Reviews

there are ways and ways to tell a story. Here the two talented directors tried to prove to everyone that everyone's worth watching. like many movies, this one, depending mainly on your mood at the precise time you "encounter" it, will either disgust you or mesmerize you. I sort of loved it, from the beginning till the very end. Pathetics scenes are meant to be pathetic, showing us all of our lives are meaningless and ridiculous from time to time. Though I'm not much into Adjani, Yolande Moreau's acting, for instance is astounding, and unique, almost moving in its "uselessness". The thing is you have to throw away all your prejudices against "people of no importance" before watching this, because if you don't, you will be indeed disappointed and/or upset about losing your time and your money. gave it 8/10, because of its originality, nasty yet tender humor and Yolande Moreau's lines.

I was pleasantly surprised to watch such a good french animation movie this year. Unfortunately it looks like it hasn't got the audience it deserved. I think that's because it's completely different from what the french have been making lately. First, on technical terms ( rather dark flat tints with no shades) and then, from the story line (a mere pirate story without much action, but interesting though). The hero, called "the kid", is struggling with problems and doubts any teenager has, and that is precisely what the movie is focusing on. Thus, too young children will not be able to understand everything. Actually i have been glad to watch, at last, a french animated film meant for people over 7! This is rare enough to be noticed, and that is why i advise everyone to take a look at it, whether they like "les triplettes" (which i found ridiculous and pathetically slow...) and "kirikou" or not.

rated it 7 out of 10.

Let's try to be "objective". This movie is one of "my" worst cinema experience in my whole life. Full of easy clichés about french country(it takes place in southwestern France, where i come from, and i can tell you it's painful...), stupid and simply ugly, It doesn't deserve any attention from anyone who has a little taste. What made me even more angry is that it's been acclaimed as "the best french movie of 2002" by lots of critics...

The introduction itself is a "pure" one : an old granpa (Mischka), wearing a stinky night-gown, is almost deliberately left hanging in a gas station by is redneck of a son (here we call them "beaufs"). Just like a dog. He's been so far precisely carried on to vacations in the truck of the car. The family leaves and realize Mischka is missing. His son decides not to go back, cause he's sure the old geezer will find his way alone... If that's not a "good" start i don't know what it is... If it was possible to give a 0 to a single movie in all the IMDb, i would choose this one without any hesitation. I hope i remained "objective" enough, though... my apologies to those who liked this one.

Amongst the few people who saw it i'm surprised to be the one who liked "millennium mambo" the most. You will too if you keep to looking for beautiful music, sets and colors. Some will instantly fall in love with the main actress, too. Unfortunately, the story is a bit too plain too convince. And the lack from dialogues doesn't really help as well. It's true that "all the talk about girls and drugs in asian clubs" doesn't necessarily need some but... I've never been a real fan of highly "brained" movies, and that's why i liked it. Not everyone will. Now you're warned. The choice i was talking about in the summary is wether you want to get experienced in contemporary "fantasied" hong kong cinema, or not. My advice would be to watch it on a boring and/or quiet saturday night, with 2 or 3 friends, just to realize how it's cool to feel at home.

I saw this movie two weeks ago at the "festival des nouvelles images du Japon" in Paris. Though i wasn't expecting much from it, i have to say i've been disappointed just like many people in the audience... if i wanted to sum up how i felt, i'd say i've been comparing it to princess mononoke and nausicaa from the beginning to the end. Of course it's silly. But i couldn't help it. The stories are quite different, but the worlds pictured are very much alike. And from this point of view, "a tree of palme" definitely can't stand the comparison with Miyazaki's masterworks. Even if it's quite good technically, boredom remains... in the end its complete lack of originality makes me advise you not to care to watch it. I rated it 2 out of 10 (a bit harsh, i guess it deserves 3 or 4)

This is a very interesting documentary about the Papin Sisters, maids who violently and "unconsciously" butchered their mistress and her daughter in Le Mans, France, in the 20's. The trick is to shut off the whispered commentaries of the director, which made ME want to kill someone, and put the subtitles on if you can. Please do, Human lives will be spared...

