tianxiafengyung
Lifetime Total
5+
IMDb Member
17 years
Reviews
Entre les murs (2008)
Did not live up to the hype at all
I went to see this film after reading about all the hype surrounding its subject matter and the manner in which it was dealt with. However after sitting through 2 whole hours of non-stop dialogue and close shots, i felt sapped of all my prior enthusiasm and my subsequent good will toward the film.
It's subject matter - multiculturalism and ethnic-based tension within the school context - is most definitely an intriguing and sensitive subject matter; and perhaps one of the least explored areas of film/television. However, The Class doesn't go nearly in depth as it could have done with the rich material at hand.
A feature film in name, and filmed in close-quarter documentary style, it does offer a slice/mirror of life account of French urban school. But it fails both as a feature film and as a documentary.
The narrative is sporadic and the pace is slow and lacklustre. It felt unpolished and more akin to notes to a novella than an actual novel. There were several interesting narratives and characters which could have been explored at depth, but the director has chosen merely to gloss over them.
Although the film takes an 'tell it as it is in reality' approach, it lacked the acuteness of a fully developed documentary. It didn't have a strong angle in which the viewer could be drawn to, confronted with, or debated about.
The end result is an all too self-conscious (the screen writer even plays the main protagonist) expose on a subject matter, in which this films skims over rather than having the courage to tackle it head on.
I am left wondering whether this films serves more as an accompaniment to François Bégaudeau's book than anything else.
I do see the merits of the film for those who may never experienced first-hand the complexities of multiculturalism in young people, but having grown up experiencing first hand what the film depicts, it doesn't go nearly as thorough as i wished it could have.
It's subject matter - multiculturalism and ethnic-based tension within the school context - is most definitely an intriguing and sensitive subject matter; and perhaps one of the least explored areas of film/television. However, The Class doesn't go nearly in depth as it could have done with the rich material at hand.
A feature film in name, and filmed in close-quarter documentary style, it does offer a slice/mirror of life account of French urban school. But it fails both as a feature film and as a documentary.
The narrative is sporadic and the pace is slow and lacklustre. It felt unpolished and more akin to notes to a novella than an actual novel. There were several interesting narratives and characters which could have been explored at depth, but the director has chosen merely to gloss over them.
Although the film takes an 'tell it as it is in reality' approach, it lacked the acuteness of a fully developed documentary. It didn't have a strong angle in which the viewer could be drawn to, confronted with, or debated about.
The end result is an all too self-conscious (the screen writer even plays the main protagonist) expose on a subject matter, in which this films skims over rather than having the courage to tackle it head on.
I am left wondering whether this films serves more as an accompaniment to François Bégaudeau's book than anything else.
I do see the merits of the film for those who may never experienced first-hand the complexities of multiculturalism in young people, but having grown up experiencing first hand what the film depicts, it doesn't go nearly as thorough as i wished it could have.
The Mentalist (2008)
Great show with a lot of potential
The lead character Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) aka the 'Mentalist' plays a 'psychic' consultant for a serious crime unit headed by Lisbon (played Robin Tunney, "Prison Break") along with the rest of the cast, Cho (Tim Kang "Rambo"), Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti, "OC") and Rigby (Owain Yeoman "Nine"). But Patrick is no psychic, he relies upon acute observation and a penchant for playing mind games with the 'suspects' (and other members of the unit)to solve the case.
The character of Patrick is full of intrigue; he's sexy, funny, smooth but at the same time is tormented by a dark secret of his own doing. The dynamic between him and the rest of the unit is one of great 'hooks' of this show. The conventional law abiding enforcement officers are often at odds with Patrick's eccentric and often risqué way of going about solving crimes. The show plays up to this. The humour and tension between the characters do not appear to be contrived. And of course its always Patrick that comes out on top.
Unlike other crime TV series such as CSI, that depend on sophisticated, often over-the top 'scientific' methodology (CGI effects) to appeal to audiences, the Mentalist brings us back to the good old 'detective's hunch' style of crime-busting. It is a breathe of fresh air in a genre saturated with technical jargon and outlandish plot.
The way each case is solved is complex, yet very believable, and the magic comes from the sense of wonder at Patrick's mind tricks.
The show however still follows much of the conventional approach to to the crime genre, with the cliché of red-herrings, incompetent officers and a detective on a personal mission, but the charisma of Simon Baker as the lead detective Patrick Jane pulls the show together.
Another drawback is the seemingly lack of character depth in the minor cast members. Lisbon, Cho, Rigby and Van Pelt all play second fiddle to Patrick and look like sidekicks rather than team members. But the show is slowly providing space for their development.
The show is named after the lead protagonist, and he promptly delivers. He is charming yet gritty, nonchalant yet brilliant, careless yet vulnerable. He's warm and cold at the same time, full of contradictions and full of flaws. Simon Baker portrays these subtle shades of Patrick's personality with an ease, and has made this so accessible to the audience.
The Mentalist is one of those tortured anti-heroes the strikes a cord with the audience and we can not wait to unravel Patrick's full story.
The character of Patrick is full of intrigue; he's sexy, funny, smooth but at the same time is tormented by a dark secret of his own doing. The dynamic between him and the rest of the unit is one of great 'hooks' of this show. The conventional law abiding enforcement officers are often at odds with Patrick's eccentric and often risqué way of going about solving crimes. The show plays up to this. The humour and tension between the characters do not appear to be contrived. And of course its always Patrick that comes out on top.
Unlike other crime TV series such as CSI, that depend on sophisticated, often over-the top 'scientific' methodology (CGI effects) to appeal to audiences, the Mentalist brings us back to the good old 'detective's hunch' style of crime-busting. It is a breathe of fresh air in a genre saturated with technical jargon and outlandish plot.
The way each case is solved is complex, yet very believable, and the magic comes from the sense of wonder at Patrick's mind tricks.
The show however still follows much of the conventional approach to to the crime genre, with the cliché of red-herrings, incompetent officers and a detective on a personal mission, but the charisma of Simon Baker as the lead detective Patrick Jane pulls the show together.
Another drawback is the seemingly lack of character depth in the minor cast members. Lisbon, Cho, Rigby and Van Pelt all play second fiddle to Patrick and look like sidekicks rather than team members. But the show is slowly providing space for their development.
The show is named after the lead protagonist, and he promptly delivers. He is charming yet gritty, nonchalant yet brilliant, careless yet vulnerable. He's warm and cold at the same time, full of contradictions and full of flaws. Simon Baker portrays these subtle shades of Patrick's personality with an ease, and has made this so accessible to the audience.
The Mentalist is one of those tortured anti-heroes the strikes a cord with the audience and we can not wait to unravel Patrick's full story.