yeishhleb Reviews

The Man with the Iron Fists (2012)

Spitting On The Genre

[1/10 · 6 May 2014]

The acting was disgustingly sub-par from nearly everyone, except Crowe, but that's not quite what you'd expect from a fight fest anyway. (RZA has the facial expressions of an iron slipper)

However, don't get your expectations high for the action, either. This has to be some of the worst choreography I have ever seen. I've seen amateur combat scenes crafted better than this mess.

The whole premise was laughable. The film lacked substance, and eventually humor and seriousness when needed. And I repeat, the combat is very shoddy. This is rubbish film- making of the highest order. Seriously, this was downright unbearable. By the end of the movie, I wanted to gouge my eyes out.

If you want to watch a really good fighting movie, which will be worth your time, go for IP MAN (2008).

It is the best in my book.

The Dandelions (2012)

A surprisingly heart-throbbing and intimate tale of attachment

[10/10 · 2 December 2013]

I was in a mood to watch some Mayday this morning. While browsing cable TV, I inadvertently switched to the movie. At first I wasn't quite sure I wanted to watch something like that, but the intriguing title made me change my mind almost instantly. And how grateful I am that it did!

This movie has so much heart to it. However, let me start by telling you that you should absolutely watch it in the original French version. It's the only way you can catch the full essence of this little gem. If you happen to not understand a word of the language, please turn on the subtitles. Carine Tardieu has been able to capture a powerful beauty to this movie that is allowed to blossom upon the intricacies of its native tongue. You may be brought to think that there is nothing new this film can bring to the scene; that the theme of the developing child and a rocky relationship with the parents has been rehashed way too much over time to even be relevant at this point. I implore you to reconsider and discover this enchanting work of art to find out for yourself. You will feel the joys of an amazing friendship, while it lovingly toys with your emotions and holds your heart in its clutches.

The two little girls have such a lovely chemistry between them that makes their acting effortless and very poignant in the depiction. Both are starting to understand life and question it, living every experience as an adventure together into the puzzling realms of the adult world. They instinctively complete each other, and their work is so remarkable that I would not mind having the camera just film them for the entire movie. Well, of course, that doesn't happen. (sigh)

What happens though is some wonderful experimentation with the camera work and storytelling. The focus is flawlessly taken off the subject at hand and plunged into a parallel corridor of life being fed from fascinatingly creative sources. The depth and level of detail in the cinematography will leave you startled and genuinely smirking inside.

Aesthetically, the film is a jewel. Emotionally, it is a freaking masterpiece. The gut-wrenching sentiments will overwhelm you at times, but Du Vent Dans Mes Mollets will have the child inside you delighted like a dandelion once you have inevitably bonded with the sublime Rachel and Valérie.

I highly recommend you watch this movie, either alone or with your close ones. When you lie there in awe witnessing the sheer magnificence of this film, just be prepared to cry like a little bitch; because whether you like it or not, you are going to cry like a little bitch.

I know I did.