Pension Complète (2015)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2015
	Director: Florent-Emilio Siri (Hostage)
	Actors:  Franck Dubosc (Bis), Gérard Lanvin (Camping), Pascale Arbillot
	Country: F
	Genre: Comedy
	Conditions of visioning: 08.05.2016, in-flight entertainment 10" screen.
Synopsis: Thought lost in the 2006 tsunami, Alex (Lanvin) comes back home after ten years to find the restaurant he owned completely changed and at the hands of François (Dubosc) who also married his former wife.
Review: Pension Complète is a modern remake of the classic 1963 La Cuisine au Beurre which was starring the two french cinema icons of the time: Bourvil and Fernandel. The tandem Dubosc/Lanvin from Camping is not at that level, and they are not helped in delivering a good performance by a simplified story multiplying the exaggerated confrontations between the two men. The wife brings some balance and reason to that, even some emotion thanks to the whole back story of child making- The only interest of Pension Complète is that it makes me want to re-discover La Cuisine au Beurre now after twenty years not watching it.
Rating: 2 /10

Bis (2015)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2015
	Director: Dominique Farrugia (Delphine 1, Yvan 0)
	Actors: Franck Dubosc (Camping, Pension Complète), Kad Merad (Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis), Alexandra Lamy, Gérard Darmon (Astérix et Obélix : Mission Cléopâtre)
	Country: F
	Genre: Comedy
	Conditions of visioning: 17.04.2016, in-flight entertainment 10" screen.
Synopsis: After a party night during which they complained about their present lives, the two friends Patrice and Eric (Merad & Dubosc) are projected into their own bodies in the 80's and start to think about change.
Review: A flight with Air France was the opportunity to catch up with some french comedies. Bis didn't surprise me much with its cast composed of two of the currently major actors of the genre in France. The travel to the 80's is a good pretense for some nostalgic jokes that cannot be lost on a public that lived through that period (I wonder the effect on a younger audience...) and the predictable dilemma our heroes will face, ending of course with the realization that it is only when you lose something that you understand how much you miss it. Beyond this too obvious story, there are some touching moments between Patrice and his future wife, or Eric and his lost father.
Rating: 3 /10

Pixels (2015)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2015
	Director: Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire)
	Actors:  Adam Sandler (Mr Deeds), Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop), Michelle Monaghan (Source Code, Gone Baby Gone)
	Country: USA
	Genre: Comedy, SF
	Conditions of visioning: 17.04.2016, in-flight entertainment 10" screen.
Synopsis: When Aliens attack our planet following patterns from 80's video games, a champion of the time Brenner (Sandler) is called to the rescue but his best friend Cooper now USA president (James).
Review: The story was inspired by a french short movie that became very popular on the web in 2010 (visible under this link if your country allows you to watch it). Well if one could adapt Battleship why not making Pixels ?! The story has an Ivan Reitman feel to it (Ghostbusters, Evolution) but the humour is very Adam Sandler, so you'd better avoid that movie if you don't like this. I am not a big fan but always remember some good laughs from Mr Deeds so I decided to give it a shot (a decision also made easier when you are stuck in a plane for twelve hours). When put to images, the story is very cartoonesque and nothing is believable (the president, the military, the enemy, the attacks...) but that's a universe you have to accept. The movie revolves around the attacks, separated by scenes in which the various characters work out their relationships with one another, and some other ones calling to our nostalgia for those old games (like the apparition of the creator of Pacman to the rescue to defeat his offspring). All of this is pretty easy to watch (not boring as I had read it) but will not leave much of a trace in the history of cinema.
Rating: 4 /10

