brosseauphilippe Reviews

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

[4/10 · 7 November 2023]

I would like to curb the defenders of the film who criticize certain fans of the book (including me) for not liking the film due to sordid details that are not adapted. I remind you that it is not enough to have a pleasant atmosphere, nice gags, and beautiful images to make a good film.

Certainly, visually it is very beautiful, enough to overshadow the previous film. But we need a good adaptation of the scenario, and here I remind everyone: What is the scenario of this 6th HP? Students dominated by their romantic and pivotal impulses, and a darky teenager who spends his school year (and the film) on a cupboard (Oh, an apple! Oh, a bird!).

Without forgetting the quest for Horcruxes, reduced to two memories to show that the attractive Tom Riddle already had an exaggeratedly evil look. Damn, where is the psychology of one of the scariest villains of the 21st century (in books)?

Don't come and talk to me about the time constraints, because as far as toast is concerned, Yates is the king, between the pointless destruction of a bridge (out of respect for 2 unfortunate lines in the book where this attack is mentioned ) and the destruction of the burrow (well, a lot of destruction), which in addition to lacking coherence, is probably the most poorly constructed action scene of the entire saga.

What remains in all this is the humor (respectful of the book, or not) which makes the 6th year of Harry Potter not so unpleasant, a final battle omitted to leave room for that of the last film. Well, it's pleasant but disappointing, and what's certain is that it's far from preparing the ground for the final confrontation. 4/10.

Paper Moon (1973)

Paper Moon

[9/10 · 6 November 2023]

It's crazy that this film is so little known because it's truly magnificent. It's about a little crook, Moses, who has to bring a kid, Addie, back to his aunt's house. It all takes place in the 1930s. But during the trip nothing will really go as planned and Moses will introduce Addie to his schemes to make money, then problems, meetings and other burlesque situations will come.

In the form of a Road Movie, we will be treated to gentle and light humor bathed in very pleasant black and white. Ryan O'Neal plays with his own daughter Tatum O'Neal, the duo works and is filled with great complicity.

This road movie succeeds as much in making us laugh as in touching us thanks to its very endearing characters. We have a pleasant trip, or rather a beautiful human adventure. 9/10.

Unforgiven (1992)

Eastwood has created one of the greatest westerns produced in the last 30 years.

[10/10 · 5 November 2023]

Without a doubt. Perhaps even a classic of this genre, already so well-stocked across the Atlantic, an edifice to which he has already contributed a lot. With its haunting and tortuous atmosphere, depicted wonderfully by dark photography which plays heavily on chiaroscuro, as well as contemplative shots of the rocky hills burned by the sun contrasting with the twilight falling on the arid plains (we also feel that the actor-director-producer learned well at the Leone school), and his characters of men who are nevertheless without fear or weakness in appearance but so tormented in their flesh, embodied wonderfully by a lineup of fabulous actors in tune (Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, and of course Clint himself).

Unforgiven therefore has all the criteria to be included among this. As bitter as it is captivating, this fable of the West, told like a legend in which the greatest outlaws wanted to be included at all costs, filmed with class and sobriety the quest for redemption through weapons and violence of a man who can no longer escape what he really is...

So, cowboys don't always hide and cry! Fans of the genre will undoubtedly appreciate what presents itself as the best western that Eastwood has directed in his long and flamboyant filmography. As merciless as it is inescapable. 10/10.

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

Spinal Tap

[8/10 · 24 October 2023]

Their names are Nigel, David and Derek and they are part of one of the most venerable rock groups in history: "Spinal Tap". A joyful band from the 1960s with sober riffs and especially subtle and deep lyrics, notably in their album "Sniffle the glove".

In 1984, Rob Reiner decided to bring their journey to the screen, making a sensational debut in his first feature film. The first rockumentary in history is indeed an absolute success, and we can no longer count the number of times we will refer to it; from "The Simpsons" to "Wayne's World" which has never hidden its parentage.

