The lost city of Z (2016)

	Also Known As: Die versunkene Stadt Z
	Year of first release: 2016
	Director: James Gray
	Actors: Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, Angus Macfadyen
	Country: USA
	Genre: Adventure
	Conditions of visioning: 20.03.2017, Schauburg, OV Sneak Preview, English version
Synopsis: British explorer Percy Fawcett (Hunnam) travels through the Amazon in the early 20th century and discovers evidence of a previously unknown, advanced civilization that may have once inhabited the region. Despite being ridiculed by the scientific British establishment who regard indigenous populations as "savages," the determined Fawcett - supported by his devoted wife Nina (Miller), son and aide de camp Henry Costin (Pattinson) returns time and again to his beloved jungle in an attempt to prove his case, culminating in his mysterious disappearance in 1925.
Review: The first minutes I was happy to listn that Bolivia was mentioned by one character. And it starts then quite excitingly with the setup of the adventure into Amazona. I believe it is not a problem to make a movie or a biopic in which the hero fails. What if the hero is also boring? The events themselves are not boring, the affairs in the British Royal Geographical Society. The strange white people living in the jungle. The indigenes are treated with bare colonialist stereotypes as brutal, violent, belligerous, bad. And this last is for me a very negative point, even if it is only a very secondary point of the story. The acting of Hunnam and Pattinson are not bad for the characters they have. Unfortunately, these have no much deepness. The only interesting characters is the coward James Murray (Macfadyen) that is played a bit exaggeratedly, but fine. The scenery is beautiful, even if it is also not used much by director James Gray.
Rating: 3 /10

The Client (1994)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 1994
	Director: Joel Schumacher (Flatliners, Batman Forever, A Time to Kill, 8mm)
	Actors: Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise, The Lovely Bones), Tommy Lee Jones (Men in Black 1-3), Brad Renfro, Kim Coates (Sons of Anarchy TV-series)
	Country: USA
	Genre: Thriller, Polar
	Conditions of visioning: 04.04.2017, VOD, 40" TV screen.
Synopsis: A young boy (Renfo) witnesses the suicide of a mob lawyer and his little brother go into shock. When the word gets out that he could have heard something threatening to the mob family, he starts to attract a lot of unwanted attention and hires himself a local lawyer (Sarandon).
Review: This is the second adaptation by Joel Schumacher of a novel by John Grisham after A Time to Kill, well in fact two years before. As often in the novels by the Master of train stations Thrillers (at least the ones I know), the story revolves around a court (the author was indeed an attorney before a writer) but with a strong emphasis on realistic characters. That story also takes place in or around Louisiana/Houston/The New Orleans, and this time places a kid at the center stage. It is very thrilling to watch those different characters interact: the famous and condescending District Attorney running for office (Jones), the kid from a poor family but with strong character, the weak mother, the gangsters, and the small-town lawyer with a somber past (Sarandon). I had never seen this 20-year old Thriller but as with A Time to Kill enjoyed watching it. The actors are very good and give even more credibility to well-written characters. What I appreciated most is that it was hard to predict what was going to happen, especially because of the main character, a poor kid put in an impossible situation and who tries to react like an adult. That mix makes his reactions quite unpredictable. The movie was thus refreshing to watch at a time when Thrillers are not really worth the name, often follow the same patterns and tend to revolve around a final twist. The Client is not like that at all, and may belong to the one category of movies to be remembered from the 90´s.
Rating: 7 /10

