J'ai tué ma mère (I Killed My Mother)

J’ai tué ma mère (I Killed My Mother) (Xavier Dolan, 2009)

Considered as the young prodigy of Quebecois Cinema, Xavier Dolan’s first feature is a not so juvenile effort. Far from being the masterpiece that many chauvinist film critics of the Province of Québec shouted out loud, J’ai tué ma mère is an inspired indie film about a sixteen years old son and his tumultuous relationship with his mother (Anne Dorval). Dolan himself often stated that it is semi-autobiographic and his relationship with Antonin (François Arnaud) as lovers might be one of the elements that reflected his own life. However, the character of the teacher Ms. Cloutier (Suzanne Clément), as the substitute mother might represent his real mother that was a teacher.

Inglourious Basterds

Note: this review is a translation of my original review of the movie I've seen in 2009. Since it was one of my first long reviews I've decided to translate it for everyone's benefit. I will do series of re-edits for the films that actually were reviewed in French in the first moments of this blog.

Plus: It is my contribution to the LAMB Movie of the Month.

 

Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino, 2009)

The latest film directed by Quentin Tarantino that matured a long way in his scripts and in his mind clearly can be defined as a true Tarantino. You will find everything he is known for: long monologues, violence, quirky directing, an incredible use of music, and many references to his precedent films. With a mitigated reception at Cannes, Tarantino delivered a Historically questionable Second World War picture that is a whole lot of fun and cinematic giddiness.

The fan base of the American auteur was probably conquered already, just like the writer of this review, however the naysayers of Tarantino’s films have been conquered or levelled by its overall and a more cohesive narrative. The critics towards his films listed the too many references and borrowings to other films he admire. On that subject, a certain Brian De Palma has build a career on recycling Alfred Hitchcock’s tricks and Martin Scorsese deliberately uses the narratives of his influences to enrich and reinterpret the lessons he learned from its great predecessors. Why? Because if we don’t look at what has been done before we always forget the evolutions of the Art and the techniques that made an impression. Cinema like painting, always cite sometimes more obviously in some cases the genres and styles that preceded them. This is one of the reasons why Quentin Tarantino is such a talented filmmaker. He blends his stories and his trademark within the references of his masters. With Inglourious Basterds, he once again cites Sergio Leone with the superb opening scene that reminds of Once Upon A Time In the West, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and John Ford’s The Searchers. The climatic tension of the dialogue between M. Lapadite and Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) might be one of the most interesting scene of American contemporary Cinema. Then the form of the story centered on Shoshannah’s (Mélanie Laurent) Cinema and the diversion in the face of the Nazis obviously reminds of the Ernst Lubitsch farce/satire of To Be or Not to Be. Knowing that an Italian exploitation film has been made before with the same title but spelled like this Inglorious Bastards and with about the same story is a sure shot as one of the direct references here. A last one that should be mentioned is Robert Aldrich’s The Dirty Dozen starring Lee Marvin. Aldrich’s films are made for men and Tarantino is a man of men films so are his. It is easy to discard someone who uses bits and parts of other oeuvres but you should discard almost every director out there since Griffith, Eisenstein, and Murnau. Walt Disney was one of the first to copy-paste films like Murnau’s Faust for his Fantasia. Disney even copy-paste his own films.

The setup of Inglourious Basterds is very Tarantinesque: a multi layered story that culminate in one superb batshitcrazy ending. It might be the most movie centered film of Tarantino’s oeuvre. The constant references to movies of Germany, G.W. Pabst, the 1930’s, the Cinema of the time, and setting the ending of his film into a Film theatre isn’t subtle at all. Well, who doesn’t want Tarantino to be bold and arrogant? After the first scene we know Shoshannah, her enemy Hans Landa. Then we move to the Basterds commanded by Aldo Raines (Brad Pitt) and twelve other mercenaries chose to kill and take no prisoners amongst the Nazi troops. Along the way we meet Michael Fassbender, Mike Myers, Diane Krueger, and many other characters that are linked together.

It is indeed a very enjoyable moment that goes along all the picture and the cohesion of the narrative, a more linear approach for Tarantino here serves well his director. It helps to create the final climax that only him could have thought and achieve. Of all QT’s oeuvre this one might be my favourite replacing Pulp Fiction.

