The Vow (2012)

Genre: Romance / Drama
Directed by: Michael Sucsy
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum, Sam Neill
Time: 104 minutes

 

Very lightly inspired by true events, this film is the story of Paige Collins and her new husband Leo. Paige suffers from severe head trauma, after a car accident, that makes her forget about the most recent part of her life, including the identity of her husband. Leo tries to gain the love of his wife back, but her estranged family is back in the picture, trying to capitalize on the fact that she forgot why she was not longer talking to them.

This is a very Hollywood version of a touching true story, with beautiful actors telling a clichés story. There were a few good spots here and there, but, overall, this is a very forgettable film, with no head injury needed.

Rating: ««

La liberté en colère (1994)

Genre: Franco / Documentary
Réalisation: Jean-Daniel Lafond
Distribution: Pierre Vallières, Charles Gagnon, Francis Simard et Robert Comeau
Durée: 73 minutes

 

Plus de 20 ans après les faits, quatre anciens membres du Front de libération du Québec, Pierre Vallières, Charles Gagnon, Francis Simard et Robert Comeau, se rencontrent pour discuter de l’évolution de leur vision du militantisme et de la liberté. Leurs discussions entre eux et avec d’autres intervenants sont entrecoupées de voyages dans diverses régions du Québec et de la musique de Plume Latraverse.

De prime abord, je me suis intéressé à ce documentaire en raison de la présence de Plume Latraverse lui-même et de sa musique. Il ne parle pas, mais on le voit chanter à plusieurs reprises. Ce que j’ai trouvé ici, c’est un film fort intéressant sur un sujet qui représente une part importante de l’histoire du Québec. C’est une portion de l’histoire que je connaissais trop peu. Même si je n’étais pas d’accord avec tout, j’ai bien apprécié ce film. C’était aussi plaisant de revoir Michel Chartrand.

Rating: ««««

RoboCop 3 (1993)

Genre: Science-Fiction / Action
Directed by: Fred Dekker
Cast: Robert Burke, Nancy Allen, Rip Torn
Time: 104 minutes

 

Business conglomerate OCP is back at it trying to bankrupt the city of Detroit completely so it can build its planned new Delta City. With the financial backing of a major Japanese corporation, they are pushing families out of their homes to take over the land. RoboCop, looking to avenge the death of his fallen partner, joins force with the rebels trying to stop OCP.

As much as I disliked the first sequel, I hated this second one. Peter Weller was not back as RoboCop, as he had other commitments. They made an effort to make the new actor portraying the cyborg look like Weller without the face shield, but the voice was just so bad. And the acting was putrid. Even Nancy Allen, who was not so bad in the previous two films, came off really wooden and uninspired. A veteran such as Rip Torn was laughable, in a bad way, in his performance. The story was just dumb and silly. All things considered, this film never should have been made.

Rating: «

Scream 2 (1997)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Wes Craven
Cast: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette
Time: 111 minutes

 

A movie called Stab, inspired by the events of the first film, inspires the killing of more teens, and Sidney Prescott once again has to worry about her own safety, wondering who in her entourage is trying to kill her.

While I enjoyed the first Scream film, this one lost me. The movie within a movie and the poking fun at the genre came off forced and self-conscious to me. And the acting was really bad too. There were a few better moments, but, overall, I did not care for this one.

Rating: ««

Billy Madison (1995)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Tamra Davis
Cast: Adam Sandler, Bradley Whitford, Josh Mostel
Time: 89 minutes

 

Billy Madison is the only son of retiring hotel tycoon Brian Madison. Though Billy is 27, he’s immature and dimwitted. Having a phony diploma bought by his rich father, Billy decides to go back through all 12 years of school (2 weeks per grade) to get his diploma and inherit his father’s business.

When properly dosed and wrapped around a good storyline, Adam Sandler’s usual shenanigans can be amusing. It was not quite the case here. While Billy Madison is not as bad as some of Sandler’s later offerings, it was far from perfect. The film has its dose of cute and funny moments. Some of the cameos, like Chris Farley and Norm MacDonald, were also a nice treat. Some stuff made me laugh, but other things fell kind of flat. All things considered, this is an average silly comedy.

Rating: «««

The Hero (2017)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Brett Haley
Cast: Sam Elliott, Laura Prepon, Nick Offerman
Time: 93 minutes

 

Lee Hayden is an aging Western actor on the decline who has to come to terms with his own impending mortality after a cancer diagnosis. While he tries to repair his relationship with his estranged daughter before it is too late, he finds comfort in the arms of a younger stand-up comic.

