Mercenaries (2014)

Genre: Action

Directed by: Christopher Ray

Cast: Kristanna Loken, Brigitte Nielsen, Vivica A. Fox

Running time: 90 minutes

During a visit to Kazakhstan, the daughter of the US president is taken hostage for ransom by a female warlord. At a loss as to how to get the first daughter back home safe, the CIA recruits a group of female convicts with special skills for this very special mission.

Mercenaries is your typical ass-kicking action movie where very little emphasis is put on writing a compelling story that makes sense. It was a nice touch to have strong female ass-kickers in this film, but, beyond that, this film has not much more than your usual clichés to offer. A few scenes made me chuckle, but this remains a very forgettable title.

Rating: ««

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Steve Pink

Cast: John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke

Running time: 99 minutes

After their friend Lou ends up in the hospital for carbon monoxide poisoning, following an incident they suspect was a suicide attempt. Adam and Nick, whose respective lives are going nowhere, decide to book a trip to a ski resort where they use to go when they were younger. The three longtime friends bring along Jacob, Adam’s young adult nephew with them on the trip. Following a night of drinking, they go for a soak in the hot tub, but some bizarre circumstances will bring them back in time to 1986. As they look for a way to go back to their normal life, they must insure that things go as they did in their past so as to avoid the butterfly effect on the present they want to go back to.

In spite of its silly premise, the finished product is still a very entertaining comedy. The cast was solid, considering the genre and the material. They made what could easily have become a stupid mess a good film.

Hot Tub Time Machine is a comedy that is well worth watching. Some zaniness and funny business, with many great tracks from the 80’s; overall, it is a fun and movie.

Rating: ««««

Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: Brian Gibson

Cast: JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O’Rourke

Running time: 91 minutes

After their home was destroyed by the poltergeist that haunted it, Steven and Diane Freeling took refuge at the house of Diane’s mother. Unfortunately, a change of scenery was not enough, and the evil spirits followed them to their new location. One year later, the malevolent spirits are coming back again for Carol Anne, and the Freelings will get the help of a psychic and a Native American shaman to fight them off.

The same main actors are back to play the members of the Freeling family, except for Dominique Dunne, who, sadly, was murdered by her boyfriend shortly after the first movie of the franchise came out. Zelda Rubinstein is also back, as the psychic Tangina Barrons.

Another unfortunate thing, though less dramatic this time, is that the actors were not given much to work with the second time around. The script was silly and cheesy, and totally uninteresting. The magic of the first film was gone. The quality of the material is reflected in the work of the actors, which was very uninspired and wooden.

The bright spot in this dim experience of a movie for me was Julian Beck’s performance as Reverend Henry Kane, the human form incarnation of the evil spirits coming after Carol Anne Freeling. He kind of reminded me of Robert Mitchum’s character in The Night of the Hunter, only even more sinister and evil.

It was also a nice touch to see Will Sampson, of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest fame, though his performance was nothing to write home about.

Overall, this sequel to the classic that is Poltergeist does not have much to offer. It is a major letdown.

Rating: ««

Lilyhammer (2012-2014)

Genre: TV / Comedy

Starring: Steven Van Zant, Trond Fausa Aurvâg, Steinar Sagen

Number of seasons: 3

American mafia underboss Frank Tagliano goes into Witness Protection after testifying against new mob head, Aldo Delucci. Inspired by the Olympics held there in 1994, Tagliano chooses to be relocated to Lillehammer, Norway, where he will make a new life for himself as a club owner. While he will somewhat adapt himself to his new surroundings, Frank’s mobster roots are sure to come back to the surface once in a while.

Lilyhammer was one of the first TV show originally distributed in North America by Netflix, though it was first shown in Norway.

Steven Van Zant, better known as guitarist of the E. Street Band, is absolutely amazing as Frank Tagliano. He played a mobster in The Sopranoes before, and he did it again brilliantly in Lilyhammer. He has the right look for it. I would not cast him as the main love interest in a romantic comedy, but, for the role of Tagliano, he was great. The supporting cast was also very good.

Some things in this show do not make sense, like Frank Tagliano understanding most of what is said to him in Norwegian right upon arrival, simply after listening to some tapes, though he never learns to speak it. I get that this liberty makes storytelling much easier, but it flies in the face of logic. Also, because of the scenery, some of the subtitles were hard to see and read. I still managed to grasp the jist of it all, but I have missed some bits of dialogue.

All things considered, though, Lilyhammer remains a very good show. I popped huge for the many references to The Godfather and The Sopranoes. A cameo by Bruce Springsteen in the last episode was also great.

