POMO

A load of screenwriting clichés in a simple story straight out of the 1980s and with a generous helping of energetic, well-executed action. The prison-break scene, composed of long shots, lasts a thrilling 21 minutes! Unfortunately, nothing that comes after it can compare.

Fallen Leaves is a refreshingly comical view of Finland from a classic director who hasn’t lost even a bit of his storytelling flair. The age of feminism has handed him another pertinent story about Finnish “tough guys”. The absurdist dialogue with a rich cadence of dry jokes is combined with traditional retro stylization (interiors, costumes) laced with radio reports from the ongoing war in Ukraine. And movie posters, because Aki loves movies. The cinematic salute to Jarmusch is delightful. The brief runtime is a revelation among contemporary films and is confirmation that Kaurismäki has remained true to himself. [Karlovy Vary International Film Festival]

The opening quarter-hour is a masterclass in introducing the central characters and their inner pain, conflicts and life motivations. This is particularly true of the character of Enzo Ferrari, industrialist and engineer, a man of iron and principle with a tattered family life. Adam Driver was born to play this role, and the film’s energy and tone come more from him than from the cars. Daniel Pemberton’s emotionally rich and energetic music, supplemented with vocals in places, give the film spirit. The retro stylisation of both the settings and the other characters is great, and each of the supporting actors has the necessary personality. The apt lines of dialogue make clear both the mortal danger of the race drivers’ passion and the difficult position of Ferrari and his company in the given industry – responsibility for lives not only in the quest for prestige, but also in the principle activity of maintaining the company’s business.

To know one’s own heart is sometimes a complicated matter. And it’s especially painful in this film :-). Another romance that is endearingly original thanks not only to the idea of measuring the intensity of love between people (so that they know where they stand), but also to the outcome of the plot, which avoids the simplistic cliché that would otherwise lend itself to such a film. Fingernails is not such an abstract and artful romance as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, nor is it as harmonious and poetic as Lost in Translation, and it’s sometimes a little drawn-out (it would have benefitted from being ten minutes shorter), but in the end it is just as mature and clever as those films, and with an equally big heart. Jessie Buckley is again fantastic; I’m giving the fourth star just for her. P.S.: Many viewers will be repelled by the pulling out of fingernails; others (like me) will be entertained. [San Sebastian International Film Festival]

Firebrand is engaging and not boring, as it makes the viewer curious as to how it will turn out. Alicia Vikander is delightfully fragile and bold at the same time, while Jude Law is amply loathsome. However, the central conflict between the two characters alone is not powerful enough to make this narratively simple two-hour feature a distinctive and memorable historical drama. [Karlovy Vary International Film Festival]

Maika Monroe is the only one who sort of holds together this pretty dysfunctional drama about the search for an abducted daughter / thriller about a struggle between mortals and a gang of crackpot goons / unexpected romance between two emotional castaways. God Is a Bullet is quite inept in terms of its use of emotion and suspense, not to mention the comically inappropriate brutality and unsuccessful effort to shock with eccentric bad guys, among which only Karl Glusman hands in an impressive performance. And Jamie Foxx is surprising in a supporting role. Otherwise, there’s not much of value here. The dialogue is superficial, the directing is disjointed and the main character played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is lifeless.

Godless is a sad drama pretending to be inspired by an actual event. For the people around her, the object of the titular exorcism – a fragile girl traumatized by a major tragedy in her life – is a harmless, suffering victim of fate, while her exorcist is a fanatical maniac and violent swine. The brief horror interludes in the form of demonic apparitions are intended to scare with their powerful volume, but they don’t work at all. The filmmakers try to pass Godless off as a horror movie, which is fraud, and they have no idea how to build an effective drama. [Sitges Film Festival]

The protagonist’s repetitive lamenting over trauma and remorse becomes boring over time, but the gloomy tone of Japan’s deteriorating position in the war brings a lot to the gigantic monster. Against a background of dark, foreboding music, Godzilla is a symbol of the horrors of war, including the devastating nuclear threat. The ocean scenes with the monster are excellent, with a build-up and ideas to make the most of its physiological capabilities. It is scary, angry and indestructible. The scenes with Godzilla in the city are only perfunctory, as if the filmmakers didn’t want to repeat what has already been seen a hundred times before (even in American monster movies) and instead wanted to retain the specific maritime nature of the story. The budget of $15 million for such high-quality CGI mayhem is unbelievable and the film’s success in American cinemas could signal a change in thinking among the Hollywood bean counters as to what a good movie needs and doesn’t need. In this respect, Godzilla Minus One is another “transformational phenomenon” of the year, much as Barbenheimer was.

Dynamic, lively, emotive and technically brilliant. The plot is formulaic and the dialogue is ridiculously straightforward, but all of that is overcome by the fact that this is a true story that we wouldn’t believe if it hadn’t actually happened (!). The incorporation of gaming elements into the real world is done so tastefully and skilfully that it make Gran Turismo the best and, mainly, most meaningful film adaptation of a video game so far. Therefore, let’s not compare it to the more mature and thoughtful, but diametrically different racing dramas Rush and Ford v Ferrari.

Zero psychology among the characters and zero inventiveness in the directing. Just creative disengagement in following a strange life story. It’s as if I was reading a superficial tabloid article or watching a mediocre made-for-TV movie. However, seeing a close-up of vaginal penetration on the big screen, if only for two seconds, was a pleasant experience and left me surprised by the filmmakers’ boldness.