acromegalix

Kateo (2022)

a concentration of insane action scenes

I can understand all the criticism of certain average special effects or the headache that frenetic images can cause the viewer. However, to stop at these considerations could mean missing out on some of the most incredible action scenes ever filmed in a uniquely modern style. At times, it feels more like you're watching a director's demo reel than a real, structured film, but if you like outrageous sequences in the Hardcore Henry style and can turn a blind eye to certain undeniable flaws, don't miss Carter! It's an almost endless succession of crescendoing bravura sequences, without much brains but ultra spectacular. My rating is a little inflated to compensate for the really low rankings, even if some of the film's scenes totally deserve it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009)

Enjoy !

FAQATT is a typical English comedy with the characters (and budget) of series like The IT Crowd, given a particularly clever and successful science-fiction script allowing it to honorably achieve a real feature-length format. Because there's a lot going on in this pub , and I let myself get caught up in this joyous temporal bazaar. Without being by any means a masterpiece, it's a well-oiled machine that works perfectly for me, so much so that I've seen it a dozen times with different friends since its release, and I'll certainly be seeing it again in the future. It's one of a handful of sf or fantasy films that I can watch again without getting bored, like John dies at the end or The Revenant (2009 - D. Kerry Prior, not DiCaprio :) ).

La preuve scientifique de l'existence de Dieu (2019)

Revolution retirement home

A small but very sympathetic film about a group of senior citizens who have known each other since their youth through social struggle and militancy. One of them is a filmmaker and suggests that the group make a film together. Even if the story regularly shifts from humor to drama, the tone remains light and we have a good time with these old leftists, as endearing as they are exasperating, whose certitudes and political beliefs have directed their whole lives. The actors are all excellent, and anyone who has experienced this atmosphere will recognize their loved ones in this affectionate caricature.

The Killer (2023)

the best part is the opening credits

One boring, dull, plotless Fincher movie that I will not watch again, with an annoying voice-over and a flat 2-dimensional hero. I saw it yesterday and already forgot most of the movie, just remembering that I was fighting against sleep. I watched it to the end, expecting something to happen (i like slow-burners with a brilliant ending), but it was only disappointment and boredom. Of course Fincher is a good director so it has style and looks good but it was technique over content, just a regular perishable Netflix "content" that never hit the target in my opinion. I hope his next one will be better...

Kaamelott - Premier volet (2021)

Mixed opinion

I really love the TV series but was a bit disappointed by the film adaptation. It seems that the Kaamelott universe is less relevant with big means and that the theatrical aspect of the episodes (mainly fixed shot sketches in minimalist settings) contributed a lot to the humor that made it such a success. It doesn't suck, but it's just not on the same level as the TV series. I had the same impression with the last season, which tells the story of Arthur's youth in Rome, which was less convincing, even though it had a much bigger budget. While I've watched the series dozens of times, I've only seen the film twice, and I don't think I'll be seeing it again any time soon. That doesn't detract from my confidence in Alexandre Astier to make the second part, taking into account the criticisms voiced, and finally give us the adaptation everyone's been waiting for.

Kaamelott (2004)

One show I can watch over and over since almost 20 years

This is on my opinion one of the best comedy show ever made on french TV. Each episode contains unforgettable lines that you will quote with friends for the rest of your life, told by tremendous actors that just perfectly fit to the dialogues. It's a glorious tribute to the most cherish comedy writers (Goscinny, Audiard...) with fantastic characters that quickly become your best friends, even the most unlikables. The two last seasons are very different from the.former four, becoming much darker as King Arthur is slowly drowning in nervous breakdown. I know they loosed a lot of audience expecting the same kind of slapstick comedy as before, but I love them as much as the others as it relates to the writer/director - who also plays King Arthur - burning out after 4 years of intense work. The only limit I see is that it's a very french show that maybe will not have the same appeal outside the borders, especially if you expect something serious like Game Of Thrones, Walking dead, or Last kingdom :)

Premières vacances (2018)

Loved it

I'm not a romantic comedy guy and skipped this one at first. Then a good friend advised me to watch it recently and I had a very good time. The direction and editing are fine with a nice pace, the acting is good (if you like Jonathan Cohen, don't miss it !) and the script is quite funny. We follow the trip to Bulgaria by two people that just met on a famous dating site, they don't really know each other and will discover their differences day after day. This simple canvas could be easily bland and dull but the personality of the main characters is strong enough to drag the movie to the top, and anybody who experienced this situation can easily relate to their struggle. It's not really a 9 stars movie but I thought the rating was too low, it's more a 7 in my opinion, with an extra for a surprisingly successful first direction.

