gudaulin

Mammon rode the wave of popularity of Scandinavian detective stories, but using the argument that it was introduced here or there to highlight its qualities is misleading. With the current inflation of television stations and other distribution channels, there is a huge demand for genre creation, and in every new project, the market wants to see a new The Bridge or The Killing. These undoubtedly represent screenwriting constructs; in the normal world, you won't encounter such sophisticated criminals and complicated branching cases. But they are cleverly written, with an understanding of human psychology, with corresponding motivations, and it doesn't grate or go overboard. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul convinced me some time ago that you can work with very unconventional radical characters and still make them feel believable if you put effort into the script. Mammon fails in the most fundamental aspect - it is poorly written. The concept is interesting, and the director works with proven thriller elements, but if the screenwriter relies on such obvious awkward transitions, commits such glaring logical somersaults, and piles up absurd coincidences, the result is lost. The screenwriter doesn't just need to write a sentence, they need to add an exclamation mark to it. The series lacks moderation and a sense of proportion. It is obvious that it is a mediocre work. Overall impression: 25%.

At the beginning of the 90s, Twin Peaks was a cultural shock and the first harbinger of the rise of the phenomenon of quality TV dramas. Frost and Lynch came up with the idea of combining the widely used format of soap operas with crime drama, turning all the previous principles of serial practice upside down and proving that television production can be done differently, i.e., cleverly and innovatively. The plot was no longer important to them; the murder of the student was bait for the audience to be lured into the maze of strangely fluctuating serial characters and the maze of relationships of the inhabitants of a strange small town. The success did not rely on the story, but on the characters, with whom the authors entertainingly played. The series gradually adopted elements of sitcoms and began to ironically criticize both genres from which it originated. Lynch was lucky when it came to his collaborators. The mysteriously sounding soundtrack by Angelo Badalamenti became a huge hit and a symbol of the series. Kyle MacLachlan, with his sympathetic talents and malleable acting, had no problem identifying with the philosophy of the series and passionately delivered the famous lines to his invisible secretary, Diane. The beautiful mysterious women with unpredictable behavior added an erotic dimension to Twin Peaks. The characters constantly surprised us. Outwardly positive characters carried the seeds of evil within themselves, unexpectedly showed their dark side, and fascinated us with their corruption. The intricate storytelling with many blind alleys, which did not burden itself with explanations and presenting information on a silver platter, attracted intellectuals to the television, who had previously scorned it. The screenwriters played with the viewers, mystified them, and diverted their attention to details that had no practical importance. Twin Peaks was at the forefront of a process that changed the rules of the game in television production and introduced cinematic aesthetics to it. Its success inspired many other television projects, and traces of Twin Peaks can be found practically everywhere today. The first season suited me perfectly and it was precisely this season that led me to discover the eccentric and crazy Lynch. Overall impression: 95%.

This two-part television thriller about the most famous criminal case investigated in Great Britain was created on the occasion of the centenary of the series of attacks by the mysterious Jack the Ripper. From today's perspective, when ambitious quality TV projects keep pace with filmmaking, it may not stand out as much, but in the second half of the 80s, it was a generously funded project that was intended to be a dignified tribute to this event. There is an evident effort to approach the subject matter as seriously as possible and at the same time create an atmospheric genre film with a socially critical subtext. Anyone who has ever dealt with the case of the London serial killer will not be too surprised by the choice of the perpetrator; his name has always been one of the debated ones in the case, and it is addressed in literary form, for example, in Alan Moore's successful comic novel "From Hell." Although the television film is by no means as multifaceted, it is not a work that tries to be a complete statement about Victorian England society, but as an unconventional detective story set in historical settings with a non-conformist protagonist surpassing the abilities of his surroundings, it holds up more than decently - undoubtedly thanks to Michael Caine's casting in the main role, because he couldn't act badly even if he wanted to. Overall impression: 80%.

Nolan's audience and his film heroes have one thing in common: a feeling that could be compared to what happens to the fuel mixture in the engine during the compression phase. After just a few dozen seconds, you will witness the massacre of a military unit and events are set in motion like an avalanche. Nolan has made an intense film, constantly forcing his characters to act, escape mortal danger, and make decisions about their own lives and the lives of those around them. Mistakes or hesitations are not forgiven and have the most tragic consequences. The viewer is bombarded with a huge amount of sensations from the first minute. Don't expect moments of calm and reflection. Prepare for dynamic editing, constantly alternating between events on land, at sea, and in the air. The director does not use a collective hero, and each component of the army and civilians rushing to help have specific faces, but Nolan is not interested in telling the story of one or a few individuals. He has made a complex film where the main role is the battle itself, or rather the historical event - the evacuation of a 400,000-strong army trapped in a small enclave on the coastline. Sound plays an extraordinary role in Dunkirk. The film never goes silent for a moment. You will be bombarded with noises, shots, and explosions, a mixture of tones and musical compositions that intensify the tension and anticipation. Nolan uses not the biggest stars, but rather the best actors, from whom charisma radiates from a distance. They don't need dialogues, as a glance or a slight gesture is enough to send chills down your spine. Prior to its premiere, Dunkirk generated expectations that it could become the film event of the year, and I believe Nolan has fulfilled this assignment. What I saw here is a precise film from a director with a clear vision, attitude, and above-average abilities, and who has control over his film. I am talking about the dynamic editing, but please do not confuse it with chaos. If you have a problem with the editing, the fault lies within you and in how perceive things. What I saw was an epic drama that I strongly recommend seeing on the big screen. And finally, what I saw was a film that rehabilitates concepts such as heroism and patriotism. After a series of productions saturated with ideologies and nationalism, this film is quite a relief. Overall impression: 95%.

