POMO

The first half of the film, in which the Lady begins to provoke the big shots of the Burmese government, is too simplistic and somewhat mechanically staged and edited. In the second half, the story comes alive by looking into the characters’ feelings and motivations, but relies on lengthy milking of emotion (separation from the husband). The emotional connection of the two halves of the film is not very smooth. The filmmaking aspect is (surprisingly) only routine. Michelle Yeoh’s good. As far as movies taking place in Burma are concerned, I prefer the fourth Rambo.

Don Jon does not have nice characters, nor does it offer anything that dazzles or inspires. But it is distinctive, it knows what it wants to say and says it honestly and aptly. I applaud Gordon-Levitt for choosing to make this for Sundance festivalgoers and not for the much more numerous (and big-spending) consumers of dime-a-dozen Hollywood romances.

A screenplay for a decent TV detective film adapted to the big screen by adding attractive visuals and a stellar cast. However, the film is merely average due to the absence of moments of surprise, its simple story and the presence of genre clichés. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was more sophisticated and multilayered.

The climax didn’t knock my socks off to the extent I had expected from the preceding masterly conveyed atmosphere, escalating tension and ingenious play with audience expectations. But the final cut to the end credits was nice.

An epitaph to the dark past of the Czechoslovak nation. A past that took the smile off the people’s faces and yet thirty percent of them want to return to it. It’s sad that a foreign filmmaker had to be hired to capture this past in a dignified manner. Agnieszka Holland confirms her status as a quality dramaturge, and you can sense from the film that the subject matter is close to her heart. Considering it’s a TV production, Burning Bush is well written, convincingly acted and visually attractive, making it worthy of the big screen. I was most impressed by the first, most human third.

A lot of great work went into the editing, acting, set design and period stylization of J. Edgar. It is definitely a more fun and livelier movie than Lincoln. However, it should have focused more on what makes it attractive to the audience. Hoover’s attempt to introduce the revolutionary idea of collecting fingerprints (the most interesting storyline) is not finished, and his physical relationship with an actress whose portrayal could help explain his complicated sexuality is missing completely. Even though the second half of the film is more about his inner demons and intimacy, it is just as interesting as the crime-oriented first half. Anyway, it is a respectable monument to a controversial personality and has indisputable educational value.

“What will happen when there’s no more Woody?” someone wrote in their review on a Woody Allen movie. I keep asking myself that when I watch almost every single one of his movies. No one else can write such dialogue. No one else can portray characters in this way and have them played by such aptly chosen actors who, for just a small paycheck, enjoy every line. Human, intelligent, sensitive and conveyed with a light ironic touch, Blue Jasmine is also sad, making you sympathize with the protagonist.

Runner Runner is listless. There are loads of similar genre movies that are more captivating and ingenious and I usually give them three stars, because even though they might not be ambitious, they at least provide me with sufficient entertainment for two hours. Runner Runner failed to do that. It has a weak script and non-existent chemistry between the actors, who were not good casting decisions.

Gravity is not about its story, which is practically non-existent. We learn minimum information about the only two characters and we’re able to build an emotional connection to only one of them. Gravity is about conveying a feeling. It’s a space survival drama where you dodge flying debris, save oxygen and try to get hold of something. It is a distinctive and unique film in the filmmaking respect, one of a kind. But how long will it resonate within us given that it lacks a more powerful message or a more surprising ending? Thanks to Sandra Bullock, who acts as if her life depended on it, it resonates longer than it would have without her. There is no sense in seeing Gravity anywhere but on the big screen.

Tom Cruise’s carbon copy and Kate Hudson, who comes across as rather vain, star in this romantic flick for the ladies, which full of all kinds of clichés averagely mixed together. Ginnifer Goodwin is cute, but a little awkward in her role. The only solid performance comes courtesy of John Krasinski.