Day 5

• Missing

Your usual ghost love story with nice underwater shots. Then the tables are turned and it goes downhill.
Blond ghosts are dumb as fish sticks.
Well shot, pointless and boring. Especially once the ghost story ends.

• Candidate

A lawyer is being blackmailed. Between his blackout, his father's murder and funny practices and so well-intentioned associates, he has a few pickles to tackle. Good classical and predictable scenario, I liked the way it has been shot, and while paying respect to the genre it avoids its worst clichés. Worst being the key word.

• The Stranger

Not a single word during the first half hour. At the 45th minute, we learn that the main character is mute. Something like 20 minutes or so later we learn in very concise 25 minutes that his mother has a lover, and our eyes are kept riveted on the screen by a horse daring escape and the thrilling pursuit that ensues. 15 minutes later, wow, the cast is suddenly doubled. Luckily, things get back to normal 5 minutes later.
An hour and a half on, the story reaches its turning point.
A short 15 minutes after, our hero eructs something.
Beautifully made and not slow, more like lethargic, hibernating or just plain dead. Yes, that's it: the first undead movie. A serious contender for the Agnes Cecilia trophy.

• Outlander

Vikings meet ET with survivor/guilt complex.
Efficient & well made, except for some cheap FX.

• Red

A meaner, less prejudiced and somewhat morally simpler Gran Torino.
A tad too long.

• Embodiment of Evil

Emphatically stupid, gratuitously violent, wilfully disgusting, undeniably funny.
A good Z movie.