wood (what a bad role for him) and Michael Caine (who should have passed on something so small and so bad).
  • Visual & sound: Great special effects.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1618442/
  • Who is it for? Only those in need of a fantasy/action fix or Diesel fans.


dimanche 25 octobre 2015

Guibord s'en va-t-en guerre — Comédie à saveur politique facile d'approche — 7*/10

Ce film assez léger vous fera rire à bien des occasions. Sa grande qualité est son caractère très local. On y parle des enjeux des régions québécoises de notre politique et l’on touche à bien des particularités québécoises. Facile à aimer. Divertissement assuré.


Information et synopsishttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt4116116/

jeudi 22 octobre 2015

Steve Jobs — A solid performance well worth the time — 8*/10

  • Scenario: It takes about 15 minutes to get used to the narrative style of the movie, but it rivets you after that. The theatricals and the storyline are very simple, but they give a great inside look at what the man might have gone through all those years. Of course, being a biographical movie, you need to take it with a major grain of salt, but the result is highly entertaining in a very static manner, because the number of sets and actors are very limited.
  • Known actors: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels, Sarah Snook and John Ortiz.
  • Visual & sound: Killer sound scape, solid and seamless camera work with great visual choices, especially in editing.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt2080374/
  • Who is it for? Those interested by Steve Jobs or those looking for a great dramatical presentation.


mardi 20 octobre 2015

Sleeping with Other People — Honest witty sweet romantic comedy — 8*/10

  • Scenario: The honesty in this movie, which is more than real life will ever contain, as well as the beautiful wittiness of the dialogs makes this flick shine. It's a romantic comedy that's a bit skewed. The characters seem to avoid romance and fall into the same traps we do, which makes them believable, that and the great acting.

    It's full of sweetness, of the real kind, the kind that makes you think that you've seen it somewhere in your life, the kind that's a bit awkward, a bit selfish, a bit mundanely heroic, a bit unwanted, the kind that comes with a single sad tear and sigh, the kind you want to wallow in.

    It also has meanness, of the real kind, the kind that's a bit selfish, a bit underhanded, a bit pathetic, a bit ruthless, the kind that you know you've seen somewhere in your life and too many times at that, the kind you wouldn't wish on anybody because you know it's real, the kind that you might have inadvertently orchestrated, the kind that you wish you hadn't because you feel dirty for it, the kind you might have shed a river of tears for night after night.

    You know you need to see this, even if it's just to face reality. The end is a bit rosy, but it's possible, if only we had enough courage and no self doubt. It's written and directed by Leslye Headland and, by the sway of this film, you can unequivocally feel her feminine hand behind the scene, which is for the best and unfortunately too rare. It's also produced by Will Ferrell, amongst others.
  • Known actors: Alison Brie, Jason Sudeikis, Amanda Peet, Adam Scott, Margarita Levieva, Jason Mantzoukas, Natasha Lyonne and Andrea Savage.
  • Visual & sound: Nice.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt3165612/
  • Who is it for? Anyone looking for a good romantic comedy or for something sweet and different.


Bridge of Spies — Captivating piece of cold war history — 8*/10

  • Scenario: Great portrayal and realism with of flair combined to awesome acting and great period settings will make you believe you're there. Very entertaining. Another solid hit by Steven Spielberg. The only negative thing is that the story is pretty simple due to historical nature even though it's full of thoughtful details that a guy like Spielberg will intuitively include in one of his movie. That being said, it is no less interesting to see those tractations and how they might have gone down.
  • Known actors: Tom Hanks, Alan Alda and Amy Ryan.
  • Visual & sound: Great decors, costumes and camera shots as well as seamless soundtrack.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt3682448/
  • Who is it for? Anyone, unless you need a very happy or rosy film. A must for any Spielberg or Hanks fan.


lundi 19 octobre 2015

Crimson Peak — A thrill in fantastic settings — 8*/10

  • Scenario: The story is extremely simple, but the rest is impeccable. More over, you can really feel a lot of emotional depth to the characters even if they aren't very complexe. It's a solid thriller with a great ambiance.
  • Known actors: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston.
  • Visual & sound: Superb on both counts. It will drag you in against your will.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt2554274/
  • Who is it for? Those looking for a thrill but not a full on horror or those for a taste for the fantastic.


