gudaulin

When watching Babylon, I brought to mind two titles, namely Paycheck by John Woo, where I marveled at how an ingenious idea from an A-list sci-fi short story could be turned into an action brawler where the original idea somehow gets lost, and especially Children of Men, which Babylon reminds me of with its subject matter. While Children of Men had a perfect script and perfect direction, but from my perspective, a somewhat problematic theme that alienates itself from the sci-fi genre, Babylon has a great theme with an idea that has the potential of a hydrogen bomb, but terrible direction and above all, a desperately trashy script that gives up even the elementary logic that similar pieces have in B-movie spheres. The struggles of the characters are like a committed vegetarian trying to open a can of meat using a box of dynamite shells. What remains is the set design that truly evokes the impression of a chaotic world, which would be a great place for an adventure story to unfold. Several actors who can act and have probably taken this engagement under the pressure of a bank, which threatened to foreclose on their ranch, and several scenes that may not connect are entertaining on their own - if one turns off their brain and forgets that they have seen them somewhere else. By the way, the aforementioned Paycheck is a fascinating film experience compared to this, and it deserves a victory at a festival. Overall impression: 15%.

The world of comics doesn't just include the generally known characters and symbols of pop culture, such as superheroes like Batman, Spiderman, or Superman. Although similar titles clearly dominate in terms of volume, there has always been a stream of alternative comics that aimed to reflect the real world and its real problems, representing a non-commercial but nonetheless interesting part of the low-budget comic book production. One of the heroes and symbols of this independent creation is a guy named Harvey Pekar, who is everything but a ladies' idol and a superhero. Instead of fighting villains and monsters, he battles with his anxieties, comfort, bad luck, and unfortunately, also with cancer. The film takes place in a tragicomic setting and has autobiographical traits because the screenplay author actually describes his own life's destinies in it. Rarely can I say that I have such a sense of belonging to a film character because just entering his office gives me a sense of small victory, that there is at least one person on this planet who is a bigger mess than I am. American Splendor is a small film that doesn't offer shocking twists and bombastic effects, but it is deeply human and likable. Overall impression: 75%.

If this film works to such an extent that it receives a decent number of four-star ratings and sympathetic reviews, it is primarily thanks to the casting of the main characters, who are both excellently selected in terms of type and perform well. Maria Bello is not only charming but also likable, and William H. Macy is an ideal representative of similar unfortunates who resignedly face the adversity of fate. In fact, he only needs to display his usual tormented faces and timid smiles and not overact, as happened in several cases. However, what brings the film down to below average for me is the screenplay, which both relies on ridiculous motifs of gambling myths and brings forth a generally implausible story with peculiar characters. The casino boss played by Alec Baldwin is neither well-acted, nor well-written, and doesn't even come close to the charisma of the same role portrayed by Robert de Niro in Casino. I would rather watch a purely mysterious film like Intact than a similar mishmash ending with a scene that is completely beyond the usual standards in terms of probability. Overall impression: 45%. If you want to see a good film from this genre, watch the aforementioned Casino or Croupier.

I have three issues with this documentary, and two specific objections because the fact that I know a lot about the issue at hand and therefore the content of the film is not surprising or enriching for me is exclusively my problem. Firstly, the film is terribly drawn out. With some films giving you the feeling that they could be cut by 15-20 minutes, here I would be much more radical and after fighting sleep several times, I would cut it in half. The majority of shots are prolonged. Secondly, Tamadon's film is incredibly meek, as the director performs ritual dances and tiptoes where he should get straight to the point. It got to the point where one of the interviewees criticized him for this caution, saying that he expected more direct questions. This is connected to the fact that Tamadon primarily interviews the intellectually equipped and accommodating part of the community he is interested in, which flattens, or rather prevents, a more comprehensive view. Things are different when you talk to a religious scholar and when you encounter harassment from an uneducated militia member who bothers you on the street. For inhabitants of a small state in Central Europe, known for religious indifference and relativization of values, it is of course quite exotic to look at a society that not only has rules but also professes some values, even if they are problematic from our perspective. Overall impression: 40%.

In Good Company surprises above all by being, in contrast to the majority of current American comedy productions, somewhat measured and cultivated. It simply does not feature the typical adolescent or coarse humor, and the whole film seems to appeal more to adult audiences who otherwise prefer watching TV. It is not a top-notch film because the humor contained in it is not so finely tuned, but everything is decently written, cast, and acted. The film remains within the realm of American major productions, meaning no major experiments or provocations, only light social criticism that does not come close to the impact of, for example, Up in the Air. However, it has a surprising ending that deviates from the traditional template of romantic happy endings. The romantic storyline, mainly due to the presence of Scarlett Johansson, who is made for this kind of genre film, somewhat overshadows the comedy. Overall impression: 65%.