As a "middle class" French, i started to feel embarrassed to define this movie as one of the worst i've ever seen... But i held on and now i can scream it freely. The end is over pathetic and disgusting, the acting is bad, and worst, as it's still cool to play feminist no one will dare to say that girl, désirée, is as bad, violent and stupid as everyone around her. This is not a matter of self defence, it's just common sense. I hate those kind of guys, and even more the girls who desperately try to look like them. Avoid this film please. Whether you're French or not, rich or poor doesn't matter. Here we call this kind of movies "navet", a turnip. It means this is tripe.

This is one of the first movies i saw when i moved to Paris 3 years ago, and after hundreds of other ones, i couldn't tell why it still keeps a special place in my heart. Maybe it's Sylvie Testud's acting, absolutely astonishing, or the disturbing end, i don't know. The fact is i didn't forget and that's why i'm writing it here. This is a film to be watched, but maybe not to be loved... I rated it 8/10, cause of the memory, and Sylvie Testud, whom from this time i don't miss any film she plays in.

I ended up going to see that movie cause i sort of like Laurent Baffie's nasty humor. And at the beginning i have to say there is nothing to be disappointed about. Unfortunately after half an hour you realize you don't laugh anymore and little by little it gets longer and longer. Even if you're aware that the film is purposely pointless ( who would care about a guy who lost his car keys?) you cannot but let go big yawns during the strange scenes and (yes) the few good ideas. I clearly understood good ideas don't necessarily make good movies. Just do as the trailers say : "don't go see that s**t!" Now you're warned...

i rated it 5 out of 10 cause of this terrific tagline. Yes sometimes taglines work...

Well, if you keep in mind this cute movie in NOT from Miyazaki, but the first work as director of 30 year-old or something Morita Hiroyuki, you couldn't but like it a lot. Of course it is a bit short, of course the script is not perfect, but the animation is good, the voices are great, and as i said, just like "kiki's delivery service", everything is "hell of cute". This film is very promising, and as long as you don't expect too much from it, you will have a great great time, trust me.

Let's try to do short. I have to confess i saw this movie about 12 times in the theaters. The main reason was i completely fell in love with the youngest actress, Ludivine Sagnier. But i've also been charmed by the humor, the colors, and fascinated by Isabelle Huppert's character. The songs are not terrific, but at least we can enjoy listening to the real voices of all those marvelous actresses. I'd say i usually don't like french musicals (i get sick every time i hear "les demoiselles de rochefort") but this is definitely not a musical, so don't be afraid. i wouldn't say Ozon is the genius some critics said he was, the scenes he made up are sometimes thick and useless (like the fight of the two young sisters) and though he actually knows how to shoot women, he seems not to care about the purpose of it all. It looks like he's had fun, then drop everything away. I'm sure some people won't agree, but i felt like his actresses and their characters were at times treated just like toys. And as someone put it, this is more a drama than a pure comedy, and i think no one should play with toys (here "dolls" would be a more appropriate word) in a drama.

I have been studying Japanese for 4 years now, and mononoke hime is one of the reason i held on. I saw it just a few days after entering college, and i can clearly say i don't regret it. This is definitely the greatest achievement in all animation's history. And there is nothing more to be said about it. Some will precisely say it's annoying to watch a movie (almost) everyone loves, but nevermind. More than ever the message of it all is so strong, so deep no one could forget it: The spirit of Nature lies way above our comprehension, but we despise and keep on killing it slowly. Period. The movie lasts 135 min., and it feels almost like it's enough. Those 2 hours and a quarter picture everything Miyazaki has been "fighting" for so far. Please watch them.

This movie has been released in france at the beginning of this year (2003). Eager to know what a HK animated movie would look like i went to see it without any hesitation. Unfortunately i have been quite disappointed. Very short but too long and too repetitive at the same time. I was wondering where to laugh because nothing seemed fun to me. what's more i was almost alone in the theater so i couldn't rely on other peoples reactions. I wouldn't say i got bored, but really confused. As a japanese anime fan, i maybe expected too much from this movie. What's sure is that french dubbing is simply awful... If there had been enough original copies i would have watched it in cantonese version of course. I don't know if there is any english dub as well, but i warn all those who understand french to avoid the one which has been made here. That simply kills the movie...... the songs in particular are absolutely unbearable.