In its parody, "Spinal Tap" distils an incontestable truth about rock groups and abounds with winks that everyone will recognize. Inspired from start to finish, the film's strong point is also perfect timing, bringing together situations that are literally hilarious.

Everything goes: the whims of the artists behind the scenes, their eccentric and misunderstood concepts, as well as the harsh law of the market. Cult of cult! 8/10.

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

The Conjuring 2

[8/10 · 17 October 2023]

James Wan reached the peak of his horror career with the first Conjuring opus. Without difficulty, he perpetuates the lineage with the second opus and definitively establishes himself as the current master of fear in cinema.

This sequel certainly loses its surprise, a supernatural case with a predictable twist tangled in a not-so-subtle relationship with faith and destiny. But the scenario nevertheless has the merit of tackling head-on the elements which raised the question during the real Enfield affair, rewarding this new investigation by the Warrens with a hint of doubt which nourishes the duo, an endearing couple becoming a little more the mythological driving force of a large horrific universe.

What the film loses in originality, it conjures up in genre codes, the director making his camera into the virtuoso incantation of the evil one, thwarting expectations at the slightest camera movement, at the slightest layer of sound, an exercise today of more difficult when you are looking for the real thrill in theaters.

We do not escape the quota of jump-scares, but Wan continues to provide an oppressive atmosphere, an almost burlesque gallery of monsters (the Crooked Man will be remembered), and above all a crazy inventiveness in the framing of the supernatural element, from the sequence shot to introduce the phantom presence to the movement games to reward the fear.

Sermon from hell, score of terrors, The Conjuring 2 is a new rollercoaster of terror from James Wan, a solid act of faith where Evil poisons Good like a filmmaker plays with his spectator. 8/10.

12 Angry Men (1957)

12 Angy Men

[10/10 · 16 October 2023]

12 Angry Men is part of this category of films which, despite the passage of time and changing cinematographic techniques, do not lose their initial impact. The very first film by the late Sidney Lumet, this psychological drama filmed as a thriller full of suspense is intense, very intelligent, and makes both the viewer and the film's jurors doubt.

Jurors with remarkably studied personalities, so well portrayed that they appear terribly realistic, remaining anonymous people to whom we easily become attached (they have no name, just their juror number). We ask ourselves questions at the same time as them, we listen to their arguments and objections with as much attention as if we were in the room, the feat is such that we almost wish we could participate in the debates!

We find ourselves stuck in this cramped office, suffocating under the heat of the difficult outcome to choose, lost under the storm that is bearing down on our heads. The tension continues to rise during this stifling closed session with which Lumet already showed great aptitude in the fluidity and mastery of his staging, and threw his favorite themes in our face: the terrible grinding machine that are the system, the weight of the responsibilities that we must take, the selfish nature of men to prefer their small interests...

Guilty of being a masterpiece! 10/10.

Everest (2015)

Everest

[8/10 · 14 October 2023]

At first glance, we can consider this film as yet another of those umpteenth adventure films, a bit like the end of the world 2012. But if that's what you want to see, turn around! This film is above all, in my opinion, based on a true story, a story of overcoming, a story of combat.

Between breathtaking images (to be seen in 3D), excellent sound and an impeccable cast, Everest does not leave you indifferent. Nevertheless, the scenario is not unexpected, but this film, carried by this impressive cast, makes you think about existential questions about oneself, nature, and surpassing oneself.

In short, I recommend this 3D film to have a good time, and to feel like you're on the highest point of Everest... 8/10.

World War Z (2013)

World War Z

[6/10 · 1 October 2023]

"World War Z" gives plenty of bang for its buck insofar as the already well-crafted scenario reveals some good, rather impressive moments of realism! Because in reality, the success of the film is largely based on these remarkable crowd movements which make this general panic very palpable and therefore at the same time very credible!

Of course, Brad Pitt, quite sober for the moment, is also the pillar of the film since he understood and analyzed everything before anyone else thanks to his very specific abilities as a former UN investigator who preferred to be close to his family, but that's what we expect from such a blockbuster!