Les doigts croches

Les doigts croches (Ken Scott, 2009)

This is Ken Scott's first directorial effort after his work as a screenwriter for Maurice Richard and La grande séduction. With an all Québécois star cast of Roy Dupuis(Maurice Richard), Patrice Robitaille (Québec-Montréal), Claude Legault (Les 7 jours du Talion, 10 1/2), Jean-Pierre Bergeron, Paolo Noël, and Aure Atika, Les doigts croches is one of the most under appreciated comedies of 2009. Charles (Roy Dupuis) wants to do the robbery of the century with his old time chums. Their plan is perfect, but they must get caught the night of the robbery except one of them. When the rest gets out of jail to get their share, they have two conditions: first to walk the entire Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle road and to have changed. They must become honest citizens in the face of the law.

This off-beat film of low-key comedy gives a fresh breath to the genre that defines itself by pedestrian scatological and sometimes penises jokes only. Ken Scott writes his scripts with keen humor and a naive charm of innocence and down to earth characters. The fauna of robbers itself could have made a hilarious cast. However, Ken Scott uses every one of them with intelligence and respect of his own style of writing.

The main problem of Scott's script might be the lack of dramatic turn of events when the gang does its pilgrimage in Spain. To have tighten its script and the interactions between the characters could have helped to raise the bar and attain a higher level of acheivment. But overall, Les doigts croches remains one of the most successful comedies made in Québec with a superb cast of loveable losers.

Antichrist

Note: this review is a translation of my original review of the movie I've seen in Theaters in late 2009. Since it was one of my first long reviews I've decided to translate it for everyone's benefit. I will do series of re-edits for the films that actually were reviewed in French in the first moments of this blog.

Antichrist (Lars Von Trier, 2009)

Expectations towards this film were high and the mixed reviews following its release made me very curious about what did Lars Von Trier in his latest concoction. Having only seen his most famous films; Dancer in the Dark and Dogville my opinion was that he is talented master. Dancer in the Dark is a near-masterpiece while Dogville is an interesting experiment "à la" Bertold Brecht that tires itself after a moment.

To make my wait even longer, Antichrist was preceded by Pedro Pires' short Danse Macabre. Evenmore, the clerk that sold me my ticket asked me if I was mentally ready for the film. Well, everything to make me even more feverish for this cinematic junket that is Antichrist. There was at least twenty people into the theater where the projection of the film was about to begin. The air was thin with apprehension, fear, excitation, and probably innocence.

The film opens with a magnificent slow motion prologue shot in a clean black and white depicting the couple during the act of love at the same moment that their only son accidentally dies by jumping out of the window of his room. This sequence puts the viewer right into the core of the film. The guilt of the mother and the mourning of the lost of a child. The mother (Charlotte Gainsbourg) falls into a major depression and her path through the mourning of her son is very difficult. To cure his wife, the man (Willem Dafoe) brings her into their cabin in the woods and starts her therapy. There, everything will degenerate and their illness will be even greater. The idea behind the story is very interesting and it gives to Von Trier excellent material to work with but also something very heavy. Von Trier isn't known for falling for the easiest road.

The opening and the final sequences are linked together by the same visuals. However, the rest of the film is shot in numeric format with handheld cameras "à la" Dogme 95. These techniques give to the images a bold grain and an amateurist touch to the movements of the camera as well as a sense of reality.

However, provocation is his thing and he chooses every way he can to achieve his status of grand provocateur; explicit sex scenes, sadic violence, and a outrageous symbolism. Von Trier likes to shock is audience to demonstrate his ego-maniacal persona. Nevertheless, he leads a path where no other filmmaker has ever been and he has his own style. Like Quentin Tarantino, pretension can be a crutch but I think that in both cases those two are masters conscious of their talent and using it advisely. The final homage to Andreï Tarkovsky, one of the greatest visual poets of the seventh art, might seem very pompous, but related to Tarkovsky, Antichrist which has many religious symbolism may be linked easily with the Soviet director. Nonetheless, both filmmakers are from two different worlds, Tarkovsky made contemplative religious films gently and meticulously crafted while Von Trier has this raw and almost vulgar attitude. The director of Antichrist tortures his characters and at the same time his audience that was reduced in half during the projection of the film.