The Expanse - Season 1 (2015)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2015
	Creators: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby
	Actors: Steven Strait, Cas Anvar, Dominique Tipper, Jared Harris (Lincoln, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows), Shohreh Aghdashloo (X-men: The Last Stand, Star Trek Beyond, 24 TV-series), Thomas Jane (Deep Blue Sea)
	Country: USA
	Genre: SF
	Conditions of visioning: March 2017, VOD, 10" tablet screen & 32" TV.
Synopsis: In a Future Solar System where Earth control mines in the asteroid belt, almost at war with the independent military power on Mars, detective Joe Miller (Jane) is hired to find a missing woman while U.N.'s Chrisjen Avasarala (Aghdashloo) questions a terrorist and in the belt an ice trawler receive a distress signal.
Review: Even after reading the plot, I was not expecting much from this Netflix-exclusive TV-series, following the relative disappointment of Ascension. Especially as it is also shown on Syfy (as tells the poster), I was expecting cheap special effects and bad actors, so I was pleasantly surprised by this serious SF (Anticipation) story, taking place in a futuristic Universe to which we can relate 300 years in the Future, when the colonization of the Solar System is well established. The Worlds depicted are quite down-to-"Earth", i.e. business is running the system, people have to find jobs, survive... and interestingly it is not the rich classes or scientists that traveled, but more modest or even poor people trying to escape the persecutions of the mother Earth. In that sense it is well inspired by the colonization of the Americas. I found the same analogy when I started to wonder why would the martian colony become independent while its inhabitants are descendants from Earth? Well it turns out that in such melting pot, after a few hard-working generations, the people born there do not know anything else that the land where they were born and question why that should be accountable to a far-away world! Exactly as happened in the Americas. Back to the looks of the series, it is extremely rich with details in all corner of the screens: drones, ships, plenty of people, interiors and landscapes. Digital SFX look very good too so the series must not have been cheap. In fact I regret I couldn't watch it on a Home Cinema. Each world and group of people have well-identified characters, and it was funny to see how the dark neighborhoods of the Ceres asteroid station resemble the Venusville of Total Recall. I wrote earlier that we can relate to the Universe and this is partly thanks to a technology that looks like a realistic extension of our own: there is no magic in the ships or living conditions, which makes this series the most realistic SF Space series since Battlestar Galactica. I have however to criticize the effect of gravity which is often badly reproduced (see how people walk on Ceres!) excepts for scenes in zero-G or using the trick of magnetic shoes. We also relate to the Universe thanks to humane flawed characters to which we get attached. I took a lot of pleasure binge-watching the season's investigation in three days, so that I was even more let down by the last episode. I thought all along that The Expanse was a mini-series i.e. ending after a given number of episodes, while in fact it has been re-conducted for at least one season. I don't know if that influenced the writing of the last episode but I found it extremely slow and disappointing in terms of revelations especially with a title like Leviathan Wakes! It is probably the weakest of the season and fells like a simple To Be Continued. The second season is being aired on TV and probably soon on Netflix.
Rating: 7 /10

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2008
	Director: Dave Filoni (episodes of the TV-series Avatar - The Last Airbender, Star Wars - The Clone Wars and Star Wars - Rebels)
	Actors (voices): Matt Lanter, Nika Futterman, Tom Kane
	Country: USA
	Genre: SF, Animation, Action
	Conditions of visioning: 01.04.2017, VOD, 10" tablet screen.
Synopsis: Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi are fighting alongside Repubic clones against the droid army. Master Joda sends then a message via Anakin's new Padawan Ahsoka that their new mission is to recover the kidnapped son of Jabba the Hut.
Review: When I started to watch the first seasons of the Clone Wars TV-series, I skipped that movie which I thought was a compilation of episodes gathered for a cinema release, while in fact it is a full-blown story that does introduce the series, as I recently learned when browsing for the canonical Star Wars timeline (movies, series, books, comics and video games, some of them I am tempted to discover like the Aftermath novel trilogy). Most importantly it provides an introduction to the character of Ahsoka which I have always thought the series lacked. This animated film is built more like a movie than just a longer episode of the series: the intro and outro are ones of a Star Wars movie, the pace is slower and there are no cliffhanger every 30 minutes but rather a continuous story. I found the pace sometimes even too slow. It was interesting to watch it after the latest season 6, so that I could directly see the technical progress made in 6 years, especially in the animation of the characters' movements and of their faces.
Rating: 5 /10

