gudaulin

A brilliantly written miniature that works on multiple levels. Firstly, as an entertaining conversation piece that can build tension and comes with a funny and surprising point. Secondly, as a confrontation of two strategies for approaching life, best described by Karel Čapek in his story about Romeo and Juliet from his book "Apocryphal Stories." One simply burns with passion, and relies on emotions and experiences, without considering the consequences. The opposite approach relies on reason and works with a long-term perspective. On the third level, Aksál is one of the many variations on one of the key themes in literature and film - the midlife crisis. The feeling of weariness, routine, and fear that nothing exceptional will happen in one's life anymore, can shake a person and force them to do foolish things. The production may have a slight weakness in terms of set design, but otherwise, it is top-notch. Overall impression: 90%.

Jiří Sequens claimed in the 90s that the original concept of the series was completely different, much more civil, and fulfilling the characteristics of the crime genre. However, the State Security apparatus was involved in the preparation and production of the series to such an extent that it completely distorted the intentions of the production team. Whatever the case may be, the result was a project that has a much more political and propagandistic dimension than a detective, or rather a criminalistic dimension. Practically all the episodes, without exception, distort real historical processes to correspond to the defense of the then-state establishment and ruling ideology. Some do it more skillfully, some less, but they are all deceitful. Over time, only the music by Zdeněk Liška and the participation of a large number of great actors can be appreciated, even though often with gritted teeth. From ordinary projects affected by the times, one could usually withdraw, but it was impossible to reject a project as popular as this one. Overall impression: 20%.

Walsh's film indeed imitates the patterns of classic detective stories by Agatha Christie, but in reality, it is a completely different genre. It is a mysterious moral drama that is excellently directed and written. This dialogue could also suit the theater stage. The atmosphere can be intense at times, and David Thewlis possesses very strong charisma as an investigator, prosecutor, and judge all in one. Perhaps I just dare to argue with the idea that characterizes the film as a lesson on class struggle. This has nothing to do with socialism and class struggle. Moral drama is characteristic precisely of the classic bourgeoisie society of Britain and the United States, where there were strong social and property differences, and the absence of today's welfare state was replaced by social responsibility and charity, strongly influenced by Christianity. On the one hand, there were strong social prejudices, and the privileged classes protected their position, so social advancement was difficult. On the other hand, there was a constant purposeful effort to appeal to morality and help. Today's society is a society of prosperity, and it is both pampered by a high standard of living and consumer offers and thanks to the protective network of the welfare state, it does not feel such co-responsibility. The only thing that bothered me was the interweaving of all five actors' characters at the festive dinner with the sad fate of the story's heroine, which has a hint of expediency. If the point was to reveal that there were five different women who suffered from the manners of people from the upper class, and the mysterious investigator only purposefully merged them into one person to put the present company in their place, the result would be perfect. Overall impression: 90%.

I understand that nostalgia is a bitch and that many people grew up on B-movie genre films from the 80s, but I have to say stubbornly that from today's perspective, this film is an absolute waste of time. It is a film that really pissed me off and that I consider to be my personal mistake. I gave 3 stars to the related genre film Drive, which is in a completely different, much higher league. This is undoubtedly the weakest Michael Mann film I have seen so far. It is true, however, that it was his directorial debut, and the producers were still testing his abilities. It can't really be said that it's Mann's failure, because the direction, along with James Caan's performance, who essentially does what is expected from an actor of his caliber, are the only things that can be positively evaluated. The rest of the cast belongs in a low-budget B-movie, the screenplay has logical flaws, and I feel like my 14-year-old son, if he had the opportunity to watch a few crime movies, could have written the dialogue better. I had the feeling most of the time that the dialogue and the behavior of the film characters were somehow inappropriate. The psychology of the film protagonists is definitely lazy. Where the film should be building up, it actually fails, because it is precisely in the action scenes that the worst and most 80s film clichés are revealed. Overall impression: 25%.

Češi na cestách (Czechs on the Road) is looking for its Marian Trench. I wonder what physical and mental hygiene the married couple of commentators had to undergo, who must have realized what kind of mess they lent their names to. It never ceases to surprise me what all the Czech commercial television stations are capable of presenting to their audience. I saw only one episode, which I accidentally recorded on my hard drive, and that was more than enough for me. Briefly and aptly, this episode is a combined advertisement of a travel agency and an insurance company playing at being a reality show. Overall impression: 0%.