vendredi 16 octobre 2015

50 First Dates — A very sweet, simple and touching romantic comedy — 7*/10

  • Scenario: This is not the movie of the year, much less the century, but it's special, it's sweet, sentimental, touching and totally worth the watch. It's only real negative point is the fake crying, which is horrible. Beyond that it's great funny entertainment with a nice novel setting.
  • Known actors: Drew Barrymore, Adam Sandler (who has a few fits of over acting, but generally does a very good job), Rob Schneider (who is not too annoying), Sean Astin (who chose a really weird character foible), Dan Aykroyd, Blake Clark and Maya Rudolph.
  • Visual & sound: Nice.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343660/
  • Who is it for? Anyone looking for a nice romance or a sweet comedy.


Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle — A sequel not worth seeing — 6*/10

The first instalment (read review here) was highly improbable bordering on the impossible, this chapter is impossible overlapping the completely ridiculous. More over, the CGI are pretty bad.

I only recommend it to those who liked the first one and are not afraid of seeing its image tarnished as well as those die hard fans who just can't get enough of Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz. They're sexier than ever in this flick.

jeudi 15 octobre 2015

The Walk — The artistic crime of the century in gorgeous IMAX 3D — 7*/10

  • Scenario: First, I'd like to say that like most biography or film based on actual events, the details wrong, but the overall milestones are respected (for more information watch the excellent documentary Man on Wire). It also mean that the story is rather simple. More over, the movie doesn't allow us to get to know the characters very well, even the main one. That being said, I think it's a beautiful homage to the twin towers who are shown in all their magnificence and to a lesser extent, the performance. The ambiance created will give you chills, because even I, as a climber used to heights, got them. You'll grip your seat and maybe you'll get vertigo. Just be ready, look into the distance, feel the depth and be amazed.
  • Known actors: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (surprisingly solid French with almost the proper accent and very few mistakes), Charlotte Le Bon, Ben Kingsley (terrible French to the exception of saying "Philippe") and Ben Schwartz.
  • Visual & sound: The 3D effects are perfect right from the start, and the simple music just what the narrative needed.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt3488710/
  • Who is it for? Anyone, a must see, except those looking for violence or action.

The IMAX 3D is superb and well worth the money.

Hyena Road — High impact visit on a modern Canadian war zone — 9*/10

  • Scenario: Realistic, stark, gripping, that's what you're in for. You get a bit of behind the scene politics, intelligence work, some squad interaction as well as ground firefights that will shake you, and then you will shed a few tears, as you are touched by the drama. We might not understand the war, but we can feel it in this solid production.
  • Known actors: Not really.
  • Visual & sound: Stark, realistic visuals. Great use of voice over.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt4034452/
  • Who is it for? Those, like I, who want to try to understand war through outside documentaries.


mercredi 14 octobre 2015

The Invention of Lying — A nice little romantic comedy in a parallel world — 7*/10

  • Scenario: It's funny and surprising as well as a nice dive into a novel concept. It's good entertainment on a light subject that gets you thinking about all those little moral things we do every day.
  • Known actors: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Rob Lowe, Tina Fey and John Hodgman.
  • Visual & sound: Nice.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1058017/
  • Who is it for? Those looking for a nice little romantic comedy that's a bit different.


mardi 13 octobre 2015

Pan — A new angle on the classic tale — 6*/10

  • Scenario: The Peter Pan story has been revisited a number of time over the years and the results haven't always been good. This particular spin has rather mitigated ones. While the visuals and the ideas are great, the story is pretty poor and linear. The pacing is broken, like a hiccup rather than a flowing river. And finally, the characters are as weak as watery soup. That being said, it's kind of entertaining, but not worth a lot of money.
  • Known actors: Hugh Jackman (great performance) and Garrett Hedlund.
  • Visual & sound: Astonishing settings and costumes with modern songs that are as inadequate as a bed of thorns.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt3332064/
  • Who is it for? Those who really need to revisit the Peter Pan story in a different angle, those in need of a faerie tale and fantasy or Jackman fans. I'm not sure it's for kids, maybe for tweens.


lundi 5 octobre 2015

The Martian — An amazing sci-fi that's a must see for everyone — 10*/10

  • Scenario: Tight and very interesting with great background science. You'll be riveted to your seat. Another masterpiece by Ridley Scott. I won't say more about this sci-fi, just go see it. You won't regret it.
  • Known actors: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Kristen Wiig, Mackenzie Davis, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Sean Bean and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
  • Visual & sound: Amazing, just amazing.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt3659388/
  • Who is it for? A must see for everyone.


