Fouad Realbox Reviews

Opponent (2023)

Powerful, ambiguous and fascinating

[9/10 · 30 November 2023]

This film is a real surprise. It explores the world of emigrants who have a secret that drove them away from home but who end up falling in the same pattern of behavior. Nobody can escape from who he is.

The actors are amazing and the atmosphere of snow and alienation in Sweden is very well rendered.

The wrestling scenes are powerful as they carry both homoeroticism and the repressed violence of the hero.

The secondary characters are well defined and reveal the contrast between the emotional of the eastern emigrants and the reserve of the western.

Superbly acted, masterful direction, excellent music. Yet the end is rushed and a bit disappointing compared to the rest of the film

Otherwise an excellent film for adults.

The Worst Person in the World (2021)

Mature young men, confused young girls...

[5/10 · 27 March 2022]

The film is one of the most anti-feminist i have seen for along time.

The girl character is confused, immature, moody, undecided, self centered while the young men characters are mature, assertive, responsible and generous.

Julie is unbearable and the actress who plays the role does a good job in making that we never like her. False smile, false tears.. Overall a caricature of modern day young generation.

I was bored with close hots of Julie while endlessly waking in the street.. is Joachim Trier in love with his actre.

Licorice Pizza (2021)

A boring and endlessly empty movie

[4/10 · 1 March 2022]

After intriguing 15 minutes, the film goes nowhere and the appearance of Sean Penn, Tom Waits and Bradley Cooper is just an attempt to boost the long and boring absence of a story. The only touching aspect of this otherwise cold movie is the presence of the son of Philip Seymour Hoffman.. but this does make a film worth Oscar nomination. It is a cheat...

Inventing Anna (2022)

Good 3 episodes , the rest is boring and uninteresting...

[4/10 · 23 February 2022]

None of the feminine characters inspire sympathy. They are all either stupid , naive, historical or arrogant.

The women solidarity around Anna is pathetic. The obsession of the major characters in personal success demonstrates that all these women are seeking some kind of recognition as if they are aware of their weakness. Vivien, the ambitious journalist is a caricature. The actress overacts and the baby delivery scene is out of place, melodramatic and boring. The series should have stopped at episode 4. They are 5 useless episodes..

Mayor of Kingstown (2021– )

Excellent , well made and very intelligent serie. Bravo Taylor Sheridan!

[9/10 · 15 January 2022]

Dialogs are sharp, story is gripping, actors are excellent. Despite violence and cruelty there are subtle emotions and a philosophical reflection on the human complexity and struggle to get out of the animal world I wait for season 2 as the characters are now well defined and I wonder what will be chapter 2 of Iris and Mike in the diabolic game of Milo.

The Power of the Dog (2021)

Pretentious and artificial

[5/10 · 3 December 2021]

Jane Campion wanted to revisit Brokeback Mountain but this time made by a woman. Beautiful postcard landscapes, smart camera (too smart), good actors . Yet the whole film looks fake. None of the characters are believable, the dialogs are artificial, the pace of the film is irregular with endless closeups full of supposed emotions. The music is a total disaster.. it just doesn't stop and the violins get on your nerves !

The dead calf is supposed to have died from anthrax or killed by a wolf as explained before.

It's totally unclear what Peter does with the dead calf. Isn't he dissecting As he did with the rabbit? No! It requires to read about the ending to understand what really happened. The story of the hides that Phil uses to make a gift to his new potential 'lover - friend ' is not believable. Phil has suddenly become a young girl in love, quite ridiculous!

Overall an awkward and failed movie that wants to be original but remain artificial and pretentious...

Midnight Mass (2021)

Interesting concept that fails.

[6/10 · 14 November 2021]

The idea of people using the christian rituals as a cannibalistic process to subdue a simple community is interesting. Yet endless one to one pseudo religions conversations, overwhelming religious chorus songs, repetitive references of bible stories makes the series so bloated that the wild and Halloween like ending cannot save it.

I used fast forward very often!

El Cid (2020–2021)

Season 2 is excellent. Waiting for season 3!

[8/10 · 30 October 2021]

After an average season 1, the season 2 is very exciting with a much better plot. The character of El Cid becomes more extreme and reaches a climax at the end of season 2.

All characters are very good and the battle scenes are amazing.

Highly recommended.

The Innocent (2021)

An uselessly complicated plot.. Unconvincing

[3/10 · 30 October 2021]

The recurring off voice "reading" the past sgtory of some of the protagonists with snapshots of 'what happened' keeps reminds us that this is adaptation of a book.. a bad adaptation.

The story as such is simple but artificially made complicated by mixing flashback with present scenes in a way that the viewer is completely lost trying to figure our who's who.

Overall, it is a mentally tiring experience where thank God there are only 8 long episodes.

If you want a headache and no real excitement, watch this!

