Film Review: The Takedown

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Category: Cinéma - Movies

Published: Friday, 06 May 2022 01:11

Written by Gilbert Seah

THE TAKEDOWN (France 2022) ***1/2
Directed by Louis Leterrier

English-speaking cinema goers have their pro-Idris Elba, A Brit starring in both English hits such as THE HARDER THEY FALL, THE SUICIDE SQUAD and CONCRETE COWBOY.  On the European side, French cinema has had OMAR SY, who rose to fame with the French comedy hit UNTOUCHABLE (remade into a Hollywood film), SIMPLY BALCK, POLICE, while also crossing the Atlantic, starring as Hemall in the Marvel films AVENGERS and THOR, as well as the JURASSIC WORLD films.  His test film, on Netflix, shows Sy in top form, both in action and comedy, a French outing despite its English title.  Sy is the main one who makes the action comedy work.  THE TAKEDOWN is directed by Louis Leterrier, no stranger to action films THE INCREDIBLE HULK, CLASH OF THE TITANS AND FAST X.  So, expect lots of action and comedy in THE TAKEDOWN.  One would not be disappointed.  As a bonus, the film displays the gorgeous French countryside from Bordeaux to the French Alps.

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Film Review: My Little One

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Category: Cinéma - Movies

Published: Monday, 02 May 2022 22:06

Written by Gilbert Seah

MY LITTLE ONE (Desert) (Switzerland 2019) ***

Directed by Frédéric Choffat and Julie Gilbert

In films, when foreigners arrive in another land, they do weird things whilst they themselves are deemed weird.  In MY LITTLE ONE.  Alex and Bernardo, who are summoned to the Arizona desert by Jade, a woman they both loved but haven’t seen in 10 years.  The opening scene where they meet each other in the Arizona desert, sitting French, should invoke enough curiosity.  The desert is captured on camera in all its barren intensity and stark landscape by Pietro Zuercher’s camera.

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Film Review: Petite Maman

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Category: Cinéma - Movies

Published: Tuesday, 03 May 2022 20:52

Written by Gilbert Seah

PETITE MAMAN (France 2021) ****
Directed by Céline Sciamma

Mesmerizing, beautiful and magical, director Céline Sciamma’s latest film about loss and discovery from the point of view of a young girl, Nelly (Josephine Sanz) is an unforgettable film that is a must-see.  This is the director that has amazed critics with festival hits like PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE and demonstrated her smarts with her script for the amazing animated MA VIE EN COURGETTE, nominated and should have won the Oscar for Best Animated feature.  

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Film Review: Eiffel

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Category: Cinéma - Movies

Published: Friday, 29 April 2022 15:31

Written by Gilbert Seah

EIFFEL (France 2021) **

Directed by Martin Bourboulon

As the title implies, EIFFEL is about the construction of the Eiffel Tower (le tour Eiffel), the monumental structure in the heart of Paris that attracts countless tourists daily, all year round.  It purports to tell of the story of its construction in the 1890’s but adds up a towering mess of a period historical piece.

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