After November 1989, projects that were initiated and planned under the old system were still being completed for some time, but then the film industry in Czechoslovakia encountered quite inevitable difficulties. While before, the state had financed film projects and the problem was censorship, it quickly became apparent that in free conditions, a lot of filmmakers were unable to succeed because funding was lacking. Privatization and the entry of private capital showed that filming would continue but with very mixed results. The painful decline in the quality of Czech cinema led fans to desperately anticipate better tomorrows. Saša Gedeon met these expectations with his continuation of the poetics of the Czech New Wave, and even though I by no means think that there is a reason to be amazed by his debut, I understand the praise. Indian Summer feels like a revelation compared to other films of its type. On the other hand, I don't think that Gedeon was able to qualitatively develop the style of the New Wave, rather he only imitates it and a malicious tongue could claim that he is actually stealing from it. While Black Peter felt like a statement about a certain time and environment, with added value in the game with the aesthetics of awkwardness, here I only get the feeling that it's a gimmick, with a few charming dialogues between the two heroines standing out. At the same time, Indian Summer can be seen as a certain turning point, where new, unfamiliar faces appeared, which determined the trend in the following two decades. Overall impression: 45%. The question is how I would react if I saw the film during its premiere when I was much closer to the age of the protagonists. I didn't miss other films that made a big impact on me in the 90s. It would be worth revisiting it to see how different the perspective of a member of a different generation is...

The Lobster is an elegant and witty response to the sarcastic speeches about the decline and commercialization of world cinema. The alternative still lives, and even those who do not appreciate comic book spectacles filled with special effects can enjoy it. The film presents the viewer with an original dark grotesque world, which is probably the screenwriter's response to today's crisis of the family and the steep rise in the popularity of the single lifestyle. In the dystopian film world, the system forces individuals to enter into partnerships in an uncompromising way. Life as a couple is actually the only allowed manner of existence. Anything else leads either to the outcasts being sent into the deep forests, who are subjected to harassment, or to a transformation into another animal species. However bizarre in its own way, it surprisingly works well on the screen. It is funny, and moreover, it can be said that the troubles of the film characters have a real basis in human psychology and in their relationships. Additionally, the cast is truly star-studded and atypical for this kind of film production. Colin Farrell did a much better job with his burned-out depressive character, much more so than the aloof Rachel Weisz. Léa Seydoux created the character of an uncompromising guerrilla commander, who is willing to do the same, if not even worse, in the fight against the system. The festival-style manner of not following the mainstream and reinforcing the belief of its audience that they are seeing something artistically exclusive led to the fact that the film is not as audience-friendly as it could have been. I wouldn't dare to recommend The Lobster to a regular moviegoer who wants to relax and clear their mind of everyday troubles. But for fans of arthouse cinema, it is a good choice. Overall impression: 75%.

If I didn't have the opportunity to read the extensive interview with Eva Tomanová in a magazine, I would have a tendency to judge her work more leniently. But in that very interview, she revealed her perspective on the project to such an extent that I consider the outcome a fatal defeat. At first glance, this documentary lacks confrontation. But let's face it, if the director had made Mr. Mlčoch feel threatened, he would naturally have backed off and there would be nothing left of the film. Nevertheless, a bolder approach could have been taken and significantly more material could have been gathered. It was possible to interview relatives, and neighbors, take advantage of the several-month separation of the oldest daughter from the head of the family, etc. However, Eva Tomanová made the biggest mistake in allowing herself, like the rest of the family, to be tamed by Mr. Mlčoch. She lost her distance and it is simply noticeable in the project. Basically, she didn't even understand the power of the material she discovered. The Mlčoch family can be viewed in three ways. Firstly, as an expression of an alternative lifestyle, but that is completely irrelevant in my opinion. Secondly, as a manifestation of patriarchal societal organization, in which the eldest man represents the leader of the clan who decides on the functioning of the community. And thirdly, and in my opinion, precisely the case of the Mlčoch family, as a community operating in the spirit and according to the mechanisms of religious sects. An extremely dominant, manipulative, and confident man was lucky enough to come across an extremely submissive, manipulable woman with low self-esteem, and the result is exactly what the viewer can observe. Many men must envy Mr. Mlčoch because getting hold of this material means enjoying their absolute dominance and shaping their partner in their image. It doesn't help at all that Mrs. Mlčochová has a higher education and is not stupid. Well-educated people are much more inclined to sect-like lifestyles and various ideologies. If Tomanová had understood what was at stake here, she could have beautifully captured an environment that is otherwise completely inaccessible to the camera because various people like this are smart enough to keep the media at bay. Mr. Mlčoch decides everything and even though theoretically nothing prevents family members from leaving, they would not survive in the outside world because they know nothing about that world and cannot make decisions independently. Overall impression: 35%.

