Lima

When I saw Michel Gondry’s video for the song “Army of Me” by Icelandic diva Bjork years ago, I knew this man was an original filmmaker with a unique visual sense and the soul of an overgrown child. His latest film proves that the brilliant Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was no fluke, and that as co-writer of the Oscar-winning screenplay (along with Kaufman), he certainly had no small part in its final form, because the same can be said about The Science of Sleep. You won't see anything so charmingly light-hearted, almost childishly playful and visually engaging nowadays, and I can't think of another contemporary filmmaker, with a few exceptions, who could be compared to Gondry in terms of unbridled imagination. I admit that this rather crazy love story (if it can be called that at all) is not for everyone, but for those who enjoy slightly different films, don't mind unusual narrative techniques and like to indulge in dreams, this is an obvious choice. And for this elegant open resolution of the strange relationship between the two leads (the uncharacteristically beautiful and charismatic Bernal and Gainsbourg), Gondry deserves an accolade. This film, or rather its acceptance/non-acceptance, will show you where you stand with your child in your soul.

Scientology superstar Travolta smashed the piggy bank, donned a costume that would make him a first-class carnival attraction, and helped create a tribute to his guru, the founder of the Church of Scientology, L.R. Hubbard. This case, more than any other, shows that you can't make a good film out of an extremely crappy book. Especially when behind the camera is a man whose creative impotence is admirable and who can only manage to steal (or should I call it quote?) scenes from famous science fiction works (e.g. the slow-motion passage through the glass panes after being hit by a bullet is the blatant agony of the replicant Zhora from Scott's Blade Runner). Too bad the Church of Scientology itself hasn't been as "successful" as this piece of crap by Travolta, there would be one less influential zealot.

Tony Scott abandoned his epileptic camera manias that bogged down the otherwise impeccable Domino and took on a script that may look original, but some of us have had the privilege before, including bending paper to explain a space-time jump (remember Event Horizon?). Some may legitimately find the whole plot terribly wacky, others may not like the incongruous combination of crime and sci-fi, but in any case Scott has made an easily digestible flick that is nice to watch, good for eating popcorn and out of your head before you can say "deja-vu". And it's a pity that, given the development of the plot, I had already figured out the only possible resolution half an hour before the end.

I would like to paraphrase a sentence uttered in the film itself: "My eyes saw a grotesque spectacle summoned from the darkest corners of Miller's strange soul." The rape of history under the guise of a comic adaptation (under which everything is tolerated nowadays, perhaps even if someone made Němcová's Grandmother a dominatrix in a S&M parlour), the fanatically stubborn (though undeniably charismatic) Leonidas, who reminded me of another fanatic, Hoferik from Signum Laudis, so I certainly wouldn't want him as a king, and the slow-motion shots in the second half with their increasing frequency bored me to death. If, given the high box office returns, this empty and narcissistic affair will set the course for the future of the film industry, then we have no choice but to shout "Gott mit uns!" I'm not sure if sentences like "...I felt like smashing someone's face in after the movie was over..." is the right emotion to take away from a film, but I have no doubt that for angry young teens, this will be the best movie of their short lives so far :)

An interestingly conceived and unusually ended story about a man who wakes up one day to find that all the people on the globe had disappeared and he was left alone. A very imaginative script, a great performance by New Zealand star Bruno Lawrence, and most importantly, proof that you can make great science fiction without big special effects. In hindsight, I see this film as a truly unique piece of New Zealand cinema that was still in its infancy in terms of international recognition. Really, this film gets under your skin and stays there for a long time. I watched it almost 15 years ago on ČT2. Interesting fact: director Geoff Murphy later assisted Peter Jackson with the battle scenes in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

A very informative documentary, as if made for the "flagship of Czech climatology" Václav Klaus and his pseudo-scientific and pseudo-economic babble.

We’ve seen this before: a private eye and his criminal case, which over time begins to be too big for him. Well, yes, hello to Roman Polanski and his Chinatown; though that one is in another world in terms of quality. Hollywoodland does have a nice noirish atmosphere, too, but the screenplay is severely lacking. For one thing, I was expecting a bigger criticism of Hollywood's hard business practices, there is no final build-up to arouse some emotions, and the last act drags on, with the story going in circles. But on the other hand, I never thought I'd ever say this, but Ben Affleck (Palme d'Or at Cannes and Golden Globe nomination) is the best thing in the whole film. He's great, giving a pleasantly subdued performance as George Reeves, free of his typical acting mannerisms (his trademark in previous films: a rather irritating constantly astonished look), and as the tragicomic Superman, dressed in costume, he's simply charming. And I'll never forget the tired look on his face just before he wraps things up at the end. Overall summary: between 3 and 4 stars, rounded up, this film is worth watching despite all its flaws.

An echo of the 80s? Yeah, right. This movie will be completely forgotten in less than six months. Take, for example, Commando, which makes for a good comparison. In a way, it has aged like wine and with the passing years since its release it has acquired a kind of cult status, thanks especially to Arnold, who had undeniable charisma (whether anyone likes it or not), spouted one good one-liner after another and his (non)acting was endearing in its own way. John Cena has none of that. He's just a dull mountain of meat and his character lacks any kind of insight. And if the only thing a film can offer other than an unlikeable leading man is over-the-top action like Transporter 2, then you have quite a problem. The only positive, Robert Patrick, who was very clear about the situation he was in and really enjoyed his villainous role.

Although the plot of Angelica's stories can be safely described as shallow, and her love for de Peyrac as a mere cover and a flimsy thread that neatly ties the whole series together, since Angelica is in fact an insatiable nymphomaniac (all the more reason to root for her), I'll be very charitable. Despite the fact that it is very hard to empathise with the protagonist's fate because, let's face it, Angelica is a selfish bitch who walks over dead bodies, craves power, according to her own words, and would rather trade the righteous revenge of a young boy's death for a confession over a chocolate cake. But what the hell. The films are nice to watch, these old-fashioned costume narratives are a big weakness of mine, Michele Mercier is gorgeous, the music is downright divine in some passages, and my favorite Jean Rochefort is "Mr. Charisma", an acting devil who steals every scene with his mere presence, and his ambiguous character as the head of the secret service is a very refreshing touch. In short: a very subjective 4* and I won't go lower even for a night with the Marquise de Peyrac :)

Once every few years it happens that an inconspicuous film unexpectedly hits a golden vein in the form of great audience interest and favourable critical response, but at the same time the buzz and the aura of "wonderful comedy" created around it far outweighs its real value. Recent examples include My Big Fat Greek Wedding and now Little Miss Sunshine, the most overrated comedy of recent years. A pleasantly tedious 97 minutes, with completely banal humour, a few blatant constructs (the somewhat belated discovery of colour blindness) and one of the most incomprehensible Oscar nominations for Alan Arkin as a cackling grandfather. An over-hyped affair that will certainly not become a classic in the future. The dance of the cute Abigail Breslin won’t save it.