Sex Education (2019–2023)

Season 3 is a total disappointment

[2/10 · 26 September 2021]

While the two first seasons had a fresh humoristic atmosphere, season 3 has no plot, it is vulgar, not funny , badly written and badly directed. The girls are hysterical and the boys dull like hell. The sex lessons given seem to be like a gynecologic class. Boring . What a disaster! No chance that I watch season 4!

Stumptown (2019–2020)

Bad script

[5/10 · 7 January 2021]

The constant flash back "4 years ago" etc... are so annoying as they destroy the episode rythm. The characters are not attaching and the stories are basic. I left after 3 episodes... Waste of time. There are much more interesting series to watch.

The Flight Attendant (2020–2022)

Dissapointing

[3/10 · 2 January 2021]

While the first 3 episodes are intriguing, the rest is really bad. Drunk almost all the time,Kaley Cuoco turns ugly and unbearable to watch. The story is diluted in her childhood memories trying to justify why she is so unbearable but it does not makes her less unpleasant to watch with her constant stupid actions and subsequent apologies. I stopped watching the series on episode 5... it was becoming so repetitive and boring

Antigone (I) (2019)

How to use the aura of a Greek tragedy to make a bad movie

[2/10 · 30 August 2020]

The pretention of this film is to make us believe that it is a tragedy because it takes its title from a famous Greek tragedy and because the protagonists it shows bear Greek names picked from the tragedy. In 2020 it sounds absurd to have North African emigrants called Antigone, Ménécée, Ismène, or Étéocle!. More over the story ignores totally the original content of the tragedy. The result is an amateurish film badly acted and badly directed. The only positive aspect is the beauty of Nahema Ricci's facial expression. Unfortunately because of the inexperienced director her expression remains the same all along the movie.

Herrens veje (2017–2018)

Season 1 deserves 6 stars. Season 2 deserves 1 star

[4/10 · 25 July 2020]

Very interesting season 1 well acted, intriguing with lots of surprises. The season 2 is slow, empty, no stories. just boring as if all was said in season 1. Disappointment.

True Detective (2014– )

Dissapointing

[19 January 2019]

I loved season 1 and 2 but I find season 3 episode 1 too talkative and boring, especially that the acting is very composed and artificial. I am not interested to follow it through

Muhammad: The Messenger of God (2015)

A sensory experience that leads beyond the mind

[9/10 · 29 August 2015]

This film can only be seen by letting go of our logical mind that tries to analyze characters or look for suspense. If you allow your emotions to conduct you, then this film will fulfill you. It's a film that calls on you senses. The vision of beauty, the magical sounds, the loving caress of hands, and even the smell. If smell is one sense that is not yet stimulated in a theater, in this film the evocation is so strong that you smell the sand, the wind, the sea and the perfume of the roses. For Majidi the beauty of the nature and the love between people are the only path to God. Muhammad is an ode to an orphan who had a deep connection with Nature and its Master and became the leader of new religion.

Amsterdam (II) (2013)

Surprisingly good despite some flaws

[8/10 · 25 October 2013]

A good story on male friendship and betrayal. The rhythm is good, good acting, good cinematography and an excellent music score. The sound design in the forest could have been better. The psychological development of some characters is also a bit awkward. There are a few credibility hiccups in the script such as the story of the money and the credit card, XXX's long and not really justified silent absence, his sudden return for no reason. There is also a "continuity" mistake in the last shot of XXX carrying his bag that we saw him throw in the ice hole. Otherwise, it is a good film with lots of surprises and an amoral ending! As this is the director's first film, it is promising.

Black Field (2009)

Haunting and magnificently shot and acted

[10/10 · 31 October 2011]

A very beautiful film reminder of the classical "Black Narcissus" with an incredible photography of Marcus Waterloo and a haunting atmosphere. The double identities of the two protagonists is very well rendered and their desire to escape from the emotional prison that circumstances have thrown them into. The music and the sound track of night birds, wind and silence give the film an unusual texture. If it is a first film, it is very promising as the actor direction is excellent and effective, the choice of location and the erotic and religious feel that emanate from this film show that the director has a very good potential to make another work of art.

Shuttlecock (1991)

a haunting film

[9/10 · 12 March 2005]

A film with an extraordinary cinematography and music. Acting by Alan Bates and Lambert Wilson is excellent. The atmosphere of the film between past and present is extremely well rendered. Music by Garbarek adds to the haunting feeling. Although the end scene is not convincing, the film is very interesting and compelling to watch. I saw it twice and was equally fascinated. The cinematography of Denus Lenoir is simply amazing, it all looks like Rembrandt paintings. Alan Bates is amazing,as usual, in the role of man broken by his guilt and victim of a cruel ordeal. It was shot in Portugal and the UK. I highly recommend this film that I saw by accident on a TV channel. I think it is was never released in theaters.