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.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Amistad (1997)

Genre: Drama / Historical
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Matthew McConaughey
Running time: 154 minutes



Based on true story, Amistad tells the tale of a group of black men who were bought as slaves by Spanish folks in 1839. On a ship called La Amistad, off the coast of Cuba, the enslaved men freed themselves of their chains and took over control of the boat, before being arrested by the US authorities further down the line. Their recapture was followed by an American court case, to determine the men’s fate, that went up to the Supreme Court.

First off, what a team we have here. As director, we have Steven Spielberg, a man well known for being able to weave a compelling story on screen. Once again, he did not disappoint here. Also, we have a loaded cast of talented actors, all in top form. When you can count on people like Anthony Hopkins, Matthew McConaughey and Morgan Freeman to play roles and you feed them good material, it is bound to make a solid film.

While the historical accuracy of this film has been justifiably disputed (heck, this is Hollywood we are talking about), Amistad is still a very good movie about a truly ugly part of American history. In spite of the liberties taken by the filmmakers, the essence is there, and it is packages in a very compelling movie. The cinematography was great; some of the scenes can be hard to take, but it was necessary to show the violence that some people had to go through to be free.

All things considered, Amistad is a film I highly recommend. It is a little long, but it well worth it.

Rating: ««««

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