Goldbeater

A very provocative and slinky musical about enjoying one’s life to the fullest per contrast with the possibility of death. About the peculiar creation process as well as endless vanity. Bob Fosse directs a rather gloomy story in a detached and fun fashion. The film’s backbone is the acting performance of Roy Scheider, whose donjuanesque director is, under the weight of his tumultuous lifestyle and workload, heading for destruction. Even though it was clearly intentional, I found the conclusion to be unnecessarily stretched to my taste. I’m really glad I’ve been able to see this flick on the big screen, as it enhanced the experience. [KVIFF 2018]

Hal Ashby – quirky Hollywood rebel, creator of some of the most stunning American films of the 1970s and, above all, someone who was devoted to filmmaking. In this heartfelt documentary, he is remembered by people who worked with him and knew him. The film retraces his entire career from his very beginnings to his early departure. And right after seeing this, I want to watch one of Ashby’s movies. [KVIFF 2018]

In the director’s own words, actress Trine Dyrholm doesn’t look like Nico, doesn’t sing like Nico and is even not of the same nationality as Nico, however she is still the best option for this role. Hard to disagree with that. Her incarnation of the character is just excellent, and she drives the film with great enthusiasm. Other than that, Nico, 1988 is a rather conventional biograpic about Warhol’s muse’s last years of life. The scene with her concert in Prague is one of the film’s highlights. [KVIFF 2018]

The problem with this film is that, during the first part, it draws the viewer into the biggest theft of Mexican history, then gets stuck in the mud over a long-winded middle part before, finally, concluding on an absurd note. Unfortunately, Damian Garcia’s gorgeous and inventive camera work doesn’t make up for the absence of gradation and slow pace of the storyline. What’s more, you’re wondering the whole time what could be the motivation for the main characters to commit such an act, but then, the film ends before you could get your answer. A slightly unbalanced flick. [KVIFF 2018]

Spike Lee chose an interesting, absurd and almost unbelievable story, which he skilfully and cleverly adapted into a brilliant satirical comedy. His casting choice is also totally accurate and there’s magic between the actors, which, for the viewer, is pure delight. All that is wrapped into a near-Tarantino style. Then, just when you’re thinking how amazing a film you’re watching, Spike Lee throws in a straight superfluous documentary-like epilogue which differs in atmosphere from the rest. It’s like the director decided to make his opinions clear at all cost, being so explicit even the simple-minded can get the message. Fortunately, despite this last-minute blunder, the general feeling remains positive, and I’d say it’s definitely a quality film worth watching. [KVIFF 2018]

Asghar Farhadi recounts a very slow family drama, in which there are so many characters that very quickly, you lose track of who is related to whom, and why their presence in the story even matters. Under the pressure of tragic circumstances, they all reopen old wounds and stir up an atmosphere that was peaceful until then. When one of the characters reveals their secret during the second half of the film, it’s been a long time since the viewer figured it out. The whole thing is delivered without the tiniest hint of suspense or interesting dialogues, and without any memorable scene. And when there’s not even a spark between Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz, it means something must be wrong somewhere. [KVIFF 2018]

Werner Herzog takes us on a trip to the land of silence and darkness, that is, among people who have lost almost all contact with the outside world due to their severe visual and hearing impairments. Something most of us can’t start to imagine or comprehend. There’s a very limited amount of commenting by the director, this time. Herzog only talks when a situation absolutely requires an explanation. Otherwise, he lets the experts speak – those about whom this sad story is. Obviously, you won’t be merrily jumping in the air after seeing this film, but you’ll have gained a damn huge respect for those people who can effectively learn to live in such dramatic isolation. [KVIFF 2018]

This is the essence of what the audience of a film festival expects from the midnight screening, but rarely gets. An incredibly crammed butchery especially tailored for horror fans. Plus, it is made with love. And it has the best Nicolas Cage in years. If you have the impression, during the first half, that Cage’s performance is modest and intimate, then the other part will prove you wrong by bringing one of the most frantic creations of his career. Hats off to director Panos Cosmatos for being able to manage the whole thing; I’m eager to see what he will do next! Last but not least, I also take my hat off to the recently deceased Jóhann Jóhannsson for his music – a superb farewell. Mandy is a pure gem! [KVIFF 2018]

For his directional debut, ambitious creator Paul Dano produced a well-made unpretentious drama. The story is based on a young boy who, despite the very tumultuous breakup of his parents, manages to save face. Paul Dano probably projected a part of himself in it. Some scenes touching on the relationship between the characters are pushed to extremely disturbing levels, which further deepens the oppressive feelings. Everything is enhanced by Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan’s remarkable acting performances. [KVIFF 2018]

This is an honest documentary, through which Ingmar Bergman is remembered mainly by people who really knew him and worked with him. Although they do remember him in a good way, some are not afraid to subject the great man to mild criticism. So it is not a biased sycophantic glorification of Bergman, for which I give this a big thumbs-up. Undoubtedly, the most important appearance is by Liv Ullmann. I was slightly disappointed that Bergman’s favourite actor Max von Sydow did not appear among the contributors, but that, however, could not be helped. The only flaw in its beauty for me was director Margarethe von Trott constantly needing to always have the last word and jump on the interviewees in such a way that they could only then simply nod and repeat: "Yes, yes, yes," thus confirming that she is capable director, but as a facilitator, she failed and that irritates slightly. However, I still left feeling positively about the documentary. [KVIFF 2018]