gudaulin

I still remember the arrival of Ethiopian Jews to Israel, and it must be said that it is material that is incredibly attractive for a film. Films with a message have it easier after all because a star is added to the topic. The issues of uprootedness, cultural and religious identity, and racial prejudice all have dramatic potential and when it comes to a story based on a real event, it counts double. How can a nine-year-old Christian boy answer the rabbi's question about who brought the Jews their faith? Unfortunately, Radu Mihăileanu's film does not take advantage of all these possibilities. The script is only average and predictable most of the time, including the final scene of the reunion after years. In many cases, it transparently counts on human emotions. It's not a bad movie, it just could have been even better. Besides the script, I also disliked the melodramatic music. On the other hand, the direction, camera work, and performances are the strong aspects of the film. Overall impression 75%.

Since Stolen Kisses, François Truffaut's protagonist has aged several years, married, and fathered a child, but he has not matured. His emotional immaturity, which was sympathetic in Stolen Kisses, now seems ridiculous in Bed & Board. His boyish romanticism and enthusiasm for new things disqualify him in a situation where he should show responsibility and practicality in taking care of his family. This comically-themed story about the crisis of a marriage is also interesting in its depiction of life in a suburban apartment building with many interesting characters - Doinel's window leads to the courtyard, so the camera always has the opportunity to capture the micro-stories of the tenants and their small dramas. Overall impression: 75%.

I really liked this British series with its typical humor. It captures the life of the lower middle class during the early Thatcherism period excellently, and it is even more charming because it is described through the eyes of a boy entering puberty. The most amazing character is the small-town school headmaster, an obsessed fan of the Prime Minister. Overall impression: 80%.

A typical low-budget action spectacle filmed with the knowledge that the quality of dialogue is the last thing fans care about, and they won't bother questioning the logic of the story either... The script is as thin as concentration camp soup, and Lance Henriksen should settle his scores and limit visits to gambling dens, so he doesn't have to take gigs in these types of B-movies... Overall impression 10%. Fans of action movies can, of course, add a few stars because John Woo is simply good at making these films.

I have really liked Kevin Smith since his debut, and I eagerly awaited the continuation of the adventures of his slackers from Jersey. To be honest, I endured the first twenty, maybe even twenty-five minutes of the film, because the characters have aged and they reminded me of my own deterioration, and looking at Dante, I painfully realized the shortcomings of my nutrition. Above all, the attempts at jokes seemed to me to be lacking in humor, and there was an excess of vulgarities that seemed purposeless without the support of functioning comedy. Then came the scene with the "elf in the crotch" and the "spittoon in the mouth" as defenders of virginity - a clear allusion to the sexual education used by President Bush. All that was missing was mention of the stork delivering babies. The argument between The Lord of the Rings fans and a staunch Star Wars worshipper was also great, and the anchor points kept on increasing. This film simply lacks the inventiveness and quotability of the first installment, and overall represents a more calculated production that clearly relies on the sentiment of its fans. On the other hand, it is also more mature, and professional, and clearly had a higher budget, which allowed for the hiring of more expensive and well-known actors. However, what saves Smith the most is his uncompromising and, above all, politically incorrect humor, which allows him to make jokes about black monkeys or employ a donkey as a perverted Kelly. Very few people in American studio productions dare to play around with political correctness like this. Overall impression: 75%. Although I consider myself a fan of Smith, I get the impression that he is starting to repeat himself, and I would be quite afraid of a third installment of Clerks... It is time to look for innovation and, above all, to find entertainment from a different perspective.

I am reviewing this film many years later, but even after all that time, I distinctly remember the slowly flowing plot that was killing me and I secretly hoped that something would happen to the main heroine and my suffering would be over. I couldn't identify with the character portrayed by Jane Fonda, as I couldn't believe in her value system in connection with her profession, even though the actress really tried. Overall impression 50%.

Shakespeare's play "The Tempest" is difficult to put together in many ways and is rarely performed on stage. It must have been even worse to transfer it to the movie screen. Just putting together enough resources for such a demanding work and not losing one's artistic vision among the conflicting interests of co-producers must have been a difficult task. The result is a film that could be a highlight of many film festivals and a perennial favorite in the offering of film clubs, but it would definitely not succeed in regular distribution. The film was made even before the advent of video cameras, and therefore it is characterized by clear colors, sharp contrast, and overall great visual appearance. The artistic processing is, in the end, the reason why I lean toward a five-star rating because the whole film seems to be a tribute to the masters of visual arts. Overall impression: 90%. Prospero's Books is truly a film that is not suitable for everyone, and it has a relatively long runtime that is filled with poetic images rather than a dynamic plot.

If I am keeping proper score, this is the seventeenth Woody Allen film I've seen. Among them were exceptionally good, very good, and average works, but never bad and uninteresting ones. I wouldn't dare to label Another Woman as a bad film, as it has traditionally high-quality cast and corresponding performances and a strong central theme. On the other hand, I have never been bored by any of Allen's stories, but unfortunately, this time the story of an aging woman going through a midlife crisis at the age of fifty, regretting her abortion, childlessness, decisions about love life and family relationships, simply couldn't draw me in. I prefer Woody Allen in his comedic and especially tragicomic position, which suits him better because he simply does it better. Another Woman lacks a certain comedic perspective that would have enlivened the dialogues and given the film a faster pace. Overall impression: 45%.

From Transamerica, you can feel that the producer had ambitions for an Oscar, but the relatively sober script and conventional direction thwarted these ambitions. Nevertheless, this tragicomic road movie is not a misstep - on the contrary, it is a fresh, from my point of view typically four-star film that benefits from both the attractiveness of the subject matter and decent cast, but primarily from the excellent performance of the main actress Felicity Huffman, who delivers a remarkable performance in the role of a transsexual. Perhaps the film's greatest advantage is that it doesn't push too hard, either by not using all the possibilities that the somewhat bizarre environment and lives of transsexuals can offer or by not delivering some sort of message. The film has several bitter scenes depicting misunderstandings between parents and children, several humorous lines ("This wouldn't have happened to you if you'd gone to church instead of a synagogue"), and well-selected music. Overall impression: 75%.

Bug is a direct embodiment of values and practices typical for the American independent scene. A mosaic of human types, bizarre characters, small events, lucky coincidences, and little tragedies that fit together ideally and leave a long-term impression on the viewer's memory. The film has a well-developed script and direction, subtitles also play a role in the film, and not a single scene is boring. There are no major roles and minor performances in the film. The central theme is chance, and the conclusion is the realization that even a small act can be the cause of significant events. A very pleasant surprise for me. Overall impression: 95%.