If in this month of February the reopening of cinemas still seems far away, on VOD platforms, good films follow one another. The editorial staff of JustFocus gives you its best films of February, to discover during your next evenings in March.
Aubin's February film: Malcolm & Marie on Netflix
Directed by Sam Levinson (the son of the talented Barry Levinson), Malcolm & Marie is certainly the best movie released on Netflix this month. Worn by John David Washington and Zendaya, the feature film tells the life of a couple on one night. In a closed eight under tension, the filmmaker stages the peregrinations of a couple who love, who doubt and who tear each other apart. And overall, it's amazing! With a unity of time and place, Sam Levinson achieves a brilliant and heartbreaking closed eight. In a very short time, with reduced means, he signs a minimalist film on the condition of the couple. Even more impactful than Marriage Story, Malcolm & Marie is a film of dialogues and interpretations. Through this superb black and white and a generally very intelligent staging, Sam Levinson offers a violent vocal boxing match where the two fighters exchange terrible verbal brawls. In one night, the director summarizes the evolution of the couple over time, with its doubts, fears, flaws, etc … And it is unfathomably sad. Malcolm & Marie divided critics enough, between those crying genius and those calling the film an "intellectual jerk". It must be said that Sam Levinson's ego is felt on screen, but it is also this self-confidence that gives all its strength to the film, which has practically no flaws. In addition to this pessimistic look at life together, the director also draws a discreet critique of the cinematographic and more broadly artistic world. From directors to actors, producers or film critics, everyone takes it for their rank. The young filmmaker seeks to point out the hypocrisy of his environment, of the functioning of this out-of-phase microcosm, out of step with reality. It also highlights the interpretation of art according to the sensitivity of each, and the sometimes opportunistic way of making a work. In short, Malcolm & Marie is an impressive sentimental boxing match. A radical look at the erosion of a couple, at emotional manipulation, which remains a relevant criticism of the Hollywood world. Find the full review of Malcolm & Marie here and discover its trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUVDd70Bfhs
Pauline's February Movie: Palm Springs on Amazon Prime Video
I have always loved time travel films, and yet the principle of "Groundhog Day", this day that starts again and again, has always worried me to the point. But Palm Springs, Max Barbakow's latest film with Andy Samberg (Jake in Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Cristin Milioti (How I Met your Mother) reconciled me with the genre. Finally released in France on Amazon this month, the film follows Nyles, invited to a wedding who finds himself stuck in a time loop, and relives the same day over and over again. And when the bride's sister finds herself so drawn into this infinite nightmare, Nyles thinks she has finally found a partner in this carefree life that never worries about tomorrow. If Palm Spring managed to seduce me, it is by its way of transforming the curse of a day that never ends in an ode to eternal youth, forgotten responsibilities, so that we could very quickly adhere to Nyles' vision of this paradise … The camera travels with a refreshing and modern lightness between the eminently funny moments and those deeply touching, and accompanies with benevolence the characters in their tender evolution. A real pleasure for the eyes and for morale, in this period where the days are a little alike. Find the full review of Palm Springs here and check out its trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpBLtXduh_k
Lucille's February Movie: To All the Boys I've Loved: Forever and Ever on Netflix
The hit Netflix film series To All the Boys I've Loved came to an end on February 12 with its latest fan-awaited installment All Boys: Forever and Ever, directed by Michael Fimognari. We find the couple Lara Jean and Peter for their last year of high school. They both dream of being accepted to Stanford University so they can continue their love story in a brand new city. But now, nothing goes as planned… So no, it's not the movie of the year. But the story remains in my opinion touching, and the chemistry between the two characters is undeniable. We could see them grow over the trials they had to go through. In addition, the art direction has been able to find magical and imaginative places, such as this café that looks like a comic book in which Lara Jean goes. I find this film ideal if you need a romantic comedy that is not too complex, reassuring and colorful. To watch to cheer up! Check out the trailer for To All the Boys I've Loved: Forever and Ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtsGxoEq3V0&t=12s
Thibaut's February film: Bliss on Amazon Prime Video
Bliss is directed by Mike Cahill, a regular on the big screen; this film mixes science fiction, drama and a hint of spirituality, as with Another Earth or I Origins, two of his previous works addressing themes on the rapprochement and parallel between two beings. Here, we follow Greg, a man to whom nothing seems to smile, between his divorce and his job. Until he meets Isabel, a homeless woman, telling her that nothing is real in this world except a few individuals, including themselves. Around, everything is a sad and cold simulation, the real world waiting for them outside. The actors are pretty good, between Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek, even if we would not necessarily have imagined the first cut for this role. However, he convinced me with this impoverished character, this man who seems elsewhere and detached from the rest, but internalizing several emotions between anger and sorrow. And his partner, by his eccentricity, comes to swing everything. Despite some weaknesses in the whole, Bliss tells us about a subject that we are not necessarily used to seeing from this angle. In short, let yourself be carried away and you will surely think about it for a while. Check out the trailer for Bliss : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBLxL7zrtTE