Rating: ««««

Swelter (2014)

Genre: Action

Directed by: Keith Parmer

Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Josh Henderson, Brad Carter

Running time: 96 minutes

Five robbers perpetrated an armed robbery in a Vegas casino. In the process, one of them was shot in the head and presumed dead. The other four were captured and sent to jail. The one who was shot was rescued by a local physician. With no memory of his past as a criminal, he becomes the sheriff in the small town of Baker. Upon their release from jail, three members of the gang break out their leader and go on a hunt to find their former partner and the 10 million dollars they had stolen from that casino. Their search will lead them to Baker, where a confrontation between the past and the present is inevitable.

The filmmakers tried to make a gangster movie with some elements of a western, and the end result is not very satisfying. The acting was for the most part very bland and uninspired. Even Van Damme, from which not much is to be expected, has given better performances in the past.

As for the storyline of Swelter, it is thin and full of holes. It probably melted in the hot California sun, which was an important character in this film. Overall, this is a very forgettable movie. Do not bother, unless you are a masochist.

Rating: «

The Girl Next Door (2004)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Directed by: Luke Greenfield

Cast: Emile Hirsch, Elisha Cuthbert, Timothy Olyphant

Running time: 108 minutes

Matthew Kidman is a very good student who has always respected the rules. Now a senior, he has been accepted to Georgetown University and he is in the running for a major scholarship, that he very much needs to go on with his education. A whole lot of craziness then comes into his life, in the form of Danielle, who moves in next door to housesit. The boy falls for the new neighbor, only to find out that she is a former porn star.

I must admit, Emile Hirsch and Elisha Cuthbert have a very good chemistry on screen. They work very well off each other.

While The Girl Next Door was not the greatest film ever made, it was still a fun romantic comedy. It contains its share of clichés, but, on occasion, it did manage to deviate for the usual recipe and offered some interesting twists. There was also a good dose of good funny lines. While nothing spectacular, the acting was mostly good.

The biggest charm of this movie is that it does not take itself seriously. It is meant to be enjoyed for what it is: Entertaining and light.

Rating: «««

Mourir à tue-tête (1979)

Genre: Franco / Drama / Documentary

Réalisateur: Anne Claire Poirier

Distribution: Julie Vincent, Germain Houde, Monique Miller, Micheline Lanctôt

Running time: 96 minutes

À mi-chemin entre l’œuvre de fiction et le documentaire, Mourir à tue-tête est en fait un manifeste féministe sur le viol. Une réalisatrice et une monteuse travaillent à un film sur le viol et s’interrogent sur ce sujet controversé. Les scènes de leur film sont entrecoupés de leurs discussion, d’images d’archives montrant les diverses façons dont les hommes ont violé des femmes dans l’histoire de l’humanité et d’une portion où divers personnages féminins de différentes couches de la société tenter d’expliquer leur vision du viol à un juge mâle très peu ouvert d’esprit.

Le film auquel travaillent la réalisatrice et sa monteuse raconte l’histoire de Suzanne, une infirmière sortant de son quart de travail tard le soir. Elle est accostée par un homme qui la traîne de force dans la partie arrière de son camion pour la violer. La scène du viol, tourné à partir du point de vue de la victime, est d’une dureté incroyable, autant dans la parole que dans le geste. Le cauchemar de Suzanne s’éternise et nous en venons à nous sentir comme si nous étions dans ses souliers. Germain Houde est convaincant au point d’en être déconcertant dans le rôle du violeur. La haine et le mépris que son personnage éprouve pour les femmes transpirent de tous les pores de sa peau. La réalisatrice a fait du bon travail en montrant ce qui devait l’être avec honnêteté sans tomber dans l’exploitation de la nudité.

Comme toute œuvre féministe, ce film d’Anne Claire Poirier manque grandement de nuances. En voyant ce film, on pourrait croire que tous les hommes sont des violeurs potentiels et qu’il n’y a jamais eu de femmes violeuses et de gars violés. Nous savons tous que, même si les proportions sont moindres, ces derniers phénomènes existent bel et bien.

Cela étant dit, comme tout bon documentaire, ce film de 1979 avait un message à passer et voulait donner une voix aux femmes. Il est encore d’actualité, malgré les préjugés véhiculés, et il serait encore apte à alimenter les discussions. En ce sens, Mourir à tue-tête demeure une œuvre à voir.