Ascension (2014)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2014
	Creators:  Adrian Cruz, Philip Levens
	Actors: Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica TV-series), Gil Bellows, Brian Van Holt
	Country: USA, CDN
	Genre: SF, Drama
	Conditions of visioning: March 2015, 10" tablet screen
Synopsis: The routine daily life aboard a spaceship en route the Proxima Centauri is perturbed by what could be a murder.
Review: I was teased by the topic and format of this short series proposed on Netflix. Imagine a spaceship launched secretly in the 60's for a 100-year journey to our neighbour star. A generation ship it is called, because only the grandchildren of the original crew will reach the targeted new world. Tricia Helfer in one of the main roles guarantees the interest from the fans of the Battlestar Galactica TV-series (in which she was playing the unforgettable Number 6) and the rest of the cast plays just good enough. A major twist in the story is revealed rather soon, and after a quick research I found out that stories of generation ships are quite common in SF, in particular ones involving the same twist. The characters and story are interesting, at least in the first episodes, in particular the hierarchy that has evolved aboard the ship after 50 years. But in spite of the fact that the series was always scheduled to be limited to 6 episodes, I didn't like that too many story arcs are opened and not closed. It makes me feel like the series was stopped halfway through the end. I am not talking about the rather open ending which is fine (even good), but about some pieces of information and new characters that appear in the last two episodes without leading to anything. A bit disappointing.
Rating: 5 /10

The Martian (2015)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2015
	Director: Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator)
	Actors:  Matt Damon (The Bourne Identity, Dogma), Jessica Chastain (Interstellar), Kristen Wiig
	Country: USA
	Genre: SF, Drama
	Conditions of visioning: 12.04.2016, in-flight entertainment 10" screen
Synopsis: Mark Watney (Damon) is left for dead alone on Mars when his exploration team has to leave in an emergency.
Review: I was not expecting this movie when it went out, I hadn't heard about it. And I was not very motivated to watch it because first I didn't see how the movie could keep being interesting for two hours relying only on the performance of one actor. This is a difficult exercise, which was however well executed in the past by Tom Hanks in Cast Away for example. Then I thought the interest by the public in the red planet was passed since the close releases of Mission to Mars, Red Planet and Ghosts of Mars back in the early 2000's. The Martian reminds me most of the second because of the stranded explorer trying to come back home, but the comparison stops there especially since Ridley Scott's movie is much closer to what a real martian mission could be in the near future (although the cost of what is shown in the movie would be prohibitive). So the science looks good but what about the most critical element: the story revolving around the acting of Matt Damon? Well, I liked it. We focus a lot on his character of course but it doesn't get boring thanks to funny monologues and the determination Damon manages to inject in the character. Moreover we get to spend maybe 20% of the movie with the team on Earth or on the rescue ship which makes some welcome breaks. It is a pity that I watched the movie on a very small screen so I cannot comment on the quality of the special effects or the beauty of the martian landscapes. Ridley Scott managed once more to deliver a reference movie in its genre. After Gravity and Interstellar, does the release of The Martian mean that exploration of the solar system is trendy again?
Rating: 7 /10

Gotham - season 1 (2014)

	Also Known As: Gotham: Rise of the Villains
	Year of first release: 2014
	Creator: Bruno Heller
	Actors:  Ben McKenzie, Jada Pinkett Smith (The Matrix 2-3), Donal Logue, Morena Baccarin (Firefly TV-series, Deadpool)
	Country: USA
	Genre: Polar
	Conditions of visioning: February-March 2016, HD VOD, 10" tablet screen
Synopsis: After his parents get killed, young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) doesn't know how to seek justice while freshly arrived Detective Jim Gordon (McKenzie) has big changes in mind for the all-too-corrupted Gotham City Police Department.
Review: I has skeptical about this series on the origins of the Cape Crusader but I remember reading years ago some good things about Smallville, which showed that a similar concept was viable (in that case for Superman). This series has many attractive aspects that earned it an Emmy award for best TV-show in 2015. First, I particularly like the sets and the look of the series. The inside of the Wayne Manor is beautiful and rich in details, the streets of Gotham have the same look as in the Dark Knight trilogy (was the series also shot in Chicago?) both from below and above, the skies are always cloudy and the contrast exaggerated to give it a HDR look (High Dynamic Range, for photographers), and last but not least the police station has an incredible gothic look, like if it used to be a high-end club in the 1920's. Speaking of which, the time period of the series is hard to define: people do have mobile phones but not smart ones, and computers are not to be seen. All in all an interesting mix. Then the story is interesting and well-told: how did Jim Gordon rise in the ranks of a completely corrupted Police Department, and how the death of his parents influenced Bruce Wayne in his early years, while their future super-villain enemies were not yet super, and for some not even villains. No wonder that the series second title is Rise of the Villains. But everybody's situation is evolving and this is one of the things that makes the series addictive to watch. We get to see all the characters I knew from the classic Batman story and from the previous movies: apart from Wayne and Gordon: Harvey Dent, Alfred of course with a more developed background, Gordon's girlfriend Barbara (with a darker path that I knew of), Selena Kyle (future Cat Woman), (Poison) Ivy, Ed Nygma, The Joker (I think...), Lucius Fox (head of research at Wayne Enterprise) and most importantly Oswald Cobblepot a.k.a. the Penguin wonderfully played by Robin Lord Taylor. I also discovered the characters of Fish Mooney, Marooni, Falcon and Gordon's partner Harvey Bullock. Thanks to all those elements the series manages very well to render the corrupted spirit of Gotham City, the powerlessness of a stubborn Jim Gordon and the early years of a future Knight not yet Dark.
Rating: 7 /10

