michelboudot Reviews

Man of the West (1958)

the best western from Anthony Mann

[10/10 · 5 November 2007]

this is surely one of the best western done in the 50.....one can see where Clint Eastwood got his inspiration from Cary cooper...the film is comparable to unforgiven by Eastwood....great cast a great performance by lee.j.Cobb one of the finest actor of last century....not to be missed...a great part for Julie London reminding us of Claire Trevor in stagecoach....the supporting actors...flawless jack lord and royal Dino especially..run to rent it or wait for the d.v.d. the stark photography and the very dark lighting also might have been an inspiration for Eastwood while he did unforgiven....the scene in the cabin between Jack lord and Julie London doing a striptease is a great find,,,,,,,also the one between Cary Cooper and Jack Lord in the desert scene....great great work by Anthony Mann...Michel B....

The Night Listener (2006)

could have been great......

[6/10 · 1 August 2006]

this movie had it all..but something was missing...what...Robin Williams has never been better does a great job at this very ambivalent character...the director Patrick Stettner did his best but he is not a great director...the script by Maupin is amazing..was it all in Williams imagination so..please let me know if somebody' thinks like I do...the atmosphere reminds me of the sixth sense but the ending was badly in need of a great director....Toni Colette was as always a great actress and her role was too small for me..maybe she will be nominated as supporting actress but I am not sure as the film being release in August is not a good sign....Bobby Cannavaleis a real gem..Good looking and versatile in every movie that I have seen him in...Sandra Oh part is too small and Rory Culkin is good in a small part...only one thing in the film Ididn't Ge..why was the flight attendant thanking him ..the Willaims character for what he had done...please if someone got that one let me share the mystery..all in all a good film that could have been better with a top director also thr5 movie was too short ...Michel from Montreal

Roman Holiday (1953)

after 50 years..quite boring

[5/10 · 18 June 2006]

saw that film in 1953..loved it tremendously and was infatuated by Audrey Hepburn went to work in Rome in 1954 because of that movie...now in 2006 saw the movie again and saw so many flaw..vert slow dialogue..childish behaviour and minimal acting..what's left Audrey Hepburn only ..gregory peck stodgy and Eddie Albert specially is obnoxious and aggravating...what annoyes me the most were the Italian actors playing such sterotype of what American see the italians...quite dreadful....Williamm Wyler such a great director does not come off well in this in 2006..at the time it was a travelogue for Italy..specially after the war years film like roman holiday and three coins in the fountain showed America what Italy was.....so far for me the film is a total miss ib 2006,,, and will never watch it again..should have reserved my first opinion and stayed with that...please let me know if anybody thinks like i do ...michel from MONTREAL

Night and Day (1946)

a great great experience...

[9/10 · 19 March 2006]

saw the new d.v.d.of Cole Porter life Night and Day and relive the wonderful time of watching IT in 1946 in Ottawa...the film is all what Iremember..great music....great cast..and wonderful dancing very 4o very kitsch but how entertaining....Jane Wyman doing 2 Porter song was wonderful..Ginny SIMMS playing Merman for sure was beautiful and very stylized...the choreography is simply to cherished...Leroy Prinz did a great job..Cary Grant plays it aloof and Iwould say ambivalent...Alexis Smith was a joy to watch..wonder how a meeting with the great Alfred Hitchcook would have been...the supporting role are beautifully done...Selena Royle and Henry Stephenson give it great class...Eve Arden is strange as a french cabaret lady..but does a good job with her french accent and pronunciation....understand why Mary Martin never reach big height in film..despite great talent....Dorothy Malone must have been 16 at the time...unrecognizable......Iwill watch this film till IKICK the bucket and bring all that heaven allows with it...Michel boudot e.mail ..barbara.boudot @sympatico.ca

Match Point (2005)

place in the sun revisited......

[10/10 · 21 January 2006]

the best Allen film since the early one.......heavily influence by Dreiser ..an American tragedy..the whole thing done in england...great script......also an influence with crime and punishmnent by Dostoevsky's.....the acting is superb..Jonathan Rhys myers looks like Jude law and is very convincing....great location shots of London....Emily Mortimer remarkable....and the new boy Matthew Good a look alike of Jeremy irons 30 years ago with the same speech and voice e....bravo to woody Allen also a reminder of the great Hitchcock in the 1950..come to my mind strangers on a train...rope .scarlett Johansen is very good in a very thankless part and i wish many more films done in Europe for woody Allen.....the french love this movie at the last Cannes film festival....Michel

Elizabethtown (2005)

sweet film that does not deliver fully

[6/10 · 25 October 2005]

a sweet film that is very good at the beginning and the end ...unfortunate casting..Kirsten dunst is not Audrey Hepburn..very pretty with no acting ability and very aggravating. the same with Susan sarandon as the mother with her dreadful speech and awful dancing with the breakfast at tiffany..very boring in the middle..the only saving grace is Orlando bloom as the boy with the American accent for this part ..also too long... almost famous was very much better script but the male lead was not likable but the film was better..the supporting cast is a bit off and irritating and could have killed all the young actors playing the children ..on the whole a yes and no film that i will not buy on DVD...Michel Boudot