This widely discussed film, mostly because of the shocking violence and heaviness, might attain the cult status of Pasolini's Salo: or the 120 days of Sodom. Just for the sequences of the three beggars and the fall into the madness of humanity the religious fable slowly transcends into a very efficient Horror film. As seen as a genre film, Antichrist convinces and accomplishes more than many torture porn films that we are used to see these days. It indulges fear, loath, disgust and a lot of nebulous symbolism that can scare the hell out of the viewer that has enough courage and oddity to watch Antichrist.

Rating:

Julie & Julia

Julie & Julia (Nora Ephron, 2009)


A film about food, blogging, and the pleasure to cook... Humm... Why not they are three your host on LMdC quite enjoys. I must admit I am a big fan of the Food Network and food is one of my passions, I love to eat. It comforts me and it always has been a pleasure for me. I am a gourmand if you want to know. I’m always hungry and I can eat a dozen of donuts just after diner. I’m never empty! Those who know me for a while know that when I was a teenager I almost weight 200 pounds. Now, thanks to Hockey, Snowboarding, skateboarding I’m around 165 which is better for my health, I guess.

Enough of me, let’s talk about this enjoyable light comedy that tells the parallel story of two real women and their lives with their understanding and supporting husbands. It’s almost a feminist film without the statement and the angry activists. The film itself was directed by a Nora Ephron a capable director and acted by two of the greatest actresses working today, Amy Adams and Meryl Streep. I must say that only the name Meryl Streep will make me watch any movie, so I was already in for the thing but Amy Adams. Well, with her performance in The Fighter and in Julie & Julia I must admit that I think she is one of the excellent actresses out there. If she continues to choose smart roles she is a potential multi-Oscars winner.

The story, Julie Powell (Amy Adams) has a job she hates and wishes she was a writer. One day she decides she must do something meaningful in her life because she will be turning 30 soon. As many writers wannabe, she started a blog about cooking, a joy she has in life. Her goal is to cook all the recipes from Julia Child’s first book in one year. Parallel to that we have the making of this book by Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and how she began to cook and become the greatest cook in America. This might not be the script of the decade but it’s funny and quite enjoyable. This is also the case of two success stories of two women who by the vehicule of their passion surpassed their ennui and made their mark, starting from scratch.

Streep’s portrayal of Julia Child is unbelievable, I remember, when in 2002 I went to Washington and visited the Smithsonian where Child’s kitchen is reproduced. I did not knew who the woman was at all! But now I understand that she brought French food for the American families’ table. As always, I love every Meryl Streep role and no I haven't seen Mamma Mia! and I'm trying to forget it really happened. From The Deer Hunter to The Devil Wears Prada Meryl Streep always brings her A-game.

Julie & Julia isn’t exactly Inglourious Basterds, The Hurt Locker, or Das Weisse Band (the best films of 2009) but still a nice little flick that stands above the average popcorn movies of the multiplexes of today.

Un prophète

Un prophète (Jacques Audiard, 2009)

Nominated for best foreign film at the 2010 Academy awards, Un prophète, beaten by a lesser film, sets itself amongst the great films of the first decade of the 21st Century. The story of the young Arab of 19 years old Malik entering in jail for 6 years. He has no family, no friends, no allies, no enemies, he doesn’t know how to read and write. Shortly he’ll understand that his only chance to survive is to “work” for the Corsicans. But our protagonist is a fast learner, he’ll learn to read, to write, to speak Italian, and more important to make connections and be influent. His stay in jail will bring him from a nobody to the head of one of the most important group of gangsters.

Life in prison is hard and the hierarchy of the groups must be respected as for the dominant ethnies. This is more than the passage of a man from boyhood to manhood or the adoption of a lone kid by a substitute father or even the orphan recreating his own family. Well, this is the amalgam of all these elements blended together as for the religious journey a man must handle to get through in his life. This last element is symbolized more than actually being explicit to the viewer, there’s some kind of purification through the process and even if Malik conspires against the law he tries to unite and instore peace amongst the many gangs who wants to control the drug traffic. There’s also a deeper symbolism when the “propos” of the film is analyzed with the religious aspects of Muslim, but this critic isn’t a specialist of religions. The further comments will get on the filmic qualities of the film.