As for the zombies, we manage not to be too frightened because the full horror of the situations is not shown in the smallest details, the director having rather focused on the psychological impact made on men and populations and that is as well so...

Some scenes are particularly astonishing like Jerusalem protected by this wall which will prove powerless in the face of the limitless relentlessness of hungry predators or even amusing like the one in the lab where Brad Pitt finds himself facing a researcher who has become a zombie and chattering teeth, a single window separating them!

We will not be surprised by the progress of the plot, which is very well written in advance, and even less so by its outcome, which, of course, we could not escape... A recurring theme, but here treated with a minimum of realism to ultimately and paradoxically worry us even more! 6/10.

Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

Law Abiding Citizen

[8/10 · 28 August 2023]

Good films of this genre are rather rare. Ah, revenge and justice when you hold us. After seeing his wife and daughter die before his eyes during a burglary, our good father discovers with horror the shenanigans of justice through his lawyer who is not inclined to push the murderer found.

In a style close to the movie SAW (but less gross), our man will do justice to himself and continue to unleash on these glassy actors, through the bars of his jail. Wonderfully acted and directed, the story holds the spectator who does not miss a beat and finally asks himself "but how does he control all this from the inside..?".

The question is: would we have had the same behavior as him in such circumstances? 8/10.

Body Heat (1981)

Body Heat

[9/10 · 7 August 2023]

Among the many qualities of Body Heat, we can already say that the title does not lie. Because what Lawrence Kasdan does in the first part of the film, until the death of the husband, is to film the bodies in sweat, subjected to the humidity of the air, heavy and threatening, which alters the characters according to Oscar Grace, cop and friend of Ned Racine (surprising William Hurt).

The atmosphere is heavy as the bodies come together in a poisonous and exciting erotic gesture, thus creating a dangerous relationship on the brink of the abyss in the scene with the little girl, who will be the subject of an intense discussion a little further on. Sulphurous.

The naive seducer and the femme fatale (remarkable Kathleen Turner) linked in a case that will eventually go beyond the first, victim of Machiavellian manipulation, embodied in a second part which marks the passage from the great film of direction to the great film of script , brilliantly constructed and going ever further in cruelty and perversity.

Lawrence Kasdan therefore takes up the codes of film noir by plunging them into a strong sexual dimension that gives pride of place to female domination while maintaining a quality suspense where the balance of power evolves slowly, until a final joyful scene of cynicism.

A film with a singular and elaborate realization, which is also worth for the strength of its interpretation and for the inventiveness of its writing. 9/10.

John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

John Wick 2 is quite an enjoyable and very funny movie.

[7/10 · 25 July 2023]

The action scenes are visually flawless, there's absolutely nothing to talk about. The action is indeed there, with a fairly mind-blowing number of deaths left by John Wick (enough to make a war movie look like a walk): the eponymous character must easily kill a hundred guys, and the deaths are always more inventive.

However, in view of this massacre, I do not recommend this film to any type of audience (the ban on children under 12 seems wise to me). The hand-to-hand combat scenes are brilliantly choreographed: both quite aesthetic but extremely realistic at the same time.

The story is downright hilarious. Humor in little touches works well. Keanu Reeves, an actor that I generally don't find good, is ideally cast for this role without expression. The other roles are correctly interpreted (with very good Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne) even if the film is exclusively centered around the main character and leaves little room for the other characters.

The music is not bad, in an electro register that fits well with the atmosphere. The decorations are beautiful enough to be noted (the interior of the luxury hotel, the Italian decorations, etc.). It's good entertainment. 7/10.

Ready or Not (I) (2019)

Ready or Not

[7/10 · 24 July 2023]

A rather surprising and delirious horror comedy, which is worth a look. Grace is newly married to Alex, who comes from a wealthy family, having made his fortune in board games. The old tradition is that a newcomer to the family lends itself to a game of chance.

Of course, Grace will come across the worst game: bloody hide-and-seek. From a rather absurd pitch, a manhunt (or rather here a woman) unfolds which will punctuate the whole film, mixing gore and humor, blood and grotesque, until the completely delirious and enjoyable final scene.

