gudaulin

In everyone's life, there comes a realization when they become aware that they are, whether partially or completely, past their prime. They will never be able to do this or that, nor achieve their desired goals or fulfill their secret wishes. They simply reach a point from which they can only lose. If you know that you have something to be proud of, that you have lived a fruitful life and built something, it is easier to cope with the loss of perspective. However, Beatrice is becoming increasingly aware that the only happy period she experienced was in high school. At that time, she felt like a queen and had the feeling that the world was at her feet. Today, she is an aging embittered woman who does not know what to do with herself, let alone with her surroundings. Her daughters need parental support and need to be shown a good example, but instead, they witness their mother's repeated frustrations and emotional punishment. Paul Newman was certainly a much greater actor than director, but this psychological drama was directed conservatively and reliably and he certainly does not need to be ashamed of the result. After all, he could rely on the excellent acting performance of Joanne Woodward and the two child actors. Overall impression: 85%.

When I read Mika Waltarii's extensive novel many years ago, it was a profound experience for me on all levels. Waltari conceived "The Egyptian" as an opportunity to bring everything known about ancient Egypt and its culture to the Western reader at the time of the novel's creation. Egyptology is still developing, and new discoveries might slightly revise the content of Waltari's text, but I still believe that if I returned to reading it, I would definitely not be disappointed. Michael Curtiz's film is just a historical reminder of a certain chapter in the development of American studio cinema. In the 50s and 60s, these expensive costume projects from ancient empires were everywhere and represented the showcase of the production at that time. The Egyptian certainly is not one of the better films, and today the shallowness and trimming of the multi-layered novel motives directly annoy me. It's just a costume blockbuster from the 50s... Overall impression: 40%.

If there is a film that does not talk about how things are going in the United States, but about what Americans think their country is like and what values it stands for, then it is The Electric Horseman. This film is American not only because its protagonist is a cowboy, but also because of its pathetic moralizing and the great importance it attaches to personal initiative and individualism. And essentially, also because of the typically American studio ending. Robert Redford and Jane Fonda are great actors of their time and their names speak for themselves. Sydney Pollack is an established director who does not waste time, so a romantic drama about a cowboy who rebels against the consumer sale of his reputation in a declining show and saves a suffering horse, represents decent entertainment, which may not dazzle today, but remains functional even years later. Overall impression: 65%.

The Elementary School was an early peak for Jan Svěrák, who set the bar so high from the very beginning that he could only crawl under it despite all his efforts later on. Svěrák managed to assemble a great team and an ideal cast and get the best out of them. He worked excellently with nostalgia for a lost childhood and effective sentiment, which is not oversweetened or fake. His father wrote credible, attractive characters that the audience can easily identify with. The director also had a lucky hand in selecting the child actors and everything works like Swiss clockwork. There is a bit of childlike naivety and boyish mischief in it, and above all, an amazing retro atmosphere. I have no reason to be stingy and I give it an overall impression of 95%. Jan Tříska has indeed filmed a number of significant roles, but he will always be remembered in the hearts of viewers as the eccentric teacher Igor Hnízdo.

David Lynch always focused on emotional manipulation with the viewer and enjoyed pulling at their heartstrings. However, betting on sentimentality was not usually part of his tried and true directing style, and The Elephant Man represents a departure from that. In this case, Lynch overwhelms the viewer with sentiment and purposely counts on the audience's sympathy toward his protagonist. Unfortunately, the story is somewhat simplistic for my taste, and Lynch's approach feels too shallow and predictable. The truths he aims to reveal are simply too obvious and do not present any dilemmas or tricky choices for me. Nonetheless, the film remains a quality work with excellent performances from the actors, especially Anthony Hopkins, who demonstrates why he has been at the top of his craft for decades, not only on the British Isles but also in world cinema. Additionally, the atmosphere of Victorian England deserves recognition. Despite all of this, I truly do not see it as deserving of four stars. After all, such a highly acclaimed film does not require my approval. Overall impression: 65%.

Criminal, adventurer, and successful government official Francois Vidocq, who streamlined the work of the police apparatus, was a fascinating figure in French history, and if Gaumont made a realistic historical drama about his life, it would still be a thrilling ride far from dry boredom. However, Jean-Francois Richet approached it differently and took Vidocq's character as a starting point for filming a romanticized adventure story in the style of popular pulp fiction novels, where all the beloved ingredients are present, such as love, revenge, honor, betrayal, and intrigue. Beautiful women appear and bloodthirsty bandits are crawling everywhere. There is no shortage of gunshots or sword strikes and relentless fights to the death. As a bonus, we get to meet the master of behind-the-scenes games, who supported a number of conflicting regimes - Minister of the Interior Fouché. The Emperor of Paris is an honest return to the tradition of adventurous historical epics with a grand production and prominent actors in the foreground. Vincent Cassel was a great choice, Olga Kurylenko fits the role of a courtesan, and Freya Mavor was an interesting surprise for me. She has a similar look to a young Marlene Jobert. It is true that the screenplay at times disregards logic and a few action scenes are overly exaggerated for greater effect, but let's be honest, these flaws were often more prevalent in old, good genre classics. Overall impression: 75%.

This animated short reminded me of the works of the established Czech trio Doubrava-Macourek-Born. It bears all the characteristic features of their creations, namely the art of abbreviation, originality, wit, and black humor. It tells the story of a society where people are used as objects and substitutes for technology in everyday life. A man turns into a doormat, another into a side table, and another into a chair. Then their roles are exchanged, and someone else serves them. Overall impression: 90%.

This short horror animated film features solid art and animation. The unfortunate fate of the protagonist, who dared to show sympathy and friendship, is mercilessly punished, as it goes in the real world. What a cruel world and bitter position, where the greatest punishment is to continue living the same existence... Overall impression: 80%.

This Václav Vorlíček masterpiece ages like wine with each passing year... I can't do anything else but add an extra star and round up my overall impression to 95%. It's not just a parody of Bond movies and action spy thrillers, but above all an extremely intelligent comedy directed by a talented director and performed by top actors of the 60s. It's a film from the happiest years of Czech film production, when a lot could already be done and the rules of the game were not dictated by commerce. Furthermore, it doesn't make sense to highlight individual actors, quotes or scenes, because it is an exceptionally balanced film. Overall impression: 95%.

I had considered The End of a Priest one of the most impressive films of Czechoslovak cinema of the 1960s. However, repeated viewing years later did not confirm my exceptional experience. From Schorm's film emerged only a solid, mediocre piece, which elevates the presence of two great actors - Vlastimil Brodský and Jan Libíček. Libíček excels in the role of a rural teacher and mayor. It is one of the most rewarding characters of his prematurely ended yet intense and successful acting career. His character of careerist, manipulator, and intriguer represents the face of state power, which the actor systematically parodies, ironizes, and mocks ideological clichés, phrases, and hypocrisy. His counterpart represents a sympathetic church custodian who, rather out of misunderstanding than ill intent, accepts the position of a priest in a village he passes through. The new role, secretly desiring it, gradually engulfs him, and the fake priest becomes a moral authority and counterbalance to secular power. This starting point is very interesting, but due to the potential remaining untapped, it falls short of what it deserves. The film is highly inconsistent - on the one hand, it aims for a relaxed comedy from the Czech countryside in a more refined style, characterized by characters like a stubborn hypochondriac grandmother. On the other hand, allegorical motifs appear in scenes with a traveling theater and strange supervisors-advisors, which would be more suited for intellectual reflection for a demanding viewer. Add to that the tragic ending, which clashes with the pleasant comedic atmosphere, and the result is a film that doesn't know what it wants to be. Overall impression: 65%.