For the visuals, Audiard took an almost documentary style of filmmaking to shoot Un prophète. Even if this technique seems to be the way to shoot films nowadays, the treatment of it really fits well with the story. It gives an objective point of view as for a slightly realistic feeling to the images. The editing is traditional and we don’t feel too much cuts or too many overuses of axis. The cinematography gives a lot of latitude to the performances of the wonderful actors. Speaking of which, the presence of Niels Arestrup as Cesar Luciani and Tahar Rahim as Malik is unsettling in their truth and transparent work. They completely inhabit their characters without pushing too hard or even overplaying the dramatic emotions. The subtle but captivating soundtrack of Un prophète gently mixes the different heavy moments of solitude and meditation of the main character.

The love of foreign films seems to grow slowly amongst the cinephiles and sometimes the fact that the North American audiences should “read” the film stops them from seeing it at all. However, the most challenging movies are sometimes the ones that are most worth the look. Un prophète especially qualifies for that instance; its many levels of understanding, the quality of the acting, the richness of the script, and the mastered “mise en scène” are the main reasons why every film enthusiast should watch it.

El secreto de sus ojos

El secreto de sus ojos (Juan José Campanella, 2009)

Winner of the 2009 Academy award for Best Foreign Film, El secreto de sus ojos is an interesting chase story. Like Hitchcock always said, a great story is where the chase is better than the catch. A good example of this theory is David Fincher’s mind gripping Zodiac, where we follow the protagonist’s investigation/obsession around the Bay area to find one of the most famous serial killer cases.

El secreto de sus ojos begins like many films, it tells a story set in the past told by the central character until we get where he is to conclude in the “present”. Freshly retired, court investigator, decides to write a novel about a case of rape and murder he worked on 25 years ago. The story, told in episodes from the discovery of the body to the “present” is really well handled and reminds of the great investigation stories of the Hollywood of the 1970’s, “à la” Alan J. Pakula.
The film’s structure opens with a dream-like with a sequence of unconnected events where the faces of the characters are hard to distinguish. This prologue announces the pivots of the story. It’s interesting because it creates déjà vus for the viewer and the feeling of assembling a puzzle together. This is a very efficient approach that keeps the tension and the awareness.
Like the title of the film announces, translated to The Secret In Their Eyes, the actors had to nuance their play to get this subtle touch of telling their emotions with their eyes without overplaying or being simple caricatures. The bunch of actors is almost unknown for North American audiences letting an easier identification with the different characters that populate that interesting film.

El secreto de sus ojos, is a riveting investigation that, by moments, reminded me of the great films by David Fincher: Zodiac, Se7en, The Social Network. Films that not only investigate on crimes or actions but also on the human behaviour and the many human interactions while these events occur. It reminded me of them, but, yes there’s a but, it definitively lacks of depth in the general intrigue of it all. However, some aspects of the script could have been done tighter especially the clichés of the classic investigation story could have been cut out and be more concentrated on the darker aspects. When you compare it to the other Foreign films nominated that year, Un prophète and Das Weisse Band (The White Ribbon), this is a much more lesser film especially in the depth of the story.

Me and Orson Welles

Me and Orson Welles (Richard Linklater, 2009)

Only the evocation of this title leaded me to great expectations for this film. Its director, Richard Linklater (Before Sunrise, Waking Life, School of Rock) is capable of bliss but also of so-so films.

The idea of a film about one of the most mythical persona in film history is very interesting. Although, I think the man himself would have hate to see a film about him. But, the cinephile I am the subject captivated me. In 1937, Welles directed Shakespeare's Julius Ceasar setting it in the fascist Italia of Mussolini. It was a terrible success and it helped the ever growing fame of Orson Welles.

However, this story is only a real event set-up for a fictional rom-com starring teen sensation Zac Efron. Well, this part of the plot feels like "déjà vu" and really tired. The better scenes of the movie are the ones with Christian McKay impersonating Orson Welles with an outstanding capacity. Many anecdotes of Welles' life are put here and there among the film and they are interesting blinks to the cinephile who can recognize them.

