Jabberwock Reviews

The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

Marvelous!

[2/10 · 8 May 2002]

You will find this movie marvelous, full of mysteries. You will remember it as a very pleasant moment in your life.

I strongly recommend it: 9 of 10.

And what again? Oh yes, overall if your name is Homer Simpson...

The Children of the Marshland (1999)

Yearning after the past

[8/10 · 12 October 1999]

Is it possible to make an exceptional film with miserable people?

However, the children of the marsh, ordinary in their surroundings, become extraordinary when one throws them in the midst of civilization, actually in a pretty small French town stuffed with good wealthy "bourgeois".

The children of the marsh live in surroundings which could have been one of men living in middle ages, when sickness permitted only a short longevity.

It is the Utopia of nature's children, but with at hand all the resorts of civilization...and all its dangers, since the action goes between the two World Wars.

It is also the contrast of the solidarity between the children of the marsh and the good-natured selfishness of a prosperous middle class, which at the same time loves and rejects them.

Les Visiteurs du Soir (1942)

A high class fantasia

[7 October 1999]

Here is a fine production by Julien Duvivier.

I had the impression to be one of the castle's festivity and the arrival of the "Visiteurs" added a mysterious ingredient that had, at the beginning at least, nothing of the despair that was part of their demoniacal mission.

The enchantment provoked by the satanic couple was a pure wonder. That momentary paralysis of a whole small world between two exciting scenes emphasized Arletty's and Cuny's masterly talent.

Jules Berry's play (the Devil) was so fascinating that it made me longing for a ticket to Hell.

That high class "fantasia" glide far over all those easy big budget "fantastic" productions which flood the film fans since too long.

It All Starts Today (1999)

A real life's documentary

[8/10 · 2 October 1999]

In a region devastated by the closing of coal mines, and where one worker out of three is unemployed, Bertrand Tavernier tells us the problems of a nursery school's director who wants to improve the social conditions of those people.

He is the only hope for depressive parents but bureaucrats want him to look only after the easy cases forgetting about the problem children.

The challenge of throwing more than thirty 3 to 6 years old kids in the scramble as been taken up: their natural is convincing... and it goes for the director too.

I took part wholeheartedly with the pains and joys of the characters and lived it as if it was real life.

The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)

Outrageously underrated

[8/10 · 22 August 1999]

The film got one of the worst ratings, from the movie critics and sadly from the public. Certainly it didn't deserve it.

I suspect reasons other than cinematographical to explain such an aberration.

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

An efficient horror movie

[10/10 · 28 July 1999]

The last time I was frightened viewing a "horror movie" traces back to my prime childhood.

Till I saw this film.

The recipe thanks to which the film works consists in gradually passing from commonplace situations to more unusual events, and finally concluding with a terrifying climax.

Of course, to really enjoy it, one must display a minimum of patience, as in other situations of life...

Falling Down (1993)

Dead end

[7/10 · 24 July 1999]

This movie is not really bad: the actors are good and even more and the action is well driven.

There is something amiss, though: this film is made to go nowhere, like a stream in the desert which ends and dry up.

Actually, the film is like Foster, it has no choice but to end in a dead end, when there is no more roll-film in the camera...

A Pain in the Ass (1973)

This film essentially is a study of characters bet...

[9/10 · 3 July 1999]

This film essentially is a study of characters between a loser (Jacques Brel) and a hit man (Lino Ventura).

This film, like many French comedies, has a Hollywood counterpart, "Buddy Buddy", with Walther Mathau and Jack Lemmon. Although not bad, the remake is nevertheless deceptive, as we were expecting much more from a movie in which the two principal characters are played by such great actors.

Les oreilles entre les dents (1987)

It's good, once a year!

[8/10 · 29 June 1999]

This unassuming film gave me a lot of pleasure when I saw it for the first time...and I still have fun to see it! It exactly is the kind of movie we see by a raining Sunday, when we have nothing else to do...

To capsulize, the film essentially is a running gag: Inspector Bideau (a kind of Inspector Clouseau) tries to resolve crimes apparently committed by a serial killer. All of his efforts, reasoning, deductions etc, are based on that false premiss. Actually, the different persons who commit those crimes precisely reckon on Bideau's obtuse gullibility!

Certainly a movie which doesn't spoil a videotheque!

