Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)

Genre: Action / Comedy
Directed by: Adil & Bilall
Cast: Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Vanessa Hudgens
Running Time: 115 minutes

 

After Mike Lowrey marries his therapist and Marcus Burnett recovers from a health scare, the two Miami police detective find out their late captain, Conrad Howard, is being falsely accused of involvement in a conspiracy. Being suspected themselves, they spring into action with some help from their friends and family to clear the name of their lost friend.

This is a fun film, loaded with laughs and action. The plot was effective and to the point, and the cast know their roles by now. I love how the filmmakers adapted their material to modern technology. Well done. A few lulls here and there, but, overall, quite entertaining.

 

Rating: ««««

Saturday Night (2024)

Genre: Biographical / Comedy / Drama
Directed by: Jason Reitman
Cast: Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt
Time: 109 minutes

 

This film details the events leading to the TV show NBC’s Saturday Night — later known as Saturday Night Live — first going on the air in October 1975, with a hectic schedule, technical difficulties, NBC execs not fully on board and a dysfunctional cast.

As a big fan of Saturday Night Live, I wanted to see this film, but I had some apprehensions. I was worried about this depiction of reality feeling like a caricature that messes with the substance of the subject. There is none of that here. You can tell the filmmakers loved the subject, and the cast members were great in their respective roles.

Brilliant film. The pace was crazy, but it was what was needed to convey what happened that night.

Rating: «««««

The Menendez Brothers (2024)

Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Alejandro Hartmann
Cast: Erik Menendez, Lyle Menendez, Alan Abrahamson, Pamela Bozanich
Time: 159 minutes

 

This documentary takes a look at the murder, in 1989, of couple Jose and Kitty Menendez by their sons, Lyle and Erik, and at the two massive trials that ensued. Having been in jail for now more than 30 years, the two brothers were interviewed to discuss their side of the story. A recent Tik Tok rally started with folks saying that the two men have been imprisoned long enough and should be set free, as their crime was not due to greed but brought on by years of abuse and fear.

This film is so compelling. It goes in great details over all the events that led to the crime and over all that came after. It is so interesting to hear from the two killers over 30 years later. This particular documentary is sure to bring on a lot of discussions over the next few months.

Rating: «««««

Dressed to Kill (1980)

Genre: Thriller
Directed by: Brian De Palma
Cast: Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen
Time: 104 minutes

 

Kate Miller is a sexually frustrated housewife who visits psychiatrist Dr. Robert Elliott, flirting with him in the process. Later, after having an affair with a complete stranger, she gets murdered in the elevator of her apartment building by a mysterious woman wielding a straight razor. Liz Blake, a high-priced call girl, witnesses the murder and becomes the target of the killer. Teaming with Kate Miller’s teenage son, she tries to figure out who did it.

This film created a lot of controversy back in the day, for its exploitative nature. By today’s standards, it is not so bad. There are a few graphic scenes, I will admit. Some of the acting, especially by Dickinson and Allen, is somewhat over-the-top. That being said, stylistically, this is a very entertaining whodunit kind of movie. De Palma did a good job with the genre, setting some cool atmospheres throughout.

Rating: ««««

The Sweetest Thing (2002)

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Directed by: Roger Kumble
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate, Selma Blair, Thomas Jane
Time: 85 minutes

 

Christina Walters is an interior designer that is known as a player on the dating scene. She hangs out with her best friends Courtney and Jane, and she makes a conscious effort never to get attached to the men she goes out with. All of this changes one evening when she meets a man named Peter in a club. Peter challenges her a bit, and she finds herself falling for him more and more.

This is a comedy written by Nancy Pimental, who wrote it based on her relationship with her friend Kate Walsh. It seems that her objective was to show that women can be just as crude and as playful on the dating scene as men. Mission accomplished.

As such, it is an entertaining flick, albeit very silly. A few scenes made me laugh out of loud. The ensemble is a little flimsy, story-wise, which is unfortunate. With such a loaded cast, stronger material could have made a killing.

Rating: «««

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009)

Genre: Action / Thriller
Directed by: Troy Duffy
Cast: Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Julie Benz, Peter Fonda, Billy Connolly
Time: 117 minutes

 

Eight years after the events of the first film, fraternal twin brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus are living a quiet life in Ireland with their father Noah. After a hired assassin attempts to frame them with the murder of a priest, the brothers return to Boston, where they team with a Mexican underground fighter to settle the issue.

While not completely uninteresting, I feel like the original should have been left alone. This extension to the story was not necessary. There were some good battles and some funny lines, but it dragged on way too long. They are talking of a third installment in the franchise. Personally, I think they should not bother.

Rating: ««

Une manière de vivre (2019)

Genre: Franco / Drama
Réalisation: Micheline Lanctôt
Distribution: Laurent Lucas, Rose-Marie Perreault, Gabrielle Lazure, Pierre-Luc Lafontaine
Durée: 118 minutes

 

Colette perd son mari, qui se suicide dans un accident de voiture. En plus de la culpabilité qu’elle ressent, elle doit aussi composer avec sa fille Gabrielle, une jeune femme boulimique, avec qui elle entretient une relation tumultueuse. Gabrielle, qui gagne surtout sa vie comme escorte de luxe, entreprend de séduire Joseph, un professeur belge spécialiste de Spinoza qui est en ville pour une conférence.

Le début du film m’avait accroché, mais quand le tout a pris un virage abrupte avec le périple interminable de Joseph dans le Nord québécois, j’ai peu à peu décroché. À la fin, j’avais tout simplement hâte que le tout se termine. Il y a du bon ici, mais, malheureusement, il y a plus de mauvais.

Rating: ««