Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2017
	Director: Rian Johnson (Looper)
	Actors: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega (Attack the Block), Adam Driver (J. Edgar, Lincoln), Mark Hamill (Sushi Girl), Carrie Fisher (Austin Powers), Laura Dern (Jurassic Park)
	Country: USA
	Genre: SF, Adventure, Epic
	Conditions of visioning: 20.12.2017, Mathäser Kino, 3D
Synopsis: The First Order is closing in on the last members of the Rebellion led by Leia (Fisher), while Rey (Ridley) is trying to convince Luke Skywalker (Hamill) to join the battle or at least teach her the Jedi ways.
Review: There is a lot I didn't like in this new Star Wars movie. Like the previous one The Force Awakens, it starts with a modern joke I find has nothing to do with the Star Wars Universe (this time about a bad audio connection like happens on Skype). A quite severe criticism is that I found that the story is not fluid and doesn't transport the viewer in this wonderful Universe created by George Lucas. It tries and fails with smooth transitions between the different storylines, and I found the music by John Williams to be too loud and omnipresent instead of gently underlying the drama scenes and carrying the Action ones. On top of that, if the story of The Force Awakens was a copy of A New Hope (I have just downgraded it from 7 to 6/10), this one is obviously inspired by both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi in many not-so-small details like a foot battle against AT-AT-looking machines on a Hoth-looking planet, a chase through an asteroid field (with the same music), and last but not least the "Emperor" trying to convert a young Jedi-to-be to join him (spoiler, highlight to read) while witnessing the expected end of the Rebellion, only to be betrayed by his own apprentice that he thought he fully controlled. I would think that the next Episode, to be released end 2019, can finally start to tell a fresh story. About the characters, I found that the old and new ones I was happy to see in The Force Awakens were here pretty weak: Finn, Rey, Poe, Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader Snoke, Chewbacca (totally transparent), Leia, Luke. I was expecting a magic apparition by Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) to save the day but it didn't come and we got Benicio del Toro instead. Directing / Editing: I found the movie 30 minutes too long while the pace was too rushed, never leaving us the extra seconds in each and every scene to let the information and feelings sink in, even during the scene between Luke and (spoiler) Yoda, reminiscing best of the original trilogy. And many other scenes that should have been emotionally strong also failed in involving me. Last bad point but that can be avoided (I had no choice): the 3D is pretty useless and when it could bring something, badly done. The 3D conversion process is pretty bad with high-contrast images like... in space, which are numerous in a Star Wars movie like they were in Gravity after which I also complained. Humpf, so is there anything good in that movie?? I would say a few awesome-looking scenes that still remind of the good old years spent watching the original trilogy over and over again. I am not looking forward to the next Episode of the main Star Wars storyline, maybe there is more hope towards the spin-off Solo: A Star Wars Story to be released next year, after the excellent surprise of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Rating: 5 /10

Svanurinn (2017)

	Also Known As: The swan, Der Schwan
	Year of first release: 2017
	Director: Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir
	Actors: Gríma Valsdóttir, Thor Kristjansson, Þuríður Blær Jóhannsdóttir
	Country: ISL, D, EST
	Genre: Drama
	Conditions of visioning: 04.11.2017, Filmhaus 1, NFDL2017, Icelandic with English subtitle
Synopsis: "You don’t have the eyes of a thief", says her great-aunt, when Sól (Valsdóttir) arrives. The nine-year-old girl was caught stealing and has been sent to the country to help on the farm. It is hoped that life among the mountains and fields, will help the young girl grow up. The seasonal worker Jón (Kristjansson) that Sól shares a room with is nice, but every night he writes in his notebook as if possessed.And then comes the daughter Ásta (Jóhannsdóttir).
Review: Sending children to the countryside so that they can experience the hard life sounds very tough to me, but is quite common, or at least was common, according to the director (during the Q&A). Fascinated by seeing Jón writing, Sól likes him. On top of the expected hard life requiring structured thinking and making, Sól experiences jealousy, anger, confidence, so that I wondered why she had been brought there by her family. She manages everything quite well.  The image is very arty, what is made possible by the Icelandic light and the scenery as well as by the German cinematographer. The coproduction involved Germany with the cinematography and Estonia with the sound. The remaining production being Icelandic, including the music by múm.
Rating: 5 /10

