Mark_Burton Reviews

Invictus (2009)

Invictus: a story of forgiveness

[9/10 · 11 January 2010]

Invictus explains how Nelson Mandela used the 1995 Rugby World Cup to unite his country racially divided after years of apartheid. Clint Eastwood decided not to focus on Mandela's life but rather on his action as South Africa president. It's a story about forgiveness, greatness and the way to stop racism.

Nelson Mandela is perfectly played by Morgan Freeman who demonstrates one more time that he's a Hollywood living legend. Here, his "greatness" is partly linked to the marvellous lines which seemed written by Mandela himself: full of wisdom, full of love, translating his philosophy of life. Matt Damon makes a good job as Pienaar, despite some other comments I have read. I've particularly appreciated his work on accent. Second roles are also well-played with special mention to Tony Kgoroge (chief of black bodyguards) and Adjoah Andoh (Mandela's Chief of Staff).

The script remembers Million Dollar Baby as sport is only an excuse to focus on deeper subjects. I really loved the scene where the black bodyguards met for the first time their white colleagues to make a unified team, or the first meeting between Mandela and Pienaar, around a cup of tea, with Mandela explaining how to inspire and bring people to greatness.

I'm more and more convinced that Clint Eastwood is one of the best directors in Hollywood. This movie, as his previous ones, is simple but so inspiring. If you loved Million Dollar Baby or Changelling, you will love this one. To conclude, Invictus is one of Clint Eastwood's best movies with an incredible performance by Morgan Freeman and a deep philosophy of life which should inspire all of us.

***1/2 out of ****

To Have and Have Not (1944)

First movie of mythic couple Bogart & Bacall

[10/10 · 27 December 2009]

This Film Noir shot in 1944 by Howard Hawks (Scarface, The Big Sleep, Rio Bravo) is very close to famous classic "Casablanca", the character played by Bogart being forced to join the partisans of free France after being for a long time indifferent to their actions. Indeed, the story took place at Fort-de-France (La Martinique, French Antilla), in 1940, during the Vichy Regime. Harry Morgan (Humphrey Bogart), assisted by old seaman and heavy drunker Eddy (Walter Brennan), rents his yacht to rich tourists paying for fishing. At night, he goes back to the local hotel directed by Gérard, a French resistant. Morgan, who only wants to live an ordinary life and earn money, refuses to choose between the national security of Vichy and the partisans of free France… until the day he met young American Marie (Lauren Bacall) and his client is shot to death without paying his bill.

The movie is shot in the typical Black & White photography used in most Film Noir produced in the 40's. Many scenes took also place at night conferring a dark atmosphere to the whole movie. The script is well written with elements of tension and a bunch of interesting characters. The movie is dominated by the mythic couple Bogart/Bacall (first film together) but all the supporting actors have been perfectly chosen with a special mention to Walter Brennan.

Directed by one of the greatest movie-maker of all time (Howard Hawks) with mythic couple Bogart/Bacall, "To have and have not" should be considered as a true classic movie to put next to "Casablanca", "The Big Sleep" or "The Maltese Falcon", and thus, should be recommended to all movie lovers.

**** out of ****

The Glass Key (1942)

The Classic Film Noir which inspired the Coen Brothers and Kurosawa

[9/10 · 26 December 2009]

"The Glass Key" is the B-Class movie which inspired "Miller's Crossing" from the Coen Brothers and "Yojimbo" from Akira Kurosawa. It presents all the elements expected in a good film noir including a bunch of interesting and strange characters and a crime-based plot. In this way, "The glass Key" could be considered as a perfect example of what a Film Noir should be.

