POMO

Candidate is surprisingly not a bad satire. It is formally precise (except for the sound) but not self-serving – its editing and visual filters are there to convey the superficial charm of the world of commercials where it takes place. Its humor is scarce but witty and to the point. It’s the first time we get to see those Czech-Slovak jokes we’ve been waiting for (the MacDonald’s scene is the best) and it’s done so tastefully that both Czechs and Slovaks will laugh. The main character is charismatic and believable and Marek Majeský is a good fit for the role. Candidate is a very Slovak film, but I don’t mean that as an insult. It reflects hiding the absence of wit behind “glamorous” values, good marketing and dubious politics. However, I won’t give it a fourth star because I’m not sure this was done consciously. I have these doubts also because of the would-be surprising final point, which was forcibly added to the film so that the audience feels the need to discuss the ending with the filmmakers.

The ambition of this film is to make the audience root for an unlucky good guy who goes through some amusing mishaps only to finally manage to fulfil his dream and gain confidence. However, this is done without a single scene, character or any other creative filmmaking effort that would make you remember the film. The effect of the straightforward attack on your emotions will soon subside and leave you with no lasting impression.

In the first half, RoboCop observes the psychology of transforming a human into a robot and addresses the issue of ethics without lacking the proper visual effectiveness. In the second half, the film speeds up and the well-built dramaturgy falls apart (with a twist that probably not even the creators – including the screenwriter – understand, when RoboCop chooses to address his own past over dealing with the ongoing crimes) and the interesting science-fiction movie becomes a dumb action flick. It seems as if José Padilha’s film was cut and shortened by the producers to satisfy more consumerist audiences who don’t need more than said dumb action. And that’s a pity. The cynical view of US foreign policy and a few good jokes (“I’m just from marketing!”) suggest that the new RoboCop could have been a worthy remake, cleverly reflecting society in the new millennium.

The Lunchbox is a very likable film that is poetically thoughtful and both funny and sad. Irrfan Khan’s minimalist acting makes it interesting to watch him even opening bowls of food that we do not see. Indian openness, talent for portraying the characters’ feelings through dialogue and, in particular, EDITING. It is also beautifully written! Loneliness, searching, and, at a crucial moment, dreaded hesitation. In a place where there are so many people and everyone wants what others have, even the wrong train can take us to the right place. We just mustn't miss it.

Everything you wanted to re-watch for the thousandth time about the Nazis and their victims, in a transparent and sentimental package with another ultra-fragile music score by John Williams. Innocent children, a good-natured Jew in hiding, a papa with a big heart and a caring mom. Everybody loves each other very much while maintaining family values, but unfortunately there’s the Gestapo knocking on their door... A nicely filmed mainstream tearjerker. Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson are worthy of a higher form of cinematic art.

A TV documentary about rock climbing that has it all. Climbing philosophy, partner ethics, breathtaking video from the peak of Gasherbrum, reflections on the commercialization of Everest and insight into the private life of Marek Holeček, whom this documentary is all about. We also get to see the legendary Josef Rakoncaj and Zdeněk Hrubý. Good job, Czech Television!

Sex and the City thirty years later. In a village. Guys don’t get a lot of space in this film; their only role is to occasionally lighten up the oppressive atmosphere of a quarreling female family gathering. Like mother, like daughter. The cast delivers excellent acting performances all around. Especially Meryl Streep is once again incredible. But it would pay off to occasionally slow down the pace and let the viewer absorb the feelings and thoughts of one quarrel before the next one, even faster and more intense, kicks off. Slow down the pace, for example, by focusing on the environment and location where the film takes place, by shaping the atmosphere. It would help the audience make sense of the entangled relationships between the characters and make the film more memorable, not only as a theatre play turned into a TV production, but as a movie worthy of the big screen and its stars.

Django turned upside down. An odyssey into the emotional and mental state that results from the loss of dignity and absolute humiliation, quietly conveyed in wide-angle shots of marshy Louisiana with music by Hans Zimmer that is reminiscent of his score for The Thin Red Line (Williams’s strings would have worked better here). The unimaginative but “safe” Hollywood narrative template keeps the film unnecessarily tame and moves it away from the original character we had hoped for from the film’s director, Steve McQueen. He made a huge mistake by casting the likeable Fassbender in the key and most complex role of the sadistic, evil and weak Epps. Even Benedict Cumberbatch would have been a better fit for this paraphrase of the character of Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes) from Schindler’s List and, with a more believable embodiment of ultimate human evil, the last third of the film escalating in the final flogging could have been the most powerful movie moment of the year.

The new Jack Ryan wants to be Ethan Hunt and Jason Bourne, but he won’t even get close to Peacemaker. This spy thriller made in 2014 does not have a single action attraction, interesting location or unexpected twist. Obviously, there should have been respect and fear of the main bad guy, when even a scene involving an attempt to hack his computer would create suspense. But it doesn’t work. It is clear to the viewer that such a cookie-cutter scenario would not dare hurt Jack’s sweetheart. For Kenneth Branagh, it was a simple and lucrative Hollywood job, where he got money for both direction and the role of the villain, and that’s all. Let’s move on.

This independent American film project similar to Leaving Las Vegas or Boys Don’t Cry is based on a story about an interesting outsider and his excellent portrayal. Exploring the personality of the main character in detail, it is a captivating movie experience that doesn’t let you turn your eyes away from the screen. The transformation of McConaughey’s Ron Woodroof from an arrogant chauvinist redneck into an understanding and desperate, yet persistent fighter for not just his life is the most powerful character study of recent years. The creators of this movie are modest, minimalist, do not rely on acting eccentricities or technical and visual enhancements; they focus only on telling the story by the most classic means, with an open and sensitive approach to the topic. The film is fantastically written and directed. In terms of morality, Woodroof is the exact opposite of Jordan Belfort and I’m afraid that DiCaprio has no chance against McConaughey with the Academy.