Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008)

 Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg
Cast: John Cho, Kal Penn, Danneel Harris
Running Time: 102 minutes

 

Following the events of the first film, best friends Harold Lee and Kumar Patel embark on an improvised trip to Amsterdam, to make a surprise visit to Harold’s new flame. Unfortunately, a marijuana incident have Harold and Kumar mistaken for terrorists. Sent to Guantanamo Bay, they manage to escape. While on the run, they rekindle some old relationships as they try to get themselves out of trouble.

While it offers an interesting, albeit exaggerated for effect, look at racism in America, this film is mostly made to incite laughter. In that sense, it does an okay job. Again, the chemistry between the two leads helps a lot. Some very funny material here. Some jokes miss the mark, while others would have been better if tightened up a bit. Overall, an entertaining turn-your-brain-off movie.

Rating: «««

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

 Genre: Superhero
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church
Running Time: 139 minutes

 

All the while being overtaken by an extraterrestrial symbiote that alters his personality, Peter Parker must juggle Spider-Man’s newfound fame in New York, his rocky relationship with MJ and three new villains: his former best friend Harry Osborn; Flint Marko, uncle Ben’s true killer, who is turned into The Sandman by a freak accident, and Eddie Brock, a rival photographer at the Daily Bugle, who then becomes Venom.

While the visual effects are evidently still spectacular, this third installment in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man franchise suffers greatly from a lack of focus. There are too many villains, with too many switches and swerves also. It is like they tried to squeeze three movies into one. The acting is mostly good, though that dance scene and the teary-eyed stuff at the end was overly sappy for no good reason.

Rating: ««

Hello I Must Be Going (2012)

Genre: Drama/Comedy
Directed by: Todd Louiso
Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Blythe Danner, Christopher Abbott
Running Time: 95 minutes

 

Amy Minsky sacrificed her own dreams for her relationship. Now, divorced at the end of 35, she temporarily moves back in with her parents, and her depressed presence in the house creates uneasiness related to her father’s job. with some important clients about to come over for crucial meetings. An impromptu relationship with a 19-year-old friend of the family helps Amy find her self esteem again.

This is a very mature comedy-drama with characters that feel very real. It is a look at dysfunctional families and relationships. It is a very compelling stories told on screen by a talented cast. There were a few moments where the filmmakers almost lost me, but, in the end, it was well done.

Rating: ««««

Pitch Perfect (2012)

Genre: Musical/Comedy
Directed by: Jason Moore
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Rebel Wilson
Running Time: 112 minutes

 

The Barden Bellas are an all-girl a cappella group from Barden University that have been trying for years to win the National competition, with a traditionalist number, but they always come short. With an influx of new talent, they might stand a chance, if uptight ringleader Aubrey agrees to let go of the reigns a little bit.

With a talented ensemble cast and some toe-tapping musical numbers, Pitch Perfect is a fun film, albeit very campy. Some of the performances are over-the-top and there is a lot of silliness involved, but it is entertaining for what it is. Special mention to Elizabeth Banks. Her performance was a highlight for me.

Rating: «««

1917 (2019)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Sam Mendes
Cast: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong
Running Time: 119 minutes

 

In the midst of Operation Alberich, during the First World War, two British soldiers are sent out on foot to carry a message to another troop to tell them to abort an attack that will see them fall victim to a German trap.

Sam Mendes, who cowrote and directed this film, was inspired by stories told by his paternal grandfather. You could feel his attachment to the material as it was treated with respect and realism. The story felt a little dry at first, to me, but, when I finally got caught up into it, I was hooked.  The acting was solid. There even were some nice surprises, with bigger names in smaller roles. The sets were well done. You could really feel the devastation looking at the screen. It felt real.

Rating: ««««

Uncle Buck (1989)

 Genre: Comedy
Directed by: John Hughes
Cast: John Candy, Jean Louisa Kelly, Macaulay Culkin
Running Time: 99 minutes

 

Buck Russell is a slobbish bachelor that has managed to avoid a real job, marriage and family life for all of his life. Then, his brother and his sister-in-law call on him to watch over their three kids, including a rebellious teenager, while they travel for a family emergency.

I had not seen this particular title in years. What a fun comedy, with a sweet and touching part to it. John Candy is so great in the title role. He makes you believe it wholeheartedly. Jean Louisa Kelly was really good too. She reminded me of my sister around that age, so I had no issue believing it. As for Macaulay Culkin, you could see a glimpse of what was to come.

