Stanislaus

Possibility of an Island is a prime example of the fact that not all books can be brought to the screen. Michel Houellebecq's book had its own charm, something that was completely lost in adaptation, and what makes it all the more puzzling is that the author of the novel himself sat in the director's chair, so he supervised the production, and yet the result is a poor and truncated version of the book. The film is a sequence of scenes that are basically unrelated to each other, and I think that if you haven’t read the novel, you have no chance to understand the meaning of the film. I give it one star for the production design and locations, otherwise it's one big, inconsistent mess.

Uncle Buck is an incredibly relaxed and endearing family comedy, whose enduring success is due to the great performance of John Candy, whose role as the (slightly) crazy uncle fits him like a glove. Also worth mentioning is little Macaulay Culkin, who managed to make me laugh even before he was Home Alone. Apart from the unforgettable cast, the film is charming thanks to its humorously written script with more than one scene that will put a smile on your face even after repeated viewings. The contrast between naively carefree childhood and confused and problematic adolescence can be seen in the Russell children. I liked that along with the comic line, the film finds room for more serious moments that are timeless and still relevant. P.S. "Ever hear of a ritual killing?"

Caught In the Net will surely go down in the history of Czech documentary filmmaking (if it hasn’t already), because it deals with (how else) a very hot topic that I hope will not leave many viewers cold. Watching this straightforward probe into the virtual world of sexual predators, you will say WTF?! The makers and actresses definitely deserve a big thank you for their courage to tackle such an issue and translate it to the screen in an appealing and instructive way. In the course of a hundred minutes, you encounters all sorts of individuals, from perfectly harmless people to utter moral scum without a shred of empathy or judgement. I hope that the message of this bold undertaking will not go to waste and will make many people think.

BPM (Beats Per Minute) presents in a quite credible way the events and conditions in France in the early 1990s, which were not easy times in the spirit of protests, governmental ignorance and the ever-present fear of a cruel disease. Firstly, I must mention that I was very impressed by the performances of Nahuel Pérez Biscayart and Arnaud Valois, who played their roles in a really convincing manner – I would have even appreciated more space being given to their relationship. This brings me to the story, largely consisting of discussions and arguments, which sounds appealing on the one hand, but with such a long running time, it is a heavy piece that is hard to keep your attention throughout. Personally, I was also quite bothered by the (for my taste) rather bizarrely conceived ending, which kind of spoiled my overall impression of the film.

Once upon a time there was a sharp dog named Buck who was a sort of moral compass for his owners and pack members, trying to find his place in the natural order that would suit him best. The Call of the Wild draws the viewer in especially with its beautiful natural locations and the presence of Harrison Ford, who really suited the role of John. Story-wise, the film doesn't have much to surprise, even for someone who hasn't read the book (like me). The most disturbing element, however, was the animation of the animals, which at times seemed too artificial – after all, we are used to a certain degree of quality after films like Life of Pi and The Jungle Book. The film passes by in the cinema like a rapid, but at the same time it quickly evaporates from the subconscious after the screening, as it does not offer any strong and downright memorable scenes, which is a pity.

Sonic the Hedgehog is a brisk film with a very likable main character, a classically (sort of) overacting Jim Carrey and a few funny moments, mainly provided by Sonic and the verbose Natasha Rothwell. The film flows along nicely in the cinema, and even though you basically know from the beginning how it's all going to turn out, it still doesn't get boring thanks to its lively pace. There were two scenes where I couldn't help but think of Quicksilver from the X-Men, and that's meant in a good way. A dynamically shot one-off that doesn't surprise but doesn't offend either.

Luck is a fickle thing, so why not help it through the possibilities of genetic engineering. Little Joe is a fairly intimate film that tries to build an oppressive, almost uncomfortable atmosphere as it goes along, which it succeeds in doing mainly thanks to the ethnic-horror music (a strange combination, but somehow I needed to call it that) and the greenhouse spaces, which, despite their glassy brightness, in this case seem exceedingly hostile and "dark". On the one hand, you can see an upraised index finger pointing towards the limitless possibilities of genetic engineering, but on the other hand, you can also find a parallel to the (non-)violent promotion of leading ideas in society (in this case for survival). I was very impressed by the work with space and the camera, which seems to deliberately try to neglect the characters. However, despite the very original premise, I felt that it was not used to its full potential, remaining dormant rather than blossoming into its full glory. Still, it is an emotionally disturbing film.

Before Aladdin had a magic lamp with a genie, Jacob had a blue lantern with a servant who could also grant him every wish. By German standards, this is one of their better fairy tales that doesn't wallow in tame and infantile characters. Of the actors, Christian Tramitz as the "genie" was the most interesting, but I found the rest of the cast quite likeable as well. I also praise the believably creepy make-up of the witch.

The title confuses the viewer referring to a horror classic, but Freak Show is actually a colourful drama about otherness and tolerance towards others, which not always happens. I found the main character very strange at first and found it hard to sympathise with him, but by the middle of the film this broke down and I was really rooting for Billy. AnnaSophia Robb was endearingly goofy, Abigail Breslin was again a convincing monster, and the icing on the cake was the diva Bette Midler. But the whole film stands on the performance of Alex Lawther, who clearly enjoyed his role immensely.

Shooting a two-hour war film with almost no editing sounds like a big challenge, but Sam Mendes took it on, and the result is 1917. The close-ups make you feel like you are on the battlefield with the main characters, witnessing all the horrors and hardships that await the two soldiers. What adds to the authenticity of the film is the truly realistic setting with trenches, ruins of houses and bunkers that give an unpleasant, almost oppressive feeling. Alongside the not-so-familiar leading actors, 1917 offers a number of familiar faces who, although they mostly only appear in passing, still remain in your memory (Andrew Scott was the most memorable one there for me personally). Even though the film doesn't use almost any editing, it still manages to create great action and suspense, especially during the scenes in the ruins of the city and during the escape across the battlefield. The mammoth score also contributed to the film's gloomy and heavy atmosphere – I sat paralyzed in my seat during the flare scene and didn't even flinch. Although I don't primarily seek out war films, I was definitely very impressed by 1917, certainly more so than with Mendes' previous Jarhead.