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Before Life of Brian, the Monty Python crew had a lot of plans and little money - after it, they had a lot of money and few shared plans. The group members went their separate ways and worked on their respective projects, while producers competed to finance their next joint film. The group gathered in Jamaica and tried to put together a new script, but it was very difficult because the ideas for the project were very different. John Cleese initially did not cooperate on the project at all. The group originally came up with the idea of Monty Python's Third World War as a parody of the commercialization of warfare, or the idea of a court trial where the group would be accused of the entire project of the new film being a grand tax fraud. All these ideas were lost and the film is actually a loose combination of a series of separate scenes lacking a solid story. As a result, the film is very fragmented and uneven. It contains excellent sketches and jokes alongside weaker moments where the point was simply lost. The Monty Python group away a considerable amount of material when working on the script and engaged in heated debates over the final form of the film. Terry Gilliam was the most criticized for his film The Crimson Permanent Assurance, which seemed too megalomaniacal and unnecessarily expensive to the other group members, simply not fitting into the overall concept of the film. The reception of The Meaning of Life both by critics and audiences was not very enthusiastic (everyone was simply satiated after Life of Brian), and the group members themselves felt dissatisfied. The Meaning of Life effectively meant the end of their collaboration, and all the members decided to go down their separate artistic paths. Most of them were successful, except for Graham Chapman who, in the few years he had left, didn't have time to do much. Overall impression: 80%.

Monty Python represents the same for humor as William Shakespeare does for theater. They shifted the perception of humor and expanded its boundaries like no one before or after them. Of course, their work, especially in these series, is very inconsistent due to constant exploration and creative passion. However, this does not change the fact that their originality and concentration of ideas surpass any of the current stars in the comedy genre. Additionally, it is necessary to realize that in their case, exceptional writing talent and acting, as well as directorial skills, were unusually combined. Overall impression: 95%.

Moolaadé is evidence of the rise of African cinema, where the best films are now fully acceptable to demanding viewers anywhere in the world. The script, direction, camera work, and editing are professional, while the acting falls behind, as some actors simply recite their lines from the perspective of viewers raised on professional Euro-American productions. The film also includes scenes and dialogues with a somewhat educational tone, which is fully understandable from the creators' point of view and does not diminish the quality of the film. Emotionally powerful, the film deals with the issue of female genital mutilation, which exacts a cruel toll in the form of mutilated or deceased girls in Africa. The film utilizes modern techniques of European cinema, but it is purely an African affair. It is not a film about Africa from the perspective of a European intellectual, but a film made by an African for the African population. The film is also interesting in terms of the shift in thinking among African elites. Just 15-20 years ago, the main theme of African films was the struggle against colonialism and Euro-American cultural influence. In Moolaadé, the fight is against cultural backwardness, and the bearers of new ideas are people with experience from the developed world, namely a retired mercenary who served in UN peacekeeping units, and a young man from the tribal elite who was sent to Europe to study by his father. Overall impression: 75%.

I watched this series at the beginning of the 90s. At the time, it had a decent charm for me, as it was a series that represented a breath of fresh air compared to the classic series from worse authors. The chemistry between the two main characters worked well, the dialogues sparkled, and especially Bruce Willis delivered his famous lines. I would say it was Cybill Shepherd's best role. I haven't seen all the episodes, so I have no idea if the series had a downward tendency towards the end. Nevertheless, the unique mix of romance, comedy, and crime made a good impression on me. Overall impression: 60%.

Wes Anderson is a unique character who you don't see in world cinema too often. He always manages to surprise me, whether positively or negatively. Moonrise Kingdom is supposedly heavily inspired by his own childhood, and in that case, I wouldn't want to be his father or scout leader. Just as Miloš Forman became a role model for firefighters, Anderson has become one for scouting. Moonrise Kingdom is a film about children, love, determination, and bad weather. This film about rebellion against the adult world and the journey to fulfill a first love resonated with me. So far, this has been my most delightful encounter with Wes Anderson's work. The director's sense of absurdity, irony, and nonconformity definitely triumphed here. Overall impression: 95%.

