gudaulin

A classic disaster film about a plane crash in the middle of an empty desert, which brings a group of diverse characters to the screen and portrays their mutual struggle to survive a critical situation. Although somewhat dated in its directorial approach, it is still fully functional and, in comparison to what is commonly seen in the genre today with flaws in the scripts, definitely above average. Overall impression: 65%.

This film reminded me of a joke about a foreigner traveling through Russia by train and after several hours of waiting at the station, he disgustedly asks the train conductor what the problem is. The engine driver is changing the locomotive. For so long?! He's changing it for vodka... Honestly, this is a completely average gangster film, so average that I realized I had seen it years ago, which wouldn't be strange if I hadn't realized it during the last scene. I had perfectly erased the film from my memory. It has an uneven pace with a lot of dull moments, but it scores points with its atmosphere of a country where the state structure is collapsing and general chaos prevails. Widespread corruption, unemployment, and alcoholism. The absurd scene where a wounded gangster stops an ambulance and demands to be taken to the hospital, only to find out that the ambulance has been "privatized" for five years and a small business owner is currently transporting a load of cabbage heads in it, is typical of the film. Overall impression: 55%.

A comedy should entertain and I have no choice but to say that I didn't laugh once during the whole two hours - in fact, I didn't even get the feeling that I should be laughing. Whenever a situation that seemed like humor was approaching, it was usually ruined by some vulgarity, stupidity, or the scriptwriter's failure. This film clearly targets a younger audience in their teenage years, which is the reason for the naivety, insincerity of the storytelling, and cheaper humor. It remains true that the film can convey some timeless differences between the female and male perspectives on the world and relationships, but a film like Barefoot in the Park can sell romance and immaturity of relationships twice as effectively with infinitely greater elegance and style, and any episode of The Simpsons can reveal the struggles of parenthood and marriage in a lot funnier and more cultivated way. The main female characters, led by Katherine Heigl, are a good aspect of the film, as well as the awareness that American studios produce infinitely dumber and more poorly crafted films in the same genre. Overall impression: 40%.

A sympathetic romantic comedy that was created as a hybrid of traditional studio production methods from the US and British humor, along with the performances of several pleasant British actors. The script cleverly combines two parallel stories of the same characters in the style of what would happen "if." The heroine faces her partner's infidelity, who pays for his weakness in both storylines. Gwyneth Paltrow lives up to her star status and sells not only her charm and acting skills but also her artistry. Overall impression: 75%.

The Holocaust viewed from the slightly different perspective of those who had relative luck and did not end up directly in the transport to the concentration camp. Their fate was constant hiding and escaping from the Wehrmacht, the Gestapo, and the local authorities. The story of the Free Land takes place in France, where they moved from occupied Paris to the Vichy part of the country, where the conditions were relatively more bearable, but still, the constant risk of denunciation by local fascists and collaborators persisted. France was soaked in anti-Semitism like a sponge after the rain. An old farmer and his daughter-in-law provide shelter to a Jewish family, who become a rare island of humanity in a crazy time. Although Free Land is not an exceptional film, and yet it does not manipulate emotions as we are accustomed to in Hollywood productions, and it provided me with several solid emotionally intense scenes. My overall impression is 70% and four stars.

Věra Plívová-Šimková made two really good movies during her creative career, namely, Gentlemen Boys and Krakonos and the Skiers. This film belongs more to the average category, but it has a nice soundtrack. I remember that Liška's music from this film once appeared in the opening of the TV news. It is also interesting to see the film beginnings of today's media celebrity Jan Kraus. In some places, when it comes to scenes of children's antics, they should have done more editing, and some of the boys' fights are also a bit confusing. Overall impression (with a touch of nostalgia): 60%.

Bohdan Sláma is a difficult case - on one hand, he is original and can choose topics and look at them from such an angle that other Czech filmmakers are not capable of, but on the other, except for his last film Country Teacher, to which I gave a great review, his previous films seemed to be incomplete in terms of scriptwriting, and the same applies to this film. Sláma is unlucky in that he doesn't film about distant countries but about Czech society, and the situation with abandoned children, for example, simply doesn't work and cannot work the way he describes it. In addition, some of the decisions and emotional expressions of the main character do not seem believable. Otherwise, it is no wonder that foreign festival juries and critics are interested in his work. Sláma can describe love, for example, in a very unique way. He knows well that love contains compassion, sacrifice, and many other emotions. Some moments, like the reconciliation with the dying sister, are extremely touching and deserve two more stars on their own. Overall impression: 65%.

Reviews of biographical films are largely influenced by our relationships with the main character. Jimmy R. Hoffa was a recognized celebrity and essentially one of the creators of the social climate in the United States, while in Europe, he remains more or less unknown. He is a fascinating personality, a person who was able to rise from absolute anonymity to become the leader of the second most powerful labor union in the country, manipulating the political scene, economic circles, and the media. He was also involved in the process of union centralization with organized crime. The last thing I would say about the film is that it is boring. Danny DeVito, by not strictly adhering to well-known biographical facts, made a film that resembles classic mafia sagas like The Godfather. Jack Nicholson's performance greatly contributes to the film. He gives his character maximum charisma, as these egocentric types with a great deal of intelligence simply know how to do it, and here he fully meets the expectations of his long-time friend in the director's role. The scenes where both great actors confront each other are a treat for film fans. I almost gave the film five stars. Overall impression: 85%.

I felt a rejecting attitude toward the film very strongly, so much so that after 35 minutes I ran out of patience and watched the ending to get an idea of whether it was worth finishing it. I rarely do this, and it's similar to reading the ending of a short story and only then, after approving it, going back to the beginning. Some flashbacks bothered me and surprisingly, Morricone's music didn't sit well with me for the first time. I understand why the film has a high rating, as it's essentially an ideal product for audiences at film festivals and film clubs. Tornatore did not make a typical genre film with a criminal plot about the sexual exploitation of women from the East, but a film where he tries for artistic transcendence. Unfortunately, given that even after an hour I didn't know whether I found the main character annoying or whether I should be cheering for him or sympathizing with him, one can't really expect any enthusiasm from me. Overall impression: 45%.

A typical example of a series that has tremendous potential but fails to capitalize on it in the slightest. A society plagued by political and economic problems, the rise of new technologies, drug addiction, manipulation by the media, and above all, being torn apart by the influence of a powerful secret authoritarian organization striving for dictatorship. It could have been a truly stylish film with a slightly decadent atmosphere and interesting casting choices, as an actress like Kim Cattrall certainly fits the role of femme fatale, and the main protagonist and his wife make a likable couple. Unfortunately, the script is underdeveloped and makes fools of both sides of the conflict. It lacks logic and credibility in the behavior of its characters, and the world it depicts has too many flaws to convince or even excite me. As is common in American sci-fi series today, it is not pure sci-fi but rather a mysterious series with elements of fantasy. The lower budget also played a part, resulting in the series falling flat with television viewers in America and ending after a limited number of episodes. Overall impression: 25%.