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, December 18, 2015

Mad Men (2007-2015)

Genre: TV / Drama
Starring: Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks, Vincent Kartheiser
Number of seasons: 7



Set in 1960’s, the story of Mad Men revolves around Don Draper, a charming ad man in a fictional Madison Avenue advertising agency first called Sterling Cooper. Draper holds a big and dark secret buried inside him as he tries to balance work, family and his taste for seducing strangers, mostly women. The world evolves around him; sometimes he is on top of his game, other times he falls behind.

The greatness of Mad Men resides in large part in how truly real it feels. Clothing, hairdos, facial hair, attitudes, cars and sets; the viewer really feels like he has been transported back to a time of deep and major changes. The seven seasons of this show cover the whole decade of the 60’s and we see the impact of deaths, assassinations, elections, a moon landing and many other events have had on humanity through the various characters. Things are in a constant evolution, no stagnation. We also have a look how the role of women is society changed over a short period of time. Some of those things would not fly today, not even close. And drinking in the workplace…forget about it.

Jon Hamm is really solid here, as Don Draper. Hamm plays a character that people will love and hate all at once. He has deep flaws, but you cannot help root for him. Other good performances are offered here by Elisabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks, Vincent Kartheiser and Johm Slattery. Whether you love or hate their characters, you care, and that is a definite sign that the acting chops are very good. I had a harder time enjoying January Jones’ Betty Draper, though I started to appreciate her more by the end of the series.

I devoured the first few seasons of Mad Men. Then, midway through, it felt lackluster to me. Business picked up later, but the show ultimately ended on a flat note for me. By the end of the last group of seven episodes, I just did not feel it anymore. Nonetheless, for the acting performances and the efforts put into transporting us back in time, I give this show a positive grade overall.



Rating: ««««

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