Walsh's film indeed imitates the patterns of classic detective stories by Agatha Christie, but in reality, it is a completely different genre. It is a mysterious moral drama that is excellently directed and written. This dialogue could also suit the theater stage. The atmosphere can be intense at times, and David Thewlis possesses very strong charisma as an investigator, prosecutor, and judge all in one. Perhaps I just dare to argue with the idea that characterizes the film as a lesson on class struggle. This has nothing to do with socialism and class struggle. Moral drama is characteristic precisely of the classic bourgeoisie society of Britain and the United States, where there were strong social and property differences, and the absence of today's welfare state was replaced by social responsibility and charity, strongly influenced by Christianity. On the one hand, there were strong social prejudices, and the privileged classes protected their position, so social advancement was difficult. On the other hand, there was a constant purposeful effort to appeal to morality and help. Today's society is a society of prosperity, and it is both pampered by a high standard of living and consumer offers and thanks to the protective network of the welfare state, it does not feel such co-responsibility. The only thing that bothered me was the interweaving of all five actors' characters at the festive dinner with the sad fate of the story's heroine, which has a hint of expediency. If the point was to reveal that there were five different women who suffered from the manners of people from the upper class, and the mysterious investigator only purposefully merged them into one person to put the present company in their place, the result would be perfect. Overall impression: 90%.

American history and national myths feature the story of the famous outlaw Jesse James. Rather than being an artistic western, the film is more of an anti-western that consistently breaks the genre's stereotypes and is uncompromising in its rejection of western clichés. This is its main advantage, but paradoxically also its greatest weakness. Film fans often complain about clichés, but at the same time, they really like them. Andrew Dominik did not conceive his film as an adventure story, but rather as a slowly flowing biographical story of Jesse James. The problem is that the runtime is dragged out and the film as a whole is unremarkable, so when combined with melancholic music, it acts like a sedative. Those who start watching the film late at night hoping to be entertained have a decent chance of falling asleep. The film has several strengths, such as the cast, where a group of excellent actors come together, and the excellent camera work. However, the overall impression is strongly influenced by the lack of dynamic action and effects that would be able to energize viewers. Overall impression: 55%.

I knew about the events surrounding Trotsky's murder from historical literature, so I couldn't consider the film to be a thriller, because it either didn't surprise me at all or differed in many details from what I perceived as historical reality. The producer thought that it would be good enough to take the attractive topic of the murder of an icon of the radical left and bring three big movie stars into the team, and that success would somehow come automatically. Except for the introduction, which captures the colorful May Day parade through the streets of Mexico City, I was mostly bored and the film couldn't captivate me. Romy Schneider is unnecessary in the film, as she was simply cast as the female counterpart to the two male stars. Richard Burton, although potentially interesting as Trotsky, is mostly prescribed to just sit and utter long-winded monologues, leaving only Alain Delon as the NKVD agent, which is too little. If the film could have partially transferred the plot to Moscow and shown Stalin and the backstage decision-making about Trotsky's liquidation, it would have been more interesting to me. It's surprising how the screenwriter and director managed to kill the cinematically interesting first assassination attempt on Trotsky, which is practically shown in the film as a theatrical farce. In reality, hundreds of shots were fired and the house was riddled with bullets. I can imagine a few minutes of suspenseful scenes that would keep the audience on the edge of their seats, but the actual outcome is rather awkward. Overall impression of a film lacking tension and emotional depth: 45%.

The impressiveness of the film noir genre usually relies on the atmosphere, and Alain Corneau nailed it. The oppressive environment, full of neglect and decline, plays an equally important role as the characters, who are shaped by material deprivation and frustration. The film also has interesting casting, but if something brings it down, it is the annoyingly affected behavior of the characters portrayed by Patrick Dewaere and Marie Trintignant. One could say that the main protagonist is controlled by hysteria, but it feels more artificial and annoyingly pretentious, and I sense a theatrical mannerism in Dewaere's acting. The film deserves somewhere between three and four stars, but considering it's my favorite genre, I lean toward four. Overall impression: 70%.

Inu, The Oil Lamps may not be, but it is still a significant above-average in Czech cinematography and one of the best pieces by Juraj Herz, who had talent and creativity to spare at the time. Excellent performance by Janžurová in the lead dual role and proof that she is not just a good comedian, but also a top-notch character actress. Remarkable visual aspect of the film, which utilizes the rarely used Art Nouveau style and contributes significantly to creating a mysterious atmosphere. Ester Krumbachová did a great job...Overall impression 90%. An example of a film where the camera, sound, and set design are in unique harmony.