I was afraid to see a basic and bland film there, but it's quite the opposite. A horror film to be taken literally! 7/10.

Dirty Harry (1971)

Dirty Harry

[9/10 · 16 May 2023]

Carried from hand to hand for a few years, "Dirty Harry" could have been a completely different film if it had been played by John Wayne, Robert Mitchum or Frank Sinatra under the Sydney Pollack's camera. After traveling from studio to studio and landing in the hands of Clint Eastwood who contacted Don Siegel, the movie has become a real reference.

Starting point of a new era of detective films (which lasted almost twenty years), "Dirty Harry" laid the foundations for a new cinema. Tense, nervous, violent, it describes a society in the throes of decay. Confronted with a sadist (who pays himself the luxury of killing two children anyway), Harry also comes up against a bureaucracy by his methods which, by applying the law to the letter, protects the first.

A central question in American society, the law is here questioned in a new way. While in westerns, it was difficult to enforce it and put an end to the actions of the gangsters, in detective films, respecting it completely prevents putting an end to the actions of the gangsters.

Inspector Harry is therefore this character with expeditious methods (inherited from those used by western characters) who solves problems in his own way. Modern Western, "Dirty Harry" is in different ways. Here, we shoot at each other like in the Far West (Harry shooting in the middle of the street in the middle of passers-by).

Harry is that lonely cowboy or that Gary Cooper who casts his star at the end of "High Noon." To embody it, Clint Eastwood is perfect to create this archetype. The city of San Francisco, the other major character, is filmed like the wide open spaces with a still impressive depth of field that lets you imagine the fauna that inhabits it.

An underworld swarms there, especially at night, with its naked women, its desperate, its wandering silhouettes. Who watches "Dirty Harry" today will find nothing original, nothing but seen and seen again. Normal, this film is the original with its many nocturnal scenes, its incredible shots, its cult dialogues, its chases (without cars...), its music, its darkness, its directing.

An open door to a new genre that flooded the screens for almost twenty years until saturation. 9/10.

The Suicide Squad (2021)

This film is the proof that it is not because an idea that had a failed first draft should be totally abandoned.

[8/10 · 24 April 2023]

James Gunn's The Suicide Squad released in 2021, 5 years after its predecessor which was a blatant critical failure, is a very good film. Compared to the first version, the lesson has been understood and that is why we are left with this very good cinema product.

The director of Guardians of the Galaxy surprises us on certain points in this opus, but we still feel his cinema. The latter ends up with an excellent soundtrack, very aesthetic and understandable action scenes and an extremely present color scheme. Indeed, in this feature film, we do not take the lead. The script is just plausible enough while being very crazy, but be careful, because it is also very raw. The special effects are really believable and the gore is present in this film with almost horrific and bloody scenes. Humor is a real quality of the film and we like to follow the crazy adventures of this suicide squad.

The actors all play well and it's nice to see Margot Robbie keep her role as Harley Quinn while giving her a real character here. Her character is funny and pops off the screen just like John Cena as an uncompromising Peacemaker, who is more than correct and believable in his role as an anti-hero. His character makes it possible to make a relatively subtle criticism of the hypocritical role of the United States in the experiments, which do not respect the Geneva Convention, carried out in third countries in order to be able to clear themselves easily of any participation. Obviously, the film's concept of taking villains or anti-heroes and making them the protagonists leads to a questioning of good and evil that is as interesting and well executed compared to its very schoolboy predecessor in the field. It should be remembered that all members of the suicide squad are bloodthirsty killers even if they are presented in a favorable light.

This film brings the DC Universe back to life in complete overhaul. It even allows, let's not be afraid to say it, to put back a little competition compared to Marvel films. What we can remember from this film is that it is wild, funny, well paced with iconic shots and a quality soundtrack. In conclusion, it was a nice experience that I will not hesitate to renew for fun and that I recommend to cinema and superhero film lovers. 8/10.

M3GAN (2022)

A good movie...

