lundi 31 août 2015

The End of the Tour — A simple back and forth that will make you think — 9*/10

  • Scenario: It's about the ego of two writers clashing in a mellow touchy semi-drama way. You're uncomfortable most of the time, the closeup is almost claustrophobic, you have the impression you're chewing the meat with them, alternatively for one and the other. It's ultra realistic and surreal at the same time, because we glamourize the subject even though we know we do. One thing is sure though, however you slice or dice it, it will make you think.
  • Known actors: Jason Segel, Jesse Eisenberg, Joan Cusack, Anna Chlumsky and Ron Livingston.
  • Visual & sound: Suitably average which makes for a great setup.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt3416744/
  • Who is it for? For those who think and like to look at life through the filter of bare truth.


dimanche 30 août 2015

I Declare War — Unexpected and captivating flick about kids — 8*/10

  • Scenario: Novel ideas and point of views giving a nice glimpse into the imaginary world of kids which will always mirror our own wether we want it to or not. It's not perfect and it certainly isn't all pretty, but it's good. Great acting, especially for ones so young, solid characters, captivating story and perfect ending.
  • Known actors: None.
  • Visual & sound: Well done.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt2133239/
  • Who is it for? Those who like things different.


samedi 29 août 2015

Straight A's — A sentimental piece that will slowly captivate you — 8*/10

  • Scenario: It starts weird, a bit brutal, uncouth, seemingly unimaginative and generally unpleasant. However, if you give it time, it's a family story that slowly grows on you and you end up touched to your core. The characters are rock solid. Most interactions are realistic, even if the settings aren't, because you know that if you'd be in a similar situation with similar dysfunctions you'd probably react the same.
  • Known actors: Ryan Phillippe, Anna Paquin, Luke Wilson, Powers Boothe, Christa Campbell and Josh Meyers.
  • Visual & sound: Solid composition, except for that final awful cowboy song that I would totally scratch, big mistake.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt2024506/
  • Who is it for? Those looking for a bit of a drama halfway between romantic and sentimental.


jeudi 27 août 2015

Hitman: Agent 47 — Solid action flick with a bit of intrigue and little else — 7*/10

  • Scenario: Loads of action, interesting story, if lightly developed, unfortunately bad dialogs, nice suspense and intrigue with flat characters. Still, good entertainment.
  • Known actors: Zachary Quinto.
  • Visual & sound: Solid, except for some CG characters which visibly show their origin.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt2679042/
  • Who is it for? Action fans, others will find very little of interest.


mercredi 26 août 2015

No Reservations — An easy and basic romantic story — 6*/10

  • Scenario: This is the type of romance that is straight out of the mold. There aren't any real flaw in it, it's easy to watch, but has little substance.
  • Known actors: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin, Patricia Clarkson, Bob Balaban and Celia Weston.
  • Visual & sound: Nice, beautiful at time.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0481141/
  • Who is it for? For those feeling romantic but not expecting too much, just enough to appreciate.


mardi 25 août 2015

American Ultra — A solid action flick that's easy to watch — 7*/10

  • Scenario: An interesting mix. It starts as a stoner movie and ends as an assassin super spy revenge flick. The scenario is a tad predictable, and most characters are one dimensional, but there's a lots of action, some good jokes, solid dialogs, a touch of drama and a good ending. High entertainment value.
  • Known actors: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Connie Britton, Topher Grace, John Leguizamo and Bill Pullman.
  • Visual & sound: Pretty good.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt3316948/
  • Who is it for? Anyone looking for some good action who doesn't mind the stoner type.


lundi 24 août 2015

Rumour Has It... — Cookie cutter romance sprinkled with a few innovations — 6*/10

  • Scenario: It has its moments, unfortunately the end is predictable and pretty bad, especially the guy's angry little speech. However, if you're looking for an easy romantic comedy with a bit of an intrigue, that will do it.
  • Known actors: Jennifer Aniston, Mark Ruffalo, Shirley MacLaine, Kevin Costner, Mena Suvari, Richard Jenkins and Christopher McDonald.
  • Visual & sound: Acceptable.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398375/
  • Who is it for? Those with looking for an easy romantic comedy with a bit of a intrigue. Don't expect too much, though.


