Reviews

Once again we have a case of 'the book is better than the film/miniseries'.

I've read the book twice, and believe me, the book is better than this 6 episodes series.

My biggest critique about the mini series is that the dialogues are really poor, and of little substance. And thus not believable. Short scenes with few information are put behind each other. This also means that we don't get much to know about the main protagonists, nor about how Charlie Croker ended up in such financial perils.

It is strange to see that a man so affluent as Charlie Croker has not many staff members (1 attorney, 1 secretary and 1 accountant). It is strange to see when he shows up at decisive meetings he doesn't have a lot to say, but huff and bluff and puff. Same goes for the bank accountants too actually. Their case is not well built up. These business scenes don't come across as very believable. It all feels a bit grotesque, cartoonesque... The best episode is the last episode, in which there is a long court scene in which the attorney brings a strong plea for justice, and later a memorable speech of Charlie in Georgia Tech Stadium. There should have been more scenes like this. Maybe my expectiations were a bit too high, but I was a bit dissapointed all in all.

This movie is based on a short story of the famous Japanese writer Murakami. Well, the movie didn't feel short at al... By the time they drove to Hokaido, I wished for the movie to end. Too long dialogues, too little plot, hardly any music, no laughter. I am still trying to figure out why it has won an Oscar for best foreign movie.

Poor story? Little dialogue? No humor whatsoever? Written AND directed by the same person??

Yes sir, we have a winning formula!

A winning formula, for a 100% boring, tedious and plain pretentious movie.

Can't believe this film had some good reviews.

Sure, it had some good ideas, but then again, it missed punch and coherence. It missed drama and good dialogues. It missed humor and chivalry. I understand this is not your average knight movie, but my score is very average: 5/10. I paused the movie three times just to see how long this ordeal would take. I longed for the ending more than the knight wanted his beheading.

Sleep tight, sweet boring knight....

I'm not a huge fan of action movies, and I'm not familiar with the Marvel Universe at all, but I enjoyed this movie. It has a good pace, a variety of settings and good dialogues. And a lot of action. The one scene that dragged on a bit too long was the family reunion scene. The scenes with the robotised henchman were also a bit hard to believe.

I thought I would be lost at the beginning, knowing nothing abouut Marvel but the story unfolds quite naturally. I've never heard of the Red Room, Dragov, not even the Avengers, but that wasn't a problem to understand, and to enjoy the story. I loved some of the plot twists, never a dull moment in this film. Maybe I should check out another Marvel movie...

I heard they are planning a prequel where Fern still has long hair, where the camera is not so shaky and there is actually a plot.

Looking forward to that one!

I'm more of a sci-fi guy actually, but this show had me captivated all the way through. I really enjoyed it and I even had to shed a tear at the end. So I would definitely recommend this show to anyone. Chess players and orphans will binge.

The story is about Beth Harmon who grew up in an orphanage and turns out to be a chess prodigy. The rest... is for you to find out.

One might think that a series about chess must be a bit boring. Quite the opposite. The chess matches are pure excitement. And besides chess there are all the other storylines that form the this perfectly dosed drama.. And form Beth's personality.

I particularly liked the character of Beth, a smart and solitary girl, sometimes lost in her own world. Sometimes lost in the real world, trying to find out what life is about.

Great score, beautiful cinematography, 60's fashion, edgy cliffhangers, and... which I find nice: it is neatly wrapped up after 7 episodes. If only Netflix would produce more of this one-season-shows.

A chess quote to end: "I am convinced, the way one plays chess always reflects the player's personality. If something defines his character, then it will also define his way of playing." - Vladimir Kramnik

Flimsy story. Beautiful cinematography. Skinny models. Poor dialogues. Great soundtrack. Wouldn't recommend.

Disclaimer: I'm European and I only read quality newspapers, both domestic and international. Sorry, I prefer specialist experts over self-proclaimed investigators.

