Loser - 2000 ***

'Loser' is one of the group of 'old school' rom-coms that was very popular in 2000. 

Jason Biggs and Mena Suvari seem to have disappeared into obscurity now, but were immensely popular at the end of the 1990s.

Here, Biggs plays Paul, a nerdy but dedicated student working hard to get a scholarship who falls in love with Dora, a quirky yet troubled student who is finding it hard to make ends meet in her financially, as well as keeping her relationship with her college lecturer quiet.

I liked it, although usually Jason Biggs is too much to bare. 

(HORROR) The Isle - 2000 ***

'The Isle' is a very strange film. It's got something about it that you just can't put your finger on, and it's quite haunting as well. It's all about a mute woman who owns a fishing resort where she rents out  'floating homes' to customers who want to come and indulge in the sport for months or weeks. It's bizarre to see these houses with literally one room inside which are completely self-contained. I had no idea there were places like this in Korea.
As more customers arrive, the woman goes out of her way to make all their stays memorable, whether it means that they are alive at the end or not.
There are certain 'dreamlike' sequences that leave you feeling slightly mystified. Very odd.

(HORROR) Urban Legends 2: Final Cut - 2000 ***

First off, I really enjoyed the first 'Urban Legend' film. It was cheesy, but it was original and actually it did freak me out a bit when I was younger. Normally you never ever get a good sequel to a horror film. However, here you do. I thought this was scary, well acted (especially from the lead female) and actually I know the ending was a bit pathetic but it served quite well for the director to make another film afterwards (which he did do).

Harry, He's Here to Help - 2000 ***

I can't say I think much of the translation of this film's title, it sounds completely unsuitable for the film. It sounds like the lead has broken down in their car and sent for the AA, which appears in the form of Harry..

I much prefer the rougher translation that the English have used ' With A Friend Like Harry.'

I must say this was a remarkably strange film, if slightly bizarre and unsettling.

Michel and Claire live in a lovely old French house on the outskirts with their 2 children. One day whilst out driving, Michel bumps into an old classmate named Harold at a rest stop.

Harold "Harry" invites himself and his girlfriend Plum, over to their house to have a drink despite it apparently being hundreds of miles out of their way. And once they reach the house, both Harry and Plum start to intergrate themselves into the family, and aren't going anywhere...

This is a sort of mixture of all the well known films that cover this 'captive at home' scenario, (The Strangers, Funny Games, The Talented Mr Ripley) although it's never quite that bad on the surface. It's more a terrible uneasiness of feeling like your visitors have outstayed their welcome and won't take the hint to leave. Harry starts off as a rather charming and friendly man, but soon it feels like his mask has slipped and he becomes outwardly obsessive (I'm assuming over Michel) to the point where he is trying to destroy everything in Michel's life. It's very weird, and there are a few loose ends as regards to what happens in certain scenarios that will have you scratching your head, but on the whole, an interesting and surreal experience into a very twisted mind.

Merci Pour Le Chocolat - 2000 ***

I was totally disappointed in this. Mainly because I have become such a big fan of Chabrol's work which is nearly always superb, and so for this to be below average was a big shock.

The only positive to the movie was that Isabelle Huppert was astounding and I could barely take my eyes off her when she was in shot, but that alone couldn't save this.

The story centres around Huppert and her husband and son. Her husband is a famous piano player (in French films there seem to be a lot of people who are piano players, especially in some kind of suspense thriller) and Huppert is the heiress to a Chocolate Factory.

One day an aspiring pianist has lunch with her mother, her male friend and his mother, and finds out that she was nearly switched as a newborn in hospital by Huppert's husband. Although her mother brushes it off she becomes paranoid that she is in fact the famous pianist's daughter (despite him having a son), and around about the same time, Huppert decides that she cannot have an extended member in her family.

As I said, Huppert is really the best thing going here, and although it is suspenseful it is no way near as good as some of Chabrol's earlier work (i.e 'Le Boucher') which was a great shame. However I shall strive to continue my search with watching his films.