Overall, Linklater offers an above average film from with a mouth watering prime idea. The whole problem here is that the entire film lacks of consistency and some scenes are excellent while others just turn flat... I must admit that the film let me hungry and thirsty. I should probably rewatch something like Touch of Evil or the Criterion edition of Mr.Arkadin to fill the void Me and Orson Welles let in my montruous cinephile appetite.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Terry Gilliam, 2009)

Heath Ledger's final film! Alright, now that I have stated what has to be stated I'll be able to speak (read write) freely about this one of a kind movie.

As a fan of Terry Gilliam (Brazil, Twelve Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), I dived into this film as open minded as a weird cinephile could be. Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) has an itinerant scene where he entertains people with his uncharacteristic tricks. Helped with Anton (Andrew Garfield) and his beautiful daughter Valentina (Lily Cole) Parnassus can make you realize your greatest dreams within his imaginarium. As spectacular as it sounds, the feature doesn't interest anyone. The little troop has to work very hard to earn their living. Until one day, they discover an interesting man hanging under a bridge. His charisma will bring them back in business and help Parnassus to close his pact with the Devil (Tom Waits).

Packed with extraordinary references to Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal and Federico Fellini's clownesque characters, Terry Gilliam's film works well despite some lows that Ledger's death may have provoked in the production.

As you must know Gilliam had to use Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law to fill up Ledger's empty shoes. Well, the replacements work in the way they are inserted in the parallel world of Parnassus they don't make such a big step down.

The story of Parnassus and the Devil reminds us the particular chess confrontation of the Reaper and the knight in The Seventh Seal. There's also the "forain's" troop that populated many of Bergman's films, representing his other cherish form of Art: Theater.

The most irritating parts of the film are the parallel world sequences where the visual effects are too CGI/computerized for my nostalgic tastes. I would have preferred a surreal Fellinesque king of fake world where even the water is represented with moving painted plywood...

Although, it was refreshing to have a new Terry Gilliam feature. It made us forget about his less than average Tideland.

The Road

The Road (John Hillcoat, 2009)

Based on the powerful book by Cormac McCarthy (his only book I've ever read) the same author who has written No Country For Old Men brilliantly adapted to the screen by the Coen Brothers.

The Road's story works on two levels primarily: the world we know is gone and civilization was completely erased. Even the names of the characters are absent. Every aspect of our common lives doesn't exist anymore. This is an unsettling story because it brings us somewhere we have to forgot everything we give importance to. Our preoccupations about job, money, and consumerism is put away.
On the second level, The Road works as a metaphor on how rightfulness should overcome wrong and that the "fire" must be kept alive by the good ones. It's represented by the father and son who will try pass good values and good will of the ancient world (the father) to the new world (the son).

Portraying the father, Viggo Mortensen continues to bring his A-game like he did in the last Cronenberg films. As for Charlize Theron with her true performance. Kodi Smith-McPhee is touching in his interpretation of the son.

With some exceptions in the story the adaptation of McCarthy's work is true to the original and it still has this philosophical strength that distinguished this post-apocalypse film from all his predecessors. The Road is a unique film that brings you places only McCarthy's universe can recall. A must see.

Bright Star

Bright Star (Jane Campion, 2009)

This costume drama/biopic about the poet Jim Keats is well executed and has great performances from the leads and a great directing. The naturally lit interiors and exteriors give a crude but beautiful images to this somptuous film.

However, I may just get bored by costume dramas because I find them laborious and somewhat "impersonal". They mostly reflect what the paintings of the time looked like. Their execution is wonderful and it takes a lot of mastery to handle them at this level. But, their subject and matters are too classical for my tastes. As in paintings, I prefer contemporary Art and subject. My favorite painters are Dali, de Chirico, Magritte, Munch, the expressionists, Warhol, etc.

My two favorite costume dramas are Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon and Eric Rohmer's Marquise of O. Birght Statr is a good film well made and exquisite to loof at but it won't take the third place of my top costume dramas which is held by Marie-Antoinette.

Bad Lieutenant Port of Call New Orleans

Bad Lieutenant Port of Call New Orleans (Werner Herzog, 2009)

In the 1970's and 1980's Werner Herzog filmmaking was simply kamikaze especially the films he shoot with his long time friend/enemy Klaus Kinski. He never attained the virtuosity and inspiration of this period. Meanwhile, his films still have this raw filmmaking energy that only Herzog can bring into a film. Without a doubt he his a real author, and he gave the opportunity to the overrated Nic Cage to give one of his best performance ever.

