gudaulin

Unlike others, I think that Crazy Heart is a bit better than Country Strength. Even though one of my reasons for this is my age - because the film obviously targets an audience about two decades younger - there is still a significant difference left for me to give it 3 stars, because that's exactly how I appreciated Crazy Heart. In my opinion, Country Strength is more sappy, it doesn't go as deep and it tries to sell us banalities. Lastly, there are more country songs in it, and I don't particularly like this genre. Overall impression: 45% (mostly for Gwyneth Paltrow). It's not that her performance is dazzling, but it cannot be overlooked that she is a top actress. Country Strength is both primarily and secondarily a romance, not a drama with a broader reach.

I accidentally stumbled upon Elephant White and it only reinforced all the stereotypes I have about action B-movies. A bunch of clichés, a disregard for the logic of the plot and the behavior of the characters, an invincible hero, stupid criminals, a very simple script, and on top of that, an uncharismatic main character. It is certainly not the bottom of its genre, but I simply don't like these types of movies and they have nothing to offer me. Overall impression: 5% for the exotic backdrop of Southeast Asia. In my opinion, Kevin Bacon can do so much better...

Woody Allen is certainly an American, but he has always somewhat defied the idea of a typical American because he belongs to the circle of New York liberals who have always been culturally closer to Europe than to the American South or Midwest. In Europe, his intellectually-oriented work was also more embraced by audiences than in America. Woody makes fun of this in his film Hollywood Ending, where a blind director makes a film that, for understandable reasons, makes no sense, and when the American studio throws it overboard, the film receives recognition at a European film festival and also from European viewers. In the later stage of his career, Woody truly fell in love with Paris, and when he decided to leave his beloved New York, he began creating there. This film is nothing more than a tribute to Paris as a cultural center and a city with an amazing history, and the whole gimmick tries to sell the viewer as many famous figures of European culture that once passed through Paris in the 1920s. He chose this period so he could showcase his favorite musical melodies. Unfortunately, it had to happen one day - my favorite director Woody, to whom I usually give 4 stars, even in the weaker films that I forget about after a few days, managed to reliably entertain me only to the level of three stars this time. I am not surprised by Woody thematically or in the choice of actors, but somehow I didn't enjoy this panoply of characters, and in the first half, I was downright bored. The second half is a bit better, but even the few functioning jokes were not particularly original, and during Allen's overproduction, I remembered them from other films. It is a pleasant film, but I just could not get into it. Overall impression: 45%.

After a great internal struggle, I am giving this film three stars, but they are not convincing and I still have doubts about them. They are more for the concept and cast than for the screenplay and execution. This film delves so deeply into the inner turmoil of its protagonists' souls that it almost drowns in psychology. Then there's the sentimental music, tormented faces, and the obsequious melancholy from the camera. In short, I have a feeling that Ponti wanted to make a strong impression on his audience and sell them a melodramatic story that somewhat flirts with emotional manipulation. Overall impression: 50%.

Yves Angelo cannot deny his original profession as a cameraman and the whole film is characterized by beautiful compositions, whether it be a battlefield, the streets of old Paris, or the interiors of old bourgeois houses. Just the opening nearly eight-minute scene of a field covered in corpses with the moaning of wounded soldiers, exhausted faces with strained features who have just survived their deaths, is a perfect example of the chaos of war. Even though this is not a war film but rather a historical drama with a romantic motif, very few war films can provide such a suggestive depiction of military craft. The film has an outstanding cast, with Gérard Depardieu showing why he became a star and an acting legend, and his animalistic officer, who grew up in poor conditions only to return to them after a catastrophic turn of events, is incredibly convincing. Fanny Ardant, on the other hand, plays a beautiful bitch who knows how to use her charms, intelligence, and social status to achieve her goals. And among them, Fabrice Luchini is an exceptional lawyer, who seemingly cannot be surprised by anything anymore yet is shocked by the fascinating life story with an improbable twist. This is how I imagine an adaptation of a literary classic. A lavish film that does not drown in and does not attempt to shock with special effects but focuses on the story and portrayal of the setting. Overall impression: 90%.

