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A slowly flowing, classically constructed drama about a crisis in one country and two strong characters who rebelled against the times, the conditions, and the prevailing power. Richard Attenborough represents undeniable quality, although somewhat conservative, and we don't get any dynamic or innovative filmmaking from him. But from his filmography, I prefer Cry Freedom the most, and I give it preference over the much more famous Gandhi, where too much respect for an international celebrity and the value hierarchy that he represented is shown. The courage of the heroes in Cry Freedom is unpretentious, civilian, and they are simply not textbook characters, but flesh and blood people. From today's viewer's perspective, the film can be criticized for possibly overly long duration and unhurried pace, but the story of the escape from South Africa still has plenty of strong moments. I can imagine several filmmakers who could have made the most of the story much more effectively and played with the emotions and tension of the audience much stronger, but I like that Attenborough didn't push too hard. I am adding half a star for the theme. Overall impression: 90%.

Phillip Roth is considered one of the most acclaimed writers in the world today, and each of his literary works evokes enthusiastic reactions from renowned critics. However, literary awards tend to elude him and his books are usually not among the bestsellers. He does use amazing language and can analyze the movements in society and capture the nature of his character excellently, but he is a very unpleasant author because even though he writes with humorous exaggeration, he is sarcastic and ruthlessly cruel to his characters and readers. That is actually how it is with this film. It describes the story of a girl from a successful family and a young man who is still searching for his way in life. But it's not a pleasant romance, but rather a caustic look at a certain social class and its rules. America never had nobility, but it has been and still is socially divided, and its upper class is well protected by social barriers and membership in exclusive clubs. Roth, through Larry Peerce, ridicules the rich manners of the successful Jewish community and the bourgeois attitudes of his protagonist's parents. The girl, although she looks at her parents with a critical view of the rebellious youth of the 60s and finds the conservative ways of the previous generation alien to her, cannot exist without her parents' wealth. The young man Neil, although he instinctively feels resistance to this environment and glosses over the events around him somewhat like Oscar Wilde, cannot offer a meaningful alternative. Overall impression: 80%.

I don't feel competent to claim that The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is the best film of its genre. I haven't seen that many westerns and, to be honest, modern anti-westerns like Dead Man or Dances with Wolves resonate with me more. Nevertheless, it is definitely a very entertaining and high-quality film. I don't really care for the western genre, and I have given five stars only to the absolute minimum of these films. The reason for the popularity of this film lies in the fact that Leone managed to make a film that appeals to everyone, which is rather rare in cinema. It is adventurous, thrilling, and very clever, as well as conveying an obvious anti-war message. It combines classic genre conventions with modern filmmaking elements, a traditionally excellent soundtrack, camera tricks, and occasional ventures into purely artistic waters. In certain moments, the film forgets itself and succumbs to genre clichés, such as the shootout with the Tuco's gang, where we see a traditional scene from B-movie westerns, where the hidden rifle shooter misses the gunslinger who shoots him from an unfavorable position with a quick draw. However, due to the overall lighthearted atmosphere, these few minor missteps easily fade away. Leone adeptly alternates the pace, combining genuinely humorous scenes with tragic ones, and, above all, relies on top-notch casting. The director always managed to choose actors who perfectly suited their roles, whether it was Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, or Eli Wallach. Overall impression: 90%.

Ettore Scola used the dramatic escape of the French king from Paris and his capture in the village of Varennes in less than 24 hours as a starting point for a Felliniesque spectacle, where a diverse cast of characters from different political and social classes engage in excited intellectual and social debates about the period they are living in, and the viewer can witness the birth of modern society. The luxurious cast includes, for example, excellent actors such as Jean-Louis Trintignant, who received a small role as the mayor of the town and barely appeared on screen for five minutes. Compared to Fellini, however, Scola lags behind visually; the film, except for the prologue, which takes place among traveling comedians, mainly relies on dialogue. That Night of Varennes is a film that tries to capture the intellectual and social ferment of its time, and for the most part, it more or less succeeds. The dialogues, which concern the character of a writer writing about lurid erotic themes, are even very charming. Overall impression: 80%.

