The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Genre: Biographical / Comedy

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie

Running time: 180 minutes

The Wolf of Wall Street is an adaptation of the memoirs of Jordan Belfort, a New York City stockbroker who became a millionaire thanks to corruption and fraud within his own company. The film covers Belfort’s rise and his ultimate downfall that saw him end up in Federal prison.

I have never been the biggest Leonardo DiCaprio fan. I have always been annoyed by the mugging he does for the camera, always putting on that extreme tough guy face that never seems to look legit.

In this film, though, there is none of that. Maybe the guidance of a great director like Martin Scorsese has helped him become a better actor, with all the movies they have done together over the years. I have really loved Leo’s work in The Wolf of Wall Street. His performance brings the needed dose of irreverence to the role of Jordan Belfort. DiCaprio serves as actor and narrator, always being on the beat in both aspects.

I must admit I was extremely surprised by Jonah Hill. I did not know he had that kind of performance in him, but he has truly shown his depth as an actor.

The story of The Wolf of Wall Street is riveting and compelling, and the actors and director did some awesome work bringing it to the screen. I really appreciated the fact that the filmmakers did not work overtime trying to make the protagonist into a poor soul victim of his entourage. This is a film that does not take itself seriously; its irreverence absolutely refreshing. Some have criticized the fact that it does not paint a picture true enough to the real one, but hey, this is not a documentary. It is an entertaining movie, well written, directed and acted out. It drags a bit in some places, but, overall, a fun time of movie-watching.

Rating: ««««

Nightcrawler (2014)

Genre: Thriller

Directed by: Dan Gilroy

Starring: Jake Gyllenhal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed

Running time: 117 minutes

Louis Bloom is a thief and hustler, stealing things to sell them. In spite of his lack of ethics, he is determined to find something better for himself. When he sees two freelance cameramen filming a car crash to then sell the footage to news channels, he gets inspired and decides to get into the business of filming various accidents and crimes for money.

Jake Gyllenhal offers a mesmerizing performance in Nightcrawler. The way he walks, talks, looks and acts, he makes Louis Bloom come to life as an absolute sociopath, very smart but void of any notion of ethics and decency. It was also nice to see Rene Russo at work, which doesn’t happen enough these days. She is also very convincing as a news director willing to toss many principles aside for the sake of ratings.

Nightcrawler is a very effective neo-noir thriller. The story drags a bit at times, but the acting is as solid as it gets. This film also offers a very realistic look at some news channels out there.

Rating: ««««

Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Starring: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone

Running time: 119 minutes

Riggan Thomson is an aging Hollywood actor who had gained stardom playing the role of superhero Birdman in a franchise of films. Decades later, way past his prime, he is haunted by the inner voice of his old character as he tries to revive his career by mounting a play on Broadway.

As one would imagine by reading the title or the premise of this movie, this is a weird one. In fact, it is so weird that it could easily have been off-putting if it were not for the wonderful acting by everybody involved.

Michael Keaton, who we have not seen enough in the last few years, is absolutely brilliant here as the fading star trying to capture success again all the while battling his inner demons. Edward Norton is also very solid in the role of a method actor known for his volatility on and off the stage. Norton is so good you often want to punch his character in the nose. As for Emma Stone, what can I say? I have always been very fond of her for some reason.

The ending of this film left me quite perplexed, like it probably did for so many others. I will definitely be seeing this one again, mostly for the quality acting work done by the whole cast.

Rating: ««««

Keith Richards: Under the Influence (2015)

Genre: Documentary / Musical

Directed by: Morgan Neville

Starring: Keith Richards, Steve Jordan, Tom Waits

Running time: 80 minutes

There is Keith Richards the mythical character, the stuff of legends and of many rock n’ roll stories. There is Keith Richards the man. While there are many similarities between the two, there are also quite a few differences. Yes, his head if constantly surrounded by a cloud of cigarette smoke and he often has a glass of liquor in his hand. But, you will not find him shooting up smack anymore, or, as he puts it, smoking a joint and drinking a bottle while cursing the fact that the liquor store is closed.