That being said, I have a few friends who believe in multiple conspiracy theories. I see them sucked deeper into the rabbit hole everyday. Strangely enough, they present me with 'proof' of these outlandish theories (articles and videos), that, as it turns out, come from abroad, mostly USA and Russia. So this infowar is affecting the rest of the world also, slowly but surely.

Russia's tactic is simple: "Divide et impera" In the USA the tactic it's less clear: false news is being spread to discredit people, influence elections or just to make money.

In the documentary some guy says 'it's a war'. I don't understand: who are you fighting against? Another political party?

This documentary shows the consequences of spreading lies, and the effects are devastating. I nearly fell off my chair. Fake news, alternative facts, conspiracy theories, trolling, clickbait... This divisive messages are undermining the democracy in the USA. A country which could achieve anything if only they would work together, all politicians. Now they are bombarding each other with smear. Happens elsewhere too, but not in such a nasty way... yet..

I just recently saw The Wire. And to get to the point immediately: this TV-show has everything what a good series needs: Great storytelling, nice pace, good camera work, realistic dialogues and acting, it's all very very believable... Absolutely nothing can be improved. It's remarkable that anno 2020 this show is not outdated at all. This is the standard for any good crime/drama series.

Minor disclaimer: I've only seen the first season.

Yesterday I saw 'Balada triste de Trompeta' in cinemas. I enjoyed the movie a lot. It's a captivating movie about a group of circus artists, when a new clown arrives, the 'sad clown'. This character is a rather timid person, who falls immediately in love with the stunning blonde acrobate of the circus. She is together with the 'happy clown', who is also the boss. The story gets mixed up with the Spanish civil war, and a whole lot of other things. It kept me entertained from start to finish. It's like a rollercoaster ride with the two clowns at the steering wheel, a visual feast that doesn't stop until the wheels of the cart fall off.

I liked the cinematography a lot: beautiful shots, amazing setting. The soundtrack is also a work of art: a score that matches the vibe of the film. The acting is great, lead as well as side characters.

One (major) disappointment: the ending could have been better. The movie is quite excessive, over-the-top, unconventional, bizarre, amazing, but as soon as the sad clown turns into 'machine-gun modus', it becomes a bit grotesque. Still, i enjoyed this movie more than any other clown movie. Must see it again one time. Would recommend, to movie enthusiasts only, that is.

I stumbled on Paquita Salas while looking for Spanish language series on netflix. Very entertaining, I laughed a few times hard, watching it alone. That is always a very good sign. Start immediately with season 2! It's better than the first season.

I saw Isle of Dogs yesterday. I was blown away by the animation from the start, the film is stunning. Each frame is truly a masterpiece. Don't know how they pulled it off, but it is a visual feast. I would give animation 11 out of 10. Great job!

Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the story. It is a pretty straight forward, at times childish, overall quirky story. I'm sure Wes Anderson fans will love it, but I wouldn't consider myself a big fan. My problem with the story is that I have troubles to believe the premise, i.c. dogs that are transported to a garbage island because some Japanese mayor doesn't like dogs. I might even use the word lame here. The story has a good pace, but not enough drama or compelling characters. I stopped the movie twice, and thought of giving up, but the quality of the animation kept me going. This is art.

The music is an essential part of the movie. Rhythmical, a lot of drums and sax... Bravo!

The voiceovers were top quality, with a star cast.

Overall, not a bad movie, but not the kind I would watch twice.

I saw My Way yesterday, and I really enjoyed this movie. I'm familiar with the music and the life story of Claude Francois, and I think this helps to appreciate the movie more.

I believe the movie really captivates the spirit of the time, with lots of details, and the right filters. Sometimes original clips are mixed with new scenes, it's hard to tell the difference at times. What a vibrant place must have been France in the 60s and the 70s.

Jeremy Renier as lead actor is a great choice. He acts and sings spot-on, with all the mannerisms that Claude had. His mother also is beautifully portrayed.

The music is an essential part of the film, obviously. These songs are classics in Belgium. Always great to hear them again.

