Stanislaus

The Gazebo is a truly fast-paced, madcap comedy spiced with crime, in which Louis de Funés learns the hard way that it's really difficult to get rid of a person, especially when your home is as busy as a main train station and someone is always getting in your way. The film has many funny moments and dialogue that really amused me.

Dumber in the script, duller in the visuals, a slightly retarded cousin of the more famous The Wolfman, but it offers a few decent scares, lots of dismembered bodies and a bizarre denouement. Within its genre, it's a below-average piece of work that you probably won't remember tomorrow. P.S. I don't think I've ever seen an invalid horse in a movie before.

The Wolf of Snow Hollow greets the viewer with an appealing intro and a promising premise about a sleepy town ("Sleepy" Snow Hollow) run by a psychopathic maniac or...maybe something else, the supernatural. Unfortunately, the film is incredibly undermined by the main character John, who was incomprehensibly hysterical and annoying. That being said, the supporting characters of the ailing father (RIP Robert Forster) or Juliet were likeable. As for the denouement, I found it quite strange, surprising and to some extent novel, but strange nonetheless. Despite a few black-humored moments that livened up the film a bit, I (unfortunately) didn't find myself liking it. Maybe I'll give it another chance in the future (88% on Rotten Tomatoes doesn't sit well with me). P.S. Jim Cummings has an unmistakably distinctive toe – coincidence?!

It is amazing to see that Europe still has almost unspoiled nature, with only minimal human interference. Estonia's Matsalu Park is proof of this. The documentary focuses mainly on the local moose population, but the other inhabitants of this "Garden of Eden" are also given space for introductions. During the screening, I learned many interesting facts about the life of moose and enjoyed more than one nice shot of the local nature (I was especially interested in the autumn and foggy shots).

Bioko is a paradise for many animal species for which this place is an ideal refuge. The documentary focuses mainly on the drill community, their hierarchy, family relationships and habits, but it also offers interesting insights into other species, like sea turtles, loggerheads and colobus. Informatively, this is a rewarding film that has some nice shots of local wildlife, while non-violently highlighting the vulnerability of these endangered creatures. P. S. You wouldn't believe how popular figs can be as a food.

15 Years does hae a compelling premise that deals with several issues (partners, family, friendship, parenthood), but I found the film a bit odd in its execution, especially when it came to the main character, who was hard to form any kind of relationship with. Yoav was plagued by several demons at once, which started to destroy him internally, yet I found his behaviour a bit out of place and really difficult to understand. I was most intrigued by the storyline with the pregnant friend, which I also found the strongest. The metaphorical character of the homeless man also had something to it. Plus point for the atypical ending.

Just Friends offers nothing new within its genre, but it's a nicely written and believably acted film, so I didn't mind the generic premise. The film addresses interpersonal relationships (both partner and family) and dealing with the death of loved ones, so it has a pretty broad scope and, thanks to the short running time, doesn't even have time to get boring. I was supremely entertained by the character of the bubbly and funny grandmother, and I must admit that there were a couple of scenes in the second half that made me a little soft (especially the one with the mother and the ashes). An enjoyable TV outing that effectively combines romance, drama and humour.

Of Wolves and Men offers an interesting insight into the slowly growing population of wolves in our territory, which have started to return to us after more than a hundred years. For ecologists this is a small miracle, but for private animal keepers and people in the borderlands it is a rather unpleasant fact. Can humans and wolves coexist in harmony? This is not the only question that the film addresses, and in addition to outlining the wolf situation in Czechia, it also tries to raise awareness among people. After all, wolves have been an integral part of our nature for many years and as apex predators they are an important link in the food chain in the wild, so it is in our interest to try to coexist with them in a non-violent way.

The fates of animals are as dramatic and interesting as those of humans – if not more so – and Frost the bear and her cubs are proof of that. Asgeir Helgestad offers a privileged insight into the lives of (not only) polar bears inhabiting Svalbard, which is being negatively affected by climate change. Although the ice cover there is diminishing, it is still a freezing and unforgiving landscape in which its inhabitants must fight for their bare lives. I hope that the future of the local fauna will be more positive and cheerful than in the case of Frosty's cubs, aptly named Light and Lucky.

I recently saw Matteo Garrone's Tale of Tales, and I really liked it, so I decided to go to the cinema to see Pinocchio, which I expected to be a similar experience, as the source material is indeed a dark fairy tale. It's definitely a raw version that doesn't shy away from depicting violence, animal abuse and overall bad (not only) human traits. Some of the scenes are spellbinding and horrifying (the hanging Pinocchio or the transformation into a donkey). Story-wise, the film doesn't have much to surprise as it is relatively familiar material. I appreciate the work of the make-up artists, who managed to create several (more or less) scary characters alongside Pinocchio. Despite these attributes, I still felt that a little more could have been made of it. Visually it's beautiful, bizarre and scary, but the story didn't hit me that much.