gudaulin

The mythical character Sandman was popularized worldwide by Neil Gaiman in his cult comic series, but Paul Berry turned Gaiman's view of the ruler of the dream world upside down in his interesting horror interpretation. There is no trace of Sandman's majesty and complexity in it. This Sandman is a goblin from the darkest nightmares, reminiscent of the character Corinthian, one of the dark creations of Gaiman's Sandman. Paul Berry depicts the childhood fear of dark corners, strange shadows, old houses, solitude, and darkness in his visually enhanced short film. It is a very impressive horror affair that manages without a single word being spoken. Overall impression: 90%.

A sympathetic and emotionally well-tuned film that tries to convince us that prostitution is not a completely normal profession, but that prostitutes are completely normal women with romantic dreams of a well-functioning romantic relationship, with the same worries or joys as employees in other industries, and that when you think about it, there is basically no difference between the girls in the agency and, let's say, warehouse workers, hairdressers, or shop assistants. Which doesn't seem completely true to me, even though I don't work in this industry. I estimate that the reality of their existence and nature will be somewhat more down-to-earth, at least on average. The value scale must inevitably disrupt and gradually distort such a profession. What is characteristic of Princesses is that there are no pimps there and there is zero influence of organized crime. Only one of the many girls has drug problems, probably to fill the viewer's expectation column. However, it must be admitted that the main heroines are sympathetic, and the story has a civilian and relatively realistic form above all. It is well acted, with a catchy musical motif. Overall impression: 65%.

Christopher Nolan is one of the cult directors of our time, so I was curious about his latest known film from his filmography, which I had not seen until now. Movie fans usually prefer his Batman comic adaptations, but those fall into the realm of mass popular culture and have such a silly foundation in their comic source that not even Nolan can turn them into a top-notch film masterpiece despite the generous budget and all the effort. I prefer the aspect of his work represented, for example, by Following, but that is not a viewer-friendly film and is more appreciated by a minority of film fans. In my eyes, The Prestige is a truly perfect combination of the professionalism of a large American studio with a generous budget and providing a generous cast and the creativity of a talented film creator who is capable, in this case, of presenting the audience with a film with a certain depth. The Prestige meets all my requirements for a good film - a visually interesting spectacle, a strong story, charismatic characters, an ambiguous script that enhances the story with a series of twists, and a thought-provoking world. Of course, some concessions to the audience could be pointed out here as well, but that's just how it goes in cinema, and in its category, The Prestige is a truly very above-average film. This film has a story that seems to have come from the pen of Jules Verne on the edge between the science fiction and mystery genres. It deals with the ruthless rivalry of two illusionists that goes beyond their profession to the extent that it destroys their closest surroundings and devours them. In the background of their conflict, we also see the no less forceful rivalry of two prominent scientists of the time - Nikola Tesla and Edison. We are in the 19th century with its boundless belief in scientific progress, and the culmination of the film also brings a warning against the misuse of scientific discovery for the satisfaction of one's egotistical cravings and even for crime. In addition, The Prestige also has excellent craftsmanship in the form of a dark atmosphere, finely pointed scenes, quality music, and attractive camera work. For me, a truly enjoyable experience that I appreciate with a 100% overall impression.

The Drowned Submarine belongs to a series of short stylish parodies by Václav Bedřich, inspired by 1930s pulp detective stories. A cunning doctor and his gang threaten the honor of a charming girl and the life of her brave admirer. They manage all this without words, in a comically lighthearted horror style. The visual aspect is handled by Vladimír Kopřiva, with music by Luboš Fišer. The comedic perspective is provided by the script, allowing the viewer to witness a successful battle between a pedal boat and a motorboat, as the title of the film suggests. Overall impression: 70%.

I may be too harsh about this parody of mafia movies, but unfortunately, it is based on too simplistic and cheaper humor, exactly the kind that I dislike and avoid as much as possible. The individual gags could be functional, but they are devalued by the effort to appeal to the widest range of viewers. There are definitely worse comedy movies than this one, but I had a major problem finishing it. The observation that Michael Keaton in this film acts like Jim Carrey did at the beginning of his career is quite accurate. Unfortunately. Overall impression: 25%.

