Me, Myself & Irene (2000)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Bobby and Peter Farrelly
Cast: Jim Carrey, Renée Zellweger, Chris Cooper
Time: 116 minutes

 

Charlie Baileygates is a veteran Rhode Island state trooper. All of his life, he has been a pushover, avoiding conflicts and confrontation at all costs. Years earlier, his wife left him for the man she cheated on him with (the limo driver from their wedding). Charlie bottled up his emotions even more and went on raising the triplets that were clearly not his, biologically speaking. After years of refusing to deal with reality, Charlie develops a form of schizophrenia. A second personality, Hank, starts emerging from him in times of stress. As he is tasked with driving a woman named Irene to upstate New York to appear in court on a hit-and-run matter, Charlie sees his two personalities fight for the love of the same woman.

This is your typical Farrelly brothers flicks, with over-the-top humor and antics. While this is not as great as some of the best movies, Jim Carrey’s performance raises the material to another level. This film was made to showcase Carrey’s natural knack for physical humor. That scene where his two personalities physically fight each other is particularly memorable.

Some folks got offended by the portrayal of mental illness, but, really, this is a comedy, not a documentary. You cannot take that stuff seriously. A fun film that I was happy to revisit years later.

Rating: ««««

C'est comme ça que je t'aime (2020-2024)

Genre: TV / Franco / Comedy
Distribution: Karine Gonthier-Hyndman, Patrice Robitaille, Marilyn Castonguay, François Létourneau
Nombre de saisons: 3

 

Entre 1974 et 1976, deux couples de Saint-Foy, en banlieue de Québec, se retrouvent en manque de passion dans leur vie qu’ils considèrent tous trop empreinte de platitude. Ils décident donc de se tourner vers le crime organisé pendant que les enfants sont au camp d’été.

J’ai toujours eu un faible pour l’univers que François Létourneau nous livre à l’écran dans les séries qu’il crée. C’est comme ça que je t’aime ne fait pas exception. Une ribambelle de personnages plus colorés les uns que les autres. Déjà que les personnages principaux sont forts en soit, disons qu’ils sont bien entourés.

Pour ce qui est du jeu des comédiens et comédiennes, rien à redire. C’est solide. L’intrigue m’a presque perdu à quelques petits moments, mais ça c’est terminé en force. Et l'effort mis à recréer les années 1970, bravo.

Rating: ««««

The Woods (2006)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Lucky McKee
Cast: Agnes Bruckner, Patricia Clarkson, Bruce Campbell
Time: 91 minutes

 

In 1965, a troubled teen named Heather Fasulo is sent to a New England all-girls private school located in an isolated wooded area. Soon after her arrival, Heather realizes that there might be this terrible hidden secret in this establishment and in the woods surrounding it.

Thinking back, I am trying to find a redeeming quality to this particular film, and I cannot find it. The plot is slim, the acting is horrible, and it just feels like 90 wasted minutes. There was nothing to hook me and pull me in.

Rating: «

Funkytown (2011)

Genre: Franco / Drama
Réalisation: Daniel Roby
Distribution: Patrick Huard, Justin Chatwin, Paul Doucet, Sarah Mulch
Durée: 132 minutes

 

À la fin des années 70, c’est l’ère du disco, et Montréal n’y échappe pas. Bastien Lavallée est le roi du disco à Montréal. Vedette locale, il fait la pluie et le beau temps à la télé et dans les clubs, comme le Starlight. Dans son entourage, il y a aussi Jonathan Aaeronson, une autre vedette de la radio et de la télé ; Tino, un garçon de restaurant qui est danseur disco dans ses temps libres ; Adriana, une mannequin qui aspire à devenir chanteuse disco ; Gilles Lefebvre, un réalisateur de disque et propriétaire de club aux pratiques discutables ; Mimi, une ancienne chanteuse de gogo sur le déclin, et bien plus encore.

Ce film comporte des personnages fictifs, mais certains sont inspirés de vraies personnalités. Bastien Lavallée est inspiré d’Alain Montpetit et Jonathan Aaronson de Coco Douglas Leopold. On nous rend bien l’époque du disco à Montréal. Il y a un sentiment d’authenticité dans les décors, les costumes et les looks. On y voit un monde de fête, d’hédonisme, de débauche et de drogue.

