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.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Grudge Match (2013)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Peter Segal
Starring: Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin
Running time: 113 minutes



Henry “Razor” Sharp and Billy “The Kid” McDonnen are two retired boxers from Pittsburgh who had a major rivalry while in their prime. They fought each other twice, each winning a fight. Before there could be that last grudge match to settle the score, Sharp announced his retirement. Years later, Razor, who is working in a factory and is low on cash, is convinced by the son of the former promoter of his fights to come into the recording studio to contribute to an upcoming video game in which he and McDonnen will be characters. The two enemies meet again, and sparks start flying. The stage is set for that final grudge match.

Believe me, Raging Bull or Rocky this is not. How can anyone have a cast composed of giants such as De Niro and Stallone and make such a bad movie I will never know. The acting here felt so uninspired; it is a sad sight to behold. Even Alan Arkin, who has accustomed us to solid performances, came off so flat.

The material given to the actors was not very good. With a script filled with clichés, bad writing and unfunny humor, even the most talented of casts cannot pull off a miracle. There were a few glimpses of funny moments, especially with the character played by Kevin Hart. But, even then, those moments were few and far between. The Chael Sonnen, Mike Tyson and Evander Hollyfield cameos were nice touches.

All things considered, this particular film should be skipped, unless you’re a big fan of some of the people involved and you decide to dive in with low expectations.
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