There were a few off moments here and there, but, overall, I enjoyed this one very much.

Rating: ««««

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Genre: Superhero
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Alfred Molina
Running Time: 127 minutes

 

Two years after the events of the previous film, Peter Parker is crumbling under the pressure that being Spider-Man puts on his personal life. As he decides to hang up the superhero costume, a new threat comes around in the form of Harry Osborn, Peter Parker’s best friend, who took over as CEO of his father’s company, and Otto Octavius, a scientist who is transformed by a failed experiment into to Doctor Octopus, a major threat to the city.

This sequel was an improvement upon the first installment. The story is better mapped out, and the acting is also more solid. It was easier to get emotionally involved in the conflict within Peter Parker, who must chose between love, friendship and duty.

Rating: ««««

Killer Joe (2011)

 Genre: Comedy
Directed by: William Friedkin
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple
Running Time: 102 minutes

 

Chris Smith is a 22-year-old Dallas, Texas, drug dealer who owes a great deal of money to some bad people. He decides to hire Joe Cooper, a detective/hitman, to kill his mom so he can collect the life insurance money. Since he does not have the money to pay the hired killer upfront, Chris begrudgingly accepts that Joe will take his younger sister, Dottie, as a retainer.

This is very dark black comedy. All the cast members do an awesome job in their respective roles. The story is compelling, though it is truly nasty and decadent. Not for the weak of heart. I was not crazy about the quick ending, but, overall, I was entertained.

Rating: ««««

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)

 Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Danny Leiner
Cast: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris
Running Time: 88 minutes

 

After a brief evening of pot smoking, stoner best friends Harold Lee and Kumar Patel get a craving for some White Castle burgers. As they venture out into the world to find a location of the fast food restaurant to satisfy that craving, they find themselves in a one crazy adventure after another.

While a lot of humor in this silly buddy comedy is hit-and-miss, the chemistry between the two leads and the fun cameo by Neil Patrick Harris made this enjoyable.

Rating: «««

Je voudrais qu'on m'efface (2021)

 Genre: TV / Franco / Drama
Distribution: Sarah-Maxine Rozefort, Malik Gervais-Aubourg, Jean-Nicolas Verreault
Nombre de saisons: 1

 

Quatre enfants de trois familles différentes vivant dans le même immeuble à logements de Montréal, qui s’apprête à être vendu pour faire de la place à un projet de construction majeur, vivent de sérieuses problématiques dans leurs vies quotidiennes et à l’école en raison de leurs situations familiales précaires.

Très bonne série étalée sur huit épisodes. Le jeu des acteurs, même les plus jeunes, est fort crédible, et le scénario est très bien ficelé. Somme toute, un petit bijou qui vaut le détour, même si la fin semblait un peu rapide et trop parfaite.

Rating: ««««

Beginners (2010)

 Genre: Romantic Comedy / Drama
Directed by: Mike Mills
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent
Running Time: 105 minutes

 

As he starts a new relationship with a French actress he met at a costume party, Oliver looks back on the last moments of the life of his father, who, at the age of 75, after losing his wife, came out of the closet and was then diagnosed with terminal cancer.

This is a very compelling story of humans living their human lives. The pace is slow, but the screenplay is well done, the characters are well defined and the actors do a solid job. Overall, this is a very good film. It dragged in a few spots, but I was quite touched by this one.

Rating: ««««

Ghostbusters (2006)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Paul Feig
Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones
Running Time: 116 minutes

 

A group of four New York women interested in the supernatural, with their incompetent male assistant, form a ghost hunting business to rid their city of malevolent forces terrorizing it.

This was a reboot of the original franchise. I might get labeled as a misogynist for saying so, but I hated this movie. I like McCarthy and Wiig, but the material they were given here was subpar. The filmmakers were probably too busy cashing in on the girl-power aspect to bother create some good stuff for these talented women to perform on screen. It felt like an overly long SNL skit, with very lame one-dimensional characters. The only good thing about this film is that it ended.

Rating: «

Spider-Man (2002)

Genre: Superhero
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst
Running Time: 121 minutes

 

Peter Parker is a nerdy and socially-inept high school student. A spider bite suffered during a school trip to the museum gives him superpowers overnight. After his uncle Ben is murdered by an armed robber, Peter decides to become Spider-man, a superhero. Then, he has to contend with disgruntled scientist and businessman Norman Osborn, the father of his best friend, and his alter ego, Green Goblin.

