gudaulin

Due to the many corrosively toxic reviews, my expectations were understandably low, so I was not surprised by the final form of Tománek's work. What can I say about it to avoid repeating the criticisms of others? This simply is not a film, but a disaster. It may not deserve a pure Boo! rating, but considering the finances it devoured, it is in a way a crime when, for financial reasons, projects are not being created in the Czech environment that deserve to see the light of day incomparably more. The Boo! rating is also for the outrageous self-confidence that the creative team exuded, where a damn large dose of self-reflection would have been more appropriate. Overall impression: 15% for artistic design.

A Latin American soap opera... So just to be clear, I'm not equating the Mexican cartel with any random bit of Latin American soap opera, both in terms of content and quality. Walking Vengeance aims to be a crime drama, and objectively speaking, it is. It looks more like the film crew, from the screenwriter to the director to the last actor, used to make soap operas in the past and whether they like it or not, it now influences their current work. Walking Vengeance is like a soap opera in terms of the fatefulness, agonizing suffering linked to cunning revenge, exoticism, a focus on the female element, the outward appearance of its characters ranging from the charm of desperate women to the captivating gaze of the main male character, and so on. It takes itself very seriously, just like a telenovela (am I supposed to take a female pickpocket gang seriously?) where humorous exaggeration would instead be appropriate... Overall impression: 40%.

To fully understand the situation presented to viewers by La Vida Loca, it is necessary to know at least the basic facts about the recent history and present of El Salvador. 20 years ago, a 13-year-long civil war between an extreme right-wing military dictatorship and left-wing guerrillas, fought with exceptional resilience and cruelty by both sides, came to an end. Naturally, the civilian population suffered the most in this conflict. The mass emigration to the United States, which is so typical for Latin America due to economic reasons, was supported by a massive exodus to escape death squads, bombings, and general violence. In the United States, Latin Americans traditionally had a heavily subordinate status, and in order to compete with cheap labor, they began to form similar associations following the example of local gangs. When the need for the US authorities to at least outwardly tolerate refugees disappeared after the signing of the peace agreement and the fall of the dictatorship, their deportation back to El Salvador followed. There, the prospects for a better life were grim, but there were plenty of weapons and the authorities, including the police, were much worse off than in the United States. The gangs became even more brutal, and in a short period of time, El Salvador became a country that persistently competes for first place in the number of murders per capita. I would like to remind you that considering the population size, especially with the figure of 12 deaths per day in gang-related clashes, this ultimately amounts to a much larger number of victims than in many wars of lower intensity that regularly fill the space in the media and provoke passionate reactions. This documentary is very powerful, raw, and chilling. Additionally, it is clear that during filming, it was quite dangerous, as confirmed by the director's death in the end. The entire documentary is underscored by a musical soundtrack of gangster rap. A very strong experience. Overall impression: 95%. Poveda practically did not need any commentary; the camera capturing everything was more than enough.

An animated short film divided into three separate stories with different visual styles, all united by the theme of deception in various forms. After being caught by security, a thief mystifies those around him by claiming he is just causing trouble like an accountant. A boy who flies on the wings of imagination claims he has committed a crime, and finally, a young woman who has fallen into drug addiction tries to hide her addiction from her surroundings. Overall impression: 55%. The drawing avoids details and does not reveal the faces of its heroes.

A crime? "Okay, whatever," says the main character when she wants to find her place in the sun and make extra money through marriage fraud. However, she no longer likes murder, which is an integral part of her companions' plan. She simply has certain moral barriers that clearly do not bother the other members of the criminal gang. But Lorna does not realize that she is just a small fish and not the driving force behind events, so her rebellion against the planned transaction with a sad ending ends unsuccessfully, and she has no choice but to try to save her own life. This psychological crime story, with an interesting and unconventional actress in the lead role and a bitter plot, does not attempt to follow in the footsteps of Hollywood thrillers, but follows its own path of a small European film. Overall impression: 75%.

The opening scene at the crematorium enticed me with its black humor, and the following minutes of the owner running out with his employees reminded me of a recently published case in Italy, where the boss sent his sheep on a company-wide vacation during which he relocated the factory to Poland. It seemed like a great ride and I expected to consider giving the highest rating, but after the disgruntled female employees voted for their boss's execution in the café, the film took a strange absurd turn that it couldn't shake off until the closing credits. While the first ten minutes suited me perfectly, endless moments of genuine suffering followed. I would have given in the Boo! rating but I realize that Jesus would define suffering completely differently. I just didn't connect with the anarchistic duo's style of humor. Overall impression: 15% for the intro.

Cameron Diaz is undoubtedly a hottie, especially when her makeup artist covers up her famous pimples, and thanks to her many years of experience, she can sell her charm to moviegoers. But that simply isn't enough for me for a good film. A banal script that led to the creation of a quickly forgettable and undemanding comedy. Overall impression: 25%.

A well-known female film critic once wrote about this film that it is a crystalline kitsch, but so sweet and cute that it is simply impossible to be angry at it. This is where the poverty of film criticism manifests itself when almost all the reviews in newspapers and magazines are written by women, and gender bias inadvertently influences their reviews. I can only confirm that from my perspective, it is a kitsch unlike any other, but as a man, I wouldn't consider it cute. It can be considered a parody of itself, and even the songs of ABBA, which I grew up with, sound disgusting here and it's probably the worst use of musical motifs by a popular Swedish group that I can remember. While they usually enhance the atmosphere, such as in the case of the Australian film Muriel's Wedding, here they seem forced. Overall impression: 20%.

The first season of Matrioshki actually had a double collective hero. It was a group of girls from the post-Soviet space who were lured to Belgium under false pretenses and ended up in a strip bar. The second collective hero was the employees of this establishment, who stood on the other side of the imaginary barricade. The series evenly divided its attention among the individual characters, and the absence of a main character surprisingly did not bother anyone. The second series of Matrioshki is more ambitious, and the viewers will venture into Southeast Asia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Transnistria, and there are also many more characters and players. Characters appear and disappear, and the screenwriting is somewhat fragmented. Just as the viewer begins to develop a relationship with a character, they die or disappear, so the impressions are a bit mixed - partly because the screenwriter sacrificed potentially more interesting characters, from whom I would expect a much more significant development. However, the development of the characters in the gang is interesting, as they acquire a more tragicomic dimension as their business and actions gradually spiral out of control. Overall impression: 70%.

The film is scattered, without a concept, and unedited, so it is difficult to grasp the essence of the documentary. A certain generational statement would be interesting, and the theme is exactly what this film highlights. However, it should have been much more focused, because the few truths that emerge from the confessions can be determined more simply. The young Austrian "European" generation is individualistic and afraid of having children, and when they do decide to have them, they are spoiled only children. They want to enjoy all the possibilities that the still wealthy Europe offers them, but they are afraid of the future and taking responsibility. At the same time, they feel that something is wrong because their parents at the same age already had a secure existence and established families. Overall impression: 45%.