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ashmeu1
Reviews
The Devil's Chair (2007)
A poor "Session 9"...
People in an old abandoned asylum ? Going crazy ? Dying ?
We've already seen it all before, and this time, although the production and cast are decent (the overall sound design is actually quite good despite too many squishy noises), I just can't help but think of Brad Anderson's excellent (if flawed in its own ways) "Session 9". Way better.
Sorry, but since braincells don't work on cash, a low budget doesn't excuse a poor script.
So let's make it short : if you want gore & predictable "twists" you might enjoy this one ; if you'd prefer a better film go for "Session 9". My vote is 3 out of 10, however totally unreasonably raised to a 5 due to Matt Berry's appearance (I'm a Boosh fan), and Zoe Keating's beautiful score.
Déjà mort (1998)
young noir
Although not perfect, this movie is indeed a noir. The ambiance is here, as well as good acting and direction (most of them now have achieved notoriety). Of course Déja Mort is kind of immature in essence, but what do you expect teenagers, rich & wannabees, having parties, sex drugs and alcohol to act like ? Noir is about flawed characters making mistakes. It's a noir by a young writer/director aimed at a young audience, and as that, it is quite good.
And PLEASE don't compare it to Requiem for a Dream, dummy. I know Dahan is not Aronofsky, but unless you think the 1933 King Kong is a remake of Peter Jackson's, check out the release dates.
Dexter (2006)
Refreshing !
In a world of never-ending plots and unnecessary subplots, of dozens of 26 episodes seasons, this tight 12 eps. long one shot makes me want to actually but the DVD and not just half-heartedly download. Of late, series have been known to get better by the day, hiring more and more movies actors, directors, writers and technicians, so I'm not going to overwrite about how good it looks : about as good as you'd want it to be. There'd be a lot to say about many freudian and jungian aspects of the character, how it eventually reflects us (as Flaubert said, "Madame Bovary, c'est moi"), but I'll not deflower the story - it is great, although not unpredictable (but I wouldn't trade it for a bad deus ex machina : at least it does not try and play the audience for fools), and there are to this day two more Lindsay books to be adapted (the third coming up this summer). Let's hope they don't turn it into a money making soap (you noticed how every time series writers get short of ideas, the characters start dating one another in every direction ?). Ah...and though I'm of the heterosexual persuasion, I have to admit that Michael C Hall is damn sexy in this show (especially compared to SFU).