Note: «««

Anna (2013)

Genre: Thriller

Directed by: Jorge Dorado

Cast: Mark Strong, Taissa Farmiga, Noah Taylor

Running time: 99 minutes

John Washington works as a detective for an agency specialized in viewing memories. Through psychic ability, the detective sits down with clients and enters their memories to find out the truth about particular cases. Still coping with the loss of his wife to suicide, John is looking to get back into his work. He is sent to see Anna Greene, a brilliant but dangerous teenage girl, with the mandate of having her stop her hunger strike. But, he is in for much more than that.

The premise of this film was so interesting that I was willing to suspend disbelief and give it a chance. What I got was a very compelling story that could have given a great thriller. There were plenty of riveting plot twists and the viewer was kept guessing as to what the truth was up until the end. Unfortunately, the acting was so badly stiff that it kept taking away from my appreciation. In the end, I was left disappointed and wondering what could have been.

Rating: ««

Bad Santa (2003)

Genre: Christmas / Comedy

Directed by: Terry Zwigoff

Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Brett Kelly

Running time: 91 minutes

Willie Stokes and Marcus have had the same scheme going for years: Every holiday season, they find a job as Santa and elf in a shopping mall. Once their gig is over, they rob the place and make their escape only to start again in a different city the next year. Slowly, Willie’s propensity for the bottle and the pleasures of the flesh with big women is putting the business in jeopardy. When they arrive in Phoenix, Willie meets Thurman Merman, a lonely overweight kid who is living with his senile grandma and is being constantly bullied at school. At first, Willie finds the annoyingly gullible kid aggravating, but the boy slowly starts to grow on him.

Considering the sequel is coming out soon, I decided to revisit this film, which is a guilty pleasure of mine. It remains one of the few Christmas movies I truly love.

Billy Bob Thornton was tailor-made for this role. While he has offered much greater performances in such films as Sling Blade, Thornton goes full force into the role of a drunken and broken man who might very well find his redemption. In that sense, the character of Willie Stokes reminds us of The Grinch, whose heart finally grew.

The rest of the cast also did a good job. It was particularly a treat to see John Ritter in here. This film was shot shortly before his untimely death.

Overall, while Bad Santa is not your typical wholesome holiday film, I deeply appreciate it for daring to be crude and dark in a comedic way. This is one of those I can watch again and again.

Rating: «««««

13 Sins (2014)

Genre: Horror / Thriller

Directed by: Daniel Stamm

Cast: Devon Graye, Mark Webber, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Ron Perlman

Running time: 92 minutes

This remake of a Thai horror comedy film tells the story of Elliot Brindle, a man who has a mentally handicapped brother, a dependent father and a wife-to-be to take care of, but, as his wedding date is approaching, he loses his job in sales. Desperate for money, he gets a mysterious call from a man telling him he’s been selected to take part in a game, where he will be asked to perform 13 evil deeds. The first thing he must do is kill a fly, but, as they go along, the demands become more and more extreme and are worth more and more money. If he reaches the end, he is a millionaire. If he quits, he loses everything.

I really enjoyed the premise of this film and I felt like the storytelling was really effective in keeping the viewer guessing. I loved the darkness of this movie’s tone, but I felt a bit let down by the ending. It fell kind of flat for me. That being said, I was still quite entertained by 95% of this film, so I certainly cannot trash it completely. As far as the acting goes, it was pretty good. This is worth watching, with medium expectations.

Rating: «««

Poltergeist (1982)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: Tobe Hooper

Cast: JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O’Rourke

Running time: 93 minutes

Steven and Diane Freeling are living in a cozy little Californian suburb, but their idyllic life turns to a nightmare when an evil spirit, or poltergeist, abducts Carol Anne, the couple’s youngest daughter, within her home. The Freelings will seek help from ghost experts to retrieve their sweet little girls from the grip of these malevolent ghostly creatures.

Written by the great Steven Spielberg, the original Poltergeist movie remains a classic to this day. The special effects were particularly well done, especially for the era when the film was made. Also, the Freelings felt like a real tight-knit family who would go through hellfire and brimstone to get one of their own back. It did not feel fake at all. Everybody was good in their respective roles.

While not the scariest movie of all-time, Poltergeist does a solid job of keeping you on edge. With good acting, a compelling storyline and great special effect, it is a film well worth seeing, if you haven’t already done so. If you have seen it, it is good enough to watch again. It is sad to think that two of the movie’s starts, Heather O’Rourke and Dominique Dunne, would die prematurely a few years after its release.

Rating: «««««

96 Minutes (2012)

Genre: Drama / Thriller

Directed by: Aimée Lagos

Cast: Brittany Snow, Evan Ross, Christian Serratos, J. Michael Trautmann

Running time: 93 minutes

This dramatic thriller covers a day in the life of four students, with distinct stories, whose path will cross. Over the course of a 96 minutes period, their lives will be forever changed as they travel together in the same stolen vehicle, with one of them badly injured by a bullet to the face.