Intellectuals who appreciate the appropriate intellectual nourishment, such as refined works of Tarkovsky or Bergman, should avoid this film like the plague, as it falls into a completely different category within Tarantino's style. We find ourselves in the realm of mass popular culture, specifically crime dramas set in New York, where two mafia clans compete with each other, filled with cynical jokes and one-liners. The screenplay is far from the best in this subgenre, and truth be told, Lucky Number Slevin is one of those films that are worth watching once, with no need to revisit them. If I had the desire and opportunity to see it again, I would mercilessly lower my percentage and star rating. However, I can recommend it for a single viewing, unless you want to dissect the nonsensically convoluted path of the protagonist's revenge. The lighthearted tone and the presence of several acting talents significantly contribute to this, particularly the seasoned genre veteran Bruce Willis. With his typically stone-faced expression and dry one-liners, he marches from one scene to another, leaving behind only the dead bodies of his enemies. Meanwhile, despite the misery of his work, the screenwriter has a few surprises up his sleeve for the audience, so even your sense of the genre game won't be left wanting. Overall impression: 75%.

A Time for Drunken Horses is a typical festival film and exactly the kind of Iranian production that film critics and the festival audience are amazed by and speak of Iranian cinema only in superlatives. However, this category of films makes up only a fraction of Iranian production, which focuses on average melodramas tailored to the taste of an uneducated audience. It is essentially a documentary about the hard life of mountaineers in a border province far from the prosperity of oil fields and urban culture. Additionally, and this is also typical for success at festivals, it portrays the world of children and includes the motif of physical disability or handicap of one of the story's characters. The director's typical approach is to use non-actors, which may work for some people, but unfortunately, I do not belong to this category. As a depiction of social conditions in the area, it is naturally powerful, but as a fictional film, where I would appreciate a quality screenplay and performances, it is insufficient. So in the end, I lean towards three stars and a 60% overall impression.

The film has decent visuals and especially excellent music, yet the overall impression is quite ambiguous. It is deceiving in certain ways. Dreamlike scenes that take us to the most glorious era of 1930s Hollywood, as well as the characters' approach to their life reality, clearly tempt us to consider the film as a parody of classic gangster movies, and this theme has great comedic potential. However, the screenwriter ultimately steers it in a completely different direction against the viewer's expectations, resulting in an uninspiring and ineffective reconstruction of an ancient criminal act. Expectations dissolve and the final impression is awkward. I would rate it at around 40%.

Paper Moon is reminiscent of classical Hollywood, which was very skilled at working with predictable human emotions and excelled at the craft of filmmaking in its melodramas. However, it had two fundamental flaws, namely sentimentality and the associated naivety in its approach to characters and social reality. Peter Bogdanovich avoided these two flaws in his comedy-drama set in interwar America, creating a charming film about the relationship between a small-time swindler and a sharp-witted orphan, who clearly inherits the influence of her mother, who earns a living through the oldest profession. The itinerant bible salesman and trader of human naivety may think he can quickly get rid of the feisty girl and make a profit, but she has a different idea and the skills to achieve it. It is true that little Tatum O'Neal mostly relies on her defiant expression throughout the film, and I can recall many more convincing child actors, as well as the fact that more could have been done with a similar storyline. Nevertheless, the film is of high quality due to its elegance and lack of pandering. Overall impression: 85%.

In my reviews regarding animated films, I often criticize the prevailing Disney-style production and American slapstick for their uniformity, pandering, and dominance. Here I had a unique opportunity to see the complete opposite of such productions, and once again, I am not satisfied. I have seen expressions of admiration for imagination, dreaminess, poetry, or creativity, and in principle, I agree that these attributes can be attributed to Chomet's work. However, Chomet fails in one very important aspect, which is the story. This would have been sufficient for a charming short film; after all, I enjoy many similar alternative films from the works of Priit Pärn and many other independent animators from around the world. However, on the scale of a full-length film, this film becomes too stretched out and therefore exhausting. It lacks the art of brevity, compactness, and dynamics. The famous creator is simply playing around, and the viewer doesn't really matter to him. Yes, it has a very decent rating, which I think is related precisely to how much this film deviates from the current world production. My two stars primarily represent excellent visual design and the aforementioned creativity rather than my overall impression, which, considering what has been written above, is genuinely mediocre, and I would rate it at around 40%.