Pethushka

I've had a long-standing problem with Statham and I just don't enjoy watching him. But when I think about it, I don't think I've seen him do anything better. The superiority and smugness that characterizes perhaps every one of his roles suited me just fine this time. It was funny and tough at first, then hard and ruthless later. Good characters, atmosphere, cinematography, editing. Well, I haven't left a movie theater this impressed in a long time. Then again, I haven't left a movie theater at all in a long time.

To me, Claire Foy is one of the most charming actresses to appear in front of the camera, so I wasn't surprised that she basically "stole" the show. Because if there was one thing that charmed me, it was her strength, courage, and determination. The film has some really nice moments, especially ones that make the viewer laugh or the ones where they see that the art of living is an unparalleled gift. And the fact that the film was produced by their son is also terribly appealing to me. 4 stars.

It’s rare that I put my money on a series that doesn't star anyone I particularly care about. Something that at first seemed like a Korean version of Police Academy gradually (I don't even know when it happened) develops into a deep, sensitive, and immensely likeable series that tackles cases I think are most topical in Korean society. I don't think I've ever seen a more poignant film or series set in a police environment. I feel like I cried practically the entire time. Whether it was a marital crisis, the feelings of an aging man about to retire, a neglected father-daughter relationship, dealing with illness, the past, or one's own mistakes, beautiful confessions, or just honest dialogue about life or work, I never ceased to be captivated. And the fact that it wasn't just about romantic relationships is the best part of it all. If you had an aversion to Korean cops because of all the comedies where they're portrayed as inept bumblers, you'll probably get over it here. For me, watching the transformation of naive rookies into responsible police officers was an absolutely unique experience. I rate the characters as some of the most realistic I've seen from a Korean production. Not unequivocally bad or good, no pandering, just real. I'd love to start name-dropping one actor after another here again, but I won't. This one is as plain as day. 5 stars.

I have a thing for unusual and unlikely relationships, so just the intersection of a life slowly coming to an end with a life that has barely begun moves me. Plus, Sophia Loren is amazing and her personality is strong enough to build a movie around without a proper story. Personally, I don't even see an ambition to exaggerate the relationship between the older lady and the little boy in any way or to make it more important than it could have been over such a short period. Love and understanding, in short, can come at any time, and in any measure. I don't so much get an experience out of the film as a feeling. Not a deep one, but a pretty nice one. A weaker 4 stars.

If this series is distinguished by anything, it's the character of the main heroine. In-na Yoo was great and appealing in her role. And more intelligent than the whole team combined. Eric is stylized this time – except for the work he does – into an ordinary and pretty laid-back guy. It's not that I don't like him that way, I just prefer him more passionate, quietly angry and, most importantly, in love. And it's the lack of romance – and the fact that I expected it based on the title – that I consider the biggest drawback of the series. The tug-of-war between the two rivals, which I enjoyed in the first episodes, gradually fades away and the spy plots, which I thought weren't that interesting, take over. That's what other, more elaborate TV series are for. In this case, the spy action was more of a joke, which probably won't go over well with fans of the genre. I have no doubt that in real life a small child could have caught them. Plus, I feel like the series gradually declined in quality and dragged pretty badly by the end. And if I had imagined an ending, it wouldn't have been like this one. 3.5 stars.

I also thought of comparing the movie to the Korean Parasite. But it doesn't matter, because thankfully there was no copying or spoofing, and the film follows its own original plot. The duo of Javier and Mario are acting constantly and you could cut the tension with a knife. I'll definitely keep recommending this one.

Not the first time I can't appreciate an Oscar winning film. Personally, I have a soft spot in my heart for nomads, but that's not the point. Because Nomadland comes across as a documentary at times, it forced me to form an opinion about things that have nothing to do with the film. Cinematically, it's perfect by all accounts. Breathtaking shots of nature, sensitively portrayed loneliness and longing at the same time, very nice music, sound, editing. Beautiful, but unfortunately I can’t help at least partly judging how I like the specific way these people live, what they do and say, and so on. And that inevitably plays into my overall impression of the film. But the determination to go against the grain is beautiful and in its own way uplifting. So is the appreciation of nature and putting people above real estate.

A pretty ordinary story that, while it feels like it's taken straight from life, on the other hand, it’s not a life you like. After all, in a movie – especially a romcom – you’re looking for more. Something more interesting, more dreamy, less real, something that doesn't happen in the ordinary world, with a proper happy ending. For a long time I didn't understand where the filmmakers were going with this, but I have to say that the ending was just great.

First and foremost, I want to be upset that something this vile and inhuman is even happening in this world. But you can't turn a blind eye to it, it has to be talked about, discussed, prevented. And I can't think of a better or punchier way to bring this unpleasant subject to the public. It's portrayed in an absolutely divine and convincing way. I felt a helplessness along with the women who were raped that I can't even put into words. For me, Merritt Wever was particularly excellent as the perceptive detective. I fell in love with her from the moment she first burst onto the scene, and she actually commanded my immense respect and admiration the entire time. I loved the dialogues between her and her husband, her partner (who was great too by the way), the victims, and the rest of the cast. But she wasn't the only one who seemed genuine. Even the saddest victim of all was played perfectly by Kaitlyn Dever. In short, one of the best crime dramas I can remember. 5 stars.

My problem with this series starts with the fact that I'm not so into lovestruck gangsters anymore. It always – let's face it – just goes around and around. And in this case, the writer, who I otherwise like a lot (everyone messes up once), didn't even bother coming up with something new. I have another problem with the director, whose error I understand even less (he's one of my favorites, after all). And yes, it's probably a lot about me and the fact that I don't have as much tolerance for overacting anymore and demand a more natural performance. Of course I got used to it after a few episodes and of course I even squeezed out a tear at one point, but for me – given the subject matter – it would have been weird if I hadn't. Of all the actors involved, I liked Hye-kyo Song the most, who played the blind girl very well. For me, In-seong Jo is a chapter unto himself and I just can't decide if I like watching him or not. He can act, no question about it, but when he's pushed into overacting in situations where it really doesn't fit yet or the viewer hasn't been able to form a relationship with him yet, he looks like an idiot and I didn't believe him one bit. Then again, that's the director's fault for not coaching his acting into some sort of natural progression and just lighting it right up. He got to me a lot more when he wasn't acting as much. His crying was too overdone for my taste. But if anyone really got on my nerves, it was his friends. I said of Beom Kim after Padam Padam that no one could suspect him of being unable to act anymore. Well, now I'm slapping my forehead and I feel like accusing him of it myself. But again, I think it's mostly due to the poorly written script and a role that just doesn't work with his innocent face. Plus, how can you like a character who just mouths off, makes threats over and over again, and finally walks off sourly to do his own thing. He and Eun-ji Jeong, who I really adored in Reply 1997, were maddening most of the time. But in terms of bad acting and unnatural reactions, I could name most of the characters in this. Half of them had based their existence merely on being able to annoy the main character with phone calls or texts anyway. I'm not saying it’s all bad. There were bright moments, a nice soundtrack, some nice dialogue, touching scenes, a strong main character... But I'm just too old for a fairy tale about three months and not a day more. But whatever, there were slaps and glasses in the face, so what am I complaining about? A weaker 3 stars.