I remember seeing this one when it first came out. I enjoyed it more then than now. It is still fun and entertaining, but, compared to the most recent superhero offerings, it pales. The main cast is mostly solid, but the supporting cast is weak here. The storyline is compelling, though some of the stuff feels overly sappy. Kirsten Dunst in a wet shirt, on the other hand, is still nice.

Rating: «««

The Devil's Rejects (2005)

 Genre: Comedy / Horror
Directed by: Rob Zombie
Cast: Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie
Running Time: 109 minutes

 

Following the horrific sacrifices perpetrated by the Firefly family in and around its secluded farmhouse, as depicted in House of 1,000 Corpses, Sheriff John Quincey Wydell makes a personal matter of finding and eliminating Captain Spaulding and his degenerate family.

This is the second film in the Firefly family trilogy directed by singer/filmmaker Rob Zombie. While I enjoyed the first one very much, this one is even better. The acting is better and the story is better panned out. While gruesome in its horror, the black comedy aspect of the film was well done too. I loved the dialogue a whole lot.

Rating: «««««

An American Crime (2007)

 Genre: Drama
Directed by: Tommy O’Haver
Cast: Elliot Page, Catherine Keener, Hayley McFarland
Running Time: 98 minutes

 

This film is based on the true story of sisters Sylvia and Jenny Likens, the daughters of carnival workers, who were left by their parents in the care of Gertrude Baniszewski, a poor woman with multiple jobs for little amounts of money. Gertrude Baniszewski saw two more children in her house as an opportunity for more money, but Sylvia soon became the target of horrible abuse at the hands of her caretaker and the rest of the family.

This film has a TV movie feel, but the acting makes it a lot better than you would expect from that genre. Elliot Page and Catherine Keener are both very solid in their respective roles. They carry this film on their shoulders. In spite of the TV movie feel, the director sets an atmosphere that is so heavy, in large part due to the subject matter. Some scenes are hard to take, when you realize this really happened. Thankfully, not everything is explicitly shot. The twist at the end was a ray of hope in a bleak setting. A mean trick that was if you do not know the endgame.

Rating: ««««

Chaos (2021)

 Genre: TV / Franco / Drama
Distribution: Simon Morin, Pascal Buissières, Carla Turcotte
Nombre de saisons: 1

 

INVO est un chanteur de renommée internationale qui revient finir sa tournée chez lui, à Montréal, au bar Santorini. Le soir de ce dernier spectacle de la tournée, une grave explosion tue quelques personnes et en blesse plusieurs autres. Pendant que les survivants et les membres de leur famille se remettent du choc, les autorités tenter de déterminer qui était derrière ce crime.

Honnêtement, je n’ai pas trouvé cette série hyper accrocheuse. Je me suis rendu à la fin par habitude et parce que je savais que c’était court. Je voulais voir le dénouement, qui a offert une belle surprise. Le chemin pour s’y rendre a été cahoteux. Le scénario contenait une tonne de choses qui ne faisaient aucun sens, les noms d’endroits et de personnages sonnaient faux, comme si on avait voulu se la jouer « cool », et le jeu était souvent trop gros.

Rating: ««

Antwone Fisher (2002)

 Genre: Biographical / Drama
Directed by: Denzel Washington
Cast: Derek Luke, Denzel Washington, Joy Bryant
Running Time: 120 minutes

 

This film is based on the true story of Antwone Fisher, a man whose rough childhood came to a head while he was a serviceman in the US Navy. After getting into a fight with a colleague, Fisher is sent to psychiatrist Dr. Jerome Davenport, who will try to help the young man get to the root of his issues.

This was Denzel Washington’s directorial debut, and he did a solid job. And, as usual, his acting was great too. The rest of the cast did quite well too to tell this touching story. I was hooked from start to finish, I was moved. A great movie.

Rating: «««««

Friends: The Reunion (2021)

Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Ben Winston
Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry
Running Time: 104 minutes

 

In a reunion special hosted by James Corden, the cast members of the sitcom Friends got together again, on set, to discuss the show with each other, with the creators of the show and with various other guests.

This reunion special had more meat on the bone than the Fresh Prince one, but it might have had to many. First off, seeing James Corden is never a fun experience. And there were too many pointless guests just to get a reaction. I wished they would have focused more on the main cast members, and a few special guests. The parts with the main six just talking were awesome.

