As Good As It Gets (1997)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Directed by: James L. Brooks

Cast: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear

Running time: 139 minutes

Melvin Udall is a misanthropic novelist living alone in a New York apartment. His OCD locks him up in a series of habits that have a severe control over his existence. Every day, he eats breakfast at a nearby restaurant, where he uses his own plastic utensils due to his fear of germs. He terrorizes staff and customers alike, but he develops a certain attachment to one waitress who works there, Carol Connelly, a single mother raising her very sick kid. When Melvin is forced to babysit his neighbor Simon Bishop’s dog, after Bishop is savagely beaten up during a robbery in his apartment, the misanthropic man’s life is turned upside down and he is forced to reconsider his way of dealing with people and with his life.

As Good As It Gets goes into overdrive when it comes to sentimentality, but the performances by Nicholson and Hunt are so convincingly solid that it makes up for it. Jack is especially in top form here. When the veteran actor is given good lines, he delivers them in memorable fashion.

This is a film I like very much. Lots of laughter and some moments of tenderness.

Rating: ««««

Focus (2015)

Genre: Romantic Comedy / Drama

Directed by: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

Cast: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santoro

Running time: 104 minutes

After trying to seduce him and steal money from him, Jess Barrett realizes that Nicky Spurgeon is a bigger crook than she is. Nicky teaches her the art of focusing to get what she wants, and Jess finally convinces him to let her join his group of con artists. The two start falling for each other, but, after some major winnings in New Orleans, Nicky gives Jess her share of the money and leaves her behind. Three years later, she crosses his path again, as he is working on another scheme, and he is definitely not over her.

Will Smith and Margot Robbie do some really good work opposite each other on screen. The problem here is with the story, which takes some weird twists and turns over the course of the film. By the end of it, I was left with the feeling that there was some ingredients missing to make this the perfect recipe.

Rating: «««

Banana Joe (1982)

Genre: Franco / Comedy

Réalisation: Stefano Vanzina

Distribution: Bud Spencer, Marina Langner, Mario Scarpetta

Durée: 93 minutes

Banana Joe est un homme sans éducation qui vit dans le petit village d’Amantido. Fréquemment, il se rend sur son bateau dans un port de mer de l’Amérique du Sud pour y livrer des bananes, en échange de provisions pour ses nombreux enfants et son village. Lorsqu’un entrepreneur sans scrupule et ses acolytes débarquent à Amantido pour y développer une usine et un casino, Banana Joe devra se soumettre aux règles de la bureaucratie pour protéger les siens de cette invasion capitaliste.

Encore une fois, j’ai un parti pris pour ce film, qui a marqué ma jeunesse. Il s’agissait d’un de mes films préférés dans ma jeunesse. Le jeu des acteurs est certainement gros, et l’action est exagérée, mais j’adore.

Banana Joe était en partie l’idée de Bud Spencer lui-même et se voulait en quelque sorte une critique du l’invasion du capitalisme et de l’industrialisation dans les milieux naturels. Ce film jette également un regard cinglant sur la bureaucratie et le fonctionnariat, quelque chose que nous avons tous subi un jour ou l’autre.

Ce film demeure un de mes préférés dans la collection de Bud Spencer, et quel plaisir ce fût de le revoir après tant d’années.

Note: «««««

Angry Boys (2011)

Genre: TV / Comedy

Starring: Chris Lilley, Debbie Jones, Greg Fairall

Number of episodes: 12

The Sims family is throwing a going away party for one of their own, 17 year-old Nathan, who was left deaf and mentally affected by an accident and is now being sent to “Deaf School” in Adelaide for two years. Nathan’s twin brother Daniel strikes up a plan, with the help of his grandmother Ruth, who works in a correctional facility for teenage boys, to invite three of Nathan’s idols to the party: S.mouse, an African-American rapper from LA; Tim Okazaki, a young Japanese skateboarding champion, and Blake Oakfield, an aging surfer dude from South Wales.

The 12 episodes of this short-lived Australian TV show take us through the story of the Sims family and of the three idols that get invited to the party.

Chris Lilley, who created and wrote the show, plays multiple roles here: the twin brothers, their grandmother, the rapper, the mother of the skateboarder and the surfer dude. He does a good job making each character feel different, but I must admit I was weirded out a bit about seeing a white man playing a black man and a Japanese woman, with makeup and all. Don’t know what the reaction was to that.

The show itself had its moments, though I feel that, at times, they were working too hard at edginess. I don’t mind cussing, when done right and for the proper reasons. Here, it just felt like they were going all out just to shock. This show gave me some laughs and some moments truly touching, so it’s at least that.  

 Rating: «««

Norm Macdonald: Hitler's Dog, Gossip & Trickery (2017)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Liz Plonka

Cast: Norm Macdonald

Running time: 60 minutes

SNL alum Norm Macdonald has a very particular brand of comedy: The delivery is very dry. Macdonald never gets too political, because, as he says, he has no opinion. In his latest comedy special, he discusses such things as the newer phones, Wikipedia, parties, LSD, war, suicide and Hitler.

There is no frill here. As the special starts, we get right into the act over a shot of Macdonald walking outdoors. I have always loved Norm’s style. He is my favorite Weekend Update host from SNL, and I was glad to see him in action here. Most of the stuff on this special is solid. There are very weaker moments, but, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rating: ««««

Mon nom est Bulldozer (1978)

Genre: Franco / Comedy

Réalisation: Michele Lupo

Distribution: Bud Spencer, Raimund Harmstorf, Ottaviano Dell’Acqua

Durée: 93 minutes

Un ancien joueur de football américain, surnommé Bulldozer, a abandonné son sport pour devenir marin. Lorsqu’il revient dans son pays, en Italie, il se rend compte qu’un groupe de jeunes de la région sont engagés dans une lutte de longue haleine avec des soldats américains. Malgré toutes ses réticences, ce géant surnommé Bulldozer ne pourra demeurer impartial.

Les films de Bud Spencer sont un plaisir presque, mais pas tout à fait, coupable pour moi. Ils font partie de ma vie depuis ma plus tendre enfance, et j’assume pleinement mon amour démesuré pour ces derniers. Oui, les histoires sont risibles, les bagarres sont drôles et exagérées et le jeu des acteurs n’est pas grandiose. Cela dit, ces films me ramènent loin en arrière vers un temps où tout était plus simple, et ça me fait le plus grand bien. C’est mon évasion.

Il s'agit d'un film italien traduit en plusieurs langues. Je l'ai regardé en français, parce que ce sont les voix qui font partie de mes souvenirs.

Note: ««««

Colin Quinn: The New York Story (2016)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Jerry Seinfeld

Cast: Colin Quinn

Running time: 62 minutes

In this off-Broadway one man show, SNL alum Colin Quinn delves into the story of New York City and of the different people of diverse nationalities that formed its history.

The pace of this show, which was directed by Jerry Seinfeld, feels true to what has been said about New York over the years; it is frenetic. Quinn’s delivery is bound to make your head spin if you are not ready for it. Problem is, for me, a lot of verbiage was lost in the fray. Also, I feel like you have to be from NYC or have lived there to fully appreciate this show.

Still, Colin Quinn had some good lines here that made me chuckle. I also appreciated the fact that he did not stay politically correct in addressing various cultures, but it never came off as hateful. That is an art.

Overall, a show that has its moments, for me, but I was not the targeted audience, so my view is a little biased.

Rating: «««

Gabriel Iglesias: Hot and Fluffy (2007)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Manny Rodriguez

Cast: Gabriel Iglesias

Running time: 60 minutes

Taking the stage in Bakersfield, California, for his first comedy special, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias went into the kind of routine we have come to know him for: stories, impressions, voices and the likes. In Hot and Fluffy, he discusses his family, drinking, parties, strip clubs, the police and other topics.

Iglesias is a great storyteller. He has a wonderful knack for pulling you in and weaving a tale that will entertain you. His big fault, to me, and he does it all the time, is that he takes you out of the story at times to tell you that these things happen for real and he’s not BSing. We don’t care, just tell the story.

That being said, this is a very funny show.

Rating: ««««