When i am asked about the worst film i ever watched, "je rentre à la maison" comes flawlessly to my mind as first answer. De Oliveira is old, and you can feel it from the beginning to the end of his story. It starts with a play from Ionesco, "Le Roi se meurt" ("The king is dying" Must we laugh?). Weird introduction, but why not? After this play went for 5 minutes, you seriously hope it stops soon... But you are wrong! On and on for 20 minutes the play goes, uninterrupted! I remember i almost crashed my seat. Fortunately i was alone (it always feels so ,when the couple of people with you are sound asleep). And i am very proud to swear you i held on until the end! I tried to focus on Michel Piccoli's performance, which is good, but let me tell you that was painful!

Shortly, don't watch this movie, except if you are willing to experience machistic boredom.

First i've got to say that, to me, Isabelle Huppert is one of the best french actress you can find nowadays. Benoît Magimel also shows his talent like he's never done it before. Their acting here is indeed astounding. But this movie is nothing but sickening. I am sorry i can't be objective, as i hate everything Haneke shot so far. I especially can't stand the mute credits (ridiculous signature he's satisfied with) and the french dubbing of the austrian actors. Looks like a bad TV series... I don't like the way he gets the audience trapped either. Very simply, very "cowardly" i would say. Only with sex. Of course that's the main topic of the movie, but i guess he's definitely the kind of director who cannot show everything without getting pathetic. He pitifully make attempts to describe Erika's sickness with "easy scenes". Yes i think scenes like when she's in the sexshop or when she lets herself be raped (cause i think she does) are "easy scenes". I expected those from the beginning. And there is no need to precise i did not read the book though. There no surprise at all during all the film. The worst about it it that it didn't make me at all want to read that book. It seems Haneke only kept the pervert aspect of it, and, though i don't know why, i'm sure there's more involved in it. That's what i meant by "sickening movie". I really don't mind sex on screen (i'd even say i kind of like it) when the director is talented and more importantly, remains humble... Problem is, Haneke is the most arrogant and pretentious movie-maker i can think of...

This is the question to be asked, even for the fans (like me) of "grave of the fireflies". Compared to all the other ghibli movies, this real masterwork has been unfairly unrecognized. Forget about the anime you watched so far, it's completely different, more adult, more realistic, more... life-like. No big eyes (well, the flashback are somehow "very 60's", but that's the purpose!), no screams, no ultrasonic voices; just characters treated as they were true actors. For example the pineapple scene or the mathematics exercise scene are the most incredible daily life pictures i've ever seen! And the final credits will have you wipe some tears... Watch it and make your friends watch it too. Don't be surprised by its length. It's fun, sad, real, touching, moving whatever you want... I still dream it will be released abroad, one day... who knows? Talk about it around you and maybe this could happen. Takahata definitely deserves it!

I guess there is no need to sum up this movie again. Last year (2002) when Takahata Isao came to Paris i took a deep breath and went to him, just to have a handshake. My japanese is so poor i couldn't tell him how i loved this movie, and all the others ( yes i've seen them all, now!) how it made me cry like never before, how i will never forget the first time i watched "hotaru no haka". I just felt very stupid, but happy to "meet" him at last.

Though it's something that must have been written before, I remember some people around me found this movie horribly "pervert" and depressive. I think those people just don't want to watch the reality of war.

I'll add i really did not like Nosaka's book. Consequently i have not finished it either. Nosaka does like scandal and perversion. Here in this film only beauty and sadness remains. Sickening incestuous relation between the brother and sister is unsaid. And that's precisely what's great about Takahata. He knows perfectly how to pick up everything he needs in stories which aren't his. And this is valid for all his movies. From "jarinko chie" to "my neighbour the yamadas". Not mentioning "Only yesterday"...

Well, i wanted to do short, so please watch "grave of the fireflies" and make an opinion for yourself. Nobody will blame you if you cry enough to ruin up your tear glands...