angel74

In every era, even in the most terrifying ones, some individuals know how to fully exploit it to their advantage. Based on this fact, Emir Kusturica crafted a socio-political satirical allegory, and under his direction, a truly masterful work was created, prompting me to ask an inevitable question after watching it: Where is "mankind" going and wouldn't we be better off as apes, our ancestors? Underground is a bitterly timeless film that ages like fine wine, and in the Balkan context, it is chillingly accurate, especially when considering that broken piece of land at the end of the film. Perhaps the only complaint I have is the drawn-out runtime, but otherwise, hats off to the director. (95%)

A quite unconventionally conceived biopic that has its pros and cons, but gets stuck somewhere in the middle. I'm a bit disappointed, especially with the use of modern popular music, which is very inappropriate for the period in which Nikola Tesla lived. Especially at the end of the film, when Ethan Hawke tries to sing like a rock star. That really went over the line. The greatest value of this peculiar piece lies in highlighting the universally valid fact that exceptional historical figures often spent their last years in poverty and loneliness unless they embraced the idea of properly capitalizing on the talent they were endowed with. Thomas Alva Edison was probably quite a scoundrel in this regard, and Nikola Tesla, on the other hand, was an eternal dreamer, which in a way made him somewhat foolish. It's really disgusting how our world works. (55%)

If I want to get in the right Christmas mood, I almost always reach for this romantic comedy by Nancy Meyers. And I have a great time every time. How could it not, when the main plot and the style of humor work perfectly? Not to mention that I can hardly imagine a better cast for such occasions. Moreover, all four of the central characters are so convincing in their roles that it can hardly be surpassed. (90%)

"I've never understood why men can't live in the present. Either they're chasing after what they've long lost, or they're dreaming of things they can't reach." +++ "It's hard to find happiness if you don't forgive yourself. You have to give something up." +++ "You miss him in vain, for he no longer lives. That won't bring him back. You have to be able to get along well with people while they are still alive." +++ The wisdom of the caring mother Yoshiko, which she gained through her age and hard life, could be carved in stone. The little family drama After the Storm struck a melancholic chord of epiphany in me so true and painful that I will be contemplating its reverberations for some time to come. The words of the beautiful song at the end of the film contributed to this. +++ "What fate have I dreamt of so far? Now I bid farewell to the dreamer. I look up, the sky is just mist. Where do you think he's going and where am I going?" (85%)

The film As Cool as I Am offers a very simplistic view of the joys and sorrows of growing up. Many times the viewer doesn't understand if the mother and daughter have accidentally switched roles. Perhaps that's because the age difference between them isn't even visually apparent. Only the music didn't outright annoy me, although even in that regard, it was no miracle. (35%)

I dare say that Mood Indigo is a film that managed to combine a refined form with impressive content in an incredible way. I can't imagine that anyone could have translated Boris Vian's cult novel to the screen better than Michel Gondry. He certainly unleashed his imagination to the fullest, but at the same time, surprisingly, he stayed quite faithful to the book. He managed to preserve its unique poetry, which is significantly enhanced in the film by the beautiful music. The cast may not be to everyone's taste, but I was personally very satisfied. Plus, I'm pretty sure that a repeat trip into the surreal world of Colin and Chloé will allow me to empathize even more with the recesses of their romantic souls.

In this short story showdown, in my eyes, Woody Allen is the clear winner, closely followed by Martin Scorsese, with Francis Ford Coppola trailing behind. This might have been slightly influenced by the fact that he's the only one of the three who wasn't born in New York City. Since Woody Allen really amused me with his excellent satire about his ever-supervising mother, I reflected this in the final rating by adding one extra star.

The passages with the tree monster and its metaphorical tales are very well done, but once twelve-year-old Conor returns to the reality of everyday life, the whole plot starts to drag a bit, and considering the predictable ending, it becomes increasingly boring. That's probably the main reason why the final wringer of emotions basically went unheard and didn't move me. Which isn't usual for me, so something must be wrong. (60%)

I expected almost nothing, and I got such a charge of emotions that I couldn't help but punish this film with five stars. Yomeddine tells a poignant story in which a man disfigured by leprosy travels with his 10-year-old friend across the scorching landscape of Egypt in search of the family who abandoned him as a child. Along the way, they experience many distressing moments, but they manage to escape from each mess with a good deal of luck until they finally reach their desired destination, or rather, their epiphany. Interestingly, this is not an outright depressing film, there are also some funny passages, often accompanied by the purest expressions of humanity. During the story I occasionally cried, which then turned into a relieved sigh at some humorous situation. The icing on the cake for me was the very pleasant music that accompanied the central pair's travails, and the very nicely punctuated ending.

Just as there are pulp novels, there are also pulp movies, and Snakes on a Plane (calling it anything else would be quite disingenuous) is one of them. Unfortunately, even Samuel L. Jackson's participation did not change the final impression.