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.