Commando (1985)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 1985
	Director: Mark L. Lester (Pterodactyl)
	Actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger (Conan the Barbarian, Predator, The Terminator), Rae Dawn Chong, Dan Hedaya
	Country: USA
	Genre: Action
	Conditions of visioning: 28.03.3017, VOD, 40" TV.
Synopsis: Johan Matrix (Schwarzenegger), a retired elite Black Ops Commando, launches a one man war against a group of South American criminals who have kidnapped his daughter.
Review: You want brainless Action from the 80's? Commando is here for you. Schwarzy shot it at the height of his success, when he was doubling his salary for every movie he made, as told in his autobiography. Being at his top doesn't mean that he mastered the Acting techniques yet, indeed I find his performance quite poorly delivered. A director like Milius or Cameron may be needed to drive Arnold. I have watched Commando countless times as a teenager but last time I saw it maybe 15 years ago, I found that the dated punchlines were not funny anymore. That was in French, and now that I saw it in original version I found those punchlines less embarrassing although some are still incredible: "I eat Green Berets for breakfast. And right now, I'm very hungry", or "What are you expecting? [If Matrix is still alive,] World War Three". This time I was in fact more disturbed by the editing of those lines. When they are delivered all action seems to stop, the camera shows the face of the actor out of context and he delivers his line, a bit like if it was shot and added after principal photography to give the movie more ...erm... balls. The story and characters are totally not credible like in any good 80's Action flick, but the body count and free violence made it easy for me to watch and relatively enjoy. Talking about body count, the amount of soldiers killed by the hero during the final scene (74 guys in about 10 minutes) is as impressive as ridiculous, but that was to expect from such a movie.
Rating: 5 /10

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Season 6 (2013)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2013
	Creator: George Lucas
	Actors (voices): Tom Kane, Dee Bradley Baker, Matt Lanter
	Country: USA
	Genre: SF, Animation, Action
	Conditions of visioning: March 2017, VOD, 40" TV.
Synopsis: The Jedi Order is facing mysteries that it cannot solve and doesn't even fully understand, but it is sure of one thing: the Republic is close to be at the hands of the Siths.
Review: This season is called "The Lost Missions" because its production started right after the fifth season, but it was stopped at 13 episodes when Georges Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney, and it was never aired on TV but fortunately was released on Netflix. Disney preferred to follow a different path with the new series Rebels which I read is more and more worth watching as the seasons go. This aborted season may in fact be the most interesting one in this whole project, which has surprised me from the beginning for not being purely kid-oriented, but never reaching heights allowing it to have a serious place in the Cinematographic Star Wars universe. The episodes feel a bit like "S**t our series is cancelled, let's put in the last episodes the best ideas we had in stock and bring a kind of closure". And that is for the best. As in the previous seasons the episodes are grouped to be able to tell longer and richer stories: S6E1 The Unknown to S6E4 Orders focuses on Clone troopers like it wasn't done in many seasons, and in particular the repercussions of a single incident that finally give rational ground to the behavior of the troopers when asked to kill all Jedi in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. S6E5 An Old Friend to S6E7 Crisis at Heart are not really noticeable because of their characters (the insipid couple Padme - Clovis), but more because it made me think about the many schemes the future Emperor has plotted to gain increasing power. After all he did start a war and let fear settle in people in order to better control them. Isn't that a textbook strategy used even in our real world? S6E8 and S6E9 The Disappeard (in two parts) is annoying to watch because of the presence of Jar Jar Binks, but nice for the presence of Master Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson in the movies) for a last showdown in this series, and intriguing because of the mention of a Prophecy. Could THE Prophecy come from that world as well? S6E10 The Lost One to the Finale S6E13 Sacrifice interleaves two plots: one tracking the lies behind the story of Master Sifo-Dyas (who ordered the creation of a Clone Army as mentioned in Episode II: Attack of the Clones) of course orchestrated by the future Emperor, and showing Anakin having premonitions that give only a slight hint of his dark side. The other following Yoda on a quest for the secret to immortality in which he was launched by the voice of Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson guest star from Episode I: The Phantom Menace) and he will face as enemy the ghost of a Sith Lord voiced by Mark Hamill (Luke in the original trilogy). It was quite thrilling to see THE Master Jedi facing doubts and the unknown, and links well to a sentence from Yoda to Obi-Wan Kenobi at the end of Episode III. This season is then well-worth watching for the questions it answers and the reflexion on the future Emperor's implacable resolve, but as usual I am disappointed by the character of Anakin, very different from the one in the movies and never showing his Dark side.
Rating: 6 /10

1 homme de trop (1967)

