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OSS 117 LAUGHATHON PART DEUX

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OSS 117 LAUGHATHON

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THE ARTIST: ART IMITATED - ARTICLE

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Hitchcock blonde Kim Novak’s now famous (or infamous?) expression of displeasure for The Artist ’s use of Bernard Herrmann’s classic Vertigo score may have caused a mini web-quake but how derivative is Michel Hazanavicius’ film, really? And how does that work to the film’s advantage and disadvantage? Looking at the director’s other Jean Dujardin-starring films: namely the OSS 117 duo ( Cairo Nest Of Spies and Lost In Rio ), it’s obvious the man already had a love for aged Hollywood genre movies. OSS 117 channelling the James Bond franchise and 60’s spy capers perfectly. What elevated the films from being pure carbon-copy homages to great comedies, though, really was how its main star stood out from that world. This is a guy who may very well be as misogynistic and insensitive as early Bond himself but for him specifically it’s simply impossible to hide his clueless, bigoted views making him stick out like a sore thumb from an environment seemingly so stylish, clean and perfect (on

THE ARTIST - REVIEW

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After all the hype, The Artist was a film I almost wanted to dislike, even if it did star Best Frenchman Ever Jean Dujardin and dared to be a black & white silent film at a time when 3D, CGI and superheroes are kind of a given. I resisted but, like it or not, The Artist is a good film: a very good film, in fact. Not the masterpiece the critics unanimously agreed upon but definitely one to watch. For those who actually do watch old movies on a regular basis this is a tough movie to warm up to at first seeing how shamelessly derivative it is but most will love it instantly. For a while, frankly I reallycouldn't figure out what was actually original about The Artist in any way... You've got the plot of Singin' In The Rain , characters straight out of All About Eve , The Red Shoes or Sunset Boulevard and a dog straight out of... Beverly Hills Chihuahua ? Seriously, people need to stop raving on about that blasted mutt! Is everyone 5 years old?! I like that he saves

FANTOMAS - REVIEW

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I remember loving Fantomas as a kid (I'm French): as a premise for a film franchise, it was simply perfect. You've got a criminal mastermind known only as Fantomas who goes around stealing jewels, diamonds, the usual while wearing a multitude of silly disguises and Mission Impossible -style masks and making a fool out of Louis De Funes' grumpy cop.Think The Pink Panther meets the Mission Impossible TV series meets a French De Funes farce. It's so crazy that it works beautifully. The genius of it is that you're not really rooting for the bad guy to get caught at all, you want to see him get away especially when his getaway plans are always so out there. His main motivation seems to be a mix of kleptomania and sadism: he is one charming evil bastard. Fantomas is played by iconic French actor Jean Marais, mostly known for Orphee and other Jean Cocteau classics, and he gets to show-off in some imrpessive stunts, wear silly moustaches and that famous Fantomas f