gudaulin

Little Girl Blue is the first title from the creative workshop of Alice Nellis, considered a significant talent of Czech cinema since her debut, which I have watched. In other words, after 15 years of her work, I have come across her first film, which suggests that I have been somewhat missing out on her films. This is also confirmed by my impression of the film, which has a large group of enthusiastic fans, including many of my favorite users, but personally, I am reserved about it. It will receive three stars from me, but this rating only applies as part of Czech cinema, which I usually overestimate by a few percent. I have, for example, problems with the dream dance scenes, which are probably meant to give the film an artistic overflow. However, they seemed rather disruptive and artificial to me. The lead actress, Iva Bittová, represents more of an interesting curiosity than a pillar on which the film can rely. In principle, it works, but it feels more like naturalism. This role needed a top-notch character actress who was confident in psychologically demanding positions. I don't know what it is, but I also had problems with the sound, as I had to replay some scenes repeatedly. Overall impression: 60%.

I don't really believe that during a crucial meeting with his friend Maurice, he forgot about a special order and a funeral wreath worth 2 million. There might be a few other mistakes and logical inconsistencies, but overall the film is a very well-written and directed crime story that stands out well above the genre average, and it is a joy to watch even decades later. It features an excellent cast, and Jean-Paul Belmondo is much better and more convincing here than in those mass-produced crime comedies from the 70s and 80s, where he played a likable rogue. However, what is traditionally most important with Melville is the atmosphere. I really like the game with noir elements, lengthy shots, poker faces, trench coats, and a black-and-white camera. I am satisfied and give it four honest stars. Overall impression: 80%.

Much more so than a documentary, this is a feature-length advertisement in support of the upcoming 2013 tour and overall image. After all, the film was produced by her and everything was subject to her PR and filmed in a way that precisely targeted the intended audience. The title is actually true. At several moments, you have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Katy Perry's face without a heavy layer of makeup, but she definitely doesn't allow you to peek beneath her arranged and glossy shell, to get to know her true character, not in the slightest. Kate has repeatedly admitted her admiration for Madonna and it is evident that she is trying to imitate her style of presentation in pop culture. Kate is increasingly getting involved in the acting industry and it is more than clear in this film. She is not a bad singer, but targeting adolescent and immature women of all ages pushes her performance and song arrangements to the boundaries of grotesque and fills all the negative stereotypes about production for adolescent audiences. A Barbie-like style, pink wigs, and sweet smiles sent in every direction. The omnipresent mandatory optimism, enthusiasm, and banalities like "Katy is amazing, the tour is fantastic." To be honest, I don't know how to review it. In a way, I was entertained, even though with a feeling of unwanted magic and the awareness that the informational value of this pseudo-documentary is negligible. I quite like the song "Hot N Cold" in the official music video, but when I see Kate, changing princess outfits and eagerly shaking, it feels like someone is thrusting a sharp stake into my groin.

The third and hopefully final trip by Nicolas Winding Refn into the environment of the Copenhagen gallery. Unfortunately, compared to the previous installment, I perceive herein a significant decline in quality, which is by no means only related to the fact that Zlatko Buric is simply not Mads Mikkelsen. The screenplay is clearly weaker and where it lacks the credibility of the characters and the logic of their behavior, Refn replaces it with vulgarity and explicit portrayal of violence. The scenes of body disposal were far beyond what I would consider appropriate for a similar spectacle. Overall impression: 35%. One of the few successful scenes for me is the one where the seemingly warm relationship between father and daughter quickly turns into harsh bargaining among business partners in the drug trade.

Regarding Homeland, I get the feeling of being divided. On one hand, there are the undeniable positives - brilliantly written and superbly acted charismatic characters, excellent casting that brought together several wonderful character actors, whether it's Damian Lewis as the war veteran, Claire Danes as the mentally ill agent, or Mandy Patinkin as the clever intelligence analyst. They all give their best and deserve the highest recognition for their acting. The fight against terrorism is a long-standing issue, and the writers skillfully maintain tension and repeatedly present critical situations where their heroes have to choose sides. The series cleverly weaves between genres and functions incredibly well as a mix of crime thriller spiced up with action elements, psychological drama, and a love romance. On the other hand - how can I put it gently - the plot is far-fetched and cannot deny that its prototype is an Israeli series from an environment where the narrative context has a different purpose; additionally, the Israelis solely rely on psychological conflict and uncertainty from the beginning. Many impactful but questionable elements are omitted from the source material. In the American series, the (anti)heroes behave like series characters, not real people and professionals in their field. As time goes by, some of the storylines and characters appear unnecessary, and the writers simply did not know where the story was heading and kept them in reserve. This is typical in the case of Brody's daughter or his former Marine colleagues. The later excursion into the South American slum and glimpses into the guts of an unfinished skyscraper are enticing, but after three seasons, I say stop - further exploitation of the original idea reeks of doing the same thing over again. Overall impression: 60%.