vendredi 2 octobre 2015

Frank — Weird depressing comedy that stretch creativity and famedom — 7*/10

  • Scenario: Depressingly funny just this side of pathetic and missing genius by a hair. Nobody can really relate, but it's definitely novel and worth a try.
  • Known actors: Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Carla Azar and Scoot McNairy.
  • Visual & sound: Nice.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1605717/
  • Who is it for? Everyone should give it a try, but it's definitively not for everyone. You have to like weird humor and crazy situations.


jeudi 1 octobre 2015

Sicario — The gritty details of a battle within that doomed war on drugs —10*/10

  • Scenario: Realistic, raw, gritty and graphic. There's no place in this story for fantasies. You'll follow an operation to its chilling conclusion. Tight realistic action, some nice suspense, well developed intrigue, great dialogs, amazing acting within solid settings. The intro will feel being plunged in a cold bath with is graphic depictions. Another masterpiece by Denis Villeneuve.
  • Known actors: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro, Victor Garber and Jon Bernthal.
  • Visual & sound: Incredible soundtrack that will captivate your mind accompanied by great visuals.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt3397884/
  • Who is it for? For anyone, except those those sensible souls.

Too bad that it's about the war on drugs, which is probably the worst idea modern humans ever had.

mercredi 30 septembre 2015

Grandma — A cranky cynical character to make us laugh — 7*/10

  • Scenario: The story itself is rather simple, what really makes it interesting is the extremely well played cranky cynical main character which you can't help but like. I also have to give much props to Sam Elliot for his singular performance in his small role. You'll laugh, you'll be touched, and even though much of it will feel like a drama, it's rather easy to process, and even satisfying at times as well as witty.
  • Known actors: Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Marcia Gay Harden, John Cho and Sam Elliott.
  • Visual & sound: Nice.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt4270516/
  • Who is it for? Those who like cranky or quirky characters and are looking for something funny in a realistic manner.


mardi 29 septembre 2015

The Intern — Funny light comedy that's easy to watch — 7*/10

  • Scenario: Interesting and novel perspective, but I think his pre-internship life was a bit too perfect, which is often the case with Hollywood stories, and that there's a few lines of dialogs in her romantic life that are too cliché, especially toward the end. That being said, it's a lot of fun. Good acting and many laughs.
  • Known actors: Anne Hathaway, Robert De Niro and Rene Russo.
  • Visual & sound: Very slick, maybe even too much. The decors are unaffordable for any average New York citizen.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt2361509/
  • Who is it for? Anyone looking for something light and funny that's a bit different than the usual but comfortably close to Hollywood's cookie cutter standards.


mardi 22 septembre 2015

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials — A sci-fi sequel that can satisfy — 7*/10

  • Scenario: This sequel is, as far as I'm concerned, better than its predecessor (read my review of the first chapter here). That's rare in the film industry. I say this because the acting is better and the story more interesting. More over, the action is good and the entertainment value is nice. It is still full of stereotypes and predictable elements with a number of logical flaws that require to be overlooked, but it's getting somewhere. That being said, I anticipate a lousier third chapter.
  • Known actors: Patricia Clarkson, Lili Taylor and Barry Pepper.
  • Visual & sound: Solid.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt4046784/
  • Who is it for? Anyone looking for a sci-fi, zombie or apocalypse flick.


lundi 21 septembre 2015

The Frighteners — A funny paranormal intrigue that shouldn't be missed — 9*/10

  • Scenario: A very interesting and detailed story with great ideas. Love the dialogs and the characters, great acting, flowing fast paced light action as well as nice twists and a delicious intrigue with the perfect ending. Lots of jokes mixed a bit of tight suspense that might give you a good fright the first time around. You'll want to see it again, just because it's such a solid movie.
  • Known actors: Michael J. Fox, Jake Busey, Chi McBride, Troy Evans and R. Lee Ermey
  • Visual & sound: At the time, they were perfect, now, the visual is getting a little old, but still nice.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116365/
  • Who is it for? Anybody who doesn't mind a little fright. A must for fans of Fox, Jackson, Walsh or Elfman.

Excellent work by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Danny Elfman. This is the flick that put Jackson and Walsh on the map, thanks to Robert Zemeckis.