gudaulin

Melville's film world features long shots, silent charismatic men, balloon coats, and elegant men's hats. This time, he also played with the image to emphasize the atmosphere. The colors appear faded, with a predominant blue-gray tone. At times, the film looks as if it was shot in black and white. The film comes off as distant, and cold, just like its protagonist - the hitman Jef Costello - a man without emotions, without expression or gestures, mechanically executing what is necessary for the task and survival. The film somewhat resembles Zinnemann's The Day of the Jackal, both in the professional approach of the antihero and the economical narrative style, where the camera records step-by-step the preparations for the crime and its subsequent execution. Alain Delon perfectly suits these types of roles - in fact, I believe that The Godson and Cop Story are his cinematic peaks. He often played silent tough men who could speak with their eyes, but this is the role in which he reduced his vocabulary the most. The elegant appearance of his hitman contrasts with the unfriendly environment of his household and neighborhood, where he survives. I could only fault the film for two things - an impeccable hitman would probably have quickly disposed of his coat after being seen, and secondly, the ending is not just cinematic, but I would say explicitly theatrical. A character from the real world would probably play their final part with more objectivity and civility. I was considering giving it four stars, but I noticed that I always give Melville four stars, and within his filmography, this is definitely one of the peaks. In any case, it is a stylish ride with a sense of detail that fans of the genre will enjoy. Overall impression: 90%.

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%.

The most valuable thing about Daniel's World is that it even came into existence and that it breaks down certain taboos and allows for a glimpse into the thinking of those who have a good reason to hide their desires, thoughts, and emotions. Finding a pedophile who would reveal their true identity must have been quite a feat, but unfortunately, Veronika Lišková's abilities in that regard were somewhat exhausted. Her authorial contribution is insignificant, and I don't feel the hand of an experienced documentarian there, i.e., someone who knows how to intensify the viewer's experience, and how to process the subject matter in such a way that the viewer can orient themselves in the issue and create something that is not just the story of one student. Overall impression: 55%.

Organized crime in the USA had its golden years during the Prohibition era, while British organized crime had its most famous period in the 1950s and 1960s when London temporarily became the center of the world. The center of attention for tabloids and the public became the unmistakable Kray twins, who not only filled the pages dedicated to criminal offenses but also influenced fashion and socialized with showbiz stars. This is already the second film attempting to portray their life stories, and it must be said that Brian Helgeland managed to extract more than his predecessors. However, there is a problem from the audience's perspective - the film somewhat misleads them. The beginning follows a Tarantino-like style, and after the twins massacre a rival gang in an emotional collaboration, it seems like it will be a bloody and suspenseful ride. However, the film subsequently turns into a psychological drama, where one of the brothers' partners comes to terms with the knowledge that she has aligned her life with a sociopath, whose twin is a pure psychopath. It basically addresses the issue of Mrs. Schroeder from Atlantic City Mafia, who gets involved in a love affair with mafia boss Thompson and becomes entangled in the center of organized crime, fighting an endless battle between her conscience and her value system against the environment that surrounded her. The film is shot beautifully as a retro from the 1960s, showing that British cinematography is very capable. Many genre fans might sigh at the fact that the storyline following the Krays' growth, their domination of new neighborhoods, and the cleansing of the city from competition would be much more appealing to the audience. Overall impression: 80%. Tom Hardy lived up to expectations with his dual role. It may not be a big hit and will not rank high in the genre, but it has its good qualities.

Director Stölzl probably enjoys watching American epic fantasy films and fulfilled his dream of shooting something in their spirit. I don't consider his film a serious historical drama, and I would tear it to pieces. However, as a lavishly made fairy tale, where individual shots can be used as computer wallpaper or framed on a wall, it works decently. Yes, it is shallow, designed to appeal to the widest possible audience, it is colorful, romantic, and suspenseful, but also full of the most cliché and predictable elements. I don't have a big problem with the film, but it won't get an overall impression from me of more than 55%.

From a craftsmanship perspective, I would have to give a lower rating, maybe even lower than just by 1 star, because this explosive material deserves much more careful processing. However, I appreciate the theme and the message. That is because it is not just an image of the demise of one community and one confession in a certain country, it is primarily a testimony about us and our inability to help and empathize. When someone is ashamed of their representatives, I add that the Archbishop's statement sounded equally embarrassing and impotent. He was just more polished. But where prayers are offered, a completely different type of support should be in place in this case. It is incredibly embarrassing that a country that has had poor birth rates for decades, which threaten its economic prosperity and cultural and physical future, cannot offer a new home to a few thousand refugees, especially when they are exceptionally well-educated on a global scale. For several months now, Czechs have been having a hysterical campaign against Muslim migration and usually make it a point to emphasize that we are not concerned with anything else but defending Christian values. The desperate situation of the Christian community has lasted for about 12 years, and during that time, neither state institutions nor non-governmental organizations have been able to bring in a single immigrant. It is more than clear that there is no place for Iraqi Christians in today's Iraq, and there never will be. The 153 unfortunate people who managed to come to come here thanks to a handful of activists, after tremendous lobbying and persuading, are rather a mockery because our ability to absorb immigrants is many times greater every year...

In my reviews, I try to avoid the term "film cliché" as much as possible. Unfortunately, this piece relies on them to such an extent that it falls apart with them. You can perceive The Call as a routine thriller that can even strain your nerves if you turn off your brain, but I'm a complainer and I don't turn it off. So when I hear about the depth of holes in the script, unfortunately, I see craters that could comfortably fit a Federation spacecraft. Maybe even the whole fleet. Where others see a dangerous sexual maniac and psychopath, I see his caricature. I understand that not every script can have the qualities worthy of an Oscar, but this film lacks credibility even within the genre, and the crazy ending completely buries it. I like movies where the director and screenwriter play with the audience, dose out information, and lead them astray, but here the ending turned the thriller into an unwanted parody. My overall impression this time is not saved even by decent acting performances, so it remains at a very modest 25%.

The film is shot decently, with exceptional care, and it can be seen that if not the director himself, then the producer was definitely counting on a festival award - after all, the subject matter is the sort where the creators claim a film award in advance. However, my 4 stars are rather meant as my appreciation of the formal qualities rather than an expression of emotional solidarity with the film. It has a strong story and theme, and yet I watched a film that didn't touch me emotionally in any way, and what's more, it didn't surprise me at all. It has exactly what one would expect, and while Hunger from the workshop of Steve McQueen, which is rated worse on FilmBooster, got under my skin and made me think about the film and come back to it in memories, in the case of 12 Years a Slave, I feel like I just ticked off having seen it. Overall impression: 70%. Sometimes the term film academism appears in film comments - I would say that it fits quite well with this film.

I experienced the premiere of this film as a boy and I perceived it completely differently than I do today. Just like many other phenomena, I have to reassess this film series because although it once entertained me, the humor has aged, some of the gags and situations now feel awkward, and even though there are some functional jokes, they are in the minority. Sellers indeed performs with his characteristic enthusiasm in this grotesque, but his humor is too childish and I don't care for it now, and the same applies to the overacting Herbert Lom. Overall impression: 45%.

The set design was great, and not even Hollywood would have to be ashamed of it, but if I appreciate the set design the most in a feature film, something is wrong. The film basically has a very reasonable runtime, but subjectively, it seemed to me about 20 minutes longer and for most of that time, I felt that something was amiss in the dramaturgy. The Russian realities are well portrayed, and no one needs to be ashamed of their acting, but as I said, I still felt the passage of time. In the end, this co-production falls into the broad group of films that don't offend, but also don't impress. Overall impression: 60%.