gudaulin

The Poseidon Adventure is not at the forefront of the genre alongside films such as The Towering Inferno, but it is a pleasant spectacle with a series of escalating scenes, a quality cast, and the corresponding performances. The screenplay is built on a classically exposed group of characters, checking the boxes of individual human types, such as the brave hero, the self-centered macho guy as his antagonist, the submissive girl, the lively boy with his sister, etc. There's love, self-sacrifice... simply the traditional offering for this kind of film. From my point of view, the film is undermined by some unbelievable moments in the screenplay. The catastrophe itself is problematic – an earthquake, even of exceptional intensity, usually does not cause any extreme waves on the open sea, because masses of water can move over long distances and only when they collide with the coastal zone do they create massive tsunamis several dozen feet high. The capsizing of a ship could theoretically be caused by an underwater volcano explosion in close proximity or a powerful storm, but an ocean liner is a bit too big for that. Things get worse in the depiction of the passage of the ship, as a fire in an unventilated sector of a wrecked ship would obviously contaminate the entire space with toxic fumes. Similarly, the metal structures would heat up so much that I can hardly imagine the survivors moving through those corridors. The list of inconsistencies is quite long, but thanks to the preacher excellently played by Gene Hackman, it is an above-average affair. Overall impression: 65%.

A legendary film about one of the last colonial wars, fought with extraordinary tenacity on both sides. A markedly political film in the best traditions of Italian neorealism. The film's success was due not only to the director but also to screenwriter Franco Solinas, a well-known writer. The film is crafted using a documentary approach to create the impression of an authentic documentary. One of the co-producers was Yacef Saadi, a direct participant in the uprising.

I read an excellent sci-fi story on the topic depicted in this movie about a twisted reality show where a group of inmates sentenced to death fought for survival, and the winner received not only mercy but also a decent reward. This dystopian spectacle aimed to divert the attention of the viewers from the economic crisis and societal stagnation. The main problem with Fukasaku's film is the inadequate portrayal of the background, of why society and the government had agreed on such a twisted game because, without its filming and broadcasting in the media, it somehow loses its meaning. If we accept the screenwriter's game, the director made the most out of the idea. The fight for survival within a closed community of high school students naturally offers tremendous opportunities to display a wide range of emotions, tension, and measured brutality so that the viewer remains appropriately excited throughout, and the relatively surprising ending is their reward. Everything is accentuated by a provocatively chosen musical background; you wouldn't believe the shots the director can combine with "The Blue Danube" waltz. Takeshi Kitano in the role of the tough teacher is naturally flawless in terms of acting, although his motivation, or rather the transformation from an intellectual to a cynical killer, is somewhat forced from a screenplay perspective. Overall impression: 80%. The film can rightfully be criticized for gratuitous naturalistic violence, but for the majority of its duration, the director successfully balances on the edge of bearability.

ABBA's music was a big part of my childhood, and I associated this film with their best songs. However, to be honest, the film offers nothing beyond those songs. The script is weak, and the story is almost non-existent, serving only as a flimsy bridge between musical numbers. For a documentary, it is too staged. Overall impression: 40%.

If we talk about the noir genre, The Big Sleep is one of the titles that comes to mind first for a film fan, and you could even say that it is a showcase of the genre. However, it is not a typical representative of the black series because noir includes bitter endings and partnerships going awry, and The Big Sleep has a too optimistic outcome for noir. The film is also weakened by two shortcomings. The final form was influenced by censorship, which did not consider the homosexual relationship between two negative characters and also discreetly concealed the nature of illegal activities in Geiger's bookstore - namely the production and distribution of pornographic materials. This, however, leads to the loss of motivations and connections important for understanding the story. The script also has its shortcomings, as, for example, it does not provide any explanation for the chauffeur's murder. However, The Big Sleep did not gain its iconic status by mistake or for free. The chemistry between Bogart and Lauren Bacall works great and could be presented as an example of an ideal film partnership. Bogart's role as Marlowe suited him perfectly, both in appearance and intonation, and he had a sense of irony and was able to lightly dismiss his detective at the right moment. The director had a sense of atmosphere and mastered the craft of filmmaking excellently. He may not have been a seeker of new paths, but he understood what works in the genre, how to properly dose it, and use it. The complexity of the story and the presence of stars helped to cover up the shortcomings of the script. Overall impression: 85%.

