A Complete Review of Sam Mendes's work

Cast : Olivia Colman, Colin Firth, Toby Jones

What was it about?
A drama about the power of human connection during turbulent times, set in an English coastal town in the early 1980s.

My two cents:
I would have to agree with the critics on this one and it seems that Sam Mendes did deliver his least compelling movie so far, I’m afraid. It’s not that it was really bad though. First of all, it was shot by Roger Deakins, arguably one of the best cinematographers in the world, so the damned thing looked fine (he was actually even nominated for an Academy Award for this movie). Furthermore, Olivia Colman, who is slowly becoming one of the best actress at work nowadays, delivered a very strong performance here. Indeed, her character went through so many emotional states and Colman managed to display these emotions sometimes only through her eyes which was rather uncanny. Eventually, the main issue was with the writing provided by Sam Mendes himself. Indeed, for the first time in his career, Mendes got sole writing credits (he usually is not involved at all in the writing process) and, well, the end-result was not really impressive, I’m afraid. Basically, there was not a single moment during which this rather generic and not really thrilling love story was properly linked to this intriguing movie theater. To add the historical racial tensions going on at the time in the UK was also a mistake because it didn’t fit at all with this rather quaint love story. In fact, even this love story didn’t really work after all. I mean, why did these two individuals did fall in love after all? What did Stephen see in Hilary and what did Hilary see in Stephen beside a young hot black man?

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : George MacKay, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Madden

What was it about?
April 6th, 1917. As an infantry battalion assembles to wage war deep in enemy territory, two soldiers are assigned to race against time and deliver a message that will stop 1,600 men from walking straight into a deadly trap.

My two cents:
Well, even if I really liked the damned thing, it didn’t really blow me away though. The point was that, sure, it was indeed visually and technically impressive. However, even though the story was decent enough, to be honest, it was nothing really original or amazing. At least, the plot wasn’t as ridiculous as it was in ‘Saving Private Ryan’ (a movie with an amazing intro but otherwise seriously overrated). Indeed, everything happening was fairly realistic but, again, there was nothing really ground-breaking about these 2 soldiers involved in some seemingly impossible mission to bring some crucial message. Furthermore, pretty much like Christopher Nolan with ‘Dunkirk’, Sam Mendes chose a realistic approach regarding his characters but, while this approach definitely has its merits, it also has its downside. I mean, on one hand, you really feel that you are dealing with some average soldiers, that they could be anyone, the boy-next-door, yourself, your brother,… However, on the other hand, you do end up with some ‘average’ characters who were barely charismatic and who didn’t have any real distinctive features or personalities. Still, there is no doubt that the visuals by Roger Deakins (easily one of the best cinematographers at work nowadays) were just so impressive and it is possible that I would have enjoyed this movie more if I had seen it on the silver screen and not at home.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Monica Bellucci, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Dave Bautista

What was it about?
A cryptic message from James Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover the existence of a sinister organization named SPECTRE. With a new threat dawning, Bond learns the terrible truth about the author of all his pain in his most recent missions.

My two cents:
Back then when it was released, following 'Skyfall', it was another box-office hit for the oldest franchise, even if, this time, it didn't get much love from the critics. Well, as far as I was concerned, while it was fairly entertaining, it didn't really blow me away and I think it was even a slight step down from 'Skyfall' which was already overrated in my opinion. I mean, sure, it was quite spectacular, Daniel Craig was once again pretty bad-ass and completely convincing but I had a rather hard time to care about the story. Another thing that slightly bothered me was the fact that they kept having Q, M and Moneypenny popping up on a regular basis. Eventually, it is all nice that they have reintroduced those familiar characters but James Bond has always worked solo and, this time, it almost felt like 'Mission Impossible'. Furthermore, I thought that Monica Bellucci, who was prominently displayed in the promotional material, was rather wasted here as she showed up for just 10 minutes. Concerning Léa Seydoux, I thought she was a great choice and I was expecting her to play her usual ice queen but her performance and/or character was rather disappointing and you wonder why this woman had to actually tag along with Bond. Finally, even though 'Quantum of Solace' will always be considered as the weakest James Bond installment starring Craig, at least, it was the only one of the bunch lasting well under 2 hrs and I don't see any reasons why such spy action flicks should take around 150 mins.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Bérénice Marlohe, Albert Finney, Ben Whishaw