I was absolutely sure that I wouldn't like it, but from time to time one must endure mental torture in order to appreciate even more the movies that are truly worth watching. Half of the members of the cast I categorize as "My Least Favorite Nightmares," and some of them, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, I don't consider actors, but rather stereotypical figures, while others, like Sylvester Stallone, as below-average actors, and it is characteristic that if a quality action actor like Bruce Willis appears in something like this, they just briefly show up on the screen. The Expendables pay homage to violent action films from the 80s with muscle-bound heroes and these sorts of productions didn't make the slightest impression on me even at 15 years old, let alone today. Action productions that I appreciate include titles such as Indiana Jones, Die Hard, or the Bourne series, in general, movies that rely on a quality screenplay and top-notch acting. The Expendables is just as dim-witted as its genre predecessors and the scene of the contract negotiation in a church, which has humor, can't save it. For me, The Expendables is the same as a really strong cigar for a devoted non-smoker. Overall impression: 15%.

I watched this movie with a view of a romantic period drama, and when it comes to the costumes and beautiful women, my choice did not disappoint me. For that, I give one star to Princess of Clèves. However, everything else is a big disaster. A certain part of romantic literary works fascinated me at the time, and I read "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame" four times as a teenager, and I like "The Three Musketeers" in both book and film versions. But Princess of Clèves is not so much a romantic affair as a purebred penny dreadful, compared to which the series about Angelica seems like a realistic Oscar drama. This is how I imagine a typical novel for maidservants from 1880 with all of the worst aspects. It's terribly naive, pathetic, and takes itself too seriously. Overall impression: 25%.

I like the works of Karel Kachyňa and the scripts by Jan Procházka. The collaboration of both creators brought, among others, the excellent Coach to Vienna to Czech cinema. In this case, however, I am uncertain about this film, because even having the best intentions, A Ridiculous Gentleman didn't resonate with me, and both gentlemen are to blame for it. It is a film about old age, disillusionment, dying, and above all, a life that is thwarted by outside influences. I find the screenplay too diluted because this would have been enough for a medium-length, let's say, 35-45-minute film, ideally combined with other thematically related short films into one anthology film. Kachyňa's typical poetic style slowed down the film with constant camera trips to the facades of houses, Prague towers, and city streets. The film is carried by the brilliant music of Zdeněk Liška and the acting of film veteran Vladimír Šmeral. Thematically, the story corresponds to the central motif of Procházka's work, which is coming to terms with the political excesses of Czech post-war history, in this case, the political trials of the 1950s. Overall impression: 45%.

Of the 14,000 Jews transported to the Lublin area, fifty survived. A dignified culmination of the entire cycle based not on spectacular film techniques and shocking shots, but on extraordinarily powerful human stories told by a handful of those who can still provide their testimonies. Practically each of them deserves a feature-length film, which would easily surpass a lot of unnecessary film productions. Overall impression: 80%.

After watching Bertolucci's The Last Emperor, I'm not surprised that this film garnered a bunch of Oscars. It is meticulously crafted with a careful choice of subject matter as if it were destined for the Oscars. This is also reflected in its high budget and academic directorial precision. Some criticize the film for its noble boredom, but contemporary cinema offers plenty of blockbuster popcorn movies for those who prefer them, so they can confidently turn to those that adapt the comic book source material. I wouldn't criticize The Last Emperor for being boring, but it is true that in its bombastic costume splendor, the characters and the story somewhat get lost. In addition, the emotions that the director deliberately tries to evoke in viewers do not inspire the utmost trust in me. The film is certainly not emotionally neutral; the creators want the audience to identify with their protagonist, so we follow a boy who was separated from his mother shortly after birth, grew up without friends, and succumbed to restrictive court etiquette. He couldn't even choose his wife, and surely everyone understands the immense inner suffering he experienced when the court put a princess in his bed, played by the very seductive Joan Chen, and an equally charming companion. How horribly cruel was the fate of this handsome young man compared to his millions of subjects, who at the same time were boringly dying in huge famines and miserably languishing in the countryside... It is also interesting how much attention the creators devote to the childhood and adolescence of this man compared to his later role as a political leader and statesman, and later as a prisoner. This period can be most easily sold to the audience emotionally. According to historical facts, the real last Chinese emperor was an irresponsible playboy in his youth, easily influenced and lacking vision and personal will, but with a huge ego. He was most likely a homosexual, but unlike today, that would have been difficult to sell in the mid-80s. His involvement in the occupation of northern China and collaboration with the Japanese is unquestionable, although the film tries to portray this period as a victim of circumstances. Finally, the film completely overlooks important stages of this person's life, such as his luxurious Soviet internment and later awkward role in China, where the Communist media used him as a propaganda platform to demonstrate the re-education of class enemies. In reality, they were far from being gentle with them, and this man was a prominent prisoner with a special status. The Last Emperor offers top-notch visuals and spectacle, but it didn't emotionally captivate me, and I won't be returning to it. Overall impression: 65%.