gudaulin

As I stated in the review of the remake, I haven't read the book yet, which is a shame because it is undoubtedly an interesting work that is perfect for a film adaptation. I may seem like a weirdo, but contrary to the opinion of the majority of film fans, I actually liked the remake more. The modern version can rightfully be criticized for many shortcomings, but the overall concept seems more substantial and functional to me. The subject matter itself calls for satire and comedy. The original version tried to balance between sci-fi, horror, and thriller, but the film has clearly aged. It doesn't work as sci-fi or horror at all and although it functions as a thriller, it's only from the scene of the protagonist's visit to the psychiatrist to the finale, which is about 20 minutes out of the total runtime, and I think that's not enough for a rating higher than two stars. It's too static and I saw unused potential everywhere. It would have been perhaps better to use the original source as a kind of allegory and leave the viewer uncertain until the last shot about what is actually happening in that town and whether Joanna is just succumbing to a certain paranoia. The film has aged partly because the problem of gender conflict and the effort for emancipation has moved on since the 70s, although it hasn't disappeared and has just taken on a different form. Nowadays, we have the phenomenon of successful self-centered egotists who can manage quite well without men, as evidenced by many American TV series and films. In many industries and environments, men are clearly on the defensive these days. Overall impression: 45%.

One of the best gangster films ever made, a stellar piece by Brian De Palma, with an outstanding performance by Al Pacino in the lead role. It's the story of a man with immense willpower to change his life, but unable to change his surroundings. Overall impression: 95%.

In the 90s, Woody Allen was said among film critics to be somewhat exhausted and repetitive. While this is far from the whole truth about Allen's work, the comedy Anything Else is proof that there is some truth to it. When I started watching the film, I realized after a while that I had seen the film about three years ago, but I had completely erased it from my memory. And even then, I couldn't remember what would happen in the next few minutes. Actually, the film was, in a way, new to me. Allen naturally maintains a certain, not exactly low, standard, so he won't disappoint his fans and can capture the attention of a first-time viewer. However, it largely relies on the style and motifs that he has used many times before in better execution. The film is traditionally based on dialogues, some of which elicit a smile from the audience but do not linger in one's memory, and on a quality cast, led this time by Christina Ricci. However, the film lacks a more prominent dramatic plot and a more impactful point. Last but not least, Anything Else is evidence that Allen is a better director than an actor in his old age. Overall impression: 60%.

The peak of Kusturica's work for me so far is Black Cat, White Cat and after watching Life is a Miracle, that won't change. Kusturica is a very talented filmmaker and Life is a Miracle confirms that. In the film are plenty of gems, excellent shots, and clever scenes, but it's all a bit cluttered, chaotic, and dragged out considering its runtime. It needed some editing and, especially in the first half, to mercilessly cut out the Balkan "folklore motifs." It's a bit Fellini or Jakubisko-like, in the style of magical realism, and sometimes it slips into slapstick. Kusturica tried to portray the Balkan Civil War somewhat fancifully, with humorous detachment and without depicting the horrors of war. In the first half, Kusturica's portrayal of a confused time in his country was completely lost due to the multitude of characters and motifs, and I even considered only giving it three stars, but the romantic storyline of the Serbian railwayman and the young Muslim girl in the second half made up for everything. With a sense of perspective, this film can be described as the story of a modern-day Romeo and Juliet with a happy ending presented grotesquely. Overall impression: 80%.

Highly unrealistic but pleasantly sentimental, this deeply human film depicts childhood experienced during a brutally cruel time. The script is cleverly built on the memories of a young boy. As is known, the human brain has a unique healing ability to filter out the unpleasant from our memory, making even such an idealized version of the past acceptable and justified. Thanks to this, the survival of Jews in a concentration camp can be presented as a captivating game, allowing viewers to dream along with the main character. Overall impression 85%. Roberto Benigni surpassed himself as an actor, writer, and director.