Belle de Jour was allegedly Buñuel's most commercially successful film. It is no wonder, as it deals with a spicy storyline and the director also came up with an effective lure by casting the charming Catherine Deneuve in the main role. Buñuel had several motifs in his work that he obsessively returned to, and the most frequently used one was criticism of bourgeois morality stemming from a bigotedly experienced Christianity and dogmatic ideas about human sexuality, which were deeply rooted in the 19th century. A materially well-off bourgeois lady, living in such an exemplary marriage that it could represent a dream historical ideal for many, seemingly lacks nothing. However, she feels increasingly dissatisfied, and bored, and the conflict between her strict Catholic upbringing and obligations to her social status on one hand, and unsatisfied sexual urges and a desire for adventure on the other, is tearing her apart more and more intensely. Outwardly conservative, the woman starts living a double life and finds escape in the occupation of a luxury prostitute. Buñuel satirizes religious resistance to eroticism and sexual desire, as well as attacking the traditional model of family, which refuses to see women as anything more than mothers and housewives. He also perceives sexual intercourse primarily, if not exclusively, as a means of reproduction. With the passage of time, Belle de Jour can be seen as a typical representative of the socially critical intellectual movement in European cinema of the 1960s and 1970s. In today's fast-paced times, which prefer shortcuts and overt displays, Buñuel's refinement, his restraint, and his ability to merely suggest, which may be unattractive to some, are highly appreciated by me. Overall impression: 90%.

When Disney arrived in the 1930s with his team and the first animated feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, it was innovative, precise, daring for its time, and simply unique. However, it soon became a template that greatly influenced and simplified animated production due to its commercial success. Dozens of other films were created following the same pattern, characterized by oversweetness, catchy songs, the same artistic techniques, and similar scripts that typically drew from proven fairy tale classics. Exactly the same can be said about the adaptation of the classic French fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast." This version is almost unbearable for me. I understand that it is appealing and collects points wherever possible, but for me, this film is an example of the decline of animated film trapped in audience expectations and financial calculations. Overall impression: 25%. By the way, even my children didn't enjoy this film and simply couldn't finish watching it.

Memphis Belle is actually an American counterpart to the famous Czechoslovak film Riders in the Sky. Compared to that film, Memphis Belle falls behind a bit and therefore loses one star because it is not dark, hopeless, and realistic enough. It is simply an American blockbuster that must confirm the uniqueness of the American military force and glorify the heroism of their boys at the end for the audience, but nevertheless, it is a significantly above-average genre work that easily outperforms many of its more famous American counterparts that surpass it statistically on internet servers. I could point out many details, but as a whole, it works very well. Overall impression: 80%.

When your gray hair and wrinkles start to become impossible to overlook, technology steals your livelihood and the feeling of not understanding the world around you anymore triumphs, you start to mentally go back to your youth, when your wife hadn't slept with your friend yet and didn't show that you were a burden to her and she would rather kick you out of the apartment. Back to the time when worries didn't plague you and the future looked great. What will your reaction be to the offer of becoming someone else or going back to any past time? No, don't worry, it's not sci-fi and you won't be time traveling. It's just a clever commercial project, where a film studio and a group of actors will arrange an encounter with your revived dream. Maybe even with the love of your life (they can handle much more difficult tasks, after all). The film has everything that a commercially successful and quality film should have. A clever and original idea, an excellent script, and a great cast. The old guard, led by Auteuil and Fanny Ardant, enjoys the role-playing and their younger colleagues keep pace with them. La Belle Epoque is a playful romantic comedy and at the same time a story set in the filmmaking environment, where the screenwriter and director is a god and his desires (almost) a law. Doria Tillier proves that the supply of beautiful, charismatic, and talented actresses in France is practically inexhaustible. Overall impression: 90%.

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.