Star Trek (2009)

Star Trek (J.J. Abrams, 2009)

First of all, I must say that I am not a fan or an enthousiast of the Franchise. I may have seen one of the films when I was 12 or so and I don't remember which one it was. It was the one where they go through the center of the universe to find God... Well, the whole Trek fanatism never really got me. But when I see a good movie I don't care if it Star Trek or There Will be Blood; I will cry it out loud!

The re-boot of the franchise is clearly adressing itself to the new generation that never watched Star Trek and that couldn't understand the previous films. We have the whole genesis, the origin of Jim Kirk, Spock and the whole crew of the Enterprise. It's fresh funny and packed with amazing action sequences. If you don't get involve in the movie it's because you really don't want to see the film at all. The leads are protrayed by non-stars actors and it's a good thing 'cause you completely imerge yourself in the story. A good catharsis one can say... but here I write it without a negative comment, because, for some people the Science-fiction themes are harder to follow. Especially in a legendary and uncompromised franchise like Star Trek.

J.J. Abrams is a director who knows what he's doing and the years on Lost haven't been lost at all (sorry for that one). He has all the talent a director needs; to take a complex story that could have been another action flick full of sappy stereotypes and bring it to a level the series never probably achieved since its debuts. The visuals are simply candy for the eye, while never denaturating their origin. For example, the shape of the Enterprise is the same as it ever was, but it never felt outdated or lavish vintage 1970's. The same thing occurs when you look at the costumes, they don't feel retro-futurists at all, they have lines that reminds the original ones with simple and subtle modifs "au goût du jour".

Star Trek has been reborn and/or revived with passion and success. The re-boot of a franchise is always a hard thing and could be disastrous (Superman). It's always a challenge to measure how much of new stuff and original stuff and how you handle the so-called stuff. Moreover, the most important issue is who will handle it, J.J. Abrams handled it like a master, now we'll have to see for the future how he will handle the sequels.

Moon (2009)

Moon (Duncan Jones, 2009)

It's strange to see that there wasn't much about Moon when it came out last year. But its DVD release has been good for its spread over the sci-fi film lovers.

Sam Bell, an astronaut of the Lunar Entreprise has been for nearly three years on the moon. A loneliness only tempered by Gertie (reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey's HAL 9000) his helping robot. This isolation made him have halucinations and dreams. One day he has an accident while out for a routine tour. He his rescued by a man that has the same name and the same appearance has him.

With many references to 2001: A Space Odyssey but also to Tarkovsky's Solaris and Duncan Jones' own father David Bowies' Major Thom. Moon has its moments and raises many modern issues to the screen. But I think it's its lack of consistency and the feeling of trampling on that annoyed me. I like Sci-fi but I don't like when someone tries to be Kubrick or Tarkovsky (I like them but I don't like a copy of them).

The best part of Moon is Sam Rockwell, he could at least diserved an Oscar nomination for his Sam Bell interpretation(s). All in nuance and in prefect control of his body and soul on the screen. I've seen him before in Snow Angels and I thought he was a very good actor. Now I think he's excellent and I wish to see more from him in the next years.

A review by Michaël Parent

Ice Age Part III

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Carlos Saldanha & Mike Thurmeier, 2009)

The third chapter of one of the most grossing animation franchise in Cinema History hit us back in 2009. While we are invaded by dozens and dozens of animated features each year some classics like Toy Story, Shrek, and Ice Age tend to monopolize the box office.

With the animations being more and more sophisticated and the releases of those films in 3D and/or IMAX theaters the studios spend good money on "sure shots" for the business. It's all for the great pleasure of its audience! Families, children of all ages (which I include myself at 26) are targeted in the success of animation feature.

Besides being moralistic like its precedent, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is more based on values like friendship, loyalty, respect, and how we manage to be ourselves in our world. Like I said before the line of the moral is very thin and it let the action and the story evolve and finish for the best.

After this third part it's maybe the moment to think about reverence or like the Toy Story franchise did: take a break and let some time pass on... Watching how ordinary and most of all repetitive the last Shrek was and how good pictures like Up! did in 2009 and Ratatouille in 2007, I think Ice Age could be on the ice for moment just to be back stronger and avoid being Shrek's underacheiver brother... But don't get me wrong, I actually liked Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs it's just that sometimes stopping in glory is better then retiring in shame.



