Back to School (1986)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Alan Metter
Starring: Rodney Dangerfield, Sally Kellerman, Burt Young
Running time: 96 minutes

 

Thornton Melon is a self-made wealthy businessman living large despite never having had any formal education. After divorcing his trophy wife, he decides to visit his grown-up son at college. On campus, he realizes that his son hates the college experience. To keep his son from dropping out, Thornton decides to enroll as a freshman in college.

This movie is mostly a vehicle for Rodney Dangerfield’s usual antics. As such, it contains a good dose of funny business and hilarious moments. On the other hand, most of the support characters are very one dimensional and the acting is not very good. Another bright spot, beside Rodney, is Sam Kinison, as a college professor with a bad attitude. It was also cool to see how far Robert Downey Jr. has come.

Back to School is entertaining for what it is, but, revisiting it today, it feels very dated. It did not age so well.

Rating: «««

Pig (2021)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Michael Sarnoski
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin
Running time: 92 minutes

 

Robin Feld is a former chef turned recluse truffle forager. He lives alone in a wooded area, in Portland, with his pet pig, that helps him find the treasured mushrooms. One night, Robin gets attacked in his little shack and his pig gets stolen. After waking up, bloodied from the attack, Robin decides to go back into the city, hoping to locate his precious pet.

While the premise of this film does sound odd, the finished product is a great piece of cinema. The cinematography is brilliant and it is so refreshing to see Nicolas Cage back playing something up to his great talent. I was hooked by Pig from the moment it started and the film stayed with me after it was over. Well done.

Rating: «««««

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Genre: Science-fiction /Action
Directed by: James Cameron
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick
Running time: 127 minutes

 

Artificial intelligence network Skynet sends back in time a highly advanced Terminator to kill the future leader of the human resistance, John Connor, when he was a teenage boy. The resistance sends back a repackaged and less advanced cyborg to protect John. With the help of the boy’s mother, Sarah Connor, who escapes from the facility where she was kept after the events of the first film, he will do his best to keep the killing machine away from John.

While the original Terminator was quite good, this one goes on all cylinders. Arnold Schwarzenegger is at his peak here, as the good guy this time. Everything was done to make his character memorable, and he pulled it off. Linda Hamilton was also truly badass in her role. Robert Patrick was never better. Even the kid was good. While this is not usually my type of movie, I cannot help absolutely loving this flick. The story is compelling, the acting was great and the director did a solid job too. And the special effects were amazing.

Rating: «««««

Two If By Sea (1996)

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Directed by: Bill Bennett
Starring: Colin Firth, Heather Graham, Minnie Driver
Running time: 96 minutes

 

Frank O’Brien is a petty thief who is trying to pull a last job with his girlfriend Roz, hoping to then settle down for a more normal life away from crime. They steal a valuable painting, with the hope of selling it to an unknown buyer. As they travel to the meeting point, on an island on the coast of New England, things unravel.

This is a silly film. The acting is very uninspired, the characters are all one dimensional, the story is full of clichés, and it all goes nowhere fast. The kid character brings a little sweetness to the deal, but, overall, this is a very forgettable movie, other than for the Nova Scotian scenery.

Rating: ««

Hope Springs (2003)

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Directed by: Mark Herman
Starring: Colin Firth, Heather Graham, Minnie Driver
Running time: 92 minutes

 

Colin Ware is a British artist that travels from the UK to the little town of Hope, is the US, as a means to run away from issues with his fiancée. In Hope, he meets Mandy, a nursing home worker, that helps him get over his heartbreak. Things get complicated when Vera, Colin’s fiancée, tracks him down in America.

As your run-of-the-mill rom-com, this film is nothing much to write home about. It is not great, but it is not bad either. The acting itself is decent. It is filled with clichés, but it is not without charm. A nice little simple movie for a slow night where one does not want to think too much.

Rating: «««

Dans l'ombre du Star Wars Kid (2022)

Genre: Franco / Documentary
Réalisation: Mathieu Fournier
Distribution: Ghyslain Raza
Durée: 80 minutes

 

En 2002, Ghyslain Raza, alors adolescent, est devenu une célébrité virtuelle planétaire bien malgré lui lorsqu’une vidéo le montrant en train d’imiter un personnage des films Star Wars a été mise sur Internet sans sa permission. Après avoir été ridiculisé en privé et sur la place publique, celui qui est maintenant un homme adulte s’est construit une bonne vie. Ce documentaire permet de faire la lumière sur cette folle aventure qui était tellement imprévisible au début des années 2000.

Ce documentaire est fort intéressant. Il offre un regard captivant sur les dérapages de la technologie. C’est vraiment fou de voir l’impact que certains comportements en ligne peuvent avoir sur la vie des gens. Heureusement, dans ce cas-ci, le jeune homme a été bien entouré et a démontré beaucoup de résilience. Je le recommande fortement. Très bon film.

Rating: «««««

The Terminator (1984)

Genre: Science-fiction /Action
Directed by: James Cameron
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton
Running time: 107 minutes

 

Two beings travel through time from 2029 to 1984. One is a cyborg assassin called The Terminator, whose mission is to kill a woman named Sarah Connor. The other is a human soldier named Kyle Reese who is sent to protect Sarah from The Terminator.

While not as flashy as the sequel that would follow, The Terminator offers a compelling story with some good action and a good pace to it. The film maximized Arnold Schwarzenegger’s acting chops, with lots of looking menacing and very few lines. While I am not usually a fan of the genre, this film was lots of fun. Some solid light entertainment that keeps you hooked while it lasts.

