gudaulin

An interesting series that revolves around a family of nomads who, thanks to a series of coincidences and the incredible audacity of the father as the head of the clan, exchange identities and pretend to be a high-class family of snobbish lawyers. It's a good idea, with an attractive setting and motifs, but the potential was greater than this and the series lacks the polished screenplay that I appreciated in Breaking Bad. Otherwise, it is a series that offers the viewer black humor and criticism of the social layer into which outsiders cunningly penetrated. Overall impression: 65%.

This film is the complete opposite of what Aronofsky showed his viewers in his famous film Requiem for a Dream. Where Aronofsky is pretentious and tries to squeeze emotions from the audience, using cheap tricks of music video makers (yes, I have a deep-rooted aversion to his style :-)), The Panic in Needle Park is real, authentic, completely natural, almost documentary-like, and incredibly effective in its simplicity and sobriety. The gradual disintegration of personality, numbing of emotions, and reducing one's existence to seeking and consuming another dose are captured through precisely selected details, showing that the world of drug addicts is pathetic and trapped in a vicious circle with no way out. At the same time, it is a film about great love and artistic ambitions, which are drowned in a spoonful of cloudy fluid and a syringe. For me, this is one of the best and most impressive films set in the environment of drug addicts. Overall impression: 95%.

I will not give this film five stars, despite my great regret, because the form somewhat lags behind the content and the first half of the film drags a bit despite its reasonable length and needlessly dissects the unflattering mundane existence of the story's protagonists. However, the second half, which takes place on television during a live talk show, is great and, in my opinion, the most accurate portrayal of the reality of a generation that experienced the fall of the communist regime and the subsequent disillusionment with the post-revolutionary situation. It experienced it quite rightly, because the actions of the elites are merely a result of the overall state of society, and changes in thinking are much harder than formal changes of the regime. The elites are no better or worse than the rest of society and they only do what those below them allow them to do. The television debate addresses whether a revolution took place in a provincial town east of Bucharest or if the locals just passively waited for the fall of power in the capital. As is known, human memory operates selectively and people tend to adjust their biography to the point where they eventually believe it themselves. Confrontation with reality, or rather with the perception of their peers, can result in a geyser of tragicomic outbursts that reveal the opportunism and adaptability of our heroes. The humor style, which revels in the awkwardness and pettiness of the film's characters, is quite different than that seen elsewhere in countries that experienced something similar. Overall impression: 85%.

With all due respect to the crew, I very much prefer The Orphanage, but even though Ortiz's film does not reach the quality of the best Spanish horrors, it is still a decent above-average within the genre and is evidence that Spanish cinema currently sets the trend in this genre - similarly, as one could have said about Japan a decade ago. What diminishes the impression is the far-fetched motive of the "animal" girl and the fact that the creators reveal their cards too early for my taste. When they remain in the realm of mysterious tension from deep forests, solitude, and hints of movement in the undergrowth, it works perfectly. The cinematography and the performances, along with the dark music, can be appreciated for creating a functional atmosphere. It's a bit tacky because the flying clouds are cliché and are used almost everywhere nowadays. Otherwise, I appreciate that in this case, the screenwriter tried to avoid cheap supernatural crutches. Overall impression: 65%.

A typical example of a movie where a high percentage rating is given by only a small group of reviewers. This really isn't a movie that could break box office records and belongs to the category that I call noble artistic boredom. It has a very slow pace and no progression. If I compare this dull affair to Il Divo by Sorrentino, then the latter represents a directorial gem, an explosion of creativity and a case where the screenwriter forces you to think about what you've seen and, above all, doesn't bore you at all. The film may have a luxurious cast and a topic that calls for high praise, but its execution simply does not convince me. It wanders from nowhere to nowhere and you will forget about the film soon after. This is an hour and three-quarters of film contemplation that could have been shot much more dynamically and interestingly. Overall impression: 45%.

There is no doubt that we are in the realm of dumbfounded trash here. When I read these derogatory comments, where stinging remarks abound, I say to myself, how everything is relative, because the same users can effortlessly give a similar, and I dare say even worse film, five stars and a comment from which one feels the concept of a "guilty pleasure." Also worth mentioning is that Hostel by Eli Roth is a cult film overseas. On internet forums, teenagers who are horror fans drool over Hostel in delight. The distorted realities of Slovakia are of no concern to them, so while we get angry about obvious stupidity, we Central Europeans are willing to believe in cannibals in Texas or mutants in the deserts of the Midwest. Overall impression: 10%.

An art film for connoisseurs who can enjoy a wordless film, one also taking place in a single room where only the set decorations and actors' attire, along with their expressions, resemble the changing social atmosphere and passing decades. We can observe the 1930s and the period of the leftist coalition against the French fascists, the defeat of France and subsequent occupation, the liberation by the Americans, the arrival of rock and roll and the relaxed atmosphere of a prosperous consumer society, colonial wars, the rise of racism, and much more. The film requires more attention and demands one to have a sense for this remarkable game with the viewer's imagination. Overall impression: 90%.

Memphis Belle is actually an American counterpart to the famous Czechoslovak film Riders in the Sky. Compared to that film, Memphis Belle falls behind a bit and therefore loses one star because it is not dark, hopeless, and realistic enough. It is simply an American blockbuster that must confirm the uniqueness of the American military force and glorify the heroism of their boys at the end for the audience, but nevertheless, it is a significantly above-average genre work that easily outperforms many of its more famous American counterparts that surpass it statistically on internet servers. I could point out many details, but as a whole, it works very well. Overall impression: 80%.

A decent genre film set in the world of ruthless American yuppies who, as stock brokers with sharp elbows, try to fleece trusting middle-class pigeons. Giovanni Ribisi has a close resemblance and mimicry to similar characters, he thoroughly enjoys playing these villains, and it is not surprising that he was cast as the head of a powerful mining company in the blockbuster film Avatar, where he is literally the embodiment of greed and unscrupulousness. Money and experiences are the main and only motivation for this ambitious gang. Where American Psycho fails, Boiler Room stands on solid ground and delivers a tight crime story with interesting villains, a strong plot, and an enlightening and impactful resolution. Overall impression: 75%.

Honestly, I was expecting a much worse film as a homage to the regime and a propaganda piece, which should boost the declining popularity of our Soviet model. While other films from this period, which one remembers with nostalgia, usually bring disappointment upon a new viewing, this one was bearable and still functional considering the time it was made. Of course, the pace of today's films is much faster, and some details are off - I wouldn't believe someone like Miloš Nedbal even lasting six months in Auschwitz, let alone a six-year anabasis through Nazi concentration camps. On the other hand, the quality literary source from Ludvík Aškenázy is undeniable, and the lyrical atmosphere of the film creates a contrast to today's uninspiring genre films. Overall impression: 50%.