	Also Known As: Ein Mann zuviel
	Year of first release: 1967
	Director: Costa Gavras
	Actors: Michel Piccoli, Jean-Claude Brialy, Bruno Cremer, Gérard Blain
	Country: F, I
	Genre: Thriller, War
	Conditions of visioning: 19.03.2017, arte.tv, streaming
Synopsis: During WWII a group of the French resistance lead by Cazal (Cremer) attacks a prison and gets other resistants out. But there is one man more (Piccoli) than expected and that nobody knows. The tension rises in the group and especially between Passevin (Blain) and Jean (Brialy) as this extra guy could be a spy.
Review: The story is quite serious but Costa Gavras brings some humour with the role of Groubec played by Claude Brasseur. This war movie is focused on the resistance group and their daily life in which suspiscion toward unknown people is usual. Therefore we witness the prearation of the meals, the contact with the local people, the organisation of the actions. The stress, the tension, the suspiscion, the goodness, the casualness is very well transmitted by the whole acting and directing.  The role of Piccoli as full pacifist who do not even introduce himself as self-protection is quite complex and very well done. The internal struggle between Gérard Blain  and Jean-Claude Brialy is excellently acted. And the secondary roles are well done also. Really great job.  For a war movie, there are no much weapons and attacks apart from the starting scene and another one. It is not common and I liked also the way to focus on fighters during war without showing much fights and more the life besides the fight.
Rating: 7 /10

A united kingdom (2016)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2016
	Director: Amma Asante
	Actors: David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike
	Country: GB, USA, CZ
	Genre: Drama, Romance
	Conditions of visioning: 13.03.2017, Schauburg, English version with German subtitle
Synopsis: Seretse Khama (Oyelowo) is prince of Bechuanaland Protectorate of United Kingdom in Southern Africa. When he studies law in England, he meets Ruth Williams (Pike) in a dancing and decides to marry her. Difficulties from the British side as well as the Bechuanaland side appear.
Review: The part of the story in England seems to be a quite naive love, but in Bechuanaland, the basis of this love is presented more in depth and gives more credibility to the whole story. The story is actually amazing and it depicts the foundation of Botswana. I wonder why I never heard about it at school while the Apartheid in South Africa has been largely discussed. While it appears here clearly that the British and not the South Africans imposed the Apartheid in the South African regions, as it was existing in the USA. For this I would like to thank the director Amma Asante and the writers Susan Williams and Guy Hibbert.  At the end of the movie, some pictures of the reality are presented. Of the real Seretse and the real Ruth Williams.  The acting is fine even if quite naive. Or maybe the roles are as such.  The image is good. And I have to notice that as on the poster the movie splits the colour range to the cold colours when it happens in England and to warm colours when it happens in Bechuanaland. The racism is shown in both countries and in both direction. The people of Bechuanaland (including the Khama's uncle) did not like that one of their kings got married with a white woman. And no British people neither in England nor in Bechuanaland liked that Ruth Williams married a black man, even king.  The movie must be seen at least for the great story that should be part of History told at school .
Rating: 7 /10

Klimt (2006)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2006
	Director: Raoul Ruiz
	Actors: John Malkhovich, Veronica Ferres, Saffron Burrows
	Country: A, F, D, GB
	Genre: Drama
	Conditions of visioning: 28.02.2017, DVD, English version
Synopsis: Gustave Klimt (Malkhovitch) lies in hospital, dying. In reveries, he recalls some stories of his life. At the World Exposition in Paris, Klimt meets Georges Méliès, who does a moving picture for him, and Klimt falls under the spell of a woman who may be Lea de Castro (Burrows). Klimt's libertine life with her wife Midi (Ferres) and her models turns to a life of dependency on Lea.
Review: It is not clear whether the ovie is a real biography. I did not manage to find any trace of the encounter of Meliès with Klimt. Nor any film of Meliès on Klimt.  The fascination of Klimt for the woman body is presented as his source of inspiration. Therefore he is chocking the prude Vienna. Therefore also he becomes dependent from the woman body who is not so easy to get, Lea de Castro. The thoughts of Klimt are not presented but more the reactions of the people around him.  Therefore the acting of John Malkhovitch is remarkable for the face and body language. But finally is limited in spoken language. The women's omnipresence is to me the main role. And in many roles. Admiring, seducing, silly, tough, covering many many relations between man and woman. Even if all these relationships are not discussed but only scratches the surface, not below.  From the image point of view, I liked the way the lights are building the space, especially in the rather dark rooms. And the way the space is built with the focal depth in the light rooms.
Rating: 5 /10