Well, hello there, kind folks. If you’re visiting this blog of mine, I presume that you have a certain interest in the cinema. As for me, even since my early childhood, I have had a deep love of everything related to movies and television. As far as I can remember, I have been more at ease in front of a screen than in the yard, outside, playing. It is a great way to travel, though other people’s stories, without having to foot any kind of steep bill. Over the years, I feel that movie-watching has even fuelled my own creativity.

All that being said, I welcome you in my Cinephile’s Nest. I hope you enjoy it here, feel free to come back at any time. Here you will find reviews of current movies and older ones. TV shows also. Some classics that have remained some of my favourites, some that have disappointed me. I will use a very basic star (*) system to grade them from 1 to 5 (5 being sliced bread level). Remember, these are just my tastes. I will try to explain in each review what I liked about these particular movies, without giving spoilers.

Il y aura aussi des critiques en français pour les films francophones, car j'aime également le cinéma dans ma langue maternelle. Avant d'apprendre l'anglais, plus jeune, je louais des tonnes de films traduits en français, surtout ceux de Bud Spencer et Terrence Hill. Ma mère a eu le choc de sa vie lorsqu'un jour, dans la boîte d'un de ces films, Deep Throat avait malencontreusement inséré. Une expérience formatrice pour le jeune cinéphile que je suis.

Bienvenue à tous, amusez-vous bien.

I welcome you all here, enjoy yourself.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Groundhog Day (1993)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Harold Ramis
Starring: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott
Running time: 101 minutes



In this fantasy comedy classic, Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, an arrogant and misanthropic TV weatherman from Pittsburgh who is sent for a fourth year in row to cover the annual Groundhog Festival, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. This time, he is accompanied by his cameraman Larry and the station’s new producer, Rita Hanson (Andie MacDowell). Phil’s day at the festival is the day from hell, and he just does not want to be there. Unfortunately for him, there is some kind of spell on him and he starts reliving that same exact day in his life over and over again.

Long before he started dabbling into serious roles, with great success I might add, Bill Murray was already great at being funny on screen. Groundhog Day is one of the finer early examples of his big screen capabilities as far as comedy goes.

This 1993 film offers a good amount of comedy and of stuff to reflect upon. Some of the comic relief is tad slapstick or exaggerated, but everything is in the right dosage here. There is a good lesson to take out of this movie, which is the importance of having the right priorities in your life.

The chemistry between Murray and MacDowell is great here, with the both of them pulling their weight and more in the deal. Chris Elliott’s character is more secondary, but he does the job when needed on screen, mostly for comic relief.

Phil Connors is the type of movie character I really like: Deeply flawed, but with great qualities, hidden deep down. I have seen this title many times before and I probably will again down the line. This is a movie that needs to be seen at least once.

Rating: «««««

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