Goldbeater

Great technical level. The choice of time and setting and the associated production design, the use of miniature buildings and the effects that embed live characters in them is great. Even the prosthetic make-up on Ladislav Hampl's face looks pretty solid. But the story, its associated themes and characters work less well and at times seem as heavy-handed as the dumb English title We Have Never Been Modern. I have a problem with several of the moral aspects of the film, which are either presented as entirely unproblematic or, for good measure, not mentioned at all. Overall, however, this is still one of the more thematically interesting works of Czech cinema this year, though in my opinion somewhat along the lines of the saying “in the land of the the blind, the one-eyed is king”. [KVIFF 2022]

Even though intimate stories about the reconnection between an estranged parent and offspring are a feature in practically every edition of the festival, one I sometimes tire of with its thematic weariness, Second Chance successfully managed to break out of this lethargy and totally suited me. It almost teeters on the edge of melodrama, almost. But it never falls over that edge. The chemistry of characters of the father and daughter played by a real-life father-daughter duo works very well. There's nothing much to fault about it. A nice little film. [KVIFF 2023]

From the outside, The Taste of Things is practically the pinnacle of a genre that could be called simply “gastro-porn”. At its core, however, it is also a film that touches on so many interesting and thoughtful themes that all the flavours it evokes during the screening will stay with you for some time to come. A sensitively made drama with masterful performances and I wouldn't be surprised if Benoît Magimel wins the César for the third year in a row. [KVIFF 2023]

Blaga's Lessons confirms that Stephan Komandarev is a master at the portraying social conditions in Bulgaria. His films are not only eloquent and thoughtful, but also entertaining, which is not always easy to balance. For the first time in a long time, I can understand the award for the winning film of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. [KVIFF 2023]

Although the initial festival reviews overhyped Past Lives and the film does have a few deaf spots, it is a very well-written relationship drama that feels fresh and authentic. This is also due to the use of exteriors – it's been a long time since we've had a film that uses the scenery and landmarks of New York so well in its sober and romantic overtones. Is it that hard? [KVIFF 2023]

During the film, one of the actors says something to the effect that he feels like he's in a Lost in La Mancha kind of documentary, which is quite interesting, because while this film would like to approach the depth of the desolation and destruction of filmmaking that was described in Lost in La Mancha, we don't quite feel that depth here, despite some very similar thematic aspects, and the circumstances of the problematic making of Costa Brava, Lebanon are far more tragic and embedded in modern history. Nevertheless, Dancing on the Edge of the Volcano is still a very impressive documentary with a plot that practically has a complete dramatic structure, so it could easily pass for a very compelling drama. [KVIFF 2023]

From a healthy approach to lifestyle, to blindly riding the wave of modern trends, to chilling brainwashing and sectarianism. Club Zero has a very entertaining (in the black comedy sense) and thought-provoking premise that would make for a terrific eighty-minute film, the problem is that it doesn't have nearly enough depth to pull off its nearly two-hour running time. [KVIFF 2023]

She Came at Night is a black comedy that transposes family and relationship experiences into an almost horror film based on the simple anecdotal premise of your mother-in-law coming for a visit, and the joke and the surprise work perfectly. Most likely the most interesting and entertaining Czech film of the year. [KVIFF 2023]

A sensitively shot drama exploring a sequence of events from three different perspectives, each of which reveals a little about what really happened. My only quibble goes to the length of the third part, which after all the cards are revealed kind of falls flat, but this is made up for by a very impressive and uncompromising ending. [KVIFF 2023]

What fascinates people about serial killers and does close examination of evil also breed evil? The answers to these questions are (not necessarily) given to us through the two female protagonists, whose psychology alternates between childlike naivety and almost devilish mystery and ambiguity. This hypnotic, audiovisually intoxicating thriller about the fascination with human brutality is a powerful genre piece, the likes of which don't make it very often into the competition section at Karlovy Vary. Some scenes (especially the cosplay in the courtroom) are masterfully constructed and I would actually like to watch the whole thing again very soon. [KVIFF 2023]