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2016
	Director: Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, Dawn of the Dead, Sucker Punch)
	Actors: Ben Affleck (Paycheck, Pearl Harbor), Henry Cavill (Man of Steel), Amy Adams, Holly Hunter
	Country: USA
	Genre: Action, SF
	Conditions of visioning: 01.04.2016, Cine Hoyt Antofagasta Plaza, 3D
Synopsis: After Metropolis' devastation, both the public and senator Finch (Hunter) want Superman (Cavill) to respond for his actions. The masked vigilante of Gotham City (Affleck) faces similar critics.
Review: Director Zack Snyder can be safely called the Master of Comic Books adaptation in Hollywood, and one can see in his recent career path how he constantly improves his skill, from the literal frame-to-frame cinematographic copy of Frank Miller's 300 to Watchmen for which he only changed the ending, and is now taking even more liberty for a Batman v Superman that I thought would be more inspired by the excellent graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, while in fact it only reuses small parts of it and even sometimes inverts roles or story elements (Star Trek Into Darkness, someone?). In fact the excellent graphic novel is a reason why I was willing to watch this movie; indeed before reading it I would have thought the idea even of a duel between the two super-heroes to be ridiculous (of course Superman wins), but the story is so well brought in the novel that I could buy it without problem. The second reason to watch this movie is the fact that Man of Steel introduced weaknesses in the character of its hero, moral if not physical, making him a more accessible match for the stronger-willed Bruce Wayne.  That was for context, but how does the movie look and feel? Well it looks good, in the line of Man of Steel in particular in its display of massive destruction by overwhelming forces (excellent idea by the way to replay the ending of the first movie from the point of view of Wayne). But as to how it feels I am more mitigated because is actually feels too staged: one scene follows another with mathematical arrangement but no soul really. The movie does contain some great moments and ideas (nice introduction of Wonder Woman although a bit out of place) but also poorer ones. As much as I like Jeremy Irons I don't find him fitting as an Alfred that is also Batman's weapon and high-tech specialist. Very far from the emotional acting by Michael Caine in the Dark Knight trilogy and from the deep background painted for the same character played by Sean Pertwee in the excellent TV-series Gotham.  And neither the depiction of Lex Luthor nor the poorly-inspired apparitions of Clark Kent's parents make up for that feeling. Maybe the following movies in the Dawn of Justice Universe will be more successful... or maybe the most promising is the upcoming Suicide Squad.
Rating: 5 /10