[7/10 · 12 April 2023]

M3GAN unfolds like a melodrama where the unusual facts quickly derail the story, making it more and more disturbing, then distressing in a controlled rise towards a ending that is a little too spectacular... Overall, I liked it.

Cathy, 9 years old (Violet McGraw), who has just lost her parents in an accident, is taken in by her aunt Gemma (Allison Williams), an unsociable scientist, robotics engineer who works in a connected toy industry where competition is fierce. She persists in the development of a revolutionary, life-size doll, driven by the latest generation artificial intelligence and the "deep learning" technique: it is Megan. But in this robots universe, Gemma's niece is bored. To distract her, Gemma decides to speed up the development of Megan, whose final stages of development are hastily completed. The idea behind this new toy is to give children a companion who will assist them all day long and keep them safe.

The result is a miracle. The company that funded the research is exulting and preparing to launch their new icon with a lot of media coverage. But very quickly things got out of hand. Megan, who is programmed to protect Cathy, gradually comes to rationally eliminate anything that could be harmful or dangerous for her. First a dog, then its irritable owner, then a boy of the same age...

When Gemma realizes that the creature that has learned a lot, including its own limitations, is completely self-managing, she attempts to unplug it, unleashing a violent reaction from the robot which ends up being destroyed.

The evil doll's theme is certainly not new and that of the creature that escapes its creator has been treated since Frankenstein in cinema. But the film is very coherent, well conducted. The performance of 11-year-old Amie Donald, who is a dancer and interprets the role of Megan, is to the credit of the cast. Overall the film produces its effect and delivers its dose of adrenaline even if it is not a moment of horror... 7/10.

Hidalgo (2004)

If you like films of the great outdoors, stories of redemption, honor, courage and friendship, this film is for you.

[8/10 · 20 March 2023]

Despite a somewhat boring and almost ridiculous first half hour, it is clear that Hidalgo makes us discover various sensations. First, landscapes beautifully framed by Joe Johnston, much more inspired than on Jurassic Park 3 or Jumanji.

The film also makes us discover the differences between peoples of two continents. But the very essence of the film resides in this formidable friendship which unites a man and his horse. As for the actors, they are all just playing without overdoing it.

Viggo Mortensen portrays a cowboy who is only a shadow of himself, but who will find his soul in the middle of the desert. The good surprise comes from the performance of Omar Sharif, very convincing as an Arab sheikh, but above all human. The other actors and actresses invest themselves in a film in which they obviously believe.

There are obviously several messages in this film. The xenophobia towards each other remains evident although filmed with accuracy and sufficiency. The film is not perfect, there are a few awkwardnesses, but in the end, Hidalgo remains a superb human and animal adventure, and the horses are the only real stars of this welcome adventure film in a time of mistrust towards our neighbors. 8/10.

All the President's Men (1976)

All the President's Men is a fascinating immersion in the Watergate affair and the world of journalism.

[8/10 · 6 March 2023]

We follow this story through the eyes of Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward (Hoffman and Redford, impressive), the two main men who will denounce one of the biggest scandals in American politics of the 20th century.

The film recounts both the difficulty of the investigation and the selflessness of the two journalists to carry it out. As for Alan J. Pakula's staging, it is extremely effective and constantly increases the ambient nervousness.

Some details escape us, but what is necessary is clearly exposed, which allows the viewer to be fully captivated by this film halfway between documentary and fiction, a disturbing mix that fits perfectly with a case that is not less.

Rio Bravo (1959)

Rio Bravo is one of the greatest westerns there is and a paragon for many films.

[10/10 · 5 March 2023]

From a classic story, where a handful of lawmen have to face an army of killers, Howard Hawks has done an intelligent and captivating work, both in terms of the direction and in the rendering of the script, which turns out to be deeper than it seems.

An essential question is indeed posed in an underlying way : should respect for the law be at the expense of life? However, Hawks does not forget to bring a little humor to his story, which clearly sets him apart from most other western directors.

