Kaka

The first Bond that is practically without a beginning. It takes a while to get used to the fact that the film starts essentially in the middle, so we don't get a lot of character analysis and explanations of who is working for whom. Quantum of Solace is almost exactly on the well-worn tracks of Casino Royale, and that is a good thing. Daniel Craig has achieved something unprecedented, he has perfectly defined the contemporary action hero, which no one has been able to do in the past 10 years. Ethan Hunt is too action-oriented and not believable enough, Jason Bourne is an emotionless machine, but Crags's portrayal of James Bond is a thrilling persona that fits perfectly into the current trend of the perfect man: a rough, charismatic, and intelligent killer who is like a fish out of water without a luxury suit. Thankfully, there are emotions and love, but presented intentionally in a subdued manner, and delivered in precise doses, and Bond is breathtaking in those moments with the accompaniment of a gentle piano. Forster knows exactly what is in nowadays and he is careful. Perhaps it is only in the last two Bond movies where they managed to bring rawness to the action, meaning that finally the blows are hard enough, the falls are rough enough, and the running is fierce enough; no frills, no clever cameras shortening this or that, absolutely fierce, uncompromising, and devilishly fast action without any time for thinking. It could almost be said that the adrenaline can be felt through the screen. Casino Royale plus Quantum of Solace: timeless filmmaking.

For my taste, too much time is spent on the early era, when Formula One was in its infancy, but everything was at the beginning and the appeal and trends were gradually developing. On the other hand, there’s not much of the golden era, or the modern era. Lauda vs Hunt is OK, there is very little Senna, and Prost is basically not there at all, yet the duel between these two drivers is perhaps even more epic and longer than the one between the knights of the 1970s. It's solidly done, though, with lots of valuable facts and interviews

We haven’t had such an atmospheric and lively portrayal of a class reunion after ten years on the big screen for a long time. Fine dialogues and a good sense of the unknown, where the people know each other, but 10 years takes them back a step in a way - and that's the best thing about the film. Unfortunately, it also feels bland with an unsatisfying ending, and the that the good characters that you want to know more about are given shockingly little space (Rosario Dawson, Oscar Isaac), while the reckless show-offs (Channing Tatum and Chris Pratt) are given way too much, even though their characters don’t have much to offer.

Several plot lines running independently of each other that intersect at fateful moments seemingly by chance. How many times have we seen that? It started with 21 Grams and it continues through all the other imitations and big city romance films. Here, instead of the USA, it's London; instead of alternative dreamers and philosophers, there's Idris Elba and Gemma Arterton playing typical high society, and although these two would seem to dominate, in the end their story is the least fleshed out, and that's a shame, because they are more or less among the acting first class, or at least the broader top. It doesn't have bad moments, it has emotions and a few touching or at least suspenseful scenes, but unfortunately it is poor and uninteresting script-wise.

After Earth has basically one disadvantage, that it is relatively pathetic and quite predictable within the post-apocalyptic genre, which it down to average. Otherwise, it is a solid film in every respect, even the acting wasn’t bad. Of course, the father is better than the son, but that was expected. Visually very attractive, with interesting and atypical production design and surprisingly, it is often quite captivating. Shyamalan has kept to what he always does, Regardless of the quality of all key aspects, he is always original.

Uncharismatic actors, empty plot, instead of epic grandiosity and monumentality we have a stark journey of a group of homeless people to a pseudo city with visually impressive digital pyramids, the changing of locations is downright awkward (three minutes of cold, three minutes of jungle, three minutes of desert). The special effects team did a fairly good job, but otherwise this mess is completely pointless. Camilla Belle is delightful eye-candy, but even with the heroic music, half of which is stolen from King Arthur, the poor thing can't save it.

First and foremost, a thorough script guarantees a quality spectacle. And I dare to say that on the first watch, this film is difficult to understand, and penetrating all the nuances and intricacies of the script can only be achieved on a second or third viewing. It can be said that throughout the the film, we do not know where we stand. There are plenty of deceptive references and supporting characters. All of this is wrapped in Terry Gilliam’s typical visual style and unmistakable signature. I dare not claim that I fully understood this masterpiece, but I can confidently say that there are very few films of this kind, with such a large dose of originality and directorial invention. And when you add excellent performances by Bruce Willis and Madeleine Stowe, the result is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Danny Boyle is a good director and this adrenaline bite is far more impactful than it might seem at first glance. He turns a a banal storyline into a psychedelic affair of the highest caliber. The desire to survive is beautifully displayed in full force. From minimal resources, he achieved the maximum outcome; this film is definitely worth seeing. It is a simple, yet highly watchable affair.

French distorts the overall experience of the film in a massive way, but maybe it's just a lack of language knowledge, who knows. Anyway, District 13 is terrible nonsense, very skillfully shot with beautiful parkour, a feast for the eyes and ears. In terms of action, Pierre Morel always excels. The plot is non-existent, in my opinion, much more could have been extracted from the source material than what was ultimately transformed into the screen. The physicality of the two main characters is phenomenal. Watch it more as a sports video clip and also for fans of European stench, like Michael Bay – they will also be at least partially satisfied.

I am surprised that the Belle-Raffaelli duo did not catch on in the USA, or in any major commercial projects. In my opinion, they easily outdo Jason Statham and similar actors. This sequel is simpler, both in terms of plot and technically more comprehensible and faster and it has benefited from the change in director. Unlike his predecessor, Patrick Alessandrin is not trying for the hardest full-contact action, but for a brisk and entertaining audiovisual mix, where the important thing is the sound of bass rather than the precision of the moves. Normally, I would like it the other way around, but in this peculiar pop culture story of a strange concept, the opposite is true, which is exactly what I had the chance to see. Without higher ambitions, but overall okay.