gudaulin

The film is about a band that is characterized as anti-capitalist, and it doesn't seem absurd to the musicians to perform in the Eurovision competition, which has been considered for many years as a symbol of the most bizarre and extravagant pop music, as a heavily commercialized tasteless show. This really scared the capitalist magnates... I remember how some bands and individuals from the music industry were able to truly provoke and unsettle the establishment in the 60s to 80s. This is a harmless storm in a teacup. They're a group that looks like a bunch of introverted students from a theological faculty, who came to preach about morality, without costumes. If this is what rebellion looks like according to millennials, then we're screwed, ladies and gentlemen, and the elites can relax. Being a pop star was never their goal, and they're successfully mystifying that and it's taking them a long time. A documentary about young rebels shouldn't be boring, but unfortunately, A Song Called Hate manages to do that. Not to mention how ridiculous the band members are in their authentic anxiety about their "bold" protest and what they are actually afraid of. Facing censorship and career pressures or even physical attacks today means holding different opinions and rebelling in countries other than Israel. The editors of Charlie Hebdo could say something about it. This group knows too little about the complex situation in the Middle East and the issue of Palestine, where I really wouldn't want to act as an arbitrator. Overall impression: 35%.

The age of adolescence is not only a period of tasting forbidden fruit and first sexual experiments, but also a stage of life where you don't yet feel bound by adult ethics, the temptation of power over others is too enticing, and courage is lacking to show compassion, especially when your friends consider kindness as weakness. Once, the esteemed investigator of the Israeli police suffered harassment that left his left eye damaged. When a multiple murder leads him back to the high school where he experienced so much adversity, demons from the past resurface and he is determined to conduct the investigation disregarding regulations and consequences. The series excels at working with characters, is unpredictable, and fully exploits the attractive school environment with its horny teenagers indulging in all manner of vices associated with their age. Throughout my review process, I oscillated between four and five stars, but as time went on, the otherwise good script began to work with character psychology which was somewhat unbelievable, and the last episode was clearly rushed and unresolved. In the end, I leaned toward a lower rating. Overall impression: 85%. However, Israeli production once again demonstrates remarkably high quality.

I would not blame the film for being straightforward agitprop, but rather for being incredibly unpleasant and annoying and evoking the opposite emotions than those it should strive for. It is the case when instead of thinking about how you can contribute to nature conservation, you consider it a good idea to participate in destruction and preferably eliminate one or two animal species. Overall impression: 10%.

Honeymood is a comedy that you will enjoy if you have a tendency toward mischief. Otherwise, it has the ability to cause awkwardness and disgust. The majority of comedic situations are connected to the bride's escapades, who is over thirty but mentally stuck at seventeen. Delayed puberty dangerously intertwines with a hysterical personality state, so you get to observe sudden mood swings, affectation, manipulativeness, and stubbornness, which should have warned Noam long before he voluntarily put on the noose... I mean, the ring. The bride is simply an annoying toxic person, which is especially highlighted in comparison to Noam's ex-girlfriend, who is three orders of magnitude more sympathetic than Eleanor. Meanwhile, the filmmakers steer this obvious tragedy toward a romantic reconciliation and comforting happy ending, which seems as trustworthy to me as Donald Trump's tax return. Overall impression: 55%.

When the TV series Fargo was first mentioned, I saw it as a producer's attempt to parasite on the famous Coen Brothers film. My skepticism quickly disappeared, and with each new episode, I succumbed more and more to the world of Fargo, full of dark characters walking twisted paths soaked with human pain and blood, pursuing their idea of happiness and ultimately reaping what they did not expect. The success of Fargo relied on two factors. First, the quality scripts that presented all the improbable twists with ease and naturalness provided fresh ideas, portrayed interesting settings and communities, and most importantly, told thrilling and entertaining stories about people from the underworld. The second factor was the remarkable, more or less deranged, politically incorrect characters who had no problem crossing legal and ethical boundaries defined by prevailing morality. These characters possessed an incredible amount of charisma and engaged in acts that pushed them to the brink of urban legends and horrifying tales shared by police veterans with rookies. The beginning of the fourth season shows no signs of decline and efficiently depicts the power shifts between ethnically defined criminal clans. The creation of credit cards is portrayed with typical Fargo irony. However, as the minutes go by, the script deficiencies increase - a typical example being the hastily built relationship between the psychopathic sister and the new boss of the Italian clan. The TV series' characters mostly lack the necessary development and remain underutilized. Due to the screenwriters' incompetence, the potential of others is wasted. The African-American gang lacks more distinct individuality, and Chris Rock is the casting mistake of the year. Jessie Buckley and Gomorrah star Salvatore Esposito play their characters as outright caricatures, thereby detracting from the necessary tension of the show. Previous seasons of Fargo did use humor, but its dark antiheroes had to be taken seriously. We could continue with the criticism, but despite its numerous shortcomings, the fourth season of Fargo still deserves three stars - although there is a clear drop in quality compared to previous seasons. Overall impression: 55%.