The opening scene of a failed drug deal ending in a bloody shootout raises expectations supported by a decent cast of A-list actors. Such potential should not be wasted, which means you will be looking forward to an adrenaline-fueled genre ride. However, as the minutes tick away, doubts begin to creep into your expectations. The problem lies primarily in the typical B-movie script, which overlooks a lot in order for its original concept to work, and the logic takes a hit. The characters behave nonsensically and their ideas reek of absurdity. The disparate group of people besieged in a building easily repels the attacks of elite professionals with top-notch military training, massacring them way too easily. Additionally, Richet's direction is not at all inventive and does not help the film. Genre fans might add a star, but I will be more stingy. Overall impression: 45%.

It doesn't happen very often that a Brazilian film makes an impact at the Oscars. Kiss of the Spider Woman succeeded in doing so at one point. This intimate drama about the unique relationship between two prisoners during the time of the Brazilian military dictatorship doesn't seem to offer much to the average viewer at first glance, as it mostly takes place in the claustrophobic space of a single cell. Political prisoner Arregui is one of those regime opponents who has given both the secret police and the prison administration a hard time. The young homosexual Louis appears to be susceptible to blackmail and manipulation, which is why he is placed in the cell as an informant. Hypersensitive Louis escapes from the inhospitable and stressful environment of the cell into a world of dreams and fantasies in the style of cheap kitschy films from the 1930s and 1940s. Both men gradually find their way to each other despite their personality differences, and a special kind of friendship develops. The film's success and its emotional impact on viewers is largely due to William Hurt's concentrated and outstanding performance as the effeminate Louis, for which the actor even received an Oscar. In addition to the touching story of friendship and sacrifice, the surreal excursions into the intoxicating world of melodramas full of pathos and sentiment impress me personally. Overall impression: 90%.

What Blade Runner represents in the field of live-action film, A Scanner Darkly represents in the world of animated film. It's one of the few films that can materialize the world of the leading author of the sci-fi genre, Philip K. Dick, and present it in all its complexity. It is the essence of all the motifs and elements that appear in Dick's work. A paranoid atmosphere where the viewer doesn't know for a long time who is who, what are the motives of the story's characters, which side they are on, and what they are fighting for. It is a world of drugs that Dick was intimately familiar with - there is probably no drug that he didn't inject, ingest, or inhale. The motif of a superior who plays their own game - Philip K. Dick was immensely distrustful of authorities of this kind. Similarly, the motif of hallucinations, when the protagonist, at a certain moment, doesn't know what is real and what is imagination. A Scanner Darkly has a captivating atmosphere and interesting visual execution, where live actors were scanned and their animated counterparts are faithful replicas of their prototypes. Overall impression: 90% - as a fan of Philip K. Dick, I simply have to give a high score.

From Dusk Till Dawn is a very controversial film, where it is possible to understand a wide range of ratings from movie fans. On one hand, there is the traditional Quentin Tarantino style combining elements of extreme violence, eroticism, and classic horror with a strongly comedic exaggeration and necessary catchphrases, additionally supported by the participation of well-known and top actors. On the other hand, the screenplay is openly not among the best that have been written in this genre. Moreover, the pace of the story is quite uneven. Overall impression: 60%. In some moments, Robert Rodriguez explicitly wastes traditional horror props and begins to bore.

I'm not a fan of romantic costume dramas from the 1950s, but positive reviews on FilmBooster tempted me to try and see what my tolerance for a genre portrayed by the biggest stars of their time, who were also perfectly suited for their roles, is like. Well, it turned out like an allergic person wanting to check if they still had hay fever by going out to a blossoming meadow. About three-quarters of an hour into it, I realized that no matter what both protagonists do, it was just not for me, and all the clichés of romantic movies and the naivety that emanates from each scene irritate me. It gets 2 stars and an overall impression of 45%.

If I didn't know that I was watching a Czech documentary, directed and produced by Czechs, I would have been convinced that I was watching American work. An American guide, a professional modern style, and a high level of production. After all, Misha Votruba has been in the USA for a long time and has learned a lot of things. These are typical talking heads, staticness, and lack of expression when it comes to Czech documentary films. The creators know how to evoke and maintain attention, even though their methods are somewhat "manipulative." The film warns against manipulation, but it doesn't shy away from manipulative practices and suggestive techniques borrowed from advertising. Add to that the scatteredness and argumentative inconsistency, and I can only give it a mere 2 stars. Overall impression: 40%. It's a typical case where the form overwhelmingly outweighs the content.