dimanche 23 août 2015

L!fe Happens — Wildly underrated flick about great women — 8*/10

  • Scenario: Surprisingly interesting with great delivery and events that really make you think. The dialogs are amazing. The lie plot element made its ugly appearance, true, and the end is a bit rosy, but I have to say both where handled in nice ways, completely in synch with the tone of the flick. Realistic in many ways, yet funny and touching. Obviously made by women. My hats to them, including the director Kat Coiro.
  • Known actors: Krysten Ritter (who also co-wrote the screenplay), Kate Bosworth, Rachel Bilson, Justin Kirk, Kristen Johnston and Jason Biggs.
  • Visual & sound: Sweet visuals, great music.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1726589/
  • Who is it for? All women or anyone looking for a nice flick with a different vibe.


jeudi 20 août 2015

Nailed! — Not bad but a little weak — 5*/10

  • Scenario: Not a bad starting idea, but the story has weak plot elements and jokes. The entertainment value is still there because of the quality performance of the cast, but not for any other reason.
  • Known actors: Jessica Biel, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Marsden, Catherine Keener, Kurt Fuller, Tracy Morgan, Olivia Crocicchia, Paul Reubens, Kirstie Alley, Bill Hader and James Brolin.
  • Visual & sound: Decent.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1137470/
  • Who is it for? For those with a slow night wanting something light and funny with great actors.


The Man from U.N.C.L.E. — Almost perfect entertainment — 9*/10

  • Scenario: Beside the little bond fire which was inevitable after the watch and the annoying ad for the sequel, this story is greatly refreshing. Maybe it's just the cold war nostalgia kicking in. Lots of great action, funny diatribes, interesting plot and fascinating characters, even if, at times, they do show their stereotypes.
  • Known actors: Alicia Vikander, Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer and Hugh Grant.
  • Visual & sound: An incredibly well devised landscape of sounds, music and visuals that you would not expect from a spy movie, especially one derived from an old TV series.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1638355/
  • Who is it for? Those looking for action with a bit of nostalgia.


mardi 18 août 2015

Life After Beth — A zombie comedy that might surprise you — 7*/10

  • Scenario: Nice details, good concept, funny in a dark way, silly and very engaging with twists and turn presented in a novel way.
  • Known actors: Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Cheryl Hines, Paul Reiser and Anna Kendrick.
  • Visual & sound: Nice. Nothing impressive, but well done.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt2581244/
  • Who is it for? Zombie fans who likes cooky dark comedies.


Turbo Kid — A gory B series movie you might like — 6*/10

  • Scenario: Interesting concepts and setting, very gory at times with nice characters. The scenario is broken in a few places and it's a bit silly at time so it's difficult to size it up, but it's a nice entertainment, especially if you take the style into consideration. There's a surprise near the end that I really liked.
  • Known actors: Michael Ironside.
  • Visual & sound: Obviously low budget, but appreciable.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt3672742/
  • Who is it for? For those who want to see something different in the post-apocalyptic arena and don't mind low budget or gore.


dimanche 16 août 2015

Tracks — A mind boggling trek of simple beauty — 9*/10

  • Scenario: The story of an impossible journey that forces self understanding by the meticulous survey of limits. Slow, yet captivating, it also pushes the viewer to explore along. This movie surprises and is full of simple details.
  • Known actors: Mia Wasikowska and Adam Driver.
  • Visual & sound: Superb, no question about it.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt2167266/
  • Who is it for? Those who can appreciate quality at a slow pace.


vendredi 14 août 2015

Paul — A fun alien movie like you've never seen — 8*/10

  • Scenario: Funny, hilarious at time, without going crazy stupid, full of winks at many major alien films, most of which I probably didn't even catch. Very interesting story, well told, with a great setting. It feels a bit like a parody, but it's not and it has its own style. The characters are extremely engaging and even if they are, to a certain degree, stereotypical, they mesh superbly. Great entertainment value with a nice ending.
  • Known actors: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, Joe Lo Truglio, Sigourney Weaver, John Carroll Lynch, David Koechner, Jane Lynch, Jeffrey Tambor, Jesse Plemons and Steven Spielberg.
  • Visual & sound: Great effects, few and well blended in.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1092026/
  • Who is it for? Anyone looking for a good laugh and some silliness.