Il semble y avoir un excès de personnages dans ce film, ce qui fait que l’histoire s’en va un peu dans tous les sens. Il aurait été utile de réduire à cet égard. C’est aussi bizarre d’avoir mis de nouveaux noms sur des gens qui ont vraiment existé, mais de relater des événements assez proches de la réalité de ces personnalités connues. L’aspect légal qui l’a emporté, j’imagine. Somme toute, Funkytown est un film correct et divertissant le temps que ça dure. Comme le disco, en fait.

Rating: «««

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Tom Shadyac
Cast: Jim Carrey, Sean Young, Courteney Cox
Time: 86 minutes

 

After the Miami Dolphins’ mascot Snowflake is kidnapped, the football team’s publicist decides to hire Ace Ventura, a very eccentric man who calls himself a Pet Detective, to work on the case, alongside the Miami Police.

This is my 1500^th review for this blog. On this momentous occasion, I decided to revisit a film that holds a special place in my heart. I had not seen it again since I started this blog, so it was cool to see it again with older eyes. I still remember the discovery of this film and of Jim Carrey’s work. Then, kids at my school keet repeating the taglines. It was a phenomenon.

The film is a little dated, looking at it 30 years later, but it is still a lot of fun. Yes, Carrey’s antics are over-the-top, but they are so entertaining — to me, anyways. The story is nothing complicated, but that is normal for this type of comedy. It doesn’t take itself seriously, it just aims to entertain. In that sense, mission accomplished.

Rating: ««««

Lone Survivor (2013)

Genre: Biographical / Action
Directed by: Peter Berg
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster
Time: 121 minutes

 

Set during the war in Afghanistan, this film is a dramatized account of the true events of Operation Red Wings, where the US Navy SEALs were unsuccessful in their mission to track down Taliban leader Ahmad Shah. This film is based on the non-fiction book of the same name, written by Marcus Luttrell, who ended up being the lone survivor of his group.

This film offers a really compelling account of courage and survival, and of honor in the face of danger. Some of those scenes felt so real, I could feel the pain of the characters on screen. Some solid acting across the board. Took me a while to get hooked, but, by the end, I was truly in.

Rating: ««««

American Gun (2005)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Aric Avelino
Cast: Linda Cardellini, Tony Goldwyn, Marcia Gay Harden, Forrest Whitaker
Time: 95 minutes

 

This film deals with three different stories where gun use is involved. There is the mother of a kid who killed multiple people in a school shooting, a principal trying to keep the violence out of his school and an A student who works in her family’s gun store while dealing with difficult circumstances in her life.

This film suffers from a clear lack of focus. It deals with too many elements, considering its duration, and it ends up scratching not much more than the surface in each one. There were some touching parts, but, in the end, I kept waiting for something bigger to come, and it just fell flat. It felt like the aim was to moralize and not do much more.

Rating: ««

Once Bitten (1985)

Genre: Comedy / Horror
Directed by: Howard Storm
Cast: Lauren Hutton, Jim Carrey, Karen Kopins
Time: 94 minutes

 

Mark Kendall is high school student whose biggest wish is to lose his virginity. He has a girlfriend, Robin, but she is hesitant to do the deed, as she wants it to be special. While out at a Hollywood nightclub with his two best friends, Mark is seduced by a blonde Countess. Unbeknownst to him, she is a centuries-old vampire who needs three doses of blood from the same virgin before Halloween to stay young.

This is the first leading role for Jim Carrey in a feature film. The plot is silly, but the film does not seem to take itself seriously, which gives it some charm. The acting itself is okay. There are some funny lines here and there, and we can catch a glimpse of the antics that would later make Carrey famous. There are some scenes of facial mugging in a store and a dance scene that are particularly worth seeing.

Rating: «««

Johnny Got His Gun (1971)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Dalton Trumbo
Cast: Timothy Bottoms, Kathy Fields, Marsha Hunt
Time: 111 minutes

 

During World War 1, Joe Bonham is a young American soldier who gets severely injured by an artillery shell. He wakes up in the hospital having lost his eyes, his mouth, his ears, his nose, and his limbs. He is presumed to be in a vegetative state, but his mind is alive, and he finds himself stuck in what is left of his body. As he alternated between fantasy and reminiscing about his past, he tries to find a way to communicate again with the outside world.

This film is based on the 1938 novel of the same name, by Dalton Trumbo. It gained cult status after being used by Metallica in their music video for the song One. This is an epic anti-war film. It rattled me to the core. You can feel the plight of the main character, who is stuck in a shell of a body. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I adore this one.