This could also be called The Chronicle of a Foretold Death. The city as a corpse, prosperity for murder. A wealthy businesswoman carries out an interesting social experiment. Will the residents of a provincial town be willing to execute one of their own for a billion crowns? She herself has no doubts about it at all, and as she remarks to her staff, she certainly won't stay in the local hotel for long. Friedrich Dürrenmatt agrees with her, and the initial situation is the basis for a lot of biting sarcasm and plenty of dark humor. In the 1990s, Zdeněk Zelenka still drew from the treasure trove of the very best that world literature and theater offered, so his television productions of that time had undeniable value. Especially when he could rely on the top actors of the time. Jiřina Bohdalová plays her Nemesis and a woman who has long been accustomed to manipulating and ordering without restrictions reliably, but the fascinating performances come primarily from Alois Švehlík, František Němec, and others. And in the miniature of the weary woman from the neighborhood, Simona Stašová proves that there are no small roles. Overall impression: 80%.

Nocturne indien is a typical film that plays on your feelings and one that you should avoid if you care about a strong story and characters and an effective plot. In the end, it doesn't matter if the Frenchman was looking for his friend or his lost shadow. Sometimes the journey can be the destination, and here we have an interesting road movie through Indian cities and transportation routes. In one of the scenes, a fellow traveler vividly describes the beauties of Madras and all the tourist destinations, and then the protagonist finally asks him how he usually travels there. The answer is that he has not been there yet, but it is not important to be in direct contact to become knowledgeable. However, Nocturne indien conveys that personal contact with a foreign culture and environment is very important and that some experiences are not transferable. In the film, the camera plays an important, essentially dominant role, capturing the poverty of slums, and the depressing environment of the metropolitan hospital, dormitories, and luxury hotels. If the opinion is right claiming that people seek out the exotic on their vacations, meaning that nothing works properly in those countries, then India is probably an ideal destination for such travel. Nocturne indien is a slow film that you need to be able to tune into and you need to be rested. Overall impression: 60%.

Although it may seem absurd, I was reminded of Prometheus by Ridley Scott in connection with Luna just a while ago. Both films of course belong to completely different genres, and the directors use different methods and want to appeal to different audiences, but the result is somehow equally poor compared to their potential, budget, and the director's name. Similar is the reaction of a significant part of film fans who seek and find something different in the film than what is actually there. Bernardo Bertolucci is, of course, too good a filmmaker for there to be no interesting image or scene in his film, but compared to what the exteriors and the actors he had at his disposal offered, it is a painful failure. However, the main problem remains the poor motivation and psychology of the characters, the unbelievable plot, the idiotic behavior of the (anti)heroes, and the overall screenplay. This psychological drama somehow fits into the atmosphere of the 70s and the category of films for art-house audiences. The controversy of the sexual relationship between a mother and a son, in my opinion, has already been exhausted, but this only brings out the shortcomings of the screenplay even more. Overall impression: 25%.

The first shot, the first look at Renée, and the first shock. I know very well that there is a considerable group of film viewers who do not particularly like this actress and tend to consider her an unfortunate combination of bad genes, poor parenting, and an uncontrollable desire for media success. I belong to the second group, which, on the other hand, appreciates her uniqueness, special charm, and the significant dose of acting talent she has. Suddenly, however, it seems like Renée has lost her flair, her face puffs up like a frog defending itself against a predator, and she seems to have aged a few years. That is an unpleasant realization when you realize that there are only a few months between you and her date of birth. I wanted to check myself in the mirror to see how many gray hairs and age spots I have gained when I realized that Zellweger has simply succumbed to the same temptation that ruined Daryl Hannah's or Lara Flynn Boyle's appearance and made Michael Jackson more visible. That is, the desire for perfection through the care of plastic surgeons. For Renée, this classically styled romantic comedy about the desire for a new partner is worthwhile, so you definitely won't miss out on her pouted lips and the smile of an overripe cherub. Feminists probably wouldn't be pleased with the attitudes of her character, who can't imagine any other career than being a professional wife and finding the meaning of life in taking care of her children. The quality of the production is slightly above average, but otherwise completely typical Hollywood consumer goods, which, considering the target audience focused on Zellweger's peers, is somewhat more cultured and settled than is usual in comedies aimed at teenagers. Overall impression: 60%.

I have to admit that I enjoyed Corbiau's film The King Is Dancing a lot more, both in terms of my tastes and mood. While Farinelli is able to offer the elegance of aristocrats in period costumes, the baroque splendor of palaces, and the luxury of residences from that time, it somehow fails to offer a captivating story worthy of Forman's Amadeus. It's more of a case of aesthetic boredom that longs for some festival excitement. Fans of classical music and opera singing may give it an extra star, but I must once again mention Amadeus which managed to present classical music to today's audience much more effectively. Overall impression: 50%.