96 Minutes goes back and forth between the intense car ride and the events that lead to it and it does a good job of it. The movements in time were seamless. Great job by the director, as the pace was kept fast, and we were kept guessing all the way through as far as how it would end.

As far as the acting was concerned, the performances were mostly OK, though nothing was really spectacular in that department. The ending was disappointing, and it felt a little rushed.

Overall, this is a decent thriller, with some good and bad elements. Very average.

Rating: «««

Le Ring intérieur (2002)

Genre: Franco / Documentary

Réalisateur: Dan Bigras

Distribution: Dan Bigras, Charles Ali Nestor, David Loiseau, Steve Vigneault

Durée: 75 minutes

Dans ce documentaire de 2002, le chanteur, musicien et cinéaste Dan Bigras s’est servi de sa propre aventure dans l’entraînement pour les arts martiaux mixtes pour faire un essai  sur la colère et sur les façons de la canaliser positivement. Bigras s’est adonné à ce sport pour rebâtir son corps, ravagé par des années d’abus d’alcool.

Dans Le Ring intérieur, Bigras discutent avec Charles Ali Nestor, David Loiseau et Steve Vigneault du parcours de vie qui les a menés aux combats extrêmes. Tout au long du documentaire, la colère demeure un thème principal. Ce film offre un petit séjour dans un monde fascinant tout en montrant qu’il est possible de se servir d’une énergie potentiellement destructrice pour en faire quelque chose de positif.

Rating: ««««

Very Good Girls (2013)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Naomi Foner

Cast: Dakota Fanning, Elizabeth Olsen, Boyd Holbrook

Running time: 91 minutes

Lilly and Gerri have been best friends for a long time. During their last summer before college, they are both set on losing their virginity. But, when they fall for the same guy, an artist they meet on the beach, their strong friendship is tested to the max.

This is the first feature film directed by Naomi Foner, and it was severely bashed by most movie critics. I, for one, did not hate this film. Sure, it contains a good dose of clichés, but the acting on the part of Dakota Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen was pretty good. They managed to conjure the difficulties of those late teenage years, where drama is always close by.

All things considered, Very Good Girls is not a very good film, but it is not a bad one either. It could have been so much more, especially considering the supporting cast contained names such as Richard Dreyfuss, Demi Moore, Ellen Barkin and Peter Sarsgaard. The script kind of floated on the surface, never really sinking its teeth in the story. There are definitely some missed opportunities there, but what was delivered on the screen was still potable.

Rating: «««

Halloween (1978)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: John Carpenter

Cast: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, P.J. Soles

Running time: 91 minutes

On Halloween night of 1963, young Michael Myers, 6, stabs his older sister to death in the family home. The boy is then committed to a mental institution, from which he escapes 15 years later. Myers travels back to his hometown with the goal to kill again. With Dr. Loomis on his trail, Michael Myers is on the loose, and Laurie Strode, who is babysitting on Halloween night, seems set to cross his path.

This film has become a classic of the horror/slasher genre. It is a very effective movie in the sense that it doesn’t rely in extreme violence and goriness to cause an effect. John Carpenter concentrates on setting a tone and an atmosphere, with a slow and deliberate pace and really good eerie music. You know something is coming, you just don’t know when it will come.

The acting is sometimes a bit hammy and some of the scenes of violence come off as a tad cartoonish at times, especially when you look at it almost 40 years later, but, when you see it as a product of its time, Halloween is a very good horror movie.

Rating: ««««

Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016)

Genre: Comedy / Action

Directed by: Greg Mottola

Cast: Zack Galifianakis, Jon Hamm, Isla Fisher, Gail Gadot

Running time: 105 minutes

Jeff and Karen Gaffney are a down-to-earth and plain suburban couple living in a cozy and beautiful cul-de-sac in Atlanta. Their calm lifestyle takes a sharp turn when Tim and Natalie Jones move next door. Karen soon starts suspecting the Joneses of being spies. At first, Jeff is too enamored with his new neighbors to believe it, but, soon enough, the Gaffneys are embroiled in a massive case of espionage that involves Jeff’s workplace.

This new release has been bashed by critics, but, in my humble opinion, this is a fun little movie that needs to be taken for what it is meant to be: Entertainment. All four main actors gave decent performances, though Jon Hamm basically played the kind of role he is known for, and the script contained many good jokes. There were some weaker moments, and the strong ones were not earth-shatteringly funny, but I was still entertained by this film. All things considered, it was a fun time at the movies.

Rating: «««