Notre tout petit petit mariage (2023)

funny

A simple but effective comedy, somewhere between Project X and Serial Bad Weddings. It doesn't revolutionise cinema, but it's a pretty funny movie in its genre. The lead actors are likeable and the pace is fast enough to keep the audience hooked. The script cleverly avoids the big, easy clichés about mixed marriages, relying instead on good humour and a relaxed atmosphere. There's not much else to say, this isn't a film d'auteur with a strong artistic approach - the gags don't shy away from excess to make you smile - but the aim of spending a nice, relaxed moment at the cinema was achieved for me.

À la belle étoile (2023)

Épinal print

If you like cooking shows (as I do), you'll love this movie that follows the same trails with baking. Having said that, I can express little reserves :

• I understand that the director loves Rocky, but the "over-the-top style" which fits well with sports movies is less relevant with cooking. The constant emphasis that tries to transform any little gesture into an epic bigger than life action scene can be a little too much by moments in a kitchen.

• I liked Yazid but I thought he was quite transparent, as we know very few about his real thoughts. A one-dimensional personality that is more an Épinal print to represent the values of hard work, discipline and success than a real flesh and blood character that you can relate to.

Medellin (2023)

Not good

Where to begin ? PATTAYA was not a masterpiece in any way but was funny enough to spend a good time with friends, some beer and potato chips. We can feel that MEDELLIN tries hard to exploit the same vein for Amazon, but it's just a mindless awkward embarrassment. All sounds fake and shallow : bad script, bad dialogues and (very) bad direction. Obviously, Gastambide wanted to hide this with hyper-speed "action" scenes but most of them fall flat, as the jokes. Ramzy plays one of his worst characters, unlikable and falling off the tracks in the action scenes, Gastambide seems to play a bad impersonation of Eric Judor (the usual partner of Ramzy), and Anouar Toubali (very nice personality but not yet a real actor) seems totally undirected and only used as a gizmo. Stupid romance, poor character played by Mike Tyson, full of clichés and one of the worst ending I ever saw in a comedy. Two stars for the dog, the best part of the movie.

Youssef Salem a du succès (2022)

great comedy !

I really enjoyed this sweet movie, both funny and sad, where a writer gets a lot of success with an awkward book involving his close family. Ramzi Bedia leads the action with one of his best roles ever and shows the extent of his talent, finding the perfect tone to make the character credible and touching despite his dark sides. Most of the supporting roles are convincing and loveable. In summary It's a smart comedy with a lot of heart and a good story, much more than I was expecting when I started to watch. It will certainly not revolutionize the.french film Industry but you'll spend a good time. Just what I was looking for.

L'année du requin (2022)

avoid

It hurts me to write this review because I like the three main actors, and enjoyed TEDDY, the former opus of the brothers Boukherma, but it's easily the worst French movie I saw in 2022.

There are a lot bad French movies, but with this one I kept wondering the whole time if Marina Foïs, Jean-Pascal Zadi and Kad Merad even read the script before accepting their part. To me it's a total failure, mixing unintentionally laughable drama, no-thrills shark movie and a little pinch of flat unfunny humor. Beyond that it's a huge waste of talents, I couldn't help laughing while watching Marina Foïs trying to keep serious in this dull mess. The worse point could be that it's one more nail in the coffin of European genre films, if I was an investor I wouldn't want that this kind of accident happens twice.

Qué pelo más guay (2012)

Qué pelo más guay

A little comedy where two dumb mobsters are stuck in time paradoxes, with some crazy moments, a few funny jokes and a good script (close to FAQ ABOUT TIME TRAVEL, with a nice twist), however your appreciation will be proportional to your forbearance for slapstick and overplay - maybe I was not in the right mood but was just moderatly amused by the characters. So try it if you like mind-bending stories, but don't expect top-notch humor.

