★★★☆☆ This week sees the cinematic re-release (ahead of its Blu-ray release on 17 Oct) of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's modern day fairytale Amélie (2001), the film that launched the career of Audrey Tautou in the role of the eponymous Parisian waitress, Amélie Poulain, a Nutella-eyed innocent with puckish charm who was soon gracing the wall of many a student bedsit.
It was also the breakout film for Jeunet who, after a promising start with Delicatessen (1991) and The City of Lost Children (1995) had himself lost his way with the weakest entry in the already faltering Alien franchise, Alien: Resurrection (1997). The strong visual style and surrealist wit which had first made his name were back in abundance, with metamorphosing clouds and errant garden gnomes.
Amélie's opening hour is a wonderful compilation of crackpot stories that Jeunet had been collecting for much of his career for the purpose of the film. There is a sense of wild invention told with panache,...
It was also the breakout film for Jeunet who, after a promising start with Delicatessen (1991) and The City of Lost Children (1995) had himself lost his way with the weakest entry in the already faltering Alien franchise, Alien: Resurrection (1997). The strong visual style and surrealist wit which had first made his name were back in abundance, with metamorphosing clouds and errant garden gnomes.
Amélie's opening hour is a wonderful compilation of crackpot stories that Jeunet had been collecting for much of his career for the purpose of the film. There is a sense of wild invention told with panache,...
- 10/12/2011
- by Daniel Green
- CineVue
Rank the week of July 19th’s Blu-ray and DVD new releases against the best films of all-time: New Releases Limitless
(DVD & Blu-ray | PG13 | 201)
Flickchart Ranking: #1890
Times Ranked: 3217
Win Percentage: 51%
Top-20 Rankings: 12
Directed By: Neil Burger
Starring: Bradley Cooper • Robert De Niro • Abbie Cornish • Anna Friel • Andrew Howard
Genres: Psychological Sci-Fi • Psychological Thriller • Science Fiction • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Take Me Home Tonight
(DVD & Blu-ray | R | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #5722
Times Ranked: 1234
Win Percentage: 49%
Top-20 Rankings: 2
Directed By: Michael Dowse
Starring: Topher Grace • Anna Faris • Dan Fogler • Teresa Palmer • Chris Pratt
Genres: Comedy • Comedy Drama • Coming-of-Age • Drama • Period Film • Romance • Romantic Comedy • Romantic Drama
Rank This Movie
The Reef
(DVD & Blu-ray | Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #10667
Times Ranked: 152
Win Percentage: 47%
Top-20 Rankings: 2
Directed By: Andrew Traucki
Starring: Adrienne Pickering • Gyton Grantley • Zoe Naylor • Damian Walshe-Howling • Kieran Darcy-Smith
Genres: Horror • Natural Horror • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Tekken
(DVD & Blu-ray | Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #9314
Times Ranked: 332
Win...
(DVD & Blu-ray | PG13 | 201)
Flickchart Ranking: #1890
Times Ranked: 3217
Win Percentage: 51%
Top-20 Rankings: 12
Directed By: Neil Burger
Starring: Bradley Cooper • Robert De Niro • Abbie Cornish • Anna Friel • Andrew Howard
Genres: Psychological Sci-Fi • Psychological Thriller • Science Fiction • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Take Me Home Tonight
(DVD & Blu-ray | R | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #5722
Times Ranked: 1234
Win Percentage: 49%
Top-20 Rankings: 2
Directed By: Michael Dowse
Starring: Topher Grace • Anna Faris • Dan Fogler • Teresa Palmer • Chris Pratt
Genres: Comedy • Comedy Drama • Coming-of-Age • Drama • Period Film • Romance • Romantic Comedy • Romantic Drama
Rank This Movie
The Reef
(DVD & Blu-ray | Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #10667
Times Ranked: 152
Win Percentage: 47%
Top-20 Rankings: 2
Directed By: Andrew Traucki
Starring: Adrienne Pickering • Gyton Grantley • Zoe Naylor • Damian Walshe-Howling • Kieran Darcy-Smith
Genres: Horror • Natural Horror • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Tekken
(DVD & Blu-ray | Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #9314
Times Ranked: 332
Win...
- 7/19/2011
- by Jonathan Hardesty
- Flickchart
Film review: 'Diary of a Seducer'
It's like Deja Vu, this old-fashioned Parisian romance about sex and existentialism.
If you're in the mood for an old-style, art house film with plenty of angst, dark clothing, dirty hair, misdirected passion and the au lait ambience of the Left Bank, and are sorely tired of pretentious alien films, this is a Sunday afternoon diversion for you.
Unfortunately, this picture is often tres dopey and is mottled with generic conventions beyond its philosophical girth. Nonetheless, Leisure Time Films should derive a respectable art house number from the types who view the Village Voice as hip.
In this petite film, artsy student Gregoire (Melvil Poupaud) lugs around a copy of Soren Kierkegaard's to coffee shops and similar settings with which to prey upon disjointed females, in this case fellow student Claire (Chiara Mastroianni). Claire studies psychoanalysis at a U near Paris, but she doesn't go to class much -- her time is consumed with her own medical appointments, and, here's the depth, glowering at her mother (Daniele Dubroux), a night shift doctor (by choice) at a Parisian hospital.
