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Reviews
Rendez-vous en terre inconnue (2004)
The best show ever on modern TV
This show is made from a very simple concept: send a French stand-up comedian to a primitive people and have them interact. The comedian does not know where he/she is going in advance. The comedian has to help them and learn what they do with them. It is NOT a game, it is just a meeting of two civilizations. The show is very respectful of people and their culture and there is no civilization better than another. The fact that comedians are taken for the show means that they have a great sense of humor and a lot of possible conflicts are resolved through laughs... When I watch the show I find myself crying every now and then, and I guess it is the case for most viewers. People involved included: African primitive people, Mongols, northern Siberians, Amazonian, Indian Nepalese...
The show has been a very big hit in France when aired on TV and beat by far "CSI" and "Desperate Housewives" that were on the same time slot on different national channels. I guess this is because the show makes you feel a part of a bigger family in the world and emphasizes how similarly people react, whatever their culture.
Chocolate (2008)
Much better than what one would expect...
I went to the store and was looking for a basic martial movie. I found "Chocolate". For people who do not know, there are apparently two versions of this movie: a long version that was projected in Thailand and a shorter version that was released in the US. I watched the short version in Thai with English subtitles.
I expected some kick-ass action and a very stupid scenario as it is customary in this kind of movie (and the jacket did not help changing my mind). I was very surprised by its poetry. In particular, I really enjoyed the shooting: it is very good and shows a huge variety of shots. In a sense I think this is at the level of a movie like "Requiem for a Dream" even if in a different style. The movie has the same flavour as if it were a manga adaptation sometimes. For example the last fight seems to be coming from a mythical scene and needed to be there to make the movie complete. It made me really willing to watch Ong Bak as it is actually made by the same director and acclaimed by other people commenting on the Net.
The lead actress is excellent and she gives huge credibility to her character. I am curious to know what she can do in a different role. The fights seem very realistic and I enjoyed them especially because the choreography was very well done and did not look 100% traditional. The mother and the father of the girl acted quite well as well.
The only characters that were over the top are the bad guys. Actors really had troubles with those ones. Luckily enough, they are not appearing in most of the movie (thanks to the poetic moments).
Overall, I would advise people who are not rebuked by martial arts movie to watch it...
V for Vendetta (2005)
Great Movie!
This movie is awesome. I saw it in Switzerland in original version. Contrary to what I could have read on th Internet I find the movie particularly respectful of the comic book, especially on the bad side of V (when he tortures Evey for making her understand what he feels). The scenario is by itself very provocative in this period of time were terrorism is only assimilated to innocent victims' death. The whole plot shows how fear make people react in an unexpected manner and how money appetites are driving the world.
Actors play is simply great. Nathalie Portman is incredible as usual showing extreme emotions. Hugo Weaving is very good at acting even though the mask is a handicap. Stephen Rea is really good as a police inspector.
With this incredible scenario, the rest is just magnificently done. Music/image/action are as good as possible. Definitely one of the best movies from the Hollywood industry for the last few years.