Deadpool (2016)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2016
	Director: Tim Miller
	Actors:  Ryan Reynolds (Green Lantern, The Proposal, Buried), Morena Baccarin (Firefly TV-series), T.J. Miller (Cloverfield), Ed Skrein (Game of Thrones TV-series)
	Country: USA
	Genre: Action, Comedy
	Conditions of visioning: 27.02.2016, Gaumont Parnasse cinema
Synopsis: Contract killer Wade (Reynolds) lives a perfect love story with Vanessa (Baccarin) when he is diagnosed with cancer. After being contacted by a man promising a mysterious treatment, he will have to make a choice.
Review: I have never read the comic book, but from what I heard Deadpool contains a very special offbeat humour that makes him stand apart in the X-men Universe, and people were very disappointed by the apparition of this character in the movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine. This project, supported by its main actor Ryan Reynolds was promising to be more faithful to the comics (see the promotion posters at the end of this article) and I guess it succeeded.  The movie is filled with self-mockery, often via the actor breaking the fourth wall (talking to the camera) about the simplistic story, the good looks of Ryan Reynolds, or the fact that the special effects look cheaper then in the other X-men movies for example! That's refreshing in the current too serious super-hero movie trend. And the role is perfect for Reynolds, both before and after he becomes Deadpool. So I liked the movie but not to the point of rating it more than 7/10. The scenes and characters are original in a well-depicted X-men world and I will probably enjoy watching the movie again. But it is not hilarious either.
Rating: 6 /10

Krigen (2015)

	Also Known As: Krigen
	Year of first release: 2015
	Director: Tobias Lindholm
	Actors: Pilou Asbæk, Tuva Novotny, Dar Salim
	Country: DK
	Genre: War, Drama
	Conditions of visioning: 28.03.2016, Schauburg, OV Sneak Preview, English/Danish/Arabic original version
Synopsis: Company commander Claus M. Pedersen (Asbæk) and his men are stationed in an Afghan province. Meanwhile back in Denmark Claus' wife Maria (Novotny) is trying to hold everyday life together with a husband at war and three children missing their father. During a routine mission, the soldiers are caught in heavy crossfire and in order to save his men, Claus makes a decision that has grave consequences on civilians. He has to go back to Denmark and sees the further consequences for him - and his family.
Review: The movie sets in parallel the war and the home life, without taking much care about the war itself. This is not the story. I understand better the continuous dilemma of being a soldier, killing and saving lives and the similar will in peaceful home. There is no much dialogue judging or pushing the viewer to judge about this case. Lindholm manages to write a story giving the different aspects of the soldier's life, war, family life during war and after war. Even if just the fact of questioning the international law in this case is controversial, the movie just opens the discussion without judging. Lindholm wrote the story of the suspensful drama Jagten (by Thomas Vinterberg and with Mads Mikkelsen). Extremely promising also as director. Indeed he manages to take the best of actors such as Asbæk and Dar Salim. Pilou Asbæk is a great actor! He really looks like Ewan McGregor some years ago, but his talent is really personal. He manages also to make out of a walk of soldiers in the country a suspenseful scene. I am more curious on previous movies of Lindholm such as R and Hijacking. And his other collaboration with Vinterberg, The commune.
Rating: 7 /10

Pawn sacrifice (2014)

	Also Known As: Bauernopfer, Le prodige
	Year of first release: 2014
	Director: Edward Zwick
	Actors: Tobey Maguire, Liev Schreiber, Peter Sarsgaard
	Country: USA
	Genre: Drama, Thriller
	Conditions of visioning: 21.03.2016, Schauburg, OV Sneak Preview, English version
Synopsis: In 1970, Bobby Fischer (Maguire) began a new effort to become World Champion. His dramatic march toward the title made him a household name and made chess front-page news for a time. He has been supported by father Lombardy (Sarsgaard). He won the title in 1972 against Spassky (Schreiber), but forfeited it three years later.
Review: The originality of the movie is to show the solitude, the paranoia and the obscurity of Bobby Fischer's mind. The supposed Cold war on a Chess board is a question of point of view. This kind of evolution in the psychosis is a rare topic (e.g. Memento), while this is often mixed within a thriller with no view into the mind of the character. By luck there is no conflation of his fight à la Don Quichotte (against his own ghosts) and the fight of American way of life against Soviet one as it was presented in the media at that time. Maguire plays his role with a lot of professionality. The confusion, the concentration, the paranoia, the obsession for learning about chess and especially Russian chess. Good to know that he can play much more than Spiderman. Promising. The camera driving and image composition enhance the different moods of Bobby Fischer without being arty, just classical and effective. I liked the shots starting as still life and then the sudden reactions of Bobby Fischer. This was good.
Rating: 6 /10