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Kritiken (3 653)

Plakat

Napoleon (2023) 

Englisch If I apply the perspective of an ordinary consumer viewer unburdened by knowledge of history, who came to the movie theater to see a grand blockbuster with a world-famous star in the lead role, where it's all about a fateful love and spiced up with shots from several magnificent battles, then I can be reasonably satisfied. Masses of extras, costume scenes, a few exciting war scenes, and a plot that makes some kind of sense. If I apply the perspective of a film fan and also a history enthusiast, then I would have to be significantly, and I emphasize significantly, more critical. Ridley, as expected, fails in the very intention to capture the entire active life of Napoleon. You simply cannot fit such a complex personality and time into one feature film in such a vast time span, no matter how hard you try. The film looks incredibly fragmented, completely skipping crucial sections of Napoleon's life and cramming others into a single scene. The crucial Italian campaign, which brought Napoleon fame and enabled his dizzying political career, is dismissed by the film with a single brief sentence. There is no time at all to develop any of the characters or significant military figures, and French and European politicians remain mere pawns. Ridley plays with historical facts very carelessly in the name of his artistic vision, and the more you know about the life of Napoleon and Josephine, the more you will suffer. However, the most fundamental thing, in my opinion, is the lack of Napoleon himself. Joaquin Phoenix is indeed a great actor, but he has been miscast in several significant films in his career, and unfortunately, Scott's film is one of them. A man on the verge of his fifties acts throughout the film with the same appearance without any aging, which seems inappropriate for a young artillery officer. The same mistake is repeated in Joker - Phoenix plays his character as a pushover. Although ambition shines through Napoleon, what is missing is his incredible vitality, charisma, and rebelliousness. You somehow don't understand how this self-centered, gloomy loner could rally his army and win over crowds to his side. History portrays Napoleon and, ultimately, his relationship with women completely differently than Ridley presents it to us. I don't regret seeing the film on the big screen, but you, Ridley, unfortunately, won't get an overall impression of more than 55% from me. You have significantly worse films in your career, but Napoleon looks up to your top-notch films from a great distance. Your debut The Duellists, paradoxically also set in the environment of the Napoleonic Wars, filmed with a fraction of the budget, still evokes much greater respect and interest in me to this day. What disappointed me, especially, is the choreography of the Battle of Waterloo. There are plenty of war films about the Napoleon era that are better and more inventive for war history fans.

Plakat

Každý má svou pravdu (2023) (Theateraufzeichnung) 

Englisch This is perhaps the first thing from the Dejvice Theater that I really did not understand. What was supposed to be funny became awkward with its loudness, overacting, and stylization. I understood every third word and the affectation of the actors made me feel unwell. This was a mistake for me. Honestly, I am quite surprised by the positive reviews. Neither the playwright nor the direction stood out. Overall impression: 25% for the Dejvice ensemble.

Plakat

Dido Elizabeth Belle (2013) 

Englisch Belle is a perfect example of a contrasting film that presents the viewer with dual aspects. The first aspect showcases highly professional production values with a strong cast and corresponding performances, excellent set design, and overall well-executed craftsmanship of the project. The second, less sympathetic aspect of the film is its perfect predictability, which can be likened to a primitive children's puzzle. A new character appears, and you immediately assign them the appropriate role - that's the lecherous seducer, that's the devoted admirer with a pure heart who leads the heroine to the altar, and so on. Practically never making a mistake, the film's script could easily be written by even you, as practically nothing in it can surprise or astonish you. Three stars are as good as guaranteed, and I can even imagine a fourth star for fans of Emily Watson or Tom Wilkinson. Overall impression: 60%.

Plakat

Liebe auf Finnisch (2012) 

Englisch European Nordic countries bear the stigma of depressive regions, where lack of light is battled for half a year and where alcoholics and melancholic souls thrive. On the other hand, Finland consistently maintains its position at the top of the happiness index and usually wins, so it's probably just a prejudice. Naked Harbour, however, caters to this prejudice because we observe numerous characters who are exposed to stress, and hostility, and have the inability to form functional romantic relationships. So much pain, bitterness, and despair are not seen this often. It's like emotional depressive porn, causing anxiety, and only the last two minutes show a slightly more encouraging glimpse into the future of some of the film's protagonists. The film is very well acted and I have no complaints about the direction, but the selection of motifs is too selective and I definitely don't recommend the film to viewers prone to melancholy. Overall impression: 75%.

Plakat

Morgen ist Schluss - Der Anfang (2014) 

Englisch The idea is great, but the execution is only slightly above average. Sydney Sibilia hasn't done a lot of fruitful directorial and screenwriting work, and it's a bit noticeable. On one hand, it is necessary to appreciate that I Can Quit Whenever I Want avoids awkward pandering to the viewer, so common in the comedy genre, but on the other hand, there is a lot of unused potential felt in many places. The connection of the academic world with the world of crime offered plenty of funny gags and characters that deviate from the usual standards and mediocrity, which directly called for it. But still, it's a fine experience that I appreciate, and my overall impression is 75%.