A review by Michael Parent

Public Enemies - Michael Mann (2009)

Recently reviewed on Le Mot du Cinephiliaque, Michael Mann's Miami Vice was a precedent to this review of his film of last year: Public Enemies. I'll try not to repeat myself on some of the qualities of Mann's films, I promess. My expectations for Public Enemies were really high, first because like John Dillinger I love Gangster films. Second, because Michael Mann's pictures are always as entertaining as cinematically great. Third, because it's Johnny Depp and Christian Bale two of my favorite actors around. I liked Bale since American Psycho and Depp well since Edward Scissorhands.

The last years of the life of the famous bank robber John Dillinger(Johnny Depp), his love interest Billie Frechette(Marion Cottillard) and the man who chased him, Melvin Purvis(Christian Bale) are the subjects of Public Enemies.

Besides being the classic hide and seek chase movie, Public Enemies revisits the classic Gangster genre. Well, Michael Mann's films have this quality that I ultimely respect from a filmmaker which is to make a personal film that will make money, satisfy the critics and have its unique approach. He never makes a movie where the viewer is despised or out of its "comfort zone". The themes he visits are classics; love, duty, passion, obsession, etc. I know I'll receive tomatoes and stuff but I'd like to make a comparison of Michael Mann with one of the greatest directors of all-time: Howard Hawks. Hawks always had his style, his own way to tell a story. He did it in the "classic" cinematic genres too like Westerns, Film Noir, Slapstick, Comedies and Hawks always managed to have commercial success with his films. Well, I think Mann is the same kind of filmmaker mastering within the boundaries of successful movie business.

Another interesting topic about Mann's moviemaking is how his action scenes are efficient for the viewer. They never fell forced or useless but their major appeal is how they feel true. Linked with the action scenes are the scenes that leads to the action and that's what Mann is truly a master at. There are not that many shootings in Public Enemies, because Mann takes all his time to develop the motivations of the characters. Some frames are unusual but they don't feel arty just to be "cool" he doesn't have an exuberant style like Quentin Tarantino or Wes Anderson, but his sober "mise en scène" and deep realism that caracterize his filmmaking keeps the focus of the audience on the main elements of the movie: the characters, the story, and the dialogues.

If you haven't seen the feature I must warn you that the next section contains spoilers.

The whole film is a strong piece of Cinema. But to me, the final 30 minutes or so of the movie are just sublime. The scene where Dillinger enters in the Police station in the Dillinger squad room and looks at all the pictures and stuff about him. A place where every policeman must have dreamt to know where he is hidden and to catch the guy that is just standing there and asking for the score of the game. This is a blissful moment of Cinema. Moreover, the scene that comes after this, where Dillinger is at the movies and watches a Clark Gable picture titled Manhattan Melodrama he sees what could have been a different (happy?) ending for him. It's a fact that John Dillinger was a movie buff. The scene is not that long but its execution and the build up of the tension is just perfect. We all know how it's gonna end but just don't know exactly when, the wait is endless.

Few films have this mastery to achieve to execute a powerful effect of the "film in the film" like that and in Public Enemies it's just excellent.


A Movie Review by Michaël Parent

I Love You, Man - John Hamburg (2009)

Of the many comedies we encounter these years, many are just stupid and some like Judd Apatow's are refreshing. Other movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall or (500) Days of Summer have more qualities than just giving you a fat laugh. I would put John Hamburg's movie, I Love You, Man in this category; near Apatow and the last two movies cited.

Especially when the main character makes me think of me, I like the movie even more. Like Joseph Gordon-Levitt in (500) Days of Summer, Paul Rudd's Peter is a character I easily identify myself with. Well, it's been more than 8 years I'm with my girlfriend - btw, since last september fiancée - and I have some friends but none very close... My major problem is like Peter in the film: I don't take the time to call the "guys" to hang around and maintain my friendships. WHy I'm telling you that, because it resumes the starting point of the film. Peter will get married but he doesn't have a best man/best friend. We follow is quest to find the perfect guy friend. The chase could remind some catchy romantic comedies where the girl desperately tries to find the right guy for her life. It gives place to funny moments that never fell into easy gay gags or bad taste humor.