In Under the Influence, we see Keef at work, in the studio, recording his first solo album in over a decade. He discusses his life, his family and his love for music. He shares the songs and artists that influenced him since he was a kid and we get to listen to bits and pieces of many of these awesome tracks.

This Morgan Neville documentary gives us a front row seat into the creative process and into the mind of a man that, despite looking old and ragged, is still going strong musically at age 71. Keith Richards is a wonder of nature, and this film gives us a deeper look at the man, the myth, the legend.

Rating: «««««

Lovelace (2013)

Genre: Biographical / Drama

Directed by: Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard, Sharon Stone

Running time: 93 minutes

Lovelace is the story of Linda Boreman, who was pushed into the porn industry by her abusive husband, Chuck Traynor, and became known as Linda Lovelace and the infamous movie called Deep Throat. After being abused mentally and physically and robbed of her earnings for the film she made, she decided to get away, build a new life for herself and start a family with another man. She wrote a book and became a crusader against the porn business.

When I first saw the name of Amanda Seyfried for the title role, I was a bit apprehensive. In my mind, it did not feel like she was cut out for such a heavy role. Boy, was I wrong. She is solid as the title character. Peter Sarsgaard is also very good as the a-hole husband. You forget these are actors at work and you start believing it.

I would like to give a special mention to Sharon Stone, who is unrecognizable as Linda Boreman’s mother. There is one scene where she has that disgusted look on her face as she slaps her daughter in the face; it sent chills down my spine.

The main issue with Lovelace is the storytelling. As the movie goes along, the filmmakers start rushing things, and, by the end of it, it feels like some important stuff was left out. They could have stretched out Linda Boreman’s escape from the clutches of Traynor a little more, in my opinion. I must say I appreciate the way they showed parts of the beginning of their relationship twice, once the way she saw it as an innocent young woman and then the way she saw it after losing her innocence.

Lovelace is still worth seeing for the acting performances, but the storytelling could have been so much better.

Rating: «««

Whiplash (2014)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Damien Chazelle

Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser

Running time: 106 minutes

Andrew Neiman is a first-year jazz student at the Shaffer Conservatory, in New York, who aspires to follow in the footsteps of the great drummers, like Buddy Rich. One night, famed conductor Terrence Fletcher hears Andrew practicing and he soon invites him to join the studio band as a substitute drummer. Fletcher’s methods are unorthodox, with use of fear, bullying and tyranny, and a love-hate relationship quickly develops between master and pupil.

J.K. Simmons is absolutely brilliant as the tyrant conductor. He brings such believability to Terrence Fletcher, he makes the character truly frightening. The conductor believes that his actions are the best way to get the best out of his musicians, which makes it all so much more intense. The guy is not acting out this way to be evil, he truly believes in his method.

Miles Teller is also very solid as Andrew Neiman, a young man determined to be one of the greats and willing to put it all on the line to please his teacher, until the breaking point comes.

The story of Whiplash is riveting. Its intensity resides not in the action but in the characters and in the interactions between them. Great story delivered by great actors and put together on-screen by a very talented young director, Damien Chazelle.  

Rating: «««««

Cliff 'Em All (1987)

Genre: Musical

Starring: Cliff Burton, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett

Running time: 86 minutes

On September 26, 1986, Metallica’s first bassist, Cliff Burton, died in a tour bus accident while on tour with the band in Europe. He was only 24. Cliff ‘Em All, an adaptation of Metallica’s first album title Kill ‘Em All, is a compilation of video footage that was released the following year as a tribute to the deceased.

On Cliff ‘Em All, we see a lot of bootleg concert footage shot by fans. So, the image quality is not always optimal, but the sound is usually still pretty good. There is also so professionally-shot material, some TV spots and a lot of good music.

In 1986, Metallica was young and filled with raw energy, and that is what we see on screen here. Cliff Burton was a master of the bass guitar and it is great that his brief passage on this earth can be documented in such a way. It was also a nice to touch to see Dave Mustaine perform with Metallica before being ousted. This is well worth a watch.

Rating: ««««

Gone Girl (2014)

Genre: Thriller

Directed by: David Fincher

Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris

Running time: 149 minutes

By the time their 5^th wedding anniversary comes around, Nick and Amy’s once-idyllic relationship is now going through very hard times, and, when his wife suddenly disappears, the husband soon becomes the prime suspect in what everyone suspects is a woman’s murder.

