Stanislaus

I vividly remember going to see Hardcore Henry in the cinema a few years back, a film certainly didn't get lost in the glut of action movies with its visual concept and level of violence. Ilya Naishuller’s next film Nobody rides a similar wave of violence and action, only now you see the story from a familiar perspective (the "absent" cameraman). Nobody tries to be primarily an action thriller, but it quite forgots about the story and the continuity between scenes – at least that’s how it seemed to me (Hutch goes on his brutal spree, but why?). I had mixed feelings about the casting of Christopher Lloyd, he's really vital for his age, but the script just made a mockery of his character. Adequate for one viewing, but no more!

The third time is the charm with no less quality entertainment provided by Frank Drebin, the hero of all villains. He may have softened at first glance, but he still knows how to set off a merry-go-round of crazy events to keep our diaphragm busy. The sequence from the sperm bank didn't quite work for me, but the rest of the film was nice entertaining. The Oscars scene with its many references (not only) to contemporary films was not bad. P S: the Golden Raspberry for Anna Nicole Smith was definitely on point – she was very, very bad.

The world of teenagers, like the world of adults, is full of emotions that can move, fill and cheer, as well as hurt, empty and sadden. Close is at first glance an unassuming slice-of-life film, but one that has a poignant depth and manages to wring emotions out of the viewer and awaken empathy with what is happening on the screen in strong but not overbearing doses. Thirteen or thirty years? If there is a rift between loved ones, it hits just as hard, and not everyone can cope with the situation. One then deals with the eventual tragedy in one's own way, in proportion to one's age and understanding of the world. Close, however, would not have been as compelling narratively if it weren't for the wonderfully convincing performances, especially by Léo and Rémi, who take on the roles of the two gradually drifting friends to perfection. The last time I was struck in such a way in the field of drama was The Father, which was completely from the opposite end of human life.

It was weird to see Tad Hilgenbrink in a completely opposite role from the one he played a year earlier as Stifler Jr. in American Pie Presents: Band Camp, but the role of the eccentric Chance suited him quite well (like the top hat). The Curiosity of Chance doesn't offer a very original story and the plot doesn't have any breathtaking twists, it rather rides the wave of cliché teen movies. Personally, my biggest problem with some of the actors and their performances. This was especially true of Brett Chukerman (Levi) and Pieter Van Nieuwenhuyze (Hank). Mrs. Smelker was a somewhat quirky character, while I also quite liked the main character's sister (a.k.a. "Little Miss Netherlands").

Nine Lives is a quirky film that presents the viewer with one of the most tactless themes ever – the main, severely egotistical character undergoes a predictable plot twist after a sudden intervention from "above" – while also offering an at times dodgy digital cat. So why three stars? Because Barry Sonnenfeld's film is so cringe-worthy in places that it's actually quite funny – but it's certainly not repeat viewing material. Anyway, if you want to see a cat indulging in ninja jumps and skydiving without a parachute is welcome to the screen.

I had recently seen Danny DeVito's Matilda for the first time, and was largely unimpressed by it, so I was curious to see how the story would look in a more modern and musical package. I like Emma Thompson, but I have to admit that I found Pam Ferris more suited to the role of Trunchbull, she looked more despotic and believable, whereas with Thompson, though she played her role well, it was more obvious that she was more made-up, plus one associates her more with positive characters (as Nanny McPhee, was she also almost unrecognizable, but into a role that was more suited to her). The performance of little Matilda was fine, as was Mara Wilson back in the day, likewise with Lashana Lynch as Miss Honey. Aside from that, I liked that Matilda and Miss Honey's stories were more connected, making their encounter seem more fateful. What I would still criticize the new Matilda, however, is its running time, which could definitely be shorter, and I would also cut down on the singing (yes, even though it is a musical).

Rian Johnson plays with genre expectations in Glass Onion the same way he did in the first film, while staying true to classic whodunnit stories. If I were to take away the criticisms right from the start, I would have shortened the film, especially in the more drawn-out intro (which actually nicely parodied various CSIs and degraded the search for clues), and also the conclusion, which felt too drawn out after the culprit was revealed. The investigation itself, on the other hand (including the crucial flashback and starting with the wonderfully staged pre-murder sequence), completely captivated me and kept my (rusty) grey brain cells busy until the final denouement. Even in his second whodunit, which, among other things, shamelessly flatters Knox's Rule #10, Johnson certainly doesn't lose his breath, offering another suspenseful and unpredictable crime story with plenty of imaginative moments (whether it was the "casting" of Angela Lansbury, the character of Derola, Da Vinci's masterpiece or the ubiquitous gong).

It was not until almost half a century after its premiere that I came across one the most famous Czech musical classics, A Night at Karlštejn. After watching it, though, I have to say that I was surprised by the mediocre impression this cult-classic left me with. Musically, of course, it’s a solid piece of work, with a motif that pleasantly flowed throughout the film. The problem I had was more with the story itself, whose humorous, but also romantic line missed me by a large arc and left me completely cold (except perhaps for a few shudders at the end). At the same time, I was quite disturbed by the chaotic (at times even awful, if I'm being harsh) editing. While I'm glad I finally got to see this film, I'm pretty sure I'll never go back to it.

The fairy tale The Prince and the Evening Star had a somewhat awkward impression on me as a child. On the one hand, there is the charismatic villain Mrakomor, a pleasantly mischievous jester and nice locations. On the other hand, there is the strange directing of the actors (especially in the case of the three brothers-in-law) and the sometimes weirdly written plot (Prince Velen offers his sisters as means of exchange and nobody cares). And somewhere in between is Juraj Ďurdiak as Velen, whose unhealthy look gave me mixed feelings then (and now). I'm not saying that Václav Vorlíček's tale is bland, but personally I've never been able to get a proper taste for it.

Six Bears and a Clown will be more appealing for younger viewers, for adults it is an average dress-up "crazy" comedy with a bunch of live bears and a chimpanzee. Oldřich Lipský has more humorous and sophisticated comedies under his belt. I was most impressed by Lubomír Lipský and František Filipovský, while the rest of the actors, though of good quality, had little to do.