Sydney81 Reviews

Bon Voyage (2003)

An epic film for Rappeneau to bring back a tragic part of our History

[19 April 2003]

This new Jean-Paul Rappeneau film, set in a World War II beginning background is brilliant, as the other ones.

As Frederic Oger, an escaped convict, tries to reach Bordeaux in a defeated France to meet Vivian Denvers, a famous actress responsible for his detention, he meets Camille, a student in Nuclear Physics, who's helping a reknowed Physicist to escape from France, as his recent breakthrough could lead the Germans to atomic weapons... From a cynical Minister, willing to surrender, to a German Spy, trying to put an hand on the scientist's discovery, the encounter of these two stories will lead the characters to all sort of adventures.

The vision of this "en déroute" France is particularly well done and relevant, with an upper class insensible to the situation, hundreds of refugees along the way to Bordeaux, arena of politics debates about war or peace. And so is the story, especially, to my mind, the part when Camille realizes that this simple boy she has met by chance in the train has contacts with an actress and a minister, which could help her in her duty. And the fate of the Frederic, caught between these two ladies, which will lead him to take crucial choices for his life...

15 août (2001)

Not a bad comedy

[23 April 2001]

15 aout is about three men that are going to spend their holidays in La Baule, in French Brittany. When they arrive they, they discover that their wives have left them alone with their children in the summer house they had rented. This movie is about the problems one might encounter in a couple: of course, the three men are angry against their wives. But they also realize their own defaults : Raoul is always angry, and doesn't want any child. Vincent is a real child .Max is a mac, and is currently cheating on in wife. But they also realize that may have influenced their wives is highly feminist book dealing with the marriage. We can understand the women, whose husbands hadn't them happy. But they have listened to the book -and to its author- the same way they had listened to their husbands before. As a consequence, it isn't a way for them to get the moral strength they expected... Therefore, this particular type of feminism is negative, for men as for women.

Arlington Road (1999)

Again an American film about terrorism!

[2/10 · 7 February 2001]

When you go to the movies, you expect to have a great time, a thriller as well as any other movie. You don't want to see a movie that reminds you of issues such as terrorism. Especially terrorism in America where after all, the cases aren't such dramas compared to countries such as Algeria or China! It's just like the Siege that has dramatize terrorism in New-York City : a complete American film that shouldn't have gone from the States! As a consequence, I send this message to producers : Entertaining and clever American films are welcomed (almost) everywhere in the World. Please produce many other films such as Star Wars, Meet the Parents, The Game... and export them where ever you want. Even a film that first appears as typically American, but deals with univeral topics, such as Forrest Gump : have it everywhere in the World! But whenever you make a film about your own problems, especially American politics or terrorism, please, keep it! We don't want these films here!