Rating: ««««

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011)

Genre: Comedy / Christmas
Directed by: Todd Strauss-Schulson
Cast: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris
Running Time: 102 minutes

 

Seven years after escaping from Guantanamo Bay, Harold and Kumar have grown apart and stopped speaking to each other. Harold has a job and is in a committed relationship, while his former roommate is still spending most of his time smoking dope. After two years of not speaking to each other at all, Kumar delivers to Harold a package he received for him at the apartment. It contains a giant marijuana joint that burns down the family Christmas tree that Harold’s father-in-law proudly brought over. Hoping to replace it before anybody notice, Harold and Kumar go on another adventure to track down the exact same tree.

The premise is still, but this third installment in the Harold and Kumar franchise remains very entertaining. The chemistry between the two main actors is strong, and the return of Neil Patrick Harris for a cameo was a nice touch. The guy is funny. Danny Trejo’s presence as the father-in-law was also a nice surprise. This was better than anyone could expect it to be.

Rating: «««

Sinister (2012)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, James Ransone
Time: 109 minutes

 

Ellison Oswalt is a true crime writer that moves in a small Pennsylvania town with his wife and his two kids. He hopes to write a new book about the murder of a family in that town. Unbeknownst to everyone but Ellison, the murders happened behind their new house. The discovered of a series of Super 8 films and a projector in the attic soon put the whole family in grave supernatural danger.

Maybe I went in with the wrong expectations, but Sinister left me greatly disappointed. The story never really pulled me in and the acting felt uninspired. A few moments were truly shocking and shook me, giving me hope for something better, but things settled down pretty fast each time. In the end, I was just happy when the whole thing was over.

Rating: ««

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Genre: Comedy / Drama
Directed by: John Hughes
Cast: Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson
Time: 97 minutes

 

A group of five students from different cliques at Shermer High School have to report to detention on the same Saturday morning for various offenses. They are being supervised by authoritarian vice principal Richard Vernon, who instructs them to write an essay about who they are. Instead, the five kids argue, talk, engage in silliness and learn to know each other as humans.

This film is seen as a classic, and that is certainly understandable. It is a very cool coming-of-age story about the youth of a generation. It might have been made before I was at that age, but it still resembles what high school would be to me later. The Jock and The Bad Boy get the girls, while The Nerd does everyone’s homework. And seems happy to do so. And a delinquent will win over the girl if he’s cute enough and if his sob story is strong enough. He becomes a mystery to save from himself.

Even if this all rings true, it still feels a little clichéd. As such, it is a little predictable. Nonetheless, this movie is also loaded with strong acting performance and a compelling story about fighting the authority and finding yourself. I can relate.

Rating: ««««

C'mon C'mon (2021)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Mike Mills
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Woody Norman, Gaby Hoffman
Time: 108 minutes

 

Johnny is a radio journalist who travels around America with a crew to interview kids about their thoughts on life and the future. Johnny goes to Los Angeles to watch his 9-year-old nephew Jesse, while his sister Viv travels to Oakland to deal with her estranged husband Paul, who is having mental issues. As the situation takes longer than expected, Johnny takes Jesse with him on the road. While their relationship is tense, they end up bonding in a very special way.

 This is beautiful emotional story that is brilliantly carried on screen by Joaquin Phoenix and Woody Norman. The former has proven himself many times before. The latter, despite his young age, shows great promise. The film being black-and-white helps in creating a more intimate feel for the story, and the direction as a whole was very tastefully done. A film I shall revisit for sure down the line. This ia very poetic movie.

Rating: «««««

Seven Psychopaths (2012)

Genre: Comedy / Drama
Directed by: Martin McDonagh
Cast: Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken
Time: 110 minutes

 

Marty is a drinking writer with writing problems trying hard to finish a screenplay called Seven Psychopaths. His best friend, Billy, is involved in a money-making scheme, with partner Hans, where they kidnap dogs and then bring them back to the owners to collect the reward. Things go sour, and Marty becomes involve in the mess, when Billy and Hans kidnap a Shih Tzu owned by a violent gangster.

This is multi-layered dark comedy where we go back-and-forth between the story and the imagined world of one of the characters. As such, it requires quite a bit of focus. Thanks to a well-crafted and intelligent story, some funny lines and a great ensemble cast, this is a very good movie. Things might feel like a mess to understand at times, but, overall, this was an entertaining film. It was also a nice treat to see Tom Waits work again as an actor.

Rating: ««««

Deux épisodes dans la vie d'Hubert Aquin (1979)

 Genre: Franco / Documentary
Réalisation: Jacques Godbout
Distribution: Hubert Aquin (archives)
Durée: 57 minutes

 

Ce document jette un regard percutant sur la vie et la mort de l’auteur québécois Hubert Aquin. Il est question de son implication dans le monde politique, de son travail dans le milieu littéraire, de son œuvre ainsi que de ses combats personnels avec l’idée du suicide. Ce film offre des images d’archives d’Aquin, ainsi que des entretiens avec diverses personnes l’ayant connu ou côtoyé. La scène où sa conjointe discute de la journée lors de laquelle il allait s’enlever la vie est particulièrement prenante. Elle le regardait partir sachant très bien ce qu’il allait faire. Un documentaire à voir pour en découvrir plus sur un personnage fort complexe de la littérature québécoise. C’est un documentaire un peu bizarre, mais très intéressant.

Rating: ««««

Waiting... (2005)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Rob McKittrick
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Justin Long, Anna Faris
Time: 94 minutes

 

A group of friends spend their time doing not much more than partying in between shifts at a local restaurant called Shenaniganz. One of them, Dean, is questioning his future endeavors and whether he wants to remain a waiter for much longer.

There is a lot of silliness here, but a lot of the humor is funny enough to make this movie somewhat entertaining. The cast greatly helped get as much juice as possible out of the little fruit offered by the storyline.

Rating: «««