Rating: «««

Ghostbusters II (1989)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver
Running Time: 108 minutes

 Five years after saving New York City from its supernatural enemy, The Ghostbusters have been sued for the property damage and then have disbanded. But, with another ghostly threat on the horizon, they have to spring back into action.

While most critics will not agree with my tastes, I much preferred this sequel to the first film. I fought the script more interesting and the lines funnier. While it is still silly to me and while supernatural material has not become my cup of tea, this was still to me. I enjoyed it for what it was.

Rating: «««

The Comeback Trail (2020)

 Genre: Comedy
Directed by: George Gallo
Cast: Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Morgan Freeman
Running Time: 104 minutes

 

Max Barber is a grindhouse movie producer who is heavily indebted to the mob. Hoping to save his skin and his company, he starts producing a Western with a suicidal aging movie star, hoping to kill the actor off and cash in on the insurance money.

It is nice to see so many talented actors of yesteryear still working it and having fun together on screen, with some younger talent in the mix. This is a fun little movie, with a nice comedic storyline. It is nothing extraordinary, but it not bad either. It is a good piece of entertainment while it lasts.

Rating: «««

The Flowers of War (2011)

Genre: Historical / Drama
Directed by: Zhang Yimou
Cast: Christian Bale, Ni Ni, Zhang Xinyi
Running Time: 146 minutes

 

Inspired by the true events of the attack on the Chinese city of Nanking by the Japanese Army, in 1937, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, this film tells the story of John Miller, an American mortician that takes refuge in a Nanking church with a group of young escapees, mostly girls, and a group of prostitutes. Acting as a priest, Miller tries his best to protect the other people in the church from the Japanese.

In spite of the fact that this movie relied a whole lot on young inexperienced actors and actresses, the acting here was superb. Beyond the language barrier, the emotions carried through. Christian Bale, as usual, is absolutely convincing as John Miller. This is a very difficult film to take. The war scenes are well done. The violence of some of the acts perpetrated are shocking. This film stayed with me long after it was done. I even had to take a break at one point to catch my emotional breath.

I could nitpick and find faults here, but, really, I love this film for what it is.

 Rating: «««««

Rolling Stone: Life and Death of Brian Jones (2019)

Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Danny Garcia
Cast: Terry O’Neill, Zouzou, Dick Taylor 

Running Time: 96 minutes

 

Former founding member of the blues/rock band The Rolling Stones, Brian Jones, lived quite the life before he was found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool, in 1969, at the age of 27. This documentary looks at the talented but troubled man’s life and at the mysterious circumstances surrounding his passing. Various people who knew him and who studied the case discuss the matter, but surviving members of the band were not involved.

As a huge Rolling Stones fan, I was quite interested in this documentary. I found it compelling. It rehashed some of the stuff that was well known, but it also dug a little deeper in some matters. Overall, I quite enjoyed it.

Rating: ««««

Ghostbusters (1984)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver
Running Time: 105 minutes

 

A group of three parapsychology professors at Columbia University start noticing that some paranormal activity is happening around New York City, so they form the Ghostbusters, a specialized team whose mission is to battle these ghostly presences.

As a movie buff, I felt it was weird that I had never seen this particular film. It just was not my thing. Maybe I am not the right public for it. I love most of the cast involved, but I am not big on the paranormal thing. I found the humor here silly and unfunny. I dig Bill Murray. Here, he basically played his usual schtick, but without the jokes. I also appreciate Aykroyd. Though many associate him with this particular title, he will always be Elwood Blues in my book. Rick Moranis made me chuckled a few times, but I was pretty bored with Ghostbusters.

Overall, I know this is considered a classic. It is simply not one I intend to revisit over and over.

Rating: ««

Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! (2017)

 Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Morgan Spurlock
Cast: Morgan Spurlock
Running Time: 93 minutes

 

Over a decade after making his first film on the fast food industry and more precisely McDonald’s, Morgan Spurlock is back. Now, he digs into how the fast food industry evolved to look more virtuous than it actually is. In the process, the filmmaker gets involved in the poultry business and opens his own chicken fast food restaurant.

This is a fascinating documentary. While the subject matter is not one that I am particularly interested it, Spurlock manages to make it something I want to keep on watching. With a good dose of humor and humanity, he pulls you in. He gets a little preachy at times, but it is a documentary, so an agenda comes with that. Overall, a good follow-up to the first film.

