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Reviews
Ausgestorben (1995)
Excellent sci-fi lo-budget short-film
It was a good surprise when I once watched this short story on TV a few years ago. It's not very often you see Germans produce sci-fi films. And this "Ausgestorben" is an excellent lo-budget sci-fi movie. You can watch it over and over, and each time you see more and more how the screenplay, filming and editing is close to perfection. Michael Pohl has written a perfect screenplay. In less than 15 minutes he tells us a very complex and intelligent story. Actors are all professionals and they give this credibility you mostly don't have in student flicks. The use of natural sets is excellent. I can't wait to see Michael Pohl's first feature film.
Driven (2001)
Stupid movie, one of the worst I saw
I am a car racing fan, and also a movie fan, and on both points of view this movie is crap. There are very few good movies about car racing. If you want to see an acceptable one see Grand Prix (1966). This is not a good movie but the races are almost realistic and well filmed.
Predator (1987)
Almost perfect suspense and action movie.
Why "almost" ? Because the first shot of the movie, showing a spaceship approaching planet Earth should be removed. It gives a key to the audience that spoils half of the suspense. I am not a war movie and a Schwarzie fan. I first watched this on TV, and I fortunately missed the 5 first minutes. I was sitting in front of my TV set watching what I supposed to be a Schwartzie war movie, saying to myself "hey man ! you are going to watch this flick until the end". But after ten minutes I was glued ! This is amazing how the movie turns slowly from stupid action to fantastic. You NEED to know more about this creature ... The suspense and action grows crescendo until the awaited duel. Excellent job. Very unexpected mood when you only refer to the title, the cast and the poster ... I only discovered the first shot when I rented the VHS tape ...
I gave 8/10
La planète sauvage (1973)
Cult movie in France, not about future ... but about past ...
This is the masterpiece of René Laloux. Was an almost big success in France, was shown only 2 or 3 times in the past 20 years and is now a kind of "Cult" movie for sci fi addicts. This sci-fi movie is far much better than the two other from the same director: "Gandahar" and "Les maitres du temps" (Time Masters). René Laloux always works with great and original comics artists. He worked with "Moebius" Aka Jean Giraud on "Les maitres du temps". This artist is also credited on "Alien" , he created the space suits. He worked with "Caza" an other great comics artist for "Gandahar"
He worked wit "Topor" on "La planète sauvage". Roland Topor is a french artist with a great sense of fantasy. He designed most of all you can see on the screen. The animation was produced in Czechoslovakia because there always have been excellent animation studios in this country, and also because producing in France was far too expensive. This story takes place in the past. It is a metaphor of the man's history. The small characters are called "Oms". This word is pronounced like the french word "Hommes" that means "man". It tell us when man had to leave the original heaven. Man had to fight against his old masters to be independent and free, then he had to find his place in the universe. This is the universal story ... and that's why this movie is timeless (despite the 70s Wha Wha guitars ... ;o)
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)
A simple story ... 10/10
Why is this movie so good? Because everything is looking so simple easy and natural. You let you lead by your emotions. You laugh, cry, dream ... and after two hours, you ask why this should stop. Audrey Tautou is not acting, she IS Amelie. Everything is almost perfect in this movie. Photography, rhythm, dialogues, music, soundtrack (Listen to the small noises that ends the scenes like a final dot). Because we are in the 21 th century there are many computer-generated effects in this movie, but they are so well made that you cannot see them. The animal looking clouds are so funny! By the way, the goldfish is computer generated and looks far much better than this ugly and ridiculous Yoda (I want the puppet back !!!)... Despite the "Non Oscar", this is finally the proof that you can make an (almost) worldwide success with a simple story and an (almost) low budget movie. Remarks I read a lot about the PG rating for this movie. Be aware that in France everyone who was in age to understand what the story was about could see this movie. You can note that in most of European countries the film was allowed for 7 to 12 year old spectators. In France, many less than 10 Childs went to the theatre with their parents to watch this fine and funny story! The scene some write about was to put in the film because it is a French movie, but because making love is a natural act, and killing his neighbor with a rifle is not. This scene is also a kind of trademark of Jeunet and a remember to his famous scene in his other excellent film Delicatessen. Those who watched this movie will understand.