The Taint (2011)

masterpiece

If you like Troma you'll love The Taint, one of the best in their catalog. Plenty of sex, gore, fun and stupidity to enjoy as a living proof that you can entertain people even with a very low budget.

Home-Sitters (2022)

You can skip it

I tried to find something nice to say but it's hard. This is a low-budget first movie that concentrates all the flaws that you can imagine : stupid story, awkward dialogues, incredibly bad acting, amateurish fights...You find yourself fast-forwarding even in the suspense sequences, hoping that the crew had at least some fun during the shooting. 2 stars for encouragement.

PS : You'll notice that the "good reviews" (10 stars ? Really ? :D ) come from people who wrote their first critique for this obscure flick and are obvious fakes.

Le calendrier (2021)

cliches & caricature

This movie concentrates all the failings of most french horror movies. I have seen worst plots but the characters and dialogues are so caricatural that you can't really think it's a good movie. The boss, the father's nurse, the heroin's girl friend and other comedians are overacting so badly, you just feel sorry for them (and for the casting director), I hope the English dubbing will improve their performances. I can't say it's all bad, but the movie has so much flaws that it fails to reach even Netflix/Shudder low standards.

Coexister (2017)

Really funny

Just the perfect comedy for me, very smart on a difficult subject.

Galaxy Lords (2018)

A rare treat for perverts

A perfect double feature with GENTLEMEN BRONCOS for a unique rainbow-scifi-unicorn experiment. Of course the movie is bad (obviously nobody in the crew even tried to make a "good" movie) but if you like what you see in the trailer you won't be disappointed. And if an Oscar for the Best False Beards Ever existed, Galaxy Lords would totally deserve it.

Troisièmes noces (2018)

Bouli rules !

If you are interested in the storyline you won't be disappointed. Bouli Lanners is a wonderful actor who gives once again a strong and subtle performance in this simple but very effective movie. I agree with the comment above about the weak subplots but the characters are touching and the story is credible so I give a solid 8/10.

The Perfection (2018)

Not a Perfection but...

I can totally understand the bad reviews because the script is so unbelievable that you must leave your brain outside before watching the movie, but I must admit that I was entertained all along and enjoyed the twists like a rollercoaster ride. If you don't have too high expectations and like silly horror plots, The Perfection is a good choice to spend a rainy afternoon.

Bad Internet (2016)

Pure fun

A sort of humorous and fast paced Black Mirror. The episodes are short and go straight to the point without any downtime, and the stories are clever and amusing. Most of my friends never heard about this show and I'm surprised to be the first to leave a comment. Highly enjoyable !

Tales from the Loop (2020)

like a rainy sunday

I love Stålenhag, Phil Glass, and read all kinds of SF during the last 40 years. I enjoy slow paced or contemplative movies so I watched the show with a true open mind. To me, the best part is some nice shots directly inspired by Stålenhag's visuals, but everything else was incredibly boring and pretentious. The stories are just predictable depressing dramas stretched to the extreme to fill an hour, with a pervasive dull soundtrack and annoying characters. All is done to look deep and smart but it's just a varnish with nothing much above. So if you fall asleep during the first episode you can stop there, the following is exactly on the same pattern.

Gisaengchung (2019)

Just OK for me

After a first screening in a theatre, I couldn't understand the hype around PARASITE. So I watched it a second time at home and once again wasn't impressed at all. I suppose it's just not my kind of flick, and as I write this review a few months later, I realize that I don't remember much of it, even after seeing it twice. I have read all the praising comments with a 10/10 note, but couldn't find any of the qualities described, as if people commented another movie.

Watchmen (2019)

wow

I just finished the first season, if you are not the easily offended (KKK bigot) kind, you'll love this show. It's deep and emotional, and perfectly suits with the original graphic novel. A great sequel, very high above the usual super hero stuff. 9/10

Thunder Road (2018)

Well done

First, don't expect DUMB & DUMBER or THE HANGOVER. If you want that kind of entertainment then you should pick another film. Cummings' first movie is a solid drama, not 100% perfect but the flaws are nothing compared to its qualities. I was hooked by the 12 first minutes and even if sequences are a bit too slow or some acting can be seen as over the top, I will highly recommend THUNDER ROAD to adults who like independent cinema. 7/10