Based on the novel of the same name, written by Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl has a tightly-woven plot filled with twists and turns. David Fincher offers us a very stylistic and artistic film, with solid acting performances by both Affleck and Pike. The viewer cannot help getting on board and caring for those characters. As we realize what is going on, we are entrenched even deeper in the story.

I also greatly appreciated the illustration Gone Girl gave us of how easily the media and the public can be manipulated. We are all guilty of it at times: judging without having all the facts at hand.

The ending of Gone Girl packs up quite the punch, as it is anything but your typical hollywoodian happy-trails moment. It has been stuck in my head for a couple of days now. Highly recommended for fans of a good, well-crafted thriller.

Rating: «««««

A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014)

Genre: Drama / Thriller

Directed by: Scott Frank

Starring: Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour

Running time: 114 minutes

Based on the novel of the same name, written by Lawrence Block, A Walk Among the Tombstones tells the story of Matthew Scudder, a recovering alcoholic and former police officer who is still haunted eight years later by the memory of the day when his drinking got him involved in a tragic incident on the job. He is then called upon by a drug trafficker who wants help finding the men who kidnapped his wife and killed her in spite of the ransom being paid.

A Walk Among the Tombstones is a very compelling crime thriller and drama. When it starts, there is a Dirty Harry feel to it, which I liked. Then, a more modern touch gets added to the mix, and that was pleasant. The film kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering where it would all lead. The action is not fast-paced, it is more deliberate, so as to set the tone and atmosphere and tell a good story.

Liam Neeson is very convincing as Matthew Scudder. I thought it was great that, with this role, they gave the Irish actor a chance to show a little more vulnerability. It made his character not so invincible, so it was easier to root for him. You did not know if he was going to win, and that made it all so much more interesting.

The story dragged on a bit at times, but, overall, A Walk Among the Tombstones is a very good movie. Certain scenes might be difficult to bear for some, but it is worth it if you can stomach such things as violence and a little blood.

Rating: ««««

Lucky Luke (2009)

Genre: Franco / Comédie

Réalisateur: James Huth

Distribution: Jean Dujardin, Michaël Youn, Sylvie Testud

Running time: 103 minutes

Lucky Luke reçoit du président des États-Unis la mission de sécuriser Daisy Town afin de faire de cette petite ville un point culminant du futur chemin de fer est-ouest. Pour arriver à ses fins, le cowboy solitaire devra confronter ses propres démons et se mesurer à l’escroc Pat Poker.

Cette adaptation cinématographique de la vie de ce fameux personnage de dessins animés n’est pas sans charme, principalement en raison du jeu de Jean Dujardin, qui amène toujours un brin de folie qui lui est propre dans ses rôles comiques.

Quelques scènes m’ont fait sourire ou rire, mais, malheureusement, après 30 minutes, l’histoire du film a commencé à évoluer dans toutes les directions, et j’ai carrément perdu le fil. Les histoires de celui qui tire plus vite que son ombre étaient bien plus efficaces lorsqu’elles étaient racontées de façon concise. Dans cette adaptation, les personnes impliquées semblent avoir voulu trop en faire pour étirer la sauce, et un gag peut s’user très rapidement lorsqu’il n’est pas si fort dès le début.

Malgré quelques petits moments forts, ce film ne vaut vraiment pas le détour.

Rating: ««

Blood Simple (1984)

Genre: Thriller

Directed by: Joel and Ethan Coen

Starring: John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya

Running time: 99 minutes

A Texas bar owner who suspects his wife is having an affair with one of his bartenders hires a private detective to kill them both. After getting the money, the sleuth decides to kill the husband instead, thinking he is the only one who knows about the scheme. Unfortunately for the detective, in the process, he might be leaving too many traces behind him.

This neo-noir psychological crime thriller was the directorial debut for the Coen brothers, and it set the tone nicely for their career in their distinctive genre. They are really good at setting an atmosphere that hooks any viewer open-minded enough not to be turned-off by their off-beat style. They manage to tell a simple but compelling story, layered with interesting plot twists. Visually-speaking, this film also offers some very captivating shots that really took me by surprise.