Freddy vs. Jason — As far as gory slasher movie goes you can't go wrong here — 6*/10

  • Scenario: Inventive and interesting scenario for a gory slasher movie. There are a number of silly things that go with the style, but the worst are thankfully absent which gives us the opportunity to appreciate the work. I had fun watching it. More than once. It is what it is though.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0329101/
  • Who is it for? Freddy and Jason fans as well as any slasher aficionados and those curious about this kind of flick, but usually don't the like the mindless idiocy that goes with it.


jeudi 13 août 2015

Irrational Man — A Woody Allen flick well worth the watch — 8*/10

  • Scenario: Very interesting story with an unusual linchpin, but with the usual characters. Well told, spirited and inventive, it has the bad habit of of giving a tad too much information in the form of multiple narrators. Not one of the best Woody Allen, but definitively a good one and worth the watch.
  • Known actors: Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone.
  • Visual & sound: Solid.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt3715320/
  • Who is it for? Anyone looking for something different with a slight interest in the existential or any Allen fan.


mercredi 12 août 2015

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace — Great despite its flaws — 8*/10

  • Scenario: Captivating story with lots of action and details. Although there are things that diehard fans of the original trilogy (read my review here) might not like, I think George Lucas really took the time to transpose his tale into modern cinematography. Gone are sexism and plastic clichés. However, this chapter also introduced the Gungans that tend to only by liked by kids, especially Jar Jar Binks. That being said, it's still great entertainment.
  • Known actors: Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Samuel L. Jackson, Sofia Coppola, Keira Knightley and Terence Stamp.
  • Visual & sound: Incredible soundtrack by the masterful John Williams. Great special effects for the time that are still good.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120915/
  • Who is it for? The fans of the series as well as anyone looking for a good sci-fi, just don't take it too seriously.


lundi 10 août 2015

Fantastic Four — A disappointment on many levels — 5*/10

This reset of the franchise might have made Grimm and Reeds better, but failed at everything else. I only recommend this if you're in a need of a super hero fix, you've seen everything else and you require something new. It's not that it has anything bad in it, it's just that it doesn't have anything engaging.

vendredi 7 août 2015

Dope — A weird story that's easy to watch and laugh with — 8*/10

  • Scenario: Very surprising. The story is like nothing you've ever seen, with many unexpected twists and novel ideas. The end is kind of predictable, but that's about the only part that is. Lots of funny scenes and smart dialogs. Though, its not a comedy, neither is it a drama, it's only mixing soft elements of both. The engaging story will keep your attention on the film until the very end. Great entertainment, but with a very offbeat treatment and a comparatively light tone for such a heavy subject.
  • Known actors: None.
  • Visual & sound: Nice.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt3850214/
  • Who is it for? Not for everyone, but really worth the watch for anyone.


jeudi 6 août 2015

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation — You gotta to see this spy action mega production — 10*/10

  • Scenario: Riveting. The action is perfect, the story is very interesting, the characters are funny and well built, the intrigue is solid as well as believable, and the tension is high. This is basically what a high stake spy movie should be. The villain and his plot are well crafted, detailed and possible. The reactions, the twists and turns as well as motives are realistic. The result is a very high entertainment value blockbuster.
  • Known actors: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames and Alec Baldwin.
  • Visual & sound: Arenalin pumping.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt2381249/
  • Who is it for? Everyone, unless you're not looking for action.


mardi 4 août 2015

Æon Flux — Could have been so much better — 5*/10

  • Scenario: Great idea and background, unfortunately, badly implemented. The action is good, the mystery does keeps you interested, but the story lacks weight, so the resulting entertainment value is medium.
  • Known actors: Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand and Pete Postlethwaite.
  • Visual & sound: Varies from great to could be better.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0402022/
  • Who is it for? Theron fans and hardcore sci-fi fans in need of a fix.


Vacation — If you forgot your brain somewhere this might be for you — 5*/10

  • Scenario: It's funny, but mainly in a juvenile and irreverent way. Simple story and characters with an average entertainment value.
  • Known actors: Ed Helms, Christina Applegate and Norman Reedus.
  • Visual & sound: Meh.
  • Synopsis & informationhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1524930/
  • Who is it for? Those wanting a movie that doesn't require a brain.