What was it about?
James Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

My two cents:
First of all, even though I have seen every single James Bond flicks, I have to admit that I have never been a huge fan of this franchise though. However, in this case, since I kept hearing here and there that it was one of the best James Bond installments ever made and Sam Mendes being a terrific director, it did seem really promising. Unfortunately, even though I have to admit that this movie was not bad at all and that it was even fairly entertaining, to be honest, I really failed to see what was supposed to be so great about it. Indeed, in my opinion, it was a little bit better than 'Quantum of Solace', which wasn't that bad but I still preferred 'Casino Royale' which wasn't really great after all. Above all, I was rather underwhelmed by the story. Seriously, was it really supposed to be a brilliant story? I have to admit that it was still an enjoyable flick though with some pretty cool action scenes. On top of that, Daniel Craig was getting better and better every time and, by then, he definitely owned the part. Furthermore, even though the bad guy was rather uninspiring, Javier Bardem gave a really solid performance and completely disappeared behind the character. However, even though Bérénice Marlohe was a gorgeous and intriguing Bond girl, it was rather disappointing that she was given very little screen time and, as a result, she had very little to do. Eventually, I have to admit it was still a decent James Bond flick, even if I don't think it is anything brilliant after all.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Carmen Ejogo, Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Melanie Lynskey

What was it about?
A couple expecting their first child travels the U.S. seeking the perfect "family home." They have misadventures and find fresh connections with relatives and old friends who help them discover "home" on their own terms for the first time.

My two cents:
I’m a huge fan of ‘American Beauty’ and I have been following Sam Mendes ever since. However, I must admit that I haven’t been really blown away by his following movies (except maybe by ‘Revolutionary Road’) but they were always worth a look. This feature was similar in the sense that it was definitely not a masterpiece but I still enjoyed it anyway. The biggest issue I had was that all the supporting characters were so over the top, it was not even funny or really interesting to behold. Furthermore, the two main characters seemed to have an average income but they still managed to make these huge trips going to Phoenix, Montreal, Miami,… Still, I enjoyed this movie. The directing was indeed really solid and John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph both gave some very strong performances. Above all, I thought they made one of the sweetest and most fascinating couples I have ever seen. I mean, they were not glamorous, they didn’t look like photo models, they were rather neurotic and weird sometimes, always doubting about themselves and I just really loved them. They were some of the best balanced characters I have seen for a while and I could completely identify with them. In my opinion, those two characters were pure gold and they actually deserved a better movie.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Shannon, David Harbour, Kathy Bates, Kathryn Hahn, Zoe Kazan

What was it about?
A young couple living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s struggle to come to terms with their personal problems while trying to raise their two children.

My two cents:
It's a real shame that, in 50 years from now, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet will be mostly remembered for ‘Titanic’ when, in fact, this movie was actually so much more interesting in my opinion. Indeed, they both gave some great performances and the directing was really solid as well. I have to admit it though, it is a more psychological movie and nothing much really happen throughout the whole thing. To make things worse, it was also difficult to feel sorry for these characters who were so gorgeous and healthy and yet they were completely unable to appreciate the life they had. Still, I thought it was quite fascinating to see this couple who was convinced that they were heading towards a great future but ended up like any other average couple which was something that none of them could accept. Of course, we will never know for sure if their trip to Paris would have been helpful or not but I seriously doubt it. Eventually, this movie is one of the greatest example of one of the biggest misconceptions in our Western culture. Indeed, around the 50’s and 60’s, we started to believe that we should make sure that we get a great career and a great life in a general. However, it is just a big illusion as most of us will end up with an average job at best and 99% of us will end up having a rather ordinary life after all. In this case, this man and this woman just couldn’t handle this fact and, instead of accepting the truth, they drove each other miserable and this whole process was just quite fascinating to behold.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Jamie Foxx, Dennis Haysbert, John Krasinski

What was it about?
A psychological study of Marine's state of mind during the Gulf War. Told through the eyes of a U.S. Marine sniper who struggles to cope with boredom, a sense of isolation, and other issues back home.

