Stanislaus

Love, Simon certainly had its flaws, but it was still a nice easy-going film, which despite its serious lines radiated an incredibly positive atmosphere. That's why I was curious to see a series version with a similar theme. I've noticed that the older I get, the more distant movies and TV shows from a high school setting feel to me, so I have to look at such pieces with a bit of perspective – at least in terms of behavior and character development. That was just a little interjection to start with. Love, Victor takes the basic skeleton from its cinematic predecessor, but deals with more problematic themes than just self-awareness during adolescence. It deals with marital problems, first crushes and the sobering-ups that come with them, and family and friendship relationships, which are both fragile and rock-solid. But as I said, it's better to look at some of the storylines through the eyes of teenagers. I liked the smooth connection to the original film and the associated smaller roles of the actors from Love, Simon. As is often the case with high school movies and TV shows, the creators went a bit wrong with a couple of the actors, and I don't mean the acting, but the 25+ looks. But watever! The conclusion of the last episode offered a pretty major cliffhanger, so I'm curious to see if we'll see a continuation of (not only) Victor's story – unless the series falls flat with viewers. For me, in the end, a weak four stars! The second season was qualitatively on a similar level in terms of the issues dealt with and the (at times slightly ham-fisted) development and behaviour of the characters, and alongside Victor's storyline I would particularly highlight the one with Felix and his sick mother. The newcomer Rahim is likeable, and it was nice to see a smaller role for "Simon" Josh Duhamel. In the end, the creators managed to get me decently tense again.

The High Note won me over thanks to the nice soundtrack and the unpretentious story, which smacks of cliché at times, but doesn't offend in any major way - moreover, the film deserves a thumbs up for the minor plot twist at the end, even if it was a bit of emotional blackmail. The cast was mostly decent, I was a bit surprised by Tracee Ellis Ross' age, and in the case of Dakota Johnson I still saw a bit of Anastasia in there, but so be it. Ice Cube had his typical pissed-off look on his face, and I liked the cameos by Bill Pullman and Eddie Izzard. In the case of Kelvin Harrison, it was a promising surprise (btw, his age surprised me a bit too). A nicely made little thing for a stronger three stars!

A nicely made easygoing film with more than one humorous moment. It might no offer anything unseen in the genre, but makes up for it with its laid-back atmosphere and mostly grounded and believable performances. Alongside the comic scenes, there were a few more serious sequences, of which I'd like to highlight Adam's conversation with his parents after the coming out. P.S. Jon Gabrus looks like a younger version of Jack Black! + How did Chris know which car to damage?

Closet Monster tells the story of growing up, first loves, coming out and the importance of family, which unfortunately is not a choice. The beginning of the film was really raw, and in fact, there were some harsh (and in a way metaphorical) scenes throughout the plot that you don't usually see in films like this. I definitely have to give a shout out to the incredible soundtrack. However, I found the film too bizarre and out of place at times, both in a good and bad way.

At first glance, Bloodshot is a B-movie to the core, offering nothing innovative in terms of story, just wrapping it all in a plethora of digital (and sometimes too unnatural) effects that similar films before the turn of the millennium didn't have. I had a pretty big problem with the cast: Vin Diesel is a mountain of muscle, but he can’t command the respect of, say, The Rock or even the older Sly and Arnie. Eiza González’s only function was to be a wooden ornament, and Lamorne Morris was incredibly annoying. Perhaps only Guy Pearce seemed okay in his role, and I'm glad they somehow illuminated Toby Kebbell's awkward "Psycho-Killer-Dance". While it's true that the dusty tunnel scene had a decent atmosphere, the final battle was a little too cheap and artificial. Better two stars! P.S. A few minutes before the end in the cinema, the screen went black and only the audio remained, and I felt that with that clichéd ending, I could have done with only the audio.

Raoul Taburin is brimming with pervasive absurdity – both plot and character – which it doesn't always quite manage to pull out. I was quite happy with the cast, Benoît Poelvoorde and his artful grin are a chapter in themselves, I already liked Suzanne Clément in Xavier Dolan's Mommy and Edouard Baer finally met "Brutus" on screen after failing to do so in Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, and their interaction was really funny at times. The film’s premise ha an Amelie vibe, even though it's on the lower end of the quality scale, but it still puts a smile on your face. Maybe I was expecting something more from this film, but I don't regret watching it. It is worth it for the beautiful locations of the French countryside and the pleasant music alone!

The Whistlers is a really strange genre mix – in the positive and negative sense. The idea of whistled speech is truly unusual, and even though it is not exactly a hygienic way of communicating, it still has its charm. Story-wise, I found the film a bit dull and inconsistent at the beginning, which thankfully changed in the second half, when you didn't really know who was with whom and who was against whom – in this respect I appreciate the unpredictability of the character development, even though it was perhaps too confusing at times. I don't quite understand the classification of the film in the comedy genre, because it didn't contain any downright funny moments. As I said, a very strange film!

And Then We Danced would probably get lost in the plethora of queer-themed films, but since it takes place in Georgia, which is not exactly gay-friendly, and also offers a look behind the scenes of local traditions (dances, weddings, family customs). It leaves a strange and novel impression on the viewer, even though the story is about the familiar theme of a socially disapproved relationship. I was very impressed by the dance and music sequences, which really had their own charm. Perhaps only the relationship between the two main characters could have been fleshed out more. A weaker four stars!

Untamed captivates with its unorthodox technical workmanship and its story, which in a way is original, even though it deals with a mundane topic. A visually imaginative one-shot from the life of a "wailing" family.

#Iamhere is a nicely made film that tackles several topics at once - family and virtual relationships, the generation gap and the search for oneself. Alain Chabat is a charismatic likeable guy who you can't help but root for in what he does. You could say he almost steals the whole film for himself, though, the scenes with his sons and Soo are also worth mentioning. It's certainly better if you don't read the synopsis before the screening, which gives away much of the film. At times, this Instagram-themed little flick reminded me of Spielberg's The Terminal, though in this case it wasn't quite as dramatic. A solid three stars!