Cars 3 (2017)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2017
	Director: Brian Fee
	Actors (voices): Owen Wilson (Zoolander), Cristela Alonzo, Chris Cooper (American Beauty)
	Country: USA
	Genre: Animation, Comedy, Adventure
	Conditions of visioning: 09.12.2017, in-flight entertainment system 10" screen
Synopsis: Lightning McQueen is surpassed on the racing tracks by a new generation of talents, which will make him question his future.
Review: As much as I found Cars 2 a brilliant idea for a sequel and better than the original, this third opus follows the much simpler recipe of a direct-to-video destined to kids, and did not make a great impression on me, apart from a few stunning visuals. The same trend in fact as the Toy Story movies. Of course the hero is (again) questioning himself and his friends - old and new - will not let him down. In fact it looks like the movie ignores completely the extravaganza of the second to position itself as a direct sequel to the first. That's really too bad for a franchise which had potential.
Rating: 5 /10

The Dark Tower (2017)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2017
	Director: Nikolaj Arcel
	Actors: Idris Elba (Thor 1-3, Pacific Rim), Matthew McConaughey (Contact, Interstellar), Tom Taylor
	Country: USA
	Genre: SF, Adventure
	Conditions of visioning: 09.12.2017, in-flight entertainment system 10" screen
Synopsis: A Dark Tower at the center of the Universe is protecting it from Evil Forces and gets under attack. The last Gunslinger Roland (Elba) has vowed to protect it against the magic of the evil Walter (McConaughey), which he will be reminded by the gifted young Jake (Taylor).
Review: When I saw the poster of this movie some months ago I was tempted to go watch it in the cinema, but in the end I am glad I didn't as it wouldn't have been worth it. Adapted from novels by Stephen King, the story mixes a Universal threat with some retro far-west values and "technology", in particular the use of hand pistols that are to me in far too great contrast with the powers at play.  Also what? The fate of the Universe resides in a few children kidnapped in New York City?? It may have sounded better on the pages of King's novels, but in a movie it is a hard sell. Not that it is completely ridiculous, it is quite OK to watch but never really exciting. To keep from this movie is the cold performance by Matthew McConaughey that one could compare with the one of the Devil (Peter Stormare) in Constantine with Keanu Reeves and also taking place in NY. The trendy Idris Elba is not bad but never really manages to convey the emotions I would have expected from his character. And I guess Jake has the same age as the target audience. For teenagers saving the Universe, better watch again Ender's Game.
Rating: 3 /10

Salvation - Season 1 (2017)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2017
	Creators: Elizabeth Kruger, Craig Shapiro, Matt JL Wheeler
	Actors: Santiago Cabrera, Jennifer Finnigan, Charlie Rowe
	Country: USA
	Genre: Thriller, Action
	Conditions of visioning: December 2017, VOD, 10" tablet screen
Synopsis: An MIT student (Rowe) discovers that an asteroid will hit the Earth half a year later. He brings the news to billionaire Darius Tanz (Cabrera) that will take it to the government.
Review: This new series popped up on my radar probably because I watched others in the same genre recently, in particular The Expanse. The series starts like an End of the World / Fight for survival story that I usually like (and I am a fan of Deep Impact), except that the main characters are too much of a melting pot to be believable: the genius grad student quickly getting big responsibilities, the Tech billionaire with no doubt inspired by our real-life Elon Musk including his Tony Stark syndrome, and the White House press secretary Claire (Finnigan) who on top of being the center of a love triangle (or even a square) will act as link to the government which will be more and more present in the story. Because if the series starts as a SciFi one it quickly evolves to politics, and even World politics at that. But those stakes are tackled with the same naivety as in Designated Survivor. The omnipresent role of Darius Tanz is overwhelming, the love stories out of place and sometimes embarrassing to watch, the Science more than approximate (the most revolutionary propulsion system ever built is assembled in one day in a hangar!?!) and the special effects barely acceptable. But the series is not as cheap as any SyFy production, and even though it tries similarly to cover too many topic, it is done well enough to be entertaining. More annoying is an embarrassing product placement in every single episode, a bit more discreet but more frequent than, again, in Designated Survivor. So I started watching Salvation for the asteroid story, continued for the rapid evolution of the series, and finished it because it was easy and I waited for a resolution that didn't come.
Rating: 4 /10