The movie tells his full life story, and it is not a classic 'rise to fame and fall' biopic. Because Claude was still extremely popular when he died. What I learned in the movie that I didn't know is that Claude Francois was quite obsessive, about basically everything. I knew he had a difficult relationship with his dad but I didn't know it was that bad. I do think he needed the applause and the attention of the public, more than anything else. Maybe to fill a void which was always there?

Great movie, definitely worth the watch.

This film is a bit over-hyped. 14 Oscar nominations, seriously?

I saw this film yesterday, and I'm pretty sure it won't stick with me for a very long time. The story is too flimsy. It misses edge, plot, drama... It misses depth.

I was tricked by the beautiful and inspiring trailer, which summarizes the film actually. I was also tricked by the misses who really really wanted to see this film (which she didn't like as much as she thought she would)

To go short, positive aspects of Lalaland: theme song, performance of Emma Stone, scenery and colors.

Negative aspects of Lalaland: flimsy scenario without much edge, inconsistencies, sappy songs (besides theme song) and average film all in all.

I wouldn't even call this film a musical, because there isn't that much music in the film... And definitively not enough jazz...

Three people walked out of the cinema yesterday (out of 15 people). Hardly a sign that this is a must-see movie, no?

Yesterday I saw Réalité for the second time. And I found it even better than the first time. So I had to upgrade my rating from 9 to 10. Why? Well, because this film is... genius... funny... and a great trip altogether:

The main story is about a guy (Jason) who has an idea for a film, but all he needs to get a contract signed, is the perfect (death)scream. He strains every nerve to obtain this sound. Then there is also the story of the producer who offers to sign this film, but who is also working on another film. This film, directed by cult director 'Zog', is very intriguing, compelling, a little bit artsy, and eventually the stories get mixed up with each other, and other stories. These other stories involving a cooking studio, a guy who likes dressing up like a woman, and a few more.

Boy, did I had a good time watching this movie! The absurd dialogues, the details, the music, the plots mixing together. It had me glued in my chair like Jason.

The acting is very good. The filming as well.

I believe perhaps one would enjoy the movie more if you're bilingual (French-English)

But all in all, one of the most sophisticated movies I've seen in a long time. If you like David Lynch, you will like Réalité

I saw this movie in the movie theater today. It is enjoyable, but boy, what a flimsy story. I reckon if they had invested 1% of the props budget in a decent scenario this film would be better off. Because the props are really fantastic. Great job there. Also, there is plenty of action. In fact, there is too much action. The whole movie is practically one long car chase. And with all things in life, good and bad, too much is too much: Rev up the engine, shoot a few times, fight on the truck, throw somebody off the truck, push a vehicle away Ben-Hur-Style, and repeat 5 times. There is your complete scenario.

I've read some reviews here, and yes, the movie lacks dialogue and in-depth character study. And a decent story, but I've said this already.

I have a suspicion that people who liked Snowpiercer, are also gonna love this one, i.c. 14-y old boys and hillbillies. The plots in the movie are highly improbable. I actually had a bad feeling after the first scene. And my fear came true. Not Mad Max homage worthy.

A game to play while you are watching this film is deciding which model looks best. It keeps you busy the whole time!

The budget for this film was 150m dollar. If humanity keeps making such films, surely we are heading for apocalyptic times...

Everybody shut up please, and listen. I am from Belgium, so I have a right to speak. Hear ye! Hear ye!

No, seriously, everybody's opinion is worth as much as the next one, I'm just joking, but I want to write a few words about this movie, so people can understand it better.

First of all, some people don't realise that this film was made with a budget of less than 50.000 dollar. The actors in the movie are mostly family and friends. Benoit Poelvoorde, who plays the main role, is the only professional, and he delivers a fantastic performance as the talkative, self-absorbed, hyperbolic, maniac Ben, we all come to love. It was the role of his life. The director and sound engineers had just graduated film school. They still had a lot to learn. So you have to give the makers credit for that. Knowing all this, you understand this has to be seen as a cult-movie. A cult-movie, with a great script, witty dialogues, and legendary scenes. With a great sense of irony.