Marathon Man (1976)

A double-fugue

[10/10 · 13 June 1999]

The scenario of this film has the structure of a complex counter-point, more precisely that of a double-fugue (fugue: from Latin fuga=pursuit!)

Indeed, in the first part of the movie, we see two independent stories developing in parallel:

1- A Nazi named Szell (Laurence Olivier), nicknamed "Der weisse Engel=the white angel", hiding in South-America after having committed numerous war crimes as SS-führer of a concentration camp, is forced to quit his refuge and to go in USA in order to recover his fortune in diamonds, which originates from the plundering of Jews. His brother, who manages the fortune in USA, plays, so as to say, Olivier's counter-subject.

2- The young jewish student (Dustin Hoffman), is the "marathon man", a persistent man "who bends but doesn't break", leads his life as he wants, despite the mockeries of his neighbors. His brother (Roy Sheider), a secret agent involved with Szell's business, plays the corresponding Hoffman's counter-subject.

In the second part, we see the two "themes of the fugue" mixing together, Olivier's and Hoffman's worlds interacting; and finally, comes the rousing climax, the concluding "stretto".

Of course, the only scenario, as good as it be, cannot ensure the success of the movie. It requires an corresponding quality of actor's prestation. Sure that Hoffman and Olivier did the job!

Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar (1999)

I laughed with the audience

[7/10 · 9 June 1999]

Going to the movies to see living actors playing the characters of beloved cartoon heroes is always a challenge. Good, static images appeal for an active part of imagination. Projected on a screen, living people are to be taken as they are, wether we like them or not.

I was a little fearful about that when I went to see Astérix, Obélix & Co in that movie. I found myself laughing frequently like the greater part of the audience, in a happy tone.

The plot was fair to the original story and I think the majority of the actors did a good job, though, the talented Gérard Depardieu as Obélix, lacked some of that immense naivety and the physical roundness that makes the character unique and lovable.

Not the best movie ever made, but certainly not the worst.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

Déjà vu

[2/10 · 5 June 1999]

Really disappointing movie.

I loved "Jurassic Park 1", I hated this sequel. Manifestly Spielberg wanted make a little money to round off his colossal fortune, so he served us that bad warmed-up movie.

Actually, the story is so bad that I think a software could have made the "scenario".

Déjà vu mieux!

Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)

One of the greatest movies

[10/10 · 4 June 1999]

I am a little bit reluctant using such adjectives like "greatest". But when an "oeuvre d'art" deserves it, why not?

In this film all is fine tuned, well gauged, perfectly synchronized.

I shall in particular emphasize the unforgettable José Ferrer's play of Cyrano's fathomless sorrow.

If Hollywood could remember that there was a long time ago, in a far away galaxy, that thing named "The American Cinema"...

My New Partner (1984)

Better than Prozac!

[10/10 · 3 June 1999]

One of the comedies that are typically french, at the same time a farce and a study of characters.

Certainly a well aging movie.

Very Happy Alexander (1968)

Like a good wine

[9/10 · 3 June 1999]

This film follows the best tradition of the french comedy, managing outrageous, hilarious, unbelievable situations, yet without succumbing to cheap humour or to any kind of vulgarity.

Always pleasant to view, even after 32 years!

Jurassic Park (1993)

Excellent, in spite of all

[9/10 · 2 June 1999]

I really enjoyed this film.

Steven Spielberg knows how to create an appropriate climax, combined with the new (at the time) image processing methods.

Nevertheless, I was a little disappointed that Spielberg have evacuated the most part of scientific content in Michael Crichton's book, succumbing to one of Hollywood's fundamental diktats: "Thou shalt not demand too much of the viewer's intelligence".

Actually the ending was eight years old kid stuff, spoiling the initial fear climax.

In spite of all, I saw the movie twice in succession in the theater, and many times on VCR after.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

I didn't understand

[3/10 · 1 June 1999]

This film is for me a complete mystery.

Is it a "pastiche", a parody of "good ole time" adventure movies? In this case Lucas & Spielberg missed the target.

Or did they simply make fun of us?

Le Dîner de Cons (1998)

A subtle comedy

[9/10 · 30 May 1999]

The spicy touch in that film is the way the "con" i.e. the fool of the comedy, takes in the second half, the better part of the episode, though he falls again in his own triumphal moron character at the end of the story.