gudaulin

I'm probably damaging the series by giving only four stars because it features excellent craftsmanship and is one of the peaks of the genre. It is a realistically presented war drama, brilliantly cast with well-drawn characters, without cheap pathos, and at the same time with a sufficiently large budget to create a visually attractive series. I only mind the distorted American view of World War II, which only a good history expert fully realizes. Although Band of Brothers is essentially civil, it lacks the traditional infamous patriotism, and the viewer naturally does not find out while watching the series how low the combat morale of the American units was on the Western Front, and how low the support for the war was in Europe among the American public. The United States had long been drawn into isolationist policies, partly due to its bad experience in its involvement in World War I. The European war was not popular, and actually, only the drastic shots from concentration camps and the depiction of German atrocities at the end of the war subsequently justified entry into the war and wartime losses in the public eye. That's why the anti-Jewish pogroms also attracted such strong attention. The American command wanted to minimize losses and conducted the war campaign very cautiously with regard to public opinion at home. The usual tactic was to decimate the enemy through intensive bombing and artillery shelling to avoid any resistance if possible. Even in the last months of the war, when American units faced a demoralized enemy running out of fuel and supplies, they advanced only an average of 3-5 km per day, despite their overwhelming superiority. Viewers of the series simply won't learn about many of these things or at least won't learn about them to the full extent. Although there was dying and suffering on the Western Front too, it is incomparable to the dramas that took place on the Eastern Front or during partisan warfare. Overall impression: 90%.

Gothika is a highly polarizing film, with a subpar script full of illogical constructs on one side and solid casting and excellent direction on the other. It depends on whether you want to think about the how and why... or surrender to the atmosphere and enjoy the ride. If you choose the former, deduct 15-20% from my rating. I chose the latter and came out with a 70% overall impression. For Halle Berry, it's a rewarding role that she handled with honor - definitely above average for her - and Penélope Cruz performs her usual standard, which means she did well. There were several scenes that startled me or gave me a feeling of unease, and what more can you ask for in a horror film? Gothika will never belong to the top of the genre, but it's a film worth watching once.

The key to evaluating this film lies in the sentence "A theme so strong that anything less than a four-star rating is inappropriate." Yes, try saying you didn't like a film with such a serious theme as abuse and genocide... Doesn't that devalue the moral message of the work? Before Grbavica, I had already seen four feature films about the war in Bosnia, and I believe each of them is at least a class better. The reason is directorial helplessness - long minutes where nothing happens on screen, characters playing with cigarette butts or singing songs. Possibly the entire song, so I could learn the lyrics. I understood the plot and correctly guessed its outcome within 15 minutes, but let's say that's due to my boundless genius and not the creative incompetence of the crew... Overall impression: 50%.

There's a slight problem with reviewing this film... The last joint film by Monty Python was The Meaning of Life, after which the members split and worked on their own projects. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is an exclusive project by Terry Jones, who focused on children's literature and directing. Engaging other ex-Monty Python members, even in small roles, was the producer's idea and was motivated purely by commercial interests. Therefore, it is not a Monty Python work and should not be compared to the group's creations. Visually, it's original, lively, and unconventional with a few catchy songs, somewhat "quirky," as is typical for Jones and his pals. The target audience was children, though anyone with an unbridled imagination will enjoy it. Overall impression: 80%.

For a production from the 90s, this is a decent film and one of the few successful attempts at a genre film from that period. However, in comparison with historical works from the pre-1989 era, it only ranks as above average. It's the best post-1989 performance by Marek Vašut (which doesn't mean he shines...), and there is a smaller but notable and well-acted role of a priest played by Jan Tříska. Overall impression: 60%.

I've seen many bad movies, but The Silence of the Hams deserves its own special category. If I could give a negative rating, I would do so without hesitation. The jokes are rehashed a hundred times over, and if any have potential, they are delivered so cheaply that it kills the punchline... I suffered a lot. Overall rating: 0, underlined three times!

Croupier has three undeniable strengths that make it rise above the average: Clive Owen, for whom this is his most notable role alongside Children of Men, and I could perfectly identify him with the main character; excellent knowledge of the setting; and the atmosphere of the bizarre world of players succumbing to the passion of gambling. The slow, at times almost hypnotic pace is driven by the protagonist's internal monologue, and the camera often plays with details. A unique film without flashy effects, but it really got under my skin. Overall impression: 90%.

An adorable, brilliant work by director Ján Roháč, his best work after the series about two foolish French clerks. It is an original comedy conceived as poetic clowning by three top actors with a talent for movement and the ability to express everything essential with just facial expressions. Three little bugs discover the human world and find themselves in the position of a toddler exploring its surroundings and touching objects around it without knowing their purpose. The amount of fun that can be had with a clock, a gramophone, or an ordinary spoon! Overall impression: 95%.

A non-narrative poetic surrealist play, where the decisive factor is the peculiar atmosphere of a world trapped within a frame.

Sirene falls into the period when Raoul Servais incorporated environmental protection and criticism of the consumer lifestyle into his work. The industrial civilization of today is embodied in the film by giant transport mechanisms that dominate the harbor, taking the form of enormous hostile dragons. The nature that the filmmaker wants to protect is depicted as a mermaid courted by a romantic young man. The color scheme is particularly interesting: an unsettling red represents the day when industrial mechanisms become active and the dragons come to life, while a much more pleasant blue evokes the calm atmosphere of the night. Overall impression: 80%.