Plakat

Die Engel von Sinjar (2022) 

Englisch The content is shocking and provocative, but the strength of the film lies in its theme and content. I haven't watched Hanna Polak's films enough to make categorical judgments about her, but it seems to me that the editing could have been better, and the film could have been shortened by fifteen minutes, as the director sometimes lingers on unnecessary images. Overall impression: 85%.

Plakat

Domino - A Story of Revenge (2019) 

Englisch The art of leaving on time, unfortunately, is not common to everyone and it is understandable that Brian De Palma wanted to say goodbye to the genre he dedicated himself to and has immense experience in. Unfortunately, both the script and, more painfully, the direction fail in perfect harmony here. The film is not bad enough to discourage you from watching it, let alone so disastrous that it is entertaining in its incompetence. It is one of those cases where you say to yourself when watching the last scene: "God, I wasted my time again." It wasn't worth it. The main protagonist, a police officer, immediately proves himself to be a fool in the first scene, only to demonstrate an incomprehensible short circuit in the second scene that should cost him his job immediately, and probably even lead to criminal prosecution. There is no point in elaborating on the cheap production, poor editing, and camera work. Overall impression: 25%.

Plakat

Triangle of Sadness (2022) 

Englisch I understand that in a time when comic book adaptations and epic fantasy dominate the film landscape, Triangle of Sadness represents a sympathetic civilian deviation for a more adult audience. On the other hand, it is not an exceptional piece, let alone film of the year. After a promising start, where Östlund takes shots at the superficial world of modeling (I know, it's an easy target, but the hits are accurate), with each subsequent chapter it becomes increasingly annoyingly didactic. Not to mention that the middle part on the boat with the puking scene is somewhat funny, but it is also somewhat cheap humor that could also appear in undemanding Italian comedies from the 70s. I have higher expectations for satire. In my opinion, the casting is also problematic. Woody Harrelson functions as expected, Harris Dickinson delivers, and Vicki Berlin in the smaller role of the chief stewardess is interesting. Unfortunately, that exhausts my positive feelings about the ensemble. With all due respect to the prematurely deceased Charlbi Dean, she was merely a model cast in a film role, and I can think of a dozen actresses who, besides a glamorous face, could deliver acting performances two or three levels better. Dolly De Leon in her variation of the Rat King completely missed the mark, and Henrik Dorsin is forgettable. I will give it a weak four-star rating, but there is something missing here. The TV series The White Lotus was able to tell a similar story with considerably better results, and it's not just because of the larger space that a series offers. Overall impression: 70%.

Plakat

Besa (2018) (Serie) 

Englisch It cannot be denied that the film's production was done well. It is not an interchangeable pop-cultural product, and the Balkans can be clearly felt in the series with all its cultural features and historical atavisms, such as a tendency towards violence, blood feuds, and pervasive corruption. The interesting, unknown actors help, and when it comes to the casting, I don't see any weaknesses, and the sadistic sociopath Mima will definitely rank very high among iconic villains. Radoslav Milenkovic did a great job with his character and they probably won't even sell bread rolls to him anymore in Serbia. As for the form, I only have words of praise, but as for the content, there are some more substantial criticisms to be made. The plot itself is convoluted. The leader of a criminal clan, who has an army of capable killers, chooses an extremely risky and, from a practical point of view, a senseless form of revenge through a civilian with zero criminal experience. Turning a regular person into a contract killer is as bizarre as hiring a random pedestrian for the national team in the FIFA World Cup. Some other moments could also be pointed out but that would go into spoilers. Nevertheless, my overall impression is positive, and I hope I will get to see the second season. The first one ended at its best. Overall impression: 75%.

Plakat

Wo in Paris die Sonne aufgeht (2021) 

Englisch An attempt to capture the European Tinder generation, which is meant to appeal to its members. In my eyes, it fails because it clings too much to everything that is photogenic and attractive, and the dramatic aspect of the project suffers as a result. It is a typical example of a film where the director presents characters that, according to his opinion, I should identify with and root for, while I see them in a completely different light. If I were to rely solely on my emotions, I would categorically discard the film without hesitation. I did not see eye to eye with my favorite Audiard this time. It is strange that the Finnish film Games People Play, which deals with the same age group burdened by similar emotional instability and social unanchoredness, captivated me and earned a full five stars. In this film, with the partial exception of Nora, whom the director manipulates in a different way than I would have imagined, everyone was terribly annoying, including the explicit depiction of eroticism. I never thought I would end up as a moralist, but here I have the impression that I see a lot of self-centered, immature thirty-year-olds who are setting themselves up for loneliness and will not be able to form functional families. Overall impression: 35%.