The actors were very good in their respective roles, even though none of the characters are truly likeable. I think it was meant that way, to give it more darkness and a film noir tone. This was a really good start for Ethan and Joel Coen.

Rating: ««««

That Thing You Do! (1996)

Genre: Comedy / Musical

Directed by: Tom Hanks

Starring: Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler, Tom Hanks

Running time: 108 minutes or 149 minutes (extended cut)

This 1996 musical comedy set in the 1960’s tells the story of the rise and fall of The Wonders, a group of young men who gain success as a one-hit-wonder pop band with the song that shares a title with the movie.

That Thing You Do! was Tom Hanks’ first venture as a movie director and it was a successful one. While light-hearted and cute, this movie does carry a good message about the dangers of the music industry. There are so many ways to lose yourself, with all the interests involved, many have fallen in those traps in the past and others will keep on doing it in the future. The nicest thing about it is that this message is not being laid on too thick all through the movies, so it does not become overbearing.

There is a large cast at work here and everybody does the needed job to carry their respective roles. Tom Hanks gave himself a smaller role here. It takes a while before his character appears, but he is as good as usual when he comes on screen. I must say that the title song is a major ear worm: It has been stuck in my head since last night.

I checked out the extended version, which is about 40 minutes longer, as to get the most out of it. In the end, that might have been a bit much. I would recommend the theatrical version, as this kind of story can easily be told in a more succinct fashion. We have some very good entertainment here, and those like me who love the music of the 60’s will appreciate it.

Rating: ««««

Touch of Evil (1958)

Genre: Thriller

Directed by: Orson Welles

Starring: Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Orson Welles

Running time: 95 minutes

While walking around with his young wife on the US-Mexico border, Miguel Vargas, an officer in the Mexican government, witnesses a car exploding after a time bomb has been planted in the trunk. Realizing the implications, he takes an interest in the investigation. In the process, he will have to contend with various people, including Hank Quinlan, an aging police captain who is known around town as one who will not hesitate to manipulate the law to get his way.

The opening sequence of the film noir, that goes from the time the bomb is planted to the explosion of the car, lasts over three minutes and is a great bit of filmmaking. The rest of the movie is also very well done. Orson Welles had to fight to get this film cut the way he envisioned it, something that only came to fruition decades later.

With a cast comprising of Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh and Orson Welles, it is no surprise that this film has gained such a reputation over the years, especially considering the fact that all parties involved carried their respective loads and then some. Welles was particularly convincing as a disheveled aging dirty cop, used up by years of abuse done to his body.

Touch of Evil truly is a movie to see in its 1998 restored version, especially for the fans of the film noir genre. Some of the acting was over the top, especially as far as the supporting cast goes, but this film was really well done across the board.

Rating: ««««

Les Intouchables (2011)

Genre: Franco / Drama

Réalisateur: Olivier Nakache et Éric Toledano

Distribution: François Cluzet, Omar Sy

Running time: 113 minutes

Ce film français est inspiré de la vie de Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, devenu tétraplégique suite à un accident, qui a écrit un livre sur sa relation avec son aide à domicile, Abdel Yasmin Sellou. À l’écran, nous voyons évoluer les personnages de Philippe et de Driss, deux êtres aux statuts différents qui apprennent à se connaître et à s’apprécier en très peu de temps.

Les Intouchables est un film quelque peu prévisible, mais touchant à souhait. Les deux acteurs principaux campent si bien leur rôle respectif qu’on se laisse prendre au jeu et qu’on a vraiment l’impression de voir un homme à mobilité réduite se lier d’une amitié profonde avec son aide à domicile. Personne dans l’entourage du riche Philippe ne comprend pourquoi cet homme respectable laisse entrer ce jeune homme au passé trouble dans sa vie, surtout que le nouvel aide à domicile n’a pas l’air très motivé par le travail de prime abord. Mais, le spectateur a tôt fait de comprendre que le tétraplégique a vu bien au-delà des apparences en surface.

J’ai déjà visionné ce film à plusieurs reprises depuis sa sortie et je le recommande fortement. Une belle histoire racontée à l’écran par des acteurs de talent.

Note: «««««