Dark River: Recent films

My expectation for this sequel were not very high after the disaster of the first film. However I didn't expect a John Woo film to be that bad. Actually most of it doesn't feel like it has been directed by Woo at all and the sequences who do are just copied from his earlier Hong Kong films (the gunfight in the lab, the pigeons and doves flying around...). The brain-damaged story doesn't help much either and the action is so much over the top that it is ridiculous. Oh well, never mind it is just Mission: Forget it. (07.2000)

I had seen this Hitchcock masterpiece many times on TV and video but seeing it on a large screen was a treat. The dialogs are really funny and sometimes insightful. It is an entertaining thriller with a lot a comedy in it but it is also a study on privacy. The print wasn't very good especially at the beginning but it was much better than the small screen. (07.2000)

The talent of Nick Park survived the contraints of Hollywood in this first feature length plasticine animation. Chicken Run is a tribute to The Great Escape with a lot of humour. The characters, or rather the chickens, really come to life thanks to the voice actors and the great animation. It is trully amazing how a few facial movements can express emotions. In one word: Hilarious. (07.2000)

When film critics claim that Kikujiro is Kitano's first film without violence they are obvioulsy forgetting about the superb A Scene at the Sea. Nevertheless in this new film violence is present but happens off-screen. Kikujiro is a good to nothing loudmouth who is actually quite close to the usualily silent Kitano persona in his inhability to communicate. As he teams up with the little boy Masao who wants to visit his mother the film becomes the strangest road movie I've seen. (07.2000)

This is the story of a 13 year old substitute teacher in a Chinese village. She has no qualification and seems only interested in the little money she is promised if all the students are still there at the end of the month. When one of them goes to the city she will try to find him. The feeling of reality of the film is partly due to the fact that most "actors" play a role similar to their real life. The end may be upbeat but offers a grim perspective on the future of the Chinese rural communities. (06.2000)

This is a biography of 1930's Jazz guitarist Emmet Ray. Ray is presented, in a series of anecdotes, as an obnoxious character but the film is full of sensibility and humour. Samantha Morton gives an incredible performance in the role of the mute Hattie. This may be a minor film in Woody Allen's career but pleasant none the less. (06.2000)

With a subject like this, it would have been difficult to avoid the violence. In Gladiator the special effects are used to help the story and not to show off. The Roman empire depicted here seems to be closer to our western civilisation than to the historical reality. It makes for some interesting comparisons with the current political situation. Altogether it is a bloody good film. (05.2000)

I hadn't seen a film by Jim Jarmusch since Dead Man and his style is still very much the same. He is telling a story in a minimalist way (not quite as minimalist as Le Samouraī with which it has a lot in common), concentrating more on the moments when nothing happens. The only disapointing aspect of Ghost Dog is the music which I found intrusive and annoying but it's probably just that I don't like that kind of music. (05.2000)

This is a film about nothing: maybe it could have been a good 5 minute short film but then maybe not. I wonder how Brian De Palma could go so low. Non-existent story, poor acting: mission to boredom. (04.2000)

This sequel is not quite as good as the original. Probably because it has become too much of a Disney movie: the strange toys of the boy next door are gone and there is a couple of boring songs. The self-derision about the movie merchandising is a bit tedious. But I found the film to be entertaining especially as the end draws nearer and the pace accelerates. And the sequences during the closing credits are hilarious. (03.2000)

A French thriller without so many thrills. The idea is interesting but something is missing to make it work. And the end feels like ten minutes have been cut in the editing room. (02.2000)

American Beauty is a reflection on an America obsessed by appearances, prejudiced against everyone and everything, an America of dysfunctional families. The topic isn't new but some truly amazing acting brings everything to life (Kevin Spacey will get his share of awards for this one!). All the main characters in the film are disturbed to some extent but are shown in a humourous light. Lester's (K. Spacey) attempt to live life the way he wants to despite his unsympathetic family makes him rather likeable. A powerful drama with more than a bit of sit-com.

This time Tim Burton created a world that is more gothic than ever. Even if "Sleepy Hollow" doesn't equal the pure brilliance of "Edward Scisorhands" it is a fascinating horror tale with striking visuals. Unfortunately the structure of the story is not that great: the explanatory speech is rather disapointing. Johnny Depp seems to get his best roles in Burton's films (this is the third time). Here he plays a constable torn between his rationale and superstition.

This is just an average entertainment film but I expected better. Brosnan is not bad at all as James Bond but unfortunately the script doesn't leave any place for his personality.
There is a complete lack of sense of pace in this film. After a breathtaking boat chase nothing happens for the next half hour. The comedy bits that were thrown in here and there seemed quite out of place too. And Sophie Marceau is her usual self: she just can't act.

With a title like this there is obviously a lot of fighting involved. Some of which is too realistic (none of the cartoonish violence of the usual Hollywood flicks) to be really enjoyable. But the story is so twisted that I had I great time trying to figure out what was going on. And the answer is simply amazing.

The story of an horror movie filmed with the sensitivity of a psychological drama. This is a film you can talk about after seeing it: "when did you realize that...?".

This is just an amateur movie with a professional marketing. Scary? No! But boring, yes! The camera is shaking for 90 minutes but all you get from it is a head ache. This beat "The Mummy" as the worst film I have seen this year.

What was that about? A pointless story served with plenty of pointless special effects and a cheesy ending. And that's it, nothing else. I haven't seen the original film but it had to be better than that.

This film takes a long time to get started but it becomes really good after a while. The story is told three times following different characters.