LHG-3 Reviews

Scarface (1983)

Not so good

[7/10 · 10 May 2004]

This is a well executed, but nonetheless extremely overrated movie. I do not see what warrants a status as a classic there. Certainly, the later Carlito's Way is much better in many ways. The characters are poorly developed and one dimensional. The story is not interesting and as predictable as it gets. I understand that some aspects of Scarface must have been somewhat groundbreaking at the time, but I still suspect that much of its success is due to the hyping of its violence. The acting is so-so, and Pacino is miscast as an unsophisticated thug and refugee. The only redeeming value of this movie is its classic, kitshy disco soundtrack. There has to be better latino mob movies. Carlito's Way is one for sure.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)

spoiled by inept story

[6/10 · 17 October 2002]

I strongly believe in the technology and cinematographical era that this movie pioneers : using CGI not as a style of animation, but as a substitution for live filming. However, the story and dialogs are so bad as to make this movie un-watchable. It is a shame that the credibility of the technologies that this movie was supposed to promote will be questionned because of this commercial flop, mainly due to a stupid scenario.

Vidocq (2001)

Underrated

[8/10 · 22 February 2002]

This movie was a huge, but undeserved commercial failure. While not flawless, it it still a very audacious, innovative, slick piece of cinematography. The story is solid, the visuals are stunningly innovative and the special effects are good. The crime that this movie was charged with is not very new, though : it bears the name of the TV series Vidocq, which were more realistic, semi-historical fictions about that character from the early XIXth century who has been a precursor in investigative police. I don't know why producers keep accepting TV series adaptation, which are all doomed to fail on the big screen. Anyway, I just hope that Pitof will have the opportunity and the will to carry out his talent.

La répétition (2001)

Well acted but the story doesn't go anywhere

[8/10 · 27 August 2001]

The story draws a lot from movies such as Single White Female and "Harry un ami qui vous veut du bien", except that none of the drama that these two movies contain is present : no murder or madness here, everything is strictly psychological. When ending credits starts rolling, this gives the impression that the movie has been really pointless. Acting is very good though.

Palace (1988–1989)

Witness of a now lost era ...

[9/10 · 24 July 2001]

Palace represents what French pay-TV channel Canal+ could accomplish in its better days. The audacity and spontaneity of the stories, the total disregard for political correctness are amazing. The profusion of French comedy celebrities in the cast has never been approached. A huge achievement, that I am looking forward to see on DVD.

The Crimson Rivers (2000)

Inferior copy of Hollywood recipes

[6/10 · 30 June 2001]

Each scene in this movie brings either disbelief, plot holes or embarrassement when we see how the recipes that make Hollywood's expertise are wasted in this subsubsubSe7en.

Some scenes are directly ripped off other movies, for example Se7en and (?!) The Omen.

Interestingly though, I've also watched the making-off on the disc2 of the French DVD edition. Usually a making of is about a crew explaining how they succeded in making a movie. Here they are explaining how they have failed. And they point to the right problem : they failed to reproduce the very strenght of Hollywood movies : expertise in scriptwriting and storytelling.

However, Les Rivières Pourpres will be remembered for starting off a long series of French movies that brought back the marketshare of French movies in France to over 50% in 2001.