Fresh and Exciting

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

As Good As It Gets

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Foutaises (1989) *** (out of 4)Clever seven minute short from director Jean-Pierre Jeunet has a man talking about the things he likes and the things he hates.That's pretty much all of the "story" here but Jeunet does a very good job at telling it in a rather clever and fun way. Basically we see the man say what he likes or doesn't like and then we get an example of it. There's some funny stuff here including the reaction once he pulls out a nose hair. For the most part there's nothing ground-breaking here but the film is still quite good and it will at least keep you entertained throughout its running time.

"Foutaises" is a French black-and-white film that runs for 7 minutes and was made over 25 years ago by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. The actor in here is Dominique Pinon who I like a lot. Pinon and Jeunet reunited for "Delicatessen" shortly afterward and for "Amélie" a lot later. In this little film here, Pinon tells us random facts what he likes and what he doesn't like. And we see (not always) fitting images compared to what he tells us. The film is a bit controversial of course occasionally, for example with what we see on the wall where the girl is playing ball, but controversy is nothing new for Jeunet. All in all, I think this is a decent watch. Very French film in terms of style and atmosphere, so make sure you catch subtitles if you don't speak the language. I recommend it. Final snippet of information: Jeunet's co-writer here is Bruno Delbonnel, one of the most talented cinematographers currently working.

I think everybody should try at least once every decade to make a list of likes and dislikes. The result can really be of use in deciding what the next step should be, in this case I believe it defines the author quite well. It's like a canvas, and contains elements which the author will use in his future work(Delicatessen for instance). The short film will carry you thru his memories, likes and dislikes, ties to his homeland and culture but also irony, but most important it's an intimate thought. All this in 7 minutes. It will open the gateway to your own thoughts and emotions, with this simple, universal truth: - we are canvases ourselves, and the outer world casts a reflection upon us, molding us.

"Foutasies" is one of the best short films I have ever seen, the real basis for watching further Jeunet films. A part of the world that this innovative director creates in this film is later developed in Amelie, so if you liked Amelie, you will like Foutasies as well. In this movie, the director gives you an insight to all likes and dislikes of the protagonist (played beautifully by Pinon) but in a very imaginative well-structured order. While we see Pinon's enjoyments and nightmares in black and white, Jeunet gives fine- crafted representations of innocence of children, fears etc, summarizing them all in a delightful ending. In these 8 minutes of duration, Jeunet will manage to pass a very innocent feeling of joy to you and an instant smile on your face.