Criminal (2004)

the greatest independent movie this year

[3 October 2004]

totally entertaining..the best independent film of the last 10 years..john c. reilly is a new gene hackman,,totally absorbing without a flaw and diego luna is charming and is role is absolutely perfect...not to be missed ..i did not see the original....how about a nomination for john c. reilly....the script is flawless and i hope this film will attract thousands of fan...the direction is swift ..all the small role are beautifully acted specially peter Mullan a very great actor from Scotland..maggie gillenhall is an actress who reminds me of all the film noir heroine of the forties Ella Raines..Mary Astor and Lizabeth scott.she is a gem and promised to a great career...

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

super extravagant...

[12 October 2003]

a must for all films buff..greatly entertaining..Uma Thurman has a great role..cannot wait to see the other half in february...a spoof ..an homage to a genre ..beautifully crafted film..choerograph to the seconds..not to be missed...a very high class cartoon...

Alexandra's Project (2003)

a film you will never forget..

[30 August 2003]

the best Australian film I have seen in years.It leaves you with a very nasty taste when you leave the cinema. Both actors are fabulous.in very difficult roles..I was bowled over by the direction and when you compare this brilliant film with the american movie Panic Room there is no comparison...the very small cast and small budget will get this film .. lots of money .. so much for the institution of marriage all over the world..And the chemistry between man and woman...not to be missed this film will belong to my top 10 at the end of this year..Michel Boudot

Open Range (2003)

welcome back western...

[9/10 · 26 August 2003]

great entertainment from all concerned with this movie..good script and great direction by kevin costner...he was influenced by the great directors Ford.Hawks,Stevens..and the pace is slow like it would have been in 1860..the performance of Michael Jetter is a shoe in from the performance ofWalter Brennan in the forties..all actors are excellent and Robert Duvall should garner a few nomination with this wonderful film.....Michel Boudot

The Life of David Gale (2003)

dead man walkinng 2

[8/10 · 20 February 2003]

a very competent thriller from alan parker a once brillant director..a bit murky at times with all the flasback..good performance from kevin spacey and laura linney ..kate winslet overact a little bit..a very good social film..a tiny bit manipulative....

A Lady Surrenders (1944)

a very first film

[9/10 · 13 February 2003]

this is the first film i saw more then 50 years ago..it was the first british film shown in montreal after the war in 1945...I would like to see this film again..but it is not showing on t.v.and they dont'have it in the video store..the music I have never forgot..a memorable film ..a great love story ..it made me a fan of stewart granger..margaret lockwood and patricia roc.

Nicholas Nickleby (2002)

what a wonderful treat..

[25 January 2003]

as usual when it comes to dickens..the british film industry is well ahead...a great casst and a wonderfful screenplay...with oliver twist this is definitely the best of dickens..the director has done a great job telling this story ..and charlie hunan and jamie bell are a couple of winners..

The Hours (2002)

the greatest ensemble cast this year....

[10/10 · 22 January 2003]

a totally commplete success..a great adaptation by david hare..and a direction that is flawless..julianne moore should get the oscar for this one...kidman and streep are also wonderful..ed harris also should get the oscar his verstility is stunning..a film to be revisited every year..and also should see again mrs dalloway with vanessa redgrave..

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

an innternational souffle....

[9/10 · 26 December 2002]

extremely entertaining..a reminder of blake edwards and billy wilder movies...a light souffle beautiffuly cooked..di caprio a young cary grant even more romantic..great cast and wonderful direction ..bravo spielberg..the opening credit and john williams choice of music..divine....a must for 2003....

City by the Sea (2002)

run of the mill production

[28 August 2002]

saw this film at the montreal film festival..certainly not a film for a competition ...well done but a genre seen a thousand time.. de niro and james franco very good..a waste of frances mcdormand talent..that actress doesn't seem to find the right vehicle for her huge acting talent.. still entertaining and a must for all robert de niro fan

Signs (2002)

boring..boring..boring..

[1/10 · 22 August 2002]

as the sixth sense was the best of my 10 a few years ago..this is the worst of the year...long..boring..unbelievable ..acting for acting sake i was watching my watch every 5 minutes ..a very bad sign at the movie... the director needs to direct or write ..but not both and forget the small part tryng to emulate the great hitchkok..what a turkey..

Blood Work (2002)

good but a bit tired like the hero

[6/10 · 20 August 2002]

always a pleasure to see clint eastwood .a lot has changed since his debut in 1955. a slow thriller at the beginning then a better pace and a very good hollywood ending..a very monolothic eastwood and a good supporting cast.still a fan of clint....

Frailty (2001)

certainly different

[10 April 2002]

was very upset at this movie..my chief concern was for the two little boys actors...what was the work of the director in all of this..would love to know the work done before these horrendous shooting scene..michel boudot