gudaulin

This unassuming yet very well-made film may not have the most interesting crime storyline, but it stands out for its atmosphere and depiction of its era's society. The casting is also very good, with Marcello Mastroianni and especially Jean-Louis Trintignant showing why they became film stars. Jacqueline Bisset is primarily beautiful and fits perfectly into her role as a bored lady of the upper class. The film can be considered a social satire of the better society of its time, its "morality," and life goals. Overall impression: 70%.

A very intelligent film with a brilliantly written script about fate, where the main character longs to deviate from the set path, and despite his extraordinary efforts, control over his life slips out of his hands. It's actually a tragicomic farce about life values and goals. The protagonist is not broken by torture and interrogations by the secret police but by the arrival to his own harmonious family, whom he hasn't seen for years, and the fact that for a few days, he experiences a normal human life without persecution and conspiracies. By the way, secret police in some Latin American countries worked on a similar principle during dictatorships, when they subjected the arrested to harsh treatment, then released them home, and after some time arrested them again. Thanks to enthusiastic comrades and a series of coincidences, the revolutionary fails in his attempt to escape to America and in the embezzlement of money intended for acquiring weapons for the revolutionary organization, and he is forced to play his role as the leader of the defeated revolution until the bitter end. The final genius yet immensely bitter point is just the icing on the cake. Excellently cast and with a great point. Overall impression: 90%.

Frankly, I was enticed to watch Warlock due to its high rating of 71%. So, when it aired on TV, I did not hesitate to stay up late into the night - even though it conflicted with another movie I was recording. The result was disappointing, and even after filtering out the fatigue of the late hour, I wouldn't give it more than two stars. Such high ratings are often given by uncritical genre fans. If anything works about Warlock, it's the mysteriously sounding title and the theme, which undoubtedly has potential. Unfortunately, the execution is despairingly B-grade, characterized by uninspired direction, forgettable performances, and a low budget. Overall impression: 25%.

Sex Traffic tackles the emotionally charged topic of forced prostitution, which could potentially attract viewers with its erotic aspect if it were appropriately presented. However, the execution is despairingly television-like, i.e. prolonged and verbose. Trimming an hour off this two-part film would only benefit it. As it stands, it resembles German crime dramas and is quite uneventful. The acting is average, and while the Romanian actresses don't offer anything groundbreaking, they at least bring some fresh faces. The script is what really dulls the final effect. Overall impression: 40%.

I saw King Size at the end of the 80s and it stuck in my memory as a significantly above-average affair, but I also got the feeling that it was one of those movies that are successful only in a certain historical context, and over time, the film will inevitably age. I saw it again years later and I was surprised at how well it still works even after such a long time. The visual style of the film is very interesting, and several lines and crazy situations add ingredients to the cinematic treat. Juliusz Machulski intentionally reminds us of his famous film Sexmission with certain lines and one character. Props used such as the prison cell in the wardrobe or the small battery as a booby trap with high voltage, worked as jokes twenty years ago and still work today. Overall impression: 90%. The biggest star is undoubtedly Jerzy Stuhr, who excels even in a relatively small space as a high-ranking official of a dwarf totalitarian state.

To be honest, I would not even believe that it is possible to shoot such a suggestive yet realistic picture of ancient Rome without significantly compromising the high demands for fidelity to historical events. yet the series is not boring at all. Individual documented historical characters are intertwined with fictional ones, and real historical events complement the captivating imagination of the screenwriter engagingly. The series depicts the life of all social classes in the Roman Empire, and it is characteristic that the opening scene of one episode begins with a chase between small children in the middle of a Roman street full of craftsmen and traders. Even the opening credits create the impression of a demanding yet interesting spectacle. The acting and directing are very well done, and established stars do not appear in the series. This makes the sense of reality and identification of the actors with the characters in the series even stronger. Unlike hundreds of other works, this series tells the story of the real life of the inhabitants of a long-lost empire. Overall impression: 95%. Perhaps only the war scenes are somewhat lacking, which can be forgiven given how expensive they are to film.

This poetic film, which is hard to categorize, leans on an excellent cast led by Marcello Mastroianni and Michel Piccoli. It tells a story of unfulfilled desire for parenthood, which finds an outlet through the kidnapping of small children by an Argentinian exile living in relatively luxurious exile in Paris. The film is strong visually, with its poetic imagery, especially scenes set in the fantastical theater of a magician and cabaret artist played by Michel Piccoli, reminiscent of old Molière films. It is a movie filled with bizarre human relationships and passions, carrying an ambiguous moral message. Dreamlike visions also play an important role, with some scenes parodying Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin. Overall impression: 65%.

Julius Caesar can be criticized for many things. The film strongly resembles ancient epic American movies from the 50s and 60s and overall corresponds to historical films made several decades ago. Whether it is the book dialogues and their naivety, the anachronistic evaluation of the customs of that time using today's moral standards, or the appearance of historical characters who were significantly younger in the film than in reality. However, such reservations will most likely be raised only by a small minority of history enthusiasts. Others will appreciate the romanticized story full of exciting war scenes, which are - and I can't resist expressing this - mostly highly unrealistic, because if the Romans fought the Gauls in this way, they would have completely failed. The scenes of man-to-man combat look magnificent on the screen, but the battles were fought from the Roman side in tight formations, where the Romans fully utilized their tactical advantage. But again, it is filmed splendidly for the layman and overall it appears more grand and impressive than it probably actually was. The casting is decent and the story grabs at your heartstrings. However, I would not recommend it to a historian. A comparison with the series Rome would obviously result in a significant disadvantage for this film, but despite all the reservations, it is an above-average achievement. Overall impression: 70%.

From Dusk Till Dawn is a very controversial film, where it is possible to understand a wide range of ratings from movie fans. On one hand, there is the traditional Quentin Tarantino style combining elements of extreme violence, eroticism, and classic horror with a strongly comedic exaggeration and necessary catchphrases, additionally supported by the participation of well-known and top actors. On the other hand, the screenplay is openly not among the best that have been written in this genre. Moreover, the pace of the story is quite uneven. Overall impression: 60%. In some moments, Robert Rodriguez explicitly wastes traditional horror props and begins to bore.

This is a very typical example of plundering a classic and especially high-quality literary source, stripped of its romance, poetry, and originality - rehashed into a colorful, overused form featuring infantile animals dressed in clothing and exhibiting human manners. The artistic design, musical themes used, and animation are among the most mediocre that today's commercial animated productions in the realm of mass culture can offer. Overall impression: 25%.