Modern Times (1936)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 1936
	Director: Charles Chaplin
	Actors: Charles Chaplin (The Kid, The Great Dictator), Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman
	Country: USA
	Genre: Comedy, Drama
	Conditions of visioning: 09.12.2017, in-flight entertainment system 10" screen
Synopsis: After a nervous breakdown, a tramp turned assembly-line worker (Chaplin) ends up in jail, is released, and will live various adventures in his quest to find a place in the modern world.
Review: I hadn't tried to watch this classic from Chaplin in maybe 20 years. Last time it was playing on television and I must have found it too boring because I remembered only the first scenes at the factory, I probably gave up after that. Like all silent movies it requires to be in a certain mood to watch. This time I was in that mood, and even though I didn't see it in the best conditions, I appreciated the image and sound quality, this first thanks to a recent restoration, the second thanks to a new recording by a philharmonic orchestra of Chaplin's original score. So none of those high-pitched soundtrack that usually accompany such movies, but a score well-fitting even if very present, as was in those times. I find that rejuvenation of the soundtrack really gives a new life to old movie like Häxan, The Fall of the House of Usher or Metropolis. Most of the movie is silent, but some effects are added to the soundtrack to mimic what we see on screen. Most of the dialogs take the shape of intertitles (written panels), but a few interventions use recorded voices, mostly for the company bosses at the beginning. A sign that silent movies were coming to an end in 1936, and as Chaplin doesn't speak in this one it would seem he was scared of the transition that could make him a thing of the past like many other actors of the silent era. In reality, like in The Great Dictator he just keeps his voice for the last scene for more effect, this time a singing act that culminates the show displayed by the clown Chaplin throughout the movie thanks to his many talents: writer/composer/director/actor and pantomime of course (the high image quality allowed me to focus attention on his face and gimmicks, and appreciate in passing the beauty of co-star Paulette Goddard...), but also dancer, contortionist, gifted roller skater... That last scene hit me like a punch, as it made me glimpse a little fraction of the influence Chaplin had on modern times. One cannot say that he finally speaks in that scene, as he sings in fact in a made-up tongue furiously similar to the one used by the Minions of the Despicable Me franchise. Even more striking is his dance that includes the preludes to... Michael Jackson's Moonwalk! The performance delivered in that last scene is just magic. Note that I also recognized the influence on the King of Pop via the recurring theme of the movie that was used for the song Smile on the album History in 1990. The lyrics "Smile, what's the use of crying?" echo perfectly the last shot of Modern Times. And for the first time I got a better understanding of the meaning of the movie, beyond the basics of unemployment and factory working in the post-depression era, I noticed that the main character was truly happy and recognized by society not when getting a job as part of a bigger machine or trying to get a house like others do, but when performing his art with passion.
Rating: 7 /10

National Treasure (2004)

	Also Known As: Benjamin Gates et le trésor des Templiers (France)
	Year of first release: 2004
	Director: Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure: Book of Secrets)
	Actors: Nicolas Cage (Ghost Rider 1-2, Face/Off), Diane Kruger (Inglorious Basterds), Justin Bartha, Sean Bean (The Fellowship of the Ring), Jon Voigt (Tomb Rider, Anaconda), Harvey Keitel (From Dusk Till Dawn)
	Country: USA
	Genre: Adventure
	Conditions of visioning: 08.12.2017, VOD, 32" TV screen
Synopsis: For six generations, the Gates family has been hunting for the greatest treasure of all times. Benjamin (Cage) solves a clue leading to another, but his partner Ian (Bean) grows impatient and goes on to steal the Declaration of Independence.
Review: Two years before The Da Vinci Code, National Treasure plays in the similar field of secret societies, treasures, and clues hidden in historical artifacts. But instead of the scholar played by Tom Hanks, you get a more Indiana Jones version, and the tone leans more towards comedy thanks to Cage's acting and the presence of a side-kick. Also instead of of some pseudo-tourism with Tom Hanks visiting Paris' highlights in company of a cute French girl, National Treasure is purely USA-oriented with the visit of some of their historical monuments, mostly around Washington D.C., links to the Templars BUT the treasure has to be in the USA of course, and some lines of dialog that completely ignore the rest of the world (The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in the World, really?). Tourism is limited to the German actress Diane Kruger. I do not know American History in detail and I don't mind having it twisted a little for the sake of Entertainment so the story didn't bother me too much. I was more annoyed by the totally wrong logic behind the discovery of the clue thanks to sunlight: nice to think about daylight saving time but what about Solar time? The position of the Sun in the sky in not the same every day of the year. Entertaining enough to have generated a sequel Book of Secrets that I may even watch to pass time on a long flight...
Rating: 4 /10