The 62-year-old Hollywood veteran immersed herself in her role with all her professionalism, even though the character of Frances presented her with mischievous obstacles. A lifelong non-smoker, Michelle was forced to smoke more cigarettes for the role than she had in her entire previous professional life. She deserves recognition for her performance, but the film itself is considerably more problematic. I miss having a strong producer's hand, who should be the first to recognize that the film is heading towards failure. It is not clear who the film wants to appeal to, and it doesn't even have a clear genre it wants to be part of. Some of the characters should have been more well-defined. At times, the film requires an uncompromising edit. The screenwriter's work should have been returned to the table for (probably multiple) revisions. In this form, the film is destined to be quickly forgotten. Overall impression: 40%.

A one-dimensional adoration documentary, which in its uncritically achieves the opposite effect and, with its enthusiasm for the cause, reminds us of the naivety of the building agitprops of the late 1940s. If you do want to dedicate your time to a documentary about Greta Thunberg, then a much better choice is I Am Greta by Nathan Grossman. Overall impression: 0%.

Homeland managed to create a brand new genre of spy fantasy. While the Israelis, who were behind the original idea, made an authentic thriller, the Americans detached themselves from reality and started creating alternative modern history. The series has always been naive and detached from the actual work of secret services and the functioning of the American state administration: a CIA agent who revolves around several American presidents and significantly influences world history simply cannot be taken seriously. However, the creators never transitioned into the mode of a female agent 007. Watching the series was possible thanks to the use of perspective and primarily due to the casting, led by the excellent Claire Danes, but there were always other acting aces nearby, thanks to whom you could survive anything that would otherwise make you raise an eyebrow and shake your head. As time went by, I had the feeling that the series became a victim of its own success and started deteriorating dangerously. The writers' imagination expanded dangerously wide. I won't rate it with stars, but it's good that there won't be any more continuation of this series...

Reviews of movies and series are usually derived from comparison, and unfortunately, I watched Caliphate only after finishing the excellent Israeli series Our Boys. It is among the rare titles that can be labeled as perfect, and precise, without any flaws or missteps. Caliphate is, let's say, fresh and made on a current topic, but it is far from a perfect experience. The acting performances are average in some cases, and the thought processes and actions of some of the characters evoke the feeling of the screenwriter's effort to go in a specified direction rather than a credible reality. I read somewhere a comparison to the American series Homeland, and I don't consider that a compliment. At times, there is clearly an attempt to make the story more attractive no matter what. Nevertheless, it is an interesting and recommendable series. Overall impression: 75%.

Growing up is not easy, and if your father is in prison, it's twice as hard. Your hormones are working full throttle, the desire to seek missing role models clashes with the need to assert oneself against their surroundings. A small smuggling deal threatens to turn into a big disaster with unforeseen consequences, and a meeting with the father on parole brings disillusionment and further complications. I don't trust bloated film co-productions, but this collaboration of Latin American and European filmmakers worked perfectly. It's a film full of energy, tension, believable conflicts, and emotions, and it is not half-hearted and leaves a lot to its characters and audience. In just 24 hours, the teenager Cambra accomplishes a lot and takes a big step forward on the path to adulthood. Karnawal is not an interchangeable film product. South American temperament, deeply-rooted machismo, the exoticism of carnival rhythms, and the difficult social reality of South American society are abundantly present in the film. I would also highlight the authentic performances and appropriate duration. All in all, I have no reason to give it less than 5 stars and a 90% overall impression.