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.

Friday, March 31, 2023

Problem Child 2 (1991)

 Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Brian Levant
Cast: John Ritter, Michael Oliver, Jack Warden, Ivyann Schwan
Time: 90 minutes

 


Ben Healy, now a single father to his adopted turbulent son Junior, moves with his kid to Mortville, Oregon, with the hope of turning over a new leaf. Ben wants to get back on the dating scene, but Junior, being overly protective of the only family he loves, becomes very troublesome again. Junior also crosses path with another problem child, a little girl his age named Trixie.

 Another blast from the past for me. Sure, much of the humor is low brown and tasteless, but it remains entertaining for what it is. It is fun to see the nasty shenanigans being pulled by those two kids. Not a classic by any stretch of the imagination, but pleasurable nonetheless.

Rating: «««

Thursday, March 30, 2023

Bert Kreischer: Razzle Dazzle (2023)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Jeff Tomsic
Cast: Bert Kreischer
Time: 60 minutes

 


Live on stage, Bert Kreischer, a man known around the world now for doing stand-up comedy without a shirt, discusses his kids’ bullying ways, his wife’s redneck ways, his inability to fit into a California neighborhood, an hilarious escape room adventure with his family and much more.

This is the best, beginning to end, Bert Kreischer comedy show I have seen so far. The man has really honed his craft as a storyteller. He had me in stitches all the way through. I laughed so hard at one point that I had to catch my breath again.

Rating: «««««

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

L'affaire Dumont (2012)

Genre: Franco / Drama
Réalisateur: Podz, Daniel Grou
Distribution: Marc-André Grondin, Geneviève Brouillette, Marilyn Castonguay
Durée : 121 minutes


 

Basé sur des faits réels, ce film raconte l’histoire de Michel Dumont, un livreur de dépanneur qui est arrêté et condamné pour un viol qu’il a toujours maintenu ne pas avoir commis. Sa femme, Solange Tremblay, s’est battue inlassablement pour le faire libérer, croyant dur comme fer à l’innocence de son mari.

L’histoire de Michel Dumont est fascinante en soit. Alors, je me demande pourquoi un artiste et réalisateur talentueux comme Podz a pris une telle approche qui nous a donné un film aussi drabe. Dès le départ, j’ai eu du mal à embarquer. C’est comme si on arrivait au milieu d’un univers boueux où on ne comprend rien. C’était peut-être l’effet voulu par rapport à l’histoire, mais ce n’était pas un choix gagnant à mon humble avis. Les choses se sont légèrement améliorées en deuxième partie de film, mais c’était trop peu, trop tard pour moi.

Le jeu des acteurs était aussi souvent gros et que dire des perruques et costumes? La fausse chevelure donnée à Marc-André Grondin était risible tellement elle avait l’air fausse. Ça me rappelle quand Daniel Lavoie avait joué Félix à la télé.

Alors, en somme, un film à oublier pour moi. Ce genre d’histoire a déjà été racontée au cinéma, et de façon bien plus intéressante.

Note: ««

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Champions (2023)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Bobby Farrelly
Cast: Woody Harrelson, Kaitlin Olson, Ernie Hudson
Time: 124 minutes

 


Marcus Marakovich is a minor league basketball assistant coach with much aptitude for the game but zero people skills. After getting fired from his assistant coaching job for shoving the coach during an argument, Marcus gets arrested for a DUI. Instead of getting jail time, he gets community service. He must coach a group a group of kids with intellectual disabilities who are forming a basketball team called the friends.

This film is a US adaptation of a Spanish movie based on a true story. Went to see it with my wife last weekend, and we enjoyed very much. It is a very cute movie. I dig Harrelson as an actor, and the supporting cast do a good job here too. The story is a tad predictable, though I appreciated how a few surprises were thrown in there towards the end.

Rating: ««««

Monday, March 27, 2023

Gimme Shelter (1970)

Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Albert Maysles, David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin
Cast: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Tina Turner
Time: 91 minutes

 


This documentary film chronicles the 1969 tour of the United States by The Rolling Stones, which culminated in the now infamous Nightmare at Altamont, a free concert organized by The Stones in the San Francisco area, with the Hell’s Angels as security, that turned deadly for a young man that was stabbed multiple times after taking out a gun.

In this film, made in the Direct Cinema style, we see footage from the 1969 tour and the events leading up to the Altamont free concert. There is a lot of backstage footage with the Stones and their entourage and then we see a lot from that awful night, including the actual stabbing.

This is a fascinating documentary. Some of the material is grainy and the sound quality is not always optimal, but it is a captivating look at a major event in the history of music and counter-culture.

Rating: ««««

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Upside Down (2012)

Genre: Romance / Science-fiction
Directed by: Juan Diego Salanas
Cast: Jim Sturgess, Kirsten Dunst
Time: 108 minutes


 

Adam Kirk and Eden Moore are lovers living in two separate sections of a two-planet world with dual gravity. They try to get together but mixing between planets is forbidden and they are torn apart. A decade later, their paths crosses again, and Adam tries to win back the love of Eden, who suffers from partial amnesia.

The visuals here are absolutely unbelievable. The parallels with our world and the matter of classes and differences, while not subtle, are compelling. The fact remains that this kind of film is not really my thing. It was fine entertainment for what it was.

Rating: «««

Chartrand et Simonne (2003)

Genre: TV / Franco / Biographical
Distribution: Luc Picard, Geneviève Rioux
Nombre d’épisodes: 12


 

Cette mini-série québécoise raconte de façon légèrement romancée, sur 12 épisodes, l’histoire d’amour ainsi que d’engagement social et politique du syndicaliste Michel Chartrand et de sa femme, la figure sociale féministe Simonne Monet.

J’ai été un peu déçu en revisitant cette œuvre, qui était franchement meilleure dans mes souvenirs. Beaucoup des comédiens et comédiennes jouent gros et faux, et je crois qu’une grosse partie du blâme revient aux scénarios. On ne sent jamais que les personnages ont des conversations. Tout est projeté comme un discours. La seule grâce qui ressort de cette mini-série est le travail de Luc Picard pour incarner Michel Chartrand. Il est criant de vérité, c’est incroyable. Quelques-unes de ses répliques m’ont bien fait rire aussi. L’aspect de l’histoire du Québec était aussi intéressante à voir. Mais, dans l’ensemble, c’est une œuvre de télé qui a bien mal vieilli.

Rating: ««