The friendship he develops is very cool and I can say I hardly been close to a friend like Peter and Sidney got. They complete each other very well and they make a great "friend" couple. It reminded of a friend that I lost track that probably recognize himself here; D.B. and J.N. call me if you read these lines... Friendship is something we don't see that often in movies because they prefer to show love or hate relationships.


I know I Love You, Man is not the greatest film of all-time or a movie life changing experience but I consider it like a efficient feel good movie with sincere laughs, light hearted and I just have to add one last thing: Rush rocks!

A Movie Review by Michaël Parent

Logorama un film de François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy & Ludovic Houplain

Available on YouTube the Oscar winner for the Best Short Animated feature is a must see! To just seize all the logos of the different brands appearing on screen and how they used them to tell a fast moving little story that itself needs a second and a third screening for the pleasure of it all.

A little gem!

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Disponible en visionnement gratuit sur YouTube. Le gagnant de l'Oscar du Meilleur court métrage animé, Logorama vaut le clique de se rendre sur YouTube. Plusieurs visionnements vous serons nécessaires juste pour avoir le temps de remarquer tous les logos utilisés comme des éléments de tous les jours, un peu comme l'hyper commercialisation que l'on connaît de nos jours...

En plus d'une histoire vraiment divertissante Logorama est un véritable petit bijoux!

Michaël Parent

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson, 2009)

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First of all, I must say that I am a 100% a fan of the work of Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach. I remember seeing The Royal Tenenbaums how the kitsch off-beat indie naive charm label of the film got me and how with multiple viewings it’s becoming one of my favourite film of all time. I also remember when I discovered The Squid and The Whale, I didn’t expect anything... It was the story of my family and at the time I saw it, The Squid and the Whale deeply touched me and it’s why you find it in my Top 5 of the last decade.

I was looking forward for Fantastic Mr. Fox, especially when TSPDT put it in their highly recommend films (btw the first of W. Anderson’s films). This is the story of Mr. Fox (George Clooney) who swore to his loving wife, Felicity (Meryl Streep) to stop stealing from the humans and get a real job. For 12 years, he made it but the temptation and the emptiness of his new life of columnist brought him to secretly restart his activities until the humans discovers his felony and try to catch him.

On the story level, Anderson and Baumbach were adapting a child novel. But many main themes that are recurring in Anderson’s filmography: the failure of the father figure, the wonder child that tries anything to impress and be accepted by his dad are present here. I’m just afraid that Anderson is gonna get the critic of always redoing the same film over and over like Woody Allen had the same criticism. His stories are charming so as the characters but I’d like to see another of film from Anderson even if I had a really good time watching Fantastic Mr. Fox.

I read some critics when Fantastic Mr. Fox came out that it wasn’t a family film, I think this is so a family film because the animations are made with stop motion something very different from the 3D family films abounding. Well, it’s no surprise coming from Wes Anderson the more kitsch filmmaker out there. It has a unique charm and feeling into it. I truly recommend this film to anyone with or without children.

A Film review by Michaël Parent

District 9 un film de Neill Blomkamp

A Sci-Fi movie set in South Africa telling the relocalisation of aliens that lived like a group excluded from society. Does it ring a bell here... Shot in a documentary style and produced by Peter Jackson: expectations were high!

We follow Wikus (Sharlto Copley, who reminded me of a young Robert De Niro) the nervous and young executive son in law of the chief of MNU in charge of the Aliens. He is designated to be in charge of the Alien deportation. The film opens with the preparations of the eviction. We follow the leader of this mission: Wikus. His team enters into the Alien ghetto until things turns bad for the mission and for Wikus...

One thing that I truly love about Science-Fiction is the parallels made with real events and how the writers manage to translate them into a fiction. Like the "Apartheid" on the Aliens in District 9 or the imminent communist attack translated by the alien in the form of a man in The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951), etc. We could go on forever with the many translations Sci-fi films gave us. In this case, District 9 picks up with the great tradition of pure Science-Fiction and refresh the genre with a different approach. It does not reinvent the genre, but it gives a new breath because it's been a while since movie goers had a good Sci-Fi flick.

A very good film that deserved his unattended Oscar nominations. It has the depth to be a fun ride and make you do a reflexion on intolerance and "alien" nations.


A Film Review by Michaël Parent