gudaulin

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%.

Watching the film, I felt like I was on a roller coaster - my sympathies alternated between 4 and 2 stars, meaning that this film is simply inconsistent. It was probably supposed to be a film in the style of Guy Ritchie's crazy gangster films, but it differs from his famous hits in that it doesn't stick to the style - simply put, the script fluctuates between crazy style with insanely cool characters and serious situations. The script is just such a strange mishmash, where a guy shot by automatic weapons, who looks like he'll be lying in the hospital for a few months, stands in front of a hotel with a bandaged hand in a few hours and is clearly inclined to have a stylish chat with his killer. That is exactly what doesn't sit well with me in films of this kind and why I eventually decided on a lower rating. However, the direction is stylishly energetic and quite skillful, which helps overshadow the problematic script. Overall impression: 45%.

If you compare the globally known pop culture phenomenon Prison Break and this classic black and white film from the 1950s, the film version is clearly better. It manages to deliver a realistic and immensely emotive story of the escape of five prisoners from a French prison on a significantly smaller scale. These are not cheap and convoluted script twists, but a functional and clever screenplay with strong characters and a strikingly cynical ending. The film may not be flawless, but it's just a matter of minor details. The French simply know how to make films. Overall impression: 90%.

The Social Network is not a film about Facebook, the internet, or social networks, and it is not even, in the true sense of the word, a biography of the founder of the Facebook company. It is a film about the desire for excellence, about ruthless ambition, where excess baggage is discarded on the way to success, and friends and loves are lost. It is a film about entrepreneurs who can build an empire out of nothing and who must possess qualities that would exclude them from mainstream society. Success, however, can silence the critics. And that's probably how it goes with big projects. A similar film could be made about Ford or Rockefeller. At the end of that journey, the hero is celebrated and favored, yet lonely and sadly clicking through his Facebook profile, hoping to regain a piece of his past. From a filmmaker's point of view, it is a brilliant film where every detail, from editing and camera work to the music, reveals one of the best directors of our time. It's not a popcorn flick, but more of a film for connoisseurs. Overall impression: 90%.

This documentary is as sharp as a razor and ruthless as the goddess of revenge. The director says at the beginning that he wanted to map out what drives Japanese society. He didn't quite succeed in that, but on the one hand, he came up with a very interesting character and life story, and on the other - and this is mainly what he managed to reveal - what Japan, as a collectivist society where the main requirement is not to lose face, carefully hides. That means the unsuccessful part of its society, poverty, which has its repulsive side and has no support in social institutions. The protagonist of the film lost his livelihood after the economic crash in 1992 and now relies on his partner, and this is a terrifying handicap from the perspective of traditional Japanese values... Overall impression: 85%.