Rating: ««««

The Rolling Stones: Some Girls: Live in Texas '78 (2011)

 Genre: Musical
Directed by: Lynn Lenau Calmes
Cast: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, Charlie Watts
Running Time: 85 minutes

 

Recorded live on stage in 1978, in Fort Worth, Texas, this concert was part of The Rolling Stones’ tour for their Some Girls album. Here they performed a blues-tinged rock show like only they can. It felt dirty and raunchy. I can only imagine what it must have been like live. The only fault I can find here is that I would have taken more.

Rating: ««««

Switch (1991)

 Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Blake Edwards
Cast: Ellen Barkin, Jimmy Smits, JoBeth Williams
Running Time: 103 minutes

 

Steve Brooks is a womanizing and misogynistic ad man who gets killed one night by three women he has been seeing. He ends up in purgatory, where he is given a chance to go back to Earth. If he can find one female that really likes him, he will go to heaven. Otherwise, hell it is. So Steve goes back to his life, but with his soul in the body of a beautiful blonde woman.

Based on the George Axelrod play titled Goodbye Charlie, this film had a good premise that offered some potential for fun comedy. Unfortunately, that potential was wasted on a lot of silliness and ordinary acting. Briefly, in the middle part, this movie started to entertain me. But, it started weak and ended weak. That is too bad.

I must say that, for a 90's movie, Switch had very much a 80's feel, and not in a good way.

Rating: ««

Le guide de la famille parfaite (2021)

Genre: Franco / Comedy / Drama
Réalisation : Ricardo Trogi
Distribution: Louis Morissette, Emilie Bierre, Catherine Chabot
Durée: 101 minutes

 

Martin Dubois est un vendeur d’assurance avec un grand focus sur l’excellence. Il a de grandes aspirations pour sa fille de 16 ans, Rose. Malheureusement, cette dernière commence à crouler sous la pression mise sur ses épaules par son paternel, ce qui mine grandement leur relation autrefois solide.

Cette comédie dramatique offre un regard assez juste et percutant sur la vie familiale à l’ère moderne, avec toute son évolution et tous ses travers. C’est clair que les choses ne sont plus comme dans ma jeunesse. En ce sens, ce film est très réaliste. Avec un scénario fort solide et des comédiens et comédiennes jouant très bien leur rôle, Le guide de la famille moderne est un film que j’ai beaucoup aimé.

Rating: ««««

Super Size Me (2004)

Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Morgan Spurlock
Cast: Morgan Spurlock
Running Time:98 minutes

 

In light of the rising amount of obesity in America and of the increasing corporate influence of the fast-food industry, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock embarked on a 30-day social experiment of eating nothing but McDonald’s three times a day, while exercising as little as humanly possible. Over the course of a month, while he was being monitored by a few doctors and a dietician, Spurlock’s health quickly deteriorated.

I remember seeing this documentary when it first came out. I loved it then and it was still good. It is quite an eye opener. Though, I must say, the stuff about Jared of Subway fame has not aged so well.

Rating: ««««

Sparkle (2012)

Genre: Musical / Drama
Directed by: Salim Akil
Cast: Jordin Sparks, Whitney Houston, Derek Luke
Running Time:116 minutes

 

Sparkle Anderson is a talented singer and songwriter. but she lacks confidence, so she hangs on as a second fiddle in a Motown girl group with her two sisters, in defiance of their overprotecting mother, a failed singer in her own right.

This Supremes-inspired story is a remake of the 1976 original. A nice update was done to the story, which gave it a fresher feel, in spite of the fact that the events are set in the 60’s. While the 60’s aura was still there, the tale being told felt more realistic. Unfortunately, the acting often did not come off the screen like in the original.

This was Whitney Houston’s last film performance before her untimely death.

Rating: «««

Slumber Party Massacre II (1987)

Genre: Horror / Comedy
Directed by: Deborah Brock
Cast: Crystal Bernard, Kimberly McArthur, Juliette Cummins
Running Time:75 minutes

 

Now a high school senior, Courtney Bates, who survived the tragic events of the first film, is still haunted by nightmares. She decides to have a birthday party weekend with three of her girlfriends at a private condo. Some boys show up, and then an uninvited supernatural guess comes around with a power drill shaped like a guitar.

