Well, hello there, kind folks. If you’re visiting this blog of mine, I presume that you have a certain interest in the cinema. As for me, even since my early childhood, I have had a deep love of everything related to movies and television. As far as I can remember, I have been more at ease in front of a screen than in the yard, outside, playing. It is a great way to travel, though other people’s stories, without having to foot any kind of steep bill. Over the years, I feel that movie-watching has even fuelled my own creativity.

All that being said, I welcome you in my Cinephile’s Nest. I hope you enjoy it here, feel free to come back at any time. Here you will find reviews of current movies and older ones. TV shows also. Some classics that have remained some of my favourites, some that have disappointed me. I will use a very basic star (*) system to grade them from 1 to 5 (5 being sliced bread level). Remember, these are just my tastes. I will try to explain in each review what I liked about these particular movies, without giving spoilers.

Il y aura aussi des critiques en français pour les films francophones, car j'aime également le cinéma dans ma langue maternelle. Avant d'apprendre l'anglais, plus jeune, je louais des tonnes de films traduits en français, surtout ceux de Bud Spencer et Terrence Hill. Ma mère a eu le choc de sa vie lorsqu'un jour, dans la boîte d'un de ces films, Deep Throat avait malencontreusement inséré. Une expérience formatrice pour le jeune cinéphile que je suis.

Bienvenue à tous, amusez-vous bien.

I welcome you all here, enjoy yourself.

Monday, March 7, 2016

Eddie the Eagle (2016)

Genre: Biographical
Directed by: Dexter Fletcher
Starring: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman
Running time: 105 minutes



This film is based on the true story of Eddie Edwards, a British man whose sole dream from the time he was a very young boy was to be one day be an Olympian. Having had poor health as a child, Eddie was never a natural athlete. As a matter of fact, he sucked at sports. But, through absolute determination, he found his discipline of choice, ski jumping, and made it to the 1988 Winter Olympics, in Calgary.

It is a rare thing in cinema, but there are cases where an acting performance is so solid that you forget that there are actors at work and you just feel like you are seeing real people living their lives before your eyes. Eddie the Eagles offers two great examples of that. Taron Egerton’s transformation into the title character is as good as it gets, feeling real without falling into the trap of caricature. Hugh Jackman is also amazing as the fictional character of Bronson Peary, a former ski jumper who works as a snow groomer and spends his nights drinking. Peary becomes Eddie’s coach in the movie, and Jackman makes you believe the plight of the man trying to find his spark back.

A cameo by Christopher Walken was also a nice touch at the end.

Eddie the Eagle was strongly criticized for its heavy-handed attempt at inspirational movie-making. Those accusations may have a bit of merit, but, in the end, this film charmed me. It was inspirational, but, in my opinion, it did not go way overboard into tear-jerking melodrama. It was sweet, but I could stand it. Overall, it was a very good movie.


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