It has been quite a few years since I admired the works of the Taviani brothers at the film club. I missed out on The Night of the Shooting Stars back then, so I was curious about how the work of my former favorites would affect me after all these years. I don't want to overly criticize the artistic attempt of the directing duo, but just like Jesus could walk on water, it seems that I have gained the unintentional ability to watch a film that I can't immerse myself in at all. It emotionally passed me by in the distant galaxy. The plot moved forward somewhat laboriously, but the brothers dealt me the biggest blow with the scene of the partisan unit and war refugees clashing with a group of fascists on a punitive expedition. The scene was supposed to be the logical culmination of the whole film, but instead, I got the feeling that it was something out of Monty Python. I could forgive the Taviani brothers for not knowing much about shooting war scenes if they hadn't turned the most important scene into a theatrical farce. Instead of being stirring and captivating, The Night of the Shooting Stars is entangled in its own uneventful and convoluted absurdity. Overall impression: 25%.

In the 1950s, this film had all the prerequisites to be a significant commercial success. The comedy genre, beautiful women, and the star Gérard Philipe. However, it is not the beginning of the 1950s anymore, and what was sufficient back then no longer holds up today. Especially the operetta inserts now appear outdated. A similar "surreal" form was used two decades later in The Man from Acapulco, which still leaves a fresh modern impression. Beauties of the Night may not offend, but the film no longer has anything to captivate us with. Overall impression: 55%.

The Whistleblower could have turned out much worse. A happy ending was directly offered, as we have seen many stories where a fighter with villainy intervenes in hopeless situations and is able to attract others and deal with evil. Fortunately, the creators stayed grounded and a sympathetic television film was created, which condemns the trafficking of women and corruption of international institutions. It is completely understandable that the filmmakers needed an international star to attract attention to the project. However, it is a bit unfortunate that they chose Rachel Weisz. In my opinion, she is not suitable for the role of an uncompromising tough policewoman (like the female equivalent of Serpico). Add to that the somewhat cheap flattery towards the American audience (yes, a few noble phrases about the integrity of the American judicial system and authorities made the corners of my mouth twitch) and it amounts to a strong three stars. Overall impression: 65%.

Refn's anti-hero is willing to do anything to survive, but he certainly is not a drug dealer. More like a petty criminal, a car thief with a little bit of luck. He's unnecessarily impulsive, unbalanced, weak, and helpless, and without life perspectives and emotional support. Refn's work is mainly associated with the title Drive, which is an atmospheric overseas thriller with a mysterious and invincible hero. This film represents its nonchalant European counterpart, but surprisingly, in my eyes, it is a bit better. It is, so to speak, true to life. This unadorned and unromantic image of the gallery is much more convincing. Additionally, Refn has the virtuoso actor Mads Mikkelsen at his disposal, who is a chameleon in his roles. I have had the opportunity to see him in costume roles, as an elegant gentleman or as a devilish Bond villain. Now I watched him as a tattooed thug with a sense for choosing the worst possible solutions. Overall impression: 70%.

Some filmmakers only remain associated with me through one title, whereas the other parts of their work are either too weak or for some reason I miss out on watching them. An example of this is Antonioni with his film Blow-Up, a synchronization that never repeated itself. Jakubisko is actually in luck, as he is a director of two films for me - Sitting on a Branch and, above all, The Millennial Bee. His subsequent movies caused me greater or lesser doubts. I did not know his early works, so I approached watching The Deserter and the Nomads without prejudice. In just half an hour, the initial astonishment turned into tormenting shock. Jakubisko resigns from any logic, and this is manneristic craziness that cannot be explained even by taking (one) drug, more like a turbulent reaction of the body to the ingestion of several conflicting drugs. Jakubisko perhaps wanted to deal with the demons of World War I in his own way, but he did not have enough humility and distance for a social statement to emerge. Instead, he ground everything into a pseudo-artistic visual mishmash. Overall impression: 10%.