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Honestly, I recorded this film accidentally, but I still watched it because I saw an opportunity to get acquainted with the representative of Czech cinema, which I have long been skeptical of and prefer to avoid. August Fools confirmed all the stereotypes that I have formed about Czech productions based on my experiences. A low-budget, flat script that is only suitable for a small unambitious TV film. A poster story about how, thanks to love, a communist boy from a prominent family saw through and said goodbye to his career in totalitarian Czechoslovakia. Practically everything is shallow, unfinished, and provincial. The only things that caught my attention in the whole film were the duo of young Finnish actresses, led by the blonde Laura Birn, a scene where Jan Budař successfully parodies the passionate ideological speech of a Soviet youth, and the motif of a later assassin of American President Kennedy as a participant of the festival and a suitor of one of the film's heroines. I'm not saying that the whole thing couldn't have worked, but much more effort would have had to be put into the script, dialogue, and the funny punchlines of the comically tuned scenes. Overall impression: 35%.

Mia Wasikowska is indeed very pleasant to look at, but I realized that long before Tim Burton cast her in the lead role of his Alice. She isn't so physically attractive that it detracts from her acting; rather, she's the type of likable girl next door you'd want to have a first date with and experience first romantic love. She represents the film's biggest asset, which unfortunately, in my opinion, moves too much in well-trodden waters and relies on the unfailing sentiment we feel for a dying person. However much Gus Van Sant tries, nothing more comes out of it than a decent average. I admit without hesitation that I'm one of those men who quite often overcome emotions in the cinema, and a tear drops when I see someone suffering. But here, there's not even a flicker. I don't think it's because I've emotionally hardened lately. It's simply not the type of film that would draw me into the plot and make me live with its characters. I practically never considered the fourth star. Overall impression: 60%.

After the second season of The Bridge, where the investigative duo faced a highly sophisticated conspiracy of an international terrorist organization with global ambitions, the third season returned the series to its beginnings. Once again, the detectives are confronted with a shocking series of murders, perpetrated by a macabre, deranged individual who seeks revenge on the world and everyone who has allegedly or actually harmed him. This concept works for the third time, and I must admit that I am personally surprised at how well the series is doing. The problem lies in the excessive complexity and overwhelming number of characters, which, although a phenomenon accompanying the series from the beginning, escalates in the third season. I got a bit lost in the multitude of Nordic names. The series benefited from a change in the male lead of the central duo. Just like Saga, her new partner carries the burden of the past and struggles with inner demons. But that is precisely the seasoning that helps divert attention from the improbable, even unreal moments. The viewer must be fascinated by the perpetrator, who effortlessly assumes the roles of a midwife, top sniper, welder, fighter, handyman of all sorts, artist, and designer. One cannot help but understand why the Nordic countries are so successful when they produce such outstanding individuals. The Bridge is certainly not real life, but it manages to capture many of the real problems of contemporary Sweden. Moreover, and above all, the series practically always keeps the viewer in suspense and diverts attention at opportune moments. I would not object to a fourth season. Overall impression: 90%.

In the extensive and esteemed filmography of the Coen brothers, two titles have achieved cult status. Alongside The Big Lebowski, there is also Fargo. Perhaps it is somewhat mistakenly because I believe that film fans have a tendency to interpret this Coen title in a Tarantinoesque way. However, in the case of their crime cycle, which includes along with Fargo their debut Blood Simple, The Man Who Wasn't There, and No Country for Old Men, it is more about the psychological dramas of people in exceptional situations for the Coens, while Tarantino is more about entertainment and a cool style. The Fargo TV series, although produced by the Coens, really follows in Tarantino's footsteps. They only take the Coen style in the title, which promises a decent commercial response. In Tarantino's films, the screenwriter's goal is for his characters to be appropriately cool and deliver sexy lines in every situation, while the Coens strive for believability, even when confronted with absurdity and unpredictable randomness. While I believe in the Coens' antiheroes and bloody dramas, here we are in the world of fiction from the very beginning. But I must say that it is truly enjoyable fiction. In the ranking of world film villains, Lorne Malvo stands very high, I dare say in the top ten. Billy Bob Thornton truly played this character brilliantly and gave him a twisted charisma that many Bond villains must envy. After all, he is probably the only villain who managed to surpass the legendary performance of the Terminator, who shot up a police station with 18 officers in the first film. Malvo, in his reduction of organized crime in Fargo, is significantly more powerful and it's not easy for anyone to surpass his 22 scalps while clearing out a building. Malvo is an intelligent and experienced adversary, but unfortunately, he doesn't have a worthy opponent among the positive characters. This series stands and falls with Billy Bob Thornton and Martin Freeman. Wherever they appear, the series excels, but when others take the stage, it quickly loses its pace. While, for example, Bates Motel has excellently developed supporting characters, where it is always possible for them to take on a leading role in the continuation, here the other characters are more like followers and figurines, although in the case of Bob Odenkirk, they are quite amusing figurines. Overall impression: 85%.

