Necrotongue

This was certainly a strong experience. I definitely wouldn’t recommend the film to people who prefer feel-good films and expect to be relaxed while watching. I don’t see that happening with this film. Anyway, I savored the depressing atmosphere full of hopelessness. If Cervantes could see this, he would burn his Don Quixote manuscript in shame, because he would have to admit that Dmitrij Nikitin was trapped in a much more desperate situation.

Blake Lively is always nice to look at, so I wasn't worried about the aesthetic aspect of the film. It soon became clear that the script wouldn't be a disappointment either. Anna Kendrick played another one of those goofy characters that suit her so well. Even though I didn't exactly roll on the floor laughing, I had a very good time. When it comes to thrillers, I’m used to the fact that there is a twist at the end. Here, there was more than just one and they all worked out really well.

What got me to watch the film was its decent cast, but I feel like I was tricked. Given how boring it was, the running time was downright murderous. I’m not sure if there was a deeper message. My only takeaway from the film is that it was another act of brown nosing to the creators of racial quotas, so two black women, one responsible Hispanic mother and a Polish blonde meet to embark on a life of crime. Especially the character of Veronica seemed rather weird, at times almost schizophrenic. Her transitions from a righteous widow to a "cool" badass were really hard to believe. The script was very predictable, and I actually didn't enjoy any of it.

The opening scenes of the film promised an excellent spectacle, but... Everything I liked about it soon faded away and the only thing left were dull stares, ineffective play on emotions, frequent racing against time and a Star Wars rip-off, which was only missing Admiral Ackbar’s famous line: "It's a trap!" Otherwise, there was an attack on the Death Star and a duel between the father and son (actually, a daughter), complete with gender equality and multi-cultural interconnectedness under Dalai Lama’s supervision. Not to mention all that self-sacrifice. It's a shame that the creators managed to completely bury the idea which had so much potential.

I consider The Magic Quill to be above average, but I must admit it’s more about the actors than the writing. It seemed a bit "trapped" at times, and it could also use a bigger dose of humor. As usual, there was singing and dancing, which is a real put-off for me in fairy tales. I enjoyed Jana Plodková’s performance in each of her scenes and I just wished she had a slightly bigger role.

I simply liked Hastrman, and if it hadn't been for those few nonsensical moments, I'd have happily added a fifth star. Karel Dobrý was excellent, and I found the baron's internal struggle absolutely convincing. Simona Zmrzlá was definitely a good choice and Jiří Lábus showed again that he should be cast in serious roles more often. I enjoyed a mixture of the lyrical and the epic, a well-chosen soundtrack and the somewhat depressing atmosphere.

If I hadn't read a book about the Slánský trial last week, I would have given "only" four stars. Now that I know all the high-ranking officials (paradoxically, the only character who was unfamiliar to me was the protagonist), it makes the story even more relatable. I found the film really interesting with all the manipulations and intrigue of an organization that devoured its members like Saturn his children. Plus, the creators also managed to create a perfectly bleak atmosphere.

What a qualitative leap forward after the disaster that was the previous season. I consider Season 3 a kind of creative blackout. Season 4 was great fun, offered a good dose of humor, didn’t lack quality drama with elaborate atmosphere, so I didn’t have to fear boring episodes full of unnecessary filler and had a great time.

The plot didn’t hit me as hard as the previous two episodes. I was leaning towards giving it four stars, but all the episode was about was mourning a character's death. My cynical side just couldn't buy into it. At times, it felt like it wasn’t Poussey who died in the show but Samira Wiley in real life. The creators pushed too hard on the emotional aspect, and that just didn’t work for me.

The episode kept the momentum from the previous one, with its depressing vibe and intriguing plot developments. Sure, some parts felt a bit far-fetched, but hey, what do I know about the land of unlimited opportunity, right?