While the first installment in this franchise was entertaining and seemed to carry a certain message, this sequel felt truly stupid and pointless. The plot made no sense, the acting was bad and the horror scenes were laughable, and not even in a good self-deprecating way. And there was barely any nudity to at least put a sprinkle of fun on this dreck.

Rating: «

Sunset Strip (2012)

Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Hans Fjellestad
Running Time: 96 minutes

 

This documentary tells the story of the Sunset Strip, a mile and a half stretch of road in West Hollywood that has gained a massive reputation for its hotels, clubs, restaurants and other landmarks. Various musicians, actors and other public figures share their stories in regards to the Sunset Strip.

This was a very interesting documentary. So much so that it made me want to visit the Sunset Strip. In a few years, when COVID is behind us, I intend to do so. I loved to learn more about the history of the important stretch of road. I particularly enjoyed it for the musical side of things, and I was disappointed there was not at least a little bit more of the live performances that were filmed. In spite of that little aspect, I really enjoyed this film.

Rating: ««««

The Raven (2012)

Genre: Thriller
Directed by: James McTeigue
Cast: John Cusack, Luke Evans, Alice Eve
Running Time: 111 minutes

 

The films offers a fictionalized account of Edgar Allen Poe’s life, where the famous author tries to help the authorities solve a series of gruesome murders inspired by his stories.

John Cusack offers an okay performance as Poe, and the supporting cast was not too bad. The story itself was entertaining, albeit a little silly in comparison with the dark genius of Edgar Allen Poe’s work.

 Rating: «««

Dave Chappelle: The Closer (2021)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Stan Lathan
Cast: Dave Chappelle
Running Time: 72 minutes

 

In what the comic has described as the last of a long series of comedy specials, at least for a while, Dave Chappelle takes no prisoners as he gets stuff off his chest, discussing censorship, Twitter, the LGBTQ community and much more.

The show started a little slow, to the point where I was wondering where things would go, but, then, business picked up nicely. Chappelle is as much a raconteur as he is a stand-up comic. He is a master at it. This is a very funny comedy special, with a powerful ending that sticks with you for a while.

 Rating: ««««

The Father (2020)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Florian Zeller
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss
Running Time: 97 minutes

 

Anthony is an aging man suffering from dementia, which leaves him quite lost even in his flat and quite belligerent with the various nurses his daughter Anne try to hire to take care of him in his older days.

This is a touching film, thanks in large part to the brilliant performance offered by Anthony Hopkins. It is so interesting to see the man who brought us Hannibal Lecter play vulnerability so convincingly. The script and direction offered a compelling and unnerving look at dementia, with the story told as if it was seen through the eyes of the person with the disease. It was truly destabilizing. It took some getting used to, but it was worth the effort.

Rating: ««««

People Like Us (2012)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Alex Kurtzman
Cast: Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Michelle Pfeiffer
Running Time:114 minutes

 

Sam Harper is a corporate trader in over his head in New York City. When he finds out that his estranged father passed, he begrudgingly flies back home to LA for the funeral and to see his mom, with whom he has a strained relationship. There, Sam finds out that his father had a child with another woman. He creates a lie to enter the life of his new half-sister, a single mom named Frankie.

Melodramatic at times, this film contains its fair share of clichés. Still, thanks to a solid performance by the two leads, and a compelling story, this movie manages to be a good piece of entertainment.

Rating: «««

C.A. (2006-2010)

Genre: TV / Franco / Comedy
Distribution: Louis Morissette, Antoine Bertrand, Isabelle Blais, Sophie Bourgeois
Nombre de saisons: 4

 

Jean-Michel, Yannick, Maude et Sarah sont quatre grands amis aux personnalités fort différentes qui se connaissent depuis leurs études postsecondaires. Maintenant de jeunes professionnels, ils se rencontrent régulièrement dans une forme de conseil d’administration amical où ils échangent sur leurs vies respectives.

Je suis en retard dans ce cas-ci. N’étant pas le plus grand fan de Louis Morissette, je n’avais jamais donné une chance à cette série. J’ai été agréablement surpris. Les textes sont très bons, la chimie entre les comédiens est solide et le tout offre un bon divertissement. J’avoue que le produit a un peu mal vieilli en une décennie, compte tenu de notre époque de politically correct. C’est tout de même rafraichissant de revenir dans le temps un peu.

Rating: ««««