If I were to approach Colonia as a so-called serious film that tries to analyze the political situation in Chile after Pinochet's coup and also examines the functioning of closed religious communities, I would have to unconditionally give it a negative rating, and quite radically. Fortunately, being well-informed, I have always perceived Colonia as an adventurous thriller with a strong romantic subplot that perceives the political situation after the military coup only as a backdrop for its storytelling. Within the genre, it is certainly above average. The film is well cast, especially Michael Nyqvist as the sect leader, who acts appropriately corrupted and demonic. He truly relishes the role. Of course, weaknesses and flaws can be found in the screenplay, especially in the last ten minutes when Colonia imitates the finale of Argo, which comes across rather comically. While in Argo, you felt like the Ayatollahs were breathing down your neck, while here the ending seems somewhat naive. However, the main thing is that, practically throughout the film, it maintains its pace and tension in line with what it wants to be. It simply entertains. I thus have no reason to give it less than 4 stars and a 75% overall impression.

This is one of many attempts to shoot a European gangster film in a somewhat different way. The Violent Four is still interesting mainly due to the animal-like performance of charismatic Gian Maria Volonté in the role of a ruthless gang boss and the wild, lengthy car chase through the streets of the city. This film has energy, a decent pace, and an interesting subject based on real events, but it is brought down by two problems. First, and above all, the film seems to consist of two radically different parts that do not go well together. The first roughly third is a quasi-documentary, with the police chief describing the crime situation to journalists, and the rest abandons this form and becomes a classic crime film. The second problem lies in the character of the police officer, who behaves like an affected, overdressed Hollywood star. He comes off as quite unsympathetic and does not provide a natural counterbalance to the criminal group. Overall impression: 65%.

A Somewhat Gentle Man turned out as a mix of genres definitely better than In Order of Disappearance, partly because Stellan Skarsgard works here as the main character much more convincingly, even though he deliberately suppresses his acting range and simply represents a redneck who doesn't want much from life and just survives. The plot is not particularly attractive and it essentially doesn't work as a crime film, but as a quirky comedy about an aging guy without life prospects, it's fine. The sex scenes, devoid of any romance and attractiveness, are fascinating. It's simply a mechanical activity performed as if in passing. If you show this to adolescents, they will lose any interest in sexual experiments for a long time. Overall impression: 70%.

Long-term use of certain drugs affects the human psyche, and just like a smoker's lungs gradually fill with tar, a drug addict's brain starts to suffer from paranoid delusions. I can't explain this film by Spanish filmmakers other than through drug-induced hallucinations. This world doesn't make sense, I haven't found any functional structure in it, and, in fact, I didn't even understand what the directors were aiming for. It partially resembles a filmed nightmare, and the only thing that really works and for which the film got a star is the horror scenes because only a few animated films can truly frighten, and Psychonauts successfully achieve that with the scenes featuring a flying demon. Other than that, I was counting every minute until the end. Overall impression: 25%.

It is not without reason that is cinema called the factory of dreams. We expect from it a spectacle, action, excitement, tension, and a trip to a place where an ordinary mortal will never, or even want to, reach. Spotlight goes against all these trends and offers unexpectedly civil acting, investigation devoid of all the usual thriller clichés, and shows journalism as it probably actually takes place. i.e., as a tedious gathering of facts, persuading for interviews, and simply routine work. Essentially any profession that you strip of its cinematic glamour suddenly looks terribly ordinary. Detectives don't run around on rooftops and neutralize villains, and spies don't eliminate enemies by the dozen. Spotlight represents that significantly smaller face of American cinema, which studios usually send to film festivals. And in the case of Spotlight, those festival laurels are well-deserved. I do wonder how the audience's support would turn out if it were not such a scandalous case, but oh well. These journalists don't stand against the machinery of a powerful corporation or a corrupt politician who sends deadly squads against them, but even so, strong emotions are felt. Spotlight offers a display of great acting talents, but this time the stars subdued their egos and didn't showcase themselves, but rather their characters. For me, I give it a thumbs up but I don't feel like giving it a fifth star because, although it may sound sacrilegious, Spotlight strips off the cinematic glamour so much that in some parts, its depiction of reality becomes boring. Overall impression: 80%.

I saw Little From The Fish Shop at the Třeboň animation festival and I witnessed a typical misunderstanding when parents of young children stubbornly assumed that animated films are primarily intended for children, so they showed up in large numbers with their little ones. Then I saw deep disgust when they realized that the story takes place in a brothel. Little From The Fish Shop can deter viewers for two reasons. Firstly, it is an attempt to update The Little Mermaid set in the backdrop of a dirty contemporary port, which not everyone can digest. Secondly, the visual aspect is anything but pleasing. Those who associate The Little Mermaid with fragility, romance, and beauty will be sadly disappointed. On the other hand, it is precisely the artistic approach that works best in Balej's film. If you like an interesting artistic style that deviates from the mainstream, you will appreciate this film. The amazing smoky industrial style and darkly grotesque elements are magical. From a dramaturgical point of view, the film lags a bit and it is not a film for children or exclusively for adults in terms of the script. However, the final scene of the fairy leaving the stage is brilliant. Overall impression: 60%.