Rating: «««««

Buffalo '66 (1998)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Vincent Gallo
Cast: Vincent Gallo, Christina Ricci, Ben Gazzara, Mickey Rourke, Anjelica Huston
Time: 110 minutes

 

Billy Brown is released from prison after spending five years in prison for taking the rap for someone else’s crime. Before going home, he kidnaps a young tap dancer named Layla and he convinces her to pretend to be his wife in front of his parents. After leaving his parent’s place, Billy and Layla kill time together, as the former convict ponders on his plan to assassinate the former Buffalo Bills kicker he blames for the gambling debt that caused his demise and sent him to prison for something he did not do.

This independent film is a very interesting character study. The plot is slow and deliberate, and the acting is very good. These characters feel truly degenerate and real. The way this was shot made it feel authentically old. The end felt a little too artsy to be, and it lost me a little bit, but the way there had me hooked.

Rating: ««««

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

 Genre: Fantasy
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Live Tyler
Time: 201 minutes

 

Frodo Baggins and Sam continue to long and difficult journey to Mordor, following Gollum, whose hiding evil plans behind his role as a guide. In the meantime, the rest of Fellowship and joining forces with other allies to fight against Sauron and the legions from Mordor.

The same preface applies here. This type of film is not my cup of tea, but I have to give props for the visuals and the acting. I might have suffered from Lord of the Rings fatigue by the end of this third installment, because I enjoyed this one a little less. Good, Frodo did it, let’s move on.

Rating: ««

The Monuments Men (2014)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: George Clooney
Cast: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin
Time: 118 minutes

 

A group of museum directors, curators, art historians and an architect are assembled to travel to Europe during World War 2 for a secret mission aimed at reclaiming art pieces stolen by the Nazis in an effort to preserve them from destruction.

With such an ensemble cast, I think my expectations were a little too high. The premise is interesting, with a story inspired by true events, but the film itself seemed to lack direction. The story was moving along all over the place, without focus. The intent was brought out in the end, and I got what they were aiming for, but the delivery was a little chaotic. The actors still looked like they had fun, and there were some good lines here and there.

Rating: «««

The Young Victoria (2009)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Jean-Marc Vallée
Cast: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany
Time: 105 minutes

 

This period drama focuses on the early life and reign of Queen Victoria. It deals with how she got to the throne, with the early hardships of her reign and with the birth of her relationship with her husband, Prince Albert.

I am usually not a big fan of the period pieces involving British characters and of the Royal family subject matter. I decided to give this one a chance as a fan of the director, Jean-Marc Vallée. I was pleasantly surprised. The acting was solid and the story was compelling, with a focus on love winning over difficult circumstances. The film ended up touching my anti-monarchist heart. Well done.

Rating: ««««

Bon Jovi: This Left Feels Right (2004)

Genre: Musical
Directed by: Anthony M. Bongiovi
Cast: Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Tico Torres, David Bryan
Time: 108 minutes

 

Recorded live in a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, this concert followed the release by Bon Jovi of their album called This Left Feels Right. On this album, they revisit some of their hits with new arrangements. In most case, sadly, the reinvention is not successful. This show has somewhat of an acoustic feel to it, which is not a bad thing, but most of the versions pale so much in comparison to the originals track that it is hard not to be disappointed. There a few bright spots, such as Wanted Dead or Alive and the cover of Dr. Hook’s Sylvia’s Mother, but, by the end, I just wanted this show to end.

Rating: ««

Cayouche, le temps d'une bière

Genre: Franco / Documentary
Réalisation: Marc-André Aubin
Distribution: Cayouche, Johnny Comeau,
Running time: 52 minutes

 

Ce documentaire nous plonge dans l’univers unique du chanteur country acadien Réginald Charles Gagnon, connu de tous sous le surnom de Cayouche. On y entend Cayouche lui-même, ainsi que son gérant et des proches, et on y voit le sujet du film visiter de la famille et des amis. On en apprend plus sur l’homme derrière le personnage. Une partie importante du film demeure un voyage en France de Cayouche, qui y découvre ses racines, et qui visite par la même occasion la Normandie, où tant de soldats acadiens ont perdu la vie durant la guerre.

Avec le récent décès de Cayouche, j’ai décidé de revisiter ce petit documentaire, qui est à la fois drôle et touchant. On y voit l’humain derrière le personnage de hippy hurluberlu.

Rating: «««««