NinadeL

Ute Lemper has a similarly well-sculpted face as Katja Flint, which is why both of these German actresses became icons, lending themselves to portray the most interesting women of the past in films. One such woman was, of course, an Austrian. In Pierre Granier-Deferre's film, the end of Marie Antoinette's life is depicted without unnecessary pathos, sensationalism, or other distractions that usually overshadow the life of this queen. Here, an excellent intimate drama focusing on her inner life before execution was achieved.

Ballerine represents for Machatý just a stepping stone between Austria and America, and it is "only" an adaptation of the then-new novel by Giuseppe Adami, "Fanny ballerina della Scala" (1935), but can you imagine a better theme for him? The theatrical setting, the endless beauty of dance costumes, and the graceful bodies of the ballet dancers... Of course, half of the aesthetic beauty of each shot is the work of cinematographer Václav Vích. In the lead role, we can enjoy the charms of Silvana Jachino, and in a supporting role, we once again get to see Maria Ray, the protagonist of Machatý's previous film Nocturne (and his then-wife). A luxurious, visually captivating experience. As for some interesting trivia, the lead role was originally supposed to be played by the real ballerina Irina Lucacevich, but she died in a traffic accident. Her replacement, Jachino, was not just a one-time stand-in but went on to have a very long career, managing to stay relevant even after the war, which was not easy after the regime change in Italy. Machatý did not have oversight over the final cut of the film and disavowed the film (probably because the first cut failed, leading to further edits of the film). Official reviews tend to be harsh, primarily because they do not consider the film itself but the conditions of its creation, the question of funding (a state commission), and its impact on Machatý's career. He is often referred to as the best director of his time, even though his artistically ambitious projects often did not achieve commercial success (and he himself functioned best in the Czech-German linguistic space, despite having European to Hollywood ambitions).

Anne Rice's first work for television. It was meant to be a series, but it's nice that the pilot episode was reworked into a standalone TV movie. This time, Anne revisited her favorite themes of loss of faith and the supernatural in a new form. The result is an enjoyable spiritual crime drama with the then very popular Dean Cain in the lead role.

NBC was apparently not ready to distribute a series of angelic stories set in modern times, repeating the classic fall of Lucifer into hell at the beginning of each episode. In hindsight, it was shown that viewers don't have a problem with such themes, as evidenced by the current popularity of the series Lucifer. So, we can typically summarize it as a project that was ahead of its time. A bit of religious mysticism, and a bit of detective investigation. For its time, it had an attractive cast and could have been a hit with minimal effort. Unfortunately, viewers never saw the pilot Earth Angels, and thus the whole project faded away.

A fairy tale that would probably look better on paper. The basic idea and the individual characters are fine. The whole retro styling is actually quite charming, but the overly routine performances of Arnošt Goldflam and Pavel Zedníček ruined it. Yet, a children's detective story with a precocious girl in the style of Nancy Drew has always been needed.

A charming, playful production. The specific style, balancing between a fairy tale and a retro anecdote that seems to have come from the drawer of P. G. Wodehouse, is the work of Magdaléna Kristenová. Similar themes can be found in her other scripts. Here, we beautifully see a blend of typical themes from the 1920s: the rise of the automobile industry, the new role of women in society, contrasted with the conservative old world. And, of course, the typical belief of Wodehouse that everything is ultimately controlled by the butler. In my view, it is essentially the television ideal of the late 80s and early 90s.

An average TV biography dedicated to the brief life of Aaliyah. It's not bad, but what is there to talk about when this R&B star didn't even reach the age of twenty-three? Her life was a short fairy tale, depicted with all due respect to a young life. She could have been a new icon like Cher or Madonna. She had a lot ahead of her but didn't have time to accomplish much. Not even to finish the filming The Matrix Reloaded...

A solid adaptation of Budd Schulberg's gritty novel "The Harder They Fall" (1947). Throughout his life, Schulberg encountered all the pinnacle forms of showbiz, which became the foundation for his literary work. He briefly collaborated with F. Scott Fitzgerald, and in his youth, he was shaped by his father's decision to leave the family for actress Sylvia Sidney. After the war, he was part of the Nuremberg Trials. These and many other life experiences formed his worldview, so it's no surprise that even a seemingly trivial story about corruption behind the scenes of professional boxing comes across as so mature. Thanks to the professionalism of the team around Mark Robson, they managed to create a film that lived up to the expectations of its source material. The boundary of novelistic fiction can be evidenced by the unsuccessful lawsuit Primo Carnera filed against Columbia. For this reason, it would be a shame to dismiss all this and label the film merely as the final project of a dying Humphrey Bogart. That would be truly insufficient.

Sports films related to Berlin 1936 are an absolutely crucial topic for me. This subcategory includes a vast array of biographies, documentaries, debates, and other materials, because those summer Olympic Games influenced the lives of countless personalities of that time and have become a subject of analytical research by experts across many fields. This time, we have the biography of Jesse Owens (1913-1980), the legendary African American who had a tough time in the USA (remember, his grandparents were slaves) and was also unwelcome in the Third Reich. Yet, he triumphed. This alone is material for a great drama. Nevertheless, Stephen Hopkins didn't just scratch the surface or create a superficial film; he tackled the subject deeply. Alongside the story of Owens' career, brilliantly portrayed by Stephan James, we also have a genius depiction of Leni Riefenstahl, played by Carice van Houten, who for the first time portrayed her as a real person who found her way to her film despite constant conflicts with the Nazi elite. And last but not least, there is the luxurious performance by Jeremy Irons, who plays Avery Brundage, another challenging character of the International Olympic Committee member who replaced Ernest Lee Jahncke (an opponent of holding the Games in the Third Reich).

I believe Tomáš Mašín always manages to surprise. This time, he has directed an intimate drama built around three striking female performances. Together with Alice Nellis, they crafted a script that combines the classic, painful theme of euthanasia with the trauma of a parallel family, presented in the format of a viewer-friendly detective story. The seemingly incompatible elements complement each other well, and all three actresses received very grateful material, from which they managed to create very vivid characters. Suppressed is a film that doesn't break any formal boundaries, but it's certainly something we Czechs needn't be ashamed of and can consider an example of how our films could look.