What could have been a very clichéd story was greatly improved by Sam Elliott’s understated performance. And what a voice that man has. He was the perfect choice for that role; it was made for him. I felt like the ending was a little rushed here, but, overall, this film really hooked me and kept me interested all the way through.

Rating: ««««

Tendresse ordinaire (1973)

Genre: Franco / Drama
Réalisation: Jacques Leduc
Distribution: Esther Auger, Jocelyn Bérubé, Jean-Pierre Bourque
Durée: 82 minutes

 

Esther attend que son mari bûcheron, Jocelyn, revienne à la maison des chantiers, tentant de se désennuyer avec sa meilleure amie Bernadette. Jocelyn est sur le chemin du retour, en train et en auto, où il rencontre des gens aussi seuls que lui.

Ce film est en quelque sorte un petit poème sur la solitude et les petits moments de tendresse entre humains. Il ne se passe pas grand-chose, et il y a de longs moments de silence. J’ai bien apprécié voir Plume Latraverse, un de mes idoles, à l’écran dans un film. Pour le reste, ce film est un produit un peu sec que je ne consommerais pas trop souvent.

Rating: ««

RoboCop 2 (1990)

Genre: Science-Fiction / Action
Directed by: Irvin Kershner
Cast: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O’Herlihy
Time: 102 minutes

 

In a dystopian Detroit, most police officers are on strike and crime is taking over the city, along with a powerful drug called Nuke. OCP, the organization hired to manage the police force, are trying to bankrupt the city so as to better take over, with a second, more dangerous, RoboCop in production. The original cyborg police officer will have to spring into action to fight this dangerous battle.

This sequel to the 1987 original suffers deeply from a clear lack of focus. The filmmakers went in all directions, trying to find some action and some interesting twists, but nothing ever led anywhere. The acting is also mostly bad, and some of the dialogues are absolutely horrible. There are a few bright spots here and there, where you get a glimmer of hope, but it soon fades away.

Rating: ««

Scream (1996)

 Genre: Horror
Directed by: Wes Craven
Cast: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette
Time: 111 minutes

 

Sidney’s mother was brutally raped and murdered. Close to a year later, Sidney and her teenage friends are getting terrorized by the twisted games of a mysterious killer who finds inspiration in various horror movies.

This is fun horror movie with some clever twists which are inspired by other classic films of the genre. Most of the acting, with a few exceptions, is pretty good for the intended purpose. A huge part of Scream’s charm is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Definitely worth seeing.

Rating: ««««

Tank (1984)

Genre: Drama / Action
Directed by: Marvin J. Chomsky
Cast: James Garner, Shirley Jones, Jennilee Harrison
Time: 113 minutes

 

US Army Command Sergeant Major Zack Carey moves to a little Georgia town to take what he hopes to be his last post before retiring from the military and spending more time with his wife and teenage son. Carey starts butting heads with local sheriff Cyrus Buelton. When the sheriff goes after Carey’s son on a trumped up marijuana charge, the army man resigns from the military and gets into his own personal WW2 Sherman tank to wage war against the authorities and save his son from the prison camp.

I remember seeing this film as a kid and finding it somewhat entertaining. Looking at it today, with adult eyes, it has not aged so well. Bad acting, a lot of silliness, James Cromwell’s bare ass, there is a lot to dislike here. This film still has a few fun moments of action, but, overall, it is better left in the past.

Rating: ««

Mississippi Burning (1988)

Genre: Historical / Thriller
Directed by: Alan Parker
Cast: Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Frances McDormand
Time: 128 minutes

 

Loosely based on an actual murder investigation from 1964, this historical thriller has two very different FBI agents, Anderson and Ward, travel to fictional Jessup County, Mississippi, to investigate the disappearance of three civil rights workers – one black, and two white. While there, the two agents and their staff are met with hostility from the locals, the law enforcement and Ku Klux Klan.

This film has been accused of whitewashing history and of romanticizing actual murders to create a thriller. That critique is not totally unjustified. Still, the on-screen product delivers a strong message about the evils of racism. In the process, it kept me hooked, thanks in large part to the great acting work done by the likes of Hackman, Dafoe and McDormand. To think that this was all rooted in reality made it that much more sad.

Rating: ««««

RoboCop (1987)

Genre: Science-Fiction / Action
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
Cast: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Ronny Cox
Time: 102 minutes

 

Detroit police officer Alex Murphy gets murdered by a group of criminals while on duty. Megacorporation OCP then proceeds to bring him back to life as part of project to create a new cyborg police officer called RoboCop.

I remember digging this film as a kid, having it on VHS in my collection. Looking at it today, I see the campiness of it a lot more. The acting is decent enough, albeit a little over-the-top, which fits with the genre. This remains a fun and entertaining movie, with loads of action, very bad people, and a perfect hero.