Deceptive advertising is punishable, but it seems that the comparison to the top-notch spy movie Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy works for the genre's fans. Perhaps it is because only a handful of users reviewed it. Compared to Alfredson's film, the series comes across as a cheap imitation of luxury handbags at a Vietnamese market. In my eyes, practically nothing works, starting with the casting, because I would believe more in Laurence Kinlan as a snobbish British dandy than an elite spy, through the crazy overdone complexity, to the absurdly overblown ending that would fit better in a comic full of conspiracy theories. It could be said that The Game tries to do the same thing with a serious face as the action pulp film Salt did. But Salt operates in a genre where the cheapness of the script doesn't hurt as much. Even within the realm of entertaining fiction, it is necessary to ensure that the whole thing convincingly reflects what it aims for, and in that, The Game fatally fails. There are so many crucial twists that it feels like an unintended parody. Much better has been accomplished by the creators of the series The Americans, who created an entertaining spy game. That series is not based on real life either but it feels more credible and has more believable characters. Overall impression: 25%.

My first encounter with Peaky Blinders was charming. I am a big fan of 19th-century industrial architecture, those old railway station buildings, and classic factories with their unmistakable appearance. In this series, I had the opportunity to see it come alive and fully functional. Flames were bursting, smoke was billowing, and workers were running around, and I had just been transported back in time a hundred years. The second plus was the luxurious cast led by the charismatic Cillian Murphy. My two stars are specifically for the above-mentioned. The rest of it started to get on my nerves in a short period of time, despite my high expectations based on the high ratings and praises on FilmBooster. I will start with the highly acclaimed musical aspect of the project. Let me make it clear, I consider the soundtrack great and I would gladly listen to it. Unfortunately, it fits the series about as well as a medieval Cathedral surrounded by a group of 20th-century functionalist buildings. It does not fit the stylish retro at all, the ideal would be a combination with a modern dynamic thriller. The musical component does not fit not only in terms of expression but also in terms of tempo. Secondly, in the comments, the exceptional nature of the work is often emphasized from a content perspective. Personally, I feel that the screenwriters followed instructions that were once written by Umberto Eco in his collection of essays on skeptics about how a well-selling pop culture piece made for maximizing profit should look. It is simply composed of ingredients that are easily understandable to the widest range of viewers and, moreover, made in such a cool style, like slow-motion shots, detailed shots of grim faces full of emotions, i.e., those proven and somewhat cheap tools, which the recently watched parody series Darkplace superbly and rightfully makes fun of. I don't blame Peaky Blinders for being cool. Both seasons of the American series Fargo are cool too, and the British series Luther is spot-on, and I loved them. However, what I cannot forgive Peaky Blinders for is the romanticized treatment, sentimentality, and moral relativization. It is often compared to the American series Boardwalk Empire. However, that series acts as the complete opposite of Peaky Blinders. It is analytical and, in my opinion, precisely captures the history of organized crime in the USA. It portrays its characters as charismatic and capable individuals in their own way, but it does not allow the viewer to form an emotional bond with them. On the contrary, it depicts them as incapable of building a family foundation, as megalomaniacs and human monsters. It removes any veneer from them. Peaky Blinders, on the other hand, purposefully creates a bond between the viewer and its protagonists, forcing you to root for them and sympathize with them. The American series Boardwalk Empire may not portray the guardians of order and political elites in a flattering light, but in Peaky Blinders, the members of the criminal underworld appear morally superior and more sympathetic side of the conflict. And finally, if Peaky Blinders is described as a cruel, uncompromising, and bloody spectacle, then I have the exact opposite impression of the first season. The motive of the relationship between the main character and the undercover policewoman feels like it came from a Mexican telenovela, and the character of the amoral police commissioner had to have been dug up from Victor Hugo's literary legacy. Of course, I cannot rule out that everything will turn for the better in the second season, but the final episode of the first season left me with a truly depressing impression. I have never seen a more theatrical scene of two criminal gangs clashing. Overall impression: 45% mainly for the truly successful atmosphere of the dirty working-class district of industrial England in the first half of the 20th century.