Despicable Me 3 (2017)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2017
	Director: Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin, Eric Guillon
	Actors (voices): Steve Carell (The 40 Year-Old Virgin), Kristen Wiig (Ghostbusters), Trey Parker (South Park TV-series)
	Country: USA
	Genre: Animation, Comedy, Action
	Conditions of visioning: 29.11.2017, in-flight entertainment 8" screen
Synopsis: After Gru (Carell) fails at stopping his arch-enemy, his live changes when he meets his long-lost brother Dru.
Review: After a respectable Despicable Me but the disappointing sequel and spin-off Minions, I was not expecting much from that movie but couldn't pass on an easy Animated film to watch on a long plane trip. And I was in fact gladly surprised! The movie uses the same recipe as the others in the franchise, but I found the dosage better tuned: still as many twisted landscape and characters, gadgets, enough Action but less Minions, more second degree for adults and less basic jokes for kids, and a funny villain locked in the 80's that will please the nostalgics of that time period (how trendy is that nowadays) thanks to his special looks, moves, gadgets and accompanying music that I found better fitting than the club one in Despicable Me 2. Nothing outrageously funny but the movie managed to revert the trend of the franchise which is admirable.
Rating: 5 /10

Sleepless (2017)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2017
	Director: Baran bo Odar
	Actors: Jamie Foxx (Collateral, Django Unchained), Michelle Monaghan (Eagle Eye, Source Code), Dermot Mulroney, David Harbour (Stranger Things TV-series)
	Country: USA
	Genre: Polar, Action
	Conditions of visioning: 29.11.2017, in-flight entertainment 8" screen
Synopsis: Las Vegas cop Vincent (Foxx) has unclear ties to the local criminal underworld. After drug is stolen from an important casino-owner, his son his kidnapped while he gets investigated by Bryant (Monaghan) from Internal Affairs.
Review: After the good impression left by Jamie Foxx in Collateral, I was tempted to watch that other Polar with him. I think is is based on a best-seller novel, but apparently something went wrong in the adaptation. The story tries to be original / attractive with a setting in Las Vegas but never comes near references like Casino or Ocean's 11. And that story gets too quickly restricted to the inside of a casino-hotel. Coincidences in that movie are too frequent, and if you think the story and stake are confused at the beginning, it doesn't get better. But the worst of the movie is probably the characters and their reactions that are hardly believable, just watch how not motivated Foxx plays when the son of his character gets kidnapped. The two bad guys are very caricatural and thus not very interesting or threatening. And the attempt at building a complex relationship between the two cops completely fails. A good example of a bad cop movie.
Rating: 2 /10

Narcos - Season 3 (2017)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2017
	Creators: Carlo Bernard, Chris Brancato, Doug Miro, Paul Eckstein
	Actors: Pedro Pascal (The Adjustment Bureau, Game of Thrones TV-series), Alberto Ammann, Damián Alcázar
	Country: USA
	Genre: Polar, Thriller
	Conditions of visioning: November 2017, VOD, 10" tablet screen
Synopsis: After the death of Pablo Escobar, his former allies of the cartel of Cali (Ammann, Alcázar) take the lead on world cocaine trafficking. DEA agent Javier Peña (Pascal) is back to hunt them down.
Review: The king is dead, long live the king(s)! After two memorable seasons, the Netflix TV-series Narcos is back for a new thrill. We get to follow the Cali cartel which has a very different way of doing business than the one of Medellin had. This impacts the pace of the season which has less violence and terrorism to show, and more search for legal ways to stop a cartel much better organized. For example they were spending a billion dollars a year for intelligence (can that be true?). This is reflected by a new character in that season which is the head of security. DEA agent Javier Peña is now operating alone but we see him supervising two new guys eager to get to work. I think I heard that he did not participate to the real events, and in general even though this season is still based on real events, I could feel that more liberty was taken with them, especially in the timing and coincidence between those events. The added dramatization makes the season even easier to watch than the two first ones in fact, except if you were looking for a more documentary style that it has lost. Apart from that, the style of the series has slightly evolved but it keeps on delivering what the audience liked: narration by Peña has replaced the one by Murphy, there is always tension at the US embassy and corruption at most levels of the Colombian government and Police, but still always a man with irreproachable integrity, and the characters are relatively complex except the son of one of the cartel leaders, no one can like him. In addition to the main characters that I all found very well played, I could note the short presence of Edward James Olmos (from the Battlestar Galactica TV-series) and Wayne Knight that I could recognize anywhere after having watched a hundred times Jurassic Park.
Rating: 6 /10