Cinemaquebecois Reviews

Red Dragon (2002)

This movie is not a book !

[6/10 · 5 October 2002]

Ok ! Let's be clear on something: the screenplay of RED DRAGON is excellent and brilliant. But, and that's where the problem is, it doesn't mean you have a good film at the end. When i go see an adaptation i like to be suprise by the vision of the director. I was amaze by THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and satisfy with the gruesome HANNIBAL (the book wasn't that great either). But RED DRAGON was a very very good book and a tought the film will live up to it. But it didn't. And who's to blame ? Brett Ratner. His directing is a lazzy one. There is no atmosphere, there is no real fear and mostly, there is no vision. Only a by-the-book-movie very predictable film with actors not giving there best performance (Hopkins is a caricature of himself, Norton is suprisingly very ordinairy, Keitel play the only character he knows, himself) except for Fiennes and Watson who are terrific.

So a the end, what do we have ? A good popcorn flick but we are a long way from the masterpiece of Jonathan Demme. Please, read the book again, it will be better !

Good Riddance (1980)

A poetic masterpiece !

[10/10 · 16 August 2001]

For those of you who don't know Rejean Ducharme, he is an enigmatic writer from Québec (no one has ever seen him publicly), and LES BONS DÉBARRAS is his only official screenplay (notice that LÉOLO, another great Quebec film, by the late Jean-Claude Lauzon, was freely inspired by the first book of Ducharme).

Rarely have we seen dialogues so powerfull and a cast so truely touch by the emotions they play. Marie Tifo and a young Charlotte Laurier are brilliant. After seeing this film, you will compare every child actor with Charlotte who delivers nothing less that the best performance from a child, period. Gilbert Sicotte is also excellent.

And less not forget the discreet but touching direction by Francis Mankiewicz.

This is the best Québécois movie because it is the most human and poetic one of all.

10/10

American Beauty (1999)

American classic

[9/10 · 30 January 2000]

Each year, a movie stand alone, destine to become a classic.

In 1999, it was AMERICAN BEAUTY. This is what cinema is all about: a very strong screenplay with a mix of humor and tragedy, actors at the top of their capacities, a unique touch from the director and a poetic camera work.

Like FARGO or THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, what makes those movies unforgettable is the capacity of the story to touch everyone in the theater. And that is a "tour de force".

Without a doubt, one of the most important movie of the 90's.

Black Cat, White Cat (1998)

A wonderfull crazy movie

[10/10 · 30 January 2000]

Kusturica is a unique director, one of the few wild and poetic one.

This movie represent very well the spirit of the Balkans. Every frame of this picture is beautiful, magic and surreal. You can see a enormous pig eating a car, a joyfull band playing music attach to a tree, a man washing is body with a white duck . . .

And what about the music. It will cheer you up. A MUST SEE for everyone who love cinema.

Buffet Froid (1979)

The best French comedy ever !

[10/10 · 3 March 1999]

BUFFET FROID is a masterpiece, nothing else. Director Bertrand Blier uses his talent mostly in the dialogues. One catch phrase after another, the screenplay is full of surprises. And don't try to expect something because surely it will be the opposite. Depardieu is terrific with a lot of flegme and energy. Since this cult movie, Blier tried to do the same over and over again. But this is truly the original one.

Fireworks (1997)

Guns and emotions

[9/10 · 13 January 1999]

Impressive ! Rarely have we seen a movie mixing guns, emotions and painting. But Kitano did it and he had create one of the most singular cop movie you will ever see on screen.The screenplay deals a lot about losing something precious that we take for granted: the presence of the love one, the ability to use freely our body, the friendship between two persons. Kitano play with the darkside proving that there is always light somewhere in the obscurity.With a very smart editor who proves that you don't need to see the graphic details of violence to understand it, this movie belong at the top of his genre . 9/10.

Toto the Hero (1991)

Grass is always greener at the neighbor's house

[8/10 · 8 December 1998]

The first movie from Belgium director Jaco Van Dormael is pure magic. It's what cinema should always be.

I've just seen the movie, for the third time, on TV past midnight yesterday and I couldn't close my eyes. Why ? Because Van Dormael knows how to tell a story. Also, you become very attached to all the character, bad and good one.

The cinematography give you the impression that you are dreaming. The camera is so light and the colors are so bright so you know that the imagination of Thomas, the "Toto" from the title, is working very hard to remember exactly what happened in his childhood.

