Restore Point

Restore Point is a bold and ambitious venture in Czech cinema, and I am glad that they embarked on it – even though the plot is a compilation of older foreign pieces. With its premise, Robert Hloz's film evoked projects like Black Mirror or Minority Report, while also having a strong cyberpunk feel. Despite these obvious influences, I enjoyed the film immensely in the cinema. Andrea Mohylová, unknown to me, played the main role perfectly, and Jan Vlasák and Milan Ondrík were the most appealing among the other characters. I wish Czechia made more films like this would be made regularly (once every few years), which could stand comparison with foreign productions. (01/10/2023)

A random collection of futuristic wallpapers surrounded by robotic characters, wooden dialogue and an utterly stupid plot devoid of psychology and a basic characterization of the world. In terms of narrative, Restore Point is on the level of a made-for-TV detective movie. The emphasis on design elevates it slightly, but this post-autopsy Blade Runner and post-trepanation Minority Report can’t be taken too seriously. (04/07/2023)

A traditional Czech crime drama set in a nice sci-fi world with a touch of Blade Runner, but with few visual attractions. The actors didn't impress me (although the female lead is likeable), the plot didn't entertain me at all, the film absolutely failed to draw me into the plot and it was quite difficult to keep my attention. I was rooting for it because it’s something a little different, but when it's boring as hell, it's a wasted effort. It will find fans, it missed me. 4/10. (26/01/2024)

This was good. Czech film sci-fi no longer has to feel like cheap TV entertainment or co-productions with friendly socialist countries (today's co-productions are freer, not an ideological choice). Recovery Point is undoubtedly an exceptional project, a solid detective story from the year 2041. The near future is built around the possibility of backing up humanity, which is a game changer. The lead male roles are played by classic faces of Karel Dobrý, Matěj Hádek, and Václav Neužil ml., while the actresses are new: Andrea Mohylová and Agáta Kryštůfková, and it will probably be a joy to watch what they do next. (20/09/2023)

The 4 stars really aren't out of mercy. Anyone who's even a little bit interested in the filmmaking process knows what a pain in the ass it is, especially in our neck of the woods, where you have to beg for every cent. I won’t even mention that the whole film could have been made into a 5-minute trailer with all the visual effects shots, because I'm glad at least for that. Also for the fact that finally there was a domestic film in the cinemas without Langmajer, young Polívka, Prachař etc., and that it is not one of the usual provincial semi-romantic movies Czech cinemas are full of and that nobody remembers two months later. Here, in the case of Robert Hloz, you can feel a worthy ambition to come up with something that stands out from the current Czech film production that is contentedly rotting away on Voyo and similar channels. And in this case, I have to turn a blind eye to the fact that, if you ignore the basic premise of "resetting", which is the only one that meets the standards of sci-fi, the whole plot and the paths it winds its way through is rather on the level of a mediocre TV crime show. But otherwise, the cinematography is very nice, the compositions are great at times, and in general the individual elements (the piano, the teeth with projection) are interesting and imaginative. Thanks for that, really. And by the way, the last such good Czech sci-fi film was a long 61 years ago! (28/01/2024)