The cast is perfect: John Wayne, in the role of a sheriff who does not give way in front of the fairer sex, is more touching than usual; Dean Martin, an alcoholic in the process of repentance, undoubtedly finds his best role there; Walter Brennan, as a lame and too talkative old man, is excellent; as for Angie Dickinson, she brings a little freshness to this world of brutes.

Finally, the music of the great Dimitri Tiomkin is very memorable. 10/10.

The Tenant (1976)

Directed in France by Polanski before his forced exile from the U.S.A, "Le Locataire" is an adaptation of the sarcastic and tortured universe of Roland Topor.

[8/10 · 16 February 2023]

The latter was inspired by his neighborhood problems for the writing of the novel. The authors take pleasure in sowing confusion (Kafkaesque) in a banal and everyday setting. Logic slowly loses its bearings and paranoid madness gradually sets in, aided by a staging that plays on mystery and claustrophobia, but which also allows itself sequence shots never before seen in 1976, filmed at the Louma.

The tenant's building can be seen as a compendium of social neuroses and a metaphor for the anxieties of those who cannot find their place (in the urban jungle and its shadow theatre).

In addition to Roman Polanski - amusing and touching in his shy Polish character who gradually turns into the irrational - and Isabelle Adjani, the cast includes the presence of Josianne Balasko and Gérard Jugnot as office workers, Eva Ionesco as a sickly little girl and Shelley Winters as an intrusive janitor.

I would like to see a film like this right now, which doesn't need special effects or a huge budget to cause discomfort. 8/10.

After Hours (I) (1985)

Scorsese, the night, the art, and NYC.

[8/10 · 8 February 2023]

In this "resurrection" movie (and for good reason, it was thanks to After Hours that Scorsese came out of the depression he was going through and he confessed that if he hadn't made this movie, he probably would have stopped making movies.), Scorsese brews all the themes that are dear to him, and invites a naive computer scientist to live the most crazy and explosive night of his life.

It's a variant of Alice in Wonderland that is told here, except that it is rather a land of nightmares that emerges in the famous district of Soho in Manhattan. Scorsese clearly had fun depicting a microcosm of artists, the sweet-crazy, the left behind, the lost, the marginalized ignored by a society and an era then in full swing (the famous 80's). It's both one of his most personal films and at the same time one of the furthest from his usual paths.

It's funny, disturbing, and the identification with the main character is total. A clever and brilliant film. 8/10.

Blade (1998)

Blade

[9/10 · 15 January 2023]

Blade is originally a character from the Marvel Comics universe created by Gene Colan and screenwriter Marv Wolfman in 1973. In 1998, a film adaptation featuring the character had some success. Does the film deserve its success?

The film's atmosphere is very dark, very cold and very realistic, it's not for kids, especially with the first gory scenes which set the tone of the film. The action scenes aren't bad at all, despite some borderline special effects, but hey, that was in 98. The staging puts our hero in the foreground, the secondary characters are also endearing and highlighted. The actors are very involved in their role, Wesley Snipes embodies Blade perfectly, he signs one of the best performances of his career, literally becoming the character. The antagonist played by Stephen Dorff, is charismatic and very involved in his ambition: to become the most powerful vampire in the world.

The film takes a lot of liberties from the comics. In the comics the atmosphere is uninhibited, Blade is a vampire equal to the others and he is a boastful hunter with a very familiar language. In the film it's the opposite, Blade is a half-vampire with the strengths but not the weaknesses of his race and he's not very talkative.

So, have we been delivered yet another bad vampire movie? Well no, on the contrary!

Blade is just excellent, a very good film unfortunately not well known enough for my taste (I think everyone has forgotten it). Successful bet for Blade, its success will generate even two sequels, one of which is a total success and the other completely messed up. 9/10.

Aliens (1986)

An absolute reference in all categories

[10/10 · 12 January 2023]

James Cameron gave free rein to his abundant imagination, his sense of rhythm and his talent as a narrator to lay us a pure and infinitely inventive action-oriented Alien, in total complementarity with the first one by Ridley Scott. Aliens makes a lasting impression on me with each vision.

