Kaka

In this age of ultrahigh-tech, when every other movie is packed with computer effects, Sydney Pollack's The Interpreter feels pleasantly old-fashioned. In order to like the film, it is probably important to understand Pollack, or rather, to develop a taste for his directing style. The pace is just right, no frantic editing, no wild camera orgies. Simply put: old school.

Only after about thirty minutes did the talking stop and something started to happen. What caught my attention is that Ringo Lam (unlike, for example, Frank Darabont in The Shawshank Redemption) focuses more on the prison's routines and rules rather than on the characters and their relationships, this is the main and crucial point of the story. Although the story itself is quite simple, the skillful, typically sharp Hong Kong direction, raw setting, and extremely rough action scenes stand out even more. They are scarce during must of the film, but towards the end, it's a real blast.

David Lynch couldn't resist some of his own extravagances, but that’s probably par for the course when it comes to him. Overall, this film felt like a combination of L.A. Confidential, Chinatown, and Wild at Heart. However, formally speaking, Lynch is once again completely unique.

The inventive direction, a good script, and the Gilliam’s typical visuals clearly stand out. The camera is strikingly colorful, the sets are diverse, and there are plenty of visual and content tricks. However, the overall content didn't impress me as much. It was overly chaotic and too “out there” for my taste, making it difficult for me to enjoy or have the desire to rewatch the film.

First of all, Rob Reiner’s direction is brilliant. He skillfully leads the actors and brilliantly depicts a depressive and suggestive atmosphere of fear, uncertainty, and apprehension. Moreover, almost all the film takes place in one room, or rather in one house, and it doesn't even detract from its impact. The pace and tension masterfully escalate until the devilish finale.

A very interesting film, and if it wasn't directed by a B-movie director like Peter Hyams, it could have been even better. Some flaws are unfortunately visible due to the low budget, especially when it comes to the sets and the production design. But the action is excellent and the love story is one of the best in Jean-Claude Van Damme's filmography. In a way, it is a quite unique project in terms of content. Time travel is presented somewhat clumsily and certainly not without errors, but the film has drive and is entertaining. Additionally, Mia Sara in the lead role will mesmerize many people.

Good production design and sets, a touching story, and above all sensitive direction and great performances. I really liked the story itself and it never slipped into excessive sentimentality, on the contrary, the ending is quite surprising. A huge asset to the film is Danny Elfman's haunting score.

A fantastic conclusion to the greatest film saga of all time. Visually extremely confident, plot-packed, and emotionally fateful.

A very bad action movie, where the main villain is far more charismatic than both heroes combined. If I overlook some horrendous visual effects (especially when the two Van Dammes appear on the screen at the same time), we have a typical revenge story that tries to have an Asian atmosphere, but fails miserably. Sheldon Lettich is a B-movie director who doesn't know what he's doing. Had this been a pure Hong Kong film, I believe the quality would be higher, but then most likely it wouldn't be starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Bolo Yeung is a top-notch fighter.

Another historical film that needs to be seen at least twice in order to understand the plot and expressive depth that it possesses (similar to Alexander). Not every viewer will be able to reconcile with the fact that Kingdom of Heaven is not a typical historical film with everything that comes with it, but that it expresses something more through historical events, battles, love, and characters, than just what happens on the screen. This is even more pronounced than in Alexander. Kingdom of Heaven is an ode to world peace and finding the meaning of life. It is narrated, acted, and directed in a captivating way (the director's cut). Ridley Scott grabbed the reins and made a smart film that not everyone will see through.