My favourite scenes of Man bites Dog are the chase in the abandoned factory (with the pigeon poem), and the bar scene, ending with Benoit Poelvoorde singing the cinema song, with fake beard. Most film fans in Belgium can recite whole passages upon request.

The ending is a bit abrupt, and some scenes are superfluous, but the film has the streak of genius all the way through.

Hope you enjoy it.

Did I say underrated? Sorry, I meant overrated. Well, a friend of mine recommended this movie, notably after I asked him 'if he could recommend me a few good movies'. Needless to say, this so-called friend is in the defriendzone now. No, seriously, this movie has to be viewed as a 'cult-movie', shot with minimal budget, in black-and-white, by a young director and with amateur actors. So you have to give the director credit for that. Taken that all in account, this still makes the movie overrated. See above and below for reasons and proof. I would rate it 5, but I rated it 0, to have it removed from the IMDb top- 250.

If you want to compare this movie with another movie, check out 'Man bites dog', a Belgian movie, made with less budget (<50.000$), shot in the same year, also in black-and- white, using young and unprofessional actors. What a difference in quality!

Amazing dialogue, inventive script, convincing acting, unique characters, humour,... Man bites dog has it all.

People in Belgium and France (and French Canada I suppose) can recite whole dialogues by heart. Just like Americans can with Pulp Fiction.

Benoit Poelvoorde, the main actor, is really talented and this movie was the start of his career. A career that comprises leading roles in some of the biggest movies.

Just saying... If you want to compare. Enjoy

Well, where do I start? Let me begin by saying that this is the one and only film that I've watched twice, in a row. Directly after each other (!). Since then I have watched Ghost in the Shell many times again, at least 20 times. This may sound a bit crazy, but the film is of such depth, with such a complex story, that you have to be very attentive to get the whole story, and it's quite impossible to fully understand the movie after one viewing. (especially when you watch it with subtitles) In fact, not all plots in the movie have tied up ends, which makes the film all the more intriguing. The main reason I've had multiple viewings, is, well, because it's art.

I'm a fan of science-fiction, especially the intelligent kind, and I like manga, and this movie is the best in its genre. The artwork is sublime, with incredible detail. The music is mesmerizingly beautiful, and fits the existential atmosphere perfectly. The story is based on the book of Masamune Shirow, who deserves a lot of credit, for coming up with all these original ideas (the fingers that type the code!, to mention one). There's a lot of philosophy in it, enough to keep a few discussions at the pub going.

At last a lot of credit goes to Mamoru Oshii, the director, for the intelligent script, excellent editing and infusion of Weltschmertz and existentialism. It's been a while since I've seen Ghost in the Shell, and there's only one reason for it: I've lent my copy to a friend. Can't wait to watch it again! Watching Ghost in the Shell is like going to church for me, the good kind :-) Enjoy the movie!

First of all, let me start out with a question: Are the conversations in the real day-to-day life of director Lars von Trier always boring, unnatural and filled with painful silences? If not, why are the dialogues in Melancholia always boring, strangely unnatural and filled with painful silences??? I am puzzled.

Secondly, I must say that the acting in Melancholia is very good. Despite the lack of convincing dialogues. Kirsten Dunst is stunning.

The setting and photographie are also outstanding. Despite the lack of a probable story.

The music is well chosen.

The wobbling of the camera is also unequaled, as is the improbability of the script.

Adds all this up to a good movie? Not at all! Melancholia is the kind of art-house movie that agonizes you all the way through it. Despite an original opening scene, and a very original subject, being the vicinity of a blue planet about to hit Earth (why doesn't anybody mention this 'detail' in part 1, the wedding??? (I wreck my brain))

In short, it is not the kind of movie you'd watch if you knew the end of the world was coming.