My two cents:
Unfortunately, even though his movie was still pretty good, to be honest, it never really fulfilled my expectations though. The concept was all right, the subject was really interesting, the directing was solid, there was a very good cast (Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Jamie Foxx), they all delivered some pretty good performances and, yet, the damned thing never really impressed me. I think the issue was with the story. I mean, it was definitely interesting but still nothing really mind-blowing though. Basically, back then, those soldiers were trained to become some emotionless and fearless killers but when they went to the first Gulf War, there wasn’t much fighting at all after all and most of them suffered from … boredom? Ok, some of those soldiers seemed to have had some psychological issues but I couldn’t help thinking that those soldiers got lucky compared to those guys who took part in the D day, the Vietnam war or any other blood bath. As a result, I'm afraid I never really cared about what they were going through. Anyway, in spite of its flaws, it was still a solid war drama though.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Tyler Hoechlin, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Daniel Craig, Ciarán Hinds, Stanley Tucci, Jude Law

What was it about?
A mob enforcer's son in 1930s Illinois witnesses a murder, forcing him and his father to take to the road, and his father down a path of redemption and revenge.

My two cents:
I remember it very well when this movie was released. Indeed, after Sam Mendes’s amazing directing debut, ‘American Beauty’, there were some huge expectations with his following directing debut and it was a very ambitious period piece starring Tom Hanks who was the biggest movie star in the world back in those days. Eventually, I did like it, the whole thing looked awesome and there was indeed an impressive cast but, still, I wasn’t really blown away by the whole thing. I think the main issue was with the tone. Indeed, basically, it was supposed to be a dark and complex tale about two men who love and respect each other and who would do anything to protect their respective sons. However, it seems that, to make it more accessible to the mainstream audience (it was even released in the summer in the middle of the blockbuster season), they really toned down the dark edges of this story which was a misguided approach. It was especially obvious during the scenes focusing on Mike Sullivan and his son when they were together on the road. For some reason, it became some kind of whimsical bonding road-trip which was, in my opinion, rather inappropriate considering the circumstances. This tonal issue was also obvious in the performances. Indeed, Paul Newman, in his final performance, was just pitch-perfect and I really believed that his character was competent, fair but also really ruthless. Tom Hanks should have played on the same level but, unfortunately, he kept playing his character as basically a good guy who wanted to protect his son and I never had the feeling that I was actually watching a cold-hearted killer. Still, even if it was slightly disappointing, it was a solid feature though.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari

What was it about?
A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.

My two cents:
I actually had the pleasure to see this movie in the movie theater when it was released and, back then, I have to admit that I was seriously blown away by the whole thing. Indeed, I thought it was such a great movie. Seriously, it is not very often that I came across such a movie which really deserved all the praises it received and what I enjoyed the most was the tone. Basically, even though there was a lot of bleakness in this story, it was often quite hilarious as well and the balance between bliss and despair was rather pitch perfect. The other thing I loved about this movie is that all the characters were just fascinating to behold, even if Annette Bening’s character could have been more developed but it was fortunately not a major issue. Concerning Sam Mendes, he delivered here one of the very best directing debuts which was quite awesome but it had its downside as well since, like Orson Welles with ‘Citizen Kane’, he might never be able to reach such heights in his career ever again. It's such a pity that this movie's legacy will be forever tainted by Kevin Spacey's personal downfall. Anyway, it will always be one of my favorite movies, no less than that.

My rating: 10/10

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