If you love a good story with a very interesting plot, this is the one.

Last Night (I) (1998)

First of the class

[9/10 · 16 November 1998]

If there is only one name to remember in the English Canadian cinema industry it's Don McKellar. This guy is very talentuous, as a director and also as an actor.

With his very impressive first film, McKellar tell us the story of a bunch of persons living the end of the world. More precisely on the eve of the year 2000. But here, it's a philosophical theme and not a reason for visual effects (there is none by the way).

Every character lives the last six hours of their life very differently from each other. Everyone one has a deep belief in what they are doing. And that is one of the main quality of this film. There is no right or wrong, there is only the clock ticking.

And as times go by under our nose, you can feel the anxiety in the theater. And what will really happened ? We don't know . And it's very exciting.

The direction and the performance of McKellar are perfect. Sandra Oh is amazing (a very very good actress to discover), David Cronenberg play a man like himself perfectly and Genevieve Bujold is as usual, extra.

Without a doubt, Last Night is one of the best first film I saw in my life (like the Confessional of French Canadian Robert Lepage). And one of the best productions of 1998. So let's hope for another tomorrow very soon.

Taxi (I) (1998)

Testosterone and fuel

[5/10 · 16 November 1998]

Everybody knows the story behind this production: famous French director Luc Besson had a time out last year and he quickly wrote the screenplay for this movie. Then, he produced it with a small budget and no stars. And Taxi surprised everyone with 6 million entries in France only.

Ok about the making of the film. But what about the film ? Well, honestly the screenplay of Mister Besson is very thin. There's some good car chases but except that it's a lot of dejà-vu. The humour is juvenile, actors are at ease but in the end you're glad the ride is over (not exactly because there will be a sequel ?!).

Let's hope that the next flick of Luc Besson, Joan of Arc with the sensational Milla Jovovich, will be more ...let's say with less testosterone and more brain.

Of Freaks and Men (1998)

The picture show

[9/10 · 20 October 1998]

At the end of the last century, a small invention changed the world forever. This very fragile engine called the cinematographe became the third eye of the human. In the wonderful "Of freaks and men", we see the new born technology influence on the bad minds of the aristocrat part of Russia. With everlasting images and with a very strong ensemble, this movie stay in your mind well after the screening. The Siamese brothers, the bad bold man and all the other characters bring you memories from your child imagination. And shot in black and white, it's just like waking up from a nice dream on a sunny Sunday morning.

The X Files (1998)

Can you handle the truth ?

[20 October 1998]

First, for those of you who have seen the movie on the big screen you will need to rent it also. Why ? Because there's three very important lines that were not in the movie. Just check the scene between Mulder and the Well manicured man.

As for the entire movie, it's very impressive: a very strong screenplay, the same chemistry between the two partners, lots of action and humor, and a good teaser for next season. "Fight the future" order you to ask yourself about your own beliefs. And like Star Wars did for the inner believe, and there is a lot of references to this movie in the Chris Carter epic, you are able to find your own meaning of the truth.

The Dreamlife of Angels (1998)

Strong screen-play for a powerful duet

[9/10 · 20 October 1998]

Eric Zonka first feature is outstanding. Few directors began their career with this kind of precision. Precision in every dialogue and mostly in the authenticity of life. Life is raw and hard. But life is also beautiful like a simple smile. Regnier (the raw character) and Bouchez (the smiley one) deserved their Cannes prizes. They are very intense and they gave shape to those two lost sheep. And after the viewing you just hope that one day you'll meet one of the character to know if everything turned all right.

Run Lola Run (1998)

80 minutes dash

[9/10 · 11 September 1998]

I've just saw the german movie RUN LOLA RUN the last day of THE WORLD FILM FESTIVAL in Montréal. Wow ! I'm was very impressed by the genius screenplay and the rhythm helped by the techno music (the director did the music also). I hope this movie will be distributed around the globe because it's better then any american noir film. It's clever, fresh and very self-absorbing. RUN TO SEE IT IF YOU CAN. IT'S A MUST. 9.5/10

Life Is Beautiful (1997)

CLASSIC CINEMA IS BACK

[10/10 · 11 September 1998]

I will be brief: Benigni has made an instant classic, a masterpiece of humor over the worst drama in the history of the 20th century. With a rhythm à la Chaplin and Keaton, Benigni's tour de force was to keep his enthusiastic story from the beginning till the end. He did it with panache. A TRIUMPH ! 10/10