Ediebalboa

So even ski jumping has its own "Rudy". The funny and determined Eddie Egerton and his moustache will grow on you from his first childhood attempts to win an Olympic medal. The first priority here is fun, the filmmakers correctly understood that trying to push the dramatic envelope with a storyline where the protagonist breaks funny records all the time would not be the happiest way to go. Thanks to this, the film has a drive that doesn't lose even towards the end. Featuring a central musical motif from the early Zimmer days when Eddie entertained the world at the Olympics, it will entertain you just as well today.

This is no idyll on a yacht, there's no love line, no picturesque sunsets, no heroic ending, just the open ocean and two wooden boats. Weir's Master & Commander is a cinematic phenomenon that was as close to reality as we've ever seen in historical films, but this doesn’t mean that it is a live-action documentary. In addition to a great cast, the film also features a lavish production design, which also proves the enormous costliness of nautical films. It is therefore difficult to ever see the real highlights of the Napoleonic Wars, such as Trafalgar, the Nile and the whole life of the famous British Admiral Horatio Nelson.

A solid film from within the industry. Candid, without any major hooray, the story of Dalton Trumbo is so compelling on its own that it didn't need any more dramatization than necessary. You won’t find many memorable scenes, but you'll always be curious to see what's the next thing to go wrong in the famous screenwriter's life. Cranston is brilliant as Trumbo, and I emphasize "is" because you actually believe his performance. In the end, it probably won't be enough to win awards – the film looks too "ordinary" compared to its competitors, but it will find its fans.

Who was Macbeth actually made for? Connoisseurs will not find any superior value in it compared to the original, on the contrary, they will be convinced that its proper place is in the auditorium of theatres, and the less knowledgeable viewers will not get a warmer concept either. Only die-hard fans of the actors might find the excellent cast to their liking. The new version of the famous play does not bring a faster pace or a more original concept, the only change is that the grandiose conversations of the characters have replaced the theatre setting with the realities of the Scottish Highlands. Shakespeare is already challenging, so I don't understand why it's stretched out with long slow-motion shots of chilling landscapes or the faces of dejected actors. In the final analysis, therefore, this is a great-looking drama that brings nothing but misery to everyone involved, from the audience to Macbeth.

Future classic. Not since Munich has Spielberg made a film that is so captivating, chilling, but above all entertaining. The Coen brothers can be seen at every corner of the film. Tom Hanks can still play character heroes like no one else, so can Alan Alda, and when a German actor is needed somewhere lately, Sebastian Koch is always a safe bet. But the one who will be remembered most after the film is Mark Rylance, he plays the role of the resolute Soviet spy with great aplomb. Newman also did a great job with the music, if he were to replace Williams permanently on Spielberg films in the future, I think few people would complain.

A Spanish-language series, a South American production with no stars... not long ago, you would have laughed at the idea. Fortunately, miracles have been happening on TV in recent years, and Narcos is another one of them, and the boundary between film and series has been crossed even south of Hollywood. Just think of the best crime-drama series of recent years and enhance it with the fact that this time it’s not fiction but the ruthless Colombian history, and very objectively depicted at that. You won't see the glorification of the Americans or the Colombians who went for the narco-baron's throat. In short, José Padilha and co. have portrayed Escobar's life journey in a way that would make an expert on the ups and downs of great men – Martin Scorsese – proud.

The best Iron Maiden concert and the most amazing audience across genres ever at a live show. No one was filming on a smartphone, taking selfies, or chatting with friends during the concert. The audience in Rio created one big singing Mexican wave that knew the entire discography of Iron Maiden by heart, thanks to which even less famous songs like “Sign of the Cross” or “Clansman” stood out. Thanks to the powerful background chorales, these and many other songs took on completely new dimensions compared to their studio versions. The climax was the anthem “Fear of the Dark”, which I still listen to only in this form.

The first film where I had to diametrically change my rating after a second viewing a few years later. I just knew what I had to expect: a wacky buddy movie by Shane Black that suggests a lot, except something mundane. And it works brilliantly. And yet, The Last Boy Scout, other than the theme song, doesn’t excel at anything. So, like Bruce says to his wife at the end of the film, "Fuck you, Shane" – sometimes you really get on my nerves, but I still love you.

Historical-war dramas have always been Zwick's staple, and here he proves it again. Despite a very protracted start, things improve in pace, atmosphere and acting performances as the first clash arrives. In fact, for most of the film, Matthew Broderick’s character is one of the flattest commanders I've ever seen. The colonel he plays was probably no General Maximus, but that's still no reason for his performance to be so unremarkable. Fortunately, the black squadron is there to save the day lead by Freeman and especially Washington, I fully believed his role as a former slave.

The atmosphere, the actors, the music, etc. are superb, but then comes the conclusion, and nothing. Over the years, I have become used to the way Lynch or P. T. Anderson make films, which follows one rule: outline a lot, explain a minimum, and I thought I could mentally prepare myself for their films. But what the director shows here in the end knows no measure and some people can simply bear it and others, like me, cannot. Usually, if I don't get the film completely the first time, I enjoy looking for connections, but when you see that the author's willingness to accommodate you is zero on purpose, you can't expect any effort on my part in return.