gudaulin

I really like independent films, and comics as a medium that combines visual art with literature are definitely familiar to me; after all, there are several dozen titles in my library. So, ostensibly, I should quite like this film. However, the result is unfortunately awkward, and my overall rating barely climbs to 50% and a meager three stars. The main culprit is the uneven and unbelievable screenplay. While the behavior of the movie heroes is sometimes "over-the-top" in a comic book manner, the story itself is far-fetched, and the film oscillates between genres, lacking style and atmosphere. If this is what independent film production is going to look like, the bosses of major studios can remain absolutely calm - there won't be any pressure from competition here.

In terms of content and execution, this television series is nothing exceptional. However, the combination of a classic detective story with a wartime atmosphere works well, resulting in a solid retro feel supported by reliable performances from the cast. Among them, besides Michael Kitchen in the lead role, the young and talented Honeysuckle Weeks stands out as his driver and assistant. Given the small number of episodes, both series maintain a consistently high level of quality, meaning the writer didn't have to squeeze out ideas at all costs. Overall impression: 60% for a standard British show. The entire series exudes the typical old-world atmosphere of the British monarchy and the life of the middle class of its era.

It's definitely above-average for a Czech television production, driven by the strength of its subject matter, casting, and acting performances. The character of the concentration camp commander, superbly portrayed by Boris Rösner, is particularly intriguing. Overall impression: 65%.

Darwin's Nightmare is a typical example of a film where strong themes overshadow the obviously imperfect form. It is disproportionately long; if the documentary were 20 minutes shorter, the audience would not be deprived of any content and the message of the film would be much more impactful. Regardless of its length, it is poorly edited and there is a certain creative helplessness evident in the material used – such as the repetitive and drawn-out shots of planes taking off and landing, extended close-ups of people's faces, and footage of Russian pilots' home videos. A talented creator could have extracted more from the subject. To put it bluntly, if I were to judge it solely based on the quality of execution, the overall rating would be around 45%. Fortunately, there is still the theme – strong, unsettling, and provocative. The theme of poverty, backwardness, pervasive corruption, and environmental devastation in Central Africa. Some scenes truly send a shiver down your spine, like the confession of a retired government mercenary who now works as a night watchman and wishes for a new war, or the passages featuring a European Union official praising modern fish processing facilities with top-notch hygiene, only for the viewer to see moments later how local people survive on decaying remnants from this factory. Such content deserves four stars, thus leaving an overall impression of 70%.

The number of film ideas and humor has decreased, while the amount of action has increased. It's a typical sequel to a successful original, where the producer wanted to make some more money. The film's strength, as in the original, lies in the casting of the main characters. Overall impression: 50%.

A typical American story that can evoke a lot of positive emotions, but for me, as a sober-minded, skeptical, and pragmatic Czech, it's an unrealistic moral tale that not even a star-studded cast can save. It's simply a romantic fairy tale for adults. Overall impression: 45%.

The film is worth watching primarily due to Josef Vinklář's performance. Although he didn't usually seek out this type of role, he was perfectly suited for it, and his portrayal of a plebeian, uneducated, but shrewdly cunning merchant is truly repulsive. Unfortunately, it's one of those films that are rarely seen on television. Overall impression: 60%.

Assassination Attempt was once shown in our schools as part of Czechoslovak-Soviet friendship and I am reviewing it many years later. It was mainly a very uneven film, a typical co-production product: Western European companies provided money and several actors and actresses, while the Soviet crew filmed it back home. It exhibits many of the shortcomings typical of the Soviet film school, namely an unnecessarily long duration. A Western producer would mercilessly cut out three-quarters of the film material. The attempt to make a political thriller with numerous action elements sometimes appears somewhat comical in the Soviet interpretation. On the other hand, the film is interesting, especially for fans of film history due to its cast - the relatively unknown Armen Dzhigarkhanyan was an incredibly remarkable actor, and I believe Curd Jürgens played Churchill. Overall impression: 45%.

Those who were able to follow Alain Delon's projects in recent decades will slowly stop understanding where his cult came from in the past and why he was considered a great talent of French cinema... This film is dated to 1980 and it is Delon's swansong as a tough guy in top criminal thrillers. After that, there were films of declining quality and popularity. At the same time, it is the last major film by Jacques Deray. Although Three Men to Kill is not one of the best films in its genre in France, over time, and especially after I saw it again after a longer break, I feel like giving it the highest rating. It's an honest crime story with nothing missing and nothing in excess, about how one random encounter can turn your life into hell. And a piece of advice in the end - don't provoke smokers on the street, you never know what they might turn into. Overall impression 85%.

Malkovich in the leading role is excellent, and the film's subject matter is appealing. However, I can't help but feel it's not quite on the level of The Tin Drum. Volker Schlöndorff did a standard but not outstanding job. Overall impression: 75%.