gudaulin

The Jacket is a film that should be appreciated for its interesting subject and cast, but the final execution disappointed me, especially in contrast to the very decent rating on FilmBooster. Unfortunately, my expectations were higher than what I watched. The plot seemed too chaotic to me, which was due to both the script and the direction, and there were logical inconsistencies in it. However, some moments certainly had a great atmosphere. In several cases, the crazy editing bothered me as well. Overall impression: 45%.

An old familiar theatrical classic featuring a proven cast led by František Smolík as the aspiring father-to-be, Jiřina Šejbalová as both a brothel madam and a virtuous wife, Josef Bek as a reformed pickpocket, and Ivanka Devátá as a naive Salvation Army member. A decent, though not exceptional, television production that is interesting as a record of the actors' performances from their era. Overall impression: 55%. It is perhaps a bit lengthy, which can be excused by its theatrical nature. Shortening it by 15% would have made it more audience-friendly.

Let's face it, we watch movies mainly for the spectacle and entertainment. When Alexander Payne made his film About Schmidt, it was a film about a midlife crisis and therefore much more digestible to the average viewer than an intimate drama about old age, illness, dying, and loneliness, albeit with carefully measured subtle humor. This is simply too unpleasant a subject that we want to push out of our consciousness and not be reminded of it by a film drama. About Schmidt is a realistic film without cheap effects and shocking twists, with a slow narrative based on high-quality dialogue and Jack Nicholson's excellent performance. The screenwriter cleverly chose the main character's commentary in the form of letters addressed to a little boy in Central Africa, whom he sponsors. The way the events unfold after the protagonist's retirement is also how it happens in real life. The creators indeed chose a protagonist who is a member of the well-off managerial class in a significant insurance company, with decent financial security for old age, so average American retirees are certainly different and face many more problems. But it would be really difficult to make this kind of film in the American mainstream studio system, even though it was made possible solely because a star like Nicholson was involved. Movie fans will surely remember him from a series of epic films and various villains, where his expressive acting stood out, but in About Schmidt, he was able to display a vast range of emotions, and his performance might even be considered one of his best. Overall impression: 90%.

An interesting connection between image and music, one of the outcomes of Petr Sís' experimentation with forms of communication. Overall impression: 60%.

A surrealist animated plaything, where the mutual duel of two tennis players turns into an emotional battle fought with all conceivable means, even at the cost of total destruction. A famous film that opened the doors to the West for Petr Sís and contributed to his emigration. Overall impression: 90%.

Dynamic, total animation and artistic skill are the strengths of Gerrit van Dijk's film, which is a tribute to the beauty of the human body. Due to the lack of a plot, typical of the director's work, the runtime is a bit excessive and ultimately boring. Overall impression: 60%.

A routinely shot cheap B-movie about an alien parasite that inhabits its host and forces them to commit criminal acts, and about its pursuers. From a sci-fi or horror perspective, it's an insignificant affair, lacking in terms of set design due to its limited budget. It's a one-dimensional film for action enthusiasts. Overall impression: 40%.

Allen can really surprise us even at an older age and he proves that he is far from done, and if he has the same tenacious roots as his dad, he will still please us film fans with a decent line of movies. Match Point is a film where I couldn't guess the name of the director and creator of the story and screenplay in advance. The film breaks away from the traditional pattern of Allen's intellectual conversation films and is more of a fateful psychological drama supported by a crime plot. The story of a careerist who wanted everything and in the end had to sacrifice a lot and some people paid a heavy price for his rise. The film's strength lies in the excellent portrayal of society and the psychological profile of the individual characters in the story. It is a very believable affair supported by great acting. Scarlett Johansson is charming and playing these types of femme fatales comes naturally to her, and the other actors also give great performances. A distinctly European film that is one of the best Allen has ever made. It proves that he is not only capable of comedy. I didn't miss not seeing him as an actor in the film at all. Overall impression: 95%.

In the 90s, Woody Allen was said among film critics to be somewhat exhausted and repetitive. While this is far from the whole truth about Allen's work, the comedy Anything Else is proof that there is some truth to it. When I started watching the film, I realized after a while that I had seen the film about three years ago, but I had completely erased it from my memory. And even then, I couldn't remember what would happen in the next few minutes. Actually, the film was, in a way, new to me. Allen naturally maintains a certain, not exactly low, standard, so he won't disappoint his fans and can capture the attention of a first-time viewer. However, it largely relies on the style and motifs that he has used many times before in better execution. The film is traditionally based on dialogues, some of which elicit a smile from the audience but do not linger in one's memory, and on a quality cast, led this time by Christina Ricci. However, the film lacks a more prominent dramatic plot and a more impactful point. Last but not least, Anything Else is evidence that Allen is a better director than an actor in his old age. Overall impression: 60%.

This very entertaining film by Pedro Almodóvar is a carnival of bizarre characters and absurd situations, and for fans of his film style, watching Kika is obviously a duty. It features all the basic motifs present in his work, namely sexual perversions, emancipated women, criticism of popular culture, which on the other hand Almodóvar openly exploits, and interestingly conceived relationships and love scenes. Some moments in the film are delightful and urge me to give it five stars, but as a whole, Kika is a bit chaotic and loses the content of its message. Overall impression: 85%.