The script : Adapted from a Dashiell Hammett's novel, this sordid dark story deals with the relationships between politics and criminals in the 30's/40's. It focused on a corrupted politician (Donlevy) trying to redeem himself by helping a respectable candidate to win an election and giving up some his old criminal friends. He's helped in his tasks by his right-arm and cold-blood puncher (Ladd) until they both fall in love with the respectable politician daughter and femme fatale (Lake). Then, a murder is committed and everybody is suspected, leading to a complex story (which means that you need to watch the movie several times to perfectly understand all the plots details) remembering the best moments of "The Big Sleep" from Howard Hawks or "The Maltese falcon" from John Huston.

The acting: Alan Ladd played a smart tough little guy with shark eyes and guns in his pockets, devoted to his friend and boss, a corrupted politician played by Brian Donlevy. Completing the trio is Veronica Lake, one of the greatest femme fatale of movie history, using her sex-appeal, suggestive eyes and husky voice for our delight. The performances of the three leads are first-class with a great chemistry between Ladd and Lake while Donlevy suits perfectly into the crooked-politician shoes. The supporting characters, all more stupid, vicious and brutal than the others (just as if they have been taken from a Frank Miller Novel like "Sin City"), are also well played with a special mention for William Bendix as the tough guy who loves to break some bones. Some of them are punched, some are tortured while some are passing through window glasses to finish in a swimming pool. A pure delight!

The direction: It's a typical 40's Film Noir with black and white photography and a cold, dark and brutal atmosphere. It is generally well shot with all the elements needed to make a good Film Noir (rains, raincoats, detective hats and men driving cars in a dark and rainy night).

Conclusion: considered at the time as a B-movie, it became a classic and a must-to-see of the Ladd/Lake duet which will enjoy all Film Noir lovers and inspire many future generation of movie-lovers and film makers!

*** 1/2 out of ****

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

The definitive PopCorn movie

[9/10 · 18 December 2009]

I still remember the first time I saw Big Trouble in Little China from John Carpenter. It was Christmas time, I was about 10 years old and that movie became immediately one of my favorite. Indeed, this is the perfect movie for kids and teenagers. It seems that Carpenter wanted to put in the same movie all kind of stuff he liked when he was younger. Just imagine a mixture of "The Karate Kids", "The Goonies", "The 36th chamber of Shaolin", "Star Wars", "Conan the Barbarian" and "Dirty Harry". Seems weird? Yeah but so FUN! What about the content?

• The script: don't watch that movie to find a complex story like "Citizen Kane" or "Mulholland Drive", or deep reflexions about life or death (Allen, Bergman, Godard, Bunuel, where are you?)- the only goal of that movie is people to have FUN. This story was written as a video game where heroes had a quest and should complete several levels in order to succeed. Concerning the characters, you got everything a good video game needs: a beautiful Chineese girl kidnapped by bad guys, two opposite wizards, some magic potions, monsters (even a Bigfoot like in "Harry and the Hendersons"), a kind of modern samurai, some kung-fu fighters and that Old Jack Burton, a truck driver, dreaming of becoming the next Inspector Harry but closer to Jacques Clouseau. Finally, the best aspect of that script is that you got cult quotes in every corner of every scene, from "All is in the reflexes" to "We really shook the pillars of heaven, didn't we, Wang?". Just watch it, you can't stop laughing when hearing Jack Burton speaks.

• The direction: Carpenter's decision to make that movie as kitsch as possible makes it go through age without taking dust. Even the old synthetized music and special effects from the 80's (which seems ridiculous nowadays for most movies), are in total adequation with the whole aspect of that film.

• The actors: they are all perfects with a special mention to Kurt Russell in its best performance to date: he IS Jack Burton. James Hong and Victor Wong are perfects as chineese wizards while Dennis Dun is an incredible Kung-fu fighter. And what about Kim Cattrall? Well, she brings with her the sexy touch needed for that kind of movie.

Conclusion: you like that movie when you're a kid and still love watching it as an adult with your own kids! It's 100% pure FUN, 100% pure LAUGH and the DEFINITIVE POP CORN MOVIE! Just watch it and you will understand why directors like Tarantino or Rodriguez love it and love Kurt Russell!

***1/2 out of ****