Cameron lands overtrained soldiers on a planet of settlers decimated by the Aliens (who reproduce at breakneck speed). The soldiers are there to "eat" the beasts and the deployment of high-tech weapons is enjoyable. Cameron considerably enriches this SF universe with many futuristic objects (the lifting robot, the steady-cam, the motion detector). We also discover the reproduction mode of the Aliens and the formation of cocoons.

In the unrated version, the film takes on its full extent and offers Ripley a capacity rarely achieved. She fights to protect this orphan taken in, like a mother. Her confrontation with the Queen Mother Alien is fearsome, heartbreaking, and represents a metaphor for the maternal survival instinct.

Visually stunning, Aliens culminates in a final 25 minutes of unparalleled space freaking. Jubilant from start to finish. 10/10.

Carlito's Way (1993)

"Carlito's Way" is undoubtedly one of Brian DePalma's best films.

[10/10 · 19 December 2022]

The director reforms the "Scarface" duo with Al Pacino for a new gangster film, but this time more dramatic, more melancholic. The actor interprets here a man of honor brought up to the code of the street, seeking at all costs to obtain his redemption and his freedom, the total antipodes of a Tony Montana. His way of the cross in view of this new beginning will be strewn with the pitfalls of his past as a thug from which he cannot escape, of his friends and former associates who put obstacles in his way, voluntarily or not.

And if Pacino is perfect in the role of this man who clings to a dream that seems lost in advance, his playmate Sean Penn is just as good as a cocaine-addicted, crooked and paranoid lawyer.

The script has a rare emotional power for a film of this genre, conceals a certain Shakespearian dimension, and wonders about salvation, while scratching the small world of so-called legit bosses but always ready to make blows to the back.

Through a sober and fluid cinematographic gaze, DePalma films this story with panache and passion, playing a lot with reflections and alternating editing for example, instilling a crazy suspense at certain moments (the sequence in the billiard room with Carlito and his young cousin, and especially the last chase scene in the corridors of the subway and the New York station...), without forgetting superb moments of grace, like the stunning opening and closing shots.

We are taken by the force of this story for almost 2h20 without seeing the time spent, and after viewing, we put it on the shelf next to Scorcese's "Goodfellas" or Coppola's "Godfather". 10/10.

Tombstone (1993)

Tombstone

[8/10 · 13 December 2022]

The shooting of O. K. Corral is a mythical subject of the good old western of yesteryear, immortalized by John Ford and John Sturges among others. This version is intended to be closer to historical reality, the characters are more detailed, less glorious, more tormented, bearded and hairy, not always very clear in their actions.

Stripped of its clichés of the old-school Hollywood mould, this western displays bloody violence and shows the Wild West as it really was, with its muddy streets, its filthy gambling dens, its unhygienic characters and its cowboys excited by beer and powder, constituting a more realistic trend started by Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven" which developed similar elements.

This spectacular western also shines with its impressive cast, led by the star duo Russell/Kilmer, but also the impeccable supporting roles like Michael Biehn, Sam Elliott, Stephen Lang or Powers Boothe... 8/10.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Silver Lining Playbook

[8/10 · 11 December 2022]

Remarkable acting from Bradley Cooper (Pat) who evolves his character from near madness to normality. Driven by a vain quest to rebuild his marriage, Pat does everything to fight against his bipolarity. The duo he forms with Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), is rickety at first, then finds its balance. Their respective families show an average America passionate about American football and very crazy.

Robert de Niro is excellent in his secondary role as the hero's father. Beyond the disease, the film thus shows a basic American society, far from the dream. We also discover in passing the origins of the expression OK, initials of Old Kinderhook, nickname of Martin Van Buren, eighth president of the United States.

The staging illustrates the evolution of the main character, chaotic or even choppy at the start, then more and more stable, up to a scene of a dance competition which must have required considerable work from the heroes.

Worth the watch to discover other therapies than those of chemical substances. 9/10.