This is a television drama about how a promising dancer, through bad friends and emotional confusion during adolescence, became addicted to heroin. The film does not deny that it was commissioned as a warning against the temptation of chemically enhancing one's life. It is characteristic of it that it tries to adapt to the thinking of teenagers and speak their language. Other than that, there are much more significant films with better scripts, direction, and cast that have been made on this topic. Overall impression: 40%.

The personality of Charlie Chaplin does not represent an indisputable symbol of artistic mastery for me, as only a few of his films have appealed to me in the past, and even fewer interest me today. The ones that I think are worth watching again could easily be counted on one hand, but Modern Times is one of them. Along with The Gold Rush, it is the only film in which I accept his character as a tramp. In Modern Times, he tries to make his way through life and repeatedly tries to integrate himself into the life of a respectable citizen, but fails as a factory worker or a waiter. The girl with whom he eventually forms a relationship is similarly unconventional, so in the end, they both recognize that they do not fit into the modern era with its rules, orders, and obligations. They retreat and walk together toward their fate. Above all, the factory part of the tramp's story seems funny and cleverly filmed to me; the desire to maximize productivity leads to the absurd motif of a machine for feeding employees. The second highlight of the film is the scene in the bar where Chaplin's voice is heard for the first time in the form of a musical number accompanied by pantomimic clowning. Modern Times can be criticized, like other Chaplin films, for the outdated aesthetics of silent films from the first half of the 1920s. But in this case, I don't mind. I perceive his film as a social critique of the system during the economic crisis and at the same time a criticism of Fordist mass society based on the suppression of individuality. It is typical that the screening of Modern Times was immediately banned in Hitler's Germany and Mussolini's Italy. Overall impression: 80%.

A film about fear, uncertainty, and demons that lurk more or less deeply within each of us. I have considered Villeneuve to be one of the most talented directors of today for some time now, and even though he is capable of creating a better atmosphere, all you need is to watch the scene of the frantic car ride with a blinded driver across the city to realize whose film you are about to see. Similarly, the screenplay presents very decent work in its genre, which is capable of surprising and being original. The creators patiently build tension, anxiety, and a sense of threat, letting their detective stumble and convincingly fulfill the requirements of the thriller genre. For parents, there is no nightmare worse than the disappearance of a child, and the filmmakers spare none of their characters. Without drowning in sentiment, they manage to intensify emotions to the maximum. Another motif strongly resonating throughout the film is the temptation to take investigation and justice into one's own hands. The father of the lost child succumbs to this desire, and the screenwriter finds some justification for torture in the name of higher goals. By my standards, that takes away a star. Of the actors, the most notable is Jake Gyllenhaal, who delivers an outstanding performance and is another reason to devote more than 150 minutes of your time to this crime story. Overall impression: 85%.

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%.

I cannot criticize anything significant about the film, and, in fact, I found it appealing from beginning to end and the writer and director managed to extract the maximum from the material offered. Let's face it, solving ciphers can be the basis for an exciting novel, but a gripping film needs more than just a view of a group of scientists pondering at a desk and solving complex equations. Benedict Cumberbatch handled the role of a quirky genius with homosexual tendencies very well, as expected. The film also doesn't shy away from the moral dilemmas associated with deciding what price is still worth paying to maintain a crucial secret for victory in the war. Overall impression: 85%.

Pignon is the name that screenwriter and director Francis Veber bestows upon his film protagonists on a whim, or perhaps for another reason with remarkable regularity. It is not a case of the same character, nor is it portrayed by a specific actor. What they have in common is perhaps a certain plebeian nature and humanity; they are not people at the top of the food chain. Pignon from the film The Dinner Game is one of those characters that one must be wary of. He is not a bad person and, in terms of intelligence quotient, he is not stupid either. However, he lacks what is known as social intelligence, social tact, and sensitivity. It cannot be said that he thinks slowly; rather, it is more accurate to say that he speaks too quickly and words precede thoughts with an iron regularity, going their own separate ways. When Pignon encounters a confident businessman played by Thierry Lhermitte, he quickly realizes that he has found an ideal victim who is capable of embarrassingly and entertainingly amusing the guests invited to the party. However, intentions change and circumstances unfold… Watching The Dinner Game, albeit after many years, has made me take away one star, but it still has its charm, and the entertainment value remains reliable. Overall impression: 75%.