POMO

The final shot of Ama Dablam, the most beautiful mountain in the Himalayas, which is used several times in the movie, confirms that the filmmakers wanted above all to pay homage to mountains, the majestic works of our planet’s greatest artist – Mother Nature. It is therefore a pity that they borrow well-known footage from hit sports movies (The Art of Flight) and other documentary series and attempt to make the movie a retrospective “best of” (including pointing out every possible use of the mountains by civilization) rather than contenting themselves with piano music and the thoughts spoken by Dafoe. While some of those could have been written by any of us viewers, others lift the film to the philosophical heights that are its ambitious aim.

I didn’t expect a film with such believable characters and a powerful dramatic arc from Kosinski, even though I knew that this particular story was based on real-life events. Only the Brave is really moving, but without cheap sentiment, pathetic heroism or a funeral with fluttering US flags. Its narrative sometimes uses shortcuts to be able to fully focus only on what is essential, which is a carefully assembled character puzzle leading into the final emotional blast. Every character conflict, whether internal (Teller) or in relationships (Brolin + Connelly), is vivid, authentic and well acted. I also appreciate the explanation of the firefighting practices of “monster” extinguishing in the last third, as an element used for escalation, both answering the questions of the curious viewer and depicting the professional advancement of the team of protagonists. A calm and visually clever film with heart.

The villains are alright, the winding roads of Côte D’Azur are spectacular and the two main female characters are much more pleasant to look at (starting with their faces) than the entire swimsuit-clad cast of Baywatch (which I had watched right before this movie, God help me). But in trying to deliver one plot twist after another with an increasing cast of characters on both sides, the screenplay turns it into a cheap failure of a B-movie. Especially when you compare it, for example, to The Italian Job, which had much more remarkable actors in its cast. Eastwood Jr. and Freddie Thorp are suited to the roles of the seventh and eighth fallen soldiers in the second action sequence of the sixth installment of Transformers.

Are you really all fine with the ending that almost made me knock a star off my rating? Such a detailed and focused, professionally cold and intelligent study of the relationship between two people – one from the farthest corner of Mars and the other from the farthest part of Venus – with such brilliantly escalating tension and a creeping threat of tragedy... coming to such inadequately banal nothingness that, in terms of the script, does not resolve anything? Yes, that’s what would probably happen in real life, but I expect something more from P.T. Anderson’s movie. All three actors are wonderful and the constant use of Greenwood’s music with a touch of classicism is interesting, helping to set the movie in its period and harmonizing with the distinguished character of Woodcock’s robes.

Goosebumps. Every time.

The low-budget Pyewacket is simple in terms of its subject matter and filmmaking, but it is visually attractive and, mainly, scary. At least in the climax. Most viewers will probably find everything that comes before the climax to be shallow fluff about a withdrawn emo teenager with half-baked scares. True, the subject matter would be enough for one of three storylines in a feature-length movie. For me, however, it still provides atmospheric satisfaction. Those who are patient and like forests and very dark stories, and want to be scared, will get their money’s worth.

This zombie survival drama comes from the land of the Gallic rooster, but its locations seem to be right in the Czech Republic. The characters are not very interesting and the story is unremarkable both in its narrative pace and visual aspect. However, the gloomy atmosphere and dramatic depth of the despair portrayed give the film some character. [Sitges FF]

Ravens is a depressing Swedish family drama set on a farm where everything comes out differently than the characters would like. Reine Brynolfsson plays the quirky, interesting father. A photographer’s debut film with adequately quiet, well-composed shots and distinctive characterization, Ravens is more of a festival affair than a cinema feature.

The best thing in this film is the introductory monologue of Stellan Skarsgård’s character, which presents its philosophical message. This message is then explored in the form of a story, which is entertaining thanks to the great actors (I really liked Skarsgård’s direct questions in the dialogue), but overall I missed a more clearly defined directorial concept that would build up the dramatic poignancy of the individual scenes. Return to Montauk is a decent take on an ever-pressing theme, albeit a little bland and forgettable.

Revenge is an entertaining bit of French exploitation craziness from the California desert. Attractive with splatter movie brutality and especially a delicious soundtrack straight out of Italian horror video-nasties. However, too much emphasis is placed on the attractive surface. The script should have been more innovative in its work with the environment instead of wasting time with scenes that are superfluous and, moreover, nonsensical (setting a tree on fire, the neurotic states of one of the thugs, etc.) [Sitges FF]