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.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Rudderless (2014)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: William H. Macy
Cast: Billy Crudup, Felicity Huffman, Anton Yelchin
Running time: 105 minutes



Sam Manning is a successful man working in an advertising firm. His life falls apart the day his son Josh kills six other students in the college library before dying himself. Finding it hard to grieve amidst all of the media attention, Sam turns to the bottle and totally separates himself from his high-rolling life. He moves into a sailboat on a lake far from home and finds some work as a contractor assistant. One day, having found the strength to clean out her son’s room, Sam’s ex-wife brings him a box of CD’s containing songs Josh wrote and recorded himself on his computer. Sam starts playing these songs at a local tavern, never telling anyone who their true author is, and he soon ends up in a band. As it tends to happen, the past that Sam is trying to bury deep inside him is bound to come out.

I did not quite know what to expect from this film, which was William H. Macy’s first as a director. He did a fine job here. It is a loaded storyline, but, within the confines of a movie lasting less than 2 hours, he managed to stay on track and tell an interesting story that kept me hooked all the way through. Rudderless does not reinvent the wheel, since stories of parents having to cope with crimes done by their kids have been told before, but Macy puts a nice spin on his version and makes it compelling.

Billy Crudup was the highlight of the film for me. Both his acting and his singing were good. Kudos also to Anton Yelchin, who did some solid work in the role of Quentin, Sam’s young protégé, whose mind is set of forming a band with the older man.

The soundtrack of Rudderless is also a nice treat; the songs are very good.

Overall, this is a very good movie that is well worth watching.
Rating: ««««



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