The Lives of Others was a strong emotional experience for me and represents the peak of reflection on the communist past of Central Europe. Compared to the thematically similar Czech film Kawasaki's Rose, Hřebejk's film significantly lags behind in terms of understanding the subject, quality of execution, and approach to reality. His film does not surpass the Czech borders and participation in several festivals, whereas Donnersmarck's masterpiece is sufficiently internationally and interculturally comprehensible to convey knowledge about communist dictatorship on a global scale. And I truly do not have the slightest feeling that The Lives of Others was filmed with Oscar ambitions. In the case of this drama, it is not essential whether such a story actually took place because the story of the Stasi officer serves the director to reveal the mechanisms of state surveillance and manipulation of citizens, while also addressing morality on a general level, which is a timeless and universal theme. There are many great scenes where the temptation of power and conflict between moral values and the reality of the regime clearly collide in their details, e.g., the elevator scene where the investigator meets a little boy. "You work for the Stasi?" - "You don't even know what that is." - "Daddy says they lock up decent people there." - "And what's his name?" - "Who?" - "The balloon you're holding." The film is in its own way brilliant in its minimalist approach and allows the viewer different interpretations of motifs and actions of the film characters. One of the many myths related to that time divides the population into "us" and "them" and demonizes members of the secret police and repressive forces. The difficulty lies in the fact that in reality, they did not differ significantly from the rest of the population. I knew one Stasi officer, and it must be admitted that I wouldn't want to spend a vacation with him, but in our professions and in everyday life, I have met people who had a significantly more distorted value system, but fortunately, they have never pursued such a profession. That Stasi officer already had a certain value system before, which may not have corresponded to what we would identify with, but he certainly did not consider himself an immoral monster. He just once did something that was not in line with his official duties, and then there was no escape from the path he had taken. And his nature did not fundamentally change with that turning point in his life. Overall impression of this superbly directed and flawlessly acted emotional film: 100%.

I like Kaurismäki's melancholic comedies set in an urban environment and shot in black and white. However, Aki's penchant for melodramatic tragedy with increasingly swelling sentiment is a big problem for me. In The Bohemian Life, you can find both - I value the first half more, where the comedic elements are more prevalent. The second half wants to be moving. I must note that I have always had a distant attitude towards bohemians. I considered them pleasure-seeking and hypocritical. No matter how alternative they appeared, they were dependent on the bourgeois surroundings that sustained and protected them. The film can be regarded as a tribute to the artistic environment of which Kaurismäki was a part. And it is also an expression of respect for his partner, Paula Oinonen, who is the author of the paintings by the painter Rodolf. For me, the director's work with the environment is probably the most interesting aspect. His selection of interiors and exteriors allows for creating an illusion of timelessness and connecting 19th-century Paris with the modern era. For a moment, you feel like you are walking the streets of the 1930s with the typical characters of the Parisian outskirts and then suddenly stop on the sidewalk next to a modern car. Overall impression: 75%.

This film represents an interesting contribution to the discussion about the death penalty. It relies on the central acting duo of Kevin Spacey and Kate Winslet, who rightfully among the best US actors, and if the film works and earns points, it is primarily due to them. The script is a bit shaky, and some details are not well thought out, such as the key to the victim's shackles or the fact that the money obtained from the publishing house is delivered to the survivors by the person who is being chased at the same time and it is in his best interest to disappear as soon as possible. The briefcase could have been easily delivered by a lawyer or someone authorized by him. However, if one overlooks these moments and focuses on the atmosphere and chemistry between the main characters, it is enough for satisfaction and four stars. All in all, it is a decent psychological drama dealing with a burning issue. By the way, DNA tests are currently being conducted in relation to older criminal cases that ended in execution, and it has been found that 5% of those executed did not commit their crime. That is an unpleasantly high number... Overall impression: 75%.

Of all the directors of Polish films of moral unrest, Krzysztof Zanussi is the most distant for me because of his distinct Catholicism in his work. I come from different ideological positions and Zanussi's starting points are unacceptable to me from two perspectives. The escaped prisoner bears no responsibility for the executions in the concentration camp and therefore does not have to feel even the slightest guilt. Collective punishments were common in Nazism, and any resistance and opposition would be immoral from such a perspective. The executioners should bear all the guilt... That Catholic sense of guilt for the original sin and a long list of "sins" that followed has always been deeply unpleasant to me. The second perspective concerns the role of Catholicism in the 30s and 40s. Many ordinary Catholics and lower clergy certainly acted bravely and according to moral principles. However, this does not change the fact that Catholicism of that time systematically supported the worst regimes (for example, Hitler called Franco a Jesuit pig because of his closest ties to the Catholic clergy) and the Vatican behaved toward Hitler more than pragmatically... As for Zanussi's film, it may be thematically strong, but the execution lagged, the screenplay needed refinement, and considering the emphasis on dialogue and camera work, it is more of a TV production. Overall impression: 45%.

Anyone complaining about the quality of Judge Dredd should watch this gem of a comic adaptation beforehand. It's quite possible that Judge Dredd would then skyrocket to unimaginable heights. It's a typical B-movie production, relying on Pamela Anderson's silicone-enhanced chest as the biggest draw for viewers. The plot is utterly pedestrian, devoid of any unexpected twists, and the execution is subpar. There's a noticeable lack of impactful scenes, and the budget was evidently constrained. It's best to forget about this comic adaptation as quickly as possible. Pamela's overacting deserves no more than a 15% overall impression.