Then there's Sebastien (Mathis Amalric), a burgeoning type who inveigles his way into staying a while with Claire and her mom. Basically, he's a shallow dip who's confused about his sexuality, which, naturally, catapults Claire and La Mom into a huge catfight.
Predictable, tedious and drenched with a shallow psychological predictability, "Diary of a Seducer" is, on the whole, pap for the cultural elite.
There are some delectations, nonetheless. There's no denying the pleasures of seeing Paris and the challenges of viewing conflicted love. Best, Truffaut all-star Jean-Pierre Leaud appears; unfortunately, his role is so trite that one is suspicious of the motive for including him in the cast -- to add marquee luster, we suspect.
On the plus side, writer, director and actress Dubroux has created a film that feels scrumptiously black-and-white. That's owing to the details and the feel for place and time that Dubroux exudes. Technically, the chief congratulations belong to cinematographer Laurent Machuel for his musty, clever lensing, as well as to costume designer Anne Schotte for the subtleties of garb, reflecting overall the pedestrian outlooks of these avant-garde pretendeurs.
DIARY OF A SEDUCER
Leisure Time Features
A production of Gemini Films
With the participation of the National Center of Cinematography and Canal+
Producer Philippe Saal
Screenwriter-director Daniele Dubroux
Executive producer Paulo Branco
Director of photography Laurent Machuel
Editor Jean-Francois Naudon
Sound designer Henri Maikoff
Sound mixer Gerard Rousseau
Art director Patrick Durand
Costume designer Anne Schotte
Music Jean-Marie Senia
Color/stereo
Cast:
Claire Conti Chiara Mastroianni
Gregoire Moreau Melvil Poupaud
Sebastien Mathieu Amalric
Anne Daniele Dubroux
Hubert Markus Hubert Saint Macary
Hugo Jean-Pierre Leaud
Diane Micheline Presle
Robert Serge Merlin
Charlotte Karen Viard
Running time - 95 minutes
No MPAA rating...
If you're in the mood for an old-style, art house film with plenty of angst, dark clothing, dirty hair, misdirected passion and the au lait ambience of the Left Bank, and are sorely tired of pretentious alien films, this is a Sunday afternoon diversion for you.
Unfortunately, this picture is often tres dopey and is mottled with generic conventions beyond its philosophical girth. Nonetheless, Leisure Time Films should derive a respectable art house number from the types who view the Village Voice as hip.
In this petite film, artsy student Gregoire (Melvil Poupaud) lugs around a copy of Soren Kierkegaard's to coffee shops and similar settings with which to prey upon disjointed females, in this case fellow student Claire (Chiara Mastroianni). Claire studies psychoanalysis at a U near Paris, but she doesn't go to class much -- her time is consumed with her own medical appointments, and, here's the depth, glowering at her mother (Daniele Dubroux), a night shift doctor (by choice) at a Parisian hospital.
Then there's Sebastien (Mathis Amalric), a burgeoning type who inveigles his way into staying a while with Claire and her mom. Basically, he's a shallow dip who's confused about his sexuality, which, naturally, catapults Claire and La Mom into a huge catfight.
Predictable, tedious and drenched with a shallow psychological predictability, "Diary of a Seducer" is, on the whole, pap for the cultural elite.
There are some delectations, nonetheless. There's no denying the pleasures of seeing Paris and the challenges of viewing conflicted love. Best, Truffaut all-star Jean-Pierre Leaud appears; unfortunately, his role is so trite that one is suspicious of the motive for including him in the cast -- to add marquee luster, we suspect.
On the plus side, writer, director and actress Dubroux has created a film that feels scrumptiously black-and-white. That's owing to the details and the feel for place and time that Dubroux exudes. Technically, the chief congratulations belong to cinematographer Laurent Machuel for his musty, clever lensing, as well as to costume designer Anne Schotte for the subtleties of garb, reflecting overall the pedestrian outlooks of these avant-garde pretendeurs.
DIARY OF A SEDUCER
Leisure Time Features
A production of Gemini Films
With the participation of the National Center of Cinematography and Canal+
Producer Philippe Saal
Screenwriter-director Daniele Dubroux
Executive producer Paulo Branco
Director of photography Laurent Machuel
Editor Jean-Francois Naudon
Sound designer Henri Maikoff
Sound mixer Gerard Rousseau
Art director Patrick Durand
Costume designer Anne Schotte
Music Jean-Marie Senia
Color/stereo
Cast:
Claire Conti Chiara Mastroianni
Gregoire Moreau Melvil Poupaud
Sebastien Mathieu Amalric
Anne Daniele Dubroux
Hubert Markus Hubert Saint Macary
Hugo Jean-Pierre Leaud
Diane Micheline Presle
Robert Serge Merlin
Charlotte Karen Viard
Running time - 95 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 7/24/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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