Goldbeater

Relatively complex and shot with sensitivity, this documentary concerns one of the most admirable US comedians. Come Inside My Mind showcases a vast amount of known and unknown comedy acts by Robin Williams, and attempts to portray his eccentric nature on stage, as well as his introvert behaviour and numerous personal hardships – and this, literally across his entire life, from the cradle to the grave. Marina Zenovich is quite selective in the choice of the material she uses; apart from the talking by friends, colleagues and family members, the documentary is mostly centred around sketches with Williams’ live performances, his film work being more or less moved to the sidelines. Surprisingly, the documentary doesn’t even focus on things like – amongst others – Williams’ Oscar award. But that’s not so essential, and the director’s primary focus is, as conveyed by the title, the actor’s mind. And even though we can only start to guess what was going on inside the brain of this charming, quick-witted and fast-talking chap, I will say with confidence that, with this documentary, we managed to come inside Williams’ mind at least a little bit. [KVIFF 2018]

Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire is, without a doubt, the most obscure musical film I’ve seen so far. And quite possibly one of the strangest films I’ve had the privilege to come across to this day. And indeed, it’s really just about Billy the Kid and the vampire playing snooker together. It’s hard to describe – what might have been the creators’ intention when shooting this flick? In any case, the characters, the dialogues, the behaviours, oh and even the people’s names are like from another dimension, which is just tons of fun for the viewer! Through the unconventional acting, crazy lyrics and other odd elements, one can have glimpses of good direction and interesting camera work. A truly bizarre finding! [KVIFF 2018]

Clearly, A Quiet Place better suits – by orders of magnitude – the atmosphere of a festival; the hype when it was released to the masses rather damaged the film. Thumbs up to John Krasinski for the nice little horror. I think he did a good job and personally, I got more or less what I was expecting. The only minor issue I had was with the music. First, I found it was, for the most part, quite unnecessary for this film (maybe even to the point of being disturbing). Then, it seemed to me Marco Beltrami basically stole the melody from Sicario by Jóhann Jóhannsson. However, these days an original soundtrack is hard to find, so I was able to get over it. [KVIFF 2018]

Another gloomy film in a row showing how the feeling of safety is just an illusion. The main role, in Utøya, is authenticity. I can imagine that for this film, a lot of viewers will claim that form prevails over contents. It’s definitely not how I see it, though, even if I understand not everyone will have Utøya: July 22 in their heart, since it is a very demanding film to watch. The creators deserve great recognition, especially for filming the story in a relatively challenging environment and with unpredictable child actors, all in just one shot! Impressive, very unpleasant and emotionally disturbing. [KVIFF 2018]

Although this short film is a mere twenty minutes long, the plotline it elaborates could, if need be, extend into a feature-length picture. Besides, it perfectly presents to the audience the essence of the problem it wants to highlight. As a precisely shot filmic message, this short beautifully stands on its own and fulfils its goal in the best possible way. [KVIFF 2018]

Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder become the witnesses of a murder. One didn’t see it, the other didn’t hear it. But, together, they set out to solve the case, despite the trouble they get from the criminals, from the police and, to some extent, also from each other. Still, this film is about a lovely friendship and team work. Without each other, they are nothing, yet once united, they form a strong duo. Both protagonists are incredibly funny entertainers, and it’s hard to imagine this flick without them. A great comedy. [KVIFF 2018]

The Aboriginal Australians must endure the oppression from white settlers in an era when justice is a flimsy concept and everyone looks at it through their own glasses. The acting performance is excellent (Sam Neil and his singing!), but the views into the characters’ past or future are somewhat useless and the takes can prove quite lengthy at times, making the film slightly sticky in its pace. I’m glad this film exists because of its significant reach; nevertheless, it would gain by being a bit shorter. [KVIFF 2018]

John Carroll Lynch surprised me in a great way. He directs his debut film with sensitivity and humour, creating an almost philosophic work that offers different possible interpretations. With so many symbolic scenes punctuating the storyline, each viewer will have their own understanding and find their holy grail. Lucky can be about old age, about life, about death, about missed opportunities – and, most probably, about all of that. Who knows. Lucky will get under your skin. It got me for sure. The great David Lynch in the secondary role moved me greatly. However the star is, of course, Harry Dean Stanton; this is his swan song and one of the best filmic farewells ever. Let’s welcome that with a smile! [KVIFF 2018]

Karel Lamač made this simple, naive, yet precisely directed melodrama in which he even plays the main role. It’s a pleasure to watch him along with Anna Ondráková, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to see this movie on the big screen as part of the Karlovy Vary festival (unfortunately, with a very questionable musical accompaniment, I have to say). The totally stunning performance of the main actors, together with Karl Lamač’s direction which is full of ideas and tricks, compensate for the banality of the storyline. Quite many scenes are a feast for the eyes (the winning one being, for me, the glass castle and the use of its theme throughout the story). It doesn’t hurt to watch such a slightly naive fairytale from time to time. [KVIFF 2018]

A very disturbing drama about an emerging mental disorder (or maybe not exactly, but let’s not anticipate) and the subsequent disintegration of the hitherto quiet family life. Michael Shannon is stunning in the lead role, and Jessica Chastain comes close. Hats off, especially for the character Jessica plays, who, even under the stress of tough life challenges, stays strong and stands patiently and lovingly by her husband. Some of the dream sequences are not far from the realm of horror, and Shannon’s maddened state is very uncomfortable to watch. The whole thing inevitably foreshadows a really unhappy final scene, and makes for a two-hour instant depression treat. [KVIFF 2018]