gudaulin

I have seen a number of mystery movies lately that I simply couldn't tolerate. Stay is surprisingly not only functional but I would even say excellent. It has excellent coordination of music, camera, film effects, and acting performances, and has atmosphere and a meaningful well-constructed screenplay. In terms of the genre, only some early Lynch films have had such an impact on me, but compared to them, Forster's drama has a more rational point. It's the kind of film that is worth seeing not only twice, but it's even possible to enjoy many scenes from the film better with knowledge of what is going to happen, and it's possible to watch it many times over. The casting of top-notch and well-known actors paid off, and this is simply a genre delight where only two scenes bother me because reveal more than is necessary. Overall impression: 95%.

I already have some issues with Filip Remunda's filmography, but this time it's a major crisis. His film doesn't bring anything new about Russia that isn't already well-known from vastly superior documentaries and feature films from the past. Instead, it's full of posing, forced exaggerations, and, frankly, nonsense. If Czech documentary filmmaking stands high today, then this is its lowest level. Overall impression: 5%.

This psychological drama with a slower pace, in an unusual international co-production, tells a story from an Israeli kibbutz in the 70s, where there is a conflict between an individual who longs to escape the restrictive environment and a collective that manipulates him and tries to impose their idea of happiness and lifestyle on him. The film comes across as too harsh an indictment of the kibbutz, who were actually organized on a voluntary basis and formed the most functional attempt at an egalitarian community built on the principles of nationalism and social program. The kibbutz naturally could not withstand the growing and individualistic society, but the fact that they still exist testifies to the fact that it was and still is the best-organized project of its kind, which has nothing to do with real socialism. A similar story about a nonconforming individual doesn't have to be only from the environment of religious sects or ideologically oriented communities, as it can be, for example, the rebellion of children against their parents who want to dictate their lifestyle, and it can have many other versions. Overall impression: 60%.

In this case, the director's role isn't as important as that of the screenwriter, Oldřich Daněk. His moralistic television stories have a distinct theatrical character, but the essence lies in the dialogues, which Daněk excelled at. Four fictional dialogues from ancient history, which almost certainly didn't happen as Daněk portrays them, but the same could be said about his other works. What matters is that they evoke the right emotions and delve into the most important character traits: justice, truth, honor, the abuse of power, love, friendship, and much more. Overall impression: 90%. Moreover, it's an acting showcase by two Czech acting legends.

A pleasant film. Although it doesn't bring anything new to the perspective of show business and its rules, it is sympathetic in that all the relationship storylines end positively, even though the viewer suspects that in some cases they will not last long. The cast is also good, one would tend to believe in confessions of love to someone like Anna Friel, even though they know she slept with half of her customers just a few minutes ago. :-) Overall impression: 65%.

I understand what Stone is trying to do, but the problem is that this is not what a psychological drama should be. The script and direction are both helpless, and the result is only one star for Edward Norton's traditionally excellent performance. Otherwise, major talent is required to kill a cast and a promising concept like this. Overall impression: 25%.

I am not going to complain about this movie, but I have to point out that I am so exhausted from the whole series that I would gladly accept Voldemort's victory. I have previously mentioned that, from my point of view, the movie series should have had only four parts, as this fully demonstrates a lot of filler from the books. Additionally, since the producers decided to divide the last book into two movie parts for higher profits, this flaw is even more evident in this case. Logically, the film does not escalate as it should and thus lags from a dramatic perspective. On the other hand, it once again scores points with the big budget and the care of the film studio, so Harry Potter fans will not be disappointed. Overall impression: 50%.

A sympathetic film thanks to a series of successful catchphrases, self-irony, and the decadent environment of Hollywood. However, it is precisely the kind of film where I appreciate a lot of details, but the overall impression is not so great. Namely, the film has an overcomplicated script, purposeless squeezing out of humor, and violent jumping between crazy situations and more serious tones. In addition, out of the three main actors, only Robert Downey Jr. works for me completely. I don't really like Val Kilmer and he only ever impressed me in The Salton Sea. Michelle Monaghan is a fine actress, but she didn't fit into this role and I would prefer a dozen others in her place. Moreover, the script also omitted a lot of self-deprecating dialogues and jokes, it works exactly in the spirit of what is expected. Simply put, it has been done many times before. Overall impression: 65%.

Václav Havel is no longer a dissident or president, he is now just a celebrity. For him, it is of course not difficult to gather a whole bunch of money and fulfill one of his dreams by making a feature film. The money is willingly donated by a well-known billionaire, a number of leading Czech actors consider it an honor to participate in the project, and the same goes for other film professions. Practically no Czech film in recent years can be said to have had such intensive PR as Leaving. Reports from the filming appeared in the media, interviews with actors who acted as if they had just taken a drug causing euphoria, and judging by these reports, it was supposed to be the film experience of the year. Therein lies the problem, because Leaving, with its content and film techniques used, is more of a film intended for the related audience in a film club. In reality, for example, Leaving was shown at a particular movie theater in 4 versions during the best screening times, which only happens to the biggest box office hits. The same movie theater boycotts films by the Coen brothers or Polanski because it considers them to be not commercial enough. The problem is also with the source material because the play of the same name was considered a theatrical event of the decade in the Czech Republic, but in the world, it received only a lukewarm reception and can be described as purely average. A top-notch film cannot be created from an average work, especially when the director has no previous film experience. Of course, this is not a catastrophe because the film crew, whether the camera, music, or cast, is truly among the best Czechs currently have. But it's a typical film meant for "blowing off steam." If it weren't for the eager fans among journalists who consider Havel to be a symbol of democracy and an unquestionable figure, and a similar group of oppositely inclined people who need to settle their scores with Havel for the same reasons, and thus their passionate debates fill the media, that film would simply and plainly disappear from theaters due to lack of audience interest and would sporadically appear in uninteresting times on public television... Overall impression: 40%.

It is nice when myths are debunked, but in doing so, one should not forget about the audience, and when debunking myths, the result should be as close as possible to historical reality. Here, folklore romantics can have their satisfaction and one can only wonder how these bandits enjoyed their outlaw life in the 18th century. Somehow, it escapes attention that it was actually a form of organized crime, that there was dirt, fear, stress, and violence involved. The film itself has not just one or two flaws but fails in the crucial aspects, like the screenplay, which does not create a coherent view of Jánošík as a historical character but rather dissects his sexual life, and it is a succession of genre images that are not always relevant. Action scenes, dialogues, casting (nothing against Jiráček, but Jánošík had to be more charismatic if he wanted to lead a criminal gang)... At times, it was so unbearable that I seriously considered not finishing the film. The final nail in the coffin is the unnecessarily long duration - the almost 140 minutes are truly a punishment for the viewer considering the aforementioned. I have a feeling that the effort to support domestic film and the legend, which has its place in both nations of the former Czechoslovakia, has worked for many users. Overall impression: 40%.