Rating: «««

I Am Sam Kinison (2017)

Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Adrian Buitenhuis
Cast: Bill Kinison, Sherry Kinison, Bob Saget
Time: 98 minutes

 

This brilliant documentary looks at the life of Sam Kinison, who started out as a Pentecostal preacher, like his father and two older brothers, but then moved on to stand-up comedy, taking that unsure profession by storm with his wild energy and the demons that fueled his addictions. We hear from family and friends of the late comedian, who share their insight into the man who had a short but memorable career.

As a big fan of Sam Kinison, I loved this documentary. It is a story of addiction, of redemption and of tragedy. It made me want to rewatch the man at work on stage. He was so good. It made me so sad to see how it ended.

Rating: «««««

F is for Family (2015-2021)

 Genre: TV / Comedy / Animated
Cast: Bill Burr, Laura Dern, Justin Long
Number of seasons: 5

 

Set in the 70’s, this animated comedy show focuses on Frank Murphy, a Korean War veteran, his wife Sue, and their kids. Frank is a short-tempered man with a dead-end job at the airport. Having had a complex relationship with his own father as a kid, he sees fatherhood and family life as a massive pressure.

This series was inspired by Bill Burr’s comedy act. Burr co-created it, finding inspiration in his own relationship with his dad. F is for Family has a lot of strong, funny moments, and some touching ones. Father-son relationships offer great possibilities for humor and serious discussions. There were also some weaker episodes. Overall, I much prefer Burr’s stage act, as he is right now my favorite living stand-up comic. Some of the magic was lost in the animated series, but I was still entertained.

Rating: «««

After Life (2019-2022)

Genre: TV / Comedy / Drama
Directed by: Ricky Gervais
Cast: Ricky Gervais, Tom Basden, Tony Way
Number of seasons: 3

 

Tony Johnson is a newspaper journalist in the fictional UK town of Tambury. After his wife Lisa dies of breast cancer, Tony falls into a deep depression. He decides to make his entourage as miserable as he is. His back-up plan, if it all turns bad, it to just commit suicide.

I am a big fan of Ricky Gervais, and, with After Life, he has created his project that shows the most depth. Sure, there are the typical Gervais crudeness. But, there is also some very moving scenes all through the three seasons. I laughed, I was moved, I smiled. The whole gamut of emotions.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the whole arc of Tony Johnson’s story, some of the side characters, like the postman and Brian, were annoying distractions that took away from the whole thing. Nonetheless, the parts I enjoyed were strong enough to compensate highly.

Rating: ««««

Don't Look Up (2021)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Adam McKay
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep
Time: 138 minutes

 

Two astronomers realize that a giant comet is coming towards the Earth, meaning mass destruction for humanity. They try to warn the world, but political and monetary considerations interfere with their plans to save the world.

This is a great black comedy delivered on screen by a talented director and a solid ensemble cast. It offers a great metaphor for the world’s reaction to the climate crisis, but there is more than that. There is the cult of money and celebrity, the political situation in the US and much more. Some of the targets being “parodied” are less than subtle. While it may come off as preachy at times, Don’t Look Up is a movie we needed at this point in time. The problem is that the people that should, won’t get it.

Rating: ««««

350 Days (2018)

 Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Fulvio Cecere
Cast: Bret Hart, Billy Graham, Greg Valentine
Time: 118 minutes

In this documentary, we hear from a various former pro wrestlers who discuss the hectic schedule of life on the road in professional wrestling back in the day. We hear from such names as Bret Hart, Billy Graham, Greg Valentine, Tito Santana, Jimmy Snuka and many more. Here are tales of blood, injuries, drugs and sex.

This was a very interesting documentary film offering a glimpse on a subject matter that has interested me for years. Though the film came out in 2018, some of the stuff felt dated since the participants had died years prior. The archive stuff could have been put in context a little better, especially when it comes to Jimmy Snuka. But, overall, this was still a very good documentary.

Rating: ««««

The Negotiator (1998)

Genre: Action / Thriller
Directed by: F. Gary Gray
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, David Morse
Time: 140 minutes

 

Lieutenant Danny Roman is an experienced and skilled hostage negotiator with the Chicago Police Department. After getting framed for the murder of his partner, over an embezzlement matter, Roman takes a few hostages and demands that Lieutenant Chris Sabian, the city’s other top hostage negotiator, leads the negotiations with him as he tries to prove his innocence.

The quality of this film relies greatly on the shoulders of Jackson and Spacey, who both offered great performances. The story itself is compelling, though some twists and turns were a bit overly stretched. The story dragged a bit and the movie felt a little long at times, but, overall, thanks to the acting performances, this was quite good.

Rating: ««««