Kaka

A ninimalistic (setting, location, music) intimate drama with character actors (best one being Vinessa Shaw) and an average plot. James Gray has a talent for developing personal connections and somewhat manages to stay on the track of realism. Based on the trailer, I expected more genuine emotions and fewer positive moments, but in the end, it was exactly the opposite. It’s still a well-thought-out piece, expressed clearly, and the plot is presented comprehensibly, in a sufficiently dense form. Definitely a rising trend.

After watching the movie, you will likely think about one thing: was it really that stupid or was it all just an excellent exaggeration? I'm afraid it's option A, so it's one of the dumbest sequels of the year.

A simple story delivered in an unusual. I have never seen Whitaker so cool before and the dialogue scenes between the main characters are fantastically intense. You can see that the director is an old hand. A simple, TV-looking, yet excellently crafted piece, tailored for a narrow audience.

Thrilling atmosphere and visual effects. Proyas is one of the few directors who knows how to utilize the technical aspects of a film to the fullest, which means not only as a showcase of current technologies, but as a fully-fledged plot attribute. The solid beginning is unfortunately marred the quite clumsy ending – a blend of kitsch and pathos – and at times I even felt that the director didn't know where to go. In the last minutes, it was quite a mess. Knowing could have turned out much better. Cage is bearable after a long time, even in a non-action role.

Quite solid, until the awkward and jaded twist, the audience doesn't know who is who and what is what. Unfortunately, the final action-packed 20 minutes completely destroyed my positive opinion of this film. The natural setting is good, and so is the work with it. The performances are decent, especially Timothy Olyphant, who is quite sharp. However, as I already mentioned, the twist is absolutely pointless.

The biggest surprise (disappointment) of the year, without a doubt. During the final credits, I couldn't believe my own eyes or ears. I would like to point out that I preferred the classic 2D format, which, in my opinion, affects the visual aspect of the film rather than the plot. If we exclude Piranha II, every one of James Cameron's films has set a historical milestone and each one had something original, some raw material that could not be found elsewhere at that time. The Terminator films (especially the second one) had an unbeatable combination of stunning action and deep thoughts. They were followed by the uncompromising horror of Aliens with an incredibly dense plot and excellent atmosphere. The agitprop for saving the planet called The Abyss was conceived with precise subtlety as a first-class “family film”. True Lies showed that a comedy does not necessarily have to be flat and straightforward. And everything was topped off with Titanic, a perfect homage to epic cinema from the past century with classic values polished to perfection. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about Avatar. Technically, it’s brilliant and grandiose, but emotionally it’s only average, which is truly unprecedented. Unfortunately, the plot is inadequate. I don't feel like writing a cliché here, but why are we supposed to accept it from James and not others? Because he enjoyed making the film? Because he meant it sincerely? In terms of content, it is a completely classic story, a mix of Dances with Wolves, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, and The Last Samurai. But I do understand the mass enthusiasm and mania that arose around this colossus. Cameron manages everything exceptionally well and there is no place for too much negativity or nitpicking, while children and laymen who have not seen much before will be ecstatic and will walk in the forests at night, searching for that chosen tree. PS: after the director's cut, I have to add a star. The film has aged like wine and will definitely become a classic in the future. Technically brilliant.

Unfortunately, a big disappointment. Kari Skogland doesn't know where to go and Sheridan is clearly not too interested. The attempt at a raw performance is nothing special, and the chaotic action like in Blade 2 is not enough. The issue of IRA is presented as it suits the creators, as a secondary framework of the film, not the main theme. This is unfortunately directed at the fairly solid Jim Sturgess.

Kathryn Bigelow confirms quite radically that sophisticated melodramas are not really her thing, and I hope next time she sticks to the action genre, which suits her splendidly. The theme of The Weight of Water is more suitable for Jane Campion or Alejandro González Iñárritu. The cast is brilliant, but the alternative story from the 19th century is boring, and when it all ends, you sort of realise that this film would have worked much better as a pure conversational drama set in the present.

Tarantino's direction is again phenomenal, full of fabulous scenes and great directorial ideas. Unfortunately, the setting of World War II somehow does not suit some of his typically over-the-top elements and the overall feeling. Above-average filmmaking, especially thanks to the performances, but the plot is quite hard to digest.

Less monumental than I expected, much less than Independence Day, for example. The theme is partly to blame for that, after all, the end of the world is slightly less attractive than the arrival of Aliens. But the much worse and less remarkable musical component is also to blame. Unfortunately, even the actors in the main roles are not that great, either. Where did tough guy Vince Larkin go, that is a mystery to me, John Cusack is really not up to the task. The excellent Oliver Platt and a few Russian actors save it – excellent accent and lines. The visual effects are decent, some ideas are excellent, the volcano explosion is fantastic. But overall, it lacks drive and has too many directorial ideas. You are not afraid for the protagonists because you don't care about them. And I’d rather not speak about the